Oh My Oh So Yummy!!

Phew it has been a busy few days. I'm so sorry for not updating my blog all that much since NaBloPoMo finished up. It's a good thing that doesn't occur in the month of December because I would never be able to keep up. I have a few other things I want to write about this week and then I promise after Christmas is over I will be back to updating on a regular basis. Also sorry for my lack of comments on your blogs. However, I have been keeping up on reading all of your blogs.

Tomorrow I'm going to a Christmas Party with the girls in my "support group" We are each supposed to bring a dish to pass and since I love to bake I said I would bring the desert. Originally, I was going to bake homemade peppermint cheese cake. At the last minute I changed my mind and decided to make homemade peppermint brownies instead. Since it seems like we are all looking for new recipes during this time of year I thought I'd share it with you all. I thought each bite of peppermint cheesecake goodness tasted like a little bit of Heaven. So...so...yummy!! The best part was they were really east to make, here is what you do...

Peppermint Cheesecake Brownies
Cheesecake batter:

• 1 (8-ounce) block 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg white
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

Brownie batter

• 4.5 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 cup)
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1/4 cup buttermilk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 large egg whites
• 1 large egg
• Cooking spray

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. To prepare cheesecake batter, place cheese in a medium bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until smooth. Add granulated sugar and peppermint extract; beat well. Add 1 egg and 1 egg white; beat well. Add 1 tablespoon flour; beat mixture just until blended.

3. To prepare brownie batter, weigh or lightly spoon 4.5 ounces (about 1 cup) flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine 4.5 ounces flour, cocoa, and salt in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Combine brown sugar, oil, buttermilk, vanilla, 2 egg whites, and 1 egg in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium-high speed until well blended. Add flour mixture to brown sugar mixture; beat at low speed just until blended.

4. Reserve 1/2 cup of brownie batter. Pour remaining batter into a 9-inch square baking pan coated with cooking spray. Carefully pour cheesecake batter over top; spread evenly to edges. Dot cheesecake batter with reserved brownie batter. Swirl top two layers of batters together using the tip of a knife. Bake at 350° for 26 minutes or until top is set. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack.

See seriously easy to make. I think even if you weren't an 'experienced baker" you would be able to make these. Once the brownies were out of the oven and cooled a bit I added my own special touch. Have you all seen these yummy candy canes in the stores?

If not you should really go on a hunt for them. They are the Hershey's Mint Chocolate Candy Canes. I mean really...what could be better than a chocolate mint flavored candy cane? So after the brownies had cooled I decided to crunch up a box of these yummy treats to sprinkle on top of the brownies. I personally think it added a yummy touch.

Just a small little sample for you!


Now for a bigger taste! Oh yeah, I tasted them and they are so so yummy!!!

Go ahead and try them for yourself!