The Best Brownies I've Ever Made

A few months ago I was really craving brownies, and wanted to find a recipe that I would fall in love with. Now, I haven't always had the best of luck making brownies, in fact I have always overcooked them because I didn't exactly know when I should take them out of the oven, I didn't want them to be undercooked so I would just leave them in the oven until it was just too late. So, after many years of failed attempts to find the perfect recipe I came upon a recipe that sounded like I could possibly nail, and I did. I've never been so proud to have passed that hurdle, and now I know I will be making some more any time I crave them because they were actually not very hard to make as long as you read all the instructions. 
These brownies are not only moist and soft, but are topped with a chocolate ganache that just adds the perfect amount of chocolatey yumminess to this recipe. Just thinking about them makes my mouth water. If you're ready to learn how to make these then just keep on reading.

Ingredients:
3/4 c All Purpose Flour
3/4 c Unsweetened Natural Cocoa Powder
1 tsp. Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Salt
1 tsp Instant Espresso Powder
3/4 c Unsalted Butter, melted
3/4 c Granulated Sugar
3/4 c Brown Sugar
2 Eggs
1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
1/4 c Milk
Ganache:
1/2 c Heavy Cream
1 1/2 c Semisweet Chocolate Chips

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease 9x13 inch pan with baking spray and lay some parchment. Set aside.
Mix flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt, and espresso in a bowl and set aside.
In a separate bowl, whisk together granulated sugar, brown sugar, and eggs.
Then, add the eggs milk and vanilla extract.
Add dry ingredients and mix until fully incorporated.
Pour batter into the pan and bake for 20 minutes.
Once it has baked let it cool completely.

For ganache:
Heat up heavy cream in microwave or saucepan and pour into chocolate chips. Set aside.
After a couple minutes, whisk to melt chocolate completely.
Pour ganache over the brownies and let the ganache set. I put it in the refrigerator to produce a denser brownie.
After it has set it is ready to cut and eat.

I hope you enjoy these brownies as much as I enjoyed them, and have enjoyed sharing the recipe with you.

Valentine's Day Cupcakes

It has been a while since I've wrote a post on this blog, and I am very glad that I decided to start posting on here again. I had stopped because I got a little discouraged and also I was attending culinary school, working, and being part of a dance company. As you can see life happened, and I just didn't have the time to make posts. I'm happy to announce that I am done with culinary school, and I have learned so much. I am now ready to show you all what I have learned, and show you my creations as well as help you create them. 

Last year for Valentine's Day I decided I wanted to make a little bit of money so I decided to make a flyer, and sell some cupcakes to my friends and family. I thought since it would be Valentine's day, and everyone seems to like my cupcakes I could sell them for less than most cupcakes out there, and get many orders. Well, I may have bit more than I could chew at that time because it was a lot of work and I didn't sell as much as I thought I would. Also, I had so many cupcakes leftover that I had to give some away. Now, you may ask why did I make so many? Why didn't I take orders ahead of time? Well, I did. The problem was that I decided that for each package I would make 6 different flavor cupcakes with 6 different frostings so that each cupcake was different. I only got 5 orders therefore, I had so many cupcakes and not enough orders. It was a good learning experience because I learned that if I want to make that much work for myself I need to be able to get more orders. I still had a lot of fun making them so it was not all for nothing. 

Now that you have read all of my life story, if you want to see the cupcakes that I made and maybe give you an idea for some cupcakes you can make for your sweetie this Valentine's Day then here is a little description of each one and a photo to go along with it.

 Top: Chocolate Chip Cupcake with Chocolate Whipped Topping and Topped with Chocolate Chips, Pink Velvet Cupcake with Whipped Topping and Topped with Pink Pearl Sprinkles, Vanilla Cupcake with Pink Vanilla Buttercream Frosting and Topped with White Pearl Sprinkles
Bottom: Chocolate Cupcake with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting and Topped with Red Heart Sprinkles, Red Velvet Cupcake with Cream Cheese Frosting and Topped with Red and White Sprinkles, Cookies and Cream Cupcake with Cookies and Cream Whipped Topping and Topped with an Oreo Cookie

 I put them in a cupcake container with 6 cavities

I wrapped the box with a cute red and white ribbon bow

These are my orders for Valentine's Day and the two red boxes are cookies which will be my next post.

I really hope you liked this post, and continue to read my baking journey.

Teacher Appreciation Week Ideas

This week is teacher appreciation week and I thought I would share what I made. These are just some ideas that you can make for Teachers Day or Back to School. They are really cute and fun to make so you can show the teacher in your life how much you appreciate them.

Apple Cupcakes:

Apple Cake Pops:

Turkey Cookies

If you love sugar cookies and turkeys then you have come to the right place. Not only are these cookies delicious, but they are extremely cute and very easy to make. The kids can even help with the decorations. If you want to know how to make them then keep reading.

What you need:
Sugar cookie ( you can either buy the dough that is already ready or make some from scratch) if you need a recipe for sugar cookies here is the link to my recipe:
Edible Eyeballs
Candy Corn
Orange Candy Melts

How to:
Bake cookies
Melt the candy melts
Get five candy corns and use the candy melts to stick them to the cookies. These will work as the feathers.
Stick the eyes to the middle of the cookies
Draw a beak with the candy melt. Just draw a horizontal line and then draw a vertical line and with a toothpick make a triangle.
Done
Wasn't that easy? I told you. Now enjoy your cookies, your family and your holiday.
Happy Thanksgiving

Final Result:

Peep Tuxedos

Peeps are my favorite treat to enjoy this time of year. I know some people hate them and others love them. It just depends on your preference. Now if you thought they could get any better let me tell you they just did. I made these adorable tuxedo bunnies and it didn't take much time at all. So if you're ready to learn, here's how you can create them.

Materials:
Peep Bunnies
White Chocolate Melts
Black Chocolate Melts
Piping bag or Ziploc bag

Instructions:
First, melt the white chocolate according to the package. Once its melted, dip the bottom part of the bunny into the white chocolate and let it harden.

Next, melt the black chocolate. Dip the bunny at an angle on both sides to form a v shape.
Take the piping bag or Ziploc bag and fill it with a little bit of black chocolate and cut a very small hole on the side of the bag. Begin piping a button and bow tie to the bunny. Let them harden.

Final Result:

Pineapple Cake and Cupcakes

These cupcakes are sure to make everyone smile. Not only are they simple, but they are cute as well. I made these cupcakes for a birthday party and they were such a hit with everyone. 

Leaves

Materials:

Wax paper

Green chocolate melts

Directions:

Melt candy according to directions on packaging

Cut wax paper into small squares

Using a spoon spread out the chocolate to make the leaves

Place them in refrigerator until chocolate hardens

Final result:

Cupcakes

Materials:

Cake mix

White cupcake liners

Yellow frosting

Brown sprinkles

Directions:

Bake cupcakes and let them cool completely

Take the yellow frosting and cover each cupcake completely

Using a butter knife, tap each cupcake to make it look like the texture of the pineapple

Add a couple leaves to each cupcake

Last, add the brown sprinkles to random spots of the cupcakes

Final result:

Cake

Materials:

Yellow frosting

32 Wilton Pastry tip

6x2 round cake

Directions:

Take the yellow frosting and put some on a pastry bag

Using Wilton's number 32 pastry tip cover entire cake

Add some leaves to the top

Final result:

Jumbo Cupcake Chocolate Liner

Jumbo cupcakes have been getting pretty popular, and I have done quite a few myself. I have tried different ways to make a liner, and I found this to be the easiest. 

Materials:
Candy Melts (any color)
Jumbo Cupcake Pan 
Paramount Crystals (You can also use coconut or vegetable oil)

Directions:
Melt candies according to the instructions on the package. If it is too thick you can add paramount crystals or oil.

Take cupcake pan and distribute melted chocolate evenly until it is covered
Place in refrigerator for a couple minutes until chocolate hardens

Take out the pan and melt more chocolates to coat the pan with another layer of chocolate. You may need to work quickly on this layer so it doesn't harden too fast

Place in refrigerator for about 25 minutes

Take out the pan once more and tap the bottom of the pan on a hard surface. Liner should come right out.

Final Result: 

Chocolate Covered Strawberries

Valentine’s Day is tomorrow and if you are still in need of a quick gift don’t worry I have a solution. CHOCOLATE COVERED STRAWBERRIES!! If you don’t know how to make them keep reading and I will walk you through it.

Materials:

Strawberries

Semisweet Chocolate Chips or any chocolate of your choice

Paramount Crystals (You can also use coconut oil or any other type of oil)

Parchment Paper or Aluminum Foil

Directions:

Wash strawberries and let them dry

Take the chocolate and put it in a microwave safe bowl

Add paramount crystals and microwave until chocolate is completely melted (if its too thick you can add some oil)

Dip each strawberry into the chocolate and cover completely

Place strawberries in parchment paper or aluminum foil and let chocolate harden

Final Result:

Carnival Jumbo Cupcake

Materials:
Cake Mix
Wilton Jumbo Cupcake Pan
Wilton Red Candy Melts
Pastry Pride Whipped Topping
Food Coloring
Cupcake Topper

Directions:
Bake Cake in Cupcake Pan
Melt the wilton candy melts and melt them according to directions on the package
Take the bottom of the cupcake and cover it with the red melted chocolate

Take some of the white whipped topping and use some neon green food coloring and dye it
Take some neon yellow food coloring and dye the other part of the whipped topping
Using a pastry tip cover the top of the cupcake with the neon green and neon yellow whipped topping
Add the cake topper
Final Result:

Rice Crispies Clock

Don't know what dessert to make for New Years? Don't worry, I've got just right perfect treat for anyone.

Materials:
Rice Crispies 
White Chocolate Melts
Black Food Gel Writing Pen  
Cup
Black Fondant

Directions:
First make the rice crispies treats according to the directions on the cereal box
Once it ready, cut out 12 circles using the cup
Dip on side of the circle in white melted chocolate and let it harden
Using the food gel pen number each circle from 1 to 12
Cut the rest of the rice crispies however you'd like
Place the circles into a big circle forming a clock
Place the rest of the rice crispies in the middle
Cut two pieces of fondant to make them look like the hand signals of the clock

End Result:

I hope everyone has a fabulous and Happy New Year!

Snowman Oreos

Last year I made these for my coworkers last year and they really liked them.

Materials:
Oreos
Wilton Candy Melts (White)
Orange Candy (optional)
Mini Semisweet Chocolate Chips
Treat Bags
Paramount Crystals

Directions:
Melt the candy in the microwave according to the instructions in the packaging
Add some paramount crystals if the chocolate is too thick
Dip the oreo and place it on some parchment paper
Put some chocolate chips as the eyes and mouth
Add an orange candy as the nose
Place the cookies in the refrigerator until they harden
Put them in the treat bags

Final Result:

DIY: Sock Cupcakes

I made these sock cupcakes for my coworkers, and they were such a hit. If you're stuck on what to get some people, I recommend making these because they are super cute and so easy to make. 

Materials:

Knee High Socks

Cupcake Liners

Scrapbook Paper

Cupcake Cover Template (I got mine from pinterest)
Scissors
Red Candy ( I used See's chocolate candies)
Lollipop Sticks
Glue Gun
Rubber bands
Treat Bags
Ribbon
Tape
Stickers

Directions:
Cut out the size of the liner using a template and trace it on scrapbook paper

Fold the socks in half long way and start rolling them from the bottom

Put a rubber band around them so they don't unroll
Take the white cupcake liner and put it under the cupcake sock












Grab the cupcake cover and go around the cupcake sock, tape it in place
Decorate the cover as you'd like with the stickers












Take a lollipop stick and cut a piece of it

Put some glue on the round chocolate and glue it to the stick

Add the red candy to the top of the cupcake sock

Place the sock and put it in the treat bags












Final Result: