Brownies!

One of my closest friends is finally pregnant after anxiously waiting many, many years. As you can imagine they are thrilled and I am over the moon excited for the both of them. They are going to make amazing parents and I cannot wait to meet this little bundle of C and C.

This week she passed the three month mark! After this point the risks associated with pregnancy decrease significantly. I decided we should mark the occasion with some homemade brownies to celebrate. (brownies are the key to any pregnant women's heart) Who am I kidding brownies are the key to my heart too!

This is a very quick and easy recipe. Not so healthy, but they sure taste good. Some things are just meant to stay unhealthy (wink)!

Best Brownies Recipe:

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup butter
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
Frosting:
3 tablespoons butter, softened
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup confectioners' sugar
DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour an 8-inch square pan.
2. In a large saucepan, melt 1/2 cup butter. Remove from heat, and stir in sugar, eggs, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat in 1/3 cup cocoa, 1/2 cup flour, salt, and baking powder. Spread batter into prepared pan.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes. Do not overcook.
4. To Make Frosting: Combine 3 tablespoons softened butter, 3 tablespoons cocoa, honey, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 1 cup confectioners' sugar. Stir until smooth. Frost brownies while they are still warm.

Here is a link to the recipe found on all recipes 

Happy twelve weeks sweet Mama to be!

xoAngela
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Chocolate Zuccini Brownies

We are lucky enough to live next to people that grow a huge garden every year.  What makes us lucky is that they often will share the fruits of their labor with us. This past week we were given the hugest zucchini I have ever seen so I thought, why not make some brownies.  Confused??? I know, it sounds weird and your probably thinking why on earth would you want to add zucchini to brownies anyways? Well..... trust me, these make the most delicious brownies ever. They are so moist, soft, and chewy. What more could you want?

I discovered this recipe on the Sweet Happy Life blog and have decided this is a keeper.

Here is the recipe copied from the blog.

Ingredients

For the brownies:

• ½ cup vegetable oil
• 1½ cups white sugar
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1½ teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 cups shredded zucchini

For the frosting:

• 6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• ¼ cup butter
• ¼ cup milk
• 2 cups confectioners' sugar
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350F and grease a 9x13 inch baking pan with PAM or your preferred baking spray.
2. In a large bowl combine the oil, sugar and 2 teaspoons vanilla until well blended.
3. In a medium bowl combine the flour, ½ cup cocoa, baking soda and salt.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, stirring just to combine. Fold in the zucchini and mix well. The batter will be very dry and you'll think you should add eggs or milk, but don't do it!
5. Spread into the prepared pan, gently tapping the mixture down.
6. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until brownies spring back when gently touched.
7. To make the frosting, melt together the 6 tablespoons of cocoa, the butter and the milk in the microwave for about 40-60 seconds. Mix well with a spatula or metal spoon. Allow to cool slightly, then add the vanilla and the confectioners sugar ½ cup at a time, mixing well between additions.
8. Spread the frosting over the brownies once the brownies have cooled. Allow to set for an hour before digging in. Store in the fridge for up to 3 days.

(source)

Since they technically contain a vegetable that means you should enjoy at least two (wink)!

Hope you enjoy!

xoAngela
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