In The Kitchen

Hello friends! It's sweet treat week! I am sharing some yummy dessert recipes this week. I hope you enjoy.

Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies

For the red velvet brownies:

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted, plus more for greasing pan

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 Tablespoon red food coloring

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon white vinegar

2 eggs

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

For the cheesecake filling:

1 (8-oz.) package cream cheese, softened

3 Tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 large egg yolk

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line an 8x8-inch baking pan with parchment paper and grease it with butter. In a large bowl, combine the melted 8 tablespoons butter with the sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla, food coloring and salt, stirring to combine. Then stir in the white vinegar. Whisk together the eggs in a small bowl, and then stir them into the brownie batter. Fold in the flour, just until combined, then pour the batter into the prepared pan, reserving 1/4 cup of the batter for the topping. In the bowl of a stand mixer (or using a handheld electric mixer), blend together the cream cheese, sugar, vanilla and egg yolk until well combined. Spread the cream cheese mixture in an even layer over the brownie batter then top the cream cheese with dollops of the remaining brownie batter. Using a sharp knife or toothpick, swirl the cream cheese together with the dollops of brownie batter. Bake the brownies for 30 minutes. Remove them from the oven and let them cool completely before lifting the parchment out of the pan then slicing and serving.

Mississippi Mud Cake

One Chocolate Cake baked in a 9x13'' pan

1 (10.5 oz) bag of miniature marshmallows

For the frosting:

1/3 cup butter

1/3 cup milk

1/3 cup cocoa powder

1 tsp vanilla extract

3 cups powdered sugar

Instructions

Bake chocolate cake according to instructions. Remove cake from oven and sprinkle marshmallows all over the cake, completely covering it. Return to oven (at 350 degrees F) for 2-3 minutes or until the marshmallows are just slightly puffed and melted. Allow cake to cool completely before drizzling frosting on top. For the frosting: Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add milk and cocoa powder and whisk well. Cook for about 2-3 more minutes, stirring constantly, until mixture has thickened slightly. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and powdered sugar. Use an electric mixer to make the frosting smooth. Drizzle warm frosting immediately over cake. Refrigerate cake for for about 30 minutes or until frosting has set. Store at room temperature.

Cookie Dough Brownies

½ cup butter, melted

 1½ cups white sugar

1½ teaspoons vanilla extract

2 eggs

¾ cups all­purpose flour

½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

½ teaspoon salt

 ½ cup chocolate chips Cookie Dough Layer

½ cup butter, softened

¼ cup sugar

⅓ cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons milk

¾ cup flour

 ½ cup mini chocolate chips

Topping

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

⅔ cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon butter

 Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9x9 pan. In a large bowl, combine the butter, sugar, and vanilla. Beat in the eggs. Combine flour, cocoa powder and salt. Add a little at time to the egg mixture just until combined. Fold in chocolate chips and pour into prepared pan Bake about 22­26 minutes or just until done (do not overbake). Remove and cool.

Cookie Dough Layer: Cream butter, white sugar and brown sugar with mixer on med­high. Add in milk. Add in flour a bit at a time until fully incorporated. Stir in chocolate chips with a spoon. Spread mixture over cooled brownies.

Topping: Bring heavy cream and butter just to a boil. Pour over chocolate chips and let sit 4 minutes without stirring. Stir until completely combined. Pour over the cookie dough layer. Let cool at room temperature for 30 minutes (this keeps the topping shiny). Refrigerate to set

Banana Pudding Delight

2 bags Pepperidge Farm Chessmen Cookies OR 2 bags Vanilla Wafers

6 to 8 bananas, sliced

2 cups milk

1 (5 oz.) box French Vanilla pudding

1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese

1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk

1 (12 oz.) container frozen whipped topping thawed, or equal amount sweetened whipped cream

Line the bottom of a 13x9 inch inch dish with 1 bag of cookies and layer bananas on top. In a bowl, combine the milk and pudding mix and blend well using a handheld electric mixer. Using another bowl, combine the cream cheese and condensed milk together and mix until smooth. Fold the whipped topping into the cream cheese mixture. Add the cream cheese mixture to the pudding mixture and stir until well blended. Pour the mixture over the cookies and bananas and cover with the remaining cookies. Refrigerate until ready to serve!

Beth Bond is a certified chef with a culinary arts degree and a hotel and restaurant management degree from Sullivan University in Louisville, Ky. She also has several years’ experience in the hospitality and food service industries. She is a press association award-winning photographer and has several years’ experience in the newspaper industry. She can be reached by e-mail at bethabond77@gmail.com