Strawberry Brownie Kisses #FWCon

Strawberry Brownie Kisses are little bite sized pieces of chocolate bliss. I used my Easy One Bowl Brownie Recipe and topped it with a simple strawberry meringue dipped in white chocolate.

The strawberry meringue is a light and airy cloud atop the chocolaty goodness of the brownies. A perfect pairing!

I made this beautiful brownie creation as my entry into the Dixie Crystal's Brownie Dessert Contest being held in conjunction with the 2014 Food and Wine Conference. You can enter too! The winning brownie recipe will be a featured dessert at the Conference, as well as being featured on Dixie Crystal's and Imperial Sugar's websites! EEEK! So exciting! As if that wasn't enough, the winner also gets a $500 gift card and one ticket to the 2014 Food and Wine Conference! Click on the link to enter!! There are several other contests too, so be sure to check out the contest page!

Brownie Cheesecake

I am so happy Madison is home from college for the winter break! Not only does she empty the dishwasher for me and bring in the groceries, she also bakes wonderful things! 

Emptying the dishwasher is one of my least favorite things to do in the kitchen. Why is that? I don't have a problem putting the dishes INTO the dishwasher! As a matter of fact I really enjoy getting the dirty dishes out of sight, but I have no idea why I have an aversion to taking the beautifully clean dishes out and putting them away. Madison has always done it for me until she had to get all ambitious and go to college (sheesh - kids).  I've been stuck doing it all the time now. Every once in a while I can sweet talk the hubs into taking care of it for me, but that ends up being more trouble than it's worth! He doesn't know where anything goes! How is that?? He has lived in this house as long as everyone else... (sheesh - men!)

Anyhoo, back to baking...Just the other day Madison made a batch of brownies and turned them into this delicious cheesecake! I am a big fan of cheesecake on any given day, but I can't believe how wonderful this cheesecake is! It is so creamy and flavorful! Not too rich either - it is just right! She is amazing!

Brownie Cheesecake

Brownie 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

Brownie Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour an 8" square pan. In a large saucepan, melt 1/2 cup butter. Remove from heat and stir in 1 cup sugar, 2 eggs, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Stir in 1/3 cup cocoa, 1/2 cup flour, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon baking powder. Spread batter in prepared pan and cook for 25 to 30 minutes. Brownie recipe from allrecipes.com

Crust Ingredients

3 cups ground Chocolate Teddy Grahams.
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt

Crust Directions

Stir together crust ingredients and press into bottom and 1 inch up side of a greased 9" or 10" spring-form pan. Use right away or chill until ready to use.

Cheesecake Ingredients

3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup sugar
2 cups brownie cubes (from recipe above)

Cheesecake Directions

Beat cream cheese until fluffy. Add 4 large eggs one at a time. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla and 1 cup sugar and beat on low speed until incorporated. Scrape down between additions. Gently fold brownie cubes into mixture and pour into spring-form pan. Place the pan onto a shallow baking pan such as a cookie sheet to catch any drippings if necessary (I like to line the pan with foil for easier clean up). Bake in the center of a preheated 350 degree oven for 45 minutes or until cake set around edges but center is still slightly jiggly.

Recipe inspired by Brownie Mosaic Cheesecake

As an Allrecipes.com Allstar I have some activities to work through each month to fulfill my commitment. One of the activities this month was to make, review, and photograph something that tastes like summer. I chose these Neapolitan Cupcakes because ice cream is a real summer treat and these just sounded really good.  Also, this particular recipe needed a photograph so I thought it was a good choice!

It was a good choice alright! These were easy to make, and Don said they really do taste like Neapolitan Ice Cream! I didn't believe him - I thought he was just trying to be the sweet hubs he is. So I had to try one for myself. I ended up trying to be good and only ate 1/2 of one and you know what?  He wasn't just being sweet (I should have known better haha)!  They really DO taste like Neapolitan Ice Cream!  Very cool!

They turned out so pretty too!

  

...off to eat that other half!!

Neapolitan Cupcakes

By Life Tastes Good
Published 06/23/2012

Ingredients

• 1 (19.8 ounce) package brownie mix
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 (18.25 ounce) package strawberry cake mix
• 1 cup water
• 3 eggs
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 8 ounces confectioner's sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F and line a muffin tin with cupcake liners (about 24).
2. Combine brownie mix with 1/2 cup vegetable oil, 2 eggs, and 1/4 cup water. Mix until combined. Set aside.
3. In a separate bowl, combine strawberry cake mix with 1 cup water, 3 eggs, and 1/3 cup vegetable oil. Beat on low for about 30 seconds and then on medium for about 2 minutes.
4. Fill 1/3 of each of the cupcake liners with brownie mix. Top the brownie mix with strawberry cake mix so the cupcake liners are 2/3 full. You will have cake mix leftover. I like to freeze it to make another batch later. It freezes well.
5. Bake in the preheated oven for about 18-20 minutes or until the cupcake tops spring back when lightly pressed.
6. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes and then remove from pan and cool completely on wire rack.
7. Beat 3/4 cup softened butter until creamy. Add 1 cup confectioner's sugar and beat until combined. Turn mixer speed to high and beat until fluffy. Keep adding confectioner's sugar until desired taste and consistency is achieved. Add 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and beat until combined.
8. Pipe icing onto cooled cupcakes and enjoy!

Yield: about 24 cupcakes
Prep Time: 20 mins.

Cook time: 18 mins.
Total time: 38 mins.
Tags: cupcakes, dessert, snack, party, summer, strawberry, brownies

recipe inspired by Allrecipes Neapolitan Cupcakes