Creme de Menthe Brownies

Over the holidays I purchased a magazine put out by Better Homes and Gardens…..a special interest publication…

Christmas Cookies

This one is to die for and is relatively easy to make!

I had planned on taking a picture however we gave half to the grandkids to take home and now there is just a little bit left so no picture…this time!

Creme de Menthe Brownies

Ingredients:
2 – 11 oz. packages Dark Chocolate Pieces
1 cup Butter
3 oz. Unsweetened Chocolate, chopped
1 cup Sugar
2 Eggs
1 teaspoon Vanilla
2/3 cup Flour
1/4 teaspoon Baking Soda
1/8 teaspoon Salt
3 oz. Cream Cheese, softened
3 cups Powdered Sugar
1/2 cup Whipping Cream
Creme de Menthe (or milk & mint extract)
Food coloring (red or green)

Creme de Menthe Filling (recipe below)
Dark Chocolate Ganache (recipe below)

In a medium pan melt and stir 4 oz. (3/4 cup) of the dark chocolate pieces, 1/2 cup butter and unsweetened chocolate over low heat. Remove from heat and cool.

Preheat oven to 350. Line a 13×9″ pan with foil, butter the foil.

Stir sugar into the cooled chocolate mixture in saucepan. Add eggs one at a time beating with a spoon just until combined. Stir in vanilla.

In small bowl mix flour, baking soda and salt. Add this mixture to the chocolate/sugar mixture stiring just until blended. Stir in the remaining chocolate pieces from the open bag. Spread into prepared pan.

Bake for 30 minutes. Cool on wire rack.
Spread Creme de Menthe filling over brownie and place in refrigerator.
Prepare the chocolate ganache.
Spread ganache over the creme de menthe layer.
Cover and chill for 1 hour or until ganache is set.

Creme de Menthe Filling
Combine 3 oz. softened cream cheese and 1/2 cup of softened butter.
Beat for 30 seconds.
Gradually beat in 1 cup powdered sugar.
Beat in 2 tablespoons Creme de Menthe (or 2 tablespoons milk & 1/2 teaspoon mint extract) and several drops of green food coloring.
Gradually beat in another 2 cups of powdered sugar.
Filling will be thicker than frosting.

Dark Chocolate Ganache
In small saucepan bring 1/2 cup whipping cream just to boiling over medium high heat. Remove from heat and add dark chocolate pieces from second package. DO NOT STIR! Let stand for 5 minutes. Stir until smooth. Let cool for 15 minutes before putting over creme de menthe layer.

Enjoy!

Rebecca

Leftover Turkey And Chicken

Over the holidays (Christmas & New Years) we cooked two turkeys…and needless to say hubs and I had lots of leftovers….and since I can only eat so many turkey sandwiches we were on the hunt for recipes using leftover turkey.

I am NOT a fan of recipes using condensed soup but I broke down and agreed to make this dish. And much to my suprise it was very good! We have made it twice. The first time using leftover turkey. The second time I used cooked chicken breast.

Hubs found the recipe below on ehow (his new favorite site!).
Very Simple
Very Cheap
Very Good

Measurements are not exact but in this case it doesnt matter!

Leftover Turky & Noodles

Leftover Turkey
1 Pkg. Egg Noodles
2 Cans of Cream Soup (we used cream of chicken)
Milk
Onion
Salt & Pepper

Optional ingredients: Garlic, Peas & Carrots, Mushrooms, Shredded Carrots, Peppers (just about anything you want to throw in there!)

Cook noodles as directed.

Meanwhile cut up turkey into bite size pieces. Cut up any vegetables you are using. Saute these in a bit of olive oil.

When noodles are done drain and return to pan. Add cream soup and 1 can of milk to the noodles. Add your sauted meat/veggies and stir til mixed.

Done!

See….told you it was easy!

Rebecca