Chocolate

Yellow Birthday Cake with Creamy Chocolate Frosting Recipe

This is the perfect birthday cake recipe! Buttery golden yellow cake with creamy, fudgy chocolate frosting. And lots of sprinkles, of course!

This is the perfect birthday cake recipe! Buttery golden yellow cake with creamy, fudgy chocolate frosting.

I’ve mentioned before that I don’t do birthday cakes.

I don’t make my husband’s birthday cakes. I don’t make my kids’ birthday cakes. And I don’t make my own birthday cakes. It’s a very firm personal policy that I established a few years back.

Why? It’s just too much unnecessary stress. And I can’t emphasize the unnecessary part enough. I mean, between planning a party, buy and wrapping gifts, and setting up the whole DAY in general, whyyyyyyyyyyy go through the ordeal of making a cake too? After enough birthdays of ending up grouchy and tired in a sticky, messy kitchen, I decided to abandon the practice of birthday cake-making altogether. I’d rather spend the day in celebration and eat a delicious cake from one of my favorite bakeries.

If you ask me, there’s absolutely no shame in that (especially when I’m baking cakes nearly every other day of the year!).

But, back when I used to make birthday cakes for myself, this is what I would make. A perfect, simple yellow cake with glorious fudgy frosting and a ridiculous amount of sprinkles! It’s everything that a birthday cake should be!

This is the perfect birthday cake recipe! Buttery golden yellow cake with creamy, fudgy chocolate frosting.

When I was in college, we’d make this cake on each roommate’s birthday. But we used a box cake and store-bought frosting and pink crystal sprinkles.

This is my grown up version of that.

Moist and tender, butter yellow cake made extra soft by using whole milk and incorporating sour cream into the batter (is there anything not made better by sour cream??). It’s thick and puffy, and crazy delicious.

The coup de gras of this cake, however, is the chocolate frosting on top. I took my favorite chocolate fudge frosting and made one teensy-weensy, but oh-so-significant alteration… I omitted 3/4 cups of the powdered sugar from the recipe.

What does that mean?

It means that we’re taking out just enough powdered sugar to make this frosting extra creamy by increasing the ratio of fat to dry ingredients. You wouldn’t want to frost a free-standing cake with this frosting, because it wouldn’t firm up well enough to stay where you put it. But if you’re frosting a sheet cake? That’s a different story! It’s the perfect vessel for all that creamy, indulgent goodness.

This is the perfect birthday cake recipe! Buttery golden yellow cake with creamy, fudgy chocolate frosting.

This rich, indulgent, fudgy frosting is the perfect compliment to that buttery yellow cake underneath. The only thing that could make it any better?

SPRINKLES. And lots of them. So don’t forget to add plenty of those!

And hey– Happy Birthday 🙂

Toasted Coconut & Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies. This is one of my favorite cookie recipes, because it's so quick and easy and delicious!

Toasted Coconut & Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe

Toasted coconut, crunchy toffee, and chocolate chips enveloped in a sweet, buttery cookie with golden crisp edges and soft chewy middles. What’s not to love??

Toasted Coconut & Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies. This is one of my favorite cookie recipes, because it's so quick and easy and delicious!

About 6 years ago, I decided to have a bake sale in conjunction with a yard sale we were having. I emailed all my favorite bloggers at the time and asked them to send me their top bake sale recipe. My plan was to “market” my bake sale as a “blogger bake sale,” and have all the recipes submitted by my friends made up and ready to sell.

Several people saw my signs and excitedly showed up, hoping to meet really cool food bloggers with samples of their recipes… ????.

And instead, they found me (just me) with a table of baked goods I had clumsily made in our little apartment kitchen. Mind you, this was back when I used margarine instead of butter ????– so there was still quite a bit of development in my baking abilities yet to occur.

Woops.

Toasted Coconut & Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies. This is one of my favorite cookie recipes, because it's so quick and easy and delicious!

Annnnnnyway. Embarrassing memories aside– I only bring it up, because it was that bake sale that landed me with this cookie recipe. A friend of mine gave me the recipe, and I fell instantly in love with it!

Albeit, I’ve tweaked it a little bit to use my favorite Quick & Easy CCC as the cookie base instead of her original recipe. But it’s the same concept– toasted coconut, toffee bits, and chocolate chips. So, so good!

I was pleasantly surprised at the texture of these cookies. The toffee, of course, lend a buttery crunch to each bite. But, to me, the real star of the show is the toasted coconut! Besides being deliciously fragrant and tasty, the coconut adds another layer of crispy texture to the cookies.

Toasted Coconut & Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies. This is one of my favorite cookie recipes, because it's so quick and easy and delicious!

Toasted Coconut & Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies. This is one of my favorite cookie recipes, because it's so quick and easy and delicious!

I absolutely adore these cookies. Crisp, buttery, golden edges. Crunchy, crispy toffee and coconut mixed with warm, melty chocolate in every bite. Believe me, you are going to fall head over heels for this recipe too!

PS- did I mention this is a spin-off of my Quick & Easy Chocolate Chip Cookies?? That means NO mixer, NO chilling, and NO spreading! Seriously, best. recipe. everrrrrrrrr.

Nothing beats a thick slice of super moist chocolate chip zucchini bread smothered in butter.

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread Recipe

Nothing beats a thick slice of super moist chocolate chip zucchini bread smothered in butter.

Nothing beats a thick slice of super moist chocolate chip zucchini bread smothered in butter.

We DEVOURED this bread. Inhaled it.

Like… it didn’t even last two days. It barely stuck around past the 24 hour mark.

Nothing beats a thick slice of super moist chocolate chip zucchini bread smothered in butter.

It’s incredibly moist thanks to THREE CUPS of zucchini and the brown sugar.

And can you see how shiny the chocolate chips are? That’s my favorite part. In both banana bread and zucchini bread, I love how the moisture seeps into the chocolate chips creating a little chocolate “bubble” around each chip. I know I’m not doing a great job describing this, but you know what I’m talking about right?

I don’t know why, but that just gets me every time. ????

Nothing beats a thick slice of super moist chocolate chip zucchini bread smothered in butter.

Now, I’m no nutritional expert…. ahem, clearly ????… but I figure all the green veggies here make this bread a pretty square meal. Who’s with me?!

Enjoy a thick slice of this delicious zucchini bread warm or day-old, smothered in butter, with a tall glass of milk. You’ll be in heaven!

Rich fudgy brownies that taste like your favorite Thin Mint Girl Scout Cookies!

Thin Mint Brownies Recipe

Rich fudgy brownies that taste like your favorite Thin Mint Girl Scout Cookies!

This post is sponsored by Pillsbury.

Rich fudgy brownies that taste like your favorite Thin Mint Girl Scout Cookies!

Top 5 things I learned in Girl Scouts:

  1. Be careful when hot gluing pennies to hair clips. ????
  2. Send the cookie order form to work with your Dad immediately upon receiving the form.
  3. Show up to meetings twinning with your best friend. With a matching side braid if possible.
  4. Surprisingly, moving up to ‘Brownies’ doesn’t mean you actually get brownies. Who knew?
  5. Always, always, ALWAYS stash the Thin Mints in the freezer as soon as the shipment gets in!

Rich fudgy brownies that taste like your favorite Thin Mint Girl Scout Cookies!

Is there anything in this world better than frozen Thin Mints?!

How about a frozen Thin Mint Brownie?

You guys… THIN MINT BROWNIES! And I don’t mean Thin-Mint-Brownies-that-you-have-to-wait-all-the-way-until-Girl-Scout-Cookie-season-to-make.

I mean whip-em-up-brownies made RIGHT NOW with a whisk and a bowl in your very own kitchen with just 4 simple ingredients. Interested?

Rich fudgy brownies that taste like your favorite Thin Mint Girl Scout Cookies!

Of course you are. Aren’t we all?!

The NEW Pillsbury™ Girl Scout Cookie™- Inspired Baking Mixes provide a way to recreate the crave-worthy flavors of Girl Scout Cookies® at home in the form of brownies, blondies and cupcakes with the ease of a convenient Pillsbury™ Girl Scout Cookie™ Flavored Baking Mix.

I mean, really. It’s about time somebody came up with this! amiright??

Rich fudgy brownies that taste like your favorite Thin Mint Girl Scout Cookies!

Rich fudgy brownies that taste like your favorite Thin Mint Girl Scout Cookies!

 

I think you’ll love these brownies no matter when you eat them. But my personal opinion is that you should really wait until they’ve cooled completely and given the flavors time to marry a bit before you dig in.

And if you really want them at their very best… just remember Girl Scout Lesson #5. ????

Enjoy! And big thanks to Pillsbury for sponsoring this post.

These moist and ultra fudgy chocolate zucchini muffins are so good. You'll never believe they're full of vegetables!

Triple Chocolate Zucchini Muffins Recipe

These moist and ultra fudgy chocolate zucchini muffins are so good. You’ll never believe they’re full of vegetables!

These moist and ultra fudgy chocolate zucchini muffins are so good. You'll never believe they're full of vegetables!

My CJ is a muffin fiend. It is the only bread I can get him to eat. He won’t touch sandwich bread, buttery soft rolls, fluffy buttermilk pancakes… turns up his nose at all of it.

Don’t ask me how he knows the difference between a muffin and a cupcake, but he does. And apparently the appeal of the cupcake doesn’t even come close to how he feels about muffins. I guess I should feel pretty good about that… but really it just makes me wonder, is he really mine??

I suppose the 25 hours of grueling labor it took to bring him into the world should be enough proof, but his carb snobbery seriously has me questioning things.

These moist and ultra fudgy chocolate zucchini muffins are so good. You'll never believe they're full of vegetables!

These muffins take a big step toward bringing our two worlds together, because these chocolate zucchini muffins really are BETTER than cupcakes. They are ridiculously soft, so fudgy, and utterly indulgent.

You’d never believe that there’s a cup and a half of shredded veggies in there.

So sneaky! ????

My other secret ingredient? Pudding mix!

You know how it makes cakes crazy stupid soft and moist? It does the same thing in muffins.

These moist and ultra fudgy chocolate zucchini muffins are so good. You'll never believe they're full of vegetables!

Did I mention that these freeze really well? They do! So when you’re up to your eyeballs in zucchini this summer, make a double (or triple!) batch of these to stash in the freezer. And just set them out at room temp to thaw when you are ready to dig in.

Enjoy!

Fudgy chocolate brownie bites layered in cool, creamy peanut butter mousse. You won't believe how good this is and how easy it is to make!!

Peanut Butter Brownie Trifles Recipe

Fudgy chocolate brownie bites layered in cool, creamy peanut butter mousse. You won’t believe how good this is and how easy it is to make!!

Fudgy chocolate brownie bites layered in cool, creamy peanut butter mousse. You won't believe how good this is and how easy it is to make!!

I’m all about the easy in the summer time, let me tell you.

Part of me kind of thought that summer might be a little easier than the school year. I mean, I knew it would be challenging having both kids home all day every day. But I guess I still thought that just maybe I would feel like I had more hours in the day to get stuff done.

Since I figured the days would feel longer and all.

Turns out, I was part right. And part so, so, so very wrong. I’m sure you can see where I’m going with this… the days are NEVER ENDING. Never, ever ending. And yet somehow, there don’t seem to be enough hours in the day to get everything done.

WTH? If someone figures that math out, let me know.

Fudgy chocolate brownie bites layered in cool, creamy peanut butter mousse. You won't believe how good this is and how easy it is to make!!

In the meantime, I’m doing lots of quick-and-easy around here. I average cooking a real meal about once a week. Cleaning just doesn’t get done. And I let the kids pretty much rule the roost all day.

Seriously. As I sit here and type, I can see a (LARGE) milk puddle in the carpet that I haven’t sponged up since lunch time (that’s gonna be fun), CJ is rubbing in applesauce on the rug at my feet, clothes and knick knacks and what nots litter every inch of living space as far as the eye can see, my empty fast food cup of soda is leaving a water ring on the table to my left, and there’s a sticky bottle of infant’s Ibuprofen stuck to a book on my right. I still don’t know what we’re having for dinner, Chris will be home in about 15 minutes, and then I’m leaving for a baby shower.

I’m not complaining. But at some point… the situation does become comical.

So when it comes to prepping recipes for the blog? It’s gotta be EASY. We’re talking the minimum amount of effort here.

Fudgy chocolate brownie bites layered in cool, creamy peanut butter mousse. You won't believe how good this is and how easy it is to make!!

And friends, it does NOT get any easier than this recipe for Peanut Butter Brownie Parfaits.

You’ll need pudding mix, peanut butter, Cool Whip, and milk for the mousse part. And you’ll layer that with brownie bites (home baked or store bought, box mix or from scratch, my recipe or yours, WHATEVER) and chocolate chips.

Guys, this recipe is the very definitely of minimal effort. And it’s SO GOOD. And it looks so fancy too. People will never know that you whipped this up whilst standing in a pile of smushed grapes and animal crackers in your yoga pants!

…not that I did that or anything. ????

My mom's famous banana bread muffins made with peanut butter and swirled with Nutella. We didn't have a crumb left!

Peanut Butter Nutella Swirl Banana Muffins Recipe

My mom’s famous banana bread muffins made with peanut butter and swirled with Nutella. We didn’t have a crumb left!

My mom's famous banana bread muffins made with peanut butter and swirled with Nutella. We didn't have a crumb left!

If you need me to convince you that peanut butter and Nutella and banana muffins are a match made in heaven.. then you are possibly on the wrong site. ????

 

My mom's famous banana bread muffins made with peanut butter and swirled with Nutella. We didn't have a crumb left!

People ask me all the time what I do with all the treats I bake. All.the.time.

I guess I should be flattered that people don’t take one look at me and think that I eat every single thing that comes out of my kitchen. But, oh, if they only knew how many of my baked goods never quite make it out the door to all the places I intend to send them.

Well, I’d be horrified. So I’m glad that they don’t know. But what I’m confessing is: I eat a lot of it myself.

Case in point: these muffins.

My mom's famous banana bread muffins made with peanut butter and swirled with Nutella. We didn't have a crumb left!

I took one bite, and I was gone. Or rather… the muffins were gone! ????

Super soft, moist banana bread bursting with peanut butter flavor and swirled with Nutella. A LOT of Nutella. So, so, so, good.

And so comforting! I don’t if it’s just me, but these are all flavors that just make me feel good and cozy on the inside. My mom’s banana bread always makes me feel that way. But adding the peanut butter and the Nutella added to that even just a little bit more.

My mom's famous banana bread muffins made with peanut butter and swirled with Nutella. We didn't have a crumb left!

Of course, OF COURSE, the key to any great banana bread recipe is to use incredibly ripe bananas (how to quickly ripen bananas). Like, almost rotten ripe. I mean, if they’re moldy and leaking… then no. Gross.

But soft and squishy and super brown– YES. Those are exactly the bananas we want in this recipe. Overripe bananas will add a tremendous amount of natural sweetener and moisture to any recipe. So we definitely want them in these.

My mom’s recipe that I’m basing this variation on typically calls for a little additional oil. But we’re going to skip that this time, since we’re adding peanut butter which will take care of the fat needed to help keep the bread soft. Plus, it tastes good ????.

My mom's famous banana bread muffins made with peanut butter and swirled with Nutella. We didn't have a crumb left!

When it comes time to swirl in the Nutella, I actually like to step a little outside of the box here. Instead of just adding the Nutella directly to the batter, I actually like to mix it INTO a portion of the batter, and then swirl the Nutella batter into the remaining batter.

Nutella batter = more Nutella taste = better.

These muffins are great warm out of the oven. But like all banana bread recipes, they’re even better at room temp. Something about cooling and sitting for a while really gives the flavors a chance to stand out!

 

Enjoy!

Chewy, fudgy brownie cookie bars with a marshmallow swirl, and graham cracker crust layer, and semi-sweet chocolate chips.

Nutella Brownie S’mores Cookie Bars Recipe

Chewy, fudgy brownie cookie bars with a marshmallow and Nutella swirl, graham cracker crust layer, and milk chocolate chips.

Chewy, fudgy brownie cookie bars with a marshmallow swirl, and graham cracker crust layer, and semi-sweet chocolate chips.

If you’ve been hanging around Something Swanky for any amount of time at all really, you know my love of these brownie cookies. And if you’ve been stopping by for a little longer than that, then you also know that I’m obsessed with s’mores.

Bringing the two together was simply the natural progression of things.

Chewy, fudgy brownie cookie bars with a marshmallow swirl, and graham cracker crust layer, and semi-sweet chocolate chips.

Ok, so… Brownie Cookie Bars. You may be wondering why I took brownies and turned them into cookies and then took those cookies and turned them back into bars. Yeah?

And the answer is… I wanted something a little firmer than brownies, like a cookie, but still basically brownies. Ergo: my favorite brownie cookie recipe baked into bars.

So, yeah. They’re basically still brownies. A little firmer on the tops and bottoms than a brownie, but still just as rich and fudgy in the centers. I know it’s a little backwards, but just trust me on this. It works.

Chewy, fudgy brownie cookie bars with a marshmallow swirl, and graham cracker crust layer, and semi-sweet chocolate chips.

Speaking of centers… would you get a load of that?! ????

Sandwiched in between these rich and fudgy brownie cookie bars is a thick and gooey layer of marshmallow cream, Nutella, and a ridiculously perfect, buttery graham cracker crust.

YES. All that. ????

Chewy, fudgy brownie cookie bars with a marshmallow swirl, and graham cracker crust layer, and semi-sweet chocolate chips.
Chewy, fudgy brownie cookie bars with a marshmallow swirl, and graham cracker crust layer, and semi-sweet chocolate chips.

These are so, so, SO easy to make. You’ll only need one bowl– and you can make the graham cracker crust layer in a ziplock bag like I did, so there aren’t even any extra dishes needed there!

Starting with the brownie cookie dough. It’s simply a variation on a box mix recipe. You will need an actual box mix, but don’t follow the recipe on there for brownie batter. I’m giving you a different set of ingredients and measurements that will create a different texture than what you’d get using the recipe on the box. More cookie-like, remember?

Next up, a dreamy graham cracker crust. I ALWAYS make graham crusts in a bag. It’s so much easier, less mess, less fuss, so it really just makes sense. Place the graham crackers in a gallon-sized zip bag and crush them up using a rolling pin until they are fine crumbs. Toss in the butter and sugar, and then nuke the whole bag for about 30-60 seconds, until the butter melts. After that, all you have to do is mush the mixture in the bag until the crust comes together! Dump it out over the brownie layer and press it down, easy peasy.

The marshmallow cream and Nutella layer is probably the hardest part, because they’re both so sticky. But if you have a release ice cream or cookie scoop, that pretty much solves all your problems. I just scoop on what I need and spread it just a little with an offset spatula.

Add some more brownie cookie to the top and your milk chocolate chips, and…

Bake.

Drool.

And then top with ice cream.

Chewy, fudgy brownie cookie bars with a marshmallow swirl, and graham cracker crust layer, and semi-sweet chocolate chips.

Obviously.

Super moist banana bread made with peanut butter and Reese's cups. We loved every last crumb!

Reese’s Cup Peanut Butter Banana Bread

Super moist banana bread made with peanut butter and Reese’s cups. You’ll love every last bite.

Super moist banana bread made with peanut butter and Reese's cups. We loved every last crumb!

This bread is dangerously delicious. If you love peanut butter and chocolate (and banana bread!), then you are in the right place, friends.

…or the wrong place. Depending on your self control (er, or lack of, as the case may be ????).

Super moist banana bread made with peanut butter and Reese's cups. We loved every last crumb!

This banana bread is dense and indulgent and bursting with some of the best flavors of all time ever: peanut butter, chocolate, and bananas. And Reese’s Cups. This bread is PACKED with Reese’s Cups.

Who’s on board?? ???????? ???????? ???????? ???????? ????????

If you’re the healthy sort, you should know that it’s packed with FOUR hefty bananas as well. So… you know. It’s basically health food. ????

Super moist banana bread made with peanut butter and Reese's cups. We loved every last crumb!

The key to super moist banana bread? Really, really, REALLY ripe bananas. In fact, I usually let mine get even more brown than what you see in this picture. I let these guys sit on the counter for an additional few days before turning them into another drool-worthy banana bread creation (recipe coming soon guys!).

If you’re lucky, you can snag over-ripe bananas that are on their way out in some grocery stores for clearance pricing. Which is always the best thing ever.

Or, if you really can’t wait for bananas to ripen on their own, try this trick for ripe bananas in less than 30 minutes.

Super moist banana bread made with peanut butter and Reese's cups. We loved every last crumb!

The other ingredient that contributes to INCREDIBLE moist bread in this recipe is the peanut butter. This banana bread is simply my mom’s recipe with an additional 1/2 cup of creamy peanut butter. So I left all the ingredients we normally use in her banana bread– which is moist already– and just added to that!

More good fat (PB) + 4 whole bananas = the most heavenly moist banana bread of all time.

Plus, this recipe is really super easy. It takes kind of a long time to bake, but the prep is a breeze (you don’t even need a mixer)! And all that time in the oven means your house is going to smell ah-mazing while it’s baking.

You’re gonna fall in love, I’m telling you.

Super moist banana bread made with peanut butter and Reese's cups. We loved every last crumb!

We haven’t even talked about all the stuff inside the bread yet!!

Although, I guess there’s not all that much to say. There are A LOT of chocolate chips and Reese’s Cups in this bread. Like, a lot.

Annnnnnd that pretty much sums up that. ????

Super moist banana bread made with peanut butter and Reese's cups. We loved every last crumb!

If have been looking for a wow-your-pants-off-delicious banana bread recipe… well, let me tell you– this is THE ONE.

Enjoy!! 🙂

Deep, dark chocolate brownie cookies loaded with chocolate chunks and milk chocolate toffee bits. Crackly tops, fudgy centers, and chewy edges.

Toffee Chunk Brownie Cookies Recipe

Deep, dark chocolate brownie cookies loaded with chocolate chunks and milk chocolate toffee bits. Crackly tops, fudgy centers, and chewy edges.

Deep, dark chocolate brownie cookies loaded with chocolate chunks and milk chocolate toffee bits. Crackly tops, fudgy centers, and chewy edges.

I first published this recipe almost exactly 6 years ago. And while it was a delicious idea at the time, I’ve learned a lot about baking cookies in the past 6 years and felt like it was time for this recipe to evolve a bit.

I wanted fudgier centers, chewier edges, and even more chocolate chunks and toffee bits than the first version had. I also wanted crackly tops, just like brownies have.

So of course I turned to my FAVORITE brownie mix cookie base recipe.

Deep, dark chocolate brownie cookies loaded with chocolate chunks and milk chocolate toffee bits. Crackly tops, fudgy centers, and chewy edges.

Deep, dark chocolate brownie cookies loaded with chocolate chunks and milk chocolate toffee bits. Crackly tops, fudgy centers, and chewy edges.

Just look at that gooey cookie dough! It’s dreamy. Like fudge. Or brownie batter, since that’s basically what it is. Honestly. I could an entire bowl of just the dough.

This recipe makes THEE best chocolate cookies. And the recipe is really so simple. All you need is a brownie mix and a few simple ingredients that I’m sure you already have on hand (besides the chocolate chunks and toffee, be sure to pick those up if you don’t stock up like I do ????).

You won’t even need a mixer for these. One bowl, one spoon, badda bing, badda boom.

Deep, dark chocolate brownie cookies loaded with chocolate chunks and milk chocolate toffee bits. Crackly tops, fudgy centers, and chewy edges.

Pull up a big glass of cold milk and get ready to enjoy yourself. These cookies are 100% chewy, fudgy, and everything that’s right in the world.

Super rich and fudgy brownies stuffed with Oreos and smothered in vanilla buttercream.

Oreo Brownies with Vanilla Buttercream Recipe

Super rich and fudgy brownies stuffed with Oreos and smothered in vanilla buttercream.

Super rich and fudgy brownies stuffed with Oreos and smothered in vanilla buttercream.

Ultra fudgy brownies. Buttercream piled sky high. Stuffed with Oreos. And topped with an obscene amount of sprinkles and more Oreos.

This is a brownie lover’s dream.

Super rich and fudgy brownies stuffed with Oreos and smothered in vanilla buttercream.

I used my mom’s from-scratch brownie recipe and my favorite homemade buttercream for today’s recipe. And they go together better than peanut butter and jelly ????.

This recipe is so, so easy! But if you really wanted to make it fool proof, you could even use a box brownie mix and store bought frosting. Seriously. Go ahead, I won’t tell. You’ll still end up with outrageously decadent, gorgeous, swoon-worthy brownies.

Super rich and fudgy brownies stuffed with Oreos and smothered in vanilla buttercream.

Super rich and fudgy brownies stuffed with Oreos and smothered in vanilla buttercream.

Once you have the brownie batter mixed up, these come together pretty quickly. Spread about 1/3 of the batter on the bottom of the dish, and then layer the Oreos over that. Pour the rest of the brownie batter on top and spread it out so that all the Oreos are covered. Having brownie batter on both the bottom and top of the Oreos ensures that fudgy goodness will soften up the Oreos a little bit, so that they sort of “melt” into the brownie making it even richer.

I baked my brownies in a 9×13, but you could also bake them a little thicker and use an 8×8 baking dish instead. Just be sure to alter the baking time, they’ll need a little bit longer in the oven. And you’ll probably want to half the buttercream recipe as well.

Or not.

In my house, we all agree that the frosting is the best part…

PicMonkey Collage

 

Chewy, crispy, buttery oatmeal cookies on the outside and delicious dark chocolate on the inside!

Chocolate Florentine Cookies Recipe

Chewy, crispy, buttery oatmeal cookies on the outside and delicious dark chocolate on the inside!

Chewy, crispy, buttery oatmeal cookies on the outside and delicious dark chocolate on the inside!

Today’s recipe is from waaaaaaaaaaay back in the archives. In fact, I think I remember this being the first recipe I ever posted. I had been blogging for several months by then, but I wasn’t posting recipes up until that point because I was still trying to sell my baked goods via my blog.

I am SO glad I gave up on that dream! Whew!

I get asked all the time “why don’t you just start a bakery?”

Oh, let me count the reasons!! Hm, how about the ridiculous hours, startup costs, needing an actual storefront, either paying employees or burning myself out, having to work out of the house, customer service, and about 8 billion other really valid reasons. But really, it comes down to this… why on earth would I trade the sweetest at-home job on the planet for all that other stuff? And, in all probability, probably make less money doing it!

Yeah, no thank you. I definitely dodged a bullet when I jumped that ship and discovered blogging! And I guess I have to give this recipe some credit for that decision ????. So here you have it– the cookie recipe that employed me as a blogger for the first time!

Chewy, crispy, buttery oatmeal cookies on the outside and delicious dark chocolate on the inside!

Ok. So maybe some of you don’t know what a florentine cookie is (I totally didn’t the very first time I stumbled across this recipe, so don’t feel bad), so let’s start with that.

Today’s (American) Florentine cookie has actually drastically evolved from the original European Florentine biscuit, which was made of dried fruit and nuts with a chocolate drizzle. As you’ll see, my recipe uses NO dried fruit and only a handful of chopped almonds to add some crunchy texture. Instead, it’s mostly made up of melted butter, sugar, and oats.

Fortunately, today’s Florentines do still include the chocolate ????. But we’re sandwiching it in between TWO cookies instead of drizzling it on top, because… well, more cookie and more chocolate. Duh.

All versions of this cookie are meant to be thin and lacy with crispy edges and a slightly chewy center. Which is why it’s really important to follow the directions in the recipe exactly and use MELTED butter, and then furthermore, to add the other ingredients to the butter while still over low heat instead of adding the butter to the other ingredients in a separate bowl.

It’s counterintuitive if you do much cookie baking, but keeping the butter warm all the way up until baking will ensure that the cookies spread thin instead of puffing up in the middle like a normal cookie would.

Plus– less dishes ????.

Chewy, crispy, buttery oatmeal cookies on the outside and delicious dark chocolate on the inside!

These cookies are so, so yummy. Especially if you’re a texture freak like me!! The chewy centers, crispy edges, crunchy almonds, and chocolate in the center all come together to create like the most perfect cookie sandwich experience ever. EVER!

Be sure to give me a tag on Instagram if you make these so I can see! And enjoy ????.

Rich and fudgy homemade brownies completely from scratch topped with a decadent chocolate frosting. You'll never reach for a box mix again!

Fudgy Frosted Brownies Recipe

Rich and fudgy homemade brownies completely from scratch topped with a decadent chocolate frosting. You’ll never reach for a box mix again!

Rich and fudgy homemade brownies completely from scratch topped with a decadent chocolate frosting. You'll never reach for a box mix again!

 

I found this recipe from my mom in our family cookbook a few years ago when she was compiling it. I was helping her sort the pages into binders for everyone and this particular brownie recipe caught my eye. Related: Here’s an article on brownies. It’s called everything you need to know about brownies.. In the description, my mom had said that it was our family’s favorite recipe that we made every Sunday night.

It stood out to me particularly because I distinctly remember all of our Sunday night brownies– and they came from a box mix…….. (sorry Mom ????).

Rich and fudgy homemade brownies completely from scratch topped with a decadent chocolate frosting. You'll never reach for a box mix again!

Here’s the thing. I’m the oldest of six kids. And a lot of things changed when I left the house that I was never a part of.

For instance.. everyone in my family became a dog person my freshman year of college. I came home from my first semester and all of a sudden there was a dog inside the house. On the couches. On the beds. Under the kitchen table. Everywhere we went, the dog went.

To me, it was bizarre. That just wasn’t the way we did pets when I was a kid.

Another boat I missed– my family got all healthy while I was away at school. They may say different (like that they’ve been health conscious all along), but I don’t remember health being a big priority when I was living at home. And now they’re all like runners and conscientious eaters and stuff, and here I am…. with a dessert blog.

Womp womp womp.

I totally got left in the dust on that one.

And the brownies from scratch thing? Yeah, that didn’t happen back in my day. Which brings us full circle back to these apparently famous-in-my-family brownies that we’ve been making for years. And the dessert freak in the bunch, me, didn’t have a clue. ????

I finally sank my teeth into these for the first time about a month ago. The clouds parted and the heavens sang, and I asked my mom, “where can I get this recipe????“

And she said, “it’s the one we always make,” (like it’s the most obvious thing in the world) “it’s the one in the family cookbook.” ????

Rich and fudgy homemade brownies completely from scratch topped with a decadent chocolate frosting. You'll never reach for a box mix again!

I may have been the last one in my family in the loop here, but now I can finally share with you my family’s favorite brownie recipe and say with 100% certainty that it is THEE BEST. It’s rich and fudgy, and *omg* that creamy frosting!

Please, please, please– do me a favor and don’t do what I did: don’t sit on this recipe forever and not make it. There’s no reason for you to live one more day without the best brownies you will ever eat. Ever.

From my family cookbook to yours ❤️.

Easy chocolate bark filled with marshmallow cream swirls and Thin Mint cookies.

Marshmallow Swirl Thin Mint Bark Recipe

Easy chocolate bark filled with marshmallow cream swirls and Thin Mint cookies.

Easy chocolate bark filled with marshmallow cream swirls and Thin Mint cookies.

Bark is one of my favorite candies to make. It’s so easy, looks beautiful, packages nicely, and is so versatile. There are so many yummy versions you could make!

I’m especially in love with this Cowboy Bark (copycat) I posted just last week. It’s as gorgeous as it is delicious, and everyone knows that pretty food just tastes better!

Easy chocolate bark filled with marshmallow cream swirls and Thin Mint cookies.

This Marshmallow Swirl Thin Mint Bark combines some of my very favorite textures and flavors: rich semi-sweet chocolate, crunchy Thin Mint cookies, and creamy marshmallow fluff. You get a little bit of each in every bite, and it’s such a darn good combination!

I guarantee you won’t be able to stop at just one bite.

Single Serve Chocolate Molten Lava Mug Cakes made in a minute in the microwave

Peanut Butter Chocolate Lava Mug Cake Recipe

This single serve recipe is perfect for when you need a little chocolate fix but don’t want to make an entire cake!

Single Serve Chocolate Molten Lava Mug Cakes made in a minute in the microwave

WARNING: this is where diets come to die… in a rich, fudgy pool of decadent melty chocolate and peanut butter enveloped in a thick, fluffy cake.

I’m just saying.

Single Serve Chocolate Molten Lava Mug Cakes made in a minute in the microwave

Sometimes you just need chocolate cake rightnowrightnow. Right?

And when that craving strikes, you don’t want spend the time (and dirty dishes) slaving away over a full sized cake. And you really don’t want an entire cake sitting around, tempting you for days after the craving has passed (because, omg, I can eat an entire chocolate cake in one afternoon without even really wanting to– please tell me that’s not just me?!).

Enter: mug cakes. They are simple and easy, warm and fresh, and they’re ready RIGHT NOW.

It’s brilliant.

Single Serve Chocolate Molten Lava Mug Cakes made in a minute in the microwave

These little cakes are a little different from typical molten lava cakes. Because instead of slightly underbaking the cakes to create the lava center, I’m actually adding a brick of chocolate and a teaspoon of creamy peanut butter (!!!!!) to get all warm and melty in the center of this cake.

I prefer this method over the underbaking for a couple of reasons.

One, for some reason the uncooked cake batter “lava” has always kind of weirded me out. I don’t know why– it’s not like I don’t lick the bowl after I make a cake! But something about uncooked batter masquerading as melted chocolate… it just never seemed right to me. So there’s that.

Second of all… since we are microwaving these cakes rather than baking them, the heating method is kind of wonky. We’re dealing with cooking time in terms of seconds rather than minutes, so it’s nearly impossible to be as precise as we would need to be in underbaking the cake the exactly right amount of time. By using actual chocolate in the center, we eliminate the headache of trying to figure out how to keep the center unbaked while nuking the rest of the cake just enough. Fabulous.

Single Serve Chocolate Molten Lava Mug Cakes made in a minute in the microwave

I desperately wish that I had some ice cream on hand when I was photographing this. Wouldn’t a big scoop of vanilla plopped in this warm mug of melted chocolate and peanut butter just be divine?

All I had at the time was whipped cream, and that was pretty good too 🙂

Just a few simple ingredients and about 60 seconds is all you have standing between you and this cake. Enjoy!!

This is my new favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe!

Chewy Double Chocolate Chocolate Chunk Cookies Recipe

A super chewy cookie full of dark and milk chocolate chunks.

This is my new favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe!

If you’ve been around Something Swanky for the past year, you know that I am on a quest to find the perfect chocolate chip cookie. I’ve been chronicling my quest, sharing each recipe with you and my thoughts on what makes each recipe great or… not so much.

If you need a refresher (I know these posts have been getting father and father apart), here are my top 5 favorites:

5. Martha Stewart’s Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

4. AllRecipes.com #1 Rated Chocolate Chip Cookie

3. DoubleTree Hotel Chocolate Chip Cookies

2. KAF Chocolate Chip Cookies

1. ???? KAF Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies ????

This is my new favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe!

I’ll be the first to admit that most of the chocolate chip cookie recipes have started to blur together. While I haven’t tried a recipe yet that I didn’t enjoy, those five have really stood out among the others.

And where does this recipe fall?

This recipe, Dahlia Bakery’s All-American Chocolate Chunk Cookies (a recommendation from one of my readers), might have just made it to my new favorite. Or at least my second. I’ll need to do a few more batches to know for sure, but either way– this is a darn good chocolate chip cookie.

This is my new favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe!

A lot of the reason these cookies are so good is because you need to use a really good, high quality chocolate. Two high-quality chocolates, actually. I chopped up 1/2 of two different Trader Joes pound plus bars for my cookies. I use TJ’s chocolate in my cookies whenever I can. Most other bakers I’ve talked to agree it is the best in cookie baking.

As the title implies, there’s double the chocolate in this recipe! Milk chocolate and semi-sweet chocolate chunks really take over the dough. This is a seriously chocolate-y cookie, in the best of ways. Be sure you have a tall glass of milk on hand!

This is my new favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe!

Another thing I really like about these cookies: you cream the butter and sugar together for a full 5 minutes. What does this mean?

It means you are seriously aerating these cookies. Adding that extra air ultimately helps them puff up in the oven. Which in turn leads to a bigger “deflate” after they’ve been removed from the heat. Which means thicker, chewier edges.

And that makes me really happy.

This is my new favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe!

The last thing that I really love about these cookies? They.are.huuuuuuuge.

I’ve said it before a million times, but I’ll say it again. When I eat a chocolate chip cookie, I want it to be the size of my face. And if it’s not the size of my face, it had better at least be the size of my hand. I don’t like small cookies!

Honestly. Why do small cookies even exist?

Anyway. THESE cookies are not small. Using an ice cream scooper, you scoop 1/4 cup of dough for each cookie! That’s about as big as you can go without having to get drastically creative with the bake time and temp. I experimented with a few bake times for these cookies, and I was really happy with 10 minutes in my oven. It kept the centers soft and slightly underdone with golden, chewy edges.

This is my new favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe!

If you’re a chocolate chip cookie freak like I am, put this recipe on your must-make list right away! It will be an instant favorite in your kitchen 🙂