Spiced Up Brownies

For book club this week, I whipped up some Spiced Up Brownies, recipe courtesy of Smitten Kitchen.  It was a great excuse to use some of the Mayan Cocoa that Eileen brought for us when she visited in July.  That stuff makes fabulous spiced hot cocoa, so I was excited to try it in baked goods.

Oh man, these brownies did not disappoint!  I wouldn't change a thing about the recipe--just one part of my execution of it.  I really need a real double boiler, or at least a large glass or stainless steel bowl for the top part of a makeshift double boiler.  Last night, I was working with a rather small glass bowl over a smallish saucepan, and it made for some awkward whisking once I added sugar and eggs to my melted spiced chocolate mixture.

That was the only hiccup, though.  These babies are tasty.

Homemade Oreos

I tried this (super easy) recipe on Sunday and it was a success.  These cookies are too good.  They're dangerous.  They make storebought Oreos seem like flavorless cement disks (and I LOVE storebought Oreos!).

*Notice how the cookies are casting shadows in the top left photo.  I really enjoy that.  They remind me of little clouds casting shadows on the ground below.

Homemade Oreo Cookies

Cookies:

2 packages of devil's food cake mix

4 eggs, beaten well

1/2 cup oil

Filling:

1/2 cup butter

4 oz cream cheese

2 cups confectioner's sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix cake mix, eggs, and oil together.  Roll dough into balls about gumball size.  Place on greased cookie sheet.  Bake for 10 minutes.  Remove from oven and let cool on sheet (until warm).  Remove cookies from sheet and place on cooling rack.  Allow cookies to completely cool before frosting.

To make the filling, cream butter and then slowly add the cream cheese, confectioner's sugar and vanilla.

To assemble the cookies, add about a tablespoon of filling into the center of one cookie. Place another cookie similiar in size on top of the filling.  Lightly press to work the filling evenly to the outsides of the cookie.  Continue this process until all the cookies have been sandwiched with cream.

Enjoy with a frosty glass of milk (or beverage of your choice).