Super Chunk Brownies

6 ounces semisweet chocolate
3/4 cup unsalted butter
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup dried cherries or cranberries
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chunks

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 12 x 7 1/2-inch glass baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

Melt chocolate and butter together in bowl over simmering water in saucepan. Stir until smooth.

Stir together flour, baking powder and salt in large bowl.

Beat eggs and sugar in second large bowl with electric mixer until ribbony, 3 to 5 minutes.

Stir in chocolate-butter mixture and vanilla extract until blended. Blend in flour mixture. Reserve 2 tablespoons nuts. Add remaining nuts, cherries and chocolate to batter. Scrape into pan. Sprinkle reserved nuts over top. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until firm on top. Cool completely in pan on rack. Cut.

Strawberry-Banana Brownies

12 medium strawberries
1 ripe medium-size banana
2 eggs, beaten
1 (20 1/2 ounce) package brownie mix with walnuts
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup vegetable oil
8 ounces soft-style cream cheese with strawberries
1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted

Remove stems and hulls from strawberries. Mash with banana; set aside.

Stir together eggs, brownie mix, water and oil until just moistened. Stir in berry mixture. Pour into a lightly greased 13 x 9-inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees F until brownies spring back when touched, 25 to 30 minutes.

Combine cream cheese and confectioners’ sugar until smooth. Spread over cooled brownies. Cut brownies into squares. Top each brownie with a strawberry slice, if desired. Store covered in the refrigerator.

Spotted Blondies

1/2 cup butter
6 (1 ounce) squares white chocolate
2 eggs
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons grated orange peel or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Melt butter; set aside. Melt white chocolate according to package directions; set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs by hand until foamy. Stir in sugar and orange peel. Add melted butter and melted white chocolate. Sift flour with baking powder. Blend flour mixture into egg mixture. Stir in chocolate chips. Spread batter evenly in a greased 9-inch square baking pan. Bake in a preheated 350 degrees F oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until top is dull and set. Let cool in pan on rack for 15 to 30 minutes, then cut into squares.

Smucker’s? and Laura Scudder’s? Holiday Brownies

1 box traditional fudge brownie mix
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
3/4 cup Smucker?s Dove Dark Chocolate Ice Cream Topping
1/2 cup Smucker?s Caramel Topping
1/2 cup Laura Scudder’s Natural Peanut Butter, creamy

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease bottom of 13 x 9-inch pan. Mix brownie mix, water, oil, eggs and Smucker’s Dove Dark Chocolate Ice Cream Topping in large bowl. Beat 50 strokes by hand or until all ingredients are incorporated.

In a small bowl, mix the; caramel topping and natural peanut butter. Spread the brownie mixture in the greased pan. Take the mixture of peanut butter and caramel topping and drop spoonsful over brownie mixture. With a knife, pull through the pan creating a marbled effect. Bake at 350 degrees F for 31 to 35 minutes. Cool completely. Store covered.

Makes 20 brownies.

Shasta Mountain Brownies

6 ounces bittersweet chocolate
1 cup unsalted butter
4 large eggs
2 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup flour
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup chocolate chip cookie crumbs (8 ounces),
    about 10 cookies, crushed
Vegetable oil spray for pans
Flour for pans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray, then flour two 9-inch square pans.

Melt the butter and chocolate over low heat; cool.

Beat the eggs, sugar and vanilla extract with an electric mixer on medium speed until thick and smooth, about 3 minutes.

Stir in the chocolate-butter mixture, then slowly add flour. Do not over-mix. Fold in cookie crumbs and most of the pecans. Spread batter evenly into the pans and sprinkle with remaining pecans. Bake about 40 minutes, or until set. The brownies will be soft in the center. Let cool completely. Cut into 3-inch squares.

Rocky Road Fudge Brownies

1 (19.8 ounce) package brownie mix
1 cup chopped pecans
3 cups miniature marshmallows
2 (1 ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate
1/3 cup milk
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 (16 ounce) package confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Prepare brownie mix according to package directions; stir in pecans. Spoon batter into a greased 13 x 9-inch baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle miniature marshmallows over hot brownies.

Combine chocolate, milk and butter in a heavy saucepan. Cook over low heat until chocolate and butter melt, stirring often. Remove from heat. Transfer to a medium mixing bowl. Add confectioners? sugar and vanilla extract. Beat at low speed with an electric mixer until smooth. If frosting is too stiff for spreading consistency, add milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring until smooth. Spread over brownies. Cool in pan on a wire rack, and cut into bars.

Makes 1 dozen.

Rocky Road Brownies

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup milk
1 (12 ounce) box vanilla wafers, crushed
1/2 cup confectioners? sugar (regular or chocolate flavor)
1 cup miniature marshmallows
1/2 cup chocolate covered peanuts or raisins, divided
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup M&M?s?

Line an 8-inch square baking pan with plastic wrap. Combine chocolate chips and milk in a heavy saucepan. Cook over low heat until chips melt, stirring occasionally.

Combine wafer crumbs, confectioners? sugar, marshmallows, 1/4 cup of the peanuts and salt in a large bowl; stir until blended. Stir chocolate mixture into crumb mixture. Press into the lined pan. Sprinkle with remaining peanuts and M&M?s?. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing peanuts and M&M?s? into brownies. Refrigerate at least 2 hours. Cut into squares.