Day 16 - Recipes 24 & 25

I almost feel bad sharing these recipes with you today. They are THAT good. I am so full and yet I want to eat more. I must get this food out of my house ASAP.

For breakfast I made Pineapple Cream Muffins. I found the recipe at Bunny's Warm Oven. I made 24 mini-muffins and 6 jumbo muffins. I took the jumbo muffins to Monica's and I won't even tell you how many mini-muffins Anya and I ate. Okay... well I'll just say that there aren't many left! These were so good! Not overly sweet, yet sweet enough. I've never even considered having a pineapple muffin, but these were fantastic! They definately will be made over and over again in this house.

I also made Double Peanut Butter Cheesecake Swirled Brownies (Baking Blonde - THANK YOU!). Yeah, I know. The name itself is tasty! :) Now wait until you see the pictures. And then you MUST make them. NOW.... go out and buy the ingredients. That is an order! If you can't tell, I am in love with these brownies. I finished making them right before I was heading out to lunch with the McBride's and I wanted to taste one bite. That didn't happen. I am including the picture of what actually happened. I am using all the willpower in the world to stay out of the kitchen right now. Good thing I am stuffed from lunch or else the rest of these brownies would be devoured.

Pineapple Cream Muffins

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 (4 serving size) pkg. instant vanilla pudding mix
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 cup sour cream
1 (8 oz.) can crushed pineapple, with juice
1/2 cup oil

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray muffin cups with cooking spray.In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, pudding mix, and stir in brown sugar. In a separate bowl, combine the egg and sour cream. Fold in the pineapple and oil. Add the egg-pineapplemixture to the flour mixture, stirring until moistened. Batter will be thick.Bake @ 425 degrees for 15 minutes.Store leftovers in a covered container in the refrigerator-they taste even better cold!
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Double Peanut Butter Cheesecake Swirled Brownies

Recipe courtesy of Baking Blonde

3/4 cup butter, very soft (not melted but softer than room temp)
1 cup sugar
1 TBS vanilla extract
2 large eggs 1 oz. unsweetened baking chocolate, melted
1 oz. semi-sweet baking chocolate, melted
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/4 tsp baking powder 1/4 tsp salt

Peanut Butter Cheesecake Swirl:

4 oz cream cheese, softened 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla

5-6 Reese’s peanut butter cups (regular size) cut into 6-8 pieces each

IMPORTANT: Do NOT omit the Reese’s Peanut Butter cups. They take these brownies over the top.

Preheat oven to 350. Line an 8×8″ square pan with foil and lightly coat with PAM cooking spray.
In a microwave safe bowl melt the two baking chocolate squares in 30 second intervals stirring after each interval until smooth and melted after stirring. Do not scortch! Remove from microwave and allow to come to room temperature.

In a large mixing bowl, Beat together butter and sugar until combined. Beat in eggs one at a time until blended. Add vanilla and melted chocolate. Mix to combine. Combine dry ingredients in medium bowl and wisk together. Gradually stir dry ingredients into butter mixture. Do not overmix.

In separate mixing bowl, beat together cream cheese, peanut butter sugar and vanilla until smooth. Add egg and beat until just combined.

Spread about 2/3 of chocolate brownie batter into prepared pan. Evenly drop 1/2 of cheesecake batter in dollups over brownie batter. Run a knife through both mixtures to slightly swirl.
Dollop remaining brownie batter and cheesecake batter over swirled mixture. Run knife through the browine and cheesecake dollups (not all the way through the already swirled layer) to create a swirled pattern.

Bake for 40-45 minutes**, or until center is set and a toothpick inserted in the center has a few crumbs stuck to it. Do not overbake or they will harden, if underbaked they will be too gooey. Every oven is different so watch and check these after about 35-40 minutes of baking to ensure propper doneness.

**After about 35-40 minutes of baking (with about 5-7 minutes of baking time left, you just need to eyeball it) gently place cut up Reese’s cups over top of almost fully baked brownies. Finish baking until a toothpick inserted in the center has a few crumbs stuck to it. The Reese’s PB cups will melt but hold their shape slightly. Cool completely on wire rack before cutting and serving.