Peanut Butter Chip Brownies!

So, during my trip recently, I was requested to bake. I kept asking what and what kinds, well my friend finally just spit out random ingredients, which of course was why I had Applesauce Spice cupcakes listed below, and for the brownie he spit out Peanut Butter Chips. I came across this recipe and liked that there was cream cheese in it. Do to time, we did not however make the icing, but let me tell you it was NOT needed. These brownies are intense and rich!! Very tasty, I will make again, and maybe with the icing just to see how it is hehe

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
• 1 package (3 oz.) cream cheese, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1-2/3 cups (10-oz. pkg.) REESE'S Peanut Butter Chips
• BROWNIE FROSTING(optional)

 

1. Heat oven to 325°F. Grease bottom of 13x9x2-inch baking pan.

2. Beat butter, cream cheese and sugar until fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Combine flour, cocoa, salt and baking powder; gradually add to butter mixture, beating well. Stir in chips. Spread batter in pan.

3. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until brownies begin to pull away from sides of pan. Cool completely. Frost with BROWNIE FROSTING, if desired. Cut into bars. About 36 brownies

BROWNIE FROSTING: Beat 3 tablespoons softened butter or margarine and 3 tablespoons HERSHEY'S Cocoa until blended. Gradually add 1-1/3 cups powdered sugar and 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract alternately with 1 to 2 tablespoons milk, beating to spreading consistency. About 1 cup. 

 

Martha's Applesauce Spice Cupcakes!

 These were super yummy!! next time I will definitely use chunky Applesauce, and that icing is amazing!!

2 c flour
1tsp baking soda
2tsp ground cinnamon
1/2tsp ground nutmeg
1/8tsp ground cloves
1/2c unsalted butter, room temp
1c gran sugar
1/2 c packed brown sugar
4 lg eggs, room temp
1 1/2c applesauce unsweetened
brown sugar cream cheese icing

Preheat oven to 350. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves.
With an electric mixer on medium high speed, cream butter and both sugars until pale and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Reduce speed to low. Add applesauce and then flour mixture, beating until just combined after each.
Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each 3/4 full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 20min. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely before removing cupcakes. Cupcakes can be stored overnight at room temperature, or frozen up to 2 mnths, in airtight containers.

Brown-Sugar Cream-Cheese Frosting

1/2c(1 stick) unsalted butter, room temp.
8 oz cream cheese, room temp
1 c packed light-brown sugar

With an electric mixer on medium-highspeed, beat butter, cream cheese, and brown sugar until smooth. Use immediately, or refrigerate up to 3 days in an airtight container. Before using, bring to room temp, and beat on low speed until smooth.