Layered Brownies with Browned Butter Frosting

I am just one of those people who don't always keep up with the "fads".  I guess that is why it has taken me so darn long to make browned butter frosting. Now I am left thinking to myself "WHY?" Why did I wait so long and how can I add more hours to my day to work off all the browned butter frosting I will be consuming?!  It is heaven, pure and simple! And when you put it on top of brownies and then top them with MORE chocolate it is pure heavenly bliss! So get going already, you NEED these! I got this recipe at My Kitchen Cafe, of course! I did change them to match what I had in my pantry (my mom's pantry, actually!)

Layered Brownies with Browned Butter Frosting
makes a 9x13 pan of brownies

Brownies:
1/2 cup butter
6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1/4 t salt
1 cup flour
1 t vanilla

Browned Butter Frosting:
1/2 cup butter
2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 t vanilla

Glaze:
3 T butter
4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 300.  Lightly grease a 9x13 pan and set aside.

For the brownies:
In a small sauce pan, melt the butter and chocolate chips until smooth. Set aside until cool. In a large bowl, combine the sugar, eggs and salt.  Mix with an electric mixer until the eggs are pale and the mixture is thick. Fold in the warm chocolate/butte mixture and then add the flour and vanilla.  Mix until well combined.  Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 25-30 minutes.  The brownies should just start to pull away from the sides.  Cool completely before frosting.

For the Browned Butter Frosting:
Place the stick of butter in a sauce pan and cook over low heat for about 15 minutes or until the butter is a golden brown.  Be careful not to burn it. Once it is a nice caramel brown color remove it from the heat.  Pout it int a bowl and add the powdered sugar, cream and vanilla.  Mix until smooth and thick.  Spread the frosting on top of the cooled brownies.

For the glaze:
Melt the butter and chocolate chips in the microwave or over low heat until smooth.  Pour over the frosted brownies, tipping the pan to cover evenly or carefully spread with a knife or spatula. Chill the brownies until the glaze is set, about 2 hours.

Friendship Bread

I know! It has been FOREVER!  I have been traveling the country and spending some much needed time with my family, my mom especially!  So there you have it, my excuse for lack of posts, take it for what it is worth!

Now, on to yummier (is that a word?) things!

I don't know about you but Spring makes me feel all friendly and stuff.  I think that might be because I can finally venture outside of my house without getting frostbite.  Or maybe it is the sun finally making an appearance, or all the friendly flowers popping up.  Well, whatever the reason I usually end up making Friendship Bread and spreading around the love.  So this time I decided to spread it around on a much bigger level, the only catch is you have to make it yourself!  We have been making this recipe in my family for a while so I have no idea exactly where it came from, I know there are lots of recipes for this bread out there but here is mine...
* The starter for this bread has to sit for 10 days so plan in advance, it is well worth the wait!

Friendship Bread

Starter

2 1/4 t yeast (one package)
1/4 c warm water
1 c flour
1 c sugar
1 c milk

Dissolve the yeast in the water.  In a different bowl mix together flour,sugar, and milk.  Add the yeast mixture and mix well. Store this in a large jar with a lid or in a large zip lock bag on the counter, DO NOT REFRIGERATE!

This bag will take 10 days and makes 2 loaves plus 3 starters to give to friends.  Make sure to put the date on the bag to track the days.

Day 1:  Do nothing
Days 2-5:  Mash, yes, mash your bag 2 times a day
Day 6: Add one cup flour, one cup sugar and one cup milk to the bag and mash together
Day 7-9: Mash the bag and release the air 2 times a day
Day 10:  YES!  Today is the day!  The day you get to make your bread! Follow the direction below...
* If you forgot and today is really day 11 or even 12, do not fret, you can still make your bread*

Squeeze the contents of the bag into a large bowl.  Add one cup flour, one cup sugar and one cup milk to the bowl and mix together.  Now get 3 big baggies and add one cup of this mixture to each bag (this is the starter for 3 more batches for you to share, keep one for yourself if you want to make more bread in 10 days!)

Now, here is what you do with what is left in the bowl...

Add:

1 c oil
3 eggs
1/2 c milk
1 t vanilla

Mix this well and set aside.

In another bowl mix:

2 cups flour
1 c sugar
1 1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1 t salt
2 t cinnamon
1 large box instant vanilla pudding (you can also add other flavors of pudding, chocolate is really good, so is butterscotch)

Add these ingredients to the starter mixture and mix well.

In a small bowl mix together 1/2 cup sugar and 1 t cinnamon.

Spray 2 loaf pans.  Pour 1/4 of the cinnamon and sugar mixture into the bottom of each pan to coat the bottom.  Divide the bead batter evenly between the pans and top with the remaining cinnamon and sugar.

Bake at 325 for one hour.

Restaurant Style Chicken Nachos

I am a huge fan of mexican food in general, but nachos {Good Nachos} top my list. I made these on a whim to copy our favorite Mexican restaurant and they were so yummy! I need to put them on here so that I will remember to make them again! This is more just a list of ingredients because you can make as big a plate of these as you like!

Restaurant Style Chicken Nachos

Chicken, cooked and shredded

green enchilada sauce

cheddar cheese/jack cheese

refried beans

tortilla chips

sour cream

salsa

guacamole

Preheat your oven on broil. Place an oven rack about 10 inches from the top of the oven. Cover a pie plate or cookies sheet with foil and pile on some tortilla chips. Cook shredded chicken in enchilada sauce in a sauce pan until warmed through. Heat up refried beans (I like to add a little enchilada sauce and shredded to these). Put dollops of beans all over the chips. Next add the chicken in the same way. Top with lots of shredded cheese. Place the nachos in the oven under the broiler until the cheese is melted and starts to bubble. Top with sour cream, guacamole, and salsa. We like to gather around and eat off of the same plate just like at a Mexican restaurant!

*You could totally use any kind of meat: shredded beef, shredded pork or make it vegetarian and just use beans!