Guest Blogger Wednesday {two}

I'd like to welcome all of you to the second installment of

Guest Blogger Wednesday

This week I welcome Mandy from Mandy's Recipe Box over to Cups by Kim.

Mandy has an amazing page that is filled with tasty recipes, helpful hints, and just good times all around.

Welcome to Cups by Kim, Mandy. I turn it over to you!

Hello, hello! I am Mandy from Mandy's Recipe Box and I am so happy to be guest posting for Kim today!

I am a wife and momma to 2 girls and a boy, ages 9, 3, and 7 respectively. I was born and raised in the city and then I met a farmer. We now live in the country and I wouldn't have it any other way! I love the peace and quiet and the fact that I can lay in the middle of the road if I feel like it and not get ran over.

Because, really. Who doesn't want to lay in the middle of the road every now and then? {Think The Notebook.}


I love food and all food related things. My favorite books are novels revolving around food, such as Joanne Fluke's stuff.
Today I am sharing a recipe I dubbed The Crazy Brownie. It is part oatmeal cookie, part cake-like brownie. It's just crazy.

Crust
6 Tbsp. melted butter
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. flour
1 c. quick cooking oats

Mix butter, brown sugar, soda, salt flour and oats. Spread in a 9x9 or 9x7 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.

Brownie
1/4 c. butter
1 oz. unsweetened chocolate
1 egg
3/4 c. sugar
2/3 c. flour
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 c. milk

Melt butter and chocolate, set aside. Combine egg and sugar. Add to chocolate mixture. Beat well. Mix flour, baking powder, and salt. Add vanilla and milk. Beat together. Add to chocolate mixture and beat well. Pour over crust and bake another 25 minutes or until done. Cool completely before cutting.

Thanks, Kim, for letting be be here today.

Be sure to visit me on Facebook and Pinterest as well!

Thanks Mandy for sharing your delectible dessert. And make sure everyone that you stop by Mandy's Recipe Box and show her some love!

Salted Caramel Brownies

Y'all I gotta share a pretty funny story, well, not really a story, just a situation I guess. As some of you know from my days on Facebook, my laptop took a fatal fall about a month ago and since that fateful day has never fully recovered. In fact, I think it's to the point now where I need to call time of death. I've been trying to get this blog post out there for about a week now, and have now resorted to this...

You see, for Christmas, Santa brought my dear son a new computer. Yes, this is a make-shift office. Complete with Hot Wheels track pieces, remote control cars, and Spiderman sheets. You may have a hard time making out the black computer in that pile of junk, but believe me it's there. And after looking at this picture, dear son will definitly be spending now until he turns 31 cleaning this area he refers to as his bedroom. I know this isn't the most inviting work space in the world, I wouldn't want to have to sit on this 12" wooden chair for 8 hours straight, but right now, it's all I got! And I wouldn't want to let anyone down with not getting this post out there. Okay, so enough about the workspace, let's get on to the business at hand, Salted Caramel Brownies!


A few months ago a friend of mine (I won't name any names, Wes) mentioned on Facebook that he needed an intervention to help him overcome his addiction to salted caramel. Well now I know just what he was referring to. Since that day, I have been thinking non-stop about salted caramel. I've done everything from Chocolate Salted Caramel cupcakes (I'll post about them later) to Salted Caramels straight from the pan, and now today, Salted Caramel Brownies.


It's time for me to admit something. I've never ever made brownies from scratch. *Gasp*! I know! Boxed brownie mix, what was I thinking!! Today I decided was the day to do it from scratch. Partly because I didn't have a brownie mix on hand and wanted to make these today, and partly because this recipe seemed pretty simple. These brownies were a little bit involved, they took some planning, cooling off of different parts, but overall they turned out pretty good. They are very fudgy and ooey, gooey. Just how I like them!


This all started when I was searching for different ways to use a new ingredient I bought last week and I happened to see a recipe for Sea Salt Caramel Brownies here at She's Becoming Doughmesstic. I pretty much followed this recipe as is, but I used a different size baking pan. I was afraid if I used the 8 x 8 pan she suggests that they would be too thick, but now, after using a 13 x 9 pan I wish I would have used an 8x8 (I guess I was being greedy and thought the bigger the better and the more brownies for me to consume). Never dawned on me that you still use the same amount of batter. Hey, I never claimed to be a math or chemistry or whatever science that invloves wiz! Anywho, they turned out to be this rich, fudgy, decadent brownie. After trying one fresh from the pan I decided they needed just a little more caramel. So I topped the brownies with the left over caramel that I didn't use in the brownies and I think that added just enough to send me over the edge. You definitly need to make sure you have a nice tall glass of ice cold milk to go along with these.


Although these brownies were divine, I honestly think the next time I make them I will be using a box mix. For the simple fact that it takes alot less time preparing a box mix than it does making them from scratch. And secretly, I think I like Duncan Hines version of fudge brownies better. Hey what can I say, I'm a Semi-Homemade girl at heart on some things, fudge brownies and Kraft Mac & Cheese just to name a couple. So with that being said, I don't want this to deter anyone from making these brownies from scratch, just know, that once you make them, you may decide never to go back to the box mixes again!

Sea Salt Caramel Brownies…

Sea Salt Caramel

• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla
• 1/4 cup sour cream

In a small saucepan, combine the cream and the salt.  Simmer over very low heat until the salt is dissolved. set aside.
In a medium saucepan combine the sugar and corn syrup carefully. They will not combine well until the sugar begins to melt. Cook over high heat until an instant-read thermometer reads 350 degrees, 6 to 8 minutes.  Add the cream mixture and the vanilla to the sugar mixture. 
Whisk in the sour cream. 
Let the caramel cool to room temp, then follow the brownie instructions. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate any leftover caramel. it makes a great ice cream topping or tastes great straight out of the jar.


Brownies

• 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 3 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• pinch salt
• 3 Tbsp Chocolate Syrup
• half of the above caramel recipe

Preheat oven to 325F.
Melt Chocolate and butter in small saucepan over low heat until smooth. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes.
In a bowl, mix together sugar, eggs, and vanilla, and mix until well combined
Add flour, salt, chocolate syrup and chocolate mixture and blend well.
In a greased 8×8 pan, pour a little over half of the brownie batter and bake for 18 minutes.  Remove from oven and pour in the caramel.  On top of the caramel, add the rest of your brownie batter. If it doesn’t pour smoothly, just plop it in a swirl it around a little bit.  Return to oven and bake for another 18-22 minutes.  Brownies will still appear a little shaky, due to the caramel, but they will firm up once cooled. Do not overbake.

 Again, once I removed them from the oven, I drizzled the remaining sea salt caramel over the top of the brownies. You certainly don't have to do this, but it gives it just a little something extra!