Oh Shine On

You’re totally going to hate me after you read this.

Fair warning. If you’re trying to keep up with that promise of yours to lose five pounds, close this blog post now.

Things I’m currently loving that you should love as well:

1. This this this this oh and this.

2. My twin sister getting eggs dumped on her head… Isn’t she a thing of pure beauty?

3. I don’t like coconut but I would inhale seven of these coconut tres leches cupcakes… I’m sure of it.

4. #stopkony2012.

5. My new pet ducks. I really wanted a dog, but these are the next best thing.

6. This video of my dreams coming true… Too bad they’re both gay and probably dress a lot better than I do.

7. When my sister calls me all the way from Africa only to tell me to call someone else and ask them to get on Skype. Oh wait.

So guess what? This past weekend I had a dinner date with a new friend.

I’m totally girl crushing on Kaylie who blogs over at Running Into A Healthy Life. I met her here at school when I volunteered to be a guinea pig for a research study she’s conducting. Well, we had a lovely little dinner party on Friday night where we attempted to make these quinoa cakes and these lemon rosemary roasted asparagus… Sadly, the cakes were a bit of a dud so we kind of had a make shift of sorts. It turned out to be a total win and we bonded over wine, frozen yogurt, and Liz from Eat.Pray.Love. Good night.

Next time you want a cup of cold milk, you’ll need one of these to go with it. And since you should be drinking a glass nearly every day… Well I guess you have to go ahead and make these. No excuses. It helps build strong bones… These brownies I mean, not the glass of milk.

How will I know my future husband when I see him? He’ll be given a glass of milk and then ask for a brownie (not the other way around).

Just for the record: if you’ve tried cookie butter and haven’t liked it, you’ve lost your marbles. It’s the smoothest, richest, sweetest little treat that will stick around this casa for a while. I couldn’t say the same for these brownies, which were all gone in less than a day.

This is your typical brownie recipe smothered in a delicious, homemade cookie frosting. Cookie butter + almonds + powdered sugar + butter… Need I say more?

God even called me. He wants the recipe.

Almond Cookie Butter Frosted Brownies

Inspired by these brownies and this frosting

Ingredients:

To make brownies:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp sea salt

2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 1/4 cup sugar

1 egg

2 egg whites

2 tsp vanilla

To make frosting:

6 tbsp butter, softened

1/2 cup powdered sugar

3/4 cup cookie butter

1/2 cup almonds, sliced or chopped

Preparation:

To make brownies:

Place rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F and coat a brownie pan with spray. Melt butter in a large saucepan until sizzling. Remove from heat and stir in cocoa powder, then sugar and whisk constantly.

Add the egg, egg whites, and vanilla (the batter should be very dark and thick). Whisk together until batter becomes smooth and glossy, like brownie mixture.

Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in bowl. Add flour mixture to saucepan and stir together. Pour into brownie pan and bake until the marshmallows turn golden-brown, about 30-35 minutes. Let cool completely before coating with frosting.

To make frosting:

Measure butter and let soften at room temperature or place in a medium bowl and microwave for 30 seconds. Once cool enough to touch, add in powdered sugar and whisk mixture until smooth. Add cookie butter and continue to mix well. Fold in almonds and stir again until all are coated. Set aside.

Once brownies have been baked and are cool enough to touch, pour frosting mixture on top of the brownies and coat evenly. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container for 3 days.

Happy noming!

Nutritional information: 350 calories, 18g fat (6 sat, 6.75 mono, 4.5 poly), 40.5g carbs, 7.5g protein