Brownie Shortbread Cups

These brownie shortbread cups will hit all your cravings… both buttery soft shortbread and gooey fudge brownies. You can have the best of both worlds.

These brownie shortbread bars have two layers. The bottom layer is a simple shortbread crust made from little more than butter, sugar, and flour.The crumbly cookie crust comes together in a single bowl before being patted out in a muffin pan. While the crust bakes slightly in the oven, prepare the brownie batter, you can also use your favorite brownie mix box. After baking in the oven, the cups are ready to devour. The combination of shortbread and brownies is pretty phenomenal if you ask me

Let’s get to baking!

INGREDIENTS

For the crust:

• ¾ cup unsalted butter at room temperature

• 1/3 cup granulated sugar

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1–1/2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

For the brownie:

• ¾ cup unsalted butter

• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

• 1–1/4 cup granulated sugar

• 3 large eggs

• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour

• 6 tablespoons dark cocoa powder

• ½ teaspoon baking powder

• ¼ teaspoon salt

OR

2 boxes your favorite brownie mix and the ingredients needed

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and line an 8 or 9” square baking pan with parchment paper or a muffin tin with cupcake liners. Lightly grease with cooking spray and set aside.

Begin by preparing the crust. 

In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and granulated sugar until smooth. Stir in the vanilla. Add the flour and salt and stir just until combined to crumbs. Gently press the mixture down flat into the bottom of the prepared pan and bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes until set. 

In the meantime, begin making the brownie filling.

In a medium saucepan over low heat, gently melt together the butter, chocolate chips, and sugar, stirring regularly to melt evenly and prevent scorching the chocolate. Once melted and smooth, set aside. 

In a large bowl, beat the eggs on medium speed with a mixer until they lighten in color and fluff up, about 2-3 minutes. Gently stir in the chocolate mixture. Add the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt, stirring just until combined. 

Pour the batter on top of the prepared shortbread and smooth. 

Increase the oven heat to 350 and bake for an additional 30-33 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out only with a couple of small brownie crumbs. Do not overbake. 

Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely prior to slicing.

Advertisement

Melt in Your Mouth Chocolate Chip Bars

Got a sweet tooth and love chocolate? Then these chocolate chip bars are for you!

They start with my brown butter chocolate chip cookie recipe and are filled with milk chocolate and sweetened condensed milk. The brown butter and brown sugar gives a toffee-like richness to the cookie bars. And they are so easy to make in a 9×13-inch pan; no scooping or rolling needed. Just press and bake!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 bag of milk chocolate chips
• 1 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 4.4 ounce large milk chocolate bar, chopped 

INSTRUCTIONS

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring often, about 6 minutes, until it becomes brown in color. It will foam, reduce, then foam again. Once it’s done cooking the foam is a light brown and it will dissipate after you remove it from the heat. Once it starts to brown, keep stirring so it doesn’t burn. Let sit for about 5 minutes to cool.

Pour into an electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment. While still hot, add both sugars and mix on low until combined. Let sit to cool for a few minutes.

While the butter mixture is cooling, combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk and set aside.

Turn the mixer on low. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing completely.  

Mix in vanilla extract. 

Add flour mixture one cup at a time to the wet ingredients and mix until combined. Stir in chocolate chips.

Line a 9×13” baking pan with parchment paper for easy removal.

Press half the cookie dough in the prepared pan. Pour sweetened condensed milk over the top of the bottom layer (be careful to leave about 1/4” edge around the pan, then sprinkle the chopped chocolate bar over the top. 

Press the remaining cookie dough on top of milk and chopped chocolate bar. Press with your hands to flatten. It will mostly cover but not completely cover the bottom layer.

Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake for about 35-45 minutes until the tops of the bars start to get golden brown. 

Cool completely before slicing into bars.

Lemon Loaf

This Lemon Loaf recipe is full of lemon flavor, moist, dense, and rich. It’s a perfect snack, dessert or even Breakfast Bread.

The lemon loaf cake itself is perfectly lemony, and the lemon glaze boosts the lemon flavor even more. Lemon lovers will be in their glory! 

I actually prefer this loaf after it has sat overnight, this allows the fresh lemon/sugar mix to have a chance to soak into the cake, which gives it more flavour and makes it even moist. But don’t let it sit for too long because there’s a fine line between when a loaf is moist, then all of a sudden it’s dry.  So moral of the story, let it sit overnight and enjoy it the next day.  Honestly, this loaf is so good so you’ll probably finish it in one day, a slice or two for breakfast with your coffee, one for a sweet mid-day snack and then a few slices with vanilla ice cream after dinner! 

Lemon Loaf Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 ½ teaspoon lemon extract 
• Zest of 1 large lemon
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/4 cup buttermilk — sour cream works too

Lemon Icing Ingredients

• 1 cup powdered sugar, add more until desired consistency is reached
• 2 tablespoon lemon juice,  add more until desired consistency is reached
• 2 tablespoon cream or milk, add more until desired consistency is reached

Lemon Loaf Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350F degrees. 

Grease and flour an 8 x 4-inch loaf pan, or line with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda & salt.

In a separate bowl beat together the butter and sugar until fluffy – this will take at least 3 minutes.

Mix in the eggs 1 at a time. 

Then mix in the vanilla extract, lemon extract, lemon zest, and lemon juice.

With the mixer on low speed, mix in about 1/2 of the flour mixture followed by about 1/2 of the buttermilk. 

Turn off the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Repeat the process with the rest of the flour mixture and buttermilk.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 50-60 minutes. 

Cool the loaf fully before icing (otherwise, the icing will melt through the cake and run off the sides).

*It will be done when an inserted toothpick comes out clean and the top feels firm to the touch. 

*If after about 30-40 minutes the top is browning too much, place a piece of aluminum foil over top and continue baking.

Lemon Icing Instructions

In a medium bowl whisk together the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and cream/milk until smooth. Add in more powdered sugar or cream as needed for desired consistency.

Remove the cooled loaf from the pan and drizzle or pour over top.