Semi Homemade Brownie Donuts

I'm feeling both accomplished and self congratulatory when I tell you that I've recently had a genius thought. I've developed my own semi-homemade lazy person's guide to making brownie donuts.

Let me set the scene for ya. 

Last Thursday (my late night at work), I ran to the market for a few last minute ingredients for dinner (baked sweet potato flautas-yum) and happened to grab a box of extra fudge brownie mix. As if the thought of Thursday night "no-reason" brownies isn't enough to make you happy, I thought that I should bake them in a donut pan that I already own. 

In the past, I've made from scratch vanilla bean donuts-my takeaway was though delicious, they were time consuming and vanilla beans are expensive ($20 for 3 measly beans). So I haven't busted my donut pan out in well over a year and a half. I was reacquainted with my pan while packing it up for our move a few weeks ago and was struck with the thought that I should make another batch of donuts in the near future. 

So, I've had donuts in the back of my mind, and a sweet tooth for just about 27 years and on Thursday, the stars aligned and I baked up some brownies shaped like donuts!

PS. Here is the donut pan that I have and love for under $10! 

Keep reading for the method that brought about these wonderful little creations! 

1. I mixed up my brownie batter following the instructions on the back of the box, opting for the "Fudgy Brownie" recipe.
2. I lightly sprayed my donut pan with cooking spray to ensure no removal issues when I was ready to eat these babies. 
3. I used the brownie box to hold a gallon sized Ziploc bag and poured my batter into the bag, thus creating a disposable pastry bag. 
4. I snipped off one corner of the bag and carefully piped batter into each donut well. 
5. I then used a small spoon to smooth the batter into the well, ensuring it stayed about even with the walls of the pan. 
6. The box suggested 35-38 mins at 325 for a small brownie pan so I baked mine for about 20 mins at 325 in my toaster oven (temps/time will vary based on your oven/toaster oven). I always err on the shorter baking side and then leave my goods in longer if needed. 
7. I tested the brownies with a toothpick and when it came out clean, I knew they were ready to cool and eat! 
8. Lastly, if you buy the Duncan Hines Double Fudge brownie mix, they provide a nice little packet of God knows what fudge drizzle that you can use to ice your donuts. 

[Semi] Homemade Hot Chocolate with Vanilla Agave Whipped Cream

Mug (Anthropologie) | Gingerbread House Mug Toppers (Anthropologie)

Last week, I was feeling antsy, cold, and bored (the worst combination ever). I thought about going out to find a delicious, indulgent hot chocolate but I didn't want to layer up or put the pugs in their cages (they are crate trained for when we are not home). Jon offered to locate and deliver hot chocolate for me, but I didn't care enough to make him leave the house just for hot chocolate.

A couple hours passed by and my desire for hot chocolate grew and then I realized that I had all the ingredients at home to whip up my own delicious (semi-homemade) hot chocolate, complete with whipped cream!

I will admit right now that I used hot chocolate mix, I'm a HUGE fan of semi homemade treats! I used Godiva powdered hot chocolate mix and I would recommend it any day of the week. It's delicious and the flavor is very build-able depending on how rich you like your drink, not to mention the fact that it allows you to whip up a delicious beverage whenever you want. whenever. you. want.

I like to use a 50/50 mixture of steamed 2% milk (I used my Nespresso Aeroccino for this) and hot water for my drink, but you do you, boo!  After starting my kettle and prepping my whipped cream ingredients, I ran a Ciocattino (chocolate) pod through my machine to make an espresso.

Then I add the desired amount of the aforementioned miracle powder and heat until it's nice and hot, though not boiling (a simmer is the sweet spot).

While heating my liquids, I pour heavy whipping cream into a measuring glass and add a dash of vanilla and light agave. Since we only have turbinado sugar in our house, I had to find another way to sweeten my whipped cream and agave fit the bill really nicely. I personally find agave to be much sweeter than honey and it's definitely lighter/smoother in consistency so it blended into the cream beautifully, however honey will work just as well if you prefer it to agave.

A word of advice regarding adding vanilla, go lighter and add more if you want later on! For me, I want to smell the vanilla in the whipped cream rather than taste it, so a dash does the trick for me.

Once everything has been heated, I add my hot chocolate powder, steamed milk, hot water, and an epsresso into my mug. While the flavors meld together, I whip my cream and add a large dollop to the top and sprinkle with cinnamon.

I'm always looking for ways to spice up my hot chocolate, if you have any suggestions, I'd love to hear them!



Recipe (Makes 1 serving, double if sharing with a partner):

Godiva Hot Chocolate Powder (about 2 TBSP per mug)
1/2 Cup milk (your choice of dairy/fat content)
1/2 Heavy Cream
1 Espresso
1 tsp Light Agave
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Ground Cinnamon or Nutmeg for garnish

• Add 2 TBSP of hot chocolate powder to your mug
• Fill mug halfway with hot water
• Add remaining half of steamed/warmed milk
• Add espresso (if desired)
• Mix thoroughly
• Whisk heavy cream with agave and vanilla extract until stiff peaks form
• Top hot chocolate with whipped cream
• Sprinkle ground cinnamon/nutmeg atop whipped cream
• Enjoy!

Rosemary Parmesan Pancakes

Let me set the scene for you on where this recipe came from. I spent my day off last week sleeping in, taking yoga, washing my comforter, and baking rosemary shortbread cookies. I had wanted to make these damn cookies for weeks and never found the right day to make it happen. So, I embarked on this cookie journey which wound up consuming 3 hours of my day and left me with no remaining sunlight to shoot them. GREAT. So, I threw half the batter out and hightailed to to the nail salon for a 6pm pedicure to cap off  my day. Whilst sitting in the chair, being pampered by a lovely earth angel known only to me as "Maria", I began to ponder other ways to ingest rosemary.

I've been on a complete rosemary kick. In my previous 25+ years, I never gave it much thought, and then suddenly I was in love. I made those devil cookies (though tasty, I won't be giving it another go) and I had been planning to make these rosemary almonds. I had the rosemary and now I just needed a way to eat more of it. I thought about rosemary infused homemade pasta, but I don't make homemade pasta without my husband (I technically don't make it at all) and he was at school. A thought came to me.

Take rosemary and add it to pancakes. done. Also, add some parm cheese for shits and giggles. double done.

Once my toes were dry and my eyebrows had been waxed within an inch of their lives (these women never understand when I ask for, "thick but cleaned up"), I went home to break out the Aunt Jemima's. I have the Aunt Jemima "Complete" mix that requires only water and mix, so that is what you'll find in the below recipe.

Please be sure to pour yourself a generous serving of Chardonnay and sit down to really enjoy these delicious cakes.



Recipe (makes about 4 full sized pancakes):

• 1 cup of Aunt Jemima Complete pancake mix
• 3/4 cup of water (add more as needed in intervals of 1 tablespoon)
• 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
• 1/2-1 tablespoon of freshly chopped rosemary (measure to your preference)

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1. Combine pancake mix, cheese, and rosemary
2. Make a well in the center and add water
3. Whisk until combined, adding more water as needed until batter is the consistency of gravy
4. Use a ladle to pour batter into a buttered, warmed skillet-I had mine on medium-low heat

I like to use a ton of butter in my skillet to ensure crispiness on the edges of the pancakes, but this is totally up to your preference. I also like to add another pat of butter to the pan once I flip the cakes. Clearly, I have no concern for my cholesterol-check back in 10-15 years.