Chocolate Strawberry Brownie Sandwiches

Do you ever have kitchen fails?

Times when something goes utterly wrong?  When you have a picture in your head and the result looks nothing like it?

The brownie part of this recipe was one of those times.  I had mixed up my batter, taste-tested it and everything, only to realize that I just plain didn't have enough.  When I poured it into the pan, it was only about 1/4 inch thick.  I don't know about you, but I like my brownies thick.

What to do?

When you end up with a kitchen failure, there are usually two logical next-steps.  One, you decide that whatever you made is beyond saving and throw it in the trash, or, two, you think long and hard about an ingenious way to save the food.

Luckily, the brownies I made were eligible for the latter.

My solution happened to be using the super thin brownies as the "bread" part of a sandwich.  I can't say I had super high expectations, but the results blew me away.  As it turns out, brownies made into a sandwich with a strawberry yogurt filling beat plain old brownies by a long shot!  The whole batch was gone in less than a day.

Thank you, kitchen failure.

Chocolate Strawberry Brownie Sandwiches
Brownie:

• 2/3 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 cup special dark cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp coffee granules
• 3/4 cup yogurt (plain or vanilla)
• 1/2 cup date paste
• 1/4 cup milk
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1/3 cup chocolate chips

Filling:

• 5 oz (1/2 cup) strawberry yogurt (I used Fage)
• 2-3 strawberries, chopped (optional)
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 2 tbsp flour

Preheat oven to 350F.  Grease an 8x8 square pan.  In the bowl of a food processor, combine all brownie ingredients except chocolate chips in the bowl of a food processor.  Process until completely combined, stopping as necessary to scrape down the side of the machine.  Add chocolate chips and process quickly to combine.  Pour into prepared pan and spread it a thin layer.  Bake in preheated oven for 10-15 minutes, until firm.
To make filling, combine all ingredients in a small bowl.  Mix to combine.  When brownies have cooled, slice into 9 or 16 squares (depending on the size you want).  Spread a thick layer of filling on top of one brownie and top with another.  Continue until all brownies have been used.  Store in fridge until serving time.

Revisited Recipe of the Day:

Extra Fudgy Brownies

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookie Sandwiches

Does anyone remember those dunk or no dunk commericals for Oreo Cakesters?

• Personally, the choice was a no brainer for me.  Maybe it has something to do with my dislike of milk, but I was always on the no dunk side of things.  Cake + milk just doesn't work.  Doesn't.

I'm on the no dunk side (but not the no eat side!) for these guys, too.  I think they're probably pretty similar to Oreo Cakesters (I've never had a Cakester, so I can't be sure), but better because they're healthy - with no funky ingredients - and because they have a peanut butter filling.  Peanut butter beats vanilla every time in my book.

The cake part of these is purely chocolate.  It's like an oreo cookie, only with more cake than crunch.

Though the cake part of these dessert sandwiches is definitely delicious, I think it's the peanut butter filling that really steals the show.  It's a bit different than you may be expecting (more of a tart flavor), but once you get used to it, it is downright addicting.  You may even skip some of the chocolate cakes and just eat it off a spoon.

Just don't dunk any in milk.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Sandwiches
Cake:

• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1/4 cup extra dark/special dark cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• pinch salt
• 3 tbsp raisin puree
• 1/2 cup applesauce
• 1/4 cup yogurt
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Filling:

• 1 cup plain yogurt (greek is best, but others should work
• 2 tbsp peanut butter (note:  You may want a stronger peanut butter flavor.  If so, add 1 or 2 more tablespoons peanut butter.  Taste the filling to check)
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract

For Cakes:

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Place oats in a blender, food processor, or coffee grinder.  Process until broken down into small pieces, but not a fine flour.  You want it to be like a course oat flour.
3. Mix together all dry ingredients (including ground oats) in large bowl.
4. In another bowl, whisk together wet ingredients.  Pour wet into dry and mix until a batter forms.
5. Drop 1 tsp of batter at a time onto a lined or greased baking sheet.  Bake for 6-7 minutes.
6. Once done, let cakes cool a few minutes before attempting to remove from pan.

For Filling:

1. Combine all ingredients in a food processor (a blender may also work, but I haven't tried).  Blend until  well combined and creamy.
2. Spread a bit of filling on one piece of cake and top with another.  Repeat until all cakes have been used.  Depending on how thick you spread the filling, there may be some leftover.  I recommend you eat it :)
3. Recipe makes around 20 sandwiches.  Store leftovers in fridge.

Revisited Recipe of the Day:

Chocolate Peanut Butter Crispy Bites

Ginger Oatmeal Cookie Sanwiches with Creamy Yogurt Filling

'Tis the season for cookies.  Lots and lots of them!

I love how during the holiday season you can walk into almost any party and see plates and plates of wonderfully unique cookies.

I may not sample every kind at each party I visit, but I sure do love looking at the huge spreads.  They provide so much inspiration for future recipe creations.  For example, there's this salted chocolate cookie that my friend makes and I've been meaning to create a "clean" version for, like, forever.  I just keep forgetting to ask for the recipe so I know what the salt to chocolate ratio is.

Today, however, I have a different clean Christmas cookie to share.  And it comes in the form of a cookie sandwich.  And you know what that means... you get TWO cookies, but get to count it as only one.  Therefore, you get double the cookies for the same amount of guilt.  And because these cookies are relatively good for you, that amount of guilt it almost nothing.

How awesome is that?

You know what's even more awesome?  The flavor of the cookie itself.

It's like a gingersnap, crossed with an oatmeal cookie, crossed with a whoopie pie.

Ummmm... hello.  Incredible, right?  Give 'em a try!

Ginger Oatmeal Cookie Sandwiches with Creamy Yogurt Filling

For Cookies:

• 2 tbsp flaxseeds, ground
• 1 egg white
• 1 banana
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 4 tbsp molasses
• 3 tbsp milk
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tbsp applesauce

For Filling:

• 1/2 cup plain yogurt
• 1 tbsp cream cheese
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp brown sugar
• about 1 tsp water

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. In a small bowl, mix together flax and egg white.  Set aside.  Microwave banana for about 45 seconds, then mash in a large bowl.  Add in remaining cookie ingredients.  Mix well until a thick dough is formed.
3. Drop dough by rounded tsp onto 1 or 2 greased baking sheets.  Bake for 10 minutes.  Remove cookies for oven and press down so that they form cookie shapes instead of balls.  Bake for another 3 minutes.  Take out of oven and let cool.
4. In a cereal bowl, stir together yogurt, cream cheese, and vanilla extract (ingredients from filling section).  In a ramekin (or other small dish), combine the brown sugar and water.  Let it sit for a couple minutes.  After that time, add it to the yogurt mixture and mix again to combine. 
5. Take 1 cookie, and spread it with a thin layer of the yogurt filling.  Top with another cookie. Repeat until no cookies remain, or there is only 1 left over.  Store cookies in fridge.  They also freeze well.

Enjoy!

Revisited Recipe of the Day:

Pumpkin Raisin Baked Oatmeal Bars