Oreo Truffle Brownie

Happy, happy 2014!
I hope you all created some amazing memories over the holiday!
Now that life has calmed down a bit, I am hoping to give the blog here a face-lift and start cranking out some more recipes to share with you....I have missed you all - xoxo
First up for the New Year, just in time to sabotage your resolutions before Girl Scout Cookies do, is the scrumptious love child of the infamous "Oreo Truffle" and the good-old perfect Brownie.  Seriously...amazeballs!

Oreo Truffle Brownie
Recipe by:  Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Ingredients

For the brownies:
• 1 (12-ounce) bag semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup butter (2 sticks)
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 4 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
Oreo Truffle and Topping:
• 26 Oreo or other chocolate-sandwich cookies
• 8 ounces cream cheese, light or regular, softened
• 4 ounces white chocolate or white almond bark

Directions

1. For the brownies, preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt the butter and chocolate chips. Stir constantly and remove from heat when the chocolate is fully melted. In the same pot, whisk in the sugar and vanilla. Then add eggs, blending fully one at a time. Add the flour and salt and stir until well combined. Pour the batter into a greased 9 X 13-inch pan. Bake for 20 minutes. Turn the heat down to 325 degrees and bake for 10 more minutes. Remove from the oven and let the brownies cool completely.
2. For the Oreo truffle topping, crush the Oreo cookies and mix with the softened cream cheese until the mixture is well-combined. I find the best method is to lightly crush the Oreo cookies and then mix the cookies with the cream cheese in an electric stand mixer, food processor or with a handheld mixer. Lightly press the Oreo truffle mixture over the cooled brownies.
3. In a small microwave-safe bowl, melt the chocolate or almond bark on low power at 30-second intervals, stirring in between, until melted and smooth. Pour the chocolate into the corner of a ziploc bag. Carefully snip a small piece off the corner and drizzle the chocolate across the brownies. Alternately, you can cut the brownies into squares and then drizzle with the chocolate. Chill the brownies in the refrigerator until the chocolate is set (10-20 minutes). Cut into slices and serve.

Peanut Butter Crackle Brownies

CRAP PICTURE ALERT!!! 
Sorry.  Picture was taken with my phone AFTER the dish was halfway gone.  I had taken it to a friends house for dinner, so I baked it in a disposable pan for easier transportation.  So, disposable pan + half eaten brownies+camera phone=crap picture.
Also...
DISCLOSURE TO MY TRAINER!!! 
Mark, if you are reading this, I cannot confirm or deny that I may or may not have stuffed myself silly with these bad-boys during my "poor me" week last week.  But I did Zumba and Zumba Toning, so that should cancel out at least 2 of them right?!  Don't answer that...just don't bring this up at the weigh in OK?
Seriously, these are crack-a-licious brownies.  Like, the ass-jiggle is totally worth it brownies.

Peanut Butter Crackle Brownies
aka, Peanut Butter Cup Crunch Brownie Bars and Better Than Crack Brownie Bars
Recipe Slightly Adapted from:  Brown Eyed Baker

• 1 batch of your favorite brownie recipe or boxed mix for a 9×13-inch pan
• 10 Reese’s peanut butter cups, chopped
• 1½ cups milk chocolate chips
• 1½ cups creamy peanut butter
• ½ tablespoon butter
• 1½ cups Rice Krispies cereal
• pinch finely ground sea salt

Prepare the brownies according to the directions and bake for about 5 minutes less than the recipe states. Remove from the oven and sprinkle the top with the chopped peanut butter cups. Return to the oven and bake for 5 additional minutes.
While they are finishing baking, melt the chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir in the cereal and sea salt to evenly coat. Remove the brownies from the oven and evenly pour the chocolate and peanut butter mixture over top. Spread to cover evenly. Refrigerate for 2 hours before cutting and serving. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

This recipe has been linked to:
Tidy Mom
Simply Sweet Home
Mommy's Kitchen