Peanut Butter Crack Brownies & Shortlisted for the Cosmopolitan Awards!

I was finishing up my last bits at work on Monday when it got to 6pm and I remembered something.

I opened a new window, tapped into Twitter and nervously scrolled through to find that tweet. The one with that link that would take me to the Cosmopolitan Blogger Awards 2013 Shortlist.

As I pressed the link, my stomach sank. It sank further when I saw a blank page. 

Oh god. Oh god.

 I made a quick scurry to the loo’s moments later to see if the link worked best near toilet facilities (obviously this had to be an option in my desperate state). 

A few taps later and I was prancing around the workshop, jeans at my thighs, jumping like a loon with Nat (she had no idea what was going on). I had been shortlisted again!!!! Er. Mah. GAAAAHD.

Who better to thank than the person reading this right now? Seriously, thank you so much!

If you would like to, you can vote for me here by heading to the 'Best Food Blogger' category, voting closes on 31^st August so there is no rush, but I would be super grateful if you did! (Eventually....)


Orrrrrrrr you could just click on the picture on the right ;)

To celebrate I have made something close to crack. I couldn’t think of a better way to emanate my excitement and show thanks to you all. Really I couldn’t. Luckily this stuff wont kill if you get hooked, you might gain a few but hey – see them as happy pounds.

This brownie/rice crispie cake on steroids is jam-packed with every single confection known to man – it’s salty too so it's right on trend.

The recipe uses a brownie packet mix, but only because there is so much going on that I defy you to taste the difference.

Here’s why you can use packaged brownie mix without losing your credentials as a foodie; the crack brownie contains: 

smooth peanut butter
double stuffed Oreos
rice crispies
chocolate
peanut butter cups

And whatever the heck you put in the brownie itself. In my case:

marshmallows
white chocolate
crunchy biscuits.

To continue the celebrations (I don’t go out much), I will be hosting a special little giveaway next week! So keep posted, I reckon you’ll like this one :)

The Recipe:

Adapted from Cookies & Cups Peanut Butter Cup Crack Brownies 

1 brownie mix, boxed or homemade
230g bag mini peanut butter cups
1 packet 'Extra Stuff' Oreos
1 + 1/2 cup rice crispies
1 + 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips or bars
1 cup smooth peanut butter
1 tbsp / 15g butter, un/salted

Makes 20 bars 

Note: Grab the most indulgent looking Brownie mix i.e. the one that says ‘Indulgent Brownie Mix’ so people don’t think your skimping on quality even though it only cost you £1.78 – the price of a good chocolate bar. If you’re still not sold, have a look here and here for sole brownie gooooo-oooo-ooodness.  

The Method:

Start by making brownies in a lined rectangular pan according to directions and roughly chopping Oreos and peanut butter cups.

Take the brownies out of the oven 5 minutes before the required baking time and sprinkle chopped peanut butter cups & Oreos over the top. Return to the oven to complete baking.

Once brownies are baked, remove from oven and immediately spread the melted peanut butter cups & Oreos around the entire surface of the brownie using a spatula.

Evenly spread half a cup of peanut butter on top of the chocolate layer and set aside.

In a large microwaveable bowl add the remaining peanut butter, milk chocolate chips and butter and microwave in 30 second bursts until just melted, making sure to stir each time.

Pour in rice crispies and stir until combined. Evenly spread over the brownie. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours to set. The brownies will last for up to 5 days.

We managed to raise £370 for Race For Life! And I crossed the finished line! Wooohooo. Thank you to all those who sponsored us, Blackheath, you nearly killed me but it was for the worthiest of causes so I'll let you off.

Love Em xx

I am really sorry but all comments for this post have been lost in Blogger's system/archive/brain somewhere and I cant retrieve them! Please forgive me x

5 Ingredient Killer Key Lime Pie

With summer on our footstep all I want to do is shove fruit in my gob and eat stuff with piles of cold, whipped cream thrown on top of it. It is really difficult though, to leave wintry desserts behind – I don’t know about you but I won't say no to a treacle pud whatever the weather.

A little warning if you’re feeling in the mood for this pie – it's expensive to make. But take a deep breath. Its worth the extra dough. 

Why? Well, quite frankly, why not? It tastes so fresh and the textures mingle so darn well together, so I think that's worth the £15 spent on ingredients, its such an effortless pie as well, plus, you can hardly taste the richness from the 8 egg yolks - So easy and SO worth it. 

Key Lime Pie

The Recipe:

Adapted from Hummingbird Bakery Key Lime Pie 

For the pie crust
500g digestive biscuits or graham crackers
200g unsalted butter, melted
For the filling
800g condensed milk (2 tins)
8 egg yolks
Zest of 5 limes
Juice of 5 limes
For the topping
300ml double cream, whipped

Equipment
23cm deep pie dish

The Method:

Preheat the oven to 170C. Put all of the biscuits into a food processor and pulse until fine crumbs form. Whilst the processor is still running, pour in the melted butter until the crumbs stick together.

Pour the crumbs into a pie dish, with a tablespoon and your fingers press the crumbs into the sides and bottom of the dish. Bake for 10 minutes until darker in colour then leave to cool slightly.

Reduce the oven to 150 C. Zest and juice all of the limes and set aside.

In a large bowl or freestanding mixer with the whisk attachment, add the condensed milk, egg yolks and lime juice and whisk until thickened for one minute. Set aside a small amount of lime zest for sprinkling on top of the pie and add the rest into the condensed milk filling.

Pour the filling into the prepared pie crust and bake for 20 minutes. Leave to cool completely. In the mean time, whip the cream until stiff (but soft) peaks form. Layer the cream on top of the cooled pie and garnish with the reserved lime zest. Pie is best served after 2 to 24 hours of 'settling/flavour mingling' time in the fridge.

Have you ever made Key Lime Pie, was it as darn simple as this beaut?!

Love Em xx