Cookie Monster Cupcakes

I don't have a recipe for these, but I made them for Cooper's birthday earlier in March. They were super easy, and all I needed was to buy a Wilton Grass Tip. Which is awesome. I used white Wilton Candy Melts for the eyes, black decorating gel for the pupils, and mini Chips Ahoy, as the cookie mouth. Oh yeah, Noah decorated the orange ones. He's so awesome.

Super Fudgey Brownies

Those of you who know me are aware that cupcakes are my thing. If I even hear the word "cupcake" my ears perk up and I immediately start talking about them. If I could create a religion, I've always said that cupcakes would be my deity. This all might have been true until today.

When I found a recipe for brownies this morning, I was skeptical. Brownie recipes have always scared the crap out of me. This is mostly because some of my first failed baking attempts many years ago involved trying to make homemade brownies. Since then, I've mostly stuck to a box. Boxed brownies have always been faithful and there filled with dense chocolatey goodness. Today I left my safe comfort zone of boxed brownies and I may have left it for good.

I had all day to prepare myself to bake something, since I stayed home with a migraine. Maybe I decided to make this attempt because my head wasn't feeling quite right, or maybe I was just feeling more adventurous today. Whatever it was, I'm thankful. When I say these brownies were amazing, I mean it. I had to restrain myself so I wouldn't eat both pans (I doubled the recipe. Oops.) and I could save some for the members of the political club that I am a co-founder of, where I believe that politics and baked goods can mix perfectly. I hope my club members will be please tomorrow. I certainly am.

What you'll need (don't worry, this is a recipe for just one pan. You won't be on brownie overload, I promise:

• 10 tablespoons butter
• 1 1/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 and 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2  eggs, cold
• 1/2 cup flour
• Chocolate frosting (optional. I used chocolate frosting on one of my pans, but not the other. Some people think frosting ruins brownies. Then there's me. I say there's no such thing as too much chocolate.)

-Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line a 8x8 square pan with enough wax paper to hang over each side of the pan.

- Simmer a small pot of water. Place a heatproof bowl over the pot of water and add the butter, sugar, cocoa powder, and salt. Stir until butter melts.

-Remove the melted chocolate mixture from heat and let cool until warm. Using a wooden spoon, mix in the vanilla, then incorporate the eggs one at a time and mix vigorously. 

-Stir in flour until there are no streaks left behind.

-Pour batter over the wax paper lined pan and bake brownies for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

-Let brownies cool before removing wax paper. Frost, if desired, then cut brownies into desired sizes.

Enjoy!

Original recipe:

http://www.thetarttart.com/2013/03/alice-medrichs-cocoa-brownies/