Pantry Brownies

I have been in a pre-vacation coma. I haven't even gone grocery shopping. Can you believe I'm out of ice? It's just frozen water, in case you didn't know, and I don't even have that! So of course I am out of a lot of my baking staples, but that's what makes it fun right, what can I throw together that tastes delicious? That is why I call these pantry brownies because these aren't your ordinary brownie ingredients...ok so they're pretty ordinary just not the normal amount...so I just threw everything in there. We have only 1 egg, no granulated sugar, and only 3 tablespoons of butter, so I had to improvise. I thought I might as well throw all the other little odds and ends in there that have been sitting around while I'm at it. So feel free to throw in whatever you have and substitute what you need to.

Pantry Brownies

Ingredients:
1 cup brown sugar
3 tbsp butter, melted and cooled
1/4 cup coconut oil
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
1/2 cup toffee bits
1/2 cup caramel bits

Directions:
1.   Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease an 8x8 baking tin.

2.   In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment or in a large bowl using a hand mixer cream together brown sugar, butter, and coconut oil.

3.  Then mix in the egg, vanilla, and milk.

4.   Stir in cocoa powder until smooth.

5.  Then add flour, baking powder, and salt and mix until incorporated.

6.  Stir in what ever mix-ins you are using, for these I used white chocolate chips, toffee bits, and caramel bits.

7.   Pour batter into the prepared baking tin and bake in preheated oven for 25-35 minutes. Let cool slightly on wire rack before slicing.

Pineapple Mango Cobbler

Yay for Labor Day Weekend!! I reeeeally needed a break from work. I'm in business banking and work with the public. Anyone that works with the public knows that it can nearly drive a person crazy after a while. It can be great but can also be stressful if you let it. You definitely learn so much about people and the way we all react to each other. There are some genuinely nice people out there and then there are some that are just...not. I know all you guys are the nice ones so you deserve a little something sweet.

I've got a quick and easy one for you for the end of summer. I am so happy for September to come along for so many reasons. The relentless heat will start to ease up a little, and hopefully a cold snap will roll through so we can start wearing some comfy fall fashions. The yummy fall flavors like pumpkin and spices are right around the corner, and what I am even more stoked about, the other half and I are going on our fall vacation.

I. Can't. Wait.

Let's get to the cobbler, shall we? It's somewhat reminiscent of a pineapple upside down cake. This little summery cobbler is full of juicy, sweet, tropical fruit and it is blended nicely with pillows of browned butter, brown sugar cakey goodness. I like to eat it warm with a little vanilla ice cream on top.

Pineapple Mango Cobbler

Ingredients:
6 tbsp butter, browned
1 cup flour
1/2 cup almond flour
3/4 cup + 4 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk
1 cup diced fresh mango
1 cup diced fresh pineapple

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven at 350 degrees.

2.  Place the butter into a small sauce pan and brown over medium low heat, about 10 minutes. When the butter reaches an amber color reserve 2 tablespoons and pour the rest into a 2.5 quart baking dish and sprinkle 2 tablespoons of brown sugar over that.

3.  Place flour, almond flour, 3/4 cup brown sugar, baking powder, salt, vanilla, and milk in the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl using a hand mixer, and mix on medium high speed until smooth.

4.  Spoon the batter into the baking dish over the butter and brown sugar and sprinkle the mango and pineapple on top of the batter, then drizzle the reserved 2 tablespoons of browned butter and sprinkle 2 more tablespoons of brown sugar on top of that.

5.  Bake in the preheated oven for 50 minutes to an hour.