Almost Happy New Year to everyone! I was’t sure what to post this week. I wanted something festive, but not Christmas cookies, but I wasn’t sure what I was going to prepare for our guests for this New Years weekend yet either. I know, playing it kind of close, but sometimes it works out best that way. This easy yet decadent recipe is great anytime of year, but will look really pretty for tonight for dessert.

Black and White Brownies – 36 brownies

1 box (19.5oz) Pillsbury Classic Fudge Brownie Mix, 1/4 C water, 1/2 C vegetable oil, 2 eggs, 1 1/2 C chopped pecans, 1 C semi sweet choc. chips, and 1 bag (12oz) white or vanilla chips.

Frosting - 2 C powdered sugar, 1/4 C unsweetened baking cocoa, 3 to 4 TB hot water, 1/4 C butter (melted), 1 tsp. vanilla and 1/2 C pecan halves.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 13×9″ pan. In a large bowl, beat brownie mix, 1/4 C water, oil and eggs. Stir in chopped pecans, chocolate chips and 1 C of vanilla baking chips. Spread in a pan.

Bake 30 min until center is set. Immediately sprinkle with remaining 1 C vanilla chips. Let stand 1 min. to soften chips. Spread evenly over brownies.

In a small bowl, beat all frosting ingredients except pecans halves until smooth. Spoon over melted vanilla baking vanilla chips. Spread to cover. Arrange pecan halves on frosting. Cool completely( about 2 hours).

Christmas is right around the corner and I am busy making a variety of Christmas cookies and candies. This weeks recipe is a double header. I was hoping to add one other flavor in here, but I think I will save it for Valentines Day, possibly. (Keep you guessing).  Both of these are really easy to make, taste delicious and look beautiful when you give them away in a goody bag/box.

Chocolate Peppermint Whoopie Pies and Pumpkin Whoopies with Maple Spice Filling

Chocolate Peppermint Whoopie Pies – Serves 24 approx.

2 C flour, 1/2 C cocoa powder, 3/4 tsp. bk soda, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/2 C sugar, 1/2 C light brown sugar, 1/2 C whole milk yogurt, 1/3 C canola oil, 3 large eggs, 1 tsp. vanilla and peppermint filling(recipe follows) .

In a med bowl, blend flour, cocoa powder bk soda and salt. Set aside.

In a larger bowl beat together sugars, yogurt, oil, eggs and vanilla on medium speed until mixed. Gradually add flour mixture. Cover and refrigerate batter until chilled, about 30 min.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Transfer batter to a pastry bag. Cut end off about 2in. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and pipe circles  onto pan. (keep batter refrigerated between batches). Bake 9 min. COOL COMPLETELY ON PANS! Turn half of the whoopies over so they are bottom side up. Using a pastry bag or knife, add a dollop of peppermint filling. Top with remaining whoopies.

Peppermint Filling

4 oz. cream cheese (room temp), 5 TB unsalted butter (room temp), 1/2 tsp. peppermint extract, 1/8 tsp. salt and 3 C powdered sugar.

In a large bowl, beat together cream cheese and butter  until fluffy. Add peppermint mixture and salt and mix for 30  more sec. Gradually add powdered sugar and mix for 1 min. If filling is to soft add more powdered sugar 1 TB at a time.

Pumpkin Whoopies with Maple Spice Filling – serves 24

3 C flour, 2 tsp. ginger, 1 tsp. each of cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. 1 (15 oz) can of pumpkin puree, 2 C light brown sugar, 1 C canola oil, 2 large eggs, 2 TB dark molasses and maple spice filling (recipe below)

In a med. bowl, blend flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

In a larger bowl, beat together pumpkin puree, brown sugar, oil, eggs and molasses. Gradually add flour mixture. Cover and refrigerate batter until chilled, about 30 min.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Transfer batter to pastry bag and cut off a 2″ tip. Pipe circles of batter onto a parchment lined baking sheet. (keep batter refrigerated in between batches. Bake until whoppies are deep orange and spring back when touched (about 15-20 min). COOL COMPLETELY ON PANS!

Turn half the whoopies over so they are bottom side up. Using a pastry bag or knife add a dollop of maple spice filling onto each whoopies and top with remaining whoopies.

Maple Spice Filling

4oz. cream cheese (room temp), 5 TB unsalted butter(room temp), 1 TB. maple syrup, 1/8 tsp. cinnamon, cloves and salt and 3 C powdered sugar.

Beat together cream cheese and butter. Add maple syrup, cinnamon, cloves and salt. Gradually add powdered sugar. If too thin, add a little more about a TB at a time. Fill whoopies.

I got this recipe from my grandmother. My Mom and Grandma made them every year when I was little. I liked them then, but I love them even more now as I have gotten older. My  husband begs me to make these year round. Though I probably could, I really enjoy looking forward to all your year getting to eat these tasty treats. I usually triple the batch since after we get our share, I like to share with others as well since they seem to be the hit every year. The recipe below is only a single batch, but works just as well if you double, triple or quad it. I can’t even tell you how many it makes, since I have not made a single recipe in so long.

Molasses Sugar cookies

3/4 C Oil, 1 C sugar (plus 1/4 more for later), 1/4 C molasses, 1 egg, 2 tsp. baking soda, 2 C flour, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. cloves, 1/2 tsp. ginger, and 1 tsp. of cinnamon

Add sugar, eggs and molasses to oil.  Stir well.

Add dry ingredients and mix well again. Chill in the fridge about 2 hours until firm.

Roll into 1″ balls.  (It will be oily and that is okay) and then roll in sugar.

Bake 375 degrees until done (approx 8-10 min). Don’t leave in too long though, because they will get really hard. You want them nice and soft.

You can leave like this make a powdered sugar frosting and drizzle over. We make a little of both.

Sometimes it is a challenge for me to come up with something for just one or a couple of people. I hate to serve the same dessert two days in the row to the same guests and I surely don’t need it sitting around here to tempt me everyday. I have been working on this recipe for awhile. I am been tweaking it as to get it just the right sweetness. I feel like I have perfected it. So I bring this lovely dessert that serves 4 to you, however it works great if you want to scale it down for just one as well.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Mini Pineapple Upside Cake – Serves 4

Coconut oil or butter, brown sugar, 1 small can of ring pineapple(save juice), half of the pineapple juice from the canned pineapple, 1 egg, 3 Tb melted butter, vanilla, 1/2 C flour, 6 TB sugar, 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/8 tsp of baking soda, salt, powdered sugar and marsh cherry.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Brush 4 small ramekins or custard cups with coconut oil or butter. Sprinkle brown sugar in bottom of each cup and line with 1 pineapple ring in each cup.

Whisk egg, pineapple juice, butter and vanilla together.

Stir in  flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt together.

Divide batter among the 4 cups. Bake for 20 minutes. Let cool slightly and flip over on a plate dusted with powdered sugar. Top with a cherry and serve.