Dulce de Leche Chocolate Chip Brownies

Dulce de Leche!....

mmmm how many wonderful things can I say about it?!

 For me it's the king of dessert toppings it reigns supreme for my bocita (little mouth).

It's like the "latin lover" of caramel... smooth, rich, creamy and when I eat it seems to talk to me......

saying all the right things en español  of course!.... like Ay que rico or yes I'm so delicoso!

 Kinda like dinero you can never have too much dulce de leche....por lo menos ( at least) in my opinion you can't!

So since my mouth was in a mood for a lot of lovin

I decided to give it what it wants....

chocolatey brownies christened with copious amounts of chocolate chips and slathered with sweet creamy latin love!

 A Cielo!  (To Heaven) you go!


A la cocina!


Ingredients

1 cup. all-purpose flour

1 3/4. cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 1/2. cups of sugar

1 1/3. cups (2 sticks + 6 tbsp) butter

4 eggs.

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1/2tsp. salt

1/2tsp. espresso powder

1 tsp.  good quality vanilla

1/2 cup. milk chocolate chips

1/2 cup. semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 jar of dulce de leche

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a 9×13 inch pan with parchment paper set aside.

 

2. In a large double boiler, melt butter then add espresso powder, mixing to dissolve. Add sugar and cook until the mixture becomes smooth and glossy. Remove from heat and allow the mixture to cool for 20 minutes. 

 

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the cooled (it can be luke warm) butter mixture and vanilla. With mixing speed on low add one egg at a time, mixing just until incorporated. 

 

4. In a medium size mixing bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. With mixing speed on low, gradually add dry ingredients. Mix until batter is smooth and flour is well included. Remove bowl from stand and fold in your milk & semi-sweet chocolate chips (leaving a few chips for the top of your batter). 

 

5. Spread the brownie batter evenly into your baking pan. You may want to warm you dulce de leche un poquito (just a little) if it's a little stiff. With a spatula or spoon drop in 6-9 spoonfuls of dulce de leche (I like to make rows of 3) gently swirl the ducle de leche through the batter with a knife.  Sprinkle remaining chocolate chips on top of your brownie batter.

 

6.Place in oven and bake for 20- 25minutes or until the brownies are set. Remove from oven and let cool for about 35 minutes before cutting. Ahora...Enjoy!

Marshmallow Candy Monster Pops

I hate to admit it...but I was the girl who went to bed gripping a flashlight and waking up in cold sweat at 3'oclock in the morning.

 

Forcing my self to do a sweep of my bedroom:

Starting with a through sweep under and above my Strawberry Shortcake canopy bed past my desk covered with Lisa Frank stickers

a quick dash past my doll shelf stuffing my arms with as many Cabbage Patch Kids one may need to ward of evil after dark, up all night monsters!

If all this seems way over the top and a bunch of childhood dramatics one would have to understand that I grew up during the times when Chucky ruled your toy chest and Freddy Kreuger owned your dreams!

Uhh huh! Scary Right?!...Told You! I had to be an 80's baby?!.....the millennium brought so many more nightmare taming characters like Elmo who could ever be scared of that sweet little furry and funny rojo red monster!

And lets not forget Monsters Inc. what that movie did for making "monsters" not only likable....but lovable...

by the end of the movie you not only are fearless of monsters, but you are actually rooting for them! Wishing for nightfall and crossing your fingers with one turn of the knob they would pop out of the closet and right into Boo's bed!

So.......I've said all that to say, what I'm pushing on you today is not the blood curdling, sheets between your eyes shielding you from the sinister force inside television kind of monster!

But the adorable, soft, fluffy colorful and whimsical kind.....

the kind of monster that gives you sweet, beautiful dulce sueños!......only in candy form!

Vamos a la cocinca!

Ingredients
Jumbo Marshmallows ( these can be found at your local grocery, Target or Walmart)
1 package of Skittles ( I used the Darkside of the Moon Skittles)
1 package of Gummy Bears
1 package of chocolate melting wafers
1 bottle of sprinkles (you can use chocolate or rainbow)
1 pack of lollipop sticks or colorful straws

Directions

1. Insert lollipop sticks or straws about halfway into each jumbo marshmallow and place on a cookie sheet and set aside. Place the skittles, gummy bears and sprinkles in three separate dishes and set aside as well.

2.  You can either use a microwave or double-boiler to melt your chocolate, (I prefer to use the microwave because it's quicker and easier for me).Pour your chocolate wafers in a glass bowl or a mug reducing the power to 50% to help prevent the chocolate from melting too fast and burning. Set the microwave for 30 second intervals stirring each time until chocolate is completely melted.

3. Once chocolate is melted dip each marshmallow pop into the chocolate, coat marshmallow at least halfway and allow excess to drip off into your bowl or mug.

4.Next, dip each pop into each dish of candy ( I like to add the sprinkles at the end). Set each candy coated marshmallow back onto the cookie sheet and repeat with each marshmallow until you have candy coated monster joy!