Crime Scene Brownies

After a week filled with obligations, none of them my own, and culminating in one of the WORST birthdays of my life, today was my day to do what I wanted.  One of the things I wanted to do was to play in the kitchen, and I did!  When I spotted the sugar knives at Michael’s I had to buy them.  I was inspired by the cupcake pictured on the box (and my love of mysteries, of course), but lately I’ve become much more enamored with brownies than with cupcakes, so made what has become one of my favorite dessert recipes, Creole Brownies, and topped them with my own Vanilla Buttercream Frosting.  A little red gel icing splattered on the top and a knife shoved in, and I had a dangerously delicious dessert!

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

4 cups powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 Tablespoons heavy cream

1 Tablespoon vanilla extract

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter until light and smooth, 2-3 minutes.   Add the powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, slowly mixing in to incorporate, then add salt, heavy cream, and vanilla and beat until smooth and creamy, 3-5 minutes.  The longer you beat it, the lighter it will become.

This post is linked to:

Seasonal Sunday

On the Menu Monday

Totally Tasty Tuesdays

Try a New Recipe Tuesday

What's Cooking Wednesday

Wow Us Wednesday

Tutorial Tips & Tidbits

Foodie Friday

Sweets for a Saturday

Blackberry Fool

The steps to making Blackberry Fool.

This time of year I absolutely cannot get enough berries to eat.  I love them all: strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries.  I picked up quarts of each while shopping this morning, with no cue as to what I'd do with them other than juice them or just eat them.  Then my eyes fell upon a stack of Everyday Food magazines and would you believe it, this one was on top.  

I know what you're thinking -- Good gravy, Marie, this woman has food magazines from 2008 lying around her house!  Well, yes...and no.  This was one I had kept (the only one from that year, I swear it!) because of the berry recipes.  So, since so much time had passed, I decided to give the Blackberry Fool recipe a try. Heaven!

A delicious, light dessert that is easy to make (takes all of 15 minutes!), and worthy of an everyday meal or one for guests.  You can substitute raspberries or strawberries for the blackberries if you prefer, but do give the blackberries a try, they are astoundingly good for you, and the taste is sublime!

This is linked to:

and Mosaic Monday at Little Red House