Coffee Brownies + Coffee Almond Icing

The girls over here at Be Well love coffee in all forms. We also love anything by the Blue Eyed Baker. Finally, we believe in good dessert- we aren't in to wasting calories on store bought finds.

Kathleen took her brownie recipe, added some coffee to it and I topped it with some delicious chocolate coffee fudge icing. Together, we created a monster. You must try it. But only if you have a group of people to share them with. These can be dangerous in large doses.

Did you know that coffee has been used to add depth to the flavor of chocolate? They compliment each other so well! But, we didn't need science to tell us that!

I went through a phase of making "healthier" desserts and while I still do sometimes, I learned that desserts are ok as long as they are just that. Treat sweets as true desserts and eat them after a meal and only on special occasions. I also decide how "worth it" the treat is to me. If it's home made, count me in but those Walmart brownies? No thanks--been there, done that.

We teamed up to bring you and Birmingham Bloggers this creative and delicious brownie recipe using IceBox coffee.

Coffee Brownies with Coffee Almond Icing

Ingredients:
3/4 cup flour
1/4tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 stick butter
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup coffee
2 cups chocolate chips
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325
2. Combine flour, baking soda, salt and set aside
3. In a sauce pan combine butter sugar and water, bring to a boil and then remove from the heat
4. Stir in 1 cup of the chocolate chips and vanilla until smooth
5. Transfer to a large mixing bowl
6. Add eggs and beat in one at a time
7. Gradually add in flour mixture and stir until mixed
8. Add the other 1 cup of chocolate chips and mix until just combined
9. Pour into a greased 9 X 9 baking pan
10. Bake about 30 minutes (may need longer depending on the oven) or until a toothpick stuck in the brownie comes out fairly clean
*Its optimal for the toothpick to be lightly battery as it will continue to cook when you take it out of the oven
*Let it cool for 10-15 minutes and then spread the icing when warm

For the coffee almond icing:

1 stick of butter (!)

3 cups of powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon of almond extract

6 tablespoons coffee (Icebox coffee or regular coffee- brewed and chilled)

Directions:
1. In a medium saucepan, over medium heat, melt the butter.
2. Turn off the stove and mix in the remaining ingredients.
3. Spread a generous layer over the brownies and enjoy!

What is your favorite coffee flavored dessert?

READ MORE

Lightened Up Cheesecake

Today for dinner I made hamburger steak and gravy. By made, I mean completely ruined the gravy, that is-- the hamburger steak, squash and zucchini were normal thanks to some help from JT. I am no way a southern cook and gravy just happens to be my new nemesis. I mean, who eats that anyway? Moving on.

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't too tired to work out today. Read: lazy. I just couldn't so I headed home and like a true dietitian does, ate a piece of the cheesecake I made Monday. Cheesecake that JT and I have successfully finished over a three day course. In our defense, I made only half the original recipe. And look at it...

Who could say no to that? And look at those amazing blackberries from Cindy! I count it a success that I managed to not have cheesecake for breakfast.

I am also really tired of seeing so many strict diet posts all over the internet lately, so in the spirit of keeping things real, let's talk dessert.

Cheesecake used to be really intimidating to me. It is one of the only desserts JT likes so I attempted to make it for him multiple times in college. Attempts ended because I was under the impression one needed a fancy-shmancy springform pan in order to properly bake a cheesecake. One time, I gathered all the ingredients at Wal-Mart, grabbed the pan and was on the way to check out when I added up the total cost on my handy iPhone. Then, I left everything sitting there and walked out. Yes, I'm one of those annoying people (sorry WalMart stock team) but $40 on one dessert was just not happening. Thankfully, I was wrong. A simple graham cracker crust will do- just double check the ingredients list and make sure there are no "hydrogenated oils" or "partially hydrogenated oils" to make your dietitian happy. Of course, you could make the crust yourself too, but let's take it one step at a time.

Also, don't skip the cinnamon in the crust- even if you don't love cinnamon, its a crucial step.

Lightened Up Cheesecake

adapted from MyRecipes

Ingredients:
Crust:
9 inch graham cracker pie crust (trans fat free, people)
1/2 tablespoon cinnamon

Filling:
2 (8 oz) packages Cream Cheese (Greek-2x the protein is my favorite)
3/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup light sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 extra large eggs

Topping:
1/4 cup light sour cream
1 tablespoon sugar

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and sprinkle the cinnamon on the graham cracker crust.
2. In an electric mixer, mix cream cheese, sugar, sour cream and vanilla until creamy.
3. Whisk eggs in a separate bowl and add to the cream mixture, continue to mix until just incorporated.
4. Pour filling into crust and at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until top turns golden brown.
5. Let the cheesecake cool, cover it and refrigerate it for at least 2 hours. Serve chilled with berries and light whipped cream.

See, how easy is that!? Don't worry, as your dietitian, I lightened it up, added some protein, and made it simple to enjoy a delicious dessert. Just remember it's just that- a dessert. (the struggle is real.)

Share your favorite lighter dessert recipe below!

READ MORE

Almond Joy Ice Cream

Remember that Magical Ice Cream? I thought it couldn't get much better, but I was wrong.

Make the ice cream as directed in this previous post, and add shredded coconut and a handful of almonds and enjoy!

Protein + vitamins + minerals = Best dessert ever.

What Magical Banana Ice Cream creations have you made?

READ MORE