Oreo Brownies

Hi everyone!  Happy Friday!  Valentine's Day is in less than two weeks, which means there are only less than two weeks to figure out a decadent dessert to make in the name of love 😉💕.  Look no further-  today's recipe is a rich, delicious treat that is dangerously simple to make regularly but still special for Valentine's Day.  Let's get started!

I have to be honest with you all-  these oreo brownies were one of the first brownies that I've made from scratch and not from a box.  Isn't that terrible?!  I mean, I'm the food blogger who's into homemade eats and up to this recipe had hardly attempted making brownies without a mix 😂.

I will say, though that making brownies without a box had been on the back of my mind and on my bucket list.  I finally decided to give it a real try when my sister and her husband invited me over for lunch.  I always love an excuse for making dessert, wanted to make homemade brownies, and had Oreo cookies in the pantry, so I had to give oreo brownies a try.  The result?  Rich, fudgy, chocolatey brownies stuffed with Oreos.  My sister, Allison, and her husband, Brian enjoyed the brownies after our lunch together.  What's more, their one and a half-year-old son, Rafael.  They gave him just a small amount of the brownie and after he finished it, he tearfully kept repeating "más, más"  ("more, more".  Obviously, it's sad to see that little guy sad, but I took his tearful imploring for more as a compliment 😆

And while these brownies are lovely all on their own, they are delicious when served warm with a tall glass of ice-cold milk 😋.  Or, you could make these bars extra rich and drizzle them with caramel sauce.

I tweaked this recipe to bring you today's recipe.

That's all for now.  Don't forget to follow me on Instagram!  I look forward to posting again on Monday 😊.  (the smoothie of the month for February 😋!)

Oreo Brownies

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 1.25 cups granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
• 16 whole Oreos, plus enough coarsely chopped Oreos to top the batter

1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

2.  Line an 8x8-inch square baking pan with foil and grease the foil, then set aside.

3.  Place the butter, sugar, cocoa powder into a medium-size, microwave-safe bowl and heat it in the microwave for one minute.

4.  Stir the mixture well, then microwave it for another minute or until the mixture is very warm to the touch.

5.  Add the eggs and vanilla to the warm mixture and mix them in well.

6.  Fold the flour into the mixture until fully combined, then gently fold in the chocolate chips.

7. Spoon half of the batter into the prepared pan, making sure that it is spread out evenly.

8.  Place the whole Oreos evenly over the portion of the batter that is in the pan, then top them with the remaining batter.

9.  Top the remaining batter with the chopped Oreos.

10.  Bake the brownies in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the pan comes out almost clean, with just a few moist crumbs.

11.  Allow the brownies to cool completely in the pan before cutting into squares.

12.  Enjoy, storing leftovers (if there are any!)at room temperature or in the fridge for up to one week or freezing for up to three months.