Homemade Brownies

Update: They've been tested and "are the best thing I've ever put in my mouth" per mento's sister :)

I have a new "mento" for confirmation, and yesterday on facebook she said she wanted brownies "right now!" So today I thought I would surprise her with some. I didn't have a mix, but had all the ingredients to make them homemade.

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, melted 1 cup sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 eggs 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 1/3 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa 1/4 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional) CREAMY BROWNIE FROSTING (recipe follows)
Directions

Heat oven to 350°F. Grease 9-inch square baking pan.

Stir together butter, sugar and vanilla in bowl. Add eggs; beat well with spoon. Stir together flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt; gradually add to egg mixture, beating until well blended. Stir in nuts, if desired. Spread batter evenly in prepared pan.

Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until brownies begin to pull away from sides of pan. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Prepare CREAMY BROWNIE FROSTING; spread over brownies. Cut into squares. About 16 brownies.


CREAMY BROWNIE FROSTING

3 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
3 tablespoons HERSHEY'S Cocoa
1 tablespoon light corn syrup or honey
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup powdered sugar
1 to 2 tablespoons milk

Beat butter, cocoa, corn syrup and vanilla in small bowl until blended. Add powdered sugar and milk; beat to spreading consistency. About 1 cup frosting.

Crescent Roll Casserole

Here's the first yummy recipe of the year-it makes alot. We ate the extra chicken on cracker and I may even like that better than the cooked version.


2 (8 ounce) cans Pillsbury refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
1 (10 3/4 ounce) can cream of chicken soup
¾ cup shredded cheddar cheese
½ cup whipping cream
Filling-
4 ounces cream cheese (softened)
4 tablespoons butter (softened)
½ teaspoon garlic powder
1/3 cup onions (finely chopped)
2 large cooked chicken breasts (chopped)
¾ cup shredded cheddar cheese
½ teaspoon seasoning salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
2-4 tablespoons mayonnaise (or whipping cream)
1-2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (for topping)

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a casserole dish. In a saucepan mix whipping cream, ¾ cup of cheese, and chicken soup. Heat just until the cheese melts. Remove from heat and set aside.

To make the filling- in a bowl mix cream cheese and butter until smooth, add garlic powder. Add in the chopped chicken, onion and cheddar cheese. Mix until well combined. Add 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise (or whipping cream) mix to combine. You can add a little more if the mixture seems too dry. Season with seasoning salt and black pepper to taste.

Drizzle a small amount of the chicken soup mixture on the bottom of the casserole dish. Unroll the crescent rolls, and place 1 heaping tablespoon of the chicken mixture on top of each crescent triangle, then roll up starting at the thicker end. Place into the dish seam-side down. Repeat until all of the crescent rolls have been used up. Drizzle the remaining soup mixture on top and sprinkle 1-2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese on top. Place into the oven and bake for 30 minutes.
(Makes 6 Servings)