Bake me Happy - Dark Chocolate Brownies

Dark Chocolate Brownies

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(infused with Raspberries and White Chocolate)

Are you the type of person to make the same New Years Resolution every year?  You know the one…the one that says that THIS. IS. THE. YEAR. that I will get in shape and lose weight.  Do you do that?  I do!  I always resolve that I will give up desserts but then that makes me all stressed out and unhappy.  You do know that desserts spelled backwards is stressed right?  I consider that to be a sign myself.  It doesn’t take much to make me give up on that resolution now does it?  HECK NO!  But!  I have made a valiant effort this time to get in shape…and I don’t mean the shape of an apple.  I do choose to go for a more hour-glass type of shape.  I don’t need to get all twiggy as I would have to give up food entirely and work out 12 hours a day to obtain that figure…and I still believe that I would look more “roundish” than “twiggish” even if I did the above mentioned types of torture to myself.  NOT COOL! 

However, I did start my resolution well before the New Year came into play this time.  I did this through December to help combat all the “holiday” eating that I succumbed too.  It’s a new type of torture.  They call it TRX (Total Body Resistance Exercise).  I call it the Try Really (hard to not die) Exercise.  It’s CRAZY HARD!  Its 45 minutes of butt busting, sweat pouring, can I actually die doing this, don’t laugh at me for crying kind of hard.  But I. LOVE. IT!  Yes, it’s true…I admit it.  Even though I have spent the better part of a month walking around like Gumby with every single inch (to include my hair follicles) hurting.  Note to self:  Don’t ever let yourself get so out of shape that your body hurts like this again.  Got it!?

So….while I was having one of my moments during TRX that caused my eyes to water because the sweat that was dripping into them was stinging…NO…I WAS NOT CRYING (that’s my story and I’m sticking to it)…a thought popped into my head.  It was the thought of super rich, ooey gooey dark chocolate brownies infused with raspberries and white chocolate and drizzled with more dark chocolate.  OH. EM. GEE!  Suddenly my eyes were “stinging” a little less…my butt was “lifting” a little higher and the “Burpies” (an actual form of exercise) were a touch easier to do.   I kept telling myself that if I could just make it to the end I would treat myself to just a bite of one of these decadent treats.  One measly little bite…I can do this!  *Do not judge me for my thoughts.  It beats sitting in the corner in the fetal position sucking my thumb crying for my mommy now doesn't it*  Alas, I survived yet another series of Try Really (hard to not die) Exercise.

Thus the brownies came to be. 

It started with my all time favorite brownie recipe.  You can find it here on King Arthur Flour's Website.  Then a jar of this...

     And a bag of these....

I love Ghirardelli chocolate don't you? 

So just whip up your favorite brownie recipe...or you can use the boxed kind.  In a pinch my go to brownie in a box is Ghirardelli's Double Chocolate.  I can't tell the difference between that and the homemade stuff so if your feeling lazy or just prefer the boxed stuff thats ok! 

Once you have your brownie batter all mixed up, add about a cup of the white chocolate chips in.

Mix it all up and pour the batter into your favorite pan.  My all time favorite is this one from Chicago Metallics.

Do you have one like this?  If not you simply MUST go get one now before going any further.  Its ok, I'll wait for you.  Go on.  This pan makes the BEST brownies ever if your addicted to the corners like my family is.  Every. Single. Brownie. has FOUR corners to enjoy.  Count that...FOUR!  YUM! 

So now that you've got your brownie batter in the pan, heat up about 1/4 cup of the Raspberry Preserves in the microwave to "loosen" the consistency.  You don't want it runny just a little smoother than straight from the jar.

Then drop them here and there by tablespoons on to your batter like so...

After that drag a knife through the batter to "infuse" the raspberry preserves into it.

Pop them in the oven according to the brownie baking directions and pace the floor while you wait for them to finish baking.  You'll want to pace for the full time as it burns calories so that you can eat more brownies.  This step is VERY important!

Let them cool, remove from pan and proceed to eat as many as you can with a glass of ice cold milk, or coffee or even a glass of wine.

But most of all...Enjoy them!

So tell me, what do you dream up during your killer work-outs...or just killer days in general.  Do you dream up new recipes or decorating ideas?  I'd love to hear about them!

You may find this post partying in the following places:

Monday:  Debbie Doos - The Girl Creative - Skip to My Lou - Craft O Maniac - Lisa's Craft Blog - The DIY Show Off

Tuesday:  Not Just A Housewife - My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia - Clean and Scentsible

Wednesday:  Savvy Southern Style - Blue Cricket Design - Seven Thirty-Three - Someday Crafts - Michele Raven Designs/

Thursday:  Delightful Order

Friday:  Finding Fabulous - Chic on a Shoestring Decorating - Fingerprints on the Fridge - Shabby Nest - Whipperberry – Miss Mustard Seed - French Country Cottage