These are my new favorite brownies. They’re also probably the most fattening/sugary brownies I’ve ever made. Coincidence? I think not.

I’ve been wanting to make grasshopper brownies for the past few months. If you don’t know what those are, they’re a layer of brownies topped with a peppermint filling and a chocolate top. Delicious, no? These are so sweet and rich and they absolutely melt in your mouth. I couldn’t praise these enough. It’s like a peppermint patty in brownie form. Just don’t think about how many calories in them and enjoy.

Grasshopper Brownies

Ingredients(Makes 16 servings):

• 1 1/4 cup flour(I used gluten-free all-purpose flour)
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4oz(1/2 cup) chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup cooking oil
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 egg

• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 stick butter(or Earth Balance)
• 1 teaspoon peppermint extract

• 1 tablespoon butter(or Earth Balance)
• 8oz(1 cup) chocolate chips

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees. Start by sifting together the first 6 ingredients. Melt down the 4 ounces of chocolate and mix this with the cooking oil. Add that to the flour mixture along with the water and egg and mix to form the batter. Grease an 8×8 cooking pan and spread the batter in. Bake for 25 minutes and let this cool completely.

To make the filling, melt a stick of butter, pour in the peppermint extract and sift in the powdered sugar. This will form a loose filling. Spread it over the cooled brownies in as even a layer as you can.

Tip: If you’re having trouble with the peppermint mixture sticking when spreading, put a piece of saran wrap between your hands and the filling and use that to press the filling down.

Lastly, melt 8 ounces of chocolate with a tablespoon of butter and spread this out evenly on top of the peppermint layer. Take care to move quickly and gently so that the peppermint layer and the chocolate don’t get mixed together. Let the top harden completely before cutting into these with a sharp knife.

You can really use any brownie recipe for the bottom; I just included that one for convenience sake(it also makes incredibly moist brownies which is never a bad thing). I wasn’t crazy about the filling as I was making it, but combined with the chocolate and brownies it’s just rich enough not to get lost in the experience. Yes, experience, because these brownies are better than any trip to Disney World.

Screw Folgers, eating this is the best part of waking up:

One of my favorite things to snack on lately have been chocolate covered coffee beans. It’s coffee, it’s chocolate—what’s not to love? I though about how I could make an at-home version for less that’s just as good and settled on this bark recipe. I couldn’t help myself from eating it piece by piece as I was making it; I’m still a little buzzed from all that dessert. Best of all, it’s 3 simple ingredients! Yes, 3! I urge you to make this for the coffee addict in your life; they’ll love you until they crash.

Espresso Chocolate Bark

Ingredients:

• 1 bag(12oz) semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup whole coffee beans(most grocery stores let you buy these in bulk)
• 2 tablespoons coarse cane sugar

Melt down the chocolate chips and lay a piece of parchment paper on a baking tray. Spread out the chocolate to be about 1/2 an inch thick. Sprinkle on the coffee beans evenly and press them into the hot chocolate gently.

Lightly sprinkle a layer of sugar over the chocolate while it is still melted. don’t worry about even layering since most of it will shake off when it’s dried. Just make sure to cover all of the chocolate.

You can either let the chocolate harden at room temperature or speed the process up by putting it in a refrigerator. When it’s hardened tilt the large piece of chocolate to shake off all the excess sugar. Break the chocolate into single-sized chunks.

These are just as good as any chocolate covered coffee beans. I wanted to try them with a darker chocolate but after tasting how bitter the coffee beans make the semi-sweet chocolate I think any darker would be hard to eat. The sprinkle of sugar adds a great texture to contrast with the crunchy beans. Now you can have your coffee and eat it, too.

Recently, I’ve picked up an addiction for chocolate covered nuts that somebody gave me as a gift. It combines two of my favorite things: Chocolate and nuts(so many jokes, so little time). Even though I’m not through with the bag, I’ve been thinking about how to make my own, because “fancy” nuts(again, so little time) are some of the most overpriced foods at the grocery store. Instead, I made my own in the form of bark. Bark is festive, cheap, and the perfect personalized gift. This tastes like it should cost twice as much as it took to make, and it was so simple, too! Put this under the tree for the nut lover in your life.

Nut Lover’s Dark Chocolate Bark

Ingredients(Makes 15-20 servings)

• 1 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon instant coffee granules(optional)
• 3oz(3/4 cup) peanuts
• 3oz(3/4 cup) almonds
• 3oz(3/4 cup) cashews
• Sea salt

Preheat your oven to 250 degrees. Lay out all the nuts on a baking tray and roast them in the oven for about 15 minutes, jostling the pan every 5 minutes or so to make sure they don’t burn.

While the nuts are roasting, melt down the chocolate chips over a double boiler or in the microwave. When the chocolate is smooth and melted, add in the cocoa powder and instant coffee and stir(note: These don’t change the texture of the chocolate; they just add a rich, dark flavor that make this taste much better than regular chocolate chips would).

Line a tray with parchment paper and spread the chocolate into a smooth layer about 1/4-inch thick.

Add the nuts onto the chocolate and press down firmly with your palms to push them in. It’s OK that the chocolate will spread a little more. Lastly, sprinkle a pinch of sea salt over the bark. Stick this in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to harden. Break into individual pieces.

This was delicious. It would have made the perfect gift if I could part with it; instead, I ate 3 pieces the afternoon I made it and just said Merry Christmas to me. This tastes so much more decadent and expensive than it has a right to. Sometimes the simplest things are the best.

What would your favorite bark have in it?