Pizza & a Movie Night--and Dessert, too!

    Friday night is 'Pizza & a Movie Night' in our house. Believe me, this is a highly anticipated night--and not just because of the pizza. This is the ONLY night in which the girls get to eat in the living room AND get to watch a movie while doing it. Any reason to break one of Mommy's rules is reason enough to celebrate. ;)


    This week, I admit, we had leftover pizza. However, the girls didn't care. The movie for this week was not one that we have in our movie library. It was a completely brand new movie! The choice was actually pretty easy. Kyleigh recently spent a week at a day camp where the theme was 'Fairytales'. One of the stories they did was Chicken Little. 


    Hey, wasn't there a movie recently about that?? 


    Why, yes, I believe there was.


    So I searched on one of the 'On Demand' stations offered by our cable provider. Voila! 


    To heighten the anticipation, I didn't tell Kyleigh which movie I was searching for. Instead, I let her find out by waiting and watching. Boy, was she excited! She really enjoyed the movie, and it also held Abby's attention.


    Taking after me though, Abby was more interested in what came after the pizza--brownies!


As per my usual, I went into the kitchen and here's what I came out with. Enjoy!


        1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
        1 tsp salt
        1/2 tsp baking powder
        1/4 tsp ground ancho chile pepper
        1/4 tsp chili powder
        1 tsp ground cinnamon
        1 large whole egg
        1 egg yolk
        1/4 c. vegetable oil
        1 c. butter, softened
        1/2 c. packed dark brown sugar
        1/2 c. Hershey's cocoa powder
        2 Tbsp half & half
        1/2 c. milk
        1 bag dark chocolate chunks
        1 c. Hershey's cinnamon chips


    First, preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Using a cooking spray, grease the bottom and sides of a 9x13-inch baking pan. Set aside.
    
    Now, in a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, ancho chile pepper, chili powder, and cinnamon; set aside.

    Using a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk the whole egg and egg yolk on high until they start getting frothy; about 2 minutes. Turn speed down to medium and add in the oil. Continue whisking until thick; about 2 minutes more.

    Take the whisk attachment off and replace it with the paddle attachment. Beat in the butter. Start on low speed and increase as the butter continues to break down. Within a couple minutes, the mixture will come together nicely.

    Beat in the dark brown sugar.

    Now add in the cocoa powder and 

the half & half; beat on low. 

Don't forget to scrape the sides down as you go!

    Alternately add in the flour mixture and milk. The milk will combine easier if you begin and end with the flour mixture. 

    Fold in the bag of dark chocolate chunks.

     We are getting closer to being done! Patience...

    Now we grab our pre-greased pan and pour in the brownie batter. Spread it around so that it is in there evenly. 


    Bake in the preheated oven for 16 minutes. When you pull the pan out, sprinkle the cinnamon chips evenly overtop the piping hot pan of brownies. Being very careful not to touch the hot pan, fold a sheet of aluminum foil over the pan--this is helping the cinnamon chips to melt.

    While we wait for the chips to melt, it's time for the icing.


        1/3 c. vegetable shortening
        2 oz cream cheese
        splash of evaporated milk
        1 1/2 c. powdered sugar
        2 Tbsp cherry juice (using the concentrated juice from a jar of cherries)
        roughly 2 Tbsp whole cherries


    Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the shortening and cream cheese.
    On low speed, beat in the powdered sugar and evaporated milk.
    Once combined, beat in the cherry juice. Be sure to taste at this point; adding more cherry juice is always an option. :)
    Add in the whole cherries and beat on medium-high speed for a couple minutes.

     Again being very careful not to burn yourself, remove the aluminum foil from the pan of brownies. The cinnamon chips should still have their shape, but will be beginning to melt. Now we drizzle the icing over the top of everything. Using your spatula, spread the icing around so that it covers the top. 
    Cut and enjoy!!