Texas

Triple-layered lusciousness, all in one bar: Brownies on the bottom, creamy cheesecake in the middle and tender chocolate chip cookies on top.
By Betty Crocker Kitchens

Ingredients:

Brownie Base:

1nbox (1 lb 2.3 oz) Betty Crocker™ fudge brownie mix

1/2 cup vegetable oil

3 tablespoons water

2 eggs

Cheesecake Layer:

2 packages (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened

3/4 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

Chocolate Chip Cookie Layer:

1 pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker™ chocolate chip cookie mix

1 tablespoon Gold Medal™ all-purpose flour

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 egg

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease bottom only of 13x9-inch pan with shortening or cooking spray.

2. In large bowl, mix Brownie Base ingredients until well blended. Spread in pan. Bake 20 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, in large bowl, beat cream cheese with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Add sugar; beat until blended. Add 2 eggs and vanilla; beat just until blended. In medium bowl, stir together chocolate chip cookie mix and flour. Add softened butter and 1 egg; stir until soft dough forms.

4. Spread cheesecake layer mixture over hot brownie base. Drop teaspoonfuls of chocolate chip cookie dough over cheesecake layer.

5. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until cookie is golden brown. Cool 1 hour. Refrigerate at least 3 hours before cutting and serving. Cut into 6 rows by 5 rows. Store covered in refrigerator.

Expert Tips:

It’s Betty Crocker™ fudge brownie mix and Betty Crocker™ chocolate chip cookie mix that make this bar so easy to make!

Use a wet knife for cutting cheesecake bars, wiping off crumbs after each cut.

Recipe taken from here

This Oreo™ dessert is cool, decadent and guaranteed to get chocolate lovers raving. A fudgy brownie layer is topped with a whipped cream cheese layer, crushed Oreo™ cookies, chocolate pudding and more whipped topping - it'll be your new potluck go-to in no time.
By Betty Crocker Kitchens

Ingredients:

Brownie Base:

1 box (18.3 oz) Betty Crocker™ fudge brownie mix

Water, vegetable oil and eggs called for on brownie mix box for cakelike brownies

Layers:

1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened

1 cup powdered sugar

1 container (12 oz) Cool Whip™ frozen whipped topping, thawed

1 1/2 cups finely crushed Oreo™ chocolate sandwich cookies (about 16 cookies)

2 boxes (4-serving size each) Jell-O™ chocolate-flavor instant pudding and pie filling mix

3 cups cold milk

Topping:

1/2 cup coarsely crushed Oreo™ chocolate sandwich cookies (about 4 cookies)

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Spray bottom only of 13x9-inch pan with cooking spray.

2. Make brownie batter as directed on box for cakelike brownies. Spread in pan. Bake 22 to 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted 2 inches from side comes out almost clean. Cool completely, about 1 hour.

3. In large bowl, beat cream cheese and powdered sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth, scraping down side of bowl frequently. Beat in 2 cups of the whipped topping. Spread over brownie. Sprinkle 1 1/2 cups finely crushed cookies over cream cheese mixture.

4. In medium bowl, beat dry pudding mixes and milk with whisk about 2 minutes or until thick. Spread over cookie layer. Drop remaining whipped topping by spoonfuls over pudding layer; spread evenly. Cover and refrigerate 4 hours.

5. When ready to serve, sprinkle 1/2 cup coarsely crushed cookies on top. Cut into 6 rows by 4 rows. Cover and refrigerate any remaining pieces.

Expert Tips:

• What is a lush? A lush is a party-perfect “no-bake” dessert, which is also known as a dessert lasagna, layered dessert or ice-box cake. It’s defined by decadent layers of varying flavors and textures – think sugar cookies, banana pudding and cool whip. Usually, a lush is made up of a brownie or crushed cookie base topped by various layers of flavored cream cheese, cool whip, pudding or all of the above! With their fluffy creamy tops dotted with garnishes – anything from cookies to candy to fruit to chocolate sauce – lushes look as good as they taste!

• What’s in this lush? This lush has a fudgy brownie base topped with whipped cream cheese, crushed Oreo cookies, chocolate pudding, more whipped topping and a garnish of more Oreos. In other words, it’s a chocolate lover’s dream come true!

• This sounds like a lot of work. There are three to four bowls needed in order to make the dessert, so there are some dishes, but the payoff is a delicious dessert that is perfect for potlucks.

• Here are our best tips for mastering this lush.

• While a metal 13x9 pan will certainly do, we recommend making this in a glass pan, because it shows the pretty layers.

• Soften the cream cheese before mixing, so it blends well, and there are no lumps. To quickly soften cream cheese, remove from wrapper and place on microwavable plate. Microwave uncovered on High about 15 seconds or just until softened.

• For the crushed Oreo layer, you can use a food processor to crush the cookies into a fine crumb. If you don’t own a food processor, place cookies in a zip-top plastic bag and using a rolling pin, meat mallet or the back of a small pan to crush cookies. You want a fine crumb, so the base holds together.

• When spreading the layers of filling, its best to drop dollops and then spread over the surface using the back of a spoon or a flat metal spatula.

• The coarsely crushed cookies used as a garnish can simply be crushed by hand or roughly chopped.

• Don’t skimp on the four hours of refrigeration time needed. Lushes cut the best when super cold.

• Can I make this ahead? Yes, this dessert can be made the day before. Add your coarsely crushed Oreo garnish right before serving for the best taste – they add a little crunch – and the prettiest presentation.

• How long will a lush keep? This recipe makes 24 servings. If you have any leftovers, cover your pan with foil and store in the fridge for up a few days. Where can I find more lush recipes? If you find yourself in love with this lush, Betty’s got plenty more recipes you’ll want to try this summer, including Lemon Lush, Strawberry Shortcake Lush, Berry Lush, Banana Cream Pie Lush, Spumoni Brownie Lush and more!

Recipe taken from here

Fudgy brownies. Creamy pumpkin and cream cheese swirl. Yummy!
By Betty Crocker Kitchens

Ingredients:

Filling:
3 oz (from 8-oz package) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
1 egg
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Brownies:

1 box Betty Crocker™ Supreme original brownie mix
Water, vegetable oil and eggs called for on brownie mix box

Steps:

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Spray bottom only of 9-inch square pan with cooking spray. In medium bowl, beat Filling ingredients with electric mixer on low speed until smooth. Set aside.

2. Make brownie batter as directed on box. Spread 2 1/4 cups of the brownie batter in pan. Spoon filling by tablespoonfuls evenly over batter. Spoon remaining brownie batter over filling. Cut through several times with knife for marbled design.

3. Bake 38 to 42 minutes or until toothpick inserted 2 inches from side of pan comes out almost clean. Cool 30 minutes on cooling rack. Refrigerate about 2 hours or until cooled completely. Cut into 4 rows by 4 rows. Store covered in refrigerator.

Expert Tips:

You can freeze leftover pumpkin in an airtight container for your favorite recipes. Just thaw and stir before adding.

Recipe taken from here

Ingredients:

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9-inch square baking pan.

2. Combine cream cheese with 1/4 cup sugar and 1 egg in a mixing bowl; beat until smooth. Stir 1 cup chocolate chips into the cream cheese mixture. Set aside.

3. Fill a saucepan with water and bring to a boil. Turn the heat off, and set a heatproof mixing bowl over the water. In the mixing bowl, combine butter with the remaining cup of chocolate chips; stir until just melted and blended together. Stir in the remaining 1/2 cup sugar and 2 eggs, then sift together flour, baking powder, and salt; stir into chocolate until evenly blended.

4. Pour half of the batter into the prepared baking pan. Spread the cream cheese mixture over the chocolate layer. Top with remaining chocolate mixture (this doesn't need to completely cover the cream cheese layer). Using a knife, swirl the top chocolate layer into the cream cheese to make a marble pattern.

5. Bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 25 to 30 minutes, or until top is crinkled and edges pull away from sides of the pan. Cool thoroughly. Cut into 12 to 16 squares. Store in the refrigerator or freeze.

Tip:

Parchment can be used for easier cleanup/removal from the pan.

Recipe taken from here.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 cup white sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 ounce red food coloring
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs, slightly beaten
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese at room temperature
1/4 cup white sugar
1 large egg
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease an 8x8-inch baking pan.

2. Whisk melted butter with 1 cup sugar in a large mixing bowl; stir cocoa, red food coloring, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, vinegar, and salt into butter mixture one at a time, mixing well after each addition to avoid lumps. Stir 2 eggs into mixture until thoroughly combined.

3. Stir flour into cocoa mixture just until combined; set aside 1/4 cup batter. Pour remaining batter into the prepared baking dish.

4. Beat cream cheese in a bowl using an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy; beat 1/4 cup sugar, 1 egg, and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract into cream cheese until very well blended and only small lumps remain, 3 to 4 minutes.

5. Spoon cream cheese mixture in dollops over the batter in pan; gently smooth tops of dollops even with batter using a knife or offset spatula. Do not overmix. Drizzle reserved 1/4 cup of batter over the dollops of cream cheese mixture. Drag a knife or skewer through the batter and cream cheese mixture to create swirls.

6. Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of the pan comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool completely before cutting into bars; store covered in refrigerator.

Cook's Note:

The fluffier and smoother you can get the cheesecake mixture, the easier it will be to spread. I think this is best served the next day!

Recipe taken from here.