Should I hit “publish”? Millions of complete strangers are going to read what I’ve just written… is it really a good idea to get so personal? Someone could twist the meaning of my words, or I could unintentionally offend someone. What if I’ve worded something poorly and it comes across in a way I didn’t intend? There’s still time to back out!
This was me on Monday, before sending the Chocolate Covered Katie Anorexic? post out into the world.
Close eyes. Hit publish. Can’t back out now.
Whenever I publish a post, I try not to think about anyone reading; I try to pretend it’s back in the old days, like when I wrote my very first blog post and had exactly zero readers aside from myself. And maybe my dog.
Anyway, the worry was unfounded in this case. I’ve never been so moved by a response to a blog post as I was on Monday.
Turning on the computer and seeing the kindness from readers around the world who took time out of their day to message someone they’d never met was so heartwarming.
Hopefully this post does not sound too sappy… I can’t seem to find the right words for just how grateful I am for the support, compassion, and love.
You all mean the world to me. I hope you know that.
Now I’ll stop talking for a while, and—true Italian that I am—will instead express my gratitude through food.
These Chocolate Peanut Butter Buckeye Brownies include many of the foods I love most in the world: peanut butter, chocolate, brownies, and… is there even anything else?
Those are the only foods that matter, in my extraordinarily-humble (and not-at-all-biased) opinion.
Thank you again for your kindness towards me… And enjoy the buckeye brownies!!
I only wish I could make and send them to you for real!
If you could choose just ONE favorite food to eat for the rest of your life, what would you choose?
Such a tough question! I’m not sure what my absolute favorite food would be! Oh wait… Yes I am. 
Oh wait… Yes I am.
Peanut Butter Buckeye Brownies
Brownie Layer:
- 1 cup plus 2 tbsp milk of choice (270g)
- 2 tbsp flaxmeal (11g)
- 1/2 cup plus 3 tbsp vegetable or coconut oil (110g)
- 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract (15g)
- 1 cup spelt, all-purpose, or Bob’s gf flour (120g)
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa or cacao powder (80g)
- 1/2 cup brown sugar or date sugar (115g)
- 1/4 tsp plus 1/8 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- only if using Bob’s flour, add 1/4 tsp xanthan gum
- 1/3 cup stevia baking blend or regular sugar
- 2/3 cup mini chocolate chips, optional
Buckeye Brownies: Preheat your oven to 330F and grease a 9×13 pan. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together all liquid ingredients with the flax. (Note: If baking with coconut oil, melt first and have all other liquid ingredients be at room temperature to prevent hardening.) In a separate bowl, thoroughly combine all remaining ingredients. Pour wet into dry, stir to combine, and pour into prepared pan. Bake 16 minutes. Brownies will look underdone when they come out but this is okay! Let cool, then refrigerate overnight and the texture will firm up nicely. DO NOT frost and eat until the next day, as the taste and texture will change while they set. (If you’d prefer a flourless option, you can use 1.5x my Black Bean Brownies as the base instead.)
Peanut Butter Layer:
- 1 cup peanut butter, or allergy-friendly alternative (230g)
- 1/2 cup milk of choice (120g), or more if needed
- pinch stevia, or 2 tbsp pure maple syrup
- 1/8 tsp salt
Do this after the brownies have set: Bring the peanut butter to room temperature if it’s been chilled, then stir all ingredients together until smooth. It will look thin at first, but keep stirring until it gets thick! Spread evenly over the brownies, then refrigerate at least 2 hours. Then make the chocolate, leaving the brownies in the fridge until the chocolate is already made:
Chocolate Layer:
- 1/4 cup cocoa or cacao powder (20g)
- 1 tbsp pure maple syrup (15g)
- 1/4 cup melted virgin coconut oil (38g) (Coconut-Free Option: You can just use melted chocolate chips for the top)
Stir together all ingredients until a thin sauce forms. If sauce is too thick, gently heat until thin. Spread evenly over the brownies, then immediately put back in the fridge to harden the coating. Once hard, you can cut the brownies. My trick is to cut brownies with a plastic knife, wiping the knife after every cut. Store leftovers in the fridge, or they are actually really good frozen as well!
Link Of The Day:
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Funny! I can soooo appreciate your feelings about hitting the publish button. I go through the same thought process. And then, I too, remind myself that I have few followers, so my chance of offending anyone is quite slim! Anyway…I totally appreciate your honesty and your willingness to share yourself with others. That is the reason I follow you. You are real to me!
These look so good! 🙂
Do you have any new updates for us on your cookbook? I’m so excited for it!
Yes! I have not started promoting it because I don’t want to be too self-promotiony and mention it a million times before January and make you all hate me, but it’s actually available now 🙂
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/chocolate-covered-katie-katie-higgins/1119439699?ean=9781455599707
What wonderful news! It is coming sooner than I thought! 🙂 Sam
Hey Katie!!
Can you make a post about your must-have ingredients to make your basic sugar-free desserts? 🙂 Where do you get stevia for baking? Thanks so much for all your inspiring recipes and posts!! xoxo
Sharon
Hi Sharon,
I have a list of basics on this page: https://lett-trim.today/faq-page/recipe-questions-and-troubleshooting/%3C/a%3E%3Cbr /> I get NuNaturals stevia either online or at Whole Foods.
These look so so so good! I didn’t get a chance to comment on it but your post was awesome and I give you major props for standing up to the rumors. You go, girl!
http://www.youtube.com/sparklesandsuch26
oh my gosh these look incredible!!! I cannot wait to try them! I definitely could not choose just ONE food to eat for the rest of my life though! way too hard!
I didn’t realize it was possible for pictures of food to give me chills.
I may have a problem.
(also: these look delicious.)
P-E-A-N-U-T B-U-T-T-E-R cannot live without it! 🙂 or these Brownies!! Mmmmmmm…
Mmmmm? ONE favorite food? Well, I’ve always said that bacon-wrapped cheese covered in chocolate and then fried and dipped in (really good homemade) ranch dressing or (really good homemade ) pico de gallo makes the world go ’round. Yuck, I know but you said only one food… this gets it all in there. 😉
Watermelon is good too. Haha.
Cheers Katie! Way to be appropriate in standing your ground and reaching out to those that need your love and encouragement and (gently and appropriately) chiding those that are out of line in their comments. As a former anorexic who will always struggle what what she sees in the mirror, I find you to be amazingly wonderful and balanced. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.
Thank you so much. That comment really meant a lot to me 🙂
Katie, I have a couple questions: 1. Is flaxmeal like an egg substitute? Could you use egg or something else? 2. Could you use melted butter instead of oil? I realize this is probably a vegan recipe, but I was just wondering if changes would affect the taste/consistency at all. I love your website and the name! I am a chocolate lover as well and I appreciate your healthier alternatives. Thanks for sharing with us.
Please, do not take it the wrong way, but I think it is a bit offensive to ask about eggs in a vegan blog.
How is it offensive? Whatever happened to being respectful of other people’s dietary choices? This person is just asking about a substitution. Katie and many others probably understand that everyone has different preferences and obviously not everyone who reads this blog is going to be a vegan. There’s nothing wrong with asking about eggs, stop being so narrow minded, what’s your problem?
omg these look like the best brownies I’ve ever seen! I just read your last post and I’m glad you dealt with the rumours!
I cannot wait to try these! Buckeye brownies Are my favorite and I’m sure you’ve done them well 🙂 Question – I have liquid stevia drops. How do I use them instead of the stevia you used? Will they work or will I lose too much bulk in the recipe?
Sorry, you will have to experiment, as I have never tried it.
My issue is that most foods I could eat everyday for the rest of my life are NOT healthy. My choice today would be Cookie Dough Pop Tarts. If I had to eat healthy, it would be avocados.
Katie, there are no words to describe what an awesome person you are!! the internet is lucky to have you post such fantastic recipes AND all of your non-recipe related posts are always great to read as well. I have been a longtime reader for years, and I cannot tell you how much I appreciate being able to see someone living such a full, happy, INSPIRING life that doesn’t involve calorie-counting, weight obsession, crash diets, or any other fad craze at the moment. Please never stop being you! After trying to fathom how people on the internet could say such mean things–that have no basis on reality–to someone else, the only possible conclusion I could come to is that they are jealous. Simple as that.
Also, this is completely unrelated, but would almonds work in your cashew ice cream recipe?
Thanks 🙂
I’ve not tried it, but be sure to report back if you do!!
So great that you got a positive response to that post, it was an awesome post. And this recipe looks amazing, so much so that I might be dangerous to have in my house. Tough question on food, that’s hard to narrow down!
I am SOOOO making these when I go to Columbus in a few weeks.
Would this recipe work w/ almond flour or almond meal instead of the spelt flour?