JULIE WELLS: Blissful brownies can be made with Reese’s or Oreos

Chocolatey goodness is what’s in the recipe box for the day.

Blissful brownies were first shown to me by my mother-in-law, Janie Wells. But as I’ve learned, this incredibly rich and delightful dessert actually came from Bonnie Watson, one of my third-grade teachers.

Bonnie and Janie go way back, and any of the recipes Bonnie has passed on to Janie (which also get passed on to me) have been nothing but delicious.

So, you can actually blame Miss Bonnie when you complain about not being able to stop eating these brownies. You’ll want to grab some milk, too.

The very first time I had the pleasure of tasting these blissful brownies was at my father-in-law George’s birthday party.

Janie whipped up a batch of these brownies, which by the way are a layer of chocolate chip cookie dough, topped with Reese’s Peanut Butter cups, and then — wait for it — a layer of brownies.

Janie made the brownies with a layer of Oreo cookies instead, and they were melt-in-your-mouth good. She then suggested the next time we make them to use the Reese’s, so I did, and, once again, the 9-by-13-inch dish was cleaned out.

But the absolute best part of making this new recipe for me was watching my 2-year-old daughter, Joy, climb up in a kitchen chair so she could reach the bowl of brownie mix, and help me stir the brownies. She was so proud of her little self, and so was I.

So, to Miss Bonnie, thank you for helping me make new memories in the kitchen with my daughter.

Julie Wells writes her weekly The Recipe Box food column for the Rockdale Citizen.

BLISSFUL

BROWNIE

What you need …

One tube of chocolate chip cookie dough

One bag of mini Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, unwrapped

One box of brownie mix

What you do …

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Line a 9-by-13-inch dish with parchment paper.

Mix up the brownies according to the back of the package.

Spread the cookie dough evenly on the bottom of the dish.

Place between 12 to 18 Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups on top of the cookie dough, slightly pushing the peanut butters cups in the cookie dough.

Pour the brownie mix over Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and cookie dough.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick is stuck in the middle of the brownies and comes out clean.

Tip: Use Oreo cookies or caramel candies, instead of the Reese’s peanut butter cups.