• 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 2 sticks salted butter (1 up)
  • 2 (4-ounce) baking bars of Ghiradelli semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
  • 2 cups light brown sugar
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 tabelspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon pure almond extract
  • 2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon pure almond extract
  • ½ cup granulated sugar

Hey guys! It’s sure has been a while! I sure have been lagging in my posts and do apologize.

I made a decision to take better care of myself which means to eat better , exercise, keep up with doctor appointments and all while writing my next cookbook, keeping up with my website, writing my column for theBright.com and taking care of my responsibilities as a wife, mother and president of Cooking with Elise.  I feel great though!

My son’s November wedding has really lit a fire under…well, my you know what!

I have this dress in mind you see… it’s a silver bluish metallicy-looking thing. And I don’t want to have cover up my arms or my tummy or… well you get the point, but instead feel great on my son’s big day!

Treating Yourself Once In A While

Because I have been so busy eating right and exercising I thought I would treat myself and my family to a little somethin’ sweet this weekend. I’ve learned that if I completely cut out sweets all together I will eventually eat an entire gallon of ice cream…

or a pan of brownies…

or possibly five slices of pizza…

or all of the above!

Not wanting to do that, I made these yummy decadent, and sinful double trouble brownies. I adore Ghiradelli chocolate and creamed cheese so here’s what I came up with!

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking pan well.

3. In a large mixing bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, salt, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves. Add 3 ounces of chopped chocolate squares and toss to coat in flour. Set aside.

4. In a microwavable-safe bowl melt together one cup salted butter and 5 ounces of chocolate squares, chopped. Stir to combine.

5. Add chocolate mixture to your dry ingredients and stir just until combined,. Pour into your well-greased 9 x 13-inch baking pan.

6. in another bowl, beat together cream cheese, eggs, extracts, and sugar  until combined.

7. Pour the cream cheese filling over your brownie batter. VARIATION: You can also pour half of the brownie batter into the pan, spared to the edges of your pan, then all of the filling and the together half of your brownie batter if you’d like.

8. Bake in a 350 degree preheated oven for one hour or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Enjoy!