Fudgey-chocolate chip-pecan-cherry-cream cheese-coconut brownie things

What's the matter? You don't think that's a real name for a recipe? Well just look at them...





Just what else would you call them??













I made these diet killing treats last night and let me tell you, they are soooooo good!



I started with this recipe from Hershey's Kitchens? (which they call Double Chocolate Brownies but I like my name much better!) and then just kind of went from there :)



* 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, softened
* 1 cup sugar
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 2 eggs
* 1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
* 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
* 3/4 cup  fudge topping
* 1 cup Hershey's  Special Dark Chocolate Chips® or Hershey's Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips®
* 1 cup coarsely chopped nuts (I used pecans)
*1 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese, softened
*2 - 3 c powdered sugar
*1 tsp cherry extract
*A little cocoa powder
*A little coconut
*Some cookie cutters










And yes, that's a big honkin' bowl of Halloween candy on my table. And yes, it was hard to not snack while I was baking...





Back to the recipe...





Heat oven to 350°F. Grease 13x9x2-inch baking pan.



Beat butter, sugar and vanilla in large bowl. Add eggs; beat well.







Stir together flour and baking soda; add alternately with topping to butter mixture. 





See that big ol' clump of fudge topping. YUM.



When you're all mixed up your batter turns this lovely, delicious color...





Then you get to lick this...





Stir in chocolate chips and nuts. Pour batter into prepared pan.







Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until brownies begin to pull away from sides of pan. Cool completely in pan on wire rack.



Get out your cookie cutters and have fun...





It's totally ok to eat the scraps...they're scraps....you're allowed.





Beat your cream cheese and powdered sugar together. Add extract and beat until smooth. Normally I use vanilla extract in this frosting but I had an urge for cherries last night and I'm not sorry. It was delicious!



I frosted my ghosts with the base pinkish-white frosting then added some chocolate chips for eyes & a mouth. Then I added about a tablespoon of cocoa to the base frosting and made it chocolatey-cherry for my bats. Delish!



I sprinkled coconut on some of the ghosts & powdered sugar on the others. They are super yummy!



butter - $2.38

sugar - $2.42

vanilla (2 oz) - $1.96

cherry extract (2 oz) - $2.89

eggs (18 count) -$1.47

all purpose flour - $1.25

baking soda - $0.50

fudge topping - $2.69

chocolate chips - $1.97

pecans - $1.99/1-cup bag

cream cheese - $0.98

powdered sugar - $1.67

Total - $7.38