Chocolate Chip Brownie Torte

I thought that might get your attention Shelley! ;)

My good friend Kristen (she's moving and I'm not sure I will ever be able to totally forgive her for this!), told me that a blog is a great place to post family favorite recipes. She also told me that I HAVE to post this Brownie Torte recipe.

This recipe came from a friend from college (Allyson Neuhaus). She made this wonderful concoction one evening for a dinner we served to our dates. Later, she let me copy it out of her Hershey's cookbook.

I'll have you know I've made this recipe about 5 times for different things over the last three months and not once have I had a bite. I used to eat several slices of it. My kids love it and so does Joseph who is a chocolate convert.

I'll try to take a picture the next time I make it and post it here. It's easy and it also turns out looking like it took a really long time to make (looks fancy!).

Chocolate Chip Brownie Torte
2/3 c. butter
12 oz. mini chips
1 1/2 c. sugar
1 1/2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
4 eggs
1/2 c. chopped nuts (I always use sliced almonds for this)
cream frosting (recipe follows)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 15 1/2" x 10 1/2" x 1 " pan with waxed paper or foil. Grease. Heat butter and 1 cup chips in 3 quart pan over medium heat until chocolate is melted. Stir remaining ingredients into chocolate. Spread evenly in pan. Bake 20-25 minutes. Cool 10 minutes.

Invert on board. Remove waxed paper. Cool cake completely. Cut cake crosswise into 4 equal pieces 10" x 3 3/4". Place one piece on serving plate and spread about 3/4 c. frosting over top. Repeat 2x. Frost sides and top with remaining frosting. Garnish with remaining chips. Chill at least 1 hour. (I usually mix in all the rest of the mini chips into the frosting and garnish the top with more sliced almonds)

Chocolate Chip cream frosting:
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 c. chilled whipping cream
1/4 c. powdered sugar
2/3 c. mini chocolate chips

Beat whipping cream, powdered sugar and vanilla in chilled bowl until stiff. Stir in semi sweet mini chips.

Here's the patriotic fruit pizza we had for the fourth of July. The fruit was wonderful. Maybe we'll make this one every year!