"More of Me to Love" Tuesday

I hope you all got your fill of sweets and treats today. I was lucky enough to have plenty of leftover Valentine's Day candy plus a few more homemade goods at my disposal. (I also had the sort of day that begged for an abundance of food consumption. Tuesdays, man. They're the worst.)

Today I want to share the recipes for two of my Fat Tuesday treats, the classic brownie and a no-bake cookie. I followed the recipes pretty close to the letter (so I'm basically just copy/pasting from the two sites that I'll link you to), but I still think these desserts deserve their own space on As The Romans Do. I know I'll be making both again, maybe even during Lent. I'm not giving up chocolate (or cocoa powder, which is where all the chocolate comes from in both recipes).

Cocoa Powder Brownies

I've seen this exact recipe on several sites, but Alice Medrich is the original creator of these chewy brownies. No need for baking chocolate--which means the fat comes just from the butter and the sugar just from the sugar.

10 tbsp (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature (or sub coconut oil)
1 1/4 c sugar
3/4 c plus 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1/2 c flour

Preheat oven to 325 and grease or line an 8 x 8 inch baking pan.
Fill a skillet (about halfway) with water and set to simmer.
Combine butter, sugar, cocoa, and salt in a medium heatproof bowl, then put the bowl in the simmering water.
Stir mixture until fully combined and smooth. It should be hot to the touch.
Set aside mixture and let cool until just warm, then stir in the vanilla and eggs (one at a time).
When batter is well-blended (it will look shiny), add flour and stir until you can't see it anymore.
Beat "vigorously" for 40 more strokes using just a wooden spoon or rubber spatula.
Spread into pan - batter will be thick and you'll have to actually spread it out.
Bake until a toothpick emerges slightly moist, 20-25 minutes.
Let cool before cutting. Makes 16 or 25 squares. Or one giant square.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Energy Bites

This snack/dessert is a little more diet-friendly, but still plenty sweet. It makes a great road trip snack, or a gift for the protein lover in your life. I found this recipe on Gimme Some Oven, where Ali has shared several varieties of energy bites.

1 c oats
2/3 c coconut flakes (She specifies toasted and unsweetened, but I'm lazy and could only find sweetened, so that's what I used.)
1/2 c peanut butter (or almond butter)
1/2 c ground flax seed
1/3 c honey (or sub agave)
1/4 c cocoa powder
1 tbsp chia seeds
1 tsp vanilla

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl until fully mixed.
Refrigerate for about half an hour (makes it easier to form into balls later).
Roll into tablespoon-sized balls (use your hands and/or a tablespoon).
Eat.
If you happen to have leftovers, store in an airtight container.

Can every Tuesday be Fat Tuesday? It sure beats my normal #tuesdaybluesday.