Yes, it’s official!!! I’m finally sporting a new look! I could not be more thrilled, and I hope that you enjoy it just as much. I’ll finish talking about that in a minute, but first this recipe…oh, and don’t forget to win yourself a brand new Oreck Vacuum and Handheld power team worth $600! Enter HERE
This post is sponsored by Gymboree. Bring a friend to a Gymboree store and sign up for Gymboree Rewards together and you’ll both SAVE 25% off an in-store purchase.
My family never decorated for Christmas until the 1st of December. My mom hated that Thanksgiving got lost in the hustle and bustle of Christmas. Sadly I think that it has gotten even worse (hello Black Friday starting on Thanksgiving night! BOOO!!). And yet, here I am posting about Christmas and it’s not even December yet. But, these gingerbread brownies were too good to not share right away. Plus, I think they’re pretty. 
Ok, I have to admit that for the past two years I’ve been decorating the day after Thanksgiving. It just seems easier to pound it out before everything gets all crazy, and we still get to enjoy Thanksgiving. Sorry, Mom. It just had to happen. And because we were decorating and we had such a quiet little Thanksgiving with my sister I went ahead and whipped up some of these pretty babies.
I love the gingery brownie and the white chocolate cream cheese frosting is not only a mouthful, it’s a delicious one. We threw some chopped craisins on top just to add a bright pop of flavor, but you can totally skip them if you want. I just finished off the last one yesterday, right after buying my girls their Christmas jammies that have become a fun tradition around here.
A Rewards Program That Pays You?!!
We got the jammies at Gymoree, which had such cute Christmas jammies. Plus, my friend Lindsey was able to earn $75 off her next $150 purchase. Are you kidding me? That’s one fantastic rewards program right there. Plus there are a lot of other cool bonuses to being an awards member. You should go check it out. Such a great deal! Anyway, I absolutely cannot wait to see my cute girls’ faces when they get to open their jammies on Christmas eve and get even more in the spirit to celebrate.
A Brand Spankin’ New Look
Alright, I know that this post is getting quite lengthy, but lastly I hope you’ll take a moment to cruise around the new site and help to spread the word that Sweet Basil has a new look. One of my favorite parts is the Recipes page. It is so much easier to find the recipe you are looking for. There’s also a Lifestyle Page where you can find links to Giveaways, Health/Fitness Posts (which will be done by the Mr. quite often), Life posts where I’ll talk about life, crafts, kids, etc and of course Travel where we will be taking you on adventures with us.
You’ll also notice that you can subscribe by RSS, Email and to receive Newsletters. Plus there are all of the normal social media buttons and I do hope that you’ll follow along!
These brownies are the perfect way to begin your holiday season. Warm, spiced brownies topped with a decadent cream cheese frosting that carries a hint of white chocolate and a splash of cranberry.
Ingredients
- 1 Box Gingerbread Cake/Cookie Mix
- 1/2 Cup Butter, melted
- 1/4 Cup plus 1 Tablespoon Evaporated Milk
- 1/4 Cup Butter, Softened
- 2 Oz Cream Cheese, softened
- 2 Cups Powdered Sugar
- 1 Pinch of Salt
- 4 Oz White Chocolate, melted, and slightly cooled
- *Milk if needed
- 1 Cup Craisins, chopped (optional)
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees.
- In a mixing bowl combine the cake mix, butter and evaporated milk. Place in an 8x8" baking dish and bake for 18-20 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Frost the brownies and top with chopped craisins.
- Cream together the cream cheese, butter and white chocolate. Add the powdered sugar and salt, and mix again. You may need to add a tablespoon or so of milk to get the perfectly soft frosting.
I'm Carrian, and my family and I love to cook, bake, and enjoy time together. We believe that with a little help and a point in the right direction everyone can be successful in the kitchen. At our house everyone is family, and we hope you'll join ours. Click 
Your blog looks great! I love the new look
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Your gingerbread brownies are so pretty! I love the cranberry topping.
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Carrian Reply:
December 3rd, 2012 at 10:16 pm
Thanks Laura!
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Love your new site, it’s so pretty! I’m working on my now, it’s such a pain isn’t it? =)
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Carrian the site looks great! And this is calling my name
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Hello there! Would you mind if I share your blog with my zynga group? There’s a lot of people that I think would really enjoy your content. Please let me know. Many thanks
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It’s absolutely gorgeous, Carrian! I love it SO MUCH!
It’s absolutely perfectly you <3 love love love
That gingerbread cake looks amazing!
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Carrian, Wowzers! I just love it all! I’m never ever leaving!!!
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Carrian, the new look is fantastic! I love the color and the clean, organized look.
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How awful is it that the National Day of Thanks has been corrupted by the National Day Of Greed? I hate that Black Friday has now become Black Thursday, so sad. BUT I am thankful for these brownies. Amazing
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Love the brownies, I am always a sucker for brownies! I always get my son cute jammies to open on Christmas Even too
The new site looks great!
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Ahhhhh your new look is so gorgeous! I love it!!!
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WOW! Cannot wait to try this sweet treat! Love gingerbread! Sounds incredibly delicious and the cranberries on top–SWOON. lol Thanks for sharing! And I’m loving the new blog design!
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Ooh, your Christmas gingerbread brownies are just too gorgeous. And I could eat that frosting by the bowlful – delicious!
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Love the new look! And I totally agree that every holiday has been bumped up sooner and sooner..
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Absolutely love the new look. It’s gorgeous, you did a great job!!
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Love the new look! And these brownies look pretty great as well
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i love the new look! and these brownies….wowza.
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I love your new look! The blue shades are so nice!
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Love it my dear! Oh the places you’ll go
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Thanks, Megan!! You’re always so supportive and I appreciate it so much!!
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Oh my goodness, Carrian – I love it!!! So beautiful in so many ways. I especially love the pretty color scheme.
Well done, friend! Hopefully now you can catch your breath after all of your hard work!
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Congrats Carrian! A huge relief, I am sure!
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Carrian Reply:
November 28th, 2012 at 5:41 pm
yes! And it’s all thanks to your hubster!
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Oh my gosh, Carrian! LOVE the new site! It’s so pretty and perfect! LOVE. Congrats–I know you’ve been working on this for awhile!
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Looks awesome, Carrian…love it!
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Carrian Reply:
November 28th, 2012 at 6:06 pm
You’re the best, Mike! Thank you!!!!
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Yeah, Carrian!! The new site is beautiful. Definitely worth the wait and hard work. Congrats, girl! And the gingerbread brownies aren’t so bad either!
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LOVE the new look! These brownies sound amazing!
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Carrian Reply:
November 28th, 2012 at 4:23 pm
Anna, thank you so much!!
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Love the new look, congratulations!
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Carrian Reply:
November 28th, 2012 at 4:26 pm
Thanks! You’ve been so wonderful, Kalyn. I am sure grateful for you
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Carrian the site looks great! LOVE the new look so fresh and clean. And the brownies look pretty darn tasty themselves! Congrats!
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Carrian Reply:
November 28th, 2012 at 4:24 pm
Thank you!! I think I deserve a month long nap now. Or nachos. Probably both
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Love the new look! I have a box of Gingerbread Cake Mix in the pantry. I’ll have to try these.
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Carrian Reply:
November 28th, 2012 at 4:25 pm
and I didn’t even know the mix existed until I accidentally let the little one put it in the cart. SCORE!
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Carrian, I love your new look! It’s so sleek and pretty, and it’s so you
and I love these brownies too. Mmm, gingerbread is one of my fave flavors for the holidays, and holy frosting–that itself looks insane.
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Carrian Reply:
November 28th, 2012 at 4:24 pm
Hayley, you are always so stinkin’ sweet! Love your pretty face!
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LOVE the new look! Yay you!
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