Barcelona Brownies
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When I was offered a copy of Rose’s Heavenly Cakes, I jumped at the chance to take it. It’s written by Rose Levy Beranbaum (think The Cake Bible) so I knew would be filled with amazing recipes, and each recipe has a photo which is something I love. I hate not knowing what the finished product is supposed to look like. Another perk–she lists both volume and weight measurements in her cookbook!
I’ve already decided the next recipe I’m going to try is the Apple Caramel Charlotte because it is just so stunning. You can see a short video of Rose discussing her book and basic baking tips here. OK, on to the brownies.
If you’re a chocolate fan then these brownies are for you. They’re rich, yet light and moist and the ganache “plugs” are a delicious treat, but totally optional. If you don’t want to fill the inside with ganache you can always use it on top instead. The original recipe calls for a financier mold, but I used a mini muffin tin and it worked out just fine. I ended up with 24 brownies.
Photos of the process here.
Ganache Ingredients
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/3 cup heavy cream at room temperature
Brownie Ingredients
2/3 cup pecans, broken or chopped medium-coarse (I omitted these)
9 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, preferably no higher than 62% cocoa mass
6 scant tablespoons unsweetened cocoa, preferably fine quality Dutch-processed (I used Hershey)
3/4 cup plus 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
2 ounces cream cheese, cut in pieces
1/2 cup all purpose flour
pinch of salt
Ganache Preparation
Melt the chocolate in a microwave, using 15 seconds bursts on high power and stirring several times, or in a double boiler over hot but not simmering water, stirring occasionally. Add the cream and stir gently until the mixture is smooth and dark. If necessary (if the cream was too cold and the mixture not entirely smooth), return it to the heat until totally fluid and uniform in color.
Brownie Preparation
- Prepare financier molds, preferably silicone (I used mini muffin pans), with baking spray with flour or shortening and flour.
- 20 minutes or longer before baking, set an oven rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 325°F.
- Place the pecans on a cookie sheet and toast them, stirring occasionally, for about 7 minutes or until very lightly browned. Cool completely.
- In a double boiler over hot water or microwave-proof bowl, melt the butter and chocolate, stirring 2 or 3 times.
- Beat in the cocoa, then the sugar, beating until it is incorporated. (If you are doing this by hand, use a whisk.) Beat in the eggs and vanilla. When incorporated, beat in the cream cheese until only small bits remain. Add the flour and salt and mix only until the flour is fully moistened. Stir in the nuts and scrape the batter into a piping bag or freezer-weight zipseal bag. (You can use a spoon but it’s a lot faster and easier to use a pastry bag or zipseal bag with one corner cut.) (I’m lazy and didn’t feel like cleaning the pastry bag so I used a small cookie scoop.)
- If using a silicone mold, set it on a baking sheet and pipe the batter into the cavities, filling them about three-quarters full (1.5 ounces/45 grams in each). With a small off-set spatula or the back of a spoon, smooth the tops.
- Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until the batter has set. The batter will puff and rise a little above the top of the cavities but sinks slightly on cooling. An instant read thermometer should register about 194 F. and if pressed lightly with a finger tip they will spring back.
- As soon as the brownies are removed from the oven, grease the end of a wooden chopstick or dowel (1/4 inch diameter) and insert it into the brownie, at 3 evenly-spaced intervals, all the way to the bottom, twisting slightly as you insert and withdraw it. Fill the holes with the ganache until slightly rounded above the surface of the brownie.
- Place the pan on a wire rack and cool completely. The ganache will sink in as it cools and more ganache can be added, to fill in any depressions, as long as the brownie is still warm enough to melt it. (If necessary, you can set the brownies under a lamp to heat the ganache puddles and make them smooth.) If making the optional ganache plugs, allow it to sit at room temperature until the puddles are firm to the touch. Then invert the mold of if using silicone, push each out with your finger pressed against the bottom of the mold. (If not making the ganache the brownies can be removed after 10 minutes of cooling.)
- Store wrapped airtight in plastic wrap and stored in an airtight container: 1 week at room temperature, 1 month refrigerated, or several months frozen. Try eating them frozen or chilled if you like a chewy brownie, room temperature for a softer creamier texture.
Recipe adapted from Rose’s Heavenly Cakes.
Chocolate Brownies with Caramel Fleur de Sel Swirl
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Whomever first thought it was a good idea to marry chocolate, caramel, and sea salt deserves a hug. A HUGE HUG. Even a kiss. And some kind of foodie award. These brownies are amazing! They’re chewy and cakey (think box mix texture), sweet, gooey, and salty. In one word: PERFECT.
Make these now. You won’t regret it!
Note: If you prefer your brownies dense and fudgy, use this recipe and make sure to double the amount of caramel and sea salt.
Photos of the process here.
Ingredients
4 squares unsweetened chocolate (4 ounces)
1 cup unsalted butter
2 cups granulated sugar
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)
5.5 ounces thick caramel sauce (I used Smuckers hot caramel topping)
3/4 teaspoon flaked sea salt
Preparation
- Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-by-13-inch pan.
- Melt chocolate and butter over low heat in a large saucepan. Beat in sugar and eggs.
- In a small bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder and salt. Stir dry ingredients into the chocolate mixture. Stir in nuts, if using.
- Pour half the brownie batter into the prepared pan. Drop half of the caramel sauce over the batter in dollops.
- Swirl into the batter. Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon flaked sea salt. Pour the remaining batter over the caramel and spoon the remaining caramel sauce in dollops over the top. Swirl into the batter and sprinkle the remaining 1/2 teaspoon flaked sea salt over the top.
- Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until the top has a dull crust and a slight imprint remains when touched lightly. Cool slightly and cut into squares.
Recipe adapted from OregonLive.com.
Outrageous Brownies
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I feel the need to first tell you that while halving the original recipe, I did more math than I have since my freshman year of college. If the US used weight rather than volume in cooking and baking like the rest of the world, halving recipes would be so much easier. And with that said…
The baking blog world as been proclaiming these the best brownies EVER EVER EVER for years now, so I figured it was time I try them for myself. They are super rich, incredibly moist, and have a great texture, but–and I know I’m in the minority here–they’re not my favorite. And they’re definitely not one bowl brownies like my go-to recipe. However, I bagged them up and gave them to friends and I don’t think anyone left even a crumb, so I know other people liked them.
Has anyone else tried these? What did you think?
Photos of the process here.
Ingredients
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
8 ounces plus 6 ounces semisweet chocolate chips, divided
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate
3 large eggs
1 1/2 tablespoons instant coffee powder (I omitted this)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 1/8 cups sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour plus 1/8 cup, divided
1/2 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 cups diced walnut pieces (I omitted this)
Preparation
- Preheat over 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9″ x 13″ baking dish.
- Melt together the butter, 8 ounces chocolate chips, and unsweetened chocolate on top of a double boiler. Cool slightly. Stir together the eggs, instant coffee, vanilla, and sugar. Stir in the warm chocolate mixture and cool to room temperature.
- Stir together 1/2 cup of the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to cooled chocolate mixture. Toss the walnuts and 6 ounces of the chocolate chips with 1/8 cup flour to coat. Then add to the chocolate batter. Pour into prepared pan.
- Bake for about 30 minutes, or until tester just comes out clean. Cool thoroughly, refrigerate, and cut into squares.
Recipe adapted from Food Network.
The Baked Brownie
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A few weeks ago I had lunch with my friend Jenn who was kind enough to bring me some of the Baked brownies she had just made. Of course, as soon as I got home I ate one and stuck the rest in the freezer where they proceeded to stay for oh, two days. These brownies are so good, even straight out of the freezer!
This meant I needed to dust off my copy of the Baked cookbook that has been sitting on a shelf collecting dust. What better time to try a new recipe than when it’s 80 degrees outside? Yeah, that’s how good these brownies are. Mine were slightly underbaked so they were chewy and fudgy, but I’m not complaining!
Ingredients
1-1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons dark cocoa powder (I used Hershey, shh don’t tell the Baked guys)
11 ounces quality dark chocolate (60-72%), chopped coarsely (I used semi-sweet chips, again, this is between you and me)
8 ounces butter (2 sticks), cut into 1 inch cubes
1 tsp instant espresso powder (I omitted this)
1-1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
5 large eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Butter the sides and bottom of a glass or light colored metal pan 9×13x2 pan. (I lined it with foil and sprayed with Pam.)
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, the salt, and cocoa powder.
- Configure a large sized double boiler. Place the chocolate, the butter, and the instant espresso powder in the bowl of the double boiler and stir occasionally until the chocolate and butter are completely melted and combined. Turn off the heat, but keep the bowl over the water of the double boiler and add both sugars. Whisk the sugars until completely combined and remove the bowl from the pan. Mixture should be room temperature.
- Add three eggs to the chocolate/butter mixture and whisk until just combined. Add the remaining eggs and whisk until just combined. Add the vanilla and stir until combined. Do not over beat the batter at this stage or your brownies will be cakey.
- Sprinkle the flour/cocoa/salt mix over the chocolate. Using a spatula (DO NOT USE A WHISK) fold the dry into the wet until there is just a trace amount of the flour/cocoa mix visible.
- Pour the mixture into the pan and smooth the top with your spatula. Bake the brownies for 30 minutes (rotate the pan half-way through baking) and check to make sure the brownies are completely done by sticking a toothpick into the center of the pan. The brownies are done when the toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.
- Cool the brownies completely before cutting and serving.
Yields 24 brownies.
Recipe from Baked: New Frontiers in Baking.
Fudgy Brownies
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Hi there! Remember me? I’m the one that used to bake all kinds of fat and calorie filled desserts and force my coworkers to taste them at 8:00 a.m., before they even got their first cup of coffee of the day.
Yeah, about that. I’m trying to lose weight. And I have no coworkers because I’m currently unemployed. And well, that combination makes it hard to make decadent desserts every week, because there’s no one to force feed two dozen brownies to on a regular basis. And I have no willpower, so keeping them in the house is out of the question. Duh.
Enter these brownies. They are chocolaty. And rich. And fudgy. But the best part? Around 100 calories and 3 grams of fat. And let me tell you, a little goes a long way. One of these brownies and I’m happy. OK fine, I ate the corner of a second one and immediately put the rest in the freezer. Remember that willpower thing I mentioned before? Still don’t have it.
Ingredients
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup confectioners’ sugar
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, American-style or Dutch-process
3 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate (50-72% cacao), coarsely chopped, plus 2 1/2 ounces chopped into mini chip-size pieces (I chopped up some caramel-chocolate swirl chips), divided
1 1/2 tablespoons canola oil
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons light corn syrup blended with 3 tablespoons lukewarm water
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1/3 cup chopped toasted walnuts (I omitted these)
Preparation
- Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 350°F. Line an 8-inch-square baking pan with foil, letting it overhang on two opposing sides (I used parchment). Coat with cooking spray.
- Sift flour, confectioners’ sugar and cocoa together into a small bowl. Combine the 3 ounces coarsely chopped chocolate and oil in a heavy medium saucepan; place over the lowest heat, stirring, until just melted and smooth, being very careful the chocolate does not overheat. Remove from the heat and stir in granulated sugar, corn syrup mixture, vanilla and salt until the sugar dissolves. Vigorously stir in egg until smoothly incorporated. Gently stir in the dry ingredients. Fold in the walnuts (if using) and the remaining 2 1/2 ounces chopped chocolate just until well blended. Turn out the batter into the pan, spreading evenly.
- Bake the brownies until almost firm in the center and a toothpick inserted comes out with some moist batter clinging to it, 20 to 24 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack, about 2 1/2 hours (hahaha, that’s funny).
- Using the overhanging foil as handles, carefully lift the brownie slab from the pan. Peel the foil from the bottom; set the slab right-side up on a cutting board. Using a large, sharp knife, trim off any dry edges. Mark and then cut the slab crosswise into fifths and lengthwise into fourths. (In other words, cut the brownie slab into 20 pieces.) Wipe the blade with a damp cloth between cuts.
Recipe adapted from Eating Well.
Marshmallow Crunch Brownie Bars
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Wow.
That one word basically sums up these brownies. They are amazing and gooey and crunchy and moist and could easily translate to, “I’m sorry I was a shmuck,” “I love you,” “Will you marry me,” “I think you’re cool and can’t wait until our next date,” or in this case, “I obviously like my coworkers.” Who knew brownies could be so expressive?
Keep in mind, the deliciousness does come at a price–these are a bit time consuming and dirty a lot of bowls, but they are so worth it in the end! What could be better than a brownie topped with marshmallows topped with melted peanut butter and chocolate with Rice Krispies mixed in?
Brownie Ingredients
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
2/3 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 ¼ cups semisweet chocolate chips, divided
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
4 large eggs, room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
Topping Ingredients
7 ounces mini marshmallows
1 ½ cups milk chocolate chips
1 cup Jif peanut butter
1 TBSP unsalted butter
1 ½ cups Rice Krispies
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan.
In a medium saucepan, melt the chocolate, butter, and ¾ cup of the semisweet chocolate chips on medium heat. Stir occasionally while melting. Set aside and cool for 5 minutes. In a medium bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. In a large bowl, place the eggs and whisk thoroughly. Add in the sugar and vanilla. Stir the melted ingredients into the egg mixture, mixing well. Stir in the dry sifted ingredients and mix well. Fold in the remaining ½ cup semisweet chocolate chips.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and even with a spatula. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the corner of the pan comes out with moist crumbs.
Remove the brownies from the oven, and immediately sprinkle the marshmallows over them. Return the pan to the oven for 3 more minutes.
While the brownies are baking, place the chocolate chips, peanut butter, and butter in a medium saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until melted. Remove from heat, add the cereal,and mix well. Allow this to cool for 3 minutes or so.
Spread the mixture evenly over the marshmallow layer. Refrigerate until chilled before cutting.
Makes 12 3×3-inch bars. (I cut them a lot smaller and easily got a few dozen bars.)
Recipe from Culinary Concoctions.
Chocolate Chip Cupcakes/Muffins/Cookies
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I would probably call these “Blondies with Chocolate Chips” but who am I to change a recipe title? Don’t let the name fool you–aside from the fact they are baked in cupcake tins, they are nothing like a cupcake–they are buttery and chewy like a blondie. And they are quite delicious. So much in fact, one of my coworkers said these may be his new favorite and ranked them up there with cake balls. I know!
As you can see from the picture, mine are ugly. I omitted the nuts in the topping so I was left with a goopy chocolate chip mixture (which tastes delicious just looks sort of blah). Also, I was out of mini chips so I had to use regular size and I think they are entirely too large for the petite size of the cupcake/muffin/cookie. All that aside, I’d still eat them. In fact, I uh, may have had a few.
Photos of the process here.
Cupcake Ingedients
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Cupcake Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°. Line miniature muffin pans and coat with cooking spray.
Beat butter and sugars until creamy. Add vanilla extract and mix well. Add egg and beat until blended.
In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to butter mixture, mixing just until combined.
Spoon about 1 & 1/2 teaspoons batter into each muffin cup. Bake for 10-12 minutes.
Topping Ingredients
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 large egg
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Topping Preparation
Beat brown sugar, egg, and salt until blended. Stir in chocolate chips, pecans, and vanilla.
After cupcakes have been baked, spoon topping mixture over each cupcake. Bake for 8-10 more minutes.
Makes about 3 dozen cupcakes.
Recipe from Bake or Break.
Brown Sugar Brownies
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I wanted to bake, but when I went through my pantry, 
I realized I was completely out of granulated sugar (I know, for shame!). So, I searched online for an easy recipe using only brown sugar and since I was feeling lazy, I also wanted something that could be made in one bowl, and didn’t require scooping, frosting, or anything else that required much effort. (Maybe I should rename this blog baking for lazy people.)
And I found these. They are spectacularly easy, have a wonderful caramely flavor, and are nice and gooey. They most definitely did not disappoint. I doubled the recipe and baked it in a 13″ x 9″ pan with no problem, and used chocolate chips instead of nuts. I think this may be one of my new favorite recipes.
Ingredients
1 1/3 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Preparation
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9 x 9 x 1-3/4 inch pan.
Sift together flour, baking powder and salt and set aside. In large bowl, beat together butter, sugar, egg and vanilla until smooth. - Stir in the flour mixture and the nuts until well blended. Spread evenly in prepared pan.
- Bake 25-30 minutes or until surface springs back when gently pressed. Cool slightly. While still warm, cut into bars with a sharp knife.
Recipe from All Recipes.
Brownie Peanut Butter Cups
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When I first saw this recipe, I decided these brownies had to be made now. Unfortunately, it was close to 100 degrees in LA this past week, and there was no way in hell I was 
about to turn my oven on. So, I had to wait for the temps to cool down.
Fortunately for me (and my coworkers), the weather this week has been much more bearable, thus allowing me to turn on my oven to make these brownies. Which by the way, are good. Very good. Looking at them one might think SUGAR RUSH!!!, but they’re not terribly sweet, and the saltiness from the peanut butter center (oh yes, they have peanut butter inside) is a really nice contrast. I love sweet and salty together.
I think next time I make these, I will use mini muffin tins and make them bite size. Other than that, I wouldn’t change a thing. Except perhaps eat them while they’re still hot with a nice scoop of ice cream. Mmmm.
Photos of the process here.
Ingredients
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 tablespoon water
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup peanut butter chips plus about 1/3 cup more for garnishing
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips plus about 1/3 cup more for garnishing
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 350°. Spray or grease 12 muffin cups.
- In a large microwave-safe bowl, combine sugar, butter, and water. Microwave on high for 1 minute or until butter is melted. Stir in 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips until melted. Stir in egg and vanilla extract. Add flour and baking soda, stirring until blended. Allow to cool to room temperature. Then, stir in 1/2 cup each peanut butter chips and semi-sweet chocolate chips. Spoon batter by heaping tablespoonfuls into muffin cups.
- Bake for 13-15 minutes or until top is set and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out slightly wet. Place pan on wire rack. Centers of brownies will fall upon cooling. If not, tap centers with the back of a teaspoon to make a hole.
- Place peanut butter in a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high for 45 seconds, then stir. While brownies are still hot, spoon about a tablespoon of peanut butter into the center of each brownie. Top with semi-sweet chocolate chips and peanut butter chips. Cool completely in pan.
Recipe from Bake or Break.
Chocolate Caramel Brownies
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It’s rainy and cold here, and I wanted to bake but didn’t want to make anything complicated. I sorted through my messy recipe folder and decided today was the perfect day for a somewhat “cheat” recipe. Yes, it calls for a box mix. I know, for shame! Reading through the recipe, it appeared very simple so I decided to give it a go.
Well, apparently I wasn’t paying enough attention and somewhat messed up the caramel. When the recipe said to add the “remaining evaporated milk” to the caramel, I added the rest of the can, not the rest of the 1 cup it called for. Whoops. Fortunately, I realized this as the caramels were (not) melting, so I dumped out a large portion of the milk and continued with the melting. I think there was still too much in there, because the caramel was a little runny, but it definitely tastes good!
Ingredients
1 pkg. (18.25 oz.) chocolate cake mix
1 cup chopped nuts
1 cup NESTLÉ® CARNATION® Evaporated Milk, divided
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, melted
35 (10-oz. pkg.) caramels, unwrapped
2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350° F.
Combine cake mix and nuts in large bowl. Stir in 2/3 cup evaporated milk and butter (batter will be thick). Spread half of batter into ungreased 13 x 9-inch baking pan.
Bake for 15 minutes.
Heat caramels and remaining evaporated milk in small saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly, until caramels are melted. Sprinkle morsels over brownie; drizzle with caramel mixture.
Drop remaining batter by heaping teaspoon over caramel mixture.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until center is set. Cool in pan on wire rack. Cut into 24 squares.
My notes:
- Unwrapping the damn caramels takes about as much time as making the brownies. Seriously.
- Your caramel will probably look different, unless you mess up like I did.
Recipe from VeryBestBaking.com.
Chipster-Topped Brownies
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Ever been in the mood to bake but couldn’t decide between brownies or cookies? Well, thanks to Dorie, now you don’t have to.
I had been eying this recipe for quite a while, but never had all the ingredients or the time to fuss. Fortunately, I did today and oh my god are these good!
Then again, what’s not to like about a brownie with a chocolate chip cookie on top?
Ingredients
For the brownie layer:
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into chunks
1 2/3 cups sugar
4 large eggs
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
For the cookie layer:
1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 ½ sticks (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
¾ cup (packed) light brown sugar
2/3 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped into chips, or 1 cup store-bought chocolate chips
Getting ready:
Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9-x-13-inch baking pan, line it with wax or parchment paper and butter the paper. Put the pan on a baking sheet.
To make the brownie batter:
Put both chocolates and the butter in a bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water. Stirring occasionally, heat just until the ingredients are melted, shiny and smooth. If the mixture gets too hot, the butter will separate from the chocolates. Remove the bowl from the heat.
Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the sugar and eggs on medium-high speed for about 2 minutes, until pale, thick and creamy. Beat in the salt and vanilla extract. Reduce the speed to low and mix in the melted chocolate and butter, mixing only until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, then, still on low speed, add the flour, mixing only until it disappears into the batter. Using the spatula, fold in the walnuts, and scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Set aside.
To make the cookie dough:
Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
Working with a stand mixer in the cleaned bowl or with the hand mixer in another large bowl, beat the butter and both sugars together on medium-high speed until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes. One at a time, add the egg and the yolk, beating for 1 minute after each addition. Beat in the vanilla. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients, mixing only until they disappear into the dough. Still on low, mix in the chopped chocolate. Drop the cookie dough by spoonfuls over the brownie batter an, using a spatula and a light touch, spread it evenly over the batter.
Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until the cookie top is deep golden brown and firm and a thin knife inserted into the brownie layer comes out with only faint streaks of moist chocolate. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool to room temperature.
When the brownies are completely cool, carefully run a knife between the sides of the pan and the brownies, then invert them onto another rack, remove the paper and turn right side up onto a cutting board. Cut into bars about 2 inches by 1 inch. (You can cut larger bars if you’re serving to cookie lovers with Texas-size appetites.)
My notes:
- I used semi-sweet chips instead of bittersweet.
- I omitted the nuts.
- I baked mine for a total of around 35 minutes. I figured 50-55 seemed really long, so I initially checked them at 25 minutes then continued to add five minutes and check them again until they were done.
Recipe from Baking: From My Home To Yours by Dorie Greenspan.
Hershey’s White Chip Brownies
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Today has been one of those days. I have laryngitis thanks to a stupid cold, and the boy I had two [apparently not so] wonderful dates with appears to have disappeared off the face of the earth.
So, I made brownies.
I decided to turn to Hershey, as their chocolate cake recipe is my favorite ever, and I figured the brownies would be delicious as well. And delicious they are! Moist, chewy, and rich. I think this may be my new fave.
Photos of the process here.
Ingredients
4 large eggs
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup HERSHEY’S Cocoa
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups (12-ounce package) HERSHEY’S Premier White Chips
Preparation
- Heat oven to 350°F. Grease 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan.
- Beat eggs in large bowl until foamy; gradually beat in sugar. Blend in butter and vanilla extract.
- Stir together flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt; add to egg mixture, blending thoroughly.
- Stir in white chips. Spread batter into prepared pan.
- Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until brownies begin to pull away from sides of pan. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Cut into bars.
Makes about 32 brownies.
Recipe from The Baking Bible.
White Chocolate Brownies
I’m back! I finally have time to try new recipes. And with that…
I love chocolate, even white chocolate. I know, I know, white chocolate isn’t really chocolate, blah blah blah. But I don’t care. It’s still sweet and tastes good. Who cares about the technicalities when talking about desserts?
I also love Tartelette’s blog. Everything she makes is beyond gorgeous, and her recipes are always to die for. While these brownies do taste amazingly delicious, sadly, they look absolutely nothing like hers. Fortunately, these are just going to my guinea pigs at the office, and they’re more concerned about taste than aesthetics anyway.
Ingredients
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
8 ounces white chocolate
2 eggs
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tablespoon vanilla
1 cup flour
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350.
Grease and flour an 8 inch square baking pan, or line with foil.
Melt butter and 4 oz of white chocolate together in top of double boiler over hot water. When melted remove from heat and add the remaining white chocolate. Stir to blend well. Set aside. Beat the eggs and sugar until pale and thick.Add white chocolate and butter mixture, vanilla and flour. Beat just until smooth. Add chocolate chunks and mix in by hand, being careful not to overmix.
Pour into prepared pan and bake 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack. Cut into squares or bars.
My notes: I thought I had two white chocolate baking bars in my kitchen when in fact, I only had one, so I had to use 4 ounces of white chocolate chips as well.
Recipe from Tartelette.
Cobblestone Blondies
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These are good. So. Damn. Good. The first time I made them, I cut off a huge chunk for my sister and told her to share with her boyfriend. I think he only got a few bites.
I know by looking at the recipe you’re probably thinking they must be super sweet, but they’re not–they’re just right. The toffee chips are barely noticeable, and the gooey browned marshmallows on top are just delicious.
Ingredients
1 cup flour
1 cup mini* semi-sweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup mini marshmallows
1/2 cup toffee chips
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar
6 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
2 eggs
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350. Grease an 8×8 inch baking dish. In a large bowl, cream together the brown sugar, sugar and butter. Add the eggs and vanilla, beat until fluffy. Add the flour, 2/3 of the chocolate chips**, 1/2 of the marshmallows, all of the toffee bits and the baking powder until thoroughly combined. Pour into a prepared pan and bake 20 minutes or until just set. Sprinkle evenly with remaining marshmallows and chips, return to oven for an additional 5-10 minutes or until a toothpick inserted (not through a marshmallow!) comes out clean.
Rachel’s notes: *Mini chips melt faster, but regular chips would work too. **If you are using regular sized chips, you might want to add the chips after the flour so they don’t get broken up.
My notes: The store was out of the name brand marshmallows so I had to use the generic ones. Not good–they wouldn’t melt or get gooey.
Recipe from Coconut & Lime.
Deep Dish Brownies
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Unsatisfied with the last brownie recipe I tried, I stumbled upon this one while browsing desserts online. This is what happens when I don’t feel well…I scour the Internet for recipes to try when I’m feeling better. And feeling better I am, so here they are.
Some of the reviewers declared this recipe to taste like box mix brownies and they do! They’re chewy and moist, and much more cakey than fudgey. They are delicious. Unfortunately, the top cracked miserably and they didn’t cut well, even when fully cooled. I’m not sure what caused that to happen.
Ingredients
3/4 cup butter, melted
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 eggs
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease an 8 inch square pan.
- In a large bowl, blend melted butter, sugar and vanilla. Beat in eggs one at a time. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Gradually blend into the egg mixture. Spread the batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake in preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes, or until brownies begin to pull away from the sides of the pan. Let brownies cool, then cut into squares. Enjoy!
Notes: The original recipe is different–I heeded the suggestions of many reviewers and omitted the baking powder and used only two eggs. Also, mine were done in about 35 minutes.
Recipe from All Recipes.
Brownies
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I love brownies. (Really, who doesn’t?) So I figured what better way to break in my new cookbook than with brownies. Unlike other recipes I’ve tried, this one isn’t a one bowl deal, but it’s still pretty easy. And, since I’m a big fan of the cake-like brownie, I heeded the suggestion and added 1/2 tsp. baking powder to make them less dense and more cakey. They’re quite good–moist and chocolatey, but not the brownie recipe I’ve been searching for.
Ingredients
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, roughly chopped
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened, plus a little for the greasing pan
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
Pinch salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan, or line it with aluminum foil and grease the foil.
- Combine the chocolate and butter in a small saucepan over very low heat, stirring occasionally. When the chocolate is just about melted, remove from the heat and continue to stir until the mixture is smooth.
- Transfer the mixture to a bowl and stir in the sugar. Then beat in the eggs, one at a time. Gently stir in the flour, salt, and vanilla. Pour and scrape into the prepared pan and bake 20 to 25 minutes, or until just barely set in the middle. It’s better to underbake brownies than to overbake them. Cool on a rack before cutting. Store, covered and at room temperature, for no more than a day.
Cookbook Notes: If you line the baking pan with lightly greased aluminum foil, you reduce cleanup time by fifty percent; not bad. These are chewy and dense, dominated by chocolate and nothing else. If you like cakier brownies, add one-half teaspoon baking powder to the flour. I used both of his suggestions.
Recipe from How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman.
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