Malted Milk Blondies
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Friday night, I made a bunch of mini malted milk cookie tarts for a Bake Sale for Japan and had some malted milk powder and Whoppers leftover. I immediately thought of the Brewer’s Blondies recipe in the Baked cookbook that I flagged the first time I skimmed the book and knew they had to be made.
The blondies are buttery, rich, and not too sweet. I cut the Whoppers into quarters and they gave the blondies a little bit of texture which was nice. I didn’t find the malted flavor very noticeable, but that may be because I ate salt and vinegar Pop Chips before I tried the blondies and my taste buds were dead. However, I brought the bars into the office today and received a ton of compliments on them. Apparently they make a very good breakfast.
Ingredients
2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons malted milk powder
14 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 3/4 cups firmly packed dark brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup malted milk balls (like Whoppers or Maltesers), coarsely chopped in a food processor
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan.
In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, salt and malted milk powder together.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and brown sugar on medium speed until completely combined. Scrape down the bowl, add the eggs and vanilla, and beat until combined.
Add the flour mixture in two batches until just combined. Add the malted milk balls and chocolate chips and beat until just combined, about 10 seconds. The mixture will be thick. Turn the mixture out into the prepared pan and use an offset spatula to spread it evenly.
Bake in the center of the oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the blondie comes out clean.
Transfer to a wire rack and let cool for 20 minutes.
Recipe adapted from Baked: New Frontiers in Baking.
Frosted Brownies Topped with Chocolate Peanut Butter Krispies
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When I saw this recipe I immediately thought I would love these brownies, because really, what’s not to love? Brownies, frosting, chocolate, peanut butter, Rice Krispies. YUMMY, right? Well, I don’t know what’s wrong with me because I thought they were too sweet. I know, I didn’t think that was possible either.
With that said, the brownies were enormously popular at my office. Everyone loved and raved about them all day, so I have to declare them a hit. If I were to make them again (stranger things have happened), I may try subbing marshmallow fluff for the frosting because the frosting seemed a little out of place.
Finally, this recipe is great for scratch bakers or those who are BFFs with Betty Crocker. I used a fabulous brownie recipe (minus the salted caramel part) but if you are in a rush, you can use a mix. Since I hate making frosting (I end up with powdered sugar everywhere), I used store bought. Easy enough.
Ingredients
Brownies (9×13 pan, homemade or from a mix)
Vanilla frosting (homemade or from a can)
3 cups crisp rice cereal
1 cup cup Peanut Butter
12 ounces chocolate chips
Preparation
Bake brownies and let cool completely. Frost brownies and refrigerate.
In a saucepan over low heat, melt peanut butter and chocolate, stirring constantly. Add chocolate mixture to cereal. Spread mixture over frosted brownies. Refrigerate for one hour until set. Cut into bars.
Recipe adapted from Hoosier Homemade.
Sweet & Salty Brownies
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There are two kinds of people: those who like cakey brownies and those who like fudgey brownies. If you like fudgey brownies, these are the brownies for you. If you’re like me and prefer cakey brownies, make this recipe instead.
I suppose the one good thing about not liking fudgey brownies is that I won’t be tempted to eat them at the office tomorrow. Anyway, if the recipe looks familiar, it’s because it’s basically the original Baked Brownie, minus the espresso powder, with an added middle layer of salted caramel, and topped with fleur de sel and coarse sugar. I’m kind of sad I didn’t like this more.
I feel the need to add that these brownies were an enormous hit at my office, and I received more than one email begging me to “TAKE THE BROWNIES AWAY” because they are so good. Like I said, some people are fudgey, some people are cakey. Less calories for me!
Photos of the process.
Salted Caramel Ingredients
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon fleur de sel
1/4 cup sour cream
Brownie Ingredients
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons dark unsweetened cocoa powder (I used black cocoa)
11 ounces dark chocolate (60-72%), chopped
2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
5 large eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Ingredients for Sprinkling
1 1/2 teaspoons fleur de sel
1 teaspoon coarse sugar
Caramel Preparation
In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar and corn syrup with 1/4 cup water, stirring them together carefully so you don’t splash the sides of the pan. Cook over high heat until an instant-read thermometer reads 350 degrees F, or until the mixture is amber in color, 5-7 minutes. Remove from the heat, slowly add the cream and then the fleur de sel. Whisk in the sour cream. Set aside to cool.
Brownie Preparation
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Butter the sides and bottom of a glass 9 x 13 inch pan. Line the bottom with a sheet of parchment paper and butter the parchment.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and cocoa powder.
Place the chocolate and butter in the bowl of a double boiler set over a pan of simmering water 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 the sugar. Whisk until completely combined and remove the bowl from the pain. The mixture should be at room temperature.
Add three eggs to the chocolate mixture and whisk until just combined. Add the remaining eggs and whisk until just combined. Add the vanilla and stir until combined. Do not overbeat the batter at this stage or your brownies will be cakey.
Sprinkle the flour mixture over the chocolate. Using a spatula, fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until there is just a trace amount of the flour mixture visible.
Pour half of the brownie mixture into the pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Drizzle about 3/4 cup of the caramel sauce over the brownie layer in a zigzag pattern. (There will be sauce leftover. I may or may not have eaten it with a spoon.) Use an offset spatula to spread the caramel evenly across the brownie layer. In heaping spoonfuls, scoop the rest of the brownie batter over the caramel layer. Smooth the brownie batter gently to cover the caramel layer.
Bake the brownies for 30 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time and check to make sure they are done by sticking a toothpick into the center of the pan. The brownies are done when a few moist crumbs are stuck to the toothpick.
Remove the brownies from the oven and immediately sprinkle the fleur de sel and coarse sugar over the top.
Cool the brownies completely before cutting and serving. The brownies can be stored, tightly wrapped at room temperature, for up to 4 days.
Recipe adapted from Baked Expectations via If You Give a Girl a Cookie.
Guinness Brownies
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My cousin‘s amazing band is touring the west coast right now (you should check them out!), and I wanted to make the guys some treats to have while on the road.
In addition to everyone’s favorite cookies, I wanted to to try something different, and figured this was the perfect opportunity to try out the Guinness brownie recipe everyone is always raving about around St. Patrick’s Day.
I’m happy to report the brownies with a hit with the band! They’re fudgy, rich, and full of chips, and while the Guinness gives them a distinct flavor, if I hadn’t known it was an ingredient I wouldn’t be able to figure it out. One strange part of the recipe calls for melting not only bittersweet chocolate with the butter, but white chocolate as well, something I’ve never seen before. I’m wondering what the white chocolate does to the brownies that milk or semi-sweet wouldn’t do.
Photos of the process here.
Ingredients
1 cup flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
8 ounces dark bittersweet chocolate (chopped or measured chips)
3/4 cup white chocolate chips
4 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 1/4 cups Guinness Extra Stout beer, room temperature, no foam
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 375. Grease 9×13 pan.
- In medium bowl, whisk flour, cocoa powder and salt until evenly combined. Set aside.
- In double boiler over low heat, melt butter, bittersweet chocolate and white chocolate chips. Stir constantly until melted. Remove from heat.
- In large bowl, beat eggs and sugar on high speed until light and fluffy; about 3 minutes. Add spoonful of egg mixture to chocolate mixture to cool it off (you don’t want to cook your eggs.) Add chocolate mixture to egg mixture and beat well.
- Add flour mixture to egg mixture and beat until just combined. Whisk in beer. Pour in chocolate chips and stir to combine. Pour into prepared pan.
- Bake 25 to 30 minutes (checking for doneness starting at 25 minutes). Brownies are done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let brownies cool to room temperature before cutting.
Recipe from Confabulation in the Kitchen.
Buttermilk Cake Squares
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The recipe calls these squares of deliciousness brownies; however, being the brownie expert I am, and having sampled one or two or three or a lot, I feel the need to clarify: These are not brownies, they are moist, chocolately, yummy pieces of cake topped with frosting you just plop on top of a warm pan of brownies cake. I’m guessing they were named brownies because they’re baked in a pan and cut into squares, but don’t let that fool you. These are cake squares. Yes, that is the official terminology.
Did I mention these cake squares are pretty damn good? Like, really good? Especially when they’re still warm? Well, they are. And they’re super easy to make! A few ingredients on the stove, a few in the mixing bowl (including flour and sugar together, weird, I know!), combine everything, then add in two more things. And the frosting? No need to spread and make it look pretty. It kind of glides all over the warm cake all on its own.
Photos of the process here.
Cake Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup water
1 cup butter
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk or sour milk
1-1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Chocolate-Buttermilk Frosting
In a medium saucepan combine 1/4 cup butter, 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, and 3 tablespoons buttermilk or sour milk. Bring mixture to boiling. Remove from heat. Add 2-1/4 cups powdered sugar and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer on medium to high speed until smooth. If desired, stir in 3/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans.
Cake Preparation
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 15x10x1-inch or a 13x9x2-inch baking pan; set aside. In a medium bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
- In a medium saucepan combine water, butter, and cocoa powder. Bring mixture just to boiling, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add the cocoa mixture to the flour mixture. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until combined. Add the eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla. Beat for 1 minute (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared baking pan.
- Bake about 25 minutes for the 15x10x1-inch pan, about 35 minutes for the 13x9x2-inch pan, or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Pour warm Chocolate-Buttermilk Frosting over the warm brownies, spreading evenly. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Cut into bars.
The recipe claims to make 24 pieces, but those would be huge squares.
Recipe from Better Homes and Gardens.
