Chocolate Orange Pecan Brownies (2010.12)

Bon Appetit redeems itself with this week's recipe. And aren't I glad?!
There is a bakery/coffee shop/cafe in Montana that this recipe comes from (definitely would warrant a trip to Bozeman, MT), and these are delicious cake like on the top, fudgy in the middle, brownies with a hint of orange (I would like more).
These made 16 and the only thing I could say that I would like better is if they cut easier - they were kinda crumbly - but I did not wait till they were cool, so that may have been my problem.
Sorry - no pictures. It was this morning and I was in a hurry to get them done before work, and didn't have time to pick up the camera...

1/2 cup boiling water
6 T unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/4 packed dark brown sugar
3/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup chopped pecans (I didn't toast mine)
2 eggs
10 T unsalted butter, melted, cooled
zest of one orange (I might do two next time)
1/2 tsp vanilla

Combine water and cocoa powder, set aside. Melt butter, set aside to cool.
Mix sugar through pecans, set aside.
Whisk eggs, add butter, orange zest, and vanilla. Add in chocolate mixture. Add in dry ingredients. Mix just until combined.
Pour into greased 9x9 pan, bake at 350 for about 27-30 minutes. I left mine in there for 28 and they were a little too done on the sides, but perfect in the middle.
Enjoy!

Four Chocolate Brownies

Brownies are so easy to make from scratch, and most of the ingredients are right in your kitchen - so why even bother with a box mix. These are great, and would have been amazing if I hadn't cooked them quite so long. The original recipe I was looking at called for 35-40 minutes, I did just 35 and they were overdone. I like mine more fudgy than these, but they still had good flavor.

1/4 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1/3 cup dark chocolate chips
2 oz (squares) unsweet chocolate
1 stick butter
3 T cocoa powder
3 eggs
1 1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt

Melt first four over low heat. Stir in powder.
Cream eggs and sugar. Add in vanilla. Combine the slightly cooled chocolate mixture. Mix in flour and salt.
Foil and grease a 8x8 square pan. Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes.
Enjoy.

12 Days of Baking - Day 9 - Wintermint Brownies

Tuesday was National Brownie Day. And, in honor of that day - I want to share with you Day 9 of holiday baking - Wintermint Brownies.
I also make these every year. I still have some in my freezer from last year - and they are yummy crumbled into some cool whip or vanilla low-fat ice cream.
I love the look of these - the bright white stripe in the middle because of the York Peppermint Patties. I love the texture - nice and chewy - but deeply chocolate.
Enjoy these - and whatever other brownies you made in honor of National Brownie Day!

Martha Stewart's Turtle Brownies (2009.33)

Martha Stewart brought you this week's recipe. I made her Turtle Brownies out of the Cookies book that bears her name. The brownie part was good and easy and dense (with not much flour) but the caramel making part was not as easy as she said it was (took much longer and it still wasn't medium amber), so I gave up because I had other things to do. So, I still did the sauce and added the pecans, then let them set up, and turned the whole thing into a trifle - which was very yummy!

1/2 stick unsalted butter
3 oz unsweetened chocolate
1/c cup flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp coarse salt
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup milk (or heavy cream)
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp coarse salt
1 cup chopped pecans

Melt butter and chocolate. Cream eggs and sugar about 4 minutes. Add chocolate mixture, add vanilla and milk. Add in dry ingredients. Bake in a parchment sprayed lined 8x8 pan at 325 for 27 minutes (25-30 depending on oven).

Bring sugar and water to a boil, swirl around for 5-7 minutes (or 25) till medium amber. Take off stove and immediately add the rest of the ingredients.

Pour over cool brownies and let chil for 30 min to an hour till set. Cut and serve.

I made a trifle using light cool whip and chocolate pudding. Very rich and chocolaty - yum!

Campfire Smore Brownies - Updated

These cake like, campfire-reminding brownies are very easy. I baked these for a CG pool party we are having tonight. i loved how the marshmallows behaved on top and I really liked the graham crackers in the batter. What I didn't like was the cake-like brownie - I have gotten more to like dense fudge type brownies in my old age.

But, they are good. I got these from blog-world, Joy the Baker.

S’mores Brownies

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
5 large eggs
1 1/4 cups dark brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup graham cracker, roughly crushed with your hands
12 big marshmallows

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 9×13-inch baking pan with 2-inch-high sides. Combine first 3 ingredients in small bowl. Stir butter and chocolate in a small sauce pan over med-low heat until melted and smooth.
Beat eggs, sugar and vanilla in large bowl to blend. Stir in warm chocolate mixture, then dry ingredients. Fold in graham crackers. Pour batter into prepared pan. Dot with 12 large marshmallows. Bake until toothpick inserted into center comes out with moist crumbs attached, about 30- 40 minutes minutes.

I baked mine for 35 minutes and they were great.

I definitely like these better the day after. Still cake-like, but moist.

Black and White Cake-Like Brownies (2009.10)

Black and white is usually used to define a high class or dressy party. I love wearing black (besides the slimming effect) and white I think of calm and summer...
Well, these brownies were amazing without the black and white effect, but even better with it. I'm so glad I took the time to melt the chocolate drizzle.
These are out of The Essential Chocolate Chip Cookbook. These are definitely going in the keeper file! The brownies are more cake like - but moist and fudgy - if that makes any sense. I had to adjust the recipe a little bit just bvecause I didn't have enough sour cream - but really yummy... And these got made unlike any other brownie recipe...a winner.

1 2/3 cup flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups packed brown sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 stick unsalted butter, cut into chunks
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup light sour cream
1/2 cup ff vanilla yogurt
2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips

1/3 cup each white chocolate, semi sweet - divided
1/2 tsp in each canola oil

Mix flour through salt in mixer. Add butter and mix till it resembles small peas (about 2 minutes). Add in the wet ingredients. Fold in the chips. Bake in 8 in square pan, lined with parchment paper, sprayed. 325 for about an hour till done (9 inch is about 45).
Let cool. Melt the chocolates. Add in the oil. Drizzle with fork white chocolate than semi-sweet. Let harden.
Cut and give away - unless you eat them all!

Menu Week: March 8

This week is a lot of leftovers - primarily because I don't have a lot of money to spend and I have leftovers. So...here you go...
Monday - every lunch this week will be training. Shiraz for dinner and strawberry shortcake for dessert.
My leftovers are: veggie soup, chili, chicken salad, turkey soup - I'll switch these out throughout the week.
My recipe of the week for 2009 is out of The Essential Chocolate Chip Cookbook - for my friends Shana and Toby will get some for his bday.
I get to make some granola that i'm excited about.
Making a Kraft egg dish recipe for our Secretary breakfast on Friday morning - in honor of Bonnie who has a bday this month and usually brings the egg dish.
The two other baking things will be for community group (oatmeal, cherry, white chocolate chip cookies) and Bar night at Bloom - butterscotch blondies - both of these things I found online in my google reader.
Looking forward to leftovers and baking this week!

Dorie Greenspan Double Decker Brownies

Ok - so Dorie called them Chipster Topped Brownies - but I like my name better. Actually, I could just call them deep dark fudgy brownies topped with chocolate chip cookies. So good. I've gotten nothing but good reviews from them - so here you go.

Brownie Layer
6 oz dark chocolate
3 oz unsweetened chocolate
2 sticks unsalted butter, cubed
1 2/3 cup sugar
4 large eggs
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup flour
1 cup chopped walnuts

Melt chocolate and butter over medium heat till just melted. Cream sugar and butter in mixer - add in vanilla and salt. Put mixer on low and add in cooled chocolate mixture. Fold in flour then walnuts.
Grease and line and grease wax paper in a 9x13 pan. Pour into prepared pan. Set aside.

Cookie Layer
1 1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 sticks butter, unsalted butter softened
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
2/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla
6 oz dark chocolate chips

Stir together dry. Cream together butter, sugars, and eggs, then vanilla. Add dry, fold in chips. Spread cookies over brownies.
Bake at 350 for about an hour until done. Let cool. Lift out with wax paper. Cut into bars.
Deep dark brownies. I love the density and fudginess of them. The chocolate chip cookies are crispy on the top then you bite into a piece of fudge. Dorie Greenspan (in Baking From My Home To Yours) really comes through. This is my first, but definitely not last, recipe from this book.

Peanut Butter Brownies...Take 2

I made these about 2 years ago - and this time made them again, took pictures, and changed 2 things. Instead of using the mini baking reeces cups - I used just the miniature ones (about 2/3 of a bag) and cut them in half. That way they are chunkier. I also sprinkled about 1/2 cup reeces pieces to give them some color.

These were more moist than they were back then!

I'll take some to the office tomorrow and most of the to community group. Very good and easy - better than from a box and didn't take much more time. I will usually take homemade over boxed!

Brownie's Brownies

I'm going to visit a friend of mine tomorrow who's nickname is Brownie. Well - she loves chocolate - I think that is an understatement. And, her birthday is coming up (within 2 weeks). So, since her husband is working tomorrow night we are going to watch movies, eat dinner, and then eat these wonderful brownies. I hope she has some ice cream to go with it! :)

Brownie's Brownies
2 T water
3/4 cup sugar
6 T unsalted butter
6 squares semi-sweet Baker's chocolate
1 tsp vanilla
2 large eggs (one at a time)
3/4 cup flour
3 pinches salt
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips/chunks

Heat 1-3 over medium heat until melted and boiling. Take off heat and stir in chocolate squares until smooth. Add in vanilla and then eggs, one at a time. Add in the dry ingredients and then fold in the chocolate at the end. Heat oven to 325 and bake in lightly greased 8x8 pan. Cook for 26 minutes (give or take depending on how gooey you like your brownies).
Enjoy with some ice cream.
The thing I love about these is that they aren't too sweet. Most brownies are too sugary sweet for me - these are a great blend.
And they may be a little more expensive then a boxed brownie, but they take under 10 minutes to prepare and they are so much better. Use GOOD Chocolate!
Lisa - I'll be there tomorrow - I hope you enjoy them. Happy Early B-day and thanks for letting me stay at your house! Love you - and I'm so excited for bonding time!

Birthday Cheesecake Brownies

I really should know this - never try new recipes for a friend's birthday, when its hot, and you are trying to get skype to work on your computer.
Oh, well.
Brandi - I hope you had a fantabulous birthday. TCF has much more to brag about their cheesecake.
I made this recipe and they looked great, so I said why not? Brandi loves cheesecake - so how bad can chocolate and cheesecake be? Right?
Well, the cheesecake doesn't end up this high in comparison to the brownie. I love the brownie part. It is very rich. I actually used 3 oz of dark chocolate instead of just 2. But I did everything that the recipe said. I didn't hear my buzzer go off the second time, so they probably cooked 3-4 minutes too long. The ratio is too much brownie, not enough cheesecake. Good thing the brownie is good.
They taste good, they just aren't perfect and amazing. So Brandi - know that I can bake better for this - and this will just mean that I'll have to make something else cheesecake for next year's birthday - and there are just a few days before that for me to redeem myself. I hope you enjoy them!

Brownie Doctor

Ok - so when it is really hot in my non-ac-ed apartment, and it is the mid-90s and very humid outside, I don't feel like baking.
So...thankfully I had a box of brownie mix in the cupboard - I know - it was quite a shock to my system too.
But, I took my box of 8x8 pan size, Betty Crocker, dark fudge, fudge like brownie mix and doctored it up.
I added Reece's pb chips to the batter. Then when it was done, I sprinkled some on top so others could tell what was in them. Just kinda pushed them down into it with a spatula and covered the warm brownies loosely with foil - so they would melt a little.
Other things you can add:
mint chips
junior mints/york peppermint patties
cherries
mini baking chips
any kind of nuts

Be creative. Just because you use a box mix doesn't mean they have to be boring! :)

WinterMint Brownies

I got this recipe off the www.hersheys.com site and they are fabulous. I love doing new recipes and having them be great just like they are - and then they go in that permanent recipe folder - these are them!

WinterMint Brownies

3 sticks butter, melted
3 cups sugar
1 tbsp vanilla (you could put mint extract in here if you want it more minty)
5 eggs
2 cups flour
1 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
24 regular size york peppermint patties

325 (glass pan, 350 normal pan). Grease pan 13x9. Cream butter, sugar and extract. Add eggs one at a time. Add dry ingredients. When all mixed together, reserve two cups of batter. Pour in rest of batter in pan, layer with 24 york patties, then spread the 2 cups remainder over the top. Bake for 65 minutes or until done. Let cool overnight - makes them easier to cut.

Enjoy - I saved some of the crumbs and little bits for ice cream topping - yummy!

Peanut Butter Brownies

Empty plate (that I painted) - Happy Plate (with brownies I made)
These were good, dense, cake like brownies that cut great out of the pan. They weren' too sugary sweet - good taste of peanut butter. Adapted from a hershey's recipe. They are yummy. People at work said so, and now I'm going to a college meeting and bringing them.

Peanut Butter Chip Brownies

2 1/2 sticks melted butter
1 3/4 cups sugar
4 eggs (that's what makes them so dense and yummy)
2 tsps vanilla extract
1 2/3 cup flour
2/3 cup Hershey's cocoa (the powdered kind)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
8 oz pkg reeses' mini baking pieces (the cups - oh they are great)

Mix butter and sugar, add eggs 2 at a time, add vanilla. Then add dry ingredients. Fold in peanut butter pieces at end. Grease 9x13 pan and preheat oven to 350. Bake for 35 minutes or until knife comes out clean. Don't overbake.
ENJOY! And Share with others!