The Baked Brownie

I have wanted to try this recipe forever. It always looked like the ultimate celebration of chocolate, and I've heard it's the best brownie around. But, something more glamorous came across my computer screen to try, or someone really wanted cookies and it got pushed aside. Finally, enough was enough and I just had to bake it. Wow! These are the most insanely rich, intensely, deep chocolate brownies I have ever tasted. They are just beyond words amazing. Now that I have finally tried them, I'm not sure I'll be able to stop baking them.

The Baked Brownie:
11 ounces dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
2 sticks of butter
1 tsp of instant coffee
1 1/2 cups of sugar
1/2 cup of light brown sugar
5 eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoons vanilla extract
11/4 cups of flour
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp of unsweetened cocoa powder

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Melt the chocolate and butter in the microwave, stirring occasionally, until smooth. Stir in coffee and put in the freezer for a few minutes to cool. Stir in the sugars. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until just combined. Stir in the flour, salt, and cocoa powder, and mix until just combined. Line a 9 by 13 inch baking dish with parchment paper and spray with non stick. Pour batter into the pan and spread evenly. Bake until set in the middle, and a for inserted has only a few crumbs. About 40-50 minutes, it is very difficult to tell if they are done or not, so make sure you check the middle of the brownies. Let cool before slicing. (adapted from Brown Eyed Baker).

Happy Eating.

Ice Cream Sandwiches

Imagine the richest, chocolaty, most fudge like brownie you have ever had. Now imagine that was the "bread" in an ice cream sandwich. Absolute hot weather heaven. That's what these ridiculously rich and decadent sandwiches are. They are tested on ages 2 to I shouldn't say, and were approved as an amazing and cooling summer treat. So while this heat rages on, or makes a comeback, and you don't think you could even contemplate hot food, whip up a delicious batch of these easy ice cream sandwiches for your next BBQ and be a dessert summer superstar.

Ice Cream Sandwiches:
7 oz of unsweetened chocolate
12 sticks plus 6 tbsp of unsalted butter
2 2/3 cups of sugar
4 large eggs
1 tsp of vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp of baking powder
2 tsp of salt
2 cups of flour
1 container of Vanilla Ice Cream (with some leftover)

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. In a heat proof/microwave safe bowl, melt the chocolate and the butter, stirring occasionally until combined and melted. Add the sugar and mix until the mixture is smooth and sugar is mostly dissolved. Beat in the eggs, 1 at a time, stirring after each addition. Stir in the the vanilla. Add the baking powder, salt, and 1 cup of flour and stir until just combined. Add the remaining cup of flour and stir until combined, do not over mix. Line two 9 x13 inch dishes with parchment paper and spray with non stick spray. Divide batter between the two pans and smooth so it is distributed evenly, and you have a thin layer of brownie batter in each pan. Bake until the top looks dry (the insides will still be a moist, and a toothpick will NOT come out clean), about 8-10 minutes. Let brownies cool completely, then remove from the pan by lifting the parchment paper. Freeze until cold and firm, about 10 minutes. Let the ice cream soften slightly. Flip 1 brownie over onto a tray lined with additional parchment, so that the bottom is facing up. Spread with a thick layer of vanilla ice cream. Invert the second brownie on top of the ice cream, so the the top side is facing up (if the brownies are stuck run a sharp, hot knife underneath). Push down on the sandwiches slightly and freeze tray until firm, about an hour or up to a week. Cut into sandwiches before serving, smoothing ice cream if necessary. (adapted from Martha)

Happy Eating.

Quad-Chocolate Brownies

Sometimes you just need a lot of chocolate, and sometimes you just need a lot of brownies. Whether it's bakesale time, or birthday party, or you just owe a bunch of people big time, sometimes one pan of brownies doesn't cut it. This covers both, it's a lot of brownies and a lot of chocolate. It makes 32 giant brownies (like the size shown) or up too 100 small brownies depending how you cut them, or some of both (which is what I did). This recipe also has a lot of chocolate, 4 different kinds in fact, making them ridiculously chocolatey a delicious. I also usd a touch of the Tropical Traditions Coconut Oil, which gave it just a hint of coconutty goodness, you can easily sub it out though. So prepare to be on chocolate overload and whip up a delicious batch!

Quad-Chocolate Brownies:
2/3 cup Dutch-processed cocoa
1 tbsp of instant coffee powder/grounds
1 1/4 cups boiling water
4 oz unsweetened chocolate, in pieces
1 stick unsalted butter, melted
1 cup of canola oil
1/4 of unrefined virgin coconut oil (or sub an additional 1/4 cup of canola)
4 large eggs
4 large egg yolks
2 tbsp of vanilla extract
3 cups of white sugar
1 1/2 cups of brown sugar
3 1/2 cupsof all-purpose flour
2 of tsp salt
6 oz of semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
4 oz of white chocolate, chopped

Pre heat the oven to 350 degrees and put rack in the middle of the oven. Line two 9x13 baking dishes with foil, leaving an overhang, and grease or spray with Pam. In a very large bowl, stir together cocoa, coffee, and boiling water until smooth and it looks like hot chocolate. Add in unsweetened chocolate and stir until the chocolate melts and is smooth, if you need to re-heat it a little to get the chocolate all the way melted, just pop it in the microwave (assuming your bowl is safe). Add butter and oil (if using coconut oil, scoop that solid into the melted butter when the butter is hot and it will liquify down). Mix on low, don't worry that it won't come together and that it looks curdled, it's not, it just needs an emulsifier. With the mixer running, add eggs, yolks and vanila and mix until smooth. Add sugars mix until smooth. Add flour and salt and stir until just combined. Stir in white and semi sweet chocolate. Divide batter between the two pans and bake until a fork comes out clean, about 30-35 minutes. Let sit a few minutes then use foil overhang to lift brownies out of the pan. Let them cool out of the pan before serving. (adapted from Brown Eyed Baker)

Happy Eating.

S'mores Brownies

Oh boy do I have something delicious for you today. I made this little treat for some Halloween festivities (which is why the brownie is on a skeleton plate) but these brownies are not specifically for Halloween. In fact, they capture the essence of one of my favorite summer treats, S'mores!!!! There is nothing like a gooey s'more around the campfire, but this is definitely a super rich and decadent next best thing. The brownie base is the richest, deepest, most chocolaty brownie I have ever made (Thank you, Martha Stewart). Then the chocolate heaven is topped with more chocolate, marshmallows and graham crackers. Yeah, these are amazing, and highly addictive, so beware...



S'Mores Brownies:
1 stick unsalted butter, plus more for pan
8 ounces of bittersweet chocolate
1 1/2 cups of sugar
4 eggs
1 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract
3/4 cup of flour
1 tsp of salt
1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips

Topping:
3/4 of a bag of mini marshmallows
1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips
4 graham crackers

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 7" by 11" baking dish with parchment paper and butter or grease the paper. Melt butter and chocolate in a heat proof bowl (I used the microwave), stir together and let cool for 10 minutes. Mix in sugar and vanilla until well combined. Then add eggs and mix until the mixture is smooth. Gently fold in flour and salt. Stir until just incorporated, you do not want to over mix. Add in chocolate chips and stir gently. Pour into lined pan and bake for 35-40 minutes, until just before the brownies are done. Remove from the oven and top with marshmallows, distributing them evenly over the brownies. Then sprinkle with chocolate chips. Crumble the graham crackers into chunks and sprinkle on top. Bake for an additional 5-10 minutes until the chocolate is melted and the marshmallows are golden. Let cool for 10 minutes then use parchment paper to lift brownies out of the pan. Cut brownies according to size preference. Brownies can be stored for up to 5 days in an airtight container. Serve and enjoy. (adapted from Martha Stewart)

Happy Eating