THE Brownies

That's it, the search is over.  I have found THE BEST BROWNIES EVER.  That's right, EVER.  I have been searching for years for the perfect fudgy, thick, chocolaty brownies and these are it.  They are phenomenal.  After finishing the last one today at lunch my husband said after dinner "You know, if feels kind of empty without the brownies here".  That's how good they are.  

The recipe calls for Dutch cocoa, which I was out of and the grocery store nearby doesn't have, so I used Hershey's and it was still fine.  I'm making a run to Whole Foods this week to pick up the Dutch cocoa as well as some Schaffen Berger chocolate.  I figure it can only make them better!

Enjoy!

Deep Chocolate Brownies

2 sticks of unsalted butter

8 oz bittersweet chocolate

2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

5 eggs

2/3 cup flour

1/3 cup unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa 

1/2 teaspoon salt

• Preheat oven to 350.  Line a 13x9 inch pan with parchment.
• Melt butter and chocolate in a double boiler until smooth.  Remove from heat and cool to lukewarm.
• Whisk in eggs one at a time until glossy and smooth.
• In a separate bowl whisk together flour, cocoa, and salt.  Whisk into chocolate mixture.
• Spread in pan and bake until center comes out with crumbs, 25-35 minutes.  I like my brownies on the undercooked side so I stopped right at 25.  

My son and sous chef also enjoyed them!

I found this recipe in Gourmet.

Magnolia Bakery Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Buttercream

I haven't made an everyday chocolate cupcake in a long time so I figured I was due.  This is a pretty typical chocolate chocolate cupcake.  The frosting was bit fluffy for my taste as I tend to prefer a dense frosting, but it was tasty.  The cake itself was nice and moist.  Overall a good chocolate cupcake.

Enjoy!

Cupcake

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

4 eggs

6 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted

1 cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon vanilla

Frosting

1 1/2 cups butter, room temperature

2 tablespoons milk

9 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled to room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted

For cupcake:

• Heat oven to 350.  Line a 12 cup cupcake tin.
• Sift together flour and baking soda in small bowl.
• With mixer, cream butter and sugars together.  Beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes.
• Add eggs one at a time until incorporated.  Add chocolate and beat until well combined. 
• Alternately add buttermilk/vanilla and dry ingredients.  Do not over mix.
• Scoop into liners about 2/3 full.  Bake 20-24 minutes.  

For frosting:

• Beat butter until creamy.  Add milk and beat to combine.  Add chocolate and vanilla and mix until smooth.  
• Slowly add sugar.  Once all is added beat on medium high until fluffy, about 2 minutes.  

I found both these recipes in More From Magnolia.

Caramel Apple Mini Cupcakes

How stinkin' cute are these?!?  I had a Back to School picnic to go to and brought these.  I've made the full size version in the past but figured I could get people to eat 2 or 3 minis (and I was right!).  

I apologize for the severe lack of process pictures lately.  I've been getting caught up in the baking and realize at the end that I haven't taken any.  Anyway, there's nothing tricky or odd about these so there's really no need for extra pictures.

Enjoy!

Cupcake

3-4 Granny Smith apples

2 cups flour

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon ginger

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1/2 cup canola oil

1/4 cup apple cider 

1 teaspoon vanilla

Frosting

4 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

4 tablespoons milk

3 tablespoons cider

3 1/2-4 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted

Drizzle

1/2 cup evaporated milk

4 ounces individually wrapped caramels, unwrapped

For cupcakes:

• Heat oven to 350.  Line 24 mini cupcake or 12 regular cupcake tins.
• Rinse and core apples.  Bake 30-40 minutes or until soft.  Peel and puree.
• Sift together flour, sugar, spices, baking soda, and salt. 
• Slightly beat eggs.  Add oil, cider, vanilla, and one cup of pureed apple.  Stir to combine.
• Combine wet and dry ingredients.  Mix only until combined; do not over mix.  
• Fill liners 2/3 full.  Bake mini cupcakes 12-14 minutes, regular cupcakes 18-20 minutes.

For frosting:

• Melt butter in small saucepan.  Add sugar and milk and cook on low until sugar dissolves.  Stir in cider.
• In a stand mixer on low mix butter mixture and sugar until combined.  Turn to medium-high and beat until full.  Frosting may be a little loose, even with the sugar, so chill for a few minutes if necessary.  

For drizzle:

• Combine milk and caramels in saucepan.  Cook on low until smooth.  Remove from heat and let sit 5 minutes.  Drizzle over iced cupcakes.  

This recipe was adapted from Caramel Appletini Cupcakes.

S'Mores Cheesecake

I meet with a group of former colleagues each Tuesday for coffee and I've volunteered to bring treats.  It gives me a chance to make a dent in the 14,117 "to try" recipes I have sitting in various places around my house and they seem to appreciate it.  Well, this week it was canceled but only after I had made this weeks' treat: S'Mores Cheesecake.  So here I am with a whole cheesecake just waiting to be eaten.  

It's very tasty, if not a tad sweet.  I like the marshmallow topping but that's really where a big chunk of the sweetness is coming in so I may reduce the amount by half or so next time around.  And all though it's a very tasty topping I'm sure jarred Fluff would do if you don't want to make it yourself.  

Make sure you make the cheesecake portion the night before you need it so you can properly chill it overnight.

Enjoy!

Crust

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

3 tablespoons sugar

6 tablespoons melted butter

Filling

9 ounces milk chocolate (I had to use chips but it worked fine)

16 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

3/4 cup sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup whipping cream

3 eggs

Topping

1 cup sugar

2 egg whites

3 tablespoons water

1 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/8 teaspoon salt

12 large or 120 mini marshmallows (if using large, cut into quarters)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

For crust:

• Preheat oven to 350.
• Stir all ingredients together and press into a parchment lined springform pan.  I used my square one for no other reason than that I like it.
• Bake 12 minutes. Cool.

For filling:

• Melt chocolate in a double boiler.  Cool to lukewarm.
• Blend cream cheese, sugar, and salt until smooth.  Make sure not to go crazy here.  Over beating can cause a cheesecake to crack.  More on that later...

• Add whipping cream and mix until incorporated.
• Add melted chocolate then eggs one at a time.  
• Pour over crust
• Bake at 350 for 15 minutes then reduce oven to 200 and continue baking for 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes.  Now, to that cracking issue.  I never, ever, ever crack cheesecakes. Well, except for that one time 5 years ago in a weird oven and the two other times that I've not listened to myself.   But seriously, no other time.  I don't use water baths or anything else "fancy" other than the above method - long, low heat.  I seriously think this is what helps me not crack them.  Any time I've used another method, they've cracked.  Just like this one did.  So, I'm altering the directions to my method.  And I'm never following any other baking directions for a cheesecake again.  Seriously.  
• Once done (check for a wiggle by shaking the pan.  It shouldn't be set at this point, the center should shimmy nicely), turn off oven, crack the door and leave the cheesecake in until the oven is cool, about an hour or so.  
• Remove and place in refrigerator overnight.  

For topping:

• Whisk sugar, egg whites, water, cream of tartar, and salt in a large metal bowl.  Set over saucepan of simmering water and whisk constantly until sugar dissolves, about 3 minutes.
• Remove from over water (but keep water simmering) and stir in marshmallows.  Let them sit and soften for about 3 minutes.  Return over water and beat until shiny medium-stiff peaks form.  Beat in vanilla.
• Place on cheesecake.  Let stand until set, about 15 minutes.
• Either use a torch to singe the top or a broiler for about 3 minutes.  

I varied the recipe I found in the July 2008 Bon Appetit.

Rocky Road Fudge Bars

Wow, it's been a long time since I've posted anything. Dang Olympics are eating into my blogging time!

Anyway, I've recently become an Angel Baker which is a program that sends home baked treats to our soldiers abroad. It's an amazing program and my first "assignment" was great. You should check it out.

So I made these bars as part of my package. I figured if anyone could use some sweet, layered, chocolaty goodness it was soldiers! I'm not sure if they qualify for "true" rocky road bars since I used peanuts instead of walnuts (it's normally walnuts, right?), but they're good either way. They are sweet, so small bars (which are not normally my style) are great.

Enjoy!


Base
1/2 cup butter
1 oz unsweetened chocolate
1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
3/4 cup chopped nuts

Filling
6 oz cream cheese, soft
1/4 cup butter, soft
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
1/4 cup chopped nuts
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
2 cups mini marshmallows

Frosting
2 oz cream cheese
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup mil
1 oz unsweetened chocolate
3 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

For base:

• Preheat oven to 350. Line a 13x9 inch pan with parchment (or grease and flour, if that's your thing).
• Melt butter and chocolate in double boiler until smooth. Remove from heat and stir in remaining base ingredients.
• Spread into pan

For filling:

• Beat cream cheese, butter, sugar, flour, vanilla, and egg until smooth and fluffy. Stir in nuts and chocolate chips.
• Spread over base.

• Bake 25-35 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean. On a side note, I had some issues with this since I managed to stick my toothpick into about 14 different spots before I hit an area that was chocolate chip free. So be warned, the toothpick may come out wet, but only wet with melted chocolate. Keep stabbing!
• Top with marshmallows and cook 2 more minutes.

For frosting:

• While the base and filling are baking, cook cream cheese, butter, milk, and chocolate on low heat until blended and smooth.
  
• Remove from heat and stir in powdered sugar and vanilla.
  
• Pour over warm, puffed marshmallows and swirl with a knife to marble. Two things here: 1) I did this too early to keep the frosting from crusting a bit so I just whipped it for a second to remove the crunchy bits and 2) mine didn't marble, but they still tasted great!
• Refrigerate until firm.

I found this recipe in Best of the Pillsbury Bake-Off Cookies and Bars

I should have quit while I was ahead

It's been a LONG time since I've thrown out a dessert (I mean, really, are they ever THAT bad?) but I did today. I should have known better too. The entire process turned out to be a comedy of errors. I even thought to myself "maybe there have been one too many issues here. Turn back now? Naw." I should have listened.

But I decided to post them anyway. I figure I can't be the only one who has bad baking days!

I can't say for sure what went wrong, so for now I'm blaming the recipe. ;) I did half the original (which is posted) and thank goodness because I probably would have cried if I'd had to throw out 17 chocolate and cream cheese-based anything. I'm pretty confident in my dividing abilities, having a degree in math and all, so I don't think that was it. I under-baked by five minutes because they started looking a little scary brown for cream cheese and they still turned out dry and pretty non-chocolaty.

So, if you see a glaring error in the recipe, let me know. If not, I wouldn't bother.

Black Bottom Cupcakes

CREAM CHEESE FILLING:

3/4 pound (one and a half 8-ounce package) cream cheese (not softened)
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
1/3 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips

CUPCAKES:
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened Dutch process cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup vegetable oil (preferably canola)
1 cup sugar
1 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two 12-cup muffin tins with 18 cupcake papers

TO MAKE THE CREAM CHEESE FILLING:

• In a medium-sized bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar together until smooth. Add the egg and beat well. Stir in the chocolate chips. Set aside.
• This was actually really tasty at this stage. Once cooked, not so much. I don't know if I could use it for something else. It has a raw egg in it, so I'm thinking a filling wouldn't do. Maybe leave out the egg and inject into the middle of a chocolate cupcakes?
  

TO MAKE THE CUPCAKES:

• In a small bowl, combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, beat together the oil and sugar.
• This is what happens when you're not careful with your cocoa scooping.
  

• Add the dry ingredients into two parts, alternating with buttermilk and vanilla, and making sure all the ingredients are well blended.
• This is when I started to really worry. This is the thickest batter I've ever seen. It's almost cookie dough.
  

• Carefully spoon the cupcake batter into the cupcake liners, filling them about two-thirds full. Drop a small scoop (about 1 1/2 tablespoons) of the cream cheese filling on top of each cupcake.

• Bake for about 30-35 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center of the cupcake comes out clean.
• This is at 25 minutes.

• Cool the cupcakes in the tins for 30 minutes. Remove the tins and cool completely on a wire rack.

Pink Lemonade Cupcakes

My chat board mommy friends and I have started a weekly recipe challenge and this week I hosted with cupcakes! These were the winners. The cupcakes are tart and sweet, not to mention adorable! If I make these again I would do them in mini form and add lemon to the batter to up the tart level. I found the cupcake recipe here and the frosting is an adaptation of the Sprinkles cream cheese frosting, which is the MOST perfect cream cheese frosting I've found.

Cupcakes
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 egg whites
1/3 cup thawed frozen Pink Lemonade Concentrate
1/4 cup buttermilk
2 or more drops red food coloring
1 tablespoon lemon juice (I have NOT tried this yet!)

Icing
4 ounces cold cream cheese
1/2 stick unsalted butter, firm but not cold
Pinch salt
2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
3 tablespoons thawed frozen Pink Lemonade Concentrate


For cupcakes:

• Preheat oven to 350 F. Line muffin pan with liners.
• In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, oil, egg whites and lemonade concentrate. Alternately whisk in flour mixture and buttermilk, making three additions of flour mixture and two of buttermilk, beating until just smooth. Add just enough food coloring to turn the batter a light shade of pink.
• Scoop batter into liners (fill about three-fourths full). I got 9 perfectly flat cupcakes from this recipe. Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until tops of cupcakes spring back when lightly touched. Let cool in pan on rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and let cool completely on rack.

For icing:

• Combine butter, salt, and cream cheese, 2-3 minutes on med-low.
• Reduce to low, add the sugar and beat until incorporated.
• Add vanilla and concentrate and beat just until incorporated. Do not over mix.
• Add milk 1 teaspoon at a time if needed for consistency.