Salted Caramel Brownies

One thing that I love to do for people on their birthdays is bake them something, because duh, calories don't count when it's your birthday so it's the perfect day for indulgence.  I usually let the person pick whatever dessert they want and then I try my darndest whether I've made it before or not.  It usually comes with a disclaimer if I'm trying out a new recipe.

Like last year my brother-in-law requested a marble cake.  Having never made a marble cake before I found what I assumed would be a reliable recipe since it was from Food & Wine and got a lot of really good reviews.  I don't know what I did wrong though because what I created was a dense, dry cake that I'm pretty sure half of it got thrown away.

Last week was one of my co-worker's birthdays and her request was for salted caramel brownies, a new but really scrumptious sounding dessert.  I gave the usual disclaimer and decided that I wanted to do it right, which meant making my own caramel.  I've heard horror stories about making caramel, so obviously I was basically expecting a disaster before it even began.

I found this recipe on Smitten Kitchen and decided to go with it, it was the one.  She made making caramel look so easy (who would've thunk?)  The caramel making nightmares started to go away.  My palms got less sweaty at the thought of it.  I was honestly still a little skeptical though.  But when push came to shove, it actually ended up being pretty simple.  The hardest part actually ended up being cutting the caramel into pieces since it's on the harder rather than chewy side so that it melts better with the batter.

The brownies ended up getting rave reviews at work and I'm sure that I will be making them many more times.  Now that I've successfully made caramel for the first time, dare I say that caramel candies will be next?  Or maybe some of April's caramel corn?  I guess I better add a candy thermometer to my kitchen wish list.

Ingredients:

Caramel

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• Generous 1/4 teaspoon flaky sea salt
• 3 tablespoons heavy cream

Brownies

• 3 ounces unsweetened chocolate
• 1 stick unsalted butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Generous 1/4 teaspoon flaky sea salt
• 2/3 cup all purpose flour

Directions:

Caramel:

1. Put a piece of parchment paper over a medium size plate.  Coat it with butter or non-stick spray.
2. Using a medium, dry sauce pan, melt sugar over medium-high heat.  Should take approximately 5 minutes.  It is done when it turns a copper color.
3. Remove pan from heat and stir in butter.  Then stir in the cream and salt.
4. Return pan to medium-high heat and bring to a simmer.  Let it bubble for a few minutes until it turns a shade darker.
5. Pour onto parchment paper and place it in the freezer to harden, around 30 minutes or so.

Brownies:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line an 8x8 inch pan with parchment paper and spray with nonstick spray or grease with butter.
2. Melt chocolate and butter together in a bowl in the microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring in between.
3. Whisk in sugar, then one egg at a time, then vanilla and salt.  Stir in flour.
4. Cut hardened caramel into 1 inch squares.  Set aside a small amount of caramel squares and fold the rest into the batter.
5. Pour the batter into the parchment paper lined pan.  Sprinkle the remaining caramel pieces on top.
6. Cook for 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool in freezer.

Recipe from Smitten Kitchen.

Chocolate Brownie Cookies

I was just having one of those weeks. The one's where you think there is no way Friday will come and the Universe seems to be laughing at you struggle. Yup, that sums up my week so to turn it around, I made these. I was just browsing recipes and once I feasted my eyes upon this recipe, I knew my week could only get better. C'mon, its a cookie...and a brownie. And it's made with chocolate, lots of it! I used up all my cocoa powder and semi-sweet chocolate chips. Oh, and I had to go to the store for some white chocolate chips. Universe, who is laughing now!

These cookie/brownies are a perfect mood-booster or a easy dessert to add to a cookout menu. I actually used this recipe for both purposes! They are chewy (as long as you are extra careful with baking time), chocolately, and are sure to go within a couple of days!

Chocolate Brownie Cookies

adapted from Yammie's Noshery

Ingredients

2 sticks butter

2 1/4 c. sugar

4 large eggs

1 Tbsp vanilla extract 

1 1/4 c. cocoa powder 

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking powder 

1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour

1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 c. white chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Add butter and sugar into a saucepan. Place on stovetop at medium heat. Stir until the butter/sugar mixture is bubbly and smooth. Remove from heat. 

2. Add in eggs and vanilla and stir. 

3. In a separate bowl, mix together the cocoa, salt, baking powder, and flour. Add in the butter/sugar/egg mixture.

4. Fold in both types of chocolate chips once the dough is at room temperature. 

When I did this, the sugar/butter mixture was still a bit hot and melted the semi-sweet chocolate chips (oops!). So I added more and the white chocolate chips later

5. The dough will have a consistency (and smell) of brownies so chill the dough in the freezer or refrigerator until it becomes pretty solid. 

6. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Form the dough into balls and gently pat them down onto a cookie sheet. These cookies don't spread out too much during baking, so shape them/pat them down to your liking. 

7. Bake for about 9-13 minutes. Keep an eye on them to not over-bake them. I took them out just as the middle of the cookie was losing its dark brown color (as mine cooked, they turned into a slightly lighter brown color). 

8. Set cookies on a cooling rack.

9. Enjoy!

Avery's Birthday Brownies

A couple of days ago was my big sister Avery's 23rd birthday!  Growing up, our mom always let us choose between homemade brownies or white cake for our birthday.  I secretly was hoping Ave would want cake so that I could use my new cake pans that I got for Christmas, but she picked brownies so I happily obliged.  I topped them off with the same very easy homemade frosting that our mom always makes in Avery's choice of pink.

Brownies Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 cup flour
• ¾ teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup shortening
• 3 squares unsweetened chocolate
• 1 ½ cups sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Melt shortening and chocolate together in a small bowl in the microwave.
3. Beat together sugar, vanilla and eggs in a large mixing bowl.
4. Blend in chocolate mixture.
5. Mix in dry ingredients.
6. Spread in greased 9x13 inch pan. (Use a smaller pan if you prefer your brownies thicker.)
7. Bake for 25 minutes.

Frosting Recipe

Ingredients

• 3 cups powdered sugar
• ⅓ cup softened butter or crisco
• 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
• About 2 tablespoons milk (may need more)
• Food coloring

Directions

1. Combine powdered sugar, butter, vanilla, and milk in a medium mixing bowl and beat together.
2. Add food coloring as desired.

Recipe courtesy of Karen Spencer

Happy 23rd Birthday Big Sister!

Outrageous Brownies

The only thing you need to know about these brownies is that they are an "orgasm in your mouth". The first time I made these that is all my roommate could say about them after trying the batter. It is a good start to get a compliment like that on the batter, the finished product has to be amazing too. She loved the finished brownies just as much. She doesn't have much of a sweet tooth but I found her sneaking more of these than me. The person who isn't big on sweets, the batter lover and the brownie lover will all be in love with these brownies!

They are super moist and chocolaty. The addition of the instant coffee brings out the chocolate. The recipe has you mix the nuts and chips with flour, which helps them to not sink to the bottom of the pan. You are instructed to refrigerate them, which I recommend. Refrigerating them makes them easier to cut and holds their shape better once cut.  Give them a try, they are sure to please everyone!

Recipe Courtesy of Ina Garten
Ingredients:

• 1 pound unsalted butter
• 1 pound plus 12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips (do not melt the 12oz)
• 6 ounces unsweetened chocolate
• 6 extra-large eggs
• 3 tablespoons instant coffee granules
• 2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
• 2 1/4 cups sugar
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups chopped walnuts (toasted)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Butter a 9 x 12 and 8 x 8 brownie pans (there is LOTS of batter)

Melt together the butter, 1 pound of chocolate chips (reserve 12 oz for later on), and the unsweetened chocolate in a medium bowl on low in microwave. Allow to cool slightly. In a large bowl, stir (do not beat) together the eggs, coffee granules, vanilla, and sugar. Stir the warm chocolate mixture into the egg mixture and allow to cool slightly.

In a medium bowl, mix together 1 cup of flour, the baking powder, and salt. Add to the chocolate mixture. Toss the walnuts and 12 ounces of chocolate chips in a medium bowl with 1/4 cup of flour, then add them to the chocolate batter. Pour into the prepared baking pans, evenly.

Bake for 40-50 minutes (the smaller pan will take less time), until a toothpick comes out clean. Do not overbake! Allow to cool thoroughly, refrigerate, cut and enjoy!

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Pumpkin Brownies

I was making these really awesome pumpkin snickerdoodle cookies the other day and I had some leftover pumpkin that I couldn't decide what to do with. I was thinking something along the lines of pumpkin pancakes but then I came across this pumpkin brownie recipe and just couldn't resist trying out the combination of chocolate and pumpkin together, two of my favorite flavors!

So after class and work on Friday I came home and baked these guys as a nice transition from the school week to a fun filled weekend of Badger and Packer football domination! Two of my roommates kept my company while I baked and made a music playlist for our corn-husking tailgate.

After a couple of near tragic measurement mix ups (1/4 cups baking powder instead of 1/4 teaspoons. How does that even happen?!) the brownies came out of the oven scotch free. My taste testers and I decided that they are best eaten with a cold glass of milk, otherwise they may be a little too rich. I meant to put a dusting of powdered sugar on top of the brownies when I took them out of the oven but forgot, oh well. Enjoy!

Ingredients

10 oz. of dark chocolate

1/2 stick of butter

1/2 cup of pumpkin

2 eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup flour

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Grease a square 8x8 pan (line if you'd like first).
3. Melt butter and chocolate squares together. Stir together.
4. Add pumpkin, eggs, and vanilla extract. Mix together.
5. Add flour, cocoa powder, sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and baking powder. Mix together with wet ingredients.
6. Pour batter into pan and level out (batter will be thick and won't fill in all the nooks and crannies of the pan on its own).
7. Bake for 30 minutes.

Recipe courtesy of Running to the Kitchen