Italian Tricolors

Over the next couple of days, I'm going to be putting up recipes without any background stories or anecdotes. I've just been so busy with life that I haven't had any time to blog lately. I have had some time to bake though, and this recipe from Good Housekeeping: Brownies! is a perfect example of my baking. "These pretty bars, featuring the colors of the Italian flag, are often found in Italian bakeries. When Food Appliances Director Sharon Franke wanted to bake her favorite cookies at home, the Good Housekeeping test kitchen developed this recipe especially for her."

Italian Tricolors
*makes 36 bars*

Ingredients:
1 tube (7 to 8 oz) almond paste, broken into small pieces
3/4 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp almond extract
3 large eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
15 drops red food coloring
15 drops green food coloring
2/3 cup apricot preserves
3 oz semisweet chocolate
1 tsp vegetable shortening

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350F. Grease three 8-inch square disposable baking pans. Line bottoms of pans with waxed paper; grease and flour waxed paper.
2) In large bowl, with mixer at medium-high speed, beat almond paste, butter, sugar, and almond extract until well blended (there will be some small lumps of almond paste remaining). Reduce speed to medium; beat in eggs, one at a time, until blended. Reduce speed to low; beat in flour and salt just until combined.
3) Transfer one-third of batter to small bowl. Transfer half of remaining batter to another small bowl. Stir red food coloring into one bowl of batter until evenly blended. Repeat with green food coloring and another bowl of batter, leaving one bowl untinted.
4) Spoon untinted batter into one prepared pan. With metal spatula, spread batter evenly (layer will be about 1/4 inch thick). Repeat with red batter in second pan. Repeat with green batter in remaining pan.
5) Bake until layers are set and toothpick inserted in center of layers comes out clean, 10 to 12 minutes, rotating pans between upper and lower oven racks halfway through baking.
6) Cool in pans on wire racks 5 minutes. Run thin knife around sides of pans to loosen layers. Invert layers onto racks, leaving waxed paper attached; cool completely.
7) When layers are cool, press apricot preserves through coarse sieve into small bowl to remove any large pieces of fruit. Remove waxed paper from green layer. Invert green layer onto flat plate or small cutting board; spread with half of apricot preserves. Remove waxed paper from untinted layer; invert onto green layer. Spread with remaining apricot preserves. Remove waxed paper from red layer; invert onto untinted layer.
8) In 1-quart saucepan, heat chocolate and shortening over low heat, stirring frequently, until melted. Spread melted chocolate mixture on top of red layer (not on sides); refrigerate until chocolate is firm, at least 1 hour. If you like, after chocolate has set, cover and refrigerate stacked layers up to 3 days before cutting and serving.
9) To serve, with serrated knife, trim edges (about 1/4 inch from each side). Cut stacked layers into 6 strips. Cut each strip crosswise into 6 pieces.

Flapjacks

When pressed for time, easy and fast are two keywords that are great to hear. These two words can definitely be used for this recipe from Good Housekeeping: Brownies!. Without lying to you, these blondies only use four ingredients and they're put together and baked in under 20 minutes. Another good thing about this recipe is that it's tasty and can be made by anyone of any age and baking level expertise. "These no-fuss brown sugar and oatmeal wedges are 'quick, easy, and delicious - a perfect recipe for a young baker!' says Good Housekeeping Associate Research Editor Clare Ellis, who learned to make them as a child in England."

Flapjacks
*makes 16 wedges*

Ingredients:
5 tbsp butter
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1 1/3 cup old-fashioned oats, uncooked
pinch salt

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350F. Grease 8-inch round cake pan. Line pan with foil, extending foil over rim; grease foil.
2) In 2-quart saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Add sugar and cook, stirring, until well blended, 1 minute. Remove from heat; stir in oats and salt until evenly mixed.
3) Sprinkle oat mixture evenly over bottom of prepared pan; with metal spatula, firmly pat down mixture.
4) Bake until golden, 16 to 18 minutes. Let cool in pan on wire rack 10 minutes.
5) Lift foil, with round, out of pan; peel foil away from sides. While still warm, cut round into 16 wedges. Transfer foil with flapjacks to wire rack to cool completely.

Butterscotch Blondies

Since discovering what blondies are, I've been on a blondie baking-spree and tasting-spree. I've tracked them in local bakeries, and I've been trying out many recipes as well. It's been fun trying out new recipes for all different kinds of blondies, but of all the ones I've tried (both blogged about and not-yet-blogged), these are a true favorite. These blondies from Good Housekeeping: Brownies! are chewy with a slight crunch from the pecans in the batter. They're not too sweet either, which is good because some blondies I've tried out there are a little too sweet for my taste. It also satisfies my butterscotch sweet tooth, because I'm definitely a butterscotch fan. You know butterscotch pudding? I'm all over that :)

Butterscotch Blondies
*makes 24 blondies*

Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
6 tbsp butter
1 3/4 cups packed light brown sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup pecans, coarsely chopped

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350F. Grease 13" by 9" baking pan.
2) In small bowl, with wire whisk, mix flour, baking powder, and salt. In 3-quart saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Remove saucepan from heat; stir in brown sugar and vanilla. Add eggs; stir until well mixed. Stir in flour mixture and pecans just until blended. Spread batter evenly in prepared pan.
3) Bake until toothpick inserted 2 inches from edge comes out almost clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Do not overbake; blondie will firm as it cools. Cool in pan on wire rack.
4) When cool, cut blondie lengthwise into 4 strips, then cut each strip crosswise into 6 pieces.

If you want to print this recipe out, go here to its link on the Good Housekeeping site.

Blond Bombshells

One of the perks of having this blog is being able to explore my food options. Since I'm baking my way through several books, that forces me to make everything in them, except for peanut butter recipes. I can't even stand the smell of peanut butter, so I'm not allowing myself to try those recipes out. But besides that point, baking my way through these books lets me open my food options and introduces me to different kinds of foods as well as different taste combinations. It's also shed light on how little I know about the food world. For example, I had never known that there was such a thing as a blondie until this recipe. I had always seen them around on the Internet, but I had never really tried one or never really gotten myself to make them. While going through Good Housekeeping: Brownies!, I saw that the authors dedicated a whole chapter to the world of blondies. This definitely sparked up my curiosity, and I decided to try out this recipe. I wasn't let down. I love how the dark brown sugar in these gives a deep flavor that combines really well with the add-ins. The texture also was great because it was just the right amount of chewy that I like.

Blond Bombshells
*makes 24 blondies*

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup butter
1 lb dark brown sugar
1 tbsp vanilla extract
3 large eggs
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans
1 cup dried cherries
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350F. Grease 15 1/2" by 10 1/2" jelly-roll pan. In medium bowl, with wire whisk, mix flour, baking soda, and salt.
2) In 3- to 4-quart saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Remove saucepan from heat; stir in sugar and vanilla. Add eggs; stir until well mixed. Stir in flour mixture and add-ins just until blended. Spread batter into prepared pan.
3) Bake blondie until toothpick inserted 2 inches from edges come out almost clean or about 25 minutes. Do not overbake; blondie will firm as it cools. Cool completely in pan on wire rack.
4) When cool, cut blondie lengthwise into 4 strips, then cut each strip crosswise into 6 pieces.

If you want to print this recipe out, go here to its link on the Good Housekeeping site.

Black Forest Brownies

I'm so bogged down with homework, even though it's mostly reading, that I don't really have a lot of time to elaborate or tell a cool story. All I have to say is that this semester is going to be tough. There's tons of reading to do, tons of problems to work out, plus I have to study for my MCAT, and get to getting recommendations, and all that other stuff that goes into applying for Med School. But everyone needs some down time, and these brownies fit the mold perfectly. They have a subtle cherry flavor, as well as dried cherries in the batter. They also have a sour cream layer on the top that adds a new flavor dimension to these brownies from Good Housekeeping: Brownies!. Keep in mind that "kirsch, sour cherries, and chocolate are the hallmarks of Black Forest cake, which was originally created in the Black Forest region of Germany. We've captured all the fabulous flavor of the classic in a brownie that takes twenty minutes to prepare." The only thing I did differently to this was that I used cherry juice instead of kirsch because I didn't have any on hand.

Black Forest Brownies
*makes 24 brownies*

Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup butter
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
2 tbsp cherry juice
1 3/4 cups sugar
3 tsp vanilla extract
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup dried tart cherries
16 oz sour cream

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350F. Grease 13" by 9" baking pan. In small bowl, with wire whisk, mix flour and salt.
2) In 3-quart saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Remove from heat. With wire whisk, stir in cocoa until smooth. Add cherry juice, 1 1/2 cups sugar, and 2 teaspoons vanilla; whisk until well mixed. Add eggs; stir until well combined. Stir flour mixture into cocoa mixture just until blended; stir in cherries. Spread batter evenly in prepared pan.
3) Bake until toothpick inserted 1 inch from edge comes out almost clean, 20 to 25 minutes.
4) Meanwhile, in small bowl, stir sour cream, remaining 1/4 cup sugar, and remaining 1 teaspoon vanilla until blended. With small metal spatula, spread sour cream mixture evenly over baked brownie. Bake until topping has set, about 5 minutes longer. Cool completely in pan on wire rack.
5) When cool, cut lengthwise into 4 strips, then cut each strip crosswise into 6 pieces.

Apricot Bars

The word apricot to me is just like the word caramel: is it ah-pricots or ay-pricots, is it car-amel or care-amel? I don't know the correct way to say it, but hey, the girl writing is one that to this day still says fuschia funkily and refuses to learn the right way to say it. On another apricot-y moment, apricots are definitely one of those fruits I've never grown up with. My parents would never bring them home, and they'd never really make anything with them. It wasn't until I started to bake continuously that I realized how delicious apricots were, well, when being the star ingredient of a recipe, like this one from Good Housekeeping: Brownies!. I had made a similar recipe before, and honestly, I don't know which is better: these bars or the squares I had recently done (Guess what?? You can now go to my new and still under construction Recipe Index to find the recipe for the Apricot-Almond Squares I'm talking about). These bars are really good, and I especially like the oatmeal crumbly topping. When making these, you should "cool the filling and the crust before assembling the layers to keep the crust from crumbling when you spread the filling over it."

Apricot Bars
*makes 40 bars*

Ingredients:
APRICOT FILLING
1 1/2 cups dried apricots
1 1/2 cups water
1/4 cup granulated sugar

SHORTBREAD CRUST
3/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour

STREUSEL TOPPING
1/2 cup old-fashioned oats, uncooked
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup butter

Directions:
1) Prepare filling: In 1-quart saucepan, combine apricots and water; heat to boiling over medium heat. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until tender, about 25 minutes. With wooden spoon or potato masher, mash until smooth. Stir in granulated sugar; cool to room temperature.
2) Prepare crust: Preheat oven to 375F. Line 13" by 9" baking pan with foil, extending foil over rim. In large bowl, with mixer at medium speed, beat butter and confectioner's sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla. Stir in flour until well combined. With hand, pat dough firmly onto bottom of prepared pan. Bake until golden brown and set, about 15 minutes. Cool to room temperature in pan on wire rack.
3) Prepare topping: In medium bowl, stir oats, brown sugar, and flour. With fingertips, mix in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Spread cooled filling over crust. Scatter topping over filling.
4) Bake until lightly browned, about 25 minutes. Cool completely in pan on wire rack.
5) When cool, lift foil, with pastry, out of pan; peel foil away from sides. Cut lengthwise into 5 strips, then cut each strip crosswise into 8 pieces.

Triple-Layer Almond Shortbread Brownies

As some of you may have been noticing, I've been trying to change up the way in which the pictures look. I've been trying to improve my photography skills, and I've also been adding titles into the pictures. First, I made a batch of brownies from Good Housekeeping: Brownies!. Then, once they were made and assembled, I tried to take the pictures and then add the usual title. For these brownies, for some odd reason, I wasn't able to do anything to the picture. The shooting of these brownies was challenging, because I just wasn't happy with any of the shots. Then, when I went to put in the title, it just didn't look right. I tried different sizes, positions, and even different fonts, and still nothing. I think having a bare picture is refreshing; it's something new. It really makes the brownie the main star of the picture. The picture highlights the three layers: a "trufflelike cake [that] is nestled in a rich shortbread crust, with a semisweet chocolate glaze on top."

Triple-Layer Almond Shortbread Brownies
*makes 72 brownies*

Ingredients:
1 cup whole natural almonds, toasted
3/4 cup confectioner's sugar
1 3/4 cups butter, softened
1/4 tsp almond extract
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
5 oz unsweetened chocolate
3 large eggs
2 cups granulated sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla extract
6 oz semisweet chocolate
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350F. Line 15 1/2" by 10 1/2" jelly-roll pan with foil, extending foil over rim.
2) In food processor with knife blade attached, process whole almonds with 1/4 cup confectioner's sugar until nuts are finely ground.
3) In large bowl, with mixer at low speed, beat 3/4 cup butter and remaining 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar until blended. Increase speed to high; beat until creamy. At low speed, beat in ground-almond mixture, almond extract, and 1 3/4 cups flour just until blended (dough will be stiff).
4) With hands, pat dough evenly onto bottom of prepared jelly-roll pan. Bake until golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool in pan on wire rack.
5) Meanwhile, in heavy 2-quart saucepan, heat unsweetened chocolate and remaining 1 cup butter over low heat, stirring frequently, until melted. Remove from heat. Cool slightly, about 10 minutes.
6) In large bowl, with mixer at high speed, beat eggs, granulated sugar, salt, and 1 teaspoon vanilla until ribbon forms when beaters are lifted, 5 to 10 minutes. Beat in chocolate mixture until blended. With spoon, stir in remaining 1 cup flour. Pour chocolate mixture over shortbread crust; spread evenly to edges. Bake until toothpick inserted 1 inch from edge comes out almost clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool in pan on wire rack.
7) In heavy 2-quart saucepan, heat semisweet chocolate and heavy cream over low heat, stirring frequently, until chocolate has melted. Remove from heat; stir in remaining 1 teaspoon vanilla.
8) When cool, lift foil, with brownie, out of pan; peel foil away from sides. With metal spatula, spread chocolate glaze evenly over brownie. Sprinkle sliced almond on top. Let stand until set, about 2 hours. Cut lengthwise into 6 strips, then cut each strip crosswise into 12 pieces.

If you want to print this recipe out, go here to its link on the Good Housekeeping site.

Caramel Pecan Brownies

Still basking in the idea of a new year, I decided to branch out and try a new kind of layered brownie, which has caramel in it. I don't usually do much with caramel, so I didn't know what to expect. This recipe came together rather quickly, and while being refrigerated, was perfectly fine. Once I took them out of the fridge and plated them, they started freaking out on me, and melted. Well, the caramel melted. I know I should've gone back, picked other ones, and taken a more perfect looking picture, but you know what? Sometimes the un-perfectness is what makes it a good shot. Seeing these brownies like this makes me think of melted Twix bars. You see, there's the cookie base, with caramel on top of it. Then, there's a nutty layer with chocolate on top. When you combine all of this into one bite, it's a new kind of Twix. In this recipe from Good Housekeeping: Brownies!, I "mounted the scrumptious components of turtle-shaped candies - pecans, caramel, and chocolate - on a sweet, golden crust."

Caramel Pecan Brownies
*makes 36 bars*

Ingredients:
PASTRY CRUST
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/8 tsp salt
6 tbsp cold butter, cut into pieces
3 tbsp cold water

CARAMEL PECAN TOPPING
1 1/3 cups packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup light corn syrup
3 tbsp butter
1 tsp distilled white vinegar
1/8 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup pecans, toasted and chopped
3 oz semisweet chocolate

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 425F. Grease 9" by 9" metal baking pan. Line pan with foil, extending foil over rim; grease foil.
2) Prepare crust: In medium bowl, with wire whisk, mix flour, granulated sugar, and salt. With pastry blender or two knives used scissor-fashion, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle about 3 tablespoons cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time, into flour mixture, mixing lightly with fork after each addition until dough is just moist enough to hold together. With lightly floured hand, press dough evenly onto bottom of prepared pan. With fork, prick dough at 1-inch intervals.
3) Bake until golden (crust may crack slightly during baking), 15 to 20 minutes. Cool completely in pan on wire rack.
4) When crust is cool, prepare topping: In 2-quart saucepan, heat brown sugar, cream, corn syrup, butter, vinegar, and salt to boiling over high heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, uncovered, 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla until blended and bubbling has subsided, about 20 seconds. Pour hot brown sugar mixture evenly over crust; sprinkle with pecans. Set aside to cool for 1 hour.
5) Place chocolate in 2-cup measuring cup or medium glass bowl. In microwave oven, cook, covered with waxed paper, on High until almost melted, 1 to 2 minutes; stir until smooth. Cool chocolate 5 minutes; drizzle over pecans. Place pan in refrigerator until chocolate has set, about 30 minutes.
6) When set, lift foil, with bar, out of pan; peel foil away from sides. Cut into 6 strips, then cut each strip crosswise into 6 pieces. Store bars in refrigerator.

Apricot-Almond Squares

This recipe really surprised me. First off, it's found in Good Housekeeping: Brownies! so I definitely wasn't expecting to find a not-brownie recipe in this book. Secondly, it involves fruits, specifically apricots. Thirdly, it has 3 layers to it, well, technically 4 if you include the confectioner's sugar that goes on top. The combination of the two pastry layers with the apricot filling combines really well to have a not-too-sweet apricot "brownie" that won't be easily forgotten. It'll convert all apricot haters to apricot lovers. Also, they won't be lasting too long on your dinner table. That's guaranteed. I made a whole batch of them, and between 4 people they were all gone by the end of the day. You'll have people asking you to bake more of these, hands down.

Apricot-Almond Squares
*makes 54 squares*

Ingredients:
APRICOT FILLING
2 cups dried apricots
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 1/2 cups water

SWEET PASTRY
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup cold butter, cut into pieces
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
3-4 tablespoons ice water

ALMOND TOPPING
1 tube (7-8 oz) almond paste, crumbled
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
3 large eggs
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp salt
2 tbsp confectioner's sugar

Directions:
1) Prepare filling: In 2-quart saucepan, heat apricots, sugar, and water to boiling over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, uncovered, until apricots are very tender, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat. With potato masher or fork, mash apricots with liquid in saucepan until mixture becomes a thick paste. Cool completely.
2) Meanwhile, prepare pastry: Preheat oven to 350F. In medium bowl, with wire whisk, mix flour, confectioner's sugar, and salt. With pastry blender or two knives used scissor-fashion, cut in butter and shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, into flour mixture, mixing lightly with fork after each addition, until dough is just moist enough to hold together.
3) With hands, press dough evenly onto bottom of ungreased 15 1/2" by 10 1/2" jelly-roll pan. Bake pastry until golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool completely on wire rack.
4) Meanwhile, prepare topping: In food processor with knife blade attached, pulse almond paste, granulated sugar, and butter until mixture is crumbly. Add eggs and pulse, scraping bowl with rubber spatula if necessary, until smooth. Add flour, vanilla, and salt; pulse just until combined.
5) Spread cooled apricot filling evenly over cooled pastry. Pour topping evenly over filling. Bake until top is golden, 40 to 45 minutes. Cool completely in pan on wire rack.
6) Sprinkle top with confectioner's sugar. Cut lengthwise into 6 strips, then cut each strip crosswise into 9 squares.

If you want to print this recipe out, go here to its link on the Good Housekeeping site.

Almond Lattice Brownies

It's December 6th and it's only 68F here in Miami. I wish it would snow down here for once. If it were to snow, I would definitely be in Christmas mode, making holiday-inspired goodies and enjoying hot chocolate with my parents. Instead, we had a really hot and humid afternoon followed by a decently "chilly" night. I helped my mom decorate the house with our Christmas decor and filled the house with the smell of baked goods. What did I decide to make today? I chose these brownies that have "a rich almond paste topping [that] is piped over fudgy brownie batter before it is baked." This recipe comes from Good Housekeeping: Brownies! and is definitely going to be a go-to recipe from now on. Next time I make it though, I'll do a way better job of piping the lattice that goes on top. I wasn't able to get the pattern down pact, so instead I made swirls and patterns with it. The top still came out pretty good-looking, but a lattice top would've looked nicer :)

Almond Lattice Brownies
*makes 24 brownies*

Ingredients:
BROWNIE
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter
4 oz semisweet chocolate
4 oz unsweetened chocolate
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
3 large eggs, lightly beaten

ALMOND LATTICE TOPPING
1 tube (7-8 oz) almond paste, crumbled
1 large egg
1/4 cup sugar
1 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350F. Grease 13" by 9" baking pan.
2) Prepare brownie: In small bowl, with wire whisk, mix flour and salt. In 3-quart saucepan, melt butter and semisweet and unsweetened chocolates over low heat, stirring frequently, until smooth. Remove from heat; stir in sugar and vanilla. Add eggs; stir until well mixed. Stir flour mixture into chocolate mixture just until blended. Spread batter evenly in prepared pan.
3) Prepare topping: In food processor with knife blade attached, pulse almond paste, egg, sugar, flour, and vanilla, scraping bowl with rubber spatula, until mixture is smooth. Transfer almond mixture to small ziptight plastic bag.
4) With scissors, cut bottom corner of bag on diagonal, 1/4 inch from edge. Pipe almond topping over brownie batter to make 10 diagonal lines, spacing them 1 inch apart. Pipe remaining topping diagonally across first set of lines, to make 10 more lines and create a lattice design.
5) Bake until toothpick inserted 2 inches from edge comes out almost clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool in pan on wire rack.
6) When cool, cut brownie lengthwise into 4 strips, then cut each strip crosswise into 6 pieces.

Almond Cheesecake Brownies

Marbling and I have never gotten along. Whenever a recipe calls for marbling, the final result never comes out looking like the picture. That's why I decided to make these brownies. There was no picture to base my final result on, so to me, my marbling came out great, for once! These "sinfully rich brownies are marbled with a ribbon of cheesecake" and the almond in the cheesecake part of these brownies combines amazingly with the chocolate part. It also gives off an amazing aroma of almond that was just intoxicating! Good Housekeeping: Brownies! gave a basic tip on how to marble:

"MARBLING BROWNIE BATTER: To produce a marbled effect with two different-colored batters, pull and swirl a kitchen knife through the batters."

Almond Cheesecake Brownies
*makes 24 brownies*

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter
4 oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped
4 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped
2 cups sugar
5 large eggs
2 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
12 oz cold cream cheese
3/4 tsp almond extract

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350F. Grease 13" by 9" baking pan. In small bowl, with wire whisk, mix flour, baking powder, and salt.
2) In heavy 4-quart saucepan, melt butter and unsweetened and semisweet chocolates over low heat, stirring, until smooth. Remove from heat. With wooden spoon, beat in 1 1/2 cups sugar. Stir in 4 eggs and 2 teaspoons vanilla; beat until well blended. Stir in flour mixture just until blended.
3) In small bowl, with mixer at medium speed, beat cream cheese until smooth; gradually beat in remaining 1/2 cup sugar. Beat in remaining 1 egg, almond extract, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon vanilla just until blended.
4) Spread 1 1/2 cups chocolate batter in prepared pan. Spoon cream cheese mixture in 6 large dollops on top of chocolate mixture. Spoon remaining chocolate batter over and between cream cheese in 6 large dollops. With tip of knife, cut and twist through mixtures to create marbled effect.
5) Bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out almost clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool completely in pan on wire rack.
6) When cool, cut lengthwise into 4 strips, then cut each strip crosswise into 6 pieces.

If you want to print this recipe out, go here to its link on the Good Housekeeping site.

Chunky Brownies

Today was an amazing baking day. I baked a couple of types of brownies, a pound cake, some bread, and some other goodies that I'll be posting up at the end of this week. In the mean time, I'll be posting up all the posts that I haven't been able to post up because of either too much homework or just no time. One of these posts is this one right here. According to Brownies To Die For!, "Chocolate upon chocolate, moist, nut textured, and intensely flavored - these brownies are sure to satisfy!"

Chunky Brownies
*makes about 3 dozen*

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter
3 cups granulated sugar
1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
6 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
3/4 tsp salt
12 oz semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans, toasted

Directions:
1) Heat oven to 350F. Lightly grease an 11x15" insulated baking pan.
2) Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Remove the saucepan from the heat, then whisk in sugar, vanilla, and eggs, blending well.
3) Whisk in flour, cocoa, and salt, mixing well. Add chocolate pieces and nuts. Spread into prepared pan. Bake for 30 minutes or until a cake tester or toothpick inserted near the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached. Brownies will be dry if overbaked! Cool pan completely on a wire rack. Cut into bars.

Nutrition Facts (per brownie):
Calories 245, Calories from Fat 134, Total Fat 14.9g, Saturated Fat 7.2g, Cholesterol 56mg, Sodium 118mg, Total Carbohydrates 28.3g, Dietary Fiber 1.7g, Sugars 22.1g, Protein 2.8g

Cocoa Brownies

School has been amazing so far! Some of my classes are pretty interesting, while others are just being taken to fulfill Med school requirements. I've been meeting a bunch of people and I've been getting really involved in a whole bunch of school clubs and organizations. This past weekend was by birthday weekend, and believe me, it was incredibly fun! But now, down to business. I've been neglecting my blog, and now I'm here to post up a bunch of recipes for all of you out there :) According to Good Housekeeping: Brownies!, you can "whip up these easy saucepan brownies on the spur of the moment with pantry staples."

Cocoa Brownies
*makes 16 brownies*

Ingredients:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup salted butter
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350F. Grease 9-inch square baking pan. In small bowl, with wire whisk, mix flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt.
2) In 3-quart saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Remove from heat and stir in sugar. Stir in eggs, one at a time, until well blended; add vanilla. Stir flour mixture into sugar mixture until blended. Stir in nuts, if using. Spread batter evenly in prepared pan.
3) Bake until toothpick inserted 2 inches from center comes out almost clean, about 25 minutes. Cool completely in pan on wire rack.
4) When cool, cut into 4 strips, then cut each strip crosswise into 4 pieces.

Nutrition Facts (per brownie):
Calories 178, Calories from Fat 103, Total Fat 11.4g, Saturated Fat 4.3g, Cholesterol 42mg, Sodium 85mg, Total Carbohydrates 17.8g, Dietary Fiber 1.5g, Sugars 12.7g, Protein 3.7g

Small-Batch Brownies

These brownies are pretty unique, at least when it comes to size. According to Good Housekeeping: Brownies!, "What's changed about brownies since the 1920s? Serving size. Cut these brownies into petite squares as the original recipe directs, rather than the larger, diet-busting bars we've become accustomed to."

Small-Batch Brownies
*makes 36 brownies*

Ingredients:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
4 tbsp salted butter
2 oz unsweetened chocolate
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350F. Grease 9-inch square baking pan. Line pan with foil, extending foil over rim; grease foil. In small bowl, with wire whisk, mix flour, baking powder, and salt.
2) In heavy 2-quart saucepan, melt butter and chocolate over low heat, stirring frequently, until smooth. Remove from heat. Add sugar, eggs, and vanilla; whisk until blended. With wooden spoon, stir flour mixture into chocolate mixture until just blended; stir in nuts. Spread batter evenly in prepared pan.
3) Bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out almost clean, about 20 minutes. Cool completely in pan on wire rack at least 1 hour.
4) When cool, lift foil, with brownie, out of pan; peel foil away from sides. Cut into 6 strips, then cut each strip crosswise into 6 pieces.

Nutrition Facts (per brownie):
Calories 62, Calories from Fat 31, Total Fat 3.4g, Saturated Fat 1.5g, Cholesterol 15mg, Sodium 29mg, Total Carbohydrates 7.6g, Sugars 5.6g, Protein 1.2g

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Raspberry Brownies

Good Housekeeping: Brownies! says that "raspberries and chocolate are a lovely combination. We suggest using seedless raspberry jam, but if you have raspberry jam with seeds in your pantry, press it through a coarse sieve to remove the seeds."

Raspberry Brownies
*makes 36 brownies*

Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup salted butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
3/4 cup seedless raspberry jam
2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350F. Grease 13" by 9" baking pan. In small bowl, with wire whisk, mix flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt.
2) In 3-quart saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Remove from heat. With wire whisk, stir in sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in jam and vanilla, whisking until well mixed. With wooden spoon, stir flour mixture into butter mixture just until blended. Spread batter evenly in prepared pan.
3) Bake until toothpick inserted 2 inches from edge comes out almost clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool in pan on wire rack.
4) When cool, cut lengthwise into 6 strips, then cut each strip crosswise into 6 pieces.

Nutrition Facts (per brownie):
Calories 121, Calories from Fat 54, Total Fat 6.0g, Saturated Fat 3.6g, Cholesterol 37mg, Sodium 78mg, Total Carbohydrates 16.6g, Dietary Fiber 0.8g, Sugars 11.7g, Protein 1.5g

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Chocolate & Peanut Butter Brownies

According to Good Housekeeping: Brownies!, these brownies are "irresistible to anyone - of any age - with a sweet tooth."

Chocolate & Peanut Butter Brownies
*makes 24 brownies*

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 3/4 cups packed light brown sugar
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup salted butter, softened
3 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
3 oz semisweet chocolate, melted
1 oz unsweetened chocolate, melted
6 oz semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350F. In medium bowl, with wire whisk, mix flour, baking powder, and salt.
2) In large bowl, with mixer at medium speed, beat brown sugar, peanut butter, and butter until smooth, about 2 minutes. Reduce speed to low. Add eggs and vanilla; beat until smooth. Beat in flour mixture just until combined (dough will be stiff).
3) Place one-third of dough (about 1 3/4 cups) in another large bowl. Stir in melted semisweet and unsweetened chocolates until blended. Fold in 1/4 cup semisweet chocolate pieces.
4) Pat half of remaining peanut-butter dough into ungreased 13" by 9" baking pan. In random pattern, drop chocolate dough and remaining peanut-butter dough on top of peanut-butter layer; pat down with hand. Sprinkle with remaining chocolate pieces.
5) Bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool in pan on rack.
6) When cool, cut lengthwise into 4 strips, then cut each strip crosswise into 6 pieces.

Nutrition Facts (per brownie):
Calories 253, Calories from Fat 123, Total Fat 13.7g, Saturated Fat 6.1g, Cholesterol 37mg, Sodium 140mg, Total Carbohydrates 29.8g, Dietary Fiber 1.9g, Sugars 17.4g, Protein 5.7g

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Patchwork Brownies

Patchwork Brownies
*makes 24 brownies*

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar
1 cup salted butter, softened
4 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup pecans, toasted and chopped
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
4 oz unsweetened chocolate, melted
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup white chocolate chips

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350F. Grease 13" by 9" baking pan. Line pan with foil, extending over rim; grease foil. In medium bowl, with wire whisk, mix flour, baking powder, and salt.
2) In large bowl, with mixer at low speed, beat brown sugar and butter until creamy, about 2 minutes. Beat in 3 eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition; beat in vanilla. Add flour mixture; beat just until blended, occasionally scraping bowl with rubber spatula. With spoon, stir in pecans.
3) Transfer 2 cups batter to medium bowl; stir in semisweet chocolate chips. To batter remaining in large bowl (this should be 1 1/2 cups), add melted chocolate, granulated sugar, and remaining egg; stir well until blended. With spoon, stir in white chocolate chips.
4) Randomly drop light batter by heaping teaspoons about 1 inch apart into prepared pan. Drop dark batter into empty spaces.
5) Bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out almost clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool completely in pan on wire rack.
6) When cool, lift foil, with brownie, out of pan; peel foil away from sides. Cut lengthwise into 4 strips, then cut each strip crosswise into 6 pieces.

Nutrition Facts (per brownie):
Calories 282, Calories from Fat 162, Total Fat 18.0g, Saturated Fat 9.2g, Cholesterol 57mg, Sodium 98mg, Total Carbohydrates 29.4g, Dietary Fiber 2.0g, Sugars 19.0g, Protein 4.0g

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Midnight-Snack Brownies

Everyone has wanted a late-night snack at some point in their lives. I know I have, but I've always worried about two things when having those cravings: the first worry is all the noise that making a late-night snack would make; the second worry is the whole calories thing that annoys us all. Eating a snack during the day isn't bad because you can just work off the calories through daily activities. Eating a snack at night, on the other hand, is kind of bad because you won't work off the calories. You would just normally go back to sleep, which turns those extra calories into stored sugar which becomes extra pounds, if I remember that whole cycle correctly. This is where these Midnight-Snack Brownies come in handy. According to Good Housekeeping: Brownies!, "A few sneaky tricks make these dreamy mocha bars a lowfat reality. Using cocoa instead of solid chocolate makes a big difference. In addition, corn syrup replaces some of the fat, and egg whites take the place of whole eggs. A little butter in the batter ensures rich flavor."

Midnight-Snack Brownies
*makes 16 brownies*

Ingredients:
1 tsp instant espresso-coffee powder
1 tsp hot water
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3 tbsp salted butter
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup dark corn syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 large egg whites

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350F. Grease 8" by 8" baking pan. In cup, dissolve espresso-coffee powder in hot water; set aside.
2) In large bowl, with wire whisk, mix the flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt.
3) In 2-quart saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Remove from heat. Add sugar, corn syrup, vanilla, egg whites, and espresso mixture and whisk until blended. With heat-proof spatula or spoon, stir sugar mixture into flour mixture just until blended. Do not overmix. Pour batter into prepared pan.
4) Bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out almost clean, 18 to 22 minutes. Cool in pan on wire rack at least 1 hour.
5) When cool, cut into 4 strips, then cut each strip crosswise into 4 pieces. If brownies are difficult to cut, use knife dipped in hot water and dried, repeating as necessary.

Nutrition Facts (per brownie):
Calories 99, Calories from Fat 23, Total Fat 2.6g, Saturated Fat 1.6g, Cholesterol 6mg, Sodium 58mg, Total Carbohydrates 19.1g, Dietary Fiber 1.1g, Sugars 10.8g, Protein 1.6g

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Praline-Iced Brownies

This is going to be the first of many blog posts that I'll be putting up today. Why? I want to be able to post all my old pending recipes before school starts. This can then let me post the new stuff as the weeks go by with a bit more patience and less of a self-imposed rush. If I wouldn't have slacked off so much on my posting over the summer, I wouldn't be in this situation. But trust me, I think you're going to like having so many brownie recipes, as well as some bread ones too. So, on this note, a really really long time ago, I posted up a recipe for Good Housekeeping's Fudgy Brownies. Do you all remember it? I think it was one of my first posts after coming back from my trip to Colombia; by the way, I'll be going on another trip to Colombia for New Year's!!! It's mostly for spending more time with my grandmother and for showing my good friend Frances how amazing Colombia really is. Back to the recipe :) Well, Good Housekeeping: Brownies! suggested a variation for this recipe which ends up being called Praline-Iced Brownies.

Praline-Iced Brownies
*makes 64 brownies*

Ingredients:
5 tbsp salted butter
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
3 tbsp bourbon
2 cups confectioner's sugar
1/2 cup pecans

Directions:
1) Prepare brownies as directed; cool. In 2-quart saucepan, heat butter and sugar over medium-low heat until mixture has melted and bubbles, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. With wire whisk, beat in bourbon; stir in confectioner's sugar until smooth. With small metal spatula, spread topping over room-temperature brownies; sprinkle pecans, toasted and coarsely chopped, over topping. Cut lengthwise into 8 strips, then cut each strip crosswise into 8 pieces.

Nutrition Facts (per brownie):
Calories 108, Calories from Fat 50, Total Fat 5.5g, Saturated Fat 3.0g, Cholesterol 25mg, Sodium 48mg, Total Carbohydrates 14.4g, Dietary Fiber 0.5g, Sugars 11.7g, Protein 1.2g

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Chocolate-Ganache-Topped Brownies

One week 'til school starts! I went to my campus this morning to buy a textbook that I was missing for my Abnormal Psychology class, and it was already teeming with student life! Freshmen were everywhere, accompanied by their parents, walking around with the giant campus maps that UM gives its students. The bookstore was full of happy families buying everything in sight that had UM or University of Miami on it. It made me think of when I was freshman, a mere two years ago. I know, two years ago doesn't seem that far away, but since so much has happened since then, it feels like it was an eternity ago. I've grown up so much and learned so many things in these past two years that it really amazes me how much people grow up once out of high school. Since school's about to start, I feel like posting up a whole bunch of new brownie recipes that still need to be posted. All of you can take your pick of which to tackle first, but maybe you can make some for your new classmates or for your kid's first day of school :)

For these Chocolate-Ganache-Topped Brownies, Bev Shaffer gives a little side note called Bev's Bite:
"You want me to test these where? That's right, test 1 to 2" from the edge of the pan. Why? By the time the center is completely set, the edges will be dry. Look for very moist crumbs if you must test in the center!"

Chocolate-Ganache-Topped Brownies
*makes about 1 1/2 dozen*

Ingredients:
1 lb semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 lb bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
9 large eggs, lightly beaten
3 cups granulated sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
3 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt

Directions:
1) Heat oven to 300F. Lightly grease an 11x17" baking pan. Cover the bottom of the pan with a piece of parchment paper cut to fit. Lightly grease the parchment paper.
2) Combine the chocolates in a double boiler set over simmering water. Stir often, over low heat, until mixture is melted and smooth.
3) Remove top of double boiler from heat, and carefully wipe bottom (so none of the moisture steams up into the chocolate mixture); cool slightly. Whisk in the butter to blend.
4) In a medium bowl with an electric mixer, beat the eggs, sugar, and vanilla on low speed until combined.
5) Add the cooled chocolate mixture to the egg mixture. Gently add in flour and salt just until mixture is combined. Spread into prepared pan. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until a cake tester or toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, testing 1 to 2" from the edge of the pan. Cool pan completely on a wire rack.

Ganache

Ingredients:
1 cup heavy (whipping) cream
12 oz semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

Directions:
1) Bring the cream to a boil in a medium saucepan. Remove from the heat and whisk in the chocolate. When the brownies have thoroughly cooled, invert the pan over a wire rack placed atop waxed paper. Remove the parchment paper. Spread the ganache evenly over the brownies. Place brownies in the refrigerator to set. Cut into bars once cooled and ganache has firmed slightly.

Nutrition Facts (per brownie):
Calories 701, Calories from Fat 325, Total Fat 36.1g, Saturated Fat 21.9g, Cholesterol 148mg, Sodium 201mg, Total Carbohydrates 92.4g, Dietary Fiber 4.0g, Sugars 70.6g, Protein 9.3g

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