Friday, December 4, 2009
Chocolate Chip Cupcakes
Think of this as a brown sugar cupcake with chocolate chips. It's very tasty but the texture was a bit dense once the cupcakes cooled. I find cupcakes are also tricky because if you bake them too long, they become dry. If you don't bake them long enough, they're heavy. You have to nab them at the just-right stage which isn't always easy to do. I always tend to err on the side of underbaking so my cupcakes are sometimes on the heavy side. They're the perfect texture when they're warm out of the oven but dense up a bit when they cool.
But, here's a trick - warm them up before serving them. This is also tricky if your cupcakes are already frosted but you just have to monitor them closely in the microwave. It also depends on your frosting. Buttercreams and cream cheese-type frostings will melt very easily. I used a chocolate butter frosting with these and they held up well to having the cupcakes heated slightly. Just microwave them for 10 seconds at a time and check to see if that's enough or if they can withstand a little more heat. I wasn't wild about how the frosting turned out because it was a little too stiff and didn't look very nice once it was frosted onto the cupcake - talk about amateur hour when I finished frosting the cupcakes. I should've added more milk to the frosting to get it to more of a spreading consistency. But it was late when I was making them because I got home late from work that night and I was dead on my feet and just wanted to get them done so I went with what I had and called it a day. I served them at work and to my Fantasy Football league at lunch the next day.
The frosting recipe I used isn't the same one below since I wasn't in the mood for a glaze on these - I wanted a frosting. But I'll post the original glaze recipe anyway since that's what the recipe called for. Someday I'll make these cupcakes again and try them properly with the glaze.
Chocolate Chip Cupcakes from Cupcakes by Elinor Klivans - made December 2, 2009
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 cups packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream
¼ cup whole milk
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
2/3 cup Chocolate Fudge Glaze, slightly warm
1. Position a rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 325˚F. Line 18 muffin tin cups with paper cupcake liners.
2. Make the cupcakes: In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on low speed, mix the flour, brown sugar, and baking soda to blend them. Add the butter and mix until the butter pieces are the size of peas, about 2 minutes. You will still see some loose flour. Stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl as needed during mixing. Mix in the egg and vanilla. The batter will still look dry. Mix in the sour cream and milk until the batter looks evenly moistened; you may still see some lumps of butter. Mix in the chocolate chips.
3. Fill each paper liner with about a generous ¼ cup of batter, to about 1/3 inch from the top of the liner. Bake just until the tops feel firm and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. If the toothpick penetrates a chocolate chip, test another spot. Cool the cupcakes for 10 minutes in the pans on wire racks,.
4. Carefully place a wire rack on top of one pan of cupcakes. Protecting your hands with pot holders and holding the pan and rack together, invert them to release the cupcakes onto the wire rack. Turn the cupcakes top side up to cool completely. Repeat with the second pan of cupcakes.
5. Add the chocolate glaze: Use a fork to generously drizzle thin lines of the topping over each cupcake. Let the cupcakes sit at room temperature until the glaze is firm, or refrigerate the cupcakes for about 15 minutes to firm the topping quickly. Serve at room temperature.
The cupcakes can be covered and stored at room temperature for up to 2 days.
Yield: 18 cupcakes
Chocolate Glaze
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 2 pieces
3 tablespoons light corn syrup
9 ounces (1 ½ cups) semisweet chocolate chips
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1. In a medium saucepan, heat the cream and butter (and corn syrup, if making the glaze) over low heat until the cream is hot and the butter has melted. The mixture should form tiny bubbles and measure about 175˚F on a thermometer; do not let it boil. Remove the pan from the heat, add the chocolate chips and let them sit in the hot cream for about 30 seconds to soften. Add the vanilla and whisk the sauce until it is smooth and all of the chocolate is melted.
2. You can use the sauce warm or let it sit at room temperature until it reaches the thickness desired. To store it, pour the cooled sauce into a small bowl, cover and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks. Reheat as much sauce as is needed by spooning it into a saucepan and heating over low heat to soften or melt. For the glaze, let it sit at room temperature just until it is thick enough to spread.
Yield: Scant 2 cups glaze
Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups rolled oats (regular oatmeal)
16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ½ cups dark raisins
4 ounces (about 1 cup) coarsely chopped walnut or pecan pieces
1 cup (one 6-ounce bag) semisweet chocolate chips
3 or 4 cookie sheets or jelly roll pans covered with parchment or foil
1. Set the racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 350˚F.
2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt and oatmeal; stir well to mix.
3. In the bowl of a standing electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until well mixed, about a minute. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating smooth after each addition, then beat in the vanilla.
4. Lower the mixer speed and beat in the flour and oatmeal mixture, then add the raisins, nuts and chips.
5. Drop tablespoons of the batter about 3 to 4 inches apart on the prepared pans. Flatten the mounds with the back of a fork.
6. Bake the cookies for 15 to 20 minutes, or until they spread and color evenly and become firm.
7. Slide the papers off the pans onto racks.
8. After the cookies have cooled, detach them from the paper and store them between sheets of parchment or wax paper in a tin or plastic container with a tight-fitting cover.
Lemon Semolina Cake
Lemon Semolina Cake
This is a recipe I first made at the CIA (Culinary Institute of America) in St Helena. It's a classic lemon pound cake but uses semolina flour in addition to all-purpose flour. As you can see from the picture, this didn't come out of the pan very cleanly. There are a few potential reasons for that: either I didn't bake it long enough, I didn't grease the Bundt pan well enough or I took it out of the pan too soon while it was still too warm and more fragile. I suspect it's a combination of all three reasons.
I hate dry cakes so I err on the side of underbaking. However, when it comes to heavier cakes that are more dense like pound cake, you can't underbake too much or the cake will be too heavy and greasy from the butter. Bundt cakes are also tricky because, depending on the recipe, some cakes will stick stubbornly to them no matter how well you grease and flour the pan. And the way they're shaped means you can't really line them with parchment paper which is my usual trick for getting cakes out of pans cleanly. And you have to time turning the cake out of the pan just right - if you take it out while it's too warm, it'll be more fragile and fall apart more easily. All it takes is for one part of the cake to stick to the pan while the rest of it tumbles out. But if you wait until it's too cool, oftentimes it won't come out at all because the butter has solidified and won't release the cake.
Also, if you're using a nonstick pan, make sure the nonstick coating is still intact and that your pan isn't too old or warped to bake cakes properly and release them.
When done correctly, this is what a finished Bundt cake should look like:
Clearly, that's not how the above lemon semolina cake turned out but oh well. It still tasted good.
Lemon Semolina Cake - made 11.28.09, from the Culinary Institute of America Baking & Pastry Arts program
Cake
10 ounces butter
14 ounces sugar
6 ounces eggs
Zest from 2 lemons
1 pound sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
8 ounces cake flour
5 ½ ounces semolina flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
Soaking syrup
½ cup lemon juice
¼ cup water
½ cup sugar
1. Sift dry ingredients. Whip butter, sugar, zest and vanilla.
2. Slowly add eggs. Alternate dry ingredients with sour cream in 3 additions.
3. Pour into buttered and floured molds, ¾ full.
4. Bake at 325˚F – 350˚F, depending on shape (lower temp for large cake and longer baking time, higher temp for smaller loaf, 30-35 minutes).
5. Melt together ingredients for the syrup. Pour over the cake while the cake is hot. Put cake on icing grate, poke holes into cake, dab on syrup 3 to 4 times and give time between each time for syrup to soak in.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Thanksgiving 2009 - the pictorial menu
Pancit Malabon, a Filipino noodle dish and a variation from Pancit Palabok I posted about earlier. This was made by my cousin Teresa and this is one of her specialty's. She's another great cook who doesn't go by recipes when she cooks so I have no hope of putting together a recipe for this. I just hope she keeps on making it for our family get togethers.
I have no idea what this dish is called - this was also made by my cousin Teresa and is a beef dish with peas and carrots. Also tasty (the beef part, I don't like peas or cooked carrots)
One of my nieces also made creamy mashed potatoes with spices and garlic which was quite good. Our other side dish was corn. Then it was time for dessert. I made everything I had planned except for the pumpkin upside down cake. We had chocolate chip cookies instead and that seemed plenty. The banana butterscotch cupcakes were the biggest hit of all.
So all these pictures easily explain why it's more than likely I've regained some of the 6 lbs I just lost. Time to get busy again with moving more and eating less....at least until Christmas. It was a good Thanksgiving and I have much to be grateful for.
Lumpia
1 pound lean ground pork
1 carrot, diced fine
1 8-ounce can water chestnuts, diced fine
3 green onions, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground pepper
1 package Menlo (lumpia) wrappers (available at Asian grocery stores)
Monday, November 23, 2009
Baking tips
But still, I don't think baking has to be hard. Yes, it helps to have a certain aptitude for it. If you're the type of cook who likes to throw a dash of this and a pinch of that and don't like to be hampered by a recipe or directions, preferring your taste buds to guide you, then baking might not be for you and you're probably more of an inspired cook than I will ever be. On the other hand, if you like to bake but sometimes feel a bit intimidated by it, here are some simple tips that might help.
1. Read through a recipe first and decide if that's what you really want to make. If you've never baked before, you might want to try making chocolate chip cookies before you take on a chocolate souffle or a seven layer cake. Walk before you run.
2. Make sure you have all your ingredients, including the baking pans and tools you need. No point in making cupcakes if you don't own a muffin tin. In culinary school, our chef instructors had us lay out our ingredients, utensils, pans, etc before we began. This was known as "mise en place" - sounds more uppity in French, doesn't it? But it's helpful to have everything out before you begin. You don't want to get halfway into mixing a recipe only to discover you're out of eggs or don't have anymore baking soda or salt. I've been baking long enough that I don't line everything up since I know exactly what I have in my pantry and refrigerator but if you're starting up, it's a good habit to have until you get more used to baking.
3. As you use an ingredient, put it away. This'll keep you from adding twice the amount of baking powder or salt (or whatever) that a recipe calls for if you get interrupted in the mixing process and you can't remember if you already put some in. If your recipe calls for eggs, set out the exact number of eggs you need and put the egg carton back in the fridge before you begin. Then you also don't have to wonder how many eggs you put in already.
4. Clean as you go. I don't mean wash every measuring cup or teaspoon as you use it but if something spills as you mix, wipe it up. Wash your utensils and mixing bowls as soon as your baking pan goes into the oven. This will make baking seem less like a chore if you're cleaning as you go. Otherwise you're faced with a stack of dirty mixing bowls and such in the sink when what you want to be doing is enjoying your baked goods. If you wash everything right away, all you have left to clean up once you're finished baking is likely the baking pan.
5. Prep your pans first before you even start mixing anything, meaning line the pans with foil or parchment paper and/or coat them with nonstick cooking spray if that's what the recipe calls for. This way once your dough or batter is mixed, you're good to go. Depending on what you're making, you typically want your creation going into the preheated oven as soon as it's fully mixed, especially if you're using chemical leaveners like baking soda or baking powder.
6. Don't forget to preheat your oven! Most recipes will list that as the first step unless you're making something that has to chill before baking. Don't cheat this step because an oven at the right temperature is critical for success. My oven takes 10 minutes before it signals it's at the right temperature I set it for and I hate to waste energy so I usually time it that I turn it on to preheat when I have about 8-10 minutes left of mixing to do.
Shortcuts, aka "how I cheat"
While the baking side is known for being exact to ensure success, as opposed to the hot side, which has far more leeway, I confess I don't always follow the directions to the letter. When you get enough experience, you just know how much you can get away with. For example, many recipes call for ingredients to be at room temperature, especially butter. Since I have a KitchenAid stand mixer, I get around that by beating cold butter until it's soft and creamy. Saves time in case I don't plan ahead enough to take the butter out well enough ahead of time. My niece Lauren said she microwaves the butter for a few seconds at a time until it's soft but I don't like to do that since it's so easy to overheat butter and even a little melting of the butter could change the texture of what you're trying to make.
Many recipes that call for melting butter and chocolate together also call for the mixture to be cooled until tepid before adding other ingredients. Caroline, my college friend, told me she once read that the cooler the chocolate-butter mixture is, the more fudgy the end result of whatever you're making, especially brownies. Well, fudgy's good but do you think I'd listen? Not when I bake after work and only have a limited amount of time at night to get brownies baked, cooled and packaged up to take into work the next day. So I often cheated this one, especially since I also cheated the call for having eggs at room temperature since I would take eggs straight out of the refrigerator and use them (no time to let them come to room temp when I walk in the door after work and get to baking right away). Fortunately for me, at a baking class I once attended at Sur La Table where Alice Medrich (founder of Cocolat in Berkeley and author of several cookbooks) was the chef instructor, she said she added cold-from-the-fridge eggs to the chocolate-butter mixture to bring the temp down and it worked just as well as letting the mixture cool and using room temperature eggs. Rock on, Alice.
Baking tools and gadgets
My next favorite gadget is the nut grinder I mentioned earlier. No more laborious chopping. Just toast the nuts, let them cool and grind them. Even the good ones are cheap (less than $10) and they last a long time. Whole nuts are cheaper to buy so a nut grinder saves you money. I buy whole pecans from Costco, whole cashews and macadamia nuts from Trader Joe's, and my friend Linda gives me whole almonds - with the nut grinder, it's easy to chop up the nuts if that's what you need.
The third baking tool I find indispensable is a microplane zester. I used to make do with a normal zester but once I tried a microplane zester, I've never gone back. It zests quickly and easily and lets you get the actual peel without the white pith. (When you're zesting lemons or oranges, you just want to get the outer peel, not the white part.) They're a little tricky to clean since they can shred your sponge but just soap them carefully and rinse in warm water. I also dry mine as thoroughly as possible and if the oven is still a little warm from whatever I've baked, I pop it in there to aid in the drying.
Of course there are the usual measuring cups and measuring spoons that any good baker needs. As long as they're accurate and hold up well, you can get whichever kind you prefer. I have both plastic and metal sets. I find it handy to have a couple of different sets since I bake so much and use one measuring cup per ingredient. Having multiples saves time so I don't have to wash everything while I'm in the midst of measuring out all the ingredients.
ETA: I can't believe I forgot the most essential baking tool - high heat spatulas! I have several and use them for everything, mixing, scraping, stirring, etc. Very handy. Invest in a few good ones of varying sizes. I like the narrow ones and the regular size ones. High heat spatulas are essential, not the regular spatula kind. They're more versatile and can use them at high temps (hence "high heat" but you probably already knew that).
Friday, November 20, 2009
Butter Pecan Tartlets
½ cup butter, softened
½ cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour
Filling
1 cup powdered sugar
½ cup butter
1/3 cup dark corn syrup
1 cup chopped pecans
36 pecan halves
1. Heat oven to 400˚F.
2. In a large mixer bowl, combine all tart shell ingredients. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until mixture is crumbly (2 to 3 minutes).
3. Press 1 tablespoon mixture in cups of mini muffin pans to form 36 (1 ¾” to 2”) shells. Bake for 7-10 minutes or until very lightly browned. Remove from oven. Reduce oven temp to 350˚F.
4. Meanwhile, in 2-quart saucepan, combine all filling ingredients except chopped pecans and pecan halves. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture comes to a full boil (4 to 5 minutes).
5. Remove from heat; stir in chopped pecans. Spoon into baked shells. Top each with a pecan half. Bake for 5 minutes. Cool; remove from pans.
Yield: 36 tarts with double tart shell recipe
Banana Butterscotch Cupcakes
1 ¼ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons (¾ stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 medium bananas, broken into 1-inch pieces
2 large eggs
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup buttermilk (any fat content)
1 cup (6 ounces) butterscotch chips
Frosting
¼ cup half-and-half
¾ cup packed light brown sugar
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1. Make the cupcakes: Position a rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line 12 muffin tin cups with paper cupcake liners.
2. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a medium bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter and sugar until blended and creamy, about 2 minutes. Stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl as needed during mixing. Add the banana pieces, mixing until they are blended into the mixture; you will still see some small pieces of banana. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing until each is blended. Add the vanilla and beat for 1 minute. On low speed, add half of the flour mixture, mixing just to incorporate it. Mix in the buttermilk. Mix in the remaining flour mixture until it is incorporated and the batter looks smooth. Stir in the butterscotch chips.
3. Fill each paper liner with a scant 1/3 cup of batter, to about ¼ inch below the top of the liner. Bake until the tops feel firm and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Cool the cupcakes for 10 minutes in the pan on a wire rack.
4. Carefully place the wire rack on top of the cupcakes in their pan. Protecting your hands with pot holders and holding the pan and rack together, invert them to release them onto the wire rack. Turn the cupcakes top side up to cool completely.
5. Meanwhile, make the frosting: In a medium saucepan, heat the half-and-half and brown sugar over low heat, stirring often, until the brown sugar melts. Increase the heat to medium-high, bring to a boil, and boil for 1 minute, stirring often. Pour into a small bowl and refrigerate until cool to the touch, about 45 minutes.
6. In a large bowl, beat the butter and powdered sugar with an electric mixer on low speed until smoothly blended, about 2 minutes. At first the mixture will look crumbly, but then it will form a smooth mass. Add the vanilla and brown sugar mixture and beat on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute.
7. Use a small spatula to spread about 1 ½ tablespoons of frosting on top of each cupcake.
The cupcakes can be covered and stored at room temperature for up to 2 days.
Yield: 12 cupcakes
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Double Chocolate Walnut Fudgies
Jim: "Those cookies. Whoa. Wow."
Tania: "Those cookies were so good."
Mitali: "If you have this cookie dough, I'm happy to take it off your hands." (That Mitali, such a giver.)
So apparently I'm outvoted. However, I'm unswayed by public opinion. I've baked better chocolate chip cookies.
Even though I might not have needed a backup dessert for my meeting, last night I made one anyway. These are called Double Chocolate Walnut Fudgies but if you've read my blog with any regularity, you know none of my brownies will ever meet a walnut. Instead I substituted Heath bar milk chocolate toffee bits. The recipe calls for baking in 2 8-inch pans but I thought that was a bit extreme so I made it in one 9 x 13 pan (if your recipe calls for baking in an 8-inch pan and you want to double it, it's perfectly fine to use a 9 x 13 pan for the doubled recipe). It's supposed to bake for 40 minutes and be super fudgy. I checked it at 35 minutes and the toothpick inserted in the middle came out clean. Uh-oh. Clean is a bad sign. You don't want clean, you want a few moist crumbs clinging to it. Clean typically means overbaked and dry. However, when I took these out and let them cool, they were surprisingly still moist. If I make these again, I would still take them out sooner and see how they come out. I think I'd also bake them in a smaller pan, maybe a 10-inch square baking pan and see if they come out thicker. This is a simple basic brownie so if you want something quick and easy to make, this is a good recipe to try.
Double Chocolate Walnut Fudgies from A Country Baking Treasury by Lisa Yockelson - baked 11.17.09
½ pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into chunks
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
½ cup unsifted cake flour
½ cup unsifted all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped walnuts
2/3 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
3 extra-large eggs plus 2 extra-large egg yolks, at room temperature
2 cups vanilla-scented granulated sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon chocolate extract
For sprinkling
2/3 cup chopped walnuts
1. Lightly butter and flour two 8-inch square baking pans. Line the bottom of each pan with a square of waxed paper; set aside. Preheat the oven to 350˚F.
2. Melt the butter and chocolate in a heavy saucepan over very low heat; stir well. Set aside to cool.
3. Sift the cake flour, all-purpose flour and salt onto a sheet of waxed paper.
4. Combine the walnuts and chocolate chips in a small bowl and toss with 1 tablespoon of the sifted flour mixture.
5. Beat the eggs and egg yolks in a large mixing bowl. Blend in the granulated sugar and mix well. Blend in the vanilla and chocolate extracts. Stir in the melted chocolate-butter mixture. Stir in the sifted mixture, blending just until the particles of flour have been absorbed. Fold in the chocolate chips and walnuts.
6. Spoon the batter into the prepared pans, dividing evenly between them. Sprinkle the top of eac pan with 1/3 cup chopped walnuts.
7. Bake the fudgies on the middle-level rack of the oven for 40 minutes, until the top is set and shiny and each cake pulls away slightly from the sides of the baking pan.
8. Cool each cake in the pan on a rack until it reaches room temperature, about 2 hours. Invert each cake onto a second cooling rack, peel away the waxed paper, and invert again on to a cutting board.
9. Cut each cake into 9 squares and store them in an airtight tin.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
"Puffed" Chocolate Chip Cookies
2 tablespoons butter
1 ½ cups cake flour
¾ teaspoon salt
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
9 tablespoons butter-flavored shortening
1 cup minus 1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1. Preheat the oven to 350˚F.
2. On a large baking sheet, roast the pecans for 10 to 12 minutes. While the nuts are still hot, stir in 2 tablespoons butter.
3. Turn the oven up to 375˚F.
4. Sift together the flour, salt and baking powder in a medium mixing bowl.
5. Using an electric mixer, cream shortening and sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Add the egg and beat thoroughly. Beat in the vanilla. On low speed, gradually add the dry ingredients until thoroughly combined. Scrape down the sides once with a rubber spatula. Add the pecans and chocolate chips. Beat 5 seconds on low. Use the rubber spatula to finish mixing in well.
6. Spray cookie sheets lightly with nonstick cooking spray. With a tablespoon or small ice cream/food scoop, drop slightly heaped tablespoons of batter about 2 inches apart onto the greased sheets. Bake the cookies for about 12 minutes or until the edges just begin to brown. Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool on the sheet on a cooling rack for 3 minutes, then remove the cookies to a rack to cool completely.
Monday, November 16, 2009
Peanut Butter Brownies
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
Brownie layer
1 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
½ cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
¼ cup unsalted peanuts, chopped
1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 325°F. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with aluminum foil so that the foil extends 2 inches beyond two opposite sides of the pan. Lightly butter the bottom and sides of the pan.
Make the peanut butter layer
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, using the paddle attachment, beat the peanut butter, sugar and egg at medium speed until blended, about 1 minute. Scrape the mixture into the prepared pan and smooth or pat it into an even layer. Set aside.
Make the brownie layer
3. In a medium saucepan, combine the sugars, butter, chocolate and corn syrup. Heat over low heat, stirring constantly, until melted and smooth. Remove the pan from the heat and let cool for 20 minutes, or until tepid.
4. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.
5. Whisk the eggs one at a time, into the cooled chocolate mixture, mixing well after each addition. Whisk in the vanilla extract. Using a wooden spoon, stir in the flour mixture until blended. Scrape the brownie batter over the peanut butter layer and smooth the top with a rubber spatula. Sprinkle the peanuts evenly over the batter.
6. Bake the brownies for 45 to 52 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the brownies comes out with a few moist crumbs clinging to it.
7. Cool the brownies in the pan on a wire rack for 1 hour, then cover the pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours until chilled.
8. Using the ends of the foil as handles, lift the brownies out of the pan. Using a sharp knife, cut into 9 squares. Serve chilled.
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Chocolate Chip Fudge Cake
This is what I would call a “picnic cake”. Because you don’t frost it, it’s easy to pack up and take along with you or send in a care package. It’s easy to make in one bowl, you bake it on one pan and you just cut and serve. At first I thought this cake wouldn’t be very chocolaty because it doesn’t have that much baking chocolate but the chocolate chips make up for it. It has a perfect cakey texture which I like in all my cakes – it’s lighter than a pound cake but more dense than a sponge cake. So I consider it “cakey”. If you’re short on time, this is a great cake to throw together. Just watch the baking time – because the batter fills up the pan to make a thick layer, you have to make sure you bake it long enough for the middle to bake but not so long that the corners and ends dry out.
This recipe is also from Fearless Baking by Elinor Klivans. So far, I’m really liking this baking book. I’ve probably made at least a dozen or more recipes from it and only one didn’t turn out (an orange layer cake). But all the others have been so good that I’m thinking that the one failure was more my fault than the book’s because I don’t think I baked the orange cake layers long enough. I may have to try it again just to make sure it wasn’t operator error. The only thing about the book is the directions are somewhat long-winded since she’s aiming for a more novice audience. I tend to skim the directions to get the gist of it then do my own thing. For instance, I don't see the point of melting the unsweetened chocolate in the oven as this recipe calls for. I always melt my chocolate over a double boiler so I can stir it as needed and don't have to bother with popping something in and out of the oven or the microwave. You run less risk of burning the chocolate this way too.
Chocolate Chip Fudge Cake
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 ¼ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ pound (1 stick) soft unsalted butter
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream
½ cup water
1 2/3 cups (10 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
Powdered sugar for dusting the top of the cake, optional
1. Mix the cake: Position an oven rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 175˚F. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9 x 9 x 2-inch square baking pan or an 11 x 7 x 2-inch rectangular baking pan.
2. Put the unsweetened chocolate in a small ovenproof container and place it in the oven to melt. It will take about 12 minutes to melt. As soon as the chocolate melts, remove it from the oven and stir it smooth. Increase the oven temperature to 325˚F. Set the chocolate aside to cool slightly while you mix the cake.
3. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together onto a piece of wax paper or into a medium bowl and set aside.
4. Put the butter and granulated sugar in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until the mixture looks smooth and creamy, and the color lightens, about 2 minutes. Move the beaters around in the bowl if using a handheld electric mixer. Stop the mixer and scrape the mixture from the sides of the bowl and any that becomes caught in the beaters as needed throughout the mixing process. Decrease the speed to low and mix in the melted chocolate, mixing just to combine it with the other ingredients. Increase the speed to medium and add the eggs, one at a time, beating for 1 minute after adding each egg. Decrease the speed to low and add the vanilla and sour cream, mixing just until the sour cream is incorporated. Add half of the flour mixture and mix to incorporate the flour. Add the water, mixing to incorporate it. Add the remaining flour mixture, mixing just to incorporate it. Stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl after the last addition of flour. The batter is ready when the final addition of flour is mixed completely into the batter. If any flour is clinging to the sides of the bowl, stir it into the batter. Use a large spoon to stir in the chocolate chips.
5. Use a rubber spatula to scrape all of the batter into the prepared pan, spreading it evenly.
6. Bake and serve the cake: Bake for about 40 minutes, until the top feels firm and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out slightly sticky but not coated with liquid. If the toothpick penetrates a chocolate chip, test another spot. Cool the cake thoroughly in its pan, about 1 ½ hours. Dust with powdered sugar if desired. Cut into squares to serve. Leave leftover cake in the pan, and cover and store it at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Chocolate Chip Cookie & Fudge Brownie Pie
Yesterday afternoon, I had another bakefest. I'd already blogged about the Double Fudge Cream Cheese Brownies. The 2nd thing I made was Chocolate Chip Cookie & Fudge Brownie Pie – the title of this recipe pretty much speaks for itself. You start with a chocolate chip cookie layer, partially bake the chocolate cookie crust, take it out and let it cool for 30 minutes so the center will sink and the edges will be slightly raised like a pie. Then you “fill” the top with a brownie layer. This is my kind of pie.
I actually didn’t bake it in a pie pan because I was portioning it out to give away and it’s easier to cut from a square than a round shape so I made it in an 8-inch square baking pan instead of a 9-inch pie pan. I was originally going to make it in a 9-inch square baking pan instead of a pie pan but the batter seemed so little that I thought using a 9-inch pan might make the “crust” a little too thin. Consequently, this turned out to be more of a two-layer confection than any kind of pie. But it also turned out pretty well so you can call it whatever you want. After partially baking the chocolate cookie crust, I barely (and purposely) baked the pie with the brownie topping for the 20 minutes that the recipe called for. So the “topping” turned out pretty soft and fudgy. I think if you bake it longer, it’ll be more firm but that wasn’t the texture I was going for. Since this is two layers, putting it together might seem like it takes a bit longer but it’s not that hard. Make the chocolate chip cookie crust first and while it’s partially baking and cooling, you can make the brownie topping.
Chocolate Chip Cookie & Fudge Brownie Pie - from Fearless Baking by Elinor Klivans, baked 11.15.09
¾ cup unbleached all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons soft unsalted butter
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 large egg
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
Brownie Topping
6 tablespoons (¾ stick) unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
3 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 ounce unsweetened chocolate, chopped
¼ cup unbleached all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
6 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1. Mix and bake the crust: Position a rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 325˚F. Butter a 9-inch pie pan.
2. Sift the flour, baking soda, and salt together onto a piece of wax paper or into a medium bowl and set aside.
3. Put the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer on medium speed for about 1 minute until the mixture looks smooth and creamy. Move the beaters around in the bowl if using a handheld electric mixer. Stop the mixer and scrape the mixture from the sides of the bowl and any that becomes caught in the beaters as needed throughout the mixing process. Mix in the egg and vanilla until they are blended in thoroughly. Decrease the speed to low and add the flour mixture, mixing just until it is incorporated and there is no loose flour. Use a large spoon to stir in the chocolate chips. Use a rubber spatula to scrape all of the dough into the pie pan, spreading it evenly over the bottom of the pan. Bake 15 minutes. Cool 30 minutes. The center will sink slightly.
4. Mix the topping: Put the butter, semisweet and unsweetened chocolate in a heatproof container set over, but not touching, barely simmering water in a saucepan. Stir the mixture often over the hot water until the butter and chocolate are melted and smooth. As soon as the chocolate mixture melts, remove the container from over the water and set it aside to cool slightly for about 5 minutes.
5. Stir the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a small bowl and set aside.
6. Put the egg, granulated sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer on medium speed for about 1 minute until the mixture thickens and the color lightens slightly. Move the beaters around in the bowl is using a handheld mixer. Decrease the speed to low and mix in the melted chocolate, mixing just to combine it with the other ingredients. Add the flour mixture, mixing just until the flour is incorporated. Use a rubber spatula to scrape all of the batter over the partially cooled chocolate chip cookie layer, spreading it evenly.
7. Bake and serve the pie: Bake for about 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the brownie layer comes out with a few moist crumbs, but not wet batter, clinging to it. Cool the pie thoroughly in the pan.
8. Serve the pie at room temperature. Leftover pie can be covered with plastic wrap and stored at room temperature up to 3 days. Ice cream and warm old-fashioned hot fudge sauce make a good accompaniment.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Double Fudge Cream Cheese Brownies
I made these again tonight to freeze and use throughout the week - work meetings, social gatherings and possibly to bring down to Southern CA this weekend when my parents and I make the drive down for Thanksgiving week. In fact, this is pretty much going to be brownie baking week since brownies are so versatile and travel well.
Double Fudge Cream Cheese Brownies from Land O Lakes Treasury of Country Recipes - made 11.15.09
Brownies:
1 cup butter
4 ozs unsweetened chocolate
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
4 eggs, slightly beaten
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Filling
¼ cup sugar
2 tbsp butter, softened
3-oz package cream cheese, softened
1 egg
1 tbsp flour
½ teaspoon vanilla
1. Heat oven to 350˚F.
2. In a 2-quart saucepan, combine 1 cup butter and unsweetened chocolate. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until melted (4-6 minutes). Stir in remaining brownie ingredients except chocolate chips. Fold in chocolate chips. Spread half of batter into greased 9” x 13” baking pan.
3. In small bowl, stir together all filling ingredients. Spread over brownie mixture. Spoon remaining batter over cream cheese (batter will not entirely cover cream cheese mixture). Bake for 30-35 minutes or until brownies begin to pull away from sides of pan.
Friday, November 13, 2009
Brrrrr-ownies
Whenever I need to bring in something, I flip through my collection of 202 baking cookbooks (I kid you not, I have that many and I know I do because I made myself count them so I could stop being in denial over how many I actually have) and see what I can make. Most people might stick to a tried and true recipe but I can usually read through a recipe and gauge how well it’ll turn out. Either that or I’m willing to take the risk. Plus I like trying out new recipes because it makes me feel like I can justify having 202 baking books.
Most brownie recipes are pretty basic but can be dressed up accordingly. That’s what I did with these. They’re called Brrrrr-ownies - the “brrrrr” affectation was meant to refer to the York peppermint patties the original recipe calls for and these are supposed to be mint chocolate brownies (“brrrr”, cold, mint, get it?). I like mint and I like chocolate but not together. To me, that’s like brushing my teeth then eating a piece of chocolate. Uh, no. So I took the liberty of substituting Snickers bars for the peppermint patties and I think that worked just fine. I put some pieces of Snickers in the batter itself but also sprinkled Snickers liberally over the top of the brownie batter before putting the pan in the oven. They partially melted and partially sank into the batter but I think that gives the brownies some character. The brownie itself is a nice, fudgy texture which serves as a good backdrop for the Snickers. For the unsweetened chocolate, I just used Baker’s unsweetened which is available at any grocery store (orange box sold in 8-ounce packages) and for the bittersweet chocolate, I used Guittard’s semisweet baking chocolate which I bought at Sur La Table. They come as “buttons” and are sold by the box. These aren’t the same as chocolate chips and are more used or better used as baking chocolate. You can also use bittersweet chocolate like Lindt, Valrhona, or any other good-quality chocolate. You can find good brands at reasonable prices and they’re worth it.
3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
2/3 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup (6 ounces) York Peppermint Pattie Bites (or an equal weight of patties), chopped into bits
1. Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 325˚F. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with foil, butter the foil and place the pan on a baking sheet.
2. Set a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of gently simmering water. Put the butter in the bowl, top with the chopped chocolates and stir occasionally until the ingredients are just melted – you don’t want them to get so hot that the butter separates. Remove the bowl from the pan of water.
3. With a whisk, stir in the sugar. Don’t be concerned when your smooth mixture turns grainy. Whisk in the eggs one by one. Add the vanilla and whisk vigorously to bring the batter together and give it a shine before gently stirring in the salt and flour; stir only until incorporated. Switch to a rubber spatula and fold in the peppermint pieces. Scrape the batter into the pan and smooth the top with the rubber spatula.
4. Bake the brownies for 30 to 33 minutes, or until the top is dull and a thin knife inserted into the center comes out almost clean. (The tip of the knife may be a touch streaky.) Transfer the pan to a rack and cool to room temperature.
5. When they are completely cool, turn out onto a rack, peel away the foil and invert onto a cutting board. Cut into sixteen 2-inch squares.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Black Bottom Brownies
The real baking therapy last night were these brownies - "Black Bottom Brownies" from the Sweet Melissa Baking Book. I had said yesterday was such a bad day that I needed more baking therapy than popping frozen cookie dough into the oven and these brownies were it. This is a brownie layer on the bottom and a chocolate chip cheesecake layer on top. For the most part, these turned out okay. People at work liked them (it was a 5-compliment, stop-me-in-the-hallway-to-tell-me-so brownie) but I'm my own worst critic and I think these could've been better. For one thing, they were so thick and it took so long to bake the cheesecake layer that the bottom brownie layer dried out at the corners and edges and even a bit in the middle. If you look closely at the picture, the lighter color of the very bottom of the brownies contrasts with the darker color of the brownie right underneath the cheesecake layer. The lighter the color, the drier the brownie. And we know how I feel about dry brownies. You'll also notice some of the tops of the cheesecake layer are browned golden and some are creamy white. That's because the edges and corners turned golden in the time it took for the cheesecake layer to set while the middle remained pale.
If I make these again, I would probably use less brownie batter and/or make it more liquid. You'd lose the dense texture but it might help with the moisture issue. And I would take it out sooner even though the cheesecake layer didn't look done and just let the cheesecake chill and firm. I actually baked it for 5 minutes less than the recipe suggested but that was still too long for the brownie layer. Although the recipe called for regular chocolate chips, I used the mini chocolate chips for aesthetic reasons - mini chips look prettier in a cheesecake layer.
Here's another little-known fact about me: I don't like cheesecake. Which may be another reason I'm only lukewarm on these brownies. Some people are astounded that I don't like cheesecake. We'll call them (duh) cheesecake lovers. I'm not one of them. Cheesecake lovers can wax poetic about all kinds of cheesecake while I look baffled. I can handle a little cream cheese but it needs to be mixed with something else like chocolate. A cream cheese swirl brownie? Okey-doke. This kind of layered cheesecake brownie? Okaaaaaayyyyyy. An actual cheesecake? Nah. I just don't like the taste of cream cheese that much and need it diluted by a stronger flavor like chocolate.
I still remember when I worked at eBay and my coworkers surprised me on my birthday with a cheesecake from The Cheesecake Factory. It was so nice of them that of course I couldn't tell them I didn't like cheesecake. So I sucked it up and ate a piece. Fortunately they got chocolate cheesecake so it went down better than a plain cheesecake.
Black Bottom Brownies
For the brownie bottom
6 ounces best-quality unsweetened chocolate
½ pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon kosher salt
4 large eggs plus 2 large egg yolks
2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon pure vanilla
For the cheesecake layer
1 pound (two 8-ounce packages) cream cheese, at room temperature
1 ½ cups sugar
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
6 large eggs
1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 cups (one 12-ounce package) semisweet (58%) chocolate chips
1. Position a rack in the center of your oven. Preheat the oven to 325˚F. Lightly butter a 9 x 13” pan. Line the pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
2. In the top of a double boiler over simmering, not boiling, water, melt the chocolate and the butter, stirring to combine. Set aside to cool to warm.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg yolks, sugar and vanilla until smooth.
4. Pour the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture and combine with a whisk. Add the flour mixture to the chocolate/egg mixture and stir until just combined. Pour the brownie batter into the prepared pan, and spread evenly.
5. To make the cheesecake layer: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the cream cheese, sugar and the salt until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs, 2 at a time, and mix well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Stir in the vanilla.
6. To complete the brownies: Pour the cheesecake mixture over the brownie layer. Sprinkle the chocolate chips evenly over the cheesecake layer.
7. Bake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes or until lightly golden. Remove to a wire rack to cool. Cool completely before slicing and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. May be served cold or at room temperature.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Baking Therapy & Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies
½ cup smooth peanut butter
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cu firmly packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
¾ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1. Position a rack in the top and bottom thirds of your oven. Preheat the oven to 325˚F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the peanut butter with the butter and sugars until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Beat in the egg.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
4. Add the flour mixture to the peanut butter mixture and mix until combined. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl so that everything is combined evenly.
5. Scoop the dough by the rounded tablespoonful and roll into balls. Place the balls about 2 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheets, and press down slightly. Using a fork dipped in flour, press down on the cookies first one way and then the other to form an “X” pattern, creating the crosshatch effect. (The cookies should now measure approximately 2 inches in diameter.) Bake for 10 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden. Overbaking will cause these chewy cookies to become crunchy so try to avoid it.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Double Dark Chocolate Cherry Cookies
In case you're blinking and wondering if your eyes are deceiving you with the picture, they're not. No, cherries didn't suddenly turn into M&Ms. The recipe calls for dried sour cherries and has "cherry"in its name but that wasn't enough to prevent me from substituting plain M&Ms instead. I don't like fruit in my cookies and when I make a dark chocolate cookie, plain M&Ms make a nice contrast to the chocolate dough. The candy coating is crisp and the milk chocolate provides some sweet against the dark chocolate.
This is another recipe from the Sweet Melissa Baking Book and I made the dough last weekend and froze the cookie dough balls to bake off tonight for a work meeting tomorrow. Although the recipe calls for a lot of chilling and shaping of the dough, when I made it, the dough turned out firm enough that all I had to do was use an ice cream scoop to form the dough balls then put them in a ziploc bag and put them in the freezer. When I baked them, they didn't spread too much and they had a good, dark chocolate taste. Choose your cocoa carefully when you make this recipe since the cocoa is essentially the only source for the rich chocolate flavor. I like to use Pernigotti cocoa from Williams Sonoma for a recipe like this. The grocery store/Hershey's brand just doesn't have enough richness or depth in the chocolate for this type of cookie.
Oh and if you are a fan of cherries, I'm sure you'd enjoy this recipe as is without the M&M substitution - it's all a matter of taste and preference.
1 cup all-purpose flour
¾ cup best-quality unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup granulated sugar
¼ cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 large egg
¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
¾ cup best-quality semisweet (58%) chocolate chips
1/3 cup dried sour cherries
1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg, mixing well. Stir in the vanilla.
3. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture in three batches, mixing just until incorporated after each addition. Stir in the chocolate chips and cherries. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
4. Refrigerate the dough for a few hours until firm.
5. Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface and divide it in half. Roll out into 2 uniform logs about 12 inches long. Refrigerate until firm enough to slide, about 1 hour. (At this point, you can wrap the logs tightly in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil and freeze for up to 1 month.)
6. Position a rack in the top and bottom thirds of your oven. Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
7. Cut the logs into 1-inch slices and place 1 ½ inches apart on the prepared cookie sheets. Bake for 15 minutes or until the dough looks just baked. These cookies should be tender so do not overbake.
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Chocolate Walnut Brownies - but skip the walnuts
4 ounces best-quality unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
2 large eggs
1 ½ cups sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon kosher salt
2/3 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped (optional)
1. Position a rack in the center of your oven. Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Butter and flour a 9 x 9 x 2-inch square cake pan.
2. In the top of a double boiler set over simmering, not boiling, water, melt the butter and chocolate. Remove from the heat but keep warm.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whip attachment, beat together the eggs, sugar and vanilla on medium speed until pale yellow in color, about 2 minutes. Add the melted chocolate and mix to combine.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour and salt.
5. Add the flour mixture to the chocolate mixture in 3 batches, mixing on low speed until just combined. Do not overmix. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Stir in the nuts by hand.
6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until sides begin to pull away from the pan and center is moist but not runny, and a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove to a wire rack to cool.
7. When cool, loosen the edges of the pan with a knife and invert the brownies onto a cutting board. Cut into 12 brownies, measuring 3 inches by 2 ¼ inches, or serve straight from the pan.