Honey Kissed Peanut Butter Cookies

When I go to bake a batch of cookies, I often find myself adding in other sweet things.  Instead of a basic chocolate chip cookie I make oatmeal, coconut, pecan, chocolate chip cookies.  Instead of simple shortbread I make these tasty treats.  But this time I decided to keep it truly simple.  Peanut butter cookies.  Just peanut butter.  Well, peanut butter cookies with a touch of honey.  I couldn’t help myself.

This recipe for Classic Peanut Butter Cookies is from the King Arthur Flour blog, Bakers Banter.  The cookie dough comes out dry and crumbly.  The recipe suggests adding the slightest bit of water at the end to make it more cohesive.  I added about a tablespoon of honey instead, which probably makes these cookies a little chewier than they would be otherwise.  The texture in the final product was really nice.  Crunchy on the outside, soft and chewy inside.

In hindsight, I am really glad I didn’t add chocolate chips or crushed pretzels to the dough.  It just isn’t up to the challenge of holding on to much more than itself.  I did try to stuff a few of these with a sweetened cream cheese (it worked wonders in these cookies) but it wasn’t very successful.  The crumbly dough didn’t hold together, and of the ones I did manage to form and bake, I wasn’t sure it was even worth the extra effort (or the extra calories).  So, stick to the basics here.  There’s a time and place for excess, and it is not here.

Butter is typically my fat of choice in cookies, but I did follow the recipe here and used shortening.  A note on the site says that you can substitute 1/2 cup of softened butter for the shortening, and that will produce a softer cookie.  The recipe does not call for rolling the cookies in sugar before baking, but I did it because I like the exterior to have that nice sugary coating that leaves a touch of crunchy, sweet sugar on your fingers.

Honey Kissed Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup vegetable shortening
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 3/4 cup supermarket-style smooth peanut butter
  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • extra granulated sugar for rolling (optional)

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease (or line with parchment) two baking sheets.
  2.  Beat together the shortening, sugars, egg, vanilla, and peanut butter until smooth.
  3.  Add the flour, baking soda, and salt to the peanut-butter mixture, beating gently until everything is well combined. It may take awhile for this rather dry dough to come together; and when it does, it’ll be quite stiff. Drizzle in the honey and mix to combine.
  4. Drop the cookie dough by tablepoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheets (a tablespoon cookie scoop works well here), leaving 2″ between them.
  5. If desired, roll into balls and then in granulated sugar and return to the baking sheet.
  6. Use a fork to flatten each cookie to about 1/2″ thick, making a cross-hatch design.
  7. Bake the cookies for 12 to 14 minutes, until they’re barely beginning to brown around the edges; the tops won’t have browned. Remove them from the oven, and cool on a rack.

 


Baked Shrimp with Tomatoes and Feta

This is a meal I made fairly frequently when Ben and I first got married.  I rediscovered it in an old pile of recipes I’d torn out of magazines (that need some serious organizing) and I’m glad I did.  It’s easy, quick and delicious; all things I appreciated back then when I was teaching full time, and all things I look for in recipes now that I work at home full time.  The ingredient list is short, there is very little prep, and you can have this on the table in about 45 minutes.  Serve with rice, this orzo from Martha or with some good crusty bread to soak up the sauce.  The tomatoes get nice and soft, becoming just delicious squished on a piece of bread with a little of the warm feta.

This recipe was in an old issue of Food Everyday and I was happy to find it on Martha’s website also.  In reading the reviews online, a lot of people opted to used basil instead of mint, which I am sure is fantastic.  I personally like the mint, but I know some people who wouldn’t.  Other than that change, I’ve never felt the need to change anything.  I will say that this isn’t great leftover, as is the case with most seafood in my opinion.  So make a half recipe for 2 people, a full recipe for 4.

Baked Shrimp with Tomatoes and Feta

From Martha Stewart

Serves 4

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 4 thinly sliced scallions
  • 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 2 pints cherry tomatoes, halved
  • Coarse salt and ground pepper
  • 1 1/2 pounds peeled and deveined large frozen shrimp, thawed, tails removed
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh fresh mint, plus more for garnish
  • 4-6 ounces feta cheese

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 475°F with rack set in upper third.  Heat oil in a large skillet over medium.  Add scallions, garlic, and oregano; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
  2. Add tomatoes. Cook over medium, stirring occasionally, until no liquid remains in skillet, 10 to 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
  3. Add shrimp and mint to skillet. Stir to combine; transfer to an 8-inch square (or other shallow 2-quart) baking dish. Crumble feta over top.
  4. Bake until liquid is bubbling, cheese is beginning to brown, and shrimp in center of dish are opaque, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve with additional chopped mint.

 

Shortbread, Salted Dulce de Leche & Brownie Bars

You have no doubt seen those bars on Pinterest, and floating around on the internet called slutty brownies.  I saw them posted on Pinterest by one of the last people I would have ever expected to allow the word ‘slutty’ to appear before her eyes, much less repin a recipe with the word in the title.  I immediately clicked on it when I saw her pin.  These things are ridiculous, and I mean that in a very good way.  A layer of Oreo cookies is sandwiched between a chocolate chip cookie layer and a brownie layer.  They make my mouth water and I’m pretty sure that looking at them just made my yoga pants stretch out a little more than they already were.  By the way, I did not do yoga in these pants today.  In fact, I did nothing.  Oh no, I vacuumed.  That’s something.

So here they are.  The slutty brownies.  And don’t you see what I mean?  Don’t you just feel a little fatter after looking at them?

Photo from whatsgabycooking.com

Anyway, the link I clicked on led me to the Londoner.  She uses boxes of mix, which is totally fine in my opinion, especially with something called slutty brownies.  The easier the better.  Another recipe, from What’s Gaby Cooking, uses scratch made cookies and brownies.  I typically don’t have that kind of time or patience, so I admire you, Gaby!  Jessica Simpson is apparently craving these brownies during her pregnancy, and I don’t blame her.

Now that you’re expecting to see how my slutty brownies turned out (and how much weight I gained after eating the entire pan), I did not actually make slutty brownies.  I just wanted to talk about them.  But I did make a three layered bar that brings together shortbread, dulce de leche and brownies.  I made the shortbread cookie and used a can of dulce de leche and a box of brownie mix.  I think they would have been better with a scratch brownie, which really isn’t all that hard to do and I wish I’d done it.  Next time.

Everyone seemed to like these.  The salt was nice next to the sweetness of the brownie.  The combination of textures, crunchy, sticky and gooey was quite delicious.  The only changes I might make would be to use more dulce de leche and, like I said above, make a scratch brownie.  You could add chocolate chunks or nuts to the brownies, I’d probably use pecans, but I’m biased.  Toffee pieces might also be really tasty, but that might be overdoing it…but not as over the top as the slutty brownies,

Shortbread, Salted Dulce de Leche & Brownie Bars

Ingredients

Shortbread Layer

  • 1 cup butter, cold and cut into cubes
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • pinch of coarse salt
Dulce de Leche
  • 1 can of dulce de leche
  • a couple pinches of flaked sea salt
Brownie Layer
  • 1 family size brownie mix (for a 9×13 pan)
  • ingredients called for on the box (eggs, oil, water)
Directions
Shortbread Layer
  1. Pulse all ingredients in a food processor until mixture resemble coarse sand.  Do not overmix.
  2. Press mixture into a 9×13 pan (greased if desired, I did not grease my pan).  Make sure to push the mixture slightly up the sides.  When you pour the dulce de leche on top you do not want it to touch the sides of the pan or it will burn and stick during baking.
  3. Bake at 325°F for about 20 minutes.  Let cool completely.
Dulce de Leche
  1. Pour dulce de leche into a microwave safe bowl and microwave in 20 second increments, stirring in between, until it is smooth enough to spread easily.
  2. Spread dulce de leche over shortbread layer evenly, making sure it does not touch the sides of the pan.
  3. Sprinkle salt evenly and lightly over dulce de leche.
Brownie Layer
  1. Prepare brownie batter according to package directions and pour evenly over the dulce de leche layer.
  2. Bake at 350°F for 40-45 minutes.  Check for doneness on the brownie layer and bake a little longer if batter is not cooked in the middle.
  3. Let cool for at least an hour before cutting.

 

 

San Diego {Vacation Food}

Ben and I took our first vacation without Carson at the end of March.  We had a really nice time being alone and getting a break from life at home.  We missed having our little guy around, especially when we went to La Jolla to watch the sea lions.  But having the opportunity to go see a movie on a whim and not worry about getting home for nap time or bed time was a treat.  It was a nice little escape for us.

We stayed in the Gaslamp Quarter, close to downtown, at the Hilton Gaslamp.  We were really close to restaurants and walked to dinner a couple of nights from our hotel.  Parking down there would have been a nightmare.

Our last night there we splurged big time and stayed at the Coronado in an ocean view room.  It was purely wonderful.

Instead of posting about each restaurant we visited on our vacation, here are the iPhone photos I took of our food on the trip.

We found most of the places using Urbanspoon, but also took some advice from Guy Fieri of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, Adam Richmond of Man v. Food and Brian Malarkey of Top Chef.

Here are the places we ate, where they are, whether or not I would go again, and food tips.

  1. Bread and Cie: Hillcrest, would go again, we had sandwiches and a cupcake which were good, but I think it is probably best for breakfast, breads and pastries…the bread was terrific.
  2. Escape Fish Bar: Gaslamp, definitely would go again, small and quaint, try the seafood chowder and the tacones.
  3. Broken Yolk: Pacific Beach, from Man v Food, might go again, basic breakfast foods.
  4. Searsucker: Gaslamp, Malarkey’s restaurant, would go again for a splurge and make reservations, my favorites of this meal were the pork butt main and the brussels.
  5. Kono’s Surf Club Cafe: Pacific Beach, would not go again, fun atmosphere and view, but food was just so so.
  6. Bare Back Grill: Gaslamp, would not go again, a good place to drink, but not for great food.  I got a Living Social deal on this one, so it didn’t hurt as much that it was a bust.
  7. Con Pane Rustic Breads and Cafe: Point Loma, would go again, cinnamon rolls are ok, the bread plate is huge and good for sharing.
  8. Leroy’s Kitchen + Lounge: Coronado, would go again, local, fresh and sustainable, everything was delicious.
  9. Crazee Burger: North Park, Diners, Drive Ins and Dives find, would go again, yummy and unique burgers, nice, thin and crispy fries.

One of my most favorite things was going to the Del Mar farmers market.  I got a couple of delicious blood oranges, some French pastries from a local bakery, and of course some freshly made kettle corn.  We could have easily eaten lunch there with all the local vendors, but we’d had a late and filling breakfast.  I highly recommend going to a local farmers market for some tasty food anytime you get the chance.

Our last day in Coronado.

 

Sailboat Cookies and Life Preserver Cupcakes

My sister Lindsey came down to Houston to help throw a baby shower for a friend of hers, and she asked me to make cookie favors.  I made these sailboat cookies to go along with the sailboat (but not all out nautical) theme.

Here are the invites, made by my sister Lisa.

And here are the finished cookies in their cellophane bags complete with Merci! tags, also by Lisa.

I had to share these cute and kitschy cupcakes.  These were kind of a pain to make.  The life preservers are mini donuts, cored (very carefully) with an apple corer, covered in white candy coating to make for a smooth surface and then piped with red icing.  We put a blob of frosting in the middle of the cupcake, placed the donut on top, and then frosted using a star tip around the donut.

And a start-to-finish on the cookies, Day 1 to Day 3.

If I could make a living doing this, I would.

 

Peanut Noodles with Chicken and Vegetables

One of the great things about having a pantry that’s on the small side is that it is next to impossible to lose track of food, only to find it years later.  I don’t have to get elbow-deep in my canned goods to find a can of tomatoes.  My small food storage also keeps me from stocking up on things I don’t need…I do have a snack bowl on top of the cabinet for my assortment of gummy candies and what remains of Carson’s Easter goodies.  But candy is a need, right?

Anyway, when I came across this recipe on Eatingwell.com I knew that I had about 3/4 of a box of thin spaghetti because I see it every time I get something from the pantry, so I added this to my meals for the week.  I was already planning to buy chicken for chicken parmesan, so I was able to buy a 4 pack of chicken breasts and know that they would all get used that week.  That makes me happy.

The recipe calls for a bag of vegetable medley, but I just used veggies that we like; broccoli, red bell pepper, snap peas, frozen edamame and carrots.  Since I was using more like 11-12 ounces of spaghetti, I increased the amount of vegetables I used to about 20 ounces.  I really like there to be a lot of vegetables in pasta dishes, so you may not want to use as much as I did.  I used 1 medium sized broccoli crown, 1 red bell pepper, 5 small carrots, 1 small bag of snap peas, and 8 ounces of frozen edamame.  I kept the sauce pretty much the same, but did end up adding more soy and a drizzle of sesame oil at the end.  The sriracha is spicy.  I like spice, so I used 2 teaspoons of the stuff and definitely felt the heat.  If you are not a fan of spicy foods, use 1/2 a teaspoon in the sauce, taste it and add more if you’d like.

A mistake I made with this was adding all of my vegetables at once.  The carrots were a little under cooked, so if you’re using carrot slices, don’t slice them too thick and make sure to give them a head start in the boiling water.  The broccoli, bell pepper, snap peas and edamame cooked easily in the 3-4 minutes of cooking time.

To make this meal even faster to fix, use shredded rotisserie chicken.  Buy bagged vegetables that are ready to go, or chop your veggies the morning of or the night before.  You can even make the sauce ahead of time and refrigerate it.  The heat from the cooked pasta and hot water will loosen it up as it will be stiff coming out of the fridge.  You can serve this warm or cold.  We ate it both ways and it was delicious.

Peanut Noodles with Chicken and Vegetables

Adapted from Eatingwell.com

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

  • 2-3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 10-12 ounces thin spaghetti
  • 16-18 ounces of vegetables (broccoli, snap peas, bell pepper, carrots, edamame) carrots, broccoli and bell pepper cut into pieces
  • fresh chopped cilantro, optional

Sauce

  • 1/2 cup chunky, natural peanut butter
  • 2-3 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  • 1-2 teaspoons chile-garlic sauce (Sriracha), or to taste
  • 2-3 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
  • 1/2-1 teaspoon sesame oil

Directions

  1. Cook the chicken.  In a medium saucepan, bring water to a boil, salt water, then add chicken, reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes.  Remove chicken from water and let cool slightly before shredding into bite size pieces.
  2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add pasta and cook for 4 minutes, add carrots if using and cook for a minute, add the rest of the vegetables and cook for another 3-4 minutes.  Reserve about 1 cup of pasta water then drain and rinse with cool water.
  3. Make sauce by whisking peanut butter, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, sriracha and sesame oil in a large bowl.  Stir 1/2 cup of pasta water into the sauce.  Toss in pasta, vegetables and chicken.  Add in more pasta water to moisten pasta to your liking.  Mix thoroughly so that all the veggies, pasta and chicken are coated with sauce.  Garnish with cilantro if desired.

Cherry Bread Puddings with Almond Brown Sugar Streusel

When I found myself with a stale baguette, a can of cherry pie filling and more milk than could easily fit in our fridge I knew that bread pudding was the answer to all of my problems.

I had a pot roast on the stove that I’d just spent quite a bit of time preparing, so I wanted something simple.  A few recipes involved a cooked custard base, but with my laziness I kept searching.  Oh, Paula Deen.  You sure do know how to make rich and delicious desserts with little to no effort.  You are dangerous, Paula.  No scalding of milk or tempering of eggs.  Just measure, whisk, pour and bake.  This recipe is plain and simple and so it was easy to adapt to what I wanted to do.  Here is her original recipe.

The original recipe is baked in a greased 9×13 pan, definitely the simpler option and what I would do if bringing this to a potluck dinner or a casual dinner.  But I wanted to make some individual puddings.  Paula doesn’t require a water bath for her large bread pudding, but I wanted to make sure there weren’t any issues with the texture or consistency, so I used a water bath for my individual puddings.

This is a great dessert to make for a dinner party because you can make them ahead of time and reheat them.  When you sit down for dinner or as people start to finish their meals, stick them in the oven and they are ready to go when you finish.

Cherry Bread Puddings with Almond Brown Sugar Streusel

Adapted from Paula Deen

Makes 10 individual puddings

Ingredients

For the puddings

  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 5 large beaten eggs
  • 2 cups milk
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract
  • 4 cups cubed stale baguette
  • 1 can of cherry pie filling (you will only use about half of the can)
For the streusel:
  • 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup butter, softened
  • 1 cup sliced almonds
Directions
  1. Preheat the oven to 325°F.  Grease 10 6-ounce ramekins.
  2. Mix together granulated sugar, eggs, and milk in a bowl.  Add vanilla and almond extracts.  Pour over cubed bread and let sit for 10 minutes to give the bread time to absorb the liquid.
  3. In another bowl, mix and crumble together brown sugar, butter, and almonds.
  4. Using a 1/3 cup measure, pour a scoop of the pudding and bread mixture into each ramekin.  Then take about 1 tablespoon of cherry pie filling and plop it in the middle.  Use a knife to push the pie filling around in the ramekin without mixing it too much.  Top each pudding with some of the streusel.
  5. Using 2 9×13 pans or a large roasting, arrange ramekins so that they do not touch each other.  Have 4-6 cups hot water ready to go, I just used hot water from the tap.  No need to boil it.  Place the pans in the oven then pour hot water around the ramekins so that it comes up 1/3 to 1/2 way up the sides without getting any water into the ramekins.
  6. Bake for 40 minutes, remove from the oven and water bath and let cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes.  Refrigerate for at least an hour to let the puddings finish setting.  Serve cold or warm in the oven again for 15-20 minutes at 350°F.

 

Greek Turkey Meatloaf

When Ben got home from work and asked what we were having for dinner I am pretty sure that he cringed and rolled his eyes when I said turkey meatloaf.  If it were up to him there would be no turkey burgers, no turkey meatballs, and no turkey meatloaf.  And I get it.  If the name of the food has the word meat in it, then it should be made of meat.  This made me wonder, what is meat, exactly?  I looked into the definition of meat, which is really just any animal flesh that we eat.  But meat is defined more specifically as pork, beef and lamb by the meat packing industry.  Chicken and turkey are grouped in the poultry category.  So today we’re making poulty-loaf…which just doesn’t sound very good.  So, I will keep calling this turkey “meat”loaf.

This was a good meatloaf.  Definitely unique in flavor with the feta and dill.  It wasn’t real juicy, but not at all dry either.  I liked it, and Ben didn’t say that he hated it…

One of the reasons I chose to make this was its built in leftover recipe.  I recently got an iPad (which I still can’t believe I talked myself into thinking I needed) and I have the Martha Stewart Everyday Food mag on it.  This meatloaf recipe uses 1/3 of the leftover meatloaf to make turkey and spinach hand pies.  Usually the only option for leftover meatloaf is meatloaf sandwiches, which are delicious, but it was fun to try something different.  More on those later.

The only changes I made were to use wheat sandwich bread slices (which I soaked in a few tablespoons of milk before mixing them with everything else) and using all 85/15 turkey.

Greek Turkey Meatloaf

From Everyday Food April 2012

Ingredients

  • 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 small red onion, diced small
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 2 large celery stalks, diced small
  • coarse salt and ground pepper
  • 2 pounds ground 85/15 turkey (or half 93/7 and half 85/15)
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 slices white or wheat sandwich bread, cut into small pieces
  • 2 tablespoons milk
  • 4 ounces feta, crumbled (1 cup)
  • 1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. In a medium skillet, heat oil over medium. Add onion, garlic, and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are soft, 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
  2. In a large bowl, combine bread crumbs and milk and let soak for a few minutes.  Add in vegetables, turkey, egg, 1 1/4 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Using your hands, mix until combined. Mix in feta and dill.
  3. Transfer to a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet and form into a 4-by-10-inch loaf. Bake until cooked through, 45 to 55 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through. Let rest 10 minutes before slicing. (To store, cover and refrigerate, up to 3 days.)

Spring Tortellini with Asparagus, Peas, Goat Cheese, Pine Nuts & Mint

Do you think that’s a descriptive enough title?  Should I have also told you that it has salt in it?  Honestly though, I tried to shorten it, but I thought people needed to know what was in this perfect for springtime pasta right from the start.  So no need to read on for the recipe, just print it out, go to the store and make this for dinner.

I don’t get any cooking magazines other than Fine Cooking.  It isn’t loaded down with ads and is full of yummy recipes.  I bookmarked this one the first time I went through the issue.  It did not disappoint.  We ate it warm the first night and then a few days later as a cold pasta salad for lunch.  It was delicious each time.  The flavors are refreshing and light, a great option for a warmer weather pasta dinner.  It is a cinch to prepare since you use store bought tortellini.  The only work you have to do is cut the asparagus, mince the garlic, chop the mint and toast the pine nuts.  This meal came together incredibly fast.  So fast, in fact, that Carson wasn’t yet in bed by the time it was done so I had to let it sit for a while before we ate.

The only things I changed from the original recipe were using a little less olive oil in the sauce, adding a few extra peas (I love peas), using 2 packages of tortellini totaling 18 ounces (just 2 ounces more than called for) I used 1 package of cheese and 1 of Italian sausage.  I also used closer to 3 ounces of goat cheese (I love goat cheese).  Make sure to reserve the pasta water!  It makes a lovely sauce on this dish.

Spring Tortellini

From Fine Cooking Magazine

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • salt and pepper
  • 2 medium cloves garlic, pressed or minced
  • 1/8 tsp. cayenne
  • 1 lb. fresh cheese tortellini (or 2 9-ounce packages)
  • 1 lb. asparagus, trimmed of tough, woody stems, and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces (leave the tips whole)
  • 1 1/2 cups shelled fresh peas (or thawed frozen peas)
  • 1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted
  • 1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh mint
  • 2-3 oz. fresh goat cheese, softened
  • Freshly ground black pepper
Directions
  1. In a 6-quart covered pot, bring 3 quarts well-salted water to a boil over high heat.
  2. In a large bowl, combine the olive oil, garlic, cayenne, and 1/2 tsp. salt.
  3. Add the tortellini to the boiling water and cook for 3 minutes, then add the asparagus, and peas to the water and cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes.
  4. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking water, then drain the pasta and vegetables and toss with the garlic-oil mixture. Add  the pine nuts, mint, and  goat cheese and stir until the cheese melts into a sauce, adding cooking water as needed to moisten the pasta.
  5. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper and serve.

Dark Chocolate Brownies with Candied Ginger and Sea Salt

Cravings are not something I get very often, but I had a serious craving for a nice fudgy brownie a few weeks ago.  I am going to blame (and thank) my pregnancy for this.  My pantry just so happened to be stocked with the perfect ingredients.  A bag of candied ginger, some Lindt 70% cocoa chocolate bars (thanks, Lindsey!) and my newly purchased Maldon flaked sea salt that I had been very anxious to use.  After adding some butter, sugar, eggs and flour, I had these bites of chocolatey goodness that perfectly satisfied my chocolate craving.

In searching for a recipe I found the sweet and salty caramel brownie in this Baked cookbook which is now on my list of things to make and not share with other people.  Since I didn’t have everything to make the caramel brownies, I used the basic brownie recipe and then added in some chopped candied ginger, chopped dark chocolate and sprinkled the brownies with some flaked sea salt before and then right after baking.  I didn’t measure my salt.  Use a light hand when sprinkling because a little goes a long way.  The salt with the dark chocolate is so wonderfully perfect.  And the ginger.  Oh, the ginger.  Leave it out if you really hate it, but it is subtle and delicious.  I love the interest it added to this simple brownie.

These brownies are very fudgy and dense, making them less than easy to remove from the pan.  I did not use parchment in the bottom of my 9×13, as suggested.  I just greased the pan generously thinking this would surely be enough to guarantee quick and safe removal.  I let the brownies cool, and then chilled them in the fridge so they would be easier to cut.  I think this little trick does make removing gooey brownies easier in general, but maybe they were a bit too cold.  I had a few casualties that weren’t pretty enough to be served and had to be eaten…what a shame.  It was kind of like cutting the first piece of pie that almost always falls apart and looks ugly.  After you clear up that first row, things do get easier to cut and remove.  Now, do not let all my negative talk deter you from making these!  The little frustration involved in cutting these is definitely worth it in the end.  Just use parchment, remove the whole pan of brownies once they’re cool, transfer it to a cutting board and use a large chefs knife to cut them.  I still thing chilling them for a little bit helps, but it’s up to you.

Other Tips

  • Use good chocolate, the chocolate is the main attraction.
  • Cut these into small squares, they are rich.
  • Give some away, or you’ll get sick.
  • Store them in the fridge and let them warm up for a few minutes before enjoying.

Dark Chocolate Ginger & Sea Salt Brownies

Adapted from Baked Explorations

Ingredients

  • 1 1/4 cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
  • 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
  • 11 ounces good dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, cut into pieces
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 5 eggs, at room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 4 ounces chopped dark chocolate
  • 4 ounces chopped candied ginger
  • Flaked sea salt, fleur de sel

Directions

  1.  Preheat oven to 350°F.
  2. Grease sides and bottom of 9×13 inch pan.  Line the bottom with parchment, leaving a little overhang on the short sides if desired, and grease the parchment.
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt and cocoa powder.
  4. Place the chocolate and butter in the bowl of a double boiler set over a pan of simmering water, and stir occasionally until the chocolate and butter are melted.  Turn off the heat and add both sugars.  Whisk until completely combined and remove the bowl from the pan.  Let cool for a few minutes.
  5. Add 3 eggs to the chocolate mixture and whisk until combined.  Add the remaining eggs and mix to combine.  Add the vanilla and stir.  Do not overbeat at this point.
  6. Sprinkle the flour mixture over the chocolate mixture and fold it a few times.  Add the chocolate and ginger and fold until a slight trace of flour remains.
  7. Spread batter evenly into the 9×13 pan, then sprinkle lightly with flaked salt.
  8. Bake for 30 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through.  Stick a toothpick into the center to check for doneness, only a few moist crumbs should attach.
  9. Sprinkle immediately with a little more salt (a little goes a long way) and let brownies cool in the pan, then cut them into squares and serve.