Mini Fig Cakes for Fall and Ginger Jazzed Brownies

Another Tuesdays with Dorie twofer here, just can't seem to get them up on time! This week our recipe pick was A Fig Cake For Fall, picked for us to try by Ursula of Cookie Rookie, thank you Ursula! I looked and looked for fresh figs but could not find any, so I used dried figs instead. I also switched out the lemon for an orange and made a half batch of mini cakes instead of one big one.

Here are the cakes before baking, I only had enough batter to fill five jumbo "Baker's Secret Texas sized" muffin cups.

Here are the dried figs simmering in the orange scented honey wine sauce, yum!

Here is what they looked like after baking and dusted with some powdered sugar, sadly, I let my wine sauce simmer too long and it turned into more of a thick caramel, and not in a good way, so I couldn't use it on my cakes, but the little taste I had was delicious!

I topped them with whipped cream and they were absolutely delicious, although different from their intended version, they were enjoyed. You can see that the dried figs sank to the bottom, but that was fine...

Now on to last week's recipe, Ginger Jazzed Brownies, picked for us to try by Clivia of Bubie’s Little Baker...

While I was buying fresh ginger, I saw this little jar of chopped ginger and had to give it a try. I love ginger but hate chopping it and thought the finely minced texture (almost a paste) would work perfectly in these brownies, since last time we made the chocolate gingerbread with TWD the ginger chunks were a little too overpowering for my clan. I ended up loving this jarred ginger and immediately went to amazon to see if I could order it in bulk, sadly, to no avail -- come on Christopher Ranch, sell on ammy!

The jarred ginger worked perfectly and I personally loved these brownies, they were so delicious! My kids and the neighbor kid loved them too, I heard they were "awesome!" -- which always makes a baking mommy smile. Picky husband on the other hand, poor guy was excited to try these, and I failed to mention they were ginger brownies, he took one bite and said "yuck!" and thought they were gross. Sorry, honey, I will make you regular brownies soon :)

Peanuttiest Blondie Stars

This week for TWD Nicole of Bakeologie chose Peanuttiest Blondies for us to try! I don't know why but something about these made me want to dig out my silicone star pans and try to make some little Peanuttiest Blondie Stars.


I made the absolutely delicious blondie dough and scooped some into the star molds. I wasn't 100% sure that these were going to turn out, this pan is tricky sometimes, I've made cupcakes in it that turned out perfectly cute and then made muffins that turned out quite ugly -- the dough didn't really bake into the star form and they were craggy topped rock-like things instead of cute little star muffins.

Thank goodness these turned out okay! I only had one crumble during unmolding because the sides were a little stuck. The rest came out perfectly star shaped and just how I was hoping.

We haven't had any taste testers (I'm trying to save these for an after school snack) but if they taste half as good as the dough, I'm sure they'll be delicious! These baked in the star pan would be perfect for people who love the crusty edges of brownies, I'm more of a gooey middle fan, but I think picky hubby who loves those crispy crunchy edges will especially love these :)

Brownies for Julia -- Tuesdays with Dorie

The treat of the week for TWD? Brownies! Specifically Rick Katz’s Brownies for Julia, picked for us to try by Tanya of Chocolatechic, thank you Tanya! Be sure to check out her blog for the recipe and lots of other reasons to smile.

I loved the little back story about Rick Katz in the preface to the recipe, and was really excited to try his brownie technique, which requires some whipping of the eggs and sugar to equal some extra decadent ooey gooey brownies.


Lots of talk on the P&Q about adding extra time, using a different pan size, etc. I was planning to follow the recipe exactly, intrigued at Dorie's suggestion to use a 9 by 9 glass Pyrex baking dish for these instead of the metal pan lined with tin foil that I'm used to for brownies. I got out my one small square glass baking dish (seems like I have at least ten rectangular glass dishes, but only one square) and read the measurements on the bottom -- 8 by 8! I was nervous when I saw the amount of brownie batter than was I thought I might get away with in my pan that was a size smaller than called for, so I made a last minute decision to get out a 9 by 13 glass dish. I figured I'd end up with thinner brownies but would not run the risk of overflow while baking.

I checked the brownies at 25 minutes, minimum baking time suggested, added the additional 3 minutes taking us up to 28, check again, and they still looked underdone. I added another five minutes, bringing us to 33 (if I can still add correctly :) ) and I figured I'd pull them since they *should* be done at this point. After cooling for only ten minutes or so I spooned out a little corner piece and wow, what an intense chocolate flavor. My first thought was, this is brownie pudding cake! They did firm up a bit after cooling for an hour or so, I cut one for the kids and added a little whipped cream and sprinkles, they loved these! My four year old said these were the best brownies ever. The rest are sitting in the refrigerator uncut, but I'm thinking these are best served warmed up and with some whipped cream (or ice cream) and a spoon...mmm, brownie bowl!

Black Bottom Brownies -- Sweet Melissa Sundays

I'm so happy to be posting again! Today's treat for Sweet Melissa Sundays is a giant pan of Black Bottom Brownies, picked for us to try by Cynthia of Bakingtherapist’s Blog, thank you Cynthia! The pan isn't really that giant, just a 9 by 13, but anytime I make brownies or bars in anything bigger than a 8 by 8 pan it seems like a giant batch to me.

Here are the brownies before going into the oven, notice that there aren't quite 2 cups of chocolate chips sprinkled over the top as called for in the recipe. I had measured out 2 cups and after sprinkling only about 1/2 cup I decided that would be plenty of chocolate chips on top. When I got started baking these I knew I would need quite a few eggs since the brownie layer and cheesecake layer both have eggs in them but I neglected to count out my eggs and only had 9 left when the recipe calls for 10 eggs and 2 yolks. Yikes, that's a lot of eggs! So I skipped the two yolks that were called for in the brownie layer (4 eggs plus 2 yolks were what the recipe requested) and in the cheesecake layer I used only 5 eggs instead of the 6 called for. I don't think these brownies suffered any adverse effects because I was short 3 eggs. One other change I made was to bake these at 350 instead of the 325 called for because I was using an insulated 9 by 13 pan and that bakes best at 350. Total baking time was around 50 minutes.

The kids really enjoyed these a little warm, after the cooling off period but before refrigeration overnight. I personally liked the better from the fridge. Husband was a no try because he hates cheesecake. They are very rich so be sure to cut them small if you give these a try. The recipe can be found in the Sweet Melissa Baking Book and I think it will also be posted at Cynthia's blog.

Espresso Cheesecake Brownies -- Tuesdays with Dorie

Time for Tuesdays with Dorie! I sure have missed participating in TWD during my little blog summer vacation -- I did bake along on a couple of recipes though, the banana bundt and the brownie buttons, both were great. The treat of the week featured today are brownies! Espresso Cheesecake Brownies to be exact, picked for us to try by Melissa of Life in a Peanut Shell, thank you Melissa! You can visit her site here for the recipe.

I decided to bake these in a 9 1/2 inch heart shaped springform pan (Wilton) instead of the square pan as suggested. Since my base was a little wider, I had to use all of the brownie mixture to line the bottom and didn't have any left for swirling with the cheesecake. Not a big deal because these were delicious swirled or not. I did swap out the bittersweet chocolate in the base and use semisweet instead, just personal preference.

I liked the contrast of the sour cream topping with the cheesecake layer and the brownies and think these make these more of a dessert brownie than a grab and go snack brownie that we are used to. My kids all loved these, my husband does not like anything cheesecake so he passed on tasting, silly guy. These were a fun pick and I enjoyed making them :)

Tribute to Katharine Hepburn Brownies -- Tuesdays with Dorie

This is going to be a super quick post, we've been having company and keeping extra busy over the long holiday weekend. Today's TWD treat is picked by Lisa of Surviving Oz, who recently won the TWD logo contest by designing a beautiful logo for our group, thank you Lisa! The brownies are done and look wonderful, won't serve them until later though so no comments yet on taste or texture. My only change was to use semisweet chocolate chips instead of the chopped chocolate, I'm excited about the cinnamon and coffee flavors and can't wait to give these a try. I baked in a small rectangle tart pan and they look so delicious!

I hope everyone had a wonderful 4th of July -- we are going out of town today but I can't wait to get some free computer time and visit all of my blogging friends when we are home!

Happy 4th from my little messy guy!

Ina's Outrageous Brownies -- Barefoot Bloggers

Time for more brownies! Our second Barefoot Bloggers pick for May is Outrageous Brownies, picked by Eva of I’m Boring, thank you, Eva! I think this is my new favorite brownie recipe :)

Barefoot Contessa Outrageous Brownies

1 pound unsalted butter
1 pound plus 12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips, divided
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate
6 extra-large eggs
3 tablespoons instant coffee powder
2 tablespoons real vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, divided (1 cup for batter and 1/4 cup in the chips and nuts)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3 cups diced walnut pieces

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 13 by 18 by 1 1/2-inch sheet pan.

Melt together the butter, 1 pound chocolate chips, and unsweetened chocolate on top of a double boiler. Cool slightly. Stir together the eggs, instant coffee, vanilla and sugar. Stir in the warm chocolate mixture and cool to room temperature.

Stir together 1 cup of the flour, baking powder and salt. Add to cooled chocolate mixture. Toss the walnuts and 12 ounces of chocolate chips with 1/4 cup flour to coat. Then add to the chocolate batter. Pour into prepared pan.

Bake for about 30 minutes, or until tester just comes out clean. Halfway through the baking, rap the pan against the oven shelf to allow air to escape from between the pan and the brownie dough. Do not over-bake! Cool thoroughly, refrigerate well and cut into squares.

Notes: I halved this recipe and baked it in a 9 by 13 pan. I did not make any substitutions or changes except to leave out the walnuts. For my instant coffee powder I used General Foods International French Vanilla Nut, which added a great depth of flavor. I absolutely loved these, first, they were really easy, no hard to find ingredients required, perfect balance of semisweet and unsweetened chocolate, and no guessing with the baking, I set the timer for 30 minutes, pulled them out, and they were perfectly done.

These were a more delicate fudgey brownie than sturdy and chewy, so if those are your favorites you might not enjoy these as much. I love that these can be personalized with any kind of add-in in place of the walnuts, next time I make them I am going to swirl some caramel in the batter -- yum! Even though our household is on brownie overload from the TWD Chipster Topped Brownies from Tuesday, I am so glad I went ahead and made these "Outrageous" brownies too, they are amazing :)

Brownie Pudding Cake -- Barefoot Bloggers

Ina Garten's Brownie Pudding is our March bonus recipe for Barefoot Bloggers, thank you to Tia of Southern, Eh? who picked this delicious treat! Now I have to be completely honest and say that Brownie Pudding is a dessert that I probably wouldn't have picked on my own. A few years ago I tried a similar sounding recipe for Chocolate Pudding Cake that was cooked in the slow cooker, and while I'm sure there are great crock-pot Chocolate Pudding Cake recipes out there, the one I tried was awful. I haven't had the desire to do any kind of treat like that since. I'm also not a crazy chocoholic, I would rather make (or order if dining out) a non-chocolate dessert, although I do enjoy chocolate in moderation and every now and then a chocolate splurge. This dessert is the perfect chocolate splurge :)


I am so glad that I gave Ina's Brownie Pudding a chance, it was amazing! A really rich, chocolate, decadent treat. I halved the recipe but kept the cooking time the same, so maybe my Brownie Pudding was overdone just a touch and more like a Pudding Cake, but that was just perfect for us. I do not think I would have enjoyed a total liquid layer on the bottom, and no worries, that didn't happen with this recipe. The top was crackled and crispy like a brownie, and break through that thin shell and you have ooey gooey warm brownie goodness. I prefer my brownies a touch underdone rather than overdone, and that is just the texture this recipe yields. Think warm brownies, fresh from the oven, too hot to hold with your hands to eat or even cut. Yum! I am one of those that prefer brownies from the middle of the pan (I leave the edges for my husband who loves those) and this dessert was like all brownie middles.

Ina Garten's Brownie Pudding

1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, plus extra for buttering the dish
4 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup good cocoa powder
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
Seeds scraped from 1 vanilla bean (I didn't have a vanilla bean and used 1 tsp. vanilla)
1 tablespoon framboise liqueur, optional
Vanilla ice cream, for serving

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly butter a 2-quart (9 by 12 by 2-inch) oval baking dish. Melt the 1/2 pound of butter and set aside to cool.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the eggs and sugar on medium-high speed for 5 to 10 minutes, until very thick and light yellow. Meanwhile, sift the cocoa powder and flour together and set aside.

When the egg and sugar mixture is ready, reduce the speed to low and add the vanilla seeds, framboise, if using, and the cocoa powder and flour mixture. Mix only until combined. With mixer still on low, slowly pour in the cooled butter and mix again just until combined.

Pour the brownie mixture into the prepared dish and place it in a larger baking pan.

Add enough of the hottest tap water to the pan to come halfway up the side of the dish and bake for exactly 1 hour. A cake tester inserted 2 inches from the side will come out 3/4 clean.

The center will appear very under-baked; this dessert is between a brownie and a pudding. Allow to cool and serve with vanilla ice cream.

My only changes were swapping out the vanilla bean for vanilla, and halving the recipe. We all loved the results and if we are even in need of a chocolate fix I will make this again for sure. What an easy, homey, comforting, and delicious dessert, yum!

Creme Brulee & Quintuple Chocolate Brownies -- Tuesdays with Dorie

I don't have a lot to say this week, I do not like eggy desserts so only had a half a teaspoon taste of the creme brulee, but my kids enjoyed it! Even though I am not a fan of creme brulee I do have a creme brulee set with a mini torch, it was a gift from someone who knows I like foodie stuff but didn't know I wasn't a fan of this particular foodie treat, really one of those gifts that falls into the category of "it's the thought that counts" :) I'm glad I finally got to use my little creme brulee set thanks to the very sweet Mari of Mevrouw Cupcake , who picked this week's TWD recipe.

My little sweetheart with her creme brulee, she wasn't quite sure about it at first, but ended up enjoying it :)

I made the Quintuple Chocolate Brownies as a part of my attempt to complete all of the TWD recipes I missed before I joined last summer and thought I'd post them along with the creme brulee. Dorie suggests salted cashews or peanuts in these brownies and I made the mistake of going with peanuts because I had some on hand. They really ruined these brownies for me, I think I got a bad batch of peanuts because I am a peanut fan and like pretty much anything in a brownie but these just clashed so much with the sophisticated taste that I think the brownies were trying for. I think that the best nut choice for these brownies would have been macadamia nuts, but probably even better to just leave the nuts off so you can really enjoy the deep chocolate flavors.

Reese's Brownies and Barbecue Tofu

Didn't plan these but they were what ended up cooking in Nummy Kitchen today. The husband had been asking (begging, bugging, whichever) for something sweet...I got out my Betty Crocker Cooky Book, a favorite of mine, and found some brownies that sounded easy and yummy, and all of the ingredients were at my disposal, so why not? Also at my disposal was a package of "Mini Reese's Pieces for Baking" so I added those in. Now if these brownies were for *me* they would be coconut caramel cheesecake brownies with macadamia nuts, but picky husband does not like coconut, cheesecake, or macadamia nuts :( Yeah, I married boring food man. Oh-well.

My basic brownies with Mini Reese's were wonderful! I am always amazed when I try a recipe from Betty Crocker's Cooky Book, it is a reprinted version of the original from 1963 with all of the old illustrations and photos and nostalgic recipes with silly names such as "Teen-time chocolate nut bars," how cute is that? Anyway, what amazes me is that every recipe I've tried turns out perfectly tastey morsels that rival in taste anything prepared out of today's cookbooks. I guess I'm surprised that with all of our advances in, well, everything, recipes for yummy treats from forty something years ago still taste good, even great!

Dinner was not really planned, just something that sounded good for a nice summer evening. I had some Melissa's Organic Tofu Cutlets in the fridge and a new barbecue sauce, World Harbors Apple Maple, that I wanted to try, and also a half a bottle of Sweet Baby Ray's Hickory Brown Sugar Barbecue that I wanted to use up...mmmm barbecue tofu! Husband grilled himself up some meat, I did the tofu in the oven on the broil setting, it was so simple to prepare I won't even bother telling you how to do it. I also made some super simple foil packet butter potatoes to grill. What a delicious dinner! As for the barbecue sauce taste off, Sweet Baby Ray's won by a landslide. Husband preferred it on his meat and I preferred it on the tofu. World Harbors Apple Maple was way too sweet and not spicey enough, and it sounded so good :(

Winner

Loser