One-Bowl Brownies

"What are you making?"

"Nothing..."

"Brownies! I see the pan, and nothing goes in there but brownies."

The husband is very observant when it comes to treats in the kitchen.  :-)

 You'll note that I don't yet have a brownie recipe in the blog, and for good reason.  Not because I don't like brownies, oh no, quite the contrary.  But, why bother making them from scratch when Ghiradelli makes a perfectly tasty brownie mix?  If it ain't broke, don't fix it, right?

There was one attempt with a Cook's Illustrated recipe that promised brownies just like the Ghiradelli ones, but we were sorely disappointed.  I'm not sure why they didn't work out, but perhaps it was a user error fluke.

But I trust Smitten Kitchen, and she has plenty of options.  This one piqued my interest because of its simplicity.  It doesn't sound very glamorous, but I wasn't looking for super-extra-eighteen-chocolate-outrageous brownies.  I wanted comfort brownies, and these seemed to fit the bill.

I had all the ingredients, so fate was with me.  You'll notice the lack of prep photos, but that's because they were so fast and easy!  And they baked in 2/3 the time of normal brownie recipes.  This was getting better and better.

And the texture was perfect - fudgy with a shiny, crispy top.  I added some chocolate chips because I like the extra gooey-ness, and they were great.

Fast. Easy. Tasty.  What more could you want?

One-Bowl Brownies
(from Smitten Kitchen)
 Makes 1 8×8 pan of brownies

3 ounces (85 grams) unsweetened chocolate, roughly chopped
1 stick (4 ounces or 115 grams) unsalted butter, plus extra for pan
1 1/3 cups (265 grams) granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon table salt (about 2 grams)
2/3 cup (85 grams) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350°F. Line an 8×8-inch square baking pan with parchment, extending it up two sides, or foil. Butter the parchment or foil or spray it with a nonstick cooking spray.

In a medium heatproof bowl over gently simmering water, melt chocolate and butter together until only a couple unmelted bits remain. Off the heat, stir until smooth and fully melted. You can also do this in the microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring between each. Whisk in sugar, then eggs, one at a time, then vanilla and salt. Stir in flour, and then chocolate chips with a spoon or flexible spatula and scrape batter into prepared pan, spread until even. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out batter-free.

Enjoy!

Hefeweizen Cupcakes

It's been my tradition (does two years constitute a tradition?) to bake up alcohol-laced cupcakes for our friend's Super Bowl party.  Last year I made Irish Car Bomb cupcakes, which were a huge hit.  Since I'd already used a dark beer for a cupcake, I wanted to give a lighter beer a shot.

I've seen this Hefeweizen cupcake recipe on the The Cupcake Project blog for awhile, and thought this would be the perfect recipe to try.

As I'm not much of a beer person (wine is more of my thing), I left the beer choice up to the husband, and he chose Widmer Brothers, a regional beer.  Typically, a wheat beer is paired with lemon, so I ran with that.

The cake itself is different than any I've made before, but I really like the texture.  It's very light, and sponge-like, and not crumbly like some cake.  And the taste was spot on!  Again, light, with a slight lemon flavor and the beer lent a very subtle yeasty flavor.

This cake is light enough that it would also be perfect for any summer barbeques, so keep the recipe handy for July!

 The blogger on The Cupcake Project has made clear that she doesn't like buttercreams, so she paired it with a glaze.  I, however, love buttercream, so I tweaked a recipe I found on Epicurious.

For flavoring, I used a bit of fresh lemon juice and touch of vanilla.  The frosting was smooth, creamy, with a subtle flavor and it wasn't too sweet.  I'd been looking for a go-to buttercream, and this one is it!  It's versatile, easy, and tasty.

You're wondering, of course, if the cupcakes were well-received at the party.  I can happily report that we came home with an empty cupcake carrier, so I'd say they were a rousing success!


Hefeweizen Cupcakes
(from The Cupcake Project/Beantown Baker)
Makes 18 cupcakes

4 egg whites
1 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup vegetable oil
zest of one large lemon
6 Tbsp milk
2 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup Hefeweizen or other wheat beer

In a large mixing bowl, whip egg whites until soft peaks form.  Gradually mix in the sugar.  Mix in baking powder, baking soda, vegetable oil, zest, and milk.  Mix in half of the flour, combine.  Then pour in beer and combine.  Add in remaining flour.

Prepare cupcake pans with liners and fill 3/4 full.  (They don't raise very much)  Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until cupcakes bounce back when lightly touched.

Remove from pan and let cool on cooling racks.  Frost only when they're room temperature.

Lemon Buttercream
(from Epicurious)
Makes ~  2.5 cups

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup vegetable shortening, like Crisco
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. salt
3 cups powdered sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp meringue powder
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice (more if you desire, to desired flavor and texture - for other flavors, use water, milk, liqueur, etc)
Additional decoration - I used lemon zest

Cream shortening and butter.  Add vanilla extract (or other flavoring if you desire) and salt.  Gradually add sugar, one cup at a time.  Add meringue powder.  (The mixture will appear dry.)

Add liquid of choice and beat until light and fluffy (approximately 5 to 8 minutes).  Keep the bowl covered with a damp cloth or plastic wrap.
Storage: Store the icing in an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months.

Enjoy!

Nutella-Stuffed, Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies with Sea Salt

Warning:  This cookie may induce fits of swooning, and exclamations of extreme joy.

Are you in the doghouse with anyone?  Do you want to win over coworkers?  Or solidify your awesomeness with an in-law?  Have I got the cookie for you.  I wish I could say that I came up with this idea, and alas, I did not.  But, who cares, these cookies are amazing.

I had not browned butter before, but it does add a complexity to the flavor that I didn't expect.  I think I'll be looking for more recipes with this component in the future...

I brought these cookies to work the other day, and everyone's reactions were great.  Lots of oohing and ahhing.  Even our Executive Director came over and declared it to be the best cookie he's ever had.  Win!  A buttery, chocolatey cookie, with a Nutella surprise filling, and topped with a bit of sea salt?  Is it a wonder that everyone loved it?  Nope.

I will say that after making these cookies twice, I have a few tweaks and recommendations on the assembly of the cookie that differ slightly from the original recipe.  First, the amount of butter in these is...heart-stopping.  I'm not one to shy away, but I think it could be decreased a bit.  I cut out a few tablespoons, and there might be room for a bit more reduction without compromising the flavor and texture.

Second, there were too many chocolate chips (I can't believe I just said that).  But they made the dough near impossible to work with.  So I reduced the amount.  Also, I found it frustrating to try and form the cookies around the Nutella with the chocolate chips breaking up the dough, so switched it up by setting aside the chips and not incorporating them into the dough.  After forming the plain dough around the Nutella gob, I then pressed in a handful of chocolate chips on top of the cookie.  It makes for an easier assembly, a more attractive cookie, and the gooey chocolate chips on top are great for catching the coarse sea salt.

Third, I recommend scooping out two dozen teaspoon gobs of Nutella onto a pan with parchment paper and placing the pan in the freezer for a bit.  It's not a necessity, but it might save you from the messy, sticky, gooey trouble of using room temperature Nutella.  You still will get Nutella all over your fingers, and that leaves you with the choice of being proper and wiping them on a paper towel or throwing caution to the wind and licking it off your fingers.  Your choice!

I will say though, that you really should make these cookies.  They. Are. Amazing.

Nutella-Stuffed, Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies with Sea Salt
(from Ambitious Kitchen)
Makes roughly 2 dozen cookies

2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon of salt
14 Tbsp unsalted butter (was originally 2 full sticks, but I believe it could be trimmed down a bit more even)
1 1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon plain greek yogurt or sour cream
1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup milk chocolate chips
1/4 cup dark chocolate chips
1 jar of Nutella, chilled in refrigerator
Coarse sea salt for sprinkling

Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl and set aside. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. The butter will begin to foam. Make sure you whisk consistently during this process. After a couple of minutes, the butter will begin to brown on the bottom of the saucepan; continue to whisk and remove from heat as soon as the butter begins to brown and give off a nutty aroma. Immediately transfer the butter to a bowl to prevent burning. Set aside to cool for a few minutes.

While the butter is cooling, prepare a pan with parchment paper and place 24 tsp sized gobs of Nutella on it.  Put in the fridge or freezer to chill to make it easier to work with.

With an electric mixer, mix the butter and sugars until thoroughly blended. Beat in the egg, yolk, vanilla, and yogurt until combined. Add the dry ingredients slowly and beat on low-speed just until combined.  Set aside chocolate chips in a bowl for later use.

Chill your dough for 1.5 - 2 hours in the refrigerator.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Once dough is chilled measure about 1 1/2 tablespoons of dough and roll into a ball. Flatten the dough ball very thinly into the palm of your hand. Place 1 teaspoon of chilled Nutella in the middle and fold dough around it; gently roll into a ball — it doesn’t have to be perfectly rolled! Make sure that the Nutella is not seeping out of the dough. Add more dough if necessary. Place dough balls on cookie sheet, 2 inches apart and flatten with your hand slightly.  Press desired amount of chocolate chips into top/sides of cookie dough.  Place on prepared baking sheet.

Bake the cookies 9-11 minutes or until the edges of the cookies begin to turn golden brown. They will look a bit underdone in the middle, but will continue to cook once out of the oven.  Once out of the oven, immediately sprinkle with a little sea salt (it will stick best in the melted chocolate chips).  Cool the cookies on the sheets at least 2 minutes.  Remove the cooled cookies from the baking sheets after a few minutes and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough.

Enjoy!