For a brownie lover, brownie bark seemed a no brainer. Who wouldn’t go for that rich chocolate brownie taste in a different form? Especially with toffee on one pan full and slivered almonds on the other. Turns out Bytes was not a fan. He had his mouth set for the rich chocolate flavor, but also for the fudgy texture. What he got was crisp and crunchy. He felt cheated. I didn’t care because I got chocolate and crunch, both of which are high on my list. Wheels will eat anything that looks good so both the toffee topped bites and the ones with almond slivers disappeared in short order and without discrimination. That was the first time I made brownie bark. The second time I made them, I found a better buttery recipe. I made one batch just a bit thicker when spreading the batter in ... [Read More]
Brownie
Chewy Chocolate Brownie
I won a red Betty Crocker cookbook once upon a time. I still use it for family favorites today – worn, dog earred and missing more than a few pages from the index and vegetable section. Bytes Big Brother used them for paper airplanes – unfortunately he didn’t grow up to become an aviator. Fortunately I had marked my favorite recipes so I could get along without a full index. Umm – yeah. Moving on -- what we call Chewy Chocolate Brownies was on that list. This brownie recipe is so easy to make you can do it with two toddlers and a cat crawling around your legs after work,while you talk on the phone, catch the flour canister the three year old is trying to pull off the counter and still have a batch of brownies in the oven before the next play date is arranged. The taste will ... [Read More]
Old Fashioned Brownie with frosting
A good brownie recipe means different things to different folks. This recipe isn’t strong on the chocolate, not too sweet and is more on the cake side of the equation. I chose it first for the lower amount of sugar and make it occasionally for that reason. Ya know – healthy brownies. However, every time Bytes will say “this needs frosting!” So much for reducing carbs and calories with less sugar! Last time he even compared it to the brownie in a certain frozen dinner, which he also thinks needs frosting. How would he know about frozen dinners in this household? Oh yeah—those long days of painting over the past year plus. At any rate frosting it is. For his half of the brownies. Not sure how he ends up with half a pan while Wheels and I get to share the remaining half. ... [Read More]
Classic Naked Brownie
“Got a good brownie recipe?” my sister asked. “Oh, two or three,”, I replied. Brownies are chocolate –a life necessity. What did she mean, did I have “a” brownie recipe? So here is take one: Classic Naked Brownie. This brownie has a rich chocolate flavor, not too sweet and just the right texture. Texture is the key characteristic of any brownie. Some people like dense fudgy brownies, others like a less dense, more cake-like texture, still others want chewy middles or crispy edges. All brownies have five basic ingredients: Chocolate, butter, sugar, flour and eggs. Varying the amounts of chocolate, butter, sugar, and flour will affect the texture of the brownie. That’s not to say eggs are not important. Most recipes are intended for large eggs, whether they are specified ... [Read More]
Chocolate Chip Brownie in a mug
Chocolate Chip Brownie in a mug just saved me. Chocolate always has magical powers -- not to make problems go away, but to make them seem less daunting. Besides it tastes really, really good! Being fresh from the oven -- well microwave -- and eaten while still warm helps too. Oh Oh Oh Misery! I had a post ready yesterday about a wonderful dessert – sooo good it gives me goose bumps thinking about it. I was about to hit the publish button and got called to help with some project or other and when I came back an hour later, the computer was not glowing its usual glow. Hmmm, I thought, I don’t remember taking time to shut things down. And that would be weird anyway since the computer is the first thing on in the morning and the last thing off at night. Then with my mind on the ... [Read More]
Cheesecake Topped Fudgy Brownies
Five star dessert! Chocolate yum topped with New York Style cheesecake. The chocolate is the lightest fudgy brownie ever! Not too sweet, rich chocolate, light as a feather. The cheesecake is just barely dense, creamy without sweetness, the perfect foil for the deep chocolate flavor of the brownie. Amazing! Fabulous! The best dessert for a special occasion – like Valentine’s Day – any occasion that calls for chocolate. Or delicious. The melted butter gives the brownie it’s rich flavor and light texture. The directions are pretty straightforward and easy to follow. Mixing the brownies and then the cheesecake is quick and easy. You’ll probably have them both mixed before your oven is preheated. It’s better to make the furrows as described than it is to just drop the cheesecake ... [Read More]