Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake Chocolate Brownies

With the Baked books, it’s always so exciting to see what new things have been collected for the pages. There are always fun treats, classics with a new spin, and flavors that are sure to please. The latest is their fourth book, Baked Occasions, and I received a review copy. This one is all about celebrating holidays, both major and practically unknown, throughout the year. It gives you reasons to bake something delicious several times a month. For instance, I had no idea that National Pistachio Day is February 26th, but the Pistachio White Chocolate Cheesecake with a chocolate cookie crust looks like a great way to celebrate. Or, that might become my birthday cake in March next year. The Ultralemony Lemon Bundt Cake with Almond Glaze is another birthday cake contender. The Caramel Candy Popcorn Balls studded with chocolate candies were mentioned for Secretary’s Day, but I’d love to make them for Halloween. There are also Chocolate Cinnamon Chipotle Sugar Cookies decorated beautifully for the Day of the Dead. I could never match the colorful details as shown in the book, but the cookies sound fantastic. And, with Thanksgiving just around the corner, the Sweet Potato Tart with Gingersnap Crust and Heavenly Meringue looks perfect. Just like the other books in the series, it’s going to be fun to bake from this one. While deciding among the October holiday recipes, I realized that a.) pumpkin cheesecake is one of my favorite things, b.) I always enjoy a cheesecake swirl brownie, and c.) I’d never thought to swirl pumpkin cheesecake into a brownie. I had to try this combination. The recipe for Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake Chocolate Brownies is offered in celebration of Columbus Day, but the reason is simply that Columbus Day falls in October and pumpkins have everything to do with October. That’s a good enough reason for me to bake them. 

I had some pumpkin puree in the freezer after roasting a little, pie pumpkin a few weeks ago. I set the puree in a strainer over a bowl and placed it in the refrigerator overnight. Some liquid drained from the puree to make it denser. To start the brownies, softened cream cheese was mixed with sugar, and I used coconut palm sugar. The pumpkin puree, an egg yolk, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and ginger were added and mixed into the cream cheese. This was left in the refrigerator while the chocolate part was made. Flour, cocoa, and salt were whisked together and set aside. Dark chocolate and butter were melted together in a double-boiler, and then coconut palm sugar and brown sugar were added and the mixture was taken off the heat. Once it had cooled to room temperature, eggs were added followed by vanilla. The flour mixture was gently folded into the chocolate. A nine-by-thirteen baking pan was used, and two-thirds of the chocolate batter went into the pan first. Next, the pumpkin cheesecake mixture was smoothed over the top. The remaining chocolate batter was spooned over the cheesecake. A table knife was used to swirl through the layers, and the brownies baked for about 35 minutes. 

These bake into nice, not-too-thick brownies which means you should cut nice, big squares from the pan. And, they were so easy to cut, it was amazing. The cheesecake with pumpkin and spices meandering through the chocolaty brownie was lovely. After Halloween, I need to decide what to bake for Election Day. 

Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake Chocolate Brownies 
Recipe reprinted with publisher’s permission from Baked Occasions. 

There are not , to the best of our knowledge, strictly regimented and traditional menus for Columbus Day. It is not Thanksgiving. Though one could skew toward Italian delicacies in a nod to Christopher’s heritage, one could also skew iconic American (hamburgers, fried chicken, apple pie) in homage to Columbus arriving in the Americas. We chose an entirely different route. We went with pumpkin cheesecake brownies, because Christopher Columbus Day is in October (to celebrate the anniversary of his arrival in America in 1492), and as bakery owners, the only thing we associate with October is pumpkin. Here is the thing about these brownies: We like them too much. We don’t mention this to be glib; we say this because they are a problem. It is the rare dessert that disrupts and overturns our years of honed self-control. Give us one bite of pumpkin cheesecake chocolate brownie, and we will eat the whole tray. At first glance, that shouldn’t happen: We like pumpkin, and we like chocolate (that is obvious), but not always together. However, the tang of the cream cheese brings everything into alignment. The brownies are super moist, the kind of moist that will leave your fingers tacky with chocolate. They are pumpkiny and fudgy in all the right ways. It’s a great dessert to welcome fall and celebrate Christopher. 

Baked note: Be sure to make the recipe in the order specified. The pumpkin cheesecake swirl should be made first, as the brownie batter will stiffen if it sits too long, and it will be difficult to pull a swirl through. It is not the easiest batter to swirl, but a few hefty repetitions of pulling the knife through the batter will do it. Also, try these cold: This is the rare brownie that we like directly from the refrigerator.


For the Pumpkin Cheesecake Swirl 
1 (8-ounce/226-g) package cream cheese, softened 
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (75 g) granulated sugar 
3/4 cup (170 g) solid pack pumpkin or pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling) 
1 large egg yolk 
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg 
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice 
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger 

For the Brownie Layer 
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (105 g) all-purpose flour 
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder 
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 
8 ounces (225 g) dark chocolate (60 to 72% cacao), coarsely chopped 
6 ounces (1. sticks/170 g) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch (2.5-cm) cubes, plus more for the pan 
3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar 
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (85 g) firmly packed light brown sugar 
3 large eggs, at room temperature 
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 

Yield: 24 brownies 

Make the Pumpkin Cheesecake Swirl 
In a medium bowl, whisk the cream cheese and sugar until smooth and creamy (it should almost look like frosting). Add the pumpkin, egg yolk, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and ginger and whisk again until well blended. Cover and refrigerate while you make the brownie layer. 

Make the Brownie Layer 
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and position a rack in the center. Butter the sides and bottom of a glass or light-colored metal 9-by-13-inch (23-by-33-cm) pan. Line the bottom with a sheet of parchment paper with a 1-inch (2.5-cm) overhang on the long sides of the pan, and butter the parchment. 

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, and salt. 

Place the chocolate and butter in a large heatproof bowl and set it over a saucepan of simmering water (double-boiler method, see page 19), stirring occasionally, until the chocolate and butter are completely melted, smooth, and combined. Turn off the heat, but keep the bowl over the water and add both sugars. Whisk until completely combined, then remove the bowl from the pan. The mixture should be at room temperature. Add 2 eggs to the chocolate mixture and gently whisk until just combined. Add the remaining egg and whisk until combined. Add the vanilla and whisk until combined. Do not overbeat the batter at this stage or your brownies will be cakey. 

Sprinkle the flour mixture over the chocolate mixture. Using a spatula, fold them gently together until just a bit of the flour mixture is visible. 

Pour two-thirds of the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Pour the pumpkin cheesecake mixture over the brownies and smooth into an even layer with the back of an offset spatula. 

Drop the remaining one-third of the brownie batter by heaping tablespoons here and there over the pumpkin layer. Use a knife to gently pull through the batters to create a swirl. (The brownie batter is thick, so you might need to pull several times before you start to create the swirl.) 

Bake, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the brownies comes out with a few moist crumbs sticking to it, 30 to 40 minutes. Let the brownies cool almost completely. 

You can eat the brownies slightly warm or at room temperature, when they have a more pumpkin-y flavor. Or cover and refrigerate them for about 3 hours and enjoy them slightly chilled (this is our favorite). Either way, when you’re ready, release the brownies from the side of the pan with a small paring knife. Pull straight up on the parchment to remove them from the pan, place them on a cutting board, cut, and serve. The brownies will keep, tightly covered, in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. 

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Classic Chocolate Brownies (70%)

These might look like ordinary, run-of-the-mill brownies, but I have to tell you so many things about them. First, the recipe is from Alice Medrich’s latest book, Seriously Bitter Sweet, and I received a review copy. This book is an update to Bittersweet from 2003. It’s a new look at using chocolate in baking now that so many varieties are available and cacao percentages are clearly marked. What used to be called semisweet and bittersweet have lost meaning now that we can purchase 54%, 60%, 75%, 90%, and just about any other number of cacao percentage chocolate. This new book presents recipes tested and perfected for specific ranges of cacao percentages in chocolate, and there are options for changing the formulas to use different types of chocolates. With higher percentage chocolates, less is needed but you’ll need to add more sugar and possibly butter. It’s fascinating to see how adaptable the recipes are. Also, since vintage recipes were written for semisweet or bittersweet chocolate which tended to be in the range of 54% to 60% cacao, the formulas which are clearly explained in a separate chapter can be used to update any recipe with specific types of chocolate. There are also conversions for using cocoa powder rather than chocolate. So, the book offers endless possibilities with mousses, truffles, cakes, souffles, sauces, tarts, pies, and cookies that can easily be adapted to use whichever type of chocolate you prefer. I got distracted by a couple of the cacao nib recipes that I look forward to trying like the Nibby Espresso Cookies and the Cocoa Bean Cream Almond Roulade filled with a cacao nib-infused whipped cream. There’s even a section for savory dishes made with chocolate such as the Wild Mushroom Ragout with unsweetened chocolate in the sauce. But, before trying any of those, I baked some classic brownies. 

The recipe for these brownies, as you see below, is written for a New Classic version. The New Classic involves baking for only 20 minutes and then immediately setting the brownie pan into an ice bath until cool. This is to produce the fudgiest, gooeyist brownies. I chose to go the slightly more cakey route by following the Classic variation included in the notes below, and I used 70% chocolate. There’s a slightly adjusted note for using 60% chocolate in the notes as well. See what I was saying about this book? It’s fascinating, and the possibilities are endless. So, with the Classic 70% variation, the oven was preheated to 350 degrees F, six and a half ounces of chocolate was used, one tablespoon less of butter was used, and one-quarter cup less sugar was used than for unsweetened chocolate. And, I opted to add toasted, chopped pecans. In the intro to the brownie section of the book, Medrich explains that through testing, it was discovered that a glossier top is produced when the chocolate and butter mixture is allowed to get hot, up to 150 degrees F, when melting. Then, when sugar and cold eggs are added, vigorous beating with a wooden spoon contributes to the final texture. One more trick is to chill the batter in the brownie pan for several hours before baking for the glossiest top and chewiest texture. Even though these brownies baked at a slightly lower temperature for slightly longer and didn’t get the ice bath cooling technique, they were still pretty fabulously fudgy with a nicely glossy top. 

I do tend to appreciate, i.e. geek out about, cookbooks with lots of precision and detail, and this one fits that description. The how’s and why’s of ingredients and techniques are delightfully well-explained. And, they’re being explained by someone who has not only witnessed and worked through the changes in the world of chocolate but has influenced the arrival of better quality chocolates through her creations. If you like baking with chocolate, you’ll really like this book. 

New Classic Chocolate Brownies 
Recipe reprinted with publisher’s permission from Seriously Bitter Sweet by Alice Medrich (Artisan Books). Copyright © 2013. 

Makes 16 large or 25 smaller brownies 
This recipe makes brownies that are crusty on top and wonderfully gooey within. They are baked at a high temperature for a short period of time, then cooled in an ice bath. Also known as the Steve Ritual (as in Steve Ritual Brownies), this crazy, wonderful method was discovered by Portland educational researcher Steve Klein during his college days; it now has a considerable Internet following. 

Ingredients 4 ounces (115 grams) unsweetened chocolate, chopped 
8 tablespoons (115 grams/1 stick) unsalted butter 
1 1/4 cups (250 grams) sugar 
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 
1/4 teaspoon salt 
2 cold large eggs 
1/2 cup (65 grams) all-purpose flour 
2/3 cup (2 1/3 ounces/65 grams) walnut or pecan pieces (optional) 

Directions 
1. Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 400°F. Line the bottom and all four sides of the baking pan with parchment paper or foil. 

2. Place the chocolate and butter in a medium heatproof bowl set in a wide skillet of barely simmering water. 

3. Stir frequently until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth and hot enough that you want to remove your finger fairly quickly after dipping it in to test. 

4. Remove the bowl from the skillet. Stir in the sugar, vanilla, and salt with a wooden spoon. Add the eggs one at a time, stirring until the first one is incorporated before adding the next. Stir in the flour and beat with a wooden spoon or a rubber spatula until the batter forms a shiny, cohesive mass and comes away from the sides of the bowl. It is important that the batter pull together and away from the bowl, so don’t stop stirring until it does. Stir in the nuts, if using. Scrape the batter into the lined pan and spread it evenly. 

5. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the brownies just begin to pull away from the sides of the pan. The surface of the brownies will look dry, but a toothpick inserted in the center will come out quite gooey. 

6. Meanwhile, prepare an ice bath by filling a roasting pan or large baking pan with ice cubes and about 3/4 inch of water. 

7. When the brownies are ready, remove the pan from the oven and immediately set it in the ice bath. Take care not to splash water on the brownies. Let the brownies cool. 8. Remove the pan from the ice bath, lift up the ends of the parchment or foil liner, and transfer the brownies to a cutting board. Cut into 16 or 25 squares. (The brownies can be stored, airtight, for 2 to 3 days.) 

Variations: 
Classic Chocolate Brownies: For cakier brownies, bake at 350°F for 30 to 35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with some thick, gooey batter still clinging to it. Omit the ice bath; cool on a rack. 

Classic 70% Brownies: Position a rack in the lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400°F and prepare an ice bath for New Classic Brownies, or skip the ice bath and preheat the oven to 350°F as for Classic Brownies. Combine 6 1/2 ounces (185 grams) 66% to 72% chocolate, 7 tablespoons (100 grams) butter, and 1 cup (200 grams) sugar in a medium heatproof bowl. Proceed as directed for either New Classic or Classic Chocolate Brownies. 

Classic 60% Brownies: This recipe produces brownies with a beautifully glossy, crackled crust. The batter will be stiffer than you are used to and may require longer and more vigorous stirring to form a smooth, cohesive mass. 

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400°F and prepare an ice bath for New Classic Brownies, or skip the ice bath and preheat the oven to 350°F as for Classic Brownies. Combine 10 ounces (285 grams) 54% to 62% chocolate, 5 tablespoons (70 grams) butter, and 2/3 cup (135 grams) sugar in a medium heatproof bowl. Proceed as directed for either New Classic or Classic Chocolate Brownies. 

Guinness Brownies with Butterscotch Fudge

I’ve mentioned my to-try stack of recipes, but there’s actually more than one stack. There’s the physical stack of pages cut from magazines, there’s also a list of links I keep in Evernote, and there’s a board of recipes to try on Pinterest. It’s a little crazy to have to look in three places for ideas I know I put somewhere as a reminder to myself, but I usually eventually find what I’m looking for. A couple of weeks ago, I was searching for new-to-me brownie ideas. We were getting ready to attend an annual party, and more often than not, I take brownies to this party. This time, I wanted to change it up and take brownies with a twist of some kind. I wasn’t finding anything earth-shatteringly unique in my books. That’s when I remembered I had stored the link last year for this Guinness Brownies with Butterscotch Fudge recipe from The Little Epicurean. I admit, it’s the butterscotch fudge that grabbed my attention as butterscotch always does, and the pretzels on top just made me more intrigued. The recipe makes a lot of brownies in a nine- by thirteen-inch pan as opposed to the typical brownie recipe size of baking in an eight- or nine-inch square pan. So, this was perfect for a party. 

Making the brownies is an easy process that starts with melting chocolate with butter and then adding granulated and dark brown sugar. That mixture is then transferred to the bowl of a stand mixer, and eggs are added and mixed in one at a time. Flour, cocoa powder, and salt were sifted together and then added to the batter alternating with Guinness. Last, chocolate chips were folded in before pouring the batter into a parchment-lined baking pan. After the brownies baked for about 30 minutes and cooled, the butterscotch fudge frosting was made. Butter was melted with dark brown sugar in a saucepan. It was left to simmer for a couple of minutes, and then salt was added off the heat. With a stand mixer, confectioners’ sugar, cream, and vanilla were mixed, and then the butter and sugar mixture was incorporated and mixed until smooth. The fudge frosting was spread over the cooled brownies, and pretzels were added on top. 

Explaining that these brownies were Guinness brownies was all most people needed to hear before grabbing one or two. And, the addition of Guinness did bring about a lovely, tender, cakey brownie. The sweet butterscotch fudge frosting and the salty, crunchy pretzels on top were ideal embellishments. The tray of brownies was empty long before the party ended. 

Brownie Bow Ties

I have no idea how an entire year went by during which I watched so few current films. As of Oscar night, I had seen exactly two of the movies nominated for Best Picture. As usual, we attended an Oscar party and bet on the outcome of the awards. I was sure the Academy would pick George Clooney as Best Actor, and in my typical Oscar-betting fashion, I was wrong. At least I had these cookies to enjoy during the ceremony. They’re little squares of pastry that get folded over a filling of brownie dough and end up looking a little like bow ties. I thought bow tie cookies seemed appropriate for Oscar night. The recipe is from Chewy Gooey Crispy Crunchy Melt-in-Your-Mouth Cookies, and I have a couple of things to tell you about making these cookies. First, Alice Medrich is always very precise with her instructions, so rolling the pastry dough and cutting it to the size she suggests works well. She then instructs you to fill each pastry square with one rounded teaspoon of brownie dough and fold two corners of the square in and seal at the top with water. Maybe I rounded my teaspoons of brownie dough too much because the first batch I placed in the oven came out looking like they sort of exploded and not much like bow ties. So, less than you think of the brownie filling per cookie is better. The other thing I wanted to mention is that Medrich suggests optionally grating some cinnamon stick or nutmeg over the cookies before serving. I suggest definitely doing so. I used both cinnamon and nutmeg. When I tasted a cookie that hadn’t been dusted with the spices, it was of course delicious, but it seemed lacking or naked compared to the ones with spices.

You begin by making a cream cheese rugelach dough which needs to be refrigerated for at least a couple of hours before being rolled out. Next, you make the brownie dough by melting butter and chocolate in a double-boiler. Some sugar is added to the butter and chocolate followed by vanilla, salt, and eggs. A little flour is whisked in, and then this chocolate dough is also refrigerated for at least an hour or overnight. I made both doughs a day in advance of rolling, cutting, and filling. Working with one quarter of the rugelach dough at a time, it is rolled out and trimmed into a nine inch by eleven inch rectangle which is then cut into twelve squares. A barely rounded teaspoon of the chilled brownie dough should be placed in the center of each pastry square. Then, two opposite corners are pulled up and over the brownie dough, and the pastry corners are pinched with water to secure. Just before going into the oven, the cookies are brushed with milk and sprinkled with sugar, and they are baked for about 20 minutes. After cooling, I highly recommend grating cinnamon and nutmeg over the cookies.

These aren’t the quickest cookies to bake, but all of the steps involved are simple enough. The cream cheese pastry is delightfully flaky, rich, and tender for a cookie, and it makes a very nice wrapper for a bite of dark chocolate brownie. They’re dressy, little cookies suited for a black tie kind of night.

Mint and Chocolate Brownie Chunk Ice Cream

So, taste is subjective, and it’s also subject to change. Back in the day before I made most of the ice cream we have at home, Kurt and I used to stand in front of the freezer section of the grocery store and negotiate about which flavor to choose. He would quickly rule out my favorite, butter pecan, and I would not even let him point to his favorite which was mint chocolate chip. If I remember correctly, we usually ended up with dutch chocolate or cherry garcia. Each of our favorites had to wait for special occasions like our birthdays or something like that. It’s been years since Kurt has even mentioned mint chocolate ice cream, but I thought I’d whip up a special treat just for him and maybe, just maybe, I’d come around to this flavor combination in a homemade version. The fresh mint ice cream recipe is from The Perfect Scoop, and in the perfect pairings paragraph, adding chunks of chewy-dense brownies, also in the book, is suggested. The great thing about the brownies is that they really do remain chewy after being frozen. Little chunks of them were folded into the churned ice cream before letting it set up in the freezer. The ice cream itself was lovely and fragrant from the fresh mint leaves, and steeping the leaves in the milk even tinted it just barely green.

The brownies were made by melting unsweetened chocolate and butter and then adding sugar, eggs, and vanilla. A scant bit of flour along with some salt was added to the batter, and I omitted the chocolate chips and optional nuts. The brownies baked until just set, and then when cool, they were cut into small chunks. To begin the ice cream, milk, sugar, some cream, and a pinch of salt were combined and warmed in a saucepan. Two cups worth of mint leaves were added to the milk mixture, the pan was covered, and it was left to steep for an hour. The mint was strained out of the milk mixture, and the milk mixture went back on the stove to be warmed again. Then, the usual procedure for a custard took place. Five egg yolks were tempered with the warm milk mixture, the whole combination went back on the stove until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, and then it was strained into a bowl with additional cream. The custard was cooled and then churned in an ice cream maker. Last, the finished mint ice cream was layered in a dish with chunks of chewy brownies, and it was frozen until firm.

Steeping the mint leaves in the milk gave it even more flavor than I expected. The freshness of the mint flavor with the richness of the custard took me by surprise. I liked it. And, those chunks of chewy brownie pieces were way better to my mind than those hard, waxy-tasting chocolate chips in the store-bought stuff that Kurt used to like. Kurt, on the other hand, was confused. This was not the mint chocolate ice cream he remembered from years ago. This was something completely different, and it was very good. But, for the record, he liked those hard bits of chocolate chips.

Iced Oatmeal Applesauce Cookies and Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies

You know I love it when I get to bake some cookies and then promptly get them out of my house. I don’t need those little, tempting treats sitting on my kitchen counter taunting me every time I walk through the room. And, putting them in the freezer is no better. In this weather, frozen cookies are just as irresistible as the ones on the counter. So, when my brother sent me his cookie wish list, I was game. It was an opportunity to whip out the Martha Stewart's Cookies book again, try a couple more recipes, and then box up the results and ship them away. The book has 175 cookie recipes, and I’ve joked that I’ll eventually try all of them. I just counted, and I’ve made sixteen so far. Although not all of them are mentioned on my site, I haven’t encountered a disappointment yet. My brother’s list went something like this: oatmeal raisin, sugar cookies, brownies, chocolate chip, peanut butter cookies. I took some liberties with flavors, naturally, and decided to make the iced oatmeal applesauce cookies and peanut butter swirl brownies.

The iced oatmeal and applesauce cookies are a rather healthy option with only half a stick of butter, one egg, and a half cup of applesauce. Those ingredients were mixed with brown sugar and granulated sugar before the dry ingredients including oats, of course, were added. Last, golden raisins were folded into the dough, and the cookies were baked and cooled. If they weren’t delicious enough on their own, the drizzled maple glaze on top made them stellar. These could easily be one of my favorite cookies from this book.

Up next were the peanut butter swirl brownies. Making a simple batter in a bowl with no need for a mixer is always fun. Unsweetened and semisweet chocolates were melted with butter and then combined with the dry ingredients. Sugar, eggs, and vanilla were added, and that was set aside. Peanut butter was mixed with melted butter, confectioner’s sugar, salt, and vanilla for the filling. Part of the chocolate batter was poured into the prepared, square baking pan. The peanut butter filling was globbed here and there on top of it, and then the remaining batter was poured over the filling. The filling was swirled into the batter with a knife, and the brownies baked for 45 minutes. They came out looking decorative all on their own with no need for added embellishment, and with swooping peanut butter throughout the chocolate brownies, the flavor was perfect. Getting to bake some cookies, have a little taste of them, and then, poof, have all traces gone from the house is my ideal arrangement.

Ancho Pine Nut Brownies with Cinnamon Ice Cream

A couple of weeks ago, we had some of the coldest weather this part of Texas has experienced in many years. We get a little uneasy around here with near-freezing temperatures, and when it dipped into the 20s (F) we were confused and concerned. So, what was I doing to prepare for this weekend of serious winter weather we were about to have? I was making ice cream. The ice cream was going to be served on warm brownies, but still, it was 20 degrees in Austin and I pulled out the ice cream maker. Maybe I should start by telling you about the brownies because that might make more sense. I wanted to mix up a southwest, chile powder-infused kind of brownie, and I found the perfect recipe in Nuevo Tex-Mex. The recipe was created by Rebecca Rather, and it includes ancho chile powder with semisweet chocolate, chocolate chips, and pine nuts. I thought big squares of those brownies warm from the oven would be great topped with a generous scoop of cinnamon ice cream. The cinnamon ice cream is from The Perfect Scoop.

The brownie recipe makes a large batch, so I cut the quantities in half and baked it in an eight inch square pan rather than a nine by thirteen inch pan. Still, the halved quantities included a half pound of semisweet chocolate, half a pound of butter, four eggs, and a cup and a half of sugar along with flour, ancho chile powder, chocolate chips, and pine nuts. These were kind of serious brownies. The batter was very easy to stir together without a mixer, and they went into 325 F oven for about 35-40 minutes. The recipe suggests a baking time of 20-25 minutes, but my brownies were nowhere near done at that point. The cinnamon ice cream was started by steeping broken cinnamon sticks in warm milk with sugar and a pinch of salt. Then, a custard was made with egg yolks and the warmed milk, it was strained, and cream was added. The custard was churned after being chilled.

The ancho chile powder in the brownies accented the chocolate in the same way espresso would. There was clearly something more than chocolate happening, but the chile flavor was just a supporting role and not obvious at all. The texture of these brownies was delightfully lighter than I expected and definitely not dense. The crackly top gave way to an almost cakey but near-fudgy interior. They were somehow the best of both worlds, and the pine nuts were a nice addition too. While I don’t think cinnamon ice cream would be a bad choice to set atop any brownie, I was especially happy with it on top of these. I’m also convinced this dessert was a good distraction from our freakishly cold weather at least for a little while. And just for the record, it's 75 degrees (F) today, and that's my favorite kind of January weather.

Salted Fudge Brownies

Salted fudge brownies were a sweet treat for the Oscars party last Sunday, and they accompanied the roasted red pepper and goat cheese tarts. I saw these brownies on One Ordinary Day, and they originated at Food and Wine. A fudgy texture in a salted sweet drew me in right away, and I couldn’t wait to try them. They’re very simple to make, chocolate was melted with butter, and the rest of the ingredients were stirred in one by one. I doubled the recipe, and it was still very easy to stir together. The batter was spread in a pan, smoothed, sprinkled with sea salt, and the salt was swirled into the top of the batter. After baking and cooling, it was time to cut. The top had a nice crispness to it, and I was amazed at how tender the inside was as each brownie was cut.

These looked great, and the crunchy sea salt on top was alluring, but I wasn’t sure how serious chocolate and brownie fans would react to them. I’m slightly chocolate-ambivalent which makes me a less than ideal judge of brownies. I was anxious to hear everyone’s reactions at the party. And guess what? The Academy did not have enough love for Mickey Rourke, but these were very well-loved brownies. I’m thrilled to report that I received numerous, unsolicited comments about the deliciousness and fudginess of them. The rich chocolate flavor enhanced by the sea salt was much appreciated by all. The brownies disappeared quickly, and I’ll be keeping this recipe for repeat use.

Smore Brownies

These unbelievable brownies come from Demolition Desserts by Elizabeth Falkner. Falkner states that she approaches dessert as an art form. Indeed. By taking familiar tastes and reconfiguring them, she creates unique, ingenious, edible works. The book displays many of her plated desserts from Citizen Cake in San Francisco and a few simpler offerings as well. It includes explanations about the desserts and how they were invented, suggestions for simplifying each one, and of course, beautiful photography. It also offers ingredient amounts by weight as well as by volume. The Smore Brownies are made with homemade marshmallows, homemade graham crackers, and chunks of chocolate mixed into a rich brownie batter. I prepared the marshmallows and graham crackers on Saturday and baked the brownies on Sunday so as to spread out the tasks involved.

I had used her recipe for homemade marshmallows before, and they are too delicious for words. Homemade graham crackers are also so far beyond the manufactured type it’s difficult to explain. So, we found ourselves on Saturday night with these marshmallows, graham crackers, and some really good chocolate. By happy coincidence, we had used our grill on Saturday and there were hot coals just outside our door. What were we to do with this situation? I only wish my nieces could have visited as they are smores connoisseurs, and these were possibly the best ever smooshed together.

For the brownies, I used a 60% Callebaut chocolate which was melted and mixed into the batter and an El Rey milk chocolate that was added as chunks. I made the marshmallows a little thin this time and cut them into triangles. For the graham crackers, I broke them into small pieces to be folded into the mixture. As it bakes, the brownies puff up nicely and form a crackly top. I learned that chilling them before cutting is a good idea. The soft inner texture with the gooey marshmallows makes cutting a little challenging, but once chilled it’s much easier.

As usual, I brought the brownies to work this morning. I think they disappeared in under five minutes. It is a very rich brownie, and it’s completely irresistible.

St. Patrick's Day Treats: Mint Chocolate Brownie Bars and Green Cheesecake Thumbprint Cookies

Mint Chocolate Brownie Bars:

4 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped
½ c unsalted butter
1 ¼ c sugar
1 t vanilla
¼ t salt
3 eggs
¾ c all-purpose flour

Mint layer:
2 c confectioner’s sugar
¼ c butter, melted
2 T milk
½ t mint extract
Green coloring, if desired

Ganache:
½ c heavy cream (or 3 T butter)
5 ½ oz milk chocolate, chopped

Preheat oven to 325 F; line bottom and sides of an 8” square pan with parchment paper.

In a heavy saucepan over low heat, combine the chocolate and butter; stir until melted and smooth; remove from the heat and let cool slightly.

Whisk the sugar, vanilla, and salt into the chocolate mixture; whisk in the eggs one at a time, whisking well after each addition, then continue to whisk until the mixture is velvety; add the flour and whisk until just combined; pour batter into the prepared pan.

Bake until top is just springy to the touch and a tester comes out with a few moist crumbs, about 35 minutes; transfer to a rack and let cool for 10 minutes; press down on any raised areas to even the top surface; let cool completely.

*Note: The brownie recipe is taken from Williams-Sonoma After Dinner.

Mint layer:
Combine all ingredients and beat with a hand mixer until smooth; spread mixture over cooled brownies.

Ganache:

Melt chocolate with cream (or butter) over a double-boiler, stirring constantly, until smooth; remove from heat and let cool slightly; spread over mint layer and refrigerate until set, about one hour; cut into small rectangular bars.

--This brownie bar was taken from Cooking Light March 2008. However, I wasn't happy with their recipe for the brownie layer, so I used a recipe from a favorite book of mine: Williams-Sonoma After Dinner. That book has several recipes I've made time and again over the years. The ganache topping can be made with any type of chocolate, but because the brownie layer is very dense I chose milk chocolate.

Green Cheesecake Thumbprint Cookies

This recipe is from the Martha Stewart Baking Handbook. I just added some green color to the cheesecake filling for St. Patrick's Day.


--This is a crunchy cookie that was delicious chilled. I found that I should have used a larger wooden spoon handle to make the indentations in the cookies because the filling spilled over a bit too much. Not a big deal, and tasty either way.