Better than Brownie Cookies

When I was on my cookie-baking kick over Christmas, my hubby and son would ask when I was going to make some brownies.  I like baking cookies because they only take about 10-15  min...nobody said I was patient.  But, I LOVE brownies. 

I came across these brownie-cookies on Brown Eyed Baker's site, which she adapted from Culinography, who got it from Technicolor Kitchen.  These are the perfect combination. They only take about 12 minutes to bake and they have that shiny, crinkly outside and a soft, chewy center. They're dense enough to dunk in milk, if that's how you roll.


They didn't last long at home and as much as my guys enjoy my cooking, I'd say their pet peeve is that I don't have time to make the same recipe twice because I'm forever searching for the new next best thing.  I can think of worse things than taste-testing a bunch of brownies and cookies. :)


Now, go whip these up and see if you want to make a 35 minute pan of brownies again.


Better-than-Brownies Chocolate Cookies

Makes 24 large cookies

2 2/3 cups (about 16 ounces) bittersweet chocolate, chopped

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

4 eggs

1 1/3 cups granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ cup all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon baking powder

1 cup semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips



1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.



2. Put the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl and set it over a saucepan of barely simmering water, stirring occasionally, until completely melted and smooth.



3. In the meantime, stir together the eggs, vanilla and sugar in a medium bowl. Set aside.



4. In a small bowl, sift together the flour and baking powder.



5. Add the melted chocolate mixture to the egg mixture and stir to combine well. Slowly add the dry ingredients, folding them into the batter. Once all of the flour is incorporated, stir in the chocolate chips.



6. Scoop 1½ tablespoons of dough (a medium cookie scoop’s worth) onto prepared baking sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until they are firm on the outside. Like brownies, do not overbake! Leave to cool completely on the baking sheets.

Rootbeer Float Cake and Honey Beer Bread

What kind of bday cake do you make for the kid who wants to drink 8 IBC rootbeers in one sitting?  A rootbeer float cake, courtesy of Joy the Baker.

2 cups root beer (don’t use diet)

1 cup dark unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs



Preheat even to 325 degrees F. Spray the inside of a 10-inch Bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray, or butter generously and dust with flour, knocking out the excess.



In a small saucepan, heat the root beer, cocoa powder and butter over medium heat until butter is melted. Add sugars and whisk until dissolved. Remove from heat and let cool.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt.

In a small bowl whisk the eggs until just beaten. Then whisk into the cocoa mixture until combined. Gently fold the flour mixture into the cocoa mixture. The batter will be slightly lumpy. You can give it a quick whisk if you like, but don’t over beat the batter or it could cause the cake to be tough. Don’t worry, the batter is very loose.

Pour the batter into prepared pan and cook for 35-45 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking until a sharp knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely then loosen edges with a butter knife and turn out onto a cake plate.



Chocolate Root Beer Frosting

2 ounces 60% cocoa, melted
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon salt (you may want to use less… maybe just 1/2 teaspoon)
1/4 cup root beer
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar


In the bowl of a stand mixer, or using an electric hand mixer, beat softened butter and cocoa powder. Once combined add the melted chocolate, salt, powdered sugar and root beer. Beat together until smooth. Spread on top of cooled cake. Slice and serve with vanilla ice cream.



note: the root beer flavor is subtle and more pronounced after the cake sits for a day..I read some comments where people suggested rootbeer schnapps instead or to add rootbeer extract..a teaspoon or two...it is a good, moist cake though!


Honey Beer Bread Recipe
from GimmeSomeOven


(Adapted from Ezra Pound Cake)



Ingredients:
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. honey or agave nectar
1 bottle (12 ounces) beer

4 Tbsp. (half stick) butter, melted (**You can double this if you’d like**)

Method:



(Makes 1 loaf)



Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9″ x 5″ x 3″ inch loaf pan.



In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Using a wooden spoon, stir the beer and honey into the dry ingredients until just mixed. (I recommend popping your honey in the microwave for a few seconds beforehand to make it easier to stir in!)



Pour half the melted butter into the loaf pan. Then spoon the batter into the pan, and pour the rest of the butter on top of the batter. (Use a pastry brush to spread it around if you’d like.)



Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until top is golden brown and a toothpick/knife inserted in the middle comes out clean. Serve immediately.

Cakebons for Miaschia

My good friend, Erricka, asked me to make dessert for her daughter's wedding rehearsal dinner. I wanted something fun and different but easy to eat. This was the first time I made something for a special occasion, so of course, my first attempt was not pretty...but they tasted good! My second batch looked much better so I'm hoping these get more attractive each time. Sometimes looks really do matter!




Cakebons adapted from Bakerella.

1 box cake mix, any flavor (cook as directed on box for 13 X 9 cake)
1 can frosting, any flavor (16 oz.)
1 package chocolate bark (regular or white chocolate)
wax paper

1. After cake is cooked and cooled completely, crumble into large bowl.
2. Mix thoroughly with 1 can frosting. (It may be easier to use fingers to mix together, but be warned it will get messy.)
3. Roll mixture into quarter size balls and lay on cookie sheet. (Should make 45-50)
4. Chill for several hours. (They worked better for me when chilled in the freezer.)
5. Melt chocolate in microwave per directions on package.
6. Roll balls in chocolate and lay on wax paper until firm. (Bakerella says to use a spoon to dip and roll in chocolate and then tap off extra.) I'm a rebel and used mom's candy dipper because I love using her stuff when I can. :)
It’s easier to work with when it’s hot and the cake balls are COLD.

I used lemon cake with lemon frosting and white chocolate, strawberry cake with strawberry frosting and milk chocolate and butter yellow cake with cream cheese frosting and dark chocolate.

S'mores Icebox Candy Bars by Joythebaker

Fire...shmire...these are good, easy...and you won't smell like smoke afterwards...



S’mores Icebox Candy Bars


adapted from The Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook



makes 15 bars


3 sticks plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 cup light corn syrup
pinch of salt

1 14-ounce box graham crackers, lightly crumbled
2 big handfuls of mini marshmallows, plus a handful more for sprinkling on top

Line a 9×13-inch baking sheep with parchment paper, set aside.

In a large bowl, crumble the graham crackers into large chunks. Add two handfuls of mini marshmallows and set aside.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter together butter, cocoa, corn syrup and a pinch of salt. Stir and heat until smooth. Once melted, let chocolate mixture cool for 5 minutes.



Pour chocolate mixture over graham crackers and marshmallows. Stir so that all of the graham crackers are moistened by the chocolate mixture. Dump into lined baking pan, and a few more marshmallows on top and press down with the back of a spoon. Cover the top with another sheet of parchment and press with your fingers. Let cool on the counter for 30 minutes, then place in the fridge to solidify for a few hours or overnight. Cut into bars. Wrap individually and store in the fridge.


from Joy the Baker

Potato Chip Chocolate Toffee

Sweet, salty, crunchy...can't imagine why a woman would love her some o' these.

Ingredients


2 sticks unsalted butter, plus more for the baking sheet

5 cups thick-cut potato chips

1 cup sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar or white vinegar

5 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

Directions

Line a baking sheet with foil and butter the foil. Set 1 cup potato chips aside; break the remaining 4 cups chips in half if they're large.



Combine the butter, sugar, vanilla and vinegar in a saucepan over medium-high heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is light amber and a candy thermometer registers 320 degrees F, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the 4 cups chips, then immediately pour onto the baking sheet and spread in a thin layer. Gently press the reserved 1 cup chips on top of the toffee and let cool.



Put about three-quarters of the chocolate in a microwave-safe glass bowl and microwave 30 seconds. Stir, then continue to microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring between each, until melted. Add the remaining chocolate and stir until smooth, about 4 minutes.



Drizzle the chocolate over the toffee. Set aside to harden, about 20 minutes. Break the toffee into pieces.



I used Lay's Natural Thick Cut Potato Chips, Kettle chips would probably be good too but the toffee is pretty chewy/crunchy..

COOKIES

I got into a baking frenzy the week of Christmas.  I tried several new recipes but had to make mom's Hawaiian cookies too.  When I was a nanny and we went to our winter house on weekends in Bedford Hills, NY, my boss requested these cookies every Saturday.  I'm surprised I didn't remember the recipe by heart, but I've married, had a baby, moved 8 times and slept since then.

I'm including the peppermint white chocolate cookies with this post.  I will have the chocolate mint, pumpkin, lemon ricotta, tangerine butter, orange chocolate chip and brown sugar cookie recipes for you guys later. 


Mom's Hawaiian Cookies
Homemadely Yours Cookbook, Margaret McDougal

1 c. granulated sugar
1 c. light brown sugar
1 c. shortening
2 eggs
1 c. crushed pineapple in syrup, drained well
1 c. chopped pecans
1 c. flaked coconut
4 c. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. banana extract

Preheat oven to 350, lightly grease cookie sheet or line with parchment paper.

Beat sugars and shortening; add eggs and beat until creamy. Mix in pineapple, nuts, coconut, vanilla and banana extracts. Mix in sifted dry ingredients. Drop by teaspoonfuls on cookie sheet and bake 10-12 minutes until lightly brown. Cool on rack.

Yield: 4 dozen


Peppermint White Chocolate Cookies

Oven: 375


Bake time: 8 min.


8 oz. white chocolate morsels
1/2 c. softened butter
1 c. sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 3/4 c. all-purpose flour
2/3 c. finely crushed peppermints



Preheat oven to 375 and line cookie sheet w/parchment paper.

Melt 4 oz. white chocolate in a saucepan on low heat, cool slightly.

In a large bowl beat butter w/elec. mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar, baking powder, and salt. Beat until combined, scraping sides. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Beat in melted white chocolate. Beat in as much flour as you can with the mixer and stir the rest in by hand with a wooden spoon. Stir in the remaining 4 oz. white choc. morsels and crushed peppermints.

Drob by rounded teaspoons 2 inches apart onto prepared cookie sheet. Bake in preheated oven for 8-10 min. until edges are lightly browned. Transfer to wire rack, to cool. Yields about 4 dozen cookies.


Store in layers separated by wax paper in airtight container. Room temp up to 3 days or up to 3 months in freezer.