FOR THE LOVE OF CHOCOLATE

Posted in Cake, Chocolate Bonbons, Cookies, Desserts, Sweets by sallybr

Today it is all a celebration of chocolate, so appropriate for the season, don’t you think? Let’s start with another winner of a recipe by Helen Fletcher.

MEXICAN BROWNIES

To get the recipe, pay a visit to her site, where you can get step by step pictures to guide you through the process. One of the tips she gives is pouring the smooth icing on the brownie after flipping it so that the bottom side is up. That ensures a super flat surface for glazing. It is all in the details, my friends!

Moving on, a Celebration Cake I made for the chef who is behind the homeless meals, a person I admire so much! Works tirelessly to offer free meals 7 days/week.

CHOCOLATE CELEBRATION CAKE WITH RASPBERRY FILLING
(inspired by many sources)

for the cake:
1 + 3/4 cups (210g) all-purpose flour
1 + 1/2 cups (300g) sugar
3/4 cup (70g) cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup buttermilk, shaken
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee

for the buttercream:
1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
3 + 1/2 cups ( 420g) confectioners’ sugar
1/2 cup ( 45g) unsweetened cocoa powder
2 to 3 Tablespoons heavy cream
pinch of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

for the filling:
Raspberry jam (store-bought or homemade)

for optional decoration:
Brazilian brigadeiros (click here for recipe)

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter three 7-inch round cake pans. Line with parchment paper, then butter and flour the pans, or use baking spray.

Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on low speed until combined. In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry. With mixer still on low, add the coffee and stir just to combine.

Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 20 minutes, then turn them out onto a cooling rack and cool completely before filling and frosting.

Make the frosting:
On a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy, about 4 minutes. Add confectioners’ sugar, cocoa powder, heavy cream, salt, and vanilla extract. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then increase to high speed and beat for 1 full minute. Adjust consistency with more powdered sugar or with heavy cream. Place in a piping bag fitted with appropriate icing tips for the decorations you desire.

Place the first cake on a circular cardboard, add a circle of buttercream as a dam around the perimeter, fill the center with jam. Place second cake on top, repeat the process. Place the last cake on top, cover with a thin crumb cake layer of buttercream and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Finish the buttercream icing, add brigadeiros if so desired, or any other decorations.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: I donated this cake whole, so we have not tried it, but I have used this recipe before and it is really a delicious, very moist, intensely chocolate-y cake. The raspberry jam goes very well with it, although it is also outstanding with some salted caramel as the filling.

CHOCOLATE COVERED OREOS, DA VINCI STYLE

These turned out so cool, I was super happy with them. My sister Norma pointed out they reminded her of Leonardo da Vinci’s inventions, so that’s the reason for the name. I used a silicone mold I’ve had for many years to make the decorations with dark compound chocolate, later brushed with luster powder copper. I used a very light green to tint the chocolate for the molds.

Finally, I close this post with a series of chocolate cookies decorated according to a tutorial from Tunde Dugantsi. Simple white Royal icing, good practice for fine line piping. It would also work well on gingerbread cookies, keep that in mind. I used my default chocolate cookie recipe for those (find it here).

ONE YEAR AGO: Three Little Cookies for the Holidays

TWO YEARS AGO: Two Festive Cakes, Part One

THREE YEARS AGO: Broccoli Slaw Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing

FOUR YEARS AGO: Vegan Blueberry-Lemon Cheesecake

FIVE YEARS AGO: Green Tea Rice with Edamame and Butternut Squash

SIX YEARS AGO: Santa Hat Mini-Mousse Cakes

SEVEN YEARS AGO: Fun with Sourdough

EIGHT YEARS AGO: Pasteis de Nata

NINE YEARS AGO: New Mexico Pork Chile, Crockpot Version

TEN YEARS AGO: Chocolate on Chocolate

ELEVEN YEARS AGO: Double Chocolate and Mint Cookies

TWELVE YEARS AGO: The Story of my first Creme Brulle’

THIRTEEN YEARS AGO: Sourdough Mini-rolls

FOURTEEN YEARS AGO: Focaccia with Sun-dried Tomatoes and Gorgonzola

FIFTEEN YEARS AGO: Mediterranean Skewers

SIXTEEN YEARS AGO Fettuccine with Shrimp, Swiss Chard, and Tomatoes

23Jul2025

A TRIO OF BROWNIES

Posted in Cake by sallybr

I cannot pick a favorite. Ok, one is not technically a brownie, but a blondie. Tomatoes, tomahtoes… They are all delicious, luscious, satisfying, rich, borderline decadent.

BISCOFF BLONDIES

If you are a lover of Biscoff cookies, these will bring a huge smile to your face. The recipe comes from thebiteofthebakes.com but for some reason it is unavailable, so I will cut and paste it from the file I had previously saved. I linked to the main site, but for some reason it won’t work in Safari, only in Chrome.

BISCOFF BLONDIES
(from biteofthebakes)

170g butter
170g white chocolate
110g brown sugar
110g granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 egg yolk
30ml heavy cream
250g all-purpose flour
25g cornstarch
200g chocolate chips
150g chopped Biscoff cookies
200g Biscoff spread

Heat your oven to 350F. Line a 9×11″ rectangular baking dish with baking paper.

In a microwaveable bowl, melt together unsalted butter and white chocolate. Melt in short bursts stirring well each time until smooth. In a large bowl or stand mixer add your melted chocolate, butter and sugar and mix until combined.

Add the eggs, egg yolk and double cream and stir until combined, then add the flour, cornstarch, fold gently. Add the chocolate chips and Biscoff pieces. Pour the mixture into your lined baking tin and swirl on some melted biscoff spread and top with more biscoff biscuits.

Bake for 25-30 minutes. Once baked, let the blondies cool completely in the pan, then place the blondie (still in the tin) in the fridge for a few hours or overnight before slicing.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

RED VELVET OREO BROWNIES

RED VELVET OREO BROWNIES
(from cakemehometonight)

½ cup unsalted butter
½ cup light brown sugar
¾ cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs room temperature
1 large egg yolk room temperature
¼ cup vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp red gel food coloring
½ tsp white vinegar
1 cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
½ tsp salt
1 ½ cups roughly chopped Oreo cookies
8 Oreo cookies

Heat the oven to 350℉. Prepare a 9×9 baking pan with nonstick cooking spray and cover with parchment paper.

In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the unsalted butter and brown sugar. Microwave for 90 seconds until the butter is melted, and then whisk until the mixture is well combined and smooth. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the granulated sugar, eggs, and egg yolk. Use an electric hand mixer to whip the eggs and sugar for 2 to 3 minutes until light and pale. While mixing on low speed, slowly drizzle in the brown sugar mixture to temper the egg mixture. Add in the vegetable oil, vanilla extract, red gel food coloring, and white vinegar and mix until well combined.

Add in the all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, and salt, and mix on low speed until combined and smooth. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. Fold in the roughly chopped Oreo cookies.

Pour the red velvet brownie batter into the prepared baking pan and spread evenly with an offset spatula. Add additional broken Oreo cookies to the top of the brownie batter. Bake the brownies for 24-26 minutes until set. An inserted toothpick in the center of the brownies should come out with moist crumbs. Remove the pan from the oven and cool the brownies to room temperature. Cut the brownies into 16 squares.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

S’MORES BROWNIES

S’MORES BROWNIES
(from Eric Kim, by New York Times)

½ cup/113 grams unsalted butter, at room temperature, divided
135 grams honey graham crackers (about 9 whole crackers)
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
113 grams semisweet chocolate, broken into pieces
½ cup (100 grams) packed dark brown sugar
½ teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
½ cup (60 grams) all-purpose flour
170 grams marshmallows

Heat oven to 400 degrees.

Grease a 9-inch square metal baking pan with ½ tablespoon of the butter. Line the pan with parchment paper leaving an overhang to make it easier to remove the brownies after baking. Use another 1/2 tablespoon of butter to grease the paper.

Line the bottom of the pan with a single layer of graham crackers, breaking them as needed to fit, then crush the rest of the crackers over and sprinkle with the granulated sugar.

Melt the remaining 7 tablespoons butter and chocolate gently in the microwave at 50% power. Stir in the brown sugar and salt, then let the mixture cool slightly until the bowl is no longer hot to the touch. Whisk in the eggs and vanilla, then continue whisking until smooth and shiny, about 1 minute. Whisk in the flour until no white streaks remain. Pour the batter over the graham crackers lining the pan.

Top the brownie batter with the marshmallows in a single layer and bake until the top is toasted and a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center of the brownie comes out smudged with a little chocolate, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool completely, then refrigerate in the pan until ready to serve.

To serve, lift the brownie out of the pan and slice into squares or bars. Enjoy chilled, or at room temperature.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

I hope you try one or two or all of these recipes, because they are absolutely wonderful,
I guarantee it!

ONE YEAR AGO: A Typical Dinner at The Bewitching Kitchen

TWO YEARS AGO: Rolled Buttercream

THREE YEARS AGO: Miso-Ginger Turkey Meatballs with Cabbage “Noodles”

FOUR YEARS AGO: Smoked Shrimp Tacos with Roasted Jalapeño Salsa

FIVE YEARS AGO: Corn Fritters

SIX YEARS AGO: Minnie Macarons

SEVEN YEARS AGO: Air-Fried Mexican Meatloaf

EIGHT YEARS AGO: Mimi’s Sticky Chicken, a Call from my Past

NINE YEARS AGO: Perfect Soy-Grilled Steak

TEN YEARS AGO: The Devil’s Bread

ELEVEN YEARS AGO: Heart of Palm Salad Skewers

TWELVE YEARS AGO: Potluck Frittata and Lavoisier

THIRTEEN YEARS AGO: Home-made Corn Tortillas

FOURTEEN YEARS AGO: Whole-Wheat Spaghetti with Peanut Sauce

FIFTEEN YEARS AGO: Brigadeiros: A Brazilian Party!

SIXTEEN YEARS AGO: Lemony Asparagus

30Oct2024

HALLOWEEN BROWNIES, TWO WAYS

Posted in Cake by sallybr

For a real scary version, you must go with Graveyard Brownies, another super cool recipe from Ghoulatheart. The second version takes the cute approach, and is also much simpler to make. But, first things first, let’s visit the graveyard.

GRAVEYARD BROWNIES
(from Ghoulatheart.com)

1 cup all purpose flour
3 tbsp cocoa powder
½ tsp. salt
½ cup butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
½ cup brown sugar
3 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tbsp. red food coloring

1 cup milk chocolate melting wafers, divided
8 Oreo cookies, processed into crumbs

Make the skull decorations: Place ½ cup of the milk chocolate melting wafers into plastic bowl and microwave gently until melted. Pipe into the skull mold. Freeze for a few minutes, un-mold and reserve.

Make the cookie dirt. Process the Oreo cookies in a food processor until crumbs form. Transfer to a bowl. Reserve.

Make the Red Velvet Brownies: Heat oven to 350℉ and line a 8 x 8 x 2-inch brownie pan with parchment paper.

Cream together the butter and sugars in a stand mixer. Lightly whisk the eggs, vanilla extract and red food coloring in a small bowl and add to the stand mixer and process on low until incorporated.
Sift flour, cocoa powder and salt into a medium bowl and add it to the stand mixer and process on low until flour is incorporated. Take care to not overmix. Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Remove brownies from oven and sprinkle the remaining ½ cup chocolate chips over the top of the brownies. Let it sit for 2 minutes to melt the chips and then smooth the chocolate with the back of a spoon. Sprinkle cookie crumbs over the melted chocolate and allow to cool for 15 minutes. Garnish with chocolate skull chips over the cookie crumbs and allow to cool completely before cutting into 16 pieces.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: Super fun bake! To make the little skulls, I used this mold. I used candy melts because I did not want to have to temper chocolate, but feel free to splurge! The skulls won’t be fully glued to the brownie, let your guests know about it so that they don’t spill skulls on the floor…

HALLOWEEN BROWNIE CUPCAKES

Recipe for those can be found in this blog post from my past. I used Chai frosting for them. Orange dye, sprinkles and candy eyes. So simple! And delicious…

It is a bit hard to see Halloween at the corner and then ready to say goodbye for another year… Once again, I did not have a chance to bake all things I wanted to, but I will be back in 2025 for more!

ONE YEAR AGO: Revving the Engines for Halloween

TWO YEARS AGO: Happy Halloween from my Cookie Blog to You!

THREE YEARS AGO: Incredibly Simple Carrots

FOUR YEARS AGO: Sarah Bernhardt’s Cookies

FIVE YEARS AGO: A Really Big Announcement

SIX YEARS AGO: Stir-Fried Chicken in Sesame-Orange Sauce

SEVEN YEARS AGO: Monday Blues

EIGHT YEARS AGO: A New Way to Roast Veggies

NINE YEARS AGO: Two Takes on Raspberries

TEN YEARS AGO: Spice Cake with Blackberry Puree

ELEVEN YEARS AGO: Own Your Kitchen with Cappuccino Panna Cotta

TWELVE YEARS AGO: Chicken Parmigiana, the Thriller

THIRTEEN YEARS AGO: Wild Mushroom Risotto

FOURTEEN YEARS AGO: Tartine Bread: Basic Country Loaf

FIFTEEN YEARS AGO: Pugliese Bread

6Dec2023

BAKE IT BETTER, THE BOOK & THE VIRTUAL SPOT

Posted in Cookbook Reviews by sallybr

Wondering what to give to that friend who loves to bake but seems to own every single gadget known to mankind? Here is a suggestion for you: offer Matt Adlard’s Bake it Better, still hot from the press! And if you want the gift to be even more special, add to it a membership to his virtual cooking school, where every month a series of two or three recipes of increasing complexity are shared. Not just the recipe, but a super detailed video tutorial to make it happen flawlessly in your own kitchen. And when you join the site, you will immediately gain access to the closed Facebook group, where you can hang out with other baking-addicts such as yours truly… To order the book, click here… To get the membership-gift, click here.

I will now share a few recipes I’ve tried from this wonderful book, which recently was the focus of a nice baking weekend with my friend Tanya (see post about it here). The recipes are listed in the order I made them.

CHOCOLATE CHUNK BROWNIES

These are fudge-y, intensely flavored, and have a crackly topping made more special with the drizzle decoration. Matt is known for always gilding the lily in unexpected ways, often simple touches that add a lot to the final bake.

TOASTED MILK POWDER AND BROWN BUTTER COOKIES

What is different and unique about these cookies is the use of toasted milk powder plus browned butter. If you have ever heard of “bronze butter”, this is pretty much the easiest way to achieve that level of buttery intensity. His trick to add a few chips right when the cookies are out of the oven make them look pretty professional… Yes, it is the “bake it better” at work!

ALL-BUTTER SHORTBREAD

These are very special cookies that remind Matt of his Dad’s special cookies baked at his restaurant. Matt’s technique is quite straightforward, with small details that make this one of the simplest bakes of the book, but with amazing complexity of taste and texture. I aded just a little pattern on top with a rolling cutter.

PEANUT AND WHITE CHOCOLATE COOKIES

These are simply amazing! Delicious cookie that bakes soft and tender, with a puddle of peanut butter in the center. The whole design and simple decoration is typical of Matt, taking a humble cookie into a cute playful presentation through the little details. These cookies were a huge hit with our departmental colleagues.

TIGER MADELEINES

My favorite bake of this series, it required me to buy a special silicone pan for the madeleines because to do the coating with tempered chocolate you cannot quite use metal pans. Totally worth it.

Once again the traditional madeleines are made super especial by just splitting the batter in two portions, adding chocolate to one of them and making a simple pattern with a piping bag. Genius. Coating the back with chocolate just ties the whole thing together, but you can conceivably skip that step, and just bake them in a regular, metal pan. They are spectacular!

I hope you enjoyed this little peek into Matt’s first (and let’s hope NOT last) cookbook! If you love to bake or if you are a beginner baker and would like to learn perfect technique, this book is for you. Apart from the recipes I listed today, I was honored to test a few other recipes from the book while Matt was writing it and I can tell you that the Cardamon and Orange Custard Tart is simply to die for…

(available at amazon.com)

ONE YEAR AGO: Broccoli Slaw Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing

TWO YEARS AGO: Vegan Blueberry-Lemon Cheesecake

THREE YEARS AGO: Green Tea Rice with Edamame and Butternut Squash

FOUR YEARS AGO: Santa Hat Mini-Mousse Cakes

FIVE YEARS AGO: Fun with Sourdough

SIX YEARS AGO: Pasteis de Nata

SEVEN YEARS AGO: New Mexico Pork Chile, Crockpot Version

EIGHT YEARS AGO: Chocolate on Chocolate

NINE YEARS AGO: Double Chocolate and Mint Cookies

TEN YEARS AGO: The Story of my first Creme Brulle’

ELEVEN YEARS AGO: Sourdough Mini-rolls

TWELVE YEARS AGO: Focaccia with Sun-dried Tomatoes and Gorgonzola

THIRTEEN YEARS AGO: Mediterranean Skewers

FOURTEEN YEARS AGO Fettuccine with Shrimp, Swiss Chard, and Tomatoes

18Dec2022

NINE BAKES, WITH LOVE

Posted in Cake, Cookies by sallybr

Time to spread some food blog love around… Today I share nine bakes that are perfect for the season and come from sites I closely follow. All recipes can be retrieved with a visit to the original post, which you will find below the pictures.

BAKE #1
HELEN FLETCHER’S PUMPKIN CAKE DONUTS

(for recipe, click here)

I know I repeat myself, but you simply cannot go wrong with Helen’s recipes. This one goes to my Personal Hall of Fame. Taste and texture could not be better. Her detailed instructions make it a breeze to make. I assume it is still ok to post pumpkin recipes, after all – according to the calendar – it is still Fall (cough, cough). Donuts get a streusel topping and need nothing but a dusting with powdered sugar to shine!

BAKE #2
CELIA’S FUDGE BROWNIES

(for recipe, click here)

Celia used to be a very active food blogger, but although she is not posting often, her recipes are still on the site and each one is a gem. If you like to learn about chocolate tempering, make sure to visit her blog and read one of her posts on the subject. These brownies received two thumbs up from the Resident Brownie Critic. Need I say more? Make them!

BAKE #3
KAREN’S DEVIL’S FOOD THUMBPRINT COOKIES

(for recipe, click here)

Amazing recipe, it is almost like having a little bite-size brownie with jam on top. Simple to make, they will make your holiday table shine, and your guests very happy!

BAKE #4
CARO’S CHOCOLATE CARDAMON CUPCAKES

(for the recipe, click here)

Aren’t those super elegant? I fell in love when Caro first shared the recipe, and could not wait to bake a batch. Cardamon and chocolate go surprisingly well together, so consider making them too… Sprinkles added just because…. sprinkles make life better!

BAKE #5
CARO’S RASPBERRY JAM AND COCONUT SPONGE SQUARES

(for the recipe, click here)

These are delicious, you cannot beat the texture of the cake… and the jam plus coconut topping is perfection. I know that some people don’t care for shredded coconut, but if your group of guests is ok with it, make sure to feature it in your holiday get-together.

BAKE #6
AMISHA’S DATE AND NUT CHOCOLATE BARS

(for recipe, click here)

Super festive, the list of ingredients is long, but it is a reasonably simple recipe to put together. It has all the flavors I adore, including a light hint of rose, that goes well with all the other flavors. You can use ruby chocolate or add pink fat soluble dye to regular white chocolate for the marbling. Check out her blog post, the instructions are very detailed. Gold leaf is optional, but if you happen to have some, it is the perfect concoction to make them shine. Literally.

BAKE #7
LINDSAY’S STUFFED CHERRY AMARETTI COOKIES

(for the recipe, click here)

These are simply amazing! I made them three times, they were originally all going for my weekly donation box, but one batch made it to my beloved husband’s golfing buddies, and they got a lot of praise… Once you bite into the cookie, the soft almond crumb gives room to the sharp cherry inside, and you are forced to close your eyes and dream. Seriously good.

BAKE #8
LINDSAY’S VEGAN AMARETTI COOKIES

(for the recipe, click here)

Another recipe from Lindsay’s blog, Love and Olive Oil. When it comes to “veganizing” a baking recipe, nothing beats macarons and amaretti type cookies, as all you need is remove the egg whites and use aquafaba instead. That is the magical ingredient, that works exactly the same, no loss of flavor, no unpleasant changes in texture. Of course, you could stick a cherry inside those too if you feel like it!

BAKE #9

HEATHER’S PEANUT BUTTER CUP COOKIES

(for the recipe, click here)

Aren’t those the most adorable little bites of heaven? If you are a lover of peanut butter, these are for you! I love Heather’s cookbooks, and her blog is always a source of inspiration, so make sure to bookmark and visit. I had to change the recipe a bit because our grocery store did not have peanut butter chips, so I used candy melts for the drizzle instead. Other than that, I followed her recipe to a T.

So there you have it, nine recipes from sites I love, as this is the season to spread love and gratitude around… I hope you can find something that inspire you to grab that bag of flour, those eggs, pull the mixer out to play, and get busy baking!