Chipster-Topped Brownies: A treat to help ease my work week after a significant absence!

Hello again! I haven’t posted in a while so this is long overdue. After returning from an AWESOME week of vacation with Chris and our families….I decided to help make my weekly staff meeting more enjoyable for myself and others  When I saw this week’s Tuesday's with Dorie recipe, a brownie layer topped with a chocolate-chip cookie layer, I knew this recipe was for me (and Chris).

I made one small change due to lack of availability of ingredient :) I have noted my substitution in parenthesis below. Also, make sure you watch your bake time due to varying oven temperatures. Mine were done in 46 minutes.
The verdict…It definitely lived up to my expectations! Let’s hope these treats can make it to my meeting tomorrow!


Chipster-Topped Brownies
By Dorie Greenspan in Baking: From my Home To Yours
Ingredients

For the Brownie Layer:
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into chunks
1 2/3 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped

For the Cookie Layer:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 sticks (I substituted 4 tablespoons butter and 8 tablespoons shortening because I was out of butter) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup (packed) light brown sugar
2/3 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped into chips, or 1 cup store bought chocolate chip

Getting Ready
Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9x13 inch baking pan, line it with wax paper or parchment paper and butter the paper. Put the pan on a baking sheet.

To Make the Brownie Batter:
Put both chocolates and the butter in a bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water. Stirring occasionally, heat just until the ingredients are melted, shiny and smooth. If the mixture get too hot, the butter will separate from the chocolates. Remove the bowl from the heat.

Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the sugar and eggs on medium-high speed for about 2 minutes, until pale, thick and creamy. Beat in the salt and vanilla extract. Reduce the speed to low and mix in the melted chocolate and butter, mixing only until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, then, still on low speed, add flour, mixing only until it disappears into the batter. Using the spatula, fold in the walnuts, and scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Set aside.

To Make the Cookie Dough:
Whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt.

Working with the stand mixer in the cleaned bowl or with the hand mixer in another large bowl, beat the butter and both sugars together on medium-high speed until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes. One at a time, add the egg and the yolk, beating for 1 minutes after each addition. Beat in the vanilla. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients, mixing only until they disappear into the dough. Still on low, mix in the chopped chocolate. Drop the cookie dough by spoonfuls over the brownie batter and, using a spatula and a light touch, spread it evenly over the batter.

Bake for 50-55 minutes, or until the cookie top is deep gold brown and firm and a thin knife inserted into the brownie layer comes out with only faint streaks of moist chocolate. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool to room temperature.

When the brownies are completely cook, carefully run a knife between the sides of the pan and the brownies, then invert them onto another rack, remove the paper and turn the right side up onto a cutting board. Cut into bars about 2 inches x 1 inch. (You can cut larger bars if you're serving cookie lovers with Texas-size appetites.)

Makes 24 servings.

Serving: Ice cream, whipped cream and creme fraiche are all great accompaniments, as is a generous drizzle of chocolate sauce.

Storing: Wrapped well or packed in an airtight container, the bars can be kept at room temperature for 2 days or frozen for up to 2 months.

Playing Around: The cookie top can be varied easily be swapping peanut butter, butterscotch or white chocolate chips for the chopped chocolate. You could even use all of them.

Blondies: I'm ready for a Throwdown? ;)

I just finished saying to my husband “Why doesn’t the Food Network ever travel to OUR city or state for that matter! I have seen several episodes of shows like: Rachel Rays’ Tasty Travels, Road Tasted with the Neelys, Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives, etc. none of which are shot in Ohio. So I was super excited this week when I saw Bobby take on the founders of Sugardaddy's Sumptuous Sweeties in Columbus, Ohio. This Throwdown inspired my decision to bake a delicious pan of Blondies. I adapted Bobby’s recipe to fit what I had in my pantry at home. The result was DELICIOUS. The next time I am in Columbus I plan to visit Sugardaddy’s Sweeties.

Blondie
1 1/2 c flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 sticks butter (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter melted
1 1/2 c light brown sugar
2 large eggs lightly beaten
2 tsp vanilla
11 ounces (one bag) semi-sweet (or milk chocolate) chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 x 13 inch glass baking dish (decrease bake time for metal).
Combine flour, baking powder, salt in bowl, whisk with fork and set aside
Mix melted butter and brown sugar until combined. Crack open eggs in a small bowl and whisk. Add eggs and vanilla to butter and brown sugar mixture and mix well. Fold in dry ingredients using a fork (use spatula on sides of bowl) until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips and pour into prepared pan , smoothing top with spatula.
Bake 25-30 minutes. DO NOT over-bake. Mine took 26 minutes. Top will be golden brown and edges slightly darker.
Cool to room temperature before cutting.

Not-So-Rocky-Road Brownies!

On this lazy, cold weekend afternoon I decided to whip us up a sweet treat. When I went to the pantry, I discovered a bag of mini marshmallows left from Christmas that I decided needed to be used ASAP.
For me, marshmallows are associated with three treats: fudge, rice krispie treats (or similar bar cookie), and smores. Since I still have fudge in my freezer and my pantry was without gram crackers and rice cereal it was time to broaden my horizons. I did a quick search on the Food Network and found this recipe. Since Chris and I share a love for brownies this seemed ALMOST perfect. I changed the recipe to create "Not-So-Rocky-Road" brownies by omitting the nuts since neither of us like nuts in our brownies. I also poured about 3/4 the mix in the pan, added the marshmallows and then drizzled the remaining mix on top. (I did this because I became nervous when some reviewers mentioned their marshmallows catching on fire...not really ;) )

Later on I served these warm with some vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce! I HIGHLY recommend it. Yummy!

Not-So-Rocky-Road Brownies
Adapted from Food Networks Tyler Florence’s Recipe

6 (1-ounce) squares unsweetened baking chocolate
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
11/2 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 large eggs
11/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups miniature marshmallows

To Serve:
Top with 1/2 cup caramel or chocolate sauce, store bought

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Coat an 8-inch square baking pan with non-stick spray and set aside (I used a 9x9 but agree these would be better if they were thicker).

In a glass mixing bowl, melt the chocolate and butter together in the microwave on high for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the butter is just melted. Mix it up to melt the chocolate completely. Stir the sugar into the melted chocolate until dissolved. Mix in the vanilla and eggs. Stir in the flour and salt just until combined. Spread 3/4 the batter evenly into the prepared pan. Sprinkle marshmallows evenly over batter and drizzle remaining batter over top.





Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool completely before cutting.

My Mom's Triple Layer Brownies

It's Christmas time! That means time for Mom's Triple Layer Brownies. :) These are my most favorite brownies in the world. Not only are they rich and delicious, I associate these with special Christmas memories...

1. Following Christmas Eve church service, driving around the neighborhoods near our home and looking at Christmas lights while Christmas music played on the radio.

2. Stockings came first on Christmas morning-- but not before Mom turned on the Christmas music (signaling it was safe to emerge from our bedrooms).

3. Protesting while my Mom "made" us watch Miracle on 34th Street each Christmas (my sister and I agree we gave her a hard time every year, but secretly cherish this time)

What are some of your family's Christmas traditions and memories? I'd love to see them posted!


TRACY'S TRIPLE TRUFFLE BROWNIES



Pre-heat Oven 350 degrees

FIRST LAYER: 4 oz unsweetened baking chocolate

1/2 lb of butter (must use butter)

2 cups of sugar

3 eggs

1 cup of flour

1 tsp. vanilla

1/4 tsp. almond extract

Melt chocolate, butter together over low heat. Cool slightly; add eggs, sugar and extracts. Blend well. Stir in flour until blended. Turn into greased & floured 9x 13 metal pan.


Bake in pre-heated ovens for 25 mins. Or until toothpick comes out clean.

SECOND LAYER: 6 tbls. Butter

3 1/2 cups of powder sugar (sifted)

5 tbls. Milk

1 tsp. Vanilla

Melt butter until brown, golden nutty color. Immediately stir in remaining ingredients. Spread over cooled brownie layer.

Chill until set & firm

THIRD LAYER: 1 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips

6 tbls. Butter

1 cup sifted powdered sugar

Melt chips & butter together. Stir in sugar. Pour over cooled 2nd layer & spread.

Finish with drizzling powered sugar or sugar glaze over top.


The beautiful creator of these treats:

Hershey's Best Brownies: An oldie....always a goodie. :)

I recently made Hershey's Best Brownies for a co-worker's birthday. I did not make the frosting, but added 2 cups of Hershey's chocolate chips for some extra chocolaty goodness :)She loved them...so much she took the photo for me (photography is a hobby of hers--great job, Jen!)


Best Brownies
Ingredients:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, melted
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups chocolate chips

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 350. Grease 9-inch square baking pan.

2. Stir together butter, sugar and vanilla in bowl. Add eggs; beat well with spoon. Stir together flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt; gradually add to egg mixture, beating until well blended. Spread batter evenly into prepared pan. Stir in chocolate chips (I gently stir, keeping most of chips near the top of the batter to prevent them from falling to the bottom or coat with flour)

3. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until brownies begin to pull away from sides of pan. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Cut into squares. About 16 brownies.