Showing posts sorted by date for query brownies. Sort by relevance Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by date for query brownies. Sort by relevance Show all posts
Blondies. Blondies are often called a white brownie. That's not an entirely accurate description. Just what is a Blondie?
It is the dense, more caramel like version of a brownie, but every bit as dense and fudgy in texture. They are incredibly sweet and incredibly moreish. But what makes a good Blondie?
What could you classify as the best blondie recipe? I'll tell you.
Quality ingredients. That's what. First, you need to use a really good quality butter. I use lurkpac, lightly salted.
There is also a fine line between using too little butter and too much. 125g (about 1/2 cup) does it perfectly. Any more and they would be greasy. I also melt the butter.
My ex MIL taught me to do that. It creates a perfect denseness.
I like to use muscovado sugar, or at the very least dark soft brown sugar. The higher the molasses content, the more fudge-like consistency you will get.
This gets whisked into the melted butter along with 1 large free range egg and some really good vanilla.
I use pure vanilla extract, not artificial. Don't be tempted to use Vanilla Paste. Its a waste here and too sweet.
These are really sweet bars, and you don't want to be adding too much extra in the way of sweetness. Extract works beautifully.
Plain flour. No leavening. Just stir it in with a pinch of salt, just to combine.
Don't overmix, or you might overdevelop the gluten in the flour. Just mix until there are no dry streaks.
I like to use two kinds of chocolate chips, and again I use quality ones here. A good semi-sweet and a good white chocolate chip work well.
I like the Kirkland chocolate chips you can get at Costco for the semi sweet ones, and I buy my white chocolate chips at an American supply company.
Failing that, get some really good white chocolate, like Green & Blacks and chop it up.
You want the white chocolate to be somewhat creamy and not artificial . . . and you want the semi sweet chocolate chips to be really semi sweet, again not artificial tasting.
With the Kirkland chocolate chips, even an hour later, they still appear moist and fudgy in the bake, not hard. I like that.
I bake them in a 9 inch square baking tin. You could bake them in a smaller tin, but you would need to bake them for longer and, in all honesty, you won't end up with the right quality of dense fudginess.
I prefer to cook for a shorter time and go fudgier.
You don't want dry Blondies. Dry Blondies are no fun.
Fudgy is better. Way, way better.
And that's what you want. Dense and fudgy. Not raw.
I remember attending a cooking show down in London a number of years back and they had celebrity chef's on baking Brownies. I was NOT impressed.
Their idea of a good Brownie was a raw Brownie. Seriously. That's not a good brownie, that's a mess.
Like a good brownie, you should be able to pick up a good blondie in your hands to eat it, without it falling apart or oozing. If its oozing its raw.
It should hold together with a moist dense crumb. That is what makes a Blondie a "The Best" Blondie. End of.
*The Best Blondies*
Makes 9 large
1 large free range egg
140g plain flour (1 cup)
Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Butter a 9 inch square baking tin and line with baking paper, leaving an overhang for lifting out of the pan.
Whisk together the melted butter, sugar, vanilla and egg until well mixed together. Stir in the flour and salt. Mix to combine. Stir in both chocolates. Spread in the prepared baking tin.
Bake for 18 to 20 minutes until the top appears set, but they still a bit squidgy beneath. Allow to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before lifting out. For 9 servings, cut into 9 even squares. For 18, cut each square crosswise into a triangle. Store in an airtight container.
I prefer to serve these cut into triangles. They are very rich and very sweet. I think a triangle gives you just enough to enjoy. Bon Appetit!
This content (written and photography) is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at: mariealicejoan@aol.com
I bought some bananas earlier this week and they all turned as quick as a wink. They didn't last very long at all.
I know you can freeze bananas to use later in baking, but I used one today to bake my husband these delicious Chocolate Chip Banana Brownies!
He loves them . . . they are everything a good brownie should be . . . dense, fudgy, and moist. They are only lacking in one thing that regular brownies have and that is a chocolate batter.
Its not chocolate . . . it's banana fudge . . . stogged full of chocolate chips and topped with a brown sugar fudge frosting. Easy Peasy.
Bananas are really great for making cakes and bakes really moist and cutting back a bit on the fat that would normally be used.
They also had a touch of natural sweetness . . . although in all truth these have plenty of sweet going for them by the use of brown sugar, which is also a great moistener . . .
Both in the batter and then in that delicious fudge frosting. The first time I tasted this kind of frosting was when I was in high school.
My ex husband's mum used to bake these fabulous Caramel squares and they had a frosting just like this.
We always called them "Camel" squares because when my ex copied the recipe down for me, he wrote camel instead of caramel! (I was collecting recipes even then!)
These squared are baked in an 8 inch square pan, and cut into 16 servings. In all truth and all joking aside, one of these at a time with a nice hot cup of something to drink is plenty!
They are quite sweet. (Just like the Camel squares!)
They are studded with milk chocolate chips, but you could also use dark chocolate chips in their place. I like to stir them in with the flour and then sprinkle a few more on top prior to baking so that you have them evenly distributed throughout.
Also stirring them in with the flour prevents them from sinking to the bottom.
I blitz the banana in my mini food processor so that it is really smooth and you don't end up with lumps of bananas in the squares.
Sometimes lumps of banana are a good thing, but in a square fudgy brownie like this, you want them to have a smooth texture!!
*Chocolate Chip Banana Brownies*
Makes 16
180g milk chocolate chips, divided (1 cup)
Preheat the oven to 180*c/350*F/ gas mark 4. Line an 8
inch square baking tin with non stick baking paper and spray with
non-stick spray.
Beat together the melted butter and sugar to combine well. Beat in the egg, salt and vanilla. Beat in the banana. Sift the flour over top and sprinkle on 3/4 of the chocolate chips. Stir all well together and then spread into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the remaining chocolate chips on top.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until the centre is set. Transfer to a wire rack and cool in the pan. Frost when almost cold.
To make the frosting, melt the butter in the saucepan. Stir in the brown sugar and milk. Cook, stirring until it comes to the boil. Remove from the heat and cool for five minutes. Whisk in the icing sugar. Spread on top of the brownies. Let set until completely cold before cutting into squares.
Oh, I do hope you have some really ripe bananas around the house so that you can bake these lovely bars this weekend! If you wanted to you could leave the chocolate chips out entirely and replace them with toasted pecans or walnuts. Either way, you are going to fall in love! Bon Appetit!
This content (written and photography) is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at: mariealicejoan at aol dot com Thanks so much for visiting. Do come again!
My husband doesn't quite understand our North American obsession with meatloaf. Its not something he grew up with.
On the other hand for we North Americans, meatloaf is somewhat of an institution. It is what I would call comfort food at its best!
Its not something which really photographs well, but hey ho. Don't just this book by its cover because it is absolutely delicious!
Brown food never photographs well. I have always struggled with it. That doesn't mean it doesn't taste good. I've never met a brownie I didn't like, brown or not. And brownies are notoriously hard to photograph!
This version of meatloaf is a bit different than the usual meatloaf. For this recipe, you season your meat and pat it out to a rectangle.
You then cover it with a type of onion stuffing mix. This is made from simmering onions in beef stock, and mixing that with dried bread crumbs.
A layer of grated strong cheddar cheese gets sprinkled over that. I favour a nice strong cheddar for the best and most flavour.
You roll the whole thing up like a jelly roll. A big, fat, meaty jelly roll. Or Swiss roll if you would rather . . .
It gets baked in the oven until golden brown. I always like to glaze my mealoaves for an extra special touch.
This one is no different. I glazed it with a mix of tomato ketchup and maple syrup, for a bit of sticky yum yum.
More cheese is melted on top and then it gets served cut into slices with whatever your favourite sides are. You could serve gravy with it, but we like tomato ketchup!
Chill any leftovers and then serve the next day, thinly sliced and popped into sandwiches for a tasty lunch! Scrummo!
*Stuffed Meatloaf*
Serves 6
80ml beef stock (1/3 cup)
150g bread cubes (about 1/4 inch) toasted (2 1/2 cups)
1/2 tsp each onion, and garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp dried thyme, rubbed
Mix the meat together with the egg, onion and garlic powders, salt, pepper and thyme. Pat out into a 14 inch by 8 inch rectangle on a piece of cling film. Cover with the bread crumb mixture. Sprinkle evenly with 120g of the cheese (1 cup). Starting from a short end, roll up tightly. Place seamside down into an 8 1/2 by 4 1/2 by 2 1/2 inch loaf dish.
Bake uncovered, for 55 minutes. Whisk together the maple syrup and the ketchup. Brush over top, then sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Return to the oven and bake for a further 10 to 15 minutes, until glazed and the cheese has melted. Let stand for a few minutes before cutting into slices to serve.
I love comfort food meals like this. I served it with scalloped potatoes and mixed vegetables, but mash would go equally as well, or yes . . . mac and cheese. Bon Appetit!
This content (written and photography) is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at: mariealicejoan at aol dot com Thanks so much for visiting. Do come again!
Australia's bestselling cookbook author returns with a stunning new
book, Basics to Brilliance - and a TV series tie in. Australia's most
trusted and best-selling cookbook author, Donna Hay, wants to take you
from basics to brilliance.
Basics to Brilliance is divided up into three beautiful chapters: Savoury, Need to know, and Sweet. There is also an indepth Glossary and Index.
Most of the recipes are the basic version followed by variations and simple flavour change-ups so one recipe becomes many and your repertoire grows naturally. For example, buttermilk fried chicken also becomes crispy chicken burgers, southern-style crispy chicken salad with buttermilk dressing and buttermilk fried chicken and slaw slider. Prawn dumplings can also become ginger, chilli and prawn dumpling soup and crispy golden prawn dumplings, and perfectly cooked steaks with a few additions become grilled beef skewers, with a chimichurri sauce or Korean Steak Tacos with Kimchi.
Other standout recipes include sticky maple and bourbon pork ribs, salt
and pepper squid, wok-tossed chilli crab, spelt loaf, dark chocolate and
raspberry tart, vanilla snap biscuits and raspberry and cream layered
sponge cake ... with each recipe looking more amazing than the last.
Basics to Brilliance really is a recipe book for the keeping.
In terms of cooking and recipes it's a great book for those less confident in the kitchen, as well as those who already have some experience in that field and want to broaden their skills. The recipes are not complicated, instructions clear and easy to follow, the ingredients widely available despite the author living in Australia.
There are recipes for "basics" like roast chicken, meatballs, pork belly, beef and sweet things like sponge cake or brownies. Each "master recipe" explains how to make your dish foolproof and also how you can simply change it to create entirely new dish! For example, with a simple addition of different spices, a slightly different cooking method, or even simply using your leftovers to create a completely new dish.
This is a beautiful book. A real joy for the eye with high quality paper, great photography and a very pleasant layout. It's a book sure to inspire and one that would make a a perfect gift for someone who likes cooking/baking.
At the age of eight, Donna Hay skipped into a kitchen, picked up a mixing bowl and never looked back. She moved to the world of magazine test kitchens and publishing, where she established her trademark style of simple, smart and seasonal recipes all beautifully put together and photographed. It is food for every cook, every food lover, every day and every occasion. Her unique style turned her into an international food-publishing phenomenon as a bestselling author of 20 cookbooks, publisher of donna hay magazine, newspaper columnist, and creator of a homewares and food range. Donna is a working mum of two beautiful boys, Tom and Angus, and resides in Sydney, Australia.
BASICS TO BRILLIANCE
By Donna Hay
- Hardcover: 400 pages
- Publisher: HarperCollins (5 Oct. 2017)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1460751426
- ISBN-13: 978-1460751428
Note - I was sent a copy of this book by the publisher free of charge for the purpose of reviewing it. I was not required to write a positive review in exchange. Any and all opinions are my own.
Hard at work now putting the final touches onto the manuscript of my cookbook. I am getting really excited about its impending publish. It won't be long now.
It has taken a bit longer than originally thought. I don't think my Editor thought I could do or would do as much as I did so it's going to be quite a large book, but having seen the draft, I can tell you now it is also going to be a beautiful book and I am feeling really good about it!
These last few days have been taken up with fixing little bits here and there, going over the manuscript with a fine tooth comb.
With over 800 pages you can imagine the time involved in that. Its well worth it though because I really want it to be a book you will be happy to make a part of your valuable cookery book library!
I have also re-done some photographs of some of the recipes in the book and I thought I would give you a tiny sneak peak here today of what you have to look forward to.
Peppermint brownies. Just one of the several hundred recipes you are going to find in the book! Let me tell you now, the index alone is 8 pages, double columned. That's a LOT of deliciousness to look forward to!
And this recipe is just a sample of what is in there. They are dense and moist . . . and have a beautiful peppermint flavour.
Mint and chocolate go so well together! It is a flavour combination made in heaven.
You could almost cut these into tiny squares and serve them with coffee after a dinner party as an extra special treat! They are so good.
I think they are just about my favourite kind of brownie. They are also an excellent addition to a Holiday Baking Tray.
There is a double whammy of peppermint flavour in the batter. One form comes from peppermint tea that you blitz with the sugar.
The second peppermint blast comes from the use of peppermint extract. Soooo good!
They have a sweet and glistening chocolate ganache topping. This is decorated with a melted white chocolate drizzle that you run a toothpick through to give it an extra pretty finish.
These are some of my favourite brownies ever, which is saying a lot, and so very pretty!
*Peppermint Brownies*
Makes about 30, depending on how large you cut them
Delicious brownies that get even better tasting after a couple of days! Fantastic!
225g unsalted butter (1 cup)
225g of good quality unsweetened chocolate (8 ounces)
2 tsp peppermint tea leaves
383g caster sugar (2 cups)
4 large free range eggs
2 tsp peppermint essence
pinch fine seasalt
140g plain flour (1 cup)
For the chocolate glaze:
60g unsalted butter (1/4 cup)
60g good quality unsweetened chocolate (2 ounces)
60g semi sweet chocolate (2 ounces)
2 TBS golden syrup (can use corn syrup)
For the White chocolate trim:
60g white chocolate (2 ounces)
Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Butter a 9 by 13 inch baking tin and line with parchment paper, allowing it to overhang by at least 2 inches above the long sides so that you can lift them out easily once baked and cooled. Butter the parchment paper.
Heat 2 inch of water in a small pot to a gentle simmer. Place the chocolate (chopped) and butter (chopped) for the brownies into a heat proof bowl. Set over the simmering water without allowing the bottom of the bowl to touch the water. Cook and stir, until the butter and chocolate have melted and are uniform, some 6 to 7 minutes. Turn off the heat, but leave the bowl over the water.
Place the sugar and the peppermint tea in a food processor. Blitz until the tea is finely ground. Stir this mixture into the melted chocolate mixture. Beat in the eggs one at a time and then stir in the peppermint essence and salt. Sift the flour over top and then fold it in. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Bang lightly on the counter to settle and then bake in the heated oven for 35 to 40 minutes until well set and a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out almost clean. Allow to cool to room temperature in the pan, on top of a wire rack, before proceeding. Once cool, lift out by the paper handles and peel off the paper. Place onto a foil lined board, or tray.
To make the glaze bring the water in the pot back to a gentle simmer. Place both of the chocolates (chopped) along with the butter (chopped) into a bowl and set over the simmering water, again without allowing the bottom of the bowl to touch the water. Cook and stir until smooth and melted. Stir in the golden syrup. Spread the chocolate glaze over the brownies in an even layer using an offset spatula.
Place the whit chocolate in another bowl and set over the simmering water, stirring until completely melted. Drizzle the melted white chocolate over top of the chocolate glaze in lines. Run a toothpick the opposite way through the white chocolate lines to make a decorative pattern. Allow to set for several hours before cutting into squares to serve. Keep well covered and serve at room temperature.
These delicious brownies really make for a delicious change from the regular variety. Its nice to note as well that you can also cut the recipe in half, and bake them in an 8 inch square pan, which is just the right size for my small household. Bon appetit!
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