Brownies

I have been told by many people that Gail's Brownies are the best and that there is no need to be messing around. I came across this recipe in Martha Stewart Living this month and figured I give it a try.

Double Chocolate Brownies

12 Tbs butter

9 oz dark chocolate

2 1/4 cup sugar

5 eggs

3/8 cup cocoa powder

2/3 tsp salt

3/4 plus 3 TBS flour

Preheat oven to 350. Line a 9x13 baking pan with parchment, allowing it to cover the sides as well. Melt the chocolate and butter in double boiler.

Add the sugar and stir to combine.

Mix in the eggs, one at a time.

Add the cocoa and salt.

Add the flour.

Pour into the pan and bake about 30 minutes.

Let cool in pan slightly, then lift out using the parchment. Remove the parchment and let cool completely before cutting.

Frozen Hot Chocolate

As mentioned in the past, we are big fans of hot chocolate. But now that it is summer and a bit hot for hot hot chocolate, I start to make frozen hot chocolate.

It is a great treat, that really isn't that bad in the scheme of things, but definitely suppresses the chocolate urge.

Frozen Hot Chocolate
3 oz chocolates, chopped
2 teaspoons cocao
2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 cups milk
3 cups ice

Melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler.

Once melted stir until smooth, add the cocoa and sugar and continue mixing over heat until combined.

Remove from heat and add 1/2 cup of milk.


Let this cool completely before continuing. (If you are wanting this right away, place the mixture in a bowl set over a ice bath.)

Pour chocolate mixture over 3 cups ice and add the remaining cup of milk.


Blend until smooth.

Molten Chocolate Cake

This is one of my step-father-in-laws favorite recipes, we can usually count on having it every time we get together. Considering its apparent sophistication it is quite an easy recipe. You are basically under cooking a mini chocolate cake. I have seen, and made, recipes that call for a chocolate or ganache filling, that help with the molteness, but I've found this recipe works great with out much preparation. I use the Jean-Georges Vongerichten recipe from this site.


Molten Chocolate Cake
1 stick butter
4 oz bittersweet or dark chocolate
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp flour


Pre heat oven to 450 deg. Butter and flour four 4 oz. ramekins.

Melt the chocolate and butter in a double boiler.


In a separate bowl, mix the eggs, yolks and sugar until combined and slightly pale.


Slowly pour in the chocolate mixture and stir to combine.


Add the flour and stir to combine.


Divide the batter between the ramekins.


Cook for about 8 - 10 minutes, turning once, until the cake is cooked around the edges but still soft in the middle. Remove from the oven and let cool for about a minute. Run a knife around the edge to loosen.


Then flip over onto a plate. Top with powdered sugar.


Enjoy!

Zucchini and Chocolate

Yeah it sounds weird, but Clotilde has made a career out of it.

I have a couple of zucchinis and neither of us really like cooked zucchini, so what better way to eat them than with chocolate.

I basically followed this recipe.

It follows the same basic structure of most cakes, and that is what I will hope to focus on. Cakes are surprisingly easy to make from scratch. There is really no reason to buy the boxed stuff. The ingredients are things that should be in any kitchen (in this case the only non-staple is the zucchini.) In general, cakes are butter, flour, sugar and eggs, maybe with some chocolate or vanilla.


Start by measuring and sifting the dry ingredients together. This will usually be flour with some leavening and salt.
Though the sifting is likely unnecessary, it helps to mix up the dry ingredients so there aren't clumps of baking powder.

In a mixer, cream butter.

Then add sugar, and cream until smooth.



Then add the eggs, one at a time and then vanilla.

Then add part of the dry ingredients. Then the zucchini then the rest of the flour. This order is (dry, wet, dry) helps to prevent over mixing. Make sure to stop once the dough comes together, but no more.

To shred the zucchini, I used a food processor. Why grate your knuckles?


This cake calls to be baked in a spring form. In general, buttering the pan will help it release. Also lining the bottom with parchment helps. As the oven is pre-heating put a pat of butter in the pan, and place in over for a couple minutes until it is soft. Then using a pastry brush, spread it around the bottom and sides, line with parchment, then brush again with the buttered brush.




Top with powdered sugar...
And yes, no one can taste the zucchini.

Recipe of the Day: Hot Chocolate

This is an easy hot chocolate recipe that surely satisfies the urge without going overboard.

1 Tbs cocoa
2 Tbs sugar
1 cup milk

Mix the cocoa, sugar and about 1 Tbs water in a medium stock pot.



Heat until the mixture starts to bubble.
Add the milk and heat until just boiling.


This is a really flexible recipe. Here are a bunch of options to enhance it:

Add an ounce or two of dark chocolate
Add vanilla
Add cinnamon
Add chili powder
Add fresh whipped cream