Recipe: Worlds Prettiest Brownies

From: Meredith Ford Goldman of Atlanta, Georgia, published in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Food writer and dining critic Meridith Ford Goldman has perfected a brownie recipe that lives up to all the above adjectives. The dense, fudgy brownie base comes from Marion Cunningham's "The Fannie Farmer Baking Book" (Gramercy, $12.99) -- and the dense, moist squares are made all the more sinful with a topping of silky ganache. The brownies can be made in one bowl or a saucepan, depending on whether the chocolate is melted in the microwave or on the stove.

Hands on time: 20 minutes
Total time: 12 hours
Serves: 16


Ingredients:

4 ounces (4 squares) unsweetened baking chocolate, chopped fine

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small squares

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup walnuts or pecans, chopped

1 cup Dark Chocolate Ganache (recipe follows)

Gold-colored dragees for garnish, optional (available at cake baking supply stores)

For Dark Chocolate Ganache:

8 ounces (1 cup) heavy cream

18 ounces (one 12-ounce bag and one 6-ounce bag) dark (semisweet)
chocolate chips

2 tablespoons butter

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour, or spray with cooking spray, an 8-inch square baking pan. Place the chocolate and butter in a saucepan and melt over low heat, stirring frequently, until smooth. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. (If using a microwave, melt the chocolate for 20-second intervals, stirring between each, until lumpy. Add the butter and continue intervals until the mixture is smooth.)

When cool, add the eggs, vanilla, sugar and salt and whisk until combined. Add the flour and mix well, then the nuts, if desired.
Spread the batter evenly in the pan. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out barely clean. Do not overbake.

Remove from oven and cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then turn the brownies out onto a cooling rack covered with a paper towel or parchment paper. Let brownies cool completely, about 2 hours.

Ice the brownies with Dark Chocolate Ganache, using a cake spatula, and place them in the refrigerator to set for about 10 to 15 minutes. Using a straight-edged knife that is at least the length of the brownie square, cut the brownies into 16 even squares, cleaning the knife after each cut to make even, clean edges.
Place the finished brownies in cupcake papers. Decorate each square with a gold or colored dragee, if desired.

For Dark Chocolate Ganache:

In a heavy saucepan, place the cream on high heat to boil. When it begins to boil, remove from the heat immediately and whisk in the chocolate chips, a little at a time, until completely melted and smooth (do not vigorously whisk or the ganache will get air bubbles). Add the butter and mix until smooth. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly over the surface of the ganache so a skin doesn't form. Let the ganache rest overnight, unrefrigerated.

Notes:

This recipe calls for 2 hours of cooling time for brownies plus overnight resting time for the ganache.

Nutrition:

Per brownie: 338 calories (percent of calories from fat, 56), 5 grams protein, 35 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams fiber, 23 grams fat (11 grams saturated), 51 milligrams cholesterol, 54 milligrams sodium.


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Recipe: Super Easy Key Lime Cake Goes Well With Seafood

Image via Wikipedia

From Denny: Since we love seafood so much in the South, well, you need something citrusy to chase the garlic taste. Another food popular in Louisiana is cream cheese icing and this cake has a cream-cheese key lime icing. Key limes from Florida are awesome! This simple recipe is just the ticket, enjoy!

From: Mae Hogg

Ingredients:

1 (18.25 ounce) package lemon cake mix

1 1/3 cups vegetable oil (I like canola as it is a neutral oil that doesn't influence other flavors)

4 eggs

3/4 cup orange juice

1 (3 ounce) package lime Jell-O

1 (1 pound) package plus 1 cup powdered sugar

1/2 cup butter or margarine

8 ounces cream cheese

3 Tablespoons lime juice


Directions:

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine cake mix, vegetable oil, eggs, orange juice and lime Jell-O. Pour into 3 greased and floured (8-inch) cake pans.

2. Bake in preheated 350 degrees F. oven for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

3. Let cool 10 minutes, then remove from pans. Let cool completely.

4. To make icing, combine powderedsugar, butter, cream cheese and key lime juice.

5. Ice between layers and on top and sides of cake. Enjoy!

Recipe: Chocolate Black Raspberry Brownies

Photo of 500 pounds of chocolate in a bakery! (since these brownies did not come with a photo this was the next best thing to salivate over in the way of chocolate)

From Denny: It's never too early to start thinking about what you will be cooking for the holidays. Now is a great time to test drive a few dessert recipes that are easy to make and easy to transport if you are asked to bring a sweet to the gathering! Brownies are a crowd pleaser and easy on the home cook who is pressed for time. In the ongoing series on brownies here's the latest yummy and elegant version of our beloved chocolate! :)

From: Diane H. Floyd of Atlanta, Georgia

Hands on time: 30 minutes
Total time: 1 hour and 55 minutes
Serves: 20

Ingredients:

4 squares unsweetened chocolate

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter

2 cups granulated sugar

3 eggs, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips, divided

10 ounces black raspberry jam, preferably seedless (do not substitute red raspberry or blackberry), at room temperature

2 teaspoons vegetable oil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 13-by-9-inch pan. In the microwave or a double boiler set over simmering water, melt chocolate and butter together and stir until the mixture is smooth. By hand, stir in sugar, eggs, vanilla and flour until well-combined. Spread in pan. Sprinkle evenly with 1/3 cup of the chocolate chips.

Bake for 25 minutes, or until slightly firm when touched lightly. Do not overbake. Let cool at least 15 minutes.

Spread the jam evenly over the brownies. Melt the remaining 2/3 cup chocolate chips with the 2 teaspoons vegetable oil. Stir until smooth. Pour melted chocolate over the jam. Using a knife, spread the melted chocolate over the jam in as even a layer as possible. Chill thoroughly and cut into small squares. Serve chilled.

Notes:

Total time for this recipe includes 1 hour of chilling time.

These rich brownies, which are topped with a layer of jam and a thin coating of chocolate, freeze extremely well and can be refrozen.

"You can make them in the mini foil baking cups, resulting in very pretty individual bonbons for parties, " she says. "Just use a scant tablespoon of brownie batter in each cup and sprinkle with a few chocolate chips. A finger is the ideal method of spreading both the jam and chocolate over the little cups of brownie. Just remember not to lick it until you are finished."

She recommends using the microwave when melting the chocolate.

Nutrition:

Per serving: 278 calories (percent of calories from fat, 41), 3 grams protein, 41 grams carbohydrates, no fiber, 14 grams fat, 46 milligrams cholesterol, 85 milligrams sodium.


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Recipe: Easy Oven Barbecued Baby Back Ribs

Image by maggiephotos via Flickr

From Denny: Who doesn't want easy? Who doesn't like ribs? This recipe was put out by a local charity in their cookbook and published in our local newspaper back in 2006. It's still an easy recipe! :) This is one of those recipes you could marinate and cook the first three hours on Sunday afternoon while you snooze for your nap and bake the last half hour on Monday when you get home from work. Or better yet, marinate on Saturday, cook extra on Sunday, warm it up in the oven on Monday and an extra day of the work week. Yeah, now we're talking!

Oven Barbecued Ribs

From: "The View From Our Kitchen" by the Baton Rouge Eye Bank Auxiliary

Serves: 6 to 8

Ingredients:

3 or 4 spans of baby back ribs

Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce

Kitchen Bouquet

Meat tenderizer, unseasoned

garlic powder (not garlic salt)

Tony Chachere's Original (Cajun) Seasoning

black pepper

Sauce:

1 stick butter or margarine, melted

1/2 onion, chopped

2 ribs celery, chopped

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 (36 ounce) bottle ketchup

1 Tablespoon Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce

1 Tablespoon minced garlic

5 dashes Tabasco sauce


Directions:

1. Using a brush, coat the meaty sides of the ribs with Worcestershire and Kitchen Bouquet. After coating, liberally sprinkle with meat tenderizer, garlic powder, Tony's Seasoning and black pepper.

2. Cover tightly and store in refrigerator until ready to cook. This can be done a day or two in advance of cooking.

3. To make sauce, saute onion and celery in melted butter until soft. Add brown sugar and stir until blended. Add ketchup, Lea & Perrins, garlic and Tabasco and stir well.

4. Cook on medium heat until bubbly, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to low, cover pot and cook for 2 hours stirring frequently. Sauce will thicken and turn darker. It may be stored in airtight container in refrigerator for a couple of weeks.

5. When ready to cook, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Using a pan/pans with a rack, cook marinated ribs, covered for 2 hours. After 2 hours, remove from oven, drain juice and remove rack/racks.

6. Liberally brush on barbecue sauce, cover and lower heat to 300 degrees F. Cook for 1 more hour. Turn oven off, uncover ribs and allow to sit in the warm oven for 30 minutes before serving. Serve with warm barbecue sauce to spoon over the ribs if desired.



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Recipe: Oreo Brownies

From Denny: Nicknamed chocolate butter bombs by those who love them, try this brownie for your next special occasion!

Make and take: Brownies must be kept chilled. For added lasting power at room temperature, cut into squares and freeze before transporting them.

Hands on time: 20 minutes
Total time: 1 hour
Serves: 96

Ingredients:

FOR THE OREO LAYER:

1 (18-ounce) package Oreo cookies

1/2 cup pecans

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted

For the chocolate layer:

6 ounces bittersweet chocolate

3/4 cup heavy cream

1 1/2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar

5 tablespoons Kahlua

FOR THE WHITE CHOCOLATE LAYER:

6 ounces white chocolate

6 tablespoons heavy cream

1 1/2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar

For the chocolate ganache:

6 ounces bittersweet chocolate

3/4 cup heavy cream

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter

Directions:

To prepare the Oreo layer: Crush Oreos and pecans in blender until smooth. Add melted butter. Press into bottom of a 12-by-8-inch pan. Freeze while you prepare the next layer.

To prepare the chocolate layer: In a double boiler (or in the microwave, in 30-second intervals), melt chocolate with cream, sugar and Kahlua. Stir well. Spread the mixture on the Oreo layer and freeze for 15 minutes.

To prepare the chocolate ganache: In double boiler, melt chocolate in cream and butter. Spread over the white chocolate layer and freeze for 15 minutes or chill in refrigerator until set.

Cut into 1-inch squares. Store in the refrigerator until serving time, or freeze before transporting so the squares are slightly thawed but still cold at serving time.

Notes:

Serve tiny squares of these super-rich treats on a plate with fresh strawberries.

Nutrition:

Per serving: 107 calories (percent of calories from fat, 73), 1 gram protein, 7 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber, 9 grams fat (5 grams saturated), 15 milligrams cholesterol, 39 milligrams sodium.


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