Browned Butter Brownies!

I've been experimenting with brownies for years--much like my quest to master the perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie--and I think I've found a winner.  Not grainy, not chalky, not dry, not wet.  A perfect combination of chewy and moist, rich and delicate, with a buttery warmth that makes these melt in your mouth!  I know you will find these Browned Butter Brownies a sheer delight too!

After mixing the batter, I sprinkled a few milk chocolate chips on top.

Look at the golden and crisp top layer with gooey melted chocolate chips!

The strawberries added a sweet tanginess to the buttery chocolate.

Quite by accident, I realized how perfectly a red zinfandel pairs with the brownies as a dessert wine!  (This is what comes of snitching brownies before dinner time!!!)

From one hearty appletite to another...happy baking!

Browned Butter Brownies
3/4 flour
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, melted and browned
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
1/2 nuts, optional
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips, optional

In a 4 quart saucepot, melt the butter and allow it to simmer until browned ~20 minutes.  Add the sugar and stir until it's dissolved.  This is what will make your brownies smooth and not grainy :)  Remove from heat and sprinkle in the chocolate chips.  Allow them to sit until melted, then stir to combine.  Add the eggs, vanilla, and optional nuts.  In a small bowl, combine the dry ingredients.  Add to the chocolate mixture.  Pour in a greased and floured 9x9" glass pan, sprinkle with milk chocolate chips, and bake at 350F for 30-35 minutes.

Photograph © Hearty Appletite

Ah, the Similarities!

Hearty Appletite's

Rachel Ray's

Funny thing--when I photographed the above picture with my Mesquite Smoked Beer Can Chicken Thighs , I didn't think it was the best picture in the world because it was served with peas and rice.  How boring, right?  But, I wanted to feature the chicken.  Last night, when I was thumbing through my Rachel Ray magazine, I found a near exact replica of the dish...boring peas, rice and all! =)  I'd like to believe that great minds think alike...

Groovy Garbanzo Burgers from Rachel Ray

Groovy Garbanzo Burgers

I am excited to get back to posting new recipes, after being sick for what seemed like FOREVER, so I'm back in the kitchen and stumbled on this totally scrumptious meatless burger from Rachel Ray.  Get ready...it's almost lunchtime!  Here we go!

In your food processor, blend together the garbanzo beans, parsley, breadcrumbs, cumin, salt, and egg.

Form the mixture into four patties.  In a skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat.  Cook the patties for three minutes on each side.

Top with tomato slices, spinach and mayo.  Whew...just in time for lunch =)

From one hearty appletite to another...happy cooking!

www.rachelray.com

Groovy Garbanzo Burgers from Rachel Ray
2 15-oz cans garbanzo beans, drained
1/2 cup parsley leaves
1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
2 tablespoon olive oil, for frying




Photograph © Hearty Appletite

Mascarpone Cheese Danish

When the two ingredients for this month's Improv Cooking Challenge at Frugal Antics of a Harried Housewife were revealed, I immediately dismissed participating.  I'm not a huge spud fan so potatoes and cheese didn't sing out my name.  Then, with no time to plan or bake, and only a couple hours remaining until the challenge, I was hit with inspiration!  I threw my potato bread in the bread machine, ran out the door to choir practice, and left instructions for my husband to punch down my dough at the designated times on my list.  Thanks, honey!

At the 11th hour (seriously, it's 11:12pm as I type), I present to you a Mascarpone Cheese Danish in a potato bread croissant wrap!  We instantly ate this one up as soon as I took its picture.  So delish!!!

A flakey, buttery shell, encasing a warm, delicate, sweet mascarpone filling.  Midnight snack, anyone?

From one hearty appletite to another...happy baking!

Potato Sweet Roll Dough
1 cup warm milk
2 1/4 teaspoons yeast (1package)
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter, melted
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup mashed potatoes
3 1/2 cups flour

Butter Layer

1 cup cold butter

Mascarpone Filling
8 ounces mascarpone cheese (cream cheese can be substituted)
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Mix together ingredients for the dough and knead for 10 minutes, until smooth and elastic.  Resist adding additional flour.  This will make your dough tough.  You want the dough to start off slightly sticky.  Allow to raise in a warm place for 1 1/2 hours.  Knead lightly.  Allow to rest another 1 1/2 hours.  For the remainder of directions on how to make a flaky, croissant style dough for this pastry, I'm going to refer you to this site: Classic Croissants at Fine Cooking.

Make your dough in 6x6" squares.  Spoon 3 tablespoons of filling down the center, from point to point, and wrap two of the sides together.

Bake at 400 F for 12-14 minutes, until light golden brown.  Brush with butter after you pull them from the oven.  Enjoy!

Photograph © Hearty Appletite

Samoas from Scratch!

I can never decide which Girl Scout cookie is my favorite: Thin Mints or Samoas.  Fortunately for me, I have recipes to satisfy either craving!  These taste exactly like the real deal--the only things missing are the preservatives ;)  They have a buttery shortbread cookie, smothered between layers of caramel, toasted coconut and creamy chocolate.  Seems like there could be a business in selling these... LOL! ;)

To make these a little simpler, I made them into bars, but you can make them into individual cookies as well.

Here they are, still warm from being frosted with gooey melted chocolate atop a chewy caramel and toasted coconut layer.  Mmm!

From one hearty appletite to another...happy baking!

Shortbread Cookie
1 cup butter (softened is ok but not melted.  I use cold butter.)
1/4 cup sugar
2 cups unsifted flour
1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine all the ingredients until crumbly and press into a 9x13" parchment lined baking pan.  Bake at 350 F for 16-18 minutes, or until light golden brown around the edges.

Caramel Coconut Layer
2 cups flaked coconut
12 ounces of chewy caramels
2 tablespoons milk

Toast the coconut on a cookie sheet at 300 F for 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, until golden brown.  In a double boiler, melt the caramels with the milk until smooth.  Stir in the coconut.

Press the caramel coconut mixture onto the shortbread base.  I waited until the shortbread was cooled, but I almost think it would have been better to do it while it was warm so that they mash together better.

When the layers are completely cool, cut into 1 1/2" squares.  Dip the bottoms into melted semi-sweet chocolate (2 cups of chocolate chips works nicely).  With the left over chocolate, put it in a plastic baggie, snip the corner, and drizzle over the tops.  Enjoy!

Photograph © Hearty Appletite

Toasted Sour Cream Pound Cake with Blackberries and Cream

I've always been tempted by recipes that have you toast pound cake, but I've never tried one.  I just wasn't sure that anything could top the moist, dense, texture of a perfect slice of pound cake.  But now, I stand corrected!  The dense, moist texture is still there, and is now sealed in by a delicately buttery crunch that allows the cream and berries to mix and mingle without compromising the integrity of the cake.

I toasted the cake on my grill, but you could use a toaster.  My only tip would be to make sure you toast it fast and hot, so that the inside doesn't dry out.

Tucked between the toasted layers is a dollop of cream sauce and sweetened blackberries.

Dust the top with cinnamon, and indulge!

From one hearty appletite to another...happy baking!

Sour Cream Pound Cake

1 cup butter

3 cups sugar

6 eggs

1 cup sour cream

3 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine sugar and butter until smooth.  Add sour cream, then eggs and extracts.  In a small bowl, mix together flour, soda, and salt.  Pour into the wet ingredients and beat 2 minutes at medium speed.  Grease and flour two loaf pans, or one tube-pan.  Bake at 325 F for 1 1/4 hours, or until toothpick comes out clean.

Sour Cream Filling

1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup honey

Mix thoroughly.

Berries
You can use whatever berries you like best and sweeten with sugar to your liking.  I use about 1/4 cup sugar per two cups of berries.

Homemade Basil Pesto

Aside from my love of baked goods, I really eat pretty clean.  I guess it's because of my love of baked goods that I make sure the rest of what I feed myself is full of vitamins, organically grown veggies, and grass-fed beef.  Anyway, to pack in a few more ways to eat leafy greens, I made basil pesto.  It's quick, easy, and a great way to dress up pasta!  Also, a fun way to eat "green" for St. Patrick's Day =)

In a food processor, combine the basil, pine nuts, and garlic, and pulse until chopped. 

Add olive oil and incorporate until smooth. Stir in grated cheese.  Toss over cooked pasta, or add as a spread to a meat and cheese sandwich.  Also works nicely with tomato and mozzarella slices!

From one hearty appletite to another...happy cooking!

Basil Pesto
2 cups packed fresh basil leaves
1 clove garlic
1/4 cup pine nuts
1/3 cup olive oil
1/2 cup grated pecorino romano cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Photograph © Hearty Appletite