Barefoot Bloggers: Outrageous Brownies

Ina, Ina, Ina--we've had such a good run so far. Until now. Call me crazy--but I just don't feel the brownie love that everyone else feels for this recipe. In fact, I found it to be kind of......meh. I know, I know, it's subversive to even THINK like that, much less put it in writing. Maybe it was the coffee, maybe I overbaked them--although they cooked for exactly 30 minutes, I don't know what the problem was, but all I know is I have two chocolate-loving boys at home--and a week after I made this "Barefoot Bloggers" recipe from Ina's Barefoot Contessa cookbook, I STILL had brownies left over. Yes, you heard that right. I rest my case. That NEVER happens with my old stand-by--my secret, never-fail, to-die-for brownie recipe. OK, OK, it's the Ghirardelli brownie mix (pack of five) that I buy at Costco. But if you tell anyone, I'll deny it. Get it??? Good. Glad we understand each other. This conversation NEVER happened.



OUTRAGEOUS BROWNIES
from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook

INGREDIENTS

1 pound unsalted butter
1 pound plus 12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate
6 extra-large eggs
3 T instant coffee powder
2 T real vanilla extract
2 1/4 C sugar
1 1/4 C all-purpose flour, divided (1 C for batter and 1/4 C in the chips and nuts)
1 T baking powder
1 t kosher salt
3 C diced walnut pieces (I omitted)

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease and flour a 13 by 18 by 1 1/2-inch sheet pan.

Melt together the butter, 1 pound chocolate chips, and unsweetened chocolate on top of a double boiler. Cool slightly. Stir together the eggs, instant coffee, vanilla and sugar. Stir in the warm chocolate mixture and cool to room temperature.

Stir together 1 C of the flour, baking powder and salt. Add to cooled chocolate mixture. Toss the walnuts and 12 ounces of chocolate chips with 1/4 C flour to coat. Then add to the chocolate batter. Pour into prepared pan.

Bake for about 30 minutes, or until tester just comes out clean. Halfway through the baking, rap the pan against the oven shelf to allow air to escape from between the pan and the brownie dough. Do not over-bake!! Cool thoroughly, refrigerate well and cut into squares.

Dark-Haired Julie's Mother's Cookies or Ro's Cherry Drop Cookies

There were a lot of girls named Julie in my school when I was a kid. Julie, Laura, Jill, Lisa, Debbie, Amy, Susan, Beth.....the list goes on and on. For every Julie, Beth, and Laura then---there's an Olivia, Emma, and Hannah now. I have two friends named Julie and for some reason my aunt can never remember which one is which. Apparently last names are too much for her. So she calls them blonde Julie and dark-haired Julie, as in, "I ran into blonde Julie at the grocery store today and we talked for 15 minutes about our snow plow service problems." Or, "I saw dark-haired Julie at the mall today. We were both buying underwear for our husbands." All stuff I need to know. Anyway, dark-haired Julie's mom Ro makes these fabulous Cherry Drop Cookies which have the most scrumptious chocolate frosting. I used to make the cookies without the frosting because I don't like chocolate and fruit together, but yesterday I baked some cookies for a teachers' lunch at school and frosted them. And tasted them. Just one or two broken ones. And....I'm a convert. These cookies MUST always be made WITH the frosting! They are easy and delicious. If you take the butter out the night before it will take you about five minutes to mix up the dough. Make sure to make the frosting AFTER the cookies cool--if you make it too soon it may be difficult to dip the cookies into the frosting. Thanks, dark-haired Julie. Thanks, Ro!

DARK-HAIRED JULIE'S MOTHER'S COOKIES OR RO'S CHERRY DROP COOKIES

1 C butter, softened
3/4 C powdered sugar
1 t vanilla
1 t almond extract
1/2 t salt (I use kosher salt)
2 1/4 C flour, sifted (I must confess that I don't!)
1/2 C chopped maraschino cherries, drained well
1/4 C walnuts, finely chopped, optional (I omit)

Preheat oven to 350º. Gradually add the powdered sugar to the butter and cream. Add vanilla, almond extract, and salt.
Blend in flour. When flour is incorporated completely, add cherries and nuts (if using).

Roll dough into small balls (I use a very small scooper to scoop and then roll by hand) and place on parchment paper or Silpat on a baking sheet. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes. When done, bottom will be golden but cookie top will still be light. Let cool on baking sheet and then move to cooling rack. Cool completely before dipping top of cookie into chocolate frosting.

CHOCOLATE FROSTING

1/4 C butter (1/2 stick)
3 T unsweetened cocoa powder
3-4 T buttermilk
2 1/4 C powdered sugar
1/2 t vanilla

In microwave-safe bowl, combine butter, cocoa powder and 3 T buttermilk. Bring to boil in microwave. (I am very impatient and usually just microwave til the butter is melted--and it turns out just fine) Add powdered sugar and vanilla and beat with electric mixer until smooth. Frosting should be thick but not too thick--you may have to add a little extra buttermilk while you are using the mixer--I usually do. You want to be able to dip the cookies into the frosting and not have the frosting run off the cookie.

Passover: Fantastically Fabulous Matzoh Toffee

You don't have to be Jewish to love this delicious Passover confection! Simple to make and addicting to eat, it is sure to be a treat that you will make year after year. I make some with nuts and some without to make everyone happy!

MATZOH TOFFEE

4-6 unsalted matzohs
1 C (2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 C firmly packed brown sugar
3/4 C coarsely chopped chocolate chips (I use semi-sweet and I don't chop them)
chopped nuts, optional

Preheat the oven to 350º. Line one or two baking sheets completely with foil and then with parchment paper. Place the matzohs on the baking sheet, covering completely. You may have to break some of the matzohs into pieces to fit onto the sheet.

In a saucepan, combine the butter and brown sugar and stir constantly over medium heat until the mixture comes to a boil--about 2-3 minutes. Boil for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and pour over the matzoh, covering completely. Spread to cover if needed.

Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes, checking every couple of minutes to make sure nothing is burning. If mixture or matzoh seem to be burning or browning too fast, remove the pan and lower heat to 325º before replacing pan.

Remove from oven and sprinkle immediately with the (chopped) chocolate chips. Let stand for several minutes, then spread the soft chocolate over the matzoh. If chocolate is not spreadable at this point, turn off the oven and place pan back in oven for a minute or so until chocolate is spreadable. After spreading chocolate, sprinkle on nuts if you are using them. Break into pieces while still warm. Chill in pan or on plate, in freezer until set.

Grandma's Toffee Bars

Every time I used to go to my grandma's house there was something yummy there. Both my grandmothers were great cooks AND bakers and one of my mom's mom's specialties was Toffee Bars. There were usually some in the freezer and, while I preferred to wait til mine thawed, my brothers liked to eat them straight from the freezer. My grandfather always claimed ownership of the little bits that crumbled off during cutting!

GRANDMA'S TOFFEE BARS

1/2 lb (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 C light brown sugar
1 t vanilla
1 egg yolk
2 C flour
1 small bag semisweet chocolate chips
chopped nuts (Grandma always used walnuts)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Cream the softened butter and sugar together. Add the vanilla and the egg yolk. Then mix in the flour til completely blended. Spread on bottom of square baking pan and bake at 350°F for 20-25 minutes--check after 20 minutes--cookie bottom should be set but pale. Then turn oven off and sprinkle chocolate chips over the top and return pan to oven for 3-4 minutes or til chocolate is melted and spreadable. Spread over top to cover and sprinkle with the chopped nuts. Wait til cooled slightly before cutting into squares.