Brownies

If you're looking for something chocolatey (but not a candy bar) and cake-like (but not cake), brownies fit the bill nicely. Here are six yummy brownie recipes to get you through the day (and make good gift-giving, too), including Salted Caramel Brownies and Supernatural Brownies. Enjoy!

VEGAN PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE BROWNIES

This is from Alissa Saenz at Connoisseurus Veg, and starts off, “Fudgy chocolate chip-studded vegan brownies are topped with a layer of luscious cashew cheesecake to make this decadent and totally vegan fall dessert.”

Servings: 16; Calories 254 kcal; Author Alissa Saenz

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

For the Brownie Layer

1/2 cup coconut oil, melted

1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 cup organic granulated sugar

1 cup all-purpose flour

2/3 cup cocoa powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips

For the Pumpkin Cheesecake Layer

1 cup raw cashews, soaked in water 4-8 hours and drained

1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree

1/3 cup maple syrup

1/4 cup coconut oil, melted

2 tablespoons cornstarch

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 1/2 teaspoons powdered ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350° and lightly oil a 9 x 9 inch baking pan.

To make the brownie layer, stir the coconut oil, pumpkin puree, vanilla and sugar together in a large mixing bowl. Add the flour, cocoa powder, cinnamon and salt. Stir just until fully blended. Fold in the chocolate chips.

Spread the mixture into the bottom of the prepared baking pan and bake just until set in the center, 18-20 minutes.

While the brownie layer bakes, place all ingredients for the cheesecake layer except for the chocolate chips into the bowl of a food processor fitted with an S-blade. Blend until smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Remove the blade or transfer the mixture to a bowl and stir in the chocolate chips.

When the brownie layer is set, remove the pan from the oven and spread the cheesecake mixture over top. Return the pan to the oven and bake until the cheesecake layer is set, 22-24 minutes.

Remove the pan from the oven and allow it to cool completely. Cut into 16 squares and serve.

SUPERFAST FUDGE BROWNIES



This recipe comes from The Working Stiff Cookbook, by Bob Sloan and illustrated by Michael Klein. I absolutely love this cookbook. Even vegetarians can find plenty to love in it. The great thing about this recipe is that it really doesn't take much longer than a boxed mix, and is so much better!

The recipe starts with, "The perfect comfort food to go with your burgers. (Burger Bliss was on the preceding page.) Brownies always lift the spirits. Especially these brownies. They're fast, easy, and foolproof." I agree!



8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter (or margarine), cut into 4 pieces

1/2 cup Dutch-process unsweetened cocoa powder

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 extra-large eggs

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Butter an 8-by-8-inch baking pan.

In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the butter with the cocoa powder, stirring continuously until the butter is just melted. Use a rubber spatula to transfer the butter mixture to a large mixing bowl and let it cool for 2 minutes. Add the sugar and vanilla and stir with a wooden spoon until combined. Add the eggs one at a time, stirring until each is well combined. Add the flour and stir just until combined. Do not overmix.

Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and bake on the center rack of the oven for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with tiny crumbs on it. Serve warm or at room temperature.

SALTED CARAMEL BROWNIES

This comes from Julia Moskin in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Julia wrote, “The salted caramel brownie is an ingenious combination of blond, bittersweet caramel and dark, bittersweet chocolate. Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito of New York's Baked bakeries are not the first to note the affinity of caramel and chocolate, but by emphasizing the bitter, sweet and salty notes in both, they’ve made that rare thing — a perfectly balanced bite. The bittersweetness of the caramel can be easily adjusted by cooking it less (for a milder, Kraft-like taste) or more (edgier, stronger).” Yield: About 2 dozen brownies; Time: 1 1/4 hours.

To view this online, go to http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1018161-salted-caramel-brownies.

Ingredients

For the Caramel:

1 cup granulated sugar

2 tablespoons light corn syrup

1/2 cup heavy cream

3/4 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

1/4 cup sour cream

For the Brownies:

2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes, more for greasing pan

1 1/4 cups/150 grams all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

11 ounces dark chocolate (60 to 72 percent cacao), coarsely chopped

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

5 eggs, at room temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Coarse sugar (such as raw or turbinado) and flaky salt, for sprinkling

Preparation

Make the caramel: In a medium saucepan, combine sugar and corn syrup with 1/4 cup water. Bring to a boil and cook over high heat, stirring gently, until an instant-read thermometer reads 350 degrees or until the mixture is dark amber in color, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from heat, slowly pour in heavy cream and salt (it will foam up) and whisk. Whisk in sour cream (it may look lumpy at first) and set aside to cool. Taste and add salt if needed to give the caramel a good balance of salty and sweet.

Make the brownies: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Use butter (or baking spray) to lightly grease a 9-x-13-inch baking pan. Line the bottom with a sheet of parchment paper, and butter or spray the parchment.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt and cocoa powder.

Melt chocolate and butter together, either in the top of a double boiler set over simmering water, or in a microwave at low heat, working in 30-second bursts. Stir until chocolate and butter are melted and combined. Whisk in sugars. Set aside to cool to room temperature.

Using a sturdy whisk, add eggs one by one, whisking just until combined. Stir in vanilla.

Gently pour chocolate mixture over flour mixture. Using a spatula, fold together just until few streaks of flour are visible; do not overmix.

Pour batter into the pan and let settle. Drizzle caramel sauce over batter until batter is almost covered. (You may not use all the caramel.) On the surface, use the tip of a butter knife or icing spatula to swirl the batter and caramel together. Don’t worry if it looks messy.

Bake 30 to 40 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time. At the 30-minute mark, shake the pan gently to test for doneness. When done, the brownies will be barely set in the center and puffed, but not dry, around the edges. Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle with coarse sugar and salt.

Let cool to room temperature before cutting. After cutting, if desired, drizzle any remaining caramel over the top. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

SUPERNATURAL BROWNIES

This also comes from Julia Moskin in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Julia wrote, “This recipe is an accidental creation by Nick Malgieri, who (in a rare human moment for a pastry chef) once forgot to double the flour when baking his own fudge brownie recipe. He also adds a measure of brown sugar to the basic formula. The experts are divided as to whether the brown sugar actually contributes flavor or simply makes the brownie moister (molasses, which makes brown sugar brown, is powerfully hydrophilic). It’s my belief that the slightly bitter taste of molasses acts as an invisible enhancer to the chocolate. The result is as complex and sophisticated as any terrine or truffle I have ever produced.”

Yield: 15 large or 24 small brownies; Time: About 1 hour

This was featured in “Simple Pleasure, American Style”, and can be viewed online here.

Ingredients

2 sticks (16 tablespoons) butter, more for pan and parchment paper

8 ounces bittersweet chocolate

1 cup dark brown sugar, such as muscovado

1 cup granulated sugar

4 eggs

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup flour

1/2 cup chopped walnuts or 3/4 cup whole walnuts, optional

Preparation

Butter a 13-by-9-inch baking pan and line with buttered parchment paper. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In top of a double boiler set over barely simmering water, or on low power in a microwave, melt butter, chocolate and sugars together. Cool slightly. In a large bowl or mixer, whisk eggs. Whisk in salt and vanilla.

Whisk in chocolate mixture. Fold in flour just until combined. If using chopped walnuts, stir them in. Pour batter into prepared pan. If using whole walnuts, arrange on top of batter. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until shiny and beginning to crack on top. Cool in pan on rack.

Tip

For best flavor, bake 1 day before serving, let cool and store, tightly wrapped.

MARBLED PUMPKIN BROWNIES

I'm really not sure where I found the first two recipes. The brownie recipe makes 10 servings.

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 cup brown sugar, packed

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup canned pumpkin

1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans

1/4 cup cream cheese, softened

2 tablespoons sugar

1 egg yolk

2 teaspoons whipping cream

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

vanilla ice cream, optional

caramel sauce, warmed, optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour 8-inch square glass baking dish.

Beat butter in large bowl until fluffy. Gradually add brown sugar and beat until well blended, about 2 minutes. Add 1 egg and 1 teaspoon vanilla and beat to blend. Add flour, baking powder, spices and salt and beat until well mixed.

Beat in pumpkin. Stir in nuts. Spread batter in prepared pan (batter will be thick).

Mix cream cheese, 2 tablespoons sugar, egg yolk, whipping cream and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla in bowl to blend. Drop cream cheese mixture by heaping tablespoons on top of the pumpkin batter.

Using small knife, gently swirl cream cheese mixture into batter, creating marbled pattern. Bake about 35 minutes or until tester inserted into center comes out clean and top is firm.

Cool. Cover with foil and let stand at room temperature. Reheat covered in 350 degree oven for 15 minutes before serving. Cut warm brownies into squares and serve topped with a scoop of ice cream, drizzled with caramel sauce if desired.

PUMPKIN PATCH BROWNIES

This is from Lauren Miyashiro on Delish. The recipe begins, “The sweetest pumpkin patch you ever did see.”

Total Time: 1 hour; Prep Time: 20 minutes; Level: Easy; Serves: 8 - 10.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 box brownie mix, plus required ingredients

1 c. white chocolate chips

1 tbsp. vegetable oil

green food coloring

1 can chocolate frosting

1 c. crushed oreos

Pumpkin candies

Directions

Preheat oven to 350° and line a 9-x-13” pan with parchment paper then grease with cooking spray. Prepare brownie batter according to package instructions. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake until a toothpick has moist crumbs, 28 to 30 minutes. Let cool completely.

In a small bowl, combine white chocolate chips, vegetable oil and green food coloring. Microwave in 30-second intervals until melted. Stir until smooth then transfer to a small ziplock bag and cut the tip of one corner to pipe.

Spread chocolate frosting over the brownies, then sprinkle with crushed Oreos. Using the green chocolate, pipe vines over the surface of the brownies, then scatter pumpkin candies on top of the brownies.

Slice into squares and serve.