Brownies!

One of my family's favorite desserts is a panful of brownies. What's not to love? They're chocolatey, kind-of cake-like without the mess (and need for a plate) of cake (and without having to frost it, unless, of course, you want to).

That said, here are six yummy brownie recipes to try out, including Grasshopper Brownies and Marbled Peanut Butter Brownies. Enjoy!

FLOURLESS BLACK BEAN BROWNIES

This recipe comes from Kaleigh McMordie, MCN, RDN, LD, who, besides running her own site (Lively Table), writes on VeryWellFit.

For this recipe, Kaleigh wrote, “If you have a sweet tooth, you may be used to eating dessert most days. Sometimes fruit or a fruit salad will do for a light dessert. Other days, you just need a brownie.

“Baked goods like brownies are often high in sodium, even though they don’t taste salty. Between leaveners like baking soda and baking powder, salted butter, and added salt, brownies and other baked goods can be sneaky sources of sodium! If you bake your own brownies at home, you can control the amount of sodium-containing ingredients for a better alternative.

“The secret to these flourless brownies is a can of low sodium black beans.Before you write them off, give them a try! Blending up black beans in a high-powered blender or food processor makes them nice and smooth, and when baked into brownies, gives them a nice chewy texture without any flour. They also add in extra fiber, iron, and folate.”

Total Time: 35 minutes; Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 25 minutes; Servings: 16 (2-inch square each).

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 (15 ounce) can low sodium black beans, drained and rinsed

2 large eggs

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon instant coffee granules

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 cup chopped dark chocolate, melted and slightly cooled

1/2 cup dark chocolate chips or chunks

Preparation

Heat oven to 350F. Line an 8x8" baking dish with parchment or spray with oil.

Blend all ingredients except for unmelted chocolate in a high powered blender until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes.

Stir in chocolate and pour into prepared pan. Bake 20 to 25 minutes.

Ingredient Variations and Substitutions

Use all chocolate chips if you don’t have a dark chocolate bar.

Cocoa powder, melted dark chocolate, and chocolate chips gives these brownies lots of rich chocolate flavor with a little boost from coffee granules.

If you don’t have the coffee granules don’t worry—you can leave them out and you’ll still have delicious chocolatey brownies!

Cooking and Serving Tips

Avoid over-cooking—the designated time should be just about enough, but you can check before removing from the oven. Brownies shouldn't be overly dry.

Store leftovers in the refrigerator and heat for 20 to 30 seconds in the microwave before serving.

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.

CHOCOLATE-HONEY BROWNIE BARS

This is from Kraft Recipes, and begins, “These brownies not only have honey in the batter, but are also drizzled with a luscious chocolate-honey topping for an extra-special touch.”

Prep Time: 15 minutes; Total Time: 40 minutes; Servings: 24 servings

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

3/4 cup butter

2 pkg. (4 oz. each) BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate, divided

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp. honey, divided

2 eggs

1 cup flour

Directions

Heat oven to 350°F.

Line 13x9-inch pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides; spray with cooking spray. Microwave butter and 6 oz. chocolate in large microwaveable bowl on HIGH 2 min. or until butter is melted. Stir until chocolate is completely melted and mixture is well blended. Add sugar and 1/2 cup honey; mix well. Blend in eggs. Add flour; stir until blended. Pour into prepared pan.

Bake 25 min. or until toothpick inserted in center comes out with fudgy crumbs. (Do not overbake.) Cool completely.

Microwave remaining chocolate and honey in microwaveable bowl on HIGH 1 min. Stir until chocolate is completely melted and mixture is well blended. Drizzle over brownie.

Refrigerate 5 min. or until chocolate is firm. Use foil handles to remove brownie from pan before cutting into bars.

GRASSHOPPER BROWNIES

This is from Yossy Arefi in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Yossy wrote, “The classic grasshopper cocktail is made from equal parts crème de menthe, crème de cacao, and heavy cream. Its mint-chocolatey flavors translate perfectly to all sorts of desserts. These decadent layered bars start with a super fudgy brownie base, which is covered with crème de menthe infused buttercream, and a shell of rich chocolate ganache tops it all off. You could certainly substitute a bit more peppermint extract (about 2 teaspoons) and skip the alcohol in the crème de menthe if you’d like to keep these more family friendly. Peppermint extract varies quite a bit in intensity by brand, which is why a range is given, so taste as you go.”

Yield: One 8-by-8-inch pan, 16 servings; Time: About 1 hour plus chilling

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

For the Brownie:

8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

1/2 cup unsalted butter

2 large eggs

3/4 cup light brown sugar

1/4 cup Dutch process cocoa powder

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/3 cup all purpose flour

For the Crème De Menthe Buttercream:

1/2 cup unsalted butter softened

2 tablespoons cream cheese, at room temperature

2 tablespoons crème de menthe

1/2 to 1 teaspoon peppermint extract

Pinch kosher salt

2 cups confectioner’s sugar

For the Ganache:

6 ounces bittersweet chocolate

1/4 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Pinch kosher salt

Preparation

Heat oven to 350 degrees and line the bottom and sides of an 8-by-8-inch baking dish with parchment paper or aluminum foil.

Make the brownies: In a heat-safe bowl set over a pan of simmering water, melt the 8 ounces/227 grams bittersweet chocolate and 1/2 cup/113 grams butter, stirring occasionally until smooth.

In a separate large bowl, whisk the eggs and brown sugar together, until the mixture lightens a bit in color and texture, about 1 minute. Whisk in the cocoa powder, vanilla extract and salt, followed by the chocolate and butter mixture. Fold in the flour until just combined.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until the brownies are set and a toothpick inserted into the center has a few moist crumbs, 20 to 25 minutes. Set the pan on a rack to cool completely.

Make the buttercream: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and cream cheese together until smooth. Add the crème de menthe, 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract, and a pinch of salt and mix until smooth. Lower the mixer speed and slowly add the confectioners’ sugar. Increase the speed and beat until smooth. Taste and add more peppermint extract if desired.

Spread the buttercream over the cooled brownies, then refrigerate the brownies until the buttercream is cold and firm, about 30 minutes.

Make the ganache: Combine all of the ingredients for the ganache in a heat-safe bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Warm the mixture, stirring occasionally until it is melted and smooth. Pour the chocolate over the cooled buttercream and smooth the top with an offset spatula. Chill until the topping is set, about 30 minutes. Store the brownies in the refrigerator. For the cleanest slices make sure to remove the brownies from the pan and wipe off your knife in between cuts.

MARBLED PEANUT BUTTER BROWNIES

I'm not sure where this recipe is from; I have a sneaking suspicion it's from the infamous long-since-forgotten-emailing-list.

Makes 24 squares; Prep time: 15 minutes; Bake time: 30 minutes

No-Stick Cooking Spray

2/3 cup All-Purpose Flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 cup Creamy Natural Peanut Butter

1/4 cup butter, softened

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted and cooled

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spray an 8x8-inch baking pan with no stick cooling spray; set aside.

In a mixing bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer combine brown sugar, peanut butter and butter; beat until light and creamy. Add eggs and vanilla extract; beat until fluffy. Stir in flour mixture just until blended. Spread in prepared pan.

Drizzle melted chocolate over batter. Use a small sharp knife to swirl the mixtures together and marbleize. (Note: do not over-mix or swirls will blend)

Bake 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on cooling rack; cut into 24 bars.

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.