Football, Friends and Brownies.

My husband is a big football fan. I'm not (and that's an understatement). To keep my sanity, while feeding his football frenzy, it has been his custom over the last few years to meet up with friends every Sunday to watch the games. I'm happy being football-free, and he's happy to hang with the guys.

Apparently this week was a big deal - playoffs or something. :) So instead of the guys hanging at the bar they usually choose for football viewing pleasure, they went to one of the guys' apartments. Less distractions, you see. And so M. asked me to bake something. It's rare he requests a baked treat, so I allowed him to pick from several recipes that didn't involve more than a quick trip to the store. He chose this recipe for Double-Decker Chocolate-Chip Brownies from The Weekend Baker by Abigail Johnson Dodge. I haven't made much from the cookbook, so I was happy to comply. The one recipe I did try looked good, but ended up tossed due to my error (undercooking). So, I was eager to try again.

The one thing that is unique about the recipes in the Weekend Baker is that they utlize unusual steps in the intent of being quicker then most. Don't get me wrong, there are days I'll happily spend hours baking. And then there are days I'd much rather not. And this was the latter. The author regularly calls for melting butter, and then simply adding the dry ingredients. The results of this recipe were well received by the guys, or so the report came back. While they competed with pizza and wings, the double-decker brownies did very well for themselves and not too many were left.

I made a few couple changes but the recipe still worked. My brownie layer was a bit too fudgy - I was out of cocoa powder and NOT returning to the store, so I subbed an equal amount of fancy cocoa mix which had both powder and chunks of chocolate. I wouldn't repeat the recipe this way, but it worked. The chocolate chip layer was delicious - it was hard not to steal crumbs as they fell off of pieces. I chilled the cooked brownies overnight, and this was still a challenging recipe to cut. Perhaps I should have allowed for more warming before wrestling with a knife. At any rate, this would definitely be a recipe I'd repeat in the future. The recipe was quick, easy and made a multitude of brownies. What more could a busy chef ask for?

Chocolate-chip brownie double-deckers

The Weekend Baker by Abigail Johnson Dodge

Makes 2 dozen 2 inch (5 cm) double-deckers

Author’s notes – One afternoon, I was testing both the brownie and chocolate chip cookie recipes for this book and my husband Chris was in the kitchen looking for a sample or two. Eyeing both batters, Chris asked what would happen if they were baked layered together. A great idea and, as it turned out, with a few tweaks to the chocolate chip recipe, I ended up with bar cookies that offer the best of both cookies.

Do aheads

The double deckers can be prepared through step 7, cut, tightly wrapped and frozen for up to one month. There’s almost no thawing necessary, about 20 minutes, as these brownies are delicious even when partially frozen.

For the Chocolate Chip layer

12 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

For the Brownie layer

12 tablespoons unsalted butter cut into 6 pieces
¾ cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder, sifted if lumpy
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon table salt
2 large eggs
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
¾ cup all purpose flour

1. Position an oven rack on the middle rung. Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Lightly grease the bottom and sides of a 9 by 13 inch baking pan.
2. TO MAKE CHOCOLATE CHIP LAYER -- Put the butter in a medium saucepan and set over medium heat, stirring occasionally until butter is melted. Slide pan from heat and add the brown sugar. Whisk until no lumps remain. Set aside to cool while you make the brownie layer.

3. TO MAKE THE BROWNIE LAYER -- Put the butter in a medium saucepan and set over medium heat, stirring occasionally until butter is melted. Slide pan from heat and add the cocoa powder. Whisk until mixture is smooth. Add the sugar and salt and whisk until blended. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking after each addition until just blended. Whisk in vanilla with second egg. Sprinkle flour over chocolate mixture, and stir with a rubber spatula until just blended.

4. Scrape batter into prepared baking dish and spread evenly with offset or rubber spatula. Set aside while you finish chocolate chip layer.
5. TO FINISH CHOCOLATE CHIP LAYER -- In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. Whisk until well blended. Once the butter mixture has cooled, add the egg and vanilla to it and whisk until blended. Stir in the chocolate chips.

6. Drop the dough over the brownie batter in large scoopfuls and spread evenly with spatula. Bake until a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center comes out with small, gooey clumps of brownie sticking to it (about 40 minutes). Don’t overbake, or they won’t be fudgy. Transfer baking pan to a rack to cool completely.

Using bench scraper or knife, cut into small squares measuring about 2 inches across. The cooler the double-deckers are, the cleaner cutting will be but these fudgy treats will always leave some sticky crumbs on the knife.

Apple Picking

On Friday, my class went apple-picking. This was a Lower School fieldtrip, and so the five classes in the Lower School went together. Parents were invited, a few therapists from the school accompanied us and off we went. So, here's the thing about fieldtrips. They're quite stressful for teachers! And this was even more so, simply because I didn't plan it and thus there were moments of ambiguity that are killer for kids with special needs. Standing around and waiting - definitely leads to trouble with any kids, especially the ones I teach. But we survived. The other thing that made this trip in particular stressful is the fact that parents of special education students vary tremendously in their personalities, and ability to chaperone. There is a saying in special education, "The apple doesn't fall far from the tree." Some of the parents of my students have similar issues to my students, and so having them as chaperones really means I have to watch the parents as well as my kids! But all in all it was a success. No blood was shed (minus a student who lost his tooth into his sandwich), and we all made it back to school in one piece!

When I got home, I was exhausted. Way too tired to cook. But, I did have a burst of energy that lasted long enough for me to whip up the Irish Cream Brownies from Cooking Light's October 2006 issue. I'm really loving the October issue, and have cooked a surprising number of recipes from it in recent weeks. This one was another winner.

I have a love/hate relationship with Cooking Light baked dessert recipes. Sometimes they're just too lightenend, and therefore don't taste good enough to warrant the calories. Or, they taste great, really aren't that light at all and thus the serving size is tiny to make the recipe qualify as light. This recipe had neither problem, and was an all out winner. The brownies were dense, fudgey and you could taste the Bailey's in a pleasing way. The serving size was appropriate, and the recipe was really easy to prepare. I had them in the oven ready to go within ten minutes, which is a definite plus. And, they taste great chilled from the fridge so this would be a great recipe to make ahead. I am so taken with this recipe that I think I might make it again to serve to the teachers at my weekly team meeting on Tuesday (thank goodness for three day weekends). Even if I don't, I know this will be a recipe I will often repeat both for the ease of preparation and just how wonderfully the brownies came out.


Irish Cream Brownies
Cooking Light, October 2006

My notes - I made this recipe with the new Chocolate Mint Bailey's. I think this only added to the recipe, but I would make the recipe again with regular Bailey's Irish Cream if it were on hand.

1 cup flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup egg substitute
1/4 cup Bailey's Irish Cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350°.

Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk.

Place the chocolate chips and the butter in a large microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at HIGH 1 1/2 minutes or until the chocolate chips and butter melt, stirring every 30 seconds. Cool slightly. Add sugar and next 3 ingredients (through vanilla extract), stirring well with a whisk. Microwave at HIGH 1 minute or until sugar dissolves, stirring every 30 seconds. Fold in the flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Spread batter in a thin layer into a 9-inch square baking pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out almost clean. Cool on a wire rack.

Yield: 16 servings (serving size: 1 brownie)

NUTRITION PER SERVING fo CL's recipe
CALORIES 145(30% from fat); FAT 4.9g (sat 3g,mono 0.9g,poly 0.2g); PROTEIN 2.5g; CHOLESTEROL 8mg; CALCIUM 8mg; SODIUM 93mg; FIBER 1.1g; IRON 0.9mg; CARBOHYDRATE 23.8g

Fudge Brownies Supreme

Last night, M. and I hung out with friends and neighbors here in Brooklyn. It was a wonderfully low-key evening, a chance to re-connect with friends after busy summers and a chance to go out for a drink at several local establishments. We enjoyed the evening thoroughly. But, in my sudden burst of kitchen energy yesterday morning, I decided to make brownies to take along. I love to bake, but when its just M. and myself to eat the baked goods, the portions can escalate quickly. So an event, like the one last night, to which I can bring something baked, taste a piece but leave the leftovers for my hosts to enjoy is really an ideal opportunity for me to try a new recipe.

I flipped through a couple books, and found the recipe for Fudge Brownies Supreme in The All-American Cookie book, a book which I've used but not recently. I had all the ingredients on hand, and the description of these densely fudgy brownies sounded irresistable. These brownies were really good, and one of the guests declared them the "best brownies ever". I do think, as I mention in my notes, that I undercooked them slightly. They were especially fudgy, and needed chilling to hold their shape. But, undercooked or not, they were definitely rich, chocolatey and delicious. And the author's description of "A friend commented that if great fudge were baked, it might taste like these brownies," was certainly apt. While I will keep trying brownie recipes to see which ones I like, this was a quick and easy recipe that I will make again. Since the recipe is plain and simple with few ingredients to dislike, I think this recipe will be great for taking to potlucks or as a host/hostess gift when the recipients' tastes might be unknown.

Fudge Brownies Supreme
The All-American Cookie Book

Nancy Baggett's Notes- These are the ones! The moistest, fudgiest, most succulent brownies ever. No frosting, no fruit, no crunchy munchies of any sort to distract from the mousse-like texture and the deep, full-blown chocolate flavor. A friend commented that if great fudge were baked, it might taste like these brownies. If you feel strongly that brownies should have nuts, you could add some walnuts to these. However, the effect will be similar to eating nuts in a chocolate mousse.

My notes - I used dark brown sugar since it was what I had on hand. I also used half a block of semi-sweet chocolate, again because it was what was on hand. I also slightly underbaked these, despite giving them 38 minutes in the oven. They still received glowing reviews, but remained a bit too moist.

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons (1 stick plus 2 tablespoons) unsalted butter
5 oz bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semi-sweet chocolate, broken up or coarsely chopped
2/3 cup all-purpose white flour
1 1/2 tablespoons unsweetened American-style cocoa powder, sifted after measuring
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
3 large eggs
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease an 8 inch square baking pan, or coat with nonstick spray. Line the pan with aluminum foil, letting the foil overhang two opposing sides of the pan by about 2 inches. Grease or spray foil with cooking spray.

In a large, microwave-safe bowl, microwave the butter and chocolate on 100-percent power for one minute. Stir well. Continue microwaving on 50-percent power, stirring at 30 second intervals. Stop microwaving before the chocolate completely melts, and let the residual heat finish the job. (Alternatively, in a large, heavy saucepan, melt the chocolate and butter over lowest heat, stirring frequently being very careful not to burn. Immediately remove from heat.) Let cool to warm.

In a small bowl, thoroughly stir together the flour, cocoa powder, and salt and set aside. Stir the sugar and brown sugar into the chocolate-butter mixture until well combined. Add the eggs and vanilla, and stir until sugar dissolves and the mixture is well blended and smooth. Stir in the flour mixture just until evenly incorporated. Turn out the batter into the baking pan, spreading to the edges.

Bake in the middle of the oven for 28-33 minutes, or until the center is almost firm when tapped and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean except for the bottom 1/4 inch which should still look moist. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let stand until brownie is completely cooled. Refrigerate until well chilled.

Using the overhanging foil as handles, transfer the brownie to a cutting board. Carefully peel off and discard foil. If desired, cut away and discard any overbaked edges. Using a large, sharp knife, cut the brownie into 12 bars, wiping knife clean between cuts.

Store in an airtight container for up to three days, or freeze for up to a month. If freezing, leave brownie slab whole and cut into bars when partially thawed.

Double chocolate satisfaction.

Before we left for New Jersey on Saturday, I decided to make a dessert to bring to my in-laws. I'd bought a block of white chocolate at Trader Joe's on Friday, and so I decided to make Chocolate White Chocolate Chunk Cookies. But, I really didn't have to time to bake batches and batches of cookies so I decided to alter the recipe and make a bar instead.

The results were delicious. They didn't look spectacular since we covered the pan with foil, and put it into a backpack while still warm. As a result of that decision, M. got to make the trip smelling like brownies, and the brownies kind of collapsed on themselves so that the top of the pan was empty when we took it out but the bottom had waves of compressed brownies. It was a very interestingexperiment, but luckily didn't affect the taste at all. The brownie-like result was dense and fudgy, and the white chocolate chunks made a nice contrast to the thick fudginess of the brownie itself.

This picture was taken while the brownies were cooling, and unfortunately doesn't display the chocolate/white chocolate contrast to its fullest extent. But trust me - it was there!

Chocolate White Chocolate Chunk Cookies (or Brownies)
Ina Garten - Barefoot Contessa Parties
(makes 40-48 cookies)

Ina's notes - These are "reverse" chocolate chunk cookies. Chocolate dough with white choclate chunks. I prefer white chocolate to traditional choclate, so I think these are wonderful.

My notes - This was a very forgiving recipe. I was very distracted while making this, and put the eggs in with the sugars. I also used cold eggs. But there was no indication of these distractions in the taste, and the recipe worked very well despite my mixing up a few steps.

1/2 pound unsalted butter at room temperature
1 cup light brown sugar packed
1 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 extra large eggs at room temperature
2/3 cup good unsweetened cocoa
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 pounds good white chocolate coarsely chopped (I used 10 ounces, and then threw in about a cup of regular chocolate chips as well)

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream butter and two sugars until light and fluffly in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the vanilla, then the eggs one at a time. Mix well. Add the cocoa and mix again. Sift together the flour, baking soda, salt and add to the chocolate with the mixer on low speed until just combined. Fold in the chopped white chocolate (and chocolate chips, in my case).

Cookie directions - Drop the dough on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, using a 1 3/4 ice cream scoop or rounded tablespoon. Dampen your hands, and flatten the dough slightly. Bake for exactly 15 minutes, the cookies will seem underdone. Remove from the oven, and let cool slightly on pan before tranferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Brownie directions - Put cookie dough into greased 9x13 pan (or 8x8 would probably work as well). Spread slightly and smooth top. Bake in oven for approximately 30 minutes (mine baked for 35). Remove from oven, and cool in pan on wire rack.

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