Frozen Brownie Sundaes

Okay, so this post is up a bit late today, but it is NOT too late to make these for your Independence Day celebration tomorrow. And trust me, after being in the scorching sun all day, you are going to WANT something cold and sweet. And this IS your answer. Brownie, Skor bar, ice cream, and strawberry. Seriously, all this in one dessert.

Best Brownies

Last night I just wanted something really chocolaty and easy to make. So I decided on a brownie. I found this recipe online for "Best Brownies" and I figured I couldn't go wrong with a name like that. It was a reaction similar to the reaction of Will Ferrell's character in the movie Elf where he sees a sign for "The World's Best Coffee" and figures it must be true. While I don't know if these are truly the best brownies, they were tasty. They are very gooey, chocolaty, and rich. In fact the frosting is almost like fudge on top of the brownie, and the hint of honey makes it unique.

S'more Brownies

Okay, so remember sitting around a camp fire and heating a marshmallow over the open flame, trying not to burn it. You finally get the perfectly roasted marshmallow, delicately place it between two graham crackers and a piece of chocolate...you take that first anticipated bite...and all the marshmallow squeezes out the back and makes a mess of your fingers. Well, these delicious brownies are almost equally as messy, almost. However you get to eat these with a fork, so you can get as much graham cracker, chocolate, and marshmallow in each bite as you want.

These brownies are definitely more exciting than your average boxed brownie and are definitely more fun to look at with the white puff of marshmallow on top. But be forewarned, the directions say to watch the marshmallows closely while cooking, and they mean it. The marshmallows go from white to brown to black in a matter of moments. I would suggest standing by the oven, oven mitts on, oven light on, and you ready to pull them out the moment they are ready.

S’more Brownies
Recipe from the Food Network Kitchens
Pictures by Caroline

Ingredients

Crust:
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 cups crushed graham cracker crumbs
2 tablespoons sugar
Pinch fine salt

Brownie:*
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 cup packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
4 large cold eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour

Topping:
4 cups large marshmallows

Directions
1. Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and heat oven to 325 degrees F. Line an 8 by-8-inch square baking pan with foil so it hangs over the edges by about 1 inch.
2. For the crust: Lightly butter the foil with some of the melted butter. Stir the rest of the butter together with the crumbs, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl. Press the crumb mixture evenly over the bottom of the pan. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, make the brownie. Put the butter and chocolate in a medium microwave safe bowl. Melt in the microwave on 75 percent power for 2 minutes. Stir, and microwave again until completely melted, about 2 minutes more. Alternatively, put the butter and chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Bring a saucepan filled with 1 inch or so of water to a very slow simmer; set the bowl on the pan without touching the water. Stir occasionally until melted.
4. Stir the light brown and white sugars, vanilla and salt into the melted chocolate. Add the eggs and beat vigorously to make a thick and glossy batter. Add the flour and stir until just incorporated.
5. Pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake until the top is crispy and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out mostly clean, with a few crumbs, about 40 to 45 minutes.
6. Remove from the oven and carefully position a rack about 6 inches from the broiler and preheat on low. Layer marshmallows across the top and toast under the broiler until golden, (keep an eye on it, it can go quick), about 2 minutes.
7. Cool on a rack, gently removing the brownies from the pan using the aluminum flaps. Carefully separate any marshmallow from the foil and fold away. Cut into 12 (2-inch) squares.

*When I make this recipe again, which I will, I will likely change one of two things. I will either substitute a more a standard brownie recipe for the brownie recipe provided. These brownies were good, but they were almost more like a cake than a brownie and not as sweet as I would have liked. Also, the consensus in my house was that the ratio of graham crust, brownie, and marshmallows would be better with slightly less brownie. Or, the other alternative would be to use the brownie recipe included but halve the recipe to achieve a more even ratio of the graham crust, brownie, and marshmallows.

Contest Winner - Chocolate Turtle Cookies

After MUCH deliberation, we have finally picked a winner for our 100th Post Contest. There were recipes of all sorts and sizes from appetizers to desserts to dinner and breakfast submitted. Many of them were very good, making this a very tough decision for us, but we finally picked the winner.

We picked these cookies because they are first and foremost delicious. In addition to the taste they are unique and aesthetically original. So congratulations to our loyal reader and commenter, Jessie who submitted this recipe for Chocolate Turtle Cookies. She will be receiving The Essential Baker: The Comprehensive Guide to Baking with Chocolate, Fruit, Nuts, Spices, and Other Ingredients by CCP Carole Bloom.

Chocolate Turtle Cookies
Recipe submitted by Two Little Chefs reader Jessie
Picture by Caroline
Yield: approximately 2 dozen

1 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/4 tsp salt
8 T (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar
1 large egg, separated, plus 1 egg white
2 T milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup pecans, chopped fine
14 soft caramel candies**
3 T heavy cream

1. Combine flour, cocoa, and salt in bowl. With electric mixer on med-high speed, beat butter and sugar until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg yolk, milk, and vanilla and mix until incorporated. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture until just combined. Refrigerate dough until firm, at least 1 hour.
2. Preheat oven to 350. Line baking sheets with parchment (hint from twolittlechefs: you need to line your tray or spray with a non-stick spray, otherwise the egg whites will firmly attach to your baking sheet). Whisk egg whites in bowl until frothy. Place pecans in another bowl. One at a time, roll dough into 1-inch balls, dip in egg whites, then roll in pecans. Place balls 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Using teaspoon measure, make indentation in center of each ball. Bake until set, 10 to 12 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, microwave caramels and cream in bowl, stirring occasionally, until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Once cookies are removed from oven, gently press existing indentation again with teaspoon measure. Fill each with 1/2 teaspoon caramel mixture. Cool 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack and cool completely.

**Note: the only adaption I would make to this recipe would be to add more caramel, and I would suggest making your own caramel, which will have a stronger flavor - mixing equal parts of brown sugar, butter, and a tablespoon or two of milk.

Whole Wheat Brownies

Whenever my dad was looking for a "healthy" alternative for dessert, he asked for these brownies. They're made completely with whole wheat flour, and, being more cake-like, have a slightly different taste and texture from regular brownies. The frosting makes them rich (and might make them just a little unhealthier), so you may want to opt for a very thin layer, leaving you with extra frosting to use later.


Whole Wheat Brownies
recipe by Kathy Hill
picture by Caroline

Brownie:
1 1/3 cup whole wheat flour
6 tablespoons cocoa
4 eggs, beaten
2 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup oil
1 teaspoon vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 350°. In a large mixing bowl, combine eggs and sugar. Mix until light and fluffy.
   
2. Add milk, oil, salt and vanilla.
   
3. Add flour and cocoa, stir until combined.
   
4. Pour batter into a greased 9 x 13 inch pan. Bake 30 minutes, or until brownies are set in the middle.

Frosting:
2 squares of unsweetened baking chocolate, roughly chopped*
3 tablespoons butter
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2-4 tablespoons milk

1. In a small mixing bowl, melt the chocolate and butter together.
   
2. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla, and 2 tablespoons of milk. Stir until smooth.
   
3. If thinner frosting is desired, add more milk, one tablespoon at a time.
   
4. Spread frosting evenly over slightly cooled brownies.
   

*This will allow the chocolate to melt faster and more evenly.

Milk Chocolate Chunk and Peanut Butter Brownies

I know, we've already done a peanut butter-chocolate recipe on here a while ago. But the thing is, I really like peanut butter. And chocolate. And brownies. And I especially like them together. And considering that anything from The Essential Baker is fantastic, I knew I had to try this recipe when I found it. I wasn't disappointed.



Milk Chocolate Chunk and Peanut Butter Brownies
from The Essential Baker

6 tablespoons butter, softened
1/2 cup natural-style (old fashioned) chunky peanut butter*
1 1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 extra large eggs (or 3 large)
3/4 cup white flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 oz milk chocolate (or half semi-sweet/half milk), chopped into small chunks

1. Place the butter in the bowl and beat butter on medium speed until it's fluffy, about 2 minutes.
2. Add the peanut butter, and cream together well. Add the sugar and cream until smooth.
   
3. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until blended. Add vanilla and blend completely.
   
4. Combine dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Add to butter mixture in two stages and stir thoroughly.
5. Add the chocolate chunks and stir.
   
6. Pour into greased (with butter) 8 x 8 pan. Bake at 350° about 35 minutes, until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out slightly moist.
   
7. Let cool and serve.

*As I didn't feel like going to the store tonight, I used regular peanut butter. However, it may make your brownies a bit saltier and greasier (I've tried it both ways). I suggest using the old fashioned style.

-Kelly (including photos)