Author: admin

2 eggs, room temp
2 egg yolks, room temp
.5 c buttermilk, divided
1 tsp vanilla
1.5 c cake flour
1.33 c sugar
1.5 tsp baking powder
.5 tsp salt
4 oz unsalted butter
.33 c canola oil

Preheat oven to 350F

Grease & flour (or use Baker’s Joy) a 9×2″ round cake pan. Line the pan with a 9″ parchment circle, then grease & flour again.

Stir the eggs, yolks, 6 tbs of buttermilk, and vinalla together in a medium bowl.

Mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a mixer with the whisk on low speed for 30 seconds. Add the butter, oil, and reminaing 2 tbs buttermilk. Mix on low speed to moisten the dry ingredients. Increase to medium speed and beat for 1.5 min. Scrape down the sides. Add a third of the egg mixture and beat for 20 seconds. Repeat until all of the egg mixture is incorporated, scraping down the sides with each addition.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 45-55 minutes, or until a test inserted within an inch of the center comes out clean and the cake springs back when pressed lightly in the center. The cake won’t shrink from the sides of the pan until after it’s out of the oven.

Let the cake cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. Invert onto a cooling rack spraked with Pam and peel off the parchment liner, then replace the liner on the cake with the sticky side up. Invert back onto the original cooling rack so the cake is now right side up. Cool completely before storing or icing.

Caramel
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon table salt
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 1/4 cups sugar (8 3/4 ounces)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Brownies
8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick), cut into 8 pieces
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate , chopped
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate , chopped
3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour (3 3/4 ounces)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 large eggs , room temperature
1 cup sugar (7 ounces)
1/4 teaspoon table salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2/3 cup chopped pecans (about 2 3/4 ounces)
1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips (optional)

Garnish
25 pecan halves (about 1 1/2 ounces), toasted

1. TO MAKE THE CARAMEL: Combine cream and salt in small bowl; stir well to dissolve salt. Combine water, corn syrup, and in saucepan. Cover and bring to boil over medium-high heat; cook, covered and without stirring, until sugar is completely dissolved and liquid is clear, 3 to 5 -minutes. Uncover and continue to cook, without stirring, until bubbles show faint golden color, 3 to 5 minutes more. Reduce heat to medium-low. Continue to cook (swirling occasionally) until caramel is light amber and registers about 360 degrees on candy or instant-read thermometer, 1 to 3 minutes longer. Remove saucepan from heat and carefully add cream to center of pan; stir with whisk or spatula (mixture will bubble and steam vigorously) until cream is fully incorporated and bubbling subsides. Stir in butter and vanilla until combined; transfer caramel to microwaveable measuring cup or bowl and set aside.

2. TO MAKE THE BROWNIES: Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position; heat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly spray 9-inch-square baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Cut 14-inch length extra-wide heavy-duty foil; fold cut edges back to form 8 1/2-inch width. With folded sides face down, fit foil securely into bottom and up sides of baking pan, allowing excess to overhang pan sides. Spray foil with cooking spray.

3. Melt butter and chocolates in microwave for two minutes or until the butter is melted. Stir until smooth and combined; set aside to cool slightly. Meanwhile, whisk together flour and baking powder in small bowl; set aside. When chocolate has cooled slightly, add sugar, eggs, salt, and vanilla and whisk until incorporated. Add flour mixture; stir with rubber spatula until almost combined. Add chopped pecans and chocolate chips (if using); mix until incorporated and no flour streaks remain.

4. Distribute half of brownie batter in prepared baking pan, spreading in even layer. Drizzle scant 1/4 cup caramel over batter. Drop remaining batter in large mounds over caramel layer; spread evenly and into corners of pan with rubber spatula. Drizzle additional scant 1/4 cup caramel over top. Using tip of butter knife, swirl caramel and batter. Bake brownies until toothpick inserted into center comes out with only a few moist crumbs attached, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool brownies in pan on wire rack to room temperature, about 1 1/2 hours.

5. Heat remaining caramel (you should have about 3/4 cup) in microwave until warm and pourable but still thick (do not boil), 45 to 60 seconds, stirring once or twice; pour caramel over brownies. Using spatula, spread caramel to cover surface. Refrigerate brownies, uncovered, at least 2 hours.

6. Using foil extensions, lift brownies from baking pan, loosening sides with paring knife, if needed. Peel away and discard foil. Using chef’s knife, cut brownies into 25 evenly sized squares. Press a pecan half onto surface of each brownie. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

These are as good as they look, if not better.

Caramel
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon table salt
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 1/4 cups sugar (8 3/4 ounces)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Brownies
8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick), cut into 8 pieces
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate , chopped (I like Ghirardelli, chips are fine.)
3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour (3 3/4 ounces)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 large eggs , room temperature
1 cup sugar (7 ounces)
1/4 teaspoon table salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2/3 cup chopped pecans (about 2 3/4 ounces)
1/3 cup bittersweet chocolate chips

Garnish
25 pecan halves (about 1 1/2 ounces), toasted

1. TO MAKE THE CARAMEL: Combine cream and salt in small bowl; stir well to dissolve salt. Combine water, corn syrup, and sugar in saucepan. Cover and bring to boil over medium-high heat; cook, covered and without stirring, until sugar is completely dissolved and liquid is clear, 3 to 5 -minutes. Uncover and continue to cook, without stirring, until bubbles show faint golden color, 3 to 5 minutes more. Reduce heat to medium-low. Continue to cook (swirling occasionally) until caramel is light amber and registers about 360 degrees on candy or instant-read thermometer, 1 to 3 minutes longer. Remove saucepan from heat and carefully add cream to center of pan; stir with whisk or spatula (mixture will bubble and steam vigorously) until cream is fully incorporated and bubbling subsides. Stir in butter and vanilla until combined; transfer caramel to microwaveable measuring cup or bowl and set aside.

2. TO MAKE THE BROWNIES: Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position; heat oven to 325 degrees. Line a 9-inch-square baking pan with nonstick foil, extending up two sides. Spray foil with cooking spray.

3. Melt butter and chocolates in microwave for two minutes or until the butter is melted. Stir until smooth and combined; set aside to cool slightly. Meanwhile, whisk together flour and baking powder in small bowl; set aside. When chocolate has cooled slightly, add sugar, eggs, salt, and vanilla and whisk until incorporated. Add flour mixture; stir with rubber spatula until almost combined. Add chopped pecans and chocolate chips (if using); mix until incorporated and no flour streaks remain.

4. Distribute half of brownie batter in prepared baking pan, spreading in even layer. Drizzle scant 1/4 cup caramel over batter. Drop remaining batter in large mounds over caramel layer; spread evenly and into corners of pan with rubber spatula. Drizzle additional scant 1/4 cup caramel over top. Using tip of butter knife, swirl caramel and batter. Bake brownies until toothpick inserted into center comes out with only a few moist crumbs attached (be aware that you may hit a pocket of caramel, making it appear that the brownies are underbaked), 35 to 40 minutes. Cool brownies in pan on wire rack to room temperature, about 1 1/2 hours.

5. Heat remaining caramel (you should have about 3/4 cup) in microwave until warm and pourable but still thick (do not boil), 45 to 60 seconds, stirring once or twice; pour caramel over brownies. Using spatula, spread caramel to cover surface. Refrigerate brownies, uncovered, at least 2 hours.

6. Using foil extensions, lift brownies from baking pan, loosening sides with paring knife, if needed. Peel away and discard foil. Using chef’s knife, cut brownies into 25 evenly sized squares. Press a pecan half onto surface of each brownie. Serve at room temperature.

A friend used to make these in her preschool class, but couldn’t find the recipe. I hit the ‘net and came up with this:

PLAY-DOH COOKIES

2/3 cup butter (softened)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp almond extract
1 2/3 cup flour
Food Color – red, yellow, blue, green

Blend butter and sugar. Add almond and flour. Mixture will be course crumbs. Separate into globs…for each color being used. Add food color as desired. The liquid in the color will be just enough to form the dough. Don’t get anxious and add more liquid or the children will not be able to use as play-doh.

Play-dough cookie batter is great for kids to mold and cut as desired. The creations can then be baked and eaten. Bake at 300′ for 20-25 minutes. Edges will be firm, bottoms not brown.

I tweaked it to use a single stick of butter, and paste food coloring:

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter (softened)
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup flour
Paste Food Color – red, yellow, blue, green

I used two toothpicks of food color for each glob of dough except red which took 8 and still isn’t *quite* as red as I’d like but I had limited patience and this is a trial run anyway.

So far, so good! The dough is currently parked in the fridge awaiting shaping and baking at a later date.

I also found this recipe but I don’t think it’s as promising. Did want to save it JIC.

Best. Hot chocolate. Ever.

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
About 1/4 cup sugar (more as desired after you taste it at the end of cooking)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup hot coffee
2½ cups milk
1 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup coffee liqueur such as Kahlua or Starbucks

Cinnamon-stick stirrers, optional
Puffs of whipped cream, optional

In a medium saucepan, combine the cocoa, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and salt. Blend in the hot coffee until smooth. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, about 2 minutes. Add milk and cream. Heat but do not boil. Remove from heat and stir in the liquor. Taste and adjust sweetness.

Serve in heatproof mugs with cinnamon sticks and whipped cream garnish.

I make up a double batch of the chocolate/spice mix and store it in the pantry. A half batch makes two generous servings. I use 1/3c mix to half the wet ingredients