Hurricane Survival Brownies

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You may have heard there's a storm a-brewn' out in the Gulf of Mexico. I live in the Southeast corner of Alabama, just over an hour from the Florida coast. Hurricanes are pretty much a fact of life around here. We track them, keep a stash of batteries and bottled water on hand, and reminisce about Camille, Opal, and Katrina every time a hurricane starts making it's way toward us. The only good thing about a hurricane headed your way, (if there is such a thing) is that you get plenty of warning that it's coming. This gives us time to batten down the hatches and make plans to make due with possible power outages, road closings, etc for a period of time. I've shared with you here how my mother always whips up a batch of emergency cookies/brownies whenever a hurricane is headed our way. This morning I decided I needed to make some brownies, "just in case". In case of what, I'm not sure. Possible baked good deprivation, I guess! I called my mom to make sure they were prepared to ride out the weather and mentioned that I'd just made a batch of brownies. She informed me that she had just pulled a batch of brownies out of the oven as well and had them cooling on the counter. So yes, we're all prepared for Isaac.
This is probably my favorite brownie recipe. It's rich and fudge-like. Topped with the peanut butter frosting they are down right addictive! These brownies are fantastic whether or not a hurricane is headed your way. So don't wait for emergency weather to whip up a batch.

I've got my hurricane survival kit all ready to go!

Best Cocoa Brownies with Peanut Butter Frosting
Printable Recipe

Source: Epicurious  | November 2003

Alice Medrich (adapted)

Source:
10 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups sugar
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (natural or Dutch-process)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon espresso powder
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cold large eggs
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup chocolate chips (optional)


Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 325°F. Line the bottom and sides of the baking pan with parchment paper or foil, leaving an overhang on two opposite sides.
Combine the butter, sugar, cocoa, espresso powder, and salt in a medium heatproof bowl and set the bowl in a wide skillet of barely simmering water. Stir from time to time until the butter is melted and the mixture is smooth and hot to the touch. Remove the bowl from the skillet and set aside briefly until the mixture is only warm, not hot.
Stir in the vanilla with a wooden spoon. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each one. When the batter looks thick, shiny, and well blended, add the flour and stir until incorporated, then beat vigorously for 40 strokes with the wooden spoon or a rubber spatula. Stir in the chocolate chips, if using. Spread evenly in the lined pan.
Bake until a toothpick plunged into the center emerges slightly moist with batter, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool completely on a rack.
Spread peanut butter icing over the top of the brownies.
Lift up the ends of the parchment or foil liner, and transfer the brownies to a cutting board. squares.

Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:
1/2 cup peanut butter
3 ounces cream cheese
3 tablespoons milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 1/3 cups confectioner's sugar

In a mixing bowl, mix peanut butter, cream cheese,a and butter together until smooth. Mix in confections sugar, milk, and vanilla. Mix until smooth adding more milk  if necessary.

If I have to evacuate, I'm taking the brownies!

give me s'more of those brownies!

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I have to confess that I've have little no desire to bake, as of late. You may have noticed from the lack of any baking going on here! Life events, mostly Hubs being deployed back to Iraq, have zapped my mojo. I've just been totally blah...not interested in cooking much of anything.
The lingering heat hasn't helped either. It's those end of summer doldrums. I seem to get them every year around the end of August. Hubs heading out just made even worse than usual this year. Then I saw these brownies while flipping through a magazine. "I want those!" What could be better than a s'more? A s'more brownie! Cookie crust, rich chocolaty center and gooey marshmallow top... oh yeah, these will make you want to head to the kitchen, tie on an apron, and start baking!

S'more Brownies
source: Taste of the South, September 2010
(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients: 
1 12-ounce box vanilla-wafer cookies
2 1/4 cups sugar, divided
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1 cup plus 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, divided
5 1-ounce squares unsweetened chocolate, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 16-ounce bag large marshmallows,  cut in half

Method:
Preheat oven to 350°. Line a 13x9-inch pan with aluminum foil, letting foil hang over sides of pan. Set aside. In the work bowl of a food processor, pulse together cookies, 1/4 cup sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt until mixture is fine. With processor running, slowly add 5 tablespoons melted butter, and continue blending until mixture is well combined. Press crumb mixture firmly into the bottom of prepared pan.
In a large bowl, whisk together remaining 1 cup melted butter and melted chocolate until mixture is well combined. Whisk in remaining 2 cups sugar and vanilla. Add eggs one at a time, whisking constantly, until mixture is smooth and glossy. Whisk in flour and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Pour batter into pan, smoothing top.
Bake until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out with just crumbs, about 30 minutes. Let cool slightly.

Preheat oven to broil. Place marshmallow halves on top of brownies, in rows, as close as possible. Broil until tops of marshmallows are golden brown and puffed.you may have to rotate the pan a couple of times to get even browning.  Let cool slightly before cutting brownies into squares. Use a sharp knife to cut brownies. Dipping the knife in a glass of warm water between cuts helps it not to stick to the marshmallows.

The best part about these smore's is that no campfire is required!

Hawk's Bars, soul food?

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When I came across this recipe in this month's Bon Appetit I thought, oh yeah, I"m making these babies soon! Brownie bottom, white chocolate caramel center and dark chocolate ganache on the top...heaven. Unlike the chocolate muffins in my previous post these bars are are pure decadence. No flax seed or wheat flour here, just rich chocolate and caramel. I  made the bars to take along with us to the beach for our vacation and there are no calories in food eaten on vacation. Right?? Besides, as far as I'm concerned chocolate is good for the soul. I think my soul prefers chocolate to chicken soup. Chocolate makes everything better.
Anyway I was not disappointed these brownies were as good as they looked. Although they require several steps,  they are fairly simple to make.

Bon Appétit  | September 2009

by chef-owners Michael Fagnoni and Moly Hawks (these are so good they named the bars after their restaurant!)

Brownies

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

2 ounces bittersweet chocolate (54% to 60% cacao), chopped

1/4 cup plus 1 teaspoon natural unsweetened cocoa powder

2 1/2 tablespoons all purpose flour

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar

2 large eggs

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

White-chocolate caramel: 

3 tablespoons water, divided

3/4 teaspoon unflavored gelatin

4 1/2 tablespoons sugar

Pinch of salt

6 tablespoons heavy whipping cream

4 ounces high-quality white chocolate,  finely chopped

1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, diced, room temperature

Bittersweet-chocolate ganache: 

2/3 cup heavy cream

6 ounces bittersweet chocolate (54% to 60% cacao), finely chopped

Brownies:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 8x8x2-inch metal baking pan with foil. Butter foil. Combine 1/2 cup butter and bittersweet chocolate in heavy medium saucepan. Stir over medium-low heat until melted and smooth. Remove from heat; cool slightly. Whisk cocoa powder, flour, and salt in small bowl. Whisk sugar, eggs, and vanilla in medium bowl to blend. Pour butter mixture into sugar mixture; whisk until blended. Add cocoa mixture; whisk until blended. Transfer brownie batter to prepared baking pan; smooth top (layer will be thin).

Bake brownie until tester inserted into center comes out with moist crumbs attached, 18 to 20 minutes. Brownie will have a bumpy, uneven surface but allow brownie to cool slightly, then gently press down on edges to form flat, even layer. Cool completely in pan.

White-chocolate caramel:

Spoon 1 tablespoon water into small bowl; sprinkle gelatin over and stir. Let stand until gelatin softens, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine remaining 2 tablespoons water, sugar, and pinch of salt in heavy small saucepan. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat and boil until syrup is deep amber, occasionally swirling pan and brushing down sides with wet pastry brush, about 8 minutes. Slowly add cream (mixture will bubble vigorously). Reduce heat to low. Stir to dissolve any caramel bits. Remove from heat; let cool 5 minutes. Add gelatin mixture; stir until gelatin dissolves. Add white chocolate; whisk until melted and smooth. Whisk in butter. Pour caramel on top of the cooled brownie; spread evenly to cover completely. Chill uncovered until caramel firms slightly, at least 8 hours or overnight.

Bittersweet-chocolate ganache:
Bring cream to simmer in small saucepan. Remove from heat. Add chocolate; whisk until melted and smooth. Cool until mixture is slightly thickened but still pourable, about 15 minutes. Pour ganache atop caramel on brownie; spread just to edges. Chill uncovered until ganache is firm enough to cut, about 4 hours.