Easy Chocolate Brownies With Peppermint Bark

Pin It

Christmas is a time to simplify, at least when it comes to baking.  Let's face it, we have the front door to decorate, the tree to pick out and trim, all the sales, virtual and otherwise, to hit before everything is gone, presents to buy and wrap, rooms to decorate, silver to polish, and on and on.  Some of us like to bake goodies to have around the house when guests drop in or to wrap and send to family and friends.  The whole process can take up to Spring if you are not careful and pace yourself. Remember you have Christmas dinner to host and that's when you really want to shine. Save yourself for that.  That's the main event and what all of us really look forward to.

I make tons of these every year for the holidays.  They are festive, yummy and, no matter the age, our family and guests really enjoy them .  They travel well so they are perfect for packaging and they make excellent hostess gifts. If you are having a holiday party, these are a great addition to the dessert table;  AND if you are having weekend guests put some of these in a box or on a plate next to their bedside table.  You couldn't ask for more!

The original recipe is simple enough and you can go that route if you want.  Better still, the Ghirardelli mix is quite good so why not save time.  Either way, you will be pleased with the results.

Chocolate Brownies with Peppermint Bark Original Recipe

Ingredients:

1 ¹/₂ cups Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate Chips
1 ¹/₂ sticks unsalted butter (12 tablespoons)
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
¹/₄ teaspoon salt
¹/₂ cup + 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
¹/₂ teaspoon baking powder

8 Ghirardelli Peppermint Bark SQUARES™ chocolates, chopped into large chunks (for the brownies)

18 Ghirardelli Peppermint Bark SQUARES™ chocolates, broken in to large chunks (about 8 pieces per square) (for the finishing)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9 x 13 inch baking pan with foil and grease with pan spray.

In a medium saucepan, bring 2 inches of water to a gentle simmer. Put the 60% chips and butter in a heatproof bowl and set it over (but not touching) the simmering water. Stir the mixture with a rubber spatula until the better is melted and both ingredients are completely combined. Turn off the heat and leave the bowl over the warm water.

 Sift together the flour and baking powder and set aside.

In a large bowl whisk together eggs, salt, sugar and vanilla. Add the egg mixture to the chocolate mixture and whisk together gently. With a spatula, fold in the flour. Immediately pour ½ the mixture into the prepared baking pan and spread it evenly. Next, sprinkle the chopped peppermint bark over the batter and then pour the remaining batter over this. Spread evenly.

Bake for 15-20 minutes. The center should be fudgy but not dry. Remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes.

Place Peppermint Bark chunks on top of warm brownies and allow them to soften for 1 minute. Using a spatula, gently swirl the melting Peppermint Bark to create swirls of melted chocolate.

Refrigerate for 1 hour. Trim the 4 edges of the brownies by 1/4 inch. And cut into 18 squares.

My Easy version:

1 Box Ghirardelli's Triple Chocolate Brownies
1 tsp. Peppermint Extract
16 Perppermint Bark Squares
Crushed Peppermint Candy

I used a 9x9 square pan (glass)

Follow the directions on the box .  Add a teaspoon of the peppermint extract to the batter.  Cook as directed.

With the brownies still hot from the oven lay the peppermint squares side by side and touching on top so the will melt.  Place back in the oven for a minute or two until almost melted.  Take out and swirl with spatula or tooth pick.  Sprinkle the crushed peppermint candy on top. Wait until cooled to cut.

Trim the 4 edges of the brownies by 1/4 inch. And cut into 16 squares.

Notes: If you lay the squares whole instead of broken up, they take about 4 minutes to melt in the oven.  If you go that route, take brownies out about 5 minutes before they are done so they won't over cook. 

Original Recipe from Ghirardelli
This post originally appeared on my blog My Kitchen By The Lake December 2013

A Father's Day Treat...Chewy Butterscotch Bars With Walnuts

Pin It

Butterscotch bars, or brownies, are one of my all time favorites.  They were a favorite of my father's who, unfortunately, died many years ago when he was only fifty two and of my husband's who was only forty two when he passed away.

Lindaraxa's family hasn't celebrated Father's Day for many years but that doesn't mean we forget those we love on this special occasion... So we bake and we grill and toast them for the few happy years they shared with us. 

This is the original recipe from Nestle's and the one I have been making all these years.  As Madame Mere taught me, you can never go wrong with the recipe in back of a product.  

If you like butterscotch, these are definitely for you.  The only suggestion I have is halve the recipe and bake in a 9 x 11 pan... that is, unless you are baking for a crowd.  Also, I use walnuts, which counterbalances the sweetness of the butterscotch better than other nuts

This is a great dessert to take on picnics or on the boat.  They are a special treat to have around when you are entertaining guests for the weekend.   Come to think of it, they are great anytime!

I know, let's get a male Westie...problem solved!

Chewy Butterscotch Bars With Brownies

Makes 4 dozen brownies  


Ingredients

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 

1 teaspoon baking powder 

1/2 teaspoon salt 

1 cup butter, softened 

1 3/4 cups brown sugar, firmly packed 

1 tablespoon vanilla extract 

2 eggs 

1 (11 ounce) package Nestle Toll House butterscotch-flavored morsels, divided 

1 cup walnuts, chopped 



Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 

2. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside. 

3. Beat butter, brown sugar, and vanilla extract in a large mixer bowl until creamy. 

4. Beat in eggs. 

5. Gradually beat in flour mixture. 

6. Stir in 1 cup morsels, and nuts. 

7. Spread into ungreased 13x9-inch baking pan. 

8. Sprinkle with remaining morsels. 

9. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. 

10. Cool in pan on wire rack.

Chocolate Mint Squares

Pin It

Right around this time during the holidays  I start thinking about gifts for those friends and acquaintances who have been particularly nice to me or my family during the year. Just like social invitations, kindnesses and favors should be acknowledged or reciprocated in one way or another and what better time to do it than Christmastime. Whether you send a gift or a personal handwritten card, the idea is to say thank you to a very special person in a very special way.

This year, unlike others, I have my share of people who have been most generous and kind with their friendship or with their time. There is no way I can repay what each has done for me, monetarily or otherwise, but there is something I know all of them will enjoy and that is a batch of homemade cookies! Let's face it, home made anything is the new luxury for people who do not cook and that is about 90% of the population these days.  If you want to put it in the context of food, home made goodies may just be the new caviar!

This weekend is the big bake off and both my daughter and I will be busy baking and packing. A couple of our friends are out of town so boxes will have to be carefully packed to ensure the cookies arrive in one piece. We have learned from experience that some cookies travel better than others so selecting the right recipe is important. Gingerbread men are always the most popular but, unfortunately, they have been known to arrive with their heads or legs cut off and will have to stay local. On the other hand, bars and clusters make it alright and will definitely be included in the final selection. So does my lemon pound cake and cocktail cheese biscuits.

This recipe from King Arthur has made the finals and is perfect for packing and mailing.    It combines mint and chocolate in a dense, rich bar, made festive by a layer of white icing offset by a final drizzle of dark, bitter chocolate. What more could you ask for?

So,  if you are looking for something special to give to a  friend or to the person who has everything in your Christmas list homemade cookies may be your best bet! 

Chocolate Mint Squares

Ingredients:
   

Dough
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1/2 cup (1 stick, 4 ounces) butter or margarine
1 cup (7 ounces) sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1/2 cup (2 1/8 ounces) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1/2 cup (2 ounces) chopped walnuts or chopped pecans, optional
1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract or peppermint oil*

Frosting
2 cups (8 ounces) confectioners' sugar
4 tablespoons (2 ounces) melted butter
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract or peppermint oil*
2 tablespoons (1 ounce) milk

Glaze
1 ounce unsweetened chocolate
1 tablespoon butter or margarine

Garnish
1/4 cup crushed peppermint candies or candy canes

*Peppermint oils or extracts may vary in strength; add them judiciously, tasting as you go.

Directions:

Dough: In a double boiler, or in a microwave, melt together the chocolate and butter or margarine. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, beat together the sugar, salt and eggs. Add the chocolate mixture, stirring to combine, then the flour, nuts and peppermint, mixing till well-blended.

Pour the batter into a lightly greased 9 x 9-inch pan. Bake the squares in a preheated 350°F oven for 25 minutes. Remove them from the oven, and cool to room temperature.

Frosting: In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar, melted butter or margarine, peppermint and milk. Spread the frosting over the cooled squares in a thin layer.

Glaze: In a double boiler, or in a microwave, melt together the chocolate and butter or margarine. Drizzle this over the frosted squares, and sprinkle with the crushed peppermint candy. Refrigerate the squares till they're well-chilled. To serve, cut into 1 1/2-inch squares.

Yield: About 36 small squares.

Recipe adapted from King Arthur Flour 

Sour Cream Scones With Strawberry Almost-Jam

Pin It

Fall not only means a return to serious cooking but also a return to afternoon tea!  There is nothing in the world I enjoy more that to stop around 4 o'clock for a quick cup of tea and a cookie.  But my favorite part of the whole tea thing has to be the scones and when I have weekend guests at the lake, whether they drink tea or not, they are always treated to scones on Saturday afternoon.  There's a great recipe for scones in the country blog but I thought I would try this recipe from the London Telegraph which has sour cream added to the batter.  The only thing I detected was they were a tad moister, perhaps less crumbly, but just as great as the others.  Anyway, a great excuse to make a batch..   They are giving the strawberries away so take advantage of it!

Would you believe I also have some clotted cream in the refrigerator?  The Real McCoy!!!

Makes 10 scones and enough jam for six people for tea



Ingredients

350g (12oz) strawberries

75g (2¾oz) granulated sugar

juice of ½ lemon


For the scones


225g (8oz) plain flour

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

¼ tsp salt

45g (1½oz) unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes

2 tbsp caster sugar*

200ml (7fl oz) sour cream

milk for glazing

clotted cream or butter, to serve


Directions
Wash and hull the berries, chop them into chunks (leave small ones whole) and put in a pan with the sugar and lemon juice. Set over a medium heat and help the sugar to melt by stirring from time to time until it has dissolved. Roughly mash the fruit with a fork or potato masher. You want to end up with a mixture that is part purée, part chunks of fruit. The fruit will be in quite a lot of syrup at this stage, so turn the heat down very low and leave to simmer until thickened. In all, it will take 20 to 25 minutes to make.

Be careful not to let the pan burn. Pour into a bowl and leave to cool. It doesn’t set like jam but becomes a thick, chunky, fresh-tasting purée. To make the scones, sift the flour with the bicarbonate of soda and salt into a bowl, then rub in the butter with your fingers. Make a well in the centre and add the sugar and enough sour cream to make a soft but not too sticky dough. Start bringing the mixture together with a blunt knife, then use your hands.

Pat or roll out on a lightly floured surface to 1.5-2cm (½-¾in) thick. Using a 5cm (2in) cookie cutter stamp out rounds and lay them on a floured baking-sheet. Brush the tops with milk. Bake for about 10 minutes in an oven preheated to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6 for 10 minutes or until risen and golden. Leave to cool a little.

Serve warm with clotted cream or butter and the jam

*caster sugar is superfine sugar.  Just use regular sugar here in the States, it's fine enough!

Photos/recipe The Telegraph

Cheesecake Brownies...An Old Favorite Returns!

Pin It

Mmm...brownies, let me count the ways! This recipe by David Leibowitz brings back memories of the 80's when these brownies with cream cheese were all the rage.  I haven't made them since and now I wonder why!  The combination of the softened cream cheese with the deep chocolate of these brownies is enough to send you into absolute rapture.  I have added a little coffee to the chocolate to further bring out the taste ( I learned this from Julia Child many years ago) but you may skip this step if you want.  They will still taste divine!


One 9-inch (23cm) square pan


Ingredients

6 tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
4 ounces (115g) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
2/3 cup (130g) sugar
1 TB instant espresso powder (optional)
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup (70g) flour
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup (80g) chocolate chips


8 ounces (200g) cream cheese, at room temperature
1 large egg yolk
5 tablespoons (75g) sugar
1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract


Directions
1. Line a 9-inch (23cm) square pan with foil, making sure it goes up all four sides. Use two sheets if necessary. Mist with non-stick spray or grease lightly.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (180C).

3. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter and chocolate over low heat, stirring until smooth.  Remove from heat and beat in the 2/3 cup (130g) sugar, expresso and then the eggs.

4. Mix in the flour, cocoa powder and salt, then the vanilla and chocolate chips. Spread evenly in the prepared pan.

5. In a separate bowl, beat together the cream cheese, the yolk, 5 tablespoons (75g) of sugar, and vanilla until smooth.

6. Distribute the cream cheese mixture in eight dollops across the top of the brownie mixture, then take a dull knife or spatula and swirl the cream cheese mixture with the chocolate batter.

7. Bake for 35 minutes, or until the batter in the center of the pan feels just set.

Let cool, then lift out the foil and peel it away. Cut the brownies into squares.

Storage: These will keep in an airtight container for a couple of days. They also freeze well, too


Recipe Photos courtesy David Leibowitz

Christmas in Germany... Vanillekipferl - Vanilla Crescents

Pin It

The German Christmas season officially begins with the first Sunday of Advent. Stollen, the oldest known German Christmas treat, and Christmas cookies (Plätzchen) are often baked during this time. Gingerbread houses, nativity scenes, hand-carved wooden Nutcracker figures (Nussknacker), Christmas pyramids (Weihnachtspyramiden), and lighted city streets and homes are all signs that Christmas is on its way.

When the Advent season opens, Christmas markets also crop up in nearly every German town, large or small. The town squares, normally dark early in winter months, are lit up and buzzing with activity during this time. Townspeople gather together, listen to brass band music, drink beer or hot mulled wine (Glühwein) or apple cider, and enjoy the hearty traditional fare of the region. Vendors peddle baked goods, including gingerbread hearts, sugar-roasted almonds, crepes, cookies, stollen, cotton candy and other sweets. Christmas tree decorations, seasonal items, and handcrafted articles, such as wooden toys and hand-blown glass ornaments, are also sold.

Christmas markets date back to at least the 14th century and were one of the many markets held throughout the year. It was here that people bought everything they needed for the Christmas celebration: baking moulds, decorations, candles, and toys for the children. In fact, until well into the 20th century, the Weihnachstmärkte were the only place for people to buy such seasonal items.

Markets differ from place to place; each has its own regional imprint. The market at Aachen, for instance, is known for its gingerbread men (Aachner Printen). The regions around the Erzgebirge mountain range are famous for their handmade wooden crafts. Augsburg has a life-sized Advent calendar and opens the holiday season with its famous "Angel Play." At the Frankfurt Christmas Market, visitors will find Quetschenmännchen (little prune men) and Brenten (almond cookies).

The most famous Christmas market is the Nürnberger Christkindlesmarkt, which is known for its gold foil angels and locally produced gingerbread cakes. At least 375 years old, it is one of the oldest, and with over 200 vendors participating each year, it is also one of the largest Weihnachtsmärkte in Germany.

These cookies, though simple and easy to make,  remind me of a Christmas spent in Garmisch-Partenkirchen,  a beautiful small town in Bavaria.  If you ever want to experience the true spirit of Christmas, this is where it's all at!  The recipe is from Grand Chef Relais & Chateaux Johann Lafer of Stromburg, Germany.  You can't get more authentic than that.

By the way, icing sugar is the name given in Europe to powdered or confectioners sugar.


Total time: more than 2 hours

Preheat oven at 200° C (400° F)

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Waiting time: 2 hours

Cooking time: 10 minutes

Keep for several weeks in an airtight tin


Chef's Note

Vanillekipferl, or vanilla crescents - even though their origin is certainly Austrian, no German household would be without this tradition.

Prepare the vanilla sugar a day ahead by mixing the icing sugar with the vanilla pods or the vanilla powder. Place in a glass jar and close tightly. The icing sugar will take on the flavour of the vanilla.



Ingredients

For about 30 crescents

Dough

- 60 g (2 oz.) ground almonds

- 100 g (3 1/2 oz.) cold butter

- 40 g (6 1/2 tbsp.) icing sugar

- 1 egg yolk

- The pulp scraped from 2 vanilla beans

- 330 ml (2 1/3 cups) flour

- A pinch of salt

Finishing

- 100-150 g (1 to 1 1/2 cups) icing sugar

- vanilla powder

Method

Brown the ground almonds in a hot skillet and allow to cool.

Quickly knead the butter, icing sugar, egg yolk, vanilla pulp, flour, almonds and salt into a smooth dough. Let the dough rest in a cool place for 2 hours.

Form the dough into about 30 crescents and place them on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Bake in a preheated 200°C / 400° F oven for about 10 minutes.

Roll the still-warm crescents in the vanilla icing sugar. Store the crescents in a cookie tin, each layered separated by parchment paper.

Garmisch-Partenkirchen

Garmisch

Christmas Cookies... Lemon Bars!

Pin It

A good lemon bar recipe is great to have on hand all year round.  They are great and refreshing in the summer and they also make a nice addition to the dessert table around Christmas time.  Unfortunately, up to recently, I have had a love/ hate relationship with lemon bars. I love to eat them but I hate to bake them!. They either come out too gooey or they fall apart when I cut them. Either the crust is too thin or too thick. They are either too lemony or not lemony enough. I have read at least ten recipes to try out and finally, a few months ago I decided to start with Ina Garten's and take it from there. At least I knew her crusts were great!

One of the comments I had read about her bars was that they were a bit too tart so that was something to watch out for. Also mentioned was the fact that they were a bit too runny when you cut them. This was solved easily..wait, wait wait. We always tend to dig in too early without letting things cool down enough. That happens to me with brownies..but who can wait! My solution was to stick them in the refrigerator for 30 minutes AFTER they had cooled down. I also cut back on the tartness by putting in a little less lemon juice than called for. ..3/4 C vs. 1 Cup. That would also make them easier to cut. All in all, I was very pleased..and I think you will be too.

Lemon bars are great to serve for dessert at lunch, tea and just about any time I can think of! Just pass them around in a beautiful tray with nice napkins and forget the plates!  They are also a nice addition to your list for Christmas cookies!

Yield : 20 bars or large squares

Ingredients


For the crust:

1/2 pound unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 cups flour
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

For the filling:

6 extra-large eggs at room temperature

3 cups granulated sugar
2 tablespoons grated lemon zest (4 to 6 lemons)
3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 cup flour
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

For the crust, cream the butter and sugar until light in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Combine the flour and salt and, with the mixer on low, add to the butter until just mixed. Dump the dough onto a well-floured board and gather into a ball. Flatten the dough with floured hands and press it into a 9 by 13 by 2-inch baking sheet, building up a 1/2-inch edge on all sides. Chill.

Bake the crust for 15 to 20 minutes, until very lightly browned. Let cool on a wire rack. Leave the oven on.

For the filling, whisk together the eggs, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and flour. Pour over the crust and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the filling is set. Let cool to room temperature. Better yet, when they are cooled, stick in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. They will be easier to cut.

Cut into bars or squares and dust with confectioners' sugar.

Amaretti Cookies

Pin It After I posted the Roasted Peaches with Amaretti Crumble recipe, I got a lot of inquiries as to where to find the cookies. It is indeed a problem to find them these days, unless you have a good specialty store in your town. I have added them to my Amazon store in the right fray and also thought you might want to bake some yourself. They are really easy and simple to make and much better than the ones that come in the box.

This recipe for amaretti cookies, courtesy of chef Mario Batali, is an excellent accompaniment to pumpkin lune pasta and can be found in his book, "The Babbo Cookbook." Use them in the Roasted Peaches with Amaretti Crumble and as an accompaniment to the Chocolate Gelato Affogatto previously posted.

A nice espresso with these cookies is a delighful and "lite" dessert. Don't forget to add a touch of Limoncello to the espresso!

Makes about 30 cookies

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups whole blanched almonds
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
2 large egg whites
Pinch of kosher salt
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 tablespoon amaretto
1/2 cup turbinado sugar, for sprinkling

Directions

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Place almonds, cornstarch, and confectioners' sugar in the bowl of a food processor; pulse until almonds are very finely chopped.

Place egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Add salt and beat on medium speed until foamy and light. Gradually add granulated sugar in a slow, steady steam and continue beating until stiff and glossy. Beat in almond extract and amaretto.

Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in ground almond mixture.

Drop heaping teaspoonfuls of batter onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Sprinkle each cookie generously with turbinado sugar.

Transfer to oven and bake until cookies are pale golden and begin to crack slightly, about 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 200 degrees. Leave oven door ajar to release some of the heat. Let cookies stand in oven until completely dry and crisp, 25 to 30 minutes more.

Let cookies cool briefly on baking sheets, before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container up to 3 days.