Sunday Baking Project: Fudgy Brownies for days or hoardes

 

Second weekend in a row I've made these brownies, first time around was for an unofficial (we're in Covid times people) end of season netball get together where I offered to bring dessert... and this weekend which was to make again for my colleagues at work after listening to the wistful sighs when I described my last weeks' antics.

They are really fudgy and moist,

And it's easy to do and takes very little time, and it makes at least 18 good-sized brownies, 30 smaller ones.   You can start and finish these in an hour.

I got the recipe from the lovely Kim at All Consuming's blog, which she got from Food52.   I tweaked a little between what both these to arrive at these and I think that's what great about this recipe.  You can tweak it easily.  I will add dark chocolate chips and frozen raspberries I think next time.  This time I added peanut butter protein powder and a tsp of baking powder -  the original recipe calls for no baking powder, espresso powder, nuts and icing. Tweak as you feel fit - up to you!

Ingredients:

• 225gr butter, at room temperature
• 3 packed cups of brown sugar
• 1 tb vanilla extract
• 8 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups plain flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2/3 cup cocoa
• 1/2 cup peanut protein powder (Omit if you like)
• 250g milk chocolate chips

Method:

Preheat oven to 170degrees c

Spray a rectangle baking pan (Mine is 23x33cm or 9x13inches) and cover with baking paper and spray again.

Mix your butter with brown sugar until smooth and well combined (about 2-3 mins on low-ish speed)

Then add the vanilla and then the eggs one-by-one and mix well

In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients (flour, cocoa, baking powder and in this case the PB2 powder).

While mixing on lowest speed gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet.  Do not add chocolate chips yet.

Try not to eat too much of the mix... it's hard I know.

Pour and spread the mixture into your pan and sprinkle your choc chips on top.

Put into the oven and bake between 23 - 28 minutes.  You basically don't want it jiggly in the middle.

Leave to cool for 30mins to an hour before lifting out of the pan and then cut into squares, triangles, whatever you like :)

Oozy, fudgy goodness.

No bake chocolate splodge slice

This is a chocoholic slice.  If you are a chocoholic or you are catering for chocoholics - read on.  I made a double batch that makes easily 20 pieces so if you are catering for a crowd, you may like to do that too.  If not just keep to the ingredients listed here. 

It's very simple to put together - and you can mix it up a bit - I used Reeses pieces and hob-nobs but use choc-ripple biscuits or choc wheatens and M&Ms or smarties or whatever you like :)  Colour-co-ordinating it to party colours, or your special cause or whatever!  Be creative!

Ingredients:

150grams hob-nobs (or biscuits of your choice)

145grams butter

145 grams of 50% dark chocolate

150ml condensed milk

100g milk chocolate

150g reeses pieces (or smarties/m&ms of your choice)

Method

Line a loaf pan with baking paper ensuring it reaches all sides.

In a bowl, break up your hobnobs/biscuits.

Add half your Reese's pieces.

In a jug or microwave proof bowl add butter and chocolate and heat on 50% for 1 minute, remove and stir and then repeat for another minute.  If not completely melted keep microwaving in bursts of 20 seconds on 50% power. Stir well between each burst.

 Yum.

Add your condensed milk and stir well.

Add to the biscut mix.

Pour into your tin and then put in the fridge for 20 minutes until it sets.

Repeat the process with melting the milk chocolate, 50% power for 1 minute, then stir and repeat until melted.  Pour over the top of the chilled slice.

Now add the other half of your Reese's pieces to the top, or get a special assistant to help ;)

Be as creative or random as you like.

Chill for another 20 minutes.

Slice with a hot knife into slices and store individually in strips of baking paper.

These would be fabulous with icecream I think!  

Baked doughnuts (not half as naughty!)

Have I got your attention?  Yes? When I saw the recipe for these from Krissy - there was no choice - I was making them and that was that.   I changed out the nutmeg for cinnamon and glazed mine instead of half-half glaze/sugar, but you can get as fancy as you like - these might even be a great activity for a birthday party - and eat afterwards right?  You could even freeze the doughnuts before you ice them...!

The taste isn't exactly like a real doughnut although they are light and tasty - do remember they are bread... if you want the real thing - try this recipe here.

Ingredients:

For the Dough

3/4 cups Warm Milk

1 tsp yeast powder

1 egg

1 tb butter, softened

1/3 cup caster sugar

2 1/2 cups plain flour

1/2 tsp cinnamon powder

1/2 tsp salt

For the Glaze

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

2 cups sifted icing mixture

colouring if you wish

100's and 1,000's if you like too!

Method:

Add your yeast to 1/4 cup of your warm milk, and set aside for about 15 minutes, until it foams up a little:

Add the rest of your milk, egg, and butter and sugar, then gradually stir in the flour eventually kneading it into a smooth dough.   Place in a greased bowl covered with cling wrap for about 2 hours or until it has doubled in size:

Preheat oven to 190 degrees c

Pour out your dough onto a clean floured surface

Roll out until quite thin, about 3mm thickness

Cut out your doughnut shapes - I used an ikea cup and a tupperware melon baller!  Improvise as you like (or you can buy a doughnut cutter, yes, you can!)

In the leftover pieces of dough, cut out extra holes - but don't re-knead the dough - it will be too tough when baked.

Place on a greased tray (I made 18 dough-nuts and about 30 holes!) and allow to rise for another hour

Aren't they beautiful!?

Bake for 7 minutes then allow to cool.

Make your glaze by adding the vanilla and colouring to the icing mixture and whisking in the milk until you get a thick-ish but spreadable consistency.

Dip your doughnuts in and then get an eager assistant to 'sprinkle them'

Now if you like a light glaze, dunk them when they are a little warm (on the left) but leave them until they are cold and dunk, and the icing will be more pronounced (I personally loved eating them warm...)

They look like the real thing right?  My kids didn't even care!  Now if you are going down the artificial colouring free route - can I suggest hopper .. great resource on artificial colourings/flavours and also where you can buy the alternatives (which don't look any different!)

On your list?

Try it this weekend: Cheese Fondue

If you lived the sixties and seventies you'd remember fondue.  Fondue also had a brief revival in the early naughties, where I first became familiar with preparing it.  These were the days for me that hubby and I were in blissful domesticity, sans kids.    I had an old fondue set, I picked up at my local vinnies and we would make chocolate and cheese fondues sometimes for friends, and sometimes just for us.

When we got married, we put a fondue set on our bridal registry, and lo and behold we got two... one stainless steel and one in cast iron.  Needless to say my orange gem was liberated back to vinnies.. but I decided to keep the book that came with it....

And on the inside the inscription which I love... 'To Diane, for ME, from John'

Clearly, this man loved fondue.  If you don't have a fondue pot, you can use a regular saucepan but you need to be sure that your hob/stove can be set to a low setting, and then you have to eat quick (not hard to do promise!). The beauty of a fondue set is it comes with a burner stand, so you can light a burner with some fuel (methylated spirits) and keep it slowly simmering whilst you dip in..

Ingredients:

1 clove garlic

3 cups swiss cheese (I used a combination of emmental and generic swiss)

1 cup dry white wine

1/2 tsp mustard of your choice

Method:

Rub the inside of your fondue pot or saucepan with the garlic.

Add your grated cheese, wine and mustard.

Put over a very low heat, stir constantly until the cheese melts through...

 Serve with your 'dippers'   I used button mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, grilled hungarian sausage and bread cubes cut from crusty rolls.

The dipping is the fun part - double-dipping not allowed!

Have you had fondue?  What do you like to dip in or what would you like to?

School holiday fun - LCM sushi

I guessed from last week's recipe on how to make LCM's at home, you were pretty impressed - now let me take it just that one.step.further.  LCM sushi!  You can get super creative with lollies in the middle or different shapes/colours - but truly they are really easy and a great little party treat don't you think?

All you need to do is prepare your LCM mix, I just reserved a cup of mine and spread it in a container.

Cut out little rounds with a cutter, I used a clean lid of my spent oyster sauce (it was clean, promise!) and then wrap around some sour strips or even some roll ups - whatever you like!

Aren't they CUTE!?