TWD-Brrrr-ownies

Brownies. Who doesn't like brownies? Especially brownies and mint. One of my all-time favorite brownie recipes is for what I called As Good as BYU Mint Brownies but have more recently started to refer to as Magnificent Mint Brownies. They really are magnificent and I am always asked for the recipe when I take them to any event.

I got a little sidetracked here! Back to this weeks Brrr-ownies. I thought I had double checked to make sure I had all the ingredients but when I went to make them I realized I didn't have any unsweetened baking chocolate so instead I used Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa Powder. I used 3 T cocoa power and 1 T vegetable oil for each ounce. I don't think it made any difference in the final product. These came together quickly and I loved that it was a one bowl deal.

My hubby said they were "stellar" and he would definitely want me to make them again. I liked that they were fudgy with little mint surprises mixed throughout.

Because I used the dark cocoa powder, my brownies came out nearly black! That said, they weren't much to look at so I didn't even bother taking a picture because I don't think any amount of "dressing up" would have made them look appetizing. The photo would not have done the brownie justice as to how good it really was. Next time around I will definitely use normal cocoa powder.

This will be another Dorie recipe that will go into my favorite recipes. I saw some people used peanut butter cups instead of peppermint patties so I think the next time I give these a try that is what I will use. If you're interested in the recipe and some great photos head here.

Until next time, Happy Baking!

Cinnamon Roll Trick

Cinnamon rolls are one of our favorites around here. Definitely a special occasion treat. I will admit making these babies has taken a little practice and a good amount of instruction from a few baking experts (aka:mothers and mother like figures, susie). Last fall Liz and I had a bake off to see whose cinnamon roll recipe was better. I cannot really say who won, because I am pretty sure that we had too many kids in one house to be able to properly pay attention to our rolls. Sometimes mothers do too much at one. Both turned out great and I think we are both partial to our own recipes and our husbands are definitely partial to their own wife's recipes. So really with no clear judge who is to pronounce the winner? Can you really go wrong with cinnamon and sugar with fresh rolls. NO WAY!!

Okay so not to tempt and leave no recipe, but out of request from the owner of my cinnamon roll recipe I have agreed not to share her recipe. However I will share with you one of my favorite tips that you can use with your cinnamon roll recipe.

First off here is my average cinnamon roll. Yummy!



My favorite tip is: Make your own homemade caramel sauce and pour on top of chopped pecans in your pan before adding your cinnamon rolls and after it bakes flip them over and enjoy AMAZING caramel pecan rolls, which we happen to like better than regular. And if you want you can make it easier and even just pour in some store bought caramel icecream topping (blasphemy, I know....store bought) over your pecans and you will still be in heaven. Enjoy!

Barefoot Contessa's Crostata

I think I'm in love! A few weeks ago a friend of mine passed along Barefoot Contessa's Apple Crostata recipe. I made it and loved it, seriously loved it! The crust is so easy to throw together in my food processor and it's buttery and flakey. The apples with the orange zest--a great combination.

A couple of weeks later, I stumbled upon BC's recipe for her Summer Fruit Crostata. It's truly heavenly. I omitted the plums and made it with peaches and blueberries and it was wonderful! So delicious, beautiful, and packed full of flavor.

Check out the apple recipe as well as the summer fruit version and hopefully you'll enjoy as much as we did!

TWD-Dressy Chocolate Loafcake

This weeks TWD recipe was for Dressy Chocolate Loaf Cake. When I read the recipe I knew this was going to be a winner and it did not disappoint. This simple recipe was rich and moist and just an all-around wonderful cake. The sour cream in the cake makes it moist and in the frosting makes the chocolate a bit tangy. It was a great combination.

Our friends came over for Sunday night dessert and they couldn't stop talking about how good it was and I have to agree. This is a definite keeper. For the full recipe, which you won't want to pass up, head on over to Amy Ruth Bakes.

Happy Baking!

TWD: Raisin Swirl Bread

I LOVE raisin bread! It is such a treat in our house, only you can have it for breakfast and feel okay about it.



I made two loaves of this bread. My kids and husband don't like raisins so I did one loaf with and I couldn't bear going without them myself so I did a second laof with raisins. Hands down the loaf with raisins was better. I made the mistake of cutting the bread and eating it while warm, because I think bread is best when it is warm. It kind of fell apart and the flavor did not pop. This bread was best after it cooled and then toasted and buttered. I loved it so much I think this is what I ate for all three meals for two days. Let's just say I am not counting carbs. Yum!



My dough did not look as Dorie described it (satiny). It looked like most roll dough does, but it still turned out great. I loved that the sugar and cinnamon were pre measured so I let my 4 year old sprinkle the cinnamon and sugar on top. It was a fun make, but it did take time. It wasn't too difficult, but as always for homemade bread you have rising times and such.



My little guy woke up from his nap in my last stages of baking so I set him on the counter and let him play with the flour. At first he wasn't too happy about getting flour all over himself, but he quickly got over it.

If you want to give this a try you can go over to food.baby for the recipe.

As Good as BYU Brownies

Many of the Bakers on celestial confections attended BYU for our undergraduate degrees. And those that did not have had their fill of BYU experiences as Mom and Dad Alumni took us there many times as children. One specialty BYU has are their brownies....both regular and mint. And if you have not noticed chocolate is kind of the main squeeze around our house. So a good brownie is essential. Whitney found this recipe....I am not sure where, but she has been making it for years and shared it with all of us. These babies will not last 24 hours in your house...I promise!

As Good As BYU Brownies

Brownies
2 cups sugar
2 cups flour
4 eggs
1/2 cocoa powder
2 sticks butter
1/2 tsp salt

Chocolate Frosting
4 T butter
1/4 cup cocoa powder
2 cups powdered sugar
2 T milk
1 tsp vanilla

Mint Frosting
4 T butter
2 T evaporated milk
2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 tsp peppermint or mint extract

Chocolate Glaze
6 T butter
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

Brownies
Cream butter and sugar together. Add eggs one at
a time. Add flour, cocoa powder and salt. Spray
9x13 pan with cooking spray and bake at 350
degrees for 28 minutes. (The 28 minutes is very
important according to the owner of the recipe.)

-April note: I have made these before when they ended up dry. This time I added a smidge less flour and a tiny bit extra cocoa powder and underbaked them slightly. They turned out fabulous. Do what you need to bakers!

Frostings-
Mix all together

Glaze
Melt at low heat in microwave stirring frequently.

For regular brownies just use the chocolate
frosting. For mint brownies chill with mint frosting
before spreading glaze on top.

White Chocolate Brownies

What a delicious little treat! I thought these brownies came together quickly and I loved the taste of almond, orange, and raspberries. They seemed more like a cake than a brownie, but they had great flavor. I'm not a huge meringue fan and next time I would probably omit the meringue. I'm not sure if I would just dust them with powdered sugar or top them with cream.

If you want the full recipe check out Marthe at Culinary Delight.