Outrageous Brownies from Ina Garten

Outrageous Brownies from Ina Garten
Source: Smitten Kitchen

Makes about: One 9×13’’ pan
Prep time: 10 minutes
Bake time: 20+15 minutes

I made 1/3 of the original recipe, since the original was too much, and this math was easier. I also used a 9×13 pan, so the original brownies were quite thick. The final result is very rich—strong flavors of hazelnut and coffee. I liked the strong coffee flavor, but depends on your taste.

Ingredients
1 stick + 3tbsp butter
5 oz semisweet chocolate chips
2 oz unsweetened chocolate
2 eggs
1 tbsp instant coffee granules
2 tsp vanilla extract
2/3cup+ 1 tbsp sugar
1/3 cup+ 1tbsp flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/3 tsp salt

add-ins:
1 tbsp + 1 tsp flour
1 cup chopped walnuts (I used hazelnuts)
4 oz semisweet chocolate chips

Directions
1) Melt together 5 oz of chocolate chips, the unsweetened chocolate, and butter
2) Mix in eggs, coffee, vanilla
3) Mix in 1/3 cup of flour, powder, and salt
4) Mix the rest of the chocolate chips and nuts with 1 tbsp+ 1tsp flour, then add.
5) Bake 20 minutes, rap to force air to escape.
6) Bake another 15 minutes until knife inserted into the center comes out clean.
7) Let brownies cool. Enjoy!

David Leibovitz’s Robert’s Best Brownies

David Leibovitz’s Robert’s Best Brownies
Source: David Leibovitz

Makes about: one 8×8’’ pan
Prep time: 10 minutes
Bake time: 30 minutes.

I made a half recipe in a 9×5 loaf pan. It’s extremely chocolately, and definitely the most richly chocolately of the brownie recipes I’ve tried so far. Unfortunately, the texture was a bit loose/crumbly, although it was pretty fudgy.

Ingredients
6 tablespoons (3 ounces) butter
8 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, or pecans, toasted and coarsely chopped.

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Prepare 8×8’’ pan.
2. Melt butter and chocolate together.
3. Mix in sugar.
4. Beat in eggs.
5. Mix in flour, nuts, vanilla until glossy.
6. Bake 30 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars

Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars
Source: Ina Garten

Makes about: one 9×13 tray (half of original recipe)
Prep time: 15 minutes
Bake time: 45 minutes.

These bar cookies were very sweet and full of familiar flavors (peanut butter and jelly!). They were crunchy on top, with sugar soft inner filling.

Ingredients
1 stick butter
¾ cup sugar
½ tsp vanilla
1 egg
1 cup peanut butter
1 ½ cup flour
½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
¾ cup jam (I used 18oz jar—25 tbsp jar)
1/3 cup peanuts, optional

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Prepare 9×13’’ baking pan with parchment paper or greased foril.
2. Cream butter, peanut butter, and sugar together.
3. Mix in vanilla extract and egg.
4. Beat in flour, baking powder, salt.
5. Spread 2/3 of dough into prepared pan.
6. Spread jam over the cookie dough.
7. Sprinkle remaining 1/3 of dough over jam.
8. Bake 45 minutes or until top is golden brown.

Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies

Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies
Source: Amateur Gourmet

Makes about: 20 cookies, tbsp scoop
Prep time: 15 minutes
Bake time: 8-10 minutes

This cookie is very chocolatey and nicely spiced. The texture is like a brownie in a cookie form (well, fudgy in that way). The chocolate bits melt right into the cookie, so make sure to have small pieces. Also, you’ll need to flatten these cookies, because they don’t spread. Included below is the half recipe.

Ingredients
½ cup + 2tbsp flour
¼ cup almond butter
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
¼ tsp vanilla
¼ tsp almond extract (I substituted vanilla here)
½ cup brown sugar
¼ cup Dutch cocoa (I used natural, and it seemed fine)
¼ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp sea salt
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
¼ cup mini chocolate chips (or, regular chips, chopped)
1/8 cup sugar for rolling

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Prepare baking sheet with silicone/parchment paper.
2. Cream together butter, almond butter, butter.
3. Mix in sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, salt, pepper.
4. Mix in cocoa and flour.
5. Mix in chocolate chips.
6. Roll into balls and roll in sugar.
7. Place on prepared pan and flatten.
8. Chill cookies until firm (I froze them for later use)
9. Bake 8-10 minutes. Enjoy!

Lime Yogurt Cake

Lime Yogurt Cake
Source: Smitten Kitchen

So I had some limes, and some yogurt…and decided to make this cake. The cake was very moist and fairly similar to other citrus-juiced-based cakes. It didn’t really rise that much and was pretty dense, but I also baked it in a loaf pan and not a 9’’ round pan.

Makes about: 1 loaf
Prep time: 10 minutes
Bake time: 40 minutes

Ingredients
1 cup whole milk plain unsweetened yogurt
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 cup sugar
zest of one lime
1/4 cup lime juice
2 eggs
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Prepare 9’’ round pan or 9×5 loaf pan with parchment or greasing.
2. Whisk together yogurt, oil, eggs.
3. Mix in sugar and lime juice.
4. Mix in flour, baking powder, baking soda salt.
5. Pour into prepared pan.
6. Bake 40 minutes or until knife comes out clean in center.

Healthier Blueberry Cake

Healthier Blueberry Cake
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Makes about: 8×8 pan
Prep time:5 mins
Bake time: 30-35 mins

This blueberry cake is light and fluffy, just like the original Bluebery Boy Bait from Smitten Kitchen—and you can’t stop eating it! This is a smaller recipe with vegetable oil instead of butter and less sugar and also has some whole wheat flour.

Ingredients
½ cup whole wheat flour
½ cup all-purpose flour
1.5 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
½ cup canola oil
½ cup brown sugar
2 eggs
½ cup soy milk (or regular milk)
¼ cup blueberries+1.5 tsp flour

topping:
¼ cup blueberries
2 tbsp sugar (I used brown)
¼ tsp cinnamon

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Whisk together eggs, oil.
3. Whisk in brown sugar
4. Mix in eggs
5. Mix in flour, baking soda, salt.
6. Mix blueberries with flour. Mix into batter.
7. Pour batter into prepared pan.
8. Sprinkle blueberries over top.
9. Sprinkle cinnamon and sugar mix over the top.
10. Bake 30-35 minutes or until knife inserted into center comes out clean.

Blueberry Boy Bait

Blueberry Boy Bait
Source: Smitten Kitchen

Makes about: 9×13” pan
Prep time: 10 minutes
Bake time: 45-50 minutes

This cake is very light, fluffy and moist, which was surprising for something with so much butter! I used almond milk instead of regular milk, which turned out fine. I’ve also substituted vegetable oil for the butter, which has also turned out equally delicious. I’ve also only used frozen blueberries with great success. It’s quick and easy cake to make, especially if you have frozen blueberries on hand!

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon table salt
16 tablespoons unsalted butter (2 sticks), softened (can also use vegetable oil)
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 cup milk (used almond milk)
1/2 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen (do not defrost frozen ones)+ 1tsp flour

Topping
1/2 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen (do not defrost)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Prepare 9×13’’ baking pan with parchment paper or by greasing.
2. Beat together butter and sugar.
3. Add eggs and milk.
4. Mix in flour.
5. Mix blueberries with 1tsp flour. Mix into batter.
6. Spread into prepared pan.
7. For topping: scatter blueberries over batter.
8. Sprinkle cinnamon and sugar over batter.
9. Bake 45-50 mins, until knife inserted into the center comes out clean.

Gluten-Free Belgian Brownie Bites

Gluten-Free Belgian Brownie Bites
Source: Smitten Kitchen

Makes about: 12 mini ones (for 1/5 of the recipe; used a mini muffin pan. )
Prep time: 10 minutes
Bake time: 20 minutes

I made 1/5 of the original recipe. I also used almond meal and made them gluten free. They are crispy on outside and full of rich chocolate gooiness on the inside.

Ingredients
9 ounces bittersweet chocolate (60 – 64% cacao) (1.8oz)
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces (3.6 tbsp butter)
5 eggs, beaten lightly with a fork (1 egg)
1 1/3 cups superfine sugar (4 tbsp sugar)
3 tablespoons pastry flour (~2 tsp flour or almond meal)

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 325.
2. Melt butter and chocolate together.
3. Mix in sugar.
4. Beat in egg.
5. Mix in flour (or almond meal).
6. Spoon into mini-muffin pan.
7. Bake 15-20 minutes until shiny on top and knife comes out clean.