The Best Brownies

These brownies are not for the faint of heart or the calorie conscious.  However, if you want an extremely chocolately brownie that’s dense, not too sweet, fudgy, chewy, crispy on top, impressive, homemade, and truly decadent, then these are for you.  Don’t be scared by the amount of butter and chocolate in this recipe since it makes a huge quantity of brownies and a small one goes a long way.  Remember, boxed brownies don’t stand a chance next to homemade.  Enjoy!

The Best Brownies (inspired by Ina Garten’s Outrageous Brownies, The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook)

1 pound (4 sticks) unsalted butter

1 pound plus 20 oz. good semi sweet chocolate chips

6 oz. unsweetened chocolate

6 large eggs, room temperature

2 tablespoons good vanilla extract

2 ¼ cups sugar

1 ¼ cups flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

¾ teaspoon kosher salt

Preheat oven to 350 and butter and flour a 12x18x1 inch baking sheet (or divide batter into several 9x13 pans)

In a double boiler (a heat proof bowl set over simmering water), melt butter, 1 pound chocolate chips, and unsweetened chocolate

Cool slightly

In a large bowl, stir eggs, vanilla, and sugar

Stir in chocolate mixture and allow to cool to room temperature

Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt in another bowl and add to the cooled chocolate mixture- stir just until combined

Mix the remaining 20 oz. chocolate chips with ¼ cup flour and fold into the batter

Pour into baking sheet

Bake for 18 minutes, and then tap the baking sheet against the oven shelf to let the air out (if you do not do this, the batter will overflow on your oven floor)

Rotate brownies and bake for another 15 minutes

Allow to cool completely then cut

Other add ins:  salted peanuts, walnuts, swirls of peanut butter, white chocolate, milk chocolate, cut up candy bars, toffee bits, anything else you think would be good!

French Apple Tart

If you want a wow fruit dessert, but aren’t into the whole pie thing, you will love this French apple tart.  The crust is buttery, but light and crisp, the apples are tart with added texture, and the glaze adds sweetness.  The best part is it’s easy to make, but everyone will think you spent hours on it. 

If you don’t have time to make the crust, defrosted frozen puff pastry works well in its place (but the crust is so easy, you won’t mind making it).  The tart is best when served at room temperature.  Enjoy!

French Apple Tart (from Barefoot Contessa, Back to Basics, page 191)

Pastry:

2 cups flour

½ teaspoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon sugar

12 tablespoons (1 ½ sticks) cold unsalted butter, diced

½ cup ice water

Apples:

4 granny smith apples

½ cup sugar

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) cold unsalted butter, small diced

½ cup apricot jelly or jam

For the pastry, place flour, salt, sugar in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade

Pulse a few seconds until combined

Add the butter and pulse 10-12 times, until butter is the size of peas

With the motor running, add the water and process until it just becomes a ball of dough

Dump onto a floured surface, work into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight

Preheat oven to 400

Line a sheet pan with parchment paper (do not forget to do this- you will have a mess on your pan if the parchment is not included)

Roll the dough to 10x14 and trim the edges

Place dough on sheet pan

Peel the apples, cut them in half through the stem, and remove the core and stem

Slice apples into ¼ inch slices

Place overlapping slices of apples in rows on the dough, making sure the dough is covered in apples (I didn’t use the ends of the slices since they didn’t look as pretty)

Sprinkle with the full ½ cup sugar and dot with butter

Bake for 45-60 minutes until pastry is browned and the edges of the apples start to brown, rotate once during cooking

Don’t worry if the apple juices burn in the pan- the tart will be fine

When the tart is done, heat the apricot jelly or jam until runny and brush evenly over the apples and the tart

Loosen the tart from the parchment paper and place on a wooden board (or somewhere you can slice it)

Serve at room temperature

Chocolate-Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread

Zucchini bread is a classic summer time recipe and a way to use up the huge amounts of zucchini I had this year.  It’s a quick bread recipe that’s really easy to make, takes no time at all, and is good with multiple add-ins.  I make it plain, with orange zest, and with chocolate chips.  However, I was craving something more decadent, so I made chocolate-chocolate chip zucchini bread. 

It turned out to be an incredibly moist bread that can be eaten for breakfast, as a snack, or dessert.  Enjoy!

Chocolate-Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread

1 1/4 cups flour

¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 cups grated zucchini

1 egg

¾ cup sugar

¼ cup vegetable oil

¼ cup unsweetened applesauce

½ teaspoon vanilla

1 cup semi sweet or milk chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 and grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan with spray or butter

Sift the flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a bowl and set aside

In another bowl, stir the grated zucchini, egg, sugar, oil, applesauce, and vanilla until combined

Add the flour mixture and stir until just combined

Fold the chocolate chips in

Pour into the loaf pan and bake for 45-55 min. until a toothpick comes out clean

Cool in pan for 5 min. then remove to a rack and cool completely before slicing 

Kate's Pasta Salad

My sister, Kate, made this flavorful and yummy pasta salad for a party last week.  It beats the mayo based/boring pasta salad that we’re all used to and is healthy with really good flavors.  Even better, it’s really easy to make and everyone will love it and want the recipe.  Enjoy!  

Southwest Pasta Salad (courtesy Kate Baima) 

SALAD:

6 oz farfalle (bow tie pasta), cooked, drained, rinsed with cold water

15oz black beans, drain and rinse

1 pint grape tomato, halved (I skip the halving)

3/4 c chopped red onion

1 avocado, peel and cube

1 c frozen corn, thawed (I add to pasta water at last minute to thaw)

VINAIGRETTE

1/2 c olive oil (I usually use less - up to one half less)

1/3 c fresh lime juice

1/3 c finely chopped cilantro

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 T hot pepper sauce (I use Frank's)

1 t cumin

1 t salt

Combine all salad ingredients in a large bowl (I always add the avocado just before serving, though).  Whisk together all vinaigrette items and add to salad.  Chill at least one hour.

Summer Garden Pasta

If you have a garden, you probably have an abundance of zucchini, tomatoes, and herbs.  You’re probably also sick of plain roasted zucchini, tomato salads, and zucchini bread.  Here’s another solution to use all of your produce in a different and healthy way. 

This pasta is good warm or room temperature.  Add chicken breast to bump up the protein (I did) or enjoy vegetarian style- either way is yummy.  Enjoy!

Garden Pasta Salad

For the dressing:

1 clove garlic, minced

¼ cup red wine vinegar

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

Kosher salt/pepper

For the salad:

8 oz. whole wheat spaghetti or linguini

1 medium zucchini

4 tomatoes, seeded and diced (any color/variety)

½ cup crumbled feta cheese

½ cup fresh basil, thinly sliced

2 teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped

Kosher salt/pepper

Dressing:  Combine all ingredients in a measuring cup or bowl and whisk until incorporated (add salt and pepper to taste)

Set aside 

Salad:  Bring large pot of water to a boil, salt the water, and cook according to package direction

Using a vegetable peeler (or mandolin), shave zucchini into thin strips and add to pasta water for the last minute of cook time

Drain pasta and zucchini and place in a large bowl

Add tomatoes, feta, and basil, thyme (add chicken or other protein if using) and toss to combine

Add dressing and toss

Season with salt and pepper 

Toasted Ravioli

St. Louis is famous for toasted ravioli.  Usually it is prepared by coating meat filled raviolis and deep frying them.  Since I tend to stay away from deep fried foods, I found a better and healthier way to make toasted ravioli by baking them.  The result is crispy raviolis that are perfect for an appetizer or a main course.  Enjoy!

Toasted Ravioli

1 package of fresh/frozen (dethawed)/refrigerated meat or cheese ravioli

1 egg

1 tablespoon milk

1 cup dried breadcrumbs

Parmesan cheese

Marinara sauce

Preheat oven to 375

Lightly beat the egg in a bowl and mix with the milk

Place the breadcrumbs in a separated bowl

Dip each ravioli in the egg/milk mixture first, then coat in breadcrumbs

Place on a baking sheet

Bake for 15 minutes, until browned

Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and dip in marinara sauce of your choice 

Red Velvet Cake

Red velvet cake became quite the phenomenon in recent years and people treated it like it was a brand new cake recipe.  It’s actually been around for many many years and it’s thought to originate in the South.  It’s not a chocolate cake or a white cake with red coloring.  Red velvet is a completely different recipe that uses vinegar and buttermilk.  The cream cheese frosting is the best part though, in my opinion. 

I bake something for my dad every year for Father’s Day instead of buying him a gift.  This year he chose red velvet cake.  I think it’s because his mom used to make them all of the time for special occasions and they are quite delicious.  My version of this classic cake is flavorful, easy to make, but not electric red (I like a more natural looking red).  Enjoy!

Red Velvet Cake

Cake:

12 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

3 cups cake flour

3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1 ¾ cup sugar

1/3 cup vegetable oil

3 eggs, at room temperature

2 tablespoons red food coloring

2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature

Preheat oven to 350 and butter 2 nine inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper

Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl and set aside

Beat the sugar, butter, and oil on high speed until light and fluffy (3-4 min.)

Add eggs, one at a time and beat well between additions

Beat in food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla

Reduce mixer to low, and add the flour mixture, in 3 batches, alternating with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour

Beat until just combined- do not overmix

Divide the batter equally between the 2 pans and bake for 30-40 min. until a toothpick comes out clean

Allow cakes to cool on a rack for 10 min. then take out of pan

Cool cakes completely before frosting

Frosting:

2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened

1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature

4 cups powdered sugar

½ teaspoon vanilla

Beat cream cheese and butter until fluffy

Add the powdered sugar and vanilla and beat until smooth

Place one cake layer, rounded side down, on a cake stand and frost the top generously

Place the other cake later, flat side down, on top and frost sides and top

*To make the layers completely flat, cut the rounded tops off of the cake layers with a serrated knife and the cake will sit evenly and look more elegant.

*A crumb coat can hide pieces of cake that mix with the frosting.  Place a thin layer of frosting all over cake, chill for at least 15 min., and then frost over the crumb coat.