Brownie Perfection...

Brownie Pefection

 

 

 

For a good while now I have been hunting from the perfect brownie recipe, each time I thought I nearly had it, it escaped and ran away from me, until now!

This recipe is the closest thing you will find to fudge brownie perfection, they are crisp on the outside, dense and fudgy on the inside and an absolute delight!

The base recipe comes from EddKimber who was the winner of the first The Great British Bake Off in 2010; this recipe came from his blog, the only tweaks I’ve made are the size of the tin – I use an 8inch square brownie tin and sometimes of I don’t have enough dark chocolate I’ll use milk chocolate to make up the weight.

The great thing with finding the perfect ‘base’ recipe is that now the flavor additions are endless, but of course they do taste delicious just as they are.

So I’ve made 2 new varieties peanut butter & After Eight (mint thins) both of which are totally scrummy.

So, on with the basics…here is the fudge brownie recipe:

Fudge Brownies

180g plain flour
3 tbsp cocoa powder
1/4 tsp salt
300g dark chocolate or milk chocolate or a mixture of both!
150g unsalted butter
220g light brown sugar
150g caster sugar
4 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract

1.    Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan.

2.    Grease an 8inch square tin and line with a strip of parchment leaving about a 2-inch overhang along the long edges to make removing the brownies easier.

3.     Sieve the flour, cocoa powder and salt together into a medium bowl and set  aside.

4.    Place the chocolate and butter into a heatproof bowl and set over a pan of simmering water, making sure the bowl doesn’t touch the water, and stir occasionally until the mixture is fully melted.

5.    Take the bowl of the heat and add the eggs and sugars and beat until the mixture is smooth.

6.    Sieve over the flour mixture and gently fold together.

7.    Pour into your prepared tin, giving it a tap on the work surface to get rid of any air bubbles.

8.    Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached, you don’t want raw batter. Allow to cool completely before using a sharp knife to cut into squares.

Peanut Butter Brownies

 

 

So now you’ve got your basic brownie know how, why not try some peanut butter brownies by adding 130g crunchy peanut butter at step 4. and melting it together with the butter and choc.

Then when you’ve poured your batter into the tin drizzle 130g of warmed crunchy peanut butter onto the top for the mix and marble gently with the tip of a knife.

Bake as normal and enjoy!

 

After Eight Brownies

 

 

Or, how about super rich and super dark After Eight Mint Brownies? Follow the basic brownie recipe but at step 4. add a couple of drops of peppermint oil/extract to your butter and chocolate mixture.

Then at step 7. Pour on HALF of the mixture into your tin, smooth it out, and then add a layer of After Eight Mints to the top of the mixture, leaving about a 1cm gap from the edge, then pour the rest of the mix on top and smooth out till even, give the tin a tap and the add a few pieces of cut up After Eight mints to the top (I also added some cocoa nibs for extra crunch).

Bake as normal and enjoy!

Salted Caramel Brownies

 

 

These are divine, delicious Salted Caramel Brownies? Follow the basic brownie recipe then at step 7. Pour on HALF of the mixture into your tin, smooth it out, and then add a layer of salted caramel (a good recipe can be found here) to the top of the mixture, leaving about a 1cm gap from the edge, then pour the rest of the mix on top and smooth out till even, give the tin a tap and bake! Ensure you leave these to cool right down otherwise you'll burn yourself on very hot caramel!!!

Ginger & Orange Blossom Brownies

 

 

Chewy & spicy Ginger  and Orange Blossom brownies,follow the basic brownie recipe but at step 4 add 2 1/2 teaspoons of orange blossom water and the zest of a large orange, then at step 7. Pour on HALF of the mixture into your tin, smooth it out, and then add 150 finely choppd crystalised ginger to the top of the mixture, leaving about a 1cm gap from the edge, then pour the rest of the mix on top and smooth out till even, give the tin a tap, sprikle on a few more pieces of chopped ginger and bake!

 

More varieties coming soon.....

 

 

Honey Maple Goodness Bites

Little guilt free (almost) squares of goodness

Ingredients

100g flaked almonds
100g rolled oats
100g seeds of your choice, pumpkin, sunflower, pine nuts etc – I used a mixture.

35g dessicated coconut

70g dark brown sugar
70g honey
70g maple syrup
60g unsalted butter
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoons vanilla extract
1tsp teaspoon cinnamon
60g rice crispies or puffed wheat or cornflakes
120g dried fruit of your choice  e.g cranberries, blueberries, raisins, apricots.

Spread the almonds, oats, coconut & seeds onto a baking tray lined with parchment and toast in the oven for 8-10mins at 200c until lightly browned and smelling delicious! Allow to cool slightly and then transfer to a large bowl.

While your ingredients are toasting, line an 8-inch square baking tray/tin with parchment paper, let the parchment drape over the sides a little as this makes life a lot easier when removing them from the tin.

In a small saucepan, heat the honey, maple syrup, butter and sugar over a medium heat, allow it to boil until all the sugar is dissolved and a caramel is created, about 5 minutes, WARNING: be very careful as the caramel is VERY HOT!! Do not be tempted to dip your fingers in it!

Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla and cinnamon.

Pour the caramel over the nut, oat, and coconut mixture, add the dried fruit and cereal and stir until evenly coated.

Pour the mixture into your prepared tin and spread into an even layer, press down as much as possible. Cover the mixture with a second sheet of parchment and either weigh it down with tins or baking beans. Let stand for about 2 hours. Remove the top piece of parchment. Using the overhanging paper, lift out the square of goodness. Cut into 12 large bars or 24 smaller squares and enjoy!

Eat within a few days, or the squares can be wrapped and frozen.

Enjoy!

Adapted from Blueberry Pumpkin Seed Energy Bars,

www.theresanewfinmysoup.blogspot.co.uk

A KitKat Cake fit for a Queen

There is a long standing joke with a very good friend of mine that has led to her being affectionately being called The Queen, so for her brithday this year I made her a royal kitkat crown....

3 layers of sponge, chocolate & vanilla, soaked with framboise and filled and covered with a fresh raspberry cream topped with fresh raspberries and surrounded by 21, yes, 21 two finger kitkats!

That's a lot of KitKats!

I have to say i was pretty impressed with the outcome!



Ta-dah!!!

And heres the inside....Mmmmm!

Cheats Chocolate Fudge

Who doesn’t love an indulgent piece of fudge? this is a great 'cheats' recipe as there is no boiling of sugar required, which is also handy if the kids want to help you.

It’s a very versatile recipe and you can use either milk or plain choc, and you can use whatever fruit nut combination you like.

It makes a perfect gift too....

Ingredients

210g dried fruit &/or nuts (I chose equal amounts of cherries, blueberries and pistachios)

*reserve 50g of this for the topping*

230g plain or milk chocolate

230g milk or plain chocolate flavoured cake covering 

* IMPORTANT NOTE -this is the ONLY time I would ever advocate using this, in this recipe it helps with the fudginess, but apart from this recipe never ever use it as chocolate substitute!*

1 can of condensed milk (normally about 400g)

½ tsp vanilla essence

50g white chocolate

·         Line an 8 or 9inch square tin with baking parchment, break up the dark chocolate and the cake covering and put into a bowl along with the condensed milk.

·         Stir briefly and then pop in the microwave for 2mins

·         Stir thoroughly and then return to the microwave for a further 1 minute

·         Stir to ensure all the chocolate is melted, add the vanilla, fruit & nuts and stir until combined.

·         Pour into the tin and spread evenly, give the tin a tap of the counter to level it out and disperse any air bubbles.

·         Melt the white chocolate, drizzle over the fudge and then sprinkle the remaining fruit and nut mix onto it.

·         Chill in fridge until set (approx 3-4hrs

·         To serve, cut into squares with a hot knife, store in an airtight container in a cool place.

·         Should keep well for up to a week, if you manage to make it last that long!

Enjoy!

Double Peanut & Chocolate Cookies

Double Peanut & Chocolate cookies

These cookies are deliciously sweet & nutty with a hint of salt, crisp on the edges and chewy in the middle just like a cookie should be.

Makes approx 20 cookies

Ingredients

115g soft unsalted butter

125g crunchy peanut butter
140g light muscavado sugar
1 large egg, beaten
½ tsp vanilla extract
225g self raising flour
100g good quality chocolate of your choice chopped into chunks (I chose a Green & Black’s bar with almonds for even more nuttiness)
150g roasted salted peanuts

·         Preheat the oven to 180c & lightly grease, or line with parchment several baking trays.

·         Put all the ingredient, except the peanuts into a bowl and mix well with a wooden spoon,  or you can throw it all into your mixer for a minute if you have one, until you have a well combined and formed dough

·         Sprinkle the peanuts into a shallow dish

·         Take ‘ferrero rocher’ sized ball of dough, roll into balls and then gently press them into the peanuts, so you get a nice coating on each ball.

·         Arrange well spaced out on the baking trays (peanut side up)

·         Bake for 15mins until light golden brown

·         Leave to cool on the trays for a couple of minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

·         Enjoy!

·         These will keep in an airtight container for 2-3 days or can be frozen for up to a month.

Easy Peasey Lemon Squeezy Slices

Easy Peasey Lemon Squeezy Slices

This is a lovely, quick recipe for when only something lemony and indulgent will do; these slices have a light, crumbly base and a creamy, zingy topping and are incredibly easy to make... (don't think about the calories in this one!)

Ingredients:

For the base:

300g plain flour

175g caster sugar

175 softened butter

1 egg

For the topping:

3 eggs

450g lemon curd

Zest of 2 lemons

175ml double cream

Heat the oven to 180c/gas mark 4

Line a 30cm x 20cm tin, I used a loose bottom one from Lakeland.

·         In a food processor blitz the flour and butter until it resembles fine breadcrumbs, add the sugar and blitz again, add one egg and whizz till incorporated, tip out and bring together into dough.

·         Press evenly into the bottom of the tin

·         Bake for 20mins or until slightly golden, remove from oven and leave to cool a little while you mix the topping ingredients.

·         Mix together the lemon curd, lemon zest, cream and the remaining eggs.

·         Spread the topping over the biscuit base

·         Bake for 25-30mins or until light and golden.

·         Take the tin from the oven and place on a cooling rack and leave to cool completely.

·         When cool cut into 16 equal slices/rectangles or 32 squares

·         Dust with icing sugar

·         Eat and enjoy!!!

Cinnamon Sugar Scones.....because everyone loves a wedding!

Everyone Loves a Wedding – Sugar Cinnamon Scones

So, yesterday history was made, Prince William married his Princess, it was a fabulous day and a wonderful wedding, the  type of wedding all little girls dream of, I have to admit my favourite part was when he look over at his bride and whispered ‘You look beautiful’.

So celebrate, 3 generations of friends and family gathered around an oversized TV, adorned themselves with hats, fascinators and flags and enjoyed the show!

Of, course it wouldn’t have been complete without an afternoon tea...we all provided a little something, and although, as always, we ended up with sandwich overkill it was a marvellous spread.

I chose to be typically British and indulge my love of Cornwall by providing Cinnamon Sugar scones, strawberry jam and Cornish clotted cream.

Ingredients:
450g self raising flour
1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon cinnamon

Pinch of salt
100g butter
50g caster sugar
240ml milk
150g currants (optional)

1 egg (beaten) and 2tsp milk for the egg wash
Caster sugar for sprinkling (optional)

Makes 12 large scones or 24 dainty ones!

Prepare 1 or 2 baking trays with greaseproof paper.

Preheat the oven to 200c/2180c fan

Firstly,  the flour, salt, baking powder and butter needs to be rubbed in until they resemble fine breadcrumbs, you can so this by hand, or, if you are short of time (and a teeny bit lazy like me) whizz it up in a food processor, it takes about 30 seconds!

Remove from the food processor and tip into a large bowl, add in the sugar and sultanas and mix well.

Add the milk to the bowl and mix together roughly to a dough, I prefer to mix my scones with a metal knife that used to belonged to my Nanny, I have learnt my lesson when it come to over-handling scone dough, the ones that came out of the oven and were like little blocks of concrete still stand out in my mind, even the birds wouldn’t touch them......

Tip the  dough onto a lightly floured surface and bring it together a little more using your (floured) hands, please, please, please do this very lightly and briefly.

Now, I know a lot of folks use a rolling pin but trust me you really don’t need to, pat your dough to about 1inch thick.

Using you cutter of choice, I used a 2.5inch heart cutter for this batch – well, it was a wedding after all! Cut out your scones, flour the cutter each time and press straight  down, don’t twist the cutter as this will seal the sides and they won’t rise (remember the concrete blocks I spoke about earlier.....)

Now, you can either egg wash the tops and transfer these straight to the trays to bake, or you can give them a little something extra by sprinkling some caster sugar on the tops of them.

Bake in the over for 14-15 minutes, they will be golden brown on top and sound hollow when you tap the bottoms.

Transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool.

Serve with clotted cream, strawberry jam and a nice cup of tea!