Chocolate Heaven

If my sleepy brain remembers correctly, I know some people who think they have a dessert with this name. However, tonight was born proof that they need a new name. This "tart" is 72845042859% Ghiradelli semisweet chocolate chips, so no doubt it was amazing.

Brownie "tart" from the crazy Barefoot Contessa. First you melt 2 c chocolate chips (the quality really, really, really matters so splurge and get something good!) and 6 tbsp butter in a double boiler until things are thick and creamy and you almost want to jump in and bathe in the stuff. With the kitchen aid workhorse, mix up three eggs (your choice as to how many whites and yolks you want to use; I used one whole egg and two whites) with 1 c sugar, 1/2 tsp vanilla, and 1 tsp instant coffee. (Use the coffee! If you don't want the caffeine, use decaf like us; if you don't like coffee, don't worry, you won't taste it--it just enhances the chocolate flavor; if you don't like chocolate, get out!). Turn the mixer on low and leave it on while you stir together 1/2 c flour (we actually used almond flour because we were out of all-purpose, 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/4 tsp salt, and another cup of your awesome chocolate chips. (Flouring the chocolate chips is supposed to help them not sink to the bottom. I forgot this step, but I'm not sure if they sunk or not, because it didn't really rise so there wasn't really a bottom or a top.) Put the dry ingredients in the wet, then add the chocolate and butter mixture. (If it's before dinner, don't do what I did and eat half the chocolate-butter mixture because it's the best thing you've ever tasted. Not that I'm allowed to talk.) Mix well and pour into a tart pan, or a 9" round, your mouth, etc. If it survives until the oven, bake at 350 for 35 minutes. Inside is gooey chocolate heaven, so don't expect a toothpick to come out completely clean.

My advice is to do this when you can be sure you'll be by yourself; it's not the kind of thing you'll want to share. :) And no, there are absolutely NOT pictures of the final thing! Would you have been wasting time taking pictures when you could have been eating it?! Of course not!

Peanut Butter Brownies

There are unfortunately no pictures, for a few reasons. First, this is the kind of thing that you begin shoving in your mouth with reckless abandon the second they come out of the oven, and don't stop until the pan is empty (or your heart stops beating, whichever comes first). Second, they weren't that photogenic because they had to travel from a hot apartment to movie night in the air conditioned library, and Giovanni wasn't around anyway. Finally, part of the point of pictures is education and motivation, and these brownies frankly are too good to be made. If you do make them, however, be sure to give them to me before you taste them, otherwise you could end up in the hospital. Good thing the library we ate them in was right next to the ER!

Brownies:

Whitney says to add things in three phases:

1) 1 c butter, melted; add 1 c cocoa
2) 2 c sugar; add 3 eggs (we used a whole egg and 2 egg whites); add 2 tsp vanilla
3) 1 c flour; add 1/2 tsp salt

Bake at 350 F in a 9x13 pan for 25-30 minutes (I think ours took longer?). The middle will be gooey and chocolately and soooo good...*faints*.

The original recipe is half this and makes an 8x8 pan with 2 eggs. For a jelly roll pan, use 1.5x the recipe.

Frosting:
1 stick butter, slightly soft
1 # powdered sugar
1/2 c peanut butter (could use more)
whole milk to consistency (can use another kind of milk, or probably half & half, etc.)

Butterscotch Brownies

My friend made a very wise decision to not hang out with me tonight because today was one of those days at work and I needed chocolate. Apparently I'm a bad influence on her. :P (Good thing she doesn't know I made the brownies in cereal bowls) She made the right decision. And more for me!

(the lumps are chocolate chips :) )

Tonight's experiment demonstrated 4 things:
1. Butterscotch chips SINK guys, they SINK! So don't expect that if you put them on top of the batter they'll melt and make you butterscotch frosting.

2. Butterscotch chips actually just plain SUCK at melting. Even in the microwave. Next time I'll spread the paste on the second the brownies come out of the oven so they're hotter and can melt the paste more effectively (tonight it didn't really melt at all, but it was still delicious).

 (it looks like cake but itsnot!)

3. More cakey brownies are easy (just add a tablespoon or two of extra flour) but know that this dilutes the cocoa, so also add more cocoa.
4. Last but not least, you can totally make brownies in cereal bowls (it helps if you're making a half-batch like I was). (Is my college student really showing that much? It was a small batch!)

To Whom It (yes we need to capitalize It when it refers to brownies!) May Concern:
When you come to eat stew, please take these away from me.
Kthxbai.