Author: Chocolate Covered Weekly

As posted in FoodandWine.com, when Katie Brown was a kid, she was always awestruck when her mom told stories about her young adulthood. Her favorite stories were always related to her mom’s stint as a pastry chef and cake decorator at Dean & Deluca (rest in peace). She came away from that job with a host of baking tips and tricks that she continues to pass on to Katie to this day — the most important being that, when it comes to baking, measurements matter. Since Katie can remember, her mom has baked Katie’s favorite chocolate cake recipe with a set of these dual-sided, magnetic measuring spoons, and now that Katie finally snapped up a set for herself, she finally understands why.

The spoons range from ⅛ teaspoon to 1 tablespoon to accommodate batches of all sizes. They come with a magnetic leveler for measuring dry ingredients with ultimate precision. Since they’re double-sided and balanced, they can even lay flat on the kitchen counter without toppling over or spilling. Each spoon is dual-ended to contain both wet and dry ingredients. The wide, round side is built for measuring liquids without spillage, while the oval side seamlessly reaches into narrow spice jars and other small containers to measure dry ingredients. The magnetic pieces are color-coded and magically nest together, so you’re never stuck rifling through kitchen drawers to find the right measuring spoon. Plus, they come apart easily, meaning you don’t have to spend a ton of time opening and closing a ring to locate the one you need. The spoons include both metric and U.S. customary measurements, so you can make any recipe without having to spend time calculating conversions. Plus, the markings won’t fade away over time: Katie’s mom has had her set for nearly a decade, and they’re still completely legible. Plus, she swears the print is large enough that she doesn’t even need her reading glasses to find the right measuring spoon. These spoons promote accuracy and efficiency in the kitchen for your tastiest treats yet, and you can snag yours for around $11 — just over $1 apiece! Check them out on Amazon.

 

These ultra-fudgy dark chocolate brownies have melted dark chocolate, dark cocoa powder and chocolate chunks in them. They are rich and a little goes a long way with these thick and indulgent brownies! While they are sweet, they are not over-powering due to the dark chocolate. They are made in one bowl and couldn’t be easier to whip up when that ultimate chocolate craving hits.

INGREDIENTS:
12 tablespoons unsalted butter cubed
8 oz dark chocolate good quality chips or finely chopped bar
1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
½ cup (100 grams) light brown sugar packed
3 large eggs
⅓ cup (26 grams) cocoa powder ideally Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa powder
1 cup (120 grams) all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon salt
1 cup dark chocolate chunks/chips

INSTRUCTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line an 8 x 8 pan with parchment paper leaving an overhang on 2 sides or spray the pan with cooking spray.
Combine butter and chopped chocolate (or chocolate chips) in a medium heatproof bowl. Microwave in 30 second increments, stirring each time, until completely melted.
Add the brown and white sugar and stir to combine.
Add the eggs and stir until combined.
Add the cocoa powder, flour and salt and stir until almost combined but streaks of flour are still visible. Stir in the chocolate chips/chunks until just combined.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top.
Bake for about 30 minutes, until the edges are slightly puffed and the middle is set. The toothpick test won’t work for these because of the fudgy texture. You can also use an instant-read thermometer to test the middle of the brownies. You would want a temp around 180-190 degrees Fahrenheit.
Let the brownies cool slightly and then refrigerate them for a couple of hours to allow them to solidify and make them easier to cut.

NOTES
These are really rich, fudgy brownies. They could easily be cut into smaller pieces and yield 25 instead of 16 if you cut in a 5 x 5 grid.
Do not cut these straight from the oven. They really need to harden up in the refrigerator before you slice them or at least cool completely at room temperature.

Ingredient highlights:
All the usual suspects go into these brownies but let’s break each one down a bit:

Butter- I use unsalted butter in these brownies so that I can control the amount of salt.
Dark chocolate- I used Ghiradelli 60% bittersweet chocolate for these brownies. I’ve tested using both the Ghiradelli baking bar and the Ghiradelli chocolate chips and both work well. The chocolate is melted and folded into the batter and then whole chocolate chips or chocolate chunks are stirred in at the end. You can adjust the percentage you use based on how sweet you want your brownies. Remember, a higher percentage is less sweet than a lower percentage.
Sugars- Both granulated sugar and brown sugar are used in these dark chocolate brownies. Aside from adding obvious sweetness, brown sugar has more moisture in it and leads to a denser brownie which is why I use both.
Eggs- Eggs are a typical ingredient in brownies. I always use large eggs so try to use the same.
Cocoa powder- I used Hershey’s Special Dark cocoa powder which is a dutched cocoa powder. Natural unsweetened cocoa powder works fine as well. The special dark cocoa powder amps up that dark chocolate flavor.
Flour- Standard all-purpose flour is used for these brownies.
Salt- I used both kosher salt for the batter and coarse sea salt to sprinkle on top of the finished brownies. For the batter and for all of my baking and cooking, I use Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt. For finishing salt on the tops of the brownies, I use Maldon Sea Salt. The sea salt helps balance the sweetness and richness of the brownies. This is totally optional but really makes the brownies extra special!
Expert tips:
Use the microwave as a shortcut! I melt my butter and chocolate in a heatproof bowl large enough for all of the ingredients for 30-second increments until completely melted. It took about 3 and a half increments for mine to melt all the way. Stir after each 30 seconds. If it’s almost completely melted, don’t put it in for the whole 30 seconds as you don’t want to burn it. Using the microwave and a bowl big enough for all the ingredients makes this a one-bowl brownie recipe and super easy with minimal clean up. Of course, you can still use the stove to melt the butter and chocolate if you prefer!
Line your pan with a parchment paper sling so that two sides of the parchment extend beyond the pan. After the brownies have cooled, you just lift them from the pan easily using the parchment. The easiest way to cut these is out of the pan so this makes your job super simple. To keep the long sides of the parchment in place, try using metal binder clips.
Two types of chocolate- For extra rich and fudgy brownies, both cocoa powder and melted bittersweet chocolate is added. As mentioned above, any cocoa powder is fine in this recipe but I like to use Hershey’s Special Dark. Because there is no leavening agent in this recipe, the type of cocoa (natural or dutch-processed) doesn’t matter. If using chocolate bars, to easily chop the chocolate, consider using a serrated knife (or bread knife) to chop it. It’s much easier than a regular knife!
Don’t overbake- One of the main keys to achieving fudgy brownies is not overbaking them. It’s better to underbake these than overbake because as they cool, they will firm up more. Around 30 minutes is the perfect time for my brownies. They should you done on the top, slightly puffed on the edges and should not jiggle when you shake the pan. The toothpick test is a little difficult with these brownies due to how fudgy they are and the chocolate chips/chunks studding the batter.
Measure flour correctly. I’ve provided the gram measurments for the flour so if you have a kitchen scale, use it! Clean-up is even easier as you are not dirtying a bunch of measuring cups. Flour is often over-measured which can lead to dryer baked goods. If you don’t have a scale, then make sure you fluff up the flour in the canister or bag and then lightly spoon it into your measuring cup, leveling off the top.

How to cut the brownies neatly:
Chill the brownies in the fridge for a few hours before cutting into them if you want neat, clean slices. Use a really sharp knife that ideally is as long as the pan of brownies so you can cut in one slice. Cut without sawing through the brownies, making one clean slice down them. It also helps to wipe the knife off after each slice through the brownies.

Substitution and variations:
If you don’t have dark chocolate or bittersweet chocolate, you can substitute semi-sweet chocolate. I would not substitute milk chocolate in these dark chocolate brownies as they will be far too sweet. You would need to reduce the sugar some if you choose to use milk chocolate.

As said above, a baking bar or good quality chocolate chips can both be used as the melted chocolate. If you prefer to leave out the additional chocolate chips folded into the batter at the end, you can do so but they do add a nice textural element to the rich brownies.

I have not tested this as a gluten-free version, but you could likely swap 1:1 gluten-free baking flour for the all-purpose flour in these.

If you only have salted butter, it’s fine to use but don’t add the extra salt in the recipe.

FAQs
My brownies are under-baked. How can I make sure they are baked?
The easiest way to tell if your brownies are baked enough is to use an instant-read thermometer. They need to be at a minimum of 165 degrees in the middle to be safe to eat. They will still be very gooey at this temp so aim for about 180-190 for that perfect fudgy brownie. You can also try inserting a toothpick but know that you don’t want a clean toothpick to come out of them. They will be over-baked if you reach this point.

Can the brownies be frozen?
Yes, these freeze well. Ideally, freeze them whole and then thaw them overnight on the counter before cutting into them. If you are freezing leftovers, pack them tightly together in a zip-top bag. You can also wrap them in foil first and then put them into a zip-top bag or other container for an extra layer of protection. They will be good for a couple of months like this.

Storage
The brownies are best stored in the refrigerator and will last for a week or so. Make sure they are covered tightly. If you prefer to eat them less cold, pull them out of the refrigerator an hour before you serve them to take the chill off.

NUTRITION
Serving: 1 brownie
Calories: 342kcal

AS POSTED ON TheMarbleKitchen.com by Tara Kringlen.

These Pine Cone Brownies are seriously the cutest and make such a fun dessert to share around the holiday! They might look intimidating, but aren’t too hard to make actually! You can use a boxed brownie mix to save some time as well. These are gluten, dairy, egg, and refined sugar-free. These would be the perfect dessert to make for the holidays or a fun activity to do with friends or your kiddos.

EQUIPMENT:
1 8×8 baking dish

INGREDIENTS:

1 GF/Grain free boxed brownie mix and whatever ingredients it requires(I love Simple Mills)
1 cup sliced almonds(can sub with cereal flakes instead)
9 oz chocolate chips
1 tsp coconut oil
Powdered Sugar or Powdered Monk fruit

INSTRUCTIONS:

Make your brownie mix accordingly to the instructions(make sure to not over bake them so they will be somewhat gooey in the middle and easy to work with) Bake your brownie mix and then let it cool down for a few minutes but don’t let them cool down too much to where they harden.(about 10 minutes)
Take the baked brownie mixture and form into about 12 cone shapes. (Like you would for a cake pop!)
Place the almond slices (or cereal flakes) in and around the brownie cones(carefully because they are fragile), making the pine cone look full with “scales.”
Place the pine cones on a parchment paper lined sheet pan, and stick them in the freezer for 30 minutes.
Melt the chocolate chips with the coconut oil by heating in a bowl in the microwave in 30-second increments.(Or use a double boiler).
Take the pine cones out of the freezer and carefully coat each one with the melted chocolate. Place the pine cone brownies back on the parchment paper to set.
Sprinkle some powdered sugar on top for a frosted look and enjoy!
NOTES
*Every brownie mix is going to work differently. I shared the one that works best for me but exact results are not guaranteed if you use a different brownie mix.
*If your chocolate is too thick of a consistency to pour over your brownies try adding more coconut oil to thin out the chocolate. A semi sweet or dark chocolate will work better than milk chocolate.
*If your brownie mixture is a little crumbly try adding some chocolate or cream cheese frosting to bind it together more.

As posted on ColorfulSuperFoodie.com.

Do you ever just crave one cookie and cookie ONLY? Now you can make one chocolate chip cookie when that sweet craving hits late at night. Crispy on the edges and ooey gooey in the center!

INGREDIENTS:
2 tablespoons Challenge Unsalted Butter, melted
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon white sugar
1/2 tablespoon whisked egg
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup all-purpose flour, additional tablespoon as needed
chocolate chunks
flakey sea salt

INSTRUCTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350°F.
In a small bowl, add the melted butter, brown sugar, white sugar, whisked egg, vanilla extract, baking soda, and salt. Combine together until smooth.
Add the all-purpose flour and fold in with a rubber spatula until you have a cookie dough consistency. If the dough is a bit too wet, add 1/2 a tablespoon to 1 tablespoon of flour as needed.
Mix in the milk chocolate and dark chocolate and let the dough rest for 15 minutes in the fridge.
Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
Roll the dough into a ball and place on the lined sheet pan.
Optional, add a sprinkle of sea salt on top.
Pop in the oven to bake for about 8 minutes until the edges are golden brown and the center is still a bit soft. Do not overbake – the cookies will continue baking out of the oven on the hot pan.
Leave them on the pan for about 10 minutes or until firm before transferring them to a cooling rack to finish cooling and enjoy!

As posted on Moribyan.com.

Molten Lava Cookies are the best chocolate desserts! The lava center is a fun and delicious surprise for all who get to eat and enjoy this cookie recipe. Anyone who calls themselves a chocolate lover will be obsessed with these fudge cookies.

Ingredients:
▢¾ cup sugar
▢¾ cup flour
▢⅓ cup cocoa powder
▢2 tablespoon brown sugar
▢¼ teaspoon baking soda
▢¼ teaspoon salt
▢⅓ cup salted butter very soft or melted
▢1 egg
▢½ teaspoon vanilla

Filling:
▢30 dark chocolate melting wafers such as Ghiradelli

Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350. Line 2 large cookie sheets with parchment paper.
In a large bowl stir together the flour, sugars, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.
Add the egg, vanilla, and butter. Mix until smooth.
Scoop 15 cookies, stuff each with 2 chocolate discs, and place them on the prepared baking sheets.

Bake for 10-12 minutes, until barely set. Enjoy warm.

Note:
This must be enjoyed warm for that perfect lava center. You can rewarm them as needed.

As posted on BakingMeHungry.com by Taryn.

 

“The key to most fluffy cakes is the addition of oil,” says Phil Khoury, author of A New Way to Bake. That could come, he says, via replacing “up to 50%” of the butter in a recipe with neutral oil or substituting it entirely, the reason being that “oils are liquid at both fridge and room temperatures, whereas butter has to go above 25C for it to take on the attributes you associate with a moist cake”. Also, as butter starts to solidify, it has a drying effect on cakes, so having some oil in there will help soften things, Khoury adds. There is, of course, no butter involved in Khoury’s vegan take on the theme. “I use olive oil, but not a lot, especially when you’re in the business of not using eggs.” Typically, “you need quite a lot of fat to tenderise the gelling effect of eggs and flour, so, if you don’t have eggs to contend with, you can use up to 60% less fat”. To lighten things up, he includes apple cider vinegar: “It activates the bicarb and gives it that pre-bake lift, then the baking powder does the rest of the lifting in the oven.” For more, click HERE.

A bag of chocolate chips is the ultimate kitchen workhorse. Sure, we love eating them straight out of the bag, but the possibilities are endless when you’re wanting a chocolate chip-studded dessert in your life that goes well beyond just chocolate chip cookies. With all these 25 chocolate chip-packed recipes for cakes, tarts, bars, and pies to choose from, we have a feeling your week is about to get a whole lot sweeter! Pro tip: Don’t just stop at merely folding in chocolate chips to all your favorite desserts. Melt them into ganache with heavy cream! Making ganache is basically foolproof and improves everything it touches, as is the case for the layers of it in our brownie lasagna, the whipped ganache frosting in our chocolate birthday cake, or the fudgy topping for our flourless peanut butter chocolate cake. Speaking of melty, gooey chocolate, a bag of chocolate chips also means you’re halfway to a batch of fudge (namely our fantasy fudge), proving it’s always a good idea to think outside the cookie jar when your sweet tooth strikes. CLICK, HERE, as posted on DELISH.COM, for all 25 recipes!