Dark Fudge Peanut Butter Brownies with Peanut Butter Frosting and Pretzels

If you like the classic peanut butter and chocolate combo, these brownies can serve it up. They've got your sweet, your salty, your chocolate and your peanut butter plus a healthy dose of pretzel-loaded crunch. One thing they really get right is a strong peanut butter brownie base that is good enough to stand on its own.

My friend whipped up a few batches; I ate them and thoroughly approved. I've tried a few peanut-butter brownies in my time. These are the first worth sharing, though they don't conclude my search for great peanut butter brownie recipes. Enjoy the recipe below!

Even without frosting and pretzels, these brownies can stand on their own.

Dark Fudge Peanut Butter Brownies with Peanut Butter Frosting and Pretzels via Gojee and Okie Dokie Artichokie

Yields one large jelly roll pan (12x17-in and 10x15-in jelly roll pans will both work)

Make the brownies in advance, fully cool and refrigerate them before frosting.

Brownies:

1 ¼ cups flour

1 tsp salt

2 Tbsp cocoa powder

6 oz bittersweet chocolate chopped coarsely

5 oz bittersweet or unsweetened chocolate chopped coarsely

¾ cup peanut butter chips, dusted with flour

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, chopped into 1-inch segments

1 ½ cups sugar

½ cup packed light brown sugar

5 large eggs at room temperature

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 small bag of pretzel sticks or peanut butter-filled pretzels

Parchment paper

Jelly roll pan

Frosting:

1 cup powdered sugar

1 cup creamy peanut butter

5 Tbsp unsalted butter at room temperature

¾ tsp vanilla extract

¼ tsp kosher salt

1/3 cup heavy whipping cream

Brownies:

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line the bottom of a large baking sheet that has sides (i.e. jelly roll pan) with parchment paper, cutting to size, and grease the top of the parchment paper. Sift the flour, salt, and cocoa powder together in a medium bowl.

Place the chopped chocolate and butter in a double boiler or a small heat-proof bowl set over a pot of simmering water to melt, stirring occasionally. Once melted, turn off the heat but keep in place over the burner and whisk in both sugars until fully combined. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.

Add 3 eggs to the cooled chocolate mixture and whisk until just combined. Whisk in the remaining 2 eggs. Add the vanilla and flour-dusted peanut butter chips and mix gently. Slowly add the flour mixture and fold it gently into the batter using a spatula until just combined.

Pour the batter into the pan and spread to the corners and sides with a spatula. Place in the oven and bake ~30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out mostly clean. Remove from the oven and let cool on the counter. Cover and refrigerate overnight or until fully cooled.

Once they've cooled, use the parchment paper to remove them from the baking sheet and carefully remove the parchment paper. Once the frosting is ready, frost the brownie slab and sprinkle with crushed pretzels, then cut into brownie-sized quadrilaterals of your preferred dimensions.

Frosting:

Place the powdered sugar, peanut butter, vanilla extract, and salt into a stand mixer with a paddle attachment and combine at medium-low speed, scraping down the bowl with a spatula as needed. Add the heavy cream and gradually increase the speed to high; continue until smooth.

Enjoy!

BakerGal

Chocolate Bread Pudding with Bourbon Pecan Caramel Sauce

This humble looking, great-tasting bread pudding always gets compliments (on flavor, not beauty) and can feed a crowd. It might not be pretty, but the combined powers of chocolate, creamy caramel, toasted pecans and bourbon make for a dangerous quartet on the fork.  Beyond that, it has several qualities of a great winter dessert: substantial, almost savory, and served warm.

The bread pudding is great, but the bourbon pecan sauce kicks it to a new level. One should not be had without the other. Don't bother with your top shelf bourbon. Grab what you've got and you'll be fine. Others making this recipe have used plain whiskey or dark rum and still enjoyed the results.

Warning: This is a recipe I've made for the last four winters, and it's not an independent choice anymore - others demand it. A great benefit is that you can make it the day before and pop it in the oven as you sit down to dinner. It's one of my favorite make-ahead desserts.

According to Epicurious, the recipe for this bread pudding was created by Alison Barshak, former pastry chef of the Central Bar & Grill in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. She went on to become the executive chef at Striped Bass in Philadelphia. And the hero of everyone I know. Thanks, Alison.

Chocolate Bread Pudding with Bourbon Pecan Caramel Sauce via Epicurious

(I've made some edits to the original recipe)

Bourbon Pecan Caramel Sauce

1 1/4 cups granulated sugar

1/2 cup water

1/4 tsp lemon juice

1/4 cup light corn syrup

1 1/4 cups whipping cream

1 cup toasted chopped pecans (toast for 3 to 7 min at 400 degrees)

2 Tbsp bourbon (plain whiskey or dark rum will also work)

Chocolate Bread Pudding

2 cups whole milk (Don't use low-fat or non-fat. It just won't be the same.)

2 cups heavy whipping cream

1 cup granulated sugar

8 oz chopped semisweet baking chocolate (don't use chocolate chips)

8 large eggs

1 Tbsp vanilla extract

One 1-pound challah bread cut into 1-inch pieces

Bourbon Pecan Caramel Sauce Instructions

Stir sugar and water in heavy large pot over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Mix in corn syrup and lemon juice. Increase heat and boil without stirring until syrup turns a golden amber, swirling pan occasionally. Remove from heat and carefully pour in the cream (the mixture will bubble and rise up...take care that it doesn't overflow). Stir over low heat until the mixture is smooth. Increase heat and boil until it is reduced to about 1 2/3 cups, stirring often, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat and add pecans and bourbon.

Make Ahead: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Reheat before using.

Chocolate Pudding Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine milk, cream and sugar in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Stir until sugar dissolves and mixture comes to boil. Remove from heat and add chocolate, stirring until smooth. In a large bowl, beat eggs and vanilla to blend. Slowly pour in the chocolate mixture, whisking constantly as you add it (If it is still too hot it will cook the eggs as you pour it in, so do let it cool briefly, maybe 5 minutes, before this step). Add bread cubes. Let stand until bread absorbs some of custard, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Transfer mixture to a 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish or a casserole dish. Cover with foil and bake until set in center, about 45 minutes. Uncover and cool 15 minutes.

Make Ahead: Can be baked in advance and either frozen (probably for a few months), or refrigerated (1 or 2 days). Thaw and reheat in oven before serving.

To Serve: Serve pudding warm or at room temperature with warm sauce.

Hope you all enjoy this one!

BakerGal

Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookie Balls

I discovered the "Cookie Ball" while devising a tasty paleo chocolate chip cookie recipe. As I tested each new recipe variant, I gauged the batter's spreadability with a "ball test": I'd leave one lump of cookie dough as a perfect ball and see how much it spread out in the oven on its own.

As it turns out, the cookie recipe I settled on barely spreads at all. This means that to get a traditional cookie shape, you need to flatten each cookie well with the palm of your hand before baking. But this also means that you can skip the flattening stage to make ball-shaped chocolate chip cookies! They come out of the oven slightly browned and cookie-liked on the outside while remaining soft and moist on the inside. They were popular: One friend started asking for me to make more spherical cookies just for her to enjoy.

These might look gigantic, but they are each about the size of a walnut.

The recipe can be found in my previous post: Delicious Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe. The difference in the recipe is at the end: roll the dough into balls, each about the size of a walnut, and let them bake as-is instead of flattening before baking. Bake until golden brown, let cool, and eat. Note: If you substitute raw honey for the agave syrup that I call for in the recipe, the cookies do spread a small bit on their own.

They are best eaten the day of baking. I tried refrigerating a few and eating them several days later - the texture becomes more chewy throughout and less enjoyable.

Enjoy!
BakerGal

Butternut Squash, Ricotta, and Sage Crostini

Some of the Epicurious reviews for this recipe were negative. Blandness was the most-cited fault. Luckily, the appetizer hit me over the head with pleasure while I was at an event; Only later did I find it online and read the reviews. 

The key to making the flavor pop - and avoiding the blandness noted by others - is in the seasoning. You're set up for great success with the staples: A crunchy toasted base, sweet, roasted butternut squash, and lightly salted ricotta seasoned with pepper and lemon zest. Ricotta works wonderfully as a spread, offering creamy richness, moisture, and fresh taste. The accents pull it all together: delightfully crispy fried sage leaves provide texture and aroma and a drizzle of olive oil and lemon juice give it body and acidity. 

To help readers season correctly, I've spelled out specifics of what you need to do - and what not to omit - in the points below and in the recipe. I've also added steps to the recipe to help you prepare more flavorful slices of toasted bread (a detail that Epicurious leaves out).

• Do prepare the baguette slices as mentioned below with garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper.
• Don't try to skimp on the sage. Fresh herbs can be expensive, but without enough of them, forget about enjoying this appetizer. There is no substitute.
• Goat cheese lovers might try to sub out the ricotta. Don't do it. The benefit of ricotta is that its subtle flavor lets the sweetness of the squash shine through.
• Don't buy low fat ricotta. Fat is satisfying, so live a little.
• Do add enough salt and use freshly ground pepper to the ricotta and to the squash. Taste as you go until you get it right.
• Don't skip the drizzle of fresh lemon juice and olive oil. The acidity of the lemon juice adds punch without overwhelming, and the olive oil provides more flavor.

I always serve my appetizers in front of a pile of logs...

Recipe for Butternut Squash, Ricotta, and Sage Crostini via Epicurious, makes 12

1 two-pound butternut squash (about 4 cups, or about 20 oz pre-diced squash) peeled, seeded, cut into 1/2" cubes

2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil for roasting squash

1 1/2 tsp packed light brown sugar

1/2 tsp salt for seasoning squash

1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper for seasoning squash

24 fresh sage leaves

1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil for frying sage

1 cup whole milk ricotta

2/3 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

Coarse sea salt and freshly ground black pepper for seasoning ricotta

12 3/8"-thick baguette slices, toasted

1 clove garlic

Extra-virgin olive oil for brushing crostini with and for drizzling

Fresh lemon juice for drizzling

Note: If you're thinking of omitting ingredients or modifying the recipe, please read the section above on what matters in making this recipe delicious.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Mince garlic and mix with a small amount of olive oil, salt, and pepper; brush this mixture onto both sides of the baguette slices and place them on a baking sheet. Toast until golden, turning once, 5 to 10 minutes. Watch closely, as they can quickly become too dark. I ended up with more than 12 slices, but also had plenty of topping to go around.

Preheat oven to 425°F. Toss squash with 2 Tbsp oil, brown sugar, salt and freshly ground pepper to taste in a large bowl. I've suggested 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper as a starting point, but adjust to your own tastes. Spread evenly onto a rimmed baking sheet and roast. Turn squash occasionally, and roast until golden and tender, 25-30 minutes.

In a frying pan, heat 1 1/2 Tbsp oil over medium-high heat. Add the sage leaves and cook until edges begin to curl and turn dark green, 1 to 2 minutes. Don't let them turn brown. Using tongs or a slotted spoon, transfer the leaves to to paper towels. Once they've cooled, you can cut large leaves into thirds or quarters using kitchen scissors. Don't shred the leaves and try to skimp on the sage...it's delicious, it brings the whole piece together, and each crostini should have an ample topping. Without enough of it, the appetizer's flavor is half of what it could be.

Mix together the ricotta and lemon zest, and season to taste with salt and pepper.  Keep adding salt and pepper, tasting the ricotta as you go, until you think "This tastes good!" If you don't season it enough, it will taste bland.

TO SERVE: Spread 1 tablespoon of ricotta on each crostini. Top each with some roasted squash. Drizzle crostini with lemon juice and olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top each crostini with about 2 fried sage leaves. Eat one, then add more salt and pepper if needed.

If you want to make some parts of this in advance, you can prepare the butternut squash, sage leaves and ricotta one day ahead. Refrigerate the squash and ricotta; store the sage at room temperature in an airtight container. Bring the squash to room temperature before preparing the appetizers.

Enjoy!

BakerGal

Delicious Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

After an exhausting (but not exhaustive) baking and taste testing of six paleo chocolate chip recipes a few weeks ago (that post is here), I set out to perfect a paleo chocolate chip recipe of my own - one that would hopefully offer a "less unhealthy" alternative to traditional chocolate chip cookies, but best match their flavor and appearance, using ingredients from the paleolithic diet.

For a starting point, I used a recipe closest in taste and appearance to a traditional chocolate chip cookie (Recipe #6 of my Paleo Cookie Recipe Comparison). Tasters of the original Recipe #6 griped about the oiliness, sweetness, and flavor of the oil, so I began testing changes to the recipe.

I made about 15 different batches, using each one to experiment with different sweeteners, oils, other ingredients (almond nut butter, cashew nut butter, hazelnut flour), and ratios until my taste testers and I were satisfied. For oil, I steered away from non-paleo options (canola oil, vegetable oil) and from paleo options that would introduce non-traditional flavors to my cookie (olive oil, coconut oil, walnut oil). Eventually, I settled on macadamia nut oil. Macadamia nut oil is rich and smooth with a pleasant flavor that doesn't interfere with the dominant cookie flavors. To sweeten the batter, I tested batches made with agave syrup, raw honey, and a homemade paste of dates. Extra dark chocolate chips helped temper the cloying sweetness tasters found unappetizing in the original recipe. I knew I had succeeded when one taster wandered through the kitchen, nabbed a cookie and ate it without realizing it was paleo.

In the process of making so many batches, I learned a few things that are important for the success of this cookie, including sweetener substitutions and measuring almond flour. I've noted these in the recipe notes of the final recipe below.

Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe, Makes 16-20
5 oz (1 1/4 cups) very finely ground blanched almond flour (NOT Bob's Red Mill...see notes)
1/4 teaspoon salt (I know you're supposed to avoid salt, but this is seriously important for flavor)
1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 cup raw agave nectar (or 1/4 cup raw honey plus 1 to 2 tsp water. See below for date paste substitution.)

1/8 cup macademia nut oil (link goes to amazon)
1 tsp vanilla extract
A scant 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips. I used Guittard Extra Dark chocolate chips (63% cocoa and incredibly smooth). Using a darker chocolate (for example, the Guittard 72% Cacao Baking Discs) will make the cookies less sweet.

• Heat oven to 325.
• Mix almond flour, salt, and baking soda well. In a small bowl, mix agave nectar, Macadamia nut oil, and vanilla. Combine wet and dry ingredients, mixing well. Add dark chocolate chips. Batter should be thick enough that you can roll a small ball between your palms and set it on the cookie sheet without it drooping or losing shape (see notes).
• Make 16 - 20 small balls of cookie dough and space them evenly on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Press the cookies down as flat as possible with the palm of your hand. This is important! The cookies will NOT spread out on their own.
• Bake about 6 minutes. Watch closely and remove when the edges start to brown. . . they could be done at 4 minutes or at 8 minutes depending on the size of the cookie and your oven calibration.

Recipe Notes:

Almond Flour:

The brand of almond flour you use is important because you want a flour that is very finely ground, and this quality varies greatly across brands. Bob's Red Mill almond flour is not finely ground enough - I did a test batch and the cookie batter is too runny and ends up ugly with a grainy texture. Honeyville Farms (link goes to amazon) is the brand I used for the cookies pictured above and would recommend. If you can't find Honeyville Farms almond flour or macadamia nut oil, you can follow the links in the post to Amazon to purchase it, or you can visit the "store" section of the blog, where I've provided links to purchase them.

Measuring the almond flour by weight is much more precise than measuring by volume, so use a digital scale if you have one. Trying to measure almond flour by volume can lead to over- or under-measurement: if it is too packed or too fluffed-up you fit too much or two little of it into your measuring cup. If you don't have a scale and have to measure by volume, then do your best to gently spoon the flour into the measuring cup and level it off with a straight-edged knife. As a rule of thumb for this recipe, you should be able to roll the finished dough into a ball between your palms, and when you set it down it should keep its shape. Add a little more almond flour if it doesn't pass this test.

Sweetener substitutions:
I prefer agave syrup's flavor and performance in the recipe, but tested some substitutions:
Raw honey: It works just as well. I tried a batch that turned out looking almost identical, feeling a little bit chewier, and tasting faintly of honey.
Date paste: If you prefer "whole sugars" that come embodied in their originating fruit, I also tried a date paste that worked but yielded a slightly wetter cookie with slightly less traditional flavor. To make a date paste substitute, take 8 pitted dried dates and chop them very finely. Add 1/4 cup water to the chopped dates and heat in a pan or microwave, stirring frequently until they've softened and absorbed some of the water (about 30 seconds in the microwave, stirring every 10 minutes). Add water as needed to keep them hydrated and jam-like in consistency. Remove from heat and mash the dates as thoroughly as possible with a fork. Add another few teaspoons of water if needed and heat again briefly to further soften the mixture. Place the paste in a measuring cup. If you don't have 1/4 cup of date paste, add enough water to bring the mixture up to the 1/4 cup line. Proceed with recipe as written.

Macadamia nut oil:

It has a long unrefrigerated shelf life, but doesn't often fly off the shelf at your local supermarket, so those bottles may have been there for a while. Be sure to select a fresh bottle.

Enjoy!

BakerGal

Baby Eggplant with Indian Spices (Bharvaan Baingan)

Baby eggplant stuffed with Indian spices is great for eating, period.  Soft, rich, and extremely flavorful, these are so unlike traditional western eggplant preparations that a single bite might change your mind about "hating" eggplant. The tiny egg-sized vegetables make for delightful snack-sized servings and are delicious eaten on their own. You can also throw them on a salad, serve them as a side or main course, or accompany them with long-grained rice and seasoned red lentils.

Simply make two cuts in the eggplant and fill it with a tangy, spicy, flavorful filling. There's no need to core or seed the vegetable. Cook in just a touch of oil along with pungent mustard seeds and curry leaves, and you really have something special when you're done. Grated coconut lends body to the filling and holds a quintet of turmeric, coriander, red chili, garlic and cumin; the moisture of tangy tamarind paste pulls it all together.

I made the recipe after snapping up some fun veggies at a produce wholesaler while in search of the last fresh figs of fall. Though disappointed to find that not a single fig seems to remain in the entire region, I was elated to find a wide variety of uncommon fruits and vegetables, including the egg-sized Indian eggplants and a bag of nerf football-sized banana flowers.

The eggplants pictured were not originally destined for the blogosphere...they was destined for my lunch plate. After having a single taste, though, I realized the recipe was too good not to share. It was going straight into my personal recipe book, and onto the site. Enjoy!

Recipe for Baby Eggplant Stuffed with Indian Spices (Bharvaan Baingan)
6 baby eggplants, each a bit larger than a large egg (often, you can find "Indian Eggplants" of exactly this size at a specialty produce mart, but any small eggplant should work)

Spice paste:
3 tbsp dried grated coconut (not sweetened)
2 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp red chili pepper flakes or powder
1 tsp finely chopped garlic (one to two cloves)
1 tsp prepared tamarind paste (I use Tamicon brand)
1 tsp soy sauce
a few tsp of water, as needed, to create a thick paste
Salt to taste...for me this was 3/4 tsp

For cooking:
3/4 tsp black mustard seeds
6-8 curry leaves
3-4 tbsp olive oil or preferred cooking oil

To serve: Sprinkle with salt (to taste) and garnish with chopped fresh cilantro leaves

1. Wash the baby eggplants, trim the stalks, and in each eggplant make two intersecting cuts to form a cross that goes about halfway through the eggplant.
2. Place spice filling ingredients in a bowl and mix. Add water, 1 tsp at a time, until you've created a thick paste. Add salt to taste.
3. Cram the spice paste into the cuts in the eggplants as best you can. I held the cut open, pressed the paste in, used a knife to push it down, and added some more. This worked pretty well.
4. Heat the oil in a pot or pan on medium to medium-low heat. Add the mustard seeds and curry leaves and cook till briefly..10-30 seconds. Carefully set the eggplants into the pot, cut side up. Some hot oil might splatter up at your arm, so wear long sleeves if that worries you.
5. Cook eggplants a few minutes cut side up, then carefully turn them on one side and let cook, turn to the other side and let cook, and finally flip them cut side down and let cook for a few minutes. Try not to let much of the filling fall out. If the eggplants are not done by the time you've reached this point, continue cooking and stirring occasionally in this manner until the eggplants are done. You will notice the skin of the eggplant change color and the flesh become softer. 
6. To serve: Place in serving dish, sprinkle with salt (to taste) and garnish with chopped fresh cilantro leaves.
   

This will make your home smell like an Indian restaurant. Consider yourself warned.

Happy Fall!

BakerGal

Halloween Finger Cookies

Whether you call them witches' fingers, monsters' fingers, ladies' fingers or ogres' fingers, these Halloween cookies are a winning combination of gross looks and great tastes. A few people were squeamish about eating them, but I consider that an indication of a successful Halloween dessert.

I didn't know about these great cookies of my own accord. My cousin made some a few years ago and told me that I had to make them. I'm glad I finally did...they were a huge hit! In fact, with Thanksgiving right around the corner, I'm thinking these might even look great along with the traditional spread. I can imagine four fingers and a thumb sticking out of a pumpkin pie, ready to grab the first person to take a slice!

I didn't shop around much for my creepy finger cookie recipe. There are quite a few on the internet, and I tried one of the first that I happened upon. It was pretty delicious: a sandy, shortbread-like cookie that was flavorful. I tried an eggless version out of curiosity, but I've posted in parentheses how to incorporate an egg since I know that egg replacer is not a standard pantry item in most homes.

Another thing I love about this recipe is that it's easy to tweak the various cookie aspects to make a uniquely monstrous dessert. You can try adding some food coloring to make creepier cookies, like green Frankenstein fingers. Or, try switching out the almond for a shelled pistachio if you want an uglier, mangled nail. You can even replace the red frosting for green, purple, or black icing if you want a "monster blood" look. I even made some zombie fingers when I accidentally broke a few fingers while they were still hot and then glued them back together with red icing. They were so cool that I went on to make some more on purpose.

Halloween Finger Recipe, based on recipe at Yeah, That "Vegan" Sh*t, makes about 2 dozen
1 cup margarine (or butter), softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1.5 tsp of Ener-G Egg Replacer mixed with 2 Tbsp warm water (or use one egg)
2 tsp of a flavored extract or combination of extracts of your choice (I used 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1/2 tsp orange extract, and 1/2 tsp almond extract)
2 2/3 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup whole raw almonds (Sliced almonds are cheaper than whole almonds, but they break more easily and are harder to work with. Or use raw shelled pistachios if you want nastier nails. )
Optional food coloring for fun effect (green = Frankenstein fingers)
1 tube red decorating gel or red decorating frosting

Preheat oven to 325F.
In a mixing bowl, beat together butter, sugar, EnerG egg replacer/water mix, and extracts.
Beat in the flour, baking powder and salt. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Break off small lumps of dough and roll each one into a cylinder. Gently pinch the dough cylinders to create thin bone areas and first and second knuckle areas. Use a butter knife to make the knuckle patterns. Press an almond firmly into the end of each finger cookie. An important note is that the dough expands while baking. If realistic witch fingers are important to you, try making a few test fingers before baking the whole batch.

Place cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until they begin to brown on the bottom. Let cool for just a few minutes before lifting the almonds, squeezing red decorating gel/frosting underneath them, and pressing them back down.

Also, I froze half of the dough and found that it had no negative effect when I later thawed it, formed more fingers, and baked them.

Enjoy!

BakerGal