Happy Valentines Fudge Brownies

Are you looking for a decadent, rich, ridiculously delicious treat to bake for your Valentine? Best fudge brownies. Ever.

Sheri made these for a little gathering we had at our house yesterday. Quick. Easy. Delicious. One pan makes enough for all of your Valentines. 

loves,

Si

    To my Valentine: love you.

Sheri's Fudge Brownies
print recipe

Brownie:
1 1/2 cups butter
6 oz unsweetened chocolate squares
3 cups sugar
3 teaspoons vanilla
6 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/4 cups flour

Fudge Frosting:
1/2 cup butter
4 oz semi sweet chocolate baking squares
1 tablespoon vanilla
3-4 cups powdered sugar
dash of salt
3 tablespoons milk, cream or half and half
chopped nuts, if desired



Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Melt the butter and unsweetened chocolate over low heat in heavy saucepan on stove. Remove from heat.  Beat in the sugar and vanilla.  Add the eggs. Mix all with wire whisk or large spoon until blended well.  Add the salt and flour and mix just until flour is incorporated into batter. Do not over mix.
Pour into a greased 11x17 jelly roll pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Insert toothpick. Toothpick should come out with crumbs attached. Do not overcook if you want a fudge like texture.

Fudge Frosting:
Melt the butter and semi sweet chocolate together. Add 1 tablespoon vanilla.  Beat in the powdered sugar and dash of salt.  Thin with milk or cream.
Mixture should be the consistency between a  frosting and a glaze.
Frost the brownies while still warm, but not hot.
If you want to add nuts, sprinkle chopped nuts on top of brownies right after frosting.

Tips:
-These brownies freeze well, and are best when cut into SMALL squares. They are the consistency of fudge and are very rich.

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Christmas Pecan Shortbread Cookies

Last in the lineup of cookie crazy.

Saved the best for last. I love cookies loaded with nuts.

Grant's Grandmother Lauder's Christmas Pecan Shortbread Cookies. Probably my all time favorite. Versatile too (see tips bottom of page).

So, so, good. Simplicity at its best. Sugar, butter, flour. A little cornstarch and nuts.

Love the way recipes used to be written: "Bake in a slow oven until done".

Typed out, on a real typewriter, using carbon paper. If you are saying "carbon whaaa?" you are probaby young enough to be my kid :) or maybe you are my kid.

Treasures.

Christmas Pecan Shortbread Cookies

Eveline Lauder

print recipe

1 cup butter, room temperature

2/3 brown sugar

1 cup chopped nuts- pecans, walnuts or a mixture

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon salt

pecans for topping cookies, optional

Cream together butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add 1 cup chopped nuts. Measure and sift together flour, cornstarch and salt. Mix dry ingredients into butter-sugar mixture in mixing bowl with mixer set on lowest setting, or use hands and large spoon to mix.

Turn out to lightly floured surface and knead in flour until cracks appear on surface of dough. Using small 1 inch scoop, make balls of dough.

Place on lightly greased cookie sheet. Flatten slightly with fork and press pecan into center of cookie. Bake at 275 for about 20-30 minutes or until cookie is light golden color and cooked through.

Tips/variations:

-If the dough is too dry after mixing in dry ingredients and will not hold together, add 1-2 tablespoons milk or water.

-You may also roll out this dough and cut into strips and bake.

-This is a firm, crunchy cookie. perfect for dipping in hot cocoa of coffee.

-The cookies may be rolled into balls and baked without flattening. After removing from oven, roll in powdered sugar. Let cool, then roll in powdered sugar again.

-Leave off the pecan on top and dip half of the cookie into melted chocolate, or melt chocolate and drizzle on top of baked and cooled cookie.

-These cookie freeze well. They also keep well in a cool place, covered, for about a month.

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Dorie Greenspan's Chewy Chunky Blondies

While buying chocolate chips one day, I came across Bittersweet Chocolate Chips. I held onto them until I found a recipe made just for bittersweet chips. Saw this recipe on several blogs. It was a recipe assigned to a group that cooks/blogs their way through Dorie Greenspan's "Baking From My Home to Yours".

Most Blondies are the usual basic cc cookie dough with or w/o the chips spread into a 9x13 pan. Ho-hum. These bars are anything but. Dorie's Chewy, Chunky Blondies should be named: Chewy-Chunky-Coco-Nutty-Choco-Toffe-CanIhaveanotherplease-Bars.

Dorie's Chewy, Chunky Blondies
Dorie Greenspan “Baking: From My Home to Yours”
printable recipe

2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups (packed) light brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped into chips, or 1 cup store-bought chocolate chips
1 cup butterscotch chips or Heath Toffee Bits, I used Toffee Bits
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
1 cup sweetened shredded coconut

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Butter a 9×13-inch baking pan and put it on a baking sheet.
Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
Beat the butter on medium speed in a large bowl until smooth and creamy. Add both sugars and beat for another 3 minutes, or until well incorporated. Add the eggs one by one, beating for 1 minute after each addition, then beat in the vanilla. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients, mixing just until they disappear into the batter. Using a rubber spatula, stir in the chips, nuts and coconut. Scrape the batter into the buttered pan .
Bake for about 40 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center of the Blondie comes out clean. The blondies should pull away from the sides of the pan a little and the top golden brown.

Tips:

-I lined the pan with foil, then sprayed with cooking spray. After the bars were baked, I waited about 10 minutes, then lifted the whole pan out, and finished cooling.

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Oreo Brownies and Cookbook Giveaway!

Remember the Cranberry Salsa I made back in December? Loved that recipe. It came from this cute book-

I purchased "Bliss" last month, and found this recipe for Oreo Brownies. Since Oreos are my fave store bought cookie, and I love brownies, I had to give this recipe a try. They were quick to put together and a real kid pleaser. More like a bar cookie than a brownie, similar to Nordy Bars. Great for an easy semi-home made treat.

The cookbook: I loved the clean look of this book. Love that's it's a local author (Utah) and thought A Bountiful Kitchen readers would love it too. Great cookbook to add to your collection!

To Enter/Win (the power of pos thinking, right?)

1. Leave a comment sharing what you love most about SPRING. It's almost here! One entry per person.

2. If you post a link to this giveaway on your blog, three entries for you.

3. Please leave each of your comments separately.

4. You have until Wednesday March 17th at midnight to enter.

Winner selected by The Random Counter and announced on Thursday March 18th.

Oreo Brownies

1 package Oreo cookies, chopped

4 tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup chocolate chips, milk or dark
1 cup vanilla or white chocolate chips
1 1/2 cup mini marshmallows
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk

Preheat oven to 350.

Line an 9 x 13 pan with foil, leaving an overhang of foil around the edges. Lightly grease the pan.

In a large bowl, mix the chopped cookies with the butter. Pour half the mixture into the prepared pan. Sprinkle with the chips, marshmallows, and nuts. Top with the remaining cookie mixture. Pour the sweetened condensed milk evenly over the top.

Bake for about 25-30 minutes, or until lightly golden. Let cool to room temperature and lift the bars from the pan. Peel back the foil and cut into serving pieces.

Tips:

-I omitted the nuts, partly bc I thought most kids don't love nuts, and partly bc I thought nuts with this combo didn't sound good.
-I used closer to 1 1/2 cups each of choc chips and white chips, and used closer to 2 cups marshmallows total.
-Also, think I would like this better cooked in an 8x8 or 9x9 pan, the brownies were a little on the thin side for me.

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Black Bottom Brownies and GIVEAWAY

First. If you love cream cheese brownies and have a New Years resolution to stay away from really sinful desserts, exit this page. Now.

If not, and you want to enter A Bountiful Kitchen's first giveaway of the year, stick around.

I dropped a plate of these brownies off to a darling group of 16-18 year old girls this week. The feedback - well, let's just say, the plate came back empty. This recipe came from the "Sweet Melissa Baking book". Everything I have tried out of this book has been a winner. The last recipe I made and loved: Butterscotch Cashew Bars. Melissa Murphy is the owner/chef of the Sweet Melissa Patisseries in Brooklyn, NY.

Black Bottom Brownies are not for lily livered chocolate/cream cheese lovers. This is quite possibly the most dense cream cheese brownie I have ever eaten. Since I am not a huge cream cheese dessert fan, I always like to top anything cream cheese with frosting. So here is the run down: thick, dense brownie layer (includes 6 eggs and 1/2 lb butter), topped with a pound of cream cheese, 6 MORE eggs (yes, 12 eggs total), and two cups of chocolate chips. Add a layer of chocolate frosting.

Hello. Bring on the Lipator.

Giveaway time! Leave a comment. Tell us: What is your hope for 2010?

One entry per person. Three entries if you become a follower or if you are already a follower. Wow, finally a reward for being a follower! Don't worry I won't tell your mother. Please place the entries separately. The Random Counter will choose a winner at the end of the day on Saturday, January 16th.

Oh - the prize? Your very own copy of "The Sweet Melissa Baking Book".

Good Luck!

Black Bottom Brownies

adapted from The Sweet Melissa Baking Book by Melissa Murphy

For the brownie bottom:
5 ounces unsweetened chocolate
½ pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon kosher salt
4 large eggs plus 2 large egg yolks
2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon pure vanilla

Cheesecake layer:

1 pound (two 8-ounce packages) cream cheese, at room temperature
1 ½ cups sugar
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
6 large eggs
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Position a rack in the lower third of your oven. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Lightly butter a 9×13-inch pan. Line the pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil.

Brownies:

In the top of a double boiler over simmering, not boiling water, melt the chocolate and the butter, stirring to combine. Set aside to cool to warm. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg yolks, sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Pour the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture and combine with a whisk. Add the flour mixture to the chocolate/egg mixture and stir until just combined. Pour the brownie batter into the prepared pan, and spread evenly.

Cheesecake layer:

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together cream cheese, sugar, and the salt until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs, mix well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Stir in vanilla. In separate bowl, toss chocolate chips with 1 tablespoon flour. Fold chocolate chips into cream cheese mixture.

Pour the cheesecake mixture over the brownie layer. Bake for about 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until lightly golden. The brownie layer will be set, but will still stick to a knife when inserted into center of brownies. Do not over bake. Remove to a wire rack to cool. Cool completely. (If you want to speed up this process, place in freezer for about 1/2 to 1 hour after cooled a while on the counter.

Chocolate Frosting:

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

3-4 cups powdered sugar

dash salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 cup milk

Cream butter, add cocoa and powdered sugar. Add salt and vanilla. Beat until smooth, adding milk until desired consistency. Add more powdered sugar if too thin, a little more milk if too thick. Spread on top of brownies when completely cooled.

Top with chocolate frosting if desired. May be served cold or at room temperature.

Tips:

-This recipe makes a full 9x13 pan. It is hard to see in the pics, but the brownies raise to almost the top of the pan.

-The recipe says to cut the brownies into 12 pieces. hmmm. You would have to be a complete GLUTTON to want to eat 1/12th of this pan of brownies by yourself.

I think about 20-24 brownies per pan.

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Butterscotch Cashew Bars

Brookie, my adventurous 19 year old, who spent the summer in West Yellowstone working, left last night for China. She will volunteer for four months as an English student teacher. "Are you worried about her?" everyone asks. Not worried. Just hopeful and prayerful she will have a great experience and be safe!

A year ago, when she moved away and started school, I thought- I'm SO sad. What am I going to do now that I am the only female living in this house (whiner, I know). When we started having kids 25 years ago, I never anticipated that some day -they would eventually grow up and move out. I've spent years taking care of kids. That's been my primary job, and I have loved (most of) it. Twenty five years - by the time Jake graduates- 31 years of being a MOM with kids at home or in school. I remember once when we were eating out - Corrine was about 8, Brooke 2 and Stephen still a baby. Stephen started projectile vomiting (because I had fed him a few too many bottles) while sitting in his carrier, Brooke started flinging food across the restaurant, Grant was trying to contain the food flinging to a reasonable distance around our table, and Corrine sat there pretending to not be a part of our family. A little old lady walked by, smiled sweetly and said "I have been watching your cute little family. Enjoy these days dear! These are the BEST days of your life!!!" I remember thinking if these are the best days, please Heavenly Father- take me NOW. I never thought that period in time would end. But it did. And we all survived. That was 15 years ago. Here we are with two kids left at home - a 17 and 13 year old. How time flies! Last year, I thought and prayed all summer that I wouldn't fall apart when Brooke left home. What would I do with both of my girls gone? Corrine suggested I start a cooking blog. She set it up for me, and the rest is history. It became my therapy. Thanks Corriney.

I ordered this book a couple of months back, because I wanted to join an on-line baking club. Trouble was, they were already filled with bakers. So, I decided to try out the recipes on my own. The baking club takes a recipe a week, and makes something out of the book. Kind of like Julie in "Julie and Julia". Only not at a maniac pace. BTW - How did you like that movie? I loved it. Love Julia Child. LOVED these Cashew Bars.

Do you ever crave sweet and salty together? If you're a girl, I know you said yes. If you love sweet and salty- you will absolutely go bonkers for these treats. If you are sad that your life is changing in one way or another, and you have no control over the changes, get out your pans and bake. Guaranteed happiness.

Really?

Guaranteed?

Every time I take a treat to a friend or family it brings a smile to their face, and mine too. Yes, I would call that a guarantee.

Butterscotch Cashew Bars

1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt

2 1/2 cups flour

11 oz butterscotch chips

3/4 cup light corn syrup

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon water

2-3 cups roasted salted whole cashews (enough to generously cover the top of bars)

1-2 cups chocolate chips, if using

Position rack in center of oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 pan with PAM. Line the pan with parchment paper or foil. Spray the paper or foil lightly with PAM.

Cream the butter, brown sugar and salt on medium speed in a mixer with a paddle attachment for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Decrease the speed to low, add flour and mix just until combined. Do not over mix.

Press the dough lightly and evenly onto the bottom of the prepared pan and poke holes all over with a fork. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the crust turns a golden color. Remove to a wire rack and cool.

Meanwhile, in a large heavy bottomed saucepan over low heat, stir together the butterscotch chips, corn syrup and water. Heat, stirring together until the mixture comes to a simmer and the chips are melted. Remove from the heat and pour the mixture evenly over the pre-baked crust.

Sprinkle the cashews over the butterscotch caramel and return the pan to the oven for 5 minutes. Remove to a wire rack and cool completely. If using chocolate chips, sprinkle on chocolate after removing bars from oven, but before completely cooled.

Use a sharp knife to loosen the edges and lift the bars out of the pan. If this is difficult, pop the pan into a 300 degree oven for a few minutes to warm the butterscotch slightly, and the bars will release more easily.

Tips:

- I used Kirkland (Costco) brand salted cashews.

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Peanut Butter Mississippi Mud Bars

Remember when Mrs. Fields stores started popping up in malls in the early 80's? I was intrigued by her success, and in love with her cookies. Limiting myself to a cookie a day was difficult, since I was a pregnant and worked a block from the Crossroads Mall in Salt Lake at the time. Waddling into the mall and smelling those cookies... Can you say TORTURE? Foods I craved while pregnant: Mrs. Field's chocolate chip cookies, Mrs. F. oatmeal cookies (Debra Specials), Haagen Daz Peach ice cream, Litzas pizza, a Hires Big H (onion rings and fry sauce with a cherry limeade too), brownies, Bratten's clam chowder, Mrs. Backers raspberry cream cheese tarts,dill pickles, cold dill pickle juice. No wonder I gained 60 pounds. I know you love it when I ramble about things totally irrelevant to the recipe. Back to Mrs. Fields. I pulled out a Debbie Fields cookbook "Great American Desserts" last week. I've tried a few of her recipes, and loved most that I have tried. This one was new to me...I love Mississippi Mud Cake so I thought I would give this a whirl. This recipe put a new twist on an old favorite with the addition of peanut butter. These yummy bars may be added to my list of most craved treats. And I'm not even preggo.

Peanut Butter Miss Mud Bars

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1 large egg, at room temperature

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

8 ounces white chocolate, coarsely chopped divided into two 4 oz. portions

8 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped divided into two 4 oz. portions

1 cup coarsely chopped pecans, toasted and divided into two 1/2-cup portions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line an 8 x 8 pan with aluminum foil and butter the foil. Put the butter and sugar in a large bowl and blend until smooth using the electric mixer on medium speed. Beat in the peanut butter until smooth. Stir the egg and vanilla together in a bowl and add to the peanut butter mixture until combined. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to the butter mixture and combine well. Stir in 1 portion each of the white and semisweet chocolates and combine. Add 1 portion of the pecans and mix until combined. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the center is soft but no longer runny. Remove the pan from the oven and immediately sprinkle the remaining white and semisweet chocolates over the top. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and set aside to let the chocolates melt. When melted, swirl the chocolates together with the tip of a sharp knife to make a marbleized effect. Sprinkle the remaining pecans over the top. Let the bars cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.

Tips:

-I used more like 12 oz of each type of chocolate (8 in the brownies, 4 in the topping). And I just used chocolate chips.

-The marbleized thing really didn't work for me. Hence the plain chocolate looking topping.

-Don't skip roasting the nuts step. It really does make a difference.

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Nordy Bars

Many moons ago, when we were living in Portland, and Grant was going to school, I worked at PacifiCorp. We often had "Food Fridays". One of my good friends Jane, loved to eat and cook and shared this wonderful recipe. 

The story behind the recipe- Relatives of Jane's were in a Nordstrom Cafe in Portland one day, and bought a cookie bar. They loved it so much, they asked for the recipe. Side note- if you try something at a restaurant, and love it, ask for the recipe! I mean, what's the worst thing that can happen? They can laugh, or give you that ridiculous look- like- right, we're going to give you this recipe??? 

The Nordy Bar is a yummy, chewy, butterscotchy, marshmallowy, chocolaty slice of heaven.
If you don't love these, well, let's just say, I'm not sure we can be friends.

Nordy Bars
print recipe

1/2 cup butter
1 -12 oz package butterscotch chips
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1 3/4 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 12 oz package chocolate chips
2 cups fresh mini marshmallows
1 cup chopped pecans (If you omit the nuts, add 3 more tablespoons flour)

In large saucepan, melt butter. Add butterscotch chips and brown sugar. Stir until all melted. Do not boil. Remove pan from heat and let cool for about 1/2 hour. Add eggs and vanilla and mix well. Stir in rest of ingredients just until all ingredients are incorporated. Spread mixture into a 9x13 greased pan. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20-30 minutes, or until knife inserted in center comes out without batter attached.

Tips:
- I like to line the pan with parchment paper.
-The original recipe has a 15-20 minute baking time, but the bars were never cooked enough. I usually bake for about 25 minutes.
-These bars are best when cooled and cut into small pieces and refrigerated.

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Pan Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies

Another one of Tessa's great recipes! I love these treats. If you love sugar cookies, you'll love them too. They are less hassle than making traditional sugar cookies, where you roll and cut out shapes and then frost. These cookies are made and frosted in one pan, then cut up all at once. We take these to lots of events- missionary farewells, homecomings, family parties... They are also great for luncheons. Just cut them into generous squares, then cut again on the diagonal, for smaller more "lady like" portions (sure).

Pan Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies

Tessa Reinemer

print recipe

1 ½ cups sugar
1 cup butter, softened
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 egg
1 teaspoon almond extract
½ teaspoon vanilla
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 ½ cups flour

Cream butter, cream cheese and sugar. Add egg, almond extract and vanilla, blend until smooth. Mix in all of the dry ingredients. Do not over mix. Grease a jelly roll pan with cooking spray. Spread the dough into the pan with a long knife. I usually sprinkle some flour on the dough, so it is easier to spread. You can also use a mini rolling pin (floured) to spread the dough. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes. Cook just until golden brown.
Let cool completely.

Frosting:

½ cup butter, softened
4 oz cream cheese, softened
3 ½ cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
dash of salt
milk or half and half
food coloring, if desired

Cream the butter, cream cheese and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Add the vanilla and salt. Add milk a little at a time, until the frosting is spreading consistency. I add food coloring for Christmas, Valentines Day, etc. In the Spring, I sometimes add a little lemon flavoring and color the frosting yellow.

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Perfected Peanut Butter Bars

I love peanut butter, and chocolate. It's a perfect marriage. My favorite candy bar? Reeses- frozen, melted, room temp. LOVE Baskin- Robbins Chocolate Peanut Butter ice cream. It's better than Haagen Daz. Big, thick ribbons of peanut butter. So lately, I have been on the quest for the perfect peanut butter bar. Thick, moist, a good layer of chocolate on top, one that you can really taste. And a thick layer of frosting, peanut flavor, but not too heavy on the pb. After many test batches, and gaining a pound or two (for the sake of science)...here it is. My version of the perfect pb bar.



Peanut Butter Bars

A Bountiful Kitchen

print recipe

3/4 cup smooth peanut butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup butter
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups flour
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups oats
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips

Frosting:

2-3 cups powdered sugar
1 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup milk (approx)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees

Cream together butter and sugars until smooth. Add eggs, beat until light and fluffy. Mix in peanut butter and vanilla until all wet ingredients are mixed well. Combine all dry ingredients in separate bowl. Stir dry ingredients into wet ingredients. Spread into ungreased 9 x 13 pan. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven, and cover with chocolate chips. Place pan back in oven for 2-3 minutes. Remove from oven, and spread melted chocolate chips with knife. Frost when cooled.

Frosting- Cream powdered sugar, butter, peanut butter and milk.

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