Not Too Bitter Chewy Chocolate Brownies

We made these brownies yesterday. My kids are pretty picky with their brownies. They like them with crunchy tops and fudgy-chewy bottoms.  They like them chocolate-y but not bitter.  It is quite hard to make them JUST like that, but these brownies are JUST like that. They are not wet or cakey.  They are a bit moist and a lot chewy.

A LONG time ago... maybe eight years ago, there was a REALLY GREAT recipe in 'The Age' for Brownies. If you have that could you let me know.  I want to try it again and somehow it got thrown out... sigh.   If you have a copy neatly filed away I would KISS you.  I would.  I am a bit sad I don't have that particular recipe because it was Max's favourite.   Having said that, he thinks these Brownies are JUST as good.  Maybe you would like to make some too?  Here is the recipe, my dears!

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Not Too Bitter, Chocolate-y, Chewy Brownies

Adapted from this Cook's Illustrated Recipe

1/3 cup of good quality cocoa
150ml boiling water
60 grams dark chocolate pellets PLUS
3/4 cup of dark chocolate pellets
200g melted unsalted butter
2 eggs PLUS
2 egg yolks
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups of sugar
1 3/4 cups of plain flour
1/2 tsp salt
Spray on Canola Oil or extra butter and a pastry brush

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  You need a pan around 30cm x 9cm. I used a Pyrex one, but you could use a tin, for sure.

Prepare your pan first. Line it well with two layers of foil. The edges of the foil should rise up a bit higher than the edges of your pan so it's easy to get the Brownies out later.  Make sure the layers are nice and neat and completely covering the surface of the pan and pushed well into the corners. Now spray VERY VERY well with oil or paint VERY VERY well with melted butter and a pastry brush.  This is very important!  You do not want your sugary brownies to stick to the foil!  So go carefully and do a good job of this!

Put the boiling water in your mixing bowl and add your cocoa.  Mix quickly until smooth and then quickly add (one by one) the 60g of chocolate, melted butter, the eggs and egg yolks, the vanilla and the sugar, mixing well after each addition.  Next add the flour and the salt and then fold in the remaining 3/4 of a cup of chocolate.

Pour into your foiled and greased tin and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a skewer or toothpick comes out clean when poked into the centre of said Mega Brownie.

YOU MUST allow these to cool fully before you cut them.  The longer you wait the chewier they will be, but DO NOT cut them before they have cooled.  There is cool brownie-chewy-magic going on!

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Let me know how you go... or post your favourite Brownie recipe in the comments (if you would like to!)

xx Pip

Chocolate Apricots

250g Callebaut dark chocolate or other high quality chocolate
250g dried apricots

Melt chocolate in microwave in 30 second bursts - stirring well between each burst. Be careful not to heat it too much or too often as it will separate. Yick. Now when it's melty and smooth spear your apricots with a fork and dip into the chocolate until well coated. Pop onto some wax paper to cool - in the fridge if it's hot at your place. Eat when set. Try not to eat too many. It is VERY hard!

Pikelets

1 cup of SR Flour
pinch of salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp sugar
1 egg
3/4 to 1 cup of milk - until a dropping (not pouring) consistency!

Mix together until lump free. Drop spoonfuls into well buttered frypan and turn when bubbles form on the top (uncooked) side. Cook other side for 30 seconds and then transfer to a dish lined with a tea-towel. Put another tea-towel on top to keep the pikelets warm until you have made enough for the family! YUM!

Dorothy's Scones

This recipe comes courtesy of the CWA documentary 'Not All Tea and Scones'.

500g flour
60g butter
60g icing sugar
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 tsp salt
30g cream of tartar
15g bicarb soda
1 egg

Rub butter into sifted dry ingredients using spirit fingers. Add milk and egg all at once. Knead gently and lovingly like a CWA chick. Gently pat down to 3cm or so thickness. Rest dough for 5 minutes. Cut into rounds and bake in a hot oven on a greased tray for 15 minutes until risen.

Lemon Squares - Not For Sour Pusses

Did you know... that this is really a lovely slice. A simple cake topped with a fresh lemony sugary syrup. It's really lemon soaked loveliness... in a square!

Make Le Cake...
175g butter
175g caster sugar
175 g self raising flour
2 eggs

Make Le Topping...
juice of two lemons
120g caster sugar

Cream the butter and the sugar. Beat in the eggs. Fold in the flour. Bake in a greased, square pan measuring 25 X 17 cms. The oven should be at 180 degrees. Bake for about 40 minutes or until cooked.

Meanwhile, mix together the lemon juice and the sugar. As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, pour it over the hot cake. Leave to cool and then cut into squares and serve.

Make some tea.

Play scrabble.

Have fun.

Yellow Tea Bowls from here

Honey Madeleines and Moustaches

My big girl grew up on these. Icing sugar dusted madeleines sent home from Stephanie's for her munching pleasure. She did turn out pretty sweet. Perhaps it was due to these.

100g butter (unsalted)
1/2 tbsp honey (i like leatherwood)
2 eggs
100g caster sugar
a tiny slosh of vanilla essence
pinch of salt
100g plain flour sifted with 1 tsp baking powder

Melt the butter and honey together. in a big mixing bowl, combine the eggs, sugar, salt and vanilla. fold in the flour. Let rest for an hour or so.

Butter and flour the madeleine tins well (or if you don't have a fluted madeleine tin - use a patty pan tin). Spoon tin 2/3 full of mixture and bake for just under ten minutes in a 180 degree oven. Allow to cool for a minute or two - then bang the tin on your benchtop to dislodge the sticky cakes. Cool on a rack and dust with icing sugar. Eat lots of them.

Mug from here

Nigella Lawson's Cupcake Recipe

put zem on zis....

250g softened unsalted butter
250g caster sugar
3 large eggs
250g self raising flour
1 tsp vanilla extract
5 tbsp milk

Preheat oven to 200 (or 400)

Throw all ingredients into a food processor. Mix until combined. Spoon into cupcake case lined muffin tin - fill them 2/3 full. Cook for about 15 minutes until well risen and golden and springy on the top. Ice with your favourite icing*. Decorate. Share. Gobble them down!

Cake stand with birdys from here

Coconut Tarts with Raspberry Jam a la Mike....

My nan used to make these.. this is not her recipe.. but it is nearly as nice!

For the pastry
50g butter
100g plain flour
pinch of salt
one tsp caster sugar
one egg yolk and cold water to mix

For the filling
raspberry jam
50g butter
50 g caster sugar
1 egg, beaten
50 g dessicated coconut
3 tbsp self raising flour

Preheat oven to 190 degrees (or 375 degrees farenheit) This recipe makes one dozen.

• For the pastry - rub the butter into the flour and salt until it resembles breadcrumbs; stir in the sugar.
• Make a well in the centre and pour in the egg yolk and enough cold water to make a firm dough. Turn onto a floured board and roll out thinly.
• Cut into rounds large enough to fill a shallow patty pan tin. (We used a glass to to this.. like nan used to).
• Line each patty pan hollow, and then put a little bit of jam in each one.

Now make the filling:

• Cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy.
• Add the egg a little at a time. Then fold in the coconut and the flour.
• Place spoonfuls of this mixture on top of the jammy lined patty pans.
• It will spread out as you cook it.. so don't be too precise...

Bake for 15 to 20 mins until golden and firm. Cool and eat!

Gorgeous cake stand from here