Caramel Brownies and homemade whipped cream

Caramel brownies

I got the brownie recipe from my friend at ediblevignetts.blogspot.com. She is one amazing cook!! The caramel part of this recipe my mom got from a friend when I was 10. We recently combined the 2.

The Baked Brownie

1 1/4 c all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
2 Tbs dark unsweetened cocoa powder
11 ounces dark chocolate (60 to 72% cacao) coarsely chopped
1 c (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 tsp dark unsweetened cocoa powder (the original recipe calls for espresso powder, but I don't do the coffee thing so this is my substitution)
1 1/2 c granulated sugar
1/2 c firmly packed light brown sugar
5 large eggs AT ROOM TEMPERATURE
2 tsp pure vanilla extract

CARAMEL

1lb wrapped Caramel's
1/2 cup butter
1 14 oz can of sweetened condensed milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and butter the sides and bottom of a 9x13-inch glass or light-colored metal pan.

In a medium bowl whisk together flour, salt, and 2 Tbs cocoa powder.

Put the chocolate, butter, and 1 tsp cocoa powder in a large bowl and set over a saucepan of simmering water, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate and butter are completely melted and smooth. Turn off the heat but keep the bowl over the water and add the sugars. Whisk until completely combined, then remove the bowl from pan. Let cool to room temperature.

Add 3 eggs to the melted chocolate mixture and whisk until combined. Add the remaining eggs and whisk until combined. Add the vanilla and stir until combined. Do not over beat the batter at this stage or your brownies will be cakey.

Sprinkle the flour mixture over the melted chocolate mixture and using a spatula (not a whisk) fold the flour mixture into the chocolate until just a bit of the flour mixture is visible.

Pour the 3/4 quarters of the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake in the center of the oven for 15 min. With the remaining batter, place plastic wrap on the top and put in the fridge.

Meanwhile, unwrap the Caramel's. Melt butter in a heavy saucepan add caramels. Caramel and butter will not blend, but after they have melted remove from heat and add sweetened condensed milk. Mix well. Gently pour caramel over cooked brownies (as you are pouring you are moving your bowl so that you just lay down a thin layer of caramel over the brownies, and then gently spread. Drizzle remaining brownie batter over the Caramel and gently spread. (sometimes this batter gets too thick for the last step- usually if it sits out too long- so you can add small bits of water to the batter and mix it in well so that it is pourable) Bake another 30 min, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the brownies comes out with a few moist crumbs sticking to it. Let the brownies cool completely.

(for licking the bowls -after you have cleaned an edge in the chocolate bowl and before you place that in your mouth- dip your chocolated finger into some of the caramel. Place together in your mouth and enjoy!)

Can be made 2 days ahead!

WHIPPED CREAM

2 cups of heavy whipping cream
Whip with electric beater or kitchen aid until fluffy, add 1/2 cup powdered sugar and 2 tsp vanilla while continuously whipping.
Whip until firm peaks form. Do not overbeat!

Serve over anything you need some whipped cream with :)

Brit





Brit

Quick Chocolate Pudding

My Emma had a dentist appointment today.  2 cavities :( probably because of my chocolate addiction.  In fact, our dentist tradition is this quick chocolate pudding.  I never quite understood the idea that you go to the dentist and then you get something sweet but thats the fact of it. (at least in my family!)

Thankfully we don't have to go back until January (well the girls and I at least Kyle has an appointment coming up)

1/2 cup sugar
4 Tablespoons of cocoa powder
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/8 t salt
2 3/4 cup milk (as always I use whole milk)
2 Tablespoons butter
1 t vanilla

Whisk together sugar, cocoa, cornstarch and salt.  GET ALL THE LUMPS OUT! I kept on thinking that the little lumps would go away, they don't.  Get all the lumps out BEFORE you add the milk.

Turn the stovetop on Medium heat and stir constantly with the whisk while adding the milk.  Once milk is all in, continue to whisk constantly until the pudding thickens and little wisps of steam start to appear.  (about 10 minutes)

Turn off the heat and whisk in soft butter and vanilla.

Serve hot or cold.  YUM.

Belgian Waffles & chocolate sauce

What can be more decadent for breakfast (especially on my bday) than waffles with chocolate and strawberries?





Happy birthday breakfast to me!!!

Most recipes I find from others, once in a great while I make something up, I made breakfast at my moms house this morning & she didn't have nutella!! How I am supposed to eat breakfast without that vital ingredient? So I made up this, I'm sure there's tons of recipes out there in the works very similar...


Chocolate sauce
1 cup milk chocolate chips
2 T butter
1/4 cup whipping cream

Melt all ingredients on low, stirring constantly, until combined. Remove from heat, chocolate sauce thickens as it melts.

Now for the waffles!!!
This recipe I found from Alton Brown, that guy is AWESOME!

In one bowl combine
1 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup whit flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 t baking powder
1 t salt
1/2 t baking soda

In another bowl stir together
2 cups buttermilk*
3 eggs, beaten
1/2 cube melted butter
1 t vanilla

take the dry ingredients and make a well in the middle of the bowl, whisk the wet into the dry
- don't over mix!-

Let stand 5 minutes
bake according to waffle iron, this is supposed to be a Belgian Waffle recipe but I don't have a Belgian iron and it works fabulously in a regular one :)

*(I never seem to plan ahead my waffles, so I never have buttermilk, just substitute 1 t lemon juice and 2 cups milk)

Briti

Quick & EASY Mousee

I like to make sure I have a bit of chocolate every day. But I don't really have any drive to eat a candy bar. If I'm eating the calories, it's going to be DANG WORTH IT. period! So here is one I found in this awesome book my dad randomly bought for me called 1000 best recipes. So far, the tittle has been spot on. This Mousee recipe is great 'cause there are only 3 ingredients and they are a staple in my kitchen, and it took 10 minutes to make. It is a bit dish heavy for so few steps, but whatever :) it's worth it.







So easy!! And quick! And ingredient friendly!

Ingredients:
4 oz dark chocolate, finely chopped
4 eggs separated
3/4 cup cream


Bring water in a small saucepan to a simmer and put a glass bowl on top of the saucepan (so it's like a lid) - make sure the water isn't touching the bowl.

Pour chopped chocolate in and stir occasionally until melted. Remove from heat.

Slightly beat egg yolks and add them to the dark chocolate.

Whip egg whites to soft peak stage and fold into chocolate mixture, until the mixture is fully incorporated into each other, otherwise your finished dessert will have spots of dense chocolate (learned from trial & error!)


Whip cream to soft peak stage and FOLD! into chocolate with a metal spoon.

Once just combined, pour into wine glasses or Ramkins and chill for 3+ hours

This has NO (added) SUGAR!!!! how spectacular! Guilt free in my book!

Brit