Desserts

Makes 16 brownies

9 oz           bittersweet chocolate, chopped

1 cup         (2 sticks) unsalted butter

1 cup plus 6 tbsp  sugar

2               large eggs

1 cup         cake flour

1 tsp         baking powder

¼ tsp        salt

2 cups       coarsely chopped walnuts

½ cup       apricot preserves

Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter and flour 8x8x2-inch baking pan. Melt chocolate and butter in heavy small saucepan over medium heat, stirring often, cool to lukewarm. Using electric mixer, beat sugar and eggs in large bowl until well blended, about 1 minute. Whisk in melted chocolate mixture. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt over; fold to blend. Transfer batter to prepared baking pan. Sprinkle walnuts over and press gently into batter.

Bake brownies until edges are raised and cracked and tester inserted into center comes out with some moist batter attached, about 50 minutes. Melt apricot preserves in small skillet over medium heat. Strain preserves; brush melted jam over hot brownies. Cool 1 hour, then transfer to refrigerator and chill until cold, about 2 hours. DO AHEAD Can be made 3 days ahead. Cover and keep chilled.

Cut into 16 brownies. Serve chilled.

Adapted from Bon Appetite  March 2009

Cake:

¾ cup        raisins

1 tbsp         Cointreau

1 cup          walnuts, lightly toasted

2/3 cup       vanilla sugar

6 oz            bittersweet chocolate

8 tbsp         unsalted butter, softened

3                large eggs

Grated zest of 1 orange

¼ cup        fresh breadcrumbs

Chocolate glaze:

6 oz            bittersweet chocolate

8 tbsp         unsalted butter, softened

1.          Soak the raisins in the Cointreau for 30 minutes.

2.          Preheat the oven to 350 F.

3.          Lightly butter a 9-inch cake pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper and lightly butter the paper.

4.          In a food processor combine the walnuts with 1 tbsp of sugar and process until ground small, but not to a paste.

5.          Melt the chocolate over a water bath set over medium-high heat. When melted, remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature.

6.          In a large bowl cream the butter with the remaining sugar until pale yellow and fluffy. One at a time, add the eggs, beating well after each addition. One at a time, add the ground walnuts, the melted chocolate, the orange zest, the bread crumbs, and the raisins with any Cointreau they haven’t absorbed, mixing well after each addition.

7.          Turn the mixture into the prepared cake pan and bake on the center rack of the oven until the cake has puffed slighyl and has a slight crust on top, about 30 minutes. Test for doneness by pressing gently on the center of the cake – it won’t spring right back and a slight indentation will remain. Remove trhe cake from the oven and cool on a wire rack.

8.          While the cake is cooling, make the glaze. Melt the chocolate with the butter, stirring occasionally in a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan over low heat. Remove from the heat when melted, and stir to blend well. Set aside to cool. Spread evenly over the top and sides of the cooled cake.

Makes 16 slim servings.

Adapted from Epicurious/Letter from France June 2001

How to make vanilla sugar.

1 – 2           vanilla beans

1                airtight jar

regular granulated sugar

Fill the jar halfway with sugar. Cut the beans into 1 to 1 ½ inch pieces and stick them into the sugar. Add sugar to cover the beans. Close the container and place it into a cool dark closet. The vanilla sugar will be ready for use after 3 weeks.

Adapted from German Corner Cooking Index

2 C            flour

1 ½ C        sugar

¼ t           salt

1 t             baking powder

1 t             baking soda

1 t             cinnamon

4               eggs

1 ½ C        oil

2 C            carrots, grated

Preheat oven to 375. Grease and flour pans. Sift together dry ingredients. Blend eggs and oil. Add dry ingredients and carrots. Bake 30 to 40 min.

Icing

1 8oz pkg  cream cheese

½ C          butter

1 t             vanilla

1 box         confectioner’s sugar

1 C            pecans

Cream together softened butter and cream cheese. Add vanilla and confectioner’s sugar. Frost cake and sprinkle with chopped pecans.

Pat’s recipe

FOR THE BROWNIE LAYER

8 oz           fine-quality bittersweet chocolate, chopped

1 ½           sticks unsalted butter, cut into pieces

2 tbsp        instant espresso powder dissolved in 1 tbsp boiling water

1 ½ cups   sugar

2 tsp          vanilla

4                  large eggs

1 cup         all-purpose flour

½ tsp        salt

1 cup         walnuts, chopped

FOR THE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

8 oz           cream cheese, softened

¾ stick      unsalted butter, softened

1 ½ cups   confectioners’ sugar

1 tsp          vanilla

¾ tsp        cinnamon

FOR THE GLAZE

6 oz           fine-quality bittersweet chocolate

2 tbsp        unsalted butter

½ cup        heavy cream

1 ½ tbsp    instant espresso powder dissolved in 1 tbsp boiling water

Make the brownie layer:

In a metal bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water melt the chocolate with the butter and the espresso mixture, stirring until the mixture is smooth. Remove the bowl from the heat, let the mixture cool to lukewarm, and stir in the sugar and the vanilla. Stir in the eggs, 1 at a time, stirring well after each addition, stir in the flour and the salt, stirring until the mixture is just combined, and stir in the walnuts. Pour the mixture into a buttered and floured 13- by 9-inch baking pan, smooth the top, and bake the brownie layer in the middle of a preheated 350 F. oven for 22 to 25 minutes, or until a tester comes out with crumbs adhering to it. Let the brownie layer cool completely in the pan on a rack.

Make the cream cheese frosting:

In a bowl with an electric mixer cream together the cream cheese and the butter until the mixture is light and fluffy, add the confectioners’ sugar, sifted, the vanilla, and the cinnamon, and beat the frosting until it is combined well.

Spread the frosting evenly over the brownie layer and chill the brownies for 1 hour, or until the frosting is firm.

Make the glaze:

In a metal bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water melt the chocolate with the butter, the cream, and the espresso mixture, stirring until the glaze is smooth, remove the bowl from the heat, and let the glaze cool to room temperature. The brownies keep, covered and chilled, for 3 days.

Adapted from Gourmet  November 1991

8 oz bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened)

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter

1 1/2 cups sugar

4 large eggs

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/3 tsp salt

hot shortbread base

Coarsely chop chocolate and in a small saucepan melt with butter over moderately low heat, stirring until smooth. Remove pan from heat and stir in sugar. Add eggs, beating with a fork until incorporated and stir in flour and salt. Pour chocolate mixture over hot shortbread and spread evenly. Bake in middle of oven until a tester comes out with crumbs adhering, about 35 minutes. Cool completely in pan. Lift aluminum foil and fudge brownie bars out of pan and place on cutting surface. Cut into bars or squares. These cookies freeze well and keep several days wrapped or covered.

Adapted from Gourmet March 1999

8 oz pecans (about 2 cups)

1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1/3 cup honey

2 tbsp heavy cream

hot shortbread base

Coarsely chop pecans. In a heavy saucepan melt butter and stir in brown sugar, honey, and cream. Simmer mixture, stirring occasionally, 1 minute and stir in pecans. Pour pecan mixture over hot shortbread and spread evenly. Bake in middle of oven until bubbling, about 20 minutes. Cool completely in pan. Lift aluminum foil and pecan bars out of pan and place on cutting surface. Cut into squares or bars. These freeze well and will stay several days, wrapped or covered, at room temperature.

Shortbread base:

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350F. Line a 13 x 9-inch pan with quick release aluminum foil.

Mix dry ingredients in a medium mixing bowl. Add room temperatur butter and mix. The original recipe did this in a food processor. I prefer to mix it with my hands until the ingredients are well combined. Then sprinkle the mixture in the pan and press evenly over the bottom of the pan. Bake shortbread in middle of oven until golden, about 20 minutes.

While shortbread is baking, prepare topping.

1 pkg (6 oz) semisweet chocolate chips (1 cup)

1/2 cup butter

1/4 cup water

4 slightly beaten egg yolks

2 tbsp sifted confectioner’s sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1 12-oz pound cake such as Sara Lee

In heavy saucepan, heat chocolate, butter, and water over medium heat, stirring until blended. Cool slightly. Add egg yolks, sugar, and vanilla, stir until smooth. Chill until mixture is of spreading consistency, about 45 minutes. Slice cake horizontally in 6 or 7 layers.Spread chocolate between layers, then frost top and sides. Chill at least 45 minutes before serving. Cut in 1/4-inch slices. Note: you may want to insert 2 or 3 toothpicks into layers before frosting the cake to stabilize the layers.

Adapted from Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook

3 cups flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking powder

5 tbsp cocoa

3/4 cup pecans, chopped

1/2 cup shortening

1/2 lb butter

3 cups sugar

5 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup milk

Preheat oven to 325. Grease and flour a 10-inch tube pan.

Sift together flour, salt, baking powder, and cocoa. Set aside. Coat the chopped pecans with a small amount of the dry mixture.

Cream shortening and butter. Add sugar and beat well.

Add eggs one at a time; beat well after each egg. Add vanilla and beat in.

Add dry ingredients alternately with the milk. Beat well. Fold in chopped nuts.

Pour into pan. Bake at 325 for approximately 1 hour 20 minutes. Check cake; it will probably take a bit longer.

Pat’s recipe

8 oz bittersweet chocolate

8 oz unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus extra for buttering pan

4 large eggs

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup orange flavored liqeur such as Grand Marnier

6 tbsp cornstarch

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Brush a 9-inch springform pan with butter.

2. Break up or chop the chocolate and melt it in a bowl set above a simmering pan of water. Remove and let cool. While the chocolate is cooling, cream the butter in a mixing bowl.

3. Pour the cooled, melted chocolate into the mixing bowl with the butter and beat for 2 minutes. The mixture should be thick. Set aside.

4. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs. Start adding the sugar, beating at high speed, until the eggs are thick and very pale yellow (6 to 8 minutes). Both the egg-sugar and chocolate-butter mixtues should have a similar consistency.

5. Beat the chocolate-butter mixture into the egg-sugar mixture and add the orange liquer. Beat another minute to mix. Sift the cornstarch onto the batter and gently fold in.

6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Tap the pan on the counter to level and cover with buttered waxed paper. Put the pan in a baking dish and fill the dish with near-boiling water, almost up to the top of the mold. Put the baking dish with the pan in the preheated oven for 55 minutes. Let cool Turn upside down on a serving platter, but wait 30 minutes to remove the mold.

7. Turn the pan right side up. Remove the side of the pan. Peel off the waxed paper. Leave cake on pan bottom for serving.

8. Cut serving pieces. Serve with unsugared whipped cream.

Adapted from French Women Don’t Get Fat