Saw this comic on Piled Higher and Deeper today (click to view larger image; reprinted with permission):
"Piled Higher and Deeper" by Jorge Chamwww.phdcomics.com
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Cakey Brownie Recipe Showdown
All right, kids. It's time for the Cakey Brownie Recipe Showdown! Game on!
The first recipe I chose is one I found on Cookie Madness, which is an adapted version of Frosted Cakey Brownies from King Arther Cookie Companion. However, just like the Fudgy Brownie Recipe Showdown, I did not include any extras in these brownies like nuts and frosting.
Frosted Cakey Brownies (without the frosting)
Appearance: The brownies are very dark, fluffy, and slightly sticky on top.
Taste & Texture: It's definitely cakey! Of the 3 brownies tested, these have less of a chocolaty flavor and are more greasy than the others.
Overall Assessment: If you're looking for a good cakey brownie, this is it!
The second recipe tested was from the Magnolia Bakery Cookbook. If you're unfamiliar with the Magnolia Bakery, they're famous for the desserts and breads. In fact, they've been credited with starting the modern "cupcake craze." Just a bit of useless information: They've been featured on Sex and the City and The Devil Wears Prada (Remember the part when Andy goes to a bakery to get her boyfriend's birthday cupcake???).
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
3 cups sugar
6 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
9 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 12x18-inch jelly roll pan.
2. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, the baking powder, and the salt. Set aside.
3. In another large bowl, cream the butter and the sugar until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Lightly beat the eggs, then add to the creamed mixture and mix well. Add the vanilla extract. Add the chocolate and mix until well incorporated. Add the dry ingredients. Pour the batter into prepared pan. Bake 25-30 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the pan comes out with a few moist crumbs attached.
Appearance: The brownies have a nice medium brown color and are very easy to handle.
Taste & Texture: I found these brownies to be extremely dry...to the point that I couldn't even finish one. (That's saying a lot!) I would even go as far as to say that these brownies were just play awful.
Overall Assessment: Yuck! I have never had a more disgusting, more disappointing brownie.
The third brownie recipe I tested was from Leslie Mackie's Macrina Bakery & Cafe Cookbook. The Macrina Bakery has been open for 16 years, and has won numerous awards for their baked goods. Sounds like a perfect place to look for the ultimate cakey brownie recipe!
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
6 eggs
1. Combine chocolate and buter in a mediumstainless steel bowl. Place bowl on top of a saucepan filled with 2 inches of simmering water, making sure that the bottom of the bowl does not come in contact with the water. It's important that the water be just simmering; if it's too hot it will scortch the chocolate. Stir with a rubber spatula until chocolate and butter have melted and reached a smooth consistency. Remove the bowl from the heat and let cool to room temperature.
2. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Oil a 9-inch square baking pan.
3. Place sugar and flour in the bowl of your stand mixer and mix with the paddle attachment for 30 seconds on low speed. Increase speed to medium and add eggs, one at a time, making sure each egg is fully incorporated before adding another. Scrape the sides of the bowl frequently.
4. With the mixer on low speed, drizzle in the cooled, melted chocolate. Scrape the bowl with a rubber spatula to make sure you get all of the chocolate. Increase speed to medium and mix for about 1 minute, or until the batter is mousse-like in texture.
5. Pour batter into the prepared baking pan and spread it evenly with a rubber spatula. Bake on center rack of oven for 30-35 minutes, or until the center is just set. Let cool on a wire rack.
6. After the brownies have completely cooled, cut them into 3x3-inch bars, cleaning the knife between cuts. It's best to enjoy these brownies the day they are baked, but they can be stored at room temperature for up to 1 day. The brownies will become very dense and fudge-like if kept in the refrigerator.
Appearance: The brownies are gorgeous! They are medium brown, and they look very moist in the center but have a nice crust on top and bottom.
Taste & Texture: They were very light (but somehow dense at the same time...) and spongy. The cookbook claims that customers describe them as "chocolate cotton candy." Yes, the texture is very light...but cotton candy? It reminded me more of a cheesecake texture, which I don't find all that cakey.
Overall Assessment: They are very tasty and enjoyable! However, I'm not sure they belong in the cakey brownie category.
Most people were puzzled at the texture of the Macrina Bakery brownies. While they are very tasty, the texture is not one you expect in a brownie. Everyone was split between preferring the Macrina brownies and the Cookie Madness brownies. However, all agreed that if you're looking for a cakey brownie, the Cookie Madness ones win!
The first recipe I chose is one I found on Cookie Madness, which is an adapted version of Frosted Cakey Brownies from King Arther Cookie Companion. However, just like the Fudgy Brownie Recipe Showdown, I did not include any extras in these brownies like nuts and frosting.
Frosted Cakey Brownies (without the frosting)
16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter
2 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1 1/4 cups Dutch Process cocoa
1 tablespoon vanilla
5 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup water
1 1/4 cups all purpose unbleached flour
2. Melt butter in a microwave-safe mixing bowl. Stir in the sugar and cocoa, beating with a spoon. With the spoon, beat in vanilla, then beat in eggs, one by one. Beat in baking powder and salt (making sure baking powder is dissolved), then stir in water. When smooth, add flour and stir just until blended. Add chocolate chips if using.
3. Pour into pan and bake for about 28 minutes. Let cool. Lift from pan and cut into squares.
My Recipe Review:
Baking & Prep: The list of ingredients in this recipe is definitely manageable. The batter was smooth and didn't have an overpoweringly chocolaty flavor.Appearance: The brownies are very dark, fluffy, and slightly sticky on top.
Taste & Texture: It's definitely cakey! Of the 3 brownies tested, these have less of a chocolaty flavor and are more greasy than the others.
Overall Assessment: If you're looking for a good cakey brownie, this is it!
The second recipe tested was from the Magnolia Bakery Cookbook. If you're unfamiliar with the Magnolia Bakery, they're famous for the desserts and breads. In fact, they've been credited with starting the modern "cupcake craze." Just a bit of useless information: They've been featured on Sex and the City and The Devil Wears Prada (Remember the part when Andy goes to a bakery to get her boyfriend's birthday cupcake???).
Magnolia Bakery Chocolate Brownies
3 cups cake flour1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
3 cups sugar
6 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
9 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 12x18-inch jelly roll pan.
2. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, the baking powder, and the salt. Set aside.
3. In another large bowl, cream the butter and the sugar until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Lightly beat the eggs, then add to the creamed mixture and mix well. Add the vanilla extract. Add the chocolate and mix until well incorporated. Add the dry ingredients. Pour the batter into prepared pan. Bake 25-30 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the pan comes out with a few moist crumbs attached.
My Recipe Review:
Baking & Prep: The list of ingredients is of average length, but the recipe calls for baking the brownies in a 12x18-inch jelly roll pan. This might not be something that the average person has in the household and baking brownies in this kind of pan is not very conventional so this might increase the difficulty level of making them. The batter is thick, creamy, and very enjoyable!Appearance: The brownies have a nice medium brown color and are very easy to handle.
Taste & Texture: I found these brownies to be extremely dry...to the point that I couldn't even finish one. (That's saying a lot!) I would even go as far as to say that these brownies were just play awful.
Overall Assessment: Yuck! I have never had a more disgusting, more disappointing brownie.
The third brownie recipe I tested was from Leslie Mackie's Macrina Bakery & Cafe Cookbook. The Macrina Bakery has been open for 16 years, and has won numerous awards for their baked goods. Sounds like a perfect place to look for the ultimate cakey brownie recipe!
Bittersweet Chocolate Brownies
5 ounces unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
6 eggs
1. Combine chocolate and buter in a mediumstainless steel bowl. Place bowl on top of a saucepan filled with 2 inches of simmering water, making sure that the bottom of the bowl does not come in contact with the water. It's important that the water be just simmering; if it's too hot it will scortch the chocolate. Stir with a rubber spatula until chocolate and butter have melted and reached a smooth consistency. Remove the bowl from the heat and let cool to room temperature.
2. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Oil a 9-inch square baking pan.
3. Place sugar and flour in the bowl of your stand mixer and mix with the paddle attachment for 30 seconds on low speed. Increase speed to medium and add eggs, one at a time, making sure each egg is fully incorporated before adding another. Scrape the sides of the bowl frequently.
4. With the mixer on low speed, drizzle in the cooled, melted chocolate. Scrape the bowl with a rubber spatula to make sure you get all of the chocolate. Increase speed to medium and mix for about 1 minute, or until the batter is mousse-like in texture.
5. Pour batter into the prepared baking pan and spread it evenly with a rubber spatula. Bake on center rack of oven for 30-35 minutes, or until the center is just set. Let cool on a wire rack.
6. After the brownies have completely cooled, cut them into 3x3-inch bars, cleaning the knife between cuts. It's best to enjoy these brownies the day they are baked, but they can be stored at room temperature for up to 1 day. The brownies will become very dense and fudge-like if kept in the refrigerator.
My Recipe Review:
Baking & Prep: The directions are very easy to follow, and the ingredient list is short. It took me much longer than 1 minute to beat my batter to a mousse-like consistency, but it got there after about 10 minutes of mixing. At that point, the batter was very soft, airy, and chocolaty. My brownies also took longer (45 minutes) to bake because I used an 8-inch square baking pan.Appearance: The brownies are gorgeous! They are medium brown, and they look very moist in the center but have a nice crust on top and bottom.
Taste & Texture: They were very light (but somehow dense at the same time...) and spongy. The cookbook claims that customers describe them as "chocolate cotton candy." Yes, the texture is very light...but cotton candy? It reminded me more of a cheesecake texture, which I don't find all that cakey.
Overall Assessment: They are very tasty and enjoyable! However, I'm not sure they belong in the cakey brownie category.
Other Friendly Reviews:
Again, I asked many people to taste the brownies (this time it was Gator tailgators and a few other friends). Without a doubt, everyone avoided the Magnolia Bakery brownies! Some people liked their chocolaty flavor but agreed that they were very dry. I honestly couldn't taste the brownies because they were so dry...it was like I was drowning in brownie. It was stuck to my mouth and I couldn't swallow it! And if you think I might have just screwed up while baking these brownies, check out the reviews at Amazon.com - other people have claimed the same problem with these things! But, anyway, I digress...Most people were puzzled at the texture of the Macrina Bakery brownies. While they are very tasty, the texture is not one you expect in a brownie. Everyone was split between preferring the Macrina brownies and the Cookie Madness brownies. However, all agreed that if you're looking for a cakey brownie, the Cookie Madness ones win!
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Fudgy Brownie Recipe Showdown
The hunt for the ultimate homemade brownie recipe is on! For a long time now, I've been meaning to find a really good recipe to replace the many box mixes I use. Don't get me wrong, the box mixes are great! I always keep at least 2 in the pantry because you just never know when you'll need a quick dessert. But I pride myself in baking everything from scratch so it's high time I have a from-scratch brownie recipe!
I began researching different recipes, and I quickly discovered the sometimes intense debate about which is better - cakey or fudgy? People, I've found, are very opinionated about their brownie preferences! So as not to disappoint anyone on either side of the debate, I tested 3 recipes each of fudgy and cakey brownie recipes. In this post, I'll only discuss the results of the FUDGY test. You cakey fans will have to wait til tomorrow - lo siento (that's "sorry" in Spanish).
Much thought went into which 3 recipes I would test. Why didn't I measure more than 3? I'm only one girl with one husband! We can't eat tons many brownies, our friends and coworkers are very close to being sick of the free baked goods (I know, hard to believe it, right?), and I just feel guilty throwing away perfectly good food. Anyway, I chose 3. I made the brownies according to each recipe, omitting extras like nuts and frosting. This is a naked brownie comparison - I didn't want the flavors of the extras to hide the true "personality" of the brownies.
The first recipe was from Baking Illustrated. This is my all-time favorite baking book!
1. Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray an 8-inch square baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Fold two 16-inch pieces of foil or parchment paper lengthwise to measure 8 inches wide. Fit one sheet into the bottom of the greased pan, pushing it into the corners and up the sides of the pan (overhang will help in removal of baked brownies). Fit the second sheet in the pan in the same manner, perpendicular to the first sheet. Spray the sheets with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In a medium heatproof bowl set over a pan of almost-simmering water, melt the chocolates and butter, stirring occasionally until smooth. Whisk the cocoa until smooth. Set aside to cool.
3. Whisk together the eggs, sugar, vanilla, and salt in a medium bowl until combined, about 15 seconds. Whisk the warm chocolate mixture into the egg mixture; then stir in the flour with a wooden spoon until just combined. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan, spread into the corners, and level the surface with a rubber spatula. Bake until slightly puffed and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a small amount of sticky crumbs clinging to it, 35-40 minutes. Cool on a wire rack to room temperature, about 2 hours. Remove the brownies from the pan using the foil or parchment handles to transfer to a cutting board. Cut into 1-inch squares. (Do not cut brownies until ready to serve; uncut brownies can be wrapped in plastic and refrigerated up to 5 days.)
Appearance: The baked brownies were a mid to light brown color and had a nice flakey crust on top. In fact, they looked a lot like the fudgy brownies you can make with box mixes. However, cutting the brownies created a small mess because of the crumbs.
Taste & Texture: The brownies fall apart in the mouth and then coat it - it's the ultimate chocolate-lover's experience. They're chocolatey, but not too sweet. They would be perfect with milk!
Overall Assessment: The day the brownies were cooked, these were easily my favorite. However, even after storing overnight in an airtight container, they dried out a little. If I were baking them again, I would do as the recipe suggests and cut only before serving, storing the rest in plastic wrap.
The second recipe was from the Baking Bites blog, and the actual recipe is from Alice Medrich's Cookies and Brownies. What drew me to this recipe was 1) Nicole, the blog's author, described these brownies as "the best [she] has ever had, hands down" and 2) you use a very unique baking method that I've never seen before.
Appearance: These brownies are a deep brown color with a hard crust on top, and they were the easiest to cut because they are so dense.
Taste & Texture: They're firm, dense, sweet, and very fudgy. They also have a really nice chocolate flavor.
Overall Assessment: As stated above, these brownies retained their fudginess and moisture for at least 1 week (they were all eaten by then). All things considered, these are my personal favorite!
The last recipe tested was from Susan Purdy's Let Them Eat Cake, which boasts "140 sinfully rich desserts with a fraction of the fat" and has been featured on the Food Network's website.
1 ounce unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 cup minus 2 tablespoons sifted cake flour
1/2 cup unsifted unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa
1/4 teaspoon baking poweder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
generous pinch of ground nutmeg
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1 large egg plus 2 large egg whites
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons water
1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat a baking pan with cooking spray.
2. In a small saucepan, combine the butter and chopped chocolate and set over very low heat until melted. Stir the mixture and set aside to cool.
3. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
4. Measure the sugar into the large bowl of an electric mixer and beat in the cooled butter-chocolate mixture. Add the egg plus whites, vanilla, and water and beat well. Add the dry ingredients and mix on low speed just until blended. Don't overbeat. The batter will be thick.
5. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top, and bake for 22 to 25 minutes. When done, the top will look dry and a wooden pick inserted near the edge will come out with a few crumbs but the center will look slightly gooey. Cool in the pan and cut into squares.
Appearance: These brownies were the most difficult to cut because they were very crumbly. The baked brownies are almost black in color, which I have mixed feelings about. Brownies should be...brown...shouldn't they? And if they are such a dark color, I would expect a richly chocolate flavor...see Taste & Texture.
Taste & Texture: The brownies are not too sweet, and they definitely don't scream "CHOCOLATE!" They have a subtle chocolate flavor - reminiscent of a dark, bittersweet chocolate. They are also much more cakey than fudgy in my opinion.
Overall Assessment: Frankly, not my favorite. While I can appreciate the dark chocolate, bittersweet flavor, these are not fudgy brownies. They're cakey. Period.
Stay tuned: Tomorrow I'll post the results of the Cakey Brownie Recipe Showdown! If you're located in and around Gville, let me know - you can be part of the tasting panel. Lord knows I have LOTS of brownies on my hands right now!
I began researching different recipes, and I quickly discovered the sometimes intense debate about which is better - cakey or fudgy? People, I've found, are very opinionated about their brownie preferences! So as not to disappoint anyone on either side of the debate, I tested 3 recipes each of fudgy and cakey brownie recipes. In this post, I'll only discuss the results of the FUDGY test. You cakey fans will have to wait til tomorrow - lo siento (that's "sorry" in Spanish).
Much thought went into which 3 recipes I would test. Why didn't I measure more than 3? I'm only one girl with one husband! We can't eat tons many brownies, our friends and coworkers are very close to being sick of the free baked goods (I know, hard to believe it, right?), and I just feel guilty throwing away perfectly good food. Anyway, I chose 3. I made the brownies according to each recipe, omitting extras like nuts and frosting. This is a naked brownie comparison - I didn't want the flavors of the extras to hide the true "personality" of the brownies.
The first recipe was from Baking Illustrated. This is my all-time favorite baking book!
Baking Illustrated's Chewy, Fudgy Triple-Chocolate Brownies
5 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into quarters
3 tablespoons cocoa powder (either Dutch-processed or natural cocoa works well)
3 large eggs
1 1/4 cups (8 3/4 ounces) sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoons salt
1 cup (5 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into quarters
3 tablespoons cocoa powder (either Dutch-processed or natural cocoa works well)
3 large eggs
1 1/4 cups (8 3/4 ounces) sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoons salt
1 cup (5 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
1. Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray an 8-inch square baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Fold two 16-inch pieces of foil or parchment paper lengthwise to measure 8 inches wide. Fit one sheet into the bottom of the greased pan, pushing it into the corners and up the sides of the pan (overhang will help in removal of baked brownies). Fit the second sheet in the pan in the same manner, perpendicular to the first sheet. Spray the sheets with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In a medium heatproof bowl set over a pan of almost-simmering water, melt the chocolates and butter, stirring occasionally until smooth. Whisk the cocoa until smooth. Set aside to cool.
3. Whisk together the eggs, sugar, vanilla, and salt in a medium bowl until combined, about 15 seconds. Whisk the warm chocolate mixture into the egg mixture; then stir in the flour with a wooden spoon until just combined. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan, spread into the corners, and level the surface with a rubber spatula. Bake until slightly puffed and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a small amount of sticky crumbs clinging to it, 35-40 minutes. Cool on a wire rack to room temperature, about 2 hours. Remove the brownies from the pan using the foil or parchment handles to transfer to a cutting board. Cut into 1-inch squares. (Do not cut brownies until ready to serve; uncut brownies can be wrapped in plastic and refrigerated up to 5 days.)
My Recipe Review:
Baking & Prep: This recipe was easy to follow and excecute, but it used the most dishes of the 3 recipes tested here. The batter tasted very similar to the box mixes but with more chocolatey taste.Appearance: The baked brownies were a mid to light brown color and had a nice flakey crust on top. In fact, they looked a lot like the fudgy brownies you can make with box mixes. However, cutting the brownies created a small mess because of the crumbs.
Taste & Texture: The brownies fall apart in the mouth and then coat it - it's the ultimate chocolate-lover's experience. They're chocolatey, but not too sweet. They would be perfect with milk!
Overall Assessment: The day the brownies were cooked, these were easily my favorite. However, even after storing overnight in an airtight container, they dried out a little. If I were baking them again, I would do as the recipe suggests and cut only before serving, storing the rest in plastic wrap.
The second recipe was from the Baking Bites blog, and the actual recipe is from Alice Medrich's Cookies and Brownies. What drew me to this recipe was 1) Nicole, the blog's author, described these brownies as "the best [she] has ever had, hands down" and 2) you use a very unique baking method that I've never seen before.
New Classic Brownies (from Cookies and Brownies
8 tbsp unsalted butter (1/2 cup)
4 oz unsweetened chocolate
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup all purpose flour
2/3 cup walnuts or pecans (optional)
4 oz unsweetened chocolate
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup all purpose flour
2/3 cup walnuts or pecans (optional)
1. Preheat the oven to 400F and line and 8-inch square metal baking pan with foil.
2. Melt the butter and the chocolate together, on top of a double boiler or in the microwave, stirring often until smooth. Stir in sugar, vanilla and salt. Add eggs one at a time, followed by flour. Stir until very smooth, about 1 minute. Add nuts, if using.
3. Scrape batter into prepared pan and bake at 400F for 20 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, prepare a water bath. Fill a large roasting pan with water and ice about 1 inch deep.
5. When the brownies are done - and they will look a bit dry on top - take them immediately from the oven and place in the water bath. Add more ice to the water if necessary. Allow to cool completely in the bath before removing the pan and cutting the brownies. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
-The secret to this recipe is the baking of the brownies at a high temperature and then quickly dunking them in the ice bath. The ice bath halts the baking process from the outside in, creating a firm bottom for easier handling and a creamy, smooth inside.
My Recipe Review:
Baking & Prep: Of the recipes tested, this one used the fewest dishes, and the instructions were clear & precise. The ice water bath step takes some getting used to, but it's not too difficult. The batter was very thick and fudgy, but not overpoweringly chocolately.Appearance: These brownies are a deep brown color with a hard crust on top, and they were the easiest to cut because they are so dense.
Taste & Texture: They're firm, dense, sweet, and very fudgy. They also have a really nice chocolate flavor.
Overall Assessment: As stated above, these brownies retained their fudginess and moisture for at least 1 week (they were all eaten by then). All things considered, these are my personal favorite!
The last recipe tested was from Susan Purdy's Let Them Eat Cake, which boasts "140 sinfully rich desserts with a fraction of the fat" and has been featured on the Food Network's website.
Let Them Eat Cake's Fudge Brownies:
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut up1 ounce unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 cup minus 2 tablespoons sifted cake flour
1/2 cup unsifted unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa
1/4 teaspoon baking poweder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
generous pinch of ground nutmeg
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1 large egg plus 2 large egg whites
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons water
1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat a baking pan with cooking spray.
2. In a small saucepan, combine the butter and chopped chocolate and set over very low heat until melted. Stir the mixture and set aside to cool.
3. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
4. Measure the sugar into the large bowl of an electric mixer and beat in the cooled butter-chocolate mixture. Add the egg plus whites, vanilla, and water and beat well. Add the dry ingredients and mix on low speed just until blended. Don't overbeat. The batter will be thick.
5. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top, and bake for 22 to 25 minutes. When done, the top will look dry and a wooden pick inserted near the edge will come out with a few crumbs but the center will look slightly gooey. Cool in the pan and cut into squares.
My Recipe Review:
Baking & Prep: This recipe was easy to follow, but the list of ingredients is rather extensive compared to the other recipes tested. The batter tasted thick, fudgy, and chocolatey without being too sweet.Appearance: These brownies were the most difficult to cut because they were very crumbly. The baked brownies are almost black in color, which I have mixed feelings about. Brownies should be...brown...shouldn't they? And if they are such a dark color, I would expect a richly chocolate flavor...see Taste & Texture.
Taste & Texture: The brownies are not too sweet, and they definitely don't scream "CHOCOLATE!" They have a subtle chocolate flavor - reminiscent of a dark, bittersweet chocolate. They are also much more cakey than fudgy in my opinion.
Overall Assessment: Frankly, not my favorite. While I can appreciate the dark chocolate, bittersweet flavor, these are not fudgy brownies. They're cakey. Period.
Other Friendly Reviews:
A recipe can't be thoroughly reviewed by just one person, right? Everyone has different opinions about the perfect brownie so I recruited friends, poker players (I happened to test these recipes on a friendly poker game night), and lab coworkers to help with the assessments. The Baking Illustrated and Baking Bites brownies were definitely the favorites! In fact, the crowd was pretty evenly split between the two. The Let Them Eat Cake brownies only got 2 votes...but perhaps those people prefer cakey brownies. Thanks to everyone who participated in the taste test!Stay tuned: Tomorrow I'll post the results of the Cakey Brownie Recipe Showdown! If you're located in and around Gville, let me know - you can be part of the tasting panel. Lord knows I have LOTS of brownies on my hands right now!
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
A Relaxing Weekend
Sunday night in the Judge household:
Adam: "Did you have a nice weekend?"
Mel: "Sure, you?"
Adam: "Yea, it was relaxing. Don't you think?"
Mel: "Um...[giving Adam a confused look] if by "relaxing" you mean slaving in the kitchen over cakes all weekend...then, yes! It was definitely relaxing!"
Yea, it's true. But if I can't completely relax and vegetate, my next favorite thing would be to spend the weekend caking - and that's exactly what I did!
By the way, as of right now, cake and it's many conjugate forms will be used as a verb on this blog. To "cake" involves the entire process of baking, leveling, filling, and decorating a cake - start to finish! I'll use it in a sentence for you: Caking is one of my favorite hobbies. Get it? Great, let's move on.
On Saturday, Elise and I ran 3 miles at 9am (yes, we're still training for the Princess Half-Marathon...are you??). By 11am, I was at Elise's house for a cake tutorial photo shoot. That's right, folks! Yours truly will be featured in the December issue of American Cake Decorating Magazine. So exciting!
Last year, I entered the 2008 American Style Cake Decorating Competition sponsored by the magazine. The idea is to create 2 cute, but very simple cakes that even someone with no decorating experience can complete. As a finalist in the competition, the cakes and their instructions will be published in the magazine.
Elise is an amazing photographer so I asked her to shoot the tutorial. We worked on the cakes until 5pm, but it was fun! Here are the cakes you'll see in the December issue:
Oops! They're top secret! I can't post them on the blog until they've been printed in the magazine so you'll just have to wait. I know, the anticipation will probably kill us all. Well, it'll kill me...I've already started checking the mail every day, anxiously awaiting the December issue...and it's only October!
Later Saturday night, we had some friends over to watch the UF and FSU football games. I won't go into details, but let's just say that UF won and FSU didn't. Every team has their bad games...or bad season...or bad set of years... Anyway, that's all I'm gonna say. Oh, except that I love Bobby Bowden. Yes, he's ripe for retirement, but I still love him. He's done amazing things for my 'Noles! Ok, that's it. End of discussion.
On Sunday, I made this cake for my friend Casie:
Her sorority is celebrating Founders' Day this week and they wanted a cake in the shape of one of their badges.
I carved the cake out of two 13x9-inch cakes, iced it in chocolate buttercream, and covered it with fondant. Then, I airbrushed the whole thing with bronze and gold coloring. The gems and pearls were made of fondant and painted with the new Americolor sheen colors.
I finished this cake around 8pm Sunday night. If you allow for 1 hour of clean-up and dishes, that's a full day of work. Ok, I'll admit that I took lots of breaks - ate lunch, walked Nani, picked up a Slurpee (yum!), etc. After all, it was a "relaxing" weekend, wasn't it?
Adam: "Did you have a nice weekend?"
Mel: "Sure, you?"
Adam: "Yea, it was relaxing. Don't you think?"
Mel: "Um...[giving Adam a confused look] if by "relaxing" you mean slaving in the kitchen over cakes all weekend...then, yes! It was definitely relaxing!"
Yea, it's true. But if I can't completely relax and vegetate, my next favorite thing would be to spend the weekend caking - and that's exactly what I did!
By the way, as of right now, cake and it's many conjugate forms will be used as a verb on this blog. To "cake" involves the entire process of baking, leveling, filling, and decorating a cake - start to finish! I'll use it in a sentence for you: Caking is one of my favorite hobbies. Get it? Great, let's move on.
On Saturday, Elise and I ran 3 miles at 9am (yes, we're still training for the Princess Half-Marathon...are you??). By 11am, I was at Elise's house for a cake tutorial photo shoot. That's right, folks! Yours truly will be featured in the December issue of American Cake Decorating Magazine. So exciting!
Last year, I entered the 2008 American Style Cake Decorating Competition sponsored by the magazine. The idea is to create 2 cute, but very simple cakes that even someone with no decorating experience can complete. As a finalist in the competition, the cakes and their instructions will be published in the magazine.
Elise is an amazing photographer so I asked her to shoot the tutorial. We worked on the cakes until 5pm, but it was fun! Here are the cakes you'll see in the December issue:
Oops! They're top secret! I can't post them on the blog until they've been printed in the magazine so you'll just have to wait. I know, the anticipation will probably kill us all. Well, it'll kill me...I've already started checking the mail every day, anxiously awaiting the December issue...and it's only October!
Later Saturday night, we had some friends over to watch the UF and FSU football games. I won't go into details, but let's just say that UF won and FSU didn't. Every team has their bad games...or bad season...or bad set of years... Anyway, that's all I'm gonna say. Oh, except that I love Bobby Bowden. Yes, he's ripe for retirement, but I still love him. He's done amazing things for my 'Noles! Ok, that's it. End of discussion.
On Sunday, I made this cake for my friend Casie:
Her sorority is celebrating Founders' Day this week and they wanted a cake in the shape of one of their badges.
I carved the cake out of two 13x9-inch cakes, iced it in chocolate buttercream, and covered it with fondant. Then, I airbrushed the whole thing with bronze and gold coloring. The gems and pearls were made of fondant and painted with the new Americolor sheen colors.
I finished this cake around 8pm Sunday night. If you allow for 1 hour of clean-up and dishes, that's a full day of work. Ok, I'll admit that I took lots of breaks - ate lunch, walked Nani, picked up a Slurpee (yum!), etc. After all, it was a "relaxing" weekend, wasn't it?
Monday, October 12, 2009
Totally Sweet Greeting Cards
Ok, I'm a total sucker for cute things - especially when they feature cupcakes or other baked goods. I admit it! I have a problem! But...I'm not quite ready to seek help...
I have somewhere around 5 aprons (and I manage to dirty them all in 1 week), but I STILL bought an apron I found recently at Hobby Lobby where you can cross-stitch a cupcake on the front! It was just too cute to pass up!
I also really love stationery. There's something about the emptiness of the colorful cardstock that appeals to me! Hmmm...cakes are like a big empty canvas too...maybe there's a pattern there...
Anyway, don't you just love to get snail mail on cute paper? It makes me smile! Well, I found a bunch of cake-themed greeting cards that are sure to make your day.
CakeSpy just announced the release of its 2009 Holiday Card Collection! LOOOOOVE them! (in sing-song voice)
Then, I found these on ETSY:
And I LOVE THIS! You can mail an entire fake slice of chocolate cake! In fact, I'm ordering some from TangBaby today! But, do you think they'll ever make it to the intended destination? They're just so tempting!
I have somewhere around 5 aprons (and I manage to dirty them all in 1 week), but I STILL bought an apron I found recently at Hobby Lobby where you can cross-stitch a cupcake on the front! It was just too cute to pass up!
I also really love stationery. There's something about the emptiness of the colorful cardstock that appeals to me! Hmmm...cakes are like a big empty canvas too...maybe there's a pattern there...
Anyway, don't you just love to get snail mail on cute paper? It makes me smile! Well, I found a bunch of cake-themed greeting cards that are sure to make your day.
CakeSpy just announced the release of its 2009 Holiday Card Collection! LOOOOOVE them! (in sing-song voice)
Then, I found these on ETSY:
How cute is this card? crimsonpeachyart calls it "the Future is Bright." What a great card for grads this fall!
Then there are these cards that appeal to the scrapbooker in me - the first is from whimsypics and the second is from neparker:
This next one from juliehum, I find HILARIOUS! Warning: It's not for the faint of heart. I'd only give these to a VERY close friend!
And I LOVE THIS! You can mail an entire fake slice of chocolate cake! In fact, I'm ordering some from TangBaby today! But, do you think they'll ever make it to the intended destination? They're just so tempting!
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Neiman Marcus' Custom Cupcake Car
Neiman Marcus recently release their 2009 Christmas Book, which includes their list of 10 fantasy gifts for 2009.
So what items on the list caught my eye?
Well, the His & Hers ICON A5 Sports Aircraft and Pilot Training for Two for a mere $250,000.00! Oh wait, if you read the small print, "this item is scheduled for completion in late 2011." Hmmm...maybe I'll put it on next year's Christmas list then...
Oh, how about the Insect Lab Specimen Artwork???
Mike Libby, the creator of the collection, collects, preserves, and poses "non-endangered specimens from around the world." Each bug arrives "under glass on a handsome walnut display base, adorned with a brass plaque." Better yet, "Mike also will sign, label, and number the underside of each one." Your kid will have the best bug collection in science class! And for $8,500.00 it had better be the best!
Oh wait! THIS is the one I want! A Customized Cupcake Car!! I'm not making this up, people.
This is straight from NM's website:
"Put on your matching hat, slip under the muffin top of your Cupcake Car, and let the world figure itself out for awhile. Get (or give) the sheer, joyful chaos of a gift that is mind-blowing, triple-dog-dare, double-infinity forever cool. Make the kids or grandkids literally squeal with joy. Bring it to work and buzz the breakroom. Crash parades! Putter about the ‘hood. Ever had a crowd of kids chasing after you just for the crazy gleeful heck of it? (No worries, the top speed is a comfy-safe 7 mph.) What’s it made of? A 24-volt electric motor, a heavy-duty battery, sheet metal, wire, fabric, wood…and mad genius. Launched at Burning ManSM as a cooperative art car project, the Cupcake Car sprang from the fevered mind of Bay Area artist Lisa Pongrace and her less-rules-more-laughs posse of artists and techno geeks. Yours will be tricked out with your favorite topping, so start thinking flavors."
Mine will be "tricked out with my favorite topping"??? Wow, so many choices! I could go with the traditional buttercream...or strawberry buttercream so it's pink! Hmmm...maybe chocolate fudge with rainbow jimmies!
It goes 7 mph...I wonder if it has air conditining? Florida can get pretty hot sometimes! Nah, I'm sure it does. For $25,000.00 the "mad genius" designer wouldn't forget something as important as air condititioning, right?
Do you think it has cup holders, a place to store my sun glasses, and a radio? Ok, you're right. I'm being too demanding now. After all, it's a motorized cupcake! What more could I want!?**
**For anyone who may be confused, this entire post is dripping with sarcasm. I just want to make sure we're all on the same page. *wink*
So what items on the list caught my eye?
Well, the His & Hers ICON A5 Sports Aircraft and Pilot Training for Two for a mere $250,000.00! Oh wait, if you read the small print, "this item is scheduled for completion in late 2011." Hmmm...maybe I'll put it on next year's Christmas list then...
Oh, how about the Insect Lab Specimen Artwork???
Mike Libby, the creator of the collection, collects, preserves, and poses "non-endangered specimens from around the world." Each bug arrives "under glass on a handsome walnut display base, adorned with a brass plaque." Better yet, "Mike also will sign, label, and number the underside of each one." Your kid will have the best bug collection in science class! And for $8,500.00 it had better be the best!
Oh wait! THIS is the one I want! A Customized Cupcake Car!! I'm not making this up, people.
This is straight from NM's website:
"Put on your matching hat, slip under the muffin top of your Cupcake Car, and let the world figure itself out for awhile. Get (or give) the sheer, joyful chaos of a gift that is mind-blowing, triple-dog-dare, double-infinity forever cool. Make the kids or grandkids literally squeal with joy. Bring it to work and buzz the breakroom. Crash parades! Putter about the ‘hood. Ever had a crowd of kids chasing after you just for the crazy gleeful heck of it? (No worries, the top speed is a comfy-safe 7 mph.) What’s it made of? A 24-volt electric motor, a heavy-duty battery, sheet metal, wire, fabric, wood…and mad genius. Launched at Burning ManSM as a cooperative art car project, the Cupcake Car sprang from the fevered mind of Bay Area artist Lisa Pongrace and her less-rules-more-laughs posse of artists and techno geeks. Yours will be tricked out with your favorite topping, so start thinking flavors."
Mine will be "tricked out with my favorite topping"??? Wow, so many choices! I could go with the traditional buttercream...or strawberry buttercream so it's pink! Hmmm...maybe chocolate fudge with rainbow jimmies!
It goes 7 mph...I wonder if it has air conditining? Florida can get pretty hot sometimes! Nah, I'm sure it does. For $25,000.00 the "mad genius" designer wouldn't forget something as important as air condititioning, right?
Do you think it has cup holders, a place to store my sun glasses, and a radio? Ok, you're right. I'm being too demanding now. After all, it's a motorized cupcake! What more could I want!?**
**For anyone who may be confused, this entire post is dripping with sarcasm. I just want to make sure we're all on the same page. *wink*
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Buttercream Withdrawal
I haven't blogged about a decorated cake since the September 5th Mahi Mahi! Can you believe it!? Are you going through buttercream withdrawal??? Yikes! Per the doctor's orders (I'm a future doctor you know...well, Ph.D., but whatever!), we need a buttercream fix now!
Here are some of the cakes I've done over the past month but never posted on the blog.
It was made of 6- and 8-inch round yellow cakes with buttercream filling. Then, the cake was iced in buttercream and finished with ivory & white buttercream swirls & dots, and the whole thing was topped with a gum paste "E" for the couple's last name.
Next, I made this cake for a friend's birthday:
She loves a particular kind of lily flower that she sees on a local lake so I made them in sugar form to top the cake. The flowers, cat tails, leaves, lily pads, and dragonfly are all gum paste. The cake was iced in light blue buttercream, and all the gum paste decorations, which were made days in advance so they could dry, were added on.
I find at least 2 huge faults in the cake.
1) The bow is way too big. It covers up the cake tiers. Can you even tell it's a topsy turvy cake? I know, tell me about it.
2) Two tiers is not enough for a topsy turvy cake. I think you really need 3-4 tiers for it to really look its best.
Here are some of the cakes I've done over the past month but never posted on the blog.
First up, I was asked to make this cake for a 50th anniversary party:
It was made of 6- and 8-inch round yellow cakes with buttercream filling. Then, the cake was iced in buttercream and finished with ivory & white buttercream swirls & dots, and the whole thing was topped with a gum paste "E" for the couple's last name.Next, I made this cake for a friend's birthday:
She loves a particular kind of lily flower that she sees on a local lake so I made them in sugar form to top the cake. The flowers, cat tails, leaves, lily pads, and dragonfly are all gum paste. The cake was iced in light blue buttercream, and all the gum paste decorations, which were made days in advance so they could dry, were added on.Then, I decided to try my hand at a topsy turvy (aka whimsical) cake. I had never made one but always wanted to so I figured...why not?!
This is actually my least favorite cake on this post. I made it for myself so I'm allowed to be critical, right?
This is actually my least favorite cake on this post. I made it for myself so I'm allowed to be critical, right?
1) The bow is way too big. It covers up the cake tiers. Can you even tell it's a topsy turvy cake? I know, tell me about it.
2) Two tiers is not enough for a topsy turvy cake. I think you really need 3-4 tiers for it to really look its best.
But anyway, here's my first topsy turvy cake:
I'll probably be making another topsy turvy cake in December for a graduation party for my sister and me...stay tuned!
And last but not least, here are some cookies I made last weekend:
I know, they're not cakes, there's no buttercream on them...but they're still very sugary! The soccer balls were decorated with royal icing and topped with the words "D'Feeters '98" because that's the team name. The cookies are supposed to arrive in TX today.
Hello, Blakeney and Caroline! Miss you girls!
I'll probably be making another topsy turvy cake in December for a graduation party for my sister and me...stay tuned!And last but not least, here are some cookies I made last weekend:
I know, they're not cakes, there's no buttercream on them...but they're still very sugary! The soccer balls were decorated with royal icing and topped with the words "D'Feeters '98" because that's the team name. The cookies are supposed to arrive in TX today.
Hello, Blakeney and Caroline! Miss you girls!
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Breast Cancer Awareness - P&G Giveaway
Have you noticed our new look? October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and we're participating in "Pink for October: Raising Awareness for Breast Cancer One Website at a Time." The organizers ask bloggers, tweeters, and website owners to turn their site pink for the month so we thought, why not!?
To promote Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Proctor and Gamble is giving away an amazingly cute Good Cooks kitchen set ($40 value) when you spend only $25 on P&G products at Publix in one transaction!
The giveaway includes a 10-inch covered deep saute pan, a set of 4 pink plastic measuring cups, a pink ribbon timer, and a high temperature spatula. How cute is that!?
And $25 is easy to spend! By the time you buy an 8-pack of Bounty paper towels, some Puffs tissues, and some Tide laundry detergent, you're almost done!
Here are some other cute breast cancer-related finds at ETSY:
Love this Scrabble tile pendant available from dwilcox!
Get this Tickled Pink Soft and Cuddly Scarf from yarncoture. Just in time for the cool months!
Pink for a Cause coasters with words of encouragement on the back by FigTreeBoutique. Ooo, these would make a great Christmas gift, wouldn't they?!
Get this adorable Pink Ribbon Stretch Bracelet from BlackBrookShop.
And check out this Jolly Roger Biker Pirate Pendant by storytales!
HappyHaven is giving away one pendant every week for the month of October! It's only $0.20 to enter so get over there and do it!
To promote Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Proctor and Gamble is giving away an amazingly cute Good Cooks kitchen set ($40 value) when you spend only $25 on P&G products at Publix in one transaction!
The giveaway includes a 10-inch covered deep saute pan, a set of 4 pink plastic measuring cups, a pink ribbon timer, and a high temperature spatula. How cute is that!?
And $25 is easy to spend! By the time you buy an 8-pack of Bounty paper towels, some Puffs tissues, and some Tide laundry detergent, you're almost done!
Here are some other cute breast cancer-related finds at ETSY:
Love this Scrabble tile pendant available from dwilcox!
Get this Tickled Pink Soft and Cuddly Scarf from yarncoture. Just in time for the cool months!
Pink for a Cause coasters with words of encouragement on the back by FigTreeBoutique. Ooo, these would make a great Christmas gift, wouldn't they?!
Get this adorable Pink Ribbon Stretch Bracelet from BlackBrookShop.
And check out this Jolly Roger Biker Pirate Pendant by storytales!
HappyHaven is giving away one pendant every week for the month of October! It's only $0.20 to enter so get over there and do it!
Monday, October 5, 2009
A Mini-Treats Mini-Series: Part 5 - Pumpkin Dog Cookies
We can't leave out "man's best friend" from this Mini-Treats Mini-Series, can we?! I stumbled across this amazing website, aptly named Best Dog Treat Recipes, and I just had to try the recipe for Pumpkin Cookies.
Here's what you need:
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups unbleached flour
2 tablespoons dry milk
1/2 cup oatmeal
1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon dry yeast
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
Note: Do NOT use pumpkin pie filling because it usually contains spices, and nutmeg is toxic to dogs!
This recipe is designed to be super easy. You can put all the ingredients in your bread maker and set it for the dough cycle. But, if you're like me and don't have a bread machine, load it all in your stand mixer and mix with the dough hook. Once the ingredients are mostly combined, knead the remaining flour and oats in by hand.
Roll the dough into 1/4-inch thick sheets,and use a cookie cutter to cut out the desired shapes. This dough is not sticky like rolled cookie dough for humans so you should have no problem rolling it out. In fact, I took an extra precaution and rolled the dough directly on a SilPat, but it turned out to be unnecessary. The cookies can be easily transferred to a cookie sheet, without shape distortion, after the shapes are cut.
Carefully remove the excess dough from around the cut-out shapes.
Transfer the cut-out shapes to a lightly greased cookie sheet and let them rise for 1 hour on the countertop.
Bake the dog cookies for 45-60 minutes at 275 degrees F. After baking, turn off the oven, and let the cookies continue to dry overnight in the oven. In the morning, they will be hard and crisp. They can be stored in an airtight container, at room temperature, for about 30 days.
Of course, I wanted to decorate the dog cookies before I distributed them to the neighborhood dogs, but Nani knew something was up and was very excited about them. I couldn't resist giving her a taste of an undecorated pumpkin cookie.
*sniff, sniff* "Hmmm...what is this exactly?"
"Ooo, tastes pretty yummy!"
"Thanks, Mom! You're the best!"(Excuse the obnoxious glare from the fireplace. The picture was too great not to include in this collection.)
"Mom, don't even THINK about taking this away before I'm finished!"
Nom, nom...
"Oops, look at that! I dropped a piece!"
"No sense in letting that go to waste! Yummy!"Anyway, time to decorate the cookies. There are many different ways you can decorate your dog cookies, including royal icing, Candy Melts, and carob (looks like chocolate but is not poisonous to dogs). For these cookies, I chose to use Candy Melts. When you pick out your Candy Melts at the craft store, be sure you do not get the chocolate ones! You must only use the white chocolate candy melts for your puppies!
Not having the best decorating forsight, I forgot to pick up green Candy Melts for the stems of the pumpkins so I had to make green by mixing blue and yellow.
Not having the best decorating forsight, I forgot to pick up green Candy Melts for the stems of the pumpkins so I had to make green by mixing blue and yellow.
In any event, melt the Candy Melts in a microwave-safe bowl and load it into a piping bag fitted with a tip 3. Then, let your imagination run wild!
Once the white chocolate has set, you can package the cookies to give to the neighborhood pups. The doggies who benefited from this batch of cookies are Nani, Sugar, Baby, Tonka, Grincher, Bella, Harley, Otis, and Max.
Happy early Halloween!
This concludes this Mini-Treat Mini-Series. Thanks for tuning in! Are there other mini-treats you'd like to see featured in a future series? Or is there another series topic you have in mind?
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