brownies

I don’t fancy myself “picky.” Instead, I prefer “particular.”

How, you wonder? Well, for one, I am particular about the texture of my brownies.

Many times, I feel that brownies don’t hit that perfect brownie pitch; they either stray into the dangerous territory of being too cake-like or they are just one step away from fudge.

 If I may be particular, I like my brownies to be brownies.

In trying to find that perfect middle ground, I went through dozens of recipes, comparing the ratios of butter, chocolate, flour, and eggs. After all of my searching, I can say one thing with relative certainty: Brownie recipes are largely very similar.

Another thing I can say with certainty: Most of the recipes I saw evidenced a wide-spread obsession with gooey, fudge-like brownies.

Call me particular. Hell, call me picky. I’m not jumping on that bandwagon. Nope. Not me.

Instead, I tweaked the basic, across-the-board ratios to try to get a brownie that complied with my particular tastes.

Because I’m picky a bad ass particular. And I pretty much do what I want.

I used cake flour instead of all-purpose (to reduce the gluten), used more flour and leavener than most recipes, and baked it until completely done.

I really love the way these turned out. I sent them to my Dad for Father’s Day. From all accounts, he likes the way they turned out, too.

Score one for the particular picky home bakers.

Brownies

Ingredients

1 ½ cups cake flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

1 ½ sticks of butter (12 tablespoons), cut into cubes

6 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped

2 ¼ cups granulated sugar

4 eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

Line a 9 by 13 inch pan with foil, leaving some foil hanging over the edges of the pan (to assist with lifting the brownies out of the pan later.) Grease the foil-lined baking pan for extra insurance.

Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Whisk together to combine and disburse the baking powder evenly.

Melt butter and chocolate in a glass bowl that is put on top of a saucepan of simmering water, creating a double boiler. Stir until completely melted and smooth.

Once chocolate and butter have become completely smooth, take glass bowl off of the saucepan. Add in sugar, fully incorporating into the butter and chocolate mixture.

Then add in eggs, one at a time, with a whisk, combining thoroughly. Once all 4 eggs have been combined, add the vanilla extract.

Next, fold in the flour mixture a little at a time until combined. (I added the flour in 4 equal parts, gently folding flour into the wet ingredients with a rubber spatula.)

When all ingredients are completely combined, pour into the baking dish and use the spatula to make sure the brownie batter is evenly spread out.

Bake in the oven at 325 for 25-30 minutes.

When cool, use the extra hanging foil to pull the brownies out of the pan with relative ease. Cut and serve. (Or ship to a happy Dad.)

cheesecake bars with chocolate ganache

Confession: I don't own a springform pan.

I know, I know.

Confession: I don't like cheesecake.

Yeah, I know. No, really, I know. I am like the only one. Ever. And while we're at it and you are all up in arms about my dislike for a universally loved dessert, I might as well tell you that I don't like Italian food. Yeah, yeah, yeah - I know.

This weekend, I took a road trip with a few of my friends to go see our mutual friend (and classmate) get married. The wedding was wonderful, the bride was beyond beautiful, and there were about 5 different types of dessert. All in all, my definition of perfection.

This road trip was of the 7-hour-round-trip variety. You know, one of those. Where it is long, but not too long. Where you can still talk the entire way and not necessarily run out of things to say. Right? People talk for 7 hours straight? Other than middle school girls on the phone with their long-distance boyfriends?

Yeah, so as you might have guessed, I basically talked the whole way there. And back. What can I say? I have the gift of gab.(Though my use of the word "gift" is debatable. But remember, I will out-gab you in said debate. So it's probably better that you don't even start. Thanks.)

Like I said, I don't like cheesecake and I don't even own a springform pan. So why make my first baking post on cheesecake bars?

Well, these cheesecake bars were originally intended as a gratuitous baking adventure, requested by the lovely driver of our wedding excursion. And then I realized that I talked for 7 hours straight; so now these cheesecake bars are more like "thanks for being my friend" cheesecake bars, combined with a little "you're hella awesome for not kicking my overly-conversational bum out of the car"  chocolate ganache.

Despite not being fond of cheesecake, these bars are actually delicious. And I don't know of anything that isn't improved by chocolate ganache.

Additional bonuses: No water bath required, and any infamous cheesecake cracks are covered up by ganache. Win. 

Recipe [very slightly adapted] from Bakerella's Chocolate Biscoff Cheesecake Bars:

Cheesecake Bars with Chocolate Ganache

Crust
1 1/2 cups crushed cinnamon graham crackers
3 Tablespoons packed brown sugar
6 Tablespoons melted butter

• Mix cookies and sugar together.
• Add butter and stir until combined.
• Press mixture into a 13 X 9 pan.

Cheesecake
3 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons flour
3 eggs
8 oz. sour cream
1 Tablespoon vanilla

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
• Cream the sugar, cream cheese, and flour with an electric mixer on medium until light and fluffy.
• On medium low, add eggs one at a time, mixing well with each addition.
• Add sour cream and vanilla and mix until just combined.
• Pour on prepared crust and bake for about 40 minutes.
• Remove and cool completely.  
• Prepare ganache.

Chocolate Ganache
8 oz. heavy whipping cream
4 tablespoons butter
8 oz semi-sweet chocolate
1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar (sifted)

• Heat cream and butter on stove until just before boiling.
• Remove from stove and pour over chocolate. Stir until completely combined.
• Add confectioners’ sugar and beat with a wire whisk until combined and smooth.
• Pour over cooled cheesecake.
• Cover and refrigerate overnight.
• Cut into bars and serve.