Brownies

Brownies are a wonderful dessert. They're cake-like (without the work), they're chocolatey, and there's enough of them in a batch to be able to share.

To that end, here are six brownie recipes to try, including Dr. Pepper Brownies and Frosted Peppermint Brownies. Enjoy!

CHERRY CHEESECAKE BROWNIES

This yumminess is from Alana Al-Hatlani at Southern Living, and begins, "Creamy cherry cheesecake gives brownies a retro twist." It goes on, " A layer of creamy cheesecake takes these brownies to a delicious new level, especially when swirled with ribbons of sweet-tart cherry pie filling.

“We recognize that there are two types of brownie people in this world: cakey brownie lovers and fudgy brownie fans. This recipe falls firmly in the latter category. The moist, chocolatey center is balanced by a tangy cream cheese topping that perfectly suspends the canned pie filling (a great store-bought shortcut). These easy brownies don’t require much hands-on cooking time, just 15 minutes, and then a little patience while they bake, cool, and chill. We promise the wait is well worth the sweet end result."

Active Time: 15 minutes; Cool Time: 2 hours; Total Time: 3 hours; Servings: 9

To view this online, go to https://www.southernliving.com/cherry-cheesecake-brownies-8606893.

Directions

1 (8-oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup powdered sugar

4 large eggs, at room temperature

3/4 tsp. kosher salt, divided

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/3 cup Dutch-process cocoa

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1/2 cup 60% cacao bittersweet chocolate chips (from 1 [12-oz.] pkg.)

1 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

3/4 cup cherry pie filling (such as Lucky Leaf)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat an 8-inch square metal baking pan with cooking spray; line with parchment paper or aluminum foil, leaving a 2-inch overhang on all sides. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese and powdered sugar with an electric mixer on low speed until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Add 1 of the eggs and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt; beat until just combined, and set aside. Whisk together flour, cocoa, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt in a small bowl until no lumps remain; set aside.

Add butter and chocolate chips to a large microwavable bowl. Microwave on HIGH in 30-second intervals, whisking after each interval, until chocolate is melted, about 1 minute. Whisk in granulated sugar and brown sugar until combined. Add vanilla and remaining 3 eggs; whisk until combined. Add flour mixture, whisking until no dry streaks remain.

Add batter to prepared baking pan, spreading in an even layer. Gently spread cream cheese mixture over batter; dollop cherry pie filling over cream cheese mixture. Using the tip of a butter knife, swirl cherry pie filling into cream cheese mixture as desired. Bake in preheated oven until cream cheese mixture is lightly browned around edges, 45 to 50 minutes. Let cool to room temperature in pan on a wire rack, about 1 hour. Chill at least 1 hour before slicing.

EASY SKILLET BROWNIES

This yumminess is from Melissa Clark at The New York Times cooking enewsletter. For this recipe, Melissa wrote, "These simple brownies are mixed and baked in the same skillet. Chewy and fudgy, they’re everything you want in a brownie but faster and with less mess to clean up. If you don’t have an ovenproof nonstick skillet (preferably ceramic, or you could try this in a very well-seasoned cast-iron pan), pour the batter into a greased 9-inch square pan for baking. You can let the brownies cool and cut them into wedges or squares. Or, serve them warm from the oven and straight from the pan, preferably with a scoop of ice cream plopped on top."

Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 30 minutes, plus cooling; Total Time: 40 minutes, plus cooling; Yield: 8 to 12 brownies

This was featured in "The Easiest Brownies Are Mixed and Baked in the Same Pan," and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1024690-easy-skillet-brownies. While you're at it, if you haven't already signed up for The New York Times cooking enewsletter, I highly recommend it. Great recipes, guides, and more.

Ingredients

3/4 cup unsalted butter

6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (about 1 cup)

1/2 teaspoon fine sea or table salt

1-1/2 cups granulated sugar

3 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup walnut or pecan pieces (optional)

Flaky sea salt (optional)

Ice cream, for serving (optional)

Preparation

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In an ovenproof 10- or 11-inch nonstick skillet (preferably ceramic nonstick) set over medium-low heat, combine the butter, chocolate and salt. Let butter and chocolate melt, stirring occasionally. Turn off the heat.

Carefully whisk in sugar until smooth, then whisk in eggs and vanilla. Finally, whisk in flour until no streaks remain. Using a spatula, fold in the nuts, if using. Smooth top and sprinkle lightly with flaky sea salt if you like.

Bake until the top is set, the center is soft and the edges are firm and start to pull away from the pan, 20 to 27 minutes. (A toothpick inserted into the center will come out gooey.) Transfer to a wire rack to cool. You can serve these still a little warm and straight from the pan, with ice cream on top if you like. Or, let cool completely before slicing into wedges or bars.

OUTRAGEOUS BROWNIES

This is from Ina Garten from the Food Network, and in Ina's cookbook, The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook.

Prep Time: 30 minutes; Cook Time: 35 minutes; Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes; Yield: 20 large brownies; Level: Intermediate

To view this online, go to https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/outrageous-brownies-recipe3-1916679.

Ingredients

1 pound unsalted butter

1 pound plus 12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips

6 ounces unsweetened chocolate

6 extra-large eggs

3 tablespoons instant coffee granules

2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract

2-1/4 cups sugar

1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

3 cups chopped walnuts

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Butter and flour a 12 x 18 x 1-inch baking sheet.

Melt together the butter, 1 pound of chocolate chips, and the unsweetened chocolate in a medium bowl over simmering water. Allow to cool slightly. In a large bowl, stir (do not beat) together the eggs, coffee granules, vanilla, and sugar. Stir the warm chocolate mixture into the egg mixture and allow to cool to room temperature.

In a medium bowl, sift together 1 cup of flour, the baking powder, and salt. Add to the cooled chocolate mixture. Toss the walnuts and 12 ounces of chocolate chips in a medium bowl with 1/4 cup of flour, then add them to the chocolate batter. Pour into the baking sheet.

Bake for 20 minutes, then rap the baking sheet against the oven shelf to force the air to escape from between the pan and the brownie dough. Bake for about 15 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Do not overbake! Allow to cool thoroughly, refrigerate, and cut into 20 large squares.

FROSTED PEPPERMINT BROWNIES

This is from Betty Crocker, and begins, “Easy brownie-mix brownies get dressed up for the holidays with frosting and crushed peppermint candy.”

Prep Time: 15 minutes; Total Time: 2 hours 20 minutes; Servings: 16

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 box (16 oz) Betty Crocker™ Supreme original brownie mix

Water, oil and egg called for on brownie mix box

1-1/4 cups Betty Crocker™ Rich & Creamy vanilla frosting (from 16 oz container)

1/8 teaspoon mint or peppermint extract

Betty Crocker™ green or pink gel food color

Peppermint or spearmint candies, crushed, if desired

Directions

Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Grease bottom of 9-inch square pan with shortening or cooking spray. Make and bake brownie batter as directed on box. Cool completely on cooling rack, about 1-1/2 hours. In small bowl, stir together frosting, extract and food color until smooth. Spread frosting evenly over brownies. Sprinkle with crushed candies. For easier cutting, refrigerate about 15 minutes until frosting is set. Cut into 4 rows by 4 rows. Store covered at room temperature.

Expert Tips

Cut brownies into bite-size pieces and serve in holiday paper liners for easy dessert pickups.

DR. PEPPER BROWNIES

This yumminess is from Southern Living, and begins, "Rich, chocolaty Dr Pepper brownies are impossible to resist."

Prep Time: 10 minutes; Bake Time: 40 minutes; Cool Time: 5 minutes; Total Time: 55 minutes

To view this online, go to https://www.southernliving.com/recipes/dr-pepper-brownies.

Ingredients

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 cup light brown sugar

3 large eggs

1/4 cup Dr Pepper

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp. instant coffee

1/3 cup cocoa powder

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Add butter and chocolate chips to a microwave-safe mixing bowl and cook for 30 seconds, stir and microwave for another 30 seconds. Repeat if necessary.

Add brown sugar and eggs and mix until combined. Stir in Dr Pepper. Add flour, cocoa powder, instant coffee, vanilla extract and salt. Stir until combined.

Pour into a greased 9-inch square baking pan.

Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, let stand for 5 minutes in the pan and then transfer to a cooling rack.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do Dr Pepper brownies taste like Dr Pepper?

While the Dr Pepper adds a hint of extra sweetness and spice, along with additional moisture to these brownies, the taste is not noticeable.

Can I use Diet Dr Pepper for these brownies?

While you can use a diet version for this recipe, it may affect the texture and flavor of the brownies.

How can you tell when brownies are ready?

When the brownies are ready, the edges should be set, and a wooden pick inserted in the center should come out with moist fudgy bits (not wet batter).

CHOCOLATE RASPBERRY BROWNIES

This is from that infamous long-since-forgotten emailing list.

Yield: about 20 bars

Ingredients

1-2/3 cups (10 oz) raspberry chips

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter or margarine

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp baking powder

powdered sugar

Directions

Heat oven to 350 F. Grease and lightly flour an 8 inch baking pan. Combine raspberry chips and butter in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until melted. Remove from heat. Add eggs and vanilla. Stir until well blended. Add flour, sugar, and baking powder. Stir until well blended. Spread batter into prepared pan. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until brownies begin to pull away from the sides of the pan. Cool completely in the pan on wire rack. Cut into bars. Sift powdered sugar over top, if desired.

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