Archive for the 'Brownie + Bar' Category

My last three attempts at making dessert have turned out terribly. I mean, they were good enough for The Astronomer and me to eat after dinner, but not nearly perfect enough to share in this space. The first mishap was my grandfather’s birthday cake. He is a strawberry lover through and through, so I decided to use this recipe for Sprinkle’s cupcakes as the base of a two-layer cake. It turns out that great cupcakes don’t necessarily translate into great layer cakes, and I ended up with a dense, scone-like tower. Fail.

My second not-so-hot execution occurred while making butterscotch pudding a la Pizzeria Mozza. I removed the pudding from the heat probably three minutes too soon and ended up with pudding the texture of melted ice cream rather than thick, luscious custard. Fail squared.

Most recently, I attempted Baked‘s Grasshopper Bars, and the result was downright atrocious. The bar consisted of three layers—brownie, mint buttercream, and chocolate ganache. The first one went off without a hitch, while the second one resembled watery butter infused with creme de menthe. I was so crushed that I didn’t even make the final layer. Fail cubed.

After a slew of kitchen heartbreaks, my confidence was at an all-time low and I desperately needed a sure thing. Enter: Rice Krispies Treats.

For the amount of effort that goes into making marshmallow squares, they give back ten-fold in taste. Even better, they are almost impossible to screw up. Instead of preparing the standard recipe found on the back of the Kellogg’s cereal box, I drew inspiration from the Los Angeles Times‘ test kitchen. The addition of fresh rosemary penetrates every “krispie” grain and adds a whole new savory dimension to this all-American sweet. After  successfully preparing these rosemary marshmallow squares twice in the past week, I think I’m finally ready to move on to something slightly more difficult. Wish me luck.

• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 (10-ounce) bag plain marshmallows
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 6 cups crisped rice cereal

In a large sauté pan heated over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the rosemary and stir until the rosemary is coated.

Stir in the marshmallows, and continue to stir until the marshmallows melt and mix with the butter, about 5 minutes.

Continue reading ‘Rosemary Rice Krispies Treats’

For the past couple of weeks, I’ve been racking my brain trying to come up with a suitable gift for my brother and his girlfriend to thank them for allowing The Astronomer and me to crash at their Lower East Side apartment. Cookbooks and restaurant certificates are usually my go-to gifts, but my brother’s the kind of guy who has everything, so this situation called for something more unique.

I decided to whip up a batch of Rosemary Apricot Squares because home baked goods have an awesome way of speaking louder than words. Plus, the clever combination of rosemary and apricot sounded intriguingly different and outrageously good. The recipe is from Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito of Baked, an innovative bakery in Red Hook, Brooklyn. I previously made their Root Beer Bundt Cake and Raspberry Crumb Breakfast Bars. This one is my favorite of the three.

• 2 1/4 cups of all-purpose flour
• Salt
• 2 1/2 teaspoons minced rosemary
• 1 1/2 sticks (6 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature plus 3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter cut into cubes
• 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups dried California apricots
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons brandy
• 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1/3 cup pecans, coarsely chopped

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9-inch-square baking pan with nonstick cooking spray and line with parchment paper, allowing the parchment to hang over the edge.

In a small bowl, whisk 1 3/4 cups of the flour with 1/4 teaspoon of salt and the rosemary. In a standing mixer fitted with the paddle, beat the 1 1/2 sticks of butter with the confectioners’ sugar and vanilla at medium speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. At low speed, gradually beat in the flour mixture until just incorporated. Scrape the dough into the prepared pan; with lightly floured hands, press the dough evenly over the bottom. Refrigerate until chilled, about 30 minutes.

Bake the crust for 30 minutes, until light golden. Transfer to rack and let cool, about 30 minutes.

Continue reading ‘Rosemary Apricot Bars’

It’s funny how preparing a single recipe can often inspire a chain of additional dishes due to leftover ingredients. After baking the Raspberry Crumb Breakfast Bars for Valentine’s Day, I was left with four lemons without a use. I turned to the America’s Test Kitchen Family Cookbook for ideas and decided that this lemon-intensive Lemon Bar recipe would be perfect. The smooth and vibrant curd topping really makes these bars shine, and the shortbread crust is an outstanding accompaniment. Now, what to do with seven lonely egg whites?

For the crust

• 1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar, plus extra for dusting
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 stick unsalted butter, softened but still cool, cut into 1-inch pieces

For the lemon filling

• 7 large egg yolks
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup fresh lemon juice (4-5 lemons)
• 1/4 cup grated lemon zest
• 1/2 stick unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
• 3 tablespoons heavy cream

Make crust

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9-inch square pan by folding two 16-inch pieces of foil lengthwise to measure 9 inches wide. Fit one sheet on the bottom of the pan, pushing it into the corners and up the sides (overhang will help in removal of baked bars). Fit the second sheet in the pan in the same manner, perpendicular to the first sheet. Spray the sheets with nonstick cooking spray.

Process the flour, confectioners’ sugar, and salt in a food processor until combined, 3 seconds. Add the butter and process to blend, 8 to 10 seconds, then process until the mixture is pale yellow and resembles coarse meal, about three 1-second pulses. Sprinkle the mixture into the prepared pan and press firmly with your fingers into an even layer over the entire pan bottom. Bake the crust until golden brown, about 20 minutes.

Make filling

While the crust is baking, whisk the yolks and whole eggs together in medium nonreactive saucepan. Add the granulated sugar and whisk until just combined. Add the lemon juice, zest, and salt; whisk until combined.

Add the butter pieces, and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens slightly and registers 170°F on an instant-read thermometer, about 5 minutes.

Immediately pour the curd through a single-mesh stainless steel strainer set over a clean non-reactive bowl. Stir in the heavy cream; pour the curd into the warm crust immediately.

Bake until the filling is shiny and opaque and the center jiggles slightly when shaken, 10 to 15 minutes.

Let cool completely on a wire rack, about 2 hours, before removing the bars from the pan using the foil and cutting into squares. Dust with confectioners’ sugar before serving.

Makes 16 bars.