CHOCOLATE BROWNIES

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
4 ounces unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temperature
1 cup light brown sugar
1 large egg
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
1 cup chocolate chips or chunks

Topping:
1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
1 teaspoon butter
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour an 8-inch square baking pan.

Combine the flour and salt; set aside. Stir together the melted butter and brown sugar until smooth; beat in egg and vanilla extract until well blended. Slowly beat in the flour mixture until blended, then stir in the coconut and chocolate chips. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth even with a rubber spatula.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until set in the center but still soft. Do not overbake. Let the bars cool slightly before drizzling with chocolate, then cool completely before cutting into squares.For the topping, combine the chocolate and butter in a small bowl and microwave in 30-second intervals until melted and smooth. Using a spoon, drizzle over the bars.

Ingredients
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces, plus additional for the pan
4 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
16 small chocolate covered caramels or 16 pieces of Rolo candy, halved

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line an 8x8x2-inch baking pan with parchment paper or heavy aluminum foil, making sure the paper or foil extends beyond the edges of the pan. Lightly butter the paper or foil.

In a heatproof container set over, but not touching,
a saucepan of barely simmering water, heat the butter and unsweetened chocolate, stirring constantly, until the mixture is melted and smooth.

Remove from heat; set aside to cool slightly.

In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.

In a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the eggs and sugar until fluffy and lightened in color, about 1 minute. Add the vanilla and mix until combined.

Reduce the speed to low, add the chocolate mixture and mix just until blended. Add the flour mixture and mix just until blended. The batter should be smooth. Using a spoon, stir in the chocolate covered caramel pieces. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan.

Bake the brownies in the preheated oven for about 35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs.

Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool completely. Using a small knife, loosen the sides of the brownies from the pan. Carefully lift the paper and the whole uncut brownie in 1 piece from the pan. Remove and discard the paper.

Ingredients
1 ounce squares unsweetened chocolate
1/2 pound bacon, cooked and drained on paper towels
1/2 cup total, butter and bacon drippings
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla essence
Pinch salt
1/2 cup unbleached white flour
Chocolate Ganache
1 cup heavy cream
2 cups mini dark chocolate chips or chopped semi-sweet chocolate

How to Make Bacon Brownies
Spray an 8" X 8" square baking pan with vegetable spray. Cook bacon, drain on paper towels and crumble in medium pieces. Save bacon grease.Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.Measure bacon drippings into a 1 cup measure. Add melted butter to that to make 1/2 cup total.
Melt unsweetened chocolate and butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Do not burn. Remove from heat. Using a wooden spoon or spatula, stir in sugar until well mixed.Add eggs, vanilla and salt and beat well with spoon. Fold in flour and mix just until smooth.Pour half the batter into prepared baking pan.Sprinkle with half the bacon, and carefully pour the rest of the brownie batter on top. Bake at 325 degrees for 20 minutes, then sprinkle some more bacon on the brownies, reserving at least a handful of bacon for the topping. Return brownies to the oven and continue baking for another 10-15 minutes or until knife comes out clean.
Sprinkle the rest of the bacon on top, and cool completely before drizzling with Chocolate Ganache.
How to Make Chocolate Ganache
In a medium sized pan, heat cream almost to a scald. Remove from burner. Add chocolate all at once, and whisk to blend smooth and melt. Cool enough to spoon or drizzle directly onto brownies.

Ingredients
1 cup unsalted butter
3 ounces 70% Green and Blacks chocolate
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup mascarpone cheese, softened
3 large organic eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
Ganache
6 ounces 70% Lindt Excellence,
6 tablespoons heavy cream
3 Tablespoons unsalted butter

Preheat oven to 350°. Butter an 8-inch square glass baking pan and set aside.

Method
Place the butter and chocolate in heat-proof bowl and set over a pot of simmering water. Stirring constantly, melt butter and chocolate. Set aside and let cool.

Sift sugar and cocoa powder. Add to the butter chocolate mixture. Whisk in the mascarpone, eggs, and vanilla extract until smooth. Fold in flour and salt.Pour batter into pan and spread evenly.Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on cooling rack.
Ganache
Place chopped chocolate in a small bowl. Set aside.In a small saucepan, heat the butter and cream over medium heat, stirring constantly. When mixture is almost boiling, pour over the chocolate. Let stand for 30 seconds. Then, stir until smooth.
Pour ganache over cooled brownies and spread evenly.Chill the brownies to allow the ganache to firm.

Ingredients
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup golden raisins,
1 1/2 tablespoons water
1 1/2 tablespoons dark rum
6 ounces dark chocolate, finely chopped
6 ounces unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 large organic eggs, at room temperature
1 cup sugar

Method
Preheat the oven to 300°F. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with foil, butter the foil, place the pan on a baking sheet, and set aside.

Whisk together the flour, salt and cinnamon.Put the raisins in a small saucepan with the water, bring to a boil over medium heat and cook until the water almost evaporates. Add the rum, turn off the heat, and ignite the rum. Allow the flames to die down, and set the raisins aside until needed.

Put the chocolate in a heatproof bowl and set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Slowly and gently melt the chocolate, stirring occasionally. Remove the bowl from the saucepan and add the butter, stirring so that it melts. It's important that the chocolate and butter don't get too hot so don't be impatient.

Beat the eggs and sugar until they are thick and pale, about 2 minutes. Lower the mixer speed and pour in the chocolate butter, and incorporate to a thick, creamy batter. Fold in hte dry ingredients.

Scrape the batter into the pan and bake 50 to 60 minutes, or until the top is dry and crackled and a knife inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a rack and allow the brownies to cool to warm or room temperature.

Baking: From My Home to Yours is the perfect recipe book for the chocoholics amongst us.

Greenspan, co-author of books with culinary icons such as Julia Child (Baking with Julia), Daniel Boulud and Pierre Hermé, shares her favorite recipes in this tantalizing collection, which covers all the baking bases, from muffins, cookies and brownies to spoon desserts, pies and cobblers. Instructions are clear and easy to follow, and Greenspan uses everyday ingredients readily available to the home chef. Recipes like Perfection Pound Cake and All-American, All-Delicious Apple Pie convey a comfortable, almost homey, familiarity that will bring readers back to this collection again and again. In addition, she provides insight into matters many cooks may not often consider, such as leaveners, technique and choosing the right pan. Numerous mouth-watering photos dot the book throughout, making it hard to choose which one to make first. Especially helpful is the Indispensables: Base Recipes section at the end of the book, which includes pointers for making key ingredients such dough, pastry cream, lemon curd and faux crème fraîche. This is baking at its best with over a hundred beautiful illustrations.

The Ultimate Brownie Book: Thousands of Ways to Make America's Favorite Treat, including Blondies, Frostings, and Doctored Brownie Mixes

Readers paging through The Ultimate Brownie Book will swear they can smell melting chocolate. Brownies by definition are simple to make, so the only difficulty is deciding which kind to make first. After a short section on equipment and ingredients, the recipes are nicely laid out on facing pages so that you never have to turn back and forth in the middle of one. Authors Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough acknowledge the age-old debate over whether the best brownies are fudgy or cakelike (every recipe that falls decidedly in one camp or the other is categorized). The spectrum stretches from Cake Brownies ("Fudge lovers, you'll have to skip ahead," warn the authors) to Fudge Brownies ("a chocolate-lover's grail"). The Brown Sugar Brownies fall right on the halfway point, making them universally pleasing. Members of the fudge camp will find the Malt Brownies just perfect, with their chewy edges, creamy and rich middle, intensely chocolatey flavor, and the beautiful old-fashioned aroma of malt. Weinstein and Scarbrough also offer such new-fangled concoctions as Cocoa Nib Brownies, Marzipan Brownies, and Mexican Chocolate Brownies, as well as old favorites, including Cream Cheese Brownies and Butterscotch Blondies. And just to make sure there's something for everyone, there are a number of low-fat recipes, one that's fat-free, a gluten-free brownie, and even one for Passover.

Brownies

Linda Collister brings you her favourite brownie recipes in one gorgeous book. If you've never made a brownie before, her Classic Fudge Brownie is the place to start. And for the brownie aficionado there is plenty of inspirations for a whole variety of new flavours - from a Peanut Butter version to Chocolate Mint. Blondies are a delicious variation on the theme. Who can resist a White Chocolate and Raspberry Blondie? Also included here is a selection of indulgent Brownie Desserts. Choose from Brownie Cheesecake or a Brownie Fudge Pie. Finally, Linda presents some decadent Sauces. Dress your brownie up with a Butterscotch Fudge Sauce or White Chocolate Sauce. Wonderful at teatime, on a coffee break or perfect for dessert. *Linda's foolproof recipes for Brownies are a heavenly treat whatever time of day you choose to enjoy them. *Mouthwatering photography by Richard Jung.

Baker's Edge Nonstick Edge Brownie Pan