S'mores brownies

I just ate my weight in brownie batter. Then half my weight in brownie crumbs when they overflowed of the baking pan. Ouchhhhh.

That's how good these brownies are. They make you lick spoonfuls of batter each time you add another ingredient. Any good cook monitors their work now, don't they? What's that called, a product tester? Yeah that's totally my job. At least that's what I'm telling myself...

Case in point these brownies are kind of addicting.

That's really all I have to say.

Makes 15 super large brownies

For the brownies:

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
5 large eggs
1 1/4 cups dark brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup graham cracker, roughly crushed with your hands
15 big marshmallows

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a 9×13-inch baking pan with 2-inch-high sides (This part is very important! You need a tall pan or they'll overflow!) Combine first 3 ingredients in small bowl. Stir butter and chocolate in a medium sized bowl over a heavy saucepan of simmering water. Stir chocolate and butter in this double boiler until melted and smooth.

Beat eggs, sugar and vanilla in large bowl to blend. Stir in warm chocolate mixture, then dry ingredients. Fold in graham crackers. Pour batter into prepared pan. Dot with 15 large marshmallows. Bake until toothpick inserted into center comes out with moist crumbs attached, about 30- 40 minutes minutes.

Marshmallows will be browned and puffy but will deflate as the brownies cool. Cool for at least 20 minutes than slice with a sharp knife, cleaning the knife with hot water if it gets too messy and sticky. Serve or wrap individually in wax paper for storing.

Tip: this makes a very cakey brownie. If you prefer a more fudgey brownie, eliminate 1 egg for a richer texture.

Recipe adapted from Joy the Baker.

Hummingbird bakery cheesecake

 

One time we made a celebratory cheesecake. Then it broke coming out of the pan. But it was still an amazing cheesecake, so we ate it anyways.

For the crust:

8 ounces digestive biscuits (or graham crackers)
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

For the cheesecake:

1 1/2 pounds full-fat cream cheese
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 ounces (1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon) caster sugar
3 large eggs
3 ounces mixed berries

Line the base of a spring form pan with parchment paper. Place the biscuits in a food processor and whiz into fine crumbs using the blade attachment. Tip the crumbs into a bowl, add the melted butter, and mix together with a spoon. Place the mixture in the prepared tin, pressing it into the base with the back of the spoon. Place in the refrigerator and allow to cool and set for 20-30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 320°F. Using an electric mixer, mix together the cream cheese, vanilla extract, and sugar on medium speed until smooth. Break the eggs in one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl to make sure every bit is incorporated. Stir in the mixed fruits by hand, checking that they are evenly dispersed, then pour the mixture into the prepared tin.

Create a water bath for the cheesecake. Wrap the outside of the spring form with foil, folding it up around the sides of the pan. Then place thepan in a roasting tin and fill with water to about 1/4 inches below the top edge. The moisture created in the oven helps to prevent the top of the cheesecake from cracking. Run a palate knife around the inside edge of the pan; this releases the mixture from the sides so that it doesn't stick.

Place in the oven and bake for 35-45 minutes, or until the cheesecake is a light-golden color on top (more so around the edges) and generally firm to the touch, with only a slight wobble in the middle.
Keeping the cheesecake in the tin, allow it to cool down at room temperature, then place in the fridge to set for a few hours, or preferably overnight. Once the cheesecake has set, it can be taken out of the pan and decorated with extra berries or whipped cream.

Recipe adapted from The Hummingbird Bakery Cake Days Cookbook

A buh buh buh... low-fat cheesecake like woah

I really like cheesecake a lot a lot a lot.


For the cheesecake:

1 1/2 pounds (24 ounces) Neufatel cheese, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
4 eggs
1/3 cup whole milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For the crust:

1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup granulated sugar
5 tablespoons butter, melted

For the sauce:

2 pints fresh strawberries
1/4 cup granulated sugar
zest of 1/2 lemon

Preheat oven to 200°F. Mix together graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter. Using a fork, press the crumb mixture firmly into the bottom of a 9 1/2 inch springform pan. Pat evenly to coat the bottom and sides of the pan.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat Neufatel cheese on medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy, about two minutes. Blend in sugar and then eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Add milk and vanilla extract, and beat another two minutes. Pour mixture into prepared crust. Set pan on baking sheet. Bake at 200°F for two hours, then turn heat up to 300°F and continue to bake for another 30 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack, chill thoroughly before serving.

While cheesecake is cooling: Prepare strawberries by cutting off stems and slicing each berry in half or quarters. In a medium pan bring the cut strawberries, lemon zest, and sugar to a boil. Once boiling, turn heat down to simmer and heat for 15 minutes. Add cornstarch if necessary to thicken the sauce. Allow to cool completely, then serve on top of cheesecake. Wahoo!

Fudgies with marshmallows and graham crackers

Oh, God, do you judge people like me? People who eat massive amounts of fudge for breakfast? It just looked so mouthwatering, so delectable, so sumptuous. And the chocolate! The rich, creamy chocolate! Coupled with the airy marshmallows and crunchy graham crackers, I couldn’t help myself. It started out with just one, but another fudge square called my name. So I answered. And it was delicious. Do you forgive me?

For the fudgies:

1 bag marshmallows, cut in half around the circumference
6 graham cracker squares, crushed
3 cups semisweet chocolate chips
14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon espresso powder

In a small saucepan, melt chocolate chips, sweetened condensed milk, espresso powder, and salt over low heat. Remove from the heat and Pour 1/2 of the fudge sauce into an 8"x8" parchment-lined baking pan. Evenly place marshmallows on top of sauce so the circular side faces up. Next, sprinkle graham crackers over marshmallows and fudge sauce so the grahams are distributed within the spaces between the marshmallows. Pour the remaining fudge sauce mixture over the entire thing, spreading evenly. Refrigerate for 2-3 hours, cut, and serve! But make sure you have friends to serve to… otherwise you’ll end up like me, eating fudge for breakfast.