Desserts | The Foodies' Kitchen

Cocoa Brownies

Father’s day is coming up, and for this year’s celebration at Kristen’s pre-school we’re collaborating with Cocoa Brownies, which is perfect because she’s really into baking now… if it were up to her she would have us baking goodies every day. It’s also a great opportunity for me to try these brownies made from cocoa. I already shared a recipe of Classic Brownies with you, but they are made with melted chocolate. According to Alton Brown, cocoa is the secret ingredient to make a really good batch of good old fashioned brownies. Quality is important, so get the best one you can, and make sure it’s baking cocoa (unsweetened), and not the drinking kind!

You probably already know that there is natural cocoa, and dutch processed cocoa. The difference between the two is the alkali process that the dutch cocoa goes through to neutralize its acids, making it darker. When you’re baking, natural cocoa is best, even though its flavor is bitter, it imparts a more “chocolatey” flavor which makes it ideal for brownies, cookies and cakes.

There are a few things that I learned about brownies with this recipe, which are really good ones: Use natural cocoa powder for baked goods, instead of dutch processed cocoa powder, which is more suitable for beverages. Rim your baking pan with parchment paper, which makes lifting brownies out of the pan a breeze. There’s also a tip I read from Gordon Ramsay that says you should let brownies cool in the pan for at least 2-3 hours, and then refrigerate them for about 1 hour before trying to cut them.

There is an important note about the baking time on this recipe. I did go for the 300 degrees F, and started checking it after 45 minutes, like it said. The toothpick still came out covered in batter. I added 10 more minutes of baking time… it still came out with some batter. 5 more minutes…. the toothpick was almost clean, so I thought that was good enough. Maybe they could’ve used an extra 5 minutes, but I don’t know if that would have made the edges too dry. Next time, I will try turning the oven to 325F and will start testing after 45 minutes.

I hope you can also use this recipe to make some brownies for Dad.

Happy Father’s Day!

Helga

Cocoa Brownies

Recipe from Alton Brown
Yields 16 brownies

Ingredients
Soft butter, for greasing the pan
Flour, for dusting the buttered pan
4 large eggs
1 cup sugar, sifted
1 cup brown sugar, sifted
8 ounces melted butter
1 ¼ cups cocoa, sifted
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
½ cup flour, sifted
½ teaspoon kosher salt

Procedure:

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Butter and flour an 8-inch square pan. ( I used parchment paper to line the pan)
In a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the eggs at medium speed until fluffy and light yellow. Add both sugars. Add remaining ingredients, and mix to combine.
Pour the batter into a greased and floured 8-inch square pan and bake for 45 minutes. (See my notes above, it took me 60 minutes!) Check for doneness with the tried-and-true toothpick method: a toothpick inserted into the center of the pan should come out clean. When it’s done, remove to a rack to cool. Resist the temptation to cut into it until it’s mostly cool.

08:50 AM
2 Comments
- Brownies, Chocolate, cocoa, Dessert, father's day, homemade
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Roasted Red Grapefruit with Honey and Yogurt

Roasted citric fruits is a novel concept for me. I’ve been looking around and there are quite a few recipes in which you can try this. For example, chicken with roasted limes, it’s said that the flavor of the limes rises to whole new levels and I am eager to try some.

I wanted to choose a simple recipe for roasted citrus fruit so I could really get a taste of it, so when I was at the grocery store and eyed these red grapefruits, I knew it was just the thing to try this method with. It is perfect to serve for a fancy brunch, or as a light dessert following a heavy meal. You could serve it with vanilla ice cream, instead of yogurt and try the recipe out with regular oranges or blood oranges.

Oh wait, I didn’t tell you what they taste like! Of course, the added sugar makes these sweet and because we’re putting them under the broiler, the natural sugar in the fruit also caramelizes. You get a tender texture, with sweet-caramelized-citrus flavor. The added yogurt and honey are a must have when you try this. The combination is delicious.

Helga

Roasted Grapefruits with Honey and Yogurt

Recipe from Cookie and Kate

Ingredients:
3 grapefruits (I used Ruby Red)
6 tablespoons raw sugar or brown sugar (you’ll need two tablespoons of sugar per grapefruit)
sprinkle ground ginger
sprinkle ground cinnamon
dash sea salt

For Serving:
Plain yogurt
Honey, for drizzling
Granola (optional)

Procedure:

Preheat broiler. Make the bases of your grapefruit halves flat so they don’t wiggle around: slice off about 1/4-inch of the peel on the base end and the stem end of each grapefruit. Then slice each grapefruit in half, parallel to your initial cuts. Place the grapefruit halves face-down on paper towels for about five minutes to absorb excess moisture.
In a small bowl, mix together the raw sugar or brown sugar (I used a mixture of both) with a sprinkle of ginger and cinnamon and a dash of salt. On a rimmed baking sheet or a 13×9-inch glass baker, place the grapefruit halves face up. Sprinkle each halve liberally with the sugar mixture, using about 1 tablespoon per halve. Broil for 7 to 10 minutes, until the sugar is melted and turning a deep amber. Let the grapefruits cool for at least a few minutes; serve warm or at room temperature with a big dollop of yogurt (swirl in honey if you’d like) and a handful of granola is also a good choice.

08:30 AM
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- broiled, Brunch, grapefruit, honey, roasted, yogurt
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Mixed Berries Jam

I used to shy away from even attempting to make homemade jams because I thought you needed to buy special ingredients, such as pectin, to make them at home. I also thought you had to go through the whole canning process which uses special containers (which, are kind of expensive).

I gave them a try after reading David Lebovitz’s blog and realizing that not only does he not use commercial pectin, but there is no need to go through the canning process. I buy regular glass containers, with regular twist on/off caps and wash them with hot soapy water before using them. That’s it. Jams will keep for months in the refrigerator without problem.

I have already made a few different types of jam, but hadn’t tried a classic mixed berry jam, and this one would go great with cream cheese and scones. Check out our two recipes for scones, while you’re here!

Helga

Mixed Berries Jam

Yields: 5 one cup jars (8 oz jars)
Adapted from David Lebovitz

Ingredients:

1 pound strawberries
1 pound blackberries
1 pound raspberries
1 cup blueberries
1 cup water or apple juice
5 1/2 cups sugar
juice of one lemon
pinch of salt
Optional: 1 tablespoon kirsch

Procedure:

In a large pot, mix the berries, and the water or apple juice. Cook, covered, stirring frequently over moderate heat, until the berries are cooked through and thoroughly tender. It should take about 10 minutes.
Put a small plate in the freezer.
Add the sugar, lemon juice, and salt, and cook, uncovered, skimming off and discarding any foam that rises to the surface, until the jam is thick and passes the wrinkle test.
To do the wrinkle test: place a small spoonful of the jam on the frozen plate. Return it to the freezer and check it a few minutes later; if the jam wrinkles when nudged, it’s done. You can also use a candy thermometer; jam jells at approximately 220F (104C).
Stir in the kirsch, if using, then ladle the jam into clean jars, cover, and store in the refrigerator.