Killer Berry Brownies

Killer Berry Brownies

Brownie Batter:

3 oz. unsweetened chocolate

3 oz. semisweet chocolate

1/2 cup butter

3 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

3/4 cup. flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1 cup, chopped toasted pecans

1 cup white chocolate chips

Filling:

1 – 8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature

1/4 cup butter, room temperature

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1/3 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs, beaten

3/4 cup mixed berry pie filling or any berry filling

Ganache:

16 oz. semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

1 cup heavy cream

3/4 cup granulated sugar

Garnish:

1/4 cup white chocolate, melted

fresh berries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9×13 pan with parchment and grease entire pan.

Batter:

Melt the chocolates with the butter; set aside. In a mixing bowl, combine the eggs, sugars and vanilla; mix well. Stir in the chocolate mixture . In a separate bowl , whisk the flour, baking powder and salt; stir into chocolate mixture. Stir in the nuts and white chocolate chips. Set aside.

Filling:

Cream the butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add vanilla and sugar and blend well. Add the eggs and mix well.

Assembly:

In the prepared pan pour half the brownie batter and smooth out evenly. Top with the fillinf batter and smooth out evenly. Drop by spoonful the berry pie filling all over the top in the filling. Dollop the remaining brownie batter over the top and smooth over top the best you can but don’t over work it. You will see all the layers. It’s just more important that it’s level.

Using a knife swirl it through the batter creating a marbling effect. Bake for about 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.

Once the brownies are cool, make the ganache. In a small saucepan heat the heavy creamm and sugar to boil. Pour the hot cream mixture over the finely chopped chocolate and stir until smooth. Pour over the top of the cooled brownies and spread out evenly quickly. Quickly place berries in position over the brownies according to the number of brownies you will be cutting. The recipe can make 12 -24, so for example 12-24 berries placed accordingly. Place the melted white chocolate into a piping bag and drizzle over the top of the top. Refrigerate until set . Cut and serve.

 

German Raspberry Marzipan Torten

Cake:

2(8oz.) packages almond paste

1 cup butter, room temperature

1/4 cup honey

6 eggs, room temperature

1 tsp. ground ginger

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/8 tsp ground cloves

1/8 tsp. white pepper

125 grams all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tablespoon seedless raspberry preserves

1 tablespoon Dutch-Processed cocoa powder

Simple Syrup:

200 grams granulated sugar

1 cup water

Ganache:

4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

1 tablespoon butter, room temperaure

1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste

2 tablespoons plus 1 1/2 tsp heavy cream

Other ingredients for assembly:

1(15 oz.) jar seedless raspberry jam

2(8oz.) packages almond paste

small container of fresh raspberries

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit the bottom of the half sheet pan. Using a ruler, mark with a pencil the parchment divided into thirds on the long side of parchment. You should have three short rectangles. Turn the parchment upside down in the pan so that the pencil marks are facing down, yet you should be able to see the lines through the other side. Line a half sheet pan with parchment paper and spray entire pan with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.

Cake:

In the bowl of a stand mixer cream together the almond paste, butter, honey, and granulated sugar until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time beating until combined after each addition.

In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, spices, salt and baking powder. Fold into creamed mixture.

Divide batter evenly between three bowls. Keep one bowl plain batter. Add the 1 tablespoon of raspberry preserves to the second bowl; mix until combined. Add the 1 tablespoon cocoa powder to the third bowl and mix until combined.

Transfer the batters to the prepared pan , having each marked area for each flavor of batter. Carefully spread the batter out the fill each rectangle. The end result should be three separate blocks of cake.

Bake for about 20-30 minutes until done. Top should be slightly golden and cake spring back when touched. Remove from oven and allow to cool in pan on rack.

Simple Syrup:

Add the sugar and water to a small saucepan. Place over medium heat and heat until sugar is completely dissolved. Set aside to cool. There will be syrup leftover. Place extra in a jar and store in refrigerator for later use in things such as drinks or other baked goods.

Assembly:

Flip the cooled cake onto a cake board . Cut the three cakes into the three separate flavors and trim the edges so that they are all the same size.

Place the chocolate layer on a cake board. Lightly brush the simple syrup over the top. Spread a layer of about 1/3 of the raspberry preserves over the top. Top the chocolate layer with the plain layer and repeat the same process as done with the chocolate layer. Top the plain layer with the raspberry layer. Brush the top lightly with the simple syrup. Spread a thin layer of preserves over the top, much less than the previous two layers. The preserves are simply acting as a glue for the almond paste.

With remaining almond paste , knead until smooth. Using a rolling pin, roll out the almond paste to the size of the finished stacked cakes. Carefully place on top of final layer.

Make the ganache by heating the cream and butter just until cream is about to boil  but not boiling. Pour this mixture over the top of the chopped chocolate and vanilla bean paste. Stir until well combined, smooth and shiny. Spread a thin layer over the top of the almond paste. You will not use the entire amount of ganache. Same leftover in refrigerator for later use such as, truffles, hot chocolate and the like.

Place the completed cake into the freezer . Leave in freezer until firm. Once firm , remove from freezer and trim or clean up any rough edges with sharp knife. Working quickly , heat a long knife using very hot water and cut cake into 12 equal square pieces. Clean knife between each cut , creating clean sharp edges.

Using a small amount a ganache as glue . Place a fresh raspberry on the center of each cake.

Store in refrigerator . Allow to come to room temperature when serving.

Black Forest Ice Cream Pie

Dark Chocolate Ice Cream

Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

Chocolate crust for 9 inch pie plate

1 3/4 chocolate cookie crumbs

2 6tablespoons melted butter

Combine and press into plate.

Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Let cool

Cherry topping

2 tablespoons corn starch

1/2 cup cherry juice

1/2  cup sugar, plus more if needed

3/4 tsp. lemon juice

1/8 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

1/8 tsp. salt

3 cups whole pitted cherries, fresh or frozen

1/2 tsp almond extract

1 tablespoons butter

Combine cornstarch and 1 cup water and whisk until well combines, set aside. In a large saucepan add sugar, spices and remaining water and bring to boil and stir until sugar is completely dissolved. Whisk in cornstarch mixture and cook and stir constantly until thick and smooth. Add cherries and stir gently over medium low heat until cherries are tender. Remove from heat and stir in almond extract and butter until melted. Place the cherry mixture into a bowl and place into a water bath until cooled, stir every so often.

Chocolate Ganache

12 oz. semi sweet chocolate

12 oz. heavy cream

Heat cream in microwave until very hot, not boiling. Stir in chopped chocolate and stir until well combined. Set aside to cool.

Heavy Cream -Sweetened with powdered sugar and whipped stiff. for garnish

Shaved milk chocolate for garnish

Layer all components and freeze.

A chocoholics dream would be Turtle Fudge Brownies

 

Brownie Base:

5 oz. unsweetened chocolate, melted

3/4 cup butter, softened

1 3/4 cups sugar

3 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

1 cup flour

1 cup finely chopped, toasted Pecans

Caramel Layer:

1 1/2 lbs. caramels

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla

6 tablespoons heavy cream

1 cup finely chopped, toasted Pecans

Fudge Layer:

1 lb. quality semisweet chocolate, chopped

1 cup heavy cream

3/4 cup sugar

1 cup finely chopped , toasted Pecans

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Line with foil and grease a 9x13x2 pan. Leave enough foil over the edge to act as handles.

In a large bowl, combine the melted chocolate and butter with a spatula; mix until smooth. Stir in the sugar until well blended.  Lightly beat the eggs and vanilla together and mix well into the chocolate mixture. Mix in the flour and the nuts. Pour into prepared pan and spread out evenly.

Bake for about 30-40 minutes, or until edges appear set. The center will still be soft. Do not over-bake. Cool completely.

Meanwhile prepare the caramel layer; in a microwave safe bowl add the caramels, cream, salt and vanilla. Microwave in 30 second increments until the mixture can be stirred smooth.  Stir in the nuts. Pour over the top of the cooled brownies and spread out evenly. Allow to set up.

Meanwhile make the fudge layer. Place the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl; set aside. In a small saucepan add the cream and sugar. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly until sugar has dissolved. Pour the hot cream mixture over the chopped chocolate and allow to set for about a minute. Stir until smooth. Pour over set caramel layer and spread out evenly. Sprinkle the toasted nuts over the top and lightly press into fudge layer.

Place in refrigerator until set. Cut into squares.

Boston Cream Cupcakes

Boston Cream Cupcakes

Cupcakes:

2 1/2 cups flour

2 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

8 tablespoons butter, room temperature

1 3/4 cup sugar

2 eggs, room temperature

2 1/3 tsp. vanilla extract

1 vanilla bean scraped of seeds

1 1/4 cups whole milk, room temperature

Pastry Cream:

1 1/4 cups half-and-half

1 vanilla bean , split and scraped of seeds

1/4 tsp. vanilla extract

2 egg yolks

3 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons flour

Whipped Ganache:

1 lb. semisweet chocolate, chopped

1 cup heavy cream

2 tsp. instant espresso

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin pans with 22 liners.

Sift together the flour, salt and baking powder; set aside. In a bowl of a stand mixer, combine the sugar and butter. Beat the butter mixture until light and fluffy , about 5 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time; beating in well between each addition. In a liquid measuring cup, add the vanilla bean seeds to the milk along with the vanilla extract. Add one third of the flour to the butter mixture followed by one third of the milk mixture. Continue to add in thirds the flour and milk mixtures, mixing until just combined with last addition. Scoop evenly into 22 lined muffin cups. Bake for about 16-22 minutes until toothpick comes clean when inserted into the center. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly before removing from tins. Allow to cool completely . Once cooled, using an apple corer, core out center of each cupcake. Set aside.

Pastry Cream:

In a small bowl whisk together the egg yolks, flour and vanilla extract. Set aside.

In a small saucepan, combine the milk and split vanilla bean and seeds. Bring to a boil and remove the vanilla bean. Whisk in some of the hot milk mixture into the egg mixture to temper the eggs. Whisk the tempered eggs into the milk mixture and bring to a boil, whisking constantly until thickened. Whisk for 10 more seconds , then remove from heat and strain through sieve. Place in bowl and cover top with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until cooled. Once pastry cream is cooled , place in a pastry bag fitted with a plain tip. Pipe the pastry cream into each cupcake. Store in refrigerator until ganache is ready to spread on cupcakes.

Whipped Ganache:

In a heat proof bowl add the heavy cream, espresso and chopped chocolate and place over simmering pan of water, place the bowl over the pan without water touching the bottom of the bowl. Stir until chocolate is melted and the cream and chocolate are well combined. Remove from the heat and allow to cool in refrigerator and thicken slightly. Place the ganache in a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment. Whip until it begin to show tracks . Do not over whip. If the ganache is over whipped and turns grainy, reheat and restart the process. Spread on each cupcake.

Meringue Chocolate Truffles are light lovely bites of meringue and deep dark chocolate.

Meringue Chocolate Truffles

Meringues:

4 egg whites

3/4 cup sugar

Ganache:13 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped

6 oz. unsweetened chocolate

1/2 cup light corn syrup

3 cups heavy cream

Chocolate sprinkles or finely chopped nuts or toffee

Meringues:

Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper, set aside.

Place the egg whites and sugar in a heat proof bowl and place over pan of simmering water. Heat egg whites and sugar; using your fingertips feel for sugar granules. Once the sugar granules have completely dissolved , remove from heat. Pour the egg white mixture into a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Beat on low and increase speed until egg whites are stiff and shiny. Place the meringue in a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2 inch opening plain tip. Pipe 25 quarter size kisses about 1/2 tall on each prepared baking sheet. Place in oven and bake for about 3-4 hours until meringues are completely dry.  Remove from oven and allow to cool. Store in an airtight container.

Ganache:

In an heat proof bowl place the chopped chocolate, corn syrup and heavy cream. Place over a pot of simmering water. Do not allow bottom of bowl to touch the water. Whisk until mixture is completely melted and well combined. Remove from heat and allow to set on counter until cool. Once cool, dip one meringue into ganache and sandwich together with another meringue. Place on parchment lined baking sheet. Continue until all meringues are sandwiched together. Place the meringue sandwiches in the refrigerator until ganache is set firmly. Remove from the refrigerator. Take each sandwich and dip into ganache, then roll into chopped nuts, sprinkles or toffee. Place dipped meringues into liners and allow to setup at room temperature. Store in airtight container.

Chocolate Hazelnut Cupcakes are gifts from the gods.

 

Cupcakes:

2 cups flour

1 1/4 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. baking powder

1 cup hot water

2/3 cup cocoa powder

3/4 cup shortening

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

3/4 cup toasted,  skin removed, finely chopped hazelnuts

Hazelnut Ganache:

6 cups semi sweet chocolate chips

1 lb. butter

1 cup hazelnut spread with cocoa

1 1/3 cups heavy cream

1/2 cup finely chopped toasted , skin removed, hazelnuts

24 hazelnut bon bons

Cupcakes:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 muffin pans to make 24 cupcakes, set aside.

In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment cream the shortening and sugar until light and fluffy.  Beat in the eggs one at a time. Add the vanilla. In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt, set aside. In a small bowl stir until well combined the cocoa and hot water, set aside. Add 1/3 of the dry ingredients to the shortening mixture and 1/2 the cocoa mixture. Continue until all dry and cocoa ingredients are blended. Stir in the chopped nuts. Scoop into 24 liners and bake for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow the cupcakes to cool 5 minutes in pan and then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

Once cooled , using an apple corer, core out the center of each cupcake.

Ganache:

Combine all the ingredients in a sauce pan and heat on medium low until completely melted and smooth, stirring often. Place the mixture into a pitcher and pour ganache into each core part of the cupcakes. Place filled cupcakes in refrigerator to firm up. Once the cupcakes filling is firm remove from refrigerator. With the remaining cooled room temperature ganache , place in a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment; beat until mixture begins to lighten and of a consistency to pipe. Place whipped ganache into a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip. Swirl on whipped ganache onto each top of cupcake. Sprinkle the cupcakes with chopped hazelnuts and place a hazelnut bon bon on top. Store in airtight container in the refrigerator. Bring cupcake to room temperature before eating.