Tag Archives: Dessert

Blueberries and Battle Scars

Dessert, , , ,

Don’t bake before 7am, especially when you are ill-equipped with caffeine and rudimentary baking implements like oven mitts. I had to learn the hard way. This weekend I forged on a baking rampage for a friend’s event (6 desserts in one morning- oh my), starting my day off in a Saturday morning fog that resulted in quite the gnarly burn as a side salad to these BOMB white chocolate glazed blueberry lemon brownies. I’d like to think that they – and the hello kitty bandaids that are now a staple accessory – were completely worth it. Battle scar, right?

These are obviously not your average brownies. Unlike their chocolatey counterparts, not only are these dudes super moist and dense, but they also employ one of nature’s greatest accomplishments in flavor combinations: blueberry and lemon! Taste-wise, the lemon tartness melts perfectly with the sweet blueberries and rich white chocolate. Aesthetically, the swirls of deep berry indigo gorgeously complement a perfectly yellow lemon cake. Okay, so the yellow comes mostly from the yolks, but they nevertheless create a beautiful canvas for summer’s best berry.

Beware of rouge oven racks and take the proper precautions when baking ambitiously.

Lemon Blueberry Brownies with White Chocolate Glaze (adapted from here)

Ingredients:

Brownies:
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 large egg, 2 large egg yolks (cage-free for a healthy conscious and a deeper yellow cake)
3/4 granulated sugar
6 tbsp butter, softened
1/4 cup sour cream
1 tbsp lemon juice (1/2 lemon)
2 tsp lemon zest (1 lemon)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup fresh blueberries

White Chocolate glaze:
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
1 1/2 tbsp milk (I used almond)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and butter or line 8×8 dish with parchment paper. Mix together flour, baking soda and salt and set aside. In a large mixing bowl (or standing mixer) beat egg and egg yolks on medium speed until pale and fluffy (3-4 mins). Add sugar, butter, sour cream, lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla. Add dry ingredients to mixture until well incorporated. Fold in blueberries. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish and bake for 30-34 mins.

While the brownies are cooling, prepare the glaze. Combine white chocolate and milk in a microwave-safe bowl and nuke in 20 second intervals (stirring between each interval) until smooth. Pour over cooled brownies and spread evenly. Refrigerate for at least 30 mins (or put in freezer for 10 mins) before cutting.

What’s your type?

Dessert, , ,

There are two types of dessert lovers in this world: Those that love fruity desserts (I feel guilty about eating this, but even covered in whipped cream, strawberries are good for you right??) and those that cannot fathom the existence of a dessert without chocolate (What?? Cake comes in other flavors??) If you’re ever having difficulty deciding what to bake for a crowd, be forewarned that the latter far outweighs the former. The people LOVE their chocolate and this recipe is definitely a crowd pleaser.

I’ll admit I belong in the first category (A baker wit sweet-induced guilt? Masochistic, I know…) but whenever baking for a crowd, you really can’t go wrong with a good brownie. Novice bakers and fourteen year old girls will go for the boxed stuff, but there really is something magical about brownies made from scratch. Yes, I said magical: chocolate so simple, so fudgy and so goddamn good. It really doesn’t take much longer to melt the chocolate and break the eggs – I think you still have to break eggs into a mix, right? Even Betty Crocker herself would approve of this recipe! While your guests are bowing at your feet your waistline may not be as ecstatic, but we’re trying to rid ourselves of the guilt here so bake on bakers, bake on.

Find the recipe here (via Brown Eyed Baker). Oh, and add an extra tablespoon of espresso powder. Just for kicks.

End of Summer Sweets

Dessert, , , , , , , ,

We have a plethora of first-world problems to complain about at this time of the year: the sun has begun to set at 7 instead of 8, our inbox is overflowing with advertisements for fall boot collections and our morning drives are now elongated with the return of school commuters. Life is so damn hard. Weighing most heavily on my little urbanite heart: the last crop of summer fruit at the farmers market! As I desperately cling to the last sweet tastes of summer, the white nectarines and juicy red plums from my last csa box are losing natures battle- their sun-kissed skins wrinkling in the back of the fridge. But fear not dear bakers- sweet, sweet salvation is near. Enter the stone fruit brown butter shortbread cookie.

The original recipe called for peaches (adapted from Smitten Kitchen), but I found that the tartness of the plums really complement the sweetness of the shortbread. That being said, I have also made these bars with peaches and it was still quite delicious- absolutely no complaints there. The plums just really take these to another level. Overripe is definitely key – you want your fruit to be ridiculously sweet. Perfect for the last batch of summer’s best crop!

Also key is the almond extract. I’m a sucker for almond based anything, and replacing the vanilla with the almond really amps up the flavor from delightfully sweet to orgasmically light and nutty. The fruit is just an added bonus. And because these are cookies with fruit, you’re convinced that it’s ok to eat for breakfast. Which it totally is.

Careful, though! It’s easy to overdose on these little bites of joy. (Yes, ahem- I am a survivor.)

Enjoy!

Plum and Nectarine Shortbread
(adapted from Smitten Kitchen)

1 cup white sugar
3 tbs brown sugar (for sprinkling on top)
1 tsp baking powder
3 cups minus 2 tbs flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp almond extract
1 cup cold unsalted butter
1 large egg
1/2 lemon
about 4-6 small nectarines and plums, cut into 1/4 inch slices

First brown your butter. I followed Smitten Kitchen’s regimen:

Melt butter in a small/medium saucepan over medium-low heat. It will melt, then foam, then turn clear golden and finally start to turn brown and smell nutty. Stir frequently, scraping up any bits from the bottom as you do. Keep your eyes on it; it burns very quickly after it browns and the very second that you turn around to do something else. Set it in the freezer until solid (about 30 minutes).

While your butter is in the freezer, preheat the oven to 375°F and butter a 9×13 inch pan. (I like to wrap the pan in tin foil before buttering for easier cleanup). In a medium bowl, stir together white sugar, baking powder, flour, salt and spices with a whisk. Zest 1/2 of the lemon and add to the mixture. Add the solidified brown butter, egg and almond extract into the flour mixture using a blender or fork. It will be crumbly. Pat 3/4 of the crumbs into the bottom of the prepared pan, pressing firmly. Squeeze the lemon juice over the plum and nectarine slices then tile the fruit over the crumb base in a single layer. (It doesn’t have to be pretty). Add brown sugar to remaining crumb mixture and scatter evenly over fruit. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, until top is slightly brown. Cool completely in pan before cutting.

I cut these more into logs than squares since it makes for easier eating and enjoying- they’re pretty crumbly. No one likes to look like a fool when they’re eating dessert.