Banana Walnut Brownies

What to do with the bananas that are about to go bad? I usually make banana bread, but today I was in the mood for something more chocolaty. Thanks to my son Alexander who loves cook books and he's always looking thru them, I came across a recipe that was perfect for my very ripe bananas. The recipe is from "Golden book of chocolate" which is one of Alexander's favorite book (lots of great pictures of even better deserts).

So, I end up making the brownies. Great tasting, chocolaty, not very sweet and not very dens, actually very light tasting and with just the right hint of banana. Perfection!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tbsp of unsweetened cocoa

1 tsp baking powder

1/8 tsp salt

6 oz semisweet chocolate ( coarsely chopped , or chips)

3/4 cup butter

1 1/4 cups brown sugar firmly packed

1 cup of chopped walnuts (or pecans)

3 eggs large

2 firm-ripe bananas mashed

Preheat the oven to 325˚F. Butter a 11x7 inch baking pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.

In a double broiler, over barely simmering water, place the chocolate, butter and brown sugar.

Make sure the bottom of the bowl doesn't touch the water. Stir until melted, remove and set aside to cool slightly.

In a different mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder,cocoa and salt. Mix.

Lightly beat the eggs and add to the chocolate mixture,add the walnuts and the mashed bananas. Mix well.

Add the dry ingredients and mix well.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan, bake until dry on top and almost firm to the touch. Depending on your oven this could take between 25 to 35 minutes.

Place the the baking pan on a cooling rack and let the brownies cool completely before removing from the baking pan.

Cut into squares, and.....

..... Enjoy!

Cass's Coconut Brownies

Coconut brownies! My son Cass love's those brownies more than any other brownies I make.

He loves anything that's chocolate in combination with coconut. Those brownies are soft, and the coconut remains moist threw the baking process. This recipe like most of my brownie recipes comes from Alexanders favorite recipe book "The golden book of chocolate", full of great dessert pictures, over 300. Lot's of brownie recipes I will probably have more to come in the future. If brownies are on your favorite list....... keep checking back.

Ingredients

For the brownies

Bittersweet chocolate 2 cups

Butter 1 1/2 cups (three sticks)

Sugar 1 1/2 cups

Eggs 6

All-purpose flour 1 3/4 cups

For the coconut mixture

Unsweetened coconut flakes 2 cups

Sweetened condense milk 1 can (300 ml)

Chocolate ganache (optional)

Bittersweet chocolate 12 oz (grated)

Heavy cream 1 cup

White chocolate( for decorating) 1/2 cup

Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Butter and flour a 13x9 inch pan, set aside.

In a double broiler melt the chocolate and butter on low heat, taken care that the bottom of the bowl doesn't touch the water. When melted remove and stir well.
Add the sugar and mix well.
Set aside to cool, until just warm. Stir the eggs inside one by one mixing well after each addition.
Stir in the flour mixing well.
Pour half of the mixture in the prepared pan and smooth gently.
In a separate bowl mix the coconut and condensed milk .
Spoon the mixture over the brownie mix and gently smooth. Don't worry if some of the brownie mixture "bleeds" threw it will look more interesting, you can even swirl around if you desire.
Now it's time for the second layer of brownie. Spoon the mixture from place to place to make it easier to smooth the layer. Bake in the oven for 50 to 60 minutes. The toothpick test can be done but be careful the coconut is wet so the toothpick will not be clean.
If you decided to have the ganache topping now it's the time to do it.

In a small saucepan heat the cream until hot but not boiling, pour over the grated chocolate

and stir well until the chocolate has melted. Cover and refrigerate until need it.
Let the brownies cool in the pan for 3 to 4 minutes, run a knife around the pan. Transfer the brownies on a wire rack to cool a little. If you are using the ganache cut the brownies while still warm and spread the ganache.

For decorating

In a small glass bowl melt the white chocolate in the microwave for 1 minute, stir well.

put the melted chocolate in a small ziplock bag, snip one corner off and use your imagination.
It is very easy to change the texture of this brownies. If you like more of a cake (like a sponge) texture for the brownie layer it can be easily achieved. Just add 2 tsp of baking powder to the flour. Keep in mind that it will rise more. You will have to cut bigger squares.

Enjoy!

Marble Brownies

I like pretty things, and this marble brownies look pretty. Not just look pretty but are very tasty as well. They are soft and melt in your mouth and the cream cheese used for the marble effect is orange flavored. You really have to try it to understand. This recipe is one of the many chocolate based recipes in the Golden Book Of Chocolate.

Ingredients:

For the brownies

Semisweet chocolate dark 8 oz

Butter 1/4 cup

Granulated sugar 3/4 cup

Pure vanilla extract 2 tsp

2 Large eggs lightly beaten with 2 cold tbsp of water

All-purpose flour 1/2 cup.

For the cream cheese mixture:

Cream cheese soften 1 cup (1 package, I used light philadelphia cream cheese)

Granulated sugar 1/4 cup

Finely grated orange zest 2 tbsp

Freshly squeezed orange juice 3 tbsp (the juice from a medium orange)

Cornstarch 1 tsp

Large egg 1

Butter and line with parchment paper a 9 inch square pan. Preheat the oven to 350˚F.

I usually start with the cream cheese mixture but doesn't really matter witch one you start with.

Beat the cream cheese with the sugar on high speed until creamy.

Add the orange zest, orange juice and cornstarch beat until combined. Add the egg and beat until blended.
For the brownies.

Melt the chocolate and the butter in a double broiler over just simmering water making sure the bottom of the bowl doesn't touch the water. Set aside to cool.

When just warm stir in the sugar and vanilla

Stir in the eggs and the flour, mixing with a spoon until combined.
Pour the chocolate mixture in the prepared pan.
With a wooden spoon or a plastic spoon drop table spoons of cream cheese mixture on top of the brownie mixture.

Using a sharp knife with a long blade swirl the mixture, to create the marble effect. There is no rule on how much to swirl around. I like more cream cheese on top so this is how it looks.

Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until the edges are slightly risen and the center is set. The toothpick test doesn't work in this case because the brownies are more wet then your usual mixture.

Cool in the pan completely , cut into squares.

Don't do what I did. Alex (my 5 year old) couldn't wait for the brownies to cool completely so I had to cut them wile still very warm. The cut is not as neat as it should be (but they taste just as good).