Baked Brownies

BAKED brownie

I’ve had this BAKED Brownie recipe tucked away for a while now & finally was able to try it last week. It’s claim to fame was supposedly after being announced as one of Oprah’s favorite things, but I have my faulty DVR to thank for missing that episode! The recipe comes from the baked shop in NYC & is known for it’s rich flavor & fudge-like consistency. I had my expectations set high in believing this brownie was going to rank high as THE best brownie ever. Was it good? Yes. Was it intensely rich? Yes. Was it THE best? No. Sadly, not for me. But, I am a milk-chocolate loving girl & the flavor of these brownies was just too rich for my taste-buds. But none of us are alike, and gosh darn if Oprah loves them, then I’m sure there’s a lot of others out there that will too! Put this recipe to the test & decide for yourself, or just go the lazy route & pick up The Baked Brownie box mix at Williams-Sonoma :) XOXO....little j Y

The Baked Brownie

Adapted from: baked NYC's BAKED Brownie

1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp salt

2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

11 ounces dark chocolate (60-72% cacao), coarsely chopped

2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 Tbsp instant espresso powder

1 ½ cups granulated sugar

½ cup firmly packed light brown sugar

 5 large eggs, at room temperature

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter sides of a 9 x 13-inch baking pan.

In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, salt, and cocoa powder. Set aside. In a large bowl set over simmering water, stir together the chocolate, butter, and instant espresso powder until melted and smooth. Keeping the bowl over the water, turn off the heat and add the sugars. Whisk until combined.

Remove boil from double boiler and let cool to room temperature. {Pop in the fridge or freezer for 5 minutes to speed up the process.} Once the chocolate mixture has cooled, add 3 eggs and whisk until combined. Add the 2 remaining eggs and whisk until combined. Stir in the vanilla.

Fold the flour mixture into the chocolate mixture until just combined. Do not over mix the batter. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool on a wire rack. Cut into squares & serve.

take a bite into BAKED goodness.....a brownie like no other

Chocolate-Coffee Cake Pops

Red, White & Blue!!

I couldn’t think of a better way to spend Independence Day than with a little family BBQ, fireworks, & some festive CAKE POPS. For me, it was one last get together before I headed off to Los Angeles to start my big girl job. That’s right, my days of moping on blog posts & being unemployed are soon to be of the past. I’m hoping my new employment status doesn’t equate to a hiatus from the blog world, so I’ll make an effort to continue with the kitchen adventures every now & then. Might be kind of hard without my mom’s nifty Canon on hand to take pictures! Happy Belated 4^th of July!! XOXO....little j Y

Chocolate-Coffee Cake Pops

*Makes 50-60+ depending on size

1 box Devil’s Food Cake mix {+ eggs, oil, H20, 2+ Tbsp instant espresso}

¾ tub Whipped Cream Cheese frosting

1 lb. bag dark chocolate candy melts {2 lbs if you plan on making a lot!}

2-3 tsp instant espresso + more to your preference

4-inch lollipop sticks

sprinkles for decorating

Use the Red Velvet Cake Pops' recipe as a guide. Add instant espresso to cake batter before baking. Add more instant espresso to dipping chocolate during the melting process. Make sure cake dough has hardened a bit in the fridge/freezer before attempting to dip in chocolate. You’ll know it’s not cold enough if the cake keeps falling of the stick. Dip, decorate with sprinkles, set aside to harden & enjoy!!

festive Cake Pops!

Lemon Glazed Blueberry Muffins

Lemon Glazed Blueberry Muffins

This past Mother’s Day we celebrated with a special brunch at CUPS Culinary. The goal was to get my Mother more in touch with her inner Betty Crocker, with this hands-on class where everyone was responsible for making a dish to contribute to the brunch. Luckily for her, the brunch turnout was overbooked and the food stations were a little crowded. Therefore, we {as in--my sister & I} were left with a quite simple egg dish to prepare. So rather than slaving away in the kitchen that morning baking these muffins, my mother spent her time snapping photos instead—something she’d rather be doing anyway! :) Mission not quite accomplished, but we had fun anyway. Still love these muffins the second time around & plan to use the base of this recipe again for other muffins too. Give 'em a try! 

XOXO....little j Y

Mother, Belle & Myself {not a fan of my "low pony" look!!}

Lemon Glazed Blueberry Muffins

Adapted from: Michelle Ciccarelli, Owner of Cups Bakery

*Makes about 22 muffins

1 ½ sticks unsalted butter, at room temp

1 ½ cups sugar

3 eggs, at room temp

1 ½ tsp vanilla

1 cup sour cream

¼ cup heavy cream (*milk used in original recipe)

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

2 cups fresh blueberries, rinsed & picked through for stems

zest of one lemon (*meyer lemons used in original recipe)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place paper liners in muffin pan.

Cream butter and sugar in mixer for 5 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, with the mixer on low. Add vanilla, sour cream, and heavy cream and mix until blended.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Fold in the blueberries and lemon zest.

Scoop batter into prepared muffin pans, filling to the top. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until muffins are lightly browned. Let cool.

Lemon Glaze

½ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 cups powdered sugar, sifted

fine zest of one lemon

1 Tbsp unsalted butter, at room temp

Combine all ingredients in a microwave-safe bowl and heat on high for 30 seconds.  Whisk & continue to heat at 30-second intervals if needed. Pour atop muffins before serving.