brownies with caramel & peanut butter

So how's your spring going so far?
Oh mine?
Well here on the cape we've had one storm that gave us a few inches of snow, then we had a blizzard.
Yeah a blizzard just a few days ago.  Did we lose power?  Of course we did.
Actually we lost power during the blizzard and after because the blizzard had a baby twin called wind-storm that wanted to wreak even more havoc on the cape.

This is the satellite image of the blizzard.  Look at the size of that eye!
Had this blizzard moved just a hair more to the west we would have been in trouble.
This was a very powerful storm and had severe wind.
(photo credit NECN--Matt Noyes meteorologist).

We haven't seen the sun in days, just snow, rain, sleet and hail.
Good times.
I truly think spring is not coming, that we are just going to jump right into summer--which is fine by me, I need, no, I would love to have 80 degrees and sunny at any moment now.
How long has our winter been? Five months now?
November, December, January, February, March, ....
Want to see my heating bills?  lol
As I type this post,  we are still having our wind storm; but before that we had a massive rain storm that gave us 3 inches of rain. Other areas of Massachusetts got more rain. Flooding is a big problem here on the cape, thankfully we don't live near the ocean anymore.  When we did, our basement would fill up
with sea water.  More good times.  I miss the old place, but I don't.
It's truly been a long winter...I miss the sun--badly.
Brownies help, they do.
I've never made a brownie with peanut butter and caramel (I know shocker), but was curious to see if peanut butter and caramel would go together?
No, I tease, I wanted to clean out the cupboards and use stuff up, and the best way is to make brownies and stuff em full of stuff.
The end.
p.s. know any sun dances? ;-)

Brownies make everything better don't they?




Use about 2/3 of the brownie batter for the bottom.
Then put about six 2-inch round'ish dollups of peanut throughout the top of brownie batter.
Then I put a caramel candy on top of each peanut butter dollup.
A handful of bittersweet chocolate on top, optional.
Then cover with remaining 1/3 brownie batter over the peanut butter dollups.



brownies with peanut butter & caramel
print recipe

14 TB butter, plus 1 TB more for greasing pan
1 cup high-quality bittersweet chocolate chips
¾ cup sugar
¾ ts sea salt
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup flour
2 eggs, room temp, beaten well
about 6 dollups of peanut butter (maybe ¾ cup?)
9-12 caramel candies, unwrapped (salted caramels even better!)
a handful of bittersweet chocolate chips, optional

extra sea salt for the tops of the brownies before baking

cook notes:
the benefits of using high-quality chocolate really make these brownies.
Choose a chocolate like Ghirahdelli, Valrhona, Scharffen Berger, etc… that has a high cocoa count (50-80% is perfect).  I use Ghirahdelli chips.
The sprinkling of the sea salt on top of the brownies is not mandatory and will not make the brownies “salty”; it is meant to enhance the flavor of the chocolates in the batter.  This is a deep chocolate tasting brownie and they need a little more salt to truly bring out the chocolate flavor.
When you melt the butter and chocolate, please use a nice low flame so the melting goes smoothly and the chocolate doesn’t get too hot, which will make it taste bitter/burnt.  And let this liquid mixture cool a bit before adding to the egg mixture.

Preheat oven to 350°.
Butter up well an 8 x 8 baking pan; set pan aside.
Melt the butter and chocolate chips together in a small saucepan over LOW heat, stirring constantly. When melted take off heat, set aside to cool a bit.
In a large bowl, mix the eggs with the sugar, beat well, add in the vanilla extract, and mix.
When the melted chocolate has cooled down a bit (warm ok) slowly add it in to the egg mixture, a little bit at first, mix really well, then more as you go along.
Next dump the flour right on top of the mixture, then sprinkle on the sea salt.
Using a spatula mix until JUST combined, lumps are ok!
Pour 2/3 of batter into greased baking pan.
Place down about 6 separate 2-inch sized dollups of peanut butter on top of brownie batter, making sure not to place them on or near the edges (it will seep out).
No need to spread out the peanut butter, it will melt a bit during baking.
Then place a caramel candy pieces on top of the peanut butter dollup.  I used about six pieces of caramel.  You can use more.
Then sprinkle a handful of bittersweet chocolate chips on top, optional.
Use remaining 1/3 brownie batter, carefully place on top, and if necessary using wet fingers gently move batter around to evenly coat.  There isn’t enough batter to cover entire top, this is fine, just cover up the areas that have the peanut butter dollops.
Sprinkle top of batter with just a little bit of sea salt.
Bake for 30-38 minutes. Mine were done at the 35-minute mark.
I don’t like gooey brownies, so if you want really gooey, then bake for about 30-32 minutes.
After baking, they take a while to firm up, so if you try to remove them from the pan they will break apart.  Very very gooey when hot from the oven!
These really need to cool down since the caramel will be very hot.
Makes 9 brownies.

double chocolate cookie bars

Cookie bars obviously one of my baking obsessions.
I've made countless varieties and don't plan on stopping anytime soon.
I haven't made a chocolate version--say what?
I know!
So I took the version that I use all the time, Jacques Torres version and tweaked it a bit to
make it a chocolate--a double chocolate version.
It came out perfect.
And the same rule of thumb applies to this as it does the original version: the longer the dough sits in the fridge to "marinate" the better the flavor.  The process is almost like a souring process, but in a good way; think of if you were to add a hint of buttermilk to a chocolate chip cookie recipe--a nice gentle, sour/twangy flavor in the background.  So good.
And I'm willing to bet if you find a higher cacao chocolate powder it would be even better.
I used a run of the mill chocolate powder: Ghiradelli, but would love to try it with something better/higher cacao.
Yes, this does look like a brownie, kind of tastes like it too, but very light and far more crisp than a brownie.



For me, this raw version is perfectly fine.




After baking, it truly needs a couple hours to firm up/set up.

If you dig into this straight out of the oven it will be very gooey and delicate—which isn’t a bad thing. But it’s also very good in a harder, cookie-like version. 

double chocolate cookie bars
(loosely based on jacques torres infamous cc cookie recipe)

print recipe

1 ½ cups cake flour

1 ½ cups bread flour

½ cup cocoa powder

1 ¼  ts baking soda

1 ½  ts baking powder

1 ½  ts coarse salt

2 1/2 sticks (1 1/4 cups) unsalted butter

½ cup light brown sugar

½ dark brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 ½ cups bittersweet chocolate chips (use one with a high cacao like Ghiradelli)

couple handfuls of chopped pecans (or walnuts), optional

Cook Notes:  

I do not recommend using milk chocolate chips in this recipe—it would be overkill sweetness.

I divided the dough into 2/3 and 1/3 piles, as I wanted the top of the cookie bars to have a nice crunch to them.  The 2/3 is the bottom/pressed in layer, and then the 1/3 is left like a crumble topping—loosely placed on top, as I did with the sprinkling of the nuts.

It truly needs a couple hours to firm up/set up.  If you dig into this straight out of the oven it will be very gooey and delicate—which isn’t a bad thing.  

But it’s also very good in a harder, cookie-like version.

Lastly, you all know by now I don't have a mixer so I did this recipe by hand. 

The dough is very tough and hard to mix, so I used my hands--great workout! 

But if you have a mixer, please go ahead and use it.

Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder, cocoa powder, and salt into a bowl. Set aside.

Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together until very light, about 5 minutes.

Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.

Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds.

Drop chocolate pieces in and incorporate them without breaking them.

Press plastic wrap against dough and refrigerate for at least 4 hours- overnight. I highly recommend chilling overnight to let flavors truly meld together.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spray a 9 x 13 pan with non-stick spray.

Divide dough into 2 piles: 2/3 and 1/3.

Take the 2/3 dough and line the bottom of the baking pan with it, making sure to get all the corners, making sure there aren’t any holes or gaps in the dough.

Take the 1/3 remaining dough and in clumps, place on the top. Also make sure to take any dough and close up any gaps you see in the corners.

Don’t push the crumble down into the dough, just leave it on the top—it’s ok to have spaces in the crumble—gaps are good on the top, it will let crumbles will bake up nice & crisp. If you want to add nuts then sprinkle on a couple handfuls of chopped nuts.

Bake until golden brown but still soft, roughly 25 – 34 minutes.

Look for golden brown edges, non-jiggly middle.

The middle will be a bit soft, but once it completely cools it won’t be as gooey; it sets up really nice.

You really have to let this cool at least an hour before slicing.

Slice with a sharp knife.

Makes about 20-24 bars depending on how you cut them.

friday links

It's been absolutely lovely outside here on cape cod. Our weather is finally turning around for the
better, and I'm making sure to witness it all.

corporation beach, dennis, ma

chatham, ma

chatham, ma

chatham, ma

Quite possibly the best sign of spring after a long, cold, hard winter.

Do you like corn dogs?
How about cheesy baked corn dogs?

Best way to use up those last two apples sitting in the fridge.
Apple-cheddar muffins.

Want to make your own pb eggs for Easter?

Or maybe a homemade coconut egg is more your style?

Or maybe a homemade version of a Nestle Crunch bar? (chemical free)

around the web:

watermelon for sore muscles?
3 easy stretches to start your morning
why do women do this to their eyebrows?
5 second rule on bacteria
clarissa wright of two fat ladies has died (I loved her)
James Beard nominees--congrats all!
henry miller 11 commandments on writing
why you should never quit exercising
bacon, egg & cheese french toast
13 hidden Google tricks
brother loses basketball bet and has to dance in public for 30 minutes (HILARIOUS!)
these gross things are harmless
cinnamon roll sandwich!
what happens to your body when you exercise
sitting around really does give you a bigger bum
thank your gut bacteria for making chocolate good for you
fragmented sleep accelerates cancer growth
oh what I wouldn't give for a josh early easter egg!
fig keplers (like a fig newton but better)
whole grains, fiber & colon cancer
major study exonerates saturated fat
12 hours: travel guides for people like you
20-year old hunter thompson's advice on how to find your purpose
side by side photos of how animals see the world differently than us
a reason NOT to keep hazardous chemicals under the sink (please watch)
bottlenose dolphin gets a nice little rescue from a friend (dolphins are so smart)
genetic link between fried foods & obesity?
7 smart ways to deal with toxic people
DIY salted caramel spread

Have a wonderful weekend!

cinnamon-oatmeal cookies

I swear each time I get on one of those "5-minute let's bake something really healthy kicks" it always turns out to be a butter-laden cookie with sugar and add in's, with only one healthy ingredient involved.
I try, I do, to bake more healthy, crunchy-granola things, but I get distracted when I open the
cupboard to see what items I am craving need to use up.
My brain wanders off thinking 'hey I think I can make a healthy cookie with cinnamon chips!'.
Maybe this is called "baker's attention deficit disorder'?
So here is my "what should be a healthy cookie" aka cinnamon-oatmeal cookies, which btw have oatmeal in there, so we're kind of covered.




Cinnamon and oatmeal in a cookie, you really can't go wrong with that flavor combo.
These are crispy, buttery cookies with a hint of cinnamon.
They would be perfect for ice cream sandwiches filled with a cinnamon ice cream.

cinnamon-oatmeal cookies
recipe from vanillasugarblog.com
based on my salty pumpkin-oatmeal cookie recipe
print recipe

2 ½ sticks unsalted butter, room temp (20 TB)
1 cup light brown sugar, NOT packed
1/2 cup white sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup bread flour
1 ½ cups cake flour
1 ts baking powder
1 ts baking soda
1 ts sea salt
3 dashes of cinnamon
1 ½ cups of rolled oats (not quick cooking!)
1/2 cup of cinnamon chips (they are strong so I didn't use a lot)

cook notes:
I used a medium ice cream scoop for the dough balls, you can use a smaller one,
just watch the baking times as they might bake up faster if you make them smaller.
Once the dough is mixed, it really needs to chill and set up.
Normally I do not like the taste of cinnamon chips on their own,
but mixed into a cookie dough they taste really good.
As always I like to remind everyone that I don’t have a mixer, so everything I mix is by hand;
if you have one lucky you!

In a medium bowl, whisk all the dry ingredients including the oats.
In a larger bowl, cream the butter and both sugars; add in the eggs, and mix.
Add dry ingredients to the wet and mix till just combined--don't overmix.
Next, by hand, add in the cinnamon chips.
Cover dough well with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least three hours or overnight.
When ready to bake, preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Line up two baking sheets with parchment paper or whatever method you use for baking cookies.
Using a medium ice cream scoop, scoop out and place on cookie sheet about an two inches apart.
Bake for about 13-15 minutes.
Rotate pans halfway through baking.
You'll know they are done when the bottoms are almost crisp/set up and the tops have a gentle crisp to them. It's really easy to overbake them, so definitely check at the 13-minute mark.
Makes about 25-30 cookies

friday links

Happy Friday!

It's Pi day.  Did you make a pie?
Do you want to make a pie?
Let me entice you with a few of my favorites....

Raspberry-cheddar hand pies. The pie crust is very easy and adaptable to pie or hand pies or pop
tarts!

Or maybe a savory beef & cheddar hand pies?

A list of pies wouldn't be complete without a blueberry pie in there.
This one is blueberry-toasted coconut pie.

Salty caramel-apple pie

Someone was trying to help me eat my lunch.
He got really close.

Pretty cool to see them this close.

Here on cape cod, after we shovel out the snow, we shovel out the sand.

This flag has made it through the winter.
Last winter, the flag left early, and last winter was not as long and rough as this one, so I'm
curious how this flag has made it this long.


These harbors have been quiet; hard to think that a couple months from now all this
'ghost-town'-ness will be busy again.

I almost went in. When I took this shot, it was a freak-weather kind of day with 53 degrees out
and sunny. But the ocean temp is 34-36 degrees!

This is how I want my cupboards to look (photo from latest King Arthur Flour catalog)

Around the Web:

why you should book a massage
what does healthy really mean?
is Vit. C heat-sensitive?
18 healthy brown bag lunches
versatile homemade baking mix
should I ever take up knitting, this is what I will make: arctic wrap (gorgeous!)
mummified remains (6+ years) of a woman missing found in garage
smashed garbanzo bean breakfast quesadillas 
DIY craft: paper plate basket
crappy engagement photos (hilarious!)
cup-o-noodles man is shoveling snow (great pic)
best time to take creatine
yoga for back pain: interview with instructor
what's the difference: steel cut oats, rolled oats & quick oats
magnesium: the missing link to better health
how to learn better at any age
is your kitchen making you sick or fat?
new tick-borne disease found
raw chocolate-coated caramel YOLO balls
coconut muffins made with coconut oil
peach + marzipan hand pies
the dark psychology of being a good comedian
which foods are the most flammable?
(touching article) ' to the man who judged me on the westfield track'
what are prebiotics? How important are they compared to probiotics?
tips & hints for natural hair care
hidden dangers in personal care products
snacks, supplements & scents to help you sleep
14 terrible pies in celebration of pi day
who owns the moon?
salted caramel peanut pie
does sunshine help lower blood pressure?
25 hilarious tweets of people posting their problems
DIY lunchbox using a milk jug
7 little mistakes that steal your happiness
the sunlight you don't see but your cat does
on march 11, the world wide web turned 25
bay leaf pound cake
the quiet greatness of eudora welty
scrabble contest seeks new words
what does the term 'successful writer' mean to you?
creativity & madness: on writing through the drugs
7 secrets how creative people stay innovative
cronut creator has now made 'milk & cookie' cookie
'stuff being thrown at my head' by kaija straumanis


Have a wonderful weekend!