Tag Archives: dark

Fudge Brownies

Posted on January 13, 2014 by Veronica

Pretty excited about these brownies! It’s my first time making a from-scratch brownie recipe that turned out better than a box mix (I’m not ashamed to admit I LOVE brownies from a box), AND had the shiny crackly top. Exciting stuff, at least in my world! These were so fudgy and so chocolatey and so delicious, especially with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce on top. Ultimate dessert treat! Treat yourself today…

Fudge Brownies

Printable recipe
Printable recipe with picture

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
2 ¼ cups (1 lb) granulated sugar
1 ¼ cups (3 ¾ oz) Dutch-process cocoa (I use Hershey’s Special Dark)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon espresso powder or 2 teaspoons instant coffee granules
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
4 large eggs (cold)
1 ½ cup (6 ¼ oz) all-purpose flour
2 cups chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease the bottom of a 9×13” baking dish.

In a medium-sized microwave-safe bowl, or in a saucepan set over low heat, melt the butter, then add the sugar and stir to combine. Return the mixture to the heat (or microwave) briefly, just until it’s hot (about 110°F to 120°F), but not bubbling; it’ll become shiny-looking as you stir it.

Transfer the sugar mixture to a medium-sized mixing bowl, if you’ve heated it in a saucepan. Stir in the cocoa, salt, baking powder, espresso powder, and vanilla. Whisk in the eggs, stirring until smooth. Add the flour, again stirring until smooth, then stir in the chocolate chips if using. Spread the batter into prepared dish.

Bake the brownies for about 35 minutes, until they feel set on the edges, and the center looks very moist, but not uncooked. Remove from the oven and cool completely on a rack before cutting and serving.

Recipe source: King Arthur Flour

Other brownie favorites…

Mocha-Frosted Kahlua Brownies

Dark Chocolate Raspberry Swirl Brownies

Mocha Toffee Brownies

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Bread Machine Rye Bread

Posted on August 7, 2013 by Veronica

Last week I mentioned my favorite food in the whole world is a cheddar cheese sandwich with tomatoes, lettuce & onion. Unlike other sandwiches, which I like on any bread, this one has to have a particular kind: either Ezekiel 4:9 Sprouted Grain Bread or rye bread. We made this sandwich a lot growing up, and we only had Ezekiel bread at home, despite my yearning for white bread. But now Ezekiel is my all-time favorite bread (go figure) and I love this sandwich on it! But I have to say, the flavor of rye goes so nicely with cheddar cheese that I choose it over Ezekiel bread most times.

I got this recipe from my friend, Erin, in 2009 and it’s the only rye bread recipe I’ve ever made because I just love it so much I have no reason to try another. I’ve been making it for several years now so I thought it was about time I shared the recipe!

This loaf was baked in the bread machine and lighter in color, probably because I made my coffee a little too strong in the latest loaf.

A note regarding the molasses: if you use unsulfured/unsulphured blackstrap molasses, it adds a good dose of iron, calcium, and potassium to your bread! (1 tablespoon contains 20% of your daily calcium and iron, and 17% of your potassium.) It has a little bit of a different flavor from regular molasses, but I used it in my most recent loaf and it tastes just as good as ever so you may as well boost your nutrition with the good stuff! I got mine at a health food store but they might even have it at the regular supermarket.

Bread Machine Rye Bread

Printable recipe
Printable recipe with picture

1 1/3 cups strong coffee
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup molasses
1 1/3 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 tablespoons caraway seeds
1 cup rye flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 cups bread flour (I usually use all-purpose)
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons rapid-acting bread machine yeast

Fill 2-lb bread machine pan with ingredients in the order listed, and bake according to bread machine manufacturer’s directions. If you wish to bake your bread in the oven, run the dough cycle. Once complete, dump onto a floured surface and shape into a loaf with floured hands, kneading in a bit more flour if the dough is too soft. Place in a 9×5 loaf pan (or two 8×4 1-lb bread pans for small loaves), covering with a towel and allowing to rise again until doubled in size. Bake at 350F for 30-40 minutes, or until the loaf sounds hollow when removed from the pan and tapped on the bottom. Remove to cooling rack and rub all over with a cold stick of butter. Allow to cool completely before slicing.

Veronica’s note: I’ve always made this bread with the three different flours, but it is probably OK to use another cup of rye in place of the whole wheat.

Recipe source: Erin N.