This is Not a Brownie

This is not a brownie. Sure it has the makings of a brownie with its creamy, dense center; nuts and chocolate chips, but this is not a brownie. There's no flour, no eggs, no baking soda. Unusual? Maybe. Brownie? Definitely not. Creamy, chewy and slightly sweet, it is the most satisfying little square you will ever lay your hands on. Perhaps this is beginning to sound a lot like a...nope, it's not. This is not a brownie. It's a dirty blondie.

Dirty Blondies

Ingredients

4 oz cream cheese, room temperature

2 cups of graham cracker crumbs (Honey Maid is best)

6 oz of semisweet chocolate chips

1 tbsp instant coffee granules

1 2/3 cups of pecans, chopped

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 (14 oz) can of sweetened condensed milk

Method

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese until it is light and fluffy. If you do not have a mixer, you can cream it by hand with a wooden spoon. Add the remaining ingredients and mix with a wooden spoon. The batter is very thick, so it's best to mix it by hand. Pour the batter into a greased and floured 11x7 pan. Bake for 20-22 minutes. Insert a toothpick into the center of the pan to test for doneness. If the toothpick comes out clean, it is ready. Do not bake them longer than 22 minutes. They will continue to set up once you take them out of the oven. Let cool for 30 minutes and cut into small squares. Enjoy these little bites warm with a glass of ice-cold milk or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

The Triumphant Return of the Sheet Cake

Whatever happened to the sheet cake? Growing up, I remember them at every birthday party I ever attended. Then, at some point, the sheet cake disappeared. Undoubtedly usurped by other class favorites like cupcakes and cookies, it was soon forgotten. After careful thought and consideration, I decided to bring the sheet cake back. I simply had to find a way.

Earlier this week, my mom and I drafted our menu for our Rosh Hashanah dinner. Rosh Hashanah celebrates the Jewish new year and the meal commences with apples and honey to symbolize a sweet new year and offers all the traditional favorites like brisket, challah and kasha, a healthful buckwheat grain best enjoyed soaked in gravy. Did I mention it's good for you?

With our menu nearly complete, the only question remaining was dessert. After rummaging through my mom's recipe box, we landed on a recipe for the 1886 Chocolate Cake. A rich chocolate cake topped with a decadent chocolate and pecan icing. Sweet with a little bit of crunch--truly, the quintessential chocolate cake. To make things even better, it was a sheet cake.

The preparation was simple enough too. Mix flour, sugar and salt with a mixture of melted butter, water and cocoa powder. Once the wet and dry ingredients have been combined, add eggs, vanilla, baking soda and buttermilk. Pop it in the oven for 30 minutes and spread a thick layer of chocolate icing on top. Remarkably simple, scrumptious and fast, victory is sweet with the return of the sheet cake.

1886 Cafe and Bakery Chocolate Cake

For the Cake:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a 3 quart mixing bowl, sift together and set aside:

2 cups granulated sugar

2 cups all-purpose flour-sifted

1/2 tsp salt

Melt in a heavy saucepan and add to the above:

2 sticks unsalted butter

1 cup water

4 Tbsp cocoa

Mix well.

Add and mix with the above:

2 eggs, beaten with a fork

1/2 cup buttermilk with 1 tsp baking soda dissolved in it

1 tsp vanilla

Pour into a lightly greased an floured pan. Bake as follows

13" x 9": 25-30 minutes

15" x 10 1/2": 15-20 minutes

For the Icing:

Melt in a heavy saucepan:

1 stick unsalted butter

4 heaping Tbsp cocoa

Add 1/3 cup milk and heat to nearly boiling

Add:

1 (1 lb) box powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup chopped pecans

pinch of salt

Mix well and pour over cake. Cake freezes well or can be stored in the refrigerator. Stays moist if tightly covered with foil or plastic wrap.

Chocolate+Orange

It's around Christmas time that I especially look forward to noshing on a few sweet treats. Every year, my family and I drive to Lubbock, Texas to visit my grandparents and spend the week in a veritable food coma. Stacks of cookie tins line the kitchen counter, while my grandfather sneaks off to uncover the canister of homemade fudge he has been stashing away all week. As I sift through the tins, I find all of the familiar favorites: buttery sugar cookies topped with red and green sprinkles, homemade toffee and chocolate espresso cookies dredged in powdered sugar. I can feel the sugar high already. Of course for me, the sweetest treat always awaited me at home. As the car pulled back into the driveway, my brothers and I raced into the living room and ceremoniously dumped the contents of our stockings onto the living room floor. There lay three oranges, nuts galore and my absolute favorite Christmas treat--the chocolate orange. Now, I realize that not everyone appreciates the magic of the chocolate orange. There are those that find this flavor combination odd. Unusual flavor combinations aside, I believe there is one thing on which everyone can agree--whacking them open on the countertop is absolutely fantastic. You just can't do that with a fruit cake.

As I was reflecting on all these Christmas memories and my beloved chocolate orange, I began toying with the idea of turning my favorite Christmas treat into a cookie I could enjoy year round. I combined toasted pecans with orange zest, dark chocolate, and a pinch of cinnamon. The end result is toasted pecan, orange, and chocolate cookies--the perfect treat to hold you over over until next Christmas.

Toasted Pecan, Orange and Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature

¼ cup granulated white sugar

½ cup light brown sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

1 ½ cups flour

½ tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

1.5 tsp orange zest

¼ tsp ground cinnamon

½ cup toasted pecans, chopped

½ - ¾ cups of dark chocolate chips (depending on your level of chocolate obsession)

Heat the oven to 400 degrees and place the pecans on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Toast the pecans for 2 minutes or until lightly browned. Watch them carefully, as they can burn easily! Remove the pecans from the oven and chop them up. Turn the oven down to 350 degrees.

Cream the butter and both sugars together. Mix in the egg, orange zest, and vanilla. Whisk all the dry ingredients together and add the dry ingredients in thirds. Fold in the pecans and chocolate chips. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Roll the dough into 1 inch balls and bake for 12 minutes on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Remove the cookies from the oven and place them on a cooling rack. After they've cooled, grab a few cookies, a glass of ice cold milk and enjoy!