Chocolate Chip Cookie Squares February 26, 2010
Posted by Teresa in : Dessert , add a commentI made these recently for a group of people — how yummy! Great for a potluck – quick and easy to make! I, of course, left off the coconut and other nuts.
Ingredients
- 2 cups + 2 Tbsp bleached all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
- 1 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar, or slightly less — I used the Organics kind that isn’t totally white.
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 package (12 oz) semisweet chocolate chips (340 g)
- 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut, toasted (optional)
- 1/2 cup pecans or walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped (optional)
Preparation
Place oven rack in lower-middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Spread nuts on rimmed baking sheet and bake until deep golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer nuts to cutting board to cool; chop coarsely and set aside. Toast coconut on same rimmed baking sheet, stirring 2 to 3 times, until light golden, about 5 to 7 minutes; set aside. (Keep a close eye on the coconut when toasting as it can burn quickly.) Lower oven temperature to 325 °F. Lightly butter a 13- by 9-inch baking pan; set aside. If the pan is glass or Pyrex, turn the oven heat down to 300 °F.
Whisk flour, salt and baking soda together in a medium bowl; set aside.
In a Large bowl, whisk melted butter, brown and granulated sugars together until combined. Add egg, egg yolk, and vanilla and mix well. Fold dry ingredients into egg mixture until just combined. Do not overmix. Fold in chips, coconut, and nuts, if desired, and turn batter into prepared pan, smoothing top with spatula.
Bake until top is light golden brown, slightly firm to the touch, and edges start pulling away from sides of pan, about 25 to 30 minutes. Cool to room temperature on wire rack, 1 to 2 hours. Transfer to cutting board, cut into bars and serve. Mine did not pull away from the sides of the pan at all (glass pan), but they were done and still a little moist, the way they should be. 
Makes about 3 dozen (1 1/2- by 2 1/2-inch) bars.
Black Bean Brownies August 9, 2009
Posted by Teresa in : Dessert , add a commentThis recipe is from one of my favourite sites, 101Cookbooks! Click here. They are a bit of work, but SO WORTH IT!
Amazing Black Bean Brownie Recipe
For those of you who have a hard time tracking down agave nectar (which is becoming much more readily available) substitute honey 1:1 for the agave nectar. Ania’s head notes encourage you to keep these brownies in the refrigerator, they will slice much better if refrigerated several hours or preferably overnight. I used instant coffee this time around, but you can find natural coffee substitute at many natural food stores.
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1 cup unsalted butter
2 cups soft-cooked black beans, drained well (hs: canned is fine)
1 cup walnuts, chopped
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
¼ cup (granulated) natural coffee substitute (or instant coffee, for gluten-sensitive)
¼ teaspoon sea salt
4 large eggs
1½ cups light agave nectar ( I used honey… and wow, that’s a lot!)
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line an 11- by 18-inch (rimmed) baking pan (hs note: or jellyroll pan) with parchment paper and lightly oil with canola oil spray.
Melt the chocolate and butter in a glass bowl in the microwave for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes on high. Stir with a spoon to melt the chocolate completely. Place the beans, 1/2 cup of the walnuts, the vanilla extract, and a couple of spoonfuls of the melted chocolate mixture into the bowl of a food processor. Blend about 2 minutes, or until smooth. The batter should be thick and the beans smooth. Set aside.
In a large bowl, mix together the remaining 1/2 cup walnuts, remaining melted chocolate mixture, coffee substitute, and salt. Mix well and set aside.
In a separate bowl, with an electric mixer beat the eggs until light and creamy, about 1 minute. Add the agave nectar and beat well. Set aside.
Add the bean/chocolate mixture to the coffee/chocolate mixture. Stir until blended well.
Add the egg mixture, reserving about 1/2 cup. Mix well. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Using an electric mixer, beat the remaining 1/2 cup egg mixture until light and fluffy. Drizzle over the brownie batter. Use a wooden toothpick to pull the egg mixture through the batter, creating a marbled effect. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the brownies are set. Let cool in the pan completely before cutting into squares. (They will be soft until refrigerated.)
Makes 45 (2-inch) brownies.
Reprinted with permission from Baking With Agave Nectar: Over 100 Recipes Using Nature’s Ultimate Sweetener by Ania Catalano. (Ten Speed Press 2008)
