I attempted the Corn Cookies last night and although I was concerned that they would be uninteresting ..or too corny… or whatever silly nonsense it is that keeps us from venturing into the unknown, they are anything but lackluster. I tasted the batter, I always do, it was sweet and complex with a good amount of salty aftertaste. Like the crunchy corn bread crust that sometimes forms at the edges of the pan. You know as well as I do that is always the best part of the cornbread. I was sold. It was on. All the best idioms! I cannot recommend this recipe enough!
I added a little bit of glaze just to add a hint of strawberry. Here’s a quick run down if you want to try it;
Strawberry Glaze
2 tablespoons powdered strawberry *
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon strawberry jam
milk to thin to desired consistency
Whisk together all the ingredients together in a bowl until smooth. Do as you see fit… I plopped it into a small ziplock bag and snipped the corner. Zig-zag, swirl, or go all Jackson Pollock on those cookies while still warm. They will take a few hours to dry so the glaze is no longer sticky.
*Powdered strawberries? Yes. Taking a page from Tosi, I grabbed some freeze dried strawberries from my local Whole Foods and used a mortar/pestle to grind them into a powder. Took 20 seconds at most. Worth the extra effort to boost the strawberry flavor in your glaze and give you that insane shade of crazy Barbie pink.
Let’s talk about BOURBON for a moment. I love the stuff. Smokey, brown sugary, with fruity notes…I AM SOLD. Add sugar and cream and I am ‘Kirsten Bell in the middle of a sloth induced ugly cry‘ happy….too much? No….no, there is never too much Kirtsten Bell.
I am borrowing this recipe from Minimalist Baker, I cannot compliment her enough for her elegant brilliance. She wrote it with just 4 ingredients, I added 2 more. Leave them out if they do not suit you.
Bourbon Caramel Sauce
1 Cup of white sugar
1/4 Cup of water
1/2 Cup of heavy cream
1 Tablespoon of bourbon
*a pinch of salt
*a dash of cayenne
On medium heat, place sugar in sauce pan and add water swirl to combine. NO STIRRING WITH UTENSILS, it disturbs the mixture in a way that allows sugar crystals to form…totally ruining the smooth texture you’ve been dreaming about.
After about 15 minutes (really..like forever) of intermittent swirling, the sugar mixture will start to take on an amber hue. Swirl constantly until you get something that is about the color of a penny. Pull the mixture off the heat (to prevent burning) and pour your heavy cream into the mixture while stirring (with a spoon). There will be a flash of furious bubbling that is oh so exciting(!), but will subside shortly. Now my pretties, add the bourbon. I tend to use something like Knob Creek because I usually have it around for making Old Fashioneds…but really, don’t be a booze snob here,the nuance of your Buffalo Trace Stagg Jr will be completely lost. Also, I usually add more than a tablespoon of bourbon but not more than 2 tablespoons…I have limits. Also feel free to pop it back on the warm burner to smooth out any crystals that form in the caramel.*
It is important to taste and adjust the seasoning levels of the caramel sauce. Start with a small amount of cayenne and salt, working your way up. Taste and wait for the heat, it should just barely burn and then fade away.
Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes with Spicy Cinnamon Buttercream – and – Bourbon Caramel Sauce
Enjoy on a simple Sundae, maybe use it to top some pumpkin cupcakes (recipes coming soon), drizzle on your new lover…or you can do as I do and keep it in a squeeze bottle in the fridge. What? Doesn’t everybody stand around their kitchen eating caramel out of a squeeze bottle? No. Whatever…you guys are missing out.
*There are some crystals that form around the edges of the pan and on the spoon while you are adding the cream. It is unavoidable. Accept it and move on.
…wait..wait…I know what you’re thinking, what does the girl who can’t eat chocolate know about brownies?’ Geez, shut up your loud-mouth mind for two seconds and I’ll tell you!* About 3 years ago; before I found out I had a ‘sensitivity’ to chocolate, I ate it every day. Seriously, I am going to have diabetes by next year. (just kidding…maybe…oh my god)
These brownies have 3 different types of chocolate!…any decent brownie recipe should have at least cocoa powder AND melted chocolate. The combination adds a depth of chocolate flavor which = extra chocolaty brownie in your face.
ALSO, I took 30 to a party yesterday and came home with ZERO and loads of compliments.
Yes, I ate some sprinkles… Alright! A lot of sprinkles.
Choc-a-lot Brownies – rich, fudgy, and a little chewy
5 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped
2 oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped
8 tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into quarters
3 tbsp natural or dutch-process cocoa powder
3 large eggs
1 1/4 cups (8.75 oz) white sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp kosher salt +a pinch
1 cup all-purposed flour
8in x 8in metal baking pan + aluminum foil and cooking spray
Makes about 20 medium sized brownies.
1) Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat to 350 degrees. Line pan with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray, future you will totally appreciate it.
The building blocks of life.
2) Find yourself a microwave safe bowl and add the butter chunks, semisweet chocolate chunks, and unsweetened chocolate chunks. Microwave on 50% power for 2 minutes. After removing it from the microwave, stir and wait a minute…then stir again. ** Repeat microwaving for another 30 seconds if your chocolate isn’t smooth as satin.
Third Chocolate!
3) When smooth, whisk in the cocoa powder and set heavenly (triple chocolate!!) mixture aside to cool slightly.
meow
4) In a larger bowl, whisk (just use the chocolate whisk, because more dishes are less fun) together eggs, sugar, vanilla, and salt. Add the cooled chocolate yum yum juice and stir to combine. <-this is where I would add some semi-sweet choc. chunks, if I was into that.
Oh man… there are about a million things I want to smother in this and eat!!
5) Dump in the flour and stir with a wooden spoon UNTIL JUST COMBINED. Don’t freak, flour streaks are okay…they will bake out.
Stir just a little bit more than this.
6) Spatula that glorious brownie batter in the pan, smooth it out and sprinkle that pinch of salt on top. Bake for about 30 minutes. Your oven is not my oven, so check them at 25 minutes and every 5 minutes after that until they reach your desired gooey-ness. I suggest under-baking them to retain a fudge layer…oh, man…the fudge layer! A toothpick or knife tip inserted in the brownies should come out with moist brownie sludge on the end.
I want to dive in face first
7) Cool for about 2 hours before cutting…or whatever. They’re your brownies, go nuts…or whatever.
**Sometimes the residual heat in the butter and bowl will melt the remaining chocolate lumps, so give it a minute.
The white sugar creates that crinkled layer on top. So good.This is torture. Self-torture…apparently I am a masochist. For chocolate. Ugh.
I’m glad that there are none left from yesterday, because I would eat them. All of them and suffer the most horrible migraine in the existence of migraines…AND IT WOULD BE WORTH IT!!
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