Kudos and Farewell, Brownies!

Our household bid farewell to the last of all of the baked goods after dinner… with this Christmas season being centered on my good friend, the brownie. I have experimented with several homemade variations; since I tend to prefer ‘from-scratch’ cooking (I like to know exactly what goes into what I am eating, without the added fillers, etc.) However, I keep returning to my favorite brownie mix- Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate.

This mix was the base of several baked goodies this season including chocolate chess brownies. I was reminded of how long our family has been eating these when my brother requested them for Christmas snacking later this week. They were referred to as ‘Chess Pie’ which is something completely different; I later came to find out as an adult. I have no idea from where I got the recipe- I have seen lots of variations of it- but have made it for years.

Another holiday brownie this year was the Dark Chocolate Espresso Brownie. I originally saw Giada make this on the Food Network, and I liked the idea of anything that combined chocolate and coffee. I tweaked a bit to my taste over the years and included this recipe at a church group dinner that I hosted recently.

Our final sweet fare this year is a recent addition but one that will be part of my repertoire when I feel like indulging in some additional calories (a two inch square of brownie alone is a whopping 200 calories) was a Mississippi mud cake that I ran across from an old Southern Living recipe that I ripped out of a magazine years ago. This recipe yielded so much, which was important because the one batch was being used to feed a dinner party of eight, a dessert to bring to a friend who recently had a baby, and the rest for our family to polish off. I don’t know how much of a ‘cake’ this recipe is; really more of a ‘bar’.

I’ve made a couple other variations of brownie using this mix, including fruit fares. After making a plain batch, I will take raspberry preserves (I prefer Bonne Maman’s Raspberry Preserves), heat up a little so it can be drizzled over the brownie batter, take a knife to swirl it into the batter, then bake as usual. I have also been known to take about 1/3 cup of fresh blueberry puree into the batter and then bake as usual. This will create a richness to your brownie where people will ask what that extra ‘something’ is that they taste.

All recipes below are made using Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate Brownie mix, prepared using ¼ cup of water, ½ cup of vegetable oil, and 1 egg to make the batter.

LeAnn’s Chocolate Chess Brownies
1 box of brownie mix
8 oz cream cheese, softened
16 oz box of powdered sugar
3 egg whites
1 tsp of vanilla extract

Prepare brownie mix as directed. Pour into a greased 13x9 inch glass or metal pan (I usually use a glass casserole dish). Combine egg whites, cream cheese, and powdered sugar and beat with a mixer until smooth and creamy. Beat in the vanilla extract. Pour directly on top of your brownie batter. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 40-45 minutes until set (ovens will vary, so check for the top ‘chess’ layer to be a golden color and ‘set’). Remove from oven and cool.

Dark Chocolate Espresso Brownies (adapted from Food Network’s Giada de Laurentiis’ Espresso Brownie)
1 box of brownie mix
2 tsp instant espresso powder (I prefer the Medaglia D’Oro brand)
1.5 cups powdered sugar
2 tbsp water
1 tbsp unsalted melted butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla extract (I go light on this, tastes good even without)

Prepare brownie mix as directed, pour into a 13x9 greased pan, and bake in a 350 degree oven for about 40 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely. While your brownies are baking, combine espresso powder and water. Add vanilla, powdered sugar, butter and whisk until smooth. (I like mine slightly runny so I can pour it over the brownies easily. Add more water if needed to get this consistency.) Let glaze set completely and then cut and serve.

Mississippi Mud ‘Cake’ Bars (adapted from Southern Living’s Mississippi Mud Cake)
1 cup finely chopped pecans
2 boxes of brownie mix
1 10.5oz bag miniature marshmallows
Chocolate Frosting
1 stick unsalted butter
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa (I used Ghirardelli’s)
1/3 cup milk
1 16 oz box powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Place pecans in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 for 8 to 10 minutes or until toasted. Prepare brownie mixes as directed (double your ingredients - use 2 eggs, ½ cup water and 1 cup of oil). Pour batter into a greased 15 x 10 greased cookie sheet or jelly roll pan. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes and remove from oven. Sprinkle marshmallows over the brownies so they are in an even layer. Bake for another 10 minutes (so that marshmallows are starting to turn golden - I think I baked for 10-15 minutes). Remove from oven.

Prepare your chocolate frosting. Combine butter, cocoa, and milk in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly until smooth and thickened. Remove from heat and add to powdered sugar. Beat with an electric mixer until smooth. Beat in vanilla. Drizzle over your prepared bars (if frosting is too thick, gently spread over bars with a knife). Top with pecans, let frosting set, cut and serve.