Raspberry Cake Brownies

These are not cake. Not brownie. They're cake brownies! I say that because when you taste them, you aren't really sure what they are or how to describe them to others. The texture is somewhere in between.

What's fun in these bars is that you mix in raspberry jam. So the berry flavor is throughout, not just a layer on top or in the middle, and not just pieces of fruit folded in. The crunch comes from adding chocolate chips.

They're easy to make and you most likely have all these most basic baking ingredients on hand already. Do you eat toast with jam? Perfect! Then you already have jam, too!

I'm sure I've mentioned before but just in case, Marlene Sorosky is one of the best recipe authors on Planet Earth and if I share one of her recipes with you, the most appropriate reaction on your part should be that of gratitude and giddiness. So go on, react.


Raspberry Cake Brownies
Recipe by Marlene Sorosky in Easy Entertaining with Marlene Sorosky

2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1/4 pound (1 stick) butter or margarine, cut into 8 pieces
2 eggs
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam (I strained jam with seeds)
2 tsp kirsch, Chambord or framboise, optional
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt, or to taste
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Confectioners sugar for dusting the top, optional

Line an 8- or 9-inch square pan with a sheet of foil, letting it extend 1 inch over the sides; butter the foil. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a medium saucepan over low heat or in a medium microwave-safe bowl, melt unsweetened chocolate and butter or margarine, stirring until smooth; cool slightly. Whisk eggs in. Whisk in sugar, jam and liqueur, if using. Stir in flour, salt, baking powder and chocolate chips until incorporated. The mixture will be thin. Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the top springs back when lightly pressed with fingertips. Let cool in pan 5 minutes; lift foil out of pan and cool completely.

The cake may be wrapped and held at room temperature for up to 3 days or frozen.

Before serving, cut into squares, approximately 1 1/2 inches each. Dust the tops lightly with confectioners sugar, if desired.

Makes 25 squares.


Step-by-Step in Pictures

In a medium saucepan, melt unsweetened chocolate and butter, then whisk in the eggs...

Then whisk in the sugar, jam, and liqueur (optional)...

Stir until smooth...

Stir in the flour, salt, and baking powder...

Stir in the chocolate chips...

Spread the batter into a greased, foil-lined baking pan...

Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes...

Cut into squares to serve...

Financiers au Chocolat, A.K.A. Individual Chocolate Almond Cakes

I'm always looking for an excuse to use my almond extract. I don't get many opportunities because I serve some pretty picky eaters, and for some reason, almond extract goes hand-in-hand with nuts, raisins, onions, and a few other most-commonly-avoided ingredients among friends (and children....huh, strange coincidence). This is so annoying since I love all those foods! But I decided I would make these chocolate almond cakes because they sound excellent, easy, and I'd be offering them at a party attended by mature palates. The sissies can just deal!

The recipe is inherently good because of its author, David Lebovitz. But one taste and you don't need to be sold based on author. The instructions say to finely grind the almonds, but I left mine slightly coarser because I wanted some crunch in the cakes. Either way works great. And don't you just love the French name? Financiers au Chocolat. It's so pompous and showy in all the right ways! It allows a silly little home baker like me the chance to make something that sounds way harder than it is, as if I attended a cooking school in Paris or something.

If you're a fan of almonds, then you're in for a treat.


Financiers au Chocolat, A.K.A. Individual Chocolate Almond Cakes
Recipe by David Lebovitz in The Sweet Life in Paris

Makes 15.

6 tablespoons (90 g) unsalted butter, plus more for greasing the pan
1 cup (90 g) sliced almonds
3 tablespoons (25 g) unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder (preferably Valrhona)
1 tablespoon (10 g) flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (90 g) confectioners' sugar
1/3 cup egg whites, at room temperature
1/4 teaspoon almond extract

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly butter mini-muffin tins or a silicone baking mold with 1-inch round indentations and place on a sturdy baking sheet.

2. Melt the butter in a small saucepan and set aside until room temperature.

3. In a food processor or blender, finely grind the almonds with the cocoa, flour, salt, and sugar.

4. Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl.

5. Stir the egg whites and almond extract into the ground almond mixture, then gradually stir in the melted butter until smooth and fully incorporated.

6. Spoon the batter into the molds, filling them three-quarters full.

7. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until slightly puffed and springy to the touch. Remove from the oven and cool completely before removing from the molds.

Storage: Once cooled, financiers can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week. The batter can also be made, then chilled and baked up to five days later.


Step-by-Step in Pictures

Finely grind together the almonds, cocoa, flour, salt, and sugar in a food processor...

Transfer that dry mixture to a bowl and stir in the egg whites and almond extract...

Stir in the melted butter...

Mix just until incorporated...

Spoon the mixture into greased muffin cups, filling them 3/4 full...

Bake at 425 degrees F for 10-15 minutes...

Let cool in the pan completely, then carefully remove from the pan...

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars

I'm a big time fan of a blog called The Chocolate Peanut Butter Gallery. It is anything and everything devoted to that amazing combo. My favorite ice cream flavor at Baskin Robbins is Peanut Butter 'n Chocolate. My favorite candy from Charles Chocolates is the Peanut Butterfly (chocolate enrobing a peanut butter filling). Reese's Peanut Butter Cups were always my favorite Halloween candy as a child. When I go to Crumbs Bake Shop in Beverly Hills, the only cupcake I ever order is the Peanut Butter Cup. I hold a very special place in my heart for chocolate combined with peanut butter. And more to the point, I have a major weakness for it.

These Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars come from a Chocolatier Magazine cookbook. Say no more! They are chewy and gooey and peanutbuttery and exactly what I, as a chocolate peanut butter worshiper, am looking for. If you belong to that camp, too, then indulge yourself and make these. They are incredibly easy to prepare and use basic ingredients you're bound to have handy.

Sure, the saying goes, "Everything in moderation." It's a good rule to live by, so fine, I don't plan to die from a chocolate peanut butter overdose. But a temporary food coma works for me.


Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars
Recipe by Mary Goodbody and the editors of Chocolatier Magazine in Glorious Chocolate

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon double-acting baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup extra-chunky peanut butter
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 ounces (about 1 cup) semisweet chocolate chips

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Line a 9-inch square baking pan with aluminum foil so that the foil extends 2 inches beyond two opposite sides of the pan. Lightly butter the bottom and sides of the foil-lined pan.

2. In a small bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

3. In a large bowl, using a hand-held electric mixer set at medium-high speed, beat the peanut butter, butter, and brown sugar for 2 to 3 minutes or until well combined. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. Using a wooden spoon, stir in the flour mixture until just combined. Sir in the chocolate chips. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly.

4. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center of the pan comes out with a few moist crumbs clinging to it. Do not overbake the brownies. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Using the two ends of the foil as handles, lift the bars out of the pan. Leaving the bars on the foil, cool on the wire rack for at least 2 hours. Invert the bars onto a plate and carefully peel off the foil. Invert again onto a smooth surface and cut into 12 bars. Store the bars in an airtight container.

Yield: 12 bars.


Step-by-Step in Pictures

Combine dry ingredients in a bowl...

In a mixing bowl, cream the peanut butter, butter, and brown sugar together...

It will look like this delicious batter (which tastes amazing but I promise it's worth continuing on with the recipe!)...

Add the eggs and vanilla...

Now the batter is becoming more goopy and ribbony...

Fold in the dry ingredients (do not overmix)...

The batter will become thick...

Stir in the chocolate chips...

Spread the batter into a greased, foil-lined pan...

Bake at 350 degrees F for about 25 minutes (my speedy gonzalez oven required only 22 minutes)

And here you go!

Full of peanut butter flavor! And the chocolate chips stay soft and melty!

The Search for the Best Brownie on Earth is Over

I have been on a quest for years to find the best brownie. May sound silly, but I bet every home baker has that same quest without even realizing it. In other words, you make a brownie recipe, decide, eh, could be better, and choose a different recipe next time. Sounds familiar, right? Why would you make the same recipe again if you don't think it's perfect? It's not like brownie recipes are hard to come by. And since I am a baker, my test kitchen is particularly frequently in use. I say all that to say, I've tried a LOT of brownie recipes in my lifetime. Similar to that all-American classic chocolate chip cookie, finding the perfect brownie is a momentous occasion. It's a very big deal. It means no more searching for recipes to test. It means bragging rights that you've discovered the best there is. And it also means a new standard for brownies you didn't know existed but now that you know, you'll be a far pickier eater moving forward.


I am about to reveal to you what I believe is unequivocally, hands down the best brownie, bar none (pun intended! ha!). I suppose you could be grateful to me for all the time I'm saving you, but somehow, I don't think you'll be able to call this the best without first having tried a dozen so-so recipes. I challenge you to go through your cookbooks, make some of the brownies out of them, and then come back to this blog post and make this recipe. Your thank you will be a lot more sincere.

It's worth pointing out, too, that this is a very subjective topic. I must have some chutzpah to call this the best brownie. Who do I think I am? Some people prefer their brownies fudgy, some chewy, some cakey, some dark chocolate, some not so dark, some rich, some less chocolaty, and of course there are those who fight over the edge pieces because they enjoy the crisp sides with the softer center. So to clarify my calling this the Best Brownie on Earth, that is a true statement for me and probably others who like rich, dark, chocolaty, fudgy brownies.

But I admit, making such a bold claim puts it all on the line for me. You might try out this recipe, completely disagree with my superlative of a title, hate the brownie, never trust my judgment again, and never return to Happy Go Marni. I hope that's not the case, in fact, I'm confident after one bite you'll love me forever, but I'm willing to take that risk. Yes, this is the recipe on which I've decided to gamble away my credibility.

The recipe comes from the Tartine cookbook. Tartine is an amazing bakery in San Francisco. Funnily enough, my dad, who has had the Tartine brownie both made in my kitchen and made at the bakery, thinks mine is better (which is saying a lot!). That's probably because the brownie recipe in the Tartine cookbook is not exactly the same as what they sell in the bakery. That, or I do a better job at following their recipe than even they do. Ok, or maybe it's because he's my biased dad. :-)

You'll notice that the recipe calls for a ton of chocolate...and by a ton, I mean a pound. That's right, a whole pound for one 9x13-inch pan. Don't skimp and think you can skip a few ounces. And please don't waste your time on cheap grocery store brands. The chocolate you choose for the recipe ends up defining the brownie. Last time I made these, I spent about $15 on Valrhona chocolate. Only the best for dear old Dad!

Whenever I visit my parents in the Bay Area, I try to whip up a batch to give them. Living near SF, they can have the bakery's version whenever they want, but it's not every day they get the cookbook version specially delivered from L.A.

So without further ado, here's the recipe to this earth-shattering, life-changing brownie. I hope you love it as much as I do.

Updated: I really must give credit where credit is due. A huge shout out and thank you to my Uncle Gary and Aunt Francie who gave me the Tartine cookbook as a birthday present a few years ago. Muah! You two have made my life a whole lot sweeter!


The Best Brownie on Earth
Recipe by Elisabeth Prueitt and Chad Robertson in Tartine

3/4 cup unsalted butter
1 pound bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
5 large eggs
2 cups light brown sugar, lightly packed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Topping (optional)
2 cups nuts such as walnut or pecan halves

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9x13-inch glass baking dish.

In a small saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Remove from the heat and add the chocolate. If the heat from the butter does not fully melt the chocolate, put the pan back over the heat for 10 seconds and stir until melted. Set aside to cool.

Sift the flour into a small mixing bowl. Set aside. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the eggs, sugar, salt, and vanilla. Using a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat on high speed until the mixture thickens and becomes pale in color and falls from the beater in a wide ribbon that folds back on itself and slowly dissolves on the surface, 4 to 5 minutes. Alternatively, use a mixing bowl and a whisk to beat the ingredients until the mixture falls from the whisk in a wide ribbon. Using a rubber spatula, fold the cooled chocolate into the egg mixture. Add the flour and fold it in quickly but gently with the rubber spatula so that you don't deflate the air that's been incorporated into the eggs.

Pour the batter into the prepared dish and smooth the top with the spatula. If you are using nuts, evenly distribute them across the batter. Bake until the top looks slightly cracked and feels soft to the touch, about 25 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack.

Using a sharp knife, cut into 12 squares, or size desired. The brownies will keep in an airtight container in a cool place for up to 1 week.

Kitchen Notes: You can't use a cake tester to judge doneness for these brownies. Becaues the batter has a high percentage of chocolate, the tester comes out wet even if the brownies are done.


Step-by-Step in Pictures

Melt the butter...

Break up a pound of bittersweet chocolate...

Melt the chocolate with the butter...

In a mixer, beat the eggs with the sugar, salt, and vanilla...

Sift the flour and set aside...

Pour the cooled chocolate mixture into the egg/sugar mixture...

Combine...

Gently fold in the flour...

Batter is ready for the oven!

Notice I left a quarter of the pan nut-less for my anti-nut sister...

Best brownie on Planet Earth!

Valentine's Day Cheesecake Brownies

Happy Valentine's Day! Now this is definitely one of the most edible holidays. I'm tempted to go crazy and make a dozen desserts - pink, chocolaty, rich, impressive. But the truth is, all of those attributes sound good to me year round, so I'm going to try to maintain my composure and not get my panties in a bunch and stick to one recipe.

I made these cheesecake brownies for work on Friday and dyed the cheesecake part pink for, well, you know, love's sake. They turned out neat looking and tasted great. They're the fudgy type of brownie (as opposed to cakey), and if I could do one thing differently next time, I'd line the pan with foil and then grease the foil before pouring the batter in. That way I could easily lift the entire piece of foil out of the pan once they've baked and cooled, turn them over, and peel the foil off. Because they are so fudgy, it was a losing fight trying to cut the bars away from the pan. But as they say, love is a battlefield.


Valentine's Day Cheesecake Brownies
Recipe by Marcy Goldman in The Best of Betterbaking.com (though Marcy's name for the brownies is Yin-Yang Cream Cheese Brownies)
Makes about 20 brownies

Cream Cheese Layer
8 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

Brownie Layer
6 tablesoons (3 ounces) unsalted butter
4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 7 by 11-inch pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.

For the cream cheese layer, combine the cream cheese and sugar in a medium bowl. Blend well. Stir in the egg, vanilla, and flour until smooth. Set aside.

For the brownie layer, melt the butter and chocolate in a double boiler over barely simmering water or in a microwave. Stir until smooth. Let cool to room temperature.

Put the chocolate mixture in a large bowl. Stir in the eggs, sugar, vanilla, and salt. Gradually stir in the flour until smooth.

Spread three-fourths of the brownie batter in the prepared pan. Use a small spatula dipped in water to smooth the batter. Drop on dollops of the cream cheese batter. Sprinkle with the chocolate chips, then top with the remaining brownie batter by placing small dollops on top of the cream cheese batter. Using a knife, cut through the batters to marbleize. Smooth the top with a wet knife or metal spatula.

Place the pan on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the cream cheese swirl is set. It is hard to tell when these are done, so follow the time closely and make sure the cheesecake layer seems set. Let cool on a wire rack, then refrigerate for at least 1 hour before cutting.


Step-by-Step in Pictures

Combine the ingredients for the cheesecake layer...

Add red food coloring for Valentine's Day...
Make the brownie batter...
Have both mixtures ready to go for assembly...

Start with 3/4 of the brownie batter in the bottom of the pan...
Drop dollops of the cheesecake mixture on the brownie batter...

Top with dollops of remaining brownie batter...
Marbleize!
Bake the brownies...
Chill the brownies before cutting them into squares...