Chocolate Syrup Brownies

Chocolate Syrup Brownies
1/4 cup butter or hard margarine, softened
1/2 cup granulated (white) sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 cup chocolate syrup or thick chocolate sauce (or hot fudge)
1/2 cup all-purpose (plain) flour

Preheat oven to 350◦F. Line an 8x8 inch square pan with foil, lightly grease the foil. In a medium bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Add the eggs, then the chocolate syrup, then the flour. Mix well. Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 30 minutes.

I thought the classic brownie recipe I usually used was as simple and quick as possible, but these brownies are even faster and easier! Of course, that is only after the chocolate sauce is already made, or if you happen to have chocolate syrup on hand. There are only five ingredients to this recipe, and one bowl. Anytime you want brownies, these are very quick to whip up, and they can even be frosted as soon as they come out of the oven. Any chocolate frosting will do, or just sprinkle the hot pan with chocolate chips as soon as they are done baking, let stand for a few minutes, then spread smooth. I made these brownies a few days ago to use up the leftover chocolate sauce and chocolate frosting, both of which will keep for at least a week refrigerated, from the chocolate cake (not like there was enough chocolate around). They aren't as fudgey and rich as my usual brownie recipe, but they are still pretty good.

Fudge Brownie Pie

Here is a very simple and quick but excellent dessert. It can easily be whipped up in a flash with ingredients on hand, and can be served as is, or dressed up in a number of ways for a fancier dessert. It is also delicious, and a popular dessert for chocolate lovers.

Try serving it with ice cream and a cherry, whipped cream and chocolate swirls, or hot fudge sauce. Even if you serve it plain, it will be divine!

Fudge Brownie Pie

2 eggs

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter or hard margarine, melted

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/3 cup cocoa

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350◦F. Lightly grease an 8-inch pie plate.

Beat eggs in medium bowl; blend in sugar and butter. Stir together flour, cocoa and salt; add to butter mixture. Stir in vanilla and nuts, if desired. Pour into prepared pie plate.

Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until almost set. (Pie will not test done in center.) Cool; cut into wedges. 

West Side Publishing. "Fudge Brownie Pie." Recipe. Hershey's Classic Recipes, Lincolnwood Illinois: Publications International, Limited, 2009. 331.

Chocolate Sauce

Here is a master recipe for chocolate sauce, which may come in handy for a wide variety of things. It is great as decoration, drizzle or garnish; a great topping for ice cream, pancakes, and cake; and may also be used in recipes for squares, cakes, and hot drinks.

Chocolate Sauce
1 cup granulated (white) sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
pinch salt
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup butter or hard margarine
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a small saucepan, mix the first three ingredients. Add the water and butter, stir and bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil, without stirring, for 2-4 minutes, until the sauce is of desired thickness. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla. Serve warm as a hot fudge sauce, or allow to cool. Store in the refrigerator for up to one week, gently reheat before serving if desired.

The amount of sugar may be adjusted up or down, depending on how sweet you want your sauce to be. It is also good to add in some chopped chocolate (any variety) with the butter for a richer, more chocolatey taste. Using whipping cream (or evaporated milk) in place of water will also result in a richer sauce. This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled.

Cake and Glaze

Tomorrow I will be assembling a Fudge Marble Swirl Cake from a little Robin Hood Flour booklet. It is in the oven baking now, and it is starting to smell really good! I had to wait until the evening when it finally cooled down a degree or two to make it, since it was such a lovely warm day today! It is in the oven now. I'll allow it to cool completely overnight, and early tomorrow I will drizzle it with a simple vanilla glaze. I'm hoping it will be good! Here is a picture of it right before it went into the oven.

I'll share my vanilla glaze recipe that I plan to use with you, but it is nothing special. Short, sweet, and simple. Foolproof.

Vanilla Glaze
1 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
1 cup icing sugar, sifted
1 Tbsp. milk
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

In a medium bowl, mix all of the ingredients together until smooth. Add more icing sugar or milk, depending on the consistency, to suit your needs. Drizzle or pour over cake.

This glaze is also great for cookies, cinnamon rolls, muffins, bars, and almost any other baked good. It's flavour can be changed by substituting another flavour extract for the vanilla and/or using juice or liquor in place of the milk. Chocolate glaze can be obtained by adding a touch of cocoa.

“Fudge Marble Swirl Cake.” http://www.simplyhomemade.ca/recipes/recipe-details.aspx?rid=4493. Simply Homemade, n.d. Friday, August 19, 2011.

Death By Chocolate Cake

Well, here it is, the Death By Chocolate Cake. For this cake, I decided to focus on the taste and flavour of the cake rather than the piping and decorations, so it is more of a simpler-looking cake. The cake begins with my trusted moist chocolate scratch cake, to which I added one cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips. Sandwiched between the two eight inch round layers of cake are a layer of hot fudge sauce, chocolate chocolate chip filling, and a second layer of hot fudge sauce. The cake is finished off with chocolate buttercream and milk chocolate piping. I stuck a few regular sized and miniature semi-sweet chocolate chips on the side of the cake for decoration and extra chocolate.

To serve this cake, slice it into wedges, top with a scoop of chocolate ice cream, drizzle with more hot fudge sauce, add some chocolate curls for decoration, and enjoy with a tall glass of chocolate milk. This truly is a chocoholic's dream!