These are some delicious and extremely chocolatey brownies I whipped up this afternoon with a friend. They are very quick and easy to make. The order of the addition of ingredients is a little unusual, but it certainly works. The original recipe is from my giant Hershey's binder, and called for one cup of milk chocolate chips and one cup of peanut butter chips. I didn't have peanut butter chips, so I just substituted semi-sweet chocolate chips. We inhaled these immediately after they came out of the oven - they are very good warm and cut fairly well under the circumstances.
Double Chip Brownies
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2/3 cup melted butter or hard margarine, divided
1/2 cup boiling water
2 cups granulated (white) sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/3 cup all-purpose (plain) flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup each of two different kinds of chips
(I used semi-sweet and milk)
Preheat oven to 350◦F. Grease or line a 9x13 inch baking pan.
In a large bowl, stir together the cocoa and baking soda. Stir in half of the melted butter, then the water until mixture thickens. Stir in sugar, eggs, and remaining butter until smooth. Add vanilla, flour, and salt, mix thoroughly Stir in chips. Spread evenly into prepared pan. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until set.
West Side Publishing. "Double Chip Brownies." Recipe. Hershey's Classic Recipes, Lincolnwood Illinois: Publications International, Limited, 2009. 161.
Chocolate Chip Scones
3 1/4 cups all-purpose (plain) flour
1/2 cup granulated (white) sugar
1 Tablespoon + 1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups dark chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped nuts, optional
2 cups cream (or use milk with some melted butter)
melted butter and additional sugar or grated chocolate for tops
Preheat oven to 375◦F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except cream and topping. Stir in cream. Knead for about two minutes, adding a small amount of additional flour if necessary, until a soft dough forms. Divide dough into three and roll each into a seven inch circle. Cut each into eight triangles. Arrange, an inch or two apart, on prepared cookies sheets. Spread with melted butter and sprinkle with sugar or grated chocolate. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until lightly golden.
These scones are sweeter and certainly chocolatier than most. They don't need butter or jam or anything, though they would be even better with some more chocolate spread on them! I used dark chocolate chips, and sprinkled the tops of mine with semi-sweet grated chocolate, because I had it on hand. These scones are very good, and more of a dessert scone than a breakfast scone. This makes twenty-four scones, but the recipe may easily be halved.
I prepared some chocolate covered strawberries today to use as a garnish for a dessert for Valentine's Day tomorrow. It can be a bit difficult to get fresh strawberries at this time of year, however these strawberries were easy to find and taste quite fresh and sweet. Strawberries seem to be jumbo-sized now compared to what I remember getting years ago (some of these strawberries are closer in size to an apple!), but that makes them perfect for dipping! Chocolate covered strawberries are very quick and easy to make, but they give a professional-looking touch. They add a real aspect of elegance to any dessert, and they are also great by themselves.
To prepare these strawberries, I washed them, patted them dry, and trimmed a few of the leaves. Then I dipped them each directly into a pot of melted semi-sweet chocolate and gently swirled them to coat. I placed them on a tray lined with parchment paper, and let them chill in the refrigerator for ten minutes. Then I melted one ounce of white chocolate, put it into a plastic bag, cut a tiny hole in the corner, and drizzled the chocolate over the strawberries. You can also just use a fork to do this, but I find you have more control using a plastic bag. I let them set in the fridge again.
I left the strawberry in the middle uncovered because I figured once it was dipped in chocolate, you wouldn't be able to tell that it is actually heart-shaped. It is a little hard to see at this angle, but I think the store tried to include one heart-shaped strawberry in every package for this week!
