Brownies three ways

When the team at my other half's work asked me for brownies I jumped on the idea. Having never made brownies before it was the perfect challenge and a great opportunity to try something new, although sadly not something I could eat. These went down  fantastically with the team. This weeks offerings are double chocolate brownies, salted caramel brownies and raspberry oreo brownies...

Double Chocolate

Ingredients:

185g butter
185g dark chocolate
85g plain flour
40g cocoa powder
50g white chocolate
50g milk chocolate
3 large eggs
275 caster sugar

Method:

Melt together the butter and dark chocolate, lots of recipes call for a bain marie but for me this is more hassle than its worth and so long as you stir the mix constantly putting it in a pan over a low heat works just fine. Once the butter and chocolate have melted together allow to cool to room temperature.

While the chocolate cools, preheat your oven to 160c fan. Grease and line a 20cm square tin and set aside. Place the eggs the eggs and sugar into a bowl and beat using an electric mixer on high speed until they are thick and creamy. Pour in the melted chocolate and fold in carefully so as not to know the air out of the mix. Add in the cocoa powder and the flour and fold in again. The mix looks weird and dusty to start with but comes together to a fudgy consistency with a little encouragement. Add in the chocolate chunks and mix gently. Pour the mix into the tin, spreading it out using a spatula. Bake for 25 minutes until the middle is solid when wobbled and the top has a papery appearance. Leave to cool in the tin before cutting into chunks and devouring. Keep in an air tight container for up to two weeks (like they last that long!).

Salted Caramel:

Ingredients:

For the brownie:
200g dark chocolate
250g butter
250g caster sugar
3 large eggs
120g plain flour
1/2 tsp baking powder

For the salted caramel:
110g caster sugar
55g butter
4tbsp sour cream
1/2 tsp salt flakes

Method:

Make the salted caramel first by melting the sugar in a nonstick pan over a medium-high heat. Do NOT get the melted sugar on you as the resulting burn is incredibly painful. When the sugar is a deep amber colour, remove from the heat and add in the butter, sour cream and salt, stirring until it all melts together. Pour onto bowl or plate lined with baking paper. and place in the freezer until solid but scoopable like ice-cream.

Preheat your oven to 180c and prepare a 20cm sqaure tin with baking paper. Melt the chocolate in a non stick pan over a low heat, stirring constantly. Use an electric mixer to beat the butter and sugar together until they are light and fluffy then gradually mix in the eggs. Keep mixing once all the eggs are incorporated until the batter has a silky sheen.  Fold in the melted chocolate followed by the flour and baking powder.

Pour the mix into the baking tray, spreading to the edges with a spatula. Scoop out the salted caramel and dot throughout the brownie, if its soft enough take a fork and run it through the mix to trail the caramel through the brownies. Bake for 30 minutes until a skewer comes out sticky but not coated with mixture.

Leave in the tin until cooled before turning out and cutting into chunks and eating.


Raspberry Oreo

Ingredients:

200g dark chocolate
100g milk chocolate
250g butter
300g caster sugar
4 large eggs
175g plain flour
200g fresh raspberries, torn into little bits
154g pack of oreos, cut into rough quarters

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180c and grease and line a 20cm square tin. Melt the chocolates, butter and sugar together over a low heat stirring constantly, Once fully melted, leave to cool to room temperature. Using an electric mixer, beat in the eggs one at a time then add in the flour.

Pour half the mix into the tin then dot with half the raspberries and oreos. Add in the rest of the mix and use a spatula to encourage to the edges of the tin. Top with the rest of the raspberries and oreos and bake for 30 - 40 minutes until a skewer comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin before turning out and cutting into chunks.

Each of these brownies are reasonably easy to make and totally worth the effort. They will last in air tight containers for around two weeks if you can keep your hands off them. Please take photos when you make these and tag me using #diaryofadefectivehousewife

Enjoy!

Empire Biscuits

Who doesn't love an Empire biscuit, the crumbly goodness sandwiching jam with icing and a jelly sweet on top... PERFECTION. I made these for the first time recently and took them to my other half's work, where the batch of over 50 biscuits lasted less than 2 hours. These biscuits have been voted their favourite bake so far and even better than our local bakers. Super easy, these make a great addition to any gathering and will keep for a few days in an air tight tub, if you can resist them that long. I used a square cutter as I'm in kitchen limbo at the moment and couldn't find my traditional round ones, these were popular though as for those blessed with a more generous gob, they are bite size!

The finish product

Ingredients:

For the biscuits:
230g butter softened
85g icing sugar
340g plain flour

For the topping and filling:
your jam of choice, I used raspberry
230g icing sugar
water
your favourite jelly sweets, I used jelly tots

All sandwiched together waiting for icing in their masses...

Method:

Preheat your oven to 160c and flour a baking sheet. Cream the butter and slowly add in the icing sugar so it doesnt fly everywhere until the mix is light and fluffy. Add in the flour and tip onto a floured surface. Use your hands to bring the dough together to form a smooth ball. I would recommend chilling this in the fridge wrapped in clingfilm for ten minutes to make it easier to cut out.

Roll out the dough on a floured surface using a floured rolling pin to roughly 2mm thick. Dip your chosen cutter in the flour and cut out as many biscuits as possible. Place these on the baking sheet and roll the dough scraps back together and repeat the process until as much of the dough as possible is used. I often roll out the last scraps and have a 'bakers treat biscuit' to munch while I decorate the rest. Try to ensure you cut out an even number but if there is one extra... ooops!

Bake the biscuits for around 15 minutes until golden brown. While the biscuits are still hot, add the jam and sandwich them together taking care not to burn your fingers, I used around half a teaspoon of jam per biscuit but it will depend on their size. Place on a wire rack and leave to cool.

Once the biscuits are cooled, place some sheets of kitchen paper under the wire racks to catch icing drips and save on cleaning. Place the icing sugar in a bowl and gradually add water in small amounts until the sugar comes together into a consistency like double cream. Gently spoon this onto the biscuits and add a sweet or two to the tops to set into the icing.

Super easy to make and even easier to eat, these are sure to be a firm favourite. If you try this recipe please take a picture and tag me using #diaryofadefectivehousewife. ENJOY!

Roasted Mediterranean Vegetables

I love this recipe for lazy days and days when I want something filling but not too heavy. This one is perfect for that subtle taste of summer, and sunny days I'm trying to cling on to now were suddenly somehow in September.  Super easy to make and even tastier, this ones a no brainer...

Ingredients:

1 white onion
1 medium Aubergine
1 large courgette
2 handfuls cherry tomatoes
1 red bell pepper
1 handful fresh basil
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp black pepper
2 tbsp olive oil

Method:

Chop all of the vegetables to roughly the same size, I started by halving the cherry tomatoes and using them as the base size for everything else. Place the chopped veggies into a roasting tray and mix in the olive oil, salt, pepper and the basil, chopped roughly.

Place in a preheated oven at 180C for around 20 minutes until the veggies start to caramelize on the edges, I served this with couscous cooked to the intructions on the packet, steamed green vegetables and some avocado for lunch. This would make a great recipe for packed lunch, It tastes as good cold as it does warm.

Please take pictures and tag me #diaryofadefectivehousewife if you make any of the recipes

Enjoy!

Millionaires shortbread

This recipe really tested my self control, as a fully confessed spoon-licker the amount of dairy in this made it a real test of my stamina but I made it in one piece! Hotly requested by the team at my other half's work, I was nervous about this as my last attempt ended up as a melting mess but these turned out perfect. Declared excellent by himself's workmates, they had them out my hands and the boxes open quicker than I could say millionaire shortbread. This recipe does take time to make, you need to allow each layer to cool before adding the next one, but is great for days when you have time or can slot it in between all the other chores. Enjoy....

Ingredients:

For the Shortbread

225g plain flour
175g unsalted butter
75g caster sugar

For the Topping

150g unsalted butter
1 can condensed milk (approx 400g)
100g golden syrup
350g chocolate (I used half milk and half dark)
1 tsp vanilla extract 

Method:

Preheat your oven to 150C. Gently rub together the flour and butter until it forms a breadcrumb like texture then add in the sugar. Grease and line a large baking tray with a decent lip (i used an oven tray) and press the shortbread mix in spreading it to the corners. Use the back of a spoon and then your knuckles to ensure the mix is packed down and into the tray. Bake for 20-30 minutes until golden brown. Once baked, set aside to cool. 

While the shortbread is cooling, put the remaining butter in a pan with the golden syrup and condensed milk. Melt these together over a low heat until the butter disappears then increase the heat to bring to a boil. Boil while stirring constantly until the mixture takes on a caramel shade (around 5 minutes). Let this cool and then pour over the shortbread spreading it as you pour to ensure an even coating.

While this cools and sets, take a nonstick pan and over a low heat, melt the chocolate and vanilla extract together, stirring constantly. When the chocolate is mainly melted, turn off the heat and let the remaining warmth do the rest. Check the caramel is set to your touch before pouring on the chocolate , again smoothing as you go to ensure a nice evoen finish. Leave to set at room temperature for at least an hour before cutting into chunks. Don't be tempted to try to set this in the fridge as the chocolate will bloom and make it look strange.

When you make this please take a picture and tag me using #diaryofadefectivehousewife. Happy baking v