Peanut Butter Brownies for Valentine's Day

It’s only fitting that for Valentine’s Day, this post includes two of my long-time loves, peanut butter and chocolate. The two are a perfect pair, like rainy days and a great book, Kate and William, and bagels and lox.

Both ingredients are heavy players in my diet; peanut butter and bananas, peanut butter on toast, hot chocolate, dark chocolate before bed; there typically isn’t a day that goes by where I don’t have either chocolate or peanut butter.  

I typically eat chocolate and peanut butter separately, but admittedly Reese’s are my favorite drugstore candy item, and I recently fell in love with McConnell’s Double Peanut Butter Chip ice cream. Why not combine the two into brownies?

These peanut butter brownies are perfect for sharing at work, sharing with your Valentine on a hike, and turning into a hot fudge brownie sundae for eating by yourself (which admittedly is me this year as Z is out of town skiing).

My Valentine’s Day will start with laying in bed all day a springboard Pilates class (I’m slowly but surely becoming stronger) and hopefully a massage (thanks to the amazing company Soothe). In the afternoon, I’ll whip up a batch of these brownies again for post-dinner ice cream sundaes.

The first time I made these brownies, I checked to see if they were done, but I was more focused on Downton Abbey  multi-tasking and accidentally dropped a pan of half-cooked brownies on the floor. Oops. So, don’t make the same mistake I did and try to keep up with the Crawley Family while making peanut butter brownies.

  

Peanut Butter Brownies 

From Cook’s Illustrated

Makes about 16 brownies

Note: do not use a natural peanut butter (one where the oil separates from the butter itself). While I never eat Skip or Jiffy, this is the recipe to use it in.

3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped

8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into chunks

1 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon table salt

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2/4 cup all purpose flour

1/3 cup peanut butter, room temperature

Adjust oven rack to middle position, and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 8-inch baking dish with foil and coat foil with cooking spray. 

Melt the chocolate and butter in small bowl in microwave, or in heatproof bowl set over pan of simmering water, stirring occasionally to combine. Cool mixture for several minutes. 

Whisk sugar, baking powder, table salt, eggs, and vanilla together in medium bowl until combined, about 15 seconds. Whisk in chocolate mixture until smooth. Stir in flour until no streaks remain.

Pour batter into prepared pan. Drop peanut butter in 10 small dollops spread out evenly across the batter. Without touching the foil lining, run pairing knife through batter to create swirls.

Bake until toothpick inserted halfway between edge and center of pan comes out clean, 25 to 27 minutes. Cool brownies on wire rack for 1 hour. 

Using foil, lift brownies from pan to cutting board. Slide foil out from underneath brownies, and cut brownies into 2-inch squares.  

Matzoh Toffee

I'm warning you. This stuff is addicting. It's so good, that it's worth making even if you are sick of matzo or you don't have to worry about eating matzo this week!

This is basically matzo covered in a delicious toffee, then chocolate, and then flaky sea salt. It's basically the bomb dot com. 

I actually never grew up eating this. It wasn't part of my family's Passover routine. I didn't discover this recipe until college. Now, it's one of my favorite Passover snacks, but really as I'm eating it now I'm wondering why I don't make this all year round.

It's surprisingly easy to make--the hardest part is waiting for the toffee to cool!

Matzoh Toffee

From David Lebovitz

4 to 6 sheets of matzo

2 sticks unsalted butter, but into pieces

1 cup packed brown sugar

Big pinch of sea salt

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate

Flaky sea salt

Line a baking sheet with foil and then parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 375. Line the baking sheet with matzo. 

In a pan, melt the butter and brown sugar together over medium heat. Once the butter melts completely, let the mixture boil for 3 minutes. 

Off the heat, stir in sea salt and vanilla into the brown sugar and vanilla mixture. 

Then, pour the toffee mixture over the matzo. Make sure the matzo is covered completely!

Turn the oven to 350, and then put the baking sheet in the oven. Let it cook for 15 minutes. You should reduce the heat if it burns.

Take the baking sheet out of the oven, and then sprinkle the chocolate chips over the toffee. Let the chocolate sit for 5 minutes, then spread the chocolate evenly with an offset spatula. Sprinkle with sea salt. 

Now, the hard part. Let the toffee cool completely before eating. Enjoy!

Back to Basics: Flourless Chocolate Cake

Passover is almost here, and if your previous celebrations are anything like mine, your Seders probably include some form of cake made with potato starch or matzo meal (to compensate for the lack of flour) that a family friend or relative brought for dessert.

I always loathe these cakes that look deceptively delicious, but then end up just tasting like a weird potato due to the potato starch. 

During Passover, yes, your diet is limited. You essentially are gluten- and corn-free, and for many Jews, rice and legumes are also a no-no. That being said, it doesn't mean your dessert options are limited!

My philosophy on Passover desserts applies equally well to any sort of diet that excludes gluten or other key foods. The secret is just to avoid recipes that try to replace flour with something else. There are lots of great desserts out there that don't require flour!

Today's recipe is a rich and perfectly imperfect flourless chocolate cake that will be a perfect addition to your table this weekend, whether you are celebrating Passover, Easter, or just the beautiful spring weather!

This cake brings a lot of flavor, and I love how rustic it looks. The cake puffs as it bakes, and then cools to almost create a crater of sorts. The recipe comes from Nigella Lawson, who calls this a "Chocolate Cloud Cake". 

I like this cake served with whipped cream, and you can find my recipe for that here. 

Also, here are some other gluten-free and Passover-safe recipes, like macaroons and chocolate mousse.

Flourless Chocolate Cake

From Nigella Lawsone

Leaving the recipe in grams, so you can be more accurate!

250 grams of bittersweet (70% cocoa solids) chocolate

125 grams unsalted butter (softened)

6 large eggs (2 whole, 4 separated)

175 grams white sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan with parchment paper and set aside. 

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler, and then let the butter melt in the warm chocolate. 

Beat the 2 whole eggs and 4 egg yolks with 75 grams (1/4 cup) of white sugar, then gently add the chocolate and butter mixture. 

In another bowl, whisk the four egg whites until foamy, then add the rest of the white sugar (about 1/2 cup). Whisk until the egg whites hold their shape, but are not too stiff. I suggest using an electric mixer for this step!

Lighten the chocolate mixture with a dollop of the egg whites. Then, fold in the rest of the egg whites carefully. 

Pour into the prepared tin, and bake for 35-40 minutes, until the cake has risen and cracked, and the center is no longer wobbly. 

Cool the cake on a wire rack; it will sink as it cools. 

Remove the cake from its tin when ready to serve. Add whipped cream or powdered sugar, as desired. 

Back to Basics: Chocolate Pudding

Last week, I gave you lots of Valentine's Day posts (see gift guides 1 and 2, plus this amazing dinner recipe). In my mind, Valentine's Day isn't Valentine's Day without a really great chocolate dessert.

I love rich over the top dinners. They remind me of special dinners out with my family. Dinners where we would have to dress up, the waiter would bring us kids Shirley Temples to drink, and there was no real children's menu. These meals always ended with dessert--typically a rich, traditional dessert like chocolate mousse, creme brulee, or chocolate molten cake.

I recently went out to dinner at Chapeau! (the exclamation is their doing, not mine), and had an absolutely fabulous meal. Of course it ended with dessert, and while I loved my chocolate cake, I was unable to even eat half of it.

That's when I knew I made it. I was an adult. I already felt as if I needed to spend every night that coming week at Soul Cycle, and I knew that if I finished the dense and rich chocolate cake in front of me, I might need two straight weeks at Soul Cycle.

Luckily this chocolate pudding delivers in the great chocolate dessert department without making you feel as if your date needs to roll you home. Chocolate desserts, definitely sexy and Valentine's Day appropriate. Chocolate desserts that leave you in a sugar coma, definitely not sexy.

This pudding has tons of chocolate flavor (thanks to 6 oz of chopped chocolate) and is the grown-up version of the chocolate pudding you loved growing up.

In some ways, it's pure nostalgia. It's an American pudding without eggs or cream--similar to the pudding that comes in that little box. It's adult chocolate flavor though is outrageous, in the best way possible. I added a dollop of whipped cream and a sprinkling of flaky sea salt, just to balance out the chocolate.

The best part: it looks so cute served in individual ramekins, and you can make it in advance. The pudding has to be made 2-3 hours ahead of time so it can set in the fridge, and you can even leave the puddings in the fridge for 3 days.

This is what you want to make for dessert this Valentine's Day. Enjoy!

Chocolate Pudding

Adapted from John Sharffenberger via Smitten Kitchen

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/2 cup sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

3 cups whole milk

6 ounces chopped semi- or bittersweet chocolate

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Combine cornstarch, sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan. Slowly whisk in whole milk to prevent lumps, then add milk more quickly. 

Place over medium-low heat and stir occasionally, scraping the bottom and the sides. Use a whisk if lumps form. After 10 minutes or so, before the milk mixture simmers, the mixture should thicken and cover the back of a wooden spoon. Add the chocolate and stir for another 2 to 4 minutes, until the mixture is fully incorporated and the pudding is thick.

Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla.

Either pour into one large serving bowl or divvy out into individual servings. Chill until the pudding is set, about 2 to 3 hours.

If you dislike pudding skin, put some plastic wrap over the pudding and smooth it gently into the surface of the pudding before refrigerating.

Gluten-Free Chocolate Brownie Cookies

Whether you are gluten-free or not, you will fall in love with these delicious, rich cookies. Part chocolate chip cookie, part brownie, this cookie is what my dreams are made out of.

These brownie cookies are perfect for the holiday season. Both adults and kids will love the rich chocolate taste, and everyone can enjoy them, no matter what type of gluten-free diet they are on!

The best thing about these cookies though is that come together in about 20 minutes, total. I bet you can make the batter in under 5 minutes, and they take about 15 minutes to bake!

Z and I ate these warm out of the oven with some ice cream, but they are just as delicious the next day on a beautiful holiday cookie platter.

Gluten-Free Chocolate Brownie Cookies

From Bon Appetit

Makes 24 cookies

3 cups powdered sugar

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

2 large egg whites

1 large egg

4 ounces bittersweet chopped chocolate

Place oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and salt together then whisk in egg whites and egg. Fold in the chopped chocolate.

Spoon batter by the tablespoon onto parchment-lined baking sheets. 

Bake, rotating once, until cookies are puffed, cracked, and just set around the edges, 14-16 minutes. 

Let cookies cool down in the pan so they can firm up.

Enjoy!

Chocolate Mousse

I have a serious case of wanderlust. 

It should be no surprise to anyone who knows me that I am obsessed in love with Paris and all things French. A true Francophile at heart, I long for strolls through Parisian streets and tours of chateaus. I dream of Giverny gardens and the beautiful Parisian skyline. I'll buy anything with a French flag or saying on it (oui oui!). I wish for afternoons spent in bistros. And most importantly, I may spend too much time at work fantasizing about steak frites and croissants.

As part of my French obsession, I have recently been reading Remembrance of Things Paris: Sixty Years of Writing from Gourmet. It's a great compilation of stories covering Paris, food, and occasionally haute couture or other unique topics. Besides the fabulous recipes and food writing, it's a great perspective on how Paris has changed over the years.  

This recipe for chocolate mousse stuck out because it seemed fairly easy and required no eggs. It looks adorable in cute little cups, and it tastes absolutely divine with a sprinkling of sea salt. This is pure dinner party flair--all of your friends will be in shock that you made chocolate mousse from scratch, no mixes or shortcuts required! C'est parfait!

Chocolate Mousse

from Remembrance of Things Paris

1/2 lb fine-quality bittersweet chocolate, chopped

1 cup milk

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into bits

2/3 cup confections' sugar, sifted

2 1/3 cup well-chilled heavy cream

In a saucepan, combine the chocolate and the milk and heat the mixture over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Whisk in the butter until it is melted and then whisk in the confectioners' sugar and 1/3 cup of cream. Let the mixture cool and chill it, covered, for 1 hour.

In a chilled large bowl, beat the remaining 2 cups of cream until it just holds still peaks. 

Take half of the whipped cream and whisk it into the chocolate mixture.

Then fold the chocolate mixture into the whipped cream. Folding sounds intimidating, but all you do is simply cut through the mixture with your spatula to work in the chocolate mixture using a figure eight motion. Basically, just try to retain as much air as possible in the whipped cream by folding the whipped cream mixture into itself as you combine the ingredients.Divide the mousse amongst 10 teacups, and then refrigerate the teacups for one hour. Serve with a sprinkling of salt, more whipped cream, or shaved chocolate.

Anniversary & Hot Fudge Sauce

To everyone reading this blog, I am so sorry that you are going to have to suffer through an incredibly mushy love note to my boyfriend, Zach, in honor of our anniversary today...

To my fantastic boyfriend--

The past four years have been absolutely wonderful, and I am excited for so many more to come. Thank you for taking me on numerous ice cream dates, wearing button down shirts though I know you hate them, telling me "good night, beautiful" every single night, being my chaperone boyfriend at Taylor Swift concerts, and bringing laughter into my life, even when we are close to 3000 miles apart. Most importantly, I am so incredibly grateful that you love not only who I am now, but also who I can be, and you continue to challenge me to be the best version of myself every single day.

If Zach and I were spending the day together, we would definitely eat ice cream sundaes. From Paris to Ljubjana to San Francisco, we have eaten much, much more than our fair share of hot fudge sundaes.

Today's recipe for hot fudge sauce is so easy that even someone like Zach, who probably eats out every single day, could make it. You simply dump everything into a pot, and stir.  We have Nancy Meyers, the genius behind "The Holiday" and "Something's Gotta Give", to thank for this recipe (and David Lebovitz, since he was so kind to share it in his book The Sweet Life).

This recipe is perfect when you're at home with that special someone. Homemade hot fudge sauce in under five minutes, plus the person you love? Sounds perfect to me. 

Nancy Meyer's Hot Fudge Sauce

From The Sweet Life by David Lebovitz

Makes 1 cup of hot fudge sauce

3 tablespoon butter

1/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/3 cup heavy cream

Pinch of salt

Throw all of the ingredients into a saucepan, and turn the heat onto medium.

Stir over low heat, until all the butter is melted.  Then, continue stirring for 3-5 more minutes, until the sugar is melted and the sauce is smooth.
Serve immediately over ice cream!