Chocolate and Peanut Butter Brownie Duo

I'm cheating on this one...Basically take half of each of the two posted brownie recipes and prepare as indicated. Layer the brownies into a 9 inch pan and bake as directed in the recipe. Make whatever kind of design with the ganache that you desire!

Peanut Butter Chip Brownies with Peanut Butter Ganache Icing

These were some of the best peanut butter brownies I've had. I made them with creamy peanut butter, but I think they would probably turn out well if made with chunky peanut butter.

Ingredients:

• 2 sticks melted butter (or any combo of butter and coconut oil)
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 cups peanut butter
• 3 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1-1 1/2 cups peanut butter chips (The only brand I could find was Reese's)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:
Beat the eggs for about 1 minute, add the sugar and beat for about 1 more minute. Beat in the butter, peanut butter and vanilla. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir until combined. Put in a parchment lined 8 inch pan (I used a round pan). Bake for 45-55 minutes in a 350 degree oven. Just keep an eye on the brownies after 40 minutes, ovens can vary and I was baking two pans of brownies at the same time. If you test the brownies, the knife should have some brownie on it, it shouldn't come out dry. Remove from the oven when complete and let cool. The parchment allows for easy removal from the pan. I find this helpful since my brownies always stick. Once cool, top with Peanut Butter Ganache below.

Peanut Butter Ganache Ingredients:

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 cup peanut butter chips
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil

Directions:
Heat the cream on the stove top until it starts to boil. Be careful not to scorch/burn the cream. Put the peanut butter chips in a glass bowl along with the coconut oil and pour the hot cream on top. Allow to sit for a few minutes and then stir until smooth. Allow to cool and then pour 1/2 of the recipe over the brownies. Or cool completely (refrigerate) the ganache and then beat with a mixer to have a less dense frosting. Use the other half of the ganache for another recipe (peanut butter and chocolate brownies) or cut the recipe in half.

Island Paradise Muffins

This past weekend my sister-in-law brought over some really ripe bananas to make some banana bread. Low and behold, she left them without making the bread. I decided to make them Sunday morning and take her some in the afternoon. I had a pineapple sitting on the counter and thought, hmmm.... banana pineapple muffins. I thought some more and decided banana pineapple coconut nut muffins would be even better. I was going to call them that on here, with that very original name, but my sister-in-law insisted on calling them Island Paradise Muffins because that's what they remind her of. It doesn't take much to convince me. They were really popular and I'll be making a second batch tomorrow. So here they are.

Ingredients:

• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 6 tablespoons melted butter
• 2 tablespoons melted coconut oil (or any combo of the two)
• 3 super ripe bananas (mushed)
• 1 cup fresh pineapple chopped/diced
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 cups flour
• 1/2-3/4 cup unsweetened shredded/sliced coconut
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:
In a bowl mix the first 7 ingredients until combined. In a second bowl (or if you're lazy like me, on top of the liquids) mix the rest of the ingredients. Combine the wet and the dry ingredients until incorporated. Put the batter into a greased bread pan or muffin pan. It should make one normal sized loaf or about 18 muffins. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 30-40 minutes. Let cool for about 10 minutes and then remove from the pan.

Experimental Sourdough Starter

This idea was a flop...I don't know if it was because of the flour or if because I used vinegar and that there wasn't enough sugar to make a fermented dough. I may try it again and add sugar. I'll post an update if I do.

For several weeks now I have been considering buying s starter for sourdough. The frugal person inside of me was fighting back though because some of those starters cost around $15. It seems way too expensive for me. So, the other night I was looking up how to make a sourdough starter. This web site called The Fresh Loaf suggested using flour and pineapple or orange juice. I thought that this was interesting, because I thought that starters were generally just flour, water and maybe some sugar. I decided I would give it a try but I discovered that I had no pineapple or orange juice in the house. I contemplated for awhile and decided I would try to make a starter using flour and vinegar. I'm basically following the steps of the above mentioned site to feed the starter, but I'm just going to try a different liquid. I'll see how it goes...

Ingredients Day One (3/13/12):

• 2 tablespoons organic whole wheat flour (whoops, I accidentally used organic all purpose flour...I'll just have to wait and see how things turn out)
• 2 tablespoons Bragg's raw organic apple cider vinegar

Mix the two ingredients together and place in a covered glass jar for 24 hours at room temperature.

Ingredients Day Two (3/14/12):

• 2 tablespoons organic whole wheat flour (whoops, I accidentally used organic all purpose flour...I'll just have to wait and see how things turn out)
• 2 tablespoons Bragg's Raw Organic Apple Cider Vinegar

Mix the two ingredients together with the mixture from the day before and let rest for an additional 24 hours at room temperature.

 Before adding the flour and vinegar on day three...It looks like starter

Ingredients Day Three (3/15/12):

• 2 tablespoons organic whole wheat flour (whoops, I accidentally used organic all purpose flour...I'll just have to wait and see how things turn out)
• 2 tablespoons Bragg's Raw Organic Apple Cider Vinegar

Mix the two ingredients together with the mixture from the day before and let rest for an additional 24 hours at room temperature.

Chocolate Chunk Brownies with Chocolate Ganache Frosting

 
I adapted this recipe from Alton Brown's Cocoa Brownies. There are probably enough differences that he doesn't need to be mentioned, but Alton Brown is probably my favorite cook out there. He points out the science behind the food making process and that is awesome.

Brownie Ingredients:

• 4 eggs
• 1 cup sugar*
• 1 cup brown sugar*
• 8 ounces melted butter
• 1 1/2 cups cocoa
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2-1 tablespoon instant coffee
• 1/2-3/4 cup of chocolate chips

*I didn't have enough brown sugar, so I used 1/2 cup of brown sugar, 1 and 1/2 cups sugar and 1-2 tablespoons of molasses.

Directions:
Beat the eggs for about 1 minute, add the sugar and beat for about 1 more minute. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir until combined. Put in a parchment lined 8 inch pan (I used a round pan). Bake for 45-55 minutes in a 325 degree oven. Just keeping an eye on the brownies after 40 minutes, ovens can vary and I was baking two pans of brownies at the same time. If you test the brownies, the knife should have some brownie on it, it shouldn't come out dry. Remove from the oven when complete and let cool. The parchment allows for easy removal from the pan. I find this helpful since my brownies always stick. Once cool, top with Chocolate Ganache below.

Chocolate Ganache Ingredients:

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 cup chocolate chips (not milk chocolate, use semisweet- dark)
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil

Directions:
Heat the cream on the stove top until it starts to boil. Be careful not to scorch/burn the cream. Put the chocolate chips in a glass bowl along with the coconut oil and pour the hot cream on top. Allow to sit for a few minutes and then stir until smooth. Allow to cool and then pour 1/2 of the recipe over the brownies. Or cool completely (refrigerate) the ganache and then beat with a mixer to have a less dense frosting. Use the other half of the ganache for another recipe (peanut butter and chocolate brownies) or cut the recipe in half.