Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Chocolate Brownie Cake. Also, A Small Harvest.


Desserts are a hit-or-miss proposition around here.  I can usually count on all the cookies in a batch being eaten, but a serving of pie seems to be all we want, and a cake will inevitably go stale.  For that reason,  make few desserts, or only small-batch desserts.

Normally, Kat doesn't like brownies at all, so when she came home from her 2-day-a-week daycare saying she like the brownies the teacher had made, I emailed asking for the recipe.  The teacher sent the recipe, laughing that she personally did not like the brownies, but had used the recipe to use the ingredients she had on hand.  It came from the Nestle Toll House Best Ever Cookies cookbook, but she didn't tell me the name of them.  I changed the recipe up just a little, so I'm going to call this the Chocolate Brownie Cake. 

These are the brownies I made for Father's Day, and served again after we went swimming last night.  Being in water works up an appetite, especially for Kat, who's trying her hardest to learn how to swim.  She can't swim far yet, but she can turn somersaults in the water like a pro.



Chocolate Brownie Cake

1-1/3 c. flour (I used equal parts of white whole wheat and all-purpose flours)
1/3 cup baking cocoa
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1-1/4 cups sugar
1 bar (about 1.55 oz.) milk chocolate, broken into pieces*
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 Tablespoons butter
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 Tablespoon milk
1 Tablespoon sugar

Heat oven to 325°F.

Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt in a large bowl.

Heat 1-1/4 cup sugar, chocolate pieces, applesauce and butter in a medium saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly, just until chocolate is melted.  Remove from heat, cool slightly, then beat in eggs and vanilla.

Add chocolate mixture to flour mixture in bowl.  Stir well.  Spread into greased or sprayed 9x13 pan.  Set aside.

Stir together cream cheese, 1 tablespoon sugar and milk.  Drop by rounded teaspoons over batter, swirl over surface with back of spoon.

Bake for 25 minutes.  Cut into bars as desired.

Makes 16 to 24 bars, depending on size.

**********

Lisa B. at Easy Frugal Living said I needed to post more garden/garden related pictures, so here is our small harvest from yesterday afternoon. 



Some green beans, some zucchini (that I already shredded), and our first two small tomatoes that got ripe before they got any size to them.  All of these will become supper components later today.  The zucchini will become muffins, the tomatoes will be sliced right onto our plates and I'm thinking of deep frying the green beans.




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10 comments:

Miranda said...

Do you have a good zucchini muffin recipe? The one I have makes the top kind of crusty and the kids don't care much for them.

Sheila said...

Those green beans look wonderful--makes me wish we had planted a garden this year. I've never had deep fried green beans but I'd try it!!! I bet those brownies would be a hit around here with my chocoholic daughter!

Annie Jones said...

Miranda: I'm going to try a new recipe. I'll let you know how it turns out.

Sheila: I haven't had fried green beans yet, but I've read about them a lot online. I think they'll be good.

McVal said...

Oh my goodness! I could eat that whole pan of brownies myself. right now!
That might just be the PMS talking, but I don't think so.

slugmama said...

ANYTHING deep fried is good...at least that is the motto in the South.lol

Lisa B. said...

The brownies sound so yummy!

I have one tomato and 2 zuccini about ready. COME ON GREEN BEANS! lol

We love deep fried green bean fries. Kids love them because they can dip them in ketchup or ranch like fries.

Janelle said...

For whatever reason, my green beans are a disaster this year! I can't figure it out, but no matter what I do, the darn things won't grow! They sprout well and get about 12" high, and then stagnate. It's the most bizarre thing! I've tried 3 varieties of bush bean seeds with no change. I must be missing something in the soil that they need. This kills me, because about half my garden was dedicated to green beans, and I planted tons, hoping to can a bunch. As a result, I'm not spending much time in my garden - it frustrates me too much! :(

Sonya Ann said...

I wish that I could say desserts last at this house!!! It looks wonderful.
And I love pictures!!!!

Annie Jones said...

McVal: Definitely go for the brownies. The zucchini muffin recipe I tried was awful!

Sluggy: Are you a southern girl at heart?

Lisa B: Kat wouldn't eat them, ketchup or not. :( Oh well, that left more for Shane and me.

Janelle: Odd that they just stop cold on you. I have no idea what could be wrong. Have you looked for an answer online?

SonyaAnn: It took 5 days for us to finish off those 16 brownies. We all have a "salt tooth" around here instead of a sweet tooth. Popcorn and chips barely see the inside of the pantry before they're gone.

Lisa B. said...

Ahhh, bummer Kat didnt like the gb fries! I'm hoping my beans finish for me. They have finally bloomed, so this week will tell. I know too much nitrogen will give you all plant and no bean. BUT they also don't like extreme heat. So we will see. I'm with Janelle, I'm going to be sooooo disappointed if they don't come on.