PECAN PIE BROWNIES: Thanksgiving or Any Time!

Thinking about Pecan Pie for Thanksgiving? How about Pecan Pie Brownies instead? This recipe from Betty Crocker for Pecan Pie Brownies is easy and delicious. It uses a brownie mix, but you can always make your own brownies and just use the recipe for the topping. Want a totally home-made recipe? Scroll down for a link to an amazing recipe from The Food Network below.

PECAN PIE BROWNIES

Brownies
1 box Brownie mix; Water, vegetable oil and egg called for on brownie mix box

Pecan Topping 
1/4 cup unsalted butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup corn syrup
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped pecans

Directions
Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Line 9-inch square pan with foil, allowing some to hang over edges of pan. Grease bottom and sides of pan with shortening or cooking spray. Make brownie batter as directed on box. Spread in pan.
Bake 28 to 31 minutes or until toothpick inserted 2 inches from side of pan comes out almost clean. 

In 1-quart saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Stir in flour until smooth. Stir in brown sugar, corn syrup, and 1 egg until well blended. Increase heat to medium; cook 2 to 4 minutes, stirring constantly, until mixture just begins to boil. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla and pecans.
Spoon pecan topping evenly over baked brownie.

Bake 13 to 17 minutes or until golden brown and bubbling along edges. Cool completely on cooling rack, about 2 hours. 

Using foil to lift, remove brownies from pan, and peel foil away. 

Cut into 4 rows by 4 rows. If desired, garnish each brownie with a pecan half.

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And amazing Brownies from Scratch..  I made a batch of these, and I have to say they are outstanding.. 

PECAN PIE BROWNIES FROM SCRATCH (recipe from The Food Network)

 https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchen/pecan-pie-brownies-9380797

Chocolate Rum Balls: National Rum Day

Today is National Rum Day. I posted this recipe last year for a Rum Celebration, and it deserves a repeat appearance! I'm all about retro, and perhaps the most popular retro chocolate and rum recipe is for Chocolate Rum Balls!


Traditional Rum Balls contain crushed wafers or cookies, but this recipe is for a Chocolate Rum Ball that is more like a truffle, made with a rum ganache--recipe from Alex Guarneschelli of the Food Network. Yes, she's one of the judges  on Chopped and has her own show The Cooking Loft.

These chocolate rum balls are simple and quick to make. I usually chill my rum balls at the end. Either way, it works. I especially like that she uses three different types of chocolate in these Chocolate Rum Balls: Two in the ganache itself and then chocolate sprinkles to coat. Maybe that's why I like these Rum Balls so much, and they're so easy!

CHOCOLATE RUM BALLS

Ingredients
4 ounces semisweet chocolate, cut into small pieces
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, cut into small pieces
1 stick sweet butter, cut into small pieces
4 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons dark rum
Chocolate sprinkles, for rolling

Directions
1. In medium bowl, combine the 2 types of chocolate and melt over a double boiler. (Or in a metal bowl over a pot of simmering water.) Whisk in butter pieces. Whisk in sugar and rum.
2. Put sprinkles in bowl. Roll chocolate mixture into small balls, about 1 1/2 inches each. Roll them in sprinkles until fully coated. Store in airtight container.

Photo: Food Network

Home made Oreo Cookies

Although I'm a fan of high quality chocolate, I'm still a sucker for the standard cookie fare of chocolate sandwich cookies. Oreos are just about the most popular cookie in America. I'm a Hydrox fan myself, and I was glad to see that Kelloggs revived Hydrox cookies. Here's a Blog dedicated to my favorites: Hydrox Cookies. The official Hydrox site can be found here.

Want to try making a variation on these cookies at home? They won't be the same as Hydrox or Oreos, but they're really delicious. I found this recipe on the Food Network website. It comes from Trois Pommes Patisseries in Brooklyn, so if you can't or won't bake, you can always stop by the patisserie for these delicious treats.

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Yield: 32 cookies

Close

Times:

Prep

40 min

Inactive Prep

20 min

Cook

20 min

Total:

1 hr 20 min

INGREDIENTS
For the Dough:

1 1/3 cups cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
2 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Filling:

1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
3 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

Prepare the dough: Sift together the cocoa powder, flour and salt in a large bowl.

Using a mixer, cream the butter and sugar. Add the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla, incorporating each ingredient before adding the next. Add the dry ingredients and mix just until incorporated, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula.

Divide the dough into 2 pieces; place one piece between 2 lightly floured sheets of parchment paper and roll into a 1/4-inch-thick rectangle. Repeat with the other piece of dough. Refrigerate both rectangles, covered with the parchment sheets, until firm, at least 1 hour or up to several days.

Using a 2-inch round cutter, cut the dough into 64 circles. (You can reroll the scraps once.) Place the cookies about 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets and chill for 20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Bake the cookies until they are set and slightly darker around the edges, about 20 minutes. Cool completely on wire racks.

Meanwhile, prepare the filling: Using a mixer, cream the butter and shortening until fluffy. Beat in the confectioners' sugar and vanilla.

Flip half of the cookies upside down and top each with 1 level tablespoon of filling. Press the remaining cookies on top to make sandwiches.

Photograph by James Baigrie