Salted Caramel Brownies

Anger and negativity are slowly becoming a norm in our society. Almost to a point where it seems odd to see someone smile or have a good day. It is not hard to find yourself falling into these gutters and the hardest part is pulling yourself out. You can use friend or set goals to help climb your way out, but in the end, you have to get up and move. 

Music has been my go to in mornings where I find it increasingly difficult to convince myself that I like morning. I don't, I hate them, they are worse than a non-weekend day. However, I have been noticing that my mindset in the morning sets a clear path for the rest of my day. So lately I have been making a conscientious effort to get myself in a good head space before the day officially begins. Lately with music, more specifically Pirates of the Caribbean movie scores, it has been the touch of salt my morning needs. Speaking of salt.

To make these brownies I decided that making the salted caramels from scratch would be fun and fairly simple. After a destroyed meat thermometer and 2 melted spatulas I leaned I should have just purchased the candy thermometer. I think the brownie would be just as delicious if you decided to use a different caramel recipe or just buy some already made.

Salted Caramel

3/4 cup whipping cream

1 tsp vanilla

3/4 tsp sea salt 

4 tbls salted butter

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup light corn syrup

Candy Thermometer 

- Line a 9x5 inch pan with baking paper, spray with cooking oil

- In a small sauce pan heat whipping cream, vanilla, 1/2 tsp salt, and 2 tbls butter. Stir and bring to a simmer. When it begins to simmer, remove from heat and cover. 

- In a medium sauce pan mix corn syrup and sugar over medium heat until sugar is dissolved, stir with candy thermometer. Cover with lid for 1 minute (this builds up condensation inside the pot and will help to prevent sugar from building up on the walls). After the minute, place candy thermometer in to the syrup and without stirring, bring it up to 310ºF 

- Remove from heat and slowly stir in cream mix. The syrup will bubble over the pot if you do this to quickly. When the cream is mixed in, return to heat and bring back up to 260ºF

- Stir in the remaining 2 tbls of butter

- Pour into lined pan and let it sit for 10 minutes. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 tsp of salt over the caramel 

- When caramel has completely cooled down, cut about half into small squares or thin strips. The rest cut into larger pieces, wrap with strips of baking paper and keep in fridge for photos or to take to work and share. 

Brownies

1 cup of chocolate
1 cup of butter
4 eggs
1 cup of caster sugar
½ tsp of salt

½ cup of flour

- Heat oven to 350^o­ F
- Melt chocolate and butter together
- Whisk eggs, sugar, salt
- Add chocolate to eggs and sugar
- Sift flour and stir until mix is thicker but still wet
- Pour batter into brownie pan (9 x 13 in)
- Place pan in preheated oven and bake for 8-10 minutes, scatter your smaller caramel pieces over the brownie and return it back to to the over
- Bake for a total of 35-40 minutes (until skewer/cake tester comes out clean)

PJ

Blackberry White Chocolate Swirl Brownies

People are always posting on social media about what they are doing, where they are going or where they have been. I read statuses about what they agree with, believe in, find humorous, and what they have accomplished. One thing I don’t see too often is the ‘why’. Sometimes in this world of oversharing, the ‘why’ is not necessarily something that needs to be posted all over the internet, yet it is a question I think you should know the answer to before you plan your next adventure.

For me, a reason is everything. It lets you understand your drive or lets you know when its OK to sell out. When you are facing the last pitch of the mountain and you realize you are not in as in shape as you thought, and probably should have prepared better, it will be your ‘why’ that will push you to the top. A clear understanding of why will help you become the person you want to be. It will help you achieve the seemingly impossible goals you have set for yourself. Never forget the reasons why and keep climbing those mountains!  

Blackberry Sauce

1 cup of blackberries

1 Tbsp of fresh lemon juice 

3 Tbsp of sugar

3 Tbsp of water

- In a sauce pan combine blackberries, lemon juice, sugar, and water.

- Cook at medium high and stir occasionally until the blackberries are reduced to mush and seeds (about 5-7 minutes).

- Pour mushiness into strainer and press as much juice as you can through, discard what remains.

Brownies

1 cup of chocolate
1 cup of butter
4 eggs
1 cup of caster sugar
½ tsp of salt

½ cup of flour

½ cup of white chocolate

- Heat oven to 350^o­ F.

-         -  Melt chocolate and butter together.

-          - Whisk eggs, sugar, salt.

-          - Add chocolate to eggs and sugar.

-          - Sift flour and stir until mix is thicker but still wet.

-          - Pour batter into brownie pan (9 x 13 in.).

- Heat white chocolate in the microwave (15 second bursts and stirring in between until smooth) and drizzle over top of brownie batter.

- Drizzle blackberry reduction in the same manner.

-          - Swirl with knife – do not over mix – to make interesting pattern.

-          - Place pan in preheated oven and bake for 35 – 40 minutes (until skewer/cake tester comes out clean).

Coffee Brownies

How does your morning start?  Like most, mine begins with coffee. 5 A.M. my alarm goes off and I sleepily walk to the kitchen, fill the kettle and turn the burner on. Then I proceed to get myself ready for work. A hissing sound from the kitchen reminds me why my focus is lacking. I turn the kettle off and pull out my coffee beans, grinder, filter and remember that my pour over still has coffee from yesterday and is currently sitting in the sink. Once that is clean and the coffee ground, I spend the time it takes to make a good cup of coffee for the start of my day.

Yes, you can buy the one cup brewing system if you are pressed on time. Just like you can buy brownie mix in a box. Add the oil and eggs. Stir and then bake. Where’s the fun in that? Where’s the pride? Yeah I know they’re good but why not hand craft something better. Something you will be stoked to let someone else try? Enjoy the work. Find peace in the time it takes. Do something you have pride in.

Coffee Brownies

1 Cup of Chocolate
1 Cup of Butter

¹/₃ Cup of Espresso (or 3-4 shots, depending on how much of a coffee taste you are looking for)
4 Eggs
1 Cup of Caster Sugar
½ Tsp of Salt
½ Cup of Flour (give or take ¼ cup)

-         -  Heat oven to 350^o­

-          - Melt Chocolate and Butter together

o   Add Espresso to melting mix

-          - Whisk Eggs, Sugar, Salt

o   Add any extra liquid ingredients

-          - Add Chocolate to Eggs and Sugar

-          - Sift Flour and stir until mixed 

      - Poor in your Brownie pan

-Cook time – 35 – 40 Minutes

Side note – You can replace the Espresso with coffee brewed in your favorite method. My personal favorite was an Ethiopian roast brewed with the pour over. With a lighter roast, I went with a darker chocolate. If you find a roast that works amazingly in brownies, let me know! Cheers, PJ.

Bacon Maple Brownies

February is here, the month of love and for some reason I cannot get bacon off my mind. It has become a staple in the American diet and almost in our way of life. Why would you buy a regular burger when you can have a bacon burger? Chicken no longer has to be simply chicken. Stuff it with some cheese and wrap it in bacon and now you have a delicious dish masterfully designed.

I took this idea and made not just brownies, but Bacon Maple Brownies. They were phenomenal. So I made them again and this time wrote down the recipe. As I made the second batch I started thinking, why don’t people act more like bacon? By its self, bacon is an above satisfactory treat. When you add it to a meal it complements that meal and makes it better. Like bacon, life is good. So why not make it better by being like bacon to those around you and in turn surround yourself with people who make you better just by them being around. Be more like bacon.

Bacon Maple Brownies

6-8 strips of bacon
1 cup – Dark Chocolate
1 cup – Butter (salted)
4 eggs
1 cup – Caster Sugar
6 tbsp– Maple Syrup (use 100% maple)
½ cup of Flour

Oven – 350 F^o

Cook Time – 35-40 minutes

-        

            Fry the bacon

-          Chop bacon into small bits

o   Take 2 strips and cut as bigger bits to sprinkle on top

-          Melt Butter and chocolate (give the butter a little head start on the melting)

-          Whisk together egg, sugar and syrup

o   Add melted Chocobutter

o   Go ahead and add the ½ cup of flour

o   Stir in chopped up bacon

-          With about 10 - 15 minutes left to go, sprinkle bigger chunked bacon over brownie

PJ 

PB&J Brownies

Brownies are simple. Maybe it is in that simplicity I find them so intriguing, but it could just be the chocolate. Whatever the cause may be, I have developed a knack for brownies in my life for the very simple reason, I can make them. Cooking has always been something I have enjoyed where baking has always been more of a waste of ingredients and anger. Then somewhere in the middle of the disarray I found brownies, which are simple. Just five ingredients; chocolate, butter, eggs, sugar, and flour.

Brownies are happiness. Happiness is simple. Remember when you were younger? You were happy and when you were not happy, you knew exactly why. The problem was fixed and then you were happy again. As I age and life changes, happiness seems to become more of a project. I need to get to this point. I need to solve this problem. We begin to give ourselves ultimatums stating that you will not be happy until you find, receive, achieve ‘X’.

Remember when you were younger? When you were hungry, you were not happy until you got handed a PB&J sandwich, ate it, and then you completely forgot the moment of discontent. I know through life it can see hard and far-fetched but happiness can be simple, if you make it so.

PB&J Brownies

1 Cup of Chocolate
1 Cup of Butter
4 Eggs
1 Cup of Caster Sugar
½ Tsp of Salt
½ Cup of Flour

If you would like to add a little bit of your childhood:

¼ Cup Creamy Peanut Butter
¼ Cup Jelly (Your favorite flavor)

• Heat oven to 350^o
• Melt Chocolate and Butter together
•  Whisk Eggs, Sugar, Salt
•  Add Chocolate to Eggs and Sugar
•  Sift Flour and stir until mix is thicker but still wet
• Pour Batter into brownie pan
• Heat Peanut Butter slightly (30 seconds) in the Microwave and drizzle around the brownie
• Repeat with Jelly
•   Swirl with knife – do not over mix – do make interesting pattern
•   Place pan in preheated oven and bake for 35 – 40 minutes

PJ