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EDITORIAL
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International Standard Book Number: 978-1-61765-614-9
Library of Congress Control Number: 2016954575
Pictured on front cover (from top left):
Raspberry Pecan Squares; German Chocolate Dump Cake; Loaded M&M Oreo Cookie Bars; Fudgy S’mores Brownies
Pictured on title page: Fudge-Topped Brownies
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CONTENTS
COPYRIGHT
INTRODUCTION
PRIZEWINNING DELIGHTS
CHOCOLATE SENSATIONS
FRUIT-FILLED WONDERS
CARAMEL, NUTS & MORE
CREAM CHEESE MARVELS
FROSTED TREATS
QUICK & EASY SNACKS
BROWNIE DESSERTS
INDEXES
General Recipe Index
Alphabetical Recipe Index
Love at First Bite
From timeless chip-filled delights to indulgent chocolate sensations, brownies and bars are the perfect bite-sized treat. That’s because these scrumptious goodies are big on finger-licking satisfaction and low on time and effort. They’re great for bake sales, potlucks, classroom treats, lunchboxes, or as an anytime snack when a craving calls. It’s no wonder they’re ranked as all-time favorites with bakers (and tasters!) everywhere.
Brownies and bars are easy to make but difficult to define; they can be made in endless variations. They can be crisp with a rich, buttery shortbread crust, cakelike or fudgy. They can have layers, fruit, jam or a cooked filling and be topped with a dreamy frosting or a delicate glaze. Best of all, they can steal the show in an elegant trifle—or be as deliciously humble as a chocolate chip cookie bar.
Before you whip up a big batch of from-scratch goodness, brush up on these helpful tips and tricks to ensure good and consistent baking results. Follow these guidelines and you’re guaranteed your best baked wonders!
AT-A-GLANCE ICONS IN THIS BOOK:
BIG BATCH
Recipes that yield 4 dozen or more.
5 INGREDIENTS
Recipes that use 5 or fewer ingredients. Recipes may also call for water, salt, pepper, and canola or olive oil.
BAKING 101
Read the entire recipe before you begin. Make sure you understand the baking and/or cooking techniques and have the necessary equipment and bakeware.
Check to see that you have all the required ingredients.
Choose the right size baking pan. If you choose to use a pan size other than the one the recipe calls for, you may need to adjust the baking time.
Prepare the ingredients before you start mixing. Let butter soften, chop the nuts, toast the coconut . . .
Measure the ingredients carefully, using the proper techniques and measuring utensils.
Test the accuracy of your oven’s heat setting with an oven thermometer. Preheat the oven to the desired temperature. Place the thermometer on the center rack. Close the oven door, leaving the oven at the set temperature. After 15 minutes, check the oven thermometer. If it does not agree with the set temperature, the thermometer is correct and the oven temperature setting is inaccurate. Then adjust the setting accordingly, raising or lowering the heat.
Follow recipe directions to prepare the food.
Time the baking accurately with a kitchen timer.
Cool baked goods on a wire rack to allow air to circulate around the food.
BROWNIE & BAR CONUNDRUMS
Baked unevenly
• The batter wasn’t spread evenly in the pan.
• The oven rack wasn’t level.
Are overbaked
• A pan larger than the recipe calls for was used, causing the batter to be thin and bake dry.
• The oven temperature was too high.
• Baking time was too long; next time, check the bars 5 minutes sooner than the recipe says.
Have a soggy crust
&
nbsp; • The crust was not baked long enough before placing the filling on top.
Have a crumbly crust
• Next time, cut in a little more butter so that the crust will hold together better.
Crumble when they are cut
• Cool the bars completely before cutting them.
• Warm the knife blade in hot water, dry with a towel, then cut the brownies or bars. Clean and rewarm the knife after each cut.
• Use a sawing motion when cutting.
TOP 10 SECRETS
for Successful Brownies & Bars
1 Use butter, stick margarine (with at least 80% oil) or shortening. Whipped, tub, soft, liquid or reduced-fat products contain air and water and will produce flat, tough bars or brownies.
2 Measure ingredients accurately.
3 Avoid overmixing the batter. If it’s handled too much, gluten in the flour will develop, and the bars or brownies will be tough.
4 Use dull aluminum baking pans or glass dishes. Dark-colored pans may cause overbrowning.
5 Grease the pan with shortening or coat with nonstick cooking spray.
6 Line the bottom of the pan with foil, then grease, to remove bars and brownies from a pan even more easily. Add the batter and bake as directed.
7 Spread batter evenly in the pan. If one corner is thinner than another, it will bake faster and be overbaked when the rest of the pan is done.
8 Center the pan in the middle of the rack placed in the middle of the oven.
9 Use a kitchen timer. Check bars when the minimum baking time has been reached, baking longer if needed.
10 Cut after cooling completely on a wire rack for most bars and brownies. However, crisp bars should be cut while still slightly warm.
BONUS BROWNIE POINTS
CUTTING BROWNIES & BARS
With a knife, use a gentle sawing motion. Remove the corner piece first. Then the remaining bars will be easier to remove.
For perfectly even bars, lay a clean ruler on top of the bars and make cut marks with the point of a knife. Use the edge of the ruler as a cutting guide.
For basic bars and brownies (those without soft fillings or toppings), line the pan with foil before baking. When cool, lift the foil from the pan. Trim the edges of the bars or brownies, then cut into bars, squares or diamonds. The scraps can be crumbled and used as a topping for ice cream or pudding.
How many pieces? An 8-inch square pan will yield 16 pieces when cut four rows by four rows. A 13x9-inch pan will yield 48 pieces when cut six rows by eight rows.
STORING BROWNIES & BARS
Cover a pan of uncut brownies and bars with foil or put the pan in a large resealable plastic bag. If made with perishable ingredients, like cream cheese, they should be covered and refrigerated. Once the bars are cut, always store them in an airtight container.
Most bars and brownies freeze well for up to 3 months. To freeze a pan of uncut bars, place in an airtight container or resealable plastic bag. You can also wrap individual bars in plastic wrap and stack in an airtight container. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
SEPARATING EGGS
Place an egg separator over a custard cup; crack egg into the separator. As each egg is separated, place the yolk in one bowl and egg white into another. It is easier to separate eggs when they are cold.
SOFTENING BUTTER
To cream butter, it should first be softened. (You should be able to make an indentation in a stick of butter with your finger, and a table knife should glide through it.) But to cut butter into a mixture, it generally should be cold from the refrigerator.
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Prizewinning Delights
Everyone at the table wins big when you serve these first-rate favorites from Taste of Home baking contests.
* * *
GLAZED APPLE-MAPLE BLONDIES
My young son and I created this recipe to use up the last of the apples we picked at our local orchard. To make the blondies extra special, serve them warm with a dollop of whipped cream.
—HEATHER BATES ATHENS, ME
* * *
* * *
PREP: 25 MIN. • BAKE: 25 MIN. + COOLING • MAKES: 2 DOZEN
* * *
1 1/3 cups packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled
1/2 cup maple syrup
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3 cups chopped peeled apples (about 3 medium)
GLAZE
1/4 cup butter, cubed
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1. Preheat oven to 350°. Line a 13x9-in. baking pan with parchment paper, letting ends extend up sides.
2. In a large bowl, beat brown sugar, melted butter, syrup and vanilla until blended. Beat in eggs. In another bowl, whisk flour, salt and baking soda; gradually beat into brown sugar mixture. Stir in apples (batter will be thick).
3. Transfer to prepared pan. Bake 25-30 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in center comes out with moist crumbs.
4. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat; stir in syrup and brown sugar. Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook and stir 2-3 minutes or until slightly thickened. Remove from heat; cool slightly.
5. Pour glaze over warm blondies. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Cut into bars.
SOUR CREAM & CRANBERRY BARS
I put an unexpected spin on sour cream raisin pie by turning it into a cookie bar with a crunchy oatmeal crust, custard-style cranberry filling and crisp topping.
—SHELLY BEVINGTON HERMISTON, OR
* * *
* * *
PREP: 35 MIN. • BAKE: 35 MIN. + COOLING • MAKES: 2 DOZEN
* * *
3 large egg yolks
1 1/2 cups (12 ounces) sour cream
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup dried cranberries
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
CRUST
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/3 cups quick-cooking oats
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup flaked coconut
1. Preheat oven to 350°. In top of a double boiler or a metal bowl over simmering water, whisk the first five ingredients until blended; stir in cranberries. Cook and stir 15-20 minutes until mixture is thickened. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla.
2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla. In another bowl, whisk flour, oats, salt and baking soda; gradually beat into creamed mixture. Stir in coconut. Reserve half of the dough for topping. Press remaining onto bottom of a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. Bake 8-10 minutes or until set.
3. Spread sour cream mixture over crust; crumble reserved dough over top. Bake 25-30 minutes or until the filling is set and top is golden brown. Cool in pan on a wire rack. Cut into bars.
FIVE-STAR BROWNIES
When I entered these treats in the 1990 state fair, Kansas was celebrating the 100th birthday of Five-Star U.S. General and 34th President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who grew up in the central Kansas town of Abilene. So I renamed my brownies in honor of the rank he’d achieved as a general, and cut them out with a star-shaped cookie cutter. They won a blue ribbon!
—PAM BUERKI ROGERS VICTORIA, KS
* * *
* * *
PREP: 15 MIN. • BAKE: 30 MIN. + COOLING • MAKES: 1 DOZEN
* * *
3 large eggs
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup shortening, melted
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup baking cocoa
1 cup chopped nuts, optional
1. In a large bowl, beat the eggs, sugar and vanilla until blended. Beat in butter and shortening until smooth. Combine the flour, cocoa and salt; gradually add to egg mixture. Stir in nuts if desired.
2. Line a 13x9-in. baking pan with foil and grease the foil; pour the batter into pan. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack.
3. Using foil, lift brownies out of pan. Discard foil. Cut brownies with a 3-in. star-shaped cookie cutter or into bars.
TOP TIP
BROWNIE PIECES
Cut leftover brownie scraps into small pieces and sprinkle them on top of an ice cream sundae.
BIG BATCH
SACHER BARS
This rich take on the traditional Viennese torte calls for apricot preserves and chocolate. It left our taste testers speechless—unless you count “mmm.” Is your mouth watering yet?
—LORRAINE CALAND SHUNIAH, ON
* * *
* * *
PREP: 30 MIN. • BAKE: 15 MIN. + COOLING • MAKES: 6 1/4 DOZEN
* * *
3/4 cup butter, cubed
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup apricot preserves
2 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
Taste of Home Brownies & Bars Page 1
