"Boscoe Bakes"..."Signature" Espresso Kissed Chocolate Walnut Brownies

Like many good, hardcore practicing "chocoholics", I've been working hard to perfect my brownie recipe for several years. I've tried all kinds of unusual techniques, bowed to several superstitions, and reviewed hundreds of recipes that usually resulted in pretty good brownies, but nothing outstanding. In addition to a rich, decadent chocolate flavor, I wanted a texture that would be similar to a "light cakey torte".........slightly fudgy and chewy (it would NOT remove fillings or dentures) but with a cake like personality. In other words, it's like asking for Christmas Day in New England to be bright, sunny and high in the 70's, with a foot of fresh powdery "non melting" snow, sunset at 8:30 p.m. and Spring to follow immediately thereafter. Impossible......perhaps, but NOT in the brownie world! I discovered that replacing the all purpose flour with cake flour (thank you Cook's Illustrated) and placing the toasted nuts on top, as opposed to mixing them in, made a big difference in the mouth feel and taste department. My other inclusions seemed to work magic, and the local "brownie authorities" declared these "the best brownies known to mankind". Or as one friend so gleefully exclaimed..."This is a jolt of chocolate and java heaven." So get out the "chocolate liquor" and toss on an apron, these babies are really GOOD! 

Ingredients:

• 1         cup of medium chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
  
• 1-1/4 cups of cake flour
  
• 2         teaspoons of instant espresso powder
  
• 1         tablespoon natural cocoa (I use Ghiradelli)
  
• 1/2    teaspoon salt
  
• 3/4         teaspoon baking powder
  
• 6         ounces unsweetened baking chocolate, chopped. I LOVE Trader Joe's
  
• 12         tablespoons unsalted butter, sliced
• 2-1/4 cups sugar
• 4         large eggs at room temperature
• 1         tablespoon of GOOD vanilla
• 2         teaspoons dark rum   

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 F. Using heavy duty foil line a 13x9 inch baking dish with double layers of foil - (cut sheets twice as long and twice as wide and fold in half) covering pan first from top to bottom, and then left to right. Tuck foil into corners tightly, forming an aluminum foil shell. Allow 1-2 inch overhang. This will later serve to lift the brownies out of the pan once they are cooled. Spray the foil with non-stick cooking spray.

If you are using nuts, spread nuts evenly on baking sheet and toast for 11 minutes, or until golden. Set aside.

Whisk the flour, salt, espresso powder, baking powder and cocoa together. Set aside.

Melt the chocolate and butter in either a heatproof bowl over simmering water, or in a heavy bottom pan over very low heat. Stir constantly to avoid scorching. Place sugar in large bowl and add melted chocolate, stirring until well incorporated. Add the eggs, one at a time, and stir thoroughly after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract and rum. Mix well. Add the flour mixture in three additions, stirring until the batter is smooth and homogenous. 

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and use your spatula to smooth the surface. If using nuts, sprinkle on top. Bake for 50 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the brownies comes out with just a few crumbs attached. Cool on wire rack in pan for two hours, then remove brownies from the pan by using the foil overhangs. Cut brownies to desired size.  

"Boscoe Bakes"......Starlight Yellow Cake with Chocolate Chambord Ganache and "Basil Strawberry" Finish

My friend Joey, and apparently his entire family, are fans of my baked goodies, so when his mother's birthday approached, he asked me if I would make a cake for her big day. I had grandiose visions of making something beyond decadent....i.e "Chocolate Oblivion", but he told me his mom's favorite cake was simple yellow and frosted with something that was not "too sugary or too sweet". "Simplicity" was the key word here, so we decided to make a sheet cake instead of a layer. And learning that she was a huge fan of raspberries, I decided to make Chocolate Chambord Ganache for the finishing touch. As we applied the ganache and then the tiny chocolate curls, I realized I didn't have fresh raspberries on hand, but strawberries instead.  And the leaves on the "fresh" strawberries purchased the day before, had wilted and looked decidedly dead. So "Creativity" became the second key word of the day, and I promptly sacrificed a couple of stems off of my basil plant to complete the effect. In the end, his mother LOVED the cake, and substituting the basil for the strawberry greens provided the needed color and worked perfectly. The recipe for the "Starlight Yellow Cake" can be found in the "Betty Crocker" cookbook on page 106.  I followed the recipe, but substituted half and half for the milk and added 1 teaspoon of dark rum to the batter. My recipe for the Chocolate Chambord Ganache follows:

Chocolate Chambord Ganche

• 8 Ounces of Ghiradelli Semi-Sweet Chocolate; chopped fine
• 1 Cup of Heavy Cream
• 1-1/2 teaspoons of Chambord   

Bring the cream to a low boil over medium heat stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in the chocolate. Stir constantly until the chocolate and the cream completely blend together. Add the Chambord and stir thoroughly to incorporate. Let the ganache cool till desired pouring or frosting consistency.      

"Boscoe Bakes" Cranberry Apple Pandowdy........."Welcome Y'all.... Comfort Food"

For those of you who don't know what a "Pandowdy" is, I'll conduct a brief "Pandowdy 101" and make it as brief as possible (ya, right!) The rest of you "pandowdies in the know", take heart......... I've included pictures of this marvelous creation in its' various stages of evolution for your viewing pleasure. Feel free to nod, ooh, aw, and lick your chops.  You know this is going to be good! Quite simply, the "Pandowdy" actually takes its' origin from the word "dowdy" which is "a woman who is unfashionably or unattractively dressed. So in order to achieve this social faux pas using fruit, you must "dowdy" it up! Quite simply, half way through the baking process (see picture), remove the pandowdy from the oven, and then ignoring all "fashionable and attractive fruit etiquette" score the crust into squares. Then either using a spoon, or pastry brush, submerge or "paint" each square with the succulent brewing juices, and then return this masterpiece to the oven to complete the "dowdiness" process. I guess this would be similar to throwing a gallon of "complimentary" paint on someone in their prom dress, and then hitting it with a hair dryer to complete the effect!  Once this comes out of the oven, let it rest for 20-25 minutes, and then serve it with your choice of heavy cream, flavored whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. So....... there you have it. My recipe for this disheveled but disarmingly decadent dessert, follows. Enjoy!  

Boscoe's Cranberry Apple Pandowdy

I start with the basic "Apple Pandowdy" recipe from "The All New All Purpose "Joy of Cooking" on page 894. I quadruple the recipe (i.e. 16 medium apples, etc.) and add one 12 ounce bag of whole (fresh or frozen) cranberries. Additionally, I include the zest from one orange and a tablespoon of good dark rum. These additions add vibrancy and zest, while comfortably pairing the fruit with the complimentary spices. 

"Boscoe Bakes" Tres Leches Cake

Saturday night I came across a recipe on CHOW for Tres Leches cake http://www.chow.com/recipes/10649 , and realized that while I've enjoyed this rich, moist cake several times in the past, I've never made one of my own.  A quick inventory of my pantry showed that I had all "3" milks on hand, so I fired up my Kitchen Aid and got to work.  This cake is heaven on earth. It will satisfy so many of your comfort zones, and leave you feeling at peace with the world. Maybe I should forward a copy of this recipe to "George W"! I followed the recipe exactly, with one semi-minor faux pas.......I forgot to toast up some coconut for the finishing touch! But fear not, it was spectacular just the same.