SMS: Chocolate Walnut Brownies

First off, I must admit I was somewhat distracted this week by something even better than brownies. "What", you say, "could possibly be better than brownies?" My adorable, super-cute, 4 day old nephew! He is the squishiest, most cuddly baby ever! So, instead of stressing about this post and getting it done early, I procrastinated and cuddled instead.
That being said, it is funny how nervous I was for my week to host. I don't know how everyone else feels when their time comes but, for me, so much thought gets put into the whole process. I wanted to pick a "good" recipe and I wanted to make it enough times that I would have really cool tips or tricks to share. Alas, I have no tips or tricks. Luckily, I found the recipe to be pretty straightforward and in my opinion, it makes a really good brownie. Now I do realize what makes a good brownie seems to be a really individualized thing. Some like fudgy, some like cakey, etc. I don't like mine to taste undercooked. These were just about perfect for me. They were moist but still tasted cooked all the way through. I also found this recipe to be pretty customizable. I added mint chips to one batch and they were just great.Instead of using cocoa in this recipe, you use unsweetened chocolate and melt it in a double boiler. ( I just used a metal bowl over a pot.)
Next, you mix together the eggs, sugar and vanilla, until the batter is a pale yellow.Incorporate the chocolate into batter. Now is the time to get creative and throw in any add-ins that you have a hankering for, in this case, walnuts.Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 45 - 5o minutes. Then comes the best part-Cut and eat.

Before I post the recipe, I just want to say thanks to the great women in this group. I am inspired every time I check one of your blogs! Be sure to check out the amazing bakers who joined me this week.
You can find this week's recipe on pages 82-83 of The Sweet Melissa Baking Book, or posted below.
Chocolate Walnut Brownies

1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter
4 ounces best-quality unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2/3 sup walnuts, coarsely chopped (optional)

Before you start
Position a rack in the center of your oven. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Butter and flour a 9 x 9 x 2-inch square cake pan.

1. In the top of a double boiler set over simmering, not boiling, water, melt the butter and chocolate. Remove from the heat but keep warm.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whip attachment, beat together the eggs, sugar, and vanilla on medium speed until pale yellow in color, about 2 minutes. Add the melted chocolate and mix to combine.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour and salt.
4. Add the flour mixture to the chocolate mixture in 3 batches, mixing on low speed until just combined. Do not overmix. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Stir in the nuts by hand.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until sides begin to pull away from the pan and center is moist but not runny and a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove to a wire rack to cool.
6. When cool, loosen the edges of the pan with a knife and invert the brownies onto the cutting board. Cut into 12 brownies, measuring 3 inches by 2 1/4 inches, or serve straight from the pan.

The brownies keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. For longer storage, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 5 days, or freeze well wrapped in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil for up to 3 weeks. Do not unwrap before defrosting.

SMS: Sour Cherry and Almond Biscotti

It has been a while since I have posted anything but I have actually been doing quite a bit of cooking and baking. We have just been busy enough the last couple weeks that I have had trouble finding time to sit down and make a record of the culinary adventures I have been having. Okay it probably hasn't been exciting enough to apply the word "adventure" but I did make freezer jam on my own, which was a first :) I also made last weeks sms recipe but I just haven't gotten around to posting it either. Maybe a little later today...Anyway, on to this weeks recipe. I have never made biscotti before and I was so pleasantly surprised that mine turned out. I kept thinking throughout the process that I couldn't see how this was going to come out looking like the biscotti my grandparents make but in the end it all came together just fine. Although it took a little time, most of that was baking or sitting in the fridge, and it was actually really easy to make. My husband preferred it after the first baking. He liked that it was more like a cookie then, so maybe I will make these again for him without baking twice.Thanks to Tracey for hosting this week, what a great pick! Check out her blog for the recipe and a really nice picture tutorial (wish I would have had that to look at while making mine). Also take a look at how the other SMS bakers did.

SMS: Gingersnaps

I love gingersnaps! I had the privilege of having one of the world's sweetest and kindest women for my grandmother. As a kid I loved visiting her house. It was one of those places where a kid could really be spoiled. She always had yummy treats at her house that my parents didn't keep regularly stocked around our house. One of the treats she frequently had at her house were gingersnaps. They weren't homemade but they were still yummy, especially dipped in milk. Since those days I have come to like these crisp little cookies even more because not only are they just plain good but I also have sweet memories of my lovely grandmother attached to them. This recipe is the first time I have ever made gingersnaps. I thought the recipe was great, although mine were slightly overcooked, so I probably need to lower the temperature in the oven or reduce the time. The only other thing I had a problem with was I only had half of the ginger I needed. I improvised and used a little more of the other spices but the flavor, while still yummy, wasn't quite right for gingersnaps. I definitely plan to make them again, this time with enough ginger. Check out the other amazing SMS bakers to see some really great looking cookies and for the recipe and some yummy looking variations on the recipe, head on over to our lovely host's blog, The Ginger Snap Girl.

SMS: Chocolate Orange Macaroons

This week our SMS host was Ellen of Blue Tree Green Heart. She picked these wonderful, super easy Chocolate Orange Macaroons. They are seriously the easiest cookie I have ever made. They even beat out no-bake cookies, I think, on the easiness scale. This recipe has five ingredients and it literally takes only about 5 minutes to mix it all up. When these first came out of the oven and I tried one warm (because that is the just the kind of impatient person I am) I thought they were pretty good but as they cooled they tasted so much better. I took some down to my mom and dad and they seemed to like them too, especially my mom, who ate "a few" more than the two she planned to eat. Give these a try, especially if you are a fan of coconut! Also be sure to check out how the other bakers did this week and take a look at Ellen's post, she has some really great photographs!

SMS: Coconut Custard Pie

Ahh, I am getting this out so late but technically it is still Sunday where I live (for another 45 minutes). I made the pie earlier in the week and then kind of forgot about it until a little while ago. Incidentally, I also made last weeks pecan pralines this week (they were good but SUPER sweet, like tooth ache sweet). Anyway back to the coconut custard pie. It was very easy to make and pretty quick too. Overall I liked it and the fam seemed to enjoy it but I was a little disappointed in the texture or flavor. I was expecting it to be more creamy, like pudding and it was a little more eggy. It wasn't bad, I was just looking forward to something a little different. I followed the recipe pretty exactly but it could have been user error.
I must admit I did not make my own crust. Just didn't feel like messing with it this time.
Also making a brief appearance, here are my pralines for last weeks SMS. They are pretty good with ice cream. They weren't anything I would crave but they are pretty quick and really easy. I could see making them to give to a neighbor as a gift. I think if/when I make these again I will add more nuts. You really need the nuts to help break up the sweet.

SMS: Pumpkin Bread Pudding with Caramel-Rum Raisin Sauce

YUMMY! I really love bread pudding, any kind, at pretty much any time of the day! Bread pudding, is not just for dessert as far as I am concerned. If I didn't love bread pudding so much, I probably would have given this week a miss because my little sister got married Friday, which made for a crazy, busy week.

I am so glad I made this because it was delicious. Here are the few changes I made to the recipe: I didn't have brioche so I grabbed a loaf of bread from a local grocery store that was described as rich, golden and buttery. I also did not have rum so I substituted 1 tsp. rum flavoring and enough water to make 1/4 cup in total. The rum flavoring was a little strong for me so next time I think I would just use 1/2 tsp. rum flavoring. This will be a recipe I definitely use again, especially in the fall and winter, although we are pumpkin lovers year round here!
I still have some leftover sauce that I plan to try with vanilla ice cream tomorrow, yum!
To give the recipe a try, zip on over to our wonderful host this week, Carmen of Baking is my Zen; she has the original recipe plus some variations and some great information as well. Also enjoy taking a look at the other SMS bakers.

SMS: Orange Blueberry Muffins with Pecan Crumble and Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there who work so hard! And a special wish for happiness to my own sweet Mother. Being a mom is a really tough job and some days there seem to be few if any rewards. On a related note, I have two pretty cute little boys here that I might be willing to part with for the right price (i.e. if you pick them up they are yours). I am just kidding (mostly)! But if anyone has any ideas how to get kids to stop fighting, I am all ears.
Okay on to the recipe. These muffins were so yummy! I loved them and, in my opinion, the pecan crumble really is what separates these muffins from any other blueberry muffins. I could have eaten the whole bowl of that pecan crumble plain (or maybe with a bowl of ice cream) . Luckily I resisted, and I am so glad I did because the synergy of the crumble with the muffin was better. These were really pretty easy to make and I was able to get a dozen regular sized muffins as well as a dozen mini muffins. The only problem I had was the amount of liquid in the batter. Melissa mentions in the recipe that you will need to adjust the amount of liquid in the batter depending on the moisture of the fruit you use. Well blueberries are not as moist as, say, peaches, so I guess I should have used more liquid, but she doesn't specify how much more. Anyway, after I had everything mixed together, I realized it was more the consistency of bread dough than muffin batter, so I added more liquid and because of that I think the muffins were slightly over mixed. Ah well, I will know better next time and this time they still tasted pretty great. Find out how the other SMS bakers did and be sure to check out the wonderful blog of this week's host, Chaya of Sweet and Savory.

SMS: Peanut Butter Truffles

This week for Sweet Melissa Sunday we made Peanut Butter Truffles. I have never made truffles before so I was a little worried that they would be really difficult. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that they were dead easy! It was a really fun project and I even had some help rolling the chocolate. My oldest son thought it looked like playing with play dough. It was, only a little messier. Anyway the general consensus, after making these, was that there was little to no peanut butter flavor and my kids and hubby didn't really like the bittersweet chocolate. So next time (and yes there will be a next time) I am going to try doubling the chocolate and I will try using semi-sweet, maybe I will even try some white chocolate since I have a son who is on an "I only like white chocolate" kick.
One of my very favorite things about this recipe is how easy they are to make, yet they look and taste impressive. My other favorite thing was how customizable they are. All I had was peanuts and the powdered sugar, but you could really coat them with anything. Afterward I spent the rest of the day thinking of different toppings I could try next time (crushed nutter butter cookies, chopped Reese's pieces, drizzled chocolate, drizzled peanut butter, pretzels, etc). Seriously the possibilities are endless. Anyway this was a really fun recipe to try! Great pick to Mara of Love Your Mother Earth. Check out her blog to see the full recipe and to see how she customized hers and make sure to take a look at the other SMS bloggers. Everyone had really fun ideas! By the way these would make a great Mother's Day gift!
I love how glossy and pretty the melted chocolate mix looks!

SMS: Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler Pie (with a change)

The SMS recipe this week was the aforementioned Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler Pie. I have never used rhubarb in anything so I was somewhat excited to try something new. It looks like rhubarb is in season from April to October but after 4 separate trips to the grocery store, I gave up on finding rhubarb. So my pie is actually Strawberry Peach Cobbler Pie. I used canned peaches so my pie filling was a bit runnier than it would normally be. Because of this I added an extra tablespoon of corn starch. The filling was still a little thin but the flavor was divine. I think my absolute favorite part was the Cobbler topping. Don't leave out the lemon zest, it adds a subtle but delicious flavor!

Check out Tracey's Culinary Adventures for the recipe and to check out her beautiful cobbler pie. Also be sure to take a look at the rest of the SMS baker's creations.

SMS: Sweet Potato Bread with Cinnamon-Rum-Orange Glaze

First of all, I have to say I was so excited to do this post and to bake this bread, for several reasons. I was excited because, some of the bloggers who participate in Sweet Melissa Sundays, are people whose blogs I have been frequenting over the past year so it almost feels like getting to rub shoulders with my own personal celebrities. The other reason is just because I love sweet potatoes. My pictures don't do the bread justice (aka they suck). I would love to be a great photographer but alas, my gift seems to be more along the lines of appreciating great photography. Anyway the cake was delicious and I can guarantee I will be making this again in the fall!

The recipe is dead easy and I followed it pretty closely. The only changes I made were using a little less sweet potato (the only cans I could find were 12.75 oz cans) and I didn't have rum so I used two tsp. of rum flavoring and then added enough water to equal 1/4 cup. I also think I overcooked my glaze, which is why it looks less glossy and pretty compared to the other SMS'ers.


Anyway be sure to check out the SMS blogroll to see how beautifully everyone's cakes turned out and for the recipe take a look at Lorelei's blog. Thanks for picking this one Lorelei, it was awesome.