09 Mar
Chewy Brownies
Posted as Brownies and Bar Cookies | 29 Comments
A few weeks ago when I asked you to look deep into your soul and tell me about your favorite brownies, there was an undeniable theme. The great majority of you admitted that you only have eyes for box-mix brownies. And really, what’s not to love? The brownies always turn out gooey, chewy and with that wonderful thin crackly crust on top. While I love baking from scratch and have tried countless brownie recipes, you always know what you’re getting with a box-mix brownie, and for most, it’s the best. Just last summer I was at a get together and after eating one of the brownies that was out on a platter, I was pretty darn sure it was the best brownie I had ever eaten. I asked the hostess for the recipe and she said that they were the Ghiradelli triple chocolate box mix from Costco, slightly underbaked. Perfection, indeed. I could have eaten the whole plate myself. And I was convinced that I would never need to bake a brownie from scratch ever again.
You’re probably wondering where I’m going with all of this box-mix brownie talk. Well it so happens that about a week after I asked for your favorite brownie in the giveaway, my new issue of Cook’s Illustrated
08 Mar
Asiago Bagels
Posted as Yeast Breads | 23 Comments
Bread and cheese is quite possibly one of the best culinary combinations, ever. Unless you throw in bacon and then, well, I think you have heaven. Whether it comes in the form of a French baguette and a chunk of your favorite cheese, a perfectly melted grilled cheese, or, in this case, Asiago bagels, there is something so intensely satisfying about the taste of warm, fresh bread paired with the salty smoothness of cheese. These bagels are now the third adaptation I have made to Peter Reinhart’s original recipe for bagels, and they just keep getting better and better. I love getting specific baking requests and when my Chief Culinary Consultant suggested Asiago bagels a few weeks ago I thought that it was a fantastic idea. Having now eaten them, fantastic doesn’t even begin to describe the deliciousness that awaits you with this recipe. From the crusty, melted cheese on the outside of the bagel to the magnificent cheesy bubbles floating throughout the inside, if you make these I guarantee you will never be tempted to go to Panera or Bruegger’s again.
06 Mar
Winner: Cookbook Giveaway Extravaganza
Posted as Giveaways | 9 Comments
Congratulations to the winner of the Cookbook Giveaway Extravaganza
Commenter #1,364, Christina. The first food blog she ever visited?
“I’m a huge Pioneer Woman fan! So she’s the first blog. First site though was Epicurious. Thanks!”
Congratulations, Christina, enjoy cooking and baking from your new stash: The Steamy Kitchen Cookbook
Thanks for entering, everyone!
05 Mar
Allspice Crumb Muffins
Posted as Muffins | 33 Comments
It’s Friday and the weekend is here (cue the trumpets). With the hustle and bustle of typical weekday mornings, many people barely manage a bowl of Cheerios, let alone a homemade treat for breakfast. It seems that pancakes and sausage, fluffy waffles, and jumbo muffins are often reserved for weekend indulgences. Snuggled under your mountain of blankets, convinced that nothing could pry you out of bed after a week of sleep deprivation, you catch a whiff. The bacon sizzling, the sweet maple aroma of sausage, or spiced muffins coming from the oven, and I guarantee you’re out of bed in a flash. It seems ingrained in all of us – being roused from sleep with your nose, it’s almost inevitable that as soon as your feet hit the floor your stomach is rumbling. And suddenly you can’t get to the kitchen fast enough. It’s a marvelous way to wake up, and a perfect way to remember to slow down and savor the small things that bring us joy. Whether it be loved ones, the perfect cup of coffee, or a plateful of bacon 
No matter your favorite way to enjoy the laziness of a morning where you have nowhere to be, these muffins should be penciled into your weekend-slow-down-and-smell-the-bacon plans.
03 Mar
Chocolate-Dipped Shortbread Cookies
Posted as Cookies | 30 Comments
I believe in balance. For example, if I eat three massive pieces of pepperoni pizza for dinner (yum) I will try my hardest to not eat dessert. On the contrary, if I have managed to tame my eating for most of the day, I believe in a sweet reward (thus undoing that entire day of not-horrible eating, but hey, we only go around once, right?). And since yesterday’s post was the somewhat advanced, time-consuming and ingredient-heavy (albeit delicious) recipe for yeasted coffeecake, I thought that a simple recipe with pantry ingredients would be a breath of fresh air today. Plus, shortbread cookies provide a great stepping stone into what is sure to be two weeks full of Irish-inspired recipes as we prepare to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. Shortbread cookies are one of the simplest recipes you can make with ingredients that are usually always at the ready – butter, sugar, vanilla, flour and salt. That’s it! And if you want to dip them in chocolate, then of course chocolate. You’ll find no shortage of chocolate in my pantry!
02 Mar
Rich Coffeecake with Sweet Cheese Filling
Posted as Coffee Cakes, Yeast Breads | 35 Comments
If you only think about bread when you think about baking with yeast, think again. This cake is all sorts of fantabulous. I had heard rumblings about yeasted coffeecakes before and officially added them to the master baking list, but it took awhile for me to get down to it. I loved the recipe that is in my treasured Baking Illustrated cookbook
01 Mar
Cookbook Giveaway Extravaganza! Win FIVE Books!
Posted as Giveaways | 1,872 Comments
See that stack of books there? They are sitting patiently, waiting to find out where their new home will be. They have yet to be open, and they will all be going to ONE OF YOU! Yes, you heard me right – all five books are being given away to one lucky reader. What do all five of these books have in common? Some of you may have already guessed this, but they are all written by food bloggers and were published in 2009. It was a big year for food bloggers and I thought it would be great to highlight each of the newly published books, and showcase what some food bloggers have been up to. And then of course, continue the celebration and give them away to one of you!
26 Feb
Oldies But Goodies {#1}
Posted as Favorites | 16 Comments
You know how when you have a fabulous pair of jeans you want to wear them all the time, wear them everywhere, never take them off? But then eventually you get a new pair of equally fabulous jeans, and little by little, the old pair find their way further and further into the deep recesses of your closet? Sometimes you even forget you still have those amazing jeans. You still love them, of course, but it’s just now you have something newer. The same phenomenon often happens with recipes. The Dark Chocolate Chip Scones that you still make all the time and are your mom’s favorite can get swallowed up in the deep recesses of the archives closet. After receiving some comments from readers about enjoying when I link back to old recipes that they may not have found otherwise, I decided to start a monthly feature here on Brown Eyed Baker, aptly named Oldies but Goodies.
At the end of each month I will highlight recipes from the archives that I have actually made during that month. It goes without saying that I do a lot more cooking and baking during the course of a month than shows up on this site, and many times I make favorite recipes. This is a way to share some of the things I’ve been up to in the kitchen, and for you to discover new recipes from the archives that you may not have otherwise stumbled upon. I hope you enjoy!
Let’s get to the February recipes! (Hint: There’s an abundance of chocolate and peanut butter!)
24 Feb
Peanut Butter-Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Posted as Cookies | 59 Comments
What you have here is the ultimate trifecta of cookie goodness:
Peanut butter? Check.
Oats? Check.
Chocolate Chips? Check.
And there you have it – pretty much the most amazingly flavored cookies you could ever imagine. A great big thank you goes out to Jane, a reader who so kindly sent me this recipe as a thank you for sharing my recipes. She received this recipe from her mom, who found it on the back of a flour bag years ago and they have been a staple in her house ever since. I can certainly see why! As you might imagine, these are fabulous. Soft and tender from the peanut butter, a slight toasted flavor from the oats and just the right amount of sweetness from the chocolate chips. I think you’ll want to go ahead and start preheating your oven before you even read the rest of this post…
23 Feb
Espresso Ice Cream
Posted as Ice Cream and Frozen Desserts | 38 Comments
I know, I know. February isn’t over, the Snowpocalypse aftermath has yet to totally melt, and here I am posting ice cream. No, i didn’t lose track of my calendar. I know the middle of winter isn’t the most popular time of year to be perusing ice cream recipes, but let’s be honest. There’s always a birthday cake that needs an ice cream accompaniment. There’s always a best friend that needs some cheering up. And there’s never a bad excuse to cozy up with a pint of your favorite flavor, put on your favorite movie and enjoy some me time. Ice cream knows no seasonal boundaries and it’s just as acceptable to enjoy a bowl in January as it is in June. And bonus – it won’t melt as fast!
This recipe was actually inspired by a Valentine’s Day gift and a breakfast trip. My Chief Culinary Consultant loves espresso and so for the holiday, I got him a hand-press espresso maker
