Chocolate Brownie with Ganache and Marshmallow Topping (chewy type)

You may want to check out my other entry about my chocolate brownie with cashew topping for some notes about the brown and white sugar ratio.

INGREDIENTS:

For the batter:

1 cup white sugar

2/3 cup brown sugar

¾ cup butter or margarine, melted

2 tbsp. fresh cream (I used 매일 생크림 Maeil Fresh cream) . Alternatively, you can also use 2 tbsp. water

2 large eggs

1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp. vanilla extract

¾ cup cocoa powder

½ tsp. baking powder

¼ tsp. salt

For the ganache:

250 grams baking chocolate, chopped

2/3 cup fresh cream (same one as above)

1 tsp. vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius). 

2. Grease an 8x8” or 13x19” baking pan. Set aside.

3. Mix sugar, butter and fresh cream in a bowl, then add in the eggs and vanilla extract.

4. Add the all-purpose flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt into the sugar-butter mixture. Mix well until the mixture is smooth and there are no lumps.

5. Spread the mixture into the baking pan and bake for 35 minutes. You can also do the “toothpick test” by inserting a wooden toothpick into the center of your baked brownie. If it comes out slightly sticky, your brownies are done. Remove from the oven and leave the brownies to cool completely in the pan.

6. Make the ganache. Using a heavy saucepan or pot, pour in the fresh cream and bring it to a simmer.  Be sure to scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula every few minutes.

7. Using a separate bowl, put in the chopped chocolate and pour the cream over the chocolate. Add in the vanilla extract and let stand for a few minutes before stirring. Mix until the mixture is smooth and no chocolate chunks are left.

8. Spread the ganache on top of the cooled brownies. Sprinkle with some mini marshmallows and put it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

9. Cut and serve.

Chocolate Brownie with Cashew Toppings (chewy type)

I like sweets. No. Let me rephrase that. I LOOOOOOVE sweets! Especially baked goodies! I don't think my meal would be complete without ending it with a piece of cream puff or that slice of egg pie or even that bar of chocolate.

I have a couple of brownie recipes that I found online in the past, but for some reason, most of the recipes call for white sugar only. I have always had the impression that using some brown sugar (whether in brownies or in cookies) gives baked goodies a chewy consistency, so I decided to try having 1 cup white and 2/3 cup brown sugar to test whether my theory is right.

So today, I baked two batches of brownies since I am expecting visitors tomorrow. The other one has a chocolate ganache and marshmallow topping, but the rest of the ingredients as well as the directions are almost the same. Check out the link if you want to try that one out.

As for the fresh cream, you can skip that one and just add in 2 tbsp. of water. I used fresh cream since I still had some left over and didn't want to throw the rest away.

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup white sugar

2/3 cup brown sugar

¾ cup butter or margarine, melted

2 tbsp. fresh cream (I used 매일 생크림 Maeil Fresh cream) OR 2 tbsp. water

2 large eggs

1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp. vanilla extract

¾ cup cocoa powder

½ tsp. baking powder

¼ tsp. salt

Cashew nuts, halved

Corn syrup for the glaze

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius). 

2. Grease an 8x8” or 13x19” baking pan. Set aside.

2. Mix sugar, butter and fresh cream in a bowl, then add in the eggs and vanilla extract.

3. Add the all-purpose flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt into the sugar-butter mixture. Mix well until the mixture is smooth and there are no lumps.

4. Spread the mixture into the baking pan. Arrange the cashew nuts on top. Believe me, it took a while to arrange all these cashew nuts, but it was worth it!

5. Bake for 35 minutes. You can also do the “toothpick test” by inserting a wooden toothpick into the center of your baked brownie. If it comes out slightly sticky, your brownies are done.

6. Brush some corn syrup to give the brownies that shiny look!

7. Cool completely in the pan before removing and cutting them into bars.

Note: I usually cut the whole brownie into bars the following day.That way, I’m sure they are completely cooled and won’t crumble when I cut them. 

So is my theory about the brown sugar right? Yes, they came out moist and chewy on the inside.^^

Making Use of Overripe Bananas: Banana Bread Recipe

Bananas are pretty expensive here in Korea, and they ripen quite easily. That's why when I learned how to bake, the first kind of bread that I tried making was banana bread so I can make use of those bananas that are past their prime.

This is a simple and easy recipe for making use of your overripe bananas at home.

INGREDIENTS:
3 to 4 pieces of ripe or over ripe bananas
1/3 cup of melted margarine or butter
3/4 to 1 cup of sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
a pinch of salt
DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat your oven to 175 degrees Celsius.

2. Put the bananas in a mixing bowl and mash them using a masher. Don't worry if you don't have a masher. You can also use a fork. I'm not a professional baker so I just try to make use of tools that I have at home. ^^

3. Using a wooden spoon, mix the melted margarine or butter into the mashed bananas. Mix in the sugar, egg, and vanilla extract next.  

4. Mix in the flour, baking soda, and salt last.























5. Pour the mixture into an 11 x 27 cm loaf pan. Bake for an hour.

6. Remove the pan from the oven and let it cool for 30 minutes to an hour.

7. Slice and serve. This goes well with hot or cold milk or hot choco. Enjoy~