Posts tagged ‘Chocolate’

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February 8, 2012

Shonda’s Chocolate Chunk Blondies

Shonda's Chocolate Chunk Blondies

One of my favorite things about having this blog, is that it forces me to delve into my recipe archives to find the next great thing to cook. On my latest rummage session through some old recipe cards, I found this blondie recipe. When I was a manager for Williams-Sonoma many years ago, there was a woman who worked at the store named Shonda. She was a trained pastry chef. I can remember the decadent treats she would bring the staff to try. She was nice enough to share this blondie recipe with me, and I was lucky enough to find the recipe card. I have no idea where Shonda is today. The last time I saw her was almost 20 years ago. I hope she is well and still baking! Maybe she’ll stumble upon this blog one day and see this tribute to her famous blondies.

There’s nothing healthy about this dessert. They are rich and full of butter, but oh so good!

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 sticks unsalted butter
  • 2 cups light brown sugar
  • 2 beaten eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 2 cups flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 8oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped

* I used 2 Ghirardelli 4oz bittersweet bars of chocolate.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9×13 brownie/cake pan. I line the bottom with parchment paper, buttering the paper as well.

Put the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl and set aside. Melt the butter in a large (4qt) saucepan. Add the brown sugar and stir until completely combined with the melted butter and it begins to bubble. Remove from the heat and allow to cool for about 15 minutes.

Using a wooden spoon, stir the beaten eggs and vanilla into the saucepan with the butter and sugar. Stir fast to help prevent your eggs from scrambling. Add the flour mixture and stir until it is just combined. Stir in the chopped chocolate and quickly transfer the mixture to the prepared baking pan and smooth the top. Don’t stir it too much when you add the chocolate, you don’t want it to melt completely through the batter.

Bake in the 350 degree oven for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. I generally bake on the convection setting in my oven, so these were done for me in 20 minutes.

Allow to cool for one hour before serving. Yum!

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October 17, 2011

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

What to do with those aging bananas? I always buy a bunch of bananas and for some reason the last two have a better chance of making it into a banana bread than they do being eaten. Why are the last bananas always unwanted? Could be a not-so-subtle ploy by my family to have me bake a banana bread? Being the quintessential foodie mom, I pull out the stand mixer and start baking.  I’ve been making this same recipe adapted from the Joy of Cooking for years. I recently tried to make a different recipe using honey and whole wheat flour, it was a disaster. So much for trying to be healthier. Let them eat cake… or banana bread! This is a no fail banana bread. Moist and sweet, it comes out perfect every time.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 1/3 cups flour
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp baking powder
  • 5 1/3 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 large over-ripe lonely bananas
  • 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Take the eggs and butter out of the refrigerator a couple of hours before you make this. They work better when at room temperature.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter (or grease) an 8″ loaf pan.

Combine the flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder in a bowl. Set aside.

Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, beat the room temperature butter with the sugar until smooth. Add the dry ingredients in thirds, mixing in between. Crack the eggs in a small separate bowl and lightly beat. Add eggs to the mixer slowly and combine.

In separate bowl (I just use the empty dry ingredient bowl so I don’t make more dishes) mash your bananas (leaving a few little chunks). Take the bowl off the mixer and stir in the bananas by hand, then stir in the chocolate chips. Don’t over mix.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top with your rubber spatula and bake for about 50-60 minutes or until it’s golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out on a cooling rack and allow to cool completely.

* A couple of notes… you can also add raisins which I love and my family hates. Or you can add nuts (chopped walnuts are nice). I’ve made this with all three (chocolate chips, raisins and nuts), and then you can call it Banana Junk Bread. Yum! Depending on how large your bananas are, when the bread bakes it will crack along the top and may seem under done along the center crack. If your toothpick comes clean everywhere else but in that center part – it’s done. 

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