Baked in Birmingham

New from {Atomic Cakery}: Brownie Cream Cheese Sammiches!

Gooey cream cheese frosting sandwiches between two dense, fudgy chocolate chunk brownie cookies. Say what? Yeah, it’s for real.

Get ‘em while they’re room temp! Available this week from Spoonfed Grill, or order directly!

Bah-rownies! Why fool with a classic?

Well, actually, I encourage you to fool with a classic brownie recipe, because that’s what makes baking fun. But, a good trad recipe is always a winner. When our buds Brad and Meredith had us over for dinner a while back, I made these and served them warm with ice cream. It was perfection: slightly crispy top and dense fudgey chocolateness inside. Sah-weet!

Trad Brownies

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for pan
• 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8-inch square baking pan or heatproof glass dish. Line pan with parchment paper, leaving a 1-inch overhang on 2 sides. Set aside. Place butter and chocolate in a large heatproof bowl set over (but not touching) simmering water; stir frequently until chocolate and butter are melted, about 7 minutes. Remove bowl from heat; let cool to room temperature, 10 to 15 minutes.
2. Stir sugar into cooled chocolate mixture until combined. Whisk in eggs one at a time, whisking until smooth after each addition. Whisk in vanilla. Gently fold in flour and salt.
3. Pour batter into prepared pan, and smooth top with an offset spatula. Bake until cake tester inserted in the center comes out with only a few moist crumbs attached, 40 to 45 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack to cool completely.
4. Run a knife or offset spatula around the edges of the pan. Using parchment, lift brownies out of pan and onto the rack. Transfer to a cutting board; cut into 2-inch squares. Brownies can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Heart of Darkness

Who wouldn’t jump at the chance to bake a recipe called Heart of Darkness Brownies? Especially when they’re chock-full of Snickers and chocolate chips, then topped with caramel-drizzled marshmallows? Jill O’Conner is my girl. She’s the author Sticky Chewy Messy Gooey, and it’s one of the best over-the-top dessert cookbooks out there. BUY IT!! Not only are the recipes new, inventive, and downright sinful, but the art direction is amazing.  I look at food photography and art layouts so much differently now that I work for a food magazine, and the book is just so visually pleasing to read. If my house looked like a book, I think it’d look like this one. Anyway, enough of that, here’s Jill’s great recipe.

(Because most things are cuter in miniature, I baked some in a mini muffin pan.)

Makes 24 brownie cups

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter
• 6 ounces unsweetened chocolate
• 2 1/4 cups granulated sugar
• 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 6 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup very coarsely chopped raw almonds or pecans, toasted
•  1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 5 full-size (2.07 ounces each) Snickers Candy Bars, cut into small chunks
• 3 cups mini marshmallows

For the Caramel Drizzle:

• 6 ounces (about 25) unwrapped caramel candies
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• pinch of salt

Directions:

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.  Spray two standard 12-cup muffin tins with nonstick cooking spray.

Melt the butter and unsweetened chocolate together in a small saucepan over medium-low heat and stir until smooth.  Pour the chocolate mixture into a bowl and stir in the sugars, eggs and vanilla.  Sift the flour and salt into the chocolate mixture and stir just until combined.  Stir in the cooled chopped nuts, chocolate chips, and chunks of candy bar.

Fill each cupcake cup halfway with batter.  Bake until the surface of the brownies has a glossy, crackled surface, about 20 minutes.  Remove the brownies from the oven and top each one with 1/4 cup of the mini marshmallows.  Return the brownies to the oven and cook until the marshmallows start the melt and puff up a bit, but not browned too much, about 2 minutes.  Transfer to a wire rack to cool just enough to handle, then remove from the cupcake cups, running a knife around the edge of each brownie to loosen it from the cup.  Let cool completely on the wire rack.

While the brownies are cooling, make the caramel drizzle.  Combine the caramels, cream, vanilla, and salt in a microwave-safe bowl.  Microwave, uncovered, on high for 1 minute.  Remove from the microwave and stir until smooth.  If the caramels are not completely melted, continue heating in 30-second increments, stirring until smooth.

Drizzle the brownies with melted caramel and let cool completely for the caramel to harden.  Do not chill.  Serve immediately or store for up to 3 days in a covered container.