Ingredient: egg yolk

Dark Chocolate Raspberry Swirl Cookies

Posted on by Mari Vasseur
Dark Chocolate Raspberry Swirl Cookies by Browne Mischief

Since it’s getting close to Valentine’s Day, I created these beautiful, enchanting cookies using flavors which evoke love and romance. Rich, pleasantly bitter dark chocolate and sweet, tart raspberries are a perfectly balanced, elegant combination. I used freeze-dried raspberries in the cookie dough for the most bright, pure raspberry flavor. The raspberries turn the cookie dough a mauve-red color, but if you want a more intense red, you can add a drop or two of red gel good coloring.

 

Dark Chocolate Raspberry Swirl Cookies

Beautiful, enchantingly delicious cookies made of rich dark chocolate cookie dough with dark chocolate pieces, swirled together with sweet-tart raspberry cookie dough by Brownie Mischief
Print Recipe
Course Dessert
Servings 16 cookies

Ingredients
  

  • 1-1.2 ounces (28-34g) freeze-dried raspberries, divided (or strawberries)
  • 2 cups (255g) all purpose flour, sifted
  • ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons (198g) unsalted butter, softened
  • ¾ cup (150g) packed brown sugar
  • ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1-2 pea-sized drops red gel food coloring optional
  • 6 tablespoons (35g) dark unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
  • 1 3.5-4 ounce (99-113g) dark chocolate bar, chopped into pieces & divided

Instructions
 

  • Line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper.
  • Set aside 5 freeze-dried raspberries. Process the remaining raspberries into a powder in a small food processor or a clean spice grinder. Pass the powder through a fine sieve to remove the seeds. Coarsely crush the 5 reserved freeze-dried raspberries.
  • In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda until well blended.
  • In a large bowl, beat the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar together until pale and fluffy. Beat in the egg, egg yolk and vanilla extract in three separate additions, making sure each one is incorporated before adding the next. Stir in the flour mixture just until combined.
  • Transfer 1/3 of the cookie dough (about 275g), to a medium-sized bowl, using a kitchen scale for accuracy. Mix the freeze-dried raspberry powder and the food coloring into the smaller portion of cookie dough. Mix the cocoa powder into the larger portion of cookie dough. Set aside 16 of the larger pieces of chocolate. Mix the remaining pieces of chocolate into the chocolate dough.
  • Divide the raspberry cookie dough into 16 equal portions, about 1 tablespoon each. Divide the chocolate cookie dough into 32 equal portions. Roll all of the cookie dough portions into balls. Divide the dough balls into 16 groups of 1 raspberry dough ball with 2 chocolate dough balls. Place a group of 3 dough balls on the palm of your hand. Place your other palm on the dough balls and roll in a circular motion until the doughs are swirled together. Place the swirled dough balls on the cookie sheet at least 3 inches apart. Top each one with a piece of reserved chocolate. Chill in the refrigerator for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC).
  • Bake the cookies until the tops are set and start to puff, about 10-12 minutes. The cookies will spread a bit. Remove the cookies form the oven. Immediately use a large round cookie cutter to shape the hot cookies by sliding it around each one in a circular motion a couple of times. Work quickly before the cookies set. Cool the cookies on the cookie sheet for 3 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack. Sprinkle the crushed freeze-dried raspberries onto the melted chocolate on each cookie.

Notes

Make sure to use freeze-dried fruit, not dried fruit. I purchased my freeze-dried raspberries at Trader Joe's. They are also available at large grocery stores or online.
Aluminum cookie sheet pans will give you the most success when baking cookies. We used them in culinary school and many bakeries use them. To find my favorite sheet pan for cookies, click here.
To find the gel food coloring I used, click here.
Keyword chocolate raspberry, cookies

Candied Walnut Apple Cookies

Posted on by Mari Vasseur

These buttery, lightly spiced apple cookies with candied walnuts remind me of snacking on fresh walnuts from the tree in my grandma’s garden. Walnuts are delicious right out of the shell but even better toasted and simply irresistible when they’re candied. I always wanted to add my favorite candied walnuts into a cookie, and these apple cookies were the perfect choice. The apples are cooked on the stovetop briefly which adds flavor and helps to prevent soggy spots in the cookies while keeping the crisp edges and soft centers They also make your kitchen smell like the flavors of autumn.

 

Candied Walnut Apple Cookies

Fresh apple cookies with crisp, buttery edges and soft centers, studded with candied walnuts
Print Recipe
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 14 cookies

Ingredients
  

Candied Walnuts

  • ¼ cup (50g) packed brown sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 pinch fine sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 ½ cups (165g) walnut halves

Cooked Apples

  • 1 tablespoon (14g) butter
  • 1 cup (113g) chopped apples 1/4-inch pieces
  • 1 tablespoon (13g) granulated sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon cinnamon

Cookies

  • 1 ½ cups (195g) all purpose flour, sifted
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg preferably freshly ground*
  • ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened
  • â…” cup (133g) packed brown sugar
  • â…“ cup (67g) granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions
 

Candied Walnuts

  • Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a medium-size non-stick skillet, cook the sugar, water, cinnamon and salt until melted, about 1 minute. Stir in the vanilla and walnuts. Cook until the liquid is evaporated and the walnuts start to caramelize, about 2-4 minutes.
  • Spread the walnuts out in a single layer onto the baking sheet. Allow to cool completely. Coarsely chop enough walnuts to equal 3/4 cup (80g). These will be stirred into the cookie dough. Reserve the remaining walnut halves for the tops of the cookies,

Cooked Apples

  • Melt the butter in small skillet over medium heat. When the butter starts to bubble, add the apples, sugar, cinnamon. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the apples are tender, about 3-5 minutes.
  • Remove the apples from heat and let cool completely. Drain any excess liquid from the cooled apples.

Cookies

  • In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg until well blended.
  • In a large bowl, beat the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar, with an electric mixer at medium speed, or by hand, until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, egg yolk and vanilla extract, one at a time, until well blended. Stir in the flour mixture just until combined. Stir in the cooled apples and 3/4 cup of the candied walnuts.
  • If your dough is soft, chill it in the refrigerator until it's easier to work with, about 15-20 minutes. Divide the dough into 14 equal golf ball-size portions, about 1 1/2 oz (43g) each. Roll them into balls and chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
  • Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Line 2 large cookie sheets with parchment paper. Place the dough balls at least 3 inches apart onto the cookies sheets. Top with candied walnut halves.
  • Bake until the tops of the cookies are set and the edges are golden brown, about 12-14 minutes. The cookies will spread a bit. Remove the cookies from the oven. Immediately use a large round cookie cutter to shape the hot cookies by sliding it around each one in a circular motion a couple of times. Cool on the cookie sheet for 3 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack.

Notes

*To find whole nutmeg, click here.
Keyword apple, cookies, walnut

Caramel Pecan Banana Brownies

Posted on by Mari Vasseur

If you love the flavors of chocolate and bananas together, these Caramel Pecan Banana Brownies are for you! These rich, fudgy brownies are the perfect decadent chocolate-banana dessert. The addition of caramel, pecans and sea salt gives them texture and balance. This recipe was a challenge to create because, while adding bananas to a brownie recipe does add moisture, it can also give the brownies a cake-like texture. That’s desirable in banana bread, but for brownies, most of us love a traditional fudgy texture. I solved that issue and I’m excited to share this fudgy, gooey Banana Brownie recipe with you!

These brownies are on the sweeter side, so I like adding dark chocolate chips or a combination of dark and semisweet chocolate chips. Adding the nuts to the top of the batter, rather than stirring them in, gives them a toasty flavor and helps maintain their crunch. An optional sprinkle of flaky sea salt adds the perfect finishing touch. They’re TDF served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Caramel Pecan Banana Brownies

Fudgy banana brownies with chocolate chips, topped with pecans, caramel and sea salt
Print Recipe
Course Dessert
Servings 12

Ingredients
  

  • ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, cubed
  • 2 tablespoons (30ml) avocado oil or neutral oil of your choice
  • 1 cup (200g) packed brown sugar
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • ½ cup (45g) unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
  • ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ½ cup (125g) mashed very ripe bananas about 1 medium banana
  • ½ cup (65g) all purpose flour
  • 1 cup (170g) dark or semisweet chocolate chips or a combination of both
  • ½ cup (55g) pecan halves or pieces
  • Caramel sauce, purchased or homemade
  • Flaky sea salt optional but recommended

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 325ºF (165ºC). Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving a couple of inches of overhang.
  • In a medium-size light-colored saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and cook until it's deep golden and fragrant. When brown specks start to appear, remove it from the heat and immediately transfer the butter with the brown specks to a large bowl. Stir in the brown sugar and salt until well combined.
  • Add the eggs and vanilla and whisk until well blended and most of the brown sugar is dissolved. Mix in the cocoa powder and cinnamon until thoroughly combined. Stir in the mashed bananas. Mix in the flour, just until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.
  • Transfer the batter to the prepared baking pan. Arrange the pecan halves on top of the batter or if you're using pecan pieces, sprinkle them evenly on top of the batter. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the brownies comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, about 20-25 minutes. (If you hit a melted chocolate chip with the toothpick, test again in a different spot.) Do not over bake!
  • Let the brownies cool in the pan. Remove the cooled brownies from the pan and drizzle with caramel sauce. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt, if desired.
Keyword brownies, caramel pecan banana

Chocolate Biscoff® Cake

Posted on by Mari Vasseur

If you’re craving a rich, gooey piece of chocolate cake that’s so good you can’t stop eating it until you stuff yourself into a food coma, then this is the cake for you. The soft, moist chocolate cake is topped with a light silky Biscoff® mousse that’s so good, you may be tempted to eat it with a spoon straight out of the bowl. You can drizzle on the chocolate glaze or be like me and go all in by spreading the glaze all over the top. If you’re a true cookie butter fan, feel free to top your cake with more drizzles of Biscoff® and some Biscoff® cookies for crunch.

 

Chocolate Biscoff® Cake

Soft, moist single layer chocolate cake topped with light, silky Biscoff® mousse and rich chocolate glaze by Brownie Mischief
Print Recipe
Course Dessert
Servings 9

Ingredients
  

Chocolate Cake

  • 1 cup (128g) all purpose flour, sifted
  • ½ cup (45g) Dutch process unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
  • 2 tablespoons (20g) corn starch
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
  • â…“ cup (66g) packed brown sugar
  • â…“ cup (74ml) vegetable oil or neutral oil of your choice
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • â…” cup (150g) sour cream
  • â…” cup (156ml) hot coffee or espresso

Biscoff® Mousse

  • ½ cup (148g) Biscoff® creamy cookie butter spread
  • 2 tablespoons (28g) cream cheese, softened
  • ¾ cup (177ml) cold heavy whipping cream

Chocolate Glaze

  • 3 ounces (85g) semisweet chocolate, chopped
  • 4 ½ tablespoons (63g) unsalted butter, cubed
  • 1 ½ teaspoons corn syrup

Garnishes

  • Extra Biscoff® creamy cookie butter spread, melted slightly optional
  • 9 Biscoff® cookies optional

Instructions
 

Chocolate Cake

  • Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Line a 9-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving a couple of inches of overhang. (If you would like to serve the cake directly out of the pan, skip the parchment paper and grease the inside of the pan, then sprinkle with a mixture of equal parts flour and cocoa powder. Tap out the excess.)
  • In large bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa powder, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda and salt together until well blended. Stir in the granulated sugar and brown sugar.
  • In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the oil, egg, egg yolk, vanilla extract and sour cream until smooth and well blended. Add this mixture to the dry ingredients and beat, with an electric mixer at medium speed, until combined. Gradually mix in the hot coffee and and beat until the batter is smooth.
  • Transfer the batter to the baking pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out mostly clean or with a few moist crumbs attached, about 18-25 minutes. Cool the cake in the pan for 15 minutes, then remove the cake and transfer it to a cooling rack.

Biscoff® Mousse

  • In a medium-sized bowl, beat the Biscoff® and cream cheese together until well blended. Do not over beat. Gradually beat in the heavy cream, stopping to scrape the sides of the bowl. Continue beating until the mixture is smooth, fluffy and reaches medium peaks, being careful not to over beat.

Chocolate Glaze

  • Melt the chocolate and butter together in a heat-safe bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water, making sure the water doesn't touch the bottom of the bowl. Stir occasionally until melted and smooth. Remove from heat and set aside to cool slightly.

Assembly

  • Spread the Biscoff® mousse over the top of the cake. Chill in the refrigerator for 20 minutes to set up the mousse. Meanwhile prepare the chocolate glaze. Spoon or drizzle the chocolate glaze over the top of the cake. Drizzle on melted cooke butter and add Biscoff® cookies if desired.
Keyword Biscoff®, cake, chocolate

Blackberry Dark Chocolate Blondies

Posted on by Mari Vasseur
Blackberry Dark Chocolate Blondies

This past January and February were rough months. I insist that March will be much better. I’m starting this month off on a strong positive note by sharing my incredible, Blackberry Dark Chocolate Blondie recipe with you. This is one of the most uniquely delicious, perfectly balanced blondie recipes I’ve ever tasted. These rich, golden blondies are made with brown butter which makes the best blondies. The extra step of browning the butter is so worth it! And, rather than tossing a few blackberries into the batter, a quick homemade blackberry jam intensifies and elevates the blackberry flavor to another level. The fresh blackberry jam swirls together in the oven with pools of melted dark chocolate, creating a wildly delicious flavor experience.

Blackberry Dark Chocolate Blondies

by Mari Vasseur
Rich golden blondies made with brown butter, swirled with a quick homemade blackberry jam and pools of melted dark chocolate
Print Recipe
Course Dessert
Servings 9 blondies

Ingredients
  

  • 1 ¾ cups (240g) blackberries, divided
  • 2 tablespoons (25g) granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch
  • ¾ cup (170g) unsalted butter, cubed
  • 1 ½ cups (192g) all purpose flour, sifted
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 ¼ cups (250g) packed brown sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 3 ounces (85g) dark chocolate, broken into bite size pieces

Instructions
 

  • Set aside 3/4 cup (100g) of blackberries. Combine the remaining 1 cup (140g) of blackberries with the granulated sugar, lemon juice and cornstarch in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, over medium heat. Boil for 1 minute. Turn the heat down to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the blackberries soften and break down, about 6-8 minutes. Smash the blackberries with the back of a spoon as they cook. Pass the blackberries through a sieve or a food mill to remove the seeds. Stir in the reserved blackberries and set aside to cool to room temperature.
  • In a medium-sized light-colored saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and cook until it's deep golden and fragrant. When brown specks start to appear, remove it from the heat and immediately transfer the butter with the brown specks to a large bowl. Set aside.
  • Preheat the oven to 325ºF. (165ºC). Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving a couple of inches of overhang.
  • In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder until well blended.
  • Add the brown sugar to the browned butter. Whisk until smooth. Add the egg, egg yolk and vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth and well blended. Stir in the flour mixture just until combined.
  • Set aside a few of the larger chocolate pieces for the top of the blondies. Stir the remaining chocolate pieces into the batter. Spread half of the batter into the baking pan. Spoon generous 2 tablespoon-size portions of batter into the pan, distributing them all over the surface. Spoon the blackberry mixture in between the batter portions. Top with the reserved chocolate pieces.
  • Bake until the top of the batter is set and light golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the bars comes out with a few moist crumbs on it, about 25-30 minutes.

Notes

Feel free to use frozen blackberries if fresh blackberries are unavailable.
Keyword bars, blackberry, blondies

Evangeline Butterscotch Star Cookies

Posted on by Mari Vasseur
Evangeline Butterscotch Star Cookies

These star-shaped sugar cookies with pretty butterscotch windows are often called stained glass cookies. The center of the cookies are cut out and filled with crushed hard candy. It melts in the oven, creating a beautiful glass-like effect. They’re perfect for the holiday season.

I named my star cookies after Evangeline from the Disney movie, The Princess and the Frog. When my mom passed away, my dad used to say that he dreamed of her as a beautiful lady in the stars. Recently, I lost my dad too. I like to think that my mom and dad are reunited up there somewhere. The story of Ray the firefly and Evangeline the star from The Princess and the Frog reminds me of them. I made these cookies as a small holiday tribute to my cherished parents.

Evangeline Butterscotch Star Cookies

Vanilla sugar cookies with butterscotch candy windows
Print Recipe
Course Dessert
Servings 18 4-inch cookies

Ingredients
  

  • ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons (198g) unsalted butter, softened
  • ½ cup (64g) powdered sugar, sifted
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
  • 2 cups (255g) all purpose flour, sifted
  • ½ cup (100g) crushed butterscotch hard candies
  • Sanding sugar

Instructions
 

  • In a large bowl, beat the butter, sugar and salt until smooth and well combined. Beat in the egg and vanilla until incorporated. Mix in the flour just until combined.
  • Form the dough into a disk and wrap it with plastic wrap. Chill it in the refrigerator until firm, at least 2 hours or overnight.
  • Preheat the oven tp 350ºF (180ºC). Line 2 large cookie sheets with parchment paper.
  • On a lightly floured surface (or between parchment sheets), roll the dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut out 18-20 star shapes using a 4-inch cookie cutter.* Place the stars about 2 inches apart onto the cookie sheets. Cut the center out of each star using a 2-inch cookie cutter.* Place the small star cut outs on a separate cookie sheet. Sprinkle with sanding sugar. Fill the cut out section of the large stars with the crushed butterscotch candy. I recommend chilling the cut cookies in the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes to prevent excess spreading.
  • Bake until the candy melts and the edges of the cookies start to turn light golden brown, about 8-10 minutes. Let the cookies cool on the cookie sheet. Bake the small stars for 6-8 minutes. Transfer them to a cooling rack.

Notes

*To find 4-inch and 2-inch star-shaped cookie cutters, click here.
Keyword butterscotch, cookies, stained glass, sugar

Fudgy Chocolate Crumb Cake

Posted on by Mari Vasseur
Fudgy Chocolate Crumb Cake

This moist, fudgy chocolate cake with a generous amount of melt-in-your-mouth chocolate crumb topping and powdered sugar snow is perfect for frosty mornings with a cup of hot coffee or tea. It’s also perfect for a holiday breakfast or brunch served with fresh raspberries and/or raspberry sauce.*

Fudgy Chocolate Crumb Cake

Rich, moist, fudgy chocolate cake with melt-in-your mouth crumb topping and sprinkled with powdered sugar.
Print Recipe
Course Breakfast, Brunch, Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 9 servings

Ingredients
  

Crumb Topping

  • 1 cup (128g) all purpose flour
  • â…“ cup (66g) packed brown sugar
  • 3 tablespoons (38g) granulated suger
  • 2 tablespoons (12g) Dutch process unsweetened dark cocoa powder
  • â…› teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 7 tablespoons (99g) cold, unsalted butter, cubed

Cake

  • 1 ¼ cups (160g) all purpose flour, sifted
  • 6 tablespoons (35g) Dutch process unsweetened dark cocoa powder, sifted
  • ¾ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened
  • â…” cup (132g) granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup (50g) packed brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons (30ml) vegetable oil or neutral oil of your choice
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • â…” cup (150g) sour cream
  • â…” cup (118ml) hot coffee or espresso
  • â…“ cup (85g) semisweet mini chocolate chips
  • Powered sugar for sprinkling

Instructions
 

Crumb Topping

  • In a medium-size bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, cocoa powder and salt until well combined. Work the butter into the flour mixture with your fingertips until it looks like dirt, with no large pieces of butter remaining. Press the mixture together to form chunks. Set aside in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Cake

  • Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Line an 8-inch square cake pan** with parchment paper, leaving a couple of inches of overhang to serve as handles to lift the cake out of the pan. If you want to serve the cake directly from the pan, you can skip the parchment paper and simply spray the pan with nonstick spray.
  • In a medium-size bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt together until well combined.
  • In a large bowl, beat the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar together, with an electric mixer at medium speed, until light and fluffy. Beat in the oil until combined. Beat in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla in 3 separate additions, making sure each one is incorporated before adding the next.
  • On low speed, beat the flour mixture into the batter in 2 additions, alternating with half of the sour cream after each addition. Beat just until combined. Gradually beat in the hot coffee just until smooth and well combined. Fold in the mini chocolate chips.
  • Transfer the batter to the prepared cake pan. Top the batter evenly with the crumb topping. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes with a few moist crumbs attached (not wet batter), about 28-37 minutes.
  • Cool the cake in the pan for 15 minutes, then remove the cake from the pan and continue cooling on a cooling rack. Sprinkle powdered sugar over the cooled cake.

Notes

*To find my raspberry sauce recipe, click here.
**To find my favorite 8-inch square cake pan, click here.
 
Keyword cake, chocolate, crumb

Brown Butter Monster Cookie Bars

Posted on by Mari Vasseur
Brown Butter Monster Cookie Bars

If you’re looking for an easy, delicious and cute Halloween bake, Brown Butter Monster Cookie Bars are perfect for you. These spooky bars are crisp and golden on the outside, buttery, soft and chewy on the inside. They’re loaded with milk chocolate M & M’s and semisweet chocolate pieces which makes these the best Halloween cookie bars ever! I used a chocolate bar broken into pieces, rather than chocolate chips because the chocolate pieces melt into generous, silky pools of chocolate. The fun part is adding the spooky candy eyes. You can even create expressions with sprinkle eyebrows.

 

Brown Butter Monster Cookie Bars

by Mari Vasseur
Crisp and golden on the outside, buttery, soft and chewy on the inside with M & M's and chocolate pieces. The best Halloween cookie bars ever!
Print Recipe
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 9 bars

Ingredients
  

  • ¾ cup (170g) unsalted butter, cubed
  • 1 ½ cups (191g) all purpose flour, sifted
  • ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 cup (200g) packed brown sugar
  • â…“ cup (66g) granulated sugar
  • 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • ¾ cup (149g) M & M's milk chocolate candies preferably Halloween colors
  • 1 4 oz (113g) semisweet or dark chocolate bar broken into bite size pieces
  • Candy eyes
  • Green sprinkles

Instructions
 

  • In a medium-sized, light-colored saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and cook until it's deep golden and fragrant. When brown specks start to appear, remove it from the heat and immediately transfer the butter with the brown specks to a large bowl. Set aside.
  • Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Line an 8-inch square baking pan*** with parchment paper, leaving a couple of inches of overhang.
  • Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium-sized bowl until well blended. Set aside.
  • Add the brown sugar, granulated sugar and vanilla extract to the brown butter and stir until combined. Add the egg and egg yolk and stir vigorously for 1-2 minutes, until smooth and creamy. Stir in the flour mixture just until combined. Set aside a few of the larger chocolate pieces for the top. Gently stir the remaining chocolate pieces and the M & M's into the dough.
  • Press the dough evenly into the baking pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Arrange the reserved chocolate pieces on the top. Bake until the top is set and light golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the bars comes out with a few moist crumbs on it, about 20-25 minutes. Add the candy eyes and sprinkles while the bars are still warm. Let the bars cool in the pan.

Notes

*To find candy eyes, click here.
**To find green sprinkles, click here. Alternately, if you have rainbow sprinkles, you can take the  green ones out to use for your cookies bars if you don't want to purchase green sprinkles.
***To find the 8-inch baking pan I used, click here.
Keyword bars, monster cookie

Chocolate Hazelnut Crunch Cake

Posted on by Mari Vasseur
Chocolate Hazelnut Crunch Cake

Baking is considered to be a form of therapy for many people, myself included. It can help relieve stress and help you refocus your mind. Using your senses in a positive way can increase endorphins and we’ve all heard about the way chocolate is known to improve your mood. This Chocolate Hazelnut Crunch Cake is the ultimate baking therapy. Chopping the hazelnut chocolates for this recipe is extremely satisfying. Spreading this luxurious buttercream is so therapeutic. Don’t you love cakes like this, where you can swirl the frosting to your heart’s content?

The contrasting textures of the silky, smooth Nutella buttercream and the crunchy chopped hazelnut chocolates are divine. This soft, moist cake already stands on it’s own, but all of these delicious elements combined take it over the top!

Chocolate Hazelnut Crunch Cake

Soft, moist chocolate sheet cake with silky Nutella buttercream, topped with chopped hazelnut chocolates and toasted hazelnuts
Print Recipe
Course Dessert
Servings 9 servings

Ingredients
  

Chocolate Cake

  • 1 cup (128g) all purpose flour, sifted
  • ½ cup (45g) Dutch process unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
  • 2 tablespoons (20g) cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
  • â…“ cup (66g) packed brown sugar
  • â…“ cup (74ml) vegetable oil or neutral oil of your choice
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • â…” cup (152g) sour cream
  • â…” cup (156ml) hot coffee or espresso

Nutella Swiss Meringue Buttercream

  • 4 large egg whites
  • â…” cup (132g) granulated sugar
  • 1 ½ cups (340g) unsalted butter cubed, room temperature
  • ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • â…› teaspoon fine sea salt
  • ½ cup (148g) Nutella or any hazelnut cocoa spread

Topping

  • 8 hazelnut chocolate candies, roughly chopped I used Ferrero Rocher
  • 2 tablespoons chopped toasted hazelnuts

Instructions
 

Chocolate Cake

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a 9-inch square baking pan* with parchment paper.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until well combined. Stir in the granulated sugar and brown sugar.
  • n a medium-size bowl, whisk together the oil, egg, egg yolk, vanilla extract and sour cream. Add this mixture to the dry ingredients. Beat until combined, then gradually mix in the hot coffee until the batter is smooth. Transfer the batter to the baking pan.
  • Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean or with a few moist crumbs attached, about 18-23 minutes. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove the cake and carefully transfer it to a cooling rack. Frost the cooled cake. Top with the chopped chocolates and hazelnuts right before serving.

Nutella Swiss Meringue Buttercream

  • Combine the egg whites and sugar in a large heatproof bowl set over a pan of gently simmering water, making sure the water doesn’t touch the bottom of the bowl. Whisk constantly until the sugar is dissolved reaches temperature of 160ºF (71°C)

  • Transfer the mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer with a whisk attachment. Whisk on low speed until frothy, gradually increasing to medium-high speed. Whisk until glossy, stiff peaks form and the mixture reaches room temperature.

  • Turn the mixer to medium-low speed. Add butter, a few pieces at a time, allowing the butter to fully incorporate before adding more. Turn the mixer up to medium speed. If the mixture looks curdled, keep mixing and it will correct itself. 

  • When the buttercream is smooth and well combined, switch to a paddle attachment. On low speed, mix in the vanilla extract, salt. Gradually mix in the Nutella. Continue mixing on low speed for a few minutes until smooth.


Notes

*To find my favorite 9-inch square baking pan, click here.
Keyword cake, chocolate

Iced Almond Brownies

Posted on by Mari Vasseur
Iced Almond Brownies

If you like almond croissants, you’ll love these Iced Almond Brownies. They have the same base ingredients of frangipane or almond cream, but in brownie form. The addition of white chocolate gives them a fudgy texture and the toasted almonds add a satisfying crunch.

 

Iced Almond Brownies

by Mari Vasseur
Fudgy almond brownies made with white chocolate, topped with almond icing and toasted almonds
Print Recipe
Course Dessert
Servings 16 2-inch brownies

Ingredients
  

Almond Brownies

  • ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, cubed
  • 6 ounces (170g) white chocolate, finely chopped
  • ¼ cup (59ml) heavy cream
  • 1 ½ cups (190g) all purpose flour
  • ¼ cup (28g) almond flour
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • ¾ cup (150g) sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 1 teaspoon pure almond extract
  • ½ teaspoon pure vanila extract
  • ½ cup (60g) sliced almonds, toasted

Almond Icing

  • ¾ cup (90g) powdered sugar, sifted
  • 1 tablespoon (15ml) heavy cream
  • 1-2 tablespoons (15-30ml) milk
  • â…› teaspoon pure almond extract

Instructions
 

Almond Brownies

  • Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Line an 8-inch square baking pan** with parchment paper, leaving a couple of inches of overhang.
  • Melt the butter, white chocolate and heavy cream together in a large heat safe bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water, making sure the water doesn't touch the bottom of the bowl. Stir gently until smooth. Set aside to cool slightly.
  • In a medium-sized bowl, whisk the together the all purpose flour, almond flour and salt until well blended.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, eggs, egg yolk, and extracts until smooth and creamy. Stir in the white chocolate mixture until well blended. Stir in the flour mixture just until combined.
  • Transfer the batter to the prepared baking pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the brownies has a few moist combs attached, about 18-23 minutes. Don't over bake. Let the brownies cool in the pan. Remove the brownies from the pan. Top with almond icing and toasted almonds.

Almond Icing

  • In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, heavy cream, 1 tablespoon (15ml) of milk and the almond extract until smooth. Add additional milk as needed to achieve your desired consistency.

Notes

*To toast sliced almonds, preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC).  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Spread the almonds out onto the baking sheet in a single layer. Bake until lightly toasted, about 4-5 minutes. **To find the 8-inch baking pan I used, click here.
Keyword almond, bars, brownies

Banana Chocolate Pecan Cookies with Salted Caramel

Posted on by Mari Vasseur
Banana Chocolate Pecan Cookies with Salted Caramel

Many of us love chocolate chip cookies and banana bread so much, that I thought those two iconic bakes would be delicious combined in a cookie. Most of the banana cookies I tried were soft and cakey, which is fine, but I wanted a cookie with chewy centers and crisp, buttery edges. That end result was a challenge with bananas, because they add moisture and softness to baked goods. After a bit of trial and error, I came up with these incredibly delicious, rich, salty-sweet cookies with those coveted chewy centers and crisp edges.

Banana Chocolate Pecan Cookies with Salted Caramel

Banana cookies with chewy centers and crisp, buttery edges, filled with chocolate and toasted pecans, topped with salted caramel
Print Recipe
Course Dessert
Servings 18 cookies

Ingredients
  

Banana Chocolate Pecan Cookies

  • 2 â…“ cups (298g) all purpose flour, sifted
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¾ cup (170g) unsalted butter, cubed
  • 1 cup (200g) packed brown sugar
  • ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • â…“ cup (75g) mashed over-ripe banana
  • 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1 3 1/2-4 oz bar of dark chocolate, broken into bite size pieces, plus extra for the tops
  • ¾ cup (85g) roasted, salted pecans, coarsely chopped
  • banana chips for the tops
  • salted caramel sauce

Easy Salted Caramel Sauce

  • 10 soft caramel candies I used Werther's
  • 2 tbsp (30ml) heavy cream
  • 1 generous pinch fine sea salt

Instructions
 

  • Line 2 large cookie sheets with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.
  • In a medium-size saucepan, over medium heat, melt the butter. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the butter is deep golden and fragrant. When brown specks start to form in the bottom of the pan, immediately transfer the butter to a large bowl.
  • Add the brown sugar and the granulated sugar to the butter. Mix until well combined. Beat in the egg yolk, banana and vanilla extract. Stir in the flour mixture just until combined. Fold in the chocolate and nuts.
  • Form the cookie dough into 2-tablespoon size balls. I used a #30 portion scoop, tightly packed.* Top each dough ball with a banana chip and a piece of chocolate. Chill the dough balls in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
  • Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Place the cookies about 3 inches apart onto the baking sheets. Bake the cookies until the tops are set and the edges are golden brown, about 10-12 minutes. Remove the cookies from the oven and immediately use a large round cookie cutter to shape the hot cookies. Place the cookie cutter onto the cookie sheet over each cookie and slide it around each one a couple of times to achieve round, crinkly cookies. Work quickly before the cookies set. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack. Spoon caramel sauce onto the warm cookies.

Easy Salted Caramel Sauce

  • Combine the caramel candies and the heavy cream in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir gently until melted and smooth. Add salt to taste.

Notes

*To find the portion scoop I used, click here.
Keyword banana, chocolate pecan, cookies

Raspberry White Chocolate Cookies

Posted on by Mari Vasseur
Raspberry White Chocolate Cookies

These cookies were inspired by my viral Raspberry White Chocolate Scones. The flavors work so well together and the pretty pink sparkling sugar adds a nice crunchy texture, so I thought they would make excellent cookies too. And I was right! These cookies are everything I was dreaming about. In the scones, fresh raspberries were added directly into the dough. In this recipe, instead, I made a quick raspberry jam to fold into the cookies. Make sure to fold it in gently because if you over mix it, the dough will become too wet, which can lead to excess spreading. I also broke the chocolate into pieces, rather than chopping it. Chopping the chocolate makes too many small chards of chocolate which can also cause excess spreading.

Raspberry White Chocolate Cookies

Cookies with white chocolate pieces and fresh raspberry jam swirled into the dough and topped with pink sparkling sugar
Print Recipe
Course Dessert
Servings 18 cookies

Ingredients
  

  • 1 ½ cups (198g) raspberries, divided
  • ¾ cup (150g) plus 2 tablspoons (25g) granulated sugar, divided
  • 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch
  • 1 ¾ cups (225g) all purpose flour, sifted
  • ¼ cup (30g) cake flour, sifted
  • ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened
  • ¼ cup (50g) packed brown sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • ¼ teaspoon pure almond extract
  • 1 4 oz (113g) bar of white chocolate, cut into bite size pieces, plus extra for tops or 2/3 cup (4 oz) white chocolate chips
  • pink pearl coarse sparkling sugar optional

Instructions
 

  • Set aside 1/2 cup of raspberries. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the remaining 1 cup of raspberries with 2 tablespoons of sugar, the lemon juice and the cornstarch. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Boil for 1 minute, then turn the heat down to low and simmer until thickened to a jam consistency, about 4-6 minutes. Stir in the reserved raspberries. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and set aside to cool to room temperature.
  • Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the all purpose flour, the cake flour, salt and baking soda until well combined.
  • In a large bowl, beat the butter, the remains 3/4 cup of sugar, and the brown sugar, with an electric mixer at medium speed, until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and the egg yolk in two separate additions until well incorporated. Beat in the extracts.
  • Mix the flour mixture into the batter, just until combined. Stir in the white chocolate pieces. Fold in the cooled raspberry mixture very gently. Do not over mix! You want to see raspberry swirls. Over mixing will change the texture of the cookies.
  • Place 2-tablespoon size portions of cookie dough about 3 inches apart onto the prepare cookie sheets. I used a #30 portion scoop.* Top each cookie with a piece of white chocolate and sprinkle with coarse sugar. Bake until the tops of the cookies are set and the edges turn light golden brown, about 10-14 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack.

Notes

If your cookies spread too much, you can try refrigerating the dough balls for 10-15 minutes before baking. Don't refrigerate the dough longer or your dough may become discolored. For best results, weigh your ingredients.
*To find the portion scoop I used, click here.  
Keyword cookies, raspberry white chocolate