Desserts

One-Bowl Brownies

I have a hangover. A football hangover.

I went back to Lincoln last weekend for an epic Saturday night brawl: Miami at Nebraska.

It had all the makings of a marquee match-up: an old rivalry reborn, decades of Nebraska playing on Miami’s turf, celebration of the momentous 1994 national title game, and the promise of the season ahead. Every Nebraska fan has a nostalgia for those 1990s teams, but it’s especially strong for those of us who came of age during the glory days.

By the 7pm kickoff, Memorial Stadium was on her feet. We barely sat down all night. I lost my voice for four days.

Photo from Husker Athletics

And I wish I were right back there again this week.

Anyway, whether you’re tailgating, watching a game at home, or you don’t give football a passing glance (I’ve heard such people exist!), you will love these easy, chocolatey brownies.

Ditch the box; these are so much better.

Easy One-Bowl Brownies
From smittenkitchen.com
Serves 16

3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, roughly chopped
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter (plus extra for pan)
1 1/3 cups sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup flour

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8×8-inch square metal baking pan with foil or parchment, extending it up two sides. Lightly butter the foil, or coat with nonstick cooking spray.

In a medium microwave-safe bowl, melt chocolate and butter in 30-second bursts, stirring each time until smooth. Whisk in sugar, then eggs, one at a time, then vanilla and salt. Stir in flour with a spoon or flexible spatula. Spread batter into prepared pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Let cool. Carefully lift foil out of pan and place brownies on a flat surface. Cut into 16 squares, or as desired.

S’mores Dip for One

Danger, Will Robinson!

S’mores in dip form? The thought had never occurred to me, but when someone posted it on my Facebook page I thought it sounded brilliant. This recipe has been bookmarked on my phone for awhile now, and I finally decided to make them this afternoon.

Because I have no willpower, I adapted it to a single serving. This recipe is easily scaleable for a group, whether you keep it in single-serving dishes or make it in a larger pan. This would also be easy to make in a toaster oven, if you have one.

Don’t let it sit too long, or the marshmallows will fall in and crust over, which is tougher to dig out without breaking the crackers.

S’mores Dip for One
Adapted from hungrybrownie.com

1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips
3 marshmallows, cut in half
8 graham crackers (2 sheets)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Pour chocolate chips into an 1-cup ramekin. Arrange marshmallow halves on top. Place in the oven. Bake until marshmallows are golden-brown, about 6-7 minutes.

Remove from oven. Let cool slightly. Serve with graham crackers for dipping.

Homemade Marshmallows

100 posts! And what better way to celebrate than to share one of my favorite recipes: homemade marshmallows.

If you’ve never had a homemade marshmallow, it might not occur to you that this is something you can make. I know I had never thought about it until I had one at a neighborhood coffee shop circa 2009 and ohmygawd I had to have them. Once you’ve eaten homemade marshmallows,

I found a few recipes online, but I didn’t own a stationary (stand) mixer. Womp womp. Big problem. It’s dangerous to make this with a hand mixer. You’re mixing boiling sugar at high speed. Plus, using a hand mixer on high speed for this long with hot contents will most likely burn out the motor.

I saved up my money and bought a Kitchen Aid on a Black Friday sale that year. This was the first thing I made with it. Not even joking.

Once you’ve mastered the basic technique, play around! Substitute another flavoring, like peppermint, or try cocoa powder or vanilla bean paste. You can also mix in a few drops of food coloring. For fun shapes, generously coat small cookie cutters in powdered sugar. Basic shapes, like circles or hearts, are best. You can even add toasted coconut or nuts, or dip set marshmallows in chocolate. Endless combinations!

My favorite ways to eat homemade marshmallows are in a cup of hot cocoa, in s’mores (of course), or straight up. I made these for my farewell party at my last job, and they were a hit. I know you’ll love them.

Happy cooking!

Homemade Marshmallows

3/4 cup cold water
4 envelopes unflavored gelatin (such as Knox)
3 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups light corn syrup
3/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
Powdered sugar

Special equipment: stationary electric mixer with whisk attachment; candy/fry thermometer

Line a 9 x 13 pan with parchment paper; grease. (Note: pans with square edges are easier to work with.) Put 3/4 cup cold water into the bowl of the electric mixer; sprinkle gelatin on top. Let soften for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, affix candy/fry thermometer to a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Heat sugar, corn syrup, remaining 3/4 cup water, and salt in saucepan. Heat to a rolling boil over high heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Boil for one full minute, until mixture reaches 238 degrees.

Turn the mixer on low speed and carefully pour boiling sugar into the mixing bowl. Gradually raise the speed to high. Beat on high for 6 minutes.

Add vanilla and continue to beat on high for another 5-6 minutes, until very stiff peaks form. Pour and spread into prepared pan. Let sit for 3 hours or overnight to firm up.

Sprinkle powdered sugar onto a work surface. Turn marshmallow slab onto the powdered sugar. Using a chef’s knife (or other non-serrated blade), cut marshmallows into squares. Roll each marshmallow in additional powdered sugar. Store in an air-tight container up to one week.