There are 2 reasons for this update actually. The first one being; a co-worker of mine made brownies and brought them into work recently. They were okay, typical brownie I guess, but I noticed they were really oily. I think another co-worker of mine used the word ‘moist’ -- but no, my hand definitely came away coated in oil and it was kind of gross.
It made me think of the way my mother makes brownies. I don’t know where she got the idea from or if she just did one of her usual ‘I don’t have what I need, let me use this instead’ toss in’s? Not sure. Either way, her little secret is a wonderful way to give a 'taste-lift' to the average boxed brownies. I can almost guarantee you can start telling people you slaved all day to make them from scratch!
Today I used Betty Crocker’s Ultimate Fudge premium brownie mix because that’s what I had on hand but you can use whatever brand you want. I’m telling you, it won’t matter. Mom’s secret switcheroo ingredient fix will change the way you feel about store brand brownies!
You simply pre-heat your oven and follow the directions on the box with the exception of the water. Instead of water, you’re going to use the same measurement but use cold, black coffee instead. Kevin made coffee this morning so I asked him to set 1/4 cup aside for me and I put it in the fridge. You can probably get away with using room temperature coffee if you must, but whatever you do, don’t use warm or hot coffee because when you add your egg(s) they will end up scrambled!
Bake according to the instructions and let cook (sometimes I can’t wait and eat a warm one….Mmmm!) Today I felt like adding some walnuts so I mixed some into the batter and also put some on top before baking.
By using my Mom’s secret coffee switcheroo instead of water, you’ll have rich, beautiful, brownies coming out of your oven.
The smell is great, but wait til you take a bite! You will be able to taste the dark notes of coffee mixed with the sweet chocolate and it will send you to the moon. Promise! Enjoy, I know my co-workers couldn’t stop eating them
The second reason for today’s blog is a quick update to Kevin’s Carrot Cake Ring (click here to see that post if you haven’t already). We had my mother, my brother Matt and his girlfriend Jessica over for Thanksgiving dessert. My mom requested Kevin’s carrot cake because she loves it so much. Kevin usually doesn’t add an icing, but he wanted to try something different this time. He made a creamy, delicious cream cheese frosting that even I enjoyed – and I don’t really like frosting on anything.
Cream cheese frosting recipe:
4oz cream cheese (half package) at room temperature
1 teaspoon of vanilla
1/2 Cup of powdered sugar
2-3 tablespoons of milk.
Kevin used his stand mixer to beat the cream cheese until smooth, then added vanilla. Next, sift powdered sugar into mixing bowl and continue to mix. Add milk a tablespoon at a time until you get the right consistency.
Then you just apply the frosting to your cake and voila! Eat and savor. Delicious!
Enjoy
XOXO,
Aimee & Kevin
So do they taste like coffee this way? Have you ever tried flavored coffees?
ReplyDeleteAnother question- didn't you guys have a recipe for using bean or something for the brownies? How did that work?
ReplyDeleteI followed a recipe I found online for just mixing a can of pumpkin pie filling with a box of brownie mix and it came out terrible. Very pasty and yuck.
Hi Courtney! The actual coffee taste is really hard to find, but there are definitely darker, richer notes enveloped into the chocolate of the brownie due to the coffee. I'm not a coffee person, but I really enjoy these brownies!
ReplyDeleteWe've also tried a recipe for Black Bean Brownies, its a weight watchers recipe. If you like, I will post about it in the next day or so :) Pumpkin pie filling can be used as well, we've used it and it wasn't too bad, kind of more cakey, than brownie. The black bean brownies come across 'fudgey' and somewhat dense. They are also 'just okay' ...keep in mind, it was a weight watchers recipe so the key there was health and no oil or eggs! :)
Thank you! Erik is not a coffee fan, but if I reassure him it won't be coffee-flavored, he'll be more likely to keep an open mind and try it!
ReplyDelete