Beer, Brownies, and Basketball

Spring is officially here, and the only thing better than sunshine, wild flowers, and perfect running weather is college basketball!! When did this love for NCAA begin, you might ask? Um... let's just say it started with a young, impressionable freshman at her first 6th Man game and a point guard who made a couple of clutch 3-pointers resulting in a Stanford win ;).

Anyhow, while searching for a sweet March Madness snack, I stumbled across a recipe for "black and tan" brownies...yes, like the drink. Guinness and chocolate- does such goodness exist??!! Of course, I had to first contact Caroline, the beer connoisseur herself, before attempting to answer the question. With baking ingredients on hand, Guinness Stout resting on the counter, and the WVU- Kentucky game on flat screen in the kitchen, we were ready to go.

Overall impressions: takes a bit of effort with the double baking- tan layer first, then the dark- and results in more of a bar than a brownie, but oh so worth it! Lots of different textures, not too sweet, with a hint of chocolate plus the bite of beer all in an aesthetically pleasing two-toned color. Definitely a keeper; a must-try for beer lovers.

Black and Tan Brownies/Bars
(adapted from cooking light)

Tan Layer:
* 6 tablespoons butter, softened
* 1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
* 2 large eggs
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 4.5 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 cup)
* 1 teaspoon baking powder
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 cup chopped pecans


Black Brownies:
* 3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped (**note: we only had sweetened chocolate chips, so we cut the sugar in this portion to 1/2 cup)
* 4 tablespoons butter
* 1 cup granulated sugar
* 2 large eggs
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1 cup Guinness Stout (semi-unfizzed)
* 4.5 oz all-purpose flour (about 1 cup)
* 1/4 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat to 350. Set one rack at lower 1/3 of oven.
2. Prepare tan layer first: Put 6 TBS butter and brown sugar in medium bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in 2 eggs and vanilla.
3. In separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt, mix well.
4. Add dry to wet mixture, beating just until combined. Spread evenly in 13 x 9–inch greased pan. Bake at 350° in lower third of oven for 15 minutes.
5. For black layer: Prepare large skillet with boiling water on stovetop. Place chocolate and 4 tablespoons butter in stovetop safe bowl in skillet. Stir constantly as chocolate mixture melts. When smooth and hot to touch, remove from heat.
6. Then, add sugar to chocolate mixture. Stir well.
7. Add eggs, vanilla, and Guinness. Stir with whisk until well combined.
8. In separate bowl, mix flour and salt. Add this to chocolate mixture, stir to combine.
9. Pour chocolate layer evenly over baked tan layer.
10. Then, bake on center rack at 350° for 25 minutes. Cool on wire rack.


Nice caramel color













feature ingredient... note the super cool bottle opener



















sampling the goods













ready to be shared!

A little cinnamon and sugar to brighten the day

lately, if i were to pick one spice as my favorite, hands down, it'd be cinnamon. strong, but not overbearing, versatile, adding dimension to both the sweet and savory, and best of all, classic, conjuring up memories of the holidays and good times with every whiff. love it.

this week, i finally got the chance to visit mel and baby alexis- already 6 months old! craziness how time flies. it's official, i'm definitely out of the "jie jie" category and now a full-fledged "ah-yi." haha. anyway, being the well-trained chinese girl that i am, i couldn't just show up empty-handed at her door. and since i'm always looking for a chance to bake, what better opportunity than this to make cinnamon buns!

Cinna-Buns
(adapted from KAF)

**notes: i skipped the icing and halved the recipe- yielded 9 rolls. also, these taste best right from the oven. if waiting until the next day, they definitely need to be reheated first.

Dough
1 cup lukewarm milk
2 large eggs, room temperature
1/3 cup unsalted butter, cut up
4 1/2 cups regular flour
1 3/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup sugar
2 1/2 tsp instant yeast (regular active dry works fine too- just proof)

Filling
1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar, packed
3 tablespoons cinnamon

Directions:
1. Combine all of the dough ingredients in a large mixing bowl, stirring until cohesive.
2. Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled work surface, knead for 5 to 8 minutes, until smooth. For those lucky enough to have KA mixer (grrrr...) knead with dough hook, for 4 to 7 minutes at medium speed.
3. Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Let rise 60 minutes, until doubled.
4. While waiting for dough to rise, soften up butter for filling. Mix sugar and cinnamon together also.
5. Transfer dough to a lightly greased work surface. Roll it into a 16 x 21-inch rectangle. Spread dough with filling butter. Sprinkle sugar and cinnamon mixture liberally and evenly over dough.
6. Roll the dough into a log starting with long end. Cut to about 3/4- 1 inch slices.
7. Place in a lightly greased pan. Cover with plastic wrap. Let the buns rise until they’re nearly doubled, 30-45 min. (be patient!!! this is well worth it!!) Preheat oven to 375.
8. Bake until they’re golden brown, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat immediately and cool on rack.



cinnamon and sugar. what a combo :)















waiting for that second rise...















perfect afternoon snack with coffee or milk. enjoy!