Peanut Butter Caramel Brownies

Cheap Eat Challenge: Watch as our family of 6 eats, or tries to, on $6/day.

This month I've had the happy privilege of participating in The Secret Recipe Club, hosted by Amanda's Cookin'. Each participant is assigned another participant's blog. We secretly make one of his/her recipes and then--surprise--post it on a certain date. If you've got a food blog and you're interested, you should join up.

I got plenty lucky as I was assigned The Life and Loves of Grumpy's Honey Bunch for the month of June. Besides being, like, the best name ever for a blog, Shelby Mae (also the best name ever) had plenty of recipes I was eager to try. Of course there was one with my family's name on it: Peanut Butter Caramel Swirl Brownies. So I made that one first. And it did not disappoint.

You begin by making the peanut butter caramel, then plop it onto a brownie, then swirl it in and bake.

I realize caramel can be a little frightening. It always makes me a wee bit nervous too. I've burned my share. And crystalized my share. I've cried over caramel and wasted a lot of sugar and almost given up. And then I discovered a full-proof method for making it, compliments of The New Best Recipe. And sure enough it hasn't failed me yet. It is that method I describe below. (In fact, I plan to give it its very own post tomorrow.) So, fear not, caramel lovers. May you never go back to the nasty stuff in a jar at the grocery store again.

Peanut Butter Caramel Swirl Brownies
from grumpyshoneybunch
Makes 9x13 inch pan
Prep time: 20-25 minutes
Cook Time: 30-40 minutes
Cost: Let's not talk about it, okay: $3.95
(cream: .50, sugar: .05, PB: .45; butter: 1.15, sugar: .50, flour: .15, eggs: .40, cocoa:  .30, chocolate bar: 2.00, though if you use the equivalent of dark chocolate chips, it's only about .45)

Caramel Sauce:
1/2 C heavy cream
1/4 C sugar
1/4 C water
1/2 C creamy peanut butter (probably not a natural kind as you don't want things separating out--I'm not sure they would, but don't take the chance)
1 Tbsp corn syrup
pinch sea salt
1/8 tsp vanilla

Bring the cream to a simmer. (I just warmed mine.)

Put sugar in a mound in a saucepan. Pour water in pan and cover pan with lid. Turn heat to medium and just let it boil along until the bubbles just start changing to a darker color. Remove lid to pan and reduce heat somewhat. Don't touch it. Don't stir it. Just let it keep boiling until it gets to an amber color. (Note: If your oven is a wee bit un-level like mine is, turn the pot occasionally by quarter turns so that the sugar caramelizes at a fairly even rate). This method takes several minutes.

While the sugar is boiling, you might want to measure out your other ingredients and have them ready as the next step moves kind of fast.

Take amber sugar off the heat. Pour your cream in, whisking as you pour. It'll bubble up a lot. Don't worry, just keep whisking. After the cream is incorporated whisk in peanut butter, corn syrup, sea salt, and the vanilla until all is smooth. Transfer to a bowl and let it cool until thickened at room temperature, about 30 minutes. (I may have cheated on mine and not waited quite that long.)

Brownie Batter:
1 C butter, melted
3 C white sugar
1 Tbsp vanilla
4 eggs
1 1/2 C all-purpose flour
1 C cocoa powder
1 tsp salt
1 3.5 oz Lindt Dark Chocolate Bar with Sea Salt, broken into pieces (I subbed some dark chocolate discs and threw in a pinch of sea salt, but I wished I'd used the Lindt Bar as I think it would have had a better flavor)

Preheat oven to 350. You can line your9x13 inch pan with parchment paper, tinfoil, or just lightly spray with cooking spray.

In a bowl, stir sugar into melted butter. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing until incorporated. add vanilla.

In separate bowl combine remaining dry ingredients. Stir in chocolate pieces. Fold this into the wet ingredients. Pour into prepared pan.

Drop 8 spoonfulls of peanut butter caramel on top of brownie batter. Drag a knife through the batter and the caramel to swirl. I have the swirling skills of a penguin. I don't know why. It's sort of an issue I have. Mine always comes out kind of just on top instead of swirled interestingly. It tasted good anyway, but wasn't as pretty as Shelby Mae's.

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes (mine took 37 minutes).

Cool completely before cutting.

Note: If you don't like peanut butter or you're allergic, I'd bet you can use 1/2 C butter and make a regular caramel to swirl in. I'm actually itching to try this myself and plan to do so next time I try brownies.

PRINTABLE RECIPE

This and all the sweet recipes I managed to make this week will be posted to Sweets for a Saturday and Something Swanky

Raspberry Breakfast Bars

Cheap Eat Challenge: Watch as our family of 6 eats, or tries to, on $6/day.

Thursday a friend showed up at my door with a bucket of raspberries. Hopefully you're lucky enough to have such a friend.

I wasn't sure the raspberries would make it into any prepared foods. Too many were ending up on children's faces (I trust that at least some of that fruit even made it all the way into their bellies). That night I stashed a couple cups in the freezer. And then I found a raspberry breakfast bar on smittenkitchen that looked so good I wanted it then--right then. If I'd had a genie nearby I would have skipped my wishes for millions of dollars and world domination and totally wasted my wishing on breakfast. I guess I'm that kind of person. Unfortunately, I had no genie available, so I made it happen myself today.

The bar was somewhat nutritious (you know that category, right), but I wanted to make it whole grain. That was the main change I made. I almost scaled back the sugar, but then thought better of it, which turned out to be a good thing. I do, wish, however, that I'd scaled back the salt somewhat as I found these bars a tinge on the too salty side. To my own surprise, I also wish I'd cut the lemon zest back. I love lemon and I think it's a great compliment to raspberries, but in this case, I thought it stood too strong against the raspberries. Below I'll put the measurements for what was as well as for what will be the next time I make these. Because there will be a next time. 

Raspberry Breakfast Bars

adapted from smitten kitchen

Makes 9x13 inch pan or about 32 bars

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 30 minutes

Cost: $1.72 plus cost of raspberries--let's say $5.00 total

(flour: .30, oats: .12, sugar: .35, butter: .45, lemon: .50, raspberries--get them from a friend:) because they'll cost you otherwise--probably $3-4)

Crust/Topping:

1 1/2 C whole wheat flour

1 C brown sugar (I used light; smitten kitchen did dark)

1 1/4 C rolled oats

3/4 tsp salt (I recommend 1/4-1/2 tsp)

3/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp cinnamon

3/4 C (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter (if you use salted, omit the salt above), cut into pieces

For the raspberry filling:

1/4 C white sugar (if your raspberries are tart at all, take this up to 6 Tbsp)

1 Tbsp lemon zest (I recommend 1/2 Tbsp)

1/2 tsp cinnamon

2 Tbsp white flour

1 pound (about 4 C) raspberries

1/4 C lemon juice

2 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted but not still hot

Directions:


Grease a 9x13 inch pan and put a piece of parchment paper in the bottom so that it drapes over the short ends of the pan (this makes it easy to take your bars out--you can get away with not doing it if you don't have parchment paper).

For crust/top:

Combine dry ingredients in food processor and give a pulse or two to combine. Add butter chunks and pulse until it's a crumb-like texture. (You can do this by hand with a pastry cutter or just by repeatedly mashing with your fingertips or a fork if you don't have a food processor.)

Reserve 1 1/2 C in a separate bowl to use later for topping. Put the rest in pan and press it in with your fingertips. Bake for 12-15 minutes at 350 degrees. Allow to cool (at least until you can touch the sides of the pan with your fingers).

For the Filling:

Whisk together sugar, zest, cinnamon, and flour. Add raspberries and lemon juice, and melted butter (you probably could get away with skipping that butter if you're trying to healthify this more). Gently toss.

To finish:

Put your raspberry mixture evenly over your crust. Sprinkle remaining 1 1/2 C crumb mixture over top.

Bake for about 30 minutes or until the top is golden and the raspberry part is bubbling or at least making a show of looking jam-like.

Allow to cool before cutting.

PRINTABLE RECIPE

Skillet Tarragon Chicken

Cheap Eat Challenge: Watch as our family of 6 eats, or tries to, on $6/day.

Tarragon is the herb of the gods. I'd never ever had it until trying this recipe several years ago. It smells like the angels are cooking in your kitchen--it's more subtle than the loud Italian seasonings, more sweet-ish than it's savory brothers like parsley and dill. It's just awesome and if you've never cooked with it, you really really should. This week.

If you're growing herbs in your garden, tarragon is a perennial and will return its bounty to you year after year. Just be sure to buy the French tarragon, which you will have to purchase as a plant. If it's grown from seed, it is Russian tarragon which isn't as good and which has weed like qualities.

This recipe has another angelic quality: cream. I'm sorry. I love it and it loves me back. If you have issues with cream, like that it contains fat, you could try making this with whole evaporated milk, which also has fat, but not quite as much. I haven't done this, but if any substitution is going to work, that'd be the one. (If you do try it, let me know how it turns out.) But really, I think you should live dangerously; I think you should try it with cream. It goes a long way for adding flavor and beauty to the dish. It pairs with tarragon like Romeo and Juliet minus the tragedy. It is surprisingly un-heavy in this dish. Who knows--maybe you, like me, will become a rebel without a cause and start keeping cream on hand.

I like this chicken served over rice or with potatoes. Although I bet it would work well with a thick, ever-so-slightly chewy pasta as well.

Skillet Tarragon Chicken
adapted from 365 Ways to Cook Chicken
serves 4-6
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Cost: $6.00
(chicken: 5.00--we used half as much as called for; chicken broth--.15, cream: .75, other stuff: .10)

2 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
4 chicken breasts (we used two), cut into strips
3/4 C chicken broth
2 tsp mustard (Dijon is better, plain works)
1 Tbs fresh tarragon, chopped, or 1 tsp tried tarragon
1/4 tsp pepper
3/4 C heavy cream

In large frying pan, melt butter in oil over medium heat. Add breast and cook about 4 minutes each side. Remove and set aside.

Add chicken broth to pan. Bring to a boil. Stir in mustard, tarragon, salt, and pepper. Taste and add salt or more pepper if needed. Whisk in cream and boil gently until mixture thickens slightly, about 3 minutes.

Return chicken to pan. Turn in sauce to coat, and simmer 5-10 minutes more until chicken is tender and cooked through.

Serve over rice, pasta, or potatoes.

PRINTABLE RECIPE