unsalted butter – Aubrey About Town http://aubreyabouttown.com The going-ons of SF party host & chef, bon vivant, homme du monde, & man-about-town Fri, 15 May 2020 10:21:28 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.5.3 https://i0.wp.com/aubreyabouttown.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/cropped-43DD7C41-CD23-44CF-9EC7-C1D81E967BB4.png?fit=32%2C32 unsalted butter – Aubrey About Town http://aubreyabouttown.com 32 32 58900657 Aubrey’s Perfect ‘Cake-to-Fudgy’ Brownies http://aubreyabouttown.com/recipe/aubreys-perfect-cake-to-fudgy-brownies/ http://aubreyabouttown.com/recipe/aubreys-perfect-cake-to-fudgy-brownies/#respond Fri, 15 May 2020 08:19:58 +0000 http://aubreyabouttown.com/?post_type=recipe&p=2130
Aubrey’s Perfect Brownies
These brownies are the perfect balance of cake and fudge. The secret of using a small about of coffee enhances the flavour of chocolate, making it chocolatier, without a ‘mocha’ taste for the perfect intense chocolate bite.
Servings15 brownies
Prep Time5 mins
Cook Time25 mins
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. Grease the bottom and length of sides of a 9”x13”x2” inch baking pan, line bottom and length of the sides with parchment paper.
  2. Place rack in center of oven; Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  3. In a medium bowl, combine cocoa powder and flour; set aside.
  4. In large microwave-safe bowl, melt 3-sticks butter for 1-1½ minutes, or until melted.
  5. Mix in sugar, espresso mixture, vanilla, and salt.
  6. With a wooden spoon, vigorously beat in eggs one at a time until smooth.
  7. Mix in cocoa-flour mixture until smooth.
  8. Fold in walnuts & chocolate chips, spread into prepared pan.
  9. Bake 35-40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out with moist crumbs, but not sticky.
  10. Cool completely on rack.
  11. Using a long serrated knife, slice into 15 brownies (3 columns, 5 rows), or slice 2 columns, 6 rows for a dozen larger brownies.
  12. Store in an airtight container, or wrap individual brownies in plastic wrap or cello bags.
Recipe Notes

Make Them Your Own!

Substitute semi-sweet chocolate chips for butterscotch chips, peanut butter chips, or white chocolate chips, etc.
Try different nut & chips combinations: chopped pecans & butterscotch chips, chopped salted peanuts & peanut butter chips, chopped macadamia nuts & white chocolate chips topped with sweetened shredded coconut. Your way!

]]> http://aubreyabouttown.com/recipe/aubreys-perfect-cake-to-fudgy-brownies/feed/ 0 2130 Lemon-Poppyseed Cake with Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese Frosting http://aubreyabouttown.com/recipe/lemon-poppyseed-cake-with-cream-cheese-frosting/ http://aubreyabouttown.com/recipe/lemon-poppyseed-cake-with-cream-cheese-frosting/#respond Thu, 14 May 2020 11:57:34 +0000 http://aubreyabouttown.com/?post_type=recipe&p=2086
Lemon-Poppyseed Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Servings10 slices
Prep Time25 mins
Cook Time30 mins
Passive Time2 hours
Ingredients
Lemon-Poppyseed Cake
Simple Syrup
Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese Frosting
Instructions
Prepare Lemon-Poppyseed Cake
  1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.
  2. Grease bottom & sides of two 9-inch round cake pans. Line bottoms with parchment rounds, dust sides with flour.
  3. In a large bowl, sift together, cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk to combine.
  4. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter, sugar, and lemon zest until mixture becomes very pale and fluffy.
  5. Mix in canola oil.
  6. Mix in one egg and a time, mixing well after each addition.
  7. In a small bowl, mix together buttermilk, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and lemon extract.
  8. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture to the butter/sugar mixture. Mix on low speed just until combined.
  9. Add in 1/2 of the buttermilk mixture and mix just until combined.
  10. Add another 1/3 of the flour mixture and mix just until combined. Mix in remaining 1/2 of the buttermilk mixture and finish by mixing in the last 1/3 of the flour mixture.
  11. Fold in poppyseeds.
  12. Scrape sides and bottom with a rubber spatula and gently fold until batter is evenly
  13. incorporated.
  14. Evenly divide batter between two prepared cake pans. Spread into an even layer.
  15. Bake in preheated oven until toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean, about 30 minutes.
  16. Remove from oven let cool in pan 20 minutes.
  17. Invert cakes onto wire racks, cool completely.
Prepare Lemon Syrup
  1. In a small saucepan, heat water and sugar to dissolve sugar.
  2. Remove from heat and stir in limoncello (or lemon juice).
  3. Let cool.
Prepare Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese Frosting
  1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy.
  2. Beat in heavy cream and vanilla bean paste.
  3. Sift in confectioners sugar, mix on low to incorporate sugar.
  4. Beat until fluffy. Set aside.
Assemble the Cake:
  1. Poke 15 holes in each cake layer, brush each layer with 1/4 cup lemon syrup.
  2. Gently peel-off parchment round from one cake layer.
  3. Place cake layer upright on to a 9-inch cardboard cake round.
  4. Spread a generous layer of frosting on top of bottom cake layer, spreading to the edges.
  5. Place top layer top-side down onto first frosted layer, gently peel-off parchment round.
  6. Put a large dollop of frosting into top of cake, spreading it all the way to the edge. Spread frosting on sides of cake in an upward fashion to meet the frosted top.
  7. Using an offset spatula, spread frosting evenly and smooth.
  8. Holding frosted cake from the bottom, gently press in poppyseeds around sides of cake.
  9. Garnish top of cake with a sugar pastillage poppy flower (see notes below). Refrigerate 1 hour to set. Serves 10.
Recipe Notes

My friend, Michelle Capogreco in New York sells the red sugar pastillage poppy seen in photo, as well as other flowers, and custom designs on her Etsy store, Sweetpea Sugar Art

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