Brown Sugar Brownies

My mom always says that everything you bake tastes better with brown sugar, so she substitutes brown sugar for granulated white sugar in almost every recipe. Often times, that's fine, but sometimes (as with cookies) there's a precise ratio of brown sugar to white sugar that needs to be adhered to, or else you end up with the wrong texture.

So when I saw this recipe for Brown Sugar Brownies, I immediately thought of my mom. Was she right? Are brownies better when made with brown sugar? Well, the answer is yes and no. I loved the caramel-y undertone that the brown sugar lends to these brownies, but these are cakey, not fudgey brownies... and when it comes to brownies, I prefer a more fudgey brownie. So if you like cakey brownies, you should give this recipe a try. For something a bit more decadent (but super easy), check out one of my favorites - Gooey Caramel Brownies.

These brownies were made thanks to the generous folks at C&H Sugar who sent me a $20 gift card. Visit their site for great homemade gifts ideas this holiday season - they have recipes for cookie jar gifts, as well as some fabulous looking homemade sugar scrub!

Brown Sugar Brownies
from C&H Sugar

1 cup C&H Pure Cane Golden Brown Sugar, packed
1/2 cup butter or margarine (1 stick), softened
2 eggs
2 oz. unsweetened chocolate (2 squares), melted
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped (I omitted these)



Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease 8x8x2-inch square baking pan (I used a 9-inch square pan so my brownies were thinner). In large bowl beat sugar and butter until fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Beat in chocolate, then flour. Stir in nuts. Pour into pan. Bake 20 to 25 minutes. Cool in pan and cut into bars.

Yield: 24 squares

Sugared Cranberries

Here's a great holiday recipe I found last year. It's so quick and easy! (If I had time to do this for Thanksgiving less than two weeks after having my baby, then surely you have time to make these too.)

All you have to do is make a simple syrup with equal parts sugar and water. Then steep the cranberries in the syrup overnight. The next day, drain them and roll them in some superfine sugar to coat. That's it!


I really like that the sugared cranberries aren't overly sweet. They're slightly tart since you're using fresh cranberries, and then the sugar balances out the tartness with just a little bit of sweet. If you don't have superfine sugar, just toss some regular granulated sugar in your food processor and give it a whirl.


These would be great for your holiday table next week, so give them a try!

Sugared Cranberries
from Cooking Light

2 cups granulated sugar
2 cups water
2 cups fresh cranberries
3/4 cup superfine sugar


Combine granulated sugar and water in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring mixture until sugar dissolves. Bring to a simmer; remove from heat. (Do not boil or the cranberries may pop when added.) Stir in cranberries; pour mixture into a bowl. Cover and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.

Drain cranberries in a colander over a bowl, reserving steeping liquid, if desired. Place superfine sugar in a shallow dish. Add the cranberries, rolling to coat with sugar. Spread sugared cranberries in a single layer on a baking sheet; let stand at room temperature 1 hour or until dry.

Note: The steeping liquid clings to the berries and helps the sugar adhere. Store in an airtight container in a cool place for up to a week.

Yield: 9 servings (serving size: about 1/3 cup)

Sablés (TWD)

This week's Tuesdays with Dorie (TWD) recipe was chosen by Barbara of Bungalow Barbara: Sablés. Sablés are shortbread-like French butter cookies known for their sandy texture (in fact, "sablés" means "sand" in French).


This post is going to be short and sweet because I'm still adjusting to life with a newborn... but let me just say that for a cookie that is so simple to make, the outcome is wonderful. I really enjoyed the crumbly, sandy texture of these cookies, as well as the intense butter flavor. It's a shame that this recipe contains two whole sticks of butter (and yields only 2 dozen cookies), otherwise I'd be more inclined to make these more often! These would be great for holiday gift giving, though.


If you would like the recipe, you can find it here on Barbara's blog. She's also got some great tips on shaping the dough into a log and how to help keep the logs from flattening out while chilling. Make sure you check out the TWD Blogroll, to see how everyone else enjoyed these buttery treats.


* Recipes notes:
- The recipe instructions call for 2 egg yolks to be added to the dough and then an additional yolk to coat the logs before sprinkling them with sugar. The third egg yolk is not listed in the ingredients list but rest assured that the dough is supposed to contain two yolks, not just one.
- I decorated my cookies with red decorating sugar but I think turbinado sugar yields a more classic, elegant look.
- The cookies will keep in a tin at room temperature for about 5 days. If you do not sprinkle the sablés with sugar, they can be wrapped airtight and frozen for up to 2 months. Because the sugar will melt in the freezer, the decorated cookies are not suitable for freezing.
- For tips from other TWD bakers, click here.

The Sweetest Thing I've Ever Made

This Thanksgiving our family has something to be extra thankful for - this little bun was nine months in the making but absolutely worth the wait.



Annalise was welcomed into this world on November 12th (1 day after her due date) at 5:42pm. She weighed 7 lbs 4.4 oz and measured 20-inches long.



Wishing everyone a wonderful Thanksgiving filled with lots of good eats, sweet treats, and holiday cheer.

Sugar-Topped Molasses Spice Cookies (TWD)

As previously mentioned, for the month of November, we're posting recipes in any order, not just one particular week. So for this week's Tuesdays with Dorie (TWD) I'm posting about the Sugar-Topped Molasses Spice Cookies chosen by Pamela of Cookies with Boys. I actually made these cookies last year for the holidays and loved them!

The black pepper really gives them a nice flavor, so I recommend adding 1/4 teaspoon instead of just a pinch. The cookies also spread quite a bit while baking, so be sure not to place them too close together on the baking sheet.

My only other tip would be to watch these closely and take them out while they still look a little soft in the middle. This will yield a soft and chewy cookie. If you wait until they look done in the oven, they will be more of a crispy cookie. I guess it depends on the kind of cookie you like :)

If you would like the recipe, you can find it here or on Cookies with Boys. Make sure you check out the TWD Blogroll, to see what everyone else baked up this week.

Thanks Pamela, for choosing this recipe. While I did not have the time bake along with you this week, I will surely be making them again at some point during the holiday season.

* Recipes notes:
- For tips from other TWD bakers, click here.

All in One Holiday Bundt Cake (TWD)

As I pointed out last week, for the month of November, we're switching things up and the recipes can be posted in any order, not just one particular week. So for this week's Tuesdays with Dorie (TWD) installment, I made the recipe chosen by Britin of The Nitty Britty: All in One Holiday Bundt Cake.


It really is everything you think of when it comes to the holidays. It's a spiced pumpkin cake filled with apples, cranberries, and pecans (though I omitted the pecans). Much better than any traditional fruit cake, in my opinion!

Dorie says it's a one bowl recipe, but I am not sure how it can be when you have liquid and dry ingredients? It is, however, a pretty simple recipe that requires only two bowls. The most time consuming aspect of this recipe is peeling and chopping the apple and chopping up the fresh cranberries.


I read that some bakers had problems getting their cake to release from the bundt pan. I had no such issues, but I did butter and flour my pan. The recipe says to just butter it but I have always buttered and floured my bundt pans so I went ahead and did that and it worked just great.


This was a pretty good cake. I really enjoyed the flavors of pumpkin, apples & cinnamon, and cranberries together. A lot of my apple chunks sank to the bottom of the bundt pan (top of the cake) but otherwise everything came out perfectly.


Thanks Britin, for picking this recipe - it's a great cake for the holidays. If you would like the recipe, you can find it here. Make sure you check out the TWD Blogroll, to see what everyone else baked up this week.

* Another update - I am due tomorrow, with no promising signs of labor thus far, so we'll just have to wait and see when this baby makes her arrival! In the meantime, I'll keep baking along...



* Recipes notes:
- For easy release from your bundt pan, butter and flour it before adding the batter. PAM cooking spray with flour works well, too.
- Baking time was just at 65-70 minutes in my oven.
- Wrapped well, the cake will keep at room temperature for up to 5 days, at which point it will be perfect for toasting, or for up to 2 months in the freezer.
- For more tips, click here.

Cran-Apple Crisps (TWD)

For the month of November, we're switching things up and the recipes can be posted in any order, not just one particular week. So for this week's Tuesdays with Dorie (TWD) installment, I made the recipe chosen by Em of The Repressed Pastry Chef: Cran-Apple Crisps.


I love baked fruit, and crisps are among my favorite desserts. They take very little time but they're so delicious. This recipe is pretty much your basic apple crisp, with the addition of both fresh and dried cranberries. I have to say that I absolutely loved the cranberries! They were slightly sweet but also tart enough to add a little contrast to the sweet apples. A few bakers thought the filling was too sweet, but I didn't find that to be the case, especially if you serve the crisp with a scoop of vanilla ice cream :)

I made one large crisp in a 1.5 quart casserole dish and then one mini crisp in a creme brulee dish. The mini crisp was done in 45 minutes but the large crisp was done around 50-55 minutes. My only complaint was that the filling was a little runny in the large one, so I would recommend adding more flour to your filling if you are going to make one large crisp instead of individual servings.


Thanks Em, for picking this recipe, I would definitely make it again. If you're looking for a quick and easy dessert for Thanksgiving that will surely be a crowd pleaser, then I would recommend this one. It would be a nice change from all the pumpkin pie, pecan pie, and sweet potato pies that are typically served! If you would like the recipe, you can find it here. Make sure you check out the TWD Blogroll, to see what everyone else baked up this week.

And with eight days left until my due date, I'm not sure when I will be posting another recipe, but stay tuned for an update! :)


* Recipes notes:
- Baking time was increased by about 5-10 minutes for one large crisp as opposed to 8 individual servings.
- Add some extra flour to the filling if you're making one large crisp.
- You can easily make the topping without the use of a food processor by simply cutting the butter in with a pastry blender.
- Omit the sugar from the filling if you prefer something less sweet but keep in mind that the cranberries may seem more tart if you do that.
- For more tips, click here.