Strawberry Kahlua Brownies

If you follow me on Facebook (which you should, if you don't) then you know my intention was to share this perfect Valentines Day recipe yesterday...on the actual day.

Well, I guess I ended up enjoying my day a little too much.  By the time it got down to doing the leg work of writing out the recipe it was late and I was opting between relaxing with a new bottle of wine or typing out a post.

Come on, say you'd choose the wine too.

My dedication to the blog may seem lacking, but once you've made these brownies, I'm hoping that all is forgiven!  These brownies are dense and fudgey.  Once hot out of the oven, they're topped with Kahlua and cream.  A creamy fresh strawberry buttercream is perfectly spread over the top and finished with some Kahlua ganache.

I love them!  I love the flavor combinations.  I love the textures.  It's my idea of a perfect romantic dessert; chocolate, strawberries, and BOOZE.  *Happy dance*

Strawberry Kahlua Brownies
adapted from Desserts by the Yard

-3/4 c. plus 2 Tbsp. AP flour
-1/4 tsp. salt
-1/2 c. freeze dried stawberries
-4 oz. unsalted butter, cubed
-1 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped
-7 oz. semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
-2 large eggs
-1 c. sugar
-4 Tbsp. Kahlua
-2 Tbsp. heavy cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a 9x9 inch pan with parchment paper.  Coat evenly with a non-stick cooking spray.

Sift together flour and salt.  Add 1/2 c. freeze dried strawberries.  Set aside.

Melt butter, and chocolates in a microwave safe bowl at 50% power for about 2 minutes.  Stir after each 30 second interval.  Stir until chocolate is smooth.  Cool for about 10-15 minutes.

While your chocolate is cooling, in the bowl of a stand mixer beat eggs and sugar until they are fluffy.  Remove bowl from mixer and slowly hand whisk in chocolate mixture.  Fold in the flour and strawberries until no flour streaks remain.  Your batter will be very thick and sturdy.

Spread evenly into your prepared pan and bake for 22-25 minutes, turning pan halfway through.  A crust will form on the top, and a toothpick will NOT be clean because these are fudgey.  Remove and immediately poke holes all over the top with skewer, fork, etc...Combine Kahlua and cream and evenly pour over the top.

Cool completely before adding buttercream to the top.

Strawberry Buttercream
adapted from Confessions of a Tart

-2 egg whites
-1/2 c. sugar
-pinch of salt
-6 oz. unsalted butter, softened, cut into Tbsp. size pieces
-1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
-4 oz. fresh strawberries

Puree strawberries in a food processor.  Run puree through a fine mesh sieve to remove seeds and set puree aside.

Add eggs, sugar, and pinch of salt to a heat-proof bowl and set over a pot of simmering water.  The water should not touch the bottom of your bowl.  Whisk constantly until the eggs and sugar are hot to the touch and you feel no sugar granules.  All the whisking should make the mixture white and bubbly looking.

Transfer your egg mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer with whisk attachment and whisk on high speed until stiff peaks form and they appear glossy.  Still on high speed, add butter one piece at a time, incorporate before adding another piece.  It may start to take on a curdled look, but keep whipping and it will become smooth.

Once smooth, change to a paddle attachment.  On a low speed, slowly add vanilla and strawberry puree.  Beat on a low speed until the buttercream starts to come together and appears smooth and creamy. Spread evenly over cooled brownies.  Place in the fridge.


Kahlua Ganache
adapted from the Joy of Baking

-4 oz. semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
-4 Tbsp. heavy cream
-1 Tbsp. Kahlua

Bring heavy cream to low boil, stirring constantly.  Pour hot cream evenly over chocolate and let sit for 5 minutes.  Stir with a rubber spatula until smooth and shiny.  Add the Kahlua and stir to combine.

Remove brownies from fridge, remove from pan and cut into 16 squares (do not cut if spreading ganache over the entire pan).

I let my ganache sit for a few minutes and added to piping bags to create the hearts on the top.  You could opt for something easier by drizzling or spreading over the entire batch of brownies.  Let the ganache set up before serving.

Serve immediately or return to fridge until ready to serve.

Yummy. Yum. Yum.

Love Bark

Ah, Love Bark.  It reminds me a lot of the real thing.

It's sweet.  It's messy.  And no matter what, you can't help but going back for more and more.

I'll stop there.  If I keep looking for more analogies it might get a bit deep in here, and after all Love Bark is just candy!  However, it is THE perfect candy for Valentines Day.  Because even if we aren't all big on celebrating the holiday, who wouldn't love you if you brought a bowl of this in to share with co-workers?!

Love Bark 

adapted from Sally's Baking Addiction

Bottom Layer:

- 24 Double Stuf Oreos (you'll use the remaining for last step)

-1/4 c. salted butter (melted)

Line a 9x9 pan with parchment paper, leaving a parchment overhang.  Coat evenly with non-stick cooking spray.

In a food processor, pulse Oreos until they are a fine crumb. (Can be done with a rolling pin if you're looking to release some stress)  Pour the melted butter over the crumbs and pulse until the mixture starts to form together and it appears wet.  Spread mixture evenly over prepared pan and press down firmly.  Place in the freezer while you work on the next layer.

Middle Layer:

-1/2 c. unsalted butter, softened

-1/2 c. vegetable shortening

-1 Tbsp. vanilla extract

-several drops red food coloring (if desired)

-3 c. powdered sugar

In a bowl of stand mixer, cream together butter and shortening.  Add in vanilla and food coloring.  With mixer on low speed add powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time.  Beat on high until filling is fluffy and smooth.

Remove crust from freezer and evenly spread filling over the top using an offset spatula.  Return to freezer for 5-10 minutes or until filling is firm to touch.  Grab parchment overhang and remove your semi-completed bark from pan.  Place on level surface.

Top Layer:

-3/4 c.  chopped chocolate candy bark

-1/4 c. pink chocolate candy melts

-remaining Double Stuf Oreos, chopped

-Valentine candy sprinkles/decor of your choice

*You'll want to have everything ready because you will need to work quickly*

In a small bowl add your chopped Oreos and sprinkles.  

Place a glass bowl with chocolate bark over a pot of simmering water.

In a microwave safe bowl, add pink candy melts.

Once you notice your chocolate bark is 75% melted, start microwaving the pink candy melts on 30 second intervals.  Stir or whisk well after each interval so you do not over heat or the melts with turn gritty and hard.  The idea is that the chocolate and pink melts will be melted and ready at the same time. 

Quickly spread your chocolate over the top of your semi-completed bark using offset spatula.  Then drizzle the pink over the top in a back in forth motion and gently use a butter knife to create a swirl pattern by going the opposite direction in back and forth motion.  Quickly top with chopped Oreos and sprinkles.

Return to freezer.  To chop, take a pointed knife, and use the point of the knife to press down into the bark and gently wiggle back and forth to break apart.  Continue until you get desired amount and size of pieces.  Store in the fridge until you are ready to serve.

If you're on some dieting agenda, make sure you have a plan to get this stuff out of your house.  It is inevitable you will keep going back for more.  I also HIGHLY recommend you try the original source- Sally's Baking Addiction for the recipe because I made it for Christmas and it is AMAZING.  Um, it has peanut butter.  'Nuff said.

Take a peek at some of my other V-Day inspired recipes:

~Red Velvet Cake Batter Dip

                  AND

~Chocolate Raspberry Cookie Bars

Also, I'm back linking up to parties!  Go check out all the other yummy treats at:
Chef in Training and Inside BruCrew Life!

Salted Honey Pie

I've been obsessing over this pie for what feels like ages.  It has been in a desktop folder before I even knew what a Pinterest board was...you know, the dark ages.

Anytime a recipe crosses my path with the word "Honey" in it, I immediately take pause.  It isn't too often that honey is a prominent ingredient, prominent enough that you can distinguish its flavor.  And this pie isn't messing around when it comes to the honey.

We're not talking just a couple tablespoons here, but a full 3/4 cup!  So I hope you have plenty of honey on hand.  This pie is really very simple, but you may find the only ingredient you don't have is white cornmeal, perhaps the vanilla paste too.  At least go gather the cornmeal, you can find it at any grocer (I assume) more easily than vanilla paste, then make this goodness and put it in your mouth!  Because this pie is the Bee's Knees!

Pun fully intended.

Salted Honey Pie
adapted from Four & Twenty Blackbirds
makes 1, 9 inch pie

Pie Crust
-Your own recipe or a pre-made shell (chilled)

Filling
-1/2 c. unsalted butter, melted
-3/4 c. granulated sugar
-2 Tbsp. white cornmeal
-1/4 tsp. fine sea salt
-3/4 c. honey
-2 tsp. white vinegar
-1 tsp. vanilla bean paste
-3 eggs
-1/2 c. heavy cream

-course sea salt for sprinkling finished pie

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Move rack to the bottom portion of the oven.

In a large bowl, combine melted butter, sugar, salt, and cornmeal by hand or hand mixer until it is a thick, paste like consistency.  Mix in the honey, vanilla, and vinegar until combined.

In a small bowl, lightly whisk up the three eggs.  Add the eggs and heavy cream to your honey filling.  Fold until all the ingredients are incorporated.  Pour into your chilled 9"pie shell.  Line your pie crust with aluminum foil or your special pie shields.

Bake on lower rack for 40 minutes.  Move to middle rack and remove pie shields from crust.  Bake an additional 20 minutes.  The filling will really, really puff up and will be slightly wobbly in the middle when you go to remove it.

Let cool for at least an hour to set, and sprinkle with your desired amount of course sea salt.  The salt helps offset the sweetness of the pie slightly.

Cut and serve with whipped cream.  Make it yourself if you can! You won't regret this decision!

Okay, I straight up admit I used a pre-made crust.  Courtesy of Mrs. Smith if you must know.  Judge me if you will, but I'll say this:

image source

Make a crust from scratch and you'll reduce people to tears.  Tears from a salty, sweet, creamy heaven.  Because this pie is already amazing.  The filling forms this über thin crispy layer that tastes like the perfectly burnt part of a marshmallow.  The inside is almost like a caramel, with a slight hint of texture and flavor from the cornmeal, but of course amazingly HONEY.

AND the whipped cream balances out the sweetness that may be overwhelming if you gobble up a whole slice like I did.  I'm a honey badger.  I don't care!