Speculoos Swirl Brownies

I discovered speculoos spread while travelling in Belgium - and truly my life was empty before that day!  Speculoos/speculaas are spiced biscuits similar to gingerbread, and the spread is mostly made up of the crushed biscuits.  It's absolutely delicious.

These cocoa brownies are liberally swirled with speculoos spread.  They're chewy, dense and sweet - so good!

In Australia, I buy my speculoos online from It's All Dutch To Me (search for 'Lotus').  I have also found a different brand at Aldi but I find that less reliable as it's not always in store!

Recipe adapted from: Alice Medrich via Butter Baking
Ingredients - 20 cm (8 inch) square tin
225g butter
450g white sugar
110g cocoa powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
3 eggs
120g flour
3/4 cup Speculoos spread (also known as cookie butter or Biscoff)

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 170C (325F).

2. Line a 20 cm (8 inch) baking tin with baking paper.

3. Melt the butter in the microwave or over a double boiler.

4. Mix the sugar, cocoa powder, salt, and vanilla essence into the melted butter.

5. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition until the mixture is combined.

6. Fold the flour into the batter then beat it with a spatula or wooden spoon for 40 strokes.

7. Pour the batter into the lined baking tin and smooth out the top.

8. Drop tablespoons of Speculoos over the top of the batter then swirl it in with a knife.  Don't break the blobs up too much but make sure that there will be Speculoos in every slice!

9. Bake the brownies for about 35 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out with a few crumbs.

10. Let the brownies cool (I usually leave them in the fridge for a bit, it makes it easier to cut them up) - finally, cut the brownies into the size of your choosing.

Enjoy!

Flourless Fudge Brownies (Gluten Free)

These brownies are dense, fudgy, flourless and gluten free!  (Reviewers have said that they are so good that they can't believe it's gluten free...)  They also have a great tang from the use of brown sugar in the batter.

Recipe adapted from: Haigh's Chocolate
Ingredients - 21 x 31 cm (8 x 12 inch) brownie tin
200g dark chocolate
267g butter
4 eggs
250g brown sugar
250g white sugar
133g hazelnut meal
1 tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt
34g cocoa powder

Method
1. Start by preheating your oven to 175C (350F).  Melt the chocolate and butter in the microwave, mix to combine them and set aside.

2. Whisk the eggs with the brown sugar and white sugar until slightly lightened in colour.  Don't beat this too hard as you want the brownies to be fudgy, not fluffy!

3. Add the chocolate mixture to the egg mixture and whisk until combined.

4. Using a spatula or wooden spoon, mix the hazelnut meal, baking powder, salt and cocoa powder into the batter.  Mine turns out to be a spreadable consistency so don't be worried if it's not runny.

5. Line your 20cm x 30cm brownie tin with baking paper and spread the batter evenly into the tin.

6. Bake for 50 minutes - an inserted toothpick should come out with a few crumbs.

7. Let the brownies cool in the tin then put them in the refrigerator and chill for a while so they'll be easier to cut (I leave mine in the fridge overnight).

8. Cut into the size of your choice and enjoy!

White Chocolate 'Brownies'

So, yeah, they aren't brown, but they're kind of brownies because they use chocolate.  These have a really great texture, they're not overly sweet, and they're so easy to make!  You can do it all by hand in one bowl!

Recipe adapted from: Broma Bakery
Ingredients - 20 cm (8 inch) square tin
125g butter
1 cup good quality white chocolate (I used Callebaut chips)
1 egg
395g sweetened condensed milk (1 can)
1 tbsp vanilla essence
1 tsp salt
235g flour

Method
1. Preheat your oven to 175 C (350 F).

2. Microwave the butter and white chocolate in 20-30 second bursts, mixing in between, until melted.

3. Let the mixture cool a bit then add the egg, condensed milk, vanilla essence and salt.  Stir until combined.

4. Finally, gently fold the flour into the batter.

5. Line a 20 x 20cm brownie tin with baking paper.

6. Pour the batter in and bake in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes, until lightly golden.  Make sure not to overdo them as you want them to be dense and fudgy!

7. Let the brownies cool in the tin for a few minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

8. Chop into slices and enjoy!

Caramel Pecan 'Turtle' Brownies

I have seen many 'turtle' recipes on the internet, all involving caramel, pecans and chocolate.  I now know that there is a certain sweet called turtles, but I've never seen them in Australia.

All that aside, these brownies are gorgeously dense and chocolatey, and the caramel-pecan layer adds some extra sweet crunchiness.  My favourite way to eat these is either fresh out of the oven or, for a similar effect, briefly heated for about 10 seconds in the microwave so that the caramel oozes out of the middle and the brownie goes soft and warm.

Recipe adapted from: Averie Cooks
Ingredients - 21 x 31 cm (8 x 12 inch) brownie tin
115g butter
170g dark chocolate
2 eggs
185g white sugar
1 tbsp vanilla essence
1 tbsp instant coffee granules (optional)
115g flour
1 cup pecans
About 1 cup (250mL) salted caramel (recipe and method here, just add salt!)

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 175 C (350 F).  Line a brownie tin with baking paper.

2. Melt the butter and chocolate, mix them until combined.

3. Let the chocolate mixture cool for a bit, then whisk the eggs, sugar, vanilla and coffee in.

4. Stir the flour into the mixture. 

5. Chop the pecans into chunks (not too fine).

6. Pour half the brownie batter into the prepared tin.  Bake it for about 15 minutes until the top has just crusted over - don't overbake it!

7. Take the brownie out of the oven and sprinkle the pecans evenly over the top, then pour the caramel on.

8. Carefully spread the rest of the brownie batter evenly on top.

9. Bake the whole brownie for another 25 minutes.

10. Let the brownie cool for a while before cutting it, as it will be difficult when the caramel's all warm and liquid.  You can even put it in the fridge for a while to make sure that everything's set.

These brownies can be enjoyed cold...

Or they can be warmed up in the microwave so that the caramel's melted.  So delicious!

Cream Cheese Espresso Swirl Brownies

These brownies are a combination of fudgy chocolate and tangy coffee-tinged cream cheese goodness.  Absolutely amazing!

Recipe adapted from: Chewy Gooey Crispy Crunchy Melt-In-Your-Mouth Cookies by Alice Medrich
Ingredients - brownies (17 x 26 cm (6.5 x 10 inch))
1 recipe Steve Ritual brownies (omit the nuts)
Ingredients - cream cheese swirl
1 tbsp instant coffee
1 tbsp water
225g cream cheese
65g white sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 200 C (400 F) and line a 22cm (9 inch) square tin or equivalent with baking paper.

2. Prepare the brownie batter (see this method).

3. Spread all but about 1/2 cup of the batter in the baking tin.

4. Combine the instant coffee with the water in a small bowl.  I used hot water for this.

5. Mix the cream cheese with the sugar and vanilla until smooth.  This is easy to do since the cream cheese is soft, so I did it by hand.

6. Stir the egg and the coffee mixture into the cream cheese mixture.  Beat until smooth.

7. Spoon dollops of the coffee batter and the reserved brownie batter onto the top of the batter that's already in the tin.  Make sure that the dollops are nicely separated so that the brown and white colours are alternating.

8. Using a knife, gently swirl through the dollops back and forth (just dip the knife in, don't push it all the way down to the bottom of the baking tin).  Swirl as you like until a nice pattern forms - keeping in mind that if you mess with it too much, the colours will blend together and won't look as good.

9. Bake the brownies for about 25 minutes.  When it's near the end of that time, prepare the Steve Ritual ice bath by finding a pan big enough to hold the brownie tin and filling it about 3/4 full of water and ice cubes.

10. When the brownies are done, set the tin straight into the ice bath and leave to chill.

11. Cut into rectangles or squares and enjoy!

Caramel Coconut Pecan Swirl Brownies

Do you ever have those days when you're feeling down and only a long-time-loved, tried-and-tested recipe will make you feel better?  For me, that recipe is brownies.  There's something calming and therapeutic about licking the batter off the spatula and the sides of the mixing bowl while the batter that made it into the brownie tin is baking in the oven.

For this batch of brownies, I tried something a little different and ended up dousing them in caramel and coconut and pecans.  They were absolutely mouthwatering.

(21 x 31 cm (8 x 12 inch) brownie tin)
Recipe Adapted From: How To Be A Domestic Goddess by Nigella Lawson (the brownie), and Sugar High (the caramel topping)
Ingredients - caramel
2 cups white sugar
1/4 cup corn syrup (I used Queen Glucose Syrup)
1/2 cup water
3/4 cup thickened cream
2 tbsp butter
1/2 shredded coconut
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Method
1. In a heavy-based saucepan, combine the sugar, corn syrup and water.  Cook over a medium heat and stir occasionally until the mixture reaches 175 C (350 F) on a candy thermometer, or turns a light brown colour.  This should take a while, so don't expect it to happen immediately!

2. After the mixture goes brown, remove it from the heat and quickly add 1/2 cup of the cream and all of the butter.  Mix until combined.  It will froth a bit, but keep stirring and it'll go down.

3. Stir the rest of the cream into the caramel.

4. Take about half of the caramel away (for use later).  Stir the shredded coconut and chopped pecans into the remaining caramel.

5. Set the caramel aside and start making your brownie batter!  I used Nigella Lawson's awesome recipe, the ingredients and method of which can be found here on my blog.

6. For this particular brownie, I decided to load up with the caramel because I had extra and, why not?  So, I poured a layer of brownie batter into my tin and then drizzled plain caramel on top.  (You can skip this step if you want - it makes the brownie deliciously sweet and chewy, but if that's not your thing, move right on ahead!)

I topped that off with another layer of brownie batter, making sure to cover up all of the caramel.

7. Now it's time for the coconut-pecan topping.  Blob it on top of the brownie...

...then swirl it around a bit with a knife.

8. Bake for 30-40 mins, or until the top is crackly.  A skewer inserted in the middle should come out a bit gloopy, because you don't want your brownie to be all cakey!  (Unless, of course, you like it that way - but I prefer my brownies to be sludgy and dense).

9. Leave the brownie to cool in the tin for a while then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. I left mine in the fridge overnight to make it easier to cut.

10. Chop into whatever size pieces you desire and enjoy!

The drizzle of caramel that I sandwiched between the layers of brownie batter sunk down to the bottom, giving the lower half of the brownie a chewy texture and the rich caramel taste.  Meanwhile, up top, the coconut and pecan mixture provided a crunchy and chewy texture to break up the heaviness of the brownie.  This combo is definitely a winner.

Steve Ritual Brownies

Okay, I know that I usually rave about every single brownie recipe I try and go on and on about how it's the best - but I think I've hit the mother lode here.  If you like your brownies dense and creamy, this is for you.  Even the edges are just as good - no fluffy cakey bits!

The main jewel of this recipe is its particular method of baking.  After taking the brownies out of the oven, you need to immediately set the pan in an ice bath.  This ensures that the whole brownie ends up fudgy and soft with just a hint of crunch in the crust on the top.

Recipe Adapted From: Chewy Gooey Crispy Crunchy Melt-In-Your-Mouth Cookies by Alice Medrich
Ingredients (20 cm (8 inch) square tin)
110g butter
110g dark chocolate
250g white sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
2 eggs
60g flour
2/3 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

Method
1. Set the oven to 205C (400F).

2. Melt the butter and chocolate in a large bowl.

3. Stir in the sugar, vanilla and salt.  I just used a wooden spoon and did it by hand.

4. Beat in the eggs, one at a time.

5. Stir in the flour and beat with the spoon until the batter is all smooth and glossy.  It will be quite liquid.

6. Pour the batter into a 20cm (8 inch) square pan lined with baking paper.  Yes, mine is lined with foil - this was a mistake, because the brownie sticks to the foil.  So use baking paper!

7. Bake the brownie for 20 minutes or until it begins to pull away from the edge of the pan.  Mine was super super fudgy after 20 minutes of baking, so you could probably do 25 minutes and still be fine.

While the brownie's baking, prepare an ice bath - fill a larger baking tin or a roasting pan with water and then add some ice cubes.  Make sure there isn't too much water - you don't want it overflowing and getting on your brownies!

8. When the brownies are done baking, place the pan straight into the ice bath and leave it to cool.

9. When the brownies are cool (or a little bit warm...they're delicious like that, though they're much easier to cut when they're cold), transfer the slab to a cutting board and cut into whatever size you like.

And enjoy the chocolatey goodness.

Raspberry Brownies

I have a bit of an aversion to most fruit, and I try to avoid recipes that involve tainting my toothachingly sweet baked goods with any fruity substance.

These brownies-with-a-bite are one of my few exceptions to the rule.

They're so simple to make - just follow this recipe for brownies and before you bake them, sprinkle frozen or fresh raspberries over the top and poke them in a bit.

Bake for the usual amount of time (I like to leave mine very squishy and fudgy) and consume.  The raspberries add a nice fresh and tangy taste to the richness of the brownie.  Beautiful!

Heart Attack Slice

Heart Attack Slice is a delicious merging of brownies and choc chip cookies.

It's a fatal combination.

Making the slice is so easy - just whip up some choc chip cookie dough and then some brownie batter and smoosh them together.

So delicious.  For an extra bit of something, add nuts (I usually use pecans) to the cookie dough.

Brownies

"I don't understand why people don't make brownies all the time - they're so easy and so wonderful."

Nigella Lawson

Thank you, Nigella, for thou hast shown me the light.  Brownies are truly wonderful; with their wonderful flaky top, cakey outer and gooey middle.  Don't forget the oh-so-chocolatey taste.  Plus, they are super easy to make and always a crowd pleaser.

Ingredients - 23 x 32cm brownie tin (approx 9 x 12.6 inch)

375g soft unsalted butter/margarine

375g very good quality dark chocolate

6 large eggs

1 tbsp vanilla extract

500g caster sugar

225g plain flour

1 tsp salt (omit if using salted butter/margarine)

300g chopped walnuts or pecans (optional - can substitute choc chips or other bitty ingredient instead)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees C.  Line a 23 x 32cm rectangular tin (or equivalent) with baking paper and set aside.

2. Melt the butter and chocolate together in the microwave, or in a heavy based pan.

3. With an electric mixer, beat the eggs, sugar and vanilla together until well blended.

4. When the chocolate mixture has cooled a bit, beat it into the eggs and sugar until just blended.  If you beat it on too high speed for too long, the brownies will be more cakey than fudgy.

5. Fold in the flour, and nuts if you're using them.

6. Scrape into the lined tin and flatten the mixture out with a spatula.

7. Bake for about 25 minutes in the preheated oven.  When the brownie is done, the top should be have a thin layer of flakiness but the middle should still be dense and dark.  Make sure you don't overcook them!

8. Cut into slices as big or small as you want.  I like about a 6cm square; the brownies are pretty rich.

You can add caramel in the middle, too - split the brownie batter into half.  Pour half in the pan and bake it for about 10 minutes or until the top is cooked-ish.  Then pour caramel in and the rest of the brownie over the top.  Make for another 10 - 15 minutes.

The caramel was a real hit with my friends.

So, whip up these delicious brownies for whatever event you next have on - believe me.  They are pretty much the best.