Heavenly Chocolate Bars

I have a bad habit of trying out new recipes when I'm serving them to a group. Since I don't always like all the recipes I try, you would think I would wait to experiment when there wouldn't be so many people eating them, but for some reason, I keep doing it anyway.

Yesterday, we went to a BBQ, and I had signed up to bring a dessert. True to form, I decided I wanted to try something new. Thankfully, this was one of the times when it worked out ok. Several people said they liked them, and I had a request for the recipe, so I decided it could be considered a success. Which means I'll probably do it again, and wind up serving something terrible to a group some time. If so, I'll just pretend not to know who brought whatever disastrous dish it is...

In the meantime, here is the recipe from last night, which is worth adding to my collection. It is from the book Chocolate Never Faileth. It doesn't take much hands-on time; just be aware you do need time for them to cool completely before drizzling the chocolate on top.

They're different from other bars I've had. They're kind of brownie-like, but with a somewhat gooey layer as well. Hmmm...I'm realizing I don't really know how to describe them, so you'll just have to try them for yourself:

Heavenly Chocolate Bars

Crust:
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 stick butter
1 c. flour
2 Tbsp. cocoa powder

Topping:
2 eggs
1 c. brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. chocolate chips
1 c. peanut butter chips (I didn't have PB chips but had butterscotch, and that was good, although I bet the PB would be great also. I'm sure you can use any combination of chips you would like)

Drizzle:
1 c. chocolate pieces, melted (chocolate chips work fine)

Preheat oven to 350. For the crust, cream brown sugar and butter. Add the flour and cocoa; mix well. (This is pretty thick, so it was much easier to use my KitchenAid mixer than it would have been to mix it by hand.) Press by hand into a greased 9 x 13 baking dish until mixture is spread evenly and covers the bottom of the dish. Bake for 10 minutes.

While the crust bakes, in a medium bowl, create the topping: Mix the eggs, brown sugar, and vanilla with a spoon. Stir in the baking powder and salt; mix well. Stir in both kinds of chips. Pour over baked crust and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. (15 minutes was plenty in my oven.) Cool completely.

To make the drizzle: In a microwave-safe glass bowl, melt the chocolate pieces. Microwave for one minute, stir, then heat at 30-second intervals until smooth. Stir the melted chocolate with a wooden spoon for a couple of minutes before using it to allow it to temper and prevent it from blooming when it cools. Pour melted chocolate into a ziploc bag, cut off a corner, and drizzle the entire cup of melted chocolate over the top of the bars in a checkerboard pattern, a zigzag pattern, or whatever design you like. Allow the drizzle to harden before cutting the bars and serving.

Peanut Butter Frosting

This is another one from the Barefoot Contessa. I've tried a few different peanut butter frosting recipes, and so far this is my favorite. I tried it on chocolate cupcakes, topped with a layer of chocolate ganache, and then this piped on the top. They were rich, but delicious.

Peanut Butter Frosting

1 c. powdered sugar

1 c. creamy peanut butter

5 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened (I just used salted because that's what I had)

3/4 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1/4 tsp. kosher salt (regular salt should be just fine)

1/3 c. heavy cream (I just used regular, not heavy)

Place the powdered sugar, peanut butter, butter, vanilla, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on medium-low speed until creamy, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula as you work. Add the cream and beat on high speed until the mixture is light and smooth.

Luscious Lemon Cream

I didn't name this recipe. The word "luscious" is not really frequently a part of my vocabulary. This recipe is definitely tasty, but I guess "Tasty Lemon Cream" just wouldn't sound the same.

This isn't the healthiest of fruit dips, but it is oh so good. My nephew came back for more 3-4 times the last time I brought this to family dinner. He liked it best with strawberries. Raspberries and blueberries are my favorite, but honestly, I love it on all kinds of fruit. It needs a little bit of time to cool, but otherwise, it goes together pretty quickly. This serves quite a few, so if only serving 6-8, you can probably cut it in half.

Luscious Lemon Cream

2 eggs

1 c. sugar, divided

1/3 c. lemon juice (bottled works fine)

1 Tbsp. cornstarch

1/2 c. water

1 tsp. vanilla

1 c. whipping cream, whipped

In bowl, beat together eggs, 1/2 c. of the sugar and lemon juice. In saucepan, combine remaining sugar and cornstarch. Stir in water. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened; remove from heat. Gradually beat in egg mixture. Over low heat, cook and stir until slightly thickened. Add vanilla; cool. (I stick it in the fridge or freezer to speed up the process.) Fold in whipped cream. (I whip the cream while the lemon mixture is cooling.) Serve with fresh fruit.