German Chocolate Brownies

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...We had our second Easter dinner tonight. The first, which also happened to be our 51st wedding anniversary, was a bit of a disaster. Truth be told, I nearly cremated a leg of lamb that I thought was safely spinning on the spit of our new grill. Like Enrico, the troubadour in Il Trovatore, I was distracted and in my haste to start, finish and prioritize chores, I left both burners, as well as the rotisserie element of the grill on high. Within 40 minutes there was an inch of char covering my gorgeous, and I might add pricey, leg of lamb. Needless-to-say, we had pizza, as well as some interesting side dishes, for dinner Sunday night. Determined to do better, and to prove to myself that some kitchen witch had not stolen my culinary prowess, I recreated our Easter dinner tonight. I'm happy to report I still have game. The Silver Fox loved the brownies I made for dessert, so I thought I'd share them with you. I know you already have a gazillion recipes for brownies, but these German chocolate bars are so nice that I thought they might entice you to add just one more recipe to your collection. The recipe is based on one that first appeared in Cook's Country magazine, so rest assured, the brownies are worth your time, effort and dinero. I know you will enjoy them. Here is how they are made.

Countdown to Christmas - Sweet Chocolate and Almond Rondels

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...If you've been cooking for a while, you know that food fads and fashions come and go, and you've probably seen new waves of each replace more of the old than was ever necessary. Much of what is tossed aside will not be missed, but each generation produces some stellar dishes that should be protected by any caring cook who has ever made them. While I try not to bore, and truly embrace much of what is new, I tend to think of myself as a keeper of the keys and really do embrace and try to save the best of the old recipes, especially at this time of year. I've been going through the holiday recipes I've collected over the decades and wanted to share some of the more unusual ones with you this Christmas season. This cookie, which I've never seen elsewhere, is one of them and it comes from the Swedish kitchen of a neighbor who introduced me to cooking when I was a child. When bread was not baking, the aromas in her kitchen were a strange mix of cinnamon, cardamom and Murphy's Oil Soap. The soap blended nicely with the smells of the bread and cookies made in that kitchen, and heaven knows, only the bravest of germs would dare to lurk on a floor so clean that surgery could be performed on it. I think most of you will find this cookie to be unique, and while it is not a beautiful confection, it is delicious and worthy of a place on your holiday cookie tray. I love its simplicity and the ease with which it comes together, and if you are looking for a new cookie to add to your holiday collection, this one might well be it. Here is how these Christmas rondels are made.

Sweet Chocolate and Almond Rondels...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
Cookies
3/4 cup butter
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
Finely grated zest of 1 small orange
4 (1-ounce) squares of sweet chocolate
2 tablespoons cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
Topping
1 egg white
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup ground almonds
1/8 teaspoon almond extract

Directions:
1) Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Blend in cardamom and orange zest.
2) Add chocolate to cream in a small saucepan. Melt chocolate over low heat, stirring well to blend with cream. Cool slightly. Add to butter mixture with vanilla and salt. Blend well. Slowly stir in flour. Chill for 30 to 60 minutes.
3) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease 2 cookie sheets.
4) While dough chills, make almond topping. Beat egg white until foamy. Beat in sugar, blending well. Stir in almonds and almond extract.
5) Remove dough from refrigerator. Using a 1 teaspoon measure, form dough into small balls and place on prepared cookie sheets. Make a depression in center of each ball. Fill depression with almond topping.
6) Bake for 12 to 15 minutes. Do not brown. Let cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool completely. Yield: 2-1/2 to 3 dozen cookies.

      

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German Chocolate and Almond Cocoa Cream Cake

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Over time, I've collected many recipes and lots of ideas from Taste of Home magazine. The recipe for this cake, originally called Chocolate Lover's Delight, was developed by Sandra Hackney and it appeared in the magazine about a year ago. It's a wonderful cake and the recipe featured below is the one that was published in the magazine. What I want to talk about, however, is how the processes of making this delicious cake can be simplified. I have never found that German chocolate produces especially flavorful cakes. As a matter of fact, I think cake layers made with this type of chocolate are merely colorful vehicles for highlighting the tastes of other fillings and frosting. I've made this cake several times now, and I can tell you with certainty, that the icing is what sets this cake apart from others you may have tried. The secret to this cake is found in its grace notes, not in its layers. With that in mind, I decided to try the cake using a German chocolate cake mix. I made the cake following directions on the back of the box, save for the fact that I used three, rather than two, 9-inch cake pans to hold the batter. I've found that doing this eliminates the need to split layers once the cake has cooled. This of course alters baking time. Mine take about 20 minutes to bake, but timing is a fickle thing and you'll want to watch your layers carefully. The almond flavor in the finished cake comes from almond extract, so I've also decided to eliminate the ground almonds used to sprinkle on the layers. They add cost, not flavor, to the finished cake and have no texture that might make their use worthwhile. In the interest of transparency, I must tell you that I made extra icing, increasing the recipe by 1/2, to assure discernible layers and complete coverage of the cake for its photograph. I hope that, in its original or simplified form, you'll give this cake a try. It is really delicious. Here's the original recipe.

German Chocolate and Cocoa Cream Cake ...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Sandra Hackney

Ingredients:
Cake Layers
1-1/2 cups sugar, divided
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup canola oil
2 eggs, separated
2 ounces German sweet chocolate, melted
1 3/4 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
Frosting and Filling
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1/3 cup baking cocoa
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 cup Creme de Cacao
1/2 cup ground almonds

Directions:
1) Grease and flour two 9-in round cake pans; set aside. In large bowl, beat 1 cup sugar, buttermilk, oil, egg yolks, and melted chocolate till blended. Combine flour, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and baking soda; gradually beat into sugar mixture till blended.
2) In large bowl with clean beaters, beat egg whites till soft peaks form. Gradually beat in remaining sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, on high till stiff peaks form. Fold into batter.
3) Transfer to pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 18-22 minutes or till a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.
4) For frosting, beat cream, powdered sugar, cocoa, extract, and remaining salt till stiff peaks form.
5) Cut each cake horizontally into two layers; brush layers with cream de cacao. Place bottom layer on a serving plate; top with 1/2 cup frosting and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons almonds. Repeat layers twice. Top with remaining cake layer. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake; sprinkle remaining almonds over the top. Yield: 10-12 servings.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
German Chocolate Cake - Lisa Is Cooking
German Chocolate Mousse and Valentine's Cookies - Nutritious Eats
German Chocolate Cake Macarons - Wives with Knives
German Chocolate Pie: Grannie's Recipe - Cooking with K
German Chocolate Cupcakes with Coconut Almond Icing - Barbara Bakes
Small German Chocolate Cake - Cookie Madness
Death By German Chocolate Brownie-Cookie - It's A Big Cookie, Dude
German Chocolate Ice Cream Cake - Sugar Plum Blog
What is German's Chocolate? - Baking Bites
German Chocolate Cake Brownies - Baking Bites