Biscoff Brownies

So after scouring Pinterest for like 2 hours, I found a recipe for brownies so that I could use my new mixer!  I was after brownies because I had an entire bar of unsweetened chocolate (thanks, Dad) and no baking soda (probably also my dad's fault).  This is the very first time I have ever made these brownies and also attempted to document it by myself.  With an iPhone.  With my baby eating his lunch.  I only had so much time before he finished and started screaming to be let down.  So.  Onto the recipe.  But first-- here's my baking partner, enjoying his lunch of hummus chicken, butternut squash and cheerios (they keep him busy...I know you have done it too).

So this is the recipe I used from The Food Librarian (her pictures are way better!!):

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
4 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup Biscoff spread or Trader Joe's Cookie Spread, melted

1.  Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter or spray an 8-inch square baking pan and line with parchment.
2.  Put butter and chocolates in a heatproof medium bowl set over a pan of simmering water; stir until melted. Let cool slightly.
3.  Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.
4.  Whisk granulated sugar into chocolate mixture. Add eggs, and whisk until mixture is smooth. Stir in vanilla. Add flour mixture; fold until incorporated.
5.  Pour batter into pan. Pour melted Biscoff spread (microwave in 15 second increments) onto batter, and swirl with a butter knife.
6.  Bake until a cake tester inserted comes out with a few crumbs, between 25-35 minutes depending on your oven. Let cool.

Here's how it went.

First, gather your ingredients.  Place them next to your beautiful KitchenAid so it looks kinda like this...

Next, chop up your chocolates.  I used an unsweetened bar and chocolate chips (leftover).  I didn't cut up the chips.

Cut up the butter and put it into the double boiler.  Yes, this is my double boiler.  I just bought a KitchenAid, I can't afford a real double boiler!!

In the meantime, toss your dry ingredients into a bowl.

Keeping checking that chocolate!  You don't want it to seize up in the bottom of the bowl.  Or burn...which could also mean seize...

This is what it will look like-- all pretty and smooth.  I'm pretty sure the chocolatiers on Food Network's extreme chocolate competitions would be proud.  So, let it cool.  I let it cool by pouring it into the the mixer's bowl.  For like 3 minutes.  I could hardly wait to get mixing!  Once the chocolate has cooled just a tad, add the sugar and MIX!

Here she is!  Isn't it pretty?  Look at her go!  Add the eggs and whisk until smooth.  

And then vanilla.

All mixed up.  Now is time to add the dry ingredients.  I switched to the paddle attachment for this-- the one with rubber spatula-like thing on the side.  This is not the standard paddle attachment that comes with it.  The standard paddle attachment would work just fine.  The original recipe says to fold in the flour mixture until incorporated.  I'm pretty sure fold means using a rubber spatula (not mixing) but I wanted to use my mixer so I used this attachment on low so it wouldn't beat the crap out of it.

So if using the stand mixer, mix on speed 1.  If doing it by hand, fold baby!  

Pour the batter in a greased pan.

This is where I would do things differently.  I'm going to continue with the original steps of the recipe, because that's how I made it, and then tell you what I would do differently.  So when you're done mixing on slow (or folding by hand) put the Biscoff in a cup and microwave it until melted.

It's literally liquid.  It smells divine!  It is super thin...more so than melted peanut butter.  Pour it on top of the brownies and then swirl it with a knife.  Obviously mine is not swirled.  I could not get it swirl no matter what I did.  I think it's because the brownies are actual melted chocolate, not cocoa powder, so they firm up FAST and also because that melted Biscoff is so thin.  If I were to make these again, I would not melt the Biscoff or I would only melt it slightly.  I would throw big spoonfuls on top-- I think it would swirl and incorporate down into the actual brownies much better that way.  Kind of like those Hershey fudge box brownies where you squirt that super thick fudge out of the foil packet and then swirl.  As it is, the Biscoff only made a super thin topping on these brownies.

Put in the oven and bake until a toothpick (or kebab stick, in my case) comes out pretty clean.  The original recipe said to bake for 25-35 minutes.  I had to bake for almost 40 before the kebab came out relatively clean.  My oven sucks.

This is what they looked like done.  Don't be alarmed-- the dark spots are where I tested it for doneness.  Those kebab skewers make a much bigger hole than the standard toothpick.  LoL.

I cut them while they were still warm because brownies are best when eaten warm!  The Biscoff was still super melty and it didn't ever fully harden.  These are more a cakey brownie.  

So there you have it.  My first from scratch brownies AND my first time using my beautiful KitchenAid!  These definitely were not sweet enough for me.  Perhaps milk chocolate would make them sweeter but I thought the Biscoff would make them much sweeter than they turned out to be.  But maybe that's because I couldn't get the proper swirl to get the Biscoff down inside the brownie batter.  Oh well.  Not bad for my first batch.

Finally...we meet!

Today (well, last night) a new member joined our family-- a KitchenAid Ultra Power Stand Mixer in Flamingo.  I have wanted one since I can remember, although I never really started cooking until I started having kids 3 years ago.  Before, it was just so I had something pretty sitting on the counter.  Since then, I have decided that I like baking better than actually cooking.  And above all, I love the crock pot most.  But more on that later.

The original reason why I got was because most recipes call for 'in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment.'  After asking around, I guess it makes a difference when mixed with a hand mixer as opposed to a stand mixer.  If those people are wrong then whatever--because I got a KitchenAid!  Anyways--my son's first birthday is tomorrow and a few months ago, we realized he was allergic to dairy.  So now instead of being able to order a deliciously moist cake covered in whipped cream frosting from Publix (they have the BEST cakes!) I now have to make one.  He's not anaphylactic allergic but it affects his other systems-- especially his skin.  The recipe clearly stated to use a stand mixer so while on my quest to find vegan butter I stopped by Target and picked out this bad boy.  

I also forgot baking soda so I haven't been able to make the cake yet (long night ahead for me!) so I have been scouring Pinterest all day for brownies that use unsweetened chocolate (I have an entire bar bought on accident) and no baking soda and hopefully Biscoff (because who doesn't love Biscoff?!).  I just want to use it!