I love a good murder, murder mystery, that is...
Sometimes, I like my mysteries to be on the heavy side, and sometimes, I like them on the light side. Since I obviously love to cook, I love culinary mysteries...
I love Diane Mott Davidson and her Goldy Schultz character, Tamar Myers and her Magdalena Yoder, and finally Joanne Fluke, with her lovable Hannah Swensen. These three authors never cease to entertain and delight me, and the bonus is that you get a ton of great recipes in every book. Now, I will say, that the books are not deep, but you will fall in love with the characters, and they will become part of your family. They offer the most wonderful relief from a stress filled life. I do recommend that you try to read them in order so you get to know the characters, but it is certainly not necessary (besides, you won't want to miss any of them). These girls are the Stephanie Plum (Janet Evanovitch) of the culinary world...
Today, I would like to feature Joanne Fluke
and her new mystery, Cream Puff Murder
Once again, Hannah Swensen will captivate your heart as you identify with her,
and her new diet regime while owning a cookie shop, The Cookie Jar.
In this new mystery, Hannah is trying to lose weight to
get into a dress her mother bought for her, for her mother's new book launch.
As she heads to the gym with her sister Andrea, she discovers her
latest murder victim, Ronni, one of the fitness instructors, dead in the spa.
All the loves of Hannah's life and her family members
become entwined in helping Hannah solve this
latest mystery, while cooking her way through the book, and into
our hearts. I personally am always rooting for Norman
one of Hannah's two boyfriends! Buy the book and find out what happens!
Again, kudos to Joanne Fluke for always entertaining us
and for giving us all these wonderful recipes to try.
Everytime I read one of her books, I vow to make every recipe in it...
This time, I actually started on that road and made the Brownies Plus
oh my God, they are to die for...
Here is the recipe straight from Joanne's Book and in Hannah's own words:
Brownies Plus
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F., rack in the middle position
6 one-ounce squares semi-sweet chocolate (or three quarters of a cup chocolate chips)
1 cup butter (two sticks, 1/2 pound)
2 cups white (granulated) sugar
4 beaten eggs (just whip them up in a glass with a fork)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups flour (pack it down in the cup when you measure it)
5 to 7 three-ounce chocolate candy bars (I've used Nestle's Treasures Cappuccino Truffle Bars, Hershey's Symphony Bars, and Nestle's Crunch Bars - the number of bars depends on how many inches of you pan they will cover.)
A SHORT CUT: Lisa got this recipe from Diana Dickerson. Diana says that if you don't feel like making your brownies from scratch, use two packages of brownie mix, the kind that make an 8-inch by 8-inch square. Use two bowls, one for each package, and prepare the brownie mix by following the directions on the box. Once the batter is mixed, use the contents of one bowl for the bottom layer and the contents of the other bowl for the top. Diana's Favorite candy baars to use are the Hershey's Symphony Bars.
Prepare a 9-inch by 13-inch cake pan by lining it with a piece of foil large enough to flap over the sides. Spray the foil-lined pan with PAM or another onstick cooking spray.
Microwave the chocolate squares (or chocolate chips) and butter in a microwave-safe mixing bowl for one minute. Stir. (Since chocolate frequently maintains it's shape even when melted, you have to stir to make sure.) If it's not melted, microwave for an additional 20 seconds and stir again. Repeat if necessary.
Stir the sugar into the chocolate mixture. Feel the bowl. If it's not so hot it'll cook the eggs, add them now, stirring thoroughly. Mix in the vanilla extract.
Mix in the flour and stir just until moistened.
Spoon half of the batter into your prepared pan. Smooth it out with a rubber spatula.
Unwrap the candy bars and place them on top of the batter. Make a single layer, and try to cover as much of the batter as you can. You may have to break a couple of the bars to fill in the gaps.
Spoon the remaining batter on top of the candy bars, and use the rubber spatula to smooth it out.
Bake at 350 degrees F. for 30 minutes.
Cool the Brownies Plus in the pan on a metal rack. When they are thoroughly cool, grasp the edges of the foil and lift the brownies out of the pan. Put them face down on a cutting board, peel the foil off the back, and cut them into brownie-sized pieces.
Place the squares on a plate and dust lightly with powdered sugar if you wish.
Hannah's Note: These brownies freeze well if you leave them in one large piece. When they're cool, just lift them out of the pan, fold the foil over the top, and slip them into a freezer bag. When you want to serve them, let them thaw on the counter, cut them into pieces, and dust with powdered sugar.
Elise's Note: Don't bother, just sit down and gorge yourself and eat the whole thing - if you're diabetic, call the ambulance ahead of time - you'll probably die very happy, with a smile and a chocolate crumb on your face!
This is what you will need for the recipe:
Brownies Plus
6 one-ounce squares semi-sweet chocolate (or three quarters of a cup chocolate chips)
1 cup butter (two sticks, 1/2 pound)
2 cups white (granulated) sugar
4 beaten eggs (just whip them up in a glass with a fork)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups flour (pack it down in the cup when you measure it)
5 to 7 three-ounce chocolate candy bars (I've used Nestle's Treasures Cappuccino Truffle Bars, Hershey's Symphony Bars, and Nestle's Crunch Bars - the number of bars depends on how many inches of you pan they will cover.)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F., rack in the middle position
6 one-ounce squares semi-sweet chocolate (or three quarters of a cup chocolate chips)
1 cup butter (two sticks, 1/2 pound)
2 cups white (granulated) sugar
4 beaten eggs (just whip them up in a glass with a fork)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups flour (pack it down in the cup when you measure it)
5 to 7 three-ounce chocolate candy bars (I've used Nestle's Treasures Cappuccino Truffle Bars, Hershey's Symphony Bars, and Nestle's Crunch Bars - the number of bars depends on how many inches of you pan they will cover.)
A SHORT CUT: Lisa got this recipe from Diana Dickerson. Diana says that if you don't feel like making your brownies from scratch, use two packages of brownie mix, the kind that make an 8-inch by 8-inch square. Use two bowls, one for each package, and prepare the brownie mix by following the directions on the box. Once the batter is mixed, use the contents of one bowl for the bottom layer and the contents of the other bowl for the top. Diana's Favorite candy baars to use are the Hershey's Symphony Bars.
Prepare a 9-inch by 13-inch cake pan by lining it with a piece of foil large enough to flap over the sides. Spray the foil-lined pan with PAM or another onstick cooking spray.
Microwave the chocolate squares (or chocolate chips) and butter in a microwave-safe mixing bowl for one minute. Stir. (Since chocolate frequently maintains it's shape even when melted, you have to stir to make sure.) If it's not melted, microwave for an additional 20 seconds and stir again. Repeat if necessary.
Stir the sugar into the chocolate mixture. Feel the bowl. If it's not so hot it'll cook the eggs, add them now, stirring thoroughly. Mix in the vanilla extract.
Mix in the flour and stir just until moistened.
Spoon half of the batter into your prepared pan. Smooth it out with a rubber spatula.
Unwrap the candy bars and place them on top of the batter. Make a single layer, and try to cover as much of the batter as you can. You may have to break a couple of the bars to fill in the gaps.
Spoon the remaining batter on top of the candy bars, and use the rubber spatula to smooth it out.
Bake at 350 degrees F. for 30 minutes.
Cool the Brownies Plus in the pan on a metal rack. When they are thoroughly cool, grasp the edges of the foil and lift the brownies out of the pan. Put them face down on a cutting board, peel the foil off the back, and cut them into brownie-sized pieces.
Place the squares on a plate and dust lightly with powdered sugar if you wish.
Hannah's Note: These brownies freeze well if you leave them in one large piece. When they're cool, just lift them out of the pan, fold the foil over the top, and slip them into a freezer bag. When you want to serve them, let them thaw on the counter, cut them into pieces, and dust with powdered sugar.
Elise's Note: Don't bother, just sit down and gorge yourself and eat the whole thing - if you're diabetic, call the ambulance ahead of time - you'll probably die very happy, with a smile and a chocolate crumb on your face!
This is what you will need for the recipe:
Brownies Plus
1 cup butter (two sticks, 1/2 pound)
2 cups white (granulated) sugar
4 beaten eggs (just whip them up in a glass with a fork)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups flour (pack it down in the cup when you measure it)
5 to 7 three-ounce chocolate candy bars (I've used Nestle's Treasures Cappuccino Truffle Bars, Hershey's Symphony Bars, and Nestle's Crunch Bars - the number of bars depends on how many inches of you pan they will cover.)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F., rack in the middle position
Line a 9-inch by 13-inch cake pan with a piece of foil large enough to flap over the sides
Spray the foil-lined pan with PAM
Beat the eggs and set aside
Place the butter in a microwave safe bowl
Add the chocolate squares or chips
Microwave the chocolate squares (or chocolate chips)
and butter bowl for one minute. Stir
If the chocolate is not melted, microwave for
an additional 20 seconds and stir again.
(if you use the baking square, they are very hard
so I had to give them another 30 seconds)
Repeat if necessary.
Stir again
until smooth
Pour into a larger mixing bowl
Stir the sugar into the chocolate mixture.
Blend well
If the mix is not too hot, add the eggs now,
stirring thoroughly
Mix in the vanilla extract
As I've said before, use Mexican Vanilla if you can get it, it's the best)
Mix in the flour
and stir
just until moistened
Spoon half of the batter into your prepared pan
Smooth it out with a rubber spatula.
Unwrap the candy bars
(I used the Symphony Bars with the Toffe Chips and Almonds
I could not find a three ounce bar, so I bought the 4.25 ounce bars
and ended up using three of them
it was almost a perfect fit across the pan)
and place them on top of the batter making a single layer,
and try to cover as much of the batter as you can.
You may have to break a couple of the bars to fill in the gaps.
(with the bigger bars, this was not necessary)
Spoon the remaining batter on top of the candy bars,
and use the rubber spatula to smooth it out.
Bake at 350 degrees F. for 30 minutes
(in my oven I needed about 7 more minutes
remember, all ovens are not created equally)
Cool the Brownies Plus in the pan on a metal rack.
I forget to do this and left them on a trivet
When they are thoroughly cool, grasp the edges of the foil
and lift the brownies out of the pan
Put them face down on a cutting board,
peel the foil off the back, and cut them into brownie-sized pieces
(I cut them a little larger at first and then cut them in half later,
they are very rich, so I made the pieces small)
(I just cut them on the foil and didn't have a problem, but be
very careful if you do it this way, to make sure no foil
adheres to the brownies
Place the squares on a plate and dust
lightly with powdered sugar if you wish
Spray the foil-lined pan with PAM
Beat the eggs and set aside
Place the butter in a microwave safe bowl
Add the chocolate squares or chips
Microwave the chocolate squares (or chocolate chips)
and butter bowl for one minute. Stir
If the chocolate is not melted, microwave for
an additional 20 seconds and stir again.
(if you use the baking square, they are very hard
so I had to give them another 30 seconds)
Repeat if necessary.
Stir again
until smooth
Pour into a larger mixing bowl
Stir the sugar into the chocolate mixture.
Blend well
If the mix is not too hot, add the eggs now,
stirring thoroughly
Mix in the vanilla extract
As I've said before, use Mexican Vanilla if you can get it, it's the best)
Mix in the flour
and stir
just until moistened
Spoon half of the batter into your prepared pan
Smooth it out with a rubber spatula.
Unwrap the candy bars
(I used the Symphony Bars with the Toffe Chips and Almonds
I could not find a three ounce bar, so I bought the 4.25 ounce bars
and ended up using three of them
it was almost a perfect fit across the pan)
and place them on top of the batter making a single layer,
and try to cover as much of the batter as you can.
You may have to break a couple of the bars to fill in the gaps.
(with the bigger bars, this was not necessary)
Spoon the remaining batter on top of the candy bars,
and use the rubber spatula to smooth it out.
Bake at 350 degrees F. for 30 minutes
(in my oven I needed about 7 more minutes
remember, all ovens are not created equally)
Cool the Brownies Plus in the pan on a metal rack.
I forget to do this and left them on a trivet
When they are thoroughly cool, grasp the edges of the foil
and lift the brownies out of the pan
Put them face down on a cutting board,
peel the foil off the back, and cut them into brownie-sized pieces
(I cut them a little larger at first and then cut them in half later,
they are very rich, so I made the pieces small)
(I just cut them on the foil and didn't have a problem, but be
very careful if you do it this way, to make sure no foil
adheres to the brownies
Place the squares on a plate and dust
lightly with powdered sugar if you wish
Now taste one, let the flavor of the chocolate melt on your tongue
ummmmmmmmmmm
Enjoy!
Elise's Note: I don't know if mine where so rich because I used a little larger bar, but the bar size was great for the pan, and they were delicious, rich, but delicious!ummmmmmmmmmm
Enjoy!
Posts
yay! I was going to ask for this recipe because these were *the best* brownies I ever had. I could easily eat a whole plate, can't wait to try to make some. I'll be happy if they turn out half as good as yours :))
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