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Dark Magic Brownies #BakingBloggers


Sue from Palatable Pastime is hosting the Baking Bloggers as we explore brownies and bar cookies. She writes, "Let's get these lunch box favorites together just in time for back-to-school. Any type of baked brownie or cookie bar or dessert bar will do (even if just the crust is baked, as in bars topped with curd or something like cheesecake bars)."

I decided to make a salted olive oil brownie and finally opened up the salt blends that a friend had given me for my birthday back in May. The one I picked for this - I'll admit - I picked for the name. I mean look at it: "Magic Unicorn - use with anything. It's magic."


Turns out it's a hand-made, hand-mixed salt consisting of pure ocean salt with smoked paprika, rosemary and garlic. And if you don't think garlic belongs in sweets, think again. We've made Garlic Ice Cream that was so unique and tasty; black garlic is easier to envision in sweets - such as in this Black Garlic Chocolate Cake.

But, before I get to my recipe, here's that the bloggers are sharing...


Ingredients makes one 10" square pan of brownies or just over 2 dozen 2" squares

  • 1/2 C flour 
  • 2/3 C 100% cocoa powder (I used a Dutch-process cocoa from Ghirardelli)
  • 1/2 t baking powder
  • 2/3 C olive oil (I prefer the stronger olive oils for this)
  • 10 ounces bittersweet chocolate (I used a 60% in chip form from Ghirardelli)
  • 1-1/2 C organic granulated sugar
  • 4 large eggs
  • 2 t pure vanilla extract
  • salt for sprinkling (probably 1-1/2 t)


Procedure
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease or butter an 10" square baking pan.

Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder. Set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together olive oil, sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Fold in the flour mixture and stir until just moistened. Stir in the chocolate chips. Spread into prepared pan, smoothing the top of the batter with a spatula. Sprinkle the top with your chosen salt. This version used Magic Unicorn, but I've also really enjoyed it with smoked sea salt.

Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until top is shiny and crackly. A toothpick inserted near the center should come out mostly clean. Cool on a wire rack for at least 15 minutes before slicing and serving.

Comments

  1. They look lovely and that salt sounds amazing....can't wait to see what other magical delights you make with it.

    ReplyDelete
  2. These do sound pretty gosh darn magical! This is a combo I definitely want to try!

    ReplyDelete
  3. These look soooo fudgy, and magic unicorn salt? Of course! P.S. Love that brand of olive oil.

    ReplyDelete
  4. You won't get any evil-eye-side glances from me using that kind of salt. I know full well what flavors pair in such things as Cincinnati chili or a Oaxacan Mole Poblano and at some point the lines will blur. And I even did an Asian meatball in chocolate sauce for Choctoberfest one of the years, either last or before. And I know I got a lot of raised eyebrows over it, but those people will never know how good it can be if they are too afraid to try. When it comes to food, #neversaynever. Bite first, and smile later, right? :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. I've got a very interesting article to share with you today. It?s from my good friends and fat loss cooking experts Dave and Karine from MetabolicCooking.

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    Is your food making you FAT or burn MORE fat? (article) By Karine Losier & Dave Ruel

    If you've tried fat loss diets before and have used a variety of weight loss cookbooks to try to lose body fat, then you very likely know by now that those fat loss diets and the "healthy" cookbooks that go with them don't work.

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    For example, simply consuming high-quality protein with most meals will naturally burn off more calories and move you closer to your target weight. Lean protein has a very high "Metabolic Thermo Charge". Spices also have a strong thermogenic effect on your body. Combining certain foods together, such as chicken and turmeric, with help you burn more fat after you eat it.

    Interesting, right?

    But that's not all. Another thing to consider is whether or not your so-called ?healthy? cookbook has a real structure. Too often, cookbooks are just a bunch of recipes thrown together at random ? you pick and choose what you feel like eating at that point in the day. That is NOT going to make you burn fat faster!

    Having a structure is mandatory if you want to rid yourself of stubborn fat. That's why we developed a quick and easy "Metabolic Nutri-Profile" system for all our recipes, so you can see precisely what nutrients you're taking in, which ensures that each meal makes the most of your metabolic rate.

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    ReplyDelete

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