The Rosiethon. Day 9. Rosie Makes Brownie Squares.

Two days ago,

I made a double batch of a very versatile cookie dough -

Basic Butter Cookie. 

 I'm starting with half that dough

and making a luscious brownie topping

to create Brownie Squares.

After this,

I'll use the other half to make Caramel Pecan Cookies.

I sliced the ball in half ...

... and rolled the halves out into 12-inch logs.
I covered with plastic and refrigerated
 until I had time and energy to finish them off.

You could skip this part
and go to the next step, if you're so inclined.
This dough doesn't need chilling right now.

Two days later,
I pulled the logs out,

let them come to room temperature,

and rolled out evenly into prepared pans.

To prepare the pans,
butter the baking dish,
then line it with buttered foil,
leaving a 2-inch overhang on the ends.

Cook crusts until golden, about 30 minutes,
and cool for 20 minutes.

 

While the crusts cooled,

I started on the Brownie Topping.

 

 Brownie Squares

For crust:
Ingredients for Basic Butter Cookies

For brownie filling:
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
10 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar, packed
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 tsp vanilla
3/4 cups flour
1/4 cup + 2 TB cocoa powder
3/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups walnuts, toasted, cooled, and coarsely chopped

Grease a 9 x 13-inch pan, line with buttered foil, leaving a 2-inch overhang on both ends.

Follow recipe for basic butter cookie dough and press dough evenly onto bottom of prepared baking pan.

Chill until firm.  About 20 minutes.

While crust chills, heat oven to 375 degrees.

Bake about 30 minutes, until golden brown.

Cool crust in pan on rack for 20 minutes.

Make Brownie Topping while crust cools:

Melt butter and chocolate with brown sugar in heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until smooth.

Remove from heat, whisk in eggs and vanilla until well combined.

Whisk in flour, cocoa, salt, and stir in walnuts.

Spread brownie batter over cooled crust and bake until set, about 20 - 25 minutes.

Cool completely in pan on rack, about 2 hours.

Run a heavy knife under hot water,  wipe dry, and cut confection into small squares.

Brownie Topping:

 

 Combine butter, brown sugar, and chocolate.

 Melt.

 

 Whisk eggs.

 Add eggs to chocolate.

 And whup it up.

 Vanilla extract.

 Flour in.

 Cocoa powder.

 Stir in the walnuts.

 Pour chocolate onto shortbread base.

 Spread out evenly.

 Bake in 375 degree oven until set,

about 20 - 25 minutes.

 Let cool in pan completely.

About 2 hours.

 Invert pan and peel off foil.

 Perfect.

 I flipped this easily by hand.

Run a heavy knife under hot water and wipe dry.

Cut into small squares.

 I freeze everything,

so with these cookies,

I slice them into even smaller pieces

when I take them out of the freezer

and get all ready for delivery.

Everything cuts better in smaller pieces

when slightly frozen.

 Enjoy.

Festive Cookiescape!

The Rosiethon. Day 6 Of Rosie's Christmas Baking. #22. Brownie Squares.

I thought that might get your attention.

Brownie Squares For crust: Prepared Basic Butter Cookie Dough For brownie layer: 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter 10 1/2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped 1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar 3 large eggs, lightly beaten 2 tsp vanilla 3/4 cup flour 1/4 cup plus 2 TB unsweetened cocoa powder 3/4 tsp salt 1 1/2 cups pecans, coarsely chopped

Prepare crust layer according to instructions here. While crust is cooling, make the brownie layer. Melt butter and chocolate with brown sugar in a 3-qt heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until smooth. Remove from heat and whisk in eggs and vanilla until combined well. Whisk in flour, cocoa, and salt. Stir in nuts. Spread brownie layer over cooled crust and bake until set, about 20 minutes. Cool completely, then cut into squares.

My oven died on me Friday, December 16. And it's still not fixed. Rosie is in a bit of a quandary. Kind neighbors, Zippy and Zoe, offered their kitchen to me.

So I bagged my mise en place and headed next door.

Combine chocolate, butter, and brown sugar.

Melt, stirring until smooth.

Remove from heat and whisk in vanilla.

Whisk in eggs and combine well.

Whisk in flour ...

... cocoa, and salt.

Stir in nuts.

Turn out onto butter cookie base. Spread evenly.

Remember, I made a double recipe of the butter cookie. Chocolate brownie layer goes on one crust, and caramel pecan on the other.

Bake at 375 about 20 minutes. Let cool, then cut into squares.

Day 3 Of Christmas Baking.

Rosie's been a busy little baker today. I've actually made four different goodies. My first - Peanut Butter Coconut Bars.

Here are the ingredients: 1 1/2 sticks butter, softened 1 cup sugar 1 cup smooth peanut butter 1 large egg 1 teaspoon vanilla 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 cups flour 2 cups coconut 1/2 cup chopped, toasted peanuts

Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

Add the peanut butter, beating.

Beat in the egg.

The vanilla.

And the salt.

Add in the flour.

And finally fold in the coconut.

Turn out onto a buttered pan.

Using plastic wrap, spread the dough evenly over the pan.

Press to even out the dough.

Sprinkle the peanuts over top.

And press them into the dough.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes.

And here you have some peanut-buttery goodness.

Quite delicious. Next up, a favorite I make every year - Heavenly Delights.

The ingredients: 1/2 cup butter, softened 1/2 cup Crisco 2/3 cup sifted powdered sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 teaspoon lemon juice 2 cups all purpose flour 1/2 cup chopped pecans sifted powdered sugar

Cream butter and shortening, and gradually add 2/3 cup sugar, beating until light and fluffy.

Add in vanilla.

Add in the lemon juice.

Gradually add in flour, beating well.

Chopped pecans go in.

Roll into balls and place on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

Remove immediately and sprinkle powdered sugar over top.

Here are my Heavenly Delights. They're so very light and simply melt in your mouth. Number 3 for today: Magic Cookie Bars

My ingredients: 1/2 cup butter 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (That would be one package out of the box.) 1 can sweetened condensed milk 1 cup chocolate chips 1 cup coconut 1 cup chopped pecans

Melt the stick of butter in a 13 x 9 inch pan as the oven is pre-heating.

Pour the graham cracker crumbs over the melted butter and press down firmly.

Pour the milk over top.

Sprinkle the chocolate chips.

The coconut.

Finally add the nuts and press down with a fork.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

Ooooh .... These are yummy. My last goodie for today is Praline Cookies.

Ingredients list: 1/2 cup butter 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 cup packed brown sugar 1 egg, lightly beaten 1 1/2 cups flour 2 teaspoons vanilla 1 1/2 cups chopped pecans powdered sugar Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Melt butter and add sugar, beating.

Add in brown sugar.

And beat away.

Beat in the egg.

Mix in the flour.

Add in the vanilla.

Fold in the chopped pecans.

Lightly spray baking sheets, then drop dough onto the sheets. Bake 12-15 minutes. Let stand for about 2 minutes before removing from pan.

Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

And here are my little powdered sugar-dusted Praline Cookies. Delicious little nuggets. I enlisted Mr. Hawthorne's help today in cutting the two butter cookie-based confections I made yesterday.

Here are the Brownie Squares. It has the basic butter cookie dough on the bottom and a chocolate brownie layer on top, which, if you recall, I almost screwed up, but then saved it at the last minute.

And these are the Caramel Pecan Cookies, with the basic butter cookie dough on the bottom and outrageously wonderful caramel on top.

Magic Cookie Bars on left, next Caramel Pecan Cookies, Brownie Squares, and Praline Cookies, bottom right. I got a lot done today. And I seem to be catching up in terms of my schedule. By the way, in case you're wondering what I do with all these cookies until Christmas delivery, I put them all in freezer bags and they go into the freezer downstairs in my utility room. Off to bed, then another day of baking tomorrow. Plus we bought our Christmas tree today, so there's gonna be some decorating going on as well.