Back to School, Back to Baking: Healthier Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownies

Although my youngest child just started her sophomore year of college, I am conditioned to start baking at the beginning of school. Back to school means bake sales and PTA fundraisers, cooler temperatures that allow for baking (hello 90 degrees tomorrow in New York City) and the Jewish holidays, when we host a few dinners and need to have a stock of baked goods on hand.

We also have trips to see our middle daughter's first apartment in Washington, DC and another to Minneapolis for Parents' Weekend.

Mixing in the peanuts

Since we are a peanut butter and chocolate loving family, I decided to bake a simple batch of brownies, but with a healthier twist. I took some butter out of my brownie recipe and replaced it with natural peanut butter (I love the 365 organic natural peanut butter from Whole Foods) and used organic whole wheat flour instead of white flour.

I also used raw cane sugar from The Real Co; it's organic and non-GMO verified. With cage-free organic eggs and a Misto olive oil sprayer for greasing the pan, I reduced most of the chemicals in the  brownies, though I couldn't find organic unsweetened chocolate and had to use Ghirardelli.

Healthier Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownies

• 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
• 1 stick unsalted butter
• 1/2 C natural (no sugar added) peanut butter
• 1 1/2 C organic raw cane sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 C whole wheat flour
• 1/2 C dry roasted peanuts

Put chocolate and butter in large bowl in microwave and heat for 30 seconds, stir, heat again for 30 seconds, stir, and heat again for 10-15 seconds if needed.  Stir in peanut butter and mix till smooth.

Add sugar and stir. If mixture is cooled enough not to cook eggs, stir them in with the vanilla, flour and nuts.

Mix well.

Spray a 13 x 9 pan with a thin coating of olive oil and smooth mixture into the pan.

Bake 30 minutes, at 350, until brownies are set. Cool on a rack.

Enjoy!

Cupcake Contest

When cake mixes were first introduced in the 1940s, they failed because women (yes, women – men did not cook in the home then, or shop for groceries) wanted to feel more a part of the process. Betty Crocker, the cake mix innovator, removed ingredients like eggs and oil, which then needed to be added back in – and women could take ownership of their cakes again.

Now, bakers are taking cake mixes and adding even more interesting twists. I attended the Duncan Hines Red Carpet Cupcake Challenge, where 10 female finalists (yes, all the finalists were women – odd how things haven’t changed much) presented their cupcakes, all riffs on cake mixes.

The winning recipe, by Katie Rousonelos of Madison, WI, was Red Carpet Glamour. You may not look down on cakes using mixes again.

Cupcake Batter

1 pkg Duncan Hines® Red Velvet Cake Mix

1 1/4 cup water

1/3 cup vegetable oil

3 large eggs

3 tsp Raspberry flavoring

1/2 c Sour Cream

Chocolate Ganache Filling

4 oz bittersweet chocolate

1/2 c heavy cream

1 tbs confectioner sugar

Vanilla Bean Frosting

1 Container Duncan Hines Buttercream Frosting

1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and insides scraped out

1 tsp vanilla extract

4 oz. Cream Cheese

1. Add the ingredients for filling in a medium microwave safe bowl. Heat until mixture is warm (20-30 seconds on high) Whisk until smooth, put in refrigerator to stand until just chilled, no longer than 30 minutes.

2. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease muffin pans or line with paper baking cups.

3. Blend dry mix, water, oil and eggs in large bowl at low speed until moistened (about 30 seconds). Then add sour cream and raspberry flavoring. Beat at medium speed for 2 minutes. Spoon batter into muffin pan or paper cups.

4. Place one rounded teaspoon of filling on the top of each cupcake.

5. Bake cupcakes for 19-22 minutes. Add 3-5 minutes to bake time for dark or coated pans. Cupcakes are done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

6. Cool in pan on wire rack for 15 minutes. Cool completely before frosting.

7. To make the frosting, add the canned frosting, cream cheese, vanilla bean, and vanilla extract together. Beat until mixed, about 1 minute.

Refrigerate filling for 30 minutes. Frost and decorate cupcakes as desired.

Kid friendly chocolate cookies

Passover is ending either tonight or tomorrow, depending on your ties to Israel or Reform or Conservative Judaism, but these chocolate meringue cookies, specifically for Passover, can be eaten any time of year. You can even consider them sort-f health food – no white flour, no butter, only a couple of egg whites, some sugar and chocolate. Really, not that bad for you – and they are kid-approved.

Preheat oven to 250

2 egg whites

1/2 C sugar

3 T unsweetened cocoa

1/2 C chocolate chips

Beat the egg white until stiff, on high. Beat in the sugar. Add cocoa and beat on low. Fold in chips.

Drop teaspoon size cookies onto cookie sheet lined with Silpat liner or parchment paper. Bake for one hour, then leave in oven for 2 more hours.

Makes about 2 dozen.