Just out of the oven
I Stumbled on this recipe at Dozen Flours and knew I had to try it from the name alone. The pictures posted were pretty persuasive, also.
The recipe calls for a not too familiar ingredient, vanilla butter nut extract. This can be found near the vanilla and almond extracts at your local supermarket. McCormick makes Imitation Vanilla Butter & Nut extract, or you can find a version at King Arthur Flour by LorAnn Oils and Flavors; Vanilla Butternut Flavor. Yes, you can make these bars using just vanilla extract, if that's all you have, and they will be a very good bar, but the vanilla butter nut extract will make all the difference.
Just a couple of my notes.
My batter was not a pourable batter, it was a stiff dough and I had to pat it into the pan.
Ready for the oven
The milk chocolate chips did not melt in my recipe, but I don't know if they are supposed to melt. After the whipping of the sugar butter mixture and the addition of the other ingredients my batter had cooled significantly and there wasn't enough heat to really do much melting of the chocolate. I sprinkled with semi-sweet chocolate chips on top immediately after removing the bars from the oven. They melted nicely, but I liked what Julia at Dozen Flours had done so I did not spread the melted semi-sweet chocolate chips. It not only looked good, but I think it added to the "eating enjoyment." I only made half a batch and that made plenty! The full batch makes about 40 bars.
Here is the recipe for half a batch. Check out Dozen Flours for the full batch (or just double this recipe, but Julia has done a great post on this recipe, so you really want to check it out). Since she has explained the process so well I am going to leave her directions in her words.
Chocolate Swoon Bars
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 egg
1 teaspoons vanilla butter nut extract
1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon baking powder
6 ounces milk chocolate chips- to be mixed into batter/dough
1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips - for the top, after baking
Preheat oven to 350F. Grease 9"x 6" baking pan and set aside. An 8"x8" baking pan will also work .
In a small bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and baking powder together and mix together with a fork. Set aside.
If you have a stand mixer, have the metal bowl and paddle attachment ready to go. If you're using a hand mixture, get your mixer ready to go.
Set up a metal or glass head proof bowl and have a towel or over mit close by.
In another small bowl, mix the eggs and extract together as so as to break the yolks. Set aside.
In a medium sized saucepan, over medium heat, combine the brown sugar and butter together, stirring constantly until the mixture becomes very think and starts to bubble. Once it starts to bubble, continue stirring constantly, scrapping the sides and bottom of the pan for an additional three minutes or so. Do not increase the heat. (Note: you're not looking for a caramel here, but you want the mixture to almost be to the point where the sugar is dissolved, but not quite).
Remove the pan from the heat and continue to mix by hand for about a minute. Pour the hot mixture into the metal stand mixer bowl and mix on low speed for three minutes. Increase the speed to medium and mix for two minutes, stopping once a minute to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. By now the mixture should still be warm, but not molten.
Return the speed back to medium and slowly add the egg/extract mixture. Add a little at a time to avoid the egg scrambling. The batter should get very shiny and turn a pretty shade of light brown. Continue mixing until all the egg is incorporated. Be sure to scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl.
Add the flour in two batches, mixing until it's just incorporated. Add the chocolate chips and mix for about 30 seconds on low until the chocolate is combined. The chocolate will melt and that's okay.
Pour the mixture into the prepared baking pan and bake for 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
Remove it from the oven and scatter a cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips on top. You may need to add more chocolate chips to fill in any bald areas.
Let cool completely and cut into bars.
Posts
