Recipes so good it oughta' be a sin!


Friday, May 3, 2013

Pennsylvania Dutch Ginger Snaps

When I was a kid my grandmother used to buy these wonderful gingersnaps at our local grocery store. I have no idea what the brand was but they came in brown bags. They were very crisp and thin with a really big ginger burn.

I've always loved those gingersnaps and wondered how they got that "burn" on the back of the tongue. I've tasted all kinds of ginger and none of it had quite that kick. So, how do you accomplish a real ginger burn in a cookie?

The answer comes in the form of a tip I read long ago by a cookie chef: Cayenne pepper. Add a little cayenne to the mix wakes up the ginger and provides that delectable little gingery burn in the cookies.

I've made this recipe two weeks in a row. On week one I went strictly by the original recipe which is Pennsylvania Dutch. The second week I added the cayenne. The difference is simply amazing. With the cayenne you get a big hit of ginger flavor without "tasting" the cayenne itself.


Pennsylvania Dutch Gingersnaps



A wonderful gingersnap with a bit ginger taste courtesy a secret ingredient!

Ingredients
  • 3/4 cup butter, melted and cooled slightly
  • 1 cup sugar + extra for rolling
  • 1 large egg, beaten
  • 3 Tbsp. unsulphured molasses
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
  • 1 tsp. cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp. nutmeg or cloves
  • 1 tsp. ginger
  • 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
Cooking Directions
  1. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  2. In the bowl of an electric mixer cream together the butter and sugar. Add the egg and molasses and beat until combined and smooth. Sift together the spices, flour and baking soda and add to wet ingredients. Beat on low speed just until combined. Form into balls (about 1 tablespoon size) and roll in granulated sugar. Place on prepared baking sheets and bake for 10-12 minutes or just until edges begin to brown. Cool on wire racks.

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 12 minutes
Total time: 17 minutes
Yield: 2 dozen

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Friday, April 12, 2013

Lafayette Gingerbread

Here's a wonderful gingerbread recipe that claims descent from one used by George Washington's mother, Mary. The story goes that when the Marquis de Lafayette visited her after the American Revolution she served this wonderful spiked gingerbread to him, thus the name.

I'm not entirely sure how true that story is. The recipe does align with many traditional gingerbread recipes from the southeast including the use of alcohol and brown sugar. There's an old recipe from Charleston that is quite similar that uses whiskey in place of fortified wine as well as a bit more sugar.

Regardless, it's a delicious recipe. I found that it was one of those that works best having "rested" overnight (or ideally 24 hours). This gives the lovely flavors time to meld and develop fully. Right out of the oven the taste of the wine used in the recipe can be a little strong, however by the next day the flavors are perfect.

You'll find this a moist gingerbread that has a delicate crumb. Be sure that if you use raisins that you flour them first and stir them in by hand. Over mixing the batter will turn out a gingerbread that is tough and too chewy!

The Marquis de Lafayette
The recipe calls for Ruby Port, Madeira or Cream Sherry as the alcohol content. All would be great. I chose a bottle of Madeira I had in my wine rack but I also think using some Grand Marnier could be delightful with the fresh orange zest and juice. Also, I think if you do use the raisins, giving them a soak in your alcohol of choice would make this even better!

Speaking of orange juice. I did something a little different with this recipe. Michael recently had to have a new juicer and decided on the Nutri-Bullet from the TV shows. First of all, it works great and I love that it doesn't take up half my counter space like his old one. Since it was sitting next to the mixer I wondered how it would do "juicing" my orange instead of me standing there squeezing out orange juice. Long story short - worked great. I got a wonderful juice (albeit thicker than hand squeezing) that added an extra pop of flavor to the gingerbread that I don't believe I would have gotten otherwise. So, if you have one, consider peeling your orange and using it instead of doing the juicing by hand.


Lafayette Gingerbread



A delicious gingerbread made with fortified wine and fresh orange juice.
Adapted from: From a Southern Oven by Jean Anderson

Ingredients
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup seedless raisins (optional)
  • 1 Tbs. ground ginger
  • 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp grated nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp. ground mace
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
  • 2 tsp. fresh grated orange zest
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 cup unsulphered molasses
  • 1/3 cup milk
  • 1/3 cup ruby Port, Madeira, or cream sherry
  • 1/3 cup fresh orange juice
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 1 Tbs. warm water
Cooking Directions
  1. Preheat oven to 350° and spray a 9x9x2-inch baking pan with non-stick spray and set aside. If you are adding raisins, toss them with 1/4 cup of the flour in a small bowl and set aside.
  2. Combine flour with spices and salt in a large bowl and whisk lightly to mix.
  3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment cream together butter, brown sugar and orange zest until light (about 3 minutes). Beat in eggs one at a time and continue beating 2 minutes until light. Add molasses and beat just until combined.
  4. With mixer on low, add milk, then Port, and then orange juice alternately with flour mixture. Begin and end with flour mixture. Dissolve baking soda in warm water and mix into batter. If using raisins, fold into batter with a spatula along with all remaining flour. Be careful not to overmix the batter at this point!
  5. Pour batter into prepared pan and use a spatula to spread it evenly. Bake on middle rack of oven about 35-40 minutes or until the gingerbread begins to pull away from the sides of the pan and a cake tester inserted in the middle comes out clean.
  6. Serve with whipped cream if desired.
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 35 minutes
Total time: 45 minutes

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Saturday, March 16, 2013

Charleston Receipt's Defense Cookies

What an odd name: Defense Cookies. I've often wondered how this name came about and have never come up with an answer. This old recipe from the first edition of Charleston Receipts is really just a type of Chocolate Chip Cookie, albeit a delicious one. Still, Defense Cookies, what does that mean?

Maybe they're a defense against hungry guests or family. They're certainly tasty and quick to make. From start to finish you can be done in less than 15 minutes. I really don't know and none of my usual sources for learning the meaning behind strangely named baked goods has panned out on this one.

Oh, well, Defense Cookies are wonderful and a great recipe to have in your repertoire for those times when you need some tasty treats on the fly (you know, the inevitable call the night before a bake sale). The original recipe calls for making small cookies using a teaspoon. As you know, I like to know I'm eating something so I used my handy dandy medium cookie scoop. This gave me about 24 cookies filled with chocolate chip deliciousness. I've also updated the procedure a little bit using the stand mixer to speed up the process. The original also calls for shortening - which I use. However, for those who freak out over that, sub in some butter but don't come crying to me if your cookies aren't as thick or chewy. Speaking of chewy, it's better to under-cook these a little bit. You want them a little underdone in the center for that chewy texture. If you insist on super crisp cookies then leave them in the oven about a minute longer.


Defense Cookies


An old Charleston Receipts recipe for a delicious chocolate chip cookie with a really odd name.


Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 1/2 cup shortening, softened
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
Cooking Directions
  1. Preheat oven to 350° and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment mix together the brown and white sugars.
  3. Add the shortening and beat until well combined.
  4. Add flour, soda and salt and beat until mixture resembles corn meal.
  5. Add the vanilla and egg and beat until mixture forms a dough.
  6. Add chocolate chips and stir on low speed until incorporated evenly in dough.
  7. Using a medium cookie scoop, drop about 2-inches apart onto prepared baking sheets and bake for 10-12 minutes or until edges of cookies are set and centers are still light in color.
  8. Remove from oven and allow to cool on baking sheets for 3-5 minutes. Transfer to a baking rack to cool completely.
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 12 minutes
Total time: 17 minutes
Yield: 2 dozen
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Thursday, March 14, 2013

1-2-3-4 Cake for Spring

Imagine my consternation when I noticed people posting on Facebook about a cake called a "1-2-3 Cake" that utilizes a couple box mixes, some water, a coffee mug and a microwave. There's so much wrong with that combination it makes my head hurt!

But what really got me was when I mentioned the classic 1-2-3-4 Cake to these folks and they were completely puzzled. They thought this staple of the baker's kitchen was actually this microwave abomination! To quote one of my favorite comedians  John Pinette: "I say, nay, nay!"

The 1-2-3-4 Cake (I have heard it called the 1-2-3 Cake by people just too busy to add that "4") should be one of the first two cakes every good home baker should learn. Alongside the Pound Cake the 1-2-3-4 is the basis for nearly every other American cake you will ever make in your kitchen. It helps you understand the basic proportions of all successful cakes and the recipe is so simple you'll never need to refer to it again once you do it. From there you can whip out a cake at the drop of a hat for any occasion. Nearly all Southern cooks learn this recipe as kids.

In this version we take our basic 1-2-3-4 cake and update it for Spring. This is the beauty of this simple dish - you can flavor it, frost it and fill it to fit any season or occasion. We're using a little lemon flavoring instead of the traditional vanilla and then we're filling our cake with some strawberry jam and then frosting with a quick and easy store bought frosting that I find delicious - Betty Crocker's Pink Lemonade. I'm opting to decorate this with some pastel sprinkles and some little pansies from my patio garden. BTW: Pansies are edible and have a mild wintergreen flavor (although honestly I can barely taste it). They're beautiful on cakes!


1-2-3-4 Cake


A basic cake that should be in every good cook's repertoire. All you need to remember is 1,2,3,4.


Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes

Ingredients
  • 1 cup butter, room temperature
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 tsp. lemon or vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp. baking powder
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 cup milk (or half and half)
Cooking Directions
  1. Preheat oven to 350°. Grease and flour 3 9-inch cake pans and set aside.
  2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment beat the room temperature butter and sugar on medium high speed until light and fluffy.
  3. Add eggs one at a time beating after each addition. Add the extract and beat on low speed until combined.
  4. In a medium bowl combine the flour, salt, and baking powder and stir with whisk to combine.
  5. Add the flour mixture to the bowl of the mixer alternating with the milk. (Begin and end with the flour.) Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the bowl and finish combining batter.
  6. Divide batter evenly between the three prepared pans and bake for 20-25 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the middle comes out clean.
  7. Remove from oven and allow to cool 5-10 minutes then remove from pans and allow to cool completely before assembling cake.
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Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Gooey Peanut Butter Bars

Yes, it's been a long time between posts. During the holidays I was quite busy taking care of some dogs and afterwards I simply couldn't get back into the swing of baking. Turns out there was a good reason. I had a very nasty infection that finally landed me in the hospital for a week. No wonder I was feeling so out of sorts and tired!

But, we're back with a great new recipe. This Gooey Peanut Butter Bar is based loosely on an old Amish treat called Revel Bars. The main difference is the use of peanut butter and toffee in place of chocolate and nuts. This little dish is very rich and will be sure to set tongues wagging when you serve it. As one of my taste testers said: "Oh my God!" With the addition of some milk chocolate drizzled over the top, you can't go wrong with this great bar cookie.

The original recipe calls for an  unusual sized pan: 12x15 inches. I decided to use one of my older 10x12 pans or you could use a standard 9x13. The bars will be a bit thicker than what the original recipe turned out, but I like cutting them a little smaller and having more of the gooey peanut butter and toffee filling.

In other news, since my last post we have officially adopted Tuffy and he has joined Snow with their very own Facebook page where they promote rescue dogs and adoptions. Check it out!


Gooey Peanut Butter Bars

Rich and delicious, this peanut butter and toffee creation will have your family and friends coming back again and again for more!
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
Total time: 35 minutes
Ingredients
  • 1 cup butter
  • 2 cups brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 tsp. vanilla
  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 3 cups old-fashioned oatmeal
  • 1 Tbsp. butter (for filling)
  • 2 cans sweetened condensed milk
  • 2 cups peanut butter chips
  • 1 1/3 cups toffee pieces (bits of brickle)
Cooking Directions
  1. In an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter until smooth. Add the brown sugar and blend thoroughly. Beat in the eggs and vanilla.
  2. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add the oatmeal and stir again. Gradually stir the flour mixture into the butter mixture. Set aside.
  3. Preheat oven to 350°. In a medium saucepan over low heat, combine the tablespoon of butter, sweetened condensed milk, and peanut butter chips. Heat until the chips melt, stirring often. Remove from heat and allow to cool for about 3 or 4 minutes then stir in 1 cup of the toffee bits.
  4. Line a 9x13 or 10x12 inch pan with non-stick foil to make a sling. press 2/3 of the oatmeal mixture into the bottom of the pan. Spread the peanut butter mixture over the top and smooth. Dot the mixture with the remaining oatmeal mixture and press lightly with your fingers. Sprinkle the remaining 1/3 cup of toffee bits over the top.
  5. Place in oven and bake at 350° for about 25 minutes or until the top is lightly browned. The peanut butter filling will still be moist when removed from the oven. Allow to cool completely then cut into bars or squares.
  6. Optional: Swirl melted milk chocolate over the top.

Monday, November 19, 2012

Top Pot's Glazed Doughnuts


Finding a decent doughnut recipe can be one of the most challenging adventures any home baker can undertake. You might be surprised at the number of doughnut recipes that have been tried in my kitchen that never made the cut for the blog. You'd probably be shocked at the number that never made it into the fryer at all but were dumped because of texture or rising problems. But, a little book has helped me find not only a great recipe for a basic glazed doughnut but dozens of inspiring ideas for other types from cake doughnuts to devil's food to old fashioned doughnuts.


Top Pot Hand-Forged Doughnuts: Secrets and Recipes for the Home Baker provides excellent recipes and wonderful tips for creating incredible doughnuts at home. From how to create a moist proofing box in your oven to the best techniques for transferring doughnuts into the oil, the book will help you achieve success with doughnuts in your own kitchen.

For my test I chose the simple glazed doughnut. My intention with this recipe was to see if it actually was easy to follow and turned out an edible product. It scored high on both accounts. I also wanted to get a baseline for a good basic doughnut recipe to compare against one sent to me by my friend Sue Summer back in Newberry, SC. Sue managed to unearth the original recipe for a long closed local doughnut shop in my hometown. With the help of some baking enthusiasts and a food scientist the recipe was pared down for home use. That recipe will be coming up in the next few weeks.

With our basic, successful doughnut recipe in hand, it will be possible to compare and contrast a "modern" artisan shop recipe with one some 50 years old. But right now, let's take a look at Top Pot Doughnuts' excellent glazed doughnut recipe.



Top Pot's Glazed Doughnuts

Recipe by Top Pot Doughnuts
A wonderful recipe for yeast raised doughnuts.

Ingredients
  • 3 Tbsp. Active Dry Yeast
  • 1 cup warm water (105° to 110°)
  • 1/2 cup + 1 Tbsp. sugar
  • 1/2 tsp. baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp. ground mace
  • 2 tsp. salt
  • 4 to 4 1/2 cups bread flour (plus extra for rolling and flouring)
  • 1/4 cup vegetable shortening
  • 3 large egg yolks
  • 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 4 to 6 cups canola oil, for frying
Vanilla Glaze 
  • 3 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar, sifted
  • 1 1/2 tsp. light corn syrup
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1/3 cup + 1 Tbsp. hot water
Cooking Directions
  1. Whisk the yeast, water, and 1 Tbsp. of the sugar together in the work bowl of a stand mixer and let stand for 5 minutes.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the remaining 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder, mace, salt, and 4 cups of the bread flour. Set aside.
  3. Add the shortening, egg yolks, and vanilla to the foaming yeast mixture. Mix with paddle attachment on low speed for 1 minute to break up the shortening. Add about a third of the dry ingredients and mix until blended on low speed. Repeat with the second third of the dry ingredients.
  4. Switch to the dough hook and add the remaining dry ingredients, mixing on low speed until no white spots remain. Add more flour as necessary until the dough is dry enough to clear the bottom of the bowl. Increase speed to medium and knead for 2 more minutes. The dough should be smooth like bread dough but still slightly tacky to the touch.
  5. Transfer the dough to a baking sheet sprinkled with 1 to 2 Tbsp. of flour. Shape into a flat disk about 6 inches in diameter. Dust lightly with flour, cover with a tea towel and set aside.
  6. To create a proofing box in the oven: Bring a large kettle of water to a boil. Pour 8 cups of the boiling water into a 9x13 pan set on the floor of the oven. Place the baking sheet with the covered dough on the middle rack of the oven, close the door and let the dough rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
  7. Transfer the risen dough to a lightly floured surface and roll into a roughly 12 inch circle. Cut into 12 doughnuts, flouring the doughnut cutter before each cut. (Reroll the dough for additional doughnuts if desired.) Gently transfer the doughnuts and holes to two baking sheets sprinkled with 2 Tbsp. of flour each, arranging them at least 2 inches apart. Let rise in the oven (with new boiling water) uncovered, for 30 to 45 minutes or until doubled in size.
  8. While the doughnuts are rising prepare the glaze: Place the confectioner's sugar, corn syrup, salt, vanilla, and hot water in a large mixing bowl or the work bowl of a standing mixer. Using a whisk or with the machine's whisk on low speed, blend until the mixture is smooth and sugar has been fully incorporated, scraping the sides of the bowl. If the glaze seems too thick add more hot water a teaspoon at a time.
  9. Using a candy thermometer to measure the temperature, heat oil (at least 2 inches deep) in a deep fryer or large pot over medium heat to 350°. When the doughnuts have doubled in size, carefully place a few in the oil taking care not to overcrowd them. Fry for about 30 seconds. Carefully turn the doughnuts using chopsticks or skewers and fry for another 20 seconds on the second side. Transfer to a cooling rack set over paper towels to cool rounded side up.
  10. While the doughnuts are still very warm, dip the rounded side in the glaze. Let dry on cooling rack, glazed side up, for 10 to 15 minutes before serving. 
Prep time: 1 hour
Cook time: 10 minutes
Total time: 70 minutes
Yield: 12 doughnuts
 Print This Recipe

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Puppy Buddies Buns

I love making treats for my dogs. With the seemingly endless recalls of treats due to contamination by everything from salmonella to melamine, it's nice to know what your best friend is consuming. These little "cinnamon buns" are easy and quick to make and our guys just love them.

Tuffy
Speaking of "our guys," we have become what is termed in the foster community a "foster failure." That's someone who is fostering a dog (or cat) and decides they just can't part with them. In our case it has been our latest foster, Tuffy. He's a Cocker Spaniel who was in peril at the local shelter due to his age and a few health problems. The rescue group we work with asked us to get him out and foster him. Long story short, he stole our hearts (and Snow's), so we've decided to adopt him permanently. He's a sweetheart and keeps us laughing because he enjoys playing "tough guy" (hence the name).

Recently, I've started dog sitting for some extra income and I think these may become a nice little perq for clients. Maybe a small bag for the owners to give to their dogs upon their return. Maybe even for the owners to share themselves. After all, these are made with things that people like to eat too. While they aren't as sweet as a "real" cinnamon bun they are pretty good in their own right.



Puppy Buddies Buns

A great cinnamon roll treat for your best buddy!

Ingredients
  • 2 cups whole wheat flour
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/4 cup grapeseed oil
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 Tbsp. honey
  • 1 Tbsp. molasses
  • 1 -2 tsp. cinnamon
Cooking Directions
  1. Preheat oven to 350°. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or non-stick foil.
  2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. In a 2-cup or larger measuring cup combine the oil, eggs and water and whisk together. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until combined and a soft dough forms.
  3. On a lightly floured surface roll out the dough into a 8x14-inch rectangle. Lightly brush the honey and molasses over the dough, leaving about a 1/2-inch border on the sides. Sprinkle the cinnamon evenly over the honey and molasses.
  4. Working form the long side, roll up the dough tightly like a jelly roll and pinch the edges to seal. Cut the dough into half-inch slices and place cut side down on the prepared baking sheets.
  5. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the buns are browned and spring back when lightly touched. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely on wire racks.
  6. Treats should be stored in an airtight container.
Note: I prefer to use Ceylon Cinnamon (available at Penzeys) for this recipe. You want to avoid particularly strong or pungent cinnamon. Ceylon Cinnamon is milder and less pungent.

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Total time: 20 minutes
Yield: 24 buns
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Sunday, November 11, 2012

Alexandra's Double Brownies

Sometimes more is better. That's especially true of brownies. If you've ever pondered whether you really want some nice chewy chocolate brownies or maybe some luscious vanilla flavored blondies, we have your solution - make both!

This recipe makes a double brownie. The bottom consists of a chewy chocolate layer topped with a wonderful vanilla and brown sugar blondie layer. If that isn't enough for you then top the whole thing off with a white chocolate icing. Yum!

I actually had trouble getting a photo for the blog post because Michael was gobbling them down so quickly. When he starts taking them to share with other people I know I'm onto something good!

In case you're wondering about the name. I decided to name my adaptation of this recipe in honor of my new Great-Niece, Alexandra Harmon. Her parents are my nephew Andy and his lovely wife Cameron. It just so happened that I got news of her much anticipated arrival as I was putting the finishing touches on these great brownies.


Alexandra's Double Brownies

The best of both worlds. A chewy chocolate brownie layer topped with a vanilla blondie layer!

Ingredients
Brownie Layer 
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1/2 cup dutch process cocoa
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/2 tsp. baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
  • 1 Tbs. water
  • 1 cup + 2 Tbs. all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Blondie Layer 
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
  • 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/2 tsp. baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp. baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2/3 cup walnuts, chopped and toasted (optional)
White Chocolate Icing 
  • 1 cup white chocolate chips
  • 2 Tbs. vegetable shortening
Cooking Directions
  1. Preheat oven to 350°. Line a 9x13 pan with nonstick foil.
  2. For Brownie Layer: In large microwave safe bowl melt the butter on high for 30 seconds. Repeat if necessary until melted. With a handheld mixer, beat in the sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla and eggs. When fully mixed beat in the flour. Spread the batter on the bottom of the prepared pan.
  3. For the Blondie Layer: Rinse out bowl and mixer beaters. Melt the butter on high for 30 seconds. Repeat if necessary until melted. With a handheld mixer beat in the brown sugar, vanilla and egg. When completely mixed add the baking powder, baking soda and salt. Gradually beat in the flour and nuts (if using). Drop the blondie batter onto the brownie batter and carefully spread into one layer.
  4. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few crumbs adhering. Let cool in the pan. When cool remove from pan using edges of foil sling and ice.
  5. For the White Chocolate Icing: In a pyrex mixing bowl melt the vegetable shortening and white chocolate chips in the microwave on high speed for 1 minute. Stir and repeat until the mixture is smooth. Pour over cooled brownies and spread evenly with icing spatula or knife. Allow to set up before serving. 
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 35 minutes
Total time: 45 minutes

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