The Coloring Crook

Salted Chocolate Brownies

(makes 20 brownies)

1 8-by-8-inch baking pan
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing pan
½ cup semisweet chocolate chips
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
½ cup flour, plus extra for greasing pan
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
¼ teaspoon baking powder
1½ teaspoon vanilla
Flaked sea salt like Maldon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease and flour the baking pan.

Melt the butter. (Krista does this in a glass Pyrex measuring cup in the microwave.) When melted, add the chocolate chips and stir until they melt. Set aside.

Beat the eggs with the sugar until thick and cream-colored. Beat at least 2 to 3 minutes.

While they are beating, mix together in a separate bowl the flour, the ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt, and the baking powder. Set aside.

Alternate adding the flour mixture and the butter mixture to the eggs. (Hint: After adding flour, beat at a low speed.) When they are incorporated, add the vanilla. Beat well.

Pour into the prepared pan. Sprinkle with two pinches of flaked sea salt. Holding a knife tilted at an angle, gently swirl the salt into the batter. Bake 25 minutes. The edges should look firm. The middle should be firm enough not to quiver when gently shaken. Place on baking rack to cool. (Hint: It’s easier to cut them while they are still slightly warm.)

Serve warm or cold. These freeze well. Those with midnight cravings might even find them quite delicious frozen.

Coconut Cupcakes

(makes 15 cupcakes)

1½ cups flour
1½ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon sea salt
½ cup (1 stick) butter, softened
¾ cup sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
½ cup coconut milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
⅓ cup shredded sweetened coconut

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Place cupcake liners into wells of a cupcake baking tray.

In a bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, and sea salt. Set aside. Cream the butter with the sugar well. Beat in the eggs. Beat for at least 2 minutes. Add the flour mixture ½ cup at a time. Beat on low after adding, then increase speed. Add the coconut milk, the vanilla, and the shredded coconut. Beat 4 to 5 minutes.

Spoon into cupcake liners about ¾ full. Bake 20 minutes or until they are barely golden and a cake tester comes out clean. Cool on a baking rack.

6 ounces butter, softened
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
2–3 tablespoons coconut milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1½–1⅓ cups powdered sugar
Shredded sweetened coconut

Beat butter, cream cheese, coconut milk, and vanilla until thoroughly mixed. Beat in the powdered sugar ⅓ cup at a time, beating on low speed after each addition. When all of the powdered sugar has been added, beat on high for 4 to 5 minutes.

Spread on cooled cupcakes with a knife. (Don’t worry too much about how they look because the shredded coconut will hide flaws.) Place a kitchen towel or parchment paper under the cupcakes. Sprinkle the coconut on them, patting very lightly. Refrigerate. Take out of refrigerator one hour before serving to bring to room temperature.

Blueberry Cake with Pecan Streusel

2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon vinegar
¾ cup 2% milk
5 tablespoons butter
¾ cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups fresh blueberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a 9-by-9-inch baking pan.

Place flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl and stir with a fork to combine. Set aside. Pour the vinegar into the milk and set aside.

Cream the butter with the sugar. Beat in the egg. Alternate adding flour mixture with the milk mixture until completely combined. Add vanilla and beat. Stir in the blueberries.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread to corners.

½ cup pecans
¼ cup flour
¼ cup white sugar
¼ cup dark brown sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ cup cold butter

Place pecans and flour in a food processor. Pulse until the pecans are tiny. Add the sugars and cinnamon and pulse to combine. Cut the butter into eight small pieces, add to food processor, and pulse until combined.

Sprinkle over top of batter. Bake 50 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.

Allow to rest on a baking rack about 5 to 10 minutes. When cool, top with drizzle.

¼ cup powdered sugar
1–2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Whisk ingredients together. Drizzle over cooled cake. If too thin, add powdered sugar. If too thick, add a drop of lemon juice.

Mini-Cheesecakes

(makes 40 mini-cheesecakes)

24 vanilla wafers
2 8-ounce packages of cream cheese, softened
½ cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 tablespoons sour cream
2 tablespoons heavy cream
2 eggs
½ cup Smucker’s All Natural Cherry Spread (or any jam you
like)

Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Line the wells of a mini-cupcake pan with cupcake liners. Place ½ teaspoon of wafer crumbs in each mini-cupcake liner.

Place the cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, sour cream, and heavy cream in a mixing bowl. Beat until just mixed. Add one egg at a time, beating after each addition.

Spoon the cream cheese mixture on top of the vanilla wafer crumbs, filling the liners full.

Bake 18 to 20 minutes. They will puff up while baking and deflate while cooling, leaving a small dent for the jam. Remove from oven and cool on a rack. When completely cool, warm the cherry spread over medium heat, stirring frequently. Spoon about ¼ teaspoon in the center of each mini-cheesecake.

Killer Cocktail

4 ounces cold orange juice
1 ounce peach schnapps
1 ounce rum
4 ounces cold sparkling wine

Mix together in a tall glass. Garnish with an orange slice.