No mincing words for this chef/author and her publishers, this is a dessert book and not intended to help guide your way through the food pyramid! If you are looking for a new inspiration for your baking, this may be the book for you.
I love to bake year round, but the holidays give me even more excuses to bake in mass amounts. I haven’t heard any complaints from all my recent recipients – my daughter’s bus driver, the doorman in our building and my son’s preschool teachers — but this book has taken my skills up a notch.
Packed full of over 250 recipes separated into chapters for cakes, cookies, bars, pies and fruit desserts and puddings, I found so many desserts I want to try. The author, Judy Rosenberg, is an IACP/Julia Child Cookbook Award-winning baker and the owner of the Boston area’s Rosie’s Bakery chain.
The book’s recipes are very detailed and easy to follow. I particularly appreciate her tips at the beginning of each section on topics, such as preparing pans for easy cake removal, the importance of proper batter textures and how best to cool and store cookies.
Last week, I baked Rosie’s Award-Winning Brownies and they turned out amazing. I’m not above using brownie mixes, but these ‘from scratch brownies’ reminded me of the difference that real chocolate, about 3 extra bowls to wash and maybe 30 extra minutes can make! Holy! My husband and I have been sneaking these brownies out of the fridge every night after the kids are safely asleep so we don’t have to share a crumb.
The recipe was easy to follow. The only thing I missed was photos. I really do like cookbooks that provide photos to show preparation and the end result. The simple illustrations are nice but lacking in helping me determine what some of these cakes, cookies and pies will look like when I pull them out of the oven.
Published by Workman Publishing and priced at $15.95, this cookbook would make a great present for yourself, as well as for the chefs, in your life. You can find it at http://www.workman.com/, as well as, www.amazon.com and www.barnesandnoble.com.
Rosie’s Award-Winning Brownies (Makes 9 to 12 brownies)
Ingredients
- Vegetable oil or butter for greasing the pan (optional)
- 6 ounces unsweetened chocolate
- 2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
1) Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Lightly grease an 8-inch square pan with vegetable oil or butter, or line the bottom with parchment paper.
2) Melt the chocolate and butter in the top of a double boiler placed over simmering water. Let the mixture cool for 5 minutes.
3) Place the sugar in a medium-size mixing bowl and pour in the chocolate mixture. Using an electric mixer on medium speed, mix until blended, about 25 seconds. Scrape the bowl with a rubber spatula.
4) Add the vanilla. With the mixer on medium-low speed, add the eggs one at a time, blending after each addition until the yolk is broken and dispersed, about 10 seconds. Scrape the bowl after the last egg is added and blend until velvety, about 15 more seconds. Then scrape the bowl again.
5) Add the flour on low speed and mix for 20 seconds, stopping once to scrape the bowl. Finish the mixing by hand, being certain to mix in any flour at the bottom of the bowl. Stir in the nuts, if using.
6) Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan. Bake just until the center rises to the level of the sides and a tester inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs, 30 to 35 minutes.
7) Let the brownies cool in the pan on a rack for 1 hour before cutting and serving them. And don’t forget the tall glass of milk.
Note: Leave the brownies in the pan, at room temperature, covered, for up to 2 days. After that, layer them in an airtight container with plastic wrap, parchment paper, or waxed paper between the layers, and store for another 2 days in the refrigerator or in the freezer for up to 2 weeks. They are delicious cold or at room temperature.
– Jill
* We did not receive monetary compensation for this review. That’s IT Mommy received this from Workman Publishing free of charge to facilitate this review.This will in no way sway our opinion of the product or service. The review is in our own words and is our opinion. Your results and opinions may differ.
2 comments
I will try these-they look so good
OOO thanks for the recipie! Looks delicious!