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FOOD FOR THOUGHT By
Wanda A. Adams
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| • | Thank goodness for Scrumptious sides |
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As the holidays approach, office, school, club and church potlucks abound, as well as opportunities to spend time with family. The following recipe for caramel nut brownies is handy for both.
It's based on one from the cookbook "Bells are Ringing, A Call to Table," a fundraising cookbook for the restoration and upkeep of Mission San Juan Capistrano in California (www.missionsjc.com). That one's made with peanut butter. It is suitable for making with children (you bake, they measure).
My take substitutes caramel. You can create a more sophisticated dinner party dessert: Make brownies and caramel sauce from scratch, use macadamia nuts and substitute chopped, gourmet dark chocolate for chocolate chips. (Ghirardelli just released a new line of bittersweet chips and "Intense Dark" bars. Or use O'ahu's own Waialua Estate single-source dark chocolate.)
Because this is very rich, use a 9-by-13 pan (smaller pans create too thick a brownie). You can also cut it into smaller squares.
CARAMEL NUT BROWNIES
Prepare brownie mix according to "cake-style" directions (requires eggs, oil and water) in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Bake 24 to 30 minutes (less time for glass baking dish; more for metal baking pan). Do not overbake.
Remove from oven, place on rack and, while brownies are still hot, scatter chocolate chips evenly over the top. Scatter nuts over chocolate. Drizzle caramel sauce on top. Cool on rack and refrigerate one-half hour or so, to solidify, before cutting.
Makes 12 bar-size servings (or cut smaller, fudge-size).
Caramel sauce: In a medium-size, heavy-bottomed saucepan combine 2 cups sugar, 2/3 cup water and 1 1/4 teaspoons cream of tartar. Cook over medium-high heat, lifting up and swirling pot occasionally but not stirring, until caramel gains color (the darker, the deeper the flavor).
Turn off heat and stir in 1/2 cup cream. Remove from heat and whisk in 2 tablespoons butter.
Store in fridge.
ISLAND PLATE
"The Island Plate," our 150th anniversary cookbook, is available at www.honoluluadvertiser.com; or call 356-0361 and leave message to order by mail (fee applies).
Send recipes and queries to Wanda A. Adams, Food Editor, Honolulu Advertiser, P.O. Box 3110, Honolulu, HI 96802. Fax: 525-8055. E-mail: wadams@honoluluadvertiser.com.
For more information about our 150th anniversary cookbook, call 535-8189 (message phone; your call will be returned). You can order the cookbook online.
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