Warm Nutty Caramel Brownies - Question About Chocolate!

[kaceyleigh2]

Probably Friday, and then maybe the Great Falls Balloon Festival:balloon: It sounds like fun and I haven't been in a couple of years so we will have to do dinner and the brownies and then head on over...

Sounds like a plan!

 

[Carissidy]

Party!

Party? Party? Are we all invited? lol


Paula

Of course you are invited! Everyone can come....who wouldnt for those brownies! Its a long drive from Ohio though. Where are you from in Ohio?

 

[kaceyleigh2]

Of course you are invited! Everyone can come....who wouldnt for those brownies! Its a long drive from Ohio though. Where are you from in Ohio?

And are you any good at Catch Phrase? If you are, you're on MY team!

 

[Carissidy]

Catch Phrase

And are you any good at Catch Phrase? If you are, you're on MY team!

I am watch out...here I come!!! I really am excited to see the balloons :balloon: come into town they usually fly right over my house on the way to the festival! You'll love it and so will the kids!

 

[kaceyleigh2]

I am watch out...here I come!!! I really am excited to see the balloons :balloon: come into town they usually fly right over my house on the way to the festival! You'll love it and so will the kids!

Last year when we were shopping at BJ's all the balloons were flying over!It was cool!

 

[missydivine]

I haven't tried the brownies yet, trying to diet. I think I will try them with caramel kisses. Oh, maybe do 1/2 with caramel kisses and the other 1/2 with rolos just to try both.

 

[ChefBeckyD]

Ummmm, EVERYONE? I know...I just hate how things have changed since I was a kid in the 70s....I hate that my son will never know how cool it was to come home when the street lights came on because now you cant let them out of your sight....

I was just talking w/ my mom yesterday and saying the same thing! How sad I feel for my son that he won't have the freedom to just get on his bike and go! We lived on a farm, and could just hop on our bikes and go exploring for the day, and Mom didn't have to worry about where we were or the danger around us. We NEVER locked our doors (don't even know if there was a key!), and Summer time was for playing and being kids - not a thousand different planned activities.

 

[Harrle]

I have made these brownies twice - the second time was a request by my DS for the family b-day's celebrated last week. I have made them by the recipe but now want to try with the Hershey's caramel kisses!!!

One suggestion I have is to cut the brownies right after you insert the Rolo's or Kisses - this way you can see where they are and the nuts & melted chocolate stays on the brownie and not stuck to whichever tool you are using to cut them (pizza cutter or knife)!!

I like the Hershey's topping idea but agree it may be a bit runny.

I have to share what one relative said about the brownies...he said "I don't know who you had to sell your soul to for this recipe, but it so worth it!!" That also lead to the discussion that they were right up there with the likes of needing a cigarette after having one...

They are YUMMY!!!!

 

[ShanaSmith]

I didn't read the entire thread about the melting the chocolate. Here are my tip for melting chocolate. I do a lot of dipping.....

make sure there is NO water in the bowl with the chocolate.
do not over heat
you can add a bit of crisco to make it more smooth and thin it out a bit.
I would not add milk, it will probably make it clump up.

 

[KellyTheChef]

I didn't read the entire thread about the melting the chocolate. Here are my tip for melting chocolate. I do a lot of dipping.....

make sure there is NO water in the bowl with the chocolate.
do not over heat
you can add a bit of crisco to make it more smooth and thin it out a bit.
I would not add milk, it will probably make it clump up.

Shana~

I was just reading through this thread and thinking the SAME THING! Milk would NOT be a good idea with melting chocolate- it may make it seize up and harden on you. Add a SMALL (1 teaspoon?) of crisco or butter just at the end of melting the chocolate.

When melting, make sure to stir after every 15 seconds or so...the last time you stir them, and you can see the chips are almost all melted, add your butter and just let the residual heat melt them the last of the way. If you need to, put them in for 5 seconds at a time at that point. If you over heat chocolate (especially chips) it can get grainy and thick.

Put your NAME BRAND ziploc bag down into the liquid side of the Measure All cup (to hold it for you) and that way you are getting the chocolate only into the corner. (less waste) From personal experience: generic zip bags are NOT the way to go...the seams are not very strong and it makes quite a mess when the whole seam of the bag blows out as you are drizzling on the chocolate!!

I have made these once (exactly following the recipe) and I am going to try a few changes next time:

-Caramel filled kisses (I agree...the chocolate on them is MUCH better than the chocolate on the rolos!)
-Put most of the nuts into the brown sugar mixture (less to sprinkle on top, but then they should bake into the brownies and not fall off while you are eating them.)
-Put less choc chips INTO the batter, or use more to melt to drizzle ON the batter. (again, if there's more drizzled on, it will help glue the sprinkled on nuts so they don't fall off.)

Hmmm....wondering when I can make up my next batch now!! LOL

 

[jenniferp417]

There are SO MANY good tips on this thread! Thank you all so much!I just love this site and all the things I learn from it!

 

[Chozengirl]

I totally agree w/ Shana & Kelly.
But one thing that got me was...
Are you using Semi-Sweet or Milk Chocolate?
There is a HUGE difference in how they melt.
I would suggest using the Semi Sweet, as the recipe calls for.

I too agree w/ the caramel kisses. the rollos are TOO hard when they cool, the caramel doesn't melt into the chocolate, the chocolate outside is kinda yucky to me too.

OH, and it is is GREAT with pretzels! I made a pan & my family gobbled them up in one afternoon!

 

[cookemomstir]

The very first time I made these I used my EAD - but quickly discovered you need more melted chocolate because so much gets left in the "tip" of the decorator. I liked using the EAD much better than the baggie option - I also discovered(after making these several times) you could add a little less of the choc. chips in the brownie mix and reserve more for the drizzle

I have also tried the hershey's syrup route (lol) not bad but a different chocolate all together- I prefer the melted chips.

I think maybe if you buy the family size bag of morsels and reserve either 3/4 to 1 cup for melting -IT WOULD BE CHOCOLATE HEAVEN!!!

 

[jenniferp417]

I totally agree w/ Shana & Kelly.
But one thing that got me was...
Are you using Semi-Sweet or Milk Chocolate?
There is a HUGE difference in how they melt.
I would suggest using the Semi Sweet, as the recipe calls for.

I bought milk chocolate but I got too small of a bag so I added some semi-sweet I already had. I'd forgotten I did this - so that bowl was about 3/4 milk choc. and 1/4 semi-sweet. That could be a very big part of it.

 

[riggs62]

I totally agree w/ Shana & Kelly.
But one thing that got me was...
Are you using Semi-Sweet or Milk Chocolate?
There is a HUGE difference in how they melt.
I would suggest using the Semi Sweet, as the recipe calls for.

I too agree w/ the caramel kisses. the rollos are TOO hard when they cool, the caramel doesn't melt into the chocolate, the chocolate outside is kinda yucky to me too.

OH, and it is is GREAT with pretzels! I made a pan & my family gobbled them up in one afternoon!

Did you put pretzels on the top? My son has a peanut allergy and I really really want to make these but can't bring nuts into the house. I wonder how it would be with pretzels on top.

 

[KellyTheChef]

Did you put pretzels on the top? My son has a peanut allergy and I really really want to make these but can't bring nuts into the house. I wonder how it would be with pretzels on top.

Others have tested this with great results. Just replace the nuts with pretzels...otherwise, follow the recipe!

Let us know how you like them...I LOVE the sweet/salty combo so the pretzels will keep that flavor combo!

 

[kdietrich]

I just tried these this morning. Personally, I think they are perfectly yummy with the Rolos. The only problem I had is that the brownies still sort of stuck to the pan even after basting it with oil. Granted, this is the first time I've used my bar pan... does anyone have any ideas so that the brownies don't stick at my show next week? Thanks!

 

[jenniferp417]

I seasoned my brand-new bar pan with Scott's tips in this thread:
http://www.chefsuccess.com/f24/seasoning-stoneware-23870/#post265058With that light spray of oil, my brownies only stuck slightly around the edges - and only because I don't think I seasoned the sides well enough.

 

[Brandi2007]

I have found that adding a tsp. of vegetable oil to the chocolate chips helps it to melt faster and thins it out nicely. I use the measure all cup to support the baggie then tie that off with a twixit clip. Cut the tip of the baggie with the kitchen shears. Thats 3 products just to drizzle chocolate. And since at the drizzling point there is no need to hurry it gives you time to talk about each one!

Oh- and Angela??? Where are MY brownies???

 

[ShanaSmith]

Since I am oh so brilliant some times, I put half of the rollos into the batter of the last batch I made... PLEASE DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME! I baked them in the mini muffin pan and got about 2/3 of them out when they were done. The carmel sticks like crazy. However..... I did learn something with the rest of the batter. I greased my mini baker, then lined it with parchment paper and sprayed that too. That batch came out perfectly! I just peeled the paper off the back.

 

[Paula R. Lewis]

Of course you are invited! Everyone can come....who wouldnt for those brownies! Its a long drive from Ohio though. Where are you from in Ohio?

Angela,
Sorry, I didn't mean to not answer your question....missed it somehow. Anyway, I am actually from Jacksonville, Florida, originally. Born and bred a Southern gal.
Married my Ohio yankee guy, and here I am! I'm stuck up here in Poland, a suburb of Youngstown. But, I'll never be more than a Southerner, even if I have to freeze my butt off up here in the north!! lol

lol Seriously, though, the people here are really friendly. I have been blessed with great in-laws, too, which helps, as well as a great church family, and lots of great PC "cluster mates"!!

I just don't like the cold weather, and we sure do have lots of it up here!! Ha! Ha!

Paula

 

[DizziePixie]

So is the concensus that when you use Rolos, the brownies are not as good the next day? Do you think that even though the recipe calls to quarter the candy, the caramel kisses would still be better? It seems like they would not cut well.

I have not yet made this recipe, so I wanted to get you guys suggestions first!!

 

[JAE]

Am I the only person who just melts the chocolate chips right in the baggie? Works for me.
Also, I was going to say also that using a teaspoon of oil or Crisco will work with to help smooth out the chocolate if you have trouble with it squeezing out of the corner of the baggie.
I did not like the Rolos after the brownies were cool. I think the caramel Kisses would be better, and I wonder if less brown sugar in the topping would be better, too.

 

[ShanaSmith]

You can try lining the pan with parchment paper. oil under and over, then you can just peel it off the back when they are done.

I just tried these this morning. Personally, I think they are perfectly yummy with the Rolos. The only problem I had is that the brownies still sort of stuck to the pan even after basting it with oil. Granted, this is the first time I've used my bar pan... does anyone have any ideas so that the brownies don't stick at my show next week? Thanks!

 

[ginamkiely]

i just made these again and they're even better than the first time. i used less brown sugar and a little less nuts and they came out soooo good. i'm pampering my friends job today. wish me luck!

 

[BethCooks4U]

So is the concensus that when you use Rolos, the brownies are not as good the next day? Do you think that even though the recipe calls to quarter the candy, the caramel kisses would still be better? It seems like they would not cut well.

I have not yet made this recipe, so I wanted to get you guys suggestions first!!

Not true! They are best warm from the oven but they are also awesome the next day and the day after if they last that long! I have not had any problems with the caramel being hard at all - even when served cold. I follow the recipe exactly except that I grate some nuts over the top at the end to show off the microplane. I have made this many times without any issues.

To do the melted chocolate: I put 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips in a prep bowl in the microwave for 1 minute, stir and spoon into the large flexible funnel placed in a decorator bottle (you have to squeeze the funnel to get all the chocolate out) and then drizzle over brownie with the writing tip. Works great and shows several more tools.

 

[poohritz]

i made theseone word wow. these are so decadent and sweet., almost to the point of being sickening if eaten too much. yes I didn't think there was such a thing as too much chocolate but this comes close. instead of the chocolate drizzled over the top I used carmel ice cream topper. good, but you can't see it like you can a chocolate. i think that the mini reeses would be really good too. that is my two cents

 

[chefann]

I was at a picnic yesterday and somebody brought these. I almost questioned everyone there: Are you a PC consultant or do you have one? If it had been only people from DH's and my car club, I would have, because they all already know I'm a little nuts. But there were people there I didn't know yet. Whoever made them drizzled with the semisweet AND white chocolate on the top. Very pretty.

 

[Kodeysmom]

i used the bag as well and never had a problem. melted the chocolate in the prep bowl and then stuck a bag down in the measuring cup as per the "tip" and just scraped/pured the chocolate in and then pulled bag out snipped corner and it came out fine. I didn't get all of the chocolate out but had more than enough.

 

[Chozengirl]

I was at a picnic yesterday and somebody brought these. I almost questioned everyone there: Are you a PC consultant or do you have one? If it had been only people from DH's and my car club, I would have, because they all already know I'm a little nuts. But there were people there I didn't know yet. Whoever made them drizzled with the semisweet AND white chocolate on the top. Very pretty.

Very Funny Ann, I would have still went around asking who made those!
The white & semisweets are a GREAT idea!
I made them again yesterday for a show and I still say the kisses would be better! Even peeling the wrapper off of the rollos are a PITA! I had my hostess do it...LOL
Oh, and then I had her husband come in and clean my bar pan. I think they might buy PC out of business, they LOVE our products!