RECIPE: "Triple Threat" Chocolate Brownie Cookie Bars

 

You have seen the photos..3 wonderful layers of oooey gooeyness, made with Dutch unsweetened cocoa powder, Belgium Chocolate and dark 80% chocolate, dark brown sugar, butter and lots of love.

 This recipe makes 12 lovely large bars..or you can halve the recipe and just make 6, but why would you?
Preheat oven 350F

using a 11 x 7 1/2 x 1 1/2  roasting pan or oven proof dish, buttered.

base:
2 cups steel cut oats (or rolled old fashioned)
1 cup flour..wholewheat
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
6 tbsp melted butter

mix first 4 ingredients together in bowl and add 1/2 tsp salt and the melted butter, and 2 tsp coconut extract ( or vanilla)
Pat into the baking dish making an even layer, just pat down don't flatten.
Bake middle oven 15 mins.
Remove and set aside to cool.

Middle layer:
1 1/2 cups sugar ( brown sugar makes it caramelly)
1/2 cup melted butter
4 ozs dark chocolate, chopped and melted, cooled slightly
2 large eggs
1 1/3 cups all purpose flour (if using whole wheat add extra milk)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup milk
3 tbsp Dutch/unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup walnut/pecan pieces (optional)
1 cup chocolate chips
Method:
Stir together all the dry ingredients and set aside
Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, add the eggs and melted chocolate and continue beating for 2 mins.
Add the vanilla to the milk
Mix the wet and chocolate mix to the flour, alternately, mixing well after each addition.
Fold in the nuts and chocolate chips, well.

Spread the batter over the base, and smooth the top.
Bake middle oven for about 35 mins, until top is almost set..it will set up as it cools.

variations add any type of chocolate chips.
Add ground coffee, 1/4 cup for Espresso brownies, top with mocha frosting.
Add fresh fruit on top of cooked base before adding topping. sliced bananas, berries & etc.

Cool in the pan on a wire, when cool enough cut into bars (this helps keep the frosting clean).
Frost with desired frosting, chocolate, caramel, pecan,coconut-pecan caramel as in German Chocolate cake is wonderful, sour cream butter cream, mocha frosting is fab..or better still, Fudge frosting:

in a small heavy bottomed pan:
melt 4 ozs dark chocolate
6 tbsp butter
over low heat.
Remove from heat, stir in 4 cups powdered sugar, and add 2 tbsp hot water to make almost a pourable consistency.
Spread on top of cooled, cut brownies 

Variations for Mocha fudge frosting, add 3 tbsp instant coffee to the melted chocolate. before adding powdered sugar.

'Triple Threat" Brownie cookie bars

Here's what you get when you mix steel cut oatmeal, butter, brown sugar, unsweetened cocoa powder, Belgium dark chocolate and semisweet chocolate chips, and more butter and flour! Tomorrow they will be topped with vanilla butter cream

Prep for the caramelized tomato tart, mushroom soup with pasta; Roasted vegetables prep.; collard greens, "triple threat" brownie bar cookies; mixed summer fruit Eve's Pudding. 23 color Photographs

red apples,  Bartlet pears, Bananas, limes, black plums, white peaches, red grapefruit..colorful fruit

Avocado's, watermelon, Portobello mushrooms

Multi colored beets, red yams, white onions, purple onions, brown onions, cucumbers

Smoked tempeh strips

Collard greens

These 2 the vegetables for roasting tomorrow

Tomato halves with balsamic vinegar, herbs and olive oil

Miso with beans and greens

These 2 the mushroom & pasta soups

Steel cut oats, brown sugar & butter base for the cookies

partially baked base topped with semi-sweet chocolate chips for the brownie bar cookies

The brownie batter topped  crust before baking

side view of unbaked brownie bars

Fresh fruit filling for the Eve's Pudding..fresh mango, raspberries, strawberries, apples, nectarines

Cooked beige lentils

The roasted tomato halves for the tarts

The fabulous  menu for the 1st Day of August..


2 Raw soups, one a spicy gazpacho with own grown peppers, garlic, celery, parsley, apples and tomatoes
one with grapefruit and lime juice, cucumbers, squash, greens, nutritional yeast, avocado, garlic, apple

A cooked mushroom& pasta soup

A cooked miso with sea vegetables, greens and green beans


An appetizer of roasted beets and yams with crumbled Cotija  cheese


The entrees are 

9 inch Caramelized tomato tart with sliced fresh mozzarella and torn basil leaves..I have decided to cook these before delivery as some are to be shared among clients..they will be juicy enough to be reheated in slices

A Chef's salad with Napa cabbage, celery, parsley, roasted vegetables, tempeh bakon and a chipotle dressing

Roasted vegetables with lentils  and watermelon salad in lemon dressing

The side dishes are:
Sauteed mushrooms with greens and scallions
Collard greens with black beans and garlic

The desserts:

"Triple threat' brownie bars

Fresh fruit salad with jicama & grapefruit

Eve's pudding (vanilla sponge topped poached fresh Summer fruit)

Side view of baked brownie bars cooling,,they will be cut and then frosted with vanilla butter cream tomorrow ( avoids messy cutting through frosting)

Brownies contain halved walnuts and 3 types of chocolate, semi sweet chocolate chips, cocoa, dark chocolate

.The Most Fabulous CARAMELIZED TOMATO TART WITH FRESH MOZZARELLA (or Vegan Sun Cheese) and torn basil leaves

3 day ferment in sunlight of ground raw sunflower seeds, garlic, nutritional yeast and rujuvelak (fermented rye berry water) then it is strained through a coffee filter for 4hours the result is a tangy, almost cream cheese like cheese substitute perfect for anyone lactose intolerant like me.
It can be dehydrated and turned into a Parmesan like cheese, but I prefer mine spreadable.

I am making this wonderful tart on Thursday , for the vegetarians it will have fresh Mozzarella cheese, for  those lactose intolerant like me it will have the sun cheese.

The prep for this is going to be the whole wheat, flax seed pastry made with butter and shortening.

Then this will be topped with, grated Cheddar & Jack cheeses,  roasted tomatoes (slice ripe Plum tomatoes in half, scoop out the seeds, and pour in some balsamic vinegar, grape seed oil and Italian dried herbs. roast for  about 30 mins in a 400f oven.) and topped with the fresh cheese ( which ever is being used).
This will be baked at the client's home in a 350f oven for 45 mins, and topped with torn fresh basil leaves just before serving.

This is a wonderful dish and should only be made with very ripe and seasonal tomatoes...plum tomatoes have more flesh when the seeds are removed.
You may use other types of tomatoes ( heirloom, beefsteak & etc.) and using a melon baller just remove the core and some of the seeds, then proceed as for the recipe.

I would say that this could be made for a special occasion dinner but as it is best in summer and can be so economical it is good to treat yourself and loved ones whenever possible.
The Fresh Mozzarella makes all the difference too, if you cannot find Mozzarella, then any good melting cheese is OK..just don't cover it like a pizza, the stars here are the tomatoes.

Cranberry sourdough breads; eggplant Parmesan How to's; Samosa "Turnovers"; Steamed kale and curly mustard with garlic; Rice vegetable wraps; Lots of color photo's from todays menu

Eggplant Parmesan, half filled along with grated cheese and fresh basil leaves

Ready for baking at the client's home eggplant Parmesan, by roasting the eggplant it cuts the fat down by 75%

previous 2..taking out Artistic Lic. Samosa vegetable stuffed turnovers/strudels..easy handheld with own made chutney

Previous 2 the kale and curly mustard..steamed with garlic and finished with olive oil

Fresh fruit salad, with strawberries, honeydew melon, nectarines, jicama , fuji apples, red flame grapes, oranges also bourbon vanilla extract

Previous 2 the vegetable( scallions, carrots, yellow squash,celery, green beans, red bell peppers, cashews, mango and dried apricot ) stuffed rice wraps these will be served with some fresh guacamole.
Topped with raw sesame seeds and toasted sesame seed oil.