Whole Wheat Brownies you’ll actually love!

Who doesn’t love brownies? I guess there may be one or two of you out there. For the rest of you that do love them, keep reading. I’ve made them with finely stone-ground whole wheat pastry flour and your kids/family/friends are never going to tell the difference.

We all want to eat healthier, and I think the easiest way to do that is by making small changes that add up. Once you start making small changes, they have a way of snowballing. Before you know it, good things are happening all over the place!

This recipe is for Hodgson Mill’s “Have a Grain Holiday” recipe contest. The idea is to chuck the white four for a change and get that whole wheat in there. It’s  not as difficult as it seems. Last year, I did a Whole Wheat Whisky Gingerbread. My daughter still talks about that one--she loved it, whole wheat flour and all!

I’ve taken the white flour out of these brownies and brought in the whole wheat pastry flour as a replacement. Now, does this make these 100% healthy? No, of course not--they’re still brownies. And it’s the holidays, so we all indulge somewhat. The brownies, even with whole wheat flour, are so rich, dark and fudgy, that no one would ever guess the change that was made. Go ahead and try these, you won’t believe how decadent they are!

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Click here and enter to win one of 50 Baker’s Holiday Gift Packs, including whole wheat flours, baking mixes, and more from Hodgson Mill, valued at $85!

Added bonus: Click here to get a coupon for $1.00 off any 5 pound flour or cornmeal from Hodgson Mill!

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I also have $25 worth of assorted Hodgson Mill products to give away to one of you! Hodgson Mill uses grains that are of the highest grade, produced domestically wherever available, and purchased in the United States. They use only stoneground milling to ensure, unlike other mills, that their products contain the entire nutritional benefit of the grain. And Hodgson Mill has a commitment to solar and wind power at our mill and an award-winning recycling program.

How could you not love all of that? See below to enter!

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Decadent Whole Wheat Brownies

Makes a 9"x13" pan

This makes a lot--good for holiday parties, potlucks, etc. The mini chocolate chips I use are Ghirardelli, in a 10 oz bag. You're dividing it into 3 and 7 oz portions in this recipe. In case you’re wondering, these got big thumbs up all around.

To make the Christmas decorations, I simply used candy melts from the candy making section at any craft store. Melt them, pour into a zip top bag and snip a small corner off the bag. SMALL. Make your shapes on parchment paper or foil, and set aside to cool. I stuck them on the brownies using a simple ganache, and I'll include the recipe below. I free handed the decorations, as you can clearly tell, ha! They give the brownies a nice, old-school homey look. Yeah, that's what I'm going with! You can also just dust with a small amount of powdered sugar for that “snowed on” look.

3 (1-oz) squares of unsweetened chocolate
3 tbsp cocoa (I use Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa)
3 tbsp canola oil
3 oz of mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup butter
1 tbsp espresso powder or instant coffee
1 tbsp Raspberry Liqueur, optional
5 eggs
2 1/4 cups sugar
1 tbsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups Hodgson Mill Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
1 tsp salt
7 oz (remaining chips from the bag) mini chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a 9 x 13" pan with foil, and lightly grease the foil.

In a small saucepan over low heat, combine the unsweetened chocolate squares, cocoa and oil, the 3 oz of mini chips, the butter, the espresso powder or instant coffee, and raspberry liqueur, if using--and melt over low-medium heat, stirring occasionally. Set aside.

While that's all melting, start the next step. Beat eggs, sugar and vanilla at high speed for 10 minutes. This is where a stand mixer comes in handy, but a hand mixer will also do the job.

Add the melted chocolate mixture to the mixing bowl, along with the flour and salt. Mix until just blended, and then stir in the remaining 7 oz of chocolate chips. Let the batter sit on the counter for 20 minutes before pouring into the greased pan. That's right, 20 minutes.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and tap the pan on your work surface a few times to release air bubbles.

Bake for 25-27 minutes. The top should be shiny and the sides should be pulling away from the sides of the pan. Let them cool completely before cutting! To cut, lift them out of the pan using the edges of the foil. Cut into squares, decorate if you wish, and store in an airtight container.

Ganache Recipe

1/2 cup heavy cream
7 oz bittersweet chocolate
pinch of salt
1 tbsp raspberry liqueur, optional

Put the chocolate in a bowl, add the pinch of salt and liqueur, if using. Set aside.

Set the cream over low-medium heat in a small saucepan. Heat gently until small bubbles start to appear around the edges of the pan. Don’t let it boil.

Remove from heat and pour over the chocolate. Let this sit for 2-3 minutes, and then using a rubber spatula, gently stir the cream into the chocolate. Doing this gently prevents any air bubbles in the ganache.

To attach the decorations, put the ganache into a plastic zip top bag and seal. Snip off a tiny corner of the bag, and gently add a dollop of ganache to the center of each brownie. Set the decoration right on top of the ganache, and let them sit for a while to set up. Store any leftover ganache in the fridge, and then you can eat it with a spoon. That’s what I’m doing with it!

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To enter the giveaway for $25 of assorted Hodgson Mill products:

1. Leave a comment on this post telling me what kind of recipe you’d like to make with Hodgson Mill Whole Wheat Flour. Use a valid email address so you can be reached.

Optional Entries:

2. Tweet about this giveaway and leave another comment here telling me that you did.

3. Share this on Facebook and again, leave another comment on this post letting me know.

I’ll choose a winner next Friday, December 14th. The winner will have 48 hours to get back to me or I’ll choose another name. Good luck!

Don’t forget to go and enter to win one of 50 Gift Packs full of assorted Hodgson Mill products!

 

Holiday Whisky (Whole Wheat) Gingerbread

I love boozy cakes! There, I said it. I do! I also like to make gingerbread at least once a year. What if I told you that you could make a gingerbread with 100% whole wheat flour, and still have it be moist, decadent and rich,without the heavy whole wheat taste? You can! I’ve done it here. I’ve been very generous with the spices, because I like a spicy gingerbread. No wimpy gingerbread for me! Also, I’ve added a healthy dose of good whisky that was just begging to be used in something special for the holidays. I also decided to add some Greek yogurt for extra points in the tender crumb/less fat department. It all works beautifully in this dark, rich cake, and I hope you’ll enjoy it as much as we do.

I was asked by Hodgson Mill to participate in a recipe contest that they’re running for the holidays. They want decadent holiday treats, sweet or savory, made healthier by using their Whole Wheat Flour or their Best for Bread Flour. The very first thing that popped into my head was gingerbread. I knew the heavily spiced bread would lend itself well to the whole wheat flour. It’s a match made in heaven! The bread is dense, moist, spicy--and a little boozy. A little whisky is good for the soul--and I used my stash of Macallan Fine Oak 15. We always have Hodgson Mill products in the pantry. Their selection is varied and fantastic! Just take a look through their online store!

If I had my way, I’d have lightly spiced the whipped cream, too, but my husband thought the bread didn’t need any more spice on top of it, and he was right. He was, it’s true! Soft, subtly sweet whipped cream is the way to go with this. Serve the cake warm or at room temperature, and serve it for dessert, breakfast, afternoon snacks--whatever you like!

Holiday Whisky (Whole Wheat!) Gingerbread 
makes one 9x13 pan

1 (7oz) container plain Greek yogurt, or plain regular yogurt
3 tbsp canola oil
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup molasses
4 tsp ground ginger
4 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp nutmeg
scant 1/2 tsp cayenne powder
2 tbsp cocoa powder (I’m addicted to Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa)
1 1/2 tsp salt
3 cups Hodgson Mill Whole Wheat Flour 
1 tbsp baking soda
3/4 cup whisky (I used my Macallan Fine Oak 15)
1/4 cup water
2 large eggs, beaten
1 cup heavy cream and a bit of honey or sugar if you want your whipped cream sweetened

Heat the oven to 325 degrees, and line a 9x13 pan with parchment paper (or lightly grease it) and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl (I used my KA stand mixer), add the yogurt, oil and butter, mix well. Add the brown sugar and beat until fluffy. Add the molasses and blend that in, then add all of the spices--from the ginger all the way through to the salt. Add the flour and mix well.

In a measuring cup, combine the whisky and the water. Heat for about 1 - 1 1/2 minutes in the microwave, then stir the baking soda into the liquid, and stir until it's dissolved. Pour this into the batter--and using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, carefully stir it in a bit, otherwise when you turn the mixer on, it's splash all over you. Trust me, I know. Now turn the mixer on low and blend it in completely, and then lastly, add the eggs, blending until completely mixed in.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 40 minutes, until a tester inserted into the cake comes out clean. Set aside on a rack to cool.

For the whipped cream, you can either whip it up with a mixer, or whisk it by hand. Add in honey or sugar to taste, and serve over the gingerbread squares.

• Gingerbread couldn’t be any easier to prepare, but it’s always so special to me. And it screams holidays! If you like your gingerbread super moist with lots of great spicy flavor, try this one.
• The spices and the whisky definitely make this cake warm you up on the inside. If you don’t want to use whisky, you can use all water instead. Or brandy, or rum, or…you get the idea.

Make Your Own Christmas Ornament Wreath

Did you know that you can take a wreath form, some ornaments, ribbon, beads and a glue gun, and make a gorgeous holiday wreath? You can! It’s easy, too. It takes a little time, but in the end, it’s SO worth it.

I used to be crafty. All the time! Then I had kids, and all that goes along with them got in the way. Not that that’s a bad thing! I love my kids. But I got out of the habit of making things for myself, and into the habit of usually buying stuff already made.

A few weeks ago, all of that changed. I actually felt like grabbing a glue gun and making something. Something pretty, kind of funky…and my mind ended up thinking about ornament wreaths. Ooooh yeah.

I’ve wanted to make one of these for a few years now (but didn’t feel like it!), and I finally decided to just take the plunge. I hit a couple of stores, bought my supplies, and then…and then…had to wait. I hate waiting when I get an idea in my head! But I was so busy at the end of last week, that I couldn’t get to this until Friday night, and then finishing it up Saturday afternoon. So, yeah--my guess is this wreath took me about 2-2 1/2 hours in all. Not too bad, I think!

My husband teased me when he saw all of my bags of craft stuff. He said “So, how long are these bags going to sit here? You gonna make something we can finally use next Christmas?” Funny. I made both wreaths that I planned on making, and only have a few more decorations to hang in the windows. So he can suck on that, haha!

Let’s get to it. Here’s what you need, or what I used for mine:

1. A wreath form. The foam ones were squared off on the edges, and I didn’t really like them, but you can use one if you like. I decided to go with a straw one, center diameter 12 inches. Take the plastic wrap off, but don’t remove the thread that’s wrapped around it! $4.99 (Also, it was a lot cheaper than the foam one!)
2. Wide ribbon (I went with silver). You need a good amount. I picked up a large 90 foot roll at Hobby Lobby that was 50% off--it cost $5.00, normally $10. It’s more than enough.
3. A boatload of ornaments. Seriously. Buy more than you think you’ll need. If you have extra, you can always toss them in a pretty glass vase or bowl for extra decorating. I bought a large container with 45 shatterproof larger ornaments, 2 boxes of 8 count larger ornaments, and 4 cylinders of smaller ones--20 count in each one. $37.00 total.
4. A string of silver beaded garland. I have no clue how long this was, sorry. Oh, and you can use any color you like, but shiny is best! (Make sure they’re not just loose beads on the string, because you’ll be cutting it up.) $2.00
5. Not necessary, but instead of the traditional bow, I picked up a funky little glittery-curly-bow-type silver ornament. $2.00
6. A glue gun and plenty of glue sticks.

-Begin by wrapping the ribbon all the way around your unwrapped wreath form. Glue one end of the ribbon the the wreath, and spiral it all the way around once, snipping and gluing the other end when you’ve wrapped the whole thing. You shouldn’t see any of the wreath form when you’re done.

-Cut a length of ribbon and make a hanger. Figure out how long you want it to be, then loop it around the wreath, securely gluing the two ends of the ribbon together to form your loop hanger.

-Start with the large ornaments, and glue them around the inside and outside edges of the wreath form. When you’ve done that, glue some on to the top of the wreath. You’re not going to put any on the back of the wreath.

-Fill in the gaps and spaces with the smaller ornaments. Don’t worry if you have some small spaces showing through, just do your best.

-Now, take the beaded garland, and without being measurey or technical, just snip it into lengths about 5-6 inches. (First make sure they’re not loose stringed beads, or you’ll have a mess!) Glue the ends of each cut piece together to form little loops, like teeny bracelets. Look over the wreath from different angles, and with the glue gun, add some glue to the closest ornaments so you can stick the beaded loops into the gaps. I just draped them into the gaps and added a bit more glue if needed to make them stick. It’s not as hard as it sounds, really. Just maybe harder to explain.

-If you’re adding a “bow” or fun ornament to the wreath, glue it into place now wherever you want it.

-That’s it! You’re done! Easy, right? Now hang it up!

Back of the wreath and close up of ribbon wrapped wreath:

• I ended up using every single ornament. I could have even used a few more!
• When I started, I looked at my table full of ornaments and thought, “Wow, I may even have enough to make another, smaller wreath!” Ha! Not even close. As I worked on it, I began to think, “Whoa. I think I’m going to need more ornaments!” I kept going, though, and like I said, had just enough.
• During the process, my daughter came in and said, “I don’t think that’s going to fit between the two doors, mom. Did you even think of checking?” She offered to go measure, and sure enough, that smartass was right. SO, this is currently hanging on my dining room wall. Still gorgeous, no matter where it is!
• Don’t be afraid to make this. If you’re worried that you’re not crafty, you’re fine! It’s not hard--it’s just a matter of gluing ornaments on and filling in the gaps. And hey, you only have to make it once! This thing isn’t extremely fragile. Just don’t go tossing it around like a shiny, bulby frisbee!

Here’s a close up of the “bow” ornament:

And here, you can get a better idea of how the beads fill in the gaps: