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| Sweet Spot Archives |
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Sugar Gate Bridge Takes 1st Prize in SugArt Contest!  What do the Golden Gate Bridge, Roman Coliseum, and San Miguel Arcangel Mission have in common? They're all picturesque landmarks, but this year, they're also the winning entries of C&H Sugar Company's 3rd annual SugArt® contest! Beginning in September 2003, children grades K-5th from all parts of the Bay Area entered imaginative creations made of C&H pure cane sugar cubes in hopes of winning U.S. savings bonds for themselves and money for art supplies for their schools. After reviewing the inventive entries, the judges have selected 4 winners! Congratulations to:
First Prize Winner: Second Prize Winners: First prize winner Val Quijano used over 8 boxes of C&H sugar cubes to create an impressively detailed replica of the Golden Gate Bridge. "I decided to make the Golden Gate Bridge because it's the closest monument to my house" explains Val. He mixed orange and red paint to give the bridge its vibrant color and used strands of costume pearls and thread to duplicate the railing. Val also painted sugar cubes aqua blue to re-create the waters of the Bay. "It was really fun to make" says Val. As reward for his creative sculpture, Val will receive a $1,000 U.S. savings bond and $500 for his school to purchase art supplies. The three second-prize winners will be awarded $500 savings bonds and $250 for their schools. Sponsored by C&H Sugar, the annual SugArt® competition aims to inspire children's imagination and creativity by encouraging them to create art from sugar. "I really appreciate C&H sugar for giving this incentive for children" says Alicia Chicas, the proud mother of second-prize winner Diego Chicas. Thanks again to all the children who contributed creative, fun projects to this year's SugArt® Contest! Next year's competition begins in September 2004—check back this fall for details on how to enter! |
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Sweet Spot Archives Spring 2004 January 2004 Fall 2003 Summer 2003 Spring 2003 Winter 2003 Fall 2002 Summer 2002 Spring 2002 Winter 2002 Holiday 2001 |
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Who doesn't love brownies? No one we know! Fudgy or cakey, simple or elaborate, there's a brownie for every taste. There are even brownies for people who don't like chocolate!
Brownies are a treat any time of the year, but they're especially welcome in summer: Quick and easy to make (that means less oven time), they're a fun project for out-of-school kids and the perfect bring-along for summer picnics and potlucks.
The best brownie recipe? That depends on your Brownie Personality. To discover it, take our Brownie Personality Quiz, then read on for recipes and tips to make your brownie dreams come true.
Before You Start
- Always use fresh, high-quality ingredients, including C&H pure cane sugar, real butter, good chocolate, and real vanilla.
- Light-colored, shiny pans produce the best results. If you must use glass pans, reduce the oven temperature by 25 degrees.
- Don't overbake! If a toothpick inserted in the center of the pan comes out clean, the brownies have baked too long. Remember, the brownies will continue to bake for a few minutes after they're removed from the oven.
- Professional baker and brownie pro Alice Medrich (see our Baker's Profile) offers this tip for removing brownies from their pan: Take the pan out of the oven and immediately plunge it into a bath of ice water 3/4" deep. Brownies will be easy to cut and lift out of the pan.
Back to the Classics
Brownies are American classics. The first mention of "brownie" was in the 1896 Fannie Farmer cookbook, but it referred to a—gasp!—molasses cookie. It wasn't until 1906 that a Boston chocolate manufacturer published recipes for the brownie bar cookies we know and enjoy today.
If you're a "classic" brownie lover, you embrace this century-old tradition. For you, the perfect brownie is dense and fudgy in the center, slightly dry and crackly on top. Cases in point: our Brown Sugar Brownies or Fudge Nut Brownies. Both are made with C&H Pure Cane Golden Brown Sugar for a molasses-y flavor that harks back to the original Fannie Farmer recipe.
Even traditionalists need some variety now and then. For extra richness—and a bigger yield that's perfect for parties—try Petite Brownies , which are small in size (just 1" square) but huge on flavor. Cakey brownies, which include baking powder as leavening, are a lighter alternative: Cake-Style Brownies are a classic version, and Chipper Brownies add a cup of semisweet chocolate chips to the mix. Chocolate-Chip Blondies—really butterscotch bars made with C&H Pure Cane Dark Brown Sugar—include pecans and just a sprinkling of chocolate chips.
Indulge a Little!
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For "indulgent" types, less is definitely not more. Your watchwords are rich, gooey, and caloric. When you're feeling really reckless, you top your still-warm brownie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream to make a decadent sundae (see photo).
In truth, from time to time we all enjoy an over-the-top treat like Triple-Chip Brownies, made with chips of white chocolate, semisweet chocolate, and butterscotch along with six full ounces of chopped semisweet chocolate. If you love those sticky caramel-chocolate confections known as "turtles," you'll adore our Turtle Brownies, topped with melted caramel candies and pecans. Nostalgic for s'mores? Pay tribute to that campfire favorite with Rocky Road Brownies, which include a cup of miniature marshmallows for a smooth, creamy texture.
Not all indulgences evoke childhood memories. Chocolate-Cheesecake Brownies are a grown-up delight, made with a softened cream cheese topping that covers a layer of classic fudge brownie layer—definitely an adult taste!
Exotic Accents
For example, the ancient Aztecs knew that chili powder lends a dash of excitement to chocolate. Our Fiesta Brownies modernize that concept, adding cinnamon and a bit of fiery heat to a fudgy brownie recipe. Mint and chocolate are another can't-miss pairing, as our Choco-Mint Brownies make deliciously evident. Dress them up with green-tinted frosting and serve with mint-chip ice cream for a refreshing dessert.
Looking for the perfect, grown-up ending to your international dining experience? No one would mistake Espresso Brownies for a kiddie snack: They're flecked with instant espresso powder for a sophisticated bittersweet flavor.
Naturally Delicious
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Sure, you love the occasional sweet treat. But you want it to deliver a healthy benefit as well—for you and for your kids. Your "natural" brownies pack (or sneak!) wholesome ingredients into tasty recipes.
For instance, dried fruit may seem like an unconventional addition to brownies. But our Harvest Brownies, made with raisins or chopped dates, are so delightfully chewy and tasty that their added nutritional value is just a sweet bonus.
Kids love peanut butter, and there's plenty of it in Nutty Peanut Butter Brownies. The good news for them is that peanut butter is full of protein and fiber. They won't even notice—not when there's a cup of chocolate chips in the frosting!
From the taste of them, you'd never know that a batch of Chewy Wheat Germ Brownies contains half a cup of nutritious wheat germ—that's nearly 14 grams of protein and seven and a half grams of fiber. C&H Dark Brown Sugar gives them a rich sweetness, and toasted cashews are a protein-dense switch from traditional walnuts. And with only half a stick of butter, they're low in fat as well.
Storing Brownies
Brownies tend to disappear pretty quickly. But if you do end up with too many to eat right away, store them in an airtight container on the counter for up to three days, or in the refrigerator for up to five days. Brownies can be frozen, but usually with some loss of texture. Enjoy them now—or share with friends and neighbors!
| Quick Tip: To sidestep the sometimes tricky business of slicing brownies into equal-size bars, try pouring the batter into greased mini-muffin tins (or use the newer silicone mini-muffin pans and skip the grease). Fill each cup about two-thirds full. As a bonus, you'll be able to cut cooking time by about half. |
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Baker’s Profile: Alice Medrich  Renowned pastry chef and award-winning cookbook author Alice Medrich is no stranger to sumptuous chocolate desserts. Known as the "The First Lady of Chocolate," Alice has penned five award-winning chocolate and dessert cookbooks; her latest success—Bittersweet: Recipes & Tales from a Life in Chocolate—won the 2004 International Association of Culinary Professionals Cookbook of the Year Award.
Alice studied chocolate, pastry, and desserts at the prestigious École le Nôtre, near Paris, and then made her culinary mark on the Bay Area as the founder of Cocolat, a Berkeley dessert and pastry shop that she ultimately expanded to seven Bay Area stores over 14 years. After selling Cocolat in 1990, Alice found inspiration in her home kitchen. She has become one of the country's most respected cookbook authors and is the only two-time recipient of the prestigious James Beard Cookbook of the Year Award. While Alice's culinary repertoire includes impressive creations such as Triple Chocolate Mousse with Carmel glazed Hazelnuts, she believes the simplest desserts can be the most elegant. Her divinely moist Espresso Swirl Brownies, with their deliciously gooey texture and coffee flavor, prove simplicity and decadence can go hand in hand. To give your brownies a luscious texture, Alice recommends baking them for only twenty minutes at 400° F and then cooling them in a pan of ice water. "The ice keeps the brownies from rising and creates a crisp crust on the outside, while leaving the brownies soft and creamy on the inside," she explains. The baking technique, dubbed the "Steve Ritual," was discovered as a happy accident by her assistant's husband, Steve. When his less-than-trusty oven overheated during a college brownie-baking session, Steve attempted to save the brownies by throwing them in the freezer— with delicious results! Alice emphasizes using quality ingredients as the key to baking consistently delicious brownies. Whether baking for her daughter Lucy or testing a recipe for her latest cookbook, Alice always uses C&H Pure Cane Sugar. "I use it because I can count on the results!" she says. |