Рецепт Kahlua Brownie Kisses and an iPad Mini Giveaway!
Receiving the motivation I needed a few weeks back, I've kicked myself into the holiday spirit. According to Liv, there are moms out there (and apparently I wasn't one of them..) who allegedly make the holidays super fun with their extraordinary joy in everything holiday. Well... starting with Halloween I've been working on my attitude. We had Halloween decorations and desserts to share, and then moved smoothly into Thanksgiving with family and friends and a home filled with fabulous food cheer.
Transitioning to the somewhat shortened Christmas season, I'm hereby making the most of the few short weeks with the house sporting its holiday finest, spirited baking adventures in the kitchen and gift wrapping already in process.
I have to admit that the gift planning part is one of my favorite activities of the holiday season, and finding that perfect gift for those I'm thankful to have in my life truly brings joy to my heart. And today we are celebrating someone special... you!
First up, I have these fabulous Kahlua Brownie Kisses featuring a splash of this year's fresh batch of Homemade Kahlua. Rich, chocolaty and somewhat irresistible, these little kisses are the perfect treat for a holiday get together or a last minute hostess gift. See below for the recipe.
And secondly, I'm honored to join forces with a few local friends I'm also lucky to have in my life, some of my favorite Southern California Food Bloggers. Together, we are bringing this iPad Mini Giveaway as a thank you to you, our wonderful and supportive readers.
One lucky reader will win an iPad mini, two free e-books (Twelve Terrific Christmas Cookie Recipes - Stephanie Weaver and Cooking Techniques with Olive Oil - Laura Bashar and Mary Platis), and a KIND Healthy Indulgence Variety Cube filled with 20 KIND bars (KIND bars are a lunchbox stale in the Liv Life household!).
From Liv Life as well as these talented
Southern California Food Bloggers,
we wish you a
Happy Holidays!
In addition... if you are interested in buying a Kind Healthy Indulgence Cube (normally $42.50) to give as a gift, the wonderful folks at KIND (have I mentioned how much I love them???) are offering $10 off on December 2nd and 3rd. Simply enter GIVE at checkout to receive the discount. Giving back at the same time, KIND will make a donation to City Harvest, a food rescue organization dedicated to feeding the hungry for every cube purchased. With each cube purchase helping to feed up to 12 people in need, we can shop healthy and help others all at the same time! Won't you take part in #GivingTuesday by sharing a link to this post/offer and ordering these healthy snacks for yourself or a friend?
iPad Sweepstakes Official Rules:
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY
Only residents of the U.S. over the age of 18 are eligible to enter.
Duration: Sunday December 1st through Monday December 16, 2013 at 11:59 PM Pacific Standard Time.
The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning.
We are not liable for technical failures or typographical errors, or resolving identity disputes related to the winner.
This sweepstakes is sponsored by KIND Snacks, California Greek Girl, Liv Life, Family Spice, Jolly Tomato, Mimi Avocado, Rustic Garden Bistro, She's Cookin, Shockingly Delicious, The Spicy RD, and Recipe Renovator, P.O. Box 34054, San Diego, CA 92163-4054. (619) 365-5065.
VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.
Prize description: Grand prize: 1 iPad mini, 1 KIND snacks cube, 1 digital copy of Cooking Techniques with Olive Oil, 1 digital copy of Twelve Terrific Christmas Cookie Recipes. Total retail value $354.48.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Required FTC disclosure: The sweepstakes items were provided by
KIND Snacks and California Greek Girl, Liv Life, Family Spice, Jolly
Tomato, Mimi Avocado, Recipe Renovator, Rustic Garden Bistro, She's
Cookin, Shockingly Delicious, and The Spicy RD. I was not paid to write
this post.
But now how about those Kahlua Kisses? Another wonderful way to share a taste of holiday cheer, the ultra luscious and Kahlua laced ganache brings a lovely topping to these rich, fudgy brownies. Easy to make and a definitely a chocolate lover's dream, these kisses make a fabulous addition to any holiday platter and will bring a smile to the face of someone special.
Kahlua Brownie Kisses
The description of these brownies on Fine Cooking mentions the richness, and therefore suggests cutting into small pieces. I completely agree on the small pieces as it makes me feel less guilty as I reach for seconds! Don't have Kahlua? You can make your own with our Homemade Kahlua Recipe.
Adapted from Fine Cooking
Brownies:
- 2 cups (9 oz.) unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 cups (3/4 lb) unsalted butter
- 1 cup (3 oz.) unsweetened natural cocoa powder (not Dutch-processed)
- 3 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 2 tsp freshly ground espresso beans
- 2 Tbs Kahlua or coffee flavored liquor (Or sub 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract)
- Ganache:
- 1/2 cup whipping cream
- 5 1/2 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
- 2-3 Tbs Kahlua or coffee liquor
- Tip:
- For the best results, measure your flour by weight
- instead of volume. (1 cup of all-purpose flour equals 4-1/2 oz.) If you
don’t have a scale, be sure to use the proper technique when filling your measuring cups.
For the Brownies:
Position a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 325° F. Line a 9x13 baking pan with foil, allowing the edges to hang over the edge of the pan for easy removal. Lightly grease the bottom and sides of the foil.
In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt to
blend.
In a large pan over medium heat, melt the butter, stirring
occasionally. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the cocoa powder
until smooth. Whisk in the brown sugar until blended. One at a time, add 3 of the eggs, whisking until just blended. With the last egg, whisk in the coffee liquer and 2 tsp ground espresso beans.
Add the flour mixture to the chocolate mixture, stirring
until just blended. Scrape the batter into the
prepared pan and spread it evenly.
Place into the oven and bake until a toothpick inserted into
the center comes out with a few small, moist clumps sticking to it,
about 30 minutes. (Don't overbake, or the squares won't be fudgy).
Transfer the pan to a rack to let cool completely. Gently pulling on the foil "handles" remove the brownies from the pan. Peel the foil away from the brownies and place on a cutting board that is larger than the brownies.
For the topping:
Bring cream to a simmer in heavy small saucepan. Remove
from heat. Add chocolate and whisk until smooth. Whisk in 1/4 tsp
vanilla and Kahlua. Refrigerate until thick enough to spread,
stirring occasionally, about 45 minutes.
Spread
topping over brownies. Refrigerate until topping is cold, about 1
hour.
Remove from oven and using a hot knife, carefully cut the brownies into squares. Let
brownies stand at room temperature 30 minutes before serving. Enjoy!!