Palm Beach Brownies: Not Your Grandmother's Brownies

I have worshipped at the altar of Maida Heatter since I became serious about cooking and baking. One of the first grown up cookbooks I purchased was her Book of Great Desserts (1967). Her instructions might seem a tad controlling, but they are essential contributors to the PBB's incredibly fudgy goodness. These are brownies that must be made the day before they are enjoyed and they are brownies that need no embellishments (though a scoop of vanilla ice cream never hurt anything). I'm guessing the name is a nod to the luxurious playground for the rich--and these brownies are rich. The instructions are very complete, but the brownies are easy to make.

Yield- 2 dozen of the most incredible brownies you'll ever eat
(adapted from Maida Heatter's recipe)

1 cup unsalted butter plus 2 tbs for the pan
8 oz unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
5 eggs
1 tbs vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbs dry instant espresso powder
3 3/4 cups sugar
1 2/3 cups flour
8 oz walnut halves, roughly chopped

Adjust oven rack one-third up from the bottom and preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Invert a 9 X 13 inch baking pan and drape it with a piece of aluminum foil, shiny side down, long enough to cover the pan's sides. Use your hands to carefully press down on the foil around the sides and the corners, shaping it to create a foil liner. Remove foil, turn pan right side up, place foil liner in pan and carefully press into place. Place 2 tbs butter into prepared pan and place in oven for 1 to 2 minutes to melt butter. Brush melted butter evenly across bottom and up sides of foil lined pan.

In a double boiler (or in a microwave oven), combine the chocolate with the remaining 1 cup of butter, stirring occasionally until chocolate and butter habve melted and are thoroughly combined and smooth. Set aside to cool to room temperature.

In the bowl of an electric mixer on low speed, beat eggs, vanilla and almond extract, salt, espresso powder, and sugar for 1 minute. Increase speed to medium high and beat for 9 additional minutes. Scrape bottom and sides of bowl, reduce speed to medium, add cooled chocolate-butter mixture, and mix until combined. Reduce speed to low, add flour mixture, and mix until just combined. Stir in nuts.

Scrape batter evenly into prepared pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula.

Bake for 16 minutes, then rotate the pan halfway. Cover the pan loosely with aluminum foil and continue baking another 16 minutes. At this point, the brownies should be pulling away from the pan's edges and the top should have developed a few cracks. If you insert a toothpick, it will come out wet. That is okay. If no cracks have appeared, remove foil and bake an additional minute up to 3 minutes, checking after each minute. Do NOT overbake.

Remove from oven, transfer pan to a wire rack, and cool to room temperature. At this point, cover with aluminum foil and freeze overnight.

When ready to serve, thaw brownies. Cover with a wire rack or cookie sheet and invert, removing the pan and peeling away the layer of foil. Cover with a cutting board and use a serrated knife to cut brownies into 24 pieces. Serve chilled or at room temperature. Store leftovers by wrapping individually in plastic wrap or storing in an airtight container.

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TASTE NOTES
There are no adjectives to describe adequately the exquisite texture of these brownies. If I didn't know how to make them, I would guess the ingredients included cream because the texture is somewhat like a ganache. The top is crusty and the brownie is simultaneously sturdy, yet gooey. I defy you to eat one and not utter OMG!

Turkey, Spinach, and Mushroom Lasagna

Lasagna can be one of the most calorie-laden pleasures of life, a reason why I used to reserve it for the holidays. I will freely admit that my favorite lasagna is made with homemade spinach noodles, bechamel, and a long-simmered Bolognese sauce. My second favorite lasagna is the way my mother and my grandmother made it--filled with full fat ricotta cheese and mozzarella and served with meatballs, sausage, bracciola and preceded by a huge antipasto. And did I mention the garlic bread?

Well, of course you can't eat that kind of a meal on a weeknight. First of all, you'd need to get up in the wee hours of the morning to start the sauce. More importantly, eating that kind of (delicious, I love it) rich food is definitely not part of a healthy eating plan. So, for nights when I want lasagna, I turn to a quick, leaner version. I use bottled sauce because it's quick and because it has way fewer calories.

I have several versions that I've posted over the years I've been doing this blog (Quick and Easy Turkey Lasagna; Mushroom Lasagna).  Here's another.


Serves 8
1 lb ground turkey breast
2 tsp olive oil
1 (10 oz) pkg cremini mushrooms (sliced)
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 (10 oz) bag spinach, trimmed
salt and pepper to taste
4 cups light marinara (Ragu has a good one)
1 (8oz) box no-boil lasagna noodles (I like Barilla)
1 (15oz) container fat free ricotta (store brands are fine; hey, it's fat free)
1 1/2 cups shredded part skim mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and spray a 9 X 13 inch baking dish with nonstick spray.

Spray a large nonstick skillet with nonstick spray and set over medium-high heat. Add the turkey and cook, stirring frequently, until no longer pink (about 5 minutes). Add the oil and reduce heat to medium. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until softened (about 5 minutes). Add the mushrooms and garlic and continue stirring, cooking another 5 minutes. Add the salt and pepper, stir, then add the spinach and cook, stirring, until it's wilted (about 3 minutes). Remove from heat. Drain away any extra liquid from the mushrooms and spinach.

To assemble, spread 1 cup of the marinara sauce over the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Cover with 4 lasagna noodles, overlapping them if needed. Cover with half the turkey mixture, dot with half the ricotta, sprinkle with a handful of the mozzarella, and top with another 1 cup of marinara. Add another layer of 4 noodles and cover with remaining turkey mixture, remaining ricotta, another handful of mozzarella, and 1 cup of the marinara sauce. Add 4 more lasagna sheets, then spread the remaining 1 cup of marinara sauce on top and sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella cheese.

Spray a sheet of foil with nonstick spray; cover dish with foil, sprayed side down, and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 20 minutes, until mozzarella is starting to brown and noodles are very tender. Let cool 15 minutes before cutting into 8 equal portions. DO NOT CUT until the lasagna has cooled for 15 minutes and set up. Pass the grated cheese (and add those extra points).

9 WW PP per serving
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TASTE NOTES
I usually don't use fat free ricotta nor do I bulk up my lasagna with veggies, but I must say that this lasagna surpassed my expectations. It was really, really good (so good I'd have loved a second piece). I will say that next time I make this I intend to saute the mushrooms and spinach separately with lots of thinly sliced garlic. That way, instead of being a "filler," the vegetables will really bring something to the table, so to speak. Spreading the mozzarella through the layers instead of just putting it on top gives you that wonderful stretchy-melty cheese throughout. Of course, I had to add grated cheese at the table. All in all, I'm looking forward to the leftovers.

Beef and Vegetable Ragu

I love Bolognese sauce, but let's be real-- it's a weekend kind of sauce because it needs a bit of tending. I've made quick ragus before and they're acceptable, but I try to keep my weekday eating as healthy as possible and the calories can add up quickly when you're making a ragu. What to do? Incorporate veggies to stretch the meat, reduce the fat and calories, and save time.

Serves 6  (Sauces 1 pound of pasta)

3/4 lb very lean ground beef
1 small onion, finely chopped
8 oz white mushrooms, finely chopped (use a food processor for uniformly chopped pieces)
1 small eggplant, peeled and diced (1 inch dice)
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 can San Marzano peeled whole plum tomatoes (I like to put them through a food mill, but you can just chop them)
1 tbs red wine vinegar
1 tsp dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste

Spray a nonstick skillet with nonstick spray and set over medium heat. Add the ground beef and onions and cook, stirring, until the beef is browned (5-10 minutes). Add the mushrooms, eggplant, garlic, and oregano and cook another 5 minutes, stirring, until eggplant begins to loose its raw look. Add the vinegar and salt and pepper, cooking about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook 15 minutes longer.

Serve over your favorite pasta (I served this over gemilli; penne or cavatelli would be other good choices).

1 1/4 cup sauce = 5 Weight Watchers PP values
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TASTE NOTES
I've made other ragus that contain veggies, but they were too obviously vegetable-based for my tastes. What I liked about this ragu was that the mushrooms, chopped as finely as they were, weren't distinguishable from the beef. The vegetables lent a sweetness to the sauce that made it seem as if it had cooked longer. I think the next time I make this sauce I will roast the eggplant first to add another dimension--smokiness. I served my 1 1/4 cup portion over a cup and a half of pasta (3 oz dry) and it was more than enough along with a tossed salad.

Baked French Toast

Lately I've found that I am far more satisfied with meals prepared at home. Not only do I control the portion size, I know exactly what ingredients go into each dish. Eating breakfast out may be faster, but the calories--often empty ones--can add up quickly and for someone who is health conscious, this gets the day off to a poor start (not to mention the difficulty of squeezing in lunch, dinner, and a snack without going off the charts). While I usually opt for a savory breakfast, given the success of my pancake squares, I decided to venture into the land of French toast.

I've made other versions of French toast that require preparing the mixture the night before, then baking off in the morning, but none had this souffle-like texture and streusel topping.

Serves 6 (8 PP values per serving)

12 slices reduced-calorie whole wheat bread (I recommend Sara Lee wheat)
2 cups nonfat milk or 1% milk (I used nonfat)
1 1/2 cups fat-free egg substitute
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp cinnamon
1 packet Stevia
pinch salt

topping:  2 tbs light stick butter, at room temperature
              1/2 cup packed brown sugar

Spray an 8 inch square baking dish with nonstick spray (I like the butter flavored).

Arrange bread in 4 equal stacks in the baking dish; it will be very tight. Whisk together the milk, egg substitute, vanilla, cinnamon, Stevia, and salt. Slowly pour this mixture over the bread. Use a spatula to lightly press bread and make certain that the egg mixture is equally distributed over the bread. Cover and refrigerate overnight or up to one day.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

With a fork, mix together the brown sugar and butter in a small bowl until smooth. Spread this mixture evenly over the bread. Bake for 1 hour or until a knife inserted one inch from the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for at least 15 minutes. Cut into 6 portions. I served mine with heated sugar free syrup (love Mrs. Butterworth's) with a half cup of blueberries.

TASTE NOTES
This was so good I'd have loved to eat more than one piece. I was surprised at how high it rose. It looked like a souffle! Ir did fall a bit when it was taken out of the oven. It was by far the best baked French toast I've ever tried, sort of a cross between a bread pudding and French toast. I'm certain it would be a delicious dessert served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

In the future, I would add a few points to this by placing additional streusel between the bread slices before it bakes. While it won't crisp, that yummy buttery-cinnamon flavor throughout will be delicious.