MARBLED, SWIRLED, AND LAYERED

Ready, Set, Get your baking bowls out and step up to the counter for Irvin Lin’s new book MARBLED, SWIRLED, AND LAYERED: 150 RECIPES AND VARIATIONS FOR ARTFUL BARS, COOKIES, PIES, CAKES, and MORE. Irvin was bit by the baking bug when he was in third grade (me too!) and has been baking ever since.

Of course, I checked out the pie section first to see that Irvin has many creative spins on old favorites with adventuresome and exciting flavor combinations. His Carrot and Honey Pie with a Cream Cheese-Coriander Crust can become a Hazlenut, Chocolate, and Honey Pie, or a Lemon, Marscapone, and Honey Pie with a Pistachio Crust. I’m totally on board with his Lemon Blackberry Chess Pie, and his spin on the classic Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie had me heading outside, even though it’s still winter, to see if the leaves on my rhubarb plants are starting to unfurl yet so I can top the pie off with a Pistachio Crumb Topping. Yummy!

Lest you think it’s just about the pie 😉 there are inspiring recipes for cookies, brownies, cakes, and breakfast treats galore and the sections on baking equipment and ingredients are excellent reads on their own.

Irvin says that his friends sort of expect him to bring dessert to their gatherings and after reading MARBLED, SWIRLED, AND LAYERED I can sure see why.

Way to go my friend! Read more about Irvin at his blog Eat The Love.

Pistachio Butter Swirled Fudge Brownies from Marbled, Swirled, and Layered

Makes 24 small brownies

Ingredients: Pistachio Butter Batter

2-1⁄2 cups (360 g) shelled pistachios
1 teaspoon kosher salt
6 tablespoons (80 g) extra-virgin olive oil or pistachio oil
1 cup (115 g) powdered sugar
1 teaspoon matcha green tea powder (optional)

Make the Pistachio Butter Batter

Place the pistachios, salt, and oil in a food processor or blender and process until a smooth paste forms. Add the powdered sugar and process until incorporated.

Ingredients: Brownie Batter

6 ounces (170 g) unsweetened chocolate, chopped into 1⁄4-inch pieces
14 tablespoons (200 g or 1-3⁄4 sticks) unsalted butter
1-1⁄4 cups (250 g) granulated sugar
1 cup (220 g) packed dark brown sugar
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1⁄2 teaspoon kosher salt
1⁄4 teaspoon baking soda
3⁄4 cup (105 g) all-purpose flour
2⁄3 cup (75 g) natural cocoa powder (not Dutch-process)

Make the Brownie Batter

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with cooking spray and then line the bottom and sides with parchment paper, with 2 inches of paper overhanging the edge of the pan on two sides. Place the chocolate and butter in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 30 seconds. Stir and then microwave for another 30 seconds. Continue to cook in 15-second intervals, stirring in between, until the mixture is melted and smooth.

Add both sugars to the chocolate mixture and stir with a whisk or fork until incor¬porated. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating vigorously to incorporate after each. Stir in the vanilla and then the salt and baking soda. Switch to a large spatula and add the flour and cocoa, folding until just absorbed.

Directions

Scrape half of the brownie batter into the prepared baking pan and spread it out evenly to the edges (it’s okay if it doesn’t cover it completely). Spoon three-quarters of the pistachio butter batter over the brownie batter, then spread the remaining brownie batter on top. Stir the matcha green tea powder, if using, into the remaining pistachio butter batter. Spoon the pistachio batter on top of the brownie batter in dollops and use a butter knife or chopstick to swirl it into the brownie batter.

Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 35 to 45 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 30 minutes on a wire rack, then remove the brownies by grabbing the parchment paper by the overhang and lifting straight up and out. Transfer the still-warm brownies to a wire rack to cool to room temperature.

Alternative: Peanut Butter Swirled Fudge Brownies

Make the brownie batter as directed. For the peanut butter batter, stir together 3⁄4 cup (225 g) smooth peanut butter (not natural), 6 tablespoons (85 g) melted unsalted butter, 1⁄2 cup (60 g) powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 1⁄4 teaspoon kosher salt. Assemble and bake as directed.