Botanical Brownie Bars

Brownie bars was always one of my favorite baked goods. I grew up with Reisman's Brownies, so when I discovered a recipe for brownie bars it was very exciting!

Here is a beautiful ways to enhance this classic baked good,  in honor of Shavuos or for any occasion. 

These botanical brownie bars were so much fun to design. They are not hard to make but require a bit of patience to cut out all the flowers.

Presented here are three different patterns for the brownie bars, all using different size and shape flower cookie cutters.

Have fun and watch your handiwork blossom.

Brownie Bar Recipe   (recipe adapted from Nitra Ladies Auxilary)

Dough

• 1 lb margarine
• 1 eight ounce container whip topping
• 4+ 2/3 cups flour (divided)
• ¼ cup sugar
• 1/3 cup cocoa

 Filling:

• 2 and 1/4 cups sugar
• 2 and 1/4 cups flour
• 4 eggs
• 4 tablespoons oil
• 5 ounces margarine
• 7/8 cup  cocoa
• 2 teaspoons vanilla sugar

Supplies

• flower cookie cutters
• rolling pin
• cookie sheets
• parchment paper

Directions:

1. Combine the margarine, whip, 4 cups of flour and sugar. Knead until smooth.
2. Divide the dough in 3 equal parts (approximately 2 cups each).
3. Place  two parts of the dough back into your mixing bowl and add 2/3 cup flour, knead till smooth. Remove from mixing bowl.
4. Place remaining third of dough plus 1/3 cup cocoa into the same mixing bowl. Knead till smooth.
5. Refrigerate both doughs 1-2 hours.
6. Preheat oven to 350.
7. Place all ingredients for the filling in the bowl of you mixer and mix well. Cover and keep it to the side.
8.  Divide the white dough into three parts.
9. Roll out each one on a piece of parchment paper, each one measuring approximately 8” x 12” . Set aside.
10. Roll out the chocolate cookie dough, as thin as possible (it should still be able to lift off your work surface easliy. You can use flour but go slow on the flour as you don’t want the dough to become too dry.)
11. Using flower cookie cutters, cut out flower shapes.                                     Tip: Dip the cookie cutter in a little flour if you need help lifting them neatly.
12. Place the chocolate flowers on the white rolled out pieces of dough. Cover with a second piece of parchment paper and gently roll your rolling pin over the paper. You want to blend the doughs together without losing the shape of the flower.

      13. Keeping the piece of parchment over the dough, carefully flip the dough so that the flowers are now on the bottom. Remove the top piece of parchment paper.

      14. Place filling lengthwise down center of each strip. Fold sides and ends over and seal.

      15. Place seam side down onto parchment lined cookie sheets. Bake approximately 18 minutes. Do not overbake!

       16. Drizzle with chocolate-optional

Photography by Sina Mizrahi

This article originally appeared in Family First

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