Lemon and Orange, the perfect combination. Do you agree? Whenever I am craving something light and springy, my first thought is usually to grab something with lemon or orange zest. One thing about orange and lemon is that whenever I think about them, spring and summer come to mind. This is probably because they both grow in warmer climates. Or maybe, just maybe, it’s because oranges and lemons make me think of the pick-it-yourself trees in Santa Barbara, and that always brings a big smile to my face and reminds me of many great times!

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If you are thinking about changing your diet, and you want to notice some big changes, I suggest you look closer at the flours that you use in your everyday baked goods. One day, while in the kitchen, I asked myself “what if I started using whole wheat flour in some of my recipes?” In an attempt to make my recipes healthier this year, I have had to start substituting certain ingredients to make them friendlier to the health conscious consumer. As I was thinking about how this would affect my baked goods, I ended doing some research into the real differences between enriched white flour and whole wheat flour. The research was eye opening. Some of the following information may effect how you bake from now on, so read carefully! 

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Health. What is the first thing that you think about when you read this word? Personally, I think about push-ups, Arnold, gym junkies, cookies, and the 21st century. I can’t get over how much people talk about their health, their friend’s health, and the neighbors dog’s health these days. Why can’t we just eat food without thinking of <—- that word?

If you read my last post on winter spiced granola you’ll know that I made a New Year’s resolution to post more healthy recipes on The Male Baker. I do care about health and I do plan to stay true to this resolution, but I was still frustrated throughout the Christmas holidays when I heard too many excuses as to why someone couldn’t eat that gingerbread cookie or that candy cane that looked oh so delicious. Everywhere I turned someone was saying something negative about their health! But a few days ago, while heading to the top of the Columbia tower in Seattle (the tallest building in the area), I overheard a women in the elevator talking about how she gained 5 pounds over the holidays and didn’t feel bad about it! How refreshing to hear!? So, why not just forget about that word once in a while, for your own mental health’s sake, and do some baking. This week’s recipe is a delicious caramel pecan brownie that will put you into Never-Neverland for a few seconds after each bite! You may gain 0.1 pounds from one brownie but it is worth every gained ounce. Go ahead and forget about calories, health, and the gym for a few seconds and enjoy life a little more!

Makes 24 milk-dunkable brownies

Ingredients:

50 caramels unwrapped
1/3 cup evaporated milk

1 chocolate cake cake mix
1/3 cup evaporated milk
3/4 cup of melted butter
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup chocolate chips

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Put the caramels and the evaporated milk in a double boiler or in the microwave (about 3 to 4 minutes) and check often while stirring.  Do this until the caramels are melted down and set aside.
• Mix the cake mix, evaporated milk, and the butter together in a separate bowl and spread about half the batter in a slightly buttered 9 by 13 pan (If you have parchment paper I advise you to use it now!).
• Bake for 8 minutes at 350F.
• Remove cake from oven.
• Sprinkle the pecans and chocolate chips evenly on the cake.
• Drizzle the melted caramel mixture over the chips and pecans.
• Cover with remaining batter.  If the batter is difficult to spread, pat pieces of dough in place.  Continue baking at 350F for 15-18 minutes.
• Cool before slicing.  These brownies freeze well if you have any dare have any leftovers.
• Also, these are delicious so watch out!