Dish It: Baking With the Cake Boss

If you’re going to take baking advice from someone, who better than Buddy Valastro, the Cake Boss himself? This master of desserts is already a New York Times Best-Selling author (of a previous book, Cake Boss) and now he is at it again with his new title Baking with the Cake Boss. In this new cookbook, the star of the hit TLC series divulges 100 of his tastiest recipes and best decorating secrets.

The best part of the book is that some of the most delicious recipes contain simple ingredients – perfect for any college student! Try out the simple recipe we’ve included below and enjoy the perfect mix of brownie and cookie in one scrumptious dessert.

Chocolate Brownie Clusters

(makes 18 clusters)

3 extra-large egg whites

½ teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 ½ cups powdered (10X) sugar

¼ cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder

1 ½ cups unsalted raw walnut halves

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 325°F.
2. Put the egg whites and lemon juice in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment. (Be sure the bowl is immaculately clean; see “Egg Whites,” page 56.) Whip on low speed for 2 minutes, then on maximum speed until stiff peaks form, about 5 minutes.
3. Sift the sugar and cocoa powder into the bowl together, then fold into the batter with a rubber spatula until the batter is smooth and shiny. Fold in the walnuts, until they are well coated with the batter.
4. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper, using nonstick spray or a dab of butter in each corner to glue the paper in place. Drop heaping tablespoons of dough ½ inch apart, being sure to include about the same number of walnuts (3 or 4) in each one.
5. Bake until the outside has crisped and the bottom starts to pull away from the parchment paper, 15 to 20 minutes.
6. Remove the cookie sheet from the oven. As soon as the clusters can be moved, use a spatula to transfer them to a rack and let them cool. Enjoy the cookies right away, or store when completely cool in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.

I’m getting hungry just thinking about these clusters! Do you have any special, easy-to-make recipes? Share them with us!