Salted Fudge Brownies

I had planned to make cupcakes for bookclub, but a combination of procrastination & laziness changed the plan to brownies. One of the many great things about brownies is that you're likely to have everything in your pantry that you need to bake 'em.

There were no regrets about changing the plan today [from cupcake-making]--these were some of the best brownies I've ever had! If you've never had salted brownies, you must go to your kitchen and make up a batch immediately!

Here's the recipe, from Food & Wine Magazine.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
  
• 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
  
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
  
• 2 cups sugar
  
• 3 large eggs
  
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
  
• 1/2 teaspoon Maldon sea salt

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 350°. Line a 9-inch square metal cake pan with foil, draping the foil over the edges. Lightly butter the foil.
  
• In a large saucepan, melt the butter with the unsweetened chocolate over very low heat, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat. Whisking them in one at a time until thoroughly incorporated, add the cocoa, sugar, eggs, vanilla and flour. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the surface. Sprinkle the salt evenly over the batter. Using a butter knife, swirl the salt into the batter.
  
• Bake the fudge brownies in the center of the oven for about 35 minutes, until the edge is set but the center is still a bit soft and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out coated with a little of the batter.
  
• Let the brownies cool at room temperature in the pan for 1 hour, then refrigerate just until they are firm, about 1 hour. Lift the brownies from the pan and peel off the foil. Cut the brownies into 16 squares. Serve at room temperature.
  

According to the original instructions, these brownies can be refrigerated for up to 3 days, and frozen for up to 1 month. But chances are they'll be gone by the end of the first day! I recommend making a double-batch.

Unlike my usual self, I followed the recipe pretty accurately. For the chocolate, I used Endangered Species brand Intense Dark Chocolate with Cocoa Nibs, which has 75% cocoa content. The brownies are sweet, and not overly so. They are gooey and moist (fudey, if you will), with firmer crust & lovely saltiness in each bite.

It started with a cupcake...

Actually, it started with a chocolate chip cookie. My love for the Dessert Gallery, that is.

The Dessert Gallery is a local MBE/WBE (pronounced "Me-Be-We-Be", means a Minority or Woman-owned business enterprise) in Houston that makes the most divine chocolate chip cookies. They aren't really chocolate chip, but more like chocolate slivers. Don't let me fool you into thinking these cookies are skimpy on chocolate because I say they contain "chocolate slivers". In fact, I think the sliver allows for a higher ratio of Chocolate to Cookie than most ordinary chocolate chip cookies. Furthermore, these delights are half-dipped in chocolate for even more sinfulness.

In my 2+ years living in Houston, it's certainly a shame that I didn't try their cupcakes sooner. Well, probably not a shame for my waist or wallet. If you're in H-town and in the mood to satisfy a sweet tooth, check out the Dessert Gallery. If your conscience is too guilty to just have dessert, you can start with one of their sandwiches, which I can also vouch for.

Related Links:

• Dessert Gallery
  
• MBE/WBE Info

Rainbow Cake Fabulousness

Wow, am I the last person on the planet to discover Rainbow Cake? This is serious food pr0n; I want to lick my monitor!

Check out the beautifully illustrated photo instructions here.



{via The Kitchn}

Ode to Alton

This weekend turned into somewhat of an ode to Alton Brown. Earlier in the week, Alton whet my appetite for cookies in Good Eats episode "Chips for Sister Marsha". For the remainder of the work week, the thought of homemade cookies occupied more space in my mind than I care to admit. When the weekend finally arrived, I knew it was time to do something about it.

Naturally, my initial thought was to make the Chewy. After reviewing the recipe, however, I still had wanderlust to find a cookie recipe that called my name.

Flipping through old pages of recipe notes, I did find the cookie I was looking for. It was scribbled on the back of an envelope, with no name, no source, and not even a cooking time. But it sure sounded tasty!

In addition to good ole chocolate chips, this recipe called for pecans and finely chopped milk chocolate. What a delightful combination. I crushed the pecans as finely as the milk chocolate, and the two of them combine like enjoyable and serene background music in a movie. In other words, they combine to create something delicious in the background of the smorgasboard of chocolate chips. You notice them if your senses are on guard, and the rest of the time, you simply enjoy them with a satisfied smile and contented belly.

Close up of the results:


Since Alton inspired the cookie-making and was later shamed by me not following his recipe, I decided to increase my AB fan points by making his Southern Biscuits.

These biscuits are buttery, soft in the middle, and with just the right amount of golden crispiness on the top. My only complaint is that the recipe said to use a 2-inch biscuit cutter. Biscuits of a 2-inch diameter don't sound like they're that small, but they turned out much smaller than I envisioned before cutting shapes out from the dough! You can almost pop a whole biscuit in your mouth at one time. And even if you bite into a polite sized mouthful of biscuity goodness, you'll want to go back for more than your fair share. Morale of the story: bigger = better in biscuitland.

= before









after =





Aren't they gorgeous!!

Everyday Indulgences

Olive Oil is something on which I've become quite reliant over the past few years. I am not sure when exactly this near-addiction began, but I do know that my friends think I use absurd amounts of the stuff. Olive oil is quite literally an everyday indulgence for me.

One of the most embarrassing moments in the history of my olive oil addiction took place at an Italian restaurant with some friends. This was the kind of restaurant where a bottle of olive oil is placed in the middle of the table--alongside some herb mixture and grated parmasan cheese, for you to pour onto your bread plate--for dipping pleasure. Our table's bottle was near the end of its life, with only a quarter to a half cup remaining. I soak up more than my fair share of olive oil with bread and was of course thrilled that our server brought a replacement bottle!

I don't remember what my main dish was, but I do remember the looks on my friends' faces when I poured olive oil all over my food in a manner that others typically reserve for pouring maple syrup on pancakes or waffles. These friends then proceeded to make comments about how they thought I deserve to be much fatter for my [over] consumption of Olive Oil. They might be right, or they might be jealous. I'd like to believe the latter.

And my love of the golden juice is not limited to consumption in food. I have been known to use it as a moisturizer and have tried it as an ingredient to several other homemade health/beauty "remedies".

After hearing that Olive Oil Gelato was on the menu at Mario Batali's Otto, I knew this was something that I had to try. While this might not sound very appetizer to lesser fans of Olive Oil, I'm sure you can tell that I was up for the challenge!

I was looking forward to sampling other items from the "authentic Italian, with a trendy NYC Twist" menu, but couldn't really get my mind off dessert during the courses leading up to it. The antipasti were delicious teasers, and I enjoyed the stone oven baked Quattro Formaggio Pizza more than I expected, but the Olive Oil Gelato really is what made the visit most worthwhile!

I tried the Olive Oil Coppetta, which was Olive Oil Gelato served with Sorbets of Blood Orange and Tangerine, a side of Candied Kumquats, and a Fennel Wafer. The olive oil taste was subtle, but was complemented well by the Fennel Wafer and light sprinkle of sea salt. I liked the candied kumquats and tangy fruit sorbets, but they were a little overpowering for my palette that was searching for the flavor of olive oil.

Overall, I give the Olive Oil Gelato at Otto Pizzeria Three Forks Up (or in this case, Spoons Up). If you get the chance to try it, I think you'll be surprised at how delicious it is and how well it pleases the different sense regions on your taste buds.

Next time I'm at Otto, I will definitely be ordering the Olive Oil Gelato, sans coppetta. I may even get a pint to take home!

Related Links:

• Otto Pizzeria
  
• Mario Batali Wiki
  
• Olive Facts
  
• Olive Oil's Newfound Benefits

Bunny Day!

I discovered these gems on a random trip to Target. And I could not resist...

I'm not a big fan of candy bars. Some nice dark chocolate wins over a Snickers or a Hershey's bar any day. But Kit Kats have a little place in my heart, for some reason. I've placed orders for varieties of Kit Kats not available in the US when family members traveled overseas. I really like the Tiramisu Kit Kat and Kit Kat Chunky, but have many more flavors still to try! (The ones I'm most keen on finding are: Cherry Blossom, Noissette, and Strawberry).

These bunnies were fantastic and fun! Lucky for me J was trying to be healthy and I got to eat his share of bunnies, too!

And did you know that Kit Kats have been around since 1931? These little treats are older than some of my grandparents!

Related Links:

• Kit Kat varieties
  
• About Kit Kat
  
• Kit Kat US Info & Nutritional Facts

Lemonades

Yes, that "s" is meant to be there. Feeling a little nostalgic, and also slightly peer-pressured, I was suckered into buying Girl Scout Cookies today. It has been years since I've had the things, and the cuteness of the "Lemonades" caught my eye.

There was only one box of Lemonades left. The Brownie offered me a sample. They were shaped like little slices of lemon. They tasted like a little lemon-y fresh slice of goodness. Having a small taste of the cookie made me a customer! I was left wanting more of this shortbread deliciousness dipped in lemon icing. Who knew first graders could be so strategic with their selling tactics?

Lemonades have only been around since 2007, so that explains part of my curiosity--I had never seen them before. In fact, I don't remember the last time I bought Girl Scout cookies. I do, however, have very fond memories of pigging out on Caramel deLites and Thin Mints in my younger years. I worked at a Girl Scout Summer camp for a few years, and we had a seemingly-endless supply of the cookies back then.

As cute as the cookies are, and as much as I'd like to support troops of Girl Scouts, I have to go into a bit of a rant about these cookies. It seems like an organization that has such great impact on the lives of thousands of girls across the country should be a little more conscientious about the ingredients in their product.

In the days when I would eat scores of cookies without remorse, I had never heard of trans fats. Therefore, it was a bit sad, upon returning home with my newly acquired Lemonades, that I realized they are made with partially hydrogenated oil. One semi-redeeming factor is that they don't contain High Fructose Corn Syrup [like my old favorite "Caramel deLites" cookies]. Would Juliette Low or the creators of "Girl Scout Cookies" approve of today's manufacturing methods?

I think that next time I support the Girl Scouts, I'll let them keep the cookies.



And for fun, here is the original 1922 recipe for Girl Scout Cookies:

1 cup butter, or substitute
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons of milk
2 eggs
1 teaspoon of vanilla
2 cups of flour
2 teaspoons of baking powder
Sugar, for sprinkling on top

Cream butter and the cup of sugar; add well-beaten eggs, then milk, vanilla, flour, salt, and baking powder. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Roll dough, cut into trefoil shapes, and sprinkle sugar on top, if desired. Bake in a quick oven (375°) for approximately 8 to 10 minutes or until the edges begin to brown.

Makes six- to seven-dozen cookies.

Related Links:

• Original Girl Scout Cookie Recipe
  
• Girl Scout Cookies Official Website
  
• History of Girl Scout Cookies
  
• Rant on Girl Scout Cookies
  
• Info on High Fructose Corn Syrup
  
• Overview of Trans fat

Happy Valentine's Day!

This is the obligatory cupcake post for Valentine's Day. I actually decided against baking my own cupcakes this year due to the fact that most people I work with and otherwise associate myself with are trying to cut back on sweets and other goods that are not-so-good for their waistlines. Fortunately, my lack of baking cupcakes did not mean that I had to go without cupcakes on this February 14th.

While Valentine's Day is associated with so much commercialism in America today (think Hallmark cards, flower deliveries, and mass candy sales), I think there is still some merit to the holiday. I decided to use Valentine's Day to thank some of the people at work who frequently help me accomplish my day-to-day tasks. The four women who I sought Valentine's Day gifts would not appreciate flowers like many women (nor would I appreciate giving flowers, as I can't bear to spend so much money on something that dies in a couple days). Furthermore, they are all adverse to eating candy for reasons ranging from needing to lose weight, needing to monitor sugar, or being diabetic. If both candy and flowers are out, what else is left in terms of choices of Valentine's gifts for coworkers?

In a spur of random thinking, I ended deciding upon a hummingbird feeder and Crystal Light iced tea mix. They are all frequent iced tea drinkers, and Crystal Light seemed to be one of their indulgences for times when they wanted a switch from regular iced tea. The hummingbird feeder was a very unique blown-glass design, and I thought it went with the "sweet without being fattening" theme.

The gift actually went over *really* well with all of them. Not only were they pleasantly surprised to be receiving a Valentine's Day gift at work, they all appreciated both the Crystal Light and the Hummingbird Feeder and thought it was much more thoughtful than getting candy or flowers, which would not have been enjoyed as much. Proof that celebrating Valentine's Day well doesn't have to consist of falling for the usual consumer traps.

Chocolately Goodness

It seemed like J had been talking about brownies on a daily basis for the last couple of weeks. With all the talk of brownies in the house, the thought of eating them was beginning to stick with me, too.

Part of the reason it took so long to actually make brownies since first having the idea is because we've been trying to avoid making sweets at home. Yes, I realize that homemade goodies are better than the store bought or commercially made alterntives, but I get (and eat) too many cookies and desserts at work. Many of these sugary goods end up coming home with me, so J's belly gets more than its fair share, too.

Brownies were lingering in our minds for days. Finally, J made some...
It was worth it.

These brownies are super moist. Not so much cakey brownies, but not dry and not very dense, either. It's hard to describe them, except by calling them banana-y, chocolate-y, and delicious!

Super Moist Banana Brownies

Dry Ingredients
3/4 c. sugar
3/4 c. flour
1/3 c. cocoa
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. chocolate chips
Handful of walnuts

Wet Ingredients
1/2 c plain soymilk
2 overripe bananas, mashed
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Mix all of the dry ingredients together, except for the chocolate chips and walnuts. Make a well in the dry mixture, the add the wet ingredients and mix well. When the wet and dry ingredients are mixed together, add the chocolate chips and give one more stir.

Pour brownie mixture into a 9 x 9-inch square pan and sprinkle walnuts on top. Bake brownies at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for around 30 minutes or until done.

As you can see, we only put nuts of half of the brownies (because that's the only way we could agree on it).

Note: Instead of chocolate chips, we actually used half of a bar of vegan dark chocolate that was crushed into small pieces. The dark chocolate was fantastic in the brownie; the pieces melted enough to incorporate into the brownie while giving a bit of resistance that was nice to bite into. The flavor of the dark chocolate also contrasted nicely with the sweeter brownie batter. Whether you use chocolate chips or a crushed chocolate bar, I do recommend using dark chocolate for this added yumminess!