I love brownies, but I'm very picky about them. I don't like them hard, or cakey, or the ones that just barely taste like chocolate. I like a dense, fudgey, moist, rich, chocolatey brownie that makes your mouth water just to think about it. I like one that, fresh out of the oven, is like solidified fudge sauce under your vanilla icecream.
This is that brownie.
Ingredients:
4 oz bittersweet chocolate (I use Ghiradelli)*, snapped into small pieces.
1/2 cup (1 stick) of butter
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla, NOT IMITATION
2 eggs
3/4 cup flour
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 and thoroughly grease a 8x8 brownie pan. I tend to use glass, but this is up to you.
Place stick of butter in a microwave safe bowl and heat for about 1 minute, or until totally melted. Throw in the chocolate and stir until totally melted. If you can't get it all melted, microwave another 30 seconds and stir again.
In a medium mixing bowl, put in sugar, vanilla, and eggs. Pour butter/chocolate mix over top. Mix thoroughly, scraping the bottom to get any sugar that might be stuck there. Add flour and mix until combined.
Pour into brownie pan and spread out evenly. Bake 30 minutes and let cool.
Eat.
Moan a bit.
*If you can't find bittersweet chocolate, don't worry. Dark chocolate (usually sold by Hershey) or baking chocolate make acceptable substitutes.
Thursday, September 19, 2013
Sunday, September 15, 2013
Breakfast cups (Toast, egg, and bacon)
It is EXTREMELY rare that I sit down to breakfast at all, and even rarer that I make something fancy. Yesterday, however, I was inspired by a picture I'd spotted in a magazine and feeling the need to spoil myself.
Ingredients:
6 pieces of bread, preferably soft (I used Sunbeam)
3 pieces of bacon, cut in half
4 eggs, beaten well
Butter, melted (2 tablespoons should do it)
Directions
Preheat oven to 375.
Thoroughly grease a muffin tin with butter. I do mean thoroughly. If you even doubt you have enough butter, add more.
Cut into bread from corners to allow it to fit down into the pan easier as the (horrible) diagram below shows, and push it down into the pan, folding up the edges. If the bottom tears, don't worry too much. That's what the butter was for. You listened to me about the butter, right?
Cook your bacon until it is done, but still pliable (no crispy bacon here!). Shake the grease off (or not) and curl it inside your bread in a little circle.
Make sure the eggs are beaten well and pour SLOWLY into the bread. If you pour fast, it may come out in a glob and overflow. Also, make sure not to overfill too much since it rises a bit and may come out of the pan.
Bake 20-25 minutes or until a tilted pan doesn't show any movement on top of the eggs. If you have buttered your pan properly, they should just pop right out. Enjoy hot or at room temperature!
Ingredients:
6 pieces of bread, preferably soft (I used Sunbeam)
3 pieces of bacon, cut in half
4 eggs, beaten well
Butter, melted (2 tablespoons should do it)
Directions
Preheat oven to 375.
Thoroughly grease a muffin tin with butter. I do mean thoroughly. If you even doubt you have enough butter, add more.
Cut into bread from corners to allow it to fit down into the pan easier as the (horrible) diagram below shows, and push it down into the pan, folding up the edges. If the bottom tears, don't worry too much. That's what the butter was for. You listened to me about the butter, right?
Make sure the eggs are beaten well and pour SLOWLY into the bread. If you pour fast, it may come out in a glob and overflow. Also, make sure not to overfill too much since it rises a bit and may come out of the pan.
Bake 20-25 minutes or until a tilted pan doesn't show any movement on top of the eggs. If you have buttered your pan properly, they should just pop right out. Enjoy hot or at room temperature!
Friday, September 6, 2013
Pasta and Garlic Spiced Shrimp
For those who have a taste for shrimp and want to stretch it further, this is a great recipe. Make as spicy (or not) as you like!
Ingredients:
One pound of uncooked shrimp, de-veined, de-tailed, and cut in half hotdog style
Roughly 2 tbsp olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp red pepper flakes, or to taste
1 cup of white wine, whatever you have left in your fridge
1 package of fettucine or linguine pasta
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
Directions
Start cooking your pasta before you do anything else. Boil a whole box for about 10 minutes.
While that's cooking, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high with the garlic and the red pepper flakes. Add in the shrimp when the oil starts to "spit" and stir it until it curls up and turns pink. Add in white wine.
When pasta has finished its ten minutes, drain thoroughly and add to the skillet, stirring slightly to coat the pasta with the liquid. Simmer another five minutes or so, then sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and mix in until the Parmesan disappears into the sauce.
Ingredients:
One pound of uncooked shrimp, de-veined, de-tailed, and cut in half hotdog style
Roughly 2 tbsp olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp red pepper flakes, or to taste
1 cup of white wine, whatever you have left in your fridge
1 package of fettucine or linguine pasta
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
Directions
Start cooking your pasta before you do anything else. Boil a whole box for about 10 minutes.
While that's cooking, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high with the garlic and the red pepper flakes. Add in the shrimp when the oil starts to "spit" and stir it until it curls up and turns pink. Add in white wine.
When pasta has finished its ten minutes, drain thoroughly and add to the skillet, stirring slightly to coat the pasta with the liquid. Simmer another five minutes or so, then sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and mix in until the Parmesan disappears into the sauce.
Friday, August 2, 2013
Goldrush Bars
I have Holly to thank for this recipe. I tweaked it a little to get a bit more stability and increase the Oreo to filling ratio because I like it that way.
Ingredients:
1 pkg Golden Oreo Cookies (I don't really recommend double stuffed)
1/4 stick of butter, softened
1/2 a block of cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 3/4 cup of milk
1 small box of cheesecake flavored instant pudding
Directions:
Step one is to crush your Oreos. There are two basic ways to do this: the first is to stick them in a blender and the second is to put them in a ziploc and beat them into bits. I enjoy the second.
In a small bowl, mash together your butter and cream cheese with the back of a spoon. Add the powdered sugar and squish together until it's all mixed.
In a larger bowl, whisk milk and pudding mix until the pudding starts to get firm. Add in the cream cheese mix and whisk out the lumps.
In a 9x9 (or 8x8) brownie pan, cover the bottom with Oreo crumbs. Cover with all of the filling and spread around so everything is covered. Sprinkle the top with more Oreo crumbs, as much as you want.
Chill until firm (at least 2 hours)
Ingredients:
1 pkg Golden Oreo Cookies (I don't really recommend double stuffed)
1/4 stick of butter, softened
1/2 a block of cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 3/4 cup of milk
1 small box of cheesecake flavored instant pudding
Directions:
Step one is to crush your Oreos. There are two basic ways to do this: the first is to stick them in a blender and the second is to put them in a ziploc and beat them into bits. I enjoy the second.
In a small bowl, mash together your butter and cream cheese with the back of a spoon. Add the powdered sugar and squish together until it's all mixed.
In a larger bowl, whisk milk and pudding mix until the pudding starts to get firm. Add in the cream cheese mix and whisk out the lumps.
In a 9x9 (or 8x8) brownie pan, cover the bottom with Oreo crumbs. Cover with all of the filling and spread around so everything is covered. Sprinkle the top with more Oreo crumbs, as much as you want.
Chill until firm (at least 2 hours)
Saturday, July 27, 2013
Sasha's Third Try Zucchini Bread
Never have I finicked more over a recipe. First it was too dry, then not enough spice...Finally I'm satisfied!
Ingredients:
3 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp nutmeg
3 eggs
1/2 cup applesauce (no extra flavorings!)
1/2 cup butter (plus more for the pan)
2 1/4 cup sugar (plus more for the pan)
3 tsp vanilla
2 c zucchini, grated
2 c nuts (optional and of your choice. I like pecans)
Directions:
Preheat your oven to 325. Grease and sugar two bread loaf pans.
Sift all your dry ingredients into a bowl.
Beat eggs, butter, apple sauce, vanilla, and sugar. Add in dry mix, scraping the bottom to make sure everything is mixed together: it will seem very stiff at this point. Mix in zucchini and nuts if you want them.
Divide the batter equally between the pans and bake 40-60 minutes or until a knife inserted in the middle of the loaf comes out with some moist crumbs. Keep in mind that sometimes one loaf will bake faster than the other, so test both loaves!
Ingredients:
3 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp nutmeg
3 eggs
1/2 cup applesauce (no extra flavorings!)
1/2 cup butter (plus more for the pan)
2 1/4 cup sugar (plus more for the pan)
3 tsp vanilla
2 c zucchini, grated
2 c nuts (optional and of your choice. I like pecans)
Directions:
Preheat your oven to 325. Grease and sugar two bread loaf pans.
Sift all your dry ingredients into a bowl.
Beat eggs, butter, apple sauce, vanilla, and sugar. Add in dry mix, scraping the bottom to make sure everything is mixed together: it will seem very stiff at this point. Mix in zucchini and nuts if you want them.
Divide the batter equally between the pans and bake 40-60 minutes or until a knife inserted in the middle of the loaf comes out with some moist crumbs. Keep in mind that sometimes one loaf will bake faster than the other, so test both loaves!
Friday, July 5, 2013
Cherry Butter Cookies
Those fall-apart crumbly butter cookies you get sometimes at Christmas plus sweet candied cherries equals a sweet little treat that's super easy, pretty, and tasty!
Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups cake flour (you can use regular flour, but the cookies won't be as light)
1/2 cup chopped up candied cherries
Directions:
Cream together your butter and sugar, then mix in the vanilla. Add the flour and mix thoroughly until everything starts to stick together in a paste. Stir in the chopped cherries. Chill for 30 minutes in the refrigerator
Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 350 and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Roll out pieces of the cookie dough into 1 inch balls and place on lined sheets. There doesn't need to be much room between the cookies because they won't spread much. Bake 15-18 minutes or until the bottoms are lightly golden or you can gently press the top of one and it doesn't give.
Let cool and enjoy!
Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups cake flour (you can use regular flour, but the cookies won't be as light)
1/2 cup chopped up candied cherries
Directions:
Cream together your butter and sugar, then mix in the vanilla. Add the flour and mix thoroughly until everything starts to stick together in a paste. Stir in the chopped cherries. Chill for 30 minutes in the refrigerator
Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 350 and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Roll out pieces of the cookie dough into 1 inch balls and place on lined sheets. There doesn't need to be much room between the cookies because they won't spread much. Bake 15-18 minutes or until the bottoms are lightly golden or you can gently press the top of one and it doesn't give.
Let cool and enjoy!
Sunday, June 16, 2013
Happy Father's Day! Candied Bacon
Happy Father's Day to all the Dads, Step-Dads, and Granddads out there! Hope you have a great one!
Now, for all of you who have perhaps fallen a little behind on the Father's Day shopping (or cooking, if you're like me) we have a quick fix. Most, if not all, of the ingredients you probably already have in your house.
Ingredients:
1 package of your preferred bacon (I like brown sugar)
About 1/4 cup of brown sugar in a bowl
1 tbsp cayenne pepper, optional
Directions:
Preheat your oven to 425.
Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. If you have cookie racks, place them on top of parchment paper (if not, skip this step and your bacon will just be a little greasier).
Pull out the bacon and rub down each slice with brown sugar, coating thoroughly, and stretch them out on the racks. When all of the slices are done, sprinkle with cayenne if desired.
Bake for 7 minutes to start, then start checking them every two minutes: the bacon should be crisp like the outside of a Honeybaked Ham.
Once you've pulled them out LET THEM COOL ON THE PAN OR RACK because they will stick together if you set them all on one plate before the sugar has cooled.
Enjoy!
Now, for all of you who have perhaps fallen a little behind on the Father's Day shopping (or cooking, if you're like me) we have a quick fix. Most, if not all, of the ingredients you probably already have in your house.
Ingredients:
1 package of your preferred bacon (I like brown sugar)
About 1/4 cup of brown sugar in a bowl
1 tbsp cayenne pepper, optional
Directions:
Preheat your oven to 425.
Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. If you have cookie racks, place them on top of parchment paper (if not, skip this step and your bacon will just be a little greasier).
Pull out the bacon and rub down each slice with brown sugar, coating thoroughly, and stretch them out on the racks. When all of the slices are done, sprinkle with cayenne if desired.
Bake for 7 minutes to start, then start checking them every two minutes: the bacon should be crisp like the outside of a Honeybaked Ham.
Once you've pulled them out LET THEM COOL ON THE PAN OR RACK because they will stick together if you set them all on one plate before the sugar has cooled.
Enjoy!
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