Chocolate Brownies

Put that boxed brownie mix away and try this delicious recipe! It's easy Aunt Lori! :)  You can use any chocolate you like (milk, dark, semi-sweet, mint, whatever!)  I used milk chocolate chips because that is all I had. I also added pecans and coconut (too sweet maybe?).  Next time...oh there will be a next time...I will use some good chocolate and keep them plain. 


Milk Chocolate Brownies
(Makes 16 brownies)
Ingredients:
•1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
•8 ounces fine-quality milk chocolate, chopped
•3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
•1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
•2 large eggs
•3/4 cup all-purpose flour
•1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
•1/2 teaspoon salt
•1/4 teaspoon baking powder

Preparation:
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour a 9-inch square baking pan.

Melt butter and half of chocolate in a 1 1/2-quart heavy saucepan over low heat, stirring, until smooth. (I cheated and melted this in the microwave at 30% power in 30 second increments...be careful not to burn it!) Remove from heat and cool to lukewarm. Stir in brown sugar and vanilla. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, until mixture is glossy and smooth.

Whisk together remaining ingredients, then stir into chocolate mixture. Stir in remaining chocolate.

Spread batter in pan and bake until a wooden pick or skewer comes out with a few moist crumbs adhering, 25 to 30 minutes.

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Milk-Chocolate-Brownies-237216#ixzz0jnKAtciK

Friday Night Treat: Tiramisu Cupcakes

Last night I decided to finally make the Tiramisu cupcakes that I found on the Martha Stewart website.  Two hours later....got to eat them!  The cupcake is a sponge cake that involved heating milk and butter, frothing and heating the eggs over a simmering pan of water, beating the eggs until fluffy, and then folding everything together.  Wooo! Not a quick recipe when you have a sweets craving.  The frosting is marscapone cheese, sugar, and whipping cream.  That was easy.  Dan helped out by making the espresso syrup.  We used rum instead of the marsala wine because we had some in the pantry.  They tasted good but I like my tiramisu soaked in coffee syrup and these were a bit dry.  The next time I want tiramisu I will use store-bought lady fingers and a bunch more coffee syrup!   ***Update: These are sooo much better the next day and the day after that! 

http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/tiramisu-cupcakes?backto=true&backtourl=/photogallery/fancy-cupcakes

 (My photo kinda looks like the one on the Martha website!  Though mine has the window with the snow falling in the background...Happy Spring!)

Mmmm

Not Your Average "Sloppy" Joes

While I would love to always preplan for dinner and grocery shop for specific recipes, this is how I typically figure out what to make for dinner:  What do I have in the freezer/fridge/pantry? What can I make with it?  Several weeks ago, I thought 80 oz. of ground turkey from Sam's seemed like a great idea.  And actually, I've gone through most of it making burritos, nachos, and meat sauce.  But, I still have a bunch frozen and wanted to make something different with it.  So, I went to epicurious.com (a food site) and typed in "ground turkey."  And voila, a new recipe for my boring turkey and I had most of the ingredients.  Of course, I've noted the changes I made.  It's not too different from a regular sloppy joe, but it was really good.  Topping a biscuit instead of a bun was genius!  Overall a very tasty variation and not so sloppy when eaten with a fork!  Speaking of, I'm going to go heat up leftovers for lunch! 

Turkey Sloppy Joes on Cheddar Buttermilk Biscuits


yield: Makes 8 servings
active time: 40 min
total time: 1 3/4 hr (includes making biscuits)

Sloppy Joe Ingredients:

•3 tablespoons olive oil

•1 large onion, chopped

•2 celery ribs, chopped

•1 red bell pepper, chopped (only had green pepper, but I bet the red would've been good and sweet!)

•4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

•2 1/2 lb ground turkey (not labeled "all breast meat")

•1 teaspoon salt

•1/2 teaspoon black pepper

•1 (28- to 32-oz) can whole tomatoes in juice  (used diced)

•1/2 cup ketchup

•2 tablespoons molasses (not blackstrap)  (used up all my molasses on gingerbread men this x-mas! Used brown sugar)

•2 tablespoons cider vinegar

•1 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

•1 1/4 teaspoons Tabasco, or to taste

Preparation:
Heat oil in a wide 8-quart heavy pot over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté onion, celery, bell pepper, and garlic, stirring occasionally, until golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Add turkey and sauté, stirring occasionally and breaking up large lumps with a wooden spoon, until meat is no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Stir in salt and pepper.
Purée tomatoes with juice, ketchup, molasses, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, and Tabasco in a blender until smooth. Add to turkey and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until sauce is thickened, 25 to 30 minutes.

Serve turkey sloppy joes on split Cheddar buttermilk biscuits.


Cheddar Buttermilk Biscuits

Yield: Makes 8 biscuits

Ingredients:
•1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

•3/4 cup cornmeal (preferably stone-ground; not coarse)

•4 teaspoons baking powder

•1 teaspoon baking soda

•1 teaspoon salt

•1/2 stick (1/4 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

•6 oz extra-sharp Cheddar, coarsely grated (2 cups) (didn't even have the main ingredient! Used italian 6-cheese blend)

•3 tablespoons finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

•3 scallions, finely chopped

•1 1/3 cups well-shaken buttermilk (make your own buttermilk: 1 tbs. vinegar or lemon juice to 1 cup milk...that's what Martha Stewart does!)

Preparation:
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 450°F. Butter 1 large baking sheet.

Whisk together flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl, then blend in butter with your fingertips or a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in cheeses and scallions with a wooden spoon, then add buttermilk and stir until just combined.
Drop dough in 8 equal mounds about 2 inches apart on baking sheet. Bake until golden, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a rack and cool to warm, about 10 minutes, then cut in half horizontally.

Recipe found at epicurious.com (from Gourmet Magazine, September 2004)