Fudgy Brownies

Brownies are pure indulgence. Whether they are iced or not is irrelevant as they will be devoured quickly. No wonder my son wanted to make this recipe from his Foods class. Sinfully rich, and fudgy with a sticky layer of icing on top.    

Fudgy Brownies

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3/4 cup flour

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup butter

3 - 1 oz squares unsweetened baking chocolate (approximately 3 to 4 ounces)

2 eggs, beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup of sugar

3/4 cup chopped nuts, optional

Preheat oven to 350ºF / 190ºC. Grease and flour an 8 inch baking tin and line the bottom with baking parchment paper. A bit of parchment paper going up the sides is fine.  

In a bowl mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In a large sauce pan over low heat, melt the butter and baking chocolate together. Stir gently.  Remove from heat and blend in the beaten eggs, vanilla, and sugar. Stir in the flour mixture until just combine. Add the chopped nuts, if adding any. Spread into the prepared baking tin and bake for 20 minutes. Cool in the baking tin before icing and cutting into squares.

The icing recipe is as follows...

Chocolate Butter Icing

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Makes about 1 1/2 cups of icing

2 squares unsweetened chocolate

2 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup hot cream, you can also use milk, hot water, or coffee

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups sifted confectioner's sugar (icing sugar) *** you may not require all of the sugar

In a medium saucepan melt the chocolate over low heat. Add the butter and allow to melt together. Remove from heat and add in the hot cream, salt, and vanilla. Then gradually add in the sifted icing sugar. 

Notes: if you need to firm up the icing quickly just place the tin of iced brownies in the freezer for a few minutes. 

Carrot Bran Muffins

These sweet but hearty muffins are my son's favourite and they can easily be devoured by all. Although he thinks the addition of raisins or cranberries would be a bonus. As they are or with the additions this is another great no fuss recipe.  

Carrot Bran Muffins

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Makes about 12 muffins

1 1/3 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup coconut sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 tablespoon ground flax seed

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 1/2 cups All-Bran Buds cereal

1 cup almond milk

1 egg

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 large carrot, grated

Preheat oven to 400ºF / 200ºC.  

In a medium bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, ground flax seed, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.

In a large bowl combine the cereal and almond milk. Let stand until soft... about 3 minutes. Add the egg, vegetable oil, and grated carrot. Beat well. Add the flour mixture to the cereal mixture and stir until just combined. Add the batter evenly to a 12 greased or lined muffin tin cups.

Bake in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes or until the muffins are golden brown. Serve warm.  

Notes: the 1 large carrot equalled about 1/2 cup grated carrot. I lined the muffin tin with reusable silicone baking cups which worked like a charm. 

My son knew exactly what to do with day old cinnamon bread... he made cinnamon French toast for breakfast.  


Bit of a late post, however we are enjoying the Spring Break and enjoying the time we are having in the kitchen. - JD 

Rainbow Cookies

Spring has sprung and Spring Break is here so we will be spending sometime whipping things up in the kitchen. Monster cookies, Confetti cookies, M&M cookies call them what you will, my daughter decided that Rainbow cookies fit best. With some chopped peanuts these gave a delicious chocolate peanutty flavour slightly reminiscent of chocolate peanut M&M's. This recipe is quite simple, not much to fuss about and fun for kids. 

Rainbow Cookies

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Makes about 3 dozen

1 cup (2 sticks or 250ml) of butter, softened

1/2 cup (125ml) caster sugar

1/2 cup (125ml) dark brown sugar, packed

1 large egg

1 (5ml) teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups (500ml) all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon (2ml) baking soda

1/8 teaspoon (1/2ml) salt

1 package (275g) M&M's Chocolate Mini Baking Bits

3/4 cup (175ml) chopped nuts, optional

Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC)

In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy; beat in the egg and vanilla.

In another bowl combine flour, baking soda and salt; blend into the creamed butter mixture. Stir in M&M's Chocolate Mini Baking Bits and nuts, if using any. 

Drop by heaping tablespoonfuls about 2 inches apart onto an ungreased baking tray. Bake 10 to 13 minutes , or until edges are lightly browned and centres are still soft. Do not over bake. Cool for 1 minute on the baking tray before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an air tight container. 

Hope everyone had a great weekend, we did! Some warmer temperatures and sunshine has come our way. - JD   

Leftovers #35 ~ Chicken Stout Pie

The Braised Chicken in Stout, I made for St. Patrick's Day offered plenty of leftovers so I decided to make a pie rather than serve it with the usual suspects... potatoes or rice. I threw in some peas and added leftover roasted potatoes and made a lovely pie crust to encase it all. So delicious!  

Seems like this week disappeared before I could blink. Have a good weekend everyone! 

- JD   

Food Photo of the Day ~ Apple Turnovers

I always have apples on hand so over the course of the weekend I made these sweet and spicy apple turnovers for brunch. These are a great way to use ripen fruit and an easy weekend brunch treat served with tea or coffee. 

Can not believe it is Thursday already... hope everyone had a great weekend and the week has been a good one so far. - JD 

Braised Chicken in Stout

Not too much fussing about for our St. Patrick's Day dinner. Slow cooker braised chicken in stout with egg noodles. This dish is very satisfying and the mushrooms are quite flavourful.   


Braised Chicken in Stout

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Serves 6 to 8

1 whole chicken (about 4 pounds), cut into 8 pieces, or 8 pieces of your favourite chicken parts, skin removed

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 medium onion, coarsely chopped

2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup soy sauce

2 cups baby carrots

One 12 ounce can Guinness Stout

1 cup low sodium chicken broth

1/2 pound shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and caps sliced in half

2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 1/4 cup water

Chopped green onions, for garnish

Sprinkle the chicken evenly with the salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the chicken and brown on all sides.

Transfer the browned chicken to the insert of a 5 to 7 - quart slow cooker. Add the onions, ginger, and garlic to the skillet and sauté until the onions are softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the soy sauce and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet.

Transfer the contents of the skillet to the slow-cooker insert. Add the carrots, Guinness, broth, and mushrooms to the cooker. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours. 

Remove the cover and stir in the cornstarch mixture. Cover and cook for an additional 30 to 45 minutes, until the stew is thickened and the chicken is tender.

Serve the stew garnished with green onions and a side of potatoes, brown soda bread, rice or egg noodles. 

Notes: with just over and hour remaining of cooking time I added freshly chopped kale to the stew and omitted the green onions as the garnish. I used boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut in half. 

Look what has made it's way into our kitchen... a lucky potted shamrock. 

Chocolate Guinness Cake

I have always wanted to make this cake. Not just for St. Patrick's Day because it's gorgeous darkness allured me and the dolloped cream cheese icing mimicking froth and foam captivated me. The stout flavour is subtle although the cake itself offers a moist tanginess, that is very pleasing with or without icing. 

Nigella Lawson's Chocolate Guinness Cake

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Makes: about 12 slices

FOR THE CAKE:

1 cup of Guinness

17 tablespoons unsalted butter 

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa

2 cups superfine sugar

2/3 cup sour cream

2 large eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

FOR THE TOPPING:

8 ounces cream cheese

1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar

1/2 cup heavy cream (or whipping cream)

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to gas mark 4/180ºC/350ºF, and butter and line a 23cm/ 9inch springform tin. 

2. Pour the Guinness into a large wide saucepan, add the butter - in spoons or slices - and heat until the butter's melted, at which time you should whisk in the cocoa and sugar. Beat the sour cream with the eggs and vanilla and then pour into the brown, buttery, berry pan and finally whisk in the flour and bicarb.

3. Pour the cake batter into the greased and lined tin and bake for 45 minutes to an hour. Leave to cool completely in the tin on a cooling rack, as it is quite a damp cake.

4. When the cake's cold, sit it on a flat platter or cake stand and get on with the icing. 

Lightly whip the cream cheese until smooth, sieve over the confectioners' sugar and then beat them both together. Or do this in a processor, putting the unsaved confectioners' sugar in first and blitz to remove lumps before adding the cheese.

5. Add the cream and beat again until it makes a spreadable consistency. Ice the top of the black cake so that it resembles the frothy top of the famous pint. 

Notes: I added a bit of grated lemon rind to the cream cheese topping and then scattered edible rose petals on top.  

To read the metric measurements, tips and more about Nigella Lawson click *here* 

St. Patrick's Day is tomorrow so I will wish you a happy one! Happy St. Patrick's Day and hope everyone has a great weekend! - JD 

Cherry Almond Loaf Cake

From Nigella Lawson's, How to Be a Domestic Goddess, comes this featured recipe. Aromatic almond and plump cherries are mellow in this buttery loaf cake. To me, it is very reminiscent of a bakewell tart and I could see drizzling royal icing over the top when making this cake during the holidays; instead I scattered sliced almonds on top for a bit more flair. 

Nigella Lawson's Cherry Almond Loaf Cake

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Makes 8 to 10 slices

1 1/2 cups natural coloured candied cherries

1 2/3 cups self-raising flour

2 sticks (1 cup) butter, softened

3/4 cup superfine sugar 

3 large eggs, beaten

2 - 3 drops almond essence

1 cup almond meal

1/3 cup milk

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 170ºC/gas mark 3/325ºF. Halve the cherries, wash them in a colander under cold water, then pat them dry, toss them in some flour and shake well to get rid of excess.

2. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Gradually add the beaten eggs and almond essence, then gently fold in the flour and almond meal. Fold in the cherries and then the milk and spoon the thick mixture into a lined and buttered loaf tin (23x13x7cm / 9x5x3 inches) and bake for 3/4 to 1 hour, or until a cake-tester comes out clean.

3. As with all of these sorts of cakes, leave in the tin on a wire rack until completely cooled.

Notes: I had to cook the cake a bit longer than stated in the recipe... ovens vary therefore cooking times may vary. 

For metric measurements and for other Nigella Lawson recipes click *here* 

Hope everyone had a great weekend. - JD 

The English Channel G & T

Sifting through the internet is always entertaining. In our search we came across Split Tree and the recipes for cocktails they offered. Although we did not have any Split Tree brand ingredients, the ones we did have were all the same, and we decided to go ahead and make the cocktails anyway. Very pleasant ingredients for a magnificent Gin and Tonic! 

English Channel Cocktail G & T

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1 oz of gin

0.25 oz of Absinthe

0.5 oz St. Germaine

0.5 oz Split Tree Tonic No.3 

2 - 3 oz of soda water

Add ice, gin, absinthe, St. Germaine and soda water to a cocktail glass Pour Split Tree tonic No.3 over the top and gently stir. Garnish with a lemon or lime wedge. 

To find out more about Split Tree click *here*

Stay warm and have a great weekend everyone! - JD 

Food Photo of the Day ~ Roasted Butternut Squash

Simple and sweet. The butternut squash was peeled and diced and oven roasted, with a light drizzle of olive oil and a dash of salt and pepper, until nicely tender. Placed in a serving dish and glazed with an orange balsamic vinegar just before serving. The ultimate winter warmer vegetable. 

Stay warm! - JD  

Slow Cooker Lentil Butternut Squash Curry

With this recipe there is not a lot of fussing about. Just simply add all the ingredients together and turn the slow cooker on and politely walk away. Delicious hearty ingredients are what this curry is about, with plenty of leftovers.  

Lentil Butternut Squash Curry

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1 onion, diced

2 cup red lentils

2 cup diced butternut squash

1 can of coconut milk

1 large can (796ml... 28 fl oz) of no or low salt diced tomatoes

1 tablespoon Curry powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon Garam Marsala

1 teaspoon cumin

Place all the ingredients into the slow cooker. Add 3 to 5 cups of water, depending on the size of your slow cooker. Give a gentle stir with a wooden spoon. Close the lid and cook for 6 to 8 hours on low or 5 to 6 hours on high. 

Just before serving you may add an additional teaspoon of both Curry powder and Garam Masala, if you wish, as it depends on your flavour preference. Serve with rice, quinoa, or naan bread or vegetables.  

Notes: I added only 3 cups of water and found that it was sufficient. With an hour left of cooking time I added some diced firm tofu. 

Hope everyone had a great weekend. The snowy weather is back. Stay warm! - JD  

Dainty Desserts for Dainty People

Bearing in mind that this pamphlet was published in 1896, some recipes may be circulating today however with different ingredients. Still, it is an oddity. A rare glimpse into the home cook and what was contrived or rather supplied to them from grocers, manufacturers, and products. Glancing through this book there are a few recipes I would consider making, to which I would switch with fruit pectin. I am sure most of these recipes ran supreme back in the 1800's like chicken aspic, sardines in jelly, tomato jelly, and cake in jelly. Today less so.

In this 32 page promotional cooking pamphlet comes an acclaimed page from Knox Gelatine themselves listing an approved and used by noted teachers of cookery at the time, and there are the testimonials that follow. Thought I would share the wine jelly recipe as it would be good when serving cheese.       

Knox Gelatine Wine Jelly

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1 box Knox's Sparkling Gelatine

1/2 pint cold water 

1 quart boiling water

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 pint wine

Juice of 2 lemons

Soak 1 box of Sparkling Gelatine in 1/2 pint cold water 5 minutes; add 1 quart boiling water, 1 1/2 cups sugar, and stir until dissolved; add 1/2 pint wine and juice of 2 lemons; strain and pour into mould.

I also wanted to include a more up to date version of this recipe...

Wine Jelly 

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3 cups of sugar

2 cups of wine

1 pouch Certo liquid pectin

Measure sugar and wine into a large saucepan. Cook and stir over medium heat until sugar is dissolved... about 4 to 7 minutes. Do not boil remove from heat.

Stir in the fruit pectin and mix well. Skim off foam, if necessary.

Pour quickly into warm sterilized glasses. Cover at once with new or sterilized lid (they usually come as a two piece lid set), filling up 1/4 inch (0.5ml) from rim.   

Note: you may also add 1/4 cup of lemon juice to this recipe. 

And what would be a PD Day without cupcakes... Have a great weekend everyone! - JD