Lindsey’s Brownies

24 Saturday Oct 2009

Posted by in Brownies, Desserts, Institute Treats

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I love this recipe for brownies, but you will notice that I have several on this site. My favorite brownie recipe changes all the time.

1 cup butter, melted
3 cups white sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup high-quality semisweet chocolate morsels (I used baking chocolate squares, roughly chopped)
1/4 to 1/2 chocolate chips (I use the mini semi-sweet chocolate chips)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9 x13 baking dish. Combine the melted butter, sugar, & vanilla in a large bowl. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each, until thoroughly blended. Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder& salt. Gradually incorporate the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until blended. Stir in the chocolate morsels. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the mini chocolate chips over the top of the batter. Bake in preheated oven until an inserted toothpick comes out clean, the original recipe says 35 to 40 minutes, but I am baking for them 30 minutes and they are coming out perfectly. (Ovens vary and it is so easy to over bake brownies and have them turn out dry. I test mine after 30 minutes and if the surface looks cooked and the center is firm I take them out). Remove, & cool pan on wire rack before cutting.

Mango with Coconut Sushi Rice

20 Tuesday Oct 2009

Posted by in Desserts, Summer

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I haven’t tried this recipe yet. I discovered it on our recent trip to Australia. I can’t wait to try it!

Serves 4

300g jasmine rice
100g granulated sugar
200ml canned coconut milk
400ml water
1 ripe mango peeled and finely chopped
2 tablespoons mint leaves, chopped
1 lime, cut into wedges

Combine rice, sugar, coconut milk and water in a heavy-bottomed saucepan and bring to a boil stirring constantly to prevent the rice from sticking. Simmer very gently, uncovered, on the lowest possible heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. if the rice has absorbed all of the liquid and is not yet cooked, cover the pan tightly and set aside for another 10 minutes until the rice is very tender. Lightly rinse out a 20cm X 15cm shallow tin or pie dish. Tip in the rice (leaving any browned rice on the bottom of the saucepan) and spread out evenly to a depth of 2cm. Smooth the top and leave to cool.

When ready to serve cut into rounds with a cookie cutter. Toss mango with mint and arrange on top of each round. Serve with lime wedges for squeezing.

Apple Breakfast Cake

08 Thursday Oct 2009

Posted by in Autumn, Breakfast, Institute Treats

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This is a recipe that I got from the Simply Recipes Blog. I made it today and it is really good.
Serves 6
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
5 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 egg beaten
1/2 cup milk
1 medium baking apple, peeled and sliced

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9 inch square or round baking dish with a 4 cup capacity.

Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl combine 1/3 cup sugar with the cinnamon and set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter with the remaining 1/3 cup sugar. Beat in the egg until well blended. Add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the milk, beating until just combined.

Spread half the mixture in a baking dish. Lay the apple slices on the batter so they just cover the batter. Overlap them if necessary. Sprinkle the apples with half of the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Spread the rest of the batter over the apples. Sprinkle the remaining cinnamon-sugar on the top.

Bake the cake for 25 minutes or until golden brown and apples start to bubble at the edges.

Cokie Colton’s Pumpkin Ribbon Cake

08 Thursday Oct 2009

Posted by in Autumn, Cakes, Desserts

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Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a Bundt pan by spraying it lightly with Pam.

Cake
2 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup butter
3 eggs
3/4 cup pumpkin
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Ribbon
1- 8 ounce package cream cheese
1/4 cup sugar

Pour half of the batter into the prepared pan and spoon ribbon on the top. Pour on remaining batter.

Bake at 350 for 50-60 minutes

Bon Ton Bread Pudding

03 Saturday Oct 2009

Posted by in Comfort Food, Desserts, Talking Food

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The Bon Ton is a famous restaurant in New Orleans. Rick and I ate there once when I went with him on business. I have changed the sauce and recipe a bit to leave out the alcohol.

Rum Sauce:
1/2 cup apple juice
3/4 cup heavy cream
Rum flavoring to taste
6 oz dark brown sugar
7 oz granulated sugar
1/2 lb unsalted butter, cold, chopped

In a thick plastic container, place the cold chopped butter.

Combine the sugars, apple juice, cream, and rum flavoring in a sauce pan. Bring to a boil stirring occasionally. When the mixture comes to a boil, pour 1/2 of it over the butter and whisk constantly until the butter is melted, add the rest of the hot mixture.

Place the bowl into an ice bath to cool, stirring the sauce a few times during the cooling process. Keep chilled.

When you’re ready to use, just warm it a little to take the chill off.

Bread Pudding:

1 loaf French bread, at least a day old, cut into 1-inch squares (about 6-7 cups)
1 qt milk
3 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups sugar
2 Tbsp vanilla
1 cup raisins (I think dried cranberries would be really good in this, too)
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted

1 Preheat oven to 350°F.

2 Soak the bread in milk in a large mixing bowl. Press with hands until well mixed and all the milk is absorbed. In a separate bowl, beat eggs, sugar, vanilla, and spices together. Gently stir into the bread mixture. Gently stir the raisins into the mixture.

3 Pour butter into the bottom of a 9×13 inch baking pan. Coat the bottom and the sides of the pan well with the butter. Pour in the bread mix and bake at 350°F for 35-45 minutes, until set. The pudding is done when the edges start getting a bit brown and pull away from the edge of the pan. Can also make in individual ramekins.

Serve with rum sauce on the side; pour on to taste. Best fresh and eaten the day it is made. Makes 8-10 servings.

Ruth’s Chili

02 Friday Oct 2009

Posted by in Autumn, Soup

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Ruth’s Chili

Brown 1 lb ground beef and 1 pkg stew meat with 5 cloves of garlic and onions.
add to the crockpot on high with the following

2 cans of each makes a big batch– modify for your group I do 2 of some and not of others based on the mood
kidney beans
black beans
corn
rotel
diced stewed tomatoes
tomato sauce
ranch style beans

add the following ingredients to taste
salt
pepper
chili powder
ancho chili powder
cilantro
cumin
Sazon–found in the Spanish foods aisle 3 packets usually
dried onions
a little bit of sugar
a little cinnamon

About 30 minutes before you serve add
some finely diced chocolate
not crazy it really adds to the flavor

Enjoy!!!!

Nigella’s Peanut Butter Squares

02 Friday Oct 2009

Posted by in Desserts, Talking Food

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What is Izzie eating?????

When I saw this photo on Shannon’s blog (Ally’s friend and now mine, too) I loved it and asked Luke and Ally what she was eating. I have never seen a messy face quite so lovely in a clown smile kind of way. It reminded me of how truly wonderful Nigella’s Peanut Butter Squares are and I thought I would share the recipe that goes along with the photo. I never make these unless I have someone to share them with because they fall in the category of talking food!

Ingredients for the Base

50 grams or a scant 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
200 grams or 1 1/3 cups confectioners’ sugar
50 grams or a scant 1/4 cup unsalted butter
200 grams or 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter

Ingredients for the topping

200 grams or 7 ounces milk chocolate
100 grams or 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Directions

1. Stir all the ingredients for the base together until smooth.

2. I use the paddle attachments to my mixer, but a bowl and a wooden spoon will work.

3. You will find, either way, that some of the dark brown sugar stays in very small, lumps, but don’t worry about that.

4. Press this mixture into a 9-inch square brownie pan and make the surface as even as possible.

5. To make the topping, melt the chocolates and butter together (the microwave works great for this just for a minute at a time until it is melted) stir well to combine and spread evenly over the base.

6. Put the pan in the refrigerator to set. When the chocolate has hardened, cut into small squares because it is very rich.

Butternut Squash Apple Soup

29 Tuesday Sep 2009

Posted by in Autumn, Soup

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Serves 4-6

1 yellow onion, chopped
1 rib of celery, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 tablespoon butter
1 large butternut squash, chopped in half with seeds removed
1 tart green apple peeled, cored and chopped
3 cups chicken broth
pinches of nutmeg, cinnamon, salt and pepper

Cook squash by steaming in pan, steamer or microwave until soft. Peel and chop. Combine butter, onion, celery, and carrot in large saucepan. Cook for 5 minutes. Add squash, apple, and broth. Bring to a boil. Simmer for 10 minutes. Purre in a blender or food processor. Add spices to taste.

Spicy Pumpkin Soup

29 Tuesday Sep 2009

Posted by in Autumn, Soup

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Serves 8

4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
2 medium yellow onions, chopped
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 teaspoons curry powder
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
3-15 oz cans of pure pumpkin (don’t use pumpkin pie mix because it has pie spices in it) Or you can use 6 cups of peeled, chopped roasted pumpkin
5 cups chicken broth
2 cups of milk
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream

Directions
Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and cook, until they are softened. Add spices and stir for a minute more.

Add pumpkin and 5 cups of chicken broth and mix well. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

Put soup in small batches in a blender or food processor. Cover tightly and blend until smooth. Return the blended soup to a pan.

With the soup on low heat, add the brown sugar and mix. Slowly add the milk while stir until it is well mixed. Add cream. Adjust the seasonings to taste. If it is too spicy add a little more cream to col it down. You might want to add some salt.

I love this soup and freeze it in individual servings since Rick doesn’t care for pureed soup. It is especially simple if you use canned pumpkin.

Baked Potato Soup

29 Tuesday Sep 2009

Posted by in Soup

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Serves 6

12 slices bacon (I use a jar of Hormel bacon pieces, it saves time)
2/3 cup margarine or butter
2/3 cup flour
7 cups milk
4 large baked potatoes, peeled and cubed
4 green onions, chopped
1 1/4 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions
1 Place bacon in a large deep skillet. Cook over medium heat until browned. Drain, crumble and set aside. *Eliminate this step if you used the jar of bacon bits. Baccos won’t work. They will just dissolve in the soup and make it an interesting pink color. Use real bacon pieces.
2 In a large pot, melt the butter or margarine over medium heat. Whisk in flour until smooth. Gradually stir in the milk, whisking constantly until thickened. (If you heat the milk in the microwave or a pan before adding to the flour/butter mixture it will thicken faster. Stir in the potatoes and onions and bring almost to a boil.
3 Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Mix in bacon, cheese, sour cream, salt and pepper. Turn off heat and continue stirring frequently until cheese is melted.