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Monthly Archives: September 2012

Brownie Pudding

September 27, 2012
Boozy, Brownies, Chocolate, Puddings
8 Comments


This is an incredible recipe that satisfies the two different dessert cravings I often have: the chewy, and the creamy. While I could’ve baked a slice of chocolate cake with a fudge ganache and a buttercream frosting, why wouldn’t I just mix up this super-easy brownie pudding? The texture of this is exactly what it looks like: it has a thin, crackly crust that sizzles ever so slightly on your palate, and once you get past that initial thin layer it’s just full of chocolatey ooey gooey goodness. I also added a splash of bourbon because bourbon has never once failed me in my chocolate baking endeavors.


I mean seriously. Just look at that. This was delicious warm, and I didn’t eat this with vanilla ice cream but I’ll bet the differing textures of cold, warm, creamy and fudgey would have been a veritable party in your mouth. This recipe is very forgiving, and because it’s baked in a bain marie (or water bath), would not screw up easily. You’re also bound to have most, if not all of the ingredients in your pantry. I highly recommend this recipe for impressing boyfriends and small children. You can thank me later.

Brownie Pudding
Makes a 1 quart casserole
Adapted from Ina Garten

1 stick unsalted butter
2 large eggs (I used two medium and it was fine)
1 cups sugar
6 tbsps good dutch processed cocoa powder
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp vanilla essence
A splash of bourbon – I wanna say a tablespoon, but it is up to your discretion
Vanilla ice cream, for serving – which I found entirely unnecessary considering how delicious the pudding was

Preheat the oven to 325 F. Melt the 1/2 pound of butter in the microwave. Set aside to cool.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the eggs and sugar on med-high speed for ~ 5 to 10 minutes, until very thick and light yellow. Meanwhile, sift the cocoa powder and flour together to remove the lumps. Set aside.

When the egg-sugar mixture is ready, reduce the speed to low. Add the vanilla seeds, framboise (if using), and the cocoa-flour mixture. Mix only until combined. With mixer still on low, slowly pour in the cooled butter. Mix again just until combined.

Pour the brownie mixture into a 9×5 or 8×8 pan. Place it in a larger baking pan. Add enough of the hottest tap water to the pan to come halfway up the side of the dish. Bake for exactly 1 hour. A cake tester inserted 2 inches from the side will come out 3/4 clean. The center will appear very under-baked. This dessert is between a brownie and a pudding- so it should.

Allow to cool and serve with vanilla ice cream.

Maple Rosemary Glazed Cashews

September 27, 2012
Savory
1 Comment

This is a super easy recipe for those days when you have an urge to make something but don’t necessarily want to spend all day slaving away in the kitchen. I whipped these up from raw, unsalted cashews very quickly, and I suspect that you can add whatever seasoning that catches your fancy. However, maple syrup and rosemary is a pretty winning flavor combination and you wouldn’t be disappointed to stick true to this recipe.

Maple Rosemary Glazed Cashews
Makes 8 ounces
From A Food Centric Life

Ingredients

6 tablespoons (90 ml) pure maple syrup
4 (about 120 grams) tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
4 teaspoons (about 25 grams) packed golden brown sugar
1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil
½ teaspoon (a few big pinches) sharp paprika
1/4 ground chipotle powder or cayenne pepper, use more if you like things spicy (optional)
1 pound (454 grams) raw whole cashews (unsalted, un-roasted)
1 tablespoon (28 grams) kosher or sea salt

Directions

Heat the oven to 350 degrees (177 C). Cover a rimmed baking with foil and spray with non-stick spray. Note – what I have discovered works best is the Reynolds Release non-stick foil, even better than just spraying regular foil.
In a medium bowl, mix the maple syrup, rosemary, brown sugar, oil, and spice until smooth. Add cashews and mix to coat thoroughly.
Pour the nuts onto the baking sheet and sprinkle with the salt. Start with the two teaspoons. Add more only if needed. Bake for 18-20 minutes or just until you begin to smell them and they are golden brown. Your timing will depend on your ovens. The nuts will crisp and harden as the cool.When they cool they will stick together. Carefully break them apart to package.

Package in an airtight container. They will keep for up to two weeks at room temperature.

Ovaltine Brownie Cake

September 3, 2012
Brownies, Cakes, Chocolate
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I don’t think Ovaltine is very popular in America, so here’s a quick lowdown on what it is. It is a delicious malt chocolate dairy product that you dissolve into hot water and drink. It’s often marketed as a restorative energy drink or something that you imbibe to kickstart your day right. I had some lying around, and since I hardly ever drank it, I decided to make a cake out of it.

There are many things about this recipe I would like to highlight. Firstly, it’s in weight measurements, so you can’t really make this if you don’t have a scale. Secondly, I used whole wheat flour instead of regular and as usual, it imparts a slightly chewier texture to any baked good. Thirdly, this cake is a lot less chocolatey than it looks: although it is a rich dark brown, the flavor is more mild and milky than deep and chocolatey. Fourthly, I didn’t have enough Ovaltine powder, but if I did, I would’ve sprinkled it all over the top for extra flavor. I really like raw Ovaltine powder. Fifthly, the texture of this is more like a cakey brownie. It’s a little bit fudgey but also a little bit cakey.

With that said, bake away!

Ovaltine Brownie Cake
Makes 1 9-inch pan
Adapted from Pencil Kitchen

87g butter, softened
87g white sugar
1 1/2 eggs (beat two eggs and use half of the mixture)
1 tsp vanilla
A pinch of instant coffee powder
100 ml milk (I used chocolate milk instead of regular, because that’s all I had. It was okay!)
125g Ovaltine powder
15g cocoa powder
100g all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 pinch salt

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour a 9-inch cake pan. Dissolve 50g of Ovaltine and coffee into warm milk. Let cool to room temperature.

Sift together flour, cocoa, 50g Ovaltine, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg mixture and stir in vanilla.

Beat in the flour mixture and milk alternately, starting and ending with the dry ingredients.

Bake for 20-30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let cool in pan for ten minutes.

Invert cake onto a plate. Brush the cake with melted salted butter and dust with remaining 25g of Ovaltine, or more if you prefer.