Peanut Butter Brownie Bites

My sister recently invited me to Pinterest, though at the time I had no idea what Pinterest was. I just didn't get it - an online pinboard? Why do I need that? Then, one day, I decided to sit down and look at it, just to try it, and see what all the buzz was about. It seems like everybody I talk to is on Pinterest, and to make it even more "in" you have to be invited to even get on the site. So, I may as well look. Well, as it turns out, Pinterest is pretty awesome. What I discovered was access to all sorts of recipes, blogs I've never heard of, food combinations I've never tried, all sorts of things delicious. And it opened my eyes. So now, most recipes that I try, I saw on Pinterest ("Oh yeah, I pinned that!")

The recipe for today is less of a recipe, and more of a great idea, courtesy of Pinterest. This recipe was found on a blog called Baked Perfection. One of those where you see it and think "why didn't I ever think of that???". It is simple, and it is fabulous.

Peanut Butter Brownie Bites, makes 40 brownie bites
1 box brownie mix, prepared (I made mine from scratch)
1/2 cup peanut butter chis
1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter

Fill mini muffin cups 3/4 of the way full, bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes or until done
When they come out of the oven, indent the middle just a little (you can use a spoon, or a clean fingertip), then spoon in 1tsp creamy peanut butter into the indentation
Top with peanut butter chips and chocolate chips
Enjoy!

Winter's Return

Somehow we managed to make it all the way to January before winter found its way back to us. We really lucked out through November and December, with surprisingly mild days through fall and early winter. Being a southern girl, I love mild winters. The third day of January brought with it a big gust of wind and our first real snowfall of the season, and in response I cuddled up with a blanket and my iPad to search for some new recipes that would make me forget about the upcoming months of cold and snow.

I respect the winter  because it makes me appreciate spring and summer even more. Since moving to the north from southern Georgia, I enjoy a little bit of snow, for the novelty of it. But, come February I am almost always sick and tired of winter. And the return of blustery winter days kind of makes me sad, in a way. But, on the other hand, there is no time like winter for comfort foods, which happen to be my favorite. If it weren't for winter, there would be many foods that just wouldn't taste as good - can you imagine eating a steaming hot bowl of chili in July? 

I may have found my favorite tomato soup recipe today. It was easy, and it was awesome. And, best of all, it was made in the crock pot, so all I had to do was throw some ingredients in and let it do its thing all day. I also made a parmesan focaccia to go with it, a twist on the usual grilled cheese and tomato soup, and have to say that it was a hit. 

Parmesan Tomato Basil Soup - adapted from 365 days of slow cooking

1 cup diced onion

1 cup diced carrot

1 cup diced celery

2 cans fire roasted tomatoes (28oz total), undrained

4 cups chicken broth

1 stick butter

1/2c all purpose flour

1/3c fresh basil

1tbsp fresh thyme

1 spring fresh rosemary

1-2 bay leaves

1 cup parmesan cheese

2 cups half and half

Put onion, carrots, celery, tomatoes, and chicken broth into slow cooker for 6-7 hours (I only had 5, so I sauteed the onions, carrots and celery in a little olive oil in a dutch oven before putting them in the crock pot). During the last 1-2 hours of cooking, add in the fresh herbs.

During the last 30 minutes of cooking, make a roux with the butter and flour. If you've never made a roux before, this is done by melting the butter in a skillet and whisking in the flour. Then keep on whisking for five minutes or so, until you reach what they call "peanut butter roux" - which means it is the color of peanut butter. When you've gotten to this point, add in 1 cup of the soup to the skillet and whisk until incorporated, then add in 2-3 more cups and whisk. Then put the entire mixture back into the crock pot and stir well.

Add the parmesan cheese and half and half and bring back to temperature, salt and pepper to taste (and basil or more thyme if needed) before serving.

For the final touch, use immersion blender to blend to desired consistency.

Christmas Cinnamon Rolls

I started cooking when I was a kid, maybe around seven years old. I don't really remember learning to cook, just always had an interest in it and enjoyed spending time in the kitchen with my mom. I have frequently said how lucky I am to have a mom who can actually cook well, because I have grown up to be one of the few  young adults who can put ingredients together to create good food. And, a bonus is the fact that I actually like to do so most of the time.

Growing up, my mom would let me in the kitchen and show me how to prepare food, how to read and follow recipes, and how to analyze food for the perfect taste and experience, adjusting flavors as needed. Without this early childhood food experience, who knows what my kitchen would be like today. I find the creation of food to be gratifying, comforting, enjoyable. And yes, I tend to be an alpha in the kitchen - sorry mom.

I had the joy of cooking with my mom again over Christmas, I find it entertaining to be the one who shows my mom new tricks and tools, but she still has new discoveries to show me as well.
Together we made stuffed french toast (day 10), salted chocolate caramels (day 11), and cinnamon rolls (day 12). When I was a kid, my grandmother had a tea room that had the most incredible cinnamon rolls ever. She would make them over Christmas when we visited, and we loved them. I remember the day I found out that she ordered her cinnamon rolls from a company and just baked them at the shop. Boy, was I disheartened. But then, I realized I have the opportunity to make cinnamon rolls better than my grandmother's - which would be awesome.

The only problem is, yeast scares me. Yeast is the volatile little creature that can make or break your baked goods. Yes, yeast is a bit terrifying at times. And then, when you feel you have mastered the yeast, proofed it just right, and allowed it to rise, you have to face the oven. Which is where my cinnamon rolls really suffered. Overly brown on the outside, still a touch doughy on the inside. They weren't as good as grandmother's, but they were still tasty!

12 Days of Christmas, Days 5-9

Well, two 12-hour shifts in a row, along with the parents coming to visit for Christmas has left me a little behind in the blogosphere, and it turns out that I've forgotten to write for the last few days.  The Christmas season has been hectic, but is drawing to a close - phew! Only four days left in this challenge.

Day five brought popcorn balls - I did two versions, cranberry ginger and Mexican chocolate. If you want to surprise your friends, don't tell them that there is chili powder in the chocolate popcorn balls.

Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting were the special for day six - if you want bonus points, put extra frosting into an icing bag with a smallish tip, shove it into the top of each cupcake and inject some frosting into the middle of each cake before frosting the top. You'll know you have enough when the cupcake swells a little. I got hugs all day from friends at work for these.

Day seven was a flurry of Christmas candies. I like to make different   bag them up and give them to friends as little gifts. It is fun and relatively easy to do. I went a little overboard, making another batch of apple cider snicker doodles (see disaster cookies from previous episode), peppermint bark, Mexican chocolate truffles (chocolate truffles with almond extract, cayenne and chili powder - yum!), peanut butter chocolate pretzels, turtles, and maple walnuts.

Day eight - I totally forgot to make something. It was an hour before I had to leave for work when I realized I hadn't made a single thing, but figured it was ok given the overload of goodies from day seven. Right?

Day nine brought my parents in town, which means I get the joy of cooking with my mom again. More on this later. We made triple-ginger gingersnaps, which were flat out awesome. I definitely recommend this for ginger fans.

Triple-Ginger Gingersnaps - recipe courtesy  Taste of Home Magazine December 2011

2/3c butter, softened
1c packed brown sugar
1/4c molasses
1 egg
2tsp minced fresh ginger root
1c all-purpose flour
3/4c whole wheat flour
3tsp ground ginger
1 1/2tsp ground nutmeg
1/4tsp ground cloves
3tbsp crystallized ginger, finely chopped
1/4c sugar
1 1/2tsp ground cinnamon

1. in a large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the molasses, egg and fresh ginger

2. combine the flours, ground ginger, baking soda, salt, nutmeg and cloves; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in crystallized ginger. Cover and refrigerate for one hour or until easy to handle


3. In a small bowl, combine sugar and cinnamon. Shape dough into 1" balls, roll in sugar mixture. Place 3" apart on parchment paper lined baking sheet, bake at 350F for 10-12 minutes.

12 Days of Christmas, Day 4

If you are paying any attention to the 12 Days of Christmas, you may notice I skipped Day 3. Yes, I still baked (Gingerbread Cupcakes with Orange Buttercream frosting - they were amazingly delicious but not the prettiest things to look at), but otherwise there wasn't much to say that day. My momma always told me, if I don't have anything good to say, don't say anything at all. So, on to day 4!

Day Four, AKA the cursed cookies.
These cookies were supposed to be delicious. And, in their defense, the ones that didn't land on the floor and didn't get burned to a crisp WERE good. All six of them.
It was one of those days where the baby wouldn't take a nap. Flat out refused, despite multiple attempts on my part to get her to go the hell to sleep. No, no napping for this baby. Which leads to the baby making that incessant noise that makes me feel like my brain may just explode - not quite crying, but longer than a regular whimper. A good, extended, high pitched, tired-baby whine. All. Night. Long. But, life doesn't stop just because a baby is whining, on with the show!

Apple Cider Snicker Doodles. It sounds so good, it couldn't possibly be a failure, right? Less than halfway through the recipe, the high-pitched brain-rattling noise emanating from the baby finally got to me. So, being the good mom that I am, I decided I could finish making the cookies and making dinner with the baby on my back in a backpack. No problem! And it worked, or at least seemed to. The baby was soothed, the awful noise she was making ceased, and things were good.
With exactly three cookies on the cookie sheet, I heard a "BANG!", and turned around to see, to my horror, the mixing bowl of cookie dough upside down on the floor. It turns out that she can reach the countertop when she is strapped to my back, interestingly enough. I laid my head on the counter and had a good, long cry.

Then, with the urging of my husband, did the only thing one can do in this instance, and saved what I could from the floor.

Then, called in the cleaning crew to take care of the rest while I put the cookies in the oven.

Bake for 11-13 minutes at 400F. But don't really, because this will burn them beyond recognition. The first tray came out inedible, not even worthy of a picture (my exact words to the husband when I pulled them out: "Oh my gosh! They are smoking! There is smoke coming off my cookies!"). Into the trash they went. The show must go on. The second batch came out beautifully (9 minutes, not a second longer!) and were incredibly delicious, a must have for fall/holiday recipes.

Apple Cider Snicker Doodles - recipe courtesy of Food Network Kitchens

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups apple cider
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar, plus 3 tablespoons for rolling
• 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons finely chopped red and green crispy apple chips, plus whole chips for garnish
• 2 teaspoons apple pie spice

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Heat the cider in a medium skillet over medium-high heat until it comes to a boil. Continue to cook until syrupy and reduced to about 2 tablespoons, 12 to 14 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly.

Whisk the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl until smooth. Beat the butter with 1/2 cup of the granulated sugar and the light brown sugar in a separate bowl on medium-high speed until fluffy and smooth, 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in the reduced cider and the egg (the mixture may look slightly curdled). Stir in the flour mixture and 1/4 cup of the chopped apple chips until combined.

Stir together the remaining 3 tablespoons of granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons of chopped apple chips and the apple pie spice in a small bowl. Roll heaping tablespoons of dough into balls, using lightly moistened hands if the dough is too sticky, and then roll in the spiced sugar mixture. Place the dough balls 3 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets and top with a few pieces of whole apple chips. Bake until the edges are just set but centers are still soft, 11 to 13 minutes, rotating pans halfway through the baking time. Cool 2 to 3 minutes on the baking sheet, and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

12 Days of Christmas, Day 2

A snag in the 12 Days of Christmas in the Budding Gastronomer household is that baking something from scratch every day requires a steady stream of butter, flour, sugar, and as it would seem, chocolate. Day 1 was no problem - we have enough supplies to whip up a few loaves of bread on a whim. Even a batch of cookies, or a cake. Easy! But eleven more days? That's going to require a trip to a store. Which is where I went wrong.

When my husband dropped me off at my hair appointment and offered to head to the grocery store with the baby while I waited, it sounded like a fabulous idea. But half an hour into the appointment I received a desperate text message, begging me to help with the shopping. Okay, okay, I'll help.

There is nothing quite like dragging a confused husband and a tired baby through a grocery store, trying to grab everything one needs to bake enough to feed a small army for nearly two weeks. A bit frazzled by the end, we headed home. The thought crossed my mind to scratch today's effort. After all, eleven days of Christmas are plenty, right? But no, I can't quit on day two. So, on I forged.

Day Two of the 12 Days of Christmas: Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
This is a tried and true recipe. A must if you are a chocolate lover. Really, I have no complaints about this one; it is easy, it is delicious, and it's a crowd pleaser. If you're going to make it, you have to eat one (or three) while they are warm.

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
Williams-Sonoma Essentials of Baking

Place the 4oz unsweetened chocolate and 2oz butter in the top of a double boiler placed over barely simmering water. Heat, stirring often until butter and chocolate melt. Cool slightly. In a bowl, stir together 1.5c flour, 1/2c cocoa powder, 2 tsp baking powder, and 1/4tsp salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine 4 eggs, 2c granulated sugar, 1tsp vanilla exract. Beat on medium speed until light in color and thick, about 3 minutes. Beat in the melted chocolate mixture on low speed. Add dry ingredients until blended. Mix in 1.5c semisweet chocolate chips.

Cool in the fridge for 2 hours.
Roll 1tbsp of dough (I used a cookie scoop) into a ball, then roll in confectioners sugar. Place on baking sheet lined with parchment paper.


Bake 13-17 minutes until puffed and crinkled. Transfer to cooling rack.

12 Days of Christmas

Yesterday began the 12 Days of Christmas in the Budding Gastronomer household. A personal challenge to churn out a delicious, holiday-related baked good each day for 12 days, finishing Christmas day.

When I was a child, I remember the feeling that Christmas would never, ever arrive. The countdown to Christmas seemed like an interminable parade of endless days. Grown-ups would sit at the adult table and talk about how quickly time flies, and yet to me it seemed to just creep by. They would prophesy that as I grew, there would occur some alteration in the space-time continuum that would cause time to suddenly pass faster and faster each year. I scoffed. That would never, ever, happen.
And yet, here we are. I firmly believe that it is a sign of aging when you turn around and Christmas is suddenly upon you again - it seems as though it was just Christmas last year, and somehow the year has passed and it is holiday season once more.

Day 1 of the 12 Days of Christmas: Cranberry Pecan Bread, recipe courtesy of Emeril Lagasse. Ah Emeril, you had me at orange liqueur.  I have to admit that I was slightly disappointed in this recipe - I guess I expected more oomph from Emeril (king of "Bam!"). It just seemed to be missing something. Also, the cranberries all sank to the bottom of the loaf, so the top of each slice was a little bland, and the bottom was a tad soggy. I'll try this recipe again sometime, but will mix it up to add some oomph. Nutmeg? Ginger? Tossing the berries with flour to keep them from sinking?

Cranberry-Pecan Bread

Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, 2002

Prep Time:

25 min

Inactive Prep Time:

30 min

Cook Time:

1 hr 20 min

Level:

Intermediate

Serves:

1 loaf

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup orange flavored liqueur
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 teaspoon whole cloves
• 1 cinnamon stick, halved
• 1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries (or defrosted if frozen)
• 3/4 cup dark brown sugar
• 1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
• 1 cup chopped, toasted pecans
• 1 teaspoon orange zest
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

In a saucepan, combine the orange liqueur, sugar, water, cloves, and cinnamon stick and bring to a boil. Stir to dissolve the sugar. Add the cranberries. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the berries burst, about 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and let the berries cool in the liquid. Remove the cinnamon stick and cloves and discard.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9 1/4 by 5 1/4 by 2 1/2-inch loaf pan.

In a mixer bowl, using the mixer on high speed (or using a hand mixer), cream the sugar and butter. Add the eggs and beat until light and fluffy. Into a bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. In a small bowl, combine the buttermilk and orange juice. Alternately add the dry ingredients and buttermilk mixture to the creamed butter, beating after the addition of each. Fold in the reserved cranberry mixture, pecans, orange zest and vanilla. Pour into the prepared loaf pan. Bake until a tester comes out clean, 55 to 60 minutes.

Turn out onto a wire rack to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature. (Can be made ahead. Wrap tightly and store at room temperature 1 day or freeze for up to 2 weeks.
)