dulce de leche brownies

I am a sucker for brownies. Cake, yeah it's ok, cupcakes even better, but offer me a brownie and we're golden. And that's just plain old brownies. Imagine my delight when I came across a recipe for dulce de leche brownies over on David Lebovitz's site. Does life get any better? Why yes it does because I just happened to have some dulce de leche in fridge from our trip to Argentina. I think it was fate. I'm used to my mom's recipe for brownies that just uses cocoa powder for the chocolate flavor, but this recipe is the real deal and calls for chocolate bits to be melted down and the other ingredients added to it. It's not as intimidating as I thought it might be and is actually rather efficient because you can just add everything right into the pan. I'm not usually a huge "nuts in brownies" fan, but adding pecans just seemed like the right thing to do in this recipe. I kind of imagined it to be turtle/praline-like. When the batter was all ready to go, I poured it into a square baking pan. I then added drops of dulce to the batter (maybe a few fell into my mouth too). Once I had dropped enough into the batter, I used a knife to swirl it a little. I added another layer of batter and repeated the process. After all the dulce had been used up, I popped it in the oven. I could hardly wait for these puppies to be done. I patiently waited 35 minutes for them to bake, then pulled them out, let them sit for a bit and then... then it was time. It doesn't get much better than a warm brownie just from the oven. These were good, they were really good. But dare I say, I don't think they were as good as my mom's recipe. I really wanted them to be, but they were a little drier than I prefer. The addition of the dulce made me really happy because it just added little pockets of suprise here and there. The nuts were good, but not as critical as I thought they might be. Overall, it's good, I would use the idea again, but I think I'll stick with mom's recipe for the batter. dulce de leche brownies from David Lebovitz | makes 12 brownies 8 tablespoons (115g) salted or unsalted butter, cut into pieces 6 ounces (170g) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped 1/4 cup (25g) unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder 3 large eggs 1 cup (200g) sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 cup (140g) flour optional: 1 cup (100 g) toasted pecans or walnuts, coarsely chopped 1 cup Dulce de Leche (or Cajeta) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (175 C). 1 Line a 8-inch (20 cm) square pan with a long sheet of aluminum foil that covers the bottom and reaches up the sides. If it doesn't reach all the way up and over all four sides, cross another sheet of foil over it, making a large cross with edges that overhang the sides. Grease the bottom and sides of the foil with a bit of butter or non-stick spray. 2 Melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Add the chocolate pieces and stir constantly over very low heat until the chocolate is melted. Remove from heat and whisk in the cocoa powder until smooth. Add in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the sugar, vanilla, then the flour. Mix in the nuts, if using. 3 Scrape half of the batter into the prepared pan. Here comes the fun part. Drop one-third of the Dulce de Leche, evenly spaced, over the brownie batter, then drag a knife through to swirl it slightly. Spread the remaining brownie batter over, then drop spoonfuls of the remaining Dulce de Leche in dollops over the top of the brownie batter. Use a knife to swirl the Dulce de Leche slightly. 4 Bake for 35 to 45 minutes. The brownies are done when the center feels just-slightly firm. Remove from the oven and cool completely. Storage:These brownies actually become better the second day, and will keep well for up to 3 days.
Filed under eat and sweets by Kelly. May 14th, 2009 . 7 Comments

black rice & edamame

There's a restaurant near Aaron's office called Rice that makes, you guessed it, really good rice. There's one dish that I always get and it comes with this crazy amazing black rice with edamame. It's the kind of dish that when Aaron told me about it, I was a little iffy on, but then when I tried it I was a happy, happy lady. After having it a few times and thinking about it many more, I decided that it was time recreate it at home. I picked up a bag of black rice (it was labeled "forbidden rice") and a bag of frozen edamame at the store. I decided to treat the rice a little like risotto, a little like regular rice, so I started out by frying up a little bit of onion in a pan to get a nice base flavor. After the onions turned clear, I added the rice and let it get a little heat for a minute or two. I then poured a cup of chicken stock over top, brought it to a boil and put a lid on it. Once it had cooked for about a half hour, I fluffed it up a bit, stirred in some microwaved edamame and a little sesame oil and soy sauce. The sesame oil is key because it adds a nice flavor and smooth texture to the whole dish. The end result was not exactly like the one at Rice, but it still made me very happy. I'm always looking for ways to bring a little green in my meals without losing flavor and this did just that. The rice was really flavorful and the edamame added a nice textural variation. It's good stuff. black rice & edamame makes 2 big or 4 small servings 1/2 cup black rice (sometimes called forbidden rice) 1/2 white onion, diced 1 teaspoon vegetable oil 1 cup chicken broth* 1/2 cup edamame, shelled 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil 1 teaspoon soy sauce 1 Heat vegetable oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook until translucent. 2 Add rice and cook for 1 minute. 3 Pour chicken broth over top and bring to a boil. 4 Reduce heat to a simmer and cover. Cook for 30 minutes. 5 5 minutes before the timer goes off, cook edamame. 6 In a small bowl, combine sesame oil and soy sauce. 7 Remove the cover from the rice and fluff. 8 Pour the oil and soy sauce over top and add the edamame. Stir to incorporate. *You can substitute vegetable broth or water, but the water won't give it as much flavor
Filed under eat and sides by Kelly. May 12th, 2009 . 10 Comments

orange coconut silver dollar pancakes

It's been a while since I've made pancakes, but let me tell you, I'm coming back with a bang. Every weekend I walk past a restaurant that serves the cutest little silver dollar pancakes all stacked on top of one another. That's where I got the idea to make some of the miniature pancakes... but what to put in them? I opened up my pantry, dug around a bit (I have way too many impulse purchase spices, sauces etc hanging out in there) and that's when I saw my jar of coconut. Yup, that sounded just right, especially if I combined it with a little orange zest. That's how orange coconut silver dollar pancakes were born. I combined the usual dry ingredients, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt, but then I added finely shredded coconut. Along with the milk, eggs and butter, I added a little fresh squeezed orange juice. Then to top it all off, once I'd combined the wet and dry, I folded in some orange zest. I heated a little butter in my cast iron skilled and dropped a few tablespoons of batter onto the hot skillet. They quickly sizzled away, casting off a lovely citrus scent. After a sloppy flip and a little more time to cook, I plopped them on a plate and repeated the process. I quickly learned that a large flat skillet is probably the best way to cook silver dollar pancakes, but since I was already on my way, I just kept at it on my 7 inch skillet. All that work paid off because those little disks of goodness were awesome! Really, I don't mean to brag, but these deserve it. They are so fluffy but because of their size they have the perfect amount of crispiness around the edges. Oh, and the flavor of that batter is just delicious. The coconut is there but isn't overwhelming and really works hand in hand with the orange. They really don't need a topping because they have enough flavor to stand on their own, but I'm stuck in my ways and feel that pancakes should have a little something on top. Syrup just didn't seem right because the flavor would just overwhelm it. Aaron came up with the great idea of jam on top and I thought it sounded perfect. All I had in the fridge was some strawberry jam, so I added a little water to thin it out a bit and then topped my stack of pancakes with a spoonful. Oh. Boy. It was awesomely delicious. What a great way to start the morning. orange coconut silver dollar pancakes makes about 24 3-inch pancakes 3/4 cup flour 2 T sugar 2 t baking powder 1/2 t salt 1/4 cup coconut 3/4 cup whole milk 1 egg 1 1/2 T butter, plus more for the skillet 1/2 t vanilla 1 T orange zest 1 T freshly squeezed orange juice jam of your choice 1 In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and coconut. 2 In a separate bowl, combine the milk, egg, butter, vanilla and orange juice. 3 Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the wet ingredients. Stir to combine. 4 Fold in the orange zest. 5 Heat a little butter in a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Once it's melted add 1 tablespoon of batter to the pan. If you can fit more that one pancake in the pan at a time, do it. 6 Let cook for about 2 minutes or until golden, then flip and let cook for another 2. 7 Depending on your preferences and the thickness of your jam, you may want to add a tiny bit of water to thin it out a bit. 8 Stack a bunch of the pancakes on top of one another and top them off with the jam. 9 Eat up!
Filed under breakfast and eat by Kelly. May 11th, 2009 . 6 Comments

happy hour: blood orange infusion + oh honey! cocktail

I had a cocktail party last weekend that was full of all sorts of tasty infused vodkas, the delicious infused tequila you saw earlier this week along with homemade ginger ale and other goodies. I'm hoping to share all my infusions with you over the month of May, so get ready for some tasty cocktails. I'm starting out with the tamest one, which is vodka infused with blood oranges. Infusions are a super fun way to mix up your cocktails and experiment with different flavors. You can infuse vodka with just about any flavor you can thing of... citrus is just the beginning. For the infusion, I just sliced up a few blood oranges, tossed them in a jar, poured vodka over top and let the jar sit for a few days. Because citrus is a strong flavor, it only takes a day or two to infuse the vodka with it's delicious flavor. You can see most of the color is drained out of the oranges themselves and infused into the vodka. It's pretty nifty. Now you have to think of your own signature cocktail to make with it. oh honey! cocktail makes 1 1.5 ounces blood orange infused vodka* .5 ounces fresh squeezed blood orange (about 1/2 of an orange) .5 ounce honey syrup** ice 1.5 ounces club soda sliced orange for garnish 1 In a cocktail shaker, combine vodka, orange juice, honey syrup and ice. Swirl for 15 seconds. 2 Pour into a glass and top off with club soda. Stir to combine. 3 Garnish with a slice of orange. 4 Cheers! *This recipe oringally used mandarin orange, but you can use whatever citrus fruit you'd like. **To make honey syrup: Heat 1 part water (I used 1/4 cup) on the stove over low heat, about 1 minute. Turn burner off and add an equal amount of honey to the water. Stir until smooth.
Filed under happy hour by Kelly. May 8th, 2009 . 3 Comments

how to cut an onion

I have to admit something. My knife skills are bad news. I desperately need to take a class because there's no telling when a finger is going to go missing. Things get especially bad when I try to cut an onion, which is rather often. You'd think practice would make perfect, but instead I usually end up cutting it a different way each time and am left with a crazy assortment of onion chunks and tears streaked down my cheeks. Well, the other day I saw chef Jacques Pepin cut an onion on his tv show and everything just clicked. He made it look so simple, I just had to try his technique out. Let me tell you, it is life changing. It's so simple, and once you get the steps down, it's a breeze. And the quicker you can cut an onion, the less likely you'll cry. Ok, do it with me, you'll be happy you did. 1: Cut the onion vertically in half, from stem to stem. Remove one stem and get rid of the skin. 2: Place the flat side down on the cutting surface. Insert the knife about a half inch from the stem and cut into the onion, bringing the knife back towards the cut end. Repeat until you've got a bunch of vertical cuts in the onion. 3: Without lifting the onion off the board, turn it 90 degrees. Now make cuts perpendicular to the ones you just made, starting at the chopped off end and working towards the stem. 5: That's it! You should now have lovely little chopped bits of onion.
Filed under how to by Kelly. May 7th, 2009 . 7 Comments

happy cinco de mayo: jalepeño infused tequila

Margaritas are my most favorite cocktail, so when Cinco de Mayo rolls around, you can bet I'm going to be prepared. I recently had a margarita that used jalepeño infused tequila and it kind of rocked my world. Since I know a thing or two about infusing booze, I figured this year I'd take it up a notch by infusing some tequila. Infusing is so dang easy and it can really jazz up your cocktails. This tequila is a great way to start out because it's a super quick infusion. A pretty good rule to stick by is the stronger flavor, the quicker the infusion. If you've ever cut a jalepeño, you know it's nothing to mess around with. Depending on your (and perhaps your guests) spice-tolerance, you may or may not want to de-seed the peppers. I've tried it both ways and the seeds definitely speed up the process and make for one heck of a spicy tequila, which makes me really happy. Just slice a few peppers, toss them in a jar, pour the tequila over top and seal the jar up. If you left the seeds in, the tequila will be ready for consumption the next day. If you opted for the less spicy version, you'll want to let the peppers infuse for a few days, since you'll be getting less spice and more peppery flavor. Take a straw, dip it in the booze, then put your finger over the top of the straw. The straw should have a little booze in the tip of it. Taste that and see if it's up to your standards. If it is, strain the peppers from the tequila and shazamm, you're ready to party. I mixed my spicy tequila with a regualr margarita and it was a spicy beast, but oh so delicious. jalepeño infused tequila makes 2 cups 3 jalepeños, sliced with seeds left in place* 2 cups tequila 1 Place the peppers in a mason jar or in the bottle of tequila and pour the tequila over top. Let it sit for at least a day in a dark place (like a cupboard), then open it up and give it a taste. 2 If it tastes good, strain the peppers from the tequila using a cheese cloth or strainer. Pour the liquid back in the original jar and make yourself a margarita.
Filed under happy hour by Kelly. May 5th, 2009 . 14 Comments

english muffins

I'm one of those people who needs to eat breakfast before heading out to work each morning. One of my favorite things to eat is an english muffin or portuguese roll (a denser, doughier cousin to the english muffin) with a little butter and jam or honey. I came across a recipe for homemade english muffins over at Annie's Eats and I just had to make it. I've seen recipes in the past that require a starter and that just seems a little too complex for me, so I always passed them by. This recipe is much more simple and just requires good old yeast with a little flour, sugar, milk and salt. Once everything is mixed together it all has to rise for a while. You then divide the dough into rolls and let it rise once more. Then the good stuff starts to happen. You simply brown each side in a frying pan, then pop them in the oven to completely bake them. That's it. Besides dirtying a handful of bowls and pans, they're pretty darn easy to make. But looks aren't everything, they have to taste delicious too. I was curious as to whether they were going to be filled with nooks and crannies because they were quite dense feeling, which led me to believe they may be a little different than the store-bought variety. They were in fact a bit different than english muffins and actually had more in common with portuguese rolls, something I embraced. The dough was indeed dense, but super delicious, really allowing your teeth to sink into the body of the muffin. They have a nice mellow flavor and are a great vehicle for any jam. I can't wait to start each morning off right this week! english muffins makes 6 via Annie's Eats, originally from the Bread Baker's Apprentice 2 1/4 cups flour 1 1/2 tsp. sugar 1/4 tsp. salt 1 1/4 tsp. instant yeast 1 tbsp. butter, at room temperature 3/4-1 cup milk, at room temperature Cornmeal, for sprinkling 1 In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour, sugar, salt and yeast.  Mix in the butter and 3/4 cup of milk.  Add just enough of the remaining milk to form a dough and incorporate the dry ingredients. 2 Switch to the dough hook and knead on low speed, about 7-8 minutes. 3 Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl and roll to coat.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rise for about an hour. 4 Divide the dough into 6 equal pieces and shape into balls.  Lay parchment paper on a baking sheet and spray or coat lightly with oil.  Sprinkle with cornmeal. 5 Move the dough balls to the baking sheet, spacing them evenly with room to rise.  Cover the pan loosely with plastic wrap and allow to rise another hour. 6 Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. 7 Heat a skillet on medium heat on the stovetop.  Brush the skillet lightly with oil and gently transfer the dough balls to the skillet a few at a time.  Allow them to cook for 5-8 minutes or until the bottoms are lightly browned.  Carefully flip and cook the other side for 5-8 minutes more.  They should flatten as they cook. 8 Remove the muffins from the skillet and transfer them to a parchment- or silpat-lined baking sheet.  Bake in the preheated oven for 5-8 minutes.  Do not wait until all the muffins have been browned in the skillet before moving them to the oven.  As the first batch is baking, move the second batch to the skillet. 9 Transfer the baked muffins to a cooling rack and let cool at least 30 minutes before slicing or serving.  Store in an airtight container.
Filed under bread and breakfast and eat by Kelly. May 4th, 2009 . 10 Comments

these make me happy

Filed under gardening by Kelly. May 3rd, 2009 . 2 Comments