t o m a t o e s & t e q u i l a

So these are actually called "Better-Than-Crack Brownies" per the blog I found them on (my favorite!:How Sweet It Is), but that got to be too much to say so I just shortened the title to Crack Brownies.

These make me feel uber-American. They make me want to say "America" with a George W. Bush accent and then go do something American like, eat McDonald's or be really loud and obnoxious in public, or wear socks with my sandals (preferably Tevas, while sporting a neon fanny pack).

Why do these make me feel uber-American, you must be asking. Because they are over the top, ooey-gooey, gluttonous, peanut-buttery chocolatey richness. They are big and bold and all together just a little too much. So obviously I made these for the Super Bowl a few weeks ago. Sorry it took me so long to share them.

I believe that Oreos are the king of all cookies. Not sure why - they aren't particularly special. There is just something about that combination of crunchy cookie and cream filling that makes me swoon. So when I saw this recipe on Pinterest, I knew I had to try them. Luckily, I attended an Ugly Sweater Christmas Party this weekend, giving me the perfect opportunity to try these. I should also mention that I took second place for my shoulder padded ensemble. Thank you very much. I also went home with a somewhat creepy, somewhat adorable wooden elephant that is now residing on my counter top.



Anyway, the original recipe called for sprinkling these with crushed candy canes. I changed these up a little bit from the original recipe because I am not crazy about candy canes. I thought the texture of them (too crunchy) would mess up my gorgeous Oreo pops. Instead, I added some peppermint extract to the candy coating for a subtle, minty taste. The result, as the hubby so eloquently stated, was "thin-mints on crack!" I have to agree - these were sort of amazing. Very much a thin-mint flavor, but more crunch, more chocolate, thicker and all around delicious.


 


These are a fun little holiday treat that I recommend if you are attending a cookie exchange or holiday party in the coming weeks. Enjoy!

 PEPPERMINT OREO POPS RECIPE
(Lulu the Baker)

1 package double-stuffed Oreos (the regular ones aren't thick enough)
2 bags white candy melts or 1 package chocolate bark (I used chocolate bark)
Paper lollipop sticks- I used 4 inch ones
1 tsp. peppermint extract
Red sprinkles

Line 2-3 cookie sheets with parchment paper. Very carefully, twist the Oreos until the top comes off and you have two pieces. Set them on the cookie sheets. Don't worry too much if they break - you can use the candy coating to put them back together and then they get covered up with candy coating so you can't see it anyway.

Using a wooden skewer (or anything that size), start at the edge of the cream filling and carefully pull away the cream filling, bit by bit. This is where the lollipop stick will go.

Heat about a quarter of your bark or candy melts, following the instructions on the package. Dip the end of a lollipop stick into the bark/candy coating and carefully but firmly place the stick in the notch you created in the cream filling. Using a spoon or the end of another lollipop stick, place about a pea size dollop of bark/candy coating on the non-cream filled side of the Oreo. Place it back on top of the cream filling and carefully but firmly press down. Repeat until all Oreos are done. Let them set for about 20 minutes.

Heat the rest of the candy coating/bark. Once melted add, the peppermint extract. The extract will slightly thicken the bark/candy coating - don't work. Taste the mixture and see if you like the level of peppermint, add more if you like.

One by one, dip the Oreos into the melted bark/candy coating. Hold the Oreo parallel to the counter top, over the bow, and tap the stick against the side of the bowl to remove excess coating. I also used a spoon and gently "pulled" the extra off the bottom - no one will see this anyway. Place on the parchment paper and sprinkle with red sprinkles (or whatever you like).

I botched a batch of chocolate truffles. We were headed to dinner at my in-laws and I was bringing Mint Truffles for dessert. From the get-go these were destined for failure. I went to Whole Foods for the mint extract which they did not have so I opted for coffee flavoring, believing deeply that coffee and chocolate are the best of friends. Then I headed to the chocolate section and picked up nearly $20 of good chocolate. I mean, these were chocolate truffles and I wanted the good chocolate. In my mind, these were going to be divine, light, rich chocolate perfection.

So I headed back home and began to re-read the recipe more thoroughly only to find out that I need a good 3+ hours to do this correctly because of the cooling time of the chocolate. What!?!?! I only had two hours. No biggie, I told myself - I could do this. I was sure I could pull out a Macgyver in the kitchen. After all, I had salvaged tons of dishes in the past. I was armed with high quality chocolate and coffee flavoring - how bad could this go?

After about 2 and half hours of near meltdown in the kitchen, I finally admitted to myself that I am no kitchen Macgyver. I also learned to respect the process of truffle making. Long story short, in order to cool my chocolate mixture (the inside of the truffle) faster I stuck the whole lot of it in the freezer. The problem was that it cooled too much and too quickly and so I lost the light fluffy texture and was instead left with chunky, tough chocolate. I tried re-heating...too hot. I tried cooling again....too cool. I found the more I worked with the chocolate the more the oils separated from the chocolate making the texture just a bit off. The result was truffles that were decent in appearance but lacking in substance and flavor. And since the coffee flavoring ended up being all together undetectable (despite my using about 4 times what the bottle suggested), these had no depth of flavor. They were just too dense and fudgy to be considered truffles. I barely used a quarter of the chocolate mixture and gave up. We headed down to dinner with my in-laws, me with my tail between my legs.

A day later while lamenting in the car with the hubby about the leftover (roughly $15 worth!) chocolate in my fridge I decided there was no way I was wasting that chocolate. I needed to salvage it somehow - perhaps by adding it to some thing else. Could I bake it? Incorporate it into a brownie batter or cookie dough? Then, it hit me. Oreos - the king of all American cookies. Surely if I could somehow incorporate Oreos everything would be fine. Oreos fix everything. I would wrap the truffle chocolate around an Oreo and dip the whole thing in milk chocolate to create a lovely little shell.

We quickly picked up a package of Oreos and I got to work. And man, oh man were these good. Like stop your heart good. The fudgy botched chocolate needed the crunch of the Oreo to balance out its denseness and so together they were near chocolate perfection. I'm pretty sure I gained 12lbs and nearly gave myself a heart attack but it was well worth it.

Unfortunately I don't really have a recipe for this! Make some truffle chocolate (any recipe you like - I used this one), wrap it around an Oreo, dip it in milk chocolate candy coating (found at any grocery store). That's it. Use any truffle recipe you like - good chocolate, cheap chocolate, doesn't really matter since the Oreo really becomes the focus of these.

You know when something simple, but perfectly done, is just the best? Like the perfect simple tomato sauce, or the perfect cup of coffee with rich cream, or the perfect chocolate cake. All simple things, but when one takes the time to do them well, use exceptional ingredients, and pays attention to detail, some thing magical happens. The ingredients become more than what they are into something better, more refined, more elegant.

This hot chocolate recipe is just that. I used a combination of Scharffen Berger milk and 70% cacao chocolate with good cinnamon. Those two ingredients were so good that I didn't even use full fat milk (in fact, I used fat free) and this was still the best hot chocolate I have ever had - super rich, super decadent. To serve it I simply put out some store bought macaroons - that's it. This hot chocolate is so good as dessert you don't even long for the density of a rich cake, the chewiness of a fresh cookie, or the crumble of a tart crust. This hot chocolate stands all on its own.

If you want to add a holiday twist, try some peppermint schnapps or a ginger cookie on the side. If you do decide to make this - please, please use good chocolate. I love Scharffen Berger and strongly recommend it (you can find it at Whole Foods) but if you have another chocolate you like, by all means, go for it. Regardless of the brand, good chocolate is the key to this recipe - so don't skimp!

HOT CHOCOLATE RECIPE
(Ina Garten)

2 1/2 c. whole milk (I used fat free milk and the result was still very rich)
2 c. half-and-half (I did not use half and half at all, just fat free milk)
4 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
4 oz. milk chocolate, chopped
1 tbl. sugar
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 tsp. instant espresso or coffee powder
4 to 5 vanilla beans or cinnamon sticks, for garnish

Heat the milk and half-and-half in a saucepan on medium heat to just below the simmering point. Remove the pan from the heat and add both chocolates. When the chocolates are melted, add the sugar, vanilla extract, and espresso and whisk vigorously. Reheat gently and serve immediately. Use a vanilla bean or cinnamon stick to garnish each serving

So the hubby and I moved...again. We seem to move a lot. The benefit of which is getting to go through all of your stuff and purge - doesn't purging feel good? I hate stuff, it clutters my life and my brain. The good news is that we are now in Denver and have re-integrated ourselves into modern civilization. In the midst of this moving process I managed to take some photos of fall in Monument, CO and also make a batch of Cappuccino Brownies that my sister sent me the recipe for.
These brownies are obscene. No seriously - they are so decadent I'm not even sure what to make of them. I personally think they would have been perfect without the cream cheese layer - but others loved them and I have had several requests for the recipe, so what do I know? Regardless, they are very pretty and as such are ideal for a crowd pleaser. In other news, I have found myself in quite the cooking rut and am very much hoping that the change of scenery will insight and new wave of culinary creativity. Tonight I am trying a slow-cooker chicken in a Thai peanut sauce - fancy, no? If it turns out well and you all (yes, you) behave yourselves I might share it with you.

CAPPUCCINO BROWNIES RECIPE
(tasteofhome.com)

8oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped
3/4 c. butter, cut up
2 tbs. instant coffee granules
1 tbs. hot water
4 eggs
1 1/2 c. sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 c. all purpose-flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. chopped walnuts

Topping:
1 pkg. (8oz.) cream cheese, softened
6 tbs. butter, softened
1 1/2 c. confectioners' sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Glaze:
4 tsp. instant coffee granules
1 tbs. hot water
5oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2 tbs. butter
1/2 c. heavy whipping cream

In a microwave, melt chocolate and butter; stir until smooth. Cool slightly. Dissolve coffee granules in hot water. In a large bowl, beat eggs and sugar. Stir in vanilla, chocolate mixture and coffee mixture. Combine flour and salt; gradually add to chocolate mixture until blended. Fold in walnuts.

Transfer to a greased and floured 13-in. x 9-in. baking ban. Bake at 350 F. degrees for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack.

For topping, in a large bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until blended. Add confectioners' sugar, cinnamon and vanilla; beat on low speed until combined. Spread over bars. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.

For glaze, dissolve coffee granules in hot water. In a microwave, melt chocolate and butter; cool slightly. Stir in cream and coffee mixture. Spread over cream cheese layer. Let stand until set. Cover and freeze for up to 3 months.

Last weekend the hubby and I hosted a Super Bowl party. I found these adorable little footballs on Bakerella.com, a great baking blog that I frequently visit. These are so easy and surprisingly delicious - they were a huge hit at our party. These truffles are super versatile and can be done in all sorts of versions - Bakerella does many variations such as round truffles dipping in white or vanilla chocolate, mint, or shaped like these footballs.

OREO TRUFFLE RECIPE
(bakerella.com)

1 package oreo cookies (divided… use cookie including the cream center)
1 8oz. package cream cheese (softened)
chocolate bark

Finely crush 7 cookies in a food processor or place them in a ziploc bag and crush into a fine consistency. Reserve for later.

Crush remaining cookies and stir in softened cream cheese. Use the back of a large spoon to help mash the two together.

Roll the mixture into 1″ balls (or in this case, form into little footballs about 1 to 1.5 inches long) and place on wax paper covered cookie sheet. (At this point, I put them in the fridge just the help them harden)

Melt chocolate as directed on the package and then dip balls into chocolate, tap off extra and set aside on wax paper covered cookie sheet to dry. You can sprinkle the tops with the 7 crushed cookies for decoration - though I didn't do this part, I just ground up all the Oreos

I made a simple icing of powdered sugar and milk and piped on the football laces. You could really create any design you like and any shape truffle you like.

Refrigerate for about 30 minutes before serving.

Makes about 36 truffles.

As you may have noticed, I like Smitten Kitchen (smittenkitchen.com)...a lot. I find the recipes on this blog to be easy, fun, and covering a diverse range of cuisines and courses.

It's real food, that real people can cook as opposed to some recipe resources out there that are much less accessible. For example, just last weekend I picked up a cookbook from the library. I like doing this - it allows me to test run recipes and books with no commitment of purchase. So last week I grabbed "The Cooking of South West France," by Paula Wolfert. I'm sure some people find this book to be amazing - as far as I could tell it was real french cooking. Most of the recipes used rendered duck fat and clarified butter as the cooking fats. Ingredients included pigs feet, pigs knuckles, truffles, duck skin, etc. Here is my problem - no one cooks like that! So while this cookbook had extravagant and unusual looking dishes - it wasn't a book that I'd keep in my collection because I'm quite sure I would never actually cook anything out of it.

Which brings me back to Smitten Kitchen - I love how accessible the recipes are and yet often have something interesting about them. Like this cake for example. I saw the pictures and thought I had never seen anything quite so rich and gorgeous looking and yet it was simple ingredients and a well known flavor combination of chocolate and peanut butter.


I found that this cake took a lot of time, since I followed Smitten Kitchen's instructions and chilled it often to help in the frosting. I also found that it got better the next day, it wasn't quite so gooey. It's not the type of cake that you make often, but when you do, its amazing. Try it.

CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER CAKE RECIPE
(Adapted from Smitten Kitchen, who first adapted the original recipe, Sour Cream-Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting and Chocolate-Peanut Butter Glaze, from Sky High: Irresistible Triple-Layer Cakes) 
Makes an 8-inch triple-layer cake; serves 12 to 16

Chocolate Cake
2 cups all-purpose flour (+4 tbl. for high altitude)
2 1/2 cups sugar (-3 tbl. for high altitude)
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, preferably Dutch process
2 teaspoons baking soda (+1.5 tsp. for high altitude)
1 teaspoon salt (+ a pinch)
1 cup neutral vegetable oil, such as canola, soybean or vegetable blend
1 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 tbl. half and half for high altitude only

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (for high altitude, adjust temp. to 375 degrees F). Butter the bottoms and sides of three 8-inch round cakepans. (I used two 9 inch cake pans and that worked just fine) Line the bottom of each pan with a round of parchment or waxed paper and butter the paper. (I only buttered the pans and had no sticking problems)

Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl. Whisk to combine them well. Add the oil and sour cream and whisk to blend. Gradually beat in the water. Blend in the vinegar and vanilla. Whisk in the eggs and beat until well blended. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and be sure the batter is well mixed. If you are at a high altitude, add the half and half here and mix to combine. Divide among the 3 prepared cake pans.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a cake tester or wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out almost clean. Let cool in the pans for about 20 minutes. Invert onto wire racks, carefully peel off the paper liners, and let cool completely. (Smitten Kitchen Note: "These cakes are very, very soft. I found them a lot easier to work with after firming them up in the freezer for 30 minutes. They’ll defrost quickly once assembled. You’ll be glad you did this, trust me.")

To frost the cake, place one layer, flat side up, on a cake stand or large serving plate. Spread 2/3 cup cup of the Peanut Butter Frosting evenly over the top. Repeat with the next layer. Place the last layer on top and frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining frosting. (Smitten Kitchen Note: "Making a crumb coat of frosting–a thin layer that binds the dark crumbs to the cake so they don’t show up in the final outer frosting layer–is a great idea for this cake, or any with a dark cake and lighter-colored frosting. Once you “mask” your cake, let it chill for 15 to 30 minutes until firm, then use the remainder of the frosting to create a smooth final coating. Once the cake is fully frosting, it helps to chill it again and let it firm up. The cooler and more set the peanut butter frosting is, the better drip effect you’ll get from the Chocolate-Peanut Butter Glaze.")

To decorate with the Chocolate–Peanut Butter Glaze, put the cake plate on a large baking sheet to catch any drips. Simply pour the glaze over the top of the cake, and using an offset spatula, spread it evenly over the top just to the edges so that it runs down the sides of the cake in long drips. Refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 30 minutes to allow the glaze and frosting to set completely. Remove about 1 hour before serving.

Peanut Butter Frosting
Makes about 5 cups
10 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
5 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
2/3 cup smooth peanut butter, preferably a commercial brand (because oil doesn’t separate out)
1. In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Gradually add the confectioners’ sugar 1 cup at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl often. Continue to beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes.
2. Add the peanut butter and beat until thoroughly blended.

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Glaze
Makes about 1 1/2 cups
8 ounces seimsweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 cup half-and-half
1. In the top of d double boiler or in a bowl set over simmering water, combine the chocolate, peanut butter, and corn syrup. Cook, whisking often, until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.
2. Remove from the heat and whisk in the half-and-half, beating until smooth. Use while still warm.