A few words from my Mom

After posting my last entry, I received the following words in an email from my Mother:
"I see no problem whatsoever with posting three chocolate recipes back to back. In fact, I challenge you to find a fourth---perhaps the recipe for hot chocolate sauce.  FYI---I make one addition to the flourless brownie recipe. I add one packet of choc-bake, in addition to the cocoa, to the batter. Big surprise."

I am most definitely her daughter.  I felt it was only necessary to share with you the addition to the black bean brownies, I wouldn't want you to be deprived of any part of the brownie experience.  

And to step up to my Mom's challenge,  I will give you the recipe to her famous hot fudge sauce.  My goodness, I cannot let her down, for she is the woman who has inspired many, many of my endeavors in the kitchen.

My mom has been making this sauce for as long as I can remember.  Here's a little tidbit for you.  I do not like vanilla ice cream.  There are not many foods that I do not care for, but plain vanilla ice cream is definitely one of them.  I would rather eat a large bowl of vegetables than a bowl of plain, vanilla ice cream. With this said, my Mom's hot chocolate sauce, which is a rich, hot fudge sauce, better than any store bought hot fudge; makes vanilla ice cream heavenly.  In fact, I prefer the hot fudge sauce on vanilla ice cream, rather than a more exciting flavor such as Moose Tracks. We often make this hot fudge to bring up to the Hallett's cottage during the summer and top it with freshly picked raspberries.  As I typed that, I couldn't help but wonder, is it summer yet?  Many of my friends request that I bring it along to our ice cream-game nights that we have when we are all home from college.  You get the point.  It's beyond delicious. It's a nice drizzled over warm brownies and vanilla ice cream, not that my mother and I would ever do such a thing...

 Hot Chocolate Sauce

½ cup sugar

¼ cup butter

¼ cup heavy or whipping cream or (half and half or evaporated milk)

¼ cup light corn syrup

dash of salt

2 envelopes Choco-bake

2 tsp. vanilla

In saucepan, combine sugar, butter, cream, corn syrup and salt.  Cook over med. heat, stirring constantly, until mixture boils--- boil one minute.  Remove from heat.  Stir in Choco- bake and vanilla.

Enjoy sauce served over ice cream or cake or all by itself.

Keep refrigerated.
 

Sans Chocolate. I promise.

A few people have brought it to my attention that my last three posts were about chocolate.  I became slightly concerned, questioning if there was a problem with my level of chocolate consumption.  I was then told by a kind soul that I do not have a problem per-say, just a fond affection of chocolate.  Phew. Thank you. Thank you for making it all alright. I promise you that I DO bake/cook/eat things other than brownies, chocolate waffles, and chocolate cookies, although I did start drinking chocolate milk again this week as a post workout recovery drink.  My goal today is to provide you with a new recipe in the form of soup and it just happens to be chocolate free.  Imagine that!  I made this last Sunday and have enjoyed coming home from long days of work and class all week to an already prepared dinner. This soup is not bursting with a wide array of flavors or spices, it is more of a comforting soup. I don't know if that makes sense to you like it does for me, but what I'm trying to say is this warms you up from the inside and gives you a feeling of satisfaction.
I had one minor problem that could have turned into a real disaster while making this soup. I do not have an immersion blender so I used my regular blender; which just so happens to have a cover that does not seal tightly. I did not find this out until I was using it to make this soup.  As I was blending batches of the squash and potatoes that had been boiling in broth, hot liquid came spouting through the cover of the blender and all over my hand.  OUCH.  Thank goodness I was able to get the blender unplugged before I had hot soup all over the kitchen.  Lesson learned: be VERY, VERY careful when filling your blender with hot liquid and put a towel over the cover in case of a leak.  I made one change to the recipe, I used chicken broth instead of vegetable stock.  Heidi is a vegetarian, but I prefer the flavor of chicken broth.

 Buttermilk Squash Soup  (Heidi Swanson, www.101cookbooks.com)

1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/4 cup / 2 oz / 55g unsalted butter
fine grain sea salt

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 medium yellow onions, chopped
2 medium garlic cloves

1 pound / 16 oz / 450 g potatoes, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
2 1/2 pounds / 40 oz / 1+kg yellow summer squash, cut into 1/2-inch slices
4 cups / 950 ml good tasting vegetable stock
1 cup / 240 ml buttermilk
1 bunch of chives, chopped

In a skillet, over medium heat, toast the cumin seeds until they are fragrant. Just a minute or two. Use a mortar and pestle to pound the seeds into a fine powder. Alternately, you can use an electric spice grinder. Set aside. In the same skillet, melt the butter and cook until it's brown and gives off a deliciously nutty aroma. Remove from heat, stir the cumin into the butter along with a generous couple pinches of salt, then set aside in a warm place. You want the butter to stay liquid until you're ready to use it.

To make the soup, heat the butter in your largest pot or stockpot over medium-high heat. Add the onions, garlic, and a bit of salt. Saute for a few minutes, or until the onions start to get translucent. Stir in the potatoes and squash and cook for another 7-10 minutes, or until the squash starts to soften up. Stir in 3 1/2 cups of the stock (most of it) - the stock should just barely cover the vegetables. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are tender, roughly another 25 minutes. Remove the soup from heat, puree completely with a hand blender, then stir in the buttermilk. If you need to thin the soup out with a bit more stock, you can do so. Taste and add more salt if needed. Serve each bowl topped with plenty of the cumin butter, and a sprinkling of chives.

Give em a chance....

What I'm about to say may seem very weird to some of you.  Before you judge this recipe (which happens to be one of my favorite, in pre-judging you will not only be offending these brownies, you will also be offending yours truly) give it a try with an open mind.  I think you will be pleasantly surprised.
Last year my Mom came to visit me in La Crosse and like usual, she brought baked goods with her.  She had tried another new brownie recipe and insisted that I sample it.  For those of you who don't know my mother and her history with brownies, I should probably explain to you that my Mom has been on the search for the 'perfect brownie recipe' for years now.  She goes in spurts and looks up new recipes, combines old ones, and invents her own from time to time.  There would be weeks in high school when I would come home from swim practice and each day she had tried a new or modified recipe.  Let me tell you, she was determined to bake the best brownie and I was privileged  to be a member of the sampling team.  Although my Mom was on the quest for the perfect brownie for a few years, we (Kelly, Anne and I) always thought each attempt was delicious.  I think we secretly acted less satisfied with the newest batch just so Mom would try another recipe the next day.   Anyways, when my mom arrived in La Crosse insisting I try her newest brownie recipe, I was not the least bit surprised.  My mom wanted to know what I thought of the latest version and I remember telling her I loved how fudge like and dense the brownie was.  She said "I bet you'll never guess the secret ingredient in these" with a slight smile on her face. I had no clue that these brownies were flour-less and made with black beans.  Yes, you read that correctly. Black bean brownies.  I promise you they are like no brownie you have had before, they are even better.  I have made black bean brownies for a handful of my friends, never telling them what is in the brownies until after the taste test.  They are always shocked when I reveal the secret ingredient.  You cannot taste the beans, which allow the brownies to stay moist and delicious for many days after baking. The beans add a nice bit of protein too!
The recipe is from WholeFoods (second in line to Trader Joes on my list of favorite grocery stores) and is gluten free.  I add a few extra chocolate chips because I don't add the nuts.  I don't know if I have ever told you this before, but I cannot stand nuts in my brownies.  I don't know how or when this started, but I know one thing: I become slightly majorly disappointed when I bite into a brownie and find nuts.  If you ever make me brownies, forget the nuts.
As I have mentioned in many previous posts, I do not have a food processor (yet).  I used my blender and this worked just fine!

Ingredients

1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added black beans, drained and rinsed
3 large eggs
1/3 cup melted butter, more for the baking dish
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon gluten-free vanilla extract
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons cane sugar
1/2 cup gluten-free semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/3 cup finely chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Butter an 8-inch baking pan. Place the black beans, eggs, melted butter, cocoa powder, salt, vanilla extract and sugar in the bowl of a food processor and blend until smooth. Remove the blade and gently stir in the chocolate chips and walnuts. Transfer mixture to the prepared pan. Bake the brownies for 30 to 35 minutes, or until just set in the center. Cool before cutting into squares.

Nutrition

Per serving (1 brownie/about 2oz/60g-wt.): 160 calories (80 from fat), 9g total fat, 4g saturated fat, 50mg cholesterol, 35mg sodium, 17g total carbohydrate (2g dietary fiber, 12g sugar), 4g protein

I hate to say I told you so, but they look just like any other brownie...

I only have one picture of the batch of brownies I made last week, they disappeared before I got the chance to take more. Whoops.  Can I make it up to you with a little Van Morrison?  Enjoy the outdated music video AND the hair.

Chocolate to the rescue...

Life has been a bit on the crazy side lately.  Not a bad-crazy, just a I-haven't-had-any-time-to-breathe-crazy. School started two weeks ago and the semester is already in full swing.  I just returned from my third graduate school interview within three short weeks and have never been more relieved to be back at my apartment.  Monday night I drove to Whitewater and stayed in a sketchy hotel with dirty sheets, no towels, and a "continental breakfast" that consisted of stale white bread and expired milk.  Lets just say I walked right on by the breakfast area.  Thank goodness I threw a banana in my car before I left town because it was my life saver (I cannot function with out breakfast) and there were no grocery stores to be found.  I also ate Trader Joe's BBQ popped chips at approximately 7:48 AM before my interview because my stomach was growling and I had four hours of intense questioning ahead of me. My room smelled like cigarette smoke and the mattress I slept on was at least  90 years old.  I take that back. I didn't sleep. I should say the mattress that I spend the night laying awake on, questioning my safety and  condition of my poor back.  As I left the hotel, I couldn't help but chuckle to myself.  Sometimes, all you can do is laugh.
And sometimes, all you can do is eat chocolate.  In some cases the more, the better.  Saturday was a perfect example of large amounts of chocolate coming to the rescue.  Amidst all of the recent chaos, I found myself wanting to try a new waffle recipe.  I searched  websites I don't frequently visit and found one provided by the Food Network.  For the most part, this is a pretty standard buttermilk waffle recipe, with the addition of cocoa powder and chocolate chips.  Upon whipping up a batch of these heavenly, chocolate filled delicacies, I came to the conclusion that I was simply eating brownies that had taken on waffle form.  I am not complaining about this, just stating a fact.  Sometimes, it's okay to throw your desire to eat a healthy, nutritionally well balanced meal out the window and indulge. I did just that, making one small addition to the recipe: 4 tablespoons milled flax seed.  At least I got my dose of Omega 3's for the day.
These waffles presented a minor dilemma in the form of toppings.  Maple syrup didn't provide the right combination and chocolate sauce seemed like over kill.  My first waffle was topped with banana slices, whipped cream and dusted with confectioners sugar and I smothered my second waffle in peanut butter.  I am sure that some of you have  marvelous suggestions as far as toppings go, which you should most definitely pass along to me for the next time I need a chocolate fix in the form of waffles.

Chocolate Waffles (Alton Brown, Food Network)

7 ounces all-purpose flour, approximately 1 1/2 cups

1 3/4 ounces sugar, approximately 3 tablespoons

1.5 ounces cocoa powder, approximately 1/2 cup

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

3 whole eggs, beaten

2 ounces unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

16 ounces buttermilk, room temperature

4 ounces chocolate chips, approximately 3/4 cup

Vegetable spray, for waffle iron

Preheat waffle iron according to manufacturer's directions.

In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. In another bowl beat together the eggs and melted butter and vanilla, and then add the buttermilk. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir in the chocolate chips just until combined. Allow to rest for 5 minutes.

Ladle the recommended amount of waffle batter onto the center of the iron. Close the iron top and cook until the waffle is crispy on both sides and is easily removed from iron. Serve immediately or keep warm in a 200 degree oven until ready to serve.

Only get better with time...

I made these cookies almost two weeks ago and just realized I forgot to write about them!  They definitely deserve their very own post, as they have moved onto my top 5 favorite cookie list. If you are a cookie, you know it's a huge feat to make my top 5 cookie list and therefore, I feel compelled to give you the recipe.

I came across these banana chip cookies one afternoon as I was browsing through some recipes on my favorite all-natural cooking blog written by Heidi Swanson on www.101cookbooks.com.  Her blog is filled with information regarding natural cooking and baking alternatives and she provides great advice on how to stock your pantry with wholesome, all natural ingredients.  Not to mention, she is a fabulous photographer.  I hate to admit that I often look at her site and lose total track of time.  This may be why I have resisted the strong urge to buy her cookbook; it would be read more than any of my text books and my grocery bill would quadruple.  I shouldn't even mention the fact that she is currently working on her second cookbook Super Natural Everday...
When I first took these cookies out of the oven, I was a bit disappointed by their lack of flavor (I also felt this way when I sampled the cookie dough prior to baking.  Yes, I always sample dough when I am baking cookies, who doesn't?)  As they cooled, their flavor became better and they were stellar by the next day!  I guess this goes to show, somethings only get better with time....I had never considered cookies to be one of them.

Banana Chip Cookies (Heidi Swanson)

1 3/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour (see head notes)
1/2 cup (toasted) wheat germ
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
scant 1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup natural cane sugar (or brown sugar)
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2/3 cup banana chips, loosely chopped
1 cup chocolate chips
2/3 cup toasted walnuts, chopped

Preheat oven to 375 degrees, racks in middle/upper middle. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Whisk together the flour, wheat germ, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, or stand mixer, beat the butter until lightly and fluffy, then beat in the sugar until it is the consistency of a thick frosting. Beat in the eggs one at a time, incorporating each fully before adding the next, and scraping down the sides of the bowl a few times along the way (important!). Stir in the vanilla. Add the reserved flour mix in two increments, stirring/mixing a bit between each addition (but not too much). By hand, stir in the banana chips, chocolate chips and walnuts - mix just until everything is evenly distributed.
Drop 1 heaping tablespoon of dough for each cookie onto the prepared baking sheets 2 inches apart and bake for about 7 - 8 minutes, until barely golden on top and bottom. Resist over baking, they will come out dry and not as tasty. Cook on racks.
Make about 24 cookies.

I must apologize to you once again for these less-than-blog-worthy photos of the cookies that I took on my point and shoot.  I have not picked up my beloved Canon D20 in more than 5 weeks now and that kills me.  I promise with my whole heart that I will get back in the photography game and take better pictures soon.  Even if you don't really care, I DO and I'm disappointed that I have not taken time to engage in one of my favorite activities: taking photographs. I feel as if part of me has been missing over the last month, but don't worry- I'm coming back.