Spring is Here!

The sun is shining. What more need I say. We all are ready for the glory of taking in the warmth on our faces, fingers and toes, as winter has finally been beaten into submission. Thank goodness, cause people were getting anxious for the chance to ditch the coat. Well, in honor of this beautiful day I am posting a recipe for California bars. They are sublime with a touch of the goodness of the West Coast. Enjoy them thoroughly, outside as they travel well and are perfectly accompanied by a large helping of sunshine. For those living in different areas waiting for the divine moment when you too may take a deep breathe of fresh air, as you run through the house opening windows to free it from the winter glum. These have just enough zest to add a sparkle to a dreary day.
California Bars
1/4c shortening
1/2 c soft butter
1 1/2 c sugar
4 egg yolks or two whole eggs.
1/2 t orange ext
1/2 t orange zest
1/2t salt
1/2 t turmeric- optional but fabulous
1/2 t ginger
1t baking soda
2 t cream of tartar
2 c flour
1/4-1/3c buttermilk or plain yogurt.

Topping-optional
2 T Honey or marmalade- warmed
1/4 c sliced or slivered almonds.
Cream first three ingredients until well combined- not fluffy
add eggs and continue mixing. Then in one fell swoop add all ingredients down through the flour. I know it is a list but it truly is good. start machine and then add in 1/4 c dairy of choice adding more if dough doesn't come together and has dry spots. Spread into grease 9x13 pan. Spread and sprinkle topping if using. Bake 25-28 minutes in an oven preheated to 350. They will have a golden raised edge and still look slightly soft in the center.
Smile and Savour
We certainly did.
Mrs. Brownie
Smile and savour

Impact

It is amazing to me how life twists and turns into a beautiful pattern of grace and color. The hard times and the exuberant joys give us experience and texture that in truth help to make us whole. In honor of all those who have bestowed a taste of their own vibrancy to my life, I am posting this recipe for Chicken piccata. It is a dish with a light sauce and surprising simple components but a burst of flavor in each bite. A dear friend requested one after tasting it on a special Birthday girl's night out. Thank you to everyone who is willing to give joy to those you encounter. May you have a bit of ease and many smiles throughout your life, and be rewarded with all the joy that heaven can bestow.
To all you who need something to depend on in an uncertain world, when cooking go to the Cook's Illustrated cook books. These recipes are tested over and over again, and tell you how and why each dish is prepared in the fashion they suggest. The following comes from : "The New Best Recipe" I have not been disappointed with their recipes, when I take the time to follow them precisely.
Chicken Piccata
2 lag lemons
6 boneless skinless chicken breasts- tenderloins removed
salt and pepper
1/2 c flour
4 T vegetable oil
1 clove minced garlic- 1 tsp
1 c. low sodium chicken broth
2 T small capers rinsed
3 T softened butter
2 T fresh parsley leaves

1 put heat proof plate in oven and preheat to 200 F
2. Half the lemon pole to pole- trim edges and cut 1 half into 1/8 in slices, set aside. juice the other half and the other whole lemon to obtain 1/4 c juice and reserve.
3. Season chicken on both sides with salt and pepper, then place flour in shallow bown and dredge cuts in flour shaking off the excess.
4 Hear 2 T oil in 12 in skillet med- high heat until shimmering. Lay half of the cutlets in skillet turning after 2- 2.5 min, and cook 2- 2.5 min longer. Aremove from skillet and place in oven on plate. Repeat process with other half of the chicken.
5. Add garlic to skillet over medium heat saute 10 seconds. Add broth and lemon slices, increase heat to high and scrape bottom of the pano to release the fond ( burned little flavorful bits form the chicken). Simmer until liquid reduces to 1/3 c. roughly 4min. Add lemon juice and capers simmer 1 min. Remove from heat swirl in butter then add parsley. season to taste with salt and pepper. spoon sauce over chicken and serve.

note goes well with gnocchi, pasta, or mashed potatoes.
smile and savour, and thank the test kitchen for a trusted recipe.

Too Good to be True

Here is a special recipe from my husband's home. His mom is a FABULOUS cook who in wisely to pity on a young bride, and made a copy of her family cook book. This gem is filled with her family's prize winning recipes.
I have adored this book as my husband took a while to expand his culinary horizons, so having familiar recipes from his side ensured that neither of us would go hungry. In all truth though, what makes both him, too good to be true; is that he is willing to fix these recipes on his own when I am trying to finish other projects. This afternoon he saved me once again white horse and all by making these family famous brownies for a gathering at the church. I don't know how dinner and dessert could get done without his taking charge and whipping up these simple brownies, that never fail to drop jaws. So here is a late tribute to my sweet valentine. Share, Smile, and Savour, these are perfect if you don't want to bring home leftovers.

1 14 oz bag wrapped caramels
2/3 c evaporated milk
1 pkg chocolate cake mix
3/4 c melted butter
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Combine caramels and 1/3 cup evaporated milk in microwave safe bowl and heat for 3-3.5 min stirring each minute and watching closely to ensure no boil-overs.

Combine cake mix, melted butter, and remaining 1/3 cup milk in bowl and stir until well combined- can use electric mixer for 2 min. Spread 1/2 batter on bottom of greased 9/13 pan and place in 350 f preheated oven from 6 min. Remove from oven, let cool at least 2 min. Sprinkle chocolate chips- you can add nuts if you like. the cover surface with caramel mixture. Finally, drop remaining batter by spoonfuls over pan and return to oven for 18 min more, and remove from oven, don't cook more. Cool completely prior to cutting, or you will end up with the most delightful chocolate globs ever formed, but there is no shame eating them straight from the pan with spoons.
PS- Thanks mom for having so many no fail recipes.

Table Napkins

I never thought that anything emanating from my head would warrant the use of the table napkin, but here I am with a drink napkin crumpled in front of me in the middle of t he night, deciphering a recipe jotted down while it was still fresh. Why? because my sweetheart gave me something I have been searching for for over a year for my birthday, Brown Bakery Boxes. This may seem to be a simple find; however, bakeries tend to want colored boxes for their confections. So when he presented me with a stack of boxes, and personalized labels for my treats, I was tickled pink. ( Please note this is one of a series of sweet gifts he piled on the breakfast table for me.) When I presented the scouts with my signature box- Mrs. BROWNie can't use a pink box- everyone questioned if it was homemade. They sometimes forget that I am am not a fan for any facebook function including grocery store bakery cookies. So, in honor of truly great cookies presented in signature style. Here is a gobbled down in no time recipe you are sure to enjoy. PS I proved today that for me following some recipes to the T is detrimental to my ego, I live to to tinker.
Peanut Butter Jumbos
Preheat oven to 325 F and get out as many baking sheets as you own cover with parchment paper of Silpats
10 5/8 oz flour or 2 cu+ 2 T flour
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
whisk above ingredients in small bowl set aside
In mixer bowl combine 5T melted butter and 7 T melted Peanut butter
add
1 c brown sugar
1/2 c white sugar
cream, then add
1 egg + 1 yolk extra large eggs
and 1 t vanilla
mix well
portion in scant 1/4 cup measures
drop in sugar and press down with glass or cute potato masher.
6 cookies on a sheet. Bake 2 sheets at a time in upper and lower thirds of oven for 8 min, switch sheets and then bake 7 min more. Remove cool 2 min on sheets and remove to cooking rack.
Smile and savour, the scouts are still raving form what I hear.
Mrs. Brownie

Forget the lemonade- dip the dreggs it in Chocolate

There are always going to be times in life when the cake simply won’t come out of the pan. Yet some divine person decided not to let it ruin the fun of baking. They added the frosting to the mounds of cake, gave it a stir, and dipped the confection in chocolate after the whole mass had the time it needed to cool off. I was luck enough to actually plan to destroy this cake, but that is not always the case. Weeks ago, my favorite care bar recipe refused to turn out no matter how careful I was. Yet from my failure came a favorite of some of my younger friends- gooey butter balls of awesomeness. So the next time life is not following your well thought out plans remember, have a sense of humor, a bit of creativity, and push forward. In the end worse somes to worse even bugs can get dipped in chocolate.

Velvet cake balls with Dual Frosting- 75 dipped cake filled chocolates.
2 cake mixes-yellow or white will work fine here- don’t use chocolate
1 box chocolate flavored pudding – not sugar free
5 eggs
2 T White vinegar
1/4 c. HOT water combined with 1/4-1/2 cup cocoa powder- according to taste preference
3/4 c melted butter or canola oil
1 1/2 c low fat buttermilk- can sour 1 c milk with an additional Tbs. of vinegar and let stand 5 min.
2 Cup water room temp.
2 t vanilla extract
1 6 oz carton plain or vanilla yogurt

Combine all ingredients in big bowl and cook in 2 9x13 greased pans according to directions on box of cake mix. Cool for at least 30 min, prior to breaking up in huge bowl. Add in frostings (below), mix until well combined. Scoop with cookie scoop onto cookie sheets and freeze cake balls until hard. At least 1 hr. In the mean time melt chocolate or candy coating with a little shortening- don’t use butter for this. Use either microwave or double boiler. Remove cake balls last and dip into coating. Set aside and continue until all chocolate and cake balls have been used up. Once they are dry smile and savour. You may need to hide these from yourself, so make with caution.

Dual frosting:
• 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cook 5 Tablespoons flour and milk over low heat till thick, stirring constantly. LET COOL THOROUGHLY! While cooling, cream 1 cups sugar, butter and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat this well till light and fluffy. Add to flour mixture and beat until of a good spreading consistency. Cool prior to frosting.
1 recipe of your favorite cream cheese icing, or store bought is fine.

With Love ,
Mrs Brownie

Tampering

It has been a while since I have taken time to do this. But as you are all in the midst of the holiday season I am sure you understand. This year has been a fabulous cooking feat. I have had so much fun learning new recipes to add to my repertoire with some indescribable disasters of of cooking half asleep and making the worst birthday breakfast possible for my sweet hubby. With all that, I still managed to muster up the confidence to tackle the yearly candy day.
Candy day always starts off the same with buying more chocolate because I can never remember which size bar is required by the most incredible fudge recipe i have ever made. Up to this year it has been one of those sacred recipes that I have know that tampering with would surely lead to the demise of every good tradition in the book. Thus, I have been able to hold off switching, substituting, or making do with this recipe for six years, almost a record for me. Being me, and having read up all year on how to tame chocolate in to submission I went for it. Adding just a hint of ginger, a touch of cocoa powder, and fudging the chocolate by four oz. made fudge that must be kept in a lock box. so here is the recipe, and have you master lock ready and waiting, I am sure it will cool just fine under lock and key.
Fudge- Based on Valerie's incredibly lovely wonderful recipe.
Prep 13x9 in pan by lining with foil and leaving a good 6 in overhang on at least 2 of the four sides. Set pan aside
1 12oz pkg semi sweet chocolate chips
3 4 oz bars Hershey milk chocolate bars broken up
1 7 oz car marshmallow fluff ( name brand is fluffier wierd but true)
1 Tb butter
1 T good vanilla extract
1/4 t ground ginger
3 Tb dutched cocoa powder
Place bove ingredients in over sized bowl, and set aside.
In a large saucepan combine
4 1/2 cups white granulated sugar ( use it all this is chemistry, don't substitute trying to make fudge healthy, that's not he point)
1 12oz can evaporated milk
Turn heat to medium and stir about every other minute at least to keep from burning. Bring to a boil and star timer for 6 minutes one it has started boiling.
When the timer ruins your meditative state of making your shopping list, immediately remove from heat and pour into bowl with chocolate. Stir entire concoction until smooth, creamy, and no streaks of marshmallow are showing.
Pour into prepped pan and set out to cool at room temp,Cut in to 1x1 in pieces, put in air tight container and then transfer to lock box or fridge.
Nuts can be added to the chocolate mixture in the first bowl if your family likes that, but trust me when it tastes this good there is no need.
Smile but not too long cause you will miss your chance to try it in your reflective state.
Merry Christmas
Mrs. Brownie

A new Favorite

Okay, in all honesty I am not big on food trends I think they tend to get out of hand where a home cook ends up in the kitchen with a bunch of ingredients that no one really likes but they were cool on that TV show, or an article couldn't say enough about them. Living in the real world where a grocery budget doesn't leave much wiggle room for things like imported foie gras, I like recipes that most people might have the ingredients on hand. Thus, over the last week after being asked to create a menu for a themed Bethlehem party I decided to give the cool dip a go in my own food processor to help stay within budget. Man am I so glad that I did. I found out that Taihini is much cheaper made in your own home as well so here is how you do it.
Next time you are at the market go to the Asian section and buy some bulk sesame seeds for the tahini- ie. sesame seed paste. I know it may sound weird but it makes the hummus have a nutty flavor that is fabulous. Grab a bottle of sesame seed oil while you're there this is great stuff to make your Asian recipes taste more authentic and makes a fun twist on roasted veggies.
tahini is just
1/4 cup sesame seeds (toasted if you would like a nuttier flavor)
1 T of water
1 t sesame seed oil
1 pinch kosher salt
put all ingredients in food processor and let it run until it creates a smooth paste.
Remove paste to condiment container and store all but 1 Tablespoon in the fridge.
For hummus
Put reserved paste
1 15 oz can garbanzo beans drained and rinsed
2 T Lemon Juice
2 T Olive oil
1/2 t salt
1/4 t white pepper (optional)
2 cloves minced garlic
and any additional herbs that you have on hand fresh or dried are fine. Remember herbs like tarragon are very potent. I like a bit of mint or cilantro personally. 1t of anything you like should do the trick and up to 1 T fresh herbs minced.
Turn on blender and let run. Intermittently take spatula or spoon and scrape sides to get a well mixed dip and there you go. That $8 a tub dip is yours for pennies on the dollar and it tastes SO much better than the other stuff. Enjoy with anything you might typically dip in a savory sauce. Get creative, and just wait for the bowl to empty- it doesn't take long. Big plus is it is good for you, so less guilt during the holidays never hurt anyone.
Smile and savor
Ms Brownie