Chef: ec-centricity ---------------------------------

(P.S.: In the recipes tag, click on the photo to see the recipe.)




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Penne & Pimento Cheese (Recipe)
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Radish and Avocado Sandwich (Vegan Recipe) 4-5 radishes, thinly sliced extra virgin olive oil half a lemon 2 slices whole wheat bread or baguette slices, toasted 1 avocado, mashed with a fork kosher salt & pepper In a small bowl toss sliced radishes with drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice. Spread mashed avocado on slices of toasted bread.  Top with sliced radishes. Finish with salt and freshly ground pepper.
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Fudgy Brownie Hearts with Fresh Raspberry Buttercream Yield: about 6 large (3 in. wide) or 20 small (1-1/2 in. wide) brownie heart sandwiches INGREDIENTS for the brownies: nonstick vegetable oil spray 1/2 c. unsalted butter, diced 3 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped 1-1/2 c. sugar 3 large eggs 1 tsp. instant espresso powder 1-1/2 tsp. vanilla 1/4 tsp. salt 3/4 c. flour powdered sugar, to sprinkle on the finished brownie hearts for the fresh raspberry buttercream: 1/2 c. unsalted butter, at room temperature 12 oz. raspberries, fresh or frozen 1/2 tsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice 3-1/2 c. powdered sugar pinch of kosher salt 1 to 2 T. milk, if needed to thin out the frosting PREPARATION For the brownies: Preheat oven to 325°. Fold a long piece of heavy foil into a 13” wide strip and fit it inside a 9” x 13” metal baking pan, leaving foil overhang on the 2 long sides. Spray the foil with nonstick spray. Stir the butter and chocolate in a large heavy saucepan over very low heat until chocolate is melted. Remove from heat and whisk in the sugar, and then the eggs, 1 at a time. Whisk in espresso powder, vanilla, and salt. Then sift the flour over the chocolate mixture and stir to blend well. Transfer batter to prepared pan. Bake brownies until slightly puffed and dry-looking and tester inserted into center comes out with some moist batter attached, about 20 minutes. Let cool completely in pan on rack. Now prepare the fresh raspberry buttercream: Cook the raspberries in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring frequently until the raspberries are broken down into a sauce. Pour the sauce through a fine mesh strainer to remove the seeds, and then pour the raspberry sauce back in the pot. Simmer until the sauce reduces to a 1/4 cup. It will be a very rich red and concentrated sauce. Set aside to cool. With a mixer, cream the butter with a paddle attachment on medium high speed about 2 minutes, until lightened in color and a bit fluffy. Add 2 cups of powdered sugar, the 1/4 cup of cooled raspberry sauce, lemon juice, and salt. Mix until smooth. Add another 1-1/2 cups of powdered sugar and mix until smooth. If you want the frosting less stiff, add some milk, 1 tablespoon at a time. I did not add any milk to mine, and thought it was perfect for piping. Fit a pastry bag with a medium-large round tip (I used a Wilton #12) and fill with fresh raspberry buttercream. Run a knife around the inside edge of the brownie pan. Use the overhanging foil as an aid and gently lift the brownies from the pan. The pan I used produces a brownie that is 1/2” thick. Be sure your cookie cutter is taller than 1/2”. Press heart-shaped cookie cutters (the cookie cutters used in my photos measure 3” wide and 1-1/2” wide) firmly into the cooled brownie. Use a thin metal spatula to lift the cookie cutter filled with brownie from the foil. Gently press the brownie out of the cookie cutter. Repeat the cutting process until your brownie looks like a big piece of swiss cheese. (And I hope you’re eating up some of those brownie scraps!) With the pastry bag filled with fresh raspberry buttercream, pipe a line of frosting around the inside edge of one of the brownie hearts. Then fill in the inside of the line with frosting, too. Top with another brownie heart, very gently pressing down to make a sandwich. Repeat until all your brownie hearts are completed. To finish off, sprinkle the brownie hearts with powdered sugar. I like to fill a small hand sieve with powdered sugar and gently tap the side of the sieve to let the powdered sugar rain down.
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Salted Caramel Squares (like the ones at Starbucks) 1 1/2 sticks butter (12 tablespoons) 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1 1/2 cups flour salted caramel (recipe follows) 1 1/2 cups small pretzels broken into small pieces ganache (recipe follows) 1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line an 8 inch cake pan with parchment paper. Set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter, sugar, and salt until pale and fluffy. With the mixer on low, gradually add in the flour, and mix until just combined. Press dough into prepared pan. Refrigerate for 20 minutes, or until cool. Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until golden brown around the edges. Remove from oven and allow to cool. 2. Reserve 1/4 cup of the caramel and set aside for drizzling later. Mix warm caramel (If caramel is cooled, warm it in the microwave for about 30 seconds) with pretzels and pour on top of cookie crust. Refrigerate until cooled somewhat, and the caramel is no longer runny. Pour warm ganache on top, and drizzle with reserved caramel. SALTED CARAMEL Please read all these directions a couple times before starting, and get all your ingredients set out before hand. Kick all other family members out of the kitchen, and best of luck. Caramel is very simple, but it requires good timing. When I was learning to make caramel, I burned a couple batches, so you might want extra cream and sugar on hand in case that happens. Experience is the best teacher for this. Give yourself plenty of time, and don’t be discouraged if it isn’t perfect at first. Once I got the hang of it, I made an extra batch which came out as well as the one before it. 1/2 cup heavy cream (make sure it is heavy cream, or heavy whipping cream, not regular whipping cream) 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1 cup granulated pure cane sugar 1/4 cup water 1 teaspoon butter 1. Measure out cream into a liquid measuring cup. Stir in vanilla and salt, and set aside within an easy reach of the stove. 2. Stir sugar and water in a medium pot with tall sides. Set over medium-high heat. As the sugar dissolves and begins to boil, you may swirl the pot to mix the boiling sugar water. DO NOT STIR WITH A SPOON. This will make the sugar crystalize. 3. As the sugar syrup boils, watch very carefully for the color to change. You are looking for a nice, warm amber color, about the shade of cinnamon sticks. Don’t let it get any darker. (Even if it doesn’t look burnt, it can taste burnt. If it starts to smoke, you’ve let it go too far.) On a side note, my candy thermometer did not reach far enough into the pot to get an accurate reading of the syrup, but with such a small amount of syrup, the temperature changes pretty quickly anyway. It’s best to watch it and wait for it to turn the right color. 4. As soon as it turns the proper amber color, pull the pot off the heat. Whisk in the butter, and then pour in the vanilla-cream mixture. It will now bubble violently. Whisk carefully but briskly. The caramel will start to solidify a bit., but keep whisking. Put the pot of caramel over low heat and whisk carefully for a minute or two until smooth. Pour into a heat proof jar, and allow to cool. ganache 1/2 cup heavy cream 1 tablespoon honey 2 1/2 cups chocolate chips In a microwave safe bowl, heat cream and honey until almost boiling, about 60 seconds. Pour in chocolate chips and let sit for about 2 minutes. Whisk until the cream and chocolate come together and become thick and glossy. If small bits of chocolate remain, microwave for 20-30 seconds, until smooth.
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