The post title says it all. These were gooey, chewy, and oh so yummy. This is adapted from the recipe on Mel's Kitchen Cafe. This one is our very favorite dessert recipe for get togethers.
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2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
10 tablespoons butter (1 sticks + 2Tbsp), MELTED and cooled slightly
1 cup (7 ounces) light brown sugar
1/2 (3 1/2 ounces) cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cups chocolate chips (or use your preferred type of chips)
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Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Adjust the oven rack to lower-middle position. Line a 9X13-inch baking pan with foil, letting the excess hang over the edges of the pan by about 1 inch so you can grab those edges and pull the brownies from the pan after they have baked. Spray the foil-lined pan with nonstick cooking spray.
Mix the flour, salt, and baking soda together in medium bowl; set aside.
Whisk the melted butter and sugars in a large bowl until combined.
Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla and mix well.
Using a rubber spatula, fold the dry ingredients into the egg mixture until just combined; do not overmix.
Fold in the chocolate chips and turn the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top with the spatula.
Bake until the top of the bars is light golden brown, slightly firm to the touch, and edges start pulling away from sides of pan, 24-26 minutes.
Cool on a wire rack to room temperature. Remove the bars from the pan by lifting the foil overhang and transfer them to a cutting board.
Cut into 2-inch squares and serve. For a gluten free option, substitute coconut flour for the white flour. The baking time will vary.
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Friday, February 17, 2012
Cream Cheese Chicken & Vegetable Soup
This is a very creamy and delicious soup that is good for sneaking vegetables into your kids' diets. It calls for cooked chicken, so you might want to throw a couple chicken breasts into the crockpot with some chicken broth a few hours before you'll be cooking dinner.
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2 tablespoons butter
1 yellow onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 stalks celery, diced
1/2 cup diced carrots (about 2 regular carrots or a handful of baby carrots)
3 cups chicken broth
2-3 potatoes, peeled and finely diced
1 cup milk
4 tablespoons flour
1 (8 oz. package) regular or light cream cheese
2-3 (about 1 pound) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and diced
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1. In a large pot, melt the butter and add the onion, garlic, celery and carrots. Saute, stirring often, for 3-4 minutes, until the veggies are slightly tender and the onions are translucent.
2. Add the chicken broth and potatoes. Bring the soup to a simmer and cook, partially covered, until the potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes.
3. In a liquid measuring cup, vigorously whisk the flour and milk together until smooth. Whisk the mixture into the soup, stirring quickly, and cook over medium heat for 3-4 minutes, until the soup begins to thicken slightly. Stir often to avoid burning it.
4. Soften the cream cheese in the microwave until it is very soft. (Place the unwrapped cream cheese on a plate and microwave it for 1-2 minutes at 50% power.)
5. Add the cream cheese to the soup in small tablespoon-size pieces. Let the pieces sit in the soup and warm through then whisk or stir the soup until the cream cheese melts and mixes in completely.
6. Add the cooked chicken and heat through. Season with salt and pepper before serving.
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2 tablespoons butter
1 yellow onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 stalks celery, diced
1/2 cup diced carrots (about 2 regular carrots or a handful of baby carrots)
3 cups chicken broth
2-3 potatoes, peeled and finely diced
1 cup milk
4 tablespoons flour
1 (8 oz. package) regular or light cream cheese
2-3 (about 1 pound) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and diced
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1. In a large pot, melt the butter and add the onion, garlic, celery and carrots. Saute, stirring often, for 3-4 minutes, until the veggies are slightly tender and the onions are translucent.
2. Add the chicken broth and potatoes. Bring the soup to a simmer and cook, partially covered, until the potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes.
3. In a liquid measuring cup, vigorously whisk the flour and milk together until smooth. Whisk the mixture into the soup, stirring quickly, and cook over medium heat for 3-4 minutes, until the soup begins to thicken slightly. Stir often to avoid burning it.
4. Soften the cream cheese in the microwave until it is very soft. (Place the unwrapped cream cheese on a plate and microwave it for 1-2 minutes at 50% power.)
5. Add the cream cheese to the soup in small tablespoon-size pieces. Let the pieces sit in the soup and warm through then whisk or stir the soup until the cream cheese melts and mixes in completely.
6. Add the cooked chicken and heat through. Season with salt and pepper before serving.
Fast Homemade Pancakes
You know a recipe is good when your little boy asks for seconds and while you're getting it for him, he's giggling maniacally and murmuring "oooohhhh boy!".
These pancakes are super fast to make - they took about 20 mins from beginning to end, and I was surprised at how really tasty they are. Cover them with whipped cream and frozen berries, or pour some delicious maple syrup on there. Since most of us don't usually have extra buttermilk in our fridge, this recipe uses a substitute, but if by chance you do, just replace the milk and vinegar with 3/4 cup of buttermilk, and it will probably be even better.
The key to the flipping is to make sure your pan is hot enough before you pour on the batter. If it's not hot enough, you'll have a runny mess. If it's too hot, you'll have a burnt pancake. Medium high is the setting that works best if you let it heat long enough, but by your second round, you might want to turn it down a little.
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1 1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup white vinegar
2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 egg
4 tablespoons butter, melted
cooking spray
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1. Combine milk with vinegar in a medium bowl and set aside for 5 minutes to "sour".
2. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Whisk egg and butter into "soured" milk. Pour the flour mixture into the wet ingredients and whisk until lumps are mostly gone.
3. Heat a large skillet over medium heat, and coat with cooking spray. Pour 1/4 cupfuls of batter onto the skillet, and cook until bubbles appear on the surface. Flip with a spatula, and cook until browned on the other side.
These pancakes are super fast to make - they took about 20 mins from beginning to end, and I was surprised at how really tasty they are. Cover them with whipped cream and frozen berries, or pour some delicious maple syrup on there. Since most of us don't usually have extra buttermilk in our fridge, this recipe uses a substitute, but if by chance you do, just replace the milk and vinegar with 3/4 cup of buttermilk, and it will probably be even better.
The key to the flipping is to make sure your pan is hot enough before you pour on the batter. If it's not hot enough, you'll have a runny mess. If it's too hot, you'll have a burnt pancake. Medium high is the setting that works best if you let it heat long enough, but by your second round, you might want to turn it down a little.
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1 1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup white vinegar
2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 egg
4 tablespoons butter, melted
cooking spray
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1. Combine milk with vinegar in a medium bowl and set aside for 5 minutes to "sour".
2. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Whisk egg and butter into "soured" milk. Pour the flour mixture into the wet ingredients and whisk until lumps are mostly gone.
3. Heat a large skillet over medium heat, and coat with cooking spray. Pour 1/4 cupfuls of batter onto the skillet, and cook until bubbles appear on the surface. Flip with a spatula, and cook until browned on the other side.
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Macaroni Grill Bread
This recipe is from Jamiecooksitup. The recipe makes 2 loaves and it is SO good! It was simple to make with a Kitchenaid. The breads at Italian Restaurants are my favorite, and this does taste like something you'd get there. I didn't have any fresh rosemary, so I used 1 tsp of dried rosemary, which was a nice balance.
Yield: 2 loaves
Time: 1 1/2 hours start to finish
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1 1/2 t active dry yeast
1 C warm water
1/4 t sugar
3 T olive oil
2 1/2 C flour
1 1/2 t salt
1/4 t Italian Seasonin
1/4 t cracked black pepper
3/4 T fresh rosemary, snipped
1 egg
butter
salt
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1. In the bottom of your mixer combine water, yeast and sugar. Mix it around a bit with a spoon and let it sit for 5 minutes.
2. Add the salt, oil and 1 C flour. Mix for 30 seconds to incorporate.
3. Add the rest of the flour about 1/2 C at a time, while the mixer continues to mix.
4. When all of the flour is incorporated mix on high for about 7 minutes.
5. While your mixer is doing it's fine work, get your herbs and seasonings ready to go. I like to snip rosemary with scissors. You don't want to eat any of the thick stem that rosemary comes on, only the little needles.
6. When your dough is done mixing add the rosemary, pepper and Italian seasoning. Mix just until incorporated.
7. Cover your mixing bowl with a kitchen towel and let it rise for about 40 minutes, or until doubled in size.
8. Divide the dough into 2 parts. Shape into balls and place on a sprayed cookie sheet, or a cooking stone with a bit of olive oil on it.
9. Spray a sharp knife with cooking spray and cut 2 slits in the top of the bread like an X.
10. In a small bowl whisk an egg until frothy. Brush the egg all over the top of the loaf and into the cracks.
11. Place the loaves into a warm oven. (I set mine to 170) Let them rise until doubled in size, about 15 minutes.
12. Turn your oven up to 370 degrees and bake for about 20 minutes, or until golden brown.
13. When the loaves come out of the oven, place them on a cooling rack. Brush butter over the tops and sprinkle a little bit of salt over the top of the butter.
Yield: 2 loaves
Time: 1 1/2 hours start to finish
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1 1/2 t active dry yeast
1 C warm water
1/4 t sugar
3 T olive oil
2 1/2 C flour
1 1/2 t salt
1/4 t Italian Seasonin
1/4 t cracked black pepper
3/4 T fresh rosemary, snipped
1 egg
butter
salt
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1. In the bottom of your mixer combine water, yeast and sugar. Mix it around a bit with a spoon and let it sit for 5 minutes.
2. Add the salt, oil and 1 C flour. Mix for 30 seconds to incorporate.
3. Add the rest of the flour about 1/2 C at a time, while the mixer continues to mix.
4. When all of the flour is incorporated mix on high for about 7 minutes.
5. While your mixer is doing it's fine work, get your herbs and seasonings ready to go. I like to snip rosemary with scissors. You don't want to eat any of the thick stem that rosemary comes on, only the little needles.
6. When your dough is done mixing add the rosemary, pepper and Italian seasoning. Mix just until incorporated.
7. Cover your mixing bowl with a kitchen towel and let it rise for about 40 minutes, or until doubled in size.
8. Divide the dough into 2 parts. Shape into balls and place on a sprayed cookie sheet, or a cooking stone with a bit of olive oil on it.
9. Spray a sharp knife with cooking spray and cut 2 slits in the top of the bread like an X.
10. In a small bowl whisk an egg until frothy. Brush the egg all over the top of the loaf and into the cracks.
11. Place the loaves into a warm oven. (I set mine to 170) Let them rise until doubled in size, about 15 minutes.
12. Turn your oven up to 370 degrees and bake for about 20 minutes, or until golden brown.
13. When the loaves come out of the oven, place them on a cooling rack. Brush butter over the tops and sprinkle a little bit of salt over the top of the butter.
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