Brandy Snaps, Brunch Bread, Chocolate Bean Bread and Meatballs

Today we've got a fancy cookie, a bacon, tomato and cheese bread, a delicious chocolate cake/bread that has garbanzo beans instead of flour and meatballs.

To start off, we have Brandy Snap cookies, which are sugar shells filled with a brandy-infused whipped cream.  To make, combine 1 stick butter, 1/2C molasses, 1/4C sugar and 1/4C brown sugar in over medium heat (I used a cast-iron pan) stirring constantly until melted and combined, then allow to bubble for a minute or two, then turn off the heat.  Stir in 3/4C flour, 1/4t ground ginger, 1/8t salt and 1T+ brandy until just combined.
Drop about 1T dollops onto a Silpat (silicone baking sheet) to bake in a 325 degree oven.  I could only fit 6 cookies onto a half-sheet (13x18) pan, as they spread out a LOT, so dollop carefully.  Bake for ~15 minutes or until done (it took a couple tries for me to get the timing right; if you under-bake them, they end up soft and don't hold their shape, so can't be filled effectively), take out of the oven and let sit for about 2 minutes, then mold over the handle of a whisk or other small-ish round implement (I used a thin French rolling pin).  If you baked them correctly, they should harden quite quickly to a hard brittle sugar tube.  I tried putting them on a cooling rack for a minute or so before molding it, but they ended up cooling too quickly.  Putting them back onto the hot pan will re-soften them.  Make the cooked shortly before they are to be eaten and keep in a dry place, as you would any molded sugar.
To make the filling, blend 2C whipping cream, 1-2oz brandy and 1/3C sugar until it forms stiff peaks.  Fill the cookies with a pastry bag or zip-lock with the corner cut off very shortly before eating, and enjoy!  I estimate that you have at most 2 hours after filling before the cookies start dissolving, so unless you have a spoon handy, make shortly before eating.  Also, make sure that they aren't on any liquid (like melted whip cream), or the bottoms will disappear.  Incredibly delicious, not overly decadent, and fantastic looking.  Via http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2010/11/brandy-snaps/


Next up is a bread that's filled with bacon, cheese and tomatoey goodness!  To start off, make at least 6 strips of bacon and crumble well.  Then, combine 3C flour, 1T sugar, 1C water and 2 1/4T proofed yeast and kneed until smooth.  Add in 1T of reserved bacon grease, the bacon, 2T tomato paste, 2+ oz grated Monterrey Jack cheese and 1/2t salt and kneed until well combined.  Let rise for about an hour, or until doubled.  Bake at 350 for about 45 minutes, and you end up with a delicious and soft bread that's great on it's own, or as part of a dish (try removing some of the middle of a buttered slice and cooking it in a skillet with an egg in the void).  Also, to make a more tender crust, spray the oven with a water sprayer well a few times while cooking to maintain high humidity in the oven.  Via http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2011/01/bread-baking-tomato-cheese-and-bacon-bread.html














This is an extremely fudgy and chocolaty cake that's made with garbanzo beans, so you can pretend that it's good for you!  To make, combine 1 15oz can Garbanzos (drained and rinsed), 3 eggs and 1t vanilla in a food processor for about a minute.  Add in 5+oz melted chocolate chips, 1/2C sugar, 1/2t baking powder, 1/2t salt, 1t melted butter and 2T cocoa powder, and blend for an additional minute or so, until well blended and with a pudding-like consistency.  Bake at 350 for about an hour, or until a knife comes out clean.  The result is a really fudgey, decadent cake that is high in protein and not too bad for you (and you can't taste the beans at all). Via http://www.seriouseats.com/2011/01/chocolate-and-chickpeas-garbonzo-beans-cake-healthier-baking.html

Finally, a quick note on meatballs.  Our office had a competition a couple months ago, so I tried my hand (for the first time) making meatballs, and I think they turned out absolutely delicious.  I decided against going with just one recipe, so I just mixed together things that looked good.  For the balls themselves, I used unmeasured amounts of ground beef, seasoned breadcrumbs, caramelized onion, garlic, egg, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, Romano cheese, parsley, toasted onion powder, ranch dressing seasoning, apple cider vinegar and olive oil.  These were balled and browned in a pan, then glazed and baked.  For the glaze, I combined and reduced brown sugar, flour, apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, raspberry jam and white wine.  They turned out really tasty, and took second in the office (to someone whose wife is a professional chef).  The picture is exceedingly unflattering, but the taste is what matters!

Baking Bonanza and Easy Gourmet

So, being that it is the beginning of the holiday season, I decided to do a couple recipes with a holiday theme. I also got an awesome new bread cookbook from my Aunt Trish full of amazing-looking recipes (The Tassajara Bread Book), so I just had to start making them.

To start off, a Pumpkin sweet bread that is just awesome. To make, combine 1 15 oz can pureed pumpkin, 1.5C brown sugar, 1 stick butter and 3 eggs, and stir until creamy. Add to that 3.5C flour, 2T baking powder (yes, tablespoon), 1t cinnamon, 1/2t salt and 1/2t nutmeg, and stir till well combined. Fold in 2C chocolate chips and bake in 2 loaf pans at 350 for 35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. The bread is creamy, pumpkin-y, chocolaty and really delicious.

Next up is a new take on gingerbread (from the new cookbook) . It has ground mustard in it, and is more cake-y and less cardboard-y than traditional gingerbread (though you can't really build houses out of it), and comes out quite moist and not that unhealthy. To make, combine 2.25C whole wheat flour, 1.5t baking powder, 1/2t salt, 1/2t baking soda, 1/2t cloves, 1t ground mustard, 1t cinnamon and 1t powdered ginger. In a separate bowl, combine 1 stick melted butter, 1C molasses, 1 egg and 1C hot water, then add that mixture to the dry mix and stir thoroughly (it ends up looking a bit runny), then bake at 350 in a 9x9 pan for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. It's got a really good flavor, and would be great with a bit of whipped cream on top.

Sticking with the healthier theme, I found (in the new cookbook) a really good base wheat muffin recipe, to which I added festival spices (one of the half dozen modifications they recommend) to make it more appropriate for the season. To make the base, combine 2C whole wheat flour, 2t baking powder, 1/2t salt, 1 beaten egg, 1/4C oil, 1/3C honey (or molasses) and 1.5C milk with as few strokes as possible (it's fine if it's still lumpy; the muffins will turn out just fine). Then, bake at 400 for 15 minutes or (can you guess?) until a toothpick comes out clean. I added 1/2t cinnamon, 1/2t nutmeg, 1/4t allspice and 1/4t ginger to the dry ingredients as well. The muffins taste quite good, and would make a great breakfast with some yogurt or just as a snack.

Finally, a random meal suggestion. Making pork chops (or steak) in a frying pan makes them fricken' awesome. Take a pork chop and salt and pepper each side, then place in a very hot, dry non-stick fry pan. It will initially stick to the bottom, and you will know when it's time to turn by when it releases itself. Flip over and repeat, but just before it finishes, add a couple drams of red wine and simmer the wine down with the pork chop so you end up with the flavor wonderfully infused; the pork chop comes out tender and moist. Top with some caramelized onions that were made with a drizzle of red wine, and you're getting gourmet. Add some green beans and red potatoes from a farmers market and you're in business!