Fudge Brownies, Sweet and Salty

I told you I'd be right back. Good god (notice lower case 'g', so Sr. Aquinata will not haunt me with a 'spelldown' tonight in my dreams), where in the holy heck have I been for NINE months? Written a best selling cookbook? Nope. Discovered a cure for whatever ails you? No, with my sincere concerns for whatever ails you. Traveled the world? With the exception of Switzerland, France, and Ireland, been keeping the home fires burning.

I've just been enjoying life --- Mr. RestaurantQuality, our fabulous children and spouses/fiances, those wonderful Little Sweethearts.

Today, FD#1 asked for the recipe for the entitled brownies and she also asked 'where has the blog gone?' That inspired me.

It's Friday. Mr. RQ has made the perfectly proportioned, well-iced old fashioned and I am ready to BLOG..........................

Fudge Brownies, Sweet and Salty

Musical Accompaniment: Hallelujah, Vitamin String Quartet

Adapted from Recipe Girl

3/4 Cup unsalted butter (12 T.), right out of the frig

2 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped

1/4 Cup, plus 2 T. unsweetened cocoa powder

2 Cups white sugar

3 large eggs, room temp

1 1/2 t. vanilla extract

1 Cup all purpose flour

1/2 t.flaky sea salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

9" square pan, lined with non-stick foil

In large saucepan, mel butter with chocolate over low heat, stiffing occasionally. When melted and smooth, remove from heat.

Whisk in cocoa, then sugar, then eggs, then vanilla, then flour. Make sure each is incorporated before adding the next ingredient.

Pour batter into prepared pan.

Sprinkle sea salt over top of batter.

Bake for about 35 minutes, until edges are set, but center is a bit soft. A toothpick inserted into center should come out coated with a touch of the batter.

Let cool, on rack, for about an hour. Lift the foil out of pan and then into frig for about an hour.

Remove from foil.

Cut and swoon.

My Notes:

With apologies: I did not think to take photos when I made these out of this world brownies.

I used Ghiardelli bar chocolate. Easily obtained at a supermarket.

I used Hershey's unsweetened natural cocoa. Easily obtained.

The sea salt: I do not have a seashore from which to harvest sea salt, although the thought of it makes me ask Mr. RQ for another old fashioned. I did not buy anything fancy. I bought McCormick's grinder sea salt, easily obtained from a supermarket, because it is now beyond trendy to use sea salt. I did NOT measure. I just ground away, covering the batter with sea salt, but NOT densely. Any sea salt will do. If you wish to be beyond trendy, then trendy you shall be beyond.

Peanut Butter Cookies

The other day, Mr. Restaurant Quality asked if I would bake for him. Seems Mr. RQ has been feeling neglected. Seems Mr. RQ feels that I bake for 'everyone else'.





Seems Mr. RQ wanted his very own batch of cookies ---- NO SHARING. He wanted my undivided culinary attention, without ziploc bags of sugar and spice goodness being handed out to neighbors and FD #1's work group.





Restaurant Quality asked what Mr. RQ would like. The answer: chocolate chip cookies and peanut butter cookies --- and he asked that all the cookies go into the freezer. Mr. RQ loves to eat cookies, right out of the freezer ---- more than he loves his hurricane force leaf blower.





I love peanut butter cookies; always have. These cookies are the best, ever. Crispy on the edges; chewy on the inside. Rolled in sugar before baking, which gives a very light sugar coating to the finished cookie. Peanut butter chips in the dough (have never used peanut butter chips -- I liked them).





Alert and aware: this dough needs to be chilled for several hours.





The freezer now holds dozens of cookies; all is right in Mr. RQ's world.





Life is good................








Peanut Butter Cookies, from Smitten Kitchen website, who adapted it from Magnolia


Bakery Cookbook





Musical interlude: If I Were Your Woman (Gladys Knight and The Pips)


Adult Beverage: 99 Vines Pinot Noir (if baking after 5 pm)





Makes about 4 dozen






1 1/4 C. all purpose flour


3/4 t. baking soda


1/2 t. baking powder


1/4 t. salt


1/2 c. unsalted butter, softened


1 c. peanut butter (room temp), smooth


3/4 c. sugar


1/2 c. firmly packed light brown sugar


1 lg. egg, room temp


1 T. milk


1 t. vanilla extract


1/2 C. peanut butter chips


1/2 C. chocolate chips, optional





For rolling: sugar





Parchment paper for cookie sheets





350 degrees





In large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.



In a large bowl, beat the butter and peanut butter together until fluffy.


Add the sugars and beat until smooth.


Add the egg and mix well.


Add milk and vanilla extract. Mix well.


Add the flour mixture and beat thoroughly.


Stir in the peanut butter chips (and chocolate chips if using them).



Chill dough for several hours. Even overnight.

After chilling, bring dough to room temp.



Now comes the part where you'll be rolling the dough in sugar.


Place some sugar into a pie plate, flat bowl, cake pan (you get the picture). Use about 1/2 C. sugar. (If I had thought to have taken a photo, it would be inserted, here.)

Use a cookie scoop, or two spoons. Scoop some dough; roll into a ball. Place into the sugar and coat the dough.

Place on parchment lined cookie sheet, a couple inches apart.



Lightly indent with a criss-cross pattern, giving them that typical peanut butter look.



Continue with all the dough.



Bake, 350 degrees, for about 10 minutes. Do NOT overbake. Cookies may appear underdone, but they are not.

My Notes:

Woo-hoo, I added a photo. The maiden voyage of photo posting for Restaurant Quality.

I did not add the chocolate chips. Mr. RQ immediately declined that option.

Chunky peanut butter can be used, instead of 'smooth' peanut butter.

I chilled the dough, overnight. There's some sort of baking magic that goes on with the process, as evidenced by St. Shirley Corriher, author of BakeWise. Someday I'll blog about the 'magnificent recipes' (her words, not mine) that come out of her kitchen (and cookbook).

I always use parchment paper for baking cookies. If you don't have any, buy some. You'll be happy you did. Find it where the aluminum foil is, in the grocery store.

For the baking: I bake 2 pans at a time, switching the pans (bottom rack to top rack, top rack to bottom rack) at the 5 minute mark. When you switch them at 5 minutes, you'll think 'wow, they are not flattening'. Wait 5 minutes, they will get flat.

Cookies will not be symmetrical (not State Fair worthy because of it), so don't obsess about having perfectly round cookies. If you've ever entered cookies in State Fair, you know of what I speak.

Honey BBQ Sauce

Summer has bid us a fond farewell (until it returns in all its October bright blue weather glory of Indian Summer), but yesterday, Summer came back to me, in a sense.



Restaurant Quality received her winnings from the WI State Fair!!!!! Judging was held in late July, but the moola is sent in September. Ribbons are awarded for 4th through 1st place, with the moola increasing with each 'place'. Woo-hoo, $43 for Restaurant Quality....



When I saw the envelope in the mail, it hit me that I have not told you of my Honey BBQ Sauce.



It took first place in one of the 'honey' categories, put $10 in my Crate and Barrel pocket, and, the biggest kick of all: awarded the 'Judge's Favorite' ribbon. YIPPEE, YAHOO, and GOSH-O-GOLLY.



Restaurant Quality and Mr. Restaurant Quality entered AND won ribbons in several categories, which you'll be reading about in later posts. This will include the telling of the Granola Smackdown.



For now, here's how to make the Judge's Favorite.



Life is good......................





Honey BBQ Sauce (adapted from The Neely's)



Makes 3 1/2 cups



2 C. ketchup (catsup, for those of you so inclined)

1 C. water

1/2 C. honey

1/2 C. apple cider vinegar

5 T. light brown sugar

5 T. sugar

1/2 T. ground black pepper

1/2 T. onion powder

1/2 T. ground mustard

1 T. lemon juice (fresh is best)

1 T. worcestershire sauce



In saucepan, combine all ingredients.



Bring to boil, reduce heat to simmer.



Cook, uncovered, stirring frequently, for 1 hour and 15 minutes.





My Notes:



I usually double this recipe, right off the bat. Mr. Restaurant Quality uses this sauce for his

pulled pork and 3 1/2 cups is not nearly enough.



Recipe easily doubles.



I usually cook the sauce for 2-2 1/2 hours.



I need to learn how to 'can' --- excuse me, I should use the now correct phrase: food preservation. This sauce is so versatile that I'd like to have jars of it in 'the fruit cellar'. As an aside, the fruit cellar is more of a wine storage area for me, but I could squeeze in some jars of bbq sauce. One does go with the other!!!



Great with chicken, pork, and to make Sloppy Joes.

Mrs. LeTendre's Chicken Parmesan

Restaurant Quality has had repeated requests for this recipe. It's Mrs. LeTendre's chicken parmesan. You've seen her onion soup in November, 2008 and her pizza in February, 2009. If you have not paid attention to those, you need a 5 minute 'time out' to think about it. (Sorry, I just had a time travel flashback associated with one of the 'requestors' of this recipe --- and it's not Ms. Viola Vineyard.)

This incredible Italian recipe has been pulled out of my oven for over three decades, in all its aromatic goodness.

It is soooo easy to bring it together. Add some pasta on the side, a salad, crusty bread and a nice red wine and everyone at your table will be saying 'Alla salute. Siete un o cucinare. Ringrazio molto perla cottura per noi.'

So, because FS#2 and Ms. Viola Vineyard have told me I HAVE to blog it, I give you Mrs. LeTendre's Chicken Parmesan. (and someday, I'll tell you about her apple kuchen................)

Please read the entire recipe before you begin. There's lots of stuff going on.....................


Mrs. LeTendre's Chicken Parmesan

Oven at 400 degrees
9x13 baking pan

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (on the small side because you are going to pound the heck out of them)
2 eggs, for eggwash
Breadcrumbs
Your favorite pasta sauce, see My Notes
8 oz shredded mozzarella cheese
Parmesan cheese, for sprinkling

Rinse the chicken breasts and dry with a paper towel (someday, I'll tell you the story about how I once 'patted dry' a chicken breast).

Trim any obvious fat.

Place one of the breasts on a piece of plastic wrap. Cover with another piece of plastic wrap. Pound flat, to about 3/8".
(I have a meat pounder, but you can use a rolling pin or a small frying pan.)

The breading process: In a large bowl, whisk the eggs so that they are nice and blended. Add 2 splashes of water and mix together. Get out a flat pan, such as an 8" cake pan or pie pan. Put a nice amount of bread crumbs in the pan (note the personal latitude Restaurant Quality is giving you).

Dip the chicken breast in the eggwash, making sure the entire chicken breast meets the eggwash.

Dredge in the breadcrumbs, making sure the entire chicken breast meets the bread crumbs.

Place on a cooling rack. Repeat with all chicken breasts.

Let chicken breasts rest on the cooling rack for about 20 minutes. (If you don't let the chicken rest, the breading will fall off when you saute them.)

Into a large saute/frying pan, add 2 T. butter and some EVOO (extra virgin olive oil for those of you on Champions Ct.)
(twice around the pan, as R. Ray would say).

Over med-high heat, get the butter melted and the oil nice and hot.

Add the chicken breast and cook on each side until nice and browned, about 4 minutes on each side.

Pour some pasta sauce into the 9x13 pan, to cover the bottom of the pan. (see My Notes)

Place the chicken breasts on top of the pasta sauce.

Sprinkle some parmesan cheese on the chicken breasts.

Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese over the chicken breasts.

Bake in 400 degree oven for 15 minutes.

Serve with additional sauce.


My Notes:

I try to get small chicken breasts for this, because they really spread out when you pound them out. If you have large chicken breasts, just cut them in half, after you have pounded them out. You may find that 2 large chicken breasts will give you enough for 4 servings.

I use storebought breadcrumbs. For the most part I use 'regular' bread crumbs. You can use Italian bread crumbs (store bought, or just add some Italian seasoning to 'regular' bread crumbs).

The pasta sauce: use whatever pasta sauce you like, even jarred pasta sauce. If you use jarred pasta sauce, have two jars on hand --- you may need it.

Here's my pasta sauce recipe, which is REALLY good. It's Giada's recipe. Really easy and FAST.

2 large cans of crushed tomatoes
EVOO
2 t. minced garlic
diced onion (1/2 of a large onion)
3 bay leaves
1 T. Italian seasoning
Red wine, optional

Saute the onion in EVOO until it starts to become translucent. Add the minced garlic (I use the jarred stuff) and saute for about 30 seconds, just until you start to say 'Man, that smells good". (Garlic can burn pretty darn fast.)

Add the 2 cans of crushed tomatoes, the bay leaves, Italian seasoning, and 1 major splash of red wine (if you like). Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 20 minutes. That's it, tanto (that's Italian for 'voila').

You may need to use two pans, because the chicken breasts are too big for one pan. That's ok. I use two pans more than I use one pan.

Lemon Buttermilk Pound Cake with Lemon Glaze

Ok, here's what's happening.

Explanation of THIRD post in one day:

I am killing time before cocktail time. Magic Hour has not yet tick-tocked into my reality.

Made this cake, yesterday. It is very, very good. Not as dense as a pound cake; denser than a regular cake.

It's made in a tube pan (angel food cake pan), so it makes for alot of light, lemony rapture.

The cake does not scream lemon; very mild. The glaze is where all the lemon flavor resides.

Tick, tock; tick, tock.

Life is good..............


Lemon Buttermilk Pound Cake with Lemon Glaze

Oven at 350 degrees

Grease and flour a 10" tube pan

3 C. all purpose flour (that's regular flour, for those of you who live on Champions Ct.)
2 t. baking powder
3/4 t. salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter (one stick), room temp
2 T. lemon zest (about 4 lemons)
3 large eggs, room temp
2 t. vanilla extract
1 1/4 C. buttermilk
1/2 C. canola oil

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In a small bowl, place the sugar. Add the 2 T. lemon zest. Mix with your fingers to get the zest incorporated into the sugar.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and the sugar/zest mixture until light and fluffy.

Beat in eggs, one at a time until well combined.

In small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the vanilla, buttermilk and canola oil.

Alternately, add the flour mixture and the buttermilk mixture to the butter mixture, beginning with the flour mixture and ending with the flour mixture. Stir only until no streaks of flour remain. Important to 'keep a light hand' here.

Pour into prepared pan.

Bake 50-55 minutes, until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.

Cool on cooling rack. After about 10 minutes, remove cake from pan. Let cool completely before topping with the lemon glaze.


Lemon Glaze

2 T. butter, melted and cooled
2 T. lemon juice
1 T. lemon zest (about 2 lemons)
1 1/2 C. confectioners' sugar

Combine all ingredients in small bowl and whisk until smooth, Drizzle over cooled cake.


My Notes:

I did not try to figure out another type of pan to use. I took Little Sweetheart #5 shopping and we bought a 10" angel food cake pan. Actually, I think the label said it was 9 3/8". It's one of those pans where the bottom and tube part lift out of the pan. $10.97 at WalMart, and steer clear of the Toy Department.

The batter prep is very straight forward. A bit labor-intensive RE: the zest. The microplaner again demonstrates its value. Not to mention how darned proficient one feels when using it.

The batter itself tastes really, really good. Must. Stop. Eating. It.

The glaze. I followed the recipe above. The consistency was that of a frosting, not a glaze. So, I just kept squeezing lemon juice, about a teaspoon at a time, into the bowl, until it got to a drizzling consistency. Give that a go, if you come upon 'frosting' not 'glaze'.

When the glaze was on the cake, it went into the frig for about 20 minutes to get the glaze to set.

Mr. RestaurantQuality heaped some sliced strawberries on his THIRD piece, yesterday. In full disclosure, he did not eat three pieces in one sitting. He had two pieces at lunch and one after dinner.

Next time, I'll macerate some strawberries ahead of time. (Sliced strawberries and sugar, mixed together, and put in the frig to get acquainted. You'll have strawberries in a light syrup.)

Vanilla ice cream would be a delightfully decadent addition.

Panko Crusted Chicken with Mustard Maple Pan Sauce

What's this? A second blog post on the same day?

I'm into it, today. That, and Ms. Waters Edge has asked a second time for this recipe. I keep raving about it and she keeps asking for the recipe. And, so she shall have it (and you are the indirect beneficiary)....................

Life is good.............


Panko Crusted Chicken with Mustard Maple Pan Sauce

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded flat
1 large egg
1 T. finely chopped fresh Italian parsley
2 t. Dijon mustard
1 C. panko bread crumbs (you might need more)
2 T. EVOO (that's olive oil, Ms. Champions Ct.)
1 C. chicken broth
3 T. maple syrup (the real stuff)
2 T. coarse-grained mustard
1 T. chilled butter (unsalted, if you have it)


Whisk egg, parsley and Dijon mustard in large bowl.

Place a chicken breast in egg mixture and turn to coat.

Dredge chicken breast in panko crumbs, turning to coat.

Place on cooling rack for about 20 minutes.

Heat oil in large skillet, medium-high heat.

Add chicken and cook until browned and cooked through. About 4 minutes per side.

Meanwhile, whisk broth, syrup, coarse-grained mustard in a 2 cup glass measuring cup.

When chicken is done, transfer to a plate and cover with foil. Let rest.

Add broth mixture to skillet; boil until reduced to 3/4 cup, stirring occasionally.

Add butter and whisk in until melted. This is when the'dreaminess' factor kicks in.

Serve sauce with the chicken.


My Notes:

Panko bread crumbs are pretty standard in grocery stores. The ones I buy are in a box. Sometimes they are with the 'regular' bread crumbs; sometimes they are in the Asian food section.

Recipe calls for 1 cup panko. For the dredging, I pour the one cup panko into a pie plate or an 8x8 baking pan. (nice and flat for the dredging process) Dependent upon the size of the chicken breasts, you made need more panko. Just pour more into the pie plate.

Here's how I flatten the chicken breast: place one on a large piece of saran-type wrap. cover with another piece of wrap. Use the flat side of a meat pounder to flatten the chicken to about 3/8". If you don't have a meat pounder, pound the chicken with a rolling pin or the bottom of a small skillet/frying pan. You have to really whack at it. Now, if you have a counter that you don't want to damage, be sure to have the chicken on a large cutting board when you do the whacking.

RE: coarse-grained mustard. Don't drive yourself crazy on this 'coarse-grained' stuff. I have some 'stone ground' mustard that I used. Use what you have.

Roast Beef Sandwiches

I do flit in and flit out, don't I?

Majorly sidetracked the past few months ----- that's what 80 degrees, palm trees, Spring Training, and visitors will cause.

Had a fun-filled, 'talking stupid' week with Ms. Waters Edge. Followed by lots of laughs with The Sisters. Resulted in many additions to the Judy/Janet Collection.

An abundance of 'what shall I do today?' ends up with 'where did the day go?' Before I know it, it's cocktail time.

Today, I am blog-focused, so here goes........

FS #2 has recruited a following for RestaurantQuality. There have been repeated requests from them for the Roast Beef Sandwiches recipe. I've been making this for years. Got the recipe from FS #1's Cub Scout leader ----- so, doing the math, this has been served at our house for 29 years. Meets the criteria for 'definite repeater', don't you think?

And, you don't have to be having a baptism to make it.............................

Life is good...........

Roast Beef Sandwiches

425 degrees

Sirloin Tip Roast, anywhere from 4-6 pounds

2 cans Campbell's Cream of Onion soup
1 can beer, your choice (FD #2 would say Miller Lite, please)
1 shot brandy

The night before you'll be eating these, roast the beef for one hour in the oven, preheated to 425 degrees. Don't do anything to the roast, just place it on a rack in a roasting pan.

Remove from oven after one hour and place in refrig, overnight.

Remove from frig, and slice.

Place sliced meat in a roasting pan.

In a large bowl, mix the cream of onion soup, the beer, and the shot of brandy.

Pour over the meat.

Place cover on pan.

Place in oven, at preheated 275 degrees.

Cook for about 3 hours. Periodically spoon gravy over the meat.

Voila, it's ready.


My Notes:

Number 1 recommendation: use a crusty roll for the sandwich. The gravy soaks into the roll, man oh man, it is gravy in all its divineness. If in Milwaukee, get rolls from Sciortino's. On Brady Sreet. It is well worth the ride. While there, buy some cookies. Sold by the pound. The amaretti cookie -- ambrosia!!!! Wait for me, while I daydream about this little corner bakery and its glass enclosed racks of Italian goodness.....................

A 4-6 pound roast will make about 8 sandwiches.

If you like mushrooms as 'a side', toss some whole mushrooms into the roasting pan, when you put it into the oven. I am very mushroom-averse, but Mr. RestaurantQuality loves them. Because I am a very nice person (and want to keep the perfectly proportioned, well-iced old fashioneds coming) I allow mushrooms in the pan. But, I make sure that MY gravy portion has not touched any mushrooms.

Mr. RestaurantQuality does the slicing of the roast. Uses an electric knife. Meat is sliced similar to getting sliced deli meat. Not too thin, but not too thick, said the Mama Bear.