Daily Archives: June 29, 2009
Brownies Always Work
If there is a dessert that is always a success besides chocolate chip cookies, it is brownies. They are easy to make, can be made elegant or served plain. Here is a “plain” version which is not plain, in the taste. The baking time is shorter than was recommended, at least if you want a chewy brownie. I did.
Someone gave me this recipe and I don’t know who to give credit to. Regardless, I converted it to gluten free. I made it for my grandson who was happy with them. That is a good measure of success. Boys do not swoon over brownies.
Out of this World Brownies
2 cups margarine
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, cut into smaller pieces. Mine came in squares and I used the size of the square as a guideline.
1/2 cup eggbeaters
1 cup white sugar
1 cup Brownulated sugar
1 teaspoon guar or xanthan gum
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract – gluten free
1 cup brown rice flour
6 ounces chocolate chips
1. Spray a 9 by 13 pan.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
3. Combine margarine and chocolate in a glass bowl and microwave on low for one minute. Check by using teaspoon and see the degree that the mixture has melted. Check every 20 seconds. I know that microwaves do not register same temperature so there are no guidelines as to time. When you see it is almost melted, you know it is ready.
4. In large bowl, lightly beat eggs.
5. Add white sugar and brown sugar, salt, guar or xanthan gum and pure vanilla. Mix together.
6. Stir chocolate into the sugar mixture.
7. Stir in flour. Add chocolate chips and mix in.
8. Pour batter in prepared pan. Smooth the top.
9. Bake for 42 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool. (Of course, I taste when it is hot.)
10. Enjoy.
Hey ma, someone ate up my brownies. Sob.
Sopa Paraguaya
Officially, today is the first day of vacation from teaching. I did not realize just how much I need this break. I had an easy class so I thought I should be less exhausted in June. Not the case. Perhaps, because they are terrific children, I gave more than to a challenging class, where a teacher has to concentrate more on control, less on an organized casualness.
I spent the year researching new ideas, knowing I had more leeway with this group than others. I learned a great deal from them and hopefully next year’s class will benefit from this. I guess I have not turned my back on school yet. I will so I can come back rejuvenated, in September.
Back to the here and now. I ran my errands, did a shopping to get some items to bake with and came home, before noon. Before NOON! What now? I simply wanted a quiet day, no plans, no “must dos”. I wanted to put up my feet and read. Did I do that? No.
I cooked. I have a list of recipes I want to try, some from cookbooks, some from blogs, some from featured online cooks. Yesterday, I was hanging around King Arthur’s — not his court, but his flours and his wonderful recipes. If one wants to improve his/her baking, King Arthur Flour’s site is the greatest place to be.
I decided to make sopa paraguaya. I had no idea what to expect other than cornbread. This was not just cornbread. It was rich in flavors and a better texture than cornbread. A good choice for us.
Sopa Paraguaya
2 tablespoons olive oil 1 cup diced onion
1/4 cup each diced red and green pepper
1 1/2 cups cornmeal
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 cups frozen corn kernels
4 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, grated
Grease a 9 x 9-inch pan that’s at least 2 inches deep, or a shallow 2-quart casserole dish. I used an oval baking dish.
In a medium skillet over medium heat, pour in the oil.
Add the onions and cook until translucent, stirring occasionally.
Add the red and green peppers and cook for 1 more minute.
Remove from the heat and cool to room temperature.
In a large bowl, combine the cornmeal and milk.
Stir in the sugar, cottage cheese, eggs, salt, pepper, and baking powder.
Stir in the corn kernels and cooled onion mixture.
The last to add to the bowl is the grated cheese.
Stir and transfer to baking dish.
Bake for 40 minutes, until the center doesn’t wobble when lightly touched with your finger. I left it bake for 42 minutes and I was almost too late. I would check it at about 35 minutes and then again at 40. My oven may be a little hotter than it should be but this is not the oven, I usually bake in. It is about 40 years old. They made ovens well, in those days.
Remove from the oven, serve warm. Eat and enjoy.
Yield: 12 servings. Linked to Flashback Fridays
These are the Cutest – My Girl Paula
Paula Deen , with her versatile repetoire of recipes has gained many followers, over the years. Check out My Girl Paula to see the recipes that we are cooking or baking. This week, we have made Orange Blossoms adorable , particularly if you have the mini muffin tins. I am sure, they would look fine, full size, but these cut little shiny balls are just delightful to look at and especially to eat.
This is the first cake mix, I have used, in more than ten years. I decided to follow the recipe exactly since this is my first time participating. That means, this is not gluten free. I will admit, using a m
ix is easy and the taste is just great.
Orange Blossoms
1 package yellow cake mix
one 3.4 ounce package instant lemon mix
4 eggs
3/4 cup cold water
3/4 cup canola oil
Glaze
1 cup confectioners sugar (I cut down the amount by a lot and I still had left over – originally it was 3 cups of the sugar)
1/2 cup frozen juice concentrate, thawed
3 tablespoons melted margarine
3 Tablespoons water
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Grease two miniature muffin pans or one miniature plus 6 regular sized or 12 regular sized, depending on the pans you have. If you have the miniature, these are lovely in the smaller size, keeping in mind, I have never seen them any larger than this.
In a medium size mixing bowl, combine cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, water and oil.
Beat well.
Fill muffin tins 3/4 the way up. Bake for ten to 12 minutes or until cake springs back when touched or inserted toothpick comes out dry.
For the glaze, mix the confectioner’s sugar, orange juice, margarine and water until smooth.
Dip the blossom in the glaze, immediately, after removing them from the oven.
Drain on waxed paper.
Enjoy!
Yummy Little Bites of Goodness
