Daring Bakers March '09 - Lasagne of Emilia-Romagna

I was ready to roll up my sleeves for this month's DB challenge. I'd never made lasagne before (aside from the lasagne that you can get frozen from the supermarket :P) so this challenge was going to be interesting. I'd been stressed out for most of this month because I had to complete a 25 page paper for my Pediatric Nursing course and also work on a group project for Nursing Research! AAAHHH!! Thankfully, baking and cooking helps me de-stress so this challenge was great. I made the different components (the sauce, meat and pasta) on 3 separate days, so I had three days of decreased stress which I was so thankful for. The best de-stressing part of the challenge was kneading and stretching the dough... perhaps I should have saved a piece of the dough so that I could pound and mash it whenever I need to take my frustration out on something :P Anyways, on with the challenge...

The March 2009 challenge is hosted by Mary of Beans and Caviar, Melinda of Melbourne Larder and Enza of Io Da Grande. They have chosen Lasagne of Emilia-Romagna from The Splendid Table by Lynne Rossetto Kasper as the challenge.

Lasagne of Emilia-Romagna (Lasagne Verdi al Forno)
(Serves 8 to 10 as a first course, 6 to 8 as a main dish)

Preparation Time: 15 minutes to assemble and 40 minutes cooking time

- 10 quarts (9 litres) salted water
- 1 recipe Spinach Pasta cut for lasagna (recipe follows)#1
- 1 recipe Bechamel Sauce (recipe follows)#2
- 1 recipe Country Style Ragu (recipe follows)#3
- 1 cup (4 ounces/125g) freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Method
Working Ahead:
The ragu and the béchamel sauce can be made up to three days ahead. The ragu can also be frozen for up to one month. The pasta can be rolled out, cut and dried up to 24 hours before cooking. The assembled lasagne can wait at room temperature (20 degrees Celsius/68 degrees Fahrenheit) about 1 hour before baking. Do not refrigerate it before baking, as the topping of béchamel and cheese will overcook by the time the center is hot.

Assembling the Ingredients:
Have all the sauces, rewarmed gently over a medium heat, and the pasta at hand. Have a large perforated skimmer and a large bowl of cold water next to the stove. Spread a double thickness of paper towels over a large counter space. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius). Oil or butter a 3 quart (approx 3 litre) shallow baking dish.

Cooking the Pasta:
Bring the salted water to a boil. Drop about four pieces of pasta in the water at a time. Cook about 2 minutes. If you are using dried pasta, cook about 4 minutes, taste, and cook longer if necessary. The pasta will continue cooking during baking, so make sure it is only barely tender. Lift the lasagne from the water with a skimmer, drain, and then slip into the bowl of cold water to stop cooking. When cool, lift out and dry on the paper towels. Repeat until all the pasta is cooked.

Assembling the Lasagne:
Spread a thin layer of béchamel over the bottom of the baking dish. Arrange a layer of about four overlapping sheets of pasta over the béchamel. Spread a thin layer of béchamel (about 3 or 4 spoonfuls) over the pasta, and then an equally thin layer of the ragu. Sprinkle with about 1&1/2 tablespoons of the béchamel and about 1/3 cup of the cheese. Repeat the layers until all ingredients are used, finishing with béchamel sauce and topping with a generous dusting of cheese.

Baking and Serving the Lasagne:
Cover the baking dish lightly with foil, taking care not to let it touch the top of the lasagne. Bake 40 minutes, or until almost heated through. Remove the foil and bake another 10 minutes, or until hot in the center (test by inserting a knife – if it comes out very warm, the dish is ready). Take care not to brown the cheese topping. It should be melted, creamy looking and barely tinged with a little gold. Turn off the oven, leave the door ajar and let the lasagne rest for about 10 minutes. Then serve. This is not a solid lasagne, but a moist one that slips a bit when it is cut and served.

#1 Spinach Egg Pasta (Pasta Verde)
Makes enough for 6 to 8 first course servings or 4 to 6 main course servings, equivalent to 1 pound (450g) dried boxed pasta.

Preparation: 45 minutes

- 2 jumbo eggs (2 ounces/60g or more)
- 10 ounces (300g) fresh spinach, rinsed dry, and finely chopped; or 6 ounces (170g) frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry
- 3&1/2 cups (14 ounces/400g) all purpose unbleached (plain) flour (organic stone ground preferred)

Working by Hand:
Mixing the dough:
Mound the flour in the center of your work surface and make a well in the middle. Add the eggs and spinach. Use a wooden spoon to beat together the eggs and spinach. Then gradually start incorporating shallow scrapings of flour from the sides of the well into the liquid. As you work more and more flour into the liquid, the well’s sides may collapse. Use a pastry scraper to keep the liquids from running off and to incorporate the last bits of flour into the dough. Don’t worry if it looks like a hopelessly rough and messy lump.

Kneading:
With the aid of the scraper to scoop up unruly pieces, start kneading the dough. Once it becomes a cohesive mass, use the scraper to remove any bits of hard flour on the work surface – these will make the dough lumpy. Knead the dough for about 3 minutes. Its consistency should be elastic and a little sticky. If it is too sticky to move easily, knead in a few more tablespoons of flour. Continue kneading about 10 minutes, or until the dough has become satiny, smooth, and very elastic. It will feel alive under your hands. Do not shortcut this step. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap, and let it relax at room temperature 30 minutes to 3 hours.

Stretching and Thinning:
If using an extra-long rolling pin work with half the dough at a time. With a regular-length rolling pin, roll out a quarter of the dough at a time and keep the rest of the dough wrapped. Lightly sprinkle a large work surface with flour. The idea is to stretch the dough rather than press down and push it. Shape it into a ball and begin rolling out to form a circle, frequently turning the disc of dough a quarter turn. As it thins outs, start rolling the disc back on the pin a quarter of the way toward the center and stretching it gently sideways by running the palms of your hands over the rolled-up dough from the center of the pin outward. Unroll, turn the disc a quarter turn, and repeat. Do twice more.

Stretch and even out the center of the disc by rolling the dough a quarter of the way back on the pin. Then gently push the rolling pin away from you with one hand while holding the sheet in place on the work surface with the other hand. Repeat three more times, turning the dough a quarter turn each time.

Repeat the two processes as the disc becomes larger and thinner. The goal is a sheet of even thickness. For lasagne, the sheet should be so thin that you can clearly see your hand through it and see colours. Cut into rectangles about 4 by 8 inches (10 x 20 cm). Note: Enza says that transparency is a crucial element of lasagne pasta and the dough should be rolled as thinly as possible. She says this is why her housekeeper has such strong arms!

Dry the pasta at room temperature and store in a sealed container or bag.


#2 Bechamel

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

- 4 tbsp (2 ounces/60g) unsalted butter
- 4 tbsp (2 ounces/60g) all purpose unbleached flour, organic stone ground preferred
- 2&2/3 cups (approx 570ml) milk
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- Freshly grated nutmeg to taste

Using a medium-sized saucepan, melt the butter over low to medium heat. Sift over the flour, whisk until smooth, and then stir (without stopping) for about 3 minutes. Whisk in the milk a little at a time and keep the mixture smooth. Bring to a slow simmer, and stir 3 to 4 minutes, or until the sauce thickens. Cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes, until the sauce thickens. Season with salt, pepper, and a hint of nutmeg.


#3 Country Style Ragu’ (Ragu alla Contadina)
Makes enough sauce for 1 recipe fresh pasta or 1 pound/450g dried pasta)

Preparation Time: Ingredient Preparation Time 30 minutes and Cooking time 2 hours

- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (45 mL)
- 2 ounces/60g pancetta, finely chopped
- 1 medium onion, minced
- 1 medium stalk celery with leaves, minced
- 1 small carrot, minced
- 4 ounces/125g boneless veal shoulder or round
- 4 ounces/125g pork loin, trimmed of fat, or 4 ounces/125g mild Italian sausage (made without fennel)
- 8 ounces/250g beef skirt steak, hanging tender, or boneless chuck blade or chuck center cut (in order of preference)
- 1 ounce/30g thinly sliced Prosciutto di Parma
- 2/3 cup (5 ounces/160ml) dry red wine
- 1 &1/2 cups (12 ounces/375ml) chicken or beef stock (homemade if possible)
- 2 cups (16 ounces/500ml) milk
- 3 canned plum tomatoes, drained
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Working Ahead:
The ragu can be made 3 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate. It also freezes well for up to 1 month. Skim the fat from the ragu’ before using it.

Browning the Ragu Base:
Heat the olive oil in a 12 inch (30cm) skillet (frying pan) over medium-high heat. Have a large saucepan handy to use once browning is complete. Add the pancetta and minced vegetables and sauté, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, 10 minutes, or until the onions barely begin to color. Coarsely grind all the meats together, including the prosciutto, in a food processor or meat grinder. Stir into the pan and slowly brown over medium heat. First the meats will give off a liquid and turn dull grey but, as the liquid evaporates, browning will begin. Stir often, scooping under the meats with the wooden spatula. Protect the brown glaze forming on the bottom of the pan by turning the heat down. Cook 15 minutes, or until the meats are a deep brown. Turn the contents of the skillet into a strainer and shake out the fat. Turn them into the saucepan and set over medium heat.

Reducing and Simmering: Add the wine to the skillet, lowering the heat so the sauce bubbles quietly. Stir occasionally until the wine has reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Scrape up the brown glaze as the wine bubbles. Then pour the reduced wine into the saucepan and set the skillet aside.

Stir ½ cup stock into the saucepan and let it bubble slowly, 10 minutes, or until totally evaporated. Repeat with another ½ cup stock. Stir in the last 1/2 cup stock along with the milk. Adjust heat so the liquid bubbles very slowly. Partially cover the pot, and cook 1 hour. Stir frequently to check for sticking.

Add the tomatoes, crushing them as they go into the pot. Cook uncovered, at a very slow bubble for another 45 minutes, or until the sauce resembles a thick, meaty stew. Season with salt and pepper.

The craziest things about this challenge?? Well, first off I'm so not a cook... baking is my thing. So when it came to buying the meat I was so totally lost, I simply brought the recipe to the market and asked around for help. Dude... it's so embarassing :P Also, I'd never bought so much meat in my life. The pancetta, prosciutto, beef, pork and italian sausage!!! Ai Carambe!! Although the sauce was very tasty, I tried not to think of all the meat that was in it. Perhaps I'll substitute mushrooms or some other veggies for 1/2 the meat next time, if there is a next time.
Secondly, I didn't have a meat grinder or food processor, so I had to manually mince all of the meat with my handy-dandy cleaver. Woah, was that ever back-braking labor. At first it was sort of difficult trying to make the pieces as small as possible, but once the pieces began to resemble minced chunks I had the most fun "hacking away" at the puddle of meat sitting on my chopping board.
Thirdly, my arms were totally dead after pulling and stretching that crazy dough. I ended up making nice and thin pasta, but woah was I super tired after. Also, my kitchen was looking green all over... notice my above pics with the lasagne pastas draped over the kitchen faucet and the handle of my non-stick skillet :P

This challenge was a lot of fun, and the lasagne turned out beautifully. I was very happy that the slices were actually intact upon their removal from the baking pan. Yeah! Whenever we buy the frozen lasagne from the supermarket, bake it and dish it onto plates it always ends up as an oozing puddle of messy pasta, sauce and cheese... but this recipe was brilliant. The lasagne was easy to cut with a knife, easy to remove and looked lovely on our plates. My mom and dad were really impressed that I could make pasta, and my sisters gobbled it up... spinach-pasta and all. Hmm.... it's a sneaky way to get kids to eat their veggies! I think I'll definitely make the pasta again, that was really fun. But maybe I'll try making other dishes with the dough, maybe cannelloni or some stuffed pasta shells?? or maybe dumplings or something... who knows? We daring bakers are crazy and creative when we need to be :P

Rainbow Butterfly: A Review

It's not often that my family takes a chance and ventures out to try a new dim-sum restaurant, but I guess my parents just didn't feel like having to drive all the way to Richmond for some good old HK breakfast. Instead, we decided to dine at this quaint little Chinese restaurant in Port Coquitlam called Rainbow Butterfly. I'm usually pretty wary of a restaurant that uses strange imagery within their name, but since this place did not use the words "panda" or "dragon" or "authentic Chinese cuisine" I was all for dining there. The following is a picture show of the amazing dishes that they served, with commentary of course :P

All of the dishes below were $2.75, except for the special dishes which were $3.75 or the "Chef Specials" which were $4.75.

As always, we ordered a bowl of congee... nothing amazing, but certainly tasty. It was considered a "Chef's Special" and in my opinion, not worth $4.95

Another dim-sum fave... lor bak gou. Again, tasty but nothing to rave about.

Can't go wrong with chicken feet... I thought these were really flavorful, and not too salty.

Their gyoza was nicely fried and crisp. Although, the skin was more doughy than I would have liked, and it cost $4.75!

I really enjoyed this chiu chow fun quor, it had pork, peanuts and chives... mmmm quite yummy.

Xiao Long Bao, another yum cha classic... my sisters devoured these and literally drank the red vinegar! Crazy kids.

Steamed rice rolls with scallop, $3.75

The beef omasum was soft and gingery

Their satay honeycomb tripe was also very nice and soft. It's one of my favorite dishes and they did not disappoint.

When we first received this dish, we weren't quite sure what it was. Then one bite into it and we could taste the seafood and pumpkin. These were a delightful addition to our lunch

I love my egg-tofu, and when combined with shrimp it's even better.

One of the best dishes at the Rainbow Butterfly has got to be their fried eggplant with pepper, salt, garlic and dried shrimp. They were crispy and spicy and just all-round delicious! And although it was a "Chef's Special" and costing $4.95 per dish, it was totally worth it.

I would definitely get this again, it was AMAZING! These fried bitter melon sesame balls, filled with black-sesame paste were ooey-gooey and oh so sweet!

My sister loves her mango pudding, in my opinion it's not as good as the one our mom makes but it was still better than the cheap, imitation mango puddings from sushi restaurants :P

My mom really loves her baked sago, and so she got one of these warm, rich puddings. I had to try a little, and really enjoyed the taro-paste they filled it with. It was a great alternative to the traditional red-bean paste.

I'm also a sucker for agar-agar. I had to try this chilled lychee and longgan agar-agar cake. It was very refreshing and had a nice, crisp bite to it. The wolfberries inside were a great addition to the cake... I'll have to see if I can make this one at home!

Yes, I called this one as well. I'm a sucker for the dessert section of dim-sum. This rich, flaky butter pastry was filled with a lotus-seed and ginger paste and had a century egg in the center. It was so rich and tasty... I felt so guilty eating two!

All in all, I would definitely recommend a visit to Rainbow Butterfly. The service is friendly and very quick. They are very attentive and accomodating to your requests if you are kind and friendly yourself. They have a great variety of traditional and specialty dim-sum dishes and they are, for the most part, relatively decent in price. I plan on making a return visit to Rainbow Butterfly, and ordering all my favorites plus a few other specialties that caught my eye last time. Sadly, neither my stomach nor my wallet are big enough to accomodate what my eyes beg for me to try :( but that just means I'll be back for more!

Searching for my perfect cookie...

I am a sucker for the soft, thin and chewy/bendy chocolate chip cookie. I've always been envious that Safeway can make them so perfectly, but whenever I try to bake a batch of cookies they always turn out either thick and cakey or thin and crispy.... grrrr the frustration! But after weeks of searching, and batches of "failed" thin-chewy cookie attempts (failed is in quotations, because my sisters actually found the cakey ones to be a success :P) I thin I have stumbled upon the perfect recipe. And the best part of it is, that it doesn't use any egg... meaning that I can half the recipe to make a small batch for myself whenever I want!! (I hate trying to divide an egg in half :s).

The Thin and Chewy...

Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 1 cup flour
- 3/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup butterscotch chips
- 1/4 cup pine nuts
- 1/4 cup dried cranberries

Method:
1. Beat together butter and sugars in a bowl. Gradually add in 3 tablespoons of water, and the vanilla until the mixture is smooth.
2. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt. Add this into the butter mixture, stirring until just combined. Add in the chips, nuts and berries.
3. Drop the batter by the tablespoon onto a baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 14 minutes, or until the edges are crisp but the center is still pale.
4. Remove from tray from oven and allow cookies to firm up a bit on the tray (approx 5 minutes). Carefully use a spatula to release the soft cookies from the tray and transfer cookies to cooling racks.

I just have to say that these cookies were aaaaammmaazing!!! My sisters simply fell in love with them. After they picked out the cranberries, they gobbled up almost the entire batch! Actually, it was a good thing they ate most of them because otherwise I would have been shoving all the cookies into my mouth :P This is a must save, frame and always use recipe! I think next time I'll try different combinations of mix-ins... hmmm, oatmeal? raisins? dried dates? who knows...

Brown Rice with Chicken and Sausage

So, it's Spring Break for my little sisters and my parents decided that they'd jet-off to Mexico, leaving me to take care of the silly girls. Alas, I wish I were Mexico-bound and tanning on the beautiful beaches but I am stuck here in BC with the crazy Canadian weather pelting me (literally) with a melange of weather conditions. This morning, my sisters and I woke up to a fairly decent day... the sky wasn't blue per-say but at least it was clear and there were no grey clouds. But then came noon, and the weather gods decided to grace us with a couple hours of rain... and then they showed us some more love by following the rain with snow (would you believe it!??! In mid-March!!?!?). After the snow let up, the weather changed drastically again. The sun came out around 4pm and my sisters even asked to play outside. Sadly, they only managed about 30mins of fun in the sun when the clouds rolled in AGAIN!!. I didn't think that the weather could be any more strange than it was already, but then came the hail! Seriously??? Mr. Weatherman, what are you doing to us Vancouverites?? We just want the blisteringly cold weather to disappear... it is SPRING break after all.

Well, to cheer up my sisters from some really bum weather and the inability to spend their well-deserved Spring Break outdoors I decided to cook up a hearty meal that would warm them. I prepared For more information visit this recipe from Saveur.com and it turned out to be spectacular! It reminded me of jook from some really great HK restaurant or something, except this recipe contains sausages and is more of a paella-style dish rather than congee-soup.

My sisters loved this rice. They helped themselves to 2-3 bowls of it!! I will definitely be keeping this recipe for future use, and I will have to prepare it for my parents sometime when they get back. Those lucky bums... I can just see them now, dancing to some Mexican music and enjoying their fruity cocktails :P Wait until I tell them about our crazy weather, they will not believe me.

Scallops and Spaghettini

Like I said in my last post, I tend to get really inspired to be creative in the kitchen whenever a new season of Hell's Kitchen is on. I've been watching season 5, and I just love how Gordon Ramsey yells at the chefs... they know it's for their own good :P Anyways, having seen the chefs work with scallops often, I decided to whip up a fancy scallop and pasta dish for my mom for her special birthday lunch. Let me be clear that this was a very random recipe, but I will try to document the ingredients and method to the best of my abilities.

Scallops and Spaghettini For Two

Ingredients:
6 thin slices of Yukon Gold potatoes
1 tsp each tarragon and rosemary
1 tbsp olive oil
2 ounces dry spaghettini (1 cup cooked pasta)
1 cup broccoli florets
1 large clove of garlic, minced
1/2 medium onion, julienned
2 tbsp olive oil
6 uncooked scallops
2 tbsp pine nuts, toasted
Salt and Pepper to taste

Method:
1. Toss the potatoes with tarragon, rosemary, some salt and 1 tbsp olive oil. Wrap in an aluminum foil packet and place in a 350 degree oven for 10-15mins until tender.
2. While the potatoes are cooking, prepare the spaghettini according to package directions. When the pasta is half-cooked, add in the broccoli and allow those to cook with the spaghettini. Remove pasta and broccoli from the boiling water while the pasta is slightly undercooked. Set aside
3. Place an empty skillet over medium-high heat for one minute; then add 2 tbsp of olive oil, continuing to heat for 30 seconds. Meanwhile, season the scallops with salt and pepper.
4. Add the scallops to the pan and fry over medium-high heat until cooked through (approximately 2 minutes per side). Remove the scallops and set aside on a heated plate, but keep the oil and scallop juices in the pan.
5. To the pan, add in the garlic and onions. Cook over medium heat until fragrant, then add in the broccoli and the spaghettini.
6. Continue to mix and fry the pasta and vegetables until heated through. Season with salt and pepper.
7. By this time, the potatoes should be finished baking. Remove them from the oven.
7. Plate the dish by placing 1/2 a cup of pasta in one corner of a plate, and topping with one tablespoon of toasted pine nuts. On the opposite corner of the plate (assuming your plate is square) place 3 potato medallions, top each medallion with 1 scallop. Drizzle a home-made or commercially prepared vinegar-based sweet glaze over the scallops and the plate... just be creative!

Jo's Very Quick Glaze
Method: Whisk together 1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar, 1 tbsp brown sugar, 1 tbsp soy sauce and 2 tbsp of raspberry preserves in a small sauce pan. Heat over medium, until sugar is fully dissolved and the sauce looks slightly "drizzl-able" (thick) then remove from heat. Use immediately.

Well, it was a lot of fun making this fancy looking dish for my mom. She really thought it looked like something off of Hell's Kitchen... I don't know if that's suppose to be a complement or not, but I'll take it :P Since it was just my mom and I hanging around the house for lunch, this made-for-two dish was perfect. It was nice and light, and very simple

Mom's Birthday

Another year's gone by and my beautiful mom is celebrating her birthday! Although the big day was a while back, I haven't gotten around to blogging about it until now. University is a bummer, but hey I've only god 1 more year to go :P

Anywho, for mom's birthday we decided to keep it simple and threw a little b-day dessert bash. Since I didn't have enough time to bake her a personalized cake I caved and bought one from Safeway. I didn't want to get her one of those generic, fake-whipped-cream sheet cakes with the silly pastel colored roses, so I opted for an amazing looking triple-layer dulce de leche gateau. I am so glad that I did, and although it was quite pricey for the size, it was completely worth it. I knew that my mom would love it, she love caramel and coffee... so this dulce de leche flavour was going to be perfect!

My sisters and I pitched in to buy her a bunch of small random things that she likes; gummy candies, flower, and a $50 gift-certificate to a local restaurant (The Vault). Having a small schin-dig is way more fun because you don't have to stress out about inviting and entertaining guests, and the truly important guest (the birthday girl) gets all the attention she deserves from all of the people that love her the most! LOVE YOU MOM! Hope you had a great birthday!!

I promised my mom that since I didn't make her a birthday cake, I would whip her up something special for lunch the next day. I have something fantastic in mind... I've been watching the latest season of Hell's Kitchen, and it seems that whenever I watch other people cook I get inspired to try new recipes myself. So, stay tuned for my next post...

Daring Bakers February Challenge: Flourless??

February's recipe for the DB challenge was perfect. I loved the simplicity of only having 3 ingredients in the cake and the ice cream addition was lovely as well. Perfect for Valentine's Day, the flourless chocolate cake was a tantalizing test of my culinary ability. To make the cake takes some patience; melting the chocolate, tempering the yolks and whipping the whites... but in the end it's all worth it!

The February 2009 challenge is hosted by Wendy of WMPE's blog and Dharm of Dad ~ Baker & Chef. They have chosen a Chocolate Valentino cake by Chef Wan; a Vanilla Ice Cream recipe from Dharm and a Vanilla Ice Cream recipe from Wendy as the challenge.

February’s challenge is a Flourless Chocolate Cake, Chocolate Valentino, inspired by Malaysia’s “most flamboyant food ambassador”, Chef Wan. Recipe comes from Sweet Treats by Chef Wan

Chocolate Valentino
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
16 ounces (1 pound) (454 grams) of semisweet chocolate, roughly chopped
½ cup (1 stick) plus 2 tablespoons (146 grams total) of unsalted butter
5 large eggs separated

1. Put chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl and set over a pan of simmering water (the bottom of the bowl should not touch the water) and melt, stirring often.
2. While your chocolate butter mixture is cooling. Butter your pan and line with a parchment circle then butter the parchment.
3. Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites and put into two medium/large bowls.
4. Whip the egg whites in a medium/large grease free bowl until stiff peaks are formed (do not over-whip or the cake will be dry).
5. With the same beater beat the egg yolks together.
6. Add the egg yolks to the cooled chocolate.
7. Fold in 1/3 of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture and follow with remaining 2/3rds. Fold until no white remains without deflating the batter. {link of folding demonstration}
8. Pour batter into prepared pan, the batter should fill the pan 3/4 of the way full, and bake at 375F/190C
9. Bake for 25 minutes until an instant read thermometer reads 140F/60C.
Note – If you do not have an instant read thermometer, the top of the cake will look similar to a brownie and a cake tester will appear wet.
10. Cool cake on a rack for 10 minutes then unmold.

Wendy's Ice Cream Recipe
Vanilla Philadelphia Style Recipe
Preparation Time: 5 minutes
2 cups (473 ml) of half and half (1 cup of heavy cream and 1 cup of whole, full fat milk)
1 cup (237 ml) heavy cream
2/3 (128 grams) cup sugar
Dash of salt
1 (12 grams) tablespoon of vanilla

Mix all ingredients together (we do this in a plastic pitcher and mix with an emulsifier hand blender-whisking works too).
Refrigerate for 30 minutes or longer
Mix in your ice cream maker as directed.

I decided to choose this recipe rather than the other DB option because I didn't have any vanilla pods :( I really have to try and acquire some in the future because I've never worked with vanilla beans before... it'd be an interesting adventure. Also, since I don't own an ice cream maker I followed the instructions on David Lebovitz's Webpage and the ice cream turned out very well! I will definitely make this cake again, it was amazingly rich and luscious. The chocolate I used was the 70% cocoa Nestle Noir, and the cake ended up tasting exactly like the chocolate bar!! Amazing! Well, on to next month's challenge :)

Cinna-Bana-cranberry Pull-apart Loaf

I've never been one for cutting corners when it comes to baking, but hey ... we've all gotta do it sometime. I have occasionally indulged with the box of Betty Crocker Brownies (OMG I love them, they're so easy, fudgy and delicious!) but I have never really branched out into the use of Pillsbury products. So, the other day while I was wandering through Safeway I noticed that Pillsbury biscuits were on sale... what could I do but fall for their cheap marketing ploy. I bought 2 cans :P

Bringing the cans home, I gave them a good inspection. Each can/tube comes with 10 country biscuit inside and the can said don't freeze!! My bad, I had already stuck one of the cans in the freezer while I decided to use the other can straight away... hm, I should probably take it out now. Anyhow, I looked around my kitchen and saw a wonderous world of potential in terms of ingredients... I was ready to make tasty dessert...

Here's the can, hanging out inside of a 2lbs loaf-tin (8x4x2-inch).

Here are the chopped up ingredients. Note how similar chopped up biscuits and hacked up bananas look... and they both do not resemble cranberries at all :P

After being baked for 20mins! Nice and fluffy

Jo's Sweet Cinna-Bana-cranberry Pull-apart Loaf

Ingredients:
- 1 can of Pillsbury Country Biscuits (10 biscuits)
- 1/3 cup melted butter
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
- 1 medium banana
- 1/4 cup dried cranberries

Method:
1. Cut each Pillsbury Biscuit into quarters, set aside
2. Cut up the banana into chunks and toss together with the cranberries, set this mixture aside
3. In an 8 x 4 x 2-inch loaf pan, combine the melted butter, cinnamon and brown sugar. Spread mixture evenly in the bottom of the pan.
4. Place the banana mixture ontop of the brown sugar + butter mixture, spreading it evenly.
5. Take the Pillsbury Biscuit quarters and place them on top of the banana mixture in the pan. Place the biscuits in a single layer (you'll end up squishing the pieces together, this is good... keep squishing so that you make a single layer of biscuit)
6. Place the loaf in a 350 degree oven and bake for 20 minutes. Note: if after 10 minutes the top biscuits begin to brown but the inside remains uncooked, cover the loaf with a sheet of aluminum-foil and continue baking until the 20 minutes is reached or the loaf is cooked all the way through.
7. When the loaf is completely cooked, and no raw biscuits remain, take the hot loaf-pan out of the oven. Using oven mitts of a towel, invert the loaf onto a serving plate while the loaf is still hot.
8. Let the butter-brown sugar mixture drip down the sides of the loaf, allowing the syrup to moisten the entire loaf for at least 3 minutes. Serve warm (preferably with ice cream!)

Oh my goodness, I definitely know what I'm going to be doing with that other tube of Pillsbury Biscuits... make another pull apart loaf. The banana aroma was intoxicating and the buttery-sugary goodness dripping down the chunks of biscuit dough were to die for. My sister loved the "pull-apartness" of the loaf; I too enjoyed the simplicity of not having to use utensils and just using your fingers to grab at the timbit sized chunks of sugary goodness. Perhaps next time I make a pull-apart loaf I'll try apple-cinnamon-raisin, or some other tasty combination ... If you have any suggestions, I welcome them! Anywho, I should probably get back to working on my Nursing term-paper... I haven't even started yet!!

Energy Bars

Just yesterday I was walking through Superstore and decided that I'd mosey on down to the "health-food" section. When I got there, I noticed that they were having a sale on energy bars! Being on a real "running-high" and trying to maximize my nutritional intake and athletic performance, I was excited to try a whole bunch of different energy bars. I simply love Clif bars (my favorite is the Oatmeal Raisin Walnut) and Luna Bars, and usually stick to my favorites for fear of spending money on something that tastes nasty, so when I saw that they were 5 for $5 I was ecstatic. Usually they're $1.49 each, so $1 per bar was a steal. I left the supermarket proud of my purchase, and headed home.

The next day, I thought to myself "hey, it can't be that difficult to make my own energy bars?!" What a brilliant idea! So, I grabbed all of the "healthy" ingredients in my pantry and began sorting out what flavor combinations I wanted to create. I couldn't really decide on the "right" combination so I basically made a hodge-podge energy bar full of ingredients that I deemed energy-bar-worthy.

I can't quite remember the exact proportions of ingredients that I added to my energy bars, but here is the list of the various ingredients and their rough measurements:

Jo's Energy Bars
Yields 6 bars

Ingredients
- 1 medium banana, mashed
- 1/4 cup steamed zucchini, mashed
- 1/3 cup oats
- 1/4 cup 7-grain cereal (hot breakfast cereal, Roger's brand)
- 1/8 cup whole wheat flour
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder
- 1 tbsp espresso powder
- 3 tbsp dried cranberries
- 1 tbsp chocolate chips
- 1 1/4 cup Multi-grain cheerios
- 1/4 cup ground flax seeds
- 2 tbsp no sugar added maple syrup

Method:
1. Mash together the zucchini and the bananas, set aside
2. Combine the remaining ingredients together (except for the maple syrup), tossing well
3. Add the mashed zucchini mixture to the dry ingredients, stirring until the entire mixture is moistened. Add in the maple syrup, to taste
4. Press into half of an 8x8 square pan, and bake at 350F for 15-20minutes or until the mixture is firmed up (honestly, it's difficult to tell if the mixture is fully cooked... but there's no egg in it, so there's no risk of salmonella :P)
5. Remove from oven, allow to cool and cut into 6 bars. 6. Cool bars completely and wrap individually in saran or aluminum foil.

These bars were great! There fairly dense, so I wasn't tempted to eat more than one and they tasted very much like dark chocolate. I think the next time I make this recipe I will add a bit more sugar (or at least some more sugary ingredients) to counter-balance the unsweetened cocoa powder taste. The espresso powder was a nice flavor boost to the bar, and I'm sure the caffeine did something to give me energy :P I usually will eat half of an energy bar before a run (if the run is longer than 75mins) and then have the other half-bar post-run. It's always important to replenish your energy store after a great run, and don't forget to hydrate!

Another Month, Another Run!

It's another month and I have enjoyed spending today running a 10k around Fort Langley with my Dad and a friend that I talked into running with me :) She's been taking a training course for the Sun Run (which is coming up in April) and I figured that this race would be a good form of "homework" for her... maybe she'll get extra credit :P

The weather was perfect for the race. Although it was chilly in the morning, by the time the race started at 9:00am the sun was beaming down it's lovely warmth on all of the participants. The course started in the heart of Historic Fort Langley (I guess that's why they call it the Historic Half Marathon, 10k and 5k) wove through the township of Langley, down Glover Road, Telegraph Trail and back via 88ave to the actual Pioneer Fort in Langley.

It took a while to warm-up but once I got into the swing of things I kept my pace rather well. The course for the Historic had a lot more hills than last months Chilly Chase, but thankfully since the Chilly Chase I began training running up and down hills. Reaching the pioneer fort at the race's end was exhilarating. The crowd was much larger than at the Chilly Chase, so there were a lot more people cheering the racers on. At the end of the race all participants were awarded with a neat medal and there were plenty of healthy refreshments of fruits, dessert tofu, juice, water and buns... and of course Tim Horton's was there handing out their amazing coffee and Timbits.

My next race is the Sun Run, which is a 10k and I'm not too worried about it; but what's really making me nervous is the BMO Vancouver 1/2 Marathon that I'm going to do in May. Hopefully by then I'll have worked on my stamina and will be able to complete the race in under 2.5 hours... but only time will tell.

For more information visit the race webpage.

I do recommend you sign up for this race if you're in the area; it's a lot of fun, especially if you're running with someone you know. But even if you run alone, I find that runners tend to be very friendly people (I've met many runners and shared stories with them as we waited in the pre-race washroom line-up!).

My Race Results:
25th overall (out of 243 10k runners)
7th female finisher (out of 164)
2nd female finisher between 20-29years of age (out of 37)
Chip-Time: 51 minutes 13 seconds

A New Oven!

It seems like oh so long ago, my poor old cream-colored oven konked out on me and I was left with nothing to do but bake in my teeny-weeny toaster oven. Finally, after 3 months of being ovenless (woah... that's 1/4 of a year!) I have my brand new shiny oven. It's a Kenmore, and so far I'm very pleased with it power. The stove-range has a middle burner that you can attach a griddle to. You can probably guess that means I'll be doing a lot more frying :P

But onto the oven, and it's amazingness. It preheats to 350 degrees within 2minutes! That's light-speed compared to the 7-8 minutes it would take my old oven to reach the right temperature. Although I do miss my old oven, this new one is slowly growing on me. I can't wait to test out all of the functions; like the broiling, grilling, self-cleaning!! Yeah! And just in time for me to bake that lovely concoction for the DB challenge.

Yet Another Toaster Oven Creation

Well, my mid-terms are over... but February (the month I have been dreading, in terms of projects and assignments) has only just begun. You know what that means!??! Time to enjoy the carbs :P

The other day I was shopping around Langley and found a cute little place called McFrugal's... I thought to myself, "Man, with a name like that how can an Asian resist :P" So, I stepped in and to my surprise they have some really good-quality stuff there. I was expecting a whole pile of dollar-store-esque products to surround me, but was quite pleased to see that there was very little of that here. What I loved about McFrugal's was that it had a grocery section with a good selection of organic foods, pasta, baked chips, canned vegetables... and tubs of Pecan Cookie Dough! The entire tub of cookie dough was only $2.50 so I had to buy it. I brought it home and immediately began thinking of ways to fancy up this beautiful creation. If I was truly lazy, I would have simply scooped out the dough, placed it on a cookie sheet and made a batch of cookies. But, making cookies from scratch is easy enough (and tastes way better) so I decided that using this cookie dough, I would create the cookie-bar to rule all cookie-bars.

The Ultimate Cookie-bar

Ingredients:
- 1/2 tub of cookie dough
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup marshmallows
- 1/4 cup desiccated coconut
- 1 cup Teddy Grahams, crushed

Method
1. Prepare an 8x8 inch square baking pan. Lining it with tin-foil (for easy lifting), greasing it and flouring it.
2. Press the cookie dough into the pan, even it out and make sure that is covers the bottom of the entire pan.
3. Mix together the chocolate chips, marshmallows, coconut, teddy grahams and set aside.
4. Place the pan in a 350F oven (toaster oven) for 10 minutes.
5. Remove the cookie dough from the oven and sprinkle on your chocolate chip mixture, covering the cookie dough evenly.
6. Place tin foil over-top of the pan to prevent the marshmallows from browning, and return the pan to the oven for another 5 minutes.
7. After 5 minutes check the cookie dough for done-ness by pocking the center with a skewer/toothpick. If not fully cooked, continue to cook covered for 5 more minutes.
8. Once the cookie dough is done, remove the tin foil and continue baking until the marshmallows begin to turn golden (but do not burn).
9. Once marshmallows are golden, remove pan from the oven and allow cookie-bar to cool in the pan for 3 minutes.
10. Remove cookie-bar from pan and place on cooling rack. Cool completely before slicing. Slice into 16 bars.

As the title of this post implies, I did end up making this creation with my trusty toaster oven. But... I am very excited to say that my new oven will be arriving sometime tonight! The delivery guys are bringing in the new oven sometime between 5-9pm tonight and I am beyond thrilled. I really hope that they come at 5pm, because I have a lecture tonight from 6-9pm and I don't want to miss watching them install it! Oh, but it doesn't really matter, as long as it all hooks up alright and the oven doesn't explode I'll be happy. And it's just in time for February's Daring Baker's Challenge. I am one happy baker :)

January DB Challenge: Tuiles

Thank you Daring Bakers! Thank you so much for choosing a recipe that I could actually make with my toaster oven!! Yes, I'm still mourning the loss of my old oven, and awaiting my new oven's triumphant entrance sometime in mid-February. I didn't make my tuiles with chocolate swirls; partly because I was lazy and partly because it would have just added to the hectic-ness of only being able to make 2 tuiles at a time in my tiny oven. But anyways, here goes...

This month's challenge is brought to us by Karen of Bake My Day! and Zorra of 1x umruhren bitte aka Kochtopf. They have chosen Tuiles from The Chocolate Book by Angélique Schmeink and Nougatine and Chocolate Tuiles from Michel Roux.

Following is a recipe taken from a book called “The Chocolate Book”, written by female Dutch Master chef Angélique Schmeinck.

Tuiles

Yields: 20 small butterflies/6 large (I didn't make butterflies, just a couple random shapes)Preparation time: batter 10 minutes, waiting time: 30 minutes, baking time: 5-10 minutes per batch

Ingredients:

- 65 grams / ¼ cup / 2.3 ounces softened butter (not melted but soft)

- 60 grams / ½ cup / 2.1 ounces sifted confectioner’s sugar

- 1 sachet vanilla sugar (7 grams or substitute with a dash of vanilla extract)

- 2 large egg whites (slightly whisked with a fork)

- 65 grams / 1/2 cup / 2.1/4 ounces sifted all purpose flour

- 1 tbsp cocoa powder/or food coloring of choice (I didn't use this, instead I added 1/2 tbsp cinnamon, and 1/4 tbsp powdered ginger)

Prepare: Butter/spray to grease baking sheet. Preheat Oven: 180C / 350F

Method:

1. Using a hand whisk or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle (low speed) and cream butter, sugar and vanilla to a paste (I added my cinnamon and ginger here!). Keep stirring while you gradually add the egg whites. Continue to add the flour in small batches and stir to achieve a homogeneous and smooth batter/paste. Be careful to not overmix.

2. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to firm up. (This batter will keep in the fridge for up to a week, take it out 30 minutes before you plan to use it).

3. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or grease with either butter/spray and chill in the fridge for at least 15 minutes. This will help spread the batter more easily if using a stencil/cardboard template such as the butterfly. Press the stencil on the bakingsheet and use an off sided spatula to spread batter. Leave some room in between your shapes. (If doing cocoa swirls) Mix a small part of the batter with the cocoa and a few drops of warm water until evenly colored. Use this colored batter in a paper piping bag and proceed to pipe decorations on the wings and body of the butterfly. (I didn't use the cocoa swirls, but I did top my tuiles with a sprinkling of sesame seeds before baking)

4. Bake butterflies in a preheated oven (180C/350F) for about 5-10 minutes or until the edges turn golden brown. Immediately release from bakingsheet and proceed to shape/bend the cookies in the desired shape. These cookies have to be shaped when still warm, you might want to bake a small amount at a time or maybe put them in the oven to warm them up again. (Haven’t tried that). Or: place a bakingsheet toward the front of the warm oven, leaving the door half open. The warmth will keep the cookies malleable.

If you don’t want to do stencil shapes, you might want to transfer the batter into a piping bag fitted with a small plain tip. Pipe the desired shapes and bake. Shape immediately after baking using for instance a rolling pin, a broom handle, cups, cones

This challenge was pretty simple, and a lot of fun! I was a bit skeptical of how the tuiles would turn out. I vaguely remember a past failed attempt to make a tuile-like fortune-cookie, and it ended up a disaster. But my silly fears were proven wrong, as this recipe was a hit! Although the batter looks like it contains an abnormally large proportion of butter, it's this butter that is necessary for the spreading and molding of this thin and crisp cookie.

Since the challenge seemed easy, the hosts said that we should pair our tuiles with a "light" sort of dessert/food. I decided to make a Coconut-milk Panna Cotta with Gingered-Pineapple Puree... see recipe below.

Coconut-milk Panna Cotta with Gingered-Pineapple Puree

Ingredients:

- 1 cup coconut milk, from can

- 1 packet gelatin

- 1/2 cup sugar

- 1 tsp vanilla

Method:

1. Prepare molds (I used shot cups and a couple cocktail glasses) by greasing them with oil so that the panna cotta can more easily slide out. Note: If you are eating it right out of the glass, then don't bother greasing it.

2. In a small pot, combine the coconut milk and sugar. Bring mixture to a boil, then bring back down to medium heat.

3. Add in the gelatin and vanilla, stirring to combine well.

4. Remove pot from heat and pour into prepared glasses.

5. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours. Unmold panna cotta and top with pineapple puree (recipe follows). Decorate with tuile (recipe above).

Pineapple Puree

1. Drain 1 can of crushed pineapple of juices (reserve for something else!! drink it?!).

2. Add in 2 tbsp brown sugar and 1 tsp ground ginger.

3. Place mixture in blender and pulse until pureed.

The panna cotta was a tasty light snack. I had never tried making it before, it looked like it was a daunting challenge. Everytime I saw a panna cotta picture it always looked so elegant and flawless... and I thought to myself, "Hmmm... I will probably mess that up". But if you grease the molds well, then you should have no trouble taking out these beauties... so go and give it a try!

Awards!

I actually received this award on January 10th, '09 (from a great blogger herself: Palidor) To be given this award by her is truly humbling... so, thank you sooooo much!!!

I don't know if I'm suppose to pass this one on or not (there weren't any instructions to) but I will anyways!

1) Camille of Rtemis-Epicurus
2) Lily of Hearth and Home
3) Cher of The Baker Who Cooks
4) Happy Home Baking
5) Baking Fiend

I'm always checking out what's new with these bloggers, so you should to! Get inspired to create amazing fun in the kitchen :)

Cheese!

Apologies for being a lazy, lazy bum. But between running and training to do the 1/2 marathon in March, studying for mid-terms and trying to maintain my sanity by planning a couple dine-out nights with some gal pals it appears I have abandoned many things... namely, my blog :(

But fear not! I will definitely be posting for this month's DB challenge, and I am still live and kicking in the kitchen! I just haven't have any time to post my adventures. And yes, the oven is still a miss... we have to wait until February because the gas guys have to come at the same time as the oven-delivery guys to hook up the gas to the oven (it would kinda be scary to have an un-attached open gas line hanging around the house :x) Anyways, on with this post... I must warn you... I'm very, very rusty...


My sister is a great fan of cheese! I too have a fondness for the curdled, solidified form of milk so my sister and I decided to have a cheese-plate party. Basically it was just her and me sitting around and snacking on various cheeses, we did offer our parents some but my mom was not so keen on the smell of some of the varieties.

Cranberry & Pinenut Honeyed Brie

Ingredients:

- 1 wedge of brie

- 3 tbsp honey

- 2 tbsp clear fruit juice (I used pinapple. You could probably use cranberry or apple, but I'd avoid using something too strong because you want the honey to dominate)

- 1/4 cup pinenuts

- 1/4 cup dried cranberries

Method:

1. Place brie wedge in the center of a square piece of aluminum foil.

2. In a small bowl, mix together the cranberries, pinenuts, honey and juice.

3. Spoon the cranberries and pinenuts onto the top of the brie, trying to ensure that the toppings all fit on the top of the cheese.

4. Gather up the sides of the foil around the brie, making a cup-like pocket for the cheese. Carefully Pour the honey-juice mix overtop of the cheese (make sure it doesn't leak!)

5. Fully wrap the cheese with the foil, bake the cheese at 350 degrees for 8mins.

6. Remove brie from foil, plate and serve with toasted pita wedges, crackers, chips or fruits.

My sister loved the goat cheese. At first, she wasn't very skeptical and actually the smell of the cheese lured her in. She didn't really enjoy the brie, because strangely enough, she said that it didn't taste cheesey enough. Truth-be-told, she was right. The brie had a way more mellow flavor, but a flavor that my mom (who hates pungent foods) actually enjoyed. So, I guess that in buying goat cheese and brie, I balanced the flavors and pleased all! I wonder what cheeses I should try next time?

First Race of the Year: Chilly Chase 10k

Having participated in the Vancouver Sun Run in '08, I decided that I would take up a couple more races in '09 as a sort of resolution. Yes, I'm one of those avid runners who simply loves the feeling of the road/treadmill beneath my feet, but just haven't gotten around to signing-up (and paying) to participate in many races. Last year's 10k Sun Run was fun, and I got a fancy t-shirt as part of the registration package, and so for the first race of the year I decided to do another 10k and participated in the Chilly Chase.

My dad ran the race last year, and he kind of sold it to me by stating that once you finish the race they serve up Tim Horton's Chilli! Ah... the truly Canadian way, finishing a race and enjoying Timmy's. My dad decided to run the 5k (as the race offered the option of 5, 10, 15k) and so after the wonderfully scenic run through Langley on a brisk Sunday morning, I met up with my dad around the chilli cookhouse. This race was so much fun, and the weather was wonderful. I was worried at first that there would be a lot of icy patches on the roads (since there was still a lot of snow lingering about) but surprisingly the race course was ice-free! Another concern of mine was the crazy fog that had been making driving around Langley very difficult; but, for some strange reason, the fog decided to dissappear on race day. We were a very lucky bunch of runners!

I managed to convince a friend of mine to join the race with me, which was lots of fun. Running is always more enjoyable when you're doing it with others, and to see the look of accomplishment on your friends' faces after a race well run is very satisfying indeed. So, anyways... I think I should probably get back to baking something... or at least cooking something. (Oh, and of course prepping myself to run the 10k Historic Marathon in Langley!)

For more information about the Chilly Chase: Click HERE

My Race Results:
45th overall (out of 169 10k runners)
17th female finisher (out of 103)
6th female finisher between 20-29 years of age
Chip-Time: 50 minutes 44 seconds

Tasty Cake on a Friday Morning

I know, it's been far far too long since my last post. I seriously have to stop using my non-functional oven as an excuse to stop baking... but hey, it's tough. Luckily, my family has pre-purchased an oven from Sears and all we need to do now is wait for the delivery and installation! Yeah! But until then, I will be forced to bake with my toaster oven... and so far it's been a really great pal-of-mine.

For some reason I was really craving a simple gingerbread recipe... and after searching through my house I realized that I had about a pound of apples hanging about that needed to be used. So, after some arduous online searching I found this Upside-Down Apple Gingerbread recipe from kingarthurflour.com and was well on my way to enjoying a lovely gingerbread breakfast.

The cake was wonderfully moist and I truly enjoyed the addition of the cinnamon-sugared apples. It reminded me of a delicious apple pie mixed with a ginger-molasses pudding... it really is a must try recipe!

Using What I've Got... Espresso Brownies with Cream-cheese Swirls

Just because my equipment is non-functional doesn't mean that I have to follow suit. I am in awe of my amazing little toaster oven... it's really picking up the slack for it's big-sister and is helping me get through my baking-addiction.

It's the start of a new year and I couldn't feel any less energized to ring it in. I decided to surprise the family this New Year's morning (which, by the time everyone woke up was actually 11am) by baking them a fresh batch of Espresso Brownies! But being that coffee tastes so much better when cream is added I decided to add in an amazing cream-cheese swirl topping.

Espresso Brownies with Cream-cheese Swirls

Ingredients for Brownies:
1⁄2 cup butter (1 stick)
6 oz. unsweetened chocolate (6 squares)
1 1⁄2 cups granulated sugar
2 1⁄2 tbsp. instant espresso coffee powder

1 tbsp finely ground coffee grinds (optional, but adds a nice texture)
1 tsp. vanilla

3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1⁄4 tsp. salt
1 cup all-purpose flour

Ingredients for Cream-cheese Swirls:

3 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

2 tbsps unsalted butter, room temperature

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

1 tbsp all purpose flour

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease 8x8-inch square baking pan.

2. In medium saucepan, over low heat, melt butter and chocolate, stir until smooth. Remove from heat, stir in sugar, espresso powder, vanilla and coffee grinds if using.

3. Add eggs and salt, blend well.

4. Gradually stir in flour, mix until smooth. Spread batter evenly into pan.

5. Make cream-cheese mixture by creaming together the cream-cheese, butter and sugar. Add in beaten egg and mix in flour until well incorporated.

6. Make swirls: drop dollops of cream-cheese mixture by the tablespoon onto the brownie batter in a random design of "dots". Use the tip of a sharp knife to run through the various cream-cheese dots and swirl the batters together.

7. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Cool thoroughly in pan on wire rack, cut into squares.

These brownies were amazing! Much better than the boxed kind (although I do love Betty Crockers brownies :O) The cream-cheese swirls were not overpowering in flavor, but did add that wonderful subtle creaminess to contrast the rich dark-chocolate flavor of the brownie batter. The addition of finely ground coffee beans was also very intriguing; they added a slightly gritty texture to the bars that lingered on after you swallowed the rich brownie. I've always been a fan of the chocolate covered coffee beans... I just love the grit, I don't know why?! I will definitely be making these brownies again, I might even have to make a double batch because my sisters loved them so much.