Still everyone's favorite brownies...

There is one type of brownies that I am requested to make over and over again, and it's the Oreo Brownies. Actually, I think anything with chopped Oreo cookies in them, people will love it: brownies, biscotti, cakes, fudge, ice cream. Sold!

I have already posted once on Oreo Brownies here, and this is just a slightly different version, from Kraft Kitchen, with no addition of cocoa powder, a bit less of butter and chocolate. The best part of baking this (beside the obvious of eating them) is the use of just ONE bowl for your satisfaction.

One-bowl Oreo Brownies

(adapted from Kraft)

• 4 squares Baker's Unsweetened Chocolate
• 3/4 cup butter
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 cup flour
• 1 1/2 cup chopped Oreo cookies (Kraft suggested 1 cup cookies and 1 cup raisins, but really, raisins???)

Heat oven to 350°F. Line a 13x9-inch baking pan with parchment paper, with an inch or so sticking our the sides of pan (for easy lifting later)
Microwave chocolate and butter in large bowl 2 minutes or until butter is melted. Stir until chocolate is completely melted. Stir in sugar. Add eggs and vanilla and mix well. Stir in flour until well blended. Mix in 1 cup of chopped cookies.
Spread into prepared pan. Sprinkle with the rest of the chopped cookies. Bake 30 to 35 min. or until toothpick inserted in centre comes out with fudgy crumbs (Mine only took about 15-20 minutes!!!!) Do not over-bake!!! Cool in pan, then lift out and cut in squares.

Another Oreo related thing I made last week is a Kaboum cake (A Quebec kids show) Unfortunately I don't have pictures of the cut cake, but just imagine: dark chocolate cake layers, with a filling of dark chocolate buttercream and chopped Oreo cookies. Hm.... it's a good thing I have self-control....

This was my inspiration for colors

And this is what the cake looked like

So, Oreo-up your sweet treats, I'm sure that will bring lots of cheers and hugs from everyone (And I better warn you, get used to the requests afterward)

Spinach, berries & smoked salmon salad with strawberry balsamic reduction

We just got back from Miami and a cruise in the Caribbean and now we are back to the freezing weather of Montreal. So usually, I would have opened this post with something along the line of "reality sucks!", or "it's like ripping the bandage off", but with all that is going on in Haiti, it just sounds... well... bratty and inappropriate. I don't think I need to say more on the horrible situation, as I'm sure everyone are well informed. I do sincerely hope that everyone there will get all the help they need, and that everyone over here continue to support all the volunteers who are working hard to make that happen (And here is one of the many ways to show it)

As for the cruise, I think we definitely brought winter along with us. The trip was great nonetheless. We had a few sunny, warm bikini days, but the rest was more like I-will-be-in-denial-and-wear-short-shorts-but-I-am-bringing-my-sweater-along kind of weather. It was our first cruise, and although it was an awesome experience, I don't think we would do it again anytime soon. Maybe when we are more like... 60-70 years old? (Not because of any negativity, but because we prefer to do a little more than just being pampered all day)

They had a great entertainment program for us every night. The crew was awesome: exceedingly polite, caring and friendly. And boy, did we eat...I'm not kidding when I say that we would go to a sit down restaurant, have the whole 3 course meal and then get up and go to the buffet for a second round... Needless to say, we were in the gym everyday running all that food off keeping ourselves in good health. It was so good.

So after a whole week of being spoiled, I haven't felt like cooking again just yet. I'm eating out, pulling out things from the freezer and and making meals that require no effort. And I successfully achieved my goal tonight.

It's a straight forward what-you-see-is-what-you-get salad: avocado, baby spinach, berries and smoke salmon with a strawberry balsamic reduction. Ok, so the reduction is the most "work", but I made this in advance, and keep it in a squeeze bottle in the fridge. Initially, I made them separately, and then mixed only part of both so I have 3 different sauces on hand.

Balsamic reduction  

(makes about 1 cup)

• 1 bottle of balsamic vinegar 500 ml
  
• A few cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
  
• Dried herbs: rosemary, parsley, thyme, etc

Put everything in a medium sauce pan, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and let simmer for 40-60 minutes, depending on how thick you like it to be. (The result will reduce significantly to about 1/3 of what it was in the beginning, and it is so worth it) Strain if you'd like and bottle once cooled.

Strawberry sauce:

(makes about  1 cup)

• 15 big strawberries, chopped (I froze some back in the summer, it works very well)
• 1 Tbsp water
• About 1 Tbsp sugar (more or less depending on how sweet the strawberries are)
  
• 1 Tbsp jam, optional (I used boysenberry because that's what I had)

Put everything in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a gentle boil and whiz everything up with a hand-held blender (or use a normal blender and then transfer back to the saucepan afterward) Mix well, then strain if you prefer the sauce to be seedless. Cool completely.

I mixed equal parts of both for this salad, but you can adjust it to your taste, to be more balsamic-y or berry-ish.


***You can use the strawberry sauce for ice cream or plain yogurt!

Enjoy the healthy salad, know how lucky we are to be alive and well. Send your thoughts to those in need today (contribution too, if you have!!!) We should all spread the love!!!

One soup, two ways

I have started a new relationship. Yes, I am in love with a Rebel... Canon Rebel XS.

I bought it yesterday and now I can't put it down. My heart flutters every time I hold it. With each picture taken, it beats a little faster. And with every glance, the butterflies in my tummy go haywire.

Ok, ok, maybe it's not dramatic like that, but pretty close, no joke... So today, I made soup for my Rebel. Vegetable Soup Two Ways. Just to say "Welcome to the family, sit down and have a hearty soup to warm you up. Make yourself at home!" That kind of thing....

Chunky Vegetable Soup

• A splash of olive oil
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced, or chopped
• 1 small onion, chopped.
• 2 medium carrots, chopped
  
• 2 stalks of celery, chopped
• a pinch of (sea) salt
  
• 1 cup of tomato puree (I used canned)
• 1 can of corn, drained
  
• 1L of chicken broth (Or vegetable broth if you prefer)
  
• 1 can of beans (I had pinto beans on hand) drained and rinsed
  
• a pinch of dried herbs like: thym, rosemary, parsley,  
  
• 1/2 cup cooking cream, or whole milk
  
• a few pinches of turmeric, curry powder and cayenne pepper
  

Heat olive oil over medium low heat in a soup pot (big enough to hold everything you have) and throw in garlic, onions, carrots and celery. Stir around a bit, add the salt and cover. Let sweat for about 10 minutes.

Add the tomato puree and corn, stir, let cook for a few minutes. Then add the broth, turn heat up to maximum and bring to a boil.

Add the beans. Season with dried herbs.

Chunky vegetable soup

Cream of vegetable soup:

Transfer half of the chunky soup into another soup pot. Whiz everything up with a hand-held blender, or in a blender. Then use a sieve, and "filter" the soup. Bring back to a boil, add  cream, turmeric, curry powder, cayenne pepper and stir well. 

Cream of vegetable soup

And voila. All I'm missing right now is some thick slices of bread, toasted with melted cheese on top.... Hmmmm....

I am going back to my Rebel. Have a great day and Happy Holidays once again!!!!!

St-Morgon spinach quiche

I had a block of Saint Morgon cheese just sitting in my fridge screaming "Spread me!" It's great on crusty bread because of its creamy smooth texture, pungent aroma and delicious taste BUT (yes... there is always a but... ) with all the hearty, rich and compact holiday meals wedged in, I just couldn't imagine myself ingesting all that. So I knew I had to make something with it...

Quiche! And just like that, it was one of the things featured on the menu for my dinner with friends. Since I was going to use the oven, I thought I might as well make two. Serve one and eat one by myself freeze one for later.

St-Morgon spinach quiche
(makes 2 pies, serves 8-10 each)

• 2 deep dish pie crusts, home-made or store-bought.
• a drizzle of olive oil
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 2 onions, sliced
• A handful of sun-dried tomatoes, chopped.
• 1 bag frozen spinach, thawed, squeezed of excess water (about 6-7 oz, a bag is 10 oz but I took out some for something else)
• 8 eggs
• 1 cup table cream
• 1 cup milk
• 2 wedges of La Vache qui rit cheese
• 1 block of creamy Saint Morgan cheese (this is what I had on hand. Substitute with Brie if you want)
• 16 big pieces of sun-dried tomatoes to decorate top if desired

Thaw pie crusts and pre-bake according to package. Let cool when done. Set oven to 350*F

In a pan over medium heat, drizzle the oil n butter, when butter melts, add the onions and cook until soft, about 10, 15 minutes, stirring once in a while. Then add the handful of chopped sun-dried tomatoes, stir around for a minute, then add the spinach, mix well and take off the heat.

In a mixing bowl, whisk the eggs lightly. Add cream, milk, and break little pieces of La Vache Qui Rit, then whisk everything together.

Slice cheese (Saint Morgon) and put onto bottom of pie crusts, top with spinach mixture, and then egg mixture. Use a fork and nudge the spinach a bit so that the egg mixture fill up every space there is. Top with the rest of the tomatoes for decoration before putting them in the oven.

Bake until the center is just set. Mine baked for about 40 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes or so before serving.

***Just a little tip for the one you will be freezing. Cool it completely, cut into desired wedges then wrap individually in aluminum foil. Freeze. When you want to eat one, do not thaw, heat it as is, with the top opened, in a 350*F oven, for about 15-20 minutes, or until heated through.

1 fail + 1 mess = 1 sinfully delicious success

I hate when my attempts go wrong.
And I love when my fails go right.

A few days ago I decided that I would make Molasses Toffee for the first time. So I pulled out the brand new candy thermometer that I bought a year ago, and put on my game face. I. AM. PREPARED.

Sugar and molasses. Check.
Cream and butter. Check.
Cocoa powder and a pinch of salt. Check.
Boil. Whisk. Boil come more. Whisk some more. Pour. Wait. Score. Wait. Cut.

Sounds easy enough, right? WRONG! One day and a half went by, it still didn't harden. I even put it in the fridge and still nothing. WTF?

And then, at the most perfect moment, the occasional light bulb lit up above my head. And just like that, I made turtles.

Now, I'm not saying this is the best way or easiest way to make turtles, but the result will have you wanting to make it. It takes a little bit of effort but you will definitely taste the love afterward.

Cocoa Molasses Toffee
(recipe from The Kitchn)

• 1 cup molasses
• 3 cups sugar
• 2 cups whipping cream
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 4 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt

Line a 9x13" pan with aluminum paper that hangs over the sides (for easy lifting later) and butter bottom and sides.
In a big pot, clip you thermometer, heat the molasses and sugar over high heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Then boil for another 8 minutes without stirring. When the sugar starts to smoke or reaches 350*F, take it off the heat.
Meanwhile, warm the cream over medium heat but not boiling. Once the sugar caramelizes, whisk in the cream and butter. Put back to low heat, bring to a simmer and watch the temperature. Boil this for about 45 minutes to an hour, you won't have to stand next to the pot. When it hits 250 degrees F (the lower end of the hardball stage) remove from heat and immediately whisk in the cocoa and salt. Pour into the buttered pan.
Let cool completely over night, then place in the fridge until ready to use.

Buttery Crunchy Base:
(taken from the Rice Krispies recipe)

• 2 cups Rice Krispies
• 1 1/3 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup butter, soften or room temperature
• 1/2 cup brown sugar.

Heat oven to 350*F
In a mixing bowl, stir together Rice Krispies, flour, baking soda and salt.
In another mixing bowl, blend together butter and sugar. Then stir in the cereal mix until well blended and crumbly. Press into the bottom of a 9x13" pan lined with parchment paper. Bake for 15 minutes

Now comes the messy part... Take the toffee out of the fridge & lift it out of the pan. Carefully invert it onto the Buttery Crunchy Base so that it fit directly over it.

Layer pecan halves over the toffee. Bake again for another 10-15 minutes or so. Let cool completely. Place in the fridge again before cutting.

You should have about 100 pieces, depending on how you big you cut them. At this point, you can eat it as in if you'd like, but why stop there, right? Melt dark chocolate (or semi-sweet if you prefer) in a bain-marie, and dip each piece bottom first. Let dry on a baking pan lined with parchment paper. Place in the fridge for a few minutes if need be. Then dip the top again.

My colleagues will tell you "C'est cochon!!!!" and "Hhhhhmmmmm!!!" and "OH. MY. GOD. Damn girl, them turtles be good!" so seriously, make them. You can have such a big batch, and make a lot of people happy. Bring them to work, wrap them up as Christmas presents and eat some while doing so.

Enjoy! And spread the love!!!!

A society of gingerbread people

I have been sitting here for 20 minutes trying to figure out how am I going to write the intro to this blog, and all I can come up with, is how long I've been sitting here thinking about it....

So when this happens, the best thing to do is to keep things short and sweet. Hhmmm... sweeeeet.... Actually, we'll keep things spice and sweet today.

I present you, my society of gingerbread people:

The traditional guy (and his Christmas tree) He's old-school, but he's just as flavorful as any other. He is simple, what you see is what you get.

The fashionable crowd. These chicks know how to dress it up! They don't go anywhere without the dazzle of the color sugar

The gym nuts... Ya... Them wacky outfits... But watch out, they've got bites these sillies

Then there is the shy guy who doesn't really talk much. He seems nice, but no one knows much about him. Apparently, he is really sweet!

And last but not least, the party dude, who is always happy to funk & dunk

I found the recipe here on Joy of Baking, one of my favorite recipe sites for a lot of things. The batch yield 15 big cookies, but it all depends on the size of your cutter and how thick you roll them, you might get more than I did :)

You can use this recipe for the icing (use 1/2 cup cold water instead of half cold water and half lemon juice) Or you can also use melted white chocolate for a different taste.

Enjoy! And bring on the holiday cookies!!!!!!