Diane Can Cook: 2011

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Best Brownies Ever!

by Laura

This perfectly fudgy chocolate brownies recipe is adapted from a Martha Stewart I stumbled upon when internet recipe hunting a few weeks ago and I am so glad it came into my life! One bite of these is pure chocolate heaven and the recipe is so simple! No special equipment required!

Fudgy Chocolate Brownies

adapted from Martha Stewart

Ingredients

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for pan
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (I used Guittard dark chocolate wafers/discs)
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8-inch square baking pan or heatproof glass dish. Line pan with parchment paper, leaving a 1-inch overhang on 2 sides. Set aside. Place butter and chocolate in a large heatproof bowl set over (but not touching) simmering water; stir frequently until chocolate and butter are melted, about 7 minutes. Remove bowl from heat; let cool to room temperature, 10 to 15 minutes.
Stir sugar into cooled chocolate mixture until combined. Whisk in eggs one at a time, whisking until smooth after each addition. Whisk in vanilla. Gently fold in flour and salt.
Pour batter into prepared pan, and smooth top with an offset spatula. Bake until cake tester inserted in the center comes out with only a few moist crumbs attached, 40 to 45 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack to cool completely.
Run a knife or offset spatula around the edges of the pan. Using parchment, lift brownies out of pan and onto the rack. Transfer to a cutting board; cut into 2-inch squares.

Here's how mine turned out:

Trust me--these are as good as they look!

I've made these three times--once with high quality Valrhona chocolate and twice with the Guittard Dark Chocolate wafers/discs and Diane and I both agree the Guittard chocolate made the tastier brownies! Whatever chocolate you decide to use make these babies this holiday season (or anytime really) and everyone around you will thank you!

Happy Holidays!

Friday, December 9, 2011

Late Night Snack: Homemade Cheez-its

by Laura

It's late in the evening on a Friday night and if you're anything like me you're getting hungry for a snack to munch on... it's Homemade Cheez-it time!

I found the perfect recipe...Home Away's Malcolm describes this snack beautifully and quite frankly, I couldn't have said it better myself.

"There are definitely foods that I used to enjoy, that I have had to stop having around the house. Cheez-It brand snack crackers are one of the foods I have had to simply give up, such is my devotion to them. You can keep your Goldfish, your Cheese Nips, and your Better Cheddars. Cheez-Its are my dark master. I’ll go through an entire box in an afternoon, sitting in front of the television, making myself sick as I add fresh cracker after cracker into the ever-growing cracker-mush pocket tucked between my cheek and gum. It’s disgusting, really. But few things go as well with beer, and with a Sunday afternoon, as a box of Cheez-Its.

But oh, the humanity! Around 2,000 calories per box. Almost 100 grams of fat! Around 2800 grams of sodium! This version uses just five ingredients, and you can go as organic with them as you’d like. They aren’t quite as crunchy as Cheez-Its right out of the box, but I like them even better that way. If they seem TOO soft, toss them into the oven for a few minutes longer. No matter what, you’ll still probably finish the whole batch in one sitting."

Homemade Cheez-It Crackers
Adapted from a recipe on The Thin Chef
Ingredients:

1 cup flour
4 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small squares
1 (8-ounce) bag grated extra-sharp 2% Cheddar cheese (preferably orange)
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Method:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients in food processor, and pulse until crumbly. Add cold water, a tablespoon at a time, until dough comes together. Form into ball, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill in the freezer for at least 30 minutes. Place dough between two pieces of plastic wrap or parchment paper, and roll out to 1/8 inch thickness. Transfer to parchment-lined baking sheet, and, using pizza cutter or sharp knife, cut into 1 inch squares. Sprinkle with kosher salt and bake for 25 minutes. Test for crispiness; crackers may take a few minutes more to finish crisping. Remove from oven when crisp and just starting to brown. Let cool and serve.

Here's how mine turned out: