Chocolate Glazed Doughnuts

Last week I knew I was going to have a long weekend ahead of me. I had an English paper due the following Monday that I hadn't even started, and I had a three page math review to complete. I knew I was going to have to take action if I didn't want the entire weekend to be a bummer. That action was making donuts. How could I not find at least one bright spot if there were donuts involved? I used my usual trick for the doughnut part. I decided I wanted to try a chocolate glaze this time. Some googling led me to a recipe that I had most of the ingredients on hand for, and it turned out pretty well. I didn't have any milk, but I did have some leftover cream in the fridge, so I used that. I used a little too much really. My glaze wasn't so thin that it just ran right off, but it never quite developed the thin top layer that most glazes do. I'll know to restrain myself a little when it comes to the dairy next time. I'll also cut the whole recipe in half. I had a lot leftover, especially since I only made 6 doughnuts this time, reserving some of the biscuits for bacon and eggs the next day.

Chocolate Glaze
Recipe from Emeril Lagasse; Makes 2-3 cups

1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 cup powdered sugar
5 tablespoons milk

• In a small bowl, combine the cocoa powder and the powdered sugar. Add in the milk and whisk until smooth.
• After letting the fresh doughnuts drain on a paper towel for a moment, dip the top of a doughnut into the glaze. Set on wire rack. I topped two small plates with sprinkles and coconut flakes and dipped some of my doughnuts and doughnut holes in them for a little extra fun.
  

A Bit of a Healthier Bite- Whole Wheat Brownies

I noticed this recipe from the September 2010 issue of Everyday Food, tucked into the back of the magazine, and it also ended up tucked into the back of my mind. I don't know if it's been noticeable here, but I love to substitute whole wheat into recipes whenever I can. It's especially easy in pancakes or muffins, but can be a little more difficult with the sweeter baked treats. This time around the recipe did all the work for me, so no worrying about whether or not my substitution would turn out to be a big mistake. I have always been suspicious of baking recipes that include applesauce. I know a lot of people that swear by it as a healthy substitution, but every time I've eaten something baked with applesauce (other than an actual apple dessert) it has seemed noticeable and not all that pleasant. I took a chance anyway, and I'm glad that I did. These brownies are far from being health food, with the butter and of course all that chocolate. But if you're going to make a brownie, and would like to save a couple of calories or sneak in a smidge of fiber, then this is a good recipe to try out. These brownies came out pretty cake like for me, so if thick fudgy brownies are your thing I wouldn't recommend these. I however, am indiscriminate when it comes to brownies. Fudgy, cake, or anywhere in between- I like them all.

Whole Wheat Brownies
Recipe from Everyday Food; Makes 16

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for pan
1/2 cup all purpose flour, spooned and leveled
1/2 cup whole wheat flour, spooned and leveled
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 large egg
8 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8" square baking dish; line with parchment, leaving a 2" overhang on all sides. In a medium bowl, whisk together flours, cocoa, baking powder, salt and baking soda.
• In a large bowl, stir together sugar, applesauce, and egg. Place butter and 6 ounces chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over (not in) a pot of simmering water; stir until melted. Stir chocolate mixture into sugar mixture. Stir in flour mixture. Pour into pan and top with 2 ounces chocolate.
• Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out with moist crumbs attached, 40 minutes. Let cool in pan on a wire rack. Use parchment to lift cake from pan and cut into 16 squares. (Store in an airtight container, up to 5 days.)

My notes: I skipped the whole butter/parchment step and just sprayed my glass pan w/ some nonstick canola cooking spray. I cut my brownies and just popped out one for each of us. I'm storing them in the pan until I pack them up for Josh to take to work. Whole wheat or not, I don't need to eat them all! Also, I used my favorite WW flour, white whole wheat. It's a finer grain that regular whole wheat, so I find it works better for most baking substitutions.

Mother's Day Goodies

For Mother's Day this year I decided to put together some cute little packages of goodies for my mom, Josh's step-mom, and his grandmother. I put together smaller packages for both of my sister-in-law's and one for Josh's mom, to go with the plant she requested. Everything went over really well, so I thought I would share some of the goodies with you guys. The packages were comprised of a box of Chocolate Chip Cookies, Red Velvet Truffles, and Sugar & Spice Pecans.

Chocolate Chip Cookies
Adapted from Amy Sedaris and Nestle Toll House; makes 5 dozen












2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 1/4 cups flour
12 oz. semisweet chocolate chips

• Beat butter and sugars together. Add eggs and vanilla and mix. Gradually add flour, salt, and baking soda. Stir in the chocolate chips.
• Chill dough for at least 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Roll into small balls and flatten in palm of hand. Place on greased cookie sheet. Bake for about 9-11 minutes.
  

My notes: Amy Sedaris adds more chocolate chips and pecans, but I decided to omit the nuts since I was already using pecans in another way and I was making smaller cookies so I used just one bag of chips. Instead of rolling and flattening the dough I used my cookie scoop to drop about 1 tablespoon or so of dough onto a parchment lined baking sheet. This made the cookies a little smaller, and allowed me to get more out of single batch of dough.

Red Velvet Truffles
Recipe from Bakerella; Makes about 50















1 box red velvet cake mix, cooked as directed on box for a 13x9" cake
1 16 oz. can cream cheese frosting
12 squares semisweet chocolate, melted
Decorations, optional

• After cake is cooked and cooled completely, crumble into large bowl. Mix thoroughly with 1 can cream cheese frosting.
• Roll mixture into quarter size balls and lay on cookie sheet. Chill for several hours. You can speed this up by putting in the freezer, which I did.
• Melt chocolate in microwave per directions on package. Roll balls in chocolate and lay on wax paper lined baking sheet until firm.

My notes: I sprinkled each truffle with some red decorative sugar, to match the interior. Refrigerate after completed. I made these a little smaller than I probably should have, so I actually have cake balls in the freezer to make more truffles later. I made 50 truffles, and still have plenty extra, so the next time I make them I will definitely make the balls bigger, and I might make two 9" cakes and use just one for truffles. These truffles were the biggest hit of all though, so I will definitely make them again.

Sugar & Spice Pecans










You can see the recipe for Sugar & Spice Pecans I've made before here.











And that's what came out of my kitchen for Mother's Day!

Choco-tastic

Monday night I made these cookies, which were once again delicious. They were a bit easier this time around with the use of the KitchenAid as well. This time I used semi-sweet chocolate chips because I'm lazy. How's that for honesty? I think you should give them a shot. And you know I mean it. After all, I didn't lie to you about the chocolate chips.

Browniebabe Of The Month

My participation in this blog event was a result of coincidence and circumstance. It just so happens that my new issue of Everyday Food had a cover article on brownies. And thanks to the inclement weather yesterday I found myself home 3 hours earlier than normal. And I'd been craving sweets ever since my husband made cookies the night before- cookies that I couldn't eat because they contained my most hated form of chocolate, white. So, all these things came together, convincing me that I should go ahead and whip up some brownies. Browniebabe Of The Month has been created by Myriam at Once Upon A Tart as an ode to the lovely fudgy baked good that no one can turn down. And I think the brownie is a splendid choice to base an event around because it is so darn versatile. I've already got several ideas about my entry for next month! But before I get ahead of myself, let me get down to this months recipe first. I followed the base recipe in Everyday Food, since they were so kind to know that I would need to make brownies in the first place. I tweaked it to create my own batch of---

Almond Mocha Brownies
Based on Everyday Food recipe; Makes appx. 16 squares
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces, plus more for pan
1 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
1/4 cup unsweetend cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
8 ounces semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 1/4 cups sugar
3 large eggs
Additions: 2 teaspoons instant espresso powder, 2/3 cups chopped almonds

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush a 9-inch square baking pan with butter. Line bottom and two sides with a strip of parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on the two sides. Butter paper, and set pan aside. In a small bowl, whisk flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
• Place butter and chocolate in a large heatproof bowl set over (not in) a saucepan of gently simmering water. Heat, stirring occasionally, until smooth, 2 to 3 minutes; remove bowl from pan. Add sugar; mix to combine. Add eggs, and mix to combine. Add flour mixture; mix just until moistened (do not overmix). Transfer batter to prepared pan; smooth top.
• Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, 50 to 60 minutes. Cool in pan for 30 minutes. Using paper overhang, lift brownies out of pan; transfer to a rack to cool completely (still on paper). On a cutting board, using a dampened serrated knife, cut into 16 squares. Store in an airtight container at room temperature, up to 2 days.

My notes: To make my Almond Mocha version you need to add the 2 teaspoons of espresso powder to the melted chocolate & butter mixture. Then add the almonds after you have added the flour mixture. I love how coffee really enriches the flavor of chocolate, and the almonds add a complimentary flavor and texture without taking the spotlight away from the fudgy, cocoa goodness.

Sugar High Friday #29

Last month for my first Sugar High Friday, originally created by Domestic Goddess, I was super early, ahead of the game with anticipation. This time around I'm barely squeezing in before the deadline. This time is probably a more accurate portrayal of me, the procrastinator. This month it's being hosted by Chocolate In Context and so it should be no surprise the theme is raw chocolate. Since I'm just a newbie I decided to stick with unsweetened cocoa powder. I went scouting for recipes, and added the extra requirement of it being something I could try out my new Kitchenaid mixer with. I settled on a recipe that is no stranger to the food blog world- Chocolate Biscotti, recipe courtesy of Dorie Greenspan, by way of Peabody. This recipe was super easy, especially with my new toy.

Chocolate Biscotti
Recipe by Dorie Greenspan
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tablespoons instant espresso powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 stick unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped nuts
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift together the flour, cocoa, espresso powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Working together with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar together on a medium speed until pale, about 2 minutes; the mixture may appear crumbly. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the eggs and vanilla and beat for another 2 minutes; don't worry if the mixture looks curdled. Reduce the mixer speed to low and mix in the dry ingredients in 3 additions, mixing only until dough forms. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Mix in the chopped nuts and chocolate, then turn the dough out onto a work surface and knead in any dry ingredients that might have escaped mixing.
• Divide the dough in half. Working with one half at a time, roll the dough into 12 inch long logs. flatten both logs with the palm of your hand, so that they are 1/2 to 1 inch high, about 2 inches across and sort of rectangular. Carefully list the logs onto the baking sheet, and sprinkle each log with a little sugar.
• Bake the logs for about 25 minutes, or until they are just slightly firm. The loafs will spread and crack, which is fine. Remove the baking sheet from the oven, put it on a cooling rack and cool the logs for about 20 minutes. (Leave the oven on.)
• Working with one log at a time, using a long serrated knife, cut each log into slices, between 1/2 and 3/4 inch thick. Stand the slices up on the baking sheet- you'll have an army of biscotti- and bake the cookies again, this time for just 10 minutes. Transfer to wire rack to cool.

My notes: I used slivered almonds, and didn't bother chopping them, just to save a little time. I also used semisweet chocolate, because that's what I happened to have. Other than that everything pretty much went exactly as described above. We took some to Josh's aunt & uncle yesterday when we went to pick up the turntable and records, and they were so impressed that I made biscotti. I guess it's one of those things that can be impressive. Personally I think it's the name that makes the biggest impression. If I told them I brought them some hardened cookie slices they might not be as excited. :)

Home Sweet Home

Well, I'm back from my sister's wedding, although I think a little part of my liver died while I was there. But I've re-hydrated, and am currently enjoying the results of the recipe I'm about to post. I got home one night and felt like crap. I'd had a bad day, and had no interest in making dinner. So, I made sandwiches, as I recall. But, later on I felt like doing some baking, and what could help improve my spirits more than some chocolate? So, I did a little research and found this recipe, for which I had all the ingredients. I got to work, and let me tell you, it took me awhile to get these cookies accomplished. Mostly because I was doing everything by hand, and I am incredibly weak. It took me forever to incorporate the flour mixture. But it was well worth it, because these cookies were delicious. The cramps in my forearm did however convince me to go out and get myself a KitchenAid mixer. I just got the plain 4.5 qt Classic mixer from Target. Nothing fancy, but should be helpful for the times I've got to whip something up. I'm also hoping that I can start testing the waters with yeast. Anyways, I'm expecting Josh to get home any minute, so let's get to the recipe.

Espresso Double-Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Recipe from Martha Stewart; Makes appx. 18 3" cookies
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons instant espresso powder
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup packed light-brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, plus 1 large egg yolk
7 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

• Preheat oven to 325°. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda; set aside. In a small bowl, stir together espresso powder, vanilla, and a tablespoon of water; set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add egg and yolk; mix until incorporated. Add espresso mixture; mix well, scraping down the sides of a bowl with a spatula.
• At low speed, add flour mixture in small batches, mixing until just combined. Remove bowl from mixer, and stir in chocolate chunks.
• Using a 2-ounce ice-cream scoop, scoop heaping balls of dough and place 3 inches apart on prepared baking sheets.
• Bake until cookies are set, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven; let cool completely before removing cookies.

My notes: I actually only had 5 ounces of semisweet chocolate, so my cookies were slightly less chunky as they could have been. But the 5 ounces seemed like plenty to me, cause we both loves these cookies.