Sunday, June 30, 2013

TGI Friday's Brownie Obsession

I will be honest, I haven't tried to make this recipe but if it is like the one at the restaurant, then they are amazing! So, I thought I would post it for anyone who might want to give it a shot.

Pre-heat oven 350
Grease 9 x 13 pan

Brownies

1 2/3 granulated sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
2 tbsp water
2 bars (4 oz) unsweetened Giradelli baking bar, broken into pieces
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/3 flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/3 tsp salt
1/2 cup shopped nuts (optional)

Microwave sugar, butter and water in large microwavable bowl on high for 4 to 5 minutes or until it is bubbly, stirring once. Add baking bars; stir until melted.
Add eggs one at a time until incorporated. Stir in vanilla extract. Add flour, baking soda and salt; stir well add nuts. Pour into prepared 9 x 13 baking pan.
Bake 15 - 20 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out slightly sticky. Cool in pan on wire rack, cut into bars.

To serve

Place brownie in shallow bowl. Top with chocolate sauce(recipe below). Put a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. Drizzle Carmel sauce(recipe below) over the ice cream and sprinkle with chopped pecans.



Chocolate sauce

2/3 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup sugar
6 oz semi-sweet Giradelli chocolate baking bar(broken into pieces)

Heat the cream with the butter and sugar in a bowl over a saucepan of barely simmering water. Stir until smooth. Add the chocolate to the cream mixture. Stir over simmering water until it is melted and thoroughly combined. Let cool at room temperature.

Carmel sauce

3/4 cup brown sugar
4 tsp cornstarch
2/3 cup whipping cream
1 tbsp butter

In a saucepan combine brown sugar and cornstarch. Add whipping cream and butter. Bring mixture to a boil stirring constantly. Then, reduce heat. Cook and stir for 2 more minutes. Cover and cool. Chill in the refrigerator until serving time.

Andes Mint Cookies

We haven't posted anything in here for a while, so I thought I would try to revive it! Here is the recipe for the  cookies that are super easy to make but everyone loves them!

Andes Mint Cookies

Ingredients

1 box of Devils Food Cake Mix
1/2 cup Oil
2 eggs
1 cup of chocolate chips
Andes mints

Directions

Combine cake mix, oil and eggs in a large mixing bowl. Add in chocolate chips. Roll dough into balls and place on baking sheet. Bake 7 minutes at 350 degrees. Immediately after removing from oven, place a mint on each cookie. After 1-2 minutes, use a knife to spread the mint over the top of the cookie. Cool. (I think it taste better chilled, so I always put in them into the fridge.) Eat and enjoy! :)

chocolate mint cookies 2 1024x1024 marvelous chocolate mint cookies
(I didn't take this picture, found it on the internet)

Monday, January 7, 2013

Holiday Eclairs

So, it appears this blog has died a bit...so I post.  Our ward Christmas party had a dessert competition.  I made homemade eclairs and won best over-all dessert with this recipe.  Not too shabby.  There were probably 40-50 desserts in the running.  Shane thought they tasted good; I did not actually get to taste one, but I trust...everyone's judgement :)  They look laborious, but are actually pretty simple, so don't be nervous.  I even took these pictures on my own and did not copy them off the internet!  Enjoy.



Holiday Eclairs

Choux Pastry

1/2 c. butter
1 c. water
1 c. flour
1/4 tsp. salt
4 large eggs
Cream Filling
1 (4-serving size) package instant vanilla pudding mix
2 c. milk (or as called for on pudding package)
1 c. heavy cream
1/4 c. powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. salt
Chocolate Icing
1/3 c. semisweet chocolate chips
2 Tbsp. butter
1 c. powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3 Tbsp. hot water
  1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Lightly grease a large cookie sheet and set aside.  
  2. In a medium saucepan, combine 1/2 c. butter and water.  Bring to a boil, stirring to melt butter.  
  3. Reduce heat to low and stir in flour and salt with a wooden spoon until the mixture begins to form a stiff ball of dough.
  4. Remove from heat and add eggs, one at a time, stirring vigorously after each addition to ensure they are incorporated.  Work quickly, especially with the first one, to prevent it from cooking into scrambled eggs on the bottom of the warm pan.
  5. With a spoon or pastry bag fitted with a large tip, spread/pipe the thick dough onto prepared cookie sheet into 10 strips approximately 1 1/2 x 4" each (or make them smaller so you can have more; they puff up quite a bit in the oven).
  6. Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 325 and bake another 20 minutes, until puffed and golden and hollow sounding when lightly tapped on the bottom.  When removed from oven, IMMEDIATELY pierce the ends almost through to the other side to let steam escape and prevent any sogginess in the middle.  This hole is also where you will be piping your filling into.  Let cool completely before filling and icing (this will only take about half an hour).
  7. For CUSTARD FILLING: Combine pudding and milk in a bowl and mix according to package directions.  In a separate bowl, beat the heavy cream with an electric mixer until soft peaks form.  Beat in 1/4 c. powdered sugar, 1 tsp. vanilla, and 1/4 tsp. salt.  Fold whipped cream into pudding.
  8. Scoop mixture into pastry bag fitted with a smallish tip and pipe mixture into centers of eclairs until full.
  9. For ICING: Melt the chocolate and 2 Tbsp. butter over low heat in a saucepan (or in the microwave, stirring after 30 seconds and giving additional 10 sec. increments as needed until fully melted).  Stir in 1 c. powdered sugar and 1 tsp. vanilla.  Stir in hot water, 1 Tbsp. at a time, until icing is smooth and reaches desired consistency.  Drizzle, pipe, or spread over filled eclairs.
  10. Store in fridge.