Fudgey Chocolate Chunk Brownies

From Emily’s Bridal!

Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup cocoa powder
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 2 cups chocolate chunks
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9×9 baking dish with parchment paper.
  2. Beat together the butter, sugar, and vanilla in a stand mixer bowl. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well between each addition.
  3. Stir together the flour, cocoa powder, and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture. Mix in the baking soda.
  4. Mix in the chocolate chunks with a wooden spoon or spatula.
  5. Once the batter forms (it will be thick), scrape it into the prepared dish and spread evenly.
  6. Bake for 25 minutes, until brownies begin to pull away from the side of the pan.
  7. Serves 9-12.

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/33706697185912059/

Pumpkin Muffins or Loaf

Cream – 1 cup butter, 3 cups white sugar, 3 eggs
Add one 14 oz can pumpkin, 1 tsp vanilla
Add 3 cups flour, 1 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp baking powder
Add 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp cloves, 1/2 tsp nutmeg
Optional 1 cup raisins

Bake at 350 for 20 minutes in muffin cups. Makes approx 30 muffins.

Bake at 350 for 60 minutes for loaves. Makes 2 loaves

I have substituted oil for butter.

Andrea’s Rosemary Raisin Pecan Crisps (Crackers)

2 C. a/p flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 C. buttermilk
1/4 C. brown sugar
1/4 C.honey
1 C. raisins or dried cranberries
1/2 C. chopped pecans
1/2 C. green pumpkin seeds (optional)
1/4 C. sesame seeds
1/4 C. ground flax seeds
1 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary

Set oven to 350. In large bowl, stir together flour, baking soda & salt. Add the buttermilk, brown sugar & honey & stir a few strokes. Add the raisins, pecans, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, flax seed & rosemary & stir just until blended. Pour the batter into 2 4″ X 8″ loaf pans that have been sprayed with pam or greased. Bake for about 45 minutes until golden and springy to the touch. Remove from pan & cool on wire rack.

The cooler the bread (even semi frozen) the easier it is to slice really thin. I wrapped both loaves in foil & put in freezer til the day I wanted to use them. I let thaw slightly & then cut in half lengthwise & sliced each half into thin squares. Place the really thin slices on an ungreased cookie sheet in single layer. Bake in preheated 300 oven for about 15 minutes then flip over & bake for another 10 minutes until crisp & golden. Each loaf makes about 4 dozen crackers.

Tomato & Lentil Dahl

2 tbsp oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 carrot, diced
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp mustard powder
1 inch piece ginger root, grated
2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp garam masala
1 cup split red lentils
1 2/3 cups water
1 2/3 cups coconut milk
5 tomatoes, peeled, seeded, chopped
juice of 2 limes
4 tbsp cilantro
salt & pepper
1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted

1. heat the oil and saute the onion for about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, carrot, ginger. Cook for about 5 minutes.
2. Add the spices and cook for about 1 minute, letting the flavours ‘mingle’. Stir to prevent the spices from burning.
3. Add the lentils, water, coconut milk, tomatoes, salt & pepper. bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer, covered, for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Stir in the lime juice and cilantro and cook for 15 more minutes until the lentils soften and become tender.
5. Serve with any remaining cilantro and almonds.

Carrot Oatmeal Cookies

I’ve made this with canola oil instead of coconut oil and they turn out fine. It’s also nice because without the egg it is easy to half (or quarter) the recipe.

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
scant 1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1 cup rolled oats
2/3 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup shredded carrots
1/2 cup real maple syrup, room temperature
1/2 cup unrefined (fragrant) coconut oil, warmed until just melted
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

Preheat oven to 375F degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and oats. Add the nuts and carrots. In a separate smaller bowl use a whisk to combine the maple syrup, coconut oil, and ginger. Add this to the flour mixture and stir until just combined.
Drop onto prepared baking sheets, one level tablespoonful at a time, leaving about 2 inches between each cookie. Bake in the top 1/3 of the oven for 10 – 12 minutes or until the cookies are golden on top and bottom.
Makes about 2 1/2 dozen cookies.

Giant Chipotle White Beans Recipe

Amanda showed me this recipe on 101cookbooks.com – good find!
1 pound of large, dried white beans (corona, giant limas, gigantes, or any giant white beans you can find), rinsed, picked over and soaked overnight – or up to 24 hours.
(OR: 3-4 cans of romano beans/white kidney beans)
Chipotle-tomato sauce:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 big pinches of red pepper flakes
2 pinches of salt
1 large clove garlic, chopped
1 14-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves
1 1/2 tablespoons adobo sauce from a can of chipotle peppers
Cilantro Pesto:
1 medium clove of garlic
1/3 cup fresh cilantro
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
big pinch of salt
(OR: Use parsley)
2/3 cup kale or chard, washed, de-stemmed, and very finely chopped
1 cup queso fresco or feta cheese
1 1/2 cup whole-grain breadcrumbs, toasted in a skillet with a tablespoon of olive oil

To prepare the beans. Drain and rinse the beans after their overnight soak. Then place them in a large saucepan and cover with an inch or two of water. Bring to a boil and simmer until the beans are cooked through and just tender. This can take anywhere from an hour to two hours (potentially more) depending on your beans, but do your best to avoid overcooking. Remove from heat, salt the beans (still in bean broth) with about a tablespoon of salt – enough that the bean liquid is tasty but on the salty side. Let the beans sit like this for ten minutes or so before draining and setting the beans aside.
In the meantime, make your tomato sauce. Place the 2 tablespoons olive oil, red pepper flakes, couple pinches of salt, and chopped garlic into a cold medium saucepan. Stir while you heat the saucepan over medium-high heat. Saute just 45 seconds or so until everything is fragrant – you don’t want the garlic to brown. Stir in the tomatoes and the fresh oregano and heat to a gentle simmer, this takes just a couple minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the adobo sauce – carefully take a taste (you don’t want to burn your tongue)…If the sauce needs more salt add it now, more chipotle flavor? Go for it. Set aside.
Make the cilantro pesto by combining the clove of garlic and cilantro in a food processor. Pulse while you drizzle in the olive oil – alternately, you could do this by hand. Season with a bit of salt and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 425F degrees. In a 9×13 baking pan (or large oven-proof casserole/dutch oven) toss the beans with the tomato sauce and the kale. Sprinkle with the cheese and bake in the top-third of the oven for roughly twenty-five (if you’re using queso fresco) to forty minutes, I look for the cheese to start browning and any visible beans to get a bit crusty. Remove from oven and let sit for about ten minutes. Top the beans with the breadcrumbs and just before serving drizzle with the cilantro pesto.
Serves about 6.

Just Peachy Gingerbread Upside/down Cake

1/4 cup melted butter
1/2 cup backed brown sugar
2 cans (14 oz sliced peaches drained (4cups)
Cake:
2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 cup molasses
1/2 cup boiling water
1/2 cup butter softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1) in a small bowl, combine butter & brown sugar. spread over bottom of slow cooker. Arrange peaches on top.
2) in a bowl, mix together flour, b/soda, salt, ginger & cinnamon. In a separate bowl, combine molasses & boiling water. In a mixing bowl, using an electric mixer if desired, beat butter & brown sugar until smooth & creamy; bean in egg. Add flour mixture alternately with molasses mixture, beating well after each addition. Pour batter over peaches.
3) Place tea towel over top of slow cooker stoneware; cover & cook on high for 3 hrs or until a toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean.
4) To serve invert on plate. top with vanilla ice cream.
5) I found 2 hrs on high to be enough time