Bittersweet Brownies

I have heard people say, "boxed brownies are just too good and easy-I never make mine from scratch" To them I say, be for real. Brownies are the easiest! If they were any easier they'd be the slice and bake stuff.

After the lazy brownie consumers come the picky ones. They only like brownies or cakey brownies or under baked brownies. I am picky about a lot of things, but not about brownies. I don't care if I have an edge piece or a center (have you seen those edge fudgey pans? They're crazy looking). If there's chocolate, I want it. I want some now and I want some later. I would like some with ice cream on top. I would like some with whipped cream. Or a drizzle of raspberry sauce. I would like some. Yes please. A brownie is about bringing the chocolate. And, to quote that classic film, it has already been broughten. So try this recipe, okay? I promise, its really good.

I should warn you about one thing before you get ready to slice those suckers: no matter how cohesive the brownie looks, no matter how solid or sturdy or cleanly it cuts with a knife, don't try it with your mini-acorn cookie cutter (chosen because it looks the most like a heart of all your cookie cutters. Please tell me what kind of baker am I? I have a set of mini-fall-shapes but not a heart). It will never work. I was kind of hoping I could give you a cute little heart shaped something in anticipation of that pink and red and flowery holiday coming up, but this recipe was not the one for that exercise. Maybe next time I will do a better job planning ahead.

Have I mentioned that this recipe is easy? Just in case, let me be clear: You only get one bowl, one measuring cup, and two measuring spoons dirty (you know, if you use a 1/2 cup one for both sugar and flour). How much more do you want?

Bittersweet Brownies (from Dorie Greenspan's Baking: From my home to yours)

2 sticks (8oz) butter, cut into 16 pieces

9 oz bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

1 1/2 cups sugar

4 Large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 tablespoon instant espresso powder (optional)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup flour

get ready: oven at 325F, line a 9x13" pan with foil, butter the foil. (I think this is most easily done with melted butter and a pastry brush. You will be so glad you used foil when it comes time to clean up)

Use a double boiler over medium heat, combine the chocolate and butter. Stir occasionally until they are just melted. Don't let them get so hot the butter separates. (I did this step in the microwave, stirring every twenty seconds or so, because I am lazy and it works just fine). Remove from heat.

With a whisk, stir in the sugar. The mixture might get grainy, but it will even out. Whisk in the eggs one by one, then add the vanilla and whisk enthusiastically to smooth the batter. Finally, gently whisk in the espresso powder, salt, and flour, stirring only until incorporated. Scrape the batter into the pan and smooth the top.

Bake for 20-22 minutes, or until the top is dull and a thin knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool to room temperature.

When they've completely cooled, turn them out onto a rack, peel away the foil and invert onto a cutting board. Cut into rectangles and serve.

And I picked this photo so that you could get an up-close look at the texture of the finished product. I can never tell if its cakey or fudgey or whatever. Cake is cakey and fudge is fudgey. A brownie is a brownie.

Butterscotch Pudding

This is the pudding C Fierce would always have on her menu, if she had a menu. I hardly think this blog counts as a menu, but she could certainly argue the point.

Readers, when I introduced C Fierce to you those many (one) moons ago, I mentioned one thing in particular that you should know about her: her love for Jameson. Oh, does she love the Jameson. With a cherry, thank you. Well, I have a new way for her to enjoy it: with milk, sugar, egg yolks, and butter. Sure, it may take a little bit longer (and leave you with a few more dishes to clean up) but I'm guessing she'll have an easier time at work the next morning. Or better yet, sneaking this on her lunch break. (C Fierce Editor's Note: I do not drink Jameson at work. Not that I haven't thought about it before.)

I was on my use-up kick (notice a theme here anyone?). Lots and lots of egg yolks! I made meringues with a friend (and yes, you will hear about them, they were phenomenal) and of course we had no use for those orange things, so they got tupperwared and refrigerated (I checked, those are both verbs) I knew I'd have to act quickly to get them into something else. So I consulted my New Favorite Baking Book: Baking From My Home To Yours by Dorie Greenspan. The book is gorgeous, big and heavy. A book with a little weight to it is a nice thing. It's nice having a heavy, weighted, lovely book, because I am a walking accident. The first recipe in (those beautiful meringues), I spilled all over its pretty pages. Now it opens to that page like a charm (there could be worse things than being reminded of delicious meringues every time you get your book off the shelf). My first cookbook I got in college (Better Homes and Gardens, Thank you Grandma Fierce!) has the front cover burnt off. That happened a year after I got it, in an off campus kitchen with a gas stove. We were making gingerbread men, I think, and I'm not sure why the stove needed to be on ... I may be a kitchen hazard.

Back to the delicious butterscotch pudding. Admittedly, I had to buy a few things for this recipe: milk (yes, I know, but I Never Drink Milk. I am much more likely to have cream in the fridge than milk. In general I think that milk is for babies (if we had more any commenters I'm sure I'd get someone irate over that) and I don't drink much of it, but when I do, its whole milk) and pecans. Now, were the pecans necessary? Not entirely. Could you enjoy this without them? Absolutely. But were they worth it? Of course.

While you're stirring the second round, enjoy the transformation that is a custard. Watch the mixture go from a splashy liquid to something glossy and smooth, so sure of itself. It is not unlike the transformation that happens with those awesome foam-grower things we had when we were kids: they come out of the capsule all teeny tiny and then all of a sudden you have a dinosaur to play with in the tub! Magic! Maybe they aren't exactly the best comparison, but they're both fun to watch. (Another C Fierce Editor's Note: Was J Fierce drinking Jamo straight out of the bottle when she wrote the preceding paragraph? And why wasn't I invited?)

I think you'll enjoy this. Much more than those pudding cup ones that may be on your grocer's shelves (but if you say anything mean about Kozy Shack on these pages your comment will be moderated). Next up on my pudding list: arborio rice pudding.

Butterscotch Pudding

Baking: From My Home to Yours

1/2 C packed light brown sugar

3 tbsp water

1 3/4 C whole milk

1/2 C heavy cream

1/4 C cornstarch

1/4 tsp salt

3 tbsp sugar

3 large egg yolks

3 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces, at room temperature

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 tbsp scotch whiskey (Dorie suggests a strong single malt. My philosophy with the addition of liquors to foods is in a case where it complements the dish, you want to use something with dimension and subtly. Not something that will feel, as our uncle puts it, like "the Russian army marching down your throat.")

Whipped cream and buttered, toasted pecans.

Have 6 ramekins/pudding cups at the ready, each with 4-6oz capacity. I had tupperware at the ready because ramekins do not transport quite as easily.

Put the brown sugar and water in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, put the pan over medium heat and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Stirring and lowering the heat if necessary, boil for 2 minutes. Add 1 1/2 C milk and the cream and bring to a boil. Don't worry if it curdles. Mine did and it was delicious. Later, of course.

While the milk is heating, put the cornstarch and salt into a food processor and whir to blend. Turn them out onto a piece of wax paper, put the sugar and egg yolks into the processor and blend for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the remaining 1/4 C milk and pulse just to mix, then add the dry ingredients and pulse a few times to blend.

With the machine running, very slowly pour in hot liquid. Process for a few seconds, then pour everything back into the saucepan. Whisk without stopping over medium heat- making sure to get into the edges of the pan-until the pudding thickens and a couple of bubbles burble up to the surface and pop (about 2 min). You don't want the pudding to boil, but you do want it to thicken, so lower the heat if necessary.

Scrape the pudding back into the processor (if there's a scorched spot, avoid it as you scrape) and pulse a couple of times. Add the butter, vanilla, and scotch and pulse until everything is evenly blended.

Pour the pudding into the ramekins. If you are anti-pudding skin, press plastic wrap on the surface. Refrigerate at least 4 hours. Pudding will keep 2 days in the fridge.

Fettuccine with Broccoli Rabe, Tomatoes and Ricotta

I have been trying to be more conscientious about my food consumption. I won't call it a New Year's Resolution on account of the fact that when I know I'm only going to stick to something for a month or so I'd rather not make myself look bad by initially claiming the entire year. Let's call it a January Resolution if we're going to call it anything at all. I am trying to Use Up Leftovers. I have become aware recently how wasteful I can be. It can be difficult, especially cooking primarily for one, when you halve a recipe and end up with a half a stick of cream cheese, then forget about it before it goes bad.

I'm trying. I have another habit that doesn't help much: When some fruit or vegetable is on sale and I've never tried it, I usually purchase one just to give it a try. Then I'll end up buying three other things to go with it and not use any of them again before they go out of date. This time, it was broccoli rabe. Crunchy, flowery, and leafy: three textures in one! I already had the rest of the ingredients, so this dish was an easy choice. I didn't have to add anything to the "use-up" pile. The rabe is bitter and wintery feeling, blanching it first as this recipe does helps cut back on that. If you can't find any, kale would be a good substitute. I went on a kale kick for most of the fall but I think broccoli rabe is my new thing. What I love about it is the variety in texture. The tomato and garlic add a little bit of sweetness; the ricotta, some creaminess. It was simple and quick, but it feels more complicated, more sophisticated.

The original recipe calls for anchovies, but no thank you from where I sit. If you like them, add them to the second pan with the garlic.

Fettuccine with Broccoli Rabe, Tomatoes and Ricotta adapted from Bon Appetit, September 1998 (In 1998 I certainly wasn't reading Bon Appetit-I was probably at swim practice or painting my little brother's nails. Thank goodness for Epicurious!)

Ingredients:

2 bunches broccoli rabe, cut into 1" pieces

12 oz fettuccine

1/2 c olive oil

6 peeled and seeded tomatoes, diced (I used whole canned tomatoes and crushed them as they cooked)

3 cloves garlic, sliced

6 oz ricotta

Bring large pot of salted water to boil. Add broccoli rabe and cook until stalks are crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Using 4- to 5-inch-diameter strainer, transfer to large bowl. Return water in pot to boil. Add pasta and boil until just tender but still firm to bite. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup cooking liquid.

Meanwhile, heat 1/4 cup oil in heavy medium skillet over medium heat. Add half of garlic; sauté 1 minute. Add tomatoes; cook until very soft, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Heat 1/4 cup oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add remaining garlic; sauté 2 minutes. Add broccoli rabe; sauté 2 minutes. Add pasta and reserved cooking liquid and toss to heat through. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon pasta onto plates. Spoon tomato mixture around. Sprinkle with cheese and serve.