There's a significant percentage of the population that are adamant about the fact that brownies should be as chocolatey and fudgey as possible with a crackly top and crispy edges. But, there's a whole separate group of people who have equally strong convictions that brownies need to be cake-like and with just enough chocolate to give them a decent brown hue. And then there are the people who fall somewhere in between the two extremes. 🤷🏻♀️ Just out of curiosity - Where are you on the brownie spectrum? Even though I probably should have been deterred by the diverseness of the brownie population - I recently took on the task of developing a brownie mix that would please the masses. 😬 It took quite a few trials but once I settled on a brownie mix that I deemed satisfactory, I sent it out to family and friends for feedback. #becarefulwhatyouaskfor 😅 The exact same recipe produced such conflicting reactions that it was less helpful than I had hoped. "Too chocolatey", "not enough chocolate flavor", "perfectly soft and fudgey", "too dense", "weird texture" and "too crumbly" . What's a girl to do with all those comments? The fact that everyone has a strong opinion about what a brownie should look like, feel like and taste like makes it an almost insurmountable task to make a brownie that would please everyone. Sure, by adjusting the baking times and temperatures and the type of pan that you use for baking, you can alter the results slightly but that won't solve every brownie issue. So at the risk of offending discrete chocolate flavor, cake-like brownie lovers across the world - I'm posting my favorite brownie recipe. Moist, fudgey, ultra chocolatey with crispy edges, soft centers and crackly topped brownies. Chewy Brownies 1/3 cup cocoa powder 1 1/2 teaspoons espresso powder 1/2 cup + 2 Tablespoons boiling water 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate 1/2 cup + 2 Tablespoons oil 4 Tablespoons butter, melted 2 eggs + 2 egg yolks 2 teaspoons vanilla 2 1/2 cups sugar 1 3/4 cups flour 3/4 teaspoon salt 6 ounces dark chocolate
Bake 30-35 minutes at 350. Let brownies cool 1 1/2 hours in pan before removing. Slice.
One batch of these delicious brownies and you might never buy brownie mix from a box again. I think you'll be surprised at how easy they are to make and with only 1 bowl to wash. (bonus) Not to mention the fact that these are the most delicious brownies that you'll ever put in your mouth. Ciao!
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Ciao! All it took was one Andrea Bocelli concert for me to decide that it was time for me to learn Italian. 🇮🇹 Anyone else tried to teach themselves a second language at the age of 50? I can only say that it's equal parts challenging and hilarious.🤣 I question my decision daily but I'm invested (and incredibly stubborn) and I need to see this through to find out if it is indeed possible to teach an old dog - new tricks. 😅 I do most of my lessons while I'm in my car so if you see someone driving down the road mumbling to herself and giggling uncontrollably - it's just me trying to get through my Italian lesson without sounding like a complete bafoon. I'm not sure what this says about my driving, but the time that I spend in my car seems to be the best time for me to concentrate on learning new words. I've tried listening to the Italian lesson while I clean the house but apparently, scrubbing the toilet requires more of my attention that operating a vehicle. 😬🤣 The exception to my habit of practicing my Italian exclusively while I'm on the road, is when I'm in my kitchen, cooking anything Italian. In my house, the use of Italian words is required when making any Italian food. 🍕🍝 Oh, and I should point out that my definition of "Italian" food is anything with basil or olive oil.😂 Needless to say, there is a lot of flour being tossed about as I repeat phrases like "ha bisogno di più farina." New York Style Pizza Dough 3 cups bread flour 2 teaspoons sugar 1/2 teaspoon yeast 1 1/3 cup ice water 1 Tablespoon canola oil 1 1/2 teaspoons salt Sauce 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes 1 Tablespoon olive oil 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1/2 cup Parmesan 2 cups shredded mozzarella, shredded
Bake in a 500 degree oven or on a Big Green Egg. So here's to practicing my new Italian phrases while simultaneously learning to make an authentic New York style pizza - nessun problema. 😅
Caio! It's never a good idea to make a completely new recipe for guests that you want to impress. It's an absolutely terrible idea to make that recipe for guests and then blog it! Welcome to the world of food blogging. 😂 I post new recipes almost exclusively on this blog, and believe me when I tell you that I make plenty of mistakes along the way - and most of them I've served to unsuspecting guests. 😅 That doesn't deter me though - I figure that my recipe blunders make for entertaining material for the blog as I walk the line between cautionary tale and instructional recipe coach. Speaking of recipe missteps, can we all just agree that the parsley is the prettiest thing in this Hasselback Potato Casserole photo? Here's the thing - I nailed the flavor on what is supposed to be an elegant starchy side dish but, I completely missed the mark on presentation. 🤦🏻♀️ In my defense, this was my first attempt at hasselback casserole so there's still hope that my potato stacking skills will improve with practice. 😅 The good news is that I've made so many recipe mistakes that I've become an expert at identifying the cause of the mistep. In this case, I sliced my potatoes too thin and I couldn't get them to line up in the nice neat rows that I had envisioned. Then I added so much cheese to the top of the casserole that I couldn't even see the potatoes through the melted crust. Despite it's less than ideal appearance, this Hasselback Potato Casserole would be a great addition to any menu. Don't judge this side dish by it's slightly disheveled cover - it's crazy delicious. Honestly, I feel like no matter how you combine cheese, bacon and potatoes - it's going to be amazing. I know that you're going to love this just as much as my family did. Hasselback Potato Casserole 6 slices bacon, chopped 2 cups onion, chopped 1 1/4 cups chicken broth 4 garlic cloves, minced 1 Tablespoon fresh rosemary 1 Tablespoon butter 4 1/4 pounds russet potatoes, peeled 1 1/2 cups Gruyere cheese, shredded 1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated 2 teaspoons salt 1 teaspoon pepper
Bake 15 minutes longer. Remove from oven and let sit 10 minutes before serving.
I recommend that you google hasselback potato casserole so that you can get a better idea of how this delicious dish is supposed to look. 😅 Just don't toss this recipe aside because it looks messy. Sometimes, messy is necessary - which is basically the motto of my kitchen. 🤣 Caio! I've got 2 words for you - GOAT YOGA! I've heard about it for years but never actually considered participating in the experience. 🐐 I mean, the concept is hilarious but I have a hard enough time staying balanced in bear pose without a goat standing on my back. 😅 But, my daughter did the research, found a local yoga class and somehow managed to convince me to sign up. Goats and yoga - what could go wrong? I've taken a lot of different yoga classes over the years and I can say with certainty that I have never taken one where giggling, snacking and taking pictures was encouraged. 🤳🏻 Goat yoga was unlike anything that I've done before but I had a blast. If you ever get the opportunity to participate in one of these classes - I highly recommend it. It's unforGOATable. 🤣 This is my take away from our goat yoga experience. Goats are adorable, curious, fun and spunky little creatures that will eat absolutely anything. (Earrings, loose t-shirts and pony tails seemed to be favorite snacks. 🤣 ) Nothing against the food preferences of a goat but my tastes are just a bit more discriminating. How was that for a baa-aad transition to a recipe? 😂 It took me a long time to jump on the gnocchi bandwagon. It's just not something that I grew up eating. But since learning about how easy it is to prepare and how much my family enjoys it - I'm fully on board. This Baked Gnocchi with Broccoli checks off all the boxes for a great weeknight meal. It comes together in under 30 minutes, it's super tasty, it freezes well so you can make it ahead of time AND - it's got vegetables in it!!! 😂 🥦 ✓✓✓✓ Baked Gnocchi with Broccoli 1 pound gnocchi 3 cups broccoli, florets roughly chopped 1 cup chicken stock 4 oz cream cheese 2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
Bake 15 minutes at 400. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes and serve.
Don't worry - you GOAT this. (okay, I'm done now.) Caio! Yesterday, I made my very first King cake and now I'm wondering why in the world it took me so long to jump on this bandwagon. 🤷🏻♀️ This might just be the best kept secret in the cake world. A traditional King Cake is made from a super soft yeast dough with a swirled cinnamon filling and topped with a sweet vanilla glaze and LOTS of sprinkles. Think giant cinnamon roll smothered in brightly colored sprinkles and not a traditional birthday cake. For those of you who are new to the world of King cake, like me, you should know that this cake is both a dessert and a game. The baker hides a tiny plastic baby somewhere inside the cake before it is served to the guests. 👶🏻 The person who finds the baby in their slice of cake is named King for the day. 🤴🏼 The only catch is that the recipient is bound by custom to host the next Mardi Gras party and provide the next King cake. 😉 My initial attempt at a King cake was a success - which isn't the case with every new cake recipe, so you can imagine my surprise.😅 The hardest part of the whole process was finding a "baby" to hide inside my cake. The baby in a King cake is supposed to represent Jesus but the best thing that I could come up with to hide inside my cake was a plastic bear. 🐻😅 It worked. 🤦🏻♀️ If you're lucky enough to be the recipient of the prized King cake "baby", I suggest you do two things. 1.) Hang onto that baby for the next cake. They're harder to find than you might think. 🤣 And 2.) Save the link to this recipe so that you can make the next King cake that you are now expected to provide. There are a lot of steps to this cake but not to worry - I've broken it down into simple, easy to understand, instructions to help you through the process. And keep in mind that the entire cake will be generously covered in brightly colored sprinkles which will mask any imperfections and let's be honest - the sprinkles are the only thing that anyone will notice about your finished dessert. 💛💜💚 King Cake 3 1/2 cups flour 2 1/4 teaspoons yeast 1 cup milk 1/4 cup sugar 1 teaspoon salt 2 eggs 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, cut into 12 pieces Cinnamon Filling 2/3 cup packed brown sugar 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 4 Tablespoons butter, softened Icing 1 cup powdered sugar 1 Tablespoon milk 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Bake the cake until it is golden brown, 20 – 35 minutes at 350. To hide the baby in the cake, make a small slit in the bottom of the cake and put the miniature plastic baby in the cooled cake.
Sprinkle generously with purple, green and yellow sugars.
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