Chocolate-Chocolate Buttermilk Cookies

It's been a busy week. A good friend of mine's grandfather passed away, so I was bartending the after-funeral gathering today. I made some cookies yesterday to bring with me (which I forgot!) and now my trivia crowd is eating them as we speak. I also didn't take any pictures, as I was hurrying. This post is going to be short and sweet, since I am in the middle of hosting trivia.


 Chocolate-Chocolate Buttermilk Cookies
from Goddess of Baking

2 Cups Flour

1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda

1/2 Teaspoon Salt

1/2 Cup or 1 Stick Butter, unsalted and melted

3/4 Cup Cocoa Powder, best quality available

2 Cups Sugar

1 Teaspoon Vanilla

2/3 Cup Buttermilk, regular or low fat

2 Cups Semisweet Chocolate Chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt.
3. In the bowl of your kitchen aid with the whisk attachment, combine the cocoa powder and melted butter until smooth. Add in the sugar, vanilla, and buttermilk. 
4. Slowly add in the flour mixture and mix until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.
5. Scoop the dough onto the lined baking sheets about 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for a couple of minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool more.

Lobster Pot Pie

One of the few things I like more than having lobster, is having leftover lobster meat. We had 3 extra lobsters, so I dissected all of them and saved the meat to make lobster pot pie. I still have over a pound of lobster left, which I will use for lobster mac & cheese.

Don't get excited though. I'm almost ashamed to admit it, but I'm talking about boxed mac & cheese. Good ole Kraft mac & cheese. I know, I know... but don't judge.

I was a little disappointed in tonight's recipe. My gravy was thicker before I put the pies in the oven and then it thinned out while cooking. Not sure if it was the juice from the lobster or what, but it was thinner than I would have liked.

Lobster Pot Pie
from Cosmo Magazine
Makes 2 individual pot pies

2 tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 onion, diced
1 carrot, diced
1/2 cup frozen corn
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/4 cup flour
1 cup milk
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 lb. cooked lobster meat
1/2 tsp dried thyme
salt and pepper
1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 large egg, lightly beaten

1. Preheat oven to 375. Set out two individual oven-proof bowls.
2. Melt butter in a medium skillet over medium skillet over medium heat.  Add the diced onion and carrot. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes. Add corn and peas. Stir in flour, and cook one more minute.
3. Add milk and broth, stirring constantly. Cook until the sauce begins to thicken, about 5 minutes. Then remove from heat, add lobster and thyme, and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
4. Cut the sheet of puff pastry in half, and reserve one half for another use. On a lightly floured surface, flatten out the pastry, using a floured rolling pin, to about 1/8 inch thickness. Using one of the bowls as a guide, cut the pastry into two circles.
5. Spoon the filling into the bowls and place one circle of pastry on top, pressing the edges to seal it to the bowl. Cut a vent in the center, so air and moisture can escape. Using a pastry brush, cover the entire surface of each pie with the beaten egg.
6. Place the pies on a baking sheet. Bake until the pastry is puffed and becomes a dark golden brown, about 35 minutes.

Baked Jalapeno Poppers

To go with our lobster and steamer lunch yesterday, I made some jalapeno poppers. I have a few recipes for them, and some required crab or some other fancy things, and I decided to keep it simple. There's not much explanation to go along with these, or any exciting stories like the recent cupcake failure.

Baked Jalapeno Poppers

10 jalapenos, cut in half lengthwise and seeds and ribs removed
4 oz. cream cheese
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese, plus extra for topping
10 strips of bacon, cut in half

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Prep the jalapenos. Be sure to use gloves when doing this! Handling jalapeno seeds can burn your hands and anything they touch!
3. Mix the cream cheese and cheddar cheese. Spoon into the jalapeno halves.
4. Top with a little shredded cheddar and wrap with the bacon.
5. Bake for 20 minutes. Turn the oven on broil and broil for 2-3 minutes to crisp up the top layer of bacon.

Chocolate Cupcakes with Chambord Ganache

Sometimes, recipes just don't work out. Thursday was one of those days. I used a recipe for a chocolate cupcake that never cooked right and got all tacky and gross. I also realized that it's the second time I used the same recipe and the same thing happened the first time. I also used up the rest of my cocoa powder. Thursday was just not my day.


I used a different recipe on Friday that worked out just fine. Before I began baking however, I discovered that my cup of Chambord that I hijacked/paid for at the bar was missing. Turns out keeping alcohol in a disposable coffee cup might end up with your mom thinking you left coffee on the counter and throwing it away. This recipe just seemed doomed from the start.


When all was said and done, I ended up with some pretty yummy cupcakes, but definitely not enough Chambord flavor in the ganache.


Chocolate Cupcakes with Chambord Ganache
cupcakes from Annie's Eats
ganache from Cooking with LT


For the cake:
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
1 cup sour cream
2 tbsp. milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
8 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
1½ cups sugar
2 large eggs

For the ganache:
18 ounces semi sweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped pieces or chips 

1 ½ cups heavy cream
 
4 tablespoons Chambord


1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease or prep 2 standard cupcake pans.
2.To make the cake batter, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl; whisk together and set aside.  In a liquid measuring cup, stir together the sour cream, milk and vanilla extract.  In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter and sugar, and beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.  Beat in the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl as needed.  With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the dry ingredients and the sour cream mixture, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.  Mix just until incorporated.
3.Divide batter evenly  Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Allow to cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
4. Heat the heavy cream in a saucepan over medium heat, until is JUST comes to a boil. 
5. Pour the heavy cream over the chocolate and let sit for 5 minutes. Stir or whisk until incorporated. Let cool for 15 minutes before adding Chambord.
6. Allow ganache to sit at room temp for at least 2 hours to thicken and cool, or you can put in the refrigerator for 1 hour. If refrigerating, be sure to stir every 10 minutes to avoid lumps.
7. Once ganache is thickened and cooled, frost your cupcakes.

Caprese Pasta Bake

For my birthday back in May, I got many wonderful gifts. One of them happened to be a Basil plant from Erin. It was two tiny leaves when she gave it to me.

Shazaam!

I kept that bad boy alive, and now I have lots of delicious basil. Today was the first time I've used any, and it is gooooood.

I bought some freshly grated Parmesan today for this recipe. When I opened it tonight, what did I find? MOLD. Some of you know, some of you don't, but I don't do well with mold. I usually make other people open dairy products in my fridge and check them in case of mold. I'm a big mold wuss. So, needless to say I was grossed out, and furious. I am going to go try and get an exchange if I can after this.

Some of you might also know that I do not like raw tomatoes. This is a Caprese dish, which traditionally would consist of tomato, basil, and mozzarella, but tomatoes suck, so I left them out. If you want to add them in, then look up the original recipe. My recipe for a tomato-less (and superior) pasta dish.

Caprese Pasta Bake
from How Sweet Eats

1 lb. penne
1 cup your favorite tomato sauce
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1/3 cup heavy cream or half and half
8 oz. mozzarella (4 oz. cubes and 4oz. sliced into rounds)
A handful of fresh basil leaves, chopped (Set some aside for garnish)

1. Preheat oven to 350. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain when done.
2. Heat the tomato sauce in a saucepan until warm. When warm, add in the Parmesan cheese and cream. Continue to heat until thoroughly warmed.
3. Pour the sauce over the pasta, mixing to coat the pasta. Add in the mozzarella cubes and chopped basil. Stir.
4. Transfer pasta to a greased baking dish and top with mozzarella rounds. Bake for 25 - 30 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly.
5. Top with basil and extra Parmesan if desired.

Blueberry Muffins

My godfather gave my dad a giant thing of blueberries that I think are growing at his house in NH. I didn't really ask, I just know they're fresh and homegrown. My dad has asked me to make blueberry muffins for a few days and I kept putting it off, then I would forget to leave some butter out to soften, etc. Last night I decided to search for a recipe that didn't need softened butter and I found one.

This recipe is good if you don't like your muffins too sweet. I think next time I would add more sugar or a streusel topping to sweeten them up a bit. They were good though. The batter was also incredibly thick and the muffins don't rise and melt out to that nice muffins shape, they take on the odd shape of the glob of batter you dropped into the muffin cup.

Blueberry Muffins
from The Brown Eyed Baker

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 cup granulated sugar
4 tablespoons (2 ounces) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1¼ cups sour cream
1½ cups frozen or fresh blueberries

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a standard 12-cup muffin tin (or line with paper liners) and set aside.
2. Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl until combined. Whisk the egg in a separate medium bowl until well-combined and light-colored, about 20 seconds. Add the sugar and whisk vigorously until thick, about 30 seconds. Add the melted butter in 2 or 3 additions, whisking to combine after each addition. Add the sour cream in 2 additions, whisking just to combine.
3. Add the berries to the dry ingredients and gently toss just to combine. Add the sour cream mixture and fold with a rubber spatula until the batter comes together and the berries are evenly distributed, 25 to 30 seconds. Small spots of flour may remain and the batter will be very thick. Do not overmix.
4. Using a large spoon or a cookie scoop sprayed with nonstick cooking spray, divide the batter amount the muffin cups. Bake until the muffins are light golden brown and a toothpick or thin knife inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes, rotating the pan from front to back halfway through the baking time. Immediately remove muffins to a wire rack and cool for at least 5 minutes. Serve immediately or at room temperature. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature.

Notice the one I broke into....

Sweet and Sour Pork

It was a busy end to last week, and my days are only getting busier. I missed Zucchini Day, which has its pros and cons. The pros are that I had 7 recipes to choose from and just couldn't decide. The cons are that I didn't make anything with zucchini....and my plan of cooking for special days was lost to yet another ingredient. Oh well.

Mum took me out for dinner last night, so I agreed, in return, that I would cook dinner tonight. Lately, I haven't been in the mood for anything. Every recipe I read just seems 'eh' to me. I think it's the heat and the million other things on my mind getting in the way. I needed a recipe that both my parents would eat. Dad is pretty finicky, anything with goat cheese or an ingredient he's never heard of and he won't touch it. Mum's a little better, but she has definitely given me some looks when I tell her things I'm planning on cooking. This was a simple and quick recipe that turned out really good. Kid cooked - parent approved.

I should stop referring to myself as a kid.

Sweet and Sour Pork
from Cooking Light Magazine

1 lb. pork tenderloin, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2.5 tbsp balsamic vinegar, divided
kosher salt
2 tsp low-sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp cornstarch
3 tbsp ketchup
3 tbsp sugar, plus a pinch
3 tbsp peanut or vegetable oil (I used peanut)
3 cloves garlic, minced (I crushed mine)
2 carrots, thinly sliced
3 scallions, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
3 cups snow peas, cut in half

1. Toss the pork with 1/2 a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Mix the remaining 2 tbsp of vinegar, soy sauce, cornstarch, ketchup, 3 tbsp sugar, 1/3 cup water, and 1/2 tsp salt in another bowl.
2. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a large skillet or wok over high heat. Add the pork and slowly stir until it is mostly opaque, about 2 minutes (be careful, the oil will splatter!). Remove the pork with a slotted spoon and transfer to a plate. Discard the oil and wipe down the skillet.
3. Heat the remaining tbsp of oil in the skillet, turn down the heat to med-high. Stir fry the garlic along with a pinch each of sugar and salt, 15 seconds. Add the carrots and scallions and stir-fry until crisp-tender, 2 minutes. (Add a little water if the garlic starts to stick to the pan.) Add the pork, snow peas, and soy sauce mixture; stir until the pork is cooked through and the sauce is thickened, about 3 minutes. Serve over rice.

I cooked mine on a lower heat for longer, as my skillet was pretty hot.

Pork!

Sauce!

Oh man, pork and balsamic vinegar....

Veggies!

Almost ready!

I would have the lowest plating points score ever on Iron Chef America....

Chocolate Mug Cake

I've seen this recipe pop up several times over my recipes searches and always thought it was a cool idea for a chocolate quick fix. I never attempted to make it before, because it is a rare occasion that I need a chocolate fix. As far as desserts go, chocolate isn't my thing. A trait I most certainly did not get from my mother...I think if she could choose an event that has made her the most proud of me, she would choose the day I made the Triple Chocolate Cupcakes. (Did that sentence make grammatical sense?)

Today was a day that I was craving some chocolate. I don't have anything chocolate in my apartment, other than unsweetened cocoa powder, bitter and semi-sweet baking chocolate and chocolate chips. I am not one to just spoon-feed myself some chocolate chips, so I quickly looked up mug cake recipes and decided on one that looked a) easy and b) eggless. The thought of mixing an egg into something and then microwaving it for only 1 minute just irked me.

First mix the dry ingredients and chocolate chips

Then the wet ingredients

Get a mug

Eat your cake

This recipe does not rise at all when cooking, so using an oversized mug like I did is pointless. You could also double the recipe to make a bigger cake, but this was just the amount of chocolate I needed to satiate my craving. A quicker tip is to mix everything in the mug, but I noticed on my searches, that the people who mix it in the mug, end up with the wet mix on the sides of the mug, which gets cooked onto the mug creating a harder to clean crust. No thanks. I mixed my stuff in a small bowl then spooned it into the mug.

Chocolate Mug Cake
from here

4 tbsp flour
3-4 tbsp of sugar (depending how sweet you want it)
2 tbsp cocoa powder
dash of salt
1 tbsp chocolate chips (I used mini)
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp milk or water (I used milk)

Mix the flour, sugar, cocoa and salt together in a mug or a bowl. Add the chocolate chips. Add the wet ingredients and mix until there are no clumps. Transfer to a mug if using a bowl, or pop the mug into the microwave for 1 minute.


You can always add in white chocolate chips to this mix, swirl in some peanut butter, nutella or some raspberry jam even. You could even go wild and mix in caramel or top with whipped cream. I'll play around with this and keep you posted. Or better yet, YOU make one with a twist and let me know how it is. Maybe I'll even bake you come cupcakes for participating :)