The Charmed Kitchen

Rich and Chewy Brownies

Brownies have been around for almost 100 years. The story about the creation of brownies, is that they  were an accident. A woman was making a chocolate cake. She couldn’t find her recipe, so she made the cake as best she could from memory. The cake didn’t rise- and brownies were invented.

What a happy accident that was for the rest of us.

There are a lot of versions of brownies around. Some are more like a chocolate cake, just a little denser. Others are moist, and so dense they are almost fudge like.

I have a lot of brownie recipes. This is one of my favorites. If you make them, you will understand why. They are soft, rich and a little chewy. They can be serves plain, dusted with powdered sugar, or frosted.

Rich and Chewy Brownies

3 sticks butter, melted and cooled

3 c. sugar

1 T. vanilla

6 large eggs

1½ c. flour

1 c. cocoa

1 t. baking powder

1 t. cinnamon

1 c. chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 13×9 inch pan. Beat together butter, sugar and vanilla. Whisk in eggs one at a time. Combine dry ingredients and stir into batter. Stir in chocolate chips and spread batter in prepared pan. Bake 40-45 minutes, or until brownies pull away from sides of pan. Cool brownies completely in pan, on a rack and cover with foil. Let stand 6 hours before serving. Makes 24.

To serve, you can leave them plain, dust with powdered sugar, or frost. Here is a great frosting recipe for these brownies.

Easy Chocolate Butter Cream

6 T. butter, softened

1/3 – 3/4 c. cocoa, depending on how dark you want your frosting.

2 2/3 c. powdered sugar

1/3 c. milk

1 t. vanilla

Cream butter. Combine cocoa and sugar. Beat cocoa mixture in alternately with the milk until frosting is spreading consistency. Beat in vanilla. You may need an additional tablespoon of milk. Makes about 2 cups.

Homemade Mini Chocolate Eclairs

If you want to surprise someone with a very special sweet treat, you could make eclairs. These are a bit or work, but the end result is so wonderful. I think they are worth the effort, especially for special occasions.

I decided to make a mini version this time. Not everyone wants to eat a full size eclair, especially after a big meal.

You start by make a pate a chou, or cream puff pastry. This is the same dough used to make cream puffs. It is a combination of water, butter, milk and flour- cooked on top of the stove, then enriched with the addition of eggs. The dough is piped onto baking sheets and baked until puffed, golden and crisp. Once cooled, they are filled with sweetened whipped cream or, more traditionally, a custard filling, then topped with chocolate ganache.

Mini Eclairs

1 recipe Cream Puff Pastry (Pate a Chou)- recipe follows
Egg custard- for filling, or sweetened whipped cream- recipe follows
Chocolate Ganache- for topping- recipe follows

Start by making the dough. This recipe will make 12-18 medium eclairs or 3 dozen of the mini ones.

Cream Puff Pastry

¾ c. water
¼ c. milk
¼ t. salt
½ c. (1 stick) unsalted butter
1¼ c. flour – unbleached or bread flour preferred
4 large eggs
Extra milk for brushing

In saucepan, heat together water, milk butter and salt into a full boil. Butter has to be melted. While stirring, dump flour into saucepan, stirring constantly. Mixture will form into a ball. Reduce heat to medium and continue cooking dough, while stirring, for another minute or two. Place dough in an electric mixer and allow it to cool down a little before adding the eggs. Mixture has to be at 140 degrees F, or below, before you start adding the eggs. I use the paddle attachment and beat the dough before adding the eggs. This cools the dough down faster. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until each is fully incorporated. Beat until dough is shiny. A spoon, lifted out of the batter, should leave a peak that does not fall down.

Preheat oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment. I used a silicone liner and was happy with the result. Don’t grease the pan. Using a piping bag, squeeze the dough into 2-3-inch strips on the baking sheet- leaving a little room in between. Strips should be about ¾ -inch in diameter. Using a little milk on your finger, smooth down any peaks on the puffs. They should resemble miniature hot dog buns. Bake at 425 for 10 minutes, then turn oven down to 375. Bake eclairs 10 more minutes, or until golden brown. Tap the shells. They should sound hollow. Turn off the heat and leave oven door open a crack, allowing them to dry completely. Cool before filling. Makes about 36.

Custard Filling

2 cups milk
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1⁄3 cup sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla

Using a whisk, combine milk, sugar and cornstarch in a medium saucepan over medium heat on stove top. Allow milk to scald (heat to the point when tiny bubbles form around edges of pan). Whisk occasionally to prevent cornstarch from clumping on bottom edges of pan. Remove milk mixture from heat, preferably to a burner that’s turned off.
Mix about 2 tablespoons of scalded milk mixture into eggs using whisk, then introduce eggs into milk mixture in a slow stream, whisking milk mixture constantly. Immediately return pan to heat and whisk gently until custard thickens, another two or three minutes. Do not allow to boil. (If you find that you have egg white strands in custard, feel free to pass it through a fine-mesh sieve into a different bowl now.) Remove pan from heat and stir in vanilla. Cool before using. Makes 3 cups.

To fill the eclairs, using a small piping tip with a pastry bag, filled with the custard. Squeeze filling in on one end, on through the bottom, squeezing until it seems full.

Once eclairs are filled, top with a chocolate ganache. I just dip the tops of the eclairs in the warm ganache and chill until chocolate sets. Filled eclairs should be stored i8n fridge until ready to serve. They can be frozen.

Chocolate Ganache

4- 6 oz. dark chocolate, chopped- or 1 cup chocolate chips
2 oz. heavy whipping cream

In saucepan, heat chocolate and cream together until just heated through. Remove from heat and stir until smooth. You can also do this in a microwave safe bowl, in the microwave for about a minute. Remove and stir until smooth. Makes 1 cup.

Chocolate Crepes with Strawberries

Since everyone seemed to enjoy my Mom’s crepe recipe the other day, I thought I would share my recipe for chocolate crepes. These would make a great dessert, or breakfast, for Valentine’s Day.  The chocolate crepes pair so nicely with fresh berries, but you could add any number of fillings. Ice cream works, or a fresh pudding or custard.

I topped mine with berries and whipped cream. You could also add some shaved chocolate  as a topping.

If you haven’t made crepes, this might be just the recipe to convince you.

I often make a double batch of the crepes, then freeze some, between layers of wax paper. That way I can have crepes whenever I want.

Truth is, you can fill these crepes with all sorts of stuff. I had fresh berries, so that is what I used. I added some Kahlua to the batter for a little extra flavor and it worked out just great.

You can have all the components ready, then just assemble when ready to serve. Such a lovely dessert.

Here is the recipe.

Chocolate Crepes

1 c. flour
4 eggs
1 1/2 c. milk
¼ c. cocoa
3 T. sugar
¼ c. Kahlua or other coffee flavored liqueur or ¼ c. strong coffee
1/4 c. butter, melted and cooled

Mix all ingredients in blender (except butter) until smooth, scraping sides often. Add butter and blend well. Let stand for 30 minutes before using, or batter can be refrigerated, covered, overnight. Beat again, just before using.
Heat 6 or 7 inch skillet. Brush with butter or oil and pour in about 1 tablespoon of batter, tipping pan to cover bottom of pan completely with batter. Cook until edges start to brown, turn over and cook until lightly browned (about 2 minutes per side.)
Crepes can be made day ahead or even frozen between sheets of waxed paper and frozen. Makes 18.

Strawberry filling: I just sliced a couple of pounds of berries and added a little sugar- about ½ cup- a tablespoon of vanilla and a healthy dash of cinnamon.
When filling the crepes I spooned some berries down the center of the crepe and added some whipped cream. Folded over, topped with a few berries and another bit of whipped cream.

Cheesy Chocolate Hamantaschen

A friend shared this recipe recently, and I was intrigued. I had to try these cookies. The filling for these traditional Jewish cookies, is inspired by the filling used in cannoli.

I made a few changes from the recipe he shared, and was very happy with how they turned out.

The dough, which contains no sugar, has a wonderful, pastry-like texture. It pairs up well with the filling. The drizzle of chocolate is a perfect finish for them.

They aren’t a gooey, overly sweet cookie, which I really like.

They pair up nicely with tea or coffee. I confess,  I had a couple for breakfast with my morning tea. I would definitely make these again.

Thanks, Jared, for sharing this recipe.

Cheesy Chocolate Hamantaschen

Filling:

¼ c. ricotta cheese

5 oz. cream cheese

½ c. powdered sugar

1 t. cinnamon

½ c. mini chocolate chips

Dough:

½ c. (1 stick) butter, softened

3 oz. cream cheese

½ c. half and half or milk

1 t. vanilla

½ t. salt

2½c. flour

Topping:

1 egg white

2 T. water

½ c. chocolate chips

Powdered sugar, optional

Prepare the filling. Beat together the ricotta and cream cheese until smooth. Mix in the milk and cinnamon, then stir in the chips. Chill until ready to use. Make the dough by mixing the cream cheese and butter together. Add the milk, vanilla and salt and mix until smooth. Stir in the flour until a stiff dough forms. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap, or put in a bag and chill at least an hour – or up to a couple of days – before proceeding. On lightly floured surface, roll the dough to a little less than ¼ – inch thickness. Cut dough out into 2-3 inch circles. Place a scant teaspoon of filling in middle of each dough circle. Combine the egg white with water and beat together. Brush a little of the egg white mixture over the edges of the dough circle. Fold the dough up in thirds towards the center, pinching the edges to seal. They should look like little three-corner hats. Repeat with remaining dough, re-rolling the scraps. Brush folded cookies with a little more of the egg white mixture. Place on lightly greased cookie sheets and bake in a 375-degree- oven for 15 minutes, or until golden on the bottom. Remove to cooling rack. Once cooled, melt the chocolate chips and drizzle over the cookies. You can top with some powdered sugar, if you like. Makes 2½-3 dozen.

Blueberry Filled Crepes

I should make crepes more often. Maybe that can be a resolution for the new year. Crepes are so versatile. They taste great, too.

Crepes are one of those foods that everyone seems to love, but very few love to make them. I hear that all the time. There is some sort of irrational fear of crepe-making that I hope to dispel.

Crepes aren’t hard to make. Once you make a couple, you fall into a sort of rhythm. I do. I use a tiny sauce ladle to portion out the batter. In it goes. I tilt the pan to get an even, thin coating over the bottom of the pan. It just takes a couple of minutes for the crepe to brown lightly. A flip of the spatula, another minute or two- done. Then on to the next.

I always think about my Mother when I make crepes. I loved watching her make them. One after the other- all perfect. She said the first crepe never worked. She said there is a crepe “tradition” that the first crepe of the day always looks like an amoeba. So if this happens to you- just keep going. They get easier to make, I promise. You get into a sweet spot where the pan is the right temp, you are putting the right amount of batter in. Once this happens, you’ll have a stack of perfect crepes in no time at all.

I  made a classic recipe- the same recipe my mom used.  I have other recipes for crepes, but this one is a sentimental favorite.

Crepes can be filled with either sweet or savory ingredients. I made a blueberry filling for some of the crepes , then used the rest as pancakes for mu shu duck. You can just smear the crepes with you favorite jam or jelly, fold and enjoy.

So here is the recipe for both the crepes and the blueberry filling.

Mom’s Classic Crepes

 Mom’s Classic Crepes

3/4 c. flour

1/8 t. salt

3 eggs, beaten

2 T. melted butter

3/4 c. milk, approximately

Butter or oil for pan

Beat together flour, salt and eggs until smooth. Stir in melted butter and then stir in milk until batter consistency is that of cream. Let stand for 30 minutes before using, or can be refrigerated, covered, overnight. Beat again, just before using.

Heat 6 or 7 inch skillet. Brush with butter or oil and pour in about 2 tablespoons of batter, tipping pan to cover bottom of pan completely with batter. Cook until edges start to brown, turn over and cook until lightly browned (about 2 minutes per side.) Remove to a plate and repeat with remaining batter.

Crepes can be made day ahead. They can also be frozen. To freeze, layer crepes between sheets of waxed paper and wrap in plastic wrap of place in a freezer container. Freeze. . Makes 12.

Crepes can be filled ahead or guests can fill their own. Fillings can be served warm or cold. These crepes can be filled with either sweet or savory fillings.

To make the blueberry crepes: Lay a crepe on work surface. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the blueberry compote onto one half of the crepe. Fold in half, then fold again to create a fan shape. You can also spread the filling all over and roll up the crepe instead. Serve dusted with powdered sugar, if you like. You can also serve with whipped cream or ice cream.

Blueberry Compote

 2 pints fresh or frozen blueberries

Zest of 2 oranges

Juice of two oranges

¼ c. honey

Pinch of salt

Place all ingredients in a medium saucepan and cook, over medium heat, until berries soften. Continue cooking, over medium low heat, until most of the liquid has cooked off and mixture thickens. Stir from time to time, to prevent sticking. Watch more closely as mixture cooks down.  If you like a sweeter product, you can add a little sugar. Set aside until ready to use. Can be spooned into crepes warm or at room temp. Makes about 2 cups.

Spinach and Mushroom Quesadillas

Quesadillas are a fun and easy appetizer for any party. You can fill them with all sorts of fillings.

I had some fresh spinach, but you could use frozen spinach, too. Just thaw and drain well before using. I added some Portobello mushrooms and cheese and ended up with a tasty dish.

The spinach and mushrooms worked really nicely together. I had Swiss cheese, so that is what I used, but I could see using a smoked Gouda instead, or maybe a sharp cheddar.  I just cooked the quesadillas in a skillet,  but you could also bake them in the oven, or brush with oil and cook them on the grill. You can serve them as is- or maybe top with some salsa or sour cream.

 Spinach and Mushroom Quesadillas

1 (10 ounce) package fresh spinach

2 cups shredded cheese, I used Swiss

2-3 tablespoons butter

2 cloves garlic, sliced

2 portobello mushroom caps, sliced

Salt and pepper to taste

Hot sauce to taste

A few sprigs of fresh thyme

4 (10 inch) flour tortillas

1 tablespoon oil

Saute spinach in a little  butter until wilted. Cool and chop. Set aside. Melt the remaining butter in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in garlic and mushrooms, and cook about 5 minutes. Mix in spinach, and continue cooking 5 minutes. Add seasonings to suit your taste. Place a quarter of the mixture on one side of each tortilla. Top with a quarter of cheese. Fold tortillas in half over the filling. Heat oil in a separate skillet over medium heat. Place quesadillas in the skillet, and cook 3 minutes on each side, until golden brown. Cut each quesadilla into 4 wedges to serve.