12 Holiday Food Comas: Baked Brie

December 13, 2013 - Elspeth 1 Comment

I could get very, very fat on baked brie. I mean ludicrously large and in charge, purely based on the calories from this behemoth creature. And I wouldn’t regret a single moment of that indulgent, decadent heaven. Mmmmmmhmmmm.

I canvassed some friends for their favorite recipes and this one came up for almost everyone. I don’t know if it’s an American thing or what, but we love our cheese wrapped in dough, baked into an orgy of oozy perfection.

Trader Joe’s had a display of these adorable tiny brie wheels and, since I cannot resist anything that comes in miniature, I had to buy a couple for this post. I mean, it’s my obligation to provide this blog with options, right? Right??

If you’re throwing a holiday soiree, crafting a dinner party menu, or enjoying a night in by yourself with some Netflix, this is the recipe for you. Easy, adaptable, and heart ~~warming~~ stopping. Enjoy, dear friends. Enjoy.

Baked Brie, two ways

1 round brie (small or large)
1/4-1/2 c dried cranberries
1 T brown sugar
1 T jam
1 round brie (small or large)
1/4-1/2 c candied pecans
1 T brown sugar
1 T jam
1 can of Pillsbury crescent roll dough

Preheat your oven to 350. Divide the dough in half on one of the seams provided by the kind Pillsbury folks. Roll the halves out on a cutting board to join the seams and make two cohesive squares. Place the brie on one of the squares, top with cranberries, sugar, and jam, then fold the corners up to wrap the brie fairly tightly (no need for excessive stretching). Do the same for the other brie round and ingredients. Place the two rounds on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from oven and serve hot with crackers, baguette slices, or spoons…because you don’t really need anything with this except some excitement and stretchy pants.

12 Holiday Food Comas: Peppermint Brownies

December 12, 2013 - Elspeth Leave a comment

Everyone has their own list of holiday favorites. Recipes they make every year without fail, whether they’ve been passed down from grandma or discovered in a lonely college dorm room whilst dreaming of a white Christmas. This year I wanted to highlight a few of my favorites, some new ideas I’ve been toying with, and suggestions from friends, so every day for the next 12 I will be posting a new recipe to help everyone enjoy the holidays. Today’s beast: Peppermint Brownies.

While peppermint bark is a staple this time of year, I can never eat very much of it. This is probably a good thing for my blood sugar levels, but December is the one month I feel entitled (yes, entitled) to shove as much food into my mouth as possible without feeling an iota of guilt. It’s my right as an American, a human, and practicing Atheist. And I don’t care that that last bit doesn’t make any sense. It’s my story and I’m sticking to it!

What better way to transform a chocolatey peppermint treat than to turn it into a brownie? I can think of nothing superior.

I did not think enough ahead and didn’t put the crushed candy canes on before popping the pan into the oven, but I would definitely suggest it for any followers. The brownies form a bit of a crust, so sprinkling them on after they bake is not really ideal.

Peppermint Bark Brownies

8 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips
10 Tbsp. butter
3 oz. cream cheese
3oz white chocolate chips, melted and cooled
2 c. sugar
6 eggs
1 c. + 2 Tbsp. unsifted flour
3 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. peppermint extract
1/2 c crushed candy canes

Preheat oven to 350 and grease a 13×9″ pan, or line with foil. Melt the semi-sweet chocolate chips & 6 Tbsp. butter in a small saucepan. Set aside. In a standing mixer, cream remaining butter with cream cheese and melted white chocolate; add 2/3 c. sugar and beat well. Add 2 eggs, 1 tsp vanilla, 2 Tbsp. flour. Set aside. In the clean mixer, beat 4 eggs till frothy; add 1 1/3 cup sugar & beat again. Add semi sweet chocolate mixture, then add rest of flour with salt & baking powder. Add peppermint extract and rest of vanilla. In the prepared pan, layer half of semi sweet chocolate mixture, then cream cheese, then rest of chocolate mixture. Dip knife down into mixture and swirl layers, then sprinkle with crushed candy canes. Bake for 40 minutes or until barely done. This recipe does much better when it’s a bit wet— when it’s dry it just ain’t right. Nom nom nom!

Mustard Glazed Brussel Sprouts

November 10, 2013 - Elspeth Leave a comment

I love the question “Oh, do you have a cold?” I am always tempted to reply with something snarky and sarcastic, such as “Nah, I just normally sound like a muppet stuffed inside an empty Pringles can. Thanks, chief!” All merely because I’m bitter and tired and snotty and coughing up half a lung. What really gets my goat is that the person doesn’t usually care about you. Nope. What they really mean to say is “Please get the hell away from me so I don’t catch the Plague from the molten grossness pouring out of you.” I am perfect just the way I am, thank you, and if you don’t like it then I suggest you don’t touch your sleeve. I just used it as a tissue. You’re welcome.

At least there is food. Sweet, delicious recipes to make the world a better place.

I’ve been wrestling with this particular one for awhile now. What kind of mustard is best for texture, for taste, for aesthetics; is vinegar too sour to use with the subtle nature of the ingredients, or am I just using too much or the wrong kind; should the shallots be replaced with bacon? These are the questions that plagued my soul and my sprouts.

Mostly the bacon query. Man, do I miss bacon.

What really did the trick here, for me, was cooking the shallots first and then removing them completely from the pan. I’m a big fan of throwing everything in at once and seeing where the wind takes me, but sometimes things just taste better when the components are cooked separately (stir-fries fall into this category, and man– was that a tough lesson to learn). I’ll be damned.

Whole grain mustard is really the best choice, because others don’t have quite the BAM flavor and they also alter the consistency of the final sauce.

Mustard Glazed Brussel Sprouts

2 shallots, diced fine
1 lb Brussel sprounts, ends trimmed and cut in half lengthwise
3 T olive oil
1 heaping T whole grain mustard
1/2 t dry mustard
1/4 c broth
2 T white wine
1 T balsamic vinegar
1 t chopped fresh rosemary
pinch red pepper flakes

In a large pan heat 1 T oil over medium heat. Add the diced shallot and cook about 10 minutes, or until brown. Remove from heat and set aside. Heat the remaining 2T oil in the pan and, when hot, place Brussels face down. Cook over medium heat until brown, then shake the pan to loosen the sprouts. Whisk together the mustards, broth, vinegar, rosemary, and red pepper flakes in a small bowl. Increase the pan’s heat to high and add the wine. Reduce by about half and then add the herb-broth mixture.. Cook until liquid reduces by about half, then remove from heat. Add back in the shallots and serve hot.