Avocado Brownies

Extended Shelf Life for: Avocados

So many avocados, so little time.

It should come as no surprise that I have, yet another, avocado recipe to share here!

I made these for a potluck in late December and even whilst sitting among a homemade carrot cake, a ricotta-orange cake topped with pomegranate and preceded by numerous food items, I only brought a few of these little morsels home with me at the end of the night, which I think is a good sign.

Ingredients/Directions:
From Mary Quite Contrary Bakes

Preheat oven to 350 Fahrenheit. Grease an 8x8 or 9x9 square pan and set aside. In a bowl, whisk together 3/4 cups Flour, 1/4 cup Cocoa Powder, 1/2 tsp. Baking Powder and 1/4 tsp. Salt.

In a separate bowl, mix together 2 mashed, ripe Avocados and 8oz. Melted Chocolate. Stir in 1 cup Sugar until well combined. Add 2 eggs, 3 Tbsp. Vegetable Oil and 1 tsp. Vanilla, mix well until well combined and smooth.

Stir in flour mixture until just combined. Pour batter into pan and bake 28-32 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.

Chocolate Avocado Bread

Extended Shelf Life for: Avocados

Ugh... 

The problem with huge life transitions and letting your blog back up for months on end means you simply can't remember every recipe. This is one of those recipes. I have no idea where I received my inspiration or anything about anything. 

 What is important to note however is: 

a) Frozen, dumpster avocados, can in fact be turned into a delicious quick bread 

b) Frozen, dumpster avocados, can be pretty brown, which means adding chocolate is a very good idea.

c) You could probably essentially follow a recipe, such as this, and have this bread. One thing I do know, is that I didn't use banana, I just increased the avocado...so there you go.

d) I got to use farm fresh eggs from my sister's chickens, how awesome is that?!?!?

So, there you have it, a non-existent recipe for Chocolate Avocado Bread! But hey, at least now we all know I made it, and it can be made, right? RIGHT?!? Jeesh, I really am trying hard to be a more consistent food blogger, but I'm not sure how that's going to go...2013, I have a lot of hopes for you!

Red Velvet Beet Brownies

Extended Shelf Life for: Beets

The truth is, I don't really like beets and never have any clue what to do with them when the man brings them home. Also, while I enjoy healthy alternatives, I think making brownies with lots of rich butter and sugar is acceptable and honorable - you're making brownies for goodness sake, the whole objective is to have something sinfully delicious - just don't eat a pan everyday and that's being healthy (in my book anyway).

But, back to the subject at hand, beets and brownies, a healthy alternative or a fantastic way to use up beets, this brownie recipe comes from the great, always inspirational, Vegetarian Times.

Ingredients/Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 F and prepare a 9 inch or 8 inch square pan with cooking spray.

Process two large cooked beets in a food processor or on the mincing option of a high-quality juicer if you have one. You will need a total of one cup of beet puree total.

In a separate bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup softened or melted Butter and 1 cup Sugar, until smooth. Add 1 tsp. Vanilla, then whisk in two large Eggs.

In a small bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup Flour and 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp. Cocoa Powder. Fold flour mixture into beet mixture, then add 1/2 cup mini-chocolate chips.

Pour into prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Enjoy!

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Banana (n)Ice Cream Pie

Remember the Banana (n)Ice Cream sandwiches?

Well this is basically the same idea...but in Pie form.

Graham Cracker Crust - or Oreos or Nilla Wafers, anything would do.

Banana (n)Ice Cream with Peanut Butter blended in.

Banana (n)Ice Cream with Coco Powder blended in.

Crust, Peanut Butter Layer, Coco Layer = P.B. Chocolate Banana (n)Ice Cream Pie!

Keep in the freezer, let set at room temp about 20 minutes before serving for easy slicing and forking^^

Banana-Brownie Pie

I've been mastering pie crust. But was running low on pie fillings/current seasonal fruits in Korea are not entirely pie friendly.

And I wanted a brownie.

And bananas.

And fresh whipped cream.

So, I threw a pie shell into a dish, pricked it with a fork, baked for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, I whipped up a box of brownie mix. Dumped the batter in the pre-baked pie crust, baked according to the package directions. When it was time to serve up the dish, I simply sliced a banana onto the brownie/pie and scooped a spoon or two of cream on top.

It was delicious.

Every single bite.

Chocolate Rice Pudding

I've really been on a rice pudding kick lately - it's just so easy and one of the absolute best ways to use up left over rice - which is continually happening in my home...maybe it's an accident, maybe it's a ploy so that I can create more rice pudding variations ^^

Ingredients/Directions:
In a small pot combine 1 1/2 cups cooked Rice, 1 1/2 cups Milk, 1/3 cups Sugar (brown or white will do) and 1/4 tsp. Salt. Cook over medium heat until thick and creamy, 15-20 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk together 3 Tbsp. Cocoa Powder and 1/2 cup Milk add to the thick and creamy rice pudding mixture and cook an additional minute. Before serving remove from heat and stir in 1 Tbsp. Butter,  1/2 tsp. Vanilla and a Handful of Chocolate Chips or a few Hershey's Dark Kisses, stir so they melt just a little before spooning into serving dishes and enjoying with a mug of hot tea and a good book (I had rooibos and sat down to read The Help)

Linking up to Sweet as Sugar Cookies, for more sweets this week, head on over here!

Nutella Chocolate Chip Spent Grain Cookies

First inspired to use Spent Grains in cookies with the success of Choco-Chip Spent Grain Pumpkin Cookies, I quickly moved onto Peanut Butter Spent Grain Cookies. But these, my friends...these are the end all, be all of Spent Grain cookies and I don't know if another Pumpkin or Peanut Butter cookie will find it's place in our 'cookie jar.' Nutella is just too magical. And chocolate chips are always a plus.

Ingredients/Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 Fahrenheit (177 Celsius) Combine 2 sticks butter, 1 cup brown sugar and 3/4 cups white sugar until fluffy. Add 3/4 - 1 cup Nutella depending on flavor preference, 2 eggs and 1 tsp. vanilla and beat until combined. Add 1 1/2 cups flour, 1 tsp salt, and 1 tsp baking powder. Stir in 3 cups of Spent Grains (drained of moisture to the best of your ability). If the dough is too wet and sticky at this point (because generally spent grains hold a bit of moisture) add some flour and mix until you acquire a dough that can hold it's shape and isn't too wet, I usually add an additional 1-2 cups of flour. Next stir in at least 1 cup of chocolate chips and plop dough onto a greased cookie sheet and bake 12-15 minutes until golden brown and beautiful. This always makes a huge batch of dough, so it's also nice to simply freeze pre-made balls of dough so you can enjoy warm, chocolaty cookies any night of the week.

No Bake Cookies

(Apologies for such a lame picture...I was so anxious to get these suckers made and devoured that I forgot to take a photo!)

In an attempt to further win over my winter camp students and increase my chances at an early release through subtle bribing, I whipped these no-bake cookies up which always impress my Korean co-workers and friends who are quite unfamiliar with the wide-world of baking and cookies.

Ingredients/Directions:

Bring to boil 1/2 cup of butter, 1/2 cup milk , 1 3/4 cups White Sugar, and 4 Tbsp. Cocoa in a sauce pan or pot.  Boil for about a minute, remove from heat and stir in 1/2 cup Peanut Butter followed by 1 tsp Vanilla and 3 cups Oats. Drop by spoonfuls onto cookie sheets (or cardboard covered w/ wax paper) and place in the fridge or on your Korean verandah in the winter and let set a couple of hours before serving!

Choco-Peanut Butter Popcorn

Thank you Pinterest. This was easy and delicious.

Pop popcorn - microwave or stovetop, your choice. Personally, stovetop popcorn makes me giddy like a little girl, so it's my preference.

Melt a few handfuls of chocolate (or about a cup) and a few large spoonfuls of peanutbutter (to taste) on the stovetop (or microwave...but, why?)

Pour choco-peanut butter over popcorn, place in the fridge (unless it smells like Kimchi, then put it on the 'verandah' if it's winter) for 30 minutes until choco-peanut butter hardens a bit.

Enjoy with friends and crafting supplies!

Choco-Chip Spent Grain Pumpkin Cookies

Pumpkin during fall and especially as Thanksgiving approaches is homey and perfect, especially when you're feeling a little too distant from the friends and family you love.

I was of course inspired by a Pinterest find and was so thrilled with the way these turned out, as were my co-workers and friends whom I 'reluctantly' shared them with.  The original recipe at Petite Kitchenesse doesn't involve spent grain, rather it just calls for oatmeal.  However, I used some spent grain in these, which worked out brilliantly and I'm quite confident I could use even more and still have a delicious cookie. I'm hoping to play around with the recipe soon, maybe foregoing pumpkin and throwing in some peanut butter or bananas or Nutella - anything really to use up all these spent grains (leftover grains from my husband's brewing process) we've been producing.

Ingredients/Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 Fahrenheit (177 Celsius) Combine 2 sticks butter, 1 cup brown sugar and 3/4 cups white sugar until fluffy (or combined if you accidentally melt the butter, not that I would know from experience). Add 3/4 cups pumpkin puree (or a full cup if that's what you thawed from the freezer), 2 eggs and 1 tsp. vanilla and beat until combined. Add 1 1/2 cups flour, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp baking powder, 2 tsp cinnamon, 2 tsp ginger, 1 tsp cloves and a dash of nutmeg.  Stir in 2 cups of oats and 1 cup of spent grain. If the dough is too wet and sticky at this point (because generally spent grains hold a bit of moisture) add some flour and mix until you acquire a dough that can hold it's shape and isn't too wet. Finally add 1 1/2 cups of chocolate chips, plop dough onto a greased cookie sheet and bake 12-15 minutes until golden brown and beautiful.

Chocolate Tofu 'Pudding'

Easiest...Healthiest...Quikest....Desert.Ever.

Silken Tofu + 1/4 cup Cocoa + 1/4 cup Honey (or Agave Nector) + Banana (optional) + Food Processor = "Not exactly pudding, but not too shappy and so much quicker than any other pudding besides the ones already made in the cup which obviously aren't as healty this treat"

Top with additional honey, a touch of cinnamon and some sliced almonds and it's the perfect way to end an evening out in the countryside.

Choco-Coco Bars

Simple, delicious and looking like a Korean pork-cutlet (tonkatsu), these bars are a lovely way to end a Thai inspired meal with dear friends at ones favorite coffee shop...or just a lovely snack for any time of day, in any location.

Ingreadients/Directions:

Crush 3 cups of a cookie (I used 'Diget' - an almost graham cracker like cookie with chocolate covering one side). To the 2 cups of cookie crumbs add 3/4 cup of melted butter and 1/4 cup sugar. Once butter is incorporated, spread mixture onto a pan (I lined mine with parchment paper..., but it's not too necessary--you also may need more than one pan if you're using a toaster sized oven) bake for about 10 minutes to firm up. Let the crust cool slightly before spreading/pouring a healthy amount of sweetened condensed milk on top. You want a healthy layer of the milk before adding a cup or so of choco-chips (or chopped chocolate bars) and topping with coconut. Once this is all compiled, slip the pan back into the oven for 15-20 minutes until the coconut is toasty and the smells in your home are fabulous! Enjoy with good friends and cup of coffee if you so desire.

Orignial recipe can be found here.

Choco-P.B. Rolls

Just after punching the dough from Jamie Oliver's Basic Bread Recipe - roll out the dough and stuff with whatever you darn well please! Who said cinnamon and sugar are the only things that liked to be wrapped up in deliciously warm and airy bread?

These were divine. I spread on some P.B. sprinkled on some diced chocolate - rolled, sliced, waited for the 2nd rise, baked for about 20 minutes and devoured along side a glass of iced chai.

Who wouldn't want some of that in their day?

White Chocolate-Lemon Artisan Bread

This is a work in progress. But when all is said and done...it will be a magical experience.

For now, I'll just say: Bread + White Chocolate + Lemon = A little bit of Heaven. Amen.

Peanut Butter and Almond No Bake Cookies

A continuation of (well, in actuality, the first of three cookie experiements) a night of cookie experimentation yielded a more traditional sort of no-bake cookie with only a few substitutes.

Ingredients/Directions:
In a saucepan bring to boil: 1/3 cup butter, 1 cup sugar, 1/2 cup milk, 1/2 cup Peanut Butter, 1 handful of chopped Almonds, 1 Tbsp. Coco Powder and (roughly) 2 Tbsp. Milk chocolate pieces. Boil for about one minute and remove from heat. Add to sauce 3 cups of Oatmeal or combination of Oatmeal and Corn Flakes depending on availability. Add enough grains to soak up the majority of the sauce as to prevent a particularly sticky no-bake cookie.

Browned Butter Brownies with Strawberry Sauce

I have a new love. Pinterest.
Seriously. Best. Idea. Ever.
Virtual-themed bulletin boards where I can pin things from the world-wide web that inspire me, enlighten me, bring me joy, etc. LOVE!
Wouldn't have found this delectable recipe without Pinterest...just sayin'.

Browned Butter Brownies: Ingredients/Directions

10Tbsp (or less, try 7-8) butter melted in a saucepan. Let butter get frothy and brown but avoid burning, should take 6-8 minutes. Add to saucepan: 1 1/4 cup Sugar, 3/4 cup Cocoa, 2 tsp. Water, Dash (or two) Cinnamon, Dash of Salt, and 2 tsp. Vanilla. Let mixture set and cool for about 5 minutes. Whisk in 2 eggs (or 1 if that's all you have, it'll still work - I promise, I know) one at a time - mixture will be thick, dark and shiny. Stir in 1/2 cup flour, whisk vigorously for about 2 minutes before stirring in 1/3 cup Chocolate Chips or diced chocolate bar. Pour into greased square or round pan bake at 325 for 20-30 minutes.

Ours were incredibly gooey and OH-so-delicious with a cold glass of milk!

For Strawberry sauce I simply sliced a dozen or so frozen strawberries, dumped them in a sauce pan, added sugar and heated, adding additional sugar until I fel the sauce was of appropriate sweetness - start with 1/4 cup or less sugar and go from there!