Happy Thursday before Christmas 2014! Be a shining star…
Dec18
Over The Hump Old School Sound Check- Earth, Wind & Fire
Happy Thursday before Christmas 2014! Be a shining star…
Dec17
Chocolate Brookies
Brownies and cookies come together in this irresistible treat.
YIELD: MAKES 6
INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes, plus more for pie tins
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon dark cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 ounces dark chocolate (60 to 72 percent cacao), coarsely chopped
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup light-brown sugar
3 large eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
DIRECTIONS
1.Butter bottom and sides of six 4-inch-round pie tins; set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and cocoa powder; set aside.
3. Melt chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl set over (but not touching) simmering water. Turn off heat but keep bowl over water; whisk both sugars into chocolate mixture. Remove bowl from water and let cool to room temperature.
4. Add eggs to chocolate mixture and whisk until just combined. Add vanilla and stir just to combine; do not overmix. Sprinkle flour mixture over chocolate mixture. Using a spatula, gently fold flour mixture into chocolate mixture until just a trace amount of the flour mixture is visible.
5.Fill each prepared pie tin halfway with batter. Place pie tins on a large baking sheet and transfer to refrigerator; let chill for at least 1 hour.
6. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
7. Using a 1/4-cup ice cream scoop with a mechanical release, scoop chilled cookie dough into six balls. Using your hands, shape dough to form perfect balls and gently form into a round disk that is slightly domed at the top; disks should be slightly smaller than the top of the pie tins.
8. Remove pie tins from refrigerator and gently press 1 disk of cookie dough into each tin of batter. Transfer baking sheet to oven and bake until cookie is golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through cooking time. Serve warm with ice cream or at room temperature.
Dec16
Balmain Resort 2015 Collection
Absolutely no one inspires my taste in fashion like Balmain. Enjoy a peek at the Balmain Resort 2015 Collection!
Dec15
Chocolate Chip Danish
Are you ready to surprise everyone with a flaky, buttery pastry oozing with chocolate and sweet cheese goodness? First, gather your ingredients: crescent dough, cream cheese, sugar, chocolate chips and vanilla extract. That’s it!
35 min total time
10 min ingredients
5 servings
Ingredients
1 can Pillsbury Crescent refrigerated seamless dough sheet
1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup chocolate chips
Directions
1. Heat oven at 350°F. Line 17×12-inch cookie sheet with cooking parchment paper or silicone nonstick baking mat.
2. Unroll dough onto lined cookie sheet; press dough into about 16×10-inch rectangle. With sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut 1 1/2-inch-long slanted cuts 1 inch apart along both long sides of rectangle, leaving center of dough uncut. Make sure you have the same amount of cut strips on both sides.
3. In medium bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until smooth. Spread mixture on uncut center of dough. Sprinkle chocolate chips over cream cheese mixture.
4. Braid dough by crossing strips over filling, alternating from side to side. At end, trim off any overhanging dough.
5. Bake 20 to 22 minutes or just until golden brown. Remove from cookie sheet to bread board, serving platter or cooling rack. Cut into slices to serve. Best served the same day.
Dec14
Sunday Reflections
Have an amazing day!
The scripture says, “God will give you beauty for ashes.” Ashes represent our broken dreams, our failures, our disappointments, our hurts. But here’s the key: you have to let go of the ashes before you can receive the beauty.
-Joel Osteen Ministries
Dec13
Chocolate Almond Upside-Down Cake
This light buttermilk chocolate cake is baked on a bed of butter, sugar, and toasted almonds, creating a soaked-in caramel coating when removed from the pan. Enjoy!
Ingredients
Caramel Topping:
6 tablespoon(s) unsalted butter, melted, plus more for pan
3/4 cup(s) packed light-brown sugar
1/4 cup(s) honey
1 1/4 cup(s) sliced or slivered almonds, lightly toasted
Cake:
1 1/4 cup(s) cake flour (not self rising)
1/2 cup(s) cocoa powder, preferably Dutch-processed
1 teaspoon(s) baking soda
1/2 teaspoon(s) salt
1/2 cup(s) (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cup(s) sugar
3 large eggs
1 cup(s) buttermilk
1 teaspoon(s) pure vanilla extract
Directions
1. Prepare the topping: Generously butter a 10-inch round nonstick cake pan. Pour 6 tablespoons melted butter into the cake pan and swirl to coat the bottom; sprinkle in brown sugar. Drizzle honey over sugar and sprinkle evenly with almonds.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
3. Prepare the cake: Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt together three times to make the cake extra light. Place butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat until smooth and fluffy. Add sugar and continue mixing. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Continue beating until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. With the mixer running on low speed, add a third of the dry ingredients and mix to combine. Add half the buttermilk and continue mixing. Add another third of the dry ingredients, mix, and add remaining buttermilk and vanilla. Add remaining dry ingredients and mix until smooth. Pour the batter into the pan.
4. Bake until set in the center and springy, 45 to 55 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the pan and immediately invert the pan onto a serving platter. Let it sit with the pan still on top for 5 minutes so the caramel can soak into the cake a bit, before removing the pan. If the topping is sticking to the pan, warm the pan surface over a low burner to loosen the caramel and then pour it over the cake. Let cool completely. Cut into wedges with a serrated knife.
Dec11
Over The Hump Old School Sound Check- Rufus
Happy Thursday! It’s hard to believe the weekend is almost here. Nothing like a sample of Rufus featuring Chaka Khan to usher in the weekend!
Dec10
Afrikanus by Rui Lopes at Swahili Fashion Week 2014
Despite seeing this collection on many runways, it is always refreshing to see his beautiful print garments again. This time it seems we are being introduced to beautiful white gowns with print bands that are just amazing. Great work… I love Afrikanus and hope you do to.
Dec9
Mocha-Chocolate Shortbread
If you’re a fan of rich, buttery shortbread cookies, this chocolate version of shortbread is guaranteed to satisfy. You’ll only need 6 ingredients.
Yield: Makes 50 triangles
Ingredients
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 teaspoons instant coffee granules
2/3 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate morsels, divided
Vanilla or coffee ice cream (optional)
Preparation
1. Combine first 3 ingredients in a medium bowl; add butter and vanilla, and beat at low speed with an electric mixer until blended. Stir in 1 cup chocolate morsels.
2. Press dough into an ungreased 9-inch square pan; prick dough with a fork.
3. Bake at 325° for 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Sprinkle remaining 1 cup morsels over top, and spread to cover. Cut shortbread into 25 (about 1 3/4-inch) squares; cut each square into 2 triangles. Let cool 30 minutes in pan before removing. Serve with ice cream, if desired.
Dec9
Chocolate Caramel Peanut Bomb
I’ve seen a lot of chocolate desserts in my day, but none quite as implosive as this. This magical melting chocolate bombe is an implosion of gooey goodness. Basically, the dessert is a shell of chocolate candy with a delicious treat hidden inside.
Just set the loaded bomb on a plate, pour hot fudge or caramel over the top, and watch the shell melt away into a pile of ooey-gooey goodness. It’s part magic trick, part science experiment, and all parts fabulous holiday dessert idea. Bombs away!
Ingredients
Spheres
400g (14.11 ounces) dark chocolate (you will have left over, use below) Check your chocolates ingredients if it contains cocoa butter it is real chocolate and must be tempered or will not hold its shape at room temperature. NOTE: If you want tempered chocolate then the easiest thing to do at home is to simply keep the chocolate in temper. You only need to temper chocolate if it is real chocolate. Candy melts and some other melts are not real chocolate and so do not require tempering.
Cremeux
135g (4.76 ounces) dark chocolate
110g (3.88 ounces) milk chocolate
225 ml or 1 cup minus 5 teaspoons of cream (any cream that is around 35% fat is good)
100 ml or 1/3 cup plus 3 teaspoons of whole milk
60g (2.12 ounces) egg yolk (approx 4)
30g (1.06 ounces) sugar
1 cup fine sugar or caster sugar
1/4 cup water
100g (3.53 ounces) unsalted roasted peanuts
Easy Caramel Sauce
75g (2.65 ounces) or 5 tablespoons butter
100 ml or 1/3 cup plus 3 teaspoons of cream
100g (3.53 ounces) or 1/2 cup of brown sugar
Directions
Watch how to make this masterpiece in the video below:
Credit: Ann Reardon, “How To Cook That”
Egos & Buffaloes 