Have an amazing Sunday #friendsofTenaciousM!!
Sep18
The second leg of #birthday2016 is Switzerland which makes sense for this lover of chocolate! Being outdoors here I notice that the air is quite fresh for Europe given the fact that no one has gotten the cigarettes kill memo. As usual, the first visit to any country gets an immediate do-over to give me a fair chance to research likes and dislikes about the place.
The objective for this year’s Paris trip was specifically to move my longtime goal of becoming a Paris resident from dream to reality. With a few serendipitous opportunities to meet the right real estate people, I am closer than ever to the goal.
I had narrowed down my search to Montparnasse a few years ago. Now, there’s a street (Rue Littre) as well. Mission accomplished.
Since my college days, I have had a fascination with the artist, Georgia O’Keeffe. Already an accomplished artist, O’Keeffe moved from New York to New Mexico after visiting and becoming enamored by the place during the 1940s. I get it, the landscapes are breathtaking and the colors of the mountains change constantly depending on the season or time of day. Here are just a few shots from my day trip.
Why not use nut flour to make gluten-free brownies? These are delicious!
Ingredients
7 oz. hazelnuts
1 cups Unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tbsp. Unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp. salt
3 cups sugar
1 lb. unsalted butter
12 oz. bittersweet chocolate (70 percent)
6 large eggs
1 tbsp. tablespoon instant coffee
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line a 9- by 13-inch baking pan with foil, pressing it into the corners and leaving overhang on the 2 short sides.
2. Spread the hazelnuts in a pie plate and toast for 15 minutes, until fragrant and the skins blister; transfer to a kitchen towel to cool slightly, then rub off the skins. Let cool completely. Transfer the nuts to a food processor. Add the cocoa, salt, and 1/2 cup of the sugar and pulse until finely ground.
3 In a large saucepan, cook the butter over moderate heat, shaking the pan occasionally, until nutty-smelling and golden and the foam subsides, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the chopped chocolate; let stand until melted, about 2 minutes. Whisk the butter and chocolate until smooth, scraping up any browned butter solids from the bottom of the pan. Let cool slightly.
4. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the eggs with the remaining 2 1/2 cups of sugar and the coffee until tripled in volume, about 5 minutes. Beat in the chocolate-butter mixture. Add the cocoa-hazelnut mixture and beat to combine, scraping down the bowl. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 50 minutes, until the top is glossy and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached. Let the brownie cool completely on a rack, then refrigerate until chilled.
5. Lift the brownie out of the pan and peel off the foil. Cut into 20 pieces and serve.