Lenny was traveling last week.  I was a bit bad (head hanging low).   I over indulged.  I bought gelato.  I made chocolate sauce.  I watched bad movies and ate sugary goodness.

I remember my Grandma Olson would always have a little something sweet after dinner, and before going to bed.  It usually consisted of a bowl of vanilla ice cream with this dreamy chocolate sauce.  I was only a kid;  but, I knew this was the ultimate.  It was not from a squeeze bottle.  She would take squares of chocolate, melt them with sugar and butter, and create what I was pretty sure what they served in heaven.

There is an emergency stash of bittersweet chocolate in the pantry.  You know, for those last minute desserts, when company comes over.  Or for emergencies such as this.  The evening pretty much played out like this … I poured a glass of red wine, put a some Les Nubians on (doesn’t chocolate warrant sultry music), carefully (okay, I TORE) opened the chocolate, unwrapped some butter, and started mixing heaven with a little sugar and heavy cream.  Fifteen minutes later, I was on the couch, filling that “missing you” void.

Lesson learned;  don’t buy a squeeze bottle of chocolate sauce.  Make a batch, eat a little, put the rest in the fridge, it will stay fresh for about 2 weeks;  maybe.  It is easy to make.  You know what will be in it.  You can put it on ice cream, pound cake with strawberries, mix a little with your milk for feed that childhood memory.  Let your imagination run as wild as a jar of chocolate sauce is.

And you can get as creative as you want when making this recipe.  Sometimes I add a little orange peel or lemon.  Maybe a sprinkle of smoked cherry wood salt.  Or a shot of bourbon.  Or just as Grandma use to make it … pure.

 

Hot Fudge Sauce

Print

Recipe type: Dessert

Author: Chez Us

Ingredients

• 9 ounces bittersweet chocolate – unsweetened
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

Instructions

1. In a saucepan or a double boiler, over low heat, melt the chocolate with the butter.
2. Stir very often to prevent sticking or burning.
3. Add the sugar, stir, and stir, over low heat for 3 minutes.
4. Add the cream, a little at a time, stirring until it is well-combined, and you have added all of it.
5. Over low heat continue stirring until thickened, about 5 minutes.
6. Stir in the vanilla.
7. Remove from the heat.
8. Serve.
9. Eat.

Notes

Makes about 2 1/2 cups. A lot of chocolate fun. Pour over ice cream, fruit, or even pound cake.

2.2.6

© Denise for Chez Us, 2012. | Permalink | 3 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Chocolate, Dessert, Grandma, Hot Fudge, Ice Cream, pound cake, Sweet

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When I see the first pumpkin at the market, I know fall is just a twinkle away.  Short days and crisp nights are just around the corner, which is also a sign to start making comfort food.  Food to nourish our souls, and keep us warm during the long winter months.  Most people think of comfort food as being savory, but, it can also be a sweet little bite of love.

Pot de cremes are exactly that;  a little bite of love.  They are so rich, and flavorful, that you only need a couple bites.  Couple weeks ago, I made these pot de cremes with some roasted pumpkin puree.   We were in the middle of a big move, somewhat homeless and found ourselves house-sitting for friends.  Our lives felt a bit out of sorts, and we yearned for some comfort.  While a big pot of soup came to mind, after roasting some pumpkins, we decided something sweet was in order.  This pot de creme recipe is simple to make, and easier to eat;  we could not stop at just one!  It would be really lovely served alongside Thanksgiving giving.

Some of you may have seen some tweets that I am in Austin.  I will be here for another week, and Lenny is back home taking care of business.  This is the first time we have been apart for more than a few days;  it is strange for me not to see him everyday, even though we talk.  It is not uncomfortable, just a bit strange.  I came down a few days ago to share  some time with an old friend, before embarking on a project.  Last night we realized we have known each other for 20 years;  but, it feels like only yesterday.  We have been sharing food, wine, and special time with her lovely teen-age girls (it is making us both relive our youth a bit).  It has been really sweet, and comfortable, just as the pot de cremes were.  Starting Sunday, I will be stepping out of my comfort zone, and submerging myself in some personal growth.  I will be spending a week with some very talented photographers, Lynn, Penny, and Scott, during their Photographic Muse Austin Workshop.  I am really excited to submerge myself, and to learn everything that I can in one short week.  Hopefully, finding a little time to also share with y’all.  In the meantime, make yourself a batch of these pot de cremes.

Recipe:  Roasted Pumpkin Pot de Creme

Pumpkin Recipes you should enjoy this fall:

• Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
•  Pumpkin Cannoli 
• Pumpkin Scones

© Denise for Chez Us, 2011. | Permalink | 12 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Cannoli, Cheesecake Bars, Dessert, pot de creme, Pumpkin, roasted, Scones, Thanksgiving

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Life.  Love.  Death.  Birth.  Life’s little quirks that keep us on our toes.  Laughter.  Joy.  Tears.  Smiles.  All of these experiences are scary and can leave one feeling exhilarated.  They are hard to explain and hard to express, the proper way, or I should say eloquently. 

I have not stopped thinking about Jennie since August 7, at 610pm, when I saw her tweet that her heart was shattered.  You know when that wave of “oh no” sways over you, that is exactly what happened.  I mentioned to Lenny that something had happened to Jennie and I had a feeling it was bad.  We talk about it every day.  We talk about Jennie every day.  We hold each other a little tighter in the mornings….. when saying “see you later”.  It has affected us even if we are not closer.

I have been meaning to reach out to Jennie for months now.  Time grabs me.  I get busy.  I don’t reach out.  I feel terrible about that.  I think about her everyday, this is the honest truth.  We had the short but sweet pleasure to met in person a couple years.  We shared smiles, joy, laughter, wine and stories of Mikey.  She got to met my love in person, I got to met hers through her contagious smile and loving words.  He was a kind man, a man of virtue, a man who loved his wife and children.  A man who was just not into doing dishes when she was gone.  Maybe he called to talk about dish soap because he really wanted to hear his wife’s voice.  He probably did not care about soap or dishes.  Lenny and I both remember that story;  we both think of Jennie, Mikey and doing dishes, every time our hands are submerged in suds.

We were traveling for work and could not get to making A Pie for Mikey until this week.  We invited a dear friend over who has been celebrating his partner’s tests coming back cancer free.  That night we shared a meal, wine, laughter and we celebrated Mikey as well as Life.  We had a pie for Mikey.  I followed Jennie’s recipe as this was a pie for Mikey;  I couldn’t change it.  The only thing I did differently was half the recipe to make a smaller portion and I toasted the peanuts before laying them on the melted chocolate.  Something about non-toasted peanuts freaks me out.  I think I may have whipped the cream cheese and peanut butter too much as it had a mousse like texture and was very light.    But, it was really good.  I mean really good.  The pie was nutty, creamy and luxurious.  It didn’t last, we finished it all.  Mikey would have been proud.

When I thought about this write-up, I tossed around all sorts of ways to express what we are feeling for Jennie;  but, there really are no words.  We have not walked in Jennie’s shoes, and we only dread feeling the pain and anger she is experiencing.   What we can do is be there for her to listen, comfort and nourish.

Jennie – our hearts are with you and your girls not only today, but, every day.

Recipe:  Peanut Butter Pie

© Denise for Chez Us, 2011. | Permalink | 4 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Dessert, Jennie Perillo, Mikey, Peanut Butter, Pie

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Don’t you love saying “Clafouti”  I love saying it … clafouti, clafouti, clafouti.  Not only is it fun to say but it is fun to make as well as eat.  I cannot remember the first time I had it.  I do remember loving the warm custard base and jammy fresh summer fruit. I was hooked.

Clafouti as well as galettes are a staple summertime dessert in our house.  I tend to whip one up whenever I have some overripe stone fruit laying around.  I particularly love late summer apricots with an almond flavoring.  Bliss.  I have never considered adding berries.  Don’t ask me why; because, I cannot even begin to answer that question.  Then my friend Tracy whipped up a strawberry claufouti and provoked the baking goddess in me.

The other evening I had some leftover blueberries and a near overripe basket of strawberries sitting on the counter, just begging to be eaten.  Instead, I pulled out my trusty clafouti recipe and went to work.  Don’t be scared to tackle what looks like a complicated recipe.  A clafouti is really easy to make.  Just put all of the ingredients, except for the fruit, into a blender.  Give a couple whirls and you are set.  I like to put it into the oven about 30 minutes before serving, then you will have a lovely warm dessert to serve your guests, or to just enjoy yourself.  Makes a wonderful breakfast companion with a cup of hot coffee as well.  That is if you even have leftovers.

Happy Clafouti’n!

Recipe:  Blueberry Strawberry Clafouti

• 1/2 pint strawberries, washed and cut in half
• 1 pint blueberries, washed
• 1/2 cup whole-milk
• 1/2 cup cream
• 6 tablespoons flour
• 3 eggs
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
• 1 tablespoon  orange blossom water
• powdered sugar for garnish

If you like this recipe, check these out:

Apple and Hazelnut Clafouti

Peach Raspberry Clafouti

Sweet Potato and Crabapple Clafouti

© Denise for Chez Us, 2011. | Permalink | 21 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Blueberries, Blueberry, Clafouti, Custard, Dessert, French, Strawberry, Sweet

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WOW!  Time flies when you are cooking, and stuffing your face.  It is hard to believe that it has been 4 years, yes 4 years, and 697 posts since Chez Us was born.  It is fun to look back, and see the baby steps we took, to get where we are now.  We laugh, and smile over some of these silly posts, when we were shy, and not sure how much we should say. It has been a delicious journey.

We get asked all the time, why we do it, and why we keep doing it?  Well, we have to eat, right?  Honestly?  We love it;  it is a sweet labor of love, delicious love.  Two passions rolled into one … food and photography.  An outlet to be creative, to unwind, to think outside the box.  And the relationships.  Food just happens to bring people together.  We have been so fortunate to have met some amazing people through the site;  truly raw talent.  Very lucky, the relationships that have been “baking” mean so much, we cannot ever imagine not meeting each of you.

What did we do to celebrate?  Well, we ate, the same meal we have eaten every year on the blogiversary;  vegetarian enchiladas, washed down with margaritas.  This year we mixed it up a bit, by adding cake.  A sultry, and creamy three milk cake.  I have been dying to make one, ever since I read a recipe many years ago.  I just have never gotten around to it.  I was inspired by a recipe over at Lemon Pi recently, and used it as a guideline.  Instead of regular milk, I used coconut milk, and added a heavy dose of fresh lime zest.  It was amazing.  Really amazing.  Dense, moist, luscious, and flavorful.  Melts on your tongue with every bite;  I am serious here.  This is going to be a new favorite, and I cannot wait to play with flavor combinations.  Dreamy!

We want to say “thank you”.  Not just a little thank you, but a heart-felt thank you to everyone who has ever read our site, glanced at it, recommends it to their dog, or keeps coming back for more.  Without your loving, and sometimes not so loving comments, we would not be here.  As long as you want us to feed you, we will keep doing so.

A celebration would not be a celebration without a couple gifts right?  Instead of giving Chez Us a gift, as we have the gift of your readership, we want to pass along a gift to you;  a couple of our favorite things.  One lucky reader will get each of these sweet little tokens of Chez Us love.

1)  Bill’s Open Kitchen by Bill Granger – LOVE this guy.  He is a favorite Aussie chef of ours.  Not only are his recipes fresh, and easy to make, but they all call for fresh ingredients, and are diet friendly.  Love the simple but exotic flavors of chilies, lime, cilantro … mouth watering.  This particular book has every meal covered from breakfast to afternoon tea.  Wait until you try the passion fruit pancakes;  oh yes!  Or the citrus risotto;  swoon!

2)  Five Spoons Organizing Stickers – are your cookbooks dog-eared to mark recipes you must try?  Or do you take a pen and make a little mark, indicating you like it?   Not any more ….  I discovered Anna’s lovely company Five Spoons, through my friend Tracy.   Anna’s sells these cute little stickers that you can use to mark the recipes that you are dying to try, or you can use the little spoon stickers to rate each recipe in your books. I have so much fun, sitting down with a cup of jo, opening a book, and stickering away.  And my books look so much more organized and “cute”.  You are going to love these stickers!  Anna was nice enough to contribute a set of each for one lucky reader.

What do you have to do?  Easy.  Peasy.  Leave a comment below, telling us what you love most about Chez Us, or what you love least?  What you would like to see us do, in the next year?  More video?  Bring back podcasts?  More easy dinners?  More sweets?  Meal planning to help you save time?  Please let us know …..

For additional entries, do one or all of the following.  You will have to come back here after completing each task, and leave a separate comment indicating you have done so.

• Subscribe to our Newsletter Culinary Capers
• Fan Us on Facebook
• Follow Us on Twitter
• Or, you have already done all three of these things in the past but still want an extra chance?  Well, who doesn’t love a good stumble?  Stumble this post, then leave a comment here telling us you stumbled.

You have until midnight, May 22, 2010;  we will use random.org to pick a winner, and will announce it May 23.

Now, let’s get baking;  here is the recipe for this dreamy three milk cake.

Recipe:  Three Milk Cake

* inspired by Lemon Pi

What you need:

Cake:

• 3 eggs
• 2/3 sugar
• 1 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• pinch salt
• 2 limes zest
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• juice from half a lime
• 3 tablespoons whole milk

Milk Glaze:

Whipping Topping:

• 1/2 pint whipping cream
• 3 tablespoons coconut cream, thick part of a can of coconut milk

What you need to do:

1. Preheat the oven to 350.  Line round cake pan with parchment paper, and butter the sides of the pan.  Using a mixer, whisk the eggs, sugar, lime zest, lime juice, and vanilla until thick and pale.  Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together, then fold into the mixture.   Add the milk, and thoroughly mix.  Pour the batter into the baking tin, and level the top.  Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes or until golden brown.  A little extra browning adds depth to the flavor.
2. While the cake is baking, make the milk glaze by combining the condensed milk, with the sour cream, mix thoroughly.  Add the evaporated and coconut milk, mix;  set aside.
3. Turn the baked cake out onto a cooling rack and immediately cover the bottom and sides with tinfoil. Re-invert into the baking tin so that the tinfoil lines the tin, and the edges overlap the sides of the pan.  Prick several holes in the cake with a skewer, be generous with your poking.  Slowly pour the milk glaze mixture over the warm cake, from the centre outwards. Do this in batches, allowing the previous additions to be absorbed. It will look like too much liquid, don’t be alarmed, the cake will soak it all up. Leave to cool.
4. Whip the whipping cream, until soft peaks form.  Add the coconut cream – the thick creamy part of a can of coconut milk;  skim from the top before using the milk in the glaze.  Before serving gently cover the top of the cake with the whipped cream mixture.  Serve.  Eat.

How do we pick a winner, by using Random.Org.  We could from the bottom up (first comment for the post).  For this post there were 17 comments, we did not count our ping which is the first comment.  DRUM ROLL!!!!  The WINNER is:  # 15 – Danielle.   Danielle, ping us, and we will get you your lovely prize!

© Denise for Chez Us, 2011. | Permalink | 19 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: 3 Milk Cake, 5 Spoons Stickers, Bill Granger, Cake, Coconut Milk, Dessert, Sweet, Three Milk Cake

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We love quinoa.  It is kind of like the “wonder grain”.  It is somewhat like a grain, but not really.  In fact, it is not even related to a grain.  I should not even be putting it in the same family, to be honest.  Rather, it is related to the species of beets, spinach, and tumbleweeds.  The Incas held the quinoa sacred, and it was the emperor who would sow the first planting.  The history is fascinating;  but, the nutritional values, are amazing.

Quinoa has an amazing amount of protein;  12% – 18% of it is protein.  Unlike traditional grains, that we are use to eating, such as wheat or rice, quinoa has a balanced amount of amino acids, a huge amount of fiber, and it is high in iron.  If, I had picky eaters at home, I would definitely incorporate it into their diets.

Working with quinoa is very easy.  Simply rinse, cover with cold water or stock, and then cook for 15 minutes.  I love watching it grow as it cooks, from small little pebbles, to little sprouts popping out.  The texture is really great as well;  with each little bite, there is a sort of “pop” between your teeth.  Reminds me of Pop-Rocks.  I usually use quinoa as a side dish, simply by itself, or seasoned with shallots, spices, pieces of nuts or dried fruit;  it goes nicely with roasted meat.  It also makes a wonderful vegetarian dish, when made into a salad, with fresh cherry tomatoes, chicken peas, silvers of green onion, and a tahini dressing.

I have never thought of using it as a dessert.  Flipping through the February issue of Gourmet Traveller I saw a lovely dessert, the colors really caught my eye.  As I read it, I thought, “genius idea, it is like tapioca;  but healthier”.  I used the same ingredients (almost) as the recipe lists, but I did cut back on the sugar amounts.  It came out creamy, crunchy, and very tropical;  thanks to mango, coconut, and lime flavors.  This little pudding is not only pretty to look at, but it is refreshing, and perfect as a light sweet after dinner, or even as breakfast;  don’t judge, after all, it is loaded with protein!

What is your favorite way to eat Quinoa?  Do you feed it to your picky-eaters?

Recipe:  Quinoa Pudding with Mango

What you need:

*serves 6

• 200 grams black quinoa
• 50 grams sugar
• 300 ml coconut milk
• 1 mango, diced

Recipe: Lime Syrup

• 100 grams sugar
• 200 ml water
• 2 limes, zested

What you need to do:

Rinse quinoa under cold running water, place in a saucepan, cover with cold water.  Over medium heat, bring to a boil, and cook until tender;  about 15 minutes.  Drain, rinse with cold water, and let set in a colander until well drained.  While the quinoa is cooking make the lime syrup.  In a saucepan, add the sugar, water, and lime zest.  Over medium low heat, simmer until sugar dissolves.  Remove from heat, and let cool.  Once the quinoa is drained well, put it back into a saucepan with the sugar, and coconut milk;  over medium low heat, cook, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes.  Remove from the heat, and let cool.  To serve, put some quinoa into a bowl, top with pieces of mango, and drizzle with some of the lime syrup.  Serve.  Eat.

If you like this recipe, check these out:

Quinoa with Rose and Pomegrante

Quinoa Pudding

Quinoa Pudding

© Denise for Chez Us, 2011. | Permalink | 4 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Black Quinoa, Dessert, Healthy, Lime, Mango, Pudding, Quinoa, Quinoa Pudding, Recipe, Sweet, Tapioca

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I have been keeping this bread a secret, the past two months, while I perfected it.  *smirk across my face*  I have not even let a drop of the secret out.  *shame*  This banana bread is the …….. BEST.  MOISTEST.  MOST DELICIOUS.  I have ever eaten.  Really!  Honest!!  Shhh, don’t tell anyone, but, it is even almost better than our banana chocolate chip banana bread.

Where did it start?  Well, pull up a chair, and let me tell ya.  I read an article in the New York times about coconut oil.  As well, our friend Darya, was chatting about it on her online show, Summer Tomato Live. I am always looking for good, healthy, alternatives when baking.  Don’t get me wrong, I am the original butter girl, and love the stuff;  but, it might be nice to cut back a little.  In moderation, virgin coconut oil is good for us.  As well it is really versatile for cooking.  You can use it with baking, sauteing vegetables, popping pop corn, your mind is what will limit your uses with it.  I was very intrigued, and decided to play around with it.

I took my original banana bread recipe, the one with chocolate, and decided to change it around.  The first couple times, I made the recipe, I added half butter, and half virgin coconut oil, along with the sour cream, and cream cheese, as I was not sure how it would work out.  It was good, but still not what I was hoping for.  The next couple times, I left the butter out, as well as the sour cream;   it was really amazing.  In fact, perfect.  But, I decided to play with it again.  The last time I eliminated the cream cheese, and used Saint Benoit Yogurt Cheese.  Yogurt cheese has the same texture as cream cheese, and less fat;  it is a healthy alternative.  This time around, the banana bread, was incredibly moist, light, cake like in texture, and had a faint taste of coconut.  Like when you are in the tropics, laying on the beach, and you can smell that faint smell of coconut in the distance.  We had a couple loaves laying around for three days, and each one was perfectly moist the entire time.  So, what are you waiting for?  Add virgin coconut oil to your shopping list, and get baking.  This would be perfect as a snack or even to serve with breakfast.

*yes, that would be some butter being served with that bread

Have you tried baking or cooking with virgin coconut oil?  If so, what did you make?

Recipe:  Super Moist Banana Bread

What you need:

• 1/2 cup virgin coconut oil;  you can use butter
• 1 cup yogurt cheese, or cream cheese
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 bananas, medium sized one
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 t soda
• 1 t baking powder
• pinch of salt

What you need to do:

Heat oven to 350.  Line a loaf pan, with parchment paper.  Sift the dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl;  set aside.  In a mixing bowl, beat the coconut oil or butter on medium speed, until soft;  about 7 minutes.  Add the yogurt cheese, and continue beating on medium speed, for 3 minutes.  Add the sugar, and beat on medium speed, until fluffy;  5 minutes.  Add the egg and bananas, mix until combined.  Add the dry ingredients, mix on medium speed, until combined;  about 3 minutes.  Pour into the loaf pan.  Bake for 45 – 55 minutes.  Each oven is different, start checking at 45 minutes.  You want the bread to be golden brown, and a knive will come out clean, when you slide stick it into the middle of the loaf.  Serve.  Eat.

If you like this recipe, check these out:

Organic Banana Bread

Banana Nut Bread

Avocado Banana Bread

© Denise for Chez Us, 2011. | Permalink | 20 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Baking, Banana, Banana Bread, Bread, Cake Like, Coconut Oil, Dessert, Moist, Recipe, Snack, Super Moist, Virgin Coconut Oil

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Some very close friends of ours, just brought a bundle of joy home. We decided to surprise them with a “baby dinner.” Now that most of us are well into our 40′s, the stork does not visit very often, so these surprise dinners are far and few in between.  By now, you may be crinkling your nose, and wondering what a “baby dinner” is.  A baby dinner, is a homemade meal, that the happy family can enjoy.  Very little time in the kitchen, to prepare;  more time to enjoy baby.  Now, it is nice to bring baby something, but, the parents really enjoy this meal more then the little guy, will be enjoying, another blankie.

Do you have a favorite citrus bar, that you like to make?

Recipe:  Blood Orange Bars

*makes one dozen

Crust

What you need:

• 2 cups ap flour
• 16 oz butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup sugar
• salt, pinch
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or paste, I use paste

What you need to do:

Line a 8″ x 8″ baking pan with parchment paper;  butter, the other sides of the baking pan.  In a food processor, add the flour, sugar, and salt; give a whirl. Add the butter, and vanilla flavoring; process, until it comes together; about 5 minutes.  Pat the dough onto the bottom, and up the sides about 1/4″. Put into the fridge for 30 minutes. Bake at 350 for 35 minutes. Remove from the oven, and let cool.

Filling

• 1 cup fresh squeezed blood orange juice, I use the pulp as well
• zest from one blood orange
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup flour
• 5 eggs
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted

Heat oven to 350.  In a mixing bowl, with a paddle attachment, add the juice, zest, sugar, and flour; mix until creamy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, and mix thoroughly, after each egg. Add the butter, mix for 1 minute. Pour into the baked crust. Bake for 45 – 55 minutes; depending on oven temperature.  The middle will be slightly jiggly.  Some ovens are hotter than others. Let cool. Slice into squares. Serve. Eat.

If you liked this post, check these out:

Blood Orange Bars

Blood Orange (Lemon Bars)

Blood Orange Bars

© Denise for Chez Us, 2011. | Permalink | 12 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Bar Cookies, Bars, Blood Orange, Creamsicle, Dessert, Grapefruit Bars, Lemon Bars, Recipe

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MEM has been asking begging me to make either homemade ice cream or cupcakes, after their favorite Mitchell ice cream flavor, Grasshopper.  What is Grasshopper?  Minty ice cream with crushed cookies, and chocolate swirls.  I admit, it is pretty rocking.

I love  the Scharffen Berger chocolate baking contest as it really pushes me out of my comfort zone;  to try adding new and exciting ingredients to my otherwise, not boring but basic chocolate recipes.  Last year I made a chili powder scented flourless cake;  we didn’t win but the cake was delicious.  This year some of the exotic ingredients to chose from are:  stout beer, buttermilk, coconut butter, saffron, fresh beet, bee pollen, condensed milk and the list goes on and on.  I went with, coconut butter, buttermilk, and condensed milk.

Normally Grasshopper ice cream is a deep green but keeping with the chocolate theme, I opted for a deep dark chocolate cupcake using Scharffen Berger’s unsweetened cocoa powder and strived for not only flavor but moisture and texture;  I wanted this cupcake to be dense, moist and flavorful.  I made a batter using the coconut butter, chocolate powder and buttermilk and I added crushed Oreo cookies and peppermint oil instead of vanilla extract for the extra flavor.  The oil is intense and you only need a small amount to make an impact on the flavor.  My frosting was made with more chocolate, sugar, creamy butter and condensed milk.  I was afraid the milk may make the end result too sweet, instead it was rich and creamy.

This was the ultimate “grasshopper” cupcake and it got a 6 thumbs up from MEM!

Recipe:  Grasshopper Cupcakes

© Denise for Chez Us, 2011. | Permalink | 4 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Chocolate, Chocolate Contest, Cupcake, Dessert, Grasshopper Ice Cream, Mint, Oreo Cookies, Scharffenberger Bittersweet Chocolate, Sweet, TuttieFoodie

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The end of August found me in Seattle for IFBC.  I was not going to go.  To be honest, I had my fair share of food conferences last year and had decided to sit back in the shadows to enjoy them this year.

Upon returning from France, we had to high tail it to Seattle for business.  I always love when I can combine a little business with foodie pleasure.   During this trip I was able to squeeze in an over-due coffee with Jackie and Lenny and I both got a chance to have a wonderful evening out with Dana.  Well, Jackie planted a small seed during coffee, about IFBC;  but, I buried it deep.  Then over cocktails, Dana decided to shower that buried seed with a little water.  By the end of dinner, Dana, had showered that seed with sunshine – come back for IFBC, as well a girl’s weekend at her home with 5 amazing women (Dana, Joy, Cheryl, Tracy and Kristina).  By the time I boarded the plane the next morning, that seed was blooming and it was not long before I was pinging Dana and accepting her generous offer.

I felt amazingly blessed that weekend.  A much needed girl’s weekend, tossed together with great food, lip quenching cocktails and stimulating conversation with a brilliant group of women, who I now consider “friends”.  We all came together, some of us knew each other from past events and others where new to each of us.  Regardless, from the moment we meet up in baggage claim, I felt like I was with a long lost group of friends;  conversations flowed freely, creativity was stoked and there was an amazing warmth around us the entire weekend.  I thank each of them!

IFBC did not fail me either.  I was pleasantly surprised by three particular speakers who, made me step back, think and then more forward.  The first was James Oseland, the editor of Saveur.  His speech oozed  his love of food and travel, all wrapped up neatly together.  My mind was provoked by every word.  My fantasies were racing all around the world.  He even made me want to keep blogging.   I often consider giving it up but he re-lite the fire and made me want to pursue my passions even more.  I could not get enough, I wanted more;  I wanted to sit with him at a cafe, drink coffee and learn more!

The next speaker who brought me in was Penny de la Santos.  Now, I know Penny (I say that loosely as I have only taken a photography workshop with her) from a time before and I respect her.  When I talk about Penny, I always say the same thing, “I love her story and how she got where she was”.  You see, I love it  when people succeed doing what they are internally passionate about and that is Penny.  She captures every moment and presents it in a way, that makes me feel it, taste it and completely experience it all visually.  She is my “girl-crush”.

The third speaker who really drew me in was Shauna James Ahern.  Shauna is the Gluten Free Girl.  I knew of Shauna as our paths have crossed in the past but I did not really know her.  As soon as Shauna started sharing her journey and her deep struggles with gluten at IFBC, I was intrigued.  I hung on her every word, waiting for the next detail, wanting more.  I felt her pain and I wanted to know more.  Before, I even left Seattle, I ordered her book Gluten Free Girl.   I highly recommend this book, even if you do not have a gluten issue.  Shauna’s writing is witty, warm and very passionate.  I related to so many of her stories, of growing up a child of the 70’s – I loved the TV dinners and remember them “fondly”.  Not only does she share her journey but there are delicious gluten free recipes throughout.

We are lucky, we can eat anything;  but, I still felt her pain.  Having to rethink your way of shopping, cooking and eating.  I could not imagine having to go through this radical of a change at this point in my life.  As I read her book and shared my thoughts, with Lenny, we decided we wanted to do more.  Why, because she had gone through this.  As well, Lenny’s family is always complaining of stomach issues.  We are always saying it is “your diet”, but it is a conversation that gets dusted under a rug.  WE could hardly preach without having done it ourselves.  After a few conversations, we decided we would challenge ourselves by eating gluten free for a month.  We are very aware of where our food comes from and how it is made.  But this challenge, will make us even more completely aware of what we were putting into our mouths, down to every last ingredient.

A couple weeks back, Shauna announced that she was looking for volunteers to bake gluten free.  This was perfect timing for our own personal quest.  I immediately sent an email, saying we were in and that we were challenging ourselves to a gluten free month.  When I decided to accept this baking challenge, I had no idea of what I was doing.  I was completely blind.  Sure I had just finished Shauna’s book and was pretty confident that I could “cook” gluten free;  but, baking, is another thing.

Last Thursday, I decided to challenge myself with two different gluten free recipes, an apple pie and pecan tart.  The overachiever in me wanted to do it all.   I had a hard time finding all of the ingredients I needed for the pie crust that Shauna shares on her site, so I decided I would “wing it” by using my favorite recipe.  I picked up a gluten free AP flour,  a brown rice flour, pecans, nuts, almond flour and tapico flour … all gluten free.  I was eager and over confident.

My favorite pie crust recipe is a Dorie Greenspan recipe.  I used equal portions of GF AP flour and the brown rice flour and attempted the recipe.  It came together nicely, great texture;  but, the taste reminded me of “sugared favas”.  I was not happy.  So I headed back to the market and picked up another brand of gluten free AP flour.  This time the dough came together much better and the taste was really nice.  When it came time to rolling it out, it completely fell apart.  TRASH!  At this point I was happy with just making a pecan tart.

Again, I pulled out a Dorie recipe for a sweet tart dough.  I used almond flour, brown rice flour and ground up pecans as my base.  It was perfect.  It blind-baked perfectly.  It smelled amazing.  I was so happy.  Then I decided I did not want corn syrup in my pecan pie and I substituted it with pomegranate molasses.  Huge mistake.  Overly sweet.  I could not stomach how sweet it was.  TRASH!

Sunday, I went into desperate mode.  I had to come up with a baked gluten free something.  I was in no position to retry my hand at the pie crust as well I was not in the mood for pecan pie.  What I did have was a  beautiful bowl of honey crisp apples, some left over pecans, almond flour as well as the gluten free AP flour – apple crisp.  I tossed the apples with lemon zest, lemon juice, tapioca flour, brown sugar and fresh ground nutmeg.  The crisp was made of a blend of pecans, almond flour, gluten free AP flour, sugar and butter.  The crisp came out perfect – the apples were still a bit crispy, a little sweet and the buttery and crunchy topping went perfectly.  I served it with some left over vanilla bean ice cream we made a couple weeks ago – it was delicious together.

A couple tips before I tell you about some fun things that are all gluten free.  If you decide to try your hand at gluten free baking:  1) plan ahead, some of the ingredients may be hard to find.  Dig through Shauna’s site, she was a wealth of information to guide you.  2) don’t give up, if your first attempt does not work, keep trying;  it eventually will.  3)  find a gluten free recipe and use it;  try it out a few times before attempting to make it your own.  4) have fun; gluten free is delicious.  5) be sure to follow us on our own personal gluten free journey, it started with this apple crisp.

Keep reading, our delicious apple crisp recipe is at the bottom of this long post …..

As well you MUST head over to Shauna’s site Gluten-Free Girl and the Chef, not only for their gluten free tips and recipes;  but, there is a wonderful list of food bloggers who have taken part in this challenge;  everything is beautiful.  As well they have a huge give away happening and are giving away the following items:

3 copies of our cookbook.

a collection of gluten-free flours, including all the flours needed to bake from our cookbook

a care package of spices and ingredients you might need to make some of the recipes in our cookbook.

a collection of useful baking tools, such as a Silpat, jelly roll pans, a peltex spatula, and a tart pan to make the tarts from our cookbook.

and… wait for it:

a Kitchen Aid stand mixer.

If you cannot wait to win one of the GF books, click on the photo to purchase a copy.  Have not read the second one;  but, I am positive it is as good as the first one!

Recipe:  Gluten Free Apple Crisp

8 apples, peeled and cut into thick pieces
½ cup sugar
¼ cup tapioca flour, sifted
1 lemon, zested and juiced
1 teaspoon nutmeg
¼ cup gluten free AP flour – we liked the kings arthur brand
½ cup pecans, chopped
¾ cup almond flour
¼ cup brown sugar
5 tabelspoons butter

Heat oven to 350.  In a large mixing bowl, mix the apples with sugar, tapioca flour, lemon zest and juice and nutmeg.  Lightly toss just to mix all of the ingredients.  Put into a baking dish.  In the same mixing bowl combine the ap flour, pecans, almond flour and sugar;  break in the butter using your hands, until the butter is pea sized.  Pat the mixture onto the apples.  Bake for 40 minutes, until the topping is golden and the apples are soft but still a little crisp.

© Denise for Chez Us, 2010. | Permalink | 13 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Almond Flour, Apple, Apple Crisp, Dessert, GF AP King Arthur Flour, Gluten Free, Honey Crisp, Pecans, Recipe

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Back in April, Ella, asked me a question, that I never thought I would have to explain.  She asked me, point blank, “what does it mean when you have your heart broken?”  The first thought that came to mind, was probably, the same thing you are thinking, love.  That first sweet tender love, when he never called or he “broke-up” with you on the playground, sort of love.  I did not want to get into that topic, I wanted to keep it real.  I told her, that someday, she would experience heart break;  which is like getting your feelings hurt, it will hurt a little and she may cry a lot.  That we all experience and that it may happen many times, but each time that it does she learn a new lesson, that will make her stronger.  She was curious, so we kept talking about it.  She wanted to know who would break her heart.  I continued by saying, that it could a friend, or a love (like Lenny is to me) or maybe someone in her family.  That it will just happen someday and she will know it.  She smiled and I thought our conversation was over.  Then she continued to tell me how she has had her heart broken and that I broke it.  I was completely taken back.  What did I do?  What did I say?  I asked her.  She told me that two years ago when I cut my hair really short, that broke her heart.  I smiled and thought she was lucky to only had that incident break her heart.  To her it was a big deal and I apologized by saying that sometimes we do things we don’t know will hurt someone and that I was sorry.  We were better!

I continued to think about that conversation many times after it happened, that sunny day in April, sitting on the back porch.  I thought about all the broken hearts I have had over the years.  And I pondered on how many did I break.  There is no way around it heart break hurts;  as I type these words it leaves a pit in my stomach.

Years have passed, hearts have been broken;  but was it really heart break or just heart ache?  May 2, 2010, I will remember for the rest of my being.  This is the day I experienced heart break for the first time.  No, it was not Lenny who broke my heart, nor was it a good friend.  I wasn’t going to write about it, then I changed my mind, sitting here sipping tea, after all we learn from it, right?  I had just told Ella this.  Maybe it would make me feel better writing about it, no matter how vague.  My family is going through heart break right now, all of us.  This is true heart break.  The kind that steals your soul.  Leaves you breathless and wondering what could be next.  Not a punch in the gut, leaving you standing on the play ground;  the most swallow feeling.  I had dinner, with my friend, Debbie, a couple weeks ago and the only way I could explain it was, that I imagine this is how death feels when someone really close leaves.

Everything is just floating these days, I can almost see it, above me like a billowy cloud.  If I just could reach up high enough, on my tippy toes, I could grab it, put a band-aid on it and fix it.  Some days I don’t think about how it is falling apart, those are great days.  Then there are the days the heart break settles in, like the fog over the city and those are the days I need to escape;  cuddle with Lenny (*wink* *big smile*), talk to a friend on the phone, see the big smiles on MEM’s faces, take a walk, go to Paris (smiles) or bake something sweet.  After all, doesn’t chocolate always make the heart break a little easier.

How do you make your “heart-break” or “heart-ache” feel better?

Recipe:  Salted Caramel Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups bittersweet chocolate chips

1 cup pecans, chopped

1/4 cup salted caramel

Heat oven to 375.  Use an ungreased cookie sheet, or one lined with silpats or parchment paper.  I prefer the silpats or parchment paper.  Beat the butter and sugars together until creamy;  add the vanilla.  Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat until mixed.  Gradually add the flour, baking soda and salt.  Stir in the chips and pecans.  Gently fold in the caramel.  Using two tablespoons, drop spoonfuls onto the cookie sheets.  Bake for 8 – 11 minutes, until golden brown.  Remove from the oven.  Let cool for a couple minutes and then remove to a cooling rack to cool completely.  Serve.  Eat.

If you enjoyed this dish, you may enjoy these others as well:

Nutella Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies

© Denise for Chez Us, 2010. | Permalink | 17 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Bittersweet Chocolate, Chocolate Chip, Chocolate Chip Cookie, Cookies and Bars, Dessert, Pecans, Salted Caramel

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I have not participated in a Sugar High Friday event in a very long time ….. embarrassing long! I was poking around a couple weeks ago and noticed that Elissa of 17 and Baking is challenging the group to come up with creative ways to use Brown Butter. Well, I love butter and I really love brown butter. I thought of all sorts of ways to incorporate golden nutty brown butter into a dessert; such as sugar cookies, pound cakes, even an attempt at adding to macarons. Then it hit me – gelato!

You may remember a Cinnamon Gelato I made a few months ago with my dear friend, Nanette. I decided to take the base of this recipe and mix it up a bit. It was easy! It came out … Creamy. Nutty. Luxurious. Floral. and Sweet.

Recipe: Brown Butter and Wildflower Honey Gelato

300ml full fat organic milk

300ml organic heavy cream

4 organic egg yolks

½ cup organic wildflower honey

1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into slices

Brown your butter.  Heat a deep saucepan over medium heat.  Add the butter, whisky continually.  Continue to cook the butter.  Once the butter is melted it will start to foam a bit.  Watch it.  Small specks will start to brown in the bottom of your pan and begin to smell slightly nutty.  When golden remove from the heat and set on a cool surface to stop the cooking.  You do not want to burn the butter.  This is an easy process, just be sure to watch what you are doing.  Don’t be twittering at the same time.  *smile*  Let cool.

Bring milk, cream, and honey slowly to the small boil in a saucepan.  Remove from heat and temper your egg yolks into a small amount of the hot mixture.  Once tempered slowly add to the milk mixture and whisk to incorporate.  Return to a very low heat and slightly simmer, while stirring constantly, for about 5 minutes.  It is very important to continue to stir and to do it over low heat or you will scramble your mixture.  Remove from the heat and transfer the mixture to a bowl.  When it’s cool, stir in the browned butter and place the bowl in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes (I left it over night).  Put the mixture into your ice cream machine and process according to the instructions included.  Serve.  Eat.

© Denise for Chez Us, 2010. | Permalink | 13 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Brown Butter, Butter, Dessert, Food Blogging Event, Gelato, Ice Cream, Recipe, SHF, Sugar High Friday, Sweet

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