This recipe for two is perfect for an intimate dinner. Makes 2 servings
2 strip steaks, each about 6 ounces pounded to ¼-inch thick Salt and freshly ground black pepper 4 tablespoons butter 1 teaspoon vegetable oil 3 shallots, minced 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 2 tablespoons demi-glace* ¼ cup Cognac or brandy* 3 tablespoons heavy cream 1 tablespoon minced parsley
Season the steaks with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons of the butter and ½ teaspoon of the vegetable oil in a large skillet over high heat. Sear one steak for 30 to 45 seconds per side (for medium rare), and transfer to a platter. Tent with foil and keep warm. Add the remaining butter and oil, and repeat the process with the remaining steak.
Add the shallots and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Stir in the mustard, Worcestershire sauce and demi-glace. Tilt the pan toward you and add the Cognac or brandy, then tilt the pan away from you and ignite with a match (be careful!). When the flame has burned out, add the cream and parsley and whisk to blend. Spoon the sauce over the steaks and serve immediately.
*RESOURCES: Demi glace - FoodieAffair.com
Cognac - FoodieAffair.com Brandy - FoodieAffair.com
For an unsweetened version of this whipped cream, just omit the sugar. Makes 12 to 16 servings
1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin (from a ¼-ounce envelope)
2 tablespoons cold water
2 cups whipping cream
½ cup confectioners' sugar, or to taste
Off heat, in the top of a double boiler or a bowl that can fit on top of a saucepan, sprinkle gelatin over water and let sit for 5 minutes. Place over a pot of simmering water and stir until gelatin dissolves. Remove from heat and set aside to cool briefly.
In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat cream until foamy. Add sugar a tablespoon at a time until cream is of desired sweetness and soft peaks just begin to form. Add the gelatin mixture and continue beating until cream is of desired consistency.
12 pounds boiled crawfish OR 2 pounds tail meat and 35 cleaned heads*
If purchasing tail meat, buy at least 3 pounds boiled crawfish; peel, reserve shells and heads
STUFFING
¼ cup flour for roux
4 tablespoons oil
½ large onion, finely chopped
½ large bell pepper, finely chopped
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
1 small can tomato paste
1 teaspoon thyme
¼ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup plain bread crumbs
1 cup chopped crawfish tails*
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 stick butter
½ cup flour for rolling heads
Make a dark roux with the flour and oil.* Add onions, then bell pepper and celery and cook until tender. Add tomato paste and chopped tails. Add seasonings and simmer on low flame 10 to 15 minutes. Add bread crumbs, crawfish, parsley and butter. Fill each head with stuffing. Roll in flour and bake for 15 minutes in a 300-degree oven. Set aside.
BISQUE
½ cup flour
½ cup oil
½ large onion, finely chopped
½ bell pepper, finely chopped
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
1 ½ quarts crawfish stock*
2 teaspoons salt
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons thyme
½ cup tomato sauce
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 cups crawfish tails*
1 ½ tablespoon parsley, chopped
Make a dark roux with the oil and flour.* Add onion, the bell pepper and celery and cook until tender. Add stock, seasonings, tomato sauce and garlic and simmer for 40 minutes. Add crawfish tails and stuffed heads and simmer another 20 minutes. Add parsley.
NOTE: To make stock, boil shells from at least 3 pounds crawfish, plus trimmings from onions and other vegetables. Cover with water 2 inches over the shells and boil for 15 to 20 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms, shake the pan to distribute them evenly in the pan, and then cook without moving until the mushrooms begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Do not salt. Add the remaining tablespoon butter along the sides of the pan if the pan seems very dry. Toss the mushrooms, and continue to cook until nicely browned, about 2 to 3 minutes more. Season mushrooms with the chili powder and salt and cook 1 minute more. Stir in the cilantro and set aside.
Toast the tortillas directly on a medium gas burner, turning occasionally until slightly blistered on each side. (If you have an electric burner, do this in a dry cast iron skillet.) Place the tortillas on the prepared baking sheet. Spread the jack cheese on one half of each tortilla, top with some of the mushrooms, and then sprinkle with the feta. Fold the other half of the tortilla over the filling, to make a half moon shape. Lay another sheet of foil over the quesadillas. Bake until the cheese melts, about 12 minutes. Serve whole or sliced into wedges, with optional garnishes.
1 13- to 14-ounce Brie (about 5 inches in diameter; preferably in wooden box)*
1 baguette, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
Rinse dried mushrooms to remove any grit. Place mushrooms and wine in small saucepan. Bring to simmer over low heat; remove from heat. Let soak until soft, about 20 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer mushrooms to work surface and coarsely chop. Line strainer with damp paper towel; strain wine into small bowl and reserve.
Melt butter in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallot and stir until soft, about 1 minute. Add chopped mushrooms and strained wine. Boil until almost dry, about 1 minute. Stir in thyme. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cool.
Remove Brie from box, discarding lid and paper. Using sharp knife, cut top rind from Brie; discard. Return Brie to box. (Alternatively, stack two 12-inch rounds of foil and fold up around bottom and sides of Brie, crimping foil at edges, leaving top exposed.) Mound mushroom mixture atop Brie.
DO AHEAD: Can be made 8 hours ahead. Cover and chill. Bring to room temperature before continuing.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Place Brie with mushrooms on rimmed baking sheet. Bake until cheese begins to melt and mushrooms are warmed through, about 15 minutes. Transfer Brie in box to plate. Serve hot with baguette slices.
Kitchen Tip: To cut the top off the round of Brie more easily, first place the cheese in the freezer for a few minutes to firm it up slightly.
Recipe Source: Bon Appetit March 2009
Photo Source: Bon Appetit March 2009
Shrimp and andouille sausage give these pot pies a Cajun flair. To keep the pastry crisp, the dough is baked separately from the filling. Serves 4
1 sheet frozen puff pastry (half of 16-ounce packag e all-butter puff pastry or half of 17.3-ounce package regular puff pastry), thawed
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 tablespoon butter
3 1/2 cups sliced leeks (white and pale green parts only; from 3 large)
1/2 pound andouille sausage, cut into scant 1/2-inch cubes*
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup dry vermouth or dry white wine
1.5-ounces concentrated classic seafood stock *
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1 8-ounce red-skinned potato, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 1/2 pounds deveined, peeled shrimp
Preheat oven to 400°F. Roll out pastry on floured surface to 12-inch square. Cut out four 5 1/2-inch rounds. Place on parchment-lined baking sheet; bake until golden, about 15 minutes. Cool on sheet.
DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Wrap airtight and store at room temperature.
Add cream mixture to skillet; stir. Simmer until sauce thickens and boils, about 3 minutes. Reduce heat. Add shrimp; simmer until just opaque in center, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Divide hot filling among four 1 1/4-cup baking dishes. Top each with pastry round. Bake until filling bubbles, about 5 minutes.
Recipe Source: Bon Appetit March 2009
Photo Source: Bon Appetit March 2009
B'stilla, a traditional Moroccan recipe, was the inspiration for this savory pie. The dish consists of a spiced chicken filling sandwiched between layers of crisp phyllo pastry.
Transfer chicken to plate. Shred chicken coarsely and return to skillet. If sauce is thin, simmer over medium heat until sauce coats chicken thickly. Stir in cilantro and parsley. Season filling with salt and pepper. Cool filling completely.
DO AHEAD Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover; chill.
PHYLLO: Finely grind almonds, powdered sugar, 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt, and cinnamon in mini processor.
Stack 10 phyllo sheets on work surface. Invert 9-inch glass pie dish onto stack. Cut around dish through phyllo, making ten 10-inch rounds. Remove dish. Cover rounds with plastic wrap and damp kitchen towel.
Brush same pie dish with melted butter. Place 1 phyllo round on work surface; brush with butter and sprinkle with scant 1 tablespoon almonds. Top with another phyllo round, brush with butter and sprinkle with scant 1 tablespoon almonds. Repeat stacking with 3 more phyllo rounds, butter, and almonds. Fit phyllo stack into prepared pie dish. Brush with butter. Spoon filling evenly over. Place 1 phyllo round on work surface. Brush with butter and sprinkle with scant 1 tablespoon almonds. Top with another phyllo round, brush with butter and sprinkle with scant 1 tablespoon almonds. Repeat with 2 phyllo rounds, butter, and almonds. Place stack atop filling; top with remaining phyllo round. Tuck in edges. Drizzle more butter over top. Cut 4 slits through top phyllo stack to allow steam to escape.
DO AHEAD: Can be made 6 hours ahead. Cover and chill.
Preheat oven to 375°F. Place pie on rimmed baking sheet. Bake uncovered until phyllo is golden and filling is heated through, about 40 minutes. Cool 15 minutes. Cut into wedges.
Recipe Source: Bon Appetit March 2009
Photo Source: Bon Appetit March 2009
This Greek-inspired shepherd's pie is made with lamb, eggplant, and oregano. The mashed potato topping gets its Greek flavor from kasseri cheese, a hard, salty cheese. If you can't find kasseri cheese, use Pecorino Romano instead. Finish the dish with a sprinkling of chopped fresh oregano, if desired
Serves 8-10
Here is a great recipe from Bon Appetit's contributing editor Jeanne Thiel Kelley of Blue Eggs and Yellow Tomatoes. It is rich and wonderful and will make any Englishman pull up a chair!
Filling:
1 1 1/2-pound eggplant, unpeeled, cut into 3/4-to 1-inch cubes
For filling: Scatter eggplant on rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle with coarse salt; let stand 1 hour, tossing occasionally. Rinse eggplant and pat very dry.
Add 1 additional tablespoon oil to same pot, if needed. Add onions. Cover and cook over medium-low heat until very tender, about 10 minutes (bottom of pot will be very dark). Add wine to pot. Increase heat and boil until wine evaporates, scraping up browned bits, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes with juice, broth, garlic, and oregano and bring to boil. Add lamb with any accumulated juices. Cover; reduce heat to low and simmer 1 hour. Uncover and continue to simmer until lamb is very tender and gravy thickens slightly, about 45 minutes. Stir in eggplant. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. DO AHEAD: Can be made 3 days ahead. Cool slightly. Cover and chill.
For topping: Preheat oven to 375°F. Cook potatoes in large pot of boiling salted water until tender, about 14 minutes.
Drain potatoes. Return to pot. Stir over medium heat until excess moisture evaporates. Add milk mixture and mash potatoes until just smooth. Stir in cheese. Season with coarse salt and pepper. Drop potatoes over filling by heaping tablespoonfuls, covering completely.
Bake pie until filling is heated through and topping is golden, about 45 minutes.
BROWNIE MIXTURE Blend sugar, oil eggs, cocoa, and vanilla. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Add flour mixture to wet mixture and combine well.. Spoon batter into 20 paer-lined muffin cups.
FILLING Beat cream cheese, sugar, egg, peanut butter and vanilla with mixer until blended. Spoon 1 rounded Tablespoon into center of batter in each cup, pressing lightly into batter. Bake 30 minutes or until centers are set. Cool on rack . When ready to serve, top with whipped cream and a Maraschino cherry. *RESOURCES: Cocoa Powder - FoodieAffair.com
Preheat to 350 F. Toast walnuts in oven for about 10 minutes. Then toss hot walnuts with 1 Tablespoon butter and 1/4 teaspoon salt and set aside Spray a 13 x 9-inch baking pan with non stick spray. Cut a piece of parchment long enough to cover the bottom and hang over the sides by about 2 inches on each side. Place parchment in pan being careful to leave sufficient overhang on each side. Spray the parchment with non stick spray. Blend sugar, oil, eggs, cocoa, and vanilla. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Add 1/2 flour mixture to wet mixture and mix. Then add the other half and mix just till there are no flour streaks showing. Then fold in walnuts. Spread into prepared 13 x 9 inch baking dish. Bake for 25-30 minutes. A toothpick inserted in center should come out moist, not wet.
Cool on rack for about 45 minutes. Lift brownie slab out of pan using your two parchment overhangs.Parchment should come off easily. Slice into desired size pieces.
Tip: Place walnuts in a freezer zip top bag, seal and break up walnuts with a heavy object, such as a rolling pin or a meat pounder. Be careful not to overdo it. *RESOURCES: Cocoa Powder - FoodieAffair.com Vanilla Extract - FoodieAffair.com
Turn off heat and mix in Cajun seasoning (add more or less than 1 Tablespoon to your taste). Add green onion tops and toss in hot meat mixture until just heated through, about 30 seconds.
Add cooked rice and mix very well.
COMMENT: This rice is an excellent accompaniment for all meats. We simple cannot barbecue without this on the menu. *RESOURCES: Black Orchid Cajun Seasoning - FoodieAffair.com
2 Tablespoons raspberry liqueur, such as Chambord *
1/3 cup confectioners' sugar
4 Tablespoons good quality cherry preserves
Place butter, cream cheese, liqueur, and confectioners' sugar in the work bowl of a food processor, fitted with the steel blade. Process to blend well. Stir in preserves by hand.
Refrigerate for 1 hour before serving. Butter keeps well in refrigerator for several weeks in a closed jar.
Yield: 1 (4-layer) 8-inch round cake Prep: 45 min. Bake: 35 min. Cool: 1 hour
2 cups walnuts or pecans, coarsely chopped
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 tsp salt, divided
Nonstick cooking spray
2 1/3 cups self-rising flour, spooned and leveled
1 tsp ground Saigon cinnamon *
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg (freshly grated, if possible)
1/2 tsp allspice, optional
1 Tablespoons orange zest
3 lg eggs
2 lg egg yolks
2 cups light brown sugar, firmly packed
1 cup canola oil
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
3 cups very finely grated carrots, approx. 6 carrots (food processor is recommended)
1 recipe Cream Cheese Icing (recipe in this collection)
Arrange shelf in lower third of oven and place baking stone on it. Preheat to 350F.
Spread nuts on a baking sheet, place in oven on the stone, and roast for 10-12 min. While nuts are hot, stir in 2 Tablespoons butter and 1/3 teaspoon salt. Set aside.
Spray 2 8-inch round(2" high) cake pans with nonstick spray and line with parchment circle. Spray paper very lightly.
Combine flour, remaining 1/2 tsp salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and orange zest. Beat well at medium speed with electric mixer.
In another bowl, stir together whole eggs, egg yolks, and brown sugar. Then, add oil, vanilla, and orange juice, stirring to combine.
Make a hole in center of flour mixture and add egg mixture, a little at a time, stirring by hand. Add carrots and roasted nuts.
Pour batter into prepared pans. Spoon batter from one pan to the other until batter is dived equally. Drop pans, one at a time, onto the counter from a height of 4 inches to knock out large air bubbles.
Place both pans in oven on stone. Bake for approx. 30-35 min., or until the center springs back when touched. Ideally, cake should not pull away from sides until it has just come out of oven. The center temp should read approx. 209F.
Cool cakes on cooling rack for approx 10 minutes. Shake pan to loosen cake all around.
Spray cooling rack with nonstick cooking spray. Place rack, sprayed side down, on top of the cake and invert. Let cool completely.
When completely cooled, slice each layer on half horizontally, creating four layers.
Divide icing in half. Reserve 1 half to ice top and sides. Divide remaining half into thirds. Place 1 layer, cut side up, on a cake plate or serving dish and spread with 1/3 of icing. Place another layer on top of icing, cut side up, and spread with another third. Place third layer on top, cut side up, and spread with remaining third. Place top layer on, cut side down. Ice top and sides with reserved icing.
Yield: 16 cookies Prep: 30 min Refrigerate: 30 min Bake: 12 min
1 1/2 cups pecans or walnuts, chopped
1/2 cup unsalted butter, divided
Nonstick cooking spray
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips *
2 lg eggs
2/3 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla extract *
1 cup bleached all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
1/2 tsp baking powder
Arrange a shelf in the middle of the oven and place a baking stone on it. Preheat oven to 350F
Spread nuts on a baking sheet, place in the oven on the stone, and roast for 10-12 min. While nuts are hot, stir in 2 Tablespoons butter. Set aside.
Turn oven up to 375F. Spray several heavy baking sheets with nonstick spray and line with release foil (nonstick side up). Set aside.
In medium saucepan, melt remaining 6 Tablespoons butter over medium heat. Remove from heat and add chocolate. Let stand for 1 min., and then stir. If all chocolate is not melted, place pan on very low heat for 1 min, remove, and stir. Let stand for 1 min, remove, and stir. Let stand for 1 min. and continue stirring. Repeat until all chocolate is melted. Set aside.
In a mixing bowl, beat eggs, sugar, salt, and vanilla at high speed with an electric mixer for 2-3 min, or until light and pale yellow. Turn mixer down to low and pour in chocolate.
In medium mixing bowl, combine flour and baking powder, beating well with electric mixer. Stir flour into batter in several batches. Scrape down bowl and across bottom. Stir in roasted nuts.
Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20-30 min. Using a 2-inch (#30) ice cream scoop, scoop dough place portions approx. 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Bake 1 sheet at a time.
Place baking sheet in oven on stone. Bake for exactly 12 min. Cool for 3-5 min. Best served warm, but you can reheat each cookie in the microwave for 10 seconds for running centers.
You can freeze cookies and thaw or microwave as you like. *RESOURCES: Chocolate Chips - FoodieAffair.com Vanilla Extract - FoodieAffair.com
The measurements are crucial and must be weighed. Here's hoping that you all have food scales and instant read thermometers...
250 grams all-purpose flour
250 grams bread flour
10 grams sea salt or 3 tsp
1 tsp instant yeast (for bread machines)
315 grams bottled water
Place flours in food processor and pulse several times to incorporate. Take temp of flour. Then either cool or heat water so that flour and water temps combined equal 130 degrees F.
Turn processor on and pour water through tube while machine is running for 20 seconds.
Let dough rest in machine for 30 minutes then process 25 seconds.
Dough temp should be 75-80 degrees. If it is not warm enough, pulse processor a few times and check temp again. Do this until it reaches proper temp.
Turn dough out into ungreased bowl and let rise covered with plastic for 2 hours.
Lightly flour board. Turn out dough on to board and cut into 2 pieces.
Cover with plastic or towel and let rest 20 minutes
Form loaves and place in baking pans.
Cover and let rest until desired height (approx 60-90 min).
In meantime, preheat oven to 475 degrees F.
Place bowl of water in bottom of oven to create steam.
Dust loaves with flour and slash tops on angle with very sharp knife or razor blade.
Spritz water on loaves until they glisten. Don't overdo it.
Bake loaves for 20 minutes. Internal temp should be 205 degrees F.
This cake is fabulous and is the one I use exclusively at my catering company. The difference between this recipe and many others is the method. Emulsifying the sugars and eggs makes all the difference in the world. It would be interesting to see if this emulsification method would improve your favorite carrot cake recipe. Go and experiment and post your results!
5 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened but still cool
12 oz cream cheese, softened but still cool
3 cups confectioner's sugar
1 1/2 Tablespoons orange liqueur *
1 tsp vanilla extract *
CAKE DIRECTIONS
Place baking stone on rack in middle of oven and preheat to 350 degrees.
Chop walnuts and toast in oven for about 10 minutes. Pour nuts into small bowl and toss with 1 tablespoon of butter and 1/2 teaspoon of salt immediately upon removal from oven.
Spray 13" x 9" pan with nonstick spray. Line pan with parchment paper and spray again.
Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in bowl and set aside.
Shred carrots in food processor fitted with large shredding disk. This should yield about 3 cups. Transfer carrots to bowl and set aside.
Wipe food processor bowl clean and fit with metal blade.
Process granulated and brown sugars, eggs, and sour cream until frothy and thoroughly combined, about 20 seconds.
With machine running, stream in oil through feed tube. Process until light in color and well emulsified, about 20 seconds longer.
Stir in vanilla extract.
Scrape mixture into another bowl. By hand, stir in carrots, nuts and flour mixture until well incorporated and no streaks of flour remain.
Pour into pan and level batter. Drop pan on counter a few times from a height of about 4 inches.
Place pan in oven on top of baking stone and bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes. Test with a toothpick for doneness.
Cool cake in pan on rack for about 2 hours.
ORANGE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING DIRECTIONS
Cream butter with electric mixer until smooth.
Add cream cheese and continue beating until smooth.
Add vanilla and orange liqueur and mix to incorporate well.
Add sugar 1 cup at a time and mix on low to moisten and then on high to smooth.
Meanwhile, cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite. Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup cooking liquid.
Return pasta to same pot; add sauce. Toss over medium heat until sauce coats pasta, adding reserved cooking liquid by 1/4 cupfuls if mixture is dry. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to bowl; sprinkle with cheese and serve.
Place rack of oven slightly below center and place baking stone on it.
Preheat oven to 425 F for 45 minutes to ensure stone is good and hot.
Spray a 9" cake pan with non-stick spray.
In large bowl whisk together , flour, sugar, salt thoroughly.
Work in shortening with fingers until lump free.
Gently stir in heavy whipping cream.
Then add half of the buttermilk to flour mix folding gently. Then add remainder of buttermilk (more if necessary) until dough resembles cottage cheese. Dough should be wet and loose.
Using a round ice cream scoop or equivalent, scoop dough and place into prepared pan with dough balls pushed against each other. If you run out of room, make space with a spatula and get another ball in pan.
Place pan on stone and bake for 25 minutes or until nicely browned.
Invert onto one plate and back again to another plate.
Brush with melted butter.
Serve immediately with your favorite preserves.
* Substitute for heavy whipping cream: 1/3 cup milk and 1/4 cup melted butter ** Substitute for buttermilk: 1/2 cup milk and 1/2 Tablespoon lemon juice or white vinegar
Arrange a shelf in the center of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees/163 C. Line a baking sheet with Release foil (nonstick side up), or parchment sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.
In a food processor with the steel blad, process the pecans in three batches with 1 teaspoon (0.15 oz/4g) of the granulated sugar in each batch. You want to get the pecans finely ground but not to a powder or a butter. Measure out 6 cups (21 oz/593 g) ground pecans and place in a mixing bowl.
Add the brown sugar, salt, egg whites, and honey. With clean hands, work the ingredients into an evenly mixed dough. Shape dough into small (about 1-inch/2.5-cm) balls and place on the baking sheet Place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
Place in the oven on the arranged shelf and bake for 20 minutes, until set. Allow to cool for 2 minutes, then remove to a cooling rack. When completely cooled, seal in a cookie tin or heavy-duty zip-top plastic bag. These cookies will keep well for months and are better made several weeks ahead.
Arrange a shelf in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 300 F/149 C.
Spread the pecans on a baking sheet and roast for 10 minutes. While the nuts are hot, stir in 2 Tablespoons (1 oz/28 g) of the butter. When cool, coarsely chop and set aside.
Line a 13 x 9 x 2-inch (33 x 23 x 5-cm) pan with parchment sprayed with nonstick cooking spray or Release foil (nonstick side up), allowing overhand on both long sides to make removal easier.
Place the remaining 1 1/2 cups (12 oz/340 g) butter around the edge of a microwave-safe glass bowl. Place the semisweet and sweet chocolate in the center. Melt the butter and the chocolate in the microwave on 100% power for 1 minute, stirring at least 2 times, and then 15 seconds more, stirring 1 time. Or, place the chocolates and butter together in a stainless steel bowl. In a large skillet, bring water to a simmer. Set aside until the water is no longer steaming. Place the bowl of chocolate and butter in the hot water, being careful not to get water or steam into the chocolate. Stir the chocolate every few minutes until melted.
In a large bowl, heat the eggs with a fork just to blend whites and yolks. With a minimum of hand stirring, stir together the eggs, egg yolks, brown sugar, confectioners' sugar, granulated sugar, corn syrup, vanilla, and salt.
By hand, with a minimum of stirring, stir together the egg mixture and the chocolate mixture. Stir in the flour. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth out. Soak cake strips in water and wrap around the outside edge of the pan as directed.
Place the pan on the arranged shelf and bake until brownies just begin to pull away from the edge of the pan, about 1 hour. Err on the side of under cooking rather than risk drying out the brownies. A toothpick inserted should come out wet with gooey chocolate.
Cool completely in the pan on a rack. Remove the brownies from the pan, using the parchment or foil overhang to help lift out the brownies. When completely cool, wrap the brownies well with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
Place the brownies on a cutting board and remove the parchment or foil. Place another cutting board on top and turn over so that the brownies are right side up. Trim the edges and cut into 2-inch (5-cm) squares. Wrap individually in plastic wrap and store refrigerated.
2 cups (9oz 255 g) spooned and leveled all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon (15 g) salt
3/4 cup (29 oz/82 g) finely chopped pecans
Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 325 degrees/163 C.
Cover a baking sheet with Release foil (nonstick side up), or parchment sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.
In a heavy-duty mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and 1/2 cup (2 oz/60 g) of the confectioners' sugar until fluffy. Beat in the vanilla.
In a medium mixing bowl, sprinkle the water over the flour and stir, then stir in the salt. Add the flour mixture to the mixer in several batches and beat on the lowest speed just to blend in. When all the flour is added, add the pecans and blend in.
Roll the dough into balls about eh size of a walnut and place on the baking sheet about 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart. Bake until set but not browned, about 20 minutes.
While the cookies are warm, lift them with a spatula, one at a time, into a large mixing bowl with the remaining 2 cups 98 oz/227 g) confectioners' sugar. Gently roll them in the confectioners' sugar several times to coat generously, then place on a rack to cool. Re roll once again in confectioners' sugar before storing in an airtight container.
*RESOURCES: Pure Vanilla Extract - FoodieAffair.com
"Southern Flavor Zone" is a collection of recipes from various sources with an emphasis on Southern cooking. It will also give you many international favorites. My husband Ray, and I own and operate NuAwlins Catering in San Antonio, TX. We lived in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico for 11 years which makes Mexican food a large part of our repertoire. We were both born and reared in New Orleans. My heritage is Southern Italian. Ray's is Southern Italian, Cajun, and German. Our hometown combined with our heritage and travels makes for an interesting mix of food passions.
We love the Crescent City, it's food, it's culture, and it's people. We want to bring a bit of our beloved hometown to our new hometown of San Antonio. We have been here awhile now and love the Texas culture and spirit. We are now polishing the Texas influence on our cooking. Great fun!!
This recipe for two is perfect for an intimate dinner.
