Flourless Brownies

 

Photo courtesy of Nestle

Flourless Brownies   

 

Estimated Times

Preparation Time: 20 mins
Cooking Time: 35 mins
Cooling Time: 4 hrs 30 mins refrigerating

Servings: 16 brownies

Ingredients

2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels, divided
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, cut into pieces
2 tablespoons water
1/4 cup NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Baking Cocoa
4 large eggs
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup pecans, finely ground (optional)
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

Directions

PREHEAT oven to 300º F. Line 9-inch-square baking pan with foil. Grease bottom and sides.

HEAT 1 1/2 cups morsels, butter and water in medium, heavy-duty saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly, until morsels and butter are melted and mixture is smooth. Stir in cocoa until smooth. Remove from heat.

BEAT eggs and sugar in medium mixer bowl until thick, about 4 minutes. Stir in vanilla extract. Fold 1/3 of egg mixture into chocolate mixture. Fold in remaining egg mixture, one half at a time, until thoroughly incorporated. Fold in pecans. Pour into prepared pan.

BAKE for 35 to 40 minutes or until risen in center and edges start to get firm and shiny (center may still move and appear underbaked). Cool completely in pan on wire rack (center may sink slightly). Cover; refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.

PLACE cream in small, uncovered, microwave-safe dish. Microwave on HIGH (100%) power for 25 to 30 seconds. Add remaining 1/2 cup morsels. Let stand for 2 to 3 minutes; stir until chocolate is melted.

SPREAD ganache over chilled brownie. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Using two opposite sides of foil, carefully lift the entire brownie out of the pan and place on cutting board. Carefully peel away foil from brownie. Cut into bars. Store in tightly covered container in refrigerator. 

*****We love to add frosting to these, it's got flour in it so if you want flourless leave it off.  Our best Bites has one of the most amazing recipes for frosting.   

The Perfect Bag

My sister asked me to make her a bag (about 5 months ago). I finally got around to making it:) She has been extremely patient with me. Here is the final product. A tutorial is to come, but for now, I just wanted to get you excited:) I used some of the concepts from THIS bag, but it was much too large so I changed it up and added some features I thought were must haves.
Ruffle on the front, snap closure, and 2 toned handle.



















The back has 3 large pockets. The inside has 6 very large pockets.

Cafe Rio

 I love Garlic Black Beans, Sweet Rice, and pulled Pork as a meal. 

 These recipes have been floating around out there for sometime now.  I just wanted to share them with you just in case you haven't had this before.  The pulled pork is also good inside a tortilla.  We usually just make a yummy salad with it. 

 PULLED PORK


1 Pork Loin
1 Onion
2-3 cans of El Pato
2-3 Cans of Tomato Sauce
2-3 Cans of brown Sugar

I cook this the night before.  Put an onion cut up on the bottom of the crock pot.  If you need to, cut the Pork Loin in half so it fits inside the crock pot.  Turn on low just before you go to bed and let it cook all night.  The next morning it will be cooked.  Take the pork out and shred- it.  Dump everything out of the crock pot.  Add the El Pato, Tomato sauce, brown sugar(just use one of the empty cans of El Pato to measure), and pork all together.  Let it cook on low all day until you are ready to eat.  
 *If I have a huge pork loin I add 3 cans of everything.  If it's medium I add 2 of  everything.  


SWEET RICE

2 Tbs. Oil
1 Large Onion, Chopped
1 Bunch of Fresh Cilantro
2 1/2 Cups of White Rice, long grain
5 1/4 Cups Chicken broth, or bullion
1/2 cup of sugar

In a large pot saute the onion in oil until translucent.  Add the chopped cilantro (no big steams) and saute a minute more.  Add the rice, cooking and stirring until it begins to brown (be careful not to burn).  Add the chicken broth and sugar - stirring to dissolve the sugar.  Bring to a boil.  Cover and let cook on low until rice is done, about 25 minutes.  Fluff with a fork before serving.  



BLACK BEANS

3 Cans of Black Beans (not drained)
3-4 cloves of garlic
6 Tbs Oil
6 Tbs. cilantro, chopped
1 1/2 tsp salt
3 tsp Cumin
1 cup Tomatoe Juice    

Heat oil and cook garlic and cumin till garlic starts to pop.  Add the rest of the ingredients.  Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.  Add lime juice to taste. 



BUTTERMILK DRESSING

 5 Tomatillos
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup mayo
1/2 cup sour cream
1 pkg dry Ranch Mix
1 cup cilantro
3-6 green onion ends (becareful these can taste very strong in the dressing)
1 tsp minced garlic or 2 cloves
3 tsp sugar
juice from 1/2 a lime.

Boil tomatillos in salt water for 5 minutes.  Cut out the top.  Put all ingredients in a blender.  Blend together and refrigerate till ready to serve. 

Lighting

My family decided to explore a newly opened frozen yogurt shop near our home. Mainly because they had non-dairy options. Well, I couldn't stop staring at the lighting. It was so great! I just thought I would share with you. The big drums and then the light bulbs hanging. I just LOVED it!

I think it would be easy to knock of. Just a big drum on the outside and a thin one on the inside around the light bulb. The hanging light bulbs were decorative, not the normal cheap ones at the store. I should have gotten a close up, but I couldn't figure out how to zoom with my new phone. FYI: why the heck are there no instructions included with I-phones? LAME!

Here are some other great lighting I have seen!

The Edison Lamp

The square pendant and circle pendant are available for $35 a piece (marked down from $128 and $148, respectively!)

Little Green Notebook

Ballard Design

Pottery Barn

Pottery Barn

On another note, Thanks, Mail Carrier is hosting a giveaway that I am really hoping to win. Check it out HERE.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars

 
Sometimes I double the chocolate topping but it's amazing without it doubled.  


Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars
By: Home Run Recipes

Peanut Butter Bottom:
2 Cups Powdered Sugar
3/4 Cup Creamy Peanut Butter
2/3 Cup Graham Cracker Crumbs 
1/2 Cup Melted Butter

Line a 8x8 or 9x9 pan with foil.  Combine all above ingredients.  Press into the bottom of the pan.

Topping:

2/3 cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

4 1/2 tsp. Creamy Peanut Butter
1 tsp. Butter

Combine all the toppings together in a microwave safe bowl.  Then spread over the top of the Peanut Butter Bottom.   The Chocolate will be thick but still spreadable.  Cool and enjoy.

Angry Birds

We were at K-mart and my son found some angry birds softies. He wanted them so badly, but I was not willing to fork out $10-16 (depending on size) for them. So, then I thought that I would just make some. I was very excited and came home and started making patterns for it and then I thought, "Self, maybe someone has already made a pattern." And there was:) Using THESE patterns I made a few angry birds for my son!

They are not perfect, but he doesn't care. I did it a little different then the tutorial. I cut out the facial features and sewed them on directly like an applique. I don't have a free motion foot so this was the best option for me. My thoughts on the pattern: the beak, tail and head feathers were really small so they were extremely hard to turn right side out. BUT the directions are easy to follow and it took me about 20 minutes to complete one bird. The red bird pattern doesn't have you put on black tail feathers, but my son immediately noticed. I just added some 'feathers'  made of felt the same way I sewed the beak on.


Next up is a cardboard 'blocks' for him to create the scene to throw birds at. You could use wooden blocks if you have them, but I was really leery about using wooden blocks when he would be throwing things at them. I didn't want the blocks to go flying and hit someone or something.

Pizza Rolls

This are a fun new twist to eating pizza. My kids ate them so fast after I fried them I never got a picture of one finished.  We dip these in pizza sauce and spaghetti sauce. 

1. Take an egg roll wrapper and cut in in half.

2. Put 2 pepperoni's on one side and half of a cheese stick.

3. Fold in the sides.