Last Week

I was working on a post last Sunday, but got a little distracted when this happened:

 

Just a small oven fire. No big deal, right? I was in the midst of baking 8 pans (yes, I said pans) of sweet rolls (find the recipe here). I started out with cinnamon, then got bored with them and made some caramel rolls. Apparently someone neglected to tell me that if the caramel gets hot enough and if the pan is too shallow, caramel will spill over into the bottom of your oven and burn. And burn it did. Luckily, the rolls were salvaged (and real tasty!), so as soon as I took them out of the oven, I locked the door and hit "self clean". Poor life decision, let me tell you. The caramel in the bottom went up in flames in a matter of minutes. Luckily I caught it early. I turned off the self clean option and watched the flames wither away. The bottom of our oven is now black... but it still works! Now we just have to figure out how to clean it without using the self-clean-burn-it-up technique.

{warning these rolls are jam-packed with calories and not for the faint of heart. they are deadly.}

A couple days after our near-death experience, I came home for lunch to find this guy hanging out on our driveway:

Did someone forget to tell me I actually live in Florida - not the chilly state of Minnesota? I immediately called Jordan and told him to rush home. I was worried this critter would find a way into our house and I just couldn't deal with the thought of that. He arrived 5 minutes later and chased the little guy around until he picked him up and plopped him into one of our unused flower pots. (Yes, he touched him. Yes, I gagged.)

We did some quick googling and discovered he was a tiger salamander, not completely uncommon in Minnesota. I snapped a few pictures of Jordan and his buddy, then we set him free in the marsh that is the end of our street.

I guess you could say I've had a productive, strange, entertaining week. Did I tell you the same day that I found the salamander, there was also a HUGE turtle stranded in the road at the intersection by our house? At first I thought I was seeing things, but then a man turned on his hazard lights and hopped out to take a good look at the turtle. It was real. Weird, I tell you, weird.

This might explain...

...those few extra pounds I'm trying (to no avail) to get rid of. But it's heavenly, so you really should try it some day soon. SO easy to make and got 3 thumbs up from everyone who's tried it. :-)

[picture and recipe from Tasty Kitchen]

Molten Chocolate Cake

Added by brandielle on July 28, 2009 in Desserts, Special Occasion

Prep Time 15 Minutes Cook Time 13 Minutes

Servings 4

Difficulty Easy

Ingredients

• 4 pieces (squares) Semi-sweet Baking Chocolate
• ½ cups Butter
• 1 cup Powdered Sugar
• 2 whole Eggs
• 2 whole Egg Yolks
• 6 Tablespoons Flour
• 2 cups Real Whipping Cream (seriously It's So Much Better!)
• 2 Tablespoons Sugar

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Spray 4 custard cups with Pam and place on cookie sheet.

Microwave chocolate and butter in large bowl on high for about 1 minute, until butter is melted. whisk until chocolate is also melted.

Stir in sugar until well blended. Whisk in eggs and egg yolks. Stir in flour.

Divide between cups.

Bake 13-14 minutes until sides are firm and center is soft. Let stand 1 minute.

Combine sugar and heavy cream and whip until stiff.

Invert cakes on dishes and top with whipped cream.

You're Gonna Love This

Stop everything you're doing. Because you MUST try making these incredible Salted Caramel Brownies. I made them for our book club and they are soooo tasty! The combination of sweet and salty is heavenly. I won't lie to you and say they are super easy to make, but even though they require things like a double boiler and homemade caramel, they're totally worth it! Enjoy!

[image and recipe from Brown Eyed Baker]

Salted Caramel Brownies

Yield: 16 brownies

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Bake Time: 35 to 40 minutes

5 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into quarters
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
3 eggs
1¼ cups granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
Salted Caramel Sauce (recipe follows)
Fine sea salt

1. Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray an 8-inch square baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Line the pan with overlapping pieces of foil and spray the foil.

2. In a medium heatproof bowl set over a pan of almost-simmering water, melt the chocolates and butter, stirring occasionally until smooth. (Or, melt in the microwave on 50% power for 30-second increments, stirring after each, until melted and smooth.) Whisk in the cocoa until smooth. Set aside to cool.

3. Whisk together the eggs, sugar, vanilla, and salt in a medium bowl until combined, about 15 seconds. Whisk the warm chocolate mixture into the egg mixture; then stir in the flour until just combined. Pour about half of the brownie mixture into the prepared pan and spread into the corners. Spoon 9 dollops of Salted Caramel Sauce on top of the brownie batter. Top with the remaining brownie mixture, spread into the corners and level the surface with a spatula. Again, spoon 9 dollops of the Salted Caramel Sauce on top of the brownie batter. With a dull butter knife, gently run it through the batter to swirl the batter just a bit (don’t do it too much or it will all mix together). Sprinkle a bit of sea salt on top.

4. Bake until slightly puffed and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a small amount of sticky crumbs, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool on a wire rack to room temperature, about 2 hours. Remove the brownies from the pan using the foil handles and transfer to a cutting board. Cut into squares. Brownies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature.

(Brownie recipe adapted from Baking Illustrated)

Salted Caramel Sauce

Prep/Cook Time: 10 minutes

1 cup granulated sugar
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
2/3 cup heavy cream, at room temperature

In a 3-quart saucepan, heat the sugar over medium-high heat, whisking as the sugar begins to melt. Some of the sugar will harden into clumps, but that’s okay – it will melt eventually – just keep whisking. Continue to cook the sugar until it reaches a dark amber color. At that point, whisk in the salt, and then add the butter all at once and whisk until it is completely incorporated into the sugar. Remove the pan from the heat and pour in the heavy cream (it will foam up when first added). Continue to whisk until it forms a smooth sauce.

Allow to cool for 10-15 minutes before using in the brownies. The leftover sauce can be stored, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. (You’ll probably need to warm it up a bit straight from the refrigerator.)

Here goes nothin'

A new blog... a fresh start. I have a blog on www.jordanandkristen.com, but I've recently been feeling a need for something girlier. A place I can talk about decorating and shabby chic and fun recipes and crafts I'm learning about. A place to help you stay updated on my life. Of course, I'll probably mention Jordan (my husband of 4 months) from time to time, but expect this to be a place where sparkles and ruffles are fully accepted, no questions asked.

So, for starters, let's talk about the amazing banana bread recipe I tried last weekend. The combination of bananas, walnuts, and CINNAMON was to die for. Why had I never thought to add cinnamon to banana bread before? Well, I will do it every time from now on. I found this recipe on the Joy of Cooking website. It's a must if you have ripe, almost black bananas sitting around. Serve warm - you won't regret it.

1 cup walnuts or pecans, toasted and coarsely chopped (optional)

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup granulated white sugar

1 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled

3 ripe large bananas mashed well (about 1-1/2 cups)

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and place oven rack to middle position. Butter and flour (or spray with a non stick vegetable/flour spray) the bottom and sides of a 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf pan. Set aside.

Place the nuts on a baking sheet and bake for about 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly toasted. Let cool and then chop coarsely.

In a large bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nuts. Set aside.

In a medium-sized bowl combine the mashed bananas, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla. With a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, lightly fold the wet ingredients (banana mixture) into the dry ingredients just until combined and the batter is thick and chunky. (The important thing is not to over mix the batter. You do not want it smooth. Over mixing the batter will yield tough, rubbery bread.) Scrape batter into prepared pan. Bake until bread is golden brown and a  toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 55 to 60 minutes. Place on a wire rack to cool and then remove the bread from the pan. Serve warm or at room temperature. This bread can be frozen.

Makes 1 - 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf.

I hope you and your family love this as much as we did.