Tag Archive for 'nuts'

Aunt Hazel’s Brownies

Published on October 21, 2011 in Chocolate and Desserts. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , .


As promised, I’ve got some chocolatey happiness coming your way today. This is a longtime family favorite that came from my mother’s (yup, you guessed it), Aunt Hazel.

Aunt Hazel was a lean, mean baking machine. The woman had a serious thing for butter. According to family lore, she died of cirrhosis of the liver without having had a drop of alcohol in her life. We’ve always given my mother a hard time about this claim (“Come on, you know she was swigging from the vanilla extract, Mom!”), but it turns out that it may have been the case after all (nothing like Wikipedia to make you feel really guilty about teenage finger-pointing).


However she passed into the next realm, she left behind a damn good brownie recipe. It’s gooey, and, yes, it is indeed buttery. It has such a small amount of flour as to resemble a flourless chocolate cake in a way, which is a very nice thing to resemble.

However, over the years, I’ve started thinking it could be just a tad chocolatey-er, so I added another ounce of chocolate to the original recipe. A few times, I’ve used cake flour (on the suggestion of Erica Bruce’s recipe in Cooks Illustrated), which actually gives the brownies a nice consistency, but it’s not necessary. I’ve even used cocoa powder* when I was desperate (desperate for instant brownie gratification, that is), and it worked quite well, although it didn’t have the same gooeyness. But one addition that I’m definitely adding to the permanent update is a healthy pinch of Maldon sea salt sprinkled over the top before popping the pan into the oven. I think it adds a nice counterpoint to the sweetness of the brownie.

Whatever minor changes have been made, this is still Aunt Hazel’s brownie recipe at its core. And Aunt Hazel, wherever you are, please accept my sincere apologies (and those of my siblings who were complicit in this) for calling you a lush all these years.

Aunt Hazel’s Brownies

1/2 cup butter, cut into tablespoons
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, cut into small pieces
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
A generous 1/2 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
Pinch of Maldon sea salt or some other flaky salt (optional)

Preheat oven to 325ºF/163ºC. Line an 8″x 8″ inch baking dish with parchment paper, making sure one layer has an overhang of a couple inches (this overhang will become the handles you use to lift the brownies out of the pan).

Put the butter and chocolate in a heatproof dish on top of a simmering pan of water. Stir regularly until everything is melted. Add the sugar and continue to simmer to dissolve the sugar a bit. Take the pan off the heat and let cool until warm. Stir in vanilla. Add eggs one at a time. Add flour and salt and stir until batter is glossy. Stir in the nuts and pour into pan. Sprinkle top with Maldon sea salt.

Bake for 20-30 minutes. The brownies are done when a toothpick comes out crumbly (not wet — underdone and not completely clean — overdone). Let cool at room temperature (or you can put the pan in the refrigerator or freezer if you’re really impatient). Lift out by the parchment paper and cut into squares.

* 3/4 cup to substitute; also, FYI, the bottom photo is the version made with cocoa (note the smoother top vs. the crackly one made with solid chocolate).

Basil Pesto

Published on August 8, 2011 in Italian and pasta. 6 Comments Tags: , , , , , .


I have somehow managed to not kill my basil plant — it is, in fact, thriving on our windowsill with a view of Ground Zero — and like the Freedom Tower, it’s growing like gangbusters, so it’s time to make some pesto!* As this is one of our easy summer go-to dinners, it’s ridiculous that I’ve waited til now to post this, but there it is and here you go.

Modeled after the one and only Patricia Wells’ recipe from this fabulous tome, this pesto is made with basil. If you’re feeling frisky, however, you can substitute another herb in there, like cilantro or parsley or even sweet pea shoots (which I realize is not an herb). And if you don’t have pine nuts (as I often don’t), leave them out or use walnuts or pecans or some other meaty nut.

This go-round I happened to have a delicious balsamic-infused Parmesan they were sampling at Whole Foods the other day (and which G and I took liberal advantage of). Called Sartori Bellavitano and sporting a lovely balsamic-induced edible brown rind, it’s the kind of cheese you crumble off little chunks of here and there and happily nibble away on, only to realize with a sinking kind of horror, that you’ve just ingested half a pound of said cheese. I somehow managed to restrain myself sufficiently to grate enough for the pesto, which gave the dish a nice little kick. I wouldn’t mind some lemon zest sprinkled over this either, just for fun. And if you feel guilty that there are no veggies in there (am I the only one who does this to myself? Please say no), toss in some halved cherry tomatoes or even a cup of broccoli florets or a scoop of cannellini beans (which would combat the protein scarcity guilt complex, a completely different — but equally debilitating — illness). Or just have a salad and some nice bread with whatever’s left of that Parmesan.

Basil Pesto

1 lb./1/2 kilo dried pasta
2 fresh garlic cloves, roughly chopped
2 cups loosely packed basil leaves
Sea salt to taste
1/3-1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup Parmesan, freshly grated, plus another 1/4 cup for sprinkling
1/4 cup pine nuts

Put a large pot of water on to boil and cook your pasta of choice, reserving a scoop of the pasta water. Toast pine nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat, flipping regularly so they cook evenly. Don’t leave the kitchen while you’re doing this.

Put the garlic, basil and sea salt in the bowl of a food processor (this recipe fits perfectly in this) and whiz into a paste. Add the olive oil slowly through the feed tube thing while running the motor, scraping down the sides if necessary. Pour the pesto into a large serving bowl, stir in the cheese and a few tablespoons of the pasta water. Taste for seasoning. Stir in the pasta and serve with lots of black pepper and more Parmesan.

* Full disclosure: the basil in the photo is not from my plant and, honestly, if I had used the leaves from my plant, I’d have no plant left.

Seeded Granola

Published on June 30, 2011 in Breakfast and Cookbooks + Cooks. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , .

Sorry for such a lull in the posts, kids. Things have been a bit nutty around here. All our birthdays are clustered in a one-month period, plus we’ve been away for the last two weekends, plus it’s hot and when it gets hot, the kitchen shuts down at Casa Nitz. Not entirely, of course, but I just haven’t been particularly inspired to make anything that requires much of an effort.

Of course, I’ve been drooling over this and all its contents, but the idea of turning on the oven has stopped me from making anything…until now. I had to try the seeded granola. And turns out, while my original recipe is still delicious and healthy, this one is kind of ridiculous. Why? Well, I blame/thank the butter. Yes, everything really is better with butter. That’s not marketing; that’s the God’s-honest truth. And also the cooking of the syrup/wet mix. That gets everything really nice and crunchy.

I made a couple substitutions for things I didn’t have, which you can certainly do, but the key is to use mostly seeds (versus nuts, but nuts are okay too).  And the absolutely essential ingredient that really takes this granola over the top?  Cayenne pepper. It gives it just a hint of heat, but it’s more than that. It’s a smokiness which somehow fits so well with the seeds. Ridiculously good. In fact, going forward, I think I may need to make ALL of my granola with cayenne.

NOTES:  This recipe makes about 10 cups, which is a lot of granola. I halved it, but if you’re some kind of granola maniac, go for the whole batch. Also, the original recipe says to bake it at 325º, but I find that granola cooks better at a lower temperature, so I ended up cooking it at 300º and a bit longer than the 30 minutes called for. The important thing is to keep an eye on it and if it looks like it’s getting too dark, take it out. There’s really nothing worse than burnt granola. Well, maybe this.

Seeded Granola

Adapted from Kim Boyce’s Good to the Grain

DRY MIX:
1 cup raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
4 cups whole rolled oats
1/2 cup sliced raw almonds
1 cup raw sunflower seeds
1/4 cup flaxseeds
3 tablespoons sesame seeds
2 tablespoons poppy seeds
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

WET MIX:
1/2 cup honey or brown rice syrup
1/2 cup brown sugar
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Preheat oven to 325ºF/165ºC. Toast the pumpkin seeds on a baking sheet until light golden brown, about 10 minutes (the original recipe said it would take about 18 minutes, but mine were done much faster, so make sure to keep an eye on them!).

Combine the dry ingredients in a big bowl, adding the toasted pumpkin seeds when they’re done. Turn the oven down to 300ºF/149ºC. Butter two baking sheets (I used one small and one large rimmed sheet pan).

Meanwhile, combine the wet mix in a small heavy saucepan and cook over medium heat. Stir it once and then just let it sit until it comes to an even boil, which means the center of the syrup needs to be bubbling (not just the edges). Take the pan off the heat and pour it over the dry mix, making sure to coat all the dry ingredients with the syrup.

Spread the granola evenly onto the baking sheets and bake for 10 minutes. Take the pans out of the oven (closing the oven door to keep the heat in) and stir to bring the outside edges of the granola into the middle of the pan and push the stuff in the middle out to the edges. Rotate the sheets (meaning put the top sheet onto the bottom oven rack and the bottom on the top) and cook for another 10 minutes. Cook for 30-40 minutes, stirring and rotating as above every 10 minutes.

Remove the pans from the oven and allow the granola to cool completely on the pans; this allows those delicious crunchy clusters to form. Stored in an airtight container, it should last at least a week.

Granola

Published on May 23, 2011 in Breakfast and Kids. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , .


I’ve been meaning to post this for awhile now. Especially in the summer months when you don’t much feel like eating a heavy breakfast, granola mixed in with some Greek yogurt (which gives you a good dose of protein to start the day) and fresh berries is delicious, healthy and light. Many years ago my oldest sister, Alicia, who has coined many words and expressions (yes, my family has our own language; is that weird?), dubbed this concoction “grunge.” FYI, this was pre-Nirvana, so don’t look for any Seattle-based tormented rock star connection because there isn’t one.

Anyhoo, the great thing about this is that it’s super healthy (low-fat, oil-free, maple syrup-sweetened), but it doesn’t sacrifice flavor because of all the goodies in there like walnuts, coconut and cranberries. And you can whip up a big batch, store it in an airtight container and you’ve got breakfast locked up for a few weeks (or a couple days if my husband gets ahold of it for a little late-night snacking). And it’s great for kids too.

And like so many things I make, you can tailor it to your likes and/or cupboard contents. Some other ideas: almonds, pecans, dried apricots, banana chips, dried strawberries, dried cherries, sesame seeds; spices like nutmeg, ginger or even a little black pepper; replace some of the maple syrup with honey, blackstrap molasses or brown rice syrup. Just mix it up (literally) and make it your own.

Low-Fat Coconut Cranberry Granola

2 cups organic oats
1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
1/2 cup pepitas
1 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup ground flax seed
3/4 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut (I used reduced fat because that’s what I had)
1/3 cup maple syrup
2 egg whites
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 300ºF/150ºC. Mix the dry ingredients (with the exception of the coconut) in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites, water, vanilla and cinnamon. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ones and mix well. Spread the mixture on a Silpat- or parchment-lined cooke sheet. Toast for 35-40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes to break up the mixture. In the last 5 minutes, add the coconut, stir to combine and return to the oven. It’s done when everything is lightly browned and crunchy. Remove and cool. Store in an airtight container. Will keep for a couple weeks.

Oops, I did it again.

Published on May 2, 2011 in Chocolate and Desserts. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , .

Sorry for the Cheeto-lover reference, but I had to report in on my latest frozen yogurt experience. I decided that I needed to recreate one of my favorite Ben & Jerry’s limited edition flavors:  Coconut Almond Fudge. Oh yeah. It may be apparent to you that I have a thing for coconut. And I know some people don’t like it (and I’ve cut those people out of my life, naturally). Because that’s just crazy talk. What is life without coconut? That means a life without piña coladas, macaroons, Samoas and most Thai dishes. Not worth living, sorry. Nope.

And I’m really proud to say that not only did I attempt the David Lebovitz “squiggle” method for the chocolate, but it was actually incredibly easy and so satisfying in terms of consistency, crunch and the all-important chocolate-to-ice cream distribution ratio.

So, here’s the recipe. Get to it. And if you don’t like coconut, well, I just don’t know what to say to you.

Coconut Almond Fudge Frozen Yogurt

2 cups Greek yogurt
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup sugar (granulated or cane)
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon coconut extract
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut
1/2 cup raw almonds, roughly chopped
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips, melted

Combine the yogurt, buttermilk, sugar, honey and coconut extract in a boil. Refrigerate for about an hour.

Pour the mixture into your ice cream machine and process for about 25 minutes. After you get the machine going, put a clean, dry, airtight container in the freezer to chill. After the 25 minutes, add the coconut and almonds and process for another 5 minutes.

Take out the container and squiggle* a bit of the chocolate mixture in the bottom with a spoon. Add a layer of the frozen yogurt. When the cold frozen yogurt hits the melted chocolate, the chocolate will harden very quickly. Take your spoon and break up the chocolate and mix it together with the frozen yogurt. Repeat this step 3-4 more times. Cover and freeze for a couple hours before eating.

* Squiggle = a fast drizzle using a quick back and forth motion to make skinny lines of chocolate