Brownies

 

A chocolate brownie is a flat, baked square or bar introduced in the United States at the end of the nineteenth century and popularized in both the USA and Canada during the first half of the twentieth century. The brownie is sliced from a type of dense, rich chocolate cake, which is, in texture, like a cross between a cake and a cookie. Brownies come in a variety of forms. They are either fudgy or cakey, depending on their density, and they may include nuts, frosting, whipped cream, chocolate chips, or other ingredients. A variation that is made with brown sugar and no chocolate is called a blondie.
Brownies are common lunchbox fare, typically eaten by hand, and often accompanied by coffee. They are sometimes served warm with ice cream or topped with whipped cream.
This beautiful recipe is from Kristen – wife of my colleague and friend Rolando – and she is author of a great blog, that you probably would be interested to check as well: http://hypervocal.com/tag/kristen-boye/
As she characterize the recipe on her blog.: „The beauty of this recipe is that you can effortlessly mix everything together with a wooden spoon or spatula in the same pan that you melt the butter and then just pop them in the oven. They take but minutes to prepare… They also freeze beautifully.“
Me and my colleagues here in Canada which we share my home now for couple of months tried her recipe and we can guarantee – it is just amazing!

Happy Valentine's Day!
 

Ingredients:

1/2 cup organic butter, melted
1/2 cup cocoa
1 1/2 cups organic brown sugar
2 organic eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup chopped almonds
1 cup organic unbleached flour
 

Direction:

1. Melt the butter in a small pan over low heat. Once butter is melted mix all the other ingredients into the butter until well incorporated.
 
2. Pour brownie batter into pan lay out with parchment paper bake for about 20-30 minutes in a preheated oven to 180°C/350°F.

3. Cool and cut into squares and serve.

Occasional Cheese Shortbread

This recipe brought to us Simona’s frien Katerina and for long time it was for us one of traditional Christmas cookies. Because it is soooo tasty and sooo easy to make anytime this Shortbread became more like “occasional” treat – and it suits perfect to bear or wine, or just like a tasty snack anytime during the year – weather independent…

Ingredients:

150g shredded cheese (gouda, edam, cheddar…)

150g butter (best frozen and shredded)

1 egg

1 egg white

250g flour

1 tbsp baking powder

salt

pepper

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

For decoration:

- depends on taste (small cubes of cheese, caraway seeds, paprika, pieces of almonds or nuts, blue cheese…)

1 egg for smear

3 tbsp evaporated milk

 

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients in a bowl and knead nice dough.

2. The best is cover dough with wrap or use Ziploc and leave it for couple of hours (or over night) in the fridge. It is of course no problem to continue in process immediately or opposite way – leave dough in the fridge for weekend…

3. Roll nice think piece, smear with beaten egg with evaporated milk and cut pieces (strips, squares…) with a shaper or dough cutting wheel. Transfer these onto baking tin, decorate with nuts, caraway seeds, paprika or cheese – depends on taste.

4. Bake in a pre-heated oven 180°C/350°F approx. 7 minutes until light brown. Let cool down.

Quick Apple Strudel for Sunday’s Dessert

Sunday’s lunch usually ends with a nice piece of dessert and coffee. One of my favourite dessert is traditional Apple Strudel. It is very easy and tasty dessert and doesn’t necessary mean that has to be done for Sunday’s dinner only. Do you know the situation: sometimes sweet-tooth craving comes in the middle of night and nothing is ready in the cabinet? No worries – this kind of strudel is ready in 20 minutes!

Ingredients:

2 cups flour

1 cup of shredded butter (best is frozen one)

2 tbsp plain yoghurt or kefir

3 apples (peeled and shredded)

handful fine bread crumbs

handful sugar

1 tbsp ground cinnamon

handful raisins (optional)

handful shredded coconut

1 egg for smear

 

Directions:

1. Mix in a bow flour, butter and yoghurt.

2. Knead a nice dough.

3. Divide into two equal portions and roll into two rectangles. On the first third sprinkle crumbs, shredded apples, raisins, coconut, cinnamon and sugar. 

4. Roll, slightly form press, smear with beaten egg. Bake until golden colour at 180°C/350°C.

5. Cut into 2in pieces and serve with vanilla ice cream, hot vanilla sauce or just with a little bit of sprinkle of icing sugar.

Filled Strawberries Dumplings

I used to live with my parents in a city called Kromeriz in the Czech Republic (that time Czechoslovakia) until I was 14. I do still remember, when – about in the middle of 80’ – was open one store (called North Star) close to the downtown square where they sell only frozen groceries and frozen meals. The assortment wasn’t - of course – not so large – how we know from present time and one of the product I can still remember – it was a wax-paper-box with 6 strawberries dumplings made from curd dough inside…
I’m not too sure, how I evoke this idea, but the craving for those dumplings was enormous. So I had to go to our Overwaitea and bought a box of fresh strawberries and made those dumplings… And because the experiment went great, I brought some “intermediate-product” with me next day and finish the dessert for my colleagues in my work.

Ingredients:

1 package fresh strawberries
500g curd
4 cups semolina
1/2 cup flour
2 egg yolk
1 tbsp butter
from 2 eggs whisked white

As a topping:

250g curd
1 tbsp sugar
1 vanilla sugar or 1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Mix curd, egg yolks and butter. As a next step add flour and semolina. With a wooden spoon slightly add the whisked eggs white.

2. Make a roll from the dough and cut it into 1in pieces.

3. Every piece squeeze into a nice round ring, put a strawberry in the middle, cover with the edges and make a nice filled dumpling.

4. Cook for 12 minutes in the water with a pinch of salt. Serve cover with a topping made from curd, sugar and vanilla. Decor with strawberries jam and/or fresh strawberries.

Pumpkin crisp with rye flakes

As I mentioned we had a special Thanksgiving this year and because our friend’s allergies and intolerances we had to choose from non-traditional sources and of course dessert had to be prepare under similar conditions. From my point of view it seems to be almost mandatory to finish such a great courses with some nice dessert…. Because pumpkin pie is a traditional dessert, I just wanted to stick to it and so I decided to make a pumpkin crisp as a perfect match for this occasion.

Ingredients:

1 small pumpkin
3 cups of dry dates
4 cups of warm water
3 tbsp vinegar
1/2 tsp ground star anise
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 cloves
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups rye flakes
1/2 cup dry raisins
1/2 cup dry cranberries
1/2 cup of rice flour

Directions:

1. Wash pumpkin, cut into halves and clean inside (seeds can be wash, boil in salty water and dry in the oven).

2. Cut the pumpkin halves into smaller pieces and peel them.

3. Shred this pieces on coarse grater.

4. In the pot mix 2 cups of warm water, vinegar, add shredded pumpkin, spices and vanilla extract and cook shortly for 5 minutes. Do not overcook – pumpkin has to have a consistency of soft shredded apple.

5. Strain the liquid and let cool down. In the meantime mix in the mixer dates with warm water and this thick paste mix with cool pumpking. Place on the bottom of baking pan.
6. Mix in the bowl rye flakes, raisins and cranberries with a cup of chopped dates and rice flour. Sprinkle nicely over the pumpkin and bake for approx. 15-20 minutes (180°C/350°F) or until crispy surface appear.
  
7. Crisp can be served with vanilla ice or fruit salad.

Plum cake

Today something for the sweet tooth or as a nice dessert. This type of cake is very universal and it can be baked in every season or variations. Fruits can be combine or substitute with pot-cheese, plum-butter or poppy-seeds fillings (see Czech traditional filled buns) or jams can be use as well. Damage is impossible.

Ingredients I. (ferment):

1/2 tsp dry baking yeast
1/4 cup lukewarm water
pinch of sugar
1 tbsp flour

 

Directions I.:

- all ingredients mix in measuring glass or deeper bowl and let arise (about 20 min.).

 

Ingredients II. (dough):

ferment
2 cups flour
1 egg
1/2 cup lukewarm milk
1/4 cup butter (melted)
2 tbsp sugar
pinch of salt

 

Fillings:

- 20 plums
- pot cheese filling: Mix 250g home made pot cheese (see recipe on the blog) with some vanilla extract and 2 tbsp sugar and 1 egg yolk (raisins previously soaked in spice rum and dry can be added as well).
- streusel: piece of butter, 2 tbsp sugar, 2 tbsp flour

Directions II.:

1. Mix ferment, flour, milk, egg, butter, sugar with pinch of salt in a bowl.

2. Knead nice, smooth and elastic dough, let it raise for 30 minutes.

3. In the mean time prepare plums (wash, halve and pitte), and prepare the pot-cheese filling.
 
4. Prepare streusel: mix sugar, flour and butter together (using hands) to the consistency of coarse crumbs.

4. Divide the dough into two equal portions and roll out. One put into a baking pan (or onto the baking tin).
 
5. Add pot-cheese filling and spread all around – leave just about 1/2 inch around free (as shown).
 
6. Cover the filling with another part of rolled out dough and press firmly edgings.

7. Lay sliced plums on the top and cover with streusel.
  
8. Bake for 25 minutes in pre-heated oven 180°C (350°F).

Czech Brown Betty with Vanilla Curd

I did today a little research about grinders of Czech famous brand “Porkert”. I’m actually looking for popyseed grinder and universal grinder. Unfortunately the company with history over 130 years failed bankruptcy and the grinders are available only at collectors or as a Asian duplication, which is not what I’m looking for… This short introduction occurred to me in a context of another Czech brand Remoska (electric cooker – the best kept secret in the Czech Republic - everybody’s grandmother in the Czech Republic had one…) and I got two pieces, which I’m regularly using in my kitchen. For us, who are not cooking daily for 10+ people is the north American type of oven simply too big. Wicked tongues claims, that is because we need to bake 30lbs Thanksgiving turkey once a year and that is the reason, why we need such a big ovens… ha ha ha.
And one of the typical recipe for Remoska (but is is of course great for any type of pans or ovens) is Czech Brown Betty with Vanilla Curd. In the filling will be still missing grounded nuts, but I hope I will get somehow my Porkert UM75.

 

Ingredients:

some leftover breakfast rolls or buns (but it is easy and great to make it form e.g.blueberry bagels)
250g curd (from store or home made)
1 egg yolk
1 vanilla sugar
some slices of butter
1/2 cup milk
1 apple
raisins, (or dry cranberries, blueberries, cherries, nuts – anything what you will prefer)
pinch of ground cinnamon

Directions:

1. Slices of rolls or bagels dip into milk and place in pot inlaid with slices of butter.

2. Spread curd (mixed with egg yolk and vanilla sugar) on the layer of slices rolls or bagels.

3. Sprinkle with some dry fruits or nuts.

4. Make so many layers as the pot is full or from all remaining ingredients.

5. The last layer can be sprinkle with shredded apple and ground cinnamon and some slices of butter. Bake 25 minutes in the oven - 180°C (350°F).

Czech traditional filled buns

Great and easy recipe from my sister-in-law Olinka from Podebrady. As my brother Lukas says about them: “there is nothing in it (after longlife  experience and several years of titration) best buns so far -  soft, smooth and at that firm, too; best the second day third gone”. So, my dear friends, try it!       

Ingredients I. (ferment):

1 tbsp dry baking yeast
1 cup lukewarm milk
pinch of sugar
1 tbsp flour

 

Directions I.:

Mix all ingredients in measuring glass or deeper bowl and let arise (about 20 min.).

 

Fillings:

Pot cheese filling:

Mix 250g home made pot cheese (see recipe on the blog) with some vanilla extract and 2 tbsp sugar and 1 egg yolk (raisins previously soaked in spice rum and dry can be added as well).

Popyseed filling:

Ground popyseed infuse in milk with sugar and thicken with cheese cake crumbs.

Plum butter filling:

Mix 200g plum butter (see recipe on the blog) with 1 tbsp of spice rum and some ground lemon peel.

Ingredients II. (dough):

3 cups flour
100g sugar
100mL vegetable oil
2 egg yolk
pinch of salt
ferment

Directions II.:

1. Mix ferment, flour, egg yolk, oil and pinch of salt in a bowl or KitchenAid.

2. Knead nice, smooth and elastic dough, let it raise for an hour.

3. Knead once again and Split dough into about 80g buns, make a flat round with a hand.
 
4. Fill with filling (pot cheese, popyseed or plum butter) – depends on taste.
 
5. Close carefully and put them to the baking pan (wiped with oil) tight side by side close side down.
  
6. Let the buns raise for 10 more minutes, smear with oil and bake in the oven 180°C (350°F) for 25 minutes.
 
7. Finished buns smear with oil once again.