Wish Upon A Chef

Looking for a treat to express your love this Valentine's Day?  Try these Dark Chocolate Cherry Cordial Brownies - they taste like chocolate covered cherries, only way much better.  The frosting alone is sweet enough to land your beloved in the dentist chair for a shiny new filling but the combination of cherries and dark chocolate come together for pure decadence.

These were quick and easy to make -  I pulled them together on a whim for Boy Toy's kids for Valentine's Day and sent them quickly out the door so I wouldn't be tempted by them.  I'll admit to eating a small sliver just for the sake of making sure they weren't poisonous or anything.  I snapped this photo with my phone just as they were being snatched off my kitchen counter, so it's not my best photography work.  When you are preparing the icing, make sure you beat the butter and sugar until it's fluffy before adding the other ingredients.  I was in a hurry and just threw everything into the mixer so the butter ended up separating and making the icing looking clabbered.   I really don't think my young and eager Valentines minded though - or even minded that I didn't have time to drizzle the melted chocolate on top to make them all pretty.

Dark Chocolate Cherry Cordial Brownies
from A Little Bit Crunchy A Little Bit Rock n' Roll 

Printable Recipe
 
For the brownies:
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup dark chocolate chips
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup dark cocoa powder
1/2 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
For the frosting:
2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
10 ounce jar maraschino cherries, drained & juice reserved
1 tablespoon milk
1 to 2 teaspoons maraschino cherry juice
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
1 teaspoon vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease an 8x11 inch pan.

Drain the cherries and coarsely chop them.  Spread them out on paper towels to dry slightly.

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, dark cocoa powder, salt, and baking powder.

Melt the butter and pour into a large bowl.  Whisk in the dark chocolate chips until melted.  Whisk in the sugar and then the eggs.  Stir in the dry ingredients.

Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 20-25 minutes.  Cool completely.

For the frosting:  beat the butter together with the powdered sugar until fluffy.  Add extracts, milk and maraschino cherry juice until desired consistency is achieved.  Fold in the chopped cherries.

Frost the cooled brownies.  Chill for 30 minutes and then cut into squares.

Melt the remaining 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips and stir in the oil.  Drizzle over the frosted cut brownies. 

Am I the only girl in the world who thinks Valentine's Day is a total rip-off for guys?  I think it's atrocious that men have to purchase an expensive gift just to prove their love, and at the risk of speaking against my own gender, I think it's even more sad that women EXPECT that a man should do this.  (Okay, ladies...let the bashing begin.)

What happened to showing our love, adoration, respect and concern for each other EVERY. SINGLE. DAY?  Is that not enough?  Or could it be that the expensive gift given one day a year is intended to make up for the fact that maybe our men don't appreciate us on a daily basis? (It's equal opportunity bashing day, so you men can just start your line right here <----)

For me, Valentine's Day is a day to celebrate the idea of love but every day should be a day of showing love, respect and adoration.  Valentine's Day is the day you give a silly, maybe semi-naughty token of your love and adoration.  Something simple but thoughtful.  Something that made you think of your loved one and made you giggle at the thought of giving it to them.  Something from the heart.

I read an online article not long ago from Esquire Magazine about better marriage tips (maybe I should have read that article two marriages ago, but whatever) and it really stuck with me.  The premise of the article was how to have a better marriage by dedicating 270 seconds to your loved one every day. 

270 seconds. 

That's less than 5 minutes, folks, and surely you can find that small amount of time in your schedule.   I think these same tips hold true if you're in a relationship and not married and it is also a good theory for both guys and gals to practice.  See what you think...

Morning

First thing, take ninety seconds to give her the greatest good morning possible: "Good morning. I love you." And if she's asleep, you can lower your voice and whisper, "I love you. Have an awesome day." She'll hear you anyway.

After Work

Right when you get home, focus on her for a full ninety seconds. If she's happy, you go happy; if she's low, you go low, and make sure you look her in the eyes long enough to discern her eye color. This says, I value you, I need you.

Night

Sometime during the last thirty minutes before bed, take ninety seconds to engage fully with her. Do not talk about children, money, or work. Don't talk about the past at all. Look at her, stroke her hair, snuggle up to her, tell her you love her.

Ninety seconds in the morning, ninety seconds after work (or any time you've been away from her for at least two hours), and ninety seconds at night. That's how you bond. After seven to ten days, the marriage will change.

My Valentine does all of these above things and spends far more than 270 seconds doing them. I'm very conscious of the effort that my Valentine puts into making me feel special and I want to repay that favor with my own actions of adoration, kindness and respect.  My Valentine makes me a better person and that, my friends, is what it's all about.

These to-die-for rich chocolate brownies will be part of the gift to my Valentine and although they don't take much longer than 270 seconds to put together and get into the oven, the thought behind making and giving them is so much more.  Happy Valentine's Day! 

270 Seconds To Better Love Brownies

1 box Ghiradelli Ultimate Fudge Brownie Mix
plus these ingredients that are called for on the box:
1/4 cup water
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
plus these add ins:
1/2 cup dried cherries
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Mix and bake according to package directions.  Be sure to use the glaze packet included in the box to finish off these decadent bites of chocolate.

An easy peasy way to say to your Valentine "I love you" or "I adore you" or "hey baby, you're da bomb!"

Raise your hand if you've ever eaten raw cookie dough. Pretty much everyone, I see. Now, raise your hand if you've ever gotten sick or died from eating raw cookie dough. Uh huh. I thought so.

I'm sure someone somewhere did, in fact, get sick from eating cookie dough and therefore the FDA felt the need to put the fear of God into every child and adult left standing about the dangers of dying from indulging in it. Okay, so maybe you won't actually die, but you'll spend a great deal of time being sick and wishing you could just die and get it over with. I grew up eating the stuff straight from the bowl and look how well I turned out. Tick. Twitch. Shudder.

For those of you rule followers who've heeded the warnings and never known the absolute pleasure of eating the ooey, gooey sweet chocolate goodness in its raw form, do I have a treat for you today! Originally shared with me by my friend Liz over at That Skinny Chick Can Bake, these Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Brownies are seriously way over the top. They start out with a chocolate brownie layer, end with a layer of rich chocolate ganache, and the best part about the whole deal is the middle layer ~ cookie dough that is totally safe to eat because there are no raw eggs. If you eat this straight from the bowl, you may be a little put off by the granular texture of the dough but once it's incorporated with the other layers, you won't even notice it. The graininess comes from the fact that there are no eggs to "smooth out" and blend the sugars in the dough. Even still, I ate my fair share before I layered it onto the brownies.

I can attest to the fact that if you eat one of these chocolately, sugar loaded treats for breakfast, you will not only clear off nearly 8 hours worth of office work from your desk in just under 4 hours, but you will also go home on your lunch break and clean the entire house and still have 15 minutes to spare to eat your lunch. Talk about a sugar rush but oh, so worth it!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Brownies
adapted from Recipe Girl and shared by That Skinny Chick Can Bake

Brownie layer:
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 cup butter, at room temperature
2 cups light brown sugar, packed
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup flour

Cookie dough layer:
3/4 cup butter
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
3/4 cup granulated white sugar
3 Tablespoons milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips

Ganache topping:
6 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate chips or semi sweet chocolate, chopped
1/3 cup cream


Preheat oven to 325º. Grease 9 x 13 pan and line with parchment paper lengthwise with a slight overhang on each side. Grease parchment. Set aside.

Make brownie layer. Melt chocolate in the microwave using 30 second increments, stirring until melted and smooth. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and brown sugar till well mixed. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Mix in melted chocolate. Stir in flour; don't over mix. Spread into prepared pan. Bake 25-35 minutes or till toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool.

Make cookie dough. With an electric mixer combine butter and both sugars. Mix in milk and vanilla; stir in flour. Add chocolate chips and mix to combine. Spread over cooled brownie layer. Cool till firm (can freeze to hurry along process).

Make ganache. Melt remaining chocolate and cream together in microwave, stopping at 30 second intervals to stir till smooth and chocolate is melted. Spread over dough layer. Chill for easier cutting. You may pull the whole batch out with the parchment to cut or just cut pieces from pan.

Throughout the years I've been a follower, reader, contributor, and lurker to numerous food blogs and recipe boards. And just the same as frequenting a restaurant, club, or store on a regular basis I became acquainted with other regulars. I came to know the lovely Becky Shauberger Turner through one of these sites and although I never met her in person, I'm proud to call her a friend.
 
Becky departed this earthly world last month due to complications associated with MDS, a blood-related syndrome formerly referred to as "preleukemia."  I'm sad to say that I didn't really know much about Becky, except that along with her hobby of cooking, she was also an avid collector of vintage and art-deco dishes and tableware.  She would take the time to stop by Wish Upon A Chef fairly often and leave a nice comment or keep in touch through Facebook.  But, I do know this about Becky: she was true testament of inspiration, courage, and compassion.

While her blog, Random Musings of a Deco Lady, focused primarily on her tableware collections and cooking, Becky also used the blog to update family and friends about her medical condition.  I'll admit that reading the updates gave me that weak, queasy feeling ~ the one you get just before you faint from the sight of blood, and I sort of skimmed over those posts and skipped reading words like blood, transfusion, biopsy, needle, and bone marrow.   How shallow am I to avoid reading about something that someone else is dealing with on a daily basis?  I cannot fathom the health issues that Becky endured but not just because I didn't read about them, but because she never eluded to the struggles that she faced.  Becky's outlook on life was always positive, bright, and cheery.  She never complained or felt sorry for herself or faltered in her belief that she would beat this affliction and be well again.  She fought a courageous battle and faced it head-on with a fierce attitude.  She made the most out of every single day.

When I catch myself complaining about inconsequential things, I stop and remind myself of the trials and tribulations of failing health that Becky faced every day and remember the positive front that she presented for her friends and family.  I want Becky's attitude and I want her determination and inspiration of thinking anything and everything can be overcome.  I want to remember Becky Shauberger Turner as someone who positively influenced me and I want to remember her as my friend. 

Today, on this day that would have been Becky's birthday, all those who were fortunate enough to know her personally or distantly will pay tribute to her by remembering her for the lovely art-deco tablescapes and/or down-home-goodness recipes she shared.  I have chosen her recipe for Nutella Brownies with Salted Caramel Glaze.

Rest in peace Becky.  We will certainly miss your smiling attitude here at Wish Upon A Chef!

Salted Caramel Nutella Brownies

½ cup flour
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
½ tsp instant espresso powder
Pinch salt
¼ tsp baking powder
1 stick (8 Tbsp) unsalted butter, melted
¾ cup + 2 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp good vanilla
2 eggs
½ cup Nutella
¾ cup chopped nuts

Caramel Glaze
¼ cup heavy cream
1 cup sugar
¼ cup water
2 Tbsp unsalted butter, cut in pieces
½ tsp kosher salt
½ tsp finishing salt (I used Hawaiian red salt)

Preheat oven 350°F. Grease an 8”×8” square pan and set aside.

In small bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In large microwavable bowl (I use a glass measuring cup as it makes for easier pouring.), melt butter in 20 second intervals, stirring after each until smooth. Add sugar and vanilla, and whisk until well-mixed. Add eggs one at a time, whisking well after each addition. Add to dry ingredients and whisk until fully combined.

In glass measuring cup or other microwave-safe bowl, melt Nutella in 20-second intervals, stirring after each, until smooth and pourable consistency. Stir into batter along with the nuts. Pour into prepared pan and bake 25-30 minutes or until cake tester inserted in centre comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool completely.

Once brownies are cool, make the caramel glaze. In a small saucepan over low heat, warm heavy cream, but do not let boil. Keep gently warm while melting the sugar.

In a medium saucepan, combine sugar and water but DO NOT STIR. Place over medium-high heat & bring to a boil. Cook until mixture turns an amber colour, but not too dark that it looks like the sugar is burning. (This took me about 10 minutes, but it varies depending on your stove.) Remove from heat and slowly stir in the warm cream, butter, and ½ tsp kosher salt. Stir gently until smooth & well combined.

Pour over cooked brownies, tilting the pan to coat. Sprinkle with finishing salt and let glaze to set before cutting.

Credits: I adapted this from my friend Annie at From the Bookshelf, who adapted from Vittles & Bits, who adapted it from Noble Pig, with the Caramel Glaze slightly adapted from The Pioneer Woman.