Easy and Delicious Chocolate Chip Brownies

 

Last night, Tonya and I were watching a movie and she suddenly exclaimed that she wanted some chocolate chip brownies.  Guess I had better make them.

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter
2 eggs

1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup chocolate chips

Stuff you will need

Whisk or large spoon

Mixing bowl

9x9 inch baking pan

Pam cooking spray

Directions

Pre-heat oven to 350 F.  Spray baking pan with Pam.

Mix all the dry ingredients in the mixing bowl.

Add melted butter and eggs.  Do not over mix.

Add chocolate chips last.

Empty mixing bowl into baking pan.  Jiggle the pan to get the brownie mix into the corners.

Bake 350 F for 30 minutes.

Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes.

Makes about 16 LARGE brownies.

Get a large cold glass of milk and enjoy.

Comments and suggestions are always welcome.

Classic Cinnamon Raisin Bread

Valentines day is tomorrow.

I do believe that Tonya may wake up to the smell of coffee and some cinnamon raisin bread.

Ingredients

Dough
1 cup lukewarm milk
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup raisins
⅓ cup unsalted butter, softened
4½ cups all-purpose flour
¼ cup sugar
2½ teaspoons instant or active dry yeast

Filling
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons cinnamon
3 tablespoons butter, melted (and separated)

Stuff you will need

Stand mixer w/dough hook

2 x Loaf Pans

Directions

In the bowl of a stand mixer with the dough hook attached, add yeast to lukewarm milk and set aside for 5 minutes. 

 
Sift flour, salt, and sugar.  

Add eggs and raisins to the milk mixture and turn the stand mixer to medium-high for 2 minutes.

Reduce the speed to medium and add the butter and flour ½ a cup at a time until fully incorporated. 

Knead 5-7 minutes. The dough should be smooth and pull cleanly from the sides of the bowl.

Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl and turn dough to coat sides with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until it has doubled in size, 1-2 hours. 

Deflate the dough and transfer to a lightly floured surface. 

Divide the dough in half. Roll each half of the dough into a 10 x 20-inch rectangles. Brush the dough with 2 tablespoons butter. Mix the dry filling ingredients together and spread evenly over each of the rectangles. Leave about a half inch around the edges.

Lightly grease two loaf pans. Starting with the short end, roll the dough into a log, seam side down. Squeeze the loaf down lengthwise to fit inside the loaf pan and cover with plastic wrap for 30 minutes. Repeat with the second loaf.  

While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Brush the loaves with butter and bake for 35-40 minutes.  

Remove from oven and let cool 10 minutes before turning them out to cool on a cooling rack. 

Slice, serve, and reminisce.

Smoked Roast Beef

 

I have never done this, but if you follow my blog, you know that I will...  some day...

Ingredients

4 pound Eye of Round roast beef

Olive Oil

Your Favorite Rub recipe

Stuff you will need

Bradley Smoker

Cutting board

Sharp Knife

Directions

Get a 4 pound Eye of Round roast beef. Put some olive oil on the meat to use as a binder for seasoning.

Go heavy on the seasoning since it’s a thick cut of beef.

Place the cut of meat into the Bradley Smoker

Set the smoker to 250 degrees F (121.1 Celsius) with enough mesquite bisquettes for 1 hour.

Another hour in the smoker, or, until the internal temperature gets to 125 F (51.7 Celsius).

Let it cool off and stick it in the fridge for 45-55 minutes.

Time to slice it up (as thin as you reasonably can) and enjoy in a sandwich.  If you got a meat slicer, time to break that bad boy out to save your knives.

Dark Fruitcake

 

I've always been curious by fruit cake.  Why is there booze in this?  Must be to make me want to eat the fruit cake, otherwise, I don't see me trying to eat it otherwise.

Ingredients

2 lbs seedless raisins

1 lb seeded raisins

1 lb currants

1 lb mixed peel

1 lb mixed fruit

½ lb candied cherries halved

1 cup candied pineapple chopped

½ - 1 cup rum or brandy

½ - 1 cup wine

1 lb margarine

3 cups brown sugar

8 large or 10 medium eggs

2 cups flour + 1 cup of flour

1 tsp cloves

1 tsp allspice

1 tsp nutmeg

2 tsp cinnamon

4 tsp baking powder

½ cup molasses

½ cup strawberry jam

Directions

Put fruit in a large bowl and add liquor. Let stand over night, stirring occasionally. 

Dredge with 1 cup of flour. 

Cream sugar and margarine. 

Add eggs and beat until light. 

Stir in molasses and jam. 

Add dry ingredients. Mix well. 

Add floured fruit mixture. 

Bake at 325º for 4 hours. Put pans on heavy cookie sheet in oven to prevent the bottoms from burning. 

Place a dish of water in oven during baking to keep the cakes moist. 

The cup of flour for dredging is over and above the 2 cups that is in the batter.

Smoked Peach Cobbler Recipe

 

The Bradley Smoker smokes the most delectable peaches, the easy way. If you’ve never had smoked peach cobblers, you don’t know what you’re missing! 

Ingredients
6 peaches, Brown sugar
For the cobbler:
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
1 cup shredded coconut
1 cup oat flour
2/3 cup almond flour
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ cup butter
¼ cup honey

Directions

1. Halve and put 6 peaches
2. put the peaches in the smoker, use 5 alder bisquettes for 1 hour and 40 mins (don’t set temp or cook time)
3. 1 cup shredded coconut
4. 1 cup oat flour
5. 2/3 cup almond flour
6. 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
7. 1 teaspoon baking powder – mix it all in a bowl
8. add 2 eggs
9. ¼ cup butter and ¼ cup honey mix (melted in pan) add it to the dry mix
10. add table spoon of cobbler dough to 30/1hr smoked peaches
11. add back into the smoker at 320F for 1 hr and 30 mins – no smoke
12. add ice cream

Smoked Bourbon-Glazed Ribs Recipe

 
This Smoked Bourbon-Glazed Ribs Recipe is from Smoke & Spice with some slight modification.

Learn how to smoke ribs like a pro, and you’ll be the star of any backyard bbq!

Do you love incredibly tender pork ribs?  If you do, then you’re about to get really excited!

I like to remove the membrane on the underside of ribs because I think it works the best. Besides, it allows a better infusion of spice from the rub and smoke once in the smoker. It’s a good idea to mop it mid-cycle because the last ribs I did were just a little dry.  The sauce with bourbon sounds good to caramelize a bit at the end.

Ingredients

Barbecued Rib Rub
1/3   cup   Pepper, Freshly Ground
1/4   cup   Paprika
2   Tbsp   Sugar
1   Tbsp   Salt   Coarse sea.kosher
1   tbsp   chili powder
1 1/2   tea   garlic powder
1 1/2   tea   onion powder
3   each   pork spare ribs   about 3 lbs each

Bourbon Mop (optional)  Mop at two hours
3/4   cup   bourbon
3/4   cup   cider vinegar

Sauce 
1/4   cup   butter   unsalted best
1/4   cup   vegetable oil
2   each   onions, medium   minced
3/4   cup   bourbon
2/3   cup   ketchup
1/2   cup   cider vinegar
1/2   cup   fresh orange juice
1/2   cup   pure maple syrup
1/3   cup   molasses
2   Tbsp   worcestershire sauce
1/2   tea   pepper, freshly ground
1/2   tea   salt

Directions

1. Using a pair of needle-nose pliers, remove the membrane on the underside of the ribs.
2. Combine rub ingredients in a bowl, and apply the rub evenly to the ribs, reserving about 1/2 of the spice mixture.  Put slabs in a plastic bag or wrapped in saran and refrigerate them overnight.
3. The next day, take the ribs from the refrigerator and pat down with the remaining rub. Let it stand at room temp for 30-40 minutes.
4. Preheat the BS to 200-220 degrees for an hour.
5. If basting, mix together the bourbon with vinegar with 1/2 cup water.  Warm the mop over low heat.
6. Transfer meat to smoker. Cook the ribs for about 4-5 hours, smoking for the same time using XXX Bisquettes, turning and mopping after 2 hours. Swap shelves in the Bradley when you mop.
7. Prepare the Bour-BQ sauce while slabs are smoking so it is ready to apply to the ribs approx 45 min before the meat is done.
8. In a large saucepan, melt the butter with oil over medium heat.  Add the onions and sauté for about 5 min, until they begin to turn golden.  Add the remaining ingredients, and cook at low temp about 40 minutes until it thickens.
9. Brush the ribs with the sauce once or twice in the last 45 min to one hour of smoking to get a bit of a glaze.  Return the remaining amount to the stove and simmer for another 20 minutes until reduced by 1/3.
10. Meat is done when meat bends easily between the ribs, and sauce is gooey and sticky.  Slice the way you choose-I like to slice into 2-rib portions after I let them sit outside of the smoker for about 10 minutes.

Fried Rice w/veggies

Tonya needed a recipe so that she could make some stir fried rice today

Ingredients

3 cups of cooked rice

3 tablespoons butter

2 eggs (scrambled)

1 white onion (diced)

2 cups of frozen carrots and peas

3 to 4 tablespoons of soy sauce

Stuff you will need

Stock pot to cook the rice

Frying pan (non-stick, or cast iron)

Cutting board

Sharp knife

Directions

Prepare the rice a head of time.  I the rice ready while I'm doing everything else.  I also use minute rice.

I diced the onions really small.  I fried them up, at medium heat, in the butter till translucent.  8 to 10 minutes.

I added the scrambled eggs and cooked them.  Breaking up the eggs so that they were no larger than the size of a pea.

I added the rice, carrots and peas.  Then added the soy sauce.  Mixed everything up.  

Continue to fry the rice.  I do this for another 8 to 10 minutes on medium heat.

Once heated throughout, served right away.

This rice re-heats easily.

You can embellish this basic recipe.  Add shredded chicken/ham.  Add garlic.  Sesame oil or Olive Oil to supplement the butter.

Comments and suggestions are ALWAYS welcome.

Eat More Bar

Eat More Bar

Ingredients
1/2 cup Peanut Butter
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup corn syrup
1 cup oatmeal
1 cup chopped peanuts

Directions
Melt syrup and chocolate over low heat
Remove from heat
Add peanut butter and mix until melted
Add oatmeal and peantus, mix well
Pour evenly into a butter cookie sheet
Set in fridge for 30 minute
Cut into bars