brownie love

Dearest Brownie,

How do I love thee?  Let me count the ways.

I love thee to the depth and breadth and height

My chocolate soul can reach.

I love thee chewy, in all thy toothsome glory.

I love thee fudgy, intense, complex and surprising.

I love thee purely and neatly, as individual bites.

I love thee newly, nuanced with brown butter.

I love thee with the breath,

Smiles and tears of all my dessert life!

While sitting at the dentist's office, I was inspired to riff on Elizabeth Barrett Browning's poem. (Yes, the irony of dreaming about sweets while simultaneously fearing the number of cavities in my mouth.) The inspiration? Bon Appetit's cover photo of a gorgeous stack of brownies. Upon reading the recipe, I realized I'd already baked and blogged on a close approximation.  They are Alice Medrich's brownie; this iteration comes with the added step of browning the butter. I couldn't resist and had to bake a pan.

These are wonderfully gooey, chewy, moist, chocolatey... everything one hopes for in a superb brownie.

chewy, fudgy, triple chocolate brownies

Since Chocolate and Valentine's Day go hand in hand, I figured I'd try out a new brownie. Of course, one doesn't need ♡'s day to bake a brownie, but this Cook's Illustrated recipe has been dog-eared for quite awhile...

pepperoni pinwheels

Looking for a fun and tasty snack this Super Bowl Sunday? Look no further than the Pepperoni Pinwheel. Salty, cheesy, crispy, flaky, spicy— this is a treat which goes down easily and disappears right before your eyes. The Son single-handedly wolfed down a dozen. You might want to consider doubling the batch, as I should have.

Sprinkling the grated cheese.

Rolling the puff pastry.

kouign amann

Seven storms in seven weeks.

Many people, when faced with an impending storm, rush out to stock up on non-perishables. With an always-full pantry and freezer, I only think, "What can I bake?"

Kouign Amann has been on my radar since The Portland Pastry Chef sent me a link a year ago. Pronounced queen ya-mahn, this Breton pastry is a cross between a croissant, palmier and monkey bread, with buttery and sugary layers of yeasty dough. Yesterday, one of my favorite bloggers, David Lebovitz, posted on it, and I am finally succumbing to the siren call of this decadent treat. This is a first, and it surely won't be the last.

A snowy day with tantalizing yeasty, buttery smells— life doesn't get better than this!

The golden, crispy, chewy, caramelized bits are heavenly.

simple beef chili

This morning, The Son requested chili for dinner.  More than happy to oblige, I found the Cook's Illustrated recipe, which was delicious and... well, simple.  Cutting up the onions is the hardest part.  (I try to channel a Top Chef and chop fast, avoiding fingers and trying to avoid the inevitable tears.)

We had ground turkey at home, which calls for a minor adjustment.  They suggest cooking half the turkey the first hour, as the meat breaks down quite a bit.  Then in the second hour, add the rest of the meat in 1-inch chunks, so that the resulting chili won't resemble a bolognese.

I love the ratio of the spices and feel the heat is just the right amount.  This will be my go-to recipe from now on!

Simple Beef Chili
from Cook's Illustrated

Printable Recipe

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 medium onions, chopped fine (about 2 cups)
1 red bell pepper, cut into ½-inch cubes
6 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 tablespoons)
2 pounds 85% lean ground beef
2 (15-ounce) cans red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes, with juice
1 28-ounce can tomato puree
table salt
¼ cup chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Heat oil in heavy large heavy-bottomed nonreactive Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering but not smoking, 3 to 4 minutes.  Add onions, bell pepper, garlic, and spices; cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened and beginning to brown, about 10 minutes.  Increase heat to medium-high and add half the beef; cook, breaking up pieces with wooden spoon, until no longer pink and just beginning to brown, 3 to 4 minutes.  Add remaining beef and cook, breaking up pieces with wooden spoon until no longer pink, about 3 minutes.

Add beans, tomatoes, tomato puree, and ½ teaspoon salt; bring to boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour.  Remove cover and continue to simmer 1 hour longer, stirring occasionally (if chili begins to stick to bottom of pot, stir in ½ cup water and continue to simmer), until beef is tender and chili is dark, rich, and slightly thickened.  Adjust seasoning with additional salt.

Serve with lime wedges, sour cream, and shredded cheddar cheese, if desired.  The Kids like it with tortilla chips.