Dark Chocolate Ganache Brownie Cutouts

Attention chocolate lovers: this is a superbly chocolaty recipe that you will want to make as soon as possible.  I renamed it slightly because the original ends with "cakes", implying that these are bake-like in consistency; this is not the case.  Brownie aficionados know there are fudgy ones and cakey ones--this recipe is the former, and quite so.  Super moist and rich plus a lovely ganache topping=heavenly.  10/10 all the way!

Link to original recipe: https://www.verybestbaking.com/recipes/145439/dark-chocolate-ganache-brownie-cakes

Ingredients:

16 oz. dark chocolate chips (I used Nestlé brand), divided
1 1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into large pats
3 T. water
3 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 c. plus 2 T. all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. heavy cream

Instructions:

1. Heat oven to 325°F and line a 13" x 9" baking pan with foil.  Lightly grease/spray the foil after lining.

2. Using a double boiler (or a saucepan over low heat), melt chocolate, sugar, butter, and water together, stirring constantly.  Once melted/smooth, remove from heat.

3. Pour mixture into a medium bowl and stir the eggs, one at time, until well blended.

4. Stir in the vanilla extract, then the flour and salt.  Pour into prepared baking pan.

5. Bake for 30-35 min (I went 30), or until toothpick inserted in center comes out slightly sticky.

6. Cool completely in pan on wire rack, then transfer brownies (keeping in foil) to cutting board.  Cut into circles using 2 1/2" cookie cutter, or cut into squares (I just did circles so it could look like the original recipe--will do squares next time).

7. Make the ganache: heat cream in microwave using a 4-cup glass measure (or similar sized microwave-safe bowl) for 30-40 seconds on high.  Remove from microwave and slowly pour in morsels.  Cover with plastic wrap and let stand 5 minutes, then stir to combine until smooth.  (Note: I used 30 seconds and this was not near enough to make the cream warm enough, so I ended up having to microwave 2 more times for 20 seconds to get full melt/smooth.)

8. Top brownie cutouts with ganache and enjoy!!

Soy-Marinated Chicken Thighs with Shiitake Mushrooms

Another yummy dish...but I'm only going to give it 9.5, as it is not quite over-the-top amazing, but close :) Despite the hot sauce level used, the finished product is not all that spicy (unless you dip up a bunch of the sauce with each bite).  The walnut oil was pricey--but it definitely lends its flavor to the final product, so don't skip it or substitute!  Now to hunt for more recipes using walnut oil...

Link to original recipe: https://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/soy-marinated-chicken-thighs-with-shiitake-mushrooms

Ingredients:

1/2 c. low-sodium soy sauce
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 T. finely grated fresh ginger
2 tsp. hot sauce (I used Tabasco)
1/2 c. water
8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
2 T. canola oil
1 lb. shiitake mushrooms (remove stems, slice caps 1/4" thick)
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
6 green onions, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced (you can also use the dark green parts, but I just didn't prefer to this time)
2 tsp. lemon juice mixed with 1 tsp. walnut or hazelnut oil

Instructions:

1. In an 8" x 8" baking dish (glass or ceramic), combine the soy sauce, garlic, ginger, and hot sauce.  Stir in the 1/2 c. water (oops, just realized I did not do this when prepping it--still turned out great :))

2. Add chicken thighs and turn to coat.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.  (I actually went closer to 2 hours, and original recipe says to turn a few times.  I was not at home, so this did not happen.  Again, it turned out fine :))

3. Uncover dish and discard half of marinade (I did not measure, I just poured off what looked like half to me). Place dish in oven.  Heat oven to 350°F.

4. Once oven reaches 350°F, bake for 45 min.  Turn chicken at 15 min. intervals.

5. Meanwhile, in a large, nonstick skillet, heat the oil over medium to medium high heat.  Add the mushrooms, along with sprinkles of salt and pepper.  Cook, stirring occasionally, for around 4 min.

6. Add the green onions and continue cooking for 5 min, stirring occasionally.

7. Remove from heat, then stir in the lemon juice/walnut oil mixture.

8. Serve the chicken drizzled with a bit of the marinade sauce from the pan, along with the mushrooms and enjoy!

Lemon Blueberry Bundt Cake

MMM!  Oh, how tasty this is!  I shall definitely make this again, albeit with one change: flour the pan after buttering it.  There is no pic of final product from oven, as it stuck terribly in the pan, despite my efforts with a flexible spatula (and the serving pic does not flatter it at all, so I am not posting that, either).  I highly recommend this, though, even if you are not a major blueberry fan (I rarely make things with blueberries, as followers already know).  10/10.
Edit 26-Feb-19: My mom made the cake and floured the pan, turned out far better (as I suspected it would!)  These are her pictures of finished product (used with her permission, of course):

Link to original recipe: https://www.geniuskitchen.com/recipe/best-lemon-blueberry-bundt-cake-176927

Ingredients:

cake--

2  3/4 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 T. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 c. unsalted butter (or margarine; I used butter), softened
1  3/4 c. sugar
4 eggs
2 T. fresh lemon juice
1 T. lemon zest
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 c. buttermilk
6 oz. blueberries

glaze--

1  1/2 c. powdered sugar
10 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1 T. light corn syrup

Directions:

1. Butter (AND FLOUR) a 12-cup Bundt pan.

2. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl and set aside.

3. Heat oven to 350°F.

4. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter until smooth.

5. Add sugar and beat until fluffy (around 2-3 min.)

6. Beat in eggs, one at a time.

7. Beat in lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla.

8. Beat in flour and buttermilk a third at a time, alternating between each--beat for 2 minutes once all of each are in.

9. Fold in blueberries, then spread into prepared pan.

10. Bake for 50 min (or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean).

11. Cool on a rack for 20 min, then gently loosen from pan using a flexible spatula.  Turn out onto rack and cool completely.

12. Make glaze: whisk together all 3 glaze ingredients in a small bowl.  Pour over cooled cake, slice up, and enjoy!

Slow-Cooker Short Ribs

The original recipe describes these as 'spicy'--however, despite the 6 Thai chili peppers in the sauce, the spicy level is just barely present.  The other flavors meld in the sauce and make it more on the sweet side.  It is certainly different and quite good--would give these an 8.5/10 the way I prepared it.  I would like to try the short ribs again with the lime marmalade the original recipe called for, as well as the fresh basil (was going to pick up some until snowy weather decided against that for me that evening!); if and when I do, I shall do a follow-up entry about it with new ratings.

Link to original recipe: https://www.finecooking.com/recipe/spicy-slow-cooked-short-ribs-with-lime-basil

Ingredients:

1 T. peanut oil
~3.5 lbs. bone-in beef short ribs (long-bone style)
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
6 Thai chili peppers (I used 2 red and 4 green), stemmed, seeded, halved lengthwise
2 medium cloves garlic, quartered
1 piece (3") fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
1 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. ground allspice
1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 c. orange or lime marmalade (I used orange, as I could not find lime in the store I shopped then)
1/2 c. reduced sodium chicken broth
2 T. soy sauce
1 T. white wine vinegar
2 T. finely chopped fresh basil leaves (I subbed 1 tsp. dried basil)
Kosher salt and coarse ground black pepper

Directions;

1. Heat oil in a 12" skillet over medium heat.  Add short ribs and brown for 2 min. on each side.  Transfer ribs to a plate and set aside.

2. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until soft (around 3 min.)

3. Stir in the chilis, garlic, ginger, thyme, allspice, and nutmeg, until fragrant (around 1 min.)

4. Add the marmalade and stir until melted, then remove from heat.

5. Stir in broth and soy sauce, then pour into slow cooker.

6. Arrange ribs pointing short side up, nestled in the sauce.  Cover and turn cooker on to either low for 9 hours or high for 6 (I chose the latter, as I did not get started until afternoon).

7. Remove ribs from slow cooker and de-bone, discarding bones and saving rib meat in a dish (I had not yet de-boned them when I took pic).

8. Strain fat from sauce in the cooker (I spooned it off, as I still haven't replace my broken fat separator) and pour de-fatted sauce into a 3 quart saucepan.

9. Stir in the vinegar and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally, until reduced by half (around 8 min.).

10. Stir in basil and cook for 1 additional minute.  Season with salt and pepper, then pour sauce over ribs, serve, and enjoy!  I highly suggest mashed potatoes to accompany--they were perfect with it :)

Chocolate Mousse

Mmm so delicious!  I have a recipe that I used to use for a 'cheat' version of chocolate mousse that I really liked, which used French vanilla Cool Whip...but the last time I went to make it (about a year ago), I found out that they no longer make this lovely product.  Grr.  Thus, when I came across this recipe the other day, I figured I'd better attempt the 'real thing'.  So glad I did, too--it's great!  And I made it in a non-liqueur version, as hubby wouldn't care for it if I used liqueur, and probably not kiddo, either.  It's not too difficult, either--just a tad time consuming and a bit of an arm workout lol.  10 out of 10, will make again for sure :)
p.s. This makes a very large portion; I will likely cut down by half or 2/3 next time.
p.p.s. We ate the mousse when it had only chilled for about 2 1/2 hours, so it doesn't look quite as "set" and foamy in the pic below.

Link to original recipe: https://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/ultimate-chocolate-mousse

Ingredients:

8 oz. good-quality semisweet dark chocolate (I used Ghirardelli 60% Intense Dark), broken into chunks
6 large eggs, separated
3 T. water
1/2 T. almond extract (or 1/4 c. Amaretto; I used the extract)
2 c. heavy cream
6 T. sugar, divided

Directions:

1. Using medium heat, heat a double boiler with around 1/2" of water in bottom part.  Once heated, add the chocolate to top part of double boiler and melt until smooth, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat and separate top and bottom, setting aside.

2. In a small, heavy saucepan over very low heat, whisk together the 6 egg YOLKS and 3 T. of water.  Whisk constantly for 6 minutes. 

3. Whisk in the almond extract (or Amaretto) and continue whisking constantly for 6-8 minutes more.  The sauce should thicken enough to coat the back of a spoon.

4. Remove from heat and strain through a fine mesh strainer into a large mixing bowl.  Discard the foamy part and anything in strainer.  Set strained liquid aside.

5. Fold melted chocolate into sauce and set aside.

6. Beat heavy cream (using an electric mixer on high) until stiff peaks form, 2-4 min, beating in 2 T. of the sugar towards the end.  (Note: I chilled my beaters and bowl in freezer from when I started the recipe; it doesn't have this in original, but it's in most recipes where you have to beat heavy cream.)

7. Fold beaten heavy cream into chocolate mixture and set aside.

8. Using an electric mixer fitted with whisk attachment, beat egg whites on high until soft peaks form (about 1-2 min.)

9. Beat in remaining 4 T. (1/4 c.) sugar, and continue until stiff peaks form (about 2-3 min.).  Fold into chocolate-cream mixture.

10. Chill mousse for at least 4 hours prior to serving.  Enjoy!

Wine-Braised Chicken with Shallots and Pancetta

Soooo tasty!  But caution: if you do not own the right size Dutch oven for this, you may need to reduce the recipe accordingly...the original recipe calls for a 7 to 8 quart size, yet among the 3--yes, 3--that I possess, none are this big, so I opted for the big oval roaster.  While it did work, the first part (browning the chicken) made quite a smoky mess of my house for a while (I had to open the sliding glass door in 15°F outside temps blowing in...not ideal lol).  Anyway, it was worth it and I would absolutely make this again--10 out 10!  Note: the chicken is good on its own, but the veggies and sauce with it makes it.  Mmm.

Link to original recipe: https://www.finecooking.com/recipe/wine-braised-chicken-with-shallots-and-pancetta

Ingredients:

3 T. olive oil, divided
8 chicken drumsticks (about 3 lb.--you could also use a mix of bone-in thighs and drummies, or all thighs)
Kosher salt and coarse ground black pepper
4 oz. pancetta, cut into 3/4-inch dice

2 strips bacon, cut crosswise into small chunks/strips
8 medium shallots, lobes separated, large lobes halved through the core
4 medium carrots, cut into 3/4" chunks, thick chunks cut in half
1 small bulb fennel (or anise), trimmed, cored, and cut into 3/4-inch dice (or something close-ish)
1 large clove garlic, finely chopped
4 sprigs fresh flat-leaf (Italian) parsley
4 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
2 c. dry Riesling (I recommend Château Ste. Michelle brand--not a paid endorsement!)
3 c. reduced-sodium chicken broth

Directions:

1. Season chicken all over with kosher salt and coarse ground pepper.  Heat 2 T. of the oil in a 7 to 8 qt. Dutch oven (see my note at beginning about this) over medium-high and add chicken to pot.  Cook to brown 5 minutes each side (or longer, if needed).  Transfer to a plate.

2. Lower heat to medium and add pancetta and bacon to pan.  Cook until just crisping/browning, around 6 min.  Line a plate with a paper towel and use a slotted spoon to transfer pancetta and bacon to the paper towel to drain, leaving rendered fat behind.

3. Add remaining 1 T. of olive oil to pan and return heat to medium-high.  Add the shallots, carrots, and fennel to pan.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned (around 7 min.).

4. Meanwhile, position a rack in the lower third of oven and heat to 300°F.

5. Add garlic to pan and stir constantly for 1 minute.

6. Using butcher's/cooking twine, tie together parsley, thyme, and bay leaf.  Add the herb bundle to pot, along with the wine.  Bring to a simmer and scrape bottom of pot to loosen any browned bits.

7. Add the broth, along with the chicken and pancetta-bacon mixture, to the pot.  Bring back to a simmer, then remove from heat.

8. Cover and transfer pot to oven.  Bake for 45 minutes, then check for doneness with thermometer (in deepest part of a piece of chicken, 165°F).

9. Using a slotted spoon, transfer chicken and veggies to a large serving bowl and tent with foil.  Discard herb bundle.

10. Bring sauce to boil over high heat, uncovered, until reduced to 2 cups (around 15 min.)  Season with salt and pepper.  Pour over chicken, serve, and enjoy!