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Perfect study snack
The bar review is kicking my behind (Hi Mom, I know you are reading this… so behind). It is the last test you will ever have to take, they say.. so let’s give up all semblance of life and happiness and anything else that you enjoy in favor of preparing for it.
Thus I have not had much time for baking at all. Which is very sad. (Though I think I have convinced my mom to make my favorite homemade bread for next week…. mmmmmm)
So what am I making to keep myself together though these long bouts of studying? Tea and toast. Specifically cinnamon raisin toast. With butter. Real butter.
I have a slight tea addiction. And by slight I mean 2 - 4 cups a day kind of problem. When I am cold… drink tea. When I am sad… drink tea. Stressed… tea. Tired.. tea. Full from a good meal… tea. Pretty much anytime can be the right time for some tea.
So I drink lots, and find that few things go as well as with tea as sweet delicious cinnamon toast with real butter melting into it, making it both crunchy and mushy.
No real recipe this time… just this enthusiastic suggestion, go make yourself a nice cup of tea (I prefer mine strong, bitter, and black…but no judgment if you want milk and sugar), make yourself a slice of toast and eat in solidarity with me—and all the other recent law grads going through hell as we prepare for the bar exam this July.
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Brownie Sachertorte
My birthday was a while ago… 21 days ago to be exact. But I was in New Orleans deeply involved in the exams/graduation/packing-to-move plans and didn’t get a cake or anything, so my mom promised, when I got home, to make me one of my favorite desserts of all time: Brownie Sachertorte
Plus there is the added amusement of talking about a good type of torte. Instead of assault, kidnapping, and intentional infliction of emotional distress, this is chocolate and butter and raspberry!
Brownie Sachertorte
3oz unsweetened baking chocolate
1/2 cup shortening
3 eggs - beaten!
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 1/4 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup flour
1/3 cup raspberry jam (ish)
Glaze
1 oz unsweetened baking chocolate
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp light corn syrup
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla
For the brownies: Melt chocolate and and shortening on the stove top. Allow to cool.
Add eggs, sugar, vanilla, and salt.
Blend in the flour.
Stir just until combined.
Bake in greased 8-in square pan at 325 degrees for 40 min.
Spoon jam onto the hot brownies. Let it cool completely.
For the glaze: melt the chocolate and butter together. Blend in the corn syrup, milk, and vanilla. Beat in the powdered sugar, being careful to get out all the lumps.
Gently spread the glaze over the jam, trying your best not to incorporate the two but leaving two separate layers.
Cut into squares and enjoy!!!
Spicy Fish
I have a tendency not to include enough protein in my diet. My mother is not happy with me when that happens. I am not a big fan of red meat but I really like fish, and in New Orleans fish was cheap and plentiful. Take that, BP oil spill! We almost always had a bag of Tilapia fillets around, and one of my favorite ways to cook it was this made-up-as-I-go-along spicy fish. It’s quick, it’s easy, and it is very flavorful. And best of all, it is very customizable to the amount of spice you would like.
Spicy Fish
by me!
The ingredients are very flexible based on how many fillets you are preparing…just pour some out and experiment. The picture is enough for three fillets with a thin layer of spice.
Tilapia fillet for each person
Bread Crumbs (this should be about 1/2 of your spice pile)
Cayenne Pepper (I use very sparingly and sometimes not at all)
garlic powder (lots)
onion powder
lemon pepper spice (if you’ve got it; if not, just give the fish a squirt of lemon juice before you take them out of the pan)
Cajun spice (I like Tony’s. Don’t have any? Here is a handy way to make your own - and I usually use a lot of this as well.)
Mix all of your spices together.
Our Tilapia comes vacuum-sealed, so the first thing I do is unwrap them and pat the fillets dry. Then place each on the pile of spice and press down, flip the fish over and do that same, adding more spice by hand to get a nice even cover.
Heat some olive oil in a heavy pan (I use my cast iron skillet which I love) and carefully put the fish into it. Cook for about 3 minutes on each side. Serve immediately.
I will often serve with some noodles buttered and with a squirt of lemon juice or some broccoli.
Miss you Jamie!
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Ladies and gentlemen on this the 12th day of May in the Year of Our Lord 2012, I Adrienne Ognibene am graduating from Loyola University New Orleans College of Law!
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Beer Bread Extravaganza
I blame the experiments into sourdough but I have been really into finding interesting ways to make bread rise and unique textures.
Now I know that this might get me kicked out of the country or at least the cool kids club but I hate beer. I can’t stand the taste of it. Or the smell. Or really… anything about it. So it was a very perplexing moment when I found myself standing in the beer section of the supermarket trying to figure out what I should buy to make these bread recipes… I went for the pretty packaging and the local brewery cause.. yeah support local.
I wanted to try both recipes… I definitely think the no-knead one worked out better for me (don’t tell my fiancé - he loves Alton Brown!) but that is not a reason why you shouldn’t give them both a try.
Cheesy Beer Bread
From Alton Brown
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole-wheat flour (I use white whole wheat)
1tbsp baking powder
1 tsp kosher salt (add 1/2 tsp more if you are using a different/less salty cheese)
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
4 1/2 ounces sharp Cheddar, grated
12 ounce cold beer
Preheat over to 375. Spray a 9X5 loaf pan with Pam or other non-stick spray.
Whisk together the flours, baking powder, salt, sugar, and pepper in a large bowl (the beer will foam up so it really needs to be a large mixing bowl). Add in the cheese and stir.
Then pour in the beer and stir just until mixed.
Spread the batter in the loaf pan and bake for 50 - 55 minutes.
Remove and cool in pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool another 10 minutes. This bread is best warm.
It has a really good cheesy flavor but also a little bit more beer flavor than the next one, but takes a lot less time and effort to make.
No-Knead Beer Bread
You will need to start this one the day before you make it.
From Sunday Hotpants
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup white wheat flour (though you can opt for 3 cups all-purpose flour if you like - or don’t want to run to the store again and get wheat flour special)
1/4 tsp yeast
1 1/2 tsp salt
4 tbsp water at room temperature
1 cup beer at room temperature
1 tbsp wine vinegar (we didn’t have any so I used apple cider vinegar and it came out perfectly tasty)
Mix the flour, yeast and salt in a large bowl. Dig a well and add the water, beer, and vinegar.
Mix together until a shaggy ball forms, cover with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 8 - 18 hours. I left mine for closer to 18 than 8.
Lay a piece of parchment paper or aluminum foil inside a 10-in frying pan and spray with Pam or other non-stick cooking spray. Transfer dough onto a floured surface and give it 10 - 15 turns. (Yes, I know, this is called a no-knead bread and here I am telling you to knead it. I can’t make any explanations or excuses for this. It just is. And I guess No-Knead bread sounds better than Knead 10 - 15 Times and That’s it Beer Bread.)
Place dough, seam-side down, into the frying pan and allow to raise until doubled, about 2 hours.
About 20 minutes before baking, place a 6 to 8 quart heavy-bottomed Dutch oven, with lid on, in the oven and heat to 500 degrees.
Make a slash across the top of the the loaf and, using the edges of the paper or foil, place the loaf (CAREFULLY!!!!!) into the preheated Dutch Oven and put back in the oven, covered for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and bake another 20 minutes until the loaf is a nice brown.
Carefully remove the bread from the pot and allow to cool before devouring.
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Best Ever Dark Chocolate Brownies
Its exam time. And I, being my usual graceful, completely not-klutzy and not-distracted self, shut two of my fingers in my friend’s car door. They aren’t broken. The doctor said it would have been an easier heal if they had been broken. Sigh. Very, very me.
So I need brownies. Not just any brownies but amazing, decedent, death by chocolate brownies.
There are hundreds of brownie recipes and variations out there. My basic go-to brownie recipe is the Fudgey Brownies from the Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book (though how new a book that says it has been the #1 cookbook in America since 1930 on the cover can really be is a matter for debate). I have been making these brownies for years and really, as long as you don’t overcook them, they can’t go wrong no matter what you decide to add in or do to them.
The brownies I made this week are a great case in point.
Best Ever Dark Chocolate Brownies
From Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book
1/2 cup butter (salted)
2 ounce squares of unsweetened chocolate
3 tbsp Hershey’s Special Dark Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
1 tbsp oil
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp good vanilla
1/3 cup flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
9 - 12 oz chopped dark chocolate
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8x8x2 inch baking pan and set aside.
In a saucepan melt the butter and unsweetened chocolate, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and add in the cocoa powder and oil. Allow to cool - or if you are impatient like me, just stir it a whole bunch and then declare it cool enough when you can touch the bottom of the pan without hurting your hand (Note: this is not the recommended method and I am not responsible for any burns. I just don’t want to wait for my brownies any longer than I have to… but.. hmmm… more about that later).
Stir in sugar and the eggs one at a time. Stir like crazy after each addition. Add in the vanilla. You can mix the flour and baking soda together in a small bowl here (again, that is recommended) or hmm, just pour in the flour and stir—then when the flour is like 2/3rds of the way incorporated, add in the baking soda and stir until just mixed (washing the extra bowl is no fun).
Mix in your chopped chocolate. I highly and enthusiastically recommend using a Cadbury dark chocolate bar chopped up here! But if you don’t have one on hand and well, if you fingers hurt and you really don’t want to drive, you can use whatever you happen to have. I happened to have half a bag of Cadbury mini solid chocolate eggs left over from Easter. So that is what I used.
And you know what.. it kinda tastes like the best M&M you have ever had and I like it.
Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and bake for 30 minutes. I often have to go 35 minutes but be sure to check at 30. You don’t want to over-bake these. All the other added chocolate makes the toothpick method hard to determine if they are done, so instead I just look to see if it’s set and has a just-beginning-to-crack top. And the house will smell heavenly too.. that is a helpful clue.
Allow to cool and eat.. or hmm… (as you can see from the picture), just barely allow to cool and eat a piece while the brownies are still warm and the chocolate is all melty and delicious.
Just make sure you have lots of milk or tea on hand!
Photo reblogged from in darkness he came to me and in darkness he left with 23 notes
Lol so true:)
LMFAO PREACH
Source: wwwashleytumblrcom
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Sourdough pizza
I decided this semester I would start playing around with sourdough. 
There are a lot of resources around the internet to help with the whole sourdough adventure. I really liked some of these: Sourdough Home, Sourdough.com. My sourdough is now, alas, gone, a casualty of exams and moving and all that fun stuff. It was a lot of fun but I must admit I had rather inconsistent results. My biggest success was this pizza dough. My brother christened this the restaurant pizza recipe… and it was really good.
It does take a lot of planning in advance but most of the time is spent sitting with the dough in the refrigerator. This recipe assumes that you already have either made or bought a starter. If you don’t feel like messing with sourdough then feel free to try this recipe, also delicious. :)
Sourdough Pizza Dough (to be started 3 -5 days before planning on eating the pizza)
2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 cup white wheat flour (or other wheat flour)
9 ounces warm water
1 cup 50% hydration sourdough (50% hydration is created by feeding it with twice as much dry ingredients as liquid - so 1 cup of flour and 1/2 cup water)
1 tsp yeast
1 tbsp kosher salt
1 tsp sugar
2 tsp olive oil
In a small bowl mix together the yeast, sugar, starter, water and oil. In the bowl of your food processor, or kitchen aid, or just in a larger bowl, mix together the flour and salt. 
Slowly add the water mixture into the flour and mix until the dough just comes together as a ball. Lightly flour your workspace and knead the dough a few times until smooth and elastic.
Form into two balls and place into two separate containers or oiled gallon-sized plastic bags and seal. Place the dough in your refrigerator and allow to rest. The longer it rests the better the flavor; 3 - 5 days is optimal.
When you are ready to bake, remove the dough from the refrigerator and bring it to room temperature (about 30 minutes if you put it in the oven with the light on). When it is room temperature reform into balls and place each into a bowl, cover, and allow to rise two more hours. 
Preheat your oven with a stone if you have it and the peel, or just preheat to 550 degrees, or as high as your oven will go. Stretch out the dough to about 12 inches and top with your favorite sauce and toppings.
Bake 10 - 15 minutes until cheese is bubbling and crust is brown. Our oven will only go up to 500 degrees so it usually takes us closer to 20 minutes to bake.
Peep S’mores
Some of you may have noticed the absolute lack of recipes containing chocolate in these past few weeks. Well, I gave up chocolate for Lent. And it got harder as the weeks went past. Let me just say it was a very happy Cadbury-filled Easter for me.
This week is less of a recipe than an enthusiastic suggestion. Now I know most people, when contemplating a s’more, don’t think: ‘hmmm this really needs more sugar’. But that is where most people go wrong. For you see, it is perfectly, wonderfully, sugar-coma-inducing-ly acceptable to replace the humble marshmallow with one of the ubiquitous brightly colored Peeps lying around this time of year.
Just do it! Your inner five-year-old will be delighted.
So we haven’t cleaned our grill yet. This is the microwave version; feel free to pop a Peep on a stick and hoist it over a flame if you have that option available to you. If you are like me and sticking with the after-school favorite of microwaving your Peeps just… hmmm… don’t over-microwave. Well, do - - - microwaving Peeps is great fun and everyone should do it once in their lives; just don’t do it when you have the chocolate and graham cracker present. Or it would be a waste of perfectly good chocolate and graham cracker.
Peep S’mores
You need:
Chocolate
Peeps
graham crackers
Put a graham cracker square on a microwave-safe plate of some kind, top that with chocolate.
We use Hershey’s cause that is how it is done. Place a Peep on top of that and zap it in the microwave until things get melty/gooey respectively.
For me it was about 15 seconds but your time may vary. You want enough time for the peep to expand and get gooey but not so much that it becomes inedible.
Top with another graham cracker square and eat. Then repeat. Until the Peep box is empty and we’re all bouncing off the walls. Yea for sugar!
Pasta with Ham and Cream
Happy Easter!
So who is making ham tomorrow? Ok not me, but just in case you are, I made a small ham on Friday to get this perfect recipe for the leftover ham you may find in your fridge (but really this is good enough that you may want to set some ham aside to ensure the leftovers!).
It really is a flexible recipe. It originally calls for frozen peas. We didn’t have any, but frozen green beans are just as good (better says my pea-hating brother)! You can expand it easily to cover more people; just throw another handful of pasta into the pot, splash in a little more cream, and of course, add more cheese. Really, it’s super easy and surprisingly addictive!
Pasta with Ham and Cream
short pasta
1 cup frozen green beans (or peas)
1 - 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
2 cups diced ham
3 - 6 tbsp grated parmesan (plus more to sprinkle on top)
Cook the pasta to package directions. After about 5 minutes, add the frozen beans or peas.
Once the pasta is finished cooking, drain with the green beans. Put the empty pan back on the stove top and heat the cream, ham and parmesan until it is all warm and just about to bubble. Add the pasta and green beans/peas back into the pan, toss everything together and serve.
The sauce is runny. Next time I make it, I think I might start with a simple roux to thicken it.
Top with more parmesan cheese if you desire.
Happy Easter!
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