Vegan Brownies

What do you do when in a foreign country with 13 teenagers who don’t speak very much English? You bake with them. This couldn’t be any more of a win-win situation: the kids get to have fun in the kitchen doing something different, and I get to, along with them of course, eat something hopefully baked correctly and delicious that I miss from back home.

In steps the best friend who likes to be healthy and suggests that we make vegan brownies using weird ingredients that I’ve never heard of before but decide to give a try. I mean really, what the heck is okara and who in their right mind makes peanut butter from scratch in a blender (only peanuts, nothing else added), I don’t get it. But she had all of the ingredients and I was willing to be adventurous. After all, I am in Thailand.

The baking process itself went well, no lost limbs, no fires, no language mistranslations, we even got to play hangman post clean-up while waiting for the brownies to bake. However, if you ask the students the end result was less than satisfactory. Apparently Thai people don’t get the chocolate/peanut butter combination that the rest of the world obsesses about. Too much peanut butter they complained about, too gooey, too rich. Are these real teenagers? I don’t understand. (However they are super precious and do love frozen yogurt, proof provided in these pictures, so we get along just great!)

Further proof that the brownies weren’t the biggest hit? While playing speak only English Uno (very educational!) after lunch, the students decided to raise the stakes and make the loser of each game eat a brownie. Everyone was in fits of laughter and on the edge of their seats hoping to not be the unfortunate loser who had to eat a brownie. Because there isn’t anything worse in life than eating a brownie…

I thought the brownies were great. Obviously. They are different than normal but so they should be considering that they are vegan and super healthy. And as if I was going to complain about getting to eat all of the left overs that my students didn’t want!

 

 

 

Vegan Brownies

1 1/2 cups sugar         2/3 cups cocoa powder

1 cup peanut butter     1 cup soy milk

2 tsp vanilla                 1 cup flour

2 tsp baking powder     1/4 tsp salt

1 cup okara

Preheat oven to 350F.

Line an 8 x 8 baking pan with wax paper.

In a large bowl mix together the sugar, cocoa powder and peanut butter.

Stir in the milk and vanilla.

Add the okara and mix until well combined.

Pour the mixture into the baking pan and bake for 30 minutes.

Allow to cool before cutting since the brownies will be quite moist/mushy otherwise.

Strawberry Glaze Pie

Have you ever thought about what you would want your last meal to be?

Clearly I have. Numerous times.

I’ve narrowed it down to a few options. I’m thinking that a full Thanksgiving dinner might suffice. Turkey, cranberry sauce, stuffing and sausage, yam and apple bake, mashed potatoes and throw in a few peas for some colour. Finish it all off with pumpkin pie and whipping cream. Obvs. (ps. this all has to be made by my mother, I’m for sure not settling for anything less than her best).

Or maybe I could do a southern meal. Say pulled pork sandwiches with coleslaw and plenty of bbq sauce, or bbq ribs with corn bread and corn, for the sake of having a vegetable. Wash it all down with sweet tea and let’s have pecan pie too? After all, this is probably the only time in my life that I’ll be able to go big AND go home (literally)!

I had a sort of last meal a few weeks ago, nothing morbid at all, simply the last meal that I had at home before heading to south east Asia for over a month and a half. This strawberry pie was what I finished that last meal with.

Thailand is great, but now I’m missing fresh summer berries. This pie uses exactly that. Fresh strawberries picked by my mom and I, then glazed, thrown into a baked pie shell and topped with whipping cream. So summer appropriate and fresh. And fricking delicious. For real. And now exactly what I want as I sit here eating my bazillionth bowl of rice.

Maybe I’m going to have to reconsider my last dessert. Or maybe my last meal will be ALL desserts. I might be on to something there…

Strawberry Glaze Pie

1 baked pie shell                         1 cup strawberry juice
2 cups or more strawberries        3 tbsp cornstarch
Pinch of salt                                3/4 cup sugar

Prepare, bake and cool the pie shell.

Wash and hull the full berries.  Place in pie shell.

Make strawberry juice by crushing 1 extra cup of strawberries and adding water to make 1 cup in all.

Simmer for 3 minutes, strain; add water to make 1 cup juice.

Cook the juice on medium heat with cornstarch, sugar and salt stirring constantly until thick.

Cool slightly.  Pour over berries in shell glazing them.  Chill 2-3 hours.

Serve with whipped cream.

Ps. This recipe works just as well for raspberries too!

Peanut Butter Fudge Brownie Trifle

Amongst other things, the men in my life have been blessed/cursed with a sweet tooth. Fortunately this works out very well for me, who enjoys baking things, and them, who enjoy consuming copious amounts of sugar.

What to do for Father’s Day and the boyfriend’s birthday? Easy. Chocolate. And peanut butter. Aka the way to any (especially my) man’s heart.

So remember the Sex in a Pan? Believe it or not this is even better. I know, who would have thought that something could be better than Sex in a Pan…but it is.

Rather than a plain crust, brownies were used as the base. Then a peanut butter cream cheese layer, followed by chocolate pudding and whipping cream. Did I mention that this is two layers so now repeat all of those layers? Yes this is big, yes this is delicious, yes this is going to take us a week to eat through, no I am not complaining.

Happy belated Father’s Day to all of the father’s out there. Sorry to inform you that I have the best one ever and I love him a lot. Be jealous. Seriously.

 

 

 

 

Peanut Butter Fudge Brownie Trifle

Adapted from The Enchanted Mommy

Brownies layer. . . I used this

Bake your brownies the day before and let them cool completely.

Cut the brownies into cubes and put half of them along the bottom of a trifle dish or large bowl.

Chocolate Pudding Layer

1 large package chocolate pudding    2 cups milk

Combine the ingredients and beat for 2 minutes. Allow the pudding to thicken in the fridge.

Whipping Cream Layer

2 cups Heavy Cream
3-4 tbsp sugar     1 tbsp vanilla

Beat cream on high speed until soft peaks form.

Add the sugar and vanilla. Continue beating until stiff peaks form.

Stick the bowl in the fridge until needed.

Peanut Butter Layer

1 cup creamy peanut butter       1 cup cream cheese
1 cup icing sugar                        2 tbsp milk

Beat peanut butter and cream cheese together until creamy.

Add icing sugar and mix well.  Add 2 tbsp milk and combine.

Take 1 cup of the whipping cream mixture from the fridge and fold it into the peanut butter mixture until just combined.

Layering

Once everything has been prepared you are ready for layering. This can be done in any order. I went with brownies, peanut butter cream cheese, chocolate pudding, whipping cream and repeat. Then top with sliced Mini Reeses Peanut Butter Cups.

Best Cocoa Brownies

I know this seems boring, I know this seems simple, but a) sometimes the simple things in life are the best (that’s the saying right?) and b) sometimes a lot of simple things added together make something crazy amazing.

These are brownies. Simple brownies. Seriously amazing brownies. Like bake them and your entire house will smell amazing for a day, you will be tempted to devour the whole pan in one sitting, and the neighbours and their kids will show up prepared with milk, kind of brownies.

Can we just talk about brownies for a second please? Brownies are so diverse it’s amazing. I mean think about it: cakey brownies, brownies with icing, chewy brownies, brownies with nuts, blonde brownies, fudgy brownies, thin brownies, thick brownies, boxed brownies (because sometimes they are really good) and don’t even get me started on those two bite brownies from a bag that can instantly turn a bad day into the best day. I think I’ve found a new life goal…to find the best brownies out there…

These brownies might come close since they fall into the chewy and fudgy and thin categories. They are also delicious on their own, crazy good served with ice cream and probably one of the best things that I have ever consumed when combined with a few other ingredients, more on that later though…

 

Best Cocoa Brownies

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

10 tbsp butter          1 1/4 cups sugar
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1/4 tsp salt               1/2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs                      1/2 cup flour

Preheat oven to 325°F.

Line the bottom and sides of an 8×8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper or foil, leaving an overhang on two opposite sides.

Combine the butter, sugar, cocoa, and salt in a medium bowl and set the bowl in a wide skillet of barely simmering water.

Stir from time to time until the butter is melted and the mixture is smooth.

Remove the bowl from the skillet and set aside briefly until the mixture is slightly.

Stir in the vanilla with a wooden spoon.

Add the eggs one at a time, stirring vigorously after each one.

When the batter looks thick, shiny, and well blended, add the flour and stir until you cannot see it any longer, then beat vigorously for 40 strokes.

Spread evenly in the lined pan.

Bake 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool completely on a rack.

Light ‘N Crisp Waffles

Lazy Sunday’s are so great. And often so necessary. And today is one of those days.

One of those days when there’s a sleep in followed by a muffin and catch up with a good friend and then church. I think that everyone needs a friend like this one, someone who can observe, offer advice, and call you on it when you’re acting out. She makes me be reflective and want to be a better person, all while being full of grace and wisdom. I am so thankful for her and have so much to learn.

What else goes with a lazy Sunday? Waffles…as long as you have someone to make them for you. Which I did. In other words, life couldn’t be better.

These waffles are so frickin’ good. And diverse, if you want them to be. Normally we make them with blueberries inside and choose from either blueberry or maple syrup. My latest thing is to have chocolate chip waffles topped with peanut butter and maple syrup because what else would you do.

I also might know someone who puts peanut butter and blackberry jam on blueberry waffles (weird) and another who puts peanut butter and honey on blueberry waffles. Do those combinations even go together or am I the only confused one?

To each his own. I just hope that this becomes a Sunday trend.

 

Light ‘N Crisp Waffles

2 egg yolks    2 cups milk

2 cups flour   1 tbsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt    1/3 cup oil

2 egg whites, stiffly beaten

Optional: chocolate chips, blueberries, bacon, cheese, etc.

Preheat waffle maker.

Put all ingredients except egg white in a large bowl. Beat on low until moistened, increase to medium, mix until smooth.

By hand, gently fold in beaten egg whites.

Pour 1/2 cup batter over waffle grids, close waffle maker.

Bake until golden, 3 minutes.

Repeat.

Slutty Brownies

You know that you must be doing something right when it comes to baking if someone emails you a recipe and not so subtly hints that you should probably make said recipe and bring it in to work for everyone to enjoy.

When this happened to me a few weeks ago I knew that today was the day to make that request come true. After all, it was a pretty epic request that fortunately didn’t disappoint.

Have you noticed a trend in regards to the names of recipes that I’ve been making lately? Sex in a Pan, now Slutty Brownies, I can only imagine (okay I’m not actually imagining) what the next recipe will be called…

But seriously. Slutty Brownies. One layer of chocolate chip cookie dough, a layer of whole Oreo cookies and then brownie to top things off. Pure over the top deliciousness.

Yes the recipe does take a bit of time to make, but all good things in life take time. Although, the process could always be sped up by using a pre made cookie dough and a brownie mix. Buuuut add me to the list of snobs who prefers almost all desserts handmade.

Ps. I think these should be called diabetes brownies, or cardiac arrest brownies, it might be a bit more fitting. But who am I kidding, hand me another piece.

 

 

 

 

Slutty Brownies

Adapted from Eat, Run, Read

Chocolate Chip Cookie Layer

1 cup softened butter        1 cup sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar         2 large eggs

1 tbsp vanilla                    2 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda              1 tsp salt

Mini milk chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Line a 9×13 baking dish with parchment paper.

Cream the butter and both sugars in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed for 3-5 minutes.

Add the eggs and vanilla. Mix well until combined.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt, then slowly incorporate into the mixer until the flour is just combined.

Stir in chocolate chips.

Spread the cookie dough in the bottom of the prepared pan.

Top the cookie dough with a layer of Oreos.

Brownie Layer

1 cup butter          2 ¼ cups sugar

3 large eggs           1 ¼ cups cocoa

1 tsp salt               1 tsp baking powder

1 tbsp vanilla          1 ½ cups flour

In a saucepan set over low heat, melt the butter and sugar, stirring until the butter is melted. (Avoid allowing the mixture to bubble)

In a large bowl beat the eggs with the cocoa, salt, baking powder, and vanilla till smooth.

Add the hot butter/sugar mixture to the dry ingredients, stirring until smooth.

Add the flour, stirring until combined.

Pour the brownie batter over the cookie dough and Oreos.

Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking for an additional 15-20 minutes.

Felicia Bars

Procrastinate: to put off until another day or time; defer; delay.

Well that word certainly sums up what I’m doing right now. As I sit here needing to plan lessons and mark papers and get ready for the week all that I can think of is everything that I want to bake. This is not good.

Productive: having the power of producing.

That is 100% what I need to be right now. Spending time on Pinterest and Facebook is not helping my productivity. Staring out the window at the sunshine makes me want summer that much more. Watching the clock tick has turned into a fun past time, and thank goodness for baking and baking blogs which make the time go by even faster. As if that’s what I need right now…

Making Felicia Bars wouldn’t be a form of procrastination. I don’t think.

Who Felicia is I’ll never know. What I do know though is that these bars are amazing and delicious and remind me of my childhood and they take no time to make. Butterscotch chips, mini marshmallows, coconut and rice krispies, what’s not to love?

You have my permission to join me in procrastinating whatever it is you need to avoid doing and make these instead. In no way is that a waste of time, I promise.

Felicia Bars

1/4 cup margarine

1/2 cup peanut butter

1 cup butterscotch chips

1 cup Rice Krispies

1/2 cup coconut

1/2 pkg mini colored marshmallows

In a saucepan melt the margarine, peanut butter and butterscotch chips. Allow to cool.

Pour the remaining ingredients into the pan and mix until well combined.

Pat into an 8 x 8 pan and refrigerate.

Sex in a Pan

I know, I know. I’m the world’s worst baking blogger. I’m unorganized and I don’t have everything figured out. I don’t bake things ahead of time so that you can actually use them when it matters most. Like this dessert, which I made for Mother’s Day, which was yesterday. Maybe next year your could make this for mom?

Christmas baking? Let’s talk about it in January, when we’re all supposed to be New Years Resolutioning it up. Easter desserts? Did you want to talk about the Easter eggs that I have sitting on the kitchen table? Or how about this one…Halloween candy that is also sitting on the kitchen counter. My bad.

It’s not that I don’t like the stuff, believe me, I do. I just have my priorities. Take today for instance. I could come home from work and have a mini Easter egg or treat size Oh Henry, or I could take a nose dive into this.

Sex in a pan. Have you had it before? I’m quite happy to admit that I have had it multiple times, a seasoned pro if you will. Seriously though, once you have this it’s all that you ever want. Today it was all that I could think about at work.

I think I get why it’s called what it is. I want it, and I want a lot of it.

I digress.

Layer 1 = a basic crust with walnuts for some crunch.

Layer 2 = cream cheese deliciousness.

Layer 3 = chocolate pudding

Layer 4 = whipping cream and chocolate shavings.

A confession on my behalf. From past experiences with this dessert I wanted to make sure that the layers weren’t spread too thin so I bypassed the 9 x 13 pan and opted for the 8 x 8 instead. Big mistake if you want to have layer 4 pre-assembled. Best idea ever if you are okay with serving yourself whipping cream at the table. Which I clearly was.

 

Better idea? Getting off of the computer right now and heading to the fridge and spending some quality time with my new best friend.

Sex in a Pan

Crust

1 cup flour     1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 325F.

Mix the above ingredients together and pat into a pan of your choosing (9 x 13 recommended but not what I used).

Bake 10 – 15 minutes. Cool.

Cream Cheese Filling

1 cup icing sugar           1 tsp vanilla

1 cup whipping cream    8 oz cream cheese

Combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl.

Using a beater, mix the ingredients until smooth and creamy.

Pour over the cooled crust.

Chocolate Pudding

1 large package chocolate pudding    2 cups milk

Combine the ingredients and beat for 2 minutes. Allow the pudding to thicken.

Spread the pudding over the previous layer.

Whipping cream

Beat 2 cups whipping cream with some vanilla and sugar.

Spread over the previous layer and top with grated semi-sweet chocolate.

Refrigerate until ready to serve and after serving.

Rhubarb Cobbler

It’s back, it’s back, it’s baaaaack!!!! And I couldn’t be any happier.

Rhubarb. I’m super serious about the stuff, except I still don’t know if it’s a fruit or a vegetable. As if that changes anything though.

What I do know is that growing rhubarb in the backyard is a great idea. This plant couldn’t be any easier, no replanting, very little maintenance, and most importantly, could it taste any better? I think not.

Probably one of my favourite all time life deserts is a Banana Rhubarb Crisp and yes it has already been made this spring (and what is a favourite all time life desert? I don’t even know, it just feels right, it makes sense). But stewed rhubarb is amazing on ice cream, combining rhubarb with strawberries couldn’t be better and don’t even get me started on rhubarb galettes. Ps. I have never once in my life exaggerated anything. Ever.

And here is the latest rhubarb dessert to be added to the list. Rhubarb Cobbler. Yet another good idea. I probably wouldn’t go so far as to call this a cobbler, more like a cake. As if that’s a problem though.

Regardless this is good, I ate a lot of it, and, I regret nothing.

PPS. am I the only one who thinks that rhubarb couldn’t be any prettier? Anyone?

Rhubarb Cobbler

Adapted from The Vancouver Sun

3 cups rhubarb chopped into 1 inch pieces

3/4 cup brown sugar      1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 1/2 cups flour             1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda           1/4 tsp salt

4 tbsp melted butter      2 eggs

1/2 cup milk                  1 tsp vanilla

1 cup sugar                   1/2 cup sliced almonds

Preheat oven to 350F.

Butter a 9 x 13 baking dish.

In a medium bowl, combine the rhubarb, brown sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients.

In a separate bowl, beat the butter, eggs, milk and vanilla. Add to the dry ingredients and beat only until smooth.

Spread the batter into the buttered baking dish, then evenly spread the rhubarb mixture over the batter. Sprinkle with the sliced almonds.

Bake for 40 minutes or until puffed and brown.

Serve warm. With ice cream. As if you needed to be told that.

Chocolate Cake with Cream Cheese

A muffin and orange juice. A cupcake and cookie. An apple and a chocolate and peanut butter granola bar. Don’t forget dipping the knife into the peanut butter, then the raspberry jam, and then licking the knife…and then repeating multiple times. Pretty classy hey?

So, that’s maybe what I’ve had to eat today. I’m feeling embarrassed. Who the heck eats a cupcake and then a cookie at recess? Oh right, this girl.

What else do I want to eat? These. Delicious chocolate cake with cheesecake in the middle…because I haven’t baked anything similar to this in the past…not these, or those, for sure not this, or this either…are you noticing a trend? I really need to branch out.

Fortunately these aren’t around the house anymore, otherwise they would be busy causing trouble and would probably end up being tonight’s dinner. So much for a balanced diet.

At least everything today tasted good?

 

 

Chocolate Cake with Cream Cheese filling

Adapted from Brown Eyed Baker

For the Almond-Sugar Topping
1 cup chopped almonds            1/4 cup sugar

For the Cake
3 cups flour                 2 cups sugar
6 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp baking powder     1 tsp salt
2 cups cold water         ¾ cup vegetable oil
2 tbsp white vinegar     2 tsp vanilla

For the Cream Cheese Filling
2 (8-ounce packages) cream cheese, at room temperature
2/3 cup sugar      2 eggs
½ tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan; set aside.

Make the Almond-Sugar Topping: Combine the chopped walnuts and the sugar in a small bowl; set aside.

Make the Cake Batter: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.

In another bowl whisk together the water, vegetable oil, vinegar, and vanilla.

Pour the wet ingredients into the flour mixture and, using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, mix together until just combined and there are no traces of dry ingredients. Set aside.

Make the Cream Cheese Filling: Using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese on medium speed until soft and smooth, about 3 minutes.

Add the sugar and continue mixing until light and fluffy, another 2 to 3 minutes.

Add the eggs and the salt and beat until thoroughly combined and smooth.

Pour half of the cake batter into the prepared pan.

Slowly pour all of the cream cheese filling over top, trying to distribute it as evenly as possible (do not try to spread it after you pour it).

Pour the remaining cake batter over top of the cream cheese filling.

Sprinkle the top of the cake with the walnut-sugar mixture.

Bake for 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs attached.