Hola!
Remember last week when I shared the Crockpot Mexican Carnitas? Have you made them yet? If you have and you have left overs how about making a Chipotle like bowl? All you have to do is layer your ingredients. I used brown rice, black beans, carnitas (all heated up of course!), shredded lettuce, tomatoes, cilantro, salsa, a bit of cheese and a little sour cream. It was delicious!
I don’t make brownies that often but a few weeks ago I wanted to practice my icing flower skills so I figured I would use brownies to practice on and to share with my co-workers. Unfortunately, my friends and I ate the first batch I made when our area was flooded and we didn’t have school. I did make a second batch to take for my co-workers the following week. Anyway, they were by far the best brownies I have ever had!
These brownies were so fudgy and delicious! I think this will be the recipe I will always use. My flowers didn’t come out so bad either!
Perfect Chocolate Brownies
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch Process cocoa powder
11 ounces dark chocolate, roughly chopped (I used Ghiradelli)
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch chunks
optional: 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
5 eggs, at room temperature*
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
*Before you start the recipe, place eggs in a shallow bowl filled with warm tap water to bring to room temperature.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9×13 inch baking dish and set aside.
In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine flour, salt, and cocoa powder and gently whisk together.
Using a double boiler (place a glass mixing bowl on top of a pot of simmering water) melt chopped chocolate, butter, and instant coffee (if using). Stir until melted and smooth. You could also do this step in the microwave if you’re careful and heat it gently in 30-60 second intervals, stirring after each interval.
Remove glass bowl from the double boiler and add granulated and brown sugars. Whisk until smooth. As you whisk, the mixture should cool off, eventually coming close to room temp.
Add 3 eggs to the chocolate mixture and whisk until combined. Add the remaining 2 eggs and vanilla, and continue whisking until just until everything is incorporated. Don’t overmix at this stage.
Sprinkle flour mixture into chocolate mixture and use a rubber spatula (don’t use electric beaters, and not even a whisk) to fold and stir flour mixture just until incorporated. You can even stop stirring when you still see just a few visible bits of flour are showing.
Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth out evenly. Bake for 25-30 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking time. Remove from oven when a toothpick comes out of center with a few crumbs still attached. Cool completely (the hard part!) and then cut into squares and serve.
These brownies were pure perfection!
On another quick note…This week is Teacher Appreciation week. Yay for our teachers! Working in a school office I see all the time, dedication and caring that our teachers put into their profession. They are probably the person our children spend the most time with. They are truly valuable individuals worth celebrating! I sent my daughter to school with some wrapped chocolate bars (I hope she doesn’t eat them!) and some hand-made cards in decorated bags for some of the school faculty. I am truly appreciative of all they do.
If you do anything for your child’s teacher just say “Thank you”. Let them know that you value them!
Have a fantabulous day!
Besos,
Flor
Recipe source http://www.ourbestbites.com/
My Papí is a very picky eater. My whole life he only would ever eat at home or certain foods. Comida casera (home made food that my mom makes), shrimp fried rice and sausage pizza-thin crust only. When it comes to poultry he only eats fried chicken drumsticks-no other part of the chicken and not cooked any other way or with anything else. Oh and no turkey! I don’t ever remember him ever eating at my grandmother’s house-super weird! When I got married he was afraid to try my cooking – slowly but surely I convinced him that I would not kill him. Now he eats everything I cook. When I gave him these delicious tamales I forgot to ask him how they were. Last night when he came over he said “Flor, the tamales were really good. I only had one but it was rico”. Well, he really liked them! That’s all I needed for my first time making tamales-my Papi’s ok!
They were even more gorgeous dipped in the butter and cinnamon sugar!
These were sooooo good with a glass of milk!
