6 oz unsweetened chocolate
6 oz cream cheese, softened
2 tsp evaporated milk or cream (I used skim milk last time, and it turned out fine)
4 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
Prepare your pan. I use an 8x8 square, lined with aluminium foil and lightly coated with cooking spray or butter.
Chop the chocolate into roughly even pieces. You can melt it in either a double-boiler on the stove or in the microwave.
Beat together the cream cheese and milk/cream until smooth. Add the chocolate, beat until well-mixed. Add the vanilla.
Add the powdered sugar slowly, mix until the fudge is smooth and there are no unmixed bits. (I have to note that I've never made it with a mixer; I always use my trusty wooden spoon, which is a pain in the ass.)
Pour (press, if you're like me and it never ends up pourable) the fudge into the prepared pan, in as even a layer as you can possibly get it. Let it set (about 1 hour in the fridge).
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Cai's Sweet and Sour Chicken with Rice & Veggies
One or two chicken breasts
Rice
Your favourite veggies (broccoli, peas, and onion worked beautifully)
Sauce:
1/3 cup vinegar (I used white, but rice will probably work better)
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tbs ketchup
1 tsp soy sauce (I used waaay more when all was said and done)
cornstarch to thicken
a bit of ginger (I used ground because I had no fresh)
Combine all sauce ingredients and stir. Add ginger to taste. Boil on low heat until ready to add to chicken, stirring occasionally.
Cook the chicken breast(s) in your favourite way. I boiled mine, then put it in a large frying pan with the sauce (sans cornstarch) to simmer while I worked on the rice and veggies. Cut it into small pieces (you can do it before you cook, or after. I did it after, since mine was frozen).
Make your rice. I used a medium grain white rice, and before you ask, no, I didn't measure how much rice I used. I made about enough for four people to have a large serving.
Cut your veggies. Throw them into the pan with the cooked chicken and sauce. Let them simmer there until they're as soft as you like them (I hate cooked veggies, so I just let mine steam for a tiiiiiny bit while I chopped onions). Add the rice and stir until uniform.
Nom.
Rice
Your favourite veggies (broccoli, peas, and onion worked beautifully)
Sauce:
1/3 cup vinegar (I used white, but rice will probably work better)
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tbs ketchup
1 tsp soy sauce (I used waaay more when all was said and done)
cornstarch to thicken
a bit of ginger (I used ground because I had no fresh)
Combine all sauce ingredients and stir. Add ginger to taste. Boil on low heat until ready to add to chicken, stirring occasionally.
Cook the chicken breast(s) in your favourite way. I boiled mine, then put it in a large frying pan with the sauce (sans cornstarch) to simmer while I worked on the rice and veggies. Cut it into small pieces (you can do it before you cook, or after. I did it after, since mine was frozen).
Make your rice. I used a medium grain white rice, and before you ask, no, I didn't measure how much rice I used. I made about enough for four people to have a large serving.
Cut your veggies. Throw them into the pan with the cooked chicken and sauce. Let them simmer there until they're as soft as you like them (I hate cooked veggies, so I just let mine steam for a tiiiiiny bit while I chopped onions). Add the rice and stir until uniform.
Nom.
Pink Lemonade Cupcakes
For the cupcakes:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
pinch of salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup vegetable (or canola) oil
2 egg whites
1/3 cup thawed pink lemonade concentrate
1/4 cup buttermilk
red food colouring (optional)
For the lemonade buttercream frosting:
3 cups powdered (confectioner's) sugar
1 stick unsalted butter at room temperature
1/8 tsp salt
3 tbs pink lemonade concentrate
yellow food colouring (optional)
Before I go further, I'm going to point out that I've never bought buttermilk for any recipe that calls for it. Instead, I mix whatever milk is in the fridge with lemon juice or white vinegar. One cup of milk + 1 tbs of either lemon juice or vinegar = juuuust over one cup of buttermilk. Let it sit for five minutes before you mix it in to anything.
Preheat oven to 350F. Line muffin pans. This made twelve normal-sized and twelve mini-sized cupcakes, or eighteen normal-sized ones.
Combine flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a small bowl. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, oil, egg whites, and lemonade concentrate. Alternately add flour mixture and buttermilk (three additions of the flour, two of buttermilk) and mix until smooth. Add just enough food colouring to turn the batter pink.
Bake on top rack for 20-25 minutes (12, if you're using a mini-muffin pan). Let them cool for about ten minutes, then remove from pans and cool completely while you do the frosting.
Put stick of butter and 1 cup of powdered sugar into a bowl. I use my trusty wooden spoon at this point and mash it together as best I can, adding sugar when it's well blended. Between additions of powdered sugar, add 1 tbs of the lemonade concentrate until all the ingredients are added. Add enough yellow food colouring to turn it a pale yellow (alternately, you can use red and turn it pink, instead).
Put all the frosting into a ziplock bag, squeeze the air out, and set it aside for a moment.
Dip a spoon into the lemonade concentrate and drip a bit on the top of each cupcake.
Cut a corner off the ziplock bag and pipe frosting onto each cupcake.
Omnomnom.
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
pinch of salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup vegetable (or canola) oil
2 egg whites
1/3 cup thawed pink lemonade concentrate
1/4 cup buttermilk
red food colouring (optional)
For the lemonade buttercream frosting:
3 cups powdered (confectioner's) sugar
1 stick unsalted butter at room temperature
1/8 tsp salt
3 tbs pink lemonade concentrate
yellow food colouring (optional)
Before I go further, I'm going to point out that I've never bought buttermilk for any recipe that calls for it. Instead, I mix whatever milk is in the fridge with lemon juice or white vinegar. One cup of milk + 1 tbs of either lemon juice or vinegar = juuuust over one cup of buttermilk. Let it sit for five minutes before you mix it in to anything.
Preheat oven to 350F. Line muffin pans. This made twelve normal-sized and twelve mini-sized cupcakes, or eighteen normal-sized ones.
Combine flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a small bowl. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, oil, egg whites, and lemonade concentrate. Alternately add flour mixture and buttermilk (three additions of the flour, two of buttermilk) and mix until smooth. Add just enough food colouring to turn the batter pink.
Bake on top rack for 20-25 minutes (12, if you're using a mini-muffin pan). Let them cool for about ten minutes, then remove from pans and cool completely while you do the frosting.
Put stick of butter and 1 cup of powdered sugar into a bowl. I use my trusty wooden spoon at this point and mash it together as best I can, adding sugar when it's well blended. Between additions of powdered sugar, add 1 tbs of the lemonade concentrate until all the ingredients are added. Add enough yellow food colouring to turn it a pale yellow (alternately, you can use red and turn it pink, instead).
Put all the frosting into a ziplock bag, squeeze the air out, and set it aside for a moment.
Dip a spoon into the lemonade concentrate and drip a bit on the top of each cupcake.
Cut a corner off the ziplock bag and pipe frosting onto each cupcake.
Omnomnom.
Post The First: Cinnamon-Chocolate Streusel Coffee Cake
Coffee Cake:
1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup (one stick) butter or margarine
2/3 cup buttermilk
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
Streusel:
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tbs baking cocoa powder
1 tbs cinnamon
2 tbs butter, softened
1/2 cup miniature chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350F (325F if using a dark or nonstick pan). Grease bottom only of an 8" square pan.
Combine dry cake ingredients in a bowl. Cut in butter (or use a pastry blender, or just mix it in with your hands) until mixture is crumbly. Add buttermilk, egg, and vanilla. Mix until well-blended. Pour/spread into pan.
Mix all streusel ingredients but chocolate chips in a small bowl with a fork until crumbly. Sprinkle over batter. Sprinkle with chocolate chips (you probably won't want all of them, or maybe you want more, so the 1/2 cup is totes adjustable).
Bake 35 - 45 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean. Cool 30 minutes. Serve warm.
1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup (one stick) butter or margarine
2/3 cup buttermilk
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
Streusel:
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tbs baking cocoa powder
1 tbs cinnamon
2 tbs butter, softened
1/2 cup miniature chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350F (325F if using a dark or nonstick pan). Grease bottom only of an 8" square pan.
Combine dry cake ingredients in a bowl. Cut in butter (or use a pastry blender, or just mix it in with your hands) until mixture is crumbly. Add buttermilk, egg, and vanilla. Mix until well-blended. Pour/spread into pan.
Mix all streusel ingredients but chocolate chips in a small bowl with a fork until crumbly. Sprinkle over batter. Sprinkle with chocolate chips (you probably won't want all of them, or maybe you want more, so the 1/2 cup is totes adjustable).
Bake 35 - 45 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean. Cool 30 minutes. Serve warm.
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