Brownies Extraordinary

Mom was a master in the kitchen and I am so grateful she taught me how to cook many of our favorite recipes.  I don't remember mom baking many pans of plain ole brownies but I do remember these yummy delights!  What I find so comforting is I have mom's original recipe in her own handwriting!  Long gone are the days of reaching in our recipe box for a blank recipe card and writing down a recipe to share with a friend or loved one.  Remember the cute cards that said "from the kitchen of…?"  We now jump on our computers and "google" a recipe and save it to our files.  Hey I have been known to take a picture of a recipe with my phone for later use!  Don't get me wrong, I love being able to find a recipe at the click of a button, but I miss going to mom's recipe box and pulling out a recipe and whipping up something delicious.  Anyone remember picking out a recipe box for your wedding registry?  I think I just aged myself!  Okay back to brownies!  If you are looking for an ooey gooey chocolate treat, this is a must for you!  I've added my own twist by drizzling melted caramel, course salt and chocolate over the top after the brownies have baked and cooled.  Not quite enough richness for you… take it to the next level, and add a dip of ice cream!  Shut the front door and get in my mouth now!

Brownies Extraordinary

Filling:
1 - 8 ounce package of cream cheese softened at room temperature
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon almond extract

Brownies:
2 - 1 ounce squares unsweetened chocolate (I use Baker's Chocolate, found in your grocery store)
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Filling:

In a mixing bowl combine the cream cheese, sugar, egg and almond extract.  Beat with a hand mixer until all combined, set aside.

Batter:

Melt the unsweetened chocolate and butter in a sauce pan or microwave, set aside.

Sift flour, baking powder and salt.  Beat together the eggs and sugar, add the melted chocolate to the egg and sugar mixture.  Combine the chocolate mixture with the flour and mix well.  Butter a 9x9 pan.  Add 1/2 of the chocolate batter to the pan and spread evenly.  I find it useful to use those little offset spatulas but of course anything will do!  I'm the queen of gadgets and I have my favorites!  Okay back to the brownie batter!  Now spread the cream cheese mixture evenly over the batter.  Add remaining brownie batter to the top and spread evenly.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 - 45 minutes.  To test if the brownies are done, just insert a toothpick in middle, if toothpick comes out clean- brownies are done!  There are a couple of things you can do at this point.  After the brownies have cooled you can sprinkle powdered sugar over the brownies and they are yummy.  To kick it up a notch or two… melt in a double boiler 8 - 10 ounces of caramel.  I like to add a tablespoon of cream for a bit more creaminess after the caramel has melted.  Drizzle over the brownies, and at this point if you would like, sprinkle with a little course salt.  Maybe a teaspoon in all, a preference call on this one!  Melt 8 ounces of chocolate chips, your choice of milk, dark or semi sweet.  White chocolate chips would be good as well!  Drizzle the chocolate over the caramel and course salt.  Let the caramel and chocolate set up a bit before cutting.  Now for the best part… pour yourself a glass of ice cold milk, cut a brownie and enjoy!  Oh and don't forget the ice cream!

© Images taken by yours truly, and edited once again by the lovely  n e l o u G R A C E.

sweet smell of cinnamon rolls

     First of all for the record...  Hi, I'm Gwyn and I'm a cinnamon roll-aholic!  Annnnd all together now... Hi Gwyn!  Haha okay, just making sure we're all in the right place!!  Alrighty, I have been on a mission to create the best ooey goey, cinnamon filled slice of heaven you've ever tasted.  As I think back upon the many cinnamon rolls I have enjoyed over the years, my mind often wanders to my sweet childhood friend in Casper, Wyoming.  Her mom made the best cinnamon rolls, I tell ya.  If I close my eyes and breathe in slowly, I can still smell the aroma drifting down the stairs into the basement.  Needless to say we took them two at a time in order to savor those first couple rolls fresh from the oven!  Oh the memories... Ok... eyes back open and back to reality!  In my not so humble opinion, I believe the secret ingredient to these amazing cinnamon rolls... is mashed potatoes!  You heard correctly... I said potatoes!  How can you go wrong combining yummy mashed potatoes with dough?  A true match made in heaven!

Timeless Cinnamon Rolls

Ingredients:

Rolls:
1 cup mashed potatoes - do not salt the potatoes
1 cup potato water (scoop out a cup of potato water before you drain the potatoes!)
3/4 cup melted butter
3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1 cup hot water
2 packages of yeast
1/2 cup warm water (100 - 110 degrees F, to dissolve yeast)
2 eggs
8 1/2 cups plus 2 Tablespoons all purpose flour (I don't know why plus 2 T., it just works!)

Filling:
1 cup melted butter, plus more if needed
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup ground cinnamon

Maple Icing:
These are "approximate" measurements.
1 pound powdered sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup (pancake or waffle syrup works just dandy!)
3 Tablespoons melted butter
Milk for thinning if needed

For the Dough:

Combine potatoes, potato water, butter, sugar, salt and hot water in a large mixing bowl.  Set aside to cool.  Combine yeast and 1/2 cup warm water in a small bowl.  Let rest so the yeast can get going, about 5 minutes.  Add the eggs, 2 cups of flour and yeast mixture to potato mixture.  Beat until well mixed.  I use my big girl mixer with the dough hook attachment but you can do this by hand.  Get ready to use your muscles!  Continue adding flour, one cup at a time, until a soft dough forms.  Knead on a lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic (about 6 minutes), or use your big girl mixer!  Place the dough in a clean greased bowl, then cover.  You won't want to stop playing with this dough, it is soooo soft and supple!  Big girl play dough!  Let the dough rise and do its thing in a warm cozy place for an hour.  Laundry?  The dryer is a perfect place for the dough to do its magic!  Get ready!  This dough poofs up big time!  After an hour get your fist ready and punch down!  Divide dough in half.

Roll one portion of dough on a lightly floured surface to an approximate 12" x 18" rectangle.  Now for the oh so good goodness...  Spread 1/2 of the melted butter over the dough.  Use your fingers to spread the butter evenly over the dough.  Combine the brown sugar, granulated sugar and cinnamon in a bowl.  Spread the sugar mixture over the dough.  At this time the sweet smell of cinnamon will start filling up your kitchen!  Now it's time to roll the dough.  Drumroll please...  Beginning at the end farthest from you, start rolling towards you keeping the dough as tight as possible.  When you reach the end, pinch the seam together.  I use a serrated knife to cut the dough in 1 1/2" slices.  I eyeball the log before I make the first cut and cut the log in half, then I cut in half again.  This gives me 4 mini logs.  Next, I cut 3 rolls from each log.  I have found my rolls seem to bake more evenly if I bake 6 rolls in a pan.  So I use round pie pans or aluminum pie pans for baking my rolls.  Melt a couple of tablespoons of butter and swish around the pan and place the cinnamon rolls in the buttery pans.  Cover the pans with a kitchen towel and set aside to rise for at least 20 minutes.  More laundry?  Once again the dryer is a great place for the rolls to hang out!  Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Remove the towel and bake for 20 - 25 minutes.  Don't allow the rolls to become too brown.

While the rolls are baking and filling up your kitchen with the most heavenly fragrance, use this time to prepare the maple icing!  In a large bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, maple syrup and butter.  This is where you have to use your best judgement.  As you mix you may need to add a little milk to get the consistency you want.  If you get it too thin, no worries, add more powdered sugar!

Once the rolls come out of the oven, I let them cool about 10 minutes before I add the icing.  Remember those ooey goey cinnamon rolls I mentioned earlier?  Now's the time to drizzle or spread the icing all over them!  And guess what?  These rolls freeze beautifully.  After you frost the rolls and they have completely cooled, you can pop them in the freezer.  I put the pan and all in a gallon freezer bag.  When you are ready for a fresh pan, pull them out of the freezer and allow to thaw about 15 minutes.  Pop in a 250 degree F oven for about 15 minutes.  Yum yum!

I hope you enjoy this recipe and it takes you back to a wonderful memory.  It's not so much of what we eat, but the memory of what we have eaten!

Another big shout out to my dear friend nelougrace.com for her expert advice, support and editing!

Enjoy!

memories of my mom, my journey and a new season........

Summer is quickly winding down and fall is just around the corner...my favorite time of the year!  Side note...I am for sure a dot dot dot kind of gal!  Sorry always have been always will be...

On Friday, April 5, 2013 my world changed dramatically.  I was shopping at Sam's with my grandson Eli when at 8:50 in the morning I received a call from my dad.  Mom was being rushed to the hospital in Wichita, KS and it wasn't looking good.  After getting a few things together, delivering Eli, my brother and I were on our way to Wichita.  To make a long story short my two brother's and I made it to the hospital in time to say good bye to mom.  It was by far the hardest thing I have ever had to do.  At 1:15 in the afternoon mom began her journey in heaven and I began my journey without my mom here on earth.  I thank God every day for my mom and the time and wonderful memories we all had together.  I focus on the time we had together and not the times we aren't going to have anymore.  The last four plus months have been full of mixed emotions.  Good moments and bad moments!  One day last week it was pretty hot and sticky outside.  I had some baby powder in a drawer and sprinkled some on to take away the "stickiness!"  At that moment I remembered my mom always using a powder called Shower to Shower.  I didn't know if it was made anymore but I had to find out!  I hopped in the car and drove to Walmart.  There on the shelf it was with the "original"scent!  I opened the lid and gently sprinkled some on my wrist.  I closed my eyes and  inhaled and was immediately taken back to my childhood!  I could smell my mom after she had taken her bath at night!  Oh the wonderful memory!  I stood their in the aisle with tears streaming down my face smiling!  The packaging has changed of course but not the wonderful smell!  I bought a bottle and use it every night after my bath......

Mom always used Mary Kay's night cream.  I have this jar that I found in her bathroom.  That fragrance takes me right back to my childhood as well!  The picture was taken at Mitch's wedding in Nappa two years ago.  These things sit on my shelf in my closet and I smile and say hello to mom every day!

I have decided that the best way to honor my mom's memory is through the quality of how I lead my life!  I was spending time with a friend and she made a statement that has really stuck with me.  It's a new season in my life.  Hence the new title of my blog...."a new season"

I miss my mom everyday but I know that she is with me all the time!  I am so thankful for my faith and knowing that on mom's best day here on earth she wouldn't trade it for what she is experiencing in heaven!  I know I will be with her again and everything will be revealed!  So mom until we meet again I am going to enjoy this new season and journey in my life!

Hugs...