Peppermint Buttermilk Brownies

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Peppermint Buttermilk Brownies

Do you guys love buttermilk as much as I do? To me, it’s a magical ingredient – making awesome things all the more awesome by bringing a ton of flavor and moisture to the party. I use it in everything from biscuits, to mashed potatoes, and almost all the time in baking. Needless to say, I always have it in the refrigerator and it’s on my shopping list more often than not.

Some folks combine vinegar with a bit of milk to get the same effect, which is fine…but I don’t think it has the same flavor characteristics as fresh buttermilk. Another option pointed out to me by my friends at Cook’s Illustrated is dried buttermilk, which is then re-hydrated with water and used. Great flavor, and shelf stable – something you might want to consider if you don’t go through it as quickly as I do.

So, these brownies. A rich, fudgy chocolate brownie topped off with a sweet chocolate glaze that’s been spiked with a hint of peppermint extract, and then topped off with crushed peppermint candy. They’re rich and decadent, chock full of Holiday spirit, but without an overbearing peppermint flavor – a problem you run into all too often this time of year. This recipe makes a 13×9 tray, which yielded plenty of brownies for a party or get-together. Or, just enough for a pregnant woman to eat for breakfast 3 days in a row…

So excited to get my Christmas baking underway, formulating my “to-make” list this weekend. We’re looking forward to getting our tree decorated this evening, and Jon’s getting up the lights on the house this weekend. I just love this time of year!

Peppermint Buttermilk Brownies

1 cup butter, melted
2 1/2 cup cups granulated sugar
4 eggs, room temperature
1 Tbsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

For the glaze:
6 Tbsp butter
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/3 cup buttermilk
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp peppermint extract
Crushed peppermint candies, for garnish

Preheat oven to 350. Line a 13×9 baking dish with a sheet of aluminum foil. Lightly grease with butter or baking spray. Set aside.

Combine the melted butter, sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each, until thoroughly blended.

Sift the flour, cocoa powder, and salt in a bowl. Gradually stir flour mixture into the egg mixture until blended. Stir in the chocolate morsels. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared baking dish.

Bake in preheated oven until an inserted toothpick comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove, and cool pan on wire rack before cutting.

For the glaze: In saucepan add butter, cocoa powder, and buttermilk. Cook and stir to boiling; remove from heat. Beat in powdered sugar, vanilla and peppermint extract. Spread over warm brownies and let cool completely, at least 4 hours, before topping with crushed candy canes and cutting.

Source: adapted from The Lost Italian, brownies from AllRecipes

Oysters Rockefeller

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Oysters Rockefeller

Now that the Holiday season is officially in place (squeal!) we can talk about fancy appetizers. As I mentioned before, oysters are in season here on the Eastern Shore. So naturally they’re something that we always turn to, to enjoy at all those festive and special holiday gatherings!

This is my twist on Oysters Rockefeller. A plump oyster baked with a creamed garlic spinach, garlicky bread crumbs, and a pinch of Parmesan cheese. They’re a breeze to throw together once you have the oysters shucked, and are so darned impressive. I mean, how good do they look just served on a simple wooden cutting board?

The couple of batches I’ve made already this season have been gobbled up in a matter of moments! Looking forward to making these a few more times before New Years! I hope everyone is having a good time decorating, and getting ready for the holidays. We went and got our Christmas tree this past weekend, and I can’t wait to get it up and decorated. Happy Holidays, everyone! 

Oysters Rockefeller

8 Tbsp butter
4 large cloves garlic, minced
1 shallot, minced
1 (10 oz) bag baby spinach
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, finely shredded
1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs
20 oysters, shucked and on the half-shell

Preheat oven to 425.

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and shallot, and saute until soft and fragrant – about 2 minutes.

Pour half of the melted butter mixture into a small bowl and combine with the breadcrumbs. Toss to combine and set aside.

To the remainder of the butter in the skillet, add the baby spinach. If it doesn’t all fit, just let it cook down some, and then add more. Season with salt and toss until wilted. Slowly stir in the cream and let reduce for a minute before removing from heat.

Carefully place the oysters on a baking sheet. Spoon a small amount of the spinach mixture onto each oyster, then top with about 2 teaspoons of the breadcrumb mixture and a small pinch of Parmesan cheese.

Place in oven and bake until oysters have plumped up, about 15 minutes.

Remove from oven and serve immediately with lemon wedges and hot sauce, if desired.

Oyster Stuffing

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Oyster Stuffing

Oyster stuffing. I don’t know that you’ll find a dish more unanimously found on Thanksgiving tables here on the Eastern Shore. After a quick web search, it turns out it’s common in many other parts of the country as well – but especially down south around the Gulf, and up north around New England.

It’s basically a homemade stuffing – composed of dry bread cubes, sauteed onions and herbs, chicken stock, and fresh oysters. Some people used canned or smoked oysters – but, I can’t justify using those. Ever. Ain’t nobody got time for that! The oysters plump up in the stuffing, and release their delicious briny juices – adding a ton of flavor to the stuffing, and the bread just soaks it all right up! I loved the addition of nutmeg and clove too, it really made it taste like Thanksgiving.

This was actually my first time making this dish (hey, I am a “come here” after all!) and as I mixed it up before putting it in the casserole dish, I thought it wasn’t going to be something I enjoyed…as it wasn’t much to look at. But when it came out of the oven, and the top was nice and brown – I couldn’t wait to dig in! If you’re looking for something special to add to your Thanksgiving Day table, which is a cut above the standard cornbread stuffing (or my favorite, even though I’m ashamed to admit it – Stove Top!) get yourself a pint of oysters from the seafood market and make this stuffing. Maybe it will become a tradition for your family, as it has for so many others here on the Eastern Shore and elsewhere, on Turkey Day!

Oyster Stuffing

6 cups 1/2-inch cubed French bread
3 slices bacon, cut into small pieces
3 Tbsp butter, melted,
1/2 red onion, finely diced
2 ribs celery, finely diced
3/4 pint shucked oysters, liquid reserved
1/2 cup chicken stock
2 Tbsp. madeira or port
3 Tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
1 Tbsp. fresh thyme, chopped
1 Tbsp. fresh sage, chopped
1/4 tsp hot sauce
pinch ground nutmeg
small pinch ground cloves
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper

Heat oven to 250 degrees. Arrange bread cubes on a baking sheet in a single layer and bake, stirring occasionally, until dried but not browned, about 15 minutes. Let cool.

Put bacon into a 12″ skillet; cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until crisp and its fat has rendered, about 10 minutes. Add butter and heat. Add onions and celery, reduce heat to medium, and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. Add reserved liquid from oysters, stock, madeira or port, parsley, thyme, sage, hot sauce, nutmeg, cloves, and salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Scrape the mixture into a large bowl and stir in the bread cubes and oysters. Set aside to allow the flavors to come together for 10 minutes.

Raise the oven temperature to 400 degrees. Transfer mixture to a buttered 2-qt. oval baking dish and cover with foil. Bake for 30 minutes, remove foil, drizzle with remaining butter, and continue baking until golden brown and crusty, about 15 minutes more. Serve immediately.

Source: adapted from Saveur, October 2008

Pork Tenderloin w/Honey-Mustard Sauce

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Pork Tenderloin with Honey-Mustard SauceA couple of weeks ago I ventured to Annapolis for the day to go to a book signing with Giada De Laurentiis. I met one of my oldest girlfriends up there, and we waiting in line together at Williams-Sonoma for a couple hours. We chatted about the past, and how we’ve transitioned into the future with our families of two little boys. It was a great morning, topped off by meeting Giada – who was just as gorgeous and sweet in person as she is on television.

We of course flipped through the book while we were waiting, which is all healthy recipes – along with lots of health and beauty tips, and there were many recipes I bookmarked to try. The first one I got around to testing out in my kitchen was this delicious pork tenderloin with a honey-mustard sauce. We are big fans of pork tenderloin in this house. It’s a protein that’s lean and healthy, but still juicy with tons of flavor. Then to top it of with a delicious pan sauce? It’s just the icing on the cake!

It’s also pretty quick-cooking, making for an easy weeknight meal. The tenderloin is seared off in the pan, to get a gorgeous brown crust on the outside – then finished off in the oven. A quick pan sauce is made by using the browned bits in the bottom of the pan – along with a spot of wine , Dijon mustard, honey, and fresh herbs. I served with some roasted red potatoes and fresh green beans, and everyone really enjoyed it.

I also picked up a signed copy to share with one lucky reader! Just leave a comment below telling me what is your favorite recipe from the lovely Giada De Laurentiis that you’ve made in your kitchen? Giveaway will run from today, until next Friday at 11:59 PM. 

Pork Tenderloin with Honey-Mustard Sauce

Vegetable oil cooking spray
2 (1-pound) pork tenderloins
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbsp vegetable oil

For the sauce:
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine (I used Vermouth)
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 Tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature

Position an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 400F. Spray a heavy baking sheet with vegetable oil cooking spray.

Season the pork with the salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the pork and brown on all sides, about 8 minutes. Transfer the pork to the prepared baking sheet and bake until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat registers 160F, about 20 minutes. Allow the meat to rest for 10 minutes on a cutting board before slicing 1/4- to 1/2-inch-thick slices.

In the same skillet used for browning the pork, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, salt, and pepper. Cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Pour in the wine and use a wooden spoon to scrape up the brown bits that cling to the bottom of the pan. Simmer for 1 minute. Whisk in the honey, mustard, vinegar, and thyme. Simmer until thickened, 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter until melted and smooth.

Top the pork slices with the honey mustard sauce and serve.

Source: Adapted from Feel Good Food by Giada De Laurentiis

Congrats to entry #17, Tracey! She loves Giada’s turkey and artichoke stuffed shells. I’m going to have to try that recipe myself. I hope you enjoy this new cookbook as much as I have been!