THE BAKED BROWNIE

fudgey and yummy

INGREDIENTS:
1¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons dark unsweetened cocoa powder
11 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 cup (8 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 teaspoon instant espresso powder (I used Starbucks Via decaf)
1½ cups granulated sugar
½ cup packed light brown sugar
5 eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

I layer 2 bars of Hershey's Symphony Chocolate in between batter

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the sides and bottom of a 9x13-inch glass or light-colored baking pan. Line the pan with parchment paper.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, salt, and cocoa powder together.

3. Put the chocolate, butter and instant espresso powder in a large bowl and set it over a saucepan of simmering water, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate and butter are completely melted and smooth. Turn off the heat, but keep the bowl over the water and add the sugars. Whisk until completely combined, then remove the bowl from the pan. The mixture should be room temperature.

4. Add 3 eggs to the chocolate mixture and whisk until combined. Add the remaining eggs and whisk until combined. Add the vanilla and stir until combined. Do not overbeat the batter at this stage or your brownies will be cakey.

5. Sprinkle the flour mixture over the chocolate mixture. Using a rubber spatula (not a whisk), fold the flour mixture into the chocolate until just a bit of the flour mixture is visible.

6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake in the center of the oven for 30 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the brownies comes out with a few moist crumbs sticking to it. Let the brownies cool completely, then lift them out of the pan using the parchment paper. Cut into squares and serve.

7. Store at room temperature in an airtight container or wrap with plastic wrap for up to 3 days.


recipe and picture:  http://www.browneyedbaker.com/the-baked-brownie/

Gluten-Free French Bread

This bread is delicious and really doesn't make you miss gluten!

Author: Linda Etherton

Ingredients

1 cup sorghum flour
1½ cup potato starch
½ cup tapioca starch or flour
1½ teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 teaspoon guar gum (or xanthan)
1½ Tablespoons instant or bread machine yeast
1 Tablespoon olive oil
3 large egg whites
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
1 cup warm water (105 – 115 degrees)

Instructions

In the bowl of your mixer, combine the dry ingredients (sorghum flour through yeast).

Add the olive oil and egg whites and mix to incorporate.

Add the vinegar and most of the water. Beat for 2 minutes, adding the remaining water if needed to make a soft dough.

Spoon the dough onto the pan and carefully shape with a spatula. Because the dough is soft, it will go through the small holes in the pan. Don’t press hard when shaping.

If you like, you can brush the top with beaten egg white.

Use a sharp knife to cut several slits in the top of each loaf.

Place the pan in a cold oven on a middle rack. Turn the oven on to 425 degrees and begin timing for 30 – 35 minutes.

Cool the loaves on a wire wrack before slicing.

Photo and recipe: http://glutenfreehomemaker.com/gluten-free-french-bread-recipe/#sthash.8bKCMrHV.dpuf

Cherry Pie

Crust

Makes 3 pie crusts
3 cups flour
1-1/4 cup butter-flavored Crisco
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 tablespoon vinegar

Use a fork or a pastry blender to crumb the Crisco into the flour until it forms little balls about the size of peas  Mix all the other ingredients together, and add to the flour-Crisco mixture using a spoon.

Use a rolling pin with decisive strokes to make each circle of dough on a flour-coated surface, coating the dough with liberal amounts of extra flour when it gets sticky.  Use a spatula under the rolled-out dough to free up and fold each circle into quarters.  Put the folded dough into the the pie plate, unfold and use your hands to shape it to shape it to the plate.

It's OK if it breaks apart, just work your will on it.  It gets easier with practice.  Geraldine could practically do it in her sleep, and I've gotten close to that stage myself

Filling:
As you're preparing the filling, preheat the oven to 425.

Pour into a colander set over a bowl:

• 3 pounds bottled or canned unsweetened cherries (2 big jars, or 3 smaller cans) (Morello cherries from Trader Joe's).  Shake the cherries to drain, and save 1/2 cup of the juice.  Combine cherries and juice with:
• 3/4 cup of sugar
• 3 tablespoons of thickener (you can also use quick-cooking tapioca or cornstarch)
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice, fresh if you have it
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract

Let the mixture stand for 15 minutes, then pour into bottom of the crust and dot with:
2-3 tablespoons of butter, cut into small pieces


Cover with the lattice or streusel mix.  Bake for 30 minutes.  Then slip a baking sheet under the pie, reduce the oven temperature to 350 and bake until the juices bubble, about 25-35 minutes more.

Picture:  http://sweets.seriouseats.com/2011/07/pie-of-the-week-how-to-make-sweet-cherry-pie.html