Cracaos - Chocolate with Francois

One of the things I like about Chocolate With Francois is it challenging my baking abilities! Boy does it challenge my baking abilities! If I look back over the past months of Chocolate With Francois, I've had more failures than successes. However, those successes are fantastic. what keeps me coming back is hoping that month's recipe will be another success. Unfortunately, this month's wasn't that next success.

Payard's explains Cracaos are a traditional European cookies. There isn't a picture of these cookies in the book. Being a visual person, I searched for Cracaos. Nothing, except a reference to the recipe in this book. Interesting! I am not sure I have ever baked anything that you can't find on the internet.

The recipe goes together easily. The challenging part for me began with the shaping of the cookies. Francois instructs the baker to roll the dough to 6 x 5 1/2 x 1 1/2, chill and then cut into 1 1/2 x 1 1/2 x 1/4 strips. I realized you have to cut the dough in half to get to 1/4. I decided to cut mine into stars. The dough was hard to work with and tricky to cut into shapes. I halved the recipe and ended up with 12 stars. The recipe calls for a baking time of 10 - 12 minutes. I think because of the larger shape of mine, they required a little longer baking time. After about 17 minutes, I opened the door to pull them out and check on them. I touched my forearm on the oven door. Hot oven and my reflexes made me jump. All but three cookies were either in the oven or on the floor in pieces.

I picked up the pieces, salvaged the good ones and placed them on a rack to cool. Once they'd cooled, I tried a couple of the pieces. I thought they were blah! Not at all what I expected. Since these cookies have toasted pistachios and walnuts, I thought they would be packed with flavor.



I am looking forward to seeing what this month's host, Astheroshe and my fellow CWF bakers thought of these and how their Cracaos turned out.

Pink Saturday

Last weekend Tim and I went to Lauritzen Gardens. Beautiful blooms on a cold winter day!!!

I am linking this to Pink Saturday at How Sweet the Sound!!

Two Year Anniversary and a Dangerous Dessert

Today is the two year blogiversary of Little Bit of Everything. A lot of people blog as a career, to make some extra cash or as the start of a cookbook. I'm not blogging for any of those reasons, I am blogging for me! I love to cook. Blogging has given me the vehicle to showcase and prepare recipes, I might not otherwise try. What's your favorite thing about blogging? Mine is my readers! It's been so much fun getting to know all of you! I appreciate all of your comments so very much!!! I remember when I first started getting comments, it was like a present in my in box!! Thanks for reading my blog!!!

Without my husband, there not be a Little Bit of Everything. Tim is my photographer. He's so patient with me. When I say, no I don't like that shot or not from that angle, he just smiles and takes another picture. Dinner is often delayed a few minutes while we get a shot for the blog. I am always saying I need a "pink" for Pink Saturday. He finds a picture in the mass of photographs on his computer. I know I don't say it as often as I should but thanks for all you do for me and Little Bit of Everything! I love you!!

Have you ever eaten one of those Betty Crocker Warm Delights Molten Chocolate cakes? They're a quick, yummy treat. Certainly not as delicious as a homemade molten chocolate cake but perfect for a quick chocolate fix! I used a small bowl to "bake" this cake and it was the perfect size. Be careful not to cook this too long. The recipes calls for three minutes. Next time, I am going to try 2 1/2 minutes and see if it comes out more gooey! It will be fun to experiment with other chips, flavorings and applesauce instead of the oil. Way too easy make!!! This dessert is dangerous.


Dangerous 5 Minute Chocolate Cake
Recipe Courtesy of Bargain Hoot

Ingredients:

• 4 tablespoons flour
• 4 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons cocoa
• 1 egg ( I just used an egg white)
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 3 tablespoons oil
• 3 tablespoons chocolate chips
• Small splash of vanilla extract
• 1 large coffee mug

Directions:
-Add dry ingredients to mug, and mix well.
-Add the egg and mix thoroughly.
-Pour in the milk and oil and mix well.
-Add the chocolate chips and vanilla extract, and mix again.
-Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes at 1000 watts

I am linking this to Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum.

Roasted Red Pepper Corn Chowder

If you have an extra minute, please vote for me in the Crock Pot Cook Off Contest at Baci Designer. I entered my French Onion Soup. Voting runs through Friday at midnight! Thanks!!!

I am really trying to waste less food. I heard a staggering statistic last week. Every day we waste enough food to fill the Rose Bowl. What to do with the red pepper in the fridge that was almost at the end of it's shelf life? How about a soup? I love the flavor of roasted red peppers, especially in soup.

The original recipe called for 2 cups of roasted red peppers and 2 cans of creamed corn. I really don't like creamed corn, so I chose to just use the frozen corn. The texture of this soup was more of a broth and less of a cream soup. The red pepper gives this soup a wonderful rich flavor.





Corn and Roasted Red Pepper Chowder
Inspired by the New England Soup Factory Cookbook

6 Tbsp. salted butter
2 cups diced onions
1/2 cup diced celery
1 cup diced carrots
3 cloves of garlic, minced
4 to 5 Yukon gold potatoes, peeled & cut into 1/2" cubes
6 cups chicken stock or broth
2 tsp. ground coriander
1 tsp. ground bay leaves
3 lbs. frozen or fresh corn kernels
2 Tbsp. cornstarch dissolved in 4 Tbsp. cold water
2 cups light cream
1 roasted red pepper, pureed until smooth
2 tsp. Tabasco sauce
Kosher salt & black ground pepper to taste

In a stockpot melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onions, celery, carrots, and garlic. Sauté for 5 to 7 minutes. Add the potatoes and sauté for 5 minutes more. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the potatoes soften but don't lose their shape, about 10 minutes. Add the coriander, bay leaves, and corn. Bring back to a boil and cook for 5 minutes.. Add the creamed corn and the cornstarch water mixture. Return to a boil and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the cream, red peppers, cilantro, Tabasco sauce, salt and pepper. Bring the soup to a slow simmer for 2 minutes.
Makes 10 to 12 servings

I am linking this to Tasty Tuesday, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday , Tuesday's at the Table,
Souper Sunday's at Kahakai Kitchen and Let's Do Brunch at My Sweet and Savory.

Rum Truffles - Sweet Melissa Sunday's

Coming back from vacation is always hard. It takes me a week or so to get back in the swing of things!!! I read through this week's SMS recipe earlier in the week and had planned to make them yesterday. Yesterday came and went and no truffles! I just couldn't get motivated to make them. Today after reading everyone's reviews on how delicious these were, I was motivated. Now to find the time. Finally at about 6:30, I made them! Truffles need to chill at least two hours before they can be formed, so I didn't quite make Sweet Melissa Sunday's. More like Sweet Melissa Monday's.

All of the truffle recipes I am familiar with contain cream. Melissa's recipe calls for egg yolks. Egg yolks, seriously? Concerned that if I left the egg yolk out, the truffles wouldn't turn out properly, I decided to go for it. I quartered the recipe and ended up with seven truffles. These have a rich chocolate flavor with just a hint of rum. The egg yolk? I couldn't tell it was in the truffles. If you like truffles, give these a try. They're easy to make and are a beautiful treat! You can find the recipe at Nina's Cupcakes. Thanks for a great pick this week, Nina! Check out the other SMS bakers truffles here!

Pink Saturday

Happy Pink Saturday! I am sharing a couple of pink's from our recent trip to Cabo.

I am linking this to Pink Saturday at How Sweet the Sound!

Beer and Onion Chicken Carbonade

A few weeks ago I made Pot Roast Carbonade. The layers of flavors in this dish are amazing! Last week I saw, Yvonne at Stone Gable's recipe for Beer and Onion Chicken Carbonade. She'd taken an Epicurious recipe and made it Slow Cooker friendly. If you read my blog, you know I've been all about these Slow Cooker recipes lately. I love coming home from a long day of work and except for a side or salad, dinner is done!

I didn't have dark beer. I used Blue Moon, a light belgian beer, which is what is called for in the Pot Roast Carbonade recipe. I realized when I was reading Yvonne's post again, AFTER I'd finished making the carbonade, I forgot the allspice! This recipe is delicious and I can only imagine the allspice will add yet another layer of flavor. I will be trying this one again!!



Beer and Onion Chicken Carbonade
Recipe courtesy of Stone Gable
1 TBS unsalted butter
1 TBS olive oil
4 large chicken thighs with skin and bones
3/8 tsp ground allspice
1 1/2 cups onions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup flour
8 oz. mushrooms, sliced
1 cup baby carrots
3 tsp dark brown sugar
4 small or 2 large bay leaves
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 cup dark beer
1/2 cup beef broth
1 tsp balsamic vinegar

Melt butter and add olive oil in a large non stick skillet over medium high heat. Salt and pepper chicken. Add chicken to the skillet and saute until the skin is brown for about 4 minutes each side. Transfer to the slow cooker.

Add onions and 2 tsp of brown sugar. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover and saute until deep golden brown stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Add bay leaves, mustard and remaining tsp of sugar and gently stir. Add to slow cooker. Add mushrooms and carrots to slow cooker.

In a jar with a lid, make a slurry using flour and beef broth. Add slurry, beer and balsamic vinegar to the slow cooker. Gently stir the ingredients to incorporate. Cook on low for 6-8 hours, this is a guess. Make sure chicken is done through.

Serve this in a large shallow bowl on a bed of wide noodles.

I am linking this to Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum!