Whole Wheat Nutella Brownies

I'm a day late on World Nutella Day and about 7 months late on a blog post, but that's okay because I won Valentine's Day, and it's still a week away!  How did I do this? Simple. I made a heart-shaped Nutella brownie.  It was perfectly dense, Nutella-y, and fudgy, and Brian threatened to eat the entire thing in one sitting.

[For the record, I didn’t get around to making these brownies on Nutella Day because we were too full of Nutella and homemade chocolate hazelnut spread (a la David Lebovitz).]

Whole Wheat Nutella Brownies
printable recipe

1/2 cup granulated sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter or coconut oil (or a combo of the two), melted*
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup Nutella, or other chocolate-hazelnut spread, softened slightly
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

*I used 3 tablespoons butter and 1 tablespoon coconut oil. The hint of coconut in the final product was a nice way to lighten the otherwise very rich flavor just a bit.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Prepare an 8- or 9-inch square baking pan (or a heart-shaped pan, if you have it :)) by greasing with butter or coconut oil and coating with flour.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the butter and sugar.  Add the egg and vanilla and whisk until well combined. Stir in the Nutella.

In a separate bowl, stir together the dry ingredients.  Then combine with the wet ingredients and stir until just combined.

Spread evenly in prepared baking pan.

Bake for 18-25 minutes, depending on how gooey you like the center.

Cool for about 10 minutes and serve warm, either alone or with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

 

Happy (Belated) World Nutella Day and Happy (Early) Valentine's Day!

Even though the official holiday was yesterday, you can still celebrate by enjoying Nutella on its own or in any of the many recipes you’ll find here:

World Nutella Day
Ms Adventures in Italy
Bleeding Espresso

Whole Wheat Crackers with Poppy Seed and Thyme

Around here, we love snacking on crackers.  For all the things I insist on making from scratch, it wasn’t until recently that I even realized I could make crackers at home. 

I came across a cracker recipe in one of my cookbooks, Peter Reinhart's Whole Grain Breads, and decided to give it a whirl.  I was surprised at how easy and relatively quick it was to make crackers at home.

As always, one of the things I love about cooking from scratch is that I get to control the ingredients. A lot of crackers are too sweet or too salty, and many contain ingredients that we'd rather not eat.  These contain healthy oils, local honey, and organic whole wheat flour. As is generally the case with homemade food, they’re much less expensive to make than to buy in the store.

These crackers were inspired by the recipe in Whole Grain Breads. In my opinion, they’re just about right: crispy; not too sweet, not too salty; plenty of flavor on their own but still go well with cheeses and dips.

Whole Wheat Crackers with Poppy Seed and Thyme
printable recipe

Makes 14 servings (about 14oz of baked crackers).

2 cups whole wheat flower
¾ cups water
¾ teaspoon sea salt
2 tablespoons honey
6 tablespoons olive or grapeseed oil
1 ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
2 teaspoons poppy seeds

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.  Stir until ingredients come together and begin to form a cohesive mass.  Turn out onto a floured surface and knead for 3 minutes until smooth.

Cover with plastic wrap or a damp, lint-free towel and allow to rest for 20 minutes.

On a clean work surface, drizzle a few drops of oil and spread in a thin layer.

Roll out dough with a rolling pin until about 1/16 inch thick.  If the dough shrinks back, allow it to rest for 5 minutes, then roll again. 
Cut the dough into strips using a pizza cutter. Carefully lift each strip of dough and transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Place strips about 1/4-inch apart. When the pan is full, cut the strips cross-ways to create squares.

Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through, until the crackers begin to turn golden.  (Cooking time will vary depending on dough thickness and they can go from just underdone to burned quite quickly, so check early and often.)

Place pan on a cooling rack.  Crackers will crisp as they cool.

Enjoy plain, with cheese, hummus, or however you like!

Cannellini Crostini

This was another of the dishes served at my sister’s baby shower.  Once again, I made a large batch for the party, but am posting a scaled-down version here.

I've been really into using dried beans lately.  Their simplicity, versatility, heartiness, and economy are unparalleled. And they can be turned into and endless variety of dips and spreads that are an inexpensive addition to any party menu.  The rosemary makes this version particularly nice during the winter.

The method for soaking and cooking dried beans can be found in a previous post on using dried garbanzo beans for hummus (also linked below).

Cannellini Crostini



Makes about 3 dozen crostini.

2 cups cannellini beans, soaked and cooked (from 6.5 ounces dry beans)

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 small sprig rosemary (½ minced, ½ whole on stem)

1-2 cloves garlic

salt, to taste

sundried tomatoes, sliced into thin strips

1 baguette or other rustic bread, sliced about ¼-inch thick (I used Peter Reinhart’s whole wheat pain all’ancienne.) 

Optional: Rub bread slices with the cut side of a clove of garlic, brush lightly with olive oil, and toast in a 350° oven until golden brown – 10-15 minutes.

Heat oil over medium heat in a small pan.  Then add whole garlic clove and rosemary (minced and whole).  Simmer garlic and rosemary in oil for about 5 minutes.

Remove any large pieces of rosemary and set aside. Press (or mince) the cooked garlic clove.

In a medium bowl, combine oil, garlic, and beans.  Beat with electric mixer until they begin to form a cohesive mass.  (Don’t puree, leaving some whole beans adds nice texture to the spread.) 

Season with salt, to taste.

Spread a small amount (2-3 teaspoons) on toasted baguette slices and top with a sliver of sundried tomato.

Variation: Serve as a dip/spread in a bowl with crackers, pita, or bread on the side.

Mini Quiche with Chard and Red Onion

I made these for my sister’s baby shower, and they were a huge hit!  I made a large batch for a total of about 150 mini quiches.  The recipe below is scaled down for a smaller audience.

Mini Quiche with Chard and Red Onion

Makes about 60 mini quiches.

Crust
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon salt
2½ sticks unsalted butter (20 tablespoons), cut into ½-inch pieces
6-7 tablespoons ice water

Combine the salt and both flours in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse to combine.

Add butter and pulse until all the butter is coated in flour and the largest pieces are the size of small peas.
Add the water, a few tablespoons at a time, and pulse until the mixture forms a cohesive mass.

Turn out onto a floured surface.  Gather and press the dough into a ball.  Add flour or water if the dough is too sticky or too dry.  Divide into 3 pieces.  Form each piece into a ball, flatten into a ½-inch thick disk, and refrigerate for at least one hour (and up to two days).

Preheat the oven to 325°F.

Lightly grease 3 mini muffin tins (24 cups each, 1¾-inch diameter muffin cups), or you can reuse one muffin tin.

Remove chilled dough from refrigerator, one piece at a time.  On a well flour surface, between two pieces of wax paper or plastic wrap, or on a pastry mat, roll the dough until it is 1/16 inch thick. 

Using a small round cookie or biscuit cutter (2 to 2½ inches in diameter), cut circles from dough.  Gently press the circles of dough into mini muffin tins.

Bake for 10-12 minutes.  The crust will not be completely cooked at this point, but should be set and barely beginning to brown on the edges.  

Allow to cool in the pan for 3-4 minutes.  Then carefully remove to cool on a wire rack.

Filling
1 small bunch of chard, washed and chopped
2 teaspoons olive oil
½ large red onion, chopped
4 teaspoons butter
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
¾ cup whole milk
¾ cup cream
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
pinch nutmeg (freshly grated, if possible)
4 oz freshly grated aged goat cheese, or other flavorful cheese (I used Midnight Moon “Cypress Grove,” and it was perfect.)

Preheat the oven to 350°F

Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange par-baked shells on the parchment paper.

In a large pan over medium, heat 1½ teaspoons of oil. And chopped chard and cook, stirring, until wilted – about 3 minutes. Remove chard from pan and set aside. 

Add butter to the pan. When melted, add chopped onion and a pinch of salt. Cook onion over medium-low heat for 20-25 minutes, until translucent, soft, and sweet. Removed from heat; add to chard and gently toss to combine. 

In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, yolks, milk, and cream; salt, pepper, and nutmeg. 
Divide chard mixture between the par-baked pastry shells.  Top each with a sprinkle of cheese and about a tablespoon of egg.  Alternatively, you can stir the vegetables and cheese into the egg mixture and divide evenly among all pastry shells.

Bake for about 14 minutes, until mixture is just set.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

An Eco-Friendly Baby Shower

In just a few short weeks, I’m going to be an aunt!  I can’t wait!

Back in September, I helped plan and catered a baby shower for my sister.  The menu was designed to be eco- and pregnancy-friendly, with a focus on high-quality, seasonal, organic ingredients for mama, baby, and guests.

The invitations were printed on recycled paper produced with “100% green hydroelectric power” (great paper and great customer service). 

Beverages were served in mason jars that will be re-used for canning.

The Menu

• Mini quiche (recipe): whole wheat pastry crust, wilted rainbow chard, caramelized red onions, Cypress Grove “Midnight Moon” goat cheese.
• Cannellini bean crostini: from dried beans; with rosemary, garlic, extra virgin olive oil,  and sundried tomatoes.
• Spinach salad: dried cranberries, toasted pumpkin seeds, “Bellavitano Raspberry” cheese, and homemade balsamic vinaigrette.
• Carrot cake: with cream cheese frosting; made with organic ingredients; icing dyed with natural, vegetable-based food coloring.

Baby Cake

This cake was my last big baking project in my DC kitchen.  I was going to do a “wordless Wednesday” post, since we’ve been so ridiculously busy lately getting ready for the move and getting in some quality time with our friends (and the city) before we go.  But I couldn’t help myself…

I’ve been in this kitchen for just over three years, but I’ve learned so much in it.  My blog was born here, and there’ve been lots of other firsts along the way.

A little over a year ago, I made my first-ever three-tiered cake for a post-wedding party for a couple of my favorite people.  This past weekend, I made my last cake in DC for that same couple’s baby shower!

Getting the frosting color just right.
(I’m wearing a Caps t-shirt for the occasion.  How Washingtonian of me.)

I planned ahead and spread the baking and assembly out over two nights, but  I probably should have taken three.  The night before the shower was a late one (and appropriately so, since pretty much every other big baking project I’ve ever done has kept me up until the wee hours) – but it was totally worth it.

For the cake, I went with a 12-inch base tier of Cooks Illustrated’s “Fluffy Yellow Layer Cake” and a 9-inch top tier of Cooks Illustrated’s Sour Cream Fudge Layer Cake, which didn’t rise anywhere near as much as I thought it should and was more like a brownie or flourless torte than a layer cake.  I ended up needing to make a second batch (which also didn’t rise much) to get the height I wanted for the top tier – but the flavor was amazing.  The frosting was a basic vanilla buttercream.

Post-cake chaos…
I don’t know what I’m going to do without this island.

Are you really taking my picture at 3 o’clock in the morning?

The top. Inspired by this design.

 

Detail.

Shower time!

I’m certainly going to miss my kitchen and excuses to make huge cakes for my DC friends. 

Only 14 days until our big move…

Homemade Hummus from Dried Garbanzo Beans

Getting away from canned foods has meant learning to cook with dried beans.  There are a number of advantages to cooking with dried beans versus canned beans: they’re much cheaper, have more flavor, are free of BPAs, and contain only the amount of salt that you add yourself.

Because using dried beans requires that I plan in advance, getting into the swing of it has been slow-going.  The first time I cooked with dried beans, I was nervous, but the beans turned out great, and I was so excited about how easy the process was; I resolved to cook dried beans again soon.

Weeks and weeks went by, and before I knew it, I was feeling nervous and reluctant again.  But I finally made myself do it.  Once more, I was amazed at how easy it was.  “I must do this again soon!” I told myself.  Can you guess what happened next?  I forgot about dried beans. 

One of my issues was that they tell you soak the beans “overnight,” but they don’t tell you what to do with them the next day.  Well, dear recipe writer, some people don’t have the luxury of staying home all day to cook beans.  They have to leave the kitchen and go to work.  What are they supposed to do with the beans in the mean time? Let them continue to soak?  Will something bad happen to them if they keep soaking? Can I put the whole pot in the fridge?  Do I drain them and put them in the fridge?  Drain them and leave them on the counter? 

I soon realized that “overnight” was code for “8 to 10 hours.”  Oh, okay, so I can soak them while I’m at work and cook them when I get home!  Perfect.  Except that I have to actually remember to put them in the pot before I leave in the morning.  I’ve found that it helps to leave the bag of dried beans sitting on top of my purse the night before.  Nine times out of 10, I’ll realize that they’re there for a reason (and not because I need to take them to work).  Even though I figured out this little soak-the-beans-while-I’m-at-work trick months ago, I still get a little panicky every time I read “soak the beans overnight.”  I just have to keep reminding myself that they can soak by the light of day.

Almost a year later, I’m finally starting to get this dried bean thing; I’ve cooked them twice this week!  Twice!  In one week!  I feel very accomplished.  On Wednesday, we made a pot of black beans to go with our turkey taco salad, and yesterday we made hummus! 

One of the great tragedies of the months and months it took me to come to terms with dried beans was that, in all that time, I didn’t make hummus.  We love hummus around here.  It’s been a go-to party appetizer for years. It’s easy, quick*, healthy, filling, inexpensive, and always a hit.  Brian has been talking about having hummus for months, but if you know me, you know that nothing but the most dire circumstances will motivate me to buy premade anything I am capable of making from scratch.  So it was a great relief to finally make hummus again!  

*Preparing the dried beans takes time, but if you cook a big pot (see below), you can freeze them to have on hand whenever you feel like whipping up a batch of hummus!


Homemade Hummus (from dried beans)
printable recipe

Preparing the Beans
This recipe makes about 6 cups of beans (2.5 pounds) – enough for 3 batches of hummus.  It can easily be halved or doubled.

1 pound (2 cups) dried garbanzos beans (a.k.a. chickpeas)
½ teaspoon salt (optional)

Pick through the beans, removing any dark or shriveled beans.   Rinse thoroughly in a colander or mesh strainer.
In a medium-sized pot, cover the beans with cool water and soak for 8-10 hours.

Drain the beans.  Return beans to pot and cover with water by about 2 inches.  Bring to a boil and cook for about 2 hours, until the beans are tender.  Add water, as needed, to keep the beans covered.

When the beans are cooked, remove from heat and stir in ½ teaspoon salt, if using.  Allow the beans to cool for 30 minutes.  They will also soak up the salt during this time. 

Drain the beans.  (If desired, you can reserve the cooking liquid to thicken soup.)

Set aside what you will be using immediately and freeze the rest.  The most convenient way to do this is to freeze 2-cup portions in freezer-safe containers.

(Frozen beans can be thawed at room temperature in a bowl of cold water, in the refrigerator, or in the microwave.)



Making the Hummus
Yield about 4 cups.

2 cups (12 ounces) cooked garbanzo beans
¼ cup tahini (sesame paste)
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons water
juice of 1 lemon (2-3 tablespoons)
1 clove of garlic
1 teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor.  Process until smooth.  If the hummus is too dry, add water and/or olive oil to reach desired consistency.

Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Note: If you prefer your hummus particularly garlicky or lemony, adjust seasonings to taste.

(Healthier) Chocolate Chip Cookies

Most days, I spend most of my time thinking mostly about food.  Buying it. Chopping it. Mixing it. Cooking it.  Eating it.  The bounty of summer makes it easy to eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables.  Lately though, I’ve been harboring an irresistible urge to bake something sweet.  I deftly staved it off several times last week by grilling veggies or whipping up a pasta dish or other relatively healthy dinner item.  On Friday, I finally decided that if I was going to succumb to the desire, I was going to make the most of it by attempting to create a slightly healthier version of a baked treat. 

These cookies contain 25% less butter and about 17% less sugar than traditional chocolate chip cookies.  And they’re made with mostly whole grains:  whole wheat flour in place of half of the white flour and a generous amount of oatmeal.  Of course, the true measure of a good cookie is the resulting flavor and texture, and these are not lacking in either.  They boast the ability to satisfy even the most discriminating palate – buttery, sweet, moist, chewy, chocolatey, with a bit of crunch.  Their hearty yet delicate texture is just as good on day 3 as it is fresh out of the oven.  The cookies can easily stand on their own without the addition of chocolate, or they can accommodate any number of other additions, such as dried cranberries or walnuts. 

In a word, they’re perfect.  I like them even better than traditional chocolate chip cookies.

Whole Grain Chocolate Chip Cookies

Yield 60 2" cookies.

1 cup whole wheat flour (“pastry” flour if you have it, but I used the standard variety)
1 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 ¼ teaspoon salt
¾ cup brown sugar
½ cup white sugar
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons milk
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1 ⅓ cup rolled oats (not quick-cook)
1 cup bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips
optional additions: ½ cup dried cranberries or raisins; ½ cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Combine the flours, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.  Stir and set aside.

Cream together the butter and sugars.  Add the vanilla, eggs, and milk and beat until well combined.

Add the flour and mix until just combined. Stir in the oats, chocolate chips, and any other additions.

Using a small cookie scoop or a spoon, distribute dough balls (about the size of a heaping tablespoon) about 2 inches apart on a cookie sheet.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until just beginning to turn golden around the edges.  Be careful not to overcook them.  (In  my oven, 8 minutes and 30 seconds was the perfect amount of time.)

Wait about 2 minutes before removing to a rack to cool.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

The cookies keep well stored in an airtight container for several days.

Late Spring Fever: Fava Bean Crostini

I was first introduced to fava beans seven years ago at an Italian professor’s home on the outskirts of Siena.  We had them whole with young Tuscan pecorino and thick, partially-crystallized Acacia honey.  Since then, I’ve remembered fondly how the little bits of earthy springtime paired perfectly with the tangy, buttery pecorino and sweet honey. 

Although I’d encountered the mention of fava beans and recipes for their use over the past several years, my thoughts of them were merely passing fancies, and I never took the initiative to seek them out.  When we stumbled upon them at the farmers market Saturday, I jumped at the chance to take a few home and rekindle the old flame. 

I thought I’d dress them up a bit in the hopes of building something a little more lasting this time around.  (Luckily, my husband was all for it.)  The result was the following recipe for a refreshing fava bean puree, which we had as a main course on homemade whole wheat baguette rounds with 4 different types of pecorino*, alongside a salad of local red leaf lettuce, spring onions, and “sweet slice” cucumbers.

*I am admittedly a bit infatuated with pecorino. (Can it still be considered infatuation if it’s been going on for close to a decade?) When the grocery store was out of my favorite – Santa Teresa Pecorino Sardo (a young pecorino aged 30-40 days) – I picked up a few others just for fun.  They were: Pecorino Romano, Fulvi (aged 10-12 months), Pecorino Toscano (slightly younger, aged 6 months), and Cacio de Roma (another young pecorino aged about 30 days).  We had a bit of Santa Teresa left in the fridge, so we were able to compare all four.  Although Santa Teresa is still my favorite, I thought the 6-month-old pecorino toscano went best with the fava bean puree.

Fava Bean Crostini

Yield about 32 crostini.  Serves 8 as an appetizer or 4 as a light main course.

for the bread
1 whole grain baguette or other rustic loaf (about 12 ounces)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove

for the puree
14-16 ounces shelled fava beans (1 cup shelled and peeled)
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 medium garlic clove
2 teaspoons fresh mint or fresh basil, chopped
½ teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon lemon juice
¼ teaspoon salt

for serving
4 ounces pecorino (young or aged), thinly sliced

Preheat the oven to 350F.

Slice the bread into ¼- to ½-inch thick diagonal slices.  Peel garlic clove and cut in half.  Rub cut side of garlic onto the top cut side of each slice.  Brush slices with olive oil and arrange on a baking sheet.

Bake for about 5 minutes, until the tops are lightly browned.  Set aside.

Meanwhile, bring a small pot of water to boil.  Add fava beans and cook for 2 minutes.  Drain and immediately submerge beans in ice water until cool.  Drain beans and peel off the tough outer layer.  (The easiest way to do this is to carefully pinch off the outer layer of one end of the bean and squeeze the opposite end so that the bean pops out.)

In a food processor, combine peeled fava beans, ¼ cup olive oil, garlic, mint or basil, lemon juice and zest, and salt.  Blend until smooth, scraping down the sides of the processor bowl, as needed.

Divide the puree evenly between the slices of bread (about 2-3 teaspoons per slice).  Serve topped with a small slice of pecorino.

Zucchini-Ricotta Rolls

I can’t believe how long it’s been since my last blog post.  I really have been cooking these past two months, but all I have to show for it are several scribbled, half-finished recipes and about a thousand photos.  Hopefully a few of them will make it up here soon.  In the interest of actually finishing this one, I’ll keep it short and to the point. 

These zucchini-ricotta rolls are ridiculously good and inspired by the first farmer’s market zucchini of the year and some leftover ricotta (from Keswick Creamery).  They make an easy-but-impressive, refreshing summer appetizer.

Zucchini-Ricotta Rolls
Zucchini-Ricotta Rotolini



Serves 4-6 (about 24 rolls).

5 ounces ricotta
juice and zest of 1/2 lemon
10 basil leaves, finely chopped
1/2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste

2 medium zucchini
olive oil or grapeseed oil, for grilling


Heat a grill pan over medium heat. (The thin strips of zucchini are probably too delicate for an outdoor grill.)

Stir together ricotta, lemon zest and juice, chopped basil leaves, and extra virgin olive oil. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste. Set aside.



Using a peeler or mandolin, slice zucchini very thin (about 1/16 inch).  Gently toss zucchini strips with oil, a few pinches of salt, and freshly ground black pepper, to taste.



Grill zucchini in batches over medium heat for 1-2 minutes, depending on thickness.  The thinnest strips will not need to be flipped.  When zucchini is tender and well marked, remove to a plate or platter.  Continue with remaining zucchini.



To make the rolls:
Place 1-2 teaspoons of ricotta mixture at the end of each zucchini strip.  Roll.

Serve zucchini rolls at room temperature. 

(They are also great served hot: place rolls in a casserole dish and heat in the oven at 350⁰F for 8-10 minutes.)