Fudgy Brownie with Salted Chocolate Frosting

I normally don't crave sweets but when I do, I crave hard. I wanted something sweet but a bit salty & bitter. I also wanted something chewy. The only thing that could satisfy this craving are Fudgy Brownies! I've made these brownies several times and they always come out delicious! There are some add ins that I swap out. Sometimes I'll add orange zest   or lime zest. Sometimes I'll add cinnamon & cayenne. Sometimes I'll just kept it pure chocolate. This time around I added cinnamon & cardamon. I love the combination of the two. Cinnamon gives these brownies warmth and the cardamon gives them this flowery note that goes great with the chocolate.

The cocoa powder is important. I use dark cocoa powder when I want an intense chocolate, richer, more bitter less sweet. I'll use a regular natural cocoa powder, more sweet less bitter. On the occasion I'll divide the amount of cocoa equally. My personal favorite is the dark cocoa powder. I just love the richness!  Yum!! 

The frosting is a chocolaty frosting with just a touch of salt. The salt shows off the chocolate in the best way. You always need a little salt in your sweet! 

Buen Provecho!! 

Fudgy Brownie- yields 12-16 squares 

Ingredients:

3/4 cocoa powder

1 stick of butter

1 cup sugar 

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp salt

2  large eggs

2/3 cups flour

1 tsp cinnamon (optional)

1/2 tsp cardamon (optional)

Salted Chocolate Frosting:

1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 tbsp butter

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1-2 tbsp powder sugar

1 tbsp milk

Up to 1/8 tsp salt, taste as you add

Road Map:

1. Preheat oven 325F. Melt stick of butterin saucepan. Meanwhile mix cocoa with sugar in a medium bowl. Whisk hot butter to mixture. Mixture will appear grainy.

2. Add vanilla, salt and eggs. Mix 1 egg at a time.

3. Add flour until well incorporated. The batter will be thick. Pour batter into an 8x8 pan, smooth out. Bake for 35 mins. If using a nonstick pan bake for 20-25 mins.

7.  Test brownie with a toothpick to check doneness. If toothpick comes out clean it's ready. Let brownies cool completely in pan, meanwhile make frosting.

8. Melt chocolate chips in microwave for about 1 1/2 minutes in 30 second intervals, mix each time until chocolate is melted. You may not need all 1 1/2 minutes. Once chocolate is melted add butter, milk, vanilla mix well. Add salt little by little. Do to your taste. 

9. Add powder sugar 1 tbsp at a time, test for thickness and sweetness. Add sugar to taste. 

10. Once brownies are completely cool cover in frosting. Let stand until frosting has set. Enjoy!! 

Melt stick of butter

Combine sugar & cocoa

Add hot butter

Mix together. Mixture will be grainy.

Add 1/4 tsp salt

Add 1 tsp vanilla extract

Add eggs, 1 at a time

Add 1 tsp cinnamon

Add 1/2 tsp Cardamon

Add flour and mix. Use a spatula or wooden spoon. Ignore the whisk in the picture.

The batter will be thick.

Spread batter into an 8x8 pan.

Test with toothpick for doneness.

Frosting time. Melt chocolate in microwave 30 seconds at a time. Mix each time...

...until it looks like this.

Add 1 tbsp butter. Chocolate may clump up just keep mixing.

Add milk & vanilla and mix until smooth.

It should look like this.

Pour over cooled brownies.

Spread and let stand until frosting sets.

Ready!

So chocolaty! Enjoy with a tall glass of milk!!

Platanos Frito - Comfort Food Edition

One of my childhood favorites is a very simple dish, platanos fritos. Platanos or plantains are wonderfully sweet caramelized dish. It perfect for anytime of day. My mom would make this on weekends. It's a typical Salvadoran dish. A side of eggs, refried beans, queso fresco and crema would complete the meal. I have fond memories of this dish and it always brings back warm thoughts. Anytime I eat this meal I feel like a kid again. It's one of the few dish I can make like mom does.

Platanos fritos are ripe plantain fried in a pan with a bit of oil. You can deep fry them but I prefer to them pan fried. Though it's a simple dish its doesn't always come out the way you like. The platano has natural sugars so if you're not careful they will burn. I have had the first few come out beautifully golden brown while the others burnt. Personally, I like them a little burnt because I like it crispy & crunchy. When I would help Mom make this dish I would burn a few on purpose, so I could have them. : ) Shh, that's our little secret.

If you are making this for a family I would use 4-6 platanos, depending on your families' appetite.


To get started I add 1Tbsp oil to the pan on medium heat so it's waiting for me and not the other way around. I cut the platano in half. Then I cut the ends off. Then I carefully peel the skin off. The skin is thick so I use a paring knife to put a slit through the skin then peel. Keep the skin, they will be our "foil" to keep the cooked platanos warm while the rest cook.

The next step is the hard part. You would cut the half into 3 or 4 pieces lengthwise. I take the half in my hand and slice the platanos, with a paring knife, along the lines they naturally have. The slices should be about 1/4 inch or so. Now the platanos are slippery so for beginners I would recommend you use a cutting board and carefully slice lengthwise.

Once they are all cut, add them to the oil, carfeul not to crowd the pan. Check every 2 to 4 minutes to see if ready. You're looking for it to be golden brown. Once the first side is brown, flip and wait 2-4 minutes until it's golden brown. When ready, transfer to a plate and cover with the skins to keep warm while you finish cooking the rest. You can serve the platanos with a side of refried beans, cream (sour cream) eggs and/or queso fresco. For some easy beans, just buy Ducal Black refried beans. They are the best packaged beans I've had. I add a little diced onion into my beans when I cook them it gives them an extra pop of flavor.

If you want something sweeter you can add sugar to the platanos as they cook. You can even take those "candied" platanos add a little cinnamon and make them an ice cream topping. It's unusual but delicious. 

Platanos make me so happy. They fill my belly and my heart. Pure comfort food.

Buen Provecho!

You want nice black plantanos, they're sweeter!

With a paring knife cut off ends.

Split down the middle, careful not to cut through the platanos

Peel skin and cut in half.

I cut holding it but for beginners lay it on the cutting board.

Halfway

Look at those beauties.

Cover with peel to keep warm while you cook the rest.

Serve with refried beans, sour cream, queso fresco or egg or all the above!

Delicious caramelized goodness!!!

Fluffy Banana Pancakes

It is said that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, which you can eat anytime of the day. I may have added that last point, but it is no less true. Breakfast has so many delicious choices, waffles, bacon, sausage, hash brown, eggs benedict, crepes, omelet and pancakes! Breakfast always leaves me so happy and content.

One of my favorite snacks as a kid was chopped banana with sour cream and a drizzle of honey. The combination of sweet banana, tart sour cream and flowery honey was a delicate balance of deliciousness. So simple yet so satisfying. I decided to upgrade that snack into a breakfast. Pancakes seems to be the perfect fit.

I mash some bananas in the batter and then placed whole pieces in the batter as it cooks, giving it a lovely texture. This way you get the creaminess of the banana and caramelized goodness of the whole pieces. 

Start your day, afternoon, evening right and have a stack of these delicious fluffy banana pancakes!

Buen Provecho!

Add wet ingredients.

Mix wet & dry ingredients. Careful not to over mix.

I pour my thick batter with a 1/3 measuring cup.

Look at those beauties.

Bubbles forming, ready to flip

Caramelized goodness!

Stack Attack!

Ready, Set, Eat!

Fluffy Banana Pancakes - Yields 10 medium pancakes

Ingredients:

1 cup All Purpose Flour
1/4 tsp Baking Powder
2 Tbsp Sugar
1/2 Tsp Baking Soda
1 Tsp Cinnamon
1 Lrg Egg
1/2 cup Sour Cream
1/2 cup Milk
3 Tbsp Unsalted butter melted, plus for pan
1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
2-3 Bananas
Salt, pinch 



Road Map:

1. Whisk together flour, baking powder, sugar and baking soda in a bowl.

2. Mash 1 1/2 bananas into a 2nd bowl. Add egg, sour cream, milk and butter to the mashed bananas.

3. Combine the wet into the dry ingredients and mix completely.

4. Slice the remaining banana.

5. Preheat griddle or non stick pan to medium heat. Add some butter to grease. Pour batter to form a
    medium sized pancake. Put banana slices on each pancake while it cooks. Cook until bubbles
    appear, flip and continue to cook until golden.

6. Serve warm, with butter & honey or maple syrup.

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