Homemade Peppermint Bark Topped Red Velvet Brownies with Chocolate Fudge Icing, White Chocolate, + Crushed Peppermint Candies

Homemade Peppermint Bark Topped Red Velvet Brownies with Chocolate Fudge Icing, White Chocolate, + Crushed Peppermint Candies

I come to you with a sad message today... it's the end of 2014, which means this is my last new recipe for the year :( But the good news is that I will be back tomorrow with out Top Ten Favorite Recipes: Salty + Sweet of the year... YAY!! This is by far our favorite post of the year because we get to reminisce and reflect back on all of the yummy food we were able to create, and more importantly, EAT. But before we get to talkin' about the festive Christmas-treat inspired red velvet brownies I made, let's talk about last night, shall we? As many of my followers know, my Mountain Man + I both attended the University of Alabama and are huge football fans, so we decided to travel down to New Orleans for the Sugar Bowl/First College Football Playoff Game where our Crimson Tide is taking on the Buckeyes of Ohio State. We woke up early, drove all day, unpacked our stuff, and got ready to head out for a night of good cajun food, lots of booze, and even more shenanigans. And I know as I type this story out to y'all, you are probably thinking... Oh man, New Orleans, she got hammered, what if she was arrested, did she get any beads? Well, my friends, the complete opposite happened. We had arrived at the restaurant and just ordered our food, and while waiting, I went outside to answer a phone call. I opened the door and assumed that there were at least 2-3 steps until the sidewalk, but there weren't any, just one largeeeeeeee drop off. I fell to the ground, rolled my ankle, and crashed it into the cement sidewalk. It was so bad that it immediately started swelling and I had to go to the Emergency Room. So, our first night in New Orleans, we spent it getting x-rays, crutches, finding an open pharmacy, and finished by icing my ankle for the rest of the night. Do I have the best luck or what? I mean, I guess I just like to make a big fat freakin' grand entrance wherever I go. Okay, the depressing start of my NYE vacation has come to an end, so let's get to that recipe. My Mountain Man's family always has a huge reunion Christmas party every year, and I knew I had to make a festive dessert to join in on the potluck. As we all know, my borderline-unhealthy relationship has taken over just about every type of dish you can think of, but I had yet to make red velvet brownies. I made them with the all classic "secret southern" ingredients Mama Jones used to make her red velvet cake with... red food coloring, white vinegar, buttermilk powder (instead of buttermilk for better brownie texture), and just a tad bit of mayo to keep it moist. After you mix up the batter, dump it into a prepared baking pan, bake them, and allow them to cool slightly... then you whip up my mother's easy-peasy chocolate fudge poured icing and drown the top of the red velvet brownies in a thick layer of sugary-chocolatey-heavenly goodness. While the fudge icing is beginning to set, yet still a little warm, scatter a thick layer of chopped up Ghirardelli white chocolate peppermint bark bars over the top. The peppermint will begin to melt as well, and that is the perfect time to top the white chocolate with some more crushed peppermint candies. All you gotta do now is wait for the icing and peppermint bark topping to set and firm up before lifting them out of the pan and cutting them into squares. I really think y'all are going to love these because you get to enjoy everything... layers of moist red velvet brownies, melt-on-your-tongue chocolate fudge icing, the texture of set peppermint bark, and the slight crunch/crackle/pop of the refreshing peppermint candies. Go on ahead and try to tell me who doesn't love red velvet + brownies + fudge frosting + peppermint bark... you can't because it's impossible :) So, it might be a little late to make now since the holiday season has passed us, but I could eat these bad boys all year long!! Enjoy :)

For the Red Velvet Brownies:

2 Large Eggs

2T Mayo

1 Stick of Unsalted Butter

2t Vanilla Extract

¼C Unsweetened Cocoa Powder (preferably high-quality)

Heavy Pinch of Salt (or to taste)

1T Red Food Coloring (or more until you reach your preferred, desired red color)

1t White Vinegar

¾C AP Flour 

2T Buttermilk Powder

For the Chocolate Fudge Icing:

1 Stick of Butter

1/3C Dark Cocoa Powder (preferably high-quality)

1 Box of Confectioners’ Sugar

1/3C Milk

Splash of Espresso

1t Vanilla

Pinches of Fleur de Sel, For Sprinkling (optional; but we love the balance)

For the Peppermint Bark Topping:

1-2C Chopped Ghirardelli White Chocolate Peppermint Bark (depending on your preference on how minty you want the brownies to taste, as well as how thick of a topping you want)

Extra Crushed Peppermint Candies, Crushed (for extra flavor and a nice crunch)

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line 13x9 sized baking pan with foil (let it hang over top of pan) and spray with nonstick cooking/baking spray. Set it aside while you make the brownie batter.
2. For the Red Velvet Brownies: Whisk together the cocoa powder and boiling water together in large bowl until smooth. Add unsweetened chocolate and whisk until chocolate is melted. Whisk in melted butter and oil. (Mixture may look curdled.) Add eggs, yolks, and vanilla and continue to whisk until smooth and fully incorporated. Whisk in sugar until fully incorporated. Add flour and salt and mix with rubber spatula until combined.
3. Baking the Red Velvet Brownies: Scrape batter into prepared pan and bake until toothpick inserted halfway between edge and center comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached, 30 to 45 minutes (depending on the size of your pan and heat of your oven). Transfer the warm brownies to wire rack and let cool for 20-30 minutes.
4. To Make the Fudge Icing: Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Stir in the cocoa, keeping the mixture hot. Add in the remaining ingredients quickly and beat until smooth. Spread warm icing on the cooled brownies, and sprinkle with a little fleur del sel (optional).
5. Finishing the Brownies: While them icing begins to firm (yet is just slightly warm), scatter the chopped up white chocolate peppermint bark all over the fudge icing until you have a thick layer that begins to melt on top. Since the white chocolate is beginning to melt, sprinkle the tops of that with crushed up peppermint candies.
6. Serving the Brownies: Once the icing and peppermint back set, lift the brownies out of the pan, using the parchment paper, and cut them into squares. Serve immediately at y'all's Christmas parties!

source: red velvet brownies.

Festive Christmas Cheeseball with Boursin Cheese, Cranberry Cheddar, Aged Gruyere, Caramelized Walnuts, Crispy Sage, Chives, + Rolled in Pomegranate Arils

Festive Christmas Cheeseball with Boursin Cheese, Cranberry Cheddar, Aged Gruyere, Caramelized Walnuts, Crispy Sage, Chives, + Rolled in Pomegranate Arils

Hey y'all, sorry I have been out of commission, we have been traveling non-stop. First we were in Birmingham for about a week, and then Atlanta for a few days, and in just two day, we're heading off to New Orleans for the Alabama vs. Ohio State game at the Sugar Bowl for the first football playoff game... oh yeah, and we get to celebrate New Years Eve there too!! So it will have been a couple crazy weeks. But even though we are heading to the famous Bourbon Street, sadly, we have to admit that Christmas has passed us once again :( I can't believe it has already come + gone and now we have have to wait a'whole'nother year before celebrating it again. This year, since we were so busy, I unfortunately didn't get to make but two new recipes to honor the holiday season. This is the first recipe and it is the perfect party appetizer that all your friends + family are sure to enjoy. And hey, it's festive in color, to boot! The cheeseball begins with softened cream cheese + boursin cheese, shredded cranberry cheddar + aged gruyere, caramelized walnuts, crispy sage, fresh chives, and finally rolled in pomegranate arils. How perfect is that... green, red, + white? It's like Santa's elves made it themselves. Honestly, it is so easy to make as well. All you have to do is beat together the softened cream cheese and boursin until whipped + cohesive. And then toss in the the shredded cheese, walnuts, herbs, and some fresh cracked pepper. Mix it together until a cohesive mixture is formed, and using plastic wrap, roll it into one large ball or two medium-sized balls, before placing them into the fridge to chill. Meanwhile, pour your pomegranate arils onto a thickly, paper towel-lined cutting board and spread them out, so that they can dry as much as possible. The more moisture removed, the better the cheeseball will look and taste (we don't want no soggy cheese, y'all)!! After the cheeseball has chilled out in the fridge and the pomegranate is perfectly dry, you just need roll the ball around in the arils, pressing them in slightly, so that they adhere and stick to the cheese... making the perfect presentation. You can serve the festive christmas cheeseball directly out of the refrigerator or you can let it soften a bit, so it is easier to spread onto various crackers. This appetizer hits every flavor note that you could ever want... salty, sweet, juicy, herby, cheesy, fruity, creamy, + nutty!! I hope y'all get to enjoy this one before New Years Day!! Enjoy :)

 

For the Festive Cheeseball:

4T Unsalted Butter, Melted

16 Fresh Sage Leaves

1 Round of Boursin Cheese, Softened

8oz Cream Cheese, Softened

6oz Cranberry Cheddar, Shredded

6oz Aged Gruyere, Shredded

1C Caramelized Walnuts

¼C Fresh Minced Chives (or more if you please)

Fresh Cracked Pepper, To Taste

1C Fresh Pomegranate Arils (enough to cover the ball; dried cranberries are a good substitute)

Various Styles of Crackers, For Serving

Directions:

1. Frying the Sage: Heat a skillet over medium heat and add butter. Once it's sizzling, toss in the sage leaves and cook until crispy - flipping once and cooking about 1 minute per side. Remove the sage leaves and place them on a paper towel to crisp up a bit. Set the butter aside.

2. Making the Cheeseball: In the bowl of your electric mixer, combine the cream cheese, mascarpone and cheddar cheese. Beat until combined, and then add in the almonds, sage leaves, remaining butter, salt and pepper. Mix on low speed until combined, about 1 minute, scraping down the sides and the bottom if needed. Take the cheese mixture out of the bowl and mold it into a big ball as best you can. Roll it in plastic wrap and place it in the fridge for 30 minutes.

3. Prepping the Pomegranate: Meanwhile, place the arils on a paper towel and pat them completely dry. Let them sit out while the cheese is chilling to remove as much liquid from them as possible. This will keep the cheeseball pretty, and not wet or slimy.

4. Finishing the Cheeseball: After 30 minutes, mold the cheese into more of a smooth ball. Add the arils to a plate or baking sheet and roll the ball through them, using your hands to press arils into all the cracks and crevices. You will need to gently press so the arils adhere to the cheese. At this time, you can serve it immediately or keep it in the fridge until ready to use. If you want to make it ahead of time, you can rolls the ball 1 to 2 days beforehand. I'd wait until the night before or morning of to add the pomegranate arils, and you may need to let the cheese come to room temp a bit so it's sticky enough.

5. Serve with various types of crackers and enjoy with friends + family!

Source: Pomegranate Jeweled, White Cheddar, Toasted Almond, and Crispy Sage Cheeseball

Sweet + Salty Pie with Black Himalayan Salt + Maple-Bourbon Whoop

Sweet + Salty Pie with Black Himalayan Salt + Maple-Bourbon Whoop

To me, pie is the ultimate food group of the Thanksgiving meal. I can safely say that every year I way over-do it with how many pies I make. The number of them grow to the point that we have more pies than side dishes. Typically there is a bourbon-chocolate chip-pecan pie, buttermilk pie, salted caramel apple pie, crack pie, and either a sweet potato or pumpkin pie. In other words, we have a veritable array  of a pie pupu platter. So, my goal this year was to get started on making up a new dessert to add into the mix. We all know that I am mildly obsessed with the combination of sweet + salty... I top my cookies and coffee with salt and it is practically a scientific fact that salt makes all desserts better. You bet your sweet ass it does. And this pie, well, it hits that note perfectly. The base of this pie is primarily made up of brown sugar, brown butter, eggs, cream, and bourbon. Isn't that music to y'all's ears? After I whip up the custard-like base, I pour it into my go-to vanilla bean crust and bake it until it just has the slightest jiggle in the center. What is so glorious about this pie is the different textures that come about... you have the flaky crust, the smooth center, and the perfect crackly crust on top. It reminds me of a damn-good brownie where it is gooey underneath and slightly crisp above that. After you let the pie set and chill, it's time to brush the top of it with something sticky... you can use light or dark corn syrup, a little bit of brown butter, honey, or maple syrup. Just a little dab will do ya because you only need it as a way for the black himalayan salt to stick to it while you slice + eat it. Now any fancy/flaky/rock salt will work. The first time I made this recipe, I opted to use flaky smoked fleur de sel and it tasted great, but it blended in with the color of the pie and I wanted a contrast of color because we all eat with our eyes first. When I made it a second time, I decided that the black himalayan salt would be the perfect garnish (and it was). Now you might think that having such big pieces of salt would make the pie overly savory, but it doesn't... it only balances it more! Finally when we got around to eating the finished product, I topped it with my Maple-Bourbon Whoop, which is just a fancy whipped cream that is spiked with maple syrup + bourbon. From the different textures to its flavor profile, this pie is an overall winner, and it would make the perfect addition to your Thanksgiving table!! Enjoy :)

rolling out my vanilla bean pastry crust

and pouring in the luscious custard base 

look at that crackly crust :)

For the Homemade Crust:

1 ¼C AP Flour (plus extra for rolling)

½t Salt

1 ½t Sugar

1 Stick of Unsalted Butter, Very Cold

3-4T Ice Water

For the Sweet + Salty Pie:

1lb Dark Brown Sugar

4 Large Eggs

¼C Heavy Cream

½t Vanilla Extract

1t Bourbon

¼t Kosher Salt

4T Brown Butter (melted and cooled some)

Light or Dark Corn Syrup, Honey, Brown Butter, or Maple Syrup (for brushing)

Black Himalayan Salt (or any fancy salt), For Sprinkling (the topping)

For the Bourbon-Maple Whoop:

1C Heavy Cream

¼C Grade B Maple Syrup

2-3T Bourbon

Directions:

1. For the Homemade Crust: Start by cutting the sticks of butter into ½inch cubes and placing in the freezer bag, along with the flour, salt, and sugar. Place the bag of flour into the freezer and chill for at least 1-2 hours. In a food processor, pour the frozen flour bag in and pulse 6-8 times until the mixture resembles a course meal, with pea size pieces of butter. Add water 1T at a time, pulsing until the mixture just begins to clump together. If you pinch of some of the crumbly dough and it holds together then it’s ready. Remove the dough from the machine and place on a clean surface. Shape the dough into a disc. Do not over knead the dough. You should still be able to see little bits of butter in the dough. Cut the dough into 4 small balls and sprinkle the discs with a little flour on all sides and wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least an hour. Remove the discs from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes. Sprinkle some flour on top of the disc. Roll out with a rolling pin on a lightly floured surface to a 12inch circle (1/8inch thick). Place rolled out disc on to a deep dish spring form pan, lining up the fold with the center of the pan, trimming the excess and crimping the edges. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze for 30 minutes.

2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

3. For the Pie Filling: In the bowl of a standing mixer, fitted with a whisk attachment, blend together the dark brown sugar, eggs, heavy cream, vanilla, bourbon, and kosher salt until completely blended and smooth. With the machine running, slowly stream in the melted brown butter until it is all completely incorporated.

4. Baking the Pie: Pour the custard into the prepared pie shell and bake for convection for 30-45 minutes (depending on your oven), or until the pie is puffed and golden brown, if shaken, it will jiggle a little bit but will not be liquid at all.

5. For the Maple-Bourbon Whoop: In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the cream and maple syrup together on medium-high speed until soft peaks form. Whisk in the whiskey 1T at a time. With the mixer on high speed, continue whipping until medium-stiff peaks form. Refrigerate until ready to use.

6. Allow the pie to cool completely before cutting. Once it has cooled, brush the top with one of the sticky substances (corn syrup, honey, butter, or maple syrup) and sprinkle the top with the black Himalayan salt. Serve a slice of pie with some maple-bourbon whipped cream.

#instagrub: Homemade Cranberry Pepper Jelly (for the holidays)

homemade cranberry pepper jelly (for the holidays)

It's officially holiday season, y'all! I anxiously wait every year for Halloween to pass, so I can focus on two of my favorite days of the year... Thanksgiving (and a Friendsgiving thrown in there too) + Christmas. These two holidays are for foodie junkies, which I proudly am. I'm that person that ends up making almost every component, and way too much, so everyone should invite me over. I'll start taking bids now. But I have a hidden agenda, well it's not so hidden anymore, because the only reason I love these holidays are because of the leftover sandwiches the next day. I went crazy last year with this triple decker turducken club sandwich... then I made this thanksgiving panini on homemade pumpkin bread... and before that, I whipped up this thanksgiving leftovers tartine with french toasted dressing cake... finally, I put together my first-ever edition of the "moist maker" sandwich. So you see, we are veteran leftover-using people around this joint. And with every sandwich we've ever made, what's going on them is very, very, VERY important. Today we're talking about the condiment portion of the famous dish. We usually go two routes when making a Thanksgiving sandwich... one homemade aioli and one cranberry sauce. Most of the time you just spread whatever cranberry thing you made that year on to a slice of bread, but I have started preparing earlier on in the season by making a cranberry condiment. I want something that tart yet sweet, chunky + spreadable, and with the slightest hint of heat. This recipe for homemade cranberry pepper jelly has become that go-to condiment for us. Obviously, as Southerners, we love us some sweet + spicy pepper jelly, so why not make a version of this for holidays? It's quite brilliant actually.

reduced-down peppers + pectin with fresh cranberries about to be added in....

You start with some red bell peppers, red jalapenos (or habaneros), sugar, salt, red pepper flakes, liquid pectin, and lemon juice and simmer that down for a little bit until the juices thicken. After a little while you add in some fresh cranberries and cook them until they burst.

Mmm fresh cranberries + spicy peppers

After that has cooked down and pretty much finished, I like to add in some dried cherries or cranberries at the last minute, so they reconstitute a little bit and plump up some to give the pepper jelly some texture. It's allllllll about the texture, people.

Now for the dried cherries (or dried cranberries) for TEXTURE

Once it's all finished up and thickened up real nice, just put them into jars and they'll keep for nearly a month! I think it's a super cute holiday gift for family, friends, or neighbors. So why not pass some out, so everyone can enjoy Thanksgiving leftover sandwiches with you? You'll save them a step and give them something that they'll love... it's a win-win!! Enjoy :)

the finished product!!

For the Cranberry Pepper Jelly:

3 Red Bell Peppers, Finely Chopped

3 Red Jalapeno Peppers, Finely Chopped

1C Sugar

1 ½t Red Pepper Flakes

½t Salt

¼C Liquid Pectin

1T Fresh Lemon Juice

3C Fresh Cranberries

5oz Dried Cherries or Cranberries (one small package)

Directions:

1. Put the bell peppers and jalapenos in a food processor and pulse to finely chop.

2. Combine peppers, chiles, sugar, red pepper flakes and salt in a heavy wide pot over medium heat and bring to a simmer, stirring to dissolve sugar. Stir in pectin and lemon juice. Reduce heat and simmer gently for 10 minutes.

3. Stir in cranberries and simmer gently until they burst and juices thicken, about 10 minutes longer.

4. Lastly, stir in the dried cherries/cranberries and let them simmer for about 2-3 minutes until they slightly reconstitute and plump up again.

5. Transfer jelly to a jar, let cool, and cover. Will keep for up to 3 weeks in the refrigerator.

source: cranberry-pepper jelly recipe

Revamped : Christmas Pretzel Toffee with Milk Chocolate, Bittersweet Chocolate, Crunchy Toffee Chips, + Vanilla Bean Fleur de Sel

Christmas Pretzel Toffee with Milk Chocolate, Bittersweet Chocolate,
Crunchy Toffee Chips, + Vanilla Bean Fleur de Sel

A couple years ago, I made Salted Pretzel Toffee, and it was great. It had the slightest twist on the original classic, but I missed the texture of the crackers. While strolling through the grocery store yesterday, I saw Ritz Pretzel Crackers and my mind was blownnnnnn. And I feel like Christmas Toffee is a tradition in almost every household during the holidays. Everywhere I go, someone is making toffee. So I figured why not make another batch, but with these new crackers. Well, I took this version to a whole new level. It reaches a gratifying level of salty + sweet. The crackers are buttery, flaky, and have the slightest hint of salt. After I layer those into a pan, I boiled dark brown sugar, butter, and two vanilla beans to make my butterscotch sauce that covered the crackers and baked them just for a little bit, to make sure that it all set properly. On top of everything, I used one bag of high quality bittersweet chocolate + one bag of high quality milk chocolate. Once it melted, I spread it into a thin layer and generously topped it with crushed toffee bits and homemade vanilla bean fleur de sel!! This is what (Christmas) dreams are made of, people! It's so addicting that the whole bag will be gone within an hour. So why eat that boring old recipe, when you can have the gourmet edition. Oh and P.S. MERRY MERRY CHRISTMAS Y'ALL!! Enjoy :)

look at those toffee crunchy bits :)

For the Christmas Pretzel Toffee:

1 ½ Boxes of Ritz Pretzel Crackers (¾ of the crackers whole, ¼ of the crackers crushed)

4 Sticks of Unsalted Butter, Room Temperature

2C Dark Brown Sugar

2 Vanilla Beans, Split & Scraped for Seeds

½t Sea Salt

1 Bag of Ghirardelli Bittersweet Chocolate Chips

1 Bag of Ghirardelli Milk Chocolate Chips

1 Bag of Toffee Bits

Homemade Vanilla Bean Fleur de Sel, For Sprinkling

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

2. For the Toffee: Line a baking sheet with a Silpat and arrange the whole crackers in an even layer, and then sprinkle the remaining crushed crackers into any cracks or holes, so that the whole tray is filled.

3. For the Butterscotch Caramel Sauce: In a medium saucepan, melt the butter, dark brown sugar, vanilla bean seeds, and salt together and boil until it turns a caramel color and is smooth in texture (whisking the entire time). This will take about 3-5 minutes. Remove from the heat and immediately pour the caramel over the crackers, covering them evenly.

4. Baking the Toffee: Put the baking sheet into the oven and bake for 5-10 minutes or until just bubbly, making sure to watch it very carefully. Remove from the oven and sprinkle both types of chocolate chips over the crackers. The chocolate should start to melt, but if isn’t melting fast enough, you can pop it back in the oven for another minute or two, and that should make it spreadable enough. When the chips have melted, spread them in an even layer over the top with a rubber spatula. Immediately sprinkle the bag of toffee bits and fleur de sel over the melted chocolate and just slightly press the bits into the chocolate, making sure that they will stick to the chocolate once everything has cooled & hardened.

5. Transfer the pan to the freezer for 20-30 minutes or until completely cold. Once cold, break them or cut them up into small squares or pieces and enjoy!