Mr. Flavor Bakes? Fudge Brownie-Banana Vanilla Ice Cream Sundae

First off, Happy Valentine's Day! It's important to show love all 365 days of the year, and we all know it's a Hallmark holiday- but it nice to be a bit more gushy on this chocolatey romantic day! We honestly do not have anything planned. We worked, paid a ginormous bill, and budgeted- how romantic! Paying bills is sexy to me...ok not really...

Saturday, my daughter wanted ice cream after a cold day's out at the playground. She really does ask for random things at random times. She asks for sausages when she first wakes up, or asks where's my doughnut before we kiss her goodnight. Haha...food is always on her mind!  Anyway, she asked for ice cream- BANILLA ice cream to be precise. For some reason when she asked for it, I became nostalgic for Baskin Robbins Hot Fudge brownie Banana Sundae. Not sure what the name is exactly, all I know is I ate it by the bucket-loads during my first pregnancy. When we told the little ones about the dessert plan, they were most certainly down.

The brownie recipe was my first successful baking recipe  a few years back. It's posted here with some changes.  This time, my husband and I agreed thinner brownies are better for this and we also added about 1/3 cup of semisweet chocolate chips to the batter. Use any brownie recipe you like. This one is a good one, though! Also, if cooking in a 13 by 9 pan bake for about 17-23 minutes.

The husband took the lead on this one and he didn't do bad at all :) Great way for us to spend some much needed time together, too. Happy Valentine's Day! This is great for anytime of the year if you ask me ;) We forgot to buy heavy cream to make whipped cream, but you don't really need it. Unless you're kinky like that ....

You will need:
A Brownie Recipe
Vanilla Ice Cream- homemade or purchased (we bought Haegen-Daaz)
2 ripe bananas
Your choice of toppings such as melted semi-sweet chocolate, toasted walnuts, whipped cream cherries, etc

Directions:
Once brownies are slightly cooled, cut 'em up, top with ice cream, sliced bananas,  melted chocolate and nuts (or whatever you want)

And voila! Easy peasy husband pleasy ;)



His toes are curlin' ;)

Enjoy!!!

Heath Bits Peanut Butter Cookies

Warning: These cookies are highly addictive. 

While shopping for some quick dinner ingredients Wednesday afternoon, I happened to find a display for Heath Bits on sale. I've never eaten the chocolate bar before, but for some reason, I really wanted to try it. So I grabbed it quickly before I could change my mind hurried my shopping thinking of what to do with the chocolate and toffee bits. When I got home, I checked out the recipes on  the back of the bag for some ideas for baking, but when I saw the recipe for the cookies, I couldn't go on any further! I wanted to make them soon after dinner, but the husband told me to be patient, he has a Physical Training test Friday morning. I did however make them first thing the next morning...he wasn't here and those bits were all "try me....try me NOW!"

The cookies tasted out of this world good. I mean, really, how can you go wrong with peanut butter, chocolate and toffee? The soft chewy cookie along with the slight crunch of the toffee was divine.

If you don't have these Heath Bits in your area and you live in Europe please let me know via e-mail (my e-mail is under contact me). I'll send a package to the first 5 folk who asks...I need to make it to the post office anyway.  But really this can be made with any toffee chocolate bar, just crush it into small pieces.

So no excuses not to try this people!

Heath Bits Peanut Butter Cookies
From the back of the bag ;-)
Printable Recipe

Ingredients
1/2 cup shortening
3/4 cup peanut butter
1 1/4 cup light brown sugar
3 T milk
1 T pure vanilla extract
1 egg
1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
3/4 t baking soda
3/4 t salt
1 1/3 cup Heath Milk Chocolate Toffee Bits

Directions
Heat oven to 375°F.
Beat shortening, peanut butter, brown sugar, milk and vanilla in large bowl until well blended. Add egg; beat just until blended. Combine flour, baking soda and salt; gradually beat into peanut butter mixture. Stir in 1 cup bits; reserve remainder for topping.

Drop by heaping teaspoons about 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet; top each with reserved bits.


Bake 7 to 8 minutes or until set. Do not overbake. Cool 2 minutes. Remove to wire rack. Cool completely. About 3 dozen cookies.

Strawberry Cornmeal Muffins

I first saw Cornbread Jam Muffins while reading one the first blogs I discovered and fell in love at first sight, The Foodinista. I saw these and thought, dang my little ones would love this! My eldest son isn't a fan of red foods unless they're gummy/hard candy form. I don't get it either. So he didn't even want to try these, which was fine- more for me...er the rest of my family!

I found a similar recipe on Joy of Baking and made some small changes like adding whole wheat flour and using frozen, chopped strawberries. My little ones, who does love "bewwies" really enjoyed these and was angry when they were eaten up! The main culprit is Curly Sous herself.

These were very nice- good for any time of the day! My husband and I think that any other berry as the original recipe states would go very well with this! The strawberries were bursting with goodness as well! Give em a shot. They're extremely easy to put together and your little one can take the lead....

Strawberry Cornmeal Muffins

Adapted from Joy of Baking

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup cornmeal
2/3 cup granulated white sugar
4 t baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
Zest of one lemon
1 cup fresh or frozen strawberries
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 cup milk
1/4 cup safflower, corn, or canola oil
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Garnish:
2 tablespoons white sugar (coarse or granulated)

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C). Position rack in center of oven. Butter or spray with a non stick cooking spray 12 - 2 3/4 x 1 1/2 inch muffin cups. Can also line with paper liners.

In a large bowl combine the flours, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, salt, and lemon zest. 

In a separate bowl combine 2 tablespoons of this mixture with the strawberries.

In a large measuring cup or bowl whisk together the egg, milk, oil, and vanilla extract.

With a rubber spatula fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir only until the ingredients are combined. Gently stir in the berries. Do not over mix the batter or tough muffins will result. 

Evenly fill the muffin cups with batter, using two spoons or an ice cream scoop. Sprinkle with the white sugar.

 Place in the oven and bake until lightly browned and a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean, about 15 - 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool for about 5 minutes before removing from pan. 

Note: If using frozen berries you may have to bake the muffins a little longer than the stated time.

Enjoy!!

Chorizo and Pork Belly with White Beans

Farmers hide your piggies and vegans/vegetarians beware! This soup is all about the delicious, flavorful and juicy pig. Pig in 3 different ways: we have the Spanish chorizo (from wiki): Spanish chorizo is made from coarsely chopped pork and pork fat, seasoned with smoked pimentón (paprika) and salt. It is generally classed as eitherpicante (spicy) or dulce (sweet), depending upon the type of smoked paprika used. Then we have my favorite part of the pig, pork belly, and dry cured form of pork belly called Pancetta. However, I can not find Pancetta here to save my life (Friends/Readers in Germany help a mama out, bitte?) I asked another food lover which subsitute is best, and found that Bauchspeck is a great replacement. Like Pancetta, Bauchspeck is from the pig's belly and  then dried, cured, but unlike pancetta, is smoked. To compensate for flavor, the friend suggested that I add more garlic, chili flakes and nutmeg to the recipe. It worked a treat! 





I am not sure when or why I stumbled across the recipe on the BBC Good Food's site, but I am so happy I did. We love chorizo and pork belly on their own in different ways, putting them together is perfection! I don't  have much experience with pancetta given that it's harder to find here from my own experience, but if the substitute bauchspeck is any indication of pancetta's awesomeness? I am a big big fan. 


This stew or pork convention-in-a-bowl is hearty filling and the beans adds a nice texture and believe it or not taste. You can use Cannellini beans or haricots (as the original recipe)I don't think I would love this as much without them! Even better it's simple, as it's delicious. Chop some aromatic/bellies/sausage and some aromatics add a good glug of wine, spices and water let it slow cook and infuse your home with lovely aroma and you're pretty much done until you add the beans at the end! This is definitely a man pleasing meal, but I could have ate the whole entire pot on my own. I love me some pork and beans. 






Chorizo & Pork Belly with White Beans
 Adapted  From BBC Good Food's site
Printable Recipe
Ingredients
1 1/2 lb piece of boneless pork belly , skin removed
1 T olive oil
1/4 lb pancetta or any dried cured belly meat (I used bauchspeck) thick bacon may work, too
1 large onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1 tsp hot smoked paprika

1/2 tsp nutmeg

pinch red pepper flakes
1/2 lb chorizo, roughly chopped
1 -14oz can chopped tomatoes
1/2 cup red wine
2 14-oz cans of Great Northern Beans or cannellini, drained and rinsed
a bunch coriander

Directions
Heat the oven to 160C/310F. Cut the pork belly into large chunks. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large, ovenproof casserole and fry the pork in batches over a high heat until browned all over, then remove with a slotted spoon.

Add the pancetta and cook for 2-3 minutes until golden, then reduce the heat slightly and add the onion and garlic. Cook for 2-3 minutes until softened. Stir in the paprika and chorizo also nutmeg and chili flakes if using and cook for a minute or so. Return the pork to the pan and tip in the tomatoes. Pour in the wine and enough water just to cover - about 1 cup.

 Season, cover and cook in the oven for 2 hours. Stir in the haricot beans and return to the oven, without the lid, for 20-30 minutes. 

Stir in the coriander

I served with a family favorite- Buttermilk Cornbread from All Recipes. I substituted 1/2 cup milk plus 1/2 cup with a teaspoon on white vinegar for buttermilk. I also used 1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour and 1/2 cup whole wheat flour for 1 cup of flour, then baked in 13 by 9 baking pan. Turned out delicious and went very well with stew. Serve with any bread you like, my parents would have used a slice of good ol' white bread. That's how we rolled. This stew and bread was enjoyed by my whole family.

Enjoy!!