MY TURN!!! TWD: Chocolate Pudding

This week it was my turn to choose the recipe for Tuesdays with Dorie. It was a challenge to pick just one. I seriously thought I was going to choose something other than a dessert (I'm kind of not a dessert person...yea yea yea...my jaw is on the floor too), but then the chocolate pudding caught my eye. I LOVE chocolate pudding. I remember being a kid and my mom making it for us - it's just one of my all time favorite comfort foods.

This was so easy to make. It really looked more time consuming than it was. Some people apparently had problems because their food processors overflowed. I didn't have any problem with my 11-cup processor. It was perfect. Topped with some whipped cream, the pudding was oh so yummy and so smooth...I'm assuming due to the food processor although I might try a hand blender next time for extra easy pudding! I had lots of taste testers too since I made this at my parent's house. Everyone loved it and I'll definitely make it again. My sister will just have to be jealous that she missed it since she was in Hawaii! Ok...maybe I'm the one who should be jealous!

Make sure you check out everyone else's pudding here.

Chocolate Pudding
Courtesy of Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan

• 2 ¼ cups whole milk
• 6 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg
• 2 large egg yolks
• 5 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted and still warm
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Have six ramekins or pudding cups, each holding 4 to 6 ounces (½ to ¾ cup), at hand.

Bring 2 cups of the milk and 3 tablespoons of the sugar to a boil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan.

While the milk is heating, put the cocoa, cornstarch and salt into a food processor and whir to blend. Turn them out onto a piece of wax paper, put the remaining 3 tablespoons sugar, the egg and egg yolks into the processor and blend for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the remaining ¼ cup milk and pulse just to mix, then add the dry ingredients and pulse a few times to blend.

With the machine running, very slowly pour in the hot milk mixture. Process for a few seconds, then put everything back into the saucepan. Whisk without stopping over medium heat – making sure to get into the edges of the pan – until the pudding thickens and a couple of bubbles burble up to the surface and pop (about 2 minutes). You want the pudding to thicken, but you don’t want it to boil, so lower the heat if necessary.

Scrape the pudding back into the processor (if there’s a scorched spot, avoid it as you scrape) and pulse a couple of times. Add the chocolate, butter and vanilla and pulse until everything is evenly blended.

Pour the pudding into the ramekins. If you don’t want a skin to form (some people think the skin is the best part), press a piece of plastic wrap against the surface of each pudding to create an airtight seal. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

Makes 6 servings

Serving: I think these are vest served with a small spoonful of lightly sweetened whipped cream or crème fraîche, but when I was a kid, My-T-Fine was often topped with a layer of un-whipped cold heavy cream.

Storing: Covered, and kept away from foods with strong odors, the puddings can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.

Playing Around: If you’d like to add a little crunch to these puddings, your options are myriad. You could fold Scharffen Berger cocoa nibs (see page 479) into the hot pudding, or you could sprinkle some over the whipped cream topping. Another choice is to borrow the crunchies from another dessert – for instance, the spiced nut, raisin and chocolate swirl from Nutty, Chocolaty, Swirly Sour Cream Bundt Cake (page 182) – and make them the middle layer of the puddings.

BB: Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread

Sabrina and Alexander of Cooking with the Kids chose this month's first Barefoot Bloggers recipe for Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread. I've made this before, before I had a blog that is. So, I couldn't cheat and just post an old picture...I had to make it again...oh the tragedy! So I went ahead and made a winter meal of chili and cornbread for this oh so chilly Southern California day (hey, 70 degrees is pretty chilly for this time of year even on the coast!)

I did mix things up a bit this time by using nonfat milk and lowfat cheese and left out the scallions (only because I forgot them at the store). I did laugh when Trader Joe's had plenty of jalapenos in stock...Mr. Melissa thought I was trying to kill him with samonella...he's a little more cautious than me!

I also made these as muffins, mostly because I was too lazy to grease the pan. I decreased the cooking time to 25 minutes which was perfect and they were great...just as they were the last time.

Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread

Adapted from Barefoot Contessa at Home

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 2 cups milk 3 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted, plus extra to grease the pan
• 8 ounces aged extra-sharp Cheddar, grated, divided
• 1/3 cup chopped scallions, white and green parts, plus extra for garnish, 3 scallions
• 3 tablespoons seeded and minced fresh jalapeno peppers

Combine the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the milk, eggs, and butter. With a wooden spoon, stir the wet ingredients into the dry until most of the lumps are dissolved. Don't overmix! Mix in 2 cups of the grated Cheddar, the scallions and jalapenos, and allow the mixture to sit at room temperature for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 by 13 by 2-inch baking pan.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top, and sprinkle with the remaining grated Cheddar and extra chopped scallions. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool and cut into large squares. Serve warm or at room temperature.

TWD: Apple Cheddar Scones

Karina of The Floured Apron chose this week's Tuesdays with Dorie recipe for Apple Cheddar Scones. While I am on a TWD break due to vacations and work and all kinds of other summer plans, I HAD to make these considering they were my second choice (you will see my first choice next week!)

These were very simple to make and were pretty tasty straight out of the oven. I just couldn't bring myself to pay for dried apples and I've been so busy that I just don't have the time to dry them myself. Plus, fresh apples just sounded better to me, so in they went and I think it was a good choice. By the way, I didn't even peel the apples, just diced it up small and it worked great.

The scones (more like a biscuit if you ask me) were crispy on the outside and moist (I know some of you just love that word) in the middle. I think next time I'd add more cheese (can you really ever go wrong with extra cheese?) and definitely more apple.

BB: Parmesan Chicken

This month's second Barefoot Bloggers recipe was chosen by Megan at My Baking Adventures.

Ok, so ignore the fact that there is not any parmesan cheese mixed into those breadcrumbs below. I was having a tough cooking day! Later, I first mixed in mozzarella cheese...randomly...because I wasn't paying attention. So, my parmesan chicken ended up being mozzarella and parmesan chicken.


I thought I bought chicken tenders for this recipe. I didn't. When I pulled the chicken out of the freezer, it was chicken breasts. No big deal, except that this meant I would have to pound them...and that is a problem when they don't thaw all the way! So, a microwave defrost later (which I've never done before), they were ready to be pounded. Ugg...I don't like pounding chicken. Next time I'm buying pre-pounded (yes I buy those, yes I know they're more expensive, but that's one expense I'm willing to deal with) or chicken tenders.

Mine took quite a bit longer than the recommended time to cook through. And I had to turn mine up to medium heat. That's probably because I didn't pound mine thin enough...oh, and like I said, I was just having a crappy cooking day. Oh well. This parmesan chicken was wonderful. Crispy and flavorful. Mr. Melissa loved it. I don't think I'd bother to make the vinaigrette next time (oh and I made lime vinaigrette). I thought salad on top of the chicken, while pretty, was a little weird. Oh, but the chicken...I'll definitely make that again!

Parmesan Chicken

Adapted from Barefoot Contessa Family Style

• 4 to 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 extra-large eggs
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 1/4 cups seasoned dry bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra for serving
• Unsalted butter
• Good olive oil
• Salad greens for 6, washed and spun dry
• 1 recipe Lemon Vinaigrette, recipe follows

Pound the chicken breasts until they are 1/4-inch thick. You can use either a meat mallet or a rolling pin.

Combine the flour, salt, and pepper on a dinner plate. On a second plate, beat the eggs with 1 tablespoon of water. On a third plate, combine the bread crumbs and 1/2 cup grated Parmesan. Coat the chicken breasts on both sides with the flour mixture, then dip both sides into the egg mixture and dredge both sides in the bread-crumb mixture, pressing lightly.

Heat 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large saute pan and cook 2 or 3 chicken breasts on medium-low heat for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until cooked through. Add more butter and oil and cook the rest of the chicken breasts.

Toss the salad greens with lemon vinaigrette. Place a mound of salad on each hot chicken breast. Serve with extra grated Parmesan.

Lemon Vinaigrette:

• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
• 1/2 cup good olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper.

Yield: 6 servings

TWD Update

There's a lot going on right now...vacation, work, etc. So...TWD is on the backburner until things get back to normal, probably in August. Sorry!

Pasta, Pesto, & Peas

Elizabeth of Ugg Smell Food chose this month's first Barefoot Bloggers recipe. As much as I love pesto, I've never made my own before and the leftover container of basil was staring me down so I decided I'd try it out for this recipe. I also found out that pine nuts are not cheap...although the amount needed once I quartered the recipe was not much. If I had made the full recipe, I think it would have fed us for months! Thus, I quartered the pesto recipe and halved the pasta recipe. Therefore, no leftover pesto. And, I didn't have to go out and buy more basil. 5 cups of basil is a lot and my large container of basil from TJ's only amounted to about a cup and a half total. Yikes!

I thought it was really easy and really good. I wasn't thrilled putting mayo in it as we all know my dislike of mayo, but I do trust Ina and good thing I did. It was really wonderful and was a great side dish to grilled chicken burgers on a summer night. Ok...so it still wasn't exactly a summer night here in Southern CA, but at least it's starting to warm up!

Pasta, Pesto, & Peas

Adapted from Barefoot Contessa Parties

• 3/4 pound fusilli pasta
• 3/4 pound bow tie pasta
• 1/4 cup good olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups pesto, packaged or see recipe below
• 1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry (I used fresh)
• 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 1/4 cups good mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 1 1/2 cups frozen peas, defrosted
• 1/3 cup pignolis (pine nuts)
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Cook the fusilli and bow ties separately in a large pot of boiling salted water for 10 to 12 minutes until each pasta is al dente. Drain and toss into a bowl with the olive oil. Cool to room temperature.

In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade, puree the pesto, spinach, and lemon juice. Add the mayonnaise and puree. Add the pesto mixture to the cooled pasta and then add the Parmesan, peas, pignolis, salt, and pepper. Mix well, season to taste, and serve at room temperature.

Pesto:

• 1/4 cup walnuts
• 1/4 cup pignolis (pine nuts)
• 3 tablespoons chopped garlic (9 cloves)
• 5 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 cups good olive oil
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Place the walnuts, pignolis, and garlic in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Process for 15 seconds. Add the basil leaves, salt, and pepper. With the processor running, slowly pour the olive oil into the bowl through the feed tube and process until the pesto is thoroughly pureed. Add the Parmesan and puree for a minute. Use right away or store the pesto in the refrigerator or freezer with a thin film of olive oil on top.

Notes: Air is the enemy of pesto. For freezing, pack it in containers with a film of oil or plastic wrap directly on top with the air pressed out.

To clean basil, remove the leaves, swirl them in a bowl of water, and then spin them very dry in a salad spinner. Store them in a closed plastic bag with a slightly damp paper towel. As long as the leaves are dry they will stay green for several days.

Yield: 4 cups

TWD: French Chocolate Brownies

This week's Tuesdays with Dorie (I just realized that I often write Tuesday's with Dorie...please ignore my lack of proper grammar in previous posts!) recipe was chosen by Di of Di's Kitchen Notebook.

These brownies were super easy to make. What is it with Dorie and raisins??? I don't like them in my food so I left them out along with the water and rum. I melted the chocolate in the microwave (which works perfectly fine if you put it in for 30 seconds at a time at 70% power). I also didn't mix the dry ingredients first (I honestly don't think it ever makes a difference - you mix it all together in the end) and I softened the butter in the microwave. Hey, if recipes have random extra steps, I don't do them...you should know that by now!

As everyone else's seemed to, my brownies puffed, then sunk. While they tasted good, I didn't like that the top cracked and pretty much fell off. I almost didn't send them to work with the hubs because of it. Certainly not everything made has to be pretty, but there's so many good brownies out there, I think I'd choose a different recipe for serving to company.

French Chocolate Brownies

Adapted from Baking: From My Home to Yours

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
• 1/3 cup raisins, dark or golden
• 1 1/2 tablespoons water
• 1 1/2 tablespoons dark rum
• 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons; 6 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature and cut into 12 pieces
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 cup sugar

Getting ready: Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 300°F. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with foil, butter the foil, place the pan on a baking sheet, and set aside.

Whisk together the flour, salt and cinnamon, if you're using it.

Put the raisins in a small saucepan with the water, bring to a boil over medium heat and cook until the water almost evaporates. Add the rum, let it warm for about 30 seconds, turn off the heat, stand back and ignite the rum. Allow the flames to die down, and set the raisins aside until needed.

Put the chocolate in a heatproof bowl and set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Slowly and gently melt the chocolate, stirring occasionally. Remove the bowl from the saucepan and add the butter, stirring so that it melts. It's important that the chocolate and butter not get very hot. However, if the butter is not melting, you can put the bowl back over the still-hot water for a minute. If you've got a couple of little bits of unmelted butter, leave them—it's better to have a few bits than to overheat the whole. Set the chocolate aside for the moment.

Working with a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the eggs and sugar until they are thick and pale, about 2 minutes. Lower the mixer speed and pour in the chocolate-butter, mixing only until it is incorporated—you'll have a thick, creamy batter. Add the dry ingredients and mix at low speed for about 30 seconds—the dry ingredients won't be completely incorporated and that's fine. Finish folding in the dry ingredients by hand with a rubber spatula, then fold in the raisins along with any liquid remaining in the pan.

Scrape the batter into the pan and bake 50 to 60 minutes, or until the top is dry and crackled and a knife inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a rack and allow the brownies to cool to warm or room temperature.

Carefully lift the brownies out of the pan, using the foil edges as handles, and transfer to a cutting board. With a long-bladed knife, cut the brownies into 16 squares, each roughly 2 inches on a side, taking care not to cut through the foil.

Serving: The brownies are good just warm or at room temperature; they're even fine cold. I like these with a little something on top or alongside—good go-alongs are whipped crème fraiche or whipped cream, ice cream or chocolate sauce or even all three!

Storing: Wrapped well, these can be kept at room temperature for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 2 months.

Makes 16 brownies