Double Chocolate, Peanutbutter brownies.

Double Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownies

Double Chocolate, Peanut butter brownies.

Makes about 9 dessert-sized brownies

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 cup icing sugar
• 4 1/2 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1 tbsp instant coffee
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/2 oz (45g) semisweet chocolate chips
• 3 tbsp butter or margarine
• 1/2 cup brown sugar ( 1/4 cup Splenda Brown Sugar)
• 2 tbsp light corn syrup
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 egg whites
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup peanut butter chips
• 1/2 cup mini marshmellows
• 2 squares white chocolate melted

1. Sift flour, icing sugar, cocoa powder, instant coffee and baking powder.
2. Melt butter or margarine with brown sugar, add vanilla, corn syrup and water.
3. Beat in the egg whites.
4. Add dry ingredients and stir well.
5. Pour into a prepared 9″ x 9 pan. Bake for 24 minutes, then add chocolate chips, peanut butter chips and mini marshmellows and bake until firm.
6. Cool brownies completely.
7. Melt the white chocolate, and drizzle on top. Cut into 9 portions.
8. Serve with ice cream, Vanilla, of course!

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Home Smoked Salmon

We’ve made this recipe many times, it’s one of our favourites! adapted from Epicurious.com we have, of course, modified it to our taste!

This is one of the tastiest salmon recipes I have done so far, and each time is a HUGE success! I generally buy a large salmon fillet and serve it family style, because it is so beautiful, but you can do individual portions or steaks. You will want to marinate the salmon in the brine overnight or at least 4 hours to get the full effect.

• 1 quart water
• 1/4 cup (packed) brown sugar splenda
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/4 cup sea salt
• 1 2lb salmon fillet
• 3 cups (or more) Cedar smoke chips, soaked in water 30 minutes

Preparation

1. Stir first 4 ingredients in large bowl until sugars dissolve. Add salmon (skin side up), to brine, pressing to submerge. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Remove salmon from brine; discard brine. Rinse salmon under cold water. Place salmon, skin side down, on rack. Let stand until top is dry to touch (do not pat dry), about 1 hour. Prepare barbecue (medium-low heat). Using 2 layers of foil, make 12 x 10-inch foil rectangle with 1-inch-high sides. Place 3 cups smoke chips on foil rectangle. Set atop coals 5 minutes before grilling salmon allow to begin smoking. Make sure the heat is turned OFF below the salmon, you want indirect heat from the smoke to cook it. Position barbecue rack at least 6 inches above heat. Position vents on barbecue so that chips smoke and heat burn but do not flame.
2. Smoke until salmon is firm to touch and glaze forms over salmon, adding more smoke chips to barbecue if necessary, 30 minutes to 1 hour, depending on heat of grill.
3. Transfer salmon to platter; serve warm or at room temperature. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill. Bring to room temperature before serving.)
4. Serve with a Horseradish Aoili

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Leek & Potato Capuccino with Gruyère Crème

This is a small capuccino sized serving, for 5 (about 75ml per serving). Although it seems like a lot of work, this is really worth it. The flavour is incredible AND it’s totally my recipe! Inspired no less, by our dinner at Europa in Montréal on February 15 2009.

• 1 cup finely sliced leaks
• 3 small new potatoes (about 2″ in diametre) sliced finely (no need to peel)
• 13 oz water
• 1 tsp concentrated chicken stock or miso (I used chicken for this version)
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 tbsp olive oil

1. Cook leaks in butter and olive oil until soft (about 5 minutes).
2. Add water and chicken stock and stir until dissolved.
3. Add potatoes and cook until everything is soft.
4. With an immersion blender, purée until everything is smooth.
5. Strain through a fine sieve (all the peel will get caught in the sieve) into a pyrex container.
6. Set aside.

Gruyère Crème

• 1/4 cup carnation 2% evaporated milk (use real cream if you’re in the mood)
• 1 cup finely grated Gruyère cheese.

1. Heat cream, add cheese and whisk until smooth. If your cheese was cold, you may need to purée with an imersion blender to get it really smooth.
2. Pour into a small funneled container (so that you can control the shape). Allow to cool completely and then refrigerate (this is important because you want to get the crème really thick and the contrast of the hot soup and the cold cream is lovely!)

Assembly:

1. Heat soup in microwave for a couple of minutes (you want it steaming hot, but don’t boil it as it will crust up on the sides).
2. Carefully pour into 5 demitasse cups.
3. Pour Gruyère Crème in a circular pattern on top, and draw a sharp knife in one direction to make the pattern shown.
4. Serve with a small spoon so the crème may be stirred within.
5. Enjoy!

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