Chili-Spiced Dark Fudge Brownies

Not really chipotle, but still chili related.. My recipe for rich dark fudgey brownies with delightful undertones of spice (in the flavor sense, not in the heat sense – these aren't hot brownies but they have lots of sensuous spicey flavor). I fashioned this one from a few recipes I'd found but decided to make the flavors more intense by using not only the chili powder but also brown sugar, freshly ground cinnamon & organic dark chocolate (the really good stuff, not the generic baker's chocolate).

The kids wanted so badly to bake something and I'd been meaning to re-do a batch so to the chefcave we went..

Chili-Spiced Dark Fudge Brownies

6 oz. Bittersweet/Dark chocolate – chopped
1 c. Butter – cut into pieces
1 ½ c. Brown Sugar
2 t. Vanilla Extract
4 Eggs
1 ½ c. Flour
1 T. Pasilla/Ancho Chili Powder (you can try chipotle too, but I'd add just a smidge less)
1 t. Cinnamon
1/2 t. Salt

~ Preheat oven to 350*F and grease a 9x13 in. baking dish.

~ In a microwaveable bowl, melt chocolate and butter in the microwave just until smooth. Mix in sugar to the melted chocolate and let this mixture cool a bit.

~ Whisk eggs into chocolate mixture, 1 @ x – blend well before each addition.

~ Whisk in flour, spices and salt. Pour the brownie batter into the greased dish and bake for 30-35 minutes – until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool completely before serving (better the next day though IMO).

Makes 12 brownies.






Cuttin' the buttah



Mixin'




The fudgey finished result


Feel free to make this with standard baking chocolate and whatever have you. Also, feel free to make it as organic as possible. Organic eggs, sugars, flour.. After writing that piece on child labor in chocolate production I decided to use organic chocolate as often as I possibly could. I would like to start becoming a more responsible consumer – an extraordinary feat in this day and age of mass production and bountiful sweatshops. But.. I'm going to do as much as I can and that's all anyone can do..

I was worried about the kids taking to the dark chocolate. They don't have chocolate much to begin with and when they do it's usually that toned down milk variety we're all used to, thanks to umpteen sugar-laden Halloweens and Easters.. BUT! They scarfed them down in no time flat. True, not the savoring approach I take and would like them to emulate BUT.. they ate them and liked them so I consider it ground covered in the battle of refining our tastebuds :)

The best reasons to get up in the morning.. Kids & Muffins

It's dreary and wet in Kuwait (not a scene commonly seen :D) and it is the perfect weather for baking.. It's as close as we get to a winter over here anyways..

Kids are on break from school so I promised them we'd make something. I've been slacking in the making of breakfast goodies dept so I thought it'd be good to whip up some Banana Muffins, and just for good measure, add in white chocolate chips.

So we donned our personalized aprons and were off!

First things first though, and when it comes to cooking that is mise en place.

Mise en place is the first thing they grind into your head in Culinary school. Its a french term for “Everything in it's place” and it makes a lot of sense. Basically, it's all about prep. It makes cooking a smoother process if you already have everything cut and measured out, ready to grab as you go down your recipe.

And it doesn't stop at just ingredients. Mise en place should extend to the equipment you intend to use as well. Even to include serving pieces. I really enjoy how Anthony Bourdain refers to mise en place as his “religion”. Exaaaactly, lol.

I used the recipe from my Gourmet book and just nipped it here and there. They make use of shredded coconut and macadamia nuts, where I simply replaced the mix-in with white chocolate chips. And to give it my own boost, I also added in ground flax seed (let's get more Omegas in these kids!) and some powdered buttermilk, which I tend to add to a lot of baked goods whether they call for buttermilk or not. I think it's a great tenderizer.

White Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins

2 1/4c. AP Flour
¾ t. Baking Powder
½ t. Baking Soda
1 t. Salt
2 T. Ground Flax Seed
1 T. Powdered Buttermilk
1 ½ sticks Butter
1 c. Packed Light Brown Sugar
½ c. White Sugar
3 lg Eggs
1 ½ t. Vanilla Extract
1 T. Lemon Zest
3 lg Banans, mashed
3 T. Sourcream
1 c. White Chocolate Chips
Turbinado Sugar for sprinkling

* Line muffin tin with cupcake liners or grease and flour (can also use 2 loaf pans if you prefer)
* Preheat oven to 350 F.
* Sift together flour, baking powder and soda, salt buttermilk and flaxseed.
* Beat together sugars and butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer on high til light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Reduce speed to low and add eggs 1 @ x. Beat well.
* Add in vanilla, zest, bananas, sourcream and beat until just combined. Reduce speed to low and add in flour untl just combined.
* Stir in white chocolate chips.
* Spoon batter in muffin tins and sprinkle some turbinado sugar over the tops
* Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown


Our Mise En Place (looks like a lot but don't be scurrd!)


Zesting lemon on the microplane – never added to banana muffins before but the addition gets a thumbs up from me!


Flouring our big muffin tin



Adding our creaming and dry ingredients



Eyeballing salt (oOoOoOo)


Mixing





Ding! And they're done!


Source(s):
The Gourmet Cookbook, Edited by Ruth Reichl, pg. 599
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mise_en_place
http://www.reluctantgourmet.com/mis_en_place.htm