Monthly Archives: April 2022

Brownies are one of my family’s all time favourite baked goods. They take very little time to prepare and are so simple that anyone can bake a batch with ease.

They are excellent homemade Christmas treats to giveaway to any chocolate fans.

These brownies have a nice flakey top while the centre is tender (not chewy), moist but not gooey. The original recipe calls for self raising flour but I took the liberty to substitute it with plain flour and baking powder. The baking powder makes the brownies softer and lighter in texture. I have also cut down the sugar amount from more than 200g to 150g. We simply love the rich and bittersweet taste and they go really well with a hot cup of coffee!

Easy Brownies

Ingredients:
(makes 16)

150g semisweet chocolate, chopped
65g (1/2 cup) plain flour
30g (4 tablespoons) cocoa powder (unsweetened)
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
120ml (1/2 cup) vegetable oil (I used extra light pure olive oil)
150g (3/4 cup) granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Method:

• Melt chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Leave to cool. 
• Line the base and sides of a 7″ square pan with parchment paper.
• Sift together the flour, cocoa powder and baking powder, set aside.
• Place oil, sugar, eggs and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl, whisk with a balloon whisk till well combined. Add in the melted chocolate and whisk until well combined.
• Sift the flour mixture into the batter. With a spatula, fold thoroughly until all the flour mixture incorporates into the batter.
• Pour the mixture into the prepared square pan. Spread the mixture evenly to the edges. (The mixture is rather sticky and gooey.)
• Bake in preheated oven at 180 degC for about 30 ~ 35 mins until the top is firm and crusty, and a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out with some crumbs but no wet batter. Do not over bake. 
• Cool in the pan for about 5 minutes. Unmold and transfer to a wire rack. Leave to cool completely before cutting into squares. Store in airtight containers.

Recipe Source: adapted from The Cookie and Biscuit Bible

Die neue Rapid Reaction beschäftigt sich mit dem Aus der Brooklyn Nets und stellt philosophische Fragen zum Thema Superteams. Außerdem dabei: Award-Gewinner, Ben Simmons Sorgen und vieles, vieles mehr … Hier geht es zur … Rapid Reaction https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/gotnexxt/GN_RR_270422.mp3 (mehr …)

The post Rapid Reaction: Funktionieren gekaufte Superteams? Scottie, Ja und Jrue gewinnen! McCollum will bleiben. first appeared on Got Nexxt – Der NBA und Basketball Podcast von DAZN.

This easy recipe for Asian Chicken Soup with Vegetable Dumplings is full of flavor and plump vegetable dumplings. This highly versatile soup can be made with your favorite veggies and protein and is perfect as a comforting weeknight meal!

When you think of traditional chicken soup, you’ll find a comforting mix of chicken, vegetables, and hearty noodles. This recipe is my delicious twist on chicken soup with an Asian-inspired flair. 

Fresh flavors coming from ginger, garlic, lemongrass, and sesame are combined with a heap of nourishing vegetables and chicken. Premade vegetable dumplings are added to the mix to create texture and flavor that is comforting and satisfying. 

This hearty soup was a surprise hit with my kids which is good to know since I will be making it regularly during cold and flu season!

Ingredients //

• Fresh Garlic, Ginger, & Lemongrass – These are classic flavors in Asian cooking and add a bright fresh flavor that is truly comforting. 
• Cooking Oil – You’ll need to saute your vegetables in cooking oil to release their flavor. 
• Green Onion – Adds a mild onion flavor and a pop of green color. 
• Water Chestnuts – Gives this soup texture and fresh crunch. 
• Chicken Broth – Used to make the broth of the soup. You can use storebought or homemade. 
• Cooked Chicken Breast – You’ll need chicken breast that’s already cooked to add to the soup. 
• Vegetable Dumplings – These soft pillows of vegetables truly transform this soup into the ultimate comfort food. 
• Vegetables – You’ll need a mix of shredded carrots, mushrooms, sugar snap peas, and spinach to add nutrient density to the soup. 
• Soy Sauce – Adds a salty umami flavor that pairs well with the other ingredients. 
• Lime Juice – Gives the soup a bright pop of acidity. 
• Sesame Oil – Adds a toasted sesame flavor to the dish. 
• Garnish – Feel free to garnish your soup with green onions, sesame seeds, chilies, and additional soy sauce.

How to Make // The Steps

Step 1: Saute the aromatics: Chop the garlic, ginger, and lemongrass by hand or pulse in a food processor to mince. In a dutch oven or large pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the minced vegetable mixture along with green onions, water chestnuts, and saute for 3-5 minutes or until soft and fragrant. 

Step 2: Add the chicken: Add the chicken broth and cooked chicken to the cooked vegetables and bring to a simmer for about 7-10 minutes. 

Step 3: Add the vegetable dumplings: Add the dumplings to the soup, and cook in the soup according to package directions, or until they are cooked and warmed through. If you are using fresh dumplings, they will only need 2-3 minutes. 

Step 4: Add the vegetables: Add the remaining vegetables to the soup and simmer until the vegetables are steamed and fork-tender. 
Step 5: Garnish & serve: Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with green onion, chilies, sesame seeds, and a drizzle of soy sauce. Serve hot.

Tips & Tricks

• If you don’t want to cook chicken breast yourself, grab a rotisserie chicken at the store and cut it up to add to the soup. 
• When sauteing the lemongrass, garlic, and ginger, make sure that the heat isn’t too high as these ingredients are prone to burning easier. 
• Make sure you taste the soup periodically to check salt content as soy sauce and broth already contain salt.

Why is Asian Chicken Soup with Dumplings So Good?

• You can change up the veggies and protein to whatever you enjoy. 
• Serve it with rice or noodles. 
• Makes great leftovers and freezes well. 
• Make it spicy for those who love a soup with a kick!

Variations //

• To make this soup paleo or gluten-free, use tamari or coconut aminos to replace the soy sauce.
• For a vegan or vegetarian Asian soup, you can omit the chicken and chicken broth completely and add in some cubed tofu or tempeh along with the vegetable stock. 
• If you want a spicier soup, you can add the red chiles to the garlic mixture, but I didn’t want to spice out the people in my house that aren’t into spicy. You could also serve with some sriracha for added heat. 
• I had cilantro on hand when I made this soup, but mint or basil or a combination of all three would be delicious and add brightness and so much flavor.
• If you don’t have vegetable dumplings you can make this soup without them and serve with rice or noodles instead. 
• Feel free to use cooked chicken thighs instead of chicken breast. 
• Use any vegetables you have on hand including;  bok choy, cabbage, peppers, anything goes, even frozen vegetables work!

How to Store and Reheat //

Storing: Store any leftover Asian chicken soup in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave.

Make-Ahead and Freezer Options

Freezing: If you’re freezing leftovers, add to an airtight container or freezer-safe bag with as much air removed as possible for 3-4 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating and serving.

FAQ

More Comforting Soup Recipes

Lemony Vegetable Minestrone

Carrot & Ginger Soup

Chicken Satay Soup

Matzo Ball Soup

The post Asian Chicken Soup with Vegetable Dumplings appeared first on Baked Bree.

On Friday’s episode of “The Fix” x “The Overdose,” The Jones recap Game 1 of the NBA Finals, before discussing Jason Kidd’s retirement, the Nuggets firing George Karl, the Pacers’ bright future and a new idea for the 2K video game series.

All that, plus ring hats, The Boss, title chasers, and the return of JD’s kids.

Fruit crumbles are easy desserts to make all year round because you can use either fresh or frozen fruit as your base. This Chai Cherry Crumble is a spicy twist on a classic fruit crumble, with chai spices in the filling and topping of this comfort food dessert.

Cherries are often left almost unadorned in pie and crumble fillings. They do have a delicious flavor on their own, of course, but cherries are extremely versatile and they go really well with all kinds of spices. Chai tea blends have no shortage of spices. Since I didn’t want to add a bunch of liquid to my filling – cherries produce plenty of natural juice on their own in the oven – I simply used dried spices to add those familiar chai flavors. The filling includes cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, allspice and vanilla. As always, I recommend using fresh spices for the best flavor (not something that has been in the cabinet for a few years already!). Since there is so much spice in the filling, I used a bit less on in the crumble topping, which only includes cinnamon, ginger and vanilla.

I used black, sweet cherries that I picked up in the freezer section of Trader Joe’s. They have a delicious flavor and I like that rich cherry sweetness in this particular dessert. Tart cherries, which are a good choice for a pie, don’t feel as rich in this recipe with all of the chai spices. Whether you’re using fresh or frozen, cherries give off a fair amount of juice in the oven, so I included cornstarch in the filling to thicken up the juices. They will bubble thickly in the oven when the crumble is done, and the filling will thicken up even more as the crumble cools.

The crumble is ready to serve about 20 minutes after baking. Leftovers can be refrigerated and reheated in the microwave the next day or two. The spices blend and come together even more after the crumble has been refrigerated. That said, I can’t resist eating at least two servings when this is fresh from the oven. The crumble will serve about 8 – but you’ll get fewer servings if you like yours as big as I do!

Chai Cherry Crumble
1 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 cup butter, melted and cooled
1 tsp vanilla extract

32 oz cherries, fresh or frozen
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cardamom
1/4 tsp ground allspice
2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350F.
In a medium bowl, prepare crumble topping. Whisk together flour, sugars, salt, cinnamon and ginger until well-combined. Stir in melted butter and vanilla extract until mixture is crumbly and resembles moist sand. Set aside.
In a large bowl, prepare the filling. Combine cherries, sugar, cornstarch, spices and vanilla extract and stir together with a spatula until everything is evenly mixed.
Pour fruit mixture into a deep 10-inch pie plate. Grab handfuls of crumble mixture and squeeze them in your fist to create large crumbles. Sprinkle crumble mixture evenly over fruit.
Bake for 60 minutes, until cherry juice is thickly bubbling around the outer edge of the pan. In the event that the crumble becomes too brown, simply lay a piece of aluminum foil loosely over the top of the crumble for the last 15 minutes of baking.
Allow crumble to cool for at least 20 minutes before serving to allow juices to thicken. Store leftovers in the fridge and reheat in the microware before serving.

Serves 8.

The post Chai Cherry Crumble appeared first on Baking Bites.

Pale strands of my hair tangled into the mess of dusky flowers in my lap. Mike’s car sliced quietly through the lukewarm air of the countryside until a gravel drive slid into view. We turned into it with a crunch, … Continue reading →

We had a special guest join our Sunday session today, Tate of the famous Tate Pie (as seen in my book Pie It Forward).

To be honest, I switched it up a bit and made chocolate cream pie instead of chocolate mousse pie since she’ll be traveling with it back to school on a bus AND a train but delicious nonetheless. And it’s still chocolate.

If you miss the live tutorial, here it is along with the ingredient lists.

For the pastry

(I misspoke at the top of the pastry section of the video, saying I was doing a book turn and immediately fixed the error by continuing by correctly stating that it was a letter fold, not realizing that I’d even uttered book fold. To clarify, a letter fold as demonstrated is the correct technique!)

1 pound all purpose flour (I use King Arthur All Purpose)
1 pound unsalted European butter, cooler than room temperature
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup ice cold water

For the ganache

8 ounces bittersweet chocolate (at least 60%)
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 ounce unsalted butter

For the chocolate pastry cream

1 cup heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
pinch salt
5 egg yolks
3 ounces bittersweet chocolate (I used Guittard’s 60%)

For the lightly sweetened whipped cream 

2 cups heavy or whipping cream
4 ounces mascarpone
1/4 cup confectioner’s sugar

Who is that No. 12 in gold? Yeah, it’s Patriots quarterback Tom Brady showing his support for his alma mater on Instagram.