The Fat Girl's Guide to Living

Sometimes a powerful craving strikes, but we don’t want to give in to it completely. Recently, I had a serious craving for cake — German Chocolate Cake, to be exact. And though I tried to shake it for days, the yearning would not go away. Sadly, with just the two of us in our house, we certainly don’t need the ongoing temptation of a full cake. And yet, there was the craving, stubbornly hanging on. Finally, rather than spend the next three days being preoccupied by chocolate and pecans and gooey coconut frosting, I found the perfect compromise: German Chocolate Brownies.

All the fun and flavor of a cake packed into a 9″x9″ pan of decadent brownies? It’s not too good to be true. They keep nicely for a few days in an airtight container (perfect if you’re a snacker), but you can also layer them with a little wax paper and freeze them for longer-term enjoyment. Of course, your neighbors would probably love you if you dropped by with a plate of these, too. Enjoy!

German Chocolate Brownies
(recipe courtesy of Baking Bites)
1/2 cup butter
3-oz semisweet chocolate or German sweet chocolate
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

Topping
2 tbsp butter, melted
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup shredded coconut, sweetened or unsweetened
1/2 cup chopped, toasted and salted pecans
2 tbsp corn syrup
2 tbsp milk

Preheat oven to 350F. Line a 9×9-inch square baking pan with aluminum foil.
In a microwave-safe bowl, melt together the butter and the chocolate. Stir until smooth and then allow to cool for several minutes. Pour into a large mixing bowl with sugar. Beat in vanilla extract and then add the eggs one at a time.
In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add to chocolate mixture and stir until everything is just combined and no streaks of flour remain. Pour into prepared pan.
Bake for 18-22 minutes, until a toothpick comes out with very moist crumbs, not just batter, attached.

While the brownies bake, prepare the topping. Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and stir to combine. When brownies are done, gently spread the topping over the brownies, adding it in dollops to cover the whole surface evenly. Place pan under the broiler for 2-4 minutes, until topping has lightly browned. Watch closely so that it does not burn.

Cool completely before slicing. Store in an airtight container.

Makes 16 brownies

Ever need a boost after an exhausting or exasperating day? Looking for something a little more inventive than a handful of almonds or a piece of fruit? How about a shake? I know what you’re thinking: definitely indulgent, but not worth the sugar crash later. Thankfully, with a little creativity, a shake blended with the right ingredients can can actually do a body good.

Many of us throw our slightly-too-ripe bananas into the freezer to use in banana bread or banana muffins. But you can also use them to make a thick, indulgent shake without the guilt of a regular ice cream-based shake. Just throw a peeled, quartered frozen banana into the blender with a little milk, a touch of vanilla and a tablespoon of peanut butter, and you’ve got a refreshing – and healthy – frosty beverage packed with potassium, protein, calcium, fiber, Vitamin C and Vitamin B-6. Want to have this shake for dessert? Add a few dark chocolate chips to elevate the yum factor.

You can thank Tee for this find; she hooked me up with this link a few months ago. We enjoy this treat so much that we buy entire bunches of bananas to freeze so that we can make this shake anytime the mood strikes.

Frozen Banana-Peanut Butter-Chocolate Chip Milkshake
(recipe adapted from the kitchn)
1 frozen bananas (peel them before you freeze them!), cut into chunks
1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter (natural PB works great)
1/2 cup skim milk (experiment with soy, almond or rice milk if you’re sensitive or allergic to dairy)
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional)

Blend banana, peanut butter, milk, and vanilla in a blender until smooth. If desired, add the chocolate chips at the end and pulse or blend briefly until they are chopped and incorporated.

Yield: 1 shake

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http://culinography.wordpress.com

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Many of us in the U.S. are staring down the barrel at a three-day weekend. Not just any three-day weekend, but one that heralds the beginning of summer and all of its requisite picnics, barbecues and pool parties. Of course, ice cream is the quintessential summertime treat, but what if you’re looking for something a little more portable and a lot less melty?

Enter the cupcake cone. That’s right, a cupcake baked in an ice cream cone and topped with frosting to resemble soft-serve ice cream (or, if you prefer the “hand-scooped” look – and a real sugar fix – you can scoop on a ball of frosting). This is one adorable hand-held treat that comes with the bonus of no plates, forks or cupcake wrappers to deal with.

The cupcake cone is best made the day you plan to eat them, since the cone will absorb some of the moisture from the cupcake. I made mine in sugar cones because they’re my favorite (thanks, Martha!). However, they’re a little more challenging than the flat-bottomed cone. Don’t let this deter you — either look is completely achievable even for novice bakers. For sugar cones, you’ll need a bundt pan, tube pan, or even an oven-proof bowl and a couple of sheets of foil. For the flat bottomed cone option you’ll use a cupcake tin. No matter which cone you prefer, these cuties are so worth the effort!

If you don’t need 24 cupcake cones, just reduce the number of cones you fill and use the leftover cake batter to make a small cake or some cupcakes (which you can use immediately or put in the freezer for a later indulgence).

Make a batch of these this weekend . . . I promise they’ll make your family and friends smile!

Chocolate Cupcake Cones with Chocolate-Hazelnut Frosting
24 ice cream cones
3 cups flour
2/3 cup cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 cups sugar
1 cup oil (vegetable, canola, etc.)
2 cups water
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 tablespoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Cover a bundt or tube pan or oven safe bowl with two sheets of aluminum foil and poke small holes into the foil, leaving enough space between the holes to accommodate side by side cones. Push the cones gently into the holes until about 1″ of cone is showing. (If using flat-bottomed cones place one cone into each well of a cupcake pan — you can increase stability by surrounding the cones w/ dried beans that you don’t plan to cook with or pie weights.)

In a large bowl, add all other ingredients and mix until just combined. Pour batter into cones, filling to approximately 1″ from the top . Bake at 325 degrees for 15-20 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven to cool completely. Frost with Chocolate-Hazelnut Frosting (recipe follows).

Chocolate-Hazelnut Frosting
1 cup butter, room temperature
1.5 pounds powdered sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted and cooled to room temp
1/4 cup hazelnut spread (Nutella – or make your own!)
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla

Cream butter until light and fluffy. Slowly beat in powdered sugar and cocoa. Mix in melted chocolate, hazelnut spread, cream and vanilla. Once incorporated, beat on high for three to four minutes. Add a bit more heavy cream if frosting consistency is too heavy or a bit more powdered sugar if consistency is too light.

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It’s a terrific time of year to be a foodie. Even the smallest, most modest farmers markets and roadside stands are brimming with vibrant, fresh fruits and vegetables. It’s always exciting to spot pints of ruby red strawberries among these spring arrivals – or to visit a farm and pick your own. Beautiful, juicy and tangy-sweet on their own, their flavor blossoms over ice cream and shortcakes, in cakes and pies and when blended into frozen yogurt (keep an eye out for a super-easy frozen yogurt recipe in an upcoming Foodie Fridays post). If simplicity is your thing and you’re seeking something less time-intensive than a pie but dressier than plain, fresh berries, these pretty little gems may be just what you’re looking for.

Ricotta & Cream Cheese Stuffed Strawberries are a wonderful way to dress up strawberries without compromising the integrity and beauty of the fruit when it’s in season. The filling is easy to prepare and you can make it even lighter by folding in a little freshly whipped cream just before filling the strawberries. I usually decorate mine with a single chocolate chip, but you can also dip them in chopped nuts or chocolate shavings. However you decide dress them up, every mouth-watering bite will capture the essence of sunny spring afternoons.

Ricotta & Cream Cheese Stuffed Strawberries
24 strawberries
1/3 cup cream cheese (reduced fat works fine)
1/3 cup ricotta cheese
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon powdered sugar
24 chocolate chips

Wash, hull and dry strawberries. Combine cream cheese, ricotta, vanilla and powdered sugar until smooth. Using a Ziploc bag with a corner snipped off or a piping bag fitted with a medium tip, pipe into strawberries and cap with chocolate chips.

Last week, Peony shared some tips with us on how to have a lovely, low-pressure Valentine’s Day. As part of the Valentine’s Day fanfare, most of us are looking for a dessert that’s impressive, but won’t find us spending hours in the kitchen. This, my friends, is just the thing — cute little two-bite brownies, filled with cream cheese and topped with a maraschino cherry.  They’re perfect for sharing and, for those of you with a significant other in your life, how sexy would it be to feed these to each other?

Even better, you can whip these cuties up in no time flat. If you don’t feel like making the brownies from scratch, you can substitute brownie mix (look for a fudgy variety). No matter which way you decide to go with these, you’ll end up with an amazing little treat that’s perfect for Valentine’s Day or any other occasion. Enjoy, and Happy Valentine’s Day!

Tuxedo Brownies
(adapted from Alice Medrich’s Pure Dessert
and The Pampered Chef Celebrate! cookbook)
Brownies:
8 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into several pieces
3 large eggs
1 cup sugar
scant 1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon (1.2 ounces) all-purpose flour

Position oven rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 350˚F. Spray two mini muffin pans with non-stick cooking spray.

Place chocolate and butter in heatproof bowl and set over a pan of almost-simmering water. Stir frequently until mixture is melted and smooth and warm. Remove from the pan and set aside.

In a medium bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, salt and vanilla with a hand-held mixer on high speed until the eggs are thick and light colored, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the warm chocolate. Fold in the flour.

Using small scoop, place a level scoop of batter in each cup, filling 2/3 full. Bake 12-14 mins or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and edges are set (do not overbake). Remove from oven and immediately press tops of brownies with a mini tart shaper to make indentions (if you don’t have a tart shaper, you can use the back of a measuring spoon or your thumb to gently press down the center of the brownie). Cool in pan briefly and then loosen edges and gently remove brownies from pan. Cool completely on a wire rack while making the filling.

Filling and toppings:
4 squares white chocolate for baking — 1 oz each
4 tablespoons heavy cream
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup powdered sugar
48 maraschino cherries
melted semi-sweet chocolate for drizzling(optional)

Microwave white chocolate and milk uncovered on medium power in 20-30 second increments, stirring in between, until melted and smooth. Cool slightly. Combine cream cheese and powdered sugar; mix well. Gradually beat in white chocolate mixture until smooth.

Fill a decorator bag fitted with rosette tip with cream cheese mixture. Pipe mixture into cooled brownie cups. Place cherries on top. Drizzle with melted chocolate. Place in airtight container and refrigerate for 1-3 hours before serving.

Yield: 4 dozen

Looking for more great recipes? Visit my blog at
http://culinography.wordpress.com