Category: Easy Recipes

Katharine Hepburn Brownies with Peanut Butter Cups

p1060279

I have been getting some requests to make peanut butter cup brownies again because the last time they got such rave reviews. Of course, I always feel the need to always try new recipes, so I searched for a brownie recipe that I could add my peanut butter cups to.

I first read about the Katharine Hepburn brownies on this awesome pie blog, where the blogger bakes the brownies in a pie crust – yum. I found another version on David Lebovitz’s  where he uses 1/4 cup more sugar. So I used the ingredients from the pie recipe, and the baking time from Lebovitz, and addedthe peanut butter cups.

While this recipe is quite delicious, and everyone who ate it loved it, my very favourite peanut butter cup brownie is still this one that I made a little while ago. The main difference seems to be that it contains way more chocolate – you can’t go wrong with more chocolate!

What you need:

  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons
  • 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 16 good quality mini-peanut butter cups (I used Trader Joe’s)

What you do:

  1. Preheat the oven to 325F. Line a 9 x 9 inch pan with buttered or sprayed parchment paper, with the edges sticking up over the edges of the pan. (I use parchment instead of the suggested foil because I can put the paper in my food scraps bin – less waste!)
  2. Melt the chocolate and butter in the top of a double boiler – you can do this by putting some water in a pot and heating it, then place a bowl with the chocolate and butter on top, but not touching that water. (see photo below)
  3. Remove the melted butter and chocolate from the top of the double boiler and stir in the sugar, then the eggs and vanilla.
  4. Stir in the flour and salt until it is just combined.
  5. Pour the batter into the prepared, lined pan. Place the peanut butter cups on top of the batter. Bake for 30 minutes. Let the brownies cool, and then remove them from the pan by pulling up on the parchment paper. Cut into squares before serving at room temperature. Store in an airtight container.
making a double boiler - trust in kim
making a double boiler

No-Bake Rocky Road Bars

P1060882

Mmm, chocolate and peanut butter – Love!

Easy recipe – Love!

Beware, though, they are addictive!

These can me whipped up in a few minutes. I made the recipe up myself – three yummy ingredients, so hard to go wrong! Plus it only uses one bowl, one pan, and one spatula – so easy cleanup! I kept them in the fridge so the chocolate would be firm, and because I think the marshmallows taste good when they are a bit chewier.

What you need:

  • 1 cups dark chocolate chips (I like Ghirardelli brand)
  • 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter (not the natural kind)
  • 3 cups mini marshmallows

What you do:

  1. Prepare a 9 by 9 inch baking pan by coating it with butter.
  2. Melt the chocolate and peanut butter in the top of a double boiler.
  3. Put the marshmallows into the prepared pan. Pour the chocolate mixture on top and stir until the marshmallows are evenly distributed.
  4. Refrigerate until set, then slice and store in the fridge in an airtight container.

The Browniest Cookies

 

brownie cookies - trustinkim

Alert to chocolate lovers: I think you’re gonna like these! Three kinds of chocolate make these a dream come true: bittersweet chocolate is melted with the butter, then cocoa is added, and of course a healthy amount of dark chocolate chips. You can bake them so they are completely cooked through, or you can remove them from the oven a little bit earlier for a fudgier centre. I think my oven bakes a little fast, so I had them in the oven for 11 minutes and they were baked all the way through; next time I would pull them out a little earlier so they are still soft in the middle. I love a fudgey brownie cookie!

The recipe is from smittenkitchen.com. The only thing I changed was to add sea salt to the top, and my testers (otherwise known as friends I was having a beach barbecue with) commented on how the salt really made it a special cookie. Er, brownie.

It’s a really simple and quick recipe, starting with melting the butter and chocolate, then mixing everything else in. But notice that the batter needs to sit in the fridge for half an hour before scooping and baking.

What you need:

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter
  • 4 ounces (115 grams) unsweetened chocolate, chopped
  • 1 cup dark or light brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea or table salt
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2/3 cup semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips (I like Ghirardelli brand) (more than 2/3 cup is even better!!)
  • sea salt for sprinkling on top

What you do:

  1. Melt the butter and the unsweetened chocolate together in a double-boiler until the chocolate is almost melted. Take it off the heat and continue stirring until the chocolate has melted.
  2. Whisk the sugars into the melted butter and chocolate. Now whisk in the eggs, one at a time, then the vanilla.
  3. Sift the cocoa baking soda, and flour into the bowl with, then add the salt; stir these together until just combined. Add the chocolate chips and stir until combined.
  4. Place the bowl in the fridge for about 30 minutes, or up to a few days. If you only refrigerate for  30 minutes you can bake them right away. If the batter is in the fridge longer than 30 minutes it becomes difficult to scoop, so you can let it warm up a little before you start scooping.
  5. Preheat the oven to 350F and line baking pans with parchment paper. Scoop the batter into 2 tablespoon-sized mounds – I use an ice-cream scoop for perfect mounds. Place them on the baking sheets, leaving a bit of room for them to spread.
  6. Bake for about 11 minutes.
  7. Let the cookies set on the baking sheet for a few minutes after removing from the oven so they don’t fall apart. I recommend eating at least one while they are still warm!

 

 

Yellow Tomato Gazpacho

P1060824

Gazpacho is what I like to make in the summer, when I’ve got ripe tomatoes in my garden, especially when I want to eat something delicious and healthy. After overindulging on my recent trip to Italy, I came home and made a batch of this. It did the trick; I feel healthier after eating this for a few days.

Normally I add a little more olive oil, but because I was trying to lighten things up a lot, I only added a drizzle. Adding more olive oil would make it creamier, and it is a healthy oil, so add what you like. I’ve made this many times before with red tomatoes, but this time I happened to have a lot of yellow cherry tomatoes, so I used other light coloured vegetables to make it pretty.

Healthy, delicious, super easy, and great for leftovers – this one is definitely a winner!

What you need:

  • 1 small cucumber, peel removed
  • 1 cup yellow cherry tomatoes
  • a few tablespoons medium sweet onion
  • 1/2 clove garlic, minced
  • 1/2 large sweet yellow bell pepper
  • 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
  • a drizzle of good quality extra-virgin olive oil (or a few tablespoons)
  • 1 slice of white bread (I used a whole wheat French bread)
  • salt to taste

What you do:

  1. Soak the bread in water for a few minutes, then squeeze the water out.
  2. Place all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Taste and add whatever you think you need to balance the flavours.
  3. Refrigerate for at least and hour before serving.
  4. Serve topped with some chopped tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, or a drizzle of olive oil.

Red Wine Chorizo Tapas

red wine chorizo tapas - trust in kim

This crowd-pleasing chorizo snack makes a great starter, with a few chunks of bread to soak up a little bit of the shallot-red wine sauce. I found the recipe on this site, where they say it’s a great use for leftover red wine – but don’t worry if you don’t have leftover wine. It’s okay to start a whole new bottle, so you’ll have some wine to drink along with your beautiful tapas. Good idea, right?

I mopped up some of the chorizo fat after it had cooked, but the original recipe left it in – do as you wish, but I try to get rid of extra fat when I can.

What you need:

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 shallot, finely sliced
  • 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
  • 200 grams cured chorizo, cut into slices about about 5mm thick
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 2  bay leaves
  • 200ml red wine (I used Casillero del Diablo Carmenere)
  • flat leaf parsley, finely chopped, for a garnish

What you do:

  1. Heat a frying pan over medium heat – I tend to use cast-iron, and then just use that as the serving dish. Heat the olive oil and fry the shallot for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes.
  2. Add the sliced chorizo to the pan and fry for about 3 minutes until they start to get browned and crisp. Use a paper towel to mop up a bit of the fat.
  3. Add the bay leaves, paprika and red wine. Cook until the wine has thickened and coats the chorizo.
  4. Sprinkle the chopped parsley over the top to serve, along with some bread.

Enjoy!

 

Papaya-Lemon Popsicles

papaya lemon popsicles

Oh, I’ve been looking forward to these popsicles! In Mexico I fell in love with paletas – it’s so hard to say which was my favourite, but I definitely loved the lemon ones. I found these overripe papayas at Granville Island for $1 a piece – awesome deal! So this awesome find, combined with the vancouver weathergorgeous hot weather we’re experiencing right now, and with the abundance of lemons I bought the other day, I knew just what to do with them. Plus I have report cards to write, and I’ll do almost anything rather than that job.

When I was a kid the thing I looked forward to in my stocking was a papaya. They weren’t easy to find in Vancouver in the 70’s, so it was a real treat. We would squeeze a little lemon juice on them, and a tiny sprinkle of sugar. There popsicles are reminiscent of those Christmas mornings. I have used gelatine in these, so they have a softer bite, just like my Oma used to add to her raspberry popsicles.

Here’s a link to the popsicle maker I bought on Amazon. It does the job, and the popsicles look pretty!

What you need:

  • about 3 cups of very ripe papaya
  • the juice of 2-3 lemons, about 3/4 of a cup
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar (this makes the popsicles not very sweet – add more if you have a sweet tooth!)
  • 1 package gelatine, 2 tablespoons

What you do:

  1. Peel and seed the papaya; cut into rough chunks and place in a blender.
  2. Add the lemon juice to the blender.
  3. Heat  1/3 cup water and 1/4 cup sugar in a small pot until the sugar has dissolved.
  4. Sprinkle the gelatine over 1/4 cup of cold water. Pour 1/4 cup of boiling water over the gelatine and stir continually until the gelatine has dissolved.
  5. Puree the papaya for a few seconds, then add the sugar and gelatine mixtures. Puree for a few seconds, or longer if you prefer no chunks in your popsicles.
  6. Pour the popsicles into moulds and freeze for about 6 hours. This is the hardest part!
  7. Enjoy!

P1060307

Paletas - trustinkim
Paletas at La Michoacana in Puerto Vallarta

 

Garlicky & Spicy Sugar Snap Peas

Sugar Snap Peas - trust in kim

This is one of my favourite quick veggie recipes. It’s garlicky, salty, and a little spicy. Or a lot spicy if you like it that way. It’s a quick way to add some healthy and yummy green to your meal. Feel free to play with the amounts of the ingredients. I never measure anything for a recipe like this, so just do what seems right to you!

What you need:

  • sugar snap peas (substitute with snow peas)
  • sesame oil
  • 2-3 cloves garlic
  • a dash or two of soya sauce
  • a dash of hot sauce (I used sriracha)
  • a few dashes of your favourite vinegar (I usually use an Asian or balsamic vinegar)

What you do:

  1. Clean the snap peas and snap their ends off. Peel and slice the garlic.
  2. Heat a frying pan on medium heat and drizzle in a little sesame oil. Spread it around with your cooking utensil.
  3. Add the sliced garlic and cook briefly, carful not to burn it.
  4. Add the snap peas to the pan and cook briefly.
  5. Add some soya sauce, hot sauce and vinegar. Stir to combine with the snap peas. Cook for a minute or so, but not too long. The snap peas should still have a bit of crispness to them.
  6. Eat them up! Yum!

You could also garnish them with some toasted sesame seeds.

Here’s a link to a site that explains the difference between snow, snap, and garden peas.

 

How to Hard-Cook an Egg

P1050353

I know it seems too simple to bother writing about, but I really do believe there is a “right” way to hard-cook an egg. Most mornings I start my day with a hard-cooked egg since it’s a good source of protein, and when cooked this way . . .  the Right Way . . . it is tender and delicious.

I used to call these hard-boiled eggs, but I stopped using the word ‘boiled’ when I found the Right Way stopped boiling them. You see, eggs don’t like to be cooked at high temperatures; they turn tough when you boil them. This method is really easy, and the results are much better.

I have also been using free-range organic eggs for a while, and I believe the flavour is much better. The eggs in the photo are from London Heritage Farm in Steveston, BC. It’s a great place to cycle to for tea and a scone in the their tea house, and a walk through the garden.

What you need:

  • one large free-range organic egg
  • salt and freshly ground pepper – optional

What you do:

  1. Place the egg in a small pot and add enough water to cover the egg. Place the pot, with the lid on, on high heat and bring to a simmer – just before it begins to boil, turn the heat off.
  2. Keep the pot on the burner that has been turned off, with the lid on. Set a timer for 11 minutes. (Give it a few extra minutes at high altitudes)
  3. Pour the hot water out of the pot, then cover the egg with cold water for a moment.
  4. Crack and peel the egg, salting and peppering if desired. Eat it while it’s hot!

You can use the same method to make devilled eggs, egg salad sandwich, or any other recipe that calls for hard-boiled eggs.

 

Chewy Oat Cookies

chewy oat cookies -trust in kim

My brother reminded me about these cookies from our childhood the other day. They are chewy and almost caramel in the middle, a little crispy on the outside, and really really simple to make. My mom made them when we were little, and neither of us had eaten them for a long time until my brother started making them recently. Of course I had to ask him to send me the recipe so I could try them out too.

On Friday night I mixed up the batter, because it needs to sit in the fridge for a little while, and then it took minutes the next morning to mound the mixture onto a baking pan and bake them up. I brought them to Community Garden work party, and my fellow fence-builders were very happy to try out these treats.

What you need:

  • 2 cups rolled oats
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup canola oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon almond extract

What you do:

  1. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl using a wooden spoon.
  2. Cover and refrigerate the mixture for about an hour, or overnight.
  3. Preheat the oven to 350F.
  4. Line a baking pan with parchment paper, then form the cookies into mounds. If you have a 2 tablespoon ice-cream scoop this could be used, or just a large spoon. You will find that bits of rolled oats scatter a bit, so just press them into the mound with your hands. You should get 12-15 cookies and be able to fit them on one pan.
  5. Bake for 12- 15 minutes. The edges should look caramely and bubbly, which will become crispy as they cool.
  6. After removing from the oven allow them to cool on the baking pan. After they are cool the edges will be crispy, and the inside will be chewy.
  7. Enjoy!
raw oat cookies - trust in kim
the raw cookies mounded on the pan
mom & dad dancing
my parents and their friends out for the evening, way back when

 

Apple Crisp

apples - trust in kim

Recently I baked a whole lot of apple crisp with my grade 5/6 students. They each got to peel, core and chop an apple, and then they got to eat their first apple crisp – and loved it! A little bit of vanilla ice cream on top made it a perfect treat.

I found the recipe on ricardocuisine.com. Usually I just make up the crumble recipe, but I wanted to follow an actual recipe so I could pass it along to my students. I only altered the amount of sugar added to the apples. I don’t usually add any sugar to the apples, and in the future I would probably omit it. I prefer to have a bit of a tart taste in my apples, and leave the sweetness to the crumble.

For the apples it’s fine to use whatever kind you happen to have, but I have included Ricardo’s apple choices. I think I used pink lady apples.

What you need for the apples:

  • 1 & 1/4 cups quick cooking rolled oats
  • 1/4 cup  unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened

What you need for the crumble:

  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 3 Cortland apples

  • 3 McIntosh apples 

  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice

For serving:

  • Vanilla ice cream (I used Chapman’s)

What you do:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350F.
  2. Core, peel and chop the apples. Put them into a 20 cm (8 inch) square baking pan. Combine with the rest of the apple ingredients.
  3. Combine all the crumble ingredients in a bowl and mix in the butter; I like to do this with my hands, and then I spread the mixture over the apples with my hands.
  4. Bake for about 50 minutes.
  5. This is best served while it’s still warm, with a little vanilla ice cream on the side.