Bourbon Cherry Brownies

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Knowing of my aunt’s love for chocolate-covered bourbon cherries that make their appearance at a local chocolatier every year around Christmas time, when I stumbled upon a recipe for bourbon cherry brownies, I had to make them. She was, after all, coming for lunch, and this would be the perfect dessert. As it turned out, life got in the way, and she didn’t make it for lunch. The cherries sat in the refrigerator, soaking in bourbon, for nearly a week before I remembered they were there, and boy were they good! The brownies that I eventually got around to making were equally good.

You don’t have to like bourbon in order to appreciate the wonderful depth of flavor and dense chocolate in this decadent dessert. Try them, and let me know what you think.

Bourbon Cherry Brownies

¾ c. bing cherries soaked in bourbon*
¾ c. flour
¾ t. baking powder
2 T. unsweetened cocoa powder
Pinch salt
¾ c. unsalted butter
¾ c. dark chocolate chips
2 large eggs
1 c. superfine sugar

Preheat oven to 350° F. Line an 8” x 8” baking pan with parchment paper. Spray bottom and sides with Baker’s Joy; set aside.

Drain and coarsely chop cherries, reserving liquid for later. Spread out onto plate lined with a double thickness of paper towels. Using another paper towel on top, pat to dry; set aside.

Sift together flour, baking powder, cocoa, and salt; set aside.

Melt butter and chocolate together in a microwave safe dish at 30-second intervals, stirring after each; set aside to cool.

While chocolate is cooling, beat the eggs and sugar together until smooth, pale yellow in color, and almost meringue-like, 1 to 2 minutes. Combine with cooled chocolate, and beat thoroughly, maintaining the meringue-like texture. With mixer set on low, beat in flour mixture to combine, 30 seconds.

Fold in drained cherries. Pour batter into prepared pan, spreading evenly. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes. Remove from oven and cool. When cool, refrigerate for one hour before slicing.

*Soak cherries in bourbon to cover for two days or up to a week.

Mexican Monkey Bread

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 Salads are synonymous with summer. What better way is there to take advantage of all of the fresh fruits and vegetables of summer than in a salad? Whether you enjoy them as a side dish or main, they often need that little extra something on the side. In the winter it’s a tasty sandwich or a hearty bowl of soup, in the summer it’s fresh bread.

I am generally not a fan of monkey bread because I prefer savory to sweet, so when I found this recipe on allrecipes.com I had to try it. I also had to change it up a bit to suit my interests. You are going to love it, the kids are going to love it, as is anybody else who sinks their teeth into this nicely spicy, cheesy bread enjoyed warm from the oven. In fact, it may behoove you to get a couple packages of biscuit dough in because I have a feeling that you’re going to be making this more than once.

Mexican Monkey Bread
Adapted from a recipe on allrecipes.com

3 T. butter, melted
1/8 t. garlic powder
1 16.3-oz. pkg. refrigerated buttermilk biscuit dough, separated, each biscuit cut into eighths
1 1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese, divided
2 Melissa’s pickled jalapeños, sliced, divided
¾ t. dried parsley flakes, divided
½ c. shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350° F. Spray a 9” x 5” loaf pan with PAM; set aside.

Combine garlic powder with melted butter in a medium bowl. Dip each piece of biscuit dough in melted butter to coat, and arrange 1/3 of the dough in the bottom of the loaf pan to form a single layer. Top with 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, 1/2 of the pepper slices, and 1/4 teaspoon parsley. Repeat this layer again, i.e. 1/3 of the biscuit dough, 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, 1/2 of the pepper slices, and 1/4 teaspoon parsley, and top with remaining biscuit pieces. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese and all mozzarella cheese over the top of the loaf to cover. Bake until golden brown, 40 to 45 minutes. Cool in pan for five minutes before removing. Delicious warm.

Slow Cooked Sausage Supper

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Is it hot where you are? It has been really hot here, with high humidity. In fact, during the month of May the weather has been all over the place. I don’t know that I am ready for 90° temperatures just yet, but like it or not, they were here last weekend.

The heat of summer is when I make good use of my slow cooker. I’m busy working in my container garden, and don’t want to have to bother with dinner. I love that I can put something together early in the day, and by late afternoon/early evening, when I’m too tired to move, I have a wonderful dinner waiting for me.

This is easy, comforting, and satisfying. The flavor is sweet, spicy, and tangy. You can swap out the vegetables by adding those that are seasonal and/or preferred by your family; fresh green beans, baby corn, and corn on the cob, sliced into 2-inch rounds work particularly well here. Just be sure to adjust your time accordingly, i.e. baby corn will only need to be heated through whereas fresh green beans will need at least a half an hour.

Slow Cooked Sausage Supper

 1 3-oz. pkg. Melissa’s shallots, sliced

2 lbs. smoked sausage*

1 c. brown sugar
3 T. yellow mustard

3 T. Dijon mustard

1 T. stone ground mustard

1 T. creamy horseradish

1 1.5-oz. bag Melissa’s baby red potatoes, halved

2 c. baby carrots

½ cabbage, cut into quarters

Spray interior of slow cooker with PAM. Scatter sliced shallots on the bottom of the slow cooker. Slice sausage into 2-inch chunks and scatter on top of the shallots. Combine the sugar, mustards, and horseradish, and pour over the sausage and potatoes. Stir to coat. Cover and cook on high heat 2-1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. Add potatoes, carrots, and cabbage, and cook for an additional 45 minutes.

 Serves 4 to 6.

*I used Eckrich beef smoked sausage

 

To Bee or Not To Bee Tablescape

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I am borrowing from the Bard for the name of this tablescape. It’s an appropriate one, because this table almost didn’t come to be. I had to have a “come to Jesus” meeting with myself last week when I spotted some bee plates on Amazon that I knew I had to have. 

I didn’t have to have them, of course, but they were so adorably cute (these, am I right, or am I right?), and I knew they would go so perfectly with my honeybee flatware and cups and saucers.

Once I finally got a grip (it took time, I can tell you), I had an epiphany. Last year I had bought a set of clear plates (these) and decided that I could have plates in any theme that I wanted by putting fabric, objects, scrapbook paper, photos, you name it, beneath those plates. The end result is what you see here. I found a graphic online that I liked, enlarged it to a 6“ x 6“ size to fit appropriately beneath the plate, printed it out on coffee-dyed paper, and I am tremendously pleased with this. So much so, that I have decided to challenge myself in the coming months to come up with one table after another using these fabulous Duralex plates. I mean, let’s face it, the world is my oyster, if I can design these plates myself. Think about that. If you buy yourself a set of these plates, they may just be the only ones that you need. The sienna nubby-edged plates are from Pier 1.

I am still thoroughly enjoying my new tablecloth, this week I topped it with a tribal runner that I found a couple of years ago.

I couldn’t decide which looked better beneath the bee graphic, the russet plates or the yellow ones, so I used both. The yellow are Waechtersbach and you can find them here.

 

 The white lotus flower bowls were a purchase from Pier 1 decades ago. You can find similar ones here.

 

The cups, as mentioned above, are from Amazon, as are the wonderfully sturdy, made in France, La Rochere honeybee juice glasses.

The flatware is by Wallace International, and I couldn’t love it more. I use it constantly.

The amber glassware is from P.O.S.H. in Chicago.

 The napkins I made myself out of simple black cotton fabric.

The trio of pitchers in the center came from a local shop (shout out to The White Rabbit); the flowers are a couple of $7 bunches I picked up at the market. I think, the chargers came from them as well.

 The colors here are darker than you may find on a spring table, but it’s my nod to the ultra importance of saving the bees.

  This post is linked to:

Tablescape Thursday

 

 

The Diva’s Creamy Macaroni and Cheese

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I am a fan of Krista Davis’s “Domestic Diva” books, and have read every one of them. I have pre-ordered the next (The Diva Serves Forbidden Fruit), due to release on the 25th this month). I recently completed the current volume (#13), The Diva Spices It Up. One of the things I love about this series, in addition to the characters, setting, and darned good mystery is that recipes are provided at the back of the book for a lot of the food mentioned throughout the story. In this volume, one of those recipes was for Creamy Macaroni and Cheese. As a fan of mac & cheese, yet never quite finding a recipe that suits me, I had to try this one.

I don’t know about the hard copy, but if you have The Kindle version of this book, please be aware that the included recipe is wrong. There is a mention of cream cheese in the instructions, but none mentioned in the list of ingredients; at no time is there a mention of when to combine the pasta with the sauce (or even combining the pasta with the sauce at all); and, for my taste, there was too much salt. That said, this is the best macaroni and cheese that I have ever eaten. It is flavorful, creamy but not too creamy, and the crunchy topping adds that certain something that takes it over the top. I am not a fan of elbow noodles so I never keep them on hand, always substituting with pipette. They’re much cuter for one thing, “pipette” is much more fun to say than “elbow noodles,” and they hold more of that delicious sauce.

Here is a cleaned up copy of Krista‘s recipe for Creamy Macaroni and Cheese. Follow it to the letter, and you will be in pasta heaven.
 

The Diva’s Creamy Macaroni and Cheese

Adapted from Krista Davis

8 oz. elbow macaroni*, cooked according to package
½ c. Panko
½ c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
4 T. unsalted butter
¼ c. flour
1 t. garlic powder
1 t. smoked paprika
¾  - 1 t. Kosher salt
1 T. prepared mustard
2 c. whole milk
4 oz. cream cheese, cubed, room temperature
4 oz. shredded cheddar (shred your own, I’m not just kidding around here)
4 oz. shredded Colby cheese (not pepper jack, Colby Jack, Colby, shred it yourself)

Preheat oven to 400° F. Spray an 8” x 8” baking dish** with nonstick spray (like Pam); set aside.

In a small mixing bowl, toss together Panko and Parmesan cheese; set aside.

After preparing the pasta, set aside to drain and make the sauce. In a large saucepan melt butter over medium high heat. Whisk in flour and cook until it turns amber in color and smells fragrantly nutty, 2-3 minutes. Continuing to whisk, gradually pour in milk. Add garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt, and mustard, and reduce heat to medium. Whisk occasionally until the mixture simmers at the edges and begin to thicken. Add cheeses, reduce heat to low, and stir with a wooden spoon until it has melted. Fold in drained pasta and turn into prepared dish.

Sprinkle Panko/Parmesan mixture over the top and bake for 20 to 25 minutes until edges are bubbly.

Generously serves 4 as a main dish; 6-8 as a side.

*I used pipette.

**You can also use a 1.5 quart casserole dish.

Late Spring Vignette

The late Mr. O-P often accused me of being too strong an advocate of “form over function.” Guilty as charged. This may be a female thing, but I have certain items, vignettes, and corners of my home that are strictly there for my pleasure. I want to wake up every morning and see something pretty. In good times and bad times (particularly the last 18 months), I find it peaceful, calming, and often invigorating. I know I’m not alone. I recently started asking my friends what their favorite spot(s) in their home was/were and thoroughly enjoyed their loving and detailed responses.

This is a favorite spot in my new room (that goes under dual names of “The Conservatory” -- this appeals to the Clue fan in me-- and “The Jungalow.”) I find these monkeys very appealing. It was one of my first purchases when I set up home after graduating from college. When my boys were born, I switched from delicate accessories, to sturdier ones, and passed these to my mother. She loved them so much that, even after my sons were grown and gone, she refused to part with them.

When dad passed away two years ago February, these were the first things I brought home with me. Their provenance made me smile, and looking at them never ceases to bring joy to my day.

What are your favorite spots?

 

Early Spring Tablescape

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I don’t know how the weather is where you are, but we are unseasonably (shockingly) cool around here. This is my first spring tablescape and it represents our unseasonable weather in that instead of being soft pastel colors of spring, it still bears some of the darkness of winter.

I treated myself to many things during the pandemic, one of which is this fabulously over the top tulipiere. Tulips are one of my favorite flowers, but I never had a great way to display them until now.

 

 The tablecloth is also new this year from wayfair.com, and I love the boldness of the vase with the tulips at center.

The water hyacinth placemats are versatile and among my favorites. They are topped with Bordallo Pinhiero geranium leaf chargers. On top of them are square black plates that my son and daughter-in-law tired of and passed to me. This is my first time ever owning black plates, and I have to say I like them.

 

My interest in collage art made these salad plates from Pottery Barn quite appealing. I have yet to see any butterflies this early in the season, but I’m certainly inviting them to my home with all of the flowers I have planted thus far.

 

The glassware was a gift from a friend. The cappuccino cups are from Amazon.

The flatware is Mackenzie Childs “Courtly Check”, also available, surprisingly enough, from Amazon.

The white butterfly dishes are favorites of mine and I have had them since I was in college. They are designed to be used when serving Chinese food, to hold sweet and sour sauce and mustard sauce. I use them quite often to hold pats of butter and homemade preserves. I thought they made a nice addition here. I wanted unobtrusive salt and pepper shakers, and these house salt and pepper shakers from Magnolia Home filled the bill.

This post is linked to:

Tablescape Thursday