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Apple Wedger/Corer
I used to silently wonder about people who meticulously cut their apples into wedges or slices with a knife before eating them.
What was wrong with just biting your way around the fruit until you’d found the inedible core? I suppose by slicing to the core, then cutting it away before eating each slice, you never risked not knowing you’d hit the centre of the apple! Duh!
Was cutting an apple into even sections a neat freak’s way to eat this favourite fruit? It did eliminate messy juices dripping down your chin when you chomped into an especially juicy apple. And, it did allow one to pay equal attention to each evenly cut apple wedge, if that was important to you. And I suppose it might be to someone anal about how they eat apples.
Maybe the apple somehow tasted better cut into pieces?
Then my sister tucked an apple wedger and corer into my Christmas gift bag (okay, so my family uses gift bags, not stockings!) and the light bulb went off.
Pre-cutting the apple is a neat, civilized way to eat an apple. You get rid of the core in one deft maneuvre and are left with evenly sized apple wedges that can be easily held by big or little fingers. What’s so wrong with that?
An apple may not taste better this way (although some may argue this point), but it is a simple, fast and fun way to make apple wedges to enjoy however you like (especially dipped in chocolate or caramel sauce ,which I seldom do but it’s fun to think about enjoying them this way!).
You may have to look a little to find an apple wedger/corer. Try a kitchen store, or wherever kitchen tools are sold. My sister picked up apple wedgers at a dollar store.
Anyone who’s read my February posts so far will likely have noticed they’ve all included chocolate in one fashion or another. Since chocolate is a passion of mine, I trust I’m excused for this narrow focus, especially during the chocolatey month of February. I promise to move on to other food topics very soon, just after I share a few more chocolate thoughts.
Last year, Carol Wiebe, an artist and dear friend, created two pieces of chocolate-themed art for me. The first, Chocolate Confessions, was a commissioned piece I asked her to create when she began making personalized mixed media collages.
Chocolate Confessions by Carol Wiebe, 2007
To create the piece, Carol asked me to give her a picture of myself, and to write out some thoughts about chocolate. One thing I wrote about was that I eat chocolate everyday. Using that idea, Carol designed a chocolate mandala sun with painted rays and my own words about chocolate radiating from it. (Although you can not see the fine details, my handwriting is sprinkled liberally throughout the art quilt.)
Carol also painted a cacao tree to reflect my interest not only in eating chocolate but studying the history of it.
What about that chocolate egg? Those of you who know I work for the Egg Farmers of Ontario probably figured out the significance of the egg pretty quickly.
On the back of Chocolate Confessions, Carol appropriately penned the following: “Both chocolate and confessions can assuage the soul.”
Ancient Appetites came as a wonderful Christmas surprise from Carol. This piece included other aspects of my love of all things chocolate (like Cocoa, my poodle), historical references to chocolate and cocoa, as well as a favourite recipe for Molten Chocolate Cakes (the underbaked baby cakes that spill chocolate lava when unmolded onto a dessert plate and broken into with a fork or spoon).
Ancient Appetites by Carol Wiebe, 2007
Showing these pieces here does not begin to do proper justice to their beautiful colours, textures and sparkle, or Carol’s fine workmanship, however believe me when I say both are beautifully crafted keepsakes I will treasure always.
Carol has written about both creations on her Silverspring Studio blog. Her reflections on these pieces can be found on her posts, Chocolate Confessions and A Surprise of Beautiful Work. On her blog, you can also read some of her thoughts about art and creating and the processes she uses to design and her create her art quilts. And, of course, you can see more of her art.
The Ultimate Brownie
Who doesn’t love brownies?
I suppose if you don’t like chocolate, you might not care for brownies.
Whoa! Back up! Who doesn’t love chocolate?
As hard as it might be for some of us to fathom, there are people in this world who are indifferent to chocolate. They can take it or leave it. Quite easily. Without much care or thought. Some of those people may even prefer to ignore chocolate altogether. Don’t pity them, however. Consider how much more this leaves for the rest of us!
But back to brownies.
Recently I found a recipe for The Ultimate Brownie on the About.com Desserts/Baking website. I’ve never understood the idea of an “ultimate” anything because what might be the best ever version of something (e.g. brownies) to you may very well be a just okay version of that something (e.g. brownies) to me. And vice versa. If you claim something is the “ultimate” or “world’s best” or “greatest ever”, you’ve set up some pretty high expectations as to what that something will look like, taste like, feel like, act like, and so on, depending on exactly what that something is. So many things in life are subject to an individual’s taste preferences, perceptions, biases, and experiences that I’m always hesitant to label anything (and in the context of this blog, a recipe!) with the moniker of “ultimate” unless it’s been highly rated by more people than just me.
That said, I did try The Ultimate Brownie recipe, and it was pretty good! Thick and fudgey (my preference as opposed to cakey), it would rank fairly high on my scale of “best brownies ever eaten”. I’ve posted the recipe below.
Speaking of things “ultimate”, I’m also posting a link to the website of my colleague, cookbook author Mairlyn Smith and her healthy Decadent Brownies recipe. It’s from her and co-author dietitian Liz Pearson’s best-selling book, Ultimate Foods for Ultimate Health…and don’t forget the chocolate (Whitecap Books, 2007). Mairlyn’s recipe uses whole wheat flour, canola oil and cocoa powder.
As well, here’s the link to the recipe for Fudgey Special Dark Brownies on Hershey’s website; it’s made with cocoa powder and Chipits. If you make the brownies in a 15 x 10-inch (38 x 25 cm) pan instead of a 13 x 9-inch (33 x 23 cm) pan, you can cut the brownies into heart shapes for Valentine’s Day. On the Hershey’s website you can also find chocolatey recipes for mousse, cookies and truffles. Perfect fare for giving to all your loved ones and sweeties! Assuming they all like chocolate, that is!
The Ultimate Brownie
(Makes a 13 x 9-inch/33 x 23 cm baking pan)
8 squares unsweetened chocolate, chopped into chunks
1 cup (250 mL) butter, cut in chunks
5 large eggs
3 cups (750 mL) sugar
1 tablespoon (15 mL) vanilla
1-1/2 cups (375 mL) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon (5 mL) salt
2-1/2 cups (625 mL) chopped pecans or walnuts, toasted
In a saucepan over low heat, melt chocolate and butter, stirring frequently; set aside.
In a large bowl, beat eggs, sugar and vanilla with electric mixer on high speed for 10 minutes. (Mixture will be thick and pale yellow in colour.)
Stir in chocolate mixture. Fold in flour and salt until just mixed. Stir in nuts. Pour into a lightly greased 13 x 9-inch (33 x 23 cm) baking pan.
Bake in a preheated 375F (190C) oven for 35 to 40 minutes. The brownies should be moist in the centre.
Tips:
- Measure all ingredients carefully. Measure flour and sugar in a dry measuring cup. Scoop flour into the cup and level the top with a blade of knife.
- For easy removal of the brownies from the pan, line baking pan with aluminum foil or baking paper. Grease foil or paper, then add batter.
- Brownies can be iced, but it is not necessary as they are sweet and decadent enough on their own. If desired, top with chopped nuts and semisweet chocolate chips before baking, or drizzle with a white chocolate glaze, or sprinkle cooled brownies with icing sugar.
- This recipe is very similar to the Blockbuster Brownies recipe inside the box of Baker’s Unsweetened chocolate squares. That recipe calls for 1-1/2 cups (375 mL) butter, 6 eggs and 1 cup (250 mL) chopped nuts. The batter is baked in two 8-inch (2 L) square pans at 350F (180C) for 35 to 40 minutes.
- Brownies freeze well.
For more brownie recipes, visit Brownie Lover’s Diary.
Another blustery wintery day in southwestern Ontario!
A perfect afternoon to stay indoors, curled up with a book and a steaming mug of spiced hot chocolate. To complement the beverage choice, and in honour of this sweet month of February, I picked out JoAnna Carl’s chocoholic mystery, The Chocolate Cat Caper, from my library of culinary mysteries.
Spiced Hot Chocolate with Chocolate Rim Trim
Before filling my mug with hot chocolate, I dipped the rim in a mixture of cocoa powder, sugar and ground cinnamon. Hardly essential, but it made for a pretty presentation – and an extra bit of spice and sweetness with every sip!
Spiced Hot Chocolate
(Makes about 4 cups/1 L)
3 oz (90 g) semisweet chocolate
3 tablespoons (45 mL) water
2 teaspoons (10 mL) sugar
3/4 teaspoon (4 mL) ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon (2 mL) ground allspice or nutmeg
Pinch salt
4 cups (1 L) milk
In a medium saucepan, combine chocolate, water, sugar, cinnamon, allspice and salt. Place saucepan over low heat and stir until chocolate is melted and ingredients are blended together. Remove from heat. Add milk. Return to stove. Over medium heat, stir frequently until milk is not, but not boiling. Remove from heat. Whisk until frothy or use a frother to froth. Pour into mugs and serve.
Optional: To decorate mug rims, combine about 2 tablespoons each (about 30 mL) sugar and cocoa powder with about 1 teaspoon (5 mL) ground cinnamon; stir to blend. Pour mixture into a plate; give plate a shake to spread mixture out evenly, about 1/4 inch (5 mm) thick. Dip rims of mugs in water, then into the cocoa powder/sugar mixture. Fill mugs with hot chocolate and serve.
WOW! There’s a winning combination!
Last night I attended a We’re Open Women (WOW) Seminar in Harriston, Ontario. Egg Farmers of Ontario (EFO) was one of the presenting sponsors of the event so this was a work function for me. Since I’d already put in a long day by the time I made it to Harrison to set up a display for the 6:30 p.m. start, I was glad the real point of the event was a fun night for women.
Sprinkled between four interactive stage presentations given by a personal counselor, yoga instructor, spa company representative and me), there were displays to browse, products to buy, old friends to greet, new friends to meet….AND a chocolate fountain in which to dip fruit, cookies, cake and candies!
During my time on stage, I gave answers to a dozen questions I frequently get asked in my role as the Food and Nutrition Specialist for EFO. Questions such as:
- What’s the difference between white and brown eggs?
- How many eggs can I eat every week?
- How long can you store hard-cooked eggs?
- Why are hard-cooked eggs sometimes difficult to peel?
At the EFO display, I gave away free sets of microwave egg cookers, as well as egg recipes and nutrition information.
This was the second WOW seminar I attended this week. The first was on Monday in Arthur.
WOW Seminars are organized by Wise Moove Communications. The company also publishes Open Magazine.
There will be WOW Seminars in another 19 communities in Ontario throughout the rest of 2008. For a complete list of dates and communities, visit Wise Moove.
By the way, answers to the egg questions above and more, can be found at Egg Farmers of Ontario’s website.
A few co-workers and I prepared a pancake lunch yesterday at work. We used a basic Buttermilk Pancake recipe courtesy of Carolynne Griffith, the chairwoman of the Board of Directors for Egg Farmers of Ontario. The pancakes were tender, light and fluffy, and enjoyed by everyone. For the chocolate lovers in the group, we made one batch of pancakes with chocolate chips. They were exceptionally delish! (The Triple Chocolate Pancakes from my February 4th post would also have gone over well with the chocoholics!)
Here’s the recipe, with the chocolate chip variation. (We omitted the sugar in the recipe.)
Buttermilk Pancakes
(Makes about 16 pancakes)
1 cup (250 mL) all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons (30 mL) sugar (optional)
2 teaspoons (10 mL) baking powder
1/2 teaspoon (2 mL) baking soda
1/2 teaspoon (2 mL) salt
2 large eggs
1 cup (250 mL) buttermilk
2 tablespoons (30 mL) melted butter or cooking oil
Cooking oil
Butter and maple syrup
In a medium bowl, stir together flour, sugar (if using), baking powder, baking soda and salt.
In a large bowl, whisk eggs. Add buttermilk and butter; whisk to combine.
Add dry ingredients to liquid ingredients; whisk just until combined (batter should be lumpy).
Heat a small amount of oil on a griddle or frying pan over medium heat. When the surface is hot enough, spoon about 2 tablespoons (30 mL) batter per pancake onto the skillet, spreading batter into a circle. Cook until edges appear set and bubbles form on the surface, about 1-1/2 minutes. Flip and cook second side until browned, about 1-1/2 minutes.
Serve immediately with butter and maple syrup. Or, transfer to a baking sheet or heatproof platter. Cover loosely with aluminum foil and keep pancakes warm in a 200F (95C) oven. Continue cooking remaining batter, brushing griddle with a small amount of oil as necessary to prevent sticking.
Chocolate Chip Pancakes: Prepare dry ingredients, adding 1/2 cup (125 mL) chocolate chips. Proceed as directed above.
Tips:
- This recipe can be doubled or tripled.
- If batter is too thick, thin with a small amount of additional buttermilk.
- Freeze any leftover pancakes up to 3 months. Reheat on a baking sheet in a preheated 350F (190C) oven. Pancakes can be also be reheated in the toaster or microwave. If using the microwave, be careful not to overheat as they will become rubbery.
Triple Chocolate Pancakes
Got your pancake recipe ready for tomorrow, Pancake Tuesday? Consider celebrating with an extra special recipe for Triple Chocolate Pancakes!
With cocoa powder and chocolate chips in the batter, you may think you’re making a cake or brownies, but don’t be tempted to pour it into a cake pan and slide it into the oven. We really are making pancakes. Just chocolatey ones, finished off with a good drizzle of chocolate syrup. Some might consider this chocolate overload. For chocoholics, this may be the best way (the only way??) to eat pancakes.
If you don’t have a nonstick frying pan or griddle, you will need to grease your pan with a small amount of cooking oil, butter or margarine before making each batch of pancakes. I like to cook a test pancake to check my pan’s heat.
To serve all the pancakes at one time, keep cooked pancakes on a heatproof plate in a 200F oven until all the batter is cooked.
If you want to take these pancakes completely over the top, serve them with vanilla or chocolate ice cream. In season, sliced strawberries are a great addition. Instead of chocolate syrup, the pancakes can be served with maple syrup.
This recipe is easily doubled, or more appropriately tripled! Any leftover pancakes will freeze well.
Triple Chocolate Pancakes
(Makes 12 3-1/2 inch pancakes)
2 large eggs
1 cup milk
3 tablespoons cooking oil
1-1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chocolate chips
Cooking oil, butter or margarine
Chocolate sauce or hot fudge sauce
In a medium bowl, whisk eggs until blended. Add milk and oil; whisk to combine.
In a small bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, cocoa and salt until blended. Stir in chocolate chips.
Add dry ingredients to liquid ingredients; whisk just until combined. There should be some lumps in the batter.
Heat frying pan or griddle over medium heat (adding a small amount of oil to grease surface if using a nonstick pan) until a few drops of water scattered over surface sizzle and evaporate. Drop about 1/4 cup pancake batter per pancake onto pan, spreading batter slightly. Leave some room between pancakes; they will expand a little during cooking.
Pancakes are ready to flip when the edges appear set and the top is full of bubbles; this will take about 1-1/2 to 2 minutes. Flip pancakes and cook second side until lightly browned, about 45 seconds to 1 minute.
As pancakes cook, serve them immediately or keep them warm in a 200F oven. Continue cooking remaining batter.
Serve pancakes with chocolate or hot fudge sauce.
Made plans yet for February 14th?
If not, plan to join me and home economist and cookbook author Donna-Marie Pye at Household China & Gifts in Waterloo that evening for a chocolate tasting and cooking demonstration.
Here’s the class description:
For The Love of Chocolate
Calling all chocolate lovers. Join Home Economist and chocolate expert Wendi Hiebert as we embark on a chocolate tasting. Learn first hand how chocolate is grown and harvested as well as the differences in types of chocolate. Then Donna-Marie will prepare some out of the ordinary chocolate recipes such as Chicken Mole, Mache Salad with White Chocolate Vinaigrette, and Molton Chocolate Cakes with Raspberry Coulis.
Date: Thursday, February 14th
Time: 6:30 – 9:00 pm
Cost: $70.00
Sign up for this class or any of the following classes at the store (300 King Street, Waterloo) or by calling the store (519-884-2792).
You’ll find more information about Household China’s Kitchen Loft cooking seminars on their website. Upcoming classes include:
- Spoons for Grooms (a class just for men) taught by Donna-Marie, Kitchen Loft cooking school coordinator
- an evening on Italian cooking with Emily Richards, author of Italian Express, and Canadian Living Cooks television show host
- favourite recipes from the The Record’s 30 Minute Miracle columnists Luisa D’Amato and Liz Monteiro
- a wine tasting and food pairing class with Chef Derek Hines from Artbar Restaurant
Icewine loving pigs?
This article in the Niagara Falls Review tells the tale of farmer Kevin River’s Berkshire pigs who dined on barley, soybeans and icewine (a dessert wine made from frozen grapes) for 40 days. Chef Frank Dodd of Niagara-on-the-Lake’s Hillibrand winery then experimented with the results.
