CULINARY MAKEOVERS – # 19 – Chocolate Pizzelle Brownies
I love crispy wafer-like cookies and I get them when I make Pizzelles. Pizzelles are a wafer-like cookie or pastry if you will, made in a flat decorative iron. They are Italian in origin but are very similar to the Norwegian Krumkake which is also made in a flat decorative iron, though as thin as the Pizzelle is, the Krumkake is even thinner.
The recipe that I have for the Pizzelle is quite large and makes a large quantity. The reason for the large quantity is that the cookie is so thin that it only take a tablespoon or less for each one – and they are at least 6″ in diameter. This time that I made them, I made them Chocolate so that both myself and my husband would be able to enjoy the treat. Ev loves Chocolate and I love anything thin so the Chocolate Pizzelle were perfect. Because the recipe makes such a huge quantity, I only made a half recipe. (Next time I will make a third recipe) Since the recipe calls for 6 eggs, dividing it half was pretty simple. Dividing into thirds will also be simple, but if I make it any smaller, it wouldn’t be worth the trouble to do it.
In addition to loving thin crispy cookies, I also love Marshmallows and if you have ever had homemade Marshmallows, you would never ever eat a commercially manufactured one again. To most people it would seem that Marshmallows are difficult make, but the opposite is true. The main ingredients in Marshmallows are Egg Whites (only 2), Sugar and Gelatin. You can get at least 16 2″square Marshmallows out of one recipe.
Since I like Pizzelle and love Marshmallows, I also made some Chocolate Pizzelle/Marshmallow Treats which were like little sandwiches with Marshmallow in the middle and Chocolate Pizzelle on the outside. But since we are only a household of two and we don’t have company every week you eventually either get tired of eating the treats that were made or they get stale. The Pizzelle were still edible after one week but they were getting a little soft and we were ready for something else.
As I said previous;y, Ev, my husband loves Chocolate and I make him a Chocolate Treat every week. Sometimes it is Chocolate Chip Cookies, sometimes it is Brownies and this time it was Pizzelle but as I said, after a week we were getting somewhat tired of the Pizzelle and even the Marshmallows so I decided to reinvent them or create a new treat, thereby coming up with Culinary Makeover #19 which was Chocolate Pizzelle/Marshmallow Brownies.
To make the Brownies, I first pulverized the remaining Pizzelle in the Food Processor and then transferred them to a Dry Measuring Cup (1 cup size)
Broken-up Pizzelle in Food Processor Workbowl
Pizzelle Crumbs
Next, I broke up the Pizzelle/Marshmallow Sandwiches and chopped them up.
Pulverizng Marshmallows
To make the Brownies I used my ‘Go-To’ Brownie recipe for Fudge Brownies. The only difference was that I had 1 cup of pulverized Brownies. The 1 cup of Pulverized Brownies replaced one cup of the Flour in the recipe. So we had 1 cup of Pulverized Brownies and 1/4 cup of All-Purpose Flour. I also reduced the Sugar to less than 1 cup.
Pizzelle Crumbs and Flour
After making the Brownie Batter, I folded in the chopped up Marshmallows and baked them as usual.
Folding in Marshmallows
The result was a delicious, moist Brownie that had a cake-like texture but was very good and enjoyed by both my husband and myself.
Baked Brownies
You can use any kind of stale cookies to make the Brownies – doesn’t have to be Pizzelle and other leftover baked goods can be utilized in the same manner. Try it yourself and experiment to create totally new delights. This treat is also good with Ice Cream!
Categories: Baking, Baking Tidbits, Cookies, Cooking for Kids, Culinary Makeovers, Dessert Ideas, Leftovers, Main Tags: baking, Brownies, Children's Cooking, Chocolate, Cookies, Dessert Ideas, Makeovers
BACKYARD BOUNTY – TOMATO BASIL SOUP FROM BACKYARD TOMATOES
i love growing Tomatoes and contrary to the rule of thumb that you only need one plant per person in the household, I like to have many more. First of all, I like variety and second of all, not all plants will produce as they should. This year I planted 6 Tomato Plants and have two left over from last year. Unfortunately, the ones from last year are not producing too well. Probably because they are not in full sun – we only have so much garden space that will get sun.
Even though my larger Beefsteak type Tomatoes produce more and larger fruit, my favorites this year are the Green Zebra and the Lucky Tiger. I don’t think my Lucky Tigers are growing to the size that they should but they are fun – they are shaped like the Romas, but thinner and are green with orange/red stripes that are supposed to be dark purple according to the tag that was on the plant when I bought it. In spite of that, I still love the tomatoes. They are fun to grow and delicious to eat. They have a slightly tangy taste to them in contrast to the red tomatoes which are very sweet.
All this being said, what do you do with Tomatoes when you have an abundance of them? You can only make some many salads and eat so much salsa. In past years I have made Chili Sauce and will probably do that again this year if the plants keep producing like they have. For this batch though, I decided to make a Tomato Basil Soup. This is a tasty soup that can be eaten hot, warm or cold so it is perfect for summer or any time of year. The recipe actually calls for Roma Tomatoes, but not having Roma Tomatoes, I just used what I have growing and that is mostly red round tomatoes. Even though I put the tags that came with the plants in front of the plants, they somehow get lost or covered up so except for a couple of the plants, I’m not really sure what kind they are. Just round, red, sweet and delicious!
The Soup can be served as a first course or as a Vegetable Dish along with a meal – that is what I did last night. We had Meat Loaf, Baked Potatoes and the Tomato Basil Soup which I actually served first, but we had seconds along with the meal. I serve this soup in small bowls but it can be served in larger ones. Another way I like to serve it is in demitasse as a ‘stand-up appetizer’ for company meals.
The recipe calls for 2 lbs. of Tomatoes, 1/2 cup of diced Onion, Chicken Stock (I had Beet Water leftover from cooking Beets so I used that instead thereby making the soup good for the Vegan or Vegetarian Crowd. Of course you also need Basil which I also have growing in the yard. I used the Italian Sweet Basil for the Soup and Purple Basil for the Garnish along with the Lucky Tiger Tomatoes.
2 lbs. Garden Tomatoes
After the Tomatoes are washed and cored, chop, quarter or dice them. (It doesn’t really matter too much as they are going to be pureed after cooking)
Cut Tomatoes
Saute the diced Onions in 2 Tbsps. of Olive Oil until they are soft – from the photo below, you will notice that mine are slightly caramelized. This add additional flavor as long as you don’t let them burn. If they do burn, discard and start over – the burn taste will ruin the soup.
Sauteed Onions
Once the Onions are sufficiently cooked, add the prepared Tomatoes and Basil and cook until the Tomatoes release their water. Mix as they cook. When the tomatoes are sufficiently cooked, transfer to a food processor fitted with the metal blade. If you don’t have a food processor, use a blender or a food mill.
Sauteed Onions added to the Onions
Run the processor or blender until the Tomatoes are completely pureed and then return to the pot. Add the remaining seasonings -taste and add additional salt or Vinegar, if so desired.
Serve Hot with tiny Meatballs or at Room Temperature or Cold as an Appetizer. Garnish with additional Basil and diced Tomatoes, if desired. I used the Purple Basil and Lucky Tiger Tomatoes which only need to be sliced vertically down the middle. For additional zest add a splash of your favorite style ‘Old Boney Mountain Hot Sauce’.
Purple Basil
Tomato Basil Soup garnished with Purple Basil and Lucky Tiger Tomatoes
Categories: Dinner Ideas, Italian, Lunch Ideas, Main, Recipes for 'Boney Mountain Hot Sauce Products Tags: Appetizers, Basil, family dinner, Garden Vegetables, Onions, Soup, Tomatoes
NATIONAL WAFFLE DAY TREATS
Today is ‘National Waffle Day’. Here are some Waffle Treats for you to make for your friends and/or family.
Sweet Potato Waffles – a great way to use leftover Sweet Potatoes or just to use your Sweet Potatoes. Good for Breakfast and or Dinner instead of Potatoes.
Sweet Potato Waffle with Apples
Gingerbread Waffles – this is definitely a ‘makeover’ using leftover Gingerbread pieces. This may not be appropriate for ‘National Waffle Day’ in August but keep it mind for your Winter Breakfasts or Desserts!
Gingerbread Waffles
Hong Kong Waffles – a favorite of mine – fun to make and fun to eat. These Waffles are sold as ‘Street Food’ in Hong Kong but can easily be made with your Belgian Waffle Iron.
Hong Kong Egg Waffles
A Hong Kong Waffle spread with Peanut Butter and Sugar
More Waffles – just an overview of the types of Waffle Irons and recipes available today!
Try one or more of these today or for your weekend Brunch, Lunch or Supper
5 of Hearts Waffle Iron
