Happy Halloween!
Today at Jeff's office they were having a Halloween potluck, so we decided to make a couple things for him to bring in today instead of doing a Wednesday Treat Day. I did everything yesterday, but didn't get around to posting until today!
Some of his co-workers have been asking if we could make the Outrageous Oreo Crunch Brownies that they've seen on the website. Now, even though we have posted about these a couple times before and we rarely do repeats - this is one recipe I will glady make at any time! The last time we made them was for the Phoenix office, so it was only fair we should make some for the new office... right? The only thing I did different from the recipe is using the orange Halloween Oreos. I thought it was great that the bright orange color stayed after being baked and cut! As always, this recipe is one that never disappoints as the brownies cut clean, are oh-so-fudgy, extremely rich and yes, they live up to the name of being outrageous!
At the last minute, I decided I wanted to make something else - I thought some homemade mints might be a nice addition to their dessert table. Mom makes these Cream Cheese Peppermint Mints all the time for weddings she does or whatnot as they can be done in advance. They keep very well in the freezer or refrigerator. This is a very basic recipe - softened cream cheese, confectioners' sugar and a bit of peppermint extract are combined until the mixture is no longer sticky. I decided to color the dough orange and black (well... as black as my gel would take it). You take small pieces of the dough, roll in superfine sugar and then press in a candy mold. I used small individual and flexible silicone molds as they are easy to pop the candies out. The mints are velvety soft, creamy and are very refreshing to have after a meal.
Dinner tonight, Black Soybean Risotto with Spinach, was the first time I've used black soybeans before. I'm not sure if there is more than one brand, but the only can I could find was made by Eden Foods. If risotto is something that scares you off - don't be afraid. It really is not too difficult, you just need to stay near the stove to stir the pot - that's it! Warm vegetable broth is the liquid of choice here with a base of onions, garlic, fresh ginger and rosemary. Once the rice has toasted and it has absorbed the batches of liquid (this will take around 20-25 minutes of stirring), you add sharpness and protein to the risotto with Parmesan and the black soybeans. Fresh spinach is added in handfuls until it wilts down and the dish is finished with a pat of butter to lend a needed touch of richness. Creamy, quite filling and a satisfying way to enjoy rice - I also liked how these beans didn't have an overwhelming "soy" taste to them. We did rush the photo taking along as we had to answer the frequent knocks on the door looking for candy!
Some of his co-workers have been asking if we could make the Outrageous Oreo Crunch Brownies that they've seen on the website. Now, even though we have posted about these a couple times before and we rarely do repeats - this is one recipe I will glady make at any time! The last time we made them was for the Phoenix office, so it was only fair we should make some for the new office... right? The only thing I did different from the recipe is using the orange Halloween Oreos. I thought it was great that the bright orange color stayed after being baked and cut! As always, this recipe is one that never disappoints as the brownies cut clean, are oh-so-fudgy, extremely rich and yes, they live up to the name of being outrageous!
At the last minute, I decided I wanted to make something else - I thought some homemade mints might be a nice addition to their dessert table. Mom makes these Cream Cheese Peppermint Mints all the time for weddings she does or whatnot as they can be done in advance. They keep very well in the freezer or refrigerator. This is a very basic recipe - softened cream cheese, confectioners' sugar and a bit of peppermint extract are combined until the mixture is no longer sticky. I decided to color the dough orange and black (well... as black as my gel would take it). You take small pieces of the dough, roll in superfine sugar and then press in a candy mold. I used small individual and flexible silicone molds as they are easy to pop the candies out. The mints are velvety soft, creamy and are very refreshing to have after a meal.
Dinner tonight, Black Soybean Risotto with Spinach, was the first time I've used black soybeans before. I'm not sure if there is more than one brand, but the only can I could find was made by Eden Foods. If risotto is something that scares you off - don't be afraid. It really is not too difficult, you just need to stay near the stove to stir the pot - that's it! Warm vegetable broth is the liquid of choice here with a base of onions, garlic, fresh ginger and rosemary. Once the rice has toasted and it has absorbed the batches of liquid (this will take around 20-25 minutes of stirring), you add sharpness and protein to the risotto with Parmesan and the black soybeans. Fresh spinach is added in handfuls until it wilts down and the dish is finished with a pat of butter to lend a needed touch of richness. Creamy, quite filling and a satisfying way to enjoy rice - I also liked how these beans didn't have an overwhelming "soy" taste to them. We did rush the photo taking along as we had to answer the frequent knocks on the door looking for candy!
Joe - As always, your recipes sound great. I definitely want to try the cream cheese mints. Do you have any suggestsion on how to make them if I don't have silicone molds? Could I just roll the dough into little balls?
ReplyDeleteThanks Ed! If you don't have any molds - you could just as well use a fork to press them down into a fun design!
ReplyDeleteMan...I want you to cook for me one day :D
ReplyDeleteLucky co-workers once again, Joe! Hey, how do you think the brownies would go with the Oreo Dulce de Lece oreo's....saw some at the Dollar Store yesterday and now I wonder. I might make them for a church thing on Sunday.
ReplyDeleteVal
Once again, it really pays off to be Jeff's co-worker's!
ReplyDeleteNice spin on risotto, now I'll need to hunt down some of those soybeans!
Joe, the orange looks great!
ReplyDeleteVal, I think the dulce de leche Oreos taste kind of fake. I wouldn't ruin the brownies with those things.
Thanks, Anna....I'll stick with regular oreo's. I guess that explains why they're selling them at the Dollar Store now....LOL
ReplyDeleteVal
Wheresmymind - Send us a ticket!
ReplyDeleteVal - I agree with Anna, we thought they were just "ok" so I wouldn't use them in the brownies either.
s'kat - The beans were pretty darn good! Worth finding at least.
Anna - Thanks!
Rarely do repeats? Is that repeating a post or repeating for Treat Day?
ReplyDeleteAnon - it just means we rarely make any of the same recipes twice. Too many new ones out there to try!
ReplyDeleteHi Joe! I don't have a pan of the size that's required by the Oreo Brownies recipe. Do you think using one 8x8 and one 9x9 would work?
ReplyDeleteAnonymous - That might work, I would keep an eye on the cooking time though!
ReplyDelete