Tuesday, August 30, 2005

Playing with Chocolate...

But let's talk about dinner first. Tonight we had Gruyère, Arugula, and Prosciutto-Stuffed Chicken Breasts(CL) with Mashed Honey-Roasted Sweet Potatoes(CL). The chicken took a little more time to do than I had set aside, but that's mainly because I was trying to do too many things at once! I butterflied the chicken before pounding and would do that again just to keep them even for stuffing. It's an extra step, but it worked well for me as there is quite a bit to stuff in them.

After a quick browning on the stove, I finished them in the oven while mashing the potatoes. Instead of boiling them, we roasted them in cubes per the recipe, and then mixed in butter with some honey. They are light, fluffy, and not overly sweet. Honey gave them a nice subtle flavor without overpowering them at all. A light drizzle of honey on top finished them off.


On to the chocolate... As tomorrow is Wednesday, I had a request for brownies for Jeff to bring to his office mates. I prefer fudgy brownies, but the request was for cakey style. I tested out two recipes (thanks for pointing them out Anna and Val!). The first was from the KA Cookie Companion and the other was from Fine Cooking. I used Dutch Cocoa in one and melted unsweetend chocolate in the other.I followed both recipes exactly as stated with one exception, adding in chocolate chips in both. The KA was made in a 9x13 while the Fine Cooking one was baked in a 8X8. I didn't want to halve the first mixture.

The KA Version was much taller, but the center took a little longer than I wanted to come out with no wetness on the tester. It also has a darker apperance with a more rich and deeper flavor than the Fine Cooking version. Both are unfrosted so we could compare the actual brownie. In the picture the FC brownie is on the left - KA on the right. They are very good for cakey brownies - I think I prefer the cocoa version though.
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12 comments:

  1. Ruth Daniels8/30/2005 10:56:00 PM

    Sounds like a delicious meal.

    The brownies do look luscious, although, like you, I prefer mine fudgy.

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  2. Little Mama8/30/2005 11:07:00 PM

    Those stuffed chicken breasts look so good I might have to give them a try. And really any brownie is a good brownie in my eyes.

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  3. Anonymous8/31/2005 06:26:00 AM

    OMG Joe!! Everything looks fabulous as usual! Am going to have to give that chicken recipe a try. It looks delicious. AND the brownies...I don't even have to tell you about those! Anything with chocolate is a good thing! Jeff's office mates are so spoiled LOL.
    Val

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  4. Cate8/31/2005 07:02:00 AM

    Sounds like you had a good night in the kitchen. Like you, I much prefer the fudgy ones. Next time you make 'em, you have to try the Dulce de Leche Brownies - excellent stuff!

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  5. Anonymous8/31/2005 07:27:00 AM

    thanks for that review and picture with the comparison, Joe. I have tried many brownie recipes and the ones I have tried that have cocoa in them always seem to be winners. I like the other kind too, but I have been surprised at how the cocoa always seems to turn out a great brownie. two recipes come immediately to mind: best cocoa brownies (Alice Medrich, Bittersweet. also on epicurious.). and alton brown's brownies. those are two of my favorite recipes and both only contain cocoa. They are both fudgy.

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  6. Pille8/31/2005 11:36:00 AM

    I'm sure that the chocolate brownie is yummy, but that chicken looks absolutely mouthwateringly tasty!!!
    Must come back to your blog more often:)

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  7. Dawna8/31/2005 12:57:00 PM

    Joe, that chicken looks great! I also prefer to butterfly chicken or turkey breasts for stuffing - it makes it SO much easier that it's worth the extra trouble. You could say, I guess, that it's LESS trouble to do it that way.

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  8. Anonymous8/31/2005 01:12:00 PM

    That chicken close up is making my mouth water! And that's saying something considering they are in the same post as brownies! Thanks for the cocoa brownie tip :-)

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  9. Anonymous8/31/2005 01:39:00 PM

    Wow!! Awesome pictures today!! The chicken looks delicious, and perfect with the potatoes, I think I will definitely try these recipes sometime soon! (even more because I have sweet potatoes and chicken in the pantry/fridge already!)
    And the brownies look great! I also prefer a fudgy brownie but would never say no to either one of those in the picture! They look so good!
    I really enjoy your blog!
    Ana

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  10. Anonymous8/31/2005 05:23:00 PM

    I've made the KA cookie companion cakey brownies before and I absolutely loved them! I thought they were incredibly rich and chocolatey. I have some prosciutto to use up, so I am going to have to look up that chicken recipe!! There's always a lot of inspiration on your site!

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  11. Anonymous8/31/2005 11:24:00 PM

    Personally, I liked the KA (cocoa powder) version better. The flavor was rich and the texture was really good. The melted chocolate ones seemed almost crumbly texture-wise, and the flavor wasn't as intense as the KA ones.

    I never really thought I'd like cakey brownies, but both of these were really good.

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  12. Culinarily Obsessed9/05/2005 02:47:00 AM

    My current struggle is with brownies..I too prefer fudgey brownies. I luv them fudgey & moist & dense..and NOT cakey..I've tried several recipes & none seem to wOw me..Anyway..yours look yummy =)

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