chocolate Archives - Linda Nelson

EAT MY BLOG!

Now that I’ve got your attention, and, no, I haven’t gone mad, I’d like to share with you a decadent little chocolate lover’s dessert I made for Christmas, a brownie log, or “blog”, for short. Perhaps you’d like to serve blog for New Year’s.

©Linda Nelson 2016

This is what you’ll need –

a simple fudgey brownie recipe (for an 8″ square pan)
chocolate-hazelnut spread (such as Nutella)
confectionary sugar
rolling pin
parchment paper

Begin by baking your fudgey brownie recipe for the minimum time allowed. It’s very important that it’s a fudgey brownie recipe, not a cake-like one. When it has cooled to room temperature, invert the pan onto a sheet of parchment paper roughly 16″ long. Remove the pan and place another 16″ length of parchment paper on top of the brownie. Using your rolling pin, roll the brownie out to a thickness of about 1/4″ thick and to roughly measure 10″x13″.

©Linda Nelson 2016

Peel the top piece of parchment paper off and trim away the irregular edges of the brownie so that you have a nicely shaped rectangle. Use the trim pieces to “spackle” any areas as needed. Using a cake icing spatula or butter knife, cover the entire surface of the brownie with a thin layer of the chocolate-hazelnut spread (about 1/2-3/4 cup). Use the bottom sheet of parchment paper to assist you in rolling up your brownie into a tight log (do not roll the paper up with it!). Now, wrap the log up in the paper and gently squeeze it on all sides to secure the brownie’s contact with itself. Set aside until serving time.

©Linda Nelson 2016

When you’re ready to serve the blog to your guests, simply dust it with confectionary sugar and slice.

That’s all there is to it.

So, to ring in the New Year, eat my blog!

REVIEWING WHAT I BAKED FOR CHRISTMAS

December 29, 2014

I’m not one for spending much time in the kitchen, but I do delight in baking during the Christmas holiday season. Here’s a recap and critique of the goodies I chose to make this year –

All were prepared exactly according to directions unless stated otherwise.

Lemon Cranberry Bars – This one is not only a keeper, but my favorite, too! The bars are quite tart, but absolutely delicious. The recipe is straightforward and delivers as intended. A dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream is the perfect accompaniment to temper any mouths that might pucker.

©Linda Nelson 2014

Almond Bark – Fabulous and very easy to make! I varied this recipe slightly in that I used one cup of slivered almonds, 1/2 cup of unsweetened flaked coconut, 1/2 cup of pistachios and a pinch of salt. I toasted the coconut and almonds together in a pan on the stovetop in a tiny amount of melted butter. As suggested, I used Ghirardelli chocolate.

Chocolate Espresso Snowballs – These are super delicious, however, I had a little trouble with the recipe. For me, the batter did not come together to form a dough that I could refrigerate. I took a big leap of faith and skipped that step, opting to simply plop tablespoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheets, then bake as directed. I sprinkled them with confectioner’s after they cooled. They came out flat like a sugar cookie, and had a somewhat chewy texture. Despite this little glitch, I’d make them again because they are definitely a chocolate/coffee lover’s delight, and make my kitchen smell divine.

Pecan-Cranberry Cream Cheese Crescents – Very tasty; however, I failed to roll the dough out thin enough, which just happens to slightly mimic apple pie crust. I will do these again, but be more mindful of my dough rolling practices. I substituted almonds for the pecans.

Perhaps you’d like to give one of these gems a try to ring in the New Year. Hey, what’s a few extra calories, right?

There you have it.

Now, get creative and go bake something.

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