hot chocolate brownie

On my list, there always seems to be chocolate.  Whether it is my shopping list or food to make list, there is a chocolate.  We do like our chocolate around here.  But then you could say the same about cinnamon and vanilla.  

I was wondering around the web and saw a recipe for a cinnamon brownie.  It got me thinking about an ice cream I made years ago.  Hot chocolate ice cream.  I add ground chili pepper to my hot chocolate often so you can see where this is going.  The first serving of that ice cream made everyone sweat.  My Beloved ate it a month later and it had mellowed so the flavor was there without all the sweat.  

I decided to do that with these brownies.  I did make these so they did not cause sweat.  Just like always, these did not last long but I found the added spices made them taste richer. 

hot chocolate brownie

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips 

2 1/2 tablespoons butter

1 large egg

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

A pinch of salt

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

a pinch ground chipolte pepper

a pinch ground ancho pepper

2 tablespoons almond flour

Preheat 350 degrees Fahrenheit

Butter and flour an 8 inch pan.

Melt 3/4 cup chocolate and butter in a saucepan until chocolate is melted.  

Mix in the sugar, vanilla, egg, salt, cinnamon, ancho, chipolte, and flour.

Pour into pan.  Sprinkle with 1/4 cup of chocolate chips.

Bake for 17 to 20 minutes or until tester comes out clean.

I thought these were quiet lovely with tea.  But what is not lovely with tea?

By the way, it is a new picture but it is hard to tell.  You have to taste.

peanut butter chocolate banana

There are days that I want something sweet but my body and arthritis are saying that sweet does not need to have too much refined sugar in it.  I had one of those days recently and decided to try one of those ideas that floats around of using frozen bananas for a frozen treat.  The biggest difficulty is making sure you have a blender of food processor power enough.  Take a couple bananas and some chocolate syrup (I like lots.  My Beloved likes less) and blend ferociously.  I stirred in large soup spoon of peanut butter.  I did not wish to blend it in because I wanted the texture difference.  

Not bad.  Do not let anyone convince you this is ice cream but if you want something with less sugar and less dairy this works.  And I do not hurt so bad the next day.  It does fulfill the craving.  I do have to admit that if I add milk of some kind and blend it all together it reminds me of the Jamba Juice peanut butter mooed but better.  That is really my go to.  A junk food dinner type of day.  Hamburger patty pan fried, salad, and the smoothie.  My kind of junk food.

a new batch of frontier dress

I was crazy the week before we left for the land.  I cut out three cotton dresses and made them.  I even double seamed them all since I am tired of the thread breaking after what I consider a too short period of time.  Does the universe not know these are supposed to last forever?  I had a few of my home work/weekend dresses become tatters recently and I needed a few more.

Even though I made them for home work, land work, garden work, I have been wearing them to the office.  I sent an email today to a friend saying I was wearing a frontier dress to work today and they may laugh.  My friend said it was not too different then my every day work wear.  Oh well.

But they are very comfortable and have pockets.  I should have made them a few inches shorter.  That way, climbing up the mountain with a Small Mister in my arms or moving logs would have been a bit easier.  I just cannot bring myself to make that cut and hem.  I know they are going to shrink even though they will not go in the dryer.  That is just the universe.  These are supposed to be indestructible!

punky monkey bread

We are going into my favorite season and where I live does not have any autumn.  Or if it does, it is in December or January, right before spring starts.  That is what I get for living in this part of Texas.  But this is where the work is currently and that means we have the mountain in our lives.  I am hoping to change that but it is a slow process.

Pinterest is a bad place if there is no autumn in your life this time of year.  There are lots of pumpkin recipes and I like pumpkin.  I was the kid who never really liked cake but a pumpkin pie. . . .   That was me.  Which probably would give my Mom fits because I would ask for pumpkin pie for my birthday.  In March.  When there was not as much year round cans of things on the shelf at the grocery store.  I have never asked but I bet she started to stock up on canned pumpkin in November and December to make me that pie.  

I saw pumpkin pull apart bread and a pumpkin cinnamon roll.  Then the idea came to me of my monkey bread with pumpkin added and more pumpkin pie type spices.  I think this turned out really well.   All the recipes I saw served their version of this yeasted pumpkin bread with a frosting, whether a butter cream or a cream cheese frosting.  I think it takes away from the pumpkin flavor and the flavor of spices used.  But then, I do not like whipped cream on my pie.  A bit of sugar sprinkled over so there is a texture difference but not whipped cream.  Okay, I am strange.

punky monkey bread

Note:  I used multiple different recipes as a guideline.  A took a bit here and there and I had no eggs.  

sourdough starter

3/4 cup water

1 cup flour

1 cup pumpkin

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup milk

6 tablespoons room temperature butter

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground fresh nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom

about 4 1/2 cups flour

2 tablespoons cinnamon

2 cups brown sugar

3/4 cup melted butter

1 cup brown sugar

The night before, in a large non-metallic bowl, mix the starter, water, and 1 cup flour.  Let sit overnight and let it get bubbly.

Mix in the pumpkin, 1/2 cup brown sugar, milk, butter, eggs, salt, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom.  Add enough flour to make a stiff dough.  (Well, I have to admit that I kept mine on the wetter side since I knew it was headed for the refrigerator.  I let time do all the work.) Turn out and knead until smooth.  Let rise until double or put in a ziploc and let rise in the refrigerator overnight.

When the dough is risen,  butter two loaf pans.  Mix the 2 tablespoons cinnamon and 2 cups brown sugar together in a small bowl.  Roll the dough out very thin.  I got my dough to about 1/4 inch or less.  I did not have anymore room on my counter but go thinner if you do.  Cover the dough with the cinnamon and brown sugar mixture.  If you have extra, you can use it in the caramel.   I did!

Cut the dough in squares that fit your dough pans.  Layer in the loaf pans on the dough's edges.  Cover and let rise until double or until soft and puffy.  

When the dough has risen until double, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Mix the 3/4 cup melted butter and 1 cup of brown sugar together.  I used the leftover cinnamon brown sugar for part of the cup of brown sugar.  Split between your loaf pans

Bake for 30 to 40 minutes.  You want golden but on the dark side.  I found the punky monkey bread was darker then my monkey bread but then so is the dough.

Like I wrote earlier, I really do not think you need any type of icing.  It mellows the pumpkin and spices and that is what I wish to taste.

I gave some away today or I would be eating this all week for breakfast.  Maybe I should just make some more.  I did plant more pumpkins and we have not used all the pumpkin I canned last year.  

The thought makes me smile.  Bread and pumpkins.

where the yarn is going

This week I have spent a lot of time at my spinning wheel.  It is the type of space I need back in the city after being on the mountain.  Very meditative.  But what am I doing with this yarn.  I started a sweater for my Beloved.  His mother used to knit but this is the first sweater that has actually been made for him.  He is excited.  Especially since this yarn is full of lanolin and smells like sheep.  He likes both these aspects.

This may not be exciting to anyone but me but I put a bunch of mint in water to keep it fresh.  It has started to create roots!  I am hoping there will be enough to start the mint in pots.  Then, I will try some in the garden again.  

It is truly the simple things that make life so good.