September 17, 2013

Chocolate Hazelnut Cheesecake Brownies


This is a decadent little brownie which I am sure is not part of anyone's weight loss regime.  But hey you've got to splurge every once in a while right? This recipe has two parts, the cake-like bottom and a creamy top...all in chocolate hazelnut! I used 16 ounces of cream cheese along with 8 eggs and an entire jar of hazelnut spread. I then decided to add some toffee bites to the top to provide a crunchy contrast to the brownie's creaminess, and the little bit of toffee saltiness highlights the chocolate flavor.

Ingredients:

2 cups of flour
1/2 cup of powdered cocoa like Hershey's
8 eggs
2 1/2 cups of sugar
1 13 or 14 oz jar of chocolate-hazelnut spread
1 1/3 cups of butter, melted and cooled
2 8 oz. pkg. of Neufchatel cream cheese, softened
Heath English Toffee Bites

 First preheat your oven to 325 degrees and spray coat a 13 x 9 x 2 inch baking pan with cooking spray, then set it aside. Next in a medium mixing bowl, mix together the flour and cocoa.

In a large mixing bowl beat with an electric mixer on low to medium speed...4 of the eggs with the sugar, 1/2 cup of the hazelnut spread and the melted butter until combined  Now fold in the flour mixture and beat until smooth. Pour this mixture into your prepared pan and spread it out evenly.


Wash the mixer's beaters and in another large bowl beat the cream cheese with the remaining 1/3 cup of sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in 4 eggs and remaining hazelnut spread until all ingredients are combined. Then carefully pour over the batter in the pan and spread out evenly. Place in the oven and bake for 50-55 minutes until the cheese layer is set and firm. Cover and chill before serving. Sprinkle with Heath English Toffee Bites.

Just perfect with a nice cold glass of milk!


(This recipe was adapted from Better Homes & Gardens Fall Baking 2013 issue)



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September 15, 2013

Cajun Vs. Creole Plus an Authentic Jambalaya Recipe


While my sister Kim and I were in New Orleans last week, I  somehow manage to stumble across the New Orleans School of cooking while out for a walk on Monday morning. I immediately signed up for the $29 cooking demonstration scheduled for Tuesday which was to run from 10:00 to 12:30. Included in the price was lunch plus beverages, and a taste of Louisiana's own Abita beer.


Chef Michael was our demonstrator of the morning and he not only prepared the most incredible Gumbo and Jambalaya, but he also gave us a complete and colorful history lesson about the how the flavors of this region's food came to be. 

As you probably already know, Cajun and Creole are the two main types of fare you'll find in New Orleans and are represented by people known as Cajuns and Creoles respectively.  Both groups are heavily influenced by French culture, but the differences in how each group developed keeps them distinguishable. Arguably the main difference between the Cajuns and Creoles lies in the way each group migrated to Louisiana.

Chef Michael explained how the Cajuns, who were originally French columnist in Canada called Acadiens, came to Louisiana as a result of the British government becoming fearful that the Acadiens would rise up and fight with the French during the French Indian war of the early 1700's. By mid century the British seized the Acadiens' farms and burned their villages because they would not adopt the king's Protestant religion and defend the royal kingdom. So after 40 years of refusing to abdicate their beliefs, British soldiers loaded Acadian families on ships of various destinations from New York to the West Indies. Some ended up in Louisiana where they were found acceptance with it's French background and Catholic heritage. This is where the Acadiens became known as Cajuns as they developed their own distinct lifestyle in the swamps and surrounding areas of Louisiana.

Creoles on the other hand are little bit harder to define but typically they are the descendants of the settlers in the New Orleans area. These settlers are of  French, Spanish, Italian, Caribbean and African ancestry, and descendants of African Americans both slaves and free.  

The difference in cooking has to do with where each group settled in Louisiana. Cajun cooking is though of as "country" fare since the Cajuns had to live off of the land and often used pots for cooking. Their food incorporates meats like pork, chicken, sausage and craw-fish  Cajun cooking will tend to lean on the "holy trinity" of vegetables which are celery, bell pepper and onion, and is typically spicy since cayenne pepper is used good amounts along with herbs like thyme, paprika, parsley and pepper.

Creole cooking is sometimes referred to as more "urban" fare since the Creoles had access to a larger variety of foods native to their countries of origin, as well as to local markets. European influences is largely infused into creole cuisine. Creole dishes utilizes lighter proteins like shrimp, crab and oysters. The "holy trinity" is also used in creole cooking with the addition of tomatoes and garlic (or the "pope" as Chef Michael likes to refer to garlic) which is a sign of Italian influences. The Creoles use less cayenne in their cooking and rely more on allspice, mustard and okra which results in very flavorful but not too spicy dishes. 

Both styles of cooking incorporate the use of a flour as a base to thicken dishes. The Creoles use butter with flour while the Cajuns use oil.


On the menu for lunch was...
Gumbo
Jambalaya
Banana's Foster 
and Louisiana pralines 

...all made right in front of our class of 40!


New Orleans School of Cooking Jambalaya Recipe

serves 12

Ingredients:

1/4 c. oil
1 cut up chicken de-boned and cooked
1 1/2 lbs of Andouille sausage, sliced about 1/3 inch thick

The Trinity
4 c. chopped onions
2 c. chopped celery
2 c. chopped green pepper

The Pope
1 T chopped garlic ( I do throw in more)

4 c. long grain rice
5 c. chicken stock

Cajun seasoning...black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and paprika, dried thyme or you can purchase Joe's Stuff Seasoning
2 cups of chopped green onion or tomato

Season and brown the chicken in oil or if you have it on hand, bacon fat, over medium heat. Add sausage to pot with chicken and continue to saute. Remove the meat from the pot leaving the drippings. 

Next saute the trinity along with the Pope in the drippings until tender. Return the meat to the pot and add your seasonings plus gradually pour in the stock and bring to a boil. Stir in your rice, cover and let simmer for about 25 minutes. Uncover and quickly turn the rice from top to bottom completely. Replace cover and let sit for another 20 minutes, then stir the rice in the same fashion again from top to bottom. Add chopped green onions an tomatoes if desired.


The New Orleans School of Cooking is located at
542 Louis Street right in the heart of the French Quarter.
Phone number (504)525-2665
or outside of Louisiana (800) 237-4841

If you plan on visiting New Orleans and would like to attend one of the school's classes, make sure you call ahead for a reservation. Classes do fill up fast.

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