The Devilish Dish: February 2013

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Triple Chocolate Boozy Brownies

Sometime back I found this beer. The label read, "Stout with Coffee Added." I don't really drink stout. And I don't really drink coffee. But something told me this would be excellent for baking. I've seen brownies with coffee before. I've seen brownies with beer before. I've never seen brownies with COFFEE BEER, so I invented them! With the addition of semi-sweet chocolate, cocoa powder AND milk chocolate chips, you can see where the TRIPLE CHOCOLATE part comes in. These are super rich, and the stout flavor really shines through. If you can't find the particular type of coffee stout I used, try substituting any dark stout (like GUINNESS for St. Patrick's Day!) or a combination of half strongly brewed coffee and half stout. If you're not a booze hound like me, then try using all coffee in lieu of the stout. It's your kitchen, go for it!

What's better than a brownie???
A BOOZY Brownie!

The Line-Up

Sift flour and cocoa powder together.

Cream eggs and sugars together
with an electric mixer.

Melt semi-sweet chocolate and
butter together.

Add to egg mixture.

Alternately add flour mixture.

And stout...

Here's the coffee stout I used.
It's called Redband Stout by the
Great River Brewery.

Fold in the milk chocolate chips.

Enjoy with a stout OR a glass of milk!

Jalapeno Ice Cream

Nearly every night after dinner, Mr. Devilish Dish asks, "What's for dessert?" And nearly every night after dinner my reply is, "You don't need dessert." And then he pouts and eats the candy that I keep in the candy dish for company. Last Saturday happened to be too cold for golf, so I planned a big, complicated Mexican feast to keep us busy in the kitchen all day. The finale was Jalapeno Ice Cream. All I'm gonna say about that is, "Don't knock it until you've tried it." It tasted like a really good homemade vanilla ice cream with a twist. The little bits of jalapeno were almost like gummy candy. An unusual, but tasty treat. The next time someone asks you, "What's for dessert?" tell them, "Jalapeno Ice Cream!" Which reminds me of a joke...What does the nosey pepper do? Gets jalapeno business...I know I know. Stick to cooking, not comedy.

DON'T knock it til ya try it!

Drunken Gummy Bears

Gummy Bears for Grown-Ups? Count me in. I've seen some crazy "cocktails" on Pinterest and other places. Everything from vodka flavored with Skittles to popsicles with champagne poured over them. I think we've established by now that Mr. Devilish Dish and I like to have a good time. We tailgate A LOT. Football, baseball. Um I've even been known to have a fun in a golf course parking lot. And that's a stretch. Hanging out in a golf course parking lot is only slightly more fun than watching paint dry. That being said, if there's a fun, simple treat that I can take to share with my friends, that is easy to transport, then I'm all over it. I've been waiting for the perfect occasion to try out these goofy gummy bears. Opening Day for College Baseball seems like an ideal celebration!

Yes: they are the life of the party!

We didn't serve them in a glass really.
We just passed around the plastic container.
And some handy-wipes. Because they
are sticky. (But worth it!)

Disclaimer: I'm not responsible for what
happens if you eat too many of these.

Look how much they "grow" in the vodka...

Be safe!
Have fun!
Try it with gummy worms next time!

Drunken Gummy Bears

1 package gummy bears
Vodka (enough to cover them)
container with a lid that seals well
fun friends

Place gummy bears in container. Pour vodka in, just over the top of the gummy bears. You just want them covered. Place lid on container. Let sit overnight or longer. Enjoy!

NOTE: I put my container in the fridge over night, and just flipped it over a couple of times to make sure all of the gummy bears were nice and soaked. I've had people tell me they don't even bother refrigerating, and that they have soaked them for several days.

Prep Time: Approximately 5 minutes Cook Time: 0 needs to sit 24 hours

Bee Mine Valentine Card Craft: Quick & Easy!

I love Valentine's Day. It's not so much about the mushy love stuff for me, as it is an excuse to send my friends some fun little something in the mail. Back when we were in college, my BFF sent me a homemade valentine through the campus mail. It was by far the most creative, and funniest valentine I've ever received. Neither of us had boyfriends at the time, so we were celebrating "Single's Awareness Day" instead of "Valentine's Day." My card was made out of black construction paper hearts and listed, "The Top 10 Things That Suck More Than Valentine's Day..." to include the boys at school and the small glasses in the cafeteria. I still have that Valentine and even though she didn't know it years ago, my friend Barbara set the bar really high for creative and homemade Valentine cards. We're all a little older, and married so it probably isn't necessary to send her a Top 10 list of things that suck. I figure she could use something a little brighter and more fun in her mailbox. I whipped out several of these cards in just a few minutes. So if you are panicking about a last minute treat for a Valentine on your list, here ya go:

Bee Mine!

What you will need:
cardstock
ribbon
hole punch
Burt's Bees Chapstick
printer

Print the image (below) onto cardstock
of your choice. Cut into "card size" of
your choice. Punch two holes parallel
to each other near the bottom of the card.
Thread the ribbon through the holes.

Tie on the tube of chapstick
and present to your Valentine!

Better Than Sex Chex Mix

Last week, my friend Michaela over at An Affair From The Heart posted a recipe for this fantastic looking snack mix. Before posting on her blog, she sent me a picture of the finished product. We had a chuckle over the name, and the only thing I could think about was the scene from When Harry Met Sally where they are in the diner and the woman says, "I'll have what she's having." A little later when Michaela published her blog, I was not at all surprised to see a reference to that scene from the movie. Great minds really do think alike. I needed a last minute Valentine treat to take to my in-laws so I whipped up a batch of this fabulous snack mix this evening. My husband was MORTIFIED when I told him the name, followed by: "This is for YOUR parents." It was even worse when I started singing, "Let's Get It On." It's a very satisfying evening when I can cook up something delicious in the kitchen while simultaneously pushing my husband over the edge. Mission Accomplished.

After I made this, and ate half the pan
while watching Top Chef, I thought it might have
been cute to omit the Reese's Cups and add
red and pink M&M's since this is a Valentine treat.
There's always Saturday night...

"I'll have what she's having."

Mounds Brownies

Some times you feel like a nut, sometimes you don't. Sometimes you feel like coconut. I never do. My parents however, LOVE anything with coconut. I feel obligated to the cooking public to provide you with a blog that does not discriminate against foods I do not like. Whenever a special occasion rolls around at my parent's house, I try to use a recipe that includes coconut. They get a treat they like, I don't have to eat it, I share the recipe with you guys. Everyone wins! Recently they celebrated their anniversary so I took them a big platter of Mounds Brownies. They were very simple to make, and looked gorgeous on the platter. From what I hear they were very rich and very tasty. I'll leave that for my parents and you all to decide. Meanwhile, I'll remain coconut-free. But I vow to bring you a tasty coconut recipe every now and then!

Sometimes you feel like a coconut!

The Mounds Line-Up
(You'll also need the eggs/oil/water
to prepare the brownies)

Prepare brownie mix according to package.
Cool completely.

Combine coconut, condensed milk
and powdered sugar.

Spread coconut mixture over
cooled brownies.

Soften frosting in microwave.
Spread over coconut mixture.
Refrigerate until set.

Cut into squares and serve.
(Thank my parents for the rare coconut
recipe appearance on The Devilish Dish!)

Valentine's Day Round-Up

Valentine's Day is right around the corner. While a big box of candy or a teddy bear or flowers will ALWAYS make me happy, I love nothing more than a homemade Valentine. Even if it's nothing but red and pink construction paper hearts, homemade really says from the heart. In the spirit of Cupid, Love and all things Valentine, I've gathered together some recipes and craft ideas that you can whip up for your loved ones. From strawberry to chocolate to coconut, there is something here sure to show your sweetie just how much you love them:

Here's a Dozen Delicious Inspirations
for the loves on your lists:


You might think Chocolate Souffles sound complicated. These are truly easier than whipping up a batch of chocolate chip cookies. Way more impressive too!

How about a little Red & White for the day of Love?
Ooey Gooey Whoopie Pies!


Play Cupid and leave a Candy Wreath on someone's door... Easy to do, and fun to eat!

It's the most popular recipe on my blog,
and I'm pretty sure Hot Chocolate Cupcakes withMarshmallow Buttercream Frosting
will be most popular with your Valentine!

Nothin' says Lovin' like Cinnamon and Sugar.
Chewy, homemade Snickerdoodles will
win anyone's heart!

Need a cheap date for 'Valentine's Day?
Try 50% OFF Fudge
(get some half-price candy on February 15th)

Who wouldn't want a beautiful pink cake for
Valentine's Day?
Grandmother Mary's Strawberry Cake
sure won my Granddaddy Guy's heart...

Whip up a batch of dainty lil'
Chocolate Cherry Sweetheart Cakes!
Only 4 Ingredients!

Red Velvet Cupcakes In A Jar
make a tasty, transportable treat!

You won't need a Love Potion to capture your Valentine.
Cast a spell with Black Magic Cake instead...

Aloha! Love is in the air with
Hawaiian Wedding Cake...

Fire-Roasted Tomato Soup

So Little Devil was home for the holidays from college. It turned into a giant cooking fest/pig tour. I cooked all of her favorites, and we dined out at all of her favorite restaurants. As much as I miss her, my waistline doesn't! One of her first requests was this soup. I didn't mind making it at all. 1) It's freaking delicious and the whole family loves it. 2) She's may be 19, but she's my baby and if she wants Fire-Roasted Tomato Soup, she'll get Fire-Roasted Tomato Soup. 3) It all goes in one pot and doesn't require much preparation. #WINNING all the way around. I had more time to spend with Little Devil to decide what and where she wanted to eat next.

A family favorite!
Don't forget the croutons...
(I have to double the crouton recipe because
Little Devil likes them so much!)

Throw everything into a roasting pan.
You don't even have to peel the veggies.
Drizzle with olive oil and season
with salt and pepper.

Roast until everything is soft, caramelized
and slightly-blackened.

Run mixture through a food mill to remove
skins, stems and seeds.

Add water or milk. Heat through and serve!

My Own Little Scarf Factory

Some of you may have been wondering why I've been so quiet around The Devilish Dish lately. As many of you know, Little Devil is away at college and Mama is bored. Sometime back, on a rainy Saturday afternoon, I was looking for something to do. Mr. Devilish Dish was watching football on television and I was feeling crafty. So I decided to make myself a scarf out of some old OU t-shirts. We go to so many Oklahoma football and baseball games, and scarves are so fashionable right now, I knew the project would be a good use of my time. I spent the afternoon cutting, measuring and basically creating my own pattern and directions. I dragged out my grandmother's old sewing machine and set to work. By the day's end, I had a really cute scarf, perfect for a ballgame. The following weekend, Mr. Devilish Dish and I decided to go to a local restaurant to watch the football game as it was an away game. Of course I wore my new scarf. It was a great game and we were both excited to watch it, only we really didn't get to watch it. Because person and person came up to our table and asked about my scarf. I was pretty proud to tell them that I made it myself. Mr. Devilish Dish said, "I think you are on to something," and the SCARF FACTORY was born. I gathered up all of the old worn-out OU t-shirts we had remaining around the house and bummed some off family and friends. I made up a few scarves, modeled mine at the next home game and sold them like hot cakes. Little Devil suggested in addition to OU scarves, I made Oklahoma City Thunder scarves. She's a genius. I had to locate pretty much every Thunder shirt in the Oklahoma City metro area. The Thunder scarves turned out to be a gigantic hit. The week before Christmas, Mr. Devilish Dish and I went shopping at a local furniture store. We planned to give each other new living room furniture for Christmas. Only we really couldn't look at the furniture because silly me wore my scarf. Furniture store employees and customers alike stopped me for more information. Like Santa's Elves, I spent most of December working away in my little workshop. (Which consist of my dining room table and a big plastic tub of t-shirt squares.) I even wore out my grandmother's old sewing machine and invested in a new one. It's been a lot of fun and very therapeutic. I love using my creativity, and seeing how pleased others are when they receive one as a gift! Now you know why the stove at my house has been neglected and the sewing machine is getting all of the attention! If you're interested in a scarf for yourself, the order information is at the bottom of the post. I look forward to hearing from you. Happy Sewing!