White Brownies and Final Grades

So, I am finally and officially done with school. True finals are hectic times; studying, final projects, computer, all-nighters and all the things usually associated to college go for culinary school. Yet, one of the different things is the “lab” finals. Last week I posted about my banquet operations final, and the themed table I set up.
I didn’t write about the basic cooking final on Monday. That made me very nervous, but it was super fun! I made grilled pork chops with red pepper –tomato Coulis, Parmesan Fennel, and corn bread. The chef gave us 3 hours to do our presentation; the ingredients were bought by us, supposedly a $10 budget (mine seemed to border on the $40 budget.) I got everything done in record time, the chef loved my written presentation, and on the actual lab I got a 97! I was very proud!!
For my hospitality final I did a Power Point and to top it off I baked luscious brownies, based on bean paste and honey. After all natural is better!!


Here is the recipe, which by the way got lots of good comments, from my culinary friends!!

White Bean Brownies
Source: 101 Cookbooks
Modified: Aracely Cardona

Ingredients:
4 ounces bitter chocolate
8oz unsalted butter
16oz canned white beans
8oz walnuts, chopped
.5fl oz vanilla extract
2 fl oz instant coffee
¼ tsp salt
4 large eggs
12oz honey

Procedure:
1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line an 11- by 18-inch (rimmed) baking pan with parchment paper and lightly oil with canola oil spray.
2. Melt the chocolate and butter in a glass bowl in the microwave for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes on high. Stir with a spoon to melt the chocolate completely. Place the beans, 1/2 cup of the walnuts, the vanilla extract, and a couple of spoonfuls of the melted chocolate mixture into the bowl of a food processor. Blend about 2 minutes, or until smooth. The batter should be thick and the beans smooth. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, mix together the remaining 1/2 cup walnuts, remaining melted chocolate mixture, coffee substitute, and salt. Mix well and set aside.
4. In another bowl, with an electric mixer beat the eggs until light and creamy, about 1 minute. Add the honey and beat well. Set aside.
5. Add the bean/chocolate mixture to the coffee/chocolate mixture. Stir until blended well. Add the egg mixture, reserving about 1/2 cup. Mix well.
6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Using an electric mixer beat the remaining 1/2 cup egg mixture until light and fluffy. Drizzle over the brownie batter. Use a wooden toothpick to pull the egg mixture through the batter, creating a marbled effect.
7. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the brownies are set. Let cool in the pan completely before cutting into squares. (They will be soft until refrigerated.)


Yield: 12-14 Servings

Chocolate Cake Updated

This week has really been hectic. My family arrived on Wednesday, and it took a day for them to unpack, settle and get use to the time change!!
I am also working on a recipe book for my Basic Cooking Class, its due in a week and must contain 100 recipes, plus procedures and techniques. It's kind of exhausting but I'm having fun. Some are mine, some are borrowed, and all are delicious.

I have also decided to include my Tipsy Chocolate Treat (the cake I made for my Grandma). I am proud to say everyone liked it!! It was my first "professionally decorated cake", and it tasted SINFUL on the inside.

Sadly I didn't take a picture of the one I made, but I have included the book picture, my looked pretty similar but the white chocolate was a little thicker.



The rum gives it a really grown up taste and the piped ganache makes it luscious.
It is a great looking cake, and easier to decorate than it looks!!


Ingredients:
9 squares bitter chocolate
6oz butter
6 eggs
8 oz confectioners’ sugar
4 oz self-rising flour
2 fl oz rum

For decorations:
8 squares bitter chocolate
4 oz whipping cream
4 oz butter (softened)
3 squares white chocolate
3 squares milk chocolate

Procedure:
1. Pre-heat oven to 325F. Line and grease a deep 8in round bottomed pan.
2. Melt chocolate and butter in a microwave for 30-50 seconds at a time.
3. Whisk the egg yolks with ¾ cup sugar until pale, thick and creamy. Gently stir in the cooled chocolate. Then fold in the flour.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff but not dry. Then gently whisk in the rest of sugar. Fold whites into chocolate mixture and spoon into prepared pan.
5. Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes, until cake is well risen and springy to the touch. A knife should come out clean. Leave in pan to cool, then turn into wire rack and finish cooling.
6. Invert cake and sprinkle rum over its base. Allow to soak, turn cake right way up on the rack.
7. Prepare chocolate ganache: Heat cream in a small saucepan until almost boiling, pour over chocolate stirring until chocolate has melted and blended. While still warm, work in butter.
8. Reserve 1/3 of ganache, pour rest over cake. Make sure all cake is fallen and save the drips for later.

9. Cut a piece of foil and mark a rectangle about 10 x 13 in on it. Have a rolling pin, ready. Melt the white and bitter chocolate separately and spoon into piping bags. Drizzle white chocolate in lines across top of cake.
10. Drizzle the bitter chocolate on the foil first, then the white chocolate, keeping within market rectangle. Reserve the unused chocolate. Carefully drape the foil over pin and leave to set. When firm carefully remove pieces of the drizzled chocolate semi-circles and arrange on top of cake.
11. Transfer the cake to serving plate. Re-melt the remaining ganache and chocolate together and allow to cool until thick enough to pipe. Then pipe around the base of the cake. Keep in cool place until ready to serve.