Chocolate Mint Brownie Cookies for your Valentine

Valentine's Day has always been a bit toooo much for me. Maybe it started in first grade. A little boy named Ronnie dropped his cache of Valentine cards. I kindly told Mrs. Hiatt I would help him pick them up. As I was bending down, he planted a soggy, wet kiss on my virginal cheek. I did what every self-respecting tomboy would do: I slugged him with a lean upper cut to the ribs followed by a kick to the shins. Then in fourth grade, Louis asked me to be his Valentine on February 13th. I told him "Up your nose with a rubber hose." The next day I got a Valentine from Louis. "Dear Prudy, I hate you. Love, Louis. " By the time I got to Junior High, everyone who was anyone was sending a candygram. You could pay fifty cents to have a lollipop and a love-note delivered to your secret love during sixth period. I think I got three, a couple from my best friend Wendy Foss and one from a hefty boy named Dan that I'd been hiding from for the last six months. Dan wrote: "Dear Prudy, Everytime I call your house, some kid answers and says you're not home. Are you avoiding me? I love you. Dan" I tore the note up and threw it in the trashcan, then I ate the lollipop. On the other hand, my sister Michelle got so many candy grams that she couldn't even carry them. Wendy and I had to help her heft them home. " Dear Michelle, I think we might get married some day." "Dear Michelle, You're like totally the prettiest girl I ever saw. Let's make out during Home Ec." "Dear Michelle, you are soooo much more awesome than your sister. How can you stand her?"

See what I mean? Valentine's Day! And now I'm happily married with a bonafide Valentine, but he's out of town on a business trip. Maybe I should send a candygram to his hotel. "Dear Quiet Man. It's lonely without you. I miss your....quiet. Your calm. Your stillness. Come home soon and we will sit in solitude. Together." Love, Prudy

Here's a Valentine that will always work out for you-Chocolate. I baked up these lovely chocolate mint cookies last night while the charges were filling out their Valentines. I found the recipe on the Nestle Very Best Baking website. They've got all sorts of fantastic Valentine treat ideas, so swing by and check it out. I found what I was looking for. These cookies have got just the perfect amount of mint and vanilla to make them refreshingly delicious, plus they are easy and cheap to make. I wish I could send some to Ronnie, Louis, Dan and most especially my Quiet Man. Here's hoping they all have a chocolate-y Valentine's Day.

Chocolate Mint Brownie Cookies from Nestle

Estimated Cost: $3.50 for about 2 and 1/2 dozen

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups (9 oz.) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels, divided
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
3/4 cup chopped nuts

MELT 3/4 cup morsels in small, heavy saucepan over lowest possible heat. When morsels begin to melt, remove from heat; stir. Return to heat for a few seconds at a time, stirring until smooth. Cool to room temperature.COMBINE flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, peppermint extract and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in melted chocolate. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in remaining morsels and nuts. Drop dough by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.BAKE in preheated 350° F. oven for 8 to 12 minutes or until sides are set but centers are still soft. Let stand for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Next Up:

Cheddar Fondue

Bark in a Splendid Variety

I really like writing "Bark in a Splendid Variety." It has the clunkiness of something translated from a foreign film. "Bark in a Splendid Variety." I've got bark in splendid varieties and lots of it! Yesterday I made ten plate fulls of the lovely stuff. It took less than thirty minutes of active work and I didn't wash a single dish. This might just be the easiest treat you'll ever make. If you can spread chocolate chips in a single layer on a foil-lined cookie sheet, then you can make bark.

Put the chips in the oven at 325 for about 2-3 minutes.
If you can find the mint chocolate/dark chocolate chips from Nestle, then you can make Jackson Pollock bark.

Just swirl the melted chips around with a toothpick. It will come out ridiculously gorgeous.

Sprinkle some nuts, if you like. Yep, nuts. They're suprisingly good with mint. After you sprinkle the toppings on, hold the pan a good six inches above your counter and drop it down with a thud. It'll wake the dead and keep your toppings in place. Two good things in one.

Here comes my white chocolate bark with Grasshopper cookies. Kim wrote me a comment to suggest I use Oreos, but I didn't have any and I almost cried bitterly. But then I found these cookies in my cupboard and wiped the tears and forged ahead. It was in high demand from the kitchen scroungers, i.e. the kids and me.

I call this one "Candy Cane Lane" Bark. It's just so Christmas-y. Marshmallows, Candy Canes and Christmas sprinkles deck the halls of dark chocolate. Santa's getting some on his plate this year.

I also made a Candy Bar Cunch bark. It's in the back on the left and consists of a lovely blend of milk chocolate, rice krispies, cornflakes and roasted peanuts. I could have sworn I took a picture of it. Where did it go? Where oh where did it go?

After all the bark has cooled, break it into pieces and arrange on paper plates. I tried putting the bark in pretty boxes, but the bark is too pretty to hide its light under a bushel. Let it shine, baby, let it shine.

See what I'm talking about?

I made four double batches and got ten plates of bark in a splendid variety. Maybe I spent $20. Maybe even a little less. I'm doing a repeat today. For complete instructions, click here.

And one more thing before I go. Here's your chance to do something so easy and good today. Nuskin has developed a product for malnourished children all over the world. Vitameal is specifically formulated to target the nutritional needs of the poorest little people all over the world. Each Vitameal pouch contains 31 child-size meals-enough for a whole month for a hungry little soul. Here's what you can do: like this page on Facebook (click here) and Nuskin will donate a pouch. Easy, right? Spread the word and spread the love.

And one more one more thing before I go. I'm going to a Cookie Swap tomorrow and I don't know what I'm making yet. Any suggestions?

Next Up:

Salted Browned Butter Cookies

Candy Cane Chocolate Sheetcake

I know, I know. I was planning on making bark, and lots of it, sistuh. I'm armed with multiple bags of chips-white, mint, milk chocolate, semi-sweet, peanut butter, and butterscotch. Oh, I've got the nuts, too. (Don't even go there.) I'm talking about peanuts, almonds, cashews, pecans. I just don't happen to have any bark to show for all my bite. But I do have peppermint sheetcake. I called my niece to wish her a Happy 10th Birthday on Saturday. She's my little namesake, Prudy-leigh Jr. My sister had just put a Texas sheet-birthday cake in the oven. I can't hear the word Texas sheetcake without going into cold sweats and deep longing. I ditched the bark and started baking. Don't judge me too harshly; I actually needed a dessert to take to a church party that night. I made the Texas sheetcake and then I covered it with a CHOCOLATE frosting and crushed peppermints. It looked scrumptious. I sliced up about half of the cake and toted it off magnamimously to share with other church goin' folk. I planned to photograph the rest in the morning so I could share it with all of you, who are home in your pajamas presumably. I have this little trick with myself where I hide especially tempting food in the oven. It is such a clever, sly little trick. I forget that the sugar-devil is in there and I can stop munching. It works, it really does! I don't see it, so I go about my business, hmm, hmm, hmm, grading papers, hmm, hmm, hmm, folding laundry, hmm, hmm, hmmm, preheating the oven for dinner, hmm, hmm, HMMMM????? Sniff, sniff. Yep, I burnt my precious sheetcake. Out of sight, out of mind. I sent my sugar-devil straight to Hades, covered in warped Saran wrap. But don't worry. I'm making more tonight. I've got another party; who doesn't this time of year? I'm putting the cake in a baby front carrier and toting it around the kitchen this time. There's no way I'm going to let it out of my sight, even for a second. Of course it might be all gone by the time the party starts, but at least I know that someone will have enjoyed it. Namely me. Here comes the recipe. Turns out I had pictures of my last peppermint sheetcake with vanilla frosting. I'm not sure which one is better. I'll let you decide.

Candy Cane Chocolate Sheetcake

Estimated Cost: $5.00 for at least 16 servings

Money Saving Tips: Use already-broken candy canes or peppermints. By using some vegetable oil, the cake will stay moist the next day and cut the cost of using all butter. Make your own buttermilk substitute, by combining 1 teaspoon vinegar with 1/2 cup milk. Let stand for five minutes.

1/2 cup cocoa powder, such as Hershey's

1 cup water

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 cups flour

2 cups sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon vanilla

For Vanilla Frosting:

1/2 cup butter

6 tablespoons cream or milk

4 cups powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

about 3/4 cup smashed candy cane bits

Notes: For chocolate frosting, simply add 6 tablespoons cocoa powder and an extra tablespoon of cream when you melt the butter.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease and flour large cookie sheet. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring cocoa powder, water, butter and oil to a boil, stirring just until well combined. Meanwhile, combine flour, sugar, soda and salt in large bowl. Pour boiling chocolate mixture over dry ingredients and mix well. In a separate small bowl, combine eggs, buttermilk and vanilla. Add to dry ingredients and mix well. Pour into greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 for about 18-20 minutes, or until center springs back at touch. While cake is baking, melt butter in medium saucepan. Add cream and mix until smooth. Remove from heat and let cool for five minutes. Whisk in powdered sugar, adding more cream if needed to make a thick glaze. Pour over warm cake and smooth out with a rubber spatula. Sprinkle with candy cane bits.

Up Next: Bark in a splendid variety

Brrrrr-ownies

Hiya, folks. It's not zucchini (try not to cry), but today's Tuesday and I'm posting a recipe from my weekly baking club. You're gonna like this one-brownie batter loaded with bits of York peppermint patties, for a cool and minty zing. I put my batter in muffin cups and tucked a peppermint pattie into each one.

Mmmm. Brrrr. Mmmm. Brrr. I could get used to this. I'll eat an extra whole zucchini as penance.

Click here for the recipe.

Be back tomorrow with Grilled Steak and Zucchini with Maple Chile Butter

Tuesdays with Dorie: Mint Chocolate Oreo Ice Cream Torte and a Bonus

Come on inside for summer's last big chill. It's time for Tuesdays with Dorie and I've got an Arctic double whammy for you..... This week's assignment was an elegant triplebanded ice cream torte. The timing is perfect, since with a few little tweaks, this would make a stellar dessert for Labor Day. (Keep on coming back-I've got three great burgers for Labor's Day that I'll share this week.) Join along and squeeze in one last summery dessert before we all start paring Granny Smiths and humming the theme song from Johnny Appleseed. I made two separate ice cream tortes, because I wasn't thrilled with the presentation of torte number one, a chocolate mint oreo version. Oh, it was tasty but a little too, well, fussy for me. Maybe I'm just a simple country bumpkin busy mom, but I need a lot of reward for my efforts. All that freezing and waiting and freezing and waiting and blowdrying(really!) and refreezing and waiting. And maybe I made some mistakes. I should have crushed the mint oreos and thrown them in my mint ice cream instead of getting fancy shmancy with the layering, and I should have lined my pan with tin foil and removed the whole thing instead of blowdrying a glass loaf pan. I'm not sure if Paul Bunyan could slice through those frozen oreos. My dangerous slicing was more like a knife-smooshing, but none of our guests complained. (We had a group of kids over to play and when the grown ups came to pick them up I forced them all to come in for dessert. Generosity is my only defense against excessive sweets.) I wanted to try it again, but in a more accessible way.
I made an easier version for a Sunday evening family get-together, and this faster and homier technique would work well with any flavors. I mixed vanilla ice cream (homemade-but store-bought would work well) with peanut butter and chopped Reese's peanut butter cups, plunked into a pie dish, and stuck it in the freezer for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, I made a half batch of milk chocolate ganache and poured it over the top. When it was firm, I decorated the top with some aerosol whipping cream (lazy me) and more chopped peanut butter cups. That's it! Simple and beautiful and.....gone. Every last drop. Click here for the real recipe in its entirety. For a pie dish version, you'll only need about half of a ganache batch plus a little less than a half gallon of ice cream. Money Saving Tips:
Each attempt cost about $6.00, pretty reasonable for a great frozen dessert. Plain chocolate chips work well in this ganache. You can pep up a medium quality vanilla ice cream with any number of candies of flavorings, so be creative with what you've got on hand. Wouldn't it be delicious with raspberry ice cream and white chocolate ganache, mocha ice cream with toasted walnuts and dark chocolate, pistachio ice cream with dark chocolate....the possibilities are endless.
Coming Tomorrow:
Labor Day Menu
Classic Cheeseburgers with Homemade Hamburger Buns

Food and Furthermore: V

Hey Folks! Last week we had about 2,000 readers on Prudence Pennywise. Keep a comin' and tell your kin! Leave a comment once in while, too. And call your mother.

PRESSING, BURNING, ITCHING QUESTION....read on
I've been on a work/family vacation trip this past week. Maybe you didn't notice because I've been a posting-obsessed food blogger through it all. Excuse me, is my mania showing? Thank goodness for hotel Internet and digital cameras. We visited three museums, various restaurants, a candy store, an ice cream parlor, and did some shopping (2 dresses-good thing I pinch food pennies). I squeezed in an early morning run each day, a couple times on a beautiful riverside trail. Usually when I go on vacation, I'm an incompatible mix of exercise sloth and food hound. Maybe I should reward my tenacity with some cheesecake.

Furthermore, we were also able to visit some family members that lived nearby, like Aunt Marilyn. If you recall from the Garlic Chive Fettucini post, Aunt Marilyn is a queen gardener and she sent me home with bags of fragrant fresh herbs. Before we left, she asked about making mint syrup, and I promised to post a recipe. (Scroll down, Aunt Marilyn)

And furthermore, I've got a new E is for Excellent blog award from my cooking contest buddy, Tracy over at RahCha Chow. Aw, shucks! Blog Awards are the best-they're not breakable and require no dusting and they make me look good without having to put on any mascara.

Which brings me to my PRESSING QUESTION... If your speakers are on, the minute you arrive at Prudence Pennywise, you can hear the cheery and smooth retro voice of Gracie Fields, singing her little heart out, day in and day out. Originally, I thought the music would make a great theme song for my blog; it captures the feeling of an optimistic, yet thrifty, time in modern history with lyrics that are dedicated to food. Not just any food, but food that you prepare for whomever happens to come on by. What could be better? Except...

After a few days of good spirits, mild irritation set in, so I reached over and shut off my speakers. But someone kept turning them back on (kids-the repetition lovers). At 5:30 AM when I'd come to make a new post, bubbly music would blast into my grouchy ears. At midnight, when I'd sneak out of bed to do a little editing, there was Gracie again, offering me that same old cake again. I love her, but maybe we need to start seeing other people.

So here's the Pressing Question: What should we do about the music?

A) Keep the music. I pull out my old tap dancing outfits and sing along.

B) I'll keep my speakers off, so do whatever you want. Peace. Love.

C) Get if off now, you young whippersnapper. All that optimism is bringing me down.

D) What music? I'm stone cold deaf and here for the grub.

Leave your opinion in the comment section. Now here's the food:

Mint Syrup

Estimated Cost: $3.00-cheaper if you can get your herbs from Aunt Marilyn's backyard.

Notes: Any variety of mint will work here, but for the traditional, strong, cool flavor, stick with peppermint.

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

1 and 1/2 cups peppermint leaves

a drop of green food coloring, if desired

Boil all ingredients for five minutes in a small saucepan. Strain, cool and transfer to a jar. Store in the refrigerator.

Now here's what you can do with your syrup

Drizzle it over Fresh Fruit

Make Mint Lemonade

Add a couple tablespoons to hot fudge

Whip up some Minted whip Cream

Grind ice for a mint snow cone

Crank out some homemade mint chip ice cream

Coming Tomorrow

Father's Day Menu and Shopping List