Second Contest Entry - Avocado Fudge Brownies with Feta Cheesecake Swirl

No...you did NOT read that title wrong!  I really DID make an avocado brownie that's marbled with feta cheesecake.  This is my second entry for Denise and Lazaro's challenge.  (See details at http://lazarocooks.blogspot.com/ or http://quickiesonthedinnertable.yolasite.com/ 

While you are there, be sure to check out Denise's book......

Before everyone becomes convinced that I have taken leave of my senses (again), let me explain the reasoning behind the avocado brownie.  I have played around for years with different ingredients and methods in the quest to create truely scrumptuous vegan baked goods that are just as good if not better than their dairy/egg laden counterparts.

I must admit, I've made some real messes along the way.  But I've made some breakthroughs as well.  One of those was my Vegan Avocado Fudge Cupcake which we sold at Central Florida Veg Fest two years in a row...by the HUNDREDS.  The avocado serves a dual purpose here...both as an egg replacement/emulsifier and a healthy fat source.  It works amazingly well too.  Granted the brownies are not vegan but I thought...why not give it a whirl and see what happens.

The results were astounding.  My ridiculously rich recipe for Fleur De Sel Caramel Triple Chocolate Brownies uses a Deen-like amount of butter.  I replaced one of the eggs and half of the butter with pureed avocado and the result is a dense, moist, fudge-like brownie that probably breaks the law in some states.  To encorporate the feta, I made a feta cheesecake batter to swirl into the brownies.  There is so much anti-oxident rich dark chocolate in these brownies that they actually look BLACK!  The feta cheesecake swirl is a nice contrast.

Avocado Fudge Brownies with Feta Cheesecake Swirl

• 
  
  10 ounces dark (70% cacao) chocolate, chips or broken chunks
• 
  
  1/2 stick unsalted organic butter
• 
  
  1 ripe Haas avocado, pitted and peeled
• 
  
  2 teaspoons vanilla extract, divided
• 
  
  1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 
  
  1/4 cup buttermilk
• 
  
  1 Tablespoon instant espresso powder
• 
  
  3 large organic eggs (1 for cheesecake swirl)
• 
  
  3/4 cup packed dark brown organic sugar
• 
  
  1 cup plus 2 tablespoons unbleached all purpose flour (organic preferred)
• 
  
  1 teaspoon baking powder
• 
  
  1/4 cup dark cocoa powder
• 
  
  1 cup chopped walnuts
• 
  
  4 ounces room temperature cream cheese
• 
  
  3 ounces feta cheese
• 
  
  1/3 cup organic cane sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour an 8x8 baking pan; set aside.

1. 
   
   Place chocolate chunks and butter in the top of a double boiler over simmering water.  Make sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water.  Stir until melted and smooth.  Remove from heat.
2. 
   
   While chocolate melts, combine avocado, 1 teaspoon of the vanilla, salt, buttermilk, espresso powder, 2 of the whole eggs and the brown sugar in blender.  Blend until smooth.  Add avocado mixture to semi cooled chocolate gradually until encorporated.
3. 
   
   In a large bowl, combine 1 cup of the flour with baking powder and cocoa.  Pour chocolate avocado mixture into flour mixture and stir until no dry spots remain.  Coat nuts in 1 of the remaining tablespoons of flour.  Fold into batter.  Do not overmix.  Batter will be very thick and fudge like.  Smooth batter into prepared pan.
4. 
   
   Prepare the Feta Cheesecake Swirl:  Place remaining egg, vanilla extract, softened cream cheese and feta in blender.  Add granulated sugar and last tablespoon of flour.  Process until thick and smooth.  If you need a couple drops of buttermilk to facilitate blending that is ok but try blending without it first.  This mixture should be thick but pourable.
5. 
   
   Using a butter knife, cut through the brownie batter in a swirl pattern.  The batter is thick enough to stay put.  Pour Feta Cheesecake mixture into the indentions in brownie.  If additional swirling is necessary, just drag knife through until desired swirling is achieved.
6. 
   
   Bake in preheated oven for 30-35 minutes.  The center may still seem wet when pricked with a cake tester and that is fine.  Do not overbake.  Cool brownies completely before removing from pan.  Cut into desired shapes.  Number of servings will vary depending on how they are cut. 

Check out the beautiful swirled tops...

Very dark and moist...but they cut beautifully.

a little creative plating with a ripe, juicy strawberry, a dusting of cocoa and powdered sugar and some bon bon candles.  I stood one brownie on it's side for visual impact and also to show the color and texture. 

Jill Anderson

The Homegrown Gourmet

The Way to a Man's Heart.....

Happy Valentine's Day! 

The indignities I suffer while preparing a Valentine's Day dinner to impress my husband.  I'm typing with one hand because the other is wrapped in a dish towel full of ice.  What chuckle head grabs the rim of a blazing hot saute pan to center it on the burner? I haven't burnt myself in a couple of years so I guess I was over due.

Blistered fingers notwithstanding we did indeed enjoy a beautiful, romantic dinner for two.  On the menu tonight was elegant Gruyere Chicken en Croute with a sinfully delicious White Wine and Dijon Cream Sauce.  A fresh side dish of crisp tender Balsamic Roasted Asparagus and a sweet and savory salad of Arugula, Apple and Walnuts rounded out the meal.  Using skim milk in the sauce helps to keep calories and fat down and light, crispy phyllo dough instead of puff pastry saves a TON of calories. 

We needed to conserve wherever possible because dessert was my ridiculously rich Fleur de Sel Caramel Triple Chocolate Brownies.  Having everyone sign a release of liability before serving these is probably a good idea!  I rarely make things that are this fattening but hey, its a special occasion.  The key to enjoying these over-the-top treats is PORTION CONTROL!  The recipe makes 16 small brownies.  Obvioulsy  I've presented them much larger here for the sake of the picture.  You could use store bought fat free caramel in place of the homemade but I promise you it makes a difference.  That stuff isn't real caramel anyway.  Its a chemistry experiment with artificial flavor and color.  Make the caramel a day ahead to save time and the brownies will come together in a snap!

I hope you'll give these recipes a try and that you will enjoy them as much as we did!

Gruyere Chicken en Croute with White Wine Dijon Cream Sauce

Using leftover roasted chicken or rotisserie chicken to fill these delicate phyllo packets saves time and money.  A kitchen spritzer bottle filled with olive oil makes a good lower calorie substitute for brushing the tops with melted butter.  Buy reduced fat Gruyere if you can find it.  If not, substitute reduced fat swiss.

1 (6 ounce) package fresh organic baby spinach

2 shallots, thinly sliced

2  teaspoons unsalted organic butter, divided

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon coursely ground black pepper

1 clove garlic, pressed or finely grated

8 ounces organic sliced cremini mushrooms

1 (12 ounce) organic roasted red bell pepper strips drained and patted dry

1 1/2 cups finely grated reduced fat Gruyere, Emmenthaler or Swiss Cheese, divided

2 1/2 cups diced roasted chicken breast

24 sheets thawed phyllo dough

Olive oil spritzer (use your own instead of the canned stuff with all the chemical propellants in it)

White Wine Dijon Cream Sauce

minced parsley for garnish

1.  Preheat oven to 400F.  Give spinach leaves a rough chop.  Thinly slice shallots.  Melt 1 teaspoon of butter in 10" saute pan.  Add shallot, salt and pepper and pressed garlic.  Cook and stir 2 minutes or until shallot is tender.  Add chopped spinach to skillet and cook 2 additonal minutes until spinach is wilted.  Transfer mixture to strainer to remove any collected juices.  Press with paper towel to dry saute vegetables.  Set aside.

2.  Place saute pan back on heat and add remaining teaspoon of butter.  Saute mushrooms over medium high heat until tender and browned.  Remove from pan and place in prep bowl; set aside. 

3.  Drain roasted red pepper strips and pat dry between paper towels.  Roughly dice the peppers and place in a mixing bowl.  Add 1 cup of the grated cheese and the diced chicken breast and mix well.  Set aside.

4.  Unfold one sheet of phyllo on work surface and spritz with olive oil. Sprinkle with about 2 teaspoons of the remaining finely grated cheese.  Repeat two more times to create a stack of three phyllo sheets.  End with cheese.  Place about 1 tablespoon of the sauted spinach mixture on phyllo, two inches from the short end.  Place 1/2 cup of the chicken mixture over spinach and top with one eighth of the mushrooms.  Fold long sides of phyllo in towards center and gently roll up.  Spray rolls on all sides with olive oil spritz and place on baking sheet seam side down.  Repeat with remaining phyllo and fillings to make eight rolls.

5.  Bake 15 minutes until rolls begin to brown.  Top with any remaining finely grated cheese.  Return to oven and bake an additional 10-12 minutes.  To serve, cut in half diagonally and serve with White Wine Dijon Cream sauce. Garnish with parsley. 

White Wine Dijon Cream Sauce

1 tablespoon unsalted organic butter

1 clove garlic, pressed

1 tablespoon unbleached all purpose flour (you can sub spelt flour)

1/4 cup white wine

3/4 cup skim milk

1 tablespoon dijon mustard

salt and pepper to taste

1.  Melt butter in a 1 quart sauce pan and add pressed garlic.  Cook over medium heat for 1 minutes.  Do not brown garlic.  Whisk in flour to form a smooth paste.  Cook 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly until mixture smells toasty but do not brown.  Add wine and milk all at once; whisk constantly until mixture comes to a boil and thickens slightly.  Whisk in dijon mustard.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Make 8 chicken rolls and about 1 cup of sauce. 

Serving size: 1 roll with 2 tablespoons sauce

350 calories, 12g fat, 28g carbs, 23 g protein, 2g fiber, 600mg sodium

Balsamic Roasted Asparagus

1 lb tender young organic asparagus spears

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1/4 tsp salt

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1.  Preheat oven to 450F.  Discard tougher ends of spears.  Place prepared vegetables in shallow baking dish.  Add remaining ingredients and toss to coat. 

2.  Roast 5-8 minutes until crisp tender, turning as needed.

Arugula, Walnut and Apple Salad with Shaved Peccorino and Balsamic Vinaigrette

10 ounces organic baby arugula (roquette)

1 organic gala apple, peel on and thinly sliced

1/2 cup toasted walnut halves

shaved Peccorino Romano cheese

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon dijon mustard

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Arrange arugula, apple slices and walnuts in decorative bowl.  In a small bowl, whisk dijon mustard into vinegar until blended.  Gradually whisk in olive oil until dressing is blended.  Season with salt and pepper.  Dress salad just before serving.

Makes 2 servings

My wine of preference for this meal is a Pignot Grigio.  The crisp bright notes are the perfect compliment for all three dishes.

Chicken en Croute with White Wine Dijon Cream Sauce and Balsamic Roasted Asparagus

Arugula, Apple and Walnut Salad with Shaved Peccorino

Now for dessert!

Homemade Caramel Sauce

Making this beautiful homemade caramel will take your brownies from delicious to outrageous!  It is definately worth the effort.  Make ahead and refrigerate.  Leftovers can be heated and poured over ice cream.  Have all your ingredients ready to go because this comes together lightening quick. 

1 cup unbleached cane sugar

6 tablespoons unsalted organic butter, melted

1/2 cup heavy cream (or half and half if you must)

Pour sugar in a high sided 2 quart sauce pan and place over medium heat.  You can swirl the sugar around as it melts but DO NOT STIR!  That will cause it clump up.  When sugar is completely melted and golden, take the sauce pan off the heat and whisk in melted butter.  The sugar WILL foam up so be careful.  Once butter is incorporated, add cream all at once.  Mixture will probably still foam up.  Just keep whisking until combined.  Pour into heat proof glass jar and set aside to cool.  When cooled; cover and refrigerate.  Makes about a cup and half of caramel sauce.  Caramel will become thick when chilled.

Fleur de Sel Caramel Triple Chocolate Brownies

I cannot be held responsible for any sugar or chocolate induced coma resulting from consumption of these brownies!

1 stick unsalted organic butter

12 ounce bag dark chocolate chips, divided

2 large organic eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 cup packed organic brown sugar

1/2 cup plus 1 heaping tablespoon all purpose unbleached flour

1/4 cup dark cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon coarse kosher salt

3/4 cup chopped walnuts

1/3 cup homemade caramel, warmed

1/4 teaspoon fleur de Sel flakes

* you may substitute regular coarse sea salt if you can't find fleur de sel

1.  Preheat oven to 350F.  Grease 9' square baking dish and line with parchement paper.  Grease parchment as well.  If using a dark pan, reduce baking temp to 325.  Set aside.

2.  Place butter and 10 ounces of the chocolate chips in the top of a double boiler.  Make sure bottom does not touch the water.  Stir until mixture is smooth and chocolate is thoroughly melted.  Remove from heat.  Let mixture cool slightly.

3.  In a 2 quart mixing bowl, beat eggs and brown sugar until combined.  Stir in vanilla.  Gradually add chocolate mixture until well blended.  Set aside.

4.  Sift together 1 cup of the flour, cocoa powder and baking powder.  Add to chocolate mixture and stir until just blended.  Stir in the kosher salt.

5.  Place remaining 2 ouncs chocolate chips and walnuts in a small bowl and toss with remaining tablespoon of flour.  Fold into brownie batter.  Pour batter into prepared pan.

6.  Microwave caramel for 30 seconds to warm.  Drizzle evenly over top of brownie batter and swirl with a butter knife.  Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes or until pick inserted 2" from sides of pan comes out clean.  Do not overbake.  Allow brownines to cool completely before cutting.  You may drizzle with additonal caramel after baking.  Sprinkle fleur de sel on top of brownies.  Cut into 16 pieces.

Don't ask about calories, fat etc.  You don't want to know!

Serve with a lovely dry Brut.

Fleur de Sel Triple Chcolate Brownies

I hope everyone had a lovely Valentine's Day!

(c) copyright Jill Anderson

The Homegrown Gourmet

Vegan Fudgy Espresso Brownies

I know...I know...I'm on a roll right? TWO desserts in two days! However, I did give my solemn vow that I would publish the Espresso Brownie recipe that is the most recent addition to my youtube video series. I actually had to make an emergency run to the supermarket last night to buy dark chocolate chips so I could make a batch today. My hubs claims he suffers withdrawal if he doesn't get brownies once every couple of weeks.

So I know you are wrinkling your noses right now saying "oh great...another recipe for tofu brownies" but there isn't a smidgen of tofu within the dense, gooey, insanely chocolaty (is that a word?) depths of these babies! You have my word on that and I was a Girl Scout back in the day. Don't worry if you aren't a vegan either. When I serve these nobody asks because they are too busy stuffing their faces.

I hope you have some industrial strength willpower because that is what it will take to keep you from eating half (or more) the pan. So, ladies and gentlemen and chocolate lovers of all ages I FINALLY present The Homegrown Gourmet's top secret Fudgy Espresso Brownie recipe.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwIpmVhSqEI

Vegan Fudgy Espresso Brownies

3/4 cup organic spelt flour*

1/2 cup unsweetened dark cocoa powder

2 tablespoons instant espresso powder

1/4 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder

1/8 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 cup organic tropical source** chocolate chips

1/4 cup melted organic extra virgin coconut oil

1 small organic banana, mashed

1/2 cup organic unbleached cane sugar (I use Florida Crystals)

1/2 cup coconut, almond or rice milk

2 tablespoons organic golden flaxseed meal (ground flax)

2 teaspoon pur vanilla extract

1 cup toasted, chopped nuts of choice (I LOVE hazelnuts in mine)

1-Preheat oven to 350.

2-Lightly grease an 8 or 9 inch square baking pan, line with parchment paper and then grease paper as well.

3-In a medium bowl; combine flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

4-Place chocolate chips and coconut oil in a double boiler to melt chocolate. Make sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Stir to blend, remove from heat.

5-Add mashed banana and sugar and espresso powder to melted chocolate mixture.

6-Combine flax meal with almond milk and let stand for 5 minutes. Stir in vanilla extract.

7-Combine the milk mixture with the chocolate mixture. Make a well in the dry ingredients and add the wet to the dry. Mix until no dry spots remain. Do not over mix.

8-Fold in nuts and turn batter out into prepared pan.

9-Bake 20-25 minutes or until a pick inserted 2 inches from the side of the pan comes out clean. If inserted in the center it should come out slightly sticky because the middle will still be soft.

10-Cool on wire rack. Turn out onto flat surface; remove parchment paper and cut into 12-16 squares.

I haven't done a nutritional analysis on these yet and calorie wise...we probably are better off NOT knowing! But, at least they are made with clean, healthy ingredients. I cannot be held responsible for their effect on your waistline!!

*I chose spelt flour because I actually like the texture it gives Vegan baked goods. Strictly speaking, if you are trying to avoid Gluten...you are out of luck. Contrary to popular myth, spelt IS a glutenous flour. However, it does have more fiber and protein the UABW (unbleached all purpose white). Plus if you have a specific allergy to wheat, spelt makes a great substitution. You can find spelt flour at most any health food store and some grocery stores now carry quite a few "specialty flours." If you need more info on spelt flour...just ask and I'll try to help you find it.

**Tropical source chocolate chips may be a new one on you. Pick up a bag of any commercial or store brand chocolate chips and check out the ingredient list. It is likely that you will see butter and milk listed there. Tsk...tsk....tsk! REAL quality chocolate should be made with cocoa butter. In tropical source chips, any oils added for emulsifiers/stabelizers will be palm and or coconut and NOT some hydrogenated nightmare. Hense the name...tropical source. Tropical oils (particularly coconut) can withstand extremely high temperatures without becoming rancid which make them ideal for cooking/baking. I really NEED to get to that coconut oil article very soon! Some supermarkets are now carrying tropical source chocolate chips and most health food stores have them. Again, if you need assistance you can write to me for a brand name and help finding it.

I suppose I shouldn't even mention how decadently delicious these are served WARM with a scoop of homemade Coconut Milk Vanilla Ice Cream. Nah... I won't say it. That would be torture!

(c) copyright Jill Anderson, The Homegrown Gourmet