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Brownie ice cream bites (July’s brownie!)

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Happy July, foodie friends! 

Let’s get the patriotic party started with the July brownie from “A Year of Brownies” over at Food Network magazine. 

I used the recipe from the magazine, but made them a little differently. 

I made my brownies a little thicker. and cut them into smaller bites, so that when I made the sandwiches I just scooped about one tablespoon of vanilla ice cream onto each brownie bottom , topped it with another brownie, and sprinkled the sides with patriotic non-pareils.  

Click here for the original recipe.

I made mine in an 8×8 pan, instead of the larger pan they called for.  It made my brownies thicker and denser, so I opted to call my version “brownie bites” rather than full sandwiches. You still get a homemade ice cream treat that takes next to no time to make

I think they will make a nice addition to the July 4th dessert table! They are bite sized, ice cold, and  all dressed up for the fireworks show! 

Let me know if you make this, by tagging @fromginaskitchen in you social media posts! 

Have a wonderful holiday!

Gina

Thursday Farmers Market!

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Good news, foodie friends! 

The City of Manassas Farmers Market is back next Thursday, June 4 with in person shopping (and a few new rules)!

The Kitchen will be on site and ready to go with with new sugar cookie and brownie mixes, as well as the very popular all butter pound cake (perfect with your fresh berries!)

Market Rules and times: (per the City of Manassas)

8am – 1pm, Harris Pavillion

Vendors are 10 feet apart,  so the Kitchen (and other vendors) may not be in the same spot as you are used to .

You will need to wear a mask (Vendors are required to as well) 

No touching of products

Vendors will gather what product you are interested in and bag it for you.

Please maintain distancing

ENJOY the Market & Welcome Back!

PRE ORDERING IS STILL AVAILABLE

As always, you can place an custom order via email fromginaskitchen@gmail.com and pick up at the market. 

As of right now, I won’t be a weekly vendor at the market. I’m what they consider a “drop in”, so make sure to follow along on social media or subscribe to my email list to get notifications of when I will be “dropping by” the market (and to find out what I’ll be offering!) 

Thank you for your continued support of my baking business! 

 

Gina

 

 

 

Tip Tuesday in the Kitchen

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It’s “Tip Tuesday” here in the kitchen, and I’ve got a quick tip that saved me a few times during this quarantine. 

Yeast is a hot commodity in my area of Virginia these past few weeks. 

Are we ALL baking our own sandwich bread all of a sudden? I don’t know about you, but when I can’t find something (ingredient wise) that’s when I go to the “googles” for substitutes. 

I could write an entire blog post about ingredient substitutions, (and I just might ), but today I’ll leave it at this wonder called “DIY Self Rising Flour”

You probably have the ingredients on hand right now in your pantry. It’s three basic baking ingredients, that when combined, can be used instead of yeast in some recipes. You won’t get the same softness as with a yeast dough and it’s multiple risings… but your recipes will still be soft and have great texture to them. So if you can’t find yeast in these crazy Covid-19 times, run to your pantry to make this easy substitute!

DIY Self Rising Flour

1 cup of all-purpose flour

 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon fine salt.

There you have it, my first ingredient substitution blog post!  I hope to do more in the future. 

If you try it, tell me what you think.

Gina

 

 

 

 

Spicy Sangria Brownies

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Today  I’m sharing a  special recipe that I came up with a long time ago, when I wanted to take dessert to a friend’s dinner party.  I didn’t want to bake a cake. I wanted something chocolate that involved berries, and I knew I had red dessert wine on hand to bring as well.

More recently, I was invited to celebrate the launch of a friend’s podcast.   When Jacquelyn asked me to come up with something  in the dessert department, I brought out the recipe and shared it virtually on her celebratory Zoom happy hour call! 

My “Sangria Brownie” is the perfect pairing for a cool spring evening, warm summer night (you know they will be here before you know it) and a dessert that is both comforting, decadent and special for any occasion. 

You can just make the brownies and enjoy them all by themselves. Or, you can buy the brownies, and just make the sangria topping.  Perfect for those days when you don’t feel like baking.  But then… you can make both the brownie AND the topping if you are feeling like having fun in your kitchen. Grab a glass of wine, add a few splashes to your berries, and wait until the brownies bake and your fruit soaks in all that wine goodness (a fancy term for that macerate).

Pictured is my brownie topped with whipped cream, blueberries and cinnamon spice topping. I also added that spice TO the brownie… as well as a secret ingredient that kicks up the flavor a few notches.

My secret ingredient comes from my favorite olive oil shop.  Check out the ingredients to see what I’m talking about! 

For the  Sangria Brownies, you’ll need:

1 cup sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 eggs

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/3 cup dark cocoa powder

1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp. chipotle olive oil 

1 tsp. cinnamon or cinnamon spice blend

1/4 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease an 8×8 pan. Stir together sugar, vanilla, and olive oil.  Add eggs and mix until combined. Combine dry ingredients in separate bowl.  Gradually add to wet mixture until combined.

Spread mixture into prepared pan. Bake 20-25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean! 

Sangria fruit topping (if you are feeling fancy)

Mix one cup berries in a bowl with 2 tablespoons sugar and 1/4 cup red wine. let sit for 45 mins to an hour.  

Add your own whipped cream topping and viola! Dessert is served! 

Hope this inspires you to get into your kitchen and bake up this treat! 

Have a sweet week my friends! 

 

Gina

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thirsty Thursday… in a mug?

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Happy Friday Junior, Foodie Friends!

Welcome to what has become a monthly blog post-I really must get better at this writing and posting thing, lol. Well, I am thankful for my Food Network Magazine inspiration for “A Year of Brownies”.

It’s March already! I have been happily baking for my family this week, as I have my son home on spring break, as well as my niece visiting from Pittsburgh on her break. My house is full of happy taste testers! My heart is full having almost all my family together. The rest of my brood returns to the nest this weekend.

Last night I whipped up a batch of the “Irish Coffee Brownies” which happens to be the March featured brownie. You bake them in individual mugs, which are the perfect portion size for individual desserts!

I made a few minor adjustments, and I have to say they were DELICIOUS!! A little boozy (only a tablespoon of Bailey’s Irish Cream) , very dense, rich and fudgy. Highly recommend for all ages (without alcohol of course)! You could substitute the Irish Cream for a coffee flavored liqueur or Irish whiskey if you prefer. This recipe could also be the base of a brownie ice cream sundae!

I was lucky enough to find this mug at Home Goods, perfect size for “Irish Coffee Brownies” AKA “Mug Brownies”

The recipe was easy to follow, had minimal ingredients and serves four hearty dessert or snack portions of these totally cool mug brownies. You divide the batter among four microwave safe mugs, with each mug taking only 1 minute and 30 seconds to bake. Winner -winner for after dinner sweetness!

The recipe called for making your own flavored whipped cream for garnish, but I had store bought whipped cream in the fridge and opted to use that instead for ease and convenience. I had all other ingredients on hand , with the exception of coffee extract. I didn’t have that so I substituted vanilla extract and it was still amazing.

Click the link above for the original recipe. My only tweaks were store bought whipped cream and vanilla extract. We still enjoyed every bite!

I hope you try your hand at this recipe, and if you do, let me know!

Reach out to the Kitchen via email fromginaskitchen@gmail.com! I’d love to hear from you!

Until next time….

Make everyday a sweet one!

Gina

Julia’s Birthday Quiche (Bacon and Onion)

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If you caught our Facebook live this morning, you saw AnnMarie and I in full on “Julia Child” mode as we celebrated her birthday a few days early . The following recipe is my spin on the classic quiche that the Julia herself loved to eat! At the bottom you’ll see the wine pairing suggestions, as well as AnnMarie’s additions to the tasting notes.

Remember, make it your own! Bon Appetit!

Ingredients:

  • 2 Premade pie crusts (par-baked) OR get your inner Julia on and make your own crust from a favorite recipe.
  • 1 pound thickly sliced bacon, cut into 1/2-inch dice
  • One onion finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves (I added Herbes de Provence, too)
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 8 ounces Gruyere cheese, shredded
  • 6 large eggs
  • 2 1/2 cups heavy cream

How to make it:

  1. In a large skillet, cook the bacon over moderately high heat, stirring, until browned and crisp, about 7 minutes. Drain the bacon, leaving 1 tablespoon of fat in the pan. Add the onions and thyme to the skillet, season with salt and white pepper and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the onions are softened but not browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and let cool. Stir in the bacon and cheese.
  2. Divide the bacon-and-onion filling between the pie shells. In a bowl, whisk the eggs and heavy cream. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Pour the custard into the pie shells and bake for 30 minutes, rotating the sheet halfway through for even baking until puffed and lightly browned. Transfer the quiches to a rack and let cool for 15 minutes. Cut the quiches into wedges and serve.

The quiches can be covered and refrigerated overnight, then reheated before serving. They pair well with Bordeaux style wines like Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc. AnnMarie paired our quiche with a red Bordeaux, and it was fabulous! Cheers!

This Bacon -Onion quiche recipe is easily adaptable. Use your favorite meats, cheeses and veggies.

Original recipe found on www.foodandwine.com “Bacon and Leek Quiche”

Follow Gina on FB www.facebook.com/fromginaskitchen

Follow AnnMarie on FB www.facebook.com/AnnMarie’s VIP Wine Cellar

“Being Intentional Today”

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Happy Monday, foodie friends!

Today’s post is a little spotlight on a recent kitchen guest (I should say repeat guest) that shares my love of Jesus, friends, and desserts!

Sonia Santos is the visionary behind “Intentional Life Ministries”, a multi-generational /multi-cultural group of powerful women who meet monthly to celebrate womanhood in love and prayer. Borrowing from their Facebook bio, Intentional Life Ministries encourages “meaningful and encouraging relationships rooted in the word of God.” One of her focuses in the ministry centers around everyday life and overcoming the stigma of domestic responsibilities. My kind of group!

The ministry recently celebrated their 6 month anniversary with good friends, good food and fellowship. I have been baking for their brunches for the past three months, and Sonia is always gracious and asks me to join them. One day I will, but duty calls on weekends for this baker gal, and I have to let my desserts have all the fun.

If you are looking for the opportunity to unplug from the stresses of daily life and surround yourself with encouraging and uplifting women in a faith filled environment, I suggest you make your way to the next Intentional Life Ministries meeting on April 13th.

Visit them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/IntentionalLife Ministries, and on Instagram at www.instagram.com/beingintentionaltoday

In the meantime, take a peek at their beautifully striking logo, on both cake and cookies!