Peanut Butter Chocolate Squares

Happy Saturday Rach-

I love the picture in your last post. Were those the random items on your table? Was Caleb about to devour a mango and a cookie while peering out at Victoria through his binoculars, all after downing a beer and twirling a thingy-majig around his finger?Were you playing a memory game? Writing a story about a mango-eating peeping Tom?

Speaking of writing, I feel that most of our readers don't know that you are a published author - that several of your short stories have appeared in print. I tried to find your non-Reems Eats writing online and came across your short story for Room Magazine (the link from the link appears on the left-hand side of their page). All right, I'm done bragging, and need to move onto the topic on hand - peanut butter brownies.

After drooling over the recipe for about a year, this winter I finally tried, and was slightly disappointed with the Rebar Cookbook's Peanut Butter square. Now, after making Smitten Kitchen's peanut butter brownies, I know where Rebar wasn't working for me, and plan to meld the two into one square very soon. The Rebar square had a peanut butter-frosting which, using natural peanut butter, just wasn't the over-the-top kind of peanut butter square that I was looking for. Deb from Smitten Kitchen finished her brownie off with a chocolate ganache. This was it, the amazing chocolate finish that the squares needed. With the oatmeal-y, milk chocolate chunk Rebar base, and a chocolate finish I'm going to have one awesome square. I realize that this post is premature as this mystical, magical peanut butter chocolate square is very hypothetical at this point; however, the Smitten Kitchen squares are amazing and delicious as is, so I thought that you needed to know about them. You can imagine how much daydreaming time-and yes- much of it will happen as I happily drift off to sleep- will be devoted to the upcoming peanut butter square-recipe-morphing extravaganza.

I followed the recipe to the dot - I even, after much deliberation, added the extra egg yolk that I thought was unnecessary. In the future I will not be adding this additional yolk, but I am trying something crazy and unorthodox: I have decided that the first time I make a recipe I am going to follow the recipe exactly as stated. Then, if I like the recipe, I will administer my usual tinkering on subsequent attempts. I know, crazy things are brewing in my kitchen. With these great intentions, I did make slightly less of that ganache than the recipe called for- but I did add that egg yolk.

OK, Finn is out with Mike on their 'Saturday Morning Adventure' (Translation: I get to drink coffee, read the paper, and have a shower in glorious solitude) and I need to get back to the Travel Section for my vicarious vacation.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of The Peanut Butter Square

An Everyday Cookie

Hi Haley!

A birthday cake is a heady thing. It's a licence, really, to enact your sugar fantasies. By the way, I've been enlisted to produce Grandma's eighty-eighth. Stay tuned. I for one, am not at all appalled to hear that you made your own cake, but that's because I know how much satisfaction it gave you, and how many nights you fell asleep mulling over which frosting, which combination of flavours. (I'm thinking three, maybe four nights).

But aside from birthdays, regular, non-sushi days chug on and I'm trying to cook less and clean more. This sounds wrong, I know. Maybe it is wrong... Key word remains: 'trying'. I wanted to ask you what the website was that dictates chores to errant house-wives. I'm not really a house wife, the breadwinner, actually, but I would like to make a pass at cleanliness. You see, the other day I reached for a big mixing bowl that I had stored up on top of my fridge. My fingers were instantly sticky upon contact with the invisible top of the fridge. I rinsed them off and that seemed to take care of the problem. Then I dropped a fork and it slid under the stove. Upon fishing for it, I made a few discoveries I'd rather not share lest Joan (for new readers, Joan is our saintly clean and disgustingly health-conscious mother) should happen to read this post. Anyways, I was out of rags...

Chocolate chip cookies are the cure for most problems. (See the blog on Grade Nine Blondies). This is a really nice every-day cookie recipe. It tastes a lot like a granola version of a choc chip cookie, which is why I like it. I'm sure you'll agree that there is something about oats... Anyways, this recipe is straight from one of Peter Reinhart's (I'm way to lazy to look up the correct spelling of his name but probably should) books.

Energy Cookies a la Peter Reinhart

1/4 cup pumpkin seeds

1/4 cup sunflower seeds

1/4 sup sesame seeds

1 Tbsp flax seeds

2 cups flour

1/2 cup choc chips

1 cup rolled oats

1/2 tsp salt

1/s tsp baking powder

1/2 cup canola oil

1/2 cup honey

1/2 cup raisins plumped in 1 cup hot water

Begin by toasting the seeds.

Combine the seeds in a bowl with the dry ingredients. Drain the raisins, reserve the water. Add the raisins and add to the bowl along with the honey and the oil. Mix!

Add water until you can mix it into a stiff batter.

Scoop the batter in mounds onto a prepared cookie sheet. Flatten the mounds with your hand as they won't spread when you bake them off.

Bake at 350 for 12 to 15 minutes, until the edges are just beginning to brown.

Birthday Cake

R-
Thanks for the birthday wishes. It's true, a Reems birthday is a big deal - and as a true Reems- March 30 is a day that I shamelessly look forward to. After having 31 special days, I still spend too much time deciding what the meal lineup on my birthday will look like - in the past it was what restaurant Mike would be taking me to, now it's what form of take-out will grace our table. For we have a new birthday champion that can no longer be excluded from a birthday dinner - Finn has taken on birthdays with all the excitement that an almost 3-year old can drum up. He has figured out that with birthdays comes presents, and cake, and balloons, and if he's really lucky- candy.

The highlight of Finn's young life was taking home a goodie bag from his friend Ben's third birthday party. This was a loot bag that I was not be able to first sneak into and 'censor' - no Finn was aware of all the glorious sugary contents. He devoured about half of the treats while sitting in the buggy on the way home, and then proceeded to lock himself into his bedroom to polish 'er off. Even though I had acknowledged that the treats were his, he still saw me as a potential roadblock to sugar nirvana.

This year, the dinner meal was decided on - Hana Sushi - followed by a cake made by myself and Finn. Grace was scandalized that I was going to be making my own birthday cake; however, I have learned that if you want something to taste amazing you need to make it yourself. Mike, like Caleb, had to be introduced to the all-out Reems birthday extravaganza. He plays along gamely and makes sure that I am sufficiently spoiled- from the start of our relationship he was always the ultimate gift buyer. Gifts are his love language and he does them well - the only part of the special day missing from his itinerary? The cake. Each year when this was pointed out, Mike obligingly whisked me off for a birthday blizzard, or selected a chocolate bar at the birthday movie - yet, I still felt the need for a cake. I finally had the eureka moment this year that if I wanted the perfect confection I was going to need to roll up my sleeves. Finn and I were up for the challenge and, in an attempt to replicate my all-time favourite cake- Victoria's Dutch Bakery Mocha Point- we rolled up our sleeves and got busy.

I made two 9-inch yellow cakes and then sliced them in half to be filled with a vanilla cream filling and mocha whipping cream. To be finished off with more mocha whipping cream. Finally, I melted semi-sweet chocolate chips and drizzled them on parchment and then broke them up randomly to be sprinkled on top (chocolate shavings would also be great but I didn't have a block of the good stuff). I'm not going to give the individual recipes but I am going to reveal my secret for an amazing whipped frosting.

Take 500 mL of whipped cream. Add 1 T instant coffee. Put in fridge for about an hour until the coffee is dissolved (real coffee would make your cream to watery, and the hour lets the coffee dissolve nicely). Then add 1/3 cup (or more if you have a sweet tooth) icing sugar (which has corn starch in it to make the cream a bit stiffer) and then whip that cream with your electric mixer. You could add 1/3 cup cocoa but I am trying to model the Dutch Bakery with a more strict coffee flavour.

OK, that might not be a secret, but it did taste amazing. Oh, and thanks for the Happy Birthday sung on the phone. You and Carmen get better every year -though in your case it may have been Caleb's lovely harmony.

Happy Birthday Haley

Dear readers,

(To wish Haley a Happy Birthday, please comment on this post!)

When C., my husband, entered our family circle, first as a boyfriend, later a hubbie, he was shocked by the gusto and intensity with which we tend to celebrate a birthday--in our twenties we still recieve hand-made banners, balloons, numerous phone calls, BBQs, our favourite cakes, etc. Plus birthday boy or girl gets to call all the shots throughout the day. The real kicker for C. was my Grandma's eighty-ith. Picture Mings, the slightly classy Chinese restaurant in downtown Victoria, a round table of elderly Dutchies (plus my immediate family), not yet prescribed hearing aids. One has to speak at a shout to be heard. And everyone wants to be heard. Ome Willam, in a red vest and bowties, black thick-rimmed glasses and a shock of white hair, is snapping at the not-so-young Chinese-Canadian waiter and calling him 'boy.' Ome Gerritt, much to the delight of Dad and B., is calling C. 'Gayleb,' a nickname which still surfaces today...I think Grandma had fun. She certainly was mad when we tried to slip the party just before nine o'clock. I think she said repeatedly, 'but it's my birthday.'

She was right. The birthday takes precedence. Which is why I'm a little ashamed that I failed to announce Moochie's birthday a few days ago. On the last day in March the beautiful Haley turned thirty-one. Wow...two babies, one Mike, still cooking, still looking hot. You've done good Mooch!

To wish Haley a Happy birthday please comment on this post.

Spinach Filo Quiche

Rach -

Happy Easter. Finn just had the sweetest phone call from his cousin Atley- Please visualize, no, I need you to 'hear-ize' in a super cute 2-year old voice- 'HAPPY EASTER FINN!' Finn thinks it's so awesome that someone not a grandma wants to talk to him on the phone, that he starts laughing uncontrollably, and then moves onto yelling random nonsense words into the mouthpiece. Hopefully his social skills pick up before kindergarten.

The annual bun-fest was delicious as always. The overnight rising had us savouring hot-cross buns for a Good Friday breakfast, as opposed to the usual later coffee brunch-fest. I added one cup of finely chopped apple, but it almost absorbed into the dough, anyway we didn't even notice this addition.

I loved the look of your new hot cross bun recipe and I like the idea of the whole wheat - I need to point out though, that I found no evidence of any type of dried fruit in your recipe (must have been the sun in your eyes). What did you put in, how much, and when should I add said fruit? Waiting a whole other year for hot cross buns seems a little long so I might be a little wild this year and pull out, just for kicks, a Canada bun on July 1st (maybe with a maple syrup glaze?), or maybe a special Harvest Bun with cranberries for Thanksgiving? The possibilities are endless. I could rhapsodize about buns at length but had better move on to more exciting topics.

Such as spinach quiche. With filo. This is a post dedicated to those who want to be able to make a meal with 20 min or less prep time. It's also a dish that I like to have the ingredients in my freezer for, so that when I realize that my fresh veggie supply has dwindled, I can whip it up without having to make an impromptu grocery run. Finally, this is a great meal for you Rach - as less than a month since you posted pictures of a splayed brick chick, you and Caleb are now off meat.

What you need for this seriously easy dish is a box of filo and some frozen spinach in your freezer. Here's what I used:

• 4 eggs
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 package defrosted spinach drained, or the equivalent fresh pre-cooked spinach
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 cup or so chopped green onions
• 1/3 tsp salt and pepper
  
• 1 cup shredded cheese - I used aged cheddar
• 8 (or so) sheets of filo. Defrost this in your fridge overnight or on the counter for a few hours. You won't use all the sheets but I have successfully re-frozen the remainder of the filo for another day.

This is a flexible recipe. The filling is forgiving and you could easily saute some minced garlic and onion, or any carnivores out there could add some diced bacon or pancetta.

First, while the filo is still covered, make your filling. Combine the eggs, milk, spinach, green onions and cheese. I have to be honest, I don't actually measure the ingredients so you are making this with a leap of faith. I didn't have any feta left, but for a play on spanakopita this would be a great addition.

Next you need to layer your filo into your pie plate. I really took the fast route and used (close your eyes for a second Rach - or please don't judge me) a quick spray of Pam between the sheets. I know, the contents in a can of aerosol Pam can't be good for you. Brushing some olive oil or melted butter between the layers would be the more real food alternative. If the filo breaks a bit no worries. Leave the edges hanging over the pie plate until you've done the layers.

Then you need to pour your filling into the shell. Put the edges of the filo over the filling and bake in the oven for about 40 min at 350 degrees - or until the filling looks set and the crust is brown.

Let it set for 10 minutes or so, toss a salad and there you have it.

Hot Crosses

Hey H.,

How did this morning's bun-fest go? Was the over-night-garage-rise method as trusty as always? I'm going to keep this blog brief as I'm huddled up against my kitchen window in order to maintain an Internet connection. A ray of sunlight is hitting me right in the eyes and bouncing off the computer screen. If this is full of typos it's because I can't see a thing.

We had M and M over for breakie. I think they were sufficiently impressed by our spread of eggs, fruit salad, and hot cross buns. Sigh, sad that so much of what you and I make is less about love and more about showing off. Look what I can do.

I made 100% whole wheat buns because I'm on one of those whole-grains kicks. Laurel's Kitchen Bread Book has become my new best friend. I'm loving the hippy-style, healthy approach the book takes to bread making. While these are nice and grainy, they're still fairly rich... Here's the basic recipe, although I made some fairly significant changes.

3 to 3.5 cups whole wheat flour
1.5 TBsp instant yeast
3/4 cups to 1 cup warm water
1 cup yogurt
1 egg
2 Tbsp honey
2 Tbsp butter

Combine 1 cup of the flour with the yeast. Add the water. Stir smooth. Add the wet ingredients except for the butter. Add the remaining flour 1/2 a cup at a time. The dough will be sticky. Add more flour by the spoonful if necessary. Wet your hands in order to keep the dough from sticking and knead for five minutes. Knead the butter in. The dough should be sticky but smooth. Let rise until doubled (one to two hours). Deflate the dough; reshape it into a ball and let it rise another 1/2 hour to 45 minutes, or until it is back to doubled in size.

Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces and shape into buns. Let rise until doubled.

Mix one egg with 1 TBsp of water and brush over the buns before baking in a 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes. Meanwhile, mix 2 Tbsp honey with 1/2 Tbsp water and heat in a saucepan until boiling. Remove from heat.

When you take the buns out of the oven brush them with the honey glaze. You may add the decorative cross using an icing mixture but I omitted that step.

Serve them hot. If you plan to serve them later in the day, reheat the buns in a 350 degree oven.

Delish Baby

Rach,

Thanks for making me feel better about my travel-departure struggles. Once again, this is just highlighting our shared genes.

Your Rebar Curry looks awesome. I also find the idea of making a curry paste daunting, but with your guidance I'm going to give it a go. When I saw cilantro on your list of ingredients I started to get excited. Every year around this time I get enthused about planting, and a good herb really gets me ready to dip my hands into the manure bag. Planting I can do- it's the weeding and upkeep that I struggle with. Fortunately for me I have found that Chilliwack is much more forgiving in the green thumb department than Calgary. In Alberta one needs to have that gardening gift (translation:diligence) in order to produce food for the table. In Chilliwack it takes some good soil, lots of watering, and a mother-in-law that manages a garden centre. Last year we had such a bumper crop of cherry tomatoes that even Mike, of the I-don't-eat- fruit-or-anything-that-might-resemble-a-fruit, was bragging. So yesterday, in anticipation of summer days, and summer eats, Finn and I planted our first seeds of the season, snap peas, regular peas, and Swiss chard.

I'm not actually giving a recipe today, though I have lots to impart - during nap times right now I am busy dipping into my stash of peanut butter brownies, and I made the worlds easiest filo spinach quiche for dinner tonight.. but more on those later. I just wanted to show off the more delicious offering that my house has to offer. Couldn't you just take a good nibble on those cheeks?

Oh, and yes, I will be making hot crossed buns. This year I am really going overboard and am planning on adding some diced apple to the dough. I'm also going to follow the overnight garage rising method - why you ask? Overnight guests of course! I'm not sure if Finn is more excited to see Grandma, Grandpa, or Josie. If any of our readers are still with me, I am including a link from last year's Hot Cross Buns.