fudgy brownies with mint ganache

who was it who told us that minty things should be bright green? while i'm a big fan of colorful foods, i'm also a big believer that food coloring has no place in our food unless we're creating decorative designs. there really is no reason to consume unneeded dyes. so... white mint chocolate chip ice cream and this minted white chocolate ganache are exactly where i fall in love with all things minty. who can resist this beautiful naturally colored brownie topping!?

this week, i had a photo shoot with the traverse city record eagle in preparation for this article about the launch of my food photography business. the minute i started brainstorming what i would make for the camera, i knew i wanted it to be something decadent.

these may just be the most decadent brownies ever made. four different types of chocolate and a whole stick of butter packed into an 8 x 8 square. it's a sea of rich chocolate flavor and bright mintyness (yup, i just made that word up). cut these babies into teeny tiny squares for the perfect bite-sized bundle of delicious! 

adapted from The Cook's Illustrated

ingredients: 

brownies 

5 ounces semisweet chocolate 

2 ounces unsweetened chocolate 

8 Tbsp butter 

3 Tbsp cocoa powder 

3 eggs 

1 1/4 cup sugar 

2 tsp vanilla extract 

1/2 tsp salt 

1 cup flour 

ganache 

8oz white chocolate (make sure its made with cocoa butter, so your ganache sets properly!) 

1/2 cup heavy cream 

1 Tbsp unsalted butter 

2 tsp mint extract 

instructions: 

first, prepare an 8 x 8 baking dish. lightly greasing the dish, then create a parchment paper sling with a strip of parchment covering the bottom and two of the sides. lightly grease the parchment and set aside. this makes it really easy to lift your brownies out of the pan! 

if you're using bars of chocolate, take some time before getting started to chop them into small pieces so the chocolate can melt easily. 

now, you can start on the brownie batter by melting the bittersweet and unsweetened chocolate with the butter in a double boiler. i just use a small pyrex bowl placed over a small pot with a few inches of water in the bottom. no need for fancy equipment! 

keeping an eye on the chocolate and stirring it occasionally, whisk together your eggs, sugar, vanilla, and salt in a medium bowl. once the chocolate is melted and smooth, add about half a cup of the chocolate to the egg mixture, whisking to combine. this helps slowly raise the temperature of your eggs so they don't cook! then add the rest of the chocolate mixture and whisk until fully combined. next, gently stir in your flour and cocoa powder until just combined. 

pour your batter into the pan, and bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes with the rack in the bottom third of the oven. the brownies are ready when a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs hanging on. lift the brownies out of the pan and onto a cooling rack once finished. 

while the brownies are baking, prepare your ganache. put the white chocolate into a bowl, and set aside. heat the cream and butter gently on the stove, stirring constantly, until the butter is melted and it comes to a gentle simmer. pour the mixture over your chocolate, and stir until the chocolate is completely melted and the ganache is smooth. stir in your mint extract, and taste it for mintyness. if you're really into mint, feel free to add a little more! cover and place your ganache in the fridge to cool. 

now, the waiting game! the ganache needs at least 4 hours to cool in the fridge, though i like to just leave mine overnight. if you do wait overnight, wrap your brownies in plastic to keep them fresh. once it is cool (you'll know because it will be nice and thick, not runny), you're ready to assemble! this can be done on the cooling rack, a cutting board, or with the brownies placed back in their pan. however you please! scoop your ganache onto the brownies and spread evenly to cover the top, smoothing it as best you can. 

if you want to take it up a notch, melt about a tablespoon of chocolate and drizzle it over the top for a little contrast! 

totally local strawberry sherbet

each and every year, come february, i can't help but start dreaming of summertime foods. seemingly endless supplies of just-picked local fruits and vegetables, an overflowing garden, meals eaten outside, and ice cream. lots and lots of ice cream. february and march are long months in northern michigan. so once blue skies start hinting of spring, not even perfectly beautiful snow globe days can hide my excitement for the summertime life. 

so while we wait... we'll just have to enjoy this strawberry sherbet featuring last summer's incredibly sweet organic strawberries from providence farm and shetler dairy's luscious heavy cream.  it always helps to have a stash of picked-at-their-peak fruits from last season in the freezer when these cravings hit!  : )

this winter, i've been falling head over heals for homemade ice cream (thanks to my love for gifting me an ice cream maker!). i've always been head over heals for ice cream, of course, but the options available locally had me wanting something better. there was nothing available with simple ingredients and that perfect texture. so commenced new flavors weekly in my kitchen! 

in researching ice cream and sorbet recipes in my cook's illustrated cookbook,  i came across a few recipes for various sherbets, and couldn't help but wonder. the sherbet of my childhood surely satisfied me then, but it definitely wasn't a wholesome choice. so, with a basic understanding of the process, i set out to make my own version of sherbet. it has six simple ingredients and is sure to leave you wanting more. i've made two batches in the past few weeks... so i must love it! 

while this will work with any strawberries, i recommend you use the most flavorful ones you can find. go to the farmer's market & get the ones that have that incredible sweet strawberry smell. 

ingredients: 

4 cups of strawberries (fresh or frozen, but defrost if frozen) 

1 vanilla bean (or 2 tsp vanilla extract) 

1 shy cup sugar 

3 Tbsp lemon juice 

2 tsp vodka (this helps you achieve the perfect texture) 

3/4 cup heavy whipping cream 

instructions: 

first, you'll need to carefully slice the vanilla bean in half. i like to use a really sharp pairing knife to do this. then scrape the little seeds from the bean (and don't throw the bean into the compost just yet!). 

place your strawberries into a blender, and start to puree. once they're starting to get smooth, add the vanilla beans (or extract), and puree on a high speed until the berries are really silky smooth. 

place a fine mesh sieve over a small or medium pot, and strain the pureed strawberries to remove any seeds that didn't get pulverized. use a spatula to get as much of the puree as possible into the pot. 

add the sugar and scraped vanilla beans to the pot and place it over medium heat, stirring occasionally while bringing it to a simmer. once it reaches a simmer and all the sugar is dissolved, remove the pot from heat. stir in the lemon juice and vodka, and pour into a glass container so you can chill it. 

it's good to measure your strawberry puree at this point (i use a 4c glass measuring cup to chill it and measure all at once!). you should have 3 cups. if you have a little more or less, you'll want to increase or decrease the amount of cream you use to keep the ratio the same. it's hard to measure whole berries consistently, believe me, i know! 

once your puree is chilled, remove the vanilla beans. then whip the heavy cream until peaks form. with your mixer running, slowly pour in your puree until the mixture is fully combined. it will be a beautiful deep pink. 

churn the mixture based on your ice cream machine's instructions, and be sure to eat plenty straight out of the machine (my favorite part of making ice cream at home!). 

a rosemary cake for the books

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while thanksgiving day celebrations are particularly special, gathering around the table with a group of good friends is one of my absolute favorite things about this time of year (along with snow covering the ground and snuggling under blankets). lucky for me, there are usually at least a few "friendsgivings" and my friends really know how to do it up good! 

we attended the first of these gatherings of the year last night, and well... i'll take any opportunity to make dessert for a group of people, but a friendsgiving gives me the chance to make something out of the ordinary! i spent some time looking for recipes and as soon as i saw this cake, i couldn't stop going back to it. i was curious about the texture that would come from cornmeal and a sweet rosemary dish, but more than anything i couldn't believe i had never thought to make buttercream frosting from brown butter. absolutely genius! 

if you've never had brown butter before, you're in for a treat. browning the butter caramelizes the milk solids and brings out an incredible nutty flavor in the butter. to me - it's pure heaven! 

I used some whole wheat pastry flour to add a little heartiness to the cake, but you can use 3 cups of white flour if you prefer. 

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this recipe was just so slightly adapted from adventures in cooking. 

ingredients: 

2 cups all purpose white flour

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour 

3/4 cup cornmeal

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

2 1/4 cups sugar

6 eggs

1 cup olive oil

1/3 cup apple cider

1 tablespoon vanilla etxract

1/4 cup fresh rosemary, chopped

for the frosting: 

1 1/3 cup butter

3 cup powdered sugar

3 tablespoons honey

instructions: 

first things first, you'll need to brown the butter. if you've never made brown butter before, check out this video from America's Test Kitchen (they're the experts!). once the butter is nicely browned and smelling deliciously nutty, transfer it into a small bowl lined with parchment paper and set it in the freezer so it will harden. (after doing this, i couldn't help but wonder why i don't keep brown butter in the fridge at all times!)

while the butter is cooling, get started on the cake. 

first, you'll want to mix together the dry ingredients in a medium bowl, including the flours, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. whisk them to combine thoroughly and remove any clumps. 

in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, with a hand mixer, or some strong arms - mix the eggs and sugar until thick, about one minute in a stand mixer. next, add the olive oil, apple cider, and vanilla and mix to combine. add the flour mixture in thirds, allowing it to incorporate completely in between each addition. Once all the flour is incorporated, stir in the chopped rosemary. 

divide the batter evenly between three buttered and floured eight inch cake pans.

bake at 350 F for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. set pans on a cooling rack for ten minutes, then turn cakes out onto rack to cool completely. 

while the cakes are baking, start making the frosting. remove the butter from the freezer and let it soften. when the butter is soft, whip the powdered sugar and honey with the butter until smooth. then take a taste - it's delicious! 

when the cakes are cooled and the frosting is ready, frost and assemble the cake. garnish with a sprig of rosemary.