Spreading Some Christmas Cheer...

Baking Brownies & Making Bisque

For Christmas, my family usually gathers at my aunt and uncle’s house where I live on Christmas Eve. I wanted to contribute this year, so I told my aunt that I would be making a soup and a dessert. We always have tons of food, so I figured a bit more couldn’t hurt, and I really enjoy cooking, so I spent one afternoon that I was off before the holiday cooking and baking. One item I had made numerous times and had had great results with, which was my shrimp bisque. The other I was attempting for the first time, and I was a bit weary because my track record with making brownies hasn’t been the best. However I saw Paula Deen make them one day while watching the food network, and I decided I had to try them because they looked fantastic.

I really want to nail down the basics of baking, because I can't seem to get it perfect yet. The end result of the brownies turned out pretty tasty, but im not sure that the process was right. I feel like I may have overbeaten the batter, because the brownies kind of flaked apart when I was trying to cut them and remove them from their tray. Are you supposed to try to take them out of the tray before the cool completely and then cut them outside of it, or wait until they are completely cooled? Again, these are the things I really need more practice with.

Here is the brownie recipe. They are really decadent and the perfect holiday treat. Give them a try!

Ingredients

• 1 cups (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 11/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 (10-ounce) package Creme de Menthe baking chips (recommended: Andes)
• Shaved Creme de Menthe thins (recommended: Andes)
• Chocolate frosting (see recipe below)

Frosting:

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
• 1/3 cup cocoa
• 2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons milk

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 13 by 9 by 2-inch pan.

Using an electric mixer, combine butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl; beat at medium speed until creamy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla, mixing well.
In a separate bowl, combine flour, cocoa, and baking powder. Gradually stir into butter mixture. Fold in mint chips. Spoon into greased pan. Bake for 35 minutes.
While brownies are baking, prepare frosting. Combine butter, cocoa, confectioners' sugar, vanilla and milk in a large mixing bowl; beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until dry ingredients are moistened. Beat at high speed until spreading consistency.
Remove pan from the oven and allow brownies to cool in pan on wire rack. Spread with chocolate frosting. Top with shaved mint thins.

The soup got some really rave reviews from everyone that tried it. I know that it is one of the best things consistently that I cook, and I look forward to making it each and every time that I do so. Scratch cooking is the only way I like to do things, and hopefully on the day that I finally realize my dream of becoming a restaurant owner, I will only be doing scratch cooking. My shrimp bisque has a slight hint of heat, while still maintaining its creamy roots. The shrimp and tender and delicious, and I leave them in a bit bigger chunks than most restaurants. A few people asked for my recipe, and my one cousin told me “I could drink this out of a bowl all day long”. Those are the types of compliments that make me love cooking. I love to share my creativity with other people, and cooking is the best way that I know how to do that. I think I would make a great chef, and I hope one day that I can realize that dream. 

Here is the basic shrimp bisque recipe I started with if you want to give it a try. I have tweeked a couple things to my liking, and you can too. Cheers!

• 3/4 cup butter
• 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 quarts seafood stock
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 1/2 pounds medium shrimp - peeled, deveined and shells reserved
• 1 pound onions, minced
• 1/4 cup butter
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons paprika
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 3 fluid ounces brandy
• 1 quart heavy cream, heated
• 3 dashes hot pepper sauce
• 3 dashes Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning TM
• 1/2 cup dry sherry

Directions

1. In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine 3/4 cup butter and flour. Cook, stirring, until flour taste disappears, about 7 minutes. Stir in seafood stock and season with salt and pepper. Simmer 15 minutes, then remove from heat and set aside.
2. In a large saucepan over medium heat, cook shrimp shells and onion in 1/4 cup butter until onion is translucent. Stir in garlic, paprika and tomato paste and cook until brown. Stir in brandy and light it on fire. Let it simmer until reduced and thickened. Stir in reserved stock, reduce heat and simmer 45 minutes. Strain through a fine mesh or cheesecloth.
3. Return strained mixture to a simmer in the saucepan. Pour in cream.
4. Dice shrimp and cook until opaque in a medium skillet over medium heat. Stir into soup and simmer 5 minutes. Season with pepper sauce, Worcestershire and Old Bay. Stir in sherry just before serving.