Christmas Baking - Dark Rum Brownies Recipe

I started Christmas baking yesteday (Sunday).  I made seven dozen mini butter pecan tarts and a 10 by 13 inch pan of dark rum brownies. I love, love rolling pastry on my granite counter top. It is so smooth and cold, just a real pleasure to work on.

 Look at those cute, tiny shells.

 Butter, raisins, heavy cream, sugar, vanilla and pecans.

  My cookie cutter makes such cute little tart shells. 

 

Dark chocolate rum brownies.

These brownies are decadent. Recipe:

• 6 squares unsweetened chocolate
• 1 cup butter
• 6 eggs
• 3 cups sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup dark rum or orange juice
• 2 and 1/2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups walnuts or pecans

Melt chocolate and butter, beat eggs and sugar until light and creamy.  Add chocolate mixture, vanilla and rum.  Mix well.  Combine dry ingredients, stir into batter.  Stir in nuts.  Spread evenly into two 9 inch square pans or one 10 by 15 inch pan.  Bake at 350˚ for 35 minutes.  I have made these brownies for years it is always a crapshoot on how long to bake them until December 2016, when I found the toothpick test online.

Glaze:

• 6 squares dark bittersweet chocolate
• 1/2 cup cream
• 1 tablespoon butter

Melt chocolate, in separate container boil butter and cream.  Mix the two together until chocolate is completely blended in and shinny.

Bon a pétite!  Still to bake are petite cherry cheesecakes and perhaps a Créme de menthe cheese cake.  Also on the menu for my vegetarian son and daughter-in-law are cabbage rolls and brocoli quiche.

Dear readers, do you make special yummy treats for Christmas? Any favourite recipes you are willing to share?

Emerald Pearl granite countertop - Update

In May of 2012, we replaced our existing 25 year old kitchen counter and sinks with a granite counter top and a new under mount double stainless steel sink.

Hindsight is 20/20, our counter has two mitre corners and a seam in the middle of the double sink.  This wall is almost 11 feet long, an average granite slab size is nine to ten feet, it was not possible to get a single slab of granite long enough to cut the sink out of the middle with two mitred corners.  The alternative would have been to have two straight seams 18 inches away from the sink on both sides, with no mitred corners or seam in the sink.  We prefer the look of an under mount sink with no seams. However, we didn't know we were getting a seam in the sink until after the granite was cut.  I suggested to our contractor for future customers, that if he has to put a seam in the sink, he should explain this before hand.

In August 2012, the granite shifted in front of the sink where the seam is, which broke the silicone seal between the sink and the counter.  There was water leaking into the kitchen cupboard under sink.  I phoned the contractor (Wheat City Granite) and he came right away to check it out.  To make a long story short, the contractor decided he could not fix the counter top to his satisfaction or mine.  In November 2012, Wheat City Granite replaced the existing granite counter top with a new one.  

See no more seam in middle on the double sinks.  This granite is a solid 1 and 1/4 inch slab, the first one was a 3/4 inch granite slab with rolled granite veneer glued around the edges to look like it was 1 and 1/2 inches thick the veneer granite had plywood underneath for support.

This difference in slab width caused installation problems.  We ended up with a gap underneath the countertops on the left hand side of the sink and a 1/4 inch or more gap at top side where the granite meets the white ceramic tile on the wall.  To fix this, oak moulding (trim) was installed to cover the gap under the counter.

 We now have only two straight seams.

The trim is quite noticeable at it is a shade lighter than the cupboards.

In 2013 I plan to change the existing hardware on the cabinets and clean up the wood with a light sanding, new stain and varathane.  I should be able to darken the trim then.

Fixing the gap between the counter top and ceramic tile was more difficult.  The entire bottom row of tiles (50 tiles) which are 3 inches by six inches were removed.  The tile guy came back he recut every tile from 6 by 6 inch tiles to 6 by 3.25, 3.26, 3.27, 3.30 whatever he needed to fit the space. 

This little 15 inch space is not finished.  The ceramic tile between the stove and microwave will be redone and this counter top needs to be sealed. 

The big mess and inconvenience of having our kitchen under construction for a second time in less than a year, combined with the installation problems make this renovation not great, only "ok". The thicker slab is fabulous and no seams in the middle of sink wonderful.  The fit is not good, the counter top overhangs the cupboard edge only 1/2 an inch on the right side where the the dishwasher is and in front of the sinks. Then there is a 2 and 1/2 inch overhang beside the fridge on the left side.  I promised my husband as long as we live in this house I will never, ever, renovate the kitchen again. 

Secret Santa Presents - Yippee!!

~Dancing around the room with glee! Its here!  Its here!  Horray!

I must have been extra good this year,  just look at the size of the box!  Notice I did not have time or inclination to clear my cutting table before opening the box from my Secret Santa.

All the gifts were beautifully wrapped and there were so many.

Group photos on top my 2012 free motion quilting sampler challenge quilt.

 Holy smokes, this is so much fun.  

 This looks like home made shortbread cookies.

Yummy... no time to even remove the scotch tape and ribbon from my hand before taking a bite.

Secret Santa, you did a most excellent job selecting, baking, buying and wrapping these presents.  I'm so delighted with everything.

Purple is my favourite colour. Thoughtfully, Santa sent me purple fat quarters, which are perfect for a grape quilt I'm planning. I also got a lovely, shinny, purple cosmetic travel bag.  We are travelling to Hawaii in April 2013.  I'm certain the travel bag will be very useful.

  A lovely purple plum scented bath set.

These items below are fabulous.  Some self-threading needles and a travel needle carrying case that works like a lipstick tube for needles. How cool is that?  The green item is a stapler and the white brush is a nail brush especially handy for gardeners.  The brush holds a bar of ivory soap on the back side which lathers up on the brush side for easy nail cleaning.

 Oh, I just had to eat a second shortbread cookie.

I collect teapots, and my wonderful secret santa sent a teapot in the shape of a wise owl.  I just love it.  No doubt I will be drinking tea out of this pot today.

Last but not least, the Scrap Republic book by Emily Cier.  This was a very timely gift as I have her first book and was planning to buy this one in January.  There is a beautiful Christmas card with a deer on the front and sparkles.  I feel so spoiled.

Ok, so  I ate one more shortbread cookie.  They are so delicious, just melt in my mouth, if weren't for the candied cherry I wouldn't have to chew at all.  I'm pretty sure three shortbread cookies do not count as a nutritious lunch.

Thank you very, very much Secret Santa!  From my house to yours, I wish you Peace, Joy and much Love at Christmas and always.

Winter Wonderland - dog walk

On Friday night (November  30) we got freezing rain, last night more freezing rain, which was  followed by heavy fog today.  This makes dog walking on sidewalks and public walkways  treacherous! It is kind of a shuffle slide on the pavement. But look how mother nature dressed up her trees.

 These photos were taken with my Iphone 4S.

Unfortunately, my SLR camera is to big and heavy for outings on foot with the dog.

Don't ask me why I buy quality dog food.   Lily supplements her diet by eating rabbit turds.  She is really disgusting sometimes.

This greenspace/park is two blocks from our house.  It has a jungle gym, a toboggan hill and basketball court with hoops.  There is a paved public walkway with benches.  In summertime boot camp is held here.

 The frostiest part is facing east. 

Back to sewing, laundry and Sunday dinner with Scott & Véronique. Doug is roasting prime rib with onions, potatoes and carrots.  I just love it when he cooks.

Dear Readers,  I hope you enjoyed the scenery on my dog walk.  Do you do Sunday night family dinners?  If yes, who cooks and what are you having for dinner tonight?

Getting ready for Christmas

Last Saturday, the grocery store special was spend $200 and get a free poinsettia.  Check it out!

 This fantastic plant was free!  I love it.

Today, I'm sewing some gifts, making pumpkin soup and worrying about my husband driving home from Thompson.  Unfortunately, overnight we had freezing rain here.  This morning when I stepped outside to take these photos, our sidewalk was like a skating rink.  I guess I will be doing a slide shuffle when I walk my dog this afternoon.  It is times like this that I wish she would run on my treadmill.

 

Mr. & Mrs. Snowman  Mr. Snowman has two eyes but from this angle his nose is hiding one.

Our son and daughter-in-law are coming here for Christmas from Calgary.  So I need to make vegetarian cabbage rolls, butter pecan tarts, dark rum brownies and pétite cherry cheesecakes.  Karyann would rather have Créme De Menthe cheesecake, so perhaps I'll make both.  I also make pecan carmel cinnamon rolls for breakfast on Christmas day.

Lily supervising me while I'm cooking in the kitchen.  

Dear readers, do you make any special gifts or treats for the holidays?

Happy Saturday all.