Coffee Cup Brownie

Have you ever been sitting around and suddenly the craving for something chocolaty strikes, but you don't feel like dragging out all the equipment for baking, let alone firing up the oven in the middle of a hot day? Or perhaps you live alone or with people who just don't like baked goods and you don't want to make a large amount of anything that will be wasted. If any of these sound like you, then get ready to learn a quick, simple Brownie recipe that uses everyday ingredients found in most household kitchens mixed directly in a coffee mug and cooked in the microwave in under two minutes.

Ingredients: 2 Tbls. Butter (melted)

2 Tbls. Milk

1/4 tsp. Vanilla

1 Tbls. Sugar

1 Tbls. Brown Sugar

2 Tbls. Unsweetened Cocoa Powder

2 Tbls. All-Purpose Flour

Dash of Salt

Microwave the Butter in a 12 oz. coffee mug for 30-40 seconds or until melted

Add the Milk

Salt

And Vanilla, stirring well

Add the Cocoa

Sugar

And Flour

Then mix thoroughly

Place in the microwave for 1 min. if a chewy Brownie is desired, or 1:30 for a more cake like Brownie

After 1:05 the top is still a little gooey (Be careful not to overcook the Brownie)

But the bottom is cooked perfectly through. Let cool, then top with ice cream or enjoy with a glass of milk.

When i first read this recipe it made me wonder if a microwaved Brownie thrown together in a cup would even be worth the minimal effort of mixing the ingredients together and waiting the two minute cook time. After making it once i almost gave up since the first result ended in a hard cakey substance stuck to the bottom of the glass, but after reading some other reviews, i pieced together different tips from other bakers suggestions and came up with a recipe that yields a fudgy, chewy brownie that has a wonderful chocolate flavor without being too overpowering. If you decide to try this recipe out, give it a few attempts until its exactly how you like it, and dont be afraid to add different ingredients as well, like walnuts, chocolate chips,  peanut butter, etc.

Peggy Hill's Apple Brown Betty

This isn't a actual recipe from "King of the Hill", there is one repeated a lot online that uses bread crumbs and nutmeg with different measurements that claims to be "Peggy Hill's" recipe, but none of the pictures of the finished products were very appealing to my eye and stomach, so this is a version I adapted from one found in a magazine years ago but I never got around to making, until now. As for the title, honestly every time I hear Apple Brown Betty I think "Peggy Hill, Substitute Teacher of the year 96"-97", so its what I nicknamed this recipe.

Ingredients: 6 Tart Baking Apples

1 1/2 Cups Graham Cracker Crumbs

1/2 Cup Water

1/2 Cup Molasses

1/4 Cup Brown Sugar

1/2 Cup Butter (1 stick)

1/2 tsp. Cinnamon 

*For Crumb Topping: 1/2 Cup Sugar

1/3 Cup All-Purpose Flour

1/4 Cup Butter (melted)

Start by peeling, coring, and slicing the Apples (set in a bowl of water to keep crisp)

Crush the Graham Crackers into crumbs and set aside

In a bowl, melt the Butter

Then add the Molases

Cinnamon

Water

And Brown Sugar mixing thoroughly

In a large baking dish, start with a bottom layer of Graham Cracker crumbs

Then a layer of Apples

Alternate between the two, finishing the top layer with Apples

Pour the sauce mixture over the top

Making sure to distribute evenly

Cover with foil and place in a prheated oven at 350F

Bake twenty minutes then rotate, bake another twenty minutes, uncover and continue baking an additional ten minutes

Let cool before serving

*This recipe did not call for a crumb topping, but as I removed the foil, I was disappointed with the dark molasess covered Apples, they looked dirty, so I adapted the topping from a blueberry muffin recipe. To make the topping simply add all the ingredients together and mix thoroughly, sprinkle over the top after removing the foil and place under the ovens broiler until golden brown.

I have never had a Apple Brown Betty before (usually don't really care for baked dishes containing apples) and was expecting more of a pie like texture, however it caught me off guard being more along the lines of a cobbler. The bold molasses flavor and hint of cinnamon with the sweet chew of cooked apples and sugar were subtle while a underlying hint of butter in the crumb topping made the crust rich and flaky. I still prefer to bake with other fruits over Apples, but this is a wonderful dish that isn't too overpowering with any single ingredient that goes great by itself or with a scoop of ice cream.

Lasagna

Back when I first started this blog, the Friend Richard asked if I would post a recipe for a simple Lasagna, I said of course, then forgot all about it. Fortunately its now months later and I finally remembered the promise, so below is my recipe for a easy three meat, two cheese Lasagna. 

Ingredients: One package Italian Sausages

One package Sliced Chorizo 

One pound Hamburger Meat

Two 16oz. containers of Cottage Cheese

Two bags (4cups) of shredded Mozzarella Cheese

One box oven ready Lasagna Noodles

One large bottle (32oz.) Spaghetti Sauce

In a large skillet, start cooking the Sausages 

While the Sausages cook, chop the Chorizo into pieces

Turn the Sausages and continue cooking until done, then set aside to cool

In the same skillet, add the Hamburger and start browning the meat

While the Hamburger cooks, cut the cooled Sausages into pieces and set aside again

Finish cooking the Hamburger

Then drain off the excess grease

In a large bowl, combine the Chorizo

Hamburger Meat

And Sausage, toss to combine

Pour in the Sauce

Cottage Cheeses

And one and a half bags of the Mozzarella, stir together until well mixed

In a deep casserole pan, start with a layer of the Sauce across the bottom

Then add a layer of Noodles on top

Continue alternating between the Sauce and Noodles, finishing with a Sauce layer on top

Sprinkle the remaining half bag of Cheese over the top

Wrap tightly with heavy duty tinfoil (shiny side out) and place into a preheated oven at 375F

Bake for thirty minutes, rotate the pan, then continue baking another thirty minutes, check to see if the cheese is fully melted across the top

Remove the foil and place under the broiler 

Broil for a few minutes to brown the Cheese, then remove from the oven 

Allow to cool ten to fifteen minutes then serve with Garlic Bread

I often change this recipe around, trying different Meats and Cheeses to alternate the flavors. This was the first time I've ever combined Chorizo with the Italian Sausages and Hamburger, and it was fantastic. The combination of the Meat, Grease, and Cheeses went excellent with the tenderness of the Noodles, add in the Garlic Bread and it was a great dinner.