blackberries with mascarpone and goat cheese mousse

It has been a day.  I have felt like I was run over by a very large truck all day.  Then I could not seem to breathe, but then I was not the only one (we figure the weather blew something in).  But the last bit that really put me over the edge was that I started to have nose bleeds.  

How did I deal with this?  I came home and slept.  Then I cooked.  Everything for dinner was something new.  It really was not that hard but it did help that I started part of it this morning in the crockpot.  I just prefer well cooked lentils.  

I let my Beloved chose what I blogged about today.  He chose the dessert.  Light but satisfying.  Creamy.  Cheesey.  Blackberries.  It was not a lot of work, even by hand, except Small Mister wanted to help me beat the whipping cream and sugar together.  That did not work very well.  It all came together in the end.  It helped that I kept letting him taste as I go so I could stir.  Small Mister was the one I was thinking about but both males are official tasters at this point in my life.

I did this with blackberries but I think it would be good with any berry or maybe even cherries.  Oooo.... bing cherries.... Too bad they are out of season.

blackberries with mascarpone and goat cheese mousse

Note:  adapted from Tartelette, I read the recipe once and decided to go from there.

1 cup blackberries

2 tablespoons sugar, or to taste

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup goat cheese

1/4 cup mascarpone cheese

Put the blackberries in a bowl and sprinkle with the 2 tablespoons of sugar.  I find blackberries tart.  If you do not, feel free to change the amount of sugar you use.

In a medium bowl, mix the goat cheese and mascarpone cheese together until smooth.  In yet another bowl, put the 1/2 cup sugar and heavy whipping cream in.  Beat together until thick.  Mix into the cheese mixture.  Refrigerate if not serving immediately.

When you are ready to serve, scoop the mousse into bowls.  Top with blackberries.  

Eat with a spoon. Scrape the bowl clean.  i am not being facetious.

hot chocolate brownie

On my list, there always seems to be chocolate.  Whether it is my shopping list or food to make list, there is a chocolate.  We do like our chocolate around here.  But then you could say the same about cinnamon and vanilla.  

I was wondering around the web and saw a recipe for a cinnamon brownie.  It got me thinking about an ice cream I made years ago.  Hot chocolate ice cream.  I add ground chili pepper to my hot chocolate often so you can see where this is going.  The first serving of that ice cream made everyone sweat.  My Beloved ate it a month later and it had mellowed so the flavor was there without all the sweat.  

I decided to do that with these brownies.  I did make these so they did not cause sweat.  Just like always, these did not last long but I found the added spices made them taste richer. 

hot chocolate brownie

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips 

2 1/2 tablespoons butter

1 large egg

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

A pinch of salt

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

a pinch ground chipolte pepper

a pinch ground ancho pepper

2 tablespoons almond flour

Preheat 350 degrees Fahrenheit

Butter and flour an 8 inch pan.

Melt 3/4 cup chocolate and butter in a saucepan until chocolate is melted.  

Mix in the sugar, vanilla, egg, salt, cinnamon, ancho, chipolte, and flour.

Pour into pan.  Sprinkle with 1/4 cup of chocolate chips.

Bake for 17 to 20 minutes or until tester comes out clean.

I thought these were quiet lovely with tea.  But what is not lovely with tea?

By the way, it is a new picture but it is hard to tell.  You have to taste.

peanut butter chocolate banana

There are days that I want something sweet but my body and arthritis are saying that sweet does not need to have too much refined sugar in it.  I had one of those days recently and decided to try one of those ideas that floats around of using frozen bananas for a frozen treat.  The biggest difficulty is making sure you have a blender of food processor power enough.  Take a couple bananas and some chocolate syrup (I like lots.  My Beloved likes less) and blend ferociously.  I stirred in large soup spoon of peanut butter.  I did not wish to blend it in because I wanted the texture difference.  

Not bad.  Do not let anyone convince you this is ice cream but if you want something with less sugar and less dairy this works.  And I do not hurt so bad the next day.  It does fulfill the craving.  I do have to admit that if I add milk of some kind and blend it all together it reminds me of the Jamba Juice peanut butter mooed but better.  That is really my go to.  A junk food dinner type of day.  Hamburger patty pan fried, salad, and the smoothie.  My kind of junk food.

punky monkey bread

We are going into my favorite season and where I live does not have any autumn.  Or if it does, it is in December or January, right before spring starts.  That is what I get for living in this part of Texas.  But this is where the work is currently and that means we have the mountain in our lives.  I am hoping to change that but it is a slow process.

Pinterest is a bad place if there is no autumn in your life this time of year.  There are lots of pumpkin recipes and I like pumpkin.  I was the kid who never really liked cake but a pumpkin pie. . . .   That was me.  Which probably would give my Mom fits because I would ask for pumpkin pie for my birthday.  In March.  When there was not as much year round cans of things on the shelf at the grocery store.  I have never asked but I bet she started to stock up on canned pumpkin in November and December to make me that pie.  

I saw pumpkin pull apart bread and a pumpkin cinnamon roll.  Then the idea came to me of my monkey bread with pumpkin added and more pumpkin pie type spices.  I think this turned out really well.   All the recipes I saw served their version of this yeasted pumpkin bread with a frosting, whether a butter cream or a cream cheese frosting.  I think it takes away from the pumpkin flavor and the flavor of spices used.  But then, I do not like whipped cream on my pie.  A bit of sugar sprinkled over so there is a texture difference but not whipped cream.  Okay, I am strange.

punky monkey bread

Note:  I used multiple different recipes as a guideline.  A took a bit here and there and I had no eggs.  

sourdough starter

3/4 cup water

1 cup flour

1 cup pumpkin

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup milk

6 tablespoons room temperature butter

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground fresh nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom

about 4 1/2 cups flour

2 tablespoons cinnamon

2 cups brown sugar

3/4 cup melted butter

1 cup brown sugar

The night before, in a large non-metallic bowl, mix the starter, water, and 1 cup flour.  Let sit overnight and let it get bubbly.

Mix in the pumpkin, 1/2 cup brown sugar, milk, butter, eggs, salt, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom.  Add enough flour to make a stiff dough.  (Well, I have to admit that I kept mine on the wetter side since I knew it was headed for the refrigerator.  I let time do all the work.) Turn out and knead until smooth.  Let rise until double or put in a ziploc and let rise in the refrigerator overnight.

When the dough is risen,  butter two loaf pans.  Mix the 2 tablespoons cinnamon and 2 cups brown sugar together in a small bowl.  Roll the dough out very thin.  I got my dough to about 1/4 inch or less.  I did not have anymore room on my counter but go thinner if you do.  Cover the dough with the cinnamon and brown sugar mixture.  If you have extra, you can use it in the caramel.   I did!

Cut the dough in squares that fit your dough pans.  Layer in the loaf pans on the dough's edges.  Cover and let rise until double or until soft and puffy.  

When the dough has risen until double, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Mix the 3/4 cup melted butter and 1 cup of brown sugar together.  I used the leftover cinnamon brown sugar for part of the cup of brown sugar.  Split between your loaf pans

Bake for 30 to 40 minutes.  You want golden but on the dark side.  I found the punky monkey bread was darker then my monkey bread but then so is the dough.

Like I wrote earlier, I really do not think you need any type of icing.  It mellows the pumpkin and spices and that is what I wish to taste.

I gave some away today or I would be eating this all week for breakfast.  Maybe I should just make some more.  I did plant more pumpkins and we have not used all the pumpkin I canned last year.  

The thought makes me smile.  Bread and pumpkins.

bing cherry mojitos

After all our hard work on the bathroom this weekend, we decided that adult beverages were in order.  My Beloved likes rum and I had a mojito recipe that I wished to try.  The cherries it actually calls for our out of season so I had to go with bing cherries.  It was not a hardship!  And these were very refreshing.

My one suggestion is to never let my Beloved make them for you if you have anything else to do that evening.  He forgets to count!

bing cherry mojitos

Note:  These measurments are per one 8 ounce drink.  

8 cherries (about 1/4 cup fruit)

1 stem mint with leaves

2 ounces rum

1 ounce simple syrup

the juice of 1/2 a lime

soda water

Tear the cherries apart and take out the pit.  Add the mint leaves and lime juice.  Muddle.  Add the rum and simple syrup.  At this point, I let this sit for 10 to 20 minutes.  My Beloved actually did not muddle, he whirled in the blender.

Put ice in a glass.  Strain the rum mixture over the ice.  Add soda water to your taste.

This was lovely.