Gluten Free Mac and Cheese

Included on the list of things to do before I depart for France in 11 days, is of course a list of foods to eat.  Only somebody suffering from a serious obsession puts “eat macaroni and cheese” amongst other important things to do, such as acquiring a power adapter, booking a hostel, buying train tickets from France to the UK, and packing.  I am not ashamed.  Enjoying carbs coated in creamy cheesy goodness and studded with the occasional crunchy edge piece is obviously just as important as packing for five months abroad.  Duh.

Oh yeah, did I mention that a friend and I are leaving the country in 11 days to experience the marvels of France, Germany, and the UK?  Yeah, that’s happening.  Against my better judgment, I started packing a few days ago and now it feels all too real, especially because most of my clothing is no longer easily accessible.  And as the contents of my closet dwindle, so do the days I have left to get all that important stuff I mentioned done.  Being able to check “eat macaroni and cheese” off the list is a huge relief.  I was starting to get really worried I wouldn’t get to it.  But in all seriousness, I’ve still got people to email, places to book, dates to establish, and loads more to pack.  And on top of all that I still have find time to eat ribs.  I simply cannot leave North America without eating ribs.  I also have to consult my people to see if I can fit fried chicken into my busy agenda.  My goodness, my life is so demanding.

Word of advice, if you’ve got loads of things to do, add “eat mac and cheese” to the list.  It may make make your life more demanding, but also far more delicious.

Gluten Free (because it’s still january and I’m sticking to my agenda) Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients

• 12 oz gluten free elbow macaroni
• 12 oz shredded cheese, of any variety you desire (I used 8 oz of cheddar and 4 oz of smoked cheddar)
• 2 1/2 cups milk (I only happened to have almond milk on hand so that’s what I used but whole milk would usually be the first I’d reach for)
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons gluten free all purpose flour
• salt and pepper
• pinch of paprika

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and lightly oil a 9×13 inch casserole pan.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Add the macaroni and cook according to the directions on the package.  Drain and run under cold water to stop the cooking.
3. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Add the flour and cook a few minutes until the roux darkens, stirring constantly with a whisk.
4. Slowly add the milk, whisking to ensure a smooth sauce.  Then add the shredded cheese a couple of handfuls at a time, mixing for a smooth consistency.
5. Add in salt, pepper, and a pinch of paprika to taste.
6. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and bake for 40-45 minutes.  I cranked up the heat to broil for the last few minutes to get a golden brown top.
7. Let cool 10 minutes or risk injuring yourself on molten cheese.
8. Check “eat mac and cheese” off your list of things to do.  Doesn’t productivity feel great?

Milk, of the Chocolate Variety

I have, as of late, been afflicted with an irrepressible desire to consume large amounts of chocolate milk.  How this came about, I have not even an inkling of an idea.  I could possibly be overcompensating for a lack of chocolate milk in my childhood.  Maybe a lack of school-bought lunches severely deprived my subconsciousness and taste buds of chocolate syrup infused milk.  Or maybe chocolate syrup, which tastes somewhat rusty and very much unlike chocolate alone, when mixed with milk (organic almond milk in my case), is just magically, suspiciously delicious.

Honestly though.  Chocolate milk is suspiciously craveworthy.  At least it seems so to me.  I’ve been indulging myself in this insatiable craving for the past month with a generous glass of almond milk mixed with an equally generous amount of chocolate syrup.  Of course this influx in my sugar consumption is totally justified because the chocolate syrup I choose to use just so happens to be organic, gluten-free, and free of a bunch of other things.  Anyhow, now that I’ve explained this odd desire to those of you listening to me out there in that wide world web, I feel sufficiently justified and pleased with this cathartic blog post.

Time for some more chocolate milk.

I BAKED Chocolate Chip Cookies

And I didn’t bake just any chocolate chip cookies.  I baked BAKED’s chocolate chip cookies.  They were everything a chocolate chip cookies should be, thick, soft and chewy in the middle, caramelized and crispy around the edges, and studded with chocolate chips.  I brought these to a “calculus study session” and they were all gone by the time my friends and I hadn’t even started “studying calculus.”  In our defense, how could you study derivative and integrals when there is an entire container of freshly baked cookies within your reach?

Answer:  It’s impossible to focus on the derivative of anything except that of the rate at which the cookie will be entering your mouth.  See?  Calculus can be useful in real life.

On a graph of f’(x), displaying the derivative of my stomach’s contentedness and fullness level, I found the value that corresponds to a relative maximum on the graph of f.  In other words, these cookies made me (and my stomach) very happy and full.  Now, if only calculus were as easy as baking and eating chocolate chip cookies…

Chocolate Chip Cookies from BAKED New Frontiers in Baking  (makes 24)

Ingredients (Matt and Renato recommend to use the best quality ingredients you can find, I recommend the same.  In something as simple as a chocolate chip cookie, it’s important to use great quality ingredients that will elevated your chocolate chip cookies from just simple, to outstanding.)

• 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour (I used white whole wheat)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, soft but cool
• 1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2 2/3 cups (16 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips

Preparation

1. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, salt, and baking soda together.
2. Beat the butter and sugars together until smooth and creamy in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.  Scrape down the bowl and add the eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated.  The mixture will look light and fluffy.  Add the vanilla and beat for 5 seconds.
3. Add half the flour mixture and mix for 15 seconds.  Add the remaining flour mixture and beat until just incorporated.
4. Using a spatula or wooden spoon, fold in the chocolate chips.
5. Cover the bowl tightly and put in the refrigerator for 6 hours or overnight.
6. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and line two baking sheets.
7. Use an ice cream scoop with a release mechanism (or not) to scoop out dough in 2 tablespoon size balls. Use your hands to shape the dough into perfect balls and place them on the prepared baking sheets (I found that I had to press them down a bit or else they didn’t spread as much as I wanted them to), about 1 inch apart.  Bake for 12-14 minutes, rotating the pans once during the cooking time, until the edges of the cookies are golden brown and the tops just start to darken.
8. Remove the pan from the oven and cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes.  Use a spatula to transfer the individual cookies to the rack to cool completely (or you could transfer them to your mouth instead).

These cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Making some Brownies for Memory Lane

After five minutes of my friend staring at my yellow gift bag filled with brownies, I finally acknowledged her and the hungry look in her eyes.

“Yes, I made brownies.”

I reassured I would never give my bag of brownies to anyone else except my best friends.  Well, except for that day the priorities were the teachers who had written college recommendations for me, but that was a one-time exception.  I passed them out, warning everybody that these were super fudgy.

“Holy shit.”

“Ah my gawd.”

“MMMMMMMMMMMMMMM”

*silence from my friend M who was too busy devouring every last crumb*

“SACRILEGE!” – S screamed as a crumb fell to the floor.

I sat and watched my friends responses, a deep satisfaction rising inside of me that manifested itself in a brighter and larger-than-normal smile.  All was as it should be – perfect.  S was descending upon her brownie as if she were going in for a first kiss.  L and M were taunting each other as usual with their drastically different paces of eating – L eats slower than a sloth savoring its greens while M eats as ravenously as a hyena who’s prey it would seem, might disappear at any moment.  As M devoured her brownie in less than a minute, L watched, disgusted.  And while L nibbled at her brownie, eating one crumb at a time, M had to shield her eyes and turn away.  All the while S seemed to be having a moment with her brownie.  Despite the bickering and the intimate moments my friends had with the brownies, our lunch was filled with our usual laughter.  Like I said – perfect.

It’s times like these, as simple as a lunch at school with my best friends and a few super-fudgy brownies for dessert, that make me unexplainably happy.  The fact that a simple batch of chocolaty, delicious brownies could bring such joy and laughter to a school lunch fills me up with satisfaction that even a brownie cannot achieve (okay, maybe these brownies can).  It just goes to show how food is not just food.  Food is society.  Food is culture.  Food is laughter and friendship.  Food is childhood memories.  Food is more than just something to fill up your empty stomach.  Food is what fills your soul, your heart, and your nostalgia.  In a few years, I know I will make these brownies again and as I sink my teeth into their fudgy yet ethereally light interior – all these memories will come rushing back, and I can’t wait.  But until that day, all I can do is bake more brownies, feed my friends, laugh until my face aches, and make memories that will last a lifetime.

Make these brownies, and you will never forget the joy they will bring to you, and your friends and family.  Or in the words of my friend S, “SACRILEGE!” if you do not make these brownies.

Super Fudgy Brownies from Martha Stewart

Ingredients

• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces, plus more for pan
• 1 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 8 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 1 1/4 cups sugar – I used one cup.
• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 – 3/4 cup chocolate chips – I added these in because I like variation in “texture”.  I also like extra chocolate in my brownies.  Seriously, you can never have enough chocolate.

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush a 9-inch square baking pan with butter. Line bottom and two sides with a strip of parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on the two sides. Butter paper, and set pan aside.
2. In a small bowl, whisk flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt; set aside.  Place butter and chocolate in a large heatproof bowl set over (not in) a saucepan of gently simmering water. Heat, stirring occasionally, until smooth, 2 to 3 minutes; remove bowl from pan.
3. Add sugar; mix to combine. Add eggs, and mix to combine. Add flour mixture; mix just until moistened (do not overmix).
4. Transfer batter to prepared pan; smooth top.  Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, 50 to 60 minutes. Cool in pan for 30 minutes. Using paper overhang, lift brownies out of pan; transfer to a rack to cool completely (still on paper). On a cutting board, using a dampened serrated knife, cut into 16 squares. Store in an airtight container at room temperature, up to 2 days.  Give to friends, make memories and laughter, and enjoy.