Stuffed Plum Tomato Tart #BakingBloggers

For a Christmas brunch or a Sunday lunch, this stuffed plum tomato tart with a savory black olive shortcrust is pretty enough to be the star of the meal.

Do you ever come across a new ingredient in the grocery store that you just have to buy, even if you have no idea what you will make with it? I do! My most recent purchase was a container of mini plum tomatoes. Talk about cute!

Well, I couldn’t just cut them up and put them into a salad because then, how would you know how cute they were? Right? I decided that the best way to showcase them would be to stuff and bake them. And the best way to get them to stay upright would be to make them part of a tart.

This is a bit fiddly to make since you have to empty the tomatoes in order to fill them, but look at how pretty it turned out? Totally worth the time and, really, not a lot of effort.

Stuffed Plum Tomato Tart with Black Olive Shortcrust

The flavors are Mediterranean, from the red ripe plum tomatoes and the mozzarella and anchovy stuffing, to the black olive shortcrust.

Ingredients
For the black olive shortcrust:
1 1/2 cups or 190g flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup or 60g shortening
1/2 cup or 40g minced black olives, well drained
3-4 tablespoons cold water

For the plum tomato tart filling:
16 baby plum tomatoes (mine weighed about 1 lb 2 oz or 500g)
1/2 cup or 28g fresh breadcrumbs
1 clove garlic
Small bunch chives (about 15g)
3.5 oz or 100g mozzarella, grated
5-6 small anchovies fillets, drained (for a vegetarian tart, replace these with salty Kalamata olives)
3 large eggs
1/4 cup or 60ml milk
1/2 cup or 50g finely grated Parmesan
Freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil

Method
Make the pastry dough by lightly combining the shortening with the salt and flour, until you have crumbles. Fork through the minced black olives.

Add the cold water a little at time, mixing it in with a fork, until the pastry can form a ball. You can see my method, without the olives, in detail here: How to make a flaky pie crust.

Wrap the dough in cling film. Chill.

Halve and empty the plum tomatoes, reserving the liquid and flesh you have removed. I used a melon ball scoop, which made this part really easy. Leave the tomato halves to drain cut side down on paper towels.

Preheat oven to 350°F or 180°C. Lightly grease and line your 8 3/4 in or 22cm spring-form tart pan with baking parchment.

To make the stuffed plum tomato filling, mince the garlic, chives and anchovies. Mix them with the grated mozzarella, breadcrumbs and enough of the tomato insides to moisten.

Roll out the chilled olive pastry crust and ease it into the prepared tart pan. Trim the pastry to fit or fold it over and make a decorative edge.

Top with another piece of parchment and baking beads.

Bake in your preheated oven for about 10 minutes. Remove the beads and parchment and bake another five. Remove the tart case from the oven and brush the bottom with a little olive oil.

Stuff the tomato halves with the filling and put them cut side up in the tart case, close together so they support each other to stay upright. I piled them all in and then held one at a time to fill, then replaced it in the crust.

Beat your eggs with the milk. Add the Parmesan and a good few grinds of fresh black pepper and mix well.

Carefully pour the egg mixture around the stuffed tomatoes. Give the whole tart another couple of grinds of fresh black pepper.

Bake for 35-40 or until the egg is set and the tomatoes are slumping.

Cut into slices. Enjoy!

Today I am joining a group of avid bakers in a new group called Baking Bloggers. Our organizer is Sue from Palatable Pastime and for our inaugural post, she has chosen PIE as the theme. Check out all the other lovely pies and tarts, both sweet and savory, that we are sharing.

• Applesauce Pie by Making Miracles
• Blackberry Pie by Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Concord Grape Pie by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Cranberry Apple Pie by House of Nash Eats
• Dairy-free Raspberry Jam Crostata by Manu's Menu
• French Silk Pie by Tramplingrose
• Pear-Apple Crumble Pie by Cookaholic Wife
• Pear Frangipane Tart with Cranberries by Caroline's Cooking
• Seafood B'stilla (Moroccan Seafood Pie) by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Stuffed Plum Tomato Tart by Food Lust People Love

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Buttery Baked Bread Dressing

Beautifully toasted on top, this buttery baked bread dressing is the perfect accompaniment to your holiday meal. Bake it in a casserole dish or use it to stuff a bird.

In my growing up family, bread dressing was not a thing. At least, not that I remember. Being from Louisiana, we ate Cajun rice dressing and then later, when my stepfather became part of the family, cornbread dressing made an appearance because it’s what his mother served for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Her recipe included crunchy chunks of water chestnut, which did nothing to endear me to the dish. The family was so divided on the issue that my grandmother and mother graciously started making half the pan with water chestnuts and half without. I lived in fear of serving myself from the wrong side by accident so the gesture was mostly under-appreciated on my plate. It was the turnip vs. potato in vegetable soup problem all over again.

But even water chestnut haters grow up and have their own families. When I was in charge of the menu, that cornbread stuff was dropped and, in fact, I didn’t often make the rice dressing either. With only four of us eating a meal that already included three starches  - creamed potatoes, sweet potatoes and macaroni and cheese – AND a spicy Cajun corn dish - something had to give.

The family repertoire of holiday dishes remained fairly static until our elder daughter came back from university for Christmas with a new stuffing recipe she’d tried for Thanksgiving and wanted to add to our menu. It was made with white bread and flavored with poultry seasonings.

Buttery Baked Bread Dressing

Since that Christmas several years ago, Baked Bree’s Johnson Stuffing, adapted to use ingredients we can find where we live or usually have on hand (like brown bread instead of white) has become a staple.

Ingredients
1 loaf quality sandwich bread with soft crusts (about 1 lb 5 oz or 600g)
1/2 cup or 113g butter
2 onions, diced
3-4 slim stalks celery, de-stringed and diced finely – 3/4 cup or 90g
Small bunch fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped (7g or about 1/4 cup)
1 cup or 180ml turkey or chicken stock (or use vegetable stock for a vegetarian-friendly dish)
2 tablespoons salt-free poultry seasoning
1/2 -1 teaspoon cayenne
Salt and pepper, to taste

To bake: 1/4 cup or 57g melted butter, plus extra to grease the baking dish

Note: Can’t find poultry seasonings where you live? It’s a challenge in Dubai as well. Make your own following this recipe from The Kitchn.

Method
Cube the bread and set aside and put it in a large mixing bowl.

Put the butter in a large pan with the chopped onion and celery.

Melt the butter over medium heat and cook until the onions and celery are soft and translucent, stirring occasionally. Add a good pinch of salt, a few grinds of black pepper, along with the cayenne and poultry seasoning.

Set your oven to preheat at 350°F or 180°C and butter your favorite large casserole dish.

Pour the buttery celery and onions over the bread cubes in the mixing bowl. Use two spoons like salad tongs to toss and combine.

Sprinkle on the parsley. Add the stock and toss again to combine.

Check for seasoning and stir in more salt and pepper as needed. Depending on the saltiness of your stock, you might not need much (or any) salt.

Pour the mixture into your buttered casserole dish.

Drizzle on the melted butter. Bake in the preheated oven for about half an hour or until the top is golden brown and the whole house smells of Thanksgiving or Christmas.

Enjoy!

Are you looking for a few new casserole dishes to add to your holiday menu? This is the Sunday Supper for you! Many thanks to our event manager Em for her behind the scenes work.

Breakfast Casseroles

• Apple Crumble French Toast Casserole by Pies and Plots
• Holiday Breakfast Casserole by The Freshman Cook
• Sausage Breakfast Casserole with Crescent Rolls by Sunday Supper Movement
• Christmas Chilaquiles with Eggs by Our Good Life

Classic Casseroles

• Buttery Baked Bread Dressing by Food Lust People Love
• Collard Greens Au Gratin by Soulfully Made
• French Potato Gratin by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Ham & Cheese Corn Casserole (Spoon Bread) by Palatable Pastime
• Leftover Turkey Noodle Casserole by Crickets Confections
• Lower Carb Green Bean Casserole by Positively Stacey
• Simple Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole (Dairy-Free) by Bites of Wellness
• Turkey and Noodles by A Day in the Life on the Farm

Creative Casseroles

• Brussels Sprouts Gratin with Quinoa by The Wimpy Vegetarian
• Cheesy Orzo Pasta Bake by Caroline’s Cooking
• Mexican Cornbread Casserole by Restless Chipotle
• Shrimp Pineapple Rice Casserole by Sue’s Nutrition Buzz
• Make Ahead Spaghetti Western Chili Casserole by Kudos Kitchen by Renee

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T.R.'s Mulled Cider Martini

Celebrate fall with a spicy seasonal mulled cider martini. Like all good martinis, it’s made 007-style, shaken not stirred.

This week my Sunday Supper family is honoring one of our own, T.R. of Gluten Free Crumbly, who lost his battle with cancer this year, not long after winning Blogger of the Year at the Food Wine Conference in May. We are sharing gluten free recipes, some from T.R.’s own blog so make sure to scroll down and check out the list.

T.R. was an absolute hoot, quick to dance and joke, and I honestly believe that he never met a stranger. His infectious laugh would get us all going. I wanted to share one of his recipes today so I started watching his YouTube videos and couldn’t stop laughing, even through my tears. We all miss T.R. so much.

T.R.’s mulled cider 007 martini, or double-o-tini, as he liked to call it, requires two steps if you don’t have mulled cider already. If you do, feel free to skip straight to shaking your martini!

Ingredients
For the mulled cider:
4 1/4 cups or 1L apple cider
2 cinnamon sticks
2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons or 12g whole allspice
2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons or 14g whole cloves
1/4 cup dark rum
You can read T.R.’s original post on the Wayback Machine.

Method
To make the mulled cider, put the apple cider in a large pot with the cinnamon sticks and spices.

Measure out the dark rum and add it to the cider.

Use a sharp knife to remove the peel from the orange, trying to get as little of the white pith as you can manage. Add the orange peel to the cider as well.
Cover the pot and put it on a low fire to simmer for an hour. Strain to remove the spices and orange peel. This can now be served warm or leave the mulled apple cider to cool then chill to make the double-o-tini.

T.R.’s Mulled Cider Martini

Ingredients
For the mulled cider martini:
Several cubes ice
1 1/2 oz or 45ml cold mulled cider
1 oz or 30ml vodka

Laugh along with T.R. as he shakes his double-o-tini. Written instructions follow.



Method
Add ice to your shaker, along with the mulled cider and vodka. Shake till it gets too cold to hold.  This must be shaken, not stirred! That’s where the 007 comes in.

Pour into a martini glass and garnish, if desired, with a cinnamon stick. (I also added a little orange peel because, why not?)

Enjoy!

Check out all of the gluten free holiday recipes we have for you today!

Sleigh Ride Starters

• Pepperoni Soft Pretzels by Grumpy’s Honeybunch
• Pumpkin Bread with Maple Walnut Glaze by My Life Cookbook
• Savory Chickpea Banana Pepper Fritters by Sue’s Nutrition Buzz
• T.R.’s Mulled Cider Martini by Food Lust People Love

Seasons Greetings Sides

• Balsamic Braised Red Cabbage by Take A Bite Out of Boca
• Gluten Free Au Gratin Potatoes by Sunday Supper Movement
• Gluten Free Turkey Gravy by Jersey Girl Cooks
• Gluten-Free Thanksgiving Stuffing or Dressing by Palatable Pastime
• Roasted Beets and Butternut Squash by Cooking Chat
• Roasted Brussels Sprouts And Squash With Cranberry Cider Glaze by The Crumby Kitchen
• T.R.’s Homemade Cranberry Sauce by Hardly A Goddess

Making Things Merry Main Dish

• Chicken Caesar Salad Wrap by Life Tastes Good
• Easy Mexican Chicken Bowl by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
• Pork Fried Rice by The Freshman Cook
• Turkey Ham Scalloped Potatoes and Kale by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
• Vietnamese Chicken Salad by Caroline’s Cooking

Decking the Halls Desserts

• Chickpea Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies by The Wimpy Vegetarian
• Flourless Chocolate Cookies by Pies and Plots
• Gluten Free Fudge by Our Good Life
• Grandma’s Peanut Butter Balls by Cricket’s Confections
• No Bake Gluten Free Fudgy Brownies by Simple and Savory
• Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies by Desserts Required
• The Worlds Best Gluten Free Sweet Potato Brownies by Bites of Wellness
• White Chocolate Crème Brûlée by That Skinny Chick Can Bake

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Fresh Fig Blue Cheese Tarts #FoodieExtravaganza

Flakey buttery puff pastry is the perfect crust for these fresh fig blue cheese tarts with rosemary and honey. Crunchy, sweet and salty, these little tarts are one of my favorite recipes to make with fresh figs.

This month my Foodie Extravaganza group is celebrating the start of National Fig Week by sharing fig recipes. When the theme was announced a few months back I was pretty sure that I was going to have to use dried figs, which are good – I love their sticky selves as a snack.

But I lucked out! My local shop had some lovely fresh figs. With some French Roquefort cheese and a sprig of rosemary from my own garden, I was in business.

Fresh Fig Blue Cheese Tarts

If you’ve never tried the combination of figs and blue cheese you are in for a treat. This works in salads as well as baked goods. Add a drizzle of honey, some rosemary and a little heat to this special combo. I served these tarts as a main course, with a lovely salad of greens tossed with a sharp vinaigrette dressing.

Ingredients
1 package puff pastry
3 1/2 oz or 100g blue cheese
4-5 fresh figs, sliced
1 sprig rosemary
1 1/2 teaspoons minute tapioca, divided
6 tablespoons honey

Method
Preheat oven to 400°F or 200°C.  Line six small tart pans with baking parchment. Roll pastry out big enough for your six small tart pans.

Fit puff pastry into lined tart pans, and trim, leaving a little overhang. Add one more circle baking parchment and fill the tart crusts with baking beads or dried beans.

Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes or until puffed and golden.

Leave to cool for a few minutes, then remove the baking beads and parchment inside the crust.

Crumble half of the blue cheese into the bottom of the tarts.

Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon tapioca in each crust.

Top with the sliced figs. Crumble on the rest of the blue cheese. Sprinkle each tart with a few rosemary needles.

Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of honey each.

Reduce oven temperature to 350°F or 180°C and bake until cheese is melted and figs are warmed through. They get quite juicy but this is where the magic of the minute tapioca comes in, slightly thickening the fresh fig juice as the tart filling bubbles in the heat.

Leave to cool completely before serving. This also gives the tapioca extra time to finish its thickening process.  Enjoy!

Check out all the other delicious fig recipes we are sharing! Many thanks to this month's host, Camilla of Culinary Adventures with Camilla.

• Fig/Anjeer Milk Shake by Sneha's Recipe
• Fig and Walnut Bread by Caroline's Cooking
• Fresh Fig Blue Cheese Tarts by Food Lust People Love
• Sourdough Barley Bread with Figs and Pecans by Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Steamed Figgy Pudding by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Warm Potato Salad with Tea-Steeped Figs by Culinary Adventures with Camilla

Foodie Extravaganza celebrates obscure food holidays or shares recipes with the same ingredient or theme every month.

Posting day is always the first Wednesday of each month. If you are a blogger and would like to join our group and blog along with us, come join our Facebook group Foodie Extravaganza. We would love to have you!

If you're a reader looking for delicious recipes, check out our Foodie Extravaganza Pinterest Board!

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Chocolate Pumpkin Swirl Muffins #MuffinMonday

Chocolate Pumpkin Swirl Muffins are my hat tip to the season, made with a cup of pumpkin and lots of rich dark chocolate. The pumpkin gives the batter a beautiful orange color and makes the muffins moist but the flavor is perfectly subtle.

I tend to be one of those people who resist cooking and baking with pumpkin until I can feel coolness in the air. Unfortunately, I keep forgetting that that just doesn’t happen in Dubai until autumn is pretty much over, calendar-wise.

But when it gets to be October and almost November, I guess it’s time!

Chocolate Pumpkin Swirl Muffins

If you are throwing a Halloween party, you’ll want to mix up a batch of these. The dark chocolate swirl and the orange pumpkin batter will be a hit on your holiday table.

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups or 190g all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup or 200g sugar
1/2 15 oz can or almost one cup or 200g pure pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
2 eggs
1/4 cup or 60ml canola oil
1/4 cup or 60ml orange juice
4 1/4 oz or 120g 70% cocoa dark chocolate (I like Lindt.)

Method
Preheat your oven to 350°F or 180°C and prepare your 12-cup muffin pan by greasing it thoroughly, spraying with non-stick spray or lining it with paper muffin cups.

Melt your chocolate gently the microwave with a few short bursts of 10-15 seconds at a time, stirring in between.

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar and stir well.

In another bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, oil, orange juice and eggs.

Pour your wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and fold them together until just mixed.

Pour about two-thirds of the melted chocolate on top of the batter and use a spoon to fold it in so there are still pockets of chocolate, in and around the pumpkin batter.

Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups.

Use a small spoon to divide the remaining chocolate to top the batter in the muffin cups. Use a toothpick to swirl that chocolate into the top of the batter.

Bake in the preheated oven about 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Cool for a few minutes and then remove the muffins and put on a rack to cool completely.

Word of warning: Depending on the temperature of your kitchen (still pretty hot here in Dubai!) the chocolate may come off a little onto your fingers as you handle the muffins. Lick it off and carry on. In a colder kitchen, the chocolate should set.

Enjoy!

Check out all the lovely October muffins my Muffin Monday group have baked for your today. It’s so hard to choose which to make first!

• Banana Espresso Chocolate Chip Muffins from Making Miracles
• Blueberry Muffin Tops with a Cheesecake Drizzle from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Bonfire Tea Muffins from The Spiced Life
• Chocolate Pumpkin Swirl Muffins from Food Lust People Love
• Mediterranean Muffins from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Savoury Pumpkin Muffins from Passion Kneaded
• Sweet Potato Casserole Muffins from Farm Fresh Feasts

#MuffinMonday is a group of muffin loving bakers who get together once a month to bake muffins. You can see all our of lovely muffins by following our Pinterest board.

Updated links for all of our past events and more information about Muffin Monday, can be found on our home page.

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Sincere Pumpkin Patch Spicy Cheese Ball

Extra sharp cheddar and cream cheese can be flavored with a variety of herbs and spices and rolled up ball- or log-shaped for a savory appetizer that will be a welcome addition to any party table. For added interest, roll your cheese ball in chopped pecans or walnuts.

If you’ve been reading along for a while, you might have noticed something.  I didn’t have a single Halloween post until last week’s Muffin Monday.  It’s not that I don’t enjoy Halloween.  In fact, as I mentioned a few weeks ago, when my girls were little, I was chief organizer and instigator of Halloween celebrations in our little neighborhood in the small oilfield town of Macaé, Brazil.

When we lived in Kuala Lumpur, we took part in trick-or-treating by joining another neighborhood’s festivities since no one went door-to-door in our mostly local area.  We parked on the route, decorated the trunk of our car and gave out candy.  But since the girls left home for university and I started the blog, my Halloween decorating and baking has dropped off significantly, although I still join my friends to give out candy if I happen to be in KL for Halloween.  It’s such fun to see the children in costumes.

Trunk-or-Treat - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia circa 2010

This week’s Sunday Supper theme is Halloween Finger Foods and since I don’t have little ones at home, I decided to go savory instead of sweet by making a spicy cheese ball that would be a great addition to any Halloween party table.  Goodness knows there will be enough candy already.

Like Linus from the comic strip Peanuts, I like to think that the Great Pumpkin will come to the most sincere pumpkin patch (or buffet table) and bring gifts for everyone.  He might even be tempted by this cheese ball.  It is most sincerely cheesy.

Ingredients
13 1/4 oz or 375g extra-sharp orange cheddar cheese
8 oz or about 225g cream cheese, at room temperature
1 small bunch chives (Mine was about 1/2 oz or 15g)
1 jalapeño (Mine was about 3/4 oz or 20g)
1 clove garlic
1 teaspoon smoked paprika plus extra for decorating, if desired
2 tablespoons plain yogurt

For decoration: One broccoli stalk - with leaves, if possible
To serve: Crackers of your choice or bread

Method
Grate your cheddar cheese into a large mixing bowl. Finely mince your chives and garlic. Cut the stem end off of the jalapeño and remove the seeds, if you want to add just a little spice. If you like spicy food, by all means, leave the seeds in. Mince the jalapeño finely.

Add the softened cream cheese, the chives, garlic, jalapeño, smoked paprika and plain yogurt to the cheddar cheese.

Mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon.

Line a small round bowl with cling film and heap the cheese mixture in it.  Press down with a spatula so the cheese fills the bottom of the lined bowl completely. Cover with the cling film and round out the top with your hands.  It’s like playing with Play-Do again.

Set the covered cheese ball in the refrigerator for several hours so it will stiffen back up.  I ended up leaving mine overnight because I got busy with other projects.

Remove the cheese ball from the bowl but leave it covered with the cling film.  Press the ball into a pumpkin-like shape.  Remember that pumpkins come in all shapes and sizes so don’t get too hung up on complete roundness or perfection.

Use your thumb to make grooves in the ball from top to bottom.

When you are satisfied that it looks like the best pumpkin you can manage, unwrap the cling film and use a soft paint brush to brush a little smoked paprika in the grooves to enhance the look.

Cut the stem off your broccoli, keeping a couple of leaves attached, if possible.  Cut what will be the top of your pumpkin stem at an angle.  Set the stem on top of your cheese pumpkin ball and push it in just a little.   Is that not the cutest thing!?

Serve with crackers or bread, and don’t forget to put out a knife so that folks can cut a piece off and spread the cheese ball.

Enjoy!


Still wondering what to make for your Halloween party? Sunday Supper is here to help with a great list of finger food recipes!

Spooky Snacks and Starters

• Cheesy Ghost Chains by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
• Cobweb Eggs by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Ghouly Pumpkin Butter Biscuits by Our Good Life
• Pumpkin Energy Bites by Caroline’s Cooking
• Spooky Pizza Bites by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Sincere Pumpkin Patch Spicy Cheese Ball by Food Lust People Love
• Spooky Snack Mix by Pies and Plots
• Vampire Blood Soup with Monster Grilled Cheese Sandwiches by My Imperfect Kitchen
• Zombie Fingers (Bacon Wrapped Dates) by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures

Tasty Trick-or-Treats

• Bloody Eyeball Brownies by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
• Candy Corn Cookies by The Freshman Cook
• Chocolate Caramel Pretzel Bites by Hardly A Goddess
• Halloween Chocolate Bark by Life Tastes Good
• Homemade Almond Joy Candy Bars by Bites of Wellness
• Matcha Monster Rice Krispies by NinjaBaker.com
• Mini Frankenstein Cheesecakes by Sunday Supper Movement
• Warm Caramel Apple Dip by Palatable Pastime
• Witches Fingers Cookies by That Skinny Chick Can Bake

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Black Bottom Pecan Praline Bars

These guys are called Black Bottom Pecan Praline Bars and they are a big chocolately chewy, crunchy stack of sweet evil. Make some to take to a friend's house. You probably shouldn't be alone in your house with them. Fair warning.

I am overwhelmed by the number of food blogs there are out there. I tend to like the ones that are lighthearted and funny as well as having delicious recipes. Tell me a good story, then share some good food, and I will come back and spend time with you regularly. It’s like finding a new friend and we have a lot in common. I saw this recipe first at a favorite, Cravings of a Lunatic, but when I read Kim's post, she had gotten it from the helpful blogger and purveyor-of-valuable-advice Chef Dennis. He, in turn, got it from renown baker and chocolate expert, Alice Medrich’s book, Chewy Gooey Crispy Crunchy Melt-in-Your-Mouth Cookies.

And that is what the internet means to me. Sharing and community and delicious food. Usually mixed in with a few good laughs. (And since I started writing this blog, I can call it research! Win-win!) You seriously need to make these brownies and share in the joy and love and succulently chocolate chewiness.

Black Bottom Pecan Praline Bars

(Method adapted slightly from the original recipe by Alice Medrich.  Ms. Medrich doesn’t toast her pecans or use a microwave.  I have to toast pecans or I feel the spirit of my late Aunt Karen hovering over me. She always toasted her pecans because she said it enhanced their nutty flavor. Trust me: Aunt Karen was right. Plus she made the very best pecan pie. You should try it! )

Ingredients
For the brownie layer:
8 tablespoons or 120g unsalted butter
6 1/2 ounces or 185g semi-sweet chocolate
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons or 175g sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs (cold)
1/2 cup or 65g all purpose flour

For the praline layer:
1/2 cup or 65g all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
8 tablespoons or 120g unsalted butter - melted
3/4 cup or 150g packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups (after chopping) or 250g pecans (The original recipe says pecans or walnuts, but I am from Louisiana. There never was a praline without pecans.)

Method
Preheat oven to 350°F or 180°C degrees. Put your pecans in a 9 X 13 in pan and pop them in the preheating oven. Set a timer for five minutes. As the oven heats, give the pan a shake and toss the pecans around. Keep setting your timer because we are going to move on to other steps and you DO NOT want to forget about your pecans and let them burn.

I toasted mine for around 20-25 minutes in total but only the last five to seven minutes were in a hot oven. (My oven heats up pretty slowly.) As your oven heats, you may want to shake them around more often to prevent one side from scorching.

Once the pecans are sufficiently toasted, tip them out onto a cutting board and dust out your baking pan with a paper towel. Let it cool a little and then line it with aluminum foil and butter or spray with non-stick spray.

Just a little darker, but, oh, the flavor!

Chop your chocolate into chunks and put it in a microwaveable bowl with the butter. Zap it for 30 seconds at a time, stirring well between each zap. Mine took three rounds of 30 seconds and it was completely melted through.

Stir in the sugar, vanilla, and salt. You can give it one more quick 30 seconds in the microwave at this point, if your sugar doesn’t seem to be melting quickly enough. Our sugar here in Cairo is not as fine grained as the caster sugar I can buy elsewhere so that extra 30 seconds was helpful. Give it a good stir, scraping all around the sides with a spatula to make sure there aren’t any hot spots.

Add the eggs and mix well.

Here's what happened when I tried to get fancy and crack the egg with one hand for the photo.
Eggshells. Don't let this happen to you. Man, were they a pain to fish out.

Beating in the eggs.

Add in the flour and beat vigorously until batter is smooth and glossy. A wooden spoon is probably best for this step. I removed the whisk and changed tools. The original recipe says that the batter should start to come away from the sides of the bowl, but that never happened for me.

Pour the batter into your greased, foil-lined pan. Gently spread the batter all over the pan and set the pan aside.

On to the praline topping. Combine flour and baking soda in a small bowl and mix well using a fork. Set this aside.

Coarsely chop your pecans.

Melt your butter with quick zaps in the microwave in a microwave friendly container, then mix it in another bowl with the brown sugar and salt.

Separate your egg yolks then add them in along with the vanilla.

It looks like toffee sauce or the beginning of pralines. Yum already.

Add in flour mixture and then the pecans. Mix well.

Drop by small spoonsful on top of the brownie layer. Don’t worry about any little gaps because it will spread and cover the brownies during baking.

Bake for 20-25 minutes but set your timer for 10 minutes first so you can rotate the pan for even browning. Bake until the top is completely brown and cracked. I actually ended up baking mine for closer to 30 minutes.

Cool until firm on wire rack, then lift the ends of the foil and remove from the pan. Cool completely before cutting into squares.

These fulfill every promise in Ms. Medrich’s book title. No kidding: Chewy, Gooey, Crispy, Crunchy AND Melt-in-Your-Mouth.

Enjoy!

If you love pecans, you might also love these recipes.

My party pecan pie - best and easiest way to make enough pecan pie for a crowd!

Pecan Bundt Cake with Orange Cream Cheese Icing - it's perfect for your Thanksgiving or Christmas dessert table.

Chewy Brigadeiro Pecan Bars - these bad boys sport toasted pecans, melted chocolate, rolled oats and dulce de leche. You probably shouldn't be home alone with these either.

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