Monday, October 6, 2008

Ok... A Red Sweet Potato?

I went to Trader Joe's yesterday and it was a lot of fun. Getting there was the hard part. There were so many construction signs, blocked off roads, and detours. My mom and I were just so confused. We ended up driving on a bus way and then realizing "Oh. This is a bus way. That's why everyone on the sidewalk is telling us to move... and by telling, I mean yelling." When we finally found a way there, we were so thankful to just be off the road in a parking spot. My favorite part about Trader Joe's is the prices. Their stuff is so cheap and I got ridiculous amounts of nuts and dried fruit... and when I say ridiculous, I mean like 20 different bags haha I was just going "shop happy" because it was my first time in there... you know how that is. We ended up finishing off our shopping at Whole Foods because, let's face it, Whole Foods is god of all grocery stores.

I did go crazy in Whole Foods, though. And for one reason only... I saw a RED sweet potato. Are you kidding me? I thought I had finally understood the difference between yams and sweet potatoes and now they start selling red sweet potatoes.

Red Sweet Potato

The darker-skinned variety (which is most often called "yam" in error) has a thicker, dark orange to reddish skin with a vivid orange, sweet flesh and a moist texture.

Alrighty. I'll quit obsessing over the damn sweet potatoes. haha My recipe for today is for brownies. It's not vegan because I still like to bake things that aren't. I send baked goods to Iraq every month and I put these brownies in the package. My stepdad said they were AMAZING and they were honestly the biggest brownies I have ever seen. I think their hugeness is from the 8x8 pan instead of 9 inch. I was shocked and really wanted one, but I refrained. I also added some Oreos and frozen blondies I had, so they were beyond decadent. And hey, Oreos are vegan haha. I found the recipe on Cookie Madness because Anna is one of the queens of baking.

Here's the recipe:
Fudge Brownies with Golden Syrup

1 cup all purpose or white whole wheat flour (128 grams)
2 tablespoons European Style cocoa powder (30 ml)
1/8 teaspoon salt (pinch)
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, cut up (114 grams) — best
4 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature (1 sticks) – 230 grams
1 cup granulated sugar (198 grams)
1/2 cup light or dark brown sugar, lightly packed (100 grams)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (5 ml)
1/3 cup golden syrup or corn syrup (80 ml)
3 large eggs
1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9 inch square metal pan with foil and spray foil with cooking spray.Sift together flour, cocoa powder and salt. Set aside.Melt chocolate in top of a double boiler or melt in a metal bowl set over (but not touching) a saucepan of barely simmering water.Beat butter and both sugars in a large mixing bowl using high speed of an electric mixer. Beat in vanilla and golden syrup. When creamy, beat in eggs, beating thoroughly after each egg.Beat in the melted chocolate, scraping sides of bowl.Add flour mixture and chocolate chips, stirring until flour is blended in (do not beat).

Pour batter into prepared pan and bake on center rack of oven for 35 minute or until brownies appear set. Cool on a rack for 1 hour or until brownies are cool enough to transfer to the refrigerator. Transfer to the refrigerator and chill for 1 or 2 hours.

Lift brownies from pan by grasping foil. Place on a cookie sheet and cut into squares.

Makes 16 small or 9 large


Since the brownie took the cat's place on her window sill, she sat on the box where the brownie was supposed to go. And I take back the word "sat." She is WAY TOO BIG to sit in a standard flat rate box. haha

8 comments:

MamaBecky said...

Those brownies looked amazing!!!!
I think that you should write about the Angel Bakers for soldiers
on your blog. It is such a great thing for people who love to bake.
And that is the cutest cat I have ever seen - if I do say so myself.
Buttercup loves to play in boxes, big and small, but like to squeeze into the small ones most. Hey, that red sweet potato looked different from a yam..

fleur said...

You should def write about angel bakers, id love to know more. They must love getting packages like that in Iraq! Those brownies looked A-MAY-ZING!!!! I want 1. The sweet potato/ yam thing is far too confusing :(

Kelly said...

Thanks for the comment. My boyfriend is a trader joe's addict. He's already declared that he cannot live where one is not close by. I'll have to try that coconut cake recipe. Unfortunately my vegan yellow cake was not successful. Actually, complete failure is more accurate. I'm pretty sure it's my fault and not the recipe. :-(

Elizabeth said...

I love the Trader Joes story! Oh the lengths we go to in order to go to our special grocery stores. Your brownies look *delicious*. I'm surprised the cat didn't want to sit next to it. :)

Anonymous said...

ha, I'll take cat in the box over jack in the box, any day!

good to hear you had fun at TJ's.

Joanna said...

thanks, mama. i can't decide which one I like better- the yam or the red sweet potato.

thanks, ns.

flower, I'll post the soldier's angels in my links on my main page. they really do appreciate it and it's really easy. you just sign up and every month you get a different soldier and a story about them. you bake whatever you want and make it fit into a flat rate box. that's it!

kelly, sorry to hear about that cake! i'll have to try a few recipes and see what turns out good. what recipe did you try?

juliet, the cat only sits where we don't want her to! so mostly on the kitchen counters and the dining room table!

celine, I'm just happy we made it there alive! i thought we were going to die on the busway.

Bethany said...

Funny you mention it, I was reading about yams on wikipedia the other day. It depends on where you're from - yam vs. sweet potato. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yam_(vegetable)

I like garnet yams the best. sweet potatoes don't have enough flavor for me.

Cats and boxes. funny how they aren't that good at judging what they can fit in.

Cookie Madness said...

Glad your stepdad liked them!

Pan size is definitely important. The 9 inch pan will give you a much thinner (but not too thin!) brownie. Also, because the surface area is more spread out in a larger pan, it will bake a little more.

You are such a great baker! I'm glad I get to meet people like you on the Internet ;).