The Ninja Baker - #brownies

Japanese Cherry Blossom Brownies and 10 Tips on How-To Get Drunk with Happiness, #IsabelsBirthdayBash

NinjaBaker — Fri, 31 Jul 2015 04:32:54 +0000

What makes life happy? Cherry blossoms, chocolate, friends and family. Okay, not all family 100% of the time! Still, family systems can provide tremendous love and support.

Isabel Laessig is the CEO of the expanding Sunday Supper empire. Isabel’s #SundaySupper Twitter chat is designed to entice families to gather around the dinner table. Everyone is encouraged to share family recipes and stories. Isabel’s blog, Family Foodie, focuses on food filled with love. Every recipe is accompanied by an anecdote about family. Meet Isabel in person and the love of family is palpable. Sampling treats at Isabel’s Food & Wine Conference in Florida is fantastic fun. But so is meeting Isabel!

Today is Isabel’s birthday. To honor the grande dame of Sunday Supper, Terri Truscello Miller of Love and Confections is throwing an online birthday bash.

Cherry Blossom Brownies are my contribution to the party. The fudgy brownies have a spectacular spicy kick. If you prefer your brownies sans spice, simply omit the spiced tea. Or substitute a sweeter tea.

Ninja Note: Cherry Blossom Brownies are gluten-free. 99.999 percent guaranteed to bring happiness to your gluten sensitive friends and family giddy happiness. See below for more happy-making ideas.

10 Tips On How-To Get Drunk With Happiness

Revert to Childhood: Swing, see-saw, slide at your neighborhood park. Or grab your favorite crayons and color! Click here for the wildly talented Cake Spy’s coloring book. P.s. It’s free!
Copy Cleopatra: All except for the getting bitten by the asp part, copy Cleopatra! Know that you are a queen. Luxuriate in candlelit bubble baths. Dive into a novel. (Even if there is a pile of laundry awaiting your attention.)
Karaoke ‘til You Croak: Or sing your heart out. Singing along with happy tunes, somehow allows a rosy look at the world. As Serbian poet, Dejan Stojanovic wrote, “There is another alphabet, whispering from every leaf, singing from every river, shimmering from every sky.”
Smell Serenity: Not kidding. Serenity, lavender and elevation are titles of essential oils. I was skeptical when my sister, Karen suggested oils could turn a case of the blues into “happys.” However, I now concede my sister was right…Karen also says frankincense applied to the face can reduce wrinkles. We’ll see. I’m on day 3…. If interested, you can contact Karen via her Gaijin Works Coaching business. (Gaijin is the Japanese word for foreigner.)
Time Outs with the Family: Put down the devices. Schedule date nights. Stare into the baby blues of your loved ones.
Let Your Heart Lead: Isabel glows with happiness. She is serving her community. Her mission to unite families around the Sunday Supper is an uplifting venture. (Isabel is now also promoting #WeekdaySuppers!)
Go Au Naturel: The Japanese honor the healing powers of nature. Tokyo is dotted with meticulously combed parks. (And Japanese folklore sparkles with Nature spirits.) Mother Nature provides soothing comfort to the crashing computer jangled senses. There are (free) oases in American concrete jungles, too. Think Central Park in NYC. Visit Peace Awareness Labyrinth and Gardens in LA. (If you spin by, you may spot the Ninja Baker leading a tour.)
Dance Like No One Is Watching: Give in to toe-tapping music. Hug a tree. Howl at the moon. Spontaneous silly moments infuse life with joy. Don’t you think?
Tell the Dictator to Shut Up: Maybe you’re mind is kinder than mine. Often I need to shush the dictator voice. The one that insists my 1000 item to-do list must be completed today! Allowing myself breaks brings me back to work refreshed. If I lived in Japan, I’d be taking breaks during cherry blossom season all the time! In the meantime, munching on Cherry Blossom Brownies works. So does watching (the KGB pretending to be) The Americans on TV. Where are your happy places?
S-t-r-e-t-c-h for the Stars: Jumping outside my comfort zone is not comfortable. Yet the joyful benefits of freedom outweigh the pinch of pain. Sometimes this Ninja Baker gets shy meeting new people. However, without stretching past limits, I’d never have met inspiring people like today’s birthday girl Isabel Laessing. And all the good-hearted crew of Sunday Supper!

Cherry Blossom Brownies

Snaps of spiced cherry blossom tea in a brownie. Specks of sweet cherry baking chips also flirt with the fudgy treat.

Gluten-free, kid-friendly and easy-to-make home run brownies!

Ingredients:

1 brownie mix package
(I used Glutino Gluten Free Pantry’s Double Chocolate Brownie)
2 eggs
1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons melted butter
3 sakurambo cherry blossom tea bags, crushed
½ cup cherry baking chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°

Coat heart-shaped pans with baking spray.

Vigorously stir all the ingredients together.

Bake for 28 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Join me in celebrating Isabel's Birthday with all the delicious food and drinks her #SundaySupper family prepared!

Birthday Drinks:

Birthday Cake Cocktails by Daily Dish Recipes
Blueberry Lavender Mojitos by Amee's Savory Dish
Caipirinha Colada by A Kitchen Hoor's Adventure
Fig-Bourbon Fizz by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
Mocha Martini by Desserts Required
Mocha Mudslide by Cosmopolitan Cornbread
Plum and Thyme Champagne Cocktail by Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks
Summer Fizzies by Momma's Meals

Birthday Appetizers:

2-Ingredient Deviled Eggs by Shockingly Delicious
Apple and Chorizo Crostini with Shallots and Basil by Crazy Foodie Stunts
Buffalo Chicken Wontons by Bobbi's Kozy Kitchen
Burrata Caprese Crostini with Proscuitto by The Crumby Cupcake
Chorizo and Kimchi Potato Pancakes from kimchi MOM
Cotija and Roasted Corn Guacamole by Simply Healthy Family
Gluten Free Basil Tomato Flatbread by Gluten Free Crumbley
Salt Cod Fritters by Recipes Food and Cooking

Birthday Main Courses:

Chai Sweet Chili Chicken Flatbread by Lifestyle Food Artistry
Chorizo Eggs Salad by Cindy's Recipes and Writings
Espetada (Portuguese Beef Skewers) by Curious Cuisiniere
Grilled Salmon Rice Salad by Magnolia Days
Sofrito Marinated Beef Skewers by Nik Snacks
Steak with Red Wine Reduction and Blue Cheese by The Weekend Gourmet

Birthday Desserts:

Angel Food Cake by Feeding Big
Birthday Blondies by Peanut Butter and Peppers
Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake with Buttercream Icing by Whole Food | Real Families
Chocolate Doughnuts with White and Chocolate Glaze by Grumpy's Honeybunch
French Vanilla Eclair Cake by Love and Confections
Homemade No-Churn Nutella Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Cheesecake by Cupcakes & Kale Chips
Italian Cream Cake by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
Japanese Cherry Blossom Brownies and 10 Tips on How-To Get Drunk With Happiness by NinjaBaker
Mint Chocolate Cream Pie by gotta get baked
Pink Lemonade Cookies by Kudos Kitchen by Renee
Queijadas de Sintra by Food Lust People Love
Red Currant Cheesecake Ice Cream by A Day in the Life on the Farm
Summer Peach Cake by The Wimpy Vegetarian

Wishing you all the people and paths that make you drunk with happiness!

The Ninja Baker

© ™ Watkinson 2012

The Ninja Baker has guest blogged and contributed recipes to numerous food sites. These additional recipes can be found here.

Follow Ninja Baker @NinjaBaking's board NinjaBaker.com Sweets on Pinterest.

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Imitation Game Guinness Brownies, #SundaySupper

NinjaBaker — Sat, 21 Feb 2015 22:09:52 +0000

Did you see The Imitation Game? Pour in a heavy dose of suspense; sprinkle in intrigue; introduce a quirky mathematician and unlikely love-interests. Toss the elements into England’s Bletchley Park (code breaker headquarters) during WWII. After 114 minutes in the movie theatre, you may see why The Imitation Game is nominated for eight Oscars. Without leaking spoiler alerts, a conversation about love at the local pub prompts a major turning point in The Imitation Game. Although much of the excitement is enhanced by Hollywood; solving riddles, finding solutions with friends while sharing a pint of Guinness reads true to life.

Got Milk?

One of the many Hollywoodized features includes naming England’s WWII code-breaking machine “Christopher” instead of the real name, “Bombe.” (Hollywood fabricated a fantastic fantasy about Christopher….I’m being good about not revealing plot points!) The Imitation Game’s production designer also decided the machine should appear more like a vital being with red blood flowing veins. So, she added red cables.

Got Guinness?

A first-class honors mathematician (and closet homosexual) from England’s Cambridge University, Alan Turing, built the code-breaking machine and prototype of future computers. For his portrayal of the enigmatic mathematician, Benedict Cumberbatch (aka Sherlock Holmes on TV) is one of the Oscar nominees for Best Actor in a Leading Role. Also nominated for an Oscar is the loveliness-personified actress, Kiera Knightly. Again, Hollywood took liberties and cast Kiera Knightly who is a far cry from the brilliant but homelier version of her role. But, Ms. Knightly like the other cast members do a stellar job in this compelling part-fiction movie.

All you need is Love...And a plate of Guinness Brownies!

Instead of raising a glass of Guinness to honor Best Picture Oscar nominee The Imitation Game, I'm paying my respects with homemade Guinness brownies to share with friends. (And husband if he decides to do sugar tonight!) What are your plans for Oscar Sunday? The #SundaySupper Twitter chat tonight is all about the Oscars and red carpet parties. The super-smart and talented Katie of Ruffles & Truffles is hosting. Scroll down to see your invite….Along the way you’ll also meet some delectable nominees for best party menu items.

Imitation Game Guinness Brownies

Deep rivers of rich chocolate flow through Guinness brownies. It's an enigmatic mystery but the Irish beer enriches the semisweet chocolate brownie experience. A beautiful balance between cake and fudge...Guinness Brownies are definitely as Oscar worthy as the compelling nominated film The Imitation Game.

This recipe is adapted from Joy the Baker's Beer Brownies.

Ingredients:

Generous ½ cup unsalted butter
3½ ounces plus a handful more of regular-size semisweet chocolate chips
½ cup cold Guinness (or other dark beer)
1 cup all-purpose flour
Heaping ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
¼ teaspoon fleur de sel (sea salt)
4 room temperature eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup sugar (organic cane sugar if possible)
1 tightly packed cup of light brown sugar
¾ teaspoon coffee extract
1 overflowing cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Line a 13 x 9 pan with aluminum foil – enough so that you have easy lift handles on either side. Coat well with baking spray.

Make brown butter by melting the butter over a low flame. Do keep stirring with a heat resistant spatula. The butter will turn golden brown and may emit a nutty sort of essence. (It should take about 5 minutes.)

Pour the regular size chocolate chips into a heat resistant (think Pyrex) bowl placed into the top of a pan of simmering water. Make sure the bowl does not touch the water. OR place the chocolate chips into the top half of a double boiler. Melt the chocolate. Turn the heat off. Add the butter.

In a clean bowl, sift the flour, cocoa powder and salt.

In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugars and extract. Stir in the chocolate butter mixture. Pour the chocolaty mixture into the flour blend. Combine well. (But don’t over mix! You don’t want tough brownies.)

Spread the luscious brownie batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 40 minutes. Or until the edges are firm and the center is set.

Allow to cool…If you can. Cut into squares and clink your brownie squares with your beloveds. “Cheers!”

Nominees for Best Supporting Appetizers:

Beef Sliders with Sautéed Mushrooms, Onions, Bleu Cheese and Bacon by Crazy Foodie Stunts
Black and White Olive Cheese Puffs by Peaceful Cooking
Cheddar Olives by Jane's Adventures in Dinner
Chicken Boursin by Recipes Food and Cooking
Citrus Avocado Shrimp Cocktail by Seduction in the Kitchen
French Onion Sliders by Momma's Meals
Herbed Butter and Cheese Popcorn by Kudos Kitchen by Renee
Italian Guacamole with Pesto by Food Done Light
Lobster Bruschetta by The Texan New Yorker
Melon and Prosciutto Skewers by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
Mini Cheese Balls by Rants From My Crazy Kitchen
Moroccan Beef Kefta Briouat by Manu's Menu
Mushroom Pate by Lifestyle Food Artistry
Oysters Rockfeller by Noshing With The Nolands
Pea Pesto Crostini by Ruffles & Truffes
Prosciutto Wrapped Shrimp by Casa de Crews
Raspberry Brie Bites by Love and Confections
Roasted Red Pepper Pinwheels by A Day in the Life on the Farm
Smoked Trout Stuffed Baby New Potatoes by Food Lust People Love
Spinach Bites by Shockingly Delicious
Sweet Chili Chicken Skewers by Nosh My Way

Nominees for Best Course in a Leading Role:

Broccoli Calzones by eating in instead
Bow Ties and Tails Galore by Cindy's Recipes and Writings
Chicken Oscar by Palatable Pastime
Indulgent Lobster-Champagne Risotto by The Weekend Gourmet
Oscar Worthy Cantonese Lobster with Coconut-Ginger Rice by Confessions of a Culinary Diva

Nominees for Best Supporting Sips:

Apple Ginger Martini by Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks
Blood Orange Rosemary Spritzer by The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen
Cherry Almond Sparklers by Magnolia Days
Iced Espresso Martini by Cosmopolitan Cornbread
Mixed Berry Martini by The Messy Baker
Oscartini by Family Foodie
Red Carpet Sparkler by Rhubarb and Honey
Thank You Peary Much by Sew You Think You Can Cook

Nominees for Best Delectable Desserts:

7-Layer Bark by Take A Bite Out of Boca
Caramel-Almond Latte Ricotta Cookies by What Smells So Good?
Champagne Truffles by Brunch with Joy
Chocolate Covered Cherries by Peanut Butter and Peppers
Decadent Flourless Brownies by Recipe for Perfection
Edible Oscars Envelopes by Sunday Supper Movement
Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Crumble Peanut Butter Mousse Parfait Cups by Wallflour Girl
Imitation Game Guinness Brownies by NinjaBaker.com
Mini Strawberry Galette by Basic N Delicious
Mini Strawberry & Chocolate Cheesecakes by Happy Baking Days
No-Bake Nutella Cheesecake Shooters by Cupcakes & Kale Chips
Popcorn Puppy Chow by Pies and Plots
Sweet and Salty Popcorn Ball Bites by The Life and Loves of Grumpy's Honeybunch
Tuxedo Cake by The Redhead Baker

Nominees for Best Dressed Table:

DIY Glitter Vases by Sunday Supper Movement

Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter on Sunday! We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. To get more great Sunday Supper Recipes, visit our website or check out our Pinterest board. Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy. You can sign up by clicking here: Sunday Supper Movement.

Wishing you sparkles, sequins, stars, Guinness brownies or whatever makes your head dizzy with delight!

The Ninja Baker

The Ninja Baker has guest blogged and contributed recipes to numerous food sites. These additional recipes can be found here.

Follow Ninja Baker @NinjaBaking's board NinjaBaker.com Sweets on Pinterest.

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