Butterscotch & Chocolate Brownie Bites

13th October, 2012 is going to lock down some bitter sweet memories for a bunch of us in New Jersey. At Rutherford, NJ there's a house that's been home to almost all of my friends on the east coast at some point or the other. A bachelor pad + frat home, one that has always welcomed then girlfriends, now wives of the once-upon-a-time bachelors. A duplex with a huge hall and a carpet that's had much of the wine n biryani from any party!

Ever hospitable hosts (RN & SMK) have made that a second home to all of us. This month, we bid the house farewell and tonight we plan to party... one last time at that venue.

Anyway, just like bitter-sweet memories, I have a batch of semi-smoked, semi-sweet butterscotch-chocolate brownies that I plan to take with me. Recipe follows...

Bowl 1

3/4 Cup All Purpose Flour
1/2 tbsp Baking Powder
1/2 tbsp Salt
1 Cup brown sugar
1/3 Cup cocoa powder

Bowl 2
1 stick Unsalted Butter
1/2 cup choco chips
1/2 cup butterscotch chips

2 Eggs.
1 tbs Vanilla Essence

• Preheat the oven to 350F
• Grease mini muffin pans or any cake pan of your choice and set aside
• Microwave the ingredients in bowl 2 for 30-60 secs on high, stopping inbetween to give it a quick stir. Once melted, allow it to cool and then add the 2 eggs and vanilla essence. Fold in ingredients of Bowl 1 until just combined.
• Scoop the batter into the muffin trays to fill halfway. I also added some chopped walnuts on top of the batter once in the muffin tray. Bake for 10-15 mins or until cake tester inserted into the center comes clean.
• Allow to cool on a wire rack.

Best when served with chilled icecream or hot choc!
PS: I had a fire-alarm tragedy that led to a slightly burnt brownie, but it still tastes yum!

Beetroot Soup

Having made soups for a while, I noticed how some vegetables always fight the rest and take over the flavor n color of the resulting bowl. From pictures in my previous posts you'd have seen carrot and zucchini soup look almost the same. That got quite boring, honestly.

Being a vegetarian, I pride myself in making a colorful meal. Color is almost synonymous with deliciousness (in my mind atleast!). So I set out to make this brilliant purplish-deep-maroon-beetroot soup.

While making it, I couldn't help but think how AWESOME a saree in Beetroot color with a white n gold zari would look. Pair it with some awesome Kemp Temple Jewelry and you have a stunning outfit! I dressed my soup in all the colors I'd love to see in a saree :)
Now, off to the recipe....

Ingredients

2-3 medium sized beetroots roughly chopped
1 onion chopped
2 tomatoes, boiled and skin peeled
2 garlic pods (toasted)
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cups vegetable broth
salt to taste
2 tbsp fresh ground pepped + chilli powder + turmeric
Fresh cilantro to top
Yogurt (2 tbsp)
1/2 potato peeled, boiled n cubed (optional)

Add oil to a skillet and saute the onions, garlic n beetroots until well cooked. Add in the tomatoes and salt + spice mix, then simmer with a closed lid. After 2-3 mins when the tomatoes are cooked, turn the stove off n allow to cool. Puree the mix into a thick paste. Transfer back to a non stick heavy bottomed vessel and allow to boil along with 2 cups of stock and then turn the stove off.
Transfer to a soup bowl, top with fresh boiled potatoes, cilantro and a drizzle of yogurt. Serve with garlic bread / crackers or bread.

Hope you like it!