Nespresso

Updated Date:
December 17, 2022

This machine is a must have for people that love espressos and cappuccinos like I do. Okay, okay..I know it’s a little on the expensive side, but if you are used to going to Starbucks a couple times a week then it is worth the investment. And you won’t have to leave the house for a delicious cup of espresso. I didn’t even drink coffee till after I had my first child. Those early mornings and sleepless night killed me and I needed something to wake up. At the time my husband had been buying Starbucks coffee grinds to make at home. I got hooked on that. Once you have Starbucks, there is no going back. So when we were introduced to the Nespresso machine, we were hooked again. My husband was a hesitant about spending the money, but like I said, you would probably spend more going to Starbucks a couple of times a week (which he did). So we coughed up the bucks and brought the machine home ( Nespresso ). We bought the one with the milk frother for when we wanted cappuccinos. Oh my god..they are better than Starbucks. Heck, all the Nespresso flavors we have tried are better than Starbucks. Check out there site at Nespresso

Now tell me that doesn’t look yummy. It’s a perfect match for all the desserts I have been baking lately. The machine is so easy to use, not like the other espresso machines. All you have to do it add water, pop in the capsule and push the button.

We usually miss our machine when we are on vacation, but when we visited Ireland earlier this year, the hotel we stayed at had a Nespresso machine in all the rooms. We were in heaven. A delightful cup of espresso every morning to start off the day. And they refilled the capsules every day. Of course a few capsules did fall into our suitcase and accidentally came home with us. Shhh..it’s our secret.

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Nigel Slater’s Brownies

Baked Dessert

Christiana George

Updated Date:
June 8, 2023

A quick appearance to say: these are the best brownies I’ve ever had.

We all have different opinions on the topic, I know, but such are the power of these specimens that they shattered all my notions of what a brownie should be—and I’d been firmly in the cake-y camp, you know?—and replaced them with these burnished beauties.

In Nigel’s words, they’re as “dense and fudgy as Glastonbury Festival mud.” I like that. Why can’t we all try to be that way?

NIGEL SLATER’S BROWNIES

Makes one 9″ square pan
From The Kitchen Diaries

I’m a firm believer in weight measurements these days, and as a consequence, all the volume measurements below are approximate. In other words, I recommend getting a digital scale! It’s tremendously helpful. Also, this recipe is from the UK version of The Kitchen Diaries, hence the metric measurements. But don’t you prefer metric measurements anyway? They’re so reliable.

Ingredients:

60 grams (a scant 1/2 cup) all-purpose flour
60 grams (1/2 cup) cocoa powder
1/2 t baking powder
200 grams (1-2/3 cups, roughly chopped) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate
300 grams (1-1/2 cups) granulated sugar
250 grams (2 4-oz. sticks plus 2 T) unsalted butter, room temperature
3 large eggs, plus 1 egg yolk, lightly beaten

Directions:

Line a 9″ square pan with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Sift the flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder in a small bowl. Melt the chocolate and set it aside.

In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until soft, creamy, and a bit airy. Add the lightly beaten eggs a little at a time, incorporating them fully between each pour. Mix in the melted chocolate. Finally, fold in the flour mixture gently but firmly.

Pour the mixture into the prepared pan, smooth out the top, and bake for about 30-35 minutes. The brownie will be a bit jiggly when it comes out of the oven, but the top should have puffed slightly, and a toothpick stuck through the middle should come out sticky but without raw batter attached.

Cool for an hour, during which the brownie will solidify more fully. Cut into squares and enjoy!