I was telling a friend that I would be posting a pork blog so she sent me this poem she found. Unfortunately, we don't know who the author is, but whoever they are I couldn't agree with them more.
Bacon, Bacon
Breakfast, Lunch and even Dinner
Bacon, bacon is always a winner.
Eggs without bacon should be a crime
But cook 'em in the grease and you've got a winner every time
Bacon is not just for pairing, wrapping can be fun
Seafood, beef or veggies; cook 'em 'til they're done!
Bacon dipped in chocolate for salty meets sweet
A heavenly combo you just can't beat!
If you want to know my favorite that I'd pick every time...
Its bacon wrapped in bacon and I'd pair mine with wine.
Author Unknown - If you find out who wrote this, let me know so they can get credit where credit is due!
1 lb. ground pork
1 lb. chicken livers, rinsed in cold water and drained
1 Tbl. fresh thyme leaves
1 Tbl. olive oil
1 medium shallot, chopped
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 cup dry white wine
2 Tbl. cognac
1 orange, finely zested
2 Tbl. fresh lemon juice
In a large saute pan, add oil and heat until hot, add shallots, stirring until light golden brown. Add pork, chicken livers and thyme, cook about 5 minutes. Add wine and cognac cooking about 7 minutes or until reduced by two thirds. Stir in heavy cream and simmer about 10 minutes more. Transfer mixture to a food processor and add orange zest, lemon juice, and parsley, blending until smooth. Strain mixture though a fine mesh sieve set over a bowl and season with salt and pepper. At this point you can place pate into a mold and chill pate until cooled and thickened. Transfer to serving plate with baguette slices, crackers and gherkins, garnish plate with sprigs of fresh parsley.
Sausage Quiche - great for breakfast, lunch, dinner or an evening snack, which I love cold
1 lb. ground pork sausage (I like sage or maple flavored)
1 (9-inc) pastry shell - unbaked
1 onion, chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 (10 oz.) package frozen spinach, or you can use fresh (chopped)
1 1/2 cups aged cheddar, Swiss or cheese of your choice
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup heavy whipping cream
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp. ground sage
1/4 tsp. freshly ground nutmeg
Tabasco
Fresh chopped parsley (garnish)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large saute pan, add a little oil, crumble sausage, onions, bell pepper and garlic. Cook until sausage is browned and onions, bell pepper and garlic are softened. Drain well into a colander. Thaw spinach and drain well rolling up in a clean kitchen towel to remove excess water. Add thawed spinach to sausage mixture, mixing well. Sprinkle cheese evenly into pastry shell. Top with sausage mixture. In a bowl, combine eggs, cream, sage, salt, pepper, nutmeg and Tabasco. Pour egg mixture over sausage mixture. Bake in oven for 45 minutes or until set. Remove to cooling rack for about 10 minutes. Slice into serving pieces and sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley. Serve with hash browns, fresh fruit and some orange juice for a great brunch or breakfast.
Pork Curried Rice Salad
2 Tbl. olive oil
1 lb. pork loin, cut into slices or cubes
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 large yellow onion, chopped
2 1/2 Tbl. yellow curry paste
1 cup golden raisins
1 large tart, crisp apple, peeled, cored and chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
3 scallions, sliced on diagonal including green part
1/2 cup mayonnaise (possibly more depending on your taste)
1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 Tbl. rice vinegar
1/2 cup peanuts or cashews
2 cups rice cooked in water
Prepare rice and cook. Heat oil in large saute pan, season pork with salt and pepper, add pork and cook until cooked through. Remove pork with slotted spoon and place into a bowl. Add yellow onion to saute pan cooking until softened. Add curry paste, mixing well and cook for about 2 minutes. Add a little more oil if needed. Add raisins and cook 1 minute. Remove all mixture and place with pork in bowl. Cover and place in frig to cool. In a large bowl, add cooked rice, nuts, cilantro, scallions, apples, and red bell pepper. In another bowl, add mayonnaise, yogurt, vinegar mix well. Pour into rice mixture and add cooled meat mixture, taste and adjust seasonings. Mix well to combine, adding more mayonnaise or yogurt if desired.
Pulled Pork Sandwich - I make so many variations of pulled pork, I never get tired of it. I need one of these at least once a week, pulled pork is my weakness!
3 lb. pork butt, trimmed of excess fat
1 large onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp. Ancho chile pepper (powder)
1 Tbl. tomato paste
2 Tbl. Dijon
3/4 cup white vinegar
1 tsp. paprika
3/4 cup ketchup
1 Tbl. Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup molasses
1 bay leaf
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Burger buns (good quality)
coleslaw (condiment)
spicy pickles (condiment)
In a saucepan, add oil and heat, add onions and saute until soft, add garlic and saute about 4 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and cook about 1 minute. Add Ancho chile powder, Dijon, vinegar, paprika, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, and molasses. Cook for about 10 minutes on simmer. In a large Dutch oven, add sauce you just prepared, bay leaf and pork with 1 qt. of cold water. Bring to a boil and simmer covered, turning occasionally for about 2 hours or until meat pulls apart easily. Remove from heat and cool pork in sauce. When cool, remove pork and shred into pieces. Return sauce back to heat and reduce by two thirds. Add shredded pork back to sauce, season with salt and pepper. Remove bay leaf and heat. Serve on buns with desired condiments. Note: with buns you can butter lightly and toast. Lots of napkins are required too! Serve with homemade baked sweet potato fries cool cabbage slaw (see below) and lots of iced tea.
Meatloaf - I think what I love best about meatloaf is making cold meatloaf sandwiches the next day
1 lb. spicy ground pork sausage
1 1/2 lbs. ground turkey
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 red bell pepper, finely minced
3 scallions, finely minced including green part
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tsp. dried basil
2 Tbl. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup ketchup
2 Tbl. Dijon
1/4 cup fresh parsley, minced
2 eggs, lightly beaten
4 Tbl. whipping cream
1 to 1 1/2 cups Panco bread crumbs (you want it the meat moist, but not too moist so at this stage I just wing it) Note: you can also use fresh bread crumbs, oatmeal, crushed soda crackers, crushed Ritz crackers
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray a 13x9 baking pan with cooking spray; set aside. In a saute pan, add a little oil then add onion, bell pepper and garlic and cook until softened. Set aside to cool a bit. In a bowl add all ingredients, including cooked vegetables (except bread crumbs) mix together gently then start adding bread crumbs to get desired consistency. Place meat into pan and form into a loaf, drizzle with a little ketchup. Bake meatloaf in oven for about 1 1/2 hours, internal temperature should be 165 to 170 degrees. Remove from oven to cooling rack and let rest for about 10 minutes. Serve with a crisp tossed salad, creamy mashed potatoes and peas with pearl onions.
Pork Chile Verde
4 lbs. pork butt, trimmed of excess fat and cut into 2 -inch cubes
olive oil
all purpose flour for dredging
1 1/2 lbs. tomatillos
6 garlic cloves, unpeeled
2 jalapenos, seeded and sliced in half lengthwise
2 Anaheim chiles
1 bunch cilantro leaves, chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 yellow onions, chopped
2 Tbl. fresh Mexican oregano (don't have any use regular oregano)
2 1/2 cups chicken stock
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
2 tsp. ground cumin
2 bay leaves
fresh chopped cilantro, garnish
Warmed flour tortillas
Line a baking sheet with foil. Remove papery husks from tomatillos and rinse. Cut in half and place cut side down with unpeeled garlic cloves, jalapenos and Anaheim chilies, drizzle with a little olive oil. Place under broiler for about 7 minutes to lightly blacken the skin. Remove from oven and let cool to handle. Place tomatillos and Anaheim into a blender. Remove roasted garlic cloves from their skins and add to blender. Pulse until finely chopped and mixed or you can do like I do and chop with a chef knife on a cutting board.
Season pork well with salt and pepper and lightly dredge in flour, shaking off excess. Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven and add pork, browning well on all sides. You will have to work in batches, never overcrowd the meat or it will just steam. Remove pork to a bowl and continue cooking all meat. Pour off excess fat and add onions cooking about 5 minutes. Add pork back to pan with oregano and cumin. Add the tomatillo sauce and chicken stock enough to cover meat. Add ground cloves and bay leaves. Bring to a boil and reduce to simmer. Cook uncovered for about 2 to 3 hours or until pork is tender. Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve into bowls and sprinkle with chopped cilantro. Serve with fresh warm flour tortillas, soft butter for tortillas and fresh pico de gallo.
Bacon Wrapped Hot Dogs - can't you just taste that first bite?
6 hot dogs, good quality such as Polish
6 slices good quality bacon
6 long hot dog buns (good quality)
Sauerkraut, drained and chopped (condiment)
Sharp cheddar cheese, grated (condiment)
Sweet white onion, chopped (condiment)
Ketchup (condiment)
Dijon mustard (condiment)
Spicy pickles (condiment)
Potato salad, chilled
Baked beans (warmed)
Heat outdoor grill. Wrap each hot dog tightly with a slice of bacon securing with a toothpick at each end. Coat grill with a little oil and add dogs, grill until bacon is cooked and browned, turning to cook all sides. Lightly butter the buns and heat them on grill. Remove buns and dogs from grill and place on serving platter. Serve with additional condiments, chilled potato salad and baked beans.
Pork Picadillo - love this, this is a version we enjoy as I like the mangos
1 lb. ground pork
1 lb. ground turkey (of course ground beef is the original recipe)
1 1/2 tsp. each of the following; ground cinnamon, ground coriander, ground cumin, dried oregano, dried thyme
3 cups salsa, homemade is best (do not drain) or you can use a 14 1/2 oz. can whole tomatoes, drained and cut into pieces
1 ripe mango, peeled and cubed
1 large sweet onion, chopped
1 large red bell pepper, seeded and diced or you can use green bell pepper
1/4 cup almonds, chopped and lightly toasted
1/4 cup fresh cilantro chopped
1/2 cup raisins (soak in water, then drain)
1 Tbl. cider vinegar
2 chipotle chilies in adobo (chopped and these are optional, but I love them)
3 garlic cloves, minced
Hot cooked rice
warm homemade corn or flour tortillas
In a large saute pan, add a little oil and add onions, bell peppers and garlic cooking until soft; add spices and cook for about 2 minutes. Stir in salsa, raisins, and mango pieces. Add meat and cook, but don't break into pieces, cooking for a few minutes, then with two forks go in an lightly break up meat, but leave in larger clumps cooking for about 20 minutes. Remember, don't stir too much. Stir in vinegar. Place hot cooked rice on a serving platter and pour over meat mixture. Sprinkle with cilantro and almonds.
Tuscan White Beans with Sausage
1 lb. dried cannellini beans (quick version, use 4 (15 oz.) cans of cannellini beans drained and rinsed)
4 sage leaves
3 garlic cloves, crushed
4 black peppercorns
salt
olive oil
1 1/2 lbs. sweet Italian sausage
1 can whole tomatoes, chopped and drained
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 cup tomato puree
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp. fresh thyme, chopped
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
Note: Obviously if using canned beans you can omit this next step and continue below (replace bean cooking liquid with 1/2 cup chicken stock). Sort through beans removing any stones, etc. Rinse the beans in cold water and place in large Dutch oven and cover with cold water 2-inches above beans. Let soak 4 hours. Drain beans and add 3 qts. fresh cold water to pot, add 2 Tbl. olive oil, sage leaves, 3 crushed garlic cloves, and peppercorns. Cover and bring to boil, turn down heat to medium and simmer one hour. Season with salt. Lower heat just to simmer and cook for about 1 1/2 hours or until beans are just tender. Drain beans and reserve 1/2 cup of cooking liquid.
In a large pan, add 1 Tbl. olive oil. Remove sausages from casings and fry crumbling meat until nicely browned. Add reserved liquid, 4 Tbl. olive oil, 4 garlic cloves, thyme, fresh rosemary sprigs, chopped tomatoes, red pepper flakes and stir for about 7 minutes. Add the reserved, drained beans and tomato puree. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Simmer until the sauce has thickened up a bit, add fresh parsley. Taste and adjust seasonings. Note: you can also add a small amount of chicken stock (good quality) to sauce replacing reserved bean liquid if desired.
Fall Stuffed Pork Loin - great for entertaining and I used this for caterings many times
1 (3 to 4 lb) boneless pork loin
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups seasoned stuffing mix (I love Mrs. Cubbisons, you can make your own, but I love this brand)
1 crisp tart apple, peeled and chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 Tbl. pure maple syrup (my brother Terry and sister-in-law Jean send us this from New Hampshire)
1 tsp. fresh thyme, chopped
1 tsp. fresh rosemary, chopped
1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped
1/3 cup pecans, chopped and lightly toasted
1/2 cup chicken stock, warmed (good quality)
Kitchen string (for rolling roast)
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Run pork under cold water and pat dry. Butterfly the roast by cutting lengthwise about halfway through the roast. Then angle the knife and cut horizontally almost all the way though on both sides. Unfold the pork and cover with plastic wrap. Pound with flat side of meat mallet to flatten as much as possible. Remove plastic wrap and season roast well with salt and pepper.
In a saute pan, add a little oil and butter add onions and celery cooking until softened, add apricots and cook about 2 minutes, add rosemary and thyme, cooking about 1 minute. Place this mixture into a bowl; add seasoned stuffing mix, maple syrup, pecans, and apple. Add a little of the warmed chicken stock to stuffing mixture, mix to combine, you don't want it too wet, just moistened. Spread the stuffing mixture over the pork. Starting at the smallest side of meat roll up tightly and secure with kitchen string. Drizzle a little olive oil onto bottom of roasting pan. Place the roast in pan and cook uncovered for about 1 hour 15 minutes or until pork reaches internal temperature of 145 to 155 degrees. Remove from oven and let stand 10 minutes. Remove kitchen string and slice into pieces, place on serving platter. Serve with roasted red potatoes (which you can also roast while pork is cooking) and steamed broccoli.
Pinto Beans Texas Style
2 cups dried pinto beans
1 large onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 ham hock (smoked)
2 cups cold water
2 cups black coffee (really? yes, it adds great flavor)
2 cups barbecue sauce (really good stuff)
1/2 cup pickled jalapenos, chopped
1 lb. thick cut bacon, sliced and cooked
Tabasco
Place beans into a large Dutch oven with enough cold water to cover by 1-inch. Bring to a boil; simmer for 15 minutes, then drain. Wipe out any water residue from oven and add bacon and cook until browned and almost crisp, remove to paper towels to drain. Remove most of bacon fat and add onions and garlic cooking until soft. Add drained beans in with the onions/garlic. Add ham hock, 2 cups water, salt and coffee. Stir and bring to a simmer. Cook for about 1 hour or until beans are cooked, but just a little firm to bite. Add barbecue sauce, and bacon stirring to combine. Cover and simmer on low for about 2 hours. Stir occasionally. Pull out the ham and strip any meat from bone, add back to Dutch oven with beans. Taste and season with salt, Tabasco, pickled jalapenos and serve.
Porkie Pig Pork Burgers
2 lbs. ground pork
5 scallions, finely minced including green part
1 tsp. fresh ginger, minced
1/4 tsp. ground allspice
salt and freshly ground black pepper
fresh pineapple, cut into slices
barbecue sauce
8 burger buns, good quality
lettuce leaves
slices of deli ham, sliced thin
Swiss cheese
In a bowl, add ground pork, scallions, allspice, salt, pepper and ginger mixing to just combine. Make into 8 patties, more or less to your liking. Heat outdoor grill and brush grill with a little oil. Add patties and cook about 7 minutes per side. Flip and brush burgers with barbecue sauce. Lay pineapple onto grill and cook for about 4 minutes so you have nice grill marks on each side. Add cheese to burgers so it melts, add slices of deli ham, add cooked pineapple. Butter buns and lightly grill. Remove to platter; add burgers with more sauce if desired. Note: sometimes I cut the pork with a small amount of ground turkey.
Delicious Amazing Pork Carnitas - I thought our friends in San Diego made amazing carnitas, but I think I've finally mastered them to our taste
4 lbs. boneless pork butt, cut into 2-inch chunks
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tsp. ancho chili powder
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. dried Mexican oregano
6 garlic cloves
2 yellow onions, sliced
2 bay leaves
juice of 1 large lime
1 cup pineapple juice
1 large juicy orange, halved and juiced, seeds removed
Accompaniments:
Warm fresh corn tortillas
fresh pico de gallo
slices of lime wedges
fresh chopped cilantro
white onion, chopped
iceberg lettuce, chopped
fresh avocados, sliced (spritz with fresh lime juice)
cheese, grated
Red rice
black beans
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a large Dutch oven, add all ingredients and bring to a simmer, stirring to combine. Cover Dutch oven and place into oven, baking for about 2 hours, stirring about half way through. Remove from oven; take out bay leaves and oranges. Remove pork to a bowl and set aside. Place pot on stove top and bring liquid to a boil, until it reduces. Pull the pork with forks and place on baking sheet. Pour over a little of the reduced liquid and place under broiler for about 10 minutes. Place pork in large serving bowl, adding more liquid if needed. Serve with accompaniments. Can't you just wait to sink your teeth into a warm tortilla, with soft pork, fresh cilantro, onion, avocado and pico de gallo? I'm hungry just thinking about it. Serve with margaritas, red rice and black beans.
Asian Chops - my hubby loves these
6 bone-in thick cut chops
2/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
3 Tbl. Hoisin sauce
1/3 cup cold water
1/4 cup rice vinegar
3 Tbl. toasted sesame oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbl. fresh ginger, peeled and minced
2 scallions, thinly sliced on diagonal including green part (garnish)
fresh pineapple, diced (garnish)
toasted sesame seeds (garnish)
In a saucepan, add soy sauce, brown sugar, Hoisin sauce, water, vinegar, sesame oil and garlic heating through until sugar dissolves. Cool. Place chops into a ziplock bag and pour marinade over chops. Place into a bowl so we don't have any leaks and marinate overnight in frig. Heat grill and remove chops from marinade. Grill chops on each side making nice grill marks cooking until desired doneness. Heat marinade on grill in saucepan and occasionally baste chops with marinade. Discard any leftover marinade. Remove chops to serving platter, sprinkle with fresh pineapple, scallions and sesame seeds. Serve with hot cooked rice and grilled fresh asparagus.
Pecan Cool Cabbage - this is amazing, I was trying to create an unusual slaw and this is it
1 cup candied pecans (recipe below)
Dressing
1/4 cup red pepper jelly
1 lemon, squeezed
zest of 1 lemon
6 Tbl. champagne vinegar
3 - 6 Tbl. honey, depending on your taste
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup vegetable oil
Slaw
2 large fresh peaches, peeled and chopped, lightly spritzed with lemon juice
1 head green cabbage, shredded
1/2 small head red cabbage, shredded
2 large carrots, shredded
1 tart crisp apple, peeled, seeded and shredded, lightly spritzed with lemon juice
1 jicama, peeled and shredded
1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into thin julienne slices
In a saute pan add pepper jelly heating until it dissolves. Remove melted pepper jelly to a large bowl and whisk in vinegar, lemon juice, zest, Dijon, honey, and oil until well blended, taste and season with salt and pepper. To bowl of dressing add shredded cabbages, carrots, apple, jicama and red bell pepper; toss to coat, gently stir in peaches. Cover and chill for an hour or so before serving. Remove from frig, taste and adjust salt if needed add pecans, toss. Place in beautiful crystal serving bowl on or a pretty platter.
Candied Pecans - this recipe makes a lot because for some reason you just can't stop eating them!
4 cups whole pecans
2 egg whites
2 Tbl. water
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 to 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper (I like 1/4 tsp., but unless you like very spicy I wouldn't use more)
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
Preheat oven to 225 degrees. Place sugar, cinnamon, cloves, salt and cayenne into a ziplock bag mixing well. In a bowl, add egg whites, water and vanilla beating with a whisk until frothy. Add pecans and coat them well with mixture. Lift out pecans with slotted spoon and place in ziplock bag, shaking pecans well to combine with sugar/spice mixture. Place on a lightly greased nonstick baking sheet and bake for about 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Remove to cooling rack and let cool completely. Note: when you put a bowl of these out they are gone in no time.
Blackberry Raspberry Peach Cobbler
Topping
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup butter, melted
pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup macadamia nuts, chopped
1/2 tsp. freshly ground nutmeg
Filling
5 cups fresh peaches, peeled and sliced
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tbl. fresh lemon zest
1 Tbl. fresh lemon juice
5 Tbl. all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups fresh blackberries
1/2 cup fresh raspberries
In a bowl, add brown sugar, butter and salt, stir; add flour, nutmeg and macadamia nuts stirring to incorporate. Set aside and prepare filling. For filling; Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large saucepan add peaches, lemon juice, zest, sugar, and flour, stir together and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat and stir for about 7 minutes or until juices have thickened. Remove from heat and gently stir in blackberries and raspberries. Spoon into a lightly greased baking pan and crumble topping over top. Bake for about 35 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown. Note: you might want to place a baking sheet under pan of cobbler in case it bubbles over. Serve with freshly whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
Dorothy's Icebox Pie - my mom's recipe and she made the BEST Pies ever. My dad, Bob had mom make this pie all the time as he loves chocolate!
2 cups chocolate wafer crumbs - Note; you can also make a plain graham cracker crust
1/2 cup butter, melted
2/3 cup sugar
3 Tbl. cornstarch
4 egg yolks
2 cups whole milk
8 oz. bittersweet chocolate baking bars, chopped finely (my mom used Bakers brand chocolate)
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
Topping
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup powdered sugar
2 tsp. pure orange extract
In a ziplock bag, add wafers and with a rolling pin crush to fine crumbs. Stir together crumbs and butter and press into bottom and partially up sides of 9-inch glass pie plate. Bake in 350 degree oven for 6 minutes. Remove to cooling rack. In a saucepan, add sugar and cornstarch, blending together. In a bowl, whisk egg yolks and milk and whisk this into sugar mixture in saucepan. Cook over medium heat whisking constantly for about 10 minutes or until mixture thickens. Remove from heat. Add chopped chocolate to mixture and stir until melted, then whisk in vanilla extract. Spoon filling into crust, place plastic wrap on top of filling and chill up to 24 hours. When ready to serve; place whipping cream in a bowl of electric mixer, add powdered sugar and start to whip to almost stiff peaks, add orange extract and whip. Remove pie from frig and pile on the whipped cream. You can add chocolate shavings or lightly dust with cocoa powder.
Dad's Chocolate, Chocolate Brownies with Fudge Frosting (I usually double these, so make sure pan is bigger when you double them)
2 cups dark chocolate chips
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter
2 Tbl. water
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup chopped pecans
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease an 8-inch baking pan. In a saucepan add butter and melt, add in chocolate chips, sugar and water stirring constantly over low heat until chocolate melts. Pour into a bowl and whisk in eggs one at a time until well blended. Stir in vanilla. Incorporate flour and salt; stirring well. Stir in nuts then pour into pan. Bake for about 35 to 40 minutes or until pick inserted comes out clean. Cool on wire rack then frost. When my mom made these she would dust powdered sugar over the top usually adding a paper doily then dusting to create a pretty design. But when my dad made them he wanted mom's easy fudge frosting on top. Either way, they are delicious!
Mom's Easy Fudge Frosting
7 Tbl. butter, soft
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
3 cups powdered sugar
3/4 cup dark cocoa powder
1/3 cup whole milk
In a bowl of electric mixer, cream butter and vanilla together. In another bowl add powdered sugar, and cocoa powder, mixing well. Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture to incorporate. Slowly add milk to create desired consistency and beat for an additional 5 minutes until creamy. Frost brownies. Cut into squares and serve with a hot cup of coffee (mom and dads way) or a big cold glass of milk (my way). Note: I also like to add a couple of Tbl. of whipping cream with the milk
Bon Appetit
"Not one of the good promises which the Lord has made...failed; all came to pass."
Joshua 21:45
