Brownie Caramel Chocolate Squares

Thank you Barbara, Angie Vanessa Linda Christine for hosting the party Dishing It and Digging It and thank you for the feature of my Filipino Afritada. Thank you Barb for bringing the good news

How would you like a brownie with caramel and chocolate? The combination is interestingly good; brownie,caramel and chocolate. Certainly you will not pass on this. When I first bake these bars, I never thought its gonna be that good but gosh, they're heavenly ! As early as November my mind would go to the bars and squares that I love to bake for our festive consumption at home or for giveaway to the people that I deemed worthy of my time and effort. Lol!

These brownie squares are so good that past holiday season already and yet the memories on your palate lingers on. It will also be nice if you add some kick on it like rum or brandy. Last two years ago I discovered this locally made Cacao Chocolates from the Philippines and I began to use it in most of my chocolate baking sprees and I love it. I made Brownies then and my son gave some to his local friends here in Singapore. The verdict- it was so good that they remember the aftermath of its taste...strong but delicious, addictive and not so sweet.

Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

For the brownie:

1 cup butter,cubed

1/4 cup cocoa

1/4 cup black cocoa powder

1 1/2 cup white sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

For the caramel:

2/3 cup butter

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 tbsp light corn syrup

1 can condensed milk

1/4 cup cornstarch dispersed in 3 tbsp water

In a saucepan,combine all ingredients except cornstarch with water. Cook until thick and caramel in color for about 30 minutes, then stir in cornstarch with water,mix until caramel is thick.

For the chocolate topping:

1 cup chopped dark chocolate

1 tbsp butter

3 tbsp heavy cream

Combine all in a dish. Microwave until just half melted.Stir until melted and combined.Set aside.

Direction:

Prepare a square baking pan 8x12x2inch,line it with aluminum foil.
Spray with oil or smear with butter.

In a saucepan, put butter, cocoa powder and tablea .Stir over low heat until melted and smooth.

Remove from heat. Add sugar and stir until incorporated. Add vanilla and eggs,one at a time.

Stir in the flour until just combined.Spread the mixture in a ready baking pan and bake at 180 
at 180 ( 350 ) for 30 minutes. Let it cool.
Once caramel is done,immediately pour over the baked brownie.Chill for about an hour in the            fridge.Then proceed on making the topping.
Spread over the caramel layer and chill until set.You will have about 24 squares.
Note:Caramel is best done after baking the brownie.If you want a better squared cut,use a sharp        knife dip in hot water, dry then cut.

I tried to cut nice and clean but sorry I am not good in that area. I tried my best not to eat while on the process of slicing but the chocolate seems to melt on my fingers. I realized I must go ahead and try, why not..grab and eat them.

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Caramel Chocolate Oat Squares

Philippines has one particular holiday which we all look forward to celebrate. Since 85 percent of Filipinos are Catholics, Christmas is a big part of Filipino culture. Preparation for Christmas started as early as September, malls,streets and homes are heavily decorated and you can hear the Christmas Carols everywhere, oh what a delight. My heart is nostalgic and like a little child I am so excited to welcome Christmas as always. Come November 15 and I will start the preparation of my Christmas Cake. After that I will start to make some bars and squares for give away to my friends, colleagues, my children's friends and in some cases, my son will bake and sell too.

Whenever I think of something to give away, I know that bars/squares with caramel wont fail me. I make fully loaded squares with caramel, chocolate chips and pecan. Last year my son also brought some for his classmates and yes, it was a hit. They all love it! What made me laugh was one of his classmates told him she is on a diet but she would like to have some for her mom. Of course my son did bring some for her mom. I find the gesture so thoughtful. I wanna be her mom too... LOL!

Printable Recipe
Ingredients:

2 cups all purpose flour

2 cups quick cooking oats

1 1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tsp baking soda

1 1/4 cup margarine, softened

1 cup caramel topping

3 tbsp all purpose flour

1 cup chocolate chips

1/2 cup pecan, chopped (you may use other nuts)

For the caramel:

2/3 cup butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp light corn syrup
1 can condensed milk
1/4 cup cornstarch dispersed in 3 tbsp water
In a saucepan, combine all ingredients except cornstarch with water. Cook until thick and caramel in color for about 30 minutes, then stir in cornstarch with water, mix until caramel is thick.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. Use a 13x9x2 inch pan and line it with aluminum foil, then spray with oil or smeared with butter. Set aside

In a mixer or bowl, combine: flour, oats, margarine, sugar, baking soda and salt. Beat at low speed until crumbly. Divide the mixture into 2

Spread the first half of the mixture on a pan, bake for 10 minutes. While baking proceed on making your caramel.

After baking the first half, let it cool first then sprinkle chocolate chips and pecan on top, finally pour over the caramel. Then sprinkle the second half of the crumbly mixture. Bake for another 18 minutes.

Cool for an hour before slicing or better chill in the fridge for two hours. it will give you 24 slices.

Oh my goodness, I never thought that oats could be that good. Obviously Im not a fan of it. But due to aging, I have to like oats. I am now into the world of acceptance. Seeing these magical bars with caramel and chocolates swept me off my feet. Yes, oat is life..its healthy and my body needs it.LOL

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Filipino Afritada

Thank you Ladies for the feature of my Filipino Bola Bola in Sweet Chili Sauce, Andrea of Scraptastic Saturday, Bev of Thursday Favorite Things and Lina of Sew It Cook It Craft It.

Our culture and cuisine has a distinct mark of European Style which comes mainly from Spanish tradition. We have a lot of Filipino foods handed down to us by the Spaniards. My recipe today is one classic Filipino food. Most Filipinos are fond of Afritada and there are ways of cooking it. I guess most of us has this family tradition when it comes to food and cooking. When we relocated here in Singapore, I started to embrace and discover the innate characteristic of our cuisine. My desire to know has greatly improved and I discover that every classic recipe has a story to tell.

Afritada or Stew in Western term is basically a pork meat cooked with spices and ended up with thick or thin sauce. Filipinos are rice eating people so broth or sauce is greatly appreciated in the dining table. Later on, a new twist of Afritada came... now we have Chicken Afritada or Chicken Stew. Well, I have my own version and I call it Chicken and Pork Stew. This is versatile cause we learned to eat this together with rice or bread...and believe me I tried it with pasta and it worked well.

Printable Recipe
Ingredients:

1/2 kg chicken thigh or breast (500 grams) boneless without skin,cut into medium cubes
1/2 kg pork pork belly ( 500 grams) cut into medium cubes
separately marinate the meat in the ff seasoning for 6 hours or overnight
a. 1 tbsp light soy sauce
b. 1 tsp rice wine
c. 1 tbsp cornstarch
d. 1/4 tsp ground white pepper
e. 1/2 tsp sugar
set aside in the fridge.
1/4 cup olive oil + 2 tbsp oil
1/2 head garlic grated
1 large onion chopped
3 tbsp tomato paste dissolved in 3 tbsp water
1 can tomato whole chopped with juice
1/2 cup - 1 cup water
3 pcs medium potato each divided into 8 cubes
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp dried chili flakes
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp oregano
1 medium red bell pepper, cut into medium cubes
1 medium green bell pepper, cut into medium cubes
Direction
Prepare the meat ahead, marinate them separately using the ingredients above ( first five ingredients) it means you have to prepare 2 sets of the marinate, for chicken and for pork
Set aside in the fridge for at least 6 hours but if you can manage, do it overnight.
Heat 1/4 cup olive oil and fry the marinated meat, chicken meat first.
Just fry them until the meat turns white or the raw look fades.
We fry them first in order to seal the natural flavor and tenderness of the meat.
Fry the cubed potatoes for 30 seconds and set aside.
Using the same pan, add 2 tbsp olive oil and saute garlic and onion.
Wait until the aroma comes out. Then add in 3 tbsp tomato paste dissolve in 3 tbsp water.
Stir until well mixed and add the fried pork meat.
Add in chopped whole tomato together with its juice.

Cover and let it boil then turn the heat to simmering mode and cook for 45 minutes.

Add in the fried chicken meat and cubed potatoes Cover and simmer for another 20 minutes.
Stir from time time. Just add 1/2 cup water to 1 cup water little by little or only if you think its necessary.
Add the rest of the seasoning : pepper, salt, sugar, chili flakes, paprika and oregano.
Simmer for another 10 minutes. Then add cubed red and green bell pepper.
Adjust the seasoning accordingly. Cook for another 5 minutes. Serve hot.

The major characters in this dish, I love the colors and the taste compliments each other.

The red sauce is quite a looker..the smell is captivating and the most important thing with this recipe is that when we cook it, we think about the left over. The taste and texture is well improved if you purposely eat this the next day. 

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Filipino Menudo

Thats how we prefer our Menudo at home,with creamy, rich, red, thick sauce, the meat is soft and tender. The combination of veggies and spices makes the smell and taste ohhh sooo captivating and yes the newest addition of sliced hotdogs. To me, this is one comfort food that I would love to cook. I feel so at home and satisfied after.

Thank you Ladies for the feature of my  Señoras’ Yema Cake : Marilyn of Over The Moon,  Bev of Wonderful Wednesday  and Michele of Whimsical Wednesday

Classic menudo is basically a slowly cooked stew of tripe infused with several varieties of chile peppers and spices .It is presented as a soup and typically is served with corn tortillas or white bread rolls(bolillos),and almost always includes grains of corn. There are a number of variations including blanco(white/clear),verde(green),or rojo(red). Typical condiments added to menudo are dried oregano,ground chile flakes,lime juice,and chopped onion. Due to the length of time needed to cook tripe to be tender enough to be edible, menudo is generally cooked in large batches and sold as a special menu item in Mexican restaurants, although it is occasionally prepared at home.  In some areas menudo is sold as a weekend-only specialty in regular restaurants (typically announced by signs reading Menudo fin de semana), in other areas, menudo is made daily, but mostly sold in restaurants and market stalls (fondas) that specialize in the dish.

But Menudo (stew) refers to an entirely different dish made in the Philippines. This dish,in contrast, is made of garlic, onions, diced pork chops, pork liver, diced potato, green bell peppers, soy sauce and tomato sauce, seasoned with salt and pepper while it is cooked. Mexican menudo uses tripe as a primary ingredient while Filipino menudo includes pork pieces but also includes liver as an ingredient. Both stews present a red color,one from tomato and the other from red chili and both contain other small sized vegetables.No documented origins of the Filipino stew is available. However,due to the Spanish influence in the Philippines during the rule of the country, many Filipino foods are similar to Spanish dishes. The word menudo,from the Spanish to English translation,means small, little,petite,or fine.Menudos, when translated from the Mexican language,translates to “giblets” as well as “tripe stew.”

Filipino Menudo is a rich dish with sauce thickened and flavored by a complementing mixture of condiments and relishes.This hearty dish does not require the extra trip to an Asian store to purchase an ethnic food variety because all the ingredients are common to any culture. Meat and potato, a regular table meal, are the main ingredients; and all the other ingredients are within easy reach in ordinary supermarkets. Menudo is a recipe which has several varieties,mostly pork and liver. It is an old-fashioned recipe that Filipinos have inherited from their Spanish colonizers.Because of the mixture of ingredients that make this dish exceptionally delicious, it has become a special dish normally served for special occasions like fiestas, weddings,birthdays and many others. Restaurants, carinderias and caterers also find this recipe as one of the most sought-after dishes on their menus.

I grew up practically knowing Menudo as a special dish. I am very fond of it either. During occasions I would always include Menudo on my list because of its taste and versatility. Some older ones would prefer this with beer, gin or whisky.The children love Menudo with rice especially if it has slices of hotdogs included. Others like me,we love Menudo with white bread and the best characteristic of Menudo ,it can also last longer,just keep it in a glass container and set aside in the fridge and it will last for a week. I have a friend who I remember,his great grandmother would cook menudo and the shelf life would last for months,wow!I wish I can do that.

Printable Recipe

Ingredients: 

600 gms pork shoulder butt cut into medium cubes 
600 gms pork belly cut into medium cubes

2 tbsp light soy sauce 

1 tbsp rice wine 

2 tbsp corn starch

300 grams pork liver cut into small cubes (optional) 

1 tsp apple cider vinegar 

1 tsp light soy sauce 

1 can whole tomato chopped 

5 cups chicken broth 

3 tbsp tomato sauce 

1/2 cup chopped onion 

6 cloves garlic grated 

1 1/2  cup potato cut into small cubes 

1 1/2  cup carrot cut into small cubes 

1 cup chickpeas 

1 cup red bell pepper cut into cubes 

1/2 cup raisin 

1 to 1 1/2 tsp salt 

1 to 2 tsp fish sauce 

1 1/2 tsp ground white pepper 

1 tsp paprika 

1/2 tsp oregano 

2 bay leaf 

1/4 cup cheddar cheese grated 

1/4 cup olive oil + 2 tbsp +2 tbsp 
3 tbsp corn starch mix with 3 tbsp water
Direction:

In a bowl combine the meat, soy sauce, rice wine and corn starch. 

Mix until well combined and marinate for 3 hours. Set aside in the fridge. 

In another bowl.combine pork liver, apple cider vinegar and light soy sauce. 

Mix well and set aside in the fridge. 

In a sauce pan ,heat 1/4 cup olive oil and brown the meat. Set aside 

Using the same pan, add 2 tbsp olive oil and fry the potato for 30 seconds. Set aside 
Using the same pan, add 2 tbsp olive oil and saute garlic and onion. 

Caramelize the onion then add 3 tbsp tomato paste. Saute the mixture for 30 second.
Add the browned pork Mix until well combined then...

Add the whole chopped tomato including the sauce, paprika, oregano and bay leaf 

Cover and simmer for 15 minutes then add 5 cups chicken broth. 

Cover again and simmer for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, add the liver, potato, carrot, chickpeas, fish sauce, salt and pepper. 

Cover and simmer for another 10 minutes then add grated cheddar cheese, red bell pepper cubes, hotdogs and raisins. Check the taste and simmer for 10 minutes more. 

Turn off the heat. Now ready to serve. 

Hmmmnnn....my children and my husband prefers warm rice with menudo on top.They love the taste and oftentimes they ask for another serving.I thought of adding white sauce and cheese on top and then bake it.Oh my! its heaven in my son's culinary view..yeah, my son loves to indulge with food.

Now,take a closer look,isn't it magic? the wonder of good food is so amazing..it transcends and it creates diversity and we all agree despite color and races that a good food is truly one part of our existence,our culture. Have a great week to all.Lets eat,lets giggle and lets be merry! 

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