Avocado Brownies

Hey hey, long time no post (again). I've been trying to soak up as much of college life as I can before I leave. So I've been...really social lately. Like, more than I've been in my entire life. It's weird, being so social while simultaneously identifying strongly as an introvert. It makes me wonder...if I was constantly surrounded by the right people, would I become an extrovert, feeding off of their positive energy? It's an interesting thought, and one I've never had to entertain. 

 

Okay, so I just zoned out for like ten minutes in the middle of this post thinking about what is important in life, what I'm going to look back on and remember. And what I can in forming these moments for others. Does that make sense? There are so many people I can name who have been catalysts to a better life for me. And I just hope I'm living my life so that others can say the same about me. 

 

None of this has anything to do with avocados. There was just an awesome deal at the store that I couldn't resist. I've had great luck with chocolate avocado cake that I often made in Ireland, so I was hoping these would turn out similarly. I honestly...wasn't super impressed. They were definitely good, but cakier than I typical enjoy my brownies to be, and even with Mexican chocolate, chili powder, and cinnamon, I didn't really taste any heat. Then again, my chili may or may not be pretty old. But hey, make them yourself and form your own opinions! 

Avocado Brownies 
adapted slightly from Muy Bueno Cookbook

1 pinch of sea salt
1 1/4 cup flour
2 tablespoons unsweetened dark cocoa powder
1 teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon cinnamon
5 ounces dark chocolate chips
5 ounces Mexican chocolate
1 stick butter
2 smallish avocados, mashed/puréed
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
5 eggs, divided


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a 9”x13” pan.

In a medium size bowl combine salt, flour, cocoa powder, chili, and cinnamon. Set aside.
In a double boiler, melt chocolate and butter until smooth, add puréed avocado and stir until completely combined.
Turn off heat and add granulated sugar and brown sugar, stir until combined.
Remove bowl from double boiler and cool to room temperature. Add 3 eggs and stir until combined. Add remaining eggs and stir until combined.
Slowly fold in dry ingredients. Pour into prepared pan and spread out evenly.
Bake for approximately 30 minutes.

Avocado Fries

It hasn't been an incredibly restful break up to this point. My mom has been driving back and forth from Rochester to be with my dad/try and hold the fort down at home, so I've been trying my best to pick up the slack and keep things under control. Last night my siblings and I were urged to leave home and drive down to Rochester a day early so we could beat the oncoming snowstorm. Though stressful, I'm glad we did...cause it snowed seven inches at home last night.

Yeah, yeah, I know avocados aren't in season. But they're something I can eat at home and definitely not at school. Maybe at a magical college somewhere they have fresh, perfect avocado slices available at every meal. But...no dice. So I'm going to eat a while avocado for lunch and no one can stop me.

Festive boooowls

As much as I love guacamole, I wanted to try something different. A recipe for avocado fries looked especially intriguing. Slices of avocado coated in a panko crust, then baked and served with aioli. Crunchy, creamy, and really fresh tasting. Definitely ate them all in one sitting.

Avocado Fries with Lemon Garlic Aioli
from Ginger Bear Kitchen

1 ripe avocado (not overripe)

¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 large egg
½ tablespoon salted butter, melted

¾ cup panko breadcrumbs
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon paprika
salt
black pepper

Lemon Garlic Aioli

¼ cup mayonnaise

3 tablespoons sour cream
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
½ teaspoon garlic powder
black pepper


Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil and place a wire rack on the cookie sheet.
Slice avocado lengthwise. I ended up with 12 slices for one avocado.
In a medium bowl mix flour with a pinch of salt and a pinch of black pepper. In a second medium bowl lightly beat the egg. In a third medium bowl mix the melted butter with the panko bread crumbs, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika and a pinch of salt and black pepper.
Cover each avocado slice in flour, then dip in the beaten egg and finally coat with breadcrumbs before placing each on the wire rack.
Bake for 15-20 minutes until the breadcrumbs are lightly browned. While the fries bake, stir together all the ingredients for the dipping sauce and save in the refrigerator until the fries are finished baking. Allow the avocado fries to cool before serving with the dipping sauce.
 

Daring Bakers! Chocolate Avocado Cake

I'm struggling to find words for this post, for some reason. I guess it sort of mirrors my internal struggle of showing people that I care about them? If you've met me in person (or maybe you can just tell from my internet persona) you know that I'm not physically affectionate at all, and can initially come off as cold and standoffish. I admire from a distance those people who can dish out hugs like nobody's business, but that's not me. I basically need explicit permission from the other party for that sort of thing.

I even have a hard time verbally showing affection at times. I'm of the opinion that oftentimes people throw their words around too carelessly, causing them to lose meaning. There's rarely a time or place to stop a friend in the middle of whatever they're doing, look them dead in the eyes, and tell them how much you care about them without appearing either trite or creepy. I know that I over analyze most of what I say, oftentimes replaying conversations in my head and thinking about different ways that they could have turned out. 

So I have two major ways to cope: writing and making food. Paradoxically, sitting in a room alone with a piece of paper or my computer in front of me frequently allows me to feel closer to people than if we were standing in the same room. There's more time to carefully choose my words, construct my messages. Words can build a person up or tear them down, and I really do try to use the gift I have been given responsibly and positively. Making food is less complicated. The simple act of bringing someone some cookies when they're least expecting it, or a loaf of bread when they're having a rough time, brings so much joy. I can't count the number of times I've seen someone's face light up when presented with food I made for them, for no reason other than the fact that I care about them. They'll say, "You made this for me?" or "You're sharing this cake? Giving it away just because?" Yep. But not just because. It's because I like you, I think you're an incredible person and you bring happiness to my life. If you're sitting here reading this, thinking, "She couldn't possibly be talking about me", well, you're wrong. I'm talking to all of you who have shared a meal with me, who have made me laugh or confided in me, indulged in my habit of watching craptastic sci-fi movies, shared your favorite songs and books...and eaten my food. Whether it be in person or through a recipe I've posted. Thank you for letting me share with you. 

Ruth from Makey-Cakey was our March 2013 Daring Bakers’ challenge host. She encouraged us all to get experimental in the kitchen and sneak some hidden veggies into our baking, with surprising and delicious results!

For my Daring Bakers post, I knew pretty early on that I wanted to use avocados, because I love them dearly and I had to redeem myself after making a horrible avocado pie. Yeah, I know avocado isn't technically a vegetable, but neither are a lot of things considered veggies, such as peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, etc. This cake doesn't use avocado for flavor, but as a replacement for eggs and most of the fat. It's incredible, I've made it twice in the past few weeks, and absolutely no one thought there was anything weird about it. 

Chocolate Avocado Cake 

adapted from sugary & buttery  

For the cake:  
1 cup (120 g) flour  
1/2 cu / 60 g ground almonds
3 tablespoons cocoa powder  
100g dark chocolate, chopped  
2 teaspoons baking soda
pinch of salt  
1 avocado, mashed
3/4 or 1 cup / 200 g brown sugar  
1 tablespoon butter or vegetable oil  
1 tablespoon lemon juice  
1 cup / 200 ml milk
For the glaze:  
100 g dark chocolate  
2 tablespoons butter  
4 tablespoons milk  
1-2 teaspoons vanilla

I used a weird shaped pan, like a 7x10, but I think an 8-9 round or square would work fine too. Mix together the flour, almonds, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Then, heat up the milk in a sauce pan on medium heat and add the chopped dark chocolate, the sugar and the butter (or vegetable oil). When the chocolate is melted, pour the mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients and mix well. Now add the mashed avocado and the lemon juice.
Fill the batter in the greased cake form and bake on 180°C/350°F for about 25-30 minutes.
When the cake is done, take it out of the form and let it cool down. Then, flip it over on a plate to get the sharp edges of the cake bottom up - it makes the cake look nicer.  For the glaze, heat the butter and the milk on medium heat and add the chopped dark chocolate. Once the chocolate is melted and the glaze is shiny and creamy, it's ready to go on the cake. Start in the middle of the cake and carefully push the glaze to the edges until it slightly runs down on the sides.