Tag: loser

Losers!

Slow Cooker Brownie … a Disaster!

cathysmaha1 Comment

A few days ago I was watching the Rachael Ray show with Emeril Lagasse as her guest. He shared a recipe for a slow cooker/crockpot brownie. With a busy day coming up and the need for a birthday dessert, I decided to give it a shot.

I followed the instructions, shown below, to a ‘T’ and anxiously awaited the yummy results, enjoying the smell of chocolate in my home all afternoon.

After the allotted baking time of 3 1/2 hours, the brownies were still liquid in the middle. I have a fairly large crockpot so the brownies were probably thinner than in many smaller crockpots.  Time was running out, so what to do?  I tried baking a little while longer on low with no improvement.  Finally I resorted to turning the crockpot on ‘high’ and you can imagine the burned edges and still uncooked center.

I was NOT a happy camper and kicked myself for not making the recipe shown below but baking, old-style, in the oven.  I think this modification for traditionally baked brownies topped warm, with the chocolate hazelnut spread would be amazing. Skip the slow cooker method.

NOTE TO SELF:  Never try to ‘bake’ a cake or brownie in the crockpot EVER!

SLOW COOKER BROWNIES (NOT!)

1 box of brownie mix
1 cup chocolate chunks, a mix of milk and dark (and I used some white chocolate)
1/2 cup chocolate hazelnut spread

  • Line the bottom of the slow cooker with some aluminum foil and spray it with a little non-stick spray.
  • Prepare brownie mix according to package directions and add chocolate chunks.
  • Pour the batter into the slow cooker, set at a low temperature and cook for 3 hours.
  • Remove lid and cook for an extra 30 minutes to create a crunchy top. When cool, spread hazelnut spread on top and enjoy!

Recipe from Rachael Ray Show with Emeril Lagasse

Losers!

Grape Jalapeno Jelly…Maybe, Maybe Not!

cathysmaha6 Comments

Grape Jalapeno Jelly may not be the best idea!  Each year I have a small harvest of concord grapes, if the birds and squirrels decide they want to share.

In the past, I have made grape biscuits (to be shared another year), but this year I wanted to try something different.  I like grape jelly and I like jalapeno jelly…why not try a combo?  Sounded like a good idea.

I searched the web and did not find ONE SINGLE recipe.  I adapted a blackberry jalapeno jelly but decided to cut back on the jalapeno so it wasn’t too hot.  Big mistake!  While the grape jelly is beautiful and tastes good, the slight jalapeno aftertaste is perplexing to my taste buds.

Grape Jalapeno Jelly

Not all of my great kitchen experiments are winners.  This is one of the losers.  I will not share the recipe but I’ll share photos. I’m hoping to salvage this disaster by using the jelly in a meatball sauce or perhaps mixing with a hot pepper jelly and serving over brie or cream cheese. I’ll keep you posted, but be aware…if a recipe isn’t posted anywhere on the internet, there may be a reason for it.

Lesson learned!