Chicken and Chocolate Mole

After an eventful, work and fun filled four days in Atlanta I’m back at home and back on my computer.

My brand spanking new computer. Well, not completely new. But it has a new frame and a new screen. New, clean, beautiful and not broken. All wins.

And as excited as I am to be back in action, today is a pretty sad day.

Unless you have been living under a rock today, you know about the horrifying bombings at the finish line of the Boston Marathon.

As I’m sure most of you are, I’m deeply saddened by the events today. It breaks my heart that people have enough hate and pain in them to hurt other people. You must be in a dark, black hole of a place to inflict that kind of fear in people.

I find it difficult to be faced with a problem with no obvious solution.

So I’m going to do the only thing that I think I can do to help.

Spread light.

And love, and kindness, and fun, and help, and all the other things that pull people out of the darkness and hate.

All that I can do, and probably all you can do is to spread your light.

Say please. And thank you. And open doors for one another. Offer someone else your seat. Or a snack.

It’s really difficult to be upset when everyone around you is being kind.

Part of spreading light for me is sharing. Sharing experiences and sharing food.

So here is something tasty for you to share. Share with family and friends and enjoy the good things in life.

You will need…

5 ancho chiles

3 dried New Mexico chiles

2 dried chiles negros

1/3 cup sesame seeds

5 whole star anise

½ teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon coriander seeds

2 cloves

12 black peppercorns

12 inch cinnamon stick

2 tablespoons vegetable shortening

3 tablespoons raisins

20 whole almonds

½ cup raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas)

1 corn tortilla, quartered

5 medium plum tomatoes

5 garlic cloves, unpeeled

1 small onion, quartered

5 cups chicken stock

3 ¼ ounces Mexican chocolate, coarsely chopped

2 tablespoons peanut butter

2 lbs chicken breasts

1 tablespoon olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by covering all the chile peppers with hot water in a medium bowl and soak them for 30 minutes.

While the pepper are soaking, combine the sesame seeds, anise, cumin, coriander, cloves, peppercorns and cinnamon stick in a large skillet.

Toast the seeds and spices over moderate heat, stirring until fragrant. About 2 minutes.

Grind the seeds and spices until they are into a fine powder.

In the same skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of the shortening.

Stir in the raisins, almonds, pumpkin seeds and tortilla.

Cook the mixture over moderate heat until the almonds are toasted and the raisins are plump. About 5 minutes.

Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and set aside.

Add the tomatoes to the skillet and cook, turning until the skins are lightly blistered on all sides. About 12 minutes.

Transfer the tomatoes to the bowl with the seeds and almonds.

Add the garlic and onion to the skillet and cook, stirring, until lightly browned. About 8 minutes.

Transfer the garlic and onions to the bowl with the tomatoes.

Empty the vegetables onto a work surface. Peel the garlic cloves and coarsely chop them along with the onions and tomatoes.

Melt 1 tablespoon of the shortening in the skillet. Stir in the chopped vegetables and the spice powder and cook over moderately high heat until warmed through. About 3 minutes.

Remove the stems and seeds from the now rehydrated chiles and add them to the skillet.

Pour in the chicken stock and stir in the peanut butter.

Partially cover and simmer for 1 hour. Stirring every 10 minutes.

Remove the skillet from the heat and blend the mixture either with a hand emersion blender or in a food processor. Season the mole with salt and pepper, add in the chocolate and blend until very smooth.

Then in a second large skillet, heat the olive oil till it is very hot.

Season the chicken well with salt and pepper and brown the chicken well on both sides. About 4 minutes a side.

Don’t worry about cooking the chicken completely. Just make sure it is well browned.

Add the chicken to the pot of mole and simmer for an additional hour.

When the chicken has simmered for an hour, remove from the mole and place on a cutting board.

Depending on your textural preference either shred or chop the chicken and add it back to the mole sauce.

Serve the chicken and mole hot over rice or in a burrito.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela

Chicken and Chocolate Mole

5 ancho chiles

3 dried New Mexico chiles

2 dried chiles negros

1/3 cup sesame seeds

5 star anise

½ teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon coriander seeds

2 cloves

12 black peppercorns

12 inch cinnamon stick

2 tablespoons vegetable shortening

3 tablespoons raisins

20 whole almonds

½ cup raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas)

1 corn tortilla, quartered

5 medium plum tomatoes

5 garlic cloves, unpeeled

1 small onion, quartered

5 cups chicken stock

3 ¼ ounces Mexican chocolate, coarsely chopped

2 tablespoons peanut butter

2 lbs chicken breasts

1 tablespoon olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by covering all the chile peppers with hot water in a medium bowl and soak them for 30 minutes.

While the pepper are soaking, combine the sesame seeds, anise, cumin, coriander, cloves, peppercorns and cinnamon stick in a large skillet.

Toast the seeds and spices over moderate heat, stirring until fragrant. About 2 minutes.

Grind the seeds and spices until they are into a fine powder.

In the same skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of the shortening.

Stir in the raisins, almonds, pumpkin seeds and tortilla.

Cook the mixture over moderate heat until the almonds are toasted and the raisins are plump. About 5 minutes.

Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and set aside.

Add the tomatoes to the skillet and cook, turning until the skins are lightly blistered on all sides. About 12 minutes.

Transfer the tomatoes to the bowl with the seeds and almonds.

Add the garlic and onion to the skillet and cook, stirring, until lightly browned. About 8 minutes.

Transfer the garlic and onions to the bowl with the tomatoes.

Empty the vegetables onto a work surface. Peel the garlic cloves and coarsely chop them along with the onions and tomatoes.

Melt 1 tablespoon of the shortening in the skillet. Stir in the chopped vegetables and the spice powder and cook over moderately high heat until warmed through. About 3 minutes.

Remove the stems and seeds from the now rehydrated chiles and add them to the skillet.

Pour in the chicken stock and stir in the peanut butter.

Partially cover and simmer for 1 hour. Stirring every 10 minutes.

Remove the skillet from the heat and blend the mixture either with a hand emersion blender or in a food processor. Season the mole with salt and pepper, add in the chocolate and blend until very smooth.

Then in a second large skillet, heat the olive oil till it is very hot.

Season the chicken well with salt and pepper and brown the chicken well on both sides. About 4 minutes a side.

Don’t worry about cooking the chicken completely. Just make sure it is well browned.

Add the chicken to the pot of mole and simmer for an additional hour.

When the chicken has simmered for an hour, remove from the mole and place on a cutting board.

Depending on your textural preference either shred or chop the chicken and add it back to the mole sauce.

Serve the chicken and mole hot over rice or in a burrito.

Classic Chocolate Frosting

As I type this post, I am sitting at table in my house with my brothers and dad playing monopoly.

Yup. Monopoly. Old school style.

And it is awesome.

Sometimes, simple and old school is just perfect.

Which is why I have to share this frosting.

Simple, old school and perfect.

You will need… 

1 cup butter (2 sticks), at room temperature.

2/3 cup cocoa powder

3 tablespoons whole milk

1 tablespoon vanilla

3 to 4 cups powdered sugar

Start by combing the butter and cocoa powder in a bowl and mix it together on high speed.

Then, with the mixer on a medium speed mix in the milk and vanilla.

With the mixer on slow, add in the sugar until it is as sweet as you like it.

Use frosting as desired. Or just eat it like that.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela  

Classic Chocolate Frosting

1 cup butter (2 sticks), at room temperature.

2/3 cup cocoa powder

3 tablespoons whole milk

1 tablespoon vanilla

3 to 4 cups powdered sugar

Start by combing the butter and cocoa powder in a bowl and mix it together on high speed.

Then, with the mixer on a medium speed mix in the milk and vanilla.

With the mixer on slow, add in the sugar until it is as sweet as you like it.

Use frosting as desired. Or just eat it like that. 

Mint Chocolate Brownies with Chocolate Frosting

Even though my day job has stresses, like pretty much every other person on this planet, even on the worst days I work at a great company with great people.

It is also a company with awesome perks. We have an awesomely relaxed work environment. One where there is a gym on site, a rocking patio with fire pits and in close proximity the beach. We can wear whatever we want to work and can make our spaces our own. But most importantly, we throw rocking parties.

Tonight was our annual holiday party complete with lots of booze, good food and free stuff.

Well guess who has two thumbs and won something tonight.

This girl.

I was the lucky winner of a primo parking spot at work. Like, super primo. For a whole year. Three hundred and sixty five days, minus weekends and holidays, of up front parking.

Score.

Thank you Quiksilver. For being awesome. For giving me super awesome parking, and for eating all my treats when I bring them to work. 

Just like these tasty morsels that they destroyed.

You will need…

Brownies:

1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour

¾ cup cocoa powder

½ teaspoon baking powder

1 cup butter (2 sticks)

2 cups sugar

4 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

10 ounces (1 pack) mint chocolate chips

Frosting:

½ cup butter (1 stick)

1/3 cup cocoa powder

2 cups powdered sugar

2 tablespoons whole milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Green sprinkles (optional)

Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees F.

Then in the bowl of a stand mixer or in a bowl with a hand mixer, blend together the 1 cup butter and 2 cups sugar until light and fluffy.

While you are slowly mixing, add in the eggs one at a time.

Add in 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.

Then mix together the flour, baking powder and cocoa powder and sift it slowly into the wet mixture.

Mix in the chocolate mint chips until completely combined.

Pour into a 9 x 13 inch buttered baking dish.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes.

Set aside to cool.

While the brownies are cooling, mix together the remaining butter, cocoa powder, powdered sugar and vanilla extract.

When completely blended and the brownies have completely cooled, use a spatula to evenly spread the frosting.

Top with green sprinkles.

Cut and serve.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela  

Mint Chocolate Brownies with Chocolate Frosting

Brownies:

1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour

¾ cup cocoa powder

½ teaspoon baking powder

1 cup butter (2 sticks)

2 cups sugar

4 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

10 ounces (1 pack) mint chocolate chips

Frosting:

½ cup butter (1 stick)

1/3 cup cocoa powder

2 cups powdered sugar

2 tablespoons whole milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Green sprinkles (optional)

Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees F.

Then in the bowl of a stand mixer or in a bowl with a hand mixer, blend together the 1 cup butter and 2 cups sugar until light and fluffy.

While you are slowly mixing, add in the eggs one at a time.

Add in 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.

Then mix together the flour, baking powder and cocoa powder and sift it slowly into the wet mixture.

Mix in the chocolate mint chips until completely combined.

Pour into a 9 x 13 inch buttered baking dish.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes.

Set aside to cool.

While the brownies are cooling, mix together the remaining butter, cocoa powder, powdered sugar and vanilla extract.

When completely blended and the brownies have completely cooled, use a spatula to evenly spread the frosting.

Top with green sprinkles.

Cut and serve.

Almond Roca

Since I’m not a huge lover of sweet things, most of the things I make during the Twelve Days of Treats end up being given away.

But this is a treat that I made sure to gobble up plenty of.

Not only is almond roca one of my all time favorite sweet treats, but this was one of the best almond rocas I had ever had.

Eat your hearts out roca lovers. This bad boy is the bee’s knees.

And so freaking easy to make.

So easy that Joe Cool over here got to chill in his shades while helping out. 

You will need…

1 cup roasted and salted almonds, chopped

1 cup butter (2 sticks) plus 1 tablespoon

1 cup light brown sugar

1 cup semisweet chocolate

Start by using buttering a 7 x 11 inch baking pan with 1 tablespoon butter.

Then, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium high heat.

When the butter has melted add in the brown sugar and bring the mixture to a boil.

Reduce the heat to medium and boil, stirring often until the temperature has reached 300 degrees F. You will need to use a candy thermometer (you can buy them cheap at the grocery store). If you reach 320 degrees F it will not harden so be very careful.

Pour half the almonds into the buttered pan then pour the sugar mixture over the almonds.

Pour the chocolate over the almonds and butter and sugar mixture and allow it to melt for about 3 minutes.

After the chocolate has begun to melt, use a spatula to spread it out evenly.

Top with the remaining almonds and put in the refrigerator for an hour.

When the roca has completely hardened, chop with a knife and serve.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela  

Almond Roca

1 cup roasted and salted almonds, chopped

1 cup butter (2 sticks) plus 1 tablespoon

1 cup light brown sugar

1 cup semisweet chocolate

Start by using buttering a 7 x 11 inch baking pan with 1 tablespoon butter.

Then, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium high heat.

When the butter has melted add in the brown sugar and bring the mixture to a boil.

Reduce the heat to medium and boil, stirring often until the temperature has reached 300 degrees F. You will need to use a candy thermometer (you can buy them cheap at the grocery store). If you reach 320 degrees F it will not harden so be very careful.

Pour half the almonds into the buttered pan then pour the sugar mixture over the almonds.

Pour the chocolate over the almonds and butter and sugar mixture and allow it to melt for about 3 minutes.

After the chocolate has begun to melt, use a spatula to spread it out evenly.

Top with the remaining almonds and put in the refrigerator for an hour.

When the roca has completely hardened, chop with a knife and serve.