Getting It Right: Brussels Sprouts

I finally perfected my recipe for Brussels Sprouts. The previous recipe with the scallions was good but I think using a strip of bacon is the way to go. Parmesan cheese and lemon juice/zest are also acceptable alternatives. I think the amount of flavor you get from one strip of bacon is just right.

Ingredients:
3 cups of Brussels Sprouts (cut in half, yellow leaves removed)
2 tablespoons of olive oil
salt
black pepper
1 or 2 strips of bacon

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Trim the bottom of the sprouts, leaving the core in tact. Cut the sprouts in half.




2. Place sprouts in a bowl and drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and olive oil.

3. Spread sprouts evenly and place bacon strip(s) across the top.


4. Bake for 40 minutes, stirring the sprouts about 3 times to ensure even cooking.

5. Remove and chop the bacon into small strips and toss with sprouts in a bowl.

Black Velvet Cupcakes with Dark Chocolate Ganache Frosting

I have been meaning to make chocolate ganache for a long time. I love the way it looks when it's piped on top of a cake--all tidy and glossy. It was remarkably easy to make. There are really only two ingredients: cream and chocolate. I didn't have enough chips so I added a few little bars of chocolate that I had sitting around. I pulsed them in the food processor to ensure that everything would melt evenly when I poured the cream in.

*I made the ganache first so that it could set up to a texture where I could pipe it out by the time the cupcakes were cool.



I took this recipe from sweetsavorylife.com:


Chocolate Ganache

Ingredients:
12 ounces chocolate, chopped into small pieces
1 cup heavy cream
optional 3 tablespoons flavored (I used 3 tablespoons of espresso)

Instructions

1. Place chocolate pieces in a large bowl.




2. Heat heavy cream on medium high until it comes to a boil.





3. Remove from heat and immediately pour cream over chocolate and stir until completely mixed and glossy.


4. Allow ganache to cool before pouring over cakes as a glaze. The longer you allow the ganache to cool, the thicker it will set. Typically I stick mine in the refrigerator so it is slightly cold before whipping. For piping or frosting, allow the ganache to completely cool and set up. When you are able to spoon the ganache and it can hold its texture, it is ready for piping.



I used that old Hershey's Midnight Cake recipe, although no actual Hershey's chocolate was used in these particular cupcakes.



update*

I had a hard time piping the ganache so I ended up just heating it and applying it as a glaze. It was still delicious but I need to work on my tempering.