Superbowl Hooshkadoos

I thought I would do a special post today since it is Superbowl Sunday. I really got the inspiration to chronicle my latest creation and then realized its a great recipe and why wouldn't I want to go ahead and share it.

This year for our annual Superbowl Party I am making Hooshkadoos, otherwise known as Cheesecake Brownies. This recipe comes from one of my best friends from high school and his family. They taught me this recipe and I have been making it ever since. The name comes from my "Late Night Movie" group of friends that will be at the Superbowl Party.

This year I am definitely cheering for Peyton Manning, I mean the Broncos. I have always really liked the Colts, so I was heartbroken when they dropped Manning. I'm excited to watch him play tonight! In honor of what may be his last game, I made this batch of Hooshkadoos Bronco's colors, but you can substitute any color or no color at all.

Hooshkadoos

• 1 box Brownie Mix, made according to the directions (oil, water, eggs)
• 2 8oz cream cheese bricks (room temperature)
• 2 eggs (room temperature)
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla
• Food dye

The first step it to turn the oven to 350 degrees (or if your oven runs hot, 325). Spray a 13 by 9 pan with Baker's Joy or Pam. Make the box of brownie mix according to the directions and pour the batter into the pan. You'll want the brownie batter to be evenly spread through the bottom of the pan, but gravity should take cake of that for you as you work on the cheesecake part!

For this particular batch of Hooshkadoos I made each batch of the cheesecake separately and dyed them (1 brick of cream cheese, 1 egg, 1/3 cup sugar, and 1 tsp vanilla). To make the cheesecake mixture mix together the cream cheese and eggs. Beat until smooth and creamy. Beat in the sugar until smooth. Mix in vanilla and any dye you have planned. 

There are a few different methods you can use to get the cheesecake mixture onto the brownies. This time I filled icing piping bags and created stripes on top of the brownie batter. You can also spoon the mixture into the batter, creating wells of cheesecake, and making sure that it is sitting on top of the batter as well. 

The last step to prepare for baking is to swirl the cheesecake and brownie together. Using a butter knife, slowly move through the batter, fist left to right, then back and forth, and finish with one more left to right if it needs more swirl action. The key to this is to find what works for you and to make sure some of the brownie makes its way into the cheesecake. 

Viola! You have a delicious, Superbowl themed dessert! I hope you enjoy!

Dreaming of Cold Weather

You would never know it by the weather here in Dallas, but its still winter. I have always loved the cold weather, especially when there’s snow. I am staying positive and hoping that we will still have at least one winter storm, mainly so we can kill some of the plants causing our family such miserable allergies!

With the hope that winter might still visit us, I am sharing my favorite chili recipe with you today. I think its worthwhile to make a really good chili from scratch and to give it plenty of time to simmer on the stove. Extending the simmering time allows all the flavors to blend and helps to cut the acidity of the tomatoes. Growing up we always ate peanut butter mixed with honey on our chili, but my husband prefers the more traditional corn bread (also, he’s allergic to peanuts, so I don’t eat peanut butter nearly as much as I used to.)

Homestyle Chili

• 2-3 pounds ground beef
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp garlic powder (or fresh chopped garlic)
• 2 bay leaves
• ¼ oregano
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 2 tbsp paprika
• 46oz Original V8 juice
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 16 oz peeled or crushed tomatoes
• 2 cups dried pinto beans

Begin by browning the ground beef in a large dutch oven or stock pot. You will want to make sure there is enough space for all of the ingredients. Drain any fat off the meat when it is fully cooked.

Throw the onions and garlic into the dutch oven with the browned meat and allow to cook until the onions soften. Then dump the remaining ingredients into the pot and bring to a simmer. Once the pot has starting bubbling, reduce the heat and cover with a lid. Allow the mixture to simmer for four hours, stirring occasionally.

That’s it! It doesn’t take a lot of work to make, and makes a huge batch. We froze half of the last batch we made so we can enjoy it in the future. If you want to do this, make sure that you allow the chili to cool completely before closing the container and putting it into the freezer.

I hope you enjoy this delicious chili (with or without the cold weather!)