Peanut Butter Brownies

I sat down this morning to bake something and started looking through cookbooks Ive been wanting to try out. I have several new ones and havent had time to bake from any of them yet. Maybe Ill show you the ones I have next time and you can tell me which one to start with. I cant decide. I love them all.

But deciding wasnt my problem so much this morning because everything fun I wanted to make called for an ingredient I didnt have. Ugh.

And I wasnt going back out to the store. Nope. I was in comfy clothes mode.

Luckily, I had peanut butter.

And chocolate chips.

I pretty much always have those two.

So I decided on peanut butter brownies.

With chocolate chips

I started by adding a half cup but then finished with a full.

Taxes are due Tuesday (yuck) so treat yourself (yes).

Spoon please.

These are perfectly fabulous just like this but I thought I would frost them too.

I had more chocolate chips I needed to use up you know since I need to go to the store anyway.

Melt the chips and then mix in some peanut butter, butter and powdered sugar.

Yes over the top and completely unnecessary.

Really, the only reason I wanted to frost them was to decorate the tops

Like peanut butter cookies.

For the record, I think they ! are bett er without frosting.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Brownies

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 Tablespoons butter, softened
1/2 cup peanut butter
2/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease an 8 X 8 pan.
• In a medium bowl, stir the flour, baking powder and salt together with a wire whisk.
• In a mixer, cream the butter and peanut butter until smooth.
• Add the eggs and vanilla and mix until combined.
• Add the dry ingredients and mix on low until combined.
• Stir in the chocolate chips.
• Spread in the pan and bake for 30-35 minutes or until done.

Notes: I baked these for 32 minutes but they really needed a few more for the center to be completely done. So to avoid the top turning too brown, place a sheet of aluminum over the pan about halfway through baking. Or you could bake them in a 9 X 13 inch pan for a few minutes less and get more brownies too.

Frosting
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 cups confectioners sugar, sifted
Milk

• Melt the chocolate in the microwave in 30 second intervals until smooth.
• Stir in the peanut butter until completely combined and set aside.
• In a mixer, beat the butter until smooth.
• Add the sugar and mix until combined.
• Add the chocolate and peanut butter mixture and mix until completely blended.
• You can add a teaspoon at a time of milk if you would like the frosting creamier.
• When the brownies are cool, spread the frosting on top.
• Go ahead and cut the brownies into 16 servings in the pan. On each serving make peanut butter cookie marks with a fork.I placed the brownies in the freezer for a few minutes first to firm so the frosting didnt get too messed up when I cu! t them.< /li>

Enjoy!

P.S. Smile if you see a brownie frownie face.

Gaijin @ South Yarra

As the name suggests, Gaijin isn't a place for authentic Japanese. Translated as "foreign" or "alien", this place tries to take Japanese into a different land of their own or in more common words; means serving fusion cuisine.


The menu has a huge focus on sushi rolls and I guess by labelling themselves as fusion, it gives them the green light to stuff anything they please into the rice roll; genius. The result of this concept is 25 different combination sushi rolls and then backed up by some starters, rice and noodle dishes.


Our concept of a simple dinner back in Brisbane has always been visiting a nearby place to eat some sushi rolls, so Gaijin fits the profile of a mid week dinner place. Being a 5 minute drive away is another plus point that Gaijin gets in my books.


Now on to the sushi.

Spider vs Dragon Roll. Spider represents the soft shell crab and the Dragon represents the eel. Put the two together, it looks like this. While the Unagi was quite generously, the soft shell crab were more tempura batter than anything. The rice was softer than I am used to but then again, this is fusion, not authentic Japanese, so sushi rice can be whatever texture they like it to be.

A more contemporary order was the tempura prawn roll which came with a little cr! ab in th e filling. It tasted pretty alright, what's there not to like about fried prawns?

Another feature of Fusion Japanese is the liberal use of mayo. This was on the spicy side to keep in sync to the name; Crunchy Spicy Salmon. The filling was a waste of calories; more tempura batter but I guess provided some texture to the dish. The salmon tasted fresh enough. While not an excellent dish, we liked where this was heading.

Another classic item, this time the soft shell crab roll. This came with a decent amount of crab and we liked the ebiko around it.

The last of the rolls; baked dynamite rolls. We loved the crab filling but the topping was kind of an over kill. The use of crab rolls or fake crab meat upset the Wife too. Order only if you like a "hot" sushi roll since this was baked and topped with sauce.

Credit is due where it is deserved. Their interpretation of the tori karaage was good. Instead of cubes, we had slices, deep fried and coated with a teriyaki / mayo sauce. I could have easily eaten 2 plates by myself.

Going through the pictures again and remembering the dinner, Gaijin isn't exactly a place for a serious dinner or a dinner you would highly recommend to people. What it is (at least to me); an averagely priced* place where we can grab a quick mid week dinner that consists of sushi rolls, some are funkier than others without much fuss.

* Around $12-$13 a sushi roll and maybe $20 a person if you share 3 rolls between two.

Address and contact details:

Verdict: Still would give this a 3.5 stars out of 5 stars for what it is.

All things sweet for FREE at Tai Zi Heen, Prince Hotel Kuala Lumpur

Who likes desserts?

Who likes FREE desserts?

From 16 - 30 April 2012, award-winning Tai Zi Heen will be featuring "All Things Sweet for Free" promotion. With a minimum order of RM50 per table, every diner at the table will be entitled to a free dessert from a selection of desserts specially designed by Chinese Head Chef, Michael Wong. This is a great way for diners to try both new desserts and old favourites from Tai Zi Heen.

We sampled 14 desserts in one seating (in miniature portions of course) and we all had our own favorites. Surprisingly most of the desserts were not that sweet, and there were a few which I enjoyed very much. The mango pudding with passion fruit sauce was pretty to look at, and there was a play of tangy-sweet flavours.

The dessert that got the most attention was the crispy durian tempura - partly bcos there was a few in our group which weren't big fans of the king of fruits. After a little persuasion, all of them eventually tried it and LIKED it. The durian flavour was there but it wasn't overpowering thanks to the use of custard, just right for both lovers and non-lovers of durian.

I also enjoyed the chilled mango puree with ice-cream, sago and pomelo as well as the lemongrass jelly with aloe vera and lime sorbet which I have eaten before during my tapas review. The latter was appetizing and I had a couple (well, maybe more) of this. ;P I also like the crispy Vietnamese spring roll filled with sweetened avocado puree and the avocado pandan puree - avocado really works in dessert. ;)

There are also the classic Chinese desserts to choose fr! om, such as iced jelly with dried longan puree and white fungus, Chinese herbal jelly with honey, sweetened red beans with lotus seeds and lily bulbs and iced sea coconut with lemon syrup.

Mango pudding with passion fruit sauce

Crispy Vietnamese spring roll filled with sweetened avocado puree

Crispy durian tempura

Chilled mango puree with ice cream, sago and pomelo

Lemongrass jelly with aloe vera and lime sorbet

Purple rice puree with banana mochi roulade

Iced jelly with dried longan puree and white fungus

Avocado pandan puree with ice cream

Chinese herbal jelly served with honey

Sweetened red bean cream with glutinous rice noodles, cashews with black and white sesame seeds

Sweetened red beans with lotus seeds and lily bulbs

Chilled Purple Rice Puree with Yam ice cream

Iced! sea coc onut with lemon syrup

Chilled cream of honey dew with sago

So which one tickles your fancy? For more info on the promotion, please click here.

Flowers at hotel lobby

Join PrinceHotelKL on Facebook or Twitter for latest promotions and updates.

Pork-free.

Opening times: Lunch; 12.00 pm - 2.30pm, Dinner; 6.30pm-10.30pm.

Location: Tai Zi Heen, Level 2, Prince Hotel & Residence Kuala Lumpur, 4 Jalan Conlay, 50450 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Tel: 03-2170 8888

Website: http://www.princehotelkl.com

GPS Coordinates: 3.150179, 101.714516

LOKL Coffee Co

LOKL Coffee's main claim to fame might be a celebrity connection _ Cheryl Samad owns it _ but it isn't a hollow vanity project. This is one of 2012's nicest new cafes.

Sharing a space with the Backhome hostel on Jalan Tun H.S. Lee, this bright, roomy outlet seems tricky to spot, but it's worth the hunt _ a mercifully air-conditioned retreat amid a cluster of shops serving kuey teow soup, chapati & banana leaf rice.

Fresh salads & sandwiches are the highlight. After trying LOKL's beautifully crisp peanut slaw (RM10.90, no taxes or service charge), rippling with shredded veggies, peppers, peanuts & Parmesan cheese in a weightless mayo dressing, we may never order KFC's coleslaw again.

Lettuce, Mandarin oranges & honey-coated almond slices in a vinaigrette dressing (RM10.90). Tastes as vibrant as it looks, terrific for perking up a tired palate.

Hainanese-style meatloaf (RM12.90) _ thick, fluffy bread fried to a golden crunch, stuffed with chicken, chestnuts & prawns & served with Worcestershire sauce. A calorie-laden counterpoint to LOKL's salads, this is crazy-good; despite its pork-free nature, we enjoyed this more than, say, Yut Kee's roti babi.

LOKL makes its own gelato, creamy & well-flavored. A recent choice: Pistachio (RM6.90).

Cupcakes supplied by the Purple Cow bakers are available; this frosting-rich peanut butter chocolate rendition (RM5.90) is irresistible in its sweet-salty stickiness. Mille-crepe cakes by The Food Foundry are also sold here.

Freshly brewed hot latte (RM10.90), with marshmallows on the side (RM1.50).

Kopi susu (RM7.50) _ local coffee with condensed milk. You'll be asked while ordering whether you'd like reduced sugar in this.

Iced cappuccino (RM10.90). Even though LOKL only opened this month, no teething troubles are evident _ service is cheerfully sterling & everything listed on the menu is available.

Lychee syrup infused ice-shaken tea (RM9.50).

One complaint: LOKL (pronounced 'local,' the name isn't an acronym for anything) operates only during office hours on weekdays. But if you work around Lebuh Ampang, it's worth walking here for lunch; others can steal a couple of hours on Friday for an extended afternoon meal.

Note: LOKL is closed today & tomorrow for a last bit of renovation. Should reopen Wednesday, but call Backhome to make sure. Park at the Ming Building or on Jalan Gereja.

LOKL Coffee Co,

30, Jalan Tun H.S. Lee, Kuala Lumpur.

Tel: 03-2022-0788

Location: On the portion of Tun H.S. Lee ro! ad near St. John's & the Telekom museum.