A modest proposal

[beautifulduckweed]

This one, however, doesn't involve eating babies, although just about every other kind of fatty animal is going to be on the menu.

So tomorrow (technically: today), Jess and I are going to cook Thanksgiving 2: Electric Boogaloo, a.k.a. Frenchgiving. On the menu so far:

Smoked goose
Smoked capon
Mushroom soup
Tartiflette (which calls for a pound of cheese, half a pound of bacon, two and a half pounds of potatoes and copious amounts of white wine)
Salmon gnocchi
Salmon tartare (they were going to be salmon cornets, but we lack proper cornet-creating equipment)
Salad with candied pecans and home-made elderflower and garlic vinaigrette dressing
Crepes with raspberries (The quantity of desserts was ludicrous enough without us making it any more ridiculous)
Creme brulee
Angel food cake (hey, we have to do something with all the egg whites left over)
Mocha rum cake (which is baking in the oven as I type this)

This is not counting the other things that will be brought over by Jess and Colin's other friends.

Also! I made the Best Raspberry Brownies Ever for Thanksgiving Proper, which other people told me wasn't actually a brownie but a fudge cake. Psh. Whatevs. It was tender and deeply chocolatey and amazing, and I provide you with the recipe forthwith. It was based on a basic brownie recipe, but I modified it so heavily, it's basically its own thing now.

7 ounces dark chocolate (I used one with 73% cocoa content), chopped
2 sticks (1/2 lb.) butter, cut into 1/4" squares
3 large eggs
1-3/4 cups dark brown sugar
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vanilla essence or paste
8 oz. raspberries (either fresh or frozen will work, though the frozen berries will increase baking time)

1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9" springform pan. If you want a thinner brownie, use a 10" springform or a 9 x 13 rectangular pan, and decrease baking time accordingly.

2. Melt butter and chocolate in double boiler or in a large bowl in the microwave. Stir until mixture is uniform and smooth.

3. Whisk in eggs, vanilla and sugar. Stir in flour and salt. Add raspberries and fold them in gently. Transfer mixture into prepared pan.

4. Bake for about 45 minutes. If you used frozen berries, you might need to add about a half hour to this (I did) but I highly recommend that you check every 5 minutes after 55 minutes are up. Eat warm, and preferably with ice cream or lightly sweetened whipped cream or both if you REALLY want to make those arteries your utter and complete bitch.

Comments

[jennekirby.livejournal.com]

Oh my GOD I want to make those brownies. Ohhhhhh.

[jennekirby.livejournal.com]

And, in fact, I have just made them. Though I used fresh raspberries, they did take an hour to bake... not sure why, but it's probably just the pan I used. I'll report back on whether or not I fucked them up when we eat them tonight!

[misshepeshu.livejournal.com]

YAY! You'll have to let me know how they turned out. Baking time can vary considerably with brownies, depending on how fudgy vs. cakey you like 'em, how deep the batter is, etc. It's a pretty forgiving recipe, though--even if you over-bake 'em (and I doubt that happened with you), what you end up with is a super-chewy cookie texture.

[ibnfirnas.livejournal.com]

Oh my Jesus.
Salmon gnocchi? I must know.

[misshepeshu.livejournal.com]

I will report back, madame.

[whitemunin.livejournal.com]

Where in the world did you find elderflower for sale? I'd love to make a viniagrette like that.

[misshepeshu.livejournal.com]

It's elderflower vinegar, actually, and Jess bought it from some variety of chi-chi grocery store...somewhere.

[ashfae.livejournal.com]

Frenchgiving?? Fucking awesome!!

Those brownies sound eeeeeeeeeexcellent! *adds recipe to file*

[misshepeshu.livejournal.com]

Indeed. So much tastiness!

[linettasky.livejournal.com]

*Drool*

[misshepeshu.livejournal.com]

*hands you napkin and pats you on back*

I'm going to hijack some pieces of cake for Portland. God knows we have an utterly ridiculous amount of cake.

[rat-bastird.livejournal.com]

babies are delicious though!!!

[misshepeshu.livejournal.com]

Yes, but they squall so when you stick 'em in the smoker.

[(Anonymous)]

That is why i fry them. Smoking is tastier and healthier though.