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Category Archives: cooking

I make! Fudge fish pops edition

So recently, I may have purchased a this:

Links to Amazon.

Links to Amazon.

Yup.  I may be the proud owner of a fish pop mold.  Zoku makes them and they are entirely amusing to me.   But fish pop molds are not useful unless you’re actually molding fish pops.  Enter the fudge pop, in particular Alton Brown’s recipe for fudge pops.  That I am making in a fish pop mold.  Thus making them fudge fish pops.  In case you were wondering.

Here is the recipe.  I did make modifications to use what I had on hand and also because I have stress-brain which makes me forgetful.

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I probably should put him on a plate next time so you can see his tail. But don’t worry, it’s a complete shark.

  • I replaced the bittersweet chocolate with semi-sweet chocolate morsels.  Because I always have those on hand.
  • I didn’t add vanilla.  Because of stress-brain.  You should add vanilla.
  • I added 1-2 tablespoons of sugar because I was going to be serving these to kids.  The recipe will be quite bitter if made as is.  It’s going to be bitter even if you make it with semi-sweet chocolate.  This is not your childhood fudge pop.  You’re using fairly dark chocolate and not adding any sweeteners.  It’ll be wonderfully chocolatey, but if you also want something sweet, sub out the bittersweet with milk chocolate or something.  Or dump in a bunch of sugar.  And taste it before you pour it the mold!  If it’s already bitter and gross to you when it’s warm, you’re more than likely not going to like it when it’s cold.
  • If you have issues with your ganache (which is more or less what you’re making) being grainy…well, there are a lot of reasons for that.  What’s likely happening is that you’re stirring too vigorously.  Or possibly that your cream mixture was entirely too hot.  At any rate, just strain it if you don’t like the grainy texture.  It’s not the end of the world.

I make! Cheddar jalapeno focaccia edition


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I found some yeast the other day in the pantry.  I also had some pickled jalapenos and shredded cheese left over from taco night with the girls a few weeks back.  So…I made some focaccia (the cheddar and jalapeno variety being my favorite).

I don’t typically work with yeast.  You’ll note that most of my baking posts have been quick breads in which you use chemical leavening agents.  It’s easier.  And quicker.  I think the only other thing I’ve done with yeast recently was the pretzels.

Anyway, I decided to make focaccia to help get rid of ingredients and also because it’s super fast.  Well, assuming that you have lively yeast.  Which I didn’t.  I really should have waited on the yeast a bit more, but oh well.

I have enough cheese to make it again, so I probably will.  I might have to replace that jar of yeast, though.  In case you’re wondering, I used this recipe as my base.  Basically, all I needed to know was how much flour I needed to make enough dough for a half sheet pan.