…in the United States and Newfoundland”.

Though the official start to the NHL 09/10 season started on Thursday (Flames beat the Canucks 5-3, just saying) in the hearts of a lot of people, myself included, the start of the season is the first Hockey Night In Canada. And folks, would be tonight.

In order to honour our beloved HNIC,  tortured Leafs fan Ivonne (Cream Puffs in Venice), Mary (The Sour Dough), and myself (Peabody…in case you forgot) decided that we would hold a potluck. We are all foodies. And we all love hockey. I mean LOVE hockey. It’s nice to have two people how not only share my adoration of food, but hockey. So a potluck just seemed right.

Now granted we live no where near each other but since we are such big fans of hockey we thought we would give it a virtual go. Mary is in charge of appetizers. Ivonne is in charge of the main course. And I, I am in charge of dessert.

Now there are two games, in case you didn’t know. One at 7 pm(4pm my time) and 10pm (7pm my time). And if you are wondering, yes, kids get to stay up to watch the late game. It’s just what you do. But since you are watching 6 hours of hockey (may seem a lot to you, but not really) you don’t want to have to miss out on the game by making some complicated dessert. I figured the best thing to do was to make something that could be made ahead of time for the most part. I chose to make Chocolate-Peanut Butter Peanut Brownies and shape them like little pucks. I know, I’m a nerd. So be it.
They are topped with some store bought ice cream (or homemade…knock yourself out) and some Peanut Butter Dulce de Leche sauce. The sauce can be made ahead of time and reheated, but since it doesn’t take any real time to make it, you can make it between games no problem. Or intermission if you just can’t wait for dessert.

As usual, I am hopeful for my two teams, the Flames and the Flyers to go far this year, and for the Flames to win the Stanley Cup. They both have wins under their belts already so that is a good sign. Or so I tell myself.

Feel free to head on over to both Ivonne and Mary’s to see what I will be virtually eating tonight as I watch the games. Though I must admit I will be watching the Flyers game instead of the Leaf/Caps game. But I will check in with it. But I will sure as heck be watching the battle of Alberta at 10pm! Go Flames! 

 Hockey Puck Chocolate-Peanut Butter Peanut Brownies with Peanut Butter Dulce de Leche Sauce

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Peanut Brownies

4 oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped finely
¾ cup unsalted butter
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
½ cup brown sugar, lightly packed
½ cup peanut butter (I used Jif)
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup unsalted peanuts, coarsely chopped (optional)

Preheat oven to 350F.

Spray a 9-x-13-inch pan with baking spray, or butter and flour it.

Using a double boiler, melt together the unsweetened chocolate and butter. When both are melted, remove from boiler and whisk together to blend chocolate and butter fully. Whisk in brown sugar and peanut butter until fully incorporated. Set aside.

Using a stand mixer (or a large bowl and an electric hand mixer) with the whisk attachment on medium speed, whisk together the eggs and granulated sugar until eggs become pale in color, about 2 minutes.

Add the vanilla and beat for another 30 seconds.

With mixer turned off, pour chocolate/peanut butter mixture into the mixing bowl. Mix together on medium speed until chocolate/peanut butter mixture and egg mixture are fully incorporated.

Remove bowl from mixer. Add flour and stir using a wooden spoon. You could keep it in the mixer, but I find if you do this step by hand you tend not to over mix. You want to make sure the flour is fully incorporated but not over mixed. Fold in chopped peanuts if using.

Pour into prepared 9-x-13-inch pan and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a wooden skewer or sharp knife comes out with a few fudgy crumbles stuck to it.

Cool on a wire rack. Once cool, flip brownies over onto a cutting board, carefully. Using a round cookie cutter, cut out pucks. Or if you are going to be boring and not make pucks, just cut them into squares.

Peanut Butter Dulce de Leche Sauce:

½ cup Dulce de Leche (I bought mine, you can make yours)
1/3 cup peanut butter
¼ -1/3 cup heavy cream (depending on how thick you want your sauce)

In a small saucepan, over medium-low heat, heat together peanut butter, Dulce de Leche, and ¼ cup heavy cream, whisking the whole time until all the ingredients are fully combined and sauce is smooth. If sauce is too thick, add more cream. Heat until warm, but not hot (don’t want all the ice cream to melt).

To make Hockey Puck Sundaes:

Place one hockey puck shaped brownie on plate. Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Add another brownie puck on top of that. Squish down a little to make a sandwich. Top again with a scoop of ice cream and top with Peanut Butter Dulce de Leche sauce.

Whatever you do, don’t throw away the extra bits of brownie. Just throw that in a bowl and cover with sauce and ice cream and eat.

How do you translate a hug into food? That was my challenge of sorts.
For you see one of my favorite food bloggers and all around wonderful person Barb, of Winos and Foodies, thought it would be a good idea to see if there were in advances in chemotherapy. You might know Barb from her efforts for getting the word out about cancer with her LiveStrong with a Taste of Yellow event that she has hosted for the last two years. Unfortunately Barb is back to battling cancer. Some of us fellow food bloggers (headed up by Bron and Ilva) thought it would be a good idea to send Barb a big cyberspace hug. Letting her know we are sending her every good thought that we could possible muster up!
So I thought long and hard about what to make. What would say comfort and love. Hot chocolate. Hot chocolate always makes me feel at peace. And I want Barb to feel at peace.
I am one of those who can not have hot chocolate without marshmallows ( well, I suppose if I was forced I could). Marshmallow panna cotta popped up in my head. Only problem…no one had made that yet…well if they did it’s not in cyberspace. So off to the experimenting I went. It only took two tries and I thought it would take much longer. The second time was a charm so to speak and let us hope that Barb’s second time is a charm as well.
To compliment the panna cotta I made a Peppermint “Hot Chocolate” Soup for it to swim in. If you wandering if it taste like marshmallow. Yes, like a big creamy, smooth one.
All the best Barb, we are thinking of you!
(((((((((HUGS, HUGS, HUGS, HUGS, HUGS, HUGS, HUGS, HUGS, HUGS, HUGS, HUGS, HUGS,HUGS, HUGS, HUGS, HUGS,  HUGS, HUGS, HUGS, HUGS))))))

 Marshmallow Panna Cotta with Peppermint “Hot Chocolate” Soup

Marshmallow Panna Cotta

2 cups heavy cream
½ cup half and half (or you can use more heavy cream)
½  cup marshmallow fluff
1 package (¼  ounce) unflavored gelatin
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Place ½ cup of cream in a small bowl and sprinkle gelatin over the cream. Let gelatin bloom for about 5 minutes.
Put remaining cream and half and half into a medium saucepan on medium-low heat. Add marshmallow fluff and whisk into cream mixture. As the mixture heats up the marshmallow will start to melt into it, keep whisking to make sure it full incorporates.
Turn heat to low and add in the bloomed gelatin, whisking again to make sure it fully incorporates.
Add sugar and vanilla extract. Whisk until sugar has dissolved.
Pour mixture into ramekins of your choice. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours but serve that day or the next for best texture and flavor.
Unmold by dipping ramekins into hot water for a few seconds. Flip the panna cotta over into a shallow soup bowl. Pour in chocolate soup. Garnish with candy cane pieces and extra chocolate if you like.

“Hot Chocolate” Soup

1 cup whole milk
1 cup half and half
3 heaping TBSP powdered peppermint hot chocolate
2 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
2 ounces milk chocolate, chopped

Place milk in a medium saucepan and whisk in hot chocolate. Add half and half and bring to a boil.
Remove from heat and add chopped chocolate. Let sit for about 3 minutes.
Whisk to incorporate the chocolate until totally smooth. Let cool slightly as to not melt the panna cotta when served with it.

Since when did getting an education become a bad thing?
In my day, you either went to a community college for 2 years and then on to a 4 year university or you went to a 4 year university….for 4 years. Now granted I took 4 ½ years, but I got two degrees during that time and I went an extra semester just so I could student teach in the Fall (I wanted to see how a teacher set up her classroom, not one that was already established). And no one looked down on your for going to the same college all 4 years.
But I was listening to the radio the other day and a McDonald’s commercial came on. It was making fun of Starbucks by saying now that they offer all these coffee’s you no longer have to have  a degree in Russian literature to drink coffee. It says that you can go back to reading gossip magazines. Umm, really? I don’t feel like I need a degree in Russian literature to drink my Venti, half-caf, non-fat, sugar free cinnamon dolce, no whip (yes, I am difficult coffee orderer). Has no one who works for Corporate McDonald’s been to a Starbucks? I wouldn’t call most of the people in there sophisticated…heck, half of them are teenage girls…reading gossip magazines. Yes, Starbucks carries books and tries to promote reading (the horror) but I don’t get the feeling that I need a doctorate to do so.
Then there is the election coverage where it is implied by a certain favorite VP candidate of mine that I am somehow elite for getting a four year education at the same university. Yes, I feel elite driving my 5 year old (but paid for!) Ford Focus. I feel elite cleaning my house in sweatpants with holes in them. I feel elite when swinging by the Taco Bell on a Thursday night because I am too tired to cook. That’s me, elite.
Now don’t get me wrong. If you don’t get your degree in 4 years or all from the same university that is fine by me. But don’t belittle me because I did. Don’t have a college degree? Also fine by me. I was never one of those teachers who felt that every kid should go to college, because every kid shouldn’t. Some people are just more inclined to do work that doesn’t require a traditional college degree. I have several college degrees…but I sure can’t fix my car. But again, why make fun of me because I did get an education. It’s just so weird to me.
Now one thing I am an elitist about is dessert in a restaurant. Again, not your mom and pop type place, but an upscale place. If I am paying $9 for dessert, it better be flipping FANTASTIC. Case in point, we went out the other night to a new place. I really liked everything but stuffed myself silly. But, I saw on the menu that the had a Pear Bread Pudding. I have this thing where if I go to a restaurant and they have bread pudding and I haven’t had it yet, I order it. Kind of like my own personal quest to find the best bread pudding. $9 this sucker cost me. I got it home and it was quite large (so I was quite excited) but sadly the bread was almost dry (weird for bread pudding) and the pears were crunchy. Boo. What a waste. Of course I had to set them straight.
Since Anita (Dessert First) was the host of this months Sugar High Friday and her choice was spice, I thought I would show that restaurant how pear bread pudding should be looking and tasting. And since nutmeg goes so nicely with pear, and nutmeg is a spice, I figured this could be my entry. This one is made with a basic French bread. I saved money by buying day old bread…so this is a budget dessert (HA!). You can use whatever type of pear you would like but just make sure they are ripe, I learned all too well that crunchy pears are not good in this.
You can use whatever sauce you would like. I used a Dulce De Leche sauce that someone had given me. It was very tasty. I think a nice crème anglaise spiked with a little nutmeg would be great. And of course you can never go wrong with caramel.

Pear Nutmeg Bread Pudding

1 medium loaf French Bread
1 ½ cups heavy cream
½ cup whole milk
4 egg yolks
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 tsp freshly ground nutmeg (this can vary based on how much you like nutmeg, I like nutmeg)
1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
1 cup pears, peeled, diced
½  cup golden raisins

Preheat oven to 350F.

The night before making the pudding. Cut French Bread loaf into rectangular pieces. Lay them out overnight on the counter uncovered, as to get stale.
In an greased but not floured 8-x-8-inch pan, sprinkle as many bread pieces as you can on the bottom. Sprinkle with ½ of the diced pears and ¼ cup raisins.
Mix the egg yolks, sugars, vanilla extract and nutmeg together in a bowl. Then stir in the heavy cream and milk.
Pour the custard over the bread first layer of bread. Press down the bread pieces until the bread is soaked with the custard. Again sprinkle bread (you will most likely have left over pieces…that’s okay, make croƒ»tons or bread crumbs out of them). Sprinkle the remaining pears and raisins on top. Pour enough custard over the bread so that when you press down on the bread, the bread is soaked in custard. Depending on how stale your bread is you may likely will have extra custard. Don¢â¬â„¢t feel like you have to use all the custard.
Place pan into another pan that will hold a water bath. Bake the bread pudding for 45 minutes to an hour until golden on top. Cool 10 minutes and serve warm. Serve with Dulce de Leche or Caramel sauce.

When I first saw this event I decided to ask my “American” friends what they thought of when I said the word Canada. Hockey, beer and maple syrup…oh and Canadian Bacon(it’s called back bacon people!!!) All good things but I found it humorous that those were pretty much the same four answers I got over and over again. I did get a Bryan Adams the singer and “cold” thrown in now and then for good measure.
If I hadn’t felt so crummy as of late I would have made something involving back bacon and beer for the savory event that Jasmine is holding…I might just do that for me anyhow.
Since I was only going with the one event, Mmmm Canada(the sweet edition), hosted by none other the Domestic Goddess herself, I settled on good ol’ maple syrup(Canada does after all make more than 80% of the world’s supply). Most people in the states think maple syrup is Mrs. Butterworth or Log Cabin…ugh(so does, surprise…my husband). Oh the horror. FYI- none of those actually contain any maple syrup. Lucky for me more and more places are carrying actual maple syrup and people got to stop sending it to me since I could get it here.
Maple syrup comes in different grades, but I am a grade B girl myself. I like the flavor better for baking and cooking. And speaking of baking, I made a maple syrup pie. It is a combination of my friend’s(from Quebec) recipe and a recipe I found in Sweets, which was interesting since it is a southern cookbook. You can use just about any type of nut, but you really do have to love maple syrup to eat this pie. I used the cream cheese pie crust that I used for my salmon quiche since I had some left over but you could use whatever pie crust you like.
Hope everyone who celebrates it has a great Canada Day!(it’s July 1st if you didn’t know)

Maple Syrup Pie

1 unbaked 9-inch pie crust
2 ¼ cups maple syrup(the real stuff)
¾ cup heavy whipping cream
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
4 eggs
1 cup pecans, roughly chopped

Preheat to 375F.
In a large bowl, whisk together maple syrup, heavy whipping cream, and flour until blended.
Add eggs one at a time, making sure the it’s blended well.
Fold in the pecans.
Pour the filling into the prepared pie crust.
Bake for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350F and bake for another 30-35 minutes or until the filling is set.
Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes before serving. I serve mine with maple whipped cream as well as more maple syrup poured over each slice. But I love me some maple sryup.

Adapted from Sweets:  A Collection of Soul Food Desserts and Memories by Patty Pinner and my friend C’s grandmother.

Cream Cheese Pie Crust(from Northwest Noshings)

2 cups all-purpose flour
8 ounce cream cheese, softened but still cool
2 sticks(8 ounces) unsalted butter, softened but still cool

In a mixer, combine all ingredients and mix on medium-low until it forms a dough. Wrap in plastic wrap and place in fridge for 30 minutes.