I’ve been waiting to post this one for a while now.  I didn’t want to let the cat out of the bag yet.

I don’t share all that much about my personal life on this blog.  It’s about the food for me.  But, I feel strongly about this one, so I figured I would share it with all of you, my friends through the internet.

Some of you may know that I had been traveling cross country the past few months, interviewing at several different places for my final, real, grown-up job.  Hectic?  Just a smidge.  After going through all this training (ahem, student loans galore….), I wanted to make the right decision when it came to finally settling down somewhere for a while.  Get my roots, you know?  And after some pretty extensive turmoil over the past four years or so of my life, I was ready to finally go ahead and get my big girl pants on….find a job…negotiate a contract…uproot myself (again) on my own (with a package deal of one fat orange cat, one petite and prissy black cat, and one lovable, sweet sweet boxer..) and start the next phase of my life.

And, so I did.  I’m moving to Milwaukee, friends!  So, starting in July, expect a lot more recipes that call for beer and/or cheese.  I’m going to a great practice with great people, and I will get to do my dream job…everyday.  It’s rare that opportunities like this come up for people in my field, so I am running with one.

To celebrate, I wanted to share a recipe with cheese.  Lots of it.  Something comforting.  Something rewarding.  I indulged at the market with the truffle oil.  I had passed by the white truffle oils several times, giving them a sideways glance and wondering what all the fuss was about.  And, as in fuss, I mean a small bottle costing nearly $20.  My grocery bills are exorbitant enough for one person (I mean, sometimes it’s seriously embarrassing with the amount of food I bring home..for one person.) so I never went for it.  But, with the contract officially signed and sent off now, I figured I should celebrate.  So I bought the big bottle.  Big girl (fancy) pants, right?

A few things about this recipe: I think I may have used a little too much truffle oil, so I am tweaking the recipe here for you.  The flavor is great..it’s a little hard to describe: earthy, savory, a little salty…but definitely fancy.  I also used Dijon mustard in the original recipe, but I would also omit this as well the next time I make this (so I omitted it for you here). The cheese combination melted beautifully.  I used the panko because I prefer that over bread crumbs any day, but feel free to use whatever topping you like.  I decided to broil the mac and cheese instead of baking it because I prefer the texture of a creamy stove-top-like one over a baked version.

And so what did I do?  I poured myself a nice glass of wine, made a side salad, ate something totally unhealthy for dessert, and enjoyed this fancy-pants mac and cheese to celebrate my new transition into being a grown-up.

White Truffle Macaroni and Cheese

Servings: approximately 8

Ingredients

1 cup panko

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

1-2 tablespoons white truffle oil (to taste)

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons flour

2 cups half and half

8 ounces white cheddar cheese, grated

8 ounces Fontina cheese, grated

Salt and pepper, to taste

8 ounces elbow macaroni (or your personal favorite type of pasta)

Green onions, chopped, for garnish (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees (this is considered broiling).  Generously spray a 2.5-quart casserole dish with cooking spray.

2. In a medium bowl, combine the panko, Parmesan and 1 tablespoon white truffle oil (if using less white truffle oil overall, use about 1/2 tablespoon here), mixing until combined.

3. In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat. (If you are short on time, it might be helpful at this point to get your water boiling for the macaroni.)

4. Add the flour and whisk continuously until the mixture forms a thick paste, about a minute or so.

5. Slowly whisk in the half and half until smooth (some lumps may remain-that’s ok).

6. Bring the mixture to a simmer and let cook, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes.

7. Using a wooden spoon, slowly add the cheeses and stir until completely melted.

8. Add the remaining truffle oil and salt and pepper, to taste.

9. Meanwhile, cook the macaroni as directed on the package.  Once cooked, drain the pasta and add it to the cheese sauce.

10.  Evenly distribute the macaroni into the prepared casserole dish and top with the panko mixture.

11.  Broil until the panko topping is lightly golden, about 3-4 minutes.  (Watch it carefully so that it doesn’t burn!)  Top with green onions (if using) and serve immediately.

Source:  Adapted from Leites Culinaria.

Hello, True Love.

These are chocolate raspberry truffle brownies. I have been making this recipe since I was in high school.  It’s one of those recipes that I will always go back to…it’s seriously one of the best things I have ever tasted.  A decadent, rich brownie base with an overlying cream cheese/chocolate/raspberry truffle, and then….even a chocolate drizzle on top.  Top it off with a fresh raspberry for garnish, give it to a boy/girl, and he/she might just fall in love with you.

I made these for a party that my friend Kelli and I recently hosted.  I made them the day before and stored them overnight in the refrigerator.  They keep well for a few days if kept cold (that is, if you HAVE any left over…..)  The addition of a little instant coffee really brings out the richness of the chocolate.

But, I have a confession to make.  The recipe calls for semisweet chocolate.  I accidentally grabbed a couple of bags of bittersweet chocolate chips….which I used for the truffle and the chocolate drizzle.  I had enough semisweet chips left in my pantry to make the brownie base, though.  I really liked the slightly less sweet version of the brownie with the bittersweet chocolate chips…believe me, these are sweet enough as it is.

Chocolate Raspberry Truffle Brownies

Servings: about 20 bite-size brownies

Ingredients

For the brownies:

1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick)

1 and 1/4 cups semisweet chocolate chips

2 eggs

3/4 cup light brown sugar

1 teaspoon instant coffee crystals

2 tablespoons water

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

For the filling:

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1 package (8 ounces) softened cream cheese

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1/3 cup seedless red raspberry jam

For the glaze:

1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1 teaspoon shortening

Instructions

For the brownies:

1.  Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.

2.  In a heavy saucepan, melt the butter and chocolate chips over low heat until melted, cool slightly.

3.  In a large bowl, beat the eggs and the brown sugar until well-mixed.

4.  Dissolve the coffee crystals in the water, add to the egg mixture with the melted chocolate and mix ingredients well.

5. Combine the baking powder and flour in a small bowl; stir into chocolate mixture.

6.  Spread mixture into a greased 9-inch square baking pan.

7.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes, cool completely.

For the filling:

1.  Melt the chocolate chips and let cool slightly.

2.  In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese until fluffy; add the powdered sugar and raspberry jam-mix well.

3.  Stir in the melted chocolate until combined.

4.  Spread the filling evenly over the cooled brownies.

For the glaze:

1.  Melt the chocolate chips and shortening; mix well.

2.  Drizzle the glaze over the brownies.

3.  Chill the brownies before serving.

4.  Garnish with a fresh raspberry, kick your feet up, and be prepared to fall in love.

Adapted from Georgia (aka my mother), originally from Country Woman Magazine (original publication date unknown).

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM.  I LOVE YOU AND AM SO THANKFUL FOR YOU.  :)