Fine Cuisine December 2013

DECEMBER 2013

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C R E D I T S Publisher: VIVIAN-ANNE GITTENS Editor: TYSON WEEKES Advertising Manager: PAULETTE JONES Writers: TYSON WEEKES & NICK NUNES Consulting Chef: LEANDRO STUART Photography: JABARI CLARKE & NICK NUNES Design/Layout: BRIAN O’NEALE – IMAGEWORX Advertising Executive: DEBBIE BRATHWAITE - TEL: (246) 430-5518 Email: debbiebrathwaite@nationnews.com Advertising Executive: KELLY JOHNALLY - TEL: (246) 430-5515 Email: kellyjohnally@nationnews.com Advertising Coordinator: WENDEY DELANEY – TEL: 430-5517 Printers: PRINTWEB CARIBBEAN LTD (246) 434-6719

Editor’s Note Is it me or does Christmas seem to come around increasingly faster the older we grow? Don’t get me wrong – I absolutely love Christmas! It is impossible not to get caught up in the festive spirit and the joy it brings.

In the modern age, entertaining loved ones during the holidays has brought with it the challenge of catering for people who have grown tired of the same food year after year. In this issue, we have shared a few ways to prepare Christmas dishes with exciting approaches that are sure to be a hit with your guests.

With an astonishing array of cocktail and juice recipes to choose from, as well as an unconventional approach to preparing a traditional fare such as ham, you are guaranteed to learn about dishes that suit all tastes and requirements.

What about dessert, you ask? We have addressed that too, with outside-the-box recipes to creating after-dinner show-stoppers. The best part about these delectable cookie and brownie treats is that you will only need a microwave to prepare them.

We appreciate that while cooking is rewarding, there is also a lot of euphoria to be had when indulging in the culinary diversity Barbados has to offer. The next time you’re feeling a bit peckish, be sure to use this issue as a guide for finding the best burgers and pudding and souse spots on the island.

As always, give us your feedback on the material we have produced for you. If you like what you see (and I’m confident that you will), spread your own little handful of Christmas cheer by sharing this issue of Fine Cuisine.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Tyson Weekes Editor

Fine Cuisine is produced by The Nation Publishing Co. Limited; a subsidiary of The Nation Corporation, which is a member of the One Caribbean Media Limited (OCM) group of companies. For General Info email: finecuisine@nationnews.com Every effort has been made to ensure that the information contained within this magazine is accurate, however, The Nation Publishing Co. Limited cannot be held responsible for any consequences that may arise from any errors or omissions. This publication cannot be copied in whole or in part without the explicit permission of the Publisher. ©2012 Nation Publishing Co. Limited

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Q Jug-Jug wrapped in leaves of cabbage, kissed with a papaya vinaigrette

by Chef Leandro Stuart Photography by Jabari Clarke

Contents

Bring on the Flavour 08

Brilliant Breakfast Burrito 10

Top Five Spots For Pudding & Souse 12

Top Seven Burgers 16

Unconventional Christmas: 20

Fruit & Vegetable Juice Recipes 22

4 Rum Cocktails For The Holidays 24

Rum Shop Adventure 28

Microwaveable Morsels 30

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FineCuisine | DECEMBER 2013

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Recipes

Add a touch of imagination to old Bajan classics this holiday season and impress your guests and loved ones with these dishes. This selection of elegant appetizers and festive recipes is delicious and easy to prepare for the Christmas holiday season.

Bring On The Flavour:

Christmas Food Ideas

by Tyson Weekes

Spinach Stuffed Chicken Jamoon and Sorrel Emulsion Chicken Chicken breast 1 cup chopped spinach seasoned lightly with salt and pepper Salt to taste Pepper to taste 1/2 tsp. lemon zest 3 tbsp. olive oil 1 tsp. butter Rinse your chicken and pat dry with a paper towel. Stuff with chopped spinach and season with salt, pepper and lemon zest. Place into a hot frying pan with olive oil and butter, skin side down.

Sear each side for approximately two minutes (this varies upon the thickness of your chicken breast). Remove from pan and place in the oven for seven minutes. To finish, remember to pour your “good stuff” from the pan over the chicken.

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Sorrel Sauce 1 tbsp. sorrel 2 tbsp. chopped onions 1 cup jamoons 1 chopped garlic clove 1/4 tsp. garam masala 2 tbsp. Blackstrap molasses 1/3 tsp. salt 1 cup water 1/4 cup butter (refrigerated) 1 tbsp. olive oil To a hot saucepan, add the olive oil and bring to temperature, then add the sorrel, jamoons, garlic, garam masala and chopped onions.

Sauté lightly and then introduce the water slowly from the edge of the pan. Bring to a boil until the jamoons are pulp. Run through a sieve and reintroduce to your saucepan. Reduce the remaining liquid by half, remove from heat and whisk in the refrigerated butter.

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Cream of Yam Soup 1 cup diced yam 3 sprigs fresh thyme 1 onion quartered 1/4 tsp. black pepper 1/2 tsp. salt 1 tbsp. butter 1/2 cup cream 1 1/4 cups vegetable stock In your pot, sweat down your onion, thyme and diced yam in butter on a medium-high heat.

Add your vegetable stock, season with salt and pepper, allow to boil for about nine minutes then simmer for five minutes. Allow to cool slightly and blend, then reintroduce to your pot.

Reinforce seasoning if needed, add cream and serve.

Cabbage Wrapped Jug-Jug 1 cup chicken liver 1 cup finely diced onions 1/4 cup salt beef 1 tbsp. thyme 1/2 tbsp. marjoram 1/3 of a Scotch bonnet (deseeded) 3/4 cup green peas 3 cloves garlic 1/2 cup fine corn flour Cabbage leaves.s

In a food processor, blitz the liver, beef, herbs, garlic and peas until smooth. Place the mixture into a bowl then add the onions, corn flour and Scotch bonnet, ensure the ingredients are thoroughly mixed and place in a bread pan lined with the cabbage leaves. Cover and steam in the oven for 45 minutes at 380째F. Allow to cool to room temperature and serve.

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Food Diary

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Burrito Brilliant Breakfast

by Nick Nunes

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henever holidays or family gathering occur, there is almost always an abundance of fine foods left over for at least a couple days. One of the saving grace foods that can adapt to almost any challenge is the bright and brilliant breakfast burrito.

Ham, turkey, chicken, and all manner of potato dishes can all be conglomerated into a hand-held feast to be carried on the go or enjoyed slowly to journey through each nuanced flavour.

Traditionally, a breakfast burrito comes with scrambled eggs, potatoes and dealer’s choice of meat. However, there is no end to the mix-and-match combinations available to satiate whatever flavour desire crops up when the morning comes or necessity dictates.

A good wrap is where the breakfast burrito finds its first footing. Many places that make a breakfast burrito can have the interior flavours up to par but make for a slight let down by using subpar skins. Store-bought skins for your personal needs will do, but make sure their size is of the standard to meet your personal level of typical fast breaking hunger.

The morning after a holiday feast will typically have some ham, turkey, rice and potatoes lurking within Tupperware inside the fridge. Rather than simply nuking the ingredients, melt down some butter and give your meat choices a little

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cook over, just lightly to sear and warm them.

Eggs are a big part of the burrito breakfast deal.

Personally, I simply fried up some diced onion, garlic and jalapeños till they had a slight glaze and then coated the mix with a beaten, salted and peppered egg for scrambling.

I didn’t have any potato dishes left over, so I just grated one small potato to make some mildly charred hash browns as my burrito base. When making hash browns, an important step not to miss is drying the potatoes so that they don’t burn before being fully cooked. Dabbing the shredded potatoes with a paper towel a few times should do the trick.

In a heated skillet add a little butter, the potatoes and a dash of salt, cook till slightly crisp and that’s a simple hash brown base.

Breakfast burritos can be a magical morning food. Mine consisted of the aforementioned mix of scrambled eggs, hurried hash browns, some refried coke glazed ham, a bit of bacon and some cheddar cheese. No harm in going a little crazy with the mix, I know salsa fresca makes for an excellent addition to the flavour pool.

There it is, decide through your desires and make a burrito to suit both necessity and a flavour finding morning adventure that will brighten the rest of the day by starting off with colour and the taming of a little curiosity.

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Editor’s Picks

5 TOP

NANCY’S BAR

My only disappointment with Nancy’s Bar is that it isn’t across the road from where I live. Firstly, the souse there is thoroughly seasoned and lean and in it there is a generous sprinkling of the most succulent pigtail pieces.

If you have a packed schedule, make sure to set aside an extra hour to recover from the ethnis fatifue that’s sure to set in after the last piece of pudding melts in your mouth.

Top Five Spots For

Pudding &

Souse

by Tyson Weekes

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t isn’t a stretch to say that pudding and souse is a staple of the average Bajan’s Saturday diet. Despite its less than romantic beginnings, the dish has evolved throughout the years to become a unifying factor in Barbadian society. Souse restaurants (and it must be noted that most serve dually as rum shops) are renowned as the quintessential places where social status is ignored and conversation lines remain open.

What is it about souse (typically made from a pig’s ears, tail, face, shoulders and feet) that unites its devourers and makes people flock for it on weekends (and even during the week at some spots)?

I undertook the task of choosing five of the most memorable souse spots and dishes on the island. From distinctive flavours to enticing presentation, each of them uniquely showcases both the traditional and modern variants of a delicacy that has emerged to be Barbados’ de facto national dish.

RELISH EPICUREA

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The result of putting an avant-garde twist on an old classic is an intriguingly flavourful and aesthetically appealing plate that combines the freshest ingredients with every part of the pig imaginable (a trait that dates back to the origin of pudding and souse). The pickled pork was boiled with bouquet garni (a bundle of aromatic herbs) and mirepoix (a combination of chopped carrots, celery and onions). For the height of culinary enjoyment, generously drizzle the home-made herb oil on the pancetta-wrapped pork shoulder. Trust me.

THE VILLAGE BAR (LEMON ARBOUR)

Lemon Arbour consistently attracts locals and tourists alike to converge from every coast. Renowned as one of the island’s premier liming spots, the pudding and souse there enhances it’s reputation. Not even the breathtaking panorama of the St John countryside will distract you from making light work of Lemon Arbour’s souse.

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Editor’s Picks

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SOUTH 7

In every plate of souse at South 7 you are guaranteed a very generous serving of lean pork mixed with the juiciest pig ear and tail pieces. Complementing the spicy, yet flavourful pickled meat is a sweet, mellow and well-seasoned pudding (that will seriously tempt you to order another portion), pickled breadfruit and a great surprise – pickled green banana, cooked to perfection.

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SOUSE FACTORY

Before you are finished eating the souse here, it will be hard to decipher whether you are shedding tears of joy or if the pepper is making your eyes water. Unofficially the spiciest pudding and souse on the island, the rich sweet potato pudding more than adequately complements the peppery pickled pork. Make sure to ask for an extra napkin (or five)!

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Burgers Top Seven

THE CHOPPING BOARD KITCHEN AT MOJO

s you can imagine, and will hopefully find out for yourself, selecting the best burger from among this list is no easy task. That’s why we didn’t rank them. In order to showcase some of the culinary greatness Barbados has to offer, we’ve rounded up the best mix of traditional, eclectic and comainducing burgers on the island.

The rising influence of other cuisines and cultures in Barbados has made our culinary scene a veritable playground for whimsical burger making. Without further ado, here are our top seven favourite burgers in Barbados.

Bon Appétit!

When it comes to burger innovation, MOJO continues to ride the crest with tantalizing weekly burger specials to tease the taste buds and invite attractive flavours that are nigh unparalleled. La Mexicana is a herb infused 100 per cent beef home blend half-pound patty with Monterey Jack and Colby cheese, three strips of crispy bacon and spicy salsa fresca. This burger sells itself as a jaw-dropping dreamwork of culinary mastery.

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7 TOP

CHAMPIONS SPORTS BAR

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The Champions Signature Burger is a minced Angus beef patty that is made with the freshest ingredients. This eight ounce burger was topped with a whole host of ingredients that aren’t readily available at other burger spots, with neither element overpowering the other. Served on a toasted bun, it’s topped with avocado, lettuce, bacon, cheddar cheese, caramelized onions, glazed mushrooms and sweet pepper, jalapeños and a fried egg.

THE OLD JAMM INN

The Hickory Smoked Whopper McDaddy is a mouthful to say and it is an even bigger mouthful to eat. First off, the burger’s presentation makes it a winner before you even sink your teeth into the home-made brioche bun which sandwiches a juicy patty that is tightly wrapped with English-style bacon (cut along the back of the swine) and cheese before it is even grilled. The flavour fusion of cheese and bacon is then completed when it is placed inside the hickory smokefilled jar. Lettuce and other toppings adorn the burger, but after your first bite you probably won’t much about remember them.

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McBRIDE’S IRISH PUB

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Even the most ardent, beefburger purists will curl their toes when they sink their teeth into this handmade lamb burger. Skillet seared to seal in the distinctive lamb flavour, the patty by itself is worthy of commendation, but the marriage of flavours that the toppings provide take it to another level. Served on a toasted bun that is smothered with mango chutney mayo, the sizzled patty is topped with rich, creamy feta cheese that complements the sweetness of the aforementioned condiment, fresh lettuce, red onions, tomatoes and pickles.

THE MASALA GRILL

The not so traditional Fully Loaded Cheeseburger. This delectable indie beefburger is comprised of minced beef chuck, garlic, ginger, cilantro, mint, panko breadcrumbs and pepper grilled to perfection (with the gooiest cheddar cheese on top) and served on a toasted sesame seed bun with home-made dill pickles, spiced tomato chutney, mustard and home-made spicy mayo. The only disappointment is that it’s only available on Fridays, but it is definitely worth waiting for.

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BLAKEY’S ON THE BOARDWALK

The Hawaiian Goat Cheese Burger from this seaside restaurant is definitely worthy of dislocating one’s jaw in order to fit the eight ounce secret spice and herb patty, large grilled pineapple slice, grilled sliced ham and generous portion of delicious goat cheese all in one bite.

This very aesthetic burger beast is garnished with lettuce, tomato, diced sweet peppers, fried onion rings and comes with a complementing mild sweet buffalo mayo sauce. The mix of sweet, savoury and tang on this seaside burger is one not to be missed.

BLUE ROOM SPORTS BAR & GRILL

A nice beer always pairs well with a big beefburger and the chef at Blue Room has gone a step further to include a delicious Guinness in the perfection of their 100 per cent all-beef eight-ounce Blue Room Burger. Other than the dry stout in the mix are a combination of fresh and dry herbs that waft a seductive scent when coupled with the onion, mushroom and cheddar cheese sauce that has been topped with a tower of bacon. Topping off this burger are seasoned battered and deep-fried onion rings accompanied by a creamy tomato sauce making this burger quite rich in flavours.

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Crazy & Creative

Unconventional Christmas

Coca-Cola Ham

by Nick Nunes

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very year, when the time comes jingling around and the traditional decorations are put on display, most everyone looks forward to one of the greatest parts of the season’s merriments, which, of course, involves the coming together of a family unit, blood and otherwise, for the most favoured of festive feasts.

Christmas dinner has been a part of the Yule celebrations for generations. This gathering of loved ones is brought together by a magnificent array of foods that are usually reserved for just this time of year and are undoubtedly expected by all parties.

Typically, a Christmas feast is complemented with roast turkey, seasoned rice, eclectics gravies, a variety

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of pie, desserts, salads and, most unforgettably, the Christmas ham.

There is a long list of ways to prepare a Christmas ham, from honey glazed to mustard baked and, of course, a marmalade glaze. Pineapples, apricots, cherries and cloves usually top this precious part of the feast.

This year, in an interesting move to maintain tradition and still add some novelty, maybe consider getting a little unconventionally creative with the use of Coca-Cola.

The deliciousness of a baked ham doesn’t usually need much help, but the glaze is the top of the iceberg that adds a little nuance to each different recipe. A little rum and coke, butter and brown sugar can provide the pièce

de rĂŠsistance to your dining experience this Christmas.

Baking a ham is not usually one of the most involved parts of the Christmas menu.

This glaze is simple and easy to prepare in the long haul that usually accompanies a large oven ordeal.

After the thawing of the ham, simply dry the skin that will eventually become the coveted crackling side pieces. Cut a lime and, without squeezing it, rub the skin of the ham then lightly glisten the skin with a few drops of oil massaged in. A little salt rubbed over the soon-to-be crackling and then in the oven it goes. Fifteen minutes per pound is usually recommended for a preheated oven at 360 F. In beginning the glaze, two tablespoons of butter melted in a saucepan is where to start. On a medium heat, simply add in one shot of rum, three shots of Coca-Cola and a tablespoon of brown sugar. Simmer the mixture on a low setting until the crackling is ready to be removed from the ham.

Typically, it’s best to check the ham 20 minutes before it should be done. When the crackling is dark and becomes easier to remove, it is time to remove it from the ham and the ham from the oven. Next, simply score the top layer of fat and apply the glaze. The addition of cloves is optional but recommended.

Put the ham back in the oven for the remaining time or until the top has a light golden hue. As simple as that is the process to having an unconventionally cooked Christmas ham.

In pairing the Coca-Cola ham with another anomaly is the idea of an Alfredo macaroni pie, rather than the classic version.

A store bought Alfredo sauce is a simple and easy addition to the macaroni pie process. Especially with the introduction of Parmesan and/or mozzarella cheese, this innovation can add a little unexpected delight to the table this holiday season.

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Fruit & Vegetable

Juice Recipes

by Tyson Weekes

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re you tired of processed juices with little to no nutrients that are high in sugar content? Do you want to make healthy juices but think juicing is a time-consuming or difficult process?

Think again. Keep reading and you will soon learn how it can literally take minutes to make a delicious, nutritious juice.

Christmas is the perfect time to serve creative drinks that can also be healthy. As easy as it is to do, a few tips never hurt anyone. If you don’t have a juicer, use a blender on high and just add 1½ cups of water and remove the pulp with a strainer.

Cucumber, Celery and Honeydew Melon Juice

email: info@chooenterprise.com • website: www.chooenterprise.com

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(1 to 2 servings) 1 cup cucumber 1½ cups celery 3 cups honeydew melon

Celery, Apple and Carrot Juice (1 to 2 servings) ½ cup celery 4 cups apple 2 cups carrot Spinach, Beet and Carrot Juice (1 to 2 servings) 3 cups spinach 1 cup beet 2 cups carrot

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Entertaining

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Rum Cocktails

For The Holidays

by Tyson Weekes

Having coincided with the rise of the sugar cane industry, the origin of rum dates as far back as the 1600s, making it one of the world’s oldest distilled alcoholic beverages.

The first commercial variation of this drink is widely believed to have occurred right here in Barbados with the founding of Mount Gay Distilleries – the distillers of the oldest existing brand of rum in the world.

Whatever kind of setting you will be aiming to create for your guests this holiday season, the versatility of rum will ensure that you can cater to everyone this Christmas.

Beyond the typical cocktail classics, the drinks listed below will make great additions to any party or casual holiday gathering, so you can impress with ice-cold daiquiris, relax with a classic rum punch or treat your guests to the finer things in life with a white rum mojito. Happy holidays and please drink responsibly.

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Chester’s Rum Punch

Silver Mojito

Glass: Punch bowl and glasses

Glass: Highball/long drink/collins

Ingredients: 19 oz. Mount Gay Eclipse Rum 4 oz. Fresh lime juice 1 oz. Angostura bitters 1-1/2 oz. Grenadine syrup 13 oz. Sugar syrup 1 tsp. Nutmeg 18 oz. Water

Ingredients: 2 oz. Mount Gay Eclipse Silver Rum 3/4 oz. Fresh lime juice 1 tbsp. Simple syrup 3 Sprigs fresh mint (6 leaves) 2 oz. Soda water

Garnish: Cherry

Directions: In a punch bowl, mix all ingredients together and allow to rest for two hours.

Serve over ice and garnish with a cherry.

Garnish: Mint sprig

Directions: Muddle mint in mixing glass. Add ice, remaining ingredients and stir. Strain into highball glass over ice and top with soda water. Garnish with mint sprig.

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Entertaining

Glass: Martini glass

Barbados Yatch Club

Glass: Old-fashioned glass

Ingredients: 2 oz. Mount Gay Eclipse Rum 1 oz. Coconut milk 3/4 oz. Monin ginger syrup 1/2 oz. Fresh lime juice 1/2 oz. Simple syrup

Ingredients: 2 oz. Mount Gay Extra Old 3/4 oz. Fresh lime juice 1/4 oz. Cointreau 1/4 oz. Velvet Falernum 2 fine lime slices

Garnish: Coconut flakes, lime zest

Directions: Combine ingredients in shaker with ice. Shake vigorously.

Strain into glass. Garnish and serve.

Garnish: Two fine lime slices.

Directions: Shake well all ingredients with ice, then strain into an old-fashioned glass filled with ice.

Garnish with two fine lime slices.

Coconut Ginger Daiquiri

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Your Home. Our Passion

Delightful Cooking

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Food Adventure

Rum Shop

Adventure

by Tyson Weekes

T

here is nothing more representative of the Barbadian lifestyle than the rum shop scene. It is only when you stop and truly take notice of rum shops at night that you will observe there are always lines and crowds around them. This is not by chance.

You know you’re approaching a rum shop when you hear the cacophony of sounds, ranging from colourful accents and inflections, to the slamming of dominoes and, at some venues, the belting of karaoke sounds.

While the appeal of these attributes to our senses of hearing and sight may make such liming spots distinguishable, it is the way their food stimulates our senses of taste and smell that make rum shops most memorable.

Whether you are a local or tourist, you will find (assuming you haven’t discovered already) it is inevitable when traversing the island that you’ll spot one of these social hubs, typically painted in vibrant colours with large food and beverage logos adorning their facades.

With great intrigue (and little to no experience), I thought I might give a couple of rum shops (and their delicacies) a try. As a newbie, I stuck to the rule of ordering the items that were ordered the most frequently by those ahead of me in the snaking line. Here’s what I found on my adventure.

Headed away from Oistins, just before reaching the Barbados Golf Club, I stopped by Kermitt’s Bar in Thornbury Hill, Christ Church, and was impressed to discover that this green hive of activity immediately

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emitted the kind of warmth and character stereotypically associated with rum shops.

From Kermitt’s, my adventure took me further east to the Woodbourne Bar, opposite the Barbados National Oil Company in St Philip.

The queue for food flowed efficiently, but from a distance one would never know this because it always remained long. There is something about grilled food (fish and pig tails especially) that whets the appetites of all and sundry. When I caught the whiff of aromas diffusing from the pigtails and the catches of the day, I wandered to the top of the line just to observe the preparation. The defatted pigtails were placed on the grill and slow cooked to perfection while being constantly smothered with a brush saturated with the rich, home-made barbecue sauce.

The searing heat of the open flame caramelized the sauce-coated pigtails in some areas, leaving them with a lightly charred exterior that complemented the marriage of flavours from the seasonings and the succulent and surprisingly lean but meaty pigtails.

If you are looking for a new dining spot with a relaxed vibe, try either of these two or both. According to regulars, the best nights tend to be Friday and Saturday (unsurprisingly), but don’t hesitate to check them earlier in the week if you’re craving tasty, culturally authentic food.

Keep an eye out for the next issue of the magazine and follow where I head to next. Who knows, I may end up at a rum shop in your neighbourhood.

For tasty recipes visit www.goya.com

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Desserts

Morsels Microwaveable

by Nick Nunes

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ave you ever had that pesky dessert craving that crops up when you are alone but been left without a means or really a desire to tackle the process of satiating that sweet tooth? Well, if you have a microwave and the basic ingredients that a well stocked kitchen should always contain, then you have all you need for a little personal delight.

Undertaking the task of baking can be daunting, especially when the dessert desired requires a quick, simply and maybe solitary solution. Ever just wanted one brownie or a single chewy chocolate chip cookie but felt deterred due to the usual need to cook a whole bunch? Fear not, it is simpler than one would assume to cut down a recipe and create a snack in a snap.

Here is what you will need for a basic cookie: butter, sugar (brown and white), vanilla, salt, egg, flour, chocolate chips (chunks or crumbles).

In a coffee mug, ramekin or small bowl simply mix: 1 egg yolk 1 tbsp. butter 1 tbsp. white sugar 1 tbsp. brown sugar 3 drops of vanilla extract

Add that mix to a Âź cup of flour and a pinch of salt and your dough is ready. If you have chocolate chips or a spare chocolate bar either can be added to make your cookie a chocolate chip deep-dish dream.

Place the concoction in the microwave on high for 40 to 60 seconds (or till it looks done) and you will have a personal gooey delight in next to no time at all.

With the same recipe, take out the chocolate chips and add one tablespoon of quick cooking oats and one teaspoon of cinnamon and you have a quick and easy oatmeal cookie.

Instead of chocolate chip or oatmeal, add some unsweetened cocoa and you have a chocolate brownie that only needs a small layer of frosting. Simple small serving brownie frosting: 1 tbsp. butter 1 tbsp. cocoa 1 tbsp. confectioners’ sugar 1 tsp. honey 2 drops vanilla

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Frost the brownie while it is fresh out of the microwave and let it settle. Of course, all of these can be made in a pair for a quick and easy romantic dessert for two.