Tag Archives: Wine and Unwind

Red Velvet Bars

Bars, Wine and Unwind February 25, 2015 Leave a comment

 

REd VelvetRed Velvet Bars . . .  going fast!

Our Backstage Baker outdid himself on this one!  He’s been sitting on this recipe since Christmas, but just hasn’t had the time to bake it.  So, last Saturday, after getting home from Hamilton at midnight, he baked the following for the next day’s Wine and Unwind. (Have I mentioned that our Backstage Baker only needs about two hours of sleep a night?)   Coincidentally, there was a marriage proposal onstage after the show on Sunday, so the Valentine-red bars were perfect!

The proposalAwwww . . .

In other news, Hamilton is moving to Broadway!  Look for a July 13 opening at the Richard Rodgers Theatre. Here’s the New York Times review & David Brooks’ recent editorial raving about the show. Who knew these gentlemen were such fans of the rap?

Red Velvet Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:

For the bars:

3⅓ cups flour
¼ cup unsweet­ened cocoa
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon bak­ing pow­der
1 cup but­ter, softened
1½ cups sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons red food coloring gel

Cream Cheese Frosting:

2 8-oz bricks cream cheese, softened
½ cup butter, softened
2 1/4 cups sifted powdered sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Method:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.  Line a 9×13 inch pan with aluminum foil.   Spray the foil with cooking spray so that the bars easily lift out and are easy to cut.

3.  In one bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, salt, and baking powder. Set aside.

4.  In another bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Beat in the eggs, vanilla, and food coloring until combined.

5.  Mix in the flour mixture gradually until a soft dough forms. Press into the bottom of the 9×13 inch pan. Bake for about 20 minutes until the edges start to pull away from the sides and a toothpick entered into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before frosting.

Red Velvet Bars 1The red velvet base

6.  To make the cream cheese frosting:  Beat together the cream cheese and butter.  Add the powdered sugar and vanilla and continue beating until smooth.  Frost the top of the bars.

Red Velvet bars 2Mmmm . . . frosting!

Seth StewartHamilton Ensemble member Seth Stewart Wining and Unwinding

Phillipa SooPhillipa Soo (aka Eliza Hamilton)

Jasmine Cephas-JonesJasmine Cephas Jones (aka Peggy Schuyler/Maria Reynolds)

 

Peanut Butter Fudge Sandwich Cookies

Chocolate, Cookies January 10, 2013 Leave a comment

One of James’ delightful traditions is a Sunday night “Wine and Unwind” gathering in the stage manager’s office.  He’ll bake some decadent treat and pair it with a sturdy red wine to send everyone into the day off.  He’s currently working on “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf” — on a show as fraught with drama as that one (onstage, not off!) everyone definitely needs a way to unwind.

Last week’s invitation went something like this:

Image

Here’s the recipe for the Peanut Butter Fudge Sandwich Cookies (oh, my teeth hurt just reading through it1):

Peanut Butter Fudge Sandwich Cookies

 1 1/2 cups Creamy Peanut Butter
1/2 cup softened butter*
1/2 cup softened margarine*
2 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
1/3 cup milk
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
2 large eggs
3 1/2 cups All Purpose Flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt

*Backstage Baker’s note:
For cookies that are softer use 1 cup of shortening instead of the butter and margarine.

Filling:
1 (14 ounce) can  Sweetened Condensed Milk
3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
For Cookies: Beat peanut butter, butter, margarine, brown sugar, milk and vanilla in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add eggs. Beat just until blended.

Combine flour, baking soda and salt in medium bowl. Add to creamed mixture and mix with wooden spoon until blended. Drop by level tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto prepared baking sheets. Press down with bottom of a glass or the traditional way of making a cross hatch with a fork.

Bake 6 to 7 minutes or until set and just beginning to brown. Cool 2 minutes on baking sheet. Remove to wire rack to cool completely.

For Filling: Microwave sweetened condensed milk and chocolate chips in medium microwave-safe bowl on high for 1 1/2 minutes or until melted and smooth when stirred. Stir in vanilla. Let cool 15 minutes. Spread generously on flat side of half the cookies. Top with remaining cookies, flat side down, to form sandwich cookies.

(Pictures for the above are on the home page of this blog!)

The wine was a La Pilar Malbec courtesy of an anonymous fan who insisted on giving Amy Morton (who plays Martha) $40 to buy drinks for the company.  I hope she reads this and knows that her contribution was thoroughly enjoyed.