Spiced Pumpkin-Seed, Marshmallow Almond, Masala Chai... Oh My!

Well, I'm starting to settle into the cafe and the daily ins and outs of operating a retail storefront. And while the hours are much longer, the pace is much more relaxed. For those of you who don't know, I started Eclipse about 4 years ago and (until now!) had rented a production kitchen on a by-order basis, very much like a caterer would. Thankfully, I no longer have to worry about returning the kitchen back to the state I found it in. And its becoming a lot of fun to come in each morning and decide what is on the production agenda for the day.

What was on the menu for today, I hear some of you ask? House-made marshmallows (which always leave me covered in powdered sugar), the white chocolate bread pudding (seen here), and my personal new favorite, Exotic Brownies.

Whats so exciting about a brownie, I see some of you grimace? Well, when the formula contains twice as much cocoa powder as flour (and extra-brute cocoa, at that) the product is closer to a chewy flourless cake than a brownie. And I'm baking them in individual loaves! Top them with exotic garnishes, and you've got a dessert that stands alone. Today I made Marshmallow Almond, Masala Chai, and Chile Hazelnut, but I'm cooking up Blackberry Sage, Macadamia Ginger, Espresso Walnut, Orange Peel Anise, and Coconut Lime for future mornings.

Here are the Spiced Pumpkin Seed and Orange Peel Anise versions. Enjoy!
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