Wizard's World - Battle of the Christmas tree : Part 6

This was supposed to be longer.... she nibbled on a possible hint and it's not in here. Since this resulted from my posting recipes, I NEED MORE RECIPES!
This follows from A Very Kitteny Christmas - Part 5

Title: Battle of the Christmas Tree - Part 6 : Not a Kitten Was Stirring
Author: Meridae

Leave Meridae comments HERE



Ranel was dozing by the time Warne decided to go to bed. He entered the bedroom, still in his vest and shirtsleeves but his with cravat loosened, and paused.

"Oh look," he said slowly, his voice deep and roughened with the beginnings of a lustful burr. "Santa left me one last present to unwrap."

"Mmmm, so it would seem," Ranel murmured, smiling as he opened his eyes and reached his arms out for his husband. Warne heeded the request, hiking one knee onto the mattress as he bent over the bed and pressed a passionate kiss to Ranel's lips. His hands moved to slide Ranel's robe open further so he could plunder the delicious, golden skin. Ranel moaned into his mouth as strong yet gentle fingers squeezed at his nipples, and a burgeoning but frustratingly wool clad groin was pressed against his hip.

"You need to unwrap yourself first," he gasped, breaking away from Warne's questing tongue.

"So I do," Warne agreed, straightening up, hands going to his neck to finish pulling his cravat away from his collar. Slowly, deliberately, he flicked open the buttons on his vest before letting it drop to the floor. His mouth quirked in a slight smirk, and his eyes were full of affectionate teasing as he watched Ranel's captivated expression.

"Maybe I'm not the one getting the present," he suggested, pausing with his hands at the button of his shirt.

"Mmm, maybe you're not," Ranel rasped, "Now hurry up and get that damned shirt off!" He pushed himself up to his knees on the edge of the bend, his own hands going to aggressively assist Warne's efforts to disrobe.

"Oh yes," he sighed, as he parted the edges of Warne's shirt and revealed the broad, hair covered chest beneath. "Yes yes yes, that's what I wanted for Christmas." He let his hands slide over the mounds of Warne's biceps before grazing them down lean ribs as his mouth took their place at Warne's nipples. They traveled further as Ranel's tongue worked at the small nubs, nimble fingers easily foiling the restricting fastenings at Warne's waist. He slid his hand inside Warne's placket, palming his husband's erection as his mouth moved over Warne's chest. Warne murmured his appreciation as he let Ranel's ministrations rouse him further, but just as Ranel was pushing the fabric of his trousers down to his thighs, he stopped his husband with a firm grip at the back of his neck, fingers threading tightly into Ranel's hair as he pulled the young man up so he could kiss him once more.

"Tonight, you are my present," he said firmly. "Now lay down, so I can finish undressing and then unwrap you properly."

Heat blazed in Ranel's eyes at Warne's command, and he hastened to lay back amongst the pillows, breath flickering rapidly between his lips in anticipation.

Cheesecake Brownie Bites

CHEESECAKE BROWNIE BITES
yield: ABOUT 30 BROWNIE BITES prep time: 10 MIN cook time: 12 MIN
RECIPE: http://www.justataste.com/2012/04/cheesecake-brownie-bites/


Ingredients:

For the brownie batter:
4 large eggs
1¼ cups baking cocoa
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 Tablespoon instant espresso powder, mixed with 2 teaspoons water
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2¼ cups sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, melted
1½ cups all-purpose flour

For the cheesecake filling:
1 (8-oz.) package cream cheese, softened
3 Tablespoons sugar
1 large egg yolk

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 350ºF.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, baking cocoa, salt, baking powder, espresso mixed with water, and vanilla until well combined.

Stir in the sugar and melted butter until well combined, then stir in the flour. (A firm rubber spatula works best.) Set brownie batter aside.

In a separate bowl, prepare the cheesecake filling by stirring together the cream cheese, sugar and egg yolk until well combined. Transfer the mixture to a pastry bag or plastic bag.

Grease a non-stick mini-muffin pan with cooking spray or butter and then spoon a tablespoon of brownie batter into the greased cups. Pipe a generous amount of cheesecake filling atop the brownie batter, and then top off each cup with an additional teaspoon of brownie batter.

Bake for about 12 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Let the brownie bites cool for 10 minutes in the pan and then transfer them to a cooling rack to continue cooling, or enjoy warm.

Kelly's Notes:

When measuring flour, never scoop the cup into the flour, as it condenses the flour and causes you to use more than the recipe intends. Instead, spoon the flour into your measuring cup and level it with a knife. The same technique applies for cocoa powder.

A mini-ice cream scoop is an easy and efficient way to scoop the brownie batter into the prepared cups.

Feel free to swirl the cheesecake mixture with the brownie mixture once scooped into the muffin cups to create a marbled effect.

If the brownie bites aren't easily releasing from the pan, use a sharp knife to cut around the edges to release them.

Brownie batter recipe adapted from King Arthur Flour.

My notes:

If you don't have a piping bag for the cheesecake filling remember that you can use a, well zip-lock would be easiest, plastic baggie and snip off a bottom corner for squeezing it out or the piping. And it's disposable.

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For those in the frozen north

Remember when they were asking for volunteers to go to Mars. Your training has started.




http://blogs.discovery.com/inscider/2014/01/it-was-colder-in-canada-than-on-mars.html#mkcpgn=fbsci1
Ah, per the comments on this link, No, you've got a bit more conditioning to go before you're ready for Mars.