ON FOOD: Cañon City trip yields delicious discoveries

This year when I went to Cañon City for the Winery at Holy Cross Abbey's Harvest Festival winemaker dinner Sept. 26, I was able to spend the night at the Jewel of the Canyons Bed and Breakfast.

When I'm lucky enough to get a room reservation there I'm usually lucky enough to discover some must-find food condiments and learn about some new yummy recipes.

This year was no exception.

Upon arrival at the B&B, owners Lyn and Wendy Burnett had a spread of tasty appetizers waiting in the dining room. Alongside the cheese tray there were bowls of garlicky olives, spicy peach preserves, sweet wine jam and marinated cheese cubes. All were delicious with the cheeses.

I thought I'd like to get some for my own use and perhaps a few for friends for hostess gifts. Wendy rounded up the Web site addresses and I let my fingers do the shopping.

In case travelers weren't in the mood for savory, Wendy had a plate of her signature brownies to offer. These are the most decadent and delicious sweets I've tasted in a long time. They were extra moist, a trick to accomplish at our elevation. I knew I had to have the recipe and she was more than happy to share.

One of her secrets is to use high-quality chocolate, such as Ghirardelli, for the cocoa and white and chocolate chips.

I've included the recipe with this week's column.

Now, for a look at those condiments and where to find them.

• Hooked on Olives - www.hookedonolives.com. This site offers dozens of types of olives, olive oil, gourmet mustards and drink mixes. I ordered a case of Triple Mixed Olives ($8.50 per jar) which contains a combination of pimento-stuffed, garlic-stuffed and jalapeño-stuffed olives. I'm thinking these will make my martini-drinking friends happy.

• Prairie Thyme - www.prairiethyme.com. Here you will find an array of spicy condiments such as Roasted Tomato Chutney and sweet and hot sauces including Raspberry Jalapeno, Mountain Blackberry Jalapeno and Peach Habanero Ambrosia. The latter was the sauce that Wendy had placed along side the cheese and cracker tray. Its contrast of sweet and hot was a perfect match for the triple cream brie. It's $7.25 per bottle.

• Loredana's Siena al Aglio (marinated asiago and Parmesan cheeses in garlic olive oil) - www.loredanas.com. This is an Italian-family-owned, Colorado-based company that makes marinated cheeses, marmalades, tapenades, spreads, vinaigrettes and pestos. They are handmade without preservatives. In addition to being sold online, the products are sold at farmers markets in the Dillon area.

Wendy had set out a small bowl of the Siena al Aglio for snacking, and it was delicious. It can also be used to jazz up pasta, veggies and eggs. A 7.5-ounce jar costs $14.

• Colorado Mountain Jams and Wine Jellies - www.plumdaisy.com. These jellies can be bought online or at the Colorado Springs Holiday Food & Gift Festival at Phil Long Expo Center, 1515 Auto Mall Loop, Nov. 7.

Wendy served their Cabernet Sauvignon Fine Wine Jelly made with wine from Spero Winery in Denver. It was very good with a deep grape flavor. Other flavors include chardonnay, fume blanc, merlot, muscat, sauvignon blanc, syrah, vine rose and viognier.

A jar of jelly costs $5.50.

Now you have some ideas for tasty gifts for yourself or the hostess entertaining you.

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Reach Farney at 636-0271 or teresa.farney@gazette.com. She appears Tuesdays on KOAA's Comcast Channel 5 at noon.

Decadent Brownies
Yield: 8-10 servings

1/2 cup high-quality unsweetened cocoa
1/2 cup all-purpose unbleached flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter, melted and cooled
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla 1/4 cup high-quality white chocolate chips
1 cup high-quality semisweet chocolate chips

Procedure:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray an 8-by-8-inch metal pan with nonstick cooking spray.

2. In large bowl, mix cocoa, flour, sugar and salt with a whisk, then add cooled melted butter, eggs and vanilla to the center of the dry ingredients. Use a whisk to blend the wet ingredients, then switch to a spatula to begin incorporating the wet ingredients with the dry. Do not over mix.

3. Pour into pan, and bake about 24 minutes. You may need to adjust cooking time according to your oven temperature.

4. The keys to achieving the ultimate taste and moistness of these brownies are: Do not skimp on the quality of chocolate, use a metal pan, not glass, and do not overbake. They will continue to set up as they cool.

Source: Adapted from "Pie in the Sky: Successful Baking at High Altitudes," by Susan g. Purdy