Deb at Kahakai Kitchen is hosting Food ‘n Flix this month and has chosen Stranger Than Fiction for the February film. Here is another movie I had not seen and I have to say that Deb had some pretty big shoes to fill after Babette’s Feast last month. Well, I have to say that after watching Will Ferrell (in his first dramatic role), Emma Thompson, Dustin Hoffman, Queen Latifah, and Maggie Gyllenhaal (whom I all adore), I have a new favorite FnF movie.
Without giving a lot of this inventive plot away, this film is about an IRS auditor, a baker, and an author. It is ultimately about living life.
“Oatmeal cookies, peanut butter bars, dark chocolate macadamia nut wedges….ricotta cheese and apricot croissants, mocha bars with an almond glaze, lemon chiffon cake with zesty peach icing.” Ana’s sultry sweet words inspired me.
Chocolate Macadamia Nut Wedges
Based on Chocolate Chip-Macadamia Nut Bars with Short Bread CrustFor crust
1 c. all purpose flour
1/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. chilled butter, cut into 1/2-inch piecesFor filling
1 c. sugar
1/2 c. all purpose flour
2 large farm fresh eggs
4 T. (1/2 stick) butter, melted, cooled
1 t. pure vanilla extract
2 T. half and half
1 c. miniature semisweet chocolate chips
1 c. coarsely chopped macadamia nuts (about 7 ounces)Make crust: Preheat oven to 350°F. Blend flour and sugar in processor. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Transfer mixture to a 8” spring form pan. Press mixture onto bottom of pan. Bake until crust is golden brown on edges, about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare the filling: Whisk sugar, flour, eggs, butter, vanilla extract, and half and half to blend in the bowl of a stand mixer. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts.
Pour filling into warm crust, smoothing surface. Bake until filling is golden brown and tester inserted into center comes out with moist crumbs attached, about 50 minutes. Transfer panto rack; cool completely.
(Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Store in airtight container at room temperature.) Cut into pie shaped wedges.
I added 2 T. of half and half to the original recipe and baked the wedges in a spring form pan instead of an 8 x 8″ baking dish.
Sometimes I think I notice the most obscure (and weird) things in films. For instance, did you notice that as Harold sits at his one and only appointment with Dr. Cayly that the clouds are moving behind his head? (I couldn’t believe that was actually Tim Hulce playing the psychiatrist. He will ever be Amadaeus to me.)
Did anyone notice the dinner ware on Dave’s table? I immediately recognized that vintage modern design as Tamac pottery. Mom used to own some of this and it was actually manufactured in a small town that we grew up near. Tamac Pottery was made in Perry, Oklahoma from the mid 40s until 1972. I always thought it was kind of cheesy looking. Now, I wish I owned some of these “vintage” 20th century modern designs. The design Dave owned were the same pieces that mom had.
(If you can’t make out the Tamac goblets above, click here to view some of the pieces and read a brief history.)
Then there was another Oklahoma connection in the film: Kristin Chenoweth, the Broadway star and Oklahoma native, had a brief appearance as the Book Channel Host interviewing Karen Eiffel.
Sorry about the Oklahoma segue.
I will leave you with the moral of this Stranger than Fiction story: Make the world a better place with cookies by forcing people to eat them and enjoy life!
Join us next month as Heather at girlichef hosts. It’s your pick for April. Watch and be inspired by either Kung Fu Panda or Kung Fu Panda 2.
Comments & Replies
32 responses to “Chocolate Macadamia Nut Wedges”
Oh, these look so good. I’ve never seen this movie!
If you like quirky little flicks, then pick this up, Mimi.
Chocolate goes so beautifully with mac nuts — these sound delicious! Thanks for visiting my blog, come back some time.
You are so welcome!
Oh YUM! It looks decadent! I’ll have to see if we can find that movie on Netflix so we can watch it too!
I couldn’t find it on Netflix. I actually had to buy it from Amazon. I think I will watch it again and show it to friends so it all works out in the wash, right?
Wow, you have a great eye for detail! I didn’t notice some of those things you pointed out.
Love that combo of chocolate and macadamia! Save me a wedge please!
Oops! All the wedges are gone. Have to make another batch.
These look fabulous – chocolate and nuts are a great combination.
Thanks, I have half the batch on the freezer. Need to start thawing.
Macadamia…king of nuts. This looks fantastic, Debra.
Thanks, Angie.
So glad you liked the film Debra. Your chocolate macadamia nut wedges look amazing–a great combination with that shortbread crust. (We love our chocolate mac nuts here!) 😉
Thanks for joining in Food ‘N Flix this month!
Really did, Deb. I bet the Mac nuts you get are supreme! 🙂
Thanks for the movie recommendation, Debra. That’s one I haven’t seen. Chocolate and macadamia nuts are an irresistible combination, especially on a shortbread crust. Those cookies look delicious.
I highly recommend this to you, Cathy. (The film and the wedges!)
I’ve never seen this movie, either…but it sounds like it’s worth a viewing! And your bars look worth a chewing (groan). Seriously, they sound terrific!
Definitely a recipe I will make again.
What a great movie! I think it’s the best movie Will Ferrell ever did. No, I didn’t notice the clouds nor the dinnerware. Now I have to watch the movie again, which isn’t a problem. I loved it! Your macadamia wedges look seriously delicious! Ana’s description and your pictures do make this rather irresistible.
Thanks, MJ. I had to watch the psychiatrist scene twice because I thought I was seeing things.
Oh my gosh. The cut wedge actually made me say that out loud, you know. That looks delicious. Unfortunately, I didn’t see the movie though. I so not a Will Ferrell fan. 🙁
Do you like quirky? If so, this is not the typical Will Ferrell film.
that chocolate filling in the middle is to die for!
It is crazy how all the chips formed that layer.
I did notice the dinnerware on Dave’s table. You are so observant. I did miss the Macadamia Nut Wedges in the movie. OMG yours look amazing.
I am a weird trivia freak, what can I say. These freeze pretty well too and we hate the final quarter of the “pie” last night.
I made a dark chocolate macadamia wedge, too…I think that makes three. Yours look delicious!
I am checking out everyone’s now….Yours looks absolutely delicious and more of what I think Ana would have made.
Yummo! I am loving that gooey chocolate centre. There was so much inspiration from this film that it was hard to pick just one to make.
You are so right. For a so-called not so foodie movie, I think there were lots of good inspiration.
It’s funny I saw the movie Stranger than Fiction and the cookie scenes made me google the dark chocolate mac nut wedges recipe and this site talked about that movie. I got a laugh out of that. Gotta try those cookies!
Glad you stopped by.