Amber's Delectable Delights

We Have Moved!!

2011-07-28T20:38:00.004-04:00

Have you heard? Amber's Delectable Delights has moved. I am so very pleased to announce the launch of my new site. We are at new site, with a new name, a new look, new recipes, and the whole shebang! Please come and check us out!

www.SugaredWhisk.com

Don't worry, Amber's Delectable Delights is not going anywere. This site will stay live with all of the old recipes and anything that you have saved in your readers will not dissapear. I will just not be posting here anymore.

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Strawberry Cream Cake

2011-05-23T08:31:00.007-04:00

I was searching around for a white cake recipe for my Dad's birthday when I came across this recipe on Cook's Illustrated website. The idea of the whole thing just sounded mind blowing. I mean who would not love a giant size gourmet strawberry shortcake with a cream cheese whipped cream topping. Heck, the whipped cream recipe alone won me over. This cake is so light and fluffy that it is great for the warmer months when you just don't want to eat anything that will make you feel like you ate a brick. Light, fluffy, and fantastic - A must try dessert!

Strawberry Cream Cake
Source: Cook's Illustrated

Cake
1 1/4 cups (5 ounces) cake flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon table salt
1 cup (7 ounces) sugar
5 large eggs (2 whole and 3 separated), room temperature
6 tablespoons unsalted butter , melted and cooled slightly
2 tablespoons water
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Strawberry Filling

2 pounds fresh strawberries (about 2 quarts), washed, dried, and stemmed
4 - 6 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons Kirsch
pinch table salt

Whipped Cream

8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar (3 1/2 ounces)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon table salt
2 cups heavy cream

Instructions
FOR THE CAKE: Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour round 9 by 2-inch cake pan or 9-inch springform pan and line with parchment paper. Whisk flour, baking powder, salt, and all but 3 tablespoons sugar in mixing bowl. Whisk in 2 whole eggs and 3 yolks (reserving whites), butter, water, and vanilla; whisk until smooth. In clean bowl of standing mixer fitted with whisk attachment, beat remaining 3 egg whites at medium-low speed until frothy, 1 to 2 minutes. With machine running, gradually add remaining 3 tablespoons sugar, increase speed to medium-high, and beat until soft peaks form, 60 to 90 seconds. Stir one-third of whites into batter to lighten; add remaining whites and gently fold into batter until no white streaks remain. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake until toothpick or wooden skewer inserted into center of cake comes out clean, 30 to 40 minutes. Cool in pan 10 minutes, then invert cake onto greased wire rack; peel off and discard parchment. Invert cake again; cool completely, about 2 hours.
FOR THE STRAWBERRY FILLING: Halve 24 of best-looking berries and reserve. Quarter remaining berries; toss with 4 to 6 tablespoons sugar (depending on sweetness of berries) in medium bowl and let sit 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Strain juices from berries and reserve (you should have about 1/2 cup). In workbowl of food processor fitted with metal blade, give macerated berries five 1-second pulses (you should have about 1 1/2 cups). In small saucepan over medium-high heat, simmer reserved juices and Kirsch until syrupy and reduced to about 3 tablespoons, 3 to 5 minutes. Pour reduced syrup over macerated berries, add pinch of salt, and toss to combine. Set aside until cake is cooled.
FOR THE WHIPPED CREAM: When cake has cooled, place cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and salt in bowl of standing mixer fitted with whisk attachment. Whisk at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes, scraping down bowl with rubber spatula as needed. Reduce speed to low and add heavy cream in slow, steady stream; when almost fully combined, increase speed to medium-high and beat until mixture holds stiff peaks, 2 to 2 1/2 minutes more, scraping bowl as needed (you should have about 4 1/2 cups).
TO ASSEMBLE THE CAKE: Using large serrated knife, slice cake into three even layers. Place bottom layer on cardboard round or cake plate and arrange ring of 20 strawberry halves, cut sides down and stem ends facing out, around perimeter of cake layer. Pour one half of pureed berry mixture (about 3/4 cup) in center, then spread to cover any exposed cake. Gently spread about one-third of whipped cream (about 1 1/2 cups) over berry layer, leaving 1/2-inch border from edge. Place middle cake layer on top and press down gently (whipped cream layer should become flush with cake edge). Repeat with 20 additional strawberry halves, remaining berry mixture, and half of remaining whipped cream; gently press last cake layer on top. Spread remaining whipped cream over top; decorate with remaining cut strawberries. Serve, or chill for up to 4 hours.

Chicken, Corn, and Black Bean Quesadillas

2011-05-20T10:24:00.001-04:00

Mission accomplished, craving satisfied! These quesadillas were so simple to make and something that I will definitely be making more often. I'm even considering the possibility of making some to freeze for a rainy day. I did change the recipe from what Elly had originally posted, if you have the ingredients on hand; go ahead and roast corn on the cob and add some onion and jalapeno into the mix, check out her version, I am sure they are incredible.

Chicken, Corn, and Black Bean Quesadillas
inspired by Elly Says Opa!

-Makes 4 hearty quesadillas-

Ingredients
2 tablespoon canola oil, divided
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups corn kernels

1 large chicken breast, cooked and shredded or cubed*

1/3 cup water or broth

1 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon oregano
1 can black beans
2 ounces cream cheese
2 cups Mexican blend cheese (PepperJack would be great too)
4 large (burrito sized) flour tortillas

Directions
Heat 1 tablespoon of the canola oil in a large skillet, stir in the garlic and corn and cook until the garlic is fragrant. Add the chicken, water (or broth), cumin, chili powder, oregano, and black beans and bring to a light boil. Simmer for 5-10 minutes to let the flavors meld. Remove pan from the heat and stir in the cream cheese.

Heat another large pan (grill pan, or cast iron skillet) over medium-high heat, brush pan surface with canola oil. Place a flour tortilla onto the hot pan. Build a quesadilla by layering a handful of cheese, 1/4 of the chicken mixture and another handful of cheese on one half of the tortilla. Fold tortilla in half and apply pressure to top to create a sear on the bottom of the tortilla and to make everything stick together. Once the bottom of the tortilla is browned flip over and brown the other side, once again applying pressure to the top to help the browning process. When both sides are browned remove quesadilla from pan and cut into 4 even triangles with a sharp knife or pizza cutter. Repeat process with remaining tortillas, brushing pan with canola oil before each quesadilla.

* I seasoned my chicken with salt, pepper, garlic powder, oregano, and chili powder and grilled it over an open flame to bring more flavor to the dish.

Guacamole

2011-05-18T16:02:00.006-04:00

I remember going to California a few years back and thinking that it was so strange that Subway asked everyone if they wanted avocado on their subs. I had never even eaten an avocado let alone spread it all over my sandwich. Turns out that avocados are actually quite delicious and are great spread upon sandwiches, wraps, or layered into a salad. As seen below, they obviously make an awesome dip for tortilla chips too. Guacamole and I might just be new best friends!

Not only are avocados delicious but they are also a superfood! Yes, they are pretty high in fat, but it is mono saturated fat, the kind of fat that is good for you and heart healthy. Avocados also pack in a high fiber content and have double the potassium of a banana.

Garlicky Guacamole
adapted from Rachel Ray

Ingredients
3 ripe small Hass avocados

1/2 to 1 lemon, juiced

2 large cloves garlic, minced

1 roma tomato, seeded and finely chopped

1 teaspoon coarse salt

Directions

Cut avocados in half around the pit. Separate the halves. Pop out pit with spoon, then scoop flesh of avocados into a bowl. Squeeze the lemon juice over the avocados. Add garlic, tomato, and salt to the bowl. Mash and mix the ingredients into a chunky dip using a fork. Serve with corn tortilla chips.

Bacon and Eggs

2011-04-01T14:24:00.000-04:00

I was feeling a little generous this morning so I decided to make breakfast for all of my co-workers. "I brought in breakfast everyone, there is bacon and eggs back in the breakroom." It wasn't to much later that everyone started coming to me telling me how UNfunny my joke was. Hey, It's April 1st. I have a right to be a brat if I want to. :) Happy April Fools Day!

I am not sure where I originally got this idea from but I am pretty sure my sister had something to do with it. I had not made these for quite awhile but somehow they came to mind when I was thinking of something to take into work. These were a huge hit with my co-workers. These would also be a really fun treat to make with children.

There is no real recipe needed here. The ingredients are simple; mini pretzel sticks, white melting chocolate, and yellow M&M's. The directions- eh, I am sure you can figure it out. Melt the chocolate, drop it by spoonfuls over two pretzels and top with yellow M&M's.

Seeded Hamburger Buns

2011-03-30T14:05:00.001-04:00

Many of you probably think that I have dropped off the face of the planet, but I most certaintly have not. I have just been in the biggest slump of all time. I am slowly trying to climb out of it but it is easier said that done. Anyway, enough with my drama.

I have tried making hamburger buns before, but honestly it was so long ago I don't remember much other than what I wrote about them. I decided to venture over to my favorite, all things baking, website King Arthur Flour, and check out what recipes they had. This recipe did not disappoint. The dough came together very easily and was great to work with when it came to shaping of the buns. A hamburger bun pan is certaintly not required for this recipe. Simply place the shaped dough onto a baking sheet as you would any other roll recipe. If you have some extra time in the kitchen these buns are definately worth the effort!

Seeded Hamburger Buns
As seen on King Arthur Flour

For the buns
3/4 cup lukewarm water
1 large egg
2 tablespoons butter or oil
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons sesame seeds or Bread and Bagel Topping
2 teaspoons instant yeast
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon onion powder, optional
2 3/4 cups unbleached All-Purpose flour

For the topping
2 tablespoons sesame seeds or Bread and Bagel Topping
1 large egg white

Directions
1) To make the dough: Combine all of the dough ingredients, and mix and knead them, by hand, mixer, or bread machine, to make a soft dough.
2) Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let it rise in a warm place for an hour, until it's almost doubled in size.
3) Turn the dough out onto a lightly greased surface, flatten it slightly, and divide it into 6 pieces, each weighing about 3 1/2 to 4 ounces.
4) Roll each piece into a ball.
5) Place balls into the greased cups of a hamburger bun pan, flattening gently.
6) Cover and let rise until the buns have doubled in size. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 375°F.
7) Bake the buns for 10 minutes. Remove them from the oven, brush with lightly beaten egg white (or spray with Quick Shine) and sprinkle with seed topping; do this quickly, or the seeds won't stick!
8) Return the buns to the oven and bake for 5 to 8 minutes, until they're golden brown. Remove from the oven, and cool on a rack.

Coffeecake Muffins

2011-01-20T08:42:00.005-05:00

These muffins have made their way into my oven a few times over the last couple months. A hit with my family and again with co-workers. Cooks Illustrated definitely got this recipe right. The delicate taste of cinnamon and pecans in the batter really makes this muffin shine. This recipe can easily be prepared in the food processor, but if a food processor is not available to you the batter can also be stirred by hand or mixed in a stand mixer. Perfect breakfast treat with a mug of hot chocolate, coffee, or even milk.

Coffeecake Muffins
as seen on Cook's Illustrated

Ingredients
1/2 cup (2 oz) pecans
1/4 cup (1 3/4 oz) packed dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cups (10 oz) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup (7 oz) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2" pieces and softened
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup sour cream
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions
1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 12-cup muffin tin and set aside.
2 Process nuts, brown sugar, and cinnamon in food processor until nuts are the size of sesame seeds, about ten 1-second pulses. Transfer mixture to medium bowl.
3. Return bowl and metal blade to food processor, add flour, granulated sugar, and salt and process until combined, about five 1-second pulses. Sprinkle butter evenly over flour mixture and process until butter is oat-sized, about eight 1-second pulses. Remove 1 cup of the flour-butter mixture and stir with fork into reserved brown sugar mixture until combined to make streusel. Set aside 3/4 cup pf streusel for muffin batter and remaining portion for topping muffins.
4. Add baking powder and baking soda to remaining flour mixture in food processor bowl and process until combined, about five 1-second pulses. Whisk together sour cream, egg, and vanilla; add to flour mixture. Process until batter is just moistened, about five 1-second pulses. Add 3/4 cup reserved streusel to flour mixture and process until just distributed throughout batter, about five 1-second pulses.
5. Divide batter among 12 muffin cups and sprinkle with streusel, pressing lightly so that streusel sinks slightly into batter. Bake until toothpick inserted in center of muffin comes out with several crumbs clinging to it, about 18 minutes, rotating pan from front to back halfway through baking time. Cool muffin tin on wire rack for 2 minutes. Using tip of paring knife, loosen muffins gently transfer from tin to wire rack; cool for 5 minutes and serve warm.

Berries and Cream Cookies

2010-09-05T12:32:00.007-04:00

I was inspired to make these cookies by a fundraising catalog I was looking through that was selling cookie dough of a similar fashion. I had all the necessary ingredients at home so I looked for a basic recipe that I could build off of. These cookies turned out better than I could have expected. The sweetness of the dried fruit combined with the creaminess of the white chocolate was definitely an awesome combination. The cookies baked up so puffy and delicious. These are definitely a must try!

Berries and Cream Cookies
inspired by white chocolate and cranberry cookies

Ingredients
1/2 cup cold butter, shredded
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup white granulated sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup dried mixed fruit, roughly chopped
1 cup white chocolate chips

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease cookie sheets.
2. In a large mxing bowl cream together the butter, brown sugar and white sugar until smooth. Beat in the egg and extracts. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; beat into the sugar mixtue. Stir in the dried berries and chocolate chips and mix to combine. Drop by heaping spoonfuls onto prepared cookie sheet.
3. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until cookies just begin to brown. Let cookies cool for 5 minutes on cookie sheets before removing to a wire cooling rack.

Whole Wheat Zucchini Oat Muffins

2010-07-02T14:22:00.008-04:00

While these muffins are a tiny bit sweet they are not your typical zucchini muffin. These muffins are more on the savory side of the world. The lack of sugar really helps the flavors of the featured ingredinets shine through. The addition of nuts would really add a nice crunch and texture to these muffins.

Quick and easy to prepare and a delight for the whole family. Try these delicious muffins today!

Whole Wheat Zucchini and Oat Muffins with Cinnamon Streusel
Adapted from Tasty Kitchen

~yields a bakers dozen (13) muffins~

Ingredients
Streusel topping
4 tablespoons brown sugar
4 tablespoons rolled oats
2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons butter, cold
Muffins
⅓ cups rolled oats
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
⅓ cups brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoons baking soda
½ teaspoons salt
1-½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cups packed grated zucchini
⅔ cups buttermilk
2 whole eggs
¼ cups butter, melted

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray muffin cups with nonstick cooking spray.
For the streusel: Add all dry ingredients into a small bowl. Cut the butter into the dry ingredients; set aside.
For the muffins: Stir together all dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Fold in the grated zucchini and mix until it is well coated with the dry ingredients. In a small bowl whisk together the eggs, buttermilk and melted butter. Fold into dry ingredients stirring just until combined.
Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups and top with struesel topping.
Bake for 18-20 minutes.

Sausage Cheese Biscuits

2010-05-06T09:58:00.001-04:00

This recipe popped up in my e-mail quite a while ago. As soon as I saw it I knew that someday I would make it, I just had no clue when. Before I tore my kitchen apart, for painting, the other day I wanted to bake one last thing. These came to mind for their simplicity and flavors. I did what I like to do best. Baked them up and shipped them out. My co-workers really enjoyed them.

These biscuits (or scones if you prefer to make them sound fancy) are definitely easy to make and can be done in just a few minutes. If you prefer the simplicity of a big flaky biscuit than these are definitely for you. If you like a little more flavor and zing I would suggest adding some garlic and even a dash of Tabasco sauce. These are simple, delicious, and beautiful. Enjoy.

Sausage Cheese Biscuits
adapted from King Arthur Flour

Yield: 20 biscuits

Ingredients
3 cups (12 3/4 oz) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon Pizza Dough Flavor, optional
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, cut in pats
1 cup (8 oz) yogurt, buttermilk, or sour cream (low-fat is fine)
3/4 pound breakfast sausage links, cooked and sliced in 1/2" pieces
1 cup (4 oz) diced cheddar cheese

Directions
Preheat the oven to 425°F.

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and Pizza Dough Flavor. Add the butter, cut in pats. Work in the butter till the mixture is crumbly.
Add the sausage and cheese, mixing to distribute. Add the yogurt, buttermilk, or sour cream.
Mix just till everything is evenly moistened.

Transfer the dough to a piece of parchment or a lightly floured work surface. Pat and roll it into an 8" x 10" rectangle about 3/4" thick. Cut the dough into twenty 2" squares.

If you've been working on parchment, simply lift the parchment onto a baking sheet. Separate the biscuits so there's about 1" between them. If the biscuits aren't on parchment, space them on a lightly greased baking sheet, leaving about 1" between them.

Bake the biscuits for 20 to 25 minutes, or until they're a medium- to deep-golden brown.
Remove the biscuits from the oven, and cool them on a rack briefly. Serve warm.

Quarter Pound Cookies

2010-04-18T21:08:00.008-04:00

I always say that I am going to stop trying new chocolate chip cookie recipes yet it seems like every time I make them I am using a new recipe. When I saw these outrageously huge 4oz cookies on Shawnda's blog I knew that I would not be able to resist. I grabbed some extra cold butter from the freezer and set out on my marry way. The dough started out on the dry side and I was worried that it would not come together correctly but I was mistaken. By the time the chocolate and nuts were mixed in, the dough was perfect. I pushed the tops of my dough balls down a bit which made them wider and a tad flatter than others, if you want to make sure you have nice tall puffy cookies keep the dough in a ball when you place it onto the cookie sheet.

These cookies are definitely quite impressive in both size and flavor. These quarter pound cookies measure about 4 1/2 inches across and about 3/4 of an inch thick. A slightly crisp outer shell partnered with a gooey buttery inside makes these cookies pretty much irresistible. I will definitely be making these amazing cookies again. I recommend you try them out, immediately.

Levain Bakery-ish Chocolate Chip Cookies
adapted from Confections of a Foodie Bride

yields ~12 cookies

Ingredients
8 oz (2 sticks) unsalted butter (very cold, shredded with your food processor)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups all purpose flour (13 1/2 oz)
3/4 tsp sea salt
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
12oz good quality semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 cup walnuts, chopped

Directions
Preheat oven to 375. Beat the cold butter and both sugars until just combined. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat just until incorporated.

Stir together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add to the mixer bowl and mix just until blended. Add the chocolate chips and walnuts and mix until distributed. (The dough will be VERY stiff at this point.)

Divide the dough into 12 balls, approx 4 oz each (think a little larger than a golf ball; a slightly rounded 2.5-inch scoop will do the trick perfectly) and place on an ungreased baking pan. Chill the dough for 20 minutes. Bake for 18-22 minutes or until browned on the edges and set in the center. Let cool completely on the pans before transferring to airtight storage.

Banana Streusel Muffins

2010-03-06T11:34:00.008-05:00

It has been forever since I had made banana muffins and I figured it was time to give them another go. Before I began to look around for recipes I knew exactly what I wanted. I envisioned a soft, delicate, lightly sweetened muffin with a crunchy streusel topping. I came across this recipe and it sounded like it fit the bill perfectly. I quickly mixed up a batch with a couple of bananas that had ripened beautifully and soon after had a delicious banana muffin for an afternoon snack.

This recipe is definitely my new go-to banana muffin recipe. The muffins rose up high and produced the perfect crumb. The banana flavor was so intense and and the crunchy streusel topped the muffin perfectly. This is a people pleasing recipe that you should definitely make soon.

Banana Streusel Muffins
Adapted from Allrecipes

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
2 medium ripe bananas, mashed

Streusel Topping
1/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1/4 cup toasted sliced almonds

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, baking soda and cinnamon. In a small bowl, beat eggs, sour cream, butter and bananas; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups three-fourths full.
For streusel, combine sugar, flour and cinnamon in a small bowl; cut in butter. If using almonds stir them in at this time. Sprinkle over muffins. Bake at 375 degrees F for 20-25 minutes.

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chipsters

2010-02-12T19:52:00.002-05:00

I reached for Dorie Greenspan's cookbook the other day when I felt like baking up something delicious. My plan was to find a recipe in the book that I had all of the ingredients for and that I was able to make right then and there . When I came across this cookie recipe it sounded pretty good so I thought that I would give it a try.

If you were to take a peanut butter cookie, an oatmeal cookie, and a chocolate chip cookie and cram them all together into one bite these would definitely be what it would taste like. My husband and I enjoyed the cookies and so did all of my co-workers (especially the pregnant one). I did not have enough of any one kind of chocolate to put into these so I used a combination of bittersweet, semi-sweet, and white chocolate. These were a huge hit all around and I am already planning on adding the recipe to my list of favorites.

What is your favorite kind of cookie? Is there any kind of cookie that you would like me to feature here on Amber's Delectable Delights?

Chunky Peanut Butter and Oatmeal Chocolate Chipsters
from Baking, From My Home to Yours, by Dorie Greenspan

Ingredients
3 cups old fashioned oats
1 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoons freshly ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 sticks (8 oz) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup (packed) light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
9 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped into chunks, or 1 1/2 cups -bought chocolate chips or chunks.

Directions
Position the racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats.
Whisk together the oats, flour, baking soda, spices and salt.
Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter, peanut butter, sugar and brown sugar on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating for 1 minute after each addition, then beat in the vanilla.Reduce the mixer speed to low and slowly add the dry ingredients, beating only until blended. Mix in the chips.If you have the time, cover and chill the dough for about 2 hours or for up to one day. (Chilling the dough will give you more evenly shaped cookies.)
If the dough is not chilled, drop rounded tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto the baking sheets. If the dough is chilled, scoop up rounded tablespoons, roll the balls between your palms and place them 2 inches apart on the sheets. Press the chilled balls gently with the heel of your hand until they are about 1/2 inch thick. Bake for 13 to 15 minutes, rotating the sheets from top to bottom and front to back after 7 minutes. The cookies should be golden and just firm around the edges. Lift the cookies onto cooling racks with a wide metal spatula - they'll firm as they cool.
Repeat with the remaining dough, cooling the baking sheets between batches.

Storing - wrapped airtight or piled into a cookie jar, the cookies will keep at room temperature for about 4 days. Wrapped and frozen, they'll be good for 2 months.

Garlic Herb Braid

2010-02-07T11:31:00.009-05:00

I have been baking bread for about five years now. In that time many different sizes and shapes of bread have graced my dinner table, yet I have never experimented with a braided loaf. The concept is easy, three ropes of dough are carefully maneuvered back and forth until the end of the ropes are reached and a beautiful braid is achieved. Lets just say there is a reason you do not see a picture of my loaf before it was cut. Let's just say that I am going to have to practice this technique. :)

This was one of the quickest yeast bread recipes that I have ever made. The whole process from raw ingredients to baked loaf could not have taken much more than an hour and a half. The end result was quite delicious and went well with the chicken manicotti and salad that was served at my monthly scrapbooking night. This is definitely a recipe that I will make again.

Garlic-Herb Braid
as seen on Christy's Kitchen Creations from Taste of Home

Ingredients
4 to 4-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
2 packages (1/4 oz each) quick-rise yeast
2 teaspoons dried basil
1-3/4 teaspoons dill weed
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
3/4 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
3/4 cup 2% milk
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup butter, cubed
1 egg
1 tablespoon butter, melted

Directions
In a large bowl, combine 1-1/2 cups flour, sugar, yeast and seasonings. In a small saucepan, heat the milk, water and cubed butter to 120-130 degrees. Add to dry ingredients; beat just until moistened. Add egg; beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough.

Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 4-6 minutes. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes.

Divide dough into thirds. Shape each into a 15-in. rope. Place ropes on a greased baking sheet and braid; pinch ends to seal and tuck under. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 25 minutes.

Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Brush with melted butter. Remove from pan to a wire rack to cool.

Restaurant Style Salsa

2010-02-06T09:20:00.007-05:00

I have made salsa a few other times but the results were never anything to write home about. I came across this recipe on Pioneer Woman's site and thought that it sounded right up my ally. Since I prefer my salsa with no large chunks in it, the food processor was definitely my best friend when making this. The nice thing about this recipe is that you can make it as chunky or smooth as you like it. Heck you can make half of the batch chunky and half of it smooth. Really, it is so easy and foolproof.

I typically hate cilantro but thought that a teeny bit would be ok in the recipe. I was right, it was fine. Actually this recipe was quite delicious. Even my husband, the condiment hater, was scooping it up all night long. I took my leftovers into work the following day and the entire batch of salsa was polished off in a matter of a few hours.By the way, this recipes makes enough salsa for a small army. I think I had about 4 1/2 cups of it when all was said and done. Another thing to think about is draining the Rotel. The recipe does not mention it, but I did it. It seemed like the salsa would have been to watery if I had not. Enjoy!

Restaurant Style Salsa
Adapted from The Pioneer Woman

Ingredients
1 can (28 Ounce) whole tomatoes with juice
2 cans (10 Ounce) Rotel
¼ cups chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 whole jalapeno, quartered and sliced thin
¼ teaspoons sugar
¼ teaspoons salt
¼ teaspoons ground cumin
½ cups cilantro (or more to taste!)
½ whole lime juice

Preparation Instructions
Combine whole tomatoes, Rotel, onion, jalapeno, garlic, sugar, salt, cumin, lime juice, and cilantro in a blender or food processor. Pulse until you get the salsa to the consistency you’d like—I do about 10 to 15 pulses. Test seasonings with a tortilla chip and adjust as needed.
Refrigerate salsa for at least an hour. Serve with tortilla chips or cheese nachos.

Cucumber Finger Sandwiches

2010-01-29T10:00:00.001-05:00

This was yet another appetizer that was served at my friends birthday party a few weekends ago. I was not the one that originally made them but I decided that they were so good that I wanted to make them soon. I went out and bought all the ingredients and then made a few little sandwiches here and there throughout the week for my husband and I.

These are super quick and easy to prepare but are best if assembled shortly before serving. They were definitely a hit at the party and with my husband and would be the perfect addition to any get together where something light and fresh tasting was needed. In case you were wondering, I was able to get this cute shaped bread by baking some bread dough in my scalloped bread tube.

Cucumber Finger Sandwiches
adapted from Allrecipes

Ingredients
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 (.7 ounce) package dry Italian salad dressing mix
2 loaves French bread, cut into 1 inch slices
2 medium cucumbers, sliced
1 pinch dried dill weed

Directions
In a medium bowl, mix together the cream cheese, mayonnaise and Italian dressing mix. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours, or preferably overnight.
Spread the cream cheese mixture onto the slices of French bread. Top with a piece of cucumber and sprinkle with dill.
Note - The cream cheese mixture keeps for a week in the fridge so you can make as many or few as you need at a time.

Stuffed Mushrooms

2010-01-20T20:28:00.004-05:00

I have always been a fan of the concept of stuffed mushrooms. Big meaty mushrooms stuffed with all kinds of delicious filling and baked until warm. Seriously what is not to love about that idea. The only problem was that up until last weekend I had never actually eaten a stuffed mushroom. Why do you ask, well I happen to hate (with a passion) onion and seafood and I was just sure that every stuffed mushroom I had ever been offered had one or both of those ingredients in it. So to be safe I waited until I could make them myself to truly indulge in their deliciousness. I helped a friend from work prepare some dishes for a birthday party this past weekend and these stuffed mushrooms were one of the first things that I suggested to make.

These mushrooms were an absolute hit! There were about 50 pieces made and they were the first dish to totally disappear at the party. I had a few requests for the recipe and many people telling me how delicious they were. The prep work of cleaning all the mushrooms is a little time consuming but is definitely worth it. I will definitely be making these again and again.

Mouth-Watering Stuffed Mushrooms
from Annie's Eats originally adapted from Allrecipes

Ingredients
24 whole fresh mushrooms
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350° F. Lightly grease a baking sheet with cooking spray. Clean mushrooms with a damp paper towel. Carefully remove the stems from the mushroom caps, setting the caps aside for later. Add the stems to the bowl of a food processor. Add the garlic to the food processor as well, and pulse in brief bursts until them mushroom stems and garlic are finely chopped.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped mushroom stems and garlic and cook until all the moisture has disappeared, about 5-7 minutes. Lower the heat to medium-low. Stir in the cream cheese, Parmesan cheese and spices. Stir together until the mixture is smooth and creamy; remove from the heat. Using a small spoon, fill each mushroom cap with a generous amount of filling. Arrange the mushroom caps on the prepared baking sheet. Top with bread crumbs, if desired. Bake for 20 minutes or until the mushrooms are hot and liquid starts to form under the caps. Transfer to a serving platter, garnish with fresh herbs if using and serve immediately.

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

2010-01-17T19:32:00.007-05:00

I came across this recipe a few weeks ago when my most recent Food Network magazine came in the mail. Since I have yet to find the absolute perfect broccoli cheese soup recipe I figured that I might as well give this one a try. After spilling (and cleaning up) almost 2 cups of milk on the kitchen floor I should have just left the kitchen and tried again another night but I was determined to have this soup for dinner.

I did not have enough time to make bread bowls to go along with this soup so instead I served it with a few slices of garlic toast. The Food Network magazine compared this soup to Panera's broccoli-cheese soup. Although I am not sure how this compares to theirs I do know that this soup was warm, creamy, and delicious. I will definitely make this soup again.

Almost-Famous Broccoli-Cheddar Soup

adapted from Food Network

Ingredients
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups half-and-half
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 bay leaves
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
4 7-inch sourdough bread boules (round loaves)
4 cups broccoli florets (about 1 head)
1 large carrot, diced
2 1/2 cups (about 8 ounces) grated sharp white and yellow cheddar cheese, plus more for garnish

Directions
Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven or pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Whisk in the flour and cook until golden, 3 to 4 minutes, then gradually whisk in the half-and-half until smooth. Add the chicken broth, bay leaves and nutmeg, then season with salt and pepper and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, uncovered, until thickened, about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare the bread bowls: Using a sharp knife, cut a circle into the top of each loaf, leaving a 1-inch border all around. Remove the bread top, then hollow out the middle with a fork or your fingers, leaving a thick bread shell.
Add the broccoli and carrot to the broth mixture and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes. Discard the bay leaves. Puree the soup in batches in a blender until smooth; you'll still have flecks of carrot and broccoli. Return to the pot. (Or puree the soup in the pot with an immersion blender.)
Add the cheese to the soup and whisk over medium heat until melted. Add up to 3/4 cup water if the soup is too thick. Ladle into the bread bowls and garnish with cheese.

Soft Pretzels

2010-01-03T10:07:00.007-05:00

I have always been a fan of soft pretzels. They are crisp and browned on the outside and light and moist on the inside. I think that they really are the perfect treat. I have a old stand-by recipe for them that I make often but decided to change it up and try out a new recipe. I used a recipe I found in Peter Reinhart's new book, Artisan Breads Every Day. I was so fond of his first book, The Bread Bakers Apprentice that I signed up to be a recipe tester for this new book. I had an awesome time testing recipes and was excited for the release of the book. The first thing I did when I bought the book was flip to the acknowledgement section and try to find my name. :) Enough about me, back to the pretzels...

These pretzels do require a bit of planning since the dough needs to be made a day (or up to 4 days) in advance but the wait is well worth it. Although this will not become my new favorite pretzel recipe it is definitely something I will make again. This recipe just did not represent to me what soft pretzels are all about. Maybe it was not quite sweet enough on the inside, maybe it was not as light and airy as what I expected either. I don't know, it just seemed like something was off. Next time I make this recipe I think that I would shape the dough into a large loaf and make a loaf of pretzel bread. For now I will stick to my other soft pretzel recipe.

Soft Pretzels
Adapted from Peter Reinhart's Artisan Breads Every Day(pgs 128-131)

Ingredients
4 1/2 cups (20oz) unbleached bread flour
1 3/4 teaspoons (.4oz) salt or 2 1/2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
1 1/2 tablespoons (.75oz) brown sugar
1 teaspoon (.11oz) instant yeast
1 1/2 cups (12oz) lukewarm water (about 95 degrees)
2 tablespoons (1oz) vegetable oil or melted butter
8 teaspoons (2oz) baking soda, for dipping
2 cups (16oz) warm water (about 100 degrees), for dipping
1 egg white, for dipping (optional)

Pretzel salt or coarse kosher salt, for garnish

Do Ahead
-Combine the flour, salt, and sugar in a mixing bowl. Whisk the yeast into the lukewarm water until dissolved, then let it sit for 1 minute to hydrate.
-Pour the yeast mixture and the oil into the dry ingredients. If using a mixer, use the paddle and mix on lowest speed for 30 to 60 seconds. If mixing by hand, use a large spoon and stir for about 1 minute. A course ball of dough should form.
-Switch to the dough hook and mix on the lowest speed, or continue mixing by hand, for 2 minutes. The dough will become slightly smoother. Let the dough rest for 5 minutes.
-Continue to mix with the dough hook on medium-low speed, or mix by hand for 3 minutes, adjusting the water or flour as needed to form a smooth, firm, but slightly tacky ball of dough. If the dough is very tacky or sticky, add more flour.
-Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead for 1 minute to make any final adjustments. Form the dough into a ball and place it in a clean , lightly oiled bowl. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and immediately refrigerate overnight or for up to 4 days. (If you plan to bake the dough in batches over different days, you can portion the dough and place it into two or more oiled bowls at this stage.)

On Baking day
-To make the dipping solution, stir the baking soda into the warm water. Whisk in the optional egg white (this will add a little shine, but it's optional)
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Pour the baking soda solution into a shallow bowl or small pan. -Remove the dough from the refrigerator and immediately divide it into 2 ounce pieces, or 3 ounce pieces if you prefer larger pretzels. Roll each piece into a rope about 17 inches long, tapered at the last 3 inches of each end (if the rope shrinks back after rolling, proceed to the next piece and return a few minutes later, after the gluten has relaxed, and roll the rope again to the full length). Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or a silicone mat. If the parchment , mist it with spray oil to prevent sticking. Form a piece of dough into a pretzel shape, then place it on the sheet pan.
-As soon as the pan is filled, carefully dip each pretzel into the baking soda solution to thoroughly coat it, then put it back on the pan. Sprinkle on salt to taste, but be aware that a little goes a long way. (See the variations below for other garnish suggestions.) Dip and pan all of the pretzels./

-Bake for about 8 minutes, then rotate the pan and bake for another to 10 minutes, until the pretzels are a rich brown.
-Transfer the pretzels to a wire rack and cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Variations
You can substitute whole grain flour for some of the bread flour. If you do so, add 1 tablespoon of water to the final dough for every 7 tablespoons of whole grain flour you use.
You can top these pretzels with many garnishes other than salt. Sesame seeds are very popular, or try a savory or spicy seasoning salts or a sweet streusel topping. Another option is to scatter a good melting cheese on the surface for the last 3 minutes of baking. Or, for a decadent delight, drizzle them with chocolate glaze after they come out of the oven and have cooled a bit.

Turkey Tetrazzini

2009-12-28T20:55:00.004-05:00

Wow, I am so ashamed. The last time I posted a dinner item on this blog was way back in July when I posted Cashew Chicken. Seriously, I am just sooo ashamed by this. You all probably think that I about 900 pounds and unable to walk with all the sweets and breads that I have been posting for the past few months. I assure you that I am not 900 pounds and I have been eating more than cookies and bread for dinner. I have just been in a funk and have not been very adventurous in the kitchen. Hopefully this will change with the new year and I will get back to posting more often and with a better variety.

I had some turkey leftover from a Christmas Eve dinner and thought that tetrazzini would be the perfect way to use it up. I decided to try a recipe that I found on Elise's site, Simply Recipes, due to the simplicity of it. I was also intrigued by the use of Swiss and Parmesan cheese. Although I managed to dirty way more dishes than I should have, the recipe was very easy to make and came together perfectly. Although the top layer of my dish became dried out and extra crispy (due to a guest that would not stop talking long enough to leave my house) this meal came out delicious. The flavors in the sauce were a perfect match for mushrooms and peas and the pasta was nice and creamy. This was a delicious meal that I would definitely make again.

Turkey Tetrazzini
Adapted from Simply Recipes

Ingredients
12 oz egg noodles, spaghetti, linguine or other pasta
12 ounces mushrooms, sliced (about 4-5 cups)
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups of milk
1/4 cup cream
2 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup dry sherry (or vermouth or dry white wine)
3 cups coarsely chopped cooked turkey
1 cup peas
2/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan (divided into 1/3 and 1/3 cups)
1/3 cup shredded Swiss cheese
2 Tbsp lemon juice
Salt and Pepper
Ground nutmeg (optional)
1/3 cup fine fresh bread crumbs (or panko)
Freshly chopped parsley for garnish (optional)

Method
1 Preheat oven to 375°F. Start heating 2 to 3 quarts of water for the pasta. Add 1 teaspoon of salt for each quart of water.
2 Cook the mushrooms in 3 Tbsp of the butter over medium heat, stirring, until all of the liquid the mushrooms give off has evaporated, 5-10 minutes. Set aside.
3 In a large, heavy saucepan, melt 1/4 cup of butter. Stir in the flour, and cook the mixture over low heat, stirring, for 3 minutes.
4 About now, put the pasta into the boiling water you've heated. Follow the package directions and cook until al dente. While the pasta is cooking continue on with the recipe.
5 Into the saucepan with the butter and flour, slowly whisk in the milk, cream, broth, and the sherry. Bring to a simmer and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, for about 5 to 8 minutes.
6 When the pasta is ready, drain it. In a large bowl combine the pasta, the sauce, the mushrooms, the turkey, and the peas. Stir in 1/3 cup of the Parmesan and the 1/3 cup of Swiss cheese. Stir in the lemon juice. Add salt and pepper to taste. Note that if you have been using unsalted butter, and/or unsalted or low sodium stock, you will need to add more salt than you might expect. Just keep sprinkling it in until it is seasoned to your taste. Add a pinch of ground nutmeg if using, again to taste. Transfer the mixture to a buttered 3-quart casserole.
7 In a small bowl combine well the remaining 1/3 cup Parmesan and the bread crumbs. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the tetrazzini, and dot the top with the remaining 1 tablespoon butter, cut into bits.
8 Bake the Tetrazzini in the middle rack of the oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until it is bubbling and the top is golden.
Garnish individual servings with chopped parsley.

Serves 4 to 6

Dipped Cherry Cookies

2009-12-25T19:04:00.012-05:00

Wow, another whole month has passed by where I have yet to update my precious blog. What can I say, life has been pretty crazy the past couple of months and it has been hard to keep up. I hope to do better in the new year by updating more often and even possibly moving to my own domain. But for now let's concentrate of the important stuff, Christmas cookies! A couple of weeks ago my sister e-mailed me this recipe and asked if I could make it for Christmas. Since I am such a wonderful sister I went ahead and added it to my Christmas baking list.

Making the dough for these cookies is very similar to making a pie crust. Cubed cold butter is cut into dry ingredients and then more ingredients are added and the dough is kneaded (I used my stand mixer for this step) until it forms a ball. The end result of this process is a soft and delicate cookie that is both sweet and chocolaty. I personally love the combination of cherries, white chocolate and almond flavor! These are the perfect treat for the holiday season.

Dipped Cherry Cookies
Adapted from Taste of Home

Ingredients
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar, divided
1 cup cold butter, cubed
1/2 cup finely chopped maraschino cherries, drained
12 ounces white baking chocolate, finely chopped, divided
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 teaspoons shortening
Coarse sugar and red edible glitter

Directions
- In a large bowl, combine flour and 1/2 cup sugar; cut in butter until crumbly. Knead in the cherries, 2/3 cup white chocolate and extract until dough forms a ball.
- Shape into 3/4-in. balls. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Flatten slightly with a glass dipped in remaining sugar. Bake at 325° for 10-12 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool.
- In a microwave, melt shortening and remaining white chocolate at 70% power for 1 minute; stir. Microwave at additional 10- to 20-second intervals, stirring until smooth.
- Dip half of each cookie into chocolate; allow excess to drip off. Sprinkle with coarse sugar and edible glitter. Place on waxed paper until set. Store in an airtight container.

Yield: about 4 dozen.

I hope that you all had a very Merry Christmas!

I made this cake a few weeks ago for my husband's work Christmas party. I did not post it because it was just a chocolate cake with chocolate cream filling and frosted with mint buttercream. It was so beautiful that I could not pass up the opportunity to share a picture of it.

Pumpkin Ice Cream

2009-11-23T10:15:00.000-05:00

Every year I look forward to a local ice cream shop announcing that pumpkin ice cream is back for the season yet every year I keep telling myself that I am just going to make it myself instead. This year was the one that I decided to just make it. A few days ago I hosted an early Thanksgiving dinner for my family and decided I would make a batch of this pumpkin ice cream for a light dessert. Although I definitely could have let the batter spend more time chilling in the fridge I got antsy and churned it anyway. The end results were delicious. Just as I remembered it, yet so much more!

If you ever thought that you might enjoy a frozen pumpkin pie then you would definitely enjoy this ice cream because it tastes exactly like that. The pumpkin flavor is perfect and the amount of spices is right on. I think crushed up graham crackers mixed in would add another great layer of flavor to this already delicious treat. This is definitely a treat that is perfect for the pumpkin lover in any family.

Pumpkin Ice Cream
Adapted from Williams-Sonoma

~ makes about 1 quart~

Ingredients
1 cup fresh pumpkin puree or canned unsweetened pumpkin puree
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups heavy cream
3/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
5 egg yolks
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. salt
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
1 Tbs. bourbon

Directions
- In a bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree and vanilla. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or up to 8 hours.
- In a heavy 2-quart saucepan over medium heat, combine 1 1/2 cups of the cream and 1/2 cup of the brown sugar. Cook until bubbles form around the edges of the pan, about 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine the egg yolks, cinnamon, ginger, salt, nutmeg, the remaining 1/2 cup cream and the remaining 1/4 cup brown sugar. Whisk until smooth and the sugar begins to dissolve.
- Remove the cream mixture from the heat. Gradually whisk about 1/2 cup of the hot cream mixture into the egg mixture until smooth. Pour the egg mixture back into the pan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon and keeping the custard at a low simmer, until it is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon and leaves a clear trail when a finger is drawn through it, 4 to 6 minutes. Do not allow the custard to boil. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl.
- Place the bowl in a larger bowl partially filled with ice water, stirring occasionally until cool. Whisk the pumpkin mixture into the custard. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly on the surface of the custard to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until chilled, at least 3 hours or up to 24 hours.
- Transfer the custard to an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions. Add the bourbon during the last minute of churning. Transfer the ice cream to a freezer-safe container. Cover and freeze until firm, at least 3 hours or up to 3 days, before serving.

Apple Cinnamon Rolls

2009-11-09T08:20:00.001-05:00

While I was at my parents house last weekend I grabbed some apples off of their tree and was set on a mission to make something delicious with them. I debated over all of the possibilities; turnovers, cinnamon rolls, pie, muffins, bread, strudel and finally decided that apple cinnamon rolls sounded quite good. Although diced apple could easily be snuck into any cinnamon roll recipe I figured that I might as well try a new recipe while I was at it.

This dough came together quickly and nicely and turned into a dough that was smooth and perfect to work with. The vanilla glaze adds just enough sweetness to the rolls that a heavy cream cheese frosting is just not needed. I opted for the making and baking the rolls in the same day but there are instructions on spanning it out over two days. These rolls were a hit with my family and also with my co-workers. I will definitely be making these again in the near future.

Apple Cinnamon Rolls
Adapted from Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook, pg 144-145

Ingredients
4 1/4 to 5 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 package active dry yeast
1 cup milk
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose four
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/3 cup butter
1 cup finely chopped, peeled apple
half and half or light cream
1 recipe vanilla glaze (below)

Directions
1. In a large mixing bowl combine 2 1/4 cups of the flour and the yeast. In a saucepan heat and stir milk, 1/3 cup of butter, granulated sugar, and salt just until warm (120-130 degrees F) and butter almost melts; add to flour mixture along with eggs. Beat with electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds, scraping bowl. Beat on high speed 3 minutes. Stir in as much of the remaining flour as you can.
2. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead in enough of the remaining flour to make moderately soft dough that is smooth and elastic (3-5 minutes total). Shape dough into a ball. Place in a greased bowl; turn once. Cover; let rise in a warm place until double (about 1 hour).
3. Punch dough down. Turn out onto lightly floured surface. Divide in half. Cover; let rest for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, lightly grease two 9 x 1 1/2 inch round baking pans or 2 baking sheets ; set aside. For filling, stir together brown sugar, 1/4 cup flour, and cinnamon; cut in 1/3 cup butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
4. Roll each half of dough into a 12x8 inch rectangle. Sprinkle filling and apple over dough rectangles. Roll up each rectangle starting from a long side. Seal seams. Slice each roll into 12 pieces. Place cut sides down in prepared pans or baking sheets.
5. To bake the rolls right away; cover the dough loosely and let it rise in a warm place until nearly double, about 30 minutes. To bake the rolls later; cover the dough loosely with plastic wrap and chill for 2 to 24 hours. When ready to bake the rolls uncover and let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.
6. Break any surface bubbles with a greased toothpick. Brush dough with half-and-half. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 20-25 minutes or until light brown (if necessary, cover rolls with foil the last 5 to 10 minutes of baking to prevent overbrowning). Remove from oven. Brush again with half-and-half. Cool for 1 minute. Carefully invert rolls onto a wire rack. Cool slightly. Invert once again onto a serving platter. Drizzle with Vanilla Glaze (recipe below).Vanilla GlazeIn a small bowl stir together 1 1/4 cups sifted powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon light-colored corn syrup, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Add enough half and half or light cream (1-2 tablespoons) to reach drizzling consistency.

Vanilla Glaze
In a small bowl stir together 1 1/4 cups sifted powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon light-colored corn syrup, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Add enough half and half or light cream (1-2 tablespoons) to reach drizzling consistency.

Chocolate Cherry Chip Cookies

2009-11-04T08:50:00.000-05:00

I have had this bag of cherry chips sitting in my pantry for the longest time and never knew exactly what I was going to do with them. I had actually forgotten about those cherry chips until I came across this recipe one day. Chocolate and cherry is such a great combination that I thought these cookies would be great, and well, they were.

The batter for these cookies was pretty thick, so I went ahead and smashed down the top of the dough once I placed it onto my baking sheet to make sure the cookies spread evenly and did not stay clumped up in a big mountain. I actually kind of like the crackled effect they turned out with. Oh, in case anyone is wondering I found the bag of cherry chips at Walmart and I am pretty sure that they still carry them. I think these cookies would be a great addition to holiday baking lists.

Chocolate Cherry Chip Cookies
Adapted from Picky Palate

Ingredients
1 cup butter
1 cup white sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 3/4 cups flour
1 1/4 cups cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 bag of Log House Cherry Chips
1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and use a cookie sheet with a silpat liner.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Slowly add eggs and vanilla until well combined.
3. In another bowl, combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Slowly add to wet ingredients then stir in white chips and cherry chips. Using a medium cookie scoop, drop by rounded spoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheet.
4. Bake for 9-11 minutes, should still be soft in center. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Spicy Spiral Bread

2009-10-16T06:00:00.001-04:00

In honor of World Bread Day 2009 I decided to venture into the land of filled breads. I found this recipe for Spicy Spiral Bread on King Arthur's website and the idea of refried beans and cheese as a filling really intrigued me. Other than the adventurous filling ingredients this bread is made just like most other yeast bread recipes and calls for ingredients that are staples in most pantries.

When I tried to remove the bread from the pan, shortly after coming out of the oven, some of the bread stuck to the bottom of the pan and created a tear in the loaf. I think this happened because the filling was heavy and warm. I would suggest letting the bread cool about 25 minutes in the pan and then making sure to loosen around the edges before trying to remove the loaf of bread. The taste of this bread was a taste that was new and interesting to me. I tried the bread at room temperature and thought that the different textures from the beans and the bread made a nice match. I think it would taste even better warmed up and I plan on trying that tomorrow. This bread is something that I will definitely make again and I plan on playing around with different flavor combinations next time I make it. Happy World Bread Day 2009 to everyone!

Check out my past years entries into World Bread day.
2008 - English Muffin Bread
2007 - Italian Bread

If you love bread as much as I do you might also want to check out my collection of yeasted breads and quick breads. I am sure there is something there to satisfy every bread lovers craving.

Spicy Spiral Bread
Adapted from King Arthur Flour

Ingredients
Dough
2 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
2/3 cup yellow cornmeal
2 teaspoons instant yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon chipotle or hot chili powder or 1/4 teaspoon ground chilies
2 teaspoons sugar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup + 2 tablespoons water
Filling
16-ounce can refried beans
8 ounces shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 to 3 tablespoons taco seasoning or 1 tablespoon mild chili powder

*Optional filling add-ins include 1/2 cup diced raw onion, sliced black olives, diced jalapeño peppers, 1/4 cup salsa, chopped fresh cilantro, or 1/2 cup cooked and drained ground beef. If you use more than three of the preceding options, you'll probably have leftover filling (which is delicious served in taco shells or burritos). The filling should be firm, and should total around 2 cups altogether.

Directions
Dough: In a large bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, yeast, salt, chili powder, sugar, olive oil and water. Mix until a rough dough forms, then knead: 10 minutes by hand, or about 8 minutes by. The dough is soft; work with it gently. Turn the dough into a greased bowl, cover it, and let it rise for 1 1/2 hours, or until it's doubled in bulk.
To prepare the dough in a bread machine, place all of the dough ingredients into the pan of your machine according to the manufacturer's instructions, and program the machine for Dough or Manual. Let the machine complete its cycle.

Assembly: Roll the dough into a long, 8 x 24-inch rectangle. Spread it with 1 1/2 to 2 cups of the filling, leaving a 1-inch margin along the edges. Fold in the two short ends, and roll the dough into a 24-inch log. Pinch the dough to seal it well.
Keeping the seam side down, ease the log, in a loose spiral, into a greased 9-inch round cake pan. Pat the spiral down so it's flat and even across the top. Cover the dough and let it rise till it's even with the top of the pan or slightly crowned above the lip of the pan, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Bake the bread in a preheated 350°F oven for 45 to 50 minutes, till golden brown. Serve warm, hot or cold, with a salad, if desired.

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

2009-10-12T10:02:00.001-04:00

Fall is definitely in the air here in Indiana which means it is time to break out the pumpkin and start baking some treats. First on the list this year is pumpkin whoopie pies. I searched around for a recipe and decided to try this Martha Stewart one because the cream cheese filling sounded good. I was a bit skeptical of the 4 tablespoons of spices that went in but it all worked out in the end and they are not overwhelming at all.

I am not sure what Martha Stewart was thinking, this recipe definitely makes more than 12 pies. I made 8 large ones (using a 3 tablespoon scoop) and 10 smaller ones (using a 2 tablespoon scoop). Depending on what size scoop you use you could easily make as many as 2 dozen whoopie pies. These are definitely delicious and I am sure I will be making them again soon.

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with Cream-Cheese Filling
Adapted from Martha Stewart

Ingredients
For The Cookies
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon ground cloves
2 cups firmly packed dark-brown sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
3 cups pumpkin puree, chilled
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
For the Cream Cheese Filling
3 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions
Make the cookies: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat; set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves; set aside. In another large bowl, whisk together brown sugar and oil until well combined. Add pumpkin puree and whisk until combined. Add eggs and vanilla and whisk until well combined. Sprinkle flour mixture over pumpkin mixture and whisk until fully incorporated.
Using a small ice cream scoop with a release mechanism, drop heaping tablespoons of dough onto prepared baking sheets, about 1 inch apart. Transfer to oven and bake until cookies are just starting to crack on top and a toothpick inserted into the center of each cookie comes out clean, about 15 minutes. Let cool completely on pan.

Make the filling: Sift confectioner' sugar into a medium bowl; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter until smooth. Add cream cheese and beat until well combined. Add confectioners' sugar and vanilla, beat just until smooth. (Filling can be made up to a day in advance. Cover and refrigerate; let stand at room temperature to soften before using.)
Assemble the whoopie pies: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Transfer filling to a disposable pastry bag and snip the end. When cookies have cooled completely, pipe a large dollop of filling on the flat side of half of the cookies. Sandwich with remaining cookies, pressing down slightly so that the filling spreads to the edge of the cookies. Transfer to prepared baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap.
Refrigerate cookies at least 30 minutes before serving and up to 3 days.

And the winner is..

2009-09-28T08:42:00.009-04:00

The winner of the Singing Dog Vanilla giveaway is, comment number 54.

Christy of Christy's Kitchen Creations, come collect your prize!

Christy please send me an e-mail (ambersdelectabledelights@gmail.com) with your mailing address and I will notify Singing Dog Vanilla to send a sample of their vanilla bean paste your way.

Congratulations to Christy and thank you to all who entered.

Monkey Cupcakes

2009-09-21T10:14:00.000-04:00

I first saw these cupcakes in a Taste of Home magazine I bought a few months ago. I thought they were so darn cute that I could not wait for a chance to make them. Last Saturday night was my monthly scrapbooking meet-up with some friends and I thought these would be the perfect treat to share.

I used this funfetti cupcake recipe (although I left the sprinkles out), because I love the almond flavor and thought it would be great with the chocolate frosting. Since pastel M&M's are not in season I grabbed a bag of Crazy Cores Skittles for the eyeballs. For the ears I bought a regular sized and mini sized bag of Nutter Butter cookies because I could not decide which size/shape I liked better for the ears. It turns out that I think both are super cute and now I have all kinds of cookies left that I have no clue what to do with.

It was fun giving all of the monkeys different faces, some were cross-eyed, some had kissy lips and one even had a beard. These cupcakes were a hit at scrapbooking night, everyone enjoyed them and thought they were really cute. For as cute as these cupcakes are they took pretty much no time to put together. Definitely a crowd pleaser.

Monkey Cupcakes
adapted from Taste of Home

Ingredients
1 package cake mix
1 can chocolate frosting
Vanilla wafers (one per cupcake)
Black and red decorating gel
Pastel blue and/or green milk chocolate candies (2 pcs per cupcake)
Nutter Butter, peanut butter cream filled sandwich cookies (regular or mini size)

Directions
Prepare and bake cake batter according to directions for cupcakes. Cool completely on wire racks. Set aside 1/4 cup frosting. Frost cupcakes with remaining frosting.
With a serrated knife, cut off and discard a fourth from each vanilla wafer. Place a wafer on each cupcake, with the rounded edge of wafer near edge of cupcake, for face. Add dots of black gel for nostrils. With red gel, pipe a mouth on each. Place candies above wafers for eyes; add dots of black gel for pupils. Using reserved frosting and a #16 star tip, pipe hair. Carefully separate sandwich cookies; cut each in half. Position one on each side of cupcakes for ears.

Vanilla Pound Cake

2009-09-17T19:38:00.009-04:00

I was approached by representative at Singing Dog Vanilla and asked if I would like to test out one of their products. Since I am always interested in trying new products I took them up on their offer and asked for a sample of their vanilla extract. After receiving a bottle of organic vanilla extract in the mail I set out on a search to find the perfect recipe to use it in. I knew that in order to really taste the product I would have to make something that showcased vanilla as a flavoring. I found this pound cake recipe, which happened to call for 2 whole tablespoons of extract, and I knew I had found the perfect recipe.

Any recipe that starts out with half a pound of butter has got to be good, right? That was my thought going into this recipe and also my afterthought once I tasted it. This cake was easy and quick to mix up, and it tasted divine. The glaze provided the cake with a nice sugary crunch on the outside and the inside was moist and delicious just like a pound cake should be.

The vanilla flavor was just amazing, strong and distinct with the perfect vanilla flavor! I would definitely recommend this product to anyone looking for a good vanilla extract. *hint, hint* check below the recipe for a bonus giveaway from the fine folks at Singing Dog Vanilla.

Vanilla Pound Cake
Adapted from The King Arthur Flour Baker's Companion, The All-Purpose Baking Cookbook

Ingredients
CAKE
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
1 cup (7 ounces) granulated sugar
3 tablespoons ( 1 1/2 ounces) light brown sugar, packed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 3/4 cups (7 1/9 ounces) unbleached all-purpose or cake flour
4 large eggs

GLAZE
1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces) granulated sugar
1/4 cup (2 ounces) water
Pinch of salt
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Directions
Preheat oven to 350.

For the cake - In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter, sugars, salt, vanilla, and baking powder until smooth and fluffy. Add the flour and mix well the batter will be almost like paste. Beat in the eggs one at a time, beating well and scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl after each addition the batter will be quite fluffy.
Spoon the batter into a lightly greased 9 to 10 inch tube pan, 9 to 10 cup bundt-style pan, or 9 X5 inch loaf pan. Bake the cake for about 45 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool in the pan for 10 minutes, while you are making the glaze.

For the glaze - Bring the sugar, water, and salt to a boil in a small saucepan and boil for 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla

Turn the warm cake out onto a rack. Poke the cake all over with something long and thin, like a cake tester or ice pick. Slowly drizzle or brush the glaze over the cake, continuing to brush until all the glaze is used. Let the cake cool fully before slicing. Serve with sliced fresh fruit, if desired.

*** BONUS GIVEAWAY ***
The generous folks at Singing Dog Vanilla are offering one my my lucky readers a chance to sample one of their products. If you would like to be entered into a giveaway to win one of Singing Dog Vanilla's products, simply go to their website, search around a bit. After searching come back here and leave me a comment letting me know what product you would like to try and what you plan on making with that product.

The winner will be randomly selected and announced on Sunday September 27th. Only one entry per person please. Good luck!

Caramel Creams

2009-09-03T07:47:00.005-04:00

Good gracious it has been forever since I have last shared anything on here. My only excuse is that I have been working some crazy hours and barely have time to eat let alone make any new exciting recipes. I have however purchased a couple of really cool recipe magazines that are packed full of super cute and delicious looking treats that I can not wait to start baking my way through. I found this particular recipe in a Taste of Home bake sale book.

This recipe was pretty easy to make and called for pretty common ingredients. It does require a bit of planning ahead which actually worked well for me. I made the cookie dough one day and let it rest in the refrigerator overnight then made the filling and baked the cookies the following day. I stored the cookies in the refrigerator to set the filling and decided that they tasted better cold than they did at room temperature. The browned butter in the filling really brings a great flavor to the cookie. Four thumbs up from my husband and I. This recipe is going into my stack of favorites and I will definitely be making them again.

By the way, isn't my new cake stand super cute? I got it on clearance at Target for less than $10! On an unrelated note, I really hope to be able to get into the kitchen more and make lots of delicious treats to share with you guys, especially with my oh so very long 3-day weekend coming up. :)

Caramel Creams
Adapted from Taste of Home

~makes about 3 dozen ~

Cookie ingredients
1 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup finely chopped pecans
1/4 teaspoon salt

Filling ingredients
2 tablespoons plus 1-1/2 teaspoons butter
1-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 to 3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream

Directions
In a large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg yolks and vanilla. Combine the flour, pecans and salt; gradually add to the creamed mixture and beat well. Shape into two 10-in. rolls; wrap each in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours. Unwrap and cut into 1/4-in. slices. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 11-13 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to wire racks to cool. For filling, in a small saucepan, cook butter over medium heat until golden brown. Pour into a large bowl, beat in the confectioners' sugar, vanilla and enough cream to achieve spreading consistency. Spread on the bottom of half of the cookies; top with remaining cookies.

Zucchini Bread

2009-08-09T12:05:00.007-04:00

It is once again the time of year that gardens are overflowing and the nice people of the world start offering up their extras to those of us without gardens. Last weekend I got some zucchini from my aunt's garden in hopes to make some zucchini bread. I already have a recipe in my archives for this bread but I decided I wanted to change it up and try something different. Boy am I glad that I did. This recipe did not disappoint!

This bread was quite amazing, moist and delicious just like a quick bread should be. I typically only like almonds in my cookies and breads but I decided to add toasted walnuts anyway. I think they really worked well and gave the bread a great texture. The addition of apple and coconut really brought this bread to the next level. I think this is my new favorite zucchini bread recipe.

Zucchini Bread
Adapted from Joy of Baking

~makes one - 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf~

Ingredients
1/2 cup pecans or walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped
1 cup shredded raw zucchini (1-2 zucchini)
1/2 cup peeled and grated raw apple, (about 1 large apple)
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup safflower or canola oil
1 cup granulated white sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup shredded coconut (sweetened or unsweetened)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Grease (or spray with a nonstick vegetable spray) a 9 x 5 x 3 inch (23 x 13 x 8 cm) loaf pan. Set aside.
Toast the pecans or walnuts for about 8 minutes or until lightly browned and fragrant. Let cool and then chop coarsely.
Grate the zucchini, using a medium grater, and then peel and grate the apple. Set aside.
In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, ground cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside.
In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the oil, sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract until well blended (about 2 minutes). Beat in the grated zucchini and apple. Add the flour mixture, beating just until combined. Then fold in the nuts and coconut. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake until the bread has risen and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 50 to 60 minutes.
Place on a wire rack to cool and then remove the bread from the pan. Frost with cream cheese icing, if desired. Well wrapped, this bread will keep for several days at room temperature.

Wilton Course 1, Class 4

2009-07-28T20:02:00.007-04:00

Monday night was the final class of course 1 and at the end of the evening I was awarded my certification of completion! In class I learned how to make sweet peas, leaves, vines, bows, and I also learned how to finish making the rose. One tip that my instructor shared with me that I want to pass on to you is that for making roses it is best to buy the can of Wilton Decorator Icing. It costs around $2 for a pound and the roses made with it are less likely to crack than if homemade stiff icing was used.

For this weeks cake I made a cake that I have made before, Dorie Greenspan's Perfect Party Cake. It is basically a white cake that packs a light lemony punch. For the filling I mixed equal parts of strawberry preserves and buttercream to make a strawberry cream. I did not get to taste the cake this week but I am hearing reports that my husbands coworkers really enjoyed it.

Overall I was really happy with course 1 and the things that I have learned and the progress that I have made. I am really and excited and looking forward to take course 2. Unfortunately my instructor will not be offering course 2 until October so there will not be any more Wilton updates until then. Thank you all for following my progress and for your great comments. As a thank you I will share one more tip that my instructor shared with me. The secret to a deliciously moist cake is to wrap the cake in a layer of wax paper and then a layer of saran wrap while the cake is slightly warm and allow the cake to cool completely. For the very best results the cooled cake can be stored in the refrigerator for a couple hours.

Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

2009-07-23T08:14:00.002-04:00

Last September I made my husband some mint chocolate chip ice cream with real mint, he was very disappointed by it and the entire batch ended up getting thrown away. Ever since then I have been meaning to attempt this ice cream again using peppermint extract instead of real mint. The results this time were much better. The ice cream was beautifully green (thanks to the help of about 10 drops of food coloring) and was exactly the mint flavor that my husband was looking for.

Since this is a Philadelphia style ice cream recipe there are no eggs in the batter thus no cooking is required. Although the taste is not as smooth and creamy and an egg based ice cream this style ice cream gets the job done The good thing about Philadelphia style ice cream is that the ingredients can be mixed together and in the freezer bowl within five minutes. This recipe gets two thumbs up from my house and I am sure I will be making it time and time again.

Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
Adapted from Carries Sweet Life

Ingredients
2 cups 2% milk
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
green food coloring (optional)
1 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips

Directions
In a large bowl, stir together the milk, cream, sugar, salt, vanilla extract and peppermint extract
until the sugar has dissolved. Color to your liking with the green food coloring.

Pour the mixture into an ice cream maker, and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions. After about 10 minutes into the freezing, add the chocolate chips. After the ice cream has thickened, about 30 minutes later, spoon into a container, and freeze for 2 hours.

Cashew Chicken

2009-07-22T19:18:00.007-04:00

I am sorry dear readers that all I have been posting lately is sweet, calorie laden foods. My friend Carrie informed me that she missed the dinner updates on my blog and challenged me to post something new this week. After searching for days (yes, literally days) I decided to make this cashew chicken recipe from the Williams-Sonoma website. My mom always orders cashew chicken but I had never had it before. Not only am I posting a new recipe this week but I am also posting something that I tried for the first time. Hopefully I can keep up the pace at post at least one new dinner recipe a week.

I was quite surprised how quickly this meal came together, I think it could easily be done from start to finish in about 40 minutes, even with the chicken taking 15 minutes to marinate. I have nothing to compare this to since I have never had cashew chicken before but I do have to say that this dish was pretty good. The only substitution that I made was to use chicken breasts instead of chicken thighs. My husband thought the recipe was great just how it was but I think it needed a bit more sauce. I think next time I will double the sauce recipe so I have enough to drizzle over my rice. All in all this was a delicious quick meal that I will definitely be making again.

Cashew Chicken

Adapted from Williams-Sonoma

~makes 4 servings ~

Ingredients
3 tablespoons. soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice wine or dry sherry
2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon cornstarch
3 tablespoons corn or peanut oil
2 green onions, chopped
1 cup salted roasted cashews
Steamed rice for serving

Directions
Marinate the chicken - In a large bowl, stir together 2 Tbs. of the soy sauce, the wine and ginger. Stir in the chicken to coat evenly and set aside for 15 minutes.
Make the sauce - In a small bowl, combine 2 Tbs. water, the remaining 1 Tbs. soy sauce, the Worcestershire sauce, sesame oil, sugar and cornstarch, and stir to dissolve the sugar and cornstarch.
Stir-fry the chicken - Heat a wok or large fry pan over high heat until very hot and add 2 Tbs. of the corn oil. Remove the chicken from the marinade, draining it well, and discard the marinade. Add the chicken to the wok and stir-fry until opaque, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken to a bowl.
Return the wok to medium heat and add the remaining 1 Tbs. corn oil. Add the green onions and stir-fry until fragrant, about 10 seconds. Return the chicken to the wok and add the cashews. Give the sauce a quick stir, add to the pan and stir until the sauce thickens slightly, 1 to 2 minutes. Serve immediately with the steamed rice.

Wilton Course 1, Class 3

2009-07-21T08:12:00.007-04:00

This week I have learned that preparing for these Wilton classes takes up the better half of a day. Thank goodness I have Monday's off of work. For last nights class I had to take a cake that was iced and smoothed along with some colored icing for practicing and decorating our cake. In class I practiced another step in the rose making process, shell borders, faces, drop flowers, swirl flowers and clowns. I should definitely start practicing those swirl flowers, I learned that my wrist just does not want to move the way it needs to.

My instructor tells me I am doing great job and she thinks that I am way to much of a perfectionist. The top of the cake was iced white and the sides were iced in purple. There is a white shell border on the bottom and two lazy (possibly drunk) clowns surrounded by grass with a few drop flowers on top.

Next week is the final class of Course 1. I will learn how to finish making the rose and will also learn a couple new flowers. I am excited to end this course so I can start the second one!

I used new recipes this week so I will share them with you here. I found a recipe for Chocolate Cake on KAF's (King Arthur Flour) website and filled it with coconut cream. The people at my husbands work devoured this cake and said it tasted much better than last week's

Chocolate Cake
Adapted from King Arthur Flour

Ingredients
2 1/4 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, very soft
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup milk
1/2 cup coffee or water
4 large eggs

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease and flour your choice of pan(s): one 9" x 13" pan, two 9" round pans, three 8" round pans, or the wells of two muffin tins. You can also line the muffin tins with papers, and spray the insides of the papers.
1. Place a strainer over a large mixing bowl. Measure in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cocoa, and sugar. Sift/shake the dry ingredients through the strainer into a mixing bowl, to eliminate any lumps.
2. Add the butter and mix at low speed for 1 minutes. With the mixer running, add the oil and continue mixing until the mixture looks like sand.
3. Combine the vanilla with the milk and coffee or water, and add all at once. Mix for 1 minute at low speed, stop and scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl, then mix for 30 seconds more.
4. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well at medium-high speed between additions.
5. Scrape the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl, and mix for 1 minute more. The batter will be thin.
6. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan of your choice. For layers, divide the batter among the pans. Smooth out the tops of the layers with an offset spatula or the back of a tablespoon. For cupcakes, scoop by the heaping 1/4 cup into the prepared muffin tins.
7. Bake for 34 minutes for a 9" x 13" pan; 28 to 30 minutes for 9" layers; 24 to 26 minutes for 8" layers, or 21 to 23 minutes for cupcakes.
8. The cake is done when the top springs back when very lightly touched in the center, and the edges just begin to pull away from the edge of the pan. A toothpick inserted in the center will come out clean.
9. Remove the cake from the oven and place on a rack to cool before removing it from the pan.

Coconut Cream Filling

Ingredients
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 box instant coconut cream pudding
1/8 cup coconut

Directions
Beat heavy cream and sugar with a mixer on medium high speed until mixture thickens. Fold in dry pudding and coconut. Let mixture sit in refrigerator for 20 minutes or until ready to use.

Pillow-Soft Dinner Rolls

2009-07-16T08:15:00.000-04:00

Along with the Light Wheat Rolls that I made for my coworker I also made a couple batches of these rolls. I wanted the guests at the wedding to have a choice of white or whole wheat but I also wanted to try out a couple new recipes. I liked this recipe because it was relatively quick to make and the ingredients were common pantry staples.

I made one batch of these following the original recipe and then I ran out of white flour so I made another batch with half whole wheat flour and half bread flour. The dough rose very quickly and had a really nice soft and velvety texture when shaping. Both batches turned out great. The rolls rose high and tasted delicious. I think that next time I make these I will try to sub butter for the shortening and see if they come out the same.

Pillow-Soft Dinner Rolls

Adapted from: Taste Of Home

~makes 24 rolls~

Ingredients
4-1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water (110° to 115°)
2 cups warm milk (110° to 115°)
6 tablespoons shortening
2 eggs
1/4 cup sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
7 to 7-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Directions
In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the milk, shortening, eggs, sugar, salt and 3 cups flour; beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough.
Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes (dough will be sticky). Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide into 24 pieces. Shape each into a roll. Place 2 in. apart on greased baking sheets. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes.
Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to wire racks.

Wilton Course 1, Class 2

2009-07-14T19:19:00.004-04:00

Last evening was my second class in my Wilton 1 course. For class I had to take a cake that was torted, filled, and iced. I also had to take icing for practicing and colored icing for decorating my cake. During class I learned how to make stars, lines, dots, writing and also started building the rose. After practicing those designs for awhile I was able to start decorating my own cake.

I originally wanted to make a cake with red white and blue stars on it that was patriotic but I remembered that my instructor said black and red were the hardest colors to mix. So I just grabbed a couple colors and got to mixing. The end result is what I am calling a shooting star cake. :)

A few things that I learned this week. After making a last minute trip to the store I learned to buy Crisco in bulk, not those easy 1 cup sticks, go ahead and buy the big mongo tub. Afterall it only takes a second to measure. Buy lots of powdered sugar too, you will also need more of this than you think you will. Icing consistency matters, my "medium" was really super stiff and hard to pipe. I learned to just add a bit more water and mix it up well. I also think I need to buy some "butter flavor" I only used vanilla this time and thought it was good but something was missing. My instructor showed me the Wilton 8" x 3" cake pan. It is amazing! If you use a boxed cake it holds an entire box mix and bakes up beautifully (especially if you use the bake-even strips). Last but not least, the Wilton Bake-Easy non-stick spray is my new bestest friend. :)

Stay tuned next week for the infamous (and quite scary looking) clown cake.

Light Wheat Rolls

2009-07-14T17:19:00.002-04:00

This past weekend I put on my apron and got to work in the kitchen. I got home from work at noon and had to have 100 rolls baked and delivered by five. My mission was simple, I volunteered to make dinner rolls for a wedding of a coworkers daughter (although the daughter is also a co-worker). At first count they were expecting 50 people and at final count the number almost doubled with 90 confirmed guests. I had a lot to do and not much time to do it. I chose this recipe from allrecipes because it had many great reviews and called for ingredients that I already had at home.

This recipe was very easy to follow and would be great for someone working with yeast for the first time. The dough rose quickly and beautifully and felt like the perfect consistency as I was shaping the rolls. Speaking of shaping the rolls. I thought that rolling the dough up and baking it in a muffin tin was a quite genius idea but since these rolls would be served at a wedding I decided to roll the dough up, flatten it on top to make sure it was even and bake it on a baking sheet. I chose a stone ground wheat flour to help add some texture to the rolls and brushed the finished product with melted butter with a splash of honey. I did manage to sneak a roll before I delivered them to the wedding and they were quite delicious.

Light Wheat Rolls
Adapted from AllRecipes.com

~makes approx. 24 rolls~

Ingredients
2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast
1 3/4 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
1/2 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter, melted and cooled
1 egg, beaten
2 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup butter, melted (optional)

Directions
In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
Mix sugar, salt, 1/4 cup melted butter, egg, and whole wheat flour into yeast mixture. Stir in all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Turn dough out onto a well floured surface, and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Lightly oil a large bowl, place dough in bowl, and turn to coat. Cover with a damp cloth, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
Punch down dough, cover, and let rise in warm place until doubled again, about 30 minutes.
Grease 2 dozen muffin cups. Punch down dough, and divide into two equal portions. Roll each into a 6x14 inch rectangle, and cut rectangle into twelve 7x1 inch strips. Roll strips up into spirals, and place into muffin cups. Brush tops with melted butter. Let rise uncovered in a warm place 40 minutes, or until doubled in bulk.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from oven, and brush again with melted butter.

*If you would like to freeze the rolls, bake for 8 minutes, remove from the oven, allow to cool, bag, and freeze. Then when ready to use, thaw and finish the baking process.

Wilton Wonderland

2009-07-07T20:03:00.003-04:00

I have always wanted to take the Wilton cake decorating classes but never had any free weeknights to do it. Now that I am done with school and have a little spare time I decided that a nice graduation present to myself would be to take the classes. Last night was my first session of course 1. In class we learned about the 3 different consistencies of icing, how to properly assemble a pastry bag, how level a cake, how to fill and ice a cake to prepare it for decoration, and also how to color the icing.

After the class the instructor guided the students into the store (Hobby Lobby) to pick out some items that we would need for the rest of the classes. I bought a few things at the store and came home and combined it with the items that I already had. Here are most of the supplies that I have accumulated so far. :)

Course 1 book, 12 pack of icing colors, Tip# 789, Piping Gel, Flower nail, Clear vanilla flavoring, 8" X 3" round cake pan, Bake Easy non-stick spray, 4 pack of couplers, piping bag ties, cake leveler, 16" featherweight bag, and the 50 piece tool caddy decorator set that is packed full of tips and other necessary items.

I am extremely excited about these courses and I can not wait until next week when I get to start practicing the different design elements and decorate a cake with them. Check back weekly because I plan on posting weekly updates of my decorated cakes and maybe even some new cake recipes.

Soft Wrap Bread

2009-06-27T22:00:00.000-04:00

As I was aimlessly browsing through my King Arthur Flour cookbook I came across this recipe and was instantly intrigued. The script before the recipe said this bread is more like a Taco Bell gordita or a pita bread than a normal tortilla. It also suggested that if you like the bread in your sandwich to be a substantial part of the sandwich this is the bread for you. That description definitely sold me on making this bread. I love the thick gordita bread and also have become quite fond of the flatbread sandwiches at Subway.

This bread was pretty easy to make and only took a couple of hours from start to finish. The nice thing about this wrap bread is that it is so versatile. Although the recipe says to make 7 to 8 inch circles you can easily shape this bread however you want and make it whatever size suits you. Once cooked the bread can be used to make a variety of items such as, personal pizzas, sandwiches, tacos, or even appetizers. I will definitely be making this bread again, it was delicious.

Soft Wrap Bread
Source: The King Arthur Flour Baker's Companion, The All-Purpose Baking Cookbook. Also available on kingarthurflour.com

~makes 8 breads ~

Ingredients
3 to 3 1/4 cups (12 3/4 to 13 3/4 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups (12 ounces) boiling water
1/4 cup (1 1/2 ounces) potato flour OR 1/2 cup (5/8 ounces) potato buds or flakes
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons (7/8 ounce) vegetable oil
1 teaspoon instant yeast*

Making the Dough
Place 2 cups of the flour into a bowl or the bucket of a bread machine. Pour the boiling water over the flour, and stir till smooth. Cover the bowl or bucket and set the mixture aside for 30 minutes.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the potato flour (or flakes or buds) and 1 cup of the remaining flour with the salt, oil and yeast. Add this to the cooled flour/water mixture, stir, then knead for several minutes (by hand, mixer or bread machine) to form a soft dough. Note: You can allow the dough to go through the entire kneading cycle(s) in the bread machine, but it's not necessary; about a 5-minute knead in the machine, once it gets up to full kneading speed, is fine. The dough should form a ball, but will remain somewhat sticky. Add additional flour only if necessary; if kneading by hand, keep your hands and work surface lightly oiled. Let the dough rise, covered, for 1 hour.

Shaping
Divide the dough into 8 pieces (each about the size of a handball, around 3 ounces), cover, and let rest for 15 to 30 minutes. Roll each piece into a 7- to 8-inch circle, and dry-fry them (fry without oil) over medium heat for about 1 minute per side, until they're puffed and flecked with brown spots. Adjust the heat if they seem to be cooking either too quickly, or too slowly; cooking too quickly means they may be raw in the center, while too slowly will dry them out. Transfer the cooked breads to a wire rack, stacking them to keep them soft. Serve immediately, or cool slightly before storing in a plastic bag.

*This recipe works best with instant yeast because it dissolves during the kneading process, so you don't have to knead liquid into the dough. If you really prefer to use active dry yeast, use only 1 cup boiling water for the initial dough, dissolve the yeast in 1/4 cup warm water, and add this mixture to the dough along with the potato flour mixture. It'll be somewhat "slippery" at first, but will knead in and eventually become smooth.

Nutrition information per serving (1 bread, 85g): 207 cal, 4g fat, 5g protein, 37g complex carbohydrates, 2g dietary fiber, 336mg sodium, 150mg potassium, 1mg vitamin C, 3mg iron, 3mg calcium, 56mg phosphorus.

Coconut Madeleines

2009-06-23T07:40:00.000-04:00

As I was scrolling through my Google Reader catching up on blog postings I came across this recipe for madeleines. After reading through the directions I realized that I wanted to give the recipe a try. I attempted to make madeleines a few months ago only to end up with very delicious, yet very flat and ugly cookies. The only thing that I can figure that went wrong with that other recipe is that I did not refrigerate the batter long enough. When I saw that there was no refrigeration needed with this recipe I decided I would give it a try.

This attempt turned out much better than the last. I was so happy when I opened my oven and saw fluffy golden madeleines. These cookies are very light tasting and I think they are the perfect treat for the hot summer months. Although these cookies were very delicious the coconut in this recipe was not very pronounced. My husband said he needed more coconut flavor. Perhaps a drop of coconut extract would do the trick. After the success I had with this recipe I am looking forward to baking up more madeleine recipes in the future.

Coconut Madeleines
As seen on Sugar and Spice, Originally from Ina Garten

Ingredients
1 1/2 tablespoons melted butter, to grease the pans, plus 1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
3 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 cup sweetened shredded coconut
Confectioners' sugar, optional

Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Thoroughly butter and flour the madeleine pans.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the eggs, sugar, and vanilla on medium speed for 3 minutes, or until light yellow and fluffy. Add 1/4 pound of butter and mix. Sift together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt, and stir into the batter with a rubber spatula. Stir in the coconut.

With a soup spoon, drop the batter into the pans, filling each shell almost full. Bake the madeleines for 10 to 12 minutes, until they spring back when pressed. Tap the madeleines out onto a baking pan lined with parchment paper and allow to cool. Dust with confectioners' sugar, if desired.

Rice Krispie Cookies

2009-06-22T09:48:00.000-04:00

It has been a while since I made cookies so I searched around for a new recipe to try out. I came across this one and decided it would be the perfect recipe to use up the rice krispies that have been hanging out in my cabinet. I did not read the instructions very thoroughly before making the cookies and became quite impatient waiting for the dough to chill in the fridge. Do to my impatience I did not refrigerate the dough balls as long as the recipe called for, but my cookies came out wonderful anyway.

I divided the dough in half and used butterscotch chips in half and peanut butter chips in the other half. I preferred the cookies with the peanut butter chips over the butterscotch chips. I encourage you to resist the urge to eat these cookies straight from the oven, they taste better once the rice krispies inside have had a chance to cool completely. Although these cookies were not as quick as the average cookit to make, they were definitely enjoyable and worth the time.

Rice Krispies Cookies
Adapted from: Bakingblonde's Weblog

Ingredients
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons hot water
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 cups Rice Krispies
1 cup butterscotch (or peanut butter) chips

Directions
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside. In a large mixing bowl, beat together butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add egg and beat until combined. Mix in hot water and vanilla. Add flour mixture, in two batches, beating just until combined – be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Using a wooden spoon, fold in butterscotch chips and Rice Krispies. Cover and refrigerate for 30 min. or longer.
Preheat oven to 375. Scoop out tablespoons of the dough and roll into balls. Place all balls on one baking sheet, and chill at least 30 min. Remove from fridge and place 12 balls on cookie sheet at a time. Bake until the middle looks just set and the edges begin to turn a light golden – about 8-12 minutes. Remove and let sit on the sheet for a minute. Move cookies to a wire rack and let cool completely.

Garlic Bubble Loaves

2009-06-17T15:38:00.003-04:00

It has been to long since I made yeast bread in my house. In fact, the last time I did was back in February when I made the moist potato bread. I thought I would have tons of free time being done with school but instead of living on campus it seems as if I am living at work now-a-days. But I suppose that is ok because I really do love my job. I do have Mondays off so I am going to try to take more of that time and spend it in the kitchen making meals and treats for the upcoming week. A few weeks ago I came across this bubble bread recipe while browsing through all the recipes I have bookmarked to try and decided to give this bread a whirl.

If you have a favorite white bread recipe already feel free to use that recipe in place of the one provided below. The bottom and side crusts reminded me of focaccia bread. They were light and crispy and had the taste of being baked in butter.

Although the top of the bread got a little darker than I would have liked it to it still turned out wonderful. Of course I used more seasonings than the recipe called for. In my opinion you can never have to much garlic. :) Although this recipe is good as is, I think that the addition of Parmesan cheese and diced pepperoni scattered between the balls of dough would also be delicious.

Garlic Bubble Loaves
Adapted from: The Fresh Loaf

Ingredients
2 packages of active dry yeast, (2 scant Tbls)
1/4 warm water (110-115 degrees)
2 cups warm milk (110-115 deg)
2 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon shortening
2 teaspoon salt
6 1/4-6 1/2 cups all purpose or bread flour
1/2 cup butter
1 Tablespoons dried parsley
2 teaspoons garlic powder

Directions
In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the milk, sugar, shortening, salt and 2 cups flour, beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide into fourths. Divide each portion into 12 pieces. In a shallow bowl, combine the butter, parsley and garlic powder. Shape each piece of dough into a ball; dip into butter mixture. Place in two greased 9 x 5 x 3 loaf pans. Pour any remaining butter mixture over dough. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes. (Don't crowd them into the pan. put about 12 (24 total) spaced out in two irregular layers per pan)
Bake at 375 deg for 35-40 min or until golden brown. Cool for 10 minutes. remove from pans to wire racks.

Chipotle Beans and Rice

2009-06-15T10:00:00.000-04:00

Rice is always a great side dish that can be cooked up in so many different ways. When I came across this recipe in Elly's blog I knew that I would have to make it sometime. The rice, paired with the spicy chipotle and black beans is a great side dish and just as awesome stuffed into a burrito or enchilada.

I tripled this recipe just so I would not have half a can of black beans in my fridge and I am glad that I did. I ate this as a side to dinner one night, then added it to some grilled chicken burritos for dinner the following night. Very delicious and versatile.

Chipotle Beans and Rice
Adapted from: Elly says Opa!

Ingredients
1/2 Tbsp. canola oil
1/2 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 chipotle in adobo, minced
1 bay leaf
1/3 cup uncooked rice
2/3 cup water or broth
1/2 cup black beans
1/2 tsp. oregano
salt and pepper

Directions
Heat the oil in a shallow pot/saucepan that has a tight-fitting lid. Add the onion and cook until tender. Stir in the garlic, chipotle, and bay leaf, sauteing an additional minute. Stir in the rice, and toast it until just a little golden. Add the water (or broth), black beans, oregano, and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, cover, and then turn the heat down to low. Simmer for about 15 minutes. Remove from heat (but keep the lid on) and let sit for about 5 minutes before fluffing with a fork.

Strawberry Banana Muffins

2009-06-08T10:34:00.006-04:00

Have I ever mentioned that I love strawberry season? There is nothing better than a sweet dark juicy strawberry, unless you add some flour and make that strawberry just as unhealthy as can be. :) I had a bunch of strawberries in my fridge that I wanted to make something with before they went bad. Most of the muffin recipes that I came across called for sour cream or plain yogurt. I did not have either of those items in my fridge so I kept searching until I found a recipe that did not need those ingredients. I originally found this recipe on The Food Librarian, then followed its source to Joy of Baking.

I am glad that I decided to make these muffins because they were quick and easy (no mixer needed) and they tasted incredible. The strawberry pieces really burst while biting into the muffins and the cinnamon adds the perfect amount of spice. The only thing that would have made them better is some almondy streusel on top. Everything is better with almonds. :)

Strawberry Banana Muffins
Adapted from: Joy of Baking

~makes 12 regular sized muffins~

Ingredients
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
3/4 cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 large ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 cup)
1 cup fresh or frozen strawberries (cut into small pieces)
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Position rack in center of oven. Line the muffin pan with paper liners or grease with butter or a vegetable spray. Set aside.
In a small saucepan melt the butter. Set aside.
In a medium sized bowl whisk together the brown sugar, eggs, vanilla extract and mashed banana. Add the melted butter to the brown sugar mixture and stir to combine.
In another large bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Gently fold in the berries, making sure they are coated with flour. This helps to prevent the berries from sinking during baking. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir only until the ingredients are just combined. Do not over mix the batter or tough muffins will result.
Fill each muffin cup about two thirds full of batter, using two spoons or an ice cream scoop. Fill any unused muffin cups halfway with water to prevent warping of the pan and/or over browning of the muffins. Place in the oven and bake until a tester inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Oriental Chicken Salad

2009-05-31T11:20:00.002-04:00

A couple of months ago at work we had a potluck and a co-worker brought in this salad. This salad is pretty similar to a traditional salad but instead of lettuce this one contains cabbage. The thickness of the cabbage makes the salad crunchy and also helps keep the salad fresh for several days.

This has got to be my new favorite salad. Although the flavors are not necessarily strong, there is just something about this that I love. This lasted for three days in my fridge before it was gone and was fresh and delicious the entire time. I even think it would have been ok a day or so more. At first the noodles are crunchy but after sitting for a day they become soft and the salad tastes great either way. I strongly recommend trying this salad sometime soon. It was a hit at my Memorial Day cookout, even with the guys that do not typically like salad. This recipe is definitely a keeper! I am already craving it again.

Oriental Chicken Salad
Adapted from a recipe given to me by Sonya G., a co-worker

Salad Ingredients
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1 package Ramen noodles
1 small head cabbage, shredded*
1/3 cup carrots, julienned*
4 green onions, chopped
2 cups cooked chicken breast, diced

Dressing Ingredients
1/2 cup canola oil
2 tablespoons vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 seasoning packet from Ramen noodles

Directions
Toast sesame seeds and almonds in a 350 degree oven for 5-10 minutes; set aside to cool.
Place the cooled sesame seeds and almonds in a large bowl. Crumble the Ramen noodles into the bowl and add the cabbage, carrots, green onions, and chicken. In a small bowl mix together all of the dressing ingredients and stir well. Add the dressing to the salad ingredients and toss to coat.

*Time saving tip - Substitute two bags of cole slaw mix for the cabbage and carrots.

Cookies and Cream Rice Krispie Treats

2009-05-25T11:05:00.007-04:00

When I came across these amazing looking rice krispie treats in Annie's blog a few weeks ago I knew that I had to make them. I had a few friends over for a cookout this past weekend and thought that it would be the perfect time to make these treats.

These rice krispie treats take a few additional minutes to make than the originals but are totally worth the extra time. The oreos mixed in and the white chocolate on top really make these crunchy treats delicious. All of my guests really enjoyed these and I will definitely be making them again.

Cookies and Cream Rice Krispie Treats
As seen on: Annie's Eats originally from Cast Sugar

Ingredients
1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
4 tbsp. unsalted butter
10 oz. marshmallows
1 tsp. vanilla extract
6 cups Rice Krispies
20 Oreo cookies, coarsely chopped
4-6 oz. white chocolate, chopped
Finely chopped Oreos, for topping

Directions
Place bittersweet chocolate in a small microwave safe bowl. Microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring in between, until completely melted. Set aside. Grease a 9×13″ pan.

Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the marshmallows and stir until melted and well combined. Turn off heat and stir in the melted chocolate and the vanilla extract. Gently stir in the Rice Krispies and coarsely chopped Oreos, and mix to coat evenly. Press the mixture into the prepared pan, leveling the top. (I like to use a piece of plastic wrap over my fingers and press it down with my hand.) Allow to cool completely.

Once cooled, cut into squares. Place white chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, and stir until completely melted. Place the finely chopped Oreos in another bowl. Dip the top of each square into the white chocolate and then the finely chopped cookies. Set aside to cool and let the chocolate set completely. Store in an airtight container.

Funfetti Cupcakes

2009-05-20T07:49:00.001-04:00

My best friend's birthday was the same day as my Dad's so I decided that while I was in the kitchen making the Reese's Cup Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake for my dad I would bake up some cupcakes for my friend. I wanted to make these funfetti cupcakes because I had made them before and really loved the flavor of them plus they are very festive for a birthday celebration.

This is one of the easiest and best tasting cake recipes I have ever made. Minimal ingredients and a few seconds of mixing and you have gorgeous cupcakes that are both beautiful and delicious. I used a basic buttercream frosting recipe and my favorite new icing tip. :)

Happy Birthday Stacy, I hope you enjoyed our fun day of bowling and your cupcakes.

I have to give props to my King Arthur Flour cupcake liners. They are really thick (greaseproof)and durable and absolutely adorable! I might have to order more just so I never run out.

Funfetti Cake
As seen on: Annie's Eats

Ingredients
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
3 large egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup rainbow sprinkles

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour the sides of two 5-inch round cake pans, and line the bottom of the pans with parchment paper.
2. In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir together and set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg whites to the bowl and beat until combined. Add in the vanilla and almond extracts and mix until incorporated. Mix in the dry ingredients in three additions, alternating with the milk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix just until incorporated. Fold in the sprinkles with a spatula.
3. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean (about 30-40 minutes?) I baked my cupcakes for 20 minutes and they were perfect. Allow to cool in pans 10 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely. Frost cooled cakes as desired.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake

2009-05-18T11:41:00.008-04:00

Now that I have finally graduated college I am planning on spending more time in my favorite room of the house, the kitchen. To start things off I decided to bake a cake for my dad for his birthday. I have had this recipe on my list of things to make for the longest time and was glad that I finally got the chance to make it. The cake baked up tall and beautiful and the frosting whipped up nicely.

The cake was rich and moist and the frosting was shockingly good. It tasted like a creamy smooth whipped peanut butter. It was quite perfect and accented the richness of the cake perfectly. The chopped Reese's between the layers added extra deliciousness to the cake and the halved Reese's around the edge created the perfect touch to the outside of the cake.

As soon as I delivered this cake to my Dad he wanted to cut right into it and try a piece. I am glad he offered so that I could taste to determine if I liked it and wanted to make it again or not. I think I would make it again just for the peanut butter frosting, that was my favorite part.

Reese’s Cup Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake
As seen on: Annie's Eats

Ingredients
For the cake
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled (optional)
For decorating
1 ½ – 2 batches peanut butter frosting
Miniature Reese’s cups, halved and/or chopped

Directions
1. For the cake, center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350°. Butter two 9×2” round cake pans, dust the insides with flour, tap out the excess and line the bottoms with rounds of parchment paper. Place the pans on a baking sheet.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
3. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until soft and creamy. Add the sugar and beat for about 2 minutes, until thoroughly blended into the butter. Add the eggs and yolks one at a time, beating for one minute after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in the vanilla. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk; add the dry ingredients in 3 additions and the buttermilk in 2 (beginning and ending with the dry ingredients). Mix each addition only until it is blended into the batter. Scrape down the bowl and add the melted chocolate, if using, folding it in with a spatula. Divide the batter between the prepared cake pans. 4. Bake for 26-30 minutes or until the cakes feel springy to the touch and start to pull away from the sides of the pans. Transfer to wire racks to cool for about 5 minutes, then run a knife around the sides of the cakes, unmold them and peel off the paper liners. Invert and cool to room temperature right side up.
5. To assemble the cake, place one cake layer on a cardboard circle covered in foil. Spread peanut butter frosting on top of the cake layer. (If desired, sprinkle with chopped Reese’s cups.) Place the second cake layer on top of the frosting. Frost the top and outside of the cake with remaining peanut butter frosting. Decorate with halved and chopped Reese’s cups as desired.

Neapolitan Cheesecake

2009-04-27T11:22:00.010-04:00

April came and April went and I managed to completely forget to make the Daring Bakers challenge. It was post day when I finally remembered that I needed to make it but was busy working on projects and studying for finals. I was able to escape to my kitchen for a few hours today and decided I would make the cheesecake. The recipe this month was for a basic vanilla cheesecake. The daring bakers were challenges to be creative and come up with a very unique and delicious treat. After mulling over many choices I landed on making a Neapolitan cheesecake with a coconut, macadamia nut crust. The additions I made were very easy and only took a few extra minutes to put together.

After tasting this cheesecake I am really glad I decided to use all the flavors that I did. The layers of flavors along with the nuts and coconut in the crust really gave this cheesecake an outstanding flavor. This would definitely be an impressive dessert to serve to guests.

The 2009 challenge is hosted by Jenny from Jenny Bakes. She has chosen Abbey's Infamous Cheesecake as the challenge. Don't forget to head over to the new Daring Baker webiste to see what the rest of the ladies made.

Abbey's Infamous Cheesecake
(The grey lettering is what was changed from the original recipe.)

Crust
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup toasted coconut
1/4 cup diced macadamia nuts, toasted
1 stick butter, melted
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Basic Cheesecake
3 (8 oz) blocks of cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon vanilla extract (or the innards of a vanilla bean)

Add-ins
4 ounces chocolate, melted and slightly cooled
1 vanilla bean
1 cup strawberry puree, strained of seeds

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Begin to boil a large pot of water for the water bath.
2. Mix together the crust ingredients and press into your preferred pan. You can press the crust just into the bottom, or up the sides of the pan too - baker's choice. Set crust aside.
3. Combine cream cheese and sugar in the bowl of a stand-mixer (or in a large bowl if using a hand-mixer) and cream together until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, fully incorporating each before adding the next. Make sure to scrape down the bowl in between each egg. Add heavy cream, vanilla, lemon juice, and blend until smooth and creamy.
4. Divide the batter into thirds. Mix melted chocolate with one-third of the batter and pour onto crust. Add the innerds of the vanilla bean to a third of the batter and pour over chocolate batter. Add the strawberry puree to the final third of the batter and pour strawberry flavored batter over the vanilla layer.
5. Tap the pan on the counter a few times to bring all air bubbles to the surface. Place pan into a larger pan and pour boiling water into the larger pan until halfway up the side of the cheesecake pan. If cheesecake pan is not airtight, cover bottom securely with foil before adding water.
5. Bake 45 to 55 minutes, until it is almost done - this can be hard to judge, but you're looking for the cake to hold together, but still have a lot of jiggle to it in the center. You don't want it to be completely firm at this stage. Close the oven door, turn the heat off, and let rest in the cooling oven for one hour. This lets the cake finish cooking and cool down gently enough so that it won't crack on the top. After one hour, remove cheesecake from oven and lift carefully out of water bath. Let it finish cooling on the counter, and then cover and put in the fridge to chill. Once fully chilled, it is ready to serve.

Strawberry Quick Bread

2009-04-20T10:03:00.007-04:00

Strawberries are my favorite fruit of all time. I could eat them plain, dipped in yogurt, mixed with other fruit, or even baked into bread. Speaking of baked into bread, that is what I have for you today. A delicious strawberry bread with flecks of almonds all throughout. The original recipe called for walnuts but I prefer almonds and think they compliment the strawberries perfectly.

This recipe was typical of any quick bread recipe that I have made before. Whisk the dry ingredients, blend the wet ingredients, mix the two together and bake for an hour. This bread was moist, delicious, and packed with strawberry flavor. I think next time I will add a dash of cinnamon and possibly even leave out the nutmeg.

Walnut-Strawberry Quick Bread
Source: The King Arthur Flour Baker's Companion, The All-Purpose Baking Cookbook

Ingredients
1/2 cup (2 ounces) chopped walnuts
1 1/4 cups (6 1/2 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup (7 ounces) sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon lemon zest, or 1/4 teaspoon lemon oil
2 large eggs
1 1/4 cups (10 ounces) mashed strawberries
1/2 cup (2 1/2 ounces) vegetable oil

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350. Grease and flour a 9x5" loaf pan.

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the walnuts, flour, sugar, soda, salt and nutmeg. In a separate bowl, whisk together the lemon zest, eggs, strawberries, and vegetable oil. Combine the we ingredients with the dry ingredients, whisking until well blended.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and bake for 55 to 60 minutes, until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool the bread in the pan for 15 minutes, then remove it from the pan and transfer it to a rack to cool completely, 1 hour or longer. For best flavor and easiest slicing, wrap the bread while still slightly warm and let set overnight.

Rich Chocolate Pudding

2009-04-19T14:27:00.008-04:00

Last Friday my husband had his wisdom teeth removed. Everything went well and he is recovering fine but he will be on a soft food diet for the rest of the week. One of his favorite snacks is chocolate pudding so I decided to take a few minutes out of my day to make him some homemade chocolate pudding.

This recipe came together rather quickly and was not at all difficult to make. The pudding was rich and delicious. My husband enjoyed it and I am sure he will be requesting it again soon.

Once again I apologize for the lack of posts lately. There are only 22 more days until Graduation, I can not wait!! I hope to begin blogging on a more regular basis once I am out of school and only have work to worry about.

Low-Fat Chocolate Pudding, for Two
Source: Cooks Illustrated

Ingredients
1 ounce bittersweet chocolate , chopped
1 tablespoon cocoa , preferably Dutched
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 cup sugar
Pinch table salt
1 1/4 cups whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions
1. Melt chocolate over double boiler or in microwave. Cool slightly.
2. Whisk together cocoa powder, cornstarch, sugar, and salt in heavy-bottomed medium saucepan. Add milk all at once and whisk to incorporate. Whisk in melted chocolate.
3. Bring mixture to boil over medium heat, whisking until smooth. Once boiling, reduce heat to low and cook, stirring constantly with heatproof rubber spatula or wooden spoon and making sure to scrape edges of pan, for 2 minutes. (Mixture will become thick and glossy.)
4. Remove pan from heat and stir in vanilla. Pour pudding through fine-mesh strainer and into heatproof bowl, pushing gently with spatula or spoon and leaving any solids in strainer. Place plastic wrap directly on surface of pudding to prevent skin from forming. Refrigerate for 4 hours or until completely chilled. (Pudding will keep for up to 2 days.) Gently stir pudding before transferring to individual bowls and serving.

Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits

2009-04-06T10:50:00.007-04:00

I happened to have an abundance of buttermilk in my fridge due to Target not having a smaller container in stock. I did not want to let it go to waste so I decided to make some buttermilk biscuits with it. I searched around for different recipes and then decided on this one because I was intrigued with the flaky layers.

These biscuits turned out perfect and flaky just like the recipe said it would. Although there was lots of rolling and folding the recipe did not really take that long to make. The end result was a moist flaky biscuit that would be delicious spread with butter or jam or oven downing in sausage gravy.

Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits
Source: Cook's Illustrated

-makes 12 biscuits -

Ingredients
2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (12 1/2 ounces), plus additional flour for work surface
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon table salt
2 tablespoons vegetable shortening , cut into 1/2-inch chunks
8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick), cold, lightly floured and cut into 1/8-inch slices
2 tablespoons unsalted butter , melted
1 1/4 cups low-fat buttermilk , cold

Directions
1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position; heat oven to 450 degrees. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in large bowl.
2. Add shortening to flour mixture; break up chunks with fingertips until only small, pea-sized pieces remain. Working in batches, drop butter slices into flour mixture and toss to coat; pick up each slice of butter and press between floured fingertips into flat, nickel-sized pieces. Repeat until all butter is incorporated; toss to combine. Freeze mixture (in bowl) until chilled, about 15 minutes.
3. Spray 24-inch-square area of work surface with nonstick cooking spray; spread spray evenly across surface with kitchen towel or paper towel. Sprinkle 1/3 cup of extra flour across sprayed area; gently spread flour across work surface with palm to form thin, even coating. Add all but 2 tablespoons of buttermilk to flour mixture; stir briskly with fork until ball forms and no dry bits of flour are visible, adding remaining buttermilk as needed (dough will be sticky and shaggy but should clear sides of bowl). With rubber spatula, transfer dough onto center of prepared work surface, dust surface lightly with flour, and, with floured hands, bring dough together into cohesive ball.
4. Pat dough into approximate 10-inch square; roll into 18 by 14-inch rectangle about 1/4 inch thick, dusting dough and rolling pin with flour as needed. Following illustrations below, using bench scraper or thin metal spatula, fold dough into thirds, brushing any excess flour from surface; lift short end of dough and fold in thirds again to form approximate 6 by 4-inch rectangle. Rotate dough 90 degrees, dusting work surface underneath with flour; roll and fold dough again, dusting with flour as needed.
5. Roll dough into 10-inch square about 1/2 inch thick; flip dough and cut nine 3-inch rounds with floured biscuit cutter, dipping cutter back into flour after each cut. Carefully invert and transfer rounds to ungreased baking sheet, spaced 1 inch apart. Gather dough scraps into ball; roll and fold once or twice until scraps form smooth dough. Roll dough into 1/2-inch-thick round; cut three more 3-inch rounds and transfer to baking sheet. Discard excess dough.
6. Brush biscuit tops with melted butter. Bake, without opening oven door, until tops are golden brown and crisp, 15 to 17 minutes. Let cool on baking sheet 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

Daring Bakers go Italian

2009-03-29T10:07:00.004-04:00

Wow, is March really almost over? That is just crazy to believe. So many things to do and so little time to do them in. This month the Daring Bakers officially launched their new site, The Daring Kitchen, and even introduced a Daring Cooks group. This months challenge was like no Daring Bakers challenge that I have ever participated in before, but I was definitely up for the challenge.

Although this recipe took a while to complete it was not anything that was very hard. The pasta gave me a lot of trouble. The pieces of spinach in the dough made it hard to roll out and also very weak but I managed to get past those obstacles. I used the Bechamel sauce exactly as the recipe was written. It was a great addition to the pasta and I definitely plan on using one more often. The sauce recipe that I made up was inspired by the one that was provided but very different.

I really enjoyed the end result of this dish. It was a simple lasagna that was delicious and filling. My husband had texture issues with it but I believe that was because the pasta was slightly overcooked. I will definitely use the sauce recipes again but use my own pasta recipe. Thanks for another great challenge!

The March 2009 challenge is hosted by Mary of Beans and Caviar, Melinda of Melbourne Larder and Enza of Io Da Grande. They have chosen Lasagne of Emilia-Romagna from The Splendid Table by Lynne Rossetto Kasper as the challenge.

Lasagne of Emilia-Romagna (Lasagne Verdi al Forno)
Source: The Splendid Table by Lynne Rossetto Kasper

Serves 8 to 10 as a first course, 6 to 8 as a main dish
Preparation Time: 15 minutes to assemble and 40 minutes cooking time

10 quarts salted water
1 recipe Spinach Pasta cut for lasagna (recipe follows)
1 recipe Bechamel Sauce (recipe follows)
1 recipe Country Style Ragu (recipe follows)
4 ounces freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Directions

Working Ahead - The ragu and the béchamel sauce can be made up to three days ahead. The ragu can also be frozen for up to one month. The pasta can be rolled out, cut and dried up to 24 hours before cooking. The assembled lasagne can wait at room temperature (20 degrees Celsius/68 degrees Fahrenheit) about 1 hour before baking. Do not refrigerate it before baking, as the topping of béchamel and cheese will overcook by the time the center is hot.

Assembling the Ingredients - Have all the sauces, rewarmed gently over a medium heat, and the pasta at hand. Have a large perforated skimmer and a large bowl of cold water next to the stove. Spread a double thickness of paper towels over a large counter space. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Oil or butter a 3 quart shallow baking dish.

Cooking the Pasta - Bring the salted water to a boil. Drop about four pieces of pasta in the water at a time. Cook about 2 minutes. If you are using dried pasta, cook about 4 minutes, taste, and cook longer if necessary. The pasta will continue cooking during baking, so make sure it is only barely tender. Lift the lasagne from the water with a skimmer, drain, and then slip into the bowl of cold water to stop cooking. When cool, lift out and dry on the paper towels. Repeat until all the pasta is cooked.

Assembling the Lasagne - Spread a thin layer of béchamel over the bottom of the baking dish. Arrange a layer of about four overlapping sheets of pasta over the béchamel. Spread a thin layer of béchamel (about 3 or 4 spoonfuls) over the pasta, and then an equally thin layer of the ragu. Sprinkle with about 1 1/2 tablespoons of the béchamel and about 1/3 cup of the cheese. Repeat the layers until all ingredients are used, finishing with béchamel sauce and topping with a generous dusting of cheese.

Baking and Serving the Lasagne - Cover the baking dish lightly with foil, taking care not to let it touch the top of the lasagne. Bake 40 minutes, or until almost heated through. Remove the foil and bake another 10 minutes, or until hot in the center (test by inserting a knife – if it comes out very warm, the dish is ready). Take care not to brown the cheese topping. It should be melted, creamy looking and barely tinged with a little gold. Turn off the oven, leave the door ajar and let the lasagne rest for about 10 minutes. Then serve. This is not a solid lasagne, but a moist one that slips a bit when it is cut and served.

Spinach Egg Pasta (Pasta Verde)

Makes enough for 6 to 8 first course servings or 4 to 6 main course servings, equivalent to 1 pound dried boxed pasta.

Preparation: 45 minutes

2 jumbo eggs (2 ounces)
10 ounces fresh spinach, rinsed dry, and finely chopped; or 6 ounces frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry
3 1/2 cups (14 ounces) all purpose unbleached (plain) flour (organic stone ground preferred)

Equipment needed:
A roomy work surface, 24 to 30 inches deep by 30 to 36 inches. Any smooth surface will do, but marble cools dough slightly, making it less flexible than desired.
A pastry scraper and a small wooden spoon for blending the dough.
A wooden dowel-style rolling pin. In Italy, pasta makers use one about 35 inches long and 2 inches thick. The shorter American-style pin with handles at either end can be used, but the longer it is, the easier it is to roll the pasta.
Plastic wrap to wrap the resting dough and to cover rolled-out pasta waiting to be filled. It protects the pasta from drying out too quickly.
A sharp chef’s knife for cutting pasta sheets.
Cloth-covered chair backs, broom handles, or specially designed pasta racks found in cookware shops for draping the pasta.

Mixing the dough - Mound the flour in the center of your work surface and make a well in the middle. Add the eggs and spinach. Use a wooden spoon to beat together the eggs and spinach. Then gradually start incorporating shallow scrapings of flour from the sides of the well into the liquid. As you work more and more flour into the liquid, the well’s sides may collapse. Use a pastry scraper to keep the liquids from running off and to incorporate the last bits of flour into the dough. Don’t worry if it looks like a hopelessly rough and messy lump.

Kneading - With the aid of the scraper to scoop up unruly pieces, start kneading the dough. Once it becomes a cohesive mass, use the scraper to remove any bits of hard flour on the work surface – these will make the dough lumpy. Knead the dough for about 3 minutes. Its consistency should be elastic and a little sticky. If it is too sticky to move easily, knead in a few more tablespoons of flour. Continue kneading about 10 minutes, or until the dough has become satiny, smooth, and very elastic. It will feel alive under your hands. Do not shortcut this step. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap, and let it relax at room temperature 30 minutes to 3 hours.

Stretching and Thinning - If using an extra-long rolling pin work with half the dough at a time. With a regular-length rolling pin, roll out a quarter of the dough at a time and keep the rest of the dough wrapped. Lightly sprinkle a large work surface with flour. The idea is to stretch the dough rather than press down and push it. Shape it into a ball and begin rolling out to form a circle, frequently turning the disc of dough a quarter turn. As it thins outs, start rolling the disc back on the pin a quarter of the way toward the center and stretching it gently sideways by running the palms of your hands over the rolled-up dough from the center of the pin outward. Unroll, turn the disc a quarter turn, and repeat. Do twice more.

Stretch and even out the center of the disc by rolling the dough a quarter of the way back on the pin. Then gently push the rolling pin away from you with one hand while holding the sheet in place on the work surface with the other hand. Repeat three more times, turning the dough a quarter turn each time.

Repeat the two processes as the disc becomes larger and thinner. The goal is a sheet of even thickness. For lasagne, the sheet should be so thin that you can clearly see your hand through it and see colours. Cut into rectangles about 4 by 8 inches. Note: Enza says that transparency is a crucial element of lasagne pasta and the dough should be rolled as thinly as possible. She says this is why her housekeeper has such strong arms!

Dry the pasta at room temperature and store in a sealed container or bag.

Bechamel Sauce

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients
4 tablespoons (2 ounces/60g) unsalted butter
4 tablespoons (2 ounces/60g) all purpose unbleached (plain) flour, organic stone ground preferred
2 2/3 cups (approx 570ml) milk
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Freshly grated nutmeg to taste

Directions
Using a medium-sized saucepan, melt the butter over low to medium heat. Sift over the flour, whisk until smooth, and then stir (without stopping) for about 3 minutes. Whisk in the milk a little at a time and keep the mixture smooth. Bring to a slow simmer, and stir 3 to 4 minutes, or until the sauce thickens. Cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes, until the sauce thickens. Season with salt, pepper, and a hint of nutmeg.

Meaty Ragu Sauce
Source: Amber's Delectable Delights

Ingredients
1 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 stalk celery, minced
1 carrot, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
16 ounces ground beef
3 ounces thinly sliced Prosciutto, finely chopped
1/2 cup beef or chicken broth/stock
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 teaspoon pasta sprinkle (or Italian seasoning)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions
In a large dutch oven warm the oil over medium heat and saute the minced celery and carrots. Remove the vegetables from the pan and process in the food processor. Return the veggies to the pan and add in the garlic. Add the prosciutto and ground beef to the pan and brown, stirring often to promote even browning. Transfer contents of pan to a strainer, drain excess fat.

Add broth/stock to the pan and use your spatula to scrap up all the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the contents of the strainer back into the pan. Let the mixture simmer until the broth/stock has reduced.

Add tomato paste into the pan and stir for 2 minutes to brown. Add tomato sauce, crushed tomatoes, and seasonings to pan and once again use the spatula to scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan.

Partially cover the pot, reduce heat to low and let the sauce simmer for two hours. Stir the sauce every 30 minutes adding water 1/3 cup at a time if sauce is reducing to much.

Smoky Chili Crackers

2009-03-23T12:05:00.010-04:00

I was browsing through my King Arthur flour cookbook for something to make and came across these crackers. From start to finish these took about 30 minutes, so they are very quick and easy to make. The only change I made to the original recipe was to use butter instead of shortening.

The tomato paste turned these crackers a nice hue of orange, they almost look like cheese crackers. I bet some grated cheese would be a great addition to these. At first bite you can't really taste the spices in these crackers, they are more of an aftertaste. I think next time I would add a little more Tabasco and possibly some chili powder. These crackers would go great with a nice big bowl of chili or even some taco soup.

Smoky Chili Crackers
Source: The King Arthur Flour Baker's Companion, The All-Purpose Baking Cookbook

-makes 6 dozen crackers -

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups (6 1/4 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (2 3/8 ounces) yellow or white cornmeal
2 tablespoons tomato powder, or 1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon nonfat dry milk
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon chipotle powder, or 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
1/4 cup (1 5/8 ounces) shortening (I used butter)
Scant 1/2 cup (3 3/4 ounces) water

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, tomato powder (if you are using tomato paste do not add it just yet), dry milk, cumin, baking soda, salt, sugar, and chipotle powder or Tabasco sauce. Cut in the shortening (and tomato paste, if you are using it), then add enough water to make a workable dough Gather the dough into a ball and divide it into two pieces.

Working with one piece at a time, roll the dough on a lightly floured surface to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut it into 1 1/2" squares and bake the crackers for 20 minutes. Remove them from the oven and cool on the pan. Store in an airtight container.

Happy St. Patricks Day

2009-03-17T07:42:00.005-04:00

I decided that I wanted to make some festive cookies to take into work on St. Patricks Day. After searching 8 stores for a cookie cutter I finally found one at Michael's. I also decided to be daring and try my hand at royal icing. I just love how smooth and perfect the tops of the cookies look when they are adorned with royal icing.

It turns out that royal icing is not difficult to work with it is just time consuming. I think that the most difficult part of the whole process is piping the border along the edge of the cookies. But that will probably come with practice.

Sugar cookies have never been my favorite cookie to eat but are always a favorite to make because they are so fun to decorate. This cookie recipe yielded pretty delicious cookies. I like that powdered sugar is used in this recipe, it helps give the cookies a smoothness. I also love that almond extract was used. Delicious!

I hope that everyone enjoys the day and celebrates safely. Here is a little *pinch* in case you forgot to wear green. I know I am definitely wearing my green scrubs to work today. :)

Ella’s White Sugar Cookies
Source: Annie's Eats

Ingredients
1 cup butter
1 cup powdered sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 ½ t. almond extract
1 t. vanilla
1 t. salt
2 ½ c. sifted flour

Directions
Cream butter. Add powdered sugar. Blend in egg, almond extract, vanilla, salt and flour. Chill dough until firm. Roll to ¼” thickness on well-floured surface. Cut with cookie cutters. Place on greased cookie sheets. Bake at 375° for 8-10 min. Cookies should not brown. Frost and decorate when cool. Yields ~40 cookies.

I used Annie's and Katie's blogs for help and instructions on the royal icing so please visit their sites for very detailed recipes and instructions.

Breakfast Bites

2009-03-09T09:22:00.010-04:00

I had planned to make these for a work carry-in on Saturday but ran out of time (because I was making these, which were a huge hit) so I decided to make them for dinner last night. I browsed through some recipes I had bookmarked for quiche and then went to the kitchen to get started.

The filling combinations with these are endless but I chose ham and cheese, ham broccoli and cheese, and bacon and cheese for my mini quiche. I think I will try mushroom and Swiss next time. Since these reheat so well they will be great for breakfasts throughout the week. I bet they would even freeze fantastically.

My husband and I enjoyed the ones with bacon in them a little more than the ones with ham. But only because the bacon was a more pronounced flavor. Like I said earlier, the many different filling combinations make these a treat that anyone can enjoy and even something that kids may like to help make. Enjoy.

Mini Quiche
Source: Amber's Delectable Delights

makes 12 pieces

Ingredients
1 roll refrigerated pie crust
6 eggs
1/3 cup half and half
3 cloves minced garlic
salt and pepper to taste
Filling ingredients of your choice (meat, cheese, veggies, herbs)

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spray the wells of 12 muffin cups with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
2. Whisk together the eggs, half and half, garlic, salt and pepper and set aside.
3. Unroll the pie dough and cut out twelve 3" circles. You will have to smash all the scraps together and roll them out to get the last few circles cut out, but you will have enough dough. Place one dough circle into the bottom of each muffin cup.
4. Prepare filling ingredients and place ~2 tablespoons of filling per muffin cup.
5. Pour a scant 1/4 cup of the egg mixture over the filling ingredients in each muffin cup.
6. Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes. Remove from muffin cups and let cool a few minutes before serving.

Daring Bakers Go Flourless

2009-02-28T23:13:00.005-05:00

Sorry for the delay in posting this months recipe. Once again life's hectic plans kept me from accomplishing most of the things that I wanted to get done this month. The February 2009 challenge is hosted by Wendy of WMPE's blog and Dharm of Dad ~ Baker & Chef.We have chosen a Chocolate Valentino cake by Chef Wan; a Vanilla Ice Cream recipe from Dharm and a Vanilla Ice Cream recipe from Wendy as the challenge.

For the cake, I used some Scharffen Berger dark chocolate that had been sitting in my cabinet waiting for the perfect recipe to come along. Although I do not really care for dark chocolate my husband loves it so this cake was completely for him. I also cut the recipe in half and baked it in a 6" round pan. This recipe was very simple and quick to make and the end results were two thumbs up. I am already planning on making this recipe for Easter so that my gluten-free relatives can enjoy it.

The ice cream recipe that I chose was one that I have heard a lot of raves about lately. I decided to go ahead and try it out, using strawberry cake mix. This was my first time making a "Philadelphia-style" ice cream recipe. For some reason I had an irrational fear that ice cream without the custard base was not real ice cream. Apparently I was over working myself and a glutton for punishment, this style of ice cream is just as delicious as the custard based French-style. Actually this ice cream was so delicious that I think I will start making more recipes just like it. Feel free to check out the other ice cream recipes on my blog.

As always, feel free to visit the Daring Bakers Blogroll and see the beautiful cake and ice cream combinations that the other members made this month.

Chocolate Valentino
Source: Chef Wan

Ingredients
16 ounces (1 pound) semisweet chocolate, roughly chopped
½ cup (1 stick) plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
5 large eggs, separated

Directions
1. Put chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl and set over a pan of simmering water (the bottom of the bowl should not touch the water) and melt, stirring often.
2. While your chocolate butter mixture is cooling. Butter your pan and line with a parchment circle then butter the parchment.
3. Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites and put into two medium/large bowls.
4. Whip the egg whites in a medium/large grease free bowl until stiff peaks are formed (do not over-whip or the cake will be dry).
5. With the same beater beat the egg yolks together.
6. Add the egg yolks to the cooled chocolate.
7. Fold in 1/3 of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture and follow with remaining 2/3rds. Fold until no white remains without deflating the batter.
8. Pour batter into prepared pan, the batter should fill the pan 3/4 of the way full, and bake at 375F/190C
9. Bake for 25 minutes until an instant read thermometer reads 140F/60C. Note – If you do not have an instant read thermometer, the top of the cake will look similar to a brownie and a cake tester will appear wet.
10. Cool cake on a rack for 10 minutes then unmold.

Cake Batter Ice Cream
Adapted from Carries Sweet Life, originally from Delicious Meliscious

Ingredients
1 cup whole milk, well chilled
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 cups heavy cream, well chilled
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2/3 cup cake mix (any flavor you prefer)

Directions
- In a medium bowl, whisk the milk and granulated sugar until the sugar is dissolved. Stir in the heavy cream and vanilla. Stir in cake mix, making sure there are no lumps.
- Pour mixture into the freezer bowl of your ice cream maker and let mix until it has thickened (about 25-30 minutes).
- Remove ice cream from freezer bowl and place into a separate container. Place freezer bowl and the ice cream into the freezer to further harden.

Chocolate Breakfast Muffins

2009-02-24T08:29:00.005-05:00

After a few weeks with no blog updates I made it a point to bake up something yummy last night when I got home from class, just so I could remind my readers that I am still here. For Christmas my sister gave me an awesome gift card to King Arthur Flour and I purchased this cookbook with it. The book is packed with hundreds of awesome sounding recipes and I can't wait to start baking my way through the book.

These muffins called for very common ingredients that every pantry should have stock of and were quick and painless to mix together. My husband and I both agree that these muffins are rich, chocolaty and delicious. I will definitely be making these again.

Chocolate Breakfast Muffins
Source: The King Arthur Flour Baker's Companion, The All-Purpose Baking Cookbook, page 66

Ingredients
2/3 cup (2 ounces) cocoa, Dutch-process or natural
1 3/4 cups (7 1/4 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups (10 ounces) light brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (6 ounces) chocolate chips
2 large eggs
1 cup (8 ounces) milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons vinegar
8 tablespoons (4 ounces) butter or margarine, melted

Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the cocoa, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and chocolate chips. Set aside.

In a large measuring cup or medium sized mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, vanilla, and vinegar. Add the wet ingredients, along with the melted butter, to the dry ingredients, stirring to blend. There's no need to beat these muffins; just make sure everything is well combined.

Scoop the batter into 12 lightly greased muffin cups. Bake the muffins for 15 to 20 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean (watch them closely, as they'll burn around the edges if they bake too long). Remove the muffins from the oven, and after 5 minutes remove them from the pan, allowing them to cool slightly on a wire rack before serving.

Moist Potato Bread

2009-02-08T13:31:00.009-05:00

Last week a few of my coworkers and I were talking about bread and how much we loved it. I mentioned to them that I made homemade bread quite often and told them I would have to make some to bring in for them. I asked for suggestions as to what kind I should make and one person spoke up and said potato bread. I searched around for a recipe and this one looked best to me.

This recipe called for basic ingredients and was pretty easy to make. The only tiny mistake that I made was that I did not cook my potato long enough so it was hard to mash. I should have ran it through my food processor or stand mixer to mash it thoroughly but apparently I had a blonde moment. I was worried that the little chunks of potato would end up ruining my bread but after baking for almost an hour I can not even tell they are there. This bread is moist and delicious and I will definitely make it again. It would be the perfect sandwich bread for turkey sandwiches.

Potato Bread
As seen on The Barefoot Kitchen Witch originally adapted from George Greenstein's Secrets of a Jewish Baker, on pages 51-53

Ingredients
1 medium potato
2 1/2 cups boiling water
1/4 cup warm milk
2 packages active dry yeast
2 tablespoons unsalted butter or shortening, at room temperature
2 tablespoons sugar
5 to 6 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tsp salt
Flour, for dusting work top
Vegetable oil, for coating bowl
Shortening, for greasing pans

Directions
Wash and thoroughly scrub the potato, then cook in the boiling water until soft (approximately 30 minutes). Drain, reserving 2 cups potato water. Peel the potato, mash, and set aside to cool. Extra potato water can be refrigerated and used in any yeast recipe for added nutritive value and tenderizing power.

The dough - In a large bowl sprinkle the yeast over the 1/4 cup warm milk; stir to dissolve. Stir together the cooled mashed potato and butter. Add the potato mixture along with the 2 cups reserved potato water to the large bowl. Add in the sugar, 5 cups flour, and salt. Stir until the dough comes away from the sides of the bowl, adding more flour 1/4 cup at a time if necessary. Potato dough will remain a little sticky. Turn out the dough onto a floured surface (or switch to the dough hook on a stand mixer) and knead, adding more flour if necessary, until the dough feels smooth and elastic (8 to 10 minutes).

Rising - Transfer the dough to a clean, oiled mixing bowl and turn to coat. Cover and set aside until the dough doubles in volume. Punch down, cut in half, shape into two balls, and allow to rest, covered, for 10 minutes.

Shaping - Press down each ball and shape into a pan loaf. Place into 2 greased 8- or 9-inch loaf pans, cover, and set aside to proof until the breads come up above the tops of the pans. Dust with flour and cut a deep slash down the length of each loaf.

Baking- Bake in a preheated 375 degree F oven until the bread has a hollow sound when the bottom is tapped with your fingertips (about 50 minutes). The sides should feel firm. If necessary return the bread to the oven for an additional 5 to 10 minutes. If using tiles or an oven stone, finish the bread on them for an additional 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from the pans and let cool on a wire rack. When cooled to room temperature, slice - and enjoy!

Vanilla Ice Cream

2009-02-02T13:04:00.005-05:00

This past Thursday was my husband's birthday and he told me that all he wanted from me was a German chocolate cake and vanilla ice cream. Of course I wanted to do that for him but I was worried that with my new job and weird hours that it might not be possible. When the schedule was posted for that week I was pleased to see that I was scheduled to have the day of my husbands birthday off. I was so excited and instantly started scheming up a plan on how to surprise him with the cake and ice cream.

I found out that I was off on that particular day because it was the ribbon cutting ceremony for work. This, once again, worked out perfectly. I attended the ceremony during the lunch hour when my husband would be home from work and then returned home after I knew he would be back at work. I churned the ice cream and made the cake and got them done just in time for him to walk in the door. We then went out to dinner with his parents then went back to my house to hang out. I brought my husband out a plate with the cake and ice cream and he was so surprised. It totally made my day that I was able to keep my trap shut and actually surprise him. I did not get any pictures of the cake but I used the Baking Illustrated recipe and the cake was fantastic.

This ice cream was fantastic. Steeping the vanilla bean into the cream really lets the smell and taste of the vanilla shine through. This was the perfect vanilla ice cream recipe and paired wonderfully with the German Chocolate Cake.

By the way, if you are looking for some wonderful vanilla beans at an amazing price check out The Organic Vanilla Bean Company, their products and prices are outstanding.

Vanilla Ice Cream
Source: The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz, page 24

Ingredients
1 cup whole milk
3/4 cup sugar
2 cups heavy cream
Pinch of salt
1 vanilla bean, split in half lengthwise
6 large egg yolks
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions
Warm the milk, sugar, 1 cup of the cream, and salt in a medium saucepan. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into the warm milk and add the bean as well. Cover, remove from the heat, and let steep at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Pour the remaining 1 cup cream into a large bowl and set a mesh strainer on top. In a separate medium bowl. whisk together the egg yolks. Slowly pour the warm mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly, then scrape the warmed egg yolks back into the saucepan.

Stir the mixture constantly over medium heat with a heatproof spatula, scraping the bottom as you stir, until the mixture thickens and coats the spatula. Pour the custard through the strainer and stir until cool over an ice bath.

Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator. When ready to churn, remove the vanilla bean, rinsing and reserving for another use, and then freeze the mixture in your ice cream maker according to the manufactures instructions.

Daring Bakers Do Tuiles

2009-01-29T08:00:00.007-05:00

I just have to start off by saying that I am very glad that a nice simple recipe was featured for this month. I started a new job and a new (my last!) semester of school this month and it was so busy that I was extremely exhausted every evening. I found time earlier this week to make these tuiles and I am glad that I did because they were wonderful. Light and crisp, they actually reminded me of fortune cookies.

I did not realize that the batter would spread so much once in the oven. It was certainly a good thing that I did not make my circles any larger or they would have over baked right off the pan. I decided to make my tuiles into a cone shape and fill them with white chocolate pudding. Chocolate drizzled on top and some diced strawberries and blueberries added the perfect amount of color and really finished off the dish. It really made a beautiful presentation that I would be proud to serve to guests.

This month's challenge is brought to us by Karen of Bake My Day and Zorra of 1x umruehren bitte aka Kochtopf. They have chosen Tuiles from The Chocolate Book by Angélique Schmeink and Nougatine and Chocolate Tuiles from Michel Roux.

Do not forget to check out the daring bakers blogroll to see what creations everyone else came up with.

Tuiles
Source: “The Chocolate Book”, written by female Dutch Master chef Angélique Schmeinck

Yields: 20 small butterflies/6 large (butterflies are just an example)
Preparation time batter 10 minutes, waiting time 30 minutes, baking time: 5-10 minutes per batch

Ingredients
1/4 cup (2.3 oz) softened butter (not melted but soft)
1/2 cup (2.1 oz) sifted confectioner’s sugar
1 sachet vanilla sugar (7 grams or substitute with a dash of vanilla extract)
2 large egg whites (slightly whisked with a fork)
1/2 cup (2.3 oz) sifted all purpose flour
1 tablespoon cocoa powder/or food coloring of choice
Butter/spray to grease baking sheet

Directions
Preheat oven to 350F

Using a hand whisk or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle (low speed) and cream butter, sugar and vanilla to a paste. Keep stirring while you gradually add the egg whites. Continue to add the flour in small batches and stir to achieve a homogeneous and smooth batter/paste. Be careful to not overmix.Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to firm up. (This batter will keep in the fridge for up to a week, take it out 30 minutes before you plan to use it).

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or grease with either butter/spray and chill in the fridge for at least 15 minutes. This will help spread the batter more easily if using a stencil/cardboard template such as the butterfly. Press the stencil on the baking sheet and use an off sided spatula to spread batter. Leave some room in between your shapes. Mix a small part of the batter with the cocoa and a few drops of warm water until evenly colored. Use this colored batter in a paper piping bag and proceed to pipe decorations on the wings and body of the butterfly.

Bake butterflies in a preheated oven (350F) for about 5-10 minutes or until the edges turn golden brown. Immediately release from baking sheet and proceed to shape/bend the cookies in the desired shape. These cookies have to be shaped when still warm, you might want to bake a small amount at a time or maybe put them in the oven to warm them up again. (Haven’t tried that). Or: place a baking sheet toward the front of the warm oven, leaving the door half open. The warmth will keep the cookies malleable.- If you don’t want to do stencil shapes, you might want to transfer the batter into a piping bag fitted with a small plain tip. Pipe the desired shapes and bake. Shape immediately after baking using for instance a rolling pin, a broom handle, cups, cones.

Potato Slabs

2009-01-26T11:24:00.002-05:00

I seemed to have an excess of potatoes sitting around my house and was trying to think of something new to make as a side. This was the first thing that came to mind. These are such a simple and yummy appetizer, or side dish if you prefer.

Many people make these by slicing a potato in half and scooping out some of the insides but I prefer just slicing the potato into slabs. It helps cook the potato evenly and doesn't waste any of the insides. These would be a perfect snack for the upcoming superbowl parties.

Potato Slabs
Source: Amber's Delectable Delights

Ingredients
2 russet potatoes
Salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
Paprika, to taste
1/3 cup colby-jack cheese
5 slices of bacon, cooked and diced
Green onions for garnish, if desired
Sour cream, if desired

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375. Clean and scrub potatoes well. Slice the potatoes into 1/4" thick slices. Place potatoes on lightly buttered baking sheet and season each side with salt, black pepper, and paprika. Cook for 30 minutes. Flip potatoes over and cook for an additional 15 minutes.
2. Remove pan from oven and place a pinch of cheese and bacon on top of each potato slab. Return the pan to the oven and cook until cheese is melted and bubbly, about 10 minutes. Serve with green onions and sour cream, if desired.

Classic Cornbread

2009-01-19T13:24:00.007-05:00

Last night for dinner I made chili and wanted something to go with it. I was going to make bread bowls but ran out of time so I decided to make cornbread instead. I found this recipe on King Arthur's website and noticed that it was one of their guaranteed recipe so I decided to give it a try.

This recipe took no effort to mix together and baked up fairly quickly. I added some jalapeno Cheddar cheese into the batter so that required a few extra minutes of baking time. The end result was a moist cornbread that had just the right sweetness.

Have I ever mentioned that my favorite way to eat cornbread was warmed up in the microwave slathered with butter and drizzled with maple syrup. What a perfect breakfast! :)

Cornbread
Source: King Arthur Flour

Ingredients
1 3/4 cups (7 1/2 ounces) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1 cup (5 1/2 ounces) cornmeal
1/4 cup (1 3/4 ounces) sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups (10 ounces) milk
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 large egg

Directions
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 9-inch square or round pan (a cast iron skillet will work fine, too), shallow 1 1/2 quart casserole dish, or 12 muffin cups.
1) In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
2) Stir in any desired herbs, cheese, corn kernels, or other flavorings.
3) In another bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together the milk, melted butter, and egg.
4) Pour the liquid all at once into the flour mixture, stirring quickly and gently until just combined.
5. Spread the batter into the prepared pan, or scoop into the muffin tin.
6. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the edges just begin to pull away from the pan and a cake tester or paring knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
7. Remove from the oven and cool on a rack for 5 minutes before cutting; serve warm.

Parmesan Ciabatta

2009-01-09T09:34:00.006-05:00

As I mentioned in my last post (you know that delectable brownie mosaic cheesecake), the in-laws were over for dinner the other night. The main entree was a garlic and herb pork loin with carrots and potatoes that I cooked in my beautiful new 6 3/4 qt Le Creuset dutch oven. I was looking for a bread to serve with it and this one that I found on the King Arthur website sounded awesome. I love asiago cheese, especially paired with bread, but rarely buy it due to its costs. I had a block of Parmesan in the fridge so I went ahead and used that.

Although the entire process took more than one day, most if it was inactive waiting and rising time. This bread was very easy to make, required minimum kneading and the shaping could not have been any easier. This recipe would be perfect for people who are first starting out baking bread.

The texture of this bread was amazing. The big air pockets coated with cheese was my favorite part. I only used 4 ounces of cheese but I will definitely be using the whole 5 next time. This bread got two thumbs up from everyone. Definitely give it a try.

Asiago (Parmesan) Ciabatta
Source: King Arthur Flour

-makes 2 loaves -

Biga (Starter) Ingredients
1 1/2 cups (6 3/8 ounces) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1/4 cup (1 ounce) pumpernickel, rye, or whole wheat flour
1 cup (8 ounces) water
1/8 teaspoon instant yeast

Dough Ingredients
all of the starter
2 1/2 cups (10 5/8 ounces) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1/2 cup (4 ounces) water
1 tablespoon Pizza Dough Flavoring (optional)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon instant yeast
4 to 5 ounces Asiago or Parmesan cheese, cut into 1/4-inch dice (about 1 cup), plus extra for grating over the top of the bread

For the Biga
Mix all of the biga ingredients in a medium-sized bowl until well-blended. Cover the bowl, and leave it at cool room temperature (68°F-70°F) for 12 to 20 hours, until the biga is very bubbly.

For the Dough
Mix the biga and the remaining dough ingredients, except the cheese, using an electric mixer set on slow speed, for 2 to 4 minutes. Increase the speed to medium and mix for about 4 minutes; the dough should be soft and slightly sticky. Add additional water or flour if necessary. Mix in the cheese; don't worry if some pieces pop out. Allow the dough to rise, in a greased, covered bowl, for 1 to 2 hours, until it's very puffy. Note: You can also mix this dough in a bread machine set on the dough cycle; add the diced cheese several minutes before the end of the final kneading cycle.

Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface, and shape it into two long loaves, about 12 x 4 inches each. Place the loaves, floured side up, onto parchment paper (if you plan to bake on an oven stone) or baking sheets. Cover the loaves with a proof cover or well-greased plastic wrap, and allow them to rise for 45 minutes, or until they're very puffy. Sprinkle them with additional grated cheese.

Bake the ciabatta in a preheated 450°F oven for 22 to 26 minutes, until it's golden brown. Remove it from the oven, and cool on a rack.

-- -- -- -- --
Like a proud mama I just had to throw a picture in of my pork loin. It turned out so incredible that I wanted to share (um brag). :) I put a little olive oil in the bottom of the pan and cooked the salt and pepper seasoned veggies (carrots, potatoes and whole garlic cloves) on the stove for about 5 minutes. Then I removed the veggies, seared the meat on all sides and deglazed the pan with 1/3 cup chicken stock. I added the veggies back into the pot, put the lid on and cooked it in a 375 degree oven for approximately 40 minutes. The veggies were awesome, they had such an awesome flavor that I could not stop eating them. I am in love with my Le Creuset and I can't wait to use it time and time again.

Brownie Mosaic Cheesecake

2009-01-08T10:00:00.008-05:00

Last year Chelle and Annie made this amazing looking cheesecake; once I saw it I knew that I had to make it. Only problem was that I needed a reason to make it. The in-laws were over for dinner last night and I decided that would be the perfect opportunity to make this cheesecake.

This cheesecake consists of 4 parts; fudgy brownies, chocolate cookie crust, rich velvety cheesecake, and a chocolate ganache glaze. Although this recipe had 4 different parts it was no harder than making any other cheesecake, the directions were straight forward and simple to follow. I think that the brownie recipe could be halved, it made double the amount needed for the cheesecake. On the other hand I think the cookie crust should be doubled. It was a perfect crust with lots of butter to help keep it together.

I made the brownies and cheesecake the first day, then I placed the cooled baked cheesecake in the fridge overnight to set up. The next morning I made and topped the cheesecake with the ganache glaze and stored it in the fridge for a few hours to set the chocolate.

This cheesecake was outstanding. With all the chocolate involved one would think it would be overly rich and indulgent but it really was not. The cheesecake was smooth and velvety with the perfect amount of richness. I will definitely make this cheesecake again, especially if I am looking for a dessert to impress.

Brownie Mosaic Cheesecake
As seen on Annie's Eats and Brown Eyed Baker; originally from Smitten Kitchen

For the Brownies
Ingredients
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
13/4 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup flour

Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 13×9-inch baking pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides of pan. Grease foil.

Microwave chocolate and butter in large microwaveable bowl on high 2 min. or until butter is melted. Stir until chocolate is completely melted. Stir in sugar. Blend in eggs and vanilla. Add flour and salt; mix well. Spread into prepared pan.

Bake 30 to 35 minute or until toothpick inserted in center comes out with fudgy crumbs (be careful not to over bake). Cool in pan on wire rack. Remove brownies from pan, using foil handles.

Cool brownies, then cut them into 3/4- to 1-inch squares for use in the cheesecake. You will have more than the two cups of cubes, loosely measured, than you will need, and I’m sorry, you’re just going to have to decide for yourself what to do with the extra. Add cubes to cake batter as directed below.

For the Crumb Crust
(if you like a lot of crust, go ahead and double this)
Ingredients
11/2 cups or 5 ounces finely ground Oreos, or other chocolate cookie
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt

Directions
Stir together ingredients and press into bottom and 1 inch up side of a buttered 10″ springform pan. Fill right away or chill for up to 2 hours.

For the Cheesecake
Ingredients
3 (8-oz) packages of cream cheese, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions
Make crumb crust as directed above for 10-inch cheesecake. Preheat oven to 350°F.
Beat together cream cheese and sugar with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, then vanilla, beating on low speed until each ingredient is incorporated and scraping down bowl between additions.

Fold brownie cubes in very gently and pour mixture into prepared pan. Put springform pan with crust in a shallow baking pan. Pour filling into crust and bake in baking pan (to catch drips) in middle of oven 45 minutes, or until cake is set 3 inches from edge but center is still slightly wobbly when pan is gently shaken.

When completely cool, top with following glaze.

For the Ganache Glaze
Ingredients
3 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter
¼ cup heavy cream
½ teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon powdered sugar

Directions
Place finely chopped chocolate in a medium size mixing bowl. Scald the butter and cream together in a saucepan (or in the microwave on high for 1 minute). Pour the cream mixture over the chocolate and stir until the chocolate is completely melted. Whisk in vanilla and then whisk in powdered sugar until smooth. Spread over cheesecake while ganache is still warm.
Chill the cheesecake until ready to serve.

Chinese: Take Out Fake Out

2009-01-07T09:05:00.004-05:00

I was originally going to make stir-fry this evening but then decided I wanted to make something new. I was browsing through the starred items in my google reader and came across this recipe for sweet and sour chicken. I had the recipe starred twice from two different blogs and decided it was a sign that I needed to make this for dinner.

The process of making this was pretty easy. Coat and pan fry the chicken then put it into a baking dish, cover it with sauce and let the oven do the rest of the work. Since I am feeding only my husband and myself I used one large chicken breast and made one batch of the sauce, pouring half into the baking dish and thickening the other half on the stove with some red pepper flakes for a bit of added heat. I will definitely be making this dish again, it was so easy and virtually foolproof with an awesome taste.

I served this chicken over rice with stir-fried vegetables (carrots, broccoli, water chestnuts, and garlic chips) on the side.

Sweet and Sour Chicken
As seen on Mrs. Sac's Purple Kitchen and Cooking This and That originally from Taste and Tell

-Makes 4 servings -

Chicken Ingredients
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup cornstarch
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup canola oil

Directions
Cut boneless chicken breasts into chunks. Season with salt and pepper.
Dip chicken in cornstarch and then in egg. Fry in a little oil until brown but not cooked through. Place in a single layer in a baking dish. Mix sauce ingredients (below) together and pour over chicken.

Sauce Ingredients
¾ cup sugar
4 tablespoons ketchup
½ cup vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon garlic salt

Directions
Bake for one hour at 325 degrees. Turn chicken every 15 minutes. If you like extra sauce, make another batch of sauce and bring it to a boil on the stove top. Stir constantly and let cook over medium heat until thickened and reduced - about 6-8 minutes.

Tin Roof Ice Cream

2009-01-06T08:53:00.006-05:00

It has been quite a while since I last made homemade ice cream. I picked up the basic ingredients the other day while I was at the store and then looked through my "The Perfect Scoop" book to find a perfect recipe. :) I decided this Tin Roof ice cream recipe looked perfect. I love the saltiness of peanuts with the sweet creaminess of ice cream. It is such a great combination.

This recipe was very similar to others that I have made before and I think steeping the vanilla into the hot milk mixture brings such a true vanilla flavor to the finished product.

My husband has not tried this yet. Actually, I am not even sure he knows that I made it. I am sure he will agree with me that this was a fantastic flavor of ice cream. Definitely something that I would make again, probably doubling it next time though.

Tin Roof Ice Cream
Source: The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz, page 54

- Makes about 1 1/4 Quarts -

Ingredients
3/4 cup whole milk
3/4 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
4 large egg yolks
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup Chocolate-Covered Peanuts (recipe below)
Fudge Ripple (recipe below)

Directions
Warm the milk, sugar, salt and 1/2 cup (125 ml) of the cream in a medium saucepan. With a sharp paring knife, scrape the flavorful seeds from the vanilla bean and add them, along with the pod, to the hot milk mixture. Cover, remove from the heat, and let steep at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Rewarm the vanilla-infused mixture. Pour the remaining 1 cup (250 ml) cream into a large bowl and set a mesh strainer on top. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks. Slowly pour the warm mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly, then scrape the warmed egg yolks back into the saucepan.

Stir the mixture constantly over medium heat with a heatproof spatula, scraping the bottom as you stir, until the mixture thickens and coats the spatula. Pour the custard through the strainer and stir it into the cream to cool. Remove the vanilla bean, wipe it clean of any egg bits, and add it back to the custard. Stir in the vanilla and stir until cool over an ice bath. Chill thoroughly in the refrigerator.

Then ready to churn the ice cream, remove the vanilla bean (it can be rinsed and reused). Freeze the ice cream in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. While the ice cream is freezing, chop the peanuts into bite-sized pieces. "

Fold the peanut pieces into the frozen ice cream as you remove it from the machine, and layer it with Fudge Ripple.

Chocolate-Covered Peanuts
Source: The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz, page 199

Ingredients
4 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 cup roasted, unsalted peanuts

Directions
Put the pieces of chocolate in an absolutely dry heat proof bowl. Set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water to melt the chocolate, stirring until smooth. In the meantime, stretch a piece of plastic wrap over a dinner plate.

Once the chocolate is melted, remove it from the heat and stir in the peanuts, coating them with the chocolate. Spread the mixture on the plastic-lined plate and chill.

Fudge Ripple
Source: The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz, page 210-211

Ingredients
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup water
6 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions
Whisk together the sugar, corn syrup, water, and cocoa powder in a medium saucepan. Heat over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture begins to bubble at the edges.

Continue to whisk until it just comes to a low boil. Cook for 1 minute, whisking frequently. Remove from the heat, stir in the vanilla, and let cool. Chill in the refrigerator before using.

Honey Yeast Rolls

2009-01-04T21:40:00.010-05:00

I made these rolls for the first time a couple of weeks ago for a Christmas celebration with my family and everyone loved them so much I decided to make them again for Christmas with my in-laws. Once again they were a hit and everyone loved them. My sister proclaimed they were better than the garlic knots, and my husband thought they were better than the sweet dinner rolls. I do not think they are necessarily better than those other rolls, but these rolls definitely made their way into my list of favorites.

The only alteration I made to this recipe is that I baked the rolls in a 9x13 casserole dish instead of a round dish. I felt that 12 rolls would be way to cramped in a 9" round dish and I think they baked up perfectly in the 9x13.

Like I said previously, these rolls have made their way into my favorites list and I will definitely be making them time and time again. They have an amazing texture and the hint of sweetness from the honey is just perfect to accompany almost any meal. Definitely give these rolls a try, you will not be disappointed.

Honey Yeast Rolls
As seen on Annie's Eats, originally from ...A Cookie A Day

Ingredients
2 1/4 teaspoon instant yeast
1 cup warm water (105°-115° F)
1/4 cup honey
3 tablespoon canola oil
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg, lightly beaten
4 cups bread flour, separated
vegetable cooking spray
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1 tablespoon honey

Directions
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the yeast and warm water. Add the honey, oil, salt, and egg and mix well. Add 3 cups of the flour and mix until the dough comes together in a sticky mass. With the mixer on low speed, add the remaining 1 cup flour and mix until it is incorporated into the dough. Switch to the dough hook, and continue kneading on low speed until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes.

Form the dough into a ball and transfer to a lightly oiled bowl, turning once to coat. Cover the bowl with a damp kitchen towel and let the dough rise in a warm, draft-free spot until it doubles in bulk, about 2 hours.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 30 seconds. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes.

Punch the dough down and divide into 12 equal portions. Shape each portion into a ball and place into a round, lightly greased baking dish, spacing evenly. Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free place for 20 minutes. Mix together the melted butter and honey, and brush lightly over the tops of the rolls. Bake at 400° for 13-15 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve warm or at room temperature.

2008, A Year in Review

2009-01-02T08:00:00.016-05:00

The beginning of 2009 is not only a time to celebrate the new year, by setting goals and resolutions for the coming months, but also a time to reflect upon what the past year has given to us. I thought that a review of my favorite recipes from the past year would be a great way to end the year.

Daring Bakers Challenge
Danish - Now that I think about this delicious danish, I need to make it again. It was simply amazing and so much fun to make. Definitely a show-stopping breakfast or brunch treat.

Appetizer
Three-Cheese Spread This spread was great, the combo of cheeses went really well together and it was the perfect topper for crackers.

Bread
Garlic Knots I could not just pick one item in this category. I am sure you all know that I am a carb-aholic and can not get enough bread. These garlic knots were definitely addicting. I could probably eat my weight in them but then I would weigh about 5 times as much as I do now, so I suppose that is not a good idea.

Italian bread
Peter Reinhart definitely created the perfect Italian bread with this recipe. It was simply amazing and looked beautiful.

Breakfast
Bacon, Potato, and Cheddar Frittata This was so delicious I made it quite a few times over the course of the year. It is perfect for entertaining for breakfast or brunch.

Chicken
Buffalo Chicken Strips I don't know what it is about these but I just can not get enough of them. The crunchiness and spiciness make them totally delicious.

Dessert
French Chocolate Brownies These are the best brownies I have ever had. Definitely my new go to brownie recipe. Dorie Greenspan hit a home run with these.

Pasta
Fresh Fettuccine Alfredo This recipe was so very good. Not only was it the first time I made a real alfredo sauce but it was also the first time I made homemade pasta. Hooked I tell you, I am seriously hooked on fresh pasta. It is beyond amazing.

Side dish
Herbed Rice Pilaf I am so glad that I came across this recipe. The rice was cooked perfectly and tasted delicious. I really like the crunch that the almonds added.

Honorable mentions
Pizza Napolenta This crust was so delicious and would be perfect for a make your own pizza party due to the amount of dough that it made. I really enjoyed making this recipe because it was my first time tossing pizza dough. You should give it a try, it was really fun.

Whole Wheat Pizza Dough
This is my go-to recipe for pizza dough when I need it quickly for a last minute dinner decision. It tastes great and can even be made the night before and stored in the fridge.

Italian Pinwheels
These are a quick and easy appetizer or snack that is always a hit

Rocky Road Ice Cream This ice cream was amazing. So smooth and velvety with the perfect chocolate flavor. Definitely amazing.

Boredom Baking

2008-12-29T15:59:00.008-05:00

School is out for two more weeks, the holidays are over and I am left sitting here wondering what to do with my days. At first I thought about making some ice cream but I had no half and half or heavy cream and was already at the store this morning and did not feel like going back out. Then I remembered that I had lots of blueberries in the freezer. I decided some blueberry muffins would be the perfect thing to bake. I was already on the Williams-Sonoma website browsing around so I just decided to check out their muffin recipes while I was there.

I managed to pick a recipe that was designed for kids to make so I can assure you it was pretty darn easy. The minimal ingredients and steps in this recipe help give the muffins a delicious flavor. I think I will freeze these for quick breakfasts when I head back to work and school in two weeks.

Big Blueberry Muffins
Source: Williams-Sonoma The Kid's Cookbook, by Abigail Johnson Dodge

- Makes 12 muffins -

Ingredients
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 3 equal pieces
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup plus 2 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1 egg
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup blueberries, rinsed and dried

Directions
1. Be sure an adult is nearby to help.
2. Put the butter pieces in a small saucepan and set over medium heat. Stir with a wooden spoon until melted, 1 to 2 minutes. Using a pot holder, remove the pan from the heat and set the butter aside to cool.
3. Preheat an oven to 375°F. Line a standard 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners.
4. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder and salt. Mix with a table fork.
5. In a small mixing bowl, combine the milk, egg and vanilla. Using the same fork, beat until well blended.
6. Add the milk mixture, melted butter and blueberries to the flour mixture. Using a rubber spatula, stir gently until the ingredients are just blended.
7. Spoon equal amounts of the batter into the muffin cups. Sprinkle the 2 teaspoons sugar evenly over the tops.
8. Bake the muffins until they are golden and have risen nicely, 18 to 20 minutes. To test, insert a toothpick into the center of a muffin. If it comes out clean, the muffins are done.
9. Using oven mitts, remove the muffin pan from the oven and place it on a wire cooling rack. Let the muffins cool for at least 15 minutes before removing them from the pan. Gently turn the pan over, letting the muffins fall out onto the rack.

Macaroni and Cheese

2008-12-29T09:26:00.006-05:00

I came across this recipe about 5 years ago when I was subscribing to some recipe card packs that come monthly in the mail. This is a really good and easy macaroni and cheese recipe that offers lots of versatility. The mix of cheeses suggested in the recipe is a great combination but can easily be changed up to fit what cheese you have on hand. The bacon was not in the original recipe but I think it is a great addition.

This dish could be made in advance if need be by doing everything except baking it. Just prepare it and put it into the fridge to chill until you are ready to bake. It may require a few additional minutes of baking but that's a small price to pay for being able to prepare this in advance. This recipe is always a hit with everyone.

Three-Cheese Macaroni
Source: Adapted from "Great Meals in Under 30 Minutes" recipe cards

Ingredients
8 ounces elbow macaroni
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
2 cups milk
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, divided
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, divided
1/2 cup swiss cheese, divided
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs - optional
2 tablespoons butter - optional
6 slices bacon, cooked and diced- optional

Directions
1. Cook macaroni using package directions.
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
3. Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and salt and stir until mixture is smooth. Stir in dry mustard. Add milk gradually, stirring continually.
4. Cook over low heat, stirring continually, until thickened, about 5 minutes.
5. Stir in 1/4 cup each cheddar, mozzarella and swiss. Mix cheese sauce, macaroni, and bacon in a large bowl. Spoon into a 9x7 inch baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining cheddar, mozzarella and swiss.
6. If desired, melt remaining butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Combine breadcrumbs and melted butter; mix well. Sprinkle on top of cheese.
7. Bake until hot and bubbly, about 15 minutes.

Cold Veggie Pizza

2008-12-29T08:35:00.001-05:00

Vegetable pizza is a quick and easy appetizer that everyone always seems to enjoy. I took this dish with me to Christmas with my family and they gobbled it up. The great thing about this recipe is that it can be changed up with whatever vegetables you are in the mood for or happen to have in your fridge. I typically just use broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots though.

Everything can be prepped in advance with this recipe, bake the crust the day before, make the cream cheese topping and chop all the vegetables, but it is best assembled the day you are planning to eat it.

Cold Vegetable Pizza
Source: Amber's Delectable Delights

Ingredients
2 (8 oz) packages crescent recipe creations
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon dill weed
1 tablespoon dry ranch seasoning
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 cups vegetables, cut into bite size pieces
1 cup shredded cheese

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Unroll crescent dough sheets onto a large non-sick baking pan to completely cover the pan. Press the your fingers over the dough to seal the seems. Bake 12-15 minutes, or until the top is lightly browned. Set aside to cool.
2. Mix together the cream cheese, mayonnaise, garlic, dill, ranch and black pepper. Set aside.
3. Once the crust is completely cooled, evenly spread the cream cheese mixture over it. Cut the crust into squares and then top with the vegetables and cheese of your choice. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Holiday Goodie Bags

2008-12-18T11:07:00.009-05:00

Did you happen to recieve a goodie bag full of treats and are looking for the recipes? Well you have come to the right place. Thank you for stopping by. Here is a list to help you navigate to all of the recipes of the goodies that were included in your bag.

Chocolate-Cherry Pinwheels - I made 3 batches of these festive adorable cookies
Coconut Fudge Cups - I tackled 6 batches of these fudgetastic little bites.
Cranberry Crunch Bark - 8 batches of this festive bark was quick and easy.
Oreo Truffles - 3 batches of these was a little time consuming but totally worth it.
Peanut Butter Blossoms - 3 batches of peanut butter goodness. A classic holiday treat.
Saltine Toffee - After a run to the store for more saltines I whipped up 6 batches of this quick and delicious treat.

I hope you all enjoy your goodie bags and I wish you all a very Merry Christmas.

Chocolate-Cherry Pinwheels

2008-12-17T16:00:00.010-05:00

These pinwheels are a new cookie for me to make this year. I thought that they looked adorable and loved that two different flavor combinations were combined together into one great cookie. Cherry vanilla and chocolate, hello delicious. I am also submitting these cookies to the Eat Christmas Cookies round up hosted by Susan at Food Blogga. You can see all the delicious, continuously updated entries here.

Unlike most cookies there is a lot of resting time in the refrigerator for these pinwheels so it is best to plan in advance if you want to make them. Do not let that discourage you though, they are definitely worth the wait. The flavors combine together and make a soft and delicious cookie that just so happens to be perfect and festive for the Christmas season.

Chocolate-Cherry Pinwheels
Source: Betty Crocker

Ingredients
3/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract
1/4 cup maraschino cherries, finely chopped and drained on paper towels
3 drops red food color
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon milk
1/4 cup unsweetened baking cocoa

Directions
1. In large bowl, beat butter, sugar and eggs with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Beat in flour, baking powder and salt until well blended. Place half of dough in another medium bowl.
2. Beat almond extract, cherries and food color into half of dough. Divide cherry dough in half. Wrap each half of cherry dough in plastic wrap; refrigerate about 45 minutes or until firm.
3. Beat vanilla, milk and cocoa into remaining plain dough. Divide chocolate dough in half. Wrap each half of chocolate dough in plastic wrap; refrigerate about 45 minutes or until firm.
4. Place one part of chocolate dough between 2 sheets of waxed paper; roll into 10x7-inch rectangle. Repeat with one part of cherry dough. Refrigerate both about 30 minutes or until firm. Peel top sheets of waxed paper from both doughs. Turn cherry dough upside down onto chocolate dough; roll up doughs together, starting at long side, into a log. Wrap in plastic wrap; refrigerate 2 hours. Repeat with remaining parts of dough.
5. Heat oven to 350°F. Cut rolls of dough into 1/4-inch slices with sharp knife. On ungreased cookie sheet, place slices 1 inch apart.
6. Bake 8 to 11 minutes or surface appears dull. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack.

Time Saving Tips
- Cookie dough rolls can be wrapped and refrigerated for up to 24 hours before baking. To freeze cookie dough rolls, wrap in foil or freezer proof wrap. To thaw, let dough stand 15 to 30 minutes until easy to cut into slices.
- If you are making more than one batch of these cookies save yourself the hassle of dividing the batter and make your first complete batch cherry flavored and the second chocolate flavored.

Oreo Truffles

2008-12-17T14:20:00.000-05:00

If you hang out in the parts of the Internet that I do I am sure you are sick and tired of hearing about these Oreo truffles. Those of you who are random readers of my blog, you might actually appreciate this post. I can't remember if it was last year or the year before that I made these but they were a huge hit with everyone. I decided to give them another go this year, but I changed up the recipe so they did not have to be stored in the refrigerator.

These truffles are very easy to make but can often be time consuming when it comes to rolling the balls and dipping them into chocolate - especially when you are making three batches like I did. If you are making more than one batch of these I would suggest only mixing up the cookie/cream cheese (milk) mixture one batch at a time. If the mixture sits for two long it starts to dry out and is very crumbly and hard to roll into balls.

Oreo truffles are always a hit with everyone, especially my husband the Oreo lover. I have to try to keep him away from them or he will eat them all and they will not end up making it to their recipients. This recipe seems like it is quickly becoming a holiday classic, it's like an epidemic. Don't be scared though, it's a great epidemic to be a part of.

Oreo Truffles
Adapted from : Kraft Foods

Ingredients
1 pkg. (1 lb. 2 oz.) Oreo cookies, finely crushed
1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened *(see variation below)
2 pkg. (8 squares each) semi-sweet chocolate or 1 pound almond bark, melted

Directions
1. Mix cookie crumbs and the cream cheese until well blended. Shape into ~50 (1-inch) balls.
2. Dip balls in melted chocolate; place on waxed paper-covered baking sheet. (Any leftover melted chocolate can be stored in tightly covered container at room temperature and saved for another use.)
3. Refrigerate 1 hour or until firm. Store any leftover truffles in tightly covered container in refrigerator.

*Variation - For truffles that do not need to be refrigerated use 1 can of sweetened condensed milk instead of the cream cheese.

Saltine Toffee

2008-12-17T13:00:00.000-05:00

I came across this recipe sometime this past year and saved it, thinking that would be a great holiday treat to pass out. I mean who doesn't love toffee, it is so melt in your mouth smooth and buttery, and delicious too. This is a nice and quick alternative to the traditional English toffee that I enjoy so much.

Just like making the real thing, this mock toffee can be tricky to make. It needs to be cooked just perfectly to yield the right caramelized taste without being a sugary mess. The crackers add the perfect crunch for those people that love eating crunchy things (such as myself). :) This recipe is easy and delicious. Perfect for the busy holiday seasons.

Saltine Toffee
Source: Joelen's Culinary Adventures

Ingredients
1 stick butter
1/2 cup light or dark brown sugar
saltines - enough to line your baking sheet
1-2 cups semi chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped nuts

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400. Line your baking sheet with foil.
2. Neatly place saltines on the foil lined baking sheet.
3. In a sauce pan, melt butter and add brown sugar. Allow butter and sugar to caramelize and boil for 2-3 minutes. Pour mixture over the saltines and spread it around to cover evenly.
4. Bake saltines in the preheated oven for 5 minutes.
5. Remove the pan from the oven and sprinkle chocolate chips over the saltines. Allow it to rest for 2 minutes - enough for chocolate chips to melt. Using a rubber spatula or spreader, spread the melted chocolate over the saltines to evenly coat. Sprinkle the top with chopped nuts. Refrigerate to harden the chocolate. Break into random pieces.

Cranberry Crunch Bark

2008-12-17T12:00:00.000-05:00

There are so many different variations on the traditional "bark" recipes that it is always hard to decide which to make, but this one stood out to me. First of all, it has white chocolate, and I love white chocolate. Secondly, it has a great mixture of goodies inside that seem perfect for the holiday season. There are sweet and chewy cranberries, puffy crisp cereal bits, and salty crunchy nuts. Those ingredients paired with white chocolate sounded like a match made in heaven.

This has got to be the easiest thing in the world to make. All you have to do is melt the chocolate, mix in the ingredients and spread it onto a baking sheet and let it cool. Pretty much effortless, but totally delicious all at the same time. This bark is a great festive looking holiday treat that I think everyone would enjoy.

Cranberry Crunch Bark
Source: Joelen's Culinary Adventures

Ingredients
8 oz vanilla flavored almond bark or candy melts
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup crisp rice cereal
1/4 cup sliced almonds

Directions
1. Place almond bark or candy melts into a microwave proof bowl; microwave according to package directions until melted and smooth.
2. Add remaining ingredients and stir until fully coated. Spread mixture on parchment lined baking sheet.
3. Let stand at room temperature until set. Break into random pieces.

Perfectly Smashable Cake

2008-12-16T15:29:00.002-05:00

Remember the other day when I posted the red velvet cake and said it was for the first birthday of a little cutie pie? Well this cake accompanied the red velvet cake to the party. This is the chocolate cake that I made for the birthday boy's smash cake but also made 18 cupcakes out of. I think he enjoyed it, what do you think? See the green sugar dot earring, hilarious!

Anyway, this cake was a hit with the one year old and also with those that had the cupcakes. I won't lie, my cupcakes came out flat and the cake was a pain in the butt to frost but I think that's because I over mixed the batter because I was doing 1802198 things at once. Oopsie. Great basic chocolate cake recipe that I hope to try again soon.

Hersheys "Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Cake
Source: Hershey's

-Serves 10 to 12-

Ingredients

2 cups sugar
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water
"Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Frosting (recipe follows)

Directions
1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans.
2. Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans.
3. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. Frost with "Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Frosting.

Variations
ONE PAN CAKE: Grease and flour 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Heat oven to 350° F. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 35 to 40 minutes. Cool completely. Frost.
THREE LAYER CAKE: Grease and flour three 8-inch round baking pans. Heat oven to 350°F. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake 30 to 35 minutes. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. Frost.
BUNDT CAKE: Grease and flour 12-cup Bundt pan. Heat oven to 350°F. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 50 to 55 minutes. Cool 15 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack. Cool completely. Frost.
CUPCAKES: Line muffin cups (2-1/2 inches in diameter) with paper bake cups. Heat oven to 350°F. Fill cups 2/3 full with batter. Bake 22 to 25 minutes. Cool completely. Frost. About 30 cupcakes.

"Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Frosting
Source: Hershey's

Ingredients
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine
2/3 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
3 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions
Melt butter. Stir in cocoa. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency. Add small amount additional milk, if needed. Stir in vanilla. About 2 cups frosting. (I like to whip the frosting in the mixer to give it a more fluffy look and taste.)

Red Velvet Cake

2008-12-15T20:00:00.002-05:00

Today is my friend Annie's sons first Birthday. She asked me if I would mind making the cake(s) for his birthday party and of course I could not say no. Annie knew she wanted a chocolate cake for her son but she also thought that a red velvet cake sounded good. Of course I was up for that challenge since I had never made or even ate a red velvet cake before. I asked around on my favorite cooking board and Annie recommended the one she had made for her brother's high school graduation. I went ahead and used that recipe and it turned out excellent.

This cake came together very quickly and was pretty easy to work with and frost. Everyone at the party loved the cake and some even went back for seconds. This is definitely a cake that I will make again if I am ever feeling the urge for a fun red cake. The cream cheese frosting went perfectly with the flavor of this cake.

Red Velvet Cake
Source: Annie's Eats

-Serves 12 to 14 -

Ingredients
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
1 tsp white vinegar
2 1/2 cups cake flour
1 tsp baking soda
3 tbsp cocoa powder
1 cup buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla
5/8 ounce bottle red food coloring

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350F. Line the bottom of two 9-inch round cake pans with parchment paper. Cream the eggs, sugar, oil and vinegar. Sift the cake flour, baking soda, and cocoa together. Add the flour mixture to the creamed ingredients while beating. Slowly add the buttermilk. While still beating, add the vanilla and the food coloring. Pour into prepared cake pans and bake for about 25 minutes. Press lightly; if the layers are spongy, then the cake is done. Frost the cooled layers, assemble and frost the top and sides.

Cream Cheese Frosting
Adapted from: Cook's Illustrated

Ingredients
12 ounces cream cheese , softened but still cool
7 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter softened, but still cool
2 tablespoon sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

Directions
Mix cream cheese, butter, sour cream, and vanilla at medium high speed in clean bowl of standing mixer fitted with whisk attachment ( or in large bowl using handheld mixer) until well combined, about 30 seconds, scraping down bowl with rubber spatula as needed. Add confectioners’ sugar and mix until very fluffy, about 1 minute.