Sweet Beer Bread

this is the easiest, tastiest, bestest bread you can make. i mean, super simple and oh, so good!


Sweet Beer Bread

3 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons table salt
12 ounces beer

1/4 cup melted butter or margarine

Heat the oven to 350º
Coat non-stick loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray.

In a large bowl, mix the dry ingredients.

Pour in the beer and stir until the dry ingredients are moistened. (i used Sam Adams Winter Ale- you can use whatever beer you want!)

The dough will be sticky. Press the dough into the loaf pan. Bake for 40-45 minutes.
Pour melted butter over the top of the loaf, then bake for another 10 minutes. Allow to cool 10 minutes, then turn out onto a plate.

i won't lie to you- you will cut into this bread & probably eat it all...by yourself. it's terrible.

cut a nice thick piece, slather it with butter & go to town. omg. bad bad bad.

p.s. you can do alot with this bread. throw in some garlic, sage- etc and bam- herbed beer bread. or mix it up with some numeg, cinnamon- and bam, sweeter beer bread. mix up the beers for different flavors- the opportunities are endless!

Basil-Ricotta stuffed Chicken Breast

this picture is courtesy of google (ie: NOT MINE) - my husband ate the chicken before i had a chance to get a good picture.


Basil-Ricotta stuffed Chicken Breast
Ingredients
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
¼ pound basil pesto
½ pound ricotta
1 cup panko
Juice of 1 lemon
¼ cup flour
1 tablespoon poultry seasoning
Sea salt and cracked pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil

Preparation
To Prepare:
Preheat oven to 350°

Combine flour and seasonings. Separately mix pesto, ricotta, panko and lemon juice; set aside.
Lay one breast on a clean cutting board. Use a paring knife inserting it gently into the thickest tip of the breast. Make a horizontal incision in the breast, be careful to not cut through to the sides. Use your fingers to deepen the cavity made by the incision. Repeat process with remaining breasts.

Fill a pastry or Ziploc-style bag with basil-ricotta mixture. Trim tip of bag then insert it into the the cut side of the chicken breasts squeezing in an even amount of filling into each. Dredge stuffed breasts in flour mixture, evenly coating each side.

Heat olive oil in a 12-inch oven-safe skillet over medium. Lay each breast top side down in the oil, brown for approximately 3 to 5 minutes. Gently turn chicken over then place skillet on middle rack of oven and bake an additional 20 minutes.


these came out AWESOME! i couldn't eat them (thanks to ny lovely child's dairly allergies) but i had one small bite & i was pleased!
i served it with angel hair & pesto- nom nom!




and see- this is the only shot of the chicken i could get. the husband is fast- like a fox.

God Bless!

Chocolate-Marshmallow Pillows

Chocolate Marshmallow Pillow Cookies

Cookies:
1 pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker® double chocolate chunk cookie mix (i used regular choc chip cookie mix)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons water
1 egg
2/3 cup chopped pecans (i left these out)
12 large marshmallows, cut in half

Frosting:
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (6 oz)
1/3 cup whipping cream
1 teaspoon butter or margarine
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1. Heat oven to 350°. In large bowl, stir cookie mix, oil, water, egg and pecans until soft dough forms.
2. On ungreased cookie sheets, drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart.
3. Bake 7 minutes. Remove from oven; immediately press marshmallow half lightly, cut side down, on top of cookie. Bake 1 to 2 minutes longer or just until marshmallows begin to soften. Cool 2 minutes; remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks. Cool completely, about 15 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, in 1-quart nonstick saucepan, melt chocolate chips over low heat, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat. Add whipping cream, butter and vanilla; blend well. Stir in powdered sugar until smooth.
5. Spread frosting over each cooled cookie, covering marshmallow. Let stand until frosting is set.

Tres Leches Cake

today is the husban'd 30th b-day so i wanted to make something specia.
well- here it is. this cake is insanely good- and surprisingly simple to make- more props to the Pioneer Woman for this one:


Tres Leches Cake

Ingredients
1 cup All-purpose Flour
1-½ teaspoon Baking Powder
¼ teaspoons Salt
5 whole Eggs
1 cup Sugar
1 teaspoon Vanilla
⅓ cups Milk
1 can Evaporated Milk
1 can Sweetened, Condensed Milk
1/2 cup Heavy Cream
1 pint Heavy Cream, For Whipping
3 Tablespoons Sugar

Preparation Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 9 x 13 inch pan liberally until coated.
Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.

Separate eggs. Beat egg yolks with 3/4 cup sugar on high speed until yolks are pale yellow. Stir in milk and vanilla. Pour egg yolk mixture over flour mixture and stir very gently until combined. Beat egg whites on high speed until soft peaks form. With mixer on, pour in 1/4 cup sugar and beat until egg whites are stiff but not dry.
Fold egg white mixture into other mixture very gently until just combined.


Pour into prepared pan and spread to even out surface. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Turn cake out onto a rimmed platter (i didn't have one but my cake holder worked just fine) and allow to cool.

Combine condensed milk, evaporated milk, and 1/2 cup heavy cream in a small pitcher.


When cake is cool, pierce the surface with a fork several times. Slowly drizzle all but about 1 cup of the milk mixture—try to get as much around the edges of the cake as you can. Allow the cake to absorb the milk mixture for 30 minutes. Whip 1 pint heavy cream with 3 tablespoons of sugar until thick and spreadable. Spread over the surface of the cake.


Sprinkle the cake with cinnamon (she used cherries but we're not big on those in this house)



Cut into squares and serve.

aaaand try not to eat it all- seriously, so freaking good! moist, sweet, spongy,milky- aaaaah!

God Bless

Chocolate Covered Frozen Banana Bites

i love chocolate & i love bananas- so yeah.

You Need:

Bananas ( i used 5 & got 51 "chunks")

Toothpicks

4 cups semi sweet choc chips (melted in a double boiler)

toppings- i used oreos, toasted hazelnuts, Andes baking bits, mini choc chips & melted peanut butter (just throw some in a bowl & in the micro for about 20 seconds)

slice the banana into 2/4-1 inch slices. place them on a wax paper lined cookie sheet & freeze for at least 1 hour.

once frozen you can get to work.

melt the chocolate in a double boiler (or the micro)

have your toppings of choice ready for dipping/rolling

working quickly- dip the frozen bananas into the chocolate (one at a time) & then roll/dip in you topping (or drizzle like in the case of the peanut buter)

place them back on the cookie sheet & pull out the toothpick.

place the bananas back in the freezer for at least 3 hours

remove about 20 min before eating (if you want them a little softer) and enjoy!

God Bless!

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Aunt Mary’s Banana-Chocolate Chip Bread (allrecipes)

1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2-3 bananas, mashed
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 teaspoon of cinnamon*
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg*
1/2 teaspoon allspice*
2 tablespoons raw sugar*

In a mixing bowl, cream sugar and butter. Beat in eggs, vanilla, spices and bananas until thoroughly blended.
Sift together flour, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture and stir just until combined. Fold in chocolate chips.
Spoon into a greased 9-in.x 5-in. x 3-in. loaf pan (my loaf dishes are slightly smaller- but they still work) Sprinkle the tops with the raw sugar & bake at 350 for 60-70 minutes or until the bread tests done with a toothpick. Cool in pan for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

*i added these spices- i like my bread to have some spice.

i also did 2 batches- 1 with choc chips & 1 without.

Enjoy & God Bless.