Bless This Food

Garlic Parmesan Pull-Apart Bread

2012-02-05T16:40:00.003-05:00

This past Sunday was the Superbowl. If you didn't know that then you either live in a different country or you're one of the crazy people who don't want cable tv.
Yeah I said it- crazy.
The thought of giving up cable frankly makes me a bit stabby. And twitchy. And I don't want to think about it anymore.

Let's focus on this carb fest instead. Doughy & yeasty & salty & cheesy. Insanely good. Even better the next day so much better that I ate a lot more than any 1 person should. I felt rathy guilty but I just couldn't stop.

Garlic Parmesan Pull-Apart Bread (adapted from pastry affair)
You Need:
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 1/3 cups barely warm water
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons salt (kosher)
3 1/2 cups all purpose (or bread) flour
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 tablespoon dried basil flakes
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (or the stuff in the can)

Directions: In a large mixing bowl, stir together the yeast and water. Let sit 5 minutes until yeast is foamy. Mix in the olive oil, salt, and flour. If you have a stand mixer, attach the dough hook and knead the dough for 5-6 minutes, or until elastic. If you are doing this by hand, knead the dough on a lightly floured surface until dough is elastic, 7-10 minutes. Transfer dough to a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a clean kitchen towel. Allow to rise for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until dough is doubled in size. (i let mine rise for 2+ hours)

In a small bowl, combine melted butter, basil flakes, and minced garlic. Set aside.

Punch down the dough. Tear off small pieces of dough (roughly the size of a gumball) coat in the butter mixture, and place in the bottom of a bundt pan. Repeat this process until you have one layer of dough balls. Sprinkle on 1/3 of the Parmesan cheese. Continue layering the dough balls and cheese until you have 3 layers.

Cover the pan with a clean towel and allow to sit until dough has doubled in size, 20-30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350°
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until bread is golden brown. Serve hot with a side of marinara or tomato sauce.
The original recipe called for dried parsley- but I used basil instead. I also used kosher salt.
This was good dipped in tomato sauce- but I actually preferred it without dipping.
I think dipping it in flavored olive oil would be ever better.

Obviously the dough was made from scratch- but in a pinch you could definately sub in some Pillsbury canned dough or even thawed bread dough.

Jacques Torres's Secret Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

2012-02-05T15:33:00.009-05:00

According to the NY Times, Martha Stewart (& Pinterest), these are the best Chocolate Chip Cookies. Ever. The end.
Well snap- that's a pretty big claim. A claim that I couldn't just accept without trying myself, of course. So I made sure to grab some $$$ bittersweet chocolate & bread flour on my last grocery run.
Then I tested my own patience by actually letting the dough sit in my fridge for at least 24 hours before baking.
Yes, it was torturous. All that dough....in my fridge...want cookies now...eat an apple? Damn.

But my need to follow the direction prevailed & 26 hours later (see, i even tacked on an extra 2 for good measure) i started scooping out dough.

The verdict? Well, I'll give my 2 cents at the end.

Jacques Torres's Secret Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
You Need:
1 pound unsalted butter
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
2 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar
4 large eggs
3 cups plus 2 tablespoons pastry flour
3 cups bread flour
1 tablespoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 pounds bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (I used Ghirardelli)
sea salt or fleur de sel(optional)

Directions: Preheat oven to 350°. Line baking sheets with Siplat or parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, sift together the flours, salt, baking powder & baking soda. Whisk together & set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and both sugars until light & fluffy- about 5 minutes. Reduce to medium speed & add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Reduce speed to low & add the vanilla. Then slowly add the flour mixture & mix until just combined.
Then add the chocolate & mix until well combined.
Cover your dough with plastic wrap.

Refrigerate for at least 24 hours. 36 is better, 72 is fabulous. You get the idea.

The next day:

Using a large scoop for larger cookies or a small scoop for smaller cookies (i used a small scoop. 1 oz or so), scoop cookie dough onto prepared baking sheets, about 2 inches apart.
Bake until lightly browned, but still soft, about 15-20 min for larger cookies and about 12-15 minutes for smaller cookies (my small cookies cooked in about 12 minutes).

As soon as you pull the cookies out, sprinkle with sea salt or fleur de sel (optional)

Cool slightly on baking sheets before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Or eat them warm- because everyone knows that's the natural way.

My verdict:
- These were good. really good. the chopped bittersweet chocolate makes a nice melted ribbon throughout the entire cookie. The flavor is incredible & the sea salt sprinkle adds that dash of salty & sweet.
The texture was perfect. Crispy & chewy. They were amazing warm & just as good at room temp.
I do see what everyone is raving about.

BUT- I really don't think they're the best chocolate chip cookies ever. Not even close actually. Mrs. Fields & Toll House still hold my heart. or mouth. whatever. And I actually prefer a much softer & chewy cookie- so my Flat & Chewy Cookies are still my go to recipe.

Will I make these again? Probably- when I have time & patience & I want to get a little fancy. But like I said, waiting to bake cookies? Pure torture.

Lofthouse Style Frosted Cookies

2012-02-05T15:33:00.004-05:00

Once again Pinterest has given me an excuse to eat a ridiculous amount of sugar.
I don't think I've ever met anyone who doesn't like Lofthouse cookies. They melt in your mouth for crying out loud- it's like some sort of black magic. I don't want to like them- because hello, homemade stuff is best right? But screw it- those things are addicting.

So, thanks to a cookie exchange i participated in, i decided to try my hand at some homemade Lofthouse cookies.
They were a little bit of work- but so worth it. Soft & sweet & covered with sprinkles. That description alone should have you searching your pantry for what you'll need to make these.

Lofthouse Style Frosted Cookies (adapted from sweet peas kitchen)
You Need:
Cookies
6 cups of flour, divided
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups granulated sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups sour cream

Frosting
1 cup butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 cups powdered sugar
6 tblsp whipping cream
food coloring (i used gel)
sprinkles

Directions: In a medium bowl sift together 5 cups of flour, baking soda & baking powder; set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer with the flat beater attached, cream the butter & sugar until light & fluffy (3-5 minutes) scraping down the sides as needed. Add the eggs one at a time beating till each is fully incorporated. Add the vanilla & sour cream & beat at low speed until combined.
Add the dry ingredients & beat at a low speed until just combined. scrap down the bowl as needed. The dough needs to be the right consistancy for rolling, so add 1/4 cup of the remaining flour at a time until you reach the desired consistancy (up to 1 full cup of flour. i used a full cup.)
Divide the dough into two sections & flatten into rectangles about 1 1/2 in thick. Wrap in plastic wrap & chill in the fridge overnight.

Pre heat the oven to 425°. Line 2 baking sheets with Silpat (or parchment paper).
Generoualy (& i mean generously) flour your work area & rolling pin. Roll out one of the logs of dough to 1/4 in thickness. Using a 2 1/2 in cookie cutter, cut out circles & transfer to the cookie sheets. Bake 7-8 minutes until pale but golden. Immediately transfer the cookies to a rack & allow to cool.
Repeat the above until all of your dough is used up.

Once your cookies have cooled completely, make the frosting.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the flat beater cream together the butter & vanilla. Slowly beat in the powdered sugar, alternating with the whipping cream, until smooth & creamy & your desired spreading consistancy has been achieved. Then add a few drops of food coloring (if desired).
Now get frosting. I layed out all my cookies on the counter & started frosting with a small curved spatula. I'd frost a couple & then add the sprinkles (before the frosting hardened up)- then I'd keep going. On & on. Once you finish allow the frosting to set & store the cookies i an air tight container. Try & let your cookies sit for a few hours to let all the flavor meld

Yields: around 4 1/2 dozen. give or take.

Like i said, these were so worth the effort. They were delish & I ate way more than I care to admit. They also shipped well, i wrapped each set cookie in plastic wrap & put them in a container.

You can switch these up & server for Valentines day or Christmas or whatever. They're also great for gifts (because who wouldn't want cookies? who?!)

Queso Blanco Dip (White Cheese Dip)

2012-01-22T20:28:00.010-05:00

this stuff is toddler approved. that's all i really need to say, isn't it?

Queso Blanco Dip (White Cheese Dip) adapted from Pennies on a Platter
You Need:
1 1/4 block of American Cheese (cut into 1 inch cubes)
1/4 cup diced green chiles
2 jalepenos chopped (i used canned)
1 ounce jalepeno juice (i used the canned juice)
2/3 cup whole milk
1/2 cup water
pinch of cumin (optional)

Directions: Toss all the ingredients into a large microwave safe bowl.

Microwave on high for 5 minutes, stopping to stir after every minute.

The mixture will seem pretty watery at first- but keep at it- it'll come together beautifully as it all melts.
you may have to microwave it a bit longer- mine took 7 minutes total.

Server pronto as a dip with tortilla chips or even as a sauce on some Mexican food.

*Things to note:
- buy the block of cheese at your local Deli counter. go for the good stuff- Land O Lakes is best
- store leftovers in the fridge. re-heat in the microwave stirring every 30 seconds or so until hot

*PPS: i had about 1 cup worth leftover & i used it 2 days later by adding it to my normal macaroni & cheese recipe. i tossed it right in after making the rue & adding the milk. omg. amazing. there's just something about American Cheese.

Homemade Crunchwrap Supreme

2012-01-22T16:00:00.002-05:00

if anyone tells you they don't like Taco Bell's Crunchwrap Supremes then they're lying to you. it's as simple as that- because those things are like crack.

now i like them. a lot. but the husband loves them. a lot lot. in fact, i think he considers himself a connoisseur of Crunchwrap Supremes.

anyway- since i can't justify going to Taco Bell ever, because i'm not an overworked & underpaid college student, i have to settle for my own creation.

and damn it's good. so good.

Homemade Crunchwrap Supreme (adapted from Full Bellies)

You Need:

large flour tortillas (burrito style)

1 lb ground beef (i use 93% because then i don't need to drain it)

1 package taco seasoning

bite size tortilla chips

sour cream

jarred queso style cheese

shredded cheese

shredded lettuce

diced tomatoes

Directions: Brown your ground beef & add the taco seasoning (according to package directions)

Microwave (1 @ a time because they tend to cool off pretty quickly) the flour for tortillas for about 10 seconds.

Working quickly- spread a dollop of sour cream in the center of the tortilla.

Top with a good amount of ground beef (i got 4 crunchwraps out of 1 lb)

Then add some shredded cheese

Next, layer on the tortilla chips (i used 6 or 7 bite sized rounds)

Plop on some queso style cheese sauce (i heated up in the microwave for a few seconds)

Toss on some diced tomatoes & shredded lettuce

Now get your pan ready- put a little butter in a large frying pan & turn on medium/low heat. Once it starts meting it's time to start wrapping your crunchwrap...

It's hard to explain how to wrap it, but you basically want it to look like the above picture. Basically, start at the bottom & work your way around.

You'll have an open spot on top- that's ok.

Now you want to gently place it folded side down in the pan:

let it cook for a few minutes (like 3 or so) until it's browned (don't give in to the temptation to flip it early because it'll fall apart...believe me, i know) & then flip it over:

cook for another 2-3 minutes & then slide it onto a plate:

give yourself a pat on the back or make sure no one's looking & do a wicked roundhouse kick. because you're about to put Taco Bell out of business.

ok, not really. because Taco Bell still has Chalupas- oh man, Chalupas.

Beer Bread

2012-01-22T15:00:00.000-05:00

just a friendly reminder that Beer Bread is always a winner.

i whipped up a batch today (using the normal beer bread base) with some Shipyard Applehead beer + 1 tsp Apple Pie Spice. I also tossed 2 Apple Pie Spice shakes into the butter before i poured it over the bread.

...there may only be 1/2 loaf left. shameful.

Peanut Butter Hot Chocolate

2012-01-22T13:59:00.000-05:00

this stuff is crazy rich- akin to drinking a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup.

yes- i just said drinking a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup. doesn't that sound amazing?

let me assure you- it is.

Peanut Butter Hot Chocolate (adapted from babble blog)

You Need:

1 1/4 cup whole milk

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 1/4 cup 1/2 & 1/2

2/3 cup peanut butter

whipped cream or marshmallows for serving

Directions: In a medium saucepan warm the milk & vanilla until hot (not boiling)- Whisk in the cocoa & sugar & stir until sugar is dissolved. Whisk in the cream & peanut butter & then allow the mixture to simmer for 4 min or so, whisking constantly.

Ladle into mugs, top with whipped cream or marshmallows & enjoy!

Cheesy Mashed Potato Crescent Pockets

2012-01-22T13:57:00.000-05:00

this was a result of an excess of leftover mashed potatoes, a few too many rolls of crescent dough & lots of cheese. i was also tired & lazy...but hungry. tragic.

thankfully these turned out- in fact, they turned out wicked & i've been patting my back ever since.

Cheesy Mashed Potato Crescent Pockets

You Need:

1 roll of crescent rolls (i used the big & flaky ones)

1 heavy cup of leftover mashed potatoes (mine were already buttered & seasoned)

2 slices of American cheese

1 1/2 cups shredded cheese (i used Monterey jack)

3/4 container Tomato & Basil Cooking Creme

smoked paprika, salt & pepper

Directions: Pre heat the oven to 375. Spray a casserole dish with cooking spray.

Mix together the mashed potatoes & 3/4 cup shredded cheese.

Unroll the can of crescent rolls & split into 4 large rectangles (pinch seams together)

Evenly spoon the potato/cheese mix between the 4 rectangles & season with the spoked paprika, salt & pepper. Then top each with 1/2 slice of American cheese.

Roll & pinch the dough to form a fat little packet & place the 4 packets in the baking dish.

Spread the Tomato & Basil Cooking Creme over the top of each packet.

Then sprinkle with the remaining shredded cheese.

bake (un covered) in the oven for 25-30 min.

remove & let sit for about 3 min or so (just to let it set)

Then dish out & enjoy.

Seriously you guys- these things are fabulous. Cheesy & creamy & doughy.

You can also change them up by making your own cooking creme or using different flavors.

You can also stuff them with some meat or vegetables- there's a reason i always keep crescent rolls on hand!

Smore's Brownies

2012-01-22T13:53:00.000-05:00

i'll be honest- these were only ok. i was expecting to be wowed because, hello? smore's brownies? duh. but alas- i think smore's are best left for summer.

but i'm still going to post this because minus the marshmallows- these were tasty. so maybe next time i'll just nix the marshmallows.

Smore's Brownies (via Food Network)*

You Need:

Crust:

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 cups crushed graham cracker crumbs
2 tablespoons sugar
Pinch fine salt

Brownie:

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 cup packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
4 large cold eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour

Topping:

4 cups large marshmallows ( i used those jumbo marshmallows & cut them in 3rds)

Directions: Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and heat oven to 325 degrees F. Line an 8 by-8-inch square baking pan with foil so it hangs over the edges by about 1 inch.

For the crust: Lightly butter the foil with some of the melted butter. Stir the rest of the butter together with the crumbs, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl. Press the crumb mixture evenly over the bottom of the pan. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the brownie. Put the butter and chocolate in a medium microwave safe bowl. Melt in the microwave on 75 percent power for 2 minutes. Stir, and microwave again until completely melted, about 2 minutes more. Alternatively, put the butter and chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Bring a saucepan filled with 1 inch or so of water to a very slow simmer; set the bowl on the pan without touching the water. Stir occasionally until melted. Stir the light brown and white sugars, vanilla and salt into the melted chocolate. Add the eggs and beat vigorously to make a thick and glossy batter. Add the flour and stir until just incorporated.

Pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake until the top is crispy and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out mostly clean, with a few crumbs, about 40 to 45 minutes.

Remove from the oven and carefully position a rack about 6 inches from the broiler and preheat on low. Layer marshmallows across the top and toast under the broiler until golden, (keep an eye on it, it can go quick), about 2 minutes. Cool on a rack, gently removing the brownies from the pan using the aluminum flaps. Carefully separate any marshmallow from the foil and fold away. Cut into 12 (2-inch) squares.

* my changes

i used jumbo marshmallows & cut them in 3rds.

i cut the brownies when they were still pretty warm- i made sure to rinse the blade with warm

water between each cut

like i said- if i made these again i'd probably nix the marshmallows- or use fluff instead...yeah. fluff.

Homemade Vanilla Extract

2012-01-22T13:51:00.000-05:00

so obviously i bake a lot. hence- i use a lot of vanilla extract. vanilla extract is expensive. i'm not rich...(i didn't mary for money)

sooo, making my own is only smart, plus, it makes a killer Christmas gift.

Vanilla Extract

You Need:

glass bottles (i got mine from the container store)

Vodka

get thee some good quality vanilla beans (i ordered mine from Amazon)

cut each bean in 1/2 & split down the middle

put in 3 1/2 beans per bottle (i used 5, 8oz bottles)

top off with Vodka, pop in the topper & store in a cool, dark place.

give each bottle a shake about 1x per week.

let it be for 3 months.

then start baking.

7up Biscuits

2012-01-22T13:49:00.000-05:00

quick. easy. insanely delish.

7up Biscuits

You Need:

2 cups Bisquick

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup 7up

1/4 cup melted butter

Directions: Pre heat oven to 450. Pour the butter into the bottom of an 8x8 baking dish.

Mix together the Bisquick & sour cream. Then add the 7up- though dough will be pretty sticky.

Sprinkle addtl Bisquick onto the counter & pat out the dough to 1 inch thickness.

Use the bottom of a glass (or a biscuit cutter) to cut out the biscuits. Arrange the biscuits in the baking dish & bake for 8-10 minutes.

Serve with more butter. because Paula Dean says so.

Honey Glazed Baby Carrots

2011-12-18T20:41:00.001-05:00

I think I've made it pretty clear that we don't eat a lot of cooked veggies in our house. Sad but true. We do eat some- but most of the time we turn up our noses.
And one of the cooked veggies we abhore is carrots. Raw- awesome. Cooked- death. Yeah- it's that bad.
But then our kid's nanny was all like, "Hey, I fed your girls some honey glazed carrots today & they loved them!"
And I was all like, "Really? But...we hate cooked carrots."
Then I looked at my girls & though, "who ARE you?"

But then I got to thinking about how terrible my eyes are & how terrible the husband's eyes are...& decided that carrots are a good thing. And cooking them takes away 95% of the choking risk (seriously, if there is 1 think I ALWAYS choke on it's raw carrots) so maybe I should give it a shot.
So glazed carrots happened last night.
And guess what?
....I liked them. ::gasp::
I know- it sounds crazy but it's true. I was like- wow. Carrots with sugar = delish. And healthy- sort of. Right?
Regardless- I offered some to the girls & my eldest ate them without complaint. My 1 year old spit them out- but babies are finnicky creatures who are not to be trusted.

Honey Glazed Baby Carrots (via southern food)
You Need:
2 lbs of baby carrots
1 1/2 tsp salt
4 tblsp of butter
4 tlsp of honey
3 tblsp packed brown sugar
juice of 1/2 lemon
ground pepper & parsley (garnish)

Directions: Toss the carrots in a sauce pan, top with cold water & salt. Bring to a boil & cook for 15 minutes (or until tender). Drain & set aside.
Using the same saucepan (sans the carrots) melt the butter over medium heat & then stir inthe sugar & honey. Cook & stir untilt he sugar dissolves, then add the lemon juice & gently stir in the carrots. Continue to heat & gently stir the carrots until they're hot & glazed.
Serve with black pepper & parsley (if you want. i just used pepper)

You guys- so.good. And simple.
I made the husband try a piece (which he fought me so hard on) in the hopes that he'd agree & declare his love for glazed carrots...no dice.
He actually gagged. But he's dramatic like a lady so yeah. Whatever. His loss. More carrots for me & mine.

Chai Tea Concentrate

2011-12-18T20:40:00.000-05:00

I'm all about homemade Christmas gifts this year. Yes, it's rewarding to see someone enjoying something you made with your own 2 hands...but mainly it's because i'm a cheap Scrooge.

ba-humbug to you, Chase credit card people. stop wanting me to spend money.

ok- chai tea. it's awesome. 9 out of 10 people love it. & i'm pretty sure Starbucks charges a small fortune to buy a cup- so it's best (ie: cheaper) to make it yourself.

Chai Tea Concentrate (via from scratch club)
You Need
14 oz can of sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp sugar
3/4 tsp ground cardamom
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp nutmeg

Directions: Mix everything together in a glass jar. Cap it & you're done.
Crazy easy & people will marvel at your abilities.

Directions for use:
Add 2 heaping tsp (or more to taste) to a stong cup of coffe, hot cocoa, warm milk or a black tea, like Assam. Stir well & enjoy. Store in the fridge for up to 6 months.

I plan on gifting this with some Assam tea & a cute mug. End.

Poppy Chow Popcorn

2011-12-18T20:39:00.000-05:00

Poppy Chow Popcorn (yes, a clever play on the words "puppy chow" which is another delectable chex mix treat)
Popcorn, peanut butter & chocolate. As simple as that.
Well, technically there are some ther ingredients- but you know what i mean.

Poppy Chow Popcorn (via brown eyed baker)
You Need:
9 cups of popped popcorn
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Directions:
- Place your popcorn in a huge bowl (as always)
- In a microave safe bowl melt the chocolate chips, peanut butter & butter until melted & smooth. Stir in the vanilla.
- Pour the mixture over the popcorn & stir until everything is well coated.
- Sift the powdered sugar over the popcorn & stir until all of the pieces are well coated.
- Spread the mixture onto a cookie sheet (lined with wax paper) & place in the fridge for about 30 min (until chocolate is set)
- Break it up (if you need to) & eat it. You can store the rest in an airtight container.

This popcorn was good, but I think it's best to eat it the day you make it or within 1-2 days. After the 1st day the popcorn gets a bit soft. It's still delish- but not as crunchy as I'd like.

I did send some out as gifts along with the Cinnamon Bun Popcorn- but It doesn't hold up quite as well.

Cinnamon Bun Popcorn

2011-12-18T20:38:00.000-05:00

first off, no. i'm not trying a cool new way of taking pictures. i just happen to live in the northeast where it gets dark around 4pm. it's also cold. freezing in fact.

so i turn on the porch light, stand outside in sub zero temps & take pictures of food while my kids bang on the slider glass. sounds awesome, right?

hooray for winter.

ok- back to the popcorn.
this stuff is even better than the last batch i posted about.
addicting. i sent it out as chrsitmas gifts & i've already gotten back reports on people's innability to stop eating it. that's a win.

Cinnamon Bun Popcorn (adapted from our best bites)
You Need:
12 cups popped popcorn
1 cup roughly chopped pecans
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup Karo syrup (or honey)
1 stick of butter (1/2 cup)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla
3 squares of almond bark
sea salt

Directions: Preheat oven to 250. Line a baking sheet with foil.

Mix up the popcorn & pecans in a massive bowl massive i tell you) & set aside.
Combine the cinnamon & brown sugar in a large microwave safe bowl. Cut up the butter into squares & place on top of the sugar miture. Pour the Kar syrup over it all & pop it in the microwave for 30 seconds (just enough to soften up the butter)
Stir everything together & place it back in the microwave for 2 minutes.
Remove & stir. Then ut it back in for 2 more minutes.
When you take it out it should all bubbly looking. That's perfect.

Now you can stir in the vanilla & baking soda. Then pretend you're a scientist as you watch it get all foamy & awesome.
Now stir it into the popcorn at once & keep stirring until everything is coated nice & evenly.
Spread the popcorn on the baking sheet, sprinkle with sea salt (i sprinkled with a liberal amount. i like salt) & place it in the oven. Bake it for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.
After 30 minutes you can test it. Take a piece & let it cool a bit. Eat it. Is it crunchy & awesome? If so- done. If not, keep baking for another 5 minutes or so.

I think 30-35 minutes is perfect.

Once it's done- stir it one last time & spread it out onto wax paper. While it's cooling a bit, melt your Almond Bark according to the package directions. Then use a fork & drizzle it all over your popcorn mixture.

Now leave it alone- it'll harden up in a short while & then you can break it up into chunks & start inhaling it.

Incredible. & so perfect for gift giving. I wrapped it up in plastic candy bags & sent it throught he mail. I stored the rest in an airtight container...& then ate it the next day.
stupid popcorn.

Peppermint Cookies & Cream Popcorn

2011-12-10T20:44:00.000-05:00

let me start by letting you know that if you can't control yourself around salty sweet popcorn then you probably shouldn't make this.
because if you can't control yourself to begin with, then you're probably going to OD on this stuff. it's fan-freaking-tastic.

alright- i warned you.

Peppermint Cookies & Cream Popcorn (via plain chicken)
You Need:
8 cups of popped popcorn (you can use the microwave stuff, but i prefer to pop it on the stove)
1 (6oz) box of candy canes, crushed
1 package of Oreos, crushed (i used double stuffed)
1 1/2 packs of Almond Bark, vanilla
1 1/2 tsp peppermint extract

Directions: Pop your popcorn according to the directions & set aside in a massive bowl. Like a bowl WAY bigger than you think you'll need- because you will.
Crush the candy canes & the Oreos & mix with the popcorn.
Melt the almond bark according to the package directions & stir in the peppermint extract.
Pour the melted almond bark over your popcorn mixture & stir until everything is evenly coated. I used a nice stir/fold technique. I also used a spatula- worked better for me.
Then spread the popcorn out onto wax paper & allow it to harden.
Break it up & then get busy shoveling it into your mouth.

I'm telling you guys- seriously awesome. I made this & put it into cellaphane bags & passed them out as party favors at brynn's 1st birthday party. A hit- total win.

I'm also planning on making it & giving it as Christmas gifts (along with 2 other popcorn recipes that i'll share later this week)- cheap, easy & genius.

Whole Chicken in a Crock Pot with Potatoes

2011-12-06T20:23:00.000-05:00

rarely do i cook an entire chicken. mainly because i abhore taking it apart once the breast is gone. buuut- a whole cooked chicken is awesome. it smells so good & looks all fancy.

plus- they're pretty cheap. so every now & again i can't pass up buying one.
then i remember it's in my freezer & i'm all like, "crap. i should cook that. but it takes too long. & i'm lazy. waaa waaa waaa."

but then Pinterest was all like, "looky here. cook that whole chicken in your crock pot. TADA!"
and i was all like, "omg. duh."

i still have to take it apart- but at least the cooking part is a snap.

Whole Chicken in the Crock Pot (with Potatoes)
You Need:
1 whole chicken (3-5 lbs)
2 large potatoes
salt, pepper, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, rosemary (to taste)
1 bay leaf
1 lemon (or a heafty splash of lemon juice)
butter
olive oil
foil

Directions: Peel & cut your potatoes into large chunks. You're going to be putting them in a foil package in the bottom of the crockpot- so spread out a large piece of foil. Sprinkle with seasonings (use whatever you want- but i used salt, pepper & rosemary) & pile on the potatoes. Then toss in some chunks of butter (probably about 3 tblsp worth).
Wrap them up in the foil & place at the bottom of the crock pot. Push the foil pack down so it spreads out a bit & covers the bottom. More so flat than not.

Onto the chicken. Remove the inards, rinse your chicken & pat dry. Rub it down liberally with olive oil.
Note: this next step is optional. I like to do it because i think more flavor gets into the meat. if you don't want to- skip it & move on to the seasonings.
Then make pockets under the skin & smear 2-3 tblspn worth of butter under the skin & all over the chicken.

Mix up your seasonings (to taste) in a small bowl. Again, use whatever you want but i used salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika & rosemary. I mixed up enough to get around 2-3 tbspns worth- give or take.
Now get to work smearing those seasonings under the skin & all over your chicken.
Again, i put them under the skin & also on the skin. I rub them under the chicken, between the thighs & under the wings. I even toss a little inside for good measure.
Then halve the lemon & toss it inside the chicken along with the bay leaf (i didn't have a lemon- so i used a generous splash of lemon juice. You could also throw in onions or other veggies. Or even apples- your choice!)
Place the chicken on top of the foil packet, cover with your crock pot lid.

then cook on low for 7 hours (give or take).

When you take the lid off you'll have a perfect cooked, perfectly seasoned & perfectly moist chicken dinner.
Also the potatoes will be nice & soft & totally seasoned with the chicken juices.
Seriously- you'll be hard pressed not to start stuffing your mouth full of chicken right fromt he crock pot.

Now- if you're anything like me you only like chicken skin if it's crispy. So- if you want to crisp up that skin you can do what i did:

Pre-heat your oven to 425.
Line a baking dish with foil. Transfer the chicken to the baking dish (i used 2 spatulas) & empty the potatoes around the chicken.
Then pour the chicken juices over the chicken & potatoes. Bake it for 15-20 minutes & when you pull it out the skin will be crispy & kick ass.

Eat it all- don't share. Only suckers share crispy chicken skin.

For those that are wondering:
- do i have to cook potatoes?
no. but potatoes ar epretty awesome so you should.
- if i don't cook potatoes, what should i put in the bottom of the crockpot?
ah ha! well your chicken should lie on a bed of something. vegetables work too. if you don't want to use veggies then ball up a couple pieces of foil & set your chicken on top of those.
- why?
mainly becaues when the chicken cooks it juices. a lot. so your chicken will be sitting in juice- now this is NOT a bad thing. hello moist & yummy. but i prefer to have some separation because i think the chicken is less likely to fall apart when you're trying to take it out.
- all that chicken juice- what to do with it?
whatever you do don't throw it away! keep it in the crock pot, add some veggies & the chicken bones & cook on low for a few hours- ta da! chicken stock. or pop it ina container inthe freezer & save it for later.

and there you go- i hope i've just made you life a little easier.

Apple Cake with Brown Sugar Glaze

2011-12-05T19:18:00.000-05:00

i wanted a quick & hearty cake i could whip up for my mother in law's birthday. i didn't want to whip up frosting or wait for anything to cool- i only had a few hours & i'm impatient to boot.

so i looked in my fridge & realized that i had an obscene amount of apples- ding ding sing- apple cake for the win.

Apple Cake with Brown Sugar Glaze (adapted from lickthebowlgood)
You Need:
1 1/2 cups AP flour (i used 1 cup + 2 tbslp of cake flour + 1/2 cup AP flour)
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1.2 tsp cinnamon
2 eggs
1/2 cup oil (canola, veg)
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups finely chopped apples

Brown Sugar Glaze
You Need:
1/2 cup light brown sugar
3 tblspn butter
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 tblsp heavy cream (i used whipping cream)

Directions: Pre heat oven to 350. Grease an 8 in baking dish (square, round- whatever)

In a medium bowl sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt & cinnamon. Set aside.

Beat (i used my KitchenAid mixer) the eggs until light in color & foamy. Add the oil & vanilla & beat well.

Stir in the flour mixture until just combined. Stir in the apples.
Scrape the batter into the prepared pan & bake for 40-45 min (i was good with 40)- until done.

Set the hot cake aside & while it's still hot, prepare your glaze.

Glaze: Combine all the ingredients in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until the mixture comes to a gentle boil. Allow to boil for 3-5 minutes, stirrig occasionally.

Spoon the hot glaze over the still hot cake. Spread it out if needed. Let the glazed cake cool 95% of the way...

...and then serve it straight from the pan. with ice cream if you feel so led- which you should- because ice cream is a gift from God.

i liked it warmed back up the best. it was kick ass cold- but after i nuked it for 20 seconds- bam. heaven.

it's akin to eating fall. if that's possible.

Pumpkin Pie Dip

2011-11-19T15:00:00.000-05:00

this dip is like eating pumpkin pie. but better- if that's possible.

it's got a kick ass texture & just the right amount of spices to not be overpowering. seriously awesome.

awesome enough that it won me yet another food contest at my work:

you can also see my buffalo chicken dip in that picture. i bring 2 dips to contests. i'm awesome like that. anyway, moving on.

Pumpkin Pie Dip (via girlwhoateeverything)

You Need:

8 oz cream cheese, softened

2 cups powdered sugar

1 cup canned pumpkin

1/2 cup sour cream

1 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1 cup Cool Whip, thawed

Directions:

In a large bowl beat the cream cheese & powdered sugar until smooth. Add in the pumpkin, sour cream, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice & ground ginger- mix.

Fold in the thawed Cool Whip.

Chill for until you server (around 1-2 hours)

Serve with green apples, ginger snaps or graham crackers.

I served this with green apple slices & my Chewy Ginger Snaps:

my favorite? the green apples. tart + sweet = awesome.

This stuff holds up great too- you can make it a day or two in advance with no issues- just keep it cold.

If you want to be cool- serve it in a hollowed out sugar pumpkin.

I'm not cool- i served it in a glass dish. holla.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

2011-11-19T14:44:00.001-05:00

i got on a buffalo chicken dip kick after my brother in law kept bringing it to every family function.

like- every single one.

like- he knew i would eat it all & get fat.

he sucks.

anyway- while i think his recipe is just dandy (in fact, more than dandy because i always eat an obscene amount) i wanted to find one & make it my own. so i did. and now we eat this stuff way more than anyone should.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

8 oz cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup ranch dressing

1/2 cup Frank's RedHot Buffalo Wing Sauce

2 cans chicken breast, drained (or cook your own chicken)

3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

smoked paprika

pepper

onion powder

Directions: Pre heat oven to 350

Place the cream cheese in a deep baking dish & stir until smooth. Mix in the ranch, wing sauce & cheese. Add the seasoning to taste (usually around 1 tsp onion powder, 1/2 tsp smoked paprika & a few cranks of pepper) & stir in the chicken.

Bake 20 minutes or until heated through. Stir it up & server with crackers, tortilla chips & veggies.

a.ma.zing.

Crescent Roll Chicken Bundles

2011-11-19T14:29:00.001-05:00

good for dinner. good for snack. good for a football app. good for anything really.

Crescent Roll Chicken Bundles

You Need:

2 cans of crescent rolls

6 oz cream cheese (softened)

1/2 shredded cheese (cheddar, mozzarella, your choice)

13 oz can of chicken (or cook your own)

seasoning to taste (i used garlic, pepper, smoked paprika & basil)

Directions: Pre heat oven to 375

Separate the crescent rolls into 4 squares for each package (so basically instead of getting 8 triangles you're going to put 2 together to = 4 larger squares + 2 packages = 8 large squares) Pinch the seams together & pat out so they're slightly larger.

Mix all of the above ingredients together & put a heavy spoonful into the center of each square.

Bring the corners together & fold up.

I'm not sure how to explain it- but you get the idea from the below picture:

So yeah- fold them all up & pinch together. Sprinkle the tops with some smoked paprika (optional), placed them on a lightly greased baking sheet& bake @ 375 for 15 min.

They're done when they're puffed & golden. Dig in.

These are so simple & they taste crazy good. You can also add or omit whatever & make them a ton of different ways. Nom.

Crock Pot BBQ Chicken

2011-11-19T14:11:00.000-05:00

this is probably the easiest thing ever. it's all over Pinterest so i'm sure you've seen it. and now i'm vouching for it.

Crock Pot BBQ Chicken

You Need:

1lb of skinless chicken breast

1 bottle of BBQ sauce

1 can of pineapple chunks (drained)

Directions:

Place your chicken in the crock pot. Pour the BBQ sauce on top. Add the pineapple. Cook on LOW for 4-6 hours*. Shred the chicken & serve over rice

Like i said- easy easy easy.

*i cooked on low for 5 hours- shredded the chicken- & then let everything cook on low for another hour. Perfect!

p.s. it's dark in the world now (aka: Daylight Savings or what not) so you'll have to forgive crappy ass pictures thanks to the lack of light. meh.

Nutella Swirled Banana Bread

2011-11-19T13:54:00.000-05:00

Nutella Swirled Banana Bread

You Need

1 stick butter, softened
3/4 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup mashed bananas
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup Nutella, microwaved for 15 seconds to soften

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9x5 loaf pan.
Cream together the butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Stir together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Add to the butter mixture and mix well. Fold in the bananas & sour cream until just combined.
Pour half of the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Drop spoonfuls of the Nutella over the top of the batter. Cover with the remaining batter. Use a knife to swirl the batter around in the loaf pan.
Bake for 60 minutes or until baked through.

my suggestion? add even more Nutella. because Nutella is boss.

i like this warm with butter. because butter makes things better. like Nutella. so yeah.

Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Balls

2011-08-22T05:15:00.002-04:00

chocolate + peanut butter = ::insert contented sigh::

duh.

make these & try not to ingest them all.

Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Balls (or Buckeyes)
You Need:
2 cups creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup (4 tblsp) unsalted butter- softened
1/4 tsp salt
2-2 1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips
2 tsp vegetable oil

Directions:
- Place the peanut butter, unsalted butter, and salt in the bowl for your stand mixer (or use a hand mixer). Beat until combined & then tir in the vanilla extract and confectioners sugar and mix until it has the consistency of a dough (add more sugar if needed).
- Roll the dough into 1 inch round balls. Place on the cookie sheet and freeze for about one hour, or until firm.
- Melt the chocolate in a microwave safe bowl (heat, check, stir- repeat) & then stir in the Veg Oil till it's thinned slightly. Using a fork & spoon (or whatever works best for you) dip the balls, one at a time, in the melted chocolate, making sure the entire ball is coated with chocolate (Or for Buckeyes- leave part of the peanut butter ball top exposed) Place the chocolate covered balls back on the baking sheet & pop them into the fridge until hard.
- Store in an airtight container for up to two weeks.
Tips:
- After the pb balls were frozen i used a toothpick to stick & dip. that made things so much easier. i then went back over each ball with a spot of chocolate.
Not the prettiest- but very efficient.
- freeze the balls before dipping. DO IT!

Homemade Peppermint Patties

2011-08-22T05:15:00.001-04:00

did you read the title up there? that should be more than enough to have you running to your pantry to make sure you have the needed ingredients.

Homemade Peppermint Patties (via Savory Sweet Life)
You Need:
1 can sweetened condensed milk
5 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1 tblsp peppermint extract
3 cups semi sweet chocolate chips*
3 tblsp shortening*

Directions:
- Add condensed milk, 2 cups of powdered sugar, and peppermint extract to a large mixing bowl. Mix everything on medium speed using the paddle attachment until all the ingredients are well incorporated. Add more powdered sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, until the dough is stiff but still pliable.
- Roll 3/4″ balls of dough between the palms of the hands.
- Press each ball down slowly and set the flattened disk on a flat cutting board or plate. Transfer peppermint disks to the freezer for no longer than 30 minutes. While the dough is chilling, temper the chocolate coating.
- Place chocolate chips in a microwavable bowl. Melt the chocolate in 30 second increments, making sure to stir after each time until chocolate is smooth. Stir in shortening to thin the chocolate. Remove patties from the freezer.
- Place a patty on the tines of the fork and dip in the chocolate until completely covered. Allow excess chocolate to drip off the patty before setting each one on top of wax or parchment paper.
- Allow the chocolate coated peppermint patties to completely set up. This can be done quicker by placing the patties in the refrigerator. The peppermint patties are ready when they are dry to the touch. Enjoy!

*A few things:
- i'm going to use Dark Chocolate Next time.
- i'm going to thin my chocolate out with Veg Oil instead of shortening
- def. freeze your patties for at least 30 min- then work quickly. i dip with a fork & scrape off the excess with a spoon.

These were amazing. Seriously like biting into a York...mostly. nothing beats a York.
but i'm def going to go with Dark Chocolate next time & to cut down on the greasy feel, i'll go with Veg Oil as a thinner.

Keep these bad boys int he fridge- they're best that way!

Breakfast Quinoa

2011-08-07T15:32:00.000-04:00

as i've stated- quinoa is a recent discovery in our house & we're currently still in the newelywed stage of our love affair with it.
we often discuss how awesome it is & how we want to eat it all day every day.

so why not for breakfast- yes? YES!

Breakfast Quinoa (adapted from Martha Stewart)
You Need:
2 cups of milk
1 cup of quinoa, rinsed
3 tblsp light brown sugar
1/8 tsp cinnamon
pinch of salt
1 cup fresh blueberries (or other fruit)

Directions: In a medium saucepan, bring the milk to a boil. Add the quinoa & return to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, until 3/4 of the milk has been absorbed (about 15 min)
Stir in the cinnamon & sugar & pinch of salt. Cook, still covered, until almost all of the remaining milk has been absorbed. (another 5-8 min or so).
Remove from the heat & spoon into bowls. Sprinkle with a little more cinnamon & brown sugar. Toss in a handful of blueberries & add mroe milk (if you like it that way- which i do)

Enjoy!

Pretzel Bites

2011-08-07T15:30:00.000-04:00

easy as pie.

...wait. pie isn't always very easy. where the hell did that expression come from anyways?

let me correct this: easy as cereal! cereal is super easy. if you're over the age of 3.

Pretzel Bites
You Need:
small pretzel twists
Hershey's Kisses
M&M's

Directions: Pre-heat oven to 275. Line baking sheet with foil or parchment paper (if you're lazy like me & dislike having to wash anything).

Lay the pretzels on the baking sheet & place a Kiss on top of each one. Pop in the oven for 3 minutes.
Take them out & quickly press an M&M down onto each Kiss.

Place the cookie sheet in the fridge & let them get nice & hard.
Enjoy

these remind me of the Pretzel M&M's- but better. these would be perfect for a camping trip ormovie night snack. or a kid's party. or in a big bowl sitting on my desk.

Lemon and Brown Sugar Chicken

2011-07-17T14:26:00.002-04:00

sometimes i get sick of trying to come up with dinner. those sometimes = the husband eats cereal or pizza. blah. whatever.

but then i'm all like, "omg- need to make real food or husband will leave me for the Olive Garden!!!"
right?
so when i spotted this recipe i figured it was quick & easy & i could make it work.

Lemon and Brown Sugar Chicken adapted from Tasty Kitchen
1 lb chicken breasts
1 cup flour
2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp salt
2 tblsp canola oil
1 lemon (juiced) or just use lemon juice (approx)
1/2 cup dark brown sugar (approx)

Directions: Pre heat oven to 350
Trim the fat from your chicken. Combine the four, paprika & salt in a shallow dish. Coat each chicken breast with the flour mixture.

Heat the oil over medium/high heat in a cast iron skillet (if you have one)
Place each chicken breast into the hot oil & brown on both sides (4-5 minutes should do it)
Remove the chicken breasts & set aside.

turn the heat down loa & pour the lemon juice into the pan & stir to deglaze (if all the juice cooks off- ad a bit more. you should have about 1/4 cup worth of liquid in the skillet)
Put the chicken breasts back in the pan & turn to coat.
Sprinkle the brown sugar on top (make sure each piece has a good of sugar on it)

Put the skillet in the oven & bake for around 20 minutes (until the chicken is done)

we had this with some quick tri colored pasta (i tossed the cooked pasta with some cream, lemon juice, salt & pepper, capers & some grated parmesean cheese)

and some beans (from our garden!!! yay!!!) that i sauted in butter, a little water, garlic & onion powder.
it was delish. and fast. and easy.

Quick Pull Apart Breakfast Bites

2011-07-17T14:26:00.001-04:00

when i say "quick" i mean quick. like, 5 minutes quick.
saturday morning greeted me at 5:45 in the am thanks to my youngest slapping me in the face.

so as i staggered into the kitchen, with her on my hip, i wanted food. now. right this second!
homemade cinnamon rolls were out- as was any kind of bread that included mixing & measuring.

then i spotted a can of crescent rolls and got an idea.

Quick Pull Apart Breakfast Bites
1 can of crescent rolls
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 stick butter (melted)

Directions: Pre heat oven to 375. Grease a small 6in cake pan (or 8in if you're going to double up)
Open the rolls & rip off pieces & roll into little balls (1 in or so)
Mix together the cinnamon & sugar & roll each ball into the mixture
Place the balls into the cake pan so they're touching (like Monkey Bread)
Por the melted butter over the top & sprinkled with a bit more cinnamon & sugar.

Pop it in the oven for 15 minutes & remove.
Let it cool for a couple minutes & then turn onto a plate.

Pat yourself on the back for coming up with the quickest semi-homemade breakfast ever & go to town.

FYI: you can doctor these up by spreading a cream cheese frosting over the top- or whatever. easy peasy.
also- you can make these geared towards dinner as well- instead of cinnamon & sugar- use garlic powder & some chopped basil. or whatever else you have on hand.

crescent rolls are my go to kitchen "pantry" staple. you can make anything out of them because they're magical.

Strawberry Cake with Champagne Buttercream & ruffled Swiss Meringue Buttercream Frosting

2011-07-10T21:17:00.000-04:00

look at that. ruffles are so pretty.

and rather delicate

and very forgiving

i'm making a ruffled cake for my friend's bridal shower so i decided to do a test run.
the cake was so so- but the frosting looked lovely (well sort of- it was my first time afterall)

Strawberry Cake with Champagne Buttercream
Go here for the recipe.

The cake was good- but a bit dense. This may have had something to do woth the fact that i used 4 whole eggs instead of 6 egg whites.
But i'm going to nix it anyway- i want something else...

as for the Swiss Meringue Buttercream- go here for an awesome recipe

i tweak it depending on the humidity & consistancy i seem to be getting. but i strongly suggest at least 2 tsp of flavoring (vanilla or what not) and a good quality butter. i also add a pinch of salt.
also- make sure your butter is soft, but still somewhat firm (room temp) not completely softened like when baking cookies. and you NEED a stand mixer- it's a must. my batches take over 15 minutes of beating. imagine standing there & doing that with a hand mixer.

omg no. never ever.

Coconut Tres Leches Cake

2011-07-04T21:45:00.000-04:00

remember this cake: Tres Leches Cake?

well this is the same deal- cept with coconut. bam.

substitute the can of Evaporate Milk with a can of either Coconut Milk or Condensed Coconut Milk.
sprinkle the top with Toasted Coconut (and possibly some bananas or pineapples) and you've got yourself a bite of Tropical Awesome.

FYI: you can also substitute the sponge cake with a box of white cake (in the interest of time or energy)
It works pretty well- but i think it gets a tad bit soggier. so go with the sponge cake if you can.

Coconut Bread

2011-07-04T21:44:00.000-04:00

there is something wrong with my husband. he doesn't like coconut.

right? crazy man. but that's ok- because it means i have an excuse to eat an entire loaf of this bread.

Coconut Bread via Honey&Jam
You Need:
2 large eggs
1 1/4 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup superfine sugar
1 1/2 cups flaked coconut
6 tblsp unsalted butter (melted & slightly cooled)

Directions: Preheat oven to 350
In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, milk & vanilla. Set aside.
In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon & salt.
Stire in the sugar & coconut. Make a well in the center of the dry ingred. & slowly add the wet misture, stirring until just combined.
Fold in the melted butter- be careful! don't overmix it!

Pour into a greased & floured 8x4 in loaf pan. Bake until a cake tester comes out clean (around 1 hour or so). Remove from the oven & allow to cool for 5 minutes. Then turn onto a wire rack.
Allow it to cool some more & then slice away.

this was good. so good. BUT- i think it was a bit crumbly. Not dry- just crumbly. you do need to cut this into THICK slices- but i feel that it should hold together a bit more.

Next time i'm going to make it with an extra egg & cream instead of milk. we'll see if that does the trick.

you can eat it straight up or smothered in butter. or my favorite- with coconut milk whipped cream:

Coconut Milk Whipped Cream via Nutty Kitchen
1 can full fat organic coconut milk
cinnamon & sugar to taste

Place the can of coconut milk in the fridge overnight
When you open it you'll see that the milk & water has seperated.
Scoop out the creamy milk portion & place into a bowl.
Whip (just like making whipped cream) with a bit of cinnamon & sugar until nice & thick.
Try ot to eat it all straight out of the bowl.

Strawberry Basil Lemonade

2011-06-26T20:56:00.000-04:00

summer = lemonade. it also = strawberry & basil. so mixing all of them together = a no brainer.

Strawberry Basil Lemonade (this makes 2 glasses)
Pink or Yellow Lemonade (i used Newman's Own)
2 large fresh strawberries, sliced
handful of frozen strawberry slices (i slice them, pop them in a ziploc bag & freeze them to use all summer)
5 basil leaves, per glass

Fill each glass about 1/3 of the way with lemonade. Add the basil leaves & fresh strawberries & muddle (i have a muddle stick i use for making mojitos)
Add a handful of frozen strawberry slices to each glass, top off with more lemonade, add a straw & enjoy.

i like to add the frozen strawberries because it keeps the lemonade cold without watering it down. or go ahead & make lemonade ice cubes in advance (which is what i would do if i was making a large batch of this)

what's great is that, unlike the mint & limes in mojitos, you can go ahead & eat the basil & strawberries. Waste not.

Sopapilla Cheesecake

2011-06-26T20:55:00.000-04:00

so you want cheesecake right now, but don't want the hassle of actually making cheesecake?
then this recipe is for you.
quick, easy, freaking delicious, quick...right.

Sopapilla Cheesecake
2 cans Cresent Rolls
3- 8 oz packages cream cheese (softened)
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup butter (melted)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup slivered almonds (optional)

Directions: Pre heat oven to 350

Roll out 1 can of cresent roll into a 9x13 in rectangle (or just press it into the bottom of a 9x13 in baking pan) and press into the bottom of a 9x13 in baking pan (i used a Pyrex dish)
Cream together the cream cheese, vanilla extract & the 1 cup of sugar.
Spread the mixture over the cresent roll layer

Roll out the 2nd can of cresent dough & place on top. Mix together the 1/2 cup sugar + the cinnamon. Drizzle the melted butter over the top & sprinkled with the cinnamon & sugar mixture. Sprinkle with the slivered almonds (i sprinkled 1/2 of the cheesecake) Place in the oven & bake for 40 minutes (until pastry is puffy)

Remove & let cool for at least 2 hours (i let it sit out for about 4ish)- slice & serve. This is good @ room temp or straight out of the fridge.

i love this because it taste sort of like cheesecake- but it's not overwhelmingly cheesecake'like. and since i'm not the biggest fan of cheesecake- that works for me.

i may or may not have had 2 pieces for breakfast the next day.

Mocha French Macarons with Marshmallow Filling

2011-06-26T20:54:00.000-04:00

what's that? you think i'm obsessed with making macarons???

...well you're correct. i am. and the fact that i all but failed on my latest attemp makes me even more determined to perfect my macaron making.

i'm not sure what i did- but i think i whipped my egg whites too much & then proceded to deflate the batter by overmixing.
boooo.

they looked pretty good on the Silpat (wonderful investment):

but hardly any came out with "feet" and they pretty much all cracked on top.
however they still tasted amazing & had that wonderful crispy/chewy texture.

so my fingers are crossed for next time.

Mocha French Macarons with Marshmallow Frosting
You Need (my base recipe)
110 g slivered almonds (this is how much they weigh AFTER you grind them)
200 g powdered sugar (minus 2 tblsp & 1 tsp)
2 tblsp cocoa powder
1 tsp instant coffee
50 g of sugar
100 g egg whites (about 3 egg whites, aged for at least 12-24 hours, @ room temp)

Pulse the almonds in the food processor until finely ground. Add the powdered sugar, cocoa & coffee & pulse until well blended.
Sift (sifting was a PITA for me. the almonds = a bit moist after griding, so make sure you have a good sifter or big enough metal sieve)
Whip the egg whites until foamly & gradually add the granulated sugar until you get a shiny meringue (don't whip them too much- like i did- or they get too stiff & dry)
Add the almond mixture to the egg whites & incorporate quickly but gently. (again, quickly but not too much- like i did- just until no streaks remain & you have a batter that "ribbons" off your spatula)
Pipe your batter out on Silpat (or parchment paper) lined baking sheets & let the shells sit @ room temp for 30- 60 min (until they develop a hard shell)
Pre heat oven to 300 & bake for 8-10 min (depending on size- i had to bake this batch for 15 min! again, i effed it up. my batter was too wet)
Allow them to cool & remove from baking sheet (pairing them up to size)

Fill a pastry bag with the marshmalow filling (recipe below) and pipe onto the rounds.
Pop them in an airtight container & into the fridge. Allow them to come to room temp before serving.
I think (with this marshmallow filling) that putting them in the fridge overnight = success.
The filling can get oozy in the heat- so getting them cold & then to room temp = a nice melding of flavors & firmed up filling. these were SO good the next day!

Marshmallow Filling (or frosting)
4 large egg whites (room temp)
1 cup granulated white sugar
pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla extract

Place all of the ingrediants (sans the vanilla) into a bowl that you can place over simmering water (or use a double boiler)

Whisk the egg white mixture (over simmering water) constantly until the sugar has dissolved & it's hot to the touch (takes about 4-5 min)

Pour into a larger bowl (stand mixer bowl), add the vanilla & and whip for 3+ minutes (until fluffy. mine took about 5 minutes)

Done! (i used a pastry bag with a round tip to fill my macarons)

Dude- this frosting taste just like marshmallows. Or fluff- but not as sweet. the husband licked it off the beaters (it's that good)

I have a little leftover- i intend to send it to work with the hubs to make fluffernutter sammies for lunch.

Quinoa Side Dish

2011-06-22T06:30:00.000-04:00

quinoa seems to be the new cous cous. or rice. or whatever. i've been meaning to try it...but i mean to do a lot of things.

finally i found an organic bag for $2.99 (score) at my local grocery store, so i decided to whip some up.
i shall have you know that we LOVE IT! it's heartier than cous cous, has a nice nutty flavor & is so freaking easy. it also cooked up perfectly...unlike rice seems to.

Quinoa Side Dish
1 tblps butter
1 cup uncooked quinoa
2 cups chicken broth
2 tsp minced garlic
2 tblsp fresh chopped parsley
1 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp salt
1 tblsp onion powder
dash of lemon juice

Directions: Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the quinoa & toast, stirring now & again, until lightly browned (about 5 min) Stir in the broth & bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover & cook for about 15 min until quinoa is tender (you'll know it's ready because you'll see these little squiggly lines coming out of the quinoa)

Toss the quinoa together with the garlic, parsley, thyme, onion powder & salt. Sprinkle with the lemon juice & serve.

So simple & really good. We ate this, alone, for dinner.
Tonight i'm going to make quinoa again & toss in some smoked turkey (that the husband smoked this weekend) & fresh basil.

I think i'll add some toasted pine nuts (if i feel like dropping the $ on them) as well.
You can pretty much do whatever you want with this stuff.
go & buy thee some quinoa!

Notes: for the chicken broth i used 2 cups of water + 2 chicken boullion cubes. Next time i'm only going to use 1 cube because it was a bit salty.

Vanilla Bean French Macarons with Nutella Filling

2011-06-22T06:29:00.000-04:00

french macarons are the new cupcakes it seems. there are so many variations & flavor combos to choose from that it seems you could eat them daily & never tire of them.

well, up until this past Sunday i had never eaten a macaron. GASP. i know. what???
i've never seen them in my neck of the woods & my last trip to Paris was when i was 14 and french macarons were not on the list of things to consume.

so thanks to a few cracked eggs, i had some aged egg whites just waiting to be used. i've been toying with the idea of whipping up a batch of macarons but frankly i was a bit intimidated. everything i've read states that they're testy, finnecky, a pain in the ass, doomed to fail- etc etc etc.

finally i decided to bite the bullet & try my hand at these. and so i did. i'll give a little recap at the end.

(the measurments are in grams because that is the way it's done. when in Rome.)

Vanilla Bean French Macarons with Nutella Filling
110g of slivered almonds
200g powdered sugar
50g of sugar
100g of egg whites (about 3 eggs whites, aged for at least 12-24 hours @ room temp)
1 tblsp vanilla bean paste (or the seeds from 1 vanilla bean)
Nutella

Pulse the almonds in a food processor until finely ground. Add the powdered sugar & pulse until well blended.
Whip the egg whites until foamy & gradually add the granulated sugar while whipping until a shiny meringue forms (you want firm peaks but not dry peaks. feel free to turn off the mixer & check your peaks. basically- when you lift your whisker out of the bowl the egg whites should stand in a firm peak- not fall over to the side)
Sift the almond mixture into the egg whites & incorporate quickly but gently (don't over mix- fold them in until no streaks remain) You want a thick batter that "ribbons" or flows from the spatula for a good 5 seconds.
Pour the batter into a pastry bag fitted with a large plain round tip & pipe small rounds onto a parchment (or Silpat) lined baking sheet (use a good quality/heavy baking sheet that won't warp in the oven) The rounds should be 1 1/2 in diameter & at least 1 inch apart (the batter will spread a tad after piping so keep that in mind. trial & error)
Let the shells sit at room temp for 30-45 min until the develop a hard shell

Preheat oven to 300 & bake for 8-10 min (depending on the size) Allow the cookies to cool & the remove the from the baking sheets.

Fill a pastry bag, fitted with a small round tip, with Nutella.
Pair the macarons up (by size) and pipe a circle of Nutella around the edge. Then fill the circle with more Nutella (not a ton, but a good amount)
Store in an airtight container at room temp
makes about 24-30 (depending on size)

RECAP: Ok, so these were not nearly as difficult as i feared they would be. yes you have to use a scale & yes you have to be patient- but they are so worth it.
A few tips:
- SIFT your almond/sugar mix into the egg whites. i didn't sift & i ended up with lumps that i had to break up with a toothpick (PITA). so sift, sift, SIFT!
- please let your egg whites age for at least 24 hours. i swear it makes a difference in the way they whip up. i let mine age for 48+ hours & they came right up with no issues.
- Silpat vs. Parchment: well i don't have Silpat- but i'm going to invest in some. the parch. paper worked- but it's kind of a pain because it's off the roll & it doesn't lay flat- so i had to finagle with tape. so i guess we'll see on this one.
- let your macarons sit for at least 30 min! they need that hard shell!
- watch them. trial & error. if at first you don't succeed, try again!

i admit, i was worried that i'd screwed them up- but when i took them out of the oven & saw the little "feet" on them:

i was estatic! go me! even with 2 whining children & a sulky husband (because i wanted him to handle the said whining children) i still managed to get these babies to turn out right. of course my rounds left something to be desired (not exactely even or the right shape) but come on- i was doing this with a baby on one hip.

and when i tasted the first one- OH MY GOD! so good. light & crispy, but a little chewy & so sweet & yummy.
i sent some off with the husband (to work) & brought some with me to a get together with a few close lady friends & everyone loved them.

and now i'm a bit addicted. i cannot wait to make some more this weekend!

so there you have it. my first attempt at french macarons. win.

Bacon Wrapped Potato Bites with Spicy Sour Cream Dipping Sauce

2011-06-12T21:11:00.000-04:00

last night the husband asked me if there is anything that cannot be wrapped in bacon.

after a good 7 minutes of thinking i couldn't come up with a single thing that would not be made better by bacon.

hell, you could wrap a rock in bacon & i'd probably eat it.

i found these via Pinterest & decided to make them for a backyard wedding this weekend.
i'm not one to boast- but they were, hands down, the favorite. people attacked me as i was carrying them outside- true story.
the bride's brother dropped one on the ground (the muddy ground) picked it up, looked at it...and ate it anyway.

people- there was straight up mud on it. didn't matter. bacon conquers mud. done.

Bacon Wrapped Potatoe Bites with Spicy Sour Cream Dipping Sauce (adapted from thekitchn)
You Need:
1lb red potatoes
1 tsp dried rosemary (or 1 1/2 fresh)
1 tclsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
freshly ground black pepper
1lb thick cut bacon
1 cup sour cream
hot sauce
salt & pepper
smoked paprika
liquid smoke
maple grill seasoning (opt)

Directions: Pre heat oven to 400
Peel potaotes. Chop them into i-inch size pieces (keeping the chunks roughly the same size). Put the potatoes in a pot of cold water- salt the water & bring to a boil. Once the water comes to a boil- boil for about 3-4 minutes. The potatoes should be all but done- but still firm enough to hold up to some handling (4 minutes was perfect for mine).

Drain the potatoes & in a large bowl, toss with the olive oil, salt, pepper & rosemary until evenly coated.

cut the strips of bacon in half (horizontaly) & then in half again (vertically):

Wrap each piece of potato with a piece of bacon & secure with a toothpick. Place the potatoes on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil.

Cook the potatoes for 15 min & then flip each piece. Cook for another 10 minutes until the bacon cooked through & crisp.

For the dipping sauce:

Mix the sour cream with a few teaspoons of hot sauce & about 1/2 tsp liquid smoke. Add the spoked paprika, maple bbq seasoning (opt), salt & pepper to taste (i pretty much eyeballed everything & kept tasting until it was as i liked. nice & smokey with a bit of heat. perfect!)

Pile the potatoe bites onto a plate around the bowl of dipping sauce. Serve warm.

(i made these in advance & then re-heated them by broiling for about 3 minutes in the oven. just enough to crisp the bacon back up. i also made a double batch for the wedding- of both the bites & the dipping sauce.)

I won't lie. Because i only got 2 of these at the wedding party- i came home & promptly made another batch that evening. then the husband & i proceded to eat them all for dinner.

I do not feel the last bit guilty.

Nutella & Chocolate Frosted Homemade Brownies

2011-06-05T19:58:00.000-04:00

we've already been over my love for Nutella. and brownies. and Twilight.

so this was a no brainer.

Nutella and Chocolate Frosted Brownies
You Need:
Homemade Brownie recipe (make them)
1 cup Nutella
1 cup chocolate chips

Directions: Make the brownies. Immediately upon removing them from the oven, spread them with the Nutella. then sprinkle on the chocolate chips.

Place them back in the oven for 1-2 min (until chips are melty looking)
Remove & spread the chips out (kind of mixing them in with the Nutella)

Place in the fridge to cool (for at least 1 hour)

Cut & serve. to others. no just yourself.

Creamy Lemon and Garlic Pasta with Artichoke Hearts

2011-05-31T21:38:00.000-04:00

i needed dinner in a hurry last night. i had 2 children otherwise engaged (thank you finding Nemo) and about 15 min.

pasta! lemons! artichoke hearts! garlic! oh yay!
here's what i came up with:

yum, right? i concur.

Creamy Lemon & Garlic Pasta with Artichoke Hearts
You Need:
1/2 box angel hair pasta
1 lemon (zested & cut in 1/2)
10 artichoke hearts (chopped)
1 3/4 cup sour cream
3/4 cup grated Parmesean Cheese
1 tblsp minced garlic
2 tblsp butter
salt & pepper (to taste)
fresh basil (to taste- you can also use dry if you have no fresh on hand)

Directions: Salt a pot of water & put it on to boil (add a splash of EVVO as well). Cook the angel hair according to directions & drain.
Using the same pot: Melt the butter over medium heat. Toss in the garlic, lemon zest, the juice of the lemon, the artichoke hearts, salt & the pepper. Saute for a few minutes (don't let the garlic burn!)
Stir in the sour cream, parmesean & basil.
Allow the mixture to cook or a minute or so- once heated through, add the pasta & toss to coat.
Sprinkle with some basil & eat up.

Enjoy!

This was also good the next day for lunch. I simply re-heated in the micro & added a little cream to moisten.

Baked Eggs

2011-05-30T20:27:00.000-04:00

thanks to evil Pinterest i HAD to make some baked eggs.
there are so many variations that my head almost exploded with ideas.

finally i had to simply just throw a bunch of ingredients in the ramakin & hope for the best.

Baked Eggs:
You Need (per ramakin)
2 eggs
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 tblsp butter
1/4 cup sharp cheddar cheese
rosemary (to taste)
thyme (to taste)
salt & pepper (to taste)
1/3 cup chopped turkey (or ham or bacon or veggies or whatever)

Directions: Pre heat oven to 375 & butter ramakins.
Crack the eggs directly into the ramakin (don't break the yolks!) Sprinkle in the cheese. Toss in the meat (or veggies) Pour in the cream. Add the rosemary, thyme, saly & pepper (to taste)

Pop them into the oven for 10 - 15 min (depending on how you want your yolks)
Remove & serve immediately.

These were awesome. I actually cooked them for 20 min (because i am so very wary of runny egg whites) but this meant my yolks were fully cooked (which was fine) However next time i'm going to go with 15 minutes in the hopes for fully done whites & nice, runny yolks.

We ate the with some toast & we were happy.

Nutella Cupcakes

2011-05-22T18:36:00.000-04:00

i think the world of Nutella. i eat it for breakfast (with toast). i eat it for lunch (with peanut butter). i eat it for dinner (with...pasta?)

in fact, i find reasons to eat it all the time. i justify & make excuses & feel no guilt or shame. because it's that awesome.

you know what else i do all of the above with? cupcakes.

so...cupcakes + Nutella. omg. ::head explodes::

Nutella Frosted Cupcakes (adapted from Baking Bites)

10 tbsp butter, softened
3/4 cup white sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups sifted all purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
Nutella, 12 teaspoons. (1 teaspoon for each cupcakes- give or ~~take~~ give)

Preheat oven to 325° Line 12 muffin tins with paper liners.

Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy,about 2 minutes. Add in eggs one at a time, until fully incorporated. (Worry not if the batter isn't smooth) Add vanilla.

Sift together flour, salt and baking powder & add to wet mixture. Stir until batter is uniform and no flour remains.

Using an ice cream scoop or spoon , fill each muffin liner with batter. They should be 3/4 full. Top each cake with 1 heaping teaspoon of Nutella (i also used my cookie scoop for this part- made it much easier). Swirl Nutella in with a toothpick, making sure to fold a bit of batter up over the Nutella.

Bake for 20 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.

Remove to a wire rack to cool.

Makes 12 delectable cupcakes. (p.s. i doubled the recipe because more = better)

Try not to eat them all at once. You'll make yourself sick. Not sick of Nutella, because that's not even possible, just legit sick because of so much win.

Chewy Oatmeal Cookies with Reese's Pieces

2011-05-22T18:35:00.000-04:00

my husband would probably divorce me & marry Reese's Pieces if that were at all possible. his love for Reese's gives E.T.'s a run for it's money.

me, on the other hand only find them to be so-so. like, i'll eat them, but i'm not going to rave about them.

but i do rave over oatmeal cookies. without raisins (gag). and since i had plenty of oatmeal & a bag of Mini Reese's Pieces in the cupboard- i decided to make us both happy.

Chewy Oatmeal Cookies with Reese's Pieces (adapted from The Girl Who Ate Everything)
You Need:

2 cups all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup butter, melted (1½ sticks)
1 cup packed brown sugar
½ cup white sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 ½ cups old-fashioned oats
2 cups mini Reese's Pieces (or whatever you want)

Directions: Preheat the oven to 325° Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Melt butter and let cool slightly.

Whisk together flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.

In a medium bowl, cream together the melted butter, brown sugar and white sugar until well blended. Beat in the cinnamon, vanilla, egg, and egg yolk for 2-3 minutes until light and creamy. Mix in the flour mixture until just blended. Add the Reese's Pieces. Mix until just blended.

Place tblsp sized balls of dough (i used a cookie scoop) onto parchment lined cookie sheet, flatten slightly, and bake for 14-16 minutes. Do not overbake. The edges should look brown and the centers still slightly soft. Let the cookies rest on the cookie sheet for a couple of minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

Feel free to eat them all & justify it by reminding yourself that they're chock full of oatmeal.

Creamy Sausage & Pasta Skillet with Balsamic Reduction

2011-05-01T13:52:00.000-04:00

Creamy Sausage & Pasta Skillet with Balsamic Reduction

You Need:

3 sweet sausage links

3/4 box pasta (ziti pref)

2 cups beef broth

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1 cup sour cream

1/4 red pepper flakes

1/2 tsp fennel seeds

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp white pepper

cornstarch mixed into a little water

Directions: Cook the pasta according to directions on box. Drain. While the pasta is cooking- prepare the rest.

Remove the sausage from the casings & crumble into a skillet. Add the fennel seeds & brown on medium heat. Add the broth, balsamic, white pepper, onion powder & red pepper flakes & simmer on medium heat until reduced by 1/2.

Once reduced, stir in the sour cream. Simmer for another 3-5 min & stream in cornstarch (to preferred thickness).

Stir until thickened. Add the pasta & mix well.

This is super easy & comes together really quickly. It's something i like to make on Sunday & save for a meal during the week. I simply cook it all in one skillet & pop the skillet in the fridge. Then i can simply re-heat it on the stove (and if it's a little dry i add about 1/4 cup cream)

Bon appetite.

Creamy Lemon Gemelli

2011-05-01T06:04:00.000-04:00

quick, easy, spring/summer- yum. lemon & pasta are always a good combo- add some cream cheese & you've got something light with a little bit of extra rich.

Creamy Lemon Gemelli (Kraft)

You Need:

4 cups uncooked gemelli pasta

2 tblsp butter

4 oz (1/2 package) Philly cream cheese (cubed)

1 cup whole milk

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese (divided)

1 tblsp lemon zest

1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Directions: Cook the pasta according to directions on box. Drain & set aside.

Melt the butter in a large saucepan on medium heat- once melted, stir in the milk & cream cheese. Stir until the ream cheese is completely melted & the sauce is well mixed (whisk constantly) Stir in 2 tblsp parmesan.

Add the pasta & the lemon zest- stir until evenly coated. Top with the remaining parmesan & black pepper.

This turned out awesome- nice & lemony & not too heavy. I added a few squeezes of lemon juice as well. It also re-heats really well- if it's a little dry simply stir in a little whole milk or cream.

Nom.

Perfect Homemade Brownies

2011-04-17T20:22:00.000-04:00

when it comes to brownies i've always said "box is best!" and that was that. rarely have i come across a homemade brownie that i liked.

they're never up to snuff & i find myself longing for that liar, who SAYS her brownies are homemade but they're just so perfect that you just KNOW they came from the box, to come through with a pan of chocolate perfection.

until now. now i have stumbled across a homemade recipe that is so good that i DIN'T buy any boxed brownie mix this weekend. GASP! i am NEVER without a box of brownie mix in my cupboard- EVER!

but this recipe has given Betty Crocker a run for her money. yes indeed.

Perfect Homemade Brownies

You Need:

1 cup (2 sticks) butter

2 1/4 cup sugar

4 large eggs

1 1/4 cup cocoa powder

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp instant coffee (or espresso powder)- optional

1 tblsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 cup all purpose flour

2 cups choc chip (i used semi & milk)

Directions: Pre-heat oven to 350° & butter a 9x13 baking dish

- In a small saucepan -over low heat- melt the butter. Stir in the sugar & cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring all the while. Don't let the mixture boil!

- Pour the butter/sugar mix into a large bowl (stand mixer bowl) and beat in the cocoa powder, salt, baking powder, coffee, vanilla & eggs. Mix well.

- Stir in the flour & chocolate chips until well combined.

- Spread the brownie mix into the prepared pan & bake 25-30 minutes (until the tester comes out all but clean) As with all brownies- the edges should be set & the middle should look loist- but not undercooked.

Cool the brownies on a wire rack (or test the laws of brownie baking & try to cut & remove hot brownies from a pan without making a chocolate mes of huge proportions. go ahead- try it.)

Once they've cooled (for AT LEAST 1 hour) go ahead & cut them up.

Put them on a plate with the intention of bringing them to work to share with your co-workers. But don't feel guilty if you eat 2, or 3 or even 4- because they're that good.

Your co-workers probably don't need brownies anyway.

Chocolate Chip Coffee Muffins

2011-04-10T21:23:00.000-04:00

chocolate is good. coffee is good. muffins are good. carbs are good. wait...bad? no- GOOD!

so let's put them all together. because that's be good too.

(this is a double recipe- it made 32 muffins. simply 1/2 it for less)

Chocolate Chip Coffee Muffins

You Need:

4 cups flour

2/3 cup white sugar

2/3 cup brown sugar

4 tsp baking powder

1tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp instant coffee

1 1/2 cup milk

1 cup butter (melted & cooled)

4 eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract (i used 1 tsp extract & 1 tsp vanilla bean paste)

3 cups semi sweet chocolate chips

Directions: Pre-heat oven to 400° & line muffin cups with paper liners.

In a large bowl- whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon & coffee

Using a stand mixer- lightly beat eggs. then add the milk, butter & vanilla. Mix well.

Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture (all at once) and mix until well blended (but don't overmix)

Stir in the chocolate chips.

Spoon the batter into the muffin cups & bake 15 min (or until done)

Allow to cool for 5 min or so- then go ahead & tell yourself it's ok to eat 5 of them.

Enjoy!

Vanilla Bean Lemon Pound Cake

2011-04-03T20:29:00.000-04:00

i had lemons. i wanted pound cake. so that = make lemon pound cake. of course.

i simply took the Elvis Presley's Favorite Pound Cake recipe & added lots of lemon.

add: the zest of 2 lemons & the juice of 1 lemon (i added this after beating in the eggs) substitute: 1 of the tsp of vanilla for vanilla bean paste (what can i say? i like black specs in my food)

and icing...

Vanilla Bean Lemon Icing

the juice of 1 lemon

powdered sugar (to taste/thickness)

1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste

mix all of the above together until you have the consistancy you like (i like it thick) spoon/drizzle/pour it over the cooled cake

let it set for at least 20 min

and then i ate a lot of it. a disgusting amount which had me feeling like i should go to confession...even though i'm not Catholic.

oy.

Baileys Irish Cream Chocolate Mousse Pie

2011-03-17T20:34:00.000-04:00

this pie was amazing.

i honestly thought i might get drunk off of it- my mouth was filled with the fabulous taste of Baileys & since i haven't had a drink in over 2 years (hello back to back pregnancies), yeah. i had to stop myself after 2 slices.

it's also so easy that i could justify making it every week. or day. or hour. you get the idea.

since it was St Patty's day- i had a good excuse. so i whipped it up & brought it to work.
thankfully i snagged my 2 pieces early- because after people made the discovery that this pie is laced with booze, it was gone.

Baileys Irish Cream Chocolate Mousse Pie
You Need:
1 (6 oz) chocolate crumb crust (you can make your own or simply buy a ready made. i used an Oreo Cookie ready made crust)
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup milk (whole)
3/4 cup Baileys Irish Cream
6 oz semi sweet chocolate chips
2 cups Cool Whip

Directions: Pour the milk into a medium saucepan & sprinkle the gelatin over top. Let it sit for 1 min & then stir over LOW heat until the gelatin dissolves (about 4-5 min or so)

Add the chocolate & continue to stir until melted- then stir in the vanilla.

Remove from heat & stir occasionally for about 5 minutes & then stir in the Baileys.

Pop the pan into the fridge for about 5-10 minutes, or until the mixture forms mounds when dropped from the spoon (i originally- per the directions- let this sit on the counter for a good 20 minutes waiting for it to thicken up. it simply wasn't working- so i tossed it into the fridge for about 10 minutes & that's what did the trick)

Fold in the Cool Whip and pour into the crust. Smooth it up & put it in the fridge for AT LEAST 4 hours (but i let it sit overnight & then some).

About an hour before you're going to serve- pop it in the freezer. (you totally don't have to do this- but i think it gives it a nice texture & makes it the perfect cold temperature)

You can garnish with more Cool Whip or real whipped cream or chocolate shavings if you want.

Enjoy- and try to restrain yourself from eating the entire thing.

Hi Hat Banana Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting

2011-03-08T15:31:00.000-05:00

i've been wanting to attempt Hi Hat Cupcakes ever since i saw Bakerella talking about them. mounds of frosting covered in chocolate?! um, yes please!

well i noticed that i had 2 bananas that were past the point of eating- they were fit only for baking. so instead of banana bread i decided on banana cupcakes with peanut butter frosting. and once i decided on that i decided that the only thing that could make them even better would be to Hi Hat them- so it was settled.

Honestly- considering that this was my first time trying these & i had 2 little girls begging for my attention- i think i did pretty ok. but next time i'm going with the vanilla frosting & i'm going to make them higher. and prettier (hopefully)

Hi Hat Banana Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting (adapted from Evil Shenanigans)

For the cupcakes:

2 medium ripe bananas mashed (1 cup)

1/2 cup buttermilk

4 tblsp butter, melted

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup ap flour

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/8 tsp salt

For the frosting:

8 tblsp (1 stick) butter, softened

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1 tsp vanilla

3 cups powdered sugar

1/4 cup milk (give or take)

For the chocolate:

2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips (i used milk & semi sweet)

2-3 tblsp Canola Oil (vegetable oil)

Heat the oven to 350 and line a 12 cup muffin pan with paper liners.

In a medium bowl combine the mashed bananas and buttermilk until smooth. Add the butter, egg, and vanilla and mix until well combined.

In a large bowl combine the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until well mixed.

Mix together the wet & dry ingredients just until combined (ie: no big lumps)

Using a cookie scoop- scoop the batter evenly between the paper liners and bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until the cakes are golden brown (mine were done in 18) and spring back when gently pressed in the center. Cool in the pan for three minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely

To prepare the frosting cream together the butter and peanut butter until well combined. Add in the powdered sugar and half the milk and mix until smooth, fluffy and your desired piping consistency (i eyeballed the milk).

I then frosted the cupcakes with a large round tip & popped them in the freezer for about 20 min or so (while i prepared the chocolate)

To prepare the chocolate place the chips in a bowl & microwave in 30 sec increments until melted (make sure to stir as you go)- Once the chocolate is smooth, stir in the Canola Oil (i used 2 tblsp) & allow to cool for 10-15 min. Once cooled, pour into a tall cup (i used a simple plastic party cup)

And start dipping! dip the cupcake (frosting side down) as far down as you can. Allow the chocolate to drip off for a second & place on a wax paper lined baking sheet. You can pop them in the freezer for a few minutes to cool- or just give them about 10 minutes on the counter.

Then you can start getting excited- because you're about to eat up:

you want to see the inside?

mmmmmmm!

and a little closer...yum!

these were awesome! i'm stoked to make them with a different frosting/cake next time. i think i'm hooked on Hi Hats!

Texas Toast Grilled Cheese

2011-03-04T11:55:00.000-05:00

perhaps i should rename this post "Sinful Indulgence" because that's exactly what a grilled cheese made with Texas Toast is. sinful. and indulgent.

and delicious.

Texas Toast Grilled Cheese

You Need:

2 slices of Texas Toast (i find them in the Walmart bakery)

1-2 slices of Cooper Sharp Cheese (or any cheese for that matter)

Directions: Start off by telling yourself that you're too skinny. You need to fatten up- so this sandwich is perfectly acceptable.

Then- turn on a pan to medium-low heat. Toss 1 slice of Texas Toast in the pan (have i mentioned that Texas Toast is buttered on BOTH sides already?)

So no buttering needed..unless you're really brave. then by all means- butter away.

Place 1 slice of cheese on the slice of toast...or 2 slices. or 3- or whatever.

Place the other slice of Texas Toast on top:

Allow the 1st side to brown (1 min or so) and then flip it over & press down with a spatula. Once the 2nd side is browned & the cheese is nice & melty- pick that sandwich up & put it on a plate.

Then eat it- don't think- just eat. And drink some milk or something- you know, to offset the insane amount of bad you just inhaled.

Enjoy!

Salisbury Steaks

2011-03-04T10:14:00.001-05:00

so, i wanted Salisbury Steaks like nothing else- i searched the internet for a recipe that sounded good- but they were all kind of just...meh. so i went through a stack of Pampered Chef recipe cards & found one that i figured i could work with.

i changed it. a lot. and it turned out pretty good. there are some addtl changes that i will make next time but i'll go over those at the end. here's what i did last night.

Salisbury Steaks (1st edition)

Patties:

2 slices potato bread (crust removed & cubed very small)

1 tblsp onion powder

1/2 tblsp dried parsley

1 tsp minced garlic

1 egg

1 tblsp tomato paste

1 tblsp onion soup mix

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 1/4 lb lean ground beef

1 tblsp olive oil

Potatoes & Sauce:

2 cups (give or take) frozen spiral fries

2 tblsp tomato paste

1 beef boullion cube

1 can beef consummate

3/4 cup water

For Patties: combine the bread, onion powder, parsley, egg, soup mix, tomato paste, garlic & Worcestershire sauce in a large bowl. Mix well & then add

the beef- mix well again & shape into 6 oval shaped patties about 1/4 in thick.

Add the olive oil to a large skillet & turn the heat on medium-high. Once the oil is hot, add the 6 patties and cook about 3-4 minutes on each side (or until browned)

Remove the patties from the skillet & keep warm (i stick them in the microwave on a plate)

For the potatoes & sauce: in the same skillet- turn the heat down to medium low. Dissolve the bouillon cube in the 3/4 cup boiling water & add to the

pan to deglaze (scrape up the stuck on brow bits). Once deglazed, add the potatoes & cook until soft (about 3-4 minutes). Add the can of beef consummate & tomato paste- continue to cook until the potatoes are done (another 2-3 minutes) and the mixture comes to a simmer.

Add the beef patties & continue to simmer until the patties are cooked through (another 3-4 minutes or so)

Remove from heat, allow to sit for 3 minutes & serve over mashed potatoes or egg noodles.

Like i said, this turned out pretty good- but next time this is what i'll do:

- Nix the tomato paste in the sauce. i didn't care for it

- Use different potatoes (the curly ones have a zesty seasoning & i think it was a little overpowering

- Maybe use beef broth instead of beef consummate. I like the consummate, but it's rich. so we'll see

- Maybe add vegetables? but probably not. ha!

Pierogi Casserole

2011-03-01T13:58:00.001-05:00

pierogis contain two of my favorite things- pasta & potatoes. oh, and cheese. so three things.

what's not to like? besides weight gain- but that's neither here nor there.

so- how does a huge pierogi sound? a legit pan of pierogi! complete with 1 1/2 sticks of butter & 2 1/2 cups of cheese. i think even Paula Deen would be proud. so here it is.

Pierogi Casserole

You Need:

4 large russet potatoes

3/4 lb farfalle pasta (or 9-12 lasagna noodles)

1 1/2 sticks butter

1/2 cup heavy cream (or half & half)

2 1/2 cups shredded cheese (cheddar or etc etc)

1 tblsp onion powder

salt & pepper to taste

Directions: Preheat oven to 375. Coat a 9x13 pan with cooking spray.

Peel & cube the potatoes & boil until tender (15-20 min), drain.

Boil the pasta according to directions- drain, toss with 1/2 butter & set aside.

Mash the potatoes with the heavy cream, onion powder & 1 stick of butter. (i use a ricer- but you can mash however you prefer)

Once the potaotes are mashed, add the 2 cups of cheese & salt & pepper (to taste)- mix well until creamy & blended.

Pour the farfalle pasta into the bottom of the baking dish- top with the potato mixture & spread out. Top with the remaining 1/2 cup cheese & bake (uncovered) for 20-25 min.

(if you use lasagna noodles, do a layer deal. noodles- potato- cheese- etc etc, like lasagna)

Let it sit for about 5 minutes & then dish out.

It is sinfully good. like- you know you shouldn't eat an entire bowl but you do anyway because you can't stop yourself. cheesy, buttery, salty, a tad oniony (weirdly, i like that)- perfection. one giant pierogi.

next time i think i'll toss in some sausage or chicken. per the husband's request.

Enjoy!

Strawberry Poppy Seed Muffins

2011-02-27T16:36:00.000-05:00

Strawberry Poppy Seed Muffins

You Need:

16 oz strawberries (approx 1 1/3 cup pureed)

1 tsp lemon juice

1 egg

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup sour cream

2 cups AP flour

1 1/2 tblsp poppy seeds

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar

vanilla extract

1 tsp lemon juice

half & half

Muffin Directions: Preheat oven to 375. Line muffin pan with baking cups.

Puree the strawberries & lemon juice in food processor.

Mix together the strawberries, egg, oil, sugar & sour cream until well blended.

In another bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, salt & poppy seeds- add to the strawberry mixture & mix until just evenly moistened.

Fill each muffin cup about 3/4 full (i got 16 muffins)- bake for 16-18 min.

Allow to cool on a wire rack or wax paper. Once cooled- spoon on the glaze & let set (for at least 20 min)

Glaze Directions:

Mix 1 cup powdered sugar, splash of vanilla, 1 tsp lemon juice & a few splashes of half & half together in a small bowl. You can make the glaze as thick or thin as you like. I made mine on the medium thickness side- enough to drip onto the cupcakes but not run off.

Enjoy!

Strawberry Banana Pancakes

2011-02-27T12:46:00.000-05:00

i have an excess of strawberries in my fridge thanks to BJ's- and i've got 3 very ripe bananas & no desire to make bread. i'm also dreaming of spring/summer- so i wanted something fruity & light.

these were perfect. seriously. amazing.

Strawberry Banana Pancakes (adapted from Williams Sonoma)

You Need

2 tblsp butter (melted & cooled)

1 1/2 cups flour

2 tblsp sugar

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 small (very ripe) banana, peeled

1 cup thinly sliced/chopped strawberries

1 cup milk

2 eggs

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Topping:

1 small banana, sliced

1 cup strawberries, sliced & tossed with 1 tblsp sugar & 1 tsp lemon juice (place in the fridge)

Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder & salt- mix well.

Mash the banana in a small bowl, add the eggs, milk & vanilla & mix until well blended.

Add the banana mixture & the butter to the flour mixture. Gently stir with a wooden spoon or spatula until just combined (the batter will be a bit lumpy)

Fold in the sliced strawberries:

Heat up 1 tblsp of butter in a large frying pan (medium heat) and ladle about 1/4 cup batter for each pancake (i used my cookie scoop & scooped about 2 scoops per pancake)

Cook about 2 minutes per side (you'll see bubbles forming on the upside of the pancake- that's when it's time to flip)

Remove the pancakes to a plate (i line a plate with foil & pop it in the oven or microwave to keep them warm- the microwave is obviously OFF as is the stove)

Continue to add butter & cook until all the pancakes are done & the batter is gone (waste not, want not)

Pop a few pancakes on each pate, top with the sliced bananas & the strawberries & syrup (or powdered sugar- etc etc)

Enjoy!

These are SO good! i felt incredibly healthy eating them too (even though they're probably not).

Candied Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-02-27T12:21:00.000-05:00

i love bacon. i love chocolate chip cookies. so- wouldn't i love chocolate chip cookies with bacon??? yes- yes i would. so i made these & they were awesome. i do prefer a flatter/chewier cookie- so next time i'm going to toss the bacon into my Flat & Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe & see if i like that better. but these were fabulous as well.

Candied Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies

For the candied bacon:

8 slices thick cut bacon

1/2 cup brown sugar

For the cookies:

2 1/4 cup flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

3/4 cup butter, melted

1/2 cup white sugar

1 cup brown sugar

1 tblsp vanilla extract

1 whole egg

1 egg yolk

2 cups semi sweet choc chips

Preheat oven to 350

Place bacon on a foil lines baking sheet & liberally sprinkle with the brown sugar:

Place in the preheated oven & back for about 18-25 min until the bacon is brown & crisp (make sure to turn the bacon over after about 10 min)

Remove the bacon, allow to cool & chop it finely.

Reduce the oven to 325.

Sift the flour & baking soda & set aside. In a large bowl, cream together the butter & sugars. Add the vanilla & egg & egg yolk & beat until light & creamy. Add the flour to the wet mixture & mix well. Add the bacon & chocolate chips & stir until just combined.

Place golf sized balls of dough onto parchment paper lined baking sheets & flatten slightly. Bake for 13-15 minutes until the edges are lightly browned.

Remove, allow to cool for 1-2 minutes & then remove to a wire rack to cool.

Enjoy!

p.s. the candied bacon alone is freaking amazing. i couldn't stop eating it. the perfect mix of salty & sweet!

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

2011-02-16T07:51:00.000-05:00

i adore these cookies. if a cookie & a brownie had a baby, it'd taste like these. they're crispy on the outside & chewy inside- literally almost perfection. i'd make them more often- but then i'd weigh 400 lbs. they're that good.

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

You Need:

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups white sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar

Directions:

In a medium bowl, mix together cocoa, white sugar, and vegetable oil. Beat in eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt; stir into the cocoa mixture. Cover dough, and chill for at least 4 hours (i made these after exactly 4 hours & had no issues with handling the dough)

Preheat oven to 350 Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Roll dough into one inch balls with lightly oiled palms (i sprayed my palms with Pam). I used a cookie scoop to portion the dough, a tablespoon or rounded teaspoon would also work depending on what size you like. Coat each ball in confectioners’ sugar before placing onto prepared cookie sheets. [Alternatively, try other ingredients like cinnamon-sugar or sprinkles.]

Bake in preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes (i cooked for 11). Let stand on the cookie sheet for a minute before transferring to wire racks to cool.

try not to eat them all.

i made one big one with white sugar & chili powder. oh my. i'm going to make more of those next time!

Pie Crust Apple Turnovers

2011-02-16T06:35:00.000-05:00

i had leftover pie crust that i didn't want to toss- so apple turnovers it was.

Pie Crust Apple Turnovers (enough for 2 1/2 large turnovers)

You Need:

Pie crust (i had enough for a 1 9in single crust pie)

2 cups chopped apple

2 tblsp brown sugar

2 tblsp white sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp allspice

1 tsp lemon juice

1 tblsp butter

Directions: Pre heat oven to 375. Roll out the pie crust into large squares & set on a parchment lined baking sheet. Set Aside.

Mix together all of the ingredients except the butter. Melt the butter in a saucepan on the stove & add the apple mixture. Saute on medium-low until apples are tender (about 5-7 min)

Place the apple mixture into a bowl & let it cool completely (i popped it in the freezer for a bit)

Once cooled- place a few tblsp in the middle of each pie square. Fold over & crimp the edges- brush with egg white, sprinkle with raw sugar & bake in the oven for 15-20 min.

some stuff will seep out- it's ok. embrace it- scrape it off & eat it.

Enjoy!

Quick Pizza Calzone

2011-02-16T06:25:00.000-05:00

crescent rolls are like magic. you can turn them into dinner with minimal effort- thats why i keep 2+ cans in my fridge at all times. it's simple science.

Quick Pizza Calzone

1 can crescent rolls

2 cups shredded cheese (any kind)

1/2 cup chopped pepperoni

1 cup pizza sauce (i doctored some tomato sauce with garlic & italian seasoning

Directions:

Take the crescent rolls out of the can- knead & roll out into a large rectangle. Place onto a foiled baking sheet. In the middle of the dough- spread the sauce, cheese & pepperoni.

Fold the dough over onto itself (like a pocket) and pinch the seams.

Cut a few slits into the top & bake for about 15-20 min @ 375 (per the can directions)

Remove from the oven & let sit for about 5 min.

Slice & enjoy!

Cheesy Broccoli & Rice Casserole

2011-02-16T06:07:00.000-05:00

i needed a quick dinner the other night. i also needed to get rid of the incredible amount of broccoli i'd accidentally purchased. my bad.

Cheesy Broccoli & Rice Casserole

2 slices hearty white sandwich bread, torn into pieces (1/2 cup panko bread crumbs - optional)
3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
4 tablespoons butter, melted; plus two tablespoons chilled
1 garlic clove, minced
2 pounds broccoli (about 3-4 medium heads of broccoli), florets cut into 1-inch pieces
1 tblsp onion powder
1 1/4 cups white rice
4 cups chicken broth
1 1/4 cups half-and-half
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 9X13-inch baking dish. Pulse bread, panko, 1/4 cup parmesan cheese and melted butter in a food processor until coarsely ground. Add garlic. Set aside.

Steam the broccoli for about 5-7 min (until bright green & semi cooked)- Melt remaining butter in a large pot over medium heat. Cook onion powder & rice, stirring constantly, until rice is translucent, about 1 minute. Stir in broth, half-and-half, and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring often, until rice is tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Toss in the broccoli about 5 min before rice is done. Take off the heat & stir in cheddar cheese, cayenne, remaining parmesan.

Pour the mixture into prepared baking dish and top with bread crumb mixture. Bake until the sauce is bubbling around the edges and the top is golden brown, about 15 minutes.

Cool 5 minutes. Serve.

this was awesome. seriously. if you toss in some chicken you could call it a day.

Cinnamon Quick Bread

2011-02-16T06:02:00.000-05:00

so quick. so easy. it's my go to bread when i need something fast for breakfast/snack. just makes sure it's done cooking (may take longer than 45 min)- yeah. it's no fun when you cut into it & realize it's so not done. at all.

Cinnamon Quick Bread

You Need:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1-1/2 cups sugar, divided

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup buttermilk

1 egg

1/4 cup canola oil

3 teaspoons cinnamon

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine the flour, 1 cup sugar, baking soda and salt. Combine buttermilk, egg and oil; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. In a small bowl, combine cinnamon and remaining sugar.

Grease the bottom only of a 9-in. x 5-in. loaf pan. Pour half of the batter into pan; sprinkle with half of the cinnamon-sugar. Carefully spread with remaining batter and sprinkle with remaining cinnamon-sugar; cut through batter with a knife to swirl.

Bake at 350° for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely.

Mashed Potato Pancakes

2011-02-16T05:46:00.000-05:00

whenever i have leftover mashed potatoes, i start drooling when i think about making potato pancakes. they're so simple & good.

and i pretend they're good for me. because potato is a vegetable. right?

Mashed Potato Pancakes

You Need:

2 cups mashed potatoes

1 large egg (lightly beaten)

6-8 tblsp flour

1-2 tsp onion powder

salt & pepper (to taste)

oil/butter for frying

Directions:

In a medium bowl, whisk together the mashed potatoes and egg. Add the flour and onion powder and mix all together well. Add salt and pepper to batter if desired.

In a large skillet or on a griddle, heat vegetable oil/butter (i use both- about 3 tblsp or so) over medium-high heat. Dollop batter onto the heated surface in heaping tablespoons like pancakes). Flatten each dollop slightly with the spoon to create the cakes.

Cooking time = golden brown on each side. So eyeball it- anywhere from 2-4 minutes or so.

i like to eat them straight up- or with eggs over easy & cheese. or anything for that matter- they're awesome.

Enjoy!

Corn Pudding (Corn Bake)

2011-01-11T09:24:00.000-05:00

i adore corn pudding- which is odd for me because i'm usually not big on "pudding like texture" foods- but there's just something about this stuff. it's sweet & crunchy but smooth & silky- delish.

Corn Pudding

You Need:

2 11 oz cans of sweet corn- drained (or you can use fresh corn, cut from the cob)

1/3 c white sugar

1 tsp corse salt

1 tblsp flour

2 eggs (beaten)

1 cup milk

1 cup whipping cream

3 tblsp butter (melted)

1/2 tsp nutmeg

Directions: Pre-heat oven to 350 & butter (or spray with Pam) a 2 quart casserole dish

Put all of the ingredients (minus the corn) into a bowl & whisk together- stir in the corn.

Pour into the casserole dish & bake for 45 min - 1 hour (mine needed 1 hour)

It should be set & browned on top- test for doneness by inserting a knife into the middle of the casserole- it should come out clean.

Serve warm!

this will be soft- but should be set. it's like a custard- but better!

Three Cheese Pasta Bake

2011-01-02T06:35:00.000-05:00

my best friends came over to exchange Christmas gifts & i needed a semi-quick lunch. i didn't want regular mac & cheese & i was craving ricotta- so this was perfect!

Three Cheese Pasta Bake

You Need:

1 (16-ounce) package ziti (i used Rigatoni)
1 batch homemade Alfredo sauce (see recipe below)
1 (8-ounce) container sour cream
1 (15-ounce) container ricotta cheese
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley (i used 1 tblspn dried)
1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese
Directions: Pre-Heat oven to 350°

Prepare ziti (or whatever pasta you choose) according to package directions; drain and return to pot.

Stir together Alfredo sauce and sour cream; toss with ziti until evenly coated. Spoon half of mixture into a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish.

Stir together ricotta cheese and next 3 ingredients; spread evenly over pasta mixture in baking dish. Spoon remaining pasta mixture evenly over ricotta cheese layer; sprinkle evenly with mozzarella cheese.

Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until bubbly.

Homemade Alfredo Sauce (or go buy a jar!)

1 pint heavy cream

1 stick unsalted butter

1 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano (or 1 cup of Kraft Parm Cheese)

fresh cracked black pepper to taste

salt to taste

1 tsp nutmeg

Directions:

Heat heavy cream over low-medium heat . Add butter and whisk gently to melt. Add the nutmeg, salt & pepper- then sprinkle in cheese and stir to incorporate.

This makes a lot- so consider splitting it into 2 pans & freezing one! Enjoy!

Elvis Presley's Favorite Pound Cake (Pound Cake)

2011-01-01T14:22:00.000-05:00

i wanted a nice, sweet, moist & fluffy pound cake. this was PERFECTION. seriously- don't let the 7 eggs scare you. this cake is epic.

Elvis Presley's Favorite Pound Cake (Pound Cake)

You Need:

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened, plus additional for buttering pan

3 cups sifted cake flour (not self-rising; sift before measuring) plus additional for dusting

3/4 teaspoon salt

3 cups sugar

7 large eggs, at room temperature 30 minutes

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 cup heavy cream

Directions:

Put oven rack in middle position, but do not preheat oven.

Generously butter pan (10in Tube or Bundt Pan) and dust with flour, knocking out excess flour.

Sift together sifted flour (3 cups) and salt into a bowl. Repeat sifting into another bowl (flour will have been sifted 3 times total).

Beat together butter (2 sticks) and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes in a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment or 6 to 8 minutes with a handheld mixer.

Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in vanilla. Reduce speed to low and add half of flour, then all of cream, then remaining flour, mixing well after each addition. Scrape down side of bowl, then beat at medium-high speed 5 minutes. Batter will become creamier and satiny.

Spoon batter into pan and rap pan against work surface once or twice to eliminate air bubbles. Place pan in (cold) oven and turn oven temperature to 350°F.

Bake until golden and a wooden pick or skewer inserted in middle of cake comes out with a few crumbs adhering, 1 to 1 1/4 hours (mine was PERFECTLY cooked after 55 min)

Cool cake in pan on a rack 30 minutes. Run a thin knife around inner and outer edges of cake, then invert rack over pan and invert cake onto rack to cool completely.

try not to eat it all. or half of it....like i might have.

Flat & Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies (Christmas Edition)

2011-01-01T14:17:00.000-05:00

Flat & Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

i made several dozens of these for Christmas gifts- but this time i used Peppermint & Dark Chocolate Chips (thank you Toll House Limited Edition Chips!!!)

Delicious!

Peppermint Truffle Pie

2010-12-30T09:44:00.000-05:00

um- omg, right? the above picture should have you wiping your mouth. if it doesn't- you're not human. simple as that.

i found this recipe courtesy of Cheeky Kitchen & i simply HAD to try it. so i did- and it was awesome. it was rich enough that i nixed the chocolate ganache that the recipe calls for- but feel free to indulge- i think i just might next time. sinful.

Peppermint Truffle Pie

For the Pie:
2 tablespoons butter, melted
¼ cup crushed candy canes
1 deep dish pie crust
7 eggs
1 cup high-quality cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 ½ teaspoons peppermint extract

Directions:
Use a basting brush to spread a thin layer of butter around the edge of the pie crust. Sprinkle crushed candy canes on the buttered edge. Set aside.

Crack the eggs into a large bowl. With an electric mixer, beat in the cocoa powder, sugar, and peppermint extract until well mixed. Pour into pie crust.

Bake in an oven preheated to 375 degrees for 45-50 minutes, or until the center of the pie is set.

Cool before serving with easy ganache drizzle, fresh whipped cream, and crushed peppermint candy.

For the Ganache Drizzle:
1 cups heavy whipping cream
½ cup semisweet chocolate chips
Pour cream and chocolate chips into a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 60-90 seconds, then whisk together the mixture until smooth.

For the Fresh Whipped Cream & Garnish
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 cup powdered sugar
¼ cup crushed candy canes
In a large bowl, beat the cream with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar and beat just until incorporated. Serve atop cooled pie, sprinkle with crushed candy canes before serving.

Chocolate & Cream Cheese Crescent Rolls

2010-12-22T12:19:00.000-05:00

everyone loves Pillsbury Crescent Rolls- right? it's just the way it is.

i love them enough to doctor them up as often as i can.

this is one of my new favs- simple, yummy & good for breakfast or dessert.

Chocolate & Cream Cheese Crescent Rolls

You Need:

- 1 roll of Pillsbury Crescents

- mini chocolate chips

- cinnamon & sugar mix (i eyeball- but probably about 1/4 cup sugar + 1 tblsp cinnamon)

- cream cheese

Directions:

roll out the crescent rolls. spread some cinnamon & sugar mix on each one. place about 1 tblsp cream cheese on each crescent. sprinkle with mini chocolate chips:

carefully roll up & pinch (as you go) the crescent:

sprinkle the tops with a little cinnamon & sugar mix & pop on a few mini chips.

bake @ 375 for about 12 minutes (or as your oven goes)

let them cool for about 5 minutes & then try not to eat them all. that'd be gluttonous.

Easy Peasy & Delish!

i like to make these with cream cheese only or chocolate only or cinnamon & sugar only or even use different types of chips (milk, semi sweet, mint, cinnamon, peanut butter- etc etc)

there are way to many things you can do with crescent rolls & your imagination.

Heath Bar Cake

2010-12-06T18:08:00.001-05:00

oh. my. goodness.

this cake is awesome. and easy. perfection. loved by all. seriously.

i made it for the husband's birthday & he loved it. as did his parents, and his work & my work.

like i said- all.

Heath Bar Cake (also referred to as the Better Than Sex Cake)

You Need:

1 box Devil's Food Cake mix

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 jar caramel

1 container Cool Whip

4 Heath Bars

Directions:

Bake the Devil's Food Cake according to the package directions. Once the cake is done, allow to cool for 10-15 min. You can leave the cake in the pan or transfer it to a serving/carry dish (if you're going to transfer it make sure you grease/flour your baking pan REALLY well so that the cake comes right out & you don't end up with a pile of broken Devil's Food)

Poke holes all over the cake with a wooden spoon handle, fork- etc etc. whatever you've got (i used a chopstick)

Once the cake has been sufficiently stabbed- slowly pour the entire can of sweetened condensed milk over the cake. Then slowly pour about 3/4 of the jar of caramel over the top as well (i poured the caramel into a Pyrex measuring cup & heated it up for about 30 seconds)

it'll look scary wet- don't be scared. everything soaks in quite nicely.

pop the cake in the fridge overnight to let it all meld. you should REALLY make this cake the day before- the longer it soaks the better! i made it on a wed night & served it on a thursday night. 24 hours worth of soakage!

pull the cake out & clean off the edges of the serving platter (if you transferred it)- otherwise, no worries. cover the cake with the Cool Whip:

then break up the Heath Bars & pop them into the food processor:

chop & pulse until you get a nice sprinkling consistency.

then sprinkle the cake with the Heath Bar bits.

Keep the cake refrigerated until you're ready to serve. Then try not to eat an inappropriate amount.

Crock Pot Beef Stew

2010-12-06T09:17:00.001-05:00

easy peasy.

Crock Pot Beef Stew

You Need:

1 1/2 lb stew chunks

1/2 cup wine (red)

1 can tomato soup

1 can beef consomme

1 can cream of celery

4 medium/large potatoes (cut into chunks)

1 tblsp onion powder

2 tsp garlic

1 tsp thyme

2 bay leaves

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

2 tsp Kosher salt

3 tsp sugar

2 beef bouillon cubes

1 can corn

2 cans water

To thicken: (do not add till after the stew is done)

cornstarch/water

Directions:

get everything together (potatoes cut up, liquids measured out- etc etc)

toss the meat into a skillet with some oil & the garlic & sear it:

it'll take all of 3-5 minutes. then remove the pan from the heat.

now everything can go into the crock pot.

potatoes, meat, corn, seasonings, b cubes, liquid- all of it.

give it a stir & cook on low for 8-10 hours.

once the meat is tender (8-10 hours in) and everything smells awesome, it's time to thicken up your stew.

some people like flour- but i hate lumps & i use cornstarch.

i eyeball it- so use as much or as little as you want to reach your desired thickness.

i like to start with about 2 tblsp & i mix it with just enough water to dissolve the cornstarch- i then slowly stir it into the stew.

i give it a few minutes, see how thick it is & go from there.

like i said- it's your preference.

once you've got it where you want it- ladle it out & server with some crusty bread.

perfect!

FYI: i'm not a huge fan of tomato based beef stew- so i ended up draining about 3 cups of liquid from the finished stew & replacing it with water (and a little extra salt & an extra boullion cube)

this worked for me- but lots of people DO like tomato based stew. so yeah- whatever you like. i think next time i'll use 1/2 can tomato soup & see how that goes.

Marie-Helene's Apple Cake (French Apple Cake)

2010-11-27T09:36:00.000-05:00

Marie-Helene's Apple Cake (French Apple Cake)

recipe courtesy of Dorie Greenspan's Around My French Table

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powderPinch of salt
4 large apples (use 4 different kinds-I used Honeycrisp, Fuji, Cortland, and Granny Smith)
2 large eggs3/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons dark rum
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1. Preheat the oven to 350º and center a rack in the oven. Heavily butter an 8 or 9 inch springform pan (i used a 9 inch). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and put the springform pan on it. Set aside.

2. Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a small bowl.

3. Peel the apples, cut them in half, and remove the cores. Cut the apples into 1 to 2 inch chunks:

4. In a medium bowl, beat the eggs with a whisk until foamy. Pour in the sugar and whisk until smooth. Whisk in the rum and vanilla.

(the husband insisted i make you aware of the rum he "allowed" me to use- whatever. it's just rum) Whisk in half of the flour mixture, when it’s incorporated, add half of the melted butter, followed by the remaining flour mixture and butter. Mix in between additions so you have a smooth, thick batter.

5. Fold in the apples with a rubber spatula. Pour batter into prepared pan. Spread with spatula so the batter is somewhat even:

6. Slide the pan in the oven and bake 50-60 minutes (50 min was perfect in my oven), or until the top of the cake is golden brown and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer to a cooling rack and cool for five minutes.

7. Run a knife around the edges of the cake and remove the side of the spring-form pan (remove the sides slowly & make sure there are no apples stuck to it). Cool cake until slightly warm or at room temperature. If you want to remove the cake from the pan, wait until the cake is completely cooled. Slide a long spatula between the cake and pan, cover the top of the cake with a piece of parchment or wax paper, and invert it onto a rack. Carefully remove the bottom of the pan and turn the cake over onto a serving platter.

You can serve this cake at room temp or warm with whipped cream or a simple vanilla or cinnamon ice cream. I tried it with both- i can't decide which i prefer!

This cake will keep for about 2-3 days at room temp (or in the fridge). It's really moist so it's best not to cover it with plastic wrap- use wax paper or keep in a cake dish.

Baked Pumpkin Donuts

2010-11-25T10:14:00.000-05:00

Baked Pumpkin Donuts (adapted from Cheeky Kitchen)

You Need:

3 1/2 cups all purpose flour*

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

1 cup sugar

6 tablespoons butter softened

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

1/2 cup buttermilk**

1 cup pumpkin puree

Directions:

- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, spice and sugar.

- Whisk together all of the remaining ingredients in a second, medium bowl.

- Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, and stir them around the bowl until the mixture is well combined.

- Turn out onto a lightly floured surface, rolling the donut dough to approximately 3/4" thick, then cut with donut cutter.

- Transfer to a lightly greased cookie sheet.

- Bake in an oven preheated to 400 degrees for 12-15 minutes, or just until the donuts are cooked through. (mine needed 13 min)

- Dip immediately into buttermilk glaze.

Eat warm & enjoy!

Glaze:***

You Need:

3 cups powdered sugar

1/2 cup buttermilk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

- Whisk together in a small bowl until smooth

* i ended up needing an addtl 3/4 cup flour PLUS a heavily floured surface. i had to flour the counter, the rolling pin, my hands, the dough- etc etc. without the addtl flour the dough was just a sticky mess. so i'd start with the 3 1/2 cups & see what you get. you'll know if you need more - you simply won't be able to work with the dough at ALL. just flour it up until it's workable.

** i used powdered Buttermilk (you can find it in the baking section)

*** i only made 1/2 a batch of the glaze & it was just enough.