Strawberry Bread

i had some strawberries that were on the verge of being throwaway-able so i searched high & low & finally came across an awesome recipe- thank you Joy Of Baking!

Strawberry Bread

1/2 cup unsalted butter

3/4 cup granulated white sugar

3 large eggs

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup sour cream or plain yogurt

1/2 cup toasted walnuts or pecans, coarsely chopped* (optional- i left them out)

1 1/2 cups chopped fresh strawberries

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) and place the oven rack in the middle position. Butter and flour (or spray with a non stick vegetable/flour spray) the bottom and sides of an 8-cup loaf pan (9 x 5 x 3 inch) (23 x 13 x 8 cm). Set aside.

*(Place the walnuts (or pecans) on a baking sheet and bake for about 8 minutes or until brown and fragrant. Remove from oven and let cool completely before chopping coarsely. Set aside.)

In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter until softened (about 1 minute). Add the sugar and continue to beat until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla extract. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and ground cinnamon. With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture (in three additions) and sour cream (in two additions) alternately, starting and ending with the flour. Mix only until combined.

Gently fold in the chopped strawberries and walnuts*

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan*

(i sprinkled the top with some raw sugar)*

and bake an hour to an hour & 20 min, or until the bread is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Place on a wire rack to cool and then remove the bread from the pan. Serve warm or at room temperature. This bread can be frozen.

Makes 1 loaf.

Enjoy & God Bless!

Red Velvet Whoopie Pies

i got these from Annie's Eats: go there for way prettier pictures (heh) i'm still cameraless :(



Red Velvet Whoopie Pies:

For the cookies:
2 cups ap flour
2 tbsp. cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
8 tbsp unsalted butter (softened)
1 cup light brown sugar (packed)
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 oz red food coloring


For the frosting:
8 oz cream cheese
5 tbsp unsalted butter (softened)
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups confection sugar (sifted)


Preheat oven to 375

Using a heart template cut out from card stock, trace evenly spaced hearts onto pieces of parchment paper sized to fit two cookie sheets. Place the parchment on the cookie sheets so that the side you have drawn on is facing down; set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and brown sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the egg until incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Blend in the vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, beat in about a third of the dry ingredients, followed by half of the buttermilk, beating each addition just until incorporated. Repeat so that all the buttermilk has been added and then mix in the final third of dry ingredients. Do not overbeat. Blend in the food coloring.

Transfer the batter to a pastry bag fitted with a large plain round tip (or no tip- just cut the end off a plastic pastry bag). Pipe the batter onto the parchment paper using the heart tracings as a guide.

Bake 7-9 minutes or until the tops are set, rotating the baking sheets halfway through. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets at least 10 minutes, until they can be easily transferred to a cooling rack. Repeat with any remaining batter. Allow cookies to cool completely before proceeding.

To make the cream cheese frosting, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment beat the cream cheese and butter on medium-high speed until well combined and smooth, about 2-3 minutes. Mix in the vanilla extract. Gradually beat in the confectioners’ sugar until totally incorporated, increase the speed and then beat until smooth.

Transfer the frosting to a clean pastry bag fitted with a plain, round tip. Pair the cookies up by shape and size.

Flip one cookie of each pair over so that the flat side is facing up (or both- heh)

Pipe frosting onto the flat-sided cookie of each pair, leaving the edges clear. Sandwich the cookies together so the flat sides are facing each other and press gently to help the filling reach the edges. To store, refrigerate

p.s. maybe it was me- but i found that the frosting recipe could have been cut in half & still made plenty. the cake recipe made about 40 whoopies (20 cakes) and i still had to double up on the frosting. i thin i'll actually double the cake recipe next time & use the same amount of frosting!

Cookie Dough Truffles

these were super easy to make & a huge hit at work (personally, i dislike them- but i'm not a fan of cookie dough or overly sweet things)
good news: no raw eggs- super!

excuse the crap pics- i'm still without my D90 ::sob::

Cookie Dough Truffles:
(adapted from taste of home)
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 1/4 cup ap flour
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup mini semisweet choc chips
1 1/2 lbs semisweet choc candy coating (or choc chips) chopped


In a mixing bow, cream te butter & brown sugar until light & fluggy. Add the flour, sweetened condensed milk & vanilla; mix well. Stire in the mini choc chips. Shape into 1 inch ball; place on waxed paper-lined baking sheets. Loosely cover & place in freezer for 1-3 hours (until very firm)


Melt the chocolate in a double boiler (or in the microwave per directions) stirring until smooth. Dip the balls into the chocolate & place on waxed paper lined baking sheets.


Refrigerate until firm (about 15 min or so) and melt addtl choc coating & drizzle over truffles (or use choc chips, white choc, sprinkles- etc)
Store in fridge.
you'll get about 5 dozen or so!

Sausage and Peppers

i wanted fair food the other night- and everyone knows sausage & peppers = fair food! so here you go.


Sausage & Peppers

You Need:

1 package sweet italian sausage
1 green pepper
1 jar roasted red peppers
basil
onion powder
veg oil (for frying)
vermouth (optional for de-glazing)

cut up the green & red peppers into strips:

p.s. i only used 1 roasted red pepper

add veg oil to a frying pan & cook the sausage- i cooked it for about 8-10 minutes (the sausage will start to split & the juice will run clear)- i then poured in about 1/4 cup Vermouth to deglaze the pan. remove the sausage.

then- add a little more oil and throw in the peppers. season to taste with the onion powder & basil (i use about 1 tblsp onion powder & i tsp basil- however if you like onions then you can just use onions- like 1 small one)

cook until the green peppers are soft (about 5-8 min)

turn off the heat- slice open your buns- pop in a sausage & some peppers & serve!

YUM!

p.p.s. i don't like peppers either so i skipped them on mine- well a few roasted red ones but that's it!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

sorry- no picture this time around. i forgot & when i thought about it- they were already gone.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
1 2/3 cup(s) flour
1 cup(s) sugar
1 tablespoon(s) pumpkin-pie spice
1 teaspoon(s) baking soda
1/4 teaspoon(s) baking powder
1/4 teaspoon(s) salt
1 cup(s) semisweet chocolate chips
2 large eggs
1 cup(s) (do not use pumpkin-pie filling) canned solid-pack pumpkin
1/2 cup(s) (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
turbinado sugar (or any raw sugar)


Preheat oven to 350º.
Line a 12-cup muffin pan with muffin cups; spray liners lightly with nonstick cooking spray.

In large bowl, mix first six ingredients; add chocolate chips, tossing to coat.
In another small bowl, whisk together remaining ingredients; add to flour mixture and stir just until combined (do not overmix).
Fill each muffin cup about two-thirds full.
Sprinkle the tops with 1/2 tsp of raw sugar
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until muffins spring back when lightly touched.
Cool muffins on rack

Enjoy! (makes about 15 muffins)

CousCous with Chicken, Corn & Roasted Red Peppers

CousCous with Chicken, Corn & Roasted Red Peppers

1 box CousCous (i used Tosted Pine Nut)

chicken stock (instead of the water for the couscous)

1 package pre cooked chicken (cut into small pieces)

1/4 cup roasted red peppers (cut into small pieces)

1 can corn (drained)

to taste:

butter

garlic

sea salt

onion powder

basil

toasted sesame seeds

in a large saucepan, brown the chicken with the butter & seasonings (to taste)- for the last minute or so, toss in the red peppers & the corn.

Mix the chicken, corn & peppers with the cous cous & serve.

Enjoy!

p.s. i like to shake some sesame seeds over the top- gives it a little crunch!

Sausage & Gnocchi with Roasted Red Peppers & Capers

Sausage & Gnocchi with Roasted Red Peppers & Capers

1 lb sweet italian sausage

olive oil (for browning)

2 cloves garlic- minced

pinch red pepper flakes

1 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 package Gnocchi

1/4 cup roasted red peppers (chopped)

1 cup beef broth

1/2 cup Vermouth

capers

Extra Sauce (if desired)

1 cup beef broth

cornstarch

Directions:

remove the sausage from it's casings & break into bite sized chunks.

in a large saucepan, add the olive oil (about 3 tblsp), garlic, salt, onion powder & red pepper flakes. turn the heat on low & let the pan heat up- once heated, toss in the sausage & cook until well browned.

once browned, de-glaze the pan with the vermouth (scrape all the yummy bits off the bottom) then add the beef broth, peppers & capers- turn the heat up to medium & reduce the liquid to about 1/2 or so.

once reduced it'll start thickening up quite nicely. you can go ahead & turn off the heat & cover the pan.

cook the gnocchi per the package intructions & drain.

toss with the pasta & sauce & serve.

p.s. i made this on Sunday in prep for Tuesday's dinner- when i re-heated the sausage/sauce i needed more. so i threw in the extra 1 cup of beef broth & thickened it up with a little cornstarch- perfect!

Enjoy!

p.p.s. this is awesome topped with some grated parmesean or other cheese!