Bake - a - holic

Superbowl!

2012-01-31T08:15:00.002-07:00

Superbowl Sunday is coming up on February 5th, so here are some fun and unique appetizers from around the web to get your creative juices flowing!

Greek 7 Layer Dip

A fun and delicious twist on the traditional 7 layer dip!

Source: Closet Cooking

Greek 7-Layer Dip
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups hummus
1 cup tzatziki (cucumber yogurt dip)
1 cup tomato (diced and mixed with 1 tablesoon lemon juice and 1/2 teaspoon oregano)
1/2 cup cucumber (cut into small pieces)
1/4 cup red onions (diced)
1/4 cup feta (crumbled)
1/4 cup kalamata olives (pitted and coarsely chopped)
1 handful mint (chopped)
4 whole wheat pitas (cut into triangles and toasted until just crispy)

Directions:
1. Assemble dip starting with the hummus and stacking each ingredient on top of the last

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Bacon Wrapped Tater Tots
A tater tot, wrapped in bacon? Yes, please! If only to see the curious looks of guests as they ask what these are and eagerly try one!

Source: Recipegirl.com

Some funky, but tasty variations

Bacon Wrapped Tater Tots

Yield: 24 appetizers

Prep Time: 25 min

Cook Time: 15 min

Yield: 24 appetizers

ingredients:

24 tater tots, partially defrosted (about 15 minutes at room temperature)
12 strips of center-cut bacon, cut in half
24 small chunks of sharp cheddar cheese (1/2-inch x 1/4-inch)
Tabasco sauce
toothpicks

directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or spray with nonstick spray.

Lay a piece of bacon on a flat surface. Place a tater tot on top. Using a sharp knife, gently cut a slit down the center of the tater tot. Wiggle a piece of cheese into the slit. Sprinkle Tabasco sauce on top. Wrap bacon tightly around the stuffed tater tot and secure with a toothpick.

Bake 15 minutes, or until they appear to be cooked through and the bacon is crispy. Serve immediately.

tips:

*Tater tots are found in the frozen section- Ore Ida makes them.
*Variations: add a piece of pickle on top of the cheese. Roll the bacon-wrapped tater tot in brown sugar before baking to add a little sweet flavor to this (my favorite way to make these)- just make sure you don’t over-bake them though or the sugar will make them burn. Or try replacing the cheddar cheese with cream cheese and a piece of pepperoncini.
*Make ahead tip: Assemble these a few hours ahead, place them on a baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap and bake when ready.
*Try serving them up with a spicy sour cream dip- sour cream mixed with a little bit of Tabasco sauce.

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Buffalo Chicken Dip
Always a hit! And you can make this as spicy was you want.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

Allrecipes.com

Ingredients

3 cups cooked chicken, shredded

2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

1 cup Ranch or blue cheese dressing

1 cup pepper sauce (such as Frank's Red Hot®)

1 1/2 cups freshly grated Cheddar cheese

1 bunch celery, cleaned and cut into 4 inch pieces

1 (8 ounce) box chicken-flavored crackers

Directions

Heat chicken and hot sauce in a skillet over medium heat, until heated through. Stir in cream cheese and dressing. Cook, stirring until well blended and warm. Mix in half of the shredded cheese, and transfer the mixture to an 8 x 8 baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top, bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Serve with celery sticks and crackers.

You can transfer this mix to a crockpot to keep it warm if needed.

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Soft Pretzel Bites

This is one of the most popular recipes on twopeasandtheirpod. A bit of work, but well worth the effort.

twopeasandtheirpod.com

Homemade Soft Pretzel Bites
Soft Pretzels:
1 1/2 cups warm water
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 package active dry yeast
3 ounces unsalted butter, melted
2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
4 1/2 to 5 cups all-purpose flour
Vegetable oil
3 quarts water
3/4 cup baking soda
1 whole egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon cold water
Coarse sea salt

For the cheese sauce:
½ Tablespoon unsalted butter
½ Tablespoon all-purpose flour
½ cup milk
8 ounces Cheddar cheese, grated
directions:

For the Pretzels: Combine the water, sugar, yeast, and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix with the dough hook until combined. Let sit for 5 minutes.

Add the salt and flour and mix on low speed until combined. Increase the speed to medium and continue kneading until the dough is smooth and begins to pull away from the side of the bowl, about 3 to 4 minutes. If the dough appears too wet, add additional flour, 1 tablespoon at a time. Remove the dough from the bowl, place on a flat surface and knead into a ball with your hands.

Oil a bowl with vegetable oil, add the dough and turn to coat with the oil. Cover with a clean towel or plastic wrap and place in a warm spot until the dough doubles in size, about 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Bring the water to a boil in a small roasting pan over high heat and add the baking soda.

Remove the dough from the bowl and place on a flat surface. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces, about 4 1/4 to 4 1/2 ounces each. Roll each piece into a long rope measuring 22 inches and shape. Cut the dough into one inch pieces to make the pretzel bites. Boil the pretzel bites in the water solution in batches. We did about 15 bites at a time. Boil for about 30 seconds. Remove with a large slotted spoon. Place pretzel bites on a baking sheet that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Make sure they are not touching. Brush the tops with the egg wash and season liberally with the salt. Place into the oven and bake for 15 to 18 minutes until golden brown.

Remove to a baking rack and let rest 5 minutes before eating. Serve with cheese sauce.

To make the cheese sauce:
Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and cook 1 minute. Whisk in the milk and cook until slightly thickened. Remove from heat and stir in the Cheddar cheese until smooth and all of the cheese is melted. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

*If you want to make cinnamon and sugar pretzel bites-instead of adding salt, sprinkle the bites with cinnamon and sugar. For the frosting mix-soft cream cheese-about 3 T, powdered sugar, a teaspoon of vanilla extract, and a little bit of milk. Whisk together. Add more milk if it is too thick, if it is too thin, add more powdered sugar. I don't measure. I just guess until the consistency is right.*

Recipe makes a lot of bites-perfect for sharing!

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Chicken Enchilada Roll-Ups

These are a nice change up from the usual white tortillas smeared with cream cheese and filled with turkey and lettuce. Make plenty, they'll go fast!

annies-eats.com

Chicken Enchilada Dip Roll-Ups
Ingredients:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
2/3 cup shredded cheese (cheddar, Mexican blend, pepper jack, etc.)
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
2 tsp. chili powder
½ tsp. cumin
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
Salt, to taste
Handful of cilantro, chopped
3 green onions, chopped
10 oz. can diced tomatoes with green chiles, drained well
4-6 8-inch tortillas

Directions:
Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Cook in a skillet over medium-high heat until lightly browned and cooked through. Transfer to a plate and let cool.

In the meantime, combine all of the remaining ingredients except tortillas in a large mixing bowl. Mix until well blended. Once the chicken is cool, transfer to a cutting board and chop or shred into small pieces. Add the chicken to the filling mixture and stir well to incorporate.

Spread a thin layer of the filling mixture over a tortilla, leaving a small border clear around the edge. Roll the tortilla up tightly into a spiral. Place the rolled up tortilla on a cutting board and use a sharp knife to cut into 1- to 1½-inch thick segments. Transfer to a serving platter and serve chilled or at room temperature.

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Pizza Dip

Does this look tasty or what?! Everything you love about a hot pizza served in dip form. Yowzers!

Source: Closet Cooking

Pizza DipIngredients

4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

1/4 cup sour cream

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup mozzarella, grated

1/4 cup parmigiano reggiano (parmesan), grated

1 cup pizza sauce

1/2 cup mozzarella, shredded/grated

1/4 cup parmigiano reggiano (parmesan), grated

2 ounces pepperoni, sliced

2 tablespoons green pepper, sliced

2 tablespoons black olives, sliced

Directions

Mix the cream cheese, sour cream mayonnaise, mozzarella and parmigiano reggiano and spread it across the bottom of a pie plate.

Spread the pizza sauce on top and sprinkle on the cheese, pepperoni, green pepper and olives.

Bake in a preheated 350F oven until the cheese has melted, bubbling and golden brown, about 20 minutes.

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More Dips:

Caramelized Onion Dip: Saute 1 large minced onion in oil until a rich, golden brown. Cool to room temperature, then stir into 1 cup of sour cream. Season with salt and pepper.

Roasted Red Pepper-Almond Dip: In a food processor, combine 1 cup roasted red peppers (fresh or jarred, rinsed and drained), 1 small peeled and seeded plum tomato, 1/4 cup natural almonds, 1 garlic clove, 2 tablespoons olive oil, and 1 teaspoon paprika and puree until smooth. Season with salt.

Greek Yukon Gold Dip: Boil 1 pound peeled and sliced Yukon gold potatoes along with 6 garlic cloves until the potatoes are tender. Mash potatoes and garlic with a potato masher along with 1/2 cup Greek yogurt and 1/4 cup olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.

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Sausage and Cheddar Pinwheels

Source: Stolenmomentscooking.com

Buttery pastry crust, salty sausage and cheese...now that's a winning combination!

Sausage and Cheddar Pinwheels
3 c. flour
1 T. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1/2 c. butter or margarine, cut into pieces
1/3 – 1/2 c. milk
1 lb. bulk pork sausage, cooked, drained and crumbled small
2 c. cheddar cheese, shredded

In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Cut in butter or margarine until crumbly. Add milk as need until a soft but not sticky dough forms. Knead dough one minute.

Divide dough in half and roll out. Top with a layer of sausage and a layer of cheese. Roll up jelly roll style and slice into pieces, about an inch thick. Place onto a cookie sheet lined with foil and greased. Repeat with second batch. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 – 18 minutes, until golden brown.

Soft Frosted Sugar Cookies

2012-01-28T12:43:00.000-07:00

These frosted sugar cookies are reminiscent of the soft Loft House cookies you buy at the grocery store. They're a guilty little pleasure that you can't help but snack on (all day long, if you're me).

I love that these cookies are thick and soft! They remind me of gourmet bakery cookies. They're also fabulous because you don't have to roll them out! Big time saver. Dough balls are pressed flat with the bottom of a cup and then baked. Really simple. I cut a few hearts out of some of the pressed dough, just for fun. These would be great for Valentine's Day or to give to neighbors and friends. The frosting is on the sweet side, but still really tasty and like I mentioned above, very similar to the Loft House cookies (but much better, of course).

These are great, simple cookies you can whip up anytime. Bake some today, you (and your loved ones) will be glad you did!

I halved the recipe below since I was making them for only three of us. My half recipe measurements are in pink.

Soft Frosted Sugar Cookies

Inspired By: Annie-Eats.com
Yield: about 2 dozen large cookies

For the cookies:
4½ cups all-purpose flour ( 2 1/4 cups)
4½ tsp. baking powder (2 1/4 teaspoons)
¾ tsp. salt (rounded 1/4 teaspoon)
1½ cups (3 sticks) butter, at room temperature (1 1/2 Sticks)
1½ cups sugar (3/4 cup)
3 large eggs (1 whole egg, plus 1 yolk)
5 tsp. vanilla extract (3 teaspoons)

For the frosting:
5 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted (2 1/2 cups)
1/3 cup (5 1/3 tbsp.) unsalted butter, melted (3 Tablespoons)
1 tbsp. vanilla extract (2 teaspoons)
7-8 tbsp. milk (plus more, as needed) (3-4 Tablespoons)
Food coloring (optional)
Sprinkles (optional)

Directions:
To make the cookies, preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt, and whisk together to blend. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the butter and sugar and beat together on medium-high speed until soft and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition and scraping down the bowl as needed. Blend in the vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, add in the dry ingredients mixing just until incorporated and evenly mixed. Cover and chill the dough for 1 hour.*

When you are ready to bake the cookies, scoop a scant quarter cup of dough and roll into a ball. Flatten the ball slightly and place on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough, spacing the cookies at least 2-3 inches apart. Bake about 10-12 minutes or just until set. (Do not overbake! The edges should be no more than very lightly browned if at all.) Let cool on the baking sheet for several minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

To frost the cookies, place the confectioners’ sugar in a medium bowl. Add the melted butter, vanilla, and milk to the bowl and whisk until smooth. Whisk in additional milk as necessary, 1 teaspoon at a time, until you reach your desired consistency. Tint with food coloring if desired. Use an offset spatula or spoon to frost the cooled cookies. (If the frosting begins to thicken as you decorate, just continue to whisk in small amounts of milk to keep it workable.) Top with sprinkles if desired. Store in an airtight container.

* My dough was thick, so I skipped chilling it and just baked them. They baked up nice and fluffy and didn't spread.

** These don't stack well. The frosting sets up, but it gets a little smashed when stacked.

Jersey-Style Tuna Melts

2012-01-23T08:04:00.003-07:00

These tuna melts are warm heavenly goodness. A delicious twist on a comforting classic. I've made them three times in the last week, and I could eat another right now!

So let's assemble the ingredients!
Chunk tuna, finely diced onion, fresh parsley, red wine vinegar, diced pickles or celery, tomatoes, cheddar and of course, bread, tuna and mayo.

The tuna mixture gets a nice punch from the diced pickles, onions, red wine vinegar and parsley. Trust me, all these flavors and textures work wonderful together. And of course, the mayo brings everything together in all of it's creamy goodness.

Layer the yummy tuna mixture on top of toasted bread. Top with cheese and tomatoes and more cheese and broil until the tuna is heated through and the cheese is nice and melted.

These look and smell so wonderful as they're pulled out of the oven. Drool.

Cut them in half on the diagonal and serve with chips, pickle slices or....

....a hot bowl of tomato soup. So good!

Tuna Melts
slightly adapted from allrecipes
2 (6 ounce) cans solid white tuna in
water, drained
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup finely chopped celery or pickle*
1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped onion**
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
3/4 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1 pinch salt
1 pinch freshly ground black pepper
4 slices seedless rye bread or thick white bread***
8 slices ripe tomato
8 slices Swiss cheese (I used cheddar)
paprika, for garnish

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat the oven broiler on low.
2. In a bowl, mix the tuna, mayonnaise, celery or pickles, onion, parsley, and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Place the bread slices on a baking sheet, and broil 1 minute on each side in the preheated oven, until lightly toasted. Remove from heat, and spread with the tuna salad. Place 1 cheese slice over the tuna salad on each piece of bread, layer with a tomato slice, and top with remaining cheese slices.
4. Return layered bread to the preheated oven, and broil 3 to 5 minutes, until cheese is melted.****

* I used pickle for an extra salty kick and because that's how my mom always made them.
** I was a little afraid of the onion, but it really amped up the flavor without being overpowering. I really enjoyed the addition of onion in these.
*** Make sure to toast both sides of the bread so you don't end up with a soggy side. I used white bread, because that's what sounded good to me at the time.
**** Broil these on low on the middle rack so the edges of the bread don't burn.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Brownies!

2012-01-18T12:02:00.002-07:00

Cookie dough lovers rejoice! These fudgy brownies, topped with a layer of egg free chocolate chip cookie dough are simply amazing. They are my new favorite treat.

These bars pretty easy to make. They start with a homemade brownie batter.

Once they bake, cool them completely.

Then spread homemade chocolate chip cookie dough (egg free!) on top of the brownies. I couldn't really spread the dough, so I patted it into disks and then pressed it together on top of the brownies.

This glorious mixture goes into the refrigerator for an hour to setup.

Then just cut and enjoy!

My family loved these and I had plenty of extras, so I shared them with the neighbors and they loved them too!

chocolate chip cookie dough brownies

Source: RecipeGirl.com

BROWNIE:
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
1 cup butter, at room temperature
2 cups light brown sugar, packed
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour

COOKIE DOUGH (EGG FREE!):
3/4 cup butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
3/4 cup granulated white sugar
3 Tablespoons milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups mini chocolate chips
1/2 cup semisweet chips + 1 teaspoon shortening for drizzle, optional

Directions:

Prepare the brownies: Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Spray a 9x13-inch pan with nonstick spray. In a medium glass bowl, melt chocolate in the microwave in short bursts of 30 seconds; stir after each burst and remove from microwave when melted and smooth. Set aside to cool slightly. In a large mixing bowl, mix butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer. Beat in eggs and vanilla extract. Mix in melted chocolate. Blend in flour and mix just until combined (don't over-mix). Spread batter into prepared pan. Bake 25 to 35 minutes*. Watch closely and remove from oven when toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool completely.

Prepare the cookie dough: In a medium bowl, use an electric mixer to combine butter, brown sugar and white sugar. Mix in milk and vanilla. Mix in flour just until combined. Stir in chocolate chips.

Spread cookie dough over the cooled brownies. Refrigerate until the dough is quite firm. It's okay to speed up the process and place it in the freezer too. The firmer the dough, the easier it will be to cut into neat squares. Use a sharp knife to cut the brownies. You may need to wipe the knife off with a paper towel in between cuts since the fudgy brownies and cookie dough will tend to stick to the knife a bit. These brownies are best to serve placed inside cupcake papers and served with a fork.

If you'd like to add chocolate drizzle on top, melt 1/2 cup chocolate chips with 1 teaspoon of shortening in the microwave; stir until smooth. Scoop the melted chocolate into a zip baggie and snip off the corner. Squeeze the bag to drizzle the chocolate on top of each brownie. Sprinkle additional chocolate chips on top, if desired.

* These took longer to bake then the stated time. More like 30-40 minutes. Start checking them for doneness around 30 minutes and then give the pan a slight shake ( with an oven mit on of course). If they jiggle, check them every 5 minutes or so. Once they longer jiggle and a tooth pick comes out almost clean, they're done. They'll finish cooking as they cool.
** The brownies do puff up fairly high, but will settle once they cool and then you can press them down further when you add the cookie dough on top.
*** The cookie dough topping will have the texture of regular cookie dough, so be sure to beat your sugar and butter really well until light and fluffy. Also, let the vanilla and milk beat in for a few minutes. This will help the slight grittiness from the sugar.
**** I'm not sure if packaged brownie mix would work for these, but if you do go that route, stick with fudgy, thin brownies so you don't end up with monster tall bars.

Grapefruit Cupcakes!

2012-01-09T12:44:00.000-07:00

These cute little cupcakes have a tender, moist crumb and a fun grapefruit flavor. They would be perfect for a brunch or tea!

I had bowl full of delicious, juicy ruby red grapefruits from Trader Joe's. After taking one bite, I knew I had to bake something with them. I happened upon this cupcake recipe when I was blog surfing and had everything on hand, so I decided to whip some up.

I tinted the batter pink to give it more of a ruby red appearance. Plus, my little girls love the color pink!

These cupcakes puff up with a nice even top, but not the typical dome shape you would expect for a cupcake. Which is fine for these, since they get glazed instead of frosted.

I had some extra time, so I played around the cupcakes and grapefruit. He he.

I'm a dork.

They bake up super soft and fluffy. I loved the texture when biting into one of these.

These are simple looking, but also pretty and dainty. They would be cute in mini sizes too. Especially for brunch alongside a frittata and some fruit.

These tasted the best after the cupcake was completely cool and the glaze had time to set up. I tried one when it was slightly warm and I tossed some glaze on top just to taste it. I also had one about an hour later and that one was delicious. The grapefruit glaze really makes the flavor pop!

If you have some ripe grapefruits sitting around, make some of these. You'll be pleasantly surprised!

Pink Grapefruit Cupcakes
Inspired by completelydelicious.com
Makes 8 cupcakes

1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup (115 grams) sugar
1 large egg
1/4 cup (2 fluid ounces) whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup (124 grams) all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons (4 grams) baking powder
1/2 teaspoon (2 grams) salt
1 tablespoon grapefruit zest

For the icing:
1/2 cup (50 grams) powdered sugar, sifted
1 tablespoon grapefruit zest
2 tablespoons grapefruit juice

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a muffin pan with paper liners or grease with non-stick cooking spray.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar until light and creamy, about 3-4 minutes. Add the egg and mix until incorporated. Add the milk and vanilla extract and mix until combined.

In another bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and grapefruit zest. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Batter will be thick.

Spoon into the prepared muffin pan, filling each cup about 2/3 full. Bake until golden and a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean, about 12-14 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the icing, combine the powdered sugar, grapefruit zest, and grapefruit juice until smooth and there are no lumps. Add more juice if necessary to achieve desired consistency. Spoon onto the cooled cupcakes and let sit for a few minutes to firm up before serving.

Store cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

In Season this month!

2012-01-09T10:15:00.000-07:00

Here is a list of food items that are at the peak of their flavor right now! Next time you hit the grocery store, make sure to toss a few of these items in your cart.

VEGETABLES
broccoli, broccolini, brussels sprouts, butternut squash, cabbage, celery root, collards, fennel, kale, leeks, mache (salad green), parsnip, potatoes, rutabaga (yellow turnip), sweet potatoes, turnips

FRUITgrapefruit, kiwi, blood oranges, oranges, tangerines

SEA FOOD

clams, mussels, oysters, sea bass, cockles

Italian Pot Roast

2012-01-07T05:00:00.002-07:00

I liked the simplicity and ease of this recipe and nothing beats a tender and flavorful roast and veggies simmering all day in a crock pot. I'll definitely make this again!

I browned the roast on all sides before adding it to the crock pot. I also tossed the cut carrots, potatoes and mushrooms (separately) in the pan just to add some of the beefy flavor to the outsides. The meat, veggies, tomato paste, rosemary and fresh garlic all went in the crock pot and all those flavors simmering made the house smell wonderful!

The sauce is a mixture of flour, balsamic vinegar and tomato paste. That's it! You salt and pepper the meat and veggies, but the tomato mixture is all that flavors the meat and it turns out delicious!

Here are the potatoes I tossed in the beef pan. No reason to do this really. It's just as tasty putting the raw meat and veggies in the crock pot and letting the crock pot do all the work.

No liquid is added to this, so I figured the mushrooms and carrots and meat would render enough liquid to cook all the ingredients and make a nice sauce. They did, and you have just the right amount of gravy to spoon over the meat and veggies before serving.

I didn't get the best shot of the pot roast fresh from the crock pot, but believe me, it was really tasty!

ITALIAN POT ROAST WITH POTATOES and CARROTS
Rachaelraymag.com

INGREDIENTS:
1/4 cup tomato paste
2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp. flour
2 1/2 lbs. beef chuck roast, tied
Salt and pepper
1 lb. carrots, cut on an angle into thick pieces
1 lb. small red-skinned potatoes
8 oz. small mushrooms
6 cloves garlic, halved
1 sprig rosemary

DIRECTIONS:
In a 5- to 6-qt. slow cooker, stir together the tomato paste, vinegar and flour until blended. Season the beef generously on all sides with salt and pepper, then add to the slow cooker and turn to coat. Scatter the carrots, potatoes, mushrooms, garlic and rosemary around the meat; season generously with salt and pepper. Cook on low heat until the meat is tender, about 8 hours.

Discard the rosemary. Transfer the meat to a cutting board and thinly slice. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the vegetables to a platter. If desired, transfer the cooking juices to a saucepan and reduce slightly to make a sauce.

The Best Coffee Cake Ever!

2012-01-06T11:47:00.001-07:00

This recipe for delicious coffee cake comes from the Pioneer Woman Blog. I wanted to make something sweet and simple for a friend that was coming over for coffee. I had everything on hand for this recipe and PW just raved about this coffee cake, so I knew I had to make this.

The cake part of this coffee cake is super fluffy and moist and the ample brown sugar and pecan topping scented with cinnamon is incredibly good. I will definitely put this recipe in my 'favorites file' and make it anytime I want something delicious and simple for breakfast or brunch or really, anytime.

The Best Coffee Cake Ever!
Source: Pioneer Woman

I halved this recipe and baked it in a 9 x 9 glass dish (there was only two of us enjoying this). I added the measurements I used in red.

Ingredients

FOR THE CAKE:
1-1/2 stick Butter, Softened (6 T Butter )
2 cups Scant Sugar (1 cup)
3 cups Flour, Sifted (1 1/2 cups)
4 teaspoons Baking Powder (2 tsps.)
1 teaspoon Salt (1/2 tsp.)
1-1/4 cup Whole Milk (6 oz milk)
3 whole Egg Whites, Beaten Until Stiff (2 egg white)
_____

FOR THE TOPPING:
1-1/2 stick Butter, Softened (6 T Butter)
3/4 cups Flour (1/4 cup + 1/8 cup)
1-1/2 cup Brown Sugar (3/4 cup)
2 Tablespoons Cinnamon (1 T )
1-1/2 cup Pecans, Chopped (3/4 Cup)

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Beat egg whites and set aside.

Cream butter and sugar. Add flour mixture and milk alternately until combined. Don't over beat. Fold in beaten egg whites with a rubber spatula. Spread in a well-greased 9 x 13 (or LARGER!) baking pan. A cake pan with higher sides would be best.

In a separate bowl, combine topping ingredients with a pastry cutter until crumbly. Sprinkle all over the top.

Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until no longer jiggly. Serve warm---delicious!

* I added a half teaspoon vanilla to the cake batter and thought it was definitely a good addition. Gave the cake a good flavor.

New Year's Eve

2011-12-31T07:00:00.001-07:00

Tasty appetizers, Cocktails and Desserts
Baked Brie with Caramelized Onions
Ranch Veggie Bruschetta
Chili Cream Cheese Dip

Shrimp Ceviche
Chicken Empanadas with Chili Cheese Dip
Festive White Wine Sangria
Beer Margaritas
Chocolate Fudge Cake
The Ultimate Coconut Cupcakes

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Baked Brie with Caramelized Onions

This is a simple yet elegant appetizer and it is so delicious. Creamy brie is topped with sweet caramelized onions and then wrapped in a flaky buttery crust. The sweet onion flavor pairs really well the cheese and salty crust.

I used my brother's method for getting nicely caramelized onions. Make sure you slice your onions really thin (this will allow them to brown nicely and release their sugars quickly). And you'll need just a bit of olive oil and some brown sugar.

Drizzle some olive oil in a pan, add onions and sprinkle with brown (not white) sugar. Cook on low, stirring occasionally and sprinkling periodically with brown sugar.

For accompaniments, roasted garlic, slices of pear, grapes, raw almonds and jam all go really well with the brie.

This is a festive and tasty appetizer to serve over the holidays. You can dress it up anyway you like. Serve with crackers and enjoy.

Baked Brie with Caramelized Onions
1 (8 oz) round of brie
1 onion, caramelized
1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
Butter, melted

Preheat oven to 400'. Cut onion thinly and caramelize as stated above, let cool. Unroll thawed puff pastry and place brie in center (I cut the rind off of mine). Top with the caramelized onions. Wrap dough around brie and onions and pinch to seal. Brush with melted butter. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until pastry is puffed and golden brown. I checked mine at 20 minutes and brushed it with more butter, then let it brown for the last five minutes.
You can pair the Brie with whatever you like. Sliced fruit, jam, crackers, caramelized garlic, candied pecans, grapes, red wine...

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Chicken Empanadas with Chili Cheese Dip

This is always a party favorite!

Thin rounds of pie dough are stuffed with a delicious mixture of chicken, red pepper, jalapeno, cream cheese and spices and then baked until crispy and golden brown. I serve them up with my Aunt's easy and delicious chili cheese dip. These are bit time consuming, but can be made ahead and are well worth the effort.

Chicken Empanadas
3 cups chopped, cooked chicken (I use whole cooked rotisserie chicken. It's quick and easy)
1 (8 oz) Pkg. shredded cheese
6 oz Cream Cheese
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper (I used canned red and yellow peppers)
1-2 Jalapenos, seeded and chopped (1 small can of green chilies are tasty too. Add a little red pepper flakes for heat)
1 Tablespoon cumin
1 1/2 tsp. Salt
1/2 tsp. Pepper
2 (15 oz) pkgs. pie dough
Water

Preheat 400
Lightly grease a baking sheet. In a large bowl, combine the chicken and next 7 ingredients. Unroll 1 piecrust onto a lightly floured surface. Roll into a 15-inch circle. Cut out rounds, using a 3-inch cookie cutter. Re-roll dough as needed. Repeat procedure with remaining piecrusts. Arrange 1 round on a clean, flat surface. Lightly brush the edges of crust with water. Place 1 scant teaspoon of chicken mixture in the center of the round. Fold the dough over the filling, pressing the edges with a fork to seal. Repeat with the remaining rounds and chicken mixture. (Up to this point, the recipe can be made ahead and frozen for up to 1 month). Arrange empanadas on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes.

*This makes a ton of filling, so three to four pie crusts are needed. You can cut the filling mixture in half and use two pie crusts if you want.

* To spice these up a bit more, brush an egg wash on the top and sprinkle with chili powder.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

My Aunt's Chili Dip
1 (8 0z) pkg. cream cheese
1 can Nalley's Chili (regular, with beans, no beans, turkey or veggie are all delicious)
1 small can green chile's
Combined all ingredients in a bowl and heat in microwave, covered for 2 minutes. Stir and heat mixture in 30 second increments until combined. You can also heat this mixture in a crock pot or a pan on the top of the stove.

Serve empanadas hot out of the oven with warm chili dip. Yum!

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Ranch Vegetable Bruschetta
1/2 Cup Ranch Veggie dip

1 loaf french bread, cut diagonally into 1-in slices

1/3 cup olive oil
salt
1/2 an english cucumber, diced
2 medium tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup red onion or chives, diced

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Brush each slice of bread with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Toast in oven for 4 to 5 minutes. Cool completely. Spread each toast with veggie ranch dip. Combine cucumbers, tomatoes and onion in a medium bowl. Spoon vegetable mixtures on top of ranch.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Shrimp Ceviche
1 lb bay or salad shrimp
1/2 lb lump crab
1 small container pico de gaio, drained
1/2 red bell pepper, finely diced
1/2 - 1 jalapeno, diced fine
1 tsp. diced cilantro
Juice of one lime
salt and pepper to taste
cumin to taste
Any other spices you like

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and enjoy. Serve with crackers or thin slices of toasted baget.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

White Wine Sangria

This drink is refreshing and delicious. Everyone always really enjoys this.

White Wine Sangria

1 Bottle of white wine (Riesling, Albarino, Chablis, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc)
2/3 cup white sugar
3 oranges (sliced) or may substitute 1 cup of orange juice)
1 lemon (sliced)
1 lime (sliced)
1/2 liter of ginger ale or club soda (ginger ale for those with a sweeter tooth!) * Pierre is also tasty.

Preparation:
Pour wine in the pitcher and squeeze the juice wedges from the orange,lemon and lime into the wine. Toss in the fruit wedges (leaving out seeds if possible) and add sugar. Chill overnight. Add ginger ale or club soda just before serving.If you'd like to serve right away, use chilled white wine and serve over lots of ice.

Addition ideas: sliced strawberries, peaches, handful of fresh blueberries, raspberries, kiwi, a shot or two of gin, brandy or rum, a cup of citrus-flavored soda pop.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Too Much Chocolate Cake!

This fudgy chocolate cake would be perfect for any New Year's Eve Table. Decorate it with white edible pearls and set it on a pretty cake platter and you've got a delicious dessert and centerpiece all-in-one.

Too Much Chocolate Cake!

allrecipes.com

1 (18.25 ounce) package devil's food cake mix
1 (5.9 ounce) package instant chocolate pudding mix
1 cup sour cream
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
1/2 cup warm water
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (I used mini chips and they were perfect)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
In a large bowl, mix together the cake and pudding mixes, sour cream, oil, beaten eggs and water. Stir in the chocolate chips and pour batter into a well greased 12 cup bundt pan.
Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until top is springy to the touch and a wooden toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool cake thoroughly in pan at least an hour and a half before inverting onto a plate If desired, dust the cake with powdered sugar.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Coconut Cupcakes

Moist dense cupcakes loaded with coconut and topped with a generous amount of delicious cream cheese frosting.

Coconut Cupcakes
Ina Garten
Makes two dozen cupcakes
3 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 large eggs
3/4 pound (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract
1 cup buttermilk
1 pound sweetened flake coconut

Directions
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Sift the dry ingredients together into a medium mixing bowl, and set the bowl aside. Break eggs into a small bowl, and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. With the mixer running, carefully pour in eggs and vanilla and almond extracts. Mix in the flour mixture and buttermilk by alternating between 1 cup flour and 1/2 cup buttermilk; be sure to start and end with the flour mixture. Add half the coconut, and mix until just incorporated.Line a cupcake tin with paper liners.

Fill each cup with batter using an ice-cream scoop with a 1/4-cup capacity; the batter should nearly reach the tops of the cups. Bake until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove cupcakes from the oven, and allow them to cool briefly in the tin before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely, about 45 minutes. Generously ice them with cream cheese frosting, and sprinkle with remaining coconut

Cream Cheese Frosting
Makes about 2 cups
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces, room temperature
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

DirectionsPlace cream cheese in a medium mixing bowl. Using a rubber spatula, soften cream cheese. Gradually add butter, and continue beating until smooth and well blended. Sift in confectioners' sugar, and continue beating until smooth. Add vanilla, and stir to combine.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Beer Margaritas

Delicious, Addicting, Deadly

Pic Source

Beer Margaritas

1 can frozen limeade drink mix

8-12 oz tequilia (depending on how strong you like it!)

12 oz water

1 can light beer

Ice

2 limes, cut into wedges for garnish

Stir limeade, tequilia, water and beer together until limeade is dissolved. Stir in ice and squeeze in a few lime wedges. Taste and adjust as needed. Garnish glasses with extra lime wedges.

Green Chili and Egg Bake

2011-12-30T09:17:00.000-07:00

This egg casserole is super simple to make and bakes up so light and fluffy. The combination of green chilies, shredded cheese and eggs is delicious. You can also make this the night before, refrigerate and then bake it in the morning. What's not to love?

Green chilies are lined in the bottom of a buttered glass dish. I halved this recipe as it was only my husband and I enjoying this and used an 8x8 dish. Use whole green chilies if you can find them. If not, diced chilies work too.

Top the chilies with shredded cheese

And pour over a creamy mixture of eggs, sour cream, salt and pepper.

At this point, it can be wrapped with plastic and refrigerated.

Or, bake it in a 350 degree oven until fluffy and light golden brown on top. Mine came out of the oven with a large puffy center that deflated as it cooled.

This slices up really easy and pops right out of the pan. Serve this with salsa, fresh guacamole or a dollop of sour cream. Yum!

Green Chili and Egg Bake

Source: Tara/Foodnetwork
Ingredients
1 (8-ounce) can mild green chilies, drained and stemmed
1 pound Monterey Jack cheese, coarsely grated
12 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups sour cream
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Salsa, additional sour cream, and guacamole for serving, optional
Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Cut the chiles in half lengthwise and remove the seeds. Arrange in 1 layer on the bottom of a buttered 13 by 9-inch baking dish Cover with the cheese. Whisk the eggs with the sour cream in a large bowl until blended. Season with salt and pepper. Pour the eggs over the cheese, smooth the top, and bake in the middle of the oven until golden, about 45 minutes. Serve with salsa, sour cream and guacamole on the side, if desired.

Hot Chocolate Bar

2011-12-16T13:40:00.001-07:00

I attended a cookie exchange last night and the hostess had a hot chocolate bar setup. I thought it was such a cute idea. She had a large pot of Ghirardelli hot chocolate simmering on the stove top and next to that, marshmallows, peppermint candies, cinnamon sticks and fresh whipped cream for accompaniments. She also served Irish cream on the side. Yum.

A fun idea if you're hosting a holiday party!

Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms

2011-12-16T07:00:00.000-07:00

A simple mixture of sausage and cream cheese is stuffed into mushroom caps, topped with shredded cheese and baked to golden brown perfection.

Sausage and cream cheese makes a yummy filling, but I like to add a sauteed onion and fresh garlic for a bit more flavor. Sage sausage is delicious in this too.

A delicious variation is to wrap the stuffed mushrooms with a piece of partially cooked bacon. Yowzers! Maybe only enjoy one of these.

Once the mushrooms are topped with cheese and/or wrapped in bacon they go into a hot oven and bake until the mushrooms soften and the cheese browns.

I never have any of these leftover when I take them to parties. There's just something so tasty about a stuffed mushroom.

Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms

Makes 63

1 medium yellow onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 package ground sage sausage (I used Jimmy Dean)

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

4 small packages button mushroom, cleaned with stems removed and chopped.

1 cup mozzarella cheese, divided

Directions

In a skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add onion and cook until starting to soften. Add garlic, cook 1 minute. Add sausage and cook until evenly browned, breaking up meat as you go. Mix in cream cheese and a 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese and stir until melted and blended.

Place mushrooms in a buttered 13x9 dish and one 8x8 dish. Stuff each mushroom with sausage mixture and top with remaining shredded cheese. Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 25-35 minutes. Once cheese starts to brown, remove mushrooms and place on a patter. Serve immediately.

Bacon Wrapped Version

Follow all directions, but after stuffing mushrooms with sausage mixture, wrap a half a piece of partially cooked bacon over tops and sides of each mushroom. Secure with a tooth pick and bake according to above directions.

Caprese Bites

2011-12-16T06:00:00.001-07:00

This is a quick and tasty appetizer that's full of flavor and healthy too!

These caprese bites come together in a snap. Tomato halves, mozzarella balls and basil are threaded on a toothpick and drizzled with a balsamic glaze. The best part is, these can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator. The longer they sit, the more the mozzarella soaks up the yummy balsamic flavor.

I served mine on my Himalayan salt block that I chilled in the freezer first. It made for a nice presentation.

Caprese Bites

Source: myrecipes.com

Ingredients
1 pt. grape tomatoes, halved
10 to 14 fresh small mozzarella cheese balls, cut into thirds*
32 (4-inch) wooden skewers**
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
6 thinly sliced fresh basil leaves
Kosher salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

Thread 1 tomato half, 1 piece of cheese, and another tomato half onto each skewer. Place skewers in a shallow serving dish.

Whisk together oil and next 3 ingredients. Drizzle oil mixture over skewers; sprinkle with basil and salt and pepper to taste.

* 1 (8-oz.) package fresh mozzarella, cut into 1/2-inch cubes, may be substituted.
**Wooden picks may be substituted

*** I threaded one half of a basil leave on each skewer instead of sprinkling chopped basil on top. I also used mini mozzarella balls and cut them in half instead of thirds.

Egg Nog Cake Balls

2011-12-04T17:43:00.002-07:00

Cake bites, cake pops, cake balls...whatever you call them, are everywhere now. But, my favorite come from a bakery in Salt Lake called The Sweet Tooth Fairy. On my last visit to SLC I had the chance to try the peppermint, pumpkin, gingerbread and eggnog cake bites. My favorite was the eggnog. So, I decided to make my own when I got home.

I just followed the basic idea for making cake bites/pops which is 1.) bake a cake 2.) mix cooled and crumbled cake with frosting 3.) roll cake/frosting mixture into balls 4.) chill cake balls 5.) dip cooled cake balls into melted chocolate.

These take a little time, but cake bites are super simple to make and assemble. And you can make them in any flavor you want (chocolate peppermint cake/dark chocolate coating, spice cake/white chocolate, strawberry cake/ white chocolate, you get the idea). Plus, they make great neighbor/friend gifts!

* * * * *

Ingredients

Vanilla cake mix , Egg Nog, Nutmeg, Rum, Frosting, Candy Coating

Make a vanilla or white cake mix according to the box, substituting the water or milk with Egg Nog. Add in fresh nutmeg and rum extract for that classic egg nog flavor.

Bake that wonderful batter.

Once cake is cooled slightly, coarsely crumble.

Mix crumbled cake with canned or homemade frosting. It seems like cream cheese flavored frosting is the favorite with the recipes I've seen. I had a Trader Joe's vanilla bean cake mix that only made enough to fit an 8 x 8 inch pan. So, I used a little less than half a container of canned frosting. Most cake mixes use a 9x13 pan, so when you go to mix the cake only add about half a can of frosting and then more as needed so you don't end up with gooey cake. Chill this mixture before rolling into balls.

The cake balls go into the freezer, so they are nice and firm to dip in the chocolate.

Melt white candy coating until smooth and pourable. I heated mine in a pan over really low heat. I let it cool just a tad, but it still had a runny consistency.

Cut chocolate into even pieces so it cooks quicker and doesn't burn.

Dip chilled cake balls into melted chocolate. I choose white chocolate because it paired well with the egg nog flavor, but of course you could use any combo of cake/chocolate coating.

Use tooth picks to dip the balls into the chocolate and then to get them on the baking sheet. While the white chocolate is still soft you can smooth out the little hole the tooth pick leaves or you can drizzle more chocolate on top and add sprinkles.

See. No hole.

I didn't have a chance to cut one open and show how moist and yummy they looked inside. Once my husband got home, him and the kids devoured an entire tray and the rest went to neighbors. Speaking of which...

I packaged the cake bites in these cute little holiday boxes.

And bundled the cake bites with some hand crocheted kitchen towels. Very cute!

Egg Nog Cake Bites

1 Vanilla or White Cake Mix
Nutmeg
Rum Extract
1 can cream cheese frosting
White chocolate coating

Bake cake according to package directions. Substitute egg nog for any water or milk called for and add 3/4 tsp fresh nutmeg and 1 1/2 tsps rum extract to cake mix. Cool cake. Crumble in a large bowl and mix in one half of canned frosting. It's best to just get in their with your hands. Add frosting as needed until you can roll the cake into balls. Roll into 1 inch balls and place on a cookie sheet. Freeze for a half hour.

Melt candy coating in the microwave or on the stove stop. Dip chilled balls into melted chocolate, coating all sides evenly. Place balls on cookie sheet. Let stand at room temp until coating has harden. Repeat with remaining balls and chocolate. If desired, drizzle more chocolate on top of each ball and top with sprinkles.

Egg Nog Cake Balls

1 (18.25-ounce) boxed cake mix plus ingredients called for on box
Ground Nutmeg

Rum Extract

1 (16-ounce) can cream cheese frosting
Almond Bark Coating or White Candy Coating

Bake the cake according to package instructions, except substitute egg nog for any water or milk called for in the recipe and add 3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg and 1 1/2 teaspoons rum extract (if you're up for it, give the batter a taste and add a pinch more nutmeg or splash of extract if needed). After baking, while cake is warm, crumble the cake into a bowl. Mix in frosting to moisten, using 3/4 to a full can of frosting, according to taste. Chill the mixture for at least 2 hours.

Using a melon baller or your hands, form the mixture into 1 ½ -inch balls. Place the balls on wax paper; freeze at least 1 hour.

Working in small batches, remove the balls from the freezer and dip the balls into warm, melted Almond Bark Coating or White Candy Coating, using toothpicks or forks to coat evenly. Remove the balls. Place the balls on wax paper to harden. Decorate with extra chocolate coating and sprinkles if desired.

Luscious Four-Layer Pumpkin Cake

2011-11-23T10:01:00.001-07:00

repost

If you like pumpkin flavored treats, you'll love this layer cake!

Two light and fluffy pumpkin cakes are cut in half and slathered with a pumpkin cream cheese filling to make a rich and decadent four-layer cake.

The cake is topped off with toasted pecans and caramel sauce. A very delicious combination of flavors!

Cutting into the cake exposes all the creamy, pumpkin layers. Yum!

Heaven

This cake is delicious, beautiful and easy to make. What are you waiting for?

Luscious Four-Layer Pumpkin Cake
Source: Kraft Foods
1 pkg. (2-layer size) yellow cake mix
1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin, divided
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup oil
4 eggs
1-1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice, divided
1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed
1/4 cup caramel ice cream topping
1/4 cup chopped PLANTERS Pecans

HEAT oven to 350°F.

BEAT cake mix, 1 cup pumpkin, milk, oil, eggs and 1 tsp. spice in large bowl with mixer until well blended. Pour into 2 greased and floured 9-inch round pans.

BAKE 28 to 30 min. or until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 min. Remove from pans to wire racks; cool completely.

BEAT cream cheese in medium bowl with mixer until creamy. Add sugar, remaining pumpkin and spice; mix well. Gently stir in COOL WHIP. Cut each cake layer horizontally in half with serrated knife; stack on serving plate, spreading cream cheese filling between layers. (Do not frost top layer.) Drizzle with caramel topping just before serving; top with nuts. Refrigerate leftovers.

Best Damn Pumpkin Dessert, Period!

2011-11-17T05:00:00.003-07:00

repost

Yes, that is the title. And, it's pretty accurate I must say.

I made these bars/dessert/plain goodness for a dinner we had with some friends. Everyone loved these and had seconds and thirds!

A doctored cake mix is used for both the crust and topping. And sandwiched between the two, is a spicy layer of creamy pumpkin filling. This dessert is a cross between pumpkin pie and a pumpkin bar. The buttery, cakey topping makes this dessert stand out.

The crust and topping are studded with toasted pecans which gives this dessert a nice texture and flavor. The pumpkin layer in the middle is rich and creamy and has a nice balance of sweet and spice.

This dessert has a few steps, but it's really simple to make. It can be served plain or dressed up with ice cream or whipping cream. (Plus, the leftovers go extremely well with coffee in the morning!)

* * * * * * * * *

Pumpkin Dessert

Inspired by: Slight Detour

Preheat oven to 350

CRUST:

1 Box yellow cake mix (Reserve 1 1/4 cups and set aside)

1/2 cup melted butter

1 egg, beaten

1/2 cup pecans, chopped and toasted

Mix cake mix (minus the 1 1/4 cup), melted butter, beaten egg and nuts until combine. Press into a 9x13 greased pan.

FILLING:

1 large (15 oz) can of pumpkin puree

4 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

2/3 cup evaporated milk

2 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp salt

Mix together above filling ingredients until smooth (mixture is runny, but just keep beating it with a fork until you have a smooth consistency and all the spices are blended in). Pour filling over the crust.

TOPPING:

Reserved 1 1/4 cups cake mix

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup pecans, chopped and toasted

5 Tablespoons butter, softened

Mix together topping ingredients until crumbly. Gently scatter mixture over filling.

Bake @ 350 for 50-60 minutes. Cool and serve with whipped cream or ice cream.

My Notes:

* My pumpkin dessert was done at 57 minutes. The topping was golden brown and the filling was set (no giggle) when I took it out of the oven.

* I served a scoop of Dryers Pumpkin Ice Cream on the side. Eggnog or vanilla would be tasty too.

Caramelized Pecan Bars

2011-11-13T06:00:00.003-07:00

These caramel bars are incredible! The crust is so buttery and rich and the honey pecan topping is just divine. Plus, these are a snap to put together.

They would make a nice bite-size treat for Thanksgiving. Come to think of it, you could probably throw a pinch of pumpkin pie spice in the recipe (maybe in the crust?) to add a nice festive flavor. Yum!

Once they're complete cooled and cut, it's hard to have just one. In fact, it's impossible!

My only problem with these was with the amount of butter in the crust. It was way too much! It pooled on top of the crust while it was baking and the bars came out of the oven oozing with butter. Once they cooled to room temperature they setup up fine, but I think 3/4 cup butter (in the crust) or even less would be perfect. The buttery flavor would still be just as delicious.

That aside, these are so good and very addicting. They would be a perfect treat for Thanksgiving or any holiday table.

Caramelized Pecan Bars

From: Avoca Tea Time Book

Inspired by: completelydelicious.com

Makes about 24 squares

1 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup powdered sugar

1 cup unsalted butter, cut into one inch cubes

3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

1/2 cup honey

1/3 cup brown sugar

3 tablespoons cream

3 1/2 cups pecans, roughly chopped

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Grease a 9 x 13 inch baking dish and line with parchment paper, if desired.

Mix the flour and sugar together in a bowl. Add the cubed butter and cut into the flour mixture with a fork or pastry cutter until the butter is the size of small peas. Press into the prepared baking dish and bake until it just starts to turn golden brown, about 25 minutes.

In another bowl, mix together the melted butter, honey, brown sugar, and cream. Add the pecans and stir until all the pecans are coated. Pour on top of the baked crust and spread evenly. Bake for an additional 20-25 minutes.

Cool completely before slicing.

Cranberry Orange Chess Pie

2011-11-11T05:06:00.002-07:00

A yummy, sweet layer of orange scented custard is topped with tart cranberries for a nice balance of flavors in this delicious chess pie.

This pie is simple to make and so different and festive and very scrumptious! I would recommend it anytime, but especially for your turkey day table or your Christmas buffet.

Chess pies are also known as sugar pies for their overly sweet nature. But, the sweetness in this pie is perfectly offset by the orange zest, cider vinegar and cranberries.

If you want to try something a little different come turkey day, I would highly recommend this festive chess pie. Also, this Cranberry Vanilla Custard Pi e or this Pumpkin Roll would be tasty additions too!

Cranberry Orange Chess Pie

William Sonoma: Pies and Tarts

1 (9in) pie shell, partially baked*
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
1/4 to 1/3 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/3 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
2 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries, coarsely chopped

Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Place oven rack in the lower third of the oven.

In a bowl, whisk together the sugar, melted butter and salt. Add the eggs one at a time, beating until smooth after each addition. Stir in the flour, the buttermilk, vinegar and orange zest, mixing well. Stir in the cranberries. Scrape the mixture into the partially baked pie shell.

Bake the pie until the top is golden brown and domed and the filling is firm, 50 to 60 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely. Serve at room temperature.

Makes 8 servings.

How to Partially Bake a Pie Shell:
Line pie shell with aluminum foil and weigh down with pie weights or raw rice. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes at 375. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

* This would be lovely topped with a dollop of whipped cream and freshly grated orange zest.

Pumpkin Roll

2011-11-09T06:55:00.002-07:00

With Turkey day around the corner, I thought I would repost a few favorite and festive recipes of mine.

First up, Pumpkin Roll.

Moist pumpkin cake is rolled up with a spiced cream cheese filling for this delightful spiraled pumpkin dessert.

Here's how the filling gets rolled up in the pumpkin cake:

One 15x10 pumpkin sheet cake is cooled and then rolled up in a tea towel.

The cake is allowed to cool completely in the tea towel and then it's slathered with a spiced cream cheese filling.

The spices in the cream cheese mixture are optional. I added them and thought it gave the cream cheese filling a nice warm flavor that went well the pumpkin cake.

I left a border with the filling because I thought it would squish out when I rolled it. The cream cheese filling is firm so make you spread yours all the way to the edge! It doesn't ooze out.

Once it's rolled up, the pumpkin cake is wrapped in plastic and chilled until ready to serve. This allows for the filling to setup and makes its easier to cut.

Right before serving, sprinkle powdered sugar on top.

Slice, Serve, Dig in!

* * * * * * * * * * * *
Pumpkin Roll
Source: Libby's
1/4 cup powdered sugar (to sprinkle on
towel)
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup LIBBY'S® 100% Pure Pumpkin
Filling:
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese,
softened
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
6 tablespoons butter or margarine,
softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup powdered sugar (optional)

DIRECTIONS:
1. PREHEAT oven to 375 degrees F. Grease 15 x 10-inch jelly-roll pan; line with wax paper. Grease and flour paper. Sprinkle towel with powdered sugar.
2. COMBINE flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt in small bowl. Beat eggs and sugar in large mixer bowl until thick. Beat in pumpkin. Stir in flour mixture. Spread evenly into prepared pan.
3. BAKE for 13 to 15 minutes or until top of cake springs back when touched. Immediately loosen and turn cake onto prepared towel. Carefully peel off paper. Roll up cake and towel together, starting with narrow end. Cool on wire rack.
4. BEAT cream cheese, powdered sugar, butter and vanilla extract in small mixer bowl until smooth. Carefully unroll cake; remove towel. Spread cream cheese mixture over cake. Reroll cake. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least one hour. Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving, if desired.

* * * * * * * * *

My Notes:
* I always up the spices in pumpkin desserts. This one was no exception. I used a heaping half teaspoon of cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon or so of nutmeg and pumpkin pie spice. The cake actually wasn't too spicy and it probably could stand for a pinch more of each.

* I added a sprinkle of cinnamon, ground cloves and nutmeg to the cream cheese filling. This was a welcome addition.

* Sprinkle your tea towel with powdered sugar before rolling the cake to prevent sticking.

* Make sure the cake has completely cooled before adding the cream cheese mixture or it will melt slightly and make it harder to roll.

* This dessert is great as is, but would be tasty with toasted pecans rolled up in the filling and maybe a drizzle of caramel on top right before serving! Or a scoop of vanilla ice cream with a drizzle of caramel and a sprinkle of nutmeg. OK, OK, I'm done.

Beef and Barley Soup

2011-11-03T08:57:00.003-06:00

This is a hearty soup full of fork-tender beef, diced carrots, onions, cremini mushrooms and of course, barley. It's a delicious fall soup!

Beef and Barley Soup

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound London broil, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1 large onion, chopped
1 medium carrot, chopped
8 ounces cremini mushrooms, trimmed and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons minced garlic (from 4 cloves)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
3/4 cup dry red wine
4 cups chicken stock
3 cups water
3/4 cup hulled or pearl barley, rinsed and drained*
1/4 cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
Garnish: grated fresh horseradish

Directions

Heat 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon oil in a medium Dutch oven or a large pot over medium-high heat. Season beef with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and brown on all sides, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a plate using a slotted spoon.

Reduce heat to medium. Add remaining 2 teaspoons oil, and cook onion, carrot, and mushrooms until golden, stirring occasionally, 12 to 15 minutes. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt.

Add garlic and tomato paste, and cook, stirring, until caramelized, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat, and add wine. Return to heat, and bring to a boil, scraping up brown bits from bottom using a wooden spoon. Cook until reduced by half, about 5 minutes.

Return beef to pot, and add stock and water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour.
Add barley, and cook, covered, for 20 minutes. Uncover, and cook until beef and barley are tender, 20 to 25 minutes more. Stir in parsley. Divide soup among 6 bowls, and garnish with horseradish.
Source: Martha Stewart

*If using pearl barley omit 1 cup of water in step four.

And for dipping...

Pastrami Tomato Cheese Sandwiches

I love these sandwiches! They're a family favorite. We start making them around Halloween and then whip them up every time we have a pot of soup bubbling away on the stove.

Pastrami Tomato Cheese Sandwiches

1 loaf french bread, sliced thick

Pastrami, thinly sliced

Tomatoes, sliced

Mozzarella or Monterey Cheese, sliced or shredded

S&P

Preheat oven to 325.

Butter top sides of sliced french bread and place on a baking sheet. Top bread with pastrami then a slice or two of tomato. Salt and pepper tomato. Top with cheese and bake until cheese is melted and golden brown.

* I didn't add measurements to the recipe, as you can make as many or as little sandwiches as you want.

But, if you have one loaf of french bread (not the skinny long loaves, unless you want to make mini appetizer-sized ones! Yum!) you'll need about 2 lbs of thinly sliced pastrami (I like peppered pastrami) and about 5 tomatoes.

One medium sized bag of shredded cheese should be good or one block of cheese that you can slice/grate yourself. Just pile the pastrami on the buttered bread (two to three slices of pastrami), and add enough tomato to cover the top (one or two slices).

Old English Wassail

2011-10-11T21:41:00.001-06:00

This recipe for Old English Wassail is from my good friend Betty who made it for a November cooking club in 2008. Everyone loved it and demanded the recipe for this wonderful fall drink.

The Wassail has a delicious aroma from its apples, cinnamon sticks, cloves, and citrus. It is perfect to have simmering away when company arrives. A bottle of dark or spiced rum served on the side also make it a nice cocktail.

This drink is not only easy to make, but it is also great because it can simmer until ready to serve creating a wonderful aroma throughout the house. Keep it on the stove and have a ladle and mugs (and rum if serving) nearby so everyone can help themselves.

The Wassail makes a great Halloween/Thanksgiving drink (and cocktail), and is also comforting whenever the weather calls for a warm, inviting drink.

Simmer - Sip - Smile

Old English Wassail from Betty

Pour in a large sauce pan...

1/2 gal. Apple cider or juice

1 large can pineapple juice ( I use Dole the other brands didn't taste as good)

3 Tablespoons honey

1 teaspoon ground Cinnamon

1 Tablespoon lemon juice

4 Cinnamon sticks

Whole orange, cloved*

1 apple cut in quarters

Simmer with lid on for 1 hr.

* Stick 20 whole cloves into the orange and add it to the pot. See picture above.

Apple Pie

2011-10-10T10:42:00.002-06:00

Simply Delicious

This is the best apple pie I've ever had! The crust is flaky and buttery and the apples in the filling are perfectly tender and engulfed in a silky carmel like sauce. When you take your first bite, your eyes get a little wide and then you can't help but smile and exclaim WOW! Thanks to my friend Judi for sharing this recipe with me and allowing me to share it with all of you.

Granny smith apples are piled high in a homemade pastry shell.

A lattice top is weaved over the apples

And a wonderful yet simple sauce made of brown sugar and butter is poured over the top.

The glaze makes for a gorgeous crust once baked.

This pie is so pretty and rustic not to mention delicious.

Cut a slice and enjoy!

Here's the recipe as it was given to me. Leave a comment if you have any questions.

Apple Pie

Crust:
Combine melted 1 cup butter in a pan add 2 1/2 cups flour, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp sugar. Stir in 6 tbs ice cold water. Roll into 2 balls and store in fridge for 4 hours. take out 10 minutes before ready to roll them into crust.

When making pie heat oven to 425. Prepare bottom crust to pan. Place 6 small granny smith cored, peeled, and slice apples in pan. make latticed top. In a sauce pan melt 1/2 cup butter and add 3 tbs flour, 1/4 cup water, 1/2 cup white sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar and heat to boil. Pour over pie. Bake in over at 425 for 15 minutes. Turn heat down to 350 and bake for another 30 minutes.

Pumpkin Cranberry Cookies

2011-10-05T19:36:00.000-06:00

These cookies are so moist and delicious! They are the perfect fall treat.

A pillowy pumpkin cookie is loaded with tart cranberries, fresh orange zest and spiced with plenty of cinnamon and nutmeg. It's all in there and it's all so scrumptious! All the flavors really go well together. Don't change a thing! And please, please use FRESH cranberries! The fresh cranberries give these cookies a nice tang that balances out the other flavors. The cranberries also give the cookies a pretty jeweled look. Dried cranberries just wouldn't be the same.

I dipped the tops of the cookies in a powdered sugar cinnamon glaze. The glaze took this from a tasty pumpkin cookie and turned it into a decadent treat!

Try them, you'll love them!

* * * * *

Cranberry Pumpkin Cookies

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 cup solid pack pumpkin puree
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup fresh cranberries
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon*
1 tablespoon orange zest
1/2 cup chopped walnuts**

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets.

2. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla, egg and pumpkin. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon; stir into mixture until well blended. Cut the cranberries in half and stir into mixture along with the orange zest and walnuts. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto cookie sheets.

3. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes.

* I always up the spices and add a pinch more cinnamon, freshly grated nutmeg, ground ginger and a pinch of cloves.

** You can add whatever nut you like. I left them out, but I 'm sure the cookies would be really good with them. Toasted pecans would be tasty too.

*** I roughly chopped the cranberries in a food processor along with the orange zest and some of the sugar.

For the cinnamon glaze, I whisked together sifted powdered sugar, milk, cinnamon and nutmeg. You want the glaze to be thick so it will stick to the cookies and not run off too much.

* * * * * * * * *

The making of the pumpkin cookies...

Fresh cranberries take a whirl with grated orange zest and sugar.

This creates a lovely shade of red

Then the cranberries get stirred into the spiced pumpkin cookie batter. Oh man! This mixture smells heavenly.

On some of the cookie dough I sprinkled corse sanding sugar for a little crunch and sparkle.

The cookies bake up nice and fluffy.

And then you can enjoy them plain or dip them into a glaze. Either way, they're scrumptious!

Pumpkin Pancakes!

2011-09-30T09:06:00.004-06:00

Yes. I am on the bandwagon with all of those who start making and searching out pumpkin flavored foods and treats at the first sign of fall. I've already enjoyed a pumpkin latte and made pumpkin cranberry cookies. So, when I walked into Trader Joes and saw this pumpkin pancake mix, I just had to try it!

These pancakes are easy to make and have a wonderful pumpkin flavor. It was exactly what I was craving. I had some leftover pumpkin puree from some cookies I baked, so I made a second batch of pancakes and added a splash of vanilla, pumpkin pie spice and a couple good dollops of pumpkin puree. These doctored pancakes turned out wonderful as well! Either way, they both make for excellent fall flavored pancakes.

The batter is a pretty orange color too.

And they cook up nicely.

I topped mine with real maple syrup (also from TJ's) and that's all they needed. Of course, a smear of melted butter would be heavenly too.

So, if you have a Trader Joes by you, just know that their pancake mix is really good and worth trying out! Also, their spices like cinnamon, cloves and pumpkin pie spice are only $1.99 each (and they're nice glass jars too.)

If you're feeling adventurous, make some cinnamon butter to go on top!

Cinnamon Butter

3/4 cups unsalted butter

1 tbsp corn syrup

1 tsp brown sugar

1 tsp granulated sugar

2 tsp cinnamon

Using an electric mixer, whip room temperature butter until fluffy. Add corn syrup, sugars and cinnamon and beat to combine.

Pretzel-Shortbread Bars

2011-09-28T17:41:00.003-06:00

A delicious combination of sweet and salty with a distinct crunch from buttery pretzels in the bar and sprinkled on top. These would make a fun, quirky treat to take to a party!

My only change was to add a teaspoon of vanilla to the dough and use an 8 x 8 in sq. glass pan. I read some reviews on Martha Stewart and they said a 9x9 pan made these too thin, so use an 8x8. These bars are a tad crumbly, so an extra tablespoon or two of butter may help.

Pretzel-Shortbread Bars
Source: Martha Stewart
Ingredients
Vegetable oil cooking spray
3 1/4 cups salted miniature twist pretzels
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg yolk

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Coat a 4 14-by-13 1/2-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom with cooking spray. Line bottom with parchment.
Pulse 1 3/4 cups pretzels in a food processor until powdery. Transfer 1/2 cup to a bowl; discard any remaining pretzel powder. Stir in flour and baking powder. Transfer remaining 1 1/2 cups pretzels to food processor, and pulse a few times until coarsely chopped.
Beat butter and sugar with a mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Reduce speed to low, and beat in egg yolk, then pretzel-flour mixture, until combined. Mix in 1/2 cup chopped pretzels.
Press dough evenly into pan. Top dough with 1/4 cup chopped pretzels, pressing slightly; discard any remaining pretzels.
Bake shortbread until pale brown and firm in the center, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack, and let shortbread cool for 1 hour. Remove shortbread from pan, and cut into 1/2-inch-wide rectangles using a serrated knife.

Peanut Butter Bars

2011-09-21T07:18:00.001-06:00

I was a little skeptical about these bars because they were so easy to make and required no baking. But they turned out really well and were very tasty and addicting. They taste like peanut butter cups in bar form. Yum!

* * * * * * *

Here we go...

Melt Butter

Stir in 2 cups of crushed graham cracker crumbs

And 2 cups of powdered sugar

And 1 cup of creamy peanut butter

(I had crunchy peanut butter on hand, so my bars turned out, well, more crunchy)

Mix it all together

Press into a 9x13 dish

Spread Chocolate on and refrigerate.

Cut and serve. That's it!

I tried two different chocolate toppings for fun. On one half I did the chocolate topping called for in the recipe (pictured below, right half) and on the other half I melted mini peanut butter cups from Trader Joes and spread that on and then sprinkled cut up pieces of peanut butter cups on top of that. Both combinations were tasty, but the recipe topping makes it taste more like Reese's Peanut Butter cups. But really, you can't go wrong with any peanut butter/chocolate combo.

These are great because you can make them in advance and refrigerate them until ready to serve. I cut some this morning after chilling all night and they were nice and soft and cut really easy.

Peanut Butter Bars

source: allrecipes.com

Ingredients
1 cup butter or margarine, melted
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 cup peanut butter
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
4 tablespoons peanut butter

Directions
In a medium bowl, mix together the butter or margarine, graham cracker crumbs, confectioners' sugar, and 1 cup peanut butter until well blended. Press evenly into the bottom of an ungreased 9x13 inch pan.
In a metal bowl over simmering water, or in the microwave, melt the chocolate chips with the peanut butter, stirring occasionally until smooth. Spread over the prepared crust. Refrigerate for at least one hour before cutting into squares.

* I refrigerated the peanut butter bar part for about 20 minutes before spreading on the melted chocolate, then popped them back into the refrigerator.

Cooking Club: August

2011-08-26T16:00:00.004-06:00

Theme: Sunday Brunch!

Although I'm no longer part of this fantastic Salt Lake cooking club (sigh), I'll still post all of the tasty photos (drool) so I can pass along the yummy recipes and cooking club theme ideas to you. Thanks to Shauna for these pics!

What would a Sunday brunch be without some colorful ripe fruit?! Yum.

And to go along with all that healthy fruit, delicious mini glazed cinnamon buns. Oh yah!

Robin's Spinach Sausage Quiche

Betty's Zucchini Blueberry Muffs

Love the addition of zucchini in these muffins. Not only does it add potassium and vitamin A, it adds extra moisture!

Gayle's Banana Nut Bread with a butter schmear

Shauna's bruleed grapefruit with creme de cassis soaked blackberries

So artful!

Teresa's Ham and Cheese Casserole.

Creamy and delicious with a nice crunch from the corn flake topping.

And to wash it all down, Orange Juice and Pomegranate Mimosas and Bloody Marys.

Judi's Smoked Salmon Frittta

That's a good looking plate of food.

Ranate's Crab Dip.

And to top it off...

Abby's Creme Brulee French Toast with Creme Fraiche.

Next Salt Lake Soiree: Cowboy Grub! Yeehaw

Recipes:
Creme Brulee French Toast
Zucchini Blueberry Bread
Bruleed Grapefruit
Ham and Cheese Casserole
Overnight Cinnamon Rolls

Spiced Lemon Cake

2011-08-24T01:42:00.000-06:00

This cake is moist and delicious! The 'spiced' part of this cake comes from ground cardamom (I love cardamom).

The cardamom lends a warm note to the cake that pairs really well with the lemon flavor. The zesty lemon glaze almost takes away from the delicate flavor of the cake, but gives it a nice punch and makes the cake overall more interesting.

My mom and I enjoyed a slice of this today and we couldn't help but have another slice with coffee. Yum.

This cake is super easy to make and would be great for brunch or an after dinner dessert or with coffee in the morning. I thought the coffee really brought out the flavor of the cardamom. Might just be me?

I wouldn't recommend substituting cinnamon for the cardamom. Cardamom has a more subtle sweet flavor than cinnamon and is really tasty with the lemon.

Recipe Source: Martha Stewart Living, Oct. 2010 Issue

Spiced Lemon Cake

1 stick unsalted butter, room temp.

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 cup sugar

1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest plus 6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from 2 lemons)

3/4 tsp. ground cardamom

2 large eggs

1/2 cup sour cream

1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

Preheat oven to 375. Butter and flour an 8-inch round cake pan. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Beat butter, sugar, zest and cardamom with a mixer on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in 3 tablespoons lemon juice. Reduce speed to medium-low; beat in flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with sour cream, beginning and ending with flour. Pour batter into cake pan.

Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Turn out onto a wire rack. Let cool, top side up. Whisk confectioners' sugar with remaining 3 tablespoons lemon juice until smooth; pour over cooled cake.

Raspberry-Lemon Shortbread Tart

2011-08-22T07:39:00.003-06:00

This is an easy and delicious tart that's perfect for summer.

A simple shortbread crust is pressed into a cake pan and pre-baked. The cookie-like crust is then filled with berries and covered with a lemon cream. After another trip to the oven,the berries and cream set-up and you have a delectable tart bursting with summer flavors.

Below is the pre-baked crust filled with frozen berries. I used a berry medley for this one because that's what I had on hand. Fresh or frozen fruit would work and any type of berry would be scrumptious.

The combination of black raspberries and blackberries gave the tart a gorgeous deep purple color once cooked. I topped it with powder sugar...
And it was pretty darn tasty. Here's a piece topped with a big dollop of fresh whipped cream :)

My only change to the recipe would be to use a little less lemon juice, so it's not so tart. I think juice from 1 1/2 lemons would give it the right amount of zip (or maybe just 1 lemon). That extra amount of juice put it over the top. But if you like tart lemony desserts, keep it the same.

Update: My mom made this tart and used frozen berries and she said it put her bake time at about 40 minutes over the listed time! I baked mine at sea level in San Diego and she baked hers at high altitude. Maybe that's the reason?? So make sure to thaw and drain your berries well!

Raspberry-Lemon Shortbread Tart
Source: RachealRay
3 cups frozen raspberries (1 pound)
1 stick plus 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
11/4 cups granulated sugar
13/4 cups all-purpose flour
3 large eggs
Zest and juice of 2 lemons (about 1/4 cup juice)
Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

Drain the raspberries in a strainer set over a bowl. Preheat the oven to 400°. Using your fingers, combine the butter, 1/2 cup of the sugar and 1 1/2 cups of the flour and blend together until coarse crumbs form.* Pour the mixture into an ungreased nonstick 9-inch springform or cake pan and press down evenly to form a crust. Bake the shortbread crust until lightly golden, about 20 minutes.

Remove the shortbread from the oven and reduce the temperature to 325°. Scatter the drained raspberries** evenly over the baked shortbread.

Beat the eggs with the remaining 3/4 cup of sugar until thick and pale yellow. Whisk in the lemon zest, the lemon juice and the remaining 1/4 cup of flour. Pour the lemon cream over the raspberries and bake the tart until the custard is set, about 30 minutes. Let cool, then dust with confectioners’ sugar.

* The crust mixture is quite crumbly, but bakes up well. So, don't worry as you're pressing it into the pan.

** I filled my hot crust with frozen berries. I didn't wait for the berries to thaw and drain. The only problem this caused was that it needed extra time to bake. It also changed the consistency into a berry filling as opposed to a drier, cakier filling. So, if you want it cakier, make sure you drain your berries well.

Gigi's Cupcakes

2011-08-19T15:55:00.001-06:00

* * * * *

Bakery: Gigi's Cupcakes

Where: Fairborn, Ohio

What: Cupcakes Only

Site: http://gigiscupcakesusa.com/

Gig’s is everything I like in a dessert bakery.

* Easily accessible with plenty of parking out front.
* Nice surroundings.
* Very clean and fresh inside with plenty of sun light flitering in.
* Table and chairs or a bar area to sit and enjoy a cupcake if desired.
* And, a heavenly sweet smell that hits as you walk in the door.

Their cupcakes are baked fresh every morning, so their menu changes daily. On any given day they offer 13 or so tempting flavors to choose from.

Below are their samples! I was really surprised. They are perfect, deletable miniatures of the large versions. I could just pop a couple of these and be happy.

Their cute packaging

And now what we came here for, Cupcakes!

S'Mores

Milk Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Chips Baked in, Topped with Vanilla Fluff, Toasted Marshmallows, Graham Cracker Crumbs and a Milk Chocolate Square.

Banana Split

Strawberry Cake filled with Marshmallow Cream, topped with Banana Frosting, Ganache, Cherry, Nuts and a Banana Chip.

Fresh Strawberry

White Cake Baked with Fresh Strawberries, Topped with Strawberry Buttercream Frosting and Red Sugar Crystals.

Midnight Magic Chocolate Chip

Devil's Food Cake with Dark Chocolate Chips, Topped with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting and Chocolate Chips

Chocolate Salted Caramel
$3
A Special Dark Chocolate Cake Filled with Caramel, Topped with Caramel Frosting dipped in Ganche with a pinch of Sea Salt on top.

All the cupcakes we tried were rich and delicious!

So no matter what flavors you like, you're sure to find something here to satisfy your craving!

Bakery Review

2011-08-18T14:20:00.001-06:00

* * * * *

Bakery: Cake, Hope and Love

Where: Beavercreek, Ohio
Offerings: Cupcakes or 'Cuppies" as they call them.
Website: cakehopelove.com

Store Front

Simple, but Welcoming

Logo

The interior was very spacious and clean. It was a nice atmosphere to enjoy our cupcakes in. Only gripe? The Ikea furniture was a tad small and the chairs felt like you were sitting on the ground. They were perfect for my pint-sized eaters though!

Cuppies

The bakery case was on the small side, but they had plenty of different cupcakes to choose from in enticing flavors like hibiscus, honey bee and lavender lemon. My girls and I had no trouble finding ones we wanted to try.

They also offer (they didn't have them when we went) original flavors like At the Movies which is a a sweet buttery cake filled with a milk chocolate center and topped with a vanilla buttercream and sprinkled with coarse salt and buttered popcorn and Breakfast in a Cuppie - a cinnamon spiced vanilla cake filled with a java buttercream and topped with the cinnamon maple buttercream and sprinkled with crunchy bacon pieces! I've tried so many cupcakes that I would definitely give these unique flavors a try!

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

What we tried:

The traditional Ohio cupcake, The Buckeye!
$2.75

This was a tasty cupcake and would definitely satisfy your chocolate/peanut butter craving. But...the chocolate coating on top was really thick and really hard! We couldn't crack it or cut it with the metal forks they gave us. I wished the chocolate would have been a bit softer. We had to smash the cupcake to get the chocolate off.

It did have a nice chocolate ganache center though.

Lemon Lavender Cuppie

$2.25

This cupcake was delicious! The cupcake was moist and the frosting was creamy. The flavors were perfect together and not too strong. It reminded me of my favorite lavendar martini!!

Cake Hope and Love

1490 N.Fairfield Rd. Suite B

Beavercreek, OH 45432

ele Cake Co

2011-08-16T08:18:00.001-06:00

* * * * *

(2.5 Stars)

I'm currently cooped up in a hotel with two small kids, so I've been checking out the local bakery scene in my area for a sweet reprieve.

I'm in the Fairborn/Beavercreek area and there are a handful of bakeries within driving distance. Score! A friend of mine recommended Cake, Hope, Love, but after a few U-turns, I finally found the place and weaved my way into the butter yellow colored building only to find out that they were closed on Mondays. Oh well. In all my driving around though, I spotted elé Cake Co and decided to try it out.

Here's what we tried:

My youngest girl picked out the White Chocolate Raspberry Cupcake (because it was pink).

$2.75

I settled on the Peanut Butter Brownie.

$2.00.

My oldest chose the Fudge Brownie.

$2.00

And we rounded out our order with the Basic Cupcake in vanilla.
$1.00

Review

As for the desserts we had, they were just alright. Nothing memorable. The white chocolate cupcake had subtle hints of the flavors listed in the name, but nothing special. As for the brownies, they looked decadent, but they tasted like an average sweet brownie you could get from any grocery store. I love a good basic vanilla cupcake topped with silky buttercream, but this one fell short. The good part about the desserts were they were reasonably priced, except maybe for the white chocolate raspberry cupcake. I would rather pay a bit more for a dessert that has that 'wow' factor and leaves me wanting more.

So, all and all I was underwhlemed and I wouldn't go back when I'm having a sweet/dessert craving. I will say, they did seem to be selling quite a few birthday cakes, so maybe their focus is on wedding/party cakes more than small individual desserts. They have another location in West Carrollton that seems to get good reviews (I went to the Beavercreek location).

The packaging was cute and simple. And just to be picky, I like logo stickers to seal the box better than a piece a tape. Just looks a little cleaner in my opinion (I'm a weirdo, I know).

The inside was OK, well lit and open, but very random. It must have been a large store front of some kind and elé didn't make any changes, just moved in and had to fill in the space. It's part bakery, part gift shop, part wedding cake displays. There wasn't any seating available, which would have been nice, so my girls and I could have hung around and enjoyed our cupcakes.

The outside leaves a lot to be desired.

elé Cake Co - 2 1/2 Stars

http://www.elecakeco.com/

Peach Custard Tart

2011-07-12T10:13:00.000-06:00

Sorry I've been so absent! I'm in the middle of a big move. The family and I are relocating to Dayton, Ohio! Crazy, fun, whirlwind times right now. I'll be continuing this blog from a new kitchen in Dayton by the end of this month! Very exciting.

This tart just looked and sounded yummy. It originally called for plums, but I had peaches on hand and the combination of peaches and custard won me over.

The crust turned out nice and flaky and the custard filling was light and subtle letting the flavor of the peaches shine through.

The part of this tart I was most excited about was the custard, but I was only able to pour in about half the custard mixture before it was full to the edges. A little disappointing. Maybe it was the pan size I used??

Overall this was a very yummy tart. Simple and satisfying. I added a pinch of nutmeg and scoop of vanilla ice cream to finish it off and that was perfect! I would suggest adding a little nutmeg on top before serving just to kick up the flavor.

This tart was better the next day when all the flavors had time to meld. The crust stayed flaky and it was delicious for breakfast along side a hot cup of coffee!

Plum Tart

Crust

1 2/3 cups flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

11 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces

3 tablespoons sour cream

Custard

1 1/3 cups sugar

1/3 cup flour

1/4 tsp. salt

4 large eggs

1/2 cup sour cream

7 large plums, thinly sliced (about 6 1/2 cups)

Preheat oven to 375

To prepare the crust, pulse flour, salt and butter in a food processor until crumbly. Add sour cream. Process until if forms a ball. Press the dough into 12-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Bake for 18 minutes, or until lightly browned. Let cool for 15 minutes.

Reduce oven heat to 350

To prepare the custard, mix sugar, flour and salt. In another bowl, beat eggs and sour cream. Add the sugar mixture to the egg mixture and blend well.

Arrange sliced plums in concentric circles on the baked crust. Gently pour the custard over the plums.

Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until the custard is set and golden brown. Let cool for 10 minutes.

Set the tart on a glass plate and gently remove the pan ring. Makes 8-12 servings.

* My Notes:

I added a splash of vanilla to the crust and custard mixture. I also added a small pinch of cinnamon to the crust. I substituted peaches for plums.

I found it took a lot longer to bake then the 50 minutes, so watch and check the tart accordingly. You could also use greek yogurt instead of sour cream if you have that on hand.

Lavender Martinis!

2011-06-20T16:21:00.001-06:00

I am in love with these lavender martinis! They are so tasty and refreshing. They are the perfect anytime drink!

I never was a big fan of lavender scented things. Lavender soaps, lotions, sprays, etc., never thrilled me. But these fabulous martinis are different!

There are many types of lavender, but these martinis use what is called culinary lavender. I never knew there was such a thing! But there are certain standards that have to be met in order for lavender to be food grade certified. I found mine at Whole Foods. It was $59.99 a pound! But don't be discouraged!! Lavender buds are so light weight that the amount that you would need for a party of 20 people or so is only around .65 cents. Not too shabby.

After you make up some yummy lavender syrup, all you need is vanilla vodka and lemon juice!

Culinary Lavender

The lavender in these cocktails lends a sweet, floral note that is so addictive. When you first sip it you get a nice zippy lemon flavor, but that gets rounded out with an intoxicating vanilla/lavender flavor that is oh so delicious! The aromatics of these are heavenly. It's a very unique combination of flavors that make for a fabulous cocktail.

I've made these for many occasions over the last couple of months and they are always a hit. If you do make these for a party, bring a few copies of the recipe. You'll need them!

* * * * * *

Lavender Martinis

Ice

1 1/2 ounces vanilla vodka

1/2 ounce fresh lemon juice

1/4 ounce lavender syrup

1 fresh lavender sprig

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add the vodka, lemon juice and Lavender Syrup and shake well. Strain into a chilled martini glass and garnish with the lavender sprig.

Lavender Syrup

3 ounces Simple Syrup

2 teaspoons dried lavender

In a small saucepan, heat the Simple Syrup. Add the dried lavender, then remove from the heat. Let cool, strain and refrigerate, covered, for up to 5 days.

Simple Syrup

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

In a small saucepan, bring sugar and water to a boil; simmer until the sugar is dissolved, 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool completely.

MAKE AHEAD: The syrup can be refrigerated in a glass jar for up to 1 month.
* * * * *

* You'll have to do a little math on these. The simple syrup makes around 11-12 fluid ounces. So, you would add 8 teaspoons of lavender to the simple syrup.

* I also like to add a splash more lavender syrup to the final martini to give that extra lavender kick. Yum!

Cooking Club: June

2011-06-14T18:26:00.000-06:00

Theme: Surprise Bridal Shower!

One of our lovely members, Sarah, is getting married on July 8th, so we threw her a surprise bridal shower complete with traditional Utah wedding fare. Well, except for the large penis cake from a local erotic bakery called (M)adam and (St)eve. Good stuff. We all had a fun time with this one. Look closely at the writing on the cake. He he.

Tasty vegetable and meat and cheese trays.

The classic chicken salad croissant sandwiches.

Lavender martinis. These are pure heaven.

Cucumber ranch bites on crackers with green olives. Very good.

An amazing red velvet crepe layer cake. This was so pretty.

And of course little goodie bags for the guests and a fun foodie basket for the bride.

Congrats Sarah!!!

Strawberry Brown Sugar Tart

2011-05-17T23:00:00.000-06:00

Wow. Just Wow. This fresh strawberry tart is absolutely delicious!

Look at all those shiny sweet strawberries.

Lets not waste time. I just had to cut this bad boy up and dig in.

The crust on this tart is like a big yummy cookie. Slightly crisp and melt-in-your-mouth good. The filling is creamy and perfectly sweet and just heavenly with the layers of strawberries.

This is just a damn good tart. 'Nough said.

Strawberry Brown Sugar Tart

Ingredients

1 cup flour

1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar, divided

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1 teaspoon vanilla extract, divided

1/2 cup crème fraîche

1/2 cup whipping cream

12 ounces strawberries, hulled and sliced

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°. In a food processor, whirl flour, 2 tbsp. sugar, the cornstarch, and salt until combined. Add butter and 1/2 tsp. vanilla and pulse until fine crumbs form and dough just begins to come together. Press evenly into bottom and up sides of a 9-in. round tart pan with a removable rim.

2. Bake until edges are golden, 20 to 22 minutes. Let cool on a rack, then gently push tart crust from pan rim; set on a plate.

3. In a bowl with a mixer on high speed, beat crème fraîche, cream, remaining 2 tbsp. sugar, and remaining 1/2 tsp. vanilla until thick. Spread in cooled crust. Arrange strawberries in circles on top, alternating cut sides down and up.

Make ahead: Chill, loosely covered, up to 4 hours.

I used the recipe below for the filling instead of the one called for in the recipe. I didn't have crème fraîche. Both are delicious, so use whichever one sounds best.

My Cream Filling (So Good!)

Ingredients

1 (4 ounce) package cream cheese, room temp.

3/4 cup powdered sugar

Pinch of salt

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/8 tsp. almond and coconut extract (opt.)

3/4 cup heavy whipping cream*

Directions

In a small bowl beat whipping cream until stiff peaks form; set aside.

In a large bowl combine cream cheese, powdered sugar, salt and extracts. Beat until smooth, then fold in whipped cream.

* I used stabilized whipping cream for a thicker filling. I found this at a baking supple store.

Cooking Club: May

2011-05-16T17:29:00.001-06:00

Theme: Favorite Recipe from your Mom

Betty (Host): Prism Cake
Linda: Potato Soup, Betty Crocker Bars
Shauna: Boneless Spare Ribs in BBQ
Jodi: Shrimp and Noodles
Gayle: Meatloaf
Summer: Pastrami Tomato Cheese Sandwiches
Sarah: Peach Cobbler
Judi:
Pancit Bihon (philippino noodle dish)

Susan: Homini Dip

All the dishes were really tasty. The story behind each one was even better!

Pastrami Tomato Cheese Sandwiches

Peach Cobbler

Prism Cake

Hominy Dip

Boneless Spare Ribs

Shrimp and Noodles

Pancit Bihon

Potato Soup

Prism Cake Recipe

Ingredients

1 package (3 ounces) orange gelatin
3 cups boiling water, divided
2 cups cold water, divided
1 package (3 ounces) cherry gelatin
1 package (3 ounces) lime gelatin
1 cup unsweetened pineapple juice
1/2 cup sugar, divided
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1 package (3 ounces) lemon gelatin
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 cups heavy whipping cream

Directions

In a small bowl, dissolve orange gelatin in 1 cup boiling water; stir in 1/2 cup cold water. Pour into an ice cube tray coated with cooking spray. Repeat with cherry and lime gelatins, using two more ice cube trays. Refrigerate until firm, about 1-1/2 hours.
In a small saucepan, combine pineapple juice and 1/4 cup sugar. Sprinkle with unflavored gelatin; let stand for 1 minute. Cook and stir just until mixture comes to a boil. Remove from the heat; stir in lemon gelatin until dissolved. Stir in remaining cold water. Transfer to a large bowl; refrigerate for 30-40 minutes or until syrupy.
Combine cracker crumbs with remaining sugar; stir in butter. Press onto the bottom and 2 in. up the sides of a greased 9-in. springform pan. Place on a baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 8-10 minutes or until set. Cool on a wire rack.
Remove gelatin cubes from ice cube trays. In a large bowl, beat cream until stiff peaks form. Gently fold into lemon gelatin mixture. Fold in gelatin cubes. Spoon over crust. Refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight. Yield: 10-12 servings.

More recipes coming soon...

Rainbow Cupcakes

2011-05-15T22:31:00.002-06:00

I'm making cupcakes for my sister-in-law's upcoming wedding in July. For her birthday last year, I made this yummy rainbow birthday cake. She absolutely loved it and requested it for her wedding.

In addition to the bright wild colors, the cake is super moist and has a wonderful vanilla flavor. The whipped cream cream cheese frosting is light and fluffy with the perfect amount of sweetness. It's a cake mix cake, but it's so delicious that you devour every bite and don't think twice about what's in it.

The bride-to-be decided it would be fun to do cupcakes for the wedding instead of cake. So, I decided to do a test run on the recipe to make sure it would work come nuptial day.

Below is the colorful batter ready for the oven.

They all puffed up nicely with slightly crisp edges that were really tasty!

The cupcakes themselves turned out very moist and fluffy. I hate dry, dense cupcakes. Blah.

This whipped cream frosting is sooo good! It's light and creamy and goes really well with the cupcakes. The only problem is that whipped cream frosting can be a bit runny which makes it impossible to pipe. Since this frosting is so delicious, I tried using a stabilized whipped cream to see if that would thicken the frosting enough to pipe it. And...it worked!! So, this is the recipe I'll use for the wedding!!

Here are some cute mini cupcakes my daughter made with her little cupcake pan.

Someone decided to snitch a bit of frosting while I was taking pictures. Made me giggle.

I think these cupcakes are so cute and fun! Perfect for a birthday party or any occasion really. Plus, you can color the batter any way you want.

I'm excited to make these psychedelic but oh-so-tasty cupcakes for the wedding!

Moist White Cake
Ingredients
1 (18.25 ounce) package white cake mix
1 (5.9 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix
1 cup sour cream
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
1/2 cup warm water

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
In a large bowl, mix together the cake and pudding mixes, sour cream, oil, beaten eggs and water. Pour batter into a well greased 12 cup bundt pan.

Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until top is springy to the touch and a wooden toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool cake thoroughly in pan at least an hour and a half before inverting onto a plate If desired, dust the cake with powdered sugar.

* I use a french vanilla cake mix and add a teaspoon of vanilla.

Whipped Cream Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
1 cup white sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

Directions
In a small bowl beat whipping cream until stiff peaks form; set aside.
In a large bowl combine cream cheese, sugar, salt and vanilla. Beat until smooth, then fold in whipped cream.

* I used 1 3/4 cup powdered sugar instead of the granulated sugar and stabilized whipped cream to help thicken up the frosting. Worked well. Also, chill your mixing bowl and beaters before whipping the cream.

Root Beer Float Cake

2011-04-27T13:51:00.001-06:00

This moist cake is full of root beer flavor and is delicious served warm from the oven with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!

Root Beer extract is dark brown with a syrupy consistency. This cake uses a white cake mix and as you can see, the extract turns the white batter a rich brown color.

A root beer glaze gets poured over the warm cake to add moisture and flavor.

The cake bakes up nice and fluffy and golden brown.

Once the cake cools for 15 minutes, it gets inverted and then topped with root beer glaze. Yum!

Serve this cake warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and you've got yourself a delicious root beer float dessert!

Root Beer Float Cake
Cake:
(18.25 ounce) package white cake mix
1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle root beer
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 teaspoon root beer extract
3 eggs
Glaze:
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
5 tablespoons root beer
1 teaspoon root beer extract

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 10 inch Bundt pan.
In a medium bowl, stir together the cake mix, 12 ounces root beer, oil, extract and eggs until smooth. Pour batter into the prepared pan.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes in the preheated oven, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool cake in pan for 15 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack to cool completely. Poke holes in the cake with a skewer at 2 inch intervals. Pour Root Beer Glaze evenly over cake.

To make the Root Beer Glaze: combine the confectioners sugar, extract and 5 tablespoons of root beer in a small bowl. Mix until smooth.

* Make sure to grease and flour you pan well and allow the cake to cool for 15 minutes so your cake doesn't stick!