Prayers to Those in Newtown, CT

Though this is a food blog I am completely beside myself right now.  As I'm sure many of you are aware, a tragedy occurred in Newtown, CT today.  27 innocent lives were stricken down by evil.  I was at work today, watching the news during lunch when I became aware of the happenings at Sandy Hook Elementary.  I'm not ashamed to say that I spent most of the afternoon completely distraught.  As the mother of two young boys (11 and 4) I couldn't help but put myself in the shoes of those parents that have now experienced the most horrific and painful loss imaginable.  Those same parents that were planning Christmas and presents and holiday festivities.  They dropped their babies off at school, just like any other day.  There is no way anyone could have imagined what would occur.

Tonight's blog is not about food. Tonight, I'm hugging my boys a little tighter.  Kissing them a little more.  Telling them how much I love them and how important they are to me.  I would suggest that you do the same. 

Many prayers to the families of Sandy Hook Elementary.  

Let The Holiday Festivities Commence

Hello friends!  Well, we attended our first holiday gathering and had a wonderful time.  My husband and I brought along a new appetizer and bar cookies for dessert.  I may have mentioned in prior blogs that I collect cook books and magazines.  I pick them up whenever I can.  Garage sales, book stores, cash registers...anywhere.  A few years back I picked up a magazine by Taste of Home -Best Holiday Recipes.  While leafing through it a few weeks ago..looking for cookie recipes, the hubby found a yummy sounding appetizer recipe called Bacon-Cheese Biscuit Bites.  They were melt-in-your-mouth delicious.  A tip - they taste much better warm - so it would be best to keep them on low in the oven and refill your serving trays as needed.  Below is the recipe and photo (as always taken by my wonderfully talented husband):

Bacon-Cheese Biscuit Bites

 Ingredients:

4 oz cream cheese, softened

2 Tbsp butter
1 egg
1 Tbsp milk
1/3 cup crumbled bacon
¼ c shredded Swiss cheese
½ shallot, minced
1 large red bell pepper, diced
1 tube large refrigerated flaky biscuits

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Over medium heat, sauté the shallots in butter until translucent; set aside.

In small bowl beat the cream cheese, egg and milk until blended.  Stir in the bacon, cheese, shallot and half the bell pepper; set aside.

Cut each biscuit into four pieces; press each piece into a greased mini muffin cup pan.  Fill with cream cheese mixture; top w/remaining bell pepper. 

Bake for 14-16 minutes or until golden brown.  

 

Now..onto our dessert.  For some reason when I start thinking about cookies to bake I seem to complete forget about bar cookies.  I'm not quite sure why because I absolutely LOVE them.  While perusing through old magazines I came cross the recipe for caramel pecan bars in a 2010 Southern Living.  This gathering seemed like the perfect opportunity to try out this recipe.  The hostess happens to LOVE pecans..nuts in general.  She also loves the whole "salty/sweet" combination, so I added some sea salt lightly sprinkled over the pan right after it came out of the oven.  These were scrumptious.  So yummy..that I brought about 6 back home with me and ate them all within 24 hours.  My waistline is not too happy with me right now...but it is the holiday season afterall. 

Caramel Pecan Bars

Ingredients:

3 ½ c coarsely chopped pecans

2 c all purpose flour
2/3 c powdered sugar
¾ c butter, cubed
½ c firmly packed brown sugar
½ c honey
2/3 c butter
3 Tbsp whipping cream

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line bottom and sides of a 13 x 9 inch pan with heavy duty aluminum foil, allowing 2-3 inches to extend over sides.  Lightly grease foil.

Bake pecans in a single layer in a shallow pan 8-10 minutes or until lightly toasted and fragrant; stirring halfway through.

Pulse flour, powdered sugar and ¾ cup butter in a food processor 5 to 6 times or until mixture resembles coarse meal.   Press mixture on bottom and ¾ inch up sides of prepared pan.

Bake for 20 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.  Cool completely on a wire rack (about 15 minutes).

Bring brown sugar, honey, butter and whipping cream to a boil in a 3 quart saucepan over medium high heat.  Stir in toasted nut and spoon hot filling into prepared crust, spread to all corners.

Bake at 350 for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden and bubbly.  Cool completely on a wire rack (about 30 minutes).  Lift bake bars from pan, using foil sides as handles.  Transfer to a cutting board; cut into bars.

Yields 2 dozen bars.

I hope that you consider trying one if not both of these recipes.  Both have been stored away for use again in the near future for me.  Both would be a welcome addition to any party buffet..of this I promise. 

Keep an eye on the blog.  I will be "adventuring" even more than usual  over the next couple weeks as my house has become "Cookie Central".  Happy Baking!!

 

 

Merry Christmas Chai

Happy Holidays!  Well, as promised, I've been doing a little baking over the past few weeks.  Taking a break from cookies (though pics and recipes will be posted in future posts) I came across a recipe for chai cupcakes topped with a chai spiced buttercream.  Now..I LOVE a good chai tea.  So does my husband.  Silly me...I thought EVERYONE loved chai.  However, I recently made these yummy little cupcakes and realized...NOT everyone loves chai.  Hmmmm....go figure.

Chai is actually a spice mix of ground ginger, cinnamon, cardamom and cloves.  The mix is incredibly aromatic and completely charges the palate. To me...it also screams the holiday season.  Think a light spice cake.  In this recipe half of the spice mix goes into the cake batter and half goes into the buttercream.  Here is a pic of the end result:

 

 

 

 

Here are the recipes for the both the cupcakes and the buttercream: 

 

Chai Cupcakes w/Chai Buttercream Frosting 

Ingredients:

2 ½ c cake flour, sifted

1 Tbsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

1 c whole milk, at room temp

2 large egg whites, at room temp

1 whole egg, at room temp

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 ½ c granulated sugar

1 stick unsalted butter, at room temp

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground cardamom

1 tsp ground cloves

12 Tbsp butter, softened

6 c confectioner’s sugar

1 ½ tsp vanilla extract

8 Tbsp 2% milk

Ground cinnamon

For the cupcakes:

Place the ginger, cinnamon, cardamom and cloves into a bowl; mix and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and center the oven rack. Line 2 muffin/cupcake pans with standard-size cupcake liners, and put the first cupcake pan on a baking sheet. (You will place the second cupcake pan on the same sheet in the oven once the first tray is baked.)

Sift the flour, baking powder, salt and half of the spice mixture into a medium-sized bowl. Whisk together the milk, eggs, vanilla extract 1/2 in a medium bowl or large glass measuring cup.

In an electric mixer fitted with the whisk or paddle attachment (I used the whisk), cream the butter and sugar on medium speed until very pale and creamy, about 5 minutes.

With the mixer still on medium speed, alternate additions of the flour mixture and milk-egg mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture (3 dry additions, 2 wet), beating after each addition until incorporated. Continue mixing on medium speed for 2 minutes.

Divide batter evenly among your cupcake liners–about 2/3 full–and bake until a toothpick comes out with a few crumbs only, about 16 minutes.

Carefully remove the cupcakes from the pan and let cool on wire racks. Repeat with second tray.

Buttercream:

Beat butter until fluffy; beat in confectioner’s sugar, vanilla and remaining spice mixture until smooth.   Add milk to reach desired consistency.  Pipe frosting over cupcakes and sprinkle with cinnamon.

 Hope you all enjoy this very unique and seasonal cupcake.   Please keep an eye out for upcoming posts that will feature a variety of my favorite Christmas cookies.  As always, please feel free to post comments as well as any baking questions that you may have.  Happy Baking!!



 







It's Cookie Time!!

Yes!  The holiday season is here and the baking has commenced.  I bake TONS of cookies at this time of year.  Not just for the hubby and kids (though there are NO complaints by them).  We typically hand out cookie trays to friends and neighbors.  We also take trays to work gatherings and polucks.  People LOVE the cookies for the holiday.  Whether they keep them for themselves or share them with others..the trays are always happily received.

This post will be short and sweet (unlike the past few).  Today I'm going to share with all of you a very special recipe.  This isn't a borrowed recipe.  One swiped from a website or blog.  This recipe I created all on my own.  It took several trial runs to get this cookie and it epitomizes ALL that is Christmas to me.  As a child, I used to look forward to Christmas not just for the lights, decorations or presents.  I couldn't wait for the Archway holiday cookies.  My parents were not big on giving their children sweets (why would you intentionally hype up 4 children on sugar?).  However at Christmas my mom and dad made the occasional exception.  Archway cookies.  Soft and chewy iced gingerbread men.  Russian wedding cakes.  Pfefferneusse and cashew nougats.  All of which you can still purchase today.  My favorite Archway cookie, unfortunately, has been discontinued.  The Merry Mints.  They were round, pink little confections covered in minty powdered sugar and filled with little green and red mints.  Unfortunately due to the fact that they were discontinued years ago there was a gap that no other cookie could fill.  I know..a bit dramatic but truthful.  So, if the cookie you love is no longer in existence..and you happen to love to bake the only option is to recreate your fave cookie.  Which is what I did :)  Hence the Christmint Meltaway.

Christmint Meltaways

Ingredients:

1 ½ c butter, softened

¾ c confectioner’s sugar
½ tsp salt
2 tsp peppermint extract
3 c all purpose flour
2 c chopped soft peppermint candies
1/2 c finely chopped pecans
1 c confectioner’s sugar
1 c crushed candy canes (fine pink powder)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

In a large mixer bowl cream butter, ¾ c confectioner’s sugar and salt.  Beat in peppermint extract.  Gradually beat in flour; stir in chopped candies and pecans.  Shape level teaspoons of dough into 1-inch balls.  Place on ungreased cookie sheets.  Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until cookies are set and lightly browned.

Remove from oven.  Combine 1 c confectioner’s sugar and crushed candy canes in a bowl.  Sift mixture over hot cookies on baking sheets.  Let stand for 10 minutes before moving to racks to cool completely.  Sprinkle with additional pink mixture if desired.  Store in airtight containers. 

Yields 40 cookies.

I promise that this is THE Christmas cookie that should be on any tray.  Speaking of trays.....I've included a couple of pics of trays and cookies baked over the past few holiday seasons.  Some of these cookies will be showcased during the next few weeks.  Come back soon!

A Wonderful Wedding Anniversary Tradition

Yes...I'm posting a blog two days in a row!  Can you believe it??  Well, this is kind of a "cheat".  I'm not posting a recipe.   However, I am sharing a wonderful tradition started by my wonderful husband years ago.  Today we celebrate twelve years of marriage.  My absoluely FAVORITE breakfast dish is eggs benedict.  Not just any eggs benedict..but my husband's version of this incredibly rich and decadent meal.  Now the amount of butter that goes into making the perfect Hollandaise sauce is artery clogging and heart stopping.  But oooohhhhhhh....it is so worth the caloric intake once per year. 

Today I'm sharing with all of you a pic of what I was able to feast upon this morning.  My hubby's eggs benedict.  I love you Babe!  This one is a great big THANK YOU!!

Busy Times...Busy Times

Happy Thanksgiving!!  I apologize for not blogging sooner but life gets busy as we all know.  I have been cooking and baking though...and documenting my adventures along the way. 

I recently came across a fabulous recipe in my most recent Cuisine magazine.  A fresh take on beef stroganoff...and it was AH-mazing.  The layers of flavor in this dish gave you something different in each bite.  All things considered, with prep done ahead of time, this dish would be a great weekday meal. 

Tenderloin Tips w/Mushroom Cream Sauce

 Ingredients:

2 Tbsp Olive Oil

1 lb beef tenderloin tips, cubed
1 Tbsp black pepper and Kosher salt
1 lb sliced button mushrooms
¼ c chopped shallots
1 Tbsp minced garlic
½ c dry Marsala
1 c heavy cream
2 oz cream cheese
2 Tbsp stone ground mustard
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
2 tsp minced fresh thyme
Minced fresh parsley

Directions:

Heat oil in a nonstick skillet over high heat until it shimmers.  Season beef with pepper and salt.  Add beef to skillet and sear until browned on all sides; transfer to a plate.

Add mushrooms to the same skillet; cover and cook over high heat until they release their liquid.  Remove lid and continue cooking until mushrooms brown and liquid evaporates, 7-9 minutes.  Add shallots and garlic to skillet; cook until fragrant, 1-2 minutes.

Deglaze skillet with Marsala; reduce by half.  Reduce heat to medium and stir in cream, cream cheese and mustard.  Simmer sauce until thickened, 3-5 minutes.  Stir in lemon juice, thyme and any meat juices that accumulated on the plate. 

Serve sauce and beef over lemony noodles; garnish w/parsley.

 Serve this dish over a side of lemony egg noodles.  This recipe can be slightly altered by adding freshly grated parmesan or romano cheeses.  Perhaps add peas and mint.  Just a great and versatile side dish.

Lemony Noodles

 Ingredients:

8 oz extra wide egg noodes

2 Tbsp unsalted butter
2 Tbsp minced fresh parsley
1 Tbsp minced lemon zest
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Cook noodles in a large pot of boiling salted water according to package directions; drain

Toss noodles with butter, parsley and zest.  Season with salt and pepper

As I've mentioned I cook for comfort more than anything else.  My ultimate comfort food is anything that involves some form of pasta.  While I do not have my lasagna recipe written at this time, I have included a couple of pics of a recent lasagna night in the O'Connell household.  Lasagna is one of those meals that I will eat until all of the leftovers are gone.  I could (and have) eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  In fact, it is well known that if I could only eat one food for the rest of  my life it would most definitely be lasagna.

Along the same "pasta" lines I found a wonderfully simple recipe on Pinterest.  I was looking for a recipe that would include some of the yummy squash that is so easily available in the Midwest right now.  I came across the following recipe that called for acorn squash.  However, I had and used butternut squash instead.  Let me tell you!  I was worried my son would not be willing to try the squash.  It was the first thing he ate out of the dish!  This meal was so homey and comforting and a total keeper.  I've attached the link below. As I said above I just swapped out the acorn squash for butternut and also doubled the recipe.

http://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-penne-with-acorn-squash-63917

Pics of our meal:

Well,  I can't have all of these savory dishes without ending with a few sweet additions.  A few years ago we found the most perfect hot cocoa recipe online.  We drink SO much of this during the cold, winter evenings that I can honestly attribute a five poound weight gain over last winter directly to this heavenly drink.  I've also included a fave cookie recipe of my family.  On a cold night there's nothing quite like a creamy cup of hot cocoa and cinnamony (is that even a word?) snickerdoodle.

Hot Cocoa

Ingredients:

1/3 c unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 c white sugar
1 pinch of salt
1/3 c boiling water
3 1/2 c milk
3/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 c half and half

Directions:

Combine the cocoa, sugar and salt in a saucepan.  Blend in the boiling water.  Bring this mixture to an easy boil while you stir.  Simmer and stir for about 2 minutes.  Watch that it doesn't scorch.  Stir in the milk and heat until very hot, but do not boil.  Remove from heat and add vanilla.  Divide into mugs and add the half and half to the mugs of cocoa to cool it to drinking temperature. 

We top with a mountain of whipped cream and cinnamon.

 

Snickerdoodles

 Ingredients:

½ c butter

1  c all purpose flour
1 c sugar
1 egg
½ tsp vanilla
¼ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp cream of tartar
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon

Directions:

In a mixing bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds.  Add about half of the flour, the 1 c of sugar, egg, vanilla, baking soda and cream of tartar.  Beat until thoroughly combined.  Beat in remaining flour.  Cover and chill one hour.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Shape dough into 1-inch balls.  Combine the 2 tbsp sugar and cinnamon.  Roll balls in the sugar and cinnamon mixture.  Place about 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake for 10-11 minutes or until edges are golden.  Cool cookies on a wire rack.

 (Yields 36 cookies)

Finally my friends I thought I'd share a few pics of other recent kitchen adventures.  First, previously I posted about a friend's baby shower for which I was to bake cupcakes.  I believe I even posted a few pics of the trial cupcakes.  Well, I've attached a few pics of the finished products.  We went with a strawberry cake w/strawberry buttercream (the cupcakes that look like roses), a chocolate cupcake with strawberry buttercream (white chocolate bassinet on top) and a chocolate cupcake w/salted caramel swiss buttercream filling and topped with chocolate buttercream w/pink chocolalte girl on top).

Bringing this post to an end, I hope that you all had a wonderfully blessed Thanksgiving filled with love, laughter, family and FOOD!  We are now officially entered my favorite time of year.  Over the next month I will do my best to share holiday recipes with all of you.  

A peek at our Thanksgiving table this year.  My talented hubby cooked our lovely meal and I handled desserts.  Happy Adventures!

Some Cheesy Goodness...and Then Some

Cheese.  I love it.  I love all types of cheese.  Bleu...parmigiano reggiano...cheddar.  You name it..and I'll eat it.  Cheese was an inspiration in several of the dishes featured in today's blog post.  I've dabbled in a little bit of everything over the past week or two.  We have a loaf of cheddar bread, cheeseburger soup and spaghetti carbonara.  While I made the bread and the soup my husband is the king of the carbonara. It's one of my fave comfort foods and my husband has mastered the recipe.

This soup is not for the faint of heart.  It's thick and hearty and incredibly rich.  I've tweaked the recipe over the years and tried to cut out a few of the calories by switching out whole milk for 2% (I've tried it with skim but felt that the soup really lost something when I cut out that much of the fat).  As always with soups and stews we eat with a chunk of crusty bread.  Here is the recipe and photos of the final product:

Cheeseburger Soup

 Ingredients:

½ lb ground beef

¾ c chopped onion
¾ c shredded carrots
¾ c chopped celery
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried parsley
4 tbsp butter
3 c chicken broth
4 c cubed potatoes
¼ c all-purpose flour
2 c shredded cheddar cheese
1 ½ c 2% milk
¼ c sour cream

Directions:

In a large pot, melt 1 tbsp butter over medium heat.  Cook and stir vegetables (not the potatoes) and beef, until beef is brown.

Stir in basil and parsley.  Add broth and potatoes.  Bring to a boil, and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 10-12 minutes.

Melt the remainder of the butter and stir in flour.  Add the milk, stirring until smooth.  Gradually add milk mixture to the soup, stirring constantly.  Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer.  Stir in cheese.  When cheese is melted, add sour cream and heat through.  Do not boil.  Serve.

 

Now, sticking with our "cheesy" theme we have THE cheese bread.  Like so many I peruse the recipes and ideas on Pinterest.  I have tried quite a few recipes from the site and they have all been fabulous.  Recently I found a recipe for cheese bread.  The bread is supposed to be reminiscent of the cheddar bay biscuits served at Red Lobster.  I actually think the bread is even better than the biscuits.  I've also found that he bread is SO good sliced and toasted in a toaster oven.  The bread is so rich there isn't a need for butter.  It's simply great on it's own. 

Cheese Bread

Ingredients:

3 cups flour

1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
4 ounces cheddar cheese, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 1/4 cups milk
3/4 cup sour cream
3 Tablespoons of butter, melted
1 egg, lightly beaten

Directions:

Heat oven to 350.

Spray 9 x 5 inch loaf pan with baking spray and set aside.

In a bowl, whisk together the first 5 ingredients.

Carefully stir in shredded cheese and cheese cubes until covered in flour mixture. This will help prevent your cheese sinking to the bottom of your loaf of bread.

In a different bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients.

Fold the wet mixture into the flour and cheese mixture.  Stir until just combined. Do not over stir.
Pour and spread the mixture into the loaf pan. Bake for 45-50 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes and then remove from pan. Allow to cool for one hour before slicing and serving.

Our final product:

Now, the spaghetti carbonara cannot be credited to me.  Well..it can in the respect that it is MADE for me by my wonderful hubby (and the world's best food photographer).  I know that I go on and on about comfort food and quite frankly I can't help it.  Food is comfort.  I know that goes against everything we hear nowadays.  Food is only supposed to be fuel..and not bring you comfort.  I disagree.  I believe in eating everything and anything..in moderation.  That said..this is comfort to millionth degree.  When plating just remember that a little goes a looooong way with this dish. 

Spaghetti alla Carbonara

Ingredients:

Salt

2 Tbsp
¾ c pancetta, cut into a ¼ inch dice
1 lb percatelli
8 large eggs
½ c parmigiano
½ c pecorino
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

 
Bring a large pot of well salted water to boil over medium heat.
 
Add about 2 tablespoons olive oil to a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the pancetta and cook until it starts to color and turn crisp.  Turn off the heat and reserve.
 
Drop the pasta into the boiling water and cook one minute less than stated on the package.

While pasta is cooking crack the eggs into a large bowl.  Add the grated cheese and salt.  Whisk vigorously until combined.  Season generously with black pepper.

When the pasta is just about done return pan with pancetta to medium heat.   Remove the pasta from the cooking water.  Toss the pasta into the pancetta to coat with remaining fat in the skillet.  Immediately and vigorously stir the eggs into the pasta.  Cook for 1 to 2 minutes stirring constantly until the egg begins to look like a cream sauce.  Serve immediately.

 

Finally..totally unrelated to cheese...dessert.  In an earlier blog post I made and featured a strawberry cupcakes with strawberry buttercream.  The cupcakes are being made for a friend's baby shower.  This week I made the chocolate counterpart to those cupcakes.  Not just a chocolate cupcake but a chocolate cupcake that is stuffed with a salted caramel swiss buttercream.  Now..swiss buttercream is like NOTHING you have ever experienced before.  It is so light and creamy and to die for yummy.  It is worth every bit of time it takes to make it.  I have borrowed the recipe from my fave blogger Sweetapolita.  She really knows her stuff. 

Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:

1 c Dutch process cocoa

2 c boiling water
1 c butter, softened
2 c sugar
4 large eggs
2 ¾ c all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1 tsp coffee

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine cocoa and boiling water in large heatproof bowl stirring until blended and smooth; set aside and cool completely.

Beat butter at medium speed w/paddle attachment under creamy; gradually add sugar, beating until blended.  Add eggs 1 at a time, beating until blended after each addition.

Combine flour and next 3 ingredients; add to butter mixture alternately with cocoa mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture.  Beat at low speed until just blended after each addition.  Stir in coffee.

Place cupcake liners in 2 -12 cup muffin pans and spray with cooking spray.  Scoop batter into cups filling 2/3 full.

Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes until toothpick inserted center comes out clean.  Cool in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks and cool completely.

Chocolate Buttercream

Ingredients:

½ c butter, softened

½ c unsweetened cocoa
1/3 c heavy whipping cream
1/8 tsp salt
1-16 oz powdered sugar

Directions:

Beat first 4 ingredients at medium speed with a paddle attachment until creamy.

Gradually add powdered sugar, beating at low speed until blended.  Beat at high speed 2 minutes or until creamy.

 

Salted Caramel Swiss Buttercream (for filling)

Yield: 4 cups

Ingredients:

1 c sugar

1/4 c water

1/4 c heavy cream

generous pinch of sea salt (and additional sea salt, preferably Fleur de Sel, for sprinkling

1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, at room temperature

4 large egg whites

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions:

The first step is making the salted caramel (you can also do a non-salted caramel by omitting the sea salt), to set aside to cool while you make the Swiss Buttercream. You then add the cooled caramel sauce it to the buttercream as the very last step.

Place 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons of the sugar and the water in a medium saucepan to a boil over medium heat. Brush down the sides of the pot with a dampened pastry brush to prevent sugar crystals from forming. Stop stirring and cook until caramel is dark amber, gently swirling from time to time. Remove from heat, and slowly add cream, whisking by hand until smooth. It will be splatter, so be careful. Whisk in sea salt and vanilla. Let cool.

Place butter in an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (flat beater) and beat on medium speed (I use #4 on my mixer), until pale and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside.

Wipe the bowl of an electric mixer clean with lemon juice, and place egg whites and remaining sugar into bowl over a pot of simmering water (not boiling–you don’t want to cook the eggs). Whisk occasionally and gently until sugar dissolves and mixture registers 160° on a candy thermometer.

Remove the bowl from heat, and place back onto the mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk on medium speed for 5 minutes. Increase speed to medium-high, and whisk until stiff, glossy peaks form (about 5-6 minutes). Once the bottom of the bowl is neutral and no longer warm to the touch, reduce speed to medium-low, and add beaten butter, one cup at a time, whisking well after each addition.

Switch to paddle attachment. With mixer on low speed, add cooled caramel, and beat until smooth (about 3-5 minutes).

*Adapted from Martha Stewart’s Caramel Buttercream

 

 

 

The top pic is of the homemade salted caramel sauce that was blended into the swiss buttercream. 

I hope that you decide to try one of a few or ALL of the recipes this time around.  As always I welcome any comments and feedback.  Happy Cooking!!

Sunday Dinner

Hello Friends!

I'm not sure about all of you...but one thing I absolutely LOVE to eat is roasted chicken.  I especially love the crispy and flavorful skin (I know...probably the least healthy part of the bird).  I've tried many roasted chicken recipes...beer can chicken...stuffed chicken.  However...none of them quite fit the bill (or should I say "beak") to me. 

Now, as much as I love baking and cooking (and in that order), I also LOVE collecting cook books.  ANY cook book.  I purchase them off of clearance racks, at Home Goods and while in grocery lines.  The best way to get great cook books are at book fairs.   You know..when people donate all of their books and usually the money raised is donated to a particular charity.  I have found some wonderful cookbooks that were usually compiled of favorite family recipes by a church groups and other such organizations.  Anyway, I found what I believe is the PERFECT roasted chicken recipe and it was from none other than the Barefoot Contessa herself, Ina Garten.  Appropriately enough she calls it her "Perfect Roast Chicken" recipe.  Not only is it amazingly succulent and tasty, but it is also amazingly easy to make.  Here is a the end product followed by the recipe:

An important tip to remember is to LIBERALLY salt and pepper the inside cavity as well as the outside (after you coat with melted butter).  The recipe is as follows:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/perfect-roast-chicken-recipe/index.html

I didn't stop here.  My husband found a recipe on Pinterest for a pumpkin bread w/pumpkin frosting topped with a caramel drizzle.  I'm not going to lie to you.  This recipe calls for a ton of ingredients and a ton of steps, but I must admit that it's a keeper.  I'll be very honest with all of you.  I do not bake "healthy" dishes..I don't.  I believe in everything in moderation.  So I bake full on..full fat...full sugar.  This recipe called for swapping out 1/4 cup of sugar for 1/4 cup of sweetener.   I did not do that.  You can if you so choose...but I used a 1/4 cup of white sugar instead of sweetener. 

Here is the link to the recipe:

http://www.a-kitchen-addiction.com/pumpkin-bread-with-salted-caramel-drizzled-pumpkin-buttercream-2/

Well folks...that's it for now.  Once again, please feel free to post comments, ask questions and give me ideas of types of recipes that you might be interested in seeing on my blog.   My blog is only as good as those that are following and participating :)  May you all have wonderful Adventures in the Kitchen :)

Comfort Food At Its Finest

Well..it's that time of year again.  Merry Thanksgivoween (September 1st through January 1st)!!!   That's right...I'm a crazy holiday season person.  In my world...the season starts in September with Halloween/Fall decorations and continues through the first of the new year :)  SO...this is my FAVE time of the year.  Everyone else can keep their Summertime BBQs...I love making all forms of comfort food.  Stews, soups, chilis, stoups...and baking GALORE.  I've made a few things over the past few weeks that I thought I'd share with you...so here we go :)

My boys are donut fanatics.  Who am I kidding...I love them too.  I received donut pans last Christmas and have had the opportunity to use them a few times.  I've tried a few different recipes and found that the two that I used most recently were wonderful.  If you are a chocoholic..you'll enjoy the chocolate donut with chocolate glaze and sprinkles.  I had the boys help me with the sprinkling portion of the creating.  The second is a pumpkin spice donut with a vanilla glaze.  Both recipes are baked.  The only suggestion I have is to be sure not to overbake the chocolate donuts.  Err on the side of caution and bake for the lower amount of time and add if needed.  Here are a few pics of the yummy donuts from my morning with my boys.

Recipe for the chocolate donuts:

Ingredients:

3/4 cup flour
1/4 cup dutch-process cocoa
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 tablespoons canola oil
Chocolate glaze (recipe follows)
Colored or chocolate sprinkles (optional)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees and coat a donut pan liberally with cooking spray.

Stir together flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Add the egg, vanilla, and milk and stir together for 1 minute. Add the oil and continue to whisk until just combined. Transfer the batter to a large measuring cup (or a bowl with a spout) for easy pouring.

Fill each cavity in the pan 2/3 of the way full with batter. Bake for 7 to 9 minutes or until the donuts spring back when lightly touched. Cool completely before icing. Yields 10 to 12 donuts.

Chocolate Glaze

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

To make the glaze: combine the chocolate chips, butter, corn syrup and vanilla extract in a double boiler (or in a stainless steel or glass bowl over some simmering water). Stir until the chocolate is melted and everything is incorporated. Use immediately.

The recipe for the pumpkin spice donuts.  I didn't include a recipe for the icing.  You can make any simple icing or glaze and pour over the donuts when they are still warm.

Pumpkin Spice DonutsMakes 12-14 donuts

For Donuts:

1 3/4 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/8 teaspoons ground cloves
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup milk

1-2 tablespoons cinnamon (more if you're a cinnamon lover)
Preheat oven 350 F. Spray the pans with baking spray and set aside.

In a bowl, mix flour, baking powder, salt and spices together and set aside.

In a large bowl (or the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment) whisk together oil, brown sugar, egg, vanilla, pumpkin and milk until combined. Slowly add the dry ingredients into the mixture and stir until just combined, careful not to over mix.

Using a pastry bag or a steady hand and a spoon, fill each donut cup with the batter. The donut cups should be fairly full, but not overflowing. Bake for 12-15 minutes. Turn donuts out onto a wire rack and allow to cool for a few minutes.

As I stated previously, soups are one of my favorite things to make during this time of year.  A hot, steaming bowl of soup (of any kind) with a big slice of buttered, crusty bread....there is ALMOST nothing better.  We had a couple of really cold nights here in Michigan recently and I was inspired.  I made my Polish Chicken & Dumplings on one night...Giada's Winter Minestrone on another. 

The Polish Chicken & Dumplings...well...if this type of meal floats your boat...look no further.  The is a very inexpensive recipe that is worth every bit of the time it takes to make.  Here is a pic of this hearty dish along with the recipe:

Polish Chicken and Dumplings

Ingredients:

1 (3 lb) whole chicken

1 onion, chopped

1 stalk celery, w/ leaves

1 tbsp poultry seasoning

1 tsp whole allspice

1 tsp dried basil

½ tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp seasoning salt

1 (10.75 oz) can cream of chicken soup

Dumplings:

4 eggs

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
2 c water
4 c all-purpose flour

Directions:

Place chicken, onion and celery in a large pot, and then top with water.  Season with poultry seasoning, whole allspice, basil, ½ tsp salt, 1 tsp black pepper, and seasoning salt.  Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for approximately 2 hours, or until chicken is done. 

Remove chicken from broth, and strain broth to remove seasonings and any bone.  Return broth to pant, stir in cream of chicken soup, and continue simmering.  Set chicken aside to cool.

In a medium bowl, stir together eggs, olive oil, 1 tbsp salt and 1 tsp pepper with 2 cups water.  Gradually add flour, and stir until thick.

Using a large ice cream scoop, scoop the dough and drop into the broth.  Repeat until all the dough has been used.  Stir, cover, and simmer for about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, skin and debone the chicken.  Cut the meat into small pieces, add to the broth, and heat through.  Serve.

 

The Winter Minestrone soup is just as hearty but with a totally different flavor profile.  Tomato based broth thickened slightly by the partially pureed white beans.  Here is a pic of our end product along with the recipe.

 

 

 

Winter Minestrone

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, chopped

2 carrots, peeled and chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped

3 ounces thinly sliced pancetta, coarsely chopped

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 pound Swiss chard, stems trimmed, leaves coarsely chopped

1 russet potato, peeled and cubed

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes in juice

2 fresh rosemary sprigs

1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed, divided

2 (14-ounce) cans low-sodium beef broth, divided

1 (1-ounce) Parmesan rind

1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions:

In a large, heavy stockpot or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, pancetta, and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the Swiss chard and potato. Season with salt and pepper and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and rosemary sprigs. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the chard is wilted and the tomatoes are very soft, about 10 minutes.

In a food processor or blender, combine 3/4 of the beans with 1/2 cup of broth. Blend until almost smooth. Add the pureed bean mixture, remaining broth, and Parmesan rind to the vegetable mixture. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the potato pieces are tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in the remaining beans and the parsley. Simmer until the beans are heated through and the soup is thick, about 2 minutes. Discard the rosemary stems (the leaves will have fallen off) and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Ladle the soup into bowls and serve.

 

Finally, nothing is more important than my favorite..DESSERT!!  Fall...cold and crisp weather...what could be better than a warm apple crisp with a scoop of cold vanilla ice cream??  Not much.  Here is my fave recipe for this delightful (and VERY easy) dish.  Yep...all photos were contributed by my wonderful husband.

 

 

My Fave Apple Crisp

Ingredients:

10 cups apples (Honeycrisp and Granny Smith), peeled, cored and sliced
1 cup white sugar
1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 Tsp ground cinnamon
½ cup water
1 cup quick cooking oats
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/4/ Tsp baking powder
¼ Tsp baking soda
½ cup melted butter

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray; set aside.

Place the sliced apples in a large bowl. Combine white sugar, 1 tablespoon flour and ground cinnamon together. Sprinkle over apples and pour water evenly all over.  Mix with hands to ensure apples are evenly covered; pour apples into prepared cooking dish.

Combine the oats, 1 cup of flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda and melted butter.  Crumble evenly over the top of the apple mixture.

Bake for 45 minutes.  Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

Well...that's it for now.  I hope you decide to try some of these recipes.  Please feel free to post any questions that you may have regarding the recipes or any topic.  Also, as always I welcome any questions or comments regarding the blog.  If there are any topics or types of recipes that you'd like me to try...feel free to post and I'll see what I can do :)  Also, please subscribe to your email account and you will be sent the blogs with a day of it posting.   Happy Cooking!