Once upon a time there was a marvelous little cupcake store in South Jordan called

One Sweet Slice. 

 

It was my "go-to" place for a treat when I had a bad day, when I had to say 'I'm sorry' to someone, when I wanted to wish a person a Happy Birthday...you know, it was just my place.  Then came the sad and rather abrupt news that they were closing the store.  I rushed to cash in my punch cards (I had 44 punches to redeem - did I mention how much I loved their cupcakes?) 

I was pretty devastated.

Then I got an early Valentine's day present from my husband.  The owner of One Sweet Slice had put out a cookbook of some of her favorite cupcakes:  One Sweet Cupcake. I was pretty excited for this present!

So on Valentine's Day I decided to attempt the recipe of my favorite cupcake from her shop:

Chocolate Fleur de Sel Cupcakes

Cupcakes

Wet Ingredients

1/2 c. dark chocolate chopped into small pieces
1/2 c. boiling water
1/2 c. sour cream
1/2 c. unsweetened applesauce
1/2 c. vegetable oil
3 large eggs
1 Tbsp. pure vanilla

Dry Ingredients

1 1/2 c. all purpose flour
1 c. granulated sugar
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. Dutch-processed cocoa powder

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Place chocolate in the bowl of a stand mixer.  Pour boiling water over chocolate and let sit for 1 minute.  Using the whisk attachment, mix until smooth.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl.  Add sour cream, applesauce, oil, eggs, and vanilla. 
In a separate bowl, sift flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cocoa powder.  Turn the stand mixer on low and add dry ingredients.  Mix until just incorporated.  Batter should be smooth.
Line four standard muffin tins with cupcake liners.  Fill each cup 2/3 full with batter.  Use an ice cream scoop for perfect measuring.  Bake until the tops spring back at the touch of your finger and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  Cool completely before filling and icing.

Dark Chocolate Ganache

1 c. heavy cream
2 c. finely chopped good-quality bittersweet chocolate

Directions:

Place chocolate in a heat proof bowl.  Bring cream to a simmer on stovetop until just before boiling, then pour mixture over chocolate.  Let stand, without stirring, until the chocolate begins to melt.

Using a whisk, start at the center of the mixture and stir until the chocolate and cream are combined and smooth.  Do not overmix.

Place a layer of plastic directly on the ganache and refrigerate, stirring every 5 minutes until the mixture begins to cool and thicken.

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting (I halved this recipe)

2 lbs. unsalted butter, softened
4 lbs. powdered sugar, divided
1/4 c. milk
3 Tbsp. vanilla
pinch of salt
1 1/2 c. cocoa powder
1/4 c. dark chocolate ganache

Directions:

In a stand mixer bowl with a paddle attachment, beat butter until light, completely smooth, and fluffy.  Turn the mixer speed to low and add half of the powdered sugar.  Mix until smooth.  Alternately, add remaining powder sugar and milk until smooth and creamy.  Add vanilla and salt.  Add in cocoa powder and ganache and beat until smooth.

Caramel Filling

1/2 c. butter
1 c. packed brown sugar
1/2 c. heavy cream

Directions:

In a small saucepan, melt butter and stir in brown sugar and cream.  Bring to a boil over medium to high heat for about 5 minutes or until caramel sauce begins to thicken.


Finishing touches:

Core the center of the cupcake and fill with Caramel Filling and salt.  Ice with Chocolate Buttercream, drizzle with caramel and garnish with course salt.

In my test kitchen:

Ok....what to say here.  This is a very labor-intensive dessert.  The cupcake itself is simple as can be.  But the rest of it takes some time.  Which is why it is so delicious.  WHEN I make this again, I would do the following:

Cupcakes can be made right away.  They are simple.  I just used dark chocolate chips rather than finding full bars and chopping it into pieces.  And do not substitute the Dutch-processed cocoa powder for regular baking cocoa.  They have different flavors.  I found mine at Whole Foods.  When I first read to line four standard muffin tins I assumed the recipe would make 48 cupcakes...which I did not need.  So I halved the cupcake recipe and it only made 12 cupcakes.  I'm not sure if a standard muffin tin to her has only 6 tins but mine have 12.  So just know that this recipe above makes about 24 cupcakes.  Also, there is no reference anywhere in her book for an estimated time to cook chocolate cupcakes.  So I cooked mine at 340 degrees (my oven runs hot) and cooked them for about 15-18 minutes.

Make the frosting next.  Then the ganache.  She doesn't clarify in the recipe but I don't think you are meant to wait for the ganache to completely solidify before adding it to the frosting.  Mine was very solid when I added it in because I had left it in the fridge while I made the frosting and while it incorporated well, I don't think the overall color of the frosting was as dark as it should have been.  So just wait until the ganache has cooled and thickened and then remove it from the fridge to stay in a more liquid form???  Also, I halved both of these recipes and had plenty of frosting for 24 cupcakes.

Next, I would wait for the caramel to cool a fair amount before putting it into the cupcakes and drizzling on top.

~Happy Cooking!

Chicken Cordon Bleu

I've never been one to crave Chicken Cordon Bleu.  But any time I make risotto, I always end up with leftover white wine.  I hate for it to go to waste so I use my AllRecipes app to find different recipes with white wine in them.  I found this particular Chicken Cordon Bleu recipe and made some alterations of my own. I'd make it again...definitely! 

Chicken Cordon Bleu

Ingredients:

6 boneless chicken breasts

6 slices Swiss cheese

6 slices deli ham

1 c. plain bread crumbs

1 t. paprika

1 t. garlic powder

1 egg, lightly beaten

3 T. butter

3 T. olive oil

1/2 c. white wine

1 t. chicken bouillon granules

1 T. cornstarch

1 c. heavy whipping cream

Parsley (for garnish)

 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

 

In a small bowl, combine bread crumbs, paprika, and garlic powder.

 

Pound chicken breasts to an even thickness.  Place cheese and ham slices on each chicken breast.  Fold the edges of the chicken over and secure with toothpicks.  Brush each chicken breast with beaten egg then roll in bread crumb mixture. 

 

Heat the butter and olive oil in a large skillet over med-high heat.  Add chicken to skillet and cook 2-3 minutes on each side until chicken is well browned.  Transfer chicken to a greased casserole dish and cook for 10-15 minutes. 

 

Meanwhile add wine and bouillon granules to butter in skillet.  Reduce heat to low.  Blend whipping cream and cornstarch in a small bowl.  Slowly whisk into wine sauce.  Cook, stirring until thickened.

Remove toothpicks from cooked chicken and drizzle sauce over top.  Sprinkle with parsley.

 

In my test kitchen:

 

Don't quote me on the oven cooking time.  It might depend on how thick your chicken is.  Mine were smaller and I pounded them out thin.  I also think it needed more than 1 slice of Swiss cheese.  I could barely taste it.  I also messed up and dumped the cornstarch right into the butter sauce rather than mixing it with the whipping cream first.  So it started out a little lumpy and I had to whisk the crap out of it to smooth it out.  Also, it has been referenced that you can use chicken broth instead of white wine.  I highly recommend trying it with the wine.  If you're concerned about the alcohol content, don't be.  It cooks out.  I have come to love the flavor left behind when cooking with wine.  It's very distinct and elegant. 

 

~Happy Cooking!

 

Berry-filled Doughnuts

Insanely easy to make...for those days when you just want a doughnut.

Berry-filled Doughnuts

Ingredients:
4 cups vegetable oil
1 tube (7.5 oz) refrigerated buttermilk biscuits, separated into 10 biscuits
3/4 c. seedless strawberry jam
1 c. confectioner's sugar

Directions:
In an electric skillet or deep-fat fryer, heat oil to 375 degrees.  Fry biscuits, a few at a time, for 1-2 minutes on each side or until golden brown.  Drain on paper towels.

Cut a small hole in the corner of a pastry or plastic bag; insert a very small tip.  Fill bag with jam.  Push the tip through the side of each doughnut to fill with jam.  Dust with confectioner's sugar while warm.  Serve immediately.

In my test kitchen:
Hold up!  I misread the recipe when I made these and searched the store forever for seedless raspberry jam.  Finally found some but didn't realize it called for seedless strawberry jam until I typed the recipe out here.  Slightly annoyed since seedless strawberry jam was all I could find at first!  Point is though...you can make this with a variety of fillings and it would be great.  Strawberry or raspberry jam, lemon pie filling, or simply roll them around in some cinnamon/sugar as soon as they come out of the fryer.  I have some leftover lemon pudding that I am going to try this week. 

Be careful not to fill these too full.  It's hard to know how much is getting into the doughnut.  It took me about four doughnuts to get the hang of it. 

~Happy Cooking!

Aloha Smoothie

Refreshing drinks for the warmer weather...that's where I'm at these days.  I occasionally slip in some spinach just so I can not feel guilty that my daughter NEVER eats vegetables and my son only eats carrots.  This smoothie is great for those who hate bananas.  (You either love 'em or hate 'em!)

Aloha Pineapple Smoothie

Ingredients:

10 oz. pineapple juice
2 T. plain yogurt
2 scoops frozen strawberries
2 scoops pineapple sherbet
1 scoop crushed ice

Directions:

Mix all ingredients in a blender and serve immediately!

Garnish with a piece of sliced pineapple or strawberry for fun!

In my test kitchen:

I tried this with lime sherbet rather than pineapple and really enjoyed it.  So try either.  Lime sherbet mutes the strong pineapple flavor but works really well.  The plain yogurt is definitely omittable.  So don't buy some just for this recipe.  But I would recommend making sure you use frozen fruit and not fresh fruit.  It changes the texture of the smoothie to use fresh fruit. 

Frozen fruit is kinda pricey.  So I like to buy large quantities and slice it myself and freeze them on  tray.  Then, once frozen, I store the fruit in freezer bags.  It's nice to keep an assortment of fruits on hand to try your own smoothie concoctions.

~Happy Cooking!

Savory Green Beans

What's up with me and green beans?  A year ago I wouldn't have even thought to serve them since Clint has always hated them.  But on a whim I cooked up some fresh ones last summer and now it seems to be the vegetable of choice for dinner at our house.  This was a nice dish served on Easter.  The family loved it.

Savory Green Beans

Serves 6

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds fresh green beans, rinsed and trimmed
3 oz coarsely chopped pancetta
1 shallot, thinly sliced
salt and black pepper to taste

Directions:

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil.  Add the green beans and boil 3 - 4 minutes until just tender.  Drain beans and immediately plunge into ice water.  Allow to sit in ice water until cold, then drain well, and set aside.

Cook pancetta in a large skillet over medium-high heat until crispy, then set aside.  Reduce heat to medium, stir shallots in the pancetta fat, and cook gently until the shallots have turned dark golden brown, about 10 minutes.  Place pancetta and green beans in skillet; toss and cook until warmed through, about 2 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.

In my test kitchen:

I must admit that I didn't really follow the directions about the ice water.  I recently ate at the Wild Rose and their green beans were amazing.  The insides tasted great and the outside had a slight crunch but not because it was underdone.  I suspect an ice water bath has something to do with that.  So I'll have to try again.  Nevertheless, this is still good if you immediately remove the green beans and run them under cold water.  (Which is what I did because I was in a rush.)  My shallots cooked up much faster than 10 minutes so keep an eye on those little things!  And I used bacon instead of pancetta due to cost.  My only suggestion is to toss the bacon in right at the end.  Otherwise your once crunchy bacon will soften up when warmed with the green beans.

~Happy Cooking!
 

Berry-Topped Puff Pancake

The family thoroughly enjoyed this Sunday breakfast.  You can improvise with the fruit a little bit to your own liking.

Berry-Topped Puff Pancake

Ingredients:
2 T. butter
2 eggs
1/2 c. 2% milk
1/2 c. flour
2 T. sugar
1/4 t. salt

Topping:
1/3 c. sugar
1 T. cornstarch
1/2 c. orange juice
2 t. orange liqueur
1 c. sliced strawberries
1 c. fresh blueberries
1 c. raspberries
Confectioner's sugar, optional

Directions:
Place butter in a 9 inch pie plate.  Place in a 425 degree oven for 4-5 minutes or until melted.  Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk eggs and milk.  In another bowl, combine the flour, sugar, and salt.  Whisk into egg mixture until blended.  Pour into prepared pie plate.  Bake for 14-16 minutes or until sides are crisp and golden brown.

Meanwhile, in a saucepan, combine sugar, and cornstarch.  Gradually stir in orange juice and liqueur.  Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly.  Cook and stir 1-2 minutes longer or until thickened.  Remove from heat. 

Spoon berries over pancake and drizzle with sauce.  Dust with confectioner's sugar if desired.

In my test kitchen:
So...when making the pancake, I was lazy and didn't want to pull the pan out of the oven.  I just pulled the rack out and poured the batter in from there.  I'm not sure if that was the reason that the pancake came out lopsided?  But the part that rose higher than the rest burned pretty badly so I will attempt to pour the batter in the pan while it's on a more level surface next time.

I didn't have fresh blueberries or raspberries on hand but I had some frozen ones.  Those worked just fine but fresh raspberries would have been preferable;  the raspberries were a little mushy once thawed.  I think I used a different ratio of fruits as well.  It was more like 1 1/2 c. strawberries, and 1/2 c. blueberries and 1/2 c. raspberries.  I think the main point is just to have enough fruit to put in your pancake.  Fresh peaches would have been great too!  I used orange extract in lieu of the liqueur. 

The biggest difference to the dish for me was that I put the blueberries into my sauce to break down a bit.  I'm not a big fan of whole blueberries.  I find their skins to be really tough and I don't enjoy eating them.  So adding them to the sauce helped soften them up and break them down a bit. 

I scooped out the blueberries and added them to the pancake first.  I didn't use all of the sauce prepared. You can use that to your liking.

~Happy Cooking!

Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

 

 I’m ashamed to admit that I ate about 20 of these cookies.  But they were so good!  Another fantastic recipe from AllRecipes!  This was in the December/January 2014 issue.

Ingredients:

1 ¾ c. all-purpose flour

½ t. salt

1 t. baking soda

½ c. butter, softened

½ c. white sugar

½ c. creamy peanut butter

½ c. packed brown sugar

1 egg, beaten

1 t. vanilla

2 T. milk

40 mini peanut butter cups, unwrapped

Directions:

Prehead oven to 375 degrees.  Sift together flour, salt, and baking soda.  Set aside. 

Cream together butter, sugar, peanut butter, and brown sugar until fluffy.  Beat in egg, vanilla, and milk.  Add flour mixture; mix well.  Shape into 40 balls and place each ball into an ungreased mini muffin tin. 

Bake for about 8 minutes.  Remove from oven and immediately press a mini peanut butter cup into the center of each cookie.  Cool and carefully remove from pan.

In my test kitchen:

Other people suggested that you can use a cookie sheet and don’t need to use a mini-muffin pan if you don’t have one.  I was fortunate to have a 24 cup and 12 cup pan and it was really nice to cook them that way.  These cookies are definitely done at 8 minutes.  They may not look like it, but they are done.  I might even suggest pulling them out at 7 minutes…but then again, that’s because my oven runs rather hot. 

~Happy Cooking!

Honey Mustard Chicken

Honey-Mustard Chicken

 

 

I’m in a fun cooking group.  We meet monthly and the person who hosts the group at her house selects a theme and provides the entrée.  It was my turn to host last month and the theme was “Simple.”  I had everyone select a recipe that used 5 ingredients or less.  I think one of the most daunting parts of learning to cook is seeing a recipe that calls for a zillion ingredients.  For working moms like me, that sometimes discourages me from wanting to cook.  This was a fun get together because I discovered that you can still cook an amazing, family-pleasing dinner with a handful of ingredients.

Ingredients:

1/3 c. Dijon Mustard

¼ c. honey

2 T. mayo

1 t. A1 sauce

4 chicken breasts

 

Directions:

Mix wet ingredients in a bowl or large Ziploc bag.  (Set aside ¼ c. for basting and/or dipping.)  Add chicken and fold to coat.  Lightly oil grill and cook chicken until no longer pink, basting with sauce as needed.

In my test kitchen:

I’ve never really been a big fan of Honey-Mustard items before.  So I was hesitant to try this recipe.  And when I taste tested the sauce before putting it on the chicken, it seemed really bitter.  So I added another 2 T. of honey.  So maybe try the sauce and add more mustard or honey to your liking.  Also, one great thing about this recipe is that it really doesn’t need time to marinate.  I cooked it right away the first time I made it and let it marinate the second time and didn’t taste much of a difference.  You can also use an indoor or outdoor grill for this.  (I used a George Foreman grill the first time.) 

~Happy Cooking!

Cheese Blintz Hot Cakes

Cheese Blintz Hot Cakes

 

I was flipping through a magazine a came across these little delights.  Never would have guessed that these would taste as good as they did.  And they were really easy to make!  Perfect Sunday morning breakfast!

Ingredients:

2 eggs

½ c. flour

¼ c. milk

1 ½ T. sugar

¼ t. baking powder

1 c. cottage cheese

2 T. butter

Jam, powdered sugar

Directions:

In blender, mix eggs, flour, milk, and baking powder, 10 seconds.  Add cottage cheese; blend until just incorporated.  On griddle, heat butter over medium heat.  Working in batches, spoon batter by ¼ cupfuls onto griddle.  Cook, flipping once, until golden, 5 minutes.  Repeat with remaining batter. Makes 8.

In my test kitchen:

I made these exactly as directed but instead of pouring them onto the griddle in ¼ cupfuls, I did 1/8 cupfuls.  They also took a little longer than 5 minutes to cook.  I got 16 pancakes out of it.  They tasted great with raspberry jam and powdered sugar.

~Happy Cooking!

Lava Baby Cakes...Oh Baby!!!

When I crave something sweet, it’s usually a chocolate cake with ice cream.  In my Better Homes & Gardens cookbook, there is a picture of a chocolate cake that looks soooo good.  Over the years, I would look at the recipe but would eventually move on to a different recipe because this one calls for whipping cream and I never had it on hand. 

As I have started cooking more, I have learned that whipping cream is sort of a staple.  At least, that is, with the recipes that always catch my eye.  So I have started keeping it in the fridge.  I finally attempted this recipe and love making it as a follow up to Sunday dinner.  It does take a little TLC to make, but it is so worth it! 

Lava Baby Cakes



This is how the lava cake looked last month when I served it to my family

This is how the lava cake looked when my friend Melissa is in charge of plating.  SOOOO much better! 

Ingredients:

1 ¾ c. semisweet chocolate chips

2 T. whipping cream

¾ c. butter

3 eggs

3 egg yolks

1/3 c. granulated sugar

1 ½ t. vanilla

1/3 c. all-purpose flour

3 T. unsweetened cocoa powder

Powdered sugar (optional)

Raspberries/strawberries (optional)

Directions:

For filling, in a small heavy saucepan, combine ¾ c. of the chocolate  chips, and whipping cream.  Cook and stir over low heat until chocolate melts. Remove from heat.  Cool, stirring occasionally.  Cover; chill about 45 minutes or until firm.

Meanwhile, in a medium heavy saucepan, cook and stir the remaining cup chocolate chips and the butter over low heat until melted.  Remove from heat; cool.

Form filling into 6 equal-size balls; set aside.  Lightly grease and flour six ¾-cup soufflé dishes or six 6-ounce custard cups.  Place dishes or cups in a 15x10x1 inch baking pan (cookie sheet) and set aside.

In a mixing bowl, beat eggs, egg yolks, granulated sugar, and vanilla with an electric mixer on high speed for 5 minutes or until lemon-colored.  Beat in cooled chocolate mixture on medium speed.  Sift flour and cocoa powder over mixture; beat on low speed just until combined.  Spoon 1/3 c. batter into dishes.  Place 1 ball of filling into each dish.  Spoon remaining batter in dishes.

Bake in a 400 degree over for about 13 minutes or until cakes feel firm at edges.  Cool in dishes for 2 to 3 minutes.  Using a knife, loosen cakes from sides of dishes.  Invert onto dessert plates.  If desired, dust with powdered sugar and garnish with raspberries or strawberries.  Serve immediately.

In my test kitchen:

I add a little raspberry extract (1/2 t.) to the chocolate chips and whipping cream…just to give that inside melty chocolate a little raspberry flavor.  I also found that I can’t get six cakes out of my recipe.  I get more than enough for 6 balls of filling…actually a little too much for my liking.  I make my chocolate balls just a little smaller than probably recommended.

It can be a little tricky to invert the cakes onto dishes.  Mostly because you want to serve the cakes warm.  So the cups can be a little hot when trying to flip them.  I typically put the plate on top of the cup and cover the soufflé cup with an oven mitt when flipping it all upside down. 

Definitely, definitely serve this with a scoop of ice cream, fresh fruit, and some raspberry sauce.

 

~Happy Cooking!

 

 

Berry Spinach Salad with Almonds

This is an easy salad to take to parties or family gatherings…or just to eat at home.

 Berry Spinach Salad with Almonds

Ingredients:

1 T. butter
½ c. sliced almonds
1 T. sugar

1 package (10 oz) fresh baby spinach

3 c. sliced fresh strawberries

Dressing:

½ c. sugar
½ c. canola oil
¼ c. cider vinegar
¼ t. paprika
¼ t. Worcestershire sauce

Directions:

In a small skillet, melt butter over medium heat.  Add almonds; sprinkle with sugar.  Cook and stir for 3 minutes or until almonds are lightly browned.  Spread on foil to cool; break apart.

In a large salad bowl, combine spinach and strawberries.  In a small bowl, whisk the dressing ingredients.  Pour over salad.  Sprinkle with sugared almonds; toss to coat.

In my test kitchen:

I find that my almonds need to cook longer than 3 minutes.  But my stovetop is a little slow at getting to the appropriate temperature.  Before I transfer to foil to cool, I put the almonds on a paper towel.  Just to soak up any leftover butter.  That way the almonds don’t come out greasy.  You could also substitute store-bought candied walnuts or pecans and I think this would taste good.

I have never used 3 cups of strawberries.  I usually use about 2 cups.  And I like to add ¼ c. dried cranberries as well.  Just to shake things up a bit.

I don’t use all the dressing.  In fact, I probably only use half the amount and it seems to be plenty.  So I would recommend starting with a smaller portion of the dressing and toss to coat.  You can always add a little more until you get it to your liking.

~Happy Cooking!

Green Beans with Cherry Tomatoes

My husband has always hated green beans.  For the first 8 years of our marriage I NEVER cooked them.  But for some reason, this last summer I just needed a break from carrots and zucchini and bought some fresh ones.  I cooked them up and surprise, surprise!  He actually liked them!  So now we eat them all the time. 

I came across this recipe on the AllRecipes site.  It is now my favorite way to cook grean beans.

Green Beans with Cherry Tomatoes

Ingredients:

1 ½ pounds green beans, trimmed and cut into 2 inch pieces

1 ½ c. water

¼ c. butter

1 T. sugar

¾ t. garlic salt

¼ t. pepper

1 ½ t. chopped fresh basil

2 c. cherry tomato halves

Directions:

Place beans and water in a large saucepan.  Cover, and bring to a boil.  Set heat to low, and simmer until tender, about 10 minutes.  Drain off water, and set aside.

Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat.  Stir in sugar, garlic salt, pepper, and basil.  Add tomatoes, and cook stirring gently just until soft.  Pour the tomato mixture over the green beans and toss gently to blend. 

In my test kitchen:

Some people who reviewed this recipe said the sugar was not necessary.  So the first time I tried this I put in a ½ T.  It was very sweet.  So I would recommend a good pinch of sugar but no more than that. 

I reduced the garlic salt down to ¼ t. and added 1-2 cloves of chopped fresh garlic.  I also have a hard time finding fresh basil at the grocery store sometimes.  But Walmart has this cool tube of chopped fresh basil…in a paste form.  I used that as an alternative once and it was great!  I don’t think you will get quite the flavor you want if you use dried basil. 

I used grape tomatoes instead of cherry tomatoes.  I read somewhere that they have less water in them?  Who knows.  Grape tomatoes worked well though. 

This makes a lot of sauce.  I would recommend not pouring the whole thing over the green beans.  Start with half the sauce and toss to coat and add more as needed. 

Last, I crumbled up some crisp bacon and sprinkled it over the top of the green beans just before serving.  It was a nice touch! 

~Happy Cooking!

Rice Pilaf

Rice Pilaf is one of those nice side dishes that goes with lots of entrees.  I found this recipe in a Better Homes and Gardens cookbook and I tweaked a few of the ingredients.  It's a nice change to plain old white rice.

Rice Pilaf

Ingredients:

1/2 c. chopped onion
1/2 c. sliced fresh button mushrooms
1/4 c. celery or green pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
1 T. butter or margarine
3/4 c. uncooked long grain rice
1 1/2 t. instant chicken, beef, or vegetable bouillon granules
1/4 t. black pepper
2 slices bacon, crisp-cooked, drained, and crumbled (optional)

Directions:

In a medium saucepan cook onion, mushrooms, celery, and garlic in hot butter until tender.

Carefully stir in rice, bouillon granules, pepper, and 1 1/2 c. water.  Bring to boiling; reduce heat.  Simmer, covered, about 15 minutes or until the rice is tender and liquid is absorbed.  If desired, stir in crumbled bacon.

In my test kitchen:

I never use the full amount of onion called for in any recipe.  In this dish I had some shallots that needed to be used up so I replaced the onion with about 1/4 c. shallots.  I also didn't have mushrooms or green pepper and I despise celery so I finely diced up some carrots.  And even though I'm not a big fan of peas, I think those might have been a nice touch to this.  I have done green pepper before and that tastes pretty good too.  My stove cooks hot so I had to add a little bit more water at the very end so this could cook through completely without burning. 

~Happy Cooking!

S'mores Ice Cream Cake

I received springform pans for my wedding...almost 9 years ago.  I finally took them out of the box this year.  Honestly, I was kind of afraid of them.  I had no idea how they worked!  And then a few months ago I saw a cooking show where they used one and I thought, "oh, that makes sense!"  So all those recipes I have put in the back cupboard because they said to use a springform pan...they are coming out!!! 

I tore this recipe from a magazine.  Women's Day?  I think?  It was surprisingly easy to make and my family loved it.  My mom asked me if I will make this for her on her birthday instead of a cake. 

S'mores Ice Cream Cake

Not the best picture but it tasted great!

Ingredients:

10 graham crackers

2 T butter, at room temperature

4 oz. bittersweet chocolate
1 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1 1/2 t. pure vanilla extract
2 c heavy cream
1 c. mini marshmallows
3/4 c. mini chocolate chips

Directions:

Heat over to 350 degrees.  Line the bottom of an 8 in. springform pan with parchment paper.  In a food processor, pulse 8 graham crackers until finely ground.  Add the butter and pulse until blended.  Press the graham mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan.  Bake until golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes.  Let cool completely, about 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt the chocolate in the microwave; let cool slightly.  Using an electric mixer, beat the chocolate, half the condensed milk (1/2 c. plus 2 T) andn 3/4 t. vanilla in a large bowl until combined.  Add 1 cup heavy cream and beat until thick, stiff peaks form.  Fold in the marshmallows.  Spoon the mixture on top of the cooled crust and spread evenly.

Clean the bowl.  Using an electric mixer, beat the remaining condensed milk, vanilla, and heavy cream until thick, stiff peaks form, 3 to 5 minutes.  Fold in 1/2 cup chocolate chips.  Spread on top of the chocolate layer. 

Break the remaining 2 graham crackers into tiny pieces.  Sprinkle the graham pieces and remaining 1/4 cup chips over the top.  Cover and freeze until firm, at least 8 hours and up to 2 weeks.

When ready to serve, unmold the cake and transfer to a platter.  Let sit for 5 minutes before slicing.

In my test kitchen:

I could't really taste the marshmallows.  So I will probably increase the amount of marshmallows to 1 1/2 c. next time.  After pouring the chocolate mixture in the pan I put it in the freezer while I made the vanilla ice cream part.  That way I didn't have to worry about the two layers bleeding into one another when I spread the vanilla mixture on top.  But don't wait too long.  You still want it to be one cohesive cake.  I also don't love chocolate chips in ice cream.  Not sure why.  I will probably ease up a little bit on the amount of chips I put into the vanilla mixture. 

~Happy Cooking!

French Toast Roll Ups

I'm still doing Sunday breakfast.  I'm loving the tradition even though Seth isn't interested in anything I cook.  But these rolls ups were a BIG hit for Clint and me.  I found this recipe at www.the-girl-who-ate-everything.com.  Pretty much this is the best.blog.ever.  She sure knows what is good to cook.  They tasted like a churro, scone, dessert, all wrapped up into one. 

French Toast Roll Ups

Ingredients:

8 slices white sandwich bread
softened cream cheese, sliced strawberries, and/or nutella
2 eggs
3 Tbsp milk
1/3 cup sugar
1 heaping Tbsp cinnamon
butter, for greasing pan
syrup (optional)

Directions:

Cut the crust off each slice of bread and flatten with a rolling pin.  Place about 1-2 teaspoons of your chosen filling one inch from one end of the bread in a strip.  Roll the bread up tightly.  Repeat with remaining slices of bread.

In a shallow bowl, whisk the eggs and milk until well combined.

In a separate shallow bowl, mix the cinnamon and sugar.

Heat a skillet over medium heat and melt a Tbsp of butter.

Dip each bread roll in the egg mixture coating well and then place them in the skillet seam side down.  Cook in batches until golden brown, turning them to cook and brown on all sides.  Add butter to the pan as needed.

Add cooked rolls immediately from the pan to the cinnamon mixture and roll until completely covered in sugar.

In my test kitchen:

I normally like the nice thick Grandma Sycamore bread.  But in this recipe, I think a thinner softer Wonder bread might work a little better.  I added a little powdered sugar to the cream cheese and topped with diced strawberries (instead of sliced.)  It was a little hard to turn the french toasts.  They wanted to roll right back to the cooked side but with a little practice I got them to cook evenly.  I also gave each roll up a quick butter spray right before putting them in the sugar to help the sugar adhere.  I warmed some raspberry jam in the microwave and drizzled it over the top.  Best. Decision. Ever.

~Happy Cooking!

BBQ Beef & Mashed Potato Pie

Sometimes on a cold day, I just crave comfort foods like shepherd's pie.  I found this recipe in a Womans Day magazine one day.  The weather was cold that day and it seemed so simple that I had to try it. 

BBQ Beef & Mashed Potato Pie

Ingredients:

2 lb Yukon gold or white potatoes, peeled and cut into 2 in. pieces
Kosher salt and pepper
4 T olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 1/2 lb lean ground beef
4 plum (Roma) tomatoes, seeded and diced
1/2 c. ketchup
2 T. cider vinegar
1 T. dijon mustard
1 T. molasses
1 T. worcestershire sauce

Directions: 

Place the potatoes in a pot.  Add cold water to cover; bring to a boil.  Add 1 t. salt; simmer until just tender, 15 to 18 minutes.  Reserve 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid; drain the potatoes and return to the pot.  Mash with 3 T. olive oil, 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper and 2 Tbsp of the reserved cooking liquid (add more liquid if necessary.)

While the potatoes are cooking, heat the remaining Tbsp oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the onion and 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper and cook, covered stirring occasionally, until tender, 8 to 10 minutes. 

Heat broiler.  Add the beef to the onion and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until no longer pink, 5 to 6 minutes.  Spoon off and discard any grease.  Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, for 4 minutes.  In a bowl, whisk together the ketchup, vinegar, mustard, molasses, and worcestershire; add to the beef and cook, stirring, for 1 minutes.

Transfer the beef mixture to a 2 quart broiler-proof baking dish and top with the mashed potatoes.  Broil until beginning to brown, 2 to 4 minutes.

In my test kitchen:

When I made the mashed potatoes, I reserved more than 1/4 cup just to be safe.  And I did use a little bit more than that so it was a good thing I saved more.  I also added a little butter and milk too for a smoother,  more flavorful texture.  I also just BARELY noticed that I was supposed to cover the onion while I cooked it....whoops.  Not sure it would make much difference.  My stove runs hot so I think medium was too high to cook these onions for a full 8 minutes, especially if I had covered the onions while cooking.  I would reduce your heat to medium-low.  I also made sure to create some swirls and peaks with the potatoes so only those taller tips would get browned. When broiling, make sure your over rack is set at the highest level. 

~Happy Cooking!

Teriyaki Shish Kabob Marinade

We love to BBQ in the summer.  Putting the grill away is one of the saddest parts about the fall and winter season for me.  I came across this recipe in August and have probably made it 8 times since then.  It's really easy to make and tastes so good on chicken, shrimp, steak.  Serve with grilled vegetables, flat bread, rice, etc.  It's very versatile!  Loved it!

Teriyaki Shish Kabob Marinade 

Ingredients:

1 c. ketchup

1 c. sugar

1 c. reduced sodium soy sauce

2 t. garlic powder

2 t. ground ginger

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together.  Pour into a large ziploc bag and add desired meat.  Marinade in fridge for at least 2 hours.  (When marinating steak, do it overnight.)  Shake off excess marinade and discard prior to grilling.

When using marinade for vegetables, brush across vegetables while grilling.

2 lbs steak, chicken, or shrimp

zucchini, green pepper, pineapple, red onion, etc.

In my test kitchen:

I don't really have a lot of commentary here.  The recipe is just too simple to mess up.  I will say that I half the recipe often because I don't need as much mariade as it makes for our small family.  My favorite meat to marinade in this sauce is chicken.

~Happy Cooking!



Cinnamon Ice Cream

Looking back over the recipes I made last month, I realize I made lots of things with cinnamon in them.  Strange.  One Sunday I had some leftover whipping cream so I decided to make homemade ice cream.  It was a little stormy outside so I felt like something "fall-like."  I looked up some ice cream on my All Recipes app and found this cinnamon one.  A review mentioned that they had added some chewy oatmeal cookies to compliment this and so I did the same.

Cinnamon Ice Cream

Ingredients:

1 c. white sugar
1 1/2 c. half and half
2 eggs, beaten
1 c. heavy cream
1 t. vanilla
2 t. cinnamon

Directions:

Stir together sugar and half and half.  Cook on medium low.  When it begins to simmer, remove from heat.  Whisk 1/2 into eggs quickly.  Pour egg mixture back into saucepan.  Stir in heavy cream.  Continue cooking over medium low, stirring constantly until mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a metal spoon.  Remove from heat and whisk in vanilla and cinnamon.  Cool.  Put in fridge for several hours.  Freeze in electric ice cream machine.  Serve with oatmeal cookies!

In my test kitchen:

Some reviews said that it was too sweet and to reduce the sugar.  So I took mine down to 3/4 c. and it was great.  I also think 2 t. cinnamon is very over-powering.  So I reduced the cinnamon to 1 t. Perfect.

I think this recipe would even be good served with apple crisp or break up the oatmeal cookies into large chunks and while the ice cream is still soft, mix them into the ice cream.

~Happy Cooking!

Crock Pot Cinnamon Almonds

This was being shared on Facebook a few weeks ago.  I love the smell of these almonds at the mall kiosks during the holiday season.  So when I saw this recipe I thought it might be fun to try.  It was really easy to make so...neighbors and friends...be prepared.  This is what I think I will be giving out for Christmas this year!

Crock Pot Cinnamon Almonds

Ingredients:

1 1/2 c. sugar
1 1/2 c. brown sugar
3 T. cinnamon
1/8 t. salt
1 egg white
2 t. vanilla
3 c. almonds
1/4 c. water

Directions:

In medium bowl, mix sugars, cinnamon, salt.  Set aside.  In another bowl, whisk egg white and vanilla until a little frothy.  Stir in almonds until thoroughly well coated.  Add cinnamon mixture to almonds.  Toss until well coated.

Spray crock pot well with cooking spray.  Add almonds.  Cook on low, covered 3-4 hours, stirring every 20 minutes.  During last hour, add 1/4 c. water.  Stir well.  Cook another 45 minutes - 1 hour.

Line baking sheet with wax paper.  Spread almonds to cool.

In my test kitchen:

I added about 1/8 c. more water to the crock pot in the last hour.  I also feel like there was a lot of extra cinnamon mixture so I think I will probably put 4 1/2 cups of almonds in the mixture next time.

These tasted wonderful warm.  And they made the house smell really good while they cooked too!

~Happy Cooking!

Pumpkin Cake Doughnuts???

I know. I know.  This is not a picture of the doughnut.  That is because this recipe (to me) was an EPIC FAIL as a doughnut.  But it worked out pretty well as a muffin.  So that is what I'm going to recommend you use this doughnut recipe for.

Pumpkin Cake Doughnuts 
(or muffins)

Ingredients:
1/2 c. vegetable oil
3 large eggs
1 1/2 c. sugar
1 1/2 c. canned pumpkin
1 1/2 t. pumpkin pie spice
1 1/2 t. salt
1 1/2 t. baking powder
1 3/4 c. + 2 T flour

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly grease two standard doughnut pans.  (I searched all over for mine and finally found some at Michaels.)  Beat together oil, eggs, sugar, pumpkin, spice, salt, and baking powder until smooth.  Fill the wells of the doughnut pans about 3/4 full.  Bake the doughnuts for 15-18 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.  Cool for 5 minutes.  Remove the doughnuts and transfer to a rack to cool.  While the doughnuts are still warm (but no longer fragile) gently shake them in a bag with cinnamon-sugar.

In my test kitchen:

I have read countless recipes/reviews about making homemade cake doughnuts that you fry in oil.  The general consensus is that the batter is very thin so it's almost impossible to cut the dough into a doughnut shape.  So then I came across these baked doughnuts.  I thought, "Why not try to bake them first and then fry them afterward for a few seconds to get that yummy crunchy outside that I love so much."  Ummmmmm, didn't really work so well.  It didnt' taste horrible but it didn't taste the way I wanted it to.  I also tried the doughnut exactly as the recipe stated and baked, then coated them in sugar.  They were so-so. 

The site where I pulled this recipe actually suggested that you could make these into  muffins.  So when my first few doughnuts didn't taste amazing, I just added about 1/2 chopped chocolate chips to the batter and put it in a greased muffin tin. (I floured the chocolate chips first to keep them from sinking to the bottom of the muffins.)  Then I added some mini-chocolate chips to the top of the muffins just before baking.

If you make muffins, they will need to cook for 23-25 minutes.

~Happy Cooking!