Month: October 2012

Breads · Daily Thoughts

Texas Bound

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Had to post one last recipe before leaving for Texas where I will be celebrating my mom’s 90th birthday, in Corpus Christi, before going on to Dallas to get my fill of Tex-Mex, Pappadeux, Luby’s and Whataburger, oops, I mean get my fill of more grandkids, which are there…..Can you tell I am always thinking about food? I do love my grandchildren, but don’t make me choose between Whataburger and kids. Seriously, I am excited that I get to trick or treat with Sevy this year. Since he is like his dad, I will probably be the only one in costume. He will most likely wear a sport coat and tie. He is 8….guess he has grown up more than his grandmother!

The cookbook I am taking several recipes from is one that I have learned to leaf through and seem to always find something that I have never seen before. This one caught my eye and I will be making it during Thanksgiving when our house will come alive with family. It is easy and loving the flavor or oranges, this will be a winner.

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 tables butter

1 table grated orange peel

3 tables orange juice

2 cans crescent rolls (see I told you this would be easy)

Spray a 12″ pizza pan with Pam. In small saucepan, combine brown sugar, butter, orange peel and juice. Cook and stir over medium heat until bubbly and set aside.

Remove dough from each can; DO NOT unroll dough. cut each roll into 12 slices.

Arrange 24 slices evenly on prepared pizza pan. Spoon brown sugar mixture evenly over slices. Bake at 375 for 13-15 min or until golden brown. Serve warm.

Doesn’t this just make you want to get up right now and go make these? I can’t wait to get home to make these delicious little gems….will be back home Nov 1st…until then, enjoy the wonderful gift of Fall…Blessings, tkbakesalot

Cakes · Chocolate

Milk Chocolate Frosted Layer Cake

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  1.  1/4 cups cake flour
  2. 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  3. 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  4. 2 sticks unsalted butter
  5. 1/2 cup whole milk
  6. 6 large eggs, separated
  7. 1 cup sugar
  8. Pinch of salt
  9. 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
  10. 1 1/2 pounds milk chocolate, finely chopped
  11. Shaved milk chocolate, for garnish (optional)
  1. Preheat the oven to 325°. Butter and flour two 9-inch-square cake pans.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk the cake flour, cocoa and baking powder. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter in the milk over low heat. Transfer to a large bowl and let cool slightly. Whisk in the egg yolks and 1/2 cup of the sugar. Add the dry ingredients and whisk until smooth.
  3. In a clean bowl, beat the egg whites with the salt until soft peaks form. Gradually add the remaining 1/2 cup sugar and beat at medium-high speed until the whites are stiff and glossy. Fold the beaten whites into the batter until no streaks remain. Divide the batter between the pans and bake for 25 minutes, until the cakes are springy and a toothpick inserted in the centers comes out clean. Transfer the cakes to a rack and let cool completely.
  4. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, bring the cream to a simmer. Put the chocolate in a heatproof bowl and pour the hot cream on top. Let stand for 3 minutes, then whisk until smooth. Let the frosting stand at room temperature, stirring occasionally, until thick enough to spread, about 1 hour.
  5. Turn the cakes out of the pans and put one layer on a plate. Top with 1 cup of the frosting, spreading it to the edge. Top with the second layer and spread the remaining frosting over the top and sides. Let the cake stand at room temperature for about 30 minutes before cutting into squares.

This recipe came from Food & Wine Magazine. The frosting is like a milk chocolate ganache. Top it off with chocolate shavings and chocolate covered strawberries and you have a gorgeous centerpiece for a dessert table.

Desserts

Dee’s Ginger Cookies

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Dee is the friend which gave me the recipe for Heavenly Hots that has won the heart of one of our son-in-laws and we have to have them for breakfast anytime he is here or I go there. Dee has graciously given us this recipe which makes a great ginger cookie. They make a great gift during the holidays, put in a clear bag and tied with Christmas plaid ribbon. 

This recipe was taken from a cookbook I bought while I was in Juneau, Alaska. We took a float plane to the Taku Glacier Lodge for lunch and these cookies were served for dessert

 

1 cup butter 1 Tbps. cinnamon

1 ¾ cups granulated sugar 1 Tbps. ground ginger, plus

¾ cup brown sugar 2 tsps. ground ginger

1 egg 1 tsp. cloves

1/3 cup molasses 2 tsps. nutmeg

2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour ½ tsp. salt

1 ¼ tsp. baking soda raw sugar

 

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Cream butter and sugars together until fluffy

Beat in eggs and molasses

Mix flour, baking soda, spices and salt; add to the above, mix until blended

Using a tablespoon or small ice cream scoop, form a walnut sized dough and dip (or roll) into the raw sugar

Place on ungreased cookie sheet

Bake 10-12 minutes for softer cookies, longer for crispier cookies; cookies will crack on the top, that’s ok.

Enjoy!

 

Vegetables

Green Bean (Hum…trying to think of something cute to get your attention for this great version of GB)

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Once again, taken from !st Bapt, Jacksonville, this recipe caught by eye because of the sauce.

2-3 cans whole green beans (yes, all you little healthy organic cooking angels out there, you can use fresh green beans, you will just need to microwave them to soften them first.)

1/3 cup crumbled bacon

2/3 cup chopped onion

6 tables butter

1/3 cup light brown sugar

1/2 teas salt

1/2 teas pepper

1 tables Worcestershire sauce

Microwave bacon until crisp & drain. Set aside. Melt butter in saucepan and saute onions in butter until clear. Add salt, pepper and , sugar & Worcestershire sauce to butter and onions. Simmer until well blended. Drain the green beans and place in casserole dish you have greased. Pour sauce over beans. Sprinkle bacon on top and bake at 350 until bubbly.

*Arent you proud of me, I actually posted a veggie dish that is pretty healthy and low cal, well, except for the butter and brown sugar,but can you imagine me posting a recipe that doesn’t have butter or sugar in it? Will work on that

Daily Thoughts

Thanksgiving Tip #2

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Having just posted the different version of dressing, I began to remember having Thanksgiving at some friends house, years ago, which were Lebanese. They could cook better than anyone I have met (If I ever taste Paula Deens food, I will let you know how they faired against her)

They didn’t use traditional dressing, but substituted rice for the cornbread and then stuffed it into the turkey cavity. Wow, was it delicious.  Everything was the same, even the chicken broth. It is still a recipe that I love to make when we are having stuffed chicken. Our kids would never come back for Thanksgiving if we didn’t have cornbread dressing, (hum,………ok, I won’t think that anymore) but with fresh green beans, which I am posting tomorrow for a different version for turkey day you won’t want to miss, it makes such a great dinner for guests.

w

Breads · Casseroles

Moist & Light Cornbread Dressing

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After a comment from Sharon telling me that she is wanting to try a different version of Dressing this Thanksgiving, I began to go through some of my old cookbooks (at 3 a.m., that is what happens when you get old, you are awake all night) and found one that sounds very interesting. It is different than others that we find and comes from a cookbook a friend, Peggy gave me that she found back in 2005, of recipes from the ladies of 1st Bapt Church, Jacksonville, Florida. If you know anything about Baptist, especially ones in the South, you know they like to eat. This cookbook is jammed with some old favorites that I haven’t seen in years. Sharon, I have not made this yet, but just from the ingredients, you can tell that it will have a very rich flavor and the little bit of baking powder will make it very light.

7.5 oz box of yellow corn muffin mix (Jiffy brand will make it a little sweet, so if you don’t like that, use another brand that doesn’t use as much sugar)

8 oz pkg herb seasoned stuffing

1 lb fresh sage flavored pork sausage (if that is too sausagey (don’t know if that is a real word, but am going to go with it) for you, only use 1/2 lb of the sausage)

1 tables parsley flakes

2 teas garlic powder

1 cup onion, minced

1 cup celery, minced

1/2 cup bell pepper, optional

3 eggs

2 tables baking powder

2 cups chicken stock

3 tables bacon drippings

Salt & Pepper to taste

Prepare muffin mix according to directions. Bake as directed and put aside.

Cook sausage in skillet until crumbly stage. Add onion, celery and peppers, sauté.

Into a large bowl, mix crumbled muffins, stuffing mix, baking powder, 3 beaten eggs, garlic, parsley, salt and pepper.

Toss together well. Add stock, and bacon drippings. Mix lightly, but well; add more liquid if it is too stiff.

Spoon mixture into a 9×13 baking dish, you have sprayed with Pam. Do not pat or pack down. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 1 hour. If you like a crunch top, take cover off the last 15 minutes of baking.

 

Daily Thoughts

Krusteaz Pumpkin Pie Bars

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FYI…..these are amazing! Bought a box of these to make and just made them. They are absolutely wonderful. Just made them to take to a friend going through chemo and of course had to sample them. You can find them at your local Walmart and trust me on this…they are not only easy, but really really good. Top them off with whipped cream and you have a real seasonal winner..Good enough to serve in place of traditional pumpkin pie…am off to store to buy more before they disappear. Will be posting a new recipe for dressing this afternoon. Just in case you are wanting to try something different this Thanksgiving, you will have a new version on an old classic…..just like me when I get a new hair color….blessings for you today, tkbakesalot

Cakes · Chocolate · Desserts

Mini Peanut Butter Cheesecakes

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I love any recipe that has the word “mini” in it. It makes me think that even if I eat them, it will make me “mini”, no matter how much butter or cream cheese are in them. My neighbor, Nancy, has given me a couple of folders in which she and her twin sister have gathered recipes for years. I am so honored that they have allowed me to look through them and pick out ones I want to use. These are the same ladies who took me to the Pasadena Ladies club you might have read about in the blog. Sally, one of the twin sisters, has written a couple of cookbooks and is such a great hostess.  So when I saw this recipe, I knew it was a good one to try.

Makes 24

1 pkg (9.5 oz) Keebler Fudge Shoppe Peanut Butter Filled cookies (now, after seeing the first ingredient, you know these are going to be good)

2  (8 oz) cream cheese, softened

1 1/4 cups sugar

1 cup creamy peanut butter

1 tsp vanilla

3 large eggs, at room temp

Chocolate Glaze:

3 oz semisweet baking chocolate

2 tables unsalted butter

2 tables light corn syrup

1/4 cup roasted peanuts, chopped

Heat oven to 325. Line muffin pans with 24 paper baking cups.

Break cookies into a food processor. Pulse until fine moist crumbs form. Press about 1 tables crumbs into each muffin paper liner and spread over the bottom of liner. Freeze while you are preparing the cheese mixture.

Beat next 4 ingredients in a large bowl with mixer on medium until smooth. On low speed, beat in eggs, 1 at a time, just until blended. Spoon about 2 1/2 tables into each cup.

Bake 20 min or until puffed. Some may crack on top but that’s ok. Cool completely in pans on a wire rack.

Meanwhile, prepare glaze. Melt the chocolate, butter and syrup together in small saucepan until smooth. Do not boil. Cool slightly. Peel liners off each cupcake. Place on a foil-lined baking sheet. Spoon glaze over tops. Sprinkle with nuts. Refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving to give glaze a chance to set and cheesecakes to be cold.

Desserts

Marbled Pumpkin Cheesecake

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Today, we have listened to thunder for about 4 hours and it has been heavenly. There is nothing I like better than being at home when it is dark and rainy with thunder and a stove. I don’t know if it is the cool weather, the thunder or just knowing that we are in the Fall season, that makes me want to make everything pumpkin.  We are having company this weekend and I wanted to make something different for dessert. I looked through cookbooks until I found this pie that combines cream cheese and pumpkin with a gingersnap cookie crust. I was hooked. Because the crust is made with cookies, it is so easy.

1 1/2 cups crushed gingersnap cookies

1/2 cup finely chopped pecans

1/3 cup butter, melted

2 (8 oz) packages cream cheese, softened

3/4 cup sugar, divided

1 teas vanilla

3 eggs

1 cup canned pumpkin

3/4 teas cinnamon

1/4 teas ground nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350. In a medium bowl, mix the crushed gingersnaps, pecans and butter. Press this mixture into the bottom and 1″ up the sides of a 9″ springform pan. (if you don’t have a springform pan, you can a deep pie pan)

Bake crust 10 min. Set aside to cool.

In a medium bowl, mix together the cream cheese, 1/2 cup sugar and vanilla until smooth. Mix in eggs one at a time, blending well after each egg. Set aside 1 cup of this mixture.

Blend 1/4 cup sugar, the pumpkin, cinnamon & nutmeg into the remaining batter.

Spread the pumpkin flavored batter into the crust and then drop the plain batter by spoonfuls onto the top. Swirl with a knife to create a marbled effect.

Bake 55 min in oven or until filling is set. You might need to adjust the baking time if you used the pie pan. If you used the spring form pan, run a knife around the edge of the pan. Allow to cool before removing pan rim.  If you used a pie pan, cut servings as you would a pie after chilling at least 4 hours before serving with whipped cream.

 

Cakes · Desserts

Pumpkin Pound Cake

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This weekend will be ever so busy and I needed a cake I could bake now and freeze for Sunday so I wouldn’t have to bake all weekend. Found this on Land O Lakes Butter web site. With six eggs and butter, how can it not be good?

Pound Cake

3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice*

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups sugar

1 1/2 cups Land O Lakes® Butter, softened

6 Land O Lakes® All-Natural Eggs

3/4 cup canned pumpkin

3/4 cup milk

Glaze

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

3 tablespoons Land O Lakes® Butter, softened

4 to 6 teaspoons milk

Heat oven to 350°F. Combine flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda and salt in medium bowl. Set aside.Combine sugar and 1 1/2 cups butter in large bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy. Continue beating, adding eggs one at a time, until well mixed. Add pumpkin; continue beating until well mixed. Reduce speed to low. Beat, gradually adding flour mixture alternately with 3/4 cup milk, until well mixed.

Spoon batter into greased and floured 12-cup Bundt® pan. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pan. Cool completely.

Combine powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons butter and enough milk for desired glazing consistency in small bowl. Glaze cooled cake.

*Substitute 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger and 1/4 teaspoon each ground nutmeg and cloves.