Amber's Delectable Delights

Pumpkin Ice Cream

2009-11-23T10:15:00.000-05:00

Every year I look forward to a local ice cream shop announcing that pumpkin ice cream is back for the season yet every year I keep telling myself that I am just going to make it myself instead. This year was the one that I decided to just make it. A few days ago I hosted an early Thanksgiving dinner for my family and decided I would make a batch of this pumpkin ice cream for a light dessert. Although I definitely could have let the batter spend more time chilling in the fridge I got antsy and churned it anyway. The end results were delicious. Just as I remembered it, yet so much more!

If you ever thought that you might enjoy a frozen pumpkin pie then you would definitely enjoy this ice cream because it tastes exactly like that. The pumpkin flavor is perfect and the amount of spices is right on. I think crushed up graham crackers mixed in would add another great layer of flavor to this already delicious treat. This is definitely a treat that is perfect for the pumpkin lover in any family.

Pumpkin Ice Cream
Adapted from Williams-Sonoma

~ makes about 1 quart~

Ingredients
1 cup fresh pumpkin puree or canned unsweetened pumpkin puree
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups heavy cream
3/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
5 egg yolks
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. salt
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
1 Tbs. bourbon

Directions
- In a bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree and vanilla. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or up to 8 hours.
- In a heavy 2-quart saucepan over medium heat, combine 1 1/2 cups of the cream and 1/2 cup of the brown sugar. Cook until bubbles form around the edges of the pan, about 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine the egg yolks, cinnamon, ginger, salt, nutmeg, the remaining 1/2 cup cream and the remaining 1/4 cup brown sugar. Whisk until smooth and the sugar begins to dissolve.
- Remove the cream mixture from the heat. Gradually whisk about 1/2 cup of the hot cream mixture into the egg mixture until smooth. Pour the egg mixture back into the pan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon and keeping the custard at a low simmer, until it is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon and leaves a clear trail when a finger is drawn through it, 4 to 6 minutes. Do not allow the custard to boil. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl.
- Place the bowl in a larger bowl partially filled with ice water, stirring occasionally until cool. Whisk the pumpkin mixture into the custard. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly on the surface of the custard to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until chilled, at least 3 hours or up to 24 hours.
- Transfer the custard to an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions. Add the bourbon during the last minute of churning. Transfer the ice cream to a freezer-safe container. Cover and freeze until firm, at least 3 hours or up to 3 days, before serving.

Apple Cinnamon Rolls

2009-11-09T08:20:00.000-05:00

While I was at my parents house last weekend I grabbed some apples off of their tree and was set on a mission to make something delicious with them. I debated over all of the possibilities; turnovers, cinnamon rolls, pie, muffins, bread, strudel and finally decided that apple cinnamon rolls sounded quite good. Although diced apple could easily be snuck into any cinnamon roll recipe I figured that I might as well try a new recipe while I was at it.

This dough came together quickly and nicely and turned into a dough that was smooth and perfect to work with. The vanilla glaze adds just enough sweetness to the rolls that a heavy cream cheese frosting is just not needed. I opted for the making and baking the rolls in the same day but there are instructions on spanning it out over two days. These rolls were a hit with my family and also with my co-workers. I will definitely be making these again in the near future.

Apple Cinnamon Rolls
Adapted from Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook, pg 144-145

Ingredients
4 1/4 to 5 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 package active dry yeast
1 cup milk
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose four
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/3 cup butter
1 cup finely chopped, peeled apple
half and half or light cream
1 recipe vanilla glaze (below)

Directions
1 - In a large mixing bowl combine 2 1/4 cups of the flour and the yeast. In a saucepan heat and stir milk, 1/3 cup of butter, granulated sugar, and salt just until warm (120-130 degrees F) and butter almost melts; add to flour mixture along with eggs. Beat with electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds, scraping bowl. Beat on high speed 3 minutes. Stir in as much of the remaining flour as you can.
2 - Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead in enough of the remaining flour to make a moderately soft dough that is smooth and elastic (3-5 minutes total). Shape dough into a ball. Place in a greased bowl; turn once. Cover; let rise in a warm place until double (about 1 hour).
3 - Punch down down. Turn out onto lightly floured surface. Divide in half. Cover; let rest for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, lightly grease two 9 x 1 1/2 inch round baking pans or 2 baking sheets ; set aside. For filling, stir together brown sugar, 1/4 cup flour, and cinnamon; cut in 1/3 cup butter until the mixture resembles course crumbs.
4 - Roll each half of dough into a 12x8 inch rectangle. Sprinkle filling and apple over dough rectangles. Roll up each rectangle starting from a long side. Seal seams. Slice each roll into 12 pieces. Place cut sides down in prepared pans or baking sheets.
5 - To bake the rolls right away; cover the dough loosely and let it rise in a warm place until nearly double, about 30 minutes. To bake the rolls later; cover the dough loosely with plastic wrap and chill for 2 to 24 hours. When ready to bake the rolls uncover and let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.
6 - Break any surface bubbles with a greased toothpick. Brush dough with half-and-half. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 20-25 minutes or until light brown (if necessary, cover rolls with foil the last 5 to 10 minutes of baking to prevent overbrowning). Remove from oven. Brush again with half-and-half. Cool for 1 minute. Carefully invert rolls onto a wire rack. Cool slightly. Invert once again onto a serving platter. Drizzle with Vanilla Glaze (recipe below).

Vanilla Glaze
In a small bowl stir together 1 1/4 cups sifted powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon light-colored corn syrup, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Add enough half and half or light cream (1-2 tablespoons) to reach drizzling consistency.

Chocolate Cherry Chip Cookies

2009-11-04T08:50:00.000-05:00

I have had this bag of cherry chips sitting in my pantry for the longest time and never knew exactly what I was going to do with them. I had actually forgotten about those cherry chips until I came across this recipe one day. Chocolate and cherry is such a great combination that I thought these cookies would be great, and well, they were.

The batter for these cookies was pretty thick, so I went ahead and smashed down the top of the dough once I placed it onto my baking sheet to make sure the cookies spread evenly and did not stay clumped up in a big mountain. I actually kind of like the crackled effect they turned out with. Oh, in case anyone is wondering I found the bag of cherry chips at Walmart and I am pretty sure that they still carry them. I think these cookies would be a great addition to holiday baking lists.

Chocolate Cherry Chip Cookies
Adapted from Picky Palate

Ingredients
1 cup butter
1 cup white sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 3/4 cups flour
1 1/4 cups cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 bag of Log House Cherry Chips
1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and use a cookie sheet with a silpat liner.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Slowly add eggs and vanilla until well combined.
3. In another bowl, combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Slowly add to wet ingredients then stir in white chips and cherry chips. Using a medium cookie scoop, drop by rounded spoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheet.
4. Bake for 9-11 minutes, should still be soft in center. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Spicy Spiral Bread

2009-10-16T06:00:00.001-04:00

In honor of World Bread Day 2009 I decided to venture into the land of filled breads. I found this recipe for Spicy Spiral Bread on King Arthur's website and the idea of refried beans and cheese as a filling really intrigued me. Other than the adventurous filling ingredients this bread is made just like most other yeast bread recipes and calls for ingredients that are staples in most pantries.

When I tried to remove the bread from the pan, shortly after coming out of the oven, some of the bread stuck to the bottom of the pan and created a tear in the loaf. I think this happened because the filling was heavy and warm. I would suggest letting the bread cool about 25 minutes in the pan and then making sure to loosen around the edges before trying to remove the loaf of bread. The taste of this bread was a taste that was new and interesting to me. I tried the bread at room temperature and thought that the different textures from the beans and the bread made a nice match. I think it would taste even better warmed up and I plan on trying that tomorrow. This bread is something that I will definitely make again and I plan on playing around with different flavor combinations next time I make it. Happy World Bread Day 2009 to everyone!

Check out my past years entries into World Bread day.
2008 - English Muffin Bread
2007 - Italian Bread

If you love bread as much as I do you might also want to check out my collection of yeasted breads and quick breads. I am sure there is something there to satisfy every bread lovers craving.

Spicy Spiral Bread
Adapted from King Arthur Flour

Ingredients
Dough
2 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
2/3 cup yellow cornmeal
2 teaspoons instant yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon chipotle or hot chili powder or 1/4 teaspoon ground chilies
2 teaspoons sugar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup + 2 tablespoons water
Filling
16-ounce can refried beans
8 ounces shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 to 3 tablespoons taco seasoning or 1 tablespoon mild chili powder

*Optional filling add-ins include 1/2 cup diced raw onion, sliced black olives, diced jalapeño peppers, 1/4 cup salsa, chopped fresh cilantro, or 1/2 cup cooked and drained ground beef. If you use more than three of the preceding options, you'll probably have leftover filling (which is delicious served in taco shells or burritos). The filling should be firm, and should total around 2 cups altogether.

Directions
Dough: In a large bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, yeast, salt, chili powder, sugar, olive oil and water. Mix until a rough dough forms, then knead: 10 minutes by hand, or about 8 minutes by. The dough is soft; work with it gently. Turn the dough into a greased bowl, cover it, and let it rise for 1 1/2 hours, or until it's doubled in bulk.
To prepare the dough in a bread machine, place all of the dough ingredients into the pan of your machine according to the manufacturer's instructions, and program the machine for Dough or Manual. Let the machine complete its cycle.

Assembly: Roll the dough into a long, 8 x 24-inch rectangle. Spread it with 1 1/2 to 2 cups of the filling, leaving a 1-inch margin along the edges. Fold in the two short ends, and roll the dough into a 24-inch log. Pinch the dough to seal it well.
Keeping the seam side down, ease the log, in a loose spiral, into a greased 9-inch round cake pan. Pat the spiral down so it's flat and even across the top. Cover the dough and let it rise till it's even with the top of the pan or slightly crowned above the lip of the pan, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Bake the bread in a preheated 350°F oven for 45 to 50 minutes, till golden brown. Serve warm, hot or cold, with a salad, if desired.

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

2009-10-12T10:02:00.001-04:00

Fall is definitely in the air here in Indiana which means it is time to break out the pumpkin and start baking some treats. First on the list this year is pumpkin whoopie pies. I searched around for a recipe and decided to try this Martha Stewart one because the cream cheese filling sounded good. I was a bit skeptical of the 4 tablespoons of spices that went in but it all worked out in the end and they are not overwhelming at all.

I am not sure what Martha Stewart was thinking, this recipe definitely makes more than 12 pies. I made 8 large ones (using a 3 tablespoon scoop) and 10 smaller ones (using a 2 tablespoon scoop). Depending on what size scoop you use you could easily make as many as 2 dozen whoopie pies. These are definitely delicious and I am sure I will be making them again soon.

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with Cream-Cheese Filling
Adapted from Martha Stewart

Ingredients
For The Cookies
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon ground cloves
2 cups firmly packed dark-brown sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
3 cups pumpkin puree, chilled
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
For the Cream Cheese Filling
3 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions
Make the cookies: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat; set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves; set aside. In another large bowl, whisk together brown sugar and oil until well combined. Add pumpkin puree and whisk until combined. Add eggs and vanilla and whisk until well combined. Sprinkle flour mixture over pumpkin mixture and whisk until fully incorporated.
Using a small ice cream scoop with a release mechanism, drop heaping tablespoons of dough onto prepared baking sheets, about 1 inch apart. Transfer to oven and bake until cookies are just starting to crack on top and a toothpick inserted into the center of each cookie comes out clean, about 15 minutes. Let cool completely on pan.

Make the filling: Sift confectioner' sugar into a medium bowl; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter until smooth. Add cream cheese and beat until well combined. Add confectioners' sugar and vanilla, beat just until smooth. (Filling can be made up to a day in advance. Cover and refrigerate; let stand at room temperature to soften before using.)
Assemble the whoopie pies: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Transfer filling to a disposable pastry bag and snip the end. When cookies have cooled completely, pipe a large dollop of filling on the flat side of half of the cookies. Sandwich with remaining cookies, pressing down slightly so that the filling spreads to the edge of the cookies. Transfer to prepared baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap.
Refrigerate cookies at least 30 minutes before serving and up to 3 days.

And the winner is..

2009-09-28T08:42:00.009-04:00

The winner of the Singing Dog Vanilla giveaway is, comment number 54.

Christy of Christy's Kitchen Creations, come collect your prize!

Christy please send me an e-mail (ambersdelectabledelights@gmail.com) with your mailing address and I will notify Singing Dog Vanilla to send a sample of their vanilla bean paste your way.

Congratulations to Christy and thank you to all who entered.

Monkey Cupcakes

2009-09-21T10:14:00.000-04:00

I first saw these cupcakes in a Taste of Home magazine I bought a few months ago. I thought they were so darn cute that I could not wait for a chance to make them. Last Saturday night was my monthly scrapbooking meet-up with some friends and I thought these would be the perfect treat to share.

I used this funfetti cupcake recipe (although I left the sprinkles out), because I love the almond flavor and thought it would be great with the chocolate frosting. Since pastel M&M's are not in season I grabbed a bag of Crazy Cores Skittles for the eyeballs. For the ears I bought a regular sized and mini sized bag of Nutter Butter cookies because I could not decide which size/shape I liked better for the ears. It turns out that I think both are super cute and now I have all kinds of cookies left that I have no clue what to do with.

It was fun giving all of the monkeys different faces, some were cross-eyed, some had kissy lips and one even had a beard. These cupcakes were a hit at scrapbooking night, everyone enjoyed them and thought they were really cute. For as cute as these cupcakes are they took pretty much no time to put together. Definitely a crowd pleaser.

Monkey Cupcakes
adapted from Taste of Home

Ingredients
1 package cake mix
1 can chocolate frosting
Vanilla wafers (one per cupcake)
Black and red decorating gel
Pastel blue and/or green milk chocolate candies (2 pcs per cupcake)
Nutter Butter, peanut butter cream filled sandwich cookies (regular or mini size)

Directions
Prepare and bake cake batter according to directions for cupcakes. Cool completely on wire racks. Set aside 1/4 cup frosting. Frost cupcakes with remaining frosting.
With a serrated knife, cut off and discard a fourth from each vanilla wafer. Place a wafer on each cupcake, with the rounded edge of wafer near edge of cupcake, for face. Add dots of black gel for nostrils. With red gel, pipe a mouth on each. Place candies above wafers for eyes; add dots of black gel for pupils. Using reserved frosting and a #16 star tip, pipe hair. Carefully separate sandwich cookies; cut each in half. Position one on each side of cupcakes for ears.

Vanilla Pound Cake

2009-09-17T19:38:00.008-04:00

I was approached by representative at Singing Dog Vanilla and asked if I would like to test out one of their products. Since I am always interested in trying new products I took them up on their offer and asked for a sample of their vanilla extract. After receiving a bottle of organic vanilla extract in the mail I set out on a search to find the perfect recipe to use it in. I knew that in order to really taste the product I would have to make something that showcased vanilla as a flavoring. I found this pound cake recipe, which happened to call for 2 whole tablespoons of extract, and I knew I had found the perfect recipe.

Any recipe that starts out with half a pound of butter has got to be good, right? That was my thought going into this recipe and also my afterthought once I tasted it. This cake was easy and quick to mix up, and it tasted divine. The glaze provided the cake with a nice sugary crunch on the outside and the inside was moist and delicious just like a pound cake should be.

The vanilla flavor was just amazing, strong and distinct with the perfect vanilla flavor! I would definitely recommend this product to anyone looking for a good vanilla extract. *hint, hint* check below the recipe for a bonus giveaway from the fine folks at Singing Dog Vanilla.

Vanilla Pound Cake
Adapted from The King Arthur Flour Baker's Companion, The All-Purpose Baking Cookbook

Ingredients
CAKE
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
1 cup (7 ounces) granulated sugar
3 tablespoons ( 1 1/2 ounces) light brown sugar, packed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 3/4 cups (7 1/9 ounces) unbleached all-purpose or cake flour
4 large eggs

GLAZE
1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces) granulated sugar
1/4 cup (2 ounces) water
Pinch of salt
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Directions
For the cake - In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter, sugars, salt, vanilla, and baking powder until smooth and fluffy. Add the flour and mix well the batter will be almost like paste. Beat in the eggs one at a time, beating well and scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl after each addition the batter will be quite fluffy.
Spoon the batter into a lightly greased 9 to 10 inch tube pan, 9 to 10 cup bundt-style pan, or 9 X5 inch loaf pan. Bake the cake for about 45 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool in the pan for 10 minutes, while you are making the glaze.

For the glaze - Bring the sugar, water, and salt to a boil in a small saucepan and boil for 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla

Turn the warm cake out onto a rack. Poke the cake all over with something long and thin, like a cake tester or ice pick. Slowly drizzle or brush the glaze over the cake, continuing to brush until all the glaze is used. Let the cake cool fully before slicing. Serve with sliced fresh fruit, if desired.

*** BONUS GIVEAWAY ***
The generous folks at Singing Dog Vanilla are offering one my my lucky readers a chance to sample one of their products. If you would like to be entered into a giveaway to win one of Singing Dog Vanilla's products, simply go to their website, search around a bit. After searching come back here and leave me a comment letting me know what product you would like to try and what you plan on making with that product.

The winner will be randomly selected and announced on Sunday September 27th. Only one entry per person please. Good luck!

Never Forget

2009-09-11T21:47:00.002-04:00

September 11th, 2001 - We will never forget

God Bless America

Caramel Creams

2009-09-03T07:47:00.005-04:00

Good gracious it has been forever since I have last shared anything on here. My only excuse is that I have been working some crazy hours and barely have time to eat let alone make any new exciting recipes. I have however purchased a couple of really cool recipe magazines that are packed full of super cute and delicious looking treats that I can not wait to start baking my way through. I found this particular recipe in a Taste of Home bake sale book.

This recipe was pretty easy to make and called for pretty common ingredients. It does require a bit of planning ahead which actually worked well for me. I made the cookie dough one day and let it rest in the refrigerator overnight then made the filling and baked the cookies the following day. I stored the cookies in the refrigerator to set the filling and decided that they tasted better cold than they did at room temperature. The browned butter in the filling really brings a great flavor to the cookie. Four thumbs up from my husband and I. This recipe is going into my stack of favorites and I will definitely be making them again.

By the way, isn't my new cake stand super cute? I got it on clearance at Target for less than $10! On an unrelated note, I really hope to be able to get into the kitchen more and make lots of delicious treats to share with you guys, especially with my oh so very long 3-day weekend coming up. :)

Caramel Creams
Adapted from Taste of Home

~makes about 3 dozen ~

Cookie ingredients
1 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup finely chopped pecans
1/4 teaspoon salt

Filling ingredients
2 tablespoons plus 1-1/2 teaspoons butter
1-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 to 3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream

Directions
In a large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg yolks and vanilla. Combine the flour, pecans and salt; gradually add to the creamed mixture and beat well. Shape into two 10-in. rolls; wrap each in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours. Unwrap and cut into 1/4-in. slices. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 11-13 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to wire racks to cool. For filling, in a small saucepan, cook butter over medium heat until golden brown. Pour into a large bowl, beat in the confectioners' sugar, vanilla and enough cream to achieve spreading consistency. Spread on the bottom of half of the cookies; top with remaining cookies.

Zucchini Bread

2009-08-09T12:05:00.007-04:00

It is once again the time of year that gardens are overflowing and the nice people of the world start offering up their extras to those of us without gardens. Last weekend I got some zucchini from my aunt's garden in hopes to make some zucchini bread. I already have a recipe in my archives for this bread but I decided I wanted to change it up and try something different. Boy am I glad that I did. This recipe did not disappoint!

This bread was quite amazing, moist and delicious just like a quick bread should be. I typically only like almonds in my cookies and breads but I decided to add toasted walnuts anyway. I think they really worked well and gave the bread a great texture. The addition of apple and coconut really brought this bread to the next level. I think this is my new favorite zucchini bread recipe.

Zucchini Bread
Adapted from Joy of Baking

~makes one - 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf~

Ingredients
1/2 cup pecans or walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped
1 cup shredded raw zucchini (1-2 zucchini)
1/2 cup peeled and grated raw apple, (about 1 large apple)
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup safflower or canola oil
1 cup granulated white sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup shredded coconut (sweetened or unsweetened)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Grease (or spray with a nonstick vegetable spray) a 9 x 5 x 3 inch (23 x 13 x 8 cm) loaf pan. Set aside.
Toast the pecans or walnuts for about 8 minutes or until lightly browned and fragrant. Let cool and then chop coarsely.
Grate the zucchini, using a medium grater, and then peel and grate the apple. Set aside.
In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, ground cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside.
In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the oil, sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract until well blended (about 2 minutes). Beat in the grated zucchini and apple. Add the flour mixture, beating just until combined. Then fold in the nuts and coconut. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake until the bread has risen and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 50 to 60 minutes.
Place on a wire rack to cool and then remove the bread from the pan. Frost with cream cheese icing, if desired. Well wrapped, this bread will keep for several days at room temperature.

Wilton Course 1, Class 4

2009-07-28T20:02:00.007-04:00

Monday night was the final class of course 1 and at the end of the evening I was awarded my certification of completion! In class I learned how to make sweet peas, leaves, vines, bows, and I also learned how to finish making the rose. One tip that my instructor shared with me that I want to pass on to you is that for making roses it is best to buy the can of Wilton Decorator Icing. It costs around $2 for a pound and the roses made with it are less likely to crack than if homemade stiff icing was used.

For this weeks cake I made a cake that I have made before, Dorie Greenspan's Perfect Party Cake. It is basically a white cake that packs a light lemony punch. For the filling I mixed equal parts of strawberry preserves and buttercream to make a strawberry cream. I did not get to taste the cake this week but I am hearing reports that my husbands coworkers really enjoyed it.

Overall I was really happy with course 1 and the things that I have learned and the progress that I have made. I am really and excited and looking forward to take course 2. Unfortunately my instructor will not be offering course 2 until October so there will not be any more Wilton updates until then. Thank you all for following my progress and for your great comments. As a thank you I will share one more tip that my instructor shared with me. The secret to a deliciously moist cake is to wrap the cake in a layer of wax paper and then a layer of saran wrap while the cake is slightly warm and allow the cake to cool completely. For the very best results the cooled cake can be stored in the refrigerator for a couple hours.

Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

2009-07-23T08:14:00.002-04:00

Last September I made my husband some mint chocolate chip ice cream with real mint, he was very disappointed by it and the entire batch ended up getting thrown away. Ever since then I have been meaning to attempt this ice cream again using peppermint extract instead of real mint. The results this time were much better. The ice cream was beautifully green (thanks to the help of about 10 drops of food coloring) and was exactly the mint flavor that my husband was looking for.

Since this is a Philadelphia style ice cream recipe there are no eggs in the batter thus no cooking is required. Although the taste is not as smooth and creamy and an egg based ice cream this style ice cream gets the job done The good thing about Philadelphia style ice cream is that the ingredients can be mixed together and in the freezer bowl within five minutes. This recipe gets two thumbs up from my house and I am sure I will be making it time and time again.

Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
Adapted from Carries Sweet Life

Ingredients
2 cups 2% milk
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
green food coloring (optional)
1 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips

Directions
In a large bowl, stir together the milk, cream, sugar, salt, vanilla extract and peppermint extract
until the sugar has dissolved. Color to your liking with the green food coloring.

Pour the mixture into an ice cream maker, and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions. After about 10 minutes into the freezing, add the chocolate chips. After the ice cream has thickened, about 30 minutes later, spoon into a container, and freeze for 2 hours.

Cashew Chicken

2009-07-22T19:18:00.007-04:00

I am sorry dear readers that all I have been posting lately is sweet, calorie laden foods. My friend Carrie informed me that she missed the dinner updates on my blog and challenged me to post something new this week. After searching for days (yes, literally days) I decided to make this cashew chicken recipe from the Williams-Sonoma website. My mom always orders cashew chicken but I had never had it before. Not only am I posting a new recipe this week but I am also posting something that I tried for the first time. Hopefully I can keep up the pace at post at least one new dinner recipe a week.

I was quite surprised how quickly this meal came together, I think it could easily be done from start to finish in about 40 minutes, even with the chicken taking 15 minutes to marinate. I have nothing to compare this to since I have never had cashew chicken before but I do have to say that this dish was pretty good. The only substitution that I made was to use chicken breasts instead of chicken thighs. My husband thought the recipe was great just how it was but I think it needed a bit more sauce. I think next time I will double the sauce recipe so I have enough to drizzle over my rice. All in all this was a delicious quick meal that I will definitely be making again.

Cashew Chicken

Adapted from Williams-Sonoma

~makes 4 servings ~

Ingredients
3 tablespoons. soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice wine or dry sherry
2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon cornstarch
3 tablespoons corn or peanut oil
2 green onions, chopped
1 cup salted roasted cashews
Steamed rice for serving

Directions
Marinate the chicken - In a large bowl, stir together 2 Tbs. of the soy sauce, the wine and ginger. Stir in the chicken to coat evenly and set aside for 15 minutes.
Make the sauce - In a small bowl, combine 2 Tbs. water, the remaining 1 Tbs. soy sauce, the Worcestershire sauce, sesame oil, sugar and cornstarch, and stir to dissolve the sugar and cornstarch.
Stir-fry the chicken - Heat a wok or large fry pan over high heat until very hot and add 2 Tbs. of the corn oil. Remove the chicken from the marinade, draining it well, and discard the marinade. Add the chicken to the wok and stir-fry until opaque, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken to a bowl.
Return the wok to medium heat and add the remaining 1 Tbs. corn oil. Add the green onions and stir-fry until fragrant, about 10 seconds. Return the chicken to the wok and add the cashews. Give the sauce a quick stir, add to the pan and stir until the sauce thickens slightly, 1 to 2 minutes. Serve immediately with the steamed rice.

Wilton Course 1, Class 3

2009-07-21T08:12:00.007-04:00

This week I have learned that preparing for these Wilton classes takes up the better half of a day. Thank goodness I have Monday's off of work. For last nights class I had to take a cake that was iced and smoothed along with some colored icing for practicing and decorating our cake. In class I practiced another step in the rose making process, shell borders, faces, drop flowers, swirl flowers and clowns. I should definitely start practicing those swirl flowers, I learned that my wrist just does not want to move the way it needs to.

My instructor tells me I am doing great job and she thinks that I am way to much of a perfectionist. The top of the cake was iced white and the sides were iced in purple. There is a white shell border on the bottom and two lazy (possibly drunk) clowns surrounded by grass with a few drop flowers on top.

Next week is the final class of Course 1. I will learn how to finish making the rose and will also learn a couple new flowers. I am excited to end this course so I can start the second one!

I used new recipes this week so I will share them with you here. I found a recipe for Chocolate Cake on KAF's (King Arthur Flour) website and filled it with coconut cream. The people at my husbands work devoured this cake and said it tasted much better than last week's

Chocolate Cake
Adapted from King Arthur Flour

Ingredients
2 1/4 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, very soft
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup milk
1/2 cup coffee or water
4 large eggs

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease and flour your choice of pan(s): one 9" x 13" pan, two 9" round pans, three 8" round pans, or the wells of two muffin tins. You can also line the muffin tins with papers, and spray the insides of the papers.
1. Place a strainer over a large mixing bowl. Measure in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cocoa, and sugar. Sift/shake the dry ingredients through the strainer into a mixing bowl, to eliminate any lumps.
2. Add the butter and mix at low speed for 1 minutes. With the mixer running, add the oil and continue mixing until the mixture looks like sand.
3. Combine the vanilla with the milk and coffee or water, and add all at once. Mix for 1 minute at low speed, stop and scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl, then mix for 30 seconds more.
4. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well at medium-high speed between additions.
5. Scrape the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl, and mix for 1 minute more. The batter will be thin.
6. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan of your choice. For layers, divide the batter among the pans. Smooth out the tops of the layers with an offset spatula or the back of a tablespoon. For cupcakes, scoop by the heaping 1/4 cup into the prepared muffin tins.
7. Bake for 34 minutes for a 9" x 13" pan; 28 to 30 minutes for 9" layers; 24 to 26 minutes for 8" layers, or 21 to 23 minutes for cupcakes.
8. The cake is done when the top springs back when very lightly touched in the center, and the edges just begin to pull away from the edge of the pan. A toothpick inserted in the center will come out clean.
9. Remove the cake from the oven and place on a rack to cool before removing it from the pan.

Coconut Cream Filling

Ingredients
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 box instant coconut cream pudding
1/8 cup coconut

Directions
Beat heavy cream and sugar with a mixer on medium high speed until mixture thickens. Fold in dry pudding and coconut. Let mixture sit in refrigerator for 20 minutes or until ready to use.

Pillow-Soft Dinner Rolls

2009-07-16T08:15:00.000-04:00

Along with the Light Wheat Rolls that I made for my coworker I also made a couple batches of these rolls. I wanted the guests at the wedding to have a choice of white or whole wheat but I also wanted to try out a couple new recipes. I liked this recipe because it was relatively quick to make and the ingredients were common pantry staples.

I made one batch of these following the original recipe and then I ran out of white flour so I made another batch with half whole wheat flour and half bread flour. The dough rose very quickly and had a really nice soft and velvety texture when shaping. Both batches turned out great. The rolls rose high and tasted delicious. I think that next time I make these I will try to sub butter for the shortening and see if they come out the same.

Pillow-Soft Dinner Rolls

Adapted from: Taste Of Home

~makes 24 rolls~

Ingredients
4-1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water (110° to 115°)
2 cups warm milk (110° to 115°)
6 tablespoons shortening
2 eggs
1/4 cup sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
7 to 7-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Directions
In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the milk, shortening, eggs, sugar, salt and 3 cups flour; beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough.
Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes (dough will be sticky). Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide into 24 pieces. Shape each into a roll. Place 2 in. apart on greased baking sheets. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes.
Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to wire racks.

Wilton Course 1, Class 2

2009-07-14T19:19:00.004-04:00

Last evening was my second class in my Wilton 1 course. For class I had to take a cake that was torted, filled, and iced. I also had to take icing for practicing and colored icing for decorating my cake. During class I learned how to make stars, lines, dots, writing and also started building the rose. After practicing those designs for awhile I was able to start decorating my own cake.

I originally wanted to make a cake with red white and blue stars on it that was patriotic but I remembered that my instructor said black and red were the hardest colors to mix. So I just grabbed a couple colors and got to mixing. The end result is what I am calling a shooting star cake. :)

A few things that I learned this week. After making a last minute trip to the store I learned to buy Crisco in bulk, not those easy 1 cup sticks, go ahead and buy the big mongo tub. Afterall it only takes a second to measure. Buy lots of powdered sugar too, you will also need more of this than you think you will. Icing consistency matters, my "medium" was really super stiff and hard to pipe. I learned to just add a bit more water and mix it up well. I also think I need to buy some "butter flavor" I only used vanilla this time and thought it was good but something was missing. My instructor showed me the Wilton 8" x 3" cake pan. It is amazing! If you use a boxed cake it holds an entire box mix and bakes up beautifully (especially if you use the bake-even strips). Last but not least, the Wilton Bake-Easy non-stick spray is my new bestest friend. :)

Stay tuned next week for the infamous (and quite scary looking) clown cake.

Light Wheat Rolls

2009-07-14T17:19:00.002-04:00

This past weekend I put on my apron and got to work in the kitchen. I got home from work at noon and had to have 100 rolls baked and delivered by five. My mission was simple, I volunteered to make dinner rolls for a wedding of a coworkers daughter (although the daughter is also a co-worker). At first count they were expecting 50 people and at final count the number almost doubled with 90 confirmed guests. I had a lot to do and not much time to do it. I chose this recipe from allrecipes because it had many great reviews and called for ingredients that I already had at home.

This recipe was very easy to follow and would be great for someone working with yeast for the first time. The dough rose quickly and beautifully and felt like the perfect consistency as I was shaping the rolls. Speaking of shaping the rolls. I thought that rolling the dough up and baking it in a muffin tin was a quite genius idea but since these rolls would be served at a wedding I decided to roll the dough up, flatten it on top to make sure it was even and bake it on a baking sheet. I chose a stone ground wheat flour to help add some texture to the rolls and brushed the finished product with melted butter with a splash of honey. I did manage to sneak a roll before I delivered them to the wedding and they were quite delicious.

Light Wheat Rolls
Adapted from AllRecipes.com

~makes approx. 24 rolls~

Ingredients
2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast
1 3/4 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
1/2 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter, melted and cooled
1 egg, beaten
2 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup butter, melted (optional)

Directions
In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
Mix sugar, salt, 1/4 cup melted butter, egg, and whole wheat flour into yeast mixture. Stir in all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Turn dough out onto a well floured surface, and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Lightly oil a large bowl, place dough in bowl, and turn to coat. Cover with a damp cloth, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
Punch down dough, cover, and let rise in warm place until doubled again, about 30 minutes.
Grease 2 dozen muffin cups. Punch down dough, and divide into two equal portions. Roll each into a 6x14 inch rectangle, and cut rectangle into twelve 7x1 inch strips. Roll strips up into spirals, and place into muffin cups. Brush tops with melted butter. Let rise uncovered in a warm place 40 minutes, or until doubled in bulk.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from oven, and brush again with melted butter.

*If you would like to freeze the rolls, bake for 8 minutes, remove from the oven, allow to cool, bag, and freeze. Then when ready to use, thaw and finish the baking process.

Wilton Wonderland

2009-07-07T20:03:00.003-04:00

I have always wanted to take the Wilton cake decorating classes but never had any free weeknights to do it. Now that I am done with school and have a little spare time I decided that a nice graduation present to myself would be to take the classes. Last night was my first session of course 1. In class we learned about the 3 different consistencies of icing, how to properly assemble a pastry bag, how level a cake, how to fill and ice a cake to prepare it for decoration, and also how to color the icing.

After the class the instructor guided the students into the store (Hobby Lobby) to pick out some items that we would need for the rest of the classes. I bought a few things at the store and came home and combined it with the items that I already had. Here are most of the supplies that I have accumulated so far. :)

Course 1 book, 12 pack of icing colors, Tip# 789, Piping Gel, Flower nail, Clear vanilla flavoring, 8" X 3" round cake pan, Bake Easy non-stick spray, 4 pack of couplers, piping bag ties, cake leveler, 16" featherweight bag, and the 50 piece tool caddy decorator set that is packed full of tips and other necessary items.

I am extremely excited about these courses and I can not wait until next week when I get to start practicing the different design elements and decorate a cake with them. Check back weekly because I plan on posting weekly updates of my decorated cakes and maybe even some new cake recipes.

Soft Wrap Bread

2009-06-27T22:00:00.000-04:00

As I was aimlessly browsing through my King Arthur Flour cookbook I came across this recipe and was instantly intrigued. The script before the recipe said this bread is more like a Taco Bell gordita or a pita bread than a normal tortilla. It also suggested that if you like the bread in your sandwich to be a substantial part of the sandwich this is the bread for you. That description definitely sold me on making this bread. I love the thick gordita bread and also have become quite fond of the flatbread sandwiches at Subway.

This bread was pretty easy to make and only took a couple of hours from start to finish. The nice thing about this wrap bread is that it is so versatile. Although the recipe says to make 7 to 8 inch circles you can easily shape this bread however you want and make it whatever size suits you. Once cooked the bread can be used to make a variety of items such as, personal pizzas, sandwiches, tacos, or even appetizers. I will definitely be making this bread again, it was delicious.

Soft Wrap Bread
Source: The King Arthur Flour Baker's Companion, The All-Purpose Baking Cookbook. Also available on kingarthurflour.com

~makes 8 breads ~

Ingredients
3 to 3 1/4 cups (12 3/4 to 13 3/4 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups (12 ounces) boiling water
1/4 cup (1 1/2 ounces) potato flour OR 1/2 cup (5/8 ounces) potato buds or flakes
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons (7/8 ounce) vegetable oil
1 teaspoon instant yeast*

Making the Dough
Place 2 cups of the flour into a bowl or the bucket of a bread machine. Pour the boiling water over the flour, and stir till smooth. Cover the bowl or bucket and set the mixture aside for 30 minutes.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the potato flour (or flakes or buds) and 1 cup of the remaining flour with the salt, oil and yeast. Add this to the cooled flour/water mixture, stir, then knead for several minutes (by hand, mixer or bread machine) to form a soft dough. Note: You can allow the dough to go through the entire kneading cycle(s) in the bread machine, but it's not necessary; about a 5-minute knead in the machine, once it gets up to full kneading speed, is fine. The dough should form a ball, but will remain somewhat sticky. Add additional flour only if necessary; if kneading by hand, keep your hands and work surface lightly oiled. Let the dough rise, covered, for 1 hour.

Shaping
Divide the dough into 8 pieces (each about the size of a handball, around 3 ounces), cover, and let rest for 15 to 30 minutes. Roll each piece into a 7- to 8-inch circle, and dry-fry them (fry without oil) over medium heat for about 1 minute per side, until they're puffed and flecked with brown spots. Adjust the heat if they seem to be cooking either too quickly, or too slowly; cooking too quickly means they may be raw in the center, while too slowly will dry them out. Transfer the cooked breads to a wire rack, stacking them to keep them soft. Serve immediately, or cool slightly before storing in a plastic bag.

*This recipe works best with instant yeast because it dissolves during the kneading process, so you don't have to knead liquid into the dough. If you really prefer to use active dry yeast, use only 1 cup boiling water for the initial dough, dissolve the yeast in 1/4 cup warm water, and add this mixture to the dough along with the potato flour mixture. It'll be somewhat "slippery" at first, but will knead in and eventually become smooth.

Nutrition information per serving (1 bread, 85g): 207 cal, 4g fat, 5g protein, 37g complex carbohydrates, 2g dietary fiber, 336mg sodium, 150mg potassium, 1mg vitamin C, 3mg iron, 3mg calcium, 56mg phosphorus.

Coconut Madeleines

2009-06-23T07:40:00.000-04:00

As I was scrolling through my Google Reader catching up on blog postings I came across this recipe for madeleines. After reading through the directions I realized that I wanted to give the recipe a try. I attempted to make madeleines a few months ago only to end up with very delicious, yet very flat and ugly cookies. The only thing that I can figure that went wrong with that other recipe is that I did not refrigerate the batter long enough. When I saw that there was no refrigeration needed with this recipe I decided I would give it a try.

This attempt turned out much better than the last. I was so happy when I opened my oven and saw fluffy golden madeleines. These cookies are very light tasting and I think they are the perfect treat for the hot summer months. Although these cookies were very delicious the coconut in this recipe was not very pronounced. My husband said he needed more coconut flavor. Perhaps a drop of coconut extract would do the trick. After the success I had with this recipe I am looking forward to baking up more madeleine recipes in the future.

Coconut Madeleines
As seen on Sugar and Spice, Originally from Ina Garten

Ingredients
1 1/2 tablespoons melted butter, to grease the pans, plus 1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
3 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 cup sweetened shredded coconut
Confectioners' sugar, optional

Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Thoroughly butter and flour the madeleine pans.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the eggs, sugar, and vanilla on medium speed for 3 minutes, or until light yellow and fluffy. Add 1/4 pound of butter and mix. Sift together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt, and stir into the batter with a rubber spatula. Stir in the coconut.

With a soup spoon, drop the batter into the pans, filling each shell almost full. Bake the madeleines for 10 to 12 minutes, until they spring back when pressed. Tap the madeleines out onto a baking pan lined with parchment paper and allow to cool. Dust with confectioners' sugar, if desired.

Rice Krispie Cookies

2009-06-22T09:48:00.000-04:00

It has been a while since I made cookies so I searched around for a new recipe to try out. I came across this one and decided it would be the perfect recipe to use up the rice krispies that have been hanging out in my cabinet. I did not read the instructions very thoroughly before making the cookies and became quite impatient waiting for the dough to chill in the fridge. Do to my impatience I did not refrigerate the dough balls as long as the recipe called for, but my cookies came out wonderful anyway.

I divided the dough in half and used butterscotch chips in half and peanut butter chips in the other half. I preferred the cookies with the peanut butter chips over the butterscotch chips. I encourage you to resist the urge to eat these cookies straight from the oven, they taste better once the rice krispies inside have had a chance to cool completely. Although these cookies were not as quick as the average cookit to make, they were definitely enjoyable and worth the time.

Rice Krispies Cookies
Adapted from: Bakingblonde's Weblog

Ingredients
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons hot water
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 cups Rice Krispies
1 cup butterscotch (or peanut butter) chips

Directions
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside. In a large mixing bowl, beat together butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add egg and beat until combined. Mix in hot water and vanilla. Add flour mixture, in two batches, beating just until combined – be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Using a wooden spoon, fold in butterscotch chips and Rice Krispies. Cover and refrigerate for 30 min. or longer.
Preheat oven to 375. Scoop out tablespoons of the dough and roll into balls. Place all balls on one baking sheet, and chill at least 30 min. Remove from fridge and place 12 balls on cookie sheet at a time. Bake until the middle looks just set and the edges begin to turn a light golden – about 8-12 minutes. Remove and let sit on the sheet for a minute. Move cookies to a wire rack and let cool completely.

Garlic Bubble Loaves

2009-06-17T15:38:00.003-04:00

It has been to long since I made yeast bread in my house. In fact, the last time I did was back in February when I made the moist potato bread. I thought I would have tons of free time being done with school but instead of living on campus it seems as if I am living at work now-a-days. But I suppose that is ok because I really do love my job. I do have Mondays off so I am going to try to take more of that time and spend it in the kitchen making meals and treats for the upcoming week. A few weeks ago I came across this bubble bread recipe while browsing through all the recipes I have bookmarked to try and decided to give this bread a whirl.

If you have a favorite white bread recipe already feel free to use that recipe in place of the one provided below. The bottom and side crusts reminded me of focaccia bread. They were light and crispy and had the taste of being baked in butter.

Although the top of the bread got a little darker than I would have liked it to it still turned out wonderful. Of course I used more seasonings than the recipe called for. In my opinion you can never have to much garlic. :) Although this recipe is good as is, I think that the addition of Parmesan cheese and diced pepperoni scattered between the balls of dough would also be delicious.

Garlic Bubble Loaves
Adapted from: The Fresh Loaf

Ingredients
2 packages of active dry yeast, (2 scant Tbls)
1/4 warm water (110-115 degrees)
2 cups warm milk (110-115 deg)
2 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon shortening
2 teaspoon salt
6 1/4-6 1/2 cups all purpose or bread flour
1/2 cup butter
1 Tablespoons dried parsley
2 teaspoons garlic powder

Directions
In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the milk, sugar, shortening, salt and 2 cups flour, beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide into fourths. Divide each portion into 12 pieces. In a shallow bowl, combine the butter, parsley and garlic powder. Shape each piece of dough into a ball; dip into butter mixture. Place in two greased 9 x 5 x 3 loaf pans. Pour any remaining butter mixture over dough. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes. (Don't crowd them into the pan. put about 12 (24 total) spaced out in two irregular layers per pan)
Bake at 375 deg for 35-40 min or until golden brown. Cool for 10 minutes. remove from pans to wire racks.

Chipotle Beans and Rice

2009-06-15T10:00:00.000-04:00

Rice is always a great side dish that can be cooked up in so many different ways. When I came across this recipe in Elly's blog I knew that I would have to make it sometime. The rice, paired with the spicy chipotle and black beans is a great side dish and just as awesome stuffed into a burrito or enchilada.

I tripled this recipe just so I would not have half a can of black beans in my fridge and I am glad that I did. I ate this as a side to dinner one night, then added it to some grilled chicken burritos for dinner the following night. Very delicious and versatile.

Chipotle Beans and Rice
Adapted from: Elly says Opa!

Ingredients
1/2 Tbsp. canola oil
1/2 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 chipotle in adobo, minced
1 bay leaf
1/3 cup uncooked rice
2/3 cup water or broth
1/2 cup black beans
1/2 tsp. oregano
salt and pepper

Directions
Heat the oil in a shallow pot/saucepan that has a tight-fitting lid. Add the onion and cook until tender. Stir in the garlic, chipotle, and bay leaf, sauteing an additional minute. Stir in the rice, and toast it until just a little golden. Add the water (or broth), black beans, oregano, and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, cover, and then turn the heat down to low. Simmer for about 15 minutes. Remove from heat (but keep the lid on) and let sit for about 5 minutes before fluffing with a fork.

Strawberry Banana Muffins

2009-06-08T10:34:00.006-04:00

Have I ever mentioned that I love strawberry season? There is nothing better than a sweet dark juicy strawberry, unless you add some flour and make that strawberry just as unhealthy as can be. :) I had a bunch of strawberries in my fridge that I wanted to make something with before they went bad. Most of the muffin recipes that I came across called for sour cream or plain yogurt. I did not have either of those items in my fridge so I kept searching until I found a recipe that did not need those ingredients. I originally found this recipe on The Food Librarian, then followed its source to Joy of Baking.

I am glad that I decided to make these muffins because they were quick and easy (no mixer needed) and they tasted incredible. The strawberry pieces really burst while biting into the muffins and the cinnamon adds the perfect amount of spice. The only thing that would have made them better is some almondy streusel on top. Everything is better with almonds. :)

Strawberry Banana Muffins
Adapted from: Joy of Baking

~makes 12 regular sized muffins~

Ingredients
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
3/4 cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 large ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 cup)
1 cup fresh or frozen strawberries (cut into small pieces)
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Position rack in center of oven. Line the muffin pan with paper liners or grease with butter or a vegetable spray. Set aside.
In a small saucepan melt the butter. Set aside.
In a medium sized bowl whisk together the brown sugar, eggs, vanilla extract and mashed banana. Add the melted butter to the brown sugar mixture and stir to combine.
In another large bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Gently fold in the berries, making sure they are coated with flour. This helps to prevent the berries from sinking during baking. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir only until the ingredients are just combined. Do not over mix the batter or tough muffins will result.
Fill each muffin cup about two thirds full of batter, using two spoons or an ice cream scoop. Fill any unused muffin cups halfway with water to prevent warping of the pan and/or over browning of the muffins. Place in the oven and bake until a tester inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.