Apple Fritters with Butterscotch Sauce

February is over. Really? Tomorrow is March? I remember as a kid that time would drag on and events never came quick enough. Now as an adult, time just passes along. There is so much going on and life keeps me busy. How have I been married almost 9 years? How is my daughter about to be 5? It is kind of crazy. Seems like just yesterday I was still in high school and now I think I will be 75 before I know it. I guess I will just have to savor every second since time is bound and determined to keep on going!

In the essence of savoring things I present to you apple fritters with butterscotch sauce. Sure, you can make yourself feel better by saying there are apples in these. But let's be honest; there is no health value in these. But there is value in the happiness that comes from enjoying a delicious, sweet treat first thing in the morning and calling it breakfast!

I also wanted to say a quick thanks for stopping by all month. NaBloPoMo has been fun and I look forward to doing it again soon. I would do it in March, but I will be out of town for 5 days and don't want to worry about getting posts up while I am gone.

Have a wonderful rest of the weekend!

Apple Fritters with Butterscotch Sauce

1 egg, beaten

1 cup milk

1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

1 tsp vanilla

Zest and juice of 1 large orange

2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and diced

3 cups flour

1/2 cup sugar

1 TBSP baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

Vegetable oil for frying

Powdered sugar for dusting

Combine egg through zest and juice; mix until well combined. Stir in apple. Combine flour through salt; add to wet ingredients and stir just until blended. Batter will be thick.

Drop batter by 1/2 cupfuls into hot oil and fry 8-10 minutes, turning often, until brown and evenly crisp. Drain on cooling rack/paper towels.

Dust with powdered sugar and serve with butterscotch sauce.

Butterscotch Sauce

6 TBSP butter

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

2/3 cup heavy cream

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 TBSP lemon juice

1/2 tsp salt

Melt butter in small saucepan. Add sugars; stir until melted. Stir in heavy cream; simmer 2 minutes. Remove from heat and add vanilla, lemon juice, and salt.

Daring Bakers make Tiramisu

I am beyond proud of my result from the Daring Bakers challenge this month. As you can see from the title of the post and the first picture, our challenge was to make Tiramisu - completely from scratch. When I first saw the challenge, I have to admit that I was disappointed. I don't like Tiramisu. But, in true Daring Baker fashion, I set out to make it and thought that at least my husband and mom who was visiting would enjoy it.

Tiramisu literally translated means "pick me up". That would make sense considering it is made with espresso! Tiramisu is made by layering savoiardi (otherwise known as ladyfingers) dipped in espresso with a mascarpone type filling and topping it all off with a dusting of cocoa powder.

We had a few challenges hiding within the Tiramisu this month. We had to:
1 - Make our own mascarpone. No going to the store to buy it!
2- Make our own savoiardi (ladyfingers). Again... NO store!
3- Make 3 different "cream" mixtures that would be mixed in with the mascarpone - Zabaglione, Vanilla Pastry Cream, and whipped cream.

The mascarpone was incredibly simple to make and I doubt I will ever buy it in the store again. As long as you are patient (it takes some time for the cream to come to temperature and it has to sit overnight), it is well worth it. You start with cream and a little lemon juice and the next day you have creamy, delicious mascarpone.
The ladyfingers were also pretty simple. Sure, they may not look the best (I piped them on the cookie sheet quickly), but they tasted great. I like pretty food as much as the next guy, but taste comes first - ALWAYS!

Of course I didn't take any pictures of the three creams, but I will tell you about them. The zabaglione is made up of eggs, sugar, lemon zest, vanilla, and wine. I didn't use wine because that was one of the things that bothered me about tiramisu in the past. I substituted coffee (not espresso, but the regular old coffee I drink in the morning). Oh my word... the zabaglione was out of this world. Just rub that on a piece of cardboard and I would eat it! The pastry cream and whipped cream were equally delicious. It was really hard to not just eat each component by itself.

To assemble the tiramisu, the ladyfingers are quickly (and I mean QUICKLY) dipped in espresso (again, I used my regular coffee). The three creams were mixed with the mascarpone and spread on the ladyfingers. Repeat a few times, dust with cocoa powder, and refrigerate overnight.

The verdict? You are looking at a tiramisu convert. Holy moly was this delicious! I think what sold it for me was that while you could taste a bit of the coffee, it wasn't overwhelming. Mmmmmmm!

The February 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Aparna of My Diverse Kitchen and Deeba of Passionate About Baking. They chose Tiramisu as the challenge for the month. Their challenge recipe is based on recipes from The Washington Post, Cordon Bleu at Home and Baking Obsession.


TIRAMISU
Recipe source: Carminantonio's Tiramisu from The Washington Post, July 11 2007 )
This recipe makes 6 servings

Ingredients:


For the zabaglione:
2 large egg yolks
3 tablespoons sugar/50gms
1/4 cup/60ml Marsala wine (or port or coffee)
1/4 teaspoon/ 1.25ml vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

For the vanilla pastry cream:
1/4 cup/55gms sugar
1 tablespoon/8gms all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon/ 2.5ml vanilla extract
1 large egg yolk
3/4 cup/175ml whole milk

For the whipped cream:
1 cup/235ml chilled heavy cream (we used 25%)
1/4 cup/55gms sugar
1/2 teaspoon/ 2.5ml vanilla extract

To assemble the tiramisu:
2 cups/470ml brewed espresso, warmed
1 teaspoon/5ml rum extract (optional)
1/2 cup/110gms sugar
1/3 cup/75gms mascarpone cheese
36 savoiardi/ ladyfinger biscuits (you may use less)
2 tablespoons/30gms unsweetened cocoa powder

Method:


For the zabaglione:
Heat water in a double boiler. If you don’t have a double boiler, place a pot with about an inch of water in it on the stove. Place a heat-proof bowl in the pot making sure the bottom does not touch the water.


In a large mixing bowl (or stainless steel mixing bowl), mix together the egg yolks, sugar, the Marsala (or espresso/ coffee), vanilla extract and lemon zest. Whisk together until the yolks are fully blended and the mixture looks smooth.


Transfer the mixture to the top of a double boiler or place your bowl over the pan/ pot with simmering water. Cook the egg mixture over low heat, stirring constantly, for about 8 minutes or until it resembles thick custard. It may bubble a bit as it reaches that consistency.
Let cool to room temperature and transfer the zabaglione to a bowl. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight, until thoroughly chilled.

For the pastry cream:
Mix together the sugar, flour, lemon zest and vanilla extract in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan. To this add the egg yolk and half the milk. Whisk until smooth.


Now place the saucepan over low heat and cook, stirring constantly to prevent the mixture from curdling.


Add the remaining milk a little at a time, still stirring constantly. After about 12 minutes the mixture will be thick, free of lumps and beginning to bubble. (If you have a few lumps, don’t worry. You can push the cream through a fine-mesh strainer.)


Transfer the pastry cream to a bowl and cool to room temperature. Cover with plastic film and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight, until thoroughly chilled.

For the whipped cream:
Combine the cream, sugar and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl. Beat with an electric hand mixer or immersion blender until the mixture holds stiff peaks. Set aside.

To assemble the tiramisu:
Have ready a rectangular serving dish (about 8" by 8" should do) or one of your choice.


Mix together the warm espresso, rum extract and sugar in a shallow dish, whisking to mix well. Set aside to cool.


In a large bowl, beat the mascarpone cheese with a spoon to break down the lumps and make it smooth. This will make it easier to fold. Add the prepared and chilled zabaglione and pastry cream, blending until just combined. Gently fold in the whipped cream. Set this cream mixture aside.

Now to start assembling the tiramisu.
Workings quickly, dip 12 of the ladyfingers in the sweetened espresso, about 1 second per side. They should be moist but not soggy. Immediately transfer each ladyfinger to the platter, placing them side by side in a single row. You may break a lady finger into two, if necessary, to ensure the base of your dish is completely covered.


Spoon one-third of the cream mixture on top of the ladyfingers, then use a rubber spatula or spreading knife to cover the top evenly, all the way to the edges.


Repeat to create 2 more layers, using 12 ladyfingers and the cream mixture for each layer. Clean any spilled cream mixture; cover carefully with plastic wrap and refrigerate the tiramisu overnight.


To serve, carefully remove the plastic wrap and sprinkle the tiramisu with cocoa powder using a fine-mesh strainer or decorate as you please. Cut into individual portions and serve.

MASCARPONE CHEESE
(Source: Vera’s Recipe for Homemade Mascarpone Cheese)
This recipe makes 12oz/ 340gm of mascarpone cheese

Ingredients:
474ml (approx. 500ml)/ 2 cups whipping (36 %) pasteurized (not ultra-pasteurized), preferably organic cream (between 25% to 36% cream will do)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Method:
Bring 1 inch of water to a boil in a wide skillet. Reduce the heat to medium-low so the water is barely simmering. Pour the cream into a medium heat-resistant bowl, then place the bowl into the skillet. Heat the cream, stirring often, to 190 F. If you do not have a thermometer, wait until small bubbles keep trying to push up to the surface.


It will take about 15 minutes of delicate heating. Add the lemon juice and continue heating the mixture, stirring gently, until the cream curdles. Do not expect the same action as you see during ricotta cheese making. All that the whipping cream will do is become thicker, like a well-done crème anglaise. It will cover a back of your wooden spoon thickly. You will see just a few clear whey streaks when you stir. Remove the bowl from the water and let cool for about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, line a sieve with four layers of dampened cheesecloth and set it over a bowl. Transfer the mixture into the lined sieve. Do not squeeze the cheese in the cheesecloth or press on its surface (be patient, it will firm up after refrigeration time). Once cooled completely, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate (in the sieve) overnight or up to 24 hours.


Vera’s notes: The first time I made mascarpone I had all doubts if it’d been cooked enough, because of its custard-like texture. Have no fear, it will firm up beautifully in the fridge, and will yet remain lusciously creamy.


Keep refrigerated and use within 3 to 4 days.

LADYFINGERS/ SAVOIARDI BISCUITS
(Source: Recipe from Cordon Bleu At Home)
This recipe makes approximately 24 big ladyfingers or 45 small (2 1/2" to 3" long) ladyfingers.

Ingredients:
3 eggs, separated
6 tablespoons /75gms granulated sugar
3/4 cup/95gms cake flour, sifted (or 3/4 cup all purpose flour + 2 tbsp corn starch)
6 tablespoons /50gms confectioner's sugar,

Method:
Preheat your oven to 350 F (175 C) degrees, then lightly brush 2 baking sheets with oil or softened butter and line with parchment paper.


Beat the egg whites using a hand held electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Gradually add granulate sugar and continue beating until the egg whites become stiff again, glossy and smooth.


In a small bowl, beat the egg yolks lightly with a fork and fold them into the meringue, using a wooden spoon. Sift the flour over this mixture and fold gently until just mixed. It is important to fold very gently and not overdo the folding. Otherwise the batter would deflate and lose volume resulting in ladyfingers which are flat and not spongy.


Fit a pastry bag with a plain tip (or just snip the end off; you could also use a Ziploc bag) and fill with the batter. Pipe the batter into 5" long and 3/4" wide strips leaving about 1" space in between the strips.


Sprinkle half the confectioner's sugar over the ladyfingers and wait for 5 minutes. The sugar will pearl or look wet and glisten. Now sprinkle the remaining sugar. This helps to give the ladyfingers their characteristic crispness.


Hold the parchment paper in place with your thumb and lift one side of the baking sheet and gently tap it on the work surface to remove excess sprinkled sugar.


Bake the ladyfingers for 10 minutes, then rotate the sheets and bake for another 5 minutes or so until the puff up, turn lightly golden brown and are still soft.


Allow them to cool slightly on the sheets for about 5 minutes and then remove the ladyfingers from the baking sheet with a metal spatula while still hot, and cool on a rack.


Store them in an airtight container till required. They should keep for 2 to 3 weeks.

Pretzel Bites & Cinnamon Sugar Pretzels

I love making homemade pretzels. Ever since making them as a past Daring Bakers challenge over a year ago, I just can't get enough. They are so very simple to make and the reward is pure deliciousness!

When I saw these pretzel bites on Two Peas and Their Pod, there was no doubt that I would make them. I don't know why I didn't think of it sooner. I absolutely love the pretzel bites at the mall so it really should've occured to me to make my own!

The bites were so good! The only change I would make (and, warning, this isn't a healthy change!) would be to brush them with a little melted butter right out of the oven. I think then they would be almost identical to the bites I love.

I also made a few large pretzels and dipped them in cinnamon sugar. I only wish that I had cream cheese in the house when I made them because they would've been fantastic with a cream cheese frosting for dipping.

If you haven't made homemade pretzels yet I highly suggest you give them a try. I promise you won't be disappointed!

Homemade Soft Pretzel Bites
Recipe from Two Peas and Their Pod

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

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

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

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

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

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

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

Remove to a baking rack and let rest 5 minutes before eating.

*If you want to make cinnamon and sugar pretzel bites-instead of adding salt, sprinkle the bites with cinnamon and sugar.

CIA Homeschool AND Foreign Food Focus: Black Forest Cake

This is a combination post because, well, Black Forest Cake is from Germany (which falls into my FFF for the month) and the recipe came from my CIA book. Double up when you can, right?

The Black Forest Cake, or Schwarzwalder Kirsch Torte, is a chocolate cake brushed with Kirsch, layered and frosted with whipped cream, and filled with cherries.

I remember my first trip to the Black Forest and ordering this cake. I didn't like it. The liquor flavor was so strong that it overpowered the cake for me. This was years ago, though, and way before I started being daring with my food. I really wish I still lived in Germany so I could drive down again and order another slice. Maybe this time would be different.

Since I don't drink, I decided to substitute the liquor in this cake. I used a simple syrup flavored with cherry juice to brush the layers and I thought it turned out wonderful.

The CIA cake is a little different than other Black Forest Cakes because while it is frosted with whipped cream, the layers have whipped ganache with the cherries. YUM!

I made this cake for a work function for Nathan, so that is why you can 2 liters of soda in the picture. I am just thankful Nathan got the picture for me!

As usual, I am not posting the recipe from the CIA book here, but there are a ton of black forest cake recipes online and I am hoping you will try this cake!

List of recipes to be made from the CIA book:


Yeast Raised Breads and Rolls

Boule (White Wheat Lean Dough)
Split Loaf (Lean Dough with Pate Fermente)
Batard (Whole Wheat Lean Dough)
Baguette (Lean Dough with Poolish)
Grissini
Bagels
Ciabatta
Stollen
Pannetone
Soft Roll Dough (Knot Rolls & Parker House Rolls)
Brioche a Tete
Craquelin
Challah (6 Braid)
Coffee Cake (Twisted)
Pita Bread
Apple Fritters
Berliners (Jelly Doughnuts)
Yeast Raised Doughnuts

Yeast Doughs (Not listed above)

Prosciutto and Provolone Dough
Tomato Dough
Roasted Potato Dough
Apple and Walnut Sourdough

Quick Breads and Cakes

Ginger Cake
Buttermilk Biscuits
Bran Muffins
Lemon Buttermilk Cake
Polenta Cake
Devil’s Food Cake
Chocolate XS
Carrot Cake
Roulade
Chocolate Souffle Cake
Patterned Jaconde Sponge
Walnut Cheesecake

Cookies

Mudslide Cookies
Sand Cookies
Orange Coconut Macaroons
Fudge Brownies
Pecan Diamonds (Short Dough)
Mirror Cookies (1-2-3 Cookie Dough)
Citrus Crisps
Zedern Brot
Vanilla Kipferl
Checkerboard Cookies
Madeleines
Springerle
Vanilla Pretzels
Ladyfingers
Langues-de-Chat Sandwiches
Frangipane Cake (Made into Petit Fours)

Custards, Creams, Mousses, and Souffles

Crème Brulee
Pots de Crème
Vanilla Pudding
Lemon Curd
Chocolate Mousse
Bavarian Cream
Raspberry Souffle

Frozen Desserts

Chocolate Swirl Ice Cream
Lemon Frozen Yogurt
Orange Sorbet
Vanilla Bean Sherbet
Fresh Ginger Granita
Praline Parfait
Frozen Lemon Savarin

Pies, Tarts, and Fruit Desserts

Blueberry Pie
Warm Apple Charlottes
Lemon Fantasy Tart
Zesty Lime Tart
Cheese Tart
Clafoutis
Cranberry Pecan Tart
Apple Strudel

Filled and Assembled Cakes and Tortes

Bavarian Cream Torte
Charlotte Russe
Black Forest Cake
Opera Torte
Orange Mousseline Torte

Individual Pastries

Lemon Curd Tartlets
Pecan Cranberry Tartlets
Strip Tartlets
Pecan Passions
Classic Napoleons
Chocolate Peanut Butter Bombes
White and Dark Chocolate Mousse in Glasses
Trifles
Chocolate Eclairs
Bear Claws

Plated Desserts

Blueberry and Cream Cheese Crepes
Brown Sugar Roasted Pear
Funnel Cake with Maple Syrup and Summer Fruit Sauces

Chocolates and Confections

Milk Chocolate Truffles
Fujiyamas
Rochers
Candied Orange Peel
Soft Caramels
Hard Candies
Fudge
Nuss Bonbon
Marshmallows

FINAL PROJECT

TBD (Trying to pick a cake with gumpaste, modeling chocolate, and possibly pulled sugar)

Guest Blogger: Beefy Eggplant Parmigiana

Thank you, thank you, thank you to Monica for providing another recipe for me. This recipe looks and sounds fantastic!

------------------------------------------------------------------
First, let me say, this is the first time I made this and I thought it was FANTASTIC!!! I really like eggplant and thought this was a delicious meal. However, trying to make this low calorie/low fat was harder than I thought it was going to be. First I sautéed the onion and celery WITH the hamburger and then drained so I didn’t have to use any extra oil. Then I tried to fry the eggplant with less oil and I used olive oil instead of vegetable oil. I had to keep adding oil b/c it really sucked up all the oil quickly. I also used quite a bit less cheese (I only did one layer of each kind) and I thought it still tasted great. Overall, it turned out great I would just love to learn a way to cook eggplant lower fat and still have it taste fabulous!

Beefy Eggplant Parmigiana

1/3 cup chopped onion
¼ cup finely chopped celery
1 tsp dried parsley flakes
1/8 tsp garlic powder
2TBS vegetable oil
1 can (14 oz) Italian stewed tomatoes
¼ cup tomato paste
½ tsp dried oregano
1 ¼ tsp salt, divided
½ tsp pepper, divided
1 bay leaf
¾ cup all-purpose flour
1 cup buttermilk
1 medium eggplant, peeled and cut into 3/8 inch slices
Addition vegetable oil
½ cup parmesan cheese
1 pound ground beef, cooked and drained
2 cups (8 oz) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
1 ½ tsp minced fresh parsley

In a large saucepan, sauté onion, celery, parsley, and garlic powder in oil until tender. Stir in the tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, ½ tsp salt, ¼ tsp pepper, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1hour. Discard bay leaf.

In a shallow dish, combine flour and remaining salt and pepper. Place buttermilk in another shallow dish. Dip eggplant in buttermilk, then in flour mixture.

In a large skillet, cook eggplant in batches in 1 in. of hot oil until golden brown on each side; drain.

Place half of eggplant in a greased 13x9x2 in. baking dish. Top with half of Parmesan cheese, beef, tomato mixture, and mozzarella cheese. Top with remaining eggplant, parmesan cheese, beef and tomato mixture.

Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until heated through. Sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella cheese. Bake 5-10 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with parsley.

Grilled Ribeyes

You all might get tired of hearing me say this, but I LOVE that we are now able to grill at least once a week. Nathan is actually way more excited about this than I am (he spent 5 hours smoking ribs over the weekend - that post will come soon). I should start making him write up the posts for all the grilling recipes! ;)

This ribeye is probably one of the best steaks I have ever had. So juicy and delicious. We will definately be making this again and I can't wait!

Enjoy!

Worcesterishire Marinated and Glazed Rib Eye Steaks

Serious Barbecue by Adam Perry Lang (some items changed)

Marinade

1 TBSP crushed red pepper flakes

1 TBSP boiling water

1 cup extra virgin olive oil

20 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced

1/4 cup worcestershire sauce

2 TBSP packed brown sugar

1 TBSP dried rosemary

1 TBSP dried thyme

Seasoning Blend

2 TBSP garlic salt

2 TBSP lemon pepper

2 TBSP black pepper

2 TBSP chili powder

Glaze

1/2 cup worcestershire sauce

1/2 cup brown sugar

4 TBSP unsalted butter, melted

Compound Butter

1 lb butter, softened

1/4 cup chopped parsley

2 TBSP chopped shallots

1 garlic clove, minced

Zest of 1 lemon

2 tsp pepper

2 tsp salt

8 rib eye steaks, about 14 oz each

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1. Mix all ingredients for compound butter; refrigerate until needed.

2. Place pepper flakes in small bowl and pour boiling water over them. Allow to sit for 1-2 minutes to rehydrate the flakes. Combine remaining marinade ingredients including pepper flakes and water. Place steaks in ziploc bag and cover with marinade. Refrigerate at least 2 hours, but preferably up to 24.

3. Combine all seasoning blend ingredients.

4. Combine glaze ingredients; pour into a large baking dish.

5. Remove steaks from bag and lightly pat dry. Generously season both sides of steak with seasoning blend. Using your hands or a brush, lightly coat steaks with vegetable oil.

6. Place steaks on grill, 2 minutes each side, until they have a light char. Brush steaks generously on both sides with compound butter.

7. During last 2-3 minutes of cooking, dip each steak in the glaze and return to grill to finish cooking.

8. Remove steaks from grill, brush with compound butter, and let rest for 5 minutes.

CIA Homeschool: Bran Muffins

It's time for another CIA post. I am trying to knock out a lot of the easier recipes on the list just to get the list a little smaller.

I have mentioned before that Anya loves bran muffins. The commissary in Baumholder had the BEST bran muffins and every time we would go, I would always pick up a few for Anya. She would inhale those muffins. You can go ahead and add bran muffins to the list of things I miss about Germany. :)

I have only tried one other bran muffin besides this one and while it was good, it wasn't like the one from the commissary that I was trying to recreate. I was hoping maybe the CIA muffin would come close.

Unfortunately, it did not. It was a good bran muffin, but not what I was looking for. It tasted very healthy and full of fiber. While that isn't a bad thing (believe it or not, I LIKE healthy food!), it just wasn't moist enough.

Oh well... the bran muffin search continues as does my CIA homeschool. 2 recipes down, about a million to go! :)

List of recipes to be made from the CIA book:


Yeast Raised Breads and Rolls

Boule (White Wheat Lean Dough)
Split Loaf (Lean Dough with Pate Fermente)
Batard (Whole Wheat Lean Dough)
Baguette (Lean Dough with Poolish)
Grissini
Bagels
Ciabatta
Stollen
Pannetone
Soft Roll Dough (Knot Rolls & Parker House Rolls)
Brioche a Tete
Craquelin
Challah (6 Braid)
Coffee Cake (Twisted)
Pita Bread
Apple Fritters
Berliners (Jelly Doughnuts)
Yeast Raised Doughnuts

Yeast Doughs (Not listed above)

Prosciutto and Provolone Dough
Tomato Dough
Roasted Potato Dough
Apple and Walnut Sourdough

Quick Breads and Cakes

Ginger Cake
Buttermilk Biscuits
Bran Muffins
Lemon Buttermilk Cake
Polenta Cake
Devil’s Food Cake
Chocolate XS
Carrot Cake
Roulade
Chocolate Souffle Cake
Patterned Jaconde Sponge
Walnut Cheesecake

Cookies

Mudslide Cookies
Sand Cookies
Orange Coconut Macaroons
Fudge Brownies
Pecan Diamonds (Short Dough)
Mirror Cookies (1-2-3 Cookie Dough)
Citrus Crisps
Zedern Brot
Vanilla Kipferl
Checkerboard Cookies
Madeleines
Springerle
Vanilla Pretzels
Ladyfingers
Langues-de-Chat Sandwiches
Frangipane Cake (Made into Petit Fours)

Custards, Creams, Mousses, and Souffles

Crème Brulee
Pots de Crème
Vanilla Pudding
Lemon Curd
Chocolate Mousse
Bavarian Cream
Raspberry Souffle

Frozen Desserts

Chocolate Swirl Ice Cream
Lemon Frozen Yogurt
Orange Sorbet
Vanilla Bean Sherbet
Fresh Ginger Granita
Praline Parfait
Frozen Lemon Savarin

Pies, Tarts, and Fruit Desserts

Blueberry Pie
Warm Apple Charlottes
Lemon Fantasy Tart
Zesty Lime Tart
Cheese Tart
Clafoutis
Cranberry Pecan Tart
Apple Strudel

Filled and Assembled Cakes and Tortes

Bavarian Cream Torte
Charlotte Russe
Black Forest Cake
Opera Torte
Orange Mousseline Torte

Individual Pastries

Lemon Curd Tartlets
Pecan Cranberry Tartlets
Strip Tartlets
Pecan Passions
Classic Napoleons
Chocolate Peanut Butter Bombes
White and Dark Chocolate Mousse in Glasses
Trifles
Chocolate Eclairs
Bear Claws

Plated Desserts

Blueberry and Cream Cheese Crepes
Brown Sugar Roasted Pear
Funnel Cake with Maple Syrup and Summer Fruit Sauces

Chocolates and Confections

Milk Chocolate Truffles
Fujiyamas
Rochers
Candied Orange Peel
Soft Caramels
Hard Candies
Fudge
Nuss Bonbon
Marshmallows

FINAL PROJECT

TBD (Trying to pick a cake with gumpaste, modeling chocolate, and possibly pulled sugar)

SMS: Strawberry Lemonade

I am so excited about a drink for SMS this week! Don't get me wrong... I LOVE baking. It is my true passion but it is nice to have a little variety in a baking group. When the recipes for February were posted, I knew right away that I would be making this one.

It is exactly how you would imagine. A delicious strawberry lemonade. Not too sweet, not too tart. It is just right. And yes, I am channeling Goldilocks a bit! :)

Thanks to Jessica of My Baking Heart for hosting this week. The recipe can be found at her blog.

Smothered Chicken

Yay! The weekend is here! My mom is visiting this weekend and the kids are ecstatic about having Grandma here. I'm going to try to make the most of the weekend, so this post is going to be short. Gotta keep up the NaBloPoMo, though! Day 20 and going strong!

This chicken is yummy and so easy to make. It is a great way to dress up a plain chicken breast without having to go out and buy a bunch of ingredients. That is a good thing if you ask me!

Enjoy!

Smothered Chicken

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

2 tsp season salt

1 tsp black pepper

2/3 cup flour

1/2 cup vegetable oil or olive oil (could use less oil, too!)

1 small onion, sliced

2 cups chicken broth

Season flour with salt and pepper. Coat chicken in flour. Reserve leftover flour.

Heat oil in skillet and add chicken. Brown on each side. Remove from pan and set aside. Add onions to pan and cook for 1 minute. Add leftover flour; stir until onions start to brown. Add broth and bring to a boil.

Add chicken back to pan and simmer 20 minutes, or until gravy is thickened and chicken is cooked through.

Pineapple Cookies

Pineapple is at the top of the fruit food chain in our house. Fresh, canned, alone, with a dessert, in a muffin... it doesn't matter. We all LOVE pineapple. I am always excited to find new ways to use pineapple so you can imagine how happy I was when I received this recipe.

I'm sure there aren't many of you who don't know Shelby, the amazing woman behind The Life and Loves of Grumpy's Honeybunch. She was one of the first bloggers I "met" and I liked her instantly. I really wish we lived in the same state so I could go to her house for dinner! :) She is always posting delicious recipes and has recently started a weekly newsletter that is emailed to subscribers. (If you aren't already receiving it, stop by her blog and sign up!)

In a recent newsletter, Shelby included the recipe for her Nanny's Pineapple Cookies. As soon as I saw the recipe, I knew I would be making it. I think I even emailed her back that same day to tell her so!

These cookies are fantastically delicious. Big, fluffy, and FULL of pineapple flavor. They will definately become a staple here at home!

Thank you so much, Shelby, for sending this recipe my way. My family is very happy you did!

Nanny's Pineapple Cookies

1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 cup shortening (we always used veg oil or Crisco, melted and cooled some)
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 can (small) crushed pineapple
4 cups flour

Blend shortening, sugar until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time. Add vanilla and pineapple and stir til combined.

Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mix with wet ingredients until combined. Do not beat batter.

You have a few options here. You can drop spoonfuls on the tray and bake or you can refrigerate the batter for a few hours and then take it out and roll the dough (using more flour as needed) and cut them out into circles. Either way, the cookie turns out yummy. I tend to like to roll them out as it makes them a bit more on the "drier" side. Because there is pineapple in these cookies they are VERY moist.

Bake in 350 degree oven until puffed and lightly browned on the edges. Approximately 12-15 minutes.

*I used 1/4 cup measuring cup to scoop the dough and flattened it slightly before making. It took about 13 minutes for the cookies to cook.*

Pinkalicious Cupcakes

Have you read the childrens book Pinkalicious? It is a cute story about a little girl who eats so many pink cupcakes that she turns pink. Anya received the book as a Christmas present and loves it! Along with Pinkalicious, she also received a cookbook that included a recipe for Pinkalicious cupcakes. (Thanks Aunt Kristl!)

It took me a while to convince Anya that we needed to make these cupcakes, though. One of the best things about 4 year olds is their imagination. While pink is Anya's favorite color, she was slightly worried that if we made and consumed these cupcakes that we would also turn pink. After some convincing, she agreed to let me make these.

The cupcake itself is your basic white cake that is tinted pink. It is tasty, but the star of this show is the marshmallow fluff icing. Sure, marshmallow fluff by itself is probably not that great for you, so why not add in butter, powdered sugar, and a little vanilla. Hey, indulge every once and a while!

I am happy to report that we all liked them, kids at Anya's school liked them, and, as far as I know, no one has turned pink!

Enjoy!



Pinkalicious Cupcakes
Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey Treats for Kids
Makes 18 cupcakes (or 48 minis)


2 1/4 cups cake flour
1 TBSP baking powder
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temp, cut into 8 pieces
1 cup whole milk, room temp
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
4 large egg whites, room temp


Pink Gel Food Coloring
Pink Marshmallow Fluff Icing (recipe below)
Assorted Pink Decorations

Preheat the oven to 350. Line muffin pans with liners.

In a large metal mixing bowl, sift together flour through salt. Add butter and start to beat together using an electric mixer on low speed. Add milk a little at a time and continue beating about 2 minutes. Slowly add the egg whites and vanilla. Beat on high for 1-2 minutes. While you are beating, mix in food coloring to reach desired color.

Fill the muffin liners 2/3 full. Bake just until a toothpick comes out clean, 18-20 mintues. (I baked my minis for 9 minutes).

Remove from oven and cool completely. Frost and decorate as desired.

Marshmallow Fluff Icing

2 jars (7 oz each) marshmallow fluff

2 cups butter, room temp, each stick cut into 4 pieces

3 1/2 - 4 cups powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

Pinch of salt

Pink gel food coloring

Mix marshmallow fluff on medium speed and add butter one piece at a time. When butter is completely incorporated, add 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt. Add food coloring as you are beating. Taste the icing and if a sweeter taste or thicker consistency is needed, add in remaining sugar.

Use immediately or cover and refrigerate until ready to use. All frosting to come to room temp before using. Do not overbeat the frosting after it comes to room temp, though, or it will not ice properly.

Guest Blogger: Baked Fish with Mushrooms

It is time for Monica to officially make her appearance on my blog. I have talked about Monica a gazillion times on this blog so I am not sure she needs an introduction but I will give one anyway. Monica is my best friend from Germany with whom I spent the last 7 years. Both sets of our children (our older girls and our younger boy & girl) are only 3 months apart and are probably as good of friends as we are. Oh, and leave it to Monica to send me a fish recipe considering she has been trying to get me to eat fish forever! :)

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I really like making this fish because it's super easy and tastes great. It lets me get some fish in my kids diet with out having a super fishy taste. Plus, I love green onions and mushrooms!


Baked Fish with Mushrooms

1 pound fresh or frozen fish fillets, 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick (I used tilapia)
2 TBS butter or margarine
1 1/2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
1/4 cup sliced green onions
1 tsp snipped fresh tarragon or thyme, or 1/4 tsp dried tarragon or thyme, crushed
salt


Thaw fish, if frozen. Rinse fish; pat dry with paper towels. Cut into 4 serving-size pieces, if necessary. Arrange fish in a 2-quart baking dish. Sprinkle with salt. In small saucepan melt butter; add mushrooms, green onions and tarragon or thyme. Cook over medium heat until mushrooms and green onions are tender. Spoon mushroom mixture over fish. Bake, covered at 450 degrees for 12-18 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. (I only baked it for about 10 minutes b/c my fillets were very thin.)

TWD: My Best Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate...Chip...Cookies. Need I say more? Really, though... These are delicious cookies but in my opinion, it is really difficult to go wrong with a chocolate chip cookie!

Thanks to Kait of Kait's Plate for hosting this week. The recipe can be found at her blog.

Giveaway Winner

First off, thank you so much to all who entered the giveaway! These cookie molds are truly something I am a huge fan of and I wish I could give everyone a mold because I know you would love them! Make sure to stop by SpinningLeaf and order a few!

Also, a HUGE thank you to the folks at SpinningLeaf who donated the molds for this giveaway. As always, I am impressed with your customer service and very thankful for your help with this giveaway!

Now, the for the winner! With the help of random.org, the winner is comment #52 from Cari, Abe, and Paige. Congratulations!!!

True Random Number Generator

Min: 1
Max: 70
Result:
52
Powered by RANDOM.ORG

Baked/Grilled Teriyaki Chicken

Chicken on the grill. YUM YUM YUM! I have always made this chicken in the oven until last week when Nathan offered to grill it for me. Oh... my.... goodness. It was so good! I love the flavor charcoal adds to the meat. I think I will be asking Nathan to grill this for me more often.

But, don't be discouraged from trying this if it isn't good weather to grill where you are. Like I said, I have baked this in the oven for years and it is delicious that way, too!

Enjoy!

Baked/Grilled Teriyaki Chicken

1 TBSP cornstarch

1 TBSP cold water

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup cider vinegar

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp pepper

Chicken thighs

In a small saucepan over low heat, combine all ingredients (minus chicken). Let simmer, stirring frequently, until sauce thickens.

Preheat oven to 450. Place chicken in lightly greased 9x13 pan. Brush chicken with sauce on both sides. Bake for 30 minutes. Turn pieces and bake 30 minutes longer, basting every 10 minutes.

(Alternately, you can grill the chicken.)

SMS: Easy Chocolate Mousse

Happy Valentine's Day! A delicious chocolate mousse is the perfect SMS recipe choice for today. Chocolate and Valentine's Day go hand in hand. It just isn't Valentine's Day without a little (or a lot!) of chocolate!

This mousse really was easy to make. Melt chocolate, whip eggs, whip cream, fold together. It really doesn't get much easier than that!




It was delicious and creamy and we all enjoyed it very much. Melissa Murphy suggests topping it with fresh berries, but I couldn't resist adding a bit more chocolate.

Thanks to Spike of Spike Bakes for hosting this week.

Also, please stop by and enter my giveaway HERE.

Chocolate Covered Oreos and a GIVEAWAY!!!

I have mentioned before my love for the company Spinning Leaf and their cookie molds. I ordered my first cookie molds from them about 3 years ago and fell in love with the ease of making GORGEOUS chocolate covered Oreos. Then they came out with Nutter Butter molds and I fell in love with the ease of making chocolate covered Nutter Butters.

I recently placed an order for the Valentine's molds and they were a hit at Anya's school party. With that order, I also purchased the Easter egg mold so I would make sure I have it early. I can't wait to decorate those eggs... I think they will be ADORABLE!

One of the best things about this company is not just their molds but their customer service. I have never had a problem with them and whenever I have emailed, I have received a response within 24 hours, usually sooner. Also, along with every order they send a free sample mold! How cool is that?

I have been planning on hosting this giveaway for a few weeks now and it occured to me two days ago to let the folks at Spinning Leaf know about it. I had no intention of anything coming from it other than to tell them that I was a satisfied customer and that I wanted to spread the word about the cookie molds. I recieved an email back stating that not only were they happy that I was doing this giveaway but that they would like to donate FIVE molds for it! I was floored and extremely excited!

This giveaway is for 5 cookie molds of your choice from Spinning Leaf. Once the winner is announced, I will send over the shipping information and mold choices to them and they will ship them out to you!

You have the ability to enter this giveaway up to 3 times. Here's how:

Entry #1 - Visit Spinning Leaf and leave a comment here telling me which mold is your number one choice.

Entry #2 - Become a follower of my blog and leave a comment letting me know you are following. (Link on sidebar) If you are already a follower, please leave a comment stating so.

Entry #3 - Become a fan of Spinning Leaf on Facebook and leave a comment letting me know.

Please leave a seperate comment for each entry. I understand that this can be a pain, but it will help me when it comes time to count each entry. :)

The giveaway will run from today through 10 PM EST on Monday, February 15. The winner (chosen at random from random.org) will be announced Tuesday, February 16.

Cooking with Anya: Banana on a Stick

Today Anya wanted to share a delicious snack with you all. It is simple, delicious, and as Anya said A LOT, it is fun to make! Enjoy!

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What Anya said:

They taste good. It was fun sprinkling everything on the banana. It was pretty fun making them and I loved the chocolate chips, almonds, and yogurt mixed up together. It was very fun to eat it on a stick and it was also fun that I was able to sprinkle chocolate chips on it. And it was so fun that I even like eating them a lot. And that's all I want to say.

Banana on a Stick

Banana

Popsicles

Yogurt

A variety of toppings (nuts, coconut, chocolate chips, etc.)

Put popsicle stick in banana. Coat banana with yogurt and sprinkle toppings on top of yogurt.

Guest Blogger: The Dharma Cupcake

Today's guest blog post comes from one of my oldest friends, Kristl. We met in 7th grade after realizing we shared the same birthday. 16 years later we are still great friends and I am so happy that she has agreed to be featured on my blog.

I will let Kristl explain these cupcakes and their new title. Sometimes I feel like I am the only person in the world who doesn't watch Lost..... :)


The Dharma Cupcake’s story is a lovely one. I found myself on the cusp of my Lost Final Season Premiere Party searching for trifle recipes that would be 1) quick and easy 2) have a fruity, island theme, and 3) go well with graham crackers because the latter I planned on crumbling into a fine sand atop the trifle so that I could crash a doctored model airplane on top of it. Foam Oceanic Flight 815 in hand, I browsed my way into 17andbaking.com and my world changed. Dramatic, yes, but hang on.

The girl is seventeen and, well, baking (read her story on her blog). In one of her recipes, she pays tribute to the all-American Hostess cupcake by adding something just as American to the mix: caffeine.

Alarm bells rang as I immediately removed the iconic Hostess swirlies in my mind’s eye and replaced them with perfect Dharma Initiative logos in espresso-spiked frosting. My dessert dilemma was over. We would have Lost cupcakes!

Now, artistic people should always challenge themselves technically as well as creatively in order to maintain their skills. I can boast that, since toddlerhood, I’ve known my way around a crayon and now have decent strengths in acrylics, ink and pencils stolen, er, borrowed from favorite sushi restaurants. I can draw a straight line like nobody’s business.

Enter piping. Is that what it’s called in The Biz? When you squeeze luxurious sugar crème from a bag, through a metal opening and onto a scrumptious treat? (Did I mention these were mini cupcakes? Holy carpal tunnel, Batman!). Yeah, I’m awful at it. There’s definitely room for improvement here.

But do you want to know the best part? They could look like rubbish and they would still be d e l e c t a b l e.

That being said, I introduce the Dharma Cupcake (I renamed it for my own tv-holic purposes). Imagine this: espresso-choco airy cake filled with espresso-sugar frosting, covered in bittersweet ganache and decorated with even more espresso-sugar frosting. All in the span of one itsy bitsy bite. Critics of sweetness will find that it is not overpowering, but delicate, yet adult in its coffee essence.

I am a fan. I will be making them again and again because I will overcome my shaky piping hand. Until then, I am fine with messing up because licking that rogue frosting is not the worst thing in the world.

Notes: I did find that the recipes for both the frosting and the ganache yielded a bit too much product, while the cake batter yielded the perfect amount. I also found that filling the mini cupcake liners ¾-full was more effective. Bon appétit!

Kristl Chavez, Cooking with Cristine guest blogger
kristlcherie.wordpress.com

Chocolate-Espresso Mini Cupcakes
Adapted from Néstle
Makes about 40 mini cupcakes

2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cups packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup (1 four-ounce stick) butter, softened
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon instant espresso powder [I actually used 1/2 tablespoon finely ground coffee]
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup buttermilk

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line 40 mini cupcake tins with paper liners.
Microwave the chocolate in a small, microwave-safe bowl on high for 45 seconds. Stir gently to melt. If there are a couple unmelted pieces, the residual heat will melt them. Cool to room temperature.

Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the brown sugar, eggs, butter, espresso powder/ground coffee, and vanilla extract for 3 minutes until smooth. Beat in the melted chocolate until well mixed, then beat in half of the flour mixture. Beat in the buttermilk, then the remaining flour mixture. Beat a minute until smooth.

Fill each cupcake tin 2/3 – 3/4 full and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack.

Simple Coffee Frosting
Makes enough to fill and decorate 40 mini cupcakes

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
3 tbsp softened butter, cut into cubes
3/4 tsp instant espresso powder
1 1/2 tbsp milk
1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Mix the instant espresso powder and milk together, dissolving the powder. Beat the butter in an electric mixer, then add the powdered sugar. Beat in the powder/milk mixture and extract until fluffy and smooth.

Bittersweet Ganache
Makes enough to cover 40 mini cupcakes

1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 tbsp butter

Heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium-high heat until steaming. Take off the heat and add the chocolate. Let sit five minutes, then stir to melt the chocolate. Stir in the butter until melted. Let cool slightly.

To assemble the Caffeine-Spiked Mini Hostess Cupcakes: Fill a piping bag fitted with a 1/4″ round tip with the coffee frosting. Simply stick the end of the piping bag into a cupcake and squeeze to fill the cupcakes with the frosting. Fill all of the cupcakes, reserving a little frosting for the piped design on top. Wipe off any excess frosting coming out of the cupcakes, then dip in the ganache. Don’t use your finger or a spoon to smooth the tops (prevents it from drying smooth.) Instead, tap the cupcake on the table, move it gently from side to side, and tilt it to even out the ganache. Put the cupcakes in the refrigerator for 10 minutes to set. Using a very small round tip, pipe the signature Hostess pattern on top of the cupcakes with the coffee frosting.

CIA Homeschool: Soft Dinner Rolls

It is time to FINALLY get started on this whole CIA homeschooling. Just in case you didn't see my announcement on the first about this, I am going to be working my way through The Culinary Institute of America's "Baking and Pastry: Mastering the Art and Craft" textbook/cookbook. I would love to go to culinary school one day, but right now I want to be home with my kids. I figured this would be a way for me to work on my craft while being home.

A few notes about this project: I won't be working in order, I won't be making every recipe (the book is 833 pages long!), and I won't be posting the recipes. At the end of this post will be a list of the recipes I have chosen to make from the book. There are quite a few and it will definately be challenging to get them all made but I am ready for it! I am also open to requests, so if there is anything on the list that catches your fancy, let me know and I will try to work it into my menu!

One of the most difficult parts of this challenge is going to be scaling all the recipes. Since this is for the Culinary Institute, every recipe feeds an army. Literally. We are talking 12 dozen cookies, 8 pounds of bread dough, and wedding cakes. It looks like math class is finally going to do something for me. :)

I started with one of the easier recipes and made soft dinner rolls. I chose to make two different shapes; Parker House and knot rolls. The dough was easy to work with and the rolls were quite simple to shape. In the future, I think I would make the knot rolls over the Parker House rolls because they are prettier. Ahhhh... looks. It's sad that now rolls are judged by that, too.

One bit of information on the Parker House rolls. They were first created at the Parker House hotel in Boston. When I was explaining this to Anya, she took the information in and then asked where knot rolls were created. I told her I didn't know and she sat quietly for a minute. Then she said matter-of-factly, "Mom, I am pretty sure knot rolls were made in Michigan.". There you go.....

List of recipes to be made from the CIA book:

Yeast Raised Breads and Rolls

Boule (White Wheat Lean Dough)
Split Loaf (Lean Dough with Pate Fermente)
Batard (Whole Wheat Lean Dough)
Baguette (Lean Dough with Poolish)
Grissini
Bagels
Ciabatta
Stollen
Pannetone
Soft Roll Dough (Knot Rolls & Parker House Rolls
Brioche a Tete
Craquelin
Challah (6 Braid)
Coffee Cake (Twisted)
Pita Bread
Apple Fritters
Berliners (Jelly Doughnuts)
Yeast Raised Doughnuts

Yeast Doughs (Not listed above)

Prosciutto and Provolone Dough
Tomato Dough
Roasted Potato Dough
Apple and Walnut Sourdough

Quick Breads and Cakes

Ginger Cake
Buttermilk Biscuits
Bran Muffins
Lemon Buttermilk Cake
Polenta Cake
Devil’s Food Cake
Chocolate XS
Carrot Cake
Roulade
Chocolate Souffle Cake
Patterned Jaconde Sponge
Walnut Cheesecake

Cookies

Mudslide Cookies
Sand Cookies
Orange Coconut Macaroons
Fudge Brownies
Pecan Diamonds (Short Dough)
Mirror Cookies (1-2-3 Cookie Dough)
Citrus Crisps
Zedern Brot
Vanilla Kipferl
Checkerboard Cookies
Madeleines
Springerle
Vanilla Pretzels
Ladyfingers
Langues-de-Chat Sandwiches
Frangipane Cake (Made into Petit Fours)

Custards, Creams, Mousses, and Souffles

Crème Brulee
Pots de Crème
Vanilla Pudding
Lemon Curd
Chocolate Mousse
Bavarian Cream
Raspberry Souffle

Frozen Desserts

Chocolate Swirl Ice Cream
Lemon Frozen Yogurt
Orange Sorbet
Vanilla Bean Sherbet
Fresh Ginger Granita
Praline Parfait
Frozen Lemon Savarin

Pies, Tarts, and Fruit Desserts

Blueberry Pie
Warm Apple Charlottes
Lemon Fantasy Tart
Zesty Lime Tart
Cheese Tart
Clafoutis
Cranberry Pecan Tart
Apple Strudel

Filled and Assembled Cakes and Tortes

Bavarian Cream Torte
Charlotte Russe
Black Forest Cake
Opera Torte
Orange Mousseline Torte

Individual Pastries

Lemon Curd Tartlets
Pecan Cranberry Tartlets
Strip Tartlets
Pecan Passions
Classic Napoleons
Chocolate Peanut Butter Bombes
White and Dark Chocolate Mousse in Glasses
Trifles
Chocolate Eclairs
Bear Claws

Plated Desserts

Blueberry and Cream Cheese Crepes
Brown Sugar Roasted Pear
Funnel Cake with Maple Syrup and Summer Fruit Sauces

Chocolates and Confections

Milk Chocolate Truffles
Fujiyamas
Rochers
Candied Orange Peel
Soft Caramels
Hard Candies
Fudge
Nuss Bonbon
Marshmallows

FINAL PROJECT

TBD (Trying to pick a cake with gumpaste, modeling chocolate, and possibly pulled sugar)

TWD: Rick Katz's Brownies for Julia

Who doesn't love brownies? Okay, so I am sure that there are people out there who don't like them. But me? I don't think I could ever turn down a brownie. In my opinion, brownies are like chocolate chip cookies. There are hundreds of variations and, for the most part, they are all good. Everyone has a favorite recipe, including me, but I don't have any problem trying new recipes!

The "Julia" in the title of these brownies is none other than Julia Child herself. Rick Katz was the head of the prep kitchen for Julia's show and would make these brownies for her. They are prepared differently than other brownies (eggs and sugar are whipped then folded into the batter), which is probably something I should have read.

While making these brownies, I went straight into baker mode and broke a cardinal rule. You should probably read the recipe before making something. Not me. Hahaha. I just went ahead and started preparing these brownies as normal brownies are prepared.

The good news? They turned out great. Nice, chocolately, fudgy brownies. The bad news? I don't know if my brownies differ in taste/texture from what Rick Katz intended. I guess I'll find out as I visit other TWD blogs and see what their brownies look like!

Thank you to Tanya of ChocolateChic for hosting this week. The recipe can be found at her blog.

Macaroni Rosa

While visiting Arizona for a friends wedding a few years ago, I went to a restaurant called Bucca di Beppo. I had never eaten there before (and have yet to be back) but I fell in love with one of their dishes, Macaroni Rosa.

When I got back to Germany, I went to work on recreating it. This is what I came up with and I love it. Pasta with peas, broccoli, mushrooms, chicken, and a yummy sauce... Mmmmm! I haven't made it in a while and while going through my folders, I found it again. I love it as much as I did years ago and it will definately be going back on my regular menu rotation.

Enjoy!

Macaroni Rosa

1 pound cooked cavatappi (used campenelle this time; any fun noodle will work!)
Olive oil
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, chopped
1 cup peas
1 cup broccoli, chopped
1 jar marinara sauce
1 cup cream

Heat olive oil in a large pan. Add mushrooms and chicken; season with salt and pepper. Cook until chicken browns. Add marinara and cream; bring to a boil. Add peas and broccoli; cook for 3 minutes. Pour sauce over noodles. Serve with parmesan.

Grilled Pork Tenderloin

One thing I am loving about living in El Paso is the ability to grill outside year round. While in Germany, we would have to wait until late Spring to start grilling and even then it wasn't often. Since moving here, we have been grilling at least once a week and I love it!

This pork tenderloin was super easy and super delicious! There isn't really a recipe but I will post what we did.

A special thanks to my husband who does all the grilling! :)

Italian Grilled Pork Tenderloin

1 pork tenderloin

1 - 1 1/2 cups Italian dressing

Place tenderloin and Italian dressing in ziploc bag and let marinate for at least one hour. Grill until done. Enjoy!

Buttermilk Biscuits

Mmmmmm.... biscuits! I love a soft, fluffy biscuit! I have been making these for years and they have never let me down. They rise beautifully and taste wonderful. By themselves, with jam, or served my favorite way (smothered in a homemade sausage gravy), they are great! ENJOY!

Buttermilk Biscuits

2 cups flour

1 TBSP baking powder

1 TBSP sugar

1 tsp salt

4 TBSP unsalted butter

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

For finishing:

1 cup flour

2 TBSP butter, melted

Preheat oven to 500. Prepare 8" square pan with cooking spray.

Combine flour through butter and mix until crumbly. Add buttermilk; stir until just combined.

Using a 1/4 cup measuring cup, scoop dough and drop into flour. Form into ball and place in pan. Brush with melted butter.

Bake 5 minutes. Reduce heat to 450 and bake for 10-15 minutes more or until golden.

Foreign Food Focus: Rahmschnitzel

As per my husband's request, I bring you Foreign Food Focus. Each month, I will choose a different country/culture and make a (hopefully!) delicious meal.

It probably comes as no surprise that I am starting with German food. After living in Germany for 7 years, it has become part of my life. I MISS Germany so much. I love America and am so proud to be an American, but life in Germany was awesome. The pace of life, the scenery, the food... all amazing!

The reason I decided on making Rahmschnitzel (schnitzel in a mushroom-cream sauce) was for my bestest Germany friend, Monica. We spent all 7 years together in Germany, which is pretty unusual for the military. Whenever we would go out to our favorite restaurant, Monica would always order Rahmschnitzel. I know she misses Germany as much as I do, so I thought I would do my best to find a recipe that would give her that taste of Germany while she is in Georgia.

This was great and I really enjoyed it. I hope Monica tries it and enjoys it and I hope you all try and enjoy it as well!

Guten appetit!

Rahmschnitzel
Recipe from Food Geeks

4 lg Veal escalopes, pounded thin (I used pork loin chops pounded thin)
1 Juice of 1 lemon
1/4 c Flour
1 ts Salt
1/2 ts Black pepper
1/2 ts Paprika
1/4 c Butter
1/4 c Dry white wine
8 oz Button mushrooms, wiped clean & sliced
2 tb Chopped fresh chives or scallions
1/4 ts Salt
1/4 ts Black pepper
1/4 ts Nutmeg, grated
1/2 c Heavy cream


In a shallow dish place the escalopes and pour over the lemon juice. Set aside and marinate for 30 minutes, basting occasionally. Remove the veal from the marinade and dry them on paper towels. Discard the lemon juice. Season flour with salt, pepper and paprika. Place the flour on a plate and, one by one, dip the escalopes in it, shaking off any excess. Set aside.

In a large frying pan, melt 3 tbsp. butter over moderate heat. When the foam subsides, place the escalopes in the pan. Fry them for 3-4 minutes on each side or until they are lightly and evenly browned. Pour in the white wine and bring to the boil. Cook for a further 2 minutes, stirring constantly. With tongs or a slotted spoon remove the escalopes from the pan and place them on a warmed serving dish. Set the dish aside and keep warm while you make the sauce.

Add the remaining butter to the pan and melt it over moderate heat. When the foam subsides, add the mushrooms, chives or scallions, salt, pepper and nutmeg to the pan and stir well to mix. Cook the mixture for 3 minutes or until the mushrooms are tender. Remove from the heat and stir in the cream. Pour the sauce over the escalopes and serve at once.

White Chocolate Cranberry Bars

I know it is a little past the point where people have cranberries coming out of their ears, but I still had some in the freezer that were thrown in after Thanksgiving. I wanted to use them up and get them out of my freezer.

Enter these DELICIOUS bars. The original recipe called for nuts but I thought a better addition would be white chocolate chips. Seriously, white chocolate and cranberries are a perfect team.

These bars were quick and easy to throw together and were incredibly tasty. Enjoy!

White Chocolate Cranberry Bars
Adapted from Recipezaar


2 eggs (beaten)
1/2 cup butter (softened)
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup chopped nuts
2 cups cranberries (fresh or frozen)

Beat together eggs, butter, sugar and vanilla. Add flour and baking powder and mix well.

Fold in white chocolate chips and cranberries. Pour into prepared 9 x 13 pan.

Bake at 350 degrees 40-45 minutes.

Cooking with Anya: Beignets

Anya is obsessed with the new Disney movie "The Princess and the Frog". We took her to watch it in the theater twice and we are now counting down the days until the DVD release (March 16).

Right after seeing the movie for the first time, she started asking if we could make beignets (deep fried French pastries). She literally asked me EVERY day when we were going to make them. I found a recipe and gathered the ingredients, but never seemed to get around to making them.

On Saturday, Nathan took Anya to dance class and Eric and I headed out to Target. While there, I found a Princess and the Frog cookbook that I knew I couldn't pass up. When Anya got home and I gave her the cookbook, she was on cloud nine. For her, it was the best present she has ever gotten.

The first recipe in the book is Tiana's Famous Beignets and it was then that I knew we would be making that recipe. Sunday morning Anya woke up very excited to get started on the beignets. Now on to what Anya had to say since this is "Cooking with Anya". :)

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Do you want to know how great these taste? They taste very good. My favorite part about making them was sprinkling on the powdered sugar. I loved eating the powdered sugar and getting it all over my face. I think everyone should make these because you will love the powdered sugar.

Tiana's Famous Beignets

Tiana's Cookbook - Recipes for Kids

Makes 14-16

3 cups flour

1/3 cup sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1 cup buttermilk

1/3 cup water

1 egg, beaten

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Vegetable oil, for frying

Powdered sugar, for dusting

In a medium bowl, combine 2 3/4 cups flour with the sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg. Whisk everything together.

In a large bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, water, egg, and vanilla. Stir in the flour mixture.

Use some of the remaining flour to dust your work surface. Place the dough on it and pat into large 1/2" thick square. Dust the top with more flour if it gets sticky. Next, slice into 2 1/2" squares.

Heat 2" vegetable oil in heavy saucepan on stove until temp reaches 325. Carefully drop 3 dough squares into the hot oil. Fry 3 minutes on each side. Use a slotted spoon to transfer beignets to a wire rack set atop paper towels to drain.

Dust the beignets with powdered sugar and enjoy!

Guest Blogger: Sour Cream Pound Cake

This recipe comes courtesy from my friend, Lauren. She is currently in culinary school and I am so happy that she has agreed to participate in this new feature! Thank you, Lauren! :)

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I made this for my Grandpa for his 76th birthday and he loved it! I hope everyone will make it and enjoy it as well. I put strawberries on top and a little bit of vanilla ice cream and it made the cake more enjoyable! Alone or with something else makes this cake. Enjoy!!

Sour Cream Pound Cake

Recipe:

1 cup of butter

3 cups of sugar

6 eggs

1 tsp. Vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. Baking soda
3 cups flour

1 cup sour cream

Instructions:

Cream butter and sugar together in an electric mixer preferably. Add 6 egg yolks and save the whites for later! Then you will need to add 1 tsp. Of vanilla and the baking soda. Then you will need to add the 3 cups of flour and 1 cup of sour cream alternately.

In a seperate mixing bowl beat the egg whites that were set aside until stiff. After they are stiff fold the whites into the batter. Grease a tube pan with pam then pour the batter into the tube pan and bake at 325 F for an hour or until golden.