Chilton Kitchen

Spelt Pancakes

2011-08-11T15:41:00.000-07:00

Gluten-free is definitely a food trend that I didn't quite understand until I tried it out for myself. Well, I understand it, but I didn't quite catch the vision of it until recently. Though this recipe is not considered entirely gluten-free, it is definitely low-gluten, and won't leave your stomach feeling super-ballooned. We are quite picky about our pancakes (and waffles) around here, and whenever we see a new recipe, we try it out. Very few actually make the cut though. This pancake recipe passed with flying colors, and is now our go-to recipe for Saturday morning breakfast.

Spelt Pancakes
by Bon Appetit, July 2011

1 Cup whole grain spelt flour
1/4 Cup oat flour
1/4 Cup rice flour
1 T (packed) light brown sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 Cup rice milk, soy milk (or almond milk...mmm)
1/2 Cup plain whole-milk yogurt
3 large eggs
3 T olive oil plus more for griddle

Sift first 8 ingredients into a large bowl (or blend in food processor) and set aside. Whisk together rice milk, yogurt, eggs, and 3 T of oil in medium bowl to blend. Mix into dry ingredients and stir to blend (do not over mix).
Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Preheat griddle or large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Lightly brush with oil. Working in bathes, scoop 1/4 cup measurement for each pancake onto griddle. Cook until bottoms are golden and top bubbles begin to pop. Flip; cook until just cooked through, about 1 minute, then transfer to cookie sheet and place in warmed over until ready to eat.

Sare's notes:
I didn't have oat flour, but I had whole oats, so I just mixed them into powder in the food processor
We used almond milk instead of rice or soy.
Another variation could be to use flavored yogurt. We used "Vanana" from Trader Joe's (it's a really mellow banana flavor, and it worked splendidly)

Warm Arugula and Mushroom Salad

2011-06-14T00:30:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, I get inspired. I mean really inspired...with food. I was in one of my favorite little stores recently, and I grabbed a bag of arugula. I never buy arugula, but I thought, why not. When I got it home, I noticed a recipe on the bag. I had everything except the goat cheese. I know goat cheese, it's pretty incredible stuff, one of those ingredients that, if it is included, it pretty much canNOT be replaced, removed, or otherwise ignored. I don't know if it was the next day, or just a handful of days later, but I returned to Trader Joe's and purchased some goat cheese.

This dish came together so quickly, and disappeared almost as fast. The meatiness of mushrooms really helps when making vegetarian dishes. Beware though. If you have leftovers, they will shrink. Or maybe you've just forgotten that you've been sneaking bites now and then.

Warm Arugula and Mushroom Salad
adapted from Trader Joe's

7oz. Trader Joe's Organic Arugula
6 oz portobello mushrooms, thinly sliced (or other mushrooms of choice, I used cremini)
1 Tbsp. minced shallots
1 Tbsp. Olive oil
1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar (I used fig balsamic vinegar)
1/2 Cup crumbled goat chees
3 Tbsp. Pine nuts, lightly toasted (optional)

Saute shallots in olive oil until soft. Add mushrooms and continue to saute until browned. Toss mushrooms with arugula in large bowl. Add balsamic vinegar to coat, sprinkle with toasted pine nuts, and top with goat cheese.

Apple Cranberry Crisp and Review

2011-06-10T01:30:00.000-07:00

Several months ago, I mentioned an upcoming review. And this post has actually been in need of some editing for quite some time. I know you've been on the edge of your seat to see what I was going to say. I apologize for the delay. Earlier this year, my family was stricken with many an illness. Within this whole cycle of sickness, I decided to do some early spring cleaning (HA! And now it is almost summer). In that process, I got rid of 15 garbage bags worth of stuff that had cluttered my life. I decided, if it wasn't helping me, it's getting the boot.

Happily, many things have remained with me. Only useful things, mind you. Among those which I have found most useful recently, is this handy little number. The Microplane 45000 Gourmet Coarse Grater. A friend recommended this brand to me, so when I had the chance, I snatched one up from CSN, and I have not turned back. My old hand held grater was probably never as sharp as this new one.

The grater comes with a sheath, keeping it protected in the knife drawer, or whichever gadget location of choice. So far, I've used it on hard cheese, semi soft cheese, and for zesting oranges, but I know it also works well for grating chocolate.

The friend who recommended this wonderful gadget moved away and left me with some cranberries. I did a quick search and found this recipe which turned out pleasingly sweet and tart. So great, in fact, that I didn't get a picture of the end result. Pictures of the process will have to do.

Apple Cranberry Crisp
by Emeril via Martha Stewart Recipes

unsalted butter for baking dish

2 1/2 - 3 pounds sweet, firm apples, such as Gala or Braeburn, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch dice
12 ounces cranberries (fresh or frozen)
1/2 cup sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon grated orange zest, plus 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
Crisp Topping (see below)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
In a large bowl, combine apples, cranberries, sugar, flour, vanilla, and orange zest and juice. Transfer to baking dish and sprinkle with topping.
Bake until topping is browned and juices are thick and bubbling around edges, 55 to 60 minutes. Let cool 15 minutes before serving.

you can use fresh or frozen berries and there is no need to defrost before using.

Pão de Queijo---Brazilian Cheese Bread

2011-06-07T01:27:00.000-07:00

When I saw this post, over on Our Best Bites, I can't even describe the joy that consumed me. You have to understand, I lived in Brazil for a year and a half, and have been missing it ever since. I miss the people, the places, and the food. There is something to be said about cooking food from scratch, and I experienced homemade goodness every day while living in Brazil. One of my favorite things were these cute little cheese bread rolls called Pão de Queijo. You have to make these for yourself to appreciate the bready cheesy goodness. They kind of fill with air, and have a denser, cheesy squishy part. The texture

I had quite the experience making these though. I am now turned off of non-stick bakeware. I don't want to gross anyone out, but check it out.

When I checked my little rolls, they looked perfect.

Then I removed them from the pan. Bummer. Lesson learned.

I made another batch in my regular cupcake pan (took a few more minute to bake), and they were wonderful.

Oh, and these are GLUTEN FREE!

Quick Brazilian Cheese Rolls {Pao de Queijo} – Gluten Free!
Recipe by Our Best Bites

1 large egg
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup canola oil
1 cup tapioca flour (sometimes labeled tapioca starch) no substitutions
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 C grated cheddar cheese* (preferably medium or sharp)
1/4 C grated Parmesan cheese
*you can play around with the cheese. OBB's Sara has used Monterey Jack, low-moisture mozarella, swiss, and even gruyere in place of the cheddar.

Optional: extra cheese to sprinkle on top and any herbs/flavorings you’d like to add. Try rosemary and or garlic powder, my favorites!
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place egg, milk, oil, tapioca flour, and salt in blender and blend until smooth. Add cheeses and pulse 2 times. Immediately pour batter into a mini muffin tin (if your muffin tin isn’t non-stick, spray lightly with non-stick spray first), filling each well about 3/4 full, or just slightly less. If desired (and I recommend), sprinkle a bit of parmesan cheese on top and/or a tiny sprinkle of kosher salt.
Bake for 15-20 minutes until puffed and golden. Remove from oven and cool for a few minutes before removing rolls from pan. Serve warm. {Que Gostoso!} These actually don’t re-heat well so I recommend making and eating fresh.
Yield: anywhere from 16-24 rolls, depending on how full you fill your muffin pan. I fill mine pretty full (a good 3/4 full) and I generally get about 16-18.

Corn and Black Bean Quinoa

2011-06-03T01:05:00.000-07:00

I just started receiving fresh organic produce a few weeks ago from a company that delivers right to your door. Pretty awesome. (I am not going to give a huge plug for them or anything, but for anyone interested, I can give you a code to get you $5 off if you sign up and mention that I sent you)

I am still weighing the value of it all, but in addition to the great fruits and veggies we've received, the box also has a list of recipes. I gave this recipe a try when we were going to a graduation party for one of my husband's (vegetarian) sisters. Everyone loved it. One cousin even asked for the recipe. I'd say that's a success. I guess you can call this a salad. It works well as a side dish for a summer party, but it would also serve as a main dish for those hot summer nights, which we will hopefully be receiving soon. Please, use fresh corn in this. My husband is anti-canned corn, so I didn't really have a choice, but I don't regret it either.

Corn and Black Bean Quinoa
from Farm Fresh to You

1 Cup uncooked Quinoa
1 can black beans, rinsed (or about 1 1/2 cups)
1 cup finely chopped green bell pepper (I used orange and the color was wonderful)
2-3 ears of corn, cooked and cut from the ear
1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro
2 TBSP red-wine vinegar
1/3 cup fresh lime juice
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/3 cup olive oil

Cook the quinoa in 2 cups of water in a 1 1/2 quart saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook until all the water is absorbed (about 15 minutes). Allow quinoa to cool.

Soak black beans in the vinegar until ready to use (you can use more vinegar if you like). Drain beans, leaving a little bit of the vinegar if desired, and mix together quinoa, beans, corn, bell pepper, and cilantro. Toss well.

In a small bowl, whisk together lime juice, salt, and cumin, whisk quickly while pouring in the olive oil. Pour into the quinoa salad evening, and add salt and pepper to taste.

Double the recipe for serving at BBQs and picnics

Random Thoughts from the Chilton "Kitchen"

2011-02-14T17:31:00.000-08:00

I have a confession.

My kitchen has multiple personalities. It is also a sewing room, classroom, and office. Not too shabby for something the size of my parents' closet. Speaking of office, the Modern Office Furniture offered by All Modern has really caught my eye. I wish we could re-arrange this multi-purpose room of ours, but alas, that will have to wait until we actually own a place.

I have a lot of posts in the works, but my camera hasn't been so helpful lately. Would you rather have recipes without pictures, or recipes with somewhat unappetizing pictures?

Another Review Coming Soon

2010-11-10T11:55:00.000-08:00

I'm pleased that, once again, I've been asked to review a product for CSN. Did you know that they have practically every houseware and furniture item you can imagine? Even wardrobes! What I wouldn't give for a little extra space in my house. I wonder if they have kitchen wardrobes..hmmm, then it'd be called a cabinet I guess. Or a buffet? If I only had a house, this white buffet would top my wishlist. Or maybe this one in black.
Wow, I could spend hours sifting through their products, like this Le Creuset Carribean Blue Collection.

CSN has over 200 stores, so you are bound to find what you're looking for.

Thank you CSN Stores!

Apple Sauce and Review

2010-10-11T17:41:00.000-07:00

Thanks to a good friend (several friends actually), I've become interested in home canning. It is a wonderful way not only tp preserve and have fruits and veggies year round, but also to save money.

My passion started with plum jam (did I ever post that recipe? I think I forgot...it was amazing! It's the same recipe you get with a packet of pectin). Now I am on to applesauce. I have no idea why I didn't try this sooner. Apples are not that expensive, and most of the time they are actually pretty cheap. Home canning is a rewarding experience and there are recipes everywhere. I highly recommend it.

Apple Sauce
by Amanda (The Screaming Penny)

this recipe yields about 4 quarts
10 lbs apples (I used Fuji because they are sweeter)
A little water (maybe 1/4 Cup)

Fill a huge canning pot (the kind you can put a rack in) half way with water and heat at high heat with the lid on.

Wash, core, and chop all apples. (no need to peel). Place apple slices in a big pot, and cover with a lid. Heat to soften the apples. (this can take anywhere from 20-30 + minutes). Check the apples to see if they are softened enough.

At the same time, preheat your oven to 225 and put in your washed cans (glass mason jars--I used quarts), lids, and rims to wait until you are ready for them.

In small batches, chop up the apples by pulsing in either a blender or food processor (CAUTION: the apples are very hot, and the steam can cause the substance to burst out of the blender if you are not holding down the lid. Do not fill more than halfway). Pulse to the desired consistency. If you want some chunks, I recommend doing the chunky parts separate, and making some sauce smooth all the way, and mixing the two.

Remove canning jars, one at a time, and fill with applesauce up to the middle ridge (giving about 1/4 of an inch headspace) using a wide mouth funnel. Clean around the rim of the jar, and place lid and rim tightly on jar. Repeat for other jars.

Place jars in canning pot, lowering the rack into the hot water. Make sure there is 2 inches of water above the jars. Heat with lid on the pot for a minimum of 20 minutes processing time. When time is up, remove jars from the water, using a jar lifter, and place them on a cloth-covered counter. You will hear a "ping" when the cans seal.

Product Review:
I recently had the opportunity to try some products from cookware.com, one of which being a home canning kit.

photo from cookware.com

These tools definitely made the process easier. From top left to bottom: The jar lifter was a lot easier (and safer) to use than salad tongs (what I used before purchasing the kit) when lifting and lower into the hot water, the wide funnel helped to keep what I was making from spilling over the edges of the cans, the kitchen tongs are wonderful for canning and other purposes, the magnetic lid lifter help to pick up those hot lids to put on their jars and the sure grip wrench helps to open tight cans. I recommend this kit to anyone who is starting up home canning.

The fine print: This review was sponsored by CSN Stores (including cookware.com). I received free products to review from their stores. However, all opinions stated are my own.

Ginger Plum Sorbet

2010-10-11T16:45:00.000-07:00

Wow! Long time no see. Thankfully, this isn't my full-time job, or I'd probably be fired by now.

Recently, I dusted off the ice cream maker and decided to put it to work. This poor ice cream maker hasn't been touched (aside from each time we've moved) in 4 years. I remember the last time I tried to use it was the summer I was pregnant with our first son (I have 3 little boys now, for those who are wondering). I remember this summer very well because I was big and pregnant and it was the hottest summer I have ever experienced here. And we had no AC. And our refrigerator broke. Hence my disappointment when I tried to use the ice cream maker because the bowl didn't freeze. I could have use this sorbet back then.

I search through Tasty Kitchen's wonderful recipes to find something to make with plums other than jam (even though jam is awesome, I was just ready for something else after canning jam three times in the last month...thank you friends with plum trees!). Ginger Plum Sorbet. Wow! Very impressive. It is quite possibly the best sorbet I have ever had. I love sour candy, and something about the tartness combined with the sweet, really makes this sorbet amazing.

Ginger Plum Sorbet
by tallmisto, via Tasty Kitchen

4 whole plums, seeded and roughly chopped
1 C water
3/4 C sugar
2 T candied ginger
2 T lemon juice

Place plums in a food processor and process until smooth. Spoon contents through a fine mesh sieve to remove the skin (this step is purely for aesthetics).Place puree in the refrigerator to chill.

Heat sugar and water over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved. Add the ginger to the simple syrup and let sit until cooled. Refrigerate syrup for at least 4 hours with the ginger.

Place lemon juice, syrup and plum puree in food processor and blend until the small ginger pieces are chopped up and mixed in. Pour mixture into your ice cream maker and follow manufacturer directions.
Place in freezer safe container and freeze until firmer, about 1 hour. Serve and enjoy!

Sare's Notes:
1. the recipe doesn't state this, but I used dark plum (the kind that are deep purple on the outside and red and yellow on the inside). I actually used 5 large plums instead, two were firm, and the other three were more ripe
2. I made everything the night before and let it chill overnight, then mixed it together and put it in the ice cream maker.

Coconut Lime Sorbet

2010-10-02T16:40:00.000-07:00

I had a moment of inspiration last night, about a half hour before company was coming over. Limes, can of coconut cream. There HAS to be a recipe out there for coconut and lime sorbet. Oh yes. There is! 3 ingredients (4 if you add something to sweeten it a bit). EASY! Delicious. Refreshing.

Coconut Lime Sorbet
via Epicurious

a 15-ounce can cream of coconut (preferably Coco Lopez)
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup fresh lime juice

Whisk all ingredients together. Pour into a frozen ice cream maker and follow manufacturer's instructions (generally run the machine for 30 minutes). Transfer to container and freeze at least 2 hours before serving.

Sare's notes:

1. Cream of coconut is not the same as coconut cream of coconut milk. Either that, or Coco Lopez brand is just significantly different than all others. It is thick, and cloudy AND clear.

Grilled Zucchini Salad with Purslane and Tomato

2010-08-24T01:21:00.000-07:00

Huh? Purslane? A few weeks ago when we received our CSA box, there was a recipe on the inside. "New crop is purslane." I had no idea what purslane could be, so I dug through the box to see if there were any veggies that I did not recognize. For a picture of purslane, check out this post over at Perrys' Plate.

This amazing leafy plant (is it an herb or a vegetable?) is loaded with omega-3s. In fact, purslane (or portulaca oleracea) has the highest amount of omega-3 fatty acids found in any leafy vegetable (see this reference for even more interesting facts).

Mixed in a salad of grilled zucchini and cherry or grape tomatoes, these leaves were amazing. My good friend, Natalie (aka Perrys' Plate) also made this dish, and everyone who ate it (between both of our houses) LOVED it! Seriously, we made it for company, teenage boys...they had seconds. Honestly, how often do teenagers take seconds on salad?

Grilled Zucchini Salad with Tomatoes and Purslane
adapted from Rio de Parras Organics

for the dressing:
1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
3 T freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 T finely chopped shallot or 1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
3 T chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
6 T olive oil (estimate)

4 medium-sized zucchini (about 2 lbs), sliced lengthwise into 1/4-inch strips
12 oz purslane, thick stems removed (1 large or 2 small bunches)
a handful of cherry or grape tomatoes, halved or quartered
1/4 cup fresh Parmesan shavings (with a vegetable peeler) or shredded Parmesan (not the stuff in the green can)

Preheat the grill (or grill pan on stove) to medium high. Grill the zucchini strips about 4-6 minutes on each side, or until grill marks appear and zucchini is tender (but don't let it get mushy). Move to a cutting board and allow a few minutes to cool, then chop into bite-sized chunks.

To make the dressing, whisk together the lemon zest, lemon juice, shallot, Dijon, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Add oil slowly, in a steady stream, whisking until dressing thickens and becomes emulsified.

Toss everything together in a big bowl and serve immediately.

Sare's notes:
1. Purslane is hard to find, so try growing some. Or, you could use baby spinach as a substitute.
2. I used various shades of orange, red, and yellow grape tomatoes, as well as yellow squash (grill it like the zucchini) to give the salad a little more color.

Striped Ice Cream Sorbet Cake

2010-06-17T06:32:00.000-07:00

There are very few times in the history of my food-making life when I have wanted an awesome recipe, found it, and made it less than 24 hours later (unless of course it is simple as can be, and all ingredients are already in the pantry). This was one of those moments. And I did not have everything handy. A lot, but not everything. I sent my husband out first thing in the morning to get the remaining ingredients.

I am not a huge cake-eater. I will eat cake at birthday parties, but it isn't really the type of thing I make just for the heck of it. But I love ice cream cakes. I remember seeing them at the store when I was younger, always wanting one for my birthday. I didn't get one until I graduated from college. I never realized how easy they are to make until I made this last weekend. Easy, but time consuming. Sort of. Spread a layer, wait two hours. Spread a layer, wait two hours, spread a layer, wait at least 6 hours, if not more. But it was worth it, in my opinion. This one is kind of like a frozen peach melba. This dessert will definitely win you some points with family and friends. Great for Father's Day, Fourth of July, neighborhood BBQ, a birthday (maybe I will do this for son #2's birthday this year).
Thank you Martha (or rather, Martha's team of awesome foodies). You've done it again!

Striped Ice Cream Sorbet Cake
adapted from Martha Stewart Living July 2010

Angel Food Sheet Cake (see recipe below)
1 cup berry preserves
2 pints vanilla ice cream, softened
1 pint raspberry sorbet, softened
1 pint peach sorbet, softened

Angel Food Sheet Cake
(makes one 13x17-inch sheet cake)
vegetable oil cookig spray
parchment paper
12 large egg whites, room temp
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1 1/4 Cups superfine sugar, divided
1 C all purpose flour
dash of salt

Preheat over to 350. Spray sheet pan, line with parchment, and spray parchment (do this. It will make life easier). Whisk whites on medium speed in a mixer until soft peaks form (I really don't know exactly how long this should be). Slowly add 3/4 C of the sugar, and continue whisking about 3 minutes, until glossy. With the remaining 1/2 C sugar, sift with the flour & pinch of salt over the egg white mixture, and fold (I use a rubber scraper for this part) until just combined. Do not overmix because you will deflate the whites (just be careful). Spread batter evenly over the baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden. Let the cake cook completely in the pan on a wire rack (cake should pull away from sides easily). Slide cake out from shee, right side up, and cut it in half cross-wise to form two 8 1/2x13-inch pieces. Carefully remove the parchment from cake.

Assembling the Ice Cream Sorbet Cake
Use plastic wrap to line a 9x13-inch baking dish (let some of the plastic hang over the sides so it is easy to remove), and place half of the sheet cake in the bottom of the dish. Spread it with jam. Mix the ice cream in a heavy duty mixer with the paddle attachment to make smooth and spreadable (not melted). Spread over the jam. Plave in freezer until firm (min. 1 hour). Repeat with raspberry sorbet (mix, spread, freeze). This time freeze for 2 hours. Now with the peach sorbet mix, spread, place other sheet cake layer on top, wrap in plastic now, and freeze. This time, you will want to freeze it, at the absolute minimum, 6 hours. More is definitely better. The original recipe says to freeze it overnight (and when it says that, I think of a minimum of 6 hours). Remove from freezer, remove top plastic wrap and turn the cake over onto a cutting board. Unwrap and trim around the edges (edges won't have all of the layers, but still eat it by all means). Slice cake and serve immediately.

Sare's Notes
1. You can make this even easier by buying a boxed angel food cake (just add water), but why would you do that?
2. Make it dairy free by only using sorbets. Wouldn't that be pretty with all bright colors? Of you could do all ice creams, or sherbets. Or you could use different cake, or brownie....Endless possibilities.

POM Strawberry Mango Smoothie

2010-06-10T20:05:00.000-07:00

With the arrival of summer, comes (one hopes) fewer nights of using the oven, and more time outside. Why not make your day more refreshing by having a smoothie. Mmmm smoothies.

Last fall, I posted this POM smoothie recipe, and recently I was lucky enough to receive more juice. More concoctions are in the works, let me tell you. Smoothies are always a great place to start. This one has some surprise ingredients due to our local CSA box, and our efforts to add more Omega 3s to our diet. And you can't go wrong with POM. The health benefits are incredible. So go to the grocery store now and get some!

POM Strawberry Mango Smoothie
by Sare

1 basket of strawberries (1 pint +...I think ours was bigger)
1 Cup frozen mango chunks
12 oz. POM Wonderful Juice
2 baby bok choy bunches (surprise!)
1/4 Cup flax seed (optional) (we use roasted..gives a nutty taste)

Wash strawberries then toss in the blender (no need to hull or even chop off the leaves, it all blends). Wash bok choy leaves and chop off about an inch from the edge. Blend all ingredients in the blender to the desired consistency.

Sare's notes:
1. If you don't have bok choy, two handfuls of fresh spinach will work. You can't even taste it.
2. Flax see is totally optional. Some people might not go for this, but it helps your system, and we like the taste.

For more information about POM Wonderful and more delicious recipes, visit Pom Wonderful.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles

2010-06-02T23:32:00.000-07:00

I blame it on my friends that I was recently craving cookie dough. Not cookies. Dough. My real-life BFF (I'm so lucky) Natalie made these. When she quoted the original creator of the recipe and said these things will change your life, she wasn't kidding. I ate two (oops, secret is out. Well, my husband wasn't there, so I ate the cupcake he would have eaten :) I want to eat more.
I also blame my cookie dough craving on this friend. My next door neighbor makes cookies almost every day. Really yummy ones, and she often shares the remains with her loud and obnoxious next door neighbor (thanks Tawny...really, I am trying to not be so loud).

So, when my kitchen was under construction, I was really craving cookie dough. A bit of a bummer when you don't know where all of your baking gadgets are located, and you have limited time and space once the worker dudes have vacated the premises. Luckily, I found an amazing recipe over at the Tasty Kitchen. Even luckier was that I had all of the ingredients! (FYI, no eggs).

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles
by Love and Olive Oil via Tasty Kitchen

2 1/2 C All purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp Baking soda
1 tsp Salt
1 C Butter Or Margarine, Room Temperature
¾ C Granulated Sugar
¾ C Packed Brown Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla
⅓ C Milk Or Soy Milk
1 C Mini Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips
14 ounces, weight Dark Chocolate Candy Coating

Beat butter and sugars and in a large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add soymilk and vanilla. Stir in flour, baking soda and salt and mix on low speed (or by hand) until incorporated. Stir in chocolate chips.

Cover and chill dough (in fridge) for 1 hour.

When dough is firm enough to handle (it may help to lightly flour your hands), form dough into 1″ balls and arrange on a baking sheet lined with waxed paper. Place sheets in the freezer and let chill for 30 minutes.
Melt chocolate candy coating in a double boiler or in the microwave according to package directions. Using forks or a dipping tool, dip cookie balls into the candy coating to cover. Tap fork on the side of the pan to remove any excess coating, and return to the waxed paper-lined baking sheets. Chill until set. Store, chilled, in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Sare's notes:
1. Make these for a party or something where lots of people can be impressed with your skills. It makes a TON!
2. Be sure to put some in your husband's lunch box the next day to share with co-workers so they can think his wife is an awesome homemaker (and so you won't eat the leftovers all day).
3. It is ok to use regular size chips if minis are not in your pantry.
4. If you don't have time to chill the dough for an hour, it is ok. Roll the dough balls anyway right then, put on a cookie sheet to freeze for 30 minutes, proceed with chocolate coating. That's how I did it and it worked out fine.

Upcoming CSN Review

2010-06-02T08:51:00.000-07:00

I keep reading about CSN stores in all sorts of blogs, and I was recently contacted by them.Yay!CSN has over 200 online stores where you can find pretty much everything (I dare you to find something they don't sell) from cast iron cookware to cribs and even your most specific needs like LED lighting or even laptop cases.

Coming soon, I will be doing a review for CSN, and I'd like to know from other people what they may have purchased from them.

(Healthier) Cinnamon Rolls--Bread Machine

2010-05-28T13:44:00.000-07:00

I have 3 treat weaknesses. Sour gummies, almost anything chocolate, and cinnamon rolls/sticky buns. I think I am getting over the addiction of the first two. I can now handle walking by the candy aisle, and NOT buying those sour candies (maybe it is the red lake #40 that freaks me out), and I really only crave chocolate every now and then...but cinnamon rolls get me. If I find a recipe that claims to be "THE best," I have to try it. (FYI, I tried one for Christmas morning. What a flop! If you want to make some mini cinnamon rolls, please let me know. Who wants mini rolls anyway though, honestly!)

My friend Natalie sold her bread machine to me a few months ago, and she had posted on her awesome food blog the recipe that comes with the machine: Bread Machine Cinnamon Rolls. Mmmm...I had these, loved them. I wanted to test it for myself when I bought the machine, but I wanted to try and make them "healthier." Let's be honest, most bready things aren't healthy, but we all need a little more fiber in our diet, so I used some whole wheat flour in place of half of the white. The result was just as fluffy, just as perfect as the original (in my opinion, at least). These would be great for a big family breakfast, or for giving to neighbors just because. Or for eating every day for a week...

(Healthier) Cinnamon Rolls
adapted from Cuisinart Bread Machine instructions (works on any bread machine

2/3 c. warm milk
3 eggs
6 T butter, softened and cut into pieces
½ c sugar
1 tsp salt
1 ½ tsp vanilla
4 c. flour
2/3 c. cornstarch
2 1/4 tsp yeast

Filling:
¾ c. brown sugar
2 ½ T cinnamon
4 T melted butter

Add ingredients to bread machine pan in the order listed (I need to make a note here...remove the pan from machine, add ingredients in order listed, then put it back in...I make too many messes when I forget that). If you have the option available, run dough cycle for a 1.5-2.0 lb loaf. When cycle is finished, cut dough ball in half and roll out dough into two large rectangles, about ½ in thick. Brush melted butter and sprinkle brown sugar and cinnamon over each (add more if you like). Roll up, pinch the edge closed, slice, and place in prepared baking pan. Cover with clean towel and let rise for 35-40 min or until doubled in size. Bake at 350 for 20-25 min or until they sound hollow when tapped.

Let cool for a few minutes, then top with frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting:
4 oz cream cheese (softened)
¼ c butter
1 tsp vanilla
1 ½ c powdered sugar
1 T milk

Beat all frosting ingredients until smooth.

Makes 20-24 rolls.

Sare's notes:
1. I am not a huge frosting person, but this stuff is wonderful! I sometimes have some left after icing the rolls.
2. I like to reshape the rolls after slicing them off the roll because sometimes I squash them when I am slicing.
3. Don't eat more than 3 in one sitting. Your tummy will get bigger :)

Strawberry Holiday Trifle

2010-05-14T12:55:00.000-07:00

We had a large group out here a few weeks ago when our little baby Jude was blessed at Church. I asked my friend Natalie for a suggestion on what I should make for dessert. She suggested her trifle recipe. All I can say is wow. This is probably my new favorite dessert, and I may or may not have eaten a little too much of it. With almost 20 people at our house that day, the only complaint was that they couldn't have seconds.

Strawberry Holiday Trifle
by Perrys' Plate

4 pints strawberries, rinsed, hulled and chopped
3 T. sugar
¾ c. slivered almonds (I didn't have these and it was still great)
Cool whip/homemade whipped cream
¾ c. strawberry wine or equivalent (jam maybe? I left this out)
1 Recipe Custard
1 Recipe Sponge Cake

Chop up berries and combine with sugar. Refrigerate for a couple of hours until they get really juicy. Spoon one cup custard on bottom of trifle bowl. Sprinkle with ¼ c. almonds. Layer ½ of cake cubes over custard; brush cake with ½ of wine. Spoon 2 c. berries over cake layer; top with 1 c. custard. Repeat layers. Top with remaining custard. Cover and chill. Top with cool whip and sprinkle with remaining almonds. Makes 15 servings.

Custard:
2/3 c. sugar
2 T. cornstarch
¼ t. salt
2 c. milk
4 egg yolks, lightly beaten
2 T. butter/marg.
1 ½ tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. whipping cream, whipped (or Cool Whip)

Whisk together sugar, cornstarch, salt and milk in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened and bubbly. Stir about ¼ of mixture into egg yolks; add egg yolk mixture back into saucepan, stirring constantly. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, 2 min. Remove from heat; add butter and vanilla, stirring until butter melts. Cover with plastic wrap, gently pressing it onto surface; chill at least 2 hours. Fold whipped cream into custard. Makes 3 ½ cups.

Sponge Cake:
2 eggs
1 c. sugar
1 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
½ c. milk
2 T butter
1 tsp. vanilla

Beat eggs at high speed with electric mixer 3 min or until thick and pale. Gradually add sugar; beat 4 min. Combine flour, baking powder and salt; gradually fold into batter. Combine milk and butter in saucepan; cook over low heat until butter melts (or zap in the microwave). Gradually stir milk mixture and vanilla into batter. Pour into 2 greased and floured 8” round cake pans. Bake at 350 for 16 min or until toothpick comes clean. Cool on wire racks for 10 min. Remove from pans; cool completely on racks. Cut into 1 in. cubes. (the more cubes you chop up, the easier it is to spread in the nice trifle dish).

Sare's notes:
1. Always make homemade whipped cream. So so so good!
2. Make everything the day/night BEFORE you plan on assembling the trifle. It makes things a lot easier on you because everything needs a few hours to chill and set.
3. This is great for a party. If you make it for a family of 4, don't blame me for your need to do more sit-ups, laps, or squats. I may or may not have made this again, on my husband's birthday this week, and ate it for breakfast and lunch the next day. No wonder my baby is experiencing a dairy sensitivity right now, and I will soon be posting some dairy free recipes.

News

2010-04-12T14:14:00.000-07:00

Hey faithful followers. I am really honored to actually have people who read this blog (some of whom don't even know me know me). You folks are awesome.

We're pleased to announce the arrival of the newest member of our family: Jude. He was born last Wednesday at 3:12pm, weighing 10 lbs, 9 oz (amazing isn't it? I am so glad I was unaware of his size prior to the delivery....might have discouraged me a bit).

We're both doing well, but I probably won't be cooking up masterpieces for a while. I will hopefully be adding recipes from my personal archives, but no promises (at least not for a bit).

The Best Cake and Frosting

2010-03-17T12:41:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I really wanted to make a dessert. Tuesday is kind of our family night because my husband generally comes home "on time" and we all get to enjoy being with each other. Well, that sort of happened, even though he worked overtime, had to mow the lawn before the sun went down (the neighbor finally mowed his, and we were sure the management would give us a notice to mow), etc....so we had dinner around 8pm. So I actually had time to make a dessert!

I saw the posts at Pioneer Woman and The Tasty Kitchen Blog, and I was set. Easy ingredients for homemade goodness. So I made these:

The Best Chocolate Sheet Cake. Ever.
That's the Best Frosting I've Ever Had (and it really is)

My modifications were that I obviously turned the sheet cake into cupcakes (but I baked them for about the same amount of time), and I added coloring to the frosting (kind of changed it a bit, so I guess I won't do that next time....or maybe it was because I beat the frosting too much while trying to diffuse my children beating up each other).

I am too lazy today to retype both of the recipes, so follow the links above. They're both easy and not so time consuming, but when you eat dinner at 8pm, I guess you have a lot of time.

Flan Clasico de Vanilla

2010-03-03T11:01:00.000-08:00

Recently I won a cookbook from Book Giveaways. A Century of Flavor, to be exact. This book showcases Nielsen-Massey Vanillas (I never realized there was so much variety out there), and there are some incredible recipes. Pictures win me over every time when I am considering a cookbook. This cookbook has everything. Lots of desserts, of course, but there are also side dishes, salad dressings, and main dishes. I can't wait to try some of the other recipes.

I love flan. In Brazil, they call it "pudim" (pudding), and pretty much everyone makes it because it just has basic ingredients and it is not that difficult. I really like eating it with the little spoons they have there too (dessert spoons are about as big as a baby spoon). But this isn't a Brazilian recipe, this recipe calls for Mexican vanilla (another favorite of mine). Mexican vanilla has a distinct flavor, and is darker than most vanillas.

The secret ingredient in this flan is lime zest. The hint of lime brings out all of the flavors very nicely. Don't be intimidated by the instructions. This is fairly easy.

Flan Clasico de Vanilla
adapted from A Century of Flavor, contributed by Rick Bayless

Terrible picture, yummy dessert

Ingredients:
1/3 C water
3/4 C granulated sugar
1 1/2 C milk
1/4 C granulated sugar
1 can sweetened condensed milk (14 oz)
4 (1/2x2-inch) strips lime zest (optional)
3 eggs
4 egg yolks
1 1/2 tsp Nielsen-Massey Mexican Vanilla extract *

Place 3/4 C granulated sugar in a small saucepan, and sprinkle the 1/3 C over it. Heat on medium-high heat until boiling. Swirl the pan (do not stir). If necessary, use a pastry brush dipped in water to brush down the sides of the pan. Reduce the heat to medium and boil for 3-5 minutes, until it turns a golden color (sometimes it takes longer). Swirl it until it becomes a deep straw color, then remove from heat. Immediately pour evenly into six 6-ounce or four 8-ounce molds (ramekins or other little glass bowls...though you can do this into one large one as well), while tilting the molds to coat the bottom evenly.

Postition rack in center of the oven and preheat to 325. In saucepan, combine milk, 1/4 C sugar, sweetened condensed milk and lime zest. Stir frequently and bring to a simmer. Cover, remove from heat and steep for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk together the whole eggs and yolks in a bowl. After the 10 minutes, mix the warm milk mixture, a little at a time, into the eggs. Add vanilla extract and stir to combine. Using a fine mesh strainer, strain entire mixture into a large glass measuring cup.

Place the molds in a deep baking pan (roasting pan without the rack works well for this), leaving about 1/2 inch in between each. Pour about 2 inches worth of hot water into the baking pan (avoiding spillage into the molds). pour the custard liquid evenly into the molds. Bake for 50-60 minutes.

Remove from oven when done. Allow to cool while still in the water bath for about 15 minutes or so. Remove molds from the bath, and chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours before serving. Use a sharp knife (or toothpick) and scrape along the inside edge of each mold to loosen. Invert over a dessert plate to serve.

Sare's notes:
1. * Nielsen-Massey published this book and so all of the recipes call for their specific vanillas. If you don't have access to their brand, use what you have that is closest. Mexican vanilla is everywhere.
2. Be careful while simmering the milk mixture. It might not appear like it is scalding, but it could be, so you really need to be stirring as much as you can.
3. My flans baked for the full 60 minutes (maybe even an extra minute or so). To know if it is truly "done", pull out the baking dish. If the custard is still a little sloshy, it needs more time. If it looks firm, you're good to go.
4. My lime zest was done using a fine grater. I think I would add more next time. Maybe about 1/2 TBSP at least, and see if it changes much. It's be fun to experiment with other citrus fruits, or even a raspberry or something.

Red Snapper with Spicy Citrus Salsa and Spinach

2010-01-27T12:58:00.000-08:00

Thank you Martha...or rather, thank you Martha cooking team. This is a delightful recipe. There are only so many ways to say that something tastes good. Obviously, if it didn't taste good, I wouldn't allow a recipe to be posted to this blog. I've been craving a lot of seafood lately (I must need more omega-3s or something), but since it can be pricey sometimes, I just have to pick and choose. For example, the market we went to, no snapper, so I had to settle for bass. I'd like to try this with snapper next time. Sorry, no picture this time. My dish was not so photogenic. But you can see Martha's beauty right here.

Red Snapper with Spicy Citrus Salsa
adapted from Martha Stewart Living, January 2007

2 large navel oranges, peel and pith removed, flesh cut into segments
1 medium lemon, peel and pith removed, flesh cut into segments and chopped
1/2 small shallot, thinly sliced
1/2 red habanero chile, stem, seeds, and ribs removed, finely chopped (wear gloves), about 1 tsp
1 TBSP coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
zest of 1/2 lime, plus 1 TBSP lime juice
1 TBSP extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp honey
1/4 tsp coarse salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
4 red snapper fillets, skinned (each 4 oz.)
4 ounces baby spinach (about 4 cups)

Toss salsa ingredients together (oranges through ground pepper). Let stand for 15 minutes at room temp, and stir occasionally.
Sprinkle each fillet with salt and pepper and grill in a grill pan on each side, flipping occasionally, until fully cooked.
Saute spinach in a wok or pan.

Serve cooked fillets on a bed of spinach with salsa on top.

Sare's notes:
1. I did not have any habaneros handy so I used a dash of red pepper and it gave just enough kick to be enjoyable.
2. I like to saute my spinach with some garlic, and I highly recommend it, unless of course garlic isn't your thing, then a little bit of fresh lemon juice, or maybe a dash of lemon pepper would do nicely
3. I love cilantro, so I added a lot more to the salsa.
4. Martha's instructions are completely different. I do not own a stackable bamboo basket steamer, and so this is how I made it. Click on the link at the beginning for the original instructions.

Power Pancakes

2010-01-23T12:37:00.000-08:00

These pancakes are amazing! I've always preferred waffles to pancakes. I really don't know why, they are basically the same thing just made differently. A few nights ago, I was searching through my cookbook for a dinner recipe when I stumbled upon this pancake recipe. It was given to me by my old Jazzercise instructor, so I knew it was probably healthy. Maybe that was the reason I had never made it before. Honestly, I had never looked at the recipe, but I love having a homemade breakfast on Saturday morning, so I thought it would be worth a shot. Amazing! Not only are these pancakes tasty, filling, delicious, healthy, moist, incredible, but the whole family loved them as well. We don't need to be ashamed for eating stuff that is healthy. My husband even said that if I ever make pancakes, it needs to be these. These definitely are Power Pancakes...I feel like Mrs. Incredible already.

Power Pancakes
by Jan Hennefer (original source? not sure, but she gave me the recipe)

1 1/2 C uncooked oatmeal
2 C buttermilk (or sub by adding a teaspoon of lemon juice to regular milk and let sit)
3 egg whites
1 C whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 TBSP brown sugar

Mix oatmeal with buttermilk and allow to rest in fridge overnight or for 30 minutes.
In separate bowl (or stand mixer), beat those egg whites until they form peaks.
In another bowl, mix all of the dry ingredients (wheat flour, baking soda and brown sugar). Add oatmeal/buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture until completely blended. Gently fold in the egg whites so that they don't lose their fluffiness. (do not overmix). (if it looks too runny, add a little more wheat flour).

Ladle onto a hot (pre-greased) griddle or frying pan. Flip when the underside is golden.

makes approx. 16 medium pancakes (or about 8 ginormous ones...that's just how I roll)

Sare's notes:
1. This recipe doesn't contain oil or butter (you probably noticed that already), so it is crucial to spray your cooking surface. I love butter and think it is wonderful, but the absence of oiliness really makes for a nice fluffy pancake without the greasey aftertaste. If you MUST have your butter, put a pat on top when the pancake is still warm.

This one definitely needs more whipped cream, but my husband has been eating it with cookies this week..gosh!

Roasted Chicken with Spiced Yogurt Marinade

2010-01-07T18:13:00.000-08:00

Wow...it seems that I go MIA quite frequently when it comes to this blog. My apologies. I have a lot of excuses....November, December.....but enough about me. Being the New Year, it is time to resolve to be better, and so I might not get the pictures placed with recipes, but I will be placing more of the recipes I have used in this handy little blog.

The original purpose of this blog wasn't to produce any fanfare or to show off my skills, because as far as cooking goes, my skills are pretty limited. Rather it is a blog of recipes I have tested that have past the test of my husband and myself (and sometimes our little boys...the ultimate test). I hope that those reading this blog also give some of the recipes a try.

So I apologize about lack of pictures in this post and the ones that I plan on posting in the future. I will eventually put pictures with recipes, but for now, I have to get these amazing recipes posted before I lose the sources.
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This recipe is amazing and simple. The perfect thing for people who enjoy Indian-inspired flare. Most of the ingredients are basic to a cook with a well-stocked spice rack. Overnight marinating allows the flavors to sink in and keep the chicken tender and moist. I cannot say enough about this dish. It was delectable, and paired very well with couscous (recipe coming soon). It was so delicious, I didn't have time to get a picture...maybe next time.

Roasted Chicken with Spiced-Yogurt Marinade
adapted from marthastewart.com (or July 2008 LIVING)

1 whole chicken cut into pieces or bone-in, skin-on pieces (equal to 5-6 lbs.)
Marinade
1 C plain yogurt
3 T fresh lemon juice
3 T extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion, chopped (1/2 C)
1/4 packed fresh mint leaves
4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 strips lemon zest (each 2 inches long...I used a carrot peeler for this)
1/2 t ground cumin
1/2 t hot paprika (I only had regular paprika)
1/2 t ground coriander
1/4 t ground cinnamon
1/4 t ground ginger

Blend all marinade ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth. Immediately rub into the chicken pieces, using all of the marinade. Place chicken in marinating tub or ziploc bag and allow to marinate overnight. Do not discard any of the marinade.

Preheat oven to 350.

Place chicken in a shallow glass dish (or if you have a roasting pan, that is probably great too). Cover with foil.

Roast for about 1 hour and 30 minutes. During the last 15 minutes or so, turn the heat up to 450 to crisp the chicken a bit. Use an instant read thermometer to make sure the chicken is ready.

Allow 10 minutes for chicken to cool enough to carve.

Serve with Couscous.

Use marinade drippings as gravy on the chicken and couscous (don't let that yummy stuff go to waste, please!)

Macaroons--Daring Bakers Challenge October 2009

2009-10-27T14:12:00.000-07:00

The 2009 October Daring Bakers’ challenge was brought to us by Ami S. She chose macarons from Claudia Fleming’s The Last Course: The Desserts of Gramercy Tavern as the challenge recipe.

I think most people like cookies, right? But there is something a little more sophisticated about a macaroon, at least in my opinion. They seem to require a little more effort and sometimes a little more time. From my understanding, macaroons are supposed to be "flour-less" by nature, and so they are generally made with a nut meal or nut flour rather than wheat flour. Sometimes that involves grinding. (I have another macaroon recipe involving grinding the nuts that I will have to post sometime).

These macaroons have very few ingredients, but we were also required to make a filling. No complaints here. This was a great challenge that, though labor intensive, was not too time consuming or exhausting, nor did it leave my kitchen in shambles (actually, it was already in shambles to begin with, so the mess created didn't really detract from the one already existing).

Equipment required:
• Electric mixer, preferably a stand mixer with a whisk attachment
• Rubber spatula
• Baking sheets
• Parchment paper or nonstick liners
• Pastry bag (can be disposable)
• Plain half-inch pastry bag tip
• Sifter or sieve
• If you don’t have a pastry bag and/or tips, you can use a Ziploc bag with the corner snipped off
• Oven
• Cooling rack
• Thin-bladed spatula for removing the macaroons from the baking sheets
• Food processor or nut grinder, if grinding your own nuts (ouch!)

Ingredients
Confectioners’ (Icing) sugar: 2 ¼ cups (225 g, 8 oz.)
Almond flour: 2 cups (190 g, 6.7 oz.)
Granulated sugar: 2 tablespoons (25 g , .88 oz.)
Egg whites: 5 (Have at room temperature)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 200°F (93°C). Combine the confectioners’ sugar and almond flour in a medium bowl. If grinding your own nuts, combine nuts and a cup of confectioners’ sugar in the bowl of a food processor and grind until nuts are very fine and powdery.
2. Beat the egg whites in the clean dry bowl of a stand mixer until they hold soft peaks. Slowly add the granulated sugar and beat until the mixture holds stiff peaks.
3. Sift a third of the almond flour mixture into the meringue and fold gently to combine. If you are planning on adding zest or other flavorings to the batter, now is the time. Sift in the remaining almond flour in two batches. Be gentle! Don’t overfold, but fully incorporate your ingredients.
4. Spoon the mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a plain half-inch tip (Ateco #806). You can also use a Ziploc bag with a corner cut off. It’s easiest to fill your bag if you stand it up in a tall glass and fold the top down before spooning in the batter.
5. Pipe one-inch-sized (2.5 cm) mounds of batter onto baking sheets lined with nonstick liners (or parchment paper). (Sare's note: if you allow the batter to dry on the sheets for about 30 minutes, it creates a "foot" at the base of the cookie....looks really pretty, and unfortunately, I forgot to do that).
6. Bake the macaroon for 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and raise the temperature to 375°F (190°C). Once the oven is up to temperature, put the pans back in the oven and bake for an additional 7 to 8 minutes, or lightly colored.
7. Cool on a rack before filling.

Yield: 10 dozen. Ami's note: My yield was much smaller than this. I produced about two dozen filled macaroons. Sare's note: I have absolutely no idea how many cookies this made because I kept eating them while waiting for the others that were baking.

Though they wouldn't win a beauty competition, I thought my cookies were pretty tasty

Sare's "Mocha-la-tella" Filling

I wanted to come up with a clever name. We don't drink coffee around here, and never have, but for some reason with this pregnancy I really enjoy that smell (even though non-pregnant Sare thinks it smells like dirt...maybe because the coffee grounds were put in the compost when I was growing up). So I found a "non-coffee" natural beverage that is similar, and very enjoyable when mixed with ovaltine and sugar, called Pero. I decided to use that as part of the filling. And Nutella...ahhhh nutella. I basically just used what I had.

3/4 Cup Nutella

2 TBSP Pero (or if you prefer, instant coffee granules)

4 TBSP milk

Mix until smooth. If slightly runny, allow to cool in the fridge. Spread a small amount in the middle a cookie within 1/2 cm of the edge, then sandwich with another cookie (the chocolate will go to the edge).

Sare's notes:

The original instructions to this challenge also mentioned avoiding too much food coloring if you choose to go that route. I didn't use any, but it said no more than 3 drops of color because it will add too much moisture.

I do not own a baking mat or cooling racks (ooooh nooooo!) but that did not seem to be my doom in that case. It all worked out, though I am sure it would have been that much better had I owned this equipment. The cookies were a little more challenging to remove from the baking sheets (even though I used non-stick spray, which may have been a no-no).

If you happen to turn off your oven on the final batch, and forget that there are cookies in there, for, oh, let's say about 20 minutes. Do not fear. Though they will be a slight bit on the crunchy side, they will still be tasty....so I hear.

Overall, I should probably try to do this again because my cookies came out flat, though still soft and enjoyable, and they didn't have "the foot" at the base of each one, like in the example. As mentioned above, I forgot to do the 30 minutes "drying time." So, I didn't dry my cookies, didn't have a silicone mat, or cooling racks. Someday...

POM Wonderful Review & Smoothie Recipe

2009-10-13T18:24:00.000-07:00

Well folks, it has certainly been a while since I posted anything. But I am BACK! Morning sickness had subsided, then I got a cold. Thinking about food, let alone researching awesome recipes, wasn't on the top of my to-do list. But thankfully, food and I are friends once again, and I plan to start posting more. Thanks for sticking around.

Pomegranate is an amazing fruit. The health benefits are incredible. Did you know that pomegranates have super antioxidant powers? More specifically POM Wonderful juice exceeds all other juices (even blueberry, cranberry, and acai) for antioxidant potency. (see www.pomwonderful.com for more information). The research astounds me. All that talk about red wine helping your heart, well, guess what, POM is better! The research I received also mentioned improvement in prostate health. So get drinkin'!

This juice is similar, but definitely better, than natural cranberry juice. (FYI: most cranberry juices you see in stores are not all natural. I'm talking 100% juice without sweeteners or other juices added). I decided I wanted to integrate it in a recipe...sooooo, Smoothie time!

In Brazil, I'd have a smoothie, aka "vitamina," almost every day. Smoothies are a great way to mix a lot of different fruits (maybe some that are a little over-ripe), and get your vitamins. I even remember a friend throwing a peeled beet into one of our smoothies once (I still haven't tried that here yet, maybe someday. It definitely adds a beautiful color).

Pomegranate Mango Smoothie
by Sare

8 oz. POM Wonderful 100% Pomegranate juice
1 1/2 C. frozen mango
1 C. vanilla yogurt (I recommend Trader Joe's. They don't use high fructose corn syrup)

Blend all ingredients in a blender until smooth. How simple is that? And it is a pretty color too.

For more awesome recipes using pomegranate, visit The POM recipes site. I am definitely going to be posting some of their recipes in the future. The pictures make me salivate.

Strawberry Tart with Coconut Crust

2009-08-31T12:01:00.000-07:00

I think it is becoming a bad habit of mine to NOT plan desserts. I forget to buy ingredients, and I end up making something based solely on what we have in the fridge and cupboards. That has happened several times recently when we've had dinner with friends (either when we're having guests, or we are the guests). Luckily, I keep a well-stocked cupboard (sometimes).

I love strawberries, and I love coconut, so when I found this little recipe while flipping with fury through some cookbooks, I knew it would be perfect.

Strawberry Tart with Coconut Crust
inspired by Gold Medal Simple Spring Desserts, No. 36

Coconut Pastry (see below)
1 package (8 oz) cream cheese
3/4 C. marshmallow creme
3 1/2 C berries (I used strawberries, but you could also do an assortment)

Coconut Pastry
1 C. all-purpose flour
3/4 cup shredded coconut
6 T. butter, softened
2 T. sugar
1 egg yolk

Heat oven to 350. Blend all pastry ingredients together. Place pastry onto a pizza stone, and form into a circle about 11 inches in diameter. Press firmly and bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden. Allow to cool completely.

While pastry is cooling, wash and slice strawberries.

Mix together softened cream cheese and marshmallow creme until smooth. Spread over the crust, and top with the strawberries.

Sare's notes:
1. The original recipe called for an apricot preserve spread to top the whole thing, but I think it tasted just fine like this.
2. The recipe also used a variety of berries as well as kiwi fruit (really pretty), but, alas, I only had strawberries.

mmm strawberries.

Moroccan Chicken with Apricot Couscous

2009-08-29T09:55:00.000-07:00

A little over a year ago, I was in a group with some friends from church we called "Dinners a la Carte." It was an awesome little group. If you are in to OAMC (Once A Month Cooking), that is basically what we did. We always had about 6 people, so really it wasn't a month's worth of dinners, but it was a good selection. I am going to be posting some of my favorite recipes from that group here. Unfortunately, there aren't any pictures yet, but trust me, these are totally worth trying.

OOoooooh. This is so delicious. I am still feeling the negative effects of being in the first trimester, but I am thinking about making this next week. The girl who shared this recipe with us found it in a Tyler Florence cookbook, but I don't know which one. I also don't know if the instructions are directly copied from the book, or her memory.

Moroccan chicken with Apricot Couscous
by Tyler Florence

Moroccan Spice Mix:
1 Cinnamon stick, chopped in pieces
8 whole cloves
1 tsp cayenne
2 tsp cumin seed
1 tsp fennel seed
1 tsp coriander seed
1 Tbsp sweet paprika
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp brown sugar

Chicken:
1 whole chicken
salt and pepper
1 lemon, halved
1/4 bunch cilantro
1 head garlic
3 Tbsp olive oil

Apricot Couscous:
1 C couscous
1 1/2 C warm water
10 dried apricots
1/4 C whole almonds
2 green onions, green parts only
2 handfuls fresh mint leaves
2 handfuls fresh cilantro leaves
1/2 lemon, juiced
2 Tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper

Prepare the Moroccan Spice Mix:
Combine the spices (minus the salt and brown sugar) to a dry skillet on low heat and toast just for a minute to release the fragrant oils; shake the pan so they don't scorch. In a spice mill or clean coffee grinder, grind the toasted spices together with the salt and brown sugar.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Rinse chicken, and pat dry with paper towels. Massage the chicken with the spice rub, make sure you don't miss a spot. (Massage the spices in between the skin and the breast) Season the inside of the chicken generously with salt and pepper. Stuff lemon halves, cilantro and garlic (cut in half) in the cavity, and place chicken in a roasting pan. Fold the wing tips under the bird and tie the legs together with kitchen string. Drizzle the oil all over the chicken. If you have some time, let the chicken marinate for 30 mins to really get the flavors down deep into the meat. Roast the chicken for 1 hour; pop an instant read thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh; if it reads 160 degrees, it's done. Allow the chicken to rest for 10 mins so the juices can settle back down into the meat.

To prepare the couscous:
Put the cous cous in a medium bowl; pour the water over it, stir with a fork to combine. Cover and let sit for 10-15 mins then uncover and fluff with a fork. Chop mix in's and add to the cous cous. Add lemon juice, drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Toss gently to combine.

Sare's notes:
1. I prepared my chicken in a crockpot from about noon until dinnertime. It was amazing! The flavors were through the chicken, not just on the surface. Ooooh, I can almost taste it now. I also did this a different time in a romertopf clay pot for about 2 hours in the oven (always remember to soak a clay cooker before each use). If you do the crock pot method, I don't think I tied the chicken legs together.

2. Don't skimp on the spice massage. Get it all over, you will be glad you did.

News

2009-08-19T16:34:00.000-07:00

Dear Subscribers & Followers,

Please don't leave me! I know I have been a terrible food blogger the last little bit, but there's a reason. Some of you follow my personal blog as well, so this is just a repeat of that. I'm pregnant! And with the first trimester comes the dreaded morning sickness. Luckily it isn't as intense as the first two times, so hopefully, I will keep things under control for the next few weeks.

Unfortunately, my cooking and cooking inspiration is lacking. I love flavor and spices and herbs and sauces....but right now, bleh. I am even having a tough time looking at some favorite food blogs out there. It breaks my heart. Please forgive me if I start posting *gasp* what we refer to around here as "white people food." Yes, we are "white." But that doesn't mean we have to eat meat and potatoes every night. One thing you will probably never find in the Chilton Kitchen is a casserole. Both of us think they're disgusting excuses for a meal (no offense if that is what you cook).

So folks, I need some help. Are there any good, bland recipes out there you'd like to share? Please comment and give me some links. No tomato sauce, nothing super creamy or spicy or ..... oh goodness, just let me know if you find anything. I will be posting again soon. Thanks for your patience.

love,
Sarah

Mallows--Daring Bakers' July Challenge

2009-07-28T08:46:00.000-07:00

The July Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Nicole at Sweet Tooth. She chose Chocolate Covered Marshmallow Cookies and Milan Cookies from pastry chef Gale Gand of the Food Network.
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My favorite cookies growing up were Pinwheels. Mmm. But my mom wouldn't always buy them because there were only a few in the package, and they were pretty pricey. Once again, my childhood fondness has been satisfied through baking from scratch.

This month, for the Daring Bakers' Challenge, we were given the option of making The Chocolate Covered Marshmallow cookies, or Milan cookies. I sincerely wanted to do both, and maybe someday, I will eventually make the Milans. I like my baking time to be enjoyable, and teething is not so much fun. Luckily, the process of making these cookies allowed for a lot of down-time where I didn't need to be "doing" anything, but allowing things to rest or cool. These cookies are delicious.

I think next time I will be a bit more adventurous and use some shaped cookie cutters, or different flavorings in the mallow (maybe coconut or mint). Also, please don't sell this cookie short by using store-bough marshmallows. Oh what a tragedy that would be. The homemade route was a bit of a challenge for me because my "candy" thermometer is just like a meat one; it is a thermometer on the end of a metal stick. It fell in the pot, got hot, and I had a tough time getting it out and reading it. I think that I carmelized it slightly, but the marshmallow still came out fine. I just didn't have enough for all of the cookies. So, I did the process both ways (store marshmallows and homemade), just so I could say that the homemade marshmallow made all the difference. It does. The store marshmallows kind of become crunchy (for lack of a better word) once they have set. Just take my word for it, home-made = better. End of story.

Mallows(Chocolate Covered Marshmallow Cookies)
Recipe courtesy Gale Gand, from Food Network website

Unfortunately, Picasa doesn't let me arrange the pictures in order. (bottom left: REAL Marshmallow, bottom mid: store marshmallows)

Prep Time: 10 min
Inactive Prep Time: 5 min
Cook Time: 10 min
Serves: about 2 dozen cookies

• 3 cups (375grams/13.23oz) all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup (112.5grams/3.97oz) white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/8 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 12 tablespoons (170grams/ 6 oz) unsalted butter
• 3 eggs, whisked together
• Homemade marshmallows, recipe follows
• Chocolate glaze, recipe follows

1. In a mixer with the paddle attachment, blend the dry ingredients.
2. On low speed, add the butter and mix until sandy.
3. Add the eggs and mix until combine.
4. Form the dough into a disk, wrap with clingfilm or parchment and refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to 3 days.
5. When ready to bake, grease a cookie sheet or line it with parchment paper or a silicon mat.
6. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
7. Roll out the dough to 1/8-inch thickness, on a lightly floured surface. Use a 1 to 1 1/2 inches cookie cutter to cut out small rounds of dough.
8. Transfer to the prepared pan and bake for 10 minutes or until light golden brown. Let cool to room temperature.
9. Pipe a “kiss” of marshmallow onto each cookie. Let set at room temperature for 2 hours.
10. Line a cookie sheet with parchment or silicon mat.
11. One at a time, gently drop the marshmallow-topped cookies into the hot chocolate glaze.
12. Lift out with a fork and let excess chocolate drip back into the bowl.
13. Place on the prepared pan and let set at room temperature until the coating is firm, about 1 to 2 hours.

Note: if you don’t want to make your own marshmallows, you can cut a large marshmallow in half and place on the cookie base. Heat in a preheated 350-degree oven to slump the marshmallow slightly, it will expand and brown a little. Let cool, then proceed with the chocolate dipping.

Homemade marshmallows:
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup light corn syrup
• 3/4 cup (168.76 grams/5.95oz) sugar
• 1 tablespoon powdered gelatin
• 2 tablespoons cold water
• 2 egg whites , room temperature
• 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. In a saucepan, combine the water, corn syrup, and sugar, bring to a boil until “soft-ball” stage, or 235 degrees on a candy thermometer.
2. Sprinkle the gelatin over the cold water and let dissolve.
3. Remove the syrup from the heat, add the gelatin, and mix.
4. Whip the whites until soft peaks form and pour the syrup into the whites.
5. Add the vanilla and continue whipping until stiff.
6. Transfer to a pastry bag.

Chocolate glaze:
• 12 ounces semisweet chocolate
• 2 ounces cocoa butter or vegetable oil

1. Melt the 2 ingredients together in the top of a double boiler or a bowl set over barely simmering water.

Sare's Notes

1. Do not attempt to do more than one thing at the same time. (ie: while making the marshmallow, do not disolve the gelatin in water until you are about to mix it into the syrup). Follow the instructions. By the way, the Prep Time, cooking time, etc, listed at the beginning is innaccurate. I don't know what it is referring to. If you read through the whole recipe, it requires several hours (mainly down time like I mentioned in the very beginning). Actual work time isn't very much.
2. I didn't transfer the marshmallow to a pastry bag. I just dropped a dallop on each cookie using a small spoon and it worked.
3. I put these in the fridge because they didn't "set" well at room temperature in my hot kitchen. They are stored in my fridge now, in a box so they won't melt.
4. Making the marshmallows from scratch is totally worth it. I'd do it again! But I need a better candy thermometer.

Orzo Stuffed Peppers with Feta and Mint

2009-07-22T16:41:00.000-07:00

Anything that has feta cheese in it must be good. That's my opinion at least. I think that was the thing that caught my eye with this recipe. It should really be called "Orzo Stuffed Peppers with Sausage, Onions, Celery, Feta, and Mint." Oh, and salt and pepper. But I understand it would sound silly if they did that. Which makes me think about how they come to the decision of naming recipes in the first place...

I opted to make these fresh, and they were wonderful, and gorgeous. I love when food looks pretty. The more color, the better. It almost makes me want to have a party, just to show off the pretty food. Then I think of the party-planning stress, and I would rather just make it for my family (and maybe, maybe, a handful of friends).

Orzo Stuffed Peppers with Feta and Mint
from bhg

3/4 C. dried orzo
4 oz. bulk Italian sausage (hot or sweet/mild)
1 large onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 C. crumbled feta cheese (8 oz)
1/4 C. snipped fresh mint
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
6 medium-size red, orange, and/or yellow bell (sweet) peppers
1 1/2 C. carrot or tomato juice
1/2 tsp. salt
fresh mint sprigs

In 4- to 5 quart stock pot (or dutch oven) cook orzo according to package directions; drain. Set aside.

In large skillet cook sausage, onion, celery, and garlic until sausage is browned and onion is tender. Remove from heat; drain fat. Stir in cooked orzo, cheese, mint, and black pepper.

Cut tops from peppers; remove seeds and ribs. Barely trim bottoms of peppers so they are able to stand upright. Spoon orzo mixture into peppers and replace tops; set aside. In Dutch oven stir together carrot juice and salt. Stand peppers upright in Dutch oven. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, 20 to 25 minutes, or until peppers are tender.

Serve peppers on rimmed or deep plates. Spoon over any remaining cooking juices. Garnish with additional mint.

Sare's notes
1. For lack of time, I skipped the simmering step, and we opted for fresh bell peppers. (it was a hot day, forgive me).
2. I used Chicken Mango Sausage from Trader Joe's. The sweetness was very complementary to the dish.

Funnel Cake

2009-07-20T10:35:00.001-07:00

I apologize for my lack of posts lately. We've been pretty busy (and I have a "post-a-day challenge" on my regular blog). Pure neglect. I am so sorry. I promise, I will try to be better.

Last week, we went with a few friends to the fair. I haven't been in years. I want to make it a summer tradition, and food must always play a role in tradition, right? One of our last stops at the fair, was a sweet, warm, funnel cake, topped with strawberries, and powdered sugar. Mmmm. Do you know how much those babies with cost you? Plain (just powdered sugar), $6, "Strawberries Supreme," a whopping $8.50! My friend Heather said, on our way home, that these have to be just basic ingredients, so I was determined to find a recipe.

Not only are the ingredients basic, but the whole thing was really easy, and ready in minutes. Now we can have the county fair goodness whenever we want. Maybe we will do a "Carnival" or "Family Fair Night."

Funnel Cakes
from momswhothink.com

1 egg
2/3 C milk (plus 2 T.)
2 T. sugar
1 1/4 C. all purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder

vegetable oil

Pour enough oil into a deep, 9-inch skillet, so that the oil is about an inch or two deep. Heat on med-high heat until hot, but not bubbling (test with a pinch of flour. If it sizzles away without smoking, it is ready).

Mix all dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. In a smaller bowl, beat together milk and egg until blended. Mix into the dry ingredients until completely mixed.

Using a funnel, pour batter into the hot oil, in a web-like formation, starting from the middle and working out.

Heat for about 3 minutes, or until golden brown. Flip, and heat another minute or so, until completely cooked. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, or add other toppings as desired (fresh fruit works very well). This made about 3 8-inch cakes.

Sare's Notes
1. I added the extra 2 Tbsp of milk to the recipe because it wasn't pouring through the funnel.
2. If you don't have a funnel, you could transfer the batter to a freezer bag, and cut a small hole in one of the corners, and squeeze it through.
3. I think it would be fun to experiment with other shapes (instead of the "web-like" formation), maybe flowers, hearts, stars, letters, circles, squares, etc, etc.

Coconut Ice Cream Pie With Mango Puree

2009-07-07T17:56:00.000-07:00

Sometimes inspiration is a result of necessity. Two weeks ago, Saturday was a very busy (and hot!) day. We had a lot to do, and there was no time to go to the store. Around 8:30 that night, I remembered that I didn't know what I was going to do about dessert for our Sunday dinner (we were having guests). I was a little worried. I didn't want to bake anything because it was hot. Even at 8:30 at night, we were still roasting, and even on a good day, our little kitchen turns into instant inferno when you turn on the oven.

So, non-baked dessert...hmm. I started checking the fridge, freezer, and cupboards. Ice cream, coconut milk, ground pecans, mango...hmmm.

I like to try experiments that I know will work, and for the most part, I had total confidence in this one, at least flavor-wise. I am always nervous about ice cream actually freezing. But this worked and it was an awesome, cool summer treat. Even though Asher didn't seem to notice when I gave him some the next day. He had his priorities, I guess.

Coconut Ice Cream Pie with Mango Puree
by Sare (that's me!)

1/2 Carton of Vanilla Ice cream (approximately 4 measured cups)
1 can Coconut Milk (do NOT use low fat)

Crust:
1 C. pecans, ground (use a food processor)
1 C. rice krispies, ground
1/2 C. (1 stick), butter, melted
2 T. brown sugar

topping:
1 C. mango, chopped
2 T. sugar
3 T. water

garnish:
toasted coconut flakes

I almost don't need to put actual directions here, do I? But for good measure, I will let you know the process. Soften ice cream slightly by sitting it on the counter while you gather everything else.

Grind the pecans,rice krispies, and sugar in a food processor until pieces are small, but not completely dusty. In a medium bowl, melt a stick of butter and mix in the ground mixture. Press into an 8 or 9 inch pie pan/plate and set aside.

With a whisk paddle attachment, mix together the coconut milk and softened ice cream (do NOT allow ice cream to completely melt.) Mix at a low setting until smooth, but not runny. (If you don't have a large stand mixer, use a large spoon and mix by hand). Pour into the pie crust and wrap with foil. Allow to freeze overnight, or at least 6 hours.

Before serving, remove from freezer to soften slightly, and make your mango puree. Mix mango, sugar, and water in a food processor until desired consistency. Serve each piece of pie with a spoonful of puree and toasted coconut flakes.

Sare's Notes:
1. Pie Crust can be altered to be completely gluten-free. Replace rice krispies with either a gluten-free cereal, or more pecans. I was just working with what I had.
2. This would really taste good with any fruit pureed on top, but we love mangoes.

Baked Coconut Shrimp with Curried Apricot Sauce

2009-06-18T16:22:00.000-07:00

One of our grocery stores recently had a special on un-shelled shrimp, and I jumped at the chance. We're trying to eat less meat, more "vegetarian" and seafood dishes, so this was an excellent opportunity.

I'll just cut to the chase, this was amazing. The dip, the shrimp. If you are in to sweet and tangy flavors, then this is the dish for you.

Baked Coconut Shrimp with Curried Apricot Sauce
from BHG

24 fresh or frozen jumbo shrimp in shells
1 cup mayonnaise or salad dressing
3 tablespoons apricot preserves
1 teaspoon curry powder
2 tablespoons cooking oil
1-1/2 cups shredded unsweetened coconut, toasted
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 egg whites, slightly beaten

Directions

1. Thaw shrimp, if frozen (check bag for directions...generally, run it under cold water for a few minutes because even slightly warm water might cook the shrimp). Peel and devein (if not already), but leave the tails intact. Rinse and pat dry with paper towels. Set aside.

2. Mix sauce ingredients in a small bowl (mayonnaise, apricot preserves, and curry powder). Cover and place in fridge until ready to serve.

3. Spread the oil on the bottom of a 15x10x1-inch baking pan (I used a cookie sheet with an edge around it); set pan aside. In a large shallow dish combine coconut, cornstarch, sugar, and salt. In another small shallow dish place the egg whites. Dip shrimp into the egg whites; coat shrimp with coconut mixture by pressing the mixture firmly onto each shrimp. Place shrimp in prepared pan/cookie sheet. Bake in a 400 degree F oven about 10 minutes or until shrimp are opaque and coconut is golden, turning once. Serve with the yummy sauce.

Sare's notes

1. I opted to use mayo, and it was perfect. The sauce is actually more yellow in real life, and it was very tasty with the sweetness of the coconut.

2. I didn't have unsweetened coconut on hand, I just omited the sugar from the coconut mixture since it was already sweetened.

3. Coating the shrimp was slightly an ordeal, but that is just me. I am not good at "coating" things. If you try this dish, please let me know. We loved it. We served it with orzo, but it would go very well with a special rice dish.

Easy Pull-Apart Sticky Buns

2009-06-07T14:04:00.000-07:00

When I was a child, I remember we would often start our family vacations by going to this bakery in town called La Petit Boulangerie, and getting sticky buns. I honestly think I had dreams about eating these rolls. They were so good, but that bakery closed about 20 years ago. Sticky buns were also a family favorite when we would visit a local lake and their special dock diner. I have an insane sweet tooth.

Every sticky bun and cinnamon roll experience in my life was always compared to those memories as a child savoring the sticky sweet, buttery goodness, and every experience would always fall short. Until now. I have never been really into the white frosting on cinnamon rolls. Though I have found some that I do like, I am more into the cinnamon sugary goo that makes the sticky buns so sticky. A friend shared this recipe with me a few months ago, and I think she got it from another friend, and I am hooked!

Not only is this breakfasty treaty dessert absolutely delicious, it is simple. You just have to start the night before you want to eat it (or about 6 hours before...or see in the notes below for faster method). Minimum effort, maximum taste.

Pull-Apart Sticky Buns
from Jessie Lundell who got it from Heather Webb who got it from....* (see notes below)

20 Frozen Rhodes Dinner Rolls (it must be this brand in order to work. I get it at Target)
1 stick butter, melted
1 box butterscotch cook n serve pudding mix
1/4 C. white sugar
1/2 C. packed brown sugar (or just dump in a bunch)
1 tsp cinnamon

Grease a bundt pan really well. Pour the frozen rolls in the bundt pan, evenly. In a medium sized bowl, mix together dry pudding mix, white sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Pour mixture over the rolls. Melt a stick of butter. Pour butter over the rolls. Allow the rolls to sit overnight, or for at least 6 hours (to thaw and rise).
Preheat oven to 350.
Bake for 30-35 minutes (check at 30).
Remove from oven and let sit for 5 minutes, then place a large plate or bowl over the bundt pan and flip it all over. Be careful not to burn yourself on the buttery gooeyness. It is very hot. Flipping it all over allows that wonderful goodness to get over all the rolls. Mmmm

Serve warm.

Sare's notes:
1. Doubling this recipe can be catastrophic. I doubled the butter and a friend ended up with a oozing roll, and butter all over her shirt. Sorry Nat. If you do double this, just melt "enough" butter to coat the rolls, but not drown them (oops), and add a little more cinnamon and sugar to the mixture,but not much. Cooking time should be increased just a few minutes, but watch the pan so the rolls don't get more than just a little golden.
2. Make these NOW! You will be the hit of the party, and no one needs to know how easy it was (unless they want the recipe).
3. * I have the "original source" for these now in a family cookbook that Heather's family printed to give out as Christmas gifts (yay, I am so lucky!), but either Jessie or I tweaked it because the measurements are completely different. Ah well....it tastes fabulous, and I am satisfied with my mistakes.
4. ** If you don't quite have 6 hours to wait around for these, and you forgot to leave it out overnight, follow the instructions up to the "leave it out" part, and do the following. Preheat oven to 200 (takes about 5 minutes) then turn the oven off. Place the bundt pan in the oven for about an hour (so it can rise). Check to see if the dough is completely thawed and enlarged. If yes, proceed with baking. Preheat the oven (without rolls in there) to 350, and bake for about 30 minutes. There! Now you only had to wait an hour and a half instead of overnight. No need to thank me :)

Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps

2009-06-02T23:50:00.000-07:00

I found this fabulous recipe while blog hopping. I HAD to make it. This recipe is simple, and when I made it for friends, one even wanted to make it for her own family. I consider that a success. THEN, her husband wanted her to make it for the extended family. Double success. THEN, the night she made it for the extended family party, someone else in the family brought chicken lettuce wraps from a restaurant (dun, dun, dun...), but everyone said these tasted better. WHOOHOO!

Thanks to Rachelle at Fashionably Foodie, Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps have had a huge success in several families now.

Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps
by Rachelle, at Fashionably Foodie

3 frozen chicken breasts
1 large carrot
8 whole mushrooms
3 green onions
1 red bell pepper
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1/2 can water chestnuts, drained
2 Tablespoons oil
1/4 teaspoon sesame oil

1 head iceberg or butter lettuce, leaves washed and separated (leave each leaf whole)
rice noodles, fried quickly in hot oil (optional)

sauce: *(double the recipe for dipping sauce, set aside half, see notes below)

1/2 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon sriracha (asian chile sauce***)
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger

bring chicken breasts to a boil in water to cover with a pinch of salt and a clove of garlic. boil for ten minutes. remove from water and chop finely, about the size of a kernel of corn. (Or as close as you can get to that size).

While cooking the chicken, finely grate carrot. finely dice onion , water chestnuts, mushrooms and bell pepper to the same size as the chicken pieces, about the size of a kernel of corn. (the easiest way to do this is with a food chopper, or pulse on a food processor, just don't completely disintegrate your food). The hand chopping process takes a while.

*Whisk together sauce ingredients. If you want a dip for your wraps (yes you will want a dip,) make another batch (or double) sauce, and to the dipping sauce add: a bit more sriracha, 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes, and 1/4 teaspoon fresh ginger.

Heat 2 Tablespoons oil and 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil in a large pan. add onions, mushrooms and red bell pepper. cook 2 minutes to soften. add chicken, water chestnuts, and garlic. saute for 2 minutes. add sauce to pan, bring to a boil, and simmer for 10 minutes until liquid is reduced and there is almost no liquid left in pan. stir in grated carrot. Rachelle recommends serving on bed of rice noodles with a plate of whole lettuce leaves. She adds that it's "yummy with veggie peanut noodles or hot rice!"

Rachelle said, "the only ingredient i really insist on is the sesame oil for authentic flavor. so sorry i promised no store for you, but if you don't have any, i really insist that you must use sesame oil!" So you must obey. I actually didn't have sesame oil, and didn't have time to buy any, and so I used some tahini (sesame paste, which actually has the oil in it) so I figured I was ok.

*** Sriracha is asian chile sauce it is in a clear bottle that looks red from the bright red sauce. it has a green twist lid.

Sare's notes:
1. This was awesome and can work as a main course, lunch, side dish...whatever you want!
2. I didn't have water chesnuts or mushrooms when I did this, but I added finely chopped celery and it worked well.
3. I recommend using a low sodium soy sauce to avoid the dish becoming too salty.
4. I don't believe in iceberg lettuce, sorry. You can use it if you like, but I prefer romaine.
5. This was awesome (did I say that already?) and Rachelle made it up! I recommend Fashionably Foodie to anyone.

Apple Strudel

2009-05-27T16:29:00.000-07:00

Don't you just love that puddle of ice cream right there. My children were chasing me, and the last picture is always the best. (sometimes)

I will admit, I was a little apprehensive about this Daring Bakers Challenge. But then I remembered, it IS a challenge. I should be apprehensive, right. (I really think it is the sleep deprivation, and not being able to wear my contacts right now (I get kind of down when I have to wear my glasses).

Anyhow, my major concern was how these ladies were able to create such a ginormous sheet out of this little ball of dough (approximately the size of a softball). But I did it, and now I can say I am glad I did. This was fun to make. While I was stretching the dough, I just kept thinking it was bound to stop there, but it just kept going, without ripping! It only started ripping after I walked away from it for a minute and came back to stretch it some more. I got the most interesting look from my husband when he got home from work and saw the kitchen table. I can't quite describe it. He was utterly amazed. This is definitely something I would make again!

The May Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Linda of make life sweeter! and Courtney of Coco Cooks. They chose Apple Strudel from the recipe book Kaffeehaus: Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Cafés of Vienna, Budapest and Prague by Rick Rodgers.

Preparation time
Total: 2 hours 15 minutes – 3 hours 30 minutes

15-20 min to make dough
30-90 min to let dough rest/to prepare the filling
20-30 min to roll out and stretch dough
10 min to fill and roll dough
30 min to bake
30 min to cool

Apple strudel
from “Kaffeehaus – Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Cafés of Vienna, Budapest and Prague” by Rick Rodgers

2 tablespoons (30 ml) golden rum
3 tablespoons (45 ml) raisins
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon (80 g) sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick / 115 g) unsalted butter, melted, divided
1 1/2 cups (350 ml) fresh bread crumbs
strudel dough (recipe below)
1/2 cup (120 ml, about 60 g) coarsely chopped walnuts
2 pounds (900 g) tart cooking apples, peeled, cored and cut into ¼ inch-thick slices (use apples that hold their shape during baking)

1. Mix the rum and raisins in a bowl. Mix the cinnamon and sugar in another bowl.

2. Heat 3 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium-high. Add the breadcrumbs and cook whilst stirring until golden and toasted. This will take about 3 minutes. Let it cool completely.

3. Put the rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a large baking sheet with baking paper (parchment paper). Make the strudel dough as described below. Spread about 3 tablespoons of the remaining melted butter over the dough using your hands (a bristle brush could tear the dough, you could use a special feather pastry brush instead of your hands). Sprinkle the buttered dough with the bread crumbs. Spread the walnuts about 3 inches (8 cm) from the short edge of the dough in a 6-inch-(15cm)-wide strip. Mix the apples with the raisins (including the rum), and the cinnamon sugar. Spread the mixture over the walnuts.

4. Fold the short end of the dough onto the filling. Lift the tablecloth at the short end of the dough so that the strudel rolls onto itself. Transfer the strudel to the prepared baking sheet by lifting it. Curve it into a horseshoe to fit. Tuck the ends under the strudel. Brush the top with the remaining melted butter.

5. Bake the strudel for about 30 minutes or until it is deep golden brown. Cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing. Use a serrated knife and serve either warm or at room temperature. It is best on the day it is baked.

I copied this idea from my friend Natalie, but the pic on the left is to show how much the ball of dough was able to stretch. AMAZING! (The ball is about the size of a softball).

Strudel dough
from “Kaffeehaus – Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Cafés of Vienna, Budapest and Prague” by Rick Rodgers

1 1/3 cups (200 g) unbleached flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
7 tablespoons (105 ml) water, plus more if needed
2 tablespoons (30 ml) vegetable oil, plus additional for coating the dough
1/2 teaspoon cider vinegar

1. Combine the flour and salt in a stand-mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix the water, oil and vinegar in a measuring cup. Add the water/oil mixture to the flour with the mixer on low speed. You will get a soft dough. Make sure it is not too dry, add a little more water if necessary.
Take the dough out of the mixer. Change to the dough hook. Put the dough ball back in the mixer. Let the dough knead on medium until you get a soft dough ball with a somewhat rough surface.

2. Take the dough out of the mixer and continue kneading by hand on an unfloured work surface. Knead for about 2 minutes. Pick up the dough and throw it down hard onto your working surface occasionally.
Shape the dough into a ball and transfer it to a plate. Oil the top of the dough ball lightly. Cover the ball tightly with plastic wrap. Allow to stand for 30-90 minutes (longer is better).

3. It would be best if you have a work area that you can walk around on all sides like a 36 inch (90 cm) round table or a work surface of 23 x 38 inches (60 x 100 cm). Cover your working area with table cloth, dust it with flour and rub it into the fabric. Put your dough ball in the middle and roll it out as much as you can.
Pick the dough up by holding it by an edge. This way the weight of the dough and gravity can help stretching it as it hangs. Using the back of your hands to gently stretch and pull the dough. You can use your forearms to support it.

4. The dough will become too large to hold. Put it on your work surface. Leave the thicker edge of the dough to hang over the edge of the table. Place your hands underneath the dough and stretch and pull the dough thinner using the backs of your hands. Stretch and pull the dough until it's about 2 feet (60 cm) wide and 3 feet (90 cm) long, it will be tissue-thin by this time. Cut away the thick dough around the edges with scissors. The dough is now ready to be filled.

Tips (from the recipe submitters)
- Ingredients are cheap so we would recommend making a double batch of the dough, that way you can practice the pulling and stretching of the dough with the first batch and if it doesn't come out like it should you can use the second batch to give it another try;
- The tablecloth can be cotton or polyster;
- Before pulling and stretching the dough, remove your jewelry from hands and wrists, and wear short-sleeves;
- To make it easier to pull the dough, you can use your hip to secure the dough against the edge of the table;
- Few small holes in the dough is not a problem as the dough will be rolled, making (most of) the holes invisible.

Sare's Modifications and Tips:
* I omitted the rum and raisin. Not a raisin fan, don't own rum (or rum extract...or any of the rum substitutes found here. Great resource, by the way, for alcohol substitutions.)

* I also, sort of, omitted the nuts (the walnuts at least). Instead of just breadcrumbs, I mixed equal parts fresh bread crumbs, super finely chopped pecans, and graham cracker crumbs to equal 1 1/2 Cups (and followed the recipe as stated).

* I used part white sugar, part brown when mixing with the cinnamon and the apples. Oh, and the dried cranberries (I added about 1/2 Cup of dried cranberries).

* I also doubled the dough recipe in case it didn't work well, but it did work! Now I have an extra ball of dough in the freezer. I think I will use it in a recipe that calls for phyllo dough (I have a really good one in mind...Phylloccine Ice Cream Sandwiches, from this wonderful book....mmmm)

Parmesan-Stuffed Chicken and Melted Strawberries

2009-05-18T10:19:00.000-07:00

I chose this recipe because I had all of the ingredients (except basil...thanks Kathryn!). The "melted strawberries" might sound odd to some, and honestly, it is a bit different, but we liked it. Think of cranberry sauce with turkey. It's kind of different, right? You do not have to mix your strawberries with the chicken if you don't want to, but it is prettier that way.

Parmesan-Stuffed Chicken and Melted Strawberries
from BHG

3 C. fresh strawberries (halve of quarter if they are larger)
2 TBSP. white balsamic or white wine vinegar
1/4 C. strawberry jam
sea salt or salt and black pepper
6 Boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 3 lb.)
3 oz. parmesan or white cheddar cheese (I actually used cotija)
6 large fresh basil leaves
1 TBSP. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
Snipped fresh basil, to garnish

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a baking dish (3 qt. size), mix together halved strawberries, vinegar, and jam. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, set aside.

2. Cut each chicken breast horizontally almost to the edge (do not cut all the way through). Cut the cheese (hehe) into six 3x1/2-inch chunks. Wrap each piece of cheese with the basil, then put it in the chicken pocket. Close chicken and secure with toothpicks. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

3. In a 12-inch oven-safe skillet, cook the garlic in olive oil over medium heat for 30 seconds (or until you get the garlic aroma). Add the chicken pieces and cook for about 5 minutes, or until turns golden brown (cook both sides). Transfer chicken to the oven, and bake, uncovered for 5 more minutes. Add the baking dish with the strawberry mixture (do NOT combine, keep chicken and strawberries separate) to the oven, and Bake for another 10-13 minutes, until chicken is cooked all the way through and is no longer pink. Berries should be soft and jam slightly thickened.

Serve chicken with melted strawberries. Sprinkle with basil. Makes 6 servings.

Sare's notes:
1. I don't have an oven-safe skillet. I cooked the chicken in my skillet as directed, then transferred to a baking dish for oven cooking.
2. We really liked this and would love to experiment with other cheeses....mmm.

Grilled Fish Tacos

2009-04-28T22:30:00.000-07:00

These are hands down, the BEST fish tacos I have ever had. They also happen to be the only fish tacos I have ever had, but don't let the lack of experience fool you. I've always wanted to make fish tacos, and today I found great recipe after purchasing tilapia.
This is definitely a meal that will have a repeat performance in our house.

Grilled Fish Tacos
Bon Appetit, May 2008
by Steven Raichlen

2 cups chopped white onion, divided
3/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, divided
1/4 cup olive oil
5 tablespoons fresh lime juice, divided
3 tablespoons fresh orange juice
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano (preferably Mexican)
1 pound tilapia, striped bass, or sturgeon fillets
Coarse kosher salt
1 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon milk
Corn tortillas
2 avocados, peeled, pitted, sliced
1/2 small head of cabbage, cored, thinly sliced
Salsa Verde
Lime wedges

Stir 1 cup onion, 1/4 cup cilantro, oil, 3 tablespoons lime juice, orange juice, garlic, and oregano in medium bowl. Sprinkle fish generously with salt and pepper. Spread half of onion mixture over bottom of glass baking dish. Arrange fish atop onion mixture. Spoon remaining onion mixture over fish. Cover and chill 30 minutes. Turn fish; cover and chill 30 minutes longer. Whisk mayonnaise, milk, and remaining 2 tablespoons lime juice in small bowl.

I prepared the fish in a grill pan, because we do not have a barbeque. If prepared this way, you can just pour the fish and the entire marinade into the grill pan, and serve the cooked marinade with the fish. Grill at med-high heat for about 3-5 minute per side, or until fully cooked. (Fish can also be grilled on a BBQ grill for a more distinct flavor).

Break up the fish into large pieces; place on platter. Serve with lime mayonnaise, tortillas (heated for grilled), remaining 1 cup chopped onion, remaining 1/2 cup cilantro, avocados, cabbage, Salsa Verde, and lime wedges.

Sare's Notes:
1. MAKE THIS!!! The marinade and the lime mayonnaise totally make the dish.
2.We did not have cabbage, but I did use tomatoes and it made it more colorful and tasty.

Winners

2009-04-25T16:07:00.000-07:00

Thanks to everyone who participated in my very first giveaway. Hopefully we'll have more in the future.

The winners of the Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce are.....

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

11 4

Timestamp: 2009-04-25 23:04:47 UTC

Natalie & Chelsi! I will be in contact with you and Country Bob's.

Country Bob's GIVEAWAY

2009-04-20T09:30:00.000-07:00

You read that right. I am having a giveaway! And we need to get the word out. But first, I need to tell you a little something about Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce. We here in the Chilton kitchen like sauce. We like tangy, spicy foods (not the singe-your-taste-buds-off kind of spicy, but kick...just a little kick). We enjoy sauces. I will admit though, when it comes to BBQ, if I am going to splurge, it is often based on the picture on the bottle. If there is a man on the bottle, and he looks remotely "Southern" (like I can really tell, right?), then I assume, Whoa, this man must know his stuff, and I proceed to make the purchase. (Note: Country Bob's picture is on the side of the label, and he looks like he knows his stuff). Is that so wrong?

Country Bob's Meatloaf
(from Country Bob's recipe brochure)

1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
1/4 cup chopped onion
12 saltine crackers, crushed
2 eggs, beaten
3/4 C. Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce
1/4 C. milk
1 T. Country Bob's Season Salt (* see note below *)
1/4 tsp. pepper

Combine the ground beef, onion, cracker crumbs, eggs, Country Bob's all Purpose Sauce, Country Bob's Season Salt, and pepper in a bowl and mix well. Shape into a loaf and place in a baking pan. Spread the desired amount of additional Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce on top of loaf. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until loaf is cooked through. Removed the loaf to a serving plate. Let stand for several minutes before slicing. Yield: 6 to 8 servings.

Sare's Notes:
1. GREAT Sauce. Thank you Country Bob's. We didn't used to be meatloaf people, until we tried an awesome recipe last year, so when I gave my husband the options in the recipe booklet, he chose meatloaf. This WAS GREAT!
2. If you notice, the recipe calls for 1 T. season salt (That means TABLESPOON). I assumed this was a typo because I have never used a recipe that calls for that much salt, so I only put a teaspoon and it was perfect. I didn't have Country Bob's Season Salt, but used regular ol' season salt and it worked.
3. This meatloaf was super moist (but that was my fault because I didn't have lean ground beef), but if yours is super moist too, let it stand before transferring to a plate or slicing.

NOW FOR THE GIVEAWAY!!!!!
Country Bob's is offering one of my readers their very own bottle of Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce. What a great addition to your culinary cupboard.

To Enter:
Please visit Country Bob's website, and check out the recipes. Tell me which other recipe you'd like to try. (I was contemplating the Honolulu Bob Burgers for my next adventure....mmmm). Or, come up with your own recipe and tell me how you would use Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce on your menu. Please leave a comment with this info AND your email address so I can contact you.

EXTRA ENTRIES (after doing the initial entry)
1. Become a follower to Chilton Kitchen, and write another comment to let me know.
2. Blog about this giveaway, put the link in the comments section.
3. Direct me to the most wonderful summertime recipe you have ever experienced (It is supposed to be in the 90s here today...summer is arriving early).

This is for US residents only, and comments will close Friday, April 24, 9PM Pacific Time. Winner will be posted here, and contacted by email.

Thanks for entering!

Buddy Brownie Bars

2009-04-13T15:58:00.000-07:00

My mom and I are beginning a new tradition. Every year we're going to make a treat together the Friday before Easter. We made this one up as we went, and it was great. Very rich. I recommend serving it as part of a hot fudge Sundae.

Buddy Brownie Bars
by Sare and Mom

1 stick of butter, melted
1 chocolate cake mix (dry)
1/2 C. (or more) white chocolate chips
1/2 C. (or more) chocolate chips (semisweet or milk)
1/2 C. (or more) butterscotch chips
1 C. mini marshmallows
1 can sweetened condensed milk
3/4 C chopped pecans
1 C. shredded sweetened coconut

Preheat oven to 350.
Melt butter and put in the bottom of a 9 x 13 baking dish. Pour cake mix over it, and mix together until crumbly. Press down as the crust.
Sprinkle chips evenly over the crust. Sprinkle marshmallows evenly over the crust. Use 1/2 (ONLY HALF) of the sweetened condensed milk and drizzle over entire creation. Evenly distribute the pecans, followed by 3/4 C of the coconut. Drizzle remaining sweetened condensed milk followed by remaining coconut flakes.

Bake for 35-40 minutes. Check for golden brown edges. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before cutting (otherwise it will just ooze).

Cinnamon Apple Bread

2009-04-07T15:37:00.000-07:00

I think I am on a bread kick lately. Muffins, bread, pastries. It might be Natalie's fault, going gluten-free for Lent and all, that has me searching for all things bread-y.

This morning Asher opened the fridge (as he often does) and asked for cinnamon toast with peanut butter. We have no bread, and no peanut butter. (No butter at all, for that matter). Right away I did a search and found this recipe on allrecipes.com.

I tweaked the recipe quite a bit and turned it into something completely different.

So here it is (along with another not-so-photogenic bread)

Cinnamon Apple Bread
by Sare (inspired by allrecipes.com)

batter:
1 C. whole wheat flour
1 C. all purpose flour
1 C. sugar
2 tsp Baking powder
1 tsp. Baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 T. ground cinnamon
1/4 C. unsweetened apple sauce
1 C. butter milk (or substitute 1 T. lemon juice + remaining milk to = 1 Cup)
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1/4-1/2 C. finely chopped apples.

swirl:
2 T. brown sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 tsp. sour cream

1. Preheat over to 350 and grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan

2. Mix dry ingredients of batter in a large bowl. Mix wet ingredients and in a medium bowl, then add to the dry until just moistened (to prevent over mixing, just use a fork or spatula). Fold in the chopped apples. Pour half of batter into the loaf pan.

3. Mix the swirl ingredients together. Scoop out half of this mixture and spread over the first half of the batter. Swirl around with a toothpick. Pour remaining batter mixture into the loaf pan, and the remaining swirl on top.

4. Bake for 50-55 minutes or until golden brown. Insert a toothpick to check readiness. If it comes out clean, it is done. Cool for at least 10 minutes before cutting.

Sare's Notes:
1. The original recipe called for oil and butter. I used applesauce and sour cream, respectively, and it came out great. Excellent, in fact, according to my husband. He said, "this is so good, I have to stop myself from eating too much."

2. I used about 3 apple slices and chopped them into pea-sized bits, but feel free to use more, or omit the apples completely. (my son just wouldn't eat those last few slices, and I had to put them to good use).

No-Knead 100% Whole Wheat Bread

2009-04-03T18:33:00.000-07:00

I was exploring recipe websites a week ago looking for knew things to try. I have always wanted to make bread from scratch, but (1) we don't have a bread machine and (2) I do not own an amazing Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer (any help for me? PW...pleeeeease?)
Then I found this recipe. No-Knead?! Serious!

No-Knead 100% Whole Wheat Bread
by King Arthur Flour

1 C. Lukewarm water
1/4 C. Orange Juice
1/4 C. melted butter or vegetable oil
3 T. molasses, maple syrup, dark corn syrup, or brown sugar corn syrup
2 tsp. instant yeast
1/4 C. Baker's special dry milk, or nonfat dry milk
1 1/4 tsp. salt
3 C. Whole Wheat flour (King Arthur white whole wheat flour preferred)

Grease an 8.5 x 4.5 loaf pan with a lot of spray or butter because this stuff is sticky! (the pan MUST be 8.5 x 4.5 or it won't come out right, so measure your pan if you aren't sure).

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl for about 3 minutes on high. The dough will get sticky and un-workable.

Transfer dough to loaf pan and cover tightly with greased plastic wrap.

Preheat oven to 350 and allow bread to rise for an hour.
After an hour, the dough should be higher than the rim of the pan. Time to bake!

Cover with foil (tented) and bake for 40-45 minutes. Remove the foil after the first 20 minutes. You will know the bread is ready when you put in an instant read thermometer and it read 190-195. The top will be golden brown. You can butter in to keep the bread moist. Wait a few minutes, then cool on a rack. Wait to cut until it is cool.

Sare's Notes:
1. I didn't have any molasses, dark corn syrup, or brown sugar corn syrup. I used brown sugar and it worked fine (I'd like to try the recommendations though).
2. I used fresh orange juice with pulp and it worked.
3. I didn't use the thermometer because when the timer went off, we had to leave somewhere anyway. I inspected the bread, and it was fine.
4. I would much rather make this in a stand mixer because as I was mixing, my hand mixer started to smell funny because it was working too hard. If you use a hand mixer, just don't use it for too long.

Tuscan Bean Soup

2009-03-31T04:21:00.000-07:00

This soup was inspired by this soup recipe posted by my friend Natalie (you will find eventually that most of my favorite recipes come from Natalie). My modifications are in italics.

Tuscan Bean Soup
from 1001 Low-Fat Soups and Stews by Sue Spitler and Linda R. Yoakam

2 c. white beans, drained (Cannellini or Great Northern) (or 3 C. soaked dried beans)
1 c. onion, chopped
3 medium carrots, diced (or cut into slices)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 T olive oil
8 oz deli ham, chopped (or 1 C. chopped ham)
3 c. chicken broth, divided
½ tsp dried thyme
½ tsp dried marjoram
½ tsp dried rosemary
1/8 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper
1 c Italian diced tomatoes
Salt, to taste

Saute the carrots onions, and garlic in olive oil until tender (5-8 minutes). Add ham and saute for 2 more minutes. Add 2 C. broth, herbs, and peppers. With remaining cup of broth, mix with 1 1/2 cups of beans in a food processor until smooth. Add this mixture, along with remaining beans to the soup (if you are using canned beans, wait to add the beans until the end when you add tomatoes). Heat to boiling, then reduce heat and simmer for about 35 minutes. Add tomatoes and salt, to taste. Serve with crusty bread.

Toffee

2009-03-30T04:06:00.000-07:00

I love when you come across a blog of some unknown person, you have a question for them (generally about food or crafts), and they actually reply. That was the case for me when I came across this recipe for toffee at Skip to my Lou. This lady was so nice. I asked if she knew how long it took to boil the sugar and butter because I didn't have a candy thermometer (I made two mistakes that day, and thought I might ask for help). She told me the candy thermometer was cheap and I should get one. I'm glad I did because this was sooooo easy. You have sugar, butter, and vanilla, top with some chocolate, you're ready.
Go!

Alice Belle’s World’s Best English Toffee Recipe

(from skiptomylou.org)

2 sticks of butter
1 1/3 cups white sugar
3 Tablespoons water
1/2 Cup nuts (optional)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 - 1 1/2 Cups chocolate chips (milk chocolate is best but semi-sweet is good also)

First, line a large jelly roll pan with foil so that there is some hanging over the edges.
Melt butter in a sauce pan and add the sugar and water. Mix well, and heat at med-high until it reaches 300 degrees (this will take a little while, but you NEED a candy thermometer. Be aware that between 285-300 the temperature rises rapidly, so you need to be constantly stirring to avoid burning).
I don't use nuts, but if you like nuts, add them at this time, and remove from heat. Immediately pour entire mixture into the lined jelly roll pan, and sprinkle chocolate chips over the entire thing.
Allow the chips a few minutes to melt (about 3-5 minutes), then smooth the melted chocolate over the entire toffee.
Cool completely in the refrigerator, then remove from the foil, and break.

Daring Bakers Challenge--Lasagna of Emilia-Romagna

2009-03-27T21:46:00.000-07:00

The March 2009 challenge is hosted by Mary of Beans and Caviar, Melinda of Melbourne Larder and Enza of Io Da Grande. They have chosen Lasagne of Emilia-Romagna from The Splendid Table by Lynne Rossetto Kasper as the challenge.

When I made these Sticky Buns last month, my friend Natalie convinced me that I should join The Daring Bakers (now The Daring Kitchen, and they will be doing Daring Cooks challenges next month too). So this is my first official challenge. I like challenges. This almost feels like getting an assignment from school or something, only WAY more fun.

For those of you who are wondering about The Daring Kitchen, please visit their website.

For my first challenge, Natalie and I decided to work together. I am really grateful that Natalie allowed me to use her expertise for this because (1) I don't own a kitchenaid mixer (anyone out there want to sponsor me, or put a good word in with Pioneer Woman? Anyone? Anyone...dang), and (2) I have never made homemade pasta before. I've made lasagna my Brazilian way, but never the noodles from scratch.

We, unfortunately didn't get any pictures of us working in the kitchen. (Natalie had her camera in the kitchen, and I even brought my camera with me, and we still forgot). But out lasagna was a masterpiece. Natalie made the dough for the noodles ahead of time, and I worked on the sauces, and we brought it all together.

(Gluten-Free) Lasagne of Emilia-Romagna
from The Splendid Table by Lynne Rossetto Kasper
(Serves 8 to 10 as a first course, 6 to 8 as a main dish)

Preparation Time: 15 minutes to assemble and 40 minutes cooking time

10 quarts (9 litres) salted water
1 recipe gluten-free Spinach Pasta cut for lasagna (recipe follows)
1 recipe Bechamel Sauce (recipe follows)
1 recipe Sarah's Ragu (recipe follows)
1 cup (4 ounces/125g) freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Method
Working Ahead:
The ragu and the béchamel sauce can be made up to three days ahead. The ragu can also be frozen for up to one month. The pasta can be rolled out, cut and dried up to 24 hours before cooking. The assembled lasagne can wait at room temperature (20 degrees Celsius/68 degrees Fahrenheit) about 1 hour before baking. Do not refrigerate it before baking, as the topping of béchamel and cheese will overcook by the time the center is hot.

Assembling the Ingredients:
Have all the sauces, rewarmed gently over a medium heat, and the pasta at hand. Have a large perforated skimmer and a large bowl of cold water next to the stove. Spread a double thickness of paper towels over a large counter space. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius). Oil or butter a 3 quart (approx 3 litre) shallow baking dish.

Cooking the Pasta: (This step is not necessary if you make gluten-free pasta)
Bring the salted water to a boil. Drop about four pieces of pasta in the water at a time. Cook about 2 minutes. If you are using dried pasta, cook about 4 minutes, taste, and cook longer if necessary. The pasta will continue cooking during baking, so make sure it is only barely tender. Lift the lasagne from the water with a skimmer, drain, and then slip into the bowl of cold water to stop cooking. When cool, lift out and dry on the paper towels. Repeat until all the pasta is cooked.

Assembling the Gluten-Free Lasagne:
The assembly is the same as the regular lasagne with the addition of water. Gluten free lasagne noodles need a little more moisture for the lasagne, so you will be adding a little bit of water to the lasagne.

Before assembly, pour plain water into the pan, enough to form a thin film of water over the bottom. A 9 x 13 inch or 25 x 33 cm pan required almost ½ cup (125 mL) of water. Once the lasagne is assembled, pour a tablespoon or 15 mL of water into each corner of the dish. Cover the lasagne tightly with aluminium foil. Be careful not to touch the top of the lasagne with the foil. Bake as directed.

Assembling the Lasagne:
Spread a thin layer of béchamel over the bottom of the baking dish. Arrange a layer of about four overlapping sheets of pasta over the béchamel. Spread a thin layer of béchamel (about 3 or 4 spoonfuls) over the pasta, and then an equally thin layer of the ragu. Sprinkle with about 1&1/2 tablespoons of the béchamel and about 1/3 cup of the cheese. Repeat the layers until all ingredients are used, finishing with béchamel sauce and topping with a generous dusting of cheese.

Baking and Serving the Lasagne:
Cover the baking dish lightly with foil, taking care not to let it touch the top of the lasagne. Bake 40 minutes, or until almost heated through. Remove the foil and bake another 10 minutes, or until hot in the center (test by inserting a knife – if it comes out very warm, the dish is ready). Take care not to brown the cheese topping. It should be melted, creamy looking and barely tinged with a little gold. Turn off the oven, leave the door ajar and let the lasagne rest for about 10 minutes. Then serve. This is not a solid lasagne, but a moist one that slips a bit when it is cut and served.

Gluten-Free Spinach Egg Pasta
adapted from an anonymous commenter on Tomatilla!

1/3 cup potato starch
2/3 cup cornstarch
2/3 cup fine cornflour
1 cup tapioca flour
2/3 cup white rice flour
1 tsp salt
6 oz frozen spinach, thawed, squeezed dry, and chopped
5 tbsp olive oil
6 eggs

Put all dry ingredients in a Kitchen Aid mixing bowl and sift several times to combine. Add the olive oil, eggs, basil and garlic and thoroughly knead with kneading attachment to make a stiff dough. Adjust flour if needed or add a little water. Once thoroughly combined, wrap dough ball in plastic wrap and let sit for 30 minutes to rest.

Break about 1/6th of the dough ball off, rewrap the rest to prevent it drying out. Either roll out thinly on the counter top by hand or use a pasta machine.

Sare's Notes:
1. The noodles wouldn't thin out, and we're guessing it is due to their gluten-free nature. The noodles were very hearty this way, and no one seemed to mind.
2. Being Gluten-free did not have any effect on the taste of the noodles, in my opinion.

Gluten Free Béchamel - White Sauce
(original challenge recipe)

2 & 2/3 cup milk
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 tablespoons corn starch (fine white and squeaky) – another starch can be substituted
Salt and pepper to taste
Freshly grated nutmeg

Mix the corn starch with ½ cup of cold milk. Heat the rest of the milk in a small sauce pan until steaming but do not boil. Add the milk/cornstarch mixture to the steaming milk. Stirring constantly, raise the heat and heat the mixture until thick. Once it is thick, remove it from the heat and add the butter, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Have the béchamel warm or at room temperature ready to assemble the lasagne. Whisk the sauce occasionally if it becomes stiff or thick.

Country Style Ragu
adapted by Me from the original challenge recipe

Makes enough sauce for 1 recipe fresh pasta or 1 pound/450g dried pasta)
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 ounces/120g pancetta, finely chopped
1 medium onion, minced
1 medium stalk celery, minced
1 small carrot, minced
9 ounces chicken sausage (with mushroom and asiago)
1 &1/2 cups chicken stock
2 cups milk
3 cans stewed tomatoes, drained
1 tsp garlic, minced (or two garlic cloves, minced)
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in a 12 inch skillet over med-high heat. Add the pancetta and minced vegetables and sauté, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, 10 minutes, or until the onions barely begin to color. Remove chicken sausage from its casing and crumble into the mixture. Heat for another 10-15 minutes or until the meat is lightly browned. Add chicken stock and milk, bring to a slight boil, then reduce to simmer. Add tomatoes, garlic, and basil, and allow the tomatoes to crumble (maybe help them out with a spoon). Simmer for about 30-45 minutes on low heat, stirring occasionally.

Sare's Notes:
1. I really enjoyed making this sauce. It was very colorful.
2. I think I will use this recipe again for a soup (we actually all sampled the left over sauce, as a soup covered with cheese, while the lasagna cooked. Both of our families enjoyed it).

Overall response:
Everyone ate, and thoroughly enjoyed the lasagna. Our toddlers happily ate (must have been the cheese). I was pleasantly surprised that the lasagna wasn't soupy or mushy. It was perfect, and absorbed all of the juices from the soup.

Ham Artichoke Sundried Tomato Pasta

2009-03-17T15:34:00.000-07:00

Ham Artichoke Sundried Tomato Pasta
by Sare

1 box pasta (we used angel hair)
1 C. diced ham
1/2 C. chopped sundried tomatoes in oil
1 can artichoke hearts, chopped
1 medium onion, diced
1 T. minced garlic (or less, we just love garlic)
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. thyme
salt
pepper
olive oil

Boil water for pasta in a pot.

Place ham, artichokes, tomatoes, and onion in a pan to saute. Drizzle with a little bit of olive oil. Saute for about 10 minutes, or until all of the onion is translucent.

Begin making the pasta in a separate pot.

Add in garlic, herbs, salt, and pepper (to your taste), and saute another 5 minutes.

Serve pasta topped with this wonderful mixture

Pecan Sticky Muffins

2009-03-16T16:03:00.000-07:00

If making these sticky buns is a little daunting for you, try these muffins.

Pecan Sticky Muffins
from Muffins by Elizabeth Alston

Topping:

1/4 C. (1/2 stick) butter, melted
1/4 C. packed dark brown sugar
about 1 C. chopped pecans

Batter:
1 1/2 C. All Purpose Flour
1/2 C. oat bran (I didn't have this and used flax instead)
1 T. baking powder
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
2 large eggs
1/4 C. packed dark brown sugar
1 C. milk
1/4 C. (1/2 stick) butter, melted
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350. DO NOT use paper cup liners. Either grease the muffin tin, or use non-stick.
Measure out about 1 tsp. melted butter, 1 tsp. brown sugar, and a pinch of chopped pecans (in that order) in each muffin cup.

Mix all dry ingredients together (flour, bran, baking powder, cinnamon and salt) in a large bowl.

In another bowl, beat together the eggs and brown sugar until smooth. Whisk in milk, butter, and vanilla.

Mix all together in the larger bowl until ingredients are just moistened.

Evenly distribute batter among the 12 muffin cups and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown and firm.

When removing from the oven, immediately turn the pan over on top of a sheet of foil (this will help as much of the sticky part stay on the muffins and keep it from hardening).

Serve warm.

Fruit Pizza

2009-03-09T16:41:00.000-07:00

As requested by a college roommate, Alyssa, here's some fruit pizza happiness headed your way. The inspiration for this recipe came from my MTC cafeteria days. I worked there and would sample the desserts sometimes. This was one of my favorites.

Fruit Pizza
by Sare (that's me)

crust:
2 rolls Ready made sugar cookie dough (unless you want to try Natalie's recipe from scratch. Chill it if you do this so it isn't too gooey to work with)

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a cookie sheet (with an edge). I use a cookie sheet/jelly roll pan that is fairly large, so I use 2 rolls of the cookie dough. The easiest way to spread the dough is by slicing it into 1/2 rounds and arranging the rounds fairly close together on the cookie sheet, then smooshing them together until the cookie dough is completely connected and covers the entire pan. (note: if you are using cookie dough from scratch, simply drop globs of cookie dough all over the sheet and smoosh them together). You could also do this on a pizza stone to make it really look like pizza.
Bake the crust at 350 for 15-20 minutes. Check to make sure it is golden. When it is done, remove from the oven, and allow to cool completely.

Topping:
1 tub of whipped topping
1--8 oz. package of cream cheese, softened
1/2 C. powdered sugar (or more if you want it sweeter)

Make sure the whipped topping is NOT frozen, and allow the cream cheese to soften on the counter for an hour (or just use a rolling pin to beat it in the package). Out all ingredients in a mixing bowl and blend with an electric mixer until smooth. Sometimes the cream cheese creates lumps, and that is fine. The more softened the cream cheese, the better it will blend.

Top with fruits of your choice. Mandarin oranges, kiwi, sliced strawberries, blueberries, raspberries (any berries actually), or bananas (if you use bananas, make sure they are just ripe enough, and sprinkle with orange juice so they don't brown). Wash your fruits and pat them dry. Arrange them on individual pieces, or on the pizza as a whole.

If you want to get fancy, you can do designs, like a flag for The Fourth of July.

Balsamic Vinaigrette

2009-03-05T07:28:00.000-08:00

We never buy salad dressings because they are so expensive, and it is just easier to make it ourselves. This is my favorite salad dressing. My father-in-law is a master dressing-maker. It is super easy, I just wish I didn't break my old dressing mixer bottle.

(tragic story...following a ward dinner, I put Silas into his car seat and we were driving away, I thought a tree branch fell on our car...nope, it was the wooden salad bowl, tongs, and dressing mixer I forgot on top of the van. Needless to say, they were shattered all down the street...oh well).

Balsamic Vinaigrette

1/3 C. Balsamic Vinegar
1 C. Olive Oil
1 T. Montreal Steak Seasoning
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp. brown sugar

The measurements of the spices are at your descretion, so taste the dressing as you go, and feel free to add other spices as well. Sometimes I throw in a bit of Italian Seasoning (oregano, basil, rosemary, etc). I recommend purchasing the Montreal Steak Seasoning at Costco because it will last forever and it is very versatile.

Put all ingredients in a jar or bottle with a secure lid. Shake, shake, shake, and you're ready to go.

Another thing about salads. Don't ever sell yourself short....buy good leaves. Never buy iceberg. I recommend red leaf and romaine with this dressing.

Pizza Night

2009-02-21T15:26:00.000-08:00

I love pizza. I think I could eat pizza every night if I had to. Pizza is so great because you can add whatever you want to top it off. In Brazil, they have dessert pizza. Oooooh. Someday, I will make one of these special pizzas for my family (Prestigio--melted chocolate with coconut flakes, or maybe chocolate, strawberries, with sweetened condensed milk drizzled on top, with a scoop of ice cream).

One of my New Year's Resolutions has been to create more traditions. I remember a book I had to read in college talked about family folklore and traditions and how much of what we deem as traditions are centered around food. I personally have no problem with that. I love food.

A few months ago, I decided on a tradition to begin: Pizza Night. Friday night. Home made pizza night. It is easy, delicious, and doesn't come in a greasy box.

The Crust
adapted from this recipe by Cindy Clawson

This makes two crusts, and I did them in two different bowls.

5 c. flour
2 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. salt
2 T. yeast
2 c. warm water
2 T. oil

Preheat the oven to 450 with a pizza stone inside the oven.

Mix the first 4 ingredients together in a large bowl or stand mixer. Combine the water with the oil, then add to the dry ingredients until combined. (At this point, I just rushed through and did my own thing). Add a little more flour to the bowl, just a sprinkle, and knead it into the dough ball for about 3 minutes. Split the dough in half. Place each half in a buttered bowl, turning once so the butter is on all of it. Cover each bowl with a clean towel or cloth napkin to rise at least 20 minutes.

With one bowl, punch down the dough, then remove it from the bowl. Remove the pizza stone from the oven, spray with nonstick spray, or sprinkle cornmeal (I need to start doing that). Place the dough in the middle, and roll it out so it almost covers the stone (about 1 inch from the edge).

Fork the crust all over, then add some sauce (don't drown your pizza. Treat the sauce like a glaze, you don't need much), fresh mozzarella cheese (the kind that comes in a ball in water...slice it up, grating doesn't work), and one or two other toppings, and top it all off with some chopped-up fresh basil. We also like to add caramelized onions.

Bake for 15-20 minutes at 450. (then repeat with second dough ball while everyone is eating the first). FYI--the second dough with be much thicker because it had more time to rise. If you don't want it to do this, then half the recipe and do one dough at a time.

Sarah's Simple Sauce

6 roma tomatoes
1/2 c. Chicken broth
1 T. Oregano
2 cloves Garlic, minced
dash of salt

Heat all ingredients in a small sauce pan until boiling. Boil for 2 minutes, then smash the tomatoes a little with a fork. Cook on low for about 20 minutes. With a stick blender, completely puree the sauce. Allow sauce to cool and thicken before using. Spread on pizza crust.

Caramelized Onions

swirl of extra virgin olive oil (swirl it in the pan once or twice)
2 Red Onions, chopped into skinny slices
2 T. molasses
3/4 c. packed brown sugar
dash of salt

Chop the onions into thin slices, and place in a pan with the olive oil on medium heat. Drizzle molasses over top, then forget about it for about 5 minutes. Sprinkle brown sugar on top, and mix together. Forget about it for another 5-10 minutes. Stir and turn down heat to med-low or low. Add a dash or two of salt, and let it sit for another 10 minutes or until you are ready to use it. Add as much as you want to the pizza.

Creamy Tomato Soup

2009-02-19T09:01:00.000-08:00

Creamy Tomato Soup
By Kenn K, a friend

6 slices of bacon
1 Red onion (or yellow, I just prefer red) chopped
4 Celery Stalks, chopped
3 Carrots, chopped (or about 2 cups of chopped baby carrots)
6 Cloves of garlic, minced
2 cans or 1/2 a carton of Chicken Broth
2 cans (14.5 oz each) diced tomatoes
2 tsp Salt
2 tsp Black Pepper
4 Bay Leaves
2 tsp Thyme
1 tsp oregano
1 can Crema (table cream), or 1 cup sour cream
1 cup milk
1 T parsley, finely chopped or dried

Optional garnish
Chopped avocado
grated asiago, parmiggiano regiano, or romano cheese

Don't these colors look gorgeous?! Veggies are much more photogenic than soup.

Cut bacon into 1” pieces and cook in a large soup pot over high heat, stirring, until most of the fat has rendered but bacon is still soft (i.e. not crispy). Transfer bacon to a paper towel-lined bowl or plate and set aside. Pour out all but about 2-3 Tbsp of the bacon grease. Reduce heat to medium high, add the onion, carrots, celery, garlic, bay leaves, salt, and pepper, and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until soft and fragrant, about 8-10 minutes.

Add thyme and oregano, and stir to incorporate herbs. Pour the broth and (undrained)diced tomatoes into the pot. Cover and bring to a boil. After it comes to a boil let mixture cook for about 20 – 25 minutes covered while stirring occasionally to keep ingredients from sticking to the bottom of the pot.

Remove the bay leaves, add the parsley, and stir. Turn off the heat. Mix the soup with a hand held stick blender until completely it is the consistency you desire.

Pour the heavy cream into the puree slowly while stirring/whisking. Add the bacon pieces back to the soup and stir.

Garnish individual servings with avocado and grated cheese.

Notes:
1. Add seasonings according to your taste. Don't feel limited. I also added some dried basil.
2. Diced tomatoes come in a variety of options. One of our cans actually had diced jalapenos added. Nice kick!
3. If you do not have a hand held stick blender, a normal blender works, but make sure to blend only a few cups at a time so it doesn't spill over.
4. Use real cheese. None of that canned fluff.

Pecan Sticky Buns

2009-02-18T08:46:00.000-08:00

1. I have NEVER successfully made any sort of bread/pastry before. Never. Ever. Well, banana
bread...and pizza crust, but really that doesn't count at all.

2. Not only was I successful, and several people can attest to the tasty goodness, I spent a majority of Friday night and Saturday morning creating this masterpiece.
(Time + Energy = Appreciation...am I right?)

3. There always has to be some other third thing....I have thoroughly convinced my husband that I DESPERATELY need one of these (even though this tasty treat will only be made for Valentine's Day, ahem, new tradition. I still intend to use it for other things). If any of you dear friends ever want to enter contests for me to get one, please feel free. Otherwise, we'll just save up $7 a week until my birthday, so maybe we can afford one (my birthday is in December, by the way).

However, my husband and I agree, this will only be done once a year: Valentine's Day. New tradition. I will show love to my family by making them some Sticky Buns. I love saying sticky buns. It makes me laugh each time.

I guess I should share this recipe. Well, dieters, still you have a chance to stop reading. I mean it. This is "the best pecan sticky buns I've ever had" (my dear friend of Natalie of "Perry's Plate"). She tested them. I made her. (And her husband, and her mom and dad, and we can't forget the toddler). I don't know how copyright stuff works with recipes. I will tell you the ingredients, where I got it, and my own words, but honestly, BUY THIS BOOK (Cooking with Julia by Dorie Greenspan). I borrowed it last week from my mother-in-law because the pictures were making me salivate.

WARNING: You are about to embark on a two-day journey to pecan sticky-bun bliss. It is worth it. Do not let the time commitment intimidate you. I sacrificed a lot. This was worth not getting to bed until after midnight. It was worth waiting until 2pm to get a shower the next day. I don't even want to know how much fat is in each serving, but you know what, that was worth it too. If I can make a pastry masterpiece, anyone can. You just really need one of these. If you don't have one, borrow from someone (Thank you Heather!). Hand-held mixers are not allowed on this journey. Sorry.

Pecan Sticky Buns
contributing baker Nancy Silverton
as written by Dorie Greenspan
Baking With Julia (p. 43, 190-192...in case you wanted to know)

First, you must make the Brioche.

"The Sponge"
1/3 C warm whole milk (100-110 degrees). If you don't drink whole, buy it anyway.
2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
1 Large egg (I pre-beat my eggs, they blend better that way)
2 C unbleached all-purpose flour

Mix the milk, yeast, egg, and ONE cup of the flour together in a heavy duty mixer using a spatula until everything is just moist (do not overmix). Pour the rest of the flour on top. And now leave it alone. For 30-40 minutes. It sounds silly, but do it. Set the timer and walk away.

When you come back, the mound should look "cracked."

Now, add the following to the mixture, and put a dough hook in place in the heavy duty mixer (I envy those of you who already own these luxurious creations).

The Dough
1/3 C sugar
1 tsp kosher salt (I used sea salt...is that Kosher?)
4 large eggs, lighty beaten
1 C unbleached, all-purpose flour

Mix these in for about a minute or two on LOW.
While mixing, sprinkle in:

1/2 C flour

When that is fully added to the mix, put the speed up to Medium. Scraping the sides now and then, keep mixing this for about 15 minutes. The dough should coil itself around the dough hook, and if by the time you've reached 7-10 minutes, it still doesn't seem thick like that, add up to 3 TBSP. more of flour (I did). Make sure you give it the full 15 minutes because Dorie said so, and she is an awesome baker/cook/chef, so I'd listen.

Warning: If the mixer gets hot, don't freak out. Just don't do multiple batches in succession, let it rest. (Plus, you will need a rest too, I don't know how anyone would manage doing more than one of these at a time...bread needs your full attention).

Now it's time to add the butter. Dorie's advice is critical. The butter must be soft, at room temperature, but not greasy or oily (DO NOT melt it). I really didn't understand that until I did this. Take the butter that is slightly soft, and smash it up. She recommends spreading it on a smooth surface first, or beating it with a rolling pin.

Add in:
1 1/2 C butter (at room temp)

At med-low speed, add in the butter a few tablespoons at a time. Your dough will take on another life at this point, but continue scraping the sides, it will all make sense soon. When you've added all the butter, mix for 5 minutes on medium high. If after the 5 minutes, the dough hasn't returned to the hook, coiling as it did once before, add in a TBSP of flour. (I did).

Butter the inside of a large bowl. Take your wonderful mound of dough, put it in this butter bowl, wrap it tight with plastic wrap and let it sit for 2-2 1/2 hours. This is the first rise.

Second rise: Deflate the dough by putting your fingers under it and moving it, inch by inch, away from the bowl, then putting it back in the bowl to sink (DO NOT punch). Wrap tightly again with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4-6 hours minimum or overnight (overnight was my choice).

Next Day:

Take the dough mound (which will seem pretty bulky) and divide in half. Put half back in the bowl and wrap it up, and return it to the fridge.

Lightly flour your working surface (Dorie says "cool marble is ideal"...I just used our wood kitchen table). Roll out the dough to an 11" x 13" rectangle (I am the imperfectionist and mine was about 10x 14...) and about 1/4 inch thick. It is important to do this next step rather quickly because the heat from your hands could make it rise more (which is why I used a spatula instead of my hands).

3/4 stick of butter (for each half...so 1 1/2 sticks total), softened at room temp

Spread the butter over the surface of the dough (do this a little at a time, or just do flakes. It might be an idea to use a grater or peeler and shave the butter all over the surface). Now fold the dough in thirds, like you would a piece of paper for a business letter. This is best done if the long side of the rectangle is horizontal. Fold in the right side first, then the left to cover it. Now gently, roll this out a little so it is a bit wider, but do not crush the folds you just made (or in other words, do not roll it so much or so hard that it returns to the form of the rest. You want these folds). Do not roll over the edges.

Fold and roll once more (even though it will be more narrow this time). Wrap this roll in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes to rest. REPEAT with the other dough from the fridge.

Filling (read below how this is done):
1/4 C sugar (I actually mixed white and brown...but this just says sugar)
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 large egg, lighty beaten
1 cup chopped pecans

Mix sugar and cinnamon in a bowl.

Remove one roll from the fridge (work one at a time) and roll it out again to 11" x 13" (seems tricky, but do it). Use a pastry brush and spread the beaten egg all over the dough (obviously, you won't use it all up). Spread half of the cinnamon and sugar mixture over the dough, and place 1/2 C chopped pecans over almost the whole surface of dough, leaving the top 2 inches or so bare. Now roll it up like a log, wrap with plastic wrap, and put in the freezer. Repeat with other half of dough. Freeze for 45 min. - 1 hour.

While the logs are in the freezer, prepare your pans. You need 2 round pans (9 inch rounds), but I actually used 3 pans, and they were all full. I don't know how that happened. I'm an imperfectionist, and I am fine with my mistake. For EACH pan you need to take 1 stick of softened butter and smash it to the bottom, and 1 C packed light brown sugar sprinkled evenly over the butter.

Remove the logs and cut into 1 1/2 inch wide slices. Again, the recipe yields 14 servings, but somehow, I ended up with 22, so I needed another pan (hmm, maybe I rolled it the wrong way). My mistake resulted in many taste-testers, so I am sure no one had any problems with that.
For each roll, place the flat side on your hand, and squash it wide. Re-shape it, if necessary, so it is still round. Place 3 pecan halves on top of each, and place FACE DOWN in each pan (each pan can fit about 7 rolls).
Do this with all the dough.

Let the pans sit, uncovered, to rise at room temp for 1/2-2 hours. From my experience, I am normally am impatient person, but I highly recommend letting it sit for the longer time option whenever an option is given.

Sometime during the rise, set your oven to 350.

Now you can see why the fold and roll step was so important. Look at those luscious layers!

Hopefully at the end of your 2 hours, your sticky buns will be touching (oh I'm glad JD doesn't place comments on our own blog). HORRAY, it is time to Bake.

Place a cookie sheet wrapped in foil on the level below your rolls to catch any drippings.

Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes or until golden. (Watch on this because my oven did it a little faster, but all ovens are different).

As soon as you take them out of the oven, flip them onto a serving dish. (Easiest way is by placing a plate ON TOP of the pan, and flip the whole thing over. Less mess). This must be done immediately because otherwise the caramel goodness will harden and be worthless. We would not want that to happen. This is the secret, I believe, to a wonderful sticky bun. Let the stuff bake in the gooey, then flip the gooey to drizzle down. Oh, it's wonderful.

Serve warm, but not hot. If they are too hot, the caramel will burn your mouth, and you won't even be able to enjoy how amazing these are. They should all be eaten the same day that they are made, but by all means, share with friends and family. (They are amazing, but you don't want to consume all that butter alone, do you?)