If you're looking for a snack that has a warming spice afterglow...this is for you.
Sweet with a kick snack mix
1 cup peanuts
1 cup pecan halves
1 cup honey wheat crackers
1/2 cup craisens
1/4 cup brown sugar firmly packed
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp cayenne
1 large egg white, lightly beaten
Whip egg white until frothy.
Combine in a gallon plastic bag - peanuts, pecans, crackers and craisens. Pour egg white over, close top and shake.
In a small bowl, combine brown sugar and spices. Pour into plastic bag. Shake well.
Spread out on a parchment lined baking sheet.
Yield: 4 cups
Bake for 15 minutes at 325°F
A couple months ago a co-worker presented me with a challenge. She brought in a sandwich that had meat baked on the inside. One of my favorite sandwiches is a Monte Cristo so I decided that was the sandwich I wanted to create as a stuffed bun.
3 1/2 cups bread flour
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 cup milk
3 large eggs
1/4 cup sugar
2 1/4 tsp bread machine active dry yeast
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup ham, cubed
1/2 cup turkey breast, cut thin strips
1/4 cup Monterey Jack cheese shredded
1/8 cup strawberry jam
Melt butter and add milk, heat until warm. Combine all dry ingredients in a bread machine. Slowly pour in milk/butter mixture. Set to dough setting.
When dough cycle is complete, roll out on floured surface until 1/8" thick. Cut out in 4" circles. I used a Pampered Chef Cut-N-Seal to cut the dough with.
Fill the center of each circle with a few ham pieces, turkey slices, a pinch of cheese and 1/4 tsp. strawberry jam.
Pinch together dough and place seam side down on a parchment lined baking sheets. Let rise for a half hour before baking.
Serve warm.
Servings: 26
Bake for 20 minutes at 325°F
I've been wanting to make my own bbq sauce for quite awhile. I'm not sure why I waited until it really isn't the nicest weather outside to do this but luckily I have a few indoor grills.
Honey BBQ Sauce
3/4 cup honey
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup chili sauce
1/4 cup butter
1 tbsp raspberry vinegar
3 tbsp onion finely chopped
2 cloves garlic minced
2 tbsp brown sugar
Combine all the ingredients in a small saucepan. Cook on low heat until onions and garlic are tender.
Yield: 2 cups
It turned out to be a beautiful day after the early morning rain moved on. I've bought mixes for this soup and I thought it was about time I made it from scratch. The next time I'll be using my Thanksgiving turkey leftovers with this recipe. You can use a stalk of celery in place of the celery flakes. I'm not a celery eater but I do like to have some of the flavoring so flakes are the perfect substitute for me.
Chicken Wild Rice Soup
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups Half and Half cream
2 cups chicken breasts, cooked and cut into small pieces
3 cups wild and long grain rice cooked according to package directions
1 cup carrots peeled and diced
1 tbsp celery flakes
1/2 tsp pepper or to taste
salt to taste
4 dashes hot sauce
Cook rice per package directions. Braise chicken breasts and cut into small pieces when cool enough to touch. Heat broth and milk and gradually add in remaining ingredients.
Heat until carrots are cooked.
There's nothing like the smell of cinnamon to brighten a rainy Sunday morning.
Cinnamon Muffins
1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup butter melted
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 large egg slightly beaten
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter melted
Combine the first six dry ingredients in a bowl. Add in buttermilk, egg and 1/3 cup cooled melted butter.
Fill muffin tins 1/2 full and bake until golden brown around the edges.
Remove muffins from pan and cool for a couple minutes. Then dip tops in second 1/4 cup melted butter and then dip into cinnamon and sugar mixture. Turn right side up and let cool the rest of the way.
Servings: 12
Oven Temperature: 325°F
I got the cutest ice cream bowls today from a school fundraiser. Add in the fact that I had a quart of cream a few days from it's expiration date and you get a new recipe.
Black raspberry cookie ice cream
3 cups cream
1 cup sugar
4 large egg yolks lightly beaten
1 cup black raspberry preserves, seedless
8 Pepperidge Farm Milano raspberry cookies, crushed
Cook cream and sugar until warm. Add 1 cup of mixture to the beaten egg yolks to temper before adding to saucepan. Stir constantly.
Cook until mixture coats the back of your spoon.
Strain and pour into your ice cream maker. Add preserves to strained mixture.
Right before it's finished, add in the crushed cookies.
Another nice fall day here. I've been wanting to try making whoopie pies for a long time and even purchased one pan specifically made for making them. That was a waste of money. After one pan, I went back to my standard parchment lined baking sheets. The cookie part is good but the filling is excellent and I'll be using that recipe for more than just this recipe.
Dark chocolate whoopie pies
1 stick butter (no substitutes), softened
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 cup buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
1/2 cup dark cocoa
1 tsp salt
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup mascarpone cheese
1/2 cup Nutella
Cream sugar and butter. Add in egg, vanilla and buttermilk. Gradually add in dry ingredients.
Using a medium scoop, put on parchment lined cookie sheets leaving plenty of room between scoops.
Bake until when you finger test and it doesn't leave an indent.
Let cool completely.
Whip cream until soft peaks form. Add in mascarpone and Nutella. Spread a level amount between cookies.
Servings: 18
Bake at 325°F
