Sticky Buns

These are the easiest sticky buns ever! And they are oh so tasty! This is a must try recipe! We put them together on the eve of every holiday and enjoy them in the morning. I originally found them on the Food Network website but have since found similar recipes in various other places. I have always stuck to the original Paula Deen recipe I started with though. I usually try to use whole pecans but the recipe calls for chopped pecans so you can use whatever you have on hand. I used chopped for the one pictured because that is what the kids prefer. This cannot get any easier. I have even had the kids put it together!

Ingredients

• 16 to 18 unbaked frozen dinner rolls
• 1 (3-ounce) package regular butterscotch pudding mix, not instant
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 cup pecans, chopped
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, melted

Directions

The night before place frozen rolls in well greased Bundt pan. Sprinkle dry pudding mix over rolls. Sprinkle brown sugar over pudding mix. Sprinkle chopped pecans over brown sugar. Pour melted butter over all. To prevent the dough from forming a hard crust while its rising overnight, cover with a damp towel or tightly wrap with plastic wrap. Let rise overnight at room temperature, about 8 to 10 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Bake in oven for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Turn pan over onto a serving platter to remove. Serve by pulling apart chunks with forks.

Whoopie Pies

This wonderful little pies were easy to make and fun to assemble. The sandwich part lies somewhere between a cookie and a cake or brownie and the inside is marshmallow of course! My only complaint is that the recipe said I would end up with 18 sandwiches and I only got 12. I suppose I could have made them slightly smaller but the marshmallow to sandwich ratio seems prefect as is so I think that had I made the cookies any smaller there would have been to much marshmallow and too little sandwich. Next time I intend to double the batter. I may also do some experimenting next time too. Right after the pie is assembled and the marshmallow is still soft it would be fun to roll the sides in candy cane bits, graham cracker bits, nuts or whatever else strikes your fancy. I followed the recipe exactly, though some of the comments posted said they had used all semisweet chocolate rather than a combo so that is an option too. My one word of advice is to stir this one by hand. I generally like to use my Kitchenaid for everything but for this I resisted. Some of the reviewers mentioned that their cookies ended up flat and hard rather than fluffy and soft, this in combination with the recipe saying "take care not to over-mix" told me to skip the mixer and make sure my pies ended up fluffy. These truly do only take a minute to mix anyways so the mixer really is unnecessary. This recipe is from the Food Network website.

Ingredients

• 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
• 4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup natural cocoa powder, such as Hershey's or Scharffen Berger
• 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoons fine salt
• 18 large marshmallows, (not minis)

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicon baking sheet.

Put the unsweetened and semisweet chocolates and butter in a medium microwave-safe bowl; heat at 75 percent power until softened, about 2 minutes. Stir, and continue to microwave until completely melted, about 2 minutes more. (Alternatively, put the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl. Bring a saucepan filled with an inch or so of water to a very slow simmer; set the bowl over, but not touching the water, and stir occasionally until melted and smooth.)

Whisk the sugar, eggs and vanilla into the chocolate mixture until smooth.

Sift the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt into another bowl. Gradually whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until moistened. Switch to a rubber spatula and finish folding the batter together; take care not to over-mix.

Use a small cookie scoop or spoon to drop a heaping tablespoon of batter onto the prepared pan. Repeat to make 36 cookies, spacing them about 1-inch apart. Bake until the cookies spring back when lightly touched, about 6 minutes.

Cool the cookies slightly. Transfer half of the cookies to a rack. Turn the remaining cookies on the pan over, so they lay flat side up. Place a marshmallow on top of each flipped cookie and return pan to the oven. Cook just until the marshmallow begins to soften and puff, about 3 minutes. Cool marshmallow topped cookies slightly, about 2 minutes. Top with the remaining cookies, pressing lightly to make sandwiches. Cool whoopee pies completely on wire racks. Serve.

Store in tightly sealed container for up to 1 week.

Peaches 'N' Cream Pie

This pie was super simple to make and turned out absolutely delicious! I even used frozen peaches and refrigerated pie crust. Everyone should whip one of these things up! I found the recipe on the Taste of Home website. I followed the recipe as it is written.

Ingredients

• Pastry for double-crust pie (9 inches)
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon quick-cooking tapioca
• Dash salt
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 cups sliced fresh or frozen peaches, thawed
• Additional sugar

Directions

• Line a 9-in. pie plate with bottom pastry; trim pastry even with edge of plate. In a large bowl, combine the sugar, flour, tapioca and salt. Set aside 2 tablespoons cream. Combine remaining cream with vanilla; add to the sugar mixture. Add peaches; toss to coat. Let stand for 15 minutes.
• Pour peach mixture into crust. Roll out the remaining pastry; make a lattice top crust. Seal and flute edges. Brush with reserved cream; sprinkle with additional sugar.
• Bake at 400° for 50-55 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly.Cover edges with foil during the last 30 minutes to prevent overbrowning if necessary. Cool on a wire rack. Store pie in the refrigerator. Yield: 6-8 servings.

Dark & Rich Chocolate-Cranberry Cake

As I was making this cake I was unsure of how popular it would be or even if anyone would like it at all. I made a second dessert to be on the safe side. As it turned out everyone loved the cake. It is a very rich and heavy cake though so a sliver is all anyone needs. Next time I make this cake I am going to experiment with a different kind of filling. I was thinking raspberry or mint would be really good. I found the recipe in a Women's Day magazine and it can also be found on their website. I pretty much followed the recipe. They did suggest frosting the sides of the cake first but since the chocolate is warm and melted I decided to waste less and do the top first. I had the cake on wax paper to frost it. Once the chocolate was cold and hardened I cut around the bottom of the cake with a knife to release it from the wax paper. It was super simple to transfer it to the plate because this cake is so dense and heavy.

INGREDIENTS

Cake
8 oz quality semisweet chocolate, chopped
6 Tbsp unsalted butter, cut into pieces
2/3 cup sugar
5 large eggs, separated, at room temperature
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cream of tartar

Cranberry Filling
2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup water

Glaze
6 oz quality semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter
1 Tbsp light corn syrup
1 Tbsp orange liqueur or dark rum

PREPARATION

1. Cake: Heat oven to 350°F. Grease sides of a 9 x 2-in. round pan or springform pan with baking spray; line bottom of pan with parchment. Melt chocolate and butter in a medium saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently until smooth and emulsified; remove from heat. Whisk in 1⁄3 cup of the sugar, the egg yolks, flour, vanilla and salt until thick and smooth.

2. In large bowl of stand mixer, beat egg whites until frothy; add cream of tartar and beat on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in remaining 1⁄3 cup sugar. Beat on high speed until stiff yet billowy peaks form when beaters are lifted. Stir about 1 cup of the whites into the chocolate mixture to loosen, then gently fold in remaining whites until evenly blended. Spread into prepared pan.

3. Bake 30 to 35 minutes, until a pick inserted into center comes out with moist crumbs. Cool in pan on wire rack 15 minutes; invert onto small wire rack and remove parchment. Cool completely (as cake cools, the center will sink slightly).

4. Filling: While cake bakes, bring filling ingredients to a full boil in a medium saucepan; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 15 minutes. Remove from heat and scrape mixture through a fine-mesh sieve set over a bowl; discard skins and seeds. Whisk the jelly smooth. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on surface of jelly and let cool to room temperature.

5. Spread jelly over top of cake in an even layer. Refrigerate cake (keep it on the wire rack) until jelly firms up.

6. Glaze: Combine chocolate, butter and corn syrup in small saucepan over low heat. Stir gently until completely melted and smooth. Remove from heat; stir in liqueur. Remove cake from refrigerator and place over a sheet of wax paper. Using a small metal spatula, spread sides and top of cake with a thin layer of the glaze to cover. Rewarm remaining glaze, then pour it over the top of the cake, allowing it to run off and coat the cake in an even, shiny layer (if there are any bare spots, use runoff glaze from wax paper to patch them). Refrigerate to set glaze. Transfer cake to a serving plate.

7. To serve: Let cake stand at room temperature at least 1 hour before serving. Garnish top with sugared cranberries and mint sprig, if desired.

Note: Cake can be made up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated.

Corn Casserole

I found this recipe on the Food Network website. It is Paula Dean's recipe. I chose the recipe because it looked easy and seemed to fit with my thanksgiving day meal. It was a hit! It was so simple but yet so tasty. The leftovers were even good reheated the next day! I will be making this again and again for sure! Thanks Paula!!

Ingredients

• 1 (15 1/4-ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
• 1 (14 3/4-ounce) can cream-style corn
• 1 (8-ounce) package corn muffin mix (recommended: Jiffy)
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
• 1 to 1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, stir together the 2 cans of corn, corn muffin mix, sour cream, and melted butter. Pour into a greased 9 by 13-inch casserole dish. Bake for 45 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from oven and top with Cheddar. Return to oven for 5 to 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Let stand for at least 5 minutes and then serve warm.

Chunky Baked Potato Soup

I made this tasty soup for dinner last night and served it with BLTs. It is hearty enough to serve as a stand alone meal with some crusty bread though. I really didn't make any adjustments to the recipe other than using chicken stock instead of chicken broth. I almost always choose stock over broth. I think stock gives a recipe a more full flavor and can make a quick recipe taste like you slaved all day in the kitchen! Anyways, moving on from my love of stock... The only complaint that I have is that the soup was a bit thinner than I would have liked. Not sure exactly what to do about that without sacrificing the wonderful flavor and smoothness. The recipe explicitly says 'Do not bring to a boil" though next time I might try to let it boil just for a second to thicken up. Once the soup sat for a couple minutes at the table it did thicken up a bit and was okay. I received no complaints, it was well loved but in my mind just slightly too thin. Also, I think next time I am going to stir in some bacon ahead in addition to what was sprinkled on top. This would also be lovely with ham instead of bacon. I found this recipe on a blog that I adore, Calm in the Kitchen. Go to www.calminthekitchen.blogspot.com/ and check it out! Here is the recipe. Enjoy!

3 large (about 3 pounds) of baking potatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 small onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons flour
1 cup chicken broth
3 cups skim milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
salt and pepper
cheddar cheese
bacon

Preheat an oven to 425 degrees, scrub your potatoes and poke some holes with a fork. Bake for 1 1/2 hours.
Meanwhile, you can go ahead and prepare your bacon (if you dig on swine). Place a wire rack on a baking sheet. Lay the bacon strips on top of the rack and bake in the same 425 degree oven for 17-20 minutes (depending on thickness and desired doneness). Set aside to cool, cut into small strips.

Once the potatoes are cooked, set them aside to cool. You can do this the day before even.
When ready to prepare the soup, cut the potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop the potato out with a spoon. I just gave mine a rough chop, but you can do whatever you wish. If you like a smoother soup, just mash the potato.

In a large sauce pan over medium-high heat, add the butter and oil. Once the butter is melted, add the onion and saute until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds or so. Add the flour and stir to coat the flour in the fats. Using a wisk, slowly add the chicken broth. Once well combined, slowly add the milk, continuing to wisk. Once everything is combined, add back in the potatoes and heavy cream. Salt and pepper to taste. (The bacon I had was kind of salty, so I went easy on the salt). Stir to combine and keep over medium heat. Do not let the soup boil.

Before serving, I added the bacon and a little bit of cheddar cheese to the soup, stirring to combine. This is totally optional. You could just add them as toppings or leave them out all together.

Caramel Macchiato Cookies

These cookies are a favorite around my house. I generally double the batch in the hopes that they may last for more than 24 hours. Looking at these you might think they are your average cookie but you would be very wrong. These are packed with espresso flavor that is complimented perfect with caramel and chocolate. I found this recipe at a food blog called Cookie Madness. You can check it out at www.cookiemadness.net I pretty much follow the recipe exactly except that I usually double the amount of caramel used. The caramel bits are generally pretty hard to find other than during the fall. I usually buy up a lot of them to last me until I can find them again. You can throw the bag in the freezer to keep them fresh until you are ready to use them. One thing that cannot be skipped is that the baking sheets MUST be lined with parchment paper. If you try to simply grease the pans you will end up with a mangled greasy mess that hardly resembles a cookie.

Caramel Macchiato Cookies

1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup vegetable shortening
1 tablespoon espresso powder
1 large egg
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/3 cup Kraft caramel bits (more if you like)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a couple of cookie sheets with parchment.

Stir together flour, baking soda and salt; Set aside.

Using high speed of an electric mixer, beat both sugars, butter and shortening until creamy. Beat in espresso powder. Reduce speed to low and mix in egg, egg yolk and vanilla – do not overbeat after adding the egg. Add flour mixture to butter mixture and stir until flour is incorporated. Add chocolate chips and caramel bits.

Drop cookies by teaspoonfuls onto baking sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden around edges and set. Transfer to a rack to cool.

Makes about 26 cookies

Sausage Popovers aka The Miracle Sausage Cups

The first time I made these ugly little appetizers I could never have predicted how popular they have become! People go crazy for these things, they have become a legend. People flock to our house when sausage cups are rumored to be among the items served or the only item served for that matter! I am sure there must be some way to harness their power and use it for total world domination until then I will just continue to serve them for game nights, football games, birthday parties and whenever anyone begs enough. They are great! The original recipe calls for venison and bacon. I have never made them with venison or bacon. I use ground sausage. If you opt to go with the sausage you need to omit the venison and the bacon not just one or the other. One thing I think is very important is that you get the sausage made fresh in the meat department rather than the prepackaged kind. A lot of the flavor comes from the sausage so it is important to get the good stuff. I also do not add any of the rosemary that the recipe calls for, try it if you like, we just are not big rosemary fans in this house. Also, I cut up regular tomatoes rather than using cherry tomatoes. These are super easy and fun to make and everyone loves them! I got this recipe from the Rachel Ray show.

Ingredients

• 4 bacon slices, chopped
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO), plus additional if needed
• 1 large onion, small dice
• 1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1/2 tablespoon rosemary, chopped
• 1 teaspoon thyme, chopped
• 1 1/2 pounds ground venison (sausage can also be substituted, just eliminate the bacon)
• 1 green bell pepper, cut into small dice
• 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
• 1 tablespoon flour

• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 cup Asiago cheese grated, divided
• 3/4 cup provolone cheese shredded, divided
• 2 canisters biscuits (recommended brand Grand’s Jumbo)
• 2 mini muffin tins (16 count each)

Yields: 8 servings

Preparation

Preheat oven 350°F.

Preheat a large, nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook till golden brown then remove to a platter using a slotted spoon and reserve, leaving the fat drippings behind in the skillet.

While the bacon is cooking, preheat a medium-size skillet over medium heat with the EVOO. Add the onion and garlic to the skillet and cook until soft and caramel in color, about 10 minutes. Season with rosemary, thyme, salt and freshly ground pepper.

While the onions are carmelizing, add the ground venison to the skillet the bacon was cooked in and cook until brown over medium-high heat. If you need to add more fat to the pan, use about 2 to 3 tablespoons EVOO. While the meat is browning, break it up into small pieces so it is easy to fill the holiday popovers. After the meat is browned, season it with salt and freshly ground black pepper, then remove to the same platter along with the bacon and reserve.

Once the onion and garlic are nice and caramel in color, add the pepper, tomatoes, salt and freshly ground black pepper cook until peppers are soft, 5 minutes.

After the onion, pepper, tomato mixture has softened, add in the reserved bacon and browned venison. Sprinkle the mixture with flour then add the stock, let the mixture cook for a 2-3 minutes to cook out the flour taste and thicken up the gravy a bit. Remove from heat and fold in 1/4 cup Asiago cheese and 1/4 cup provolone.

Remove the biscuits from the canister -- you will have a total of 16 each -- and slice each of them down the middle so you have 2 thin biscuits that are equal in size. Repeat this procedure to all the biscuits so that you have 32 thin biscuit rounds.

Line the muffin tin with 1 biscuit per muffin cup so it makes a little bowl then fill them with 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons of filling. Repeat with the remaining muffin cups and sprinkle the remaining Asiago and provolone on top of each popover. Bake for 20-25 minutes until puffed and golden brown, and cooked through.

Asian Style Noodle Salad

I found this recipe in the April 1998 issue of Bon Appetit. It was super simple and got rave reviews! It was a great dish to feed a crowd. Next time I make it I will most likely include more peppers and carrots but other than that it was great!


Yield: Makes 4 servings

8 ounces spaghetti, broken in half
4 teaspoons oriental sesame oil
1 cup shredded carrot
1/2 red bell pepper, very thinly sliced
1 cup matchstick-size strips peeled jicama
1 cup (packed) spinach leaves (about 1 ounce), thinly sliced

3 tablespoons thick teriyaki marinade
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon minced garlic

Cook spaghetti in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite. Drain; rinse with cold water and drain well. Place spaghetti in large bowl; add 1 teaspoon sesame oil and toss to blend. Add carrot, bell pepper, jicama and spinach to bowl.

Whisk next 4 ingredients and remaining 3 teaspoons sesame oil in small bowl to blend. Season dressing with salt and pepper. Add dressing to salad and toss to combine.

Divide salad among bowls and serve.

Chocolate Stout Cake

This turned out to be a very interesting cake. I was looking for a chocolate cake that was a bit out of the ordinary and this one seemed perfect. It is definitely not a your kid's chocolate cake. This has a very grown up rich, dark chocolate flavor. Everyone that tasted it loved it with the exception of my husband. I have convinced myself that his palate simply has not been refined enough to enjoy such an exquisite creation! Anyways it was a ton of fun to make and true chocolate lovers will rejoice at the full flavor! I used a double chocolate stout beer. The recipe is from the September 2002 issue of Bon Appetit

Yield: Makes 12 servings

Cake
2 cups stout (such as Guinness)
2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-process)

4 cups all purpose flour
4 cups sugar
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
4 large eggs
1 1/3 cups sour cream

Icing
2 cups whipping cream
1 pound bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped

For cake:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter three 8-inch round cake pans with 2-inch-high sides. Line with parchment paper. Butter paper. Bring 2 cups stout and 2 cups butter to simmer in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add cocoa powder and whisk until mixture is smooth. Cool slightly.

Whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt in large bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat eggs and sour cream in another large bowl to blend. Add stout-chocolate mixture to egg mixture and beat just to combine. Add flour mixture and beat briefly on slow speed. Using rubber spatula, fold batter until completely combined. Divide batter equally among prepared pans. Bake cakes until tester inserted into center of cakes comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Transfer cakes to rack; cool 10 minutes. Turn cakes out onto rack and cool completely.

For icing:

Bring cream to simmer in heavy medium saucepan. Remove from heat. Add chopped chocolate and whisk until melted and smooth. Refrigerate until icing is spreadable, stirring frequently, about 2 hours.

Place 1 cake layer on plate. Spread 2/3 cup icing over. Top with second cake layer. Spread 2/3 cup icing over. Top with third cake layer. Spread remaining icing over top and sides of cake.

Pasta Pie

This is my most requested recipe!! And oddly enough the one that made me think of starting my own food blog. I found this recipe on Yumtastic Recipes from Kelly, which can be found at the following web address: http://kelly-eats.blogspot.com/ I will post the recipe as it is on her site, however after making this a few times I have chosen a few short cuts. I used jarred sauce that I simmered with the meat and added a few of my own little tweaks, like extra seasoning and a little sugar. Next time I plan to try using some chopped muchrooms and maybe some other veggies to make it extra yummy! This looks overwhelming and hard when you see it but it is not bad at all! I like to make mine in the morning and keep it in the fridge and then just throw it in the oven when it is time.

Pasta Pie
Adapted from Martha Stewart

1 pound rigatoni
2 Tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 pound ground beef (I used ground sirloin)
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 can (28 ounces) good quality crushed tomatoes
Butter, for pan
Salt
1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
8 ounces coarsely grated mozzarella

In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook pasta until slightly underdone (I cooked mine for 12 minutes when the box indicated 14 minutes). One pound of pasta should be cooked in 6 quarts of water, make sure you are using a big enough pot so the pasta doesn't stick together. When done, rinse in cold water and drain again. Toss pasta with 1 Tablespoon olive oil to coat. Set aside.

Heat remaining 1 Tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground beef. Cook, stirring occasionally until browned. Add garlic, 1 teaspoon salt and pepper. Cook 2 minutes more.

Add crushed tomatoes; simmer until thickened, about 20 minutes.

Toss pasta with Parmesan cheese. Butter a 9-inch springform pan. Tightly pack pasta into pan, standing each piece on end. Spread meat sauce on top of pasta.

Push the meat sauce into the pasta holes filling each one up. Stuffing the meat into the holes is a weirdly satisfying task. Enough said.

Place in a 400 degree oven for 15 minutes. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top and bake another 10-15 minutes until cheese is golden. Remove from oven and let stand for 15 minutes. Run a knife around the edge to loosen and then unmold.

Cut into wedges and serve with any remaining meat sauce you might have.

Bacon Salad Cups

I found these bacon cups on www.notmartha.org Which is a website that I adore! I filled the cups with fresh spinach, cherry tomatoes and covered it with sweet vidalia dressing. They turned out great! The whole house did smell of bacon for days though which was a drawback! You can find a full set of instructions with additional photos at:
http://www.notmartha.org/archives/2008/02/27/bacon-cups/

Soft Pretzels

This is another recipe from Alton Brown. They turned out great and were actually pretty easy and fun to make. I have a ton of ideas for different add ins that I could try and other toppings to play around with at some point!

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups warm (110 to 115 degrees F) water
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 package active dry yeast
• 22 ounces all-purpose flour, approximately 4 1/2 cups
• 2 ounces unsalted butter, melted
• Vegetable oil, for pan
• 10 cups water
• 2/3 cup baking soda
• 1 large egg yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon water
• Pretzel salt

Directions

Combine the water, sugar and kosher salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the yeast on top. Allow to sit for 5 minutes or until the mixture begins to foam. Add the flour and butter and, using the dough hook attachment, mix on low speed until well combined. Change to medium speed and knead until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the side of the bowl, approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the dough from the bowl, clean the bowl and then oil it well with vegetable oil. Return the dough to the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and sit in a warm place for approximately 50 to 55 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line 2 half-sheet pans with parchment paper and lightly brush with the vegetable oil. Set aside.

Bring the 10 cups of water and the baking soda to a rolling boil in an 8-quart saucepan or roasting pan.

In the meantime, turn the dough out onto a slightly oiled work surface and divide into 8 equal pieces. Roll out each piece of dough into a 24-inch rope. Make a U-shape with the rope, holding the ends of the rope, cross them over each other and press onto the bottom of the U in order to form the shape of a pretzel. Place onto the parchment-lined half sheet pan.

Place the pretzels into the boiling water, 1 by 1, for 30 seconds. Remove them from the water using a large flat spatula. Return to the half sheet pan, brush the top of each pretzel with the beaten egg yolk and water mixture and sprinkle with the pretzel salt. Bake until dark golden brown in color, approximately 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack for at least 5 minutes before serving.

French Silk Pie

This recipe is a Pillsbury Bake Off winner from 1951. It is the best french silk pie I have ever tasted! I generally use a store bought frozen crust for this pie. A crucial step in the process is that the eggs must be brought to room temperature before starting. I also only use Ghiradelli chocolate.

French Silk Pie
1 9-in. pie crust, baked and cooled
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1-oz semisweet or bittersweet (60% cacao) chocolate, melted and cooled
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs, room temperature

In a large mixing bowl (or the bowl of an electric mixer), cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in chocolate and vanilla extract.
Add in one egg and beat at medium speed for 5 minutes (I prefer the paddle to the whisk if you’re using an electric mixer). Scrape down sides of bowl. Add in the second egg and beat for an additional five minutes. Mixture should be very light and smooth.
Pour into pre-baked pie crust and smooth with a spatula.
Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving, until firm.
Serve cold, with whipped cream and chocolate shavings, if desired.

Makes 1 pie. Serves 8.

Baked Greek Chicken

This chicken was super simple and super flavorful. I seasoned the chicken with greek seasoning, salt, pepper, and lemon pepper. I placed it in a 9x13 pan and placed a pat of butter on each breast. I baked the chicken covered in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. I then removed the foil covering and cooked for an additional 10 minutes.

Spanakopita

I found this recipe on the food network website. It turned out great and was fairly easy to make. Next time I might add some additional feta and possible some greek seasoning to the spinach mixture.

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 2 pounds spinach, washed and drained
• 1 bunch scallions, white and green parts, chopped
• 1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 pound feta cheese, crumbled
• 1 to 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
• 1 pound filo pastry sheets

Directions

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large saute pan, add half of the spinach and saute until spinach wilts, tossing with tongs, about 2 minutes. Remove spinach and squeeze out excess liquid, then chop roughly. Repeat with remaining spinach, using 1 more tablespoon of olive oil. Pour off any liquid from the pan, and add remaining olive oil. Add scallions and saute until soft, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the spinach to the scallions, along with the parsley, salt and pepper. Cook over low heat for 1 to 2 minutes, then remove from heat to cool. (This part can be done ahead and kept refrigerated).

Stir the feta and as much beaten egg to moisten the cooled spinach mixture.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Brush a baking sheet with some of the melted butter.

Butter a 9 by 13 inch baking pan, and spread 6 sheets of filo, brushing each with butter, on the bottom. Spoon the spinach filling over the filo, then cover with 6 more sheets of filo, buttering each sheet. Score the top 3 sheets with a sharp knife. Bake 40 to 45 minutes, or until top is golden, let stand 15 minutes, then cut into squares and serve warm.

Chocolate-Covered Cherry Cake

Normally, I prefer not to bake a cake in a 9x13 pan. I made an exception for this cake though because it sounded good and got great reviews. Next time I make it I will try it in 2 round pans and see how that goes. I got this recipe from the Cake Mix Doctor by Ann Byrn. It was super easy and tasted great!
Ingredients

Cake:

• Vegetable oil spray for misting
• 1 package (18.25 ounces) plain devil's food cake mix or devil's food mix with pudding
• 1 can (21 ounces) cherry pie filling
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure almond extract

Chocolate Glaze:

• 1 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup butter
• 1/3 cup whole milk
• 1 package (6 ounces; 1 cup) semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly mist a 13- by 9-inch baking pan with vegetable oil spray. Set the pan aside.

Place the cake mix, cherry pie filling, eggs, and almond extract in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 1 minute. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes more, scraping the sides down again if needed. The batter should look thick and well blended. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top with the rubber spatula. Place the pan in the oven.

Bake the cake until it springs back when lightly pressed with your finger and just starts to pull away from the sides of the pan, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and place it on a wire rack while you prepare the glaze.

For the glaze, place the sugar, butter, and milk in a small saucepan over medium-low heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes to a boil. Boil, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the chocolate chips. When the chips have melted and the glaze is smooth, pour it over the warm cake so it covers the entire surface. The glaze will be thin but will firm up. Cool the cake for 20 minutes before cutting into squares and serving.

Store this cake, covered in aluminum foil, at room temperature for up to 5 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Or freeze the cake, wrapped in foil, for up to 6months. Thaw the cake overnight on the counter before serving.

Chicken Primavera with White Cream Sauce

This is a recipe that I created.
Ingredients

4 chicken breasts
EVOO
8 oz cream cheese
1/4 cup half and half(you could also just use milk)
2 bags of frozen snap pea stir fry vegetables
2 cloves of garlic
4 tablespoons of butter
salt and pepper
Italian seasoning
parsley
1 lb rigate pasta

I sprinkled the whole chicken breasts with salt and pepper and then cooked it in a preheated skillet with a little olive oil. I cooked each side for about 5 minutes. I then removed chicken from the pan, sliced it and placed the pieces back in the pan. I browned each side an additional 2 or 3 minutes. I then removed the chicken and placed it in aluminum foil to retain heat. I had already thawed the vegetables by this point and I put them in the same skillet I had used to cook the chicken. I seasoned the veggies and let them heat up in the pan. Meanwhile, in another skillet I started the sauce. I placed the butter, cream cheese and garlic in the pan and melted it over low heat. Once it was all melted I added the half and half. At this point it will look like a complete disaster but have faith. Mix it together the best you can and then begin to whisk with a small whisk until everything is combined. Pour sauce over veggies. Add chicken. Mix everything together and allow to simmer about 2 minutes. Serve over pasta.

Black Magic Cake with Chocolate Coffee Frosting

According to food lore the black magic cake originated as a recipe from Hershey's. I have been using a different black magic cake for the past few years though and had never looked into another one. When I wanted to make this cake I didn't have access to my regular recipes so I decided to search the net. I found the original Hershey's recipe and decided to give it a try. I will now be using the Hershey's recipe exclusively. The old recipe was great but this was fabulous. The cake was so moist and full of flavor. It was perfect.

As far as the frosting goes I searched for a chocolate frosting recipe that also included the coffee flavor to match with my cake. I was a little unsure of using a chocolate frosting on this cake as I usually use a white frosting to contrast the flavor of the cake but I felt a little daring yesterday. When I made the frosting it ended up very thin and I had thought it was going to end badly. I even thought of throwing it away and trying a different recipe. However, the taste was good and I was not feeling motivated to start over.

I ended up using the frosting as more of a drizzle than an actual frosting. After sitting for awhile it did firm up and had I waited to frost the cake perhaps I could have spread it. Actually in the end I was pleased with the drizzle effect. I think if this had spread like a regular frosting it would have been too much. The frosting provided just enough flavor without being too overpowering. It also seemed to seal in the moisture of the cake. There were some tiny bubbles in the frosting that popped once the frosting set so the cake looks kind of spotted. I think if I would have let the frosting sit for a minute or so after mixing I could have avoided this problem. When I served the cake I put a dollop of whip cream on the top for a little contrast.

Black Magic Cake

Ingredients:

• 2 cups sugar
• 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup buttermilk or sour milk*
• 1 cup strong black coffee OR 2 teaspoons powdered instant coffee plus 1 cup boiling water
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans or one 13x9x2-inch baking pan.

2. Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, buttermilk, coffee, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes (batter will be thin). Pour batter evenly into prepared pans.

3. Bake 30 to 35 minutes for round pans, 35 to 40 minutes for rectangular pan or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. Frost as desired. Yields 10 to 12 servings.

* To sour milk: Use 1 tablespoon white vinegar plus milk to equal 1 cup.

Chocolate Coffee Frosting:

1 pound confectioners sugar
4 tablespoons cocoa
6 tablespoons boiling coffee
6 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions:
In a large bowl, sift together the cocoa and the sugar. Add the boiling coffee and melted butter, then add the vanilla extract. Beat until smooth and thick enough to spread.

Chicken with Wild Mushroon and Balsamic Cream Sauce

This was last night's dinner. It got rave reviews! I found the recipe on the food network site courtesy of Rachel Ray. It was supposed to be one of her 30 minute meals though it ended up being more of a 45 minute meal when all was said and done. I followed the recipe just as it was laid out. I thought it ended up to be very good but I wish the flavor had been a little bit more intense. I think next time I will try using a bit more vinegar. I also think this would be great using beef and beef stock instead of chicken.

Ingredients

• Salt
• 1/2 pound orzo pasta
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, 6 ounces
• Pepper
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 12 cremini or baby portobello mushrooms, sliced
• 12 shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and sliced
• 12 white mushrooms, sliced
• 2 large cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 tablespoon thyme leaves, a couple of sprigs, chopped
• 2 large shallots, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, eyeball it
• 3 tablespoons heavy cream or half-and-half, a couple turns of the pan
• 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley, a generous handful

Directions

Heat a large pot of water to a boil. Salt the water and add orzo pasta. Cook to al dente.

Preheat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and add extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan. Season chicken liberally with salt and pepper and add to the hot skillet. Cook the chicken for 5 to 6 minutes on each side. Remove the chicken from the pan and cover with foil to keep warm.

Return the skillet to the heat, turn heat back a bit, and add the butter. Once the butter melts add the mushrooms and brown stirring occasionally for about 4 to 5 minutes. Once the mushrooms are brown season with salt and pepper then add the garlic, thyme and shallots. Cook stirring occasionally for about 2 minutes or until the shallots are wilted. Sprinkle the flour into the pan and cook 2 minutes more. Whisk in the stock, balsamic vinegar and the cream. Turn the heat up to high and simmer for about 2 minutes or until thickened. Slice the chicken on an angle. Add the parsley and the chicken back to the skillet to heat up, about 1 minute.

To serve, pile orzo on dinner plates and top with the sliced chicken and sauce.

Lemon Meringue Pie

For my first attempt at Lemon Meringue Pie I decided to go with a recipe from Alton Brown. I have found that generally Alton's recipes turn out great if you follow the directions exactly. I went to the Food Network website to find the recipe and had not actually seen Alton prepare the pie on his show. As a rule, I always read the reviews of a recipe before I make it to see if there are any tips I might need. Lucky I did this time! The recipe neglected to note a key step that Alton talked about on the show. After the butter, lemon juice and zest are added you must bring the mixture up to a boil again and let it boil for at least 1 minute. I let mine boil for about 1 minute 45 seconds.

Lemon Meringue Pie Alton Brown Style

Ingredients
Lemon Filling:
4 egg yolks (reserve whites for meringue) 1/3 cup cornstarch
1 1/2 cups water
1 1/3 cups sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
1 (9-inch) pre-baked pie shell
1 recipe Meringue, recipe follows

Directions
Adjust the oven rack to the middle position. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Whisk egg yolks in medium size mixing bowl and set aside.
In a medium saucepan, combine cornstarch, water, sugar, and salt. Whisk to combine. Turn heat on medium and, stirring frequently, bring mixture to a boil. Boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and gradually, 1 whisk-full at a time, add hot mixture to egg yolks and stir until you have added at least half of the mixture.
Return egg mixture to saucepan, turn heat down to low and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 more minute. Remove from heat and gently stir in butter, lemon juice, and zest until well combined. Bring mixture back to a boil. Allow mixture to boil for no less than a minute. Pour mixture into pie shell and top with meringue while filling is still hot. Make sure meringue completely covers filling and that it goes right up to the edge of the crust. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until meringue is golden. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack. Make sure pie is cooled completely before slicing.

Meringue Topping:
4 egg whites
1 pinch cream of tartar
2 tablespoons sugar
Place egg whites and cream of tartar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat egg whites until soft peaks form and then gradually add sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form, approximately 1 to 2 minutes. Use to top lemon filling.
Yield: topping for 1 (9-inch) pie