Post #16: Raspberry Oatmeal Scones

After my most recent raspberry fumble, I felt I had to redeem myself! (I love raspberries!)

These scones taste like scones! (said in a Willie Wonka voice).  You know that taste that all scones have.  Slightly salty, not too sweet?  Exactly.  With that being said, even Mr. I don't like sweets said these could have been sweeter, and I'm inclined to agree.  I think next time I make these, I'll macerate the raspberries a little to sweeten them up. 

Charming banter aside, you need to work fast with this dough.  I used frozen raspberries and they still bled into the mixture and made my dough a weird purply-grey colour.  No matter, they baked up fine, and go great with a nice cup of coffee.   

Directions say 20-25 minutes, but I definitely only had them in the oven for 17.  I would have had another walk of shame had I left them in for the entire time.  Like our baker's motto at work: we bake to colour, not to time. Words to live by.

Raspberry Oatmeal Scone

From A Cozy Kitchen

2 cups whole wheat flour

2 cups all-purpose flour  (I just used 4 cups all purpose - does whole wheat really make that much of a difference?  I've never used it, so I'd like to know!)

1 cup rolled oats

2 tablespoons baking powder

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

2 teaspoons salt

1 ½ cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, diced (yes, I bought unsalted this time, be proud!)

½ cup cold buttermilk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 extra large eggs, lightly beaten

1 egg beaten with a splash of milk or water (for egg wash)

2 cups frozen raspberries

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. In a large bowl sift together together the flours, oats, baking powder, sugar and salt. Cut in the cold butter and knead in with your hands until the mix begins to resemble coarse crumbs (there should still be lumps of butter throughout the mix). In a separate bowl combine the buttermilk, vanilla and eggs. Pour the egg mixture into the flour mixture along with the raspberries and mix until just combined. The dough will probably definitely be sticky.

Dump the dough onto a well-floured surface and make sure it is completely combined. Flour a rolling pin and roll the dough until it is about ¾ to and 1 inch thick. I ended up having to use my hands to pat the dough down since the raspberries got to be a bit messy. Cut the dough into segments and place onto a lined baking sheet. You can either go ahead and flash freeze these to save for later or place them directly in the heated oven.

Brush the tops with egg wash right before baking and then bake for 20 to 25 minutes. If you’re using frozen dough at this point it might take an extra 10 minutes or so, but that’s why I will typically place frozen dough in the oven as it’s heating up instead of waiting for it to preheat.

This recipe is huge, by the way.  This made 16 giant scones for me - giant.  Like 5 inch diameter.  Yeah, me and the man of the house can't eat that much - frozen future scones, here we come!

Post #15: A Sweet Blog Compilation

Think you have a great idea for a weekend sweet?  Link it here, and see what other fellow food lovers have to offer!

Post #14: Brown Butter Jam Bars (aka Failblog)

So, as I'm trolling around other food blogs, I keep seeing brown butter everywhere!  Brown butter cookies, brown butter cupcakes, etc..., and all of the comments are rave reviews - how you've truly never tasted anything in your life until it's made with brown butter.

So here I am, hopping on the bandwagon.  To tell you the truth, I have never really put a lot of thought into the butter I use.  So much so, that when a recipe calls for unsalted, I still use the salted butter that I always buy.  I like salted, what can I say!?  I also always forget to let my butter get to room temp before I start a project, so you will most definitely see me in a mad rush, throwing it in the microwave for 30sec. before I can do anything.  Sometimes I don't get all of my mices en place.  Haha.

Well, my verdict in the battle of brown vs. regular butter is that I honestly didn't notice much of a difference aside from the extra work (which probably stems from never thinking about the butter I use...).

Some tips that probably would have prevented this culinary flop:

Make sure you put the crust in an even layer.  I thought it was, but parts of it baked perfectly, while others turned into this unappetizing brown/crumbly stuff.  I also think I left the butter in the freezer for too long.  In the future, I'd take it out when it was on the softer side of semi-frozen.  My "dough" was hardly a dough.  I wasn't going to let this little bungle stop me, (though I almost did).  I just decided I would move on, finish the project, an trim away the bad parts later. 

Even though I seemed to screw this up a little, I will definitely try it again.  I will buy regular, unsalted butter.  I will follow all directions to the letter (which I sometimes get scatterbrained and forget to do), and I will resist all urges to cut into them before they are cold.  I promise!

Yeah, and out of about 50 pictures, this was the best one.  Fail.

Brown Butter Jam Bars
from One for the Oven, which they got from Crepes of Wrath

The Crust:
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

For The Filling:
3 large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup jam or jelly

(yes, I used salted butter both times - I am a culinary rebel like that.  Also, I used light butter, it makes me feel better about stuffing my face later.)

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. To make the crust, melt 1 cup of butter in a pan at medium-high heat till the butter starts to brown. When the butter is amber in color and smells slightly nutty, strain through a sieve into a heat-proof container, such as a small glass mixing bowl. Place in the freezer for 30-40 minutes until thickened and semi-frozen. Combine the powdered sugar and flour in a large bowl, then use a pastry cutter or your hands and add in the butter until a dough is formed. Press into a lined and/or greased 9×13-inch pan and chill in the freezer for 15 minutes. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until lightly golden and set, then remove from the oven and set aside.

2. To make the filling, whisk together the eggs, sugar, and flour in a large bowl. Brown the remaining butter, then pour the butter into the egg mixture very slowly, whisking as you do it so the eggs don’t scramble. Whisk in the vanilla.

3. Pour half of the filling over the baked crust, then spoon large dollops of the jam over the filling, reserving about quarter to top the bars with. Pour the rest of the filling over the jam, then spoon small dollop over the top with the remaining jam (you can add a bit extra jam if you feel like it needs it). Don’t worry if it looks a little messy or weird, it’ll look pretty when it’s baked! Bake until the filling is golden brown in color, about 25 to 30 minutes, also at 375 degrees.

Allow to cool completely, or you'll be in a jam! (I'm so funny!)  No really, the jam will scald you!  Also, I cut mine when it was cooled, but not completely cold.  It fell apart.  I salvaged what I could for photos...and pretty much ate the rest like an animal.  Liz Lemon style.

Post #13: Peanut Butter Cup Crunch Brownie Bars (feat. Brutus and Lucky!)

These are Heaven.

There, I said it.  

It's seriously like eating a brownie, a rice crispie square, and a nutter butter all at the same time...is that drool?

The brownie recipe I used (which was suggested from the Brown Eyed Baker herself!) was a little time consuming, but they are sooo good!  A perfect match for the peanut butter/chocolate chip/rice crispie topping!  But, aside from the brownies, this is so quick!  I mean hell, use a boxed mix, and this will take no time or effort at all, and it is so good, it will impress anyone!

Not the best picture, but I thought it was high time y'all met my dear friend Brutus!

And then Lucky slunk into a few shots!  I love my cats!

Peanut Butter Cup Crunch Brownie Bars

Adapted from the Brown Eyed Baker :o)

1 batch of your favorite brownie recipe for a 9×13-inch pan (I used this recipe, which I tweaked slightly, or you could use a box mix, I won't tell anyone!  Just make sure it's for a 9x13!)
½ cup salted peanuts (Funny side story: I actually forgot these and ended up tearing into a bag of trail mix and picking out the peanuts.)
8 Reese’s peanut butter cups, chopped
1½ cups milk chocolate chips
1½ cups creamy peanut butter (or crunchy, whatever)
½ tablespoon unsalted butter
1½ cups cripsy rice cereal (yeah, I buy knock offs for baking, what of it?  :P)

1. Prepare the brownies according to the directions and bake for about 5 minutes less than the recipe states. Remove from the oven and sprinkle the top with the peanuts and chopped peanut butter cups. Return to the oven and bake for 5 additional minutes.

2. While they are finishing baking, melt the chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir in the cereal to evenly coat. Remove the brownies from the oven and evenly pour the chocolate and peanut butter mixture over top. Spread to cover evenly. Refrigerate for 2 hours before cutting and serving. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.  These last a long time (if you don't eat them all right away!)  I was still chowing down about a week later, and they still tasted awesome!

Post #12: The Best Apple Pie I Have Ever Tasted

I've never been a huge pie fan (unless it's a cream pie, more in the form of a custard or pudding, I can't get enough of those!)  But this pie has turned me around!  I think it's the streusel on top that does it for me - see, instead of a sweet tooth, I have been blessed with that I lovingly call a "fat tooth".  Anything creamy, custardy, buttery...whether it's sweet or salty, I'm going to like it...and that sucks.  I spend a lot of time in the gym to find the balance between a fat tooth and a fat butt.

Anyway, I was searching dessert recipes for a small dinner party I was having, and for some reason, a pie recipe stood out.  I felt that it must be fate if a non-pie lover fell for a pie recipe, so I headed to the store, bought some apples (and a pre-made pie crust...shh!) and the rest is history.

This was quoted as "what an apple pie should be!" 

(I'd love to add a photo, but since this was before my blog, I only have one really crappy cell phone picture!  I'll add one eventually, but for now, just try the recipe, y'all will not be disappointed!)

For Pie

• pastry for single-crust pie (home made, or store bought - whatever floats your boat!)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 6 cups thinly sliced peeled apples (I have used Fuji and MacIntosh, and both were awesome!)

Crumb Topping

• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 cup quick-cooking rolled oats
• 1/2 cup butter

Final Topping

•   Vanilla ice cream
• caramel ice cream topping
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans

Directions

1. Prepare pastry for single-crust pie, being careful not to stretch dough too much.
2. Place in pie plate and trim and crimp the edge.
3. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the sugar, flour, cinnamon, and salt.
4. Add apple slices and gently toss until they are coated well.
5. Transfer mixture to pie.
6. FOR CRUMB TOPPING: Stir together brown sugar, flour, and oats

7. Using a pastry blender, cut in the butter until topping resembles coarse crumbs.
8. Sprinkle over apple mixture in pie.
9. To prevent over-browning while baking, cover edge of pie with foil.
10. Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 25 minutes.
11. Remove foil and bake 25 to 30 minutes more, or until top is golden.
12. Remove from oven and serve warm (not hot!).
13. Put a scoop (or two, or three...) of ice cream on there!
14. Drizzle top with caramel topping; sprinkle with pecans.

Post #11: Salted Caramel Cupcakes

When I saw this recipe on SprinkleBakes, I just knew I had to try it!  It has everything I love - they're sweet, they're salty, and they are loaded with butter and heavy cream!  Yum!  The recipe is a little time consuming, but it is well worth all the effort.  This buttercream is to die for...you may want to double it, because you'll eat half of it before the cupcakes are frosted...trust me on this one!

Pay special attention when you make the caramel - you don't want to burn the sugar!  Also, resist all childlike urges to lick the wisk/spoon/stirring apparatus...it will burn you.  (Again, trust me!  lol!) 

Warning: you will need to spend a lot of time at the gym after you discover these beauties!

Salted Caramel Cupcakes

Makes 15 cupcakes Cupcakes: 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon sea salt 1 stick of unsalted butter, at room temperature 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar 2 large eggs, at room temperature 1 teaspoon vanilla 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons buttermilk Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line muffin tins with papers. Combine flour, baking powder and salt; set aside. Cream butter and brown sugar on medium-high speed until pale fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated.  Add vanilla.  Mix and scrape down sides of bowl as needed. Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of buttermilk, and beating until combined after each. Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each about halfway full.  Bake for about 25 minutes. When done, transfer tins to wire racks to cool 10 minutes; turn out cupcakes onto racks and let cool completely. Salted Caramel Filling: 1/2 cup sugar 3 tablespoons salted butter cubed 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoons heavy cream, at room temperature Melt the sugar over medium  high heat in a large pot.  Whisk the sugar as it melts and cook until it becomes a deep amber color. Add the butter and stir it in until melted. Pour in the heavy cream (mixture will foam) and whisk until you get a smooth sauce. You may have some lumps but keep stirring until they have melted.  Remove from heat and let cool slightly.  Cut a small round piece out of the tops of each cooled cupcake and pour in 1 teaspoon of caramel.  Replace the cake piece and set cupcakes aside. Salted Caramel Buttercream Frosting: 1/4 cup granulated sugar 2 tablespoons water 1/4 cup heavy cream 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 stick salted butter 1 stick unsalted butter 1/2 teaspoon sea salt 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar In a saucepan, stir together granulated sugar and water.  Bring to a boil over medium high heat.  Cook without stirring until mixture turns a deep amber color.  Remove from heat and slowly add in cream and vanilla, stirring until very smooth.  Let caramel cool for about 20 minutes, until it is just barely warm and still pourable. In a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat butter and salt together until lightened and fluffy.  Reduce speed to low and add powdered sugar.  Mix until thoroughly combined. Scrape down the side of the bowl and add the caramel.  Beat on medium high speed until light and airy, and completely mixed (about 2 minutes).  Mixture should be ready to use without refrigeration.  If your caramel was too hot when added, it will cause your icing to be runny.  If this happens refrigerate for 15-20 minutes.   Top caramel-filled cupcakes with frosting.

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Post #10: My Valentine's Day

When Valentine's rolls around, my sweet man and I make every effort to avoid restaurants, shopping malls, jewelry stores, etc...  We love each other every day, so why single out one day?  I think we're too practical. 

So we stayed in, ate sandwiches, and watched TV...

Then he pulled out a huge sparkly red bag covered in hearts... Needless to say, I am one happy camper!

Is that a set of springform pans!?  WHATTTT!?

 

Yeah I know...but it's hard to snag a photo AND hold those things up at the same time!  Gimme a break!

Post #9: S'mores Cupcakes

I ran across the recipe on another foodie blog (Macaroni&Cheesecake) a few weeks ago, and they have been on my mind ever since!  I never need a special occasion to bake, but I wanted to make these for what I think is a special day - my hubby's birthday - though he disagrees!  But this is my blog, so I win.  :o) 

Back to the cupcakes!  My sweetie doesn't eat sweets very often, but s'mores, believe it or not, hold a special place in our relationship.  When we were just kiddos back in the day, he used to take me to a park by the lake, where we would walk around the water, talk and laugh, and then go to the fire pits and make about a million s'mores!  In fact, he proposed to me at that very lake.  (Aww!)  

These were delightfully quick to make, the chocolate cupcake is moist (I used applesauce instead of oil, and it is perfect!), and the taste is surprisingly light.  This will be my go-to chocolate cupcake recipe!  With them being so quick to whip together, and with the presentation being so fun, they would be awesome at a party (think tailgate!) and kids would just be tickled to have s'mores inside!  The directions recommend piping the frosting on top, but I globbed it for a more authentic feel - plus, the marshmallowie gooeyness of the frosting is sticky enough in the bowl, I didn't feel like transporting it to a piping bag!  Me = sometimes lazy.  ;)

Oh, and don't worry - these are just as messy as a real s'more!

S'mores Cupcakes

One Bowl Chocolate Cupcakes
Source: Martha Stewart
Makes 24 Cupcakes

Ingredients:
3/4 cup dutch processed cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
3/4 cup warm water
3/4 cup low fat buttermilk
3 tablespoons canola oil or applesauce
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with foil liners or squares of foil for the rustic look; set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer, sift together cocoa powder, flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add eggs, warm water, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla, and beat until smooth, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of bowl to assure batter is well mixed. Spoon batter out evenly among muffin cups, filling each 2/3 full. Bake until tops spring back when touched, about 20 minutes, rotating pan once if needed. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.

Marshmallow FrostingSource: Things Alauna Makes via Sew Darn Cute
Ingredients:2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups confectioner's sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
16 oz. tub of marshmallow cream

For Assembly:Crushed Graham Crackers
24 individual hershey chocolates

Directions:In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter on high until light and fluffy. Add the confectioner's sugar, 1/4 cup at a time, and beat until fluffy each time
Beat in the vanilla until incorporated. Add the marshmallow fluff and beat until creamy

To Assemble the Cupcakes:Pipe the frosting on the cooled cupcakes. I used a large ziploc bac and snipped off the end...worked perfectly. Top the piped frosting with crushed graham crackers (you can put them in the food processor until they are fine crumbs) and an individual piece of hershey's chocolate.

Post #8: (White) Chocolate Cherry Chunk Cookies

 Not sure if you know this, but Texas was just hit with a huge ice storm - Snowmageddon as it likes to be called.  So basically, aside from work, I was stuck indoors and all I could do was bake and watch movies.  a.k.a. Heaven!

Anyway, these cookies are not something I would normally make - I don't purchase a lot of dried fruit, nor do I think it's okay to "ruin" a perfectly good chocolate chip cookie with healthy stuff!  The restaurant I manage is part of a test market.  With this being the case, I get sent home with a ton of weird ingredients that we can't use in the cafe, but make strange additions to our home pantry (you should have seen the looks on our friend's faces when they saw we had 3 or 4 jars of marshmallow fluff in the pantry...).  So, recently I was blessed with roughly 5lbs. of dried cherries.  I'm generally not a huge cherry eater, so I had no idea what to do with them.  Our head of Research and Development pointed me to Martha Stewart's website for the "best chocolate cherry cookies ever!"  Because of the previously mentioned ice storm, I couldn't get to the store to buy oats, so I just replaced them with flour this time, and no chocolate chips (WTF!?) so I used white ones.  Worked out just fine - they were hubby approved - but the original recipe is better, so that is what I am posting!  :o)

Do y'all have any good recipes that use dried cherries?

Also, is my photography getting any better?  We have so little natural light in this place!

 

 Cherry Chocolate-Chunk Cookies

Makes 20 cookies

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups oats
• 1 cup dried cherries
• 4 1/2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 1 cup toffee pieces

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside. In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, and salt.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and both sugars on medium speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice during mixing. Add the egg, mix on high speed to combine. Add the vanilla; mix to combine. Scrape down sides of the bowl.
3. Add flour mixture to butter mixture and mix on low speed until well combined. Add oats, cherries, chocolate, and toffee pieces; mix to combine after each addition.
4. Using a 2-inch ice cream scoop, scoop dough onto prepared baking sheets. Repeat, spacing 2 inches apart.
5. Bake cookies until golden brown 13 to 15 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. 

Post #7: Crumbly Ricotta Cheesecake

I had the inspiration to make this cake the other day when I opened my fridge and saw a tub of ricotta cheese in there from the last time I made lasagna.

I can't remember the last time I made lasagna.

Don't worry, the expiration wasn't until March, but I figured there was no time like the present.  Like my orange chicken, this recipe was adapted from the original that I did a keyword search for on food.com.

This cheesecake it not like a traditional cheesecake.  It has crust on the bottom and top, and instead of being thick and rich, it is more light and fluffy in the middle. The recipe for the crust was a little much - I still have about 1/3 of it in my fridge waiting to be made into tarts or squares or something!  It could easily to halved - making it more ass-friendly.  ;)  Also, I used lowfat ricotta cheese, sparing at least some calories.  I also don't own a springform pan (sad day, I know!), but a well greased round cake pan worked like a charm!

Crumbly Ricotta Cheesecake

Ingredients:

CRUST

• 2 1/3 cups flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 1 cup cold butter, thinly sliced

FILLING

• 14 ounces fresh ricotta
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 cup chocolate chips (I used peanut butter milk chocolate ones!)

Directions:

Prep Time: 20 mins
Total Time: 1 1/2 hrs

1.  Preheat oven to 320°.
2. Grease and flour a 9" springform pan.
3.  For the crust, in a large bowl mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, egg, and milk.
4.  Add the slices of cold butter to the mixture working it in gently, but not so much that everything blends together.
5. Take half the crust mixture and press it gently into the bottom of the pan.
6. In a medium size bowl, mix the ricotta and sugar well.
7. Add the chocolate chips mix again.
8. Spread the filling evenly over the top of the crust.
9. Crumble the remaining crust mix over the top of the filling.
10.  During the baking process the butter melts to form a nice crust.
11. Bake 50 to 60 minutes.

Post #6: Orange Chicken, a Panda Express copycat

 I love Panda Express.  Love it.  No, really.  I could eat there every day!  My wallet, however, does not love Panda Express, and when it costs me and the Mr. almost $20 to go there, we pass more often than not!   

What that being said, this recipe is not 100% exactly like the deliciousness you can find at Panda Express, but it hits the spot, is tangy, spicy, orangey, and a heck of a lot more "ass friendly".  I credit this recipe to a user on what was once recipezaar.com, and through the years, I have adapted it for my tastes, but it is incredibly easy to adapt it to yours!  

A few things I change:

1. MORE GARLIC!  1 tsp?!  WTF?  No way.  I need more. 

2. I juice the orange too.  The peel makes it slightly orangey, the juice just brings the business. 

3. More hot pepper flakes.  

4. I always double the sauce.  I like a little more for my rice.  ;) 

5. I put some rice vinegar in the water for my rice.  It gives it some zing!
6. If you don't have fresh ginger, ginger powder will work in a pinch too.

Also, a few helpful hints working with this recipe in particular.  It happens fast.  I get my mise en place like no other.  The garlic is crushed, the ginger is microplaned, the orange sauce already sitting to the side.  I mean everything is done.  That way all you have to do is toss it together.  It saves tons of time and stress.  Trust me!  Plus, it keeps the kitchen way cleaner.  

Orange Chicken

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken, chopped into bite sized pieces
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• white pepper
• oil (for frying)
• 1/2 cup cornstarch, plus
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 tablespoon gingerroot, minced
• 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed hot red chili pepper
• 1/4 cup green onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon rice wine
• 1/4 cup water

Orange Sauce for Stir Fry

• 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 1/2 tablespoons water
• 5 tablespoons sugar
• 5 tablespoons white vinegar
• 1 orange

Directions:

Prep Time: 15 mins
Total Time: 45 mins

1. Place chicken pieces in large bowl. Stir in egg, salt, pepper and 1 tablespoon oil and mix well.
2. Stir cornstarch and flour together.
3.  Dredge the chicken pieces in the flour/cornstarch until coated.
4.  Heat oil for deep-frying in wok or deep-fryer to 375 degrees.
5. Add chicken, small batches at a time, and fry 3 to 4 minutes or until golden crisp.
6.  Remove chicken from oil with slotted spoon and drain on paper towels; set aside.
7. Put the hot oil aside and in a fresh pan, heat 1 tbsp. oil.
8.  Add and stir-fry crushed chiles, ginger and garlic, and green onions.
9. Add rice wine.
10. Add Orange Sauce and bring to boil.
11. Stir water into remaining 1 tablespoon cornstarch until smooth and starting to thicken.
12. Add cooked chicken, stirring until well mixed

Post #5: Shrimp Cakes with Peach Jalapeno Salsa

Last night I got to do one of my favourite things in the world: cook dinner with my mom and little sister.  They had already picked out the wonderful shrimp cake recipe, so I just came along for the ride. 

In the original recipe, the corn that is used is just plain raw corn.  My mom had the brilliant idea to jazz it up with a quick saute.  Also, the peach salsa doesn't call for cilantro, but we added some anyway, and it made all the difference!

Now, without further ado...

Shrimp Cakes with Peach Jalapeno Salsa

Ingredients

• 1 pound large peeled, deveined cooked shrimp, diced
• 2 cups corn
• 1/2 red bell pepper, finely diced
• 1 small onion
• 1 jalapeno, seeded (if you like spice, leave some seeds!)
• 1 cup panko bread crumbs
• Dash hot sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 2 eggs, beaten
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• Peach Jalepeno Relish, recipe follows

Directions

In a food processor, pulse shrimp. Place into a large bowl. Pulse corn, pepper, onion and jalapeno. Remove and drain through a sieve to get rid of extra water that the vegetables may release. Add to bowl along with 1 cup bread crumbs, hot sauce, chili powder and eggs. Stir well together. Form into cakes about 1-inch thick. Place in the refrigerator for 15 minutes to firm up.
Heat a large skillet with vegetable oil over medium heat.
In a shallow dish, add the remaining 1 cup of panko; add salt and pepper. Bread the cakes in the panko. Add the cakes in batches to the oil, cooking about 4 minutes per side. Remove to a paper towel lined sheet tray. 

Peach Jalapeno Salsa

• 3 ripe peaches, diced
• 1/2 red onion, diced
• 1 jalapeno (about 1 1/2 teaspoons), seeded and diced
• 1/2 lime, juiced
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• A small bunch of cilantro, finely chopped. (Our addition!)

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Chill until ready to serve.

Adapted from the Neely's original recipe.

Post #4: Goals

I manage a restaurant, and if you have ever had the opportunity to do so, you know the hours are long and the schedule is all over the map!  Therefore, I have decided to set some goals for this blog.  Most of the time, when I run an 11 hour shift, I don't feel much like cooking when I get home - I've decided not to let that stop me!  From now on, there will be a food/photo entry in here at least once a week!

Another goal is to get some followers, that way I can start some open ended posts. you know, to gather ideas, information share, Q&A...

Oh yes...these are my goals, lofty as they are.  Stay tuned... :o)

Post #3: Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

Let me start this post off by saying that I am not a baker.  Baking is one area of the kitchen that I really need to work on.  I prefer preparing the entrees, and then enjoying someone else's desserts!  With that being said, in the fall and winter, I can't help but bust out the pumpkin puree and create something delicious!  The recipe you are about to enjoy is something I try to make at least once every fall season - sometimes more (but they are very rich, so I have to hold back!)  Enjoy, y'all!

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

Yield: 24 muffins

Ingredients:

For the filling:

8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 cup confectioners’ sugar

For the muffins:

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 tsp. ground cloves
1 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
4 large eggs
2 cups sugar
2 cups pumpkin puree
1¼ cups vegetable oil

For the topping:

½ cup sugar
5 tbsp. flour
1½ tsp. ground cinnamon
4 tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

Directions:
To prepare the filling, combine the cream cheese and confectioners’ sugar in a medium bowl and mix well until blended and smooth.  Transfer the mixture to a piece of plastic wrap and shape into a log about 1½-inches in diameter.  Smooth the plastic wrap tightly around the log, and reinforce with a piece of foil.  Transfer to the freezer and chill until at least slightly firm, at least 2 hours.

To make the muffins, preheat the oven to 350˚ F.  Line muffin pans with paper liners.  In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, pumpkin pie spice, salt and baking soda; whisk to blend.  In the bowl of an electric mixer combine the eggs, sugar, pumpkin puree and oil.  Mix on medium-low speed until blended.  With the mixer on low speed, add in the dry ingredients, mixing just until incorporated.

To make the topping, combine the sugar, flour and cinnamon in a small bowl; whisk to blend.  Add in the butter pieces and cut into the dry ingredients with a pastry blender or two forks until the mixture is coarse and crumbly.  Transfer to the refrigerator until ready to use.

To assemble the muffins, fill each muffin well with a small amount of batter, just enough to cover the bottom of the liner (1-2 tablespoons).  Slice the log of cream cheese filling into 24 equal pieces.  Place a slice of the cream cheese mixture into each muffin well.  Divide the remaining batter among the muffin cups, placing on top of the cream cheese to cover completely.  Sprinkle a small amount of the topping mixture over each of the muffin wells.

Bake for 20-25 minutes.  Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely before serving.  (It may be hard to resist immediate consumption, but the cream cheese filling gets very hot!)

Recipe from
Annie's Eats

Post #2: Peanut Butter Banana Bread

Well, I wanted to break in my blog, and I saw the browning bananas on my counter and knew my obvious choice.  The only thing about banana bread that I don't like, is that it always looks ugly.  I have to say that this version of banana bread is possibly the best I have ever tasted, but the photos were all so boring.  The one posted is the best I could come up with!  Ha ha.  Maybe I will make that my mission: finding a way to make banana bread look appealing in a photo.  Anyway, enjoy the recipe.  This is the first time I have ever put peanut butter in my banana bread, but I have to tell you, it is amazing!  Peanuts and bananas go so well together!  Give it a try!

Peanut Butter Banana Bread

• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup butter or 1/2 cup margarine, softened
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 cups mashed bananas
• 1/2 cup chunky peanut butter
• 1/4 cup buttermilk
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• A generous handful of milk chocolate/peanut butter morsels (optional) 

Directions:

Prep Time: 15 mins
Total Time: 1 1/4 hr

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2.  Grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan.
3.  Cream brown sugar and butter until fluffy.
4. Add egg, bananas, peanut butter, and buttermilk. 
5. Gradually add flour and baking soda to the creamed mixture.
6.  Pour batter into greased pan.
7.  Bake for 1 hour, or until it tests done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
8. Cool in pan for 10 minutes.
9. Remove from pan and allow to cool completely on a wire rack.

Post #1: The Welcome

Hello, and welcome to my blog!

If you are here right now, you have stumbled in at a bad time.  I'm just getting started, so bear with me.

Why I started a blog:

Peer pressure.  Just kidding.  My sister has a successful blog (Drop Dead, Gorgeous), which is less about food, and more about makeup - something she is passionate about.  So I said "hey!  I like food!  And I like gawking at food blogs!  Maybe I can make this happen!"

And here I am.  Lucky you!

I don't have a fancy camera for photos, nor do I have a huge kitchen or expensive gadgets (aside from the KitchenAid mixer you see in the photo...Merry Christmas 2010! *smile*)!  Also, my blog editing skills are slim to none... But I have been a long time foodgawker, and have always enjoyed cooking and eating, baking and eating, etc..., so I figured that maybe I have something to add to your lives!

Oh, thanks for stopping by.  :o)