Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Butterscotch Blondies

Here is an excellent recipe for Blondies.  We originally came across this on one of my favorite blogs, Annie Eats.  She uses the recipe to make a decadent two layered cake with butterscotch AND chocolate ganache poured over it.  It looks delicious but a little rich for my taste so I made a few adaption.


Here is the recipe for Butterscotch Blondies adapted from Annie Eats:


Butterscotch Blondies
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 3/4 cups packed light brown sugar
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 (11 oz.) package butterscotch chips, divided

NOTE: you can really use whatever kind of chips you want with this recipe.  It would be delicious with chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, m&ms, white chocolate chips, dried fruit, etc.  I just used butterscotch because my Mother gave up chocolate for lent.

For the butterscotch ganache (Optional):
3/4 cup butterscotch chips
6 tbsp. heavy whipping cream
3 tbsp. unsalted butter


Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Spray a 9X13 glass brownie pan. 


In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. 



In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the butter, sugar and vanilla.  Beat on medium speed until creamy.  Scrape down the bowl and mix in the eggs until well incorporated.  Gradually beat in the flour mixture on low speed just until combined.  

 Stir in 1 cup of butterscotch chips with a rubber spatula.


Pour the batter into your pan.  Sprinkle the top with some remaining butterscotch chips.

 Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool.



To make the butterscotch ganache, combine the cream and the butter in a small saucepan.  Warm over medium-high heat until the mixture is almost boiling.  Place the butterscotch chips in a small, heatproof bowl.  Pour the cream mixture over the butterscotch chips and allow to sit for 30 seconds.  Stir until smooth.



Then, I simply cut a blondie and poured the ganache over to serve.  It was really, really good!
 



  

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

My Aunt's Artisan Bread

You know that really cliche question, "If you could bring only one thing with you on a deserted island what would it be?"  Well, I'd want to bring my Aunt who has some extreme outdoor survival skills.  For example, we went camping in the Boundary Waters for one week and every morning my Aunt made us homemade bread OVER a campfire!  Yea...So there.


A few Summers ago I had the pleasure of attending a BBQ at her house.  Served at this BBQ was an amazing artisan bread.  It is so hearty with a good crunchy crust and one of the simplest french bread recipes I have come across.


Here are the instructions straight from my Aunt: 


This makes two round loaves, but warm I think one loaf only serves about four people because it is pretty yummy!  

3 C  warm water
1 1/2 TBSP yeast
2 tsp coarse salt,  OR     1-  1/2 tsp  of reg salt
6 C flour to start.  white or whole wheat.   I use whole wheat pastry flour, and sometimes add an extra grain like a 7 or 10 grain hot cereal for 1 or 2 cups of the flour.

Stir all around, and leave on the counter 2 hours.  At this point you can refrigerate 1/2 and bake 1/2 or bake all of it. Add more flour by kneading on the counter till you can shape it into 2 separate loaves.  Note,  it should not spread all over a cookie sheet.  It should stay in a round shape.  If it doesn't you need to knead a little more.  Put corn meal on the sheet, and then the loaf. ( this is like the grease)  heavily flour the top with white flour and cut diagonally 3 times. Don't try to remove the flour till later.

Let rise till double maybe another hour. (I put mine in an UN-heated oven to keep it in a draft free place).  Once it has risen,  bake in a hot oven at 425 degrees, WITH a pan of HOT water in the oven. (I usually fill a brownie pan halfway with water) This will make a great crust.  about 20-23 min. (or until it sounds hollow when you knock on it)

You can totally make it white bread. Just do it to texture.... :) 

If you have refrigerated the dough, you will need more than an hour for it to rise. 



She then ended the note by providing two different phone numbers in case I had a baking emergency and needed a little advice. :)

Friday, March 16, 2012

Everything Cookies- And I mean Everything

Every once in a while I get the urge to purge our pantry.  When I lived in Omaha with 4 other girls this was a BIG event.  Now that I just live with one roommate the pantry purge is not as exciting but still necessary. In an effort to not waste crumbs (or the last 1/4 cup of 9 different kinds of cereal) I started baking this into a cookie.  These cookies have been affectionately named EVERYthing Cookies and always get rave reviews even though no one ever knows what they are eating.

The base recipe is Paula Deen's (I know- this is not healthy) Monster Cookie Recipe.  However, see my notes at the bottom for other ingredient ideas.  You can essentially just wing it.

Couldn't help myself...

EVERYthing Cookies

Ingredients
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 12-ounce jar creamy peanut butter
  • 1 stick butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup multi-colored chocolate candies
  • 1/2 cup chocolate chips
  • 1/4 cup raisins, optional
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 4 1/2 cups quick-cooking oatmeal (not instant)
Notes: other things I like to add broken pretzels, stale graham crackers, any type of cereal, any type of dried fruit, chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, white chocolate chips, hot chocolate mix, peanuts, walnuts, coconut, nutella, to name a few.

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or nonstick baking mats.
In a very large mixing bowl, combine the eggs and sugars. Mix well. Add the salt, vanilla, peanut butter, and butter. Mix well. Stir in the chocolate candies, chocolate chips, raisins, if using, baking soda, and oatmeal. Drop by tablespoons 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. (just eyeball it) Do not overbake. Let stand for about 3 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool. When cool, store in large resealable plastic bags.

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Homemade Graham Crackers

Graham crackers are one of my favorite snacks.  The sweet taste of honey can be topped with just about anything: jam, peanut butter, nutella, frosting!  I typically just buy the store bought kind, but recently I couldn't help myself by trying to make them.  I was pretty skeptical about whether the homemade would be worth all the trouble.   However, I must say, these were particularly delicious and not too hard to make.  The batter reminded me of Ginger Snap batter but a little sweeter.

I pulled the recipe from one of my favorite food blogs: The Kitchn

The Costco size box of grahams. YUM!


Graham Crackers
makes about 2 dozen crackers, depending on size

1/2 cup white flour
2 cups cup whole wheat flour, or graham flour - found in some health food stores (I used whole wheat)
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (I used a full teaspoon)
1 stick cold butter, cut into small pieces
2 tablespoons honey (I used 3)
1 tablespoon molasses
1/4 cup water (make sure it's cold water)

Combine all the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Cut in the butter until the texture is dry and crumbly. (Also, you can do this in a food processor; just blend the butter in short bursts.)

In a small bowl, mix the honey, molasses, and water. Toss this with the dry ingredients until well blended. Scrape the sides of the bowl with your fingers and form the dough into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least an hour. (I left mine overnight)

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Roll the dough out on a counter or on wax paper, sprinkled with whole wheat flour. (I just sprayed mine with PAM) Use a pastry scraper or an index card as a guide to cut the dough into small rectangles. (I used a knife) Poke each cracker with a fork, then place them on an ungreased baking sheet.  (I tried to poke the crackers to resemble the store bought kind for effect)

Bake for about 15 minutes or until lightly browned and crispy. (Make sure you get them crispy otherwise they will be more cookie than cracker)  If stored in an airtight container these will keep for a couple weeks.

Thursday, March 8, 2012

Cilantro Lime Tilapia Tacos

These fish tacos are really delicious and a bit different from most fish tacos I typically come across.  I like them because they can be made in one skillet and incorporate tomatoes and spices right into the fish mixture.  Also, this recipe is so simple yet really, really good.



I found the recipe on Skinny Taste:

Cilantro Lime Tilapia Tacos
Skinnytaste.com
Servings: 4 • Serving Size: 2 tacos • 
Calories: 319 • Fat: 12 g • Protein: 26.5 g • Carb: 33.7 g • Fiber: 9.7 g • Sugar: 3.6 g
Sodium: 76.2 mg (without salt)

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb tilapia fillets, rinsed and pat dried
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves, finely minced
  • 2 jalapeño peppers, chopped (seeds removed for less heat)
  • 2 cups diced tomatoes
  • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 3 tbsp lime juice
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 8 5-inch white corn tortillas (I used La Tortilla Factory Fiber & Flax)
  • 1 medium haas avocado, sliced
  • lime wedges and cilantro for garnish
Notes:  I did not think the original recipe had enough spice.  So, I added in some Sriacha and chili powder to taste.

Serve with some ice-cold Corona with lime and enjoy!  My favorite part of this recipe is the clean-up: one knife, one cutting board and a skillet.

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Trader Joe's Cookie Butter

Yesterday, during my weekly visit to Trader Joe's, I found the ever elusive Speculoos Cookie Butter.  As the shelf was still well stocked, I bought two jars.


Cookie Butter is a peanut butter or nutella replacement.  Instead of a nutty flavor, Speculoos Cookie Butter tastes like gingersnap cookies mashed into a smooth spread.  If you ever fly Delta airlines the Biscoff cookies they give out have a similar flavor. It is a good, rich, molasses flavor with just enough sweetness.

Since acquiring my very own jar of cookie butter I have been eating it on pretzels, graham crackers, with apple slices and on toast.  It is only 90 calories a serving so is a low calorie alternative to peanut butter but still really delicious and satisfying.  I've also come across a variety of baking recipes that feature this cookie butter as a star ingredient and hope to give those a try soon.

So, keep your eyes out and snag yourself a jar of Speculoos Cookie Butter.

Sunday, March 4, 2012

Blueberry Scones

Blueberry Scones

I LOVE a good scone and have found they are way easier to make than you would think.  In this recipe I use blueberries but you can easily replace the lemon & blueberry with whatever flavor you are craving: cranberries & orange, chocolate chips, cinnamon chips, etc.







Ingredients
1/2 cup 2% reduced-fat milk 
(or whatever milk you have in the fridge)

1/4 cup sugar

2 teaspoons grated lemon rind 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 large egg 

2 cups all-purpose flour 

1 tablespoon baking powder 

1/2 teaspoon salt 

3 tablespoons chilled butter, cut into small pieces 

1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries 

1/4 cup finely chopped pecans, toasted ( you can also use walnuts)
Cooking spray 

1 large egg white, lightly beaten (you can also use EggBeaters)

2 tablespoons sugar 


Preparation
Preheat oven to 375°.
Combine first 5 ingredients in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. 



Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Cut in butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal. Gently fold in blueberries and pecans. Add milk mixture, stirring just until moist (dough will be sticky).  Try not to over-stir, this will keep the scones light.

Turn dough out onto a floured surface; pat dough into an 8-inch circle. Cut dough into 10 wedges, and place the dough wedges on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Brush egg white over dough wedges; sprinkle evenly with 2 tablespoons sugar. Bake scones at 375° for 18 minutes or until golden. 


Serve warm or these keep nicely for a few days.  I’ve also had success with freezing these for about a month and just defrosting a couple at a time.

Thursday, March 1, 2012

Shrimp Pad Thai

Now that it is Lent I will try to post a fish or meat free option on Thursdays for your Friday meal planning. This Shrimp Pad Thai below is one of my favorites.  You can make it a little more filling by adding in additional stir-fry veggies.  Also, I would recommend getting lo mien noodles over spaghetti noodles.  The texture is much better with lo mien.


Recipe adapted from Cooking Light.  Image from Cooking Light




Shrimp Pad Thai

Ingredients
8  ounces  uncooked spaghetti or lo mien noodles
1/4  cup  low-sodium teriyaki sauce
2  tablespoons  hot water
3  tablespoons  creamy peanut butter
1/4  teaspoon  Sriracha (hot chile sauce)
2  teaspoons  dark sesame oil
1  teaspoon  bottled minced garlic
1  pound  peeled and deveined large shrimp
4  cups  snow peas
1/2  cup  chopped fresh cilantro
1/3  cup  chopped dry-roasted peanuts
5  lime wedges


Preparation
Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain and set aside.
Combine teriyaki sauce, hot water, peanut butter, and Sriracha, stirring with a whisk.
Heat the sesame oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add minced garlic, and sauté 1 minute. Add shrimp; sauté for 2 minutes or until shrimp are almost done. Add teriyaki sauce mixture, and cook for 2 minutes or until sauce thickens. Add pasta and snow peas; cook for 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated, stirring well. Sprinkle with cilantro and peanuts. Serve with lime wedges.