Spiced Pear Crumble Bars

Posted on December 7, 2015 by Angie

Spiced Pear Crumble Bars

Just as nice as it is to try something different for dinner, I sometimes like to try something new for dessert too. It’s not as though I’ve ever heard anyone talk of being in a dessert rut (as if!), but I think overall, we tend to follow our routines across the board. Now, I know the preferred tastes of those in my circle and so when I stumble across something different, I pretty much file that into the, “I’ll make it for a potluck” category. A few weeks ago, that’s what I did with this recipe. It sounded good to me, but I knew no one else in the family would care for it, and Lord knows, I don’t need a dessert in the house that no one else will touch but me. So I did what any other self respecting/ restraining person would do: bake it, sample it, sample it again because it was that good, and then cut into pieces, place on a plate, cover and take to work the following day where it was eaten up.

I really enjoyed these, and since my family isn’t so adventurous to step outside their food comfort zone, I’ll make them again for another potluck.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 2/3 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1/4 tsp. ground cloves
  • 1/4 tsp. allspice
  • 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3 pears
  • 1 tbsp. cornstarch

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in the salt, vanilla, and spices. Gradually add in the flour and mix until just combined. It will be crumbly.

Take about 2/3 of the dough and press into the bottom of a 9×9 pan using your hands to pat down. Peel and slice the pears. Slice them thin if they are crisp; thicker if softer. Toss the pears with the cornstarch and lemon juice until well coated. Place the pears on top of the pressed dough and top with the remaining dough, sprinkling evenly among the top.

Bake for 35-40 minutes, until the top is lightly browned and you can hear the fruit bubbling.

Source: http://theviewfromgreatisland.com/pear-crumble-bars/

Note: After viewing the recipe and looking at the picture, I knew I would want more of the crumble so I doubled that part of the recipe. I hadn’t previously baked pears before, and while I used 4 pears, I didn’t know just how much they would bake down. I was happy with the doubled crumble mixture, but when I make it again, I’ll use 3 or 4 more pears for a better ratio. I also cut into it, served myself, and photographed a piece while it was still warm. It was quite delicious!

 

Posted in Bars/ Brownies, Desserts | Leave a comment

Chicken Florentine Skillet

Posted on November 17, 2015 by Angie

Chicken Florentine Skillet.jpg

There’s such ease with dishes that are all inclusive. You don’t have to worry about a side because everything you need is already in there. And, aside from boiling the pasta, it’s all cooked in one big skillet. Now, if that’s not a two thumbs up on a busy night, I don’t know what is.

Ingredients:

  • 3-4 cups of uncooked farfalle pasta
  • 1 1/4 cups of half & half
  • 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
  • 2 tbsp. butter
  • 1 package uncooked chicken, cut into bite sized pieces
  • 1 14.5oz can of diced tomatoes, drained
  • 1 package fresh baby spinach (about 6 cups – which is not too much as it cooks down)
  • 1 cup shredded mozzarella

Preparation:

Cook and drain pasta according to package instructions. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup of the half & half, flour, salt, and nutmeg until smooth; set aside.

In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat and cook the chicken, until browned, and no longer pink in the middle, about 8-10 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and spinach and cook for about 5 minutes.

Reduce the heat to low. Stir in the pasta and the half and half mixture. Stir in the remaining half and half, stir and allow to thicken. Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese on top, cover and let sit for 2-3 minutes or until cheese has melted.

 

 

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Skillet Spinach & Artichoke Bread Ring Dip

Posted on November 17, 2015 by Angie

Spinach Artichoke Skillet

Chris sent me this recipe he found on Facebook and requested I make it. I followed up on his request one night when we had people over. It came together easily (just be sure to factor in the time necessary for the dough to rise). We both thought it needed a bit more kick and I thought it was really heavy, but nevertheless, it got eaten up. I’ve yet to find a spinach artichoke dip that I truly love and can label “the one” or at the least, my “go to” one. It seems the ones at restaurants are not as dense, lighter, and more flavorful. I’ll keep looking. If nothing else, cooking is a bit of an education and good ol’ trial and error.

Ingredients:

  • 10 frozen dinner roll dough balls
  • 8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
  • 1/2 cup romano cheese
  • 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
  • 1/4 cup sour cream (I used Greek yogurt)
  • 1 1/2 cups artichokes, chopped
  • 1 tsp. garlic
  • 1 tsp. basil
  • 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
  • 1 10oz package of frozen spinach, thawed & excess liquid squeezed out

Preparation:

Grease a 10 inch cast iron skillet and place the dough balls around the skillet, cover with plastic wrap and thaw approximately 3-5 hours, depending upon the warmth of the kitchen.

When the dough balls are ready, preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a bowl, combine together all other ingredients, until well combined, and transfer to the center of the skillet. Brush the now raised dinner roll dough balls with olive oil or melted butter. Sprinkle the tops with Italian seasoning, if desired. Add extra cheese to the dip, if desired.

Bake in the oven for 25 minutes.

 

Posted in Appetizers, Vegetarian | 2 Comments

Lemon Velvet Cake

Posted on November 10, 2015 by Angie

Lemon Cake candied lemons

Lemon Velvet Cake

I’m a licensed master’s level social worker and a few years ago, I worked at a skilled nursing facility. I knew within a few days in of starting the position, I would not work there for very long because I was not utilizing my skills. I stayed for 15 months, and in that time, I met some truly great people, staff and residents alike. It was there that I first made the chocolate peanut butter cake that resulted in people offering to pay me to make it for them. One of the coworkers that ended up paying me for the cake was one of the house cooks. After working 12 hour days, being on her feet all day, and preparing up to 25 meals for both breakfast and lunch, and cleaning up afterwards, I, too, would have little desire to spend much time in my own kitchen. Over the last couple of years, she usually orders a cake 2-3 times a year, or provides me a recipe and requests that I make it for her. And that’s the story behind this cake. If I’ve not made something before, and I’m going to be selling it, I want to know how long it takes: preparation, taste, and presentation. A trial run, if you will. She gave me the recipe and I’m set to make her one for Thanksgiving so I made it last week, tried it, shared with the family, and brought the rest into my current coworkers who ate it up.  Some of their comments: “Good cake!” “It’s great!” “Yummy!” “So good with my coffee!” and my favorite, “That was so good, omg!!!! I had one last piece for breakfast today as I was lucky it was still there!” Cake, the breakfast of champions.

Ingredients:

For the cake:

  • 1 1/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 cups sifted cake flour
  • 1/2 tsp. baking soda
  • 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 2/3 cups vegetable oil (I used melted and cooled coconut oil)
  • 1/3 cup vegetable shortening
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 2 tsp. pure lemon extract
  • 3 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
  • zest of two small or one large lemons

For the frosting:

  • 8 cups powdered sugar
  • 2 cups unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1 tsp. pure lemon extract
  • 1 tsp. minced lemon zest
  • 4 tbsp. milk

For candied lemon zest:

  • 2 lemons
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup sugar

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour 2 nine inch round cake pans and line the bottom with 2 circles of parchment paper, grease and flour; set aside. Sift together both flours, baking soda, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In a bowl, beat together the vegetable oil, shortening, vanilla and lemon extract. Beat well at high speed with whisk attachment until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time. In a small bowl, add the sugar and with the back of a spoon, press the lemon zest into the sugar until fully incorporated.  Add the lemon sugar to the oil/ egg mixture. Fold in the dry ingredients alternating with the buttermilk beginning and ending with the flour additions (doing three divisions of the flour and 2 of the liquid). Do not over mix the batter. As soon as it has no lumps in the batter, pour into the two prepared 9 inch cake pans. Bake at 325 degrees F for 30-35 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool in the pans for 10 minutes before turning out onto wire racks to cool completely.

FOR THE FROSTING: Mix together the powdered sugar, lemon zest, and butter until it becomes sort of crumbly. Add the lemon extract and a little of the milk and beat until smooth and fluffy, adding only enough milk to bring the frosting to a creamy spreadable consistency. Fill and frost the cake. Garnish with candied lemon zest if desired. To make candied lemon zest, remove the zest with a sharp vegetable peeler in long strips, avoiding as much of the white pith as possible. Bring one cup of water and one cup of sugar to a slow boil. Add the pieces of lemon zest and boil for about 15 minutes. Drain the lemon zest on a wire rack. When cool, cut them in strips and roll in fine sugar.

FOR THE CANDIED LEMON ZEST: Using a sharp vegetable peeler, remove the zest in long strips, avoiding as much of the white pith as possible. In a small saucepan, bring together a cup of water and sugar to a slow boil. Once boiling, add the lemon zest and boil for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. In a small bowl, add the 1/2 cup of sugar. Remove the strips from the syrup and toss in the sugar, transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cool, arrange on the top of the cake, pressing slightly to secure in place.

Posted in Cake, Desserts | Leave a comment

Pumpkin Bars

Posted on November 10, 2015 by Angie

Pumpkin Bars

This recipe comes from my Auntie Karen who says she’s been making these pumpkin bars for 40 years, and to hear her tell it, she’s been making them since she was two because she is not a day over 42. Wink, wink. The first time I had these pumpkin bars was nearly a year ago at my grandmother’s funeral reception. That’s the peculiar thing about funerals: they tend to be family reunions & potlucks all rolled into one sad occasion. Truth be told, the last time I saw some of my extended family was at a cousin’s wedding 8 years prior. At another funeral a few years ago, I had another aunt say to me, “We’ve got to stop meeting this way” and yet the irony is that we both know that’s likely how it will happen. So, it was at the aforementioned reception in which many of us had these pumpkin bars and when your family requests you get this recipe, you know it’s a good one. I messaged my aunt and she posted the recipe on Facebook and one of my cousins commented: “a sweet spot on a sad day.” No need to wait for a sad day to make these because they are darned good. And bonus: dump all the ingredients into a bowl and stir.

Ingredients:

For the bars:

  • 4 eggs
  • 1 cup vegetable oil (I used melted and cooled coconut oil)
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 2 tsps. cinnamon
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • 2 cups flour

For the frosting:

  • 6 tbsps. butter, melted
  • 3 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp. milk

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a sheetcake pan; set aside. Mix the above ingredients together until combined. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick entered into the center of the bars comes out clean.

Allow to cool then make the frosting. Pour the melted butter over the cream cheese and beat together, then add the powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk and mix until smooth. Frost the bars. Enjoy!

NOTE: I overlooked the sheetcake pan and used my 9×13 pan so the frosting was a bit much for Chris. I’ll likely halve it next time.

Posted in Bars/ Brownies, Desserts, Pumpkin | Leave a comment

Halloween Graveyard Dirt Dessert

Posted on November 2, 2015 by Angie

Halloween Graveyard Dessert

With Halloween falling on a Saturday this year, we knew last year we would allow the girls to have another Halloween party at our house. It’s nice to host because you know where your kids are at and it’s fun memory making. Since they’re older, I didn’t go all out. We ordered pizza, I made this dessert, and some of the girls’ friends brought different snacks and drinks to share.

Ingredients:

  • 1 8oz. package of cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 4 tbsp. butter, at room temperature
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 package of chocolate Oreos
  • 1 6oz. box of sugar free instance chocolate pudding
  • 3 cups of milk
  • 1 12 oz. container of Cool Whip, thawed
  • gummy worms
  • Pepperidge Farm Milano cookies, or other oval/ rectangle shaped cookies
  • edible gel

Preparation:

Crush 3/4 of the Oreos to a fine crumb; separate in two. With the remaining 1/4 of the Oreos, break into larger pieces; set aside. In a bowl, mix the cream cheese, butter, and powdered sugar together until thoroughly combined; set aside. In a stand up mixer, combine the pudding and milk (cover with a towel so you don’t have chocolate splatters on the counters, walls, and ceiling!) and beat on high for 5 minutes, stopping periodically to scrape the bottom of the bowl and the sides. Add in the creamed cheese mixture, stirring on low to incorporate. Fold in the whipped cream. Mix in half of the Oreo crumbs and larger pieces. Pour into a 9×13 pan and top with the remaining Oreo crumbs.

Decorate the Milano cookies accordingly the edible gel and place throughout the pudding. Insert gummy worms into the pudding. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours before serving.

Posted in Halloween, No-bake | Leave a comment

Egg, Sausage, & Cheese Breakfast Biscuits

Posted on October 28, 2015 by Angie

Sausage, egg, & cheese biscuits

 

One of my very best friends goes through the drive thru of a fast food restaurant nearly every day on her way to work to order a sausage, egg, and cheese breakfast sandwich and a large Diet Coke. I’ve been on the phone with her so many times while she’s ordering that I mimic her as she orders and announces the total as the worker does, “That’ll be $2.38. Please pull around to the first window.” We laugh and go on to talk about the happenings of our day to day lives. I’m of the belief a homemade breakfast is by far better, both in flavor and nutrition, than anything you could pass me through a window, but I enjoy cooking and baking and she does not. To each our own. Allow me to introduce you to my homemade version of an egg, sausage, & cheese breakfast biscuit.

Ingredients:

  • a dozen eggs, slightly beaten & seasoned with freshly ground S&P
  • sausage patties (I prefer nitrate free ones)
  • cheddar cheese, thick cut
  • homemade biscuits

For the biscuits:

  • 2 cups flour
  • 4 tsp. baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 tsp. baking soda
  • 1 stick of unsalted butter, cold & cut into tablespoons
  • 1 cup buttermilk

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and work in the cold butter until mixture is coarse and crumbly. Pour in the buttermilk and stir just until it comes together. On a floured surface, turn dough and knead 4-5 times. Pat to 1/2 inch thickness, cut with a biscuit cutter (or the top, open part of a glass), and bake on a baking sheet for 15-18 minutes, or until tops are lightly browned. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

BiscuitsBiscuit rounds

As the biscuits are cooking, line a muffin tin with 12 liners and spray with non-stick spray; set aside. In a medium size bowl, whisk together the eggs and add freshly ground S&P. Distribute eggs evenly among the muffin tin and once the biscuits are done baking, reduce the temperature of the oven to 350 degrees and bake for 18-20 minutes or until set.

Eggs for biscuits

While the eggs are cooking, cook the sausage patties per package instructions. Cut the biscuits in half, slice the cheddar cheese, and set aside. Once the eggs are finished cooking, remove the paper liners and assemble the sandwiches. The bonus is that the leftover sandwiches can be wrapped up with plastic wrap and placed in the refrigerator for an easy grab, heat in the microwave for a minute, and out the door weekday breakfast. No need for a drive thru here.

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Tortellini Pasta Salad

Posted on October 27, 2015 by Angie

Tortellini Pasta Salad

Fall is in the air, the days are shorter and cooler, the summer heat is behind us and I still have tomatoes growing in the garden. This year was my first year to do a trial run of a garden and I’m happy to report I had moderate success with it and learned that grasshoppers are little insect heathens and were the demise of my cucumbers. I planted everything back in May. From seeds: tomatoes, cucumbers, and cilantro. From a plant: basil, oregano, and jalapenos. My mom informed me I’d planted the tomatoes too late in the season, that my aunt generally starts hers inside in February before transplanting outside in May, and so I probably wouldn’t get any. Boy, was she wrong! They flourished, for which I’m glad. Little cherry tomatoes that I’d pluck off the vines, rinse, halve and throw into our salads. The other day, after a nice five mile long walk in the park with the dog in which I enjoyed the vast colors of the leaves, I arrived home hungry, looked in the back and realized I’d better do something quick with the tomatoes. I’ve also recently learned that for the tomatoes that are still green, I can go ahead and remove them from the vine, place in a brown paper sack and if stored in a cool, dry place, they will eventually ripen. That sounds too good to be true, but I’ll try it!

Ingredients:

  • 1 package 9oz cheese tortellini
  • 1 small zucchini, diced
  • cherry tomatoes, halved
  • red onion, chopped
  • salami, cubed
  • Italian dressing

Preparation:

Boil the tortellini per package directions. I usually have a few packages I keep in the freezer, so the cooking time is always a bit longer. Once fully cooked, strain the water and rinse the tortellini thoroughly with cool water. Shake off excess water and place tortellini in a medium sized bowl. Add in the cut up vegetables and chopped salami, pour in some  Italian dressing and toss until coated. A light summertime, albeit fall lunch is served.

Posted in Italian, Salads | Leave a comment

Homemade Flour Tortillas

Posted on October 23, 2015 by Angie

Homemade tortillas

Once, a long, long, time ago when Chris and I were first dating, we were discussing where to eat. I asked innocently, “Do you like Mexican food?” We were walking at the time and when he stopped, so did I. He turned to me with a smile on his face that I imagine totally said, “Duh!” or “Really?” but because we were utterly in love, he said pointedly, “I am Hispanic.” I remember responding, “Obviously, I know that, but I didn’t want to be presumptuous to think that you liked the food.” We laughed like we do and whether or not we had Mexican food that day, I don’t recall. I do remember thinking (and still do today) that just because you grow up with a certain type of food doesn’t necessarily equate to liking it. For instance, the lineage on my mom’s side is German. We were fortunate to visit Germany twice when my oldest stepbrother was stationed in Heidelberg. I learned I don’t care for a lot of German food. I also loathe fish and water related creatures, and think if I grew up on the coast where fish, lobster, shrimp, etc. is prominent, I still wouldn’t like it. Nevertheless, he’s Hispanic and loves Mexican food. I, in turn, aim to please.

Along the way, I’ve learned a thing or two, and perfected some dishes, but I’ve always shied away from making homemade tortillas. In part, anytime we would travel back to his hometown in Texas, we would stop off at The Corner Stop down the street from his childhood home and purchase 15 packages of a dozen freshly made tortillas to take home and freeze to use until we visited again. They are hands down the very best tortillas I’ve ever had. Once his mom moved in with us due to her terminal cancer, our visits slowed substantially, but his grandmother was still there in a nursing home so he or all of us would go visit and our last stop out of town was always The Corner Stop to stock up. Once she died in the Fall of 2012 there was no real reason to make the trip anymore. The other reason I’d resisted making them was because I’d always heard of how sensitive they were. Too much flour, not enough water, or too high of a heat, and you’ve got a cracker. Prepackaged store bought tortillas just seemed the way to go; they’d suffice.

After much research, I decided to conquer my tortilla making fears and was filled with equal parts anticipation and apprehension. When I told Chris of my intentions, he informed me the only way to make them, the way his grandmother made them, is to use lard, which we didn’t have. I told him I intended to use bacon fat. Side note: any time I make bacon, I drain the excess off into a Tupperware container that I keep in the refrigerator. The look on his face was doubtful, but really, it’s one in the same. I’m happy to report they were a success. I got the seal of approval from the girls, and most importantly, the man who grew up eating tortillas said I did good. ‘Nuff said.

Ingredients:

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 1/2 tsps. baking powder
  • 5 tbsps. bacon fat
  • 1 cup warm water

Preparation:

Add the flour, salt, and baking powder in a stand up mixing bowl and whisk together. Place a cup of water in a microwave safe measuring cup and heat for 1 minute. Using the dough hook attachment, set the speed to medium and add the bacon fat and slowly pour in the water. Allow to run for 1 minute, stopping to scrape down the sides. Once the dough comes together in a ball, reduce the speed to low and mix for another minute.

Working on a well floured surface, divide the dough into 16 equal-sized balls. With the palm of your hand, flatten as much as you can, cover with a dish towel and let sit for 45 minutes to an hour.

After the resting period, heat a large griddle to medium-high heat and allow to get very hot before using. Once it’s hot enough, use a well floured rolling pin and a floured surface, roll out one dough ball at a time until thin. Transfer to the hot griddle and cook for 1 minute or so before flipping to the other side for 30-45 seconds. Since every stove is different, you’ll learn quickly if you need to reduce the heat or cook longer. With mine, after the first couple of tries, I found raising the heat to almost high and cooking for a bit longer, warranted the results I was aiming for.

I’d originally planned for tacos, but Bri was less than impressed so we all agreed upon breakfast burritos for dinner. I’m happy to report the tortillas remained soft and pliable. Breakfast burritos

Posted in Bread; Sides, Breakfast, Mexican | Leave a comment

Pumpkin Toffee Cookies

Posted on October 19, 2015 by Angie

Pumpkin cookies

I don’t know anyone, who while making cookies, doesn’t nibble on the cookie dough. I mean, come on, licking the beaters after your mom is done mixing them together, is a bit of a kitchen rite of passage that’s passed down from generation to generation. That said, as I tried some of this cookie dough, I thought, hmmm, these are just okay. I wasn’t wowed, but I proceeded anyway because by all means, if you have cookie dough, it needs to be baked. So, I did and tried it later on, much to the same conclusion as earlier. The following day, the girls said on repeat, “Those cookies are so good, mom.” I was surprised. Then I had another one. I think the secret powerhouse to this cookie is to bake them and leave them alone until the next day. There’s some sort of transformation that occurs overnight. It’s as if all the flavors get their act together only to bring the A game later.

Ingredients:

  • 2 1/4 cup flour
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 2 tsp. cinnamon
  • 1 tsp. nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 cup butter, at room temp
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp. vanilla
  • 1 cup toffee bits or 1 8oz bag
  • 1/2 cup white chocolate, melted

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 375 degree. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a medium size bowl.

In a mixer, cream together the butter and sugars until creamy. Add the egg, pumpkin, and vanilla. Slowly add in the flour mixture, mixing until combined. Stir in the toffee bits. Drop by rounded tablespoons onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 10 – 12 minutes. Allow cookies to cool for 3 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled completely, melt the white chocolate, tap into your inner Jackson Pollack and fling, er, drizzle the white chocolate all over the cookies. I let them dry overnight on the counter before placing them in a storage container. The cookies remained soft.

Source: http://www.lemonsforlulu.com/pumpkin-toffee-cookies/

NOTE: After the first sheet of cookies were not quite done baking at 350 degrees and 10 minutes as noted in the original recipe, I upped the temp and time just a bit. This worked out much better.

Posted in Cookies, Pumpkin | Leave a comment