Sweet Potato Casserole

Sweet Potato Casserole
from Allrecipes

4 1/2 cups cooked and mashed sweet potatoes
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/3 cup milk
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs, beaten

Streusel topping:
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup butter
1 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9x13 baking dish.

In a large bowl, whisk together mashed sweet potatoes, 1/2 cup butter, milk, sugar, vanilla, and eggs. Spread into prepared baking dish.

In a small bowl, whisk together sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Cut in 1/3 cup butter until mixture is crumbly, then stir in pecans. Sprinkle pecan mixture over sweet potatoes.

Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown.

Pumpkin Pecan Pie

This allows me to avoid that uncomfortable feeling I get when I have to choose between 2 equally delicious things.

Pumpkin Pecan Pie
from Sue

1 (9 inch) pie shell, unbaked

Pumpkin Filling:
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ginger
1/8 tsp ground cloves

Pecan Layer:
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2/3 cup corn syrup
2/3 cup sugar
2 T butter, melted
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup pecan halves

In a small bowl stir together all ingredients for pumpkin filling until well blended (I subbed an equivalent amount of pumpkin pie spice for the spices because I am lazy.). Spread evenly into the bottom of pie shell. In another bowl, stir together pecan layer ingredients. If you store your nuts in the freezer like I do mine (and Bruce's), make sure they are at room temperature before using, because frozen nuts will ruin your cook times. Carefully spoon pecan filling over pumpkin layer. Bake at 350 for 1 hour or until filling is set around edge. Cool before serving.

Pumpkin Bread Pudding

Pumpkin Bread Pudding

1 T unsalted butter
1 lb of bread, cubed (about 10 cups. Use something a little bit dense: no Wonderbread)
4 large eggs plus 2 large egg yolks
2 cups heavy cream
2 cups milk
1 (15 0z) can pumpkin puree
1 cup brown sugar
1 T pumpkin pie spice
2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt

Heat oven to 350. Grease a 9x13 baking dish with butter.

Bake bread cubes in a roasting pan, tossing several times, 15 to 20 minutes until bread feels dry and slightly firm. Transfer cubes to a large bowl. Turn off oven.

In another bowl, whisk together eggs, cream, milk, pumpkin, sugar, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla, and salt. Add bread cubes, toss to coat. Pour mixture into prepared baking dish, cover, and chill overnight.

Heat oven to 350. Place uncovered baking dish in a large roasting pan and pour enough BOILING water into roasting pan to come halfway up sides of dish. (This is called a water bath, and it is absolutely necessary for this recipe, and the water must absolutely be boiling. That's why it's in CAPS.) Bake 50-60 minutes until a knife tests clean. Remove pudding from roasting pan and let cool until warm to serve.

Serve dusted with powdered sugar or whipped cream.

Cinnamon Roll Caramel Popcorn

This stuff is pure evil. Double it.

Cinnamon Roll Caramel Popcorn

12 cups popped popcorn (1/2 cup kernels or 2 reg size bags microwave popcorn)
1 cup pecan halves
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup Karo syrup
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp baking soda
4-6 oz of your favorite white chocolate

Remove all un-popped kernels and place popcorn in a large bowl or on cookie sheets lined with parchment/waxed paper. Sprinkle with pecan halves.

In a large saucepan combine brown sugar, cinnamon, butter, and corn syrup. Bring to a good boil (Stir frequently, if not constantly) and boil for 2 to 2 1/2 minutes, until mixture looks a little bit thick and caramel-ly. Whisk in vanilla and baking soda. Mixture will foam and rise.

Pour caramel over popcorn and nuts and stir to combine.

If you like it crunchy: Pour out onto a foil/parchment lined jelly roll pan and bake for 30 minutes at 250, stirring every 10 minutes.
If you like it soft: Don't bake it.

Either way: spread mixed popcorn out onto a jelly roll pan (If you started in a jelly roll pan, like I did, you can just leave it in there). Melt white chocolate and drizzle over popcorn. Let chocolate harden before breaking up popcorn and putting into plastic bags or storage containers.

Chantilly Potatoes

I had a "Practice Thanksgiving" party a couple of weeks ago with some friends in the neighborhood. I got to try some new and delicious recipes!

Chantilly Potatoes
from My Kitchen Cafe/Cook's Country

3 pounds yukon gold potatoes, peeled, cubed, boiled, drained, and smashed (still hot)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 1/4 cups heavy cream, chilled
3/4 cup shredded Swiss cheese
3/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Season smashed potatoes with salt and pepper.

In a large bowl, beat the heavy cream until stiff peaks form, about 2 minutes. Gently fold 2/3 of the whipped cream into the potatoes until the cream is mostly absorbed. Lightly grease a 2 quart baking dish. Carefully spoon the potatoes into the dish. Take care not to deflate the potatoes and don't stress about them being perfect on top. Fold all but 1/4 cup of the cheese into the remaining cream then spread that over the potatoes. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.

At this point you can either cover the potatoes and refrigerate until baking. Preheat oven to 400 and bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes, until heated through and top is golden brown. If you are eating the potatoes immediately, preheat the broiler and broil on low until the top is golden, 2-3 minutes. Let rest for about 5 minutes before serving.

Sandy's Chocolate Cake

I've had a few birthdays among my loved ones this past week, and it gave me the chance to be reminded why I LOVE this chocolate cake. It is moist and a little bit dense, so it is perfect for frosting with my new favorite buttercream (look a couple of posts back, I'm too lazy to link right now).

Sandy's Chocolate Cake
from Allrecipes

3 cups packed brown sugar
1 cup butter, room temp
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2 2/3 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup baking cocoa
1 T baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/3 cups sour cream
1 1/3 cup boiling water

Preheat oven to 350.

In the bowl of your mixer, cream brown sugar and butter. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat on high speed until light and fluffy. Add vanilla.

In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Add to butter mixture little at a time, alternating with sour cream. Mix on low just until combined.

At this point, you will think to yourself, 'This is great looking cake batter. What in the hell is the boiling water for?' Well, take my word and just boil it, then measure it, then pour it over your cake batter and stir until blended. The batter will seem a little runny but relax and proceed to the next step.

Pour cake batter into 3 greased and floured 9 inch round cake pans. (I trace the bottom of my cake pans onto parchment paper, then cut them out so they fit perfectly into the bottom of my cake pans. I then give the pan and paper a little spritz of non-stick spray, and my cakes never stick. I just run a knife gently around the edge of the cooked cake, turn it out of the pan, and peel the paper off. Works every time.) I usually distribute the batter into 2 layers and 9-12 cupcakes.

Bake layers for 30-35 minutes (definitely check them at 30, because my cakes have never gone past 32. Gently touch the center of the cake and if it feels firm it's done. Or you can use a toothpick.).

Cool in the pans for 5 minutes then turn cakes out onto cooling racks. Frost and decorate as desired.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Tart with a Pretzel Crust

I have had a little obsession with pretzel pie crusts lately- plan on seeing additional recipes on the topic. I love things that are salty and sweet, and I think that is why.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Tart with a Pretzel Crust

For the crust:
Preheat oven to 350.
Crush enough pretzels to yield one cup of pretzel crumbs. Stir in 1 or 2 tablespoons of brown sugar. Add 6 to 8 tablespoons of melted butter. The mixture should be very moist. Press into the bottom of a tart pan, springform pan, or pie dish. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until edges are lightly golden. Cool completely.

For the peanut butter layer:
1 cup peanut butter
4 oz cream cheese (half of a regular sized brick), brought to room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2-4 tablespoons heavy cream
In the bowl of a mixer with whisk attachment, combine peanut butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add vanilla and powdered sugar (mixture may start to look a little crumbly). Add heavy cream, 1 tablespoon at a time, with mixer running, until mixture is fluffy but a little stiff. Spread on top of cooled pretzel crust.

For the chocolate layer:
Folks, you have two choices:
Option 1: Combine a large milk chocolate jello pudding box (5.9 oz) with 2 cups milk. Whisk until smooth and starting to thicken, then gently pour over peanut butter layer. Cover and refrigerate until serving.

Option 2: Ganache. Yum. I suggest you choose this one.
(Ganache is a mixture of good quality chocolate, heavy cream, and a touch of butter. Ganache is what makes up the insides of chocolate truffles.)

6-7 ounces of good chocolate (milk, semi-sweet, it's up to your taste preference. I used half milk, half dark.) Chop the chocolate into very small pieces. A serrated knife is the ticket to successful chocolate chopping. I generally keep my chocolate bars in the freezer (I get them from Ikea in bulk), so "chopping" for me means that I smash the crap out of my still-wrapped frozen bars with a rolling pin until the pieces feel small. Place the chocolate pieces in a small mixing bowl.

In a small saucepan, heat 3/4 cup heavy cream with 2 tablespoons butter until butter is melted and cream is steaming. Pour cream over chocolate pieces. Let it sit a minute, then whisk until chocolate pieces are completely melted and mixture is smooth and creamy. Let cool for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, then gently pour chocolate ganache over peanut butter layer.

Let cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate overnight.

If you are using a springform pan (the kind where the sides pop off) run a knife around the edges of the tart before removing the pan sides.

I was taking my tart to a Halloween party which is why there is a "Spooky Spider" garnish.

Evil Buttercream Frosting

I'm just going to give you the link for this frosting, but before I do, consider yourself warned.
This is a delicious, creamy, and not overly sweet frosting.

Here you go!

And while you are on Mel's Kitchen Cafe, peruse around a little- it is one of my favorite recipe websites.

Fluffy Pancakes

I think have 3 or 4 pancake recipes I use, but I'm obviously not very loyal, because I gave these a try, and I must say that they were incredibly light and fluffy! I'll be coming back to this recipe for certain.

Fluffy Pancakes

1 1/2 cups milk
1/4 cup vinegar
Whisk together and let sit for 5 minutes. Milk will start to curdle and sour.

Then whisk in:
2 cups flour (I used half white, half whole wheat pastry flour)
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
1/4 cup melted butter (I subbed canola oil)

Cook as usual for pancakes.

Slow Cooker Orange Hoisin Chicken

Crock pot recipe? Check. Simple prep? Check. Delicious? Check.

Orange Hoisin Chicken
from My Kitchen Cafe

1/4 cup frozen orange juice concentrate
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
3 slices peeled fresh ginger, finely minced, or 1 tsp powdered ginger
3 cloves garlice, finely minced
1 T sesame oil
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (1.5 to 2 lbs.)
2 T cornstarch
2 T water
2 T sesame seeds
chopped green onions for garnish

In the crock of your slow cooker, whisk together orange juice concentrate, honey, soy sauce (I used the low sodium variety and the dish was plenty salty for me, so if you are using regular soy sauce I would start with half the amount to start and add the rest at the end if you still want it.), hoisin, ginger, garlic, and sesame oil. Add chicken and lightly stir to coat. Cook on low for 5 to 7 hours, until chicken is cooked through and tender. Five hours was about right for me.

Remove chicken and transfer to a plate. Turn slow cooker to HIGH. Whisk together cornstarch and water. Whisk into the sauce and cook until thickened, stirring frequently (keep the lid on your slow cooker as much as possible so it heats up enough to thicken the sauce.). Shred the chicken and return to the thickened sauce.

Serve over rice and garnish with sesame seeds and green onions.

Chocolate Crinkles

The best thing about these cookies is that they are soft and chewy.

Chocolate Crinkles
From the Lion House Cookbook

1/4 cup shortening
1/4 cup cocoa
1/2 cup oil
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 to 1 cup powdered sugar

In a large mixing bowl, cream together shortening, cocoa, oil, eggs, and vanilla until well mixed. Add flour, salt, and baking powder. Dough will be sticky and almost runny. Refrigerate dough for at least 3 hours and up to 5 days.

Preheat oven to 350. Drop and gently roll dough by tablespoonfuls in powdered sugar. Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 9-11 minutes. They will spread a little so don't crowd the cookie sheet. Do not overbake. Let cool on sheet for 4 or 5 minutes then move cookies to cooling rack to cool completely.

Makes about 5 dozen cookies.

Easy Chicken Biryani

The most complicated thing about this tasty skillet meal is deciding how to say "Biryani."

Easy Chicken Biryani
1 1/2 cups basmati rice
2 tsp unsalted butter
1 medium onion, sliced
1 bay leaf
3/4 tsp EACH cinnamon, garam masala, turmeric, and kosher salt
1 lb. chicken breast, cut into bite sized pieces
1 tsp to 1 T curry paste, to taste
1/2 cup raisins, currants, or dried cherries
3 cups chicken broth
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted

Soak rice in warm water for 10 minutes, then rinse in cold water until the water runs clear. Drain well. (Look at this little trick. It worked great)

While rice is soaking, heat butter in a 4 to 5 quart casserole or dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and bay leaf; cook until soft, 5-10 minutes. Stir in the spices, chicken, and curry paste and cook until aromatic, about 2 minutes. Stir in rice, raisins, and broth. Cover, bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until chicken is done and rice is cooked, 12-18 minutes. Uncover and cook off any remaining liquid (I had none), then turn off heat, replace lid, and let stand for 10 min.

Gently stir in peas, cilantro, and almonds. Remove bay leaf. Serves 6. We topped ours with plain greek yogurt and it was so good.

A note on turmeric: Turmeric is what gives this dish its beautiful yellow color. That in mind, it will turn EVERYTHING yellow. Wear an apron and store leftovers in your least favorite tupperware.

Snickerdoodles

This is my Grandma Barratt's recipe, and is therefore the most entirely delicious cookie I have ever consumed.

Snickerdoodles

2 eggs
1/2 cup butter, room temp
1/2 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 3/4 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp cream of tartar
3 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup sugar

Preheat oven to 350. Mix butter, shortening, sugar, eggs. Add flour, soda, salt, cream of tartar.
Roll dough into little balls, and roll in the cinnamon and sugar (mix them together in a little bowl). Bake on greased cookie sheet (Of course, I use parchment) for 8-11 minutes. Let cool for 3 or 4 minutes before removing from cookie sheets to cooling rack.

Apple Cake

There's certain foods that must be eaten in the fall- pumpkin, squash, anything with cinnamon, and apple desserts. This one belongs to the last category.

Apple Cake
3 cups flour
2 cups sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
4 large baking (tart) apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
1 T baking powder
1 tsp salt
4 large eggs
1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup orange juice
2 tsp vanilla

Heat oven to 350. Spray a 10 inch cake pan with nonstick spray (I used a springform pan and it worked very well- I recommend it).

In a large bowl, mix 2 T of flour, 1/4 cup of the sugar, and all of the cinnamon. Add apples and toss to combine.

In a second bowl, mix remaining sugar, remaining flour, baking powder and salt. Add eggs, oil, butter, orange juice, and vanilla. Beat batter until smooth.

Pour half of the batter (about 2 cups) into prepared pan. Top with half of apple mixture. Carefully spoon remaining batter over apples, then top with remaining apples. (Take an extra second and fan them out pretty. It will look so nice.) Keep the apples about 1/4" away from the edge of the pan.

Bake for 60-80 minutes, until toothpick inserted in the center of cake comes out clean. Let cool for 30 minutes before removing sides of pan. You can also prepare this in a bundt pan and invert it to serve. Top with powdered sugar, whipping cream, or vanilla ice cream.

Cheddar Biscuits

I continue to profess my love for Angel Biscuits. However, sometimes when I fail to plan ahead I need a pinch hitter.

Cheddar Biscuits
2 cups flour
2 T sugar
4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold butter
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
3/4 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 425. Mix together flour, sugar, powder, salt, and cayenne, if using. (I left the salt out because I was using salted butter.) Cut in butter to dry mixture until butter is in very small pieces. Gently stir in cheese, then add buttermilk. Stir lightly with fork or lightly knead with your hands. Be gentle with biscuit dough and mix it as little as possible. When dough is combined, roll out and cut as desired. Bake on lightly greased cookie sheet (or use parchment) for 12-15 minutes.

Do You Fancy Yourself a Home Canner?

I must say a few words about home canning. I'm something of a fanatic- Janet and I put away hundreds of jars every year. It's hugely nerdy and I fully embrace that. Canning rumors abound, however, and I want to set the record straight. Read this to find out why.

1. If you are canning "just the way your grandma did it" then there is a very real likelihood that you are going to kill yourself, especially if you are canning anything containing vegetables or tomatoes. Over the past few decades, foods (particularly tomatoes) have been bred for a sweeter taste, which has changed their acidity, which means that processing methods and times that were adequate for your grandma are no longer adequate now.

2. The purpose of processing (when you boil your goods in either a canner or a pressure cooker) is not merely to achieve a vacuum seal on your jars. Many people think that if you ladle your hot food into jars you can simply turn them upside down, let them cool, and turn them upside right, and if the jars seal, you are fine. This is not the case. The boiling of your jars is necessary to kill bacteria, and the entire processing time is required to heat the food to a high enough temperature to eliminate these bacteria. The mere achievement of a vacuum seal does not mean that your food has been rendered safe.

3. Creativity is not allowed. If you are making salsa, for instance, you can't add additional peppers just because you feel like it: the addition of additional vegetables changes the pH of the food, which in turn changes the necessary processing time. Find a different recipe for a salsa you do like, or submit your current (or grandma's) recipe to your local extension agent for analysis. Follow the recipes exactly, including ingredients, processing method, and processing times.

Here are some reliable sources- Colorado State Extension, Utah State Extension, "Putting Food By" by Greene, Hertzberg, and Vaughn, or the Ball Blue Book.

Are you a little afraid now? Good. That's the first step to being a successful home canner.

Roasted Chicken and Pears

If you have more than a dozen pear trees (I do), you need to get serious about preserving them, eating them, and/or shoveling their rotting carcasses into the dumpster. I am choosing to eat some of them like this:

Roasted Chicken and Pears
2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast
4 tsp olive oil
2 pears, cored
1 T honey
4 stalks celery, thinly sliced
2 oz (3/4 cup) crumbled blue cheese
1 T champagne vinegar
6 oz baby spinach

Preheat oven to 450. Place chicken on one side of an 18"x12" jelly-roll pan; pat dry. Brush with 2 tsp of olive oil and sprinkle with 1/4 tsp salt. Roast chicken 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, thinly slice pears lengthwise. In a large bowl toss pears, honey, remaining 2 tsp oil, and 1/4 tsp pepper until evenly coated. When chicken has roasted 10 minutes, add pears to other side of pan. Roast an additional 15 minutes or until juices run clear when chicken is pierced with a knife.

While chicken and pears are roasting, combine celery, blue cheese, vinegar, and 1/8 tsp pepper.

Divide spinach among 4 plates; place chicken on top, along with pears and any pan juices. Top with celery mixture.

Crisp Ravioli with Roasted Tomato Sauce

I confess: I've not made this yet- it's on the schedule for this week, but I can tell it is going to be so good.

Crisp Ravioli with Roasted Tomato Sauce
from Cooking Light

2 T water
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 9(oz) package fresh ravioli
3 T olive oil, divided
4 cups grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
3 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Combine water and egg in a shallow dish, stirring well. Combine panko and cheese in a shallow dish, also stirring well. Dip each ravioli in egg mixture then dredge in panko mixture. Add half of the olive oil to hot skillet, swirling to coat. Saute half of ravioli in a single layer, 1 minute on each side or until golden. Remove from pan and drain on paper towels. Add remaining oil and repeat the process with last half of the ravioli. Wipe skillet with paper towels, then add tomatoes, salt, and pepper to pan, saute 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add garlic to pan, saute 30 seconds. Divide ravioli even among four plates, top each serving with 1/2 cup of tomato sauce.

Chocolate Eclair Dessert

Sometimes you need a dessert that requires no baking, can be made ahead, and has simple ingredients. Here is the ticket.

Chocolate Eclair Dessert

2 packages graham crackers
2 small packages instant french vanilla pudding
3 cups milk
8 oz. Cool Whip

Chocolate Glaze:
3 T cocoa
3 T milk
1/4 cup butter
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups powdered sugar

Whisk together pudding mixes and milk until smooth and thick. Fold in Cool Whip. Line a 9x13 pan with one layer of graham crackers (you may have to break them a little smaller to cover the whole bottom. It won't matter- just cover as much of the bottom of the pan as much as possible.). Carefully pour half of the pudding mixture over the graham crackers. Cover with another layer of graham cracker sheets, followed by the rest of the pudding, followed by another layer of graham crackers. Pour chocolate glaze over top, cover, and refrigerate overnight before serving.

For the glaze: In a small saucepan heat the milk, cocoa, and butter until boiling. Whisk in vanilla and powdered sugar. This should be runny enough to pour easily.

Baked Potato Soup

It's obvious I'm a hug fan of Cooking Light. Most of the recipes I make as written. Others (like this one), I make the Cooking Light way once, then I think to myself, "I'm going to put some of the fat right back in this because it is totally worth it." So, although the seed of this recipe came from CL, I'm quite certain they would NEVER claim it.

Baked Potato Soup
2.5 pounds baking potatoes
2/3 cup flour
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
6 cups milk
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 cup sour cream
3/4 cup chopped green onion
6 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled

Bake potatoes, let cool, and scrape out insides. Coarsely mash and set aside.

Melt butter in large stock pot. Saute onion in butter for 2-3 minutes. Whisk in flour and cook for 1 minute, whisking constantly (Seriously. Whisk constantly. If you burn your roux you will be starting over.). Whisk in milk (true confession: sometimes I substitute 2 cups of heavy cream for 2 cups of the milk). Cook until slightly thickened, whisking frequently. Stir in potatoes, cheese, sour cream, salt, pepper, and bacon. Heat through.

Top with additional chopped onion, cheese, and bacon. This is a great one to serve in bread bowls.