Peanut Butter Crispy Treats

In 20 days I'm moving back home to Charlotte. After two short years in Raleigh, it's packing time again. As a foodie, my pantry is bursting with staples. Cooking is stress relief. At midnight I decided to purge so there would be less to pack.There was a bit of peanut butter, a package of peanut butter chips, some corn syrup, plenty of chocolate chips and a whole box of generic crispy cereal. After perusing some recipes, this one was born from a combination of ingredients. BEWARE! These bars have sugar and are not diabetic friendly. 

Prepare a 9 x 13" pan with cooking spray and set aside.

Ingredients for the bars:

1 cup light corn syrup
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup peanut flavored chips (or just use 1 cup of peanut butter and leave out the chips) 
6 cups crispy rice cereal

Ingredients for the topping:

1 cup peanut butter chips
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
3 T whipping cream

1. Combine 1 cup of corn syrup and 1 cup of sugar in a 3 quart pan over medium heat Stir and cook until sugar is dissolved. Add peanut butter and peanut butter chips. Stir until boiling. 
2. Add rice cereal and stir until combined. (Warning-it will be sticky like caramel, so you may want to coat the spoon with cooking spray before you add the cereal).
3. Scrape mixture into prepared pan and press down. I use parchment paper on top of the sticky mixture to press down evenly without sticking. 
4. Prepare topping by melting the peanut butter and chocolate chips in a small saucepan over low heat. Add whipping cream to thin and continue to stir until smooth.
5. Pour over cereal mixture in the pan and spread with an offset spatula until evenly covered.
6. Allow to cool, cut and eat. Remember, these bars are sticky and chewy, but so good!

Middle Eastern cooking for beginners --Hushwee

As I've grown older my hearing has declined. However, my sense of smell seems to have become more acute. The fragrance and smell of food transports me to specials places, times and memories. I am able to vividly imagine the smell of a favorite dish by simply viewing an item of food. On a recent trip to the grocery I spotted ground lamb. It's a hit or miss item in my local Kroger. Ground lamb is favored in Middle Eastern cooking. When I saw the package of lamb and my brain immediately smelled Hushwee, referred to as 'rice-meat stuffing' by my Lebanese friends. 

Hushwee with cranberry sauce

More than 20 years ago a small pizza shop opened in my Toledo, Ohio neighborhood. The pizza was good, but I discovered they served Lebanese food. My favorite was Popoff's stuffed grape leaves. I became a regular, and the owner Michelle became my friend. During one of my all to frequent visits, I opened the door and the fragrance of cinnamon and allspice wafted through the tiny restaurant. Begging to know the source, I was presented with Hushwee, a Middle Eastern comfort food and a side of laban (yogurt). I fell deeply in love with Lebanese food. Sadly, my favorite little spot closed before I could purloin the recipes for the dishes I craved.

A couple of years later, I met a man of proud Lebanese parentage. We began dating, and I became the grateful recipient of Middle Eastern Sunday dinners lovingly prepared by his mother. Learning to eat raw lamb (known as kibbe) was my proudest moment! During a Thanksgiving Holiday we made a visit to his sister's home near Chicago. Diane prepared Hushwee with our turkey dinner. It was nirvana! And I discovered it didn't need to be covered in laban, but tasted just as good with cranberry sauce. The dating relationship only survived a year, but my love of Lebanese food has continued to grow. My recipe is derived from a Syrian-Lebanese church cookbook purchased while I lived in Toledo, Ohio. My Lebanese friends will be able to smell this dish by simply looking at the photos. For the rest of you; step out of your comfort zone and try this one. You'll love it.

Hushwee (Rice-meat stuffing) Serves 6 as side dish, 4 as main dish

Total time: 40 minutes
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 25 minutes

Ingredients for Hushwee

Ingredients:
1- 1/2 cups white rice, rinsed. (place rice in bowl of water and soak for 15 minutes, strain)
1 pound ground lamb (or organic ground beef)
3 T butter
1/4 cup pine nuts
3 cups homemade chicken broth (or store-bought if necessary)
1 tsp ground sea salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
1 tsp good quality cinnamon
1/4 tsp allspice

1. In a large 10-12" saucepan (with a lid), sauté the pine nuts in butter until golden. 

2. Remove with a slotted spoon to a small bowl and set aside. 

3. Add the ground meat to the remaining butter and cook until slightly browned. 

4. Add rinsed rice, browned pine nuts, chicken broth, salt, pepper, cinnamon and allspice.

Combine Ingredients

5. Stir ingredients and bring to a boil. (About 5 minutes)

Hushwee

6. Cover, and reduce heat to low. Simmer about 15 minutes until liquid is absorbed.


7.  Serve with laban or cranberry sauce.

Chocolate Covered Cherry Martini

This post happens to be on Valentine's Day. February is also synonymous with cherries thanks to a president who couldn't tell a lie about chopping down the cherry tree.  In a recent quarterly trip to the ABC store I was overwhelmed with the sheer volume of flavored vodkas.  In a weak moment I purchased one named 'S'mores' and it was a huge mistake. It did not taste like S'mores; it tasted like alcohol. 

My quest for the chocolate covered cherry martini was born from a friend's Facebook post and a picture of what she called a "Marilyn Monroe." She said it had chocolate and cherry. Of course I Googled! But the Marilyn Monroe drinks in my search did not have chocolate or cherry. It lead to a search of drinks with chocolate and cherry. BINGO! The recipe I found was for a shooter, but it seemed pretty easy to turn a shooter into a martini. And, there is no strange flavored vodka. Then again, there is no cherry except for the garnish. Four simple ingredients and you have a martini with the taste of a chocolate covered cherry. No kidding!

Chocolate covered cherry martini

Serves 2 (or not)

2 shots Amaretto

1 teaspoon Grenadine syrup

2 teaspoons chocolate syrup

2 teaspoons heavy cream

Fill martini shaker with ice. Add all ingredients. Shake and strain into 2 small martini glasses. Add a maraschino cherry for garnish .

Cheers!

Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato and Bacon Pasta

Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato and Bacon Pasta

On Saturday I have the luxury of sleeping past 6:00 a.m. It means luxuriating under warm blankets long after a socially accepted time. When I finally descended the stairs at 10:30 this morning, it seemed too late for breakfast and I wasn't in a brunch mood. The refrigerator is uncharacteristically empty. These are the moments I love. Few ingredients to choose from brings out my creativity. My tastes can be rather enigmatic. Lately I'm favoring salty and sweet. A five ingredient lunch was born. So very simple and perfect--at least to me. Unfortunately this creamy delight is not photogenic, nor is it heart healthy. Today I didn't care. The salty bacon, silky rich cream and sweet tomatoes combined with pasta and parmesan was the best 11:00 a.m. lunch I have enjoyed in a very long time. This recipe will serve two--maybe

Note to self--when playing with food, write down the measurements so you aren't guessing when writing these recipes...

Ingredients:

6 oz Angel Hair Pasta
4 slices of bacon, finely chopped
1/2 cup oil packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and finely chopped
2/3 cup of heavy cream
1 oz freshly grated parmesan cheese
pinch of pepper

Directions: 

1. Cook pasta al dente and drain (reserving a bit of pasta water). Place in bowl with a bit of reserved pasta water and cover with a plate to keep warm.

2. Cook bacon in frying pan until crisp. Drain grease reserving about a teaspoon in the pan. (At this point you could add a chopped onion and garlic and fry them in the bacon grease. I don't like onion and it was too early for garlic)

3.  Add sun-dried tomatoes, bacon, cream and a pinch of fresh ground pepper. Cook and stir on medium low heat until the mixture becomes thick and begins to bubble, approximately 6 minutes.

4.  Spoon sauce over cooked pasta and top with fresh grated parmesan and a sprinkle of bacon. 

Decadent French Toast

It's Saturday; two days after Christmas and there is an entire loaf of homemade bread left over from the gourmet dinner prepared by my sister. I freely admit the bread was my only contribution. There is an extra loaf because my thoughts wandered while I was measuring flour and I ended up making two loaves in case the first was an epic fail.

It's time for breakfast and there is no milk in my refrigerator. But I have a quart of whipping cream. My decadent self is thinking of French Toast made with whipping cream! My empirical self is thinking how many ways this can go wrong. My foodie self is going for it! The French Toast is wonderful; reminiscent of creme brûlée, the perfect Saturday brunch with a Mimosa, and worth every single calorie! There is one caveat. Use dense, homemade bread, or a good, heavy bakery bread. Don't even think of using a wimpy bread purchased in a plastic bag! And if you do--please don't tell me...

INGREDIENTS:
1 to 1-1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
2 extra large eggs
1 tsp sugar
pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp freshly squeezed orange juice
6 slices (approximately) homemade bread, sliced 1/2 inch thick

Add all ingredients in medium mixing bowl. Whisk until blended. The mixture will be thick.
Place the sliced bread in 13 x 9 inch baking dish (as close together as possible). Pour the cream mixture over the bread and press down lightly with a spatula to help the bread absorb the mixture. Flip the bread with the spatula to allow both sides to absorb the cream mixture. At this stage you can cover the baking dish and refrigerate overnight, or you can cook it immediately.

I recommend frying in a large skillet. This recipe is pure calorie overload, so why not fry it up in unsalted butter? Serve with fresh berries, a sprinkle of powdered sugar, and maybe a bit of maple syrup. Then again, you can always add a big dollop of whipped cream! It's the holidays, calories don't count.

Bread Pudding

Bread pudding with vanilla pastry cream

My introduction to bread pudding came at the age of twenty-one while working in a restaurant.  The chef was gifted; his training received at the Culinary Institute, Hyde Park.  His bread was homemade artisan bread, not pasty grocery store bread purchased in plastic bags.  The pastry cream was made from scratch. It was decadent, sweet and rich--the way dessert should be.  In his version the bread pudding was baked, cooled, cut into bite sized pieces, folded into vanilla pastry cream and topped with copious amounts of whipped cream.  The recipe was probably in his head. He left this world too soon, but I think of him when making bread pudding.  

Preheat oven  to 350 degrees and have 8" square baking dish ready

Bread Pudding ingredients: 

6 - 1/2" slices crusty artisan, preferably two days old

2 T butter, melted

4 beaten eggs

2 cups milk (or as I prefer, 1 1/2 cups milk and 1/2 cup heavy cream)

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup raisins (optional) 

1.  Break or slice bread into cubes and place in 8" square baking dish.  If desired, add raisins. Drizzle with melted butter

2.  In medium mixing bowl combine beaten eggs, milk, sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla extract. Stir until combined.

3.  Pour over bread cubes. Cover with a piece of plastic wrap and press down with fingers until the egg/milk mixture is absorbed by the bread cubes.

4.  Bake uncovered, approximately 45 minutes at 350 degrees until the bread is golden brown and springs back to  the touch.

Serve immediately with vanilla pastry cream or vanilla sauce.

Vanilla Pastry Cream ingredients:

2 cups milk

1/4 cup sugar

2 egg yolks plus one whole egg

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/3 cup sugar

2 T butter

1 tsp vanilla extract

1.  In medium bowl, whisk together egg yolks and whole egg. 

2.  In small bowl, stir together cornstarch and 1/3 cup sugar, then stir into eggs until smooth.

3.  In heavy saucepan, stir together milk and 1/4 cup sugar. Bring to boil over medium heat, whisking constantly.

4.  When the milk comes to a boil remove from heat and drizzle into egg/milk mixture in a thin stream to avoid "cooking" the eggs. Return mixture to saucepan and slowly bring to a boil whisking constantly to prevent the mixture from curdling and scorching the bottom of your pan.

5.  When mixture boils and thickens, remove from heat. Stir in butter and vanilla until butter is completely blended. 

6.  Pour in heat-proof bowl and cover with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate at least one hour.  For faster cooling, place pan in a bowl of ice water and stir gently.

Vanilla Sauce ingredients:

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 Tablespoon vanilla extract

1.  Combine all ingredients except vanilla in small saucepan. Cook over medium heat for 5-8 minutes until mixture becomes thick and comes to a full boil. Stir in vanilla. Spoon over bread pudding. Store remaining sauce in refrigerator.   

Marinated Six Bean Salad

Saturday is my favorite day of the week.  I normally sleep in and have a big breakfast because there is plenty of time to relax and cook.  Healthy eating is not on my Saturday menu most of the time because I love having a day to "cheat and eat."  Instead of a big breakfast today, I had a banana split with Reese's Peanut Butter ice cream, hot fudge, whipped cream, toasted walnuts and topped it with a maraschino cherry. For lunch I had popcorn. Of course, by now I'm feeling guilty, so I redeemed myself and made a six bean salad for dinner.  Low calorie, full of protein and fiber and oh so yummy.  

Six Bean Salad

Marinade:

1 cup olive or canola oil

2/3 cup apple cider vinegar

2/3 cup white vinegar

1 cup sugar or sugar substitute

2 teaspoons celery seed

Combine all marinade ingredients in a large bowl and whisk until sugar is dissolved.  

Drain and rinse the following:

1 can green beans (1 gram fiber)

1 can wax beans (1 gram fiber)

1 can Cannellini beans (6 grams fiber)

1 can light or dark kidney beans (6 grams fiber)

1 can Garbanzo beans (5 grams fiber)

1 can black beans (7 grams fiber)

Add to marinade. Stir to combine. Cover and allow one hour for flavors to meld.  Yield 18 servings

Feel free to use any combination of beans.  These just happened to be the six types of beans in my pantry today.  Of course the recipe calls for onions, but my absolute loathing of onions means they are optional.  And I opt out.  

Fried Cornmeal Mush

   Our family grew up in Ohio and one of our greatest pleasures was eating Grandma Fletcher's fried cornmeal mush with butter and maple syrup. Cornmeal mush is not to be confused with southern style grits, but rather compared to Italian polenta. A simple explanation is--cornmeal grits are coarsely ground, polenta is a finer grind and mush is made with an even finer ground cornmeal.
   One rule of thumb; don't buy cheap ground cornmeal in a round cardboard container on the grocery store shelf unless you like bland mush with no flavor. If possible, buy from an Amish store. If you must buy from the grocery I would recommend Anson Mills fine ground cornmeal and store in a plastic bag in your freezer.
   The recipe is simple because there are three ingredients: Cornmeal, salt and water.  My grandma used to shred leftover ham and blend it with the mush while cooking. I'm a purist, and prefer mine fried in Crisco in a large skillet, turning once when the edges start to get golden and crispy. My family prefers our fried mush buttered and covered in maple syrup; just like a stack of pancakes. If you prefer not to do it yourself, there is always Bob Evans--but it isn't the same as homemade.

Fried Cornmeal Mush

Ingredients:

1- cup fine ground cornmeal
3- cups cold water
1- teaspoon salt

Directions:

1.  Mix cornmeal in one cup of cold water and set aside.

2.  Boil two cups of cold water in a medium-size, heavy gauge pan over high heat and add salt when water is boiling briskly.

3.  Remove pan from heat (because it is going to bubble up) and slowly whisk the cornmeal/water mixture into the boiling water until smooth.  

4.  Reduce heat to medium and cover. The mixture will continue to bubble. I recommend wearing long sleeves and using a long handled wooden spoon when stirring to avoid getting burned (speaking from years of experience). Continue cooking and stirring frequently for an additional 10-12 minutes until the mixture is thick.  

5.  Pour into a loaf pan rinsed in cold water, or two clean soup cans rinsed in cold water for round loaves. Allow to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate overnight.

6.  When ready to cook, remove from loaf pan or soup can and slice thinly. Heat Crisco or oil over medium high heat and add slices of mush to hot oil with a pancake rather than your fingers to avoid getting burned with hot oil. Don't crowd the slices because the edges will stick together and become difficult to flip. I recommend covering with a splatter guard while the mush is frying because it is like frying bacon! When mush is golden around the edges, flip with pancake turner and continue frying until crispy. 

7. Transfer to serving plate and serve with your choice of toppings. (I usually drain on paper towels to removed excess oil before transferring to a serving plate-just like cooking bacon). By the way, fried mush is excellent with bacon...

Chocolaty Brickle Bites

Brickle is an amusing word.  It's origins are in the 13th century from the word brekyl, meaning crisp, brittle, crumbly, or flaky.  Modern day brickle brings to mind the crunchy toffee flavored candy we know as the Heath Bar. This quick little recipe comes from a 1994 cookie book lovingly stained with my greasy fingers. These delightful little bites are made with six simple ingredients you probably already have in your pantry. (Five ingredients if you don't like nuts). Once hooked on whipping up these tasty treats, it's fun to be innovative. If you have 30 minutes, you've got a winning chocolaty, toffee flavored treat.

Chocolaty Brickle Bites

Ingredients

• 35  (2-inch square) soda crackers (my favorite is Zesta)
• 1/2  cup unsalted butter
• 1/2  cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/2  cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 2  teaspoons shortening
• 1/4 - 1/2 cup toasted walnuts, pecans or almonds - optional

Directions

1. 1Heat oven to 350°F. Line 15x10x1-inch baking pan with foil, extending foil over edges. Spray with cooking spray or generously grease foil. Arrange crackers, with sides touching, over bottom of foil-lined pan.
2. 2In small saucepan, combine margarine and brown sugar. Bring to a boil over medium heat; boil 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour evenly over crackers; spread quickly to cover. I use an offset spatula to spread the toffee evenly.
3. 3Bake at 350°F. for 6 to 8 minutes or until bubbly; cool completely.
4. 4In small saucepan over low heat, melt chocolate chips and shortening, stirring constantly. Drizzle over cooled crackers or spread the chocolate with offset spatula. If desired, sprinkle nuts over chocolate. Let stand until set. Break into pieces between crackers.
5. For an innovative taste you can substitute graham crackers.  I love Honey Maid chocolate grahams.  You will use fewer crackers because they are larger, and the toffee won't 'soak' into the cracker as much as it does on the saltines, but who cares? Yum. 

Pumpkin Cheesecake

As a fan of pumpkin and cheesecake, this is my favorite recipe.  Hint: It is as close as you can get to that famous cheesecake place.  This recipe is on the menu for Thanksgiving by special request of my dinner guests.  Cheesecake is always better baked 24 hours ahead, and will free up your oven for your big dinner.  However...you will need more refrigerator space :-)

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Crust:

1 1/2 cups graham crumbs

5 Tbsp. butter, melted

1 Tbsp. sugar

Filling:

3- 8oz.pkgs. Cream cheese, softened

1-cup sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

1-cup canned pumpkin

3 eggs

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1/4 tsp. Cloves or allspice

Whipped Cream (1 pint whipping cream sweetened with 1 T powdered sugar & 1 tsp vanilla)

Mix crust ingredients together, just till coated and crumbly. Press onto the bottom and 2/3 up the sides of an 8" spring form pan. Bake for 5 min. at 350 degrees set aside.

Combine cheese, sugar and vanilla in large bowl, mix until smooth with an electric mixer. Add pumpkin eggs, and spices, beat till smooth and creamy. Pour into the crust. Bake for 60-70 min. or till the top turns a bit darker. Remove from oven. Allow cheesecake to reach room temperature, and then refrigerate. After it has thoroughly chilled, remove the pan sides and transfer to serving platter. Decorate with whipped cream.  Hint: Add a teaspoon of instant vanilla pudding to stabilize the whipped cream if you are not serving immediately.

Pumpkin Muffins

     Unless you have been living under a rock, you've noticed pumpkin-related dishes and beverages are the latest food trend. Yes, pumpkin...a super food packed with 280% of our daily Vitamin A requirement. Who knew? What a wonderful stroke of luck for Libby's! Pumpkin...it's not just for Thanksgiving pie. In fact, Felix Salmon, a leading financial journalist writing in New York magazine says "pumpkin is the new bacon." So what's next--a massive pumpkin shortage? Note to self...begin hoarding cans of pumpkin...
      My quest this month is achieving delicious pumpkin flavor paired with a balanced ratio of fall spices. Last week it was doughnuts. Healthy, but not enough spice to balance the pumpkin. This week my quest was the ubiquitous muffin. While mixing a fresh batch of pumpkin pie spice mix this morning, I realized what was missing from the pumpkin doughnut recipe--cloves! Mortar and pestle to the rescue. Nothing says 'aroma' quite like the smell of freshly ground cloves. Viola! Spice balance achieved!
      If you enjoy soft, moist muffins redolent with the fragrance of fall spices, this is the recipe you've been waiting for. Pure pumpkin comfort food with 10 minutes of preparation time. Parting thought: Never underestimate the value of freshly ground spices. I promise, your taste buds will thank you!

Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice 
(yield approximately one heaping tablespoon)

Pumpkin Muffins

2 teaspoons Vietnamese cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Pumpkin Muffins

1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons homemade pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup 100% pure pumpkin
2 large eggs
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup orange juice

Preheat Oven to 350 degrees F.  Paper-line or spray 12 muffin cups

COMBINE flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda and salt in a large bowl.
COMBINE Sugar, pumpkin, eggs, oil and juice in a mixer bowl and beat with wire whisk until blended.
Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture and stir with wooden spoon until moist--be gentle, don't over-mix.
Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling 3/4 full.

BAKE 25-30 minutes or until wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool in pans on wire rack about 10 minutes.  Remove from pans and place on wire rack to cool completely--if you can wait that long. Frost with cream cheese icing if desired. Store in covered container.

Baked Pumpkin Doughnuts

As soon as the leaves begin to fall, I'm ready for anything pumpkin! Doesn't everyone love doughnuts? The problem is...they are almost always fried.  After finding a recipe for baked pumpkin doughnuts, I had to try them.  The original recipe calls for piping the dough through a star tip, but it is much easier to use the King Arthur Flour doughnut pan (item 5233 for $16.95). This is not an advertisement for King Arthur, but it's my personal choice of flour for everything from bread flour to pastry flour.  And honestly, a doughnut pan is awesome!  They aren't truly photogenic, but they have a wonderful taste with a much lower calorie count.

Baked Pumpkin Doughnuts- Yield 9 doughnuts with pan 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees 

2 cups King Arthur Unbleached Flour

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon 

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp freshly ground nutmeg (it will make a difference)!

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup canned pumpkin

2 eggs

1/4 cup 1% milk

1/4 cup softened butter

Icing:  1 cup powdered sugar, 1/4 tsp vanilla extract, 3-4 Tablespoons milk.  (I used butter cream icing)

1.  Combine all dry ingredients and stir with wooden spoon.  

2.  Add pumpkin, eggs, milk and butter.

3.  Beat with hand mixer until combined.  

4.  Spray pan lightly with cooking spray

5.  Add dough level to pan

6.  Bake 11 minutes and remove from pan

7.  Spread icing over tops and enjoy!

Pie Crust and Cinnamon Sugar Pie Crust Sticks

Today I came across a picture of "pie crust fries" while viewing a Facebook post from my favorite baking site, King Arthur Flour. My Grandma Wamer made pie crust flavored with cinnamon and sugar more than 50 years ago and I loved it!  In fact, I've been making the same thing in different forms for almost that long. Grandma would roll the dough as though she was making a pie crust, sprinkle it with a cinnamon sugar mixture and fold it in half, making a semi-circle.  She'd place it on a baking sheet lined with foil and bake at 425 degrees for about 12-15 minutes until the crust was golden brown.  The recipe below can be used for either a 2-crust pie, or a single crust and a batch of cinnamon sugar pie crust sticks.

Many of my friends and family members shy away from making homemade pie crust.  No need.  It is simple to make if you use the "secret" ingredient--vodka. Don't laugh! The alcohol vaporizes in the oven and will not affect the taste. Vodka inhibits gluten formation, the main cause of a tough pie crust. Try it, I promise it will make the best pie crust you've ever eaten. (My choice of brand name ingredients are not an endorsement, just my personal preference).

Pie Crust (Recipe for 2-crust pie)

2 cups all purpose unbleached flour (King Arthur)
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup vegetable shortening (Crisco)
3 tablespoons ice water
3 tablespoons ice cold Vodka (Tito's)

1.  Combine flour and salt.
2.  Add Crisco and use a pastry blender to work in until the mixture resembles large pea-sized crumbs.
3.  Sprinkle liquids over dough and combine with fork just until dough is soft, but don't over work.
4.  Divide dough in half and place on two sheets of waxed paper.
5.  Pat into 6 inch disk, wrap and chill for about 30 minutes.
6.  Place chilled disk between two sheets of waxed paper. (TRICK: spray counter lightly with water to keep waxed paper from sliding while you roll the dough)
7.  Starting from the center of the disk, roll the dough out toward the edges in a circle until it is at least an inch larger than your pie pan.
8.  Remove the top sheet of waxed paper and lay your pie pan in the middle of the dough circle.
9.  Place your hand under the waxed paper and crust and flip, gently easing it into place in the pie pan. 10.Remove remaining waxed paper; roll edge and flute the crust. Repeat for 2-crust pie.

For Cinnamon Pie Crust Sticks:

1.  Make pie crust as above.  Roll one disk into a rectangle or circle.
2.  Melt 1 tablespoon of butter and brush over pie crust (if desired)
3.  Mix one teaspoon cinnamon and 1/3 cup of sugar in custard cup or small bowl and sprinkle evenly over crust.
4.  Cut into 1/2 inch  x  5 inch strips with pizza cutter.
5.  Place on baking sheet lined with Silpat or foil and bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes.  Watch carefully!  They can go from golden to burned in a short time. Set the timer for 12 minutes to be cautious.

Baked Custard

In July I had the pleasure of visiting my sister who recently moved to Berkeley, CA. As much as we love to cook, we enjoyed walking around town and eating in new restaurants she had been wanting to try.  One of my favorites was called Fatapple's. Yes, it is all one word. We shared the very best BLT we had ever eaten!  Thick crunchy bacon on homemade multi-grain toasted bread with juicy tomato and bib lettuce.  Joy wanted to try the baked custard for dessert.  For us, baked custard is a childhood delicacy first tasted at Grandma's house as children. The smell and taste of childhood favorites such as this dessert are indelibly printed in our brains. Fortunately, it was not a disappointment.  It was delicious, silky and fragrant with nutmeg.  I've been thinking about baked custard for a month and decided it was a good day to relive childhood once again.

Baked custard is simple to make.  A beginning cook can turn out a batch of delicious custard on the first try. My version is stepped up a notch with vanilla bean crush for a deeper flavor and freshly grated nutmeg for a fragrant aroma.  If you don't have fresh nutmeg, it's worth a trip to the market for a fresh container. I usually can't wait until it's cooled.  I like it fresh from the oven.

Baked Custard       Oven 325 degrees

4 eggs
2 cups milk
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
Ground nutmeg
(4 cups boiling water needed for baking)

In a medium bowl lightly beat the eggs with a whisk.  Whisk in the milk, sugar, vanilla and salt.  Place six 6-ounce custard cups in a 13 x 9 x 2 inch baking pan.  Divide the mixture among the custard cups and sprinkle with freshly grated nutmeg if desired.

Place the baking pan with filled custard cups in the oven.  Transfer boiling water into a 4 cup measuring cup and gently pour the boiling water into the baking pan being careful to avoid getting water into the custard.  Bake at 325 degrees for approximately 30 to 40 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.  Serve warm or chilled.  You can unmold the chilled custards by loosening the edges with a spatula or knife and inverting on a serving plate.  The recipe will make 6 servings.

Fresh Lemon Curd

Lemons seem to shout "SUMMER" for me.  A lemon is everything summer should be.  It is sunny yellow, smells of fresh citrus and can be made into a number of  foods and beverages.  A bag of lemons can be purchased at bargain prices right now.  I recently bought a bag and found myself with a dozen lemons for less than $3.00.  Half of them went straight into a pitcher of fresh lemonade.  There were still a half dozen lemons.  It was 100 degrees and too hot to bake a lemon pie.  The next best thing came to mind...fresh lemon curd.  Oh sure, you can use it to fill cupcakes, tarts, cookies and scones.  But, it is still 100 degrees...so I opted to fill lovely antique glass dessert bowls and enjoy fresh lemon curd all by itself.  Tastes like summer.  Pucker up!

Recipe:

3 eggs

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup lemon juice (3 lemons)

5 T unsalted butter (melted)

1 teaspoon lemon zest

Whisk together the eggs and sugar in the saucepan of a double boiler.  Stir in lemon juice, melted butter and lemon zest.  While continuing to whisk, cook over simmering water for approximately 20 minutes until thickened.  Yield is approximately 2 cups.  

Lemon curd can be used as a filling, or simply serve as a tart dessert with fresh whipped cream.

Three ingredient upscale potato skins

A potato is inexpensive, tastes great and is packed full of goodness.  A large baking potato has less than 300 calories.  It also has 7 grams of fiber, 7 grams of protein and only 4 grams of sugar.  And did you know a potato provides 48% of your suggested daily Vitamin C, 46% B6, 17% iron and 21% folic acid? If you are interested, it is a 29 glycemic load.

Personally, I love potatoes, and this recipe is my favorite potato appetizer recipe. It is an upscale version of a potato skin. If you want to bump up the flavor, sprinkle with a bit of dill weed.

The ingredients for four appetizer portions are:

2 large baking potatoes
2/3 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup gorgonzola cheese

1.  Wash potatoes, slice a little less than 1/4" thickness.
2.  Spray 2 baking sheets with non-stick spray or cover with silpat.
3.  Brush both sides of potato with olive oil and place close together on baking sheets.
4.  Sprinkle each with sea salt and bake 12-13 minutes at 425 degrees.
5.  While potatoes are baking, combine walnuts and cheese in a small bowl.
6.  Remove from oven and flip each slice.
7.  Bake for 10 more minutes.
8.  Remove from oven and sprinkle each slice with walnut and cheese mixture
9.  Return to oven for 3-4 minutes until cheese has melted.

For another great version, substitute shredded cheddar cheese and crumbled bacon, then top with sour cream after the cheese is melted.  Either way, you and your guests will love this appetizer.

Black Olive Quiche

The credit for this recipe goes to Lindsay Olives. Back in the late 1970s the recipe appeared in an issue of Bon Appetit as an advertisement.  I was hosting a luncheon and made the quiche for a group of my sorority sisters.  It required a trip to the department store to buy a quiche pan and since that time I've made plenty quiche recipes in that pan.  The picture is the original advertisement, and is still a winner more than 30 years later. Easy to prepare; this is another great brunch idea. I almost forgot--the original recipe was called "Quiche and Tell" because 'you'll want to tell the world about this meal to remember.'

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups whipping cream
1/2 cup buttermilk
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 teaspoon salt
dash pepper
1/4 pound bacon, cooked & crumbled
1/4 pound Swiss cheese, shredded (about 2 cups)
2 tablespoons sliced green onions (unless you are me and hate onions)
1 can (6 ounces) Lindsay large pitted, ripe olives, drained
1 pastry-lined 9-inch pie plate or quiche dish (unbaked)

Heat Cream and buttermilk, whisk in eggs and seasonings.  Stir in cheese, bacon, onions and Lindsay olives. Pour into pastry shell. Bake in 375 degree oven 30 to 35 minutes, until custard is set and golden. Garnish with chopped parsley, if desired. Makes 6 servings.

"Quiche and Tell" from Lindsay California Pitted Ripe Olives

Creme Brulee French Toast

Brunch with friends or family is one of my favorite ways to spend a Sunday.  And one of my favorite recipes is Creme Brulee French Toast.  This recipe comes from the Inn at Sunrise Point in Camden, Maine.  I've made it more than a few times, and always to wide acclaim.  If you want an impressive way to wow your brunch guests, this is it.  The recipe makes six generous servings.  I always make a large round loaf of homemade bread, but you can use a bakery loaf. One caveat--make it a day ahead, or at least the night before--this dish needs time to let the flavors combine before baking. And remove from the refrigerator 30-60 minutes before baking to take the chill off the baking dish.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Ingredients:

1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter

1 cup packed brown sugar

2 tablespoons corn syrup

an 8-to 9-inch round loaf of country-style bread 

5 large eggs

1 1/2 cups half and half

1 teaspoon vanilla 

1 teaspoon Grand Marnier

1/4 teaspoon salt

Preparation:

In a small heavy saucepan melt buter with brown sugar and corn syrup over moderate heat, stirring, until smooth and pour into a 13-by 9-by 2 inch baking dish.  Cut six 1-inch slices of bread (reserving ends for another use) and trim crusts.  Arrange bread slices in one layer in baking dish, squeezing them slightly to fit. 

In another bowl whisk together eggs, half and half, vanilla, Grand Marnier, and salt until combined well and pour evenly over bread.  Chill bread mixture, covered, at least 8 hours and up to 1 day. Remove from the refrigerator 30 to 60 minutes prior to baking and preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Bake bread, uncovered, in middle of oven until puffed and edges are pale golden, 35 to 40 minutes.

Sunday brunch with friends

Serve hot French toast immediately.  The 'topping' is on the bottom of the pan. You can use a spoon to drizzle the extra caramel topping on this delicious toast.  It is wonderful served with fresh fruit and whipped cream. Champagne adds a delightful touch to Sunday brunch. Enjoy!

Crock Pot Chocolate Peanut Clusters

Peanut clusters cooling

Last year I posted a recipe for peanut clusters made in a crock pot.  After a good bit of experimentation, the recipe has been revised for chocolate lovers.  The original recipe called for 36 ounces of white almond bark or candy coating and gave the candy a waxy texture. My revision uses only 16 ounces of white chocolate and it is worth the expense to use the real deal, no candy coating.  If you want the taste of chocolate, buy REAL chocolate. I always use a slow cooker liner so the entire bag can be removed and placed on jelly roll pans or a marble slab. If you want to skip the process of making individual clusters; use scissors to cut the bag, spread the chocolate evenly in the pans and break into bark after it has cooled. To form clusters; drop by teaspoonfuls onto wax paper and allow to cool.  

Place the following ingredients in layers in your lined crock pot:


16 oz. salted dry roasted peanuts
16 oz. unsalted dry roasted peanuts
2 - 8 oz. bars of Baker's German Sweet Chocolate, broken into blocks and chopped
8 oz. milk chocolate baking bar or 1 cup of milk chocolate chips
18 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips (3 cups)
16 oz. white chocolate such as Baker's or Ghirardelli

Cover and cook at low temperature until melted, 2-3 hours.  (When you can see the top layer of white chocolate melting, your candy is ready).

Stir with large wooden spoon until the mixture is combined and peanuts are spread throughout.

Place bag on jelly roll pan (prepare an additional pan and line with wax paper) or large marble slab lined with wax paper and cut bag with scissors to spread on pans. For bark, simply cool and break into pieces.  For individual candies, drop by teaspoonful onto wax paper.  Makes approximately 12 dozen individual candies or two trays of bark.

Chocolate and peanut goodness!

Almond Chicken Casserole

Think about your favorite foods.  I would be willing to bet those foods trigger fond memories.  This particular recipe takes me back nearly 10 years to Toledo, Ohio.  It was prepared by my friend Melissa for our book club known as "Guacamole Joe's."  I don't exactly remember who was responsible for the name, but I do know how much fun we had at book club.  As with most, we diligently read and discussed our books in the beginning.  And we always had good food and wine. This recipe triggers memories of wonderful friends and an evening of laughter shared around the table.  I've made Almond Chicken countless times since then, but the original memory of friends I haven't seen in years is still my favorite.

Almond Chicken

5 cups diced, cooked chicken breast

2 cups diced celery

3 cups cooked rice

1 can (8 ounce) diced water chestnuts

2 cans cream of chicken soup

1/2 cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

1 cup slivered almonds

1/2 cup sour cream

Preparation:  Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl and transfer to a 9" x 13" glass dish misted with a non-stick cooking spray.  Prepare topping (below).  Sprinkle topping over casserole and bake in 350 degree oven for 35-45 minutes.

Almond Topping

1/2 cup slivered almonds

2/3 cup butter (melted)

3 cups crushed corn flakes