Irish Car Bomb Cupcake

yield: 24 cupcakes prep time: 40 minutes cook time: 17 minutes total time: 1 hour

INGREDIENTS:
For the Cupcakes:
1 cup Guinness stout
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
¾ cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar
1½ teaspoons baking soda
¾ teaspoons salt
2 eggs
2/3 cup sour cream

For the Whiskey Ganache Filling:
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate
2/3 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
2 teaspoons Irish whiskey

For the Baileys Frosting:
2 cups unsalted butter, at room temperature
5 cups powdered sugar
6 tablespoons Bailey's Irish Cream

DIRECTIONS:
1. To Make the Cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 24 cupcake cups with liners. Bring the Guinness and butter to a simmer in a heavy, medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the cocoa powder and whisk until the mixture is smooth. Cool slightly.

2. Whisk the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt in a large bowl to combine. Using an electric mixer, beat the eggs and sour cream on medium speed until combined. Add the Guinness-chocolate mixture to the egg mixture and beat just to combine. Reduce the speed to low, add the flour mixture and beat briefly. Using a rubber spatula, fold the batter until completely combined. Divide the batter among the cupcake liners. Bake until a thin knife inserted into the center comes out clean, about 17 minutes. Cool the cupcakes on a rack.

3. To Make the Whiskey Ganache Filling: Finely chop the chocolate and transfer it to a heatproof bowl. Heat the cream until simmering and pour it over the chocolate. Let it sit for one minute and then, using a rubber spatula, stir it from the center outward until smooth. Add the butter and whiskey and stir until combined. Let the ganache cool until thick but still soft enough to be piped.

4. To Fill the Cupcakes: Using a 1-inch round cookie cutter (or the bottom of a large decorating tip), cut the centers out of the cooled cupcakes, going about two-thirds of the way down. Transfer the ganache to a piping back with a wide tip and fill the holes in each cupcake to the top.

5. To Make the Baileys Frosting: Using the whisk attachment of a stand mixer, whip the butter on medium-high speed for 5 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally. Reduce the speed to medium-low and gradually add the powdered sugar until all of it is incorporated. Add the Baileys, increase the speed to medium-high and whip for another 2 to 3 minutes, until it is light and fluffy.

6. Using your favorite decorating tip, or an offset spatula, frost the cupcakes and decorate with sprinkles, if desired. Store the cupcakes in an airtight container.

Peanut Butter Brownies with Chocolate Ganache

Peanut Butter Brownies

Makes 32 brownies, more or less, depending on how you cut them

These “brownies” are more blondie than cakey, with an excellent peanut butter-chocolate contrasts and fantastic edges, for those of you into that sort of thing. Have a glass of milk handy.

For brownies
2 sticks (1/2 pound) unsalted butter, softened
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 cup creamy peanut butter
3 eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (9 ounces)**
1/2 teaspoon salt, see note**

For ganache
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (9 ounces)**
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened

Make brownies: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F with rack in middle. Grease a 13- by 9- by 2-inch baking pan.

Beat together butter and sugar, add peanut butter and beat until incorporated. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Mix in flour until just combined.

Mix in chocolate chips (1 1/2 cups) then spread batter in baking pan, smoothing top. (It will be thick, almost like cookie batter.)

Bake until brownies are deep golden, puffed on top and a wooden pick inserted in center come out with some crumbs adhering, 40 to 45 minutes.

Cool completely in pan on a rack, about 1 1/2 hours.

Make ganache: Put chocolate chips (1 1/2 cups) in a heatproof bowl.

Bring cream to a boil in a small saucepan, then pour over chocolate chips and let mixture stand for one minute.

Gently whisk in butter until it is incorporated, chocolate is melted, and a smooth mixture forms.

Spread ganache on cooled brownies and let stand until set, about 15 minutes.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/pumpkin-cream-cheese-muffins/

Batter

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
 2 cups white sugar
 2 teaspoons baking powder
 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
 1/2 teaspoon salt
 2 eggs
 1 1/3 cups canned pumpkin
 1/3 cup oil
 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 c. chopped walnuts
1/4 c. white chocolate chips, chopped coarsely

Cream Cheese Filling
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
 1 egg
 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
 3 tablespoons brown sugar

Streusel Topping
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
 4 tablespoons white sugar
 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
 3 tablespoons butter
6 tablespoons chopped walnuts

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease and flour 18 muffin cups, or use paper liners.
To make the filling: In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese until soft. Add egg, vanilla and brown sugar. Beat until smooth, then set aside.
For the streusel topping: In a medium bowl, mix flour, sugar, cinnamon and pecans. Add butter and cut it in with a fork until crumbly. Set aside.
For the muffin batter: In a large bowl, sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Make a well in the center of flour mixture and add eggs, pumpkin, olive oil and vanilla. Beat together until smooth.
Place pumpkin mixture in muffin cups about 1/2 full. Then add one tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture right in the middle of the batter. Try to keep cream cheese from touching the paper cup. Sprinkle on the streusel topping.
Bake at 375 degrees F (195 degrees C) for 20 to 25 minutes.

Pumpkin Beer and Mushroom Mac and Cheese

http://tideandthyme.com/porcini-and-pumpkin-ale-mac-cheese/

Porcini and Pumpkin Ale Mac & Cheese
1 oz. dried porcini mushrooms
1 cup cremini mushrooms, chopped
1 shallot, finely diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 pound (16 oz.) small pasta shape, such as shells
6 Tbsp. butter
3 Tbsp. flour
2 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup Pumpkin ale (such as Dogfish Head’s Punkin Ale)
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups sharp white cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup Fontina cheese, grated
1 cup breadcrumbs or panko
kosher salt
Boil water and 1 tbsp kosher salt in a large stockpot. Once boiling, add pasta and cook for 5 minutes. Drain, rinsing pasta with cold water, and set aside until ready to use.
Place the dried mushrooms in a microwavable-safe bowl and cover with water. Cook on high for 30 seconds, and let sit and rehydrate for 10 minutes. Strain, and rougly chop.
In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, melt 6 tablespoons of the butter. Add the cremini mushroom and shallot, and saute for about 3 minutes, until starting to brown on the edge. Add the garlic, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the flour, and let cook, stirring constantly for about 3 minutes. Slowly whisk in the beer, as well as the milk, scraping the bottom of the pan to release any browned bits. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until mixture thickens. Add in cheese and chopped porcini mushrooms, and stir to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Add pasta to the saucepan with the cheese sauce, and mix to combine. Place in 2 quart cassarole dish, sprinkle the breadcrumbs on the top, and bake for 1 hour or until browned and bubbly.

Pumpkin Beer Ice Cream

http://www.scoopadventures.com/home/pumpkin-ale-ice-cream.html

1 3/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup milk
3/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed well
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup canned unsweetened pumpkin puree
3/4 cup pumpkin ale (dogfish head or other)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Combine cream, milk, and brown sugar in a medium saucepan and warm over medium heat.  Stir occasionally until sugar melts, then add cinnamon, ginger, and salt.  Whisk to combine.  Continue to heat mixture until it comes to a low boil.  Boil for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent mixture from boiling over.  Remove from heat and pour milk mixture through a sieve into a medium bowl.  Cool to room temperature.

Once milk mixture is at room temperature, add pumpkin puree, pumpkin ale, and vanilla.  Whisk to combine.  Chill the mixture thoroughly (at least 4 hours or overnight). Once chilled, pour into an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions.  Place plastic or parchment over ice cream (to prevent ice crystals) and freeze until firm, at least 4 hours.

Risengr0d - Danish Rice Pudding

Risalamande for six

300ml water
1 liter milk
180g grødris or arborio rice
100 g slivered almonds
2 vanilla beans - corns removed
4 tbsp sugar
¼ liter 35% cream

1. Bring the rice and water to a boil in a pot stirring for about two minutes
2. Add the milk and cook at a low temperature for about 10 minutes stirring to prevent sticking
3. Take off the heat and leave in the pot for about half an hour
4. Place in a container and let cool
   (If you want to have julegrød for the nisse, take a scoop of rice out now and serve it with butter, cinnamon and brown sugar on top.)
5. Mix the rice, almonds, sugar, and vanilla together
6. Whip the cream, and fold into the rice mix. Add one whole almond as a prize.
7. Put rice in a serving bowl and let set for 2 hours.
Your guests should help themselves from the bowl and add the warmed cherry sauce to their liking.
 If you can't find ready made cherry sauce, you could use a good quality cherry pie filling thinned out with water, lemon juice and some brandy.

Pumpkin Stew with Sour Cream

http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/pumpkin_stew_with_sour_06174

Ingredients
40g/1½oz butter
2 onions, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 stick celery, chopped
3 sprigs rosemary
2 bay leaves
1 clove garlic, chopped
400g lentils
1.2litres/2pints 2fl oz vegetable stock
600g/1lb 5oz assorted pumpkin or squash (total chopped weight)
small bunch parsley, chopped
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
4 tbsp sour cream

Preparation method
In a large pan melt the butter and then add chopped onions, carrot and celery. Tear in the rosemary and a couple of bay leaves and after a few minutes add the chopped garlic. When all have nicely softened, tip in the lentils and pour over 1litre/1¾ pints of vegetable stock. Bring to the boil and then leave to simmer whilst you tend to the pumpkin.
Using a variety of pumpkins and squashes gives the stew a more complex flavour. Here I use acorn squash and Cinderella, but you want to end up with about 600g/1lb 5oz of peeled pumpkin in large chunks. Add them to the stew, season and then pour over enough water to just cover all the ingredients. Put a lid on the pan and leave to simmer for 30-40 minutes.
When the stew is almost ready, add the chopped parsley.
To make the stew creamier, remove a small bowlful to a food processor and blitz it with 200ml/2fl oz of stock. Pour it back in and the stew becomes instantly more velvety.
Serve the stew in bowls, finishing each helping off with a cooling spoonful of sour cream.

Danish PebernØdder Cookies

http://klappekage.wordpress.com/2012/12/03/pebernodder-madness/

So today I decided to make pebernødder (pronounced [something like] pey-wa-nudler), as the second half of the “double feature.” I have to admit, I usually have a bit of an obsession with them, especially when sitting and writing exam papers so I’m super excited that it’s Christmas and they’re all over the stores. They’re an awesome snack while studying and I usually just eat the whole bag when I have them sitting next to my computer. Before today, I’ve always bought them and was surprised to find that they’re actually quite easy to make and, furthermore, you can make a ton of them for quite cheap!

The recipe I used for pebernødder is as follows (with the English in parentheses):

Ingredienser:

250 g. smør (250 grams of butter)
250 g. sukker (250 grams of sugar)
2 æg (2 eggs)
2 tsk natron (2 teaspoons of baking soda)
1 tsk ingefær (1 teaspoon of ginger)
1.5 tsk kanel (1.5 teaspoon of cinnamon)
2 knsp hvid peber (2 pinches of [white] pepper)
500 g. hvedemel (500 grams of flour)

1) The first step is to mix the sugar and the butter together. An awesome thing about it being so cold and snowy is that it’s super easy to get really soft butter by setting it for a few minutes on the heater. That way, mixing it with the sugar was really easy. Blend together until the sugar and butter are completely mixed.

2) Once you’ve mixed the sugar and butter, it’s time to add the eggs. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing the egg in with the sugar and butter mixture well.

3)After you’ve mixed the eggs in, add the flour and other spice ingredients in a separate bowl. Though the directions call for certain amounts, how you do this here (except for the baking soda) really just goes with your taste. If you really like ginger, add a bit more. If you like a peppery taste, add a few more shakes of pepper. The recipe calls for white pepper – I used black but not too much of it as I’m not too crazy about the pepper flavor if it’s too strong, but again – it’s up to you!

4) After mixing the spices with the flour, add that mixture in with the egg and sugar.

5) Once you’ve mixed all the flour mixture in, take the dough and roll it out into finger sized or so logs.

6) After you’ve rolled them out, cut them into small pieces. The recipe calls that you cut them in 1/2 – 2 cm pieces, and I think it works great when you cut them into varying sizes.

7) After you’ve cut them out, place them on a baking sheet and bake them for about 10-15 minutes at 200°C (400°F).

8) After around 10-15 minutes, take the pebernødder out and let them cool.

9) Once they’ve cooled, place them in a bowl and enjoy this Danish Christmas snack!

How to Brew

http://www.howtobrew.com/intro.html

Chewy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chewy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
 1 teaspoon baking powder
 1 teaspoon baking soda
 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
 1/2 teaspoon salt
 1/2 cup butter, softened
 1 c. white sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 c. roasted pureed pumpkin (Cinderella, Winter Luxury or Sugar Pie) (Canned will do...)
 1 egg
 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 c. mini or regular chocolate chips

Variations:
=========
OPTION 1
-instead of 1 c. chocolate chips,
use 1/2 c. chocolate chips, 1/2 c. white chocolate chips

OPTION 2
-crush about 4 oz. worth of peppermint candies/candy canes and stir into cookie mix
-combines well with the chocolate OR white chocolate

OPTION 3
Glaze
2 cups confectioners' sugar
 3 tablespoons milk
 1 tablespoon melted butter
 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves, and salt; set aside.

In a medium bowl, cream together the 1/2 cup of butter and white sugar. Add pumpkin, egg, and 1 teaspoon vanilla to butter mixture, and beat until creamy. Mix in dry ingredients. Drop on cookie sheet by tablespoonfuls; flatten slightly.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven. Cool cookies, then drizzle glaze with fork.

To Make Glaze: Combine confectioners' sugar, milk, 1 tablespoon melted butter, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Add milk as needed, to achieve drizzling consistency.

Chocolate Cocktalcrafting

http://cocktails.about.com/od/cocktailrecipes/a/chocolate_cocktails.htm

Chocolate Spice Margarita

Walker Brothers Apple Pancake

INGREDIENTS

2 Granny Smith apples, sliced
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup milk
1 cup flour
1/4 cup butter
DIRECTIONS

1
Mix apples, sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Beat eggs, milk and flour in a separate bowl.
2
Melt butter in pan and add apple/sugar mixture. Pour mixture in 9-inch round baking dish. Pour flour/egg mixture on top. Bake 20-30 minutes until brown at 425°.

Wassail

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/wassail-recipe/index.html

Ingredients
6 small Fuji apples, cored
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup water
72 ounces ale
750 ml Madeira
10 whole cloves
10 whole allspice berries
1 cinnamon stick, 2-inches long
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
6 large eggs, separated
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Put the apples into an 8 by 8-inch glass baking dish. Spoon the brown sugar into the center of each apple, dividing the sugar evenly among them. Pour the water into the bottom of the dish and bake until tender, about 45 minutes.

Pour the ale and Madeira into a large slow cooker. Put the cloves, allspice, and cinnamon into a small muslin bag or cheesecloth, tied with kitchen twine, and add to the slow cooker along with the ginger and nutmeg. Set the slow cooker to medium heat and bring the mixture to at least 120 degrees F. Do not boil.

Add the egg whites to a medium bowl and using a hand mixer, beat until stiff peaks form. Put the egg yolks into a separate bowl and beat until lightened in color and frothy, approximately 2 minutes. Add the egg whites to the yolks and using the hand mixer, beat, just until combined. Slowly add 4 to 6 ounces of the alcohol mixture from the slow cooker to the egg mixture, beating with the hand mixer on low speed. Return this mixture to the slow cooker and whisk to combine.

Add the apples and the liquid from the baking dish to the wassail and stir to combine. Ladle into cups and serve.

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/wassail-recipe/index.html?oc=linkback

Pumpkin Recipes!

http://www.buzzfeed.com/christinebyrne/pumpkin-desserts

Homemade Chocolate Syrup

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups water
3 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups Dutch-processed cocoa
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
Directions
In a small pot, bring water and sugar to a boil and whisk in cocoa, vanilla, salt, and corn syrup. Whisk until all of the solids have dissolved. Reduce sauce until slightly thickened. Strain and cool to room temperature. Pour into squeeze bottles. Squeeze into cold milk and stir for delicious chocolate milk or serve on your favorite ice cream. And, hey, it's fat free!

Pumpkin Spiced Latte

Homemade Pumpkin Spiced Latte
Yield: Make 2 – 10 ounce latte’s

Ingredients

2 cups milk (any % you choose)
4 tablespoons canned pumpkin puree
2 tablespoons white sugar
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 cup strong coffee or espresso
canned whipped cream
Instructions

Add the milk, pumpkin, sugar, vanilla and pumpkin pie spice to a small sauce pan over medium-high heat. Bring almost to a boil, stirring constantly - if you allow it to boil it will get thick (yuck). Whisk the mixture until it starts to froth, about 1 minute. Divide milk mixture between two mugs. Add the coffee slowly down the side so you don’t disturb the milk froth, add a squirt of whipped cream and a pinch more of the pumpkin pie spice and enjoy.
Notes

NOTE: Keep a spoon on hand, because of the thick nature of pumpkin puree, you will want to stir the latte occasionally to keep it from getting thick at the bottom of your mug.

Another Note: To get a good thick froth, you can add COLD pumpkin mixture to a large glass mason jar. Cap and shake vigorously. When you have a good froth, REMOVE CAP and microwave the milk mixture to desired temperature. Never leave the cap on and do not shake a capped jar with hot liquid or you will get injured.


Read more at http://www.farmgirlgourmet.com/2012/11/pumpkin-spiced-latte.html#bm9TSEmr01pKMBQj.99

Sugar Plums, Alton Brown

Ingredients
6 ounces slivered almonds, toasted
4 ounces dried plums
4 ounces dried apricots
4 ounces dried figs
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon anise seeds, toasted
1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds, toasted
1/4 teaspoon caraway seeds, toasted
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
Pinch kosher salt
1/4 cup honey
1 cup coarse sugar
Directions
Put the almonds, plums, apricots, and figs into the bowl of a food processor and pulse 20 to 25 times or until the fruit and nuts are chopped into small pieces, but before the mixture becomes a ball.

Combine the powdered sugar, anise seeds, fennel seeds, caraway seeds, cardamom, and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Add the nut and fruit mixture and the honey and mix using gloved hands until well combined.

Scoop the mixture into 1/4-ounce portions and roll into balls. If serving immediately, roll in the coarse sugar and serve. If not serving immediately, put the balls on a cooling rack and leave uncovered until ready to serve. Roll in the coarse sugar prior to serving.

The Sugarplums may be stored on the cooling rack for up to a week. After a week, store in an airtight container for up to a month.

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/sugarplums-recipe/index.html?oc=linkback

Chocolate Pie

~Here is a great old hard to find recipe~

~ Make sure you like and share so you save it on your timeline ~
Granny’s Cocoa Cream Pie

It’s simple and tasty. This really was a simple desert often used during the 30’s and 40’s.

½ c. cocoa

¼ cup cornstarch/or arrowroot powder (or ½ c. all purpose flour)

3 egg yolks

1 ½ c. sugar

¼ tsp. salt

2 c. milk

1 tsp. vanilla

Mix cocoa, cornstarch, beaten egg yolks; sugar and salt, then add milk gradually, while stirring in a pot over med-high heat. Cook until thick, beating it smooth. Cream pies take some time to thicken, so stir... and stir (10-15 min). Using a heavy bottom pan really helps. Just keep it up until it thickens. Pour into a pre-baked pie shell. Put in the fridge to chill, add whipped cream if you like :0 Or use the left over egg whites for a meringue topping!

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BLueberry Mojito Jam

http://flamingomusings.com/2010/06/can-jam-6-berries-blueberry-mojito-jam.html

Blueberry Mojito Jam (makes about 10 half-pint jars)

Ingredients:

3 limes
3-3/4 cups water (divided)
3 cups sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/8 tsp. baking soda
3 dry pints (about 6 cups) blueberries, washed and de-stemmed
1 pkg. pectin
1/2 cup rum
10 4″-5″ sprigs of fresh mint

Preparation:

Wash and dry the limes and slice a thin strip off of each end.

With a mandoline or hand slicer (don’t forget your cut-glove!), shred the limes finely and place into a large, non-reactive saucepan. Add 3 cups of the water and bring to a boil. Continue to cook at a boil for 10 minutes.

Add the sugar and lemon juice, and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Add the baking soda. The mixture will foam up suddenly, but will subside.

Add the blueberries, cover the pan, lower the heat to medium and cook for an additional 20 minutes.

In the meantime, wash and dry the mint sprigs, and cut or pinch off the top 1-1/2″-2″ of each sprig. Reserve those tips you just cut off.

Add the large mint sprigs and the rum to the jam, stir, and return to a boil on medium, for another 5 minutes.

In a small saucepan, dissolve the pectin in 3/4 cup cold water, and bring to a boil, stirring constantly for 2 minutes. Remove from heat.

Stir the hot pectin liquid into the still-boiling jam for one minute. Remove from the heat while you perform the “freezer wrinkle test”. Place a small amount of the jam on small dish and put it in the freezer for 5 minutes, after which you push the mixture with the tip of a spoon or your fingernail. If the jam wrinkles up, you’re ready to jar. If it’s runny, put the pan back on the heat and cook at a boil on medium for another 5 minutes. Repeat the wrinkle test.

Remove the large mint sprigs before ladling the hot jam into the hot, sterilized jars. Push one of the reserved mint sprig tips into each jar of jam. Seal each jar with appropriately prepared new lids, screw on the rings finger-tight, and process in a boiling-water canner for 10 minutes.

Remove the jars from the boiling water, allow to cool, and wait 24 hours to test your seals.

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Ingredients
1/2 ripe medium pineapple, peeled, cored, eyes removed and sliced into 1/2-inch rounds (about 4 or 5 slices)
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
3/4 cup light brown sugar
14 pecan halves
1 cup cake flour (not self-rising)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon dark rum
4 fresh cherries, halved and pits removed
Directions
Melt 4 tablespoons of the butter in a 10-inch cast iron skillet, over medium heat. Add the brown sugar and stir to combine. Increase the heat to medium high and cook until the sugar mixture is bubbly, about 2 minutes. Arrange pineapple slices in the skillet in a pleasing pattern and continue to cook for 2 minutes, or until the sugar mixture turns an amber color. Turn the pineapple slices over and remove the pan from the heat. (The mixture will continue to cook even though the heat is off.) Arrange the pecan halves in the spaces between the rings. Set aside to cool slightly.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Stir together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium mixing bowl.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the remaining 1/2 cup butter and the granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, mixing just until incorporated. Add the flour mixture and buttermilk alternately in 3 batches, mixing at low speed after each addition until just combined. Stir in the vanilla and rum.

Spoon the batter evenly over the pineapple slices in the skillet. Bake in the middle of the oven until golden brown and a tester comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes.

Cool the cake in the skillet on a wire rack for 4 minutes only. Run a thin knife around the edge of the cake and, wearing oven mitts and working quickly, invert the cake onto a cake plate, keeping plate and skillet firmly pressed together. Carefully lift the skillet off cake and replace any fruit stuck to the bottom of the skillet, if necessary. Arrange the fresh cherry halves, cut side down, into the top of the cake, in the center of the pineapple rings.

Serve cake warm or at room temperature.

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/pineapple-upside-down-cake-recipe/index.html?oc=linkback

Homemade Milk Caramels

Ingredients
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup light Karo syrup
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
Directions:

1 Combine all ingredients.
2 Cook 6 minutes, stirring every two minutes.
3 Stir and pour into lightly greased dish.
4 Let cool.
5 Cut, wrap in wax paper & store in an air tight container

Bret and Alex's Creamy Tomato and Garlic Soup

Bret and Alex's Creamy Tomato and Garlic Soup
Yield: 6 Servings

Ingredients

3 lbs ripe Roma tomatoes
1 1/2 heads garlic (90g)
3 1/2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped (1 1/3 cups)
1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes (I prefer Contadina or Muir Glen)
1 (14 oz) can low-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp granulated sugar
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil, plus more for garnish
1 c. heavy cream

fresh croutons, crusty bread or crackers, for serving

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Meanwhile place garlic on a baking dish (I just used an oven safe glass bowl) and drizzle 1 1/2 tsp of olive oil over garlic. Cover dish with foil and bake garlic in preheated oven until soft, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside. Once water reaches a boil, carefully place tomatoes in boiling water and allow to boil just until their skins burst, about 3 minutes. Meanwhile fill a large mixing bowl with ice water. Once tomatoes have burst immediately transfer to ice bath and allow to cool about 30 seconds (or until they are cold enough for you to handle). Peel and dice tomatoes.
Heat remaining 3 Tbsp olive oil in a large enameled pot over medium-high heat. Once oil is hot, add diced onion and saute until soft, about 6 minutes. Add in diced tomatoes and their juices, crushed tomatoes, chicken broth, salt, pepper, sugar, red pepper flakes and basil. Peel and mince roasted garlic then add to soup. Bring mixture just to a boil, then reduce heat and allow to simmer uncovered for 45 minutes - 1 hour (you can simmer it up to an hour longer over low heat, just cover with lid after 1st hour). Puree soup with an immersion blender if desired (if you like it slightly chunky no pureeing is necessary) or process in batches in a blender, filling blender only halfway each time and removing cap in lid and covering with a dish towel (to allow heat to escape and prevent the blender from bursting). Stir in heavy cream. Serve warm with fresh croutons, shredded Asiago cheese and sprinkle top with fresh basil.
Recipe Source: Cooking Classy

Cherry, Feta, and Pistachio Salad

http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/salad-cherries-goat-cheese-pistachios-50400000122085/

Ingredients

4 cups arugula
2 cups baby spinach
1/3 cup thinly vertically sliced red onion
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon honey
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 small garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup pitted halved fresh Rainier cherries
1 ounce crumbled goat cheese (about 1/4 cup)
1/4 cup salted dry-roasted pistachios

Preparation

1. Combine arugula, spinach, and onion in a large bowl.
2. Combine juice, mustard, honey, salt, black pepper, and garlic in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Gradually drizzle in olive oil, stirring constantly with a whisk. Drizzle dressing over salad, and toss gently to coat. Arrange 1 1/2 cups salad on each of 4 salad plates. Top each serving with 1/4 cup cherries, 1 tablespoon cheese, and 1 tablespoon nuts.

Chocolate Substitutions

http://whatscookingamerica.net/ChocolateSubstitutionChart.htm

Chocolate Substitution Chart - How To Substitute Chocolate

Need a quick substitution for chocolate? Here are some chocolate substitutions, but remember not always do they work as well as the original recipe ingredient:

Chocolate, Bittersweet:

(1-ounce) square semi-sweet baking chocolate for 1 (1-ounce) square bittersweet baking chocolate.
Bittersweet and semisweet chocolate may be used interchangeably in recipes, but there may be slight differences in flavor and texture.

Chocolate, Semi-Sweet:
3 tablespoons chocolate chips for every 1-ounce semi-sweet baking chocolate.

1-ounce bittersweet baking chocolate for every 1-ounce semi-sweet bittersweet baking chocolate.

1-ounce unsweetened baking chocolate and 1 tablespoon granulated sugar for every 1-ounce semi-sweet baking chocolate.

3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, 3 tablespoons sugar and 1 tablespoon butter, margarine or shortening for every 1 ounces of semi-sweet baking chocolate.

Chocolate Chips, Semi-Sweet:

1 ounce semi-sweet baking chocolate for every 1 ounce of semi-sweet chocolate chips.

1-ounce sweet baking chocolate for every 1-ounce chocolate chips.

1-ounce unsweetened chocolate plus 1 tablespoons sugar for every 1-ounce chocolate chips


Chocolate, Sweet Baking (German's):

3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, 4 teaspoons sugar, and 1 tablespoon butter, shortening or vegetable oil for every 1-ounce German's sweet baking chocolate.

1 ounce dark sweet chocolate for every 1 ounce German's sweet baking chocolate.


Chocolate, Unsweetened:

3 level tablespoons unsweetened cocoa and 1 tablespoon butter, margarine or shortening for every 1-ounce unsweetened baking chocolate.

3 level tablespoons Dutch-process cocoa plus 1 tablespoon shortening, butter, or oil for every 1-ounce unsweetened baking chocolate.

1/2 cup (3 ounces) unsweetened chocolate chips or morsels - plus cut sugar by 1/4 cup and shortening by 1 tablespoon in your recipe.


Chocolate, White:

Substitute 1-ounce milk chocolate or white chocolate chips for every 1-ounce white chocolate. (Color and flavor will vary.)


Cocoa, Unsweetened:

Substitute equal amounts of Dutch-processed cocoa for unsweetened cocoa. Leave out any baking soda called for in the recipe.

3 tablespoon carob powder plus 2 tablespoons water for every 1-ounce unsweetened cocoa.

Do not substitute instant cocoa mix for unsweetened cocoa in any recipe.


Dutch-Process Cocoa:

3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder plus a pinch (1/8 teaspoon) baking soda for every 1-ounce Dutch-Process Cocoa.

1 ounce unsweetened chocolate plus 1/8 teaspoon baking soda (reduce fat in recipe by 1 tablespoon).

3 tablespoons carob powder for every 1-ounce Dutch Process Cocoa.


Mexican Chocolate:

1 ounce semi-sweet chocolate and 1/2 teaspoon ground Mexican cinnamon for every 1-ounce Mexican Chocolate.

In mole sauces, substitute 1 tablespoon cocoa powder for every ounce of Mexican chocolate called for in the recipe.


Milk Chocolate:

Substitute equal amounts of sweet chocolate OR semi-sweet chocolate for milk chocolate.

Where to order Baking Chocolate

http://www.chocolates-elrey.com/retail-chocolate-blocks/chefs-chocolate-selection.html?options=cart

Tawny Port Truffles

http://www.brightideas.com/bright_idea.aspx?ID=213

Prep Time: 20 Min.

Cool Time: 4 Hours

Difficulty: Easy

Yield: Makes Approximately 40 Chocolate Truffles.

½ cup heavy cream

¼ cup tawny Port

2 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon sugar

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

2 cups chopped DOVE® Dark Chocolate

1 cup cocoa powder

Reynolds® Parchment Paper

1. Bring heavy cream, Port, butter, sugar, and nutmeg to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in DOVE® Dark Chocolate until melted. Transfer to a bowl; set aside to firm up (about 4 hours).

2. Scoop nickel-size nuggets of the chocolate mixture and roll into balls. Roll in cocoa powder until well coated. Place on Reynolds® Parchment Paper lined cookie sheet and chill until ready to serve.

Port and Berry Cake

http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/foris-vineyards-winery-berry-port-cake-10000000523798/

Make your own Creme Fraiche

http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2011/02/how-to-make-creme-fraiche-in-1-easy-step.html

Making your own Ricotta Cheese

http://www.seriouseats.com/2010/02/how-to-make-fresh-ricotta-fast-easy-homemade-cheese-the-food-lab.html

Strawberry Watermelon Cake

http://www.gourmettraveller.com.au/recipes/recipe-search/fare-exchange/2010/11/strawberry-and-watermelon-cake/

• 250 gm
• seedless watermelon, thinly sliced
• 60 ml (¼ cup)
• rosewater
• 4 tbsp
• caster sugar
• 40 gm
• almond meal
• 500 gm
• strawberries (about 2 punnets), halved
• 10
• seedless red grapes, halved
• 1 tbsp
• slivered pistachios (see note)
• 1 tbsp
• dried rose petals (see note)
•  
• Almond dacquoise
• 150 gm
• almonds, coarsely chopped
• 150 gm
• pure icing sugar, sieved
• 5
• eggwhites
• 135 gm
• caster sugar
•  
• Rose-scented cream
• 300 ml
• thickened cream
• 30 gm
• caster sugar
• 2 tbsp
• rosewater
• For almond dacquoise, preheat oven to 200C. Process almonds in a food processor until finely ground, then combine in a bowl with icing sugar. Whisk eggwhites in an electric mixer until soft peaks form (3-4 minutes), then gradually add caster sugar and whisk until stiff peaks form (1-2 minutes). Gently fold through almond mixture, spread on a 30cm x 40cm oven tray lined with baking paper and bake until golden (10-15 minutes). Set aside to cool on tray, then cut in half lengthways.
• Arrange watermelon slices in a single layer on a wire rack. Sprinkle with 20ml rosewater, then scatter with 2 tbsp sugar. Stand to macerate (30 minutes), then pat dry with absorbent paper.
  
  
  Meanwhile, for rose-scented cream, whisk cream and sugar in an electric mixer until soft peaks form, gradually add rosewater and whisk until stiff peaks form (do not over-whisk).
  
  
  Spread one-third of rose cream evenly over one half of dacquoise, scatter with half the almond meal, then top with watermelon, trimming to fill any gaps. Scatter over remaining almond meal, spread over half remaining cream. Top with remaining dacquoise, spread over remaining cream and refrigerate until firm (1-2 hours).
  
  
  Combine strawberries, remaining rosewater and remaining sugar in a bowl, toss to combine and set aside to macerate (15 minutes). Carefully arrange on top of cake, gently pushing into cream. Trim edges of cake, scatter over grapes, pistachios and petals, and serve.
  
  
  Note Slivered pistachios and dried rose petals are available from David Jones food halls, select delicatessens and Pariya Food.
  
  
  Thiss recipe is from the December 2010 issue of Australian Gourmet Traveller.
  
  

Watermelon Lemonade

http://twolooniesandapenny.blogspot.com/2012_05_01_archive.html

Pickled Watermelon Rind

A Bitten Word recipe adapted from the National Center for Home Food Preservation

Ingredients

2 quarts watermelon rind (equal to one medium-sized melon)
3/4 cup salt
3 quarts water
5 cups sugar
3 cups white vinegar
3 cups water
1 tablespoon (about 48) whole cloves
6 cinnamon sticks, broken into 1-inch pieces
1 tablespoon Allspice
1 lemon, thinly sliced, with seeds removed

Trim the pink flesh and the green outer skin from the rind. Cut into small strips, about 1" x 2". Cover with brine made by combining 3 quarts water and 3/4 cup salt. Refrigerate for five hours or overnight.

Drain; rinse. Cover the watermelon with water and bring to a boil; continue cooking until fork-tender, about another 15 minutes. (Overcooking will cause the rinds to become rubbery.) Drain.

Combine sugar, vinegar, water and spice. Boil 5 minutes and then pour over watermelon; add lemon slices. Refrigerate overnight.

Heat watermelon in syrup to boiling; reduce heat to medium-high and for one hour. Pack the hot watermelon pickles loosely into clean, hot pint jars.Cover with boiling syrup, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace if needed. Wipe rims of jars with a dampened clean paper towel; apply two-piece metal lids.

To seal: Submerge the full jars in boiling water (enough water so the jars are 1-2" below the surface); boil for 15 minutes (or slightly longer at higher altitudes). Remove jars and let them sit undisturbed at room temperature for 24 hours. Check seals

---------------------------
Alternate Recipe:


 3 quarts water
 3/4 cup salt
 4 quarts watermelon rind, white part only, cut into 1-inch cubes
 2 tablespoons whole cloves
 1/2 teaspoon mustard seed

10 (3 inch) cinnamon sticks, broken into pieces
 1 quart apple cider vinegar
 2 cups white sugar
 4 drops green food coloring (optional)




Directions

In a glass bowl, stir together the water and salt until the salt has dissolved. Add the watermelon rinds and any additional water needed to cover them. Cover the bowl and refrigerate overnight.
Drain the watermelon rinds from the salted water, and place into a large saucepan or Dutch oven. Cover with fresh water, then place over high heat and bring to a boil. Boil rinds for 30 minutes, then drain and set aside.
Meanwhile, tie the cloves, mustard seed, and cinnamon sticks in a piece of cheesecloth. Place into a large saucepan or Dutch oven along with the vinegar and sugar. Bring to a boil over high heat, then remove from the heat and let stand for 15 minutes. Stir in the drained watermelon rind, then return to the stove over high heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and simmer until the rind is transparent and the syrup is slightly thickened, 45 to 50 minutes. Remove and discard the spices after 40 minutes. Stir in the food coloring if desired.
Ladle into hot sterilized 1 pint jars, leaving 1/2 inch head space. Seal jars with new lids and rings, making sure you have cleaned the jar's rims of any residue. Process jars under 1 inch of water in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Let cool overnight, then press down on the lids to make sure they are sealed before storing. Store any unsealed jars in the refrigerator and enjoy those first.

Bret's Beef and Black Bean Soup

1 1/2 ibtop rond steaks, cubed
1 box beef broth
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
3 large carrots, thinly sliced
3 medium potatoes
2 zuccini cubed
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp sugar
1-1/2 tsp. dried basil
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley (or 1 tbsp dried)
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp.ground cumin
1/2 tsp.chili powder
1 tsp. hungarian paprika
1/2 tsp black pepper
16 oz dried black beans
1-1/2 cups cooked rice
1 tbsp worcestershire sauce
2 tsp fresh lemon zest
6 c. water
plain yogurt

hours before, rinse beans and set them to soak.  If in a hurry, you can boil the beans first to speed up the soak time.  Bring to a boil under this method and then let the beans sit for an hour.  Overnight is good, but not necessary.

Once beans are soaked, chop beef and add the cubes, prepare the vegetables and add them, add all seasonings, stir and simmer for a hour.

Fruity Vitamin Water

1) The classical : lemon/cucumber:
Mix in a pitcher: 10 cups of water + 1 cucumber and a lemon, thinly sliced + 1/4 cup fresh finely chopped basil leaf + 1/3 of finely chopped fresh mint leaves. Leave in the refrigerator overnight before serving.

2) The granite : Strawberry/Lime or Raspberry/Lime
Mix in a pitcher : 10 cups of water + 6 strawberries / 0r Raspberries and one thinly sliced lime + 12 finely chopped fresh mint leaves. Leave in the refrigerator overnight before serving.

3) The digestive : Fennel/citrus
First: infuse 1 to 3 grams of dried and crushed fennel in 150 ml of boiling water for 5-10 minutes. Allow to cool.
Mix in a pitcher: 10 cups of water + lemon juice (put the leftover lemon in the mix) + a small thinly sliced orange + 12 fresh chopped mint leaves + the infusion of fennel seeds. Leave in refrigerator overnight before serving.

4) The antiOX : Blackberry/Sage
Note that a part from the berries, sage leafs is the herb that has the highest antioxidant content.
Mix in a pitcher : 10 cups of water + 1 cup of blackberries that have been very slightly crushed + 3-4 sage leaves. Leave in refrigerator overnight before serving.

5) WATERmelon : watermelon/Rosemary
Mix in a pitcher : 10 cups of water + 1 cup of watermelon cut into cubes + 2 rosemary stems. Leave in refrigerator overnight before serving.

6) The exotic : Pineapple/Mint
Mix in a pitcher : 10 cups of water + 1 cup of pineapple cut into cubes + 12 fresh mint leaves finely chopped. Leave in the refrigerator overnight before serving.

7) The traditional : Apple/cinnamon
Mix in a pitcher : 10 cups of water + 1 cup of apple cut into cubes + 2 cinnamon sticks + 2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon. Leave in the refrigerator overnight before serving.

8.) The zingibir : Ginger/tea
In advance: heat 1 teaspoon of ginger in two cups of tea, let it cool down.

Mix in a pitcher: 10 cups of water with two cups of the ginger tea + 4-5 pieces of fresh ginger cut into cubes. Leave in the refrigerator overnight before serving.

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Cherry Coke Float Cupcakes

Cherry Coke Float Cupcakes
http://karinscupcakeadventure.blogspot.com/2012/09/cherry-coke-float-cupcakes.html

These cupcakes are what happened when my previous plan went horribly horribly awry. Honestly though, I think these turned out WAY better than my original idea would have. What was my original plan you might be wondering? (or maybe not, but I'm going to tell you anyway.) I was going to make a chocolate cupcake with fresh Strawberry icing. All was going really well until I tried to pull together my icing. It seems that the fresh strawberries contributed too much moisture to the icing and to combat that I kept adding in sugar to try to absorb the liquid. I ended up with a sickly sweet strawberry icing that didn't hold together well enough to pipe onto anything. And it was way WAY too sweet. In hindsight, after pureeing the strawberries, I  probably should have placed them in some cheesecloth and  squeezed out all of the  extra liquid. But I didn't. In the meantime I had some beautiful Chocolate Coke cupcakes and no icing to top them with.

So what's a girl to do? Well, since I'd already swapped out the coffee that I normally use in my chocolate cupcakes with Coke (just to see what difference it made), I figured I'd run with it. I made a quick run to the grocery store, grabbed some cherry pie filling, more coke and whipping cream. I then cored my cupcakes, filled them with the Cherry pie filling and topped them with a  Coke glaze (to up the Coke-ness of them, since the coke in the cake isn't very  powerful). Then, since any good float is never complete without whipped cream, I whipped up the whipping cream and piped it on. Once I topped that with a Maraschino cherry I had some wonderfully decadent cupcakes that tasted just like a Cherry Coke float.

Cherry Coke Float Cupcakes
3 cups all purpose flour
6 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 cups Regular Coke (don’t use diet coke, this recipe needs the sugar from the coke)
3 tsp vanilla extract
1 can cherry pie filling*

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line 2 cupcake pans with cupcake liners. Set aside.

In a medium sized bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt and cocoa. Set Aside.

In a large mixer bowl beat the sugar and butter together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs in one at a tme, beating well after each addition.

In another small bowl combine the buttermilk, Coke and vanilla extract. Make sure you let the foam from the coke settle down before moving on to the next step.

Add the flour mixture into the butter and egg mixture in three batches, alternating with the coke mixture, starting and ending with the flour (3 additions of flour mixture and 2 of the coke/buttermilk)

Place batter into the prepared pans adding approximately 1/4 cup batter to each liner (or until they're 3/4 full. Bake in preheated oven fo18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Let cool in pan for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Once cooled, core center of cupcakes using either a cupcake corer, apple corer or a paring knife, then add a heaping spoonful of cherry pie filling inside each cupcake.

*Since the cherries in pie filling are still whole, they’re a bit had to fit into the cored cupcakes. I opted to chop the cherries up a bit before filling the cupcakes. To do this strain the cherries and reserve the liquid. Give the cherries a rough chop up on a cutting board and then toss them back into the reserved liquid.




Coke Glaze
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
3-4 T Coke

Whisk the powdered sugar and coke together in a small bowl until smooth. Add in more sugar if needed to obtain a thicker consistency. The goal is to glaze the top of the cupcake and not be completely absorbed into the cake.

Whipped Cream Icing
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
6 Tbsp confectioners’ sugar
Maraschino Cherries for garnish

For best results, chill your mixing bowl for 10 to 15 minutes before you are ready to make your icing. Whisk heavy cream in chilled bowl on low speed. Slowly add in the confectioners’ sugar in, one tablespoonful at a time. Once all sugar has been added, increased the speed of the mixer  to medium high. Whip cream until it holds stiff peaks. Then pipe whipped cream on the cupcakes and top with maraschino cherries.

This whipped cream is excellent for many other uses, such as topping pies or fresh fruit. I pretty much use this recipe instead of cool whip or Redi-whip these days. It’s so easy and much cheaper than the pre made kinds.


Pretty!

Bret's Blueberry Awesome Pancakes

1 c. all purpose flour
1/2 c. whole wheat flour
1/2 c. oats
4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 1/2 c. plain greek yogurt
4 eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla
6 tbsp brown sugar
4 tbsp butter
1 c. milk
1.c frozen or fresh blueberries, thawed

Greek Tzatziki Sauce

Tzatziki Sauce

14 oz greek, plain yogurt
1 regular or english cucumber, grated finely
1/4 c. sour cream
2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp. white wine vinegar
1 tbsp. minced fresh dill
1 1/2 tsp. minced garlic
2 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper

Grate cucumber, and press the juice out of it in a sieve.  
Mix all ingredients together in a bowl.  Keep cold.

Alex's Mediterranean Eggplant Casserole

Ingredients:

1 large american eggplant, cut into 1/2 inch wedges
1 can diced tomatoes
3 medium zuccini, chopped into large 1/2" chunks
1 c. cooked chickpeas
1 1/2 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp dill
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp. sea salt
1 tbsp dried parsley
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1/4 c. olive oil
fresh lemon
sea salt


soak eggplant in cold water and 1 tsp sea salt for 5 minutes.  Prepare other ingredients.
Drain eggplant and fry in flying pan with olive oil, stirring frequently.  Once lightly browned, add remaining ingredients and put into a casserole pan.

Bake at 375 for 45 minutes.

When done, squeeze fresh lemon over the casserole and serve with Tzatziki sauce.

Blueberry Cream cheese tart

http://magnoliadays.com/2012/blueberry-cream-cheese-tart/

For the crust:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup powdered sugar

Pinch of salt

3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup finely chopped pecans or walnuts

For the filling and topping:

6 ounces cream cheese (not whipped), at room temperature

1 cup powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup sugar

1 can (21 ounces) blueberry pie filling

For the crust:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a knife blade, add the flour, powdered sugar, and salt. Pulse to combine. Add the butter and process until it forms a ball. Press dough evenly on the bottom and up the sides of a 12-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Sprinkle the nuts evenly over the bottom and lightly press into the crust. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until lightly browned around the edges. Let cool completely.

For the filling and topping:

In a large mixing bowl, add the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla. Using a hand mixer, beat until smooth and combined. In a separate bowl, beat the heavy cream with the sugar until it has soft peaks. Fold the whipped cream, a little at a time, into the cream cheese mixture. Spread the cream cheese filling evenly into the prepared tart crust. Top it with the pie filling. Refrigerate at least 2 hours. Serve and enjoy!

Blueberry Bavarian cream Tart

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/gale-gand/blueberry-cream-tart-recipe/index.html


Ingredients
1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces and slightly softened
1 egg yolk
Blueberry Bavarian cream, recipe follows
BLUEBERRY BAVARIAN CREAM:
4 cups blueberries
2 cups milk (not skim)
1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
2 1/2 teaspoons powdered gelatin
2 tablespoons cold water
6 egg yolks
2/3 cup sugar
Directions
Put the flour in a large bowl. Add the sugar and mix. Make a well in the center and place the butter and egg yolk in the well. Using your fingers, work the butter and egg yolk together until well combined, then work the butter-egg mixture into the flour-sugar mixture until combined but still loose. The dough will be crumbly, but when you squeeze a handful, it should hold together.

Sprinkle the dough into a 10-inch pie or tart pan. Press the dough firmly and evenly onto the bottom and sides of the pan, making sure not to let the crust thicken at the corners. It should make a clean right angle where the sides meet the bottom. Chill the crust at least 30 minutes, or covered, up to 3 days. Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Bake until light golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool before filling.

Blueberry Bavarian Cream: Pick over the blueberries, setting aside the best ones to make a circle around the edge of the finished tart. (You'll need about 1 cup.) Heat the milk and vanilla bean in a saucepan over medium heat just until it boils. Immediately turn off the heat and set aside to infuse for 10 minutes. Combine the gelatin and water in a small bowl, and let dissolve, stirring occasionally, until no dry spots remain.

Whisk the egg yolks and sugar together in a bowl. Whisking constantly, slowly pour the still-hot milk mixture into the egg yolk mixture. Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. At 160 degrees, the mixture will give off a puff of steam. When the mixture reaches 180 degrees it will be thickened and creamy, like eggnog. If you don't have a thermometer, test it by dipping a wooden spoon into the mixture. Run your finger down the back of the spoon. If the stripe remains clear, the mixture is ready; if the edges blur, the mixture is not quite thick enough. When it is ready, quickly remove it from the heat.

Meanwhile, fill a large bowl with ice water half way. Strain the mixture into a medium bowl to smooth it and remove the vanilla bean. Pour off 1 cup of this mixture (Anglaise) into a large bowl and set aside. Place the medium bowl containing the remainder of the mixture in the ice water and let cool, stirring often. Add the gelatin to the cup of hot Anglaise in the large bowl and mix until completely dissolved, creating a Bavarian cream. Working quickly, fold the larger amount of berries into the Bavarian cream and spoon the mixture into the center of the tart shell. Spread until smooth and even. Before the filling cools completely, arrange the reserved berries around the edge of the tart to form a rim. Chill at least 2 hours and serve in slices, pouring a bit of the Anglaise next to each side.

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/gale-gand/blueberry-cream-tart-recipe/index.html?oc=linkback

Beauty Berry Recipes

jam #1
American beautyberry berries become edible upon reaching full ripeness which usually occurs in late summer to early fall. They should be a dark purple/magenta color but not turning wrinkled and dry. These berries can be eaten raw and have a mild, slight medicinal flavor. To truly maximize the potential of these berries it is best to make jelly out of them. Combine 1.5 qts of berries with 1 qt. water, boil for 20 minutes and then strain out the solids. Add 4.5 cups of sugar and one envelop of Sure Jell to the liquid. Bring the liquid back up to boil for two minutes, skimming off any foam. Pour the hot jelly into sterilized jars and seal. The resulting jelly has a unique flavor which reminds me of rose petals and champagne.

Jam #2
1 ½ qts. of Beautyberries, washed and clean of green stems and leaves. Cover with 2 qts. water.Boil 20 minutes and strain to make infusion. Use 3 cups of the infusion, bring to boil, add 1 envelope Sure-Jell and 4 ½ cups sugar. Bring to second boiland boil 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand until foam forms. Skim off foam, pour into sterilized jars, cap.

#3
Insect Repellent
I pretty much chopped up a plant(leaves and stems) and boiled it in a pot and let it cool and strained the brown liquid into my blender, about 1 1/2 cups. In a separate pot I warmed some organic neem oil (1 cup) with 1 ounce of beeswax until melted. Then you turn the blender on and pour in the oil mixture very slowly and it becomes a cream. I have to say hands down the best insect repellent ever! Because its a creme on july/august days one application is all you need for the entire day even when your sweating.”

Marbled Chocolate Banana Bread

Ingredients

Unsalted butter for pan
1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons whole wheat flour plus more for pan
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups coarsely mashed very ripe bananas (3 large)
2 tablespoons sour cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup Dutch process cocoa powder
1/4 cup boiling water

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Generously butter a (9- by 5- by 3-inch) metal loaf pan, then dust with flour, knocking out excess.
In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.
In bowl of electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat sugar and eggs on medium-high speed until very thick and pale, about 10 minutes. Reduce speed to low and add oil in a slow stream, mixing until incorporated, then mix in bananas, sour cream, and vanilla. Remove bowl from mixer and fold in flour mixture.
Transfer one-third of the batter to a medium bowl; set aside. Spoon the remaining batter into prepared pan.
In a small bowl, whisk together cocoa powder and the boiling water until smooth; stir cocoa mixture into reserved batter until well combined. Spoon chocolate batter over batter in pan to cover, then, to create marbling, run a table knife through the batters in a swirling motion, swirling batter from underneath to top and vice versa (do not over-swirl or the batters will combine and you won't see the marbling pattern). Bake for 50 minutes, then tent loaf with foil and continue to bake until a wooden pick or skewer comes out clean, 15 to 25 minutes more.
Cool loaf in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes, then turn out onto rack. Turn loaf right side up and cool complete

Turtle Cheesecake

http://barefeetinthekitchen.blogspot.com/2012/12/turtle-cheesecake-with-caramel.html
Turtle Cheesecake with Caramel, Chocolate and Pecans
recipe adapted from Philadelphia Cream Cheese
Yield: 16 - 24 servings

12 oreo chocolate sandwich cookies, about 1 cup finely crushed
3 tablespoons butter, melted
3/4 cup caramel sauce, I used this homemade caramel sauce
3 (8 ounce) packages of cream cheese
3/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla
3 eggs
1/4 cup dark chocolate or semi sweet chocolate chips, melted
1/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted if desired

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Crush the oreo cookies in a large freezer weight ziploc bag. You can use a rolling pin or mallet to crush them. Or, you can quickly pulse them in a food processor. Combine the crumbs with the melted butter and press the mixture into the bottom of a spring-form pan. Pour 1/2 cup of the caramel sauce over this crust and spread it across the crust lightly with a spatula. Refrigerate this crust for 10 minutes.

Beat the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until smooth. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing on low speed just until each one is blended. Pour this mixture over the refrigerated crust. Place the spring-form pan on a large baking sheet prior to placing it in the oven. (If you line the baking sheet with foil first, clean up will be a breeze.) Some of the caramel in the crust will drip through the pan onto your oven if you forget this step.

Bake 65 - 70 minutes, until the center is almost set. Run a knife around the edges of the pan while it is still warm. Let cool at room temperature and then refrigerate 4 hours or overnight before removing the sides of the pan.

Once the sides of the pan have been removed, sprinkle the pecans across the top of the cheesecake and then drizzle with the remaining caramel and the melted chocolate. Store remaining cheesecake in the refrigerator. Enjoy!

Banana Bread Pudding

http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Banana-Bread-Pudding

Ingredients
4 cups cubed day-old French or sourdough bread (1-in. pieces)
1/4 cup butter, melted
3 eggs
2 cups milk
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sliced firm bananas (1/4-inch pieces)
SAUCE:
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
Place the bread cubes in a greased 2-qt. casserole; pour butter over and toss to coat. In a medium bowl, lightly beat eggs; add milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Stir in bananas.
Pour over bread cubes and stir to coat. Bake, uncovered, at 375° for 40 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.
Meanwhile, for sauce, melt butter in a small saucepan. Combine sugar and cornstarch; add to butter. Stir in milk and corn syrup. Cook and stir over medium heat until the mixture comes to a full boil. Boil for 1 minute. Remove from the heat; stir in the vanilla. Serve warm sauce over warm pudding. Yield: 6 servings.

Russian Solyanka Soup

http://easteuropeanfood.about.com/od/Russian-Soup-Recipes/r/Solyanka-Soup-Recipe.htm

Solyanka (also spelled soljanka), which comes from the word for "salt," possibly originated in Ukraine in the 17th century and became beloved by Russians. This is a hearty, thick soup with salty cured meats, sausages, olives, capers, pickles, cabbage, sometimes carrots, and dill and sour cream for garnish. Accompanied, of course, by whole-grained bread. There is a vegetarian version but meat solyanka is the most common. It can be considered an "everything-but-the-kitchen-sink" type of soup, but it tastes so much better.

Here is a larger photo of Russian / Ukrainian Solyanka Soup.
Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes

Yield: 8 servings Solyanka Soup

Ingredients:

Sachet:
2 bay leaves
6 black peppercorns
4 allspice berries
Soup:
10 cups water & 4 tablespoons beef base
-or- 64 oz beef broth and 4 c. water

1/2 head shredded cabbage
1 cup chopped celery
2 medium chopped onions
2 peeled and chopped carrots
1 tablespoon oil
1 pound Polish kabanosy sausage, sliced 1/4-inch thick
2 cooked chicken breasts, cubed
1 cup cubed ham
3 large chopped dill pickles
2 medium rutabegas, peeled & diced
1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
2 tablespoons capers
3/4 cup sliced black olives
2 (14-ounce) cans stewed tomatoes
1 cup dry white wine
Salt
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup chopped fresh dill
Preparation:

Make a cheesecloth sachet with bay leaves, peppercorns, and allspice and tie onto handle of large pot. Add water and beef base and bring to a boil. Add shredded cabbage and sliced celery, return to the boil, reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes.

Put oil into large skillet and heat. Add onion and carrots, and saute until translucent. Add sausage, chicken, ham, pickles and tomato paste. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 2 minutes. Transfer to soup pot.

Add capers, olives, stewed tomatoes, and bring barely to a boil. Add the wine and simmer gently for 20 minutes.

Remove the sachet and discard. Adjust seasonings. Ladle soup into hot bowls and garnish with sour cream and dill or pass them at table. Serve with multigrain bread.

Bret and Alex's Meatballs

Bret and Alex Meatballs

1 lb ground beef
1/3 c. flour
1 egg
2 tbsp worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 small onion finely chopped
3 tbsp oat bran

moosh all ingredients together.  roll into balls, fry in frying pan

Stuffed Bell Peppers

Stuffed Peppers

Original recipe makes 6 servings
 1 pound ground beef
 1/2 cup uncooked long grain white rice
 1 cup water
 6 bell peppers
 2 (8 ounce) cans diced tomato
 1 tsp cooking sherry
 2 tsp steak sauce
 1 tsp minced garlic
 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
 salt and pepper to taste
 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
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Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Place the rice and water in a saucepan, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and cook 20 minutes. In a skillet over medium heat, cook the beef until evenly browned.
Remove and discard the tops, seeds, and membranes of the bell peppers. Arrange peppers in a baking dish with the hollowed sides facing upward. (Slice the bottoms of the peppers if necessary so that they will stand upright.)
In a bowl, mix the browned beef, cooked rice, 1 can tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Spoon an equal amount of the mixture into each hollowed pepper. Mix the remaining tomato sauce and Italian seasoning in a bowl, and pour over the stuffed peppers.
Bake 1 hour in the preheated oven, basting with sauce every 15 minutes, until the peppers are tender.

Alex Ginter's Racial Equality Butter Cookies

Oven @ 300 degrees F
1 c. sugar
1 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. organic shortening

-Cream the above ingredients together

1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp. cream of tartar
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cornstarch
3 egg yolks
1/2 tsp. vanilla

-add in

2 c. flour

-mix in the flour gradually

bake @ 300 degrees F.
Make cookies with 1 tsp measure
Bake for 11 minutes

Alex Ginter's Moon Cookies

Oven @ 325 degrees F

2 lb butter
1 lb ground almonds
2 scant c. sugar
8 1/2 c. flour
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp almond or rum/brandy extract

mix all ingredients
shape into crescents on cookie sheet
bake 15 minutes