Biscotti

The temp outside this morning was 0'F...ZERO!!  This afternoon it made it up to 5'F. Someone please take me away to the Caribbean!!!  There is no way I'm going outside in these freezing temperatures.  I am staying warm and toasty inside with a hot cup of tea and some delicious homemade biscotti.  Its so good it tastes like something from a fancy coffee cafe.  The word biscotti comes from Italy and translated to English means twice cooked.  The definition makes perfect sense when you're following the recipe and realize you need to bake these cookies twice.  This process gives the cookies the hard crunchiness they require to stand up to being dunked in a hot cup of coffee or tea. Stay warm my friends!

1/2 cup slivered almonds (or pecans)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
6 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoons sugar for topping

Preheat oven to 350'F.  In a bowl combine flour, baking powder and cinnamon; set aside. In a large bowl, beat butter and 3/4 cup of sugar until creamy.  Beat in eggs and vanilla.  Add flour mixture; mix well.  Stir in the almonds.  Divide dough in half.  Form each half into a 7 x 2-inch log.  Lightly spray a cookie pan with nonstick cooking spray or cover with parchment paper.  Place each log on the pan about 4" apart.  Sprinkle each with 1 teaspoon of sugar.  Bake 30 minutes.  Remove pan from oven and place on a cooling rack.  Let the logs cool on the pan for 15 minutes.  Carefully remove logs from pan and place on a cutting board.  Using a serrated knife, gently cut logs diagonally into 1/2 inch thick slices.  Arrange slices upright on cookie pan about 1" apart.  Bake 20-25 minutes or until dry and crisp.  Cool completely on cooling rack.  Store in tightly covered container.

Yield: about 2 dozen cookies

Source:  Pampered Chef "More Stoneware Sensations"

Caribbean Tuna Cakes

I came across this recipe in one of my Pampered Chef cookbooks.  I actually made these back in the springtime and froze the leftovers.  I pulled them out of the freezer this week to have for dinner.  They have a completely different flavor than a traditional mayo/bread crumb based tuna cake.  They're a little on the spicy side from the Jamaican seasoning and the black beans make the texture much thicker.  The dressing has just the right amount of spice and the lime juice in it pushes it over the edge to make your taste buds dance ... mmm!

The first time I made these tuna cakes I served them with the salad as the recipe suggests and the second time I made them I reheated them in my toaster oven and served them with mashed sweet potatoes.  I made 1/2 of the dressing recipe and topped them right before serving.  The sweet potatoes paired well with the Jamaican seasoning and it made this recipe seem more like something to serve during the winter (not that salad isn't perfectly acceptable year round)  Obviously leftovers can be frozen and reheated & they taste just as good the second time around.  Enjoy!

DRESSING & SALAD
1/2 cup mayonnaise
4 tsp lime juice
1 tsp Jamaican jerk seasoning
1 bag butter lettuce mix

TUNA CAKES
1 small red onion
1 small green bell pepper
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 1/3 cup panko bread crumbs, divided
2 tbsp Jamaican jerk seasoning
1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained & rinsed
2 cans (6 oz each) chunk light tuna in water, drained
2 tbsp vegetable oil, divided

1) Prepare dressing:  Combine mayonnaise, lime juice & rub in a small bowl; set aside.  For tuna cakes, finely chop onion and bell pepper.  Combine mayonnaise, 1 cup of the bread crumbs and rub in a bowl.  Add onion, bell pepper, beans and tuna; mix well.  Place remaining bread crumbs in a dish.  Using a large scoop or 1/4 cup scoop one heaping scoop of the tuna mixture, packing firmly.  Add cake to the plate of bread crumbs; gently flatten with the back of the scoop to 3/4 in thickness.  Turn cake over to coat lightly with bread crumbs.  Repeat with remaining tuna mixture for a total of 12 cakes.

2)  Cook Tuna Cakes:  Heat 1 tbsp oil in skillet over medium heat 2-3 minutes or until shimmering.  Add half of the cakes; cook 2-3 minutes or until golden brown, turning once.  Heat remaining oil in skillet 30-45 seconds or until shimmering.  Repeat with remaining cakes.

3) Prepare salad & Serve:  Toss lettuce with 2 tbsp of the dressing.  Serve cakes with salad; drizzle with remaining dressing.

Yield:  4 Servings

Source:  Pampered Chef 29 Minutes to Dinner, Volume 2

Mixing Bliss, Ugly Sweaters, Hot Dog Wreaths & Cake Balls

I haven't blogged all of December ... I was on blog vacation I guess!  I had a busy month and figured everyone else was probably just as busy getting things ready for Christmas and if you're busy you don't have time to be reading a food blog anyways.  I baked a lot of cookies, decorated the house and enjoyed hosting a bunch of friends throughout the month.  I must have made the "nice" list for 2013 because Santa left a KitchenAid Mixer under the tree this year.  LOOK OUT!!!!  And even though I had a ton of Christmas cookies at the house I made a new batch of cookies on Christmas day to try out the new mixer.  Can I tell you a secret?? ... as the mixer spun effortlessly through the dough I walked over to the refrigerator to get an egg and walked back to the mixer while still watching it mixing, and as I cracked the egg and added it to the dough I felt as if I was floating on air ... I was somewhat aroused...by a freaking MIXER!  The only thing better would have been Mark Wahlberg sitting on my kitchen counter, lol.  What a great gift for a baker!!!  Then later that day I used it again for sweet potato mash to go with our steaks for dinner.  This mixer is going to be put to great use in my kitchen.  I'm so excited to have this new appliance!

One of my favorite moments of this past month was hosting an Ugly Sweater Party.  If you haven't been to an ugly sweater party yet you are missing out.  They're a lot of fun!!  I made a cake that looks like an ugly sweater as well as a hot dog wreath which I thought was hysterical.  Although the wreath was a joke it was devoured in minutes.  The cake on the other hand was so ugly people were afraid to eat it and I ended up with a full cake leftover thinking what in the world am I going to do with all of this cake???  Then I remembered reading about CAKE BALLS* online.  I cut the cake up into pieces and put it in the new mixer and mixed until it formed into chocolate dough.  Then I made small balls out of the dough and dipped them into melted chocolate ... voila, cake balls!  They're delicious!! Next time you have leftover birthday cake try making cake balls.

Hope all of you have a happy & healthy new year!!  I look forward to sharing more recipes during 2014.

*Cake Ball Recipe can be found here: Cake Balls (any flavor cake & frosting works)

The hot dog wreath is simply a package of hot dogs & one package of crescent rolls.  Cut the hot dogs into thirds and wrap with strips of the crescent roll dough.  Form into a circle and bake at 350' for about 18 minutes or until golden brown.  The bow is a red bell pepper.  

Apple Orange Cranberry Sauce

Here's a recipe for your Thanksgiving meal this week ... Apple Orange Cranberry Sauce that just might steal the show away from the turkey!  This sauce is soooo good!!!!!  You can make it ahead of time (I just finished making mine).  And for those of you who don't enjoy cooking or don't have time you can buy this in a jar at your local Williams-Sonoma store.  I wish I could post a link in here so you could smell my kitchen right now but you'll just have to take my word for it that it smells delicious.  My daughter asked me if I was making an apple pie and my husband emerged from his mancave to find out what smelled so good.

A few years ago I purchased a jar of this and everyone absolutely loved it so the next Thanksgiving I searched for a recipe to make it myself.  I was surprised WS had it posted right on their website (seems too good to give out to the public).  You can enjoy this as a side dish or on top of your turkey or on top of the stuffing or use it on leftover turkey sandwiches or on toast, etc.  YUM!!!!!   I will definitely have this on my table every Thanksgiving.  

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone who reads my blog!  I hope you all have a wonderful day with your families and friends.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 orange
• 2 cups water
• 1 tart apple, such as Granny Smith, pippin or McIntosh
• 3 cups fresh cranberries
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. ground cloves

Directions:
Squeeze the juice from the orange and set the juice aside. Remove and discard the membrane from inside the orange rind and cut the rind into small dice. In a small saucepan over high heat, combine the rind and the water and bring to a boil. Cook for 10 minutes, then drain and set aside. 

Peel, core and quarter the apple. Cut into 1/2-inch dice and place in a saucepan. Sort the cranberries, discarding any soft ones. Add to the apples along with the orange juice, orange rind, sugar, cinnamon and cloves. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat to low and cover the pan partially. Simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens, the apple is tender and the cranberries have burst, 10 to 15 minutes. 

This is what it looks like before the cranberries burst.

Transfer the cranberry sauce to a heatproof bowl and let cool for 1 hour before serving. Or cover and refrigerate; bring to room temperature before serving. Transfer the cranberry sauce to a sauceboat and pass at the table.

Makes 3 1/2 to 4 cups.



Source: Williams Sonoma

Mashed Cauliflower

Every now and again I try to lower my carbs for a week or two.  A low carb week always seems to line itself up post-holiday.  The past few weeks we celebrated my husband's birthday, my daughter's birthday, Halloween and my birthday.  All of the cakes and sweets can add up and now I'm feeling like its a good time to do a low carb week in preparation for Thanksgiving where I will again stuff myself with heavenly carbs.  (I'm dreaming of my mom's pumpkin pie already!)  The leftover Halloween candy is stored safely in my OKRA bag and now its time to move on to mashed cauliflower.

Mashed Cauliflower is a perfect low carb recipe because it sort of tricks your mind into thinking you are enjoying mashed POTATOES ... mmmm.  There's bunches of recipes you can find online for these.  I tried a few different recipes and wasn't all that impressed so I came up with my own.  I've used this as a side dish for grilled chicken & steak as well as a mock "shrimp & grits" recipe (replaced the grits with the mashed cauliflower).  Enjoy!

1/2 head of cauliflower
1 oz cream cheese
2 tbs butter or margarine
1/2 tsp Johnny's garlic seasoning*
2 tbs Parmesan cheese
dash of salt & pepper

Chop the cauliflower into small pieces and steam with a small amount of water in the microwave for 5-6 minutes or until it is soft. Drain the water and place the steamed cauliflower in a food processor.  Add the cream cheese, butter, parmesan and seasoning.  Process on high speed for about 2 minutes or until it turns into a smooth creamy texture (You can use a hand mixer as well but I think the texture comes out nicer/creamier with the food processor).  Serve immediately.  You can also make this ahead of time, refrigerate in a container and simply reheat in the microwave when ready to serve.  Makes 3-4 servings.  

*This seasoning is awesome!!!  It makes the BEST shrimp scampi ever! I order mine online @ Johnny's Garlic Seasoning.  I believe Costco sells it too. I also found a link to make your own Johnny's seasoning (haven't tried it though).  Make your own

Fun with Fondant

This is way easier than you could ever imagine!  Its like "play doh" for adults!!!  You have to try it!  Even if you don't make your own fondant with the recipe below at least buy a bucket of prepared fondant at your local craft store and try making some shapes with it for your next cake.  It is seriously fun & addicting!!

I made my husband out of fondant for the top of his birthday Caramel Upside Down Apple Pie ...

I made about 200 of these tiny flowers for my daughter's 3rd birthday cake ...

Pumpkin toppers for my pumpkin cupcakes ...

Think of something you'd like to make out of fondant.  Google "fondant + your idea" then click on the "images" link and you'll find lots of photos for inspiration.


Ingredients:

1 package (16 ounces) white mini marshmallows (use a good quality brand)
2-5 tablespoons water
2 pounds (about 8 cups) sifted confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening
Makes:

About 2 pounds marshmallow fondant.

Directions:

1.  To make marshmallow fondant, place marshmallows and 2 tablespoons of water in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave 30 seconds on high; stir until mixed well. Continue microwaving 30 seconds more; stir again. Continue until melted (about 2 1/2 minutes).

2.  Place 3/4 of the confectioners' sugar on top of the melted marshmallow mixture. Fold sugar into marshmallow mixture. Flavoring can be added at this point if desired. Place solid vegetable shortening in easily accessed bowl so you can reach into it with fingers as you are working. Grease hands and counter GENEROUSLY; turn marshmallow mixture onto counter. Start kneading like you would dough. Continue kneading, adding additional confectioners' sugar and re-greasing hands and counter so the fondant doesn't stick. If the marshmallow fondant is tearing easily, it is too dry; add water (about 1/2 tablespoon at a time) kneading until fondant forms a firm, smooth elastic ball that will stretch without tearing, about 8 minutes.

3.  It's best to allow Marshmallow Fondant to sit, double-wrapped, overnight. Prepare the fondant for storing by coating with a thin layer of solid vegetable shortening, wrap in plastic wrap and then place in resealable bag. Squeeze out as much air as possible. Marshmallow Fondant will keep well in refrigerator for several weeks.

4.  When not working with fondant, make sure to keep it covered with plastic wrap or in a bag to prevent it from drying out. When ready to use, knead fondant until smooth. Roll out fondant 1/8 in. thick.

5.  To color fondant: If you need to tint the entire batch of fondant, add a little icing color to the melted marshmallow mixture before adding confectioners' sugar. For smaller amounts of tinted fondant, add icing color to portions of fondant as needed.

Source:  Wilton.com

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

I received a phone call from an old friend of mine about a month ago.  She was planning a birthday luncheon for her mother and requested my help with a few things including making cupcakes.  I had my eye on this Pumpkin Cupcake recipe for awhile and was looking for an excuse to make them so you can understand how excited I was when I gave her three cupcake choices and she picked the Pumpkin. Yeah, at last my excuse to try this recipe arrived!  And then panic set in ... why on earth am I trying a NEW recipe for a party???  I know, its not the smartest decision because when you're baking for someone else you should be using an old standby, the one that you've made numerous times and you know for sure you can't mess it up.  So I took a risk with a new recipe...if worse came to worse my back up plan was to buy a box mix and go from there.  I am so glad I tried this recipe!!  I like box cakes and tend to make them and use homemade frosting to keep things on the easy side but I have to tell you when you make cakes from scratch and they come out perfect its a wonderful feeling ... and people can tell it didn't come from a box.

These cupcakes are moist with the right amount of pumpkin spiciness and the frosting, oh my oh my the frosting can be consumed alone with a spoon .... I mean, the frosting is heavenly.  I topped my cupcakes with tiny fondant pumpkins I made ahead of time but you could also use candy corns, chopped nuts or keep it simple with no topping at all.  The cupcake batter makes a lot so make sure to use a big bowl (makes 32 cupcakes).

INGREDIENTS:

For the Cupcakes:
4 cups cake flour (not self-rising), sifted
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 Tablespoon + 1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 Tablespoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2½ cups packed light-brown sugar
4 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1½ cups canned pumpkin (not pie filling)

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
12 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 pound (4 cups) confectioners' sugar, sifted
¾ teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:

To Make the Cupcakes:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and spices.

2. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream butter and brown sugar until pale and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of buttermilk, and beating until just combined. Add pumpkin; beat until just combined.

3. Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until golden brown, 15 to 18 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool 10 minutes; turn out cupcakes onto racks and let cool completely. 

4. To finish, use an offset spatula or a pastry bag fitted with a decorated tip to top the cupcakes with cream cheese frosting.

To Make the Frosting:

With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter and cream cheese until fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low. Add sugar, ½ cup at a time, and then vanilla, and mix until smooth and combined, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.  

Source: Brown Eyed Baker