Fat Tire Beer Bread

Could it be? Bread made with no yeast, but instead made with yummy Fat Tire beer? Imagine the possibilities, fresh baked bread in under an hour! This fantastic recipe came from The Novice Chef. Next time, I will cut the butter in half. It was really tasty with all the butter, but I think it was a touch too greasy. I didn't have any issues with overflow at all, but I am going to have issues restraining myself from making this all the time!







Fat Tire Beer Bread

3 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 bottle (12 ounces) Fat Tire beer
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted (Note: Feel free to reduce to 1/4 cup.)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.

Using a wooden spoon, stir the beer into the dry ingredients until just mixed.

Pour half the melted butter into the loaf pan. Then spoon the batter into the pan, and pour the rest of the butter on top of the batter. Slide a baking sheet onto a lower rack to catch any butter that might overflow from the loaf pan.

Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until golden brown. Serve immediately.

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World's Best Gingerbread Cookies

The title speaks for itself. These are so easy since they are made entirely in the bowl of your food processor. These remain so soft and chewy for at least a week. This is a fantastic recipe and if you are any sort of gingerbread fan, you need to make them straight away.








Chewy Gingerbread Cookies

3 cups flour
¾ cup dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon salt
¾ teaspoon baking soda
12 tablespoons (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 12 pieces and softened slightly
¾ cup molasses
2 tablespoons milk

In a food processor fitted with a metal blade, process flour, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, salt and baking soda until well combined.

Add butter pieces and process until mixture resembles a very fine meal. Add molasses and milk, processing until mixture is evenly moistened and forms a soft mass. Divide dough in half and place each piece between two pieces of parchment paper. Roll until about ¼-inch-thick. Place in freezer for at least 20 minutes but overnight is fine as well.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Remove dough from freezer and cut into gingerbread or desired shapes. Place on parchment-lined sheet pans and bake for 9 to 12 minutes. Cool and decorate.

Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

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Oreo Balls

The amazingly talented Shannon made some incredibly delicious Oreo Balls for the Ornament Exchange at Courtney's house last week. She explained the recipe to me and I decided to give it a shot. What a challenge it was!

Three youtube videos later, I was still perplexed how to dip them in the melted chocolate. I tried two spoons, a toothpick, my fingers and then just one spoon...which was by far the most successful. I dipped about 10 and then tried to add the sprinkles, but the chocolate had hardened too much for them to stick, so I had to add a dollop. After C ate one he proclaimed that they taste the same as the chocolate covered Oreos you can get at the store. Sigh.

I have no clue how Shannon makes such beautiful cakes, cookies and candies. I am truly in awe because everything I attempt is a wreck.

Oreo Balls

8 ounces of cream cheese, softened
1 package (1.5 pounds) Oreos
1/2 package white almond bark

In a large food processor, pulse the Oreos to a crumb consistency. Add the cream cheese and pulse until combined. Roll the mixture into walnut sized balls and set on a cookie sheet covered in wax paper. Chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour. Melt the chocolate bark per the package directions then dunk the chilled balls into it, I found one spoon to be the easiest dunking method. Sprinkle immeadiately with any decoration you like, I used red and green sprinkles. Return to the refrigerator and store in a closed container.

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Pumpkin Cream Cheese Rolls

I have an embarassing amount of Pillsbury refrigerated products. They often are free with coupons at Kroger. When you combine your printed coupons from Coupons.com and Red Plum with the Kroger card loadable coupons at Cellfire and Shortcuts. These rolls were really easy. Miss F and I ate three a piece, C had EIGHT. I used the Pillsbury Recipe Creations, so I didn't have to press the triangles together. So easy!






Pumpkin Cream Cheese Rolls

Ingredients

2 packages/cans Pillsbury Crescent Rolls
4 oz cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup canned pumpkin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Unroll crescent rolls to form 4 rectangles placed side by side. Pinch seams together to form one long rectangle. Place cream cheese, brown sugar, pumpkin, cinnamon and nutmeg into a mixer; beat until well combined. Spread mixture over crescents leaving a 1/2 inch border around edges. Starting at long end, roll up then cut into 1 inch pieces. Place rolls in two 9 inch cake pans that have been sprayed with cooking spray.

Bake for 28-30 minutes or until rolls are golden brown. Remove and let cool for 10 minutes. Frost warm rolls with cream cheese frosting recipe below.

Frosting

4 oz softened cream cheese
1/2 Cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 Tablespoon canned pumpkin

Mix all ingredients into a large bowl until smooth. Spread over warm rolls.

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Carrot Ginger Soup

I had a bunch of carrots left over last night since I had made a batch of minestrone for dinner. I try to keep a good stock of homemade soups and pastas in our freezer for Miss F to have for lunch while I am at work. Her favorites are tomato basil soup and butternut squash soup. I made this recipe up, basing it off other soup recipes. It made a lot for our freezer soup supply and it was really tasty. The unfortunate part was that during blending, I sprayed it all over the kitchen...and myself...whoops.





Carrot Ginger Soup

3/4 pound carrots, peeled and chopped
1 can (14 ounces) chicken broth
1 can (14 ounces) water
1 tablespoon onion
1/4 cup onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon ginger, minced
1/4 cup heavy cream

In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the chopped onions and saute until translucent. Add the chopped carrots and saute for 2 minutes. Add chicken broth, one can of water and the ginger. Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Working in SMALL batches, blend the soup in a blender. Return to the soup pot over low heat and stir in the cream.

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Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies

I made these last year and they were super salty. I cut the salt by a fourth and that improved them dramatically! These are from my Martha Stewart Living magazine from December 2008. I am taking the cookies to a cookie exchange tomorrow night and I am really excited to see what I come home with. Unfortunately, C got a little carried away (Miss F too!) and I am now one cookie short of where I need to be for tomorrow, I hope they understand.






Chocolate Thumbprints
Makes 72 cookies

For the Cookies:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/3 cups sugar, plus more for rolling
2 large egg yolks
2 tablespoons heavy cream
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Chocolate Ganache

For the Chocolate Ganache:
1 stick butter
8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
3 teaspoons light corn syrup

To prepare the cookies:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift flour, cocoa powder, and salt into a small bowl. Cream butter and sugar with a mixer until pale and fluffy. Reduce speed to medium, add yolks, cream, and vanilla. Scrape sides of bowl. Beat in flour mixture until just combined.

2. Roll balls using 2 teaspoons dough for each, and roll each in sugar. Place 1 inch apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. With the handle of a wooden spoon, press gently in the center of each to create an indentation. Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until cookies are just set, about 10 minutes. (If indentations lose definition, press centers again.) Let cool slightly on baking sheets. Transfer cookies to wire racks, and let cool.

3. Spoon warm ganache into center of each cookie. Let stand until firm, about 15 minutes. Cookies will keep, covered, for up to 3 days.


To prepare the ganache:

Combine chocolate, 8 tablespoons butter, and corn syrup in a small heat-proof bowl. Set over a pot of simmering water; stir occasionally until melted and smooth. Allow to cool slightly. When cookies are cool, fill the thumbprints with the chocolate mixture.

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Chicken (Turkey) Tetrazzini

On of my most favorite clips from The Soup is the "chicken tetrazzini" clip from the Maury show. It is high-larious. I wonder if I can seduce men with my chicken (turkey) tetrazzini. Makes me laugh every time I see it...









Herbed Turkey Tetrazzini

1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup fresh mushrooms
1 red pepper, sliced (I used green because it is what I had)
1/4 cup each flour & butter
1 cup milk
1 cup chicken broth
1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp dried whole tarragon
1/8 tsp pepper
1 dash of ground nutmeg
2-1/2 cups cooked spaghetti
1-1/2 cups turkey, cooked/chopped
1/2 cup shredded mozzerella cheese divided
chopped parsley
lemon slice halves
red pepper strips

Saute onion, red pepper and mushrooms in butter in a large, heavy
saucepan until just tender. Add flour, stirring well. Cook
one minute, stirring constantly. Gradually add milk and
chicken broth; cook over medium heat, stirring constantly,
until mixture is thick and bubbly. Stir in parsley,
tarragon, pepper and nutmeg. Stir in spaghetti, turkey,
and half of the cheese, mixing well.

Pour into a greased 1-1/2 quart casserole bake at 350 for
20 minutes. Sprinkle remaining cheese over the top and
bake an additional 5 minutes. Garnish with parsley, lemon
slices, and pepper strips.

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Pie of the month: Apple Pie

I am still on the quest for the perfect apple for apple pie? Anyone out there have any tips? I used all Granny Smith this time, they were very firm after baking. My mom and Miss F loved it, but I wasn't as big of a fan. I used Martha Stewart's Pate Brisee, only increasing it by 50% instead of doubling it. I even used a deep dish pie plate, her recipe really makes an ample amount of dough.







Apple Pie

3 pounds (about 8) apples
3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into bits

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Roll out half the dough 1/8 inch thick on a lightly floured surface, fit it into a 9-inch (1-quart) glass pie plate, and trim the edge, leaving a 3/4-inch overhang. Chill the shell and the remaining dough while making the filling. In a large bowl toss together the apples, each peeled, cored, and cut into eighths, 3/4 cup of the sugar, the flour, the cinnamon, the nutmeg, the salt, and the lemon juice until the mixture is combined well, transfer the filling to the shell, and dot it with the butter.

Roll out the remaining dough into a 13- by 14-inch round on a lightly floured surface, drape it over the filling, and trim it, leaving a 1-inch overhang. Fold the overhang under the bottom crust, pressing the edge to seal it, and crimp the edge decoratively. Brush the crust lightly with the milk, cut slits in it with a sharp knife, forming steam vents, and sprinkle the pie evenly with the remaining 1 tablespoon sugar. Bake the pie on a large baking sheet in the middle of the oven for 20 minutes, reduce the temperature to 350°F., and bake the pie for 20 to 25 minutes more, or until the crust is golden and the apples are tender.

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Asian Pork Ribs

Once again, the crockpot has let me down. On the other hand, my father thought that this dish was a real winner...so you never know. The sauce looked so wonderful when I first tossed the ribs in it. The issue was that it got too water logged in the crockpot with all the moisture from the ribs. I will make this again for sure, but I will just grill the ribs with the wonderful sauce.

I think I just need to realize that the crock pot is for warming queso...






Asian Pork Ribs

1 medium yellow onion, sliced
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
5 lbs country-style pork ribs
2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted
2 tablespoons chopped green onions

Place onions in bottom of slow cooker. Combine brown sugar, soy sauce, ketchup, honey, vinegar, garlic, ginger and red pepper flakes in large bowl. Add ribs and turn to coat. Place ribs on top of onions in slow cooker. Pour sauce over ribs. Cover and cook on Low about 5 to 6 hours. (Timing always depends on your slow cooker. Each cooks a little differently.) Plate the ribs. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and chopped green onions.

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