1-2 pkg Strawberries
1 cup Melting Chocolate (dark or milk)
1/2 cup White Melting Chocolate
1/2 cup medium shredded coconut (optional)
Directions:
Place dark chocolate into a double broiler, and simmer on low. Allow the chocolate to melt completely and transfer to a glass bowl. Allow to cool slightly. (place a glass mixing bowl over the pot, and then transfer the bowl to a hot plate)
Do the same with the white chocolate. Then pour the white chocolate into a piping bag, and snip off a tiny bit. You can also reserve some white chocolate to dip the strawberries into as well.
Wash the strawberries and dry them completely. You’ll want them slightly cool, to help cool the chocolate faster. Dip them one by one into the melted chocolate and place onto a tray, lined in parchment paper or saran wrap. Once you’ve finished all of them place the tray into the fridge to harden the chocolate. I placed them into the fridge one by one onto the tray so they would cool faster and harden while I made the others.
You can if you like also dip them/roll them/or sprinkle them with coconut after you have dipped them into the chocolate.
Once they have set, using the white chocolate piping bag, drizzle the white chocolate over the dark and place back into the fridge.
Once they have set completely, you can package them up.
You can keep the little container that the strawberries come in as well, they make a cute little box to deliver your sweets in!
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Monday, May 24, 2010
Fried Chicken
Pioneer Woman’s Buttermilk Fried Chicken
recipe from The Pioneer Woman Cookbook: Recipes from an Accidental Country Girl by Ree Drummond
There are a few secrets that I learned from Ree. The first is the buttermilk bath overnight (no, not you, the chicken). Second, mixing the flour with a bit of the buttermilk makes the breading a little shaggy, which is perfect for maximum crispiness volume. Lastly, baking the chicken after frying ensures that the chicken is cooked through without burning the skin.
serves 6-8 hungry ranch hands (halve recipe if you you’re feedin’ normal city folk)
2 cut-up fryer chickens
1 quart plus 1/4 cup buttermilk
5 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons seasoned salt (like Lawry’s)
2 teaspoons black pepper
2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 cup milk
canola or vegetable oil for frying
1. In a large bowl (or 2 freezer bags) add the chicken with 1 quart buttermilk. Refrigerate overnight. When ready to fry, remove chicken from bowl and let sit on counter for 30 minutes to take chill off.
2. Preheat oven to 350F. Stir together the flour, seasoned salt, pepper, thyme, paprika and cayenne in a very large bowl. In a small bowl combine the 1/4 cup buttermilk and the milk. Pour the milk mixture into the flour and use a fork to mix until little lumps throughout.
3. Heat 1 1/2 inches of oil in a deep skillet or dutch oven over medium high heat to 365F. Working in batches, thoroughly coat each buttermilk-soaked chicken piece with the breading, pressing to adhere the breading. Add the chicken to the oil 3-4 pieces at a time. Cover pan and fry 5-7 minutes, checking to make sure chicken isn’t getting too brown. Turn, cover and cook additional 3-5 minutes more. Monitor temperature of oil to make sure chicken doesn’t burn. Keep in mind chicken will finish cooking in oven.
4. Place chicken on baking sheet and continue frying rest of chicken. When done, bake the chicken for 10-15 minutes, until chicken cooked through.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
WW Bread
bread recipe... so easy. enjoy!
this makes two loaves.
2 pkg. yeast
1/2 C. warm water
1 T. salt
3 T. sugar
2 C. warm water
6 C. flour (white or whole wheat)
1 egg white mixed with 1 T. water
cornmeal
disolve yeast in 1/2 C. warm water. add sugar, salt, 2 cups water and 2 cups flour, beat well and let rest for 15 min. add remaining flour and knead until smooth and shiny. let rise until doubled (about and hour and 1/2) in a buttered bowl lightly covered. divide in two and then let rest for 10 min. roll each section into a 12"x15" rectangle and then roll them into long rolls. cut top 1/4" deep every 2 inches, and place on sheet sprinkled with the cornmeal, let rise until doubled again. brush with egg mixture and bake at 375 for about 35 min. or until golden brown.
this makes two loaves.
2 pkg. yeast
1/2 C. warm water
1 T. salt
3 T. sugar
2 C. warm water
6 C. flour (white or whole wheat)
1 egg white mixed with 1 T. water
cornmeal
disolve yeast in 1/2 C. warm water. add sugar, salt, 2 cups water and 2 cups flour, beat well and let rest for 15 min. add remaining flour and knead until smooth and shiny. let rise until doubled (about and hour and 1/2) in a buttered bowl lightly covered. divide in two and then let rest for 10 min. roll each section into a 12"x15" rectangle and then roll them into long rolls. cut top 1/4" deep every 2 inches, and place on sheet sprinkled with the cornmeal, let rise until doubled again. brush with egg mixture and bake at 375 for about 35 min. or until golden brown.
Cilantro Lime Quinoa Salad
1 cup quinoa, rinsed in strainer
fresh lime juice
cilantro
olive oil
salt
lettuce or spinach
avacado, diced or sliced
green peppers, diced
diced tomatoes
black beans
Rinse quinoa well under running water (to get rid of funny taste/scent). Pour rinsed quinoa into 2 cups boiling water then reduce heat to medium. Cook about 10 minutes and then turn off the heat and let it sit. When you turn off the heat it might look oatmeally, but give it 15+ minutes and it will become light and fluffy. Transfer Quinoa to a large bowl.
Add chopped cilantro. Squeeze fresh lime into quinoa mixture (I usually use one lime). Add salt and olive oil to taste. The rest of the ingredients can be thrown into quinoa
fresh lime juice
cilantro
olive oil
salt
lettuce or spinach
avacado, diced or sliced
green peppers, diced
diced tomatoes
black beans
Rinse quinoa well under running water (to get rid of funny taste/scent). Pour rinsed quinoa into 2 cups boiling water then reduce heat to medium. Cook about 10 minutes and then turn off the heat and let it sit. When you turn off the heat it might look oatmeally, but give it 15+ minutes and it will become light and fluffy. Transfer Quinoa to a large bowl.
Add chopped cilantro. Squeeze fresh lime into quinoa mixture (I usually use one lime). Add salt and olive oil to taste. The rest of the ingredients can be thrown into quinoa
Friday, April 2, 2010
Braided Bread
BRAIDED BREAD
Makes 2 loaves
1/4 cup warm water
2 ½ tsp yeast (or one yeast packet)
1 Tbl sugar
1 cup hot water
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup sugar
2 Tbl butter
2 ½ cups flour
1 egg
1 ¾-2 cups more flour
In a drinking glass or bowl, stir together the warm water, yeast and sugar. Set it aside for about 10 min to rise.
In your mixer, combine the hot water, salt, sugar and butter and mix. Once the yeast has risen, add 2 ½ cups flour, 1 egg and the yeast. Mix all together (using your mixing paddle arm.)
Add 1 ¾ cups more flour and mix until a ball forms. If the dough is still too soft, add more flour until the dough feels like squishy play-dough. Take the paddle arm off your mixer and put the hook arm on. Turn mixer on to the number “2” setting (if you have a Kitchen Aid Mixer) and let machine knead the dough for 7 minutes. OR knead the dough by hand for 5-6 minutes on a hard surface.
Spray a large clean bowl with cooking spray. Put the dough in the bowl and cover with a cloth to keep from drying out. Place the bowl in a warm place (like the oven with just the light turned on). A good trick my mom taught me is to turn on your oven for just 10 seconds to let it warm up. Then turn it off and put your dough in there to rise. Don't let the oven heat for too long though, or it will bake your dough (rather than rising it). Just a few seconds is all you need to get it warm in there.
Let the dough rise for a couple hours.
Punch the dough down and let it rest for 10 minutes. Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray.
Using a knife, divide the dough in half. Starting with the first ball of dough, divide it into three pieces. Roll each piece into a rope about 14 inches long.
Pinch the 3 ropes together at the top, braid the ropes, and pinch the ropes together at the end:
Squish the braid together slightly and place the braid onto the prepared cookie sheet, sideways. Repeat with the other ball of dough and place on the same sheet.
Cover cookie sheet with a cloth and let rise for about an hour.
Using a fork, whisk together one egg and 1 T. water until well combined (also known as an Egg Wash). Dip a crumpled paper towel into the mixture or use a paint brush and paint the egg wash over the tops and sides of the braids. Be careful as you brush that you don't press too hard or you may deflate the loaves. Heat the oven to 350ยบ (remove the rising braids before heating the oven!).
Bake for 14-18 minutes or just till they start turning golden brown. Let the bread sit for 5-10 minutes before cutting. Serve with butter and fresh jam. Enjoy!
For CINNAMON BREAD
(This is for 1 loaf of bread)
When I make Braided Bread, it’s fun to turn one of the loaves into Cinnamon Bread. It's okay to have dessert for dinner, right?
For the Cinnamon Loaf, divide the dough into 3rds (just like you did above) and roll each rope out kinda long and flat (and not too wide) with a rolling pin. Spread each flat rope with Cinnamon filling (recipe below) then pinch the whole thing together so it makes a long rope, with all the cinnamon sugar hidden inside. Try to keep all the cinnamon sugar inside so it doesn’t spill out while cooking. Some of it still will, but do your best. Lastly, braid the 3 ropes together. Place it on the same baking sheet with your other loaf.
CINNAMON Filling:
1 T. butter melted
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
(melt the butter in the microwave then add sugar and cinnamon and mix together)
Makes 2 loaves
1/4 cup warm water
2 ½ tsp yeast (or one yeast packet)
1 Tbl sugar
1 cup hot water
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup sugar
2 Tbl butter
2 ½ cups flour
1 egg
1 ¾-2 cups more flour
In a drinking glass or bowl, stir together the warm water, yeast and sugar. Set it aside for about 10 min to rise.
In your mixer, combine the hot water, salt, sugar and butter and mix. Once the yeast has risen, add 2 ½ cups flour, 1 egg and the yeast. Mix all together (using your mixing paddle arm.)
Add 1 ¾ cups more flour and mix until a ball forms. If the dough is still too soft, add more flour until the dough feels like squishy play-dough. Take the paddle arm off your mixer and put the hook arm on. Turn mixer on to the number “2” setting (if you have a Kitchen Aid Mixer) and let machine knead the dough for 7 minutes. OR knead the dough by hand for 5-6 minutes on a hard surface.
Spray a large clean bowl with cooking spray. Put the dough in the bowl and cover with a cloth to keep from drying out. Place the bowl in a warm place (like the oven with just the light turned on). A good trick my mom taught me is to turn on your oven for just 10 seconds to let it warm up. Then turn it off and put your dough in there to rise. Don't let the oven heat for too long though, or it will bake your dough (rather than rising it). Just a few seconds is all you need to get it warm in there.
Let the dough rise for a couple hours.
Punch the dough down and let it rest for 10 minutes. Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray.
Using a knife, divide the dough in half. Starting with the first ball of dough, divide it into three pieces. Roll each piece into a rope about 14 inches long.
Pinch the 3 ropes together at the top, braid the ropes, and pinch the ropes together at the end:
Squish the braid together slightly and place the braid onto the prepared cookie sheet, sideways. Repeat with the other ball of dough and place on the same sheet.
Cover cookie sheet with a cloth and let rise for about an hour.
Using a fork, whisk together one egg and 1 T. water until well combined (also known as an Egg Wash). Dip a crumpled paper towel into the mixture or use a paint brush and paint the egg wash over the tops and sides of the braids. Be careful as you brush that you don't press too hard or you may deflate the loaves. Heat the oven to 350ยบ (remove the rising braids before heating the oven!).
Bake for 14-18 minutes or just till they start turning golden brown. Let the bread sit for 5-10 minutes before cutting. Serve with butter and fresh jam. Enjoy!
For CINNAMON BREAD
(This is for 1 loaf of bread)
When I make Braided Bread, it’s fun to turn one of the loaves into Cinnamon Bread. It's okay to have dessert for dinner, right?
For the Cinnamon Loaf, divide the dough into 3rds (just like you did above) and roll each rope out kinda long and flat (and not too wide) with a rolling pin. Spread each flat rope with Cinnamon filling (recipe below) then pinch the whole thing together so it makes a long rope, with all the cinnamon sugar hidden inside. Try to keep all the cinnamon sugar inside so it doesn’t spill out while cooking. Some of it still will, but do your best. Lastly, braid the 3 ropes together. Place it on the same baking sheet with your other loaf.
CINNAMON Filling:
1 T. butter melted
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
(melt the butter in the microwave then add sugar and cinnamon and mix together)
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Rolls
It takes about 3 hours of time, but 2 of those hours are rising periods. Not as much work as it sounds.
Ingredients:
4 cups warm water (110-115 degrees)
1 cup powdered milk (dry milk works too)
1 cup of sugar
10-12 cups flour
2 tablespoons of instant yeast
1/2 cup of oil
5 teaspoons of salt
4 eggs, well beaten
1 stick of butter (for greasing counter and spreading on dough)
Directions: (I use my kitchen aid and it works great!)
Beat water, milk, sugar, and eggs. Mix yeast in 5 cups of flour in a separate bowl. Add both mixtures together and mix for 5-10 minutes. Turn off mixer and let rise for 15 minutes (in the mixing bowl, beater still attached is fine). Add oil and salt and slowly add more flour and beat for 5-10 minutes. Turn dough out on a floured counter and knead until the right consistency (for me, this is when the dough is still really soft, but not sticking to the counter or my hands anymore). Put into a big buttered bowl with a cloth over it. Let rise to double the size, about 1 hour.
Punch dough down and take a stick of melted butter and butter the counter. Divide dough into quarters so there are 4 equal sections. Roll each section into a circle, put melted butter on the dough just to cover the surface and then cut into 12 triangluar pieces like a pizza. (I use a pizza cutter and it works great!) Roll each section from the fat part to the skinny part. Put on pan so that the rolls are almost touching (shouldn't need more than 2 large cookie sheet type pans - about 24 rolls on each). Let rise for 1 hour.
Bake at 375 for 12-15 minutes. (For some reason, my oven takes more like 16 minutes, but just watch for golden brown on the tops.) Take out and butter the tops.
Voila! The best rolls ever. These freeze great... just set out to thaw at room temp. They stay super soft and never get dry even days after making them.
Ingredients:
4 cups warm water (110-115 degrees)
1 cup powdered milk (dry milk works too)
1 cup of sugar
10-12 cups flour
2 tablespoons of instant yeast
1/2 cup of oil
5 teaspoons of salt
4 eggs, well beaten
1 stick of butter (for greasing counter and spreading on dough)
Directions: (I use my kitchen aid and it works great!)
Beat water, milk, sugar, and eggs. Mix yeast in 5 cups of flour in a separate bowl. Add both mixtures together and mix for 5-10 minutes. Turn off mixer and let rise for 15 minutes (in the mixing bowl, beater still attached is fine). Add oil and salt and slowly add more flour and beat for 5-10 minutes. Turn dough out on a floured counter and knead until the right consistency (for me, this is when the dough is still really soft, but not sticking to the counter or my hands anymore). Put into a big buttered bowl with a cloth over it. Let rise to double the size, about 1 hour.
Punch dough down and take a stick of melted butter and butter the counter. Divide dough into quarters so there are 4 equal sections. Roll each section into a circle, put melted butter on the dough just to cover the surface and then cut into 12 triangluar pieces like a pizza. (I use a pizza cutter and it works great!) Roll each section from the fat part to the skinny part. Put on pan so that the rolls are almost touching (shouldn't need more than 2 large cookie sheet type pans - about 24 rolls on each). Let rise for 1 hour.
Bake at 375 for 12-15 minutes. (For some reason, my oven takes more like 16 minutes, but just watch for golden brown on the tops.) Take out and butter the tops.
Voila! The best rolls ever. These freeze great... just set out to thaw at room temp. They stay super soft and never get dry even days after making them.
Christina Tosi's Compost Cookies
This was on Regis & Kelly.
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup Butter
1 cup Sugar
3/4 cup Light Brown Sugar
1 Tbsp Corn Syrup
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
2 Large Eggs
1 3/4 cups AP Flour
2 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Baking Soda
2 tsp Kosher Salt
1 1/2 cups Your favorite baking ingredients!
(Kelly used mini chocolate chips, raisinettes, rollos & cocoa krispies)
1 1/2 cups Your favorite snack foods (chips, pretzels, etc)
(Kelly used goldfish, ritz, & fritos)
DIRECTIONS:
In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream butter, sugars and corn syrup on medium high for 2-3 minutes until fluffy and pale yellow in color. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl with a spatula.
On a lower speed, add eggs and vanilla to incorporate. Increase mixing speed to medium-high and start a timer for 10 minutes. During this time the sugar granules will fully dissolve, the mixture will become an almost pale white color and your creamed mixture will double in size.
When time is up, on a lower speed, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix 45-60 sec just until your dough comes together and all remnants of dry ingredients have incorporated. Do not walk away from your mixer during this time or you will risk over mixing the dough. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl with a spatula.
On same low speed, add in the hodgepodge of your favorite baking ingredients and mix for 30-45 sec until they evenly mix into the dough. Add in your favorite snack foods last, paddling again on low speed until they are just incorporated.
Using a 6oz ice cream scoop, portion cookie dough onto a parchment lined sheetpan.
Wrap scooped cookie dough tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 1 hour or up to 1 week.
DO NOT BAKE your cookies from room temperature or they will not hold their shape.
Heat the conventional oven to 400F. (350F in a convection oven)
When the oven reads 400F, arrange your chilled cookie dough balls on a parchment or silpat-lined sheetpan a minimum of 4" apart in any direction.
Bake 9-11 min. While in the oven, the cookies will puff, crackle and spread.
At 9 min the cookies should be browned on the edges and just beginning to brown towards the center. Leave the cookies in the oven for the additional minutes if these colors don't match up and your cookies stills seem pale and doughy on the surface.
Cool the cookies completely on the sheet pan before transferring to a plate or an airtight container or tin for storage. At room temp, cookies will keep fresh 5 days. In the freezer, cookies will keep fresh 1 month.
Yield: 15 6oz cookies
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup Butter
1 cup Sugar
3/4 cup Light Brown Sugar
1 Tbsp Corn Syrup
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
2 Large Eggs
1 3/4 cups AP Flour
2 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Baking Soda
2 tsp Kosher Salt
1 1/2 cups Your favorite baking ingredients!
(Kelly used mini chocolate chips, raisinettes, rollos & cocoa krispies)
1 1/2 cups Your favorite snack foods (chips, pretzels, etc)
(Kelly used goldfish, ritz, & fritos)
DIRECTIONS:
In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream butter, sugars and corn syrup on medium high for 2-3 minutes until fluffy and pale yellow in color. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl with a spatula.
On a lower speed, add eggs and vanilla to incorporate. Increase mixing speed to medium-high and start a timer for 10 minutes. During this time the sugar granules will fully dissolve, the mixture will become an almost pale white color and your creamed mixture will double in size.
When time is up, on a lower speed, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix 45-60 sec just until your dough comes together and all remnants of dry ingredients have incorporated. Do not walk away from your mixer during this time or you will risk over mixing the dough. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl with a spatula.
On same low speed, add in the hodgepodge of your favorite baking ingredients and mix for 30-45 sec until they evenly mix into the dough. Add in your favorite snack foods last, paddling again on low speed until they are just incorporated.
Using a 6oz ice cream scoop, portion cookie dough onto a parchment lined sheetpan.
Wrap scooped cookie dough tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 1 hour or up to 1 week.
DO NOT BAKE your cookies from room temperature or they will not hold their shape.
Heat the conventional oven to 400F. (350F in a convection oven)
When the oven reads 400F, arrange your chilled cookie dough balls on a parchment or silpat-lined sheetpan a minimum of 4" apart in any direction.
Bake 9-11 min. While in the oven, the cookies will puff, crackle and spread.
At 9 min the cookies should be browned on the edges and just beginning to brown towards the center. Leave the cookies in the oven for the additional minutes if these colors don't match up and your cookies stills seem pale and doughy on the surface.
Cool the cookies completely on the sheet pan before transferring to a plate or an airtight container or tin for storage. At room temp, cookies will keep fresh 5 days. In the freezer, cookies will keep fresh 1 month.
Yield: 15 6oz cookies
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