Tuesday, September 27, 2016

Holiday Bread Pudding with 2 Sauce Options


I love Bread Pudding and I have 1 recipe for Basic Bread Pudding that I've been making for many years. I like this recipe for Thanksgiving and Christmas. This is a slight variation of my original recipe.



Here's what you'll need:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
1 - 9" X 13" Baking Pan

1 Day Old French Baguette, sliced.
2 C Whole Milk
2 C Heavy Cream
3 Eggs, beaten
1 C Granulated Sugar
1 C Brown Sugar
2 TBS Vanilla
1 C Chopped Pecans
1 C Dark Raisins
3 TBS Butter



Mix Bread, Milk and Heavy Cream by hand in a Large Mixing Bowl.
Add all other ingredients except the Butter.
Melt Butter in the pan, in the pre heated oven, coating the bottom and sides well
Pour the mixture in the pan and Bake for 45 minutes

Another option is to bake the Pudding in Muffin Tins lined with paper cups.
If you bake the Pudding in Muffin Tins, make sure to break up the bread into small pieces, not slices.
Spray the paper cups with a vegetable cooking spray.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.


Serve with The Queens Sauce:
1 Pint Heavy Cream
3 Eggs
1/2C Sugar
1/2 tsp Vanilla
1 C Brandy or Whiskey

In the top of a doubler boiler,  place the Cream and Eggs and whisk well
Add Sugar and Vanilla
Stir constantly for 10 minutes
Slowly add the Brandy or Whiskey and whisk until incorporated

Here's another Whiskey Sauce :

In a sauce pan, over medium low heat:
1/2 stick of butter
THe juice of 1 lemon
1 C apple cider
1/2 C brown sugar
a pinch of salt
1 C Bourbon Whiskey

Cook to reduce to 1/2
Serve on the side with Bread Pudding.



Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!


Monday, September 26, 2016

Beignets


We've been to New Orleans many times and it's not a visit without eating at The Café Du Monde for   Beignets served with a cup of Espresso Coffee.



Here's a basic recipe for a New Orleans style Beignet.

We bought the Café Du Monde Coffee Cups.


Here's what you'll need:
A Deep Skillet for Frying. I use a Large Cast Iron Chicken Frying Skillet.

1 Package of Active Dry Yeast.
1/4 C Warm Water
1 C Evaporated Milk
1/2 C Vegetable Oil
1/4 C Granulated Sugar
1 Egg
4 1/2 C Self Rising Flour, divided.

Vegetable Oil for Deep Frying.
Confectioner's Sugar for Dusting. Fill a Medium Bowl for Rolling the Hot Beignets. You can also serve them with a Sugar Shaker filled with Confectioner's Sugar.

Sugar Shaker for additional Confectioner's Sugar.


In a Large Mixing Bowl:
Water
Yeast
Allow to dissolve completely.

Add:
Milk
Oil
Sugar
Egg
2 C Flour
Whisk well until Creamy Smooth.

Add:
Remaining Flour.
Mix with a Wooden Spoon just until it forms a  Soft, Sticky Dough.
It does not need to be Kneaded.
Cover with Plastic Wrap and Refrigerate Overnight

Punch down the Dough.
Transfer it to a Lightly Floured Surface.
Use a Rolling Pin and Roll out into a 16" X 12" Rectangle.

Use a sharp knife and cut into 2" Squares.

Heat 2" of Vegetable in the Skillet to 375 degrees.
Fry a few Beignets at a time until Golden Brown on both sides.
Transfer them to Paper Towels to Drain.
Immediately Toss them in Confectioner's Sugar.
Transfer to a serving Platter.
Serve with a great Espresso Coffee.

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

Corn Cheddar Cheese Scones

Some may call these Scones, others will refer to them as Biscuits. I've done so much research to try and explain the difference. I conclude that they are not the same without going into detail. The easiest explanation could be that Biscuits can, or should be flaky, and Scones can be dense. So........ here's a delicious recipe for.........?



Corn Cheddar Cheese Scones

Here's what you'll need:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
1 - Sheet Pan lined with Foil.
1 - Pastry Knife
1 - 3" Round Cookie/Biscuit Cutter

3 1/2 C Flour
2 TBS Baking Powder
1 tsp Dry Mustard
1/2 tsp Salt
12 TBS Cold Butter cubed + additional soft Butter for serving.
1 1/2 C Sharp Cheddar Cheese
1 - 15 0z. Cream Corn
2 Eggs, beaten
2 TBS Whole Milk

In a Large Mixing Bowl:
Flour
Baking Powder
Mustard
Salt
Whisk well.

Cut in Butter with the Pastry Knife until it creates a Coarse Crumb Texture.
Transfer to a Lightly Floured Surface
Gently Knead until it's no longer Sticky.

Roll to 1" Thickness.
Cut out with the Cookie/Biscuit Cutter.
Transfer to the Sheet Pan.
Brush with Milk.
Bake 20 - 25 minutes.
Remove Pan to a rack to cool 5 minutes.
Serve Warm with additional Butter.

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

Autumn Harvest Popcorn

Fall is in the air......... and Fall Recipes!
This is a great recipe to share with Friends, take to a Fall Block Party or enjoy with Family during the entire Fall Season.



Here's what you'll need:
1 Large Sheet Pan lined with Foil.

10 C Popped Corn. Have it popped and set aside in a Large Mixing Bowl.
Salt to taste.
Sprinkle it evenly with Salt and toss to coat well.

16 TBS Butter
1 C Dark Brown Sugar
2 tsp Vanilla
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1 - 8 oz. bag of Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Minis
1 - package of Harvest Blend M&M's

In a Saucepan on Medium High Heat:
Butter.
Heat until melted.
Add:
Brown Sugar
Whisk well.
Bring to a Boil.
Continue Boiling for 4 minutes.
Whisking constantly.

Add:
Vanilla
Continue Boiling for an additional minute.
Add Baking Soda.
Whisk well and remove from heat.

Immediately Drizzle 3/4 of the Caramel over the Popcorn and Gently Toss with a Silicone Spatula to coat well.
Spread evenly onto the Sheet Pan.
Drizzle evenly with remaining Caramel.
Cover evenly with Peanut Butter Cups and M&M's.

Set aside and allow to cool completely.

Enjoy!
Fall!






Salted Pumpkin Caramel Cheesecake Bars from Eagle Brand

It's Fall. We just returned from 3 weeks at our home in Colorado and the day we left, it snowed. That means, it's officially Fall and Winter is approaching quickly in parts of the country. I always love this time of year when it comes to cooking, baking and researching new recipes. I'm posting the link to this one to make it easier than rewriting the recipe.




Salted Pumpkin Caramel Cheesecake Bars:

http://bit.ly/2cZqu3M

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

Thursday, September 22, 2016

Vacation

I've been on vacation for 3 weeks and away from the Blog.
I hope to return next week with some new posts.
Until then,
Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

Thursday, September 15, 2016

Mocha Wafer Icebox Cake and Nabisco's Chocolate Wafer Icebox Cake

I have a recipe for Nabisco's Chocolate Wafer Icebox Cake and a follower was asking about a Mocha version. I've included it at the end of this recipe.





Mocha Wafer Icebox Cake

Here's what you'll need:
1 - 9" X 5" Loaf Pan line with Plastic Wrap with at least a 2" overhang on all 4 sides. Make sure to tuck the plastic into the corners .

The Mocha Wafer Cake Ingredients:
2 C Heavy Cream, chilled, divided.
2 1/2 C Mini Marshmallows
1 TBS Espresso Coffee Powder. I use Medaglia D'Oro.
3 1/2 oz. Chocolate Chips, finely chopped.
26 Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafers

Chocolate Sauce for Garnish:
You'll make this after the Cake is Frozen. (instructions to follow)
12 oz. Bittersweet Chocolate, finely chopped.
8 TBS Water
2 TBS Coffee Liqueur. I use Kahlúa.

Mocha Wafer Instructions.
In a Saucepan on Medium Low heat:
1/2 C Cream
Marshmallows
Espresso Powder
Stir constantly just until Marshmallows melt.
Remove from heat.

Whisk in:
Chocolate Chips, until completely melted.
Transfer to a large bowl and set aside until it reaches room temperature, whisking occasionally for 20 minutes, to bring the temperature down.

In a Mixing Bowl with an electric mixer:
Remaining Heavy Cream
Beat to Soft Peak.
Fold 1 C of this Whipped Cream into the Chocolate Mixture.
Gently fold in remaining Whipped cream into the Mixture, creating a Mousse.

In the bottom of the Pan:
3 Cookies in a single layer.
Add:
1 C of the Mousse and smooth with an Offset Spatula.

Stand 3 cookies upright along each long side of the Pan.
Add 3 more cookies on top of the Mousse.
Spread additional Mousse over the cookies.
Repeat until there are 5 layers, ending with cookies.

Cover the Pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.


Chocolate Sauce Instructions:
Create a Double Boiler with a Glass or Stainless Steel Bowl over a Saucepan of simmering water.
Add:
Chocolate
Water
Stir gently until Chocolate is melted.
Remove from heat and stir in Kahlúa.

Slice individual servings of the Cake and top with some Chocolate Sauce.

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!


Nabisco Chocolate Wafer Ice Box Cake:


This recipe is definitely vintage and I would consider it to be an All American Classic Dessert.
It's been around since the 1920's. It can also be made using Nabisco Nilla Wafers. I've included a picture of both boxes of cookies and some optional idea for each cake.
This is a great recipe to make for a family gathering, church pot luck or a neighborhood block party.

"An Ice Box Cake (American), zebra cake (British), or chocolate ripple cake/log (Australian) is a dessert consisting of whipped cream and chocolate wafers. The back-of-the-box recipe on Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafers indicates that the wafers are stacked to form a log with whipped cream cementing them together, and then the log is laid on its side. A second log is formed and the two are set side-by-side and more whipped cream covers the exterior. The cake is then left overnight in the refrigerator (or "icebox"). The wafers absorb moisture from the whipped cream and the whole can be served in slices. The dessert is usually served by cutting it into slices at a 45-degree angle, so bands of chocolate and cream are visible across each slice. The traditional wafers are the thin and dark Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafers, but they may be hard to find in some areas so other cookies are sometimes substituted."

"The icebox cake is derived from similar desserts such as the Charlotte and the Trifle. It was first introduced to the US during World War I. Its popularity took off in the 1920s and 30s, as it used many commercial shortcuts and premade ingredients. In response to the dish’s popularity, companies that manufactured ingredients for the cake, such as condensed milk and wafer cookies, began printing “back of the box” recipes."


For those that are not familiar with this dessert, I'll try to explain how to create it.
I've included pictures at the end with some options for the cake.

You'll need 1  (9oz.) box of Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafers  or a box of Nabisco Nilla Wafers and 1 recipe of Homemade Whipped Cream.
1 - Banana if you choose to make it with Nilla Wafers, although I also like to add Bananas to the Chocolate Cake too.
That's it, it's quite simple. 

Whipped Cream:
1 Pint of Heavy Cream
3 TBS Granulated Sugar
2 TBS Vanilla
1 TBS Honey
Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a Stand Mixer with a whisk attachment and beat on high until stiff peaks form. ( You may want to made a double batch just to be safe)

I create 4 rows of 9 wafers stacked together side by side to form a log. You can make it as large or as small as you want, depending on the number of servings you want.
You'll need a rectangular serving platter or you can make it in a 9" X 13" baking dish. I prefer the platter for presentation.

Spread a strip of whipped cream down the center of the dish to secure the rows of wafers.
Begin by stacking the wafers 9 high, sandwiched with a dollop of whipped cream.

You'll end up with 4 stacks of 9 cookies.
Lay them down on their side ,next to each other in rows, on the strip of whipped cream. 
You'll have 4 rows of 9 wafers.
Frost the entire log with the remaining whipped cream.
If you run out...... make another batch of whipped cream. The more, the better!
Refrigerate the log overnight.

Slice to serve.

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!



This is an example of the assemble of the cake.

The picture of this cake uses stacks of 6 wafers.
You can top the cake with shaved chocolate, cocoa powder,
or even sprinkle it with crushed toffee bits and miniature chocolate chips.
Be creative and make it your own creation.
You can substitute Nilla Wafers .
Top this one with thin slices of Banana
or even place a thin slice of banana between
each cookie when you create the stacks.
Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!