Cast Iron Holiday Spiced Skillet Bread

This is a great bread to serve for Thanksgiving or Christmas. It would be a nice bread for a family gathering or a Fall Block Party with your neighbors.

Here's what you'll need:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

This can also be cooked on a Camp Stove on Low Heat or an open fire set onto a Grill Rack raised over embers.
If you choose this method, cook it for 25 - 30 minutes.
Spray the top of the Bread with a Vegetable Cooking Spray, Flip it in the Skillet using Metal Spatulas and continue cooking for about 2 minutes. This will Brown the Top of the Bread.

1 - 8" Cast Iron Skillet, with a Lid, coated well on the bottom and up the sides with a TBS of Crisco.
Cut a round of Parchment Paper to fit the bottom after greasing the Pan.


4 TBS Dried Buttermilk
1/4 tsp Sea Salt
1 TBS Baking Powder
1/4 tsp of Fast Acting Dry Yeast
1/2 tsp Cardamom
3/4 tsp Cinnamon
3 TBS Granulated Sugar
1 1/2 C Flour
1/2 C Dried Cranberries
1/2 C Chopped Pecans
1 C Warm Water

In a Large Mixing Bowl:
Buttermilk
Salt
Baking Powder
Yeast
Cardamom
Cinnamon
Sugar
Flour
Cranberries
Pecans
Mix together by hand with a Wooden Spoon or Blending Fork.

Add:
Warm Water
Mix to combine well.

Spoon the Batter into the Pan.
Cover with the Lid.
Set it aside in a warm place for 25 minutes, to allow it to rise.

Bake 35 - 40 minutes, until the a Toothpick comes out clean.

Remove Skillet to the stovetop and allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Serve Warm with Butter.

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

Irish Whiskey Cookies

I've been researching Cookie Recipes with Alcohol as an addition. It's the newest category at the Dallas Morning News Holiday Cookie Contest. The Category is called Boozy.

Here's what you'll need:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2 Sheet Pans lined with Parchment Paper
A 1 1/2" Cookie Scoop

16 TBS Butter
1 C Granulated Sugar
3 Large Eggs
2 C Flour
1/4 C Irish Whiskey
1/4 C Candied Citron, chopped.
1/4 C Golden Raisins, blanched and chopped.
1/4 C chopped Almonds

In a Medium Mixing Bowl:
Butter
Sugar
Cream together well with a Wooden Spoon.

Add:
Eggs
Mix well with the Spoon.

Add:
Flour
Whiskey
Mix well with the Spoon.

Use the Cookie Scoop and drop Dough 2"
apart onto the Sheet Pans.
Bake 8 - 10 minutes.
Remove Pan to a Rack to Cool 5 minutes.
Transfer Cookies to the Rack to cool completely.

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

Cake in a Mug

Here's a great recipes for Cake in a Mug. Cake in a Mug is a great treat to have kids make. There are so many options for quick, delicious individual servings of Cake. It's also nice to make them when you don't want to use the oven in the heat of the summer.
They're generally made in a Coffee Mug with a 2 C capacity and baked in a Microwave.


Gooey Chocolate Cake in a Mug.

1/4 C Flour
1/4 C Granulated Sugar
2 TBS Rodelle Cocoa Powder
1/2 tsp Baking Powder
a Pinch of Salt
3 TBS Butter, melted
3 TBS Whole Milk
1 Egg
1/4 tsp Vanilla
1 oz.  Milk Chocolate Pieces
1 TBS Water

In the Coffee Mug:
Flour
Sugar
Cocoa Powder
Baking Powder
Salt
Whisk well.

Add:
Butter
Milk
Egg
Vanilla
Whisk well.

Drop the Chocolate pieces onto the center of the Mixture but don't stir. Just float the Chocolate on top.

Bake in the Microwave for 1 minute and 20 seconds.
Baking time will vary according to the Microwave.
The top should rise and the center will be Gooey.

Remove and allow to cool for 5 minutes.

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

Terry's Corn Pudding

Terry's Corn Pudding

I love corn. I've talked about this many times on the blog. I can't seem to get enough recipes with corn. I have Corn Pudding , Corn Timbale, Creamed Corn, Texas Creamed Corn, Texas Spoon Bread and Sweet Corn Pudding from Farmhouse Rules.

This is an original recipe. I was making changes as I was putting it together. We had it last night for dinner and it was everything I hoped it would be.

2 TBS butter

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves of garlic, minced

2 C corn

1/4 C flour

2 C milk

1/2 C corn meal

1 (4oz.) can of diced green chiles

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

6 eggs, well beaten

Chimayo Chile Powder (or what ever Chile Powder you have)

In a large skillet:

Heat butter

Add:

onion

garlic

Saute 3 minutes

Add corn, cook 3 minutes

Add flour, stir well

Add milk and simmer stirring constantly

Don't allow to boil

Add corn meal and chiles

Mix well

Remove from heat

Add salt and pepper

Process the mixture in a blender

Pour into a large bowl and allow to cool a bit before adding the eggs.

Whisk in the eggs.

Pour into a deep dish pie pan sprayed with a vegetable cooking spray.

Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.

Sprinkle with Chile Powder just before serving.

Enjoy!

Peace in the Kitchen!

Traditional Spanish Rice

We have the best Tex - Mex Restaurants in Texas and also authentic Hispanic Restaurants. This is a Basic, Traditional Spanish/Mexican Rice Recipe to accompany any Tex - Mex Entrees.

This is my favorite Skillet for this recipe.
All Clad Skillet

Here's what you'll need:
A Large Skillet with a Lid.

1/8 C Vegetable Oil, not Olive Oil.
2 C  Dry Long Grain Rice
8 oz. Tomato Sauce
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Minced Garlic
4 C Hot Water flavored with 1 Cube of Vegetable Bouillon, 1 Cube of Chicken Bouillon or:
Vegetarian No Chicken Flavored Better than Bouillon (this is what I use to make it Vegetarian)
1/8 tsp. Cumin
1/8 tsp Garlic Pepper

In a Skillet on Medium Heat:
Oil, until Hot.
Rice
Cook until Golden Brown.

Add:
Broth
Tomato Sauce
Salt
Garlic
Cumin
Garlic Pepper
Stir well
Cover
Reduce Heat to Low.
Simmer 30 - 40 minutes or until all liquid has been absorbed.

Remove from Heat.
Fluff with a Fork.
Transfer to a Serving Bowl.

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen.

Terry's Original Pico de Gallo

Terry's Original Pico de Gallo

Texans love homemade Pico de Gallo and today I found out why.
I went to the grocery store to get a small amount.
I didn't really need a lot for the recipe I was making.
It didn't look very good.
I decided to buy fresh ingredients and make my own.
I didn't have a recipe so I created this one.

4 Roma Tomatoes, scoop out the seeds and pulp, dice.
1 Red Bell Pepper, diced.
1 Green Bell Pepper, diced
The Juice of 1 Lemon
The Juice and zest of 1 Lime.
1 Medium Onion, diced.
1/2 of a Bunch of Cilantro, finely Chopped.
2 Medium Jalapeños, seeded and diced.
1 tsp Adobo Seasoning
Salt and Pepper to taste.

Mix all of the Ingredients in a Small Bowl. Refrigerate covered until needed

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

French Gingerbread Spice Blend

Here's a great Homemade Gingerbread Spice Blend that can be used in any Gingerbread Recipes.

2 tsp. Cinnamon
2 tsp. Ground Ginger
4 Whole Star Anise
1/2 tsp Anise Seeds
4 Whole Green Cardamoms, seeds removed for the Spice and discard the Shells.
1 tsp. Ground Mace
1 tsp. Nutmeg
1 tsp. Coriander
1/2 tsp. White Pepper

Add all Ingredients to a Spice or Coffee Grinder, Pulse until a Powder is formed.
Store in a Jar.

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!