Frosé (Frozen Rosé)

August 21, 2016 at 9:37 pm | Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment
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Earlier this summer, Bon Appetit ran an article about Frosé, or Frozen Rosé.

Purportedly one of their most popular articles ever, I was definitely intrigued and heard that lots of trendy DC bars were serving this popular treat.  The Washington Post even told me that Frosé is taking over Washington D.C.

But now it’s the end of August, and I still haven’t made it to one of these bars yet.  I was worried my dreams of trying this treat might be soon crushed.  I read through the recipes online and came up with a quick and easy version that was straight-up-delicious.  Like, I drank a bottle of wine delicious.

This also doesn’t make a ton, despite using a whole bottle of wine, so if you’re serving a group, freeze up a few bottles of wine.

You’ll need:

  • a bottle of rosé
  • 1/2 – 3/4 cup of simple syrup
  • 2 tablespoons of lemon juice

Freeze the wine in a large ziploc bag until it is mostly frozen – this is best to do overnight.  It won’t freeze all the way but it will be pretty close, like this:

Add the frozen wine, simple syrup, and lemon juice to your blender and blend until smooth.

Pour into a large wine glass and enjoy!

Thirteen Years of Ham ‘N Goodys Lemon Cookies

July 15, 2016 at 10:28 am | Posted in Desserts | 2 Comments
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There’s a fabulous sandwich shop in Tennessee called Ham ‘N Goodys.  But what makes it really fabulous is the Goodys part of the name – they have a fantastic bakery with delicious cookies and cakes.

My favorite was always the lemon glazed cookies, so much so that I was on the lookout for a recipe many, many years ago.  The well worn, well loved recipe that I found to be the best is no longer available online.  It came from the Knoxville News-Sentinel, and it was republished on  a website called Tennessee Hillbilly that no longer exists.  I printed out this recipe exactly thirteen years ago tomorrow – July 16, 2003!  (P.S. Thanks to my dad for supporting my packrat nature and locating this recipe copy within about 60 seconds of me asking for it.)

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The News Sentinel now supplies a difference version of the recipe, without cake mix, which I have also made and which is not as good.

The only change I make from the recipe above is to cook the cookies at 350 instead of 375, as my oven runs hot.

You will need:

  • 1 package lemon cake mix (I have used DH and BC – same results)
  • 1 T. lemon juice
  • 1/3 cup oil
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup powdered sugar (for the glaze)
  • 2 T. lemon juice (for the glaze)
  • 1 t. grated lemon rind (for the glaze – optional, and I never include this)

Heat the oven to 350.

Combine the cake mix, lemon juice, oil, and eggs.  Form balls about the size of golf balls.  The larger the cookie, the softer they will be.  At 350, you will need to cook them for 10 minutes.

Combine the ingredients for the glaze and apply to the cookies.  The original receipt says to let the cookies cool before doing this, but I don’t usually, and it’s fine.

I have found one batch makes about 16 3-inch cookies.  Let the glaze dry for a few hours and there you have it!

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Peppered Pasta

February 4, 2016 at 10:22 pm | Posted in Mains, Pasta | Leave a comment
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This is one of the very first recipes my dad taught me how to make.  It is a wonderful combination of a light alfredo, grilled chicken, and colorful peppers.  It serves a crowd, and it’s delicious!

You need:

  • 4 boneless chicken breasts, grilled and cut or torn into small pieces (the smaller the better)
  • 1 large red pepper
  • 1 large green pepper
  • 1 large yellow pepper
  • 1/4 cup finely diced or chopped sweet onion
  • 10 oz. pkg. frozen sweet peas (I forgot the peas in this version)
  • 1 pound penne pasta
  • olive oil
  • 1/4 cup marsala wine (or any good full-flavored sweet red wine)

Sauce:

  • 1 cup cream
  • 1 cup butter
  • pinch of nutmeg
  • white pepper to taste
  • 2 cups fresh Parmesan cheese (don’t cook this, but add at very last)

Slice the peppers into long thin strips about 1/8” wide.  Combine with 1/4 cup onion.  Saute the peppers and onion in just enough olive oil to cover the bottom of the pan.  Cook only long enough to tenderize the peppers, then add 1/4 cup of wine.  Simmer briefly and then turn heat to low to keep hot.

Combine the cream and butter for the alfredo sauce and heat slowly, stirring and reducing the volume somewhat.

Prepare the pasta as you normally would.  Strain pasta and rinse in hot water.  Put pasta in a big bowl and add enough olive oil to keep it from sticking later.

Pour off some of the liquid from the sauté, and add the remaining liquid, peppers and onions to the pasta (use your judgment in how much liquid to use).  Add chicken strips and frozen peas next.  Pour in parmesan cheese and the Alfredo sauce.

Toss, stir, and serve.

Orange Brownies

January 24, 2016 at 2:37 pm | Posted in Desserts | 1 Comment
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I’ll admit, I’ve done a terrible job at keeping up with the blog.  But I’m trapped in my house today, so I might as well get one post added.  Just hoping it’s not my only post for 2016!

Orange brownies used to be my go-to for UT tailgating.  In fact, I’m shocked they are not already in the blog!  Here they are in all of their creamy, citrusy glory.  Recipe courtesy of Paula Deen.

You’ll need:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
4 eggs
2 teaspoons pure orange extract
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
1 recipe Orange Cream Cheese Frosting

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
4 tablespoons softened butter
1 (1-pound) box confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons orange zest
2 tablespoons orange juice

Then, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease a 13 by 9 by 2-inch pan.

Orange Brownies:

Stir together flour, granulated sugar, and salt in a bowl. Add butter, eggs, orange extract, and orange zest. Using a handheld electric mixer, beat until well blended. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes, or until light golden brown and set. Remove from oven, allow to cool and pierce entire cake with a fork. Spread the Orange Cream Cheese Frosting over completely cooled brownies. Cut into squares.

Orange Cream Cheese Frosting:

In a large mixing bowl, whip the butter and cream cheese together with a hand-held electric mixer. Gradually beat in the confectioners’ sugar until it is all combined and smooth. Beat in the orange zest and juice. Spread over brownies.

Yum!  Go Vols!

5 Minute Nutella Croissants

January 11, 2015 at 9:19 pm | Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment
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Five minutes from now, plus time for baking, you could be eating a warm, gooey Nutella croissant.  Seriously!  Can you think of one reason why you wouldn’t want to make that possibility a reality?  I can’t either.  Good, let’s get started.

You need:

  • one can Pillsbury crescent roll dough, separated into triangles
  • one jar of Nutella (you’ll need about 8 tablespoons – one per dough triangle)
  • egg wash, made of one beaten egg and one tablespoon of water (and you only need this if you’re feeling fancy)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

On each dough triangle, spread one tablespoon of Nutella.

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Roll up each crescent starting at the wide part of the dough.

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Now if you’re feeling fancy – brush each pastry with an egg wash.  It will give the final product a light sheen like typical bakery pastries.  Then they’re ready for the oven – bake for 10 minutes and you’re done!

Yum!

Oven Roasted Beef Brisket

November 17, 2014 at 1:29 pm | Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment
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Ever since I got the Big Green Egg, someone will suggest from time to time that I smoke a brisket.  This seems like a good idea, except for when I remember that I’ve never made a brisket, ever, via any method of cooking, so I had been reluctant to take the plunge.  Then I saw a recipe for an oven roasted beef brisket, and honestly, this was so delicious, I’m not sure that I would ever try another cooking method!  So you should make this too.  Tonight!

You’ll need:

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons chili powder
  • 2 tablespoons salt
  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder
  • 1 tablespoon onion powder
  • 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 2 teaspoons dry mustard
  • 1 bay leaf, crushed
  • 3 pounds beef brisket
  • 1 1/2 cups beef stock

First, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Make a dry rub by combining chili powder, salt, garlic and onion powders, black pepper, sugar, dry mustard, and bay leaf.  Season the raw brisket on both sides with the rub.

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Place in a roasting pan and roast, uncovered, for 1 hour.

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Add beef stock and enough water to yield about 1/2 inch of liquid in the roasting pan.  Lower oven to 300 degrees F, cover pan tightly and continue cooking for 3 hours, or until fork-tender.

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Trim the fat and slice meat thinly across the grain.  Top with juice from the pan.  Lots of the juice.  It’s delicious!

 

Sweet Cherry Pie with streusel topping

August 9, 2014 at 1:57 pm | Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment
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Everyone loves pie!  I prefer a streusel or crumb topped pie than a traditional pie crust topping, and so I combined a few recipes into this cherry pie.

You’ll need:

  • recipe for 1 pie crust or frozen, deep dish pie crust
  • 2 pounds pitted fresh cherries
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 3 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup butter

Preheat oven to 375.

In a saucepan, combine the cherries, sugar, and cornstarch and bring it to a boil, stirring constantly.  Reduce the heat and stir until the juices are translucent (just another minute or two).

In a food processor (or with a pastry cutter), combine the flour, brown sugar, and butter until crumbly.

Allow the cherry mixture to cool, and pour them into the pie crust.

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Top with the streusel topping, and bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes.  I recommend baking the pie on a foil lined pan to catch all the drips.

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Enjoy!

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Bacon Wrapped Scallops with Chili Mayo

July 6, 2014 at 3:10 pm | Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

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Bacon wrapped scallops: the jackpot of the wedding cocktail hour.  Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy a meatball, a mini crabcake, maybe even a stuffed mushroom.  But if you’re looking for my husband at a wedding, just find the server with the tray of bacon wrapped scallops.  He’s sure to be nearby.

You don’t really need a recipe for bacon wrapped scallops, but this spicy chili mayo as an accompaniment makes this worthy of a post.

I cut these scallops into halves (and sometimes thirds) with the goal of making these bite-sized.

You’ll need:

  • 1 pound scallops
  • 1/2 pound bacon
  • toothpicks
  • olive oil
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/4 cup chili paste (I prefer sambal – thicker than sriracha)
  • 2 tablespoons rice vinegar

Preheat your broiler to 550.

Wrap each scallop (or scallop piece) in half a piece of bacon; hold the bacon in place with a toothpick.

Place on a cookie sheet.  Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

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Broil for 15 minutes, turning once.

Combine the mayo, chili paste, and rice vinegar, and serve with scallops!  Couldn’t be easier.

Easy Mardi Gras King Cake

March 4, 2014 at 6:25 am | Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments
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Happy Mardi Gras everyone!

The last time I blogged about King Cake was in 2010, and I was in a rush and didn’t include the recipe.  That version was a very simple one which you’ll find on the Internet that uses refrigerated sweet dough, like crescent roll dough or cinnamon roll dough.

But traditional King Cake is made from a sweet, yeast-risen dough (more like bread), sometimes filled with a cinnamon mixture, sometimes filled with a cream cheese custard.  So this year I set out to make a more traditional King Cake, with a basic white bread dough and an orange-flavored cream cheese filling.

You’ll need:

  • 1 recipe white bread dough (before rising) or 1 store-bought frozen bread loaf, thawed
  • 1 8 ounce block cream cheese, room temperature
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon orange extract
  • 1 cup powdered sugar (for glaze)
  • 1 tablespoon milk (for glaze)
  • 1 teaspoon orange extract (for glaze)
  • purple, green, and gold sugars (for decorating)

On a floured surface, roll your dough out to roughly an 8×16 rectangle.

Using an electric mixer, combine the cream cheese, 1 cup powdered sugar, and orange extract until smooth.  Spread over the dough, leaving a little bit of room at the edges to help with a seal.

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Roll the dough up into a cylinder length wise.

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Create a ring from the dough, sealing with wet fingers if the dough is too dry.

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Lightly spray the dough ring with cooking spray, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place for at least an hour, until your dough has roughly doubled.

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Bake for 30 minutes in an oven preheated to 350 degrees.

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After baking, if you desire, insert the small plastic baby or other “token” into the bottom of your cake.  The person whose slice contains the token is responsible for supplying the King Cake next year!  Also, this photo is kind of freaky…

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After the cake cools, combine the powdered sugar, milk, and extract into a glaze, and drizzle over the cake, decorating immediately with the colored sugars.

 Laissez les bons temps rouler!

Snow Day S’mores Cookies

March 3, 2014 at 11:16 am | Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment
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March 3 and it’s another snow day here in DC!  We’re ready for spring… but enjoying the snow while it is here.

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These S’mores Cookies are a perfect snow day treat.

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You’ll need:

  • 1 1/2 cup Unsalted Butter (Softened)
  • 1 cup White Sugar
  • 1 cup Brown Sugar
  • 2 large Eggs
  • 2 teaspoons Vanilla
  • 2 1/4 cups All Purpose Flour
  • 2 cups Graham Cracker Crumbs
  • 1 teaspoon Salt
  • 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
  • 18oz Chocolate Chips
  • 20-24 large Marshmallows

Cream the softened butter, sugar & brown sugar in a stand mixer. Add the eggs in one at a time. Add the vanilla and mix.  In a separate bowl, sift the flour, baking soda & salt.  Add the graham cracker crumbs and mix together.

Add the flour and graham cracker crumb to the wet ingredients in about 3 increments, scraping the bowl down in between.  Mix until combined.  Add the chocolate chips and mix all together until combined.

Refrigerate the dough for at least 30 minutes.  While refrigerating the dough, preheat the oven to 375.  Roll your large marshmallows into a ball.

Line cookie baking sheets with parchment paper. Using an ice cream scoop scooper size, scoop out a portion of cookie dough and divide into two discs.  Place your rolled marshmallow between the two discs and seal around the edges.

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These spread quite a lot, so be sure to place them at least 2-3 inches apart on your parchment lined cookie sheet.

Bake in the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes, rotating halfway in between.  Let cool 5-8 minutes.  Yum!

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