Tag Archives: bake

Vanilla Almonds

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almonds

(Happy New Year! I meant to post this a couple of weeks ago…but I was visiting family)

I was inspired to make these after watching one of my favorite cooking shows. I knew I would need some quick teacher gifts for the kids (I hope they like almonds!), and some snacks for the party we’re hosting today. I tried a few and I am happy to report that they are really tasty! Our friends loved them and I even had some recipe requests for them 🙂 Thanks for reading, enjoy.

Vanilla Almonds – adapted from Kelsey’s Essentials

  • 1 egg white
  • 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
  • 4 cups whole almonds
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Beat the egg white with the vanilla extract, add the almonds and stir to coat. Combine the sugar, salt, and cinnamon and combine with mixture. Place in a single layer on a greased baking sheet. Bake at 300 degrees F for 20 minutes. Remove and cool on wax paper and break into clusters.

Chocolate Mint Brownies

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brownie

These were amazing and everyone loved them! 🙂

Chocolate Mint Brownie Bites – adapted from The Pioneer Woman

2 ounces unsweetened chocolate
50 whole mints, such as Andes
1 stick plus 1 tablespoon butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 whole eggs
3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon mint extract
1 ounce bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Spray a mini muffin pan generously with baking spray.

Melt the unsweetened chocolate in a bowl in the microwave. Remove from the microwave and stir in 8 mints until all melted. Let cool slightly.

In a mixer with the paddle attachment, cream 1 stick of the butter with the sugar. Beat in the eggs one at a time. With the mixer on low, drizzle in the cooled chocolate mixture slowly, mixing until it’s combined. Add the flour and mix thoroughly. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, add the mint extract and then mix again.

Using a tablespoon or cookie scoop, scoop the batter into the prepared mini muffin pan. Bake until done, 11 to 13 minutes. Turn upside down out of the pan and allow to cool.

Combine 25 to 30 mints in a bowl with the remaining 1 tablespoon butter and the chopped bittersweet chocolate. Microwave and stir until melted and smooth.

Dip the brownie bites in the chocolate, concentrating on the top “cone” part. Allow to set for a few minutes. Chop the remaining mints and sprinkle them on the top. Set in the freezer for 10 minutes if you need them to set right away. Yum!

Turkey, Bacon and Avocado Sandwich and Baked Fries

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If you need a recipe for leftover turkey, look no further! This is was such a tasty sandwich, and these baked fries are a new favorite! They were crispy on the outside and perfectly tender on the inside. My family didn’t even notice or care that they weren’t fried. Thanks for reading, enjoy! 🙂

Roast Turkey, Avocado and Bacon – adapted from Food Network

  • Roasted, sliced turkey breast
  • Bacon, cooked and drained
  • Avocado
  • Tomato
  • Fontina cheese, sliced

Directions – 

1. To assemble the sandwich: spread a thin layer of the remaining butter on 1 piece of the bread. Place 1 slice of the cheese and several slices of the turkey breast on unbuttered side of the bread. Peel and slice the avocado, and season with salt and pepper. Add avocado slices, crispy bacon slices, tomato and another slice of fontina cheese to the top of that. Sprinkle again with salt and pepper. Slather the remaining piece of bread with the butter and place on unbuttered side out, on top of the bacon.

2. Heat a cast-iron or other heavy skillet over medium-low heat. Add 1 tablespoon of butter and let it melt, swirling the pan around to coat. Put the sandwich in the pan and weigh it down with a heavy pot or can (or wrap an ordinary brick in aluminum foil and set it on top to compress the sandwich.) Toast for 1 minute, turn the sandwich over before the bread begins to burn. Repeat with remaining sandwiches. Cut the sandwiches in half and serve.

fries

Baked Oven Fries – adapted from Annie’s Eats 

  • 1 1/2 to 2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into wedges
  • 5 TBSP vegetable, canola or peanut oil, divided
  • 3/4 tsp. kosher salt
  • 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Directions –

1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Place the potato wedges in a large mixing bowl. Cover with hot water; soak for 10-30 minutes. Put 4 TBSP of the oil onto a heavy, rimmed baking sheet. Tilt the sheet side to side to evenly coat the pan with oil. Sprinkle the pan evenly with the salt and pepper. Set aside.

2. Drain the potatoes. Spread the wedges out on layers of paper towels and pat dry. Wipe out the empty bowl and return the potatoes to the bowl and toss with the remaining oil. Arrange the wedges on the prepared baking sheet in a single layer. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 5 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake until the bottoms of the potatoes and becoming golden brown, 15-20 minutes, rotating the baking sheet after 10 minutes. Using a spatula and tongs, flip each potato keeping them in a single layer. Continue baking until the fries are golden and crisp, 5-15 minutes. Rotate the pan as needed to ensure even browning.

3. When the fires are finished baking, transfer them to a paper towel lined plate to drain. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm.

Honey Yeast Rolls

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These were a perfect addition to our TG table! They are substantial enough to handle all the leftover ham and turkey sandwiches and tasty enough on their own. The dough is easy to work with and makes a dozen medium-sized rolls. Thanks for reading, enjoy!

rolls

Honey Yeast Rolls – adapted from Cooking with the Big Dogs
  • 2¼ teaspoons instant yeast
  • 1 cup water (105-115 degrees Fahrenheit)
  • ¼ cup honey
  • 3 tablespoons canola oil
  • 1¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • 4 cups bread flour (508 grams)
  • 1 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 1 tablespoons honey
Directions –
1. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitter with the paddle attachment, stir together the yeast and warm water – let sit for three to five minutes. Add the honey, oil, salt and egg to the yeast mixture and mix well. Add three cups of flour and mix until the dough comes together in a sticky mass. Switch to the dough hook and with the mixer on low, incorporate the remaining 1 cup of flour.
2. Continue kneading on low-speed for 8-10 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic. Sometimes, depending on the time of year (during the winter, especially), the dough is a bit drier, and I add in water, a few tablespoons at a time, until the dough is smooth and elastic. The dough should feel soft (not sticky) and pliable when you are finished kneading it.
3. Transfer dough to a lightly oiled bowl, turn once to coat, and cover with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel. Let it rise in a warm, draft-free spot until it is doubled in bulk, about 2 hours.

honey4. Turn the dough out on a lightly floured work space and knead about 30 seconds. Cover and let the dough rest for another 10 minutes. Punch the dough down and divide it into 10-12 equal sized pieces. Shape each into a smooth ball and place into a greased 9×13 inch dish, spacing evenly. Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free spot for 20-30 minutes.

5. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Mix together melted butter and honey and brush the mixture over top of the unbaked rolls. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the tops are golden brown and the rolls are baked through. Let cool slightly before serving.

Croutons

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These are so easy to make and dangerously tasty! “Yes, I would like some salad with my croutons” kind of good. I hogged them all tonight, but my husband told me I could have his share – that is real love in action, people! 😉 I need to make more of these ASAP, who knew that it was these croutons that my salads had been missing all along? Thanks for reading, enjoy!

Croutons – adapted from Annie’s Eats

  • 1 baguette or about 4 cups 1/2 – inch bread cubes
  • 1 1/2 TBSP olive oil
  • 1 1/2 TBSP melted butter
  • 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp. dried parsley
  • kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper

Directions – 

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Place the bread cubes in a medium mixing bowl. Stir in the melted butter and olive oil and toss to coat. Season to taste with garlic powder, dried parsley, salt and pepper. Toss once more until everything is evenly combined. Spread the croutons in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake, stirring once every 10 minutes, until the croutons are light golden and crisp and no chewiness remains. They will bake about 40 – 50 minutes total but the time may vary depending on the size of cubes and type of bread. Remove to a cooling rack and let cool completely. Store in airtight container.

Pretzel-Crusted Chicken Nuggets

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These are crunchy, savory and kid friendly. Sorry, not much more to say because I made this a month ago! 😉 Thanks for reading, enjoy!

Pretzel-Crusted Chicken Nuggets- adapted from Gimme Some Oven

  • 1 cup flour
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 eggs, whisked (or you can substitute 3 egg whites)
  • 2 cups finely crushed pretzels (I used a full bag of Pretzel Crisps)
  • 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized (about 1-inch) pieces

Directions –

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cover a baking sheet (or you may need two) with aluminum foil.

Whisk together flour, salt and pepper in a bowl. In a separate bowl, add the two whisked eggs. Then in a third bowl, add the crushed pretzels. This will be your assembly line for the nuggets.

Take a piece of chicken and dip it in the flour mixture until it is evenly covered. Then dip it in the eggs, and then in the crushed pretzels, then place on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining chicken.

Bake nuggets for about 20 minutes, or until the chicken is fully cooked. (Cooking time can depend on the size of your nuggets). Serve with your favorite dipping sauce.

Party Mix

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This is too good! If you’re a fan of salty/sweet combos, this snack is sure to be a new favorite 🙂 Thanks for reading, enjoy!

Party Mix – adapted from Food.com

  • 1 (11 ounce) package pretzels
  • 1 (10 1/2 ounce) package miniature peanut butter filled butter flavor crackers (I use Ritz)
  • 1 cup dry roasted peanuts
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup butter or 1/2 cup margarine
  • 1/2 cup light corn syrup
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 (10 ounce) package M&M’s
  • 1 (18 1/2 ounce) package candy corn

Directions –

1. In a large bowl, combine first 3 ingredients.
2. In a large saucepan, combine sugar, butter and corn syrup.
3. Bring to a boil over medium heat; boil for 5 minutes.
4. Remove from the heat; stir in vanilla and baking soda (mixture will foam).
5. Pour over pretzel mixture and stir until coated.
6. Pour into a greased 15×10 inch baking pan.
7. Bake at 250 degrees for 45 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.
8. Break apart while warm.
9. Cool completely.
10. Toss with M&M’s and candy corn.
11. Store in airtight container.

Chicken Cordon Bleu

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I have been slackin’! I made this over a month ago and I am just getting around to sharing it with you. Even though it’s been awhile, I do remember that everyone enjoyed this. My husband was pleasantly surprised at how good it was 🙂 I used Applegate Farms ham for this instead of the prosciutto, and baby Swiss instead of Gruyere – other than that, I followed the recipe exactly. I recommend these roasted green beans and this creamy garlic pasta to serve along side this dish. Thanks for reading, enjoy!

Chicken Cordon Bleu – adapted from Food Network

  • 4 chicken skinless and boneless
  • 4 thin slices prosciutto di Parma
  • 1/2 pound Gruyere, grated
  • 1/4 cup all purpose flour
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 cup panko bread crumbs
  • 4 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves only
  • 1 clove garlic, peeled and finely minced
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 2 eggs
  • extra virgin olive oil

Directions –

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Lay the chicken breast between 2 pieces of plastic wrap. Using the flat side of a meat mallet, gently pound the chicken to 1/4-inch thickness. Remove the top sheet of plastic and lay 2 slices of prosciutto neatly over the top to cover the breast and sprinkle a quarter of the cheese over the prosciutto. Tuck in the sides of the breast and roll up tight like a jellyroll inside the. Squeeze the log gently to seal and twist both ends tight to form a nice log. Repeat with remaining chicken.

Season the flour with salt and pepper. Mix the bread crumbs with thyme, garlic and kosher salt, pepper, and melted butter. The butter will help the crust brown. Beat together the eggs and season so the flour, the eggs and the crumbs are all seasoned.

Remove the plastic wrap. Lightly dust the chicken with flour, dip in the egg mixture and gently coat in the bread crumbs. Lightly coat a baking pan with olive oil and carefully transfer the roulades onto it. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until browned and cooked through.

Sky-High Buttermilk Biscuits

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Thanks to the time change this morning, I was able to get these on the table at a real “breakfast hour” 😉 I knew I wanted to make a batch of biscuits that was large enough to guarantee leftovers for freezing. I was able to make 15 large biscuits because I patted the dough out to about an inch in thickness for most of these. The new biscuit recipe did not disappoint! They are flaky, buttery and have a slight tang from the buttermilk – perfect in my opinion 🙂 Speaking of buttermilk, I haven’t bought it in over a month cause I’m a cheap-skate! I have been making it successfully by following this fool-proof recipe here. You can use any fat content of milk you like, which I appreciate. The fattier the milk, the thicker and creamier the buttermilk will be. Thanks for reading, enjoy!

Buttermilk Biscuits – adapted from Simply So Good

  • 4 cups all-purpose flour (500 grams)
  • 2 tablespoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 2/3 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
  • 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
  • 1/4 cup melted butter for brushing biscuits (optional)
Directions –
Preheat oven to 450 F (230 C).  Sift the flour with the baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar in a large bowl.  cut in the chilled butter until the texture of coarse crumbs.  Stir in the buttermilk to form a soft dough.
Transfer the dough onto a floured surface.  Knead briefly and roll or pat to about 1 1/4 inch thick.  Cut into 3-inch rounds and arrange on a baking sheet that has been lightly greased or lined with parchment paper.  Bake for about 25 minutes or until golden.  Remove from oven and brush with melted butter.  Makes about 9 skyscraper tall biscuits.

Whole Wheat Apple Muffin

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I added all the brown sugar into the batter…woops! I have a bad habit of not reading through an entire recipe – don’t be like me 😉  I figured the extra sugar couldn’t hurt these, and I was right. I didn’t add more to the tops, but next time I will be sure to remember that “divided” step. The kids and I love these and they are really flavorful, fluffy and moist. One of the ways I safeguard against dense baked goods that require whole wheat flour, is to make the simple substitution of whole wheat pastry flour. Another easy modification is to add the buttermilk and flour in three additions to the butter/sugar/egg mixture. The resulting batter is light and fluffy and baked into 16 Fall inspired muffins. And about the temperature called for in these – I cut it back to 350 degrees on convection for 20 minutes and they came out perfectly. Thanks for reading, enjoy!

Whole Wheat Apple Muffins – adapted from Smitten Kitchen via King Arthur Flour

Yield: They said 12, I got 16

  • 1 cup (4 ounces) whole wheat pastry flour
  • 1 cup (4 1/4 ounces) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick, 4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces) granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed, divided
  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten
  • 1 cup (8 ounces) buttermilk or yogurt
  • 2 large apples, peeled, cored, and coarsely chopped

Directions –

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Grease and flour 18 muffin cups and set aside.

Mix together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon, and set aside. In a separate bowl, cream the butter and add the granulated sugar and 1/4 cup of the brown sugar. Beat until fluffy. Add the egg and mix well; stop once to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. Mix in the buttermilk gently. (If you over-mix, the buttermilk will cause the mixture to curdle.) Stir in the dry ingredients and fold in the apple chunks.

Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, sprinkling the remaining 1/4 cup brown sugar on top. Bake for 10 minutes, turn the heat down to 400°F, and bake for an additional 5 to 10 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Cool the muffins for 5 minutes in the tin, then turn them out onto a wire rack to cool completely.