Americas Test Kitchen - Cinnamon Swirl Bread

Like all things good and heavenly to eat, this recipe comes from America's Test Kitchen! I've been pretty excited with the contents of my Cook's Illustrated magazines that come every other month.  This bread was actually in the March/April 2012 issue, and I just finally got around to making it.  Mac loves this as a breakfast food, so much to the point that I have to ration him to two slices per day.  I know this sounds cruel, but really, I'm doing him a favor by allowing him to enjoy it for a whole week rather than gobbling it up in 2 days!  I also hid one loaf in the freezer for a month, which was a wonderful surprise for him when he discovered it.  Oh, the little joys of marriage. =)

This bread has a lot of rise-time, so make sure you're able to spend the day at home, doing other things while you wait for it to get happy and tall.  It also happens to be a very precise science in order to keep the dough from having gaps, runs, and leaks... I know this seems super detailed, and that's because it needs it.  Follow instructions! 

CINNAMON SWIRL BREAD

Makes 2 loaves

Ingredients:

Dough:

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter

3 3/4 cups bread flour, plus extra for work surface

3/4 cup nonfat dry milk powder

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon instant or rapid-rise yeast (I used regular, active dry yeast, and it worked fine)

1 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees)

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 1/2 cups golden raisins (I had a difficult time finding these for a reasonable, but eventually found them at Trader Joes)

Filling:

1 cup confectioners' sugar

3 tablespoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 large egg, lightly beaten with pinch of salt

Directions:

1. Cut butter into 32 pieces and toss with 1 tablespoon flour; set aside to soften while mixing dough  Whisk remaining flour, milk powder, sugar, and yeast together in bowl of stand mixer (don't add the salt here).  Using stand mixer fitted with dough hook, add water and egg and mix on medium-low speed until cohesive mass forms, about 2 minutes, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary. Cover mixing bowl with plastic wrap and let stand for 20 minutes.

2. Adjust oven rack to middle position and place loaf or cake pan on bottom of oven. Remove plastic from mixer bowl, add salt, and mix on medium-low speed until dough is smooth and elastic and clears sides of bowl, 7 to 15 minutes. With mixer running, add butter, few pieces at a time, and continue to knead until butter is fully incorporated and dough is smooth and elastic and clears side of bowl, 3 to 5 minutes longer.  add raisins and mix until incorporated, 30 to 60 seconds.  Transfer dough to large greased bowl and, using bowl scraper or rubber spatula, fold dough over itself by gently lifting and folding edge of dough toward middle.  Turn bowl 90 degrees; fold again.  Turn bowl and fold dough 6 more times (total of 8 folds).  Cover tightly with plastic and transfer to middle rack of oven. Pour 3 cups of boiling water into loaf pan in oven, close oven door, and allow dough to rise for 45 minutes.

3. Remove bowl from oven and gently press down on center of dough to deflate.  Repeat folding step (making total of 8 folds), re-cover, and return to oven until doubled in volume, about 45 minutes.

4.  Whisk filling ingredients together until well combined; set aside.

5.  Grease two loaf pans.  Transfer dough to lightly floured counter and divide into 2 pieces.  Working with 1 piece of dough, pat into rough 6 by 11-inch rectangle.  With short side facing you, fold long sides in like business letter to form 3 by 11-inch rectangle.  Roll dough away from you into ball.  Dust ball with flour and flatten with rolling pin into 7 by 18-inch rectangle with even 1/4 inch thickness. Using spray bottle, spray dough lightly with water.  Sprinkle half of filling mixture evenly over dough, leaving 1/4 inch border on sides and 3/4 inch border on top and bottoms; spray filling lightly with water. (filling should be speckled with water over entire surface). With short side facing you, roll dough away from you into firm cylinder.  Turn loaf seam side up and pinch closed; pinch ends closed.  Dust loaf lightly on all side with flour and let rest for 10 minutes.  Repeat with second ball of dough and remaining filling.

6. Working with 1 loaf at a time, use a bench scraper to cut loaf in half lengthwise; turn halves so cut sides are facing up.  Gently stretch each half into 14-inch length.  Line up pieces of dough and pinch 2 ends of strips together.  Take piece on left and lay over piece on right.  Repeat, keeping cut side up, until pieces of dough are tightly twisted.  Pinch ends together.  Transfer loaf, cut side up, to prepared loaf pan; pushing any exposed raising into seams of braid.  Repeat with second loaf  Cover loaves loosely with plastic, return to oven, and allow to rise for 45 minutes.  Remove loaves and water pan from oven; heat oven to 350 degrees.  Allow loaves to rise at room temperature until almost doubled in size, about 45 minutes longer (top of loaves should rise about 1 inch over lip of pan). 

7.  Brush loaves with egg mixture.  Bake until crust is well browned, about 25 minutes.  Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees, tent loaves with aluminum foil, and continue to bake until internal temperature registers 200 degrees, 15 to 25 minutes longer.

8. Transfer pans to wire rack and let cool for 5 minutes.  Remove loaves from pans, return to rack, and cool to room temperature before slicing, about 2 hours.

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Cookies 'N' Creme Cookies

What's better than an Oreo or a Chocolate Chip Cookie? A Chocolate Chip Cookie that tastes like an Oreo! These completely destroyed any smidgen of self-control that I have... there is no way to eat just one!

Ingredients:
1 c. butter, room temperature
3/4 c. light brown sugar
1/4 c. white sugar
1 (small) package instant vanilla pudding mix
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 1/4 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 XL (or 2 King sized bars) Hershey's Cookies 'n' Creme Candy Bars, chopped into small pieces

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream together the butter and sugars. Beat in the pudding mix until blended.  Add the eggs and vanilla and mix well.  Add the flour, baking soda, and salt to the wet ingredients and mix to combine. Stir in the candy pieces and chocolate chips (the batter will be thick). Scoop out dough in golf-ball size balls on a baking sheet, and bake for 8-10 minutes. Don't overbake them! Let them cool for 5 minutes before transferring the cookies to a cooling rack.

**Adapted recipe from Mandy's Recipe Box as found on Pinterest. =)

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Birthday Summer Berry Trifle

Raise your hand if you've ever made your own birthday dessert and been scolded for it! (Cue: Me, raising my hand, half-ashamed, but mostly quite proud to confess such a crime). My birthday was a few weeks ago, and I had just received my Cook's Illustrated magazine in the mail containing this AMAZING recipe.  There was no way I could pass up an opportunity to make this dessert.  Plus, I was definitely a spoiled birthday girl, despite making my own "cake". In addition to flowers from my boss, coffee from another friend, several cards, gift cards, and love, 

I got new TOMS from my wonderful in-laws (pair #4! We can discuss this obsession at a later date, maybe NOT on a food blog...) :

Flowers and Moonstruck Chocolates (Salted Caramel - YUM) from my love:

The most perfect birthday card and a coupon for a birthday date from my best friend:

And birthday cake pancakes of course!

Okay, I'm sure you really are not interested in seeing pictures that do not pertain to this trifle, so let's move on... 

This recipe seemed fairly daunting at first, but after putting in the work, I realized it's actually quite simple.  I will warn you, however, that it took up quite a bit of time... It's going to take you 5 hours just to read the long recipe (just kidding, but really...). Make sure you have a few hours that you can dedicate to this process.  You'll mostly be sitting around waiting... Waiting for the custard to set, waiting for the cake to bake, waiting for the cake to cool, and then test your patience evenmore by  waiting until the next day to dive into it.  Trust me. You'll be happy you did!

One last side note... I was a bit concerned that the cream sherry would be an overwhelming flavor, especially for my birthday guests who do not drink alcohol.  Letting it chill overnight is the key in balancing the flavor.  They didn't even taste the sherry until I said there was alcohol in it!  You should be able to find cream sherry in the wine section of a grocery store, but if you can't, you can stir 2 teaspoons of dark brown sugar into 1/2 cup of dry sherry.

SUMMER BERRY TRIFLE

serves 12 to 16

Ingredients:

Pastry Cream:

3 1/2 cups whole milk

1 cup sugar

6 tablespoons cornstarch

Pinch salt

5 large egg yolks (reserve whites for cake)

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces and chilled

4 teaspoons vanilla extract

Cake:

1 1/2 cups cake flour

3/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup water

1 large egg

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

5 large egg whites (reserved from pastry cream)

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

Fruit Filling:

1 1/2 pounds (4 cups) strawberries, hulled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces, reserving 3 halved for garnish

12 oz. (2 1/2 cups) blackberries, large berries halved crosswise, reserving 3 whole for garnish

12 oz. (2 1/2 cups) raspberries, reserving 3 for garnish

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon cornstarch

Pinch salt

Whipped Cream:

1 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon plus 1/2 cup cream sherry

Directions:

Pastry Cream:

1. Heat 3 cups milk in medium saucepan over medium heat until just simmering.  Meanwhile, whisk sugar, cornstarch and salt together in medium bowl.  Whisk remaining 1/2 cup milk and egg yolks into sugar mixture until smooth.  Remove milk from heat and, whisking constantly, slowly add 1 cup to sugar mixture to temper. Whisking constantly, return tempered sugar mixture to milk in sauce pan.

2. Return saucepan to medium heat and cook, whisking constantly, until mixture is very thick and bubble burst on surface, 4 to 7 minutes.  Remove saucepan from heat; whisk in butter and vanilla until butter is melted and incorporated.  Strain pastry cream through fine-mesh strainer set over medium bowl.  Press lightly greased parchment paper directly on surface and refrigerate until set, at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours.

Cake:

3. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly grease 18 by 13 inch rimmed baking sheet, line with parchment, and lightly grease parchment.  Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together in medium bowl.  Whisk oil, water, egg, and vanilla into flour mixture until smooth batter forms.

4. Using stand mixer fitted with whisk, whip reserved egg whites and cream of tartar on medium-low speed until foamy, about 1 minute.  Increase speed ti medium-high and whip until soft peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes.  Transfer one-third of the whipped egg whites to batter; whisk gently until mixture is lightened.  Using rubber spatula, gently fold remaining egg whites into batter.

5. Pour batter into prepared sheet; spread evenly.  Bake until top is golden brown and cake spring back when pressed lightly in center, 13-16 minutes.

6.  Transfer cake to wire rack; let cool for 5 minutes.  Run knife around edge of sheet, then invert cake onto wire rack.  Carefully remove parchment, then re-invert cake onto second wire rack.  Let cool completely, at least 30 minutes.

Fruit Filling:

7. Place 1 1/2 cups strawberries, 1 cup blackberries, 1 cup raspberries, sugar, cornstarch, and salt in medium saucepan.  Place remaining berries in large bowl; set aside.  Using potato masher, thoroughly mash berries in sauce pan.  Cook over medium heat until sugar is dissolved and mixture is thick and bubbling, 4 to 7 minutes. Pour over berries in bowl and stir to combine.  Set aside.

Whipped Cream:

8. Using stand mixer fitted with whisk, whip cream, sugar, and 1 tablespoon sherry on medium-low speed until foamy, about 1 minute.  Increase speed to high and whip until soft peaks form, 1 to 2 minutes.

Assembly:

9. Trim 1/4 inch off each side of cake; discard trimmings.  Using serrated knife, cut cake into 24 equal pieces (each piece about 2 1/2 inches square).

10. Briefly whisk pastry cream until smooth.  Spoon 3/4 cup pastry cream into trifle bowl; spread over bottom.  Shingle 12 cake pieces, fallen domino-style, around bottom of trifle bowl, placing 10 pieces against dish wall and 2 remaining pieces in center. Drizzle 1/4 cup sherry evenly over cake.  Spoon

half of berry mixture evenly over cake, making sure to use half of liquid.  Using back of spoon, spread half of remaining pastry cream over berries, then spread half of whipped cream over pastry cream (whipped cream layer will be thin).  Repeat layering with remaining 12 cake pieces, sherry, berries, pastry cream, and whipped cream.  Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or up to 36 hours.  Garnish top of trifle with reserved berries and serve.

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Best Brownies Ever

For those of you who don't know my dad, he is the biggest fan that chocolate desserts will ever have.  My amazing mother bakes a fresh batch of brownies or chocolate chip cookies every other day so that he never has to eat dried-out desserts. 

The other important characteristic to know about my dad, is he is a perfectionist and he's picky! It's very hard to ever top his favorite things, but for a while now, he has been on the hunt for the world's perfect brownie.  He's gone to pretty much every restaurant in corvallis, paying upwards of $8 for a brownie, in hopes that the quality would match the price. Nothing so far, has beat Mom's ability to perfectly cook a box of Ghiradeli brownie mix.

 I came across this recipe on Pinterest and just had to give it a shot.  I figured if The Today Show and America's Test Kitchen claim it's their favorite brownie, it had to be worth it.  This recipe is from the cookbook "Baked" which is a collection of recipes from a NYC bakery/coffeehouse with the same name.  They were fairly easy to make (though not too cheap). The outcome? Dad's words verbatim:  "These are the best brownies I've ever had." Win!!!

Ingredients:

1¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons dark unsweetened cocoa powder
11 ounces dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 cup (8 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
1½ cups granulated sugar
½ cup packed light brown sugar
5 eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the sides and bottom of a 9x13-inch glass or light-colored baking pan. Line the pan with parchment paper.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, salt, and cocoa powder together.

3. Put the chocolate, butter and instant espresso powder in a large bowl and set it over a saucepan of simmering water, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate and butter are completely melted and smooth. Turn off the heat, but keep the bowl over the water and add the sugars. Whisk until completely combined, then remove the bowl from the pan. The mixture should be room temperature.

4. Add 3 eggs to the chocolate mixture and whisk until combined. Add the remaining eggs and whisk until combined. Add the vanilla and stir until combined. Do not overbeat the batter at this stage or your brownies will be cakey.

5. Sprinkle the flour mixture over the chocolate mixture. Using a rubber spatula (not a whisk), fold the flour mixture into the chocolate until just a bit of the flour mixture is visible.

6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake in the center of the oven for 30 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the brownies comes out with a few moist crumbs sticking to it. Let the brownies cool completely, then lift them out of the pan using the parchment paper. Cut into squares and serve.

7. Store at room temperature in an airtight container or wrap with plastic wrap for up to 3 days.

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Lemon Poppyseed Pancakes

How do you like your pancakes... Strawberries and lemon creme?

Or blueberries and maple syrup?

Whatever fits your fancy, you HAVE to make these lemon poppyseed pancakes!! HAVE to. Seriously, do it now. Eat them for breakfast. Eat them for lunch. Eat them for dinner. Eat them for a midnight snack. Top them with your favorite fruit, or just roll em up like tortilla and take it to go. Just make them. Really. You won't regret it.

Ingredients:

2 C flour
1 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
1/3 C sugar
pinch of salt
3 Tbsp. poppy seeds
zest of 1 lemon

1 tsp. pure lemon extract
1 1/2 to 2 C buttermilk
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 T butter, melted

Directions:

1. Preheat griddle if using an electric griddle to 375 degrees. Whisk together flour, powder, soda, sugar, and salt in a large bowl.

2. In a separate bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups of buttermilk, eggs, butter, lemon zest, lemon extract, and poppy seeds.

3. Add the wet to the dry until it's the right consistency. Add the remaining 1/2 cup buttermilk if needed to thin the batter. Stir all ingredients together until they're just combined.

4. Heat up griddle to medium-high and brush with melted butter. Pour about 1/3 C of batter in skillet at a time and cook until golden brown on both sides.

5. Serve with your desired toppings of choice!

For the lemon creme:

Mix together 1 3/4 cups powdered sugar with 1/4 cup lemon juice, 1 tsp lemon zest, and a pinch of salt until smooth.  Let sit for a few minutes to thicken, if desired.

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Blueberry Buttermilk Bake

Inspired by a recipe from Pinterest, again! This made a fantastic group brunch dish... I'm sure you could use other berries (would probably be good with raspberries)

Ingredients:

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

Zest from 1 large lemon
2 c. white sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
2 tsp. vanilla
4 cups flour
4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. kosher salt
4 cups fresh blueberries
1 cup buttermilk

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Set aside 2 Tablespoons of the sugar.  Cream butter with lemon zest and remaining sugar until light and fluffy.

2. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until combined. Meanwhile, toss the blueberries with 1/2 cup of flour, then whisk together the remaining flour, baking powder and salt.

3. Add the flour mixture to the batter a little at a time, alternating with the buttermilk. Fold in the blueberries.

4. Grease a 9x13" pan with butter or coat with non-stick spray. Spread batter into pan. Sprinkle batter with  reserved sugar. Bake for 35-50 minutes. Check with a toothpick for doneness. Let cool at least 15 minutes before serving.

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Extraordinary Steamed Artichokes

Do these green bulb, prickly leaf things scare you? I have to admit, artichokes are a bit intimidating.  My family didn't ever buy them growing up, and I wasn't quite sure how you cook them, much less how you eat them.  The unknown is a foreign land to me, one that I quickly avoid whenever possible.  Artichokes fall in that category... I know, I'm a wimp. True statement.

So, what inspired me to pick up this little guy in the produce section yesterday? For one, we make a significant effort to eat fruits and veggies that are in season and on sale.  That, in combination with prepping the hubby's simplistic, but fancy birthday dinner, helped this unique veggie hop right into my shopping cart.  It's so exquisite!

The best surprise about my artichoke experience is how easy it was to prepare! I was worried that just having a plain old steamed artichoke would be bland.  Turns out, Tyler Florence on the Food Network knows how to break out the flavor in a super easy way! We served with melted butter mixed with lemon juice, but we didn't even need it.  One artichoke was more than enough for the two of us, and we still had left overs.  I'm going to eating a lot more of these, for sure!

Ingredients:

4 Sprigs fresh parsley
4 garlic cloves, peeled and whole
2 bay leaves
2 lemons, halved
1/4 c. white wine
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 quart chicken broth or water (I used water)
Salt and Pepper
2 whole artichokes (I just cooked one)


Directions

1. Put the parsley, garlic, bay leaves, lemons, wine, oil and broth in a large pot and bring to a simmer. Season the liquid with salt and pepper. In the meantime prepare the artichokes.

2. Wash artichokes under cold water. Using a heavy stainless steel knife, cut off the stems close to the base. Pull off the lower petals that are small and tough. Cut off the top inch of the artichoke and rub with half a lemon to preserve the green color. Alternatively, you may put the artichokes in acidulated water. If you wish, trim the thorny tips of the petals with kitchen shears.

3. Place the artichokes in the steaming liquid, bottom up. Cover and simmer for about 30 minutes. The artichokes are done when a knife is inserted into the base and there is no resistance.





Recipe from foodnetwork.com

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Slow Cooker Spare Ribs

Do you ever find yourself wishing there was more time in the day and everything took less time to do? The blog Six Sister's Stuff had a post of making 8 Freezer Meals in an hour.  Of course, I didn't believe that it really only took an hour to make EIGHT meals, so naturally, I had to test it out.  It took almost exactly 60 minutes! Being the skeptic that I am, I then doubted that the meals would actually taste good.  Proved me wrong there, also! Every meal has been delicious, and everyone who we've shared the meals with have agreed (they may just say it to be nice, but I'll take it)!

We already have a slow cooker pulled pork recipe, but I wanted to this was one of the eight meals.  This recipe had so much flavor!  I am not a huge fan of BBQ sauce, but I thought it was delicious.  It's a cinch to make, takes less than 10 minutes to prep, and can be served in a variety of ways.  Serve it on buns, over rice, with potatoes... any carb will do!

Ingredients:

1-2 lbs (country style) pork ribs
1 1/2 c. ketchup
1/2 tsp. liquid smoke (I'm pretty sure I found this in the condiments aisle..)
1 1/2  Tbsp. seasoning salt (We use Montreal Steak Seasoning from Costco)
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. white vinegar

Directions:

Place the pork ribs in a gallon-size freezer bag.  In a bowl, mix together the remaining ingredients, then pour over the ribs and seal.

Thaw for 24 hours before cooking.  Cook in the crock pot on low for 6-7 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.  I actually put the pork in frozen, pour the sauce into the crock pot, and cooked for 10 hours. It turned out just fine.

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Cheddar Pear Pie

I've realized that I'm really not a very good food photographer... If I remember to take pictures at all, they always turn out blurry or washed out.  I guess that allows you to use your imagination to think about how amazing all of these recipes taste, rather than relying on my pictures!

We all know that fruit tastes better when it's in season, fresh and local.  This pie is no exception to that rule.  Mac's mom bakes this pie every year, but she has the advantage of free access to a pear orchard.  Her fruit literally goes from the tree to the pan!

Being the logical person that I am, I decided to bake this for Easter dessert. Considering that it's Spring and I used store-bought, under-ripe pears, I had low expectations for this pie.  Surprisingly, it was delicious! The pears were the perfect texture, not too hard, not too mushy, and the perfect hint of sweetness.  The cheddar cheese in the topping is the perfect compliment to the mild pear flavor.  It was definitely a hit!

Ingredients

Pie:
4 large ripe pears, peeled and thinly sliced
1/3 c. sugar
1 heaping Tbsp. cornstarch
1/8 tsp. salt
1 - 9" unbaked pastry shell (if you need a pie crust recipe, click here for Grama's famous one!)

Topping:

1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 c. flour
1/4 c. butter, melted
1/4 c. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt

Directions

In a bowl, combine pears, sugar, cornstarch, and salt.  Pour over pastry shell.  For the topping, mix together the butter, flour, salt, and sugar and stir well.  Add the shredded cheese and mix until incorporated.  Sprinkle over the pears.  Bake at 425 degrees for about 25 minutes (you may want to cover the crust with foil to prevent burning).  Cool for at least 15 minutes before serving.

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Chicken Pot Pie with Cream Biscuits

If you are just looking for a biscuit recipe, skip all my boring commentary and skip on down!

I understand that I have several recipes on this blog that are some variation of Chicken Pot Pie.  What can I say, I love my one-dish, carb-covered meals! This is another Test Kitchen masterpiece that is easy to make, full of veggies (and fat, but no one needs to pay attention to that), and gives you a few days of fantastic leftovers.  You could probably substitute any of the vegetables for whatever is in season.  Instead of biscuits, you can also use a pie topping, but I find the biscuits easier and more delicious... Whatever floats your boat!

Cream Biscuits

Ingredients:

2 c. all-purpose flour, plus extra for the counter

2 tsp. sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 1/2 c. heavy cream

Directions for Biscuits:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (unless you're making pot pie, then just make up the dough).

2. Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl.  Stir in the cream with a wooden spoon until the doug forms, about 30 seconds.  turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter and gather into a ball.  Knead the dough briefly until smooth, about 30 seconds.

3. Pat the dough into a 3/4" thick circle.  Cut the biscuits into rounds using a biscuit cutter. They're now ready for the pot pie, or you can bake them for 15 minutes on your prepped baking sheet!

Pot Pie

Ingredients:

4 Tbsp. unsalted butter

3 carrots, peeled and sliced 1/4" thick

2 ribs celery, sliced 1/4" thick

1 onion, minced

Salt

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tsp. fresh thyme or 1/2 tsp. dried

1/2 c. all-purpose flour

1/4 c. dry sherry

3 c. low-sodium chicken broth

1/4 c. heavy cream

2 bay leaves

Pepper

3 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed and cut into 1" pieces

1 c. frozen peas

2 Tbsp. minced fresh parsley

1 Recipe Cream Biscuits (see above)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat.  Add the carrots, celery, onion, and 1/4 tsp salt and cook until softened, about 7 minutes.

2. Stir in the garlic and thyme and cook until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Stir in the flour.  Slowly whisk in the sherry, scraping up any browned bits.  Stir in the broth, cream, and bay leaves.  Simmer until the mixture is thickened, about 10 minutes.

3. Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste.  Stir the chicken into the sauce and continue to simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes.

4. Discard the bay leaves and stir int he peas and parsley.  Pour the mixture into a 9" x 13" baking dish.

5. Lay the biscuits over the filling.  Bake until the topping is golden brown and the filling is bubbly, about 20 minutes.  Let cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.

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Triple Layer Monster



Photo Cred: Jason Swank

Everything about this dessert says, "Oh, I found it Pinterest!" I like to label it "pinteresque".  I was looking for a special birthday dessert for our friend who has a healthy love for classic sweets (cookies, brownies, and oreos).  This was absolutely the winner.  How can you go wrong when you combine all three of his favorite delectables?
So what is it, you ask? Exactly what Jason loves. Chocolate Chip Coookie dough, covered with a layer of whole (Double Stuf) Oreos, covered with a layer of Brownie Batter.  Every bite is ooey, gooey, sweet, deliciousness. 

What really sealed the deal was the Double Stuf. What's your take on the perfect amount of filling inside America's favorite chocolate cookie sandwich?  I personally, prefer the classic, but Mr. Birthday Boy loves the Double Stuf, and still advocates for a Quadruple Stuf.  To show just how much we appreciate the guy, I sacrificed my idea of perfection to appease him... his only critique of this dessert was that it would be better with a little more oreo creme. Ah, well, you can't win 'em all, huh?

Anyway, enough babbling... all you really want is to know how to make this crazy thing! I adapted the recipe (just slightly) from a blog called Kevin and Amanda.  They have a great assortment of recipes - go check them out for more delicious ideas!

Ingredients:
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups (12 ounces) chocolate chips
1 pkg Double Stuffed Oreos
1 Family Size (9×13) Brownie mix (I recommend Ghiradeli!) plus ingredients needed to make the mix

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Cream the butter and both sugars in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed for 3-5 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix well to thoroughly combine.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt, then slowly incorporate into the mixer until the flour is just combined. Stir in chocolate chips.
4. Spread the cookie dough in the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish that’s been lined with wax paper and sprayed with cooking spray.
5. Top with a layer of Oreos.
6. Mix together brownie mix. Pour the brownie batter over the cookie dough and Oreos. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking for an additional 15-20 minutes.
7. Let cool completely before cutting — brownies may still be gooey in the middle when still warm, but will set up perfectly once cooled.

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Singapore Noodles

I love curry, but often cannot enjoy it because of a coconut allergy. This dish was the perfect combo of texture, variety, and flavor without making my throat swell shut! If you like curry, you are sure to love this dish!

When I set out to make this recipe, I failed to check my cupboard to ensure I had all the ingredients. Of course, the one thing I was missing was the flavor booster... curry powder. Turns out curry powder is just a blend of other spices (maybe you already knew that). So, I made my own curry powder, and then had some left over for the next curry dish I make!

If you need to make your own Curry powder, just mix together the following:
2 tsp. ground coriander
2 tsp. cumin
2 tsp. ground tumeric
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp. black pepper

Now for the main event!

Ingredients:
1/4 pound thin rice noodles (I used half a package of Thai House Rice Noodles)
1 Tbsp. mild curry powder
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 Tbsp plus 2 tsps peanut oil (I just used vegetable oil)
4 scallions, green part only, cut into 1" strips
1 tsp. minced fresh ginger
1/2 pound small shrimp, peeled and deveined (I used chicken instead, because I already had some cooked that needed to be used)
1 small red pepper, cut into thin vertical strip
1 medium red onion, cut into thin crescents
6 snow peas, cut lengthwise into thin strips (I doubled!)
2 large eggs, well-beaten

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, cover the noodles with boiling water. Soak for 20 minutes, drain and set aside.

2. In a small bowl, combine the curry powder, sugar, salt, and broth.

3. Heat a wok (or large skillet) over high heat. Add 1 TBSP of oil and stir fry the scallions and ginger until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add in the chicken (or shrimp) and cook for about 2 minutes. Turn the contents of the pan into a bowl.

4. Return the pan to the heat. Add 1 tsp of the oil. Stir-fry the red pepper, onion, and snow peas until they are bright and crisp-tender, 2 minutes. Add to the meat bowl.

5. Wipe out the pan and return it to the heat. Add the remaining oil. Add the eggs and rotate the pan to make a thin pancake. Add the noodles. Stir and chop until the eggs are mixed with the noodles. Add the curry mixture, the cooked meat, and vegetables to the pan. Cook about 3 minutes.

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Baked Rigatoni

Feel like a twist on the standard pasta casserole? Try this one out! The squash and cinnamon were interesting additions, and I was a bit skeptical at first, but it proved to be the perfect match to chicken sausage.

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 c. dry white wine (I used a Sauvignon Blanc)
3/4 lb sweet Italian turkey sausage (I used 1 lb Italian chicken sausage instead)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 lb diced butternut squash
2 c. (1 15 oz can) tomato sauce
1 c. Vegetable broth
1/3 c. Heavy cream (I used half and half because it was in the fridge!)
Salt and pepper
1 lb. rigatoni
2 c. Shredded fontina cheese (I couldn't find this anywhere, so I used an Italian cheese blend)
1/4 c. Grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a large Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium high heat. Add the onion, and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the garlic, and continue to sauté until the onion is golden.  Add the white wine and cook until it has evaporated and the onion is browned. Add the sausage and cook until it is no longer pink. Add the cinnamon.

Add the squash, tomato sauce, broth, and cream. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid boils.  Reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes until squash is tender. Season with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, cook noodles in boiling water until al dente (tender but not soft). Drain well, then add the pasta to the sauce.  Mix in 1 cup of the cheese.  Spread the pasta into a 9x13 pan. Top with remaining cheese and sprinkle with the Parmesan.

Bake until the cheese melts and bubbles, about 10 minutes. Let sit for 5 minutes before serving.

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