Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons milk
• 1 eggs
• 1 tablespoon and 2-1/4 teaspoons butter, melted
• 1/2 pint blueberries

Beat together liquid ingredients; blend together dry ingredients - add wet ingredients to dry and mix until just combined - do not overmix! Makes about 8 pancakes

Wisconsin State Fair Cream Puffs

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/9123870/ns/today-food/t/wisconsin-state-fair-cream-puffs/#.Tu9gc1a5KW4

Ingredients

• 1 cup water
• 4 Tbsp (1/2 stick) butter
• 1/4 tsp. iodized salt
• 1 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
• 4 eggs
• 1 egg yolk, lightly beaten
• 2 Tbsp. milk
• 2 cups whipping cream, whipped with vanilla extract and sugar (see below)
• Sifted powdered sugar

Preparation

Made from the ingredients Wisconsin is famous for — milk, cream, butter and eggs — cream puffs were a natural addition to the Wisconsin State Fair. Since their introduction in 1924, cream puffs have grown to be a signature Fair item, selling more than 365,000 annually. The Wisconsin State Fair dairy bakery operates around-the-clock during the Fair to meet the ever-growing insatiable demand.

Some fairgoers wait all year for a chance to indulge in the rich sweetness of a State Fair cream puff, but now you can make them year-round in your own kitchen. The following recipe does not take dozens of employees or tons of whipping cream to make, but the taste is as genuine as the Fair. So, go ahead — indulge and savor the memories.

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Butter and flour one very large or two small baking sheets, or line with parchment paper.

2. Pour water into heavy saucepan. Cut butter into small pieces and add to water. Add salt. Place saucepan over medium-low heat so butter melts before water boils. Bring water just to boil.

3. Remove pan from heat and add flour all at once, stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon until dough forms into a ball and bottom of pan is filmed with flour. Let dough rest 5 minutes.

4. Add whole eggs, beating in one egg at a time. Dough should be stiff but smooth.

5. Immediately drop 1/4 cupfuls of dough 3 inches apart on baking sheet. (Or for a neater appearance, use pastry bag with 3/4-inch plain tip and pipe dough onto baking sheet.)

6. Combine egg yolk and milk in a small bowl. Brush each puff with glaze mixture, taking care not to let liquid drip onto pan.

7. Bake 35 minutes, until puffed, golden brown and firm.

8. Cool puffs on wire racks, pricking each with a cake tester or toothpick to allow steam to escape, or leave them in a turned-off oven with the door propped open for about an hour, until firm. (If baked pastry is filled before cool and firm, it will be soggy and may collapse.) Baked puffs should have hollow, moist interiors and crisp outer shells that are lightly browned.

9. Cut off tops, fill with whipped cream (use pastry bag with star tip or scoop the whipped cream with a large spoon). Replace tops of the puffs and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Enjoy!

Serving Size

Makes 12 cream puffs

Sour Cream & Chocolate Chip Mini Loaves

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/sour-cream-chocolate-chip-cake-ii/

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup sour cream
• 6 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour one 8x8 inch or 4 mini loaf pans.
2. In a medium bowl, mix flour, soda, baking powder and baking soda. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well each time. Add vanilla.
4. Add flour mixture alternately with sour cream. Mix until well blended. Stir in chocolate chips.
5. Make streusel mixture: In a medium bowl, mix walnuts, sugar and cinnamon together until blended.
6. Pour in half the batter and sprinkle some streusel mixture across the pan (s). Add remaining batter and sprinkle streusel mixture on the top.
7. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bake 30 minutes for mini loaves and 45 minutes for 8x8 inch pan.

Bread to try

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/08/dining/081mrex.html

Pumpkin Pizzelles

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup butter, softened
2 eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

(or maybe instead of cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger, 2 t pumpkin pie spice instead)

Cranberry Bread

Yield: 4- 5"x3" pans

Combine:

• 2 C AP flour
• 1 C sugar
• 1 t powder
• 1/2 t baking soda
• dash salt

Combine:

• 1 egg
• 1/4 C oil
• 3/4 C orange juice
• 1 t vanilla

Add oil mixture to dry mixture, mix and fold in:

• 1/2 bag whole cranberries

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until top starts to brown

Pumpkin Cranberry Bread

Preheat oven to 350

Yield:

• 2- 9"x5" pans - bake for approximately 65 min or until toothpick comes out clean
• 3- 8"x4" pans - bake for approximately 60 min or until toothpick comes out clean
• 5 or 6- 5"x3" pans - bake for approximately 55 min or until toothpick comes out clean

Combine:

• 3 C AP flour
• 1T + 2t pumpkin pie spice
• 2 t baking soda
• 1.5t salt

Combine:

• 3 C granulated sugar
• 15 oz pumpkin
• 4 eggs
• 1 C veg oil
• 1.2 C Orange Juice

Add pumpkin mixture to the dry mixture, mix, then fold in:

• 1 C whole cranberries

Pour into pans and bake. When done, cool in pans for 10 minutes on wire rack and then remove from pans and cool completely on wire rack.

Chocolate Guinness Cake

http://www.nigella.com/recipes/view/chocolate-guinness-cake-3086

FOR THE CAKE

• 250ml Guinness
• 250g unsalted butter
• 75g cocoa
• 400g caster sugar
• 1 x 142ml pot sour cream
• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon real vanilla extract
• 275g plain flour
• 2 1/2teaspoons bicarbonate of soda

FOR THE TOPPING:

• 300g Philadelphia cream cheese
• 150g icing sugar
• 125ml double or whipping cream

METHOD

Serves: Makes about 12 slices

1. Preheat the oven to gas mark 4/180°C, and butter and line a 23cm springform tin.
2. Pour the Guinness into a large wide saucepan, add the butter - in spoons or slices - and heat until the butter's melted, at which time you should whisk in the cocoa and sugar. Beat the sour cream with the eggs and vanilla and then pour into the brown, buttery, beery pan and finally whisk in the flour and bicarb.
3. Pour the cake batter into the greased and lined tin and bake for 45 minutes to an hour. Leave to cool completely in the tin on a cooling rack, as it is quite a damp cake.
4. When the cake's cold, sit it on a flat platter or cake stand and get on with the icing. Lightly whip the cream cheese until smooth, sieve over the icing sugar and then beat them both together. Or do this in a processor, putting the unsieved icing sugar in first and blitz to remove lumps before adding the cheese.
5. Add the cream and beat again until it makes a spreadable consistency. Ice the top of the black cake so that it resembles the frothy top of the famous pint.

Flourless Chocolate Cake with Dark Chocolate Glaze

http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/753

Ingredients

12 ounces bittersweet chocolate chips or bittersweet chocolate, roughly chopped
1 cup (2 sticks) plus 3 tablespoons butter, cut into chunks
1 1/4 cups sugar
6 eggs
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon milk
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 teaspoon gluten-free vanilla extract

Method

Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray a 9-inch springform pan with nonstick cooking spray, then line the bottom with a circle of parchment paper. Spray the paper with cooking spray, too, then set the pan aside.

Place two-thirds (8 ounces) of the chocolate and 1 cup (2 sticks) of the butter in a medium saucepan over medium low heat. Stirring often, melt chocolate with butter until completely blended. Remove from heat and transfer to a large bowl. (Alternatively, you may use your microwave to melt the butter with the chocolate, if desired). Add sugar and mix well. Add eggs one at a time, whisking well after each addition. Sift cocoa into bowl and stir until just blended.

Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until cake has risen and top has formed a thin crust. The cake should be just firm in the center when done. Cool for 10 minutes, then invert onto a plate, removing sides of springform pan. Remove and discard parchment paper and set cake aside to cool completely.

Meanwhile, make the chocolate glaze. Melt remaining 4 ounces chocolate and 3 tablespoons butter in a small saucepan over medium low heat, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat, then stir in milk, honey and vanilla. Set aside to cool slightly.

When cake has cooled, pour glaze onto the center. Using a spatula or the back of a spoon, very gently smooth glaze along the top and sides of the cake. Chill cake, uncovered, for 30 to 60 minutes before serving to set the glaze and make the cake easier to slice.

Nutrition

Per serving (1 slice): 440 calories (300 from fat), 34g total fat, 19g saturated fat, 155mg cholesterol, 40mg sodium, 40g total carbohydrate (4g dietary fiber, 32g sugar), 7g protein

Thinking about escargot

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/easy-garlic-escargots/detail.aspx

eliminates need for special dish by incorporating mushrooms!

Pretzel Jello "Salad"

2 C crushed pretzels
3/4 C butter, melted
3 T sugar
8 oz cream cheese
1 C sugar
8 oz thawed cool-whip
1 pkg strawberry Jell-o (6 oz)
2 C boiling water
2 pkg (10 oz) strawberries

Mix crushed pretzels, butter and 3 T sugar together and press into 9 x 13 pan - bake at 400 for 8 minutes, cool.

Mix softened cream cheese and 1 C sugar, fold in cool whip, then spread over pretzel layer.

Dissolve Jell-O in boiling water, add frozen strawberries, chill until syrupy then pour over cream cheese layer and refrigerate.

Cut into squares and then serve.

Rice Cooker

Long Grain - 1 C rice; 1.5 C water

Ina Garten's Shortbread Cookies

The Barefoot Contessa's Shortbread Cookies

• 3/4 lb unsalted butter at room temperature


• 1 C sugar, plus extra for sprinkling


• 1 t pure vanilla extract


• 3.5 C AP Flour


• 1/4 t salt

Preheat oven to 350

Fit electric mixer with paddle - mix butter and 1 C sugar until just combined, add vanilla. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and salt, then add them to the butter and sugar mixture. Mix on low speed until the dough starts to come together. Dump onto flour dusted surface and shape into a flat disk - wrap in plastice and chill for 30 minutes.

Roll the dough 1/2" thick and cut into 3" x 1" shapes, place cookies on ungreased baking sheet and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes until edges begin to brown - allow to cool to room temperature.

Japanese Cooking Terms & Techniques

My notes from Harumi Kurihara's cookbook, Harumi's Japanese Home Cooking.

mijingiri - finely minced into tiny cube shapes
sengiri - julienned, or into strips
hangetsugiri - cut into half moons
koguchigiri - cut into fine slices - for round ingredients like spring onions
nanamegiri - cut on the diagonal
Ichogiri - round pieces cut into quarters
Usugiri - finely sliced

Drop lid - Traditionally made out of wood, they are placed in a pan, directly on top of food as it cooks. It is a technique frequently used in Japanese cooking to ensure the even distribution of flavor. You can make one from amuminum foil or greaseproof paper with a hole in the middle - make a disk slightly smaller than the inside of the pan.

Onion Confit

Shamelessly stolen from Tom Colicchio with slight adjustments to volume

4 large Vidalia onions, sliced thin (Tom says to use Vidalia, I respectfully disagree - Vidalia really aren't designed to be cooked. I use ye olde 3lb bag of yellow onions and they come out sweet as candy and, IMO, far tastier than the time I actually used the Vidalia.)
2 T olive oil

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium, then add onions and reduce heat to medium low. Stir frequently and add kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Cook until onions are soft, but not carmelized - about 30 minutes. Then add:

1 C chicken stock
2 T white wine vinegar

Continue stirring frequently until pan is mostly dry - about 30 minutes. If using dried herbs, add them during this last half hour, add fresh herbs after you are done cooking and toss to combine.

Can be refrigerated for 1 week.

Buttermilk Cheddar Biscuits

Shamelessly stolen from Ina Garten

Preheat oven to 425

2 C (+ additional for sprinkling/as needed) AP Flour
1.5 teaspoons Kosher salt
1 Tablespoons Baking Powder

combine in mixer bowl, attach paddle, stir on low, then add:

1.5 sticks (12 T) diced, cold, unsalted butter

continue to mix until butter is pea sized, then combine the following in a glass bowl or cup:

1 egg (cold) - recipe calls for Xtra large egg, I simply used a large egg)
1/2 C shaken, cold buttermilk

add to the flour mixture while continuing to stir on low, when just combined, combine the following in a small bowl:

1 C grated sharp white cheddar
1 small handful of AP flour, tossed to coat cheese

Add the cheese mixer to the dough, mix until combined and then turn out onto a floured surface. Roll into 5" x 10" rectangle and cut into 8 pieces. Brush with egg wash (1 egg beaten with 1 T water) and sprinkle with flaked sea salt. Bake on parchement lines sheet for 20 - 25 minutes.

Modifications:

I totally forgot the egg wash and sea salt - still tasty!

I think that these would be even better as drop biscuits brushed with garlic butter after they come out of the oven!

Grilled Eggplant

Peel and slice eggplant in 1/2" rounds - sprinkle both sides with salt and let it sit for about 20 minutes. Rinse out the salt and give the eggplant a squeeze to remove as much moisture as you can. Toss slices with balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper and a little olive oil and preheat George Foreman grill. Grill slices in batches, turning once while cooking - they should take a minute or two on each side, just long enough for grill marks.

Sweet Potato, Yukon,Gold, Vidalia and Sausage Home Fries

... in Duck Fat!

• 3 Tbsp Duck Fat


• 1/2 large Vidalia Onion, long thin strips


• 1 large Sweet Potato, peeled, 3/4" dice


• 2 Medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, 3/4" dice


• 4 -5 cooked sweet Italian sausages


• salt & pepper to taste

Preheat skillet (with lid) over medium-high heat and add the duck fat - when the duck fat is hot, add the potatoes and the onion. Toss to coat everything in the duck fat, reduce heat to medium and cover with lid for about 10 minutes - the potatoes should be cooked through and the onions translucent ... and the bottom should be crispy!

Add in the sausage and salt & pepper to taste, stir to copmbine and continue to cook uncovered for 10 - 15 minutes, stirring only occassionally. (Too much stirring and no crisy edges will form.) It is important not to overcrowd the pan - it will still taste good but it won't get crispy.

Thoughts for next time include adding apples to the mix or perhaps grilled pineapple chunks. I served this with cornbread waffles (Jiffy cornbread mix, 3/4 C milk, 1 egg & 2 Tbsp oil - mix together and cook as if they are waffles.)

Home Fries

• Approx 3 Tbsp duck fat total (or sub in olive oil, butter, bacon fat, etc.)


• 1/2 large Vidalia onion, cut into long strips


• 4 - 6 smallish Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4" cubes


• salt and pepper to taste

Heat 12" skillet (with good fitting lid) on medium-high heat and add 2 Tbsp duck fat. When duck fat is hot, add onions and potatoes, toss to coat in the fat, lower heat to medium and then cover with lid. Let this cook for at least 10 minutes, until a nice brown crust is on the bottom of the potatoes and the potatoes are cooked through and onions translucent. Remove lid and add the remaining Tbsp of duck fat on top of the potatoes. This should cook for another 15 minutes or so - turn every so often - the goal is to get all sides of the potatoes browned and the onions carmelized and that will happen better the less it is disturbed.

Servie immediately or put in 250 - 300 oven to keep warm until serving.

Grilled Pineapple

Just like it sounds - pineapple cooked on a grill. You can marinade the pineapple and toss it on a gas or charcoal grill (Fred once combined OJ, soy sauce, garlic, and a few other things and it was fantastic) or even just toss a few plain slices on a George Foreman grill. It's really sweet and juicy - an entirely different entity from its raw form.

Baked Sausage

The easiest way to cook sweet Italian sausage

Preheat oven to 350

Line cookie sheet with aluminum foil (this is to aid cleanup - skip if you prefer)

Puncture casing of each sausage with fork or knife slit and arrange on cookie sheet so they are not touching.

Cook 45 minutes - you *should* turn them at least once, but I forget to do this all the time and they come out fine.

Baked Eggplant

I found the tiniest, most perfect (and ridiculously low priced) eggplant the other day at the Asian market. It weighs in at slightly less than a pound, so there is not much to it ... more appropriate for a side dish or appetizer than a main course.

I decided to make my own version of an eggplant lasagna/eggplant and mozzarella tower/eggplant rollatini (unrolled.) Here are my thoughts ...

1. Peel and slice the eggplant into 1/2" rounds (make sure diameter will work with cooking vessel - I plan to use a smallish round casserole dish. Not sure if I am making this as individual servings (as in, using ramekin size casseroles) or sreving family style (all in one casserole.)


2. Lay eggplant slices out on a rack and sprinkle with salt (I will be using kosher) to remove excess moisture and bitterness. Let sit for 10-15 minutes, then rinse off and pat dry.


3. Grill the slices for about 4 minutes on each side (until done) in pan coated with olive oil.


4. Preheat oven to 375


5. Coat the inside of the casserole(s) with patsa sauce.


6. Combine 1 egg, ricotta cheese, salt, pepper, parsley, grated parmesan and some mozzarella (or whatever cheese you plan to top this bad boy with)


7. Drain can of diced tomatoes (or dice some fresh ones - whatever)


8. Steam and drain some baby spinach (or thaw and drain some frozen)


9. Start layering in the casserole: first, lay down a slice of the grilled eggplant, cover with some of the ricotta mixture, top with spinach and tomato, top with some sauce, repeat. When you are done with the last repeat, top the whole thing with mozzarella/whatever cheese you are using.


10. Bake, uncovered, about 15 minutes.

I think I will serve this along with some italian sausage and linguini.

Stromboli

• Ball of pizza dough - enough for one pie should do


• sauce, cheese, etc - fillings of your choice


• olive oil

Preheat oven to 450 - stretch dough to form a rectangle. In the center third of the rectangle, put down a good qty of the filling of your choice, fold over one of the other thirds, add more filling on top and fold over the last third and tuck the ends under. Transfer to baking sheet lined with parchment paper (keeps it non-stick and easy to clean!) with the seam side down. Brush with some olive oil, cut a few slits in the top, bake 25 minutes or until golden brown. Let it sit for a few minutes before cutting so the cheese has had a chance to cool slightly and firm up a little!

Butternut Squash Soup

1 large butternut squash
4 granny smith apples
1 large onion (yellow or vidalia - your choix)
Sage (the leaves from several sprigs of fresh sage are best, but a couple of shakes of dried powdered will do in a pinch
salt/pepper/honey to taste
chicken broth (enough to cover all the veg in the pot - for me it was about 4 cans, ymmv)

Peel and cube (1/2" cubes should do it) the squash, apples and onion and put them in a large stock pot. Add enough chicken broth to cover the whole works, bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer for about 30 minutes - until the veg is soft and cooked through. You can use a regular blender, but I put my immersion blender right into the pot and puree until smooth (its not perfectly smooth - I am sure you can get it there, though - but I like the texture!), then add the sage, a few pinches of salt and a few grinds of pepper. From there, give it a good mixing/blending and add in honey to taste.

Ricotta Cheese Pie

Yields 3 pies

6 eggs
1 Cup of Sugar
2-3 tsp vanilla
3 lbs Ricotta (whole milk)
3 graham cracker pie crusts (you can make your own I am sure, but I buy them premade)
Cinnamon for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 350 and combine the first 4 ingredients and then pour into pie shells. Bake the pies for about an hour (mine always take a little longer - they are done when they are set and they are starting to get golden around the edges.) When they come out of the oven, sprinkle with cinnamon - allow them to cool on racks and then refrigerate.

Schnitzel

Boneless pork cutlets
1 egg and a splash of milk (1/8 - 1/4 cup should do it, I used the 2% I had on hand)
flour for dredging cutlets
1 Cup of Panko Bread crumbs
1 tsp paprika
2-3 Tbsp of oil (for the skillet)
salt & pepper

Use a mallet or rolling pin (or whatever you have) to pound/roll the cutlets to 1/8" thickness (though mine are usually more like 1/4" to be honest ...) Most recipes call for you to add the salt and pepper to the flour or the bread crumb mixture, but I prefer to put it directly on the meat. I sprinkle both sides and then dredge them in flour to coat. From there they go into the egg mixture - simply whisk together 1 egg and a splash of milk and dunk the cutlets individually and then pop them right into the panko. Now I am sure that panko are not the traditional bread crumbs used by German grandmas, but they sure do make amazing schnitzel - so crunchy! I put the panko into a pie plate and mix in 1 tsp of paprika. Once all of my cutlets are prepped, I heat a large non-stick skillet, add 2-3 Tbsp of oil and then when the oil is nice and hot (as in, when you toss in a few breadcrumbs they instantly sizzle), I add the cutlets. Cook them about 3-4 minutes on one side, flip and cook about 3 minutes on the other and then ... you are done! So easy, so tasty!

Spaetzle

7 eggs
2 Cups of AP Flour
1/4 Cup milk (I use 2%)

I combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl and mix until well incorporated, then I rest it in the fridge for about an hour - when it comes out of the fridge it should be kind of like elastic-y pancake batter.

To turn the batter into spaetzle, you need some equipment and a large pot of (gently) boiling water or broth. Tradition dictates a spaetzle board - you plop some batter onto the board (it looks like a handled cutting board with a 45 degree slope at the bottom which gets submerged in the boiling water) and use a blade to form individual spaetzle and roll them into the water. As someone who LOVES fussy cooking techniques I really wanted to try this, but the boards are not easy to come by and a friend convinced me that, tradition be damned, it would be far too messy and difficult to put up with. I have also heard tell of pastry bags and using a cheese grater, but a friend of mine has an actual honest to goodness spaetzle press he was generous enough to loan me (naturally he was also invited for dinner!) It worked like a charm!

Now, a word about the spaetzle press: in order to bring a "unitasker" into my already cramped teensy kitchen, it has to be mighty special. Like, my pizzelle press - I can't make pizzelles without it and life without pizzelles is simply not worth living. For realsies! But is it really a unitasker? Kind of yes, but I don't use pizzelles only as cookies - while still hot you can roll them into (non-traditional) cannoli shells, you can turn them into waffle cones and you can even press one inside a small dish to make a waflfle cup for ice cream! So yeah, it IS a unitasker, it only makes pizzelles, but pizzelles can make many things!

But a spaetzle press? What else can I make with a spaetzle press? Well ... my friend's spaetzle press bore a remarkable resemblance to ... a potato ricer! A few years ago my ex purchased one of these (yes, another unitasker!) to make gniocchi and it has taken up precious drawer space ever since. Well, next time I make spaetzle, I am going to try the potato ricer and see how it works! But if it doesn't, a spaetzle press in a unitasker I am more than happy to have - spaetzle, like pizzelles, makes life worth living!

Whatever method you use, the batter has to be released into gently boiling water or broth to cook - when they float, they are done - usually just a few minutes. But before you cook them, you need a plan to cool them! You need to fish them out of the boiling water and stop the cooking immediately. I used an ice bath - simply a huge bowl of water in my sink with ice floating in it. I would occassionally dump the no longer cool water and replace with cooler water and new ice, but it's about as simple as you can get!

So there you have it - spaetzle! So easy and so tasty!

Bisquick Muffins

2 C Bisquick
2 T sugar
1 C milk
1 egg

Add sugar to Bisquick. Stir in milk and well beaten egg. Mix well and fill well greased muffin pans 2/3 full. Bake in a moderately hot oven (400 F.) for 20 minutes.Amount: 12 fluffy, high muffins

I add in diced apple to make apple muffins - 1-2 apples (3/4 - 1 C approx)

Tempura

I have been thinking about making tempura - between Maki and the Cook's Illustrated recipe posted in the comments, I think this may be the way to go: recipe

Chocolate Chipless Cookies

Something this simple barely merits a post, but these are a big hit with me and Scott, I make them often, the least I can do is acknowlege them! :)

I make chocolate chip cookies according to the Nestle Tollhouse recipe, but when it gets to the part about adding in the chocoalte chips? I don't. Everything else, I do exactly the same!

2.25 C AP Flour
1 t salt
1 t baking powder
2 sticks unsalted butter
3/4 brown sugar
3/4 white sugar
1 T vanilla
2 eggs

375 for 9-12 minutes

Bacon Spoon Bread

Oh HELLS yes!

3/4 C Cornmeal, yellow is best
1-1/2 C cold Water
2 C shredded sharp Cheddar (I used sharp white cheddar!)
1/4 C Butter, room temp
2 cloves Garlic, crushed
1/2 t salt
1 C milk
4 eggs, separated
1/2 lb. Bacon, cooked and crumbled

Preheat oven to 325. Butter a 2-quart casserole/souffle and then coat with grated Parmesan. In sauce pan, combine cornmeal and cold water and bring to a rolling boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. When thick - after about 60 seconds - remove from heat and stir in cheese, butter, garlic and salt. When the cheese melts, stir in the milk and then the egg yolks, then add the bacon. Beat egg whites until stiff and then fold into batter (rule I was taught was to put 1/3 of the whites into the batter and stir to lighten the mixture overall, then add the next third and fold carefully. When that is fully incorporated, carefully fold in the last third of egg whites, only until incorporated.) Pour mixture into the prepared baking dish and level and smooth the top of the batter with a spatula. Bake until browned on top, high and puffy - about one hour or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean - if it does not, bake for an additional 10 minutes. Serve directly from baking dish using 2 spoons.

Oven Roasted Potatoes

Oven fries on a smaller scale - I am making this up as I go along. This is my plan for a small batch - I am making a roast chicken, pan fried brussels sprouts and bacon spoon bread for dinner tonight so there is no need to make a huge batch of potatoes! I imagine it would be as simple as increasing all ingredients proportionally to make a larger batch.

3 Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed but unpeeled, cut in half and then quartered.
Olive oil - enough to coat potatoes evenly
2 Shallots, roughly chopped
Dried Rosemary
Parmesan, grated
sugar
salt
pepper

Preheat oven to 400 (can go higher). Mix all ingredients together in zip lock bag with most of the air removed until evenly coated. Line cookie sheet with parchment (or not - its just for ease of clean-up) and spread potatoes in even layer. Cook 15 minutes, flip/stir, cook 5-10 minutes longer.

Pizzelles

This recipe requires a pizzelle press. Typically, your pizzelle press will come with recipes, this is adapted from one of those (shhhhh! don't tell grandma!) but leaves out the anise - princess haaaaaaaates licorice.

3 room temperature eggs
3/4 C white sugar
1/2 C butter, unsalted, melted and cooled
1 t vanilla
1-3/4 C flour (254 g)
2 t baking powder

Mushroom Risotto

I make this using an on/off style rice cooker. My rice cooker is one of the most useful, versatile kitchen appliances that I own. The model I have comes with a metal steamer basket - I can cook rice in the pot and make a side dish - or even cook an entree - in the basket. It works perfectly as a steamer and I find its the ideal way to heat leftovers evenly without drying out. Some people can't live without a microwave, but I easily gave mine up years ago ... but if you took my rice cooker, I might very well get hysterical!

This is my recipe - I have adapted it from other risotto recipes found in the Ultimate Rice Cooker Cookbook - if you have a rice cooker, you should have this cookbook. Fantastic information, delicious recipes and recipes for both on/off rice cookers and fuzzy logic rice cookers. A fuzzy logic rice cooker is on my wish list, but my on/off cooker rocks!

Mushroom Risotto

I package of Baby Bella mushrooms, sliced
1 T olive oil
2 T unsalted butter
2 med-lg shallots, minced
1 C + 2 T arborio rice
3 C liquid consisting of 1 can of chicken broth (I used the roasted veg flavor and its great!) and water
Butter/Parmesan/salt/pepper to finish

Heat the olive oil and butter in the rice cooker pot, then add shallots. Keep them moving and cook until softened - a few minutes or so. Add the rice and coat with the oil and then add the mushrooms - stir for a few minutes until the rice grains have white spots in the middle and the mushrooms are starting to brown a bit. Add the liquid and cover, stirring several times - the rice cooker will switch to "keep warm" when it is finished. Before serving, let a few pats of butter melt into the rice, then stir in salt, pepper and parmesan to taste.

Rosemary Bread

I just bought a huuuuuge bag of flour and I want to do some baking. For whatever reason, I thought of the rosemary in my cabinet and wanted to make rosemary bread. This one seems tasty:

Rosemary Bread

Ingredients:

Yield: 2 loaves

2 2

Servings Size

• loaves

• 1 tablespoon yeast
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 cup warm water
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons rosemary
• 2 tablespoons butter

Directions:

Prep Time: 2 1/4 hrs

Total Time: 2 1/2 hrs

1. Place yeast, sugar and water in large bowl or food processor and allow mixture to become bubbly.
2. Mix in 1 T butter, salt, and 2 cups of flour.
3. Add one tablespoon of the fresh chopped rosemary.
4. Knead for about 10 minutes by hand or in food processor about 5 minutes until smooth and elastic.
5. Add more flour if necessary.
6. Oil a bowl, put dough in it and cover with a towel.
7. Let dough rise in a warm place for one hour until doubled.
8. Punch down dough and divide in half.
9. Let dough rest about 5 minutes.
10. Spray baking pan or cookie sheet with cooking spray.
11. Shape the dough into 2 small rounded oval loaves.
12. Sprinkle remaining 1 Tablespoon of rosemary over the loaves and press lightly into the surface.
13. Let loaves rise again until doubled, about 45 minutes.
14. Preheat oven to 375°F.
15. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until lightly browned.
16. Carefully remove from oven, brush with remaining butter (and salt if desired.)

And since I plan to use dried rosemary instead of fresh, I thought these notes would be helpful:

• I made this as directed with the exception of using dried rosemary instead of fresh (less in volume of course). The only thing I didn't like was that when I brushed the butter on after it came out of the oven, it got really soft and hard to cut. Next time I might try the egg white like other reviewers or maybe just try the butter on it before I bake it. I made two small loaves and the second one reheated beautifully a couple nights later! Just put it in the oven after I had taken the dinner out and turned the heat off. Took it out about 8-10 minutes later and it was crispy on the outside and warm and soft on the inside! I'll do this one again, just working on the topping to make it better!

• This bread is not only easy but super tasty! I put one tbsp of dried rosemary that I crushed into the bread and did not put any on the top as I was serving picky eaters and it turned out perfect for everyone's tastes! I made it the second time by adding three cloves of garlic, pressed and it was super tasty too! Thanks for a great recipe!

Some more helpful notes:

• Delicious! I've made this several times now, and I only do one thing differently. In lieu of brushing with butter, I brush it with egg whites for the last 5 minutes or so of baking. Someone suggested that and I've found it helps keep the crust crispy.

• Awesome Bread! I did add a tsp of olive oil, 1 tbsp garlic powder and 1 tsp onion powder to the recipe as well as increasing the salt by 1/2tsp or so. Came out wonderful. I did the egg wash with one loaf. looks a lot like the picture! beautiful. I tried the water bath on the other, didnt make my bread crispy though. As others have said the dough was pretty sticky. I refrained from adding addl flour because I was using all purpose flour and didnt want the bread to become too dense. It was perfect. I used dried rosemary and 1 tbsp was plenty I think. Delicious. Will be using this basic ingredient list for other breads as well.

• Love this quick, easy and awesome flavored bread! I made this by hand and ended up using 3 1/2 cups of flour at the end of kneading, I coated top of loaf with sea salt & rosemary after brushing with butter/olive oil mixture. One loaf has been saved to use in Panzanella mid week. The only different thing I will do next time to achieve a fuller loaf is to bake in a round casserole dish.
  

Bagels!

bagels

Ingredients

• 4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (I wound up using less than entire amount)
• 2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast (4.5 t of yeast)
• 1 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C) (I went slightly higher since it was mixed with the flour)
• 3 tablespoons white sugar
• 1 tablespoon salt (kosher)
• 1 tablespoon white sugar - to add to boiling water

Directions

1. In large bowl, combine 1-1/2 cups flour and yeast. Mix water, 3 tablespoons sugar and salt together, and add to the dry ingredients. Beat with a mixer for half a minute at a low speed, scraping the sides of the bowl clean. Beat at a higher speed for 3 minutes. Then, by hand, mix in enough flour to make a moderately stiff dough.
2. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic (8-10 minutes). Cover, let rest for 15 minutes. (I wound up incorporating more flour while kneading, but still not entire amount called for in recipe)
3. Cut into 12 portions, shape into smooth balls. Poke a hole in the center with your finger, and gently enlarge the hole while working the bagel into a uniform shape. Cover, let rise 20 minutes. (I made 8 bagels instead - they were a good size. I let them rise in the oven (unheated) for an hour instead of the 20 minutes)
4. Meanwhile, start a gallon of water boiling. Put 1 tablespoon of sugar in it, mix it around a bit. Reduce to simmering.
5. When the bagels are ready, put 4 or 5 bagels into the water (3 at a time MAX!), and cook 7 minutes, turning once. Drain them. Place on a greased baking sheet (I used parchment paper instead of grease), and bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 30 to 35 minutes (here is where I went wrong - I set the oven for 350 instead. They were okay - on par with a Lenders bagel from the freezer case. Baked them for 35 minutes even though I had gone through the broiling step which was supposed to reduce cook time.) Remove from oven, eat hot or cold.
6. Broiling option: For a glossier surface, place raised bagels on an ungreased baking sheet (I used parchment paper) prior to boiling them. Broil them five inches from heat for 1 to 1-1/2 minutes on each side. Then put them into the hot water to be boiled as above. Note: do not bake broiled bagels as long as non-broiled ones, 25 minutes should be long enough.

Biscotti

I hate licorice - haaaaaaaate it. Traditionally, this recipe would also include 3 Tbs anise seed added to the batter with the vanilla. I just skip it. The original recipe - my father's mother's - calls for toasted slivered almonds - you can sub nearly anything (within reason) ... chocolate chips work great! When my grandmother tried them she was slightly horrified that they didn't have anise or almonds, but when she tasted them she liked them!

1/2 lb (2 sticks) unsalted butter
1.75 C sugar
6 eggs
2 T vanilla
2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
6 C Flour
1/2 lb toasted slivered almonds (I am using 6 oz chopped toasted almonds)

Preheat oven to 325. Cream the butter and sugar, then add eggs gradually, then vanilla. Combine the flour, salt and baking powder and add to creamed sugar mixture. Shape the dough into 2 loaves (with oil on your hands.) Bake until light brown - about 20 minutes. Slice loaves while hot with a saw (?) knife at an angle. Toast both sides under broiler until light brown. (I have skipped the broiler toasting before and it's still tasty!)

Toasted Almonds

Preheat oven to 350 - spread chopped/slivered/whatever almonds in single layer on ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden.