Chocolate Carmalua

by penji1

THIS WAS SO GOOD!  SERIOUSLY!  The recipe looks a little complicated but it wasn’t too bad so don’t be scared.  If you are a chocolate lover like I am then I say you must make this!  🙂  It comes from the Mrs Fields I Love Chocolate! Cookbook and it is a flourless cake.

cake:

3 1/2 sticks (1 3/4 cups) unsalted butter

1 1/4 cups sugar

2 tablespoons instant espresso granules, dissolved in 1 cup hot water (I left the coffee out, wanted to go for the straight chocolate flavor the first time around but if you do that remember that you still need to add the water)

10 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped (I used a mixture of both since I didn’t have enough of one kind)

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped

6 large eggs

6 large egg yolks

2 teaspoons vanilla

chocolate caramel glaze:

1/2 cup sugar

3 tablespoons water

1/2 cup heavy cream, scalded (to scald the cream, bring to almost a boil in a saucepan and then remove from heat)

4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened

2 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

1 tablespoon coffee liqueur (left this out too)

1  Preheat oven to 325.  Butter an 8 1/2″ springform pan and wrap the outside of the pan tightly with aluminum foil.

2  Make the cake:  In a heavy medium saucepan, combine the butter, sugar and coffee mixture.  Cook over medium low heat, stirring frequently, until the sugar is dissolved, about 10 minutes.  Add the semisweet and unsweetened chocolates and stir until melted and smooth.  Remove the pan from the heat.

3  In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and egg yolks.  Whisk in the chocolate mixture (just a note from me here, make sure the chocolate is cooled a bit or it will cook the eggs) and vanilla until well blended.  Pour the batter into the prepared pan.  Place the pan on a baking sheet and bake for 55 minutes, or until the edges crack slightly but the center is not completely set.  (Another note from me, I cooked until there were cracks on edges and center was not set but the center was way underdone when we cut into it so let it cook until the center jiggles just slightly and not a lot.)  Set the pan on a wire rack to cool completely.  (The cake will sink as it cools.)

4  Prepare the Chocolate Caramel Glaze:  In a small heavy saucepan,  dissolve the sugar in the water over low heat, stirring constantly.  Bring to a boil over medium high heat, then let boil without stirring until the syrup turns a deep amber color.  While the syrup is boiling, brush down the sides of the pan from time to time with a wet pastry brush to prevent crystals from forming.  Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the hot cream (be careful, it will bubble rapidly).  Continue stirring, over low heat if necessary, until the caramel is dissolved into the cream (I had to use a whisk here to make that happen).  Add the butter and the chocolate and stir until smooth.  Stir in the coffee liqueur.  Cool to room temperature.  Pour the glaze over the cooled cake, cover the springform pan with plastic wrap and chill 4 – 6 hours.

5  Run a knife around the edge of the cake to loosen it from the sides of the springform and remove the sides of the pan.  Transfer the cake to a serving plate and dust with powdered sugar if desired.

DELICIOUS!

Caramel Apple Crisp

by penji1

A Betty Crocker recipe which needed a few adjustments as noted below.

1/2 cup caramel topping

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

6 large baking apples (about 2 3/4 pounds), peeled, cut into 1/2″ slices (about 6 cups)

2/3 cup flour

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup cold butter, cut into small pieces (this was not enough butter, I would go with 1 stick or maybe even 1 1/2 sticks)

2/3 cup quick cooking oats

1/2 cup pecans (the recipe didn’t call for nuts but I added them in for the crunch)

1  Heat oven to 375.

2  In large bowl, stir together caramel topping and cinnamon until blended.  Add apples, toss until evenly coated.  Spread in ungreased 8″ square glass baking dish.  (The 8″ square pan wasn’t big enough for all the apple slices that I ended up with so I went with an 11 7″ pan, you could also use a 9 x 13″.)

3  In same bowl, mix 2/3 cup flour and brown sugar.  Cut in butter, using pastry blender (or pulling 2 knives through mixture in opposite directions), until mixture looks like coarse crumbs.  Stir in oats and nuts if desired.  Crumble mixture over apples in baking dish.

4  Bake 45 – 50 minutes or until apples are tender and topping is golden brown.  If desired, serve with whipped cream and additional caramel topping.

Green Beans with Garlic Butter and Walnuts

by penji1

These were a big hit, another Betty Crocker recipe.

1 (14 oz) bag frozen whole green beans

2 tablespoons butter

1 small red bell pepper, cut into very thin strips

1 clove garlic, pressed

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt

Cook green beans as directed on bag.  In skillet, melt butter over medium high heat.  Cook pepper and garlic in butter 2 – 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until pepper is crisp tender.  Stir in nuts and cook until hot.  Add beans and sprinkle with salt.  Cook and stir just until heated.

Bacon Cornbread Stuffing

by penji1

Good combination of flavors in this stuffing, both sweet and savory, from Betty Crocker.

4 slices bacon, cut in to 1/2″ pieces

1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup sweetened dried cranberries

2 1/4 cups water

4 cups seasoned cornbread stuffing crumbs

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon marjoram

Heat oven to 350.  Spray 8″ square pan with Pam.  In skillet, cook bacon until browned but not crisp.  Stir in pepper and onion.  Cook 3 – 4 minutes.  Stir in cranberries.  Add water and heat to boiling.  Remove from heat and stir in stuffing mix and spices.  Spoon into baking dish and cover with foil.  Bake 30 minutes or until heated through.

Classic Pan Gravy

by penji1

I don’t really like gravy but Bob does so I make it for him.  He said it came out great so we’ll have to take his word for it.  Not sure where the recipe came from, Betty Crocker maybe?

drippings from roasted turkey

1 cup liquid (turkey juices, broth, water)

2 tablespoons flour

After removing turkey from roasting pan, pour drippings (turkey juices and fat) into a measuring cup, leaving brown bits in pan.  Let drippings stand 5 minutes to allow fat to rise.  Skim 2 tablespoons fat from top of drippings and return to pan then discard any remaining fat.  Add enough broth or water to remaining drippings to measure 1 cup.  Stir flour into fat in pan with wire whisk.  Cook over low heat, stirring constantly and scraping up brown bits, until mixture is smooth and bubbly.  Gradually stir in 1 cup drippings.  Heat to boiling, stirring constantly.  Boil and stir for 1 minute.

 

Watergate Salad

by penji1

I just love this stuff!  Probably because it’s more like dessert than salad.  This is another one of those recipes that I’ve had and made forever and just can’t remember where it originally came from.  I’ve always wondered why it’s called Watergate Salad, was it Richard Nixon’s favorite?  I need to look it up . . .

1 (4 serving size) package pistachio instant pudding and pie filling

1 (20 oz) can crushed pineapple in juice, undrained

1 cup miniature marshmallows

1/2 cup chopped pecans (left the nuts out this time)

1 1/2 cups (1/2 of 8 oz tub) thawed Cool Whip whipped topping

Mix pudding mix, pineapple, marshmallows and pecans until well blended.  Gently stir in Cool Whip.  Cover and refrigerate 1 hour or until ready to serve.

Diane’s Rolls

by penji1

This recipe comes from my sister-in-law Mary who got it from her sister (my other sister-in-law) Laurie who got it from her sister-in-law Diane, hence the name of this recipe (maybe we should call them sister-in-law rolls!).  This is my first time making rolls from scratch (the yeast always scares me) but these were actually pretty easy.  Mary was here for Thanksgiving a year or two ago and made them while I watched so I was a little more comfortable making them and I called her for recipe clarification today as well.  But, I did make them today in case they didn’t turn out so I could send Bob to the store to buy some rolls for tomorrow but they came out great!

3 tablespoons yeast (or 4 envelopes)

3 cups warm water

1/2 cup butter, melted

1/2 cup sugar

3 teaspoons salt

8 cups flour, divided

I used my Kitchen Aid with the dough hook so add yeast and warm water to mixing bowl and start mixing on low.  Keep mixing and add butter then sugar then salt.  Continue to mix, start adding flour, 4 cups first, 1 at a time, switching speed on mixer between fast and slow and then when the first 4 cups of flour are almost incorporated, start adding the last 4 cups of flour, still switching speed between fast and slow.  Mix until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and forms a mass in the center of the mixer bowl.  Spray a large plastic bowl with Pam and dump dough into bowl.  Cover bowl with plastic wrap sprayed with Pam and let sit until double in size.  Spray muffin pan or 9 x 13″ pan with Pam (I ended up using both muffin pans and 9 x 13″ pans).  Pull a piece of dough about the size of an egg or slightly smaller from bowl of dough and form into a smooth, round ball.  Place in pan.  When pan is full, cover with plastic wrap sprayed with Pam and let sit to rise until almost double in size.  Bake at 350 for about 25 minutes.  Brush melted butter on tops of rolls after taking out of oven if desired.

Make about 4 1/2 dozen.

Homemade Cranberry Orange Sauce

by penji1

I was at work one day down in Moab and the caterer made us a turkey dinner for lunch and he had a Cranberry Mandarin Orange Sauce that he served with the turkey and it was so good!  When I got home, I started experimenting until I found the taste I was looking for and here it is!  It is so pretty and yummy and so tasty on the turkey.

1 (12 oz) bag fresh cranberries

1 cup Mandarin Orange juice (from cans)

1 cup sugar

2 (11 oz) cans Mandarin Oranges

1/4 – 1/2 cup nuts such as walnuts (optional) (I left these out this time, I think I might be the only one here who likes them in the sauce)

Combine 1 cup Mandarin Orange juice and 1 cup sugar in medium saucepan and bring to a boil.  Add cranberries and return to a boil, stirring occasionally.  Let boil until skins of cranberries start to pop, which you will be able to hear and see.  Remove from heat and stir well to combine then carefully stir in Mandarin Oranges.  Let sit at room temperature until cool and the refrigerate until ready to serve.  (It always tastes better the second day so this year I made it a day ahead of time.)

Junk Muffins

by penji1

After Bob and I had dinner at Pizzeria 712, I came home and surfed around their websites for their restaurants and their blog and I think this recipe was on their blog.  If you google Pizzeria 712, you can find their websites and blogs.  I’ve been dying to try this recipe because I had the last few zucchini from our garden sitting on the counter and some perfect banana bread bananas in the freezer but just haven’t had a spare moment to make them until today.  For those of you who subscribe to my blog, buckle up because today and tomorrow there will be lots of new recipes posted for Thanksgiving!  Enjoy and Happy Turkey Day!

3 eggs

2 sticks butter, softened

2/3 cup packed brown sugar

1 cup sugar

2 cups grated zucchini (I run mine through the food processor until it is almost liquid)

3 bananas, mashed

2 teaspoons vanilla

3 1/2 cups flour

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup chocolate chips (I added an additional 1/2 cup, of course!)

1/2 cup sliced toasted almonds (Toasting nuts is super easy, just put in microwave in microwave safe bowl and cook on high at 30 second to 1 minutes intervals, stirring after each.  You’ll be able to tell when they are done because they start to brown slightly and become very fragrant.  I think this 1/2 cup of almonds took just under 3 minutes to toast.)

Bake at 325 for 18 minutes.

That’s all there is to their recipe so here’s what I did:  beat eggs first then add all remaining ingredients one by one in order listed, mixing well after each addition.  Add flour about a cup at a time.  Stir in chocolate chips and almonds by hand.

Makes 3 dozen.

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Island Cookies

by penji1

It is cold and wet and wintery here so perfect day for cookies and pajamas!  These are from “The Cookie Bible”.

1 2/3 cups flour

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/3 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 egg

1 3/4 cups (11.5 oz package) milk chocolate, semi sweet, white, butterscotch or miniature chocolate morsels or combination of any (I used half milk chocolate and half butterscotch)

1 cup flaked coconut, toasted if desired

1 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 375.  Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in small bowl.  Beat butter, brown sugar, sugar and vanilla in large mixer bowl until creamy.  Beat in egg.  Gradually beat in flour mixture.  Stir in morsels, coconut and nuts.  Drop by slightly rounded tablespoons onto greased baking sheets.  Bake for 8 – 11 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.  Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes then remove to wire racks to cool completely.   Makes about 3 dozen.