Knock You Naked Brownies

Posted on May 23, 2012 by Emily

These chocolate-caramel brownies come from Ree Drummond’s new book The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Food From My Frontier. I’ve tried a couple of different, yet similar recipes, and so far this is my favorite. Check out the book for set-by-step photographic instructions. Unfortunately, no origin story is provided for the name!

Ingredients

1/3 cup plus 1/2 cup evaporated milk
One 18.5 oz box German chocolate cake mix
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
1 cup finely chopped pecans
60 caramels
1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup powdered sugar, sifted

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9 x 9 inch baking pan.
Begin by pouring 1/3 cup evaporated milk into a bowl with the cake mix.
Add the melted butter.
Add the chopped pecans. (I skipped this step, though I do have visions of later stirring chopped peanuts into the caramel for a Snickers-like experience.)
Mix the ingredients together.
Divide the dough in half down the middle.
Press one half of the dough into the bottom of the pan to make the first brownie layer.
Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until set, then remove it from the oven and set aside.
While the brownie layer is baking, in a double boiler, combine the caramels and 1/2 cup evaporated milk.
Stir occasionally until the caramels are totally melted and the mixture is smooth.
Pour the caramel mixture over the first baked layer, spreading it so that it’s evenly distributed.
Sprinkle the chocolate chips all over the top.
On a clean surface or sheet of wax paper, press the remaining brownie dough into a square shape slightly smaller than the baking pan. (I thought this was the hardest step.)
Carefully set it on top of the chocolate chips. (OK, this was actually the hardest step!)
Bake for 20-25 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and let the brownies cool to room temperature. Cover the pan and refrigerate the brownies for several hours to allow them to set.
When you’re ready to serve them, sprinkle them generously with the powdered sugar and cut them into large rectangles before removing them from the pan.

Memorial Day

Posted on May 20, 2012 by Pat S

Memorial Day is the first holiday of the year where you can comfortably party outside. It’s the party that signals the start of summer. Every family seems to have one person who claims the title of Grill master. There is an art to grilling and if you’d like to do more on your grill then just cook hamburgers, then check out some of these titles:

1,001 best grilling recipes: delicious, easy-to-make recipes from around the world by Rick Browne

The complete idiot’s guide to grilling by Don Mauer

Fearless guide to grilling by Reece Williams

Easy grilling: simple recipes for outdoor grills

Betty Crocker grilling made easy: 200 sure-fire recipes from America’s most-trusted kitchens

So fire up that grill, and enjoy the great outdoors!

May is National Salad Month

Posted on May 1, 2012 by Pat S

One of my favorite crowd pleasers to take to a picnic is the 7- Layer Salad. I use the recipe below from Allrecipes.com.

7- Layer Salad

Ingredients

1 pound bacon
1 large head iceberg lettuce – rinsed, dried, and chopped
1 red onion, chopped
1 (10 ounce) package frozen green peas, thawed
10 ounces shredded Cheddar cheese
1 cup chopped cauliflower
1 1/4 cups mayonnaise
2 tablespoons white sugar
2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Crumble and set aside.
In a large flat bowl, place the chopped lettuce and top with a layer of onion, peas, shredded cheese, cauliflower and bacon.
Prepare the dressing by whisking together the mayonnaise, sugar and Parmesan cheese. Drizzle over salad and refrigerate until chilled.

Makes 12 Servings

For Additional Salad recipes try these books:

Salad As A Meal : Healthy Main-Dish Salads For Every Season By Patricia Wells

Salads : Innovative Main Courses, Appetizers, Desserts, And More by Peter Gordon

Best Ever Red Velvet Cake with Red Velvet Cake Frosting

Posted on April 24, 2012 by Cindy

I wanted to make special cupcakes for my granddaughter’s Emma’s birthday, last week, so the search was on, for a new recipe. When the title , “Best Ever Red Velvet Cake” caught my eye, I decided that this was the one! I will have to say, that I made 24 of the best red velvet cupcakes ever. I can’t wait to make a layer cake next time. Instead, of cream cheese frosting, I used a recipe called the, Red Velvet Cake Frosting. This frosting was not only fluffy and delicious but made the red velvet cupcakes look gorgeous,also.

Author: Divas Can Cook – Monique

Ingredients

2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1 teaspoon of salt
2 Tablespoon of unsweetened, cocoa powder
2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoon of vanilla
1-2 oz. red food coloring
1 teaspoon of white distilled vinegar
1/2 cup of prepared plain hot coffee (don’t skip this ingredient)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, cocoa powder and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine the sugar and vegetable oil.
Mix in the eggs, buttermilk, vanilla and red food coloring until combined.
Stir in the coffee and white vinegar.
Combine the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients a little at time, mixing after each addition, just until combined.
Generously grease and flour two round cake pans with crisco and flour.
Pour the batter evenly into each pan.
Bake in the middle rack for 30-40 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Do not over bake as cake will continue to cook as it cools.
Let cool on a cooling rack until the pan are warm to the touch.
Slide a knife or offset spatula around the inside of the pans to loosen the cake from the pan.
Remove the cakes from the pan and let them cool.
Frost with cream cheese frosting when the cakes have cooled completely. (or frosting of your choice).

THE RED VELVET CAKE FROSTING

1 c. granulated sugar (I use pure Cane sugar)
1 tsp. vanilla
3 tbsp. flour
1 c. butter
1 c. vitamin D whole milk (don’t substitute)

Instructions: Cook flour and milk ion low temperature, stirring constantly. Cool. Cream sugar, butter and vanilla until as fluffy as possible. Beat cooked mixture with creamed ingredients until fluffy.

I doubled this recipe to frost 24 cupcakes.

This icing must stay refrigerated, will fall apart at room temperature.

Cooking on the Web

Posted on April 14, 2012 by phyllis

Cook Books are Great but don’t forget these food websites and blogs!

Some of the websites and blog creators have written cookbooks which you can find on the library shelves. In most sites you can create an account where you can save your favorite recipes and create a shopping list. The number of blogs and websites can be overwhelming. During a recent Friday Chat at the Amelia Branch we talked about some of the popular sites. Here are just a few:

All Recipes

Search the website or sign up for a free account where you can save your favorite recipes, create and save shopping lists and get cooking questions answered. You can search this site by dishes, meals, ingredients and lifestyle. Most recipes include a photo with the capability to change the recipe to reflect the number of servings you need. Nutritional information is also included at the bottom of the recipe. All Recipes can also be viewed by video on YouTube.

Kraft Recipes

Many of the big food companies have a website with recipes that can be made with their products.

Both Kraft and Nestle, are among the companies that have a website with recipes for their food brand. You can browse by meals, categories and featured collection. As with other sites you need a free account to save your favorite recipes or create a shopping list. You do not need an account to browse and print recipes. Nutritional information is included with the recipes.

Steamy Kitchen

The Steamy Kitchen is both a blog and website created by professional recipe developer, Jaden Hair. She specializes in fast, fresh and easy recipes. She is also the author of the Steamy Kitchen: 101 Asian Recipes Simple Enough For Tonight’s Dinner. You can search the site by category, holiday, and ingredient. The instructions are accompanied by large, clear and appealing photos. She also adds other related recipes you might like. For fun I made the Steak with Orange Miso Sauce. My grocery store does not sell the Miso product that was called for so I did a quick google search for a substitute. My google research suggested using 1 teaspoon of soy sauce for each Tablespoon of Miso which worked well. The recipe was simple to make and delicious. With a little foresight and a trip to the Asian store I will make it again.

Orange Miso Steak Recipe

Servings: serves 4 Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 20 minutes

From The Steamy Kitchen blog

Pan seared steak with a simple pan sauce made with fresh orange juice and miso.

Ingredients:

FOR THE STEAK
2 ribeye steaks, bone-in, 1-inch thick
2 teaspoons cooking oil
1 teaspoon salt FOR THE SAUCE
¾ cup beef stock
2 tablespoons Miso and Easy (substitute 1 tablespoon red miso paste)
1 tablespoon mirin (Japanese sweet rice wine)
1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
juice of half an orange

Directions:

1) Let steak rest at room temperature for 15 minutes. Rub both sides of each steak with cooking oil and season with salt.
2) Heat an oven-safe pan (cast iron preferred) over high heat. When very hot, add steaks to the pan and let cook until browned, 3-5 minutes. Flip steaks and cook an additional 3-5 minutes. Transfer to a clean plate.
3) Reduce heat to medium-low then add beef stock, Miso and Easy, mirin and sesame oil, cook 1 minute. Add orange juice then add the steaks back to the pan and cook until desired doneness. Test doneness with a meat thermometer:
135F = rare
145F = medium rare
160F = medium
170F = well-done
4) Serve steak with pan sauce drizzled on top.

Smitten Kitchen

Rated best blog in 2011. Created by freelance writer and serious foodie Deb Perelman who does her cooking in her small New York City Kitchen. She calls her recipes “comfort foods stepped up a bit” Each recipe has step by step instructions with photos. I made the recipe “Buttermilk Roast Chicken”. The directions were easy to follow and the chicken was moist and tender.

Tasty Kitchen

The Tasty Kitchen is a blog and website with a link to The Pioneer Woman who has her own blog and Food Network TV show. The site is relatively free of ads. The recipe photos are clear, up close, and colorful.

If you like to bake check out these blogs:

Annie’s Eats

The creator of this blog is a physician by day and a baker by night. While there are several ads on the right side of the page this site is easy to search by category, or title. There is also a Blog roll which links to other blogs.

Food Librarian

Librarian by day and baker by night the creator of this blog writes about her progress in learning to bake from scratch. Her recipes are a work in progress categorized by type of baked good. If a recipe is not listed a citation to the cookbook or link to the website is listed. A unique feature of this blog is the jello page with everything you want to know about jello with recipes.

Chinese Tea Eggs

Posted on April 1, 2012 by Pat S

I found a website called www.lifehacker.com that had the prettiest Colored Tea Eggs that would be perfect for Easter. When peeled, the hard-boiled eggs resembled cracked marbled eggs in a variety of vibrant colors. (For a picture of the eggs just click on the website link.)

The websites author states:

“Jayne, the chef behind culinary blog Barefoot Kitchen Witch, decided to mix things up this Easter by combining the tradition of dying Easter eggs with the traditional method of preparing Chinese tea eggs:

I’d seen recipes in a couple of my Asian cookbooks for Chinese Tea Eggs, a typical street snack found in parts of China. Basically what you do is hard-boil your eggs normally, and then, when they’ve cooled enough to handle, roll the eggs around on a hard surface to crack them. You don’t want to crack them too hard – you still want the shell to stay on the egg. But you want to develop a nice overall cracked look.

The old-fashioned way to finish the recipe involves reboiling the eggs in a mixture of salted water infused with soy sauce to give the eggs a dark crackled ceramic appearance. Jayne reboiled them in water colored with gel food coloring. The colors seep through the cracks in the eggshell, leaving behind the colorful veining you see in the picture above. Have a nifty kitchen chemistry trick of your own, Easter-related or otherwise? Sound off in the comments below.”

This will definitely be on my to-do list for Easter!

3-2-1 Cake

Posted on March 22, 2012 by Pat S

I received an email the other day that really intrigued me. Included in the message was a recipe for 3-2-1 cake. I love cake, but know from experience that if I make a cake I will eat the whole thing. This recipe is for a one serving cake, perfect for me!

3-2-1 cake

1 box of angel food cake mix

1 box of cake – your choice of flavor

In a large container with a lid (or a gallon ziplock baggie), combine the two cake mixes and mix together well.
Close container and store till needed.

Cake instruction

In a small bowl or mug, add:

3 Tablespoons cake mixture.
2 Tablespoons water
Microwave for 1 minute

How simple is that? You can have a warm piece of cake in less than 3 minutes! This recipe is great for portion control and you can get creative on what you want on top. I have sprinkled the top with cinnamon or added a dollop of whipped cream. The choice is all yours and the possibilities are endless!

Layered Peanut Butter Krispie Treats

Posted on March 15, 2012 by Cindy

Rice Krispies treats are a dessert staple, but sometimes you need a way to add zing to your treats and step out of the plain Krispies rut. This delightful layered treat does take more, time and effort, but the results are well worth it!

1st Layer – Krispie Treat Layer

3 cups Rice Krispies

1/2 bag (10.5-oz) miniature marshmallows

2 Tbs unsalted butter

1/3 cup creamy peanut butter *optional

2nd Layer – Peanut Butter Fudge

1/2 cup butter (1 stick)

1/2 cup smooth peanut butter

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 to 1 3/4 cups powdered sugar

mini Peanut Butter cups

3rd Layer – Krispie Treat Layer

3 cups Rice Krispies

1/2 bag (10.5-oz) miniature marshmallows

2 Tbs unsalted butter

4th Layer – Peanut Butter Ganache

Generous 1 cup creamy peanut butter

2 cups chocolate, chopped

Directions:

Spray a 9 x 13 pan with cooking spray, or alternatively grease pan with butter

Measure cereal into a large mixing bowl, set aside. Melt the marshmallows and butter (along with peanut butter if using) together in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Pour the melted marshmallow mixture over the cereal mixture, quickly stirring well to evenly coat the cereal. Pour the cereal mixture into the prepared pan and press evenly into the pan. Set aside while preparing Peanut Butter Fudge Layer.

Combine the butter and peanut butter in a 4-quart microwave-safe bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Microwave 2 minutes on high. Stir and microwave on high for an additional 2 minutes. (Use caution when removing this mixture from the microwave, it will be very hot.) Add the vanilla and powdered sugar to the peanut butter mixture and stir to combine with a wooden spoon.

Alternatively, prepare fudge on the stove, melting butter and peanut butter over medium heat. Add the vanilla and powdered sugar to the peanut butter mixture and stir to combine with a wooden spoon. If mixture is very thin, add a little extra powdered sugar.

Spread the fudge over the 1st layer of Krispie treats and scatter the mini peanut butter cups over the top, pushing cups into the fudge. Refrigerate until cool and firm enough to handle second layer of treats, about 1 hour.

Prepare-After fudge is somewhat firm, prepare second layer of Krispies. Measure cereal into a large mixing bowl, set aside. Melt the marshmallows and butter together in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Pour the melted marshmallow mixture over the cereal mixture, quickly stirring well to evenly coat the cereal. Drop the cereal mixture in “dollops” over the prepared fudge, pressing the cereal together and slightly into the fudge.

Melt- to prepare the ganache, melt the peanut butter and chocolate either in a microwave, stirring often, or over a double boiler on the stove, also stirring often, over low heat. When the chocolate and peanut butter are fully melted, cool slightly and then pour over the Krispie treats, smoothing with the back of a wooden spoon. Give the pan a shake to evenly distribute the melted chocolate mixture.

Cool-allow to cool *for those of us who are impatient place treats in the fridge for about 1/2 hour until the ganache is set.

Remove from pan and serve.

Caramel Apple Pizza

Posted on March 8, 2012 by Cindy

Who doesn’t like caramel apples? Since the weather has been so gloomy, I thought it would be a good time to spread a little cheer, by sharing my two favorite caramel apple pizza recipes. The first one, is made using a sugar cookie crust, with the delightful addition of peanut butter. The second recipe’s crust, is made from packaged puff pastry. Both pizzas are topped with homemade caramel syrup. Kids and adults alike, will love these tasty gooey treats.

Recipe # 1

Ingredients

1 tube (16-1/2 ounces) refrigerated sugar cookie dough
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons milk
4 cups sliced peeled tart apples
1 can (12 ounces) lemon-lime soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
caramel syrup
1/3 cup chopped peanuts or pecans

Directions

Press cookie dough into a greased 14-in. pizza pan. Bake at 350° for 15-18 minutes or until deep golden brown. Cool on a wire rack. Run a large flat spatula under crust to loosen from pan.
In a bowl, beat the cream cheese, peanut butter, brown sugar and milk until smooth. Spread over the cooled crust. In a bowl, combine the apples and soda; drain well. Toss apples with cinnamon; arrange over cream cheese. Drizzle with the caramel topping and sprinkle with peanuts or pecans. Cut into wedges. Yield: 8-10 servings

* If you’re running short on time, you can substitute by using ½ cup, of your favorite caramel ice cream topping.

Caramel Syrup

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1/3 cup corn syrup
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1/3 cup whipping cream
1 Teaspoon rum extract or vanilla

Directions

In 1-quart saucepan, heat brown sugar, corn syrup and butter to boiling over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
Cook 5 to 7 minutes, stirring constantly, until thickened; remove from heat.
Cool about 30 minutes. Stir in whipping cream and rum or vanilla extract.

Makes two 10 inch pizzas, 6 servings each

Recipe # 2

Ingredients

Makes two 10 inch pizzas, 6 servings each

4 medium cooking apples, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 package (3 oz) cream cheese, softened

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 package (17.3 oz) frozen puff pastry, thawed

1 cup chopped nuts, toasted

Directions

Heat oven to 400°F. Line 2 cookie sheets or pizza pans with foil or cooking parchment paper. Make caramel syrup.
In medium bowl, mix apples and lemon juice. Stir in granulated sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg.
In small bowl, beat cream cheese with electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla on medium speed until blended.
Roll each sheet of pastry into 10-inch square on foil-lined pizza pan or cookie sheet. Cut each pastry square into 10-inch circle. Place scraps in center; roll into pastry.
Spread half of cream cheese mixture over each pastry round. Arrange apple slices on cream cheese. Sprinkle with nuts. Drizzle about 1/4 cup caramel syrup over each pizza.
Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until puffy and golden brown. Pour remaining caramel syrup over hot pizzas. Serve warm.

* If you’re running short on time, you can substitute by using, ½ cup, of your favorite caramel ice cream topping.

Caramel Syrup

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1/3 cup corn syrup
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1/3 cup whipping cream
1 Teaspoon rum extract or vanilla

Directions

In 1-quart saucepan, heat brown sugar, corn syrup and butter to boiling over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
Cook 5 to 7 minutes, stirring constantly, until thickened; remove from heat.
Cool about 30 minutes. Stir in whipping cream and rum or vanilla extract.

The Unoffical Hunger Games Cookbook

Posted on March 2, 2012 by Pat S

unofficial hunger games cookbook

Suzanne Collins wrote the book, Hunger Games in 2008. Since then it has rarely sat idle on the libraries bookshelves. Book chat groups, library patron’s young and old have requested to read it and on March 23rd 2012, it will hit the big screens. Are you prepared? How about hosting a Hunger Games party and then trekking to the theaters for the first showing? Out of ideas? Well have I got a book for you! The Unofficial Hunger Games Cookbook by Emily Ansara Baines arrived at the library in December of 2011 and it is full of recipes with quirky names like: Creamy Bashed Potatoes, Katniss’s Craved Cheese Buns, and Peeta’s Cinnamon Bakery Bread to name just a few.

Katniss’s Craved Cheese Buns – yields 1 dozen buns

Ingredients:

2 cups Bisquick

½ teaspoon garlic powder

¼ cup sugar

2/3 cup milk

¾ cup sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded

½ cup (1 stick) butter

½ teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning

½ teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 450⁰F. Grease a cookie sheet.

2. Mix Bisquick, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, sugar, milk, and cheese until well blended.

3. Drop by spoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet.

4. Bake 8 – 10 minutes.

5. In a microwave bowl, combine butter, ½ teaspoon of each: garlic powder, Old Bay season, and kosher salt. Heat in microwave for 30 seconds, until butter is melted.

6. Generously brush tops of biscuits with butter mixture.