Monday, December 24, 2012
Posted by Megan /
12 comments » /
Appetizer, Baking, Beef, Biscoff, Breakfast, Cheesecake, Chicken, Chocolate, Cupcake, Dessert, Donuts, Fish, Fruit, Homemade, Pie, Pumpkin, Recipes, Sandwich, Seafood, Snack
Is anyone else experiences whiplash at the sheer speed of 2012′s passing? I know I am. It’s gone by a ferocious pace and the impending 2013 shows no signs of passing any slower.
It has been a year of not just tasty treats, but
big life milestones (getting married, NBD.) and I am so thrilled to have been able to share every
joy,
success, failure, baking flop and ridiculous
Huck photo with you all along the way. So many of these recipes have become instant traditions in our house and I hope that they will for you as well.
This year has covered everything from breakfast, to mac and cheese,
football food, to Biscoff and you name it in between. There are no heroes here, just yoga pants. Here are my favorite recipes of 2012, sure to please everyone!
I am wish you and yours the happiest of holidays and hope that 2013 is one for the record books. Thank you so much for all of your endless support and love. Here’s lookin’ at you, kid.
1. Black Forest Cupcakes
2. Pistachio Shortbread
3. DIY English Muffins
4. Coconut Curd
5. Salsa Verde Mac n’ Cheese
6. Biscoff Tiramisu
7. Baked Chicken Piccata
8. Red Velvet Rolls
9. Steakhouse Portobello Bacon Burger
10. Wanna Be Waldorf Salad
11. Ham and Cheese Breakfast Bake
12. Roasted Vegetables with Poached Egg
13. Copper River Salmon Burgers with Healthy Coleslaw
14. Fluffernutter Ice Cream with Peanut Butter Magic Shell
15. Chai Cheesecake Bars with Pumpkin Spice Ganache
16. Cranberry Dutch Apple Pie
17. Brown Butter Bundt Cakes
18. Breakfast Reuben Sandwiches with Pumpernickel English Muffins
19. Adobo Bacon Ranch Dip
20. Cantaloupe Bruschetta with Prosciutto and Balsamic Glaze
21. Homemade Marshmallows – like Egg Nog.
22. Baked Chicken and Waffles
23. Salted Caramel Donuts
24. Roasted Tomato and Brie Dip
25. Boston Cream Pie Pancakes
Friday, December 21, 2012
Things with chocolate, toffee and insane amounts of browned butter are best eaten amongst friends. Or crazy relatives. It is the Christmas season after all and we are preparing, if nothing else mentally, for the influx of quality family time and chaos. Hooray!!
Even with family chaos abound, family time is amazing time and one that should be relished wholly. And I firmly believe that our crazy is the new normal and we are so fortunate to each be surrounded by loved ones this year.
This year in particular, make sure that no one is left out in the cold. Keep an open door policy to those who might not be able to spend the holiday with their loved ones, due to distance, finances, or whatever the case may be. It’s a time to celebrate love above all.
And you know what else is surrounded by love? This toffee. By warm, cozy, chocolatey love. Love enveloping butter. It’s never an unfortunate thing.
With salt on top if you must know. For good measure.
Hello, Christmas fat pants.
To make sure that your POST-Christmas jeans will fit into the new year – BigKitchen wanted to make sure we could shimmy and shake into our skinny jeans and giveaway a Soehlne Digital Scale .
With a 5 pound capacity you will be able to weigh out your food – or for the cooks amongst us – weight out ingredients to all of you most important recipes. Weighing your ingredients is a far more accurate assessment of what you have on hand. Flour packed into a measuring cup incorrectly can fluctuate the actual measurements by almost 10%! And when you’re baking that adds up and can drastically alter your results.
So whether you’re weighing your food for portion control or weighing your ingredients for cooking – a digital scale is a necessity in the kitchen.
To Enter:
Tell me: (mandatory)
Are you going to have a new year’s resolution?
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Salted Butter Toffee with Walnuts
Yield: 100 1-inch pieces
Prep Time: 15
Cook Time: 20
Total Time: 35 MInutes
Ingredients:
1 pound Darigold butter
2-2/3 cups sugar
1/3 cup water
¼ cup corn syrup
½ cup Heath Toffee Bits of Brickle
2 cups chopped walnuts, divided
1 cup mini-chocolate chips
Sea Salt
Directions:
Instructions
Combine butter, sugar, water and corn syrup in a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat; stir constantly to dissolve the sugar and melt the butter. Bring the mixture to a boil, occasionally brushing down the sides with a wet pastry brush to prevent crystallization. Cook, stirring frequently, until mixture registers 300°F. on a candy thermometer. (Check frequently as temperature approaches 300°F, since it cooks quickly and can scorch.) Remove from heat. Add 1 cup nuts and stir to mix well. Pour onto an oiled or non-stick sprayed 18x12-inch baking sheet. Use a spatula or spoon to spread the mixture to an even thickness.
Cool for about 5 minutes and score into 1-inch squares using a large knife. Sprinkle chocolate chips over top of squares; as the chips begin to melt, spread evenly with knife or metal spatula over top of candy. Sprinkle with remaining chopped nuts. Sprinkle with sea salt before chocolate cools completely. Allow the toffee to cool completely. Break or cut where scored into 1-inch squares.
Makes about 100 1x1-inch squares.
Adapted from Darigold Brandied Butter Toffee
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Quite possibly one of the best and most simplistic things about being a kid is the utter joy of a marshmallow (or fifty) floating on top of hot cocoa. It’s like a cocoa hot tub and I can be that at least once you wanted to know what it was like to soak in that chocolate tub, too.
Life wouldn’t get any better. And the best part about marshmallows is that you can make them at home! And it’s almost hilariously simple. Just don’t let your kids do it alone, since it does involve molten hot corn syrup. It’s easy, but just use proper supervision.
Unlike the original egg white based marshmallows that can curdle when the molten syrup is added – the gelatin based version holds up really well and can withstand the extra heat.
Another key to successful homemade marshmallows is to make sure your stand mixer can handle 15 minutes of sustained of whipping on medium-high to high. This might not be an intense work for you – but your mixer will need to hold up during this and it will get a work out. Please monitor it to make sure it doesn’t overheat on you. The last thing you need is a busted stand mixer just before Christmas. Unless….you’re asking your hunny for a new one. Then by all means – whip away!
If you are in the market for a new stand mixer – this one, the 7-quart resisdential stand mixer from KitchenAid is pretty much the bee’s knees. It’s what I use in my kitchen for my high test jobs like intesny whipped marshmallows and hefty bread doughs that a smaller motor has a tendancy to struggle over. 1.3 horsepower, baby! Can I get a Tim Taylor grunt up in here?!
And with 11 wires on the whip attachment, these marshmallows will look like jet puffed little pillows!
Once your fluffy ‘mallow pillows are all set they are ready to be cut – and because it is Christmas, it is only right, reasonable and rational to bust out the mini Christmas cookie cutters and make them into your favorite shapes! Marshmallow snowmen? Yup. They’re ironic. And so fluffy.
Now go make yourself some ‘mallows and switch it up this holiday season to something fun and festive!
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Homemade Egg Nog Marshmallows
Yield: 50 square Marshmallows
Prep Time: 20
Cook Time: 15
Total Time: 35 Minutes + 2 Hours Rest Time
A Christmas Twist on a winter classic.
Ingredients:
3 packages unflavored gelatin
1 cup ice cold water, divided
12 ounces granulated sugar, approximately 1 1/2 cups
1 cup light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 ½ tsp Rum Extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 tsp Nutmeg
Dash Cloves
Dash Cinnamon
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
Nonstick spray
Ivory food coloring, optional*
Directions:
In stand mixer bowl outfitted with whisk attachment, combine ½ cup ice water with 3 packages of unflavored gelatin. Allow to bloom for 5 minutes.
In large saucepan, combine sugar, corn syrup, salt, rum extract, vanilla, nutmeg, cloves, and cinnamon and remaining ½ cup water. Whisk together. Turn on heat to medium high and using a candy thermometer whisk sugar/corn until it boils and reaches 240 Degrees F.
Turn stand mixer on low and begin to gently whisk gelatin. In a small, steady stream begin slowly pouring boiling corn syrup/sugar mixture into stand mixer. Once all the syrup is in the mixer, turn it on medium high and allow to beat for 15 minutes, or until the bowl is completely cool.
Spray a 13x9 inch baking dish with non-stick spray. In small bowl, combine corn starch and powdered sugar. Sprinkle ½ of corn starch/sugar mixture into the sprayed baking dish and coat the baking dish. Put remnants of sugar/starch back into the original bowl.
Once the marshmallow fluff has puffed up and cooled, turn off mixer and using a non-stick spray coated spatula scrape the marshmallow fluff into the baking dish. Using a non-stick spray coated spatula spread the marshmallow fluff to cover the whole baking pan. Sprinkle with some of the powdered sugar/corn starch mixture and pat to cover the top of the marshmallows until the top is no longer sticky. Let rest for 3 hours or even overnight uncovered.
To cut:
Remove sheet of cooled and set marshmallows from baking dish. Place on a cutting board or clean surface. Dip a sharp knife into corn starch/sugar mixture and cut the marshmallows int o strips and then cube. If desired, use cookie cutters to cut into seasonal shapes. Just dip the cutters into the corn starch/sugar mixture. The mallows will still be sticky.
When cut, roll into bowl of corn starch/sugar mixture and tap off excess. Set aside to set.
Sprinkle with additional nutmeg for garnish. Serve, eat, roast, or put in hot cocoa.
*NOTE* This involves molten sugar - PLEASE be careful and assist children.
Adapted from Alton Brown Marshmallows.
*fine print* I was given a 7-quart stand mixer by KitchenAid. I was not compensated for this post. All opinions are my own – and I freakin’ LOVE this thing. It’s a BEAST!
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
We’re winding down here folks on the 12 Days of Christmas – It’s only a week away?! How did this happen? We don’t even have our tree decorated yet. It’s up, sure. Lit? Yes. Decorated, nope. It’s a combination of lazy, busy, exhausted, “sure, its pretty with just lights on it” and “we’re not even going to be home for Christmas, what’s the point?”.
I’ll do it tomorrow. Probably.
That is if I don’t get roped into making another batch of these. Sure, I shared these with Ben. Somewhat unwillingly. They were so amazing, soft and the ooey gooey middle? Don’t even get me started here on the fluff filled insanity. Bar. Raised.
I never would have guessed how easy whoppie pies were to make. Seriously – so easy, and cakey. Egg nog flavored cake for the holiday win. It’s everything that holiday treats are all about.
And for the 11th day of Christmas I want to giveaway a fun and fancy Cuisinart Stick Blender to easy your holiday burden. Did you know you can make whipped cream with this thing? My mom enlightened me to this and it’s a life changer. Now, I have one for you!
Giveaway is now closed!!
The winner is ANNA B.!!
Thanks everyone for participating and keep your eyes peeled for new giveaways coming in the new year!
To Enter: (mandatory)
Tell me what is your favorite color?
Additional Entries: (optional)
Like Country Cleaver on Facebook
Share this giveaway on Facebook: “I wanna win a @Cuisinart Stick Blender for the holidays from @CountryCleaver http://ow.ly/gboB5 #giveaway ”
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Tweet the following: “I wanna win a @Cuisinart Stick Blender for the holidays from @CountryCleaver http://ow.ly/gboB5 #giveaway”
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Egg Nog Whoppie Pies
Yield: 24
Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cook Time: 10 Minutes
Total Time: 45 Minutes
Cakey whoppie pies with egg nog flavoring and rum flavored filling
Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed dark-brown sugar
1 large egg
1 cup whole Egg Nog
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
½ tsp Nutmeg
⅛ tsp ground Cloves
¼ tsp Cinnamon
Filling:
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/4 cups confectioners sugar
1 cup marshmallow cream such as Marshmallow Fluff
1 ½ tsp Rum Flavor
¼ tsp Vanilla Extract
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line two large baking sheets with parchment or Silicone liners.
Sift together flour, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, ground cloves and cinnamon into a bowl and set aside.
Combine butter, shortening, and sugars to stand mixer and beat until smooth and fluffy. Add in egg and beat for one minute. Add half the flour mixture, then the egg nog and vanilla; beat until combined. Add the remaining flour mixture. Beat together, scraping down sides of bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.
Drop 12 slightly rounded tablespoons of batter 2 inches apart on each baking sheet. Bake the cookies in the upper and lower thirds of oven, 10 minutes; switch baking sheets onto opposite racks, rotate and continue baking cookies 2 to 4 more minutes.
Remove baking sheets from oven and allow cookies to cool on sheets for about 10 minutes. Remove cookies from sheet and finish cooling on wire rack. Repeat process with the rest of the batter..
In stand mixer with clean bowl, beat together all filling ingredients until smooth and fluffy. Spread or pipe on flat sides of half the cookies.Top each with one of the remaining cookies, flat side down, and gently press together. Transfer pies to a tray.
Devour
Adapted from Martha Stewart
*fine print* This giveaway was furnished entirely on my own. Open to US residents only. Giveaway will end ON Christmas with the giveaway winner being e-mailed. They will have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be chosen. Over and out.
Friday, December 14, 2012
There is no such thing as too many holiday cookies. And if you say there is, then honestly I don’t know if we can be friends. Okay, we can, but I will probably be force feeding your cookies until the new year. Christmas cookies are the singular cookie that I live for, my Grandma’s in particular. One cookie she has – her Volcano cookies – are the stuff of legend. She spends days toiling in her kitchen to make these cookies, filled with a butter cream, rum and soaked cherries, rolled in sugar and topped with tempered chocolate. They are the most coveted of cookies.
The recipe has never left her clutches, it is her recipe and we depend on her every year for these coveted treats. Ohh holiday joy and recipe withholding, it’s what the holidays are all about. But now I’m making a slightly new cookie tradition - making stuffed cookies to my hearts content.
The stuffed cookie craze started with the first, original, un-toppable Oreo Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookie from Jenny of Picky Palate and it is a sight to behold. And one to devour, ferociously. Because well, it’s an Oreo stuffed into a chocolate chip cookie. Duh.
And since Oreos are the packaged cookie of all ouf our childhoods, it seemed appropriate to continue on with my Mint Oreo obsession and pay homage to them in the most obvious of ways – sammiching them in between double mint chocolate cookies. Like a cookie hug.
The mix was made extra chocolatey with Hershey’s cocoa powder. I remember my first time trying cocoa powder as a kid, sneaking it out of the pantry thinking I could get my chocolate fix in powder form, them realizing quite suddenly that cocoa powder and chocolate candies. Are. Not. the. Same. Thing.
But mix Hershey’s cocoa powder in with cookie dough and it is pure magic.
Two scoops of cookie dough were wrappeda round one Oreo, like said cookie hug, and the seams of the dough were sealed to make sure nothing escaped. After a stint in the oven, they were almost ready to go. Ben and I were so excited at the Mint Oreo Chocolate Overload, we divvied one up while it was still warm, devoured it with wreckless abandon and then commenced falling to the floor.
These are the Holy Trinity of cookies my friend. Chocolate, Chips, Mint, and Oreos. Okay, fine that’s four things – but you get my point. Four is better than three. And these are the bestest in the Westest. Truth.
To help celebrate all the baking of the holiday season Hershey’s Cookie Headquarters wants to make sure you get all your baking done with an entire Baking Bundle! This bundle is chock FULL of fabulous Hershey loot, including…
-
1 package Hershey Kisses
-
1 Hershey’s Cocoa Powder
-
1 bag Heath Bits of Brickle Toffee Pieces
-
1 bag Hershey’s Baking Melts
-
1 bag Hershey’s Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
-
and 1 Hershey Cookie Headquarter Apron.
Hershey knows chocolate and their Cookie Headquarters is the place to go for all of your cookie needs – with recipes using all your Hershey favorites, videos, contests, and holiday entertaining ideas so you can throw the best possible shindig this season.
GIVEAWAY CLOSED!
Winner is Ayesha! Check your e-mail hun, and respond ASAP!
Thanks everyone for participating.
To enter: (mandatory)
What is your favorite cookie?
Additional Entries: (Leave a separate comment for each of the following)
Like Hershey’s Kitchens on Facebook
Like Country Cleaver on Facebook
Share this giveaway on Facebook with “I want to bake myself into the holiday spirit with @Hershey’s Kitchens and @Wanna Be A Country Cleaver! They’re giving away a Baking Bundle of Hershey’s Chocolate for the holidays http://ow.ly/g6Be3 ”
Follow Hershey’s Kisses on Twitter
Follow Country Cleaver on Twitter
Share the following on Twitter – “I’m want to win a Hershey’s Baking Bundle from @HersheysKisses & @CountryCleaver ! http://ow.ly/g6Be3 #cookiehq ”
Pin to Win you favorite holiday cookie at Hershey’s Kitchen Bake, Pin and Win Contest!
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Double Chocolate Mint Oreo Stuffed Cookies
Yield: 24 Cookies
Prep Time: 15 MInutes
Cook Time: 12 Minutes
Total Time: 1 Hour
Ingredients:
1 Cup Butter, sliced into 2 Tbsp Pats
3/4 Cup Brown Sugar
1 Cup Sugar
2 Eggs
1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
3 1/2 Cups Flour
1 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Baking soda
3/4 cup Hershey's Cocoa Powder
1 cup Hershey's Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
1 cup Mint Baking Chips
1 bag Mint Oreos
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a stand mixer, beat sugars and butter until smooth, light and fluffy. Add in eggs, one at a time, mixing 30 seconds in between. Add in vanilla and combine throughly.
In a separete mixing bowl, whisk together flour, salt and baking soda and cocoa powder. One cup at a time, add flour mixture to stand mixer and beat to combine. Beat in chocolate chips and mint chips. Mix to combine.
Using a cookie scoop take two scoops of chocolate dough and place each scoop on opposites sides of one Oreo Cookie. Form chocolate dough around the Oreo and seal dough.
Place cookies onto parchment or SilPat lined baking sheet and bake for 11-13 minuts. Cool on pan for five minutes before removing to wire rack to cool completely.
Adapted from Picky Palate's Oreo Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookie
Thursday, December 13, 2012
There are some appliances are always on the “want” list but never seem to find their way to the “have” list. Well I’m here to tell you that this Calphalon 5-in 0n1 is one that needs to make the switch from being on the “want” list to be on the “OMGERD I HAVE TO HAVE THIS” list.
The versatility of the Calphalon 5-in-1 grill alone is what should put this baby on the top of your list. In two days, I had used it three times and I’m pretty sure if I make any more paninis I’ll have to join a faction of Panini Lovers Anonymous. But it doesn’t just make great paninis. It makes so much more.
If paninis aren’t your speed, then open up the grill to make it a lay flat griddle. Just flip the non-stick grill plates to their smooth side and you can make french toast, sausage bites, eggs and oh so much more!
I wanted to start thinking ahead to New Years eve appetizer ideas and my first thought was paninis in bite size form so that everyone could partake in small little bites without having to commit to full size sandwiches. And the flavor combinations are endless. How about a Brie, Pear and Fig Panini for the sweet lovers? Or a Bacon Brussels Sprout and Cheese Panini for the bacon fiend in your family?
My favorite, and Ben’s too, was the Cuban Panini with Black Forest ham, pulled pork and a sliced dill pickle in between. There were no words being spoken, just odd “Mmmm”, and “urhhh mahh gerdd” sounds. And I loved that since the top plate sat on a hinge – it ensured the the grill rested ON TOP of the sandwich instead of squishing out all the ingredients from the back to the front of the panini. Brilliance in panini engineering.
Once we were done devouring all of the panini samples and French toast and Sausage bites, clean up was an absolute breeze. The grill plates are non-stick AND Dishwasher Safe! Mind. Blown!
Now you can cook everything up at once and back to the party at hand! No fuss, no muss cleaning or worrying about the rest of the party carrying on with out you! It’s a win win for everyone involved.
*GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED*
THE WINNER IS: GINA OF HIYA LUV!
Thanks everyone for participating! And don’t forget there are two other giveaways going on now!!
Hershey’s Baking Bundle and Cuisinart Immersion Blender
Giveaway:
Calphalon understands the importance of quality, versatile products and wants to make your holiday a little brighter by giving away 1 (one) Calphalon 5-in-1 Grill and Panini Press! Make paninis or grilled burgers to your heart’s content, or open it up and use the griddle plates for a Saturday morning breakfast. The possibilities are endless.
To Enter: (mandatory)
Tell me what is your favorite panini?
Additional Entries: (optional)
Like Calphalon on Facebook
Like Country Cleaver on Facebook
Share this giveaway on Facebook: “I want to be a Grill Master with the @Calphalon 5-in-1 Grill and Panini Press from @Wanna Be A Country Cleaverhttp://ow.ly/g0rGu ”
Follow Calphalon on Twitter
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Tweet the following: “I wanna be a Grill Master with a @calphalon 5-in-1 Grill and Panini Press from @CountryCleaver http://ow.ly/g4HOy #giveaway”
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French Toast and Sausage Bites
Yield: 8
Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: 15 Minutes
Total Time: 25 Minutes
A great New Years Day brunch idea using the Calphalon 5-in-1 Grill and Panini Press.
Ingredients:
French Toast Bites:
1 Loaf Challah, cut into large chunks
4 eggs
1/4 cup Milk
1 tbsp Cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp Vanilla
Dash Nutmeg
Dash Cloves
Sausage Bites
1 pound Breakfast Sausage, chilled in 1" balls
Directions:
Heat griddle to 350 degrees. Spray with non stick spray.
Place sausage bites onto griddle or pan and fry until cooked through and browned on the outside. Turn often to ensure they keep a round form. When cooked through, remove from griddle and place on a paper towel lined plate to drain. Cover to keep warm or place in 200 degree oven to keep warm.
For French toast, whisk together egg, milk, vanilla and spices. Dip each Challah chunk into the egg and coat evenly. Place on griddle and cook until golden brown. Using tongs, rotate and cook french toast on all sides. Remove from griddle and plate.
If serving for brunch, set both plates of french toast and sausage out with long toothpicks for guests to make their own bites. Have syrup handy for a quick pour over the top.
*Fine Print* Giveaway open to US Residents only. Sorry international friends! Giveaway will end on December 20th and a winner will be chosen at random. They will have 48 hours to respond or forfeit prize to another winner. I was furnished with a Calphalon 5-in-1 grill to test and all opinions are my own. I love this thing!
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
I’m all but certain that the moment you opened your lunch box as a kid and found a couple of Oreos carefully wrapped and tucked inside by Mom, meant that it was the best day like, E.V.E.R. Or maybe that was just me. But Oreos are the one cookie, besides chocolate chip cookies, that define a childhood. Or at least mine. I’m not alone in this one am I?
My method of devourment? Well that depends on the Oreo. Obvi. If it’s Double Stuff – I take two, remove one side of the cookie from each and smash them together in true fat kid fashion to make a QUADRUPLE stuff. Hark, angels singing!
But if it’s a standard filled Oreo – my favorite is to go Chip and Dip style with an Oreo into a jar of Peanut butter and scoop out as much PB as the Oreo could handle before crumbling to dust. Yes, I did follow Lindsay Lohan down the dark path after she enlightened me on this Oreo Devourment method with her Parent Trap rehash back in what…’99?? Oh Lindsay…how far you’ve fallen.
FOOD BLOG COOKIE SWAP:
But that’s neither here nor there. With the Food Blogger Cookie Swap in full swing I had to spread my childhood love of this sammich cookie and bake up 3 dozen cookies all for a great cause – Cookies for Kids’ Cancer. There are hundreds of food bloggers, companies and generous people baking it up all for a good cause. This week is also COOKIE WEEK, where the usual suspects (Comfortably Domestic, Bakeaholic Mama, Inside Nana Bread’s Head, Decadent Philistines, Tenaciously Yours and all the rest) and I are cooking up additional treats to help raise even more funds. That’s how we roll…cookies that is.
I sent three dozen of these beauties to Stacy of Treats for Tatas, Renee of Retro Grannie Cooks, and a local lass, Ms. Nicole of Le Petite Baker! In return I received (and totally didn’t photograph because I was unhinging my jaw like a snake to devour all of the cookies as soon as I recieved them…classy) wonderfully fantastic cookies from Anne Nelson of Have a Cookie, Erin Heflin of Whip it Good, and Caramel Chocolate Cookies from Amy of Cake Star. Heaven, all of them.
OREOS:
Since the Oreos are more wafer like cookies, they were in definite need of rolling and lots of room to do it. A few weeks ago when Thanksgiving was in full swing and I was honing my pie making skillz, I shared with you my favorite way to roll out my pie crusts – using a SilPat and then inverting it over a pie plate and peeling the SilPat away so the pie crust falls so effortlessly into the pie tin. A baking sheet size SilPat was good – but I needed bigger. The ROUL’Pat is where it’s at.
Just imagine this beast at 23″ x 31″. Yeah, it’s big!
The Large Size Roul’Pat is a whopping 23″ by 31″ – big enough to cover your whole counter with a non-skid backing that will ensure you can roll your crusts and cookies instead of chasing them all over the counter tops. And since it’s a non-stick silicone mat, you don’t have to worry about covering your kitchen, your hair and your floors in copious amounts of flour dust. Everything rolls with minimal flour and releases like a dream.
For the 8th Day of Christmas, SilPat wants to give one lucky Country Cleaver reader a Roul’Pat to use for all your holiday baking needs.
*GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED*
WINNER IS: LEAH!!
Check your e-mail doll and Thanks to everone for participating!! Don’t forget to check out the other giveaways going on,
including:
Calphalon 5-in-1 Grill and Panini Press
Hershey’s Chocolate Baking Bundle
Cuisinart SmartStick Immersion Blender
–
ROUL’PAT GIVEAWAY:
How to Enter:
What is your favorite holiday cookie? (mandatory)
Additional Entries Optional: (leave a comment for each entry)
Follow SilPat on Twitter
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Tweet the following – “I ROUL with @mySilPat and @CountryCleaver this Christmas and want to roll my cookies in style with a ROUL’Pat! http://ow.ly/g1Jea ”
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Homemade Mint Oreos
Yield: 24
Prep Time: 15 Minutes + 20 Minutes Rest Time
Cook Time: 12 Minutes
Total Time: 1 Hour
The classic cookie, done at home.
Ingredients:
Oreos:
½ cup Butter, room temperature
½ cup Sugar
1 Egg
1 cup + 2 Tbsp Cocoa Powder
1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp Flour
Mint Filling:
½ cup Butter, room temperature
1 2/3 cup Powdered Sugar
½ tsp Vanilla Extract
½ tsp Peppermint Extract
Pinch of Salt
1-2 tsp Milk
Green Food coloring
Directions:
In stand mixer, beat together butter and sugar until creamy. Add in egg and beat until incorporated. Scrape down sides of bowl. With mixer set to low, slowly add in cocoa powder and flour. Mix until thoroughly incorporated and mix is even. Split dough into two and wrap each ball of dough in plastic wrap. Flatten dough into disk and fridge and cool for at least 20 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On a floured surface, roll out dough one disk at a time – to 1/8” thickness. Using a 1 ½” circle cookie cutter, cut out cookies and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Reroll dough if necessary to use all dough. Bake for 12 minutes. Let cookies remain on baking sheet for a couple of minutes and then remove to finish cooling on wire rack.
For filling:
In stand mixer, beat together butter, vanilla and peppermint extract. Add in salt. With mixer set to low, add in powdered sugar. Add in one teaspoon of milk and slightly thin frosting. Mix in green food color. Spread frosting onto cookie and sandwich together. Enjoy!
Inspired by Martha Stewart Wafer Cookies
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*Fine Print* I was given a Roul’Pat to try out and review by SilPat. All opinions are my own. I have a small SilPat and use the daylights out of it. This work-station Roul’Pat is amazing! Really, really. The giveaway will end 12/19/12. *giveaway is for US residents only. Sorry international friends* Winner will be chosen randomly and will have 48 hours to respond or forfeit prize and another winner wil be chosen. Over and out.
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
As much as I am all for the peppermint laden treats to roll in – I love them, I really do, it doesn’t seem like Christmas to me until I’ve had my fix of oranges. The little ones particularly. I love a good seedless satsuma and will eat them until my fingers are as orange from the peel as a Cheeto-binger’s are from Cheeto dust.
I always remembered when Christmas time came along and we received our box full of Florida oranges from my great uncle Bill – THAT was the moment I knew Christmas had arrived. Now that Uncle Bill is gone, it leaves my heart hanging just a tad this year, because the predictable and comforting box of oranges doesn’t grace our doorstep every holiday season.
When my copy of Jessica Segarra’s (The Novice Chef), new cookbook – 100 Mini Donuts – arrived on my door, I ripped the packaging open with a little, perhaps, too much gusto and started flipping my way through it immediately. It’s a THING OF BEAUTY!
I met Jessica earlier this year here in Seattle and we became fast friends. She is an utter delight, absolutely hilarious and she really knows her way around a donut pan!
Since I’ve been trying a fake-it-til-you-make-it maneuver to get into the Christmas spirit – I knew these Cranberry Orange donuts would be just the thing to get me out of my funk and belting out Christmas carols with Michael Buble playing in the house on repeat. It worked like a charm.
Jess’s donuts were completely tender, full of flavor and dang does that girl come up with some SUPER FUN combinations! The Kenan and Kel, anyone? Yeah, hello 90′s Nickelodeon kid variety hour! And The Elvis with peanut butter and banana is totally next on my list.
This girl has MASTERED the baked donut. She is the Donut Master.
And for one lucky Country Cleaver reader you can become the next Donut Master with a copy of Jess’s 100 Mini Donuts cookbook. These are just the thing to brighten your “hole” day!
Enter: (mandatory)
Tell me – What is your FAVORITE Donut?
Additional Entries:
Like The Novice Chef on Facebook
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Share this giveaway on Facebook: “I want to bake All the Donuts and @The Novice Chef and @Wanna Be A Country Cleaver are going to teach me how! http://ow.ly/g0rGu ”
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Tweet the following: “Do you like donuts? I do! I wanna win @TheNoviceChef ‘s 100 Mini-Donuts Cookbook on @CountryCleaver http://ow.ly/g0rGu #minidonuts ”
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Cranberry Orange Donuts
Yield: 24 Minis, 12 Standard
Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cook Time: 7-9 Minutes (for Minis) 11 Minutes( for Standard)
Total Time: 25 Minutes
Ingredients:
Donuts:
1/2 cup whole Milk
2 Tbsp Sour Cream
1 1/2 cup Flour, sifted
1/2 cup Sugar
4 Tbsp Butter, room temperature
1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 cup Dried Cranberries
Zest of 1 orange
1 Tbsp Orange Juice
1 Egg
Orange Glaze:
1 cup Powdered Sugar
2 Tbsp Orange Juice
Directions:
If using an electric donut maker, preheat according to manufactuer's instructions. If using donut pan, preheat oven to 350 and grease donut pan.
In small bowl, whisk together milk and sour cream. Set aside. In another small bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and baking powder. Set aside.
In large bowl or stand mixer, cream together butter and sugar until smooth and fluffy - about 1 minute. Add egg, orange juice and orange zest. Beat for 30 seconds and scrape down side of bowl as needed.
Then alternating flour mixture and milk mixture, combine all ingredients until just blended. Add in dried cranberries at the very end and beat until distributed evenly.
Transfer batter to a piping bag or Ziploc bag with the tip cut off.
Carefully fill each donut indentation 3/4 full. Bake 7-9 minutes for mini-donuts or until a toothpick comes out clean. (Bake 11 minutes for standard donuts). Remove from pan and allow to cool on a wire rack.
Place wax paper under wire rack to collect drippings for an easy cleanup. Then in a small bowl, whisk together powdered sugar and orange juic until smooth. Dip the top of each donut into the icing and transfer to wire rack. Let set for 5 minutes. Serve immediately. Each donut can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days - but they are best served fresh.
Original recipe by Jessica Segarra, The Novice Chef. Slightly adapted by Megan Keno to account for Standard Sized Donuts.
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*fineprint* The giveaway will end 12/18/12 at 5pm PST. A winner will be chosen by random and contacted via e-mail. They will have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be chosen. I was given two copies of this book, one of which I am giving away to you. I adore Jessica Segarra and she is a rockstar. All opinions are my own – and I have some high opinions of this talented and wonderful woman. And her dog, Brody. Aka Bro-cor.
Monday, December 10, 2012
You know, I’m all for holiday baking. My jeans can testify to that… Warm smells wafting through your house, making you the hero of every holiday gathering and the devouring of all the baked goods is the best part. Yes, I’m a fiend of baked goods. But with all of the back and forth of the holidays, going here, running off to there and adding in holiday shopping, wrapping, Christmas tree shopping, and who knows what else, sometimes its hard to find the time to whip things up from scratch. First, its finding the recipe. Then making sure you have all the ingredients. Inevitably you end up running to the store when you realize you’re out of the one ingredient that has no substitute and then start running 3 hours behind schedule and frantically racing the clock to get your project done on time.
I’m exhausted just thinking about it.
But fear not! King Arthur has come in riding his trusty steed to rescue your holiday and save your oodles of time with a whole pack of holiday baking mixes!
I love King Arthur Flour for multiple reasons – not the least of which is for the plethora of superior products that they offer, but because of the culture and care they provide for their employees – it’s an employee owned company, their thoughtful stewardship of the environment and their involvement in the community that sets them apart from so many others.
KAF’s baking blog is a go-to resource for all my baking needs, whether I need advice and clarification on one of my baking adventures or if I need to get my mitts on a specialty bread flour. The 2,000+ recipes that they have on their site and Baking Hotline are also there to help guide me on my quest for baking success. It’s a win-win!
This holiday season King Arthur Flour wants to help you enjoy the holidays with a tasty treats that won’t require you to spend hours in the kitchen and run to and from the store everytime you realize you forgot something! With all that time on your hands, you’ll be able to hone your Christmas gift wrapping skills and knit that extra stocking to hang over the hearth.
Included in this kit is:
- Panettone Mix
- Vanilla Sugar Cookie Mix
- Gingerbread Sugar Cookie Mix
- Chocolate Cookie Mix
- Eggnog Cake Mix
- Cream Tea Scone Mix
- Vanilla Icing Mix
AND: Because we can’t forget our four legged friends this holiday season…
- 1 Box of Homemade Dog Biscuits
Huck can attest to the fabulousness of the dog biscuits since he’s devoured four of them today alone.
So get baking, and get back to the party!! If cookies aren’t what you’re looking for this season, be sure to shop around King Arthur Flour’s site and see what strikes your fancy. I’ve got my eye on a few of those flavorings and extracts. Egg nog? Hello!!
And if you want extra King Arthur Flour baking loot, go check out Table for Two where Julie’s giving away a load of KAF Flours and baking goods, too! So much KAF to go around!
Tell me: (mandatory)
What is your favorite holiday baked treat?
Additional Entries: (leave a separate comment for each)
Like King Arthur Flour on Facebook
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Share the following on your Facebook Page “On the 6th Day of Christmas King Arthur Flour and Wanna Be A CountryCleaver gave to me, a Baking Bundle of Holiday Cookies Mixes! http://ow.ly/fYdEW ”
Follow King Arthur Flour on Twitter
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Tweet the Following: “On the 6th Day of Christmas @KingArthurFlour and @CountryCleaver gave to me, a Baking Bundle of Holiday Cookies Mixes! http://ow.ly/fYdEW ”
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Subscribe to Country Cleaver via RSS or e-mail subscription (enroll in the right toolbar)
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*Fine Print* Giveaway will end Monday, December 17th and a winner will be chosen by random. The winner will have 48 hours to respond of a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is being furnished by King Arthur Flour. I have also received one of these bundles to try out. I love KAF as a company and for their superior product. All opinions are my own.
Friday, December 7, 2012
It wasn’t until college and celebrating my first Hannukah with Beka did I ever really understand the beauty, utility and absolute necessity of a food processor. You wanna shred 15 pounds or more of potatoes by hand for a bunch of latke loving college kids? I sure as heck don’t want to spend 8 crazy nights peeling, and shredding potatoes – I wanna spin that dreidel and actually enjoy my brisket!
After that experience of a night full of latke making, my eyes were opened to the possiblities that you can do more with a food processor than just shred potatoes.
*Also I want you to know that for some unwordly reason, my fingers aren’t working this morning and I can’t seem to type “shred” without adding an extra “d” to it. It’s going to be one of those days. *
Now that I have a full size food processor of my own, I’m shredding things like crazy! 2 pound block of cheese? Done.
Pie crusts? Whamo! So many years of toiling and ruining pie crusts doing them the “old fashioned way” with a pastry blender, Puh-leezzee. I get two crusts done in five minutes and they’re better than what I can get at the store. Especially now that I figured out all the tips and tricks for getting my crusts done in style. And butter. Duh.
Pie – in all forms just makes the world go ’round. Its is quite possibly the best dessert. This Cranberry Dutch Apple Pie just happens to be my new fangled favorite – and its perfect for the holiday season.
Doors opened, eyes seeing the light and so on and so forth.
KitchenAid has so generously donated a 13 cup food processor to one Country Cleaver winner and pie lover. Not that you only have to make pie crusts with this beauty, but I just love my food processor for it and I know you will, too.
The Food processor comes with a dough blade, for your crusts, a multipurpose blade, a reversible shredder, an adjustable slicing disc that allows you to make slices between 2 and 4 milimeters AND (because there were doubts that this things was totally freakin’ awesome?) – the whole things is BPA free and Dishwasher Safe.
I know, mind blown.
This beauty will get you in and out of the kitchen in no time flat so that you can enjoy the holidays with those you hold dear. But if you don’t want to spend more time than necessary with the crazy in-laws, out-laws and people you call “family”, than this giveaway isn’t for you. Sike! Enter away friends!
And don’t forget about the other 4 Days of Christmas that we’re celebrating right now! Including a box of USA Pears, a Smith’s Edgeware Knife Sharpener Set, a Bodum French Press and a LeCreuset Espresso and Cream and Sugar Set!
To Enter: (mandatory entry)
Tell me what is your favorite KitchenAid product? Your trusty stand mixer? Blender? Immersion blender?
Stop by KitchenAid and do a little virtual shopping and drop a few handy hints to your hunny about what you REALLY want this Christmas!
Additional Entries:
Like Country Cleaver and KitchenAid USA on Facebook – Each follow is one entry.
Share the giveaway on Facebook “On the 5th Day of Christmas KitchenAid and Wanna Be A Country Cleaver gave to me - a 13cup Food Processor! Enter to win here! http://ow.ly/fUuH3 “
Follow Country Clever and KitchenAid on Twitter – Each follow is one entry.
Share the Giveaway on Twitter – “On the 5th Day of Xmas @KitchenAidUSA & @CountryCleaver gave to me a 13cup Food Processor !http://ow.ly/fUuH3 #giveaway “
Follow Country Cleaver on Pinterest
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Don’t forget – We’re still celebrating the 1st Day of Christmas with a Box of Pears from USA Pears .
The 2nd Day of Christmas with a LeCreuset Espresso and Sugar and Cream Set
The 3rd day of Christmas with a Smith’s Edgeware Knife Sharpener, Knife Guard and Spice Grater Set !
AND the 4th Day of Christmas with a Bodum 34 oz French Press!
Stop by and enter today!
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*Fine Print* This food processor was donated to the 12 Days of Christmas giveaway by KitchenAid USA. Open to US Residents only. Sorry International friends. Giveaway will last until 12/14/12 and a random winner will be selected. They will have 48 hours to respond or forfeit prize to a new selected winner.
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