Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Buffalo Chicken Bites


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It has been a very stressful week so far.  Cally went for an overnight visit to Mount Union Monday and Tuesday.  Well she figured one thing out for sure, she is not going to Mount Union.  Here we thought she had it all figured out, she was going to Mount Union and was going to play on the Women's golf team.  Now she is not wanting to play golf and is back to thinking she might go to Shawnee State.  From one end of the state to the other.  I guess she will figure it all out eventually.

I found this recipe for Buffalo Chicken Bites on Pinterest.  I just love that website!  There are so many neat things to look at.  I like these chicken bites because they are baked but still crispy and tasting like they were fried.  Another plus for me is I cheated and bought a rotisserie chicken and shredded it.  Bill and Billy eat them just plain like they are but I dip mine in bleu cheese dressing.  The corn flake crust is really crunchy and gives it a nice breading taste.


the orange color you see is Frank's Hot Sauce, and oh is it soooooo gooooood !!

Buffalo Chicken Bites
adapted from: Sweet Pea's Kitchen

3 C shredded cooked chicken ( I used a whole rotisserie chicken, shredded)
1/2 C Frank's Hot Sauce
4 oz cream cheese
2 C shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 t onion powder (you can use chopped onion if you prefer)
1 C flour
4 eggs, slightly beaten
3 to 4 C crushed corn flakes

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.  In a large bowl, combine chicken, cream cheese, hot sauce, cheddar cheese and onion powder.  Roll a heaping tablespoon of the mixture into a 1 1/2 inch ball and place onto a plate or separate baking sheet.  Repeat with the remaining mixture.  Place flour in a shallow dish.  In a second shallow dish, place eggs.  In a  third shallow dish place the corn flakes.  Dip each chicken ball first into the flour, then into the egg, and ending with the corn flakes.  Place on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 20 to 25 minutes.  Serve warm with ranch or bleu cheese dressing if you desire.

This week my Niece Madison turned 13 years old
 Happy Birthday Madison 

Saturday, February 25, 2012

Fruit Dip


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Yum
This fruit dip is so easy but oh so good.  I serve it most times with strawberries but you can serve it with any fruit you would like. 

Fruit Dip

1  7oz jar marshmallow cream
1  8 oz pkg cream cheese

Mix marshmallow cream and cream cheese together with mixer.  When combined and smooth place in a bowl and start dipping.....yummy!!!
Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Emma's Pound Cake


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This is a special recipe.  It is named Emma's because it was given to my Grandma Sweeney by her housekeeper Emma.  I received the recipe from my mom.  I asked mom how old this recipe would be and she thinks Emma gave it to grandma in the 1950's..... no wonder it is good, butter, 6 large eggs, vanilla extract, almond extract and sour cream, oh my!  Old fashion passed down through the generations wonderfully delicious!

I did add a vanilla bean glaze to the cake which was not part of the original recipe.  I used my vanilla bean paste but you can use vanilla extract.

I have been busy baking tonight, I have a surprise for the soup kitchen tomorrow night, I made them sunsational cakes.  I made Strawberry, Orange and Cherry.

Emma's Pound Cake

1 Cup softened butter
3 Cup sugar
6 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 Cups flour
1/4 teaspoon soda
8 ounces sour cream
1 teaspoon almond extract

glaze

1/2 Cup powdered sugar
2 Tablespoons melted butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
1 Tablespoon water

Beat butter at medium speed about 2 minutes or until soft and creamy.  Gradually add sugar beating at medium speed 5 to 7 minutes.  Add eggs one at a time, beat just until yellow disappears.  Combine flour and soda.  Add to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream.  Stir in flavorings.  Pour into greased and floured 10 inch tube pan ( I used a bundt pan )  Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour and 20 minutes or until pick comes out clean.  Cool in pan on wire rack 10 to 15 minutes, remove from pan and let cool completely on wire rack.

for glaze:
Mix all glaze ingredients and then pour over the cake.


I like my cake with a scoop of drumstick ice cream.  Bill and Billy ate theirs with strawberries on top.
Saturday, February 18, 2012

Galette { panless pie: any flavor }


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I love this pie crust.  It's nice to just fold up the sides and not have to worry about making it pretty in a pie pan.  Although I am going to try and attempt it again.  Pie crust has always intimidated me.  I like this Galette because I have pie crust folded up on the sides into the middle then in the very center I also have my french topping.  When cut you could even pick the pie up in your hands and eat it, no need for a plate or fork.


Pick a fruit Galette
source: Our Best Bites 

Pastry Crust:

2 C flour
11 T butter
1/4 t salt
4-5 T ice water

Put the flour and salt in a bowl, cut the butter up and place in the bowl. Cut the butter into the flour with a pastry cutter until the butter is in small crumbly pieces.  Add the water a tablespoon at a time until the dough comes together into a ball.  Wrap it in plastic wrap and put in the fridge until ready to use.

Apple Pie Filing

5 apples
3/4 C sugar
1/4 C flour
1/2 t nutmeg
1/2 t cinnamon

Peel and cut apples into thin slices.  Then mix together the dry ingredients and pour over apples.  Mix well.

French Topping

1/4 C brown sugar
1/2 C flour
1/4 C butter

Put brown sugar and flour in a bowl, cut in the butter with a pastry cutter.

To Assemble the Galette:

Roll out your pastry dough on a floured surface.  You want it to be at least 12" in diameter.  Don't worry about it being perfect--that is the beauty of a galette -- it's suppose to be messy looking.  To transfer the dough to your baking sheet, fold you circle in half and then in half again.  Place on baking sheet and unfold.

Dump your fruit mixture right in the middle, bring the sides of the crust up to the middle.  Sprinkle your french topping over the apples in the middle to cover the hole.  Bake at 375 degrees for 50-60 minutes.

This week was my nephew Dane's Birthday........Happy 10th Birthday Dane

Monday, February 13, 2012

Happy Valentines Day!


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These are the best cut out cookies I have ever had!  They are soft and moist and absolutely delicious, I could eat a dozen myself.

I hope everyone has a great Valentines Day!


Soft Sugar Cookies
source: The Girl who Ate Everything

1 C sour cream
2 C sugar
1 C butter
4 eggs
1 t vanilla extract
6 C flour
3 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
1 t salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Combine sour cream, sugar, butter, eggs and vanilla.  Beat for 2-3 minutes

Add dry ingredients and mix well.  Let dough chill in fridge for 25 minutes or until firm.

Roll dough out until about 1/4 inch thick and use cookie cutters to make shapes or circles

Bake until light golden brown, about 8-10 minutes (I baked for 8 minutes)

makes about 4 dozen



Icing
source: Taste and Tell

2 3/4 C powdered sugar
2 t vegetable shortening
3 T water
1 T corn syrup
1/2 t vanilla
food coloring and sprinkles

Beat all ingredients well, the icing should be a little stiff, add food coloring and stir well.

Start out by placing half of the icing in a piping bag fitted with a small round tip (or  place in a zip-top bag and cut a very small hole in the corner)  You will want to pipe the outside shape of the cookie.  This acts as a dam so that the icing doesn't drip off the sides.


To the remaining icing (and you can add back in any icing that didn't get used from piping the edges), add a little more water.  Start small--about a teaspoon at a time, and stir.  You want a thinner consistency that is easy to spread, but you don't want it to be too runny.  Using a spoon or knife put some icing in the middle of the cookie.  Using the back of the spoon, spread the icing to the borders that were piped on earlier,  The border should keep the icing from spilling over.  Don't add too much icing to the center so that it overflows--us just enough to cover the cookie.  If using sprinkles, this is the time to sprinkle them on.

Leave the cookies out in a single layer until completely dried.  Once dried, the cookies stack beautifully!
Saturday, February 11, 2012

Strawberry Margarita Donuts


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Here they are the Strawberry donuts....they are really tangy and moist.  I think I will be taking these and the banana donuts to the soup kitchen this week.



Strawberry Margarita Donuts

1 C strawberry cake mix
1/8 C strawberry jello
1/4 C melted oleo
1 egg
1/8 C water

glaze:
1 C powdered sugar
2 T melted butter
1/2 t vanilla
1 T lime juice

sprinkles for decorating (optional)

Mix together cake mix, strawberry jello and melted butter.  Add egg and water, mix well.  Bake in a donut maker per package directions.

Mix glaze ingredients together and dip donuts into glaze.

Thursday, February 9, 2012

Banana Donuts


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If Banana bread is one of your favorite treats you will LOVE these donuts.  I used my donut maker that Cally gave me and I got to thinking about it, the donut maker is really just baking these donuts so why could I not use bread or cake recipes for these donuts and wallah the Banana Donut was made.

I tried them right out of the maker and they were dry, but add the sugary glaze and they were amazing.  My favorite was the ones that have chopped walnuts sprinkled on them...those I would call Banana Nut Donuts.  They sure were yummy and I want more!  I will definitely be making these again.  I halved my banana bread recipe so if you want to make bread instead of donuts just double the recipe below.  I think it would be good with the glaze drizzled over the loaf of bread.

My next experiment is going to be strawberry donuts using my Sunsational Cake recipe...maybe this weekend so keep watching for yummy strawberry donuts with a lemony sour glaze or maybe a cream cheese glaze, I am making myself hungry!

You can bake these in a donut maker or Wilton now has a donut pan that you use in the oven that would work just as well.

I am wanting to get a boat pan and make homemade Twinkies, I have been seeing recipes for these on different blogs lately, they look yummy!


Banana Donuts

1/2 C sugar
1/4 C oleo
1 egg
2 ripe bananas, mashed
1 C flour
1/2 t soda
1/2 t baking powder
1/4 t salt

glaze:

1/2 C powder sugar
2 T melted butter
1/2 t vanilla
1 T hot water

sprinkles or chopped walnuts (optional)

Cream together the sugar and oleo.  Add eggs and mashed bananas, mix.  Add flour, soda, baking powder, and salt and mix until well blended.  Bake in a donut maker per package instructions or use a Wilton donut pan.  If making a loaf of bread double the above bread recipe and place in a  loaf pan baking for 45 minutes at 325 degrees.

for glaze: mix all glaze ingredients.  Dip donuts into glaze and place them on a cooling rack so the excess glaze can drip off, sprinkle the wet donuts with nuts or sprinkles of your choice.

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Soft Pretzels


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It was a busy weekend!  We had fun making food, eating food and watching the super bowl.  We were rooting for the Giants so it was a Great Weekend!

Cally has been getting lots of attention from colleges wanting her to play golf for them but I think her mind is made up...she is visiting Mount Union again next week then the decision will be made...stay tuned


Soft Pretzels

1/4 C water 110 degrees
1 pkg dry yeast
1 t white sugar
3 C flour
1/2 C white sugar
3/4 t salt
1 C milk
1 T vegetable oil
coarse salt
1/2 C baking soda
4 C hot water



1. In small bowl dissolve yeast and 1 t sugar in 1/4 C water.  Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes

2. In large bowl mix together flour, 1/2 C sugar and salt.  Make a well in the center and add milk, oil, and yeast mixture.  Mix with mixer until dough forms.  Knead the dough until smooth.  Lightly oil the bowl and return the dough ball and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

3. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  In a large bowl dissolve baking soda in water.

4. When risen, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 12 equal pieces.  Roll each piece into a rope and twist into a pretzel shape.  Once all the dough is shaped dip each pretzel into the baking soda solution and place on greased baking sheet.  Sprinkle with coarse salt.  Bake in preheated oven for 8 minutes or until brown.

Thursday, February 2, 2012

Apple Pie


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Yum 

These are cute little pies.  They are made in 4 oz jelly jars.  These can be frozen and popped in the oven when you want some pie.  That is what I really liked about this recipe.  I thought these would be good to make up and freeze to send with Billy when he moves to his apartment in the fall.  Then he can have pie whenever he wants.  I got the idea for this from the blog Our Best Bites   I also used the pie crust recipe from this site as well. 





Apple Pie filling:

5 apples
3/4 C  sugar
1/4 C  flour
1/2 t  nutmeg
1/2 t cinnamon
pie crust:
2 C  flour
11 T  butter
1/4 t  salt
4 to 5 T  ice water

Pie Crust:

Put the flour and salt in a bowl, cut the butter up and place in the bowl.  Cut the butter into the flour with a pasty cutter until the butter is in small crumbly pieces.  Add the water a tablespoon at a time until the dough comes together into a ball.  Wrap it in plastic wrap and put it in the fridge until ready to use.

Peel and cut apples into little pieces.  Then mix together the dry ingredients and pour over apples.  Mix well.
Roll out dough and cut dough into a 6 inch circle for the crust.  For the top of your crust cut a circle using the canning jar lid.  Put the 6 inch circle into the jar and spread it out to make the crust.  Fill the jar with your apple pie filling and then place the smaller circle on top and seal around the edges to close the pie.  Put 4 small slits on top of the crust.  Finish rolling the dough and filling the jars, this will make 8 jars.
Place jars on a cookie sheet and bake in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes.






Put the flour and salt in a bowl, cut the butter up and place in the bowl.  Cut the butter into the flour with a pasty cutter until the butter is in small crumbly pieces.  Add the water a tablespoon at a time until the dough comes together into a ball.  Wrap it in plastic wrap and put it in the fridge until ready to use.