Creamy Pecan Pralines

Serves:

about 10 pralines

 

Ingredients

• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 cup pecan halves

Directions

In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the light brown sugar, granulated sugar, heavy cream, butter, and water. Place over a medium-high heat and stir constantly until the pralines reach the softball stage, 238 to 240 degrees F. Add the pecans to the candy, and pull the pan off of the stove. Continue to stir the candy vigorously with a wooden spoon until the candy cools, and the pecans remain suspended in the candy, about 2 minutes. Spoon the pralines out onto a parchment or aluminum foil lined sheet pan and cool completely before serving.

Black Cherry Guava Mojito

1.5 oz Cruzan Black Cherry Rum
0.5 oz Cruzan Guava Rum
1 Lime Wedge
0.5 oz Simple Syrup
1 oz Soda Water
5 Mint Leaves
Mint Sprig Flower (Garnish)

Place 5 mint leaves in glass.

Squeeze lime wedge in glass and drop in glass.

Add simple syrup.

Muddle well to release mint flavor in mixture.

Add ice.

Add Cruzan Black Cherry Rum & Cruzan Guava Rum.

Mix all contents. Don't forget your soda water.

Garnish with a crisp, mint sprig flower.

Serves 1

Salted Caramel Pretzel Bark

Salted Caramel Pretzel Bark


2 sticks of butter
1 cup of light brown sugar
... 1 reg. bag of pretzels (you'll use about 3/4 of the bag)
12 ounce bag of chocolate chips
Sea salt - ( I use our coarse sea salt with our grinder)

Preheat the oven to 400.

Line a large bar pan with parchment paper, cover with pretzels
In a medium saucepan melt the butter over medium-low heat. When it begins to bubble add the brown sugar. Stirring occasionally let the butter/sugar mixture meld together and brown. This should take about 3 minutes. Do NOT let it boil, you will have sticky goo that is no good. When you have a nice, brown caramel pour it over the pretzels, slowly and evenly. You can then use a spatula to spread it out, you have to work quickly and gently. It hardens fast so even pouring is the best method.

Bake the sheet for 5 minutes.

Remove the sheet from the oven and sprinkle the whole bag of chocolate chips evenly over the mixture.

Place back in the oven for about 45 seconds. If you let it sit there too long the chocolate will burn.

Remove from the oven and use a silicone spatula to evenly spread the chocolate over the top.

Sprinkle with sea salt and refrigerate for a minimum of 1 hour.

Breakfast Cookies...

Breakfast Cookie Recipe....

Ingredients
2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
2 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
... 1 cup packed light brown sugar
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped nuts - I use a mix of almonds, pecans, pepitas
1 and 1/2 cups rmixed dried fruits - I use cranberries, blueberries, and apricots or raisins

Directions

In a large bowl, stir together the oats, flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.

In a separate bowl, blend the butter and sugars with an electric mixer until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs and continue to beat until fluffy, about 1-1/2 minutes. Blend in the vanilla extract.

Using a wooden spoon, stir the dry mixture into the butter mixture one half at a time. Mix in the chocolate chips and nuts and fruit. Refrigerate the dough for 1 to 2 hours.

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a large, preferably light-colored baking sheet with aluminum foil, then grease the foil. ( or use parchment)

Using a scant 1/4 cup per cookie, shape the dough into balls and place them on the sheet about 2 inches apart.

Use your fingertips to flatten each ball to 1/3 inch thick. Bake the cookies on the center oven rack for 13 to 14 minutes, turning the sheet about halfway through. When they're done, the cookies should be very lightly browned and still look moist. Don't over bake them.

Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for 2 to 3 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack.

Glazed yeast doughnuts

Yeast Doughnuts

 Ingredients:
3 ...tbsp milk
3 tbsp boiling water
1 tsp dry active yeast
8 oz all purpose flour (a little under 2 cups - I recommend you measure and weigh. See my note above)
1 1/2 oz sugar (about 3 tablespoons)
1 egg
1 oz butter, cold to room temperature (just don't melt it, okay?)
dash of salt

Enough oil to cover the bottom few inches of a wok, or a deep fryer.

Directions:
In a large measuring jug, combine the milk and boiling water. Add a teaspoon of the sugar and the yeast. Stir it gently, then leave it in a warm place for the yeast to activate (aka foam).
In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, the rest of the sugar, and the salt. Cut in the butter using your fingers or a pastry blender, until it resembles crumbs.
Add the egg (give it a quick beat) and yeast mixture to the flour mix, and mix into a smooth dough. This usually takes about 5 minutes of mixing.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly-floured counter and knead for about 5 to 10 minutes—it should feel springy and little bubbles should form under the surface. Place it back in the bowl, cover with a cloth or plastic wrap, and let rise for about an hour until double in size.
Once risen, place the dough onto the counter and cut it into 4 pieces. One piece at a time, stretch it into a long rope about an inch to an inch and a half wide. Cut strips about an inch long, ball em up with your hands, and place them on a baking tray or wire rack to wait.
Cover the doughnuts holes with a cloth to rise while you heat the oil to 375F.
Place the doughnuts into the oil and fry until golden brown on each side, about 2 minutes. Be sure to fry only a few at a time so they don’t overcrowd and stick together.
Drain on a paper towel or wire rack over a cloth, before glazing them. Be sure to glaze them warm, or else they won’t get that delicious coverage!

Glaze:
1/3 cup butter
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
4 tablespoons hot water or as needed

Basic sourcream Cheesecake recipe

   Sour Cream Cheesecake

Ingredients

Crust:

• 33 graham cracker squares, crumbled
• 4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted, plus additional, for brushing the pan
• 1 tablespoon sugar

Filling:

• 20 ounces cream cheese
• 1 1/4 cups sour cream
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 3 yolks
• 1/3 cup heavy cream

Directions

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Brush some of the melted butter around a 9 by 3-inch cake pan. Adhere parchment to the bottom and the sides.

In a small bowl, combine crumbled graham crackers, the remaining melted butter, and 1 tablespoon of sugar. Press 2/3 of the mixture into the bottom of the parchment-lined pan. Place remaining crumbs on a sheet pan and bake both the crust and the remaining mixture for 10 minutes. Cool. Reserve additional crumb mixture for sides.

In a mixer with a paddle attachment, beat sour cream for 10 seconds. Add the cream cheese and sugar and mix on low for 30 seconds and then turn up to medium. Scrape the bowl.

In a separate container, combine vanilla, eggs, yolks, and heavy cream. With the mixer on medium, slowly pour the liquid mixture in. When half of it is incorporated, stop and scrape. Continue adding the mixture until the rest of the ingredients are incorporated. Once completely combined, pour into the cooled crust.

Lower oven temperature to 250 degrees F. Place cheesecake into a preheated water bath, in the oven for 1 hour. Turn the oven off and open the door for one minute. Close the door for one more hour. Remove the cheesecake from the water bath and place in the refrigerator for 6 hours to completely cool before serving.

When ready to serve, place the entire cake pan into a hot water bath for about 15 seconds. Unmold onto a cake round or serving dish. Take the remaining graham cracker mixture and press into the sides of the cake.

To slice, place your knife into a hot water bath and wipe dry each time you make a pass through the cake  

The History of Cheesecake......

Cheesecake

       

If you’re an American, you might assume that cheesecake originated in New York, but this is only partly true. You’d be right that the extra-rich, no-toppings-necessary style of cheesecake came about in the Big Apple, but the sweet itself has a much older history.


It’s time for dessert! Are you lusting over that dense, sweet, cheesy slab in front of you? You’re not the first one – not by a long shot. In fact, the first known origins of cheesecake stretch back to Ancient Greece. Writer Athenaeus allegedly crafted the first recipe, calling for a mere three ingredients: cheese, honey, and flour. It sounds simple, but these cakes were so popular, they were even served at the first Olympic games. Once the conquering Romans got a taste, they couldn’t resist spreading the recipe to the rest of their empire, and from there the dessert took off like wildfire. By 1000 A.D., cheesecake recipes could be found across Great Britain, Scandinavia, and all of Western Europe.
As the love of cheesecake grew, regional recipe variations began to crop up. Romans baked their cakes under a hot brick, and the French soaked their cheese in milk for three hours before combining it with eggs, butter, and sugar. When Europeans began emigrating to America, they took cheesecake with them, and eventually created another regional specialty—cheesecakes made with cream cheese.
Cream cheese originated in the United States when a New York dairy farmer attempted to recreate Neufchatel, a fresh French cheese. His mistake was the beginning of a multi-million dollar business, and cream cheese was packaged and sold under the now-iconic Philadelphia name only three years after his discovery.
Today, cheesecake is one of the most popular desserts in the United States, and has many variations across the country. The dessert can be baked, or simply chilled in order to create its signature texture. Depending on the region you’re in (or what struck the cook’s fancy) cream cheese may be substituted for cottage cheese, sour cream, farmer’s cheese, ricotta, or mascarpone. Famous New York-style cheesecake utilizes additional egg yolks for added richness, and skimps on toppings. An extra dose of sour cream is added to cheesecake in Chicago to keep it ultra creamy, and bakers in Philly boast a light, yet rich flavor and top their cakes with fruit or chocolate. Back in its homeland of Greece, cheesecake today is made with traditional Mizithra, a fresh cheese made by combining goat or sheep’s milk and whey.
July 30th is National Cheesecake Day. What will you bake? 

Bourbon-maple Bacon Jam

 1 pound smoked bacon - cut into small dice
6 - 8 chopped garlic cloves
2 large yellow/sweet onions
1 tsp hot sauce
1 1/2 cups coffee ( I brewed at 12 oz k cup)
1/2 cup bourbon ( substitute apple juice if you must)
1/2 cup maple syrup ( I always use spring break maple)
1/2 cup cider vinegar
2 Tbsp Brown sugar
... 1 tsp smoked sea salt ( I used the hickory salt from Maine Sea Salt)
2 tsp coarsely cracked black pepper

sauté bacon until crisp - add garlic and onion to the pan, stir until onion is translucent.

in a large pot with a lid combine all other ingredients - add bacon and onion/garlic mixture

simmer on low for 2 hours - stirring every 20 mins or so.

 

Porchetta

Roasting skin-on pork belly that’s been wrapped around a pork loin gives you the best of both worlds: crackling mahogany crust and juicy meat seasoned with herbs, chile, and orange. Start at least 24 hours ahead. First, ask your butcher for a skin-on pork belly that’s just long and wide enough to wrap around a trimmed, center-cut pork loin.

 

Ingredients

• 1 5–6-pound piece fresh pork belly, skin on
• 1 (trimmed) 2-3-pound boneless, center-cut pork loin                                                                                        

• 2 tablespoons crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh sage 
• 4 tbsp chopped fresh parsley                                           
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• Kosher salt
• 1/2 orange, zested                                           

Preparation

• Put belly skin side down; arrange loin in center. Roll belly around loin so the short ends of the belly meet. If any of the belly or loin overhangs, trim meat. Unroll; set loin aside.
•  red pepper flakes in a small bowl, along with the sage, rosemary parsley, orange zest, and garlic; set  mixture aside.
• Assemble porchetta according to steps 1-5 below.
• Refrigerate roast, uncovered, for 1-2 days to allow skin to air-dry; pat occasionally with paper towels.
• Let porchetta sit at room temperature for 2 hours. Preheat oven to 500°. Season porchetta with salt. Roast on rack in baking sheet, turning once, for 40 minutes. Reduce heat to 300° and continue roasting, rotating the pan and turning porchetta occasionally, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into center of meat registers 145°, 1 1/2-2 hours more. If skin is not yet deep brown and crisp, increase heat to 500° and roast for 10 minutes more. Let rest for 30 minutes. Using a serrated knife, slice into 1/2" rounds.

HOW TO ASSEMBLE

• 1. Set belly skin side down. Using a knife, score the belly flesh in a checkerboard pattern 1/3" deep so roast will cook evenly.
• 2. Flip belly skin side up. Using a paring knife, poke dozens of 1/8"-deep holes through skin all over belly. Don't be gentle! Keep poking.
• 3. Using the jagged edge of a meat mallet, pound skin all over for 3 minutes to tenderize, which will help make skin crispy when roasted.
• 4. Turn belly and generously salt both it and loin; rub both with seasoning  mixture. Arrange loin down middle of belly.
• 5. Roll belly around loin; tie crosswise with kitchen twine at 1/2" intervals. Trim twine. Transfer roast to a wire rack set in a rimmed baking sheet.