Monday, March 23, 2009

Cream Puffs

This is one of my all-time favorite baking recipes.

1 cup water
1/2 cup butter
1 cup flour
4 eggs
Whipped cream or vanilla pudding (use real whipped cream)
Powdered sugar

Makes 1 dozen

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Heat water and butter to rolling boil. Stir in flour. Stir vigorously over low heat about 1 minute or until mixture forms a ball. Remove from heat (you may want to shut down the heat as soon as you dump the flour - as long as your butter/water mix was boiling good you shouldn't have any trouble getting everything mixed). Beat in eggs, all at once; continue beating until smooth. Drop dough by 1/4 cupfuls 3 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheet.

Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until puffed and golden. Cool away from draft. Cut in half and fill with pudding or whipped cream. Replace tops and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Refrigerate until serving time.

Blackened Chicken

Our favorite grilling recipe so far.... although I'll say we've only done the blander Cornish Rock Cross birds we've had this way to add some flavor. I'd like to try a Wyandotte this way because they grill up very well.

From Taste of Home, Stephanie Kenney

1 tablespoon paprika
4 teaspoons sugar, divided
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1-1/2 to 2 teaspoons pepper, divided
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (we use one whole chicken, parted)
1-1/3 cups mayonnaise
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons cider vinegar

In a small bowl, combine paprika, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, garlic powder, thyme, lemon-pepper, cayenne and 1/2 to 1 teaspoon pepper; sprinkle over both sides of chicken. Set aside. In another bowl, combine mayonnaise, water, vinegar and remaining sugar, salt and pepper; cover and chill 1 cup for serving. Save remaining sauce for basting.

Grill chicken, covered, over indirect medium heat for 4-6 minutes on each side or until juices run clear, basting frequently with remaining sauce. Serve with reserved sauce.

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Chicken Stir-Fry with Peanut Sauce Over Rice

from Self magazine May 2005

Stir Fry
6 oz. boneless, skinless chicken
1 tsp sesame oil
2 cloves minced garlic
1 tsp minced fresh ginger (we've used powdered)
3 1/2 cups your favorite vegetables, chopped

Peanut Sauce
1 1/2 tbsp peanut butter
1 tsp low-sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp rice vinegar
Hot chile sauce (to taste)

Coat a nonstick pan with cooking spray OR coat a skillet (we use cast iron) with the chicken fat off a roasted bird. Saute chicken over medium heat until cooked through. Remove from pan. Add oil and saute garlic and ginger until garlic is golden. Add vegetables, cook until tender. Return chicken to pan; stir-fry 3 minutes.

For the sauce, whisk 1 1/2 tbsp hot (not boiling) tap water into peanut butter to blend. Add soy sauce, vinegar, and hot sauce and mix. Divide stir-fry and sauce onto 2 plates. Serve each over 3/4 cub brown rice.

Bread Pudding

10 slices bread, cut into cubes
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
6 eggs (12 oz.)
3/4 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups hot milk
pinch ground nutmeg

Heat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, combine bread cubes, melted butter and cinnamon; mix well and transfer to a 2 quart baking dish. Use the same bowl to beat the eggs. Stir in sugar, vanilla, and salt until sugar is dissolved. Slowly whisk in the hot milk. Pour egg mixture over bread cubes, sprinkle with nutmeg, and set aside to soak for 5 minutes. Bake in a water bath - place bowl in a roasting pan filled with water to roughly the same height as the mixture in the bowl. Bake for 30 to 45 minutes or until firm but moist in the center. If pierced with a knife in the center check to see that it's moist but not liquid.

This is a modified standard recipe. Most call for the addition of raisins and many don't call for cooking in a water bath but I prefer the water bath method because it makes the pudding like custard.

Toffee Almond Mousse Cake

From Crystal Farms butter
Prep time: 30 min.
Bake time: 30 min.

3/4 cup toffee chips
1 lb. semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup unsalted butter
8 large eggs (16 oz.)
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
caramel sauce

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place a roasting pan filled with 1/2 inch hot water in oven. Line 9-inch cake pan with foil (I use a glass pie dish); spray with nonstick cooking spray. Sprinkle toffee chips in bottom of pan. In large saucepan or large glass bowl, melt chocolate and butter together over low heat or in microwave. Stir until smooth; cool 5 minutes. Break eggs into large bowl. Lightly whisk with almond extract until eggs are broken up; slowly whisk in chocolate mixture until well combined. Pour batter into prepared pan. Carefully place pan in waterbath in oven. Bake about 30 minutes or until set around edge but still slightly soft in center. Remove from waterbath; cool on wire rack 30 minutes. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours or until chilled. Invert cake onto serving plate; peel off foil. Slice into wedges and serve with warm caramel sauce.

MMMMMMM! Very rich, especially if you accidentally put more chocolate in than called for. I've tried it with dark chocolate but wasn't entirely pleased, so I stick with the semisweet. The caramel sauce adds more than you'd think.