Glazed Cranberry Orange Bread

Hi Everyone! Sorry it's been so long since my last new post, I have been busy with life lately! One thing I really find around the holidays is that I tend to blog a bit less- partly because I am so busy, but also because I tend to make a lot of family favorites (repeats that I have already blogged about) instead of being adventuresome and trying out new recipes to share with you all.

This sweet cranberry orange bread is one of my tried and true favorites.  The glaze sends it over the top in deliciousness.  It is a smoist, sweet bread with little bursts of tart cranberries, and I am asked for the recipe any time I take it anywhere.

The first time I see cranberries out in the fall, I always grab a bag of them to make this bread.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.  It is a great fall treat, perfect for Thanksgiving or any holiday gathering.

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
3/4 cup orange juice

Glaze: 1 cup of powdered sugar 3-4 teaspoons of orange juice   Directions: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9x5 inch loaf pan, or line it with parchment paper for an even easier release.  Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir in orange zest and cranberries. Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together margarine, sugar, and egg until smooth. Stir in orange juice. Beat in flour mixture until just moistened. Pour into prepared pan.

While bread is baking, mix together your powdered sugar and orange juice glaze.  It should be thick, like a frosting.

Bake for 1 hour in the preheated oven, or until the bread springs back when lightly touched.  I check it at arond 40 minutes and sometimes put foil over the top to keep it from burning. Let stand 10 minutes, then spread glaze over warm bread. Cool before cutting.

"Melting Pot" Chocolate Peanut Butter Fondue

One of my favorite indulgences is dinner at The Melting Pot.  The Melting Pot is a fondue restaurant, and while I am not wild about the meat course of the meal, the cheese and chocolate courses are to die for. My favorite chocolate selection is "The Original" which is is a milk chocolate fondue, swirled with crunch peanut butter. They serve you things like pound cake, cheesecake, brownies, bananas, strawberries, and marshmallows to dip in it.  So, so yummy.

A good friend of ours had a birthday last week, and after a scrumptious Chinese Dinner at Seattle's Snappy Dragon restaurant (BEST Chinese ever, by the way), we went back to our house for some chocolate fondue to celebrate Robyn's 25th year! ;)

It was super easy to whip this up in about 5 minutes, and while I put mine in a fondue pot, reviews I read said that the chocolate stays melty even if you just put it in a bowl, so give that a try even if you don't own a fondue pot.  I served this with cubes of brownies, pound cake, strawberries, bananas, and Nutter Butter cookies.

Excuse the crappy Instagram photos, it was 11pm and I didn't have any natural light to work with. :)

Enjoy!

Ingredients


1 cup (6 ounces) milk chocolate chips
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup half and half
1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter

Dipping items, I used brownies, pound cake, strawberries, bananas, and Nutter Butter cookies.
Directions

In a heavy saucepan, cook and stir the chocolate chips, sugar, half and half, and peanut butter over low heat until smooth. Transfer to a fondue pot and keep warm.

Recipe makes enough for 4-6 people

Blueberry Brunch Biscuits

Blueberry Brunch Biscuits

Well, brunch season is upon us.

Well, it is brunch season for me, anyway, as I prepare for my customary Mother's Day and Father's Day brunches.

This is something new I tried, and I am very pleased with how these turned out.

Such light, fluffy, slightly sweet blueberry biscuits, topped with a dreamy cinnamon vanilla glaze.

10 minutes from start of work until they were in the oven, they will be the perfect addition to any breakfast or brunch table.

These will definitely be making into my rotation, anyway.

Next time I make these, I'll brush them with a little egg wash before I put them in the oven to get them a little more golden.

Enjoy, and happy Mother's Day!

Ingredients:

Biscuits:

2 cups flour, plus more for rolling out
1 cup buttermilk
3/4 cups sugar
5 tablespoons of cold butter
4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries (if using frozen, make sure they are completely thawed and dried.

Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2-4 tablespoons of milk or cream, until desired drizzling consistency.

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 425°

Using a pastry blender or food processor, cut together flour, sugar, butter, baking powder, and salt until crumbly.

Add buttermilk and mix until just combined.

Turn dough out onto a floured surface and gently fold in blueberries. Pat out onto floured surface, and cut out rounds using a biscuit cutter or a drinking glass.  Brush with egg wash if desired.

Place onto a cookie sheet and bake for 10-14 minutes until golden brown.

Mix glaze ingredients together until you have a nice drizzling consistency.  Drizzle over warm biscuits and serve immediately.

Enjoy!

Skinny Chicken Cordon Bleu

Skinny chicken cordon bleu

I have said it before and I'll say it again. Rolled chicken looks fancy, it sounds fancy, but it's NOT fancy!  It is SO EASY to make rolled chicken.  Bonus points for the fact that it's healthy AND the rolling keeps all the juices inside and it's always so, so moist.

This skinny chicken cordon bleu has the delicious flavors of swiss cheese, salty ham, and is of course breaded and baked.

I served mine with asparagus and no starch, and it was a perfectly filling, healthy meal that even my kids gobbled up.

Enjoy.

Recipe from Skinnytaste.com

Ingredients:

• cooking spray
• 12 thin sliced (36 oz total) skinless boneless chicken breasts, 3 oz each
• salt and fresh cracked pepper
• 1 large egg
• 2 large egg whites
• 1 tbsp water
• 1/2 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 5 oz (6 slices) thinly sliced lean deli ham, sliced in half
• 6 slices (4.4 oz) Sargento reduced fat Swiss cheese, cut in half

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 450°. Spray a large non-stick baking sheet with cooking spray.

Wash and dry the chicken cutlets; lightly pound the chicken to make thinner and lightly season with salt and black pepper.

Lay the chicken on a working surface and place a slice of ham on top of the chicken, then the cheese and roll, setting them aside seam side down.

In a medium bowl, whisk eggs and egg whites along with water to make an egg wash. 

In another medium bowl, combine breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese.

Dip the chicken into the egg wash, then into the breadcrumbs.

Place chicken onto the baking sheet seem side down. Spray the top of the chicken with more cooking spray and bake about 25 minutes, or until until cooked. 

Makes 12.

Soft Monster Cookies

You can't go wrong with these cookies.  They are so soft and gooey and packed with every delicious thing.

What's not to love about a thick, soft peanut butter cookie filled with oatmeal, m&ms, peanut butter chips, and chocolate chips?

The trick to these cookies is to underbake them a bit.  It will keep them super soft, which makes them super yummy.

Make sure and make them huge- this recipe should make 12 monster cookies.  If you make them smaller than that, you can't very well call them monster cookies with a straight face.

Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Mrs. Schwartz Kitchen

Soft Monster Cookies 

1/2 cup or 1 stick of butter (at room temperature)

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup white sugar

3/4 cup creamy peanut butter

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup quick cooking oats

3/4 cup m&ms

1/4 cup chocolate chips

1/4 peanut butter chips 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  

Start by combining the butter, brown and white sugars in a large bowl using a hand/stand mixer or your own brute strength.  Add the peanut butter, stir again.  Add the egg, stir, vanilla stir.  

Measure in the baking soda, salt, and flour and stir just until combined.  Stir in the oats, m&ms, chocolate chips and peanut butter chips.  

Scoop using a cookie scoop or two teaspoons measuring about 2 tablespoons onto a cookie sheet lined with a Silpat mat or sprayed with cooking spray (just in case).  Press down gently as they do not spread on their own.  

Bake for 9-10 minutes but no longer.  You want these to stay soft.  Remove from the oven and let cool on the cookie sheet for 2-3 minutes then move to a cooling rack.  

Enjoy with a big glass of milk! 

Perfect New York Cheesecake

You may have noticed that I don't have many cheesecake recipes on here.  In fact, I think I only have one, for a cinnamon roll cheesecake.  It is not for lack of cheesecake love.  It's actually a long story.

The short version is that I had a cheesecake recipe in a cookbook that I loved and made for years. It was absolutely perfect.  It never, ever failed.  It was always creamy, never spongy, it had the perfect texture and flavor.  It was in a cookbook that I had before I started blogging and putting everything online.  A roommate situation gone bad (never move in with a friend you want to keep!) and my recipe is gone forever, never to return.

I have tried for years now to find that recipe, sadly, I can't even remember the name of the cookbook it was in. I have tried at least a dozen cheesecake recipes since, and have not found a New York Cheesecake that I felt was worthy of posting on this blog.  The last thing I want is for any of you to try a recipe I recommend on my blog and end up with a spongy cheesecake.  First of all, cheesecakes are expensive, coming in at around $15 to make.  Second, there is nothing that makes me as irritated is trying a recipe that somebody has raved about on their blog only to find that it is total crap.

So, finally, I have found a worthy cheesecake recipe for you.  I am having a dinner party tonight, so I made this last night to serve this evening with decaf coffee after dinner, and it is divine.  Perfectly creamy, perfectly sweet and dense, perfectly rich. Eat it alone, or serve it with fresh, sweetened strawberries, raspberry puree, or caramel or chocolate sauce.

Like my original recipe, it has sour cream, and does not cook in a water bath, which is a definite plus.  Follow the directions EXACTLY and you are guaranteed to devour.

I hope you enjoy.

Ingredients:

Crust:
16 whole graham crackers, broken into pieces
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Filling:
40 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature and cut into 1-inch pieces
1½ cups granulated sugar, divided
⅛ teaspoon salt
⅓ cup sour cream
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Crust:
With oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat oven to 300°. By hand or using a food processor, crush the graham crackers into fine crumbs. Stir together the graham cracker crumbs and sugar. Pour the melted butter into the bowl and mix well

Transfer the crumbs to a 9-inch springform pan and press evenly into the bottom of the pan. Bake about 13 minutes until edges are slightly brown and remove from oven.

Filling:
Increase the oven temperature to 500 degrees F. Beat the cream cheese on medium-low speed for 1 minute. Scrape down the bowl, add ¾ cup of the sugar and the salt and beat on medium-low speed for another 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the remaining ¾ cup of sugar and beat again on medium-low speed for 1 minute.

Scrape down the bowl, add the sour cream, lemon juice and vanilla, and beat on low speed for 1 minute.

Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the egg yolks and beat on medium-low speed for 1 minute. Add the eggs, 2 at a time, beating for about 20 seconds between additions and scraping the bowl between additions.

Brush the sides of the inside of the pan with melted butter. Pour the filling into the pan and bake for 10 minutes.  Do not open the oven door but reduce the oven temperature to 200 degrees F and continue to bake for 1½ hours.

Remove from oven and cool for 5 minutes, then run a knife around the cake to loosen it from the pan. Allow the cake to cool until it is barely warm, 2½ to 3 hours. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 3 hours, overnight is best.

Serve with fresh fruit, strawberry sauce, chocolate, or caramel drizzle.

Starbucks Chocolate Cinnamon Bread

Every once in a while, I taste something and am immediately overcome with desire to make it at home. On Saturday, when I was offered a sample of Starbucks Chocolate Cinnamon bread, I had one of these moments.  I was intrigued by it since it popped up in the pastry case a month or two again, but I had yet to buck up and pay three bucks for a slice of it.  Then, I tasted it, and BOOM.  Had to have more of it.

First of all, I feel that Starbucks is using the term "bread" rather loosely, this is definitely a cake.  A dense, moist, out of this world, flavorful cake.  It has a rich, chocolate flavor and just a touch of cinnamon and cloves, and is covered with a crunchy, sugary topping.   It is so, so good.

It is easy to make, and I dare say, with it's rich, not-too-sweet chocolaty flavor, it is the perfect breakfast item to go with your coffee in the morning. Bonus points- if you are a baker, you likely have everything you need for this one in your pantry already. My husband's co-workers are in for a treat!

Enjoy.

Ingredients:

3/4 cups of room temperature butter
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 eggs
1 cup flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder (I used Dutch processed)
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Topping:

2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons course sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch of cloves
1/4 teaspoon cocoa powder

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325°.  Grease and flour a 9x5 loaf pan (or line one with parchment paper or a foil sling, which  makes for a much easier removal)

In a mixer, cream butter and sugar for FIVE minutes until light and fluffy.  Add vanilla.  Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Add flour, cocoa powder, cinnamon, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Mix until just combined.

With mixer on low, add buttermilk until mixed well (but not over-mixed.)  Pour into prepared loaf pan.

Mix topping ingredients by hand and sprinkle over the top of the loaf.  Bake for about an hour (start checking at 45 minutes) and when a toothpick comes out clean, it's done!

Cinnamon Swirl Banana Bread - Mind BLOWN.

Cinnamon Swirl Banana Bread

Today, while perusing Pinterest for things to do with a bunch of overripe bananas on my counter, I came across this gem of a recipe on Riches to Rags.

Cinnamon Swirl Banana Bread? How had I never thought of this before?

I immediately rushed into my kitchen and whipped it up.

Folks, this recipe is not hard.  It was in the oven 5 minutes later.

One hour later it was cooling on my window sill and I was feeling terrible old fashioned and impatient.  I half expected a cartoon character to come and steal it out of the window because the smell of it was so amazing.

Cooling in the kitchen window.

I am happy to report it did not disappoint.  Next time I'll turn my oven down a bit, because the outside got a bit dark before the inside was done, despite being covered in foil.  It was still amazingly delicious though.

Give this one a try, you'll be glad you did.

Recipe from Lovin' From the Oven

Ingredients

For the bread:
• 3 over-ripe bananas, smashed up
• 1/3 cup melted butter
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp baking soda
• dash of salt
• 1 1/2 cups flour
For the swirl:
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 Tbs cinnamon

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350. Butter and four a loaf pan. Mine was 9 x 5, but you could use any sort, I suppose. Just keep a close eye on it in the oven, and adjust the time as needed
2. Mix bananas, butter, sugar, egg, and vanilla together. sprinkle baking soda and salt around on top of the banana mixture. Then gently stir in flour. Be careful not to over-mix!
3. In a small dish, mix together the 1/3 cup sugar and 1 Tbs cinnamon.
4. Add 1/2 of the batter to the loaf pan and then sprinkle half, or a little more than half of the cinnamon-sugar mixture all over the batter in the pan. Add the rest of the batter, and then sprinkle the leftover cinnamon-sugar on top.
5. Bake for 50-60 minutes, but remember, if you’re using a different-sized loaf pan, be careful and keep a close eyeball on it!

Chicken & Broccoli Stir Fry

This delicious dinner takes only a few minutes to throw together, and is perfectly served with rice.  The flavors are absolutely perfect, a little sweetness (but not too sweet) and saltiness and a touch of spice.

It is probably the best broccoli chicken recipe I have come by.  When I was a teenager, I worked in a Chinese restaurant, and I would always order broccoli chicken for my meal.  I love it.

It is a perfect weekday meal, but it's so delicious, you could serve it to guests.

Oh, and it's healthy too.  A great way to get your kids to eat their broccoli.  My kids gobbled it up.

I doubled the sauce recipe, because I like lots of sauce.

Enjoy!

Recipe from Down Home with the Neelys.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon orange juice
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1/2 tablespoon sesame oil
1/2 tablespoon red pepper flakes, plus more to taste, if desired
1/2 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon peanut oil, plus more as needed
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons peeled and chopped ginger
4 green onions, sliced
2 cups broccoli florets, blanched

Directions

In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, orange juice, rice wine vinegar, light brown sugar, sesame oil, red pepper flakes and cornstarch. Reserve.

Set a wok over medium-high heat and coat with 1 tablespoon of peanut oil. When the oil shimmers, add about half of the chicken thigh pieces. Stir-fry until the chicken is fully cooked through, about 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate and repeat the process with the remaining chicken thighs.

Add enough peanut oil to the hot wok to coat the bottom. Add the garlic, ginger, green onions, and red pepper flakes, to taste, and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add chicken back to the pan along with the broccoli florets and stir to warm through. Pour in the reserved sauce and stir until the sauce is thickened and bubbly, about 45 seconds. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve.

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/cda/recipe_print/0,1946,FOOD_9936_453112_RECIPE-PRINT-FULL-PAGE-FORMATTER,00.html?oc=linkback

Don & Kathi's Crock Pot Chuck Wagon Baked Beans

This recipe comes from my in-laws, who make it often.  I think it is supposed to be a side dish, but it also makes a great dinner if you serve it with cornbread and salad.  Incidentally, it also is a great side dish, served at a BBQ with burgers and hot dogs, or ribs.

I have enjoyed many, many bowls of these beans sitting on the porch at my in-law's summer house over 4th of July weekends and other hot summer weekends.

My husband and I like them so much, we served them at our BBQ wedding reception that we had when we got home from our wedding in Maui.  I don't know how long they've had the recipe, or how old it is, but I know that it's old enough that it is kept in a binder, and my mother-in-law had to scan it to send it to me. :)

These beans have the perfect flavor of sweetness that all the really good baked bean recipes have.  The smoky bacon, onions, celery, and beef are the perfect compliment to the molasses beans.

Don & Kathi make it a little differently than in the photo above, and I did it there way (and am writing the directions below their way) because their way is perfect. :) It cooks low and slow in the crock pot, and the flavors have all day to meld.

I halved the above recipe, and it made plenty for my family for dinner, plus leftovers.

Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1/4lb bacon, cooked and crumbled. (about 3 thick sliced pieces)
1 lb ground beef
2 cups of chopped onion (about one large onion)
1/2 cup of chopped celery
1/2 cup beef broth
2 cloves of fresh minced garlic
3/4 cups ketchup
1 1/2 Tablespoons yellow mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 can (1lb 13 oz ) molasses baked beans (I used Bush's)

Directions:

Cook your bacon (slow over low heat) and then set aside to crumble.  Drain fat from pan and cook your ground beef, onion, celery, and garlic.

Place beef mixture into a crockpot and add beef broth, ketchup, mustard, salt, pepper, beans, and crumbled bacon.  Mix well.

Place into a crockpot and cook on low for at least 4 hours.  Enjoy!