Gruyere Popovers

While watching Food Network's "The Best Thing I Ever Ate: Appetizers" I saw this gem. Tyler Florence said that these popovers from BLT Steak in NY where his personal favorite - and what a coincidence! I got a popover pan for Christmas!!

Ok, so it wasn't exactly a coincidence...I saw the episode, bought a popover pan, gave it to my husband and told him I'd act surprised on Christmas when I unwrapped it...yes, I made him wrap it. :) Truly though, you don't really need a popover pan. You could use a muffin tin, but you'd have more (and smaller) popovers - which might be nice for a party!

This recipe is so simple and very scrumptious. They are light and fluffy with a crispy, cheese top and a slight layer of gooey cheese in the middle. YUM!

Gruyere Popovers

4 C. milk, warmed
8 eggs
4 C. flour
1/2 heaping Tbs. salt
2 1/4 C. grated Gruyere

Place the popover pan in the oven. Heat the oven and pan to 350 degrees.

Gently warm the milk over low heat and set aside. Whisk the eggs until frothy and slowly whisk in the milk. Set the mixture aside.

Sift the flour and the salt together. Slowly add this dry mixture to the egg mixture and gently combine until mostly smooth.

Remove the popover pan from the oven and spray with non-stick spray.

While the batter is still slightly warm, fill each popover cup 3/4 full. Top with approximately 2 1/2 Tbs. of the grated cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes or until the popovers are high and golden brown on the sides.

Take out of the oven, remove from pan and serve warm.

*Recipe from BLT Steak House via Food Network

Sweet Cinnamon Scones

A while ago, I found a really yummy sounding recipe for Sweet Cinnamon Scones. I was so eager to try it, but had a really hard time finding cinnamon baking chips in my grocery store. Thankfully, just before Christmas, they were in stock!

So thrilled and excited to make these, I got up on Christmas morning and made them for my family. Unfortunately, they were a total dud. :( All that waiting for nothing!! But, the idea still sounded really tastey to me and I decided not to give up. I went back to an old standby that's never let me down...America's Test Kitchen.

The recipe below is an adaptation of ATK's glazed, slightly-sweet cake scones with the cinnamon chips, some vanilla, and a touch of ground cinnamon mixed in. Keep in mind, these are cakey scones and less like traditional scones that have a similar texture to biscuits...but that's what I prefer. Plus, the addition of an egg makes them cakey but also allows them to stay fresher longer. :)

The results of adapting the recipe were exactly what I'd be hoping for! These scones are light, cakey, slightly sweet and have just the right amount of cinnamon. Do yourself a favor and give these a try. They freeze really well (pre-baked) and can be stored in the freezer until you are ready to pop them into the oven for a quick breakfast (or even a lighter dessert!!)

Sweet Cinnamon Scones

2 C. all purpose flour
1 T. baking poweder
3 T. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
4 T. very cold butter, cut into 1/4 inch cubes
1/2 C. cinnamon baking chips
3/4 C. heavy cream, plus more for brushing – about 1 Tb.
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tsp. vanilla

For the cinnamon-sugar topping:
1 Tb. cream
1 T. sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon

Heat oven to 425 degrees.

Place the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and cinnamon in the bowl of a food processor. Process with six 1-second pulses, until combined.

Pour the dry ingredients into a large bowl. Add the cinnamon chips to the dry ingredients and mix to combine. Stir in the egg, vanilla, and heavy cream with a rubber spatula or fork until the dough begins to form, about 30 seconds.

Transfer the dough and any remaining dry flour bits to a countertop that has been lightly dusted with flour. Knead the dough by hand just until it comes together – do not over knead!

Lightly dust an 8-inch cake pan. Press the dough evenly into the cake pan. Turn the dough out on to the countertop. (You should have a nice, flat, and even disk to work with!) Cut into 8 equal wedges. (At this point you can flash freeze the wedges in the freezer for 20 minutes. Then put them in a ziplock bag and freeze until needed).

Place wedges on a lightly greased baking sheet. Brush the tops of the scones with the 1 T. of heavy cream. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon. Bake at 425 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes or until the tops are light brown. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes (ATK recommends truly letting the scones sit for the 10 minutes. It firms them up and improves their overall texture).

Serve warm or at room temperature. Enjoy with coffee or tea!

One-Minute Nutella Cake

Throughout the blogosphere, I've discovered the joys of "One-Minute" microwave cakes. My tastebuds danced in delight (as my waistline grew weary!). These cakes are truly amazing. They're little one-pot wonders that help curb even the most intense dessert craving.

This dessert combines one of my favorite ingredients - Nutella, with a moist and delicious cake. I could eat this every night of my life!



One-Minute Nutella Cake

4 tablespoons self-raising flour
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
3 tablespoons nutella
3 tablespoons skim milk
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon vegetable or canola oil
1 egg
Nonstick Spray

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Whisk lightly with a fork until combined and smooth. Pour into an oversized microwave safe mug or ramekin that has been sprayed with nonstick spray.

Microwave for a minute watching as the cake rises in the mug, stopping if it is about to overflow and continuing a couple of times for 10 second intervals till cooked. [Don't be tempted to overcook. The cake virtually finishes cooking in that first 1 minute rise]

Enjoy!

One-Minute Peanut Butter Cake

Not to be outdone by "One Minute Nutella Cake," this peanut butter cake screams decadence. It's rich, creamy, and oh-so-peanut-buttery. This is for the true peanut butter lover.

Go ahead. Indulge - you deserve it...and no one's watching! :)




One-Minute Peanut Butter Cake

1 egg, slightly beaten
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 heaping tablespoon flour
2 heaping tablespoons peanut butter
1 teaspoon milk
1 tablespoon powdered sugar (give or take)

Directions:

In a small bowl, whisk together egg, brown sugar, baking powder, peanut butter and flour. Pour batter into a greased ramekin. Microwave for 30 seconds.

While the cake is microwaving, stir together milk and powdered sugar, adding more powdered sugar if necessary to thicken frosting. **This step is optional...I actually preferred the cake without the icing, but my husband like it with....totally up to you!

Remove cake from ramekin (or don’t), pour frosting over top.

Enjoy!

Praline-Pecan Banana Bread

I often have to hide bananas into desserts - particularly breads, since my husband doesn't really like them. However, I'm slowly breaking his will by increasing the banana flavors in truly amazing dishes. This is definitely one of them.

The banana flavor is pronounced, but not overwhelming here. What really makes this dessert shine and brings them coming back for more, is the Praline-Pecan topping that's poured over the bread before it's baked. The flavor seeps into the bread and permeates throughout while creating a sweet crust on top.

You will never look at banana bread the same way again!




Praline-Pecan Banana Bread

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 Cup Praline-Pecan Sauce
3 ripe large bananas, mashed
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1/3 cup Sour Cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and place the rack in the center of the oven. Butter the bottom and sides of an 8-cup loaf pan. Set aside.

In a large bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In a medium-sized bowl combine the mashed bananas, eggs, melted butter, sour cream, 3/4 C of Praline sauce, and vanilla. With a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, lightly fold the wet ingredients (banana mixture) into the dry ingredients until just combined and the batter is thick and chunky. (The important thing is not to over mix the batter. Over mixing the batter will yield a tough, rubbery bread.)

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and pour the remaining 1/4 cup of Praline sauce over the top of the batter. Bake until bread is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 50 - 60 minutes. Place on a wire rack to cool and then remove the bread from the pan. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Makes one - 9 inch loaf

*If you do not have or can't find Praline-Pecan sauce, you can substitute caramel sauce and add pecans.


Pecan-Praline Sauce

2 cups unsalted butter, cubed
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans
3 pounds light brown sugar
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 1/2 cups sour cream
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Heat 1 cup of the butter in a large saucepan until melted. Add the pecans and mix well. Bring to a boil. Cook until the pecans begin to change color. Be careful! This mixture will foam over, so use a large saucepan.

Add the remaining 1 cup butter and mix well. This will cool the pecan mixture and stop the cooking process. Remove from heat.

Combine brown sugar, whipping cream and cinnamon in a saucepan and mix well. Cook over low heat until blended, stirring constantly; increase heat. Cook to 230 degrees on a candy thermometer. Stir in pecan mixture. Add sour cream and vanilla and mix well. Remove from heat.

**Just remember this makes a LOT of praline sauce - probably more like 12 cups. However, it freezes amazingly well and keeps that way for a long LONG time. :)

Bread Pudding with Pecan Praline Sauce

Run, do not walk, to your kitchen and make this recipe IMMEDIATELY. If you are a fan of bread pudding, this recipe will throw you over the edge of insanity with its deliciousness...if you don't really like bread pudding, make it anyway. You will change your mind!

I first tasted this recipe at Famous Dave's BBQ. Once I went searching on the internet, I found this recipe circulating. It came directly from Famous Dave's website and I did not change it - it really didn't need changing at all.

The pecan-praline sauce is AMAZING. Truly. One big note about the recipe, though, is that is says "makes about 4 cups." I don't know what kind of "cups" Ol' Famous Dave uses, but when I made it, it was about 12 cups. But, I didn't mind one bit. I've since used the sauce over vanilla ice cream and over french toast and gone into a praline coma. Feel free to do the same!



Bread Pudding
1 (1 1/2-pound) loaf cinnamon egg bread (*See Note Below!)
2/3 cup golden raisins
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 cups milk
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup vanilla extract
8 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Spray the bottom and sides of a 13X9 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Tear the bread into 1-inch pieces. Mix with the raisins in a bowl. Spread the bread mixture evenly in the prepared dish, turning crust side down as this tends to burn easily. Whisk the sugar, milk, 2 cups whipping cream, vanilla, eggs and cinnamon in a bowl until blended. Pour over the bread mixture.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Place the baking dish in a 4-inch deep baking pan. Add water to reach halfway up sides of the baking dish. Bake for 1 hour.

Remove from water bath. Let stand for 20 minutes. Serve while still warm. Drizzle each serving with warm Ol’ Southern Plantation Praline Sauce (recipe below). Top with whipped cream and add a scoop of ice cream if desired.

Yield: 9 enormous servings

*Try as I might, but I could not find "cinnamon egg bread." Instead, I used a loaf of Challah bread with raisins that I found at my local grocery store. Then I just added a little more cinnamon to the mix. Hope this helps!

Pecan-Praline Sauce
2 cups unsalted butter, cubed
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans
3 pounds light brown sugar
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 1/2 cups sour cream
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Heat 1 cup of the butter in a large saucepan until melted. Add the pecans and mix well. Bring to a boil. Cook until the pecans begin to change color. Be careful! This mixture will foam over, so use a large saucepan.

Add the remaining 1 cup butter and mix well. This will cool the pecan mixture and stop the cooking process. Remove from heat.

Combine brown sugar, whipping cream and cinnamon in a saucepan and mix well. Cook over low heat until blended, stirring constantly; increase heat. Cook to 230 degrees on a candy thermometer. Stir in pecan mixture. Add sour cream and vanilla and mix well. Remove from heat. Yield: 4 cups (not really, see note above!)

Beer Bread

While making beef stew, I realized that I needed a hearty bread to go with it. I am not a typical bread-maker, so I wanted something quick and easy. I remember LOVING the Tastefully Simple beer bread, but didn't have any on hand. A quick internet search (what would we do without Google?!) and I found a "copycat" recipe that I thought looked pretty good.

Turns out, this version is really close to the original. I couldn't really tell any difference, so I will be making this from now on....much cheaper than actually buying the TS kit too!!

Beer Bread

3 C. self rising flour
1/2 C. sugar
12 oz. beer (seasonal or flavored beers are great, but any beer will do! You can also use another carbonated drink if you don't have any beer on hand)
3 Tbs. butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine the flour, sugar, and beer. Mix just until combined. Spoon into a greased loaf pan. Pour melted butter over the batter and bake for 55-60 minutes.

Homemade Soft Pretzels with Sweet Mustard Dipping Sauce

A few weeks ago I went to Weber Grill for a baby shower and they had the most amazing pretzel bread. My love affair with pretzel bread started a loooong time ago, but it was just recently that I have felt brave enough to try bread. You see, I have a long history of lost bread battles.

I once had a recipe for dinner rolls but they turned out more like hockey pucks. Not so yummy...For whatever reason, homemade bread has not been my friend. But, after much thought, amazing reviews online, and one too many delicious pretzel rolls, I decided to try out Alton Brown's recipe for homemade soft pretzels.

This recipe is SO worth it! Actually, it's pretty easy too. There are a few weird (to me, the novice breadmaker) steps, so I tried to photograph many of the steps to share with you. I hope they help! Like I said before, this recipe is far simpler than it seems at first and is a great way to begin making bread.

I also decided to forgo using all of the dough for traditional looking pretzels. Plus, I got bored with rolling and twisting. So, half of the dough was used to make pretzels and the other half was used to make rolls.

These are so perfect that I will definitely be making them again. Next time, though, I think that I am going to top them with cinnamon and sugar instead of the finishing salt - YUM!





Homemade Soft Pretzels

1 1/2 cups warm (110 to 115 degrees F) water
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 package active dry yeast
22 ounces all-purpose flour, approximately 4 1/2 cups
1/2 stick unsalted butter, melted
Vegetable oil, for pan
10 cups water
2/3 cup baking soda
1 large egg yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon water
Pretzel salt (I just used Kosher salt from my salt grinder and it was perfect!)

Combine the water, sugar and kosher salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the yeast on top.


Allow to sit for 5 minutes or until the mixture begins to foam.


Add the flour and butter and, using the dough hook attachment, mix on low speed until well combined. Change to medium speed and knead until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the side of the bowl, approximately 4 to 5 minutes.


Remove the dough from the bowl, clean the bowl and then oil it well with vegetable oil. Return the dough to the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and sit in a warm place (I used the warming drawer on my oven set on LOW) for approximately 50 to 55 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size.


Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line 2 half-sheet pans with parchment paper and lightly brush with the vegetable oil. Set aside.

Bring the 10 cups of water and the baking soda to a rolling boil in an 8-quart saucepan or roasting pan.

In the meantime, turn the dough out onto a slightly oiled work surface and divide into 8 equal pieces. Roll out each piece of dough into a 24-inch rope. Make a U-shape with the rope, holding the ends of the rope, cross them over each other and press onto the bottom of the U in order to form the shape of a pretzel. Place onto the parchment-lined half sheet pan. *(This is where you can either make pretzel shapes or rolls...your choice!)


Place the pretzels into the boiling water, one at a time, for 30 seconds.


Remove them from the water using a large flat spatula. Return to the half sheet pan, brush the top of each pretzel with the beaten egg yolk and water mixture and sprinkle with the pretzel salt.


Bake until dark golden brown in color, approximately 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack for at least 5 minutes before serving



Sweet Mustard Dipping Sauce

1/2 C. Dijon Mustard
1/4 C. Maple Syrup
1 T. Brown Sugar

In a small bowl, whisk all ingredients together until smooth. Enjoy with Homemade Soft Pretzels!