Caramel popcorn

This recipe was in the newspaper when I was a kid.  It was pretty time consuming back then since I actually had to POP all that popcorn.  (I have lessened the time by using microwave popcorn, with fabulous results.) For a while, we made this for every large gathering we attended.  It made so much that we hauled it around in a clean kitchen garbage bag!  I've made a few modifications to make a more manageable amount.

Here's what you'll need:
3 bags microwave popcorn
2 c brown sugar
2 sticks butter
1/2 c light corn syrup
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp cream of tartar
pinch salt

Pop the popcorn.  Pour it into a greased or buttered bowl.  Make sure you remove any unpopped kernels.

In large sauce pan combine sugar, butter and corn syrup.

Bring to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove from heat.  Stir in baking soda, cream of tartar and salt.  Be very careful with this step.  The baking soda causes the caramel to expand, and since this stuff is molten lava, you could get a pretty nasty burn.

Preheat oven to 200.  Grease or butter 2 sheet pans.  Set aside.

Pour the caramel over the popped corn.  Stir quickly to thoroughly cover all the kernels with the caramel before it cools.  Avoid getting it on your skin.  My sister once accidentally poured it on my hand, trying to help me.  It burned like all get out!  Then, she put it in cold water, causing the caramel to seize.  I lived to tell about it, with no scar.  I'd like you to, too.

Spread the popcorn on the prepared trays.  Bake for one hour; stirring once.

The caramel will harden as it cools.  Keep stirring it as it cools to break it into smaller pieces.  Store in an air-tight container when completely cool.

Enjoy!

Creamy, extra-cheesy mac-n-cheese

I LOVE CHEESE!  What better way to eat it than a big, steaming plate of macaroni and cheese?  As the weather gets cooler, I find myself turning more and more to the oven for meals.  This dish is delicious baked, with all the crusty edges around the top, but it can also be eaten right from the pot.  It's up to you.  But just a warning: this is the most decadent macaroni and cheese you will ever eat.  It's loaded with fat and calories, but in moderation it's great.

Here's what you'll need:
2 c uncooked elbow or small shell pasta
1 TBSP salt
3 TBSP butter
3 TBSP flour
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp onion powder
2 c half and half
1 c milk (whole or 2%)
8 oz shredded sharp cheddar cheese
4 oz shredded Swiss cheese
4 oz shredded smoked mozzarella or smoked Gouda
paprika

Heat the oven to 375.  Grease a 2-quart casserole; set aside.

Bring a large pot of water to a full boil.  Add 1 TBSP salt and the noodles.  This might seem like a lot of salt, but this is the only chance you have to actually season the pasta itself.  Cook the pasta according to the package directions.  Drain and set aside.

Melt the butter in a large sauce pot.  Whisk in flour and seasonings.  Cook for a minute.  Whisk in half and half and the milk, stirring until constantly.  Bring to a boil, and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat.  Add cheese and stir until melted.

 
Gently fold the drained pasta into the cheese sauce, mixing just until the noodles are covered in the cheesy goodness.

It's ready to be eaten, as is, but for more deliciousness, bake it.  Spread the noodle mixture in a greased 2-quart casserole dish.  Sprinkle with paprika.  Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes, until the top is golden and the sauce bubbles around the edges.

Enjoy!

Soft Pumpkin Cookies

It's that time of year when the taste buds turn to all things pumpkin.  These pumpkin cookies are moist with just enough spice to make them interesting.  They're a great snack, and wonderful with coffee or hot chocolate.

Here's what you'll need:
2 1/2 c flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 c sugar
1/2 c butter, softened
1 c pumpkin puree
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 c mini chocolate chips

Sift together the flour, baking soda and powder, spices and salt in a large bowl.  This help lighten up the flour and remove lumps from the mix.  It also allows for better disbursement of the spices.  Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Mix in the pumpkin, egg and vanilla.

Mix until well blended.  Add in the flour mixture in 3 batches, mixing just until the flour disappears.  Fold in the chocolate chips.  Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate 1 hour (longer won't hurt it).

Preheat the oven to 350.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper.  Drop cookies onto sheet 2 inches apart.  I use a small cookie scoop, but you could also use a table spoon.

Bake 10-12 minutes, switching the trays halfway through baking time.  The cookies will be puffed, and no mark will remain when you touch it with your finger.

Cool thoroughly before storing.  I keep them at room temp in an airtight container.  They also freeze well. This recipe makes about 5 dozen small cookies.

Enjoy!

Chocolate Lava Cakes

When I go to a restaurant, I look at the dessert menu first.  If I see something there I like, it helps me to choose my meal so I have room for dessert.  If there's a dessert that is chocolate and decadent, you can be sure I'll end up with it.  This recipe for lava cakes is that dessert, but so easy you can make it at home.

Here's what you'll need:
2 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1/4 c heavy cream
4 oz semi-sweet or milk chocolate, chopped
8 TBSP butter
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
1/3 c sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 c flour

I recommend using the best chocolate you can afford (I used sharffenberger). You don't need a lot of it, but the better quality definitely makes a huge difference in taste.  By all means, you can use chocolate chips, but know the taste will not be the same as a restaurant lava cake.

Start by chopping your chocolate into shavings.  This will help it melt quickly and evenly.

Heat oven to 400.  Grease and flour 4 6-oz ramekins.

Combine bittersweet chocolate with the heavy cream.  Melt in the microwave for 30 seconds.  Stir until totally melted.  Set aside.  This will be the molten center.

Combine remaining chocolate and the butter in a large glass bowl.  Microwave for 30 seconds.  Stir well.   If not completely melted, microwave at 10 second intervals, stirring well after each.  Look cool slightly.

Whisk together the eggs and egg yolks until well combined.

Whisk the sugar, vanilla and flour into the melted chocolate.  Whisk in the eggs.  Stir until everything is well combined.  The batter will be thin.  Scoop about 1/4 cup batter into each prepared ramekin.

Evenly divide the filling between the four cups.

Cover the filling with the remaining batter, making sure the filling is completely covered.
Bake at 400 for 15 minutes.  The edges should hold their shape, but still look a little gooey (sunken) in the center.

Let cool a few minutes.  Run a knife around the edge.  Place a plate over the ramekin and invert.  The lava cake will slide right out.  Serve with whipped cream and berries.

Enjoy!

Marinating (Ben's chicken)

I love grilled chicken.  There, I said it.  But let's be honest.  Chicken can grow tiresome and also be dry. Marinades are a great way to infuse flavor into the meat while helping to keep it moist after it's grilled.  I started using this marinade a few year's ago.  It's called Ben's Chicken because I stole it from a good friend named Ben. I've made so many alterations that he probably won't recognize it anymore, but the name stays.

Marinades have two basic necessities; an acid (to tenderize), and an oil (to keep moist).  Anything beyond that is just icing on the cake.  I typically use equal amounts of acid and oil, but the ratio might change depending on what you're using.  Something like a balsamic vinegar needs way less to get the point across.

I also add herbs and garlic.  This helps to infuse the meat with additional flavor as it marinates.  Typically, this needs at least 1 hour, but no more than 12.  After that the meat just begins to break down and loses all it's appeal.

Here's what you'll need:
1/4 c olive or vegetable oil
1/4 c orange or lime juice
1/3 c soy sauce
3 shakes liquid smoke (to taste)
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 TBSP minced garlic
3 sprigs of thyme
1 TBSP chopped rosemary
1/4 c chopped cilantro
pinch salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp onion powder
4-6 pieces of chicken (I used boneless/skinless breasts)

Combine everything except the chicken in a small bowl, whisking to blend the flavors.

Place the chicken pieces in a zip top bag and pour the marinade over top.  Zip closed and squish the bag, making sure all the chicken is covered in liquid.  Refrigerate 1-12 hours.

I usually grill this, but it can also be baked in the oven, if your prefer.  Heat your grill to a high heat.  Place the chicken on the grill.  When it releases easily, it's ready to be turned.  (If you want the classic grill marks, start with chicken facing 10 o'clock, then turn to 12 o'clock.)  Reduce the heat to medium.

The chicken will be ready when the juices run clear.  Don't go poking it multiple times, this will make you lose all the juiciness you worked hard to get in there.  Remove from heat, cover with foil and allow to rest on a plate for a bout 5 minutes.  This allows to juices to redistribute throughout the meat.

Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Dreams

Chocolate and peanut butter.  Can there even be a better combination?  This cake is decadent and delicious, which makes it perfect for the holidays.  It's a dark chocolate cake with a peanut butter cheesecake center, all held together with peanut butter cream frosting.  This post is a little longer and more detailed than what I usually do.  Please don't be overwhelmed!  There are a lot of steps, but they are EASY.  And you can do them on separate days to help break it down.

Start with the cake layers.  They can be made pretty well in advance, since they need to be frozen.
Here's what you'll need:
12 TBSP butter
2/3 c brown sugar
2/3 c granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 c buttermilk
1/2 c sour cream
2 TBSP brewed coffee
1 3/4 c flour
1 c cocoa
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350.  Grease and flour 2 9" cake pans.  Line them with parchment paper (to help prevent sticking), and grease the parchment.  Set aside.

Your butter, eggs, buttermilk and sour cream need to be at room temperature.  The eggs and butter can sit out on the counter overnight.  In the morning, set out the buttermilk and sour cream.

Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt.  This will remove the lumps and lighten the flour, creating a lighter cake.  Set aside.

Whisk together vanilla, buttermilk, sour cream and coffee.  Set aside.

In the bowl of a mixer, cream together the butter and sugars.  Beat them until their light and fluffy.  Add the eggs, blend well.  Add 1/3 of the flour mixture.  Stir just until the flour disappears.  Add 1/2 of the milk mixture.  Repeat, ending with the third flour addition.  Combining it this way creates a finer crumb (cake texture).

Divide evenly between the two prepared cake pans.  Smooth the tops.  Bake at 350 for 27-30 minutes. Cool on wire racks for 10 minutes.  Then remove from their pans.  The easiest way to do this is to place the rack on top of the cake, then flip the whole thing over.  The parchment paper will help them come put easily.

Remove the parchment paper.  Cool completely.  Wrap tightly in plastic wrap.  Freeze, at least, overnight or up to one week.

Make the cheesecake layer next.  It, too, needs to freeze overnight.
Here's what you'll need:
2 8oz cream cheese, room temp
1/2 c creamy peanut butter
2/3 c sugar
pinch of salt
2 eggs, room temp
1/3 c heavy cream, room temp
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat the oven to 325.  Grease a 9" spring form pan.  Wrap foil around the outside of the pan.  Place the pan in a casserole dish just big enough to hold it.  Set aside.

Beat cream cheese, peanut butter and sugar together until well-blended, light and fluffy.  Add eggs, one at a time, just blending.  Stir in remaining ingredients until just mixed.  Pour into prepared pan.

Pour warm water into the casserole dish til it comes half way up the foil.  This will keep the top of the cheesecake from cracking.  Bake 40-45 minutes, until the center is set.  Carefully loosen the foil from the edges of the pan.  Lift the spring form pan from the water bath.  Allow to cool on a wire rack for 1 hour.  Run a knife around the edges of the pan to loosen the cheesecake.

Leave the cake in the pan.  Wrap the whole thing tightly in foil.  Freeze overnight or up to one week.

Make the frosting the day you want to assemble the cake.  Remove the cake and cheesecake from the freezer.  Unwrap the cakes.

Here's what you'll need:
8oz cream cheese, room temp
1 stick butter, room temp
3/4 c creamy peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla
3 TBSP heavy cream
3 c sifted powder sugar, sifted

Beat together the cream cheese, butter and peanut butter.

Beat until well-blended.  Stir in the vanilla and cream.  Gradually add the powdered sugar, mixing on low until absorbed.  Turn the mixer to high and beat for 5 minutes.

To assemble the cake, place one cake layer, flat side down, on a cake plate.  Spread with 1/2 cup of frosting.

Place the cheesecake layer upside down on the frosted layer.  Remove the parchment paper.  Spread with 1/2 cup frosting.

Place remaining cake layer, flat side up, on top of frosted cheesecake.

Spread frosting, in a thin layer, over the sides of the cake.  This will seal in the crumbs.

Press chocolate chips around the sides of the cake using the palm of your hand.

When the sides are completely covered, gently press the chips into the cake.  Spread the remaining frosting over the top of the cake, creating a swirling pattern.  Refrigerate until ready to eat.  This is a VERY rich cake, so thin slices are all it takes.

Enjoy!

Salsa Verde

We eat a lot of salsa at our house.  So much so that we usually grow a garden consisting only of salsa ingredients: basically several varieties of peppers and tomatoes.  But I sometimes get bored of the red stuff, and then I make salsa verde.  It's green because it's made from green things:  tomatillos, jalapenos, greens chiles, limes and cilantro.  It's most often served with chicken, but is a versatile sauce that can be used on tacos and enchiladas or with chips.

Here's what you'll need:
1 lb tomatillos, cut in halves
1 onion, chunked
5 cloves garlic
2 jalapenos (if you want less heat, remove the seeds and white ribs)
1-2 TBSP olive oil
1 bunch cilantro
juice of 1 lime
1 can diced green chiles
1 tsp salt

Tomatillos may look like green tomatoes, but they aren't.  They're not even related!  They belong to the gooseberry family.  They are wrapped in a paper-like cover.  Inside the wrapper, their skin is sticky.

Remove their papers and run under water to clean them and remove the sticky residue.

Arrange the tomatillos, onions, jalapenos and garlic on a baking sheet.  Drizzle with olive oil.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Stir to make sure everything is evenly coated.

Bake at 400 for 20-30 minutes, until the vegetables are soft, stirring occasionally.  When they're ready, the tomatillos will look like they are deflated.

Scrape the veggies and their juice into a blender.  Add the cilantro, lime juice, salt and green chiles.

Pulse until smooth.  You may have to scrape down the sides a few times.

The salsa is now ready to be used.  We ate it over shredded beef tacos and with nacho chips.

This salsa will be fine in the fridge for a week or so.  In plastic containers, it will stay fresh in the freezer for several months.

Enjoy!

Triple Chocolate Chip Cookies

There's nothing like a really good chocolate chip cookie.  I use one that's been in my family for a long time. Of course, I've tweaked it a little to better suit my tastes.  The fact is, the recipe is less important than the techniques.  If you have the basics down, you can turn any recipe into something fabulous.  This recipe makes about 10 dozen cookies, but it can easily be cut in half and still have the same flavor results.

Here's what you'll need:
1 1/2 sticks butter, room temp
1 1/2 sticks margarine, room temp
1 1/2 c sugar
1 1/2 c brown sugar, packed
4 eggs, room temp
1 TBSP water
2 tsp vanilla
5 c flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 c semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 c dark chocolate chips
1 c white chocolate chips

Eggs take a long time to come to room temperature.  (The FDA says it's safe for them to be un-refrigerated for 24 hours.)  I place mine, with the butter, on a cooling rack and let it sit overnight.  Then, both are ready to use.  Room temperature items blend easier, creating a nicer dough. 

Sift together your flour, baking soda and powder, and salt.  I just run it through a colander.  This removes the lumps and adds some air to the flour, creating a lighter texture in the dough.  Set aside.

Combine the butter, margarine and sugars in a mixing bowl.  I use a mixture of butter and margarine because I like a soft-textured cookie that holds it's shape.  If you like crisper cookies, use all butter; if you like soft cookies, use all margarine.  (One warning:  margarine contains water.  The higher level of moisture will cause the cookies to spread out while baking and be very thin.)

Start on low until sugar blends in, then increase to medium.  You want to cream the sugar into the butter. That means you're going to incorporate air into the butter while dissolving the sugar.  This will take about 5 minutes and is the most important step in this recipe, or  cookie making, in general.  To test if it's done, rub a small amount between your fingers.  You should not feel any grit.  If you do, keep mixing it.

Add the eggs, one at a time, blending well after each.  Add the vanilla and water.  Mix well.  With the mixer on low, slower stir in the flour mixture.  Blend just enough to get the flour incorporated.  Over mixing will make the gluten in the flour bloom, creating a tough cookie.  Get ready for the chocolate chips!

The old family recipe calls for just semi-sweet chocolate chips, but I really like this combination.  Every bite is full of chocolate, and no two bites are the same.  Mix the chips into the cookie dough, just until mixed.  I usually stir them by hand at the end to make sure the dough at the bottom has as many chips as the top.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.  Chill at least 1 hour, up to overnight.  This allows the butter to re-harden and helps the cookies keep their shape.

Preheat the oven to 375.  I line my cookie sheets with parchment.  This helps the cookies to brown more evenly, but is not necessary in order for them to turn out right.  I normally use a medium-sized cookie scoop, but a table spoon works well, too.  Give the cookies some space. On a normal tray, I put about 12 cookies.

Bake for 10-12 minutes, switching trays halfway through.  The cookies will be light brown and slightly puffy. Let cool on the tray, or a wire rack for 1 minute before removing from the trays.  Cool completely on the wire rack.

Enjoy!