Friday, December 19, 2008
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Rasberry Coconut Cupcakes with Snowmen
My wonderful Mother-in-Law loves snowmen, so I created these cupcakes for her. They are a fluffy white cake filled with homemade raspberry filling and topped with vanilla buttercream and coconut. I made the little snowmen out of fondant, mini chocolate chips and sprinkles.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Coq Au Vin
This week's Barefoot Blogger post is a classic recipe. Phillip & I thought it was really tender and juicy, but it didn't turn out very pretty. Yummy isn't always pretty, I guess.
Ingredients
4 ounces good bacon or pancetta, diced
1 (3 to 4-pound) chicken, cut in 8ths
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 pound carrots, cut diagonally in 1-inch pieces
1 yellow onion, sliced
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
1/4 cup Cognac or good brandy
1/2 bottle (375 ml) good dry red wine such as Burgundy
1 cup good chicken stock, preferably homemade
10 fresh thyme sprigs
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, divided
1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 pound frozen small whole onions
1/2 pound cremini mushrooms, stems removed and thickly sliced
Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.
Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven. Add the bacon and cook over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove the bacon to a plate with a slotted spoon.
Meanwhile, lay the chicken out on paper towels and pat dry. Liberally sprinkle the chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. When the bacon is removed, brown the chicken pieces in batches in a single layer for about 5 minutes, turning to brown evenly. Remove the chicken to the plate with the bacon and continue to brown until all the chicken is done. Set aside.
Add the carrots, onions, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper to the pan and cook over medium heat for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are lightly browned. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the Cognac and put the bacon, chicken, and any juices that collected on the plate into the pot. Add the wine, chicken stock, and thyme and bring to a simmer. Cover the pot with a tight fitting lid and place in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes, until the chicken is just not pink. Remove from the oven and place on top of the stove.
Mash 1 tablespoon of butter and the flour together and stir into the stew. Add the frozen onions. In a medium saute pan, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter and cook the mushrooms over medium-low heat for 5 to 10 minutes, until browned. Add to the stew. Bring the stew to a simmer and cook for another 10 minutes. Season to taste. Serve hot.
Source: Ina Garten, Barefoot Contessa
Ingredients
4 ounces good bacon or pancetta, diced
1 (3 to 4-pound) chicken, cut in 8ths
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 pound carrots, cut diagonally in 1-inch pieces
1 yellow onion, sliced
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
1/4 cup Cognac or good brandy
1/2 bottle (375 ml) good dry red wine such as Burgundy
1 cup good chicken stock, preferably homemade
10 fresh thyme sprigs
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, divided
1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 pound frozen small whole onions
1/2 pound cremini mushrooms, stems removed and thickly sliced
Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.
Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven. Add the bacon and cook over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove the bacon to a plate with a slotted spoon.
Meanwhile, lay the chicken out on paper towels and pat dry. Liberally sprinkle the chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. When the bacon is removed, brown the chicken pieces in batches in a single layer for about 5 minutes, turning to brown evenly. Remove the chicken to the plate with the bacon and continue to brown until all the chicken is done. Set aside.
Add the carrots, onions, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper to the pan and cook over medium heat for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are lightly browned. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the Cognac and put the bacon, chicken, and any juices that collected on the plate into the pot. Add the wine, chicken stock, and thyme and bring to a simmer. Cover the pot with a tight fitting lid and place in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes, until the chicken is just not pink. Remove from the oven and place on top of the stove.
Mash 1 tablespoon of butter and the flour together and stir into the stew. Add the frozen onions. In a medium saute pan, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter and cook the mushrooms over medium-low heat for 5 to 10 minutes, until browned. Add to the stew. Bring the stew to a simmer and cook for another 10 minutes. Season to taste. Serve hot.
Source: Ina Garten, Barefoot Contessa
Roasted Beet & Goat Cheese Pizza
Since Phillip & I have been eating lighter, I've been forced to mix it up a bit to keep our dinners from getting boring. This pizza was great, even though Phillip thought it could have used some meat.
Ingredients
1 (4-ounce) golden beet
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 frozen pizza dough
1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled goat cheese
1/4 cup thinly sliced onion
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon honey
Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 450°.
2. Leave root and 1 inch of stem on beet; scrub with a brush. Wrap beet in foil. Bake at 450° for 40 minutes or until tender. Remove from oven; cool. Trim off beet root; rub off skin. Cut beet in half crosswise; thinly slice halves.
3. Position an oven rack in the lowest setting. Place a pizza stone on lowest rack.
4. Increase oven temperature to 500°. Preheat pizza stone 30 minutes before baking pizza.
5. Gently brush oil over Basic Pizza Dough. Arrange cheese, beet slices, and onions evenly over dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Slide dough onto preheated pizza stone, using a spatula as a guide.
6. Bake at 500° for 8 minutes or until crust is golden. Remove from pizza stone. Sprinkle with salt, and drizzle with honey.
Ingredients
1 (4-ounce) golden beet
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 frozen pizza dough
1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled goat cheese
1/4 cup thinly sliced onion
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon honey
Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 450°.
2. Leave root and 1 inch of stem on beet; scrub with a brush. Wrap beet in foil. Bake at 450° for 40 minutes or until tender. Remove from oven; cool. Trim off beet root; rub off skin. Cut beet in half crosswise; thinly slice halves.
3. Position an oven rack in the lowest setting. Place a pizza stone on lowest rack.
4. Increase oven temperature to 500°. Preheat pizza stone 30 minutes before baking pizza.
5. Gently brush oil over Basic Pizza Dough. Arrange cheese, beet slices, and onions evenly over dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Slide dough onto preheated pizza stone, using a spatula as a guide.
6. Bake at 500° for 8 minutes or until crust is golden. Remove from pizza stone. Sprinkle with salt, and drizzle with honey.
Source: Adapted from Cooking Light
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Friday, December 5, 2008
Now Accepting Orders!
I've finally created a product/price list! I'm getting pretty full of orders for the month of December, but I could squeeze in a few more orders. Click here for product/price list.
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