Not what I was expecting

I've been dying to use Connie some more but I'm not quite in the mood for cookies, brownies, or cupcakes. I found this recipe and thought it was the perfect thing to make... that is until I read the directions and it doesn't require a mixer. Oh well. This was still pretty good. I'm not a huge coffee cake fan but the hubs lurved it.

New York Crumb Cake
from Martha Stewart


Picture courtesy of Martha Stewart
(mine really did look like that though!)

Makes one 9-by-12 1/2-inch cake

2 tablespoons canola oil, plus more for pan
4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pan
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1/2 cup milk
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

1. Place rack in center of oven, and heat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly brush a 9-by-12 1/2-inch baking pan with canola oil, dust with flour, and tap to remove excess. Set aside. In a medium bowl, sift together 1 1/2 cups flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In a second bowl, whisk together egg, milk, canola oil, and vanilla. Using a rubber spatula, fold dry ingredients into egg mixture.

2. Spread batter evenly into prepared pan, and set aside. In a medium bowl, combine remaining 2 1/2 cups flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Pour melted butter over flour mixture, and toss with a rubber spatula until large crumbs form. Sprinkle crumbs over batter.

3. Transfer pan to oven, and bake, rotating pan after 10 minutes. Continue baking until a cake tester comes out clean, about 10 minutes more. Transfer baking pan to a wire rack to cool. Dust with confectioners' sugar. Using a serrated knife or bench scraper, cut into 3-inch squares. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

New Meal for the New Year

The other day I decided that today I would make soft tacos. They're easy and we had all the ingredients. Yesterday was a super slow day at work so I spent a good chunk of time looking at food blogs. I found this recipe on Julia's blog. I knew I had pretty much everything in my kitchen so I thought it would be a delicious meal to start the New Year.


Black Bean Enchiladas
(is there such a thing as a good picture of enchiladas!?)



This filling for these Enchiladas is actually a Tex Mex Black Bean Dip from allrecipes. Click here for a picture.

For the bean filling: (my modifications in italics):
2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 tbsp. oil
1 cup chopped onion (I also added 1/2 cup of chopped red peppers and 1/2 cup chopped green peppers)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup corn kernels
1 ½ cups chopped tomatoes (I used a can of Rotel - drained)
1 cup salsa
2 tsp. ground cumin
2 tsp. chili powder
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
¼ cup fresh cilantro
2 tbsp. lime juice (I didn't have any lime juice so I used 1.5 tbsp of lemon juice)

For the enchiladas:
3 cups black bean filling (above)
8-10 medium flour tortillas
Shredded Mexican cheese (about 2 cups) ( I used the Monterey Jack Cheese)
1 can enchilada sauce (I used green)

Directions:
To make the black bean filling, place the black beans in a medium sized mixing bowl. Partially mash the beans. In a medium sized skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Stir in onion and garlic and sauté for 4 minutes. Mix beans, corn, tomato, salsa, cumin, and chili powder into the skillet. Cook for 5 minutes or until thickened. Remove the pan from the heat, mix in cheese, cilantro and lime juice. Stir until cheese is melted.

Grease a 9x13” baking dish. Preheat oven to 350°. To make the enchiladas, spoon some of the black bean mixture down the center of a tortilla. Top with some cheese and roll up. Place seam side down in the baking dish. Repeat with remaining tortillas. Pour sauce over the tops of the enchiladas. Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil, sprinkle with remaining shredded cheese and bake 2-3 minutes more or until cheese is melted.


These were so good. The dip makes a fabulous filling. I'll definitely be making them again.

A Nice Night at Home

Last night we decided to keep it low key. We rented a move, had cheese fondue, and made a nice big salad.



The salad I had in mind was one from my friend Nemmie -

Ten Restaurant's Signature Chopped Salad.

I had heard so many good things about this from my friends Jules, Amanda, Leslie, and of course Nemmie but there aren't words to describe the taste. It's fabulous. For the recipe and a picture of the salad please go here.

When my dad and step-mom came up she made an awesome cheese fondue. I need to call her and ask for the recipe. Last night however I searched the internet and found a recipe from allrecipes.com. I combined the original recipe with some suggestions from the reader reviews. This was very good. The only thing is I forgot to buy the Sauvignon Blanc, so we just used a Riesling. I think I used a bit too much Riesling but it was still delicious. We almost devoured the entire bowl.

I didn't measure out the exact amounts, just eyeballed it since there were only 2 of us.

Best Formula Three-Cheese Fondue

1 Cup White Wine (Sauvignon Blanc is suggested)
1 1/2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
Gruyere cheese - shredded
Sharp Cheddar cheese - shredded
Emmentaler cheese - shredded
1 clove of garlic

Combine the cheese and flour in a bowl.
Rub garlic over inside of fondue pot -or- saute it in the pot
Simmer wine (Since I have an electric fondue pot, I just poured the wine in the pot and let it simmer.)
Add cheese/flour mixture to wine. Stir in a zig-zag motion until cheese is smooth.

We dipped french bread in this but the original recipe also suggest Granny Smith Apples. For the original recipe go here. Just make sure you read through the suggestions if you decide to make this.

THE $250 Cookie....

We've all gotten that email for the Neiman Marcus cookie recipe. I'd never thought much of it until I came across the recipe on line and decided to give them a whirl....

NM Chocolate Cookie



Ingredients
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1 cup light brown sugar
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1-3/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 teaspoons instant espresso coffee powder
1-1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips Directions

1.Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Cream the butter with the sugars using an electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy (approximately 30 seconds)

2.Beat in the egg and the vanilla extract for another 30 seconds.

3.In a mixing bowl, sift together the dry ingredients and beat into the butter mixture at low speed for about 15 seconds. Stir in the espresso coffee powder and chocolate chips.

4. Using a 1 ounce scoop or a 2 tablespoon measure, drop cookie dough onto a greased cookie sheet about 3 inches apart. Gently press down on the dough with the back of a spoon to spread out into a 2 inch circle. Bake for about 20 minutes* or until nicely browned around the edges. Bake a little longer for a crispier cookie.

Yield: 2 dozen cookies

*Mine baked for about 15 minutes

The hubster and I loved these! The dough is excellent too. :)

Please meet my new friends

Consuela K and Francine Fondue (or Connie and Frannie).



I must have been a good girl this year because Santa brought them for me! I’ve wanted a KA Mixer for a long time. There was one on our wedding registry but, unfortunately we didn’t get it. I didn’t even know about the fondue pot until a few weeks ago when my dad, step-mom, and crew came to visit and brought theirs up. We had a wonderful fondue dinner and the hubs and I loved it and decided we would buy one after Christmas. Luckily, we don’t have to!

I’ve used the Mixer twice now and the fondue pot once (and it’s only been 5 days since Christmas) and they are awesome! It’s amazing how much easier baking has become with Connie.

'Tis the Season

A couple of weeks ago I made PB cookies that I got off the back of the almond bark package. They were such a hit I knew I wanted to make them for Christmas and make the vanilla version with regular Oreos and candy cane. My friend Julia commented that she made them one time using Mint Oreos. I decided that sounded delicious and I knew I had to make them. They were delicious!



Candy Coated Mint Oreos

1 package vanilla almond bark
1 package mint Oreos
Crushed Candy Canes and Sprinkles

Melt almond bark, dip Oreos and place on wax paper to harden. Add crushed candy canes and/or sprinkles if desired.

Perfect for the Weekend

I’ve wanted to make this coffee cake since before Thanksgiving. I had some family come up and stay with us this weekend, so it was the perfect time to make it. I’m not a big fan of coffee cakes but this was pretty good. Everyone else agreed!

Cinnamon-Walnut Coffee Cake
From …and a cookie for dessert

2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup sour cream
2 eggs
1 tablespoon orange zest, finely grated (I omitted this)
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped

1) Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350. Butter a 9-inch square baking pan (I used an 8 inch square).

2) In a bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In another large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed beat together the butter, sour cream, eggs, orange zest, 3/4 cup of the sugar and the vanilla until blended. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and beat on low speed until smooth.

3) In a bowl, stir together the remaining 1/4 cup sugar, the cinnamon and walnuts. Spread half of batter evenly into prepared pan and sprinkle evenly with half of walnut mixture. Top with the remaining batter, spreading it evenly, and sprinkle with the remaining walnut mixture.

4) Bake until the cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 25-30 minutes. Let cool slightly in the pan on a wire rack. Cut into squares and serve warm.