Archive | July 2013

Cherry Almond Bread Pudding

Bread pudding is one of those dishes that is so yummy and satisfying and great to serve any time of the year. I often make it for brunch, dessert, and holiday get-togethers. The thing I don’t like about most bread pudding recipes is that they often require heavy whipping cream or half-n-half, which I never have on hand and frankly don’t want to use because of the calories. However, after experimenting with a few recipes, I tweaked and tested out ingredients until I settled on this to-die-for winner. It really couldn’t be easier and the addition of dried cherries, almonds, and white chocolate chips pair perfectly with the soft bread pudding. Trust me when I say that you’ll love this bread pudding! And what a great way to use up stale or day old bread. If you’re cooking for a crowd, consider doubling the recipe and serving in a 9×13 casserole instead.

White Chocolate Cherry Bread Pudding
Serves 12

Ingredients:

6 cups cubed french bread *You can use just about any type of bread as long as it’s airy and not dense.
2 tablespoons melted butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
4 eggs, beaten
2 cups milk
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup dried cherries *You can also substitute with raisins or other dried fruit if you prefer.
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
1/2 cup sliced almonds

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F and spray an 8″ square dish or 9″ round pie pan with non-stick spray.

2. Sprinkle half of the bread cubes in the dish and then cover with half of the cherries, white chocolate chips, and almonds.

Top with remaining bread and then sprinkle remaining cherries, white chocolate chips, and almonds on top.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together butter, sugar and honey. Add eggs and milk and mix until well incorporated. Mix in spices and vanilla extract.

Pour liquid mixture over the bread, making sure all the bread is coated.

Use a spatula to press down tops of bread into the milk mixture.

4. Bake for 45 minutes or until the bread is light and springy and not gooey in the center.

Allow to cool 10-15 minutes and serve warm. Enjoy!

For an added touch of decadence, serve with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream. So good! 🙂

Cinnamon & Almond Syrup

Jul23

Ever find yourself making pancakes or waffles only to discover you are completely out of syrup? Don’t sweat it! Making your own homemade syrup is simple, economical, and a lot tastier than the store-bought variety! I’ve been in a Christmas-ey sort of mood and this cinnamon and almond syrup makes me want to pull out my old fuzzy sweaters and curl up in front of the fire with a cup of cocoa and a good book. It’s a really simple recipe that I whip up while I’m making pancakes or waffles and any leftovers store really well. Helpful Tip: Whenever I make homemade pancakes or waffles, I double or triple the recipe so I can freeze leftovers to pop in the toaster for quick breakfasts. Drizzled with this amazing syrup, you’ll be in the best holiday mood for months to come!

Cinnamon & Almond Syrup
Makes 1 cup

1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup water
1/2 cup sliced toasted almonds

Combine all of the ingredients, except for the almonds, in a medium sauce pan.

Bring to a rolling boil, stirring continuously.

Continue stirring for a few minutes until mixture thickens to a syrup consistency.

Remove from heat and add almonds.

Cool 5-10 minutes before serving over your favorite pancakes or waffles.

Looking for more breakfast ideas?

Copycat Cinnabon Cinnamon Bun Rolls

Cherry White Chocolate Chip Waffles

Banana Streusel Muffins

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Cherry Pie Bars

Jul15

First off, these cherry pie bars are seriously good and super easy to make! When I whip up a batch of them I’m immediately transported into one of my favorite kitchens in the world—my dear friend Rosel’s in Haßloch Pfalz, Germany. She lived in my neighborhood growing up and was my Mom’s best friend so became like a second mom to me. She loved cooking and baking and nurtured those passions in me.
Ironically, this recipe is American and was featured in Taste of Home magazine. I brought several cooking magazines with me when I visited several years ago and I made these cherry bars for Rosel and her family. They all hailed it a great culinary triumph and begged for me to make them again and again while I was there.
So what makes these cherry pie bars so special? These bars are cakey and rich and spiked with delicious cherries and almonds. They really are heavenly! After telling Tom the story behind this recipe, I whipped up a batch for him and he said he totally understood what all the fuss was about. 🙂

Cherry Pie Bars

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 cans (21 ounces each) cherry pie filling
1/2 cup sliced toasted almonds

Glaze:

1 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2-3 tablespoons milk

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, cream together butter, sugar, and salt until fluffy. Add eggs and beat well. Add extracts and lemon juice. Add the flour in gradually, mixing well.

2. Grease a bar or jelly roll pan or, if you prefer thicker cherry bars, use a 9×13. Spread 3 cups of the batter onto the bottom of the pan, reserving the rest for spooning on top.

Cover batter with the cherry pie filling.

Sprinkle almonds over the top and then drop spoonfuls of the remaining batter on top of the of the filling and almonds.

3. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until cake part is golden brown. Note: If using a 9×13 the baking time will be longer.

4. While bars are cooling, prepare the icing. Mix the ingredients for the icing in a small bowl and drizzle over the cooled cherry bars.

Enjoy!

Crab Rangoon Dip

Jul13

I cannot get enough Crab Rangoon. Also known as crab wontons, traditional crab rangoon is made by filling an egg roll wrapper with cream cheese, crab, and green onions, pinching to make a little fan and frying until golden and delicious. So if you adore crab rangoon as much as I do then you will go crazy for this crab rangoon dip, which requires no frying and takes just a few minutes to throw together. I’ve made it for dinner and office parties, girls’ nights, and potlucks and always gets rave reviews, even from those who claim they don’t care for crab.

Crab Rangoon Dip
*This recipe was adapted from a Pampered Chef recipe.
16 Servings

8 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 garlic cloves, minced
dash of salt and pepper
1 cup swiss cheese, shredded
1 14 oz. jar sweet and sour sauce (I doubled the original amount listed cause I felt it needed more but if you prefer less sweet and sour sauce then feel free to adjust to suit your taste)
8 ounces imitation crabmeat, roughly chopped
1/4 cup green onion, thinly sliced
1 bag of pita chips or preferred dipping chip

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, combine cream cheese, minced garlic, and salt and pepper and blend until smooth. Add half of the crabmeat and swiss cheese and combine.

2. Spread mixture into the bottom of a 1-2 quart baking dish.

Sprinkle remaining crab meat over cream cheese.

Pour sweet and sour sauce over the top and microwave uncovered 4-6 minutes.

3. Remove from microwave and garnish with green onion. Serve with pita chips for dipping.

There couldn’t be an easier or tastier dip!

Mini Corn Dogs

Jul9

If you crave state fair corn dogs the way I do then you’ll love this recipe for mini corn dogs. The batter is sweet and crisps up beautifully so you get that perfect crunch with every bite, something that is sadly missing from the frozen brand. This is a great summer treat that the kids will love and is also a fun recipe idea for a baby shower, summer picnic, or family movie night.

Mini Corn Dogs
Makes 16 baby corn dogs

Ingredients:

1 (8 ounce) package hot dogs
Approx. 1/4 flour for dusting hot dogs
1/2 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
dash black pepper
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon chili powder (optional)
1/4 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 egg
1/2 cup milk

Approx. 2 cups vegetable oil for frying

Directions:

1. Dry hot dogs with a paper towel and cut them in half. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of flour on a plate and roll the hot dogs in the flour, shaking off excess. This will help the batter stick to the hot dog!

2. In a medium bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, salt, pepper, paprika, chili powder (optional), white sugar, baking powder, egg, and milk and whisk until batter is smooth.

3. Preheat oil in a deep saucepan. You’ll need the oil to be about an inch high in the pan. Roll hot dog halves in the batter and gently shake to remove excess. Fry in hot oil for 2-3 minutes (turning halfway) or until nicely browned.

4. Remove to plate lined with paper towels to drain off excess oil.

5. Let corn dogs cool for a few minutes and then serve with mustard and ketchup for dipping. Bet you can’t have just one! 😉

5-Minute Rocky Road Fudge

Jul7

I’ll be honest, I’m not a huge fan of fudge. I find that it’s often either way too rich or way too sweet. All that changed when a friend introduced me to this amazing fudge a few years ago. She was whipping up several batches to mail off to friends and family at Christmas and I happened to stop by at just the right moment. I lent a hand with the fudge factory and was rewarded with a plate to take home. I remember taking that first tentative, teeniest of bites and then proceeded to shove the whole piece into my gob as fast I could get it in there. This isn’t fudge. It’s crack. Holiday crack. It’s smooth rich chocolate is studded with nuts and marshmallows which go together so well that even the pickiest of fudge-eaters are happily brought over to its dark side. Now I’m the one who includes this delicious fudge in my Christmas cookie tins. Just be sure to always set aside a few squares for yourself or pop in the freezer for a rainy day. Did I mention how easy this fudge recipe is? All done in the microwave and prep time is 5 minutes or less!

This recipe was adapted from a NESTLÉ TOLL HOUSE recipe.

Rocky Road Fudge

Ingredients:

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups miniature marshmallows
1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped walnuts or peanuts

Directions:

1. Line a 9″ square baking pan with foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray.

2. In a medium microwave-safe bowl, combine chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk.

3. Microwave for 1 minute and stir. Since microwaves vary, it might be necessary to microwave for 10-15 seconds then stir and repeat as necessary until it’s nice and smooth.

4. Stir in vanilla then fold in marshmallows and nuts.

5. Spread mixture into greased pan and press flat with spatula.

6. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or until the mixture has hardened. QUICK NOTE: If you’re in a hurry you can also pop the pan in the freezer to help speed it up.

7. Lift foil from pan and use a pizza cutter to cut into small squares. Enjoy!

30-Minute Chicken Alfredo

Jul5

This Chicken Alfredo takes the traditional recipe but swaps out the heavy cream with cream cheese, which makes it much easier to prepare at home but, in my opinion, also makes for a richer and creamier sauce. With just a few ingredients needed, this is a great recipe to plan for a weekday meal or last-minute craving. Bonus: It takes less than 30 minutes!

Easy Chicken Alfredo
Makes 4 Servings

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
1/2 cup butter
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 cups milk
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup Parmesan cheese
Ground black pepper to taste
1/2 pound of fettuccini, linguine, or spaghetti cooked to al dente (prepare while cooking your sauce)
*Fresh basil or parsley (Optional for garnishing)

Directions:

1. In a pan on medium-high heat, sauté chicken in olive oil until no longer pink. Set aside.

2. Using the same pan, melt butter on medium heat. Add the cream cheese and whisk together. Don’t worry if it looks lumpy or watery.

3. Add the milk and garlic and whisk well, making sure there aren’t any lumps for 2-3 minutes.

4. Whisk in Parmesan cheese and black pepper. Sauce will thicken quickly so once you reach desired thickness (just a few minutes), remove from heat.

5. Add chicken and stir to combine. I also add in fresh basil as well for a little color but that’s optional.

6. Toss chicken Alfredo sauce with cooked al dente pasta, garnish with optional parsley or basil and serve.

Copycat Cinnabon Cinnamon Bun Rolls

Jul3

To me, Cinnabon cinnamon bun rolls go hand-in-hand with flying and airports. There’s something about the stress of flying that just melts away with that first bite of ooey-gooey-goodnesss of one of their cinnamon rolls. I honestly think more peace treaties would be signed if Mrs. Cinnabon showed up with a tray of these babies. Unfortunately, I can’t have them unless I am travelling since there aren’t any Cinnabon stores in Charleston. Not to fear! A copycat recipe to the rescue. I’ve made this recipe about a dozen times and have never not had at least one person beg for the recipe and/or tell me that the dang thing was literally the best cinnamon roll they’d ever eaten. So instead of being a copycat recipe, it might actually beat the Cinnabon brand but you be the judge. This copycat recipe is from Todd Wilbur’s Top Secret Recipes Cookbook with a few modifications. I’ve also included directions for using either a bread machine or making by hand.

Copycat Cinnabon Cinnamon Bun Rolls
Makes approximately 2 dozen cinnamon rolls

Dough:

1 cup warm milk
1 package active dry yeast (2 1/2 teaspoons)
2 eggs
1/3 cup butter, melted
4 cups bread flour (bread flour works best but I’ve used all purpose in a pinch and they still turn out great)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup white sugar

Filling:

1 cup brown sugar, packed
2 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1/3 cup butter, softened

Icing:

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. BREAD MACHINE METHOD: Dissolve yeast and warm milk. Dump rest of ingredients into your bread machine. Create a little well in the center and pour in yeast milk. Start the dough setting on your bread machine.

1. BY-HAND METHOD: In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in warm milk and let sit for 5 minutes to allow yeast to activate. Add the sugar, margarine, salt, and eggs and mix well. Add flour in gradually and mix well. Flour your hands and knead the dough into a large ball. Put in a greased bowl, cover and let rise in a warm place about 1 hour, or until doubled in size.

2. After dough has finished rising, roll out on a lightly floured surface. Helpful Tip: You’ll need a large area so I always clear off and scrub an entire counter top in my little kitchen to work on. Roll out to approximately 21×16″.

3. Now it’s time to fill the dough! Pour the melted butter over the dough and sprinkle brown sugar and cinnamon on top or the butter. Use a fork or spatula and sort of swirl the three together to combine a bit. FYI, I’ve tried combining in a bowl first and while it’s less messy the filling basically turns into a sticky paste and doesn’t spread well.

4. Roll up dough and filling from the longest end closest to you up to the end furthest away from you.

Using a knife or pizza cutter, cut 1 1/2″ slices and place on a greased baking sheet. If you want more rolls then cut thinner slices or if you want giant rolls cut thicker slices. Just be sure to watch them while they’re in the oven as it will impact baking time.

5. Cover cinnamon rolls and allow to rise, almost doubling, for 30 minutes to an hour.

6. Preheat oven to 400°F. Once the rolls are done rising, bake in preheated oven for 8-10 minutes or until light golden brown.

7. While rolls are cooling, mix together icing ingredients.

8. Spread over the warm cinnamon rolls and enjoy!

Hello World! We come to bring you peace and yumminess.

These are great eaten right away or reheated later. Just zap in the microwave for 10-20 seconds and enjoy!

Easy Chicken Parmesan

Jul1

I must have some Italian ancestry somewhere because I have a serious love for Italian food. Seriously…I buy garlic in bulk and I usually cook for two. 🙂

Italian Food Addiction: Exhibit A

That being said, as much as I love Italian food it can take time and isn’t always realistic after a long day. That’s why I love shortcut recipes that still pack a lot of Italian punch, such as this Easy Chicken Parmesan. It has all the flavors of of a traditional Chicken Parmesan without all the fuss. You also only need one skillet for the dish and one pot for boiling your pasta. Being able to get such a hearty and tasty dinner on the table in 30 minutes makes this my go-to Italian meal for busy weekdays. Facile e Delizioso!

Skillet Chicken Parmesan
Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 cup Panco breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese (the powdered kind works great!)
1 pound of boneless skinless chicken breasts or tenderloin strips
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 large jar (26-28 ounces) of your favorite pasta sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
1 pound of spaghetti or substitute for your favorite pasta, cooked al dente
1 cup mozzarella, shredded

Directions:

1. In a shallow dish or bowl (large enough to dunk the raw chicken into), beat the egg and set aside. In another shallow dish or bowl, combine the Italian seasoning, breadcrumbs, and Parmesan cheese, and set aside.

Helpful Hint: Any time I batter and fry, I set up a little workstation from left to right, with the hot pan as the last station on the right. I also use my left hand for handling the wet ingredients—picking up the chicken, dunking the chicken in the egg, etc.—and my right hand for handling the dry—scooping breadcrumbs over the eggy chicken, and finally picking up the breaded now-dry chicken and placing in the pan. This keeps mess to a minimum and ensures you have one gooey-free hand instead of two.

2. Heat your skillet to medium-high heat and add olive oil. If you’re working in batches due to the size of your pan, divvy up the olive oil accordingly. Dredge the chicken into the egg and coat generously in the breadcrumbs and cook for 2-3 minutes per side or until no longer pink in the middle. Cooking time may vary depending on the thickness of the breasts so be sure to test. Remove cooked chicken from pan and place on a plate lined with paper towels.

3. Using the same skillet you used for the chicken, sauté onion in the hot pan for several minutes. Add garlic and sauté an additional minute or so.

Reduce heat to low and add jar of pasta sauce and stir.

Note: Have some mushrooms or peppers sitting around and needing a good home? Feel free to throw them into the skillet when sautéing your onions. This is a very versatile dish and great for using up leftover veggies!

4. Place cooked chicken on top of the sauce and sprinkle with Mozzarella cheese. Cover pan to let cheese melt (2-3 minutes).

Serve sauce and chicken over your favorite pasta and dig in! You might also like to try with my awesome Pizzeria Garlic Knots!

This recipe is so good that it instantly turns on full throttle pug manipulation.

Picture of Buddy begging for Chicken Parmesan

Buddy prays I made enough Chicken Parmesan for him.

missbutterbean

Live life to the fullest with yummy recipes, money-saving tips, and crafting fun.

Archive | July 2013

Cherry Almond Bread Pudding

Cinnamon & Almond Syrup

Copycat Cinnabon Cinnamon Bun Rolls

Cherry White Chocolate Chip Waffles

Banana Streusel Muffins

Cherry Pie Bars

Crab Rangoon Dip

Mini Corn Dogs

5-Minute Rocky Road Fudge

30-Minute Chicken Alfredo

Copycat Cinnabon Cinnamon Bun Rolls

Easy Chicken Parmesan