i’m not a big deal
Recipes
Garlic Pepper Chicken Brine
Sep 2nd
I am a food lover. I don’t just like food, I love it. So, imagine my surprise when I heard about using a brine to enhance the flavor and moistness of chicken! There seems to be a lot of opinions on how to best create the brine and for how long to leave the chicken in. Here’s what I used:
10 lbs of chicken quarters
1 gallon cold of water
1 1/2 cups Kosher salt (don’t use iodized salt)
1 1.2 cups white sugar
zest of 1 lemon
juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1 tablespoon allspice
3 large cloves garlic chopped finely
1 tablespoon red chili pepper flake
Heat 2 cups of water to near boiling. Remove from heat and add salt and sugar. Stir until the salt and sugar are completely dissolved. Add back to the rest of the water. Add the rest of the ingredients to the water and chill.
You can either completely submerge the chicken in a pot with a weight on top or use zip lock bags to brine them. I put three leg quarters in a 1-gallon zip lock bag and filled with 4 cups of the liquid solution. Make sure you get an even amount of ‘goodies’ with the water you pour in each bag if you go that route.
Put the chicken in the refrigerator and allow to sit for between 4 and 6 hours. When you are ready to cook the chicken, remove from the brine and completely rinse. The chicken will be a little salty if you don’t get a good rinse on them.
Barbecue or bake normally (to 180 degrees). I actually barbecued the chicken to get a good brown skin on it then put it in the oven to finish it off.
If you like a little spicier chicken, add a couple more tablespoons of red chili powder. Garlic lovers (like me) add a few more cloves. The chicken will take on the flavor of the spices in the brine so be careful not to overdo it.
I was completely stunned at how moist the meat was. Even the breast meat was juicy.
Prost!
Cinnabon Clone Recipe – Bread Machine
Sep 21st
INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)
1 cup warm milk (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
2 eggs, room temperature
1/3 cup margarine, melted
4 1/2 cups bread flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup white sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons bread machine yeast
Cinnamon Filling
1 cup brown sugar, packed
2 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1/3 cup butter, softened
Glaze
1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
DIRECTIONS
Place ingredients in the pan of the bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select dough cycle; press Start.
After the dough has doubled in size turn it out onto a lightly floured surface, cover and let rest for 10 minutes. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnamon.
Roll dough into a 16×21 inch rectangle. Spread dough with 1/3 cup butter and sprinkle evenly with sugar/cinnamon mixture. Roll up dough and cut into 12 rolls. Place rolls in a lightly greased 9×13 inch baking pan. Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
Bake rolls in preheated oven until golden brown, about 15 minutes. While rolls are baking, beat together cream cheese, 1/4 cup butter, confectioners’ sugar, vanilla extract and salt. Spread frosting on warm rolls before serving.
From: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Clone-of-a-Cinnabon/
Dee-Lish-Ous
Honey Wheat Oatmeal Bread
Apr 7th
Honey Wheat Oatmeal Bread
Ingredients
- ¾ C milk scalded
- ¾ C warm water
- 2 T Butter
- 1/3 C Honey
- 2 t salt
- 2 1/4 c white flour
- 1 1/4 wheat flour
- 3/4 C Oatmeal
- 1 1/2 t yeast
Directions
- multigrain cycle (5 hour)
Pfefferkuchen
Feb 25th
This is an old family recipe that originated in Germany. I remember my grandma and my mom baking this cookie every Christmas. It’s somewhat akin to gingerbread, but with a licorice flavor (derived from the anise). Don’t expect to make this cookie in secret; the aroma will fill the entire house! But, it’s a good smell. It’s the smell of Christmas.
1 lb brown sugar
1 T cinnamon
2 1/4 c. shortening
1 T nutmeg
2 eggs
1 tsp cloves
1 qt dark Karo syrup
1 tsp allspice
1 pt sour cream
1 tsp cardamom
4 oz unsweetened chocolate, melted
Rind & juice of 2 lemons
1 tsp salt
1 T anise oil (Do NOT use extract, you can find the oil at your pharmacy or online)
Mix all ingredients together. Just before pouring out, add 2 Tbsp soda. Pour liquid ingredients into a large pan. (I use a 13 quart bowl, but a clean dishpan works, too).
Stir in enough flour to make a dough stiff enough to roll out, about 18 cups. Chill.
Roll dough about 1/4 inch thick; cut with cookie cutter. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Cookies are better if made several weeks before used.
Frosting: Beat 1 or 2 egg whites until frothy (beginning to peak). Add 3/4 to 1 cup powdered sugar per egg white, depending on size until frosting reaches the consistency of Elmer’s glue. Food coloring may be added if desired. Spread on the flat side of the cookie; decorate as desired. Place in warm oven, about 200 degrees, for 6-7 minutes until set. Cool on rack. Store in airtight container, putting waxed paper between cookies that have been frosted. Makes between 20 and 24 dozen, but they will keep for months and when they are frosted, taste better than fresh ones.
Note: If your frosting leaves a watery mess after baking, add more powdered sugar. It should be the consistency of the paste you used in grade school. *You can eat this paste without being ridiculed.