Happy Halloween!!

Well, it's late and I'm super tired and want to go to bed at 10:00, which is 3 minutes from now.  But, I also want to post.  In honor of Halloween, I made popcorn balls and roasted pumpkin seeds.  Neither were exceptional.  BUT, the pumpkin seeds did convince me that the first pumpkin seeds I ever had were probably bad (I had to spit it out it was so gross).   I'm not going to post either recipe since neither rocked my boat.  

 
Happy Halloween!  

October 2010 Daring Bakers' Challenge: Donuts!

The October 2010 Daring Bakers challenge was hosted by Lori of Butter Me Up. Lori chose to challenge DBers to make doughnuts. She used several sources for her recipes including Alton Brown, Nancy Silverton, Kate Neumann and Epicurious.

(mmmm donuty deliciousness)

 Wow, donuts!! I've been excited about this challenge, because, honestly, who hasn't wanted to make their own donuts? It was both easier and way more complicated than I expected.  I thought I'd wake up Sunday morning and spend maybe an hour making us donuts for breakfast, but both of the recipes I was interested in took multiple hours.  So, that's where it was more complicated.  Frying the delicious things was much easier than I expected.  (I'm always so intimidated by frying.)  I planned to make both pumpkin donuts and traditional yeast donuts, but after getting the first recipe ready, I decided I'd take it easy and just make the one.  I can always try the second one another weekend.  

(best part of donuts: donut holes)

Hubby, of course, gave  me that "ugh she's going to make me eat the 'creative' ones instead of the good, normal ones!" grimace when I told him I'd be making pumpkin donuts, but he LOVED them.  The ladies at work also enjoyed them.  Me, I love anything pumpkin!

Pumpkin Donuts

(original recipe here)

• 3 1/2 cups all purpose flour 
• 4 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt 
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/8  tsp ground cloves
• 1 cup white granulated sugar 
• 3 tbsp butter, unsalted
  1 large egg
• 2 large egg yolks
  1 tsp vanilla extract 
• 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp buttermilk 
• 1 cup pumpkin  (Canned pure pumpkin or fresh cooked and pureed pumpkin – DON’T use pumpkin pie mix!)
• Canola Oil DEPENDS on size of vessel you are frying in – you want THREE (3) inches of oil (can substitute any flavorless oil used for frying)

Powdered Sugar Glaze:

• 2 cups powdered sugar 
• 4 tbsp whipping cream  

Whisk together the first 8 ingredients in medium bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in large bowl until blended (the mixture will be grainy and not smooth). Beat in egg, then yolks and vanilla. Gradually beat in buttermilk; beat in pumpkin. Using rubber spatula, fold in dry ingredients in 4 additions, blending gently after each addition. Cover with plastic; chill 3 hours.

Sprinkle 2 rimmed baking sheets lightly with flour. Press out 1/3 of dough on floured surface to 1/2- to 2/3-inch (12 mm to 15 mm) thickness. Using 2 1/2-inch (65 mm) -diameter round cutter, cut out dough rounds. Arrange on sheets. Repeat with remaining dough in 2 more batches. Gather dough scraps. Press out dough and cut out more dough rounds until all dough is used.

Using 1-inch (25 mm) diameter round cutter, cut out center of each dough round to make doughnuts and doughnut holes.

Line 2 baking sheets with several layers of paper towels. Pour oil into large deep skillet to depth of 1 1/2 inches (40 mm). Attach deep-fry thermometer and heat oil to 365°F to 370°F (185°C to 188°C). Fry doughnut holes in 2 batches until golden brown, turning occasionally, about 2 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels to drain. Fry doughnuts, 3 or 4 at a time, until golden brown, adjusting heat to maintain temperature, about 1 minute per side. Using slotted spoon, transfer doughnuts to paper towels to drain. Cool completely.

For the glaze:

Whisk powdered sugar and 4 tablespoons whipping cream to blend. Whisk in additional cream, 1 teaspoon at a time, to form medium thick glaze.

Add doughnut holes to bowl of spiced sugar and toss to coat.

Spread doughnuts on 1 side with powdered sugar glaze. (I just drizzled it).

Arrange doughnuts, glazed side up, on racks. Let stand until glaze sets, at least 30 minutes.

Smothered Rabbit

One of the great things about living in southern Louisiana is the meat, more specifically, the little Cajun meat shops everywhere.  Everyone has their favorite go-to place for boudin or stuffed pork chops (I'm a Heleaux's girl myself), but sometimes, you try something from someone else's little shop and you stray.  My sister goes to Don's, and ever since she shared their chicken burgers with hubby and me, I've been wanting to go there.  FINALLY a weekend or two ago, we were running around town with my sister and she decided she'd bring us over to Don's (since it's totally in her side of town where I don't know my way around).  Long story short (well, shorter than it could be), while there hubby and I got a well-seasoned rabbit.  Remember when I made that rabbit stew and we were thoroughly unimpressed?  That's because I didn't trust my (adopted) roots and smother the heck out of it Cajun style.  So tonight, I did it the right way. 

 Now, I knew the meat needed to cook for a good long time over low heat, but I didn't want to start the whole process after getting home at 5:20. So I cheated a bit and pulled out the crock pot.  In the end, I dirtied more dishes than I could have, but I think this method actually worked really well. 

Smothered Rabbit 

• 1 rabbit, quartered and well-seasoned to your liking (ours was heavily seasoned with the typical Cajun spices)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 14 oz chicken broth
• 14 oz water
• 1 tbsp corn starch
• 1-2 tbsp water

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.  Add the rabbit pieces to the pan and sear each side.  Place the rabbit in the crock pot, then pour in broth and water.  Cover and cook on low for at least 5 hours. 

You will know the rabbit is ready when the meat falls off the bone at the merest provocation. Remove the meat from the crock pot and let cool for a few minutes.  Pull the meat off the bone, but be VERY CAREFUL of the gajillion tiny bones and bits of cartilage.  

Place the meat in a large skillet and ladle a few cups of the broth  mixture into it.  Bring to a simmer.  

In a small cup or bowl, combine the corn starch and water; make sure it's smooth.  


In the skillet, push the meat to one side of the pan and let the juices collect at the other side.   Slowly pour 2/3 of the cornstarch water mixture into the juices, stirring constantly.  This will thicken up your sauce.   Stir the meat back into the sauce and let simmer for a few moments.

Serve over rice!

Vermont (Pumpkin) Spice Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Hello, Autumn! I have pumpkin on my mind lately, so when I stumbled upon this recipe for a pumpkin cake layered with cream cheese frosting, I knew it would be a wonderful idea. 

Vermont Spice Cake with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (I used a mixture of 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, 1 tsp. cloves and 3/4 tsp. nutmeg)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened
• 3 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cup canned pumpkin
• 1/2 cup evaporated milk
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Maple Cream Cheese Frosting:

• 11 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1/3 cup butter, softened
• 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 2-3 teaspoons maple extract (I used 1 tsp vanilla extract as I did not have any maple)
• squeeze of lemon juice

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease 2 9-inch round cake pans. 

Combine flour, baking powder, spices, baking soda and salt in a small bowl. 

Beat sugar and butter in a large mixer bowl fitted with a paddle attachment until creamy. Add eggs one at a time; beat for 2 minutes. Beat in pumpkin, evaporated milk, water and vanilla extract.  Gradually add the flour mixture. 

Spread evenly into prepared cake pans. Bake for 35-40 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool in the pans on wire racks for 15 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

For the frosting:  Beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Gradually add in the powdered sugar and beat until fluffy. Add in the maple extract and lemon juice. Mix well. Refrigerate until needed.

Cut each cake layer in half horizontally with a long, serrated knife. Frost between layers and on top of cake, leaving sides unfrosted. Garnish as desired.

Lemon Poppyseed Buttermilk Pancakes

Sometimes as I stumble around the internet, I come across recipes that I just leave up in my browser, knowing I'll have to make them soon and not wanting to risk losing the recipe.  This recipe for lemon poppyseed pancakes was one such recipe.  That weekend, I declared to hubby we'd be having them for breakfast, even though I know he dislikes poppyseeds.  Sometimes, a lady's gotta cook what a  lady wants, husband be damned!

mmm fluffy

Lemon Poppyseed Buttermilk Pancakes
(original recipe)

•  2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 cup raw sugar
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/3 cup poppy seeds
• zest of 4 lemons
• 2 1/4 cups buttermilk
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten2 tablespoons butter, melted (extra butter for pan and serving, if desired)

 Glaze

• 1 cup sifted confectioners sugar
• 2 Tbsp. fresh squeezed lemon juice

In a large bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In another bowl combine buttermilk, eggs, lemon zest, butter and poppy seeds. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix just until combined. It’s okay if the batter is a little lumpy, just don’t over mix.

Heat skillet to med-high and brush with butter. Test pan by splashing with a few drops of water and if they dance on the skillet, you’re ready! Pour about 1/2 c. (or desired amount) batter, when the pancake begins to bubble and the bottom is golden, flip. Repeat! Stack pancakes on plate and keep in warm oven until ready.

Prepare lemon glaze by combining the confectioners sugar with enough lemon juice to form a thin icing.

Drizzle with glaze and devour!

Moussaka

There's a Greek restaurant in town that has amazing moussaka; hubby and I both love it.  As the restaurant is none-too-cheap, I decided it would probably be best if we learned to make this dish ourselves.  For those who don't know, moussaka is somewhat of a casserole: it starts with a layer of potato slices, then layers of eggplant and a spiced meat mixture, topped with a thick layer of bechamel sauce.  Heavenly!

I just picked a recipe online and am super lucky to have chosen a great one.  This dish is time consuming, but so very worth it.  My advice would be to make it on the weekend and freeze half.  It is very filling!  Hubby and I probably had four meals each from one recipe.  

Moussaka
(original recipe found here)

• 3-4 eggplants, about 4 lbs. total
• 1 lb. potatoes
• 1 1/2 lbs. ground beef (or lamb)
• 2 large onions, finely diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. ground allspice
• 1 cup tomato puree (or crushed tomatoes)
• 2 tbsp. tomato paste
• 1 tsp. sugar
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 cups plain breadcrumbs
• 8 egg whites, lightly beaten (reserve yolks for bechamel)
• 1 cup grated Kefalotyri or Parmesan cheese

• Bechamel Sauce:
• 1 cup salted butter (2 sticks)
• 1 cup flour
• 4 cups milk, warmed
• 8 egg yolks, lightly beaten
• Pinch of ground nutmeg

Using a sharp peeler, partially peel the eggplants, leaving strips of peel about 1 inch wide around the eggplant. Slice the eggplant in to 1/2 inch slices. Place the eggplant slices in a colander and salt them liberally. Cover them with an inverted plate that is weighted down by a heavy can or jar. Place the colander in the sink so that excess moisture can be drawn out. They will need to sit for at least 15-20 minutes, preferably an hour. The salt also helps to remove some of the bitterness of the eggplant.

 

Peel the potatoes and boil them whole until they are just done. They should not get too soft, just cooked enough so that they no longer crunch. Drain, cool and slice them in 1/4 inch slices. Set aside. 

 

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. 

 

Line two baking sheets with aluminum foil and lightly grease. Add a splash of water to the egg whites and beat them lightly with a fork. Add breadcrumbs to a flat plate. 

 

Rinse the eggplant slices and dry with paper towels. Dip the eggplant slices in the beaten egg whites and then dredge them in the breadcrumbs, coating both sides. Place breaded eggplant slices on baking sheets and bake at 400 degrees for 1/2 an hour, turning them over once during cooking. 

 

When eggplant is finished cooking, lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees.

 

In a large sauté pan, brown the ground beef (or lamb) until the pink color disappears. Add onion and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

 

Add wine to pan and allow it to simmer and reduce a bit before adding cinnamon, allspice, parsley, tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, and sugar. Allow the sauce to simmer uncovered for approximately 15 minutes so that excess liquid can evaporate. It should be a drier, chunkier, tomato sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper. 

 

For the Bechamel Sauce:  Melt butter over low heat. Using a whisk, add flour to melted butter whisking continuously to make a smooth paste. Allow the flour to cook for a minute but do not allow it to brown.  Add warmed milk to mixture in a steady stream, whisking continuously.  Simmer over low heat until it thickens a bit but does not boil.   Remove from heat, and stir in beaten egg yolks and pinch of nutmeg. Return to heat and stir until sauce thickens. 

 

Assemble the Moussaka:
Lightly grease a large deep baking pan (lasagna pan). Sprinkle the bottom of pan with breadcrumbs. Leaving a 1/4 inch space around the edges of the pan, place a layer of potatoes on the bottom. Top with a layer of eggplant slices.

Add meat sauce on top of eggplant layer and sprinkle with 1/4 of the grated cheese. Top with another layer of eggplant slices and sprinkle once again with 1/4 of the grated cheese.

Pour the béchamel sauce over the eggplant and be sure to allow sauce to fill the sides and corners of the pan. Smooth the béchamel on top with a spatula and sprinkle with remaining grated cheese.

Bake in a 350-degree oven for 45 minutes or until béchamel sauce is a nice golden brown color. Allow to cool for 15 – 20 minutes before slicing and serving.

You can make this dish ahead up until the béchamel sauce and refrigerate. Make the béchamel sauce right before you intend to bake it.

Chocolate Drizzle Pumpkin Scones

Oh, impulse buys.  You know it's happened to you: you're standing in line at the grocery store, wait-wait-waiting for the old man in front of you to fish his 63 cents out of his pocket.  Your eyes wander from the faces around you to the tabloids, bubble gum, and candy bars.  Those damn candy bars!  And then your eyes meet the vanilla-speckled cheesecake with chocolate ganache tantalizingly draped across one of the food magazines and you are instantly seduced.  You - barely - resist the urge to abandon your items and spot in line to grab all the ingredients and rush home.  But you'll compromise by buying the magazine and promising yourself the cheesecake will be your weekend reward.

....flash forward three weeks.  I still haven't made that sinful cheesecake, but I have made some Chocolate Drizzle Pumpkin Scones which, while probably not as delicious as the cheesecake, are pretty darn good.  I made them for breakfast a weekend or two ago, hesitant of hubby's reception of them.  My fear was just wasted time; he loved them so much in fact that he would not let me bring the leftovers to work!

Oh, by the way, the magazine was Better Homes and Garden's MixingBowl.com  'The Baking Issue. "

Chocolate Drizzle Pumpkin Scones
(page 24)

• 6 tbsp butter
• 4 oz of cream cheese
• 1/2 cup canned pumpkin
• 1/3 cup buttermilk
• 1/4 cup maple syrup (I used honey as I have yet to buy maple syrup)
• 1 tsp vanlila
• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup cake flour
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp ground allspice
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger

Chocolate Drizzle

• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup whipping cream
• 1 tbsp butter

Cut butter and cream cheese into small pieces; freeze until chilled.  In a bowl, stir together pumpkin, buttermilk, maple syrup, and vanilla.  Chill.

Preheat oven to 375F.  In a bowl, whisk together flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, allspice, and ginger.  Cut in butter and cream cheese until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Add pumpkin mixture to the flour  mixture.  Using a fork, stir until moistened.  Tough dough onto a lightly floured surface.  Knead dough for 10 to 12 strokes or until nearly smooth.  Pat into a 7 inch circle.  Cut into 8 wedges.  Place wedges 2 inches  apart on an ungreased baking sheet.  Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.  Transfer to a wire  rack; let cool.  

For the drizzle, place chocolate chips in a heatproof bowl.  Heat the cream to a boil, then pour over the chocolate chips.  Stir until smooth.  Stir in butter until melted.

Drizzle chocolate atop the scones. 

*Funny story: when I made the scones, my batter was SUPER moist.  It was so moist there was no way I could knead it.  I thought "what the hell??" and added flour until I had a kneadable consistency.  Now, as I typed up the ingredients I realized I used the WHOLE CAN of pumpkin puree, not just a 1/2 cup.  (forehead slap).  Good job, Sarah, good job.  They were still tasty though!

October 2010 Daring Cooks' Challenge: Stuffed Grape Leaves

Our October 2010 hostess, Lori of Lori’s Lipsmacking Goodness, has challenged The Daring Cooks to stuff grape leaves. Lori chose a recipe from Aromas of Aleppo and a recipe from The New Book of Middle Eastern Food.

I greeted this month's challenge with mixed emotions.  I adore stuffed grape leaves (which I have always known as dolmades) , but hubby hates them.  So while I was excited that I'd get to try making something so neat and tasty, I knew it would be a waste of energy to even consider hubby enjoying the challenge.   But in the end, that just means more tastiness for me! 

I'm not going to post the recipe right now.  If you'd ever like to try a Daring Kitchen recipe, they archive every challenge on their site, here.  There were two recipes supplied for the stuffed grape leaves; I went with the warm (as opposed to cold) one.  The recipe included an apricot tamarind sauce, but I wanted to make a tzatziki because it is my favorite and I like the coolness of the cucumber.  I'll post the tzatziki recipe later.  (I have to make up for those two missed blogging days!)  

I never would have imagined stuffing grape leaves would be so fun; it was quite the rewarding experience to see the little tasty bundles fill up the pan.  I froze half of them, since I knew hubby wouldn't be eating any.  I'll have to pull them out when we have company. 

Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

Well, the weather has begun to cool and that means it's gumbo time.  I started craving gumbo really badly a couple days ago and got it into my head that I was going to make some.  Even though I grew up in southern Louisiana, my family cooked southern and not Cajun food most of my childhood.  Even as my parents embraced Cajun culture and cuisine as I got  into my teens, they only made gumbo from box mixes.  Homemade gumbo was something enjoyed at other houses.  After I reached adulthood, my dad started to make a really good gumbo, but I never got him to show me while we lived together.  About a month ago, hubby's mom made  some gumbo (which she was kind enough to share)  and I asked a few questions about how she did it.  That's about it when it comes to my gumbo-cooking education.  Any time you have gumbo at someone's house, it's been cooking for hours so you don't get to see how they make it.  Ideally, I wanted to go to hubby's grandparents' house and watch while they made some gumbo, but I got impatient.  I wanted gumbo and I wanted it now.  So with much trepidation, I headed into the kitchen for one of the most rewarding cooking experiences I have had.

For those who don't know, gumbo is a hearty soup that is roux-based.  (Roux being a thick paste made from almost burning equal parts of oil and flour).  There are many variety of gumbos, the most common (in my experience) being: chicken and sausage, shrimp, and seafood.   Gumbo is thickened with the use of either okra (which is how the dish got its name) or file.  For any additional information, I'm sure you know how to use Google. =)

My favorite gumbo is chicken and sausage.  It is simple and comforting, yet so delicious I can't help but go back for more and more.   Everyone  has their own way of making gumbo.  Some make the roux from scratch and some use the kind in a jar (which is much more convenient).  The roux can be light, medium, or dark.  Really, no two pots of gumbo are alike.  I took a chance and decided to go all the way, making the roux from scratch.  I didn't find it as daunting as I had imagined it to be, but I also wimped out and went with a lighter roux than I had planned.  That being said, this gumbo was amazingly delicious  and I am so pleased with myself!  Hubby didn't even let me freeze the leftovers because he wanted to eat more tomorrow.  

*Please note we used a good deal of meat in this gumbo because hubby likes it that way.  Feel free to use less.  

Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

• 4 oz (roughly 1/2 cup) vegetable oil
• 4 oz (roughly 1/2 cup)  all purpose flour
• 4 quarts water
• 1 lb okra, chopped into 1/3 inch rounds (I used the precut frozen kind)
• 1 large onion, coarsely diced
• 1 large green bell pepper, coarsely diced
• 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken, cut into large chunks*
• 1 lb sausage, cut into 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch rounds
• 6 boiled eggs, peeled
• 1 tsp Tabasco
• salt to taste

* I used boneless, skinless chicken breasts to cut down on time, but the meat wasn't as tender as I wanted.  Next time, I'll do it the proper way and throw in some skinless chicken quarters.  This just requires pulling the bones out of the gumbo, removing all the meat, and returning it to the pot.


In a large pot, over medium heat, heat the oil until it is smoking.  Stirring quickly and constantly, add in the flour a bit at a time.  It might chunk up a bit, but it will smooth out if you just keep diligently stirring.  You want your roux to be a thick paste, almost pudding like.  Over medium heat and stirring constantly, cook the roux until it is at least the color of peanut butter and at most the color of mahogany.  My roux took about an hour and looked like milk chocolate. 


Once the roux is finished, slowly pour in the water, whisking constantly.  It is imperative that you keep whisking and don't add too much water at once.  If you do, everything will separate and look horrid and disgusting and you'll have to start all over again.  (This said from experience.)   Once the water is whisked in, bring it all to a boil and keep it going for at least an hour.  


Add in the okra, onion, bell pepper, chicken, and sausage.  Cook at least an additional hour and a half, until everything is tender and melding together.   


Thirty minutes prior to serving, drop in the boiled eggs, whole.  It sounds weird, but trust me, it is divine.  You may also add green onions and parsley at this point.

Serve gumbo ladled over a good portion of rice.   Enjoy!