I like to pretend that I can make lots of different types of food, like Mexican (my fave), Italian (I'm pretty good at that one too), Chinese, and Thai. I just dabble in those, but if the recipe is simple I can do it. Whenever we get Chinese food, I hate myself about 2 hours later. I'm not sure if it's the fat or the MSG or a combination of everything, but I always want to give it back, if you know what I mean. When I've made Asian-like dishes at home, I don't seem to have that problem. Also I like to make Haitian food, I have one Ethiopian recipe in my keeper book, and I've seen a couple recipes for Mongolian food that I'm thinking about...but the raisins are throwing me off. Anyway here in the $5 Dinner Mom cookbook I'm working through I found a simple Thai recipe. A lot of the other Thai recipes I've tried have peanut butter in them, but not this one.
Thai Chicken with Noodles
1 tbsp olive oil
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
12 oz bag frozen stir fry vegetables
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tsp lime juice
2 tsp curry powder (I used Bahamian curry powder my parents brought back for me from their cruise...does that make this a Bahamas recipe instead of Thai? I don't know)
8 oz cooked thin spaghetti
In a large skillet or wok, heat the olive oil. Add the chicken pieces and saute for 7-9 minutes or until cooked through. Add the vegetables, garlic, lime juice, and curry powder and saute until the vegetables have defrosted and cooked through.
Toss in the thin cooked spaghetti and let cook with the sauce and veggies for 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and serve warm.
This tasted pretty good, but it was quite dry. The "sauce" mentioned above is basically nonexistent. The noodles picked up almost no sauce, just some color/flavor from the curry powder. I don't know if that's how it's supposed to be or not. The chicken was pretty dry too. Sam said it tasted bland. But he knew it was a new recipe and was giving me feedback. The stir fry blend I bought had broccoli, red peppers, those baby corn things, carrots, water chestnuts, and green beans. I knew the kids would probably not eat many of the vegetables but I thought we would try. Nathan said "what happens if you eat broccoli?" I said, "you might like it. Jojo is a kid and she likes it (his 6 year old cousin)". A minute later I noticed him cleaning other food bits off a piece of water chestnut. I said "oh, are you going to try a water chestnut? Good job!" And he said "OH I thought that was broccoli! Which one is broccoli?" And when I pointed it out, he said "EWWWW" and then he tried neither one. Ha! So funny. You can see that our children's vegetable exposure may be less than the average bear.
I'm not sure about this one. I don't know how to make it just a bit more saucier, and I didn't really love it the way it was. Thai-me to try a different recipe...
Monday, March 25, 2013
Baked Honey Mustard Chicken
I really like honey mustard with my chicken nuggets, or in a wrap. So this recipe sounded like it would be yummy. From $5 Dinner Mom.
Baked Honey Mustard Chicken
4 boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces (I used chicken breasts because I almost always have them already)
1 red pepper, seeded and diced
1 green pepper, seeded and diced
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup honey
3 tbsp prepared spicy brown mustard
1 tbsp vinegar
1 1/2 cups white rice
2 1/2 cups hot water
Preheat oven to 350. Grease 9x13 glass baking dish with cooking spray. Place the cut chicken pieces into prepared baking dish. Add the peppers and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
In a small bowl, combine the honey, mustard, and vinegar. Pour over the chicken and peppers and toss lightly.
Sprinkle the rice over the top of the chicken and peppers and pour the hot water over all (I used brown rice and increased the water to 3 cups...and I boiled the water first to decrease the cooking time). Cover the baking dish tightly with foil.
Bake in preheated oven for 45-50 minutes or until the chicken and rice have cooked through (since I used brown rice, and because rice always seems to take longer, I didn't check it until 1 hr and 10 minutes and it was perfect). Fluff lightly with fork before serving.
This was pretty good, but I wished I had served it with bread or rolls or even a salad or something. It didn't seem quite like a complete meal. Everyone liked the chicken and rice, and almost everyone ate around the peppers. Steve said he thought it was a keeper, but I'm not sure. Good but not great...
Baked Honey Mustard Chicken
4 boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces (I used chicken breasts because I almost always have them already)
1 red pepper, seeded and diced
1 green pepper, seeded and diced
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup honey
3 tbsp prepared spicy brown mustard
1 tbsp vinegar
1 1/2 cups white rice
2 1/2 cups hot water
Preheat oven to 350. Grease 9x13 glass baking dish with cooking spray. Place the cut chicken pieces into prepared baking dish. Add the peppers and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
In a small bowl, combine the honey, mustard, and vinegar. Pour over the chicken and peppers and toss lightly.
Sprinkle the rice over the top of the chicken and peppers and pour the hot water over all (I used brown rice and increased the water to 3 cups...and I boiled the water first to decrease the cooking time). Cover the baking dish tightly with foil.
Bake in preheated oven for 45-50 minutes or until the chicken and rice have cooked through (since I used brown rice, and because rice always seems to take longer, I didn't check it until 1 hr and 10 minutes and it was perfect). Fluff lightly with fork before serving.
This was pretty good, but I wished I had served it with bread or rolls or even a salad or something. It didn't seem quite like a complete meal. Everyone liked the chicken and rice, and almost everyone ate around the peppers. Steve said he thought it was a keeper, but I'm not sure. Good but not great...
Thursday, March 21, 2013
Peanut Butter Cups
Sometimes I see a recipe and I'm like "I wonder if I could do that." I actually flipped past this page when combing through my mom's All You magazine for the coupons, but it caught Steve's eye and so I flipped back. This only makes 12, and they are made in mini muffin pans, so these are barely worth the effort, even if they're fabulous, when you consider a bag of chocolate chips is about $2.50, not to mention the cost of the other ingredients, and a bag of mini Reese's peanut butter cups is maybe $3. So this was purely just for fun, just to see if I could. The making and pondering of this recipe has caused me to add another category to my blog listings, called "Just To See If I Could," because it's not like that many people will want to make this, or other recipes of this ilk.
Peanut Butter Cups
2 full sheets graham crackers (I used 1/4 + 1/8 cup graham cracker crumbs)
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup peanut butter
2 tbsp honey
12 oz semi-sweet chocolate, chopped (I used 11.5 oz bag of milk chocolate chips, because the best Reese's peanut butter cups are the milk chocolate ones)
Line a 12-cup mini muffin pan with small paper cups (which I did not have; I sprayed with cooking spray). Process crackers and salt in a food processor until ground. Transfer to a bowl; stir in peanut butter and honey. Chill for 10 minutes.
Line a plate with plastic wrap. Divide peanut butter mixture into 12 1-tbsp balls. Flatten slightly. Place on plate; cover with additional plastic wrap and chill.
Melt chocolate in double boiler (or in microwave at 70% power for 30 second increments) until melted. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
Spoon 1 tsp of chocolate into each paper cup. Spread over bottoms and halfway up sides of paper cups. Chill until hardened, about 30 minutes (keep remaining chocolate at room temperature). Press a peanut butter disk into each shell. Spread 1 tbsp of remaining chocolate on top of each disk and smooth out to cover the peanut butter completely. Chill until firm, about 1 hour. Store in refrigerator.
I had a bit of leftover chocolate after I made all of these, so I thought "What Would Jill Do?" and so I mixed it with some of our blueberries, so I can eat chocolate covered blueberries mmmmmmmmmmmm
So these were pretty good. The peanut butter filling tasted pretty authentic. There was too much chocolate though. When you eat a Reese's peanut butter cup, the peanut butter:chocolate ratio is just perfect. So you could never pass these off as the real thing, but they were yummy. A bit laborious, but fun. The kids were all very happy. I trust Steve will be, too, once I give him one...it only makes 12 though so he better not be home late from work or they could be gone already...
Peanut Butter Cups
2 full sheets graham crackers (I used 1/4 + 1/8 cup graham cracker crumbs)
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup peanut butter
2 tbsp honey
12 oz semi-sweet chocolate, chopped (I used 11.5 oz bag of milk chocolate chips, because the best Reese's peanut butter cups are the milk chocolate ones)
Line a 12-cup mini muffin pan with small paper cups (which I did not have; I sprayed with cooking spray). Process crackers and salt in a food processor until ground. Transfer to a bowl; stir in peanut butter and honey. Chill for 10 minutes.
Line a plate with plastic wrap. Divide peanut butter mixture into 12 1-tbsp balls. Flatten slightly. Place on plate; cover with additional plastic wrap and chill.
Melt chocolate in double boiler (or in microwave at 70% power for 30 second increments) until melted. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
Spoon 1 tsp of chocolate into each paper cup. Spread over bottoms and halfway up sides of paper cups. Chill until hardened, about 30 minutes (keep remaining chocolate at room temperature). Press a peanut butter disk into each shell. Spread 1 tbsp of remaining chocolate on top of each disk and smooth out to cover the peanut butter completely. Chill until firm, about 1 hour. Store in refrigerator.
I had a bit of leftover chocolate after I made all of these, so I thought "What Would Jill Do?" and so I mixed it with some of our blueberries, so I can eat chocolate covered blueberries mmmmmmmmmmmm
So these were pretty good. The peanut butter filling tasted pretty authentic. There was too much chocolate though. When you eat a Reese's peanut butter cup, the peanut butter:chocolate ratio is just perfect. So you could never pass these off as the real thing, but they were yummy. A bit laborious, but fun. The kids were all very happy. I trust Steve will be, too, once I give him one...it only makes 12 though so he better not be home late from work or they could be gone already...
Skillet Taco Pie
This recipe was the chance for the $5 Dinner Mom to redeem herself. After two less-than-stellar performances, I really wanted there to be a good one. We love taco-ish stuff, so this seemed like a good bet.
Skillet Taco Pie
1 lb ground beef
1 can (15 oz) corn, drained (I used 1 cup frozen)
1 can (10 oz) diced tomatoes with green chilies, drained
2 tbsp taco seasoning
About 5 oz tortilla chips, crushed (I didn't measure)
1 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese
1 avocado, sliced (omitted by me)
In a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat, brown the ground beef & drain. Reduce heat to medium and add the corn and tomatoes. Mix in the taco seasoning and let simmer for 3-4 minutes. Take several handfuls of tortilla chips and crush them over the top of the beef mixture in the skillet, enough to cover all the meat with a thin layer. Then sprinkle the cheese over the top of the chips. Reduce heat to low, cover, and allow cheese to melt. Serve with avocado slices on top.
I adapted this slightly, because I was afraid that if I covered the whole thing with tortilla chips, the leftovers would be gross, with soggy tortilla chips. So I put the meat mixture on each person's plate, sprinkled with cheese (except not Nathan's), and then served the chips on the side. This made it less pie-like, but more user-friendly.
I thought this would just be like disassembled tacos, but it was actually different. The corn and tomatoes were a nice change, and the green chilies made it just a bit spicy, but not enough so that nobody liked it. Steve took the leftover meat and leftover chips to work the next day, so my plan worked. The cookbook will live to see another day.
Skillet Taco Pie
1 lb ground beef
1 can (15 oz) corn, drained (I used 1 cup frozen)
1 can (10 oz) diced tomatoes with green chilies, drained
2 tbsp taco seasoning
About 5 oz tortilla chips, crushed (I didn't measure)
1 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese
1 avocado, sliced (omitted by me)
In a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat, brown the ground beef & drain. Reduce heat to medium and add the corn and tomatoes. Mix in the taco seasoning and let simmer for 3-4 minutes. Take several handfuls of tortilla chips and crush them over the top of the beef mixture in the skillet, enough to cover all the meat with a thin layer. Then sprinkle the cheese over the top of the chips. Reduce heat to low, cover, and allow cheese to melt. Serve with avocado slices on top.
I adapted this slightly, because I was afraid that if I covered the whole thing with tortilla chips, the leftovers would be gross, with soggy tortilla chips. So I put the meat mixture on each person's plate, sprinkled with cheese (except not Nathan's), and then served the chips on the side. This made it less pie-like, but more user-friendly.
I thought this would just be like disassembled tacos, but it was actually different. The corn and tomatoes were a nice change, and the green chilies made it just a bit spicy, but not enough so that nobody liked it. Steve took the leftover meat and leftover chips to work the next day, so my plan worked. The cookbook will live to see another day.
Sunday, March 17, 2013
Benye
This is one of the last things in my A Taste of Haiti cookbook that I have been wanting to make but haven't yet. This is in the dessert section of the cookbook (a very brief chapter), but they sounded to me kind of like banana bread-like donuts, so I decided to make them for lunch today, and serve them with apple slices and scrambled eggs. The American name for these is Sweet Fritters, but I like Benye better.
Benye
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
3 tbsp sugar, or to taste
1/2 tsp grated nutmeg
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups milk
2 tsp butter, melted
2 overripe bananas, mashed
2 cups vegetable oil
Mix flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, nutmeg, and cinnamon in one bowl. Mix the eggs, vanilla, milk, and melted butter in a separate bowl. Mix the wet ingredients with the dry and mix until batter is smooth.
Heat the oil. Add the mashed bananas to the dough right before frying. Add a tablespoon of batter at a time to the hot oil (I used my Pampered Chef scoop). Turn over when first side is golden brown and fry until second side is golden brown. Drain on absorbent paper (paper towels). Sprinkle with additional sugar and serve hot.
So this made about 100 benye. Okay not really but at least 50. I used the scoop, an even scoopful for each benye, but I think it was a bit too much. A lot of the finished products were piping hot but still a bit doughy in the middle. Part of that could have been from the bananas in them, but I think it was mostly because they were a bit too big and the outsides were done before the insides. Emma really liked these, because she likes banana bread. Sam didn't really like them (li pa renmen benye). Steve and I both thought they were okay, but not great. We've never had this in Haiti before, so I don't know if they are authentic or not. Where we go, dessert is not a part of a typical meal. This was fun to try, just to see if I could do it. I've never made homemade donuts this way before, so I'm glad I tried it, even if they weren't perfect.
Benye
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
3 tbsp sugar, or to taste
1/2 tsp grated nutmeg
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups milk
2 tsp butter, melted
2 overripe bananas, mashed
2 cups vegetable oil
Mix flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, nutmeg, and cinnamon in one bowl. Mix the eggs, vanilla, milk, and melted butter in a separate bowl. Mix the wet ingredients with the dry and mix until batter is smooth.
Heat the oil. Add the mashed bananas to the dough right before frying. Add a tablespoon of batter at a time to the hot oil (I used my Pampered Chef scoop). Turn over when first side is golden brown and fry until second side is golden brown. Drain on absorbent paper (paper towels). Sprinkle with additional sugar and serve hot.
So this made about 100 benye. Okay not really but at least 50. I used the scoop, an even scoopful for each benye, but I think it was a bit too much. A lot of the finished products were piping hot but still a bit doughy in the middle. Part of that could have been from the bananas in them, but I think it was mostly because they were a bit too big and the outsides were done before the insides. Emma really liked these, because she likes banana bread. Sam didn't really like them (li pa renmen benye). Steve and I both thought they were okay, but not great. We've never had this in Haiti before, so I don't know if they are authentic or not. Where we go, dessert is not a part of a typical meal. This was fun to try, just to see if I could do it. I've never made homemade donuts this way before, so I'm glad I tried it, even if they weren't perfect.
S'mores Trifle
I adapted this recipe from one I saw in my mom's All You magazine. Have you seen the Cool Whip frosting they have recently come out with? I have bought 3 containers of it, because they also came out with really good coupons for it, but I hadn't used any of it yet. So when I saw this recipe I thought it would be a good way to use one of them. Their version seemed unrealistic, since you are supposed to make the cake mix into 24 cupcakes, then split them in half, then put each of the bottom halves into 24 jelly jars, and then layer. Who has 24 jelly jars laying around? I bet not many people. At the bottom of the recipe, it says "If you don't have 24 jelly jars, fill and top the split cupcakes on a platter instead." That seemed like asking for a mess. First of all, it would take a long time to do what they say to do 24 times, and secondly they would just all fall over, since it's cupcake, pudding, fluff, cupcake, frosting, mini marshmallows, melted semi-sweet chocolate, graham cracker pieces. On each cupcake. Someone might be laughing somewhere at the thought of people doing that. So I adapted it into a trifle recipe. You'll see.
S'mores Trifle
1 pkg chocolate cake mix
1 pkg (3.9 oz) instant chocolate pudding
1 cup milk
1 jar (7 oz) Marshmallow Creme (I just used a bunch of fluff, enough to cover, and I didn't measure the amount)
1 tub Cool Whip chocolate frosting, thawed
1 square semi-sweet baking chocolate
1/2 cup mini marshmallows
4 graham crackers, broken into pieces (this would make it look s'mores-y, but I skipped them)
Heat oven to 350. Prepare cake batter and bake as directed for a 9x13 cake. Cool completely in pan on wire rack.
Beat pudding mix and milk with whisk for 2 minutes. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Cut the cooled cake into cubes. Put half of the cubes on the bottom of a trifle dish (I used my Pampered Chef one, and it was the perfect size...any smaller and you might not fit all the cake cubes, but you could always use fewer cake cubes if you had to).
Spread pudding on top of cake, smoothing to edges. Cover pudding layer with a layer of fluff (the most challenging thing I've done this week, but I managed). Cover fluff layer with remaining cake cubes. Spread thawed frosting over cake cubes (although a rocky landscape, it was not as hard as you might think, that frosting spread very easily).
Melt chocolate square in microwave at 30 second intervals on high, and stir until melted. Put into a ziploc bag, snip the corner, and drizzle the chocolate over the frosting. Top with mini marshmallows and graham cracker pieces. Refrigerate until serving.
We had friends over for dinner last night, so we had this for dessert. We all really liked it. 4 adults and 3 kids, and we only got through about half of it. So this would be good for a crowd. It was quite good, and even though the top layer was thick frosting, it wasn't too sweet. It tasted like you would think chocolate cool whip would taste, maybe a bit thicker than that but not really sweeter than that. A yummy ending.
S'mores Trifle
1 pkg chocolate cake mix
1 pkg (3.9 oz) instant chocolate pudding
1 cup milk
1 jar (7 oz) Marshmallow Creme (I just used a bunch of fluff, enough to cover, and I didn't measure the amount)
1 tub Cool Whip chocolate frosting, thawed
1 square semi-sweet baking chocolate
1/2 cup mini marshmallows
4 graham crackers, broken into pieces (this would make it look s'mores-y, but I skipped them)
Heat oven to 350. Prepare cake batter and bake as directed for a 9x13 cake. Cool completely in pan on wire rack.
Beat pudding mix and milk with whisk for 2 minutes. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Cut the cooled cake into cubes. Put half of the cubes on the bottom of a trifle dish (I used my Pampered Chef one, and it was the perfect size...any smaller and you might not fit all the cake cubes, but you could always use fewer cake cubes if you had to).
Spread pudding on top of cake, smoothing to edges. Cover pudding layer with a layer of fluff (the most challenging thing I've done this week, but I managed). Cover fluff layer with remaining cake cubes. Spread thawed frosting over cake cubes (although a rocky landscape, it was not as hard as you might think, that frosting spread very easily).
Melt chocolate square in microwave at 30 second intervals on high, and stir until melted. Put into a ziploc bag, snip the corner, and drizzle the chocolate over the frosting. Top with mini marshmallows and graham cracker pieces. Refrigerate until serving.
We had friends over for dinner last night, so we had this for dessert. We all really liked it. 4 adults and 3 kids, and we only got through about half of it. So this would be good for a crowd. It was quite good, and even though the top layer was thick frosting, it wasn't too sweet. It tasted like you would think chocolate cool whip would taste, maybe a bit thicker than that but not really sweeter than that. A yummy ending.
Lemon-Raspberry Cake
One of my besties had her birthday on Friday. It's one of our family traditions to make the "birthday person" whatever they want for dinner, so I offered that to her, and she chose "breakfast." So we had Cracker Barrel Hashbrowns, bacon, sausage, and blueberry muffins made with our own blueberries. A feast fit for a king. Or, for a birthday friend. Also I made this cake for her birthday, to bring to home fellowship. Kind of like a party. We share a love of lemon desserts, so even though this recipe sounds hard, I wanted to give it a try. I knew that if it didn't work, we could just smear frosting on the broken pieces and still be happy. This is the last recipe I have marked from the Southern Living Christmas cookbook that my mother-in-law sent to me for my birthday.
Lemon-Raspberry Cake
1 cup shortening
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
3 cups sifted cake flour (because I wanted it to be perfect, I did actually buy this...I'm not sure what the difference is between this and regular flour though)
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup milk
1 tsp almond extract
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 10 oz jar seedless raspberry preserves
Lemon Buttercream Frosting:
1 1/4 cups butter, softened
2 tsp grated lemon rind
3 tbsp lemon juice (I grated a fresh lemon for the rind and then squeezed it for it's juice...I have bottled versions of both but I wanted to use fresh because I knew it would taste better)
3 cups sifted powdered sugar (I did not sift any of the above ingredients)
Grease 3 9-inch round cake pans; line with waxed paper. Grease and flour wax paper. Set aside (that sounded immensely, and unnecessarily, complicated...I used shortening and reeeeally greased the cake pans, and left it at that...they slid right out).
Beat shortening at medium speed of an electric mixer until creamy; gradually add sugar, beating well. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt; add to shortening mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Mix after each addition. Stir in extracts.
Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake at 375 for 18-20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire rack for 10 minutes; remove from pans and let cool completely on wire racks.
Slice cake layers in half horizontally to make 6 layers (all 3 cake layers puffed up when they baked, so I had to level them first before cutting them in half). Place one layer, cut side up, on a cake plate; spread with 3 tbsp preserves (I didn't measure). Repeat procedure with remaining layers and preserves, omitting preserves on top of last layer.
For frosting, beat first 3 ingredients at medium speed of an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating until frosting is spreading consistency.
Spread frosting on top and sides of cake. If desired, hold some frosting back to pipe flowers and whatnot on top of the cake after it's frosted (I didn't do this, and I barely had enough to frost the whole cake as it was). Store in airtight container in refrigerator.
After all that work, the verdict: It was great! It was a bit crooked, and it certainly did not look like something a professional would turn out, but when we cut into it, it looked sufficiently like the picture (sorry no camera to document...). I worried that it would be too sweet, but really it wasn't. And the fresh lemon in the frosting was so so good. Most of the kids didn't like this, which I don't think is a bad thing. It's more of a grown up taste, lemon is. Overall it was very good! And Barbie and I already knew it was, since right after the cake assembly we ate some leftover cake pieces with some frosting scraped from the sides of the bowl...don't muzzle the ox while it treads out the grain, right?
Lemon-Raspberry Cake
1 cup shortening
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
3 cups sifted cake flour (because I wanted it to be perfect, I did actually buy this...I'm not sure what the difference is between this and regular flour though)
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup milk
1 tsp almond extract
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 10 oz jar seedless raspberry preserves
Lemon Buttercream Frosting:
1 1/4 cups butter, softened
2 tsp grated lemon rind
3 tbsp lemon juice (I grated a fresh lemon for the rind and then squeezed it for it's juice...I have bottled versions of both but I wanted to use fresh because I knew it would taste better)
3 cups sifted powdered sugar (I did not sift any of the above ingredients)
Grease 3 9-inch round cake pans; line with waxed paper. Grease and flour wax paper. Set aside (that sounded immensely, and unnecessarily, complicated...I used shortening and reeeeally greased the cake pans, and left it at that...they slid right out).
Beat shortening at medium speed of an electric mixer until creamy; gradually add sugar, beating well. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt; add to shortening mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Mix after each addition. Stir in extracts.
Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake at 375 for 18-20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire rack for 10 minutes; remove from pans and let cool completely on wire racks.
Slice cake layers in half horizontally to make 6 layers (all 3 cake layers puffed up when they baked, so I had to level them first before cutting them in half). Place one layer, cut side up, on a cake plate; spread with 3 tbsp preserves (I didn't measure). Repeat procedure with remaining layers and preserves, omitting preserves on top of last layer.
For frosting, beat first 3 ingredients at medium speed of an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating until frosting is spreading consistency.
Spread frosting on top and sides of cake. If desired, hold some frosting back to pipe flowers and whatnot on top of the cake after it's frosted (I didn't do this, and I barely had enough to frost the whole cake as it was). Store in airtight container in refrigerator.
After all that work, the verdict: It was great! It was a bit crooked, and it certainly did not look like something a professional would turn out, but when we cut into it, it looked sufficiently like the picture (sorry no camera to document...). I worried that it would be too sweet, but really it wasn't. And the fresh lemon in the frosting was so so good. Most of the kids didn't like this, which I don't think is a bad thing. It's more of a grown up taste, lemon is. Overall it was very good! And Barbie and I already knew it was, since right after the cake assembly we ate some leftover cake pieces with some frosting scraped from the sides of the bowl...don't muzzle the ox while it treads out the grain, right?
Saturday, March 16, 2013
BBQ Chicken and Cornbread Skillet Bake
When I read this recipe it sounded soooo good. I love barbecue/meat combinations. And we all like cornbread. Even the littlest one. From $5 Dinner Mom.
BBQ Chicken and Cornbread Skillet Bake
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
1 onion, chopped
6 carrot sticks, peeled and chopped
6 oz barbecue sauce (I used Bullseye Kansas City style)
Cornbread Topping:
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups yellow cornmeal
1 cup sugar (that seems like a lot)
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil
2 tbsp honey
Preheat oven to 350. In a 12 inch oven proof skillet, saute the chicken with the onions and carrots over medium high heat. Once the chicken is cooked, reduce heat to medium-low and stir in the barbecue sauce. Let simmer for 5-7 minutes.
In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add the eggs, milk, oil, and honey and whisk until a smooth batter forms, about 2 minutes.
Pour cornbread batter over the top of the chicken in the skillet and let cook for about 2 minutes, or until the cornbread batter begins to set along the edges of the skillet.
Transfer skillet to preheated oven and bake for 18-20 minutes until cornbread has baked through and begins to turn golden on top.
I don't know where to start with this review. I am starting to suspect the cookbook author is on drugs of some kind, or lives in an area of the country where food cooks at a lightning pace. I followed this recipe and directions exactly, except I used 3/4 cup sugar instead of 1 cup in the cornbread batter (and it was still too sweet). It says at the beginning of this cookbook to not be tempted to use a different size dish or pan or whatever from what the recipe specifies, because it will alter the final result. So I used a 12 inch skillet. Did I use a ruler to make sure? Why yes I did. At the end of the allotted time, it was golden around the edges, but still a bit wet looking in the center, so I left it for 4 more minutes. Then I stuck my cake tester in it, and no dough or crumbs came back. I carefully removed it from the oven, and it jiggled suspiciously, but I thought it was (hopefully) because of the chicken layer underneath making the whole thing wobbly. I cut into it, and a river of corn bread batter flowed into the void created by the small serving I had just removed. I was quite angry about this. Back into the oven it went. For how much longer? 25 more minutes. I had to work that night, so while it was on it's second cooking time, I got everything else ready for work. Steve & the kids were very late for church. I wanted to throw the whole thing in the garbage, but I'm #1 too cheap to do that, and #2 there was nothing else I could've made that fast. If I hadn't been working, and we'd all been going to church, I would have just thrown it out anyway and hit the drive-thru on the way to CC. But instead we were all running late. How frustrating. Once it was (finally) done, a cross-section of a piece of this would have shown it to be 1/5 chicken and 4/5 cornbread. Steve was dishing it out and starting turning the giant pieces of cornbread in the skillet over and scraping the chicken off the bottom, so everyone could have an adequate amount of protein on their plate. Steve said if I ever make this again (which clearly I won't, but he's just being helpful) to double or triple the chicken part and halve the cornbread part.
I have many many more recipes marked in this cookbook to try, and I'm going to keep barreling through. However, when doing my meal planning for the next two weeks, and thumbing through the book trying to decide what to make, I did unmark a previously marked recipe for biscuit-topped pizza, which you make in this same way, except with biscuit dough instead of cornbread batter. I don't trust her with dough right now. Stay tuned for the next few recipes...
BBQ Chicken and Cornbread Skillet Bake
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
1 onion, chopped
6 carrot sticks, peeled and chopped
6 oz barbecue sauce (I used Bullseye Kansas City style)
Cornbread Topping:
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups yellow cornmeal
1 cup sugar (that seems like a lot)
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil
2 tbsp honey
Preheat oven to 350. In a 12 inch oven proof skillet, saute the chicken with the onions and carrots over medium high heat. Once the chicken is cooked, reduce heat to medium-low and stir in the barbecue sauce. Let simmer for 5-7 minutes.
In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add the eggs, milk, oil, and honey and whisk until a smooth batter forms, about 2 minutes.
Pour cornbread batter over the top of the chicken in the skillet and let cook for about 2 minutes, or until the cornbread batter begins to set along the edges of the skillet.
Transfer skillet to preheated oven and bake for 18-20 minutes until cornbread has baked through and begins to turn golden on top.
I don't know where to start with this review. I am starting to suspect the cookbook author is on drugs of some kind, or lives in an area of the country where food cooks at a lightning pace. I followed this recipe and directions exactly, except I used 3/4 cup sugar instead of 1 cup in the cornbread batter (and it was still too sweet). It says at the beginning of this cookbook to not be tempted to use a different size dish or pan or whatever from what the recipe specifies, because it will alter the final result. So I used a 12 inch skillet. Did I use a ruler to make sure? Why yes I did. At the end of the allotted time, it was golden around the edges, but still a bit wet looking in the center, so I left it for 4 more minutes. Then I stuck my cake tester in it, and no dough or crumbs came back. I carefully removed it from the oven, and it jiggled suspiciously, but I thought it was (hopefully) because of the chicken layer underneath making the whole thing wobbly. I cut into it, and a river of corn bread batter flowed into the void created by the small serving I had just removed. I was quite angry about this. Back into the oven it went. For how much longer? 25 more minutes. I had to work that night, so while it was on it's second cooking time, I got everything else ready for work. Steve & the kids were very late for church. I wanted to throw the whole thing in the garbage, but I'm #1 too cheap to do that, and #2 there was nothing else I could've made that fast. If I hadn't been working, and we'd all been going to church, I would have just thrown it out anyway and hit the drive-thru on the way to CC. But instead we were all running late. How frustrating. Once it was (finally) done, a cross-section of a piece of this would have shown it to be 1/5 chicken and 4/5 cornbread. Steve was dishing it out and starting turning the giant pieces of cornbread in the skillet over and scraping the chicken off the bottom, so everyone could have an adequate amount of protein on their plate. Steve said if I ever make this again (which clearly I won't, but he's just being helpful) to double or triple the chicken part and halve the cornbread part.
I have many many more recipes marked in this cookbook to try, and I'm going to keep barreling through. However, when doing my meal planning for the next two weeks, and thumbing through the book trying to decide what to make, I did unmark a previously marked recipe for biscuit-topped pizza, which you make in this same way, except with biscuit dough instead of cornbread batter. I don't trust her with dough right now. Stay tuned for the next few recipes...
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
One Pot Spaghetti
Back in the day, before I was a good cook, I used to make Hamburger Helper a lot. It was so yummy. I still think that. But I don't buy it anymore, because I have found other ways to make similar quick recipes that are healthier, if not due to the fat and sodium content, at least due to the lack of preservatives. So this one sounded like something along those lines, easy and yummy. It was last night's supper. This is from the Southern Living 2000 Annual Recipes.
One Pot Spaghetti
1 lb ground beef
1 onion, chopped
2 (14.5 oz) cans chicken broth (I used 4 cups homemade broth)
1 6 oz can tomato paste
1/2 tsp salt (use more salt if using homemade broth, we had to add salt at the table)
1/2 tsp oregano
1/8 tsp garlic powder (I used 1/4 tsp because it's yummy)
1/4 tsp pepper
7 oz uncooked spaghetti, broken into 3-inch pieces
Grated parmesan cheese
Cook beef and onion in a large skillet until no longer pink; drain. Stir in broth, tomato paste, salt, oregano, garlic powder, and pepper. Bring to a boil; add pasta. Reduce heat and simmer (it doesn't say to cover but I did, because I was afraid too much liquid would boil off), stirring often, for 15 minutes or until pasta is tender. Sprinkle with cheese.
Nathan did almost all of the actual cooking part and felt very proud of himself. I of course cut the onion and opened the cans and measured the spices, but he did the stirring and all that, on a stool in front of the stove. He was very careful and very cute. Emma made her famous garlic bread to go with this meal. It was very yummy, and so easy 2 kids could make it. Ha ha. But seriously it was good. I wish it had been a wee bit saucier, to have sauce to dip the garlic bread into, but that can be adjusted for next time. I'm sure we'll have this again.
One Pot Spaghetti
1 lb ground beef
1 onion, chopped
2 (14.5 oz) cans chicken broth (I used 4 cups homemade broth)
1 6 oz can tomato paste
1/2 tsp salt (use more salt if using homemade broth, we had to add salt at the table)
1/2 tsp oregano
1/8 tsp garlic powder (I used 1/4 tsp because it's yummy)
1/4 tsp pepper
7 oz uncooked spaghetti, broken into 3-inch pieces
Grated parmesan cheese
Cook beef and onion in a large skillet until no longer pink; drain. Stir in broth, tomato paste, salt, oregano, garlic powder, and pepper. Bring to a boil; add pasta. Reduce heat and simmer (it doesn't say to cover but I did, because I was afraid too much liquid would boil off), stirring often, for 15 minutes or until pasta is tender. Sprinkle with cheese.
Nathan did almost all of the actual cooking part and felt very proud of himself. I of course cut the onion and opened the cans and measured the spices, but he did the stirring and all that, on a stool in front of the stove. He was very careful and very cute. Emma made her famous garlic bread to go with this meal. It was very yummy, and so easy 2 kids could make it. Ha ha. But seriously it was good. I wish it had been a wee bit saucier, to have sauce to dip the garlic bread into, but that can be adjusted for next time. I'm sure we'll have this again.
Peanut Butter Oreo Brownie Cups
Peanut Butter Oreo Brownie Cups
1 pkg Oreo cookies (not double stuf)
1/2 cup-1 cup peanut butter (I didn't really measure this, just dipped my knife repeatedly into the jar)
1 pkg brownie mix, 13x9 size
Grease 18 muffin cups with shortening (my mom and I discussed that cooking spray wouldn't do the job on this one, the sides look too fragile, and you don't want any part of it sticking. So I greased with shortening and they came out very easily). Spread a thin layer of peanut butter on top of an Oreo. Top with a second Oreo and spread that one with peanut butter, too. Place in the center of a muffin cup. Repeat with remaining Oreos (your children will be mad that there are none leftover, but it's not your fault they come in packages of 36, which is exactly how many you need).
Mix brownie mix by package directions. Using a cookie scoop, if you have one, or an ice cream scoop, drop spoonfuls of brownie batter on top of each oreo pile, allowing it to drip down the sides. You might have to add a bit of extra batter to get full coverage, but I didn't have to for most of them. Bake at 375 for 12-16 minutes, or until the tops start to dry out and look "done" like a brownie would. Allow to cool completely in muffin tins before removing to Tupperware storage container.
I didn't use all the batter, I had enough left to mix in a few peanut butter chips and put in my very smallest baking dish. It made a fairly large brownie which the boys split, making them feel slightly better about getting no Oreos.
These were so good. Very rich. I couldn't eat all mine, so Steve got 1 1/2. Everyone said they were good. And I agree. We'll definitely have these again, I'm sure.
Skillet Jambalaya
Most jambalaya recipes I've seen have shrimp in them. I think shrimp is (or are?) gross. But this one didn't, and it does have sausage in it. It says Italian sausage, but we used smoked sausage, which we love even though it's not good for you. This is from the $5 Dinner Mom cookbook. We had it with warm sliced French bread.
Skillet Jambalaya
1/2 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch pieces
1/2 lb italian sausage links, sliced into 1/2 inch rounds (we used smoked sausage)
1 tbsp olive oil
2 cups chopped onion
1 cup chopped green pepper
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 can (15 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 tbsp creole seasoning (I used a bit less because I remember how spicy it was the last time I used it)
1 1/2 cups white rice
2 to 2 1/4 cups hot water
In a large skillet, brown the chicken and sausage pieces in the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, pepper, and celery and cook with the meats for 5-7 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and creole seasoning and bring to a boil. Stir in the rice and enough water to cover the rice. Stir and press the rice down into the liquid. Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook for 18-20 minutes (everyone who writes recipes containing real rice [vs minute rice] vastly underestimate how long it will take to cook it...mine took 45 minutes! Bunch of liars...they know nobody would make their recipes if they told the truth, probably). Stir once while the rice is cooking, quickly replacing lid to keep steam from escaping. When the rice is tender (the next day)(just kidding), remove from heat and cool slightly before serving.
The rice STILL wasn't quite done when we ate it, but I had to go to work so we couldn't wait any longer. The taste of it was good, although the kids just picked the chicken and sausage out of theirs, but I couldn't blame them. I'm mad at this recipe, so I'm not keeping it. I have other recipes along this line that cook faster and don't lie about it.
Skillet Jambalaya
1/2 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch pieces
1/2 lb italian sausage links, sliced into 1/2 inch rounds (we used smoked sausage)
1 tbsp olive oil
2 cups chopped onion
1 cup chopped green pepper
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 can (15 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 tbsp creole seasoning (I used a bit less because I remember how spicy it was the last time I used it)
1 1/2 cups white rice
2 to 2 1/4 cups hot water
In a large skillet, brown the chicken and sausage pieces in the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, pepper, and celery and cook with the meats for 5-7 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and creole seasoning and bring to a boil. Stir in the rice and enough water to cover the rice. Stir and press the rice down into the liquid. Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook for 18-20 minutes (everyone who writes recipes containing real rice [vs minute rice] vastly underestimate how long it will take to cook it...mine took 45 minutes! Bunch of liars...they know nobody would make their recipes if they told the truth, probably). Stir once while the rice is cooking, quickly replacing lid to keep steam from escaping. When the rice is tender (the next day)(just kidding), remove from heat and cool slightly before serving.
The rice STILL wasn't quite done when we ate it, but I had to go to work so we couldn't wait any longer. The taste of it was good, although the kids just picked the chicken and sausage out of theirs, but I couldn't blame them. I'm mad at this recipe, so I'm not keeping it. I have other recipes along this line that cook faster and don't lie about it.
Thursday, March 7, 2013
Pulled Pork Sandwiches
I've probably made recipes like this a dozen times. I just really like them. And even though I have a couple of my favorites saved in my keeper book, the seasonings on this one sounded so yummy that I wanted to make it. This is on a page torn out from my mom's All You magazine. Because it's all about me.
Pulled Pork Sandwiches
4-6 lb boneless pork butt (gross, but at least you can't tell by looking) excess fat removed (SO gross, and I'm so thankful for my sharp birthday present knife...it came off like buttah)
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp powdered mustard
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp paprika
1 tbsp cumin
2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 large onion, chopped
1 tbsp minced garlic (I crushed 4 cloves)
1 cup barbecue sauce (I used Bullseye Kansas City Something [with a lick of sticky molasses])
1/3 cup apple cider (I didn't buy this because we always have apple juice. And then today we didn't! So I thought, What Would Jill Do? And I used unsweetened applesauce instead)
1/3 cup chicken broth
3 tbsp honey
2 tbsp worcestershire sauce
8 hamburger buns (I split and grilled ours so the juice wouldn't soak in too fast and make them soggy)
Combine chili powder, mustard, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Rub all over the roast. Place chopped onions and garlic in bottom of slow cooker. Place coated roast on top. In another small bowl, combine the barbecue sauce, cider, chicken broth, honey, and worcestershire sauce and pour over meat. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.
Remove meat to a serving platter and shred with 2 forks. Remove one cup of cooking juices from slow cooker and reserve. Return shredded meat to slow cooker and turn heat up to high. Cook for 1 hour longer. Reheat reserved juices and serve along with the sandwiches (I did do that, but then we didn't end up using the juices).
Of course this smelled so great all day. Steve was so happy to come home to this smell. We ate about half of it, and will eat the rest for leftovers. We had this with curly fries and baby carrots. A very yummy meal, and once it was finally trimmed of fat and in the crock pot, pretty easy. I bet you could have leftovers of this over mashed potatoes and it would be really yummy.
Pulled Pork Sandwiches
4-6 lb boneless pork butt (gross, but at least you can't tell by looking) excess fat removed (SO gross, and I'm so thankful for my sharp birthday present knife...it came off like buttah)
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp powdered mustard
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp paprika
1 tbsp cumin
2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 large onion, chopped
1 tbsp minced garlic (I crushed 4 cloves)
1 cup barbecue sauce (I used Bullseye Kansas City Something [with a lick of sticky molasses])
1/3 cup apple cider (I didn't buy this because we always have apple juice. And then today we didn't! So I thought, What Would Jill Do? And I used unsweetened applesauce instead)
1/3 cup chicken broth
3 tbsp honey
2 tbsp worcestershire sauce
8 hamburger buns (I split and grilled ours so the juice wouldn't soak in too fast and make them soggy)
Combine chili powder, mustard, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Rub all over the roast. Place chopped onions and garlic in bottom of slow cooker. Place coated roast on top. In another small bowl, combine the barbecue sauce, cider, chicken broth, honey, and worcestershire sauce and pour over meat. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.
Remove meat to a serving platter and shred with 2 forks. Remove one cup of cooking juices from slow cooker and reserve. Return shredded meat to slow cooker and turn heat up to high. Cook for 1 hour longer. Reheat reserved juices and serve along with the sandwiches (I did do that, but then we didn't end up using the juices).
Of course this smelled so great all day. Steve was so happy to come home to this smell. We ate about half of it, and will eat the rest for leftovers. We had this with curly fries and baby carrots. A very yummy meal, and once it was finally trimmed of fat and in the crock pot, pretty easy. I bet you could have leftovers of this over mashed potatoes and it would be really yummy.
Bow Tie Pasta with Bacon, Corn, & Parmesan
Don't you just love a recipe title that tells you everything about the meal? This one does. But I do respect her for not coming up with some dumb name, like so many recipe authors do, like Moonlight Pasta or something. This one is from the $5 Dinner Mom cookbook.
Bow Tie Pasta with Bacon, Corn, & Parmesan
12 oz bow tie pasta
15 oz can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano, undrained
6 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
15 oz can corn kernels, drained (I used 1 cup frozen)
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
Salt and pepper to taste
In a large pot or dutch oven, cook the pasta by package directions. Drain and return to pot, or transfer to serving bowl. Add all remaining ingredients and toss to combine.
How easy is that? And it tasted great too. We had this with one of those bagged salad kits and sliced french bread. A very easy meal. I'm sure we'll have it again. Also, use more bacon if you want because you really can't go wrong with more bacon.
Bow Tie Pasta with Bacon, Corn, & Parmesan
12 oz bow tie pasta
15 oz can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano, undrained
6 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
15 oz can corn kernels, drained (I used 1 cup frozen)
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
Salt and pepper to taste
In a large pot or dutch oven, cook the pasta by package directions. Drain and return to pot, or transfer to serving bowl. Add all remaining ingredients and toss to combine.
How easy is that? And it tasted great too. We had this with one of those bagged salad kits and sliced french bread. A very easy meal. I'm sure we'll have it again. Also, use more bacon if you want because you really can't go wrong with more bacon.
Peanut Butter Cup Napoleons
It's been a while since I've posted, but I have still been busy! Tonight I'm posting 3 recipes I've made over last week and half or so. Last Sunday after church I made these Napoleons. I had no idea there was a dessert named Napoleon. The two Napoleons I was familiar with were the French dictator and, of course, Napoleon Dynamite. Since I've made this, I've mentioned the title of it to a few people, and they were like "mmmmmmmm" and they didn't seem to not know it was a dessert. So it must be more common than I realized. This is the last recipe I have marked from last month's Simple & Delicious. So it should be about time for my new one to come...
Peanut Butter Cup Napoleons
1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
2 cups ice cream with peanut butter cup pieces, softened
3/4 cup butterscotch/caramel ice cream topping
3 tbsp creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup chocolate covered peanuts (I left these out. Nobody really likes peanuts here)
Unfold puff pastry. Cut into eight 4 1/2 by 2 1/4 inch rectangles (I certainly did not measure...I just unfolded and cut into 8 approximately equal pieces. I recommend this method). Place on a greased baking sheet. Bake at 400 for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely on wire rack.
Scoop 1/2 cup ice cream onto each of four pastries. Top with remaining pastries. Freeze until serving.
Combine ice cream topping and peanut butter in small microwave safe bowl. Cover and microwave on high 30-45 seconds or until warmed. Drizzle over napoleons and sprinkle with peanuts.
These were pretty good. In general I don't like ice cream with pastries or cake, because I don't like how the melting ice cream makes whatever else is there soggy. But the puff pastry held up pretty well. The ice cream topping/peanut butter combo wasn't as yummy as I was hoping for, and it also made way too much for the recipe. And some whipped cream on top would have been yummy. I can't have regular ice cream now (stupid developing lactose intolerance) so I made my own PB ice cream, Cold Stone style. I chopped a peanut butter cup and combined it with a big spoonful of peanut butter and a scoop of Lactaid ice cream, then had my ice cream mixer (Steve) stir it like crazy. This was fun to make and good for a change, but I don't think we'll make it again.
Peanut Butter Cup Napoleons
1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
2 cups ice cream with peanut butter cup pieces, softened
3/4 cup butterscotch/caramel ice cream topping
3 tbsp creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup chocolate covered peanuts (I left these out. Nobody really likes peanuts here)
Unfold puff pastry. Cut into eight 4 1/2 by 2 1/4 inch rectangles (I certainly did not measure...I just unfolded and cut into 8 approximately equal pieces. I recommend this method). Place on a greased baking sheet. Bake at 400 for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely on wire rack.
Scoop 1/2 cup ice cream onto each of four pastries. Top with remaining pastries. Freeze until serving.
Combine ice cream topping and peanut butter in small microwave safe bowl. Cover and microwave on high 30-45 seconds or until warmed. Drizzle over napoleons and sprinkle with peanuts.
These were pretty good. In general I don't like ice cream with pastries or cake, because I don't like how the melting ice cream makes whatever else is there soggy. But the puff pastry held up pretty well. The ice cream topping/peanut butter combo wasn't as yummy as I was hoping for, and it also made way too much for the recipe. And some whipped cream on top would have been yummy. I can't have regular ice cream now (stupid developing lactose intolerance) so I made my own PB ice cream, Cold Stone style. I chopped a peanut butter cup and combined it with a big spoonful of peanut butter and a scoop of Lactaid ice cream, then had my ice cream mixer (Steve) stir it like crazy. This was fun to make and good for a change, but I don't think we'll make it again.
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