recipe wednesday: caramel apple pancakes

 Danielle is back with an amazing autumn recipe!

There is nothing more fall to me then the combination of apples and caramel. My grandmother was in town for an afternoon this week and we got to talking about how we love breakfast foods and it got me to thinking about making an amazing "breakfast for dinner" recipe using my favorite fall flavors! I decided to make a whole wheat cinnamon pancake with lots of apples and walnuts baked right in with a super simple homemade caramel sauce on top. Last weekend my husband and I got a bushel of Zestar apples from our local farmer's market that were just incredible. Zestar apples are an early season apple that are light and crisp, have a slight hint of brown sugar and are so good! You can use whatever apples are your favorite and feel free to experiment to make the perfect pancake!

Caramel Apple Pancakes

Caramel Sauce:
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 stick unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
pinch of coarse salt

 

Pancakes:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
2 eggs
2 cups fat free milk
2 tbsp canola oil
1 medium apple chopped
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (plus more to sprinkle on top)

Maple Sryup and Whipped Cream for topping, if desired.

First, make the caramel sauce by combining the brown sugar, butter and cream in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, reduce to a simmer and cook stirring occasionally for 5 minutes. Stir in the vanilla and salt and set aside.

Make the pancakes by combining all of the dry ingredients in a large bowl. In a small bowl combine the eggs, milk and oil. Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and then fold in the apples and the walnuts. Butter your griddle and pour batter 1/4 cup at a time to make your pancakes. Flip once bubbles start forming on the top and cook until the second side is golden brown. 

Drizzle the caramel sauce over the pancakes and sprinkle leftover chopped walnuts on top. You can add a little pure maple syrup to your pancakes, although they don't really need it. I also made some homemade whipped cream which went really well.

recipe wednesday: garbage cookies

Today, Anne brings you some garbage cookies!

(Variation of Momofuku's compost cookie)

The title refers to throwing your favorite junk food into your favorite cookie, chocolate chip.  This cookie is meant for people who love all or none and always go for the all.  When it comes to deserts I'm an all-in girl.  You should see my sundaes, more toppings than ice cream.  If you eat it and you need a glass a milk to wash it down, then its perfect.  Don't be afraid to experiment with this one.  You can add in different snacks, who knows, you might be the next Martha!

Ingredients:

1 cup butter softened (that’s two sticks, unsalted)

1 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup light brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 large eggs

2 cups all purpose flour

2 tsps baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsps Kosher salt

1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

1 1/2 cups your favorite snack foods crushed up (crunchy potato chips (like Cape Cod brand), pretzels, heath bar crunch, dark chocolate Reese's peanut butter cups)

Mix butter, sugar and brown sugar until a yellow light fluffy consistency.

Add eggs and vanilla on a low speed mixing.

Mix at medium speed until dough looks white and creamy.

In separate bowl mix flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Add dry ingredients into wet ingredients in small increments mixing completely between additions.

Next add in chocolate chips and mix.

Finally, add in your favorite snack foods that have already been crushed up and mix.

Refrigerate cookie dough for one hour.

Place on cookie pan 2 inches apart with an ice cream scoop.

Cook at 375 degrees for 11 minutes.  The cookie should look slightly brown on top and edges and be puffed and cracked throughout.

Wait till they cool to eat and store.

Enjoy!!!

recipe wednesday: Beignets Framboise

 Today, Danielle shows you how to make a sweet treat!

Beignets Framboise

Don't be intimidated by the name, it's just the French version of raspberry jam doughnuts.  These puffy yeast pastry doughnuts are fried, filled with a flavorful homemade jam and and then rolled in cinnamon and sugar... and are every bit as delicious as they look. Another plus about this recipe is that you'll be shocked at how easy it is to make your own jam, which will allow you to play around with whatever fruit is your favorite.

Jam Filling:
1 1/2 c fresh raspberries
1/2 cup + 1 tbsp granulated sugar
4 tsp pectin powder
1/2 lemon

Leavener for Beignet Dough:
2 cups +2 tbsp cake flour
1/6 oz active dry yeast
3/4 cup + 1 tsp water

Beignet Dough:
1 3/4 cup + 3 1/2 tbsp cake flour
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 oz active dry yeast
2 tsp salt
5 egg yolks
3 1/3 tbsp whole milk
4 1/2 tbsp softened unsalted butter

Vegetable Oil for frying

Cinnamon Sugar Topping:
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tbsp cinnamon

First make the jam filling. Puree the raspberries in the bowl of a food processor then heat to lukewarm in a small saucepan. Take off heat and add pectin, sugar and the juice from the 1/2 lemon. Put back on medium heat and bring to boil. Boil for 2 minutes, pour into bowl, cover in plastic and let cool completely. Refrigerate once cooled.

Next, make the leavener for the beignet batter. Dilute the yeast in the water and mix in a medium bowl with the cake flour. Allow to double in volume at room temperature for 1 hour.

To make the beignet dough, place the cake flour and sugar in a large bowl. Add the yeast and salt, but keep both on opposite sides of the bowl and do not allow the two to touch until your ready to mix. Add the egg yolks and whole milk and mix everything together until just combined. Add in the softened butter and the leavener and mix together until dough starts to form. Dump the dough onto counter and knead with your hands until smooth, form a ball with the dough and place back in bowl. Allow this to double in volume for 1 hour at room temperature. Punch in the middle to deflate the ball of dough then refrigerate for 30 minutes.

 

Weigh out 2 oz  pieces of the dough and form into balls. Place doughnuts on a floured dish towel and allow to proof at room temperature for 1 and 1/2 hours.

Preheat vegetable oil in a heavy duty pot to 325-340 degrees. I usually put my burner on medium heat and let the oil take its time to come up to temperature. It takes longer (about 20 minutes) but it ensures that the oil will stay at the right temperature throughout the frying process. Fry the doughnuts, a few at a time for about 3-4 minutes until they just start to brown (they will continue to brown once you remove them from the oil so it's important to take them out right away) Drain on paper towels.

Once cooled, put the jam in a piping bag and fill the doughnuts. Roll in the cinnamon and sugar and enjoy!

 

recipe wednesday(on a thursday): cranberry meringue mini pies

 Danielle is back with some amazing pies.


One thing you should know about me is that I LOVE fall. I love the weather, the fact that it means football is finally here, the produce that's in season... in fact you'd be hard pressed to find something that I don't love about fall. Once August hits I start getting antsy, hence this recipe. In order to make these pies in the summer I had to make a couple changes, obviously cranberries and blood oranges aren't in season so I had to use frozen cranberries and a navel orange instead. The crust for these is a french pastry called Pâte Sucrée which is perfect for pies because it holds up really well to the filling. The juice from the orange sweetens the tartness of the cranberries in the filling and the fluffiness of the meringue topping creates the perfect combination.


Cranberry Meringue Mini Pies

For the Citrus Pâte Sucrée:
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tbsp granulated sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 large egg yolk, lightly beaten
1-2 tbsp cold heavy cream

For the Filling:
12 ounces (3 1/4 cups) fresh cranberries
1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 3/4 cup water
1 1/2 tsp grated lemon zest
1 tsp grated blood orange zest and 1/4 cup blood orange juice
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
pinch of ground cloves
3 tbsp cornstarch

For the Meringue:

3 large egg whites
pinch of cream of tartar

Make the Pâte Sucrée by pulsing the flour, sugar, salt and both zests in a food processor until combined. Add the butter pieces and pulse just until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the yolk and drizzle 1 tbsp of the cream over the mixture, then pulse until dough comes together... no more than 30 seconds. If the dough is too dry, add the remaining tbsp of cream. Pat the dough into a disk and wrap in plastic, refrigerate for an hour.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/8 inch thick. cut out twelve 4-inch fluted rounds and fit into cups of a standard 12-cup muffin tin (not nonstick). Dock the bottom of the "pies" using a fork and then freeze until firm, about 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Line the shells with parchment (just cut out parchment rounds the same size as the shells) and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 15 minutes, remove weights and parchments. Bake until bottoms are just turning golden, 5 minutes more. Transfer to wire racks, let cool 5 minutes then remove shells from tin and let cool completely.

While the shells are cooling, make the filling. Bring 2 cups of the cranberries, 1 cup of sugar and 1 1/2 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Reduce heat, and simmer mixture, stirring occasionally until the cranberries burst, about 5 minutes. Pour through a sieve and discard solids. You should have about 1 3/4 cups juice... if you have less, add water.

Bring the strained cranberry juice, 1/4 cup sugar, the zests, salt, cinnamon, cloves and remaining 1 1/4 cup cranberries to boil in medium saucepan, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat and simmer until cranberries are soft but not have not burst, about 3 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine cornstarch, orange juice, and remaining 1/4 cup water in a bowl. Whisk into cranberry mixture in the saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly and cook for about 1 minute until thick. Divide mixture among shells and let set in the refrigerator, 1 hour or up to one day.

Make the meringue by whisking the egg whites and the remaining 1/4 cup sugar in a heat proof bowl set over (not in) a pan of simmering water, until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is hot to the touch. With an electric mixer, beat on medium speed until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and beat on high speed until medium glossy peaks form. Spoon on top of the pies and use a kitchen torch to lightly brown the meringue. If you don't have a torch, just put the pies under oven broiler for 30 seconds.

recipe wednesday: grandma's triple decker brownies

 A delicious treat from Anne this week. 

 My Grandma used to make these brownies every weekend for my family.  We would always visit her on Sunday after church. On the way to her house we would stop by this local homemade ice cream shop called Charlaps and pick up a gallon of ice cream.  The combo of the triple decker brownie with ice cream is awesome.  I recommend a vanilla bean ice cream because the dessert is already very rich.  This dessert is a chocolate lover's dream!  The layers consist of a base of brownie, middle of marshmallow, and top of chocolate covered rice krispies and peanut butter.  Grandma knew the key to all our hearts, a big bear hug and dessert!  So if you have any loved ones that are stopping by this weekend, don't hesitate to whip up some of Grandma's brownies and give them each a bear hug too!

Grandma's Triple Decker Brownies

Box of Brownie Mix and ingredients that are required

1 tbsp butter

1 Bag (11.5 oz) of small marshmallows

1 Bag (12 oz) of semi-sweet chocolate chips

3 cups rice krispies

1) Follow directions on box for brownies in a 8 x 11 pan.  Let brownies cool.

2) Over stove top in medium size pan melt 1 tbsp butter.

Add in marshmallows and stir continuosly until completely melted.

Pour over brownies and spread out evenly.  Let marshmallow cool.

3) In double boiler melt chocolate chips, stir in rice krispies

pour mixture over marshmallows and spread out evenly. 

Let chocolate cool and cover with plastic wrap. 

4) Place in fridge for an hour to firm the top.

5) Serve with ice cream!

recipe wednesday: double stuffed french toast

Annie is back with something sweet this week:)

Double Stuffed French Toast

 

 

 

The first time I had stuffed french toast I was on my honeymoon in Stowe, Vermont.  We stayed at a B&B right outside of town that was amazing.  Our first breakfast there was stuffed french toast with real Vermont maple syrup.  The combination melted in your mouth and we were hooked.  Now almost every Sunday we make stuffed french toast.  Its addicting and you want to make it for your friends and family.  We even make it for dinner sometimes.  It reminds me of peanut butter and jelly, a staple in my childhood and something I ate almost everyday because it tasted so good.  I think something that makes this even more special is if you have homemade jam or jelly and real maple syrup.  So if your looking for a homemade meal that will put a smile on your face I suggest Double Stuffed French Toast!

 

This makes one serving

 

Ingredients:

 

Three slices of cinnamon swirl bread

2 eggs

1 tbspn butter

4 tbspn cream cheese

2 tbspn jam or jelly (any flavor, I love useing homemade raspberry jam)

1 tbspn powder sugar

Some fresh fruit to garnish with

2 tbspn maple syrup heated up

 

 

 

Turn oven on to 400 degrees.

Melt butter in large frying pan on medium heat over stovetop.

Scramble two eggs in bowl till it looks the same throughout (this is key for the egg to stick to the bread).

 

Dip slice of bread on each side to completely cover it. 

Drop bread onto frying pan.  Dip other slices of bread and drop onto frying pan.

When the bottom side is dark golden brown flip bread.

When both sides are dark golden brown remove from heat onto plate.

 

Put 2 tbspn cream cheese and 1 tbspn jam/jelly onto slice of bread then top with another slice. 

Cover second slice with cream cheese and jam/jelly and put third slice on top.

Transfer the french toast to a cookie sheet and place in oven at 400 degrees for 5 to 10 minutes.

Remove from oven, place on plate, sprinkle on powder sugar and fresh fruit.

Heat up maple syrup in glass bowl in microwave and pour over french toast.

Enjoy!

 

 

 

recipe wednesday: peanut butter cup cupcakes with cognac ganache filling

Danielle is back with some amazing looking cupcakes this week!

These cupcakes are a ridiculous indulgence and are every bit as heavenly as they look! A chocolate cupcake filled with a gooey chocolate and cognac ganache, topped with peanut butter buttercream icing and peanut butter cups... it doesn't get any better. There are two secrets to the chocolate cupcakes... one is that the batter is mixed by hand and not with a mixer, and the second is that it has melted baker's chocolate combined with the standard cocoa powder to make it extra yummy.

For the Cupcakes:
2/3 cups all purpose flour
2 1/2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3 oz. semi sweet Baker's chocolate, chopped
11 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into pieces
3/4 cup plus 2 tbsp sugar
3 eggs, at room temperature
1 tsp pure vanilla extract


For the Ganache:
4 oz semi sweet Baker's chocolate, chopped
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
2 tsp cognac (you can certainly leave this out if you don't want to include alcohol)


For the Icing:

1/3 cup solid vegetable shortening (crisco)
1/3 cup unsalted butter
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
4 cups sifted confectioners sugar
4-6 tbsp milk

Assorted decorations: peanut butter cups, mini cups, chocolate chips, etc.

To bake the cupcakes, preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a standard muffin pan with 12 paper or foil liners. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Place the chocolate and butter in a large heatproof bowl and set it over but not touching simmering water in a small saucepan. Stir frequently until completely melted and smooth, about 5 minutes. Remove the bowl from the saucepan and allow the mixture to cool to room temperature. Stir the sugar into the chocolate mixture using a spatula until combined. Stir in the eggs, one at a time, and beat after each addition until combined. Add in vanilla and gently fold in the flour mixture just until no traces of flour remain. It's very important you follow these steps exactly and DO NOT over mix or these cupcakes will turn out very dry and crumbly.

Divide batter evenly among the liners, filling about 3/4 the way full. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out with only a few moist crumbs attached, about 22-24 minutes. Cool in pan on rack for 5 minutes then take cupcakes out and let cool completely for an hour.

Using a paring knife, cut a small round hole in the middle of the cupcake, and pull out the "cylinder" of cupcake. Trim that cylinder to about a half inch... this will be used to "cork" the cupcakes back up once we fill them. Use your finger to press down lightly inside the hole in the cupcake to make a cavity to fill with the ganache.

To make the ganache filling, place the chocolate in a small heatproof bowl and set aside. Heat the cream in a small saucepan until simmering (don't let it boil). Pour over the chocolate, let it sit for about a minute and then stir until smooth. Add in the vanilla and cognac (is using) and stir until smooth. Wait a few minutes for the ganache to start to cool and set up before filling the cupcakes. Spoon the ganache into the cupcakes and then top with the cupcake "corks".

Make the frosting by creaming the shortening and butter in an electric mixer . Add peanut butter and vanilla. Gradually add the confectioner's sugar, one cup at a time at low speed. When all the sugar is incorporated, the icing will appear very dry. Add the milk, one tablespoon at a time until the frosting reaches the right consistency and is light and fluffy. Everyone ices cupcakes differently... but I use a piping bag and a 2C wilton tip. I usually alternate decorating half the cupcakes with regular sized peanut butter cups that have been cut in half (freeze them before cutting them to get clean cuts), and the other half are decorated with mini cups and mini chocolate chips. 

Once cupcakes are finished, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator to allow the ganache filling to set up fully. Let come up to room temperature for about a half hour before eating. The ganache inside will be gooey but not runny.

recipe wednesday (on a friday): buffalo chicken wing dip

 Anne brings ya another delicious dip this week.

This recipe comes from my sis-in-law Angela!  Who made it this weekend for a family party.  Angela is a great host always having people over for poker night or a bonfire.  Trust me she knows how to throw a party! 

Buffalo Chicken Wing Dip

‎2 large cans of Chicken - flaked

1 pkg Cream Cheese - softened

1 cup of Frank's Hot Sauce

Mixed with 1/2 stick of butter in microwave

1 bottle of Rudy's Bleu Cheese

1 package of Sharp Shredded Cheddar

Mix all ingredients together

Top off with more shredded cheese

Bake until bubbly at 350 degrees

Serve with tortilla chips or celery.

Recipe Wednesday: Croissants

 Danielle brings you some amazing looking croissants this week.

I think like a lot of people, the only croissants I'd ever had was the kind that came in a tube and took 10 minutes to make. This takes a LOT longer than that to make but you will find out quickly that those croissants out of a tube can't hold a candle to the real thing! The process of adding the butter and folding and rolling out the dough several times creates 24 layers that when baked make buttery, golden brown, flaky perfection. They're amazing on their own, served with homemade jam or butter, or even cut in half and used to make chicken salad sandwiches. 

For the dough:

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

Scant 1/4 cup loosely packed fresh yeast

generous 1/2 cup cold water

3 1/3 cups bread flour

2 teaspoons salt

1/3 cup granulated sugar

generous 1/2 cup whole milk

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (room temperature)

For the Egg Wash:

2 large egg yolks

1 large egg

Scant 1/4 cup whole milk

Melt the 3 tablespoons butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Allow the butter to cool to room temperature. In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast in the cold water. Place the flour, salt, sugar, milk, and melted butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Set the mixer on medium speed and mix just until the ingredients are dispersed, about 5 seconds. Add the dissolved yeast and beat on medium-high speed until the dough is well combined and no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl, about 1 minute. If the dough is too soft (it can’t hold it’s shape), add more flour 1 tablespoon at a time until it is firmer. If the dough is too hard (it’s difficult to mix in the mixer), add cold water 1 tablespoon at a time until it has softened. Remove the dough from the mixing bowl. Knead the dough with your hands for about a minute, until it is smooth. Pat it into a ball. Place the dough on a lightly floured baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and let it proof at room temperature for about 30 minutes. 

 

Place the dough on a lightly floured work surface and roll it out to an 8 by 15-inch rectangle about 1/4-inch thick. Wrap the rectangle in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours. 

Remove the dough from the refrigerator, unwrap the rectangle, and place it with a long side facing you on a lightly floured work surface. Spread the softened butter evenly over the right two thirds of the dough. Incorporate the butter by folding the (butterless) left third of the dough over the center, Then fold the right third of the dough to the left, to resemble a folded letter. 

Roll this out into another 10 by 30-inch rectangle about 1/8-inch thick. Fold each short end of the dough to the middle so they meet but do not overlap. Then fold one half over the other half. Wrap the folded dough in plastic wrap and let it rest in the refrigerator for a minimum of 2 hours.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator, unwrap it, and place on a lightly floured work surface. Roll it into a 10 by 30-inch rectangle and turn it so a long side faces you. Give the dough a single fold by folding the left third of the dough over the center, then fold the right third of the dough to the left. Now the dough should resemble a folded letter. Wrap in plastic wrap and let it rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and place it on a lightly floured work surface.  Roll out the dough into a 10 by 36-inch rectangle about 1/4-inch thick. Use a sharp chef's knife or a pizza cutter to cut out rectangles that are 5” by 10”. Cut the rectangles in half diagonally to make triangles. 

Lay each triangle on a lightly floured work surface with the tip facing you. Gently pull the tip toward you; this light stretch adds layers to the finished croissant without adding density. Use the palms of your hands to roll each triangle up from the base to the tip. (At this stage, they can be frozen for up to 1 week if well wrapped in plastic wrap. Thaw on a parchment paper-covered baking sheet overnight in the refrigerator before proceeding.)

Place the rolled croissants on a parchment covered baking sheet; spaced about 2 inches apart. Loosely cover the baking sheet with plastic wrap. Allow the croissants to proof at room temperature until they have doubled in size and appear light and full of air; about 1 1/2 to 3 hours depending on the temperature of the room and of the dough.

 

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Make an egg wash by whisking together the egg yolks, whole egg, and milk in a small bowl until well combined. With a pastry brush, very gently coat the pastries completely with egg wash. Bake until golden brown, about 10 minutes.