Cast Iron Skillet Cornbread

As promised on Wednesday - the perfect side to serve with any bowl of chili ---- Cornbread!  And not just any cornbread, but cornbread made in a cast iron skillet - it's just so old school to me and I love that!  Now, my cornbread turned out on the dry side.  It was still good, but it over baked and was just too dry.  Chris said it needed more sweetness, but I have to disagree.  Could it have used more?  Maybe, but I think if you wanted to add a bit more sweetness to it, you could use a little honey instead - this recipe already calls for 1/4 cup.  Anyway, the reason why mine came out so dry is because once you put the cornbread in the preheated oven, the recipe instructs you to turn the oven down to 375 degrees... I missed that part or forgot that part or whatever - that part did not happen... so I baked mine for 20 minutes at 425 degrees.. DO NOT do that!!  Once again, a reminder for me to slow down and THOROUGHLY read through a recipe before I messing around in the kitchen....   we live and we learn, right? :)

Cast Iron Skillet Cornbread
Recipe courtesy Alex Guarnaschelli, The Food Network
Printable Recipe 
Ingredients:
1 1/4 cup yellow cornmeal
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup milk (I used 2%)
1/3 cup heavy cream
2 eggs, slightly beaten
7 Tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
1 Tablespoons butter, room temp

Directions:
Place a 9 inch cast iron skillet in the over and preheat to 425 degrees F.

In a large bowl, add the cornmeal, flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and soda, whisk together until well combined.  In another bowl, mix together the milk, cream, eggs and butter.  Slowly whisk wet ingredients into dry ingredients until just combined.

CAREFULLY remove the skillet from the oven and reduce the temperature to 375 degrees F.  Drop in remaining tablespoon of butter; letting it coat the bottom and sides.  Pour the batter mixture into the skillet and place it back in the oven.  Bake for 20-25 minutes.  Carefully remove and allow to cool a bit before cutting.  Serve warm with butter and/or honey.  Enjoy!

One Year Ago:  Grilled Chicken with Hoisin-Spice Sauce
Two Years Ago:  Rotini with Cherry Tomatoes and Tuna
Three Years Ago:  Super Bowl Count Down.. Take Two: More Appetizers

Amazin' Maize 'n' Blue Cornbread

I'm VERY excited about today's post... you see, today marks the 2nd Annual Michigan vs. Nebraska Guest Post Exchange between myself and Mary at Food Floozie!  Not only will you get an amazing recipe from me on her site (click here) (and trust me, this is one you are not going to want to miss!!!)  BUT, you, my loyal readers are going to get an even MORE amazing recipe featured here from Mary!!!!  I could go on and on about how wonderful Mary is, how big her heart is, how wonderful all her recipes are... but I will just leave it with this.... you are soooo going to want to try this recipe!!!  Big thanks to Mary for continuing our tradition for yet another year!!  (Go big red!!)

First, I've gotta thank Jenn for joining me in our 2nd Annual Michigan-Nebraska (Nebraska-Michigan???) Guest Post Exchange - it's so much fun! 

Jenn is one of my very favorite people, not just a "blogging buddy." Her fabulous grillin' skills, the vibrant flavors she offers, the distinctive foods she encourages others to try (from tamales to wasabi to sriracha to tilapia) ... it all adds up to a blog that makes me hungry every time I stop by to visit. You'd think I'd learn not to do so first thing in the morning, when I haven't eaten breakfast, huh? 'Cause I inevitably want what Jenn is serving, and I don't have access to it ... major disappointment when everything always looks so good! But even more than the food, I come back to Jenn's Food Journey because of the wonderfulness that is JENN. The smile in her photo radiates as brightly as her heart, which shines even through a computer screen. And I am determined to get to the Memphis in May World Championship BBQ Cooking Contest (a.k.a.: The Super Bowl of Swine!) this spring, where my grill-master girl and I can finally meet and eat and have an adventure together! 

But in the meantime, there's a big football game on Saturday. And a big game requires the proper food. This is not the time for finger sandwiches or for salads. Nope. This is a time for chili, for ribs, for subs, for pizza, for burgers, for nachos ... for real food! And if you can tie in the theme of the game, or make a connection with the teams that are playing, all the better.

And so, I offer Amazin' Maize 'n' Blue Cornbread. I admit that's it's not exactly the supermodel of photogenic specimens, but it's a perfect accompaniment to some of that game food. And it features the team colors of my Michigan Wolverines ... it's perfect! Made with blue cornmeal and kernels of maize, otherwise known as "corn," this is ideal to serve to your favorite Michigan fans as they sing "Hail to the Victors" ... :)

Amazin' Maize 'n' Blue Cornbread 
1/8 cup bacon fat, at room temperature
1/8 cup shortening, at room temperature
1/4 cup butter, at room temperature
1/3 cup sugar
2 eggs
2/3 cup flour
1/2 cup blue cornmeal
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
4 ounces Colby cheese, shredded
2/3 cup frozen corn

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 9" round baking pan. In a large bowl, cream together bacon fat, shortening, butter, and sugar. Stir in eggs. Add flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt; stir to combine. Stir in cheese and corn. Spread batter into prepared pan, and bake for 30 minutes or until cornbread is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Serve topped with chili or shredded pork. And cheese - never forget the cheese!  Makes 12 servings.

Garlicky Potato Soup with Parmesan Toasts

(Sorry, I had to politely borrow this image from Cook's Country - my pictures... well, they, didn't turn out so good!)

Have you ever gone to the store, with list in hand, and still forget an important ingredient?  Have you ever done that and not realized you forgot that important ingredient until you were going to pull it out of the pantry or refrigerator?  Well, if it's never happened to you, you will never understand the frustration I felt when I was walking towards the pantry to grab the box of chicken broth (yes, that's right.. not homemade stock, sorry folks, that's another blog) and realized I had not grabbed it when I was at the store two days before.  If this has never happened to you, you will not understand the utter frustration I felt when I opened up said pantry and saw that my fear was 100% warranted!  I had forgotten the chicken broth!!!!!!!!!!  AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!   And I was making soup.. how was I going to make soup with no broth?  Good gravy... ok, don't panic... I dug a little ways back and noticed.. wait.. wait.. ok, we should be ok.. I have two cans.  The back up cans that I always make sure I have ... just in case.  Well, I've never seen a more "just in case" moment.  I grabbed them and thanked them for being there in my time of need.

So why the stupid little story?  I have no idea, I guess I feel like I really don't talk much anymore when I post stuff.  I've been getting into the habit of saying... "it's good.. try it... I think you'll like it... enjoy!"  I thought it might be time to reconnect :)  It's a true story though.. and, well, the soup really is good.. and you really should try it and .. well.. I think you might actually like it!!

Garlicky Potato Soup with Parmesan Toasts
Adapted from Cook's Country
Printable Recipe 
Ingredients:
3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
1/2 sweet onion
4 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
4 cups low sodium chicken broth
2 large Russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp pepper
1 (6-inch) piece baguette, cut into 8 slices

Directions:
In a soup pot or Dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat until melted.  Add the onion and cook until tender, about 5-8 minutes (you may need to turn down the heat, don't let them burn).  Add the garlic and flour, stirring to combine; cook 1 minute.  Slowly whisk in the chicken broth and add the potatoes.  Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to simmer.  Allow to cook for 10-15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.

Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to middle position and heat the oven to 450 degrees.  Combine parmesan, 2 tablespoons butter, and pepper in a bowl.  Spread parmesan butter on 1 side of baguette slices.  Place bread, buttered side up and bake until golden brown, 6-8 minutes.

When potatoes are tender, use a submersible blender to process soup until it's smooth - OR - working in batches, pour soup into blender and process until smooth and return soup to pot.  Add the cream and season with salt and pepper.  Allow soup to warm through and serve in bowls with parmesan toasts.  Enjoy!

One Year Ago:  Surf & Turf for Two
Two Years Ago:  Easy Baked Fish Fillets

Guest Blogger: Cheesy Cornbread

It's guest blogger time, and today is a very special guest blog.  Mary of Food Floozie and I are switching things up today in honor of the Nebraska vs. Michigan game on Saturday.  So, after checking out Mary's yummy little post, stop on by her site and check out my post for Runza Bites  -  You'll have to go there to see what it's all about!! :)
______________________________________________________

I'm not Southern, but I still make a great cornbread! And, believe it or not, this recipe is actually a great way to represent both schools in honor of Saturday's Nebraska-Michigan game. Thanks so much, Jenn, for trading posts with me today as we celebrate what will undoubtedly be an amazing match-up!

Nebraska, of course, is famous for its agriculture, particularly for beautiful corn. So cornbread seemed a perfect choice to offer for tailgating or for watching the game at home; it goes with chili, with soups, with salads ... you name it, it's hard to go wrong with cornbread on the side!

This recipe is not my own, I must admit. It comes from Jo Mathis, a reporter who used to write for The Ann Arbor News before its 2009 demise. I loved reading her columns, in which Jo wrote about daily life with her husband and her daughters; we readers all felt a part of her inner circle as she shared her heart and soul with us.

I remember one column in particular that told a story of travelling and about serendipitously finding great food. I don't know where the original clipping has wandered off to, so I can't tell you all of the details. But Jo managed to find the perfect slice of cornbread and finagle the recipe from the waitress, then she generously shared it with all of her readers.

And what did she ask for in return? Chocolate. Recipes for any kind of chocolate treat. How could you not love this woman???

So today I'm featuring a recipe that pays tribute both to the corn that is so much a part of the state of Nebraska, as well as a recipe that comes from Ann Arbor's history. This is moist, flavorful, has great texture, and it's easy to make - what more do you need, other than lots of butter to slather on the cornbread?

Nebraska at Michigan
Saturday, November 19 at noon EST
GO BLUE!!!

Cheesy Cornbread

(slightly adapted from a recipe provided by Jo Mathis)

1/2 cup butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 cup creamed corn

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup yellow cornmeal

2 teaspoons aluminum-free baking powder

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

pinch of freshly ground black pepper

4 oz shredded Colby-Jack cheese

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease an 8"x8" baking pan.

In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar; mix in eggs, one at a time. Stir in creamed corn. Combine flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt and pepper; stir into batter. Stir in cheese.

Pour batter into the prepared baking pan. Bake for 30 minutes, until cornbread is golden at the edges and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool, then cut into squares.

Makes 8 servings.

Note: Feel free to substitute sharp Cheddar or Pepper Jack for the Colby Jack, or to use a combination of cheeses. I've offered Jeremy's favorite version of the cornbread, but one of its many charms is its adaptability.

One Year Ago:  Chocolate Sugar Cookies

Cinnamon Rolls

So, back at the beginning of the year, I said that all I really wanted to do this year was make cinnamon rolls.  Well, folks...looks like I'm done... see ya next year!!  

Seriously, though...YAY!!  I FINALLY did it!!  And it wasn't so bad.  Ok, ok.. yes it was bad, but not THAT bad.

My biggest problem with these, as with any yeast breads I seem to make, was that I could not get the dough to rise.  I ended up putting it in the sun so that it would have some extra heat to help it along.  The process took twice as long and I got impatient and believe I put them in the oven before they were at their most fluffiest.  I believe that led to "heavier" cinnamon rolls.  They definitely were not light and flakey.  And I know they were supposed to be, because I politely took this recipe from Mary over at One Perfect Bite.  I have never made anything from her site that was not fantastic.  And I mean, look at her pictures, then look at mine... and I followed the directions to the T.  Ok, obviously I didn't as they would have turned out exactly like hers, but I'm sure you get what I'm saying.  I believe that I allowed the milk to cool too much, so when the yeast hit it, it was not hot enough to activate it.  That's my theory at least and I'm going to stick with that.  Because, if I don't, I'll think it's just me and I'll never try making these again.. and THAT would be a shame for sure, because honestly, I love cinnamon rolls and these had the perfect flavor, just not the perfect texture.... so I will be trying my hand at these again.

Cinnamon Rolls
Recipe courtesy Mary, One Perfect Bite
Printable Recipe 
Ingredients:
Dough - 
1 cup whole milk
1 stick (8T) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 1/4 teaspoons (1 package) active dry yeast
1/2 cup granulated sugar
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoons table salt
Filling - 
1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/3 brown sugar
2 Tablespoons ground cinnamon
1 cup chopped toasted pecans (I left this out)
Icing - 
4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar (I used 1 cup)
1 Tablespoons milk 

Directions:
To make dough:  Scald milk over medium-high heat.  Pour into a large bowl of an electric mixer.  Add the butter and stir until butter has melted.  Set aside until mixture is lukewarm.  Stir yeast and sugar into milk.  Add 1 cup flour and mix well.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Add salt and 1 more cup of flour.  Mix vigorously until dough is smooth and elastic, about 3 minutes on medium speed.  Add reserved 2 1/2 cups flour and mix just until incorporated.  Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface.  Continue kneading by hand until it is smooth.  Place the dough in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and a towel, and set aside until it has doubled in size, about 2 hours.

To make the filling:  Mix cinnamon and sugar together in a small bowl.

To assemble rolls:  Grease a 13x9-inch baking pan (I used two round cake pans).  Turn dough onto a well-floured surface.  Roll dough with a rolling pin into an evenly shopped 12x16-inch rectangle.  Brush dough liberally with softened butter.  Sprinkle with an even layer of cinnamon/sugar mixture, leaving a 1/2 inch border along one of the long sides.  Sprinkle with toasted pecans if using.  Roll, beginning with long side of rectangle.  Use finger tips to pinch dough as you roll, sealing edges firmly to form a seam.  Cut into 12 pieces using a serrated knife or dental floss and arrange in pan.  Cover loosely with plastic wrap and allow to rise until double in size, about 4 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Bake rolls in center of oven until they are golden, 25-30 minutes.  Invert rolls onto a wire rack and cool to rooms temperature, about 20 minutes.

To make icing:  Mix all ingredients until smoother, add more milk as required for drizzling.  Drizzle (or spread as I did) icing over rolls with spoon.  Cut or pull apart to separate.  Serve warm.  Enjoy! 

 

One Year Ago:  Peanut Butter Ice Cream
 

White Chocolate & Strawberry Muffins

 

A few weeks back, I won yet another awesome giveaway prize!  This time, I won Silicone Moulds from Chef Dennis over at More Than a Mount Full.  I was super excited cause I LOVE all my other silicone products.  They are SO wonderful to have in the kitchen... talk about easy clean up.  And you never have to worry about your cakes/muffins/whatever sticking to these...they pop out as if they too want to be congratulated on a job well done!!  So thank you to Chef Dennis and also to Sarah-Jane!!  I am super excited about using this product...it's a kitchen must have!!

Now.....If only I had not over baked these wonderful little muffins....if only I could go back in time and tell over doubting self to do as the recipe says....don't listen to anything this time:  TAKE THE MUFFINS OUT AFTER 20 MINUTES - NOT A MINUTE LONGER!!!  If only I could do that, I could be going on and on about how heavenly these muffins where, instead of telling you what a disappointment they were :(  I might claim to be a sauce girl, I might claim to be kick ass griller (I don't even know if that's an actual word, I just love that title!!), but I will never say that I am anything near a baker.  But I keep trying, so that's what counts the most!!  Don't get me wrong, these muffins weren't inedible....oh, no, we at them....they were just over baked and a little dry.....otherwise, the flavors were wonderful!

Two things...First, I cut the original recipe ingredient amounts in half and did not fill the moulds as full as I should have.  These muffins should have risen over the top a bit to give a look like Starbucks Crown Top Muffins.  Second, I decided to put the batter directly into the moulds... I wanted to show just how wonderful a product this is.  Seriously....this is what the moulds looked like after I took the muffins out.... I did not clean or wipe these down at all:

Amazing!!  If for no other reason, considering buy some silicone moulds just to give you more ease in the kitchen....less clean up equals happy cook!!!

***The opinions stated on this site regarding the silicone moulds are just that...the opinions of Jenn's Food Journey.  In no way was I compensated for this review***

White Chocolate & Strawberry Muffins
Adapted from Food.com
- makes 6-8 muffins -
Printable Recipe 
Ingredients:
1 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 oz white chocolate, finely chopped or 6 oz white chocolate chips (I used another 2oz of white chocolate chips to scatter on the tops of the muffins)
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 egg, room temperature
3/8 cup (6 Tablespoons) granulated sugar
3/8 cup (6 Tablespoons) granulated milk (I used 2%)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3-4 teaspoons strawberry preserves

Directions:
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

Add 2 oz of white chocolate and all the butter to the top of a double broiler set over simmering water.  Stir constantly until half of the chocolate and butter is melted.  Remove the top of the double broiler; continue stirring, away from the heat, until the mixture is smooth.  Cool for 10 minutes.  (You can also do this in a microwave safe dish, on LOW power, stopping to stir every 10 seconds, until half the chocolate and butter are melted-stir until smooth, let cool 10 minutes.)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  In a bowl of a stand mixer (or in a large mixing bowl using a hand mixer) fitted with a paddle attachment, add the egg and the sugar and mix on medium until thick and pale yellow (about 2 minutes).  Add the cooled chocolate mixture and beat until smooth.  Add the milk and the vanilla, beat until fully incorporated.  Add the flour mixture a little at a time and beat until incorporated, scraping down the sides at least once.  Remove bowl from mixer and fold in 4 ounces of white chocolate.

Fill silicone moulds or muffin tins (spray with non stick spray or line with muffin liners...you can do that with the silicone moulds too) 3/4 full.  Top each one with 1/2 teaspoon of the strawberry preserves.  Using a toothpick, swirl the preserves into the batter.  Top with additional chocolate if desired.  Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick poked into the center comes out clean; rotating the tins half way through baking time.  Set pan on wire rack to cool for 10 minutes.  Enjoy!

Eggnog Bread

Eggnog...one of my favorite "Christmas holiday" beverages.  I love the flavor.  I love the creamy thickness.  I just love it.  When my mom gave me this recipe a few years back, I knew it would become a favorite of mine.  I mean, I just told you I love eggnog, and if you don't already know, I'm a bread fiend....so hence, I LOVE this!!

This bread needs to be stored in the refrigerator...and I, personally, think the bread just tastes better cold....but you can decide that for yourself.  This is WAY simple to throw together and it will be a hit at any holiday dessert table.

Eggnog Bread
Recipe courtesy my mom (Sharon)
Printable Recipe 
Ingredients:
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1 egg, beaten
1 cup eggnog
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon rum flavoring

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease the bottom and 1/2'" up the sides of a 9x5x3" loaf pan.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, stir together the first 4 ingredients.  Make a well in the center; set the bowl aside.  In a medium bowl, combine the remaining ingredients.  Add the egg mixture all at once to the flour mixture.  Stir just until moistened (batter should be slightly lumpy).  Spoon the batter into the prepared pan.

Bake for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.  Cool in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes.  Remove from pan.  Cool completely on wire rack.  Wrap bread and store overnight in refrigerator before slicing.  Enjoy!

Chipotle Cheddar Corn Bread

Yes, yes, I know what you are thinking...again with the chipotle Jenn?  I mean really...how many recipes have included those wonderfully, smokey little fire balls lately anyway?  Well, quite a bit in the last few weeks, but that's ok... at least I keep giving you more ideas on how to utilize all those little canned peppers!  AND I know what the rest of you are saying also.. another corn bread recipe too?  Well, of course, I told you that I could eat my weight in it remember!!!

Now this corn bread was not as moist as the Sour Cream Corn Muffins I made last week, but that's ok.. this had much more flavor.... I mean chipotle...cheddar....you know it's gonna give this corn bread the "something" the corn muffins was lacking....HUGE flavor.

If you didn't want to use chipotle peppers, you could use roasted, or even raw jalapenos.  You could also leave them out and just make cheddar corn bread...there would be absolutely, positively nothing wrong with that!

Chipotle Cheddar Corn Bread
Adapted from the Luna Cafe
Printable Recipe 
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour (I used King Arthur)
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1-2 canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, minced

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Lightly grease a 9x9-inch square metal baking pan. (you can also use muffin tins).

In a bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Reserve.

In another bowl, whisk together the melted butter, sugar, eggs, buttermilk and cornmeal until thoroughly blended.  Add the flour mixture, grated cheese, and chipotles.  Fold gently until just combined.  The batter will still be a little lumpy.  Pour into prepared baking dish and bake for 20-30 minutes.  when done, the cornbread will be lightly browned on top and will spring back when touched in the center.

Remove from oven and let cool slightly.  Cut into squares and enjoy!

Sour Cream Corn Muffins

I love corn muffins.  I honestly could eat my weight in them.  Seriously, I love them that much!  But I am picky about my corn muffins... I do not like them to have actual corn kernels in them.  I know, I know, that may sound silly and even sacrilegious to some, but it's the truth....and I'm all about baring my soul here!!  The only corn I want in my muffins is in the corn meal!  lol  If you must have kernels in your corn muffins, go ahead and add them, it's not going to hurt these at all.  These muffins were extremely easy to make.  They were good, but lacked a bit of "something".  I can't pinpoint the exact thing...maybe a little bit more sugar to help sweeten them up a bit?  I'm not sure...But what I am sure of is this:  Slap a little butter them and drizzle them with some honey....and they are HEAVEN!

Sour Cream Corn Muffins
Recipe Courtesy of Land O Lakes
Printable Recipe 
Ingredients:
1/4 cup butter, softened
3 Tablespoons sugar (I would use 4 if I made these again)
2 eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup milk
2/3 cup yellow cornmeal
1 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Combine butter and sugar in a bowl of a standing mixer.  Beat at medium speed, scraping down side of bowl often, until creamy.  Add 1 egg at a time, beating well after each addition.  Stir in sour cream and milk.  Slowly add all remaining ingredients.  Reduce speed to low; beat just until mixed.

Spoon batter into 12 greased or paper-lined muffin cups.  Bake for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown.  Enjoy!

Basic White Bread

First, I have to say happy anniversary to my parents.  They are celebrating their 42nd anniversary today.  I know my mom and dad have had their share of problems, but they have stuck together for all these years and I have learned so much about love through them.  I wish I could be there to help them celebrate, but the least I could do is publicly wish them a fantastic day!  So, Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad.... I love you and miss you terribly!!

Now, onto the recipe:  I like to bake, but I cannot really say I love it.  I don't like the fact that you have to be so dang precise on the measurements.  I learned that the hard way when I was younger.  I decided to make southern style biscuits one time for my family.  I thought it would be easy and I could impress not only my family, but my sister's boyfriend at the time.  I thought he was a pretty cool guy...at the time that is... I can hands down say that my brother-in-law beats them all :)  But I digress, the biscuits turned out to be little hockey pucks.  I couldn't figure out what went wrong, but the older I got and the more I found out about baking, I realize I did not follow the directions exactly...hence, biscuits that never rose.

I spoke of my fear of baking bread to Andrea The Kitchen Witch and she said she had a basic white bread recipe she thought I should try.  Bless that girls heart, she not only shared the recipe with me AND gave me step by step pictures and instructions, but she also agreed to let me blog about it!!  Thank you so much, Andrea...I am forever grateful to you for helping me over come a fear and so very honored that you would let me share this recipe with my readers!

My dad makes a fantastic sausage bread and I have never been able to duplicate it.  Ok, I have duplicated, but not as well.  My dad can get at least two loafs from a recipe and I kept up ending with just one.  I believe it was because I was not patient enough.  My reasoning behind trying this step by step instructed recipe was to perfect my dad's..... And maybe he'll even allow me to share that one with you too!!

Anyway, I am proud of the outcome...it was the perfect size loaf and the perfect texture.  I could not have asked for a better loaf of bread!!  YAY!!!!  Thanks again Andrea!!

Basic White Bread
Recipe courtesy of Andrea The Kitchen Witch
Printable Recipe 
Ingredients:
500 g King Arthur Bread Flour  (about 4-5 cups)
2 Tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons kosher salt (I use a palmful, its about 2t, too little salt & the bread will just taste pasty, so don't be afraid of it!)
5 teaspoons sugar, divided
about 2 cups water total

Directions:

In a small bowl proof the yeast by adding yeast, 1 t sugar and 1/2 cup warm (110 degrees) water.  Mix it up as best as you can, lumps are OK, and let it sit for 5 min.  It should bubble and double in size - if it doesn't then throw it away & try again with new yeast.

In the work bowl of your stand mixer combine the flour, remaining 4t of sugar, butter and salt.  Add proofed yeast and 1 cup water.  Mix until it comes together.  If there is a lot of dry flour add a little more water, about 1T at a time, until it starts to come together.  Its gonna knead for 8 min or so, so this will also give the flour time to hydrate.  Its better to have too little water than too much, so start light & add as you need.  Knead on medium speed for 8 minutes.  You should have a smooth elastic dough that holds a ball shape but also starts to spread out when removed from the bowl.

Put the kneaded dough in a oiled bowl, cover with plastic and a towel.  Let double in size.

Punch down dough and kneed it by hand a little to redistribute the yeast.  Allow it to rise again and double in size.

Once the 2nd rise has been done punch the dough down and press it into a rough rectangle shape.  TIGHTLY roll the dough into a log shape, keeping the top taught so you get a nice crust.  Put it in a sprayed loaf pan or free form it on a sheet pan.

Allow to double in size again, once nice & puffed put into a 385 oven.  Spray the top of the bread with water liberally.  Spray the bread with water every 10 minutes until bread is done.  The water hydrates the dough and causes the surface gluten to gelatainze which in turn builds a nice crusty brown crust.  You will have the brownest most beautiful bread when sprayed with plain water, something that a butter baste could never do!

Bake bread about 30-40 min or until crust is golden browned.  I usually pop the bread out of the pan to see if the bottom is browned too.  If its not, bake it another 10 min.  Once the sides are browned remove from oven & allow to cool.  Eat and enjoy!

Cinnamon Swirl Loaf...and a really cool prize (for me)

The Saturday before we left for Oklahoma, I baked, something I try not to do a lot of in the middle of the summer...believe me, it was pretty dang warm in our house...BUT...it was 100% worth it!  I don't think that my swirl of cinnamon turned out as well as it could have, but the end product was scrumptious and that is really all that counts right?  I found this wonderful recipe on One Perfect Bite.  I so love Mary's site.  I love her recipes, I love the stories behind the recipes, I love the fact that she even visits my blog!!  I've said this before and I'll say it again, Mary is like a celebrity around the blogsphere, so I am honored that she takes time to visit my site!  Anyway, back to the loaf.  OMG, it was moist and buttery and cinnamony...it made our house smell so good....so, as I said, worth heating up the house for!  I could eat this loaf for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack, AND dessert.  Have I mentioned I really, really loved it?

Cinnamon Swirl Loaf
As made in the kitchen of One Perfect Bite
Printable Recipe 
Ingredients:

Cinnamon Swirl
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Batter
1-3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1-1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream
Assembly
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9 x 5 x 3-inch loaf pan. Set aside.

2) To make cinnamon swirl: Combine sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Set aside.

3) To make batter: Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a small bowl. Set aside. Cream butter until light in bowl of an electric mixer on high speed. Gradually add sugar and continue beating until mixture is very light and fluffy. With mixer set to medium speed, add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. With mixer set on low speed, alternately beat in dry ingredients and sour cream, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Beat only until combined.

4) To assemble: Spoon half of batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle with half of cinnamon sugar mixture. Repeat with remaining batter and cinnamon sugar. Drizzle butter over top. To form swirl, cut through batter with a knife several times.

5) To bake: Bake until a skewer inserted in center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Let pan cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Loosen sides from pan and carefully invert onto a rack and gently flip to turn right-side up again. Cool completely before serving. Yield: 1 loaf.

Ok.. now the really cool prize: I am so excited, I can't even wait until I receive it to tell you all about it...but... drum roll please..........................!!!!!  I received an email last night from Chris at Nibble Me This letting me know that I had won his August giveaway!  The kick ass part about this all...the giveaway was for a Masterbuilt Electric Smoker!!! I WON I WON I WON!!! (as Chris quoted a line from one of our favorite movies, A Christmas Story: It's a Major Award!!!) OMG, I can't tell you all how excited I am to receive it.  Chris must think I'm such a dork, all I could do was stumble out a few words that didn't quite make a whole lot of sense but eventually spelled out THANK YOU!!!  Now, all I need to do is practice patience and wait for it to get here!!!  Thanks so much to Chris....if you have never been to his site, please stop by...if you think I have some fantastic grilling recipes, you'll be blown away by his!!  (Sorry, gotta do another Homer Simpson impression: WOOHOO!!!!)  By the way, if you want a chance to win your won electric smoker, check out BBQ Grail, Larry started the second phase of this giveaway last night!  Go there now!!!!  HURRY!!!

P.S.  I had every intention of writing up a post about our trip, but I was so excited about my winnings that I lost track of time and didn't get to it yet...Practice patience with me, and you will rewarded!!

Banana Bread with Cinnamon Topping

 

That's right... I baked!  I know, I know, I said I don't bake once it gets warm here...but...well... I may have told a small little fib.  It's not that I don't EVER bake, it's just that I try NOT to when it gets so warm here.  And wouldn't you know it, the day I decided to bake this wonderfully tasty bread, it was 99 degrees here in the desert!  OUCH!  (good thing I started at 8:00am!!)  But, sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do...and I HAD to do THIS!  OMG, this was the best banana bread I've had.  Ok, so you might find it odd that I say that because it is my banana bread recipe, but the topping....the topping is what makes this even better and THAT was not my idea.  The idea for the strudel like topping came from Andrea The Kitchen Witch.  I saw her post for cinnamon topped banana bread the other day... and so did Chris.  Chris LOVES banana bread.  I remember before we started dating that I found out he liked it, so I made it and brought it into work (we use to work together, it's how we met) a few days later!  hehehe  I don't know if he even got the hint, but hey, I tried and that's what counts right? :)  Since that day I have actually perfected my banana bread recipe...and now...with Andrea's help, I think I've reached a whole new height.  Even if you have your own banana bread recipe, you gotta try this topping on it.  I swear, you just might not make it any other way!

Banana Bread with Cinnamon Topping
Ingredients:
3 over ripe bananas
1 cup sugar
1 stick of butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
1 1/2 cup of all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt (I used kosher salt)
1 teaspoon baking soda
Topping:
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions: 
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium sized bowl, mash the bananas well.  Add sugar, butter, and vanilla.  Mix well.  Add the egg and mix until just incorporated.

In another bowl, sift together the flour, salt, and baking soda.  Slowly add the dry mixture to the banana mixture a little at a time.  (Be sure to stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl if you are using a mixer.)  Mix well.

In a small bowl, mix together the topping ingredients.

Pour the batter into a greased loaf pan.  Top evenly with the cinnamon sugar mixture.  Bake for 50 minutes or until a tooth pick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Let cool at least 30 minutes before you slice into it.  Enjoy! (I like mine warm with a little butter...yum!!!) 

Garlic Cheese Bread

On very special occasions, Chris and I will venture to The Keg Steakhouse for dinner.  Our absolute favorite thing on the menu is their garlic cheese bread.  I know, right?  Going to a steakhouse mainly for their cheese bread...but this bread is good.  I mean really really good.  I mean highly addictive good.  After devouring it one night, I figured out that their secret ingredient was mayonnaise.  Ok, ok.. so it's not healthy, not even close, but it's garlic CHEESE BREAD.. it's suppose to be fattening and absolutely bad bad bad for you!  Anyway... I went home and tried to duplicate it as best as I could.  I was very pleased with the outcome.  It's creamy and garlicky and wonderful!  (Sorry I didn't get a picture of it cut, you'd be able to see all the creamy goodness, but I was hungry, I didn't want to wait..try this and you'll understand!)

Garlic Cheese Bread
Ingredients:
1/2 a loaf of french bread, split into halves horizontally
3 Tablespoons butter, softened
3 Tablespoons mayonnaise
1 large or 2 small garlic cloves, pressed through a garlic press or minced
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup shredded monterey jack cheese
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
parsley, dried or fresh

Directions:
Preheat the broiler of your oven.

Mix butter, mayo and garlic together.  Spread half the mixture on the cut side of the bread and place bread on baking sheet.  Broil until the bread is just starting to turn golden brown (keep an eye on it, not not let it get too toasted).  Remove from oven, spread the rest of the butter mixture on top of the bread, sprinkle with cheeses and return to oven (you can always add more cheese if its not cheesy enough for you).  Broil until the cheese has melted and the top is bubbly.  Sprinkle with parsley.  Cut into slices and enjoy!