Butterflied Roast Chicken with Chile-Cinnamon Rub

Recipe Link

Serves 2-3

2 Tbs. olive oil
2 tsp. minced garlic
10 sprigs fresh thyme or 4 sprigs fresh rosemary; more for garnish, if you like
1 tsp. pure chile powder or 1/2 tsp. cayenne
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. ground coriander seeds
1 tsp. coarse salt
1/2 tsp. sugar, preferably granulated brown
3-1/2 lb. chicken, rinsed inside and out and patted dry with paper towels
Heat the oven to 475°F.

Pour the olive oil into a small saucepan and add the minced garlic and herbs. Set the pan over high heat until the oil is hot, about 30 seconds. Reduce the heat to low and cook until the garlic has browned slightly, about 3 min. Remove from the heat and let infuse for at least 10 min. or up to 2 hours.

In a small bowl, mix together the spices, salt, and sugar.

Set the chicken on a board, breast side down, and butterfly it. Starting at the neck, remove the narrow backbone by cutting through the ribs on each side with kitchen or poultry shears. Leave the breastbone intact. Flatten the bird and turn it skin side up.

Next, press on the breast with the heel of your hand as the bird lies flat; you'll need to break the collarbones and some ribs. Tuck the wing tips behind the shoulders.

Set the chicken skin side down in a shallow roasting pan or a jelly roll pan. Brush thoroughly with half of the garlic olive oil (use the herb sprigs as a brush, if you want, before discarding them) and sprinkle with half of the spice rub. Turn the bird over and gently loosen the skin over the breast and thighs. Brush the remaining oil and most of the spice rub directly on the flesh under the skin. Rub the remaining spices on the skin. Pierce the skin with a sharp fork or small paring knife randomly in about 10 places to help it crisp.

Roast until the skin is nicely browned and the thigh meat is 170°F or the juices run clear, about 40 min. Remove the chicken from the oven, tent with foil, and let rest for 10 min.

To serve, halve the chicken by cutting straight down the center of the breastbone. Carve each half into drumsticks, thighs, wings, and breast, and garnish on a platter with fresh thyme or rosemary, if you like.

Pumpkin Spice Pull-Apart Bread with Butter Rum Glaze

Recipe by: Willow Bird Baking, adapted from All Recipes, Joy the Baker, and Pumpkin Tart

Recipe Link
Yields: one loaf, about 8 servings
Prep Time: (including dough rising) about 3 hours

This sticky, sweet pumpkin pull-apart loaf is irresistible. It’s made from layers of fluffy pumpkin yeast dough coated with browned butter, cinnamon, sugar, and nutmeg. Let it cool until it has just a hint of warmth left, drizzle on some glaze, and enjoy — preferably with the windows open to let in a crisp autumn breeze. Oh, and by the way, this recipe makes use of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, but there’s no reason you can’t knead this dough by hand. It’ll just take a little longer (and a little more elbow grease).

Pumpkin Pull-Apart Bread Ingredients:
1/2 cup milk
3/4 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/4 teaspoons (1 envelope) active dry yeast
2 1/2 cups bread flour

Filling Ingredients:
1 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Butter Rum Glaze Ingredients:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/8 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons milk
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon rum (the original recipe called for extract, which I found too strong)

Directions:
Make the pull-apart bread dough: Grease and flour a loaf pan and set aside. In a saucepan over medium-high heat, brown the 2 tablespoons of butter. Let it bubble and foam and when you see it start to brown, stir it so that it browns evenly. When it’s the color of dark honey, remove it from the heat and pour it into a large heat-safe mixer bowl to cool. In the same saucepan over medium-low heat, warm the milk until it bubbles. Remove it from the heat and pour it into the bowl with the butter. Let these cool until they’re about 100-110 degrees F (use a candy thermometer to check). Set the saucepan aside for another use later. I use the same one throughout the entire recipe; why do more dishes?

Stir the sugar and yeast into the milk/butter mixture and let it sit for a few minutes. Stir in pumpkin, salt, and 1 cup flour. If you haven’t already, fit your mixer with a dough hook. Add the rest of the flour 1/2 cup at a time, stirring between each addition. When the dough is combined, knead on low speed with a dough hook until smooth and elastic (about 4 minutes with a mixer).

Place the dough in a greased bowl and cover it with a damp cloth. Let it rise in a warm place for about an hour until it doubles in size (After it rises, you can put it in the fridge overnight to use it in the morning, but let it sit out for half an hour before rolling if you do.)

Make the filling: While the dough is rising, whisk the sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg together in a small bowl. Toward the end of the rising time, melt the 2 tablespoons of butter for the filling in the saucepan over medium-high heat and brown it as directed above. Put it in a small heat-safe bowl to cool for use later.

Shape and bake pull-apart bread: Knead a sprinkling of flour (about 1 tablespoon) into the dough, deflating it, and recover it. Let it sit to relax for 5 minutes. Flour a large work surface and turn your rested dough out onto it. Roll it out to a 20 inch long and 12 inch wide rectangle, lifting corners periodically to make sure it’s not sticking. If it seems to be snapping back, cover it with your damp towel and let it rest for 5 minutes before continuing (I had to do this twice during the process).

Spread the browned butter over the surface of the dough with a pastry brush and then sprinkle the sugar mixture over the top, patting it down to ensure it mostly sticks. Joy the Baker encourages you to use it all even though it seems like a ton, but I admit I got squeamish at the amount and only used most. It was fine despite my nerves. Go ahead and pile it on.

With the long edge of the rectangle toward you, cut it into 6 strips (do this by cutting the rectangle in half, then cutting each half into equal thirds. I used a pizza cutter). Stack these strips on top of one another and cut the resulting stack into 6 even portions (again, cut it in half, and then cut the halves into equal thirds). Place these portions one at a time into your greased loaf pan, pressing them up against each other to fit them all in. Cover the pan with your damp cloth and place it in a warm place for 30-45 minutes to double in size.

While dough rises, preheat oven to 350 degrees F (or 325 if you have a glass loaf dish instead of a metal pan). When it’s risen, place the loaf in the center of the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes until dark golden brown on top (if you take it out at light golden brown, it’s liable to be raw in the middle, so let it get good and dark). Cool for 20-30 minutes on a cooling rack in the loaf pan while you make the glaze.

Make the glaze: In your saucepan, bring the butter, milk, and brown sugar to a boil over medium-high heat. Remove it from heat, add the powdered sugar and rum, and whisk it to a smooth consistency.

Assemble and serve: Use a butter knife to loosen all sides of the bread from the loaf pan and gently turn it out onto a plate. Place another plate on top and flip it to turn it right side up. Drizzle glaze over top. Serve each piece slightly warm with a drizzle of glaze.

Dark Rum Custard Ice Cream

Dark Rum Custard Ice Cream

Recipe Link: http://www.food.com/recipe/dark-rum-custard-ice-cream-351042

Ingredients
2 cups heavy cream
2 cups milk
1 vanilla beans, halve lengthwise
lemon zest ( a 2-by 1/2-inch piece removed with a vegetable peeler)
2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
8 large egg yolks
1/4 cup good-quality dark rum ( such as Bacardi Black)

Directions

In a 2 1/2- to 3-quart heavy saucepan combine cream and milk. Scrape seeds from vanilla bean into cream mixture, dropping in bean. Add zest and bring mixture just to boil.

In a large metal bowl whisk together brown sugar and yolks until combined well. Add hot cream mixture to yolk mixture in a slow stream, whisking, and return custard to pan. Cook custard over moderately low heat, whisking constantly, until thickened and coats back of a wooden spoon, about 3 minutes. (Do not let custard boil or it will curdle.)

Pour custard through a very fine sieve into cleaned metal bowl and cool slightly. Stir in rum and chill, covered, until cold. Freeze custard in an ice-cream maker.

Orange Chiffon Cake

Orange Chiffon Cake

Makes: 12 servings

Prep: 30 minutes

Chill: 1 hour

Bake: 30 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes

Ingredients

3 oranges
2 egg whites

1-1/2 cups sugar

2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup cooking oil
2 egg yolks
Orange Fluff Frosting (see recipe below)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degree F. Grease and flour two 9x1-1/2-inch round cake pans; set aside. Finely shred 1 tablespoon of peel from 1 orange. Squeeze juice from 2 oranges to measure 1/2 cup juice. Section remaining orange. In a large mixing bowl beat egg whites to soft peaks. Gradually add 1/2 cup of the sugar, beating to stiff peaks. In another large mixing bowl combine flour, baking powder, salt, and remaining 1 cup sugar.

2. Add milk and oil. Beat on low speed of electric mixer until combined. Add orange juice and egg yolks; beat 1 minute. Gently fold in egg white mixture until combined. Fold in orange peel. Divide batter evenly between pans. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near the centers comes out clean. Cool completely on wire racks; remove from pans. Frost with Orange Fluff Frosting. Top with reserved orange sections. Makes 12 servings.

Orange Fluff Frosting: Finely shred 2 tablespoons orange peel; set aside. In small saucepan stir together 1/3 cup sugar and 4 teaspoons cornstarch. Stir in 1/2 cup orange juice. Cook over medium low heat, stirring frequently, until mixture thickens; cook and stir 2 minutes more. Remove from heat; stir in the reserved orange peel. Cover; chill 1 hour. Beat 2 cups whipping cream to stiff peaks; fold into chilled mixture

Recipe Link: http://www.bhg.com/recipes/printRecipe.jsp?recipeId=R050907&catref=rcbhg1

Straw-berried Treasure Cupcakes

Another play on words. I'll admit that I cheated and just used yellow boxed cake mix with milk chocolate canned frosting. That's pretty much treason for dinner club in my eyes but this was just a bonus for everyone's treasure box party favors.  It was still cute and delicious!

While I'm on the thought....let's debate.  Boxed cake mix.  Hate it or love it?  As much as I pride myself on making things from scratch, I can go either way with boxed cake mix (and brownie for that matter, too!).  Honestly, I think it tastes pretty darn good and great in a pinch.  It gets a bad rap because it's not homemade but when it tastes delicious and/or you doctor it up a bit to be more fancy, then who cares?!

But, if you want the homemade version and have the time (which I didn't), checkout the link in the source.

Straw-berried Treasure Cupcakes
Yields: 18 cupcakes

• 1 box cake mix of your favorite flavor
• 1 can of frosting of your favorite flavor
• 18 strawberries, hulled

Directions

1. Prepare the cupcakes per the instructions on your box.  Set aside to cool.
2. Once the cupcakes are cooled, using a small paring knife and the cone method or 1"-1.5" cookie cutter cut out the center of each cupcake.  In this case we're not replacing the tops so eat the cupcake scraps as you're carving or save them for later to make cake balls (truffles).  Yum.
3. Insert a strawberry into each cupcake.  Just shove them in there.  They'll fit :).
4. Frost your cupcakes.  If desired, add a cute pirate flag.  Stuff your face and enjoy!

Source: Inspired by I Heart Cuppy Cakes

Grilled Maple-Chili Salmon

This was my play on words.  We grilled our salmon up on cedar planks so called it Cedar PLANKed Salmon to go along with the pirate theme.  It was Chris and my first time using cedar planks so we're just glad it didn't catch fire on the the grill :D.  I LOVED the way that this dish turned out.  The flavor was fantastic and I will for sure be making this again.

We bought a gigantic wild salmon filet from Costco and the maple syrup that I used came from one of our new Dinner Club members, Delia.  She hails from the border of NY and VT so gets some of the best maple syrup.  Scott was skeptical when he saw me drizzling it on as the finishing touch.  I could see it in his eyes lol.  But I think it's safe to say he's converted.  The sweet, smokey, and savory is a wonderful combination.

Grilled Maple-Chili Salmon
Yields: 3-4 servings

Ingredients

• 1 lb salmon, cut into 3-4 filets
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/8 tsp garlic powder
• 1/8 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp salt
• Fresh ground black pepper
• 1 Tbsp creole mustard (or any spicy brown mustard)
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 3-4 tsp maple syrup

Directions

1. If using, soak the cedar plank per the manufacturer instructions.
2. Stir together the dry ingredients and then stir in the olive oil and mustard.
3. Spread the rub over the top and sides of the filets and let sit while the grill heats.
4. Preheat grill to medium-high.  Place fish on the soaked plank and cook for ~15 minutes, until the fish flakes and the internal temperature reaches 140.  If not using the plank, place skin side down and cook 8-10 minutes.
5. Remove from heat and immediately drizzle each filet with ~1 tsp of maple syrup.

Source: Confections of a Foodie Bride

Jerk Chicken

This recipe was supposed to be a play on Pirates of the Caribbean and parrots.


I was honestly a little disappointed in how this turned out.  Go figure that the one time I used a recipe I've actually made before (vs. nearly everything is a new recipe when I make it) it fell flat to me.  The flavor wasn't nearly as good as what I remembered despite marinating for a full day.  Maybe it's because I had to bake the chicken instead of grill (which is what I did last time but the grill was otherwise occupied by the salmon).  Oh well, at least we had a TON of food so it doesn't matter when a dish doesn't "perform" :).


Jerk Chicken

• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 onion, coarsely chopped
• 2 scallion, coarsely chopped
• 1 large jalapeno pepper, stem and seeds removed
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
• 3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
• Pinch ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
• 4 chicken thighs, skin on, bone in
• 4 drumsticks, skin on

Directions

1. Puree all the ingredients, except the chicken, in a food processor until almost smooth. Piece the chicken with a fork to make tiny holes. Place the chicken in a large shallow baking dish and rub the marinade into the chicken. Cover and refrigerate for 24 to 48 hours, depending on how intense you want the flavor to be.
2. To grill - preheat grill. Grill chicken on each side for 5 to 6 minutes or until cooked through.  Or, to bake - preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place chicken on baking sheet lined with foil and bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 160 degrees.

* To make ahead/freezer meal - Prepare the chicken as directed above and place in a gallon sized freezer bag to marinate. Seal and freeze chicken. When ready to prepare the chicken, defrost completely and following the cooking directions for either the grill or oven.

Source: As seen on and adapted by What's Cooking Chicago from Bobby Flay

Caribbean Rum Punch

Hello web world.  Are you still with us?  We have still been having our dinner clubs all these years but had gotten lazy about posting the recipes we used with each theme.  Sadly, we recently lost 2 couples to relocation but on the bright side, found 2 more couple friends to join in the fun.  Yesterday we kicked off Dinner Club Part 2 with a Pirate Party theme at my house.  Everyone did a great job with their interpretation of the theme which required a little more creative thinking than normal.  

Here's to hoping everyone gets their recipes up and we get back to sharing again :).

I'll kick us off with the signature drink for the night, Caribbean Rum Punch.  Squeezing all those limes was not so fun so next time, I'm being lazy and using the bottled stuff lol.  I made 1.5x the recipe which used nearly an entire liter of The Captain in it but you couldn't taste a darn thing.  Deadly and delicious!

Caribbean Rum Punch

Yields: 20- 4 oz servings

Ingredients

• 1 cup fresh lime juice
• 2 cups simple syrup
• 3 cups amber rum (used spiced Captain Morgan's)
• 4 cups orange juice
• 4 dashes bitters (omitted)
• freshly grated nutmeg (omitted)

Directions

1. To make the simple syrup, combine 2 cups sugar and 1 cup water in a small saucepan.  Heat until sugar is fully dissolved then set aside to cool.
2. In a pitcher, combine lime juice, simple syrup, rum, and orange juice.  Add a few dashes of bitters and some grated nutmeg to taste.  Serve chilled over ice.

Source: All Recipes

Martinis!

Pop Rocks Cocktail

Rim the top with a lime wedge. Pour a package of cherry-flavored Pop Rocks onto a paper plate. Dip the lime-rimmed cocktail glass into the cherry Pop Rocks, coating the entire rim of the glass. Set the cocktail glass aside.

Add ice and two and half ounces of cranberry vodka to a shaker. Shake the mixture to chill the vodka. Strain the mix and pour into the glass. Slowly pour half an ounce of Blue Curacao into the middle of the glass. If you pour the Blue Curacao carefully, it will settle and twill look festive with different layers of color. Squeeze the rest of the lime juice into the drink and serve.

Cotton Candy Martini

8 ounces of freezing Smirnoff vodka
1 tablespoon of cola
1 teaspoon of Grenadine
A chunk of cotton candy (about 2" x 2")
2 small chunks of cotton candy for garnish
Vanilla Cocktail Candy rim sugar
The mix

Pour all of your ingredients into a martini shaker 1/2 of cracked ice
Drop in the chunk of cotton candy...it will dissolve
Lid the shaker and shake like mad for a full minute
Strain your delicious martini into 2 chilly, sugar rimmed martini glasses
Float a piece of cotton on each cocktail
Enjoy!

Bazooka Bubblegum Cocktail

16 pieces bubblegum, preferably Double Bubble, cut in half
2 cups (16 ounces) vodka
1 tablespoon (1/2 ounce) freshly squeezed lemon juice (from ½ lemon)
1 tablespoon (1/2 ounce) freshly squeezed lime juice (from ½ lime)
1 tablespoon (1/2 ounce) simple syrup
1 cup ice

In large airtight container, combine bubblegum and vodka. Seal and allow to infuse, stirring every 6 hours, for 24 hours. Pour vodka through fine mesh strainer, discarding bubble gum.

In cocktail shaker, stir together 2 ounces bubblegum-infused vodka, lemon juice, lime juice, and simple syrup. Add ice and shake vigorously for 20 seconds. Strain into a chilled coupe glass.

Sugar Cookie Bars

Source: www.RecipeGirl.com

COOKIES:
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
5 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda

FROSTING:
1/2 cup butter; at room temperature
1/2 cup shortening
1 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of salt
4 cups powdered sugar (sift after measuring)
5 Tbsp. milk
food coloring, if desired

1. Prepare bars: In a large bowl with an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing after each egg. Mix in vanilla.

2. In a separate bowl whisk together flour, salt & baking soda. Add to wet mixture and mix just until combined. Spread on a greased, rimmed baking sheet (use a 13 x 18 pan).

3. Bake at 375 degrees for 10-15 min, until light golden brown or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.

4. Prepare frosting: In a large bowl, beat butter and shortening together until smooth and creamy. Mix in vanilla and salt. Add powdered sugar (1 cup at a time) until combined, then add milk & mix until smooth and spreading consistency. Add a few drops of color, if desired. Spread over cooled cookie, then cut into bars.

Yield: 32 bars

Tips:
*Refrigerate the bars until firm… it will be easier to get nice, clean cuts.

PW's Favorite Pizza

FOR THE CRUST (MAKES TWO CRUSTS):
1 teaspoon Active Dry Or Instant Yeast
4 cups All-purpose Flour
1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
⅓ cups Extra Virgin Olive Oil

FOR THE PIZZA:
1 whole Large Eggplant (or Two Medium Eggplants)
Kosher Salt, For Sprinkling
1 pint Grape Tomatoes
2 cloves Garlic, Minced
8 ounces, weight Fresh Mozzarella Cheese, Sliced Very Thin
½ cups Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese
Extra Virgin Olive Oil For Drizzling
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Preparation Instructions

TO MAKE THE CRUST:
Sprinkle yeast over 1 1/2 cups warm (not lukewarm) water.

In a mixer, combine flour and salt. With the mixer running on low speed (with paddle attachment), drizzle in olive oil until combined with flour. Next, pour in yeast/water mixture and mix until just combined.

Coat a separate mixing bowl with a light drizzle of olive oil, and form the dough into a ball. Toss to coat dough in olive oil, then cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and store in the fridge until you need it. ***It’s best to make the dough at least 24 hours in advance, and 3 or 4 days is even better.

TO MAKE THE PIZZA:
Preheat oven broiler.

Slice the eggplant thinly. Sprinkle both sides with kosher salt and place into a strainer in the sink. Allow to sit for 20 to 30 minutes. Rinse eggplant lightly in cold water, then pat the slices dry between layers of paper towels.

Slice grape tomatoes in half lengthwise and toss into a bowl with minced garlic.

Slice mozzarella very thinly.

Cut eggplant slices into fourths, and toss with olive oil. Arrange on a baking sheet and place 8 inches under the broiler.

Broil for 3 minutes, then toss around and broil another 3 minutes. Remove pan from oven and add tomato/garlic mixture. Broil for 2 to 3 minutes, then remove and set aside. (May do this 1 hour in advance.)

Preheat oven to 500 degrees.

Drizzle olive oil on a large baking sheet and use fingers to coat thoroughly. Remove HALF the pizza dough from the bowl. Stretch pizza dough into a large rectangle, pressing with fingers to finish forming. Dough will be very thin.

Lightly drizzle a little olive oil on the dough and use fingers to spread. Lay mozzarella slices over the surface of the dough. Spread vegetables all over the surface of the cheese. Top with Parmesan cheese.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until crust is golden brown and the cheese is bubbly.

Remove from pan and slice with a pizza cutter. Serve immediately!

Caramelized Onion & Prosciutto Pizza

1 whole Pizza Crust

Olive Oil, For Drizzling
1 whole Large Red Onion, Halved And Thinly Sliced
¼ cups Brown Sugar
Kosher Salt To Taste
Parmesan Cheese, Grated
10 ounces, weight Fresh Mozzarella Cheese, Thinly Sliced
8 slices Prosciutto (more To Taste)

Preheat oven to 500 degrees.

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet. Add onions and brown sugar and toss/stir for several minutes, or until onions are brown and cooked. Set aside.

Roll out pizza dough to a rectangular shape. Drizzle on olive oil, sprinkle on a little salt, followed by a little Parmesan.

Lay slices of mozzarella evenly over the top of the crust. Arrange caramelized onions over the top of the mozzarella. Randomly lay slices of prosciutto over the onions.

Bake for 15 to 17 minutes in the lower half of the oven, or until crust is golden brown. Remove from oven and cut into squares. Serve immediately.

Basic Pizza Crust

1 teaspoon Instant Or Active Dry Yeast
1-½ cup Warm Water
4 cups All-purpose Flour
1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
⅓ cups Olive Oil

Sprinkle yeast over 1 1/2 cups warm (not lukewarm) water. Let stand for a few minutes.

In a mixer, combine flour and salt. With the mixer running on low speed (with paddle attachment), drizzle in olive oil until combined with flour. Next, pour in yeast/water mixture and mix until just combined, and the dough comes together in a sticky mass.

Coat a separate mixing bowl with a light drizzle of olive oil, and form the dough into a ball. Toss to coat dough in olive oil, then cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and set it aside for 1 to 2 hours, or store in the fridge until you need it.

Note: it’s best to make the dough at least 24 hours in advance, and 3 or 4 days is even better.

When you are ready to make the pizza, grab HALF the pizza dough (recipe makes 2 crusts) and squeeze the dough toward the bottom to form a nice, tight, pulled ball. You can roll out the pizza with a rolling pin if you’d like, but sometimes it’s just as easy to throw it around and pull and stretch till it feels right. And when the crust is nice and thin, lay it on an oiled baking sheet or pizza pan. Drizzle a little olive oil on the dough and spread it with your fingers. Very lightly sprinkle some salt on the crust.

Bacon Egg and Toast Cups

In my mind, this recipe was the surprise favorite from my personal menu contributions for our Breakfast Themed Dinner Club.  Funny how that works since this one had such simple ingredients and was the easiest to make in bulk!  Or, maybe it's because this was a blog recipe (vs. All Recipes) and I generally have better luck with those.  You can bake up to 2 muffin tins (24 bacon egg and toast cups) at the same time so it's a great recipe to serve for to a crowd.  They're great snacking and finger foods which are generally popular in our dinner club crowd.  And, they can be saved and re-heated in the oven or toaster oven for later.  These made an awesome lazy breakfast the morning following our gorge fest.  Yum!

I'll say that I've always been slightly afraid of eating my eggs any way except for scrambled, hard boiled, or in an omelette because there's something about liquidy egg yolks that just gross me out...that and a fear of contracting samonella.  The eggs in this recipe when cooked as directed are still runny but you can cook them longer (watchout, this could result in a rubbery egg white though).  Since I did make this recipe, I gave the recipe a try...runny yolks and all.  I'm happy to report that I did not get sick and I actually enjoyed it!  This recipe has converted me..at least in this application.  I'm still not a sunny-side up girl and will stick to my fully cooked yolks, if at all, for other egg applications!

I can also see this recipe with a variet of twists - added ham bits, peppers, onions, mushrooms, different types of cheese and/or bread.  The possibilities are endless!

The Noshery, the blog from which I found this recipe, also has a version that is french toast cups stuffed with sausage and apples that I'd like to try sometime.  I think I'd have more luck with Chris eating that one over this one which is clearly eggy.  Of course, with all the other stuff I was making for this round of dinner club, that recipe will have to wait for me to make it another time!

Bacon Egg and Toast Cups
Printer-Friendly Version

Yields: 6 cups (can easily be doubled, tripled, or even quadrupled for a crowd!)

Ingredients

• 6 slices of bread (I used wheat)
• 6 slices of bacon
• 6 eggs
• 1/2 cup of shredded cheese
• salt & pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray muffin pan with butter non-stick spray.
2. Using a cookie cutter or a wide-mouthed glass, cut circles out of bread slices about 3 inches in diameter.  Take bread circles and press them into the muffin pan, set aside.
3. Heat a large skillet on medium-high. Cook bacon on the skillet until partially cooked but still pliable, about 3 minutes. 
4. Shape bacon strips into the toast cups, fill with 1 Tablespoon of shredded cheese. Place in the oven for 5 minutes, allowing the bacon to toast just a little more. Remove from oven.
5. Crack an egg and drop a whole egg into the cup, sprinkle with salt & pepper to taste.  Repeat for remaining cups.  Place back in the oven and cook until white begins to set, about another 8 – 10 minutes. The yolk should be creamy.  If a more fully cooked yolk is desired, continue cooking until desired done-ness is achieved.
6. Remove from oven when done and pop out using a spoon, serve warm.

Source: The Noshery

Pancake Syrup

This is another item on my Make Your Own Belgian Waffle Bar that was featured in our Breakfast Dinner Club last month.  Who would have known that making your own syrup was so easy?  This is perfect as your regular syrup or when you're in a pinch and run out of the store-bought stuff.  And, it's very cost effective to make.  You can store any extra in the fridge and then re-heat it when you're ready to use it again.

Sorry, no pictures of this one but I think you all know what syrup looks like.  This one had a nice syrupy consistency and a beautiful dark amber color.

Pancake Syrup
Printer-Friendly Version

Prep Time: 15 Min
Cook Time: 7 Min
Ready In: 30 Min
Yields: 12 Servings

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/2 cup light corn syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon maple flavoring
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. In a saucepan, combine the sugars, water and corn syrup; bring to a boil over medium heat. Simmer for 7 minutes or until slightly thickened.
2. Remove from the heat; stir in maple flavoring and vanilla.
3. Cool for 15 minutes. Serve over pancakes, waffles or French toast.

Source: All Recipes

Strawberry Topping

This Strawberry Topping was made for our March Breakfast Themed Dinner Club as part of our Make Your Own Belgian Waffle Bar.  It was rediculously simple to make and tasted very fresh.  I added some lemon juice to brighten up the flavor.  Excellent on waffles, pancakes, ice cream, or cheesecake!

Strawberry Topping
Printer-Friendly Version

Prep Time: 15 Min
Cook Time: 5 Min
Ready In: 35 Min
Yields: 4 Servings

Ingredients

• 1 pint strawberries, cleaned and stemmed
• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 Tablespoon lemon juice

Directions

1. Cut about 1/3 of the strawberries in half.
2. In a saucepan over medium high heat, combine uncut strawberries, sugar, vanilla, and lemon juice. Cook, stirring occasionally and smashing strawberries with spoon as they soften, until sauce thickens, about 5 minutes.
3. Remove from heat. Add remaining 1/3 of cut strawberries into cooked mixture. Store in refrigerator to cool before serving over waffles, pancakes, ice cream, or cheesecake.

 Source: Slightly modified from All Recipes

Belgian Waffles

These Belgian Waffles were made for our Breakast Themed dinner club last month and were the star of our Make Your Own Waffle Bar.  They are extremely light and fluffy in texture.  We put out chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, chopped pecans, blueberries, bananas, strawberry topping, whipped cream, powdered sugar, and syrup so that people could put their personal touch to their waffles. 

The original recipe says the beat the whites and yolks separately to create a light and airy waffle but I don't think this is necessary because by the time you let the batter rise and go to cook the waffles, the air that was whipped into the whites would have separated.  If you want to do this step, however, I suggest mixing the beaten egg whites into the risen batter just before cooking.  Because this recipe uses yeast as the leavening agent, you do need to allow some advance preparation.  Some reviews say that you can mix the ingredients together the night before and then allow it to come up to temperature and finish rising the next morning so that you can have fresh waffles bright and early.

It was interesting to see how as people started to arrive and our house began to get warm from the body heat, the yeast in the batter really went into over-drive and got extra airy.  At the end of the night, we had some extra batter leftover so I made them up and let them cool before freezing them in a ziplock baggy.  They re-heat really well in the toaster (like an Eggo)!

Sadly, I don't have a picture of any waffles but I do have a picture of the waffle bar setup itself.

Belgian Waffles
Printer-Friendly Version

Prep Time: 15 Min
Cook Time: 20 Min
Ready In: 1 Hr 35 Min
Yields: 8 Waffles

Ingredients

• 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast (2.5 tsp)
• 1/4 cup warm milk (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
• 3 large eggs
• 2 3/4 cups warm milk (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
• 3/4 cup butter, melted and cooled to lukewarm
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 4 cups all-purpose flour

Directions

1. In a small bowl, proof yeast by dissolving the yeast in 1/4 cup warm milk. Let stand until small bubbles form and it looks frothy, about 10 minutes.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, 1/4 cup of the warm milk and the melted butter. Stir in the yeast mixture, sugar, salt and vanilla. Stir in the remaining 2 1/2 cups milk alternately with the flour, ending with the flour. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
3. Preheat the waffle iron. Spray waffle iron with cooking oil and spoon about 1/2 cup (or as recommended by manufacturer) onto center of iron. Close the lid and bake according to manufacturer directions. Serve immediately or keep warm in 200 degree oven.

Source: All Recipes

Country Fried Steak

This post is about the Country Fried Steak (sometimes known as Chicken Fried Steak)...one of my favorite unhealthy breakfast entrees!  The flavor of this one was good but we all know I don't like to fry stuff so I have NO IDEA why I chose to take this task on.  Especially given that I had to fry up 10 of them and was running out of time (guests arrived when I was just starting to fry)!  I don't think I did a very good job paying attention to making sure the oil was at a good frying temperature because some of the breading ended up soggy and others a little burnt.  And, the meat was tougher than I would have liked.  Perhaps if you made a smaller batch you could be more attentive and it would turn out better.  Like I said, great flavor but not the best execution which was entirely my fault.  (Good thing I made other delectable goodies to make up for this less than stellar one!)

Pardon the awful picture.  Like I said it was a busy day in the kitchen and I think I bit off more than I could chew for this one.  To be honest, I'm surprised I got a shot at all!  Oh and by the way, this is the reason I had a TON of buttermilk leftover and hence all of the other recipes to use it all up!

Country Fried Steak
Printer-Friendly Version

Prep Time: 20 Min
Cook Time: 20 Min
Ready In: 40 Min
Yields: 4 Servings

Ingredients

For the Steaks

• 4 (1/2 pound each) beef cube steaks
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon hot pepper sauce (e.g. Tabasco™)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 cups vegetable shortening for deep frying

For the Country Gravy

• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 cups milk
• kosher salt and ground black pepper to taste

Directions

1. Pound the steaks to about 1/4-inch thickness.
2. Place 2 cups of flour in a shallow bowl. Stir together the baking powder, baking soda, pepper, and salt in a separate shallow bowl; stir in the buttermilk, egg, Tabasco Sauce, and garlic.
3. Dredge each steak first in the flour, then in the batter, and again in the flour. Pat the flour onto the surface of each steak so they are completely coated with dry flour.
4. Heat the shortening in a deep cast-iron skillet to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Fry the steaks until evenly golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Place fried steaks on a plate with paper towels to drain.  If needed, keep steaks warm by placing in a warm oven. 
5. Drain the fat from the skillet, reserving 1/4 cup of the liquid and as much of the solid remnants as possible.   Return the skillet to medium-low heat with the reserved oil. Whisk the remaining flour into the oil. Scrape the bottom of the pan with a spatula to release solids into the gravy. Stir in the milk, raise the heat to medium, and bring the gravy to a simmer, cook until thick, 6 to 7 minutes. Season with kosher salt and pepper. Spoon the gravy over the steaks to serve.

Source: All Recipes

Brummy Bread (aka "Breakaway Coffee Cake")

Note - we doubled the below recipe (I've never only made the serving size below! :))

2 loaves frozen bread dough
1 stick butter or margarine
1 small pkg. regular vanilla pudding (NOT instant!)
1-cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1-teaspoon cinnamon

Thaw bread but do not let rise.

Cut one loaf into small pieces and place in 9” X 13” greased pan (use large pan).

Combine remaining ingredients in saucepan over low heat until butter/margarine is melted.
Pour over bread pieces in pan.

Spread chopped nuts over top if desired. (Who would do that?!)

Cut second loaf of bread into small pieces and drop over mixture in pan.

Cover and let rise to twice its size and refrigerate overnight (we usually just let it rise overnight in the basement).

Bake at 350 degrees for 25 – 30 minutes.

When done, cool slightly and then turn upside down onto rack, into large serving dish or large box.

Serve warm. (Um, yeah. Clearly)

Fresh Fruit Tart with Vanilla Pastry Cream

Ingredients:

For the tart dough:

1 large egg yolk
1 tbsp. heavy cream
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the work surface
2/3 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
8 tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes


For the pastry cream:
2 cups half-and-half
1/2 cup sugar
Pinch salt
5 large egg yolks
3 tbsp. cornstarch
4 tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

For the topping:
You can use whatever fruit you want as topping.
I used:
8 large strawberries, sliced
2 large kiwis, peeled, and sliced
1/2-1 cup blueberries
Apple jelly, for glazing

Directions:

To make the tart shell:
Whisk together the egg yolk, cream and vanilla in a small bowl; set aside. Place the flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor.

Process briefly to combine.

Scatter the butter pieces over the flour mixture.

Process to cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse meal, about fifteen 1-second pulses.

With the machine running, add the egg mixture and process until the dough just comes together, about 12 seconds.

Turn the dough onto a sheet of plastic wrap and press into a 6-inch dish.

Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to 48 hours.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator. (If refrigerated for more than an hour, let stand at room temperature until malleable.)

Unwrap and roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface to a 13-inch round.

Transfer the dough to a 9-inch tart pan.

Mold the dough to the sides of the tart pan and remove the excess off the top.

Set the dough-lined tart pan on a large plate and freeze for 30 minutes.


Meanwhile, adjust an oven rack to middle position.

Preheat the oven to 375° F.

Set the dough-lined tart pan on a baking sheet, press a 12-inch square of foil into the frozen shell and over the edge, and fill with pie weights.

Bake for 30 minutes, rotating halfway through the baking time.

Remove from the oven and carefully remove the foil and weights.

Continue to bake until deep golden brown, 5-8 minutes longer.

Transfer to a wire rack to cool.


To make the pastry cream
Heat the half-and-half, 6 tablespoons of the sugar, and the salt in a saucepan over medium-high heat until simmering, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar.

Meanwhile, combine the egg yolks and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar in a medium bowl

Whisk until the sugar has begun to dissolve and the mixture is creamy, about 15 seconds.

Whisk in the cornstarch until combined and the mixture is pale yellow and thick, about 30 seconds.
When the half-and-half mixture has reached a simmer, slowly add it to the egg yolk mixture to temper, whisking constantly.

Return the mixture to the saucepan, scraping the bowl with a rubber spatula.

Return the mixture to a simmer over medium heat, whisking constantly, until a few bubbles burst on the surface and the mixture is thickened and glossy, about 30 seconds.

Off the heat, whisk in the butter and vanilla.

Strain the pastry cream through a fine mesh sieve set over a medium bowl.

Press plastic wrap directly on the surface to prevent a skin from forming.

Refrigerate until cold and set, at least 3 hours and up to 2 days.

NOTE: Vanilla pudding also works well as a subsititute to the pastry cream. I found this out the hard way when the pastry cream didn't set in time..


To assemble the tart
Spread the cold pastry cream evenly over the bottom of the tart shell.

Arrange the fruit on top of the pastry cream as desired.

Heat the jelly in the microwave for 20-30 seconds, just until slightly melted and easy to stir. Using a pastry brush, paint a light layer of jelly over the fresh fruit.



Source: Modified as seen on Annie's Eats and originally from Baking Illustrated

Fruit Bruschetta

Ingredients:

16 ½-inch-thick slices crusty Italian or French bread

2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter

1½ tablespoons sugar

1½ tablespoons cinnamon, or to taste

1 peach, peeled, pitted, and cut into fine dice

½ banana, cut into fine dice

8 large strawberries, cut into fine dice

3 to 4 tablespoons plain yogurt (I used vanilla for added flavor)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375°F.
Arrange bread slices in one layer in a shallow baking pan.

Bake in middle of oven until golden, about 10 minutes.

Brush toasts with butter on one side.

1. In a small bowl, stir together 1 tablespoon sugar and 1 tablespoon cinnamon.

2. Sprinkle mixture evenly over buttered side of each toast.

3. Broil toast about 5 inches from heat under preheated broiler 30 seconds, or until tops are bubbling.

4. Let the toast cool.

4. In a bowl, stir together prepared fruit.

5. Add remaining ½ tablespoon sugar and ½ tablespoon cinnamon to the fruit and stir.

6. Mound about 1 tablespoon of the fruit/sugar/cinnamon mixture on each toast.

7. Drizzle each toast with yogurt.

Source: Peach, Strawberry, and Banana Bruschetta from Gourmet August 1994; As seen on Crumbly Cookie.