Triple Malt Chocolate Cake

Ooh... When you're in the race for "Host(ess) of the Year", follow the dinner up with this Wonderful Creation. 
A nice dollop of Vanilla Ice-Cream will Seal the Vote!



INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups malted milk powder
• 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for coating the cake pans
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 3 large eggs
• 1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup vegetable oil, plus more for coating the cake pans
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 1/3 cups whole milk
• 1 recipe Vanilla Malt Frosting >>>
• 1 cup malted milk balls, coarsely chopped

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Heat the oven to 325°F and arrange a rack in the middle. Coat 2 (8-inch) cake pans with oil and flour, and tap out any excess flour. Set aside.
2. Combine the malted milk powder, measured flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda in a large bowl and whisk to aerate and break up any lumps. Set aside.
3. Combine the eggs, sugar, measured oil, and vanilla in a separate large bowl and whisk until combined and smooth. Add a third of the flour mixture and whisk until just incorporated. Add half of the milk and whisk until smooth. Continue with the remaining flour mixture and milk, alternating between each and whisking until all of the ingredients are just incorporated and smooth.
4. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean and the cakes start pulling away from the sides of the pans, about 45 to 50 minutes.
5. Remove the cakes from the oven and transfer them to a wire rack to cool, about 15 minutes. Run a knife around the perimeter of each and turn the cakes out onto the rack to cool completely.
6. To frost, place a cake layer on an 8-inch cardboard round, a tart-pan bottom, or a cake plate. Evenly spread about a third of the frosting over the top of the layer. Stack the second layer and evenly spread another third of the frosting over the top and sides of the whole cake. (Don’t worry about looks at this point—this is just a base coat, or crumb layer, and it will be covered up later.) Place in the refrigerator until the frosting is set up and slightly hard, about 15 minutes. Remove from the refrigerator and spread the remaining frosting over the top and sides of the cake, ensuring it’s as even as possible. Press the malt balls into the frosting around the sides of the cake and serve.

Pecan Turtle Brownies

Pecans and Caramel meet Cakey, Moist Brownies—need we say more; except, have the milk ready...

INGREDIENTS:

For the brownies:

• 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped into pea-size pieces
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick), plus more for coating the baking dish
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3/4 teaspoon fine salt
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder

For the caramel-pecan topping:

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups toasted pecans, coarsely chopped

INSTRUCTIONS:

For the brownies:

1. Heat the oven to 350°F and arrange a rack in the middle. Coat a 13-by-9-inch baking dish with butter; set aside.
2. Combine the chocolate and measured butter in a small saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until melted, about 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.
3. Whisk the eggs, sugar, brown sugar, vanilla, and salt in a large bowl until the eggs are broken up and smooth. Add the chocolate mixture and stir to combine. Add the flour and baking powder and stir until just incorporated.
4. Transfer the batter to the prepared dish and spread evenly. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Remove to a rack and cool completely.

For the caramel-pecan topping:

1. Combine the sugar, water, and salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring often until the sugar has completely dissolved. Continue to boil, swirling the pan occasionally (but not stirring), until the mixture turns a deep amber color, about 10 to 15 minutes.
2. Remove from the heat, carefully pour in the cream and vanilla (the mixture will bubble up and steam), and stir until evenly combined.
3. Stir the pecans into the caramel mixture and immediately drizzle over the brownies. Spread evenly to cover the brownies. Cool completely before cutting.

Chocolate-Whiskey Cake w/ Fluthered Cream

 

 

INGREDIENTS:

For the cake:

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
• 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 1 3/4 cups cake flour
• 1/2 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
• 1/2 cup sour cream, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup Irish whiskey
• 1/4 cup brewed coffee, at room temperature
• 2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 3/4 cups packed light brown sugar
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature

For the fluthered cream:

• 1 cup cold heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons Irish whiskey
• 2 tablespoons powdered sugar

 

INSTRUCTIONS:

 

For the cake:

1. Heat the oven to 325°F and arrange a rack in the middle. Using a pastry brush, coat the inside of a 12-cup Bundt pan with all of the melted butter; set aside.
2. Place the unsweetened chocolate in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally until melted and smooth. Set aside to cool slightly.
3. Meanwhile, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl and whisk to break up any lumps and aerate; set aside. Combine the sour cream, whiskey, and coffee in a medium bowl and whisk until smooth; set aside.
4. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and brown sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, stopping the mixer and scraping down the bowl and paddle after each addition. Add the melted chocolate and beat until just combined, about 30 seconds. Reduce the mixer speed to low and alternate between adding the flour mixture and the sour cream mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, until just combined.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smooth out the top, and bake until the top of the cake is puffed and cracked and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 60 to 65 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow the cake to cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Flip the cake out of the pan and serve warm or at room temperature.

For the fluthered cream:

1. Place all ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Whip on high speed until medium peaks form, about 1 minute. Serve slices of cake topped with fluthered cream.

Butter Roasted Chicken with Rosemary and Sage

Ingredients:

5 lb whole chicken
1 lemon, halved
3 tablespoons butter, softened to room temperature
3 fresh sage leaves, finely chopped
3 sprigs fresh thyme, finely chopped
1 sprig fresh rosemary, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Preparation:

• Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Rinse and pat chicken dry. Remove the giblets and place the halved lemon inside your bird.
• In a small bowl, mash the butter with all remaining ingredients. Gently loosen and lift the skin from the meat of the bird. Use your fingers to rub the butter herb mixture into the flesh of the bird- making sure to cover as much area as you can. Return the chicken skin to cover all of the exposed flesh. Roast for 17 minutes per pound. A 5 lb chicken will roast for about 1 hour 25 minutes. Let it rest on a cutting board for 15 minutes before carving.

Hoecakes

A Great Southern Recipe, perfect as a side to Pork Dishes.

I like these as a snack with Blueberry or Strwaberry Jam and a dollop of Sour Cream.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup self-rising flour
• 1 cup self-rising cornmeal, or from a mix (recommended: Aunt Jemima's)
• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon water
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil or bacon grease
• Oil, butter, or clarified margarine, for frying

Preparation:

Mix well all ingredients, except for the frying oil. Heat the frying oil or butter in a medium or large skillet over medium heat. Drop the batter, by full tablespoons, into the hot skillet. Use about 2 tablespoons of batter per hoecake. Fry each hoecake until brown and crisp; turn each hoecake with a spatula, and then brown the other side. With a slotted spoon, remove each hoecake to drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Leftover batter will keep in refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Basic Biscuits

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It's always amazing to me that My Mom can just whip up a pan of biscuits. Although I'm more-than-proficient in the kitchen, doing bicuits well are beyond me without my old standby, Bisquick.

Grace has tried to show me how to make them.
Should be simple; but I just don't have a feel for them, no instinct and no patience for repaeated failure.
...but, sometimes nothing compliments a dish like a a nice basket of bicuits.

After Friend Betsy asked me (her "Chef") for a recipe (and my confessing the shortcoming to her), we tried three "from scratch" recipes. This one worked well and is going to be our standard.
Bisquick is still in the cupboard.

Most biscuit recipes are variations on the same theme: flour, fat, milk or buttermilk, baking powder, and salt. It's how the ingredients are put together that really matters.

Basic Biscuits

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Cutting in the fat

You can use your hands or a food processor to cut the butter into the flour mixture, but I like using a pastry blender. It's a very low-tech tool that kind of resembles four curved dull blades attached to a handle. Unlike pie dough, you don't need to use ice-cold ingredients to make biscuits--another reason why they're quick to make.

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Crumbly dry mix

The recipe states, "Cut in shortening with fork or pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse crumbs." You want to have a fairly homogenous mixture, rather than having large flakes of butter visible in the flour. If you squeeze some of the flour-fat mixture in your hands, it'll form a ball.

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Sticky wet mix

After adding the milk (or soured milk, or buttermilk, or half plain yogurt and half milk stirred together), mix the dough just until it's combined. You don't want to overwork it.

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On the work surface

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and dust the dough with flour, too. At this point, you're going to do a little quick kneading--not enough to form a tough gluten structure, but enough to work some flour into the dough and help form layers in your flaky biscuits.

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Folding the dough

Pat the dough flat, sprinkle it with a little more flour, and fold it in half. Turn the dough 45 degrees, and give it another sprinkle of flour and a fold. Repeat once or twice more.

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...And patting it out

I don't bother with a rolling pin; I just give the dough a couple of pats until it's about a half-inch thick.
Now, here's the important step: You need to use a biscuit cutter, a sharp knife, or a pizza wheel to cut your biscuits. (A jelly jar or juice glass is just too dull; part of what makes biscuits puff up as they bake is the sharp, clean edges of the dough.)
Arrange the biscuits on a baking sheet. Gather up your scraps, gently squeeze them into a ball, and pat the dough flat again to cut out more biscuits.

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Brush with milk

I like to brush the surface of the biscuits with milk or egg wash before baking, for a little deeper color.

• Bake the biscuits in a hot oven until the bottoms, not the tops, are a golden brown--if you rely on the color of the tops of the biscuits, they're likely to get too dark.

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Ready to eat

Baked Ham

Ham owes its popularity not only to its smoky-salty flavor but also to its talent for feeding a lot of people with very little effort. This recipe, with a simple ginger and orange glaze, is no exception.

Ingredients:

• 1 shank-end smoked ham, about 5 lbs.
• 1 Tb. butter
• 2 Tbs. peeled and minced fresh ginger
• 3 Tbs. dark rum, bourbon or fresh orange juice
• 1/2 cup bitter orange marmalade
• 1 Tbs. Dijon mustard

Directions:

Position a rack in the lower third of an oven and preheat to 325°F. Line a roasting pan with aluminum foil and place a roasting rack in the pan.

Using a sharp knife, score the fat on the ham in a crosshatch pattern, creating 1 1/2-inch diamond shapes. Place the ham, flat side down, on the rack in the roasting pan. Add 2 cups water to the pan and cover loosely with aluminum foil. Bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the ham away from bone registers 125°F, about 1 1/4 hours.

Meanwhile, make the glaze. In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the ginger and cook, stirring occasionally, until it softens, about 2 minutes. Add the rum and boil until it is reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Stir in the marmalade and mustard and bring to a boil, then remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

Remove the ham from the oven and discard the foil on top. Increase the oven temperature to 400°F. Spread the glaze all over the ham, forcing some of it into the scoring marks. Return to the oven and bake, uncovered, until the glaze melts onto the ham, about 15 minutes.

Transfer the glazed ham to a carving board. Let stand for 15 minutes, then carve into slices parallel to the bone. Serve hot or warm. Serves 12.

Variation: After the ham is sliced, be sure to save the ham bone for adding to your favorite recipe for split pea soup or a big pot of beans. Chop the leftover ham and stir it into the soup or beans, too.

Buffalo Chiken Wraps

I, personally, don't like Buffalo Wings.  Far too messy! 
I was so happy Betsy gave me a recipe even my crew could live with. 











Note: This recipe is, thankfully, easily made in multiples and can be prepped ahead of time....

Ingredients:

3/4 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded (about 2 cups)
1 cup hot sauce
12 egg roll wrappers
1 cup crumbled blue cheese
1/2 cup celery, thinly sliced
water
nonstick cooking spray
blue cheese or ranch dressing, for serving

Prepatartion:

Preheat oven to 400 F. Set a wire rack inside a rimmed baking sheet and spray the rack with cooking spray.
Stir the chicken and hot sauce together in a medium bowl until moistened - you can use more or less sauce depending on how spicy you want your rolls.
Place one egg roll wrapper on a clean work surface. Add about 1 tablespoon of the celery on the diagonal of the bottom right corner. Top with about 2-3 tablespoons of the chicken, and finally some blue cheese crumbles. Be careful not to overfill the wrappers.
To fold the roll: Bring the bottom right corner up and over the filling to cover it completely and make it snug. Fold each side over to form an envelope, then roll the wrap almost all the way to the top. Wet your finger with water and moisten the top corner, then fold it over the roll, pressing to seal. Place the roll on the prepared rack.
Repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling.
Spray each roll lightly with nonstick cooking spray. Bake for 15-20 minutes (flipping the rolls halfway through), or until the rolls are golden brown and crisp. Allow to cool for a few minutes, then serve with either blue cheese or ranch dressing.

Beef & Bean Chili

Wow, Thanks Sarah. 
A friends mom served this for a week-end lunch in January (she cooked it the Friday, before).  She shared it with me in April from a rather worn copy of The Cook's Illustrated Cookbook, while we were chatting up recipes.   The fact that I remembered it attested  o the Great Flavor.
Took me awhile to find it online and I can't wait 'til "chili makin' weather" to try it out.


Ingredients:

salt
4 quarts water
8 oz (about 1 1/4 cups) dried pinto peans, rinsed
1/2 chili powder
1/4-1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 tablespoons cornmeal
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons cocoa powder
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
2 onions, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
3 small jalapenos, stemmed, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
2 teaspoons molasses
4 pound chuck-eye roast, trimmed and cut into 3/4-inch pieces
1 12 oz bottle mild lager (Sam Adams)

Preparation:

Add 3 tablespoons of salt, water and the beans to a large Dutch oven. Set over medium-high heat and bring to a boil, then remove the pot from the heat, cover and set aside for 1 hour. Drain the beans and rinse them well.
Put chili powder, the cayenne (if you like spicy foods, use the whole amount, if not, go with the smaller amount), cornmeal, oregano, cumin, cocoa powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt to the food processor, slowly pour 1/2 cup of the chicken broth through the feed tube and continue processing until a smooth paste forms (you may need to scrape down the sides of the bowl once or twice). Transfer the paste to a small bowl.

Add the onions to the food processor (no need to wash it first), and pulse until roughly chopped (about 4 pulses), then add the jalapenos and pulse again until the mixture has the consistency of chunk salsa (about 4 more pulses).

Add 1 tablespoon of the oil to a large Dutch oven set over medium-high heat. Add the onion mixture and cook for 8-9 minutes, stirring a few times, or until the moisture has evaporated and the veggies have softened. Add the garlic and cook just until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the reserved chile paste, tomatoes (and their juices) and the molasses. Mix until everything is well combined. Stir in the remaining 2 cups of chicken broth and the beans. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer.

Grab the 12-inch skillet you used earlier to toast the chiles. Add 1 tablespoon of oil and heat over medium-high heat. Pat the meat dry and season with 1 teaspoon of salt. When the pan is hot, add half of the beef and cook until it is browned on all sides, about 10 minutes. Transfer the meat to the chile. Pour half of the bottle of beer into the now empty skillet, and use a wooden spoon to scrape the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. When the beer comes to a simmer transfer it to the chili. Repeat this process with the last tablespoon of oil, the rest of the meat and the remaining beer. Stir the chili to combine all of the ingredients, and let it come to a simmer.

Cover the Dutch oven and transfer to the oven. Cook for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until the meat and beans are tender. Let stand, uncovered, for 10 minutes then stir well and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Note: You can make the chili ahead of time and refrigerate for up to 3 days. I reheated individual portions in the microwave, which worked well. I also set the entire Dutch oven back over low heat and reheated that way, which also worked great.

Irish Beef Stew w/ Guinness

I admit that I usually don’t get all hyped up about St. Patrick’s Day, but I do get excited about unique ingredients for cooking. Here is a post inspired by a bottle of Guinness Stout (that we somehow managed not to drink this week) which is a wonderful excuse to cook an Irish-themed meal for St. Patrick’s Day. Irish Beef Stew with Guinness is a no-nonsense kind of stew that you would expect from your mother or grandmother. Fortified with stout beer and sturdy root vegetables, this hearty no-frills stew will warm and comfort you – just like a woolen fleece on a misty grey day.

As with most stews, this is a humble and forgiving recipe. Add your favorite root vegetables and serve with mashed potatoes. Serves 6.

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
3 pounds beef chuck, excess fat trimmed, cut in 1 1/2 inch pieces
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1/3 cup tomato paste
2 cups beef stock
1 1/2 cups stout beer
2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 bay leaves
3 large carrots, sliced 1/4-inch thick
1 large yellow onion, cut in 1-inch pieces
1 large rutabaga, cut in 3/4-inch pieces
1 large parsnip, cut in 3/4-inch pieces

Prepartaion:

Preheat oven to 325 F. (170 C.) Heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat in an oven-proof pot or Dutch oven. Season the beef all over with salt and pepper. Add beef in batches to pot in one layer, without overcrowding. Brown on all sides, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with remaining beef. Return beef to pot and add the garlic. Saute 2 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook stirring, one minute. Add stock, beer, thyme, bay leaves, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper. The meat should be just covered with liquid. If not, add additional stock or beer to cover. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to a simmer and cover. Transfer pot to oven. Bake until meat is tender, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
While the meat is cooking heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a deep skillet or large pot over medium heat. Add vegetables and lightly sprinkle with salt. Saute the vegetables until they brighten in color and begin to take on a golden hue, 2 to 3 minutes.
Remove beef from oven. Skim any fat on the surface of the liquid with a spoon.
Add vegetables to the beef, stirring to combine. Return beef to the oven, uncovered.
Bake one hour, stirring once or twice, until the sauce is slightly reduced, the vegetables are tender and the meat is fork-tender. Remove and taste for seasoning. Serve hot with mashed potatoes.