Blueberry Cobbler

This is another fantastic Pioneer Woman recipe.  I had seen it originally in her first cookbook, but didn't have any desire to make it until I saw her make it on the first season of her show on Food Network.  I've actually already made this a couple of times, but am so excited to eat it, I forget to take a picture.  I don't like typical fruit cobblers.  This one is sorta a twist between a cake and a cobbler.  I have always made it with frozen blueberries and served it with vanilla ice cream.

The case

Ingredients:

• 1/2 stick butter, melted, plus more for greasing pan
• 1 1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar 
• 1 cup self-rising flour 
• 1 cup whole milk 
• 2 cups fresh (or frozen) blackberries 
• Whipped cream and/or ice cream, for serving

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 3-quart baking dish with butter.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk 1 cup sugar with the flour and milk. Whisk in the melted butter. 
3. Rinse the blackberries and pat them dry. Pour the batter into the baking dish. Sprinkle the blackberries evenly over the top of the batter. Sprinkle 1/4 cup sugar over the blackberries. Bake until golden brown and bubbly, about 1 hour. When 10 minutes of the cooking time remains, sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar over the top. Top with whipped cream or ice cream . . . or both!

Angel Sugar Cookies

I'm determined to try all the recipes I want to try in Pioneer Woman's cookbook before her new cookbook comes out.  If you've read any other of my baking posts, you know one thing I hate to do is bake.  I don't have the patience to measure out everything perfectly, especially when I take the time and then my food is a disaster.  These things don't happen with cooking.  When you cook, you simply adjust flavor.  

The case:
Angel Sugar Cookies from Pioneer Woman

Ingredients:

• 2 whole Large Eggs
• 1 cup Canola Oil
• 2 sticks Butter, Softened
• 1 cup Sugar, Plus Extra For Sprinkling
• 1 cup Powdered Sugar
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 4 cups Plus 2 Tablespoons, All-purpose Flour
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1 teaspoon Cream Of Tartar

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a large mixing bowl, cream together eggs, oil, butter, sugars, and vanilla. 
3. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Cover and refrigerate dough one hour. 
4. Using a cookie scoop, drop balls of dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet. 
5. Smear a dab of butter all over the bottom of a glass, then dip the glass in granulated sugar. Use the glass to flatten each ball of dough, dipping again into the sugar each time. Repeat until all are flattened. 
6. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes, until cookies are just barely turning brown. Don’t overbrown! 
7. Allow to cool before eating. Cookies are ultra crumbly! 

Angel Sugar Cookies Printable

The ruling:
These are some of the lightest, crispiest cookies I've ever had period.  I love how thin they are, yet still chewy!  I'm going to try to add icing tomorrow.  What could be better?

Spicy Roasted Chicken Legs

The best thing about chicken legs are that they are cheap!  And easy to eat.  Ryder is almost a year old and I'm thinking more and more about quick dishes that he would enjoy eating one day.  I remember loving chicken legs as a child. I'm hoping these will be a yummy, healthier alternative to the classic fried version. 

The case:
Spicy Roasted Chicken Legs (Adapted from Pioneer Woman)

Ingredients:

• 12 whole Chicken Legs
• 1 stick of Butter
• 1 teaspoon seasoned salt
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic power
• 1/4-1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/3 cup Lemon Juice

Instructions:

1. Melt butter in a saucepan. Pour in lemon juice (fresh or bottled). Add your seasonings.
2. Rinse and pat your chicken legs dry. With metal tongs, transfer them one by one into the butter mixture and place on a baking sheet with a wired cooling rack. Once all of the chicken legs are coated and on the baking rack, take a pastry brush and give them one last coating of the butter mixture. Sprinkle them with some more of your seasonings. 
3. Place them into a 400-degree oven for 30 minutes. If they need a bit more color, turn on the broiler for a couple minutes and watch them closely. Remove them when they are nice and golden brown. 

Roasted Chicken Legs Printable Version

The ruling:
Mission accomplished! These were perfect- quick, easy, kid friendly!  I was afraid they might be too spicy but they really weren't!  Next time I'm going to experiment with lemon pepper seasoning.

Marlboro Man Sandwich

I have been thinking about making these forever.  Michael loves Philly cheese steaks and these reminded me of them. My mom's close friend made them to rave reviews, so I decided it was time for me to give them a try!

The case:
Ingredients
1 whole Large (or 2 Small) Onions
2 sticks Butter (lots And Lots Of Butter)
2 pounds (to 3 Pounds) Cube Steak (tenderized Round Steak That's Been Extra Tenderized)
Lawry's Seasoned Salt (or Similar Seasoned Salt)
½ cups (approximately) Worcestershire Sauce
Tabasco Sauce, To Taste
4 whole French/deli Rolls (earthgrains Are Best!)
Preparation Instructions

Slice onions and cook in 1/4 stick butter until soft and light brown. Remove and set aside.

Slice cube steak against the grain. Season with Lawry’s.

Heat 2 tablespoons butter over high heat (in same skillet) until melted and beginning to brown. Add meat in single layer. Cook one side until brown, then flip and cook until brown, about a minute on both sides.

Add 1/2 cup (at least) Worcestershire sauce, 5 to 6 shakes Tabasco, and 2 tablespoons butter. Add cooked onions. Stir to combine. 

Butter halved French rolls and brown in skillet.

To assemble, lay bottom half of French roll on plate. Place meat mixture, followed by a spoonful of juice from the pan. Top with other half of roll, cut in half, and devour!

The ruling:
Let me first start by saying I'm not a big red meat eater.  Every once in a while I like a good burger or steak, but on a regular basis, I'm a chicken girl.  With that said, I LOVED this sandwich.  We added peppers, mushrooms, and provolone cheese to this delicious sandwich!

Pioneer Woman's White Chicken Enchiladas

I can't tell you how long I've had this recipe in mind to make.  I've had it bookmarked, printed out, and pinned, but never got around to trying it.  Well, I'm finally getting around to it.  We love Mexican food around here and I'm always looking for a new recipe to try.  I've made sour cream enchiladas before and these look very similar, but add a few more flavors.

The case:

Ingredients
2-½ cups Cooked, Shredded Chicken
2 cups Reserved Broth From Chicken
3 Tablespoons Canola Oil
12 whole Corn Tortillas
1 whole Large Onion, Diced
3 whole 4 Oz Cans Whole Green Chilies, Diced
1 whole Jalapeno, Seeded And Finely Diced
1 teaspoon Paprika
½ cups Heavy Cream
2 Tablespoons Butter
2 Tablespoons Flour
1 cup Sour Cream
2-½ cups Monterey Jack Cheese, Grated
Salt And Pepper, to taste
Picante Sauce (optional)
Cilantro, Chopped

Preparation Instructions

1. Heat 2 tablespoons canola oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Fry tortillas for no longer than 20 seconds, just to soften (do not allow to become crisp.) Place tortillas on a large towel or stack of paper towels to drain.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon canola oil in separate skillet over medium heat. Add onions and jalapenos and saute for 1 minute, just to start the cooking process. Add chicken, half of the green chilies, and 1/2 teaspoon paprika. Stir together. Add 1/2 cup chicken broth and stir. Add cream and stir, allowing mixture to bubble and get hot. Turn off heat and set aside. 
3. In a separate large skillet, melt butter and sprinkle in flour. Whisk together and cook over medium heat for one minute. Pour in 1 1/2 cups chicken broth. Whisk together and cook for another minute or two. Stir in the other half of the chilies. Reduce heat, then stir in sour cream. Add 1 1/2 cups grated cheese and stir to melt. Add 1/2 teaspoon paprika. Check seasoning and add salt and pepper as needed. 
4. To assemble, spoon chicken mixture on top of tortillas, one by one. Top with plenty of cheese and roll up. Place seam side down in a 9 x 13 casserole dish. 
5. Pour cheese mixture all over the top of the tortillas. Top with extra cheese if you’d like, then bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Sprinkle generously with chopped cilantro. Serve with picante sauce, if desired.

The ruling:
I shouldn't have waited so long.  I'm such a huge fan of these enchiladas!  I could go on and on.  They were bursting with flavor and had such a delicious creaminess.  They're like Mexican comfort food.  The only difference I made was that I only had enough filling for 8 enchiladas, which fit perfectly into a casserole dish.  

Creamy Chicken Spaghetti Casserole #32

I've been cooking a lot of old favorites recently.  In honor of Pioneer Woman's new show, I've decided to try several of her recipes I've had bookmarked for awhile.  Creamy Chicken Spaghetti Casserole is the first one.  I changed it up slightly, but to see the original recipe and all of PW's fabulous photos go here.

The case: Adapted from Pioneer Woman

Ingredients
2 heaping cups cooked and shredded chicken
1/2 Cup Butter
16 ounces sliced mushrooms
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup chicken broth
Kosher Salt And Pepper
¼ cups Flour
2 cups Chicken Broth
1-½ cup Whole Milk
1 cup Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese
1 teaspoon Kosher Salt, Or To Taste
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Extra Cheese, For Sprinkling
1/2 cup breadcrumbs (I used Panko)
1 pound Thin Spaghetti

Preparation Instructions:
1.  Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet. Throw in mushrooms, add 1/4 cup chicken broth, minced garlic, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, or until mushrooms are soft, drain and set aside.
2.  Bring water to a boil. Break spaghetti into thirds (shorter pieces). Add spaghetti pieces to boiling water and cook. Drain when al dente.
3.  Return large skillet to medium-low heat. Add 6 tablespoons butter. Sprinkle flour over butter, whisking to combine. Cook for 1 or 2 minutes. Pour in 2 cups broth and whisk to combine. Pour in milk,  salt and pepper to taste, then cook and bubble until thick. Turn off heat, add Parmesan cheese, and stir.
4.  Add mushrooms and chicken. Stir to combine and check seasonings. Add cooked spaghetti and stir. 5.  Turn into a 9 x 13 casserole pan. Sprinkle cheese and Panko over top.  Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 min. or until golden brown and bubbly.

The ruling:
I am in L-O-V-E with this dish!  If you like mushrooms even the slightest bit, you must try this dish!

Cheese Sticks #95

I have been wanting to try homemade mozzarella sticks for forever, but every recipe I've seen says to place the sticks on a cookie sheet in the freezer before cooking.  Well, last week I got a new refrigerator that has the freezer in the bottom.  Finally, enough room to place a cookie sheet inside.  This particular recipe is the Pioneer Woman's and came from her new cooking share site, Tasty Kitchen.  Later this week, I'm going to try Giada De Laurentiis's.

The case:
Ingredients
16 pieces String Cheese, Removed From Wrappers
½ cups All-purpose Flour
2 whole Eggs
3 Tablespoons Milk
2 cups Panko Bread Crumbs (I Used Kikkomans)
1 Tablespoon Dried Parsley Flakes
Canola Oil, For Frying
Marinara Sauce, For Dipping

Instructions:
1.  Slice string cheese pieces in half, for a total of 32 pieces.
2.  Place flour in a small bowl.
3.  In a separate bowl, whisk eggs and milk.
4.  In another separate bowl, combine panko bread crumbs with parsley flakes.
5.  TO ASSEMBLE: One by one, roll mozzarella sticks in flour, then dunk in egg/milk mixture, then place in panko crumbs. Use your hand to sweep crumbs all over the mozzarella stick. Gently remove and place on a tray or cookie sheet. Repeat until all mozzarella sticks are coated.
6.  ***Place tray in freezer for 20 to 30 minutes to flash freeze.***
7.  TO COOK: Heat 1 1/2 inches canola oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When hot, add mozzarella sticks 8 at a time. Watch closely and turn over to evenly brown, cooking less than 2 minutes. Do not allow cheese to bubble and leak.
8.  Remove to a paper towel-lined plate.
9.  Serve immediately with warm marinara sauce.

The ruling: 
Yummy!  I think the breading could use a little more flavor; maybe garlic powder and salt.  I loved the crispy texture of the panko bread crumbs.  Another winner Pioneer Woman! 

Yellow Cupcakes with Sticy Chocolate Icing #82

I recently found a list on Pioneer's Woman's website of all her recipes.  It is a wonderful little page to bookmark, if you're like me and like to visit all the time.  Overall, this recipe stood out the most to me.  I am one of the few people on Earth that just don't care for chocolate.  I know it's weird, but I do like homemade chocolate icing on white cake for some reason, and these look just about as good as it gets!  I just wish I could get my pictures to look as good as hers.... one day.

The case:
Ingredients 
FOR CUPCAKES
2 cups Cake Flour
2 teaspoons Baking Powder
¾ teaspoons Salt
½ cups Unsalted Butter, Softened
1 cup Sugar
3 whole Eggs Room Temperature
2 teaspoons Vanilla
¾ cups (plus A Tad More) Whole Milk
_____
FOR THE ICING:
¾ cups Sweetened, Condensed Milk
6 ounces, weight Semi-sweet Chocolate
2 Tablespoons Butter

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2.  Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt.
3.  With an electric mixer, mix butter and sugar on high speed until fluffy. Scrape sides of bowl and mix for a few more seconds. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add vanilla. Mix to combine.
4.  Alternate adding dry ingredients and milk in three batches, mixing for a few seconds after each addition.
5.  Scrape sides of bowl, then mix one final time.
6.  Fill paper-lined muffin tins 3/4 full with batter. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes, or until poufy but not brown. Cool before icing.

Sticky Chocolate Icing:
1.  Mix ingredients together in a small/medium saucepan. Melt ingredients over medium low heat, stirring gently. Icing is ready when all ingredients are melted and combined.
2.  Spoon warm icing over warm cupcakes, stirring icing to smooth after every third cupcake or so. Allow iced cupcakes to sit at least ten minutes before serving.

The ruling:
Mollye really enjoyed this cupcake as you can see!  I really liked this icing, but the cake was a little heavy.  I'm not sure if this is because of my horrible baking abilities or the recipe.  The flavor is good, I just like my cake lighter and fluffier.  

Olive (Pepperoni) Cheese Bread #81

This is my mom's favorite Pioneer Woman recipe.  The only problem is that I don't like olives.  My mom suggested I try it with pepperoni instead.  So where this recipe calls for olives, I used pepperoni instead!

Ingredients
1 loaf French Bread
6 ounces, weight Pimiento-stuffed Green Olives
6 ounces, weight Black Olives
2 stalks Green Onions (scallions)
1 stick Butter, Room Temperature
½ cups Mayonnaise
¾ pounds Monterey Jack Cheese, Grated

Directions:
1.  Roughly chop both black olives and pimiento-stuffed green olives. Slice green onions into thin pieces.
2.  Combine butter, mayonnaise, cheese, olives and green onions in a mixing bowl. Stir together until thoroughly combined. Spread mixture onto French bread that has been sliced lengthwise. Bake at 325ºF for 25 to 30 minutes or until cheese is melted and browning.
* Mixture can also be refrigerated (up to two days) and used as a dip. Great with crackers.

 The ruling:
I accidentally turned the oven up to 425, so this got a little brown, but this bread is amazing.  Besides switching the olives for pepperonis, I also omitted the green onions.  I could make this as a french bread pizza and eat it alone any day.

Buttered Rosemary Rolls #76

It's officially 1/2 way through the year and I'm 3/4 of the way to my goal! YAY!! I guess my new goal is to see how many new recipes I can try in 2010!

Here is another promising Pioneer Woman recipe.   We have rosemary in our garden, and I've been wanting to try this recipe for awhile, so now is the time!

The case:
Ingredients

• Frozen, Unbaked Dinner Rolls
• Melted Butter, Regular, Salted
• Fresh Rosemary, Coarsely Chopped
• Coarse Sea Salt

Directions:
1.  Spray a small iron skillet with cooking spray (or coat with olive oil). Place frozen rolls in the skillet, leaving plenty of room for rising. Cover and allow to rise for several hours.

2.  After rising, brush rolls with melted butter.

3.  Sprinkle on chopped rosemary. Brush with additional butter. Sprinkle with coarse sea salt.

4.  Bake according to roll package directions (usually 400 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes), until rolls are a deep golden brown on top.
5.  Serve skillet on the table.

The ruling:
These were so simple and very good.  They look and taste like something that's a lot fancier than frozen rolls with butter and rosemary.  I will be putting this in my keeper file!

Potatoes au Gratin #55

Cheese and potatoes.  Those two words together make my heart sing.  I've been wanting to try this ever since I found out about The Pioneer Woman.  This was one of the first recipes I printed off her site.  The only problem is, typically scalloped potatoes and I don't get along.  I can never get them to cook enough, and I like my potatoes thoroughly done.  Usually I used (gasp) canned potatoes.  Hopefully this will turn out!

The case:

Ingredients
4 whole Russet Potatoes, Scrubbed Clean
2 Tablespoons Butter, Softened
1-½ cup Heavy Cream
½ cups Whole Milk
2 Tablespoons Flour
4 cloves Garlic, Finely Minced
Pepper to taste
1 teaspoon Salt
Freshly Ground Pepper, to taste
1 cup Sharp Cheddar Cheese, Freshly Grated

Instructions:
1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2.  Smear softened butter all over the bottom of a baking dish.
3.  Slice potatoes (thin but not too thin), then cut slices into fourths.
4.  In a separate bowl, whisk together cream, milk, flour, minced garlic, salt, and plenty of freshly ground black pepper.
5  Place 1/3 of the potatoes in the bottom of the baking dish. Pour 1/3 of the cream mixture over the potatoes.
6. Repeat this two more times, ending with the cream mixture. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
7.  Remove foil and bake for 20 minutes, or until potatoes are golden brown and really bubbling.
8.  Add grated cheese to the top of the potatoes and bake for 3 to 5 more minutes, until cheese is melted and bubbly.

The ruling:
I couldn't help myself- I added cheese to the bottom two layers after pouring over the heavy cream mixture.  Isn't that the point of au Gratin potatoes?

Well, all I havta say is YUM YUM YUM!!!!  These were tender and delicious and so quick to make!  This is a new go-to recipe!  The only thing I'll change is to add a little more cheese on the bottom two layers.

Tomato Pesto Pizza #50 and Baked Potato Pizza #51

My friends and I recently had a pizza recipe party.  These are the two pizzas I made.  By the way this was one of my favorite parties ever.  It is amazing all the "pizzas" you can make. 

Pioneer Woman's Tomato Pesto Pizza
The case:

Ingredients
1 whole Recipe Of Your Favorite Pizza Dough (homemade Or Store-bought Is Just Fine, Too)
1 jar Prepared Pesto (or look at my homemade recipe below- it's amazing!)
Kosher Salt To Taste
Fresh Mozzarella
Roma Tomatoes
Fresh Parmesan Cheese

Instructions
1.  Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.  (Adjust for your pizza crust)
2.  Press the pizza dough into a sheet pan (you can also use a pizza stone or grill).   PREHEAT stone if using it!
3.  Smear the pesto over the pizza dough and sprinkle some kosher salt over it.
4.   Slice the mozzarella thin enough to cover the pizza thoroughly.
5.  Next, lay thin slices of Roma tomatoes over the mozzarella.
6.  Grate some fresh Parmesan cheese over the entire pizza.
7.  Bake the pizza according to the crust directions.

Pesto Recipe:

Ingredients:
· 3 cups fresh basil
· 1 cup pine nuts
· 2 cloves garlic
· ¼ cup grated Parmesan (I use more)
· 1 cup olive oil
· Salt and pepper to taste

Directions
1. Put first four ingredients into food processor. Pulse until chopped.
2. While food processor is on, slowly pour in olive oil until desired consistency. Taste and add additional ingredients as desired.

3. Mix in salt and pepper to taste.

Baked Potato Pizza
The case:

INGREDIENTS
1 can (11 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated thin pizza crust
6 slices (1 oz each) provolone cheese
2 cups cubed unpeeled baked potato (about 1 large)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons ranch dressing and seasoning mix (from 1-oz milk recipe package)
8 strips crisply cooked bacon, chopped
1 cup shredded mild Cheddar cheese (4 oz)
1/4 cup sliced green onions (4 medium), if desired

Sour cream, if desired- Or I tried it with ranch dressing which was fabulous! 

DIRECTIONS
1. Heat oven to 400°F. Spray or grease 15x10-inch or larger dark or nonstick cookie sheet. Unroll dough on cookie sheet; starting at center, press dough into 15x10-inch rectangle.
2. Arrange provolone cheese slices on dough. In medium bowl, mix potato, olive oil and ranch dressing mix. Spoon evenly over cheese. Sprinkle with bacon and Cheddar cheese.
3. Bake 13 to 16 minutes or until crust is golden brown and cheese is melted. Sprinkle with onions. Serve with sour cream.


The rulings:
I have to admit both of these were extremely good.  I love, love, love homemade pesto, so I'm always trying to find new recipes to actually use with it. (Two of my favorites are left over shredded roast beef, toasted French bread, and Muenster cheese with pesto or just the baguettes with pesto and then Muenster cheese toasted- YUM)  Anyways, I've already made the pesto pizza three times.

Here is what I learned from making both.  I just used the Pillsbury refrigerated crusts.  The crusts worked better for me to bake them for about 7 minutes before.  Then, add the topics and bake more.  I baked the potato pizza (the 2nd time) longer and cut the potatoes smaller.  They tasted much more "done" that time.  Then, on the tomato basil pizza, I broiled it some at the end to brown the cheese.  I had never used fresh mozzarella, and I just can't tell you how delicious it is.  I will use to whenever possible from now on!

Cheese Grits #43

This is another one of Pioneer Woman's recipes.  It's from her cookbook.

The case:
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups uncooked quick or regular grits
4 eggs
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) butter
3 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
2-4 garlic cloves
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 350.  Add 1/2 teaspoon salt to 9 cups of water in a large saucepan, bring water to a boil over medium heat, and pour in the grits.  Stir to combine.
2.  Cover and finish cooking according to directions.  Quick grits take less than 5 minutes, while regular grits take about 15 minutes.
3.  Turn off the heat when the grits are done.
4.  In a small bowl whisk the eggs.
5.  To temper the eggs before adding them to the hot grits, throw a couple of spoonfuls of hot grits into the eggs.  Begin stirring immediately and continue stirring until the mixture is well combined.
6.  Pour the eggs into the grits.
7.  Stir constantly to incorporate the eggs into the grits.
8.  Add the butter and stir until melted.
9.  Add the cheese.  Stir until melted.
10.Add the garlic and cayenne.
11. Stir well to combine.  Taste and adjust seasonings.
12.  Bake 30-35 minutes.  Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Ruling:
This needed more salt but besides that it was good, but not near as good as my dad's mom's.  I'll post next time I make them!

Chocolate Sheet Cake #41

Wow I can't believe I'm in the 40s.

I just had to squeeze in one more recipe before I started dieting again tomorrow.  Even though I am trying new low-fat recipes, it isn't quite the same as finding a really great recipe that just hits the spot. I'm cooked creamy/savory comfort foods already today, so I thought I would finish with something sweet and savory.  This is another one of Pioneer Woman's recipes- I know- obsessed- I admit it!

The case:

Ingredients:
FOR THE CAKE:
2 cups Flour
2 cups Sugar
¼ teaspoons Salt
4 Tablespoons (heaping) Cocoa
2 sticks Butter
1 cup Boiling Water
½ cups Buttermilk
2 whole Beaten Eggs
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 teaspoon Vanilla

FOR FROSTING:
½ cups Finely Chopped Pecans
1-¾ stick Butter
4 Tablespoons (heaping) Cocoa
6 Tablespoons Milk
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1 pound (minus 1/2 Cup) Powdered Sugar

Preparation Instructions

1.  In a mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt.

2. In a saucepan, melt butter. Add cocoa. Stir together.

3. Add boiling water, allow mixture to boil for 30 seconds, then turn off heat.

 4. Pour over flour mixture, and stir lightly to cool.

5. In a measuring cup, pour the buttermilk and add beaten eggs, baking soda, and vanilla.

 6. Stir buttermilk mixture into butter/chocolate mixture. Pour into sheet cake pan and bake at 350-degrees for 20 minutes.

7.  While cake is baking, make the icing. Chop pecans finely. Melt butter in a saucepan.
8.  Add cocoa, stir to combine, then turn off heat. Add the milk, vanilla, and powdered sugar. Stir together.

 9.  Add the pecans, stir together, and pour over warm cake.

The ruling:
I was worried because this was so thin.  After my thin biscuits this morning I thought oh no, tough cake isn't going to be any good, but once again Pioneer Woman doesn't disappoint.  This is very similar to the Coca-Cola cake my aunt makes, but a lot thinner.  I'm not sure how such a thin cake can be so fluffy, but it is sooo good.  This is a lifetime recipe for me!

Buttermilk Biscuits and Sausage Gravy #38 & #39

Biscuits and gravy is one of my all time favorite meals.  I know I've said before I love breakfast foods, and this is probably my favorite. I have tried to make gravy a couple of times before without a definite recipe.  They both yielded disasters- completely inedible.  Hopefully Pioneer Woman can help this out, but to be honest not much confidence on this one. 

First the biscuits.

The case:

Ingredients:
4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt (3/4 tsp table salt)
2 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 cup chilled shortening
1/3 cup cold butter (5 1/3 tablespoons) cut into pieces
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
2 tablespoons melted butter

Directions:
1. Preheat your oven to 450F.

2. In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients. Stir together. Then add the chilled shortening and cold butter pieces.

3. With a pastry blender, cut in the shortening and butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

4. Pour in the buttermilk and mix gently with a fork until just combined. The dough will be a little sticky, not overly dry or crumbly.

5. Lightly flour a clean surface. Lightly dust your rolling pin with flour. Turn the dough out of the bowl and roll to a 1/2 to 3/4-inch thickness, depending on how thick you'd like your biscuits to be.

6. Cut rounds with a biscuit cutter and place them on a baking sheet.

7. Bake for 11-14 minutes, until golden brown. Do not underbake or the biscuits will be doughy. Brush the tops with melted butter.

The ruling:
To be honest I almost didn't post this at all, but since the point of my blog isn't to share great recipes but to share both the successes and frustrations of trying new things I decided to share.

The failure of the biscuits is completely my fault.  These were actually my second group of biscuits.  I rolled out the biscuits WAY to much.  The first few looked like pancakes and baked hard and burnt.  These were still to thin, but they were edible.  Maybe even decent, but by no means good.  I took a picture looking down on them mainly so you can't see how flat they are. 

Now the gravy.

The case:

Ingredients:
- 1 pound sausage
- Flour
- Salt
- Pepper
- Whole Milk (all I had was FF)

Directions:
1.  Slice and fry sausage according to directions., Remove them to a paper towel to drain.

2.  Pour grease out of the skillet/pan you used for the sausage, adding back in only what you want to use to make the gravy. For one to two people, use about 2 to 3 tbsp. of grease.

3.  Over low to medium-low heat, add about 2 tbsp of flour to the grease and whisk immediately. If you add in a little more grease so it’s smooth and stirrable. You want to find a good balance between the flour and the grease.

4.  Once you find it, just keep stirring with the whisk and allow the mixture to brown for a few minutes. As you whisk, scrape in the anything from the bottom of the pan as you go.  Add sausage bits if desired.

5.  After 2-3 minutes, whisking constantly, pour in about a cup of milk. IF the mixture is dry, lumpy or pasty, add in more milk – again, drawing a balanced mixture. Add salt to taste. Let the gravy warm up over low heat, stirring occasionally. Cut prepared biscuits in half pour gravy atop them

The ruling:

This gravy was pretty good.  I'm not saying its the best I've ever had, but it was good.  I will definitely continue trying to make it and see if practice makes perfect.  Plus, I need to try it with better biscuits.

Pioneer Woman Pound Cake #36

For some reason, I was really craving something sweet tonight.

The case: 

Ingredients
3 sticks Butter
3 cups Sugar
5 whole Eggs
1 teaspoon Butter Flavoring
2 teaspoons Lemon Flavoring
3 cups All-purpose Flour
1 cup Sprite, 7-UP, Or Sierra Mist
 
Preparation Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Cream butter. 
3. Add sugar, 1 cup at a time, mixing after each addition. 
4. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing after each addition. 
5. Add butter and lemon extracts and mix well. 
6. Add flour, 1 cup at a time, mixing well after each addition. 
7. Add soft drink, then mix together until combined. Scrape sides of bowl, then mix briefly.
8, Pour into a greased Bundt pan and bake for 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes, until the cake is no longer jiggly.
9. Remove cake from oven and invert pan until cake drops out. Slice and chow down!

 

The ruling:

Even though a big chunk of this stayed in the bunt pan, it was still pretty.  It was very moist, but I think would be tastier with a powdered sugar and milk icing over the top.  But to be honest, I'd rather have Sundrop cake any day.  Rating: 6 stars