Time for a Change

I have officially decided to move my blog to its new home over at wordpress. They have many more features that I like and I just need something new to occupy my time. :)

This site will remain up for you to be able to visit all my past posts, but I may try to move all of them as well to the new site. We'll see how ambitious I really am!

Please change your bookmarks to...

www.itallstartedwithmacandcheese.wordpress.com

My Blog turns 1 (and Chocolate Cake of course)

Apparently I have been blogging for a year this week! Time flies when you are having fun, baking, and gaining weight. To mark this blogiversary I decided I would try to make my very first tiered cake. I wanted to try to mimic a bakery in Greensboro that I like because on some of their cakes they have a beautiful chocolate ganache finish. Mine didn't turn out as pretty but good enough for a first try!

The cake I used I got from a Today show segment a while back, but can't find the origin of the recipe. It makes a 3 layer 10 inch cake, but I used one batch to make 2 6in and 2 8in layers. It's a good cake but wasn't as moist as I wanted this time...oh well. I will keep searching for that perfect cake recipe!

Coffee Cake

One of my friends at the office had a birthday this weekend and I wanted to do something a little different for her bday cake. I figure everyone is always trying to wait to an appropriate time to dive into my treats (but I find nothing wrong with dessert for breakfast) so this time I made a coffee cake so anyone can eat it right away. I really did some experimenting by combining 3 or so different recipes into one. My trusty taste tester Kris approved so hopefully everyone at the office will too.

This turned out to be an extremely moist cake so give it a try sometime!

Chocolate Pie

The queen of chocolate pie making in our family is my Aunt Edna. Now for some reason I always seem to miss out on the family meal where she provides this pie, but I hear it is delicious. Aunt Edna makes her pie the old fashioned way with a regular pie crust and topped with meringue. Meringue is not my favorite thing, but it is starting to grow on me.

Since tomorrow is my birthday I decided it was ok to treat myself to a sinful dessert. I searched online for different recipes and didn't find any that looked fabulous so I decided to piece together my own. Using Aunt Edna's pie filling recipe, I paired it with an oreo crust and whipped cream...after all it is MY birthday.

This is a simple recipe and I made it even easier by making the filling in the microwave instead of stovetop. I also used skim milk (insert gasp here) and it thickened up just fine. This justifies eating two pieces today right??

Chili

I should've posted this recipe before the super bowl and big blizzard we just experienced, but better late than never right? Anytime there is a chill in the air coupled with a rainy day I automatically crave chili. I know everyone has their own version of chili and you can debate forever whose is best. I think this is a great starter recipe for you to make your own adjustments to if desired. This recipe comes from my friend Taemi, who also gave me the chicken brining instructions...I told you she was a great cook. I love having a recipe to follow as chili was one of those non-recipe recipes in my house growing up.

Meme's Famous Rolls

I've been meaning to write this post forever and kept putting it off, mainly because I lost the photos and it wouldn't be good without pictures - luckily I found them just this week. I just wish I had done this sooner so my wonderful grandmother could read it herself, but I know she is watching me write it now. :)

My grandmother Meme made the best dinner rolls ever. I can remember my dad videotaping her making the rolls during one of our summer trips to KY. We came home and he tried almost every day to recreate her rolls. They turned out horrible to start and he eventually asked her what he was doing wrong...turns out he forgot to tape the part where she added the sugar! One day he finally got it right and we had delicious rolls, and after that he never made them again.

This past summer I had the opportunity to make the rolls with my grandmother and watch the magic happen. I took care to measure out the flour (since of course she doesn't measure) but I somehow didn't translate that measurement to paper. I tried to make these by myself on Thanksgiving, but they didn't turn out very well. I even had to make two batches because Kris ruined the first ones before they could even rise (he put them on top of the oven vent so the dough started to cook - silly boy). I guess practice will have to make perfect, but I am really trying to stay on a diet so making rolls is not the best idea.

You need to plan ahead if you want these rolls for dinner - they need time to rise and Meme said that they are better the more times you are able to punch them down and let them rise. Just like Nana's macaroni and cheese, maybe one day I will get these rolls right and carry on the tradition.

Roast Chicken and Stuffing

I decided this past weekend that I would try to make a traditional roast chicken for our Sunday dinner. I added stuffing to the meal since enjoyed my Thanksgiving version so much that I thought I would try to make it once more. My mom was always whipping up delicious comfort food meals like this so I thought it was about time I do so as well. I can remember the best roast chicken meal she ever made was when I returned home from a weekend camp in high school (camp Wewa for any of your peer counseling classmates out there). I don't know if it was so good because I was sleep deprived and hungry, or if it really was something she did in the actual cooking of the food. Either way, it was one of the best dinners I ever ate.

White Chicken

This recipe is another one from my mother-in-law Jerrie. It is one of her favorite dishes and now one of mine as well. After baking for an hour and a half, the chicken is pull apart tender and coupled with a delicious sour cream sauce. With sour cream ranking as my #1 favorite condiment, I typically double the sauce so there is extra to go around.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

I love chocolate chip cookies! My earliest memories of baking are of making chocolate chip cookies with my mom and brother. I can remember making them without a mixer, creaming the butter and sugar by hand with a spatula. Not sure why we did it the old fashioned way, but it was fun! My dad would always sneak up and steal big bite of dough and then take claim over licking the bowl, which he still does to this day. Thomas would always place an order for chocolate chip cookies minus the chocolate chips which I must admit are delicious (and no that doesn't make them sugar cookies). We experimented with every recipe out there, from using crisco to butter to margarine, and tried them chewy, crispy and all textures in between.

Trying to please everyone is always hard, but I think this recipe is close to being a perfect chocolate chip cookie. It is a little more work than your typical Tollhouse cookie recipe as it requires 2 different flours, but well worth the try! It is crispy, chewy, chocolaty, salty goodness! I took this recipe from smittenkitchen.com but have made a few adjustments of my own. Here is the link to that cookie blog post:
http://smittenkitchen.com/2008/11/leites-connusmate-chocolate-chip-cookie/

The kicker to this recipe though is that it calls for you to make the dough 24-36 hours in advance so the dough can rest. Therefore it is important for you to learn how to figure out your inner cookie cravings at least one day before it hits! (good luck with that)

Chocolate Chip Cookies
(adapted from Smitten Kitchen)

Ingredients:
2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, room temp
1 1/4 c light brown sugar
1 c plus 2 T granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 t vanilla
2 c minus 2 T cake flour**
1 2/3 c all purpose flour (she called for bread flour, but I have no use for bread flour)
1 1/4 t baking soda
1 1/2 t baking powder
1 1/2 t coarse salt (I cut back to about 1 1/4 the second time I made the cookies)
Chocolate chips - the recipe calls for chocolate disks or feves with at least 60% cocoa content, but who has the time to shop for fancy chocolate chips

Directions:
1. Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder and salts together in a bowl and set aside.
2. Cream together butter and sugars in your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or a regular hand mixer).

Cream until very light, about 5 minutes.

3. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well between each. Add vanilla.

4. Reduce speed to low and slowly add flour mixture until just combined.

5. Stir in chocolate chips and then refrigerate the dough.

6. When it comes time for baking, preheat oven to 350.
7. I try to let the dough come back to room temperature or just slightly chilled in order to make scooping easier, but the original recipe did not specify what to do. Use your own judgment here.

8. Bake cookies for about 10 minutes, until edges become golden brown. Let cool a few minutes so you get the best of the crispy/chewy texture. Enjoy!!

**If you don't have cake flour, here is how you make it:
1. Measure out 1 cup of flour. Remove 2 T of flour from the cup. Put flour in a sifter set over a bowl. Add 2 T of cornstarch to sifter. Follow this pattern until you have enough flour for your recipe.
2. Sift flour and cornstarch together. Repeat sifting 5 times. Voila..you have cake flour.

Panko Chicken

I heard about panko on the Food Network (Japanese bread crumbs) and have always wanted to try it. While home in early December I ran to the local Publix and they had a yummy sample of chicken breast using panko. This recipe is as easy as they come and very delicious for a simple meal. It is a perfect weeknight dinner that can be prepped in about 5 minutes! I can't wait to try something new with my remaining panko crumbs.

Panko Chicken

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lb chicken breast (I used 4 breasts because they fit nicely in my casserole dish)
1 can cream of chicken soup (I prefer the 98% fat free)
1/2 c light mayo
1 1/2 c panko crumbs
1 c cheddar cheese, shredded
3T softened butter (I omitted)
Salt and pepper

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425. Spray baking dish with non-stick spray.
2. Season chicken with salt and pepper and place in baking dish.
3. Combine soup with mayo (I actually skipped the mayo but I bet it would make it have a little more flavor). Spread mixture evenly over chicken breasts.
4. Combine panko and cheese and stir with softened butter, mixing until crumbly.
5. Top chicken with panko mixture.
6. Cover dish with foil and bake 10 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking 10-15 minutes until top is golden brown. Depending on how thick your chicken breasts are you may need more or less time.

Banana Pudding

I love banana pudding! It is what I survived on my first two years of college when we had to go to the dining hall. Furman didn't have the best food, but they did have a darn good banana pudding (and chicken finger Tuesday). There really isn't much to making banana pudding, and I prefer to go light on the banana (sometimes I eliminate it all together). I'm sure there is a long standing debate on whether it is real banana pudding when you use pudding mix instead of making it from scratch, but the mix is just so easy. Here is my "semi-homemade" version of banana pudding. If you want the "real" stuff, check out the side of the Nilla wafer box.

Banana Pudding

Ingredients:
1 large box of vanilla pudding mix
3 1/2 to 4 cups milk
1 banana, sliced thin
Vanilla wafers (as many or as few as you like)
Vanilla extract
Whipped Cream (fresh or cool whip)


Directions:
1. Prepare pudding mix according to mix, however add some extra milk 1/2 to 1 cup. I find that mixing pudding in a blender usually comes out lump-free, whereas whenever I use a mixer there are always lumps.
2. Stir in 1 to 2 tsp of vanilla extract to enhance the flavor (this makes it taste more homemade!)
3. Fold in some whipped cream - an extra large scoop or so, reserving the rest for layering or on top.
4. In a large bowl (I used my trifle dish and doubled the recipe), put a small amount of pudding on bottom and then place a layer of cookies. Top cookies with bananas.
Cover with a generous amount of pudding and then a layer of whipped cream (optional). Repeat over again with layers of cookies, banana, pudding, whipped cream. I added a layer of whipped cream to my first layer, then realized I wouldn't have enough for each layer so just saved the rest for on top.
5. Refrigerate a few hours in order to allow time for the cookies to soften.



Whipped Cream
Ingredients:
1 pint heavy whipping cream
1/4 c powdered sugar (more if not sweet enough)

Directions:
1. Chill mixing bowls and beater
2. Pour whipping cream into chilled bowl and begin to whip on medium high speed with electric mixer.
3. As the cream starts to thicken, slowly add in the sugar.
4. Whip until peaks are formed and held. If you over-whip you will be close to having butter. Taste and make sure the sweetness is right.

Custard

This is probably one of my proudest cooking accomplishments to date! This is not the regular custard you think of that resembles pudding; it is a drink that is similar to egg nog. My grandmother would make this for us every year and when I think of Christmas I think of custard.

Each year my grandmother brought the custard and proclaimed it would be her last year making it as she always burned the milk and the final product was full of lumps. This made me nervous that the recipe would be difficult, however I was determined to try. I never had the opportunity to make this with my grandmother, but luckily she left a handwritten recipe for my mom and her sister. I was very nervous that I would experience the troubles Nana used to have, however I found it very easy (as long as you have a big enough pot). Mine turned out with the exact flavor I remember and completely lump free! I can't wait to take over the tradition of making custard for our family....it will have to start next year though because the Kasiks are heading to Mexico!!

Custard

Ingredients:
1/2 gallon whole or 2% milk (I used 2% as I couldn't bring myself to go with the full fat version)
4 large eggs, separated
3/4 to 1 cup sugar (I think I used closer to 1 c as I added more sugar after everything was added)
1/4 c sugar for egg whites
2 T flour
2 T vanilla extract

Directions:
1. In a LARGE pot (make sure there is plenty of extra room) pour the entire 1/2 gallon of milk and bring to a boil. Make sure to constantly stir and watch this to prevent the milk from scorching.
2. While waiting for milk to boil, beat egg whites with a mixer on high until stiff peaks form, adding 1/4 cup of sugar while they whip. This is where a stand mixer comes in handy as you can just turn it on and get back to whisking your milk.
3. In a small bowl, whisk egg yolks together and set aside. My grandmother's instructions said to add a little cold milk to this so they don't knot up later on. She also specified that she used a fork to whisk egg yolks. :)
4. In another bowl, stir together sugar and flour. Add some cold milk to this and whisk together so there are no lumps and to dissolve the sugar.
5. Once milk comes to a boil, add some of the warm liquid to the egg yolks to temper them and then add them back to the boiling milk.
6. Also add in the sugar/flour mixture and whisk into the milk and bring the milk back to a boil.
7. Once the milk mixture comes back to a boil, remove 2 cups and slowly add to egg whites as mixer is going (after they are firm). This will make the egg whites liquidy.
8. Add egg whites to the milk and whisk to make sure everything is well incorporated. I let this cook a minute or two, but my grandmother didn't specify what to do in her instructions.
**See how the mixture has doubled in size from the first picture of the milk in the pan alone. That is the importance of having a large pot!! I actually need a bigger one. :)
9. Add vanilla and remove from heat.
10. Taste the mix and see if it needs a little more sugar. It will get sweeter and thicker as it cools. It should end up being similar to the consistency of egg nog, although maybe a little thinner.
11. Once the mixture has cooled down some, transfer to a pitcher or back into the milk jug (that is how Nana always stored it). Put in refrigerator and then drink when cold. Make sure to shake up jug before pouring as when I made it a little film formed on top that may cause lumps.

***If you think your custard is lump, strain it before pouring into pitcher.

I hope you enjoy custard as much as I do!! I apologize the pictures aren't the best, but it is hard to photograph a drink. :)

Hot Browns

The Brown Hotel is a historic hotel in downtown Louisville, KY and the birthplace of the Hot Brown. According to the hotel's history, it was a hot spot for dinner dances in the 1920s. After the guests retired their dancing shoes for the night, they were always hungry for a late night meal. This led the chef at the hotel to come up with the Hot Brown. It is a delicious open-faced turkey sandwich with a mornay sauce (fancy name for a parmesan cream sauce). I hope you give this a try the next time you have turkey leftovers (or chicken would work too). If you visit the Brown hotel's website they have their recipe posted, yet I made a few adjustments to make it less fattening (i.e. I didn't use heavy cream).

I made this a couple weeks ago so I don't remember my exact measurements, but I am just remaking the bechamel sauce I use for mac and cheese, just slightly thicker.

Hot Brown

Ingredients:
4 to 6 pieces white bread
Turkey breast
2 T butter
2 T flour
1 1/2 c milk
1/2 c (or more) grated parmesan cheese, and extra to sprinkle on top
4 to 6 slices crispy bacon
Tomato slices
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Melt butter in mixing bowl in microwave
2. Add flour, whisk, and then microwave 30 seconds
3. Add milk, whisk, and microwave at 2 minute intervals until thick (just like macaroni so see that post for pictures)
4. Once thickened, add in cheese to melt and salt and pepper to taste - you now have a mornay sauce
5. Toast bread slices and remove crusts. Place in a baking dish (I used 4 pieces but had lots of extra sauce at the end so you could do 6, possibly 8, pieces)
5. Place generous amount of turkey on top of bread.
6. Top with tomato slice, if desired. I left the tomato out when making it for myself and Kris.
7. Cover with mornay sauce and then top with some extra cheese.
8. Put under broiler until cheese melts.
9. Top with bacon slices and enjoy!

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Ok...now for a real post, although Mrs. Smith's is still the best pumpkin pie in my opinion. I tried this recipe for a Thanksgiving potluck in law school and made it again last week for a co-worker's birthday. I keep getting good reviews, so I guess that means it's a keeper. Try it and judge for yourself. :)

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Ingredients:
3 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 14 ounce can pumpkin pulp
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Graham cracker crust

Directions:
1. Prepare graham cracker crust according to box directions (graham cracker crumbs, butter, sugar). I added a little bit of cinnamon to the crust or you could try using crushed cinnamon graham crackers. Press the crust mixture into the bottom and about 2 inches up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan.

2. Preheat oven to 375.
3. In a mixer bowl, beat the cream cheese until fluffy. Add sugar, cornstarch and vanilla. Mix well.
4. Add eggs and yolks all at once, beating on low speed until just combined.
5. Fold in cream, pumpkin pulp, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
6. Pour filling into the crust lined pan. Place on a shallow baking pan in oven. I also put a pan of water on the bottom shelf (just because people say to do that, but mine cracked anyways)
7. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until the center appears nearly set when shaken.
8. Cool until room temperature, and then refrigerate at least 4 hours before serving (I like to give it overnight).
9. Drizzle with caramel sauce to serve (or any toppings you like)

Cutting tip: use plain dental floss or non-colored thread - makes really clean cuts!!


Post baking thoughts:
Mine came out with a HUGE crack in it (which gradually appeared as it cooled). Some suggestions given to me were: (1) bake it on a lower temperature, (2) bake it in a water bath, not just a pan in the bottom of oven, and (3) leave in oven for 1 hour without opening door after cooking (see my regular cheese cake directions). Hopefully yours will turn out prettier than mine!

Pumpkin Pie

Pumpkin pie is one of my all time favorite desserts. I can easily eat the whole thing and it is best with a mountain of cool whip on top. I prefer it cold, but go ahead and serve it warm if you must. My mom always made the best pumpkin pies and I think now is the time to share our secret family recipe. If you have been frantically searching for that perfect pumpkin pie recipe for tomorrow, look no further. You will be very amazed on how easy it is!!

Pumpkin Pie

Directions:
1. Go to the grocery store, preferably with coupon in hand.
2. Pick up a Mrs. Smith's pumpkin pie.
3. Bake according to box directions.

I told you it was easy! I remember there used to be a pumpkin custard version, but this year I could only find the original. I was a little disappointed when I took the pie out of the box because they have definitely cut back on the size, but I guess this is Mrs. Smith's way of surviving the economy.

Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream

I recently took a fondant class and afterwards decided it was time to try to make the real buttercream used by bakeries. It always intimidated me a little, but it is really rather easy. I wouldn't suggest attempting this if you don't have a stand mixer, your arm will be tired by the end! I have made two batches so far, one chocolate and the most recent an Andes mint chocolate (I had to know if it would be good and it is delicious in my opinion...can't wait to try it out on others - perhaps at Val's xmas party). It doesn't have a dark color to it, but that could possibly be due to the chocolate I used. Maybe black or brown food coloring would help deepen the color to fake the extra chocolately look, or using dark chocolate.

Chocolate Buttercream (adapted from Martha Stewart's recipe)

Ingredients
5 large egg whites - save the yolks for something else tasty
1 1/4 c granulated sugar
4 sticks unsalted butter, room temp
12 oz semi-sweet chocolate, or Andes mints, melted and cooled

Directions:
1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine egg whites and sugar. Place bowl over a saucepan of simmering water (double boiler style). Whisk continuously until mixture reaches 160 degrees, about 5 minutes.
The mixture will look white and fuller after the cooking period.
2. Transfer bowl to the stand mixer and beat egg whites on high until they become thick and fluffy and cooled (the bowl will no longer be warm to the touch). This will take about 10 minutes (I time it out) hence the importance of the stand mixer. :)
This is what it looks like after:
3. Reduce speed to medium and add in butter one tablespoon at a time.
4. Reduce speed to low and add in melted chocolate.
Here's a look at the melting of the Andes mints...I used the larger sized ones so there was less to unwrap. If not using mints, just use one bag of semisweet chocolate chips.
5. Up the speed to medium-high and mix until all incorporated, making sure to scrape sides of bowl.
6. Frost your favorite cake, or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. After refrigeration, let frosting come to room temperature and re-whip with mixer before using.

I made a witch's hat cake for Halloween with my first batch of chocolate buttercream. Not the most perfect hat but it was fun to try! The Andes mint version is waiting in my fridge to be used on a birthday cake for friends this week. :)

Beef Stew

I attempted and successfully made my first beef stew recently. After calling my dad and getting his full instructions on how to make it stove-top, I found Jerrie's crockpot recipe and opted to use it instead. I hope you have a crockpot because you can make cooking easier and this is a delicious meal. Perfect for the yucky rainy and cold weather we have had lately.

Ingredients:

2lb beef chuck roast (cubed)
1/4 c flour
1 t salt (we all know I put way more than this)
1/2 t pepper
2 beef bouillon cubes - dissolved into 2 c water
1 t worcestershire sauce
garlic powder
1 bay leaf
1 t paprika
Carrots (baby carrots work well, if using regular carrots chop into big pieces)
Onion, chopped
3 potatoes skinned and cubed

Directions:
1. Place meat in crockpot.
2. Mix flour, salt, pepper together and stir with meat.
3. Add remaining ingredients and stir to mix well.
4. Cover and cook on low 10-12 hours, high for 4-6 hours.
5. I had to thicken the stew up a little and used cornstarch dissolved into water to do so...use your best judgement.