Skillet Lasagna with Butternut Squash

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Main Dish, Quick Meals and tagged with butternut squash, food, lasagna, meatless entreé, no-boil noodles, recipe, vegetarian January 15, 2015

Skillet Lasagna with Butternut Squash

Talk about being predictable…..during December we bloggers were all writing about cookie swaps, peppermint flavored this or that, drinks to cheer the season, pine cones, Santa hats, and jungle bells. Well, all that sugar and spice is nice but…..

Come January and we’re talking about salad, diets, smoothies and working out. I don’t think we’re allowed to mention fudge in January at all. In fact it may even be against the law. (Let’s save that for V-tine’s Day).

With this recipe I’m breaking out of the mold of predictability. What I have to share with you today is a one-dish meal that is so comforting, you’ll swear it’s baked lasagna. Only it’s not baked. Lasagna cooked on the stovetop? I can see you shaking your head in disbelief. But it’s true.

Lasagna cooked in a skillet.

Layered up with sauce, noodles, cheeses and butternut squash just like the real thing, because it IS the real thing, and dang, is it ever good! Now, making lasagna is pretty close to rocket science, so I want you to pay close attention here.

Remember to cut the squash into small cubes, or if unsure about size, use a package of frozen squash that’s been thawed.

Marinara sauce does not contain meat, so this will be a meatless meal!!!!

Pretend you don’t see meatballs here. Mr. D. wanted them!! 🙂

SKILLET LASAGNA WITH BUTTERNUT SQUASH

Yield: Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 (12-ounce) package frozen chopped butternut squash. thawed. (I used fresh butternut, cubed, and precooked in the microwave to soften)
1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1 cup grated parmesan and /or pecorino romano cheese (about 2 ounces)
1 tsp. chopped fresh chopped rosemary
pinch of freshly ground nutmeg
2 cups jarred marinara sauce
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
6 no-boil lasagna noodles
2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella (about 8 oz.)

Directions:

1. Combine the squash, ricotta, 3/4 cup parmesan, the rosemary and nutmeg in a medium bowl.

In another bowl, combine the marinara sauce and basil. I took a shortcut here by using a marinara sauce that included basil, and added a little more dried basil to it.

2. Spread 1/2 cup of the marinara in a large nonstick skillet. Cover with 2 lasagna noodles. Spread half of the ricotta mixture on top of the noodles, then sprinkle with one-third of the mozzarella. Add another layer of noodles the remaining ricotta mixture, 1 cup marinara and half of the remaining mozzarella.

3. Top with remaining marinara and mozzarella. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup parmesan.

4. Cover and cook over medium-low heat until the pasta is tender and the cheese is melted, about 20 minutes. (Check halfway through, if the edges seem dry, add up to 1/2 cup water.) Let rest 5 minutes before serving.

SOURCE: Food Network Magazine

Banana Cranberry Bread

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Bread, Rolls and tagged with banana bread, cranberries, quick bread, recipe, snack, vegetarian January 12, 2015

I love the beginning of the New Year. There’s nothing going on that makes demands on me. It’s when I can slow down, do some thinking and planning, and recalibrate my brain.

Banana Cranberry Bread

Whenever I need to get “centered” I turn to my oven, and usually what I want to put into the oven involves fruit in some way. In the fruit bowl on my kitchen counter or in the crisper drawer of my refrigerator there is usually some fruit or other that needs to be eaten or used up. In most instances that would be several black and pretty far-gone bananas in the fruit bowl.

It’s embarrassing when someone stops by, and there are the bananas on the counter wearing their black skins, with maybe a few fruit flies visiting them. You know what I mean, I’m sure. Who doesn’t buy a bunch of bananas every time they go to the grocery store. Come on, that can’t be just me.

So like everyone else in this predicament, I make banana bread. Familiar, reliable, sweet. It’s a home run.

My favorite recipe for Banana Bread was my starting place for this recipe. The yogurt in the recipe, in addition to the bananas, makes a nice tender bread, plus the texture it brought to the finished bread was amazing. I added some whole fresh cranberries for some bright spots of color and a zing of tartness amongst the sweetness. They are still appropriate for the season.

OK, let’s take a deep breath and relax as we make this bread. This will not be stressful at all!

We will get out flour, spices and salt and whisk them together well. Nice fluffy flour, with no lumps. From the refrigerator, take out eggs, yogurt and butter.

Now about the butter….why add plain butter when you can add browned butter that’s nutty, fragrant, and has an almost caramelized flavor? Yes, let’s do that!

What else so we need? Brown sugar and the mashed banana. This is turning into something special in spite of myself.

Stir it all together: flour and spices plus all that banana goodness.

Last, throw in the cranberries, pretty little gems. This is the festive part, the bells and whistles.

It makes a lot of batter for one 9″ x 5″ pan. This can be one tasty loaf of banana bread plus 1 or 2 banana bread muffins; or divide into 2 smaller loaf pans, one for now, and one to freeze.

Don’t even think of baking this bread without some crumbly topping. It’s the decorative ending, or beginning, as that is what you will see first, and tempt you to sample this yummy bread.

This bread can do no wrong. It’s moist and soft. Perfect for breakfast and snacking. Studded with cranberries and topped with a crunchy topping. I think you should make a loaf as soon as you have some black bananas, maybe next weekend?

BROWN BUTTER BANANA CRANBERRY BREAD

Yield: (1) 9″ x 5″ loaf + 1 or 2 muffins, or (2) 8″ x 2″ loaves

For the bread:

6 oz. unsalted butter, melted and browned to measure just over 1/2 cup
2 cups all-purpose flour (make part of it white whole wheat if you like)
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. ground cardamom
2 large eggs
3/4 cup lightly packed brown sugar
1 1/4 cup mashed banana ( about 3 medium bananas)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1 1/2 cups whole fresh cranberries

For the crumble:

4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cold
1/2 cup flour
3 Tbsp. lightly packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350*F. Spray pan(s) with non-stick cooking spray and line with parchment paper leaving about two inches of paper to hang over the long sides of the loaf pan.

2. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Butter will begin to foam and crackle as it melts. When the crackling subsides, the butter will begin to brown. Swirl the pan as the butter cooks. When the butter browns and begins to smell nutty, remove from the heat and transfer to a small bowl. Taking the butter out of the hot pan will stop it from overcooking and burning. Set aside to cool.

3. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt , cinnamon, ginger, and cardamom.

4. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, sugar, mashed bananas, vanilla extract, and yogurt.

When butter has cooled, whisk in the browned butter.

5. Add the wet ingredients all at once to the dry ingredients.

Fold together, making sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl to incorporate any hidden pockets of flour. Fold together the ingredients, taking care not to over stir.

Fold in cranberries.

6. Make the crumble: Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and rub together with your fingertips until crumbly. (or cut in the butter with a pastry cutter.)

7. Spoon batter into prepared pan(s). Sprinkle the crumble over the top.

Bake the loaf for 50 – 60 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to rest in the pan for 15 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack to cool completely.

8. Bread will last for 4 days, well wrapped at room temperature. This loaf also freezes well.

SOURCE: adapted from Coffee Cakes and Quick Breads

Mushroom Barley Soup

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Soups and tagged with barley, carrots, celery, hearty soup, Mushrooms, recipe, soup, Umami, vegetarian January 9, 2015

Mushroom-Barley Soup

Here I am in my kitchen on the first really frigid day we’ve had. The wind is blowing and there’s a light cover of snow on the ground. We’re in for some bitter cold weather…..the Canadian Clipper has arrived. (Canadian friends, thanks a bunch!). I’m going to indulge myself today and wear my warm leggings, a sweater, heavy socks and slippers. And as you can probably guess I’m making…..soup!

This is excellent, excellent soup. If you like mushrooms and you like barley, this combination in a soup can’t be beat. It’s very easy and economical to make and only takes about an hour.

This is a hearty soup with rich depth of flavor. It’s even better the next day. If it thickens up too much you can always add a little water or more broth. I used two kinds of mushrooms; baby bella(s) and porcinis that I cut rather thick, so biting into them is like eating meat. The flavor is outstanding!!

Be sure to taste before adding salt as broth will have some salt in it, even if it’s lower in sodium. I thought that the 1/4 cup olive oil was a bit too much so only used about half that amount, and the veggies sautéd just fine. If you use regular barley instead of pearled, it will cook quicker if you soak it overnight. Pearled barley cooks in about an hour or a little more. When making soup it’s always best to plan a little extra time, but keep it 98% covered so the broth doesn’t evaporate away while it simmers.

MUSHROOM BARLEY SOUP

Yield: Makes about 6 servings

Ingredients:

1/4 cup olive oil
3/4 cup sliced carrots
1 teaspoon minced garlic
6 cups beef broth ( Vegetarians use vegetable broth.)
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 pound sliced fresh mushrooms (use 2-3 different kinds if possible)
3/4 cup pearl barley, rinsed
1 teaspoon dried thyme

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a large soup kettle over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery and garlic; cook and stir until onions are tender and transparent.

Saute the veggies in a little olive oil.

2. Stir in mushrooms and continue to cook for a few minutes longer.

Add in the mushrooms.

Pour in the beef broth and add the barley and thyme.

3. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and keep at a low simmer until barley is tender, about 50 – 60 minutes. Season with salt and pepper as needed before serving.

Hearty and delicious. Full of umami flavor!

SOURCE: Slightly modified from Allrecipes.com

Loaded Nachos

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Appetizers, Quick Meals, Snacks and tagged with Appetizer, food, nachos, recipe, snack, super bowl January 7, 2015

Loaded Nachos

Around here we take our nachos very seriously. Very, very seriously.

What this means is that we really do love nachos, and both Mr. D. and I agree we like them loaded with as much stuff as I can get my hands on.

When making nachos, it’s a little like building a house. First you start with a good foundation (tortilla chips), then you build up the structure, a tower of multi layers of seasoned beef, beans, crisp waffle fries, and cheeses. Then you top it all off with some pico de gallo, that you made yourself; savory, colorful, and so delish.

When you look at the ingredient list for these nachos, it looks like a lot, but really it isn’t. It all comes together when you experience that first perfect bite that contains a little bit of everything. Yes, indeed!

I made these for New Year’s Eve. They served as our supper, but you can serve them as an appetizer, or a snack. (Think Super Bowl coming up.) Once you start on them it’s hard to stop so take my advice and make a lot.

LOADED NACHOS

Yield: Servings: 4

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 lb. ground beef
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 can (14.5 oz.) pinto beans, chili beans, or ranch style beans
1/2 cup hot water
tortilla chips
frozen waffle potato fries
1 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 1/2 cup Mexican Blend, Taco blend or Monterey Jack cheese
3 – 4 plum tomatoes, diced
1 whole jalapeño, finely diced (optional)
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped (or use parsley)
juice of 1 lime
1/2 tsp. salt
1 avocado, pitted and diced
sour cream, (optional)

Directions:

Start by cooking the waffle fries. Follow package directions for oven temperature and length of time needed to get them crispy on the edges. Once cooked, remove from oven and set aside. If you prefer you may omit the waffle fries and use all tortilla chips throughout. I prefer the fries because I like the texture contrasts in the finished nachos.

Next, dice up half the onion….

Heat up a non-stick skillet with a little olive oil….

and add in the chopped onion.

Cook the onions for a minute or two, then add in the ground beef.

Break it up and let it cook until the meat is browned. Drain off any fat that has accumulated in the bottom of the pan.

Open the beans and add them to the pan along with the seasonings. Stir it around to mix in the spices and blend the flavors.

Pour in the hot water to make it a little more saucy. Reduce the heat to Low and let it simmer while you get the rest of the ingredients ready.

Next, chop up the rest of the onion, making a fine dice.

Next up, chop up those tomatoes. This is how I do it: cut off the tops, then cut them into slices, then cut the slices into strips. Now cross-cut the strips to dice them. If you are using a jalapeño, use the same technique to dice it.

Peel and seed the avocado, cut into strips, then crosscut into cubes.

Now, throw the onions, tomatoes, avocado and jalapeño into a bowl. Tell them to get acquainted, you’ll be right back.

Tear the leaves off half a bunch of cilantro (or parsley) and chop roughly. Throw that into the bowl.

Cut a lime in half, and squeeze in the juice. Add a little salt and pepper.

And stir it all together. That’s your Pico de Gallo!!

We like it a little chunky, but if your family likes it more finely chopped, that’s great. It will all taste the same.

Finely, the cheese 🙂 I grated a yellow cheddar and used a package of Taco Blend. I did not mix them together. You’ll see why in a minute.

To assemble the nachos, make a single layer of chips on a platter or large plate.

Scoop up a big ole spoonful of the beef/bean mixture and sprinkle it all over the chips. Messy is good, so let it be!

Sprinkle on a layer of cheddar,

This is where the goodness-level jumps up a notch: Put on a layer of waffle fries….

And another layer of beef and beans…

Then a nice layer of Taco blend, and another layer of waffle fries.

Now use up the remainder of the beef/bean mixture to top it all, and a final layer of Taco blend or cheddar (your choice).

I put mine back into the still warm oven (turned off), and let the cheese melt. Alternately, you could nuke the whole shebang for about 45 seconds until the cheese is perfectly melted.

AND THEN….

Spoon the Pico de Gallo on top of it all. Why? Because this is the roof on the house, or the flowers in the garden. It’s the finishing touch that keeps you going back for more. And it looks so pretty!

AND, because it’s all the veggies that makes this platter of nachos healthy. I know for sure it’s what makes them so delicious!

I hope you enjoy my approach to making nachos. Try them real soon, and of course, you can add whatever extras you like: sour cream, chopped black olives, chopped green onions–anything. My favorite part are the chips on the bottom that start to soften under all the gooey ingredients, while the waffle fries stay crisp. Divine!

SOURCE: Adapted from The Pioneer Woman Cooks

Broccoli Cheddar Quiche

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Main Dish and tagged with eggs, food, heavy cream, low carbohydrate, quiche, recipe, vegetarian January 5, 2015

Broccoli Cheddar Quiche

It’s a fact! I know it for sure. Real men do eat quiche.

How did quiche ever get the reputation for not being “manly”? This quiche is he-man stuff. Packed with broccoli, sautéed onions, two kinds of cheese, six eggs, and heavy cream all wrapped into a flaky, tender crust. Yikes! It just doesn’t get any better than this.

Fact #2: You can eat this at any meal. Call it a weekend breakfast or brunch, call it lunch, or add a leafy green salad and call it dinner.

Like a favorite guest who is always welcome at your table, this is a dish you will want to make often. If you must, you can sub out the broccoli and insert asparagus, or change up the cheeses used, but please don’t use skim milk instead of heavy cream. It just won’t be the same; no way, no how.

A properly prepared quiche has two requirements: a well-cooked crust, and a properly cooked filling–not rubbery and overcooked, and not watery. This quiche recipe will deliver perfect results every time.

A key factor that contributes to the deliciousness of this quiche is pre-baking the crust before filling it. This is called “blind baking ” the crust. With the crust almost totally cooked before filling it, it doesn’t become soggy when you add the egg custard. Even leftover pieces will have a crispy, flaky crust.

The key to the filling? Keep an eye on it and remove from the oven as soon as the center is set.

As we swing into the new year, with thoughts of trying to loose a little weight, this quiche will be seeing some heavy rotation in my meal planning because in spite of its richness, it is quite low in carbs, (only the crust). When following a low-carb diet, weight loss occurs by using stored fat as your energy source instead of carbohydrates as a ready source of energy. In that scenario, the amount of fats you eat has no significance. I know, it sounds counter-intuitive, but it works.

BROCCOLI CHEDDAR QUICHE

Yield: Makes 8 servings

Ingredients:

all-purpose flour for rolling
1 homemade or store-bought single-crust pie dough
1 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 large yellow onion, diced
coarse salt and ground pepper
6 large eggs
3/4 cup heavy cream
3/4 pound broccoli florets, steamed until crisp-tender
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese (about 4 ounces)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375*F. Lightly flour a rolling pin and work surface and roll out dough to a 12-inch round. Place in a 9-inch pie plate, fold overhang under, and crimp the edge. Place a sheet of parchment paper over the dough and fill with pie weights or dried beans.

Fill crust with pie weights or beans to prevent air-bubbles.

Bake until edge is dry and light golden, about 20 minutes. Remove parchment and weights.

2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, precook the broccoli florets until crisp-tender.

3. In another skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add onion, season with salt and pepper, and cook until light golden, 8 to 10 minutes.

4. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs and cream. Season with 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper.

5. Place broccoli florets in bottom of pie dish (crust)…..

spoon on the onions, then the cheese.

Pour the egg/cream mixture over all.

Bake until center of quiche is just set, 40 to 45 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

To store: refrigerate cooled quiche, tightly covered, up to 3 days. To reheat, cover with foil and place in a 325 *F. oven until warmed through, about 15 minutes.

SOURCE: Everyday Food, Dec. 2011

Eggnog Fruit Bread

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Bread, Rolls, Holiday and tagged with candied fruits, eggnog, quick bread, recipe, vegetarian December 31, 2014

Eggnog Fruit Bread

Oh eggnog, eggnog, how I do love you. You are just the ticket for smoothing out a little hootch, happily consumed on Christmas eve in the name of good cheer. You are the perfect accompaniment to some of those Christmas cookies, and mixed into the egg mixture, you made marvelous French Toast on Christmas morning. But why, dear eggnog, is there so much of you left when the celebrations are all over?

Well, there’s just one thing to do…. turn you into something else.

Poof! You are now a fruit bread.

FRUITED EGGNOG BREAD

Yield: Makes two 7.75″ x 3.75″ loaves, or ( 1 ) 9″ x 5″ loaf

Ingredients:

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. mace (nutmeg is a good substitute.)
1 1/2 cups eggnog
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp. rum flavoring
3/4 cup chopped pecans
3/4 cup mixed candied fruits

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350*F. Grease a 9″ x 5″ pan or two smaller pans ( approx. 8″ x 4″); or line with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the long sides of the pans.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and mace.

3. In another smaller bowl, beat the egg with a whisk, stir in melted butter, eggnog and rum flavoring. Add all at once to flour mixture and stir with a spoon just until flour is moistened. (Mixture will be lumpy.)

4. Fold in pecans and fruits; spread batter in pan(s). Bake 1 hour or until tester inserted in center comes out clean.

5. Cool breads in pan on wire rack 10 minutes, remove from pan(s) to cool.

This bread will freeze nicely if wrapped in plastic wrap and then foil.. Thaw at room temperature. Makes 1 large, or 2 smaller loaves.

The flavor of eggnog is apparent in this bread, but it is not overly sweet. We like it lightly toasted and served with coffee. It’s also a nice snack if served with a glass of cold milk or more eggnog.

Gingerbread Scones

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Muffins & Scones and tagged with gingerbread, molasses, recipe, scones, snack, teatime December 24, 2014

Gingerbread Scones

By now your plans for Christmas morning breakfast are probably all set, but just in case they are not, here’s a suggestion for scones that are quick to make and will bring back memories of Christmas mornings past. Ginger bread in another form, what’s not to like here?

This spicy-sweet combination of molasses and ginger is a hallmark of the holiday season. So just like Bing Crosby’s “White Christmas”, it doesn’t take much to put us in the holiday mood.

Beside it’s strong, robust flavor, gingerbread also packs a punch with its unmistakable aroma. Like many aromas, it can transport you across many years and many miles to when you were first introduced to it’s spicy goodness.

The delightfully cozy combination of spicy ginger, bold molasses, cinnamon and cloves will work their memory whether you have it in the form of cakes, cookies or scones, as I made here.

GINGERBREAD SCONES

Yield: Makes 12

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
3 Tbsp. brown sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 cup cold butter, cubed
1/3 cup molasses
1/4 cup milk
1 egg, separated
coarse sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400*F. Grease a baking sheet or line with parchment paper, and set aside.

2. In a large bowl, whisk the first eight ingredients ( flour through cloves). Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

Dry ingredients and wet ones prepared to mix together.

3. In another bowl, whisk milk, molasses and egg yolk until blended; stir into crumb mixture just until moistened.

4. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface; knead gently just a few times. Pat into an 8-inch circle. Cut into 12 wedges.

8-inch circle of dough, cut into 12 wedges.

Place wedges 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheet.

5. In a small bowl, whisk the egg white until frothy. Brush over the tops of the scones. Sprinkle with coarse sugar.

Brush tops with egg white, and sprinkle with LOTS of sugar for a crunchy top.

Bake 12 – 15 minutes or until golden brown. Do not over bake, as they can become dry.

Best when served warm. Especially good with a flavored butter, such as cranberry butter, or honey butter. These make a nice addition to a luncheon or a tea.

I really liked these scones as they are not sweet, so a flavored butter adds a nice touch. The next time I make them I will also add some chopped candied ginger, to really emphasis the ginger flavor.

SOURCE: A Taste of Home

Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Cake

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Cakes and tagged with cake, cinnamon, cinnamon roll, coffeecake, dessert, pumpkin, recipe December 23, 2014

Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Cake

This cake, oh man, did it turn out well! What started out as a plain, but exceptionally good, pumpkin cake morphed into a gigantic cinnamon roll.

The cake is fine textured and velvety smooth. It just melts in your mouth. As if that weren’t enough before baking it I swirled some cinnamon roll filling into the top which got all gooey and caramelized as it baked. Once out of the oven and still warm, I finished it off with a buttery cinnamon glaze that creeps into all the crevices, making this the best darn cake if I do say so myself.

This would be fabulous for Christmas morning, or an addition to a holiday buffet or brunch, but it can certainly hold its own as an after dinner dessert as well. The cake recipe is one that I use often, it’s my favorite pumpkin cake. You could bake it in the form of cupcakes, a loaf cake, or whatever. You won’t be sorry with this cake recipe. I particularly like that it makes a small cake, perfect for two or a small family. Double all ingredients if you want to go bigger, it can handle it!

If you know someone who is obsessed with anything pumpkin, make this cake for them and watch them swoon 🙂

PUMPKIN CINNAMON ROLL CAKE

Yield: 1 8 – 9-inch round cake

Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
3/8 cup light brown sugar (I measure 1/2 cup, but don’t pack it)
2 large eggs
3/8 cup vegetable oil
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 cup milk

Cinnamon Swirl:

2 Tbsp. butter, melted
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon

Glaze:

2 Tbsp. butter, melted
3 – 4 Tbsp. powdered sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 – 2 tsp. milk, if needed

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350*F. Grease or spray an 8 or 9-inch round cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper. Set aside.

2. In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices.

3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the eggs and brown sugar for 2 – 3 minutes or until fluffy. Add the oil and pumpkin, beating until smooth.

4. Gradually mix in the dry ingredients in 3 batches alternating with milk, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. Don’t over-mix.

5. Pour batter into the pan and smooth the top with an off-set spatula or knife.

6. Stir together the filling ingredients. Carefully pour filling into a piping bag, or use a glass measuring cup with a spout. Swirl the filling onto the top of the cake.

7. Bake for 25 – 30 minutes, or until baked through and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

For Glaze:

8. Whisk together the melted butter and powdered sugar until smooth. (Start with 3 T. of sugar and add the 4th if it seems too runny. Stir in the cinnamon and add milk if needed. You want the glaze to easily spill off the spoon and not be too thick.

9. Drizzle the glaze over the warm cake and serve while warm.

SOURCE: The cake recipe was adapted from Food and Wine

Apricot Butter Horns

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Cookies and tagged with apricot filling, Christmas cookies, cookies, crescent cookies, recipe December 22, 2014

Apricot Butter Horns

These are cookies for the sake of cookies, cookies for December, cookies for Christmas, or just so I can stand in my kitchen and do something that will result in a mouth-watering morsel of deliciousness. Lets see how many of these warm, apricot-filled, powdered sugared bites we can fit into our mouths.

The answer for me is 2.5. That’s how many of these cookies it takes to fill my mouth. Does that mean I have a big mouth? I don’t think so, but some people might say “yes”. So be careful.

Although I’m making these cookies for Christmas, I’m thinking about other up-coming events, and just general winter-time cookie desires. These buttery filled cookies fit the bill. Tender, cardamom-scented, honeyed bites of powdered sugar clouds. If you’re thinking ahead to Valentine’s Day, these would be lovely with a cherry filling, and I also think a fig filling would be a wonderful accompaniment to the spices used in the cookie dough. I just talked myself into making them again with a different filling.

I’m throwing down a challenge here…..what kind of filling can you come up with for these cookies? I want to know.

APRICOT BUTTER HORNS

Yield: 4 dozen

Ingredients:

3/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
1 egg
3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. ground cardamom
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 cup apricot cake and pastry filling
powdered sugar

The best flavor comes when you grind the cardamom fresh.

Cardamom seeds are encased in these white papery pods.

Grind them with a mortar and pestle.

Directions:

1. In a large mixer bowl, beat the butter for 30 seconds. Add the sugar and honey; beat till fluffy. Beat in the egg.

2. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, cardamom, nutmeg, and salt. Add dry ingredients to the beaten mixture, stirring to make a soft dough.

3. Divide dough into thirds; wrap in waxed paper, or plastic wrap. Chill dough in refrigerator for at least 3 hours.

4. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350*F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

5. On a well-floured surface roll 1 portion of dough into a 12-inch circle. (keep the remaining dough refrigerated until ready to use.)

Roll dough into a 12-inch circle.

6. Spread 1/4 cup apricot filling over dough to within 3/4-inch of the edge. With a fluted pastry wheel or a sharp knife, cut dough into 16 wedges.

Roll up each wedge into a crescent. Place cookies on prepared cookie sheets.

Ready for the oven.

7. Bake at 350*F. for 12 minutes.

Cool on a wire rack. Repeat with remaining dough and filling. Before serving sprinkle cookies with powdered sugar.

SOURCE: Better and Homes and Gardens, Special Interest Publications, Christmas, 1996

Just some of my collection of old issues.

Decorating Cookies: A Simple Glaze

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Cookies, Holiday, Kitchen Basics and tagged with cookie decorating, decorative icing, kitchen basics, recipe, simple glaze December 19, 2014

When this container appears in my kitchen, it means it’s time to get serious about cookie decorating. After all, Christmas is only a week away, and the cookies I baked yesterday, must be finished today!

This is how I begin:

I set up my center island in the kitchen with an old tablecloth, pour myself another cup of coffee, and begin to lay out all the necessary supplies, equipment and other stuff I may or may not use. ( Nice to have it out and handy just in case inspiration strikes.) It’s time to break out the tools and have some fun.

If you’re like me you have the cookies all baked, cooled and stored in an airtight container, ready and waiting to be decorated. This may have been done up to a week ahead.

Next I make the decorative icing. I used to make royal icing, whipping it up like crazy, covering it with layers of damp paper towels or a cloth towel in an attempt to prevent it from drying out. I still do make it if I want to get really fancy in my decorating, but for the most part, I get just as much bang for my buck, in a lot less time, with this Simple Cookie Glaze.

Here’s how to make it. Put the following in a deep mixer bowl:

2 1/4 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
2 Tbsp. light corn syrup
1 1/2 to 2 Tbsp. milk, plus 1 teaspoon milk

Ingredients for glaze.

Mix together the sugar and corn syrup. Then add 1 1/2 tablespoons milk, and begin to mix. As you mix it together you will get a thick, pasty blob forming in the center of the bowl.

Thick blob forms.

Now add 1 more teaspoon milk. Continue mixing until things begin to smooth out; but it you’re using all your might to draw the whisk (or spoon) through the mixture, or you electric mixer overheats and stops working, (just kidding), you’re allowed to add 1 additional teaspoon milk.

This is what the texture looks like:

Smooth and thinned out.

The frosting falls in a ribbon, but disappears back into the pool of frosting in the bowl within a few seconds.

Perfect consistency.

I bring out a few of my re-purposed “to-go” containers with lids. This glaze can’t be left uncovered for more than a few minutes before it begins to thicken up, dry out, and develop a crust. So I divide it up into several containers with lids, so that I can tint smaller portions in the colors I plan to use.

Coloring small amount of the glaze.

Also, if I know that I will be using this icing again in a day or so, these containers are just right for keeping it moist and ready to go when I need it. An additional drop or two of milk will loosed it up if it should get a little too thick.

I put some plain glaze in a container, give it a healthy blob of gel paste food coloring, then mix it up. Dip your cookie into the glaze, or spread it on the cookie with an off-set spatula. If you want them to be sparkly, sprinkle on some fine decorating sugar, or sprinkles. If not, just let the glaze dry. Then you can draw or write on it with food-safe colored pens. These are great for drawing on faces or accenting details of the cookie mold.

I like to use squeeze bottles with decorating tips on them to write on cookies or make details. Just spoon white or colored frosting of choice into the bottle, screw on the cover with tip attached, and gently squeeze the bottle.

That’s how I made these. Trees with snow on them. Aren’t they cute?

With the batch of Swedish Ginger Cookies that I made yesterday, and only 1 batch of the Simple Glaze, I was able to get this variety of cookies.

It’s easy to make an impressive and colorful assortment of cookies that look like they required more work than they actually did, using this decorating method.

Now, go……bake,……decorate,……have fun! 🙂

Delicious on a Dollar

Devoted to the preparation of healthy & economical foods that taste fabulous!

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