Recipe Friday: February 24, 2012

Southern Fried Chicken

Copied from Paula Deen's Foodnetwork

Ingredients

3 eggs
1/3 cup water
About 1 cup hot red pepper sauce (recommended: Texas Pete)
2 cups self-rising flour
1 teaspoon pepper
House seasoning, recipe follows
1 (1 to 2 1/2-pound) chicken, cut into pieces
Oil, for frying, preferably peanut oil

Directions

1. In a medium size bowl, beat the eggs with the water. Add enough hot sauce so the egg mixture is bright orange.
2. In another bowl, combine the flour and pepper. Season the chicken with the house seasoning.
3. Dip the seasoned chicken in the egg, and then coat well in the flour mixture.

4. Heat the oil to 350 degrees F in a deep pot. Do not fill the pot more than 1/2 full with oil.

5. Fry the chicken in the oil until brown and crisp. Dark meat takes longer then white meat. It should take dark meat about 13 to 14 minutes, white meat around 8 to 10 minutes.

6. Drain on a rack placed over a cookie sheet.

House Seasoning:

1 cup salt
1/4 cup black pepper
1/4 cup garlic powder
Mix ingredients together and store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.

Recipe Friday Feb. 17, 2012

Homemade English Muffin Bread


5 1/2 cups warm water
3 packages yeast
2 Tablespoons salt
3 Tablespoons sugar
11 cups flour (bread flour or all purpose works just as well)

1. Mix altogether, let rise in bowl until double in bulk, then spoon into (4) well greased loaf pans.
2. Let rise in pans until dough reaches the top of the pan, and bake in 350 degree oven for 45 minutes or until golden brown.
3. 10 minutes before done, brush with melted butter. Makes 4 loaves. Bread will be moist at first. Allow to COOL COMPLETELY before cutting.

Recipe Friday: Homemade Sweetened Condensed Milk

Got this off The Pioneer Woman's comment section:

Homemade Sweetened Condensed Milk

Just 4 simple ingredients in the blender and you have it in 1 minute flat.
This makes the equivalent of one can Eagle Brand or the like.

1 cup dry powdered milk (I use nonfat)
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup boiling water
3 Tbsp. melted butter

Mix in the blender. DONE!

For homemade caramel


1 Take can of sweetened condensed milk and remove label. (Do Not Open).
2 Place in a 3-1/2 to 4-1/2 quart crock pot.
3 Pour water in crock pot until the can is completely covered with water. You only need water to be 1/4 in over the top of can.
4 Put lid on crock pot.
5 Heat on high for 3-1/2 to 4-1/2 hours (the longer the milk cooks the darker the caramel will be).
6. Keep the water replenished, do not let it boil dry.
7. At desired time remove can with tongs (Be careful the can will be very hot).
8. Allow to cool to the point that you can touch the can, but the can will be still warm.
9.Open can and pour contents into a bowl that has a good sealing lid.
10 Stir in the vanilla extract.
11 At this point you are ready for dipping.
12 Any leftovers can be placed in the refrigerator.

Recipe Friday Feb. 3, 2012

I'm stealing a recipe from The Pioneer Woman and her photo too, until I take a picture of my own.

Knock You Naked Brownies

1 box (18.5 Ounce) German Chocolate Cake Mix
1 cup Finely Chopped Pecans
⅓ cups Evaporated Milk
½ cups Evaporated Milk (additional)
½ cups Butter, Melted
60 whole Caramels, Unwrapped
⅓ cups Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
¼ cups Powdered Sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
1. In a large bowl, mix together cake mix, chopped pecans, 1/3 cup evaporated milk, and melted butter. Stir together until totally combined. Mixture will be very thick.

2. Press half the mixture into a well-greased 9 x 9 inch square baking pan. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Remove pan from oven and set aside.

3. In a double boiler (or a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of boiling water) melt caramels with additional 1/2 cup evaporated milk. When melted and combined, pour over brownie base.

4. Sprinkle chocolate chips as evenly as you can over the caramel.
Turn out remaining brownie dough on work surface. Use your hands to press it into a large square a little smaller than the pan. Use a spatula to remove it from the surface, then set it on top of the caramel and chocolate chips.

4. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from pan and allow to cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate for several hours.

5. When ready to serve, generously sift powdered sugar over the surface of the brownies. Cut into either nine or twelve helpings, and carefully remove from the pan.

Recipe Friday Dec. 23, 2011 Maple Oat Scones

This recipe is one of our favorites! But it is really special to my little sis Michelle!!!

INA'S MAPLE SCONES
Makes 14

These are a perennial favorite at Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa, a specialty-food market on Long Island, New York. The scones can be cut out ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator, wrapped in plastic, for up to two days; bake just before serving.


FOR THE SCONES

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

1 cup whole-wheat flour

1 cup quick-cooking oats, such as McCann's quick-cooking Irish oatmeal, plus more for sprinkling (optional)

2 tablespoons baking powder

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

2 teaspoons salt

1 pound (4 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes (important)

1/2 cup cold buttermilk

1/2 cup pure maple syrup

4 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten

1 extra-large egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon milk or water, for egg wash

FOR THE GLAZE

1 1/4 cups confectioners’ sugar

1/2 cup pure maple syrup

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 400° with rack in center. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, oats, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Blend butter in at the lowest speed, and mix until butter is in pea-size pieces. In a medium bowl, combine buttermilk, maple syrup, and 4 eggs; mix to combine. Add egg mixture to flour mixture. Mix until just blended. The dough may be sticky.

2. Place dough on a well-floured surface. Roll dough out to a 3/4- to 1-inch thickness with a well-floured rolling pin (there will be lumps of butter in dough). Cut into 3-inch rounds with a plain or fluted cutter, and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

3. Brush tops of scones with egg wash. Bake until tops are crisp and insides are done, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove baking sheet to wire rack to cool for 5 minutes.

4. Make the glaze: Combine confectioners’ sugar, maple syrup, and vanilla. Drizzle each cooled scone with 1 tablespoon glaze (the warmer the scones are when glazed, the thinner the glaze will be). Sprinkle with uncooked oats, if desired, and serve.

Recipe Friday: S'Mores Bars

Made this recipe for my family last year. I've got enough to do it again x 5. I have 4 sisters and a sister in law I take these to..........Here's the recipe:

S'More Bars

2 1/4 C. crushed graham crackers,
2 cups crispy rice cereal
1 cup Karo® Light Corn Syrup
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter OR margarine
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon Spice Islands® Pure Vanilla Extract
6 (1.55 ounces each) milk chocolate candy bars
1 package (10 ounces) mini marshmallows
1/3 cup mini chocolate chips

1. Combine crackers with cereal in a large mixing bowl; set aside.


2. Cook corn syrup and brown sugar in a saucepan over medium heat 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until mixture comes to a boil just around edges. Remove from heat; stir in butter, baking soda and vanilla. (OR in a 1-quart microwave-safe bowl, microwave on HIGH (100%) for about 2 minutes or until syrup boils.)


3. Pour syrup over cereal mixture and stir to coat completely. Transfer to a greased 13 x 9-inch pan; press firmly to level. Place chocolate bars in a single layer over cereal mixture; sprinkle with marshmallows.


4. Bake in a preheated 400°F oven for 5 to 8 minutes or until marshmallows are puffed and lightly browned. Remove from oven and top with mini chocolate chips.


5. Refrigerate for 1 hour until firm; cut into squares. Store in tightly closed container for up to 2 days.

Recipe Friday: Martha Stewart Peanut Brittle

Martha Stewart Peanut Brittle


List of Ingredients

3 cups sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
4 1/2 cups salted, fresh roasted peanuts (about 1 pound, 7 ounces), skinned
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 teaspoons baking soda
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
Recipe
1. Coat two 12-by-17-inch baking sheets with vegetable spray.

2. In a heavy 5-quart saucepan with lid, combine sugar, corn syrup, and 1/2 cup water. Cover pot, and bring to a boil over high heat, about 5 minutes. Dissolve sugar by carefully swirling pot often over burner. Keeping lid on will prevent sugar crystals from forming; however, should crystals form, wash down sides of pot with a wet pastry brush.

3. Once steam just begins to escape from pot, remove cover and reduce heat to medium. Insert candy thermometer, and continue to boil until temperature reaches 230° (thread stage), about 1 minute.

4. Add peanuts, stirring constantly with a metal spoon until mixture reaches 300° (hard crack stage) and is a rich golden brown, 13 to 18 minutes.

5. Immediately remove from heat, and quickly add butter, vanilla, and baking soda. Stir with a metal spoon until butter melts; mixture will become foamy. Pour half of mixture down center of each pan, spreading evenly with a spatula. Allow to cool for at least 1 hour.

6. Turn brittle out of pan, and snap it into shards. Store in an airtight container for several weeks.


This is to die for..................I make it every year.