Biscotti

I found a great recipe for gingerbread biscotti in a parenting magazine.  It was a fun, easy Christmas gifts kids can make.  The gingerbread flavor is so rich.  You bake the biscotti and then let it cool and then toast it.  Honestly, sometimes, we don't put it back into toast it.  When you take it out of the oven the first time it is the consistency of gingerbread (except it doesn't rise, so it's flat bread, but YUMMY). 

Gingerbread Biscotti

Category:  Baked Goods
Sub Category:
Source: Family Fun

 

2 c flour

1 t baking powder

1 ½ t ginger

3 t cinnamon

¼ t salt

6T unsalted butter, softened

1 c sugar

2 eggs

3 T light molasses

2 t vanilla

8 oz white chocolate chips

 

1.  Heat oven to 350. Coat a baking sheet w/cooking spray. 
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. 
3. In stand mixer on med, beat butter and sugar until fluffy.  Add egg, molasses and vanilla and mix well.  Reduce speed to low and blend in flour mixture.
4. With slightly wet hands, halve dough and shape into two 2 ½ x 9 in rectangles.  Bake until golden brown and just starting to crack, about 25 min.  Let cool and reduce the oven’s temperature to 325.
5. Use a sharp knife to cut loaves into ¾ in slices.  Place slices cut side down and bake until toasted, about 8 min.  They should be crunchy on outside but not hard.  Transfer to a rack to cool completely.
6. Melt the chocolate and drizzle on biscotti

Pancakes

I have three different pancake recipes I like.  Aaron asked for pancakes the other day and I grabbed this one.  I was reminded of how much I like it.  It turns out very good pancakes.  It calls for plain yogurt, but I always use flavored - whatever I have.  I've done blueberry, banana and vanilla.  I sometimes omit the vanilla depending on the flavor of yogurt used.

Pancakes

1 c flour

1 T sugar

1 t baking powder

½ t baking soda

1 c plain yogurt

1 egg

½ c water

1 t vanilla

 

1. Combine dry ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
2. Whisk remaining ingredients and add to dry ingredients, mixing well.
3. Cook on griddle.

 

The BEST Ham!

I cut a recipe out of Southern Living's New Year's Special called Good Luck Greens and Peas with Ham.  If you are not from the South, Black-eyed Peas are eaten on New Year's Day for luck.  (Where I come from it's Sauerkraut and no one has heard of Black-eyed peas, but that's another post).

This was the first time I made ham in a crock pot and it was SO GOOD.  The ham just fell apart and was really outstanding.  It was not a sweet ham, though, so if that's your thing...as good as the ham was, my husband went nuts over the peas and greens.  He told me several times he's never had greens or peas that good.  He took a picture and sent it to his friends.  This is definitely one of his favorite recipes I've ever made.

Ham with Greens and Peas

Category:  Main Dishes

Sub Category:

Source: Southern Living

 

32 oz vegetable broth

16 oz frozen black-eyed peas, thawed

1 sweet onion, cut into eighths

¼ c apple cider vinegar

¼ t dried crushed red pepper

2 T dark brown sugar

2 T country style Dijon mustard

5-6 lb smoked, fully cooked semi boneless ham

1 lb shredded fresh collard greens

1.  Place first five ingredients in slow cooker.  Stir together brown sugar and mustard and rub over ham.  Place ham in slow cooker.  Cook on high 6-7 hours.

2.  Add greens and cook on high one hour.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Baked Corn

I love to take a vegetable God meant for nourishment and just add as much fat as possible to it.  Seriously, this recipe is not healthy, but it is SO good.  And I don't always wait until dinner to serve it as a side dish.  A lot of times I treat it as a dip and dunk tortilla chips deep into it.  YUM.

Baked Corn*

Category:  Sides

Sub Category: 

Source:  Southern Living

2-4 bacon slices

1 T butter

2 T chopped onion

2 T all-purpose flour

1 t salt

1 c sour cream

16 oz package frozen corn, thawed

 

1. Cook bacon in a large skillet until crisp, remove bacon and drain on paper towels, reserving 1 T drippings in skillet.  Crumble bacon and set aside.
2. Melt butter in hot drippings over med heat.  Add onion and saute until tender. 
3. Whisk in flour and salt until smooth and bubbly. 
4. Whisk in sour cream until smooth.  Cook, whisking often, 3 minutes.  Stir in corn and cook until thoroughly heated.
5. Spoon into a lightly greased 8 in baking dish.  Top with crumbled bacon.  Bake at 350 for 15-20 min or until bubbly.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chocolate Cola Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting

This is so good!  It was in last month's Southern Living and I made it on a whim this week.  I had all of the ingredients on hand.  The cake is super moist and the frosting tastes like peanut butter fudge.  I actually made two 8-inch square cakes instead of one 9x13 and passed the second cake on.  I got great reviews from the recipients!

Peanut-Cola Cake

Category:  Desserts

Sub Category: Cake

Source: Southern Living

Cake:

1 c cola
½ c buttermilk
1 c butter, softened
1 ¾ c sugar
2 eggs
2 t vanilla
2 c flour
¼ c cocoa
1 t baking soda
1 c chopped honey-roasted peanuts

Frosting:

¼ c butter
¾ c milk
1 c creamy peanut butter
16 oz package powdered sugar
1 t vanilla
 

1. Preheat oven to 350.  Combine cola and buttermilk in a 2-cup measure.
2. Beat butter at low speed until creamy.  Gradually add sugar, beating until blended.  Add eggs and vanilla; beat at low speed just until blended.
3. Combine flour and next two ingredients in a medium bowl.  Add to butter mixture alternately with cola mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture.  Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition.  Pour batter into lightly greased 13x9 pan.
4. Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes or until a wooden pick comes out clean.  Cool in pan for 10 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, prepare frosting:  Melt butter in a large saucepan over med heat.  Whisk in milk, and bring to a boil, whisking constantly.  Reduce heat to low, and whisk in peanut butter until smooth.  Gradually whisk in sugar until smooth; remove from heat, and whisk in vanilla.  Use immediately.  Pour over warm cake.
6. Sprinkle with chopped peanuts. As a note, I assumed the peanuts were an optional garnish and I did not have any on hand, so I didn't worry about it.  However, it was not possible for me to get the frosting completely smooth and you could see little pieces of powdered sugar.  I think the peanuts are to cover that up, so I would suggest them if you like peanuts alright.

Grilled Jalapeno-Lime Corn

We grill corn a lot in the summer and we try lots of new things to season it.  This is a butter recipe to serve with the corn and we loved it!  So good!

Grilled Jalapeno-Lime Corn

Category:  Vegetables

Sub Category:

Source: Southern Living

8 ears corn, husked

Cooking spray
Salt and pepper
½ c butter, softened
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
1 small garlic clove, pressed
1 T lime zest
1 T lime juice

1.  Preheat grill to mid-high heat.  Coat corn with cooking spray.  Sprinkle with desired amount of salt and pepper.  Grill corn, covered with grill lid, 15 min or until golden brown, turning occasionally.
2. Meanwhile, stir together butter and next 5 ingredients.  Remove corn from grill and serve with butter mixture.

Shrimp and Grits

This was sooo good. It was more labor intensive than I will generally put up with, but it was worth it! I would definitely make this again - soon!

Shrimp and Grits

Category: Main Dishes

Sub Category: Seafood

Source: Southern Living

Grits:

1 ½ c Milk

¼ c unsalted butter

1 ½ c quick-cooking grits

1 T unsalted butter

4 garlic cloves, minced

3 shallots, minced

¾ c dry white wine

½ c grated parmesan cheese

2 T chives

1 ½ t salt

¼ t pepper

Shrimp Sauce:

30 jumbo raw shrimp

1/8 t salt

1/8 t black pepper

¼ c olive oil, divided

3 garlic cloves, chopped

1 T minced shallots

1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

1 T lemon juice

1 ½ t drained capers

¼ t ground red pepper

Dash of hot sauce

3 T unsalted butter, cubed

1 T chives

1. Prepare grits: Preheat oven to 350. Bring milk, ¼ c butter and 4 c water to boil in an ovenproof Dutch oven over med-high heat. Whisk in grits; bring mixture to boil, whisking occasionally. Cover and bake 45 min or until grits are creamy, whisking every 15 min.

2. Meanwhile, melt 1 T butter in a large skillet over med heat; add 4 cloves garlic and 3 shallots and sauté 3 ½ min or until shallots are translucent. Add wine, stirring to loosen particles from bottom of skillet. Cook, stirring often, 4 minutes or until liquid is reduced by 2/3; fold into hot cooked grits. Stir in cheese and next 3 ingredients.

3. Prepare shrimp sauce: Peel shrimp; devein if desired (I bought peeled and deveined). Sprinkle with 1/8 t each salt and pepper.

4. Cook shrimp, in 2 batches, in 2 T hot oil in large skillet over med-high heat 2 minutes on each side or just until shrimp turn pink. Remove shrimp from skillet.

5. Saute 3 garlic cloves and 1 T minced shallots in remaining 2 T hot oil in skillet over med-high heat 1 minute. Add tomatoes and next 4 ingredients. Cook, stirring often, 5-7 minutes or until tomatoes begin to break apart. Stir in shrimp and 3 T butter. Serve with chives over grits.