January 29th to February 4th - National Food Holidays

This week is all about the Super Bowl!  And some of this week's recipes will help you prepare for the big game day!  This week's recipes are...

January 29th:  National Corn Chip Day
January 30th:  National Croissant Day
January 31st:  National Brandy Alexander Day
February 1st:  National Baked Alaska Day
February 2nd:  National Heavenly Hash Day
February 3rd:  National Carrot Cake Day
February 4th:  National Homemade Soup Day

January 29th:  National Corn Chip Day

Here's an easy recipe for homemade corn chips. Use them with your favorite dip for the upcoming Super Bowl!

Vegetable shortening
2 tablespoons yellow cornmeal
1 cup yellow cornmeal
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons nonfat dry milk
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Optional Seasonings:  Garlic salt, Onion salt, Seasoning salt

1.  Generously grease 2 large cookie sheets (**see tip below) with the shortening and sprinkle 1 tablespoon of cornmeal into each pan, gently tapping or shaking to distribute cornmeal evenly; set aside

2.   Combine the cornmeal, flour, salt, baking powder and nonfat dry milk in a mixing bowl.

3.   In a glass measure, combine the water, oil and Worcestershire sauce, mixing well.

4.   Make a well in the center of the dry mixture and pour the liquid mixture into the well; stir mixture with a fork to mix well.

5.   Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until dough is smooth, about 1 minute.

6.   Divide the dough in half and place each dough half on the prepared cookie sheets.

7.  Using a floured rolling pin, roll the dough directly onto the cookie sheets to spread very thinly, about 1/16-inch thickness.

8.  Sprinkle lightly with the desired seasonings and roll-over lightly with the rolling pin to press seasonings in.

9.  Using a pizza cutter (or very sharp knife), cut dough into squares, triangles or other desired shapes.

10. Bake in a preheated oven at 350°F for about 12 minutes, or until lightly browned. Allow to cool completely on cookie sheets.

11. Store tightly sealed to retain crispness.

Makes approximately 12 ounces of chips.

**Tip: Because you will be rolling the dough inside the pans, it is best to use the flat, side-less cookie sheets in this recipe. If such pans are not available, then turn over sided baking/cookie sheets and use the bottoms.

January 30th:  National Croissant Day

Ingredients:

1 1/4 teaspoons of active dry yeast
3 tablespoons of warm water (110°F)

1 teaspoon of sugar

1 3/4 cups of all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons of salt

2/3 of a cup of warm milk

2 tablespoons of vegetable oil

2/3 of a cup of unsalted butter, chilled

1 egg

1 tablespoon of water

Directions:

1.  Combine yeast warm water and 1 teaspoon of sugar.  Allow to stand for 10 minutes until creamy and frothy.

2.  Measure flour into a mixing bowl.  Dissolve 2 teaspoons of sugar and salt in warm milk.  Blend into the flour along with the yeast and oil.  Mix well; knead until smooth.  Cover and let rise until over triple in volume.  Punch down dough and let rise again until doubles.  Punch down again and chill for 20 minutes.

3.  Massage butter until pliable, but not soft and oily.  Pat dough into a 14" by 8" rectangle.  Smear butter over top two thirds of the dough, leaving a 1/4 inch margin all around.  Fold unbuttered third over the middle third and the buttered top third down over that.  Turn 90 degrees so that the folds are to the left & right.  Roll out to a 14" by 6" rectangle.  Fold in thirds again.  Sprinkle lightly with flour and put dough in a plastic bag.  Refrigerate for 2 hours.  Unwrap, sprinkle with flour and punch down gently.  Roll into a 14" by 6" rectangle and fold again.  Turn 90 degrees and repeat.  Wrap and chill another 2 hours.

4.  To shape, roll dough out to a 20" by 5" rectangle.  Cut in half crosswise and chill half while shaping the other half.  Roll out to a 15" by 5" rectangle.  Cut into three 5" by 5" squares.  Cut each square in half diagonally.  Roll each triangle lightly to elongate the point and make it 7 inches long.  Grab the other 2 points and stretch them out slightly as you roll it up.  Place on a baking sheet, curving slightly.  Let shaped croissants rise until puffy and light.  In a small bowl, beat together egg and 1 tablespoon of water.  Glaze croissants with egg wash.

5.   Bake in a preheated 475°F oven for 12 to 15 minutes.

January 31st:  National Brandy Alexander Day

A Brandy Alexander is a dangerously good drink -- kind of like a spiked milkshake.  According to the Classic Cocktail Club of Milan, Italy, the Brandy Alexander was created in 1922 in London.   

Here's a classic Brandy Alexander recipe:

1 1/2 ounces of brandy

1 ounce of creme de cacao

1 ounce of half-and-half

1/4 teaspoon of grated nutmeg

Fill a shaker halfway with ice cubes.  Add the brandy, creme de cacao, and half-and-half.  Shake well.  Strain into a martini glass and garnish with grated nutmeg.  To make this into a desert, add a scoop of vanilla or chocolate ice cream and serve in a globe wine goblet instead of a martini glass.

February 1st:  National Baked Alaska Day

The concept of insulating ice cream was developed by the Chinese, who used pastry as the insulator.  A Chinese delegation introduced it to Paris in the nineteenth century. The American physicist Benjamin Thompson then investigated the heat resistance of beaten egg whites, and, in 1804, demonstrated that beaten egg whites were a better insulator.  The dish was named Omelette Surprise or Omelette à la Norvégienne, the Norwegian attribution owing to the “arctic” appearance and cold center. Delmonico’s Restaurant in New York City renamed it named Baked Alaska in honor of the newly acquired Alaska territory.

Here's a simple recipe for Baked Alaska:

Bake your favorite cake or brownie for the base of the Baked Alaska.  Choose a bowl that can be used to freeze your desired flavor of ice cream and, making sure that the bowl fits your cake base, cut out your round cake base.  Oil the bowl you have selected, and freeze 2 quarts of your favorite flavor of ice cream in the bowl.  As you spoon the ice cream into the bowl, make sure and push the ice cream down with a piece of plastic wrap to insure that all air bubbles are gone.  Line the top of the ice cream with the plastic wrap and freeze ice cream until hard.  Using 8 egg whites, 1/8 of a teaspoon of cream of tartar, 1/8 of a teaspoon of salt, and 1 cup of sugar, make meringue.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Place cake base on parchment paper.  Invert bowl with frozen ice cream on to the cake base.  Frost all sides of cake & ice cream with meringue.  Return to freezer for several more hours.  When ready to bake, preheat oven to 425°F, and bake 8 to 10 minutes until meringue is golden brown.  Serve immediately using a serrated knife to cut the cake.

February 2nd:  National Heavenly Hash Day

My definition of Heavenly Hash is a 7-Cup Fruit Salad.  So in honor of my family and a recipe that appears at every family event, here's a quick recipe for 7-Cup Fruit Salad.  As the name implies, this salad has 7 ingredients -- 1 cup each:

1 cup of sour cream

1 cup of Cool Whip

1 cup of pineapple chunks, drained

1 cup of mandarin oranges, drained

1 cup of fruit cocktail, drained

1 cup of marshmallows

1 cup of maraschino cherries

(some recipes also include shredded coconut)

Combine all of these together and refrigerate.

February 3rd:  National Carrot Cake Day

Carrot Cake has been around since the Middle Ages. At that time, sugar and other sweeteners were rare and very expensive, so people used sweet vegetables to flavor their puddings.  This technique became obsolete for several hundred years but resurfaced in the 20^th century.  During World War II, the British government rationed many luxury foods and household staples including sugar.  To appease the nation’s sweet tooth, the Ministry of Food promoted recipes for carrot puddings, carrot-filled pies, and carrot cakes. Today, many families in the UK still serve carrot cake on Christmas Day!

Cake Ingredients

4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup canola oil
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 to 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 cups grated carrots

Frosting

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 package (3 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3-3/4 cups confectioners' sugar
2 to 3 tablespoons 2% milk
1 cup chopped walnuts, optional

Directions

1. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, sugar and oil. Combine the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, salt and nutmeg; beat into egg mixture. Stir in carrots.

2. Pour into two greased and floured 9-in. round baking pans. Bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.

3. For frosting, in another large bowl, cream butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar. Add enough milk to achieve desired spreading consistency. Reserve 1/2 cup frosting for decorating if desired. If desired, stir walnuts into remaining frosting.

4. Spread frosting between layers and over top and sides of cake. If decorating the cake, tint 1/4 cup reserved frosting orange and 1/4 cup green. Cut a small hole in the corner of pastry or plastic bag; insert #7 round pastry tip. Fill the bag with orange frosting. Pipe twelve carrots on top of cake, so that each slice will have a carrot. Using #67 leaf pastry tip and the green frosting, pipe a leaf at the top of each carrot.

5. Store cake in the refrigerator. Yield: 16 servings.

February 4th:  Homemade Soup Day

What's better than a bowl of hot soup on a cold day!  So take some time out today to make yourself a batch of homemade soup.  Below is a recipe for semi-homemade "Chicken & Wild Rice Soup."  It's a hardy soup reminiscent of chicken & wild rice soups that can be found in popular soup & sandwich restaurants.  It also freezes well & stays in a air tight container in your refrigerator for close to a week.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

5 2/3 c. water
1 package of long grain & wild rice mix (I used Uncle Ben's Long Grain & Wild Rice Original Recipe)
1 envelope of chicken noodle soup mix (I used Lipton's)
1 celery rib, chopped
1 medium carrot, chopped
1/2 cup of chopped onion
2 cans condensed cream of chicken soup (I used Campbell's 98% FF)
1 cup cubed cooked chicken

Directions:

In a large saucepan, combine water, rice with contents of seasoning packet, and soup mix. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover & simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in celery, carrot, & onion.

Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in chicken soup & chicken. Cook 8 minutes longer or until rice & vegetables are tender.

Yield: 8 cups

January 22nd through 28th - National Food Holidays

Welcome to this week's National Food Holidays.  This week's holidays are...

January 22nd:  National Blondie Brownie Day
January 23rd:  National Pie Day
January 24th:  National Peanut Butter Day
January 25th:  National Irish Coffee Day
January 26th:  National Pistachio Day
January 27th:  Chocolate Cake Day
January 28th:  National Blueberry Pancake Day

January 22nd:  National Blondie Brownie Day 

Today is for brownie lovers who want just a hint of chocolate -- a blondie brownie.  A blondie recipe is almost like a chocolate chip cookie recipe that you bake in a baking pan -- with just a few modifications.  So take your favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe and make the following adjustments:

omit the baking soda and substitute 2 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder
reduce the salt by 1/2 of a teaspoon (1/2 teaspoon total)
omit the granulated sugar and increase the brown sugar by a cup (1 3/4 cups total)
reduce the softened butter or margarine to 3/4 of a cup ( 1 1/2 sticks)
increase the number of eggs to 3 large eggs
the amount of chocolate chips, flour & vanilla stays the same

Preheat the oven to 350°F.  Grease the bottom of a 15"x10" jelly-roll pan.  Spread the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.  Cool in pan.  Yields 36 blondies.

January 23rd:  National Pie Day

In honor of National Pie Day, it seems fitting to look at the foundation of all pies -- the crust.  Here is a basic pie crust recipe and a guide to "blind baking" a pie crust.

Basic Pie Crust 

2 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon of sugar

3/4 teaspoon of salt

1 cup of butter (2 sticks), very cold, cut into pieces

6 tablespoons of ice water

Put flour, sugar & salt in your food processor.  Pulse several times to combine.  Add butter pieces to flour.  Pulse 25-30 times until butter is in small pea-sized pieces.  Add ice water 1 tablespoon at a time pulsing 3 times between additions in 1 second bursts or until dough holds together when pressed between fingers.

Pour half of the dough mixture onto a piece of plastic wrap and form into a ball.  Then press firmly into a round disc.  Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.  Repeat with second half of dough mixture.

To use dough, take out of refrigerator and let stand at room temperature for 2 to 3 minutes.  On lightly floured surface, roll out dough to desired size and place in pie plate.  Bake as needed following your favorite pie recipe.

 

Blind Baking 

Blind baking is baking an unfilled pie shell to produce a partially- or fully-baked crust.  Blind baking the crust prevents the crust from becoming soggy from custard based fillings and is necessary for pies which have the fillings either cooked separately or not at all.

To blind bake a crust, once your crust is prepared and placed in your pie pan, prick a few holes (this is called "docking") or fill it with pie weights (do one or the other, if you fill it with weights, you don't need to dock), and bake until browned (or just for several minutes if your goal is a partially-baked crust).  

To fully blind bake, bake it at 425 degrees 15 to 18 minutes or until the sides begin to brown.  (The initial high heat will force much of the steam out, helping the crust become flaky.)  Remove the pan from the oven. Gently remove your pie weights. Reduce oven to 375 degrees and continue to bake the crust for several minutes until it's golden.  

 

Without the weight of a filling, a baking crust can shrink, fill with air pockets, and puff up with bubbles, so it is important to either dock the crust or weigh the crust down as it bakes.  Weights are easier and you won't risk the filling leaking through the holes.  This is done by lining the dough with parchment paper or foil (if you use foil, you may need to grease the dough first, to prevent the foil from sticking) and filling it with pie weights or a pie chain (or dried beans, pennies, rice, marbles, etc.) to hold its shape during baking. [TIP: Keep your weights in an oven cooking bag. You can just place the bag with the weights in the pie crust, then lift the whole bag out to store for next time.] Alternatively, you can set a perforated pie pan into the crust.  

You may want to moisture-proof your crust when blind baking by removing the crust from the oven when it has about 5 minutes left to bake and applying your egg wash with a pastry brush on the bottom of the crust and about an inch up the sides.  Then resume baking the crust for the remaining 5 minutes.

January 24th:  National Peanut Butter Day

Here's a basic peanut butter recipe:

15 ounces of roasted peanuts
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 1/2 tsp. honey
1 1/2 T. peanut oil

Process peanuts, salt & honey in a food processor for one minute.  Scrape sides of bowl.  Continue to process while drizzling peanut oil into the bowl for another 1 1/2 to 2 minutes or until smooth.  Place in airtight container and refrigerate for up to 2 months.

January 25th:  National Irish Coffee Day

Here's an easy recipe for Irish Coffee.

Ingredients:

1 cup of instant coffee powder
1/2 of a cup of powdered French vanilla coffee creamer
1/2 of a cup of cocoa powder, unsweetened
1/2 of a cup of white chocolate chips
1/2 of a cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 of a cup of Irish whiskey
1/2 of a cup of Bailey's Irish cream liqueur

Place the first five ingredients into a large pot. Whisk in 4 cups of water. Place pot over medium heat; cook, whisking occasionally, until smooth & hot, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat & stir in the Irish whiskey & Bailey's Irish cream liqueur. Serve topped with whipped cream. Makes 6 servings.

And here's another fun way to enjoy Irish coffee -- in a cookie!  Make your favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe and add 3 tablespoons of Bailey's Irish Cream and 1 teaspoon of instant coffee powder.

January 26th:  National Pistachio Day

Then their father Israel said to them, “If it must be, then do this: Put some of the best products of the land in your bags and take them down to the man as a gift—a little balm and a little honey, some spices and myrrh, some pistachio nuts and almonds.  ~ Genesis 43:11   

• Related botanically to cashews and mangoes, pistachios are one of the oldest flowering nut trees, and are one of the only two nuts mentioned in the Bible.
• Pistachios grow on trees. They are native to the Middle East and grow wild in high desert regions.   
• Legend has it that, for the promise of good fortune, lovers met beneath the trees to hear the pistachios crack open on moonlit nights. 
• It's a long wait to get the first nut. A pistachio tree takes 7-10 years to mature
• California is the major producer in the U.S.
• Pistachios are harvested in September by machines that shake the trees. It takes less than a minute.
• The red dye added to the nuts is only due to consumer demand for the color.
• Its open hull is unique. The nut is ripe when the hull splits open.
• People in the Middle East call it the "smiling nut" and in China it's called the "happy nut".
• Pistachios are nutritious, so eat them up!

Here's a savory cookie recipe for Fennel Pistachio Cookies.  Yields 3 dozen cookies.

Ingredients

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1-1/2 cups sugar
1 egg
2 tablespoons amaretto or almond extract
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1-1/2 teaspoons fennel seeds
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup pistachio nuts, chopped, plus extra for garnish (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Beat butter with an electric mixer at medium speed until creamy. Gradually add sugar; mix well. Add egg; beat well. Add amaretto, lemon zest and fennel seeds; mix to combine.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt; gradually add to butter mixture; beat well. Stir in pistachio nuts (dough will be stiff).

Shape dough into 1-inch balls; place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. If desired, flatten balls slightly and sprinkle with additional chopped pistachios.

Bake for 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool slightly on baking sheets; remove to cooling racks and cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.

January 27th:  Chocolate Cake Day

Who doesn't love a classic chocolate cake!  It's pure heaven when you cut through layers of fluffy chocolate cake and rich chocolate frosting.  So indulge today and make this classic three-layer chocolate cake with chocolate sour cream frosting: 

Ingredients:

3/4 of a cup of butter, softened
2 cups of sugar
3 eggs
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
2 cups of all-purpose flour
3/4 of a cup of cocoa powder
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon of baking powder
1 1/2 cups of milk

1.  Line three 9-inch round baking pans with waxed paper; grease and flour the pans and line with waxed paper. Set aside.

2.  In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each egg is added. Beat in vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt and baking powder; add to the creamed mixture alternating with the milk, beating well after each addition.

3.  Pour 1/3 of the batter into each prepared pan. Bake at 350° for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing the cakes from the pans to wire racks.  Cool completely.

 4.  To make a Chocolate Sour Cream Frosting, melt 12 ounces of chocolate chips and 1/2 of a cup of butter, cubed, in a small saucepan** over low heat. Transfer to a large bowl; cool for 5 minutes. Stir in 1 cup (8 ounces) of sour cream. Gradually beat in 4 1/2 cups of confectioners' sugar until smooth. Spread between layers and over top and sides of cake. Garnish with chocolate curls if desired. Refrigerate leftovers. Yield: 16 servings. 
** Chocolate chips and butter could be melted in a microwave safe glass bowl to save having to transfer melted chocolate & butter to another bowl.  Make sure the bowl is big enough for the confectioners' sugar and for you to use a handheld beater in the bowl.
 

 

 

  January 28th:  National Blueberry Pancake Day

I have a friend at church, and she & her husband have a Blueberry Farm.  During harvest season, I always get 5 pounds of blueberries that I freeze to have on hand for blueberry muffins and blueberry pancakes.  Here's an easy recipe for homemade pancakes.  No box mix for me!

1 1/2 cups of self-rising flour
1 tablespoon of sugar
1/4 of a teaspoon of baking soda
1 large egg
1 cup of buttermilk or yogurt OR 3/4 of a cup of milk plus 1 tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice
2 tablespoons of vegetable oil or melted butter
Blueberries, fresh or thawed

1.  Whisk together the flour, sugar and baking soda.

2.  In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, buttermilk, and oil or melted butter until foamy.  Add to the flour mixture and mix until blended;  leaving a few small lumps is okay.

3.  Let the batter rest for about 5 minutes, while your griddle or frying pan heats up.  Heat to medium high until a drop of water dribbled onto the surface bounces across it.  Brush lightly with vegetable oil or spray with non-stick baking spray.

4.  For each pancake, drop 1/4 cup of batter onto the hot surface.  Add your blueberries to the top of your pancake.  Flip the pancakes over once bubbles have risen to the surface and cook the second side until golden brown.

5.  Top with blueberry compote (see recipe below) or your favorite pancake syrup and butter.

Try this Blueberry Compote for the top of your blueberry pancakes!

2 cups blueberries (fresh or frozen, about 1 pint)
4 tablespoons of lemon juice
1/8th of a teaspoon of coarse salt
1/4 of a cup of sugar

Heat blueberries, lemon juice and salt in a saucepan over medium heat until berries begin to burst -- 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in sugar. Simmer, stirring often, until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon -- 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.