27 Aug
Strawberry Pretzel Squares
Posted by Michelle as Jello Desserts | 41 Comments
Let me start off by saying that I rarely use recipes that come from Kraft Foods, mostly because it seems that almost all of them use the same bottled or prepackaged ingredients, and I really have come to respect and enjoy things that are truly homemade and from scratch. That being said, I LOVE THIS DESSERT. I started eating this sometime in high school when my aunt would bring it to any family gathering that occurred in the summer. I immediately fell in the love with the combination of salty and sweet and would have to restrain myself from eating the whole pan. In all the time that has passed, this is the first time that I have ever made this myself and having leftovers in the house = pure heaven!
25 Aug
Croissants
Posted by Michelle as Pastries | 22 Comments
Buttery, flaky croissants. Wow. These are every bit as incredible as I hoped they would be. These were the Daring Bakers challenge in January 2007, which was about six months before I joined. I have been wanting to go back and attempt the challenges that I missed as well as the ones that were difficult for me (I think I’ll be appending all of these to my current “My 100” list), so when Erin asked if I’d be interested in making these croissants with her I jumped at the opportunity. It was also great timing because I knew that my grandparents were coming to visit and I had already planned on making chicken salad, and what better to eat chicken salad on than a croissant?
23 Aug
Cheddar Ale Spread
Posted by Michelle as Appetizers | 27 Comments
I had the opportunity to entertain my grandparents this afternoon for the first time. I was excited to plan some great things to eat and everything turned out just wonderful. As a result, my next few posts will be pieces of that meal, and I figured what better place to start than with an appetizer! This cheese spread has a fabulous tangy flavor, thanks to a small amount of dijon mustard and beer. The recipe calls for an ale, and I think you could really use just about anything so long as it’s not a light beer; I used one of my new favorites – Blue Moon. I processed this pretty well in the food processor, but you could easily choose to pulse it for a chunkier consistency if you would prefer.
16 Aug
Zebra Cake
Posted by Michelle as Cakes | 12 Comments
Annie and I were back in the kitchen together this week, and she chose an amazing cake for us to bake up – a Zebra Cake! The special part of this yellow and chocolate cake is the way the batter is added to the pan, and thus makes a zebra pattern when it is cut into. The recipe for this cake didn’t include a frosting, but let’s be honest – the frosting makes the cake and I just couldn’t imagine eating a naked cake! I added Hershey’s Perfectly Chocolate frosting to the cake, and a half recipe was perfect for the size of this cake. I thought that the flavor of the cake was just alright, but the technique is really very neat. I may try to play around with this using different cake recipes.
14 Aug
Panzanella
Posted by Michelle as Salads, Vegetables | 10 Comments
This latest recipe for our Barefoot Bloggers group was chosen by Melissa of It’s Melissa’s Kitchen. This was a wonderful choice for these last few weeks of summer, as it included many fresh vegetables and tasted bright and fresh. Traditional panzanella originates from the Tuscan region of Italy and the original dish includes just bread, tomato, basil, salt, pepper, oil, and vinegar. The dish has evolved over the years to include things such as vegetables, eggs, tuna, among others, and is sometimes referred to as a “leftover salad”, because, much like omelets, it’s easy to throw in any leftover vegetables you have laying around. The version we made this week included peppers, onion, tomato (which I omitted because I don’t like them), cucumber, basil, toasted bread, and dressed in a dijon vinaigrette. Absolutely delicious!!
11 Aug
Italian Bread
Posted by Michelle as Yeast Breads | 15 Comments
With the uncharacteristic cool August weather here, it’s been feeling like fall is nipping at summer’s heels, and with that, I was hungry for spaghetti and meatballs, which is traditional fall and winter Sunday dinner fare. As a result, I spent most of yesterday afternoon in the kitchen making a big pot of sauce, meatballs, and fresh pasta. As if a light bulb went off, I realized the only thing missing was a fresh loaf of Italian bread to soak up all the extra sauce on my plate. I had made Italian bread once before, and it was very very good, but it also required a preferment, meaning that it had to sit overnight. So I went in search of a recipe that could deliver some fresh bread in a few short hours. I found one, and it was fabulous – a perfectly crisp outer crust and a soft, chewy interior with a tight crumb.
09 Aug
Black-Bottom Cupcakes
Posted by Michelle as Cupcakes | 34 Comments
It is seriously beyond me how I have never made these before. Especially considering they’re a hybrid of my two favorite sweets – chocolate and cheesecake, and honestly there’s really no way anything made of chocolate and cheesecake can be anything but spectacular. These cupcakes are no exception, as they take a super moist and intensely chocolate devil’s food cake and drop a cheesecake filling with chunks of bittersweet chocolate right in the middle. These rank way up there on the ladder of favorite things I have ever made. I was sitting outside for a bit while these were in the oven and when I came back into the house it smelled like I could lick chocolate off the walls – the aroma wafting from the oven completely permeated the house. Mmmm…
06 Aug
Pain Ordinaire Careme (A Daily Loaf)
Posted by Michelle as Yeast Breads | 25 Comments
Otherwise known as French Bread. When I saw this post over at The Barefoot Kitchen Witch, I couldn’t wait to get started on this beautiful bread. This was almost a redemption of sorts for me, as we tackled french bread by Julia Child for the February Daring Bakers challenge, but I had less than stellar results. I had been planning to revisit that recipe and give it another go, but when I saw Jayne’s pop up, it seemed almost identical, yet much more straight forward and easy to read, so went with it! Unfortunately I had an issue (will discuss in a moment – not due to the recipe, really) when I made this on Saturday, so when my friend Annie asked if I wanted to bake anything together this week I told her I was giving this another go. She was excited and hopped on board, and we completed perhaps the most in sync virtual baking in history. This bread turned out absolutely perfect – it has the characteristic paper thin and crisp crust, with a warm, chewy and airy interior. I am already beside myself with ideas on how to use this bread – french toast, panzanella salad, roasted vegetable sandwiches, plain with cheese… the possibilities are endless!
04 Aug
Black-and-White Banana Loaf
Posted by Michelle as Quick Breads | 21 Comments
Bananas and chocolate in a dense, moist bread. You really can’t go wrong with that combination, and this bread did not disappoint. My friend Amber and I were looking for something to bake together and since she is now the proud owner of Dorie Greenspan’s Baking: From My Home to Yours
02 Aug
Fettuccine Alfredo with Fresh Pasta
Posted by Michelle as Pasta, Noodles and Dumplings | 16 Comments
I was on the hunt for a special sort of dinner tonight, and was trying to steer clear of beef or filets since I made Beef Wellington last Friday night. I was stumped, so I pulled up my 100 List to see if anything on there could provide some inspiration. As I browsing I saw fettuccine alfredo, which is one of my favorite dishes to eat when out to a restaurant, and also something that I have yet to master at home. Sweet, I had my dinner! Then on my list I saw “homemade noodles”… hmmm… That sure would make fettuccine alfredo infinitely better, would it not? This was an absolutely delicious dinner – I might be officially addicted to fresh homemade pasta, and this alfredo sauce was just perfect!
