Blackberry (or whatever fruit you choose) Crisp

Our freezer is overflowing and we both had a sweet tooth tonight so after referring to our ever trusty Better Homes & Gardens Cookbook we decided to make Blackberry Crisp. We have tons of frozen blackberries in our freezer and need to use some of them but any fruit of choice could be used. This is a super easy, quick, flexible, forgiving and yummy dessert!

Recipe:

4-5 cups fruit (berries, peaches, pears, apples, etc.). If frozen thaw and drain some of the juice.
2-4 Tbsp sugar
1/2 cup oats
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg (or cinnamon or ginger)
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/4 cup chopped nuts

Place fruit in 2 -quart baking dish, stir in granulated sugar.
For topping: combine oats, brown sugar, flour and nutmeg in medium bowl. Cut in butter until mixture resembles course crumbs. Stir in nuts.
Sprinkle topping over fruit.
Bake at 375 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until fruit is tender and topping golden.

Recommend serving warm with vanilla ice cream.
Enjoy!

We do make things other than cakes . . .

This post isn't anything special, just wanted to make sure you didn't think we only make cakes. I got some small purple potatoes the other day at the grocery store so we decided to cook those with some olive oil and rosemary and grill pork chops on Friday since the weather was so nice. The potatoes didn't taste different but were a fun color contrast. They were a really pretty purple before they were cooked but darkened quite a bit when we cooked them. (They're not burnt, promise :-))

Birthday Cake

Instead of my usual Cherry Pie I decided to have Carrot Cake for my birthday this year. Rachel shared with us an awesome recipe from Magnolia Bakery and it was delicious.


Cake Recipe:
-2 cups all-purpose flour
-1 tsp baking powder
-1 tsp cinnamon
-1/2 tsp salt
-1 cup vegetable oil
-1 3/4 cups sugar
-3 large eggs (at room temperature)
-1 1/2 tsp vanilla
-2 cups lightly packed shredded carrots
- One 8 oz. can crushed pineapple in juice
-1 1/3 cup coarsely chopped toasted pecans
3/4 cup sweetened shredded coconut

Toast pecans by placing on baking sheet in 350 degree oven for 15 minutes or until lightly browned, set aside. (Set aside 1/3 cup for garnish)

-Preheat oven to 325.
-Grease and lightly flour two 9 inch round cake pans, then line bottoms with wax paper.
-In small bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
-In large bowl, beat together oil and sugar on medium speed with electric mixer.
-Add eggs, one at a time, and beat until light and thick (about 2 minutes).
-Add vanilla and beat well.
-Gradually add dry ingredients, beating until well incorporated.
-Stir in carrots, pineapple with juice, pecans and coconut.
-Divide the batter between pans and bake for 40-50 minutes, or until cake tester inserted in center comes out clean.
-Let layers cool in pans for 1 hour.
-Remove from pans and cool completely on wire rack.

Cream Cheese Icing
-2, 8oz packages cream cheese, softened and cut into small pieces
-6 tbsp unsalted butter, softened and cut into small pieces
-1 1/2 tsp vanilla
-5 cups confectioner's sugar

-Combine all ingredients except sugar into large bowl and mix on medium speed until smooth.
- Reduce mixer speed to medium low and add the confectioner's sugar one cup at a time. Scrape down sides of the bowl often. Once sugar is added, beat until fluffy (3-6 minutes).
-Refrigerate for 2-3 hours before using.

Once cake has cooled and icing refrigerated, ice between layers and on top and sides of cake. Sprinkle with 1/3 cup toasted pecans and refrigerate until serving.


** To make gluten free substitute all-purpose flour with rice flour. Don't forget to use the pans to coat the rice flour as well.**


We even made a gluten free version for friends which was just as good!

Happy New Year!

New Years Eve was time for friends and football, and of course fun food. We got a VT silicone pan for Christmas so we had to make a cake for the game, and it was only appropriate for it to be maroon and orange. We made a gluten free red velvet cake and made the cream cheese icing orange so the slices were very Hokie appropriate.


And then, we had to have my very favorite holiday food, my Mom's cheese ball. And since it was for the game, we shaped it into a football.

Cheese ball Recipe
1/2 lb mild cheddar cheese
1 package cream cheese(softened)
1 medium onion
1 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 cup chopped pecans
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce


Grate cheese. Grate Onion. Add cream cheese, half of the parsley, half of the pecans and the Worcestershire sauce. Mix together well with wooden spoon or hands. Roll to form ball (or football).

Mix remaining pecans and parsley together in wide bowl or on a plate and roll formed ball in mixture. Refrigerate before serving.

Back in Thyme

So, we're traveling back a couple of weeks for this post. Since I took pictures of all the Christmas cookies we baked, I have to post some of my favorites. The Gingerbread Snowflakes are my #1 pick. They are big cookies but so pretty and delicious!


Back by popular demand we also made Whatcha-ma-call-its (crispy chocolate peanut butter balls).

And Mark's favorite, Ice Box Cookies.

Chicken Pot Pie

This was a new recipe for me, and since I had time, and again, it was cold, it looked enticing. Taken from "Joy of Cooking: All About Pies and Tarts". This was a little more labor intensive than the chili but now that I've made it once will take less time. It's a nice recipe to make on the weekend and have on hand for a few meals throughout the week.

Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or turkey, or 3 1/2 lbs chicken parts)
1 3/4 -2 cups chicken stock
6 tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups whole milk, 1/2 and 1/2 or light cream
lemon juice
salt and pepper
ground nutmeg
1 medium onion (chopped)
3 medium carrots (peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick)
2 small celery sticks (sliced 1/4 inch thick)
3/4 cup frozen peas (thawed)
3 tbsp minced fresh parsley
1 tbsp beaten egg

For the biscuits:
1 cup all purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2-5 tbsp cold unsalted butter but into pieces
3/8 cup milk

Directions:

~Place chicken in large pot, add chicken stock(and if necessary enough water to cover chicken pieces). Bring to a simmer over high heat, reduce heat so liquid is barely bubbling. Partially cover and cook until meat releases clear juices when pierced with a fork. (for boneless, skinless about 8-12 minutes)

~Remove meat from stock and cool on plate enough to cut. Cut or shred meat into bit size pieces.

~ Skim fat from stock with a spoon. Melt 4 tbsp butter in large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add 1/2 cup all purpose flour and whisk until smooth. Cook, whisking constantly for 1 minute. Remove from heat, add 2 cups chicken stock and whisk until smooth. Whisk in 1 1/2 cups milk(cream or 1/2 and 1/2). Increase heat to medium and bring mixture to simmer, whisking constantly. Remove from pan, scrape sides, whisk to break up all lumps. Bring back to simmer and cook one minute. Stir in cooked poultry and cook one minute. Remove from heat and add several drops lemon juice, salt and pepper and 2-3 pinches of nutmeg (all to taste).

Make biscuit dough:

~Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Cut in butter with pastry blender until mixture resembles course breadcrumbs. Add milk and mix with rubber spatula until most dry ingredients are moistened. With lightly floured hands kneed into a ball and against sides of bowl 5-10 times. Refrigerate until later.

~Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

~ Butter a 13x9 baking pan

~ Heat in large skillet over medium high heat 2 tbsp butter. Add onion, carrots and celery and cook until barely tender (about 5 minutes). Stir vegetables into creamed chicken and add peas and parsley.

~Pour the chicken mixture into prepared pan. Roll out biscuit dough 1/2 inch thick and cut into 2 inch rounds. Arrange on top of chicken, overlapping if necessary.

~Brush top of biscuits with beaten egg.

~ Bake until chic is bubbly and topping is nicely browned. (25-35 minutes.

Enjoy!




Comments:

Mark: Pleasantly surprised but could use more vegetables. (I wish I took a picture of the look on his face when I told him what was for dinner . . . but he ended up eating it for lunch and dinner the next day too!)

Hannah: Recommended but . . . Add more vegetables. Could also substitute turkey for the chicken (especially that frozen leftover turkey from Thanksgiving).

A Hearty Chili

Since I was off this week I actually had time to cook . . . so on Monday since it was cold I made chili. It's a great recipe we've made before modified from Real Simple Magazine(Nov. 2008). It's delicious paired with some cornbread of a cold winter evening.



1 tbsp olive oil
2 onions(chopped)
2 peppers (but into 1/2 inch pieces)
4 cloves garlic (chopped)
2 lbs ground beef
1- 6oz can tomato paste
1/3 cup chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2- 12 oz bottles lager beer
3- 19 oz cans kidney beans (rinsed)
1- 28oz can diced tomatoes
salt and pepper

~ Heat oil in large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions, peppers and garlic, cook until soft (stirring occasionally), about 6-8 minutes.

~Add beef and cook, breaking up with a spoon until no longer pink (5-7 minutes) Add tomato paste, chili powder, and cumin and cook stirring for 2 minutes.

~Add beer, beans and tomatoes (with juice), 2 1/2 tsp.salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper. Simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally until thickened (20-25 minutes).

~ Serve with corn bread and desired toppings