Deluxe Monkey Bread

Monkey bread

Rolling biscuits dough, notice half of the caramel mixture at the bottom of the pan

Pour remaining caramel on top and sprinkle some cinnamon

1/3c. granulated sugar
4t. cinnamon and extra teaspoon for sprinkling on top
1-8 oz. cream cheese
2- 12 oz. cans of refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
1 stick of butter
2/3c. chopped pecans or walnuts(optional)


Preheat oven to 350F. Mix granulated sugar,cinnamon and cream cheese together in a small bowl. Flatten out one piece of biscuit dough and place a spoonful of cream cheese mixture in the center. Wrap the edges of the dough around cream cheese mixture,sealing to make a pouch. Repeat with remaining dough.

 Melt butter and brown sugar together on the stove or  in the microwave,stirring until well combined in a smooth mixture.Sprinkle nuts(if desired) in the bottom of Monkey Bread pan and  half of the melted butter mixture.Arrange biscuit pouches in pan; they will overlap. Pour remaining brownsugar mixture over pouches and sprinkle some cinnamon powder. Bake for 30 minutes. Cool 5 minutes in pan, and invert onto serving plate.

Chicken Enchilada

Home made Chicken enchilada with homemade guacamole,salsa,chips and light sour cream!

Baked Enchilada

This is a very good paprika sweet not a lot of heat. I used this for everything.

Sauteing the sofrito(tomatoes,onions,garlic,olive oil,cilantro)

Add the cooked shredded chicken breast.

Rolling with the meat, cheese and salsa.

Add your favorite spaghetti sauce and more cheese.

2 skinless cooked chicken breast(cooked in salted water for 30-45 minutes, shred the meat)save 1/2c. of broth for the sauce
10 yellow corn tortilla
2c. grated Mozzarella cheese
1/2 a jar of your favorite store bought spaghetti sauce
3-chopped plum tomatoes
a sprig of cilantro minced
1-small onion chopped
1-clove garlic minced
salt,pepper to taste
a dash of cumin(optional), sweet paprika
1c. of chicken broth
2t. olive oil
1c. of store bought salsa or picante sauce

1. Saute onions,garlic,tomatoes,cooked shredded chicken and cilantro about 4-5 minutes add about 1/2c. of broth let it simmer.Add seasoning-salt,pepper, powdered cumin(optional) and paprika.
2.Set aside to cool,preheat oven to 350, adjust rack  to the center of the oven.
3.Warm corn tortillas for a minute to be become pliable in the microwave.Butter a 13x9 Pyrex dish.
4.Put the chicken filling ,salsa and cheese on to the tortilla and roll gently placing them  in the Pyrex dish seam side down.Continue rolling until the dish is filled with rolled enchilada.
5.Mix half a jar of spaghetti sauce(about2c.) with 1c. of reserved chicken broth, pour sauce on top and sprinkle shredded cheese liberally. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until cheese melted.Serve with sour cream,guacamole,fresh salsa and chips or Spanish rice/re fried beans.OLE!

Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

This recipe is from Debbie Macomber's Cedar Cove Cookbook. There is a lot of steps to this recipe,the joy of creating homemade cinnamon rolls makes it worth the effort.

1/2c. whole milk
4T. unsalted butter cut into chunks
1 package dry yeast(21/4 t.)dry yeast
1/2c. warm water
1/2c. granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 t. salt
31/4c. all purpose flour,plus extra for rolling

Filling:

1/3c. granulated white sugar
4t. ground cinnamon
Milk for brushing, 1/2c. unsalted melted butter

Icing:

1c.confectioners (powdered) sugar
2T. whole milk
1/2 t. vanilla extract

1. In a glass measuring cup,microwave milk and butter until butter melts.
2. In a large bowl with electric mixer on low speed,combine yeast and warm water:let it sit for 5 minutes.Beat in 1/2c. granulated sugar and eggs at low speed until blended. Beat in salt,warm milk mixture and 2c. of flour until blended about a minute.Switch to dough hook and add 1 1/4c. flour and knead in a medium low speed , adding up to 1/2c. additional flour if dough is sticky. Mix until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the sides of the bowl about 10 minutes.
3.Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and transfer the dough to a large,lightly oiled plastic bowl.Cover bowl with plastic wrap;let the dough rise until double in size about 2 1/2 hours.Punch dough in the center(at this point you can refrigerate the dough covered overnight)
4.Turn the dough into lightly floured surface and let the dough rest for 10 minutes.Butter lightly a 13x9x inch baking pan.
5.For filling:In a small bowl,mix 1/3c. granulated sugar and cinnamon ans 1/2c. melted butter.
6.Using a floured rolling pin, roll dough into 12x16 inch rectangle.Brush with milk and spread filling,leaving a 1/2 inch border. Using fingertips seal edges firmly to form a seam.(do not seal ends).Use a serrated knife,cut dough log into 12 equal rolls and arrange to prepared  pans.

7.Cover with plastic wrap and let it rise until double in size about an hour.Preheat oven to 350F.Set oven rack into middle center position.

8.Bake 25-30 minutes until golden brown.Invert rolls onto wire rack:cool 20 minutes.

Hot cinnamon rolls.

Yeast mixture in bubbling action.

Dough after kneading and proofing

After proofing,rolling to  square size

cinnamon,melted butter and sugar

spreading the filling

rolling tightly

cut into 12 and let it rise until double in size

ready for the hot oven

9. For the icing:In a small bowl,whisk confectioners sugar,milk and vanilla until smooth. Place rack over a piece of wax paper; reinvert rolls onto rack.Using a spoon,drizzle icing over rolls with spoon.

add icing while its hot!

Christmas Chocolate Chips Pancake

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This is our family traditional Christmas breakfast, chocolate chips pancake made from scratch topped with real Maple syrup,ham and whipped cream with extra chocolate chips on top.Fresh fruits on the side with hot cocoa.Yummy!!


2c. all purpose flour
2 eggs beaten
1T. baking powder
3T. sugar
1T. oil
1/2c.-1 c. of milk add some more for desired thiness/thickness of the batter.
1t. real vanilla extract
a pinch of salt

Mixing the batter just to get incorporated.

Adding mini morsel chocolate chips.

Cooking- wait when bubbles appear and burst then flip the other side.

Done!

Nestle mini morsel chocolate chips 1/2 of the bag.

 Preheat your flat grill or oil  lightly a flat frying pan in medium  low heat. I used an iron skillet.
Stir all dry ingredient (sugar,flour,salt,baking powder)in a bowl. except the mini chocolate chips. Mix all wet ones(egg,milk,oil,vanilla) . Combine all together, adding more milk  until desired consistecy,  a little lumpy is ok, do not over mix for a  light fluffy pancakes. Mix the chocolate chips about half of a bag.Pour the batter  into the hot pan and wait until all the bubbles appear on top and burst then flip the other side carefully.Wait about a minute,then start another batch. The secret of tender pancake is just cooking both sides for about a minute and just flip it once only on each sides. Always mix the batter before adding  to the hot pan,the chocolate chips tend to settle at the bottom of the bowl.Serve with real Maple syrup,ham,fruits and whipped cream garnish with some mini chocolate morsel on top.

Blueberry New York Cheesecake

Christmas time means New York cheesecake on the table. I'm sharing you my trusted  proven winner recipe,the star of my Christmas dessert table !!!

4-(8 oz. ) room temperature cream cheese
1 1/2c. white sugar
3/4 c. milk(I used evaporated milk)
4 eggs(room temperature)
1c. sour cream(room temperature)
1T. pure vanilla extract
1/4c. all purpose flour

15 graham crackers crushed
2T. melted butter
3T. white sugar
 

1. Preheat oven to 350.  Grease a 9 inch spring form pan.
2.In a medium bowl or use a food processor mix the crushed crackers melted butter and sugar.
3.Press onto bottom of a spring form pan using an empty  measuring cup to even it out.
4.Bake for 5 minutes and set aside.
5.In a large bowl or a food processor mix cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Blend in milk,and then mix eggs one at a time . Mix sour cream,vanilla and flour until smooth. Pour into prepared crust.
6.  Cover the bottom part of the pan with foil so the water wont make the crust soggy. Bake into a water bath for an hour(pour hot water into a large roasting pan and place the cheesecake pan into the hot water to cook it gently, thus preventing cracks!)Do not open oven ,bake for an hour and let the cake cool in the oven with the door closed for 5-6 hours. This prevent cracking too. Chill in the refrigerator overnight.


Blueberry Filling:

2c, fresh or frozen blueberries
2t. flour
a zest of a lemon about 1teaspoon
1/4c. sugar
1t. cinnamon,1/4 c. water

This is a piece of heaven!!!

A slice of creamy dense cheesecake

Graham cracker,melted butter and a little sugar for the crust

Use an empty measuring cups to even out the  side  of the crust

Baked graham cracker crust

A mixture of creamy cream cheese, add eggs one at a time. I'm using a food processor here  but an electric mixer will be fine too.

Adding sour cream and pure vanilla extract.

Pouring the mixture to the cooled crust.

To prevent soggy crust, wrap the bottom with double layers of foils.

Baking gently in hot water  bath at 350 degrees.

Blueberries,cinnamon,  flour,lemon zest, sugar and water for the topping.

Let  the cheesecake chill overnight.

Mix all ingredients in a pot and let it boil about 20 minutes. Set aside to cool before pouring  to the cake.

Barefoot Contessa's Old Fashioned Banana Cake

One way of using all the overripe bananas sitting on our counter top.Moist flavorful cake topped with cream cheese icing and walnuts.

MY DAUGHTER BAKED AND ICED THIS CAKE ALL BY HERSELF!

3 very ripe bananas,mashed
1/4c. granulated sugar
1/2c. light brown sugar lightly packed
1/2c. vegetable oil
2 extra large eggs, room temperature
1/2c. sour cream
1t. pure vanilla extract
2c. All purpose flour
1t. baking soda
1/2t. salt
1/2c. coarsely chopped walnuts and Walnuts halves for decorating

Preheat oven to 350.Grease and flour 9x12-inch round cake pan
In a bowl of electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment,mix bananas, granulated sugar, and brown sugar on low speed until combined.With the mixer still on low,add the dry ingredients  until combined. Stir in chopped walnuts. Pour into a prepared pan and bake for 45-50 minutes,or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes,turn out onto cooling rack and cool completely.

Spread frosting thickly on top and decorate with walnut halves.

Cream Cheese Frosting

6 0z cream cheese at room temperature
6T. Unsalted butter at room temperature
1t. pure vanilla extract
21/2c. siftted powdered sugar

Mix cream cheese,butter, and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on low speed until just combined. Add sugar and mix until smooth.

Sweet Potatoes Casseroles







 



Pecan,brown sugar streusels










This is my family favorite side dish for the holiday. It tasted like a sweet potatoes pie without the crust.Yummy, crunchy brown sugar/pecans topping.My kids favorite side dish, I just don't tell them its vegetables!!!



3 medium sized cooked sweet potatoes  skinned and mashed(I just cook them at 350 oven wrapped in a foil for 30-45 minutes until fork tender).Or you can boil them with skin on  until tender then when cool enough to handle remove skins and mashed it .Either method works just fine.You need 3c. mashed cooked sweet potatoes
1c. brown sugar
2 eggs lightly beaten(I used egg whites only)
1t. vanilla extract
1/2c. melted butter or margarine
1/2t.cinnamon and a dash of freshly grated nutmeg


for the streusel or topping:

1/2c.brown sugar
1/3c. flour
1/3c. melted butter
1c. chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350
Combine first 6 ingredients.
Pour unto a buttered casserole dish.
Mix all the topping ingredients in a bowl and sprinkle on top.
Bake for 30-40 minutes(no foil on top),until hot and browned.That's it! So easy!!

Cece's Chicken Mushroom Roll

Crispy and juicy appetizer



Serve with store bought Chili Sauce



Chicken breast,mushrooms spice mixture slice of ham and egg roll wrappers



Rolling



6 dried shitake mushrooms(soaked in 1c. of hot water sliced thinly)drain excess liquid,save the broth for stir fry or soup
2 chicken breast boneless and skinless sliced thinly into two
2 green shallots minced
1 clove of garlic minced
1/4t. Chinese five spice powder
2 slices fat free deli ham sliced cut into two
4 sheets spring roll wrapper
  (thawed)
oil for frying,2 wax paper,zip lock bags and parsley for garnish and store bought plum or chili sauce

1. In a Ziploc bag or use 2 wax paper or 2 plastic sheets,lay  chicken breast on top  then cover with another sheet of plastic or waxed paper, using a rolling pin or a food mallet  pound the meat gently until thin repeat it and set aside.
2. Mix the sliced mushrooms,five spice,shallots and minced garlic.
3.Lay a piece of chicken breast on top of  an egg roll wrapper,top it with a slice of ham  and about a tablespoon then the mushroom mixture  spread then  roll  like an egg roll seal it with a little water.  Repeat.
4. Heat wok with 1/2c. oil fry the chicken roll in a medium heat 8-10  minutes on both sides.Garnish and serve with your favorite sauce.Let it rest for a minute before cutting it horizontally.