Lemon Glazed Poppyseed Bread

Bread:

1 1/2 cup flour 

3/4 teaspoon salt 

3/4 teaspoon baking powder 

1 1/4 cup sugar 

1 egg plus 1/8 cup egg substitute 

3/4 cup  milk

3/4 teaspoon lemon extract 

3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract 

3/4 teaspoon butter extract/flavoring 

1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon canola oil

1/8 cup poppy seeds

Glaze:

1/3 cup sugar

1/8 cup lemon juice-freshly squeezed 

1/2 teaspoon butter flavoring

3/4 teaspoon lemon extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease sides of 9 by 5 bread pan with Crisco. Using parchment paper, trace bottom of bread pan and cut out traced shape. Place in bottom of bread pan. 

2. In a mixing bowl, combine flour, salt, baking powder and sugar. Set aside. In a different mixing bowl, whisk eggs until frothy. Add milk,extracts and oil. Whisk until combined. Add poppy seeds.

3. Add wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Combine using wooden spoon until just mixed. 

4. Pour bread batter into bread pan. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

5. Remove bread from the oven and allow to sit in pan for 3-5 minutes. Meanwhile, make glaze for bread. Squeeze lemon and combine all ingredients, stirring well.  Run knife along sides of pan to release bread. Place on cooling rack with sided cookie pan underneath. 

6. Pour glaze over bread. Allow 10 minutes to soak. 

7. Enjoy! 

Recipe adapted from  Jamie Cook It Up!

Maryland Crab Dip

I found this recipe in a cook book my mom's school put together as a fundraiser and this recipe just so happens to be from my 6th grade social studies teacher.

1 lb crab meat
16 oz softened cream cheese
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayo
2 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp of Worcestershire sauce ( I add tons more)
1 tsp mustard
Old Bay seasoning and garlic powder to taste
1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese (I use a lot more of this too)

Mix cream cheese, sour cream, mayo, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce and mustard together in a bowl. Add Old Bay and garlic powder to taste. Mix in crab meat. Stir in half of the cheese. Place in a casserole dish and top with cheese. Bake 30-40 min at 350 degrees or until bubbly.

Apple Cake

Apples are among my favorites of the fall harvest. My mom’s apple cake has been a family treat for as long as I can remember and so tasty, I often prefer it in lieu of a more traditional birthday cake!

2 eggs 

1 cup canola oil

2 cups sugar

2 ½ cups self-rising flour

3 cups apples, chopped and peeled (about 3-4 apples)

½ cup pecans, finely chopped

1 package butterscotch chips

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine eggs, oil, and sugar; add flour and stir well to combine. Stir in apples. (Hint: This takes some elbow grease, as the dough will be very dense) Pour and spread mixture into lightly greased 9x13 pan. Sprinkle pecans and butterscotch over the top. Bake 55-60 minutes, until golden brown and cooked through. Best served warm.

Grilled Korean Flank Steak

I’m always on the hunt for a tangy marinade that will bring life to an otherwise plain piece of meat. This Asian-inspired recipe lends spice and plenty of flavor. Thinly sliced, it pairs wonderfully with a side of fried rice, or atop an Asian salad.

¼ c. Kikkoman teriyaki sauce

2 T. honey

1 tsp. red pepper flakes

1 tsp. toasted sesame seeds

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp. olive oil

1-2 lbs. flank steak

In a small bowl, whisk together first six ingredients. Pour into large, resealable plastic bag; add flank steak and work marinade into meat. Refrigerate over night.

Preheat grill or grill pan. Grill steak until cooked to desired doneness (about 5-7 minutes per side). Let rest 15 minutes. Slice thinly on a bias to serve.

*Inspired by Rachael Ray’s Korean Barbecue Flank Steak

Apple Cider Cookies

In the spirit of Fall, here is a yummy apple cider cookie recipe for you! 

 

1 cup softened butter

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup Apple Cider Mix

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3 cups all purpose flour

1 14 oz bag Kraft Caramels 

 

1. Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and baking powder. In a seperate bowl, beat butter and sugar until fluffy. Add salt and apple cider powder; mix until combined. 

2. Beat in eggs and vanilla until combined. Slowly add flour mixture to butter/egg mixture and mix until completely combined, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. 

3. Cover dough and chill for  an hour or overnight. 

4. Remove from refrigerator and preheat oven to 350 degrees. While oven is heating, unwrap caramels. 

5. Using a cookie scoop, scoop out cookie dough. Round into ball with hands and flatten. Place unwrap caramel on flattened cookie dough and wrap dough around caramel. Place on prepared cookie sheet. Continue with remaining dough. Cook for 12-14 minutes until slightly browned. 

6. Remove from oven. Slide parchment paper off of cookie sheet and onto cooling rack. Once partially cool, remove cookies from parchment paper and onto cooling rack.

7. Enjoy with a warm glass of apple cider! 

Recipe from Scrambled Henfruit

Halloween Bark

This past Wednesday, I hosted Student Spouse Group coffee night. I decided to make most of my dishes and desserts Halloween themed. October is my favorite month of the year as I love everything Fall. When I saw this Halloween Bark on Pinterest, I knew I couldn't resist.

1 lb melting Chocolate, milk chocolate or semi-sweet
8 fun size Butterfingers, chopped
16 mini Reeses cups, chopped
1/4 cup Salted peanuts
1/3 cup Halloween colored M&M's
3-5 oz. White Chocolate, optional

1. Lined sided cookie sheet with aluminum foil; set aside. Using double-boiler, melt chocolate. Once melted, pour chocolate onto prepare cookie sheet and evenly spread around using spatula.

2. Cover chocolate with chopped Butterfingers, Reeses, Peanuts, and M&M's. Using hands, press candies into the melted chocolate. Chill for 1 hour in refrigerator.

3. Optional: Melt white chocolate in double-boiler and drizzle onto bark. Re-chill for 1 hour.

4. Once completely chilled, remove chocolate bark from aluminum foil and break into pieces. Store in an air-tight container.

Recipe adapted from BonAppetit

Texas Flour Tortillas

Texas Flour Tortillas

I have no clue how I found the blog called The Homesick Texan...I think it was when I was looking up recipes for Hello Dolly bars. Anyway, I browsed her recipes and saw she had some for corn an flour tortillas so I kept that mental note. I wanted to make spinach and shrimp quesadillas but we were out of tortillas. So I looked up the recipe and got to work.

                                                                   Photo by Fly Girls
Texas Flour Tortillas (adapted from The Border Cookbook by Cheryl Alters Jamison and Bill Jamison)

Ingredients:

Two cups of all-purpose flour (can make them whole wheat by substituting one cup of whole-wheat flour for white flour)
1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder
1 teaspoon of salt
2 teaspoons of vegetable oil
3/4 cups of warm milk

Method:

                                                                          Photo by Fly Girls

 

-Mix together the flour, baking powder, salt and oil.

-Add the warm milk.

-Stir until a loose, sticky ball is formed.

- Knead the dough for two minutes.

-Place dough in a bowl and cover for 20 minutes.

-After 20 minutes, break off eight sections, roll them into balls, place on a plate and then cover for 10 minutes.

-Place a dough ball on a floured surface, pat it out into a four-inch circle, and then roll with a rolling pin until it’s thin and about eight inches in diameter.

 

-Cover rolled out tortillas until you are ready to cook them.

 

-Cook the tortilla about thirty seconds on each side in a dry skillet on high.

-Keep cooked tortillas covered wrapped in a napkin until ready to eat.

Makes eight tortillas.


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