Soft Pretzels and Cheese Sauce

So I know that I don’t post a lot of snacks, but here is a great one for any lazy Saturday afternoon. Or the upcoming big game day! What is your favorite finger food? Give me some ideas to create a game day snack board!

Levi and I love soft pretzels! We always stop at Pretzelmaker in the mall, and Levi has been talking about trying this out for a long time! So one of my rare Saturday’s off we had sometime and very few house projects that could be accomplished in a day. So we had an awesome snowy day baking and doing taxes and just hanging out 🙂 It was wonderful! I am so glad that we tried them because they are light and fluffy and salty and amazing!!

The first time you try these out I would carve out some time to make sure you get all the steps right. But now that I’ve done it, the process seems more simple than I had anticipated. I am also not super happy with the cheese sauce, so here is what I have. It’s not horrible but I know I can do better next time. I’ll update it once I have a new idea.

This recipe makes 6 pretzels. So make the necessary adjustments for the crowd you are trying to please.

Ingredients:

For Pretzels

• 1 1/2 Tbsp butter, cubed and room temperature
• 1 Tbsp Brown Sugar, packed
• 1 1/8 tsp Active Dry Yeast
• 3 Cups Flour (I used half all purpose and half bread flour)
• 1 tsp Salt
• 2/3 Cup Baking Soda
• Coarse Sea Salt for sprinkling on top and melted butter for brushing on top

For Cheese Sauce:

• 1 Tbsp Butter
• 1 Tbsp Flour
• 2/3 Cup Milk
• 4 oz Cheddar Cheese, shredded. I’ve heard that shredding your own makes a big difference over buying pre-shredded.

In a stand mixer combine the butter and brown sugar with 2 cups of hot water (110-115 degrees). Add the yeast and let stand for about 10 minutes until it gets foamy. It’s best to let it sit in a warm environment. I had warmed up the stove just a little bit and set it in there.

Add 1 1/2 cup flour and salt to the yeast mixture. Using a dough hook mix on low speed. You may have to scrape down the sides a few times to get the flour to start incorporating. Increase to a medium speed and add the rest of the flour. Mix until the dough starts pulling away from the bowl.

Move the dough to a clean, floured surface and knead the dough for about 5 minutes until it’s smooth. Brush the inside of a bowl with butter and place the dough inside a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise for an hour. Dough rises the best in a warm and moist environment. I boiled some water and placed it in a baking dish on the bottom rack of the oven and place the bowl on the rack above it.

Let the dough rise for 1 hour until it’s doubled in size.

 

  

Remove the dough from the bowl and punch it down. Cut the dough in half and cut each half into 3 equal pieces.

Take a cookie sheet and line with wax paper and coat with cooking spray. Measure out a 24 inch space. You can use a piece of string or the measuring tape to help ensure that your ropes are all the same length. Roll out the dough, occasionally hold each end and twirl the dough around kind of like a jump rope and slap the middle against the counter. This will help it stay stretched out.

To make the pretzel shape lift each end to make a U shape, cross the ends over each other once or twice and fold the ends down over the bottom. Place each pretzel on the cookie sheet. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and place back in the oven with more boiled water for about 30 minutes. They will puff up slightly.
  

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. In a large pot mix 10 cups of water with the baking soda. Bring to a simmer. Use scissors to cut the parchment paper around the pretzels. Slide the pretzels off the baking sheet and coat the baking sheet with cooking spray. 2 at a time carefully invert the pretzels in the water and use tongs to remove the wax paper. Simmer the pretzels for 45 seconds on each side. Remove with a slotted spoon or a large spatula and slightly shake off the excess water. This step will help you get the dark brown pretzel color while maintaining a soft and chewy bread.

Once your pretzels are ready for the oven sprinkle them with coarse salt. Bake for 12- 15 minutes, rotate the baking sheets halfway through. Remove from the oven and brush with melted butter.

While the pretzels are baking use a small sauce pan and melt the butter and add the flour. Mix with a whisk until you have a light brown color. Very slowly whisk in the milk. Gently simmer until the sauce starts to thicken, 2-4 minutes. Remove from heat and add the cheese, stir until all the cheese is melted. Serve immediately.

I bet you could make these the day before and put them in the fridge and then pop them in the oven again on game day! But I would make the cheese sauce fresh.

I am also going to try these with cinnamon sugar and a cream cheese frosting!! I really hope you all give them a try. They are fantastic!!!

 

 

Parmesan Crusted Chicken Breast

So on my quest to find appreciation for a baked chicken breast I have run across several recipes that give you a juicy and tender piece of chicken by spreading some mayonnaise on the top. I was skeptical at first, but the first time I tried it there could’ve been a huge disaster! I had accidentally hit the Celsius button on the digital thermometer. By the time I noticed my error the chicken had an internal temperature of about 200 degree Fahrenheit!! Holy cow! If it hadn’t been so late at night I would’ve just said we should go out for dinner, but I told Levi we are just going to have to suck it up. And it turned out to be an AMAZING meal!! Believe it or not the meat was still crazy juicy and even though the toppings were a little crisp, we still loved every bite!  We now jokingly refer to this dish as 200 degree burnt chicken brick.

The great thing about this recipe is that you can totally have fun with it! Add whatever herbs, spices or cheeses that you love and I’m confident that it will turn out completely delicious 🙂

Ingredients for 2 pieces:

• 1/8 Cup Mayonnaise
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1/2 tsp Pepper
• 2 tsp Basil
• 2 tsp Granulated Garlic
• 1 tsp Onion Salt
• 1/8 Cup Parmesan Cheese
• 2 Tbsp Italian Bread Crumbs
• 2 Chicken Breasts

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Rinse each breast in water and place on a nonstick cookie sheet. In a small bowl combine everything except the bread crumbs. Spread the mixture evenly over the top of each breast.

Bake the chicken for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle the bread crumbs on top.

Bake for another 10-15 minutes until the internal temperature is 165 degrees.

Serve it up with your favorite sides and enjoy!!

White Chocolate Macadamia Red Velvet Cookies

Valentine’s Day is the time for Red Velvet everything!! One of our favorite cookies is white chocolate macadamia and I just had to give these a little Valentine’s Day twist.

Not quite sure what our plans going to end up being this year, but you can bet that something yummy will be on the table! Also going to try and make some chocolate dipped strawberries….yum!

If you have kids you can really have fun with the icing! As you can see I went a little overboard, but I think they look really cool!

Cookie Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 Cups Flour
• 1/4 Cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
• 1 tsp Baking Soda
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• 1/2 Cup Butter, softened to room temperature
• 3/4 Cup Brown Sugar, packed
• 1/4 Cup Granulated Sugar
• 1 Egg, room temperature
• 1 Tbsp Milk
• 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 0.5 oz Red Food coloring
• 3/4 Cup White Chocolate Chips
• 1/2 Cup Unsalted Macadamia Nuts, chopped

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 1/4 Cup Cream Cheese, softened to room temperature
• 3 Tbsp Milk or Cream
• 1/2 Cup Powdered Sugar
• Red Food Coloring

** Start making these ahead of time because they NEED to be in the fridge for at least an hour before baking.

In a medium mixing bowl combine the flour, cocoa, salt and baking soda. Set aside.

In your stand mixed beat the butter until it’s completely smooth. Add both sugars and beat until you have a grainy paste. Add the egg, vanilla and milk, mix well. Add the food coloring.

Slowly mix in the dry ingredients,, white chips and nuts until you have a sticky dough. Add more food coloring if desired. Cover and place in the fridge for at least an hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Use a cookie scoop to ball the dough onto a non-stick cookie sheet. Bake for 10-11 minutes. Remove from the oven, the cookies will be in sort of a mound shape. Use the back of a big spoon to flatten them out by gently pressing in the middle of the cookie. You can press a few extra chips in the top for some good visuals.

To make the frosting beat the cream cheese in a small bowl until completely smooth. Beat in the milk and slowly add the powdered sugar. Beat until it’s incredibly smooth. Divide into 3 batches and add food coloring to get some pink and red colors.

Put the frosting in a ziploc bag and cut off a very small tip. Drizzle the frosting over the cookies in whatever funky design suits you! Add some sprinkles for a little whimsy and crunch!

Sansa’s Hope- A Game of Thrones Inspired Drink

 

Sansa’s Hope

Inspired the sweetness of the beautiful redhead, Sansa Stark from Game of Thrones. We created this drink while binge watching the first 2 seasons. As the series progresses I think that the character of Sansa is greatly developed. She goes through so much heartbreak and torment, and she is coming out stronger! I do believe that it may be time to honor this character with a drink that has evolved along with her.

• 1 oz Grand Marnier
• 1oz Raspberry Liqueur
• 1oz Smirnoff Fluffed Marshmellow Vodka
• 1oz Cherry Liqueur

Pour over ice and fill the rest of the glass with Minute Maid Fruit Punch. Garnish with cherries. Enjoy!!!

Trial by Combat- A Game of Thrones Inspired Drink

Tyrion Lannister does love his trial by combat so we wanted to create something strong, surprising and feisty! Holy cow!! Did you see the end of this trial! We have never seen anything like this before…..yikes. Pour me another drink after that one…..

• 1 oz Southern Comfort
• 1 oz Silver Tequila
• 2 oz Desert Island Long Island  Ice Tea
• Dash of Orange Bitters

Fill the rest of the glass with ice and Cherry 7up.

The Cersei- A Game Of Thrones Inspired Drink

This particular addition was sent to me from the mother of my oldest childhood friend. I love this family dearly and I am very grateful to have them in my life. Thanks Bonnie!!! You’re great 🙂

“The Cersei” -Beautiful, Smooth and Deadly. I just came up with it today, because

1-Your Blog,
2-I am reading all of the books and

3-The Moroccan Mint in my garden is irresistible:)

Fresh Lime on rim of glasses & salt with Sea Salt, 2 slices of Fresh Lime: squeeze into each glass, 4-5 Moroccan Mint Leaves: Muddled plus (3-4 for Garnish),

2 Shots of your favorite Tequila, 1 shot of your favorite Orange Liquor, 1/4 cup fresh ice cubes and 1/2 cup Limeade (Fresh or A good frozen brand), Adjust to glass size or make a Pitcher (Mix, Relax & Enjoy;)

Peach Pleasure Cocktail

  
Ingredients:

• Coconut rum
• Citrus vodka
• Limeade
• Cherry 7-up
• Peach Schnapps

Apple Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

My mom has been making this apple cake for as long as I can remember. It’s one of those wonderful recipes that is written in your grandmothers handwriting passed down from generation to generation. Who knows where it came from, but what we do know is that it tastes like a wonderful tradition.

 

This Christmas we did our big dinner at my house with my parents. I spent almost all day in the kitchen with one parent or the other! Or even both….yikes! It was so much fun though. It almost felt like the passing of a traditions torch. And we added some new traditions! I think the mulled wine (Check out the recipe here) is here to stay….so yummy!

Ingredients:

Cake:

• 2 cups large red apples, unpeeled and cubed
• 1 Egg
• 1 Cup Sugar
• 1/4 Cup Vegetable Oil
• 1/4 tsp Cinnamon
• 1/2 Cup Walnuts, chopped
• 1 Cup Flour
• 1 tsp Baking Soda
• 1/3 tsp Salt

Frosting:

• 1/4 Cup Butter, softened
• 4 oz Cream Cheese, at room temperature
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1/2 lb Powdered Sugar

To make the cake:

Preheat oven to 350.

In a large bowl add the apple cubes and eggs. Toss them together. Add the oil, sugar, cinnamon, and nuts. Mix well so the apples are fully coated. Sift together the flour, salt and baking soda. Mix together. Grease a 8×11 cake pan and pour in the apple batter. Bake for 35 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Set aside and let it cool completely before frosting it.

To make the frosting:

Beat the cream cheese and butter together until smooth. Add the vanilla, mix well. Add the powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time. Once you have a creamy frosting then spread it over the cooled cake. You can also add 1/4 tsp Lemon extract if you want to give it a little extra punch!

 

Boeuf Bourguignon from Julia Child

So when I started this post I did not intend it to be our 100th post. But how fitting that it’s one of our few are far between fancy dinners. I can’t believe how many hours of prep and thought and work and typing have gone into this little hobby of mine. And it has been worth every penny and second. I love being able to share all this with you! Levi has been an amazing co-blogger and support system, always providing whatever little gadget my latest ambitions require. I’m sure you are not the biggest fan of everything I make, but thanks for eating it all with a smile on your face 🙂

The very first time that Levi and I decided that we were going to make a fancy meal was about 4 years ago. And where else would you go other than Julia Child?!? My parents just so happen to have The Art of Mastering French Cooking sitting on an end table for as long as I can remember.

So we borrowed the recipe and set to it! Unfortunately we didn’t have a pot that would work so we borrowed a cast iron Dutch oven. Well, that was certainly an interesting addition to the recipe and our sauce ended up being almost black, although it was still very tasty.

We decided to tackle this recipe again since I got an Emile Henrie pot for Christmas that had a picture of the dish and a variation of the recipe in a little booklet. Well we just couldn’t help our selves so we had to try again.

I really love the flavors in this dish. It’s basically a slow cooked beef stew made with bold red wine flavors which make it slightly tangy and rich. For my friends who aren’t into cooking with booze then just replace the wine with beef broth. Julia Child recommends serving this dish with mushrooms sautéed in butter and baby onions braised in beef stock. Neither of those options really appealed to us, but if that sounds good to you then go for it! You can serve this dish with mashed potatoes, rice or noodles. You can find our homemade noodle recipe here.

Ingredients:

• 6 slices of bacon, cut into 1 inch squares
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 3 lbs stewing beef, cut into 2 inch chunks (I used rump roast)
• 1-2 carrots, sliced
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, and 2 tbsp flour mixed together
• 3 cups of a full bodied red wine. We used Burgandy, but you can also use Chianti or Pinot Noir
• 2-3 cups Beef Stock
• 1 tbsp Tomato Paste
• 2 cloves Garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp Thyme
• 1 Bay Leaf
• Fresh Parsley for garnish

Use a 9 or 10 inch dutch oven that can be used both on the stove top and in the oven. Over medium heat saute the bacon in oil for about 3 minutes to get it slightly brown. Remove the bacon pieces to a side dish, leave the fat in the pan. Dry the beef with paper towels, this will help ensure that the meat browns. Turn the heat up to medium high.

Take a few pieces of beef at a time and sear them on all sides in the bacon fat, until browned on each side. It’s important for the pan to be hot enough that the sear happens quickly without cooking the meat too much on the inside. Set the beef aside with the bacon.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In the same fat saute the vegetables until they are slightly browned. Drain the fat out of the pan. Return the beef and bacon to the pan. Sprinkle on some of the flour, salt and pepper mix. Toss to coat the beef, add some more flour mix, toss again. Continue until all the meat is lightly coated. Set the pan in the oven, uncovered, for about 4 minutes, toss the meat and leave in the oven for 4 more minutes. Remove the pan back to the stove top and turn the oven down to 325 degrees.

Add the wine to the pot, add enough beef stock to barely cover the meat. Stir in the tomato paste, garlic, and herbs. Bring the stew to a simmer stirring occasionally.  Cover the pot and return to the oven. Simmer and stir occasionally for 2.5 to 3 hours. Try piercing the meat with a fork, if it’s easily pierced then it’s done.

While the meat is cooking take time to prepare the noodles or potatoes or rice, mushrooms and onions. Once the stew is done remove the meat and vegetables, bring the sauce to a boil and skim the fat off the top. Reduce the sauce until it thickens.

Prepare the dish by adding your starch, then the meat and vegetables and top it off with the sauce. You can garnish it with some fresh parsley or basil.

 

In the words of Julia Child…”Bon apetit!!!”

 

New Year’s Mimosa

  
Happy New Year! Welcome to 2016 everyone 🙂

Today we wanted to start off 2016 with a delightful breakfast of cinnamon swirl pancakes, scotch eggs, and mimosas. We had champagne leftover from our New Year’s toast and orange juice so it was very easy to make mimosas. 

We got these really cool champagne flutes earlier this year just for our New Year’s toast (and other fun occasions) and we made a slight twist to the classic mimosa. 

Ingredients:

• Champagne 
• Orange juice
• Peach schnapps
• Grenadine 

I first poured about two thirds of the glass full wit champagne and then added the schnapps and orange juice to fill to the top. I added just a splash of grenadine last as it sinks to the bottom and makes for a beautiful looking mimosa!

Cheers to 2016 all!

-Levi