I've gone through a burn out period in my cooking life. Between therapy appointments, preschool, homeschooling my older son, baseball and a rambunctious two year old, cooking has become more of a burden than a delight. For the most part, I've only been cooking/baking the minimum to get me by. However, I ran across a recipe that made me curious again, homemade poptarts. It came from Chickens in the Road, one of my favorite blogs to follow, and I couldn't help but want to try it and see what happened. It was most definitely a success, and Jackson is looking forward to eating them at school when the rest of his class is eating toaster pastries.
Here's the original recipe, Homemade Poptarts.
I used pre-made pie crust (for time's sake), and I added a little more vanilla and cinnamon to the filling. Next time I'll make some apple jelly or use some strawberry jam. Definitely a recipe worth keeping.
After everyone had enjoyed their own poptart, I froze the leftovers and plan to use them for quick morning breakfasts and morning school snacks.
This is my Dad's and my son Jackson's favorite cake. It's my Granny's pound cake recipe from my Memaw's cook book.
3 sticks butter, softened
2 1/2 cups white sugar
8 eggs (corn-free, free-range)
1 tsp cream of tartar
3 cups flour
1 tsp vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Cream butter and sugar well, add whole beaten eggs, flavoring and cream of tartar. Beat until smooth. Add flour all at once. Beat for 10 minutes (medium speed). Pour into greased, floured tube or bundt pan and bake for 1 hour and 45 minutes.
Ok. So, this is the recipe pretty much as written in my Memaw's cook book. I add another teaspoon of vanilla and some milk, about a half cup to make the batter more wet and pourable. I add the flour in a 1/2 a cup at a time, and I always have to cook it longer. But, let me tell you, it is the BEST pound cake of any I've tasted. Of course, I might be swayed by nostalgia and family taste, but I still think it's the best.
Jackson wanted it for his treat to take to his class on his birthday. He likes it better than cupcakes or iced cookies, and I really enjoy the fact that it's an old family recipe.
You can sift powdered sugar over the top or make a drizzle icing.
This is my version of the drizzle icing, and I usually just cover the cake in it.
Melt a half a stick of butter. Add it to the bowl of a stand mixer (you can mix this by hand, but it won't quite be as smooth as with a mixer) and add a teaspoon of vanilla extract (corn-free). Pour in confectioner's sugar (corn-free) a half a cup at a time (up to about 2 cups) and beat until the mixture becomes kind of like a dough. Add a couple tablespoons of hot water at a time, mixing until you get the desired consistency. Drizzle over the cooled pound cake (or cover the whole thing like I do). If you want it to be more transparent, then use more water. I like it thick like cinnamon roll icing. I sprinkled all natural, corn-free sprinkles over the top so it at least looked like it was intended for a celebration.
I made this yesterday, and between his class at school and my family, it was gone by lunch today.
When cold weather sets in, I start craving those hot comfort foods that warm you up from your toes. Things like chicken and dumplings, chicken pot pie and chili. I've found that there are as many different varieties of chili as there are families, but if you're looking for a recipe that has been used for years and proven yummy, this is it.
Slow Cooker Chili
1lb Ground Beef
1 15 oz Can of Tomato Sauce
1 14 oz Can Diced tomatoes
1 15 oz Can Kidney Beans
1 15 oz Can Pinto Beans
1 large onion, finely chopped
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1/8 tsp Cayenne
1 tsp white sugar
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 cup Chili powder
Brown
the ground beef, drain, and saute together with the onions until the
onions are translucent. Add garlic and saute until fragrant. Add all ingredients to crock pot, turn on high
for 4-5 hours or low for 6-8 hours. The longer it simmers the better it
is.
I use my dutch oven for this, too. Brown the meat, saute the onions and garlic, add the ingredients and leave it to simmer for a few hours. All in one pot. That's nice for clean up, but it's also nice to throw it in the crock pot and let it cook without having to worry about being near it to make sure it doesn't burn or something.
I don't like to use store bought canned stuff if I can help it, but
this is one of those things unless you canned it all yourself before
hand, it would take all day to prepare the sauce, tomatoes and
beans. So, I just buy organic canned goods. Check the label if you've got allergies. Kidney beans are hard to find without corn syrup or some other type of corn (i.e. dextrose, starch etc.). I've used red beans as a substitute successfully.
Now, the picture above has my homemade corn bread in the background. Obviously not an option for my little corn-allergic guy. Back to Nature has a saltine cracker that is corn free. I buy them at Kroger in their health food section or at Publix on the cookie/cracker isle in the greenwise section.
Also, when you're in a pinch and can't find the organic brands, the Pepperidge Farm Goldfish Saltine variety are corn-free. I buy them at Kroger. Kid's get a kick out of fish shaped crackers in their chili, too. Jackson usually just picks through and eats the crackers and meat.
Jackson LOVES pizza. When I was first trying to figure out his allergy issues, I learned out how to make yummy safe pizza, but we kept finding ourselves at birthday parties, family gatherings and other times where we needed safe pizza but I didn't have 2 hours to make it. Then I learned the secret to making and freezing your own pizza at home. Putting the cheese on first.
First the dough.
3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/3 cups warm water
1 tbsp sugar
1 packet yeast (2 1/4 tsp if you buy the jars)
3 tbsp olive oil
1-3 tsp garlic juice
Combine the flour and salt. Make a well and add the water, sugar and yeast. Once the yeast dissolves, add the olive oil and garlic juice. Mix until dough forms, then knead until smooth and elastic. If it's sticky, add more flour. If it's dry, add more water. Brush with olive oil, cover in a bowl and allow it to rise for about an hour, until doubled in size. This recipe makes about 2 pounds of dough. I can usually get 5 thin personal sized crusts.
I know that a couple of major chains use garlic juice in their crust recipes. So, that might sound weird, but it didn't come out of nowhere. I put 3 tsp in, but you can use more, less or omit altogether depending on your tastes.
Also, most major delivery chains roll their dough in a corn meal mixture. This does add flavor and makes the crust brown better. I do it for the grown ups since we put things like mushrooms, bell peppers and onions on ours. If you don't have a corn allergy, it does make a difference, so you will probably want to use it.
After the dough has risen, separate it into little dough balls, in my case 5. Roll the dough out with a rolling pin first, then place the crusts onto oiled paper plates. I use olive oil. Since you're freezing, you want something you can freeze it on and remove. If you oil them just right (not too much), the pizza shouldn't stick, but even if it does, you can peel the paper plate off the bottom. You just need something to hold the shape while it freezes. If you want to freeze a full size pizza, you can buy those aluminum pizza pans. Just remove it before you cook it. Those things and frozen pizza together make for yucky crust.
Brush your crusts with butter or olive oil, something to help with the browning process later.
Sprinkle a fairly thick layer of cheese. Then spoon your tomato sauce over the cheese. Spread carefully trying not to let the tomato sauce touch the bottom crust. Don't be super picky, but try to keep the cheese on the bottom and the sauce on top. I sprinkle a little more cheese on top, some basil, and then add our toppings. Since these are usually personal pizzas for Jackson, I don't put veggies on top. Usually hand made sausage we get from a local meat market, ham and/or hot dogs cut like pepperoni (sounds weird, but he LOVES it). I don't know how veggies will freeze in a home freezer, but have fun with it. You never know what they'll eat.
When I've got the pizzas topped and ready to freeze, I try to create a level spot in my chest freezer to lay them out to freeze initially. Once they start to get hard, cover them with plastic wrap. When they've been in there for several hours, remove the paper plates and wrap individually with plastic wrap. I've used round cake boards dusted with a little bit of flour on the bottom of the pizza, and if you've got a stuffed freezer (like me), the boards really help keep the pizza from getting broken.
When you're ready for some pizza:
Preheat your oven to 500 degrees. Unwrap your pizza, brush the outside crust with melted butter or olive oil, place on a pizza stone or right on the oven rack. Cook for about 10 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. Keep in mind, you're not going to get the same golden brown they get from a gigantic pizza oven or brushing with oil, egg and rolling in corn meal, but it will be tasty. That's what really matters.
There's nothing quite like homemade hot chocolate.
Last Christmas I prepared a hot chocolate bar for my family's Christmas gathering. It was a big hit, and not really more difficult than bringing any other Holiday dish. The chocolate was the easy part. The hard part comes from making the fixin's. It has to be homemade for Jackson to be able to have it, and hot chocolate isn't really special without at least marshmallows and whipped cream.
The photo above is mine from another homemade hot chocolate day. I wish I had photos of the Holiday spread, but they seem to be lost in my digital back up folder. Maybe you can just picture it. I used a crock pot, plugged in on the kitchen counter bar. Laid out the fixin's on Holiday platters with mugs and spoons near the crock pot. It was 'make-your-own' fantastic.
Here's a photo from Food Network that might help you see what I'm talking about.
First the chocolate:
2 cups whole milk
2 cups whipping cream
1 pkg milk chocolate chips
2 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract (you want to use a really good kind like Rodelle)
In a large sauce pan, combine the milk, cream and sugar. Heat until very warm but don't boil. Add chocolate chips and stir until melted. Pour mixture into a crock pot and add vanilla. Turn the crock pot on high. This serves about 4 people. So, you might need to double or triple it depending on how many people will be at your gathering. Just make sure you have a big enough crock pot or you can keep another one cooking in the background. You'll also need a ladle to scoop it out into mugs.
The Marshmallows:
Alton Brown's recipe is the best I've found for marshmallows, and the easiest really. It is already egg free, but of course it has to be altered to be corn-free. So, here's my adapted version.
3 pkg unflavored gelatin
1 cup ice cold water, divided
1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup sugar syrup
(You can use Lyle's golden syrup or make your own, 2 C sugar, 3/4 C water, 1/4 tsp cream of tartar, dash of salt. Bring to boil, simmer with cover on for 3 minutes, cook uncovered until it reaches soft ball stage, around 235 degrees.)
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
Corn-free powdered sugar for dusting (365 Organic found at Whole Foods or Trader Joe's store brand)
Place the gelatin into the bowl of a stand mixer along with 1/2 cup of the water. Have the whisk attachment standing by.
In a small sauce pan
combine the remaining 1/2 cup water, granulated sugar, sugar syrup and
salt. Place over medium high heat, cover and allow to cook for 3 to 4
minutes. Uncover, clip a candy thermometer onto the side of the pan and
continue to cook until the mixture reaches 240 degrees F, approximately 7
to 8 minutes. Once the mixture reaches this temperature, immediately
remove from the heat.
Turn the mixer on low speed and, while running, slowly pour the sugar mixture down the side of the bowl into the gelatin mixture. Once you have added
all of the syrup, increase the speed to high. Continue to whip
until the mixture becomes very thick and is lukewarm, approximately 12
to 15 minutes. Add the vanilla during the last minute of whipping. While
the mixture is whipping prepare the pan.
Grease a 13 by 9-inch metal baking pan.
Add some powdered sugar and move around to completely coat
the bottom and sides of the pan.
When ready, pour the mixture into the prepared pan, using a lightly oiled spatula
for spreading evenly into the pan. Dust the top with enough powdered sugar to lightly cover. Allow the marshmallows to sit uncovered for at least 4
hours and up to overnight.
Turn the marshmallows out onto a cutting board and cut into 1-inch
squares using a pizza wheel dusted with confectioners' sugar. I like to use small cookie cutters to cut them into fun shapes. Once cut, lightly dust all sides of each marshmallow with the
remaining mixture, using additional if necessary. Store in an airtight
container for up to 3 weeks.
And the Whipped Cream:
1 pint heavy whipping cream
6 Tbsp sugar
2 tsp vanilla
Pour the cream into the bowl and whip with a mixer until it begins to thicken. Add sugar one tbsp at a time then add vanilla. Mix until combined. Be careful not to overmix the cream or else will start to resemble butter rather than whipped cream. Make sure you refrigerate it until you're ready to use it. I beat the cream at my mother's house when we were ready to enjoy the chocolate.
I also had cinnamon in a little dish with a serving teaspoon (you could use cinnamon sticks, too), peppermints and homemade caramels (something I love in hot chocolate). The sky's the limit, though, and it makes for something fun and personal.
Apple pie is one of those comfort foods that never loses it's appeal, at least for me. I could eat it year round, but there is something super yummy about apple pie during the Holidays. This is my recipe for apple pie filling. I think Julia Child's crust recipe is the best, but I've found that Pillsbury's refrigerated pie crusts (come in the red box, rolled into two tubes) are corn free. So, when I'm in a pinch I just use those.
Apple Pie Filling
3 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 tsp lemon juice
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar
5 apples (I use Gala. You want a sweet apple, but not a really soft one since you cook the filling before baking the pie. You could even buy the pre-sliced sweet apples and cut the peel off.)
Peel and slice your apples. I use a corer/slicer, then cut those slices in half. In a large saute pan (large enough to fit all those apples), melt the butter. Add the lemon juice, cinnamon and sugars. Stir to combine. Add apples and cook on medium/low heat until soft, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool some.
While the apples are cooling, preheat your oven to 425 degrees and prepare a 9 inch pie dish for baking. If you want to make your own crust, check out Julia's recipe. Lay one dough roll in the bottom of your pie dish. Pour apples into the dish, and add another dough roll on top. Pinch the dough edges together. Cut the excess off and use the tines of a fork to seal the edges. Cut slits in the center to vent. Bake for about 45 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. Wrap foil around the edges (not the whole pie) to prevent over browning. (The center always takes longer to brown than the edges.) I used to add the foil after the edges got brown, but I think it's actually easier to put the foil on first and leave it for about 25-30 minutes because you're working with a cool dish rather than a piping hot one.
Making a cake without eggs is nearly impossible. There is really no substitute for the richness and rise the egg provides. Baking a cake from scratch using my parents corn-free eggs was pretty much my only option, but when I'm pressed for time or just don't feel like pulling everything out, a mix is so nice. I have looked for an egg and corn free cake mix only to be disappointed time and time again. I tried using corn free mixes and substituting the egg and ended up with an unrisen dense biscuit looking cake. I had success using an egg substitute using the Betty Crocker Gluten Free cake mix, but the taste was very different. Only Jackson and I would eat it.
I never stop looking, though. When I shop, I often will look for interesting products and check the labels to see if I can find something new. As I was picking up some baking needs, I noticed this adorable pink box. Right on the front it said, egg free. I picked it up looking to see if it was corn free, and it was. I looked at the directions and saw that it didn't even call for egg. So, I picked it up and decided I needed to try this mix to see if it was worth keeping around.
Cherrybrook Kitchen Yellow Cake Mix
I used the mix to make cupcakes for a Thanksgiving thing at Jackson's school, and he gobbled them up! They definitely didn't taste the same as the Duncan Hines or Betty Crocker cake mixes, but they rose well, browned well and tasted pretty good considering they contained no egg. This is definitely a mix I will be keeping on hand for those 'oh no, that's tomorrow?' situations.
