Cloud Bread

A recipe taking the Internet by storm right now is a light, fluffy bread that is carb free.  All that you need to make this tasty treat are a few simple ingredients and skill with a mixer.  Get ready to whip up some cloud bread!

Ingredients

• 3 large eggs, separated
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 2 ounces cream cheese, very soft
• 1 tablespoon white sugar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Beat egg whites and cream of tartar together in a bowl until stiff peaks form.
3. Mix egg yolks, cream cheese, and sugar together in a separate bowl using a wooden spoon and then mixing with a hand-held egg beater until mixture is very smooth and has no visible cream cheese. Gently fold egg whites into cream cheese mixture, taking care not to deflate the egg whites.
4. Carefully scoop mixture onto the prepared baking sheet, forming 5 to 6 "buns".
5. Bake in the preheated oven until cloud bread is lightly browned, about 30 minutes.

Fresh Herb Butter

Make this fresh herb butter for great flavor with very little work.  Use it on crusty bread, as a topping for fish, or mixed into gnocchi or ravioli.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 2 tablespoons chopped herbs (chives, mints, parsley, sage)
• Garlic (optional)
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Directions

1. Stir together all ingredients in a small bowl.
2. Spoon into a small serving bowl or chill 15 minutes and shape into a log.

Candied Kielbasa

Ingredients

• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1/4 cup prepared horseradish
• 2 pounds kielbasa sausage, sliced thin

Directions

1. In a slow cooker combine the sugar, ketchup and horseradish. Add the sausage, and mix well. Cook on High until it starts to boil. Reduce heat to Low, and cook until sauce thickens, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Quick Yorkshire Pie

In researching this week's blog post, I discovered that George Washington was a fan of Yorkshire pies.  Well the original recipe is a bit complicated so I found this simplified version.

Ingredients

•  3 lbs extra lean ground beef
• 3 cups flour
• 3 cups milk
• 3 eggs
• salt
• pepper
• 3 tbsp ground coriander
• 4 tbsp ground cumin
• 4 tbsp crushed garlic

Directions

1. Preheat oven and 9 x 13 baking pan at 400 F.
2. Brown garlic and ground beef, cooking until beef is fully cooked.
3. Add salt, pepper, cumin and coriander while cooking.
4. When beef is cooked, set aside.
5. Mix flour, milk, eggs and 1 tsp salt until smooth.
6. Take hot pan out of the oven and spray liberally with non-stick cooking spray.
7. Pour 1/2 batter in hot pan, top with meat mixture and cover with remaining batter.
8. Bake at 400 F for 40 minutes, until golden brown and firm to the touch.
9. Serve hot.

Sacher Torte

Hey guys!  Valentine's Day is coming up this weekend so here is a recipe for that special someone.  This is pretty darn close to the original classic dessert produced by the Sacher Hotel in Vienna, Austria. It is a dense, not-too-sweet, apricot and chocolate concoction. It is a lot of work but WELL worth the effort!

Ingredients

Cake:

• 4 ounces semi sweet chocolate (chopped)

• 1/2 cup butter, softened

• 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar

• 2 teaspoons confectioners' sugar

• 6 eggs, separated

• 1/2 cup white sugar

• 2 tablespoons white sugar

• 1 cup cake flour

Filling:

• 1/4 cup water

• 1/4 cup white sugar

• 3 tablespoons dark rum, divided

• 1 (12 ounce) jar apricot preserves

• 1 tablespoon water

Icing:

• 9 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

• 3 ounces heavy cream

 

 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly butter a 9-inch springform pan; place a circle of parchment paper inside, and butter that as well.

2. Melt 4 ounces of chocolate in a metal bowl placed over gently simmering water. Stir frequently until melted, then remove from the heat and let cool slightly.

3. Beat the butter together with confectioners' sugar until creamy. Mix in the melted chocolate, then beat in the egg yolks, one at a time. In a clean bowl, beat egg whites with white sugar until stiff and glossy. Fold into chocolate mixture, then fold in cake flour, until incorporated. Pour into prepared springform pan, and smooth the top.

4. Bake in the preheated oven until the edges begin to pull away from the sides of the pan, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out dry, about 45 minutes. Cool pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then run a small knife around the edge and remove the sides of the pan. Allow cake to cool completely on the base of the pan. When cool, remove from pan, and remove parchment paper; slice cake in half horizontally.

5. Bring 1/4 cup water and sugar to a boil in a small saucepan. When the sugar has dissolved and the syrup is clear, remove from heat and stir in 2 tablespoons rum. Brush 1/3 of the syrup onto the cut side of the cake bottom.

6. Puree the apricot preserves with 1 tablespoon of water until smooth. Bring to a simmer over medium heat in a small saucepan, and cook until thickened, about 2 minutes. Stir in remaining rum, then spread 1/3 of the jam mixture onto the cut side of the cake bottom. Place the top of the cake onto the bottom. Brush the outside of the cake with the remaining syrup, then spread remaining apricot preserves over the top and sides; refrigerate until the icing is ready.

7. To make the icing, melt 9 ounces of chocolate over a double boiler or in the microwave until smooth. Bring the cream to a simmer in a small saucepan, then stir into melted chocolate. Cool slightly, stirring often, until the chocolate reaches a spreadable consistency.

8. Set the cake on a cooling rack set over a cookie sheet or waxed paper to catch any drips. Pour the icing on top of the cake, and spread around the edges; allow excess icing to drip through the rack. Cool cake to room temperature, then carefully remove from the cooling rack using a spatula. Transfer to a dessert plate and store in the refrigerator. Allow cake to come to room temperature before serving.

Cherry Pineapple Banana Bread

Ingredients

• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1/4 cup applesauce
• 1 egg
• 2 egg whites
• 1 cup mashed ripe bananas
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 cups self-rising flour
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1 (8 ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained
• 1/2 cup chopped maraschino cherries

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease two 8x4-inch loaf pans.
2. Beat white sugar, brown sugar, butter, and applesauce together in a bowl using an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat egg and egg whites into sugar mixture; stir in bananas, vanilla extract, and cinnamon. Mix flour, alternating with buttermilk, into sugar mixture until batter is well mixed; fold in pineapple and cherries. Pour batter into the prepared pans.
3. Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 45 to 55 minutes. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack.