Pretzel Dogs

I found this recipe Here . I just copied and pasted it from her website. I made them for my grandson who is a really picky eater.  He said he liked them, but he only took one bite and declared that he wanted a pbbh (peanut butter, banana, and honey sandwich)  Jud and I did liked the pretzel dogs. Maybe I will try them again with other grandchildren.

Pretzel Dogs

Yield: 8 pretzel dogs
Prep Time:20 minutes
Cook Time:20 minutes
Total Time:1 hour 40 minutes

Ingredients:

3/4 cup warm (110 to 115 degrees F) water
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
2 1/4 cups flour
1 tablespoon butter, melted
Vegetable oil, for pan
10 cups water
2/3 cup baking soda
1 large egg yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon water
Pretzel salt
8 hot dogs

Directions:

Combine the water, sugar and kosher salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the yeast on top. Sit for 5 minutes or until the mixture begins to foam. Add the flour and butter and mix on low speed using the dough hook until well combined. Increase to medium speed and knead until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the side of the bowl, about 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the dough from the bowl and place in a clean, oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and sit in a warm place for approximately 50 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size.
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper and brush with the vegetable oil.
Bring the 10 cups of water and the baking soda to a rolling boil in a large, deep pan.
In the meantime, separate the dough into 8 equal pieces. Use your hands to roll and stretch the pieces of dough into ropes, about 12 inches long. Wrap one piece of dough around each hot dog, leaving just a bit of the dog peeking out at the ends. Press the ends of the dough together to hold in place.
Place the pretzels, one at a time, into the boiling water for 30 seconds. Remove them from the water using a slotted spoon. Return to the prepared cookie sheet, brush the top of each pretzel with the beaten egg yolk and water mixture and sprinkle with the pretzel salt. Bake until dark golden brown in color, approximately 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack for at least 5 minutes before serving.
If you're freezing the pretzels, do not brush the tops with the egg wash or add the pretzel salt. Bake them until just lightly browned and cool completely. Place them into the freezer on the cookie sheet for 1 hour to harden. Remove from the cookie sheet and place in a freezer safe bag and freeze until ready to use. To prepare, brush the frozen pretzels with egg wash and sprinkle with salt. Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes or until warmed through and golden brown.

Talapia, Zucchini Pancakes, and Zucchini Bread

We gathered zucchini from our garden today and I decided to make zucchini bread and zucchini pancakes. The recipe for the talapia is easy and delicious.  I don't really have a recipe, I just used some herbs from our garden and pan fried it in a little (2 T. ) canola oil (about 3-4 minutes per side). When the fish is done on one side, flip the fish and add about 2 T. butter to the pan and spoon the butter over the fish for the last 3 minutes. Add about 2 teaspoons fresh thyme.  I put sprigs of dill on the fish after I plated.

Ingredients for the Zucchini Bread (makes two loaves) Recipe online here
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
2 1/4 cups white sugar
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups grated zucchini
1 cup chopped walnuts
Method:
1.Grease and four two 8" X 14" pans. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C)
2.Sift flour, salt, baking powder, soda, and cinnamon together in a bowl.
3.Beat eggs, oil, vanilla, and sugar together in a large bowl. Add sifted ingredients to the creamed mixture, and beat well. Stir in zucchini and nuts until well combined. Pour batter into prepared pans.
4. Bake 40 - 60 minutes, until tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on rack for 20 minutes. Remove bread from pan, and cool completely.

Ingredients for the zucchini pancakes
1 1/2 cups of grated zucchini (You might want to squeeze out the juice from the zucchini in a clean kitchen towel
1 egg
1/2 cup flour
salt and pepper
1 cup bread crumbs or panko crumbs
Method:
Mix all ingredients together and make into pancakes. Let sit for about 10 minutes. Dust both sides with the bread crumbs and fry in canola oil on both sides until golden brown.

Tortellini with Italian Sausage, Fennel and Mushrooms

We planted fennel in our garden. When it was ready to pick, I found this recipe Here  It makes enough for 6 so we are having left-overs later this week. Even if you don't have fresh fennel, it would be worth buying it in the grocery store.  





Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large fennel bulb, trimmed, halved through core, thinly sliced lengthwise (about 3 cups), fronds chopped for garnish
1 pound Italian sausage, casings removed, sausage coarsely crumbled
1- 8 oz. package sliced fresh crimini mushrooms
4 large garlic cloves, pressed
1 tablespoon fennel seeds, coarsely crushed
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 cup (or more) low- salt chicken broth
1- 16 oz. package dried tortellini with pesto filling or fresh tortellini with 3-cheese filling (this is what I used
15 oz. package fresh baby spinach leaves
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese plus additional ( for serving)
Method:
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add sliced fennel bulb, sausage, and mushrooms; saute" until sausage is brown and cooked through and fennel is almost tender, 12-15 minutes. Add garlic and fennel seeds; stir 1 minute. Stir in cream then 1 cup broth; boil until liquid is reduced slightly thickened. (2-3 minutes.  Cook tortellini in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender, but still firm. Dran and return to pot. Add sausage mixture to tortellini. Toss over medium heat until blended. Add spinach and stir until wilted. Stir in 1/2 cup cheese. Add more broth by 1/4 cupfuls. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with fennel fronds and serve with additional cheese.

Boiled Shrimp

When I was growing-up, my dad would catch shrimp in the nets and mom would boil them and put a huge pot in the middle of the table.  This was one of my favorite food memories.  We had to peel our own shrimp, and if you didn't learn to peel fast, you would miss out.
Ingredients:
1 pound shrimp-- I peeled and deviened the shrimp . (Aren't I nice)
1/4 cup Crawfish, Shrimp and Crab Boil
Method:
Bring a pot of water to a boil and add seasoning and shrimp. Let boil for 5 minutes and then turn off the heat and let sit for at least 5 minutes.  If you don't add the Crawfish boil, just boil the shrimp for 5 minutes and then take the shrimp out and serve.
Red Sauce:
1/3 cup Ketshup
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon prepared horseradish, or to taste
Method:
Stir all ingredients together and dip each shrimp in as you eat.

Brie En Croute

This is probably my favorite appetizer. I could probably eat the whole thing, if I would allow myself the luxury.  But I was a good girl and only had two little slices. It tastes like you worked all day, and it probably only takes about 10 minutes to prepare this dish once the puff-pastry has defrosted.  Recipe from Paula Deen of Foodnetwork





Printable Version


Ingredients:
1 sheet frozen Pepperidge Farm puff pastry
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 cup walnuts
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 (8 oz.) wheel of Brie cheese
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 egg, beaten
Crackers for serving
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Defrost puff pastry for approximately 15-20 minutes and unfold.
In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Saute the walnuts in the butter until golden brown, approximately 5 minutes.  Add the cinnamon and stir until walnuts are coated well. Place the brie in the middle of the puff-pastry. Place the walnut mixture on top of the brie and sprinkle the brown sugar over the mixture. Gather up the edges of the brie, pressing around the brie and gather at the top. Gently squeeze together the excess dough and tie together with a piece of kitchen twine. Brush the beaten egg over top and side of puff-pastry. Place on a cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes until pastry is golden brown. Serve with crackers.

Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits

My mom used to make homemade biscuits. My grandmother made canned biscuits. I love to go to grandma's house and have canned biscuits.  One day I asked my mom to make canned biscuits and my dad overheard me.  He couldn't believe that I could possibly like canned biscuits better than mom's biscuits.  I get it now, dad.  I was never able to make homemade biscuits until I found this recipe. Now I make them all the time.  They would even meet dad's approval. I found this in a holiday magazine years ago, but it doesn't have the name of the magazine on the page I tore out.  It just says Holiday Cookbook.
Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
 5 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
3/4 cup buttermilk
3 tablespoons honey
Method:
1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2.  Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Add butter and knead with your fingers until mixture resembles coarse meal. Chill 10 min. (I didn't do this)
3. Combine buttermilk and honey, stirring with a whisk until well blended. Add buttermilk mixture to flour mixture. Stir until moist.(I just added the buttermilk and honey separately, stirring until moist.
4. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface; knead lightly 3 times. Roll dough into a 1/2 inch thick 9" X 5" rectangle. Cut with biscuit cutter and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 400 degrees for 12 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pan and and enjoy.

Double Dark Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Filling

You can find the recipe from Food and Wine Here

Ingredients

1. 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons cocoa powder (not Dutch process)
2. 1/2 cup boiling water
3. 1 cup buttermilk
4. 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
5. 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
6. 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
7. 1/4 teaspoon salt
8. 1 1/2 sticks plus 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
9. 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
10. 2 large eggs, at room temperature
11. 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
12. 1 cup creamy peanut butter
13. 2/3 cup confectioners' sugar
14. 1 cup heavy cream
15. 8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

1. Preheat the oven to 350° and position 2 racks in the lower and middle third of the oven. Line 24 muffin cups with paper or foil liners. 
2. Put the cocoa powder in a medium heatproof bowl. Add the boiling water and whisk until a smooth paste forms. Whisk in the buttermilk until combined. In a medium bowl, sift the flour with the baking soda, baking powder and salt. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat 1 1/2 sticks of the butter with the granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs and vanilla, then beat in the dry ingredients in 2 batches, alternating with the cocoa mixture. Carefully spoon the cupcake batter into the lined muffin cups, filling them about two-thirds full. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes, or until the cupcakes are springy. Let the cupcakes cool in the pans for 5 minutes, then transfer them to wire racks to cool completely. 
3. In a medium bowl, beat the peanut butter with the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter until creamy. Sift the confectioners' sugar into the bowl and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Spoon all but 3 tablespoons of the peanut butter filling into a pastry bag fitted with a 1/4-inch star tip. Holding a cupcake in your hand, plunge the tip into the top of the cake, pushing it about 3/4 inch deep. Gently squeeze the pastry bag to fill the cupcake, withdrawing it slowly as you squeeze; you will feel the cupcake expand slightly as you fill it. Scrape any filling from the top of the cupcake and repeat until all of the cupcakes are filled. 
4. In a small saucepan, bring the heavy cream to a simmer. Off the heat, add the semisweet chocolate to the cream and let stand for 5 minutes, then whisk the melted chocolate into the cream until smooth. Let the chocolate icing stand until slightly cooled and thickened, about 15 minutes. Dip the tops of the cupcakes into the icing, letting the excess drip back into the pan. Transfer the cupcakes to racks and let stand for 5 minutes. Dip the tops of the cupcakes again and transfer them to racks. Spoon the remaining 3 tablespoons of peanut butter filling into the pastry bag and pipe tiny rosettes on the tops of the cupcakes.

Make Ahead

The cupcakes are best served the same day they are made, but they can be refrigerated overnight in an airtight container.

Notes

Cooking Club Tip: If you don't have a pastry bag with a fitted tip, you can fill these cupcakes by carving a hole in the center (from the top) with a sharp paring knife. Put the filling in a resealable plastic bag and snip off one of the corners. Pipe the filling directly into the hole.

Published April 2004

*Note: I did not make the icing that is in the recipe. I already had some chocolate icing from a cake that I made for church last Sunday. I made 1/2 recipe of the peanut butter filling and it filled about 18 cupcakes. I figured that some of my clan would not want the peanut butter.