Golden Pillows

Hello Sweets,

I cannot wait until spring is finally here, because my health is just on a roller coaster ride and it is not fun.  I've been having really bad migraines, which then causes dizziness and nausea.  Naturally that means I haven't been in the kitchen much, but I'm changing that tonight!  I'm making my grandfather a special little surprise for his birthday, and I'll share it with y'all tomorrow.

Tonight I am bringing you a sweet and unique treat :)  It's my favorite dessert at El Fenix when I'm in Texas, so much that we'll order extra to bring home for later lol.  Obviously it is a Mexican dessert, and it also very traditional for them.  I'm going to get right in to the recipe tonight, that way I can hopefully beat the migraine before it flares back up.

Sopapillas

Ingredients

1 egg

2/3C milk

1Tbs sugar

1tsp salt

1Tbs baking powder

2C flour

fat for deep frying (I used olive oil)

Directions:
1)  Beat egg with milk.

2)  Add sugar and salt.

3)  Add baking powder to flour.

4)  Add to egg mixture; knead well.  Add additional flour as needed by tablespoonfuls.  Knead until smooth and non sticky; place in bowl.

5)  Cover; let stand for about 10 minutes.

6)  Roll out very thin; cut into 2"-3" strips.

7)  Drop into very hot fat.  Dough puffs quickly into little pillows.

8)  Drain on paper towel. 

9)  Serve hot; plain or with honey or cinnamon sugar.

 

So yummy!!  They turned out exactly as I've had them in restaurants many times before.  Since I made them here, Nathan missed out, but I promised him I would make them when I come home to Texas ;)

Well I was right, the migraine has regrouped and started to intensify :(  Until next time....

Stay sweet,

Jennifer xoxoxo

The Nutty Candy Man

Hello Sweets,

How are all my lovely readers today?  I am in a fantastic mood :), which is weird because I woke up with a migraine and that normally makes me grumpy all day.  I was lucky enough to spend a few hours with my nephew Miguel, and he is just the best little boy around.  I know I'm biased, but he's just so funny and inquisitive right now.  Today I showed him a video of Nathan and I flying around the Dallas area, he was in complete awe.  He couldn't believe what he was seeing, and at one point he thought we were in a helicopter because he saw the propeller.  Once I explained to him what the propeller was for he had this adorable little smile on his face :D  I asked him if he would want to go flying in the airplane when he comes visit Texas, and he excitedly said YES!  I know this will make Nathan very happy, as he wants to get to know him better (seeing as he'll be his uncle one day) but that's hard when we live in two different countries.  In the meantime Nathan is going to bring back an American Airlines plane on his next visit for him to start building their relationship, these two are the cutest!

So today's post is a short one, mostly because the recipe is short but also because the website is almost ready to go live and I'm hoping to finish that up tonight so I can share it with y'all tomorrow.  Okay maybe there is one more tiny reason, Criminal Minds starts back up tonight and my roomie and I watch it together lol (I know, silly).  Today's post is the first in a three part series, these recipes were part of my "first delivery" which was for a party my mom was threw.  It was actually her husbands birthday, so I decided to make a cupcake geared towards his favorite things.  This sweet little treat was the finishing touch, and lets just say "someone" may have eaten one without eating the cupcake just so they could have one lol ;)

Canuckette's Candied Pecans

Ingredients

1/3C sugar

1/3C brown sugar

1tsp cinnamon, heaping

1 egg white

1Tbs water

1 2/3C pecans

splash of vanilla

tiny pinch of salt

 

(vanilla not show as it was a last minute addition)

Directions:

1)  Preheat oven to 250F.  Mix sugars, cinnamon, and salt together in a small bowl, set aside.

 

2)  Whisk egg white, vanilla, and water together in a separate bowl until frothy.  Toss pecans in egg wash.

 

3)  Mix pecans in the sugar mix until they are evenly coated.  Spread onto a baking sheet.  Bake for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes until pecans are evenly brown.

 

4)  Allow to cool on parchment paper and enjoy!

 

Don't they look yummy :)

They are the perfect blend of salty and sweet, not to mention it's the best nut around!  Obviously I ended up with leftovers, but I'm sure I can figure out something to do with them ;) lol.  These are so much better than the pre made ones you can get at a local baking supply store, but the pan needs to be cleaned right away as it is a sticky mess.  Also, I wouldn't use a good baking sheet because you will need to scrub it clean.  

So like I said earlier, I am hoping to roll out the website either tonight or tomorrow.  As soon as I do I'll share it with y'all, and just like my blog I always love hearing feedback :)  But right now I'm going to go make some more of my now famous Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes, because I don't want the pumpkin puree I already have open to spoil.  And maybe because I didn't keep many for myself from the last batch lol, and damn they're good.  Until next time............

Stay sweet,

Jennifer xoxoxo

Come Together Right Now, Over Food!

Hello Sweets,

I hope everyone is enjoying their weekend.  Are you staying in, or do you have all sorts of plans?  What have I been doing?  Well today was a write off (so glad I finished my creation last night), so I've been sleeping or resting, so that means I've done nothing lol but hey if that's what my body needs, I'm not going to argue.  Hopefully tomorrow I can get out to visit my grandparents and then I am hoping to make a chili from scratch (or close to it) for the first time, so wish me luck.  With the way the weather is here in the winter, warm comfort food is absolutely amazing!

Well tonight is the night that I finally reveal my original one of a kind creation :)  Did you guess what it could be?  So far the only clues I've given you is that there is candied bacon and a maple butter icing, so I think you've probably already got a pretty good idea what it could be.  If you guessed a "Canadian" inspired cupcake you would be dead on!  Now I will give fair warning that this cake recipe came out a little drier than I would have liked and it is dense (which could be part of it), but I think if I had pulled it out a couple minutes before it was completely set or used the cream that was called for (I used a kitchen trick with regular and butter), things may have worked out differently.  But that is all part of the process, now I know when I make this recipe again to try changing the measurements or ingredients to achieve what I am looking for :)  Let's get to the final part of the mini series!

Vanilla Cinnamon Cake

Ingredients

1C plus 2Tbs butter, softened

1 2/3C sugar

4 large eggs, room temperature

1Tsp vanilla

3C all-purpose flour

2 1/2Tsp baking powder

pinch of salt

2Tsp cinnamon

1 Tsp allspice

1C half and half cream

Directions:

1)  Preheat oven to 375F.  Line 24 muffin cups with cupcake papers (or you can make it into a cake as well).

2)  In a mixing bowl with an electric mixer, combine the butter and sugar.  Beat until light and fluffy, scraping the sides of the bowl to combine everything.

3)  Beat in the eggs and vanilla until smooth and well blended.

4)  In another bowl combine the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and allspice. 

5)  Stir the dry ingredients into the creamed mixture with the cream until blended.  Beat for 2 minutes.

6)  Fill the cupcake papers about 2/3 full.  Bake for 18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean (although I would pull out slightly sooner).  Cool in the pan for about 2 minutes, then remove and cool completely on a wire rack.

So there is the third and final recipe :)  I then decorated the cupcakes with the icing and candied bacon, and low and behold we have a Canuckette Canadian cupcake!

The flavors are a fantastic blend of salty and sweet up top, then the cupcake base is a play on french toast with the vanilla, cinnamon, and allspice.  

I can say that I am very proud of myself for taking my passion and not just tweaking someones recipe but taking an idea from my big ol' brain and creating it in the kitchen :)  I am definitely going to try and do this more often, because it gives me a great feeling of creativity and I take pride in everything I make, but knowing it's my very own is even better.

I encourage all of my readers, whether your passion is in the kitchen or somewhere else to push yourselves to do something original.  Of course there will be times where we don't succeed the exact way we intend, but as I always say it's a learning curve and you can only learn from the mistakes that are made.  Let me know what you think of my original recipe, and if you try let me know if you like it too!  Until next time.............

Stay sweet,

Jennifer xoxoxo

A Breakfast Treat and Some Christmas Presents!

Hello Sweets,

I hope you all had a fantastic weekend, and that you are ready to ring in 2013!  Do any of you have special plans for New Years eve?  Nathan and I are opting for a romantic night for two in Fort Worth, maybe a candlelight dinner, some dancing, and of course champagne :)  I can't wait.  It will be a nice change from the crowded bar or dance, not to mention super romantic.

So today I thought I would change it up a little bit and do something a little different.  I'm not going as crazy as to not have a recipe included (that would be insane lol), but I am also going to do a product review on some new kitchen toys that I received at Christmas from Nathan's family that I used in the recipe I'm about to share with you :)  I am probably one of only a few women that is okay with kitchen products or appliances as a gift and not be upset about it, actually I'm usually ecstatic :)

As you all know, Nathan gave me a Kenmore Elite Mixer (details) that is AMAZING (not to mention great for my shoulders, he's the bestest), so I wanted to make something that really needed to be mixed.  Then it was like a light went off in my head, dough needs to not only be mixed but kneaded as well which is usually really hard on me, but not anymore!  So it was time for my cinnamon buns to make their debut once again. Since I was making dough I also got to use my new Betty Crocker non-stick rolling pin (details), and my Weston non-stick baking mat (details).   The mixer is phenomenal.  It came with 3 different attachments; 2 bowls (5 and 6 qt), it has a light to make it easier to see, it has a lift feature so you don't have to tip the bowl to get it out, has a timer that automatically stops after the time you set (super helpful for dough).  It is very powerful (I have yet to go past 3), and it is chrome so it goes nicely with everything.  The baking mat has a lot of great features besides the fact that it is non-stick, it can withstand both extreme cold and heat, it's microwave safe, and it has measurements on it for precision.  The rolling pin of course is non-stick, but it is also slightly longer than a traditional wooden rolling pin which helps simplify the production of any dough.  So my product review is this; I love all of these products and would recommend them to anyone who likes to bake or cook :)

 Isn't she pretty :)

 These work fantastic, even more so together!

 Okay enough of my Christmas goodies, lets get to the cinnamon rolls!!

Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

Ingredients

(Dough)

1 pk of yeast

1 Tbs sugar

6C flour

2Tsp salt

1 1/2C luke warm water

1/2C milk

Inside

2Tbs butter, melted

2/3C brown sugar, dark

1/2C pecans, chopped

1 Tsp cinnamon

Cream Cheese Icing

4Tbs butter, softened

3oz cream cheese

1 1/2C powdered sugar

1/2Tsp vanilla extract

1/8Tsp salt

  

Directions:

(Dough)

1)  Dissolve yeast and sugar in 1/2C of water, let stand for 5-10 minutes (it should double in size).

 

2)  Mix the flour and salt in a large bowl making a depression in the center.

 

3)  Combine milk, remaining water, and dissolved yeast and pour into depression.  Begin mixing flour with liquid making sure all the batter on side of the bowl is worked into dough.

 

4)  Knead until a smooth dough results and the sides of the bowl are clean.  Occasionally dip hands in water (I added small amounts in the mixer when it was dry) while kneading to give a smooth elastic finish.  Cover with towel and let rise in warm place for 2-4 hours.

look at the beautiful dough hook

Inside

1)  Roll dough into a rectangle about 18"x16".

 

2)  Brush with melted butter.  Combine sugar, cinnamon, and pecans and sprinkle over dough.

 

3)  Starting at the long end; roll dough tight as possible.  Moisten edges to seal, cut into approximately 20 pieces.  Place rolls cut side down into two lightly buttered round cake pans (rectangle works too!).  Let rise 1 1/2 hours until they double in size.

  

 4)  Preheat oven to 350F and bake for 25 minutes.

Icing

1)  Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl until well blended.

2)  Frost cinnamon rolls with icing while rolls are still in the baking pan and enjoy!

These cinnamon rolls are to die for, and they are great for a family breakfast (I served Nathan his with a bowl of fresh fruit).  Plus, they're not too difficult to make.  This was actually my first experience activating yeast when I made them the first time and I can say I was impressed with myself :)

Well I am going to be honest with you, I may not have a post tomorrow night because of the celebrations, but I may try to write it during the day before we leave for our romantic evening.  If I don't post tomorrow I want to wish you all a very happy new years and hope you start your year off in a positive light.  Spend it with the ones you care most about :)  Also, thank you for all your support in my first year of blogging, I am looking forward to my first full year in 2013!  Until next time.........


Stay sweet,




Jennifer xoxoxo