Explanation

I do believe I owe the world an explanation as to my absent-ness. It has now been over a month since I have posted and I must be a 100% honest with you. I was captured...by a group of vandals...who... wouldn't let me go until I created 100 new recipes for them. And so there I was, in a cabin, somewhere in the woods, terrified, working my chubby little fingers to the bone, thinking only of how I was letting all of my [now 15] readers down. All the while I was only wishing I could some how reach out to them, let them know I still care, that I didn't get run over by a bus or something. And so I cooked and baked and basted and stirred and whipped and then they finally let me go. My only hope once I was free was that there'd still be someone out there willing to read my words and listen to my ideas (and put up with my really bad grammar).

Although there is one other thing I fear: I shall warn you they may come back for me, I may disappear again hopefully not for any longer than this time but I don't know if I can help it; my knowledge is more valuable than I could have ever foreseen.

OKAY, OKAY, I'M A COMPULSIVE LIAR. There I said it I know my story, while being very convincing, is a harsh fallacy I have concocted because I was embarrassed by the truth, which is: life happened, like it always does. I got a new job last month, school got really busy, and I couldn't find enough extra time on my hands. But break has come along and therefore I feel I owe you some new recipes. So prepare yourself I have returned, and while I am not sure for how long, I will return, I will always return.

Next Week

Seeing as last week was Mardi Gras, and this weekend I have spent in bed, covered in vapor rub, being buried alive by my own tissues, wishing I wasn't the only person in this household who likes to make sick people chicken noodle soup, I have accepted the fact that getting around to a recipe Monday was not going to happen. However, while I have spent a bit too much time flipping through daytime television today and the vapor rub may be going to my head it has given time to think. Next Monday is gonna be the day I feeling it.

Technical difficulties, and by technical I mean procrastination.... work is in progress... tomorrow maybe?

Praline Rolls

Ya see I know what you're thinking: "Aw look she made cinnamon rolls this week! I should make those too, because they look delicious, and because I just need to dwell in her awesomeness by making everything she makes." And I must say its really cool of you to think such marvelous things of me, I really appreciate it, I do, but I'm going to stop you right there. These are NOT cinnamon rolls, because well, they lack the key ingredient of, yeah ya guessed it, cinnamon. So because of my southern background, and my strong desire to have candy for breakfast this morning I have dubbed them: Praline Rolls. And although it may be hard to believe because of my beautiful photography I promise they taste better than they look.  Now not that I like to toot my own horn or anything like that (actually many people tell me I am an extremely humble person) I am simply stating a fact: THEY ARE AWESOME.

P.S. I feel the need to inform you I have officially changed post day to Mondays until further notice.

INGREDIENTS: (makes about 10 rolls, feeds about 4)

DOUGH:

1/3 cup milk

2 TBS butter, softened

¼ tsp vanilla extract

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 ½ tsp active dry yeast (about ½ of a .25 ounce package)

2 TBS white sugar

¼  tsp salt

2 TBS water

2 TBS oil

FILLING:

½ cup brown sugar, packed

¼ cup (= 4 TBS) butter, softened (+ more for toasting)

½ cup toasted pecans

ICING:

½ cup powder sugar

2 TBS milk

2 TBS melted butter

more pecans

DIRECTIONS: (takes about 2 hours but I promise its worth it)

First thing we want to do is scald the milk. Heat the milk in a small pan stirring continuously until tiny bubbles start to appear around the edges. Once the bubbles appear take off heat immediately. 

Once off of the heat, melt the 2 TBS of butter in the milk stirring occasionally  While letting the butter melt, in a separate bowl mix together 1 cup flour, yeast, sugar, and salt with a fork. 

Once butter is melted mix in vanilla extract and pour the mixture into the dry flour mixture. Add water and oil and mix until it just comes together.

Add the other 1/2 cup of flour mix in, and just when the dough starts to come together toss it onto a lightly floured surface. Knead for about 3 min, just until the dough begins to form one big piece. If its a little dry add a bit of water.

Cover with a warm damp cloth or some cling wrap, and let rest in a warm place for 10 min.

Chop up the pecans fairly fine. Melt some margarine or butter in a pan and toss in chopped pecans just until you can start to smell them: about 5 minutes.

Next in a bowl mix butter and toasted pecans so the pecans can melt the butter.

Roll out the rested dough and spread the pecan butter mixture over all of the dough. Make sure to get the edges.

Sprinkle the brown sugar on top and....

roll it up.

Cut it up into about 1 inch thick pieces, or a bit larger if you'd like. Place in a 9 inch round greased cake pan, or whatever pan they fit in. Cover with a damp cloth, set in warm place and let rest for 30 min. They should get larger in size......

Like this. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and bake for 20 min, or until brown.

While rolls are in the oven melt the 2 TBS of butter in the microwave and whisk in the powder sugar gradually (about a TBS at a time). Add the milk after about a TBS or two. It may be a bit thin, if so you can always add a bit of powder sugar and/or place in the freezer so it can firm up a bit.

After 20 min take them out and......

...drown them in icing add more chopped, toasted pecans.

oh and enjoy!

Don't forget your apple I mean we are trying to be healthy, are we not?

everything in short...or slightly short-er....


INGREDIENTS: (makes about 10 rolls, feeds about 4)
DOUGH:
1/3 cup milk
2 TBS butter, softened
¼ tsp vanilla extract
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ tsp active dry yeast (about ½ of a .25 ounce package)
2 TBS white sugar
¼  tsp salt
2 TBS water
2 TBS oil

FILLING:
½ cup brown sugar, packed
¼ cup (= 4 TBS) butter, softened (+ more for toasting)
½ cup toasted pecans

ICING:
½ cup powder sugar
2 TBS milk
2 TBS melted butter
more pecans

DIRECTIONS: (takes about 2 hours but I promise its worth it)
First thing we want to do is scald the milk. Heat the milk in a small pan stirring continuously until tiny bubbles start to appear around the edges. Once the bubbles appear take off heat immediately.

Once off the heat, melt the 2 TBS of butter in the milk stirring occasionally  While letting the butter melt, in a separate bowl mix together 1 cup flour, yeast, sugar, and salt with a fork.

Once butter is melted mix in vanilla extract and pour the mixture into the dry flour mixture. Add water and oil and mix until it just comes together.

Add the other 1/2 cup of flour mix in, and just when the dough starts to come together toss it onto a lightly floured surface. Knead for about 3 min, just until the dough begins to form one big piece. If its a little dry add a bit of water.

Cover with a warm damp cloth or some cling wrap, and let rest in a warm place for 10 min.

Chop up the pecans fairly fine. Melt some margarine or butter in a pan and toss in chopped pecans just until you can start to smell them: about 5 minutes.

Next in a bowl mix butter and toasted pecans so the pecans can melt the butter.

Roll out the rested dough and spread the pecan butter mixture over all of the dough. Make sure to get the edges. Sprinkle the brown sugar on top and roll it up.

Cut it up into about 1 inch thick pieces, or a bit larger if you'd like. Place in a greased 9 inch round cake pan, or whatever they fit in. Cover with a damp cloth, set in warm place and let rest for 30 min. They should get larger in size. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and bake for 20 min, or until brown.

While rolls are in the oven melt the 2 TBS of butter in the microwave and whisk in the powder sugar gradually (about a TBS at a time). Add the milk after about a TBS or two of powder sugar has been whisked in. It may be a bit thin, if so you can always add a bit of powder sugar and/or place in the freezer so it can firm up a bit.

After 20 min take the rolls out and drown them in icing add more chopped, toasted pecans and enjoy!

Chocolate, Chocolate, Chocolate Cake

I am a terrible person, and by terrible I mean horrible, and by horrible I mean I am a horrid person because: I haven't cooked this week for you. Deplorable, yes I know, however bad a person I may be I still promised a recipe for this week and I will not fail to deliver on that account.  This is one of my mom's recipes, and I am hoping to eventually add a tutorial to go along with the recipe. this is one of those cakes that only gets made on special occasions because I swear that by the time you take it out of the oven it literally weighs 5 lbs. ok maybe I might be exaggerating a little but it is gooey and chocolate-y and decadent enough for a royal I swear. 

Death by Chocolate (AKA) Chocolate Chocolate Chocolate Cake

  

Ingredients for cake:

1        18.25oz.* Devils Food cake mix [make sure cake mix does not contain pudding]

1            3.90oz.* Instant chocolate pudding mix

1        (slightly heaping) cup of sour cream

1        cup of milk

½   cup of water

½   cup of oil

4        large eggs

1½ cups of chocolate chips

1    TBS flour (for the pan)

*sizes are rough the cake mix is usually smaller but that's ok 

Ingredients for glaze:

      ¾ cup of chocolate chips

      3  TBS of unsalted butter

      ½ TBS vegetable oil (to make it shiny I promise you won't taste it)

Directions for CAKE:

      1 set oven to 350° then grease and flour 10in. bundt pan (make sure to get rid of all excess flour or it will make the outside of the cake dry)

      2 in a large bowl combine cake mix, pudding mix, sour cream, milk, oil, water, and eggs beat until well blended (an electric hand mixer works best)

      3 next mix in chocolate chips and then pour batter into pan

      4 bake for 40-50 minutes or more depending on oven

      5 cool in pan for 15 minutes then turn out onto wire rack

Directions for GLAZE:

      1 put all ingredients in microwave safe bowl in microwave set on high for 30 second intervals mix in-between till completely melted smooth

      2 drizzle over cake

Enjoy!