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Sunday, September 30, 2012

Pumpkin Nut Belgian Waffles: Breakfast Is Served

Pumpkin Nut Belgian Waffles: Breakfast Is Served


Hi everybody :)

It's that time again...Welcome to another Breakfast Is Served Sunday. If you just tuning in to my blog every Sunday I post a Breakfast Is Served, last week post is found here.

Today you're are in for a treat...I'm making waffles! I first had waffles while attending a family reunion in Florida. The hotel we were staying had a very elaborated breakfast food bar.  One of the features was a waffle area, where you make your own waffle to go. Those deep pockets of goodness, piping hot, soft on the inside and crisp on the outside smelled so delicious I had to give it a try.  It was love at first bite...I was hooked, as soon as I arrived back home, I rush out to buy a waffle maker. For days on ends, I was in waffle heaven... I'm talking pure ECSTASY until, one day, my dear sweet waffle maker broke :(  I was crushed...heartbroken, scattered... I had to have another one.

While walking down the isle in Sam's Club... something got my attention...
Could it be???
Yes!
Double-Side Waffle Maker! A waffler maker with TWO sides, for double your waffles fun!


















I couldn't wait to test this baby out!

Pumpkin Nut Belgian Waffle adapted Waring Pro
Makes 6 waffles

 Ingredients













1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 ounce finely chopped walnuts or pecans (best if toasted first) (about 1/4 cup)
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger (I used allspice)
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
3/4 cup pumpkin puree (canned solid pack pumpkin)
2 large eggs, separated
1 cup whole milk
1/4 cup real maple syrup (do not use pancake syrup)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, molted
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 large egg whites

Directions 

In a large bowl, combine the flour, chopped nuts, cornstarch, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Stir to blend and reserve.
















In a second bowl, combine the pumpkin puree, egg yolks, milk, maple syrup, melted butter, and vanilla extract; stir until smooth.

















 Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir to blend until smooth, using a whisk.

















In a clean, dry bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the beaten egg whites into the batter.

















Preheat your Waring Pro Professional Double Belgian Waffle Maker on setting #4 or preferred setting* (blue indicator light will be illuminated when preheated). TIP: Add 2 tablespoon vegetable oil to batter to prevent sticking.


















What I Did and/or Thinks:
The only change I did was used 1/4 teaspoon allspice for the ginger. I did had to add 2 tablespoon oil to prevent sticking because my first two waffles stuck to the grids, the rest came out perfectly. These smelled amazing while cooking, I couldn't wait to taste one.  Keeping in with the maple and pecan taste, I made a Maple Cream Cheese Syrup to serve with the waffles; recipe below.

The taste: I love the taste of these waffles.  This is actually my first time eating pumpkin! I don't know why I never try it before now, but it won't  be my last! These are definitely going on my REPEAT list.

Maple Cream Cheese Syrup:
2 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup pecans
2 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup pure maple syrup

Heat butter and pecans in a small saucepan over medium heat until butter melted.


















Add cream cream and syrup stir until  bubbly about 2 minutes.















Remove from heat and served.

















 ENJOY! Come again...

BTW. Like I mention earlier I got my waffle maker from Sam's, the price was $69.99 + tax. The link I left to it is from Amazon and their price is $99.00.

Linked to: 

Mix it Up Monday @FlourMeWithLove
 Marvelous Mess Monday @ Marvelously Messy
 This Week's Cravings # 101 @ Mom's Crazy Cooking
Melt In Your Mouth Monday #85 @ Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms
 Recipe Sharing Monday @ Jam Hands
Sundae Scoop link party
nifty thrifty sunday # 77
Scrumptious Sunday #31

Saturday, September 29, 2012

Oatmeal Cookie Sandwiches With Rum-Raisin Filling

Oatmeal Cookie Sandwiches With Rum-Raisin Filling


Hi everybody :)

You may have notice from my past cookies post Chewy Quaker Oatmeal Bars Copy-Cat., Banana Oatmeal Cookies: 4 Ways, and Plate Size Cookies that I'm very passionate about oatmeal cookies, which was the first thing that lead me to this recipe. The second was those 3 words: Rum-Raisin Filling. And as if that wasn't enough, the picture, when I saw the cookie sandwiches I was DONE.

I rush to the kitchen to see did I have all the ingredients. To my dismay, I discovered that I didn't have dark rum or cloves :( BUT I was not deterred, "where there's a will, there's a way" was my motto for today, so here's what I did...

Oatmeal Cookie Sandwiches With Rum-Raisin Filling adapted Classic Southern Desserts: All-Time-Favorite Recipes













Makes 15 Sandwiches

prep: 50 min. * cook: 10 min. per hatch * other: 23 min

1/2 cup butter. softened
1/2 cup shortening
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1 1/4 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 1/2 tsp. almond extract
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cloves ( I used allspice)
2 cups uncooked regular oats
3/4 cup chopped pecans
Parchment paper

Preheat oven to 375. Beat first 4 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add egg and almond extract, beating until blended.


Whisk together flour, baking soda, and next 3 ingredients in a medium bowl; gradually add to butter mixture, beating at low speed until blended after each addition.

 

Stir in oats and pecans.

















Shape dough into 1 1/2 inch balls. Place balls 2 inches apart on large parchment paper-lined baking sheets. ( I use my medium OXO Good Grips Cookie Scoop to scoop them out, then I rolled them and flatten slightly)


















Bake at 375 for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden. Let cool on baking sheets 3 minutes. Remove to wire racks, and cool completely (about 20 minutes). Spread about 3 Tbsp. Rum-Raisin Filling onto each of half the cookies; top with remaining cookies.

Rum-Raisin Filling


















1 (3-oz.) package cream cheese, softened
3 Tbsp milk
1 Tbsp dark rum* (I used Bacardi Gold Rum and a pinch Allspice)
3/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp salt
1 (1 lb ) package powdered sugar (4 cups)
1 1/2 cups raisins

Rum-Raisin Filling;:

Makes 2 1/2 cups

Beat cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Add milk and next 3 ingredients, beating until blended. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating at low speed until smooth.














Stir in raisins. *Omit rum, if desired.












What I Did and/or Think:
I used allspice in place of the cloves and added a pinch of it along with the Bacardi Gold for the dark rum. Although the recipe stated that the rum can be omitted, I didn't want to leave it out, no way, rum-filling it says...so rum-filling it shall be :)

The taste: They were Deliciously Sweet! I LOVE the taste of the almond flavor in the cookies, who knew almond flavor would be GREAT in oatmeal cookies!. The combination of the cookies and filling was like an adult version of oatmeal cream pies, only BETTER! Even though the cookies are delicious on their own, you got to try it with the filling. These cookies are my newest # 1 Oatmeal Cookies. I'm putting them in a special file: The REPEAT HALL of FAME!

B.T.W. These cookies spread out BIG so space them out on cookie sheet. They bake up kind of thin because of the corn syrup, and they are meant to be shared so they would make great gifts.

















ENJOY! Come again...

Linked to: 
Mix it Up Monday @FlourMeWithLove
Marvelous Mess Monday @ Marvelously Messy
This Week's Cravings # 101 @ Mom's Crazy Cooking
Melt In Your Mouth Monday # 85 @ Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms
Recipe Sharing Monday @ Jam Hands 
Sweets for a Saturday # 88 @ Sweet As Sugar Cookies
Strut Your Stuff Saturday Week 64 @ Six Sister's Stuff
Foodie Fridays @ Designs By Gollum
Friday Favorites - Week 135 @ Simply Sweet Home  

Friday, September 28, 2012

Golden Baked Chicken: Skin On or Off

Golden Baked Chicken


Hi everybody :)

How do you like your chicken, skin on or off? I'm normally a skin on kind of person but I sometimes find myself pulling the skin off of fried chicken after it been fried or baked chicken after it been baked. I know it kind of weird, but that's how I am.  But, I love skinless boneless chicken breast.

I came across this recipe from Taste of Home Potluck for skinless chicken and decide to give it a try.

Golden Baked Chicken 

Ingredients
















2 cups mashed potato flakes
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons dried parsley flakes
1 tablespoon paprika
3/4 teaspoon garlic salt (I used Ms Dash Onion and Herb Seasoning & Rosemary Basil and Citrus Salt )
3/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/2  teaspoon pepper
1  cup butter, melted
3 broiler/fryer chicken (3 to 4 pounds each), cut up and skin removed

Directions

In a shallow bowl, combine the potato flakes, cheese, parsley, paprika, garlic salt, onion powder and pepper
Potato Flakes Mixture






















In another shallow bowl, add butter. Dip chicken into butter, then into potato flake mixture.
Chicken in Potato Flakes Mixture





















Place on two greased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pans. 

Chicken Coated with Potato Flakes Mixture




















Bake at 375 for 50-60 minutes or until the chicken juices run clear, yield: 12 servings.

















What I Did and/or Think:
First I adjusted the recipe to do a serving of six. I did all drumsticks because they are my favorite part of the chicken. The original recipe is above, the changes I made are in Italic.

As you can see from the photos I followed as stated in the recipe to remove the skin from the chicken. The chicken was still good, but I have to admit I miss the skin. The skin holds in the juices and makes the outside more crunchy while keeping the inside moist. So the next time I make this I'm keeping the skin on.

















ENJOY! Come again...

Linked to 
Foodtastic Fridays
The Better Baker Weekend Potluck
Foodie Fridays @ Designs By Gollum

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