English Muffins

For those who enjoy a warm, toasted English muffin every morning for breakfast, may I suggest making your own? It's not as complicated as you think and if you set an afternoon aside to make them, you can have fresh muffins for the entire week or a few weeks if you double the recipe.

While some English muffin recipes make a spongy batter, this recipe forms a soft dough, so you will not need muffin rings to make these. If you have a round cookie cutter and a griddle or pan, then you're set. Happy griddling!

Sriracha Glazed Wings

Sriracha: A Poem

Sriracha, oh how I love thee. Let me count the ways.
I love how you make my mouth burn

at every meal, it's what I do yearn.

I love your heat with a hue so red

without you, my meal would taste dead.

To me you are liquid gold

you make everything taste so bold

Oh Sriracha you've hijacked my palate

This is the end because what word rhymes with palate?

Dark Chocolate Stout Bundt Cake

 
I woke up this morning with every intention of baking a wonderfully frilly and delicate strawberry layer cake with Chantilly cream. But I didn't. If there's one thing I'm good at it's talking myself out things. Ok...maybe with exception of talking myself out of things I really need of course (refer to this post).

"A layer cake, really? You know it'll turn out lopsided." ..."do you really want to wash all those dishes?" Curses! So instead, I talked myself into a simple fuss free recipe that incorporates chocolate and booze. Mmm booze.

Churros with chocolate sauce

Do you know what makes fried sweet dough better? When it's dredged in cinnamon sugar. Do you know what makes fried cinnamon sugar encrusted dough even better? When it's drowned in a thick chocolate sauce. Don't believe me? Try it for yourself. 

Churros are surprisingly quick and easy to make. The only special tool needed is a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip. If you don't have one (like me) then spooning the batter in a ziplock bag and cutting off a corner works just as well. It may not look like a traditional churro, but the taste is all there.

Pound Cake

Happy January everyone! With the mild 65 degree days we've had in Texas, it doesn't feel like winter, but more like spring. It put me in the mood to bake up something light and sweet. I know pound cakes aren't typically described as "light," but with its delicate crumb, this version tastes like a buttery chiffon. It would be great with a dollop of whipped cream and tart berries on the side.

Tish Boyle's original version includes soaking the cake with a lemon sugar syrup. I left this step out because I was too impatient. She also recommends cooling the cake completely before slicing and eating. I also left this step out. Yes, for the same reason mentioned above. Happy eating!
 

Chocolate Chip Cookies

I was going to attempt to gift homemade hot pepper jelly for the holidays. The red and green would have been festive don't you think? After thinking about it for a while, I realized it probably wasn't a good idea to give my first attempt at a canned good. Because while most all food gifts rock people's socks off you know what would rock their socks off in a bad way? Botulism. Botulism is definitely not cool. So, until I make sure I thoroughly understand the sanitizing and canning process the homemade jellies will have to wait.

Instead, I decided to go with my new favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe. It's the Jacques Torres cookie recipe that's been all around the internet, but I tweaked it to suit my tastes. This recipe is very forgiving. I've used all purpose flour instead of bread flour and I've also baked the cookies the same day instead of waiting 24 hours. Both turned out just as delicious.

I made these gift boxes (check out this video on how to make them) that fit 6 cookies perfectly. I think Martha Stewart would be proud of me.

I wish you a wonderful and food gifted filled holiday :)

Glazed Apple Fritters

 

I am not a morning person.

I need a warning label that says, "Do not attempt interaction between the hours of 5 a.m. to 10 a.m. OR until thoroughly caffeinated."

Which is why in this household, breakfast pastries are made and served at a decent hour...as dessert.

But these apple studded fritters were so quick and easy to make it had me channeling my inner, peppy, happy morning person to wake up early the next day and make again! 

We should totally make these together at the ungodly hour of dawn. Are you with me? 

Here's what you'll need...