Deep Dish Pizza December 31, 2008

I went on a search to find a recipe for Chicago’s fav Gino’s East Pizza.  Of course, no one has the exact recipe, but some people have ideas/suggestions of how it is made.  It turned out good except I used store bought pizza sauce and will NEVER use it again.  Maybe it was the brand I bought, but it just wasn’t the same as homemade.  I will always make sure my cabinet has a can of diced tomatoes and a can of tomato paste in it so I can easily whip it up. 

This won’t be our last deep dish pizza.  I’m looking forward to continuing to experiment.  No recipe to share for this one.  I would give you the dough recipe, but it’s top secret!  Ok, not really, but I don’t know that I would make it again, it was good, but could be better!

Check back in 2009 to see new recipes with awesome pictures taken with the new camera!!!

I think I should make pizza it’s own category…

Daring Bakers’ Challenge — French Yule Log December 29, 2008

This month’s challenge is brought to us by the adventurous Hilda from Saffron and Blueberry and Marion from Il en Faut Peu Pour Etre Heureux. 

They have chosen a French Yule Log by Flore from Florilege Gourmand.

I unfortunately did not make or taste this, but it looks extremely good!  Check it out:

If you want to give yourself a challenge you can find the recipe at Saffron and Blueberry or Il en Faut Peu Pour Etre Heureux.

Blackened Shrimp w/ Tropical Pico de Gallo December 23, 2008

This was an appetizer I brought to my family Christmas Party.  I got the idea from when we went to the Bahamas earlier this year, ordered blackened shrimp from one of the restaurants and loved it!   I have never really been a big fan of shrimp, but that’s changed after trying it this way!  This recipe was great!  We’ve been eating the leftover Pico deGallo as a salsa for chips.  This one is an another simple recipe that you can throw together very quickly. 

(Unfortunately my camera was acting up AGAIN, so no picture of the actual shrimp or the salsa…my husband and I finally decided it was time for a new one, hopefully it will be at my doorstep soon, I’m excited!)

Blackened Shrimp w/ Tropical Pico de Gallo

(Recipe from:  myrecipes.com)

Shrimp

1 Tbsp paprika

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp dried oregano

3/4 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground chipotle chile powder (or chili pwd)

1 1/2 pounds shrimp, peeled and deveined

4 tsp canola oil, divided

To prepare shrimp, combine paprika and next 7 ingredients (through chipotle chile powder) in a shallow dish.  Dredge shrimp in paprika mixture.  Heat 2 tsp oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add half of shrimp to pan; cook 2 minutes on each side or until shrimp are done.  Repeat procedure with remaining 2 tsps oil and shrimp.  Serve shrimp pico de gallo.

Tropical Pico De Gallo

1 1/2 cups diced pineapple

1 1/2 cups diced peeled ripe mango

1/2 cup finely shopped red onion

1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper

2 Tbsps chopped fresh cilantro

2 Tbsps fresh lime juice

1 tsp finely chopped seeded serrano chile (I left this out)

1/4 tsp salt

Combine all ingredients and toss well.

Pumpkin Cheesecake w/ Gingersnap Crust December 18, 2008

I’ve been on a big ginger kick lately and when I saw this recipe, I knew I would love it.  The gingersnap crust and pumpkin cheesecake really compliment each other.  I’ve seen this recipe many places but I went off of The Pioneer Women’srecipe.  I made 1/4 of the recipe and made it in 4 small ramekins, since I knew I’d be the only one eating them. 

This is probably my favorite cheesecake, well, at least for this time of year.  Maybe I’ll have to make a big one and share it with the pumpkin lovers of the family next Thanksgiving. 

Unfortunately my ramekin pumpkin cheesecakes don’t picture so well…so I’m going to have to tell you to check out The Pioneer Women’s blog for great pictures of this cheesecake or you’re going to have to use your imagination and picture this …

replace the crust with some of these crushed… and the caramel and pecans that you see here…  to top it off.  (all pictures from kraftfoods.com)

Go make it for yourself, you won’t be disappointed!

Caramel Pumpkin Pecan Gingersnap Cheesecake
(Recipe adopted from:  The Pioneer Women)

Crust:
12 ounces store bought gingersnaps
1/2 cup chopped pecans
6 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons brown sugar
Dash of salt

Filling:
4 packages cream cheese
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 15-ounce can pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
4 eggs
2 tablespoons milk
1 jar caramel topping
Extra chopped pecans
Extra crushed gingersnaps

In a blender (or large Ziploc bag) crush gingersnaps. Add chopped pecans, melted butter, brown sugar, and salt, and pulse (or mix) until thoroughly combined.  Press into bottom and sides of a 10-inch spring-form pan.  Bake at 350 for 10 minutes and let cool.

In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy. Add pumpkin and spices and mix again. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing for 20 seconds between each addition. Add milk and mix until just combined.

Remove crust from fridge. Pour 1/2 jar of caramel topping on crust. Sprinkle caramel with chopped pecans. Gently pour cheesecake filling in pan. Even out the top with a flat spatula.

Bake at 350 degrees in a water-bath for 1 hour 15 minutes, or until no longer soupy. Cheesecake should still be somewhat jiggly. Cool on counter for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, pour the rest of the caramel topping over the top. Smooth with a flat spatula until evenly smooth. Cover and chill cheesecake for another four hours or overnight.

Remove rim from pan and slice. Sprinkle each slice with extra crushed gingersnaps

Bill’s Big Carrot Cake December 15, 2008

Unfortunately I didn’t get pictures of this cake…BUT if you click here, here & here, you can still see the end result from other bloggers! 

I made this cake for a birthday we had in the office.  It was the first time I made carrot cake and it turned out great!

I think I only made two changes on this recipe.  The first was I used 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce and 1/2 cup oil instead of 1 cup of oil.  The other was I baked it in a 9×13 pan (instead of 3 round pans) and the frosting covered in nicely.   Oh yeah, I also omitted the coconut.

If you’re a carrot cake lover, you gotta try this recipe!

Bill’s Big Carrot Cake

(Recipe from:  Dorie Greenspan)

2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
¾ teaspoon salt
3 cups grated carrots (about 9 carrots, you can grate them in food processor fitted w/ a shredding a blade or use a box grater)
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts or pecans
1 cup shredded coconut (sweetened or unsweetened)
½ cup moist, plump raisins (dark or golden) or dried cranberries
2 cups sugar
1 cup canola or safflower oil
4 large eggs

Position the racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Butter three 9-x-2-inch round cake pans, flour the insides, and tap out the excess. Put the two pans on one baking sheet and one on another.

Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. In another bowl, stir together the carrots, chopped nuts, coconut, and raisins.

Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the sugar and oil together on a medium speed until smooth. Add the eggs one by one and continue to beat until the batter is even smoother. Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture, mixing only until the dry ingredients disappear. Gently mix the chunky ingredients. Divide the batter among the baking pans.

Bake for 40-50 minutes, rotating the pans from top to bottom and front to back at the midway point, until a thin knife inserted into the centers comes out clean. The cakes will have just started to come away from the sides of the pans. Transfer the cakes to cooling racks and cool for about 5 minutes, then run a knife around the sides of the cakes and unmold them. Invert and cool to room temperature right side up.

The cakes can be wrapped airtight and kept at room temperature overnight or frozen for up to 2 months.

Cream Cheese Frosting

8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 stick ( 8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 pound or 3 and ¾ cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice or ½ teaspoon pure lemon extract
½ cup shredded coconut (optional)
Finely chopped toasted nuts and/or toasted shredded coconut (optional)

Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter together until smooth and creamy. Gradually add the sugar and continue to beat until the frosting is velvety smooth. Beat in the lemon juice or extract.

If you’d like coconut in the filling, scoop about half of the frosting and stir the coconut into this position.

Assembling the cake:

Put one layer top side up on a cardboard cake round or a cake plate protected by strips of wax or parchment paper. If you added the coconut to the frosting, use half of the coconut frosting to generously cover the first layer (or generously cover with plain frosting). Use an offset spatula or a spoon to smooth the frosting all the way to the edges of the layer. Top with the second layer, this time placing the cake stop side down, and frost with the remainder of the coconut frosting or plain frosting. Top with the last layer, right side up, and frost the top- and the sides- of the cake. Finish the top with swirls of frosting. If you want to top the cake with toasted nuts or coconut, sprinkle them on now while the frosting is soft.

Refrigerate the cake for 30 minutes, just to set the frosting before serving.

Serving:

This cake can be served as soon as the frosting is set. It can also wait, at room temperature and covered with a cake keeper overnight. The cake is best served in thick slices at room temperature and while it’s good plain, it’s even better with vanilla ice cream or some lemon curd.

Storing:

The cake will keep at room temperature for 2 to 3 days. It can also be frozen. Freeze it uncovered, then when it’s firm, wrap airtight and freeze for up to 2 months. Defrost, still wrapped, overnight in the refrigerator.

Paula Deen’s Corn Casserole December 11, 2008

 

If you have never watched Paula Deen on the Food Network, you’re missing out.  She is always making recipes that are full of butter, sugar & chocolate, and doesn’t she say those are her major food groups or something? 

One year from today was my first post on Kats’ Kitchen, I posted a recipe called Savannah Bow Ties, which is one of Paula’s recipes.  Today, I am posting her Corn Casserole, which I made for our mini-church Christmas party this past weekend.  Those who like this type of dish loved it!  It’s almost as good as the Cottage Corn Bread you can get at Northwoods.

On the Anniversary of Kats’ Kitchen, I want to say thank you to everyone who checks my blog on a weekly basis and those who just discovered it!  Thanks to the hub for being a great guinea pig and putting up with all my baking.  (I know it’s not easy eating all those cookies that I make!)  And I want to encourage my sis to start her own blog on ‘Nigerian Cookin’…what do you think Steph?

Now for Paula’s yummy Corn Casserole, so simple!

Corn Casserole

(Recipe adopted from:  Paula Deen)

1 (15 1/4 oz) can whole kernel corn, drained

1 (14 3/4 oz) can cream-style corn

1 (8 oz) pkg Jiffy’s corn muffin mix

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, stir together the 2 cans of corn, corn muffin mix, sour cream and melted butter.  Pour into a greased 9×11 inch casserole dish (the recipe calls for 9×13 but I wanted a thicker casserole).  Bake for 55-60 minutes, or until gold brown.  Let stand for 5 minutes and serve warm.

Gingerbread Mittens & Snowmen December 8, 2008

What in the picture doesn’t belong…Looks like a safe place for a wedding ring, don’t you think?  Reason I didn’t have it on my finger is I didn’t want to get it all gooey when needing the gingerbread dough…Don’t tell my husband!

About a month ago some of my girlfriends scheduled a girl’s night which happened to be Saturday night.  After going back and forth in deciding what to do, go out for dinner, movie, games…I came up with the idea of decorating Christmas cookies, since it is that time of year!  So Saturday night, a few of us who live in Northwest Indiana headed to  Joyce’s apartment near U.S. Cellular Field (White Sox Stadium) on the Southside of Chicago.  We ordered Connies pizza and then went to it with the decorating (while drinking warm apple cider).  I was in charge of baking the cookies and decided to make some sugar cookies, which I will post later and these Gingerbread cookies.   We had a blast decorating and decided that cookies need to be decorated more often throughout the year, instead of just once a year, so this probably won’t be the last time we do this!

I was very happy with how these gingerbread cookies turned out, especially with using my silicon baking mats.  Love them!  I would buy everyone two of them if I had enough $$, but unfortuatly our garage fridge/freezer died who knows when (thank goodness it’s been extremely cold to keep the food mostly frozen) so we’ll be putting some of our saved up money into a replacement soon.  But I suggest putting this baking mat on your Christmas list if it’s not too late!

So here’s the recipe.  I suggest you read it through before starting.  It’s more of a hand mixing recipe then an electric mixer, although I’m sure you could use an electric mixer.  I just put my arm to work…I guess that explains the strange pain in my forearm the past 2 days! 

Gingerbread Cookies

(Recipe from:  Epicurious.com)

2 /3 cup molasses (not robust)

2/3 cup packed dark brown sugar

1 Tbsp ground ginger

1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground allspice

1/2 tsp ground cloves

2 tsp baking soda

2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into Tbsps

1 large egg, lightly beaten

3 3/4 to 4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp salt

Bring molasses, brown sugar and spices to a boil in a 4 or 5 quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, and remove from heat.  Stir in baking soda (mixture will foam up), then stir in butter 3 pieces at a time, letting each addition melt before adding next, until all butter is melted.  Add egg and stir until combined, then stir in 3 3/4 cups flour and the salt. 

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface (a silicon baking mat is recommended to make things easier) and knead, dusting with as much of remaining 1/4 cup flour as needed to prevent sticking, until soft and easy to handle, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Halve dough, then wrap 1 half in plastic wrap and keep at room temperature.

Roll out remaining dough into a 14-inch round (1/8 inch thick) on a lightly floured surface (a silicon baking mat is recommended to make things easier).  Cut out as many cookies as possible with cutters and carefully transfer with offset spatula to 2 buttered large baking sheets, arranging them about 1 inch apart.

Bake cookies in upper and lower thirds of oven, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until edges are slightly darker, 10 to 12 minutes total (watch carefully toward end of baking; cookies can burn easily).  Transfer cookies to racks to cool completely.  Make more cookies with remaining dough and scraps (re-roll once).

**Note about baking, I didn’t have a problem with the cookies burning.  I think I may have cooked another couple minutes longer then suggested.**

Decorate cookies as desired.

Caramel Swirl Cookies December 5, 2008

I’ve had a bag of Caramel Chocolate swirl chips in my freezer for quite sometime now and decided it was time to use them up.  So, I went to the Toll House website and baked up these cookies.  They were good, soft and chewy with a nice caramel taste throughout. 

Swirled Surprise Cookies

(Recipe from:  Verybestbaking.com)

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/3 cup quick oats

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup packed brown sugar

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 large eggs

1 2/3 cups (10 oz) Milk Chocolate & Caramel Morsels, divided

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Combine flour, oats, baking soda and salt in medium bowl.  Beat brown sugar, butter, granulated sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Gradually beat in flour mixture.  Stir in 3/4 cup swirled morsels.  Cover; refrigerate for 30 minutes or until firm.

Roll dough into 1-inch balls and place on ungreased baking sheets.  If dough balls become warm, refrigerate until firm.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until sides are set.  Press 1/2-inch deep and quarter-size wide pockets into centers of cookies with back of small spoon.  Fill pockets with remaining swirled morsels while cookies are still warm.  Remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Pumpkin Muffins with Fresh Pumpkin Puree December 2, 2008

That’s right, I made my own Pumpkin Puree.  It was actually pretty simple and the only reason I did was because someone gave me a cooking pumpkin and I couldn’t let it go to waste.  I cut it open, degutted it and threw it in the oven for about 40 minutes, let it cool, peeled off the skin and used my fancy little immersion blender that my mom let me borrow a while back and made it into puree.  Yes, it was a bit time consuming, I wouldn’t do it every time I make something with pumpkin, but I would do it again. 

 

On to the muffins.  This recipe came out of Baking:  From My Home to Yoursby Dorie Greenspan.  I actually just bought this book with a gift certificate I got for my b-day.  It is now my largest (by dimensions and weight) cookbook I own and I don’t think it’s going to be fitting in my cabinet with the other cookbooks.  This book is made of 514 pages of delicious looking recipes, pictures & tips. 

 

The muffins turned out to be delicious.  I made a few changes, I didn’t add the sunflower seeds because I didn’t have them on hand and I also skipped the raisins.  I’m sure the raisins would have been good, or even dried cranberries or possibly even chocolate chips.  Maybe next time.  I brought these to work and we ate them with orange marmalade like Dorie suggested in the recipe. 

 

Pumpkin Muffins

(Recipe from:  Dorie Greenspan)

The best pumpkin muffins in New York are made by Sarabeth Levine, the mistress of Sarabeth’s jams and the founder of Sarabeth’s restaurants. Her muffins are big and spicy, packed with raisins and topped with sunflower seeds. They’re so good they out to be the standard for all pumpkin muffins in the world. Like the originals, these are a beautiful orange-gold color and have a moist and tender cakey crumb, a gentle spiciness and the hallmark sprinkling of sunflower seeds across their crowns. They are good minutes out of the oven, at room temperature or split and toasted. And while they’re luscious on their own, they’re even better with a little butter and a lot of orange marmalade or apricot jam.

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
pinch of ground allspice
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temp.
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup (packed) light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup canned unsweetened pumpkin puree
1/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
about 1/3 cup sunflower seeds, for topping.

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Butter or spray 12 cupcake molds in a regular-size pan or fit with paper cups. Place the pan on a baking sheet.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices. Set aside.

Working with a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter at medium speed until soft. Add both the sugars and continue to beat until light and smooth.

One by one, add the eggs, beating for a minute after they are incorporated, then beat in the vanilla.

Lower the mixer speed and mix in the pumpkin and buttermilk. Add the dry ingredients in a steady stream, mixing only until they disappear. To avoid overmixing, you can stop the machine early and stir in any remaining dry ingredients into the batter using a rubber spatula.

Stir in the raisins and nuts. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups and sprinkle a few sunflower seeds over the top of each muffin.

Bake for about 25 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center of the muffins comes out clean.  (I think mine took less than 20 minutes to bake, so check them early!) 

Transfer the pan to a rack and cool the muffins for 5 minutes in the pan, then carefully remove each one from its mold to finish cooling on the rack.