Honey Pecan Shrimp

Honey Pecan Shrimp

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How can it get any better?  Crispy deep fried shrimp tossed with a delicious sweet and savory honey sauce with bits of pecans to give it extra crunch.  I could eat this forever.  Absolutely delicious!  

Honey Pecan Shrimp

 1 pound extra-large or jumbo shrimp

½ teaspoon Kosher salt

½ cup corn starch for dredging

Sprinkle shrimp lightly with salt.  Put corn starch in a bowl. Dip shrimp in, shake off excess then put on a plate. Repeat with all shrimp.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Make the batter

9 tablespoons corn starch

6 tablespoons all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon Kosher salt

2/3 cup + 1 tablespoon ice water or c0ld seltzer water

3 cups canola, peanut or vegetable oil

 

NOTE:  Before mixing the batter, chill the dry ingredients in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes to make shrimp even more crispy.  Remove from the refrigerator and add the cold water or seltzer.  Whisk a few times but not too much.  A few lumps are okay.

Heat oil in a large skillet or saucepan on medium high heat to about 350 degrees. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dredge shrimp, holding each by the tail and dip into the batter.  Batter should be thick enough to coat but not too thick.  Hold shrimp until excess batter drips off.  Drop shrimp into hot oil and cook for 3 minutes until light golden brown and crispy. Do no more than 6 at a time.  Do not crowd pot.

Drain shrimp on paper towels and repeat with the next batch of 6 shrimp.  Cool all shrimp on paper towels for about 15 minutes while you make your honey sauce.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Make the Honey Sauce

1/3 cup honey

2 tablespo0ns lite corn syrup

1 tablespoon lite soy sauce

2 teaspoons of Chinese cooking wine or Mirin

1/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts 

Place all ingredients into a small saucepan over medium-low heat.  Bring to a slow simmer and cook for 3 minutes. Turn off heat and cover saucepan with lid to keep warm.  It should be the consistency of maple syrup.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Turn on the heat for the oil again.  Heat oil to 400 degrees.  Place the shrimp back into the oil (again only 6 at a time) and cook for another 2 minutes or until they turn from a pale golden brown to a very golden color.  Remove and place on a plate lined with more paper towels.

Quickly toss shrimp in a large metal bowl with the honey sauce. Do this quickly before the honey sauce gets too thick. 

Serve over rice and garnish.

  

Photography is the property of and copyrighted to Welcome Home.

Cinnamon Chip Bundt Cake

 




















I love this cake with a cup of hot coffee or tea. You can taste all the wonderful spices like nutmeg, allspice, ginger, and cloves and cinnamon.  I love cinnamon and this is one of my favorite cakes.  It’s simple and delicious and perfectly moist and sweet.  This is a keeper my friends. 

Cinnamon Chip Bundt Cake 

3 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, divided
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 container (8 oz.) sour cream
4 eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1-1/4 cups (2-1/2 sticks) butter, softened
1-2/3 cups (10-oz. pkg.) Cinnamon Chips

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Generously grease and flour 12-cup fluted tube or bundt pan.

Combine 3 cups flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in large bowl.
Beat sour cream, eggs and vanilla with fork or whisk in medium bowl until smooth.  Add butter and 1 cup sour cream mixture to flour mixture. Beat on low speed until thoroughly combined; beat 1 minute on high speed.  Add remaining sour cream mixture; beat on medium speed until fluffy. 

Stir together cinnamon chips and remaining 2 tablespoons flour until chips are coated; gently stir into batter. Pour batter into prepared pan.

 




















Bake 60 to 70 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 20 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack. Cool completely. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, if desired.

Photography is the property of and copyrighted to Welcome Home.

 

BACON EGG CHEESE BAGEL

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I love making breakfast for dinner, but it has to be a nice hearty breakfast like this bacon, egg and cheese bagel.  It has to be hearty, filling, and delicious and this one is perfect for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. It starts with a good quality fresh bagel that’s grilled in the pan. You can use any kind of bagel such as plain, onion, poppy seed, plain or everything bagels). The better the bagel, the better the sandwich will be. I like to use a thick-cut Applewood smoked bacon but any bacon you like will work. This is crisp bacon, gooey egg, cheesy goodness!

 Bacon Egg and Cheese Bagel

 1 bagel (plain, whole wheat or everything bagel works)

3 tablespoons butter, divided

2 slices of bacon, cooked

2 eggs, cooked over easy or scrambled

2 slices of American cheese

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

 

Slice bagel in half and spread the butter on the cut sides.

Pre-heat your cast iron pan (or griddle) over medium heat and add a tablespoon of butter.  Once the butter has melted, place your bagels face down and toast until golden brown. Flip the bagels over and lay your sliced cheese on top. Cover until the cheese is slightly melted.  Remove from skillet to a plate and set aside.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Add the remaining tablespoon of butter and, once melted, crack your egg into the pan. I go with an over easy egg because I like that yolk oozing out while I’m eating it.   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cover the pan and cook on low heat until the whites are set. Uncover and season with salt and pepper. Place the cooked bacon in the same pan until warm.

Transfer the eggs and bacon to the cheese topped bagel and replace the top. Serve immediately or wrap for an on-the-go breakfast!

 

 

 

Creamed Chipped Beef Over Toast

 Creamed Chipped Beef Over Toast

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

No other recipe makes me more nostalgic than Creamed Chipped Beef. While my mom did all the cooking it was my dad who loved making this for breakfast or dinner.  I can still remember, my mom and I watching him cook…he put on a comedy show for us.  He was happy and singing silly songs and we laughed and loved every minute of it.  He would serve it over toast or biscuits for breakfast and sometimes Mom re-heated it and served it over mashed potatoes for dinner.  As an adult I make it often and still call it one of the great comfort foods.

 

It is so easy to make and so delicious. Its just a simple bechamel sauce so creamy and rich. If you use beef in a package or jar, you want to rinse it first as it tends to be salty. I like to use Beardsley's dried beef in a jar as I find it the most tender and lean. My second choice if you can’t find it in a jar is Knauss brand in a pack. Most people use Buddig beef as it’s less salty.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Creamed Chipped Beef Over Toast

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups milk or half and half (half cream/half milk)
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
1 (4.5-ounce) jar or package of dried beef, sliced or chopped

 

 

In a large skillet melt butter over medium heat.

 

When it starts to sizzle add flour and whisk for a full minute. Continue to move around in the skillet and don’t let it brown. You want it to stay white.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Continue to whisk as you pour in the milk. Stir continuously until it starts to thicken.  Turn down the heat to low and let simmer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Add in the beef and stir to combine. Continue to stir until gravy has thickened. Remove from heat and stir in sliced dried beef. Add the pepper… no need to add any salt as the beef has enough in it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Make your toast and lay in on a plate. Spoon creamed beef on top. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Serve immediately over toasted or un-toasted bread, biscuits, waffles, English muffins or mashed potatoes!

 

So good!  Serve for breakfast, lunch or dinner!

Photography is the property of and copyrighted to Welcome Home.

Cruffins

 CRUFFINS 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What is a Cruffin?   A cruffin is a cross between a croissant and a muffin that tastes like a cinnamon roll.  It’s like getting the best of all three treats in one muffin. They are so good and so easy to make. They have buttery, flaky layers with a cinnamon-sugar filling, baked to golden perfection.

Cruffins

 3 sheets of Puffed Pastry

6 tablespoons butter, softened, divided

1 cup sugar

1 tablespoon cinnamon

NOTE:  You can also use 3 tubes of Pillsbury Crescent roll (sheets)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly spray a standard 12-cup muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Working on a lightly floured work surface, roll out each sheet of dough to a 12×16-inch rectangle. Spread 2 tablespoons of softened butter evenly over each sheet of dough. In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar and cinnamon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sprinkle ¼ cup of the cinnamon-sugar mixture evenly over the top of each buttered dough sheet, gently pressing it into the dough. Set aside the remaining cinnamon-sugar mixture to use for topping later.

Starting on the long end of the dough sheet, tightly roll it up into a log.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cut the log in half, creating two shorter logs. Now cut each of those shorter logs in half lengthwise, giving you four sections of dough. Repeat with the remaining two sheets of dough. You will have 12 sections of dough.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

Working one section of dough at a time with the layered side facing out, roll it tightly into a cinnamon roll shape, tucking in the end piece of dough.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

Place into the prepared muffin tin. Repeat with the remaining 11 sections.

Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until golden brown.

Remove rolls from the oven and immediately roll each cruffin in the remaining cinnamon sugar mixture. Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photography is the property of Welcome Home.  Instructions on how to cut dough courtesy of  https://iambaker.net/cruffins/