Friday, June 19, 2015

Bread Pudding with Vanilla Cream Sauce

























How good does it get? Sometimes you can't get that one dessert that was so delicious out of your head. This is one that I have cravings for and if I see it on the menu I always order it. This is so easy to make and one of those desserts you just don't forget! This is my Mom's original recipe and it brings back so many memories.

Bread Pudding with Vanilla Cream Sauce

3 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup butter, melted
3 cups heavy cream
10 slices hearty thick sliced white bread, toasted and cut into cubes
1 cup raisins (optional)

Vanilla Cream Sauce

1/2 cup sugar

3 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

dash of ground nutmeg
1 large egg
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 1/4 cups heavy cream (whipping cream)
1 pinch salt
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 2-quart or 9 x 13 baking dish.
In a mixing bowl, whisk 3 eggs, white sugar, 2 tablespoons of light brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon, 1/4 cup of butter, and 3 cups of heavy cream together, and gently stir in the bread cubes and raisins. Lightly spoon the mixture into the prepared baking dish.



























Bake in the preheated oven until browned and set in the middle, 50 to 55 minutes; cover the dish with foil after 30 minutes to prevent excessive browning. Let the pudding stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Vanilla Sauce


Whisk sugar, brown sugar, flour, nutmeg, egg, butter, cream, and salt together in a heavy saucepan until smooth. Heat over medium heat, whisking constantly, until thickened and the sauce coats the back of a spoon, about 10 to 12 minutes. Stir in the vanilla extract. Pour sauce over warm bread pudding, or serve on the side in a bowl.

























Photography is copyrighted and the property of ©Welcome Home 2014.




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Monday, June 15, 2015

Lemon Drop Cupcakes

























I love lemon desserts for summer cookouts and barbecues.  Seems I'm always on the lookout for something I can add lemon to.  So I made this recipe and took them to a friend's outdoor gathering last summer. They were gone in less than 30 minutes!  People went crazy over them and wanted more!  A little lemon cake covered with a white chocolate lemon ganache.  Now that's what I call a lemon treat! 

Lemon Drop Cupcakes

1 box lemon cake mix 
1 pkg (3.4 oz) instant vanilla pudding mix 
4 large eggs 
1 1/4 cups sour cream 
1/2 cup whole milk 

Preheat the oven to 350.  Spray mini muffin tins with cooking spray. 

Using a hand mixer, mix the ingredients in a large bowl until smooth. Use a small cookie scoop to fill each cup about half full.  

Bake for about 12 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool the pan on a wire rack for about 2 minutes and then turn the muffin pan over on a wire rack so that all the muffins are upside down.  

Cool cakes completely and then you can dip them in the ganache. See recipe below.
























White Chocolate Lemon Ganache

12 ounces white chocolate, chopped 
1/2 cup heavy cream 

Juice from 1/2 a lemon (add more or less to taste)
1 drop of yellow food coloring

Place the white chocolate in a heatproof bowl. In a saucepan, simmer the heavy cream over medium-high heat. Pour the warm cream over the chocolate and let stand for 2 minutes. Whisk until the chocolate is completely melted and the ganache is smooth and glossy. Reserve about 1/4 cup of the ganache and set aside for drizzle later.

Next add lemon juice a little at a time to the remaining ganache and stir. Taste and add more or less depending on your preference. Add a drop of food coloring and stir until smooth. 

Dip the cooled cakes into the ganache. Drizzle with reserved white ganache once they have set.  Store in refrigerator.
























Photographs are the property of and copyrighted to ©Welcome Home.
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Lemon Pepper Chicken

























Anyone can make lemon pepper chicken.  You sprinkle a little lemon pepper over some chicken and bake it. Right?  You do if you want dried out baked chicken that tastes a little like lemon with a hint of pepper and sits in your fridge for a week because nobody wants it.  Now on the other hand, if you want really good Lemon pepper chicken you really want to take the extra steps to make sure it's done right.  

I never met a chicken I didn't brine first. It's a must if you want delicious moist chicken every time you make it.  I soaked (brine) these incredibly moist and juicy chicken breasts in a mixture, lemon and garlic, with sea salt, thyme and black pepper.  Then I used Star Fine Foods Hojiblanca Extra Virgin Olive Oil for Poultry and Fish which brings a wonderful harmony of flavor to the drippings.  I used those drippings to baste my chicken and bring out a wonderful rich flavor. These are truly incredible.

Use 3-4 boneless chicken breasts, with skin   See my brine recipe below.




















Lemon Pepper Chicken 

1 cup flour 
2 tablespoons of Star Fine Foods Olive Oil for Poultry and Fish 
3 tablespoons butter 
Lemon Pepper seasoning 
1 whole lemon, cut in half 
2 shallots, peeled and cut in half lengthwise 
1/4 cup of chicken broth 

First brine your chicken and make sure you have rinsed and patted it dry. See my brine recipe below.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.   Drizzle two tablespoons of olive oil into a baking or roasting pan and add in three tablespoons of butter. Put your pan into the oven while it preheats. 

Add a cup of flour and a teaspoon of pepper in Ziploc bag.  Seal the bag and shake to mix well.   Add the chicken breasts and close and seal the bag again.  Shake the chicken in the flour to coat. 


























Remove chicken one breast at a time and shake off most of the flour coating.  You only want a very light coating of flour on the chicken.  Repeat this step with each chicken breast. 

Once the oven is preheated, carefully remove the roasting pan. Place each flour-coated chicken breast into the roasting pan.  Add in the peeled, halved shallots, the lemon halves and pour in 1/4 cup of chicken broth into the pan around chicken. Next sprinkle each chicken breast with the lemon pepper seasoning.  You can add as much as you like.  Return the roasting pan to the oven and roast for about twenty minutes.  
























Baste the chicken with the drippings and roast for another 20 minutes. Remove pan again and baste with more of the drippings.  This time sprinkle a little more lemon pepper over chicken and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes more or until the skin is crispy and golden brown.  The internal temperature should read at no less than 165 degrees when chicken is done and ready to serve.

Brine

6 tablespoons kosher salt
6 tablespoons sugar
6 cups water
3-4 boneless chicken breasts, with skin
zest of 2 lemons (2-3 tablespoons)
2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon coarse black pepper
1/2 lemon sliced thin

In a ZipLoc resealable bag, combine water, salt, thyme, garlic, sliced lemon and black pepper.  Add chicken breasts and seal bag tightly.  Place bag in a large bowl and refrigerate for a minimum of 12 hours.  Do not brine longer than 15 hours.  Once chicken has been refrigerated in brine for 12 hours remove and rinse well under cold water.  Dispose of leftover brine.  

Photography is the property of and copyrighted to ©Welcome Home.



Star Fine Foods Hojiblanca Extra Virgin Olive Oil for Poultry and Fish is available at Select Raleys, Save Mart, Food Lion and Walmart stores and online here: http://bit.ly/HojiblancaEVOO



Star Fine Foods now has a promo code for all Welcome Home fans that will give you a 10% discount on anything you order online. Just enter WELCOMEHOME10 at checkout! 

Disclaimer: I have an ongoing relationship with STAR Fine Foods for my recipes and photography using their wonderful products. This post is sponsored by STAR. I am compensated for my time and work and I am sent products as I request them. However, all opinions of the product stated in this post are 100% my own. I truly love their products!



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Friday, June 12, 2015

Cookbook Sale!


















Cookbook Sale!

I have 6 beautiful and very colorful E-cookbooks and they are available for those of you who yearn for good old fashioned, uncomplicated home cooked southern food. This is the kind of food that memories are made of and most of the recipes come to you directly from my Mom's old recipe box. Each Ebook is ready for downloading to your computer, laptop, Kindle, Tablet, iPhone or Android SmartPhone. All are compatible with the ebook reader you have installed on your device.

All my books are on sale today for only $11.99. Choose from any of these of these on the list or buy all six to own my full collection. I have included links to each book.

 "Memories of Home" is a beautiful 100+ page limited edition cookbook with vibrant full page photographs to match each completed dish. In this book you will find some of my Mom's favorites, including wonderful sunny breakfasts, quick and easy dinners and decadent desserts. To buy this book in E-book format for only $11.99, click on this link:

 “Home is Where The Heart Is” is a beautiful 100+ page limited edition cookbook with vibrant full page color photos to match each completed dish. In this book you'll find salads, soups and stews, main dishes and some of her best homemade Pies, Cakes, and other delicious desserts. To buy this E-book for only $11.99, click on this link:

 “There's no Place Like Home” is the fourth book in the Welcome Home series. In this beautiful 80+ page book, you’ll find mouthwatering soups and salads, homemade breads, delicious main dishes and desserts to die for. To buy this E-book for only $11.99, click on this link:

 "Home For Dinner" is a beautiful 152 page cookbook with full page, full color, high quality photography that accompanies each recipe. It is full of easy to make dinner recipes for your family to enjoy. It also includes homemade soups and stews, breads, sides, and so much more. You’ll will love this book! To buy this E-book for only $11.99, click on this link:


 “Home Sweet Home” is the third book in the Welcome Home series. It is a 100+ page book that's full of beautiful dessert recipes with photos to match each completed dish. In this book, you will find my Mom’s favorite desserts like her homemade pies, cakes, and other delicious sweets. To buy this E-book for only $11.99 click on this link:

 “Welcome Home Cooking” is a beautiful 196 page cookbook with full page, full color, high quality photography that accompanies each recipe. It includes Main Dishes, Salads, homemade breads, Desserts, and so much more. It is my first cookbook in the series and has more recipes than any other in the collection. This is a favorite among collectors of the Welcome Home cookbooks. To buy this E-book for only $11.99, click on this link: 


Please note: Some of the proceeds go to save the lives of dogs and cats who are killed in shelters while they wait and hope for their forever family to find them. Over 6 million dogs and cats will die this year while waiting. Some of the proceeds will help me feed and clothe the homeless. Together we can make a difference.
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Thursday, June 11, 2015

Grilled Pineapple

























I love grilled pineapple. It's so simple to do and so delicious!  I love grilling peaches and pears and other fruits too because grilling  caramelizes the sugars and creates such intense flavors. That caramelizing just makes the fruit that much sweeter! 

Grilled Pineapple 
  
1 whole fresh ripe pineapple 
3 tablespoons honey 
1 tablespoon freshly-squeezed  orange juice 

When picking out a pineapple, you should be able to smell the sweetness.  The stronger the smell the riper it is.  Smell the pineapple when purchasing. You should pick up a sweet flavor. The stronger the smell, the riper the fruit. Another way is to pluck one of the leaves out of the top. If it comes out freely, you have a ripe one!
























Turn the pineapple upside down in an empty container for at least an hour so that the sugar moves throughout the fruit.  Next, cut off the top and a little from the bottom and then stand upright.  Now trim the sides to remove outer skin. Remove any eyes with a paring knife. Slice into rings. 

In a small bowl, combine honey and orange juice and brush the glaze onto each slice of pineapple, coating completely. 
Preheat Barbecue grill. Oil the grill rack or spray with non-stick cooking spray. Place pineapple rings on the grill and cook approximately 2 minutes on each side until the pineapple becomes fragrant and starts to dry out on the surface. 

Remove from the grill and brush with any additional glaze one more time. Serve and enjoy!

Served as a dessert, alone or with a scoop of ice cream 
























Photography is the property of and copyrighted to ©Welcome Home.


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Watermelon Pops






















Want to see my clever way to cut a watermelon? Everyone thinks the way I serve watermelon is so cool and here I thought everyone did it this way.  First buy a watermelon...any size will work. Cut it in half. Set one half aside while you prepare to cut the other. 
























Next take a sharp knife and cut it vertically about one inch a part...or more if you want bigger pieces. Then spin it around and cut it the other way. Cut all the way down to your cutting board.



























Now just pull out your plug! We called them watermelon pops when we were growing up! I love that they have a handle! 
























 No mess!  No fuss. Hardly any clean up!   And your guests will love the self serve watermelon buffet!


























 Photography is the property of and copyrighted to ©Welcome Home.

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