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Sep 28, 2015

Cornbread Bacon Muffins

Cornbread Bacon Muffins with maple syrup and toasted pecans

These cornbread bacon muffins combine the sweet and savory flavors of the bacon, corn bread, and the secret ingredient, maple syrup.

The thick cut bacon is julienned and then cooked to a golden color. Next, the bacon is cooked in maple syrup. The muffins also contain toasted pecans and brown sugar.
Sep 27, 2015

No Knead Jalapeño Cheesy Dutch Oven Bread

No Knead Jalapeño Cheesy Dutch Oven Bread


No Knead Jalapeño Cheesy Dutch Oven Bread. How do you feel about bread that has a custardy interior filled with melty cheese and bits of jalapeño peppers? Yeah. Me too.

Sep 24, 2015

Stir-Fried Salmon with Wine Sauce | Wok Wednesdays

Stir-Fried Salmon with Wine Sauce

This Stir-Fried Salmon with Wine Sauce popped up in the Wok Wednesdays rotation around the same time that my cousin brought back this gorgeous piece of salmon he caught in Alaska. He goes up there every year to go fishing and brings back amazing freshly caught and flash frozen salmon, cod, and halibut. He is so generous to share it with family.
Sep 22, 2015

Praline Pecan Coconut Shortbread Bars

Praline Pecan Coconut Shortbread Bars from Karen's Kitchen Stories

These Praline Pecan Coconut Shortbread Bars are deliciously crispy and rich. The shortbread base is easy to put together in the food processor, and the topping comes together in one pan.
Sep 16, 2015

Conchas (Mexican Shell Bread)

Conchas (Mexican Shell Bread) Pan Dulce



I am totally excited by these Conchas!

Sep 13, 2015

Individual Meatloaves with Chili Sauce

Individual Meatloaves with Chili Sauce from Karen's Kitchen Stories

These individual meatloaves with chili sauce are so amazingly good.

It's just meatloaf, right? Not really. First, these are mini meatloaves, which makes them extra fun to serve, especially to kids.

Second, instead of bread or crackers, the binder in this dish is rolled oats. Gluten free! (Did I just say that?).
Sep 12, 2015

Sourdough Focaccia with Preserves


This Sourdough Focaccia with Preserves takes some time to make, but the results are so worth it. The bread has the tang of sourdough, which is balanced with the honey in the dough and the cream and preserves brushed on top.

This bread recipe was contributed by two of the most amazing bread bakers in our Artisan Bread Bakers Facebook group. The formula was developed by Josep Pascual, a master bread baker who teaches classes all over Europe for professional bakers. He taught a course with my dear friend Ralph, the owner of Breadworks, who also makes and teaches about bread baking in the Netherlands. With Josep's permission, Ralph contributed this recipe for the August BOM, or Bread of the Month.
Sep 9, 2015

Stir-Fried Cellophane Noodles with Enoki Mushrooms | Wok Wednesdays

Stir-Fried Cellophane Noodles with Enoki Mushrooms

These Stir-Fried Cellophane Noodles with Enoki Mushrooms gave me the opportunity to cook with two new (to me) ingredients, cellophane noodles and enoki mushrooms. Yes, it's time to tackle another dish from Stir Frying to the Sky's Edge by Grace Young for Wok Wednesdays!

By the way, this stir-fry was delicious!! And easy peasy!

Cellophane noodles are made from mung bean flour, and are pretty flavorless on their own. They are dried, and look similar to rice sticks. The ones I found in my local grocery store came in a sealed plastic package, and were labeled Saifun. In the book, Grace referred to them as fun see, glass noodles, bean thread noodles, and green bean thread. Fortunately, they looked exactly like the photo in the book, and the subtitle was "bean threads."
Sep 8, 2015

Rosemary, Garlic, and Parsley Whole Wheat Bread

Rosemary, Garlic, and Parsley Whole Wheat Bread

This Rosemary, Garlic, and Parsley Whole Wheat Bread will fill your house with the amazing aroma of garlic and rosemary when it is baking. It is wonderful for BLTs, and makes wonderful toast.

The dough for this bread comes together easily, and has a very short rise time, making it easy to make in an evening for the next day.

This month, the #BreadBakers were charged with baking bread containing at least half whole grains. These loaves are about 60 percent whole wheat and have a mild whole wheat flavor.
Sep 6, 2015

Tiny Chocolate Layer Cake with Sour Cream Chocolate Ganache Frosting

Tiny Chocolate Layer Cake with Sour Cream Chocolate Ganache Frosting

My grandsons (with an assist from grandma) made this tiny chocolate layer cake for their dad on his birthday.

Their dad, my son, had to work on his birthday, which kind of stinks. A lot. On the upside, we got to watch the boys all morning while their dad was at work... which translated into "let's make a cake for daddy!"

I'm all over this one.
Sep 1, 2015

Checkerboard Tangzhong Rolls

Checkerboard Tangzhong Rolls

These Checkerboard Tangzhong Rolls are so soft and fluffy. When you separate them, the crumb just pulls apart into deliciously thin ethereal sheets of goodness.

Tangzhong you ask? It is a starter made of flour and water, and sometimes milk, that is cooked to exactly 149 degrees F (well maybe not exactly in my case), cooled, and added to the dough. The resulting bread is amazingly soft. It's the kind of bread that is so good with just salted butter.