Friday Foodday

Happy Friday! Here are my favorite recipes this week.

Merry Berry Christmas, Sugar
c/o Southern Living

Ingredients

5 fresh raspberries

4 fresh blueberries 

2 fresh blackberries 

1 1/2 tablespoons light agave nectar

5 fresh mint leaves

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 cup crushed ice

6 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons ginger ale 

Directions

Muddle 5 fresh raspberries, blueberries, 2 fresh blackberries, light agave nectar, mint leaves, and lime juice in a cocktail shaker. Stir in crushed ice and water. Cover with lid, and shake vigorously until thoroughly chilled (7 to 10 seconds). Pour mixture into a 16-oz. glass, and top with ginger ale. Garnish, if desired.

Honey Soy Chicken

c/o Table for Two Blog

Ingredients

• 1½ - 2 pounds boneless, skinless, chicken thighs (most of the fat cut and discarded)
• 3 tbsp. vegetable oil
• 3 tbsp. low sodium soy sauce
• 1 tsp. sesame oil
• 5 tbsp. honey
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• ½ tsp. ground ginger
• ½ tsp. ground black pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a 8x8" oven-proof pan with 2 layers of tin foil. I HIGHLY advise using foil in this dish because soy sauce & honey are STICKY and tend to adhere heavily on glass dishes when cooked at high temperatures. Unless you want to be scrubbing forever, use the foil!
2. In small bowl, whisk together vegetable oil, soy sauce, sesame oil, honey, garlic, ground ginger, and pepper.
3. Place the chicken thighs in the foil layered pan then pour the mixture on top of it. Turn the chicken around in the sauce to make sure it gets all coated.
4. Bake, uncovered, for 40 minutes, checking occasionally to make sure the tops are not browning too quickly. If they are, cover with foil and resume baking until chicken is done.
5. Remove from oven and let chicken sit for 5 minutes then transfer to a plate. Do NOT discard the liquid.
6. Immediately after plating chicken, pour sauce over top of chicken. It's delicious so you want all the sauce you can get!
7. Serve with white or brown rice and some steamed veggies.

Peppermint White Chocolate Cake

c/o Blahnik Baker

Ingredients

• 4 cups cake flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1½ teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract
• 2 cups buttermilk, at room temperature
• ½ cup white chocolate chunks

For the Frosting:

• 2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 4-5 cups powdered sugar
• 2-3 tablespoons heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ cup white chocolate, melted

Directions

To make cake:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour three 9-inch round cake pans. Line with parchment and grease parchment.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together cake flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes. Add in eggs, one at a time, and mix until combined. Beat in vanilla and peppermint extract. Add ⅓ of the flour mixture and mix until just combined. Add half of the buttermilk then ½ of the remaining flour, then the rest of the milk and the rest of the flour, beating well after each addition. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the white chocolate into the batter until well combined.
4. Divide the batter evenly into the prepared baking pans. Bake cakes until the center springs back when touched and a tester comes out clean, about 20-25 minutes. Let cakes cool in pan for at least 10 minutes before turning out onto a cooling rack. Let cool completely before frosting.

To make frosting:

1. Whip butter for 6 minutes on medium speed using the paddle attachment of an electric mixer. The butter will become pale and creamy.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix on low speed for 1 minute. Then increase speed to medium and mix for 6 minutes until the frosting is very light, creamy and fluffy. (Optional: color a cup of the frosting with one or two drops of pink food coloring. Use this to fill the cake).

To assemble:

1. Place one layer of cooled cake on a cake plate. Spread about ½ cup to a cup of frosting on top of the first layer. Place another cake layer on top of frosting. Top with more frosting and spread evenly. Finally top with the last cake later. Spread frosting over the top and sides of the cake. Smooth frosting and decorate as desired. Top cake with peppermint meringue cookies.

Friday Foodday

Happy Friday lovebugs,
Here are my favorite recipes this week.

Ginger Cranberry Cocktail
c/o Food Network

Ingredients
For Ginger syrup:
4 -inch piece ginger, peeled and roughly chopped1/2 cup sugar1 1/2 cups waterPlace all syrup ingredients in a saucepan and simmer until sugar dissolves and the ginger is infused in the syrup, about 20 minutes. Strain and allow to cool fully before use.

For the drink:1 cup frozen cranberries1 lime, juiced2 cups vodka or gin2 cups cranberry juiceSplash club sodaShaved ginger
1 cup ginger syrup, or to taste

Directions

Crush the frozen cranberries in a large glass pitcher. Add the lime juice and their juiced wedges to the pitcher. Pour in the vodka, cranberry juice, and ginger syrup. Put ice in low-ball glasses and fill glasses about 2/3 full. Top off with club soda and garnish with a shaving of fresh ginger.
Note: Can be made without soda for a martini.



Herb and Bacon Corn Bread Stuffing
c/o Epicurious

Ingredients

• 2 loaves Corn Bread
• 6 large celery ribs
• 1 pound onions 
• 1 pound sliced bacon
• 1/2 cup chopped mixed fresh herbs such as thyme, sage, rosemary, and/or marjoram or 2 tablespoons mixed dried herbs, crumbled
• 1 cup Turkey Giblet Stock or chicken broth
• 1/4 cup reserved fat from roast turkey or melted butter

Directions

Preheat oven to 325° F. and butter a 4-quart baking dish.

Cut corn bread into 1/2-inch cubes and dry in 2 large shallow baking pans in oven 20 minutes. Remove corn bread from oven and leave oven at 325° F. Coarsely chop separately celery, onions, and bacon.

In a large, deep skillet sauté bacon over moderately high heat, stirring, until browned, about 10 minutes. Add celery and onions and cook, stirring, until vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes. Add herbs and salt and pepper to taste and cook, stirring, 1 minute.

In a large bowl toss together corn bread and bacon mixture and transfer to baking dish. Stuffing may be prepared up to this point 1 day ahead and cooled completely before being chilled, covered.

Drizzle stock or broth over stuffing and bake, covered, 1 hour. Drizzle reserved fat or butter over stuffing and bake, uncovered, in upper third of oven 30 minutes more, or until top is golden.

Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie

c/o Southern Living

Ingredients

1/2 (15-ounce) package refrigerated piecrusts

1 1/2 cups chopped pecans

1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate morsels

1 cup dark corn syrup

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/4 cup bourbon or water

4 large eggs

1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted

2 teaspoons cornmeal

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions

Fit piecrust into a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate according to package directions; fold edges under, and crimp.

Sprinkle pecans and chocolate evenly onto bottom of piecrust; set aside.

Combine corn syrup and next 3 ingredients in a large saucepan, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, 3 minutes. Remove from heat.

Whisk together eggs and next 4 ingredients. Gradually whisk about one-fourth hot mixture into egg mixture; add to remaining hot mixture, whisking constantly. Pour filling into prepared piecrust.

Bake at 325° for 55 minutes or until set; cool on wire rack.