3) Transfer the ribs to a serving platter and cover to keep warm. Strain the cooking liquid into a large measuring cup and skim off as much fat as possible. Transfer to a saucepan, bring to a boil and cook until reduced to about 1 cup. Whisk in tomato paste and season with salt and pepper. Spoon sauce over ribs.
Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad
1-pound penne pasta
1 TBLS butter
1 TBLS. olive oil
2 TBLS. flour
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into 1-inch cubes
½ tsp. salt & pepper
½ cup white wine
1 (8oz.) bottle of Caesar salad dressing
¼ cup red wine vinegar
2 large green peppers, sliced thin
½ cup grated parmesan
1-head romaine lettuce, rinsed, dried and shredded
1 large tomato, chopped
1-cup salad croutons
Directions:
1) Cook pasta according to package instructions.
2) Melt butter and olive oil over medium-high heat in a skillet. Coat chicken with flour and add to skillet. Cook until chicken is no longer pink. Deglaze pan with white wine and cook for one minute. Add green peppers and sauté for another three minutes.
3) In a large bowl combine pasta and red wine vinegar. Add chicken and mix well. Add shredded lettuce, salad dressing, parmesan cheese and croutons.
4) Mix until well combined and serve.
Mathias’s Favorite Dinner
Mathias’s Favorite Dinner
So Mr. Badass vampire is apparently too busy to sit and type out this recipe. He actually left me a note before he went to work asking me if I knew how to make the recipe, seriously? This is pretty hilarious considering I’m the one that cooks it for him, but he thinks because he came up with the general concept that somehow it’s really his recipe.
Whatever Wolfie...
Pot Roast
3-4 pounds of good quality chuck roast
2 tsp. each of salt and pepper
6-8 cups of beef broth
½ cup red wine
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tsp. garlic salt
2 tsp. basil
2 tsp. parsley
Directions:
1) Heat oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat. Coat chuck roast with salt and pepper and place roast in sizzling skillet. Sear on all sides 3 minutes or until meat has a nice brown crust.
2) Place roast in large crock pot and add the rest of ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.
Willa’s Simply Fabulous Roasted Potatoes
3-4 pounds of red and russet potatoes, rinsed and chopped into small bite-sized pieces
½ cup Italian style bread crumbs
¼ cup parmesan cheese
1/3-cup canola oil
¼ cup white wine
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tsp. basil
2 tsp. parsley
2 tsp. garlic salt
½ tsp. cayenne pepper, optional
Directions:
1) Place potatoes in a large mixing bowl and add next 10 ingredients. Mix well.
2) Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
3) Place potatoes on a large, greased baking sheet and bake for 45- 55 minutes or until crisp and tender.
Desserts
Baking is not like cooking. When you cook a meal, you add a little bit of this and a little bit of that. When you make a mistake in cooking, sometimes you can fix it by adding an entirely different ingredient to cover up for your cooking hiccup. In baking, you cannot do that. You have to follow the instructions correctly. A half of teaspoon extra of baking powder or baking soda can cause disaster.
Baking is a science and an art form. It takes patience and practice. If something does not come out right the first time, don’t give up! Some things take time and baking is no exception. The dessert recipe’s included in this cookbook range from easy to difficult. I have tried to write the most advanced recipes as simply as I can.
Have fun and get baking!
Whenever I make this recipe, it is gone in 24 hours!
Apple Bread
1-½ cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. baking salt
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. nutmeg
1 beaten egg
1-cup sugar
1-½ cups finely shredded and peeled apple
¼ cup vegetable oil
Directions:
1) Grease the bottom and sides of 8x4x2-inch loaf pan; set aside. In a medium bowl combine flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, baking powder, and nutmeg. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture; set aside
2) In another bowl combine egg, sugar, apples and oil. Add apple mixture all at once to flour mixture. Stir until just moistened (batter will be slightly lumpy). Spoon batter into prepared pan.
3) Bake in a 350-degree oven for 50-55 minutes or until toothpick inserted near center comes clean. Cool in pan on wire rack for ten minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely on wire rack. Wrap and store overnight before slicing…if it lasts that long!
Blueberry Muffins
1-¾ cups flour
1 cup of sugar
½ tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
1/3-cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1/3 cup of milk
1-cup blueberries
Streusel Topping
½ cup of brown sugar
1/3 cup of flour
¼ butter
1 ½ tsp. cinnamon
Directions:
1) Combine first seven ingredients in a large mixing bowl and stir for 1 minute. Add blueberries and gently fold in the mix.
2) Make the streusel; combine sugar, flour and cinnamon. Add butter and stir until mixture is crumbly.
3) Line muffin pans with muffin/cupcake liners. Fill each cup with about ¼ cup of mixture. Top with a sprinkling of streusel topping and bake in a 350-degree oven for 15-20 minutes.
Makes 16 muffins.
Polly and Willa’s Cinnamon Rolls
2 (.25 oz.) packages of dry yeast
2-½ cups warm water
1 (18.25 oz.) package yellow cake mix
6 cups all-purpose flour
1/3-cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
1 ½ tsp. kosher salt
½ cup softened butter
4 TBLS. white sugar
3-4 TBLS. ground cinnamon
¼ cup butter, melted
3 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 ½ tsp. vanilla extract
2/3 cup of milk
Directions:
1) In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand for three minutes. Add cake mix, one cup of flour, eggs, oil and salt; beat well. Stir in remaining flour until a soft dough forms.
2) Knead dough on a well-floured surface for about 5 minutes. Place in a greased bowl and turn to coat the dough. Let rise until doubled in bulk, about 45 minutes.
3) Preheat oven to 350 degrees
4) Punch down dough and divide into two equal parts. Roll out each section on a lightly floured surface. Spread each with softened butter and sugar and cinnamon.
5) Roll each section of dough up like a jelly roll and cut buns with a thick piece of dental floss or serrated butter knife. Place on greased baking pans and set aside to rise, about 15-20 minutes.
6) Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.
7) Meanwhile combine confectioners’ sugar, ¼ cup melted butter, vanilla and milk. Remove baked buns from oven and drizzle with frosting before serving.
Simple Apple Turnovers
2 TBLS. lemon juice
4 cups of water
4 apples- peeled, cored and diced
2 TBLS. butter
1-cup brown sugar
1 TBLS. cornstarch
1 tsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp. nutmeg
1 TBLS. water
½ TBLS.
lemon zest ( optional)
1 (17.25oz.) package frozen puff pastry sheets, thawed
Directions:
1) Combine lemon juice and four cups of water in a large bowl. Place sliced apples in the water to keep from browning.
2) Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Drain the water from apples and place them in a hot skillet. Cook and stir for about two minutes. Add brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Stir well for two minutes. Stir together cornstarch and water. Pour into skillet and mix wells. Cook for another minute and sprinkle with lemon zest if desired. Remove from heat to cool slightly.
3) Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
4) Unfold puff pastry sheets and repair any cracks by pressing them back together. Roll out slightly on a well-floured surface into a trim square. Cut each square into 4 smaller squares or 6 smaller squares if you desire smaller pastries. Spoon apple mixture into the center of each square. Fold over from the corner to corner into a triangle shape and press edges together to seal. Place turnovers on a parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving about 1 inch between them.
5) Bake for about 20-25 minutes in a preheated oven until turnovers are puffed and browned. Cool completely before glazing.
6) To make the glaze: mix 1-cup confectioners’ sugar, 1 TBLS. milk and 1 TBLS. vanilla extract. Adjust the thickness by adding more milk or sugar if necessary.
Granny Winnie’s Double Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Ok, so I will admit that I might have made a slight, sarcastic comment to my grandmother when we first met that she was not going to be the type of grandma to bake me cookies. After I had come back from my rescue mission in London, Granny Winnie surprised me with some pretty amazing cookies.
I had to sneak around to get this recipe because the old witch is clever about keeping this under wraps. Hopefully, she won’t be too mad when she sees that it’s in the book!
2-¼ cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 cup of butter
1-cup sugar
¾ cup brown sugar
1 tsp. organic vanilla nut extract
2 large eggs
1 cup of chocolate chunk pieces
1-½ cups mini chocolate chips
Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2) Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl. Beat butter, sugars, and vanilla extract in a large mixing bowl and eggs one at a time until incorporated. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in chunks and chips.
3) Place rounded tablespoons of cookie dough on ungreased baking sheets.
4) Bake for 9-11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for two minutes before placing them on wire racks to cool completely.
Oh my God, chocolate cookies and Andes candy? Holla!
Double Chocolate Andes Candy Cookies
2 ¼ cup flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1-cup sugar
1-cup brown sugar
1-cup butter or margarine
2 large eggs
½ cup good cocoa powder
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups chopped Andes Candy pieces
1 cup Nestle Tollhouse mini chocolate chips
Directions:
1) Sift together flour, salt and baking soda; Set aside
2) In a large bowl or mixer, cream together sugars, eggs, vanilla and cocoa powder. Slowly incorporate the flour mixture until well combined. Stir in Andes candy and mini chocolate chips.
3) On a parchment lined baking sheet, drop a heaping 1 TBLS. of cookie mixture.
4) Bake at 350 degrees for 9-11 minutes. Take the baking sheet out and be sure to cool cookies on a wire rack.
Nectarine Pound Cake
3 cups all-purpose flour
½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
1 cup of butter, softened
2 cups of sugar
6 large eggs
1 tsp. almond extract
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 TBLS. peach brandy
½ cup sour cream
4 cups peeled and diced nectarines, about 5 large
*Fresh lemon Glaze, recipe follows*
Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 10-inch flute pan.
2) Combine flour, baking soda and salt; Set aside
3) Cream butter and sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy.
4) Beat eggs in one at a time. Stir in extracts and brandy.
5) Gradually add flour mixture and sour cream alternately to the butter mixture, beating on low speed.
6) Fold in nectarines. Pour into prepared pan.
7) Bake for 55-60 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 15 minutes before inverting pan.
8) Drizzle glaze over cake and add fresh nectarine slices for garnish if desired
9) Glaze: 2 cups confectioners’ sugar, ¼ cup milk, 2 TBLS. lemon juice. Mix all ingredients together until smooth.
Cecily’s Ultimate 3 Layer Chocolate Ganache Cake
Non-stick cooking spray
Vegetable shortening
½ cup (4oz.) semi-sweet chocolate baking bar, chopped
½ cup (4oz.) bittersweet chocolate baking bar, chopped
½ cup butter, softened
2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
3 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2-¼ cups cake flour
2 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. cinnamon
½ cup buttermilk
1-cup boiling water
Coffee Liqueur Ganache Icing * recipe follows*
Mocha- Chocolate Cream filling * recipe follows*
Garnish, dark chocolate curls
Directions:
1) Coat 3 (8-inch) round cake pans with cooking spray. Line bottoms of the pan with wax paper; grease wax paper with shortening and set aside
2) Melt chocolates in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring until smooth
3) Beat butter at medium speed until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating until yellow disappears after each addition. Stir in melted chocolate and vanilla.
4) Stir together cake flour, and next three ingredients; add to butter mixture alternating with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed until well blended. Stir in one cup of boiling water. Pour batter evenly into prepared pans.
5) Bake at 350 degrees for 35-30 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes clean. Cool in pans on wire racks for ten minutes and remove from pans to cool completely.
6) Place one layer on a serving plate and spread top with 4 TBLS. of Coffee Liqueur Ganache icing and half of the Mocha-Chocolate Cream filling. Repeat with the second layer. Top last layer with remaining icing and garnish with chocolate curls.
Coffee Liqueur Icing
3 squares (3oz.) bittersweet chocolate baking bar, finely chopped
1 ¼ cup whipping cream
1 TBLS. butter
2 TBLS. Coffee Liqueur
Directions
1) Place the chocolate in a large bowl.
2) Heat cream in a small saucepan over medium-high heat until cream just begins to boil. Pour over chocolate and stir until smooth. Stir in butter and liqueur. Let mixture stand for 45 minutes or until spreadable consistency.
Mocha-Chocolate Cream Filling
5 TBLS. all-purpose flour
2 TBLS. unsweetened cocoa
2 TBLS. instant coffee granules
1-cup half-half
1-cup butter, softened
1-cup confectioners’ sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Directions:
1) Whisk together first four ingredients in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, constantly whisking for five minutes or until mixture is thickened. Spoon mixture into a small bowl; cover surface with plastic wrap, pressing wrap
onto surface and let stand 30 minutes or until cool.
2) Beat butter and sugar at medium speed in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Gradually add cooled cocoa mixture, 1TBLS. at a time until just blended after each addition. Add the vanilla, beating until mixture is the consistency of whipped cream.
So when I mentioned to my fairy grandmother that I was writing a cookbook, she gave me her recipe for tea cakes.
I know; she bakes. Weird, right?
Queen Sidra’s Lemon Tea Cakes
1-½ cups softened butter
1 package (8oz.) cream cheese, softened
2-½ cups sugar
6 eggs
3 TBLS. fresh lemon juice
2 tsp. lemon extract
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 ½ tsp. grated lemon zest
3 cups all-purpose flour
Directions:
1) In a large bowl cream butter, cream cheese and sugar until mixture is light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in lemon juice, extracts and lemon zest. Add flour one cup at a time; beat until just moistened.
2) Fill greased miniature muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake at 325 degrees for 10-15 minutes. Cool for five minutes before removing from pans on wire rack to cool completely.
3) Glaze: In a small bowl 5 cups of confectioners’ sugar, 2/3 cup milk, 1-½ tsp. lemon juice. Mix well and drizzle over cakes.
Willa’s Red Velvet Whoopie Pies
The first Christmas I spent on the Isle of Skye I threw a little Christmas Eve party at my new crib. I had a lot to prove, and one of the recipes I made for my guests was my fabulous red velvet whoopie pies. Red velvet and the Holiday season go hand to hand in my book, and these rich, creamy filled cakes were a hit!
Ingredients:
2 cups of flour
2TBLS. Cocoa powder
½ tsp. baking soda
The Skye Trilogy: Isle of Skye, Isle of Night, and Isle of Dawn. * Bonus: Scrumptious Skye Confections Cookbook* Page 102