Don't Mess With Texas...

If you've looked carefully at my blog posts, you may have already figured out that I'm often stuck on a food pendulum that swings between healthy and, well, not-so-healthy. I honestly don't know how some of those pastry chefs are able to stay so skinny when they're surrounded daily with oodles of chocolate and sugar! Perhaps they didn't grow up with the rule of "licking the beaters." But for me, that's why I've had to really start to set limits as to when I prepare a ooey-gooey dessert or treat. (I elaborated on this very issue back in this post.) Here's another perfect example of a dessert that, if I was left alone with it, would vanish in a heartbeat: your basic "Texas Sheet Cake." Compliments of "The Joy of Cooking," this cake, which typically would be baked in a 15x10-inch pan, is baked in a 9x13 pan. It's so very moist and chocolatey and I decided to pair this cake with a chocolate glaze from another recipe. Ahh...a match made in dessert heaven. It was thoroughly enjoyed by all at our latest "Suppers for Six" group and only 2 pieces made it back home with us!

Texas Sheet Cake with Chocolate Glaze

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9x13-inch pan. Sift together in a large bowl and set aside:

• 2 cups sugar
• 2 cups flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt

Combine in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring constantly:

• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 stick (8 T.) unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup unsweetened, nonalkalized cocoa

Pour the hot mixture over the dry ingredients and stir together just until smooth.

Whisk together, then stir into the batter:

• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup buttermilk or plain yogurt
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Scrape the batter into the pan and spread evenly. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 20-25 minutes. Let cool briefly in the pan. Pour warm chocolate glaze over the cake, spreading gently to coat the cake.

Chocolate Glaze:

• 1 cup sugar
• 5 T. unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

In a small saucepan, melt butter. Add sugar and milk and bring mixture to a boil. Once mixture comes to a boil, remove pan from heat and immediately add chocolate chips. Stir until smooth. Cool mixture until it begins to thicken slightly.

Tip: When a recipe calls for buttermilk, you can always substitute plain, unsweetened yogurt for it. I almost always do this now, because the smallest quantity buttermilk comes in is a pint and I rarely would even need that much. One six-ounce container of plain yogurt is about $.60, so it's cheap and there's no waste.

How to Succeed in Bread-Making Without Really Trying

Okay, okay, so this title is a bit deceptive: if ya wanna succeed in bread-making, you do have to put forth a little effort. Otherwise you might end up eating either a big pile of goo or gnawing on a piece of bread that's hard enough to crack a tooth. (And kuddos to anyone who caught my little play on words in the title...I'm too cheap to award a prize, but you will certainly be crowned king/queen for the day if you can tell me what inspired my title!)

Anyway, all this to say that a few weeks ago something very monumental happened. Something that hasn't occured since I was preggo with our son. Something that isn't the easiest thing to accomplish when you have a wee one crying/crawling/running amuck under foot. So what was this grandious, larger-than-life achievement? I baked bread...from scratch! Now perhaps your reaction to this is something along the lines of, "What's the big deal, foodie?" Well if you've ever baked bread from scratch before, you'd know that homemade bread requires a lot of love and attention. It needs to be nurtured and tended to in a particular way. And when placed in just the right environment, it will grown and flourish. Hmmm...this all sounds very much like a child, doesn't it?! So as you can tell, the reason for the long break from bread-making is that I simply didn't have it in me to tend to my actual child and yet another "child" sitting in my kitchen.

So I was finally ready to give bread-making another go. What inspired me was a recipe in Cooking Light for a "Garlic-Thyme Fococcia" bread. It sounded yummy and the recipe wasn't too complicated, as far as bread recipes go. But I as I went along, my memory was continually jogged with all those tidbits of information that are absolutely essential to know when baking bread, things that are not usually clear when simply looking at a bread recipe. So if you've never baked bread before and are ready to dive in head-first, here are some basic tips to help get you started:

Always prepare yeast dough in a glass or ceramic bowl, never metal

Here's what I use, a lovely ceramic bowl that was on my wedding gift registry. It's so pretty that it practically begged me to prepare some dough in it!

The water used to activate the yeast must be at the correct temperature
The recommended temperature should be between 110-120 degrees fahrenheit. If the water's too cool, the yeast will not become activated and your bread dough will not rise properly. Too hot and the water temperature will kill the yeast. If you're just starting out, the best advice is to use an quick-read thermometer to test the temp, and once you've done it a couple of times, you'll be able to tell with your finger if the water's at the right temp.

You'll know you're done kneading the dough when it's smooth, resilient and elastic, and looks something like this:

Allow your dough to rise in warm place, free from drafts
I like to turn my oven on the its lowest temperature setting for about 2-4 minutes, then turn off the oven. This creates the perfect warm environment for dough to rise, especially if you have a drafty kitchen, like I do. After it rises, it will look something like this:

These are just a few tips. For a complete list of basic bread-making techniques, click here. Onto the recipe at last!!

Herbed Focaccia Bread

• 1 tsp. sugar
• 1 pkg. dry yeast
• 1 cup warm water (see my tip above about temperature)
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 1/3 cups + 2 T. all-purpose flour, divided
• cooking spray
• 1 1/2 T. olive oil
• 1 T. Italian herb seasoning
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 3/4 tsp. coarse sea salt or kosher salt

Dissolve sugar and yeast in 1 cup warm water in a large bowl; let stand 5 minutes. (If yeast activates properly, you'll know b/c the water will become all bubbly and foamy.) Stir in sea salt. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups and spoons; level with knife. Add 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons flour, stirring to form a soft dough. Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead dough until smooth and elastic (about 8 minutes); add enough of remaining 1/3 cup flour, 1 tablespoon at at time, to prevent dough from sticking to hands.

Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place free from drafts, for 45 minutes, or until doubled in size. (Gently press two fingers into dough. If indentation remains, dough has risen enough.)

Place dough on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray; pat into a 12x8-inch rectangle. (I used a 9x13 pan instead of a baking sheet and it worked just fine, too.) Brush olive oil over dough; sprinkle with Italian seasoning and garlic powder. Cover and let rise 25 minutes or until doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Make indentations in top of dough using the handle of a round, wooden spoon or your fingertips. (I used the end of a rubber spatula b/c my wooden spoons have square handles!) Here's how:

Sprinkle dough evenly with sea salt. Bake at 425 degrees for 14 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from pan; cool on a wire rack. And this is what it will (hopefully) look like: Then cut into squares and proceed to devour! Yield: 10 servings

A Quesadilla Experiment

While quesadillas are more often served as appetizers, especially in restaurants, I've found them to be a quick, inexpensive, and often healthy option for dinner. (The expense and the healthy quality depends, of course, on what's in the quesadilla.) One of the simpliest versions, which has become a stand-by recipe for our family, is Black Bean and Cheese Quesadillas. But as much as I love these, I was feeling creative last week and had a bit of a "foodie vision," if you will. So I changed things up a little bit and came up with brand-spankin' new recipe: Pinto Bean, Roasted Red Pepper and Goat Cheese Quesadillas. It would be an honor if you'd be brave enough to try them for yourselves and let me know your verdict!

Not familiar with goat cheese? Well let me tell ya, if you like feta cheese, you'll LOVE goat cheese! Goat cheese is similar to feta, except it's much creamier, which also means that it will melt better than feta does. And guess who sells several different brands and flavors of goat cheese super-cheap? Why Trader Joe's, of course! For more inspiration of different ways to use goat cheese, keep readin' past the recipe.

Pinto Bean, Roasted Red Pepper and Goat Cheese Quesadillas

• 1 (15 oz.) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 T. lemon juice
• 1 T. olive oil
• 1/4 tsp. salt (or more, if needed)
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
• 6 oz. goat cheese, either in a log or crumbled
• 1 (14 oz.) jar roasted red peppers, drained and rinsed
• 5 - 9 inch tortillas

In a food processor, combine beans, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic powder; process until very smooth. (If you don't have a food processor, simply mash the beans with a fork until fairly smooth, then stir in the remaining ingredients.) Using paper towels, pat the red peppers to remove any excess moisture, then slice the peppers into thin strips. If goat cheese is in a log, cut it up into small slices or chunks.

On one half of each the tortillas, spread the bean mixture. Then top with strips of red pepper. And finally, top with slices or crumbles of goat cheese. Fold over each tortilla. Grill the queasadillas, in batches, on a griddle over medium heat; turn them over when they are golden brown and cheese is melting.

To serve, cut each quesadilla in half with a sharp knife. Or, if serving as an appetizer, cut each quesadilla into 4 pieces. Serve immediatly.

**Variations:

• Instead of flour tortillas, try using other flavors of tortillas, such as sun-dried tomato or whole wheat
  
  
• Want to cut down on time even more? Substitute purchased hummus for the homemade bean spread (Trader Joe's sells many types of hummus, too)

**Suggestions about Goat Cheese

• For this recipe, I used "Silver Goat Chevre with garlic and herbs" and it came in an 8 oz. log. Found in the cheese section at Trader Joe's for $3.69. But like I said in the recipe, I only used a little over half of the 8 ounces for the quesadillas. It worked awesome in this recipe, but it would be just as good using plain goat cheese, too.
  
  
• For another simple appetizer, place a log of herbed goat cheese on a small platter, surround it with assorted crackers and you've got an awesome cracker spread.
  
  
• Goat cheese crumbles (4 oz. package, Trader Joe's, $1.99) are a versatile and tasty way to top soups and salads. Now, come on....isn't this the tastiest looking salad you've ever seen?
  
  

(Note to Self: In the future, make sure we have plenty of Gas-X on hand before consuming this salad.)
Happy Eating!

Cheesecake Extravaganza

This post is a long time coming, as I've had the pictures sitting around for weeks now. So if you really want to be the hit of the Christmas Party this year, be sure to walk in the door with one of these cheesecakes! If you're a little intimidated at the thought of preparing cheesecake, rest assured that it's really not as difficult as it might seem. Check out my cheesecake tips below, too.

Peppermint Chip Cheesecake

• 1 pkg. (10 oz.) chocolate-covered mint cookies, crushed (such as Keebler Grasshopper Fudge Mint Cookies)
• 3 T. butter, melted
• 3 pkgs. (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 5 tsp. cornstarch
• 3 eggs
• 1 egg yolk
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• 2 tsp. peppermint extract
• 1-1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
• 3-4 drops green food coloring, optional
• 1 cup mini (or regular sized) chocolate chips

In a bowl, combine cookie crumbs and butter. Press onto the bottom and 1 inch up the sides of a greased 9-in. springform pan.

In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar and cornstarch until smooth. In a separate bowl, lightly beat eggs and egg yolk; add to cream cheese mixture. Beat on low speed just until combined. Stir in the cream, extracts and food coloring. Fold in chocolate chips. Pour into crust. Place springform pan on a baking sheet.

Bake at 325 degrees for 50-60 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around the edge of pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer. Cover and refridgerate overnight. Remove sides of pan before serving and transfer to a serving platter, if desired. Refridgerate leftovers.

Praline Cheesecake

• 1-1/2 cups crushed vanilla wafers (about 50)
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 16 whole vanilla wafers

Filling:

• 3 pkgs. (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten

Topping:

• 25 caramels
• 2 T. milk
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted

In a small bowl, combine the wafer crumbs, sugar and butter. Press onto the bottom of a greased 9-in. springform pan. Stand whole wafers around edge of pan, pressing lightly into crumbs; set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar, sour cream and vanilla until smooth. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined. Pour into crust. Place pan on a baking sheet. Bake at 325 degrees for 55-60 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around the edge of pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer. Refridgerate overnight.

Place caramels and milk in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave, uncovered, on high for 1 minute; stir until smooth. Remove sides of springform pan. Drizzle caramel mixture over cheesecake; sprinkle with pecans. Refridgerate leftovers.

Cheesecake Tips:

1. I use my Mini-prep food processor to crush the cookies for both of these crusts. It's much quicker and more efficient than crushing by hand. If you don't have a food processor, you can place to cookies in a heavy-duty ziploc bag and use a rolling pin or heavy skillet to crush the cookies.

2. One kitchent gadget that I've discovered is perfect for pressing crumbs into a springform pan--a potato masher! Seriously. Use gentle pressure with the masher. Or you can use your hands to press the crumbs into the pan.

3. To prevent a cheesecake from cracking, do not overbeat the batter. Mix the cream cheese and sugar well to eliminate lumps, but after eggs are added, beat the mixture as little as possible.

4. Cheesecake will continue to bake after it's removed from the oven. Your cheesecake is done when it is firm (though it might jiggle slightly), even though the middle may still look moist.

5. Chilling cheesecake overnight is the real key to that indulgent, cheesecake flavor. The longer you refridgerate it, the richer the flavor will be.