Since marrying into an Irish family, St. Patrick’s Day (or Amateur Day, as the Husby calls it) has become a big deal for me, food wise at least. We started this morning with green pancakes, bangers and eggs and had all intentions of making corned beef and cabbage for dinner. But our BFFs PSquared are moving tomorrow so we wanted to spend one last night with them before they go. We are devastated that they’re leaving but they’ll only be an hour and a half away. We will miss them like crazy but we’ll still see each other – it’ll just take more planning.
Since I knew I wouldn’t be having my traditional meal (don’t worry, it’s currently cooking away in the crockpot for later), I wanted to do something in the Irish spirit. Then, magically, this recipe arrived in my inbox via Martha the Great. It was meant to be.
The flavor in these bad boys was outstanding. The coffee grounds in the batter paired with the whiskey in the glaze made my tastebuds dance. The flavors were both definitely prominent but not overwhelming in the way that whiskey usually gives me the shivers when I taste it.
In other news, the Baby Burrito turned 5 months old. How the hell did that happen? It was only yesterday when she was brand new!
Ingredients
For the Blondies:
- 2 Cups Flour
- 1 tsp. Baking Powder
- 1/4 tsp. Baking Soda
- 2 Sticks Butter, melted
- 2 Cups Brown Sugar, packed
- 3 Tbsp. Ground Coffee
- 1 tsp. Salt
- 2 Eggs
- 1 tsp. Vanilla
- 1/2 Cup Sliced Almonds
-
For the Glaze:
- 1 Tbsp Butter, melted
- 2 Tbsp. Irish Whiskey (I used Jameson)
- 3/4 Cup Powdered Sugar
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350. Butter a 9x13 baking pan and set aside.
Whisk together the flour, baking powder and baking soda.
Pour the melted butter into a bowl. Add the brown sugar, ground coffee and salt. Mix to combine, then stir in the eggs and vanilla. Add the flour mixture and stir until just combined.
Spread the batter into the baking pan and sprinkle the almonds on top. Bake for 27-30 minutes (the shorter the baking time, the chewier the blondie). Allow to cool completely.
To make the glaze, whisk together the butter and whiskey. Add the powdered sugar and stir until the glaze is thick but still liquid. Drizzle the glaze over the blondies using either a spoon or a plastic bag with a small hole snipped out of one corner. Allow the glaze to set for at least 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Keep the blondies at room temperature up to 2 days.
Source -
1.4
http://www.thejeyofcooking.com/irish-coffee-blondies/ The Jey of Cooking | http://www.thejeyofcooking.com
In all my years of cooking and baking, I’ve never made a cheesecake. I’ve just always been crazy intimidated by it for no real reason whatsoever. So naturally my first reaction upon seeing that my swap recipe for the week was indeed a cheesecake, was fear.
I hopped over to Amazon and placed a springform pan into my cart but somehow overlooked the “place your order” button, even though 2 new cookbooks and some baby clothes showed up at my house a few days later. So I already had that working against me. Then, my chunk of white chocolate I bought in Seattle and have been slowly working my way through disappeared without a trace. Sigh. So there was that too. Oh, and did I mention that I didn’t read through the recipe beforehand like I usually do and didn’t see that I needed to let the cheesecake set and chill for at least 4 hours? Note to self for next time – do not make cheesecake at 6pm.
Due to my Amazon mishap, I decided to make the cheesecake into individual servings by using ramekins. Plus, portion control is definitely my friend when it comes to dessert. If I’d had a whole cheesecake at my disposal, I’d inhale the entire thing before I’d even realize what I’d done. And while searching frantically for my white chocolate, I came across a bag of butterscotch chips and thought the flavors would work well together.
And while the process of making this recipe was all sorts of fail on my part, the end result was not as bad as I was expecting. Although my cheesecakes weren’t as smooth as I’d hoped, I didn’t find any dreaded cracks. And it was quite delicious! I took the uneaten portions and popped them in the fridge because it’s always nice to have a sweet treat on a rainy day.
So Jenna, thanks for making me step outside my comfort zone with this one. Once my head is screwed on straight again (probably in, oh, 20-some years from now when the children go to college), I’ll get my butt into gear and make an actual cheesecake.
Individual Golden Oreo Cheesecakes.
Ingredients
- Special Equipment -
- 8 6 oz Ramekins
-
For the Cheesecake:
- 30 Golden Oreo Cookies + more for decorating
- 1/3 Cup Butter, melted
- 2 Packages Cream Cheese, at room temperature
- 1/4 Cup + 2 Tbsp. Sugar
- 2 Eggs
- 1/2 Cup Sour Cream
- 1 tsp. Vanilla
-
For the Glaze:
- 1/2 Cup Heavy Cream
- 1/8 Cup Sugar
- 1 Tbsp. Butter
- 1/8 Cup Corn Syrup
- 4 1/2 Oz. Butterscotch Chips
Instructions
Preheat oven to 325.
Using the food processor, pulse 20 cookies until finely crushed. Remove from processor bowl and place into a separate bowl. Add the melted butter and stir to combine. Spoon a couple scoops of the crumb mixture into a ramekin and press down using your fingers. Take the bottom of a pint glass and press into the mixture to even and smooth. Repeat with remaining 7 ramekins.
Add 10 cookies to the food processor bowl and pulse until coarse. Set aside.
Using a mixer, beat the cream cheese and sugar together until creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time, until just incorporated. Add the sour cream and vanilla and mix again until incorporated. Fold in the chopped cookies. Spoon the mixture on top of the cookie crust in the ramekins until about 3/4 full.
Place the ramekins on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes, until no longer jiggly. Cool, then place in the fridge to set and chill for at least four hours, or overnight.
To make the glaze, place the butterscotch chips in a heatproof bowl.
In a saucepan over medium heat, heat the cream, sugar, butter and corn syrup until just simmering. Pour over the chocolate and mix until smooth. Do not overstir, or it will thicken. Pour over the cheesecake tops and decorate as desired.
Source -
1.4
http://www.thejeyofcooking.com/individual-golden-oreo-cheesecakes/ The Jey of Cooking | http://www.thejeyofcooking.com
It’s a well known fact that the Husby and I tend to order a lot of takeout. Had I known sooner that it was this easy to make my own, we could’ve saved ourselves a lot of money!
We absolutely loved this meal from the Blogger’s Choice Swap. The recipe jumped out at me right away and even after poring through the other recipes on the site, I knew this was the one. I already had most of the ingredients at home so I only had to pick up a few things, which is always nice. It was quick and easy. The rice took longer to cook than the tofu! I can always count on the Fruitaholic to eat tofu, but was a little bit unsure of how he’d react to having it smothered in sauce. He ate his entire portion and asked for more. Yeah!
I stayed pretty true to the recipe, although I cut the sugar a bit and added cornstarch based on the original recipe. It made a ton of sauce, so I recommend either adding another block of tofu or halving the sauce ingredients. Even after spooning additional sauce over rice, there was still quite a bit leftover.
Ingredients
- 1 Block Extra Firm Tofu, pressed and cubed (to press, place the tofu block on a plate and cover with a few paper towels or a clean kitchen towel. Place a heavy pan on top of the towel for at least 30 minutes.)
- 2 Tbsp. Cornstarch
- 2 tsp. Sesame Oil (or Olive Oil)
- 1/2 tsp. Fresh Ginger, grated
- 3 Cloves Garlic, minced
- 1/2 Cup Low Sodium Soy Sauce
- 1/2 Cup Water
- 1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
- 1 Green Onion, chopped
Instructions
Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.
Add the cornstarch to the tofu in a small bowl and toss to coat.
Add the tofu to the skillet and cook until browned on all sides, about 6 minutes.
While the tofu is cooking, combine the ginger, garlic, soy sauce, water and brown sugar. Mix well.
When tofu has browned, add the sauce, stir, then bring to a simmer before reducing heat to low. Simmer for 5-10 minutes, until sauce has thickened and reduced.
Serve over rice and garnish with green onion.
Source -
1.4
http://www.thejeyofcooking.com/mongolian-tofu/ The Jey of Cooking | http://www.thejeyofcooking.com
When the Husby and I first started dating, we did the whole getting dressed up and going out to a nice dinner, but after thirteen years together, we’ve perfected our Valentine’s Day routine. I buy him a card – one from me and one from the kids – weeks in advance and the night before or morning of, he runs out for a cheesy grocery store bouquet of roses. Unintentionally for the past few years, we’ve ended up going to the Auto Show during the day. And we always end our night by curling up on the couch with a heart shaped pizza from Lou Malnati’s while watching a movie.
Today started out same as always. The cards were exchanged, the flowers purchased, the Auto Show attended. But this year, I decided to change things up a bit. The theme for this week’s swap was super apropos - special occasion – so it seemed fitting to get in the kitchen and cook. I wouldn’t say that we dressed up like we used to but we did enjoy a nice meal together.
We liked this entree although we both agreed that the sauce was a bit salty (likely due to user error since I didn’t measure). For as much as I like to drink wine, I always forget how easy it is to make a pan sauce so this was a nice change from a plain old porkchop. The only change I would make next time would be to sear the pork before baking in order to give it some color. I did also wish that the flavor of the wine would be a bit more prevalent.
Pork Chops with Pinot Noir Sauce.
Ingredients
- 4 Boneless Pork Chops
- 1 1/2 Cups Water
- 3 Tbsp. Coarse Kosher Salt
- 1 Shallot, finely chopped
- 2 Cups Pinot Noir (I used Mark West)
- 1 1/2 Cups Chicken Broth
- 1/4 tsp. Salt
- 1/4 tsp. Pepper
- 3/4 tsp. Sugar
- 3 Tbsp. Unsalted Butter, chilled
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350.
Combine the water, kosher salt and sugar in a gallon sized Ziploc bag, then add the pork chops and chill in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.
Remove pork chops from the brine and pat dry. Rub with olive oil and season with pepper, to taste.
Place the pork chops on a foil lined baking sheet and cook in the oven for 20 minutes.
While the pork cooks, set a skillet over medium high heat. When hot, add the shallots and cook for 30-60 seconds, then add the Pinot Noir. With a wooden spoon, scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Bring the wine to a boil and cook for 10 minutes, until reduced by half.
Add the chicken broth, stir, and cook an additional 15 minutes, until reduced to about 1/3 cup.
Remove from heat. Stir in salt, pepper and sugar. Stirring constantly, add the butter one tablespoon at a time until sauce is smooth and thickened.
Serve the pork chops with two tablespoons of sauce.
1.4
http://www.thejeyofcooking.com/pork-chops-with-pinot-noir-sauce/ The Jey of Cooking | http://www.thejeyofcooking.com
