My Father’s Specialty- Doughboys!

June 17, 2012Carroll 4 Comments

Growing up my Mom was the one in the kitchen most days making dinner for the family, but my Father did have a few specialties. Some good, and some just fun to remember! He made great burritos, I still make them the same exact way at home for my family. He also made great pancakes and held his own as the grillmaster. He did make spaghetti one time, and I’ll just say it was only once, and Sir Ryan and I are still talking about it. There are a few other traditional things my Dad makes during the holiday season, Nut Bread and Mincemeat Pie. Now- the nut bread always disappeared within the same afternoon, but the mincemeat pie lasted a bit longer, it wasn’t our favorite.

But with the mincemeat pie came something we loved…Doughboys, made out of the pie shell scraps. A little cinnamon and sugar sprinkled and then baked, brought us to the kitchen like little dogs, begging for scraps. Gone in minutes.

My Dad was the only one that made them right!

With all the pies being baked in the kitchen over holidays, I think the Doughboys were the saving grace, from having one of us sneak a slice before dessert was served.

Dough Boys

1 pie dough
1/8 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
flour
1/4 cup pecans, toasted and chopped fine ( These are optional, and any nut could be used)

Roll the pie dough on floured surface a little bit thinner then you would a regular pie shell. Combine the sugar and the cinnamon, mixing well. Sprinkle the mixture over the pie dough and spread the nuts evenly. Cut the dough into thin triangles and roll into small croissants. I took half of the dough and rolled in a tube, threw it in the freezer for 10 minutes and then sliced it to make wheels. Place on parchment lined baking sheet. Bake in an oven, set at 425 for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Allow to cool and hide one for yourself before they are all gone.

Scooby Snacks

Of all the meals and treats my Dad ever made, this was my favorite, this was something that only came around once or twice a year but they were heavenly.

My Dad’s Famous Doughboys!

He has many talents, a couple of them in the kitchen, a few on the golf course, a lot in the business world but what he is best at, is being a Dad!

Filled with Good Memories!

Thanks Dad for being a loving Father and a trusted compass!

Chocolate Dipped Peanut Butter Stuffed Jalapenos- Ole!

May 5, 2012Carroll 6 Comments

Jalapenos and peanut butter….jalapenos and peanut butter. Something I could not get out of my head since about 2 years ago when a friend requested I bring some to a meeting we would both be attending. The friend claims to be from Mexico, and claims that jalepenos and peanut butter are a delicacy when you hit the roads south of the border. Jalapenos and peanut butter…. 2 years later, in celebration of Cinco de Mayo…I had to try them.

Chocolate Dipped Peanut Butter Stuffed Jalapenos

Sir Wes has a nice little jalapeno pepper plant growing in the backyard, which I helped myself to. After washing them I carefully split them length wise, not cutting the top part. I swirled my paring knife around a bit and then I gently tapped out the seeds.

Dessert from the backyard!

Ingredients

1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup confectioner sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
12 small jalapenos, seed and inner flesh removed
White and dark chocolate coins

Method

Blend the peanut butter, sugar and salt together until smooth. Carefully fill each jalapeno and wipe any excess peanut butter. Melt chocolate in a double boiler as directed by the package instructions. Gently dip the filled jalapeno into the melted chocolate and place on parchment paper until the chocolate coating is set. Refrigerate up to a week.

Sweet and Spicy!

The jury is still out on jalapenos and peanut butter, but all have agreed they are not for the meek!

Who is willing??

Happy Cinco de Mayo! Ole!!

Chewy Carrot Toffee Blondies

April 22, 2012Carroll 4 Comments

I am a carrot cake snob, put a good piece in front of me and I will savor every bite; unfortunately it isn’t too often that I meet a carrot cake that qualifies. I didn’t even like “that vegetable cake” before I had the mouth-watering bite in Jacksonville about 9 years ago, and since then I’ve looked for its match, only to be disappointed. Carrot cake is tricky to make, many are too dry, too sweet, too much spice, too much icing, the wrong icing…I don’t judge, I am not a pastry chef, I just want that stinking good carrot cake again!

Carrots straight out of the dirt

As an amateur baker, with huge expectation regarding carrot cake, I have decided I am just not to up to carrot cake making, so when I got these carrots from my neighbor’s garden I had to think outside the box, which led me to blondies. Vegetable in desserts…

Chewy Carrot Toffee Blondies

Ingredients

8 oz butter, melted
2 cups brown sugar
3/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon fresh ground ginger
4 eggs
2 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 cup finely grated carrots, about 3 large carrots
1/2 cup toffee pieces

Method

Preheat the oven to 350F. Combine melted butter, sugars, vanilla, cinnamon and ginger in large mixing bowl and blend. Add eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition. Slowly add flour and salt, until incorporated. Mix in carrots and toffee pieces. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and spread the batter evenly. Bake on for 45-50 minutes, until golden in color. Allow blondies to cool before cutting into squares.

Makes about 32-40 squares.

Vegetables in Dessert- Think of it as an efficiency!

Carrot and toffee are a complementary combination, add a pinch of salt in and there is the icing on the cake!

Chewy, Salty and Sweet- Perfection

Happy Eats!!!

Krispy Kreme Donut Hole Cake

April 2, 2012Carroll 5 Comments

While on a trip to Sir Wes’ hometown, Fairhope, Alabama this summer an event shock the small community- a long time landmark closed its doors, the Midtown Mobile Krispy Kreme was no longer taking orders. I never could have imagined how much of our conversations would have been consumed by this over our stay. It was at this point that I really understood my husband’s love of Krispy Kreme.

This is a clip from the Press Register:

“The Midtown Krispy Kreme, which opened in 1972, closed permanently at 11 a.m. Tuesday, halting conveyer belts that company officials boasted once made 1,000 dozen doughnuts an hour.

By noon Wednesday, workers had taken down the sign out front and boarded up the windows.

Though the last doughnut had been fried and glazed more than 24 hours earlier, a sweet smell still lingered there by early afternoon. A glassed-in shelf marked “original glazed,” “chocolate iced custard filled,” “powdered blueberry filled” and other flavors was bare.

Employees didn’t know the restaurant was closing until that morning. Six of them were transferred to the company’s west Mobile location, while the remaining 11 were given a one-week’s severance check.

The Government Street store once made enough doughnuts to fill two tractor trailer trucks and a dozen delivery vans daily, but was down to filling just one van. The company, which once thrived on delivering doughnuts from Hattiesburg to Gulf Shores, is turning its focus to in-store, retail sales.

“I would rather make them hot and give them to you fresh than give them to you in a box when they’re two days old,” McAleer said. “That’s what we do best.”

So when Sir Wes requested a Donut Cake, I knew I could not wiggle out of it….

I wasn’t sure how to keep it together, but then thought about trying marshmallow, like you would when making rice krispie treats.

Sir Wes' Birthday Cake

4 tablespoons butter
7 ounces mini marshmallows
40 glazed donut holes
1 ½ cup chocolate buttercream
½ cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 tablespoon butter
½ cup heavy cream

Melt the butter and add in the marshmallows stirring until smooth. In a large mixing bowl place the donut holes and pour the marshmallow over, tossing gently. Immediately put into two plastic lined 8 inch cake pans. Allow to set for about 20 minutes.

Flip the first layer onto a plate and gently remove the plastic wrap. Spread ¾ cup of the chocolate buttercream over the donuts. Flip second layer on top of the buttercream layer. Use remaining ¾ cup of buttercream to spread over top.

Melt chocolate chips and butter in a double boiler, when smooth and melted, add in heavy cream and stir well. The glaze can be poured over the cake. Allow an hour to set.

Donut Hole Cake

Happy Birthday Sir Wes, I hope you enjoy my tribute to your hometown and a piece of your history! XOXOX

A Donut Cake was a must for Sir Wes' Birthday this year!

Blue Cheese Truffles

February 12, 2012Carroll 7 Comments

I am a curious chef- I often wonder …Can this work? …Will this taste good? What if…? Streeeeeetch the imagination…..! That’s how good, better, and finally best comes around. I saw Blue Cheese Truffles on a chocolatier’s website a few weeks ago and have not been able to let go. Hmmm…sounds good… sounds gross…maybe…eh..

Blue Cheese Truffles

One bite and I was convinced. Blue Cheese Truffles are undoubtedly delicious. Forget Vosges.

Blue Cheese- Most people love it or hate it!

Ingredients

Blue Cheese Truffle Mise en Place

Filling

2 ounces blue cheese, softened
1 tablespoon sugar
2 ounces dark chocolate
1 teaspoon almonds, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon dried cherries, finely chopped

Coating

4 ounces dark chocolate

I added dried cherries and almonds, but you can skip them if you want, or you can substitute with bacon.

Method

Bring cheese to room temperature; it should be soft enough to blend with a fork. You can microwave it for a few seconds if necessary. Add in the sugar and blend well. Add chopped almonds and cherries. Melt 2 ounces of chocolate in a double boiler and blend into the cheese mixture. Refrigerate until mixture is firm. Scoop into teaspoon size balls and place in refrigerator until ready to dip.

Blue Cheese Truffle Filling

Melt remaining chocolate in double boiler. Dip balls in chocolate and allow excess chocolate to drip off. Place truffles on parchment paper and let the chocolate set.

Dipped Blue Cheese Truffles

They are best served the same or next day. They do need to be refrigerated if serving the next day, but bring to room temperature before serving.

Blue Cheese Truffles- Take a chance!

This recipe makes about 10 truffles, delicious truffles…

Blue Cheese Truffles

Enjoy! And encourage your friends and family to step out of their comfort zone- this is where the best surprises are discovered!

Florida Key Lime Pie Dip

February 5, 2012Carroll 4 Comments

Another dessert dip- options are good!

Key Lime Pie is my favorite “non chocolate“ dessert, I love the zip of the little key limes!

Key Lime Pie Dip

Key limes are much smaller (ping-pong to golfball-sized) than Persian limes, nearly spherical, thin-skinned, and often contain a few seeds. Green key limes are actually immature fruits, prized for their acidity. As they ripen to a yellow color, the acid content diminishes greatly, resulting in a sweeter fruit

When you can’t get actual key Limes the juice makes a great substitute- just get some fresh limes to be able to include zest!

Some of my favorite ingredients!

Ingredients

2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/2 cup heavy cream
5 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
6 graham cracker halves, crumbled
Zest on 1 Lime

Directions

Beat milk and cream cheese together until fluffy. Add in lime juice and incorporate.
In a different bowl, whip the heavy cream and sugar together until you have firm peaks.
Fold whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture, add graham cracker and lime zest and gently combine.
Refrigerate until ready to serve! Fresh fruit, vanilla wafers, graham crackers, chocolate dipped pretzels all are great to serve with dip!

Serves about 10 friends.

A Florida Must Have!

You can use light cream cheese to if you aren’t forgoing your diet today! 🙂

Quick, Easy and Tasty

Wish everyone a safe and happy Super Bowl Sunday!!

Chocolate Chip Heath Bar Cookie Dough Dip! A Super Bowl Sunday First!!!

February 4, 2012February 4, 2012Carroll 2 Comments

I was born a Steelers Fan- actually born into a Steelers family, with both my parents growing up in Pittsburgh. So I have enjoyed many Super Bowl Sunday’s- some with victories and some with bitter defeats. Either way it is always a fun day that I look forward to every year! Super Bowl Sunday is not just for football fans- nope, it’s a day that even the most annoyed wives can enjoy, if not the commercials or the half time show then they definitely can enjoy the food! The best part, if the Steelers aren’t playingJ.

We plan for weeks, discussions of grilling, sandwich making and pizza assembling. We coordinate who will bring what, hopefully avoiding 5 bowls of salsa! Magazines are filled with ridiculously tempting pictures of food, tempting enough that you wish that photograph of wings was a scratch and sniff.

Speaking of too many bowls of salsa, or a bowl of onion dip, spinach dip, ranch dip, and Grandma’s dip (are there ever too many, I’m really not so sure). One kind of dip that has never graced any Super Bowl Party I have been to is dessert dips….What!!!