Tex-Mex Cheese Crisps

This recipe will make a great appetizer. They came together fast and makes a goodly amount. I baked up 1/2 of the recipe and froze the unbaked portion. I also froze the batch that I baked. Hope all this pans out, so to speak. I made my own garlic salt because did not have any on hand. I also weighed out all ingredients on my handy dandy kitchen scale.

Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 cup flour (215g)
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt (3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon garlic granules)
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 6 1/2 ounces unsalted butter, chopped (200g)
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 6 1/2 ounces Cheddar cheese, grated (200g)

Directions:

I used parchment paper on baking sheets for easy clean up.

Preheat oven to 415-degrees.

Place flour, chili powder, garlic salt and paprika into a food processor. Pulse to combine.

Add the cubed butter and pulse until resembles fine breadcrumbs.

Add the egg and cheese and pulse until mixture comes together.

Form into a ball, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 20 minutes. I made this ahead and chilled much longer. If you do this allow dough to set out at room temperature until dough can be rolled on a lightly floured surface.

Roll 1/8-inch thickness with a rolling pin and cut into 2 1/2 -inch shapes. Place on parchment lined sheets, allowing room for spreading.

Bake for 12 minutes or until crisp and golden brown.

Leave on tray to cool for 2 minutes and then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Store at room temperature and to serve; finish with a grind of salt on the tops.

This makes ALOT; so recommend halving!

On-The-Fence Brownies

 

Fudgy, cakey... cannot decide? These brownies are best of both worlds; ultramoist and nice rise of a cake brownie. Reipe courtesy of "The King Arthur Company Essential Cookie Companion.

Ingredients:

• 2 sticks unsalted butter (16 tablespoons, 226g)
• 2 1/4 cups sugar (446g)
• 1 1/4 cups Dutch process cocoa (I found Ghirardelli brand at Walmart)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder (Less 1/8 teaspoon for High Altitude)
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 4 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon water (for High Altitude)
• 1 1/2 cups flour (180g)
• 1 cup chocolate chips (170g)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350-degrees (355-degrees for High Altitude).

Lightly grease a 9x13-inch pan.

In a medium sized saucepan set over low heat, melt the butter.

Off heat add the sugar and stir to combine.

Return the pan to the heat and heat till just hot (120-degrees on instant read thermometer). This gives the brownies that shiny top. Stir in the cocoa, salt, baking powder and vanilla. 

Whisk in the eggs, stirring until smooth; then add the flour and chocolate chips, again stirring until smooth.

Pour into prepared pan.

Bake the brownies for 28-30 minutes or until cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. First bake for me took about 33 minutes, but kept testing after 28 minutes.

Remove from oven and cool on a rack before cutting.

How to Downsize Your Pies

 

These are a bit of work; but wonderful results. King Arthur Flour website; click on Blogs and search "how to down size".  I made 12 mini apple pies and used the Crumb Crust for the topping. Pecan and Pumpkin are also featured. 

Ingredients for Pie Crumbs (make ahead, seal and store in the freezer) ( enough for 12 mini pies)

• 2 1/2 cups (300g) unbleached flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 cup (46g) shortening
• 10 tablespoons (142g) very cold unsalted butter (diced)
• 6-7 tablespoons ice water or cold vodka ( I used both)

Directions for Pie Crumbs:

Mix flour salt and shortening until fully blended into the flour.

Add cold diced butter and mix in a stand mixer until some butter has broken down and some remain in larger chunks. (The liquid is added when ready to prepare the mini pies.)

Seal in a ziplock bag, label and freeze.

Rest pie crumbs in mixing bowl for 30 minutes when ready to prepare the mini pies.

Add enough liquid to bring everything together in a rough but cohesive ball. 

Divided dough into 12 pieces (40g) ea. Shape into a ball; then flatten into a 2-inch disk.

Place each disc into the wells of an ungreased muffin tins. Full size ( 2-inches across the bottom, 2 3/4-inch across the top and 1 1/4-inch deep)

Using the bottom of a glass spice jar; center the jar over disc, press down, twisting the glass a bit. Use your fingers to press the crust the rest of the way to the top of the well.

Put the muffin pan in the refrigerator to keep the crust cool while you make your filling.

Ingredients for Apple Pie Filling:

• 4 tablespoon butter
• 8 cups peeled, finely diced apples (about 3 pounds)
• 12 tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamont
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 allspice
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 tablespooons lemon juice

Directions for Apple Pie Filling:

Preheat oven to 425-degrees.

Melt butter in a large saucepan and cook over medium heat and add the apples; stirring frequently for a couple of minutes until apples are thoroughly coated with butter and exude juices.

Add sugar, salt and spices and cook a couple of minutes until syrupy.

Add flour and cornstarch; stirring until thickened.

Stir in vanilla and lemon juice. 

Remove from heat and allow to cool a bit.

Ingredients for Crumb Crust:

• 1/2 cup flour
• 6 tablespoons cold butter
• 6 tablespoons sugar

Directions for Crumb Crust:

Place all ingredients in a food processor until cohesive.

Putting it all together!

Scoop the filling into the prepared muffin crusts. 73g for each.

Add a generous 1 tablespoon of Crumb Crust on tops of each.

Bake 35-40 minutes until edges of crusts are light brown and filling is bubbly.

Remove carefully and carefully loosen their edges.

After 15 minutes remove pies and place on rack to finish cool

Wrap and Freeze. 

Thaw and reheat 5-10 minutes at 350-degrees.

Serve with vanilla ice cream.

Mexican Chicken Stew

This recipe was provided courtesy of Dave Lieberman foodnetwork.com  One could buy roasted chicken, but I decided to use one of my blog recipes for cooking chicken. I used 3 chicken breasts sprinkled with Bam ( Blog: 2/28/13 Label: spices) and followed directions for Seared Chicken Breasts. 

 Ingredients:

• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion, roughly chopped
• 4 large cloves garlic, roughly chopped
• 2 jalapenos, seeded and diced
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried cumin
• 1 (28 ounce) can chopped tomatoes
• 3 cups shredded cooked chicken  Seared Chicken Breasts (Blog: 2/25/15 Label: chicken)
• Few dashes Worcestershire
• Franks Hot Sauce, to taste
• 3 cups chicken stock
• 1 lime
• fresh cilantro
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Sprinkle chicken breasts with Bam and follow directions for Seared Chicken Breasts. Once a little cooled; shred the chicken.

I used the same skillet to cook the chopped onion, garlic and jalepenos. Once the chicken is removed; add the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic and jalepenos. Sweat until soft.

Tranfer the onion mixture to a large sauce pan. Add the spices and cook one minute. Add tomatoes, chicken, Worcestershire and chicken stock.

Bring to a simmer and cook 20 minutes.

Cut the lime in half, squeeze juice into pot and add the juiced halves as well.

Add Frank's if desired, cilantro and adjust salt and pepper.

Serve over cooked Basmati Rice; add some Ghee and sprinkle with Lemon Pepper (Whole Foods packet is good). I also added some cubed Feta Cheese and crushed Tortilla Chips. 

This is tasty!