you're getting sleepy...

Hypnotic, yes?


The only thing I don't like about the candy you see above is that it looks like it might be an unrisen cinnamon roll. Talk about misleading. Talk about false advertising. Imagine my disappointment when I discover that, sadly, it contains no cinnamon whatsoever.

Now that that’s out of the way, you should know that although this candy a bit of a beast to make, the final result is quite delicious. Is that any surprise, considering that it consists of butter, sugar, and peanut butter? I think not. When I spotted these on Robin Sue’s blog Big Red Kitchen, I bookmarked it immediately, and when my dear grandma mentioned a spiral-shaped, peanut-butter-containing treat from her younger days, I knew I had to make it for her.

The primary mistake one should avoid in making this is adding too much milk too quickly (and yes, I speak from experience). If you accidentally do this, you must compensate by adding more sugar and making use of your fridge.


Although it wasn't exactly what she had in mind, my grandmother was thrilled with the candy, so thanks Robin Sue!

read more words!

more balls o' meat

Three ingredients, three food groups. Easy to make, easy to eat.


Nice.

These particular meat morsels are quite a bit different from my previous batch o' balls. For one thing, sausage is the main ingredient. For another thing, there's no sauce, and the only binder is flour. Those things being said, these balls are just as good as, if not better than, the saucy stuff.


Most recipes for sausage balls call for baking mix, which is pretty much just flour, a leavening agent, and some form of fat. As Mamma-lama-ding-dong says, the sausage and cheese have enough fat already, so we just use self-rising flour. Also, since I'm not what one would call a fan of cheddar cheese, I'd be interested to see how these would taste with something like jack cheese.

Simple Sausage Balls
1 pound sausage (pork is preferred)
2 cups cheddar cheese
2 cups self-rising flour

Mix the ingredients with your paws until thoroughly combined. This will take time and effort, but trust me, it's well worth it. Roll into small balls about the size of a walnut. Place onto an ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 375 degrees F until the tops are golden brown. Take care not to burn the bottoms--that takes away from the delight. :)

read more words!

deja vu

I like it. I love it. I want some more of it.


Yeah, you've seen all these before. But I'd be remiss if I didn't show them again--they're all that good.

First, good ol' chicken barbecue with cole slaw on sourdough bread. See all that fresh-cracked black pepper? It's the perfect accent to a delicious combination.


Next up, we have the mint fudge remix. If you haven't tried this yet, I greatly encourage it. Why wait for a holiday to pamper yourself? There are other food colorings.


Finally, bananner puddin'--smooth and creamy and full of banana-ness. So what if the recipe's full of shortcuts? It's divine.


Keep cool, my babies--original stuff coming soon.

read more words!

apple dapple dream

Apparently the apple industry is pretty big in NY, which is convenient for me, 'cause I kinda like apples. However, what I really like is apples ensconced in moist cake and topped with a rich, buttery caramel glaze.


Other than the apple chopping, this apple cake is extremely quick and easy. Travesty of travesties, there was no cinnamon in the original recipe. After picking myself up off the floor from my initial shock (whoever heard of an apple dessert without cinnamon?), I quickly remedied the situation and dumped in two heaping teaspoons.


Did I mention that this is a moist cake? It's already moist from the applesauce, and then the glaze, having seeped into every pore, just serves to make it that much more moist. Glorious is what it is. Glorious and mouth-watering and I'll-rip-the-door-off-the-oven-if-it's-not-done-soon aromatic. In other words, it's delicious. Mmmkay?


Apple Dapple Cake
Cake:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs, beaten
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup applesauce
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 teaspoons cinnamon
3 cups finely chopped apples

Glaze:
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup milk

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Make a well in the center and set aside.
In a medium bowl, combine eggs, oil, applesauce, and vanilla. Add the wet mixture to dry ingredients and stir just until moistened. Stir in apples.
Spread the batter in a greased and floured 9 x 13-inch pan. Bake at 350°F for 45-50 minutes.
For the glaze, combine the brown sugar, butter, and milk in a small saucepan. Cook and stir until bubbly and all of the sugar is dissolved. Cool slightly. Drizzle warm over cake when it has cooled for 5 minutes, so it can seep into the cake and keep it moist and completely irresistible.


And by the way, here's to a prosperous and joyful 2009.

read more words!

balls o' meat

If you think about it, the name "meatballs" is a little icky. I guess it's no worse than "meatloaf." My little brother refuses to eat meatloaf, yet he loves meatballs, which is interesting because they're basically the same thing. Perhaps it's all in the name. Or shape.


Or perhaps he's just odd.


This post, a respite from all the Christmas cookies and sweets, features two varieties of those ubiquitous balls o' meat. The first batch is from the ever-popular recipe entitled "Manhattan Meatballs." (Anybody know if they actually originated in Manhattan? Just curious.) I chose to make these for our office's winter holiday party over all others for a very significant reason--I had apricot preserves festering in the fridge.


The sweet, fruity, and slightly spicy sauce was wonderful! I suspect it may have had something everything to do with the barbecue sauce I used--'twas a honey-chipotle blend. My co-workers had some nice comments about the meatballs and actually made the effort to say them to me, and I have to agree--the balls were delicious.

The only other kind of meatball I've ever really tried is made according to a recipe that my grandmother has used for longer than I've been alive. I think it's safe to say that it's a winner. The balls are nowhere near as sweet, but still extremely tasty.

So...which type tickles your fancy?

Sweet & Sour Meatballs
(time-tested by my grandmother)
1 1/2 lb ground beef
1 cup oats
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon onion flakes

Sauce:
1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons vinegar
3 tablespoons sugar

Combine the first six ingredients and shape into balls. Place in a large baking dish. Mix up the sauce and pour it over the balls. Cover the dish and bake at 350 degrees for an hour, or until heated through.

Sweet & Sweet Meatballs
(from Kraft, among others)

1 1/2 pounds ground turkey
2 cups bread crumbs
1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
2 eggs, beaten
2 teaspoons dried parsley
2 teaspoons salt
10 oz. apricot preserves
1 cup barbecue sauce of choice

Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, mix the meat, bread crumbs, onion, eggs, parsley, and salt. Go ahead, use your paws. Shape into meatballs about 1 inch in diameter. Place in 2-qt. casserole dish. Mix the preserves and barbecue sauce and evenly pour over the meatballs; mix lightly. Bake for 45-60 minutes or until heated through, stirring occasionally.

I think this'll probably be my last post until the Christmas excitement fades away. I hope ya'll have a safe and happy holiday!

read more words!

i've been converted

My cheese of choice has always been pepper jack, and the spicier, the better. If a dish in a restaurant is festooned with cheddar or blue or (gasp) feta cheese, I'll ask for replacement pepper jack or no cheese at all. It's true.


I'll now add brie to my list of acceptable cheeses, because if it's always as good as that made by President, I'll like it just fine.

The kind folks at President offered to send me a log of their brie, and I gladly accepted. When it arrived, I was delighted to find that they had included some crackers and cranberry relish as well. Such generosity!


I opted to share my bounty with my co-workers at our holiday luncheon. After sampling the combination of crisp cracker, smooth and tangy brie, and sweet, tart relish, I regretted that decision. It was delicious--those folks know what they're doing.


Unfortunately for me, my co-workers are like vultures and there wasn't a shred left for me to bring home. Fortunately for me, I know where to find more President brie and can recreate this little appetizer in no time at all. For more ideas, you can check out Robin Sue's post on her blog Big Red Kitchen or see what Veronica of Supermarket Serenade did with her log o' brie.

read more words!

saltines have never had it so good...

...and neither have I. Quick, easy, and undeniably drool-inducing--what could be better?


Yep. This is good stuff. Perhaps you've tried or at least seen the variety using matzo. I'm here to tell you that if it's at all possible, this version is even better. I think the salt on the crisp crackers combined with the rich, semi-sweet chocolate and crunchy, buttery toffee makes for the perfect candy, any minute of any day of any month of any year. It's probably best to save it for the holidays, however, unless you want to add some more junk to your trunk...

*This post has been updated with the answers to many common questions (such as why the order in the picture is different from the order in the recipe...)! Read more here and here. Print the recipe here.


Terribly Terrific Toffee
(printable recipe!)
1 cup unsalted butter (no margarine allowed)
1 cup brown sugar, packed tightly
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
40 saltine crackers

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line a 15x10-inch jelly roll pan or a 12x17-inch cookie sheet with foil and spray with non-stick spray. Lay a flat layer of crackers out on the foil. Melt the sugar and butter until a boil is reached. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 5-6 minutes or until mixture is thickened and sugar is completely dissolved. Pour this mixture over the crackers and spread to coat evenly. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the toffee becomes bubbly. After removing the pan from the oven, let it sit for 3-5 minutes. Sprinkle on the chocolate chips, let them soften and melt, and then spread them into an even layer. (You can add nuts, cracker crumbs, or whatever else floats your boat at this point.) Let cool and, if desired for expediting purposes, refrigerate until hardened. Break into pieces the size of your choice. I personally prefer a hand-sized chunk.

GADZOOKS, Christmas is in one week! Gracious me.

read more words!