Showing posts with label baking. Show all posts

03 November 2014

A Christmas Post: Holiday Recipe: Fig and Toasted Almond Scones

Photo: King Arthur Flour

A Christmas Post: Holiday Recipe: Fig and Toasted Almond Scones: From Denny: Autumn is here - and so is daylight savings time this Sunday when we "fall backward" one hour - so don't forget to set your clocks back one hour!

For some reason I've been enjoying the vegan scones over at Whole Foods the past couple of weeks now that the weather has cooled. So, that sent me on The Scone Recipe Chase to see what is out there in recipe database land. Found these little autumnal gems over at King Arthur Flour.

Figs are quite popular here in Louisiana where many a backyard grows a fig tree. Almonds are popular in California where they supply the nation! This is the time of year when the nation's nut orchards are releasing their bountiful harvest of pecans (Louisiana and Texas), almonds, walnuts and macadamias so we are all tempted to start our holiday baking early! At least I believe that's their marketing strategy to sell more nuts. :)

Scones are an easy way to try out some fruit and nut combinations to see how the family and friends enjoy the idea. While I love my blueberry and lemon scones of the summer it's time for something different for the fall season so we wanted to try these fig and almond scones at our house. Of course, if figs or almonds are not your preference, know that you can always try figs and walnuts or cranberries and almonds or whatever grabs your fancy this baking season.

Don't feel like the extra effort and time of slicing the scone dough into proper triangles? Try the method the King Arthur Flour bakers suggest: bake them into rounds just using 1/4 cup of dough for each scone, leaving 2 inches between them. That amounts to the idea of a drop scone, much like a drop biscuit...

Holiday Message Potholder

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Holiday Message Dinner Placemats - design also available in cloth napkins, teapots, mugs, coffee travel mugs, aprons, serving trays, wine chillers, cocktail shakers, cocktail plates, cutting boards, cookie jars, flour and sugar canisters, dog food bowls, dog t-shirts, dog hoodies and much more! Visit Denny Lyon Gifts @ CafePress.com - see what's new!

Holiday Message Large Serving Tray

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* * * Please support Warriors Pearl Foundation - contributing to fund efforts to help homeless female military veterans come home. Visit Denny Lyon Gifts @ CafePress.com - see what's new! Thank you to all those who are supporting this cause. You rock!

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*** Check out Holiday Recipes From Dennys Food and Recipes

16 October 2014

Dennys Food and Recipes: Thanksgiving: Layered Pumpkin Cheesecake

Photo provided by Betty Crocker -- Layered Pumpkin Cheesecake will be a welcome treat any time during the holidays.

Dennys Food and Recipes: Thanksgiving: Layered Pumpkin Cheesecake: From Denny: This is the perfect holiday table dessert! It's so showy it's sure to impress. Three layers of tasty goodness are the gingersnap cookie crust as it's sturdy foundation to hold the spiced pumpkin cheese layer that is marbled with a vanilla layer.

Like most big cheesecakes, this one should be baked in a springform pan, where the cake cools in the pan for several hours before you remove the sides of the pan. If you have never used a springform pan, it's so easy it will make you laugh, definitely nothing to be intimidated about at all.

Like any tasty cheesecake, this one is rich in calories too, so a small serving would be welcomed by most. At a dinner party I like to cut a normal to small sized slice, placing it on one plate and then encourage couples to share so people don't have to feel guilty about busting their diet plan. After all, the whole point of entertaining is for people to enjoy their tasty treats!...

Geaux Wear Pink! Apron

Help support women on their journey to wellness and hope for a cure!

Visit Denny Lyon Gifts @ CafePress.com - see what's new!

This design first started off as one of my photos of those favorite hot pink azalea blooms, in addition to many other filters, employing a kaleidoscope filter to create this abstract medallion effect. This design reminds me of how our beauty is always there, no matter what form it takes. Of course, here in Louisiana, we take creative "French" license with English spellings. :) The thought bubble is to remind others to support these women on their journey to wellness. Lots of other styles of t-shirts and other products to enjoy too. The link takes you to the page of all the products featuring this design. Thanks for visiting!

14 October 2014

Dennys Food and Recipes: Fall Recipe: Breakfast Or Dessert Enjoy Spiced Golden Apples

Advocate staff photo by HEATHER MCCLELLAND -- For an extra-special breakfast or dessert, offer Golden Spiced Apples warm from the oven.

Photo: Heather McClelland/2TheAdvocate.com

Dennys Food and Recipes: Fall Recipe: Breakfast Or Dessert Enjoy Spiced Golden Apples: From Denny: It's Autumn and time to enjoy cooking apple dishes! What smells better than apples baking in the oven? Talk about making the house smell good.

This is an easy dish to make for your family, one they will request often. Our house prefers dark brown sugar in place of the usual white sugar, your choice, because both taste good.

Saigon cinnamon is quite an awesome choice too. Found that at Whole Foods locally but I'm sure it's available at other stores in your area. Just take the time to check. Saigon cinnamon has more of the "cinnamon" taste and smell we all love, better than the generic cinnamon offered by most spice companies. You will be familiar with it if you frequent coffee houses.

How much do you know about all the new varieties of apples? Have you tried any of them? Seems like there is always something new to explore at the grocery store. Many of the new apples are crosses between two really outstanding varieties. Hey, more is better, so why not! Try picking up two new varieties on each grocery visit and then compare them for taste and texture. While there are over 100 apple varieties in the United States, we only see the best sellers at our grocery stores...

Geaux Wear Pink! Women's All Over Print T-Shirt

Help support breast cancer awareness and hope for the cure! Design available in many t-shirts styles for men, women and kids and on other products like mugs, coffee mugs, blankets, pot holders, hoodies too!

Visit Denny Lyon Gifts @ CafePress.com - see what's new!

Also, please remember that October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, keeping these women in your thoughts and prayers. Here's my latest Denny Lyon Gifts design (at Cafe Press) to honor all the fabulous women and their supporters fighting this disease.

This design first started off as one of my photos of those favorite hot pink azalea blooms, in addition to many other filters, employing a kaleidoscope filter to create this abstract medallion effect. This design reminds me of how our beauty is always there, no matter what form it takes. Of course, here in Louisiana, we take creative "French" license with English spellings. :) The thought bubble is to remind others to support these women on their journey to wellness. Lots of other styles of t-shirts and other products to enjoy too. The link takes you to the page of all the products featuring this design. Thanks for visiting!

29 July 2014

Romancing The Chocolate: Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread

Photo provided by King Arthur Flour -- No one will ever guess there's zucchni in this Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread.

Photo: King Arthur Flour

Romancing The Chocolate: Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread: From Denny: Summer time and the zucchini are multiplying like rabbits in our gardens! Zucchini bread is always welcome just plain but how about "gilding the lily"? Add some cocoa, chocolate chips and espresso powder to put it over the top.

Quick breads like this recipe are always welcome for the holidays or when you want something special - but not complicated or too demanding of your time and effort. Like most quick breads this one is an easy recipe to make. While this delicious bread bakes just sit down, relax and tour through your favorite collected old cookbooks or breeze through some interesting online recipe databases. Works for me!

Celebrate Chocolate King Duvet

Celebrate Chocolate every day as a holiday!

Design available in 3 color palettes: additional bedding sizes, t-shirts, blankets,

pillows, jewelry, stuffed animals, mugs, ornaments, 3 sizes of laptop sleeves, shower curtains

From Louisiana artist Denny Lyon

Visit Denny Lyon Gifts @ CafePress.com - see what's new!

17 July 2011

Dennys Food and Recipes: Easy and Simple: How To Make The Best Key Lime Pie

Flounder's Key Lime Pie, in Pensacola, Florida, a stacked key lime pie

Dennys Food and Recipes: Easy and Simple: How To Make The Best Key Lime Pie: "From Denny: Making your own key lime pie is so simple - and rewarding! It's definitely one of my favorite desserts, especially in the heat of the summer. The tartness really cools you off. FYI, any tart food cools down your liver, which, in turn, cools off your body in hot weather. So, think apples, limes, grapefruit and blackberries if you want to cool off the healthy way.

Florida is known for their key lime pie and there are fans of it all over the country now. The real secret to making this simple and easy famous pie is to purchase real key limes for the recipe. Key limes are very small, very tart and thin-skinned. When ripe they turn from green to yellow.

Most limes in our American grocery stores are those large beautiful, neon green and thicker-skinned Persian limes. Persian limes are also much less tart so they don't deliver that full flavor to the pie cooks, and tasters alike, desire.

How simple is this pie recipe? Really simple: 100 percent key lime juice, sweetened condensed milk and a good graham cracker crust with a little melted butter, brown sugar and chopped nuts. At our house we make the chocolate graham cracker crust while others choose to use traditional pastry crust. It's your preference."

09 May 2010

Posts Roundup This Week at Dennys Blogs 9 May 2010

From Denny: This sure has been a wild ride for the news, the BP oil spill attempt at clean-up, the crazy British election and the huge sudden drop in the stock market. I gathered some of the better stories over at Dennys Global Politics.

You just have to read about the odd new health stories about empathy nasal spray for men and the strange neck treatment for PTSD relief. And the political cartoons were out in full force as social commentary on it all so you know I just had to park a number of those posts on several blogs for Saturday! :)

Hope everyone had a great Mothers Day! And thank you all for your great support!

The Social Poets:

Oil Spill Disaster Cartoons - Whats Happening This Week in America - 8 May 2010

One Mother and One Child poem 4 Mothers Day - Libations Friday 7 May 2010

Transocean Kidnapped Oil Rig Survivors, Coerced Signing No Legal Repsonsiblity

Funny Parenting Quotes 4 Mothers Day - Cheeky Quote Day 5 May 2010

BP Only Responsible to $75 Million 4 Oil Disaster By USA Law

Roundup of Late Night Funnies - 3 May 2010

Posts Roundup This Week at Dennys Blogs 2 May 2010

Dennys Global Politics:

Greek Debt Crisis 4 The World: Political Cartoons 8 May 2010

1,000 Point Stock Market Plunge, Brits Still Tied After Election, Examining Obamas Humor - News Headlines 7 May 2010

USA Offshore New Oil Drilling Halted, New USA Terrorist Screening, 3-Way Tie in Brit Election - News Headlines 6 May 2010

Supreme Court Pick Hunt, Dems Whimp Out on Finanacial Fund 4 Reform, How You Get on No-Fly List, Obama Tough on Airlines - News Headlines 5 May 2010

Pakistan Trained Bomber, Obamas Workaholic Ways, Catholics Polled About Sex Abuse - News Headlines 4 May 2010

BP Oil Spill Coverage - News Headlines 3 May 2010

The Soul Calendar:

Funny Wall Street Cartoons - 8 May 2010

Video: Check Out the River Monsters Swimming Near You

Bloggers: Get The New Google Buzz Buttons

Neuroscience: Want Your Man to Better Understand You? Try Empathy Nasal Spray

The Healing Waters:

Controversial Successful New Treatment 4 Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Beautiful Illustrated Quotations:

Mothers Day Quote From Rose Kennedy

How Can You Help Your Child Keep Their Balance And Yours?

Dennys Funny Quotes:

The Great American Immigration Debate: Political Cartoons - 8 May 2010

Funny Video: Health Care Rage-Ex by Cartoonist Mark Fiore

Funny Animated Cartoon on Economy: Crashiversary Video by Mark Fiore

Ouch Outrageous Obnoxious And Odd:

Times Square Terrorist Bomber: Political Cartoons 8 May 2010

10 Funny Odd Photos - cute animals and crazy dressed people!

Funny Video: TV Anchor Falls off Chair

Food blogs:

Tradtional Sandwiches Updated: California Tuna Melt, Egg Salad

Chocolate Wonders: Kentucky Derby Pie, Make-ahead Chocolate Soufflé

Video: Louisiana Chef Makes Crawfish Etouffee

Easy Moist Chocolate Mayo Cake From Bon Appetit

Visual Insights:

Dennys Photo Gallery: Garden Views

Funny Love-Hate Relationships of Fox News, Republicans, Tea Party, Airlines and Obama Cartoons - 8 May 2010

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23 March 2010

Easy Rich Yellow Loaf Cake with Chocolate Ganache

*** Views today: 4,640 - Thank You!

From Denny: Remember those dense rich flavorful pound cakes your great grandmother used to make in her time? Wonderful rich cakes full of butter - and calories. Well, we don't work on the farm anymore, unable to justify those calories since most of us are desk jockeys these days. How wonderful those cakes must have tasted with fresh homemade creamery butter! I have to go down to the Farmer's Market on weekends to find that "fresh from the farm taste" and quality product.

Well, the good news is the pound cake recipe idea has been streamlined calorie wise and is far lighter in texture. I paired this recipe with simple chocolate ganache. There is a video from Southern Living demonstrating how easy it is to make. There are also two ganache recipes, one with butter and the other uses light corn syrup. Take your pick.

Breakfast for the Diva Queen: Loaf Cake French Toast

Use leftover slices of Rich Yellow Loaf Cake to make a decadent breakfast treat. For four (1/2-inch) slices of cake, whisk together an egg and 1/2 cup of milk. Dip each slice in the mixture, turning to coat. Melt a tablespoon or so of butter in a nonstick skillet and cook the slices, turning once, until golden and crisp. Rich Yellow Loaf Cake, cooked this way, is great with strawberries and whipped cream.

Option: Make two smaller loaf cakes rather than the one (9x5-inch) loaf. Enjoy one and freeze the other one for later. Defrost the cake at room temperature before serving.

This new cookbook is available from Amazon and already discounted for sale! Check it out: “Cake Keeper Cakes: 100 Simple Recipes for Extraordinary Bundt Cakes, Pound Cakes, Snacking Cakes, and Other Good-to-the-Last-Crumb Treats”

Rich Yellow Loaf Cake

From: “Cake Keeper Cakes: 100 Simple Recipes for Extraordinary Bundt Cakes, Pound Cakes, Snacking Cakes and Other Good-to-the-Last Crumb Treats” by Lauren Chattman

Serves: 8 to 10

Lighter in texture than traditional pound cake, this golden loaf is still wonderfully rich tasting because it is made with egg yolks.

Ingredients:

4 large egg yolks
2/3 cup milk
2 tsps. pure vanilla extract
2 cups cake flour
1 tbl. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1-1/4 cups sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan and dust with flour. Combine the egg yolks, milk and vanilla in a large glass measuring cup and lightly beat. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium mixing bowl.

2. Combine butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl and cream with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down sides of bowl once or twice as necessary.

3. With the mixer on medium-low speed, pour the egg mixture into the bowl in a slow stream, stopping the mixer once or twice to scrape down the sides.

4. Turn the mixer to low speed and add the flour mixture, 1/2 cup at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. After the last addition, mix for 1 minute on medium speed.

5. Scrape batter into prepared pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula. Bake cake until it is golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1 hour and 10 minutes. Let cake cool in pan for about 5 minutes, invert it onto a wire rack, and then turn it right side up on a rack to cool completely. Slice and serve.

6. Store uneaten cake in a cake keeper or wrap in plastic and store at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Make a simple chocolate ganache to "enrobe" this luscious simple cake:

Chocolate Ganache Icing

From: Southern Living Magazine

Ingredients:

Yield: Makes about 2 cups

Ingredients:

1 (12-ounce) package semisweet chocolate morsels
1/2 cup whipping cream
3 tablespoons butter

Directions:

Microwave semisweet chocolate morsels and whipping cream in a 2-quart microwave-safe bowl at MEDIUM (50% power) 2 1/2 to 3 minutes or until chocolate begins to melt.

Whisk until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth. Whisk in butter; let stand 20 minutes. Beat at medium speed with an electric mixer 3 to 4 minutes or until mixture forms soft peaks.

Chocolate Ganache

From: Gina Marie Miraglia Eriquez

Makes: enough for 24 cupcakes
Active time: 15 min
Start to finish: 15 min

Ingredients:

6 oz fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (no more than 60% cacao if marked), chopped
2/3 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 tablespoons light corn syrup

Directions:

Put chocolate in a large bowl. Heat cream in a medium saucepan over moderate heat until it just comes to a boil, then pour over chocolate and let stand 3 minutes. Whisk until smooth, then stir in corn syrup.

*** For more recipes like this, please visit Romancing The Chocolate!

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