Jim's Chocolate Chip Scones

Jim’s Chocolate Chip Scones

Here is the scone recipe

3 1/3 cup flour
2 Tablespoon sugar
3 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 sticks butter
1 cup buttermilk

Chocolate Chips, about 1 to  1 ½  cups, large or mini

Combine dry ingredients. Cut in butter to pea size. (I cut the butter
into small chunks with a knife before putting into bowl) Mix in
chocolate chips .

Mix in buttermilk. You will need to use your hand. It is dry a yet
sticky. Divide into 4 balls. Flatten ball and cut into 8 triangles. Repeat with remaining 3 balls.
Place on baking sheet. Cook 450 for 8 to 10 min.

Mackinaw Island Fudge Buttercream Frosting

Macinaw Island Chocolate Fudge Buttercream Icing

(Why do I call it that? Because that is what the taste reminds me of – chocolate fudge!) It is the best chocolate frosting!

Ingredients

•1 cup salted butter

•scant ½  cup of unsweetened cocoa (Slightly less than ½ cup)

•3 one ounce squares of melted then cooled semi-sweet or milk chocolate

•½ tsp instant coffee

•1-2 tbsp heavy cream

•3 cups powdered sugar

Instructions

Melt your three chocolate squares in the microwave, slowly and carefully until they are liquidy smooth. Set aside to cool.

Whip the butter in your mixer until it’s light and fluffy.

Add in the cocoa, beating until combined.

When the chocolate is cool, add it to the butter. Make sure it’s cooled!!

Add the instant coffee to one tablespoon of cream, then add to the butter mixture.

Now you can put in the icing sugar one cup at a time, beating until combined.

Adjust the thickness/texture by using another tablespoon of cream, adding it slowly until the texture you want is achieved.

Spicy Quinoa Black Bean Burgers with chipotle mayo

Spicy Quinoa Black Bean Burgers with chipotle mayo

Serves 4

Ingredients:

 1/4 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed and drained in a wire mesh sieve

 1/2 cup water

 1 - 15 ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained

 2 eggs                                                                                                  1/2 cup bread crumbs

 3 T. minced onions                                                                         1 garlic clove, minced

 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin                                                  1/2 teaspoon salt (salt to taste)

 1/4 teaspoon black pepper                                                         1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (like Tapatio)

 2 Tablespoons cilantro, chopped                                             

 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

buns

 Bring the quinoa and water to a boil in a saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until the quinoa is tender and the water has been absorbed, about 15-20 minutes.

 In a large bowl, roughly mash the black beans with a fork leaving some whole black beans in a paste-like mixture.

 In a small bowl, beat the eggs. Add to the black beans. Add the remaining ingredients except for the olive oil and mix until combined.

 Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

 Form the black bean mixture into four equal size patties. Cook the patties in the hot oil until heated through and browned, 2-3 minutes per side. Add to a bun with chipotle mayo.

Chipotle Mayonnaise

 Makes about 1/2 cup

1/2 cup light mayonnaise

 1/2 - 1 chipotle pepper (from a can, just one of the peppers), minced OR, 1/4-1/2 tsp. chipotle powder depending on how spicy you want it

 1 T. hot pepper sauce (like Tapatio)

 1 T. lemon juice (optional)

 Mix ingredients together in a small bowl. Add to your burger.

Bake Sale Betty's Fried Chicken Sandwich

Bakesale Betty's Fried Chicken Sandwich

Prep Time: 1 hrs 30 mins Total Time: 1 hrs 45 mins Serves: 4, Yield: 4 huge sandwiches

Ingredients

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, about 6 ounces each

kosher salt

1 quart buttermilk

The vinaigrette

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon kosher salt

 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

 The coleslaw *   (or make spicy mayo coleslaw – see below)

1 small red onion, very thinly sliced

1 cup red wine vinegar

 2 jalapenos, seeded, cut in half and sliced crosswise ( originally in recipe, but too spicy for us)

1/4 cup parsley, chopped

1/2 green cabbage, core and outer leaves removed, and very thinly sliced

 kosher salt

The breading

1 lb all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon kosher salt ( or more to taste)

1 1/2 teaspoons fresh ground pepper

 2 quarts vegetable oil, for frying

4 rolls, sliced lengthwise , challah or brioche rolls

Directions

Season chicken breasts with kosher salt. Let sit at least 5 minutes. Fill a wide, shallow nonreactive bowl or casserole dish with buttermilk. Add the chicken and soak in the refrigerator for 1 hour up to overnight.

For the vinaigrette: Combine mustard, vinegar and salt in a bowl. Slowly whisk in olive oil until well blended.

 For the coleslaw: Macerate onions in the cup of red wine vinegar, and let sit at least 20 minutes. Remove onions and discard vinegar. Toss onions with jalapeno, parsley, cabbage and salt. Toss with vinaigrette until evenly coated.  Add a bit of the spicy mayo as well (recipe below)

To fry chicken: Pour vegetable oil into a large stockpot. Do not fill up more than halfway, or the oil could splatter. Bring oil up to 365°, using a digital thermometer/candy thermometer to monitor the heat. Prepare the the breading while waiting for oil to heat up. In a wide shallow bowl, mix flour, cayenne, salt and pepper. Pull a chicken breast out of the buttermilk one by one, letting excess drip off, and dredge completely in flour. To create a thick crust, place in buttermilk and dredge in flour a second time. Do not drain or shake off excess buttermilk or flour during the breading process. When the oil is at 365°, carefully place chicken pieces into oil one by one. Let it cook for a minute before disturbing chicken, then help it “swim” in the oil with tongs, until it is evenly cooked, about 5-7 minutes. Remove chicken from oil and drain on paper towels. Season immediately with salt. For the sandwich: Place fried chicken breast on bottom of torpedo roll and top generously with coleslaw.

*Note - if doing multiple batches, it takes a WHILE for the oil to heat back up between batches.

 

Spicy Mayo and Slaw

1 garlic clove, finely grated                                                          

½ cup mayonnaise

1 tablespoon Louisiana-style hot pepper sauce                 

Spicy Mayo Mix garlic, mayonnaise, and hot pepper sauce in a small bowl; cover and chill.  Try mixing some with slaw.

Jamie Dean's Salted Rice Krispie Treats

Jamie Dean’s Salted Caramel Rice Krispie Treats

Ingredients

 Nonstick spray

6 cups crispy rice cereal (about half a 12-ounce box), such as Rice Crispies

1 stick unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

1 tablespoon light corn syrup

1 teaspoon flaky sea salt, such as Maldon, plus more for sprinkling

One 10-ounce bag mini marshmallows

Directions

Spray an 8-inch square cake pan with nonstick spray.

Add the cereal to a large heatproof bowl and set aside.

Add the butter to a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Once melted, stir in the brown sugar, heavy whipping cream and corn syrup. Cook until thick and syrupy while stirring frequently, about 7 minutes. Stir in the salt. Turn off the heat and stir in the marshmallows. Keep stirring until the marshmallows are smooth and melted.

Quickly pour the caramel marshmallow sauce over the cereal and stir all together. Pour into the prepared pan and press down with a piece of parchment paper sprayed with nonstick spray. Sprinkle lightly with flaky sea salt.

Cool completely, and then cut into squares.

 

Caprese Garlic Bread

Caprese Garlic Bread

Garlic bread with fresh mozzarella cheese, tomatoes, basil, and a drizzle of balsamic! The best garlic bread you will ever eat!

Ingredients

1 loaf ciabatta bread, horizontally cut in half

 4+ tablespoons salted butter

 3 cloves garlic, minced

 12 oz. fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced

 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

 2 medium tomatoes, sliced

 Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

 1/3 cup chopped fresh basil

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place both sides of the baguette on a large baking sheet with the cut side up.

Bake about 5 minutes plain.

2. In a small bowl, combine butter and garlic and spread evenly on bread halves. Place the mozzarella cheese slices on top of the bread, making sure the cheese covers the bread completely. Bake the bread for 10-12 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

3. While the bread is in the oven, make the balsamic reduction*. Place the balsamic vinegar in a small saucepan. Bring the vinegar to a boil, decrease the heat to low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is reduced by about half. This should only take about 5-7 minutes. Set aside.   *(IF you prefer, you can just drizzle on plain balsamic vinegar.)

4. Remove the bread from oven. Top the bread with tomato slices. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add the fresh basil and drizzle with balsamic reduction. Cut into slices and serve.

Farmhouse Pancakes

My husband does not usually like pancakes. When I made him these farmhouse pancakes, he loved them. This is the only kind of pancakes he'll eat! They have great flavor and make the box mix kind taste like cardboard. While there are bananas I mashed into them, they go pretty undetected - as proven by my 4 year old that would never eat a banana.

2 ripe bananas                                    2 tsp baking powder
1 cup flour                                         1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp sugar                                      1/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup milk (or more)                       2 Tbsp melted butter
1 large egg

In medium bowl, mash the bananas really well and set aside.  In large bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Beat milk, melted butter and egg into the bowl with the bananas.  Blend well. Add milk mixture to flour mixture and stir, just until flour is moistened. (Do not overmix.) Heat griddle/skillet. Grease griddle. Cook 4-6 minutes (or until bubbles appear) and flip.
Pancakes are thick so be sure to cook through. If you prefer thinner pancakes, thin to desired consistency with milk or water.