Post 5

This recipe is traditional in our family for holidays, mostly Christmas. My grandmother showed me how to make the marvelous, Peanut butter balls. This recipe is one of my favorite to make, it is fast and easy.

 

 

Ingredients:

Peanut Butter Balls

2 cups (480 ml) creamy peanut butter

1/4 cup (57 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature

1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 – 2 1/2 cups (230 – 300 grams) confectioners (powdered or icing) sugar

Chocolate Coating

9 ounces (260 grams) semi sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

1 tablespoon (15 grams) shortening

Directions:

Peanut Butter Balls:Line two baking sheets with parchment or wax paper.

Place the peanut butter, unsalted butter, and salt in a microwaveable bowl, and heat in the microwave for about one minute or until just soft (check and stir the ingredients every 20-30 seconds). Stir in the vanilla extract and confectioners sugar and mix until it has the consistency of a stiff dough (add more sugar if necessary).

Roll the dough into 1 inch (2.5 cm) round balls. Place on the cookie sheets and refrigerate until firm (several hours or even overnight). You can also place the peanut butter balls in the freezer and freeze until firm (I find this makes it easier to dip them in the melted chocolate).

Melt the chocolate and shortening in a heatproof bowl placed over a saucepan of simmering water. Dip the balls, one at a time, in the melted chocolate, making sure the entire ball is coated with chocolate. Then, with two spoons or a dipping fork, remove the peanut butter ball from the melted chocolate, allowing any excess chocolate to drip back into the bowl. Place the chocolate covered balls back on the baking sheet. If desired, sprinkle the balls with finely chopped peanuts. When all the balls have been dipped in the chocolate, place in the refrigerator until the chocolate has set. Store in an airtight container for up to two weeks. They can also be frozen. To serve: place in small fluted candy cups.

Note: If you want to make Buckeyes: place a toothpick into each peanut butter ball and dip, one ball at a time, into the melted chocolate, leaving the top quarter of each ball undipped.

Makes about 60 pieces, depending on size. Preparation time30 minutes.

 

Post 4

An influential person to me would have to be my mom, dad, and grandmother, which I call my Nana. They made me interested in cooking/ baking when I was big enough to help out in the kitchen. It made me realize how much I love to cook and bake as they did. They encourage me a lot to try new things and recipes. My mom and Nana are the best bakers I know. my Nana has a little side business baking cakes and cupcakes. She makes everything from birthday cakes to wedding cakes.

My dad is the best main course meal cook I know. He can make the best think you ever tasted out of almost nothing. My dad thought me everything I know about main course meal cooking. From breakfast,to lunch, to dinner. When ever he is cooking a meal in the kitchen and i’m with him he is always giving me tips on how I should do something. My whole family is inspiring to me and I love it.

 

 

 

Post 3

 

One of my favorite desert to make would be making your own blizzards.

Ingredients:Yield: 1 serving

• 1 candy bar of your choice (Or Bits of Candy)
• 2 1/3 cups of ice cream, (flavor of your choice)
• 1/4 cup of milk, (add more or less to change the texture)
• 1 teaspoon of topping of your choice

Directions:

• Cut or crush candy bar into tiny pieces.
• Put the ice  cream of your choice, and the candy bar into a blender
• Turn the blender on for 30 seconds or until smooth
• Put your blizzard into a cup and Enjoy!

One of my favorite main course meals would be Shepard’s pie.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 lbs ground round beef
• 1 onion chopped
• 1-2 cups vegetables – chopped carrots, corn, peas(I normally only use corn)
• 1 1/2 – 2 lbs potatoes (3 big ones)
• 8 tablespoons butter (1 stick)
• 1/2 cup beef broth
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• Salt, pepper, other seasonings of choice

Directions:

1 Peel and quarter potatoes, boil in salted water until tender (about 20 minutes).

2 While the potatoes are cooking, melt 4 Tablespoons butter (1/2 a stick) in large frying pan.

3 Sauté onions in butter until tender over medium heat (10 mins). If you are adding vegetables, add them according to cooking time. Put any carrots in with the onions. Add corn or peas either at the end of the cooking of the onions, or after the meat has initially cooked.

4 Add ground beef and sauté until no longer pink. Add salt and pepper. Add worcesterchire sauce. Add half a cup of beef broth and cook, uncovered, over low heat for 10 minutes, adding more beef broth as necessary to keep moist.

5 Mash potatoes in bowl with remainder of butter, season to taste.

6 Place beef and onions in baking dish. Distribute mashed potatoes on top. Rough up with a fork so that there are peaks that will brown nicely. You can use the fork to make some designs in the potatoes as well.

7 Cook in 400 degree oven until bubbling and brown (about 30 minutes). Broil for last few minutes if necessary to brown.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Post 2

S’more pop tart

The S’mores pop tart was voted the most popular dessert recipe for 2014.  took a vote’s by the general public on what there favorite dessert was and the majority of the people said S’more pop tarts.

 

Here is the recipe:

http://www.pbs.org/food/wp-content/blogs.dir/2/files/2014/03/smores-pop-tarts-1.jpg

Ingredients

• For the Pop Tart crust:
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 sticks (1 cup) of butter
• 2 large egg yolks
• 1/4 cup, plus 2 tablespoons, ice water
• For the Egg wash: 1 large egg, beaten
  

  http://www.pbs.org/food/wp-content/blogs.dir/2/files/2014/03/smores-pop-tarts-5.jpg

• For the Filling:
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 3 ounces dark chocolate chips
• 2 tablespoons white granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoons butter, cubed
• Pinch of salt
• 1/2 cup marshmallow creme or marshmallow fluff
• 2 graham crackers, crushed, plus more for topping
• For the Icing (optional):
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar, sifted
• 3 tablespoons cocoa powder, sifted
• 3 to 4 tablespoons heavy cream
• Pinch of salt

Directions

1. Combine flour, powdered sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Using a box grater, shred butter atop the flour mixture and mix, using your hands, until the mixture resembles a coarse meal, with pea size pieces of butter. To a small bowl, mix 2 large egg yolks with 1/4 cup water. Create a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in the egg mixture. Stir until it just begins to clump together. If you pinch some of the crumbly dough and it holds together, it’s ready. If the dough doesn’t hold together, add a little more water and mix again.
2. Remove dough from bowl and place in a mound on a clean surface. Knead the dough until it holds together (I kneaded it about 8 to 10 times) and form it into two discs. Wrap each disc in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour, and up to 2 days.
3. While you’re dough is in the refrigerator chilling, turn your attention to the filling. Start by creating a makeshift double-boiler. Fill a saucepan one quarter of the way with water and place it on the stove over moderately high heat. In a very dry (chocolate hates water!) stainless steel pan, that easily fits in the saucepan, combine the unsweetened cocoa powder, heavy cream, chocolate chips, sugar, butter and pinch of salt. Place the bowl atop the saucepan and gently stir with a rubber spatula until the mixture is smooth. Remove and set aside. The chocolate mixture will thicken as it cools, which is good! 
4. Remove both dough disks from the refrigerator. Let sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes in order to soften just enough to make rolling out a bit easier. Roll out dough with a rolling pin on a lightly floured surface in the shape of a rectangle with a 1/8″ thickness. Using your cutter, cut the dough into a 10″ x 13″ rectangle. Repeat with the second disk of dough. This is when a ruler really comes in handy. Take your two 10″ x 13″ rectangles and, using your cutter, or a knife, cut each piece into thirds so it turns out that you have about 6 to 8 3 1/2″ x 4″ rectangles. And don’t be afraid to re-roll the scraps to get additional pop tarts. If they turn out a bit crooked, don’t worry–no one will care! Note: if you’re dough is very soft right now, lay them on a parchment-lined baking sheet, being sure they don’t overlap, and stick them in the freezer fro 5 minutes. This will make it easier to assemble them 
5. To assemble: preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place one half of the pop tart squares, about an inch apart. Transfer a teaspoon of chocolate filling to the center of the rectangles. Then, a few scoops of marshmallow fluff. I did two scoops of marshmallow creme and one chocolate scoop. Sprinkle each mound of chocolate and marshmallow creme with a small handful of crushed graham crackers. Brush the edges with egg wash (this will hold the two layers together.) Place the second rectangles of dough atop all of the ones with the filling, gently crimping the edges together, using the tines of a fork. (I didn’t use a fork and a bit of marshmallow and chocolate oozed out the sides. Not the worst thing in the world but I think crimping the sides shut is the way to go!)
6. Transfer the assembled pop tarts to the freezer for 10 minutes. After they do their time in the freezer, brush the tops with the remaining egg wash and using a fork, prick four-five holes in the tops. Place in the pre-heated oven and bake for 17 to 20 minutes, or until lightly golden brown. Transfer to a baking rack to cool for 10 minutes. 
7. While the pop tarts are baking up, mix together the glaze. In a small bowl, mix together the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, heavy cream and pinch of salt until very smooth. If needed, add a splash more of cream. Top the warm pop tarts with the glaze and sprinkle crushed graham crackers. 

Yield: 6-8 servings

Post 1

Hey, my name is Shawnia and i am a freshman in high school. I have a passion for cooking. I have enjoyed cooking since i was a little girl my mom was always in the kitchen and you would always find me right there by her side helping out with what ever I could. My favorite food to make is desserts. They taste so good and they look so delicious. I also enjoy to make main course meals as well, like breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I am always up for trying new recipes and experimenting.