Love Baked Inn

Homemade Bisquick

Homemade Bisquick is not only easy to make, but will save you time and money. I have only attempted to make pancakes with this concoction so far, but I look forward to trying out waffles, too.

Now, I have tried this recipe two ways. Batch #1 was made with Crisco. Batch #2 was made with butter. Well, batch number #2 yielded fluffier pancakes and had much better flavor with the butter. I recommend making it with butter, but it’s not bad at all if you make it with Crisco. Be mindful to play with the ratio of dry to wet ingredients. I have noticed that you don’t need as much mix especially with the pancakes.

Be sure to save your Bisquick box like I did. Why? It has all of the recipes on the box plus you have a place to store it in the refrigerator. Yes, if you make it with butter you must put the “dry” ingredients it in the fridge.

Ingredients:

• 6 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
• 3 tablespoons baking powder
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter

Preparations:

1. Measure the sifted flour, baking powder and salt into a large bowl. Use a wire whisk or a sifter to blend thoroughly. Set aside
2. Cut cold butter and place it into the food processor. Pulse the butter a couple of times.
3. Then add the flour mixture, one cup at a time, until thoroughly incorporated. Store in a Ziploc bag and place it into the Bisquick box. Keep refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 months.

Recipe adapted from Unsophisticook.com

Alabama Mud Cake & Deep Fried Oreos

Alabama Mud Cake & Deep Fried Oreos crossed the threshold of my classroom last week. There was no possible way I could turn down these treats from the 3rd graders who were presenting their state reports. With each state report that was presented by a student they also shared a treat from that given state. When Alabama Mud Cake & Deep Fried Oreos show up at your door you must give them a try! Now doesn’t Alabama Mud Cake above look lovely? *Deep Fried Oreos are at the end of this post.

Preparations:

Cocoa Spiced-Crusted Loin Chops

1. Pre-heat over to 400 degrees.
2. Mix spices, sugar, salt and pepper together in a shallow bowl. Add chops one at a time, covering them in the dusky amber colored powder. Make sure cover the entire chop, even the fatty edge. Set on a cutting board or plate until all chops are coated. Bring 2 tbsp of olive oil to temp in a skillet on medium heat.
3. Once the oil is hot add some chops to the pan, being careful not to overcrowd (overcrowding can reduce the pan’s heat and ruin your sear) about 1-2 minutes each side (be sure to sear the fat on the sides as well.
4. Move to a waiting broiler pan, adding chops as they finish searing. When all chops are seared, slip them into the oven to cook for 5 to 8 more minutes, depending on thickness of loin cut.

Curry Coconut Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Curry Coconut Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies are one tasty cookie! Who knew curry could taste so good in a cookie? Not me! I found this recipe at Cookiemadness.com and I was hooked on making these cookies as soon as I read the name of the recipe. So, I went to the cabinets in search of curry. Oh, I found curry alright, HOT MADRAS CURRY POWDER from McCormick’s Gourmet Collection. This recipe originally calls for 1 Tablespoon of curry. Well, with this hot stuff I only added in 1/2 Tablespoon for the fear of the cookie being too hot to enjoy. (Smart move on my part! Phew!)

Now what would make me want to try a cookie like this? My friend, Cheryl asked me to months ago to make cookies with chocolate and curry. Once I saw this recipe, I knew I had to give it a try. Now, I do have another idea for a chocolate and curry cookie recipe, but I will save that one for another day.

If you are a fan of curry, you will love these cookies. If not, that’s quite alright….you could always remove that ingredient and still have some yummy cookies to nosh on, too!

*These cookies have a kick with this Hot Madras Curry Powder! And…I kinda like it!

Notes: I used silpat for most of the cookies, but tried a few cookies on the pan with some ungreased tinfoil at the original temperature of 375 degrees F for 10-12 minutes. They baked fairly well! So, if you want to  speed up your bake time just be sure to increase the temperature to 375 degrees F instead of 325 degrees F.

Ingredients:

• 4 oz one stick, unsalted butter (114 grams)
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar (120 grams)
• 1/4 cup brown sugar (50 grams)
• 1 large egg
• 1 tablespoon milk, (substitutions: soy, almond, coconut) (15 ml)
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract (5 ml)
• 1/2 cup plus 6 tablespoons unbleached all purpose flour (110 grams)
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda (2 ml)
• 1 Tbs. curry powder (15 ml) *I only added 1/2 Tablespoon.
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt (if you’re using salted butter, skip this)
• 1 1/2 cups rolled oats (120 grams)
• 1 cup chocolate chips *I used DARK chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut (40 grams)

Preparations:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

1. Cream the butter with the sugars in an electric mixer. Beat in the egg, milk and vanilla.
2. Then pour in the egg mixture and combine. Next, whisk together the flour, baking soda, curry powder, and salt. Gradually stir in the flour mixture into the bowl. Mix until well combined.  Add the oats, chocolate and coconut and stir until everything is fully blended.
3. Shape dough into golf ball size balls or use a cookie scooper and place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets, silpat or parchment paper. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Let them cool for 1 minute on the baking sheet and then transfer them to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Makes about 1 ½ dozen

Lemon Lavender Shortbread Cookies

Millionaire’s Shortbread

Millionaire’s Shortbread

Millionaire’s Shortbread is a popular British shortbread that tastes very similar to our Twix Bars. It is made up of three yummy layers; a buttery and flaky shortbread base, a golden caramel middle that is topped off with a layer of melted chocolate. I found the original recipe at The Next Door Baker. I have made a few changes, but only to speed up the baking process so they can be baked and enjoyed in faster time. Yum!

Making and baking the short bread is quite easy. Most of your time will be spent making sure the condensed milk turns into caramel with smooth preciseness. What do I mean? Make sure to keep an eye on it as you cook it in the microwave. I know that you can make it on the stove, but that takes 1 1/2 hours! So, I opted for the microwave and watched it like it a hawk so it didn’t bubble over. Follow the directions for the caramel and paying close attention to the power at which you set it for and you’ll be just fine.

To keep things at a faster pace, I did put the pan in the fridge and freezer to cool it down between layers and that truly seemed to speed up the process. *Lining the pan with aluminum foil is critical to getting your shortbread out so don’t forget to line the pan!

Now, after I had my first bite of deliciousness I realized….“Next time I will add coconut to the top of the chocolate and make a Samoa version just like the Girl Scout Cookie and call them Samoa Shortbread Bars!”

*NOTE: I bet you could use Nestle’s La Lechera Dulce De Leche (caramel) as an additional shortcut instead of making it on your own.

Happy baking and enjoy!

Crust:

• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 1/4 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 large egg yolk, lightly beaten

Caramel:

• 1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt (or a generous 1/8 teaspoon of regular salt)
• 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Chocolate:

• 4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
• 3/4 teaspoon vegetable oil

Shortbread Cookie Base:

1. Position a rack to the center of the oven and preheat it to 350 degrees. Line an 8×8-inch square baking pan with an 8-inch wide “sleeve” of aluminum foil, long enough to create a couple inches of overhang on two sides. Butter or lightly spray the entire pan with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on medium speed just until creamy and blended, about 1 minute. Reduce the speed to low, and stir in the flour until well-blended, then stir in the egg yolk until the dough is smooth. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl as necessary to make sure everything is well-incorporated and the dough should be soft and smooth and not too sticky.
3. Then transfer the dough to the pan and pat it neatly and evenly across the bottom of the pan. Prick the crust all over with a fork.
4. Bake it for about 22-25 minutes, or until a light golden brown. Let it cool completely on a wire rack.

Making the Caramel: 

*NOTE: I bet you could use Nestle’s La Lechera Dulce De Leche (caramel) as an additional shortcut instead of making it on your own.

1. Pour the sweetened condensed milk into a medium microwave-safe bowl. Cook on medium power (about 50%) for 4 minutes, stirring well halfway through. Continue to cook on medium-low power (about 30-40%) for another 12-20 minutes, until the milk has turned into a thick, smooth, golden caramel, stopping to stir about every 2-3 minutes.
2. There won’t be a lot of change in the caramel until the last few minutes, and the total time will depend on your microwave–keep on stirring and adding time until you’ve clearly cooked the milk to a golden caramel. Finally, stir in the salt and vanilla.
3. When the shortbread has cooled, pour the caramel over it into an even layer with a small spatula. Let it the caramel set for about an hour in the refrigerator, or less than 10 minutes in the freezer.

Chocolate Topping:

1. Melt the chocolate chips and vegetable oil together in a small microwave-safe bowl on 50% power, stopping to stir every 40 seconds or so, until the chocolate is melted, glossy and perfectly smooth. Drizzle the chocolate in an even layer over the caramel, and use a spatula to smooth it.
2. Chill until the chocolate is set, refrigerated for about 30 minutes or about five minutes in the freezer. Remove the bars from the pan using the handles of the foil sleeve to lift the slab, and then transfer it to a cutting board. Cut into bars wiping the blade clean after each cut. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Chocolate Toffee Shortbread Bars

Chocolate Toffee Shortbread Bars are certainly NOT short on anything! These are quite yummy. Now, the first time I made them I only added 1 cup of flour. Why? That’s what happens when I talk on the phone and bake at the same time. I always, always, always mess up a recipe. Uh, huh…haven’t learned my lesson yet. I found this recipe online at Mel’s Kitchen Cafe. He has some other recipes that look quite yummy, too!

Well, that batch I told you about…it was still quite yummy! Now, I know why they seemed undercooked, but they weren’t! It was just too much butter for one cup of flour. They did get rave reviews and well, we will see if this batch gets the same love.

Ingredients:
The Crust:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 sticks (1 cup) butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 ounces bittersweet, semisweet or milk chocolate, finely chopped (if you don’t have a scale, use about 1/2 cup) *I used Nestle’s Semi-Sweet Mini Morsels

The Topping:
6 ounces bittersweet, semisweet, or milk chocolate, finely chopped (again, if you don’t have a scale, use about 1 cup) *I used Hershey’s Special Dark Chocolate Chips whole and not chopped…trust me, they will work out just fine. 1 1/2 cups toffee bits (or about 4-6 Heath bars, chopped) *I used Milk Chocolate Toffee Bits made by Heath Bar. You can find this product in the baking section.

Preparations:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. To make the crust, combine the all-purpose flour, salt, and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Whisk together and set aside.
2. Place the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer. Alternatively, place the butter in a large bowl and use a hand mixer. Beat for 3 minutes, or until the butter is smooth. Add the brown and granulated sugars and beat for an additional 3 minutes. Add the vanilla and mix briefly.
3. Add the flour mixture to the butter/sugar mixture. Beat in gradually (you can cover the bowl and your mixer with a towel to avoid flour flying all over the place or just mix in very slowly). Mix until the flour is almost incorporated. Add the 3 ounces of chocolate to the mixer and mix until the rest of the dry ingredients are incorporated. Do not over mix!
4. Line a 9 X 13-inch pan with foil, leaving long foil ends on the side. Lightly grease the foil with cooking spray.
5. Scrape the dough into the prepared pan and press down the mixture with a spatula and/or your fingertips. Bake the crust for 18-20 minutes, or until the crust is bubbling. Remove the crust from the oven and place the hot pan on a cooling rack.
6. Sprinkle the 6 ounces of chocolate over the hot bars and cover the pan with foil to let the chocolate melt. Let the pan sit for 5 minutes. Using an offset spatula or the back of a spoon, spread the softened chocolate over the crust. Sprinkle the toffee pieces (or cut up Heath bars) over the chocolate and press down gently with your fingers.
7. Let the bars cool to room temperature. If the chocolate is not set by the time the bars are cool, just pop the pan in the freezer for about 10 minutes. Using the long edges of foil as handles, lift the bars out of the pan and cut into bars.

*Makes 36-50 bars, depending on how big they are cut

Mexi~Kale Burritos

Sometimes leftovers are just not that exciting. BUT when you have leftover kale, well, you have another tasty meal! I turned the leftover kale into Mexi~Kale Burritos with a few more ingredients.

First, I had cooked down the kale like I normally do when I am just making into a meal, yes, a meal or a side dish. This time I took the leftovers and added a few more ingredients and made these Mexi~Kale Burritos. With some left over caramelized onions this dish had some extra flavor. I love kale and it’s so good for you and it’s so tasty in a burrito!

FIRST STEP: Cooking Down the Kale

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch kale/bag broken into bite size pieces & removed from stems (discard stems)
• 1/4 cup water or chicken broth
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• Seasonings (your choice): fresh garlic, pepper, salt (if not adding broth), red pepper flakes

Preparation:

1. In a Dutch Oven or deep pot pour some of the olive on the bottom of the pot.
2. Then add broth or water and your seasonings.
3. Add 1/2 the kale, the rest of the olive oil and let it cook down a bit. Tossing it as it cooks.
4. Then add the rest of the kale and cook covered on the lowest heat possible for about 10 minutes. Tossing and turning the kale as it cooks down.

NEXT STEP: Turning the Leftovers into Mexi~Kale Burritos - Makes 3-4 burritos

Ingredients:

• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can RO*TEL with Lime and Cilantro
• 1 handful Plum Amazins from Sunsweet *If desired..(they are prunes.)
• 3-4 cups of cooked leftover kale
• *onions if desired
• cheddar cheese
• sour cream
• flour tortillas

Preparations:

1. Add kale, tomatoes, black beans, Plum Amazins and onions. Cook uncovered on low-medium for about 7 minutes until hot. Remove from heat and cover with a lid until ready to place veggies on the tortilla.
2. Then heat up the tortillas in the microwave or the pan. Sprinkle the tortillas with cheese and spoon on some of the veggies mixture.
3. Roll up the tortilla into burritos and serve with a dollop of sour cream. Yum!

Spicy “Boxed” Brownies made with Cinnamon & Cayenne

Ghirardelli boxed brownie mix is my ultimate favorite! They come out perfect every single time. Well, here I am baking just before 8 o’clock at night. I don’t have the time to make the Lemon Lavender Pound Cake tonight that I really wanted to bake. So, instead of the yummy pound cake I have decided to go with a tasty chocolate treat. 

Now, I knew that I needed to jazz up this box of brownies because my teaching colleagues are expecting me to bring something yummy to share tomorrow afternoon. So, with a little cayenne and a lot of cinnamon these Spicy “Boxed” Brownies should be hit.

I got the idea of adding cinnamon and cayenne pepper from the SpIcY Mexican Chocolate Cookies recipe. Those cookies are beyond delicious. I love those cookies and so does everyone else who noshes on them. Now, I can’t wait for these brownies to come out of the oven so I can showcase their yummy goodness.

*Foodie Photo will be posted soon….UPDATE: All were consumed before a photo was taken because they were THAT good! Yum!

Ingredients:

• 1 box of your favorite brownie mix
• 1 Tbsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Directions:

1. Empty the brownie mix into a bowl.
2. Add in the cinnamon and cayenne pepper. Mix until well combined.
3. Then make the brownies according to the directions on the box.
4. Cool, slice & serve.

For Coco…

Here I thought I had two weeks of food and fun in store for all of you. I had promised to cook and bake more recipes while I was on spring break from teaching. I didn’t get a chance to do that, but let me share this with you…

I filled my days and nights caring for our beloved almost 8 years old Golden Retriever, Coco. Over the past month and half, my intuition told me there was something really wrong with her, but with each weekly visit to the vet and multiple rounds of blood work all came up normal even though she was not herself. I began to notice her toasted coconut color began to fade like her sassy and beautiful spirit and my hope began to dwindle.

Then on Friday afternoon (March 23rd) I took her for an ultrasound and biopsies after having more x-rays and blood work done in the morning. From the ultrasound the vet suspected lymphoma cancer even though her blood work came back normal. On Monday we got the devastating news that she indeed had lymphoma cancer and in order to preserve her dignity and the spirit she had left and to prevent her from any further suffering we put her down last Friday. Who knew that doing the right thing could make one’s heart hurt with such intensity? 

I do believe that being on spring break was a true gift.  I was able to spend every moment with her. From morning til night and all over again. I saw the worst of her and I saw the best of her and all of it mattered because I was able to just be with her and next to her. I cooked for her and she LOVED it. On Saturday, March 24th, when I was baking that pumpkin cheesecake, the one that stunk to the palate, I noticed she perked up. *Thank goodness it smelled good. It surely didn’t taste all that good. LOL

That afternoon I noticed something… Hmm…she found comfort in my favorite pastime. She found comfort in OUR favorite pastime. So, from that point on I would boil cinnamon sticks or cook with curry to wake up her senses and to perk up her spirit and it worked. During her last days she dined like a DIVA on….Steak, sweet potatoes, chicken, rice and she even noshed on take out pizza. Cooking steak at 10 o’clock in the morning…didn’t matter to me at all. It made her tail wag and she ate. I was happy, too.

And..all these years I thought I rescued her….when in fact, she rescued me. She rescued my heart. She changed my life. She touched my soul and I will forever love my Coco Girl. She passed peacefully with both of us at her side. The endless kisses she gave Da Hubs as we sat with her will forever be running through my mind and her unforgettable paw prints will forever be embedded in our hearts.

Now, I continue to reach and look for her each morning. It’s beginning to sink in how far away she is from us. Over the weekend, I still poured two cups of coffee and told her all about my dreams as I watched the clouds in the sky out the window from the couch. Now our kitchen is way too quiet and I think she should still be here with us.  But whenever we set foot onto that cold tile floor where she used to sleep, may we always feel the warmth of her loving soul at our feet.

Princess Coconut…we love you. xoxo