Cherry Bread

Every year when it starts to cool off my mom starts making bread.  She makes both yeast breads and quick breads.  Quick breads are breads that are made without yeast.  They take almost no time to make and with a good base recipe you can make anything.  I grew up eating cherry bread, cranberry nut bread, banana nut, and pumpkin among others.  I love to take a slice, toast it, and top it with cream cheese in the morning.

I am in the process of trying to use up some buttermilk and decided to make some bread with it.  I decided on the cherry because I had a can of cherry pie filling and I will never use it to make a pie.

Cherry Bread
(adapted from Martha Stewart)

3 cups of all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed dark-brown sugar
4 large eggs
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 2/3 cups buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 can cherry pie filling

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Spray 3 loaf pans with nonstick baking spray (or butter and flour them).  In a large bowl bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Set mixture aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer (fitted with the paddle attachment) mix the sugars until well combined.  Add eggs and oil, mix well, scraping down sides when needed.  Take the buttermilk and add the vanilla.  Turn the mixer on low, add the flour mixture in two batches alternating with the buttermilk-vanilla mixture.  Add the can of pie filling.  Fold in with a spoon so the cherries won't break.

Divide the batter between pans.  I got three loaves when I made this.

Bake for 50-60 minutes until golden and until a tooth pick comes out clean.














Remove from the pan and let cool completely.  This bread freezes fantastically and makes great holiday party gifts.

Cubed Steak Sandwhich

I grew up eating cubed steak quite a bit.  My mom would always toss them in a little bit of flour, cook them in a cast-iron skillet, and serve them with rice and veggies.  I found this recipe from The Pioneer Woman and I decided to make it for my mom's workshop.  I tweaked it a little bit.

Cubed Steak Sandwich:
(adapted from Pioneer Woman)

Ingredients:

1 whole Large (or 2 Small) Onions
1 container of mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
2 sticks Butter
2 pounds (to 3 Pounds) Cube Steak
Lawry's Seasoned Salt (I used store brand, because I'm cheap)
½ cup (approximately) Worcestershire Sauce
Tabasco Sauce, To Taste
4 whole French/deli Rolls

Instructions:

Slice onions and cook in 1/4 stick butter until soft and light brown. Remove and set aside.

 

Slice cube steak against the grain. Season with seasoning salt.  

Heat 2 tablespoons of butter over high heat (in same skillet) until melted and beginning to brown. 

 

Add meat in single layer. Cook one side until brown, then flip and cook until brown, about a minute on both sides.

Add 1/2 cup of Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco, and 2 tablespoons butter. Add cooked mushrooms and onions. Stir to combine.

Slice the deli rolls in half and toast in the oven. Place the meat, onions, and mushrooms on top of the rolls.  Make sure that you pour the gravy on top of the meat.  

These really are good.  Mr. T is looking forward to eating these again.  I feel like there would be a lot of ways to change this up depending on what your family likes.  I added the mushrooms but I also think bell peppers would make a good addition.

Someone try it out and let me know.

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

Happy Day Before Halloween!  I thought this would be a good recipe in case anyone was still looking for ideas for Halloween snacks.

I used this frosting to top my Pumpkin Cupcakes.  According to Mr. T it's what made the cupcakes.  It's pretty basic but sometimes that's all you need.

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting:
(adapted from Baked)

3 cups powdered sugar
½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
3 tablespoons syrup
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp freshly ground cinnamon

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter until smooth with no visible lumps. Add the cream cheese and beat until combined.

Add the powdered sugar, syrup, and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Add cinnamon.

Crock-Pot Chili

I love chili, Mr. T loves it more.  To me nothing says fall more than chili.  It's the perfect thing to eat when the air starts to get cold.  (of course cold is relative depending on where you are)

There are different styles of chili depending on the part of the country you are.  I was raised on chili with tomatoes, ground meat, and beans.  Topped with sour cream, cheese, and red onion if you like.  It's a little thicker.  Everyone likes eating their chili a different way, because of this I tend to set up a "Chili Bar" so everyone can just go through the line and pick the toppings that they want.

Crock Pot Chili:
(Inspired from the Publix Chili Seasoning packet)

1 pound ground beef or turkey
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can diced tomatoes with chilies
2 cans pinto beans (or kidney beans)
1 seasoning mix packet
2 tablespoons Worchestershire sauce

Brown ground beef or turkey in a skillet.  Add worchestershire sauce and seasoning packet and mix, making sure that all of the meat is covered in spice.














In the crock pot add the cans of beans and tomatoes (undrained).

Add the meat to the pot, stir to combine, and let cook for a couple of hours.


As I said I love to set up a chili bar so everyone can make their chili how they like it.

Here's what I add:
red onion
bell peppers
cheese
sour cream
corn chips
fresh tomatoes
chopped jalapenos

Pumpkin Cupcakes

It's Fall!!!  That means that it's time for pumpkin and pumpkin treats.

These cupcakes are light and full of flavor.  I brought some into work for my coworkers and everyone said that they were a success.  I'm thinking about adding these to my menu for Thanksgiving this year.

Pumpkin Cupcakes:
(adapted from David Leite)

1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for greasing pans
1 cup firmly packed dark-brown sugar
⅓ cup granulated sugar
2 cups cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 large eggs
½ cup buttermilk mixed with 1 teaspoon vanilla
1¼ cups canned solid-pack pumpkin

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350°. Line a cupcake pan with 18 liners.

In a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugars on medium speed until fluffy, about 5 minutes. 

 














Meanwhile, sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, salt, and pepper into a medium bowl.

Add the eggs 1 at a time to the mixer, scraping down the sides after each addition. Alternate adding the flour and milk mixtures; beginning and ending with the flour. Beat in the pumpkin until smooth. 

Divide the batter equally between the cups, about ¾ full.   

Bake the cakes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 20 to 25 minutes. Cool the cupcakes on racks completely.

 

Serve with your favorite frosting!

Chocolate Whoopie Pies

One of the desserts I made this past weekend was Whoopie Pies.  I never grew up eating them but I've seen them a lot on different blogs.  I've seen red velvet, chocolate with peppermint, pumpkin, and chocolate with Peanut Butter Cream Frosting.  

I decided to go with the peanut butter frosting for the workshop this weekend.  They were a big hit, which always makes me happy, especially when it's the first time I've made something.

Chocolate Whoopie Pies:
(Martha Stewart)

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch process)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed dark-brown sugar
1 large egg
1 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside. Sift together flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt into a small bowl; set aside. 

 

Add butter, shortening, and sugars to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; cream on high speed until smooth, about 3 minutes.  Add egg; beat until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add half the flour mixture, then the milk and vanilla; beat until combined. Add the remaining flour mixture. Beat together, scraping down sides of bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. 

 

Drop 12 slightly rounded tablespoons of batter 2 inches apart on each baking sheet. Bake the cookies for 10 minutes; switch the positions of the baking sheets, and rotate each one. 

**Note: they spread once they start cooking so be prepared for giant cookies from a little bit of batter.

Remove from oven; let cookies cool on baking sheets for about 10 minutes. Transfer with a metal spatula to a wire rack; let cool completely. Repeat the process with remaining batter. 

Assembly:

Spread 1 tablespoon of butter cream on flat sides of half the cookies.

 

Top each with one of the remaining cookies, flat side down, and gently press together.

Holla!!

Peanut Butter Buttercream

I did a small catering event for my mom this weekend.  It was a two day painting workshop that she was teaching.  I provided lunch for both days.  One of the days I make chocolate whoopie pies with a peanut butter frosting.

Peanut Butter Buttercream:
(Martha Stewart)

Ingredients:

2/3 cup natural, creamy peanut butter
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
Fine salt (optional)

Directions:

Cream peanut butter and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on high speed. 

On low speed, mix in sugar until combined, then beat mixture on high speed until fluffy and smooth, about 3 minutes. Add salt to taste.

I really like this frosting.  It's not too sweet, which the older I get the more I appreciate.  I would not skip the salt, I think it adds another layer of flavor.