Pretzel Bread Bowls

Happy 1st of NOVEMBER!!!!!!!!!!! Oh my gosh, this year has flown by!! I cannot believe that the cold snowy weather is just around the corner and that my summer days are gone. Gone!

I LOVE eating warm soup in the winter time, as most people (besides my brothers), like doing! I am one of those people who is ALWAYS cold! No matter how many layers I have on or what I am doing, if it's under 60 degrees outside, I'm freezing. SO, soup helps warm me up!

I do have to say though, there is something better than just eating soup in a plain old bowl... Why not have it in a bread bowl!?!?! Better yet, a Pretzel Bread bowl!! That just seems soooo much better doesn't it!? I have to say, these pretzel bread bowls are absolutely delicious and addicting! I am a carb-girl, I love everything bready and snacky (yes, those are both valid words)! So these were so hard not to eat more than 2! Ha.

Here's the recipe if you want to give these a try! They are not that difficult to make, but they do take about 2 hours total.

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons melted butter
2 cups hot water
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 and 1/2 Tablespoons active dry yeast
6 cups flour
2 teaspoons salt
8-10 cups water
1/3 cup baking soda
2 tablespoons melted butter
2 tablespoons coarse grain sea salt

Directions:
1. In a mixer bowl, combine the 3 tablespoons melted butter, 2 cups hot water and 1 tablespoon brown sugar. Stir to combine and also to melt the butter.

2. Sprinkle the yeast over the top of the water and allow to proof (foam/bubble up) for 5-6 minutes.

3. With the dough hook attachment (you can also do this by hand instead of in a mixer) stir in three cups flour and two teaspoons salt. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the remaining three cups flour.

4. Mix until a dough ball forms. Continue kneading until dough becomes somewhat elastic(about 4-5 minutes). 5. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and form into a ball. Place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover and allow to rise for one hour. If your house is a little on the chilly side (as mine is this time of year) let the dough rise in a warmed oven. Just turn the oven on low for a couple of minutes (while you prepare the dough). Then, turn it off, but keep the door closed, trapping the heat. Before you place the dough in the oven, be sure it's not too warm, you don't want to bake the dough. Not yet anyway.

6. After and hour punch the dough down and turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide into eight pieces and roll into small balls. Place on a greased baking sheet, cover and allow to rest for 20 minutes.

7. In a large pot heat 8-10 cups of water until just boiling. Stir in 1/3 cup baking soda. Keep at a low boil and place each dough ball into the water. Cook for 45 seconds, flipping in the middle. Remove and place on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper.

8.Once you've boiled each ball cut a small X on the top of each dough ball with a sharp knife. Brush with the two tablespoons melted butter and top with coarse grain sea salt.

9. Bake at 400°F for 15-18 minutes, until very brown on the outside.

10. Once the bread bowls have come out of the oven, cut a hole in the center and "dig out" the middle. Making the hole as large or as small as you want to.

11. Pour in some soup and enjoy! You can use the cut-out centers for dipping purposes! 

*I found this recipe at the link posted below, but I did change the amount of yeast needed because I did not think that they would raise as well without a bit more.

Sources: http://www.abeautifulmess.com/2013/10/homemade-pretzel-bread-bowls.html

I will post the recipe for the soup pictured here in a later post!! :)

Baked Egg in Avocado

http://www.betterrecipes.com/blogs/daily-dish/2013/08/22/paleo/

Well, I recently joined the Pinterest world and LOVE looking at all the food/recipes on the website!  The only thing is that some things look too good to be true.  You must read these recipes with some skepticism if the food looks too good to be true!  When I saw a picture of an egg baked in an avocado I was a little skeptical... For one, the picture looked too perfect (above picture); Two, I couldn't imagine what a baked Avocado was going to turn out like, especially with an egg in the middle! But, despite my skepticism, I decided to give it a try!
For starters, I first preheated the oven to 425 degrees farenheit.  I then hallowed out an avocado like recipe said to do; leaving a small edge around the inside of the avocado.  Note to reader: Avocados never look as good as the pictures, they are going to have brown spots.

I then cracked an egg into each half of the avocado.   While I was putting each egg into the halves I realized that an avocado does not sit flat... obviously.  So naturally the spilled over the sides a little bit.  I had to push the avocados down on the counter a bit so they sat more flat.  

After I got the avocados to sit a little more flat on the pan I placed them in the oven for about 20 minutes; which was longer than the original recipe said.  When I pulled the avocados out of the oven I realized how brown the avocado had turned, which does not give the dish style points.  But overall it looked pretty good! I did end up sprinkling them with a little bit of salt and pepper just for some added flavor.  

Trying out the avocado and egg was very interesting.  The texture of the dish was really strange but the flavor was good!  I did actually really like this dish, but it is not very appealing to the eyes.  I would make this again, although I think it would just be easier to scramble up some eggs and put avocado on the top.  So, as far as a Pinterest recipe goes, it was okay:) Good try, Pinterest!

Giant Cornbread Muffins

Helllooooooo! I don't know about where you live, but where I live it is starting to get COLD! I am not a cold-weather person, so I am not enjoying the weather when it is below 50 degrees!  But I will say, when you pair these cornbread muffins with an awesome chili, you can conquer just about any temperature!
I will say that this is my absolute favorite cornbread recipe!  You do not have to make them jumbo sized, but if you scale down the size of the muffins/pan you will need to adjust the temperature and cook time for the cornbread.  Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:
1  3/4 cup cornmeal
1 1/2 cup flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoons of salt
1/4 teaspoons of baking soda
2 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup shortening
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup whole milk
1/4 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
4 Tablespoons honey (secret ingredient! Ha!)

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Grind cornmeal on high in a food processor until it becomes like flour. (sometimes I omit this step, but it does make the batter more smooth.)
3. Cream together eggs, sugar, shortening and vanilla. Then add all of the dry ingredients to mixture.
4. Mix well and then add the rest of ingredients. Stir until smooth.
5.  Line about 6 - 8 jumbo muffin cups with paper muffin liners.  Fill each cup about 3/4 full and then bake in the oven for about 30 minutes, or until tops are slightly browned.
6.  Rub butter over tops after taking out of the oven.

As I mentioned before, this makes about a half dozen GIANT muffins or about one dozen regular-sized muffins.  For the smaller muffins, I have found that baking them at 400 degrees for about 15 - 20 minutes works best; but you may need to adjust the temp and time slightly.  
This is such an easy recipe and turns out great everytime I make it! I love cornbread and I cannot wait until I get to make them again! Enjoy!!!

Twisted Fork Grill and Bar

I love the unique names that people come up with for their products and restaurants!  Well, most of the names are pretty awesome... Some are a little strange, but hey, to each their own right!?
I was a little leery about trying out the Twisted Fork because of the reviews that I had read online.  I do research sometimes before venturing out and trying new places and this time it had worked negatively in me trying out the Twisted Fork.  The reviews had been rating this restaurant as just "okay" and no one seemed too thrilled about the restaurant.  But I decided to give it the go and head to the Twisted Fork!
I have to say, the atmosphere of the restaurant and the decor is awesome.  I love the quirky things about places and the interesting details.  Even if each of the items in the restaurant did not quite "go together," it created a good atmosphere with a lot of flavor!
I went on a Saturday for lunch so it was not too busy.  But there was a nice steady flow of customers.  The staff was extremely nice and very informative about the dishes that they were serving!  I love it when the staff knows what is going into their dishes; it makes them seem more "put together."

So after some contemplation and advice from the waitress, I decided on some blackened salmon tacos with black beans and rice on the side (gotta keep that Mexican flavor alive people).
The wait time for the food was average and when I received the food I was more than pleased!
The dish was very delicious! My guest diner ordered the Smoke Gouda Mac 'N Cheese and loved it as well!  So both dishes were good, which was a little surprising to me considering the reviews I had read.  Lesson learned: don't always follow the reviews!!
I will say that I can imagine that on a Friday or Saturday night this restaurant could be packed with people; Because of this I would not recommend bringing children.
The only other thing that I was a little taken back by was the cost of the food.  It was a bit expensive for the meal plus a drink (about $16 + a tip).  For this much money, I would have maybe expected a complementary appetizer or something of that nature.  But then again, it is located downtown where people go specifically to hang out and spend money... so they are probably in a winning situation!
Overall, I would recommend this restaurant for you to try! The menu is not too large, but they do have some unique dishes listed that would be fun to go back and try if you have the funds to do so!
Here is the link to their restaurant and their location if you would like to try them out! Good luck!

1014 Howard Street

Omaha, NE 68102 

http://restaurantsinc.net/twistedfork/

Resources: http://www.gotime.com/omaha/places/274322-Twisted-Fork-Grill-Bar-Old-Market-Omaha

Recipe Fail

So do you ever think something is almost too good to be true?? Like when you see the picture of a finished product and you think to yourself, "yeah, right...." That is exactly what happens to me when I read certain recipes!  There is just something inside of you while reading some recipes that has such an skeptical feel that you know it will not turn out... But you try it anyways... Like I did.
The recipe I found was on a website for "dried apples."  Okay, my family has dried fruit before, and usually it takes hours upon hours... Not minutes.  That should have been my "definite no" button.  So that was my first red flag.  The recipe basically said to slice apples super thin, lay them on a baking sheet; sprinkle cinnamon and sugar on them and then pop them in the oven for about 45 minutes at 245 degrees and they will "dry."  NOPE. As I had predicted they did not turn out at all!! I even let them bake about 20 minutes past the time they called for.
Needless to say, if you read a recipe and have doubts. Follow your instinct! At least this recipe only cost me an apple!

Fondant Firsts

So, I am totally obsessed with the show Cake Boss on TLC! I absolutely love the show and I love the way that the cakes look!! Although, I've always wondered how they taste! I will have to travel to New York sometime and try them out myself!
I've also always wondered how homemade fondant tastes in general!!  So I started doing some research to learn more about fondant and how to make it!! I found out that real fondant is a little tricky to make; but there is an "easier" version that has a base of marshmallow that is a little more simple for beginners (ME).  So I decided to give it a try!
WARNING: YOU AND YOUR KITCHEN WILL BE DESTROYED AFTER MAKING FONDANT!
It's SOOOO much fun to make, but very messy! (Especially for this girl!)

Marshmallow Fondant Recipe:
4 cups mini marshmallows (half 16 oz. bag)
4 cups powdered sugar + extra for dusting counter
2 Tablespoons water
Vegetable shortening for non-stick counter purposes (believe me! This is a must!)
(Food coloring or flavored extracts if desired)

1. To prepare counter for kneading and mixing: Grease counter with shortening and then sprinkle heavily with powdered sugar.  YES, you will get messy!!

2. Place marshmallows in a microwave-safe bowl along with the 2T. of water.  Microwave on high for one minute.  After removing from the microwave, stir until smooth.  If there are still un-melted marshmallows, place back into the microwave for about 30 seconds. Remove once again and stir until smooth.

3. After the marshmallows are completely melted, stir in powdered sugar until the consistency becomes too hard to stir and dough-like.  After the mixture becomes more like a dough, pour contents  onto counter and knead by hand until very stiff.  You may need to add more powdered sugar to get the dough to be the right consistency.  I had to experiment a few times before getting it to work as I needed it to.

4. Create beautiful pieces and cakes with this dough and you are finished!! BE CREATIVE!  I will say, rolling out the fondant and getting onto the cake was the hardest part!  Once it became less sticky, I was able to roll it up and over the cake without tearing it or getting fingerprints in it!  It takes some work, but you'll be able to make amazing designs and sculptures out of this stuff!

*One source that I found for making the fondant said to make sure and sift the powdered sugar before stirring into the marshmallow.  I tried it both ways and could not tell a difference! So who
knows... lol.

So what I did was I "dirty iced" a cake and then laid the fondant over the top.  You must frost a cake first before putting fondant on so that the fondant will stick to your cake!  After getting the fondant on the cake I had to cover up the bottom with something, so I lined it with frosting and then pushed chocolate chips into the frosting all around the bottom.
With the leftover fondant, I kneaded in gel food coloring and cut out circles and placed them all over the cake. Make sure you have frosting to stick your shapes onto the cake with!! And... Viola!! The cake was complete!

I have to say, the cake itself was really good!! I used a previous recipe's (Chocolate Ganache Cake) chocolate cake for the cake so I knew that part would taste good.  The fondant was a little too sweet for my taste; but then again... Fondant is just for decoration purposes... kind of. haha.

Anyways, good luck and enjoy!  Feel free to ask me questions or tell me about your own fondant experiences! I would love to hear them! Hasta luego!

Cinnamon Rolls

Well, hello October! I guess that means it's time for the warm baked goods for breakfast! Which leads me to my next blog post.... CINNAMON ROLLS! Yay! I mean, who doesn't like cinnamon rolls!?!

I found this recipe online and decided to give it a try because they looked delicious! The link to that website can be found at the bottom of this post! I am always a bit skeptical of recipes that I see online just because I don't know how they are going to turn out, but these were surprisingly delicious!

Ingredients:
Dough-
3/4 cup warm water
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast {use the fast acting kind!}
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
1 egg
1/3 cup canola or vegetable oil
4 1/2-5 cups all purpose unbleached flour

Filling-
1/2 cup softened margarine
1 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons cornstarch

Frosting-
2 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
1/4 cup softened margarine
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 tablespoon corn syrup
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 1/4 cups powdered sugar

Making the Dough- In the bowl of a mixer fitted with a dough hook, pour in warm water, yeast and 1 tablespoon of the granulated sugar. Stir and proof 5 minutes. Once mixture looks bubbly, pour in remaining sugar and salt. Stir on low for 15-20 seconds. In a small bowl, measure buttermilk, oil and egg. Whisk ingredients together until egg is incorporated with other two ingredients. Pour contents into the water and yeast mixture. Stir another 20 seconds in the mixer. Pour 2 cups of flour into mixer and stir on low until incorporated. Sprinkle flour in by 1/4 cup increments until dough cleans the sides and bottom of the bowl. Dough should be sticky but not sticky enough to stick to your hands when touched. Once it has reached this stage, turn mixer on and knead for 5 minutes. Remove dough from bowl, grease and replace back into same mixing bowl {since it's practically clean anyways.} Cover with plastic wrap and a dish towel. Allow to rise 1-2 hours or until dough has doubled in size.

Filling and Cutting Rolls- In a medium size bowl, stir brown sugar, cinnamon and cornstarch together until combined. Set aside. Punch down dough. Flour a large clean table liberally with flour. Lightly flour dough as well. Roll dough out to be a 20x30 rectangle while moving dough around to ensure it's not sticking to your work surface. If it's a little short or uneven, feel free to cut off the edges to even it all out. Spread softened margarine over dough, being sure to go right to the edges leaving a 1-inch strip untouched on one of the longer sides of dough. Dump brown sugar mixture onto the middle of the dough and spread with your hands, creating an even layer over top of the margarine, still leaving that 1-inch strip of dough untouched.  Lightly press the sugar mixture into the margarine using a rolling pin. Roll the dough up into a tight log, finishing with the plain dough on the bottom to seal the entire thing together. Cut off the uneven ends to even out the log. Score log every 2 inches and then slice your rolls using those marks. Place into parchment paper lined, margarine greased pans. 12 into a 9x13, 3 remaining into a loaf pan, or 8x8 with the small ends. Cover pans with plastic wrap and dish towels. Let rolls rise another 1-2 hours or until they are touching and have risen almost double. My rolls always spread out more than up, so just be aware that they will most likely spread out more than up. Bake in a preheated 350 degree for 17 minutes, or until tops start to brown. Watch them carefully!

After coming out the oven, frost with the mixture of all "frosting" ingredients.

Enjoy!

Now, I will say this; The ONLY problem with this recipe is the frosting!  I did not like the frosting at all and will never make this kind again!  SO, that is why I did not go in depth about the frosting, I would maybe try using a different recipe for the frosting on these rolls.  It was very cream cheesy and had a very strong tang to it; which I did not like.  But other than that, that is the only critique I have with this recipe!! 

They turned out GREAT overall and I will definitely be saving this recipe and be making it again!! 

Source: http://www.laurenslatest.com/my-cinnabon-cinnamon-rolls/