Monday, November 29, 2010

Putting on Peanut Pounds

Sometimes I make things that I wouldn't even dream of tasting. My lack of desire isn't triggered off of the fact that the recipes or bad or that I spend so much time on them that I am over it before it is complete. The reason I won't try some of my dishes is that they are made with ingredients I don't like at all. This doesn't happen often, but when it does I have to rely on the reviews of others to know if the recipe is a success. This dish in particular is one that I didn't care to eat, taste or sample. I am not a huge fan of chocolate and I definitely don't eat peanut butter. I made this as a thank you gift for someone who made a wooden awning for my son's nursery. And since the recipe yields two cakes I kept one back for my family to enjoy. And according to them, it was a delicious cake that they were happy to indulge in.

Chocolate Pound Cake with Peanut Butter Glaze
Adapted from Martha Stewart July 2009

Ingredients

Makes 2 cakes

  • FOR THE CAKE
  • 2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup best-quality unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 tablespoon coarse salt
  • 4 sticks softened unsalted butter, plus more for pans
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 9 large, room-temperature eggs
  • FOR THE TOPPING
  • 1/4 cup chunky peanut butter
  • 5 to 6 tablespoons whole milkHE CAKE spoons w

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter two 5-by-9-inch loaf pans. Combine all-purpose flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, and salt in a bowl.

Cream butter and sugar with a mixer on high speed until pale and fluffy, for 8 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl. Reduce speed to medium, and add vanilla extract.

Lightly beat eggs, and add to mixer bowl in 4 additions, mixing thoroughly after each and scraping down sides.

Reduce speed to low, and add flour mixture in 4 additions, mixing until just incorporated.


Divide batter between pans.


Tap on counter to distribute; smooth tops.

Bake until a tester inserted into center of each cake comes out clean, about 65 minutes. Let cool in pans on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Remove from pans, and let cool completely on wire rack. Make peanut butter glaze: Warm peanut butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add milk, and stir until smooth.

Drizzle over cooled cakes.

And Serve.
Click Here for My Adapted Printable Recipe

Don't forget to enter the NFL Contest for a chance to win some fabulous prizes: http://elizabethsedibleexperiencereviews.blogspot.com/2010/11/nfl-contest.html

Sunday, November 14, 2010

Take it to the House

In football speak, “Taking it to the House” means scoring a long touchdown, but this season, Procter & Gamble, one of NFL’s sponsors, wants to help you take it to the house as part of their Facebook photo contest. Prizes include an at-home visit from a local team legend, a $10,000 community donation in support of NFL PLAY 60 and P&G products.

Check out my Game Day (which includes some awesome football watching recipes!) post at this link:

http://elizabethsedibleexperiencereviews.blogspot.com/2010/11/nfl-contest.html

and follow the instructions to enter on your own!

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Garden Grub

I made these delicious babies a few weeks before I had my baby. I have been meaning to blog them for a while but wanted to wait to get a picture of my new garden to share with this recipe. What does my garden have to do with these quesadillas you ask? Well two things, I made these the night we met with our landscape architect to plan out our landscaping for the front of our house. And the second is that when I found out how pricey landscaping is I instantly wanted to just fill the garden bed up with herbs for recipes like this one and call it a day. As you can see below, we didn't go that route and now that it is all planted and done with I am glad we made the investment - I think it really finishes off the front of our new home and gives it that polished look.


Prosciutto & Black Pepper Quesadillas with Rosemary Oil
Adapted from Bobby Flay

Ingredients

Quesadilla:

  • 12 (6-inch) flour tortillas
  • 1 pound fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
  • 1 red onion, finely sliced
  • 2 tablespoons coarsely ground black pepper
  • Olive oil
  • 1/4 cup Parmigiana Reggiano cheese
  • 8 slices prosciutto di Parma, thinly sliced

Rosemary Oil:

  • 1 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup fresh rosemary leaves
  • 1/4 cup coarsely chopped chives
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper
Directions

Make the rosemary oil: Combine the oil, rosemary, chives and salt and pepper in a food processor

and process until smooth. Strain through a fine strainer

and store the green goodness in the refrigerator.

Quesadilla: Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Saute the red onions in a tsp of olive oil until softened about 8 minutes.

Place 8 tortillas on an ungreased baking sheet or non stick silicone baking pad. Spread half the cheese, onion and black pepper on each and season to taste with salt.

Top with 3 thin slivers of prosciutto and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Cover with remaining tortillas and brush the tops with olive oil

and sprinkle with some more of the Parmesan cheese.

Place on a lightly oiled baking sheet or a non-stick silicone baking pad and bake for 5 to 7 minutes or until the tortillas are lightly golden brown and the cheese has melted. Cut into quarters, top each quarter with a slice of prosciutto and drizzle with the rosemary oil.

Click Here for My Adapted Printable Recipe