Blue Cheese Popovers

Blue Cheese
Popovers

Yummy! That’s all to be said about adding crumbled Blue Cheese to a popover recipe. This recipe is probably more suitable for adults just because Blue Cheese has a strong flavor. We thoroughly enjoyed them.

Ingredients:  makes 1 dozen popovers

• 4 eggs
• 2 cups milk
• 1 cup Blue Cheese, crumbled
• 2 cups flour, sifted
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 2 cloves garlic, minced

Using butter, grease a regular muffin pan. In a large bowl whisk the eggs, milk and Blue Cheese together. Add all the remaining ingredients, flour, salt, black pepper and minced garlic, stir until well blended. Fill the muffin tins completely with the batter. Place in the cold oven and turn the oven on to 450 degrees. Bake for 30 minutes. Do not open the door, let the baking process go from a cold oven through the preheating process into the baking stage. Once the 30 minute baking time is up, remove from the oven and let set for 5 minutes and enjoy the show of them collapsing. Serve with butter.

 

Garlic Cheese Muffins

Yum, Yum, Yum, that’s all I can say when I take a bite of these muffins. Smother them with butter and I can’t say a word….just pass me another please.

Ingredients:    makes 9 muffins

• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 1/2 cups Bisquick
• 3 TB salted butter, melted
• 1/4 tsp garlic salt

Preheat your oven to 400 and butter your muffin tin. Using real butter, makes a really yummy crust.

Mix the minced garlic, shredded cheese, milk, egg and Bisquick thoroughly. Fill each of the 9 muffin tins 3/4 full. Stir the garlic salt into the melted butter and spoon over the batter in the tins. Bake 15 to 18 minutes until golden brown.

 

Purple Basil Pesto Beer Bread

Purple Basil Pesto
Beer Bread

Ingredients:

• 4 TB Purple Basil Pesto Sauce, divided use, 3 TB use in a frozen state. (see my recipe within this blog)
• 2 cups flour
• 1 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 TB plus 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1 TB sugar
• 1 bottle of beer
• 2 TB Salted Butter, melted

Preheat your oven to 350 and butter a bread loaf pan.

In a large bowl sift together the flours, baking powder and salt. Stir in the sugars. Slice the 3 tablespoons of frozen pesto sauce into small slivers and stir this ingredient also into the flour mixture. Add the beer and stir until blended. Spread the mixture into your bread pan. Stir your remaining tablespoon of the purple basil pesto sauce into the melted butter and brush over the top of the bread dough. Bake for 60 minutes. The bread is done when a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.

 

Zucchini Beer Bread

Zucchini Beer Bread

Ingredients:

• 2 medium Yellow Zucchini, peeled
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 TB plus 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1 TB sugar
• 1 bottle of beer, 12 ounces, I usually use Budweiser
• 3 TB Rosemary Herb Butter, melted, see my recipe

Preheat oven to 350 and butter a bread loaf pan.

Add the zucchini and garlic into a food processor and pulse until roughly shredded. In a large bowl sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Stir in the light brown sugar, regular sugar and zucchini garlic mixture. Pour the beer in and mix with a wooden spoon until blended. Pour the bread batter into the buttered loaf pan and pour the melted Rosemary Herb Butter over the top. Bake for 50-60 minutes. The bread is done when a toothpick inserted in the middle of the bread comes out clean. Let the bread cool in your bread pan for at least an hour before removing it and serving.

 

Beer Bread

Generally when I’m making Beer Bread I add different cheeses or herbs. Never the same way and I make it often. Today I thought why not just make a simple beer bread recipe. So here is my beer bread base recipe. (Sorry about my photo, I forgot to snap a picture until I had the leftovers all wrapped up.)

Ingredients:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 TB plus 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1 TB sugar
• 1 bottle of Beer, 12 ounces, (Consider the beer’s flavor and how it will affect the taste of your finished bread, I usually use regular Budweiser.)
• 3 TB salted butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 and butter a bread loaf pan.

In a large bowl sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Stir in the light brown sugar and sugar. Pour the beer in and mix with a wooden spoon until blended. Pour the bread batter into the buttered loaf pan and pour the melted butter over the top. Bake for 50-60 minutes. The bread is done when a toothpick inserted in the middle of the bread comes out clean.

 

Blueberry Cornbread

Blueberry Cornbread

This is a special treat for a Sunday Morning. It’s an easy recipe packed with delightful flavor.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 cup Aunt Jemima Corn Meal Mix, self-rising
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 3 Tb sour cream
• just less than 3/4 cup of milk (see recipe directions)
• 3/4 cup fresh or frozen (thawed) sweet corn kernels
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 2 eggs
• 8 Tb unsalted butter, melted then cooled
• 1 cup or so of fresh or frozen blueberries
• 1 Tb of flour
• 2 Tb sugar

Preheat your oven to 400 and butter or grease a 9-inch cake pan.

In a large bowl whisk together the flour, corn meal mix, baking powder, salt and baking soda. In a liquid measuring cup add the 3 tablespoons of sour cream and enough milk to bring the mixture to a measurement of 3/4 cup. Whisk the sour cream and milk together and place in your food processor. Add the sweet corn kernels, light brown sugar and maple syrup to the milk mixture. Pulse until the corn is pureed. Add the 2 eggs and pulse for another few seconds. Fold this mixture into the dry ingredients. Gently fold the melted butter into the batter. Try not to over mix. Toss the blueberries with the 1 tablespoon of flour. (This helps them from sinking in the batter). Now gently fold the blueberries into the batter. Pour the batter into your cake pan, sprinkle the sugar over the top and bake for 35 minutes. Place on a wire rack and cool for 10 minutes before serving.

 

Jalapeno Beer Bread

Jalapeno Beer Bread

Ingredients:

• 1 Jalapeno, veins and seeds removed
• 1 cup diced onion
• 3 to 4 cloves garlic
• 3 cups flour
• 1 Tb plus 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tsp ground mustard
• 1 bottle of beer
• 3 Tb salted butter, melted

Preheat your oven to 350 and generously butter a bread loaf pan.

Using a food processor, add the jalapeno, onion and garlic then pulse until they become finely minced and completely combined.

In a large bowl sift together the flour baking, powder and salt. Add the sugar, ground mustard and jalapeno mixture and stir together until mixed thoroughly. Stir in the beer and pour into your loaf pan. Pour the melted butter over the top of the batter. Bake for 1 hour until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out cleanly.

Suggestions: This bread has a great flavor and is awesome when used in my “Toad in the Hole”  recipe or in my “Fried Mozzarella Cheese Sandwich” recipe coming later this week.

 

Hearty Whole Wheat Cornbread

Whole Wheat Corn Bread

Ingredients:

• 1 cup self-rising cornmeal
• 1/2 cup white whole wheat flour
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• approx 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 eggs, slightly beaten
• 2 Tb vegetable oil

Preheat your oven to 350 and butter or grease a 12″ inch cast iron skillet or baking dish.

In a large bowl combine and mix all of the above ingredients. Pour into your cast iron skillet and bake for 25 minutes. When done place a couple pats of butter over the top, slice and serve. (I have to tell you I love eating this rustic and hearty cornbread with lots of honey. This bread goes great with my Ham and 15 Bean Soup)

 

Sprucing up a Bisquick Drop Biscuit

Do you have difficulty with homemade biscuits? I had for many years. Even now that I am able to make them from scratch I still choose to make my biscuits using Bisquick and following their drop biscuit recipe. The only difference is that I spruce them up a bit.

Add some sliced green onions, cheddar cheese, Parmesan cheese, cooked sausage or bacon into the batter. Then brush them with melted butter before baking. No one will know your secret.

We love making a breakfast sandwiches with our biscuits. All you need is a fried egg, some cooked bacon and a little butter.

Bisquick Drop
Biscuits

Biscuit Breakfast
Sandwich

 

 

Cranberry Pecan Banana Bread

Cranberry Pecan Banana Bread

It’s that time of the season….time to get started on my Christmas Baking…what little I bake. My first recipe is a Cranberry Pecan Banana Bread. Easy to make, easy to freeze, easy to serve when needed.

Ingredients:

• 1 stick salted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp ground cloves
• 1 cup fresh cranberries
• 1/2 cup whole pecans
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 eggs, slightly beaten
• 3 ripe bananas, mashed

Preheat your oven to 350 and generously butter a loaf pan.

In a large bowl combine the butter and sugar until well mixed. Sift in the salt, flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and ground cloves. Using a food processor, pulse the fresh cranberries and pecans until they are roughly chopped. Add these to the bowl. Add the vanilla, eggs and bananas and stir all the ingredients until just blended. Bake for 60 to 70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let cool for 15 to 20 minutes before removing from the loaf pan.

Suggestions: Try drizzling my homemade Cranberry Icing over slices of this bread at your next Christmas Party. (Cranberry Icing recipe will be posted at a later date)