Orange Cranberry Scone

Scones:

2 cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/3 cup sugar

1 large egg

scant 1/2 cup half and half

zest of one orange, divided

1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut in small pieces and well chilled

1/2 cup dried cranberries, roughly chopped

Glaze:

1 cup sifted powdered sugar

2 tablespoons orange juice (from the zested orange)

1/2 teaspoon orange zest (reserved from above)

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar.

3. In a separate small bowl, whisk together egg, half and half, and most of the orange zest (reserve about 1/2 teaspoon for the glaze); set aside.

4. Rub cold butter pieces into the flour mixture with your fingertips (or use a pastry blender) until it resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the chopped cranberries.

5. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture all at once and stir until the mixture clumps together. Dump mixture out onto a floured countertop and, with floured hands, gather into a ball and knead once or twice to combine everything. If it’s quite sticky, just sprinkle some extra flour on the counter and on top of the dough to keep it from sticking. Cut dough into two equal pieces and pat each into a circle about 3/4 inch thick. Cut each circle like a pie into 8 slices. Arrange scones on the parchment-lined baking sheet.

7. Bake in a preheated 425 degree oven for 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to a cooling rack and let cool completely before dipping in the glaze.

Glaze:

In a small bowl that is wide enough to dip a scone, combine 1 cup sifted powdered sugar with 2 tablespoons orange juice and the reserved orange zest. Whisk until smooth. Drizzle glaze over the scones.  Once glaze is dry, scones can be stored in a container or covered in plastic wrap. They are best eaten the day they are made, but will stay somewhat fresh for a day or two if carefully wrapped.

Cookie Monster Ice Cream Blocks

2 cups Heavy Whipping Cream

1 teaspoon Vanilla Bean Paste

6 drops Blue Food Coloring

14 oz. Sweetened Condensed Milk

30 mini Chocolate Chip Cookies

Cut cookies into quarters or small chunks.

Pour cream and vanilla in a mixing bowl and whip on medium speed until stiff peaks are formed, adding the food color, adjust the recipe to your desired Cookie Monster color, add in the condesed milk, mix well. Fold in the cookies.

Spoon into desired molds. A loaf bread pan works well. Freeze over night!

 

Key Lime & Huckleberry Popsicles

5 8oz Key Lime Greek Yogurt

3 Tab. Huckleberry Jam 

1 zest of a Lime

Place all yogurt into a bowl, add the zest and mix well. Add the Huckleberry Jam and fold together lightly. 

Place mix in a pastry bag and pipe into Popsicle molds. Place the lid on mold and insert sticks

Freeze overnight and enjoy! 

Gumbo-laya

“Gumbo-laya” Stew with Spicy Sausage, Chicken and Shrimp with Okra

(Serves about 6-8)

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound spicy andouille (or smoked) sausage, sliced
8 chicken tenderloins (or 2 skinless/boneless chicken breasts), cut into bite-size pieces
• Salt
• Pepper
3 celery stalks, finely diced
1 large onion, finely diced
1 large bell pepper, finely diced
2 bay leaves
½ teaspoon Creole seasoning
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon, heaping, tomato paste
½ pound okra, sliced into ¼ – ½” thick slices
1 (28 oz) can organic diced tomatoes with juice
2 cups chicken stock, hot
½ pound peeled and cleaned, medium size shrimp (raw)
1 tablespoon flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• Rice

Preparation:

-Place a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, and add the olive oil; once the oil is hot, add the sliced sausage in, and allow it to caramelize and brown for a few minutes; once well browned, remove the sausage from the pot, and set it aside for a moment; next, add the chicken pieces into the pot along with a sprinkle or two of salt and pepper, and allow them to brown in the oil/sausage drippings for about 2-3 minutes; remove the chicken pieces from the pot, and set aside for a moment; next, add in the diced celery, onion and bell pepper, and caramelize it for about 2-3 minutes in the oil, then add in the bay leaves, the Creole seasoning, the cayenne pepper, ½ teaspoon of salt and ½ teaspoon of black pepper, and stir to combine; next, add in the garlic and stir, and once it becomes aromatic, add in the tomato paste, and cook for about 1 minute to cook out the “raw” tomato flavor; next, add in the sliced okra, the diced tomatoes with juice, the hot chicken stock, and the browned sausage and chicken, and stir to combine, and allow the stew to simmer gently on low/medium-low, uncovered, for 20 minutes; after 20 minutes, add in the shrimp (you can season it with a sprinkle of salt/pepper if you wish), and simmer for only 2 minutes more as to not overcook the shrimp; finish by stirring in the chopped parsley and cilantro, and serve over the Fragrant Garlic Rice, with some additional spice/heat options like hot sauce, red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper, if desired.

EXTRA FLUFFY BLUEBERRY ALMOND PANCAKES

EXTRA FLUFFY BLUEBERRY ALMOND PANCAKES

Prep time:  10 mins

Cook time:  15 mins

Total time:  25 mins

Serves: 2

 

These pancakes are extra thick & fluffy with the addition of Greek yogurt, and are full of fresh blueberries, slivered almonds, and lemon zest.

Ingredients

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• 2 tbsp ground almonds
• 2 tbsp granulated sugar
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• ¾ cup Greek yogurt
• 6 tbsp almond milk, or any milk {see note}
• 1 egg
• ½ tsp almond extract
• ¼ cup slivered almonds
• 1 cup fresh blueberries

Instructions

1. In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, ground almonds, sugar, and lemon zest. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together yogurt and milk. Add egg and almond extract and mix until smooth.
3. Combine wet and dry ingredients. Fold in slivered almonds and blueberries.
4. Heat a frying pan over medium heat; spray with oil. Cook ¼ cup pancake portions for 2 minutes on the first side (or until edges have set and bottom is golden). Flip and cook for 1 minute on the other side (or until golden and cooked through)

Notes

Batter will be quite thick...you will need to flatten pancakes slightly with the back of a spoon.
If batter is too thick, add more milk one tbsp at a time.

BBQ Baby Back Ribs

Found the perfect formula for fall-off-the-bone Ribs

3-2-1

3 hours at 180 with a dry rub.

2 hours at 225 wrapped in foil

1 hour at 225 unwrapped basted with sauce. 

Fried Ravioli

20 frozen Raviolis

2 cups Panko

2 cups Italian Bread Crumbs

1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese 

Flour

Egg wash

Mix the Panko, crumbs and cheese with some salt and pepper. Dip the ravioli in the flour, then egg wash and press into the crumb mixture

Fry in hot oil at 350 for 3 min each side until golden brown 

For more food and recipes please visit www.mymackandcheese.com