Category Archives: Food/Recipes

Jack Daniel’s Smoky Bacon Mac and Cheese

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https://breadboozebacon.com/jack-daniels-bacon-mac-cheese/

INGREDIENTS

WHISKEY CANDIED BACON:
10 slices bacon
1/2 cup Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey or whiskey of your choice
1 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

MACARONI & CHEESE:
1 pound macaroni pasta
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey
2 cups milk
3 cups medium or sharp cheddar cheese
4 slices provolone cheese
1/2 teaspoon paprika
Salt and pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

CANDIED BACON:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil and coat with non-stick cooking spray. In a small saucepan, bring 1/2 cup Jack Daniel’s to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, and simmer until reduced to 2 tablespoons. Remove from heat. On a plate, combine brown sugar and cayenne. Dip bacon into Jack Daniels and then press each side into brown sugar mixture to coat. Place on prepared baking sheet.Bake for 7 minutes, then flip and bake for about 5 minutes. Watch the bacon so it doesn’t burn!! (The sugar will run all over the pan, and the bacon with have a shiny lacquered look.) Remove the bacon to a plate coated with non-stick cooking spray to cool completely. Chop bacon; set aside.

MACARONI:
Bring water to a boil in a large pot. Add macaroni and cook until al dente. Drain pasta; set aside. While pasta is cooking, melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add flour, and whisk to combine. (You will have a tight roux.) Add 1 tablespoon Jack Daniel’s and whisk into roux. Whisk in 1 cup milk until combined. Add remaining milk. Whisk frequently until sauce thickens and begins to bubble. Add cheeses; whisk until cheeses melt and sauce is smooth. Add paprika and salt and pepper to taste. Pour sauce over pasta, and add bacon. Stir until pasta is completely coated in sauce. Add more salt and pepper if desired.

NOTES
Watch your bacon like a hawk! The sugar can go from awesome to burnt quickly if you’re not paying attention.

NOTES FROM JAMES
I totally skip the candied bacon and just air fry the bacon and chop it up. The flavor it adds is wonderful. I am a little heavy handed with the Jack Daniel’s (only when cooking!!!) It will burn off once it cooks down. It freezes well.

The Tale of Two Air Fryer Turkey Breasts

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I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Mine was good and busy. I had a couple of baking orders to complete and briefly visited with friends.

Herb Butter Turkey Breast

This year I decided to cook my turkey breast in the air fryer. The air fryer turkey breast recipe I uaed called for a 4 and change pound turkey breast whixh I was able to find for under $10 at Target. I bought two turkey breasts. I coated the first breast with herb butter, a mixture of 2 room temperature sticks of butter, parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme, Creole seasoning, basil. oregano, and garlic powder. I cooked it on its side for 20 minutes then I flipped it over on the other side to cook for 30 minutes then checked it with the instant read digital thermometer to ensure the breast reached a cooked temperature of 150 degrees.

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Turkey Breast Seasoned with Poultry Seasoning

For the second breast, I stuck closer to the original recipe and coated it with olive oil, Creole seasoning, salt, and a poultry seasoning rub. I followed the same process for cooking the turkey breast as shown above.

Both turkey breast were moist and delicious. I will definitely do this again. I am partial to seasoning the turkey breast with the herb butter as it gave it a richer flavor. It is amazing how a small turkey breast can make the whole house smell like a 20 pound bird.

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Air Fryer Marinated Party Wings

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I was gifted an air fryer last year and it sat in my closet for over a year. I recently read an air fryer bacon recipe and had to try it. I was quite pleased with the results.

Soon after, I stepped up my air fryer game to the larger PowerXL air fryer with the 7 quart basket.

I recently used my favorite easy grilled chicken marinade recipe to marinate some party wings for the air fryer and they came out amazing.

I look forward to air frying a turkey breast for Thanksgiving. Stay tuned for photos.

Best Big, Fat, Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie

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Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 cups Wheat flour, white, all-purpose, enriched, bleached
½ teaspoon Leavening agents, baking soda
½ teaspoon Salt, table
¾ cup Butter, without salt
1 cup Sugars, brown
½ cup Sugars, granulated
1 tablespoon Vanilla extract
1 Egg, whole, raw, fresh
1 Egg, yolk, raw, fresh
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

Step 1 – Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper.

Step 2 – Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.

Step 3 – In a medium bowl, cream together the melted butter, brown sugar and white sugar until well blended. Beat in the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk until light and creamy. Mix in the sifted ingredients until just blended. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand using a wooden spoon. Drop cookie dough 1/4 cup at a time onto the prepared cookie sheets. Cookies should be about 3 inches apart.

Step 4 – Bake for 15 to 17 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the edges are lightly toasted. Cool on baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

Baker’s Note: These have become my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe. I have added nuts and bacon to the recipe (not at the same time..haha.) I recently used salted caramel chips and the result was delicious!

Chicago Public School Cafeteria Butter Cookies

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Chicago Public School Cafeteria Butter Cookies

From Food.com

Ingredients

1 cup softened butter
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons vanilla extract (I sometimes use lemon extract)
1 pinch salt
4 teaspoons sugar (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cream butter and sugar until fluffy.
3. Mix in vanilla extract.
4. Mix in flour gradually.
5. Using a small cookie scoop, roll dough into balls and slightly flatten on ungreased cookie sheets.
6. Flatten cookies with the bottom of a glass dipped in sugar if desired.
7. Bake until golden brown (approximately 12-15 minutes.
8. Makes about 2 dozen.

Bourbon Cake

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1 cup of butter (2 sticks)
2 cups sugar
3 cups sifted Cake Flour
3 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup bourbon (I like Maker’s 46 or Four Roses Single Barrel)
1 package of Jell-O French Vanilla pudding

Cream butter, gradually add sugar, creaming until light and fluffy. Sift flour with baking powder and salt. Add eggs one at a time to creamed mixture, beating well after each addition. Add flour mixture alternately with milk and flavoring, beating after each addition until smooth. Add package of French Vanilla pudding, and bourbon and mix well together. Pour batter into a greased 12-cup bundt pan. Bake at 350º for 55 minutes. Cool in pan for 10 minutes then remove and place on a wire cooling rack with wax paper under and let cool before putting on the glaze.

Bourbon Glaze #1

2 sticks of butter
1/2 granulated sugar
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup Karo syrup
1 cup of bourbon
1 tsp vanilla extract

Melt butter in saucepan until lightly boiled (do not overheat). Add powdered sugar slowly with a wire wisk then add granulated sugar. Once dissolved under low heat, add brown sugar. After the brown sugar has dissolved, add Karo syrup. Keep stirring with wire wisk. Bring to a light boil. Add bourbon and bring to a boil while stirring with a whisk. Remove from heat and wisk in the vanilla extract. Add more powdered sugar or use less bourbon for a thicker glaze.

Drizzle and brush the glaze over the cake. Continue to brush the cake with glaze that has ran down the side. Let dry and serve.

Bourbon Glaze #2

2 cups powdered sugar
A few tablespoons of milk
A few tablespoons of bourbon

I use a measuring cup to put all the ingredients then mix with an electric hand mixer to get the glaze to the thickness I desire. Place wax paper under wire rack. Place cooled cake on the wire rack and pour glaze over cake until completely covered and let it dry.

Lime Cream Cheese Pound Cake

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I started making this cake a couple of years ago after having a slice of Charlie Frank’s Key Lime Pound Cake.

I adapted this recipe from this Lime Cream Cheese Pound Cake recipe. The 10 cup Fleur-de-Lis cake bundt pan makes for a lovely presentation but the 12 cup bundt will hold all the batter. I used 3 sticks of butter instead of 2 1/4 sticks. I also doubled the amount of sugar and lime juice for the glaze because I am a little heavy handed with my brush.

Lime Cream Cheese Pound Cake

Ingredients:

For the Pound Cake:

3 1/4 cups cake flour
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
3 sticks of unsalted butter
8 oz. cream cheese
3 cups granulated sugar
6 large eggs
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
3 tbsp. lime juice
2 tsp. very finely grated lime zest

For the Glaze:

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup fresh lime juice

Garnish:

Confectioners’ sugar (optional)

Instructions:

Have all ingredients at room temperature. Position oven rack in lower third of oven and preheat to 325 degrees F (160 C). Grease and flour a 9 or 12-inch bundt pan or Fleur-de-Lis* cake pan.

Sift together flour, baking soda and salt, set aside.

With an electric mixer, fitted with a flat beater, beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed until creamy and smooth, about 30-40 seconds. Add 3 cups of the sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes, stop mixer and scrape bowl occasionally. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla and 3 tbsp. lime juice (or regular fresh squeezed lime juice). Reduce speed to low. Fold in flour, baking soda, and salt mixture in 3 additions, blending each addition just until smooth, stop mixer and scrape bowl occasionally. Fold in lime zest.

Spoon batter into prepared pan, making sides higher than in center. Bake until cake is golden, and a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, about 1 1/2 hours. Cool upright in pan on rack for 10 minutes. Invert cake onto cooling rack with waxed or parchment paper placed underneath rack, and glaze.

Makes 12-16 servings.

Lime Glaze:

In a small bowl, whisk 1/2 cup fresh lime juice and 1 1/2 cups sugar until blended. Set rack over a sheet of waxed paper, Generously brush cooled cake with glaze. After glaze has set; approximately 10 minutes, lightly sprinkle cake with confectioners’ sugar.

Notes:

Nordic Ware’s Fleur-de-Lis cake pan can be purchased at Nordic Ware’s website at: http://www.nordicware.com.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

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I am always amazed by number of people who will visit my website over the next week for dessert recipes as we all prepare for Thanksgiving. Thank you so much for stopping by. I do not get to update this site much but it holds its own. I am wishing you and yours a Happy Thanksgiving and good baking!!! Please send me some of your favorite recipes and I will post them. Enjoy!!!

Lemon Icebox Pie

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The last Lemon Icebox Pie of the season.

I made a couple of pound cakes for a friend’s mom in late winter. I delivered them and she told me that I needed to learn how to make a lemon icebox pie. Being a baker who does love a challenge, I researched on the internet and found a recipe that I liked. It was really simple to make and no baking was required. I made a couple for Easter and a few during the summer. However, the photo above is the last lemon icebox pie for the year. I made it for my friend’s mom who inspired me to learn about lemon icebox pie. I took it over to her and she was totally surprised and quite pleased. She said it was her favorite dessert. That truly warmed my heart.

I used Emeril Lagasse’s Lemon Icebox Pie recipe as shown below.

Ingredients

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, at room temperature
1 (14-ounce) can condensed milk
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoons lemon zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 prepared graham cracker crust

Directions

Combine the cream cheese, milk, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla in a large bowl. Mix on medium speed until smooth. Pour into the pie crust. Refrigerate overnight.

Note: I actually froze mine overnight then put it in refrigerator a few hours before serving so it would still be firm. I want to try it with limes too!

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/lemon-icebox-pie-recipe/index.html?oc=linkback

Sock It To Me Cake

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Sock It To Me Cake

Sock It To Me Cake

Sock It To Me Cake

2 sticks unsalted butter (at room temperature)
2 cups sugar
3 cups sifted cake flour
4 eggs (at room temperature)
1 cup milk (whole or low fat)
1 cup sour cream
3 tsps baking powder
½ tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp almond extract
2 tsps cinnamon
2 tbsps brown sugar
1 cup finely chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a separate bowl, mix together your filling of cinnamon, brown sugar, and finely chopped pecans and set aside.

Cream the butter in large bowl. Gradually add sugar, creaming until light and fluffy. Sift the already sifted cake flour with baking powder and salt. Add eggs one at a time to cream mixture, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla and almond extracts. Add flour mixture alternately with milk, blending after each addition until smooth. Add sour cream. (Do not overbeat as this will yield a dry cake.)

Pour 1/2 of batter into your greased Bundt or tube pan. Pour dry mixture on top of your batter. Pour remaining batter over the dry mixture.

Bake for 1 hour. Test with a toothpick and make sure it comes out dry. Let cake cool for 25 minutes then invert onto wire rack to continue cooling.

Glaze

1 cup confectioner’s sugar
2-3 tbsps milk
1 tsp vanilla extract

Mix together and drizzle and brush over cake. Adjust glaze to your liking.

Editor’s Note: This recipe is special to me because my mother made this cake for our family when I was child. It is also one of the first cakes I made when I was a teen. We used boxed cake mix for this cake originally. I was unable to find a Sock It To Me cake recipe from scratch that I liked so now you have one! Enjoy!!!