Sweets for the Sweet

PoshMama article for this week:

". . . there is something in me that will not succumb to the woeful state of calling Valentine's Day 'single awareness day,' or be sad that I don't have a valentine to cook heart-shaped waffles for. I guess it's hope that keeps me floating. I know I don't have to be sad because somewhere, there is someone who is dreaming of heart-shaped waffles as he puts on his red and white striped tie to go to work and makes the best of the Holiday of Love!"

Well said, Sar. I love my cousin's outlook on Valentine's Day because it IS the holiday of love and not just the holiday of significant others. Whether it's your S.O., your kids, your family or your friends, let them know you care. Oh gag, I'm starting to sound like a Hallmark card. Let's get to Valentine's Day treat-making business, shall we?

By the way, I think heart-shaped waffles are adorable, too, but save yourself the $50 and put a cookie cutter through a square one.

Speaking of cookie cutters and Valentine's Day treats, I love these cookie cutters at Sur La Table. I think what I love more is the painstaking effort someone took to decorate them. They're gorgeous!

Also at Sur La Table are single-serving, heart-shaped springform pans. They come in a set of six. How's that for portion control? :)

Always a favorite, and slightly less guilt-ridden is chocolate fondue. (C'mon, you're eating fruit!) You can pick up one of these cute little fondue pots at any retail store that sells kitchenware. I've definitely seen them at Target. For a quick, easy fondue, just melt a bag of chocolate chips and add a teaspoon of shortening for sheen. Then let them dip their little hearts out.

Or as a counterattack against the sweets your children will bring home from school, try making Healthy Hearts or Ladybugs on a Stick. The little ones will love them!

I've saved the best for last, though. I would be anyone's sweetheart if they brought me a pan of warm, gooey cinnamon rolls right out of the oven. I salivate at the mere thought.

What I like about this recipe is that a bread machine makes the dough for you! If you don't have a bread machine, I've added an alternate recipe at the bottom. I've tried both and they're fabulous! You could even color the icing pink to make them more Valentine-y.

However you decide to sweeten your holiday, I wish you lots of love,

Natalie


Cinnamon Rolls a lá Bread Machine
Recipe courtesy of the book that came with my bread machine

2/3 c. warm milk
3 eggs
6 T butter, softened and cut into pieces
½ c sugar
1 tsp salt
1 ½ tsp vanilla
4 c. flour
2/3 c. cornstarch
2 1/4 tsp yeast

Filling:
¾ c. brown sugar
2 ½ T cinnamon
4 T melted butter

Add ingredients to bread machine in the order listed. Run dough cycle for a 1.5-2.0 lb loaf. (If you have the option, if not, that's fine.) When finished, roll out dough into two large rectangles, about ½ in thick. Brush melted butter and sprinkle brown sugar and cinnamon over each. Roll up, slice, and place in prepared baking pan . Let rise for 35-40 min or until doubled in size. Bake at 350 for 20-25 min or until they sound hollow when tapped.

Let cool for a few minutes, then top with frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting:
4 oz cream cheese
¼ c butter
1 tsp vanilla
1 ½ c pwd sugar
1 T milk

Makes 20-24 rolls.
____________________

Cinnamon Rolls a lá Your Hands
Recipe courtesy of the aforementioned cousin, Sarah.

1 ¼ c. warm milk
4 T. butter
3 T. sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 eggs, beaten
1 T yeast
½ c warm water
4 c. flour

Filling:
¼ c. butter
1 tsp cinnamon
½ c brown sugar


Place yeast in warm water and let rest for 5 minutes. Combine all dough ingredients and knead about 20 times. Let rise in a warm place until doubled. (Perfect excuse to use a dough scraper!!) Roll out into a large rectangle, about 1/2 inch thick and add filling. Roll up, slice, and place in prepared baking pan. Let rise again until doubled. Bake 10-12 min at 400

Makes 15-20 rolls.

See Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe above.

Gadget Line-Up and a Little Chinese Love

PoshMama article for this week:

Today is gadget day! I was thinking about what gadgets I couldn't live without, but convincing everyone that they need a can opener, a spatula and a whisk would be pointless. Instead, I thought about utensils that make cooking easier and more fun. (Psst, all of the gadget photos are links to where you can find them online.)

First we have this little guy right here:

I never realized how handy a dough scraper (or dough cutter or baker's scraper) was until I started using one. Sure it separates dough like a champ, but it also cleans off your countertops after you've rolled out dough. You don't even need to get a rag dirty, just let the mess dry for a few minutes, then scrape it all into the garbage can! You can use this to scoop up chopped veggies from your cutting board, too.

Next up is this sleek number:

Oh, how I love my microplane grater! I used to hate using citrus zest in recipes because it was so hard to scrape the stuff out of the grater holes. Not a problem here. This razor-sharp grater comes in all different shapes and sizes. I use mine mostly for citrus zest, hard cheeses, and fresh ginger, but you can use it for anything you'd use a grater for -- even whole spices like nutmeg or cloves. I always get giddy when I take mine out of its sheath and use it. (I'm such a dork.)

Now for the grand finale:

"A knife? Oh REAL creative, Nat."

I'm not joking around with this one. Do you hate chopping vegetables? Well, that's probably because your knife is about as sharp as the backside of a spoon. (Unless you honestly hate chopping vegetables, but if you had one of these babies, I don't think you would.) Good, sharp knives aren't cheap, but you don't need to buy 20 different ones. At the very least, invest in one good chef's knife to replace all the cheap-o ones you have in your "knife drawer". (I know you have one. Everyone does :))

The shape of the one above enables you to chop til your heart's content without your knuckles hitting the cutting board or having to use your pointer finger to press the blade down. The brand of the one above is great, too. Cutco is another great brand, and they're supposed to stay sharp forever.

Just be careful and don't cut yourself. It happens. Yep, that's my thumb.

And now I go completely off topic to introduce this week's recipe. Before I do, I do not, in anyway, proclaim to be an authority on Chinese cuisine. In fact, the Chinese would probably laugh at this recipe if they knew it had cream of chicken soup in it. BUT, in honor of Chinese New Year (Feb 7th), I thought you might want to brush up on your chopstick skills with this yummy stir-fry casserole dish.

(Since I posted this recipe on my blog already, I'll just link you to it :))

Warming the Frigid

Here's the article that went up on PoshMama this morning :)

Warming the Frigid

So I hear some of you are having pretty cold weather. I hear that we are, too, but as this is the first snow-free winter of my life, I'm not feeling much of a chill. But when I do, one of my favorite things to do is make a big pot of soup. There's nothing that warms my insides faster.

Aside from the soup itself, I love using my cute little 3 qt. soup pot. I think a soup pot, no matter what size, is a kitchen essential. When you're shopping for a soup/stock pot, it's good to keep a few things in mind:

Choosing the Material

There's a great article by Chef Mark Vogel about what to look for in choosing cookware. He talks a lot about materials used in pots (and other cookware), and according to him, we have four options:

• Copper: Best heat conductor, but scratches easily, may alter the flavor and color of your food, and very expensive. Oh, but they're pretty!
  

• Aluminum: Good heat conductor and inexpensive, but eventually wears down and may "react" with your food -- similar to copper pots. If you go this route, make sure the aluminum is anodized to prevent reaction.
  

• Cast Iron -- Also a great heat conductor and inexpensive, but it's HEAVY. It may also rust and stick to food if it's not seasoned. To prevent this, get enamel-coated cast iron. Unfortunately enamel-coated cast iron is expensive.

• Stainless Steel -- Durable, inexpensive, easy to clean and won't react with food. It has mid-range heat conduction, but that is improved if the base has an aluminum interior. Probably your best compromise.

I've got an older version of that stainless steel one right there. Isn't she cute? Sigh.

No matter what kind of pot you buy, get one with a sturdy, thick bottom. Soups tend to be on the burner for longer periods of time and a cheap pot will leave you with a scorched bottom. And no one wants a scorched bottom. (Tanning flashbacks....*shudder*. )

I can't let you go without sharing a recipe, so here's a fast (like 15 minutes fast), yummy chowder that the kiddos will like. At least I think they will. My little kiddo is still eating mush, so please tell me if they like it! I think it's supposed to taste like cheeseburgers and fries, but with the southwestern seasonings, it tastes more like cheeseburgers and CHILI fries. It got a thumbs up from our table. :)

Cheeseburger Chowder
from Taste of Home's Big Soup Book

½ lb ground beef
1 can condensed cheddar cheese soup, undiluted
1 ¾ c milk
1 c frozen hashbrowns
1 can chopped green chilies
1 T taco seasoning
1 T dried minced onion
½ tsp chili powder
crushed corn chips
Monterey jack cheese
chopped green onions
sour cream

Cook beef over medium heat in a large saucepan until no longer pink; drain. Stir in milk, potatoes, chilies, taco seasoning, onion and chili powder until blended.

Bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered for 5 minutes or until heated through. Garnish with corn chips, cheese, sour cream and green onions, if desired. Makes 2-3 adult servings.

Wishing you a warm belly full of soup,

Natalie of Ear Candy
Featured Tuesdays on Posh Mama Online Magazine

Save Me a Bite

So, I didn't realize that you couldn't read the articles on Posh Mama without being a member. But, I guess that makes sense. I'll post them here for anyone who wanted to see it, but didn't want to join. :)

Save Me a Bite

That's exactly what my husband did when I gave him a piece of cheesecake -- he left me this lonely little bite. I was alright with that because I had eaten cheesecake for breakfast that morning. :) Any guesses at this week's topic?

"What?! What about my hips?! What about my New Year's Resolution?!" you cry out.

Ladies, I'm convinced that the January blues have a direct correlation with newly-made resolutions of depriving ourselves of foods we love. I believe in moderation in all things, which is why I never make such resolutions. Instead I set simple (and often broken) rules involving cheesecake and other decadent desserts which should never be completely consumed by one person in one sitting.

1. Never eat cheesecake unattended.
2. Invite at least 10 people to your house when you cut it.
3. If you happen to have leftovers, give some to the neighbors.

That being said, I would like to share some tips on making a perfect cheesecake. A REAL cheesecake. I'm not talking about the no-bake stuff you pull out of the box. It's time to step up! Yes, this takes a little extra planning, but it's well worth it.

The two biggest problems I've run into with making cheesecake are lumps in the batter and cracks on the top.

Remove the Lumps!

1. Make sure your cream cheese is soft when you begin working with it.
2. Scrape down the bowl several times to get all the cream cheese incorporated. Scrape off the spatula, too.

Remove the Cracks!

1. Place a pan of water in the oven on the rack below your cheesecake. I use a round cake pan, but you can use anything that's oven safe and will hold 1-2 inches of water.
2. Cool slowly! When your cheesecake is finished, don't rip it out of its toasty-warm 325° incubator and leave it on the 72° countertop in your kitchen. Such a drastic temperature change would make me crack, too. Instead, turn your oven off, and leave the door open. Let the cheesecake cool inside until you can take it out without oven mitts. Then leave it on the countertop until room temperature before placing it in the fridge.

OK, are you ready? Here's one of my favorite cheesecakes, which is also pictured above (sorta).

Brownie-Bottom Cheesecake with Strawberry Sauce
Adapted from the Philadelphia Cream Cheese Cookbook

1 10-20 oz. package brownie mix, any kind
3 8-oz packages cream cheese, softened
¾ c sugar
2 tsp vanilla
½ c sour cream
3 eggs
1 recipe Strawberry Sauce (below)

Prepare brownies as directed on package and bake in a well-greased 8 or 9 inch springform pan. Mix cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla with mixer until smooth (watch out for lumps!!). Blend in sour cream. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing on low speed until blended. Pour over brownie crust. Bake at 325° for 1 hour. Check for doneness by nudging the pan with an oven mitt. If the center wiggles slightly, but the sides don't, then it's done. (Bake at 300° for around the same length of time if using a dark nonstick springform pan.) Turn oven off and allow to cool in oven. (See directions above!) Refrigerate for at least 6 hours for best results.
Remove sides of springform pan and serve with Strawberry Sauce.

Strawberry Sauce:

1 1/2 c fresh or frozen strawberries
2 T sugar

Blend strawberries and sugar in blender or food processor until smooth. Add more sugar if you want it sweeter.

Nat's Notes:

1. You may be tempted to underbake the brownie crust for fear of burning it when you bake it again with the cheesecake, but don't. It won't burn, I promise!
2. Brownie crust does not have to be cooled before you pour the cheesecake filling on top.
3. Feel free to use light cream cheese and sour cream. I've tried both and they work great.

Good luck ladies! Let me know how it turns out!

Wishing you moments of cheesecake heaven,

Natalie of Ear Candy
Featured Tuesdays on Posh Mama Online Magazine