Showing posts sorted by relevance for query spicy cheesy bacon ranch muffins. Sort by date Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query spicy cheesy bacon ranch muffins. Sort by date Show all posts

Saturday, August 30, 2014

#BaconMonth Round Up for #InternationalBaconDay

Bacon Parmesan Twists
In my humble opinion, every day should be International Bacon Day, and I often treat each as if it were. But, all people rejoice, because today is the actual day. Happy International Bacon Day, everyone! 

 In honor of this great holiday - Seriously who's working? Leave me a comment, I'll see what I can do about sending you some bacon in recompense. - I've stopped by every post from every blog in our linky tool for Bacon Month and created a link list, categorized for ease of clicking! We've got everything from Appetizers and Drinks to Cookies and Dessert and lots of great bacon recipes in between.

What are you making with bacon today in celebration? Might I suggest a few recipes from the following 116 links?

Enjoy!


Candied Habanero Bacon 

Appetizers and Snacks

Drinks

Condiments

Sweet and Spicy Bacon Cocktail Sausages 

Salads

Cheesy Bacon Baked Onions

Side Dishes

Spicy Roasted Bacon Tomato Cauliflower
Soups and Chilies

BLT Muffins 

Bread 

Breakfast

Bacon Butty 

Sandwiches

Bacon-wrapped Jalapeño Popper Stuffed Chicken

Main Courses


Cookies and Bars

Bacon Dark Chocolate Bourbon Cookies
Desserts and Sweet Treats

How to: 

Once again, many, many thanks to Julie from White Lights on Wednesday for organizing Bacon Month and sponsoring all the cookbook giveaways! 



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Monday, October 20, 2014

Spicy Cheesy Bacon Ranch Muffins #MuffinMonday


Extra sharp cheddar cheese, crispy bacon and ranch dressing seasonings are combined in these flavorful savory muffins, making them perfect brunch fare for game day or tailgating picnics. 

Ranch trumps plans
I had a complete different muffin planned for today. I had bought the ingredients and it was going to be sweet and fabulous. But then, I saw this. This, my dear readers, is the even more fabulous Cheesy Bacon Ranch Dip from my friend, Carla, over at Chocolate Moosey. 

© Carla Cardello at Chocolate Moosey. Used by permission.

I am a huge fan of ranch dressing and ranch dip and ranch pretty much everything. My suitcase returning from the US to whichever country we are living is regularly stocked with packets of Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing, unless it’s available where I am. I hate to be without it. I also stock up on the buttermilk ranch seasonings from Penzey's. One cannot ever have too much ranch. It’s great for dipping carrot sticks or potato chips and there's hardly anything that makes me happier than cutting an avocado in half, removing the pit and filling the holes with ranch dressing so I can eat it with a spoon. Unless it’s being home alone when I do it so that I don’t have to give someone else one of my avocado halves. Dang moochers. 

The upshot of it was that when I saw Carla’s spicy cheesy bacon ranch dip, I knew all those flavors – that bacon, the cheese, that hot sauce, the ranch seasonings! - would also make a fabulous muffin. And I wasn’t willing to wait. As I sit here typing this, I have just polished off my second muffin. Then I licked my finger and picked up the crumbs from the saucer and cleaned them off too so, unless someone is counting muffins, it looks like I haven’t even started yet. And that, friends, would be the truth. Two down, just 10 to go. Don't bother to knock. I'm not answering. 

Ingredients
2 cups or 250g flour
5 oz or 140g extra sharp cheddar cheese, grated
2 tablespoons ranch seasoning (About half of a ranch dip packet. I used my Penzey's for this.)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup or 240ml sour cream
1/3 cup or 80ml milk
5-6 slices bacon, fried and chopped – approx. weight after frying and draining: 1 3/4 oz or 50g
2-4 tablespoons hot sauce, depending on your taste and how spicy your chosen hot sauce is. Know thyself, as the ancient Greeks said. 

Method
Preheat your oven to 350°F or 180°C and prepare your 12-cup muffin pan by greasing it or lining it with paper muffin cups. 

Separate out small handfuls of both your grated cheese and your bacon for decorating the muffins before baking.

In a large bowl, mix together your flour, the bigger of the grated cheddar, ranch seasoning, baking powder, baking soda and salt, making sure that the cheese is well coated in flour and is not sticking together in clumps.


In a smaller bowl, whisk together your eggs, sour cream, milk and hot sauce.



Pour your wet ingredients into your dry ingredients stir until just mixed.  Then fold in the larger pile of bacon pieces.



Divide the batter between the muffin cups.



Top each with the reserved smaller piles of grated cheddar and bacon.



Bake in your preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until the muffins are golden and a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in the pan for a few minutes and then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.



Enjoy!


And, just a side note that I found amusing. Muffins are not a stable building material. I was stacking them like this.



And then this happened. One went off the left and one went off the right. And that is the story of how my helper got a muffin. Three down, nine to go.



Posted by at 10:17:00 AM 0 comments
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Wednesday, November 12, 2014

Pumpkin Scones with Spiced Glaze #BloggerCLUE


Rumored to be just like the ones from a well-known coffee chain, these beautifully spiced pumpkin scones with spiced glaze are perfect with a cup of coffee or tea. 

If you’ve been reading along here for a while you’ve already heard me say how much I’ve enjoyed getting to know fellow bloggers during the last three years of public blogging. I sincerely wish I had time to read and comment on every blog that I love every time there is a new post, but that wouldn’t leave any time for my own cooking and writing and other fun stuff, so something’s got to give. I do try to get around to them as often as I can. But what if reading another blog was part of a group assignment? Well, I’d have to do that, right?! Have you guessed already that I have joined another bloggers group to justify my blog reading obsession? You are so smart.

Bloggers C.L.U.E. Society
This one’s called Bloggers C.L.U.E. Society and the premise is that we are matched up with another food blogger each month and we need search his or her blog for a recipe to fit that month’s theme. And make it. We’ll introduce ourselves and our readers to each other with each post, until perhaps someday, we’ve made a recipe from and gotten to know every blogger in the group.

This is our inaugural Bloggers C.L.U.E. post. I was assigned Bakeaway With Me and our theme is Thanksgiving. As I browsed through Kathy’s blog, I had to put on my detective cap to figure out more about her since her profile doesn't reveal anything. Hunting for clues was part of the fun though! I discovered that she is married to a man with Dutch heritage and they live with their children in New Jersey. Her mother’s family is of Lebanese descent and her father’s family came over from Hungary, so she has a fabulous and eclectic mixture of ethnic recipes on her blog, as well as a bunch from another group she participates in called French Fridays with Dorie. Deciding on just one recipe to try was going to be a challenge!

Since our theme is Thanksgiving, I finally settled on one that I know my daughters will love. I’m not much of a sweet eater but I must confess that I took my usual taste test bite from one scone and ended up eating it all. I’ve never had the real thing from Starbucks so I can’t compare but, boy, are these good! I’ve decided that they are going to be breakfast for Christmas morning. (My girls won't be home for Thanksgiving, more's the pity!) Kathy says that they freeze well, so I tested that statement and can report that she is telling the absolute truth. I glazed them and froze them in a single layer and they thawed beautifully, looking and tasting just like fresh baked. Which will make Christmas morning even easier.




Here’s Kathy’s recipe. Hope you love it as much as I did! I’ve added the metric measures for those of you who prefer to use a scale for baking.

Pumpkin Scones (Starbucks Copycat)

Yield: 8 scones
Prep Time: 30 min
Cook Time: 15 min
adapted from Todd Wilbur

Ingredients
For the scones:
2 cups or 250g all-purpose flour
1/3 cup, packed, or 65g brown sugar,
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup or 115g unsalted COLD butter, cut into cubes
1/2 cup or 120g pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
3 tablespoons milk or cream
1 large egg
2 tablespoons maple syrup

For the spiced glaze:
1 cup or 125g confectioners' or icing sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
Pinch of nutmeg
Pinch salt
2 tablespoons milk

Method
Preheat oven to 425°F or 220°C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat; set aside.

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and salt.



Add cold butter, and using a pastry blender, work the butter into the dry ingredients until it resembles coarse crumbs. You want to see some very small pieces of the butter.



In a large glass measuring cup or another bowl, whisk together pumpkin puree, cream, egg and maple syrup.



Pour mixture over the dry ingredients and stir using a rubber spatula just until a soft dough forms.


Working on a lightly floured surface, knead the dough a few times until it comes together.  With lightly floured hands, pat the dough into a rectangle measuring roughly 7x9 inches or 18x23cm. (I patted with my hands then used my rolling pin to just lightly stretch the dough to the right size.)

Using a large knife or a pizza cutter, cut the rectangle in half lengthwise, then cut into 2 even pieces crosswise, making four rectangles. Then cut each rectangle into two triangles, making 8 triangles.



Place scones onto prepared baking sheet. Place into the oven and bake for 15 minutes, or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean.



To make the spiced glaze, combine confectioners’ sugar, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, nutmeg and milk. Whisk until smooth.



When the scones are done, cool for 10 minutes, then drizzle the glaze over each scone, and spread with back of spoon.



Allow glaze to set before serving.



These scones freeze beautifully.  So save some for later!


Enjoy!

Just look at the gorgeous inside! I can't even express how GOOD these are!




Here are a few links in case you'd like to join me in connecting with Kathy and Bakeaway with Me on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest.



I’m pleased to introduce you to more of my fellow Blogger C.L.U.E. Society members:


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Posted by at 5:00:00 AM 0 comments
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Sunday, January 3, 2016

Garlic Chili Tiger Prawns

You cannot beat the combination of prawns (or shrimp – let’s not debate the genetic and habitation differences, okay?) with garlic and fresh red chilies and loads of butter. Put this on the table and your family will be gathered round, close as a family can get, as they clean the plate.

You can do complicated or you can do simple. But I have found that the most enjoyed meals around a family table are often the ones that take the least prep time, especially if they also involve butter and garlic and everyone dipping crusty bread in same. I’ve made this as an appetizer, but it can also be expanded to a main if you toss some freshly cooked linguine (or pasta shape of your choice – my favorite just happens to be linguine) in the seasoned butter, in lieu of the crusty bread.

Another serving suggestion.


This week, my Sunday Supper group is celebrating the fourth anniversary of the Sunday Supper Movement with recipes that we love, as a kickoff to National Sunday Supper Month. Our mentor and the inspirational force behind the Sunday Supper Movement is Isabel of Family Foodie, who started the group when her eldest left home for the first time. When asked what she missed the most, Isabel’s daughter said it was eating Sunday supper with the family. Unfortunately in our busy lives, family meals are one of the things that often get pushed aside for other obligations. Isabel vowed to do something about that, something that would encourage others to take the time, indeed to make the time to eat together, and the Sunday Supper Movement was born.

In my growing up family, Sunday Supper was always the midday meal. As my own girls were growing up, it was often the evening meal but, still, Sundays were inviolate. One could spend time with friends all day on Saturday, even sleep away on Friday or Saturday nights, but Sundays were for family. Friends were welcome to join, of course, but I wanted my girls home on Sundays, for family day. Most of the week they ate the evening meal earlier than their father and me, because of their homework and his late hours, but on the weekends we ate together. Fridays were pizza nights. Saturday and Sunday suppers varied but often involved grilled something on the charcoal barbecue pit when the weather was good or roasted in the oven when it wasn't. The important thing was that we were together.

If you agree, and I hope you do, I’d like to encourage you to head over to the Sunday Supper Movement website and sign our pledge to gather round the family table more often in 2016.

Ingredients
3 large cloves garlic (or even more if you are so inclined)
2 spicy red chilies
Olive oil
1/3 cup or 70g butter
9 large or 330g tiger prawns, already cleaned and peeled, tails left intact (Sub more small prawns/shrimp if you can't find the large tiger ones. It's all good.)
Sea salt
Parsley, chopped, to garnish

To serve: Crusty bread, cut in slices

Method
Slice the garlic and mince the chilies.

Put a good drizzle of olive oil in the pan, then add the butter, garlic and chilies.

Sauté until the garlic is softened and translucent. Add in the prawns and give them a good sprinkle of sea salt.


Cook the prawns on one side for a few minutes and then turn them over and cook on the other side till done.



Transfer the prawns to a warm serving plate, then spoon the seasoned butter from the pan over them.

Or toss your cooked pasta in those fabulous juices.




Sprinkle with a little chopped parsley for color and serve immediately with slices of crusty bread for sopping up all that flavor.


Enjoy!

This week we have 60 delicious recipes for you! What an incredible line up for our Sunday Supper Month Kickoff!

Appetizers and Soups

Main courses

Side dishes

Desserts





Posted by at 12:30:00 AM 0 comments
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Sunday, January 31, 2016

Cajun Okra Fries

Shallow fried crispy okra sprinkled liberally with Cajun seasonings make a great appetizer or snack for all your game watching get-togethers. Or frankly, any party situation. Or movie night. Or Mardi Gras! 

There are only three ways I’ll eat okra. Spicy and pickled is my absolute favorite and if I can’t get Talk o' Texas brand, I’ve been known to pickle my own. Second best is sliced up, coated with cornmeal and deep-fried till crunchy. I can pop those little golden nuggets like most people eat popcorn. Third best is in a gumbo or stew, cooked down till you don’t really see the okra anymore, but the flavor is still there. And that’s been it for my whole lifetime. Until this week.

Last year for my birthday, I received a subscription to Delicious. magazine online, which I have truly enjoyed. In one of the recent issues, they shared a recipe for okra that was deep-fried then sprinkled with an Indian spice mix that sounded good, if I could find all the ingredients.  I immediately thought of my ready-in-the-shaker Cajun spices – already in my cupboard and so much easier! Okra and anything Cajun just go together naturally too.

This week my Sunday Supper group is sharing recipes that are great for football championship watching parties. Over here in Dubai, we don’t hear much about it, but I know the airwaves and newspapers in the United States are full of information overload about the upcoming Super Bowl. But one can never have too much good food, am I right? So make sure you scroll down to the bottom and check out our link list of tasty big game party recipes!


This is the last group post and celebration of National Sunday Supper Month so our participant list is huge!  Many thanks to our host for this wonderful event, T.R. of Gluten-free Crumbley. If you haven't signed the Sunday Supper pledge to spend more time around the family table in 2016, there's still time! Just click on this link and take the pledge. You will not regret it!

I’ve got to tell you that my husband is not a fan of okra so I thought I would get to eat this whole batch by myself. He came home from work a little early the day I was making these okra fries and ended up eating most of them while I wrote up the recipe. What a bittersweet victory for this okra lover! Never mind. Next time I will double the amount because, I can assure you, there will definitely be a next time.

Adapted from this recipe at Delicious.

Ingredients
12 oz or 340g tender young okra
Canola or other light oil for frying
Cajun seasonings

Method
Wash the okra and dry them thoroughly.

Use a sharp knife to cut off the stem end and then slice the okra in half lengthwise.


Lay the pieces cut side down on a bed of paper towels and leave to dry for at least three hours.

This step can even be done a day ahead. After the okra have dried for a couple of hours, roll them up in the paper towels, wrap with cling film and refrigerate in the vegetable drawer till you are ready to fry.

When you are ready to fry them, lay out a single layer of paper towels on some sheets of newspaper and put it near your frying station. But not so close that you are going to catch it on fire, please. Have the Cajun spices standing by as well.

Heat about an inch or 2.5cm of oil in a large frying pan, over a medium flame.

Test the heat of the oil by putting one slice of okra in. If it sizzles vigorously, the oil is hot enough.

Lower the okra slices gently into the oil, in small batches, making sure not to splash and not to crowd the pan.



Fry for a few minutes on the first side then use some tongs to turn them over to brown the other side. The okra is done when both sides are golden brown, about 3-4 minutes on each side.



Remove from the oil and place on the paper towels to drain. Sprinkle immediately with the Cajun seasonings.



Continue frying the okra slices in batches until all are golden and crispy, then well seasoned.


Enjoy!

Are you looking for game day party food inspiration? We’ve got a bunch of winners for you, no matter if your home team is playing!

Appetizers and Sides
Main Dishes
Desserts and Drinks
Posted by at 12:33:00 AM 1 comments
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