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Wednesday, December 19, 2012

LIFE at WARP SPEED...but there is a RECIPE!

Recently, I have not been blogging...as many of you may have noticed. I have missed all of you...and I am so sorry I have been a neglectful friend.

With the changes to Blogger, I have been confused with how to set things up. (I never said I was computer savvy!). And I get frustrated and give up posting anything...and reading your blogs. Shame on me!


I've also had a huge increase in the number of cooking classes. THAT'S GOOD, but very time-consuming. (I could make it easier on myself and do the same foods each time, but that would be boring!!!)

And then, there is the grandbaby...Miss Evelyn. She's the light of our lives. (Mac Daddy and I LOVE being grandparents!) We're fortunate to have Eva and her parents nearby...which means we get to play with her fairly often! And that's so much more important than blogging!

There just doesn't seem to be enough time in each day to do everything I want to do... I haven't even painted in months!!!

So here's my plan...

I am going to enjoy the holidays with my family and friends. (I've already hosted 2 parties in 2 weeks! And this week, there's a neighborhood cookie exchange, an engagement party and a family reunion...for which I am making all the desserts!)

Beginning in the new year...I am going to organize my office so I can actually find what I am looking for...set aside office hours - and stick to them! Set aside painting time - and actually PAINT! (I have 3 commissions to complete in January) And blog at least 2 times each month. 

There...I said it! Now I have to do it. It's kind of like the rule of a road trip..."Once declared, it cannot be rescinded"...or so MacDaddy says.


In the meantime...here's a delicious appetizer you might enjoy...

Chili Lime Shrimp Cups


These mini cups are perfect to serve at a party and are great warm or cold. You can make the wonton shells a day in advance; just keep at room temperature in an airtight container.
Ingredients
·         24 wonton wrappers
·         2 tablespoons olive oil
·         24 medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
·         1/2 teaspoon salt
·         1 teaspoon chili powder (I used ground red pepper)
·         2 limes
·         1/2 cup cilantro (or arugula)
·         3 tablespoons sour cream
Method
1.                   Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2.                   Place the mini muffin Flexipan on a perforated baking tray. Prepare wonton shells. Lightly brush wontons with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Arrange (push into the pan, to form a cup. You do not need to cut these wontons…) in a mini muffin Flexipan. Bake 5-7 minutes until golden brown and crisp.
Toss shrimp with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, salt (sprinkle some over the shrimp), 2 teaspoons of lime zest (grated lime peel) and chili powder. Bake 5-8 minutes until shrimp are opaque throughout. (SILPAT and Perforated Tray)

To assemble, fill each wonton cup with a few leaves of cilantro, a small dollop of sour cream, one shrimp then top with a spritz of lime juice. 
(THIS MEANS JUST A TINY BIT OF JUICE SQUEEZED OVER THE TOP OF THE SHRIMP)

***I marinated the shrimp in the olive oil, lime zest, salt and red pepper for a couple of hours before I baked them. It saved time…with the final preparation.


Enjoy...and have a wonderful Christmas!!!
Jane

Friday, November 2, 2012

GARLIC CHICKEN, MUSHROOMS AND SPINACH on PASTA


Poor MacDaddy.... I have been so busy with teaching and planning cooking classes that my own husband was eating frozen meals (at least they were homemade) and leftovers... 

Finally, I had a night with no class and enough energy to attempt one of my quick meals...comfort food at its best!

This is one of MacDaddy's favorites...and I'm sorry, I do not have a recipe...it's just a "by guess and by gosh" meal of boneless chicken breasts, mushrooms, garlic, fresh spinach and pasta. (How can you go wrong with these ingredients!) And it can be prepared in less than 30 minutes! I guess you could call it 

Chicken Florentine with Mushrooms

....Whatever you call it, it's DELICIOUS!

Ingredients for 2 servings:

     2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into thick slices...about 4 per breast
     5 cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced (more or less to taste!)
     Canadian Steak Seasoning* (I use this on EVERYTHING! I love the blend of peppers, garlic and other seasonings.)
     Olive oil
     Butter - about 3 tbsp. (I use Olivio)
     1 pound mushrooms, sliced (I use white or baby bella)
     1 bag fresh spinach
     Pasta - I used mini farfalle (usually use Orzo) I prefer Dreamfields...less carbs!
     Parmesan cheese, shredded
     Milk...or half and half (just a little!)

In a large skillet (I like to use my electric skillet for this), melt the butter and mix with the olive oil...medium heat. Season the chicken with Canadian Steak seasoning and add it to the pan. Add the sliced garlic. Saute' the chicken until done, making sure the all sides are deliciously browned. Remove the chicken from the pan. Add the mushrooms to the pan drippings, adding a little butter if needed (or a little chicken broth). When mushrooms are done, remove from the pan and add the spinach. Just wilt it until all the leaves are tender. Remove from heat. Add the chicken and mushrooms back into the pan to keep warm until plating.

While the chicken, etc. is cooking, prepare the pasta according to the directions on the package. Drain. Place the pasta back into the pot and add Parmesan cheese and a little milk/half and half...just enough to coat the pasta/cheese mixture. (This is a VERY LIGHT version of an Alfredo sauce.)

To plate...place a serving of pasta on a plate. Top it with spinach. Add the chicken, followed by mushrooms. 

*Canadian Steak Seasoning is the name used by Tone's. Weber, Badia, and McCormick have their own blends and names. They are basically the same)

Enjoy!

Friday, October 26, 2012

YUM YUM CINNA-BUNS!

DON'T THESE ROLLS LOOK DELICIOUS???


Would you believe they were made with just a few simple ingredients? And all the rising was done OVERNIGHT in the oven?

But first...and I believe foremost...it starts with the perfect baking pan...the Demarle at Home Large Round Flexipan.

Now I know I talk about the Demarle products a lot...but they have streamlined my cooking life. And that's something to SHOUT about!!!

You know how much I hate cleaning up after a meal...
Well, with this pan (even with sticky, gooey cinnamon rolls) clean-up took about a minute! Yep...that's right! The rolls popped right out and all it took to clean the pan was a little hot soapy water, a quick rinse and shake to dry...and voila'...IT'S CLEAN.
Talk about EASY!!!

OK...enough about my pan....

 These cinnamon rolls are super easy to prepare...and you use FROZEN BREAD DOUGH!
 Place about 16 frozen rolls in the bottom of your pan. (If you are using Demarle, you do not need to grease/oil/spray the pan. If you are using conventional bakeware, PREPARE YOUR PAN.)

Sprinkle the rolls with about 3/4 cup brown sugar. Sprinkle several good shakes of cinnamon on top. (I use a lot, because we LOVE cinnamon...plus it's really good for you. Gotta have something "healthy" in this dish!) Then pour 1/2 cup butter (melted) over the top of the rolls/sugar. If desired, sprinkle with pecans. (You can use walnuts, but, hey, I'm southern. We live on pecans!)

Place the round mold on a Demarle perforated baking tray (you can use a regular baking sheet, if you don't have the holey kind) and cover the rolls with plastic wrap OR with an octagonal Silpat.
Put in a cold oven, overnight.

In the morning, open your oven and remove the tray with the rolls. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Then remove the plastic wrap/Silpat.
When the oven is ready, place the tray with the rolls back into the oven and bake for about 30 minutes.
This is what you get!

Let the pan of rolls sit for a couple of minutes, then invert onto a serving plate.
The round Flexipan slides right off... (I don't know how easy the conventional pans will do. I don't use them anymore!)
This is the cleanup! All I need to do is wash the Flexipan in some hot, soapy water, and shake it to dry it. (This is MY kind of cleanup!!!)
All you need to do now is pour yourself a cup of coffee and enjoy...

For a variation...You can use butterscotch pudding (the cook and serve kind), 1/2 cup brown sugar and 1 stick of butter (melted)...This is more like the traditional Monkey Bread.
or
If you wish, melt the butter in a saucepan, add the brown sugar, cinnamon, and, if desired, a little white sugar to the pan. Stir until melted. Dip the frozen bread dough into the butter mixture (USE TONGS! This mixture is HOT!!!), then place in the baking pan. Pour the remaining butter mixture over the rolls, cover and follow the rest of the directions.

This afternoon we're testing this technique with MINCED GARLIC and BUTTER!!! 
I can already smell it.....Ahhhhhhhh.

Enjoy!
Jane

I am linking up with Foodie Friday


Tuesday, September 25, 2012

THE GATOR

On a glorious afternoon, my friend and I were sitting by her pool, looking over the languid Florida lake when we noticed a small creature sunning on the lakeshore. It was a young gator! 

Still new to Florida, my friend had never seen one up close and was quite excited. We ran into the house to get our cameras
(of course!) and quietly headed to the beachfront to capture this little fellow on film. Being the foolish fearless Florida native who has lived near gators all my life, I slowly crept up behind the creature, snapping photos as I closed in. This little fellow seemed to be afraid to move...he just stayed still, posing for our shots.


We continued to close in on our gator, reveling in the thoughts that we could share our photos and story with our traveling husbands and imagining them telling us that we were stupid brave to try to capture our gator on film.

Closer and closer we crept with great trepidation, thinking that at any time, the gator would turn and snap at us...




that is until we noticed the sun glinting on his eye. 
It was a FAKE!!!




Did we ever feel foolish!!! But we did have a great story...








(This is a repeat from my early days of blogging. I saw a gator this morning, and thought of this tale. It was worth retelling again...)

Enjoy nature!
Jane

Posting with Outdoor Wednesday...

Saturday, September 8, 2012

CHICKEN ROULADES

Chicken Roulades...my new favorite dish to make. Why? 
Because it is so quick and easy ...and it's much more economical to prepare, than to purchase them at the meat market.

You know...I had not even thought of that until last night when one of my customers mentioned that she had just purchased 4 roulades for her family...and spent $20 on just the chicken dish! At our party, we made these tomato/spinach/Parmesan cheese stuffed roulades for under $10...and still had chicken left to make an appetizer!

The beauty of Chicken Roulades is that you can stuff them with just about anything. Chicken Cordon Bleu is a "roulade"...my Publix has these and other varieties available in the butcher shop. Other meat markets have them stuffed with crabmeat...cheddar cheese...even sausage! There are so many ways to prepare them...

The recipe for my version came from a fitness trainer...as part of the "HEALTHY COOKING" class we held last week. The original recipe required browning the roulades in a pan on the stove. But, I tweaked the recipe a bit, to use on my Demarle at Home Silpat...and to make the dish even easier! A quick dip in egg whites, mixed with a little chicken broth, then a roll in Italian Seasoned Bread Crumbs, and the roulades were ready to BAKE! You can bake these in traditional pans, but you will need to turn them during baking. But when using the Silpat and the Perforated Baking Tray, the roulades cook on both sides...in about 25 minutes! No turning....and best of all, cleanup takes just seconds with just a quick soap and water wash. 

These roulades were delicious, both hot and cold. They would also make a nice heavy appetizer...


For the "Healthy Cooking Class", we served the Roulades with red peppers stuffed with quinoa and vegetables, a shrimp/mango appetizer, Portobello Mushroom "Pizza", and Fresh Blueberry/Peach Crisp. Every recipe was approved by the fitness trainer...and all the dishes were DELICOUS and HEALTHY...and they're 
EVERYDAY EASY!

Enjoy! 

CHICKEN ROULADES
     with Tomato, Spinach and Parmesan Cheese


Boneless chicken breast (I used a cutlet...on sale), pounded THIN. Take the thin chicken breast...place a thin slice of fresh tomato on the breast. Add several leaves of fresh baby spinach. Sprinkle with a little shredded Parmesan cheese. Roll as tightly as you can. Fasten with toothpicks.  Dip the chicken roulade in a dish of beaten egg (or egg white) and a couple of tablespoons of chicken broth, mixed together. (Basically, you will "roll" the roulade in this mixture). Roll the roulade in Italian seasoned bread crumbs. (Light!) Place on Silpat/tray and bake at 375 for about 25 minutes (more or less, depending on the thickness of the chicken and the oven). Remove from Silpat and slice. (This is really a pretty presentation...white meat with red and green swirl)

If desired, you can make a sauce to pour over chicken...chicken broth, diced tomatoes, chopped spinach, a splash of white wine (actually calls for red wine vinegar...I think the wine would be better)and a little seasoning, such as garlic, onion, salt and pepper. Simmer while the chicken is baking...reducing the liquid. Spoon over the roulades. Sprinkle the top with a little chopped fresh basil.


I am connecting this Foodie Friday this week...check out all the fab recipes!

Thursday, August 30, 2012

RED PEPPERS STUFFED WITH QUINOA AND VEGGIES

HEALTHY EATING...

    That's what my host wanted to share with her guests.


On Saturday, I taught a cooking class for a fitness trainer and her clients. She wanted to show her guests that healthy foods can be delicious. She brought over several recipes she had clipped from magazines or copied from her cookbooks. I used these recipes as a guide and remade them into time-friendly recipes...things we could easily do during a cooking class. This Red Pepper recipe can be prepared using whole peppers. I used quarters...

Here is one of the favorite recipes...

RED PEPPERS STUFFED WITH QUINOA AND VEGGIES


3 RED PEPPERS (ORANGE OR YELLOW WORK, TOO)

OLIVE OIL

QUINOA

BLACK BEANS

CHOPPED TOMATO (1 MEDIUM)

CARROTS (CHOP OR THINLY SLICE…I USED ABOUT 6 BABY CARROTS)

FRESH SPINACH (CHOP…ABOUT ½ CUP)

RED ONION (FINELY CHOPPED…ABOUT ¼ CUP)

GROUND RED PEPPER, TO TASTE (I USED 2 SHAKES…ABOUT ¼ TSP)

PARMESAN CHEESE (FRESHLY SHREDDED…APPROXIMATELY 1 TSP PER PIECE OF PEPPER)

Cut red (or orange) pepper into quarters. Clean out the insides really well. Brush with a little olive oil. Set aside.
Cook 1/2 cup Quinoa with 1 cup water*...in Medium Round Flexi-Mold with Octagonal Silpat on top...in the microwave for 8 min on H. Stir, then cook an additional 2 minutes (you many need to add 2 tbsp of water here, just use your judgement) To the cooked quinoa, add black beans, thinly sliced carrots, chopped fresh spinach, finely chopped onion, a tsp of Olive oil, a little ground red pepper (be careful here...start with just a LITTLE bit and add more if desired), chopped tomato (I actually used about 1/2 can drained Rotel tomatoes with green chilis...because it was in the fridge). Add a little salt, to taste (I sprinkled Sel Gris...really strong flavor. I had to add more cooked quinoa to cut the salty taste. Be careful!) Mix all together, then mound mixture into pepper slices. Place the stuffed peppers on the Silpat/Perforated Baking Tray. Sprinkle a little shredded Parmesan Cheese on top and bake at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes. The peppers were softer, but still firm and a bit crunchy. The filling was warmed and cheese was melted. (You could bake for a little longer, if you wanted softer peppers.)

We enjoyed these stuffed peppers either hot or cold... They were served with Chicken Roulades (recipe to come), and a simple spinach salad. It was a very colorful plate...the best kind! I will share more of these recipes next week...


*Directions for cooking Quinoa in the microwave were found online. I googled cooking quinoa in the microwave. Stove top directions are there, too.


Enjoy!!!
Jane

I am linking with FOODIE FRIDAY.

Thursday, August 16, 2012

PARMESAN HASH BROWNS and BUTTERMILK BLUEBERRY BREAKFAST CAKE

Yesterday, I posted photos (on Facebook) of two more delicious dishes I made in my Demarle at Home FLEXIPANS...and I have had requests for these recipes over and over again... Since it's easier to share the recipes through my blog... here goes!






Parmesan Hash Brown Cups
By Monica  http://www.theyummylife.com            Servings: makes 12
(The original recipe has been modified to use in Demarle at Home Flexipans)
Ingredients
·         1 (20 oz) bag Simply Potatoes Shredded Hash Browns; OR 3-1/2 cups shredded russet potatoes, rinsed and squeezed dry in a towel
·         3 green onions, chopped (approx. 1/3 cup), both white and green parts (I used 2)
·         1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
·         1 teaspoon kosher salt
·         1/2 teaspoon black pepper
·         2 tablespoon olive oil
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the Muffin Flexipan on the medium perforated baking sheet and set aside. In large bowl, combine potatoes, onions, cheese, salt, and pepper. Toss lightly with a fork. Drizzle on olive oil. Toss with fork again until mixture is well combined. Spoon mixture evenly into 12 muffin cups. With the back of the spoon, apply gentle pressure to pack mixture into each cup. Bake for 60-75 minutes in lower third of oven. Let rest for 5 minutes. The potato cups should pop right out of the flexipan, but if needed, gently press the bottom of the muffin flexipan to release each potato cup out and place on serving plate. (The recipe suggests inverting the potato cup, serving it bottom side up, but there was no difference in the top or bottom. Both were perfectly browned . Good served warm or room temperature.

MAKE AHEAD FOR COOKING LATER: Combine mixture, spoon it into muffin flexipan, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until ready to bake. Remove from fridge 30 minutes before baking time. May be made the night before to cook and serve for breakfast the next day.

MAKE AND COOK AHEAD FOR REHEATING LATER: These are best when eaten freshly baked. However, they can be baked ahead of time, refrigerated or frozen, and reheated before serving. They lose some of their crispiness when reheated, but the texture and taste is still good.

FOR BITE-SIZE TATER TOTS - make them in mini muffin pans.
 

SERVING SIZE = 1-2 hash brown cups per person


BUTTERMILK BLUEBERRY BREAKFAST CAKE


(MacDaddy REALLY loved this! Light texture, full of fresh blueberries, and not too sweet!)

Buttermilk Blueberry Breakfast Cake
Recipe modified to use in a Demarle at Home Flexipan

Serves 6-8
½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature

2 tsp. lemon zest or more — zest from 1 large lemon

7/8 cup* 

1 egg, room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. kosher salt
2 cups fresh blueberries
½ cup buttermilk


2 Tbsp. sugar for sprinkling on top of cake

* 7/8 cup = 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons





1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Cream butter with lemon zest and 7/8 cup of the sugar until light and fluffy.

2. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until combined. Meanwhile, toss the blueberries with ¼ cup of flour, then whisk together the remaining flour, baking powder and salt.

3. Add the flour mixture to the batter a little at a time, alternating with the buttermilk. Fold in the blueberries.

4. Place a Demarle at Home Flexi-pan on the Medium Perforated Baking Sheet. DO NOT USE OIL, BUTTER, NON-STICK SPRAY!!! Spread batter into pan.  Bake for 35 minutes. Check with a toothpick for doneness. If necessary, return pan to oven for a couple of more minutes. (Note: Baking for as long as 10 minutes more might be necessary.) Let cool at least 15 minutes before unmolding the cake onto a serving plate. Sprinkle the cake with the remaining sugar.

***I found both of these recipes on Pinterest and modified them to use in Demarle at Home Flexipans...Both dishes come out cleanly from the molds/pans. Cleanup is just a quick soap and water wash. These Flexis make cooking healthier and EVERYDAY EASY!!! If you would like to know more about these pans, please email me.

Enjoy!
Jane

I am linking up with Foodie Friday!

Saturday, August 4, 2012

FINALLY...TASTY BAKED DONUTS!

For the past 2 weeks, I have been testing baked donut recipes to use in my new Donut Flexi-pan. Although the pumpkin donut recipe that's floating around Pinterest is tasty...MacDaddy is not a fan of pumpkin (except for pumpkin pie). The other recipes I have tested ended up in the trash...

except for the small plate that Rowdy snitched. (Doesn't he look innocent?)

This morning, I tried one more...and SCORE! It was delicious!!!

The texture was closest to a "DD" cake donut...fluffy and light...but without that "fried" taste. It worked beautifully in my new Donut Flexi-pan!

They were especially good after I dipped them in melted butter and cinnamon-sugar. (But then, what isn't good with butter/cinnamon-sugar?)


Baked Donuts
(Recipe is from Wilton)

2 cups cake flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 eggs, slightly beaten
2 Tbsp butter, melted

1.  Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. (If using a Flexi-pan, do not spray/grease donut wells. If using a conventional pan, be sure to prep the pan)

2.  Sift cake flour, sugar, baking powder, nutmeg, and salt together into a large mixing bowl. Stir in buttermilk, eggs, and melted butter. Mix until just combined. (Do not overmix!) Fill each donut well about 2/3 full.

3.  Bake 7-9 minutes***, or until the top of the donuts spring back when touched. Cool in pan for about 3-4 minutes before removing the donuts.

4.  Dip each donut into melted butter, then into cinnamon-sugar.

These donuts are best when eaten the day you prepare them!

***Using the Donut Flexi-pan, in my oven, it took about 15 minutes before the tops of the donut turned golden. Adjust your baking time according to your oven...

Makes 12 standard sized donuts or 20 donuts in the Demarle at Home Donut Flexi-pan*
       *If using the Flexi-pan, be sure to add a little water to any empty well, before baking.

Enjoy!
Jane

Linking with FOODIE FRIDAY!

Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Oui Oui... Patisserie

This past weekend, I had the privilege to spend time observing and interacting with Stephane Glacier...one of the top pastry chefs in the world. 

He was the guest speaker/exhibitor for our Demarle at Home conference. Oh my! What beautiful and delicious creations he prepared in front of us...using our bakeware. (After all, it's the same professional bakeware he uses in his Patisserie in France...just downsized for home kitchens.)
Below are a few of his gorgeous and DELICIOUS creations:


These hazelnut and orange cakes, topped with Pistachio Mousseline Cream and a raspberry, were prepared before our eyes...then used as a part of the dessert for our closing Gala. Oh.....they were delicious!!! (These were baked in our new "donut" mold, then dipped in Beaume' syrup (that's Simple Syrup to us southerners...1 cup water to 1 cup sugar)


These cakes were baked in one of our molds...then filled with Ganache and Caramel. 


Sweet Spoons were made with an almond dough and topped with Diplomate Cream and a black raspberry. (These were made with the new DAH spoon dough cutter and mold)


We did not taste just sweet offerings...we learned to make savory cakes, too. This is a salty sponge cake topped with salmon butter. He also topped slices of the sponge cake with olive tapanade and goat cheese mousse. (He made the sponge cake in the DAH Flexipat, baking it with a Silpat and Perforated Baking Tray on top to keep the cake uniform in size. Great tip!!!)


But my favorite was the French Macaroon...here he made a macaroon "lollipop" and placed them in a glass of sugar. To the left, he used the macaroon batter to make the heart with fruit and pistachio mousseline cream. Mmmmmmm....

I wish I had photos of all the macaroons he made...but my camera is acting up again! We had white macaroons filled with chocolate, Chocolate macaroons filled with chocolate, yellow macaroons with salted butter caramel filling, and of course, pink macaroons with raspberry filling. 
(Note the photo of the new DAH Macaroon Silpat.)

Photo taken from the overhead screen...shows macaroon lollipops being  prepared.
At each of our morning and afternoon breaks, trays of these delicious creations were available for our tasting. By Saturday afternoon, I had had all the sugary treats I could stand! (I usually do not eat much sugar!)  At this point, he made a tray of simple meringue kisses...just enough for a tiny taste of sweetness that melted in your mouth. They were so good...especially with the upteenth cup of coffee (I think I drank more coffee during this conference that I do in a normal MONTH!)

Here is Stephane Glacier's recipe for Macaroons

300 g icing sugar (10.6 oz)
300 g white almond powder (10.6 oz)
110 g raw egg whites (3.9 oz)
desired amount of food coloring

300 g sugar (10.6 oz)
75 g water (2.6 oz)
110 g egg whites (3.9 oz)

Process:

Mix the icing sugar and the almond powder in a processor. 
In an electric mixer fitted with a flat beater, mix the first mixture with the egg white and the food coloring to make an almond paste.
Cook the water and the sugar at 118 degrees C (244.4 degrees F). Pour over the whisked egg whites to make an Italian meringue. Let the mixture turn at average speed until the meringue reaches 40 degrees C (104 degrees F) Add delicately and progressively the meringue into the almond paste. Fold the mixture back into itself with a spatula until smooth and shiny.
With a pastry bag fitted with a 0 8mm (0.31 in.) round tip, pipe into balls on a Silpat. Bake on oven trays approx. 12 minutes at 150 degrees C (302 degrees F) in a convection oven or on double trays at 170 degrees C (158 degrees F) in a deck oven.

*Note from Chef Glacier:  Measure every ingredient on a metric scale. When using eggs or egg whites, place them, covered, in the refrigerator the day before you plan to use them. Some of the liquid evaporates and they thicken up. THEN measure them on the metric scale to use in your recipe.

Hope you enjoy the visual feast...and try the Macaroon recipe... I am looking forward to the humidity dropping here, so I can try them.

Happy cooking!
Jane

I am linking with FOODIE FRIDAY. Be sure to stop by and check out this week's offerings.

Saturday, July 28, 2012

BACON!!!


I'll NEVER fry bacon again!

Now that I have discovered baking bacon, I'll be happy to throw away my frying pan.

Although I have always loved the taste of fried bacon, I HATED the mess that was left behind. Even with a splatter guard, I always seemed to have grease droplets on the counter...the cabinet doors...the stove.

NO MORE!!!

From now on, I'll be baking bacon in the oven...350' for 15 minutes was perfect for our taste. If you prefer crispier bacon...add a few minutes. And, if you wish to have a little bit of sweetness...add a sprinkling of brown sugar.

PURE BLISS!!!

(The pan you see in my oven is a Flexipat by Demarle at Home.  The bacon grease pours right off the pan...And for any of you southern girls who use bacon dripping for seasoning your veggies, you can pour the drippings right into your jar! The pan cleans up with a quick wash with soap and water. 
My kind of clean up!!!

Enjoy!
Jane

Check out the wonderful recipes on Foodie Friday
*I am an independent consultant for Demarle at Home. .