Super Bowl Soft Pretzels

Super Bowl Sunday is coming up this weekend and I thought I would share one of my personal favorite Super Bowl snacks, Soft Pretzels. Although the New England Patriots aren’t playing in the “Big Game” this year, I will still be watching with plenty of fabulous snacks and drinks. Soft pretzels are an excellent snack to serve this Sunday because they are both child and adult friendly. Serve different dipping sauces on the side, such as a savory cheese sauce or spicy mustard or turn them into a dessert and serve with melted chocolate, or carmel sauce.

This Super Bowl Soft Pretzel recipe reminds of a little, hole-in-the- wall, restaurant near the famous Faneuil Hall Marketplace in Boston, Massachusetts. The pretzels they serve there are “as big as your head” and although my version isn’t quite as enormous, they are equally delicious. Warm, soft, and salty – these game day pretzels are sure to please even your pickiest guests. The recipe I created is similar to the one below by Alton Brown. Working with yeast can be difficult, and creating a recipe using yeast is even more difficult. I will not be sharing my original recipe, as I want to keep it a family secret. Enjoy this recipe by Alton Brown which is similar and makes great soft pretzels.

Alton's Homemade Soft Pretzels

Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2007

Show: Good Eats, Episode: Pretzel Logic 

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups warm (110 to 115 degrees F) water

1 tablespoon sugar

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 package active dry yeast

22 ounces all-purpose flour, approximately 4 1/2 cups

2 ounces unsalted butter, melted

Vegetable oil, for pan

10 cups water

2/3 cup baking soda

1 large egg yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon water

Pretzel salt

Directions:

1. Combine the water, sugar and kosher salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the yeast on top. Allow to sit for 5 minutes or until the mixture begins to foam. Add the flour and butter and, using the dough hook attachment, mix on low speed until well combined. Change to medium speed and knead until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the side of the bowl, approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the dough from the bowl, clean the bowl and then oil it well with vegetable oil. Return the dough to the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and sit in a warm place for approximately 50 to 55 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size.
2. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line 2 half-sheet pans with parchment paper and lightly brush with the vegetable oil. Set aside.
3. Bring the 10 cups of water and the baking soda to a rolling boil in an 8-quart saucepan or roasting pan.
4. In the meantime, turn the dough out onto a slightly oiled work surface and divide into 8 equal pieces. Roll out each piece of dough into a 24-inch rope. Make a U-shape with the rope, holding the ends of the rope, cross them over each other and press onto the bottom of the U in order to form the shape of a pretzel. Place onto the parchment-lined half sheet pan.
5. Place the pretzels into the boiling water, 1 by 1, for 30 seconds. Remove them from the water using a large flat spatula. Return to the half sheet pan, brush the top of each pretzel with the beaten egg yolk and water mixture and sprinkle with the pretzel salt. Bake until dark golden brown in color, approximately 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack for at least 5 minutes before serving.

Chocolate Heart Lollipops

Chocolate lollipops are such an easy and fun treat to make for Valentine’s Day.  Don’t worry if you aren’t great at cooking, because these lollipops only require you to know how to work a microwave! I bought the molds for these pops at an online candy shop, but stores such as JoAnns, Michaels or Hobby Lobby would have something similar. Add food dye to make different colors, and top with sprinkles to make them even more charming. I always hear from people that either don’t have time to bake or don’t like too – but yet they want to create something special for the holidays. This recipe is great for that person, as these pops are so simple to create – even the most novice in the kitchen can make them.

The real appeal of these lollipops is the decorative packaging. Wrapped in cellophane bags and tied with ribbon, these make a great Valentine gift; whether it is for your child’s class, friends or your special Valentine.

This recipe will yield 10, 1/5” heart pops.

Ingredients:

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup white chocolate chips
Pink food dye
Heart shaped lollipop molds
Lollipop sticks

Sprinkles

Directions:

1. Place semi-sweet chocolate and white chocolate in separate microwave safe bowls. Microwave the chocolate individually until melted, stirring after every 45 seconds to prevent burning. I set my microwave on 50% power. I especially recommend this for the white chocolate, as that burns very easily.
2. Melt one bowl of chocolate at a time until its completely melted and smooth. If you want to make the white chocolate pink like I did, add a few drops of food dye to the bowl and mix until combined. Take a small spoon and fill each heart shaped mold, with the chocolate of your choosing. Tap side of mold slightly to get rid of air bubbles.
3. Insert the lollipop sticks into the molds, and cover the top of the sticks with chocolate. Use a knife to scrape the chocolate on the back of the mold so it is flat across. Add sprinkles to back of mold, while chocolate is still soft. Refrigerate the mold to harden the chocolate, 30 minutes to an hour.
4. Once the chocolates are hard, pop them out of the mold. Wrap in cellophane packaging and tie with a ribbon.

Brownie Bites with Strawberry Frosting

If the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach… well, I think these will do the trick! A soft, cake like brownie is topped with flavorful strawberry buttercream frosting. Top with edible glitter and a candy heart, for a cute Valentine’s Day dessert.

Last year my mom and I catered a Valentine’s Day dessert party, and we came up with these pint sized treats. To me, nothing says Valentines Day more than chocolate and strawberries and these brownie bites are the perfect balance of both.

Ingredients:

For the Brownies (This is the Hershey Chocolate brownie recipe)

1/2 cup flour

1/3 cup cocoa

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup butter

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 large eggs

For Frosting

1/2 cup chopped strawberries

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar, sifted

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 tbsp strawberry jam

1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted, divided

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a mini muffin tin with a generous amount of cooking spray. Sift together flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt. Melt butter in a 10 - 12 cup saucepan over moderate heat. Stir in sugar and vanilla, and add eggs one at a time. Stir in dry ingredients, and stir in nuts. Spread smoothly in prepared pan. Bake 10 -13 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the center just barely comes out clean.
2. Cool in pan 15 minutes. Cover with rack and turn pan over. Remove Let stand until cool. While cooling start the frosting.
3. For the frosting, place chopped strawberries in a blender and puree until smooth.
4. Pour strawberry puree into a saucepan and cook over medium/high heat. Bring to a boil and stir often until puree is reduced by half. This process should take about 15 minutes. Once reduced, remove from heat and allow to cool.
5. Beat butter with an electric mixer on high in a bowl until it is light and fluffy. Slowly add one cup of powdered sugar and blend until combined.
6. Beat the strawberry jam and vanilla into butter/sugar mixture until blended. Slowly mix in the strawberry puree until blended. Add the rest of the powdered sugar and blend until frosting is at desired consistency. Pipe on brownies and top with edible glitter or sprinkles,  and a candy heart. 

White Chocolate Strawberry Cupcakes

Happy Birthday to my incredible mom! I wouldn’t know how to cook or bake if it wasn’t for her.  Some of my fondest memories of my mom and I spending time together, believe it or not, are in the kitchen! We have baked Christmas cookies, catered a Valentine’s Day dessert party, baked pretzels for the first time, made bread and many other delicious creations. We’ve also had some not so found memories… like when I spilled an entire bottle of vegetable oil on our marble floors, or tried working with marshmallow fondant in July, in Florida when its 96 degrees outside or when our family dog Max ate almost every cupcake on the counter. Needless to say, I have to give her credit for teaching me everything I know about cooking, baking and decorating.

My dad called me the other day and informed me I was in charge of the cake for my mom’s birthday party. I was debating and debating which kind of cake to make and finally settled on this recipe. This frosting is simply amazing, and there are no artificial flavors - which I love! Use your favorite vanilla cupcake recipe for a base and make this delicious frosting to go on top. I also quickly made up some white chocolate covered strawberries for a garnish. Simply melt about a cup of white chocolate chips, dip a strawberry in and add a few sprinkles. Allow to harden for about 30 minutes and you’ll have a cute topper for your cupcake!

Ingredients:

12 baked vanilla cupcakes

For Frosting

1 cup chopped strawberries

1 cup butter

1 cup confectioner’s sugar, sifted

1 tsp vanilla

2 tbsp strawberry jam

3 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted, divided

Directions:

1. For the frosting, place chopped strawberries in a blender and puree until smooth.
2. Pour strawberry puree into a saucepan and cook over medium/high heat. Bring to a boil and stir often until puree is reduced by half. This process should take about 15 minutes. Once reduced, remove from heat and allow to cool.
3. Beat butter with an electric mixer on high in a bowl until it is light and fluffy. Slowly add one cup of powdered sugar and blend until combined.
4. Beat the strawberry jam and vanilla into butter/sugar mixture until blended. Slowly mix in the strawberry puree until blended. Add the rest of the powdered sugar and blend until frosting is at desired consistency. Frost cupcakes and top with a white chocolate covered strawberry, and cover in sprinkles.  

Strawberry Heart Milkshake

This Strawberry Heart Milkshake is perfectly pink and filled with strawberry flavor. Top it off with whipped cream, and heart shaped sprinkles for a fun Valentines Day treat. I made this in my Vitamix mixer (my new favorite kitchen gadget!) but you can use whatever blender you have, just make sure all of the ingredients are blended well together. Milkshakes are a fun item to serve if you are having a Valentines Day party, a yummy desert for your sweetie or even a fun breakfast for your kids on the 14^th – If you’re feeling extra sweet!

With Valentines Day just around the corner, shades of pink and red are popping up everywhere. Up until the 14^th I’ll be posting my favorite V-Day treats, and there will be everything from breakfast and dinner ideas, festive drinks, and my favorite deserts! 

Ingredients:

3 oz can frozen pink lemonade concentrate

1/4 c. milk

1 cup frozen unsweetened strawberries

1 1/4 cup vanilla ice cream

Fresh strawberries, whipped cream and Valentine’s Day sprinkles for garnish

Directions:

1. Place ingredients in Vitamix in order of list. Secure top.
2. Select frozen dessert program.
3. Switch machine on and allow to complete program. Use tamper to press ingredients into blades.
4. Garnish

Makes two servings. Recipe is adapted from Vitamix cookbook.

Banana Bread Muffins with Cinnamon Crumble

Breakfast has always been one of my favorite meals, so much so I often have breakfast food for dinner. Weekend breakfasts are even better, because I have more time to create a scrumptious meal. Banana bread has always been one of my much loved breakfast foods, whether it be filled with chocolate chips, toasted with peanut butter or even topped with coconut and lime.  This recipe for Banana Bread Muffins with Cinnamon Crumble is just as marvelous as it sounds.

A traditional banana bread recipe is topped with a cinnamon streusel topping – which is to die for! For even more crunch, add some chopped walnuts, either in the batter or in the streusel topping. These muffins are very flavorful and moist with a bit of a slight crunch from the topping. If you are a fan of cinnamon sugar, I’d highly recommend trying this recipe.

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

3-4 large ripe bananas, mashed

¾ cup white sugar

1 egg

1/3 cup melted butter

½ cup brown sugar

¼ teaspoon of cinnamon

1 tablespoon of flour

1 tablespoon of butter

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line muffin tins with paper liners.
2. In a bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
3. Peel bananas, and mash them on a plate with a fork. In a bowl combine mashed bananas, white sugar, egg, and melted butter. Mix until combined. Evenly pour mixture into muffin tin.
4. In a small bowl combine brown sugar, cinnamon, flour and butter. Mix with hands until it is the consistency of cornmeal. Sprinkle about a tablespoon of streusel on top of each muffin. Bake in a preheated oven for 10 to 13 minutes. 

Real Meatballs and Spaghetti, Barefoot Contessa

Ina Garten is one of my favorite chefs, and every recipe I have made of hers always turns out fabulous. This recipe for Real Meatballs and Spaghetti, from Barefoot Contessa Family Style (2002) is no different. A perfect weekend meal, this recipe feeds a crowd and makes great leftovers throughout the week. Ina’s recipes are so marvelous because she uses simple and fresh ingredients every time. Use the finest quality of everything you can, as it really makes all the difference. 

What makes this recipe so grand is the meatballs, and adding the red wine to the sauce. Three different types of meat are used and then traditional and simple ingredients bring them together. By adding a little red wine to the sauce, it really brings out the other flavors and adds a twist on the Italian classic. A perfect meal for a cold winter day – don’t forget the merlot!

Ingredients:

For the meatballs

1/2 pound ground veal

1/2 pound ground pork

1 pound ground beef

1 cup fresh white bread crumbs (4 slices, crusts removed)

1/4 cup seasoned dry bread crumbs

2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 extra-large egg, beaten

Vegetable oil

Olive oil

For the sauce

1 tablespoon good olive oil

1 cup chopped yellow onion (1 onion)

1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic

1/2 cup good red wine, such as Chianti

1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes, or plum tomatoes in puree, chopped

1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For serving:

1 1/2 pounds spaghetti, cooked according to package directions

Freshly grated Parmesan

Directions:

1. Place the ground meats, both bread crumbs, parsley, Parmesan, salt, pepper, nutmeg, egg, and 3/4 cup warm water in a bowl. Combine very lightly with a fork. Using your hands, lightly form the mixture into 2-inch meatballs. You will have 14 to 16 meatballs.
2. Pour equal amounts of vegetable oil and olive oil into a large (12-inch) skillet to a depth of 1/4-inch. Heat the oil. Very carefully, in batches, place the meatballs in the oil and brown them well on all sides over medium-low heat, turning carefully with a spatula or a fork. This should take about 10 minutes for each batch. Don't crowd the meatballs. Remove the meatballs to a plate covered with paper towels. Discard the oil but don't clean the pan.
3. For the sauce, heat the olive oil in the same pan. Add the onion and saute over medium heat until translucent, 5 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the wine and cook on high heat, scraping up all the brown bits in the pan, until almost all the liquid evaporates, about 3 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, parsley, salt, and pepper.
4. Return the meatballs to the sauce, cover, and simmer on the lowest heat for 25 to 30 minutes, until the meatballs are cooked through. Serve hot on cooked spaghetti and pass the grated Parmesan.