Jalapeño Poppers for the Fainthearted

Those of you who like the idea of jalapeño poppers, but can’t take the heat, these are for you. In order to remove the heat from jalapeños, all you need to do is soak them in cold water, the longer you do so, the less heat you will have. I wanted my poppers to have no heat whatsoever, so that the delicious flavor of the jalapeño could come through. The beauty of this is that all of the prep work can be done ahead of time. If you have never been able to eat jalapeño poppers before, you need this recipe.

Jalapeño Poppers for the Fainthearted

 1 8-oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened

1 c. shredded cheddar cheese

¼ c. Duke's mayonnaise

1 1-oz. (3 T.) pkg. Ranch Salad Dressing Mix

1½ t. garlic powder

10 Melissa’s jalapeno peppers

1 lb. thin sliced bacon, cut in half

 A day ahead of time place the jalapeños in a medium-size bowl of water and place it in the fridge. The morning of the day that you plan to make these, put on kitchen gloves, cut them in half, and remove the ribs and seeds. Put them back into the bowl, cover them with fresh water, and put them back into the refrigerator for at least three more hours. An hour before assembly, remove them from the bowl and place them cut side down on a double paper towel-lined plate and allow them to dry.

 Preheat an oven to 400°F.

 With a hand-held mixer, mix together the cream cheese, cheddar cheese, mayonnaise, ranch dressing mix, and garlic powder in a medium bowl until evenly blended.

 Divide mixture between jalapeño halves. (I like to pipe the cheese into them because I find it quicker and easier). Wrap with half a bacon strip, and secure with a toothpick. Arrange the wrapped jalapeno halves onto a broiler pan.

 Bake until the bacon is no longer pink and beginning to brown, about 20 minutes.

 

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Laundry Room Makeover

 

I have made a lot of changes to this house, and have enjoyed every one of them. The other day, as I was tripping over junk in the laundry room, nearly plunging down a couple of steps into the garage, I wondered why I hadn’t done anything with that grubby, wretched little pass-through known as the laundry room. I got in touch with my faithful builder, Joe, and asked him to come out and take a look at it to see what we could do. I knew that I wanted cabinets. I was sick and tired of piling cleaning products and laundry detergent on top of the dryer, only to be knocked to the floor, often landing on one of my bare feet.

Here is the result of our conference. It’s amazing what a little paint, crown molding, and Home Depot cabinetry can do. It went from a place I tried to ignore to one I enjoy seeing.

The wall paint is Sherwin-Williams "Foothills;” I have used this same paint in both of my upstairs bathrooms. Despite it being a dark color, it does not make the room look small, particularly when there is the addition of white crown molding.

The shelf is nothing more than a finished board set on these brackets. The cabinets are stock cabinets from Home Depot.

The baskets on the shelf I got at Pottery Barn Kids years ago. They hold cleaning rags and plastic bags; the cute little laundry room sign I found here.

The non-skid floor mat is a welcome addition. It’s easy on the legs, inexpensive, and can be found here.

Because the cabinet above the freezer is difficult to get to, I store things in there that I’m only likely to use a couple of times a year. As a consequence I used a little bit of greenery, and a macramé table runner, to spruce it up.

 

I love my new space!

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 This post is shared on Metamorphosis Monday.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake

Do you ever hear yourself say something, and while you’re saying it you wonder what the heck is happening? I had an experience like this last week when I heard myself tell my son that I would make him a cake that I saw online for him for his birthday. What was I thinking? I’ve told you all that I don’t bake. The fact that I offered to bake doesn’t alter the fact that I really don’t do it. As luck would have it, I did bake the cake, it was delicious, and it looked beautiful! Frankly, I surprised myself.

This is one of those cakes that, unless you are willing to devote an entire day to, don’t even consider making it. I tend to involve myself in such things when there’s a day baseball game. I find that the nerve-racking game can counteract the nerve-racking cake baking process, everything levels out, and I’m relatively calm. It’s either that, or the double martini that I poured before I started baking, but I digress.

This cake is special. It’s time consuming, but there is nothing here that isn’t completely doable for even the most inexperienced baker, of which I am one. It’s a showstopper to be sure. If there is someone special in your life, or someone about to celebrate a milestone event, give this some consideration.

 Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake

As seen on Sally’s Baking Addiction

1¾ c. flour

¾ c. unsweetened natural cocoa powder (not Dutch process)

1¾ c. sugar

2 t. baking soda

1 t. baking powder

1 t. salt

2 t. espresso powder

½ c. vegetable oil

2 large eggs, room temperature

¾ c. sour cream, room temperature

½ c. buttermilk, room temperature

2 t. vanilla extract

½ c. black coffee

1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips (tossed in 1 T. flour)

 Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray the heck out of three 8” cake pans with Baker’s Joy; set aside.

Make the cake: Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and espresso powder together in a large bowl. Set aside. Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, mix the oil, eggs, and sour cream together on medium-high speed until combined. Add the buttermilk and vanilla, and beat until combined. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, add the hot coffee, and whisk or beat on low speed until the batter is completely combined. Fold in the flour-coated chocolate chips. Batter is thin and you may see some air bubbles on the surface—that’s normal.

 Divide batter evenly between 3 pans. Bake for approximately 24–26 minutes. Baking times vary, so keep an eye on yours. The cakes are done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Remove the cakes from the oven and set on a wire rack. Allow cooling completely in the pan. The cakes may slightly sink in the middle as they cool—that’s expected.

PEANUT BUTTER FROSTING

 ¾ c. (1-1/2 sticks) butter, room temperature

1¾ c. creamy peanut butter (Jif recommended)

1¾ c. confectioners’ sugar

1 t. vanilla extract

Pinch of salt

3 T. heavy cream, room temperature

 As the cakes cool, make the peanut butter frosting: With a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium high speed until creamy and smooth, about 2 minutes. With a rubber spatula, scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.

 Add the peanut butter and beat until completely combined, about 1–2 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed to help combine. Mixture will be thin. Add confectioners’ sugar, vanilla extract, and salt and then pour in the heavy cream with the mixer running on low speed.

 After all of the cream has been added, turn the mixer up to medium-high speed and beat for 1–2 minutes, or until fully combined and creamy. Add up to 1/4 cup more confectioners’ sugar if frosting seems quite thin. You should end up with about 3.5–4 cups of peanut butter frosting. This amount makes enough for the filling, crumb coat, and for a little piping on top.

 Assemble cake + apply crumb coat: Place 1 cake layer on your cake stand or serving plate. Using a large icing spatula, evenly cover the top with about 1 cup peanut butter frosting. Repeat with 2nd and 3rd cake layers, spreading about 1 cup of peanut butter frosting in between each layer. Spread a thin layer of frosting on the top and around the sides as a crumb coat. Run a bench scraper around the cake to smooth out crumb coat. Chill uncovered in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes and up to 3 hours to set the crumb coat.

CHOCOLATE GANACHE

 2 4-oz. quality semi-sweet chocolate bars (8 oz), finely chopped

1 c. heavy cream

Optional garnish: chopped or mini peanut butter cups

 As your crumb coat sets, make the chocolate ganache: Place finely chopped chocolate in a medium heat-proof bowl. Heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until it begins to gently simmer. (Do not let it come to a rapid boil—that’s too hot!) Pour over chocolate, and then let it sit for 2–3 minutes to gently soften the chocolate.

 With a metal spoon or small rubber spatula, very slowly stir until chocolate has melted and mixture is smooth. Ganache is thin. The finer you chopped the chocolate, the quicker it will melt with the cream. If it’s not melting, DO NOT MICROWAVE it. Once ganache mixture is smooth, let it chill for 20-30 minutes in the refrigerator to thicken before spreading on chilled crumb-coated cake.

 Pour/spoon thickened ganache on chilled cake. Smooth the top with a large icing spatula and the sides with a bench scraper.  If desired, pipe remaining peanut butter frosting around the edge of the cake.

 I used Wilton 1M piping tip on the pictured cake. Garnish with peanut butter cups, if desired. Serve cake immediately or chill, uncovered, for up to 4–6 hours before serving. Cake can be served at room temperature or chilled.

 Cover leftover cake tightly and store in the refrigerator for 5 days. I like using a cake carrier for storing and transporting.

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Summertime Supper Tablescape

This week's table is another situation like I had a couple of weeks ago wherein I replaced a few items on an existing table to make something entirely new. You can acquaint yourself with my last table here.

 

As you can see, the round tablecloth in burlap, artificial Monstera leaves, and woven placemats are all the same. Additionally, I left the Bordallo Pinheiro geranium leaf chargers in place, as well as the Blanc Amelie pattern Maison Versailles dinner plate. But this time I topped that dinner plate with a salad plate in the Portmeirion Garden Harmony pattern. I love the leaf border, and anything leafy seems to be perfect for the conservatory.

 On top of that I placed a soup bowl that I inherited from my mother, is decades old, and a part of a luncheon set that you can read about here. These little beauties are made in the good old USA by Hartstone.

Cups and saucers are also a part of Portmeirion’s Garden Harmony, as well as the beautiful stemware.

The stemware inspired the centerpiece which is nothing more than a ceramic plant pot filled with faux hydrangeas and tulips, along with sprigs of real lavender, the same lavender that I used to drape the plates in my last table setting.

Flatware remains the same, one of my favorites, Wallace silversmiths Napoleon bee flatware, and they rest on top of vintage cream napkins that used to belong to my mother. I’ll tell you what, back in the day they made napkins to last. These are at least 30 years old.

 

 In keeping with the garden theme, I added this sweet little cream pitcher that is part of my collection of restaurantware, this particular piece is from the Shenango China Company.

Salt and pepper shakers I’ve had for ages, I used them to add a bit of crystal to that side of the table.

Keep this in mind when you’re setting your table. There’s nothing wrong, first of all, with repeating a table that you’ve used in the past, and second, just changing that table up a bit to give you something entirely new.

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  This post is linked to: Tablescape Thursday

Chili’s Monterey Chicken

While digging through my, let’s call them “archives,” I stumbled upon a recipe that my cousin had given me years back, a clone of a popular dish at Chili’s restaurants. Finding this recipe brought back a lot of memories because I used to make this quite often for my boys. The beauty of this recipe is that it serves one (How many recipes do you have that are like that?), but can also easily be made into multiples to serve as many as you like. Considering the attractive and tasty result, nothing is easier, plus there is the added bonus that it can be made ahead, reheats beautifully, and frankly, I don’t know anyone who doesn’t love it.

Chili’s Monterey Chicken
Serves 1

1 boneless skinless chicken breast*
1 T. butter
1 T. olive oil
1 T. barbecue sauce (use your favorite)
2 slices of bacon, cooked crisp
¼ c. Monterey Jack and cheddar cheese blend

Note: anytime I make any type of chicken I marinate it overnight in buttermilk. It makes a world of difference in the tenderness and juiciness of the chicken. If you have time, do this.

Preheat broiler.

Pound chicken breast until it is somewhat flattened, and season both sides with salt and pepper.

 Place oil and butter in a nonstick skillet over medium/high heat. When butter has melted, place chicken breast in pan and cook three minutes per side for a total of six minutes. You want the chicken to be seared on both sides, and done in the middle. Transfer chicken to individual dishes (I like au gratin dishes) or a casserole dish if you’re serving more than one.

Top chicken breast with barbecue sauce, bacon, and cheese. Broil until cheese is melted. Sprinkle the top with chopped tomato, chopped scallion, chives; whatever blows your skirt up.

*To save myself time and trouble, I bought flattened chicken at the market. 

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Cherry Almond Crunch No-Churn Ice Cream

 I am not a huge fan of ice cream. I know that statement can be a bit controversial, but for the most part I can take it or leave it. One evening, after coming in from watering the potted vegetable plants at 9 PM when the temperature was still 92° outside, I thought a bowl of ice cream sounded pretty good. I set to work making this recipe so that by the next evening it would be ready. Despite the multiple steps, this is really very simple to do. Get your cherries going while you’re candying your almonds so that they can both be cooling at the same time. Then whip up the remaining ingredients, fold everything together, and turn it into a loaf pan to freeze. It is SO good!

Cherry Almond Crunch No-Churn Ice Cream

Slightly adapted from surlatable.com

 Ice Cream Ingredients

2 c. heavy cream

1 14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk

1 T. pure vanilla extract

Almond Crunch

1¼ c. silvered almonds

2 T. unsalted butter

7 T. sugar

Cherry Puree

2 c. Melissa's bing cherries, pitted

1 t. fresh lemon juice

½ c. sugar

In a small heavy-bottomed saucepan mix together the almonds, sugar, and butter together. Heat over medium high heat until butter and sugar are completely melted, and almonds are well coated, stirring occasionally to prevent burning, 2-3 minutes. Spread the almonds onto parchment paper, breaking apart as you do, and allow to cool. 

In a medium sauce pan mix together cherries, lemon juice, and sugar. Cook over medium heat until cherries reduce by half. Allow to cool completely. 

In a medium bowl, whisk together the whipped cream, sweetened condensed milk, and vanilla extract until still peaks form. Gently fold in cooled cherries and almonds until fully incorporated. Pour the ice cream batter into a freezer safe container. (I used a 9” x 5” loaf pan)

Top the ice cream with any additional almonds or cherries. Freeze for at least 5-6 hours but overnight is best.

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Pecan Chicken

If you thought that a delicious 30-minute meal that is also elegant enough to serve to company an impossibility, let me introduce you to Pecan Chicken. Not only does this meal come together in a flash, but it can be made ahead and reheated. Simply cover your ovenproof skillet with foil, place into a moderate oven, and heat through. This wonderful dish is loaded with flavor. The marmalade gives it a wonderful sweet complexity, the mustard a barely there tang, the pecans a wonderful woodsiness. This recipe is a winner! Try it mid week for the family, or wait until the weekend and dazzle your guests.

Pecan Chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded to ¼
2 T. unsalted butter
1 T. extra virgin olive oil
½ c. heavy cream
1 c. whole milk (Not skim, not 2%)
2 T. orange marmalade
1 T. Dijon mustard
1 t. Italian seasoning
½ t. garlic powder
½ t. onion powder
¼ t. paprika
1/8 t. seasoned salt
Freshly ground black pepper
¾ c. toasted pecans, chopped

Heat butter and olive oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium high heat. Generously season chicken with salt and pepper. Place chicken into hot oil/butter mixture and brown on both sides, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove to a plate; set aside.

Lower heat to medium and pour in heavy cream, whole milk, marmalade, mustard, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, seasoning salt, and pepper. Stir in toasted pecans. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 4 to 5 minutes until thickened. Return chicken and accumulated juices to pan and cook for additional 6 to 8 minutes until chicken is cooked through.

Remove from heat, serve immediately.

NOTE: If you’re serving two, used two boneless, skinless chicken breasts, a 10" skillet, but keep the sauce amount the same. This can be made ahead and reheated, making it perfect for company.

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