Thursday, June 30, 2011 Grape Soda Night Was DDelicious!

Usually, once dinner is in full swing, I completely drop the ball on the picture taking and video making - but I managed to snap this shot before I ate all my grape soda pulled pork.

OMG! Grape soda pulled pork!

As I was preparing this feast over the course of two days I made an important discovery. Grape soda turns things horrible colors, but it tastes good.

Grape soda can chicken, seasoned with cocoa, chili, cardamom, galangal, allspice, sage, oregano, sea salt and pepper. Pulled pork seasoned with chili, cardamom, allspice, cinnamon, cayenne, paprika, sea salt and pepper, cooked in the crockpot with a bottle of Goya grape soda. Two kinds of grape soda BBQ sauce, one spicy and one sweet. Slammin drop biscuits, apple sauce made with grape soda and corn. Oh, the corn, with grape soda reduction and roasted garlic and butter - it was like a sweet ghetto Burre Blanc and gaddangit it was good! If you take any recipe from this dinner let it be this one. This covered about 12 ears...

1/2 can Grape Soda - put it in a pan at low-medium heat and reduce it by half,

Add a couple cloves of chopped roasted garlic and continue to reduce for about 5 minutes, it'll start to smell incredible.

Then add two sticks of butter, slowly in pieces, whisking it in to prevent separation.

Pour it on grilled corn, sprinkle with salt and BOO-YEAH!

You're going to have to trust me on this one. It sounds strange, but it will blow your mind with it's sweet complexity - simply dreamy.

Dessert was s'mores, and more grape ice cream sodas (which we also had as an app because dinner wasn't ready yet, bad timing on my part combined with early guest arrival. But no one complained they had to eat ice cream as an app, who would?). I just LOVE s'mores! I had two. And the guests loved them...and there was a big gob of melted chocolate on my carpet, always a good sign.

One of the best dinners ever - I really surprised myself. At one point, when I first pulled the pork out of the crockpot and saw the putrid color it had become I started to get nervous, but I managed to season everything perfectly. You can't go wrong with sweet and spicy, that's what I say!

Stay tuned for the video and feel free to contact me with any questions!

And, while you're at it, check out this awesome article I wrote for Alternative Control, check out this scene I did for Scenes from the Movies on Tango Dango and don't forget to make a reservation to see my play Connect Couples (dot) Com.

-HH

Tuesday, May 17, 2011 Apple Spice Cupcakes with Candied Apple Chips

I made these little beauties for Matt Mullarkey's 40th Birthday Bash! I found this great recipe at Patent and the Pantry and I added my own headbanging touches and boom-diggity, Apple Spice Cupcakes with Candied Apple Slices were born.

I pretty much followed the recipe, some things I didn't quite have the full amount, some things I switched up a bit. The candied apple chips are all me. Here's what I did to the best of my recollection.

First I mixed together all the dry ingredients in a bowl.

2 cups King Arthur All Purpose Flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons of Cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

Then, in another bowl I creamed together 1/2 cup of softened butter, about a cup of white sugar, about a half cup of turbinado sugar and a good pour of maple syrup. Yeah, I've gotta learn to write these things down.

I added four eggs, one at a time, Then I added a can of applesauce. OMG! I KNOW! A CAN OF APPLESAUCE? My neighbor gave me a few and, of course, I've had no use for it. But this was my opportunity to get it out of my cabinet and I seized it. The original recipe calls for 1 1/2 cups of unsweetened applesauce, so if you make your own (like I usually do) you'll be able to make these bad boys that much better.

Once the applesauce was mixed in I added the dry to the wet and mixed until it was just incorporated. Then I put portions of the mix into a piping bag and piped both large and small cupcakes until they were about 3/4ths full and baked them at 350 until they were done - about 20 minutes, give or take. The small ones obviously take less time.

The candied apple chips were actually a big chore. The Silpat I bought is the size of a sheet of paper, so I could only do so many at a time. I took a good part of the day to get it done, but the resulting chips were so tasty I was really glad I'd made so many extras.

I sliced the apple really thin on the mandolin and dipped both sides in white sugar. With the oven at 300 I cooked them on each side for approximately five minutes each for a total of about 15 minutes. They get dark quick, so you have to keep an eye on them. And be careful turning them over because hot sugar burns like a motherfucker. Use a small angled spatula if you have it. And don't be tempted to use your fingers to separate them when they get folded and such in the turning process because, like I said, hot sugar burns like a motherfucker. After I took them out of the oven I let them cool on the Silpat for a little while, then I peeled them off, put them elsewhere to cool, washed and repeated.

The icing...oh, the icing. I had one stick of butter and less than a package of cream cheese, but I figured it was enough so I softened them and mixed them together. Then I threw in all the powdered sugar I had, which was not a lot, maybe 1/3 a cup and a good pour of the turbinado. And I mixed and I poured a few more times. Until I thought I had enough and I thought it tasted nummy. It was a little crunchy, but I liked that. And I sampled some on a small cupcake and I knew I'd hit it out of the apple grove.

The rest is self-explanatory really. I put the cupcakes in a pan for transport, topped them all with apple chips and off I went.

People loved them. Of course.

Rock on!

-HH

Wednesday, May 4, 2011 Homemade Marshmallows Rock \m/

I'm making candy for my Baking Two final. Cotton Candy, Hot Pepper Lollipops, Apple Jellies and Coconut Marshmallows.

Boo yeah!

Homemade marshmallows are unbelievable. You'll never be able to eat store bought again. Playland has these bad boys on sticks and every time we go you can be sure I stop and get one for the ride home. I don't think they've ever made it past the state line. Nummy with a capital NUMMY!

Here's the ridiculously easy recipe...

2 Tablespoons plus 1 1/2 teaspoons powdered gelatin (Sorry, if you're vegetarian you'll have to look up the vegan recipe that uses agar-agar)

8 oz (by weight) of cold water

12 oz (by weight) white sugar

12 oz (by weight) light corn syrup

1/4 teaspoon of kosher salt

1 teaspoon of vanilla

1 bag of coconut, toasted

Candy thermometer

Piping bag with large round tip

You'll need a mixer, stand up is better but I'm sure you can accomplish this with a hand mixer, you may need to borrow a hand.

Place gelatin in the mixer bowl with 1/2 of the water, make sure there are no lumps. Allow the gelatin to absorb the water, this is called "blooming" the gelatin.

In a small saucepan combine the remaining 4 oz of water with the sugar, corn syrup and salt. Place the candy thermometer in the saucepan and heat the mixture to 240 degrees.

Have a clean pastry brush and a bowl of water handy. Sugar likes to stay in its crystal form, so while it's cooking you may need to use the wet brush to clean the sides of the saucepan. Even one sugar crystal will remind the others what shape they like to be in, so this is an important step.

Have the mixing bowl raised and ready. When the syrup gets to 240 turn the mixer on low and pour the syrup into the gelatin. Once all the sugar syrup has been added increase the speed of the mixer to high. It will turn white, gain volume and mesmerize you with its sticky strings of sugar pulling off the sides of the bowl. Whip it for at least 5 minutes. The temperature of the bowl should drop to lukewarm and you'll start to see a difference in the way it's whipping about. Add the vanilla and then turn off the mixer once it's incorporated.

Here's where you need to work quickly.

Fill the piping bag about halfway and pipe the marshmallows onto a tray of toasted coconut. Flipping them is a bit tricky, you don't want to touch the marshmallow with your fingers because it'll stick. So pour a little toasted coconut on top of each marshmallow and then carefully flip them over to completely cover. If you don't want coconut a 50/50 mixture of powdered sugar and cornstarch will do the trick.

These are DDelicious! I can't wait for s'mores season to get here!

-HH

Sunday, April 17, 2011 Cadbury Creme Egg Baked in a Biscuit

I know I already blogged about this faboo dessert from Carnival Night! But it's just so darn tasty and so dang seasonal I've decided to share it once again, along with my Slammin' Drop Biscuit recipe.

Step 1: Freeze the Cadbury Creme Eggs (4-pack)

Step 2: Prepare biscuit mix

Mix together -

3 cups flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt

In a separate bowl mix together 1 1/2 sticks of melted and cooled butter with 1 1/2 cups buttermilk. The butter will clump up, this is supposed to happen. If the butter didn't clump because it was too warm stick it in the freezer for a bit. The clumps are what makes the biscuit so slammin'.

Add the wet to the dry and mix with a spatula until they are just incorporated. Do not over mix.

Step 3: Remove the foil from the Cadbury Creme Eggs and carefully clump the batter around the egg. Make sure you cover the entire egg with a good layer of dough, you don't want any holes or weak spots where the chocolate could leak out.

Step 4: Bake them in an oven preheated to 450 degrees for 10-12 minutes. You can do it on a pizza stone or in a pan lined with parchment paper.

For the sauce:

Juice a few oranges into a small sauce pan and reduce a bit. Add butter and a little cornstarch and water mixed together. The more cornstarch you add the thicker the sauce will be. I used about 1 1/2 teaspoons. As the sauce comes to a boil it will thicken like magic.

Of course, you don't to have to use orange sauce. Chocolate sauce, whipped cream, Ice cream...whatever your little heart desires. Make it your own, because it is.

Happy Spring!

-HH

Sunday, April 3, 2011 Carnival Night Recipes

Carnival Night was a great success! The bunny may not have been impressed with the meal, but Uncle Carlos and Aunt Linda brought him bananas and basil so he couldn't really complain. And the people in attendance enjoyed celebrating the bunny's birthday with some awesome tasting food.

Deep Fried Salad with Kale Chips



Handful of green beans, one pack of button mushrooms, one jar of pickle spears.

Dry out the pickles, clean and destem the mushrooms, clean green beans and take off the strings if you need to.

To coat the veggies you'll need three bowls. One with flour, one with a milk & egg wash and one with corn meal. I used corn masa flour for the first bowl. I seasoned the milk and egg mixture with hot sauce and the corn meal I left alone.

Dip. Dip. Dip. Into the hot oil. Not rocket science. The green beans didn't really need that first bit of corn flour, they weren't moist enough to take any of it on. But the three dip process I've found really works wonders. Fish, squash...it adds a nice crunch to pretty much anything. And if you need to be gluten free the corn flour and corn meal is the way to go.

The kale chips were really tasty. Not everyone liked them, they can be a little bitter. But with enough seasoning I could be convinced to eat them every day!

Clean the kale, remove the ribs, toss with olive oil, salt and paprika and bake them in the oven in a single layer around 325 for about 15 minutes. When they're crispy they're done!


Pot Roast Sundaes



Believe it or not I've never made a pot roast. I'm not even sure if I've eaten one. I must have, it's not brain surgery. Big ole piece of marbled meat seared then cooked in the crock pot with celery, carrots, onion, garlic, salt, pepper and stock. Man I love my crock pot! I did it the day before the party, because food like this always tastes better the next day. I put the meat, veggies and juice in a smaller bowl and put it in the fridge so the fat would come together at the top and I could take it off. The next day I sliced the mean up cold, pureed all the veggies together and put it all in a pot on the stove to heat up, fall apart and come together in tastiness.

In a separate pot I made the mashed potatoes and then they went in the crock pot to stay warm! Love that crock pot, I tells ya!

Two scoops of potatoes, a scoop of pot roast, a sprinkle of cheese and a cherry tomato. I ate two of them. Crazy tasty.


Chili Cheese Dog Pizza



I had planned to make two kinds of pizza, this and a veggie. But the Chili Cheese Dog pizza was such a hit I made it twice. A few folks were brave enough to put mustard and relish on it! My husband made the chili for this one, good thing because I'd planned on just opening a can. GASP! I know. But I didn't feel like making a whole vat of chili for one or two pizzas. Thankfully my husband jumped at the chance to get back in the kitchen.

Chili, sliced hot dogs, cheese (mozzarella and cheddar)...we all wondered aloud why this was the first time our mouths were experiencing this. Incredible. Some suggested slicing the hot dog thinner, but that was nitpickyness. This was an amazing pizza combination. Talk of a pizza truck surfaced as someone suggested calling it "Vizza" :)

But it was not the time to be discussing business options and nicknaming a national dish after me. I had dessert to be making!

Cadbury Creme Eggs baked in a biscuit and served with Orange Butter Sauce.



OMG

Okay, the key here is to freeze the Cadbury Creme Eggs so they don't melt while the biscuit is baking. I used biscuit mix because I had it, but you can use any biscuit recipe you have, you could probably use the dough that comes in a can. Just remove the foil from the frozen creme egg (duh) and surround it with biscuit dough. My dough was sticky so I found myself using two hands to strategically plop, drop and slop bits of biscuit around it's entirety. Cover every little bit, no chocolate should be showing through and then plop onto parchment lined cookie sheets.

Mine baked for about 12 minutes. You'll need to add a little cook time because the center is frozen. That dough will need a bit more time to cook, trust me. My practice run was still doughy in the middle. If you've done a good job of covering the eggs in biscuit dough you won't have to worry about melted chocolate running out.

The sauce was just orange juice, a tiny spoon of sugar, butter and a corn starch slurry. I squeezed three oranges into a sauce pan and added the sugar and butter. In a separate cup I mixed water with a spoon of corn starch. When the sauce was reduced enough I added the cornstarch to thicken it. You could also use chocolate sauce, whipped creme, ice cream. Whatever your heart desires.

These were killer. No doubt about it. I had one the next day heated in the oven and I think it was even better. Or maybe they're just so good.......

Check out the video with music by In It For Storms!

And check out this month's Alternative Control \m/

-HH

Monday, January 31, 2011 No Lie Low Sugar Strawberry Shortcake Recipe

If you're looking for a "not sweet" dessert this could be it.

Here goes.

One package of strawberries. Slice them up. Put a little honey on them, like a spoonful, and mix well. Cover it up and let it sit in the fridge.

Like, all day.

Make the biscuits right before you want to eat it. Ain't nothing like a piping hot biscuit with berries.

In a bowl mix

1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt

Melt 1/2 stick of butter in the microwave and then let it cool.

Add cooled melted butter to 1/2 cup buttermilk and stir. It will clump up, this makes the biscuits flaky. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix until it is just incorporated. Don't over mix.

Portion dough into biscuits, don't go crazy making them perfect. Pull off chunks and make 4-6. Bake in a 475 degree oven on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper for 8-10 minutes.

Put the biscuit on a plate, throw some strawberries over it and top with a spoonful of whole milk ricotta cheese.

OMG!

So good! Light, refreshing, hot and cold - a definite option for those who don't like sugary sweet desserts.

-HH

Wednesday, January 12, 2011 50 Year Old Spice Cake

The recipe is 50 years old. 1961, you can see it up in the corner of the aged paper (say it like Shakespeare, "age-ed paper" sounds cool). It belonged to my husband's grandmother. This is the first time I've made grandma's spice cake and it won't be the last.

It's delicious! I ate 4 cupcakes already!

I had to tweak it a bit, I didn't have molasses and I wanted to use butter (I still have some from Best of/Baked Potato Night!

So here's the recipe in it's Headbanging Hostess incakenation

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1 beaten egg
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 1/4 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cloves
3 tablespoons malt vinegar
3/4 cup milk
2 boxes of raisins (about 3 ounces)

Mix dry ingredients.

Add vinegar to milk.

In a large bowl cream the butter, mix in the sugar then add egg and mix until incorporated, add maple syrup and brown sugar and mix in.

Add some of the dry ingredients, mix a bit and then add milk mixture and mix a bit. Repeat, alternating between the dry ingredients and the milk mixture, until it's a uniform mixture. Fold in the raisins.

Scoop into cupcake papers, or a 9x9 pan, or whatever and bake at 350 until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean - approximately 20-25 minutes

Eat and repeat.

Diet tomorrow.

-HH

Saturday, November 27, 2010 Apple Pecan Pizza Pie

This is a great dessert you can prep ahead of time and whip up quick when guests stop by.

Start with the dough. If you have a great pizza dough recipe use it. If not you'll have to buy it at the store or the bakery, because I'm not giving out my recipe :)
Most dough you buy will need some time to rise, check the directions. I let my dough rise, then I portion it into 8 ounce balls and stick them in the fridge covered in plastic wrap. The longer they sit the better they will taste. 4 day dough is better than 1 day dough.

For the apple topping I used two kinds of apples. 2 Granny Smith and 3 McIntosh. Peel and slice evenly. Toss them in a pan with a little water, a little more brandy, some sugar and some cinnamon. As they cook the McIntosh apples will turn into sauce while the Granny Smiths will remain whole.

In another pan melt some butter, brown sugar and maple syrup. Toss in pecans and coat them with the syrup. Done.

Take a small container of ricotta cheese and mix in some powdered sugar to taste. Label it so you don't try to make lasagna with it and put it back in the fridge.

Put the apples and the pecans away in separate containers in the fridge until you need them. They'd last at least a week (if no one ate them, which won't happen). When your company stops by throw in your pizza stone and turn your oven to 500. Put some flour on the counter and your hands and push out the ball of dough with your knuckles. Put it on a pizza pan or cookie sheet and load with the toppings. Apple sauce first, then the pecans then the cheese. Cook on the pan for about 5 minutes and switch it to the stone to finish. Bake until crust is golden.

Eat, enjoy and hope your guests don't stop by everyday expecting this faboo dessert!

Bang on, my peeps!

-HH

Saturday, November 20, 2010 Pizza Night Was Fan-Friggin'-Tastic!

If you have not yet watched the Pizza Night video featuring music by Revolution Pariah take a moment to soak it all in.

The pizza that you see is Mexican in nature, in honor of Marc's going to live south of the border. But the best part of Pizza Night was the infinite variety! Someone brought a Thanksgiving feast to place on the pizza crust, someone brought fennel, pear and balsamic. I'd made sauce, salsa, bruschetta, bacon, pepperoni, chicken, mushrooms. I spent all day prepping toppings. But if you want to have a pizza party you can totally simplify! Have your guests bring toppings, buy pre-chopped veggies and meats. Pizza night is totally doable!

Don't want to make the dough? Buy the dough! Buy the ready made crusts! This is the perfect way to dabble in dinner parties. Stick your toe in and find you love it!

Marc and I made the dough the day before and I quickly developed a system for delivering the perfect crust. In a 500 degree oven I started each pie on a metal pizza tray (it has holes in it, probably helps get the hot air to the underside). After 8 minutes or so they were cooked enough to slide onto a hot pizza stone. That really crisped up the crust! Unbelievably tasty! Best pizza I've had in a long time - and I'm not just saying that because I made it.

Chicken and bacon was my favorite combination! Being allergic to non-organic chicken I've never had the pleasure of having it on a pizza. Outstanding! The chicken and mushroom was also tasty. They were all tasty, who am I kidding?

And the dessert pizza?!?! Cherry Butter, White Chocolate Cream Cheese and Almonds! To die for!

So, listen! Go for it! Throw your own Pizza Night! And send me the pictures! headbanginghostess@gmail.com

Bang on, my peeps!

-HH

Wednesday, September 29, 2010 Nothing Says "Happy Anniversary" Like A Baked Potato

Today my husband and I celebrate 8 years of wedded bliss. Those of you who are married may laugh at the hilarity of that statement. Those of you who aren't married may laugh at those of us who are.

So today, while wandering aimlessly around the farmer's market and the supermarket, the only dinner I could come up with was a baked potato. "The Comanator" my husband called it. A HUGE baked potato with butter, cheese, fried corn and bacon. Nice and light. Ha.

Tomorrow we're expecting our cast of regulars for a night of Homemade Bread (God of Gluten willing), Red and Yellow Cherry Tomato Salad with Fresh Basil, Filet Mignon wrapped with Bacon and served with an Apricot Sauce and Concord Grape Cheesecake for dessert.

The Filet with Bacon and Apricot is inspired by my wedding meal. The only thing I was able to eat the whole day was an apricot wrapped in bacon. It was delicious - not $1,600 delicious, but I guess I've gotten my money's worth over the last 8 years :)

Bang on, my peeps!

-HH

Sunday, August 29, 2010 How to Make Cake Balls on Pretzel Sticks

The "Have Your Cake and Stick It, Too's" were a hit at the clambake. One guy was nice enough to try all of the desserts (making sure they were good for the rest of us) and he loudly warned everyone that my dessert was "no good" as he inhaled the Cake Ball in record time, quickly leaving himself with stubby remnants of pretzel rod.

That, my friends, is success.

This, my friends, is how I made them.

I made a box of Devil's Food in cupcake form and set aside 4 cupcakes for "later."
Let them cool and then break them all up into crumbs in a large bowl. Then add a container of icing. I used white icing (and saved the sprinkles that came with it for "later") Mix icing and crumbs together with a spatula until well combined. Because it's summer and still quite warm I chilled the "dough" while I prepared my cookie sheets. Clear some space in the fridge and/or freezer and line cookie sheets with parchment paper. After a good chilling take out the "dough" and, using an ice cream scoop, scoop out a portion of "dough" and place it in your left hand (unless you're a lefty, then switch). Then, carefully, with your right hand, place the end of the pretzel rod on the highest and thickest point of the scoop (where the nipple would be if it was a boob) and press the pretzel into the "dough" while closing your left hand around the dough. The "dough" should be completely wrapped around the top of the pretzel. If there is a "crack" where the dough was pushed together smooth it with your finger. Place on the cookie sheet "seam side up" - you can fit about 6 or 7 on each sheet. Chill again.

Here's the "tricky part" - I'll leave out the part where I wasted an entire bag of white chocolate chips because they didn't want to melt and I sent my husband out to the store to buy more and he came home with both white and chocolate chips and I tried again with the white ones and they still wouldn't melt and I swore and swore and swore and then finally decided it wasn't worth it and used the milk chocolate chips.

Melt the chocolate chips in a double boiler (if you have one) or in small batches in the microwave like I did. Carefully, holding the pretzel as close to the cake ball as possible to prevent breakage, spoon melted chocolate over the cake ball and then smooth out with a spatula taking off as much excess chocolate off "the bottom" as possible. This will prevent pooling and chocolate "feet." Place them back on the cookie sheet

The fun part is the "finish." I finished some with the sprinkles, some with green sugar, some with Heath bits, some with mint cookie crumbs, some with sea salt and some with black and red pepper! That was my favorite!!!

Chill each tray as you finish them. When they were done I put them cake ball down, in a gallon ziplock, five in each bag. I made 20. The bags stood up in a small box which I kept on ice. Not the easiest dessert to transport. But they make a great impression so they're worth the work.

Any questions? Ask away!!!

-HH

Friday, August 13, 2010 Home Made Real-Fruit Gelatin Pie

I can't really call it Jello because this is America and they have a trademark. But that's okay because it's real easy to make your own with much less sugar and way more goodness.

Twice now I have made real-fruit gelatin, raspberry and blueberry. Both batches were made from some slightly bruised past-their-due-date-but-not-yet-bad berries that my neighbor left for me. Throw them in a saucepan with a little water, lemon and sugar (a little sugar) and let it cook for a bit, until it covers the back of a spoon is a good barometer of doneness. Take it off the heat and strain it through a sieve, put it in a freezer bag and freeze! It'll be there when you need it!

Now when you wanna make this pie you can buy a crust or you can make one. Once I did the crushed up Corn Flake crust with melted butter. It was pretty good. This time I crushed up Golden Oreos in the food processor and just pushed it into the pan.

Take the frozen fruity goodness out of the freezer and thaw. Use two cups of juice and one packet of Knox gelatin. Heat up the juice on the stove, sprinkle in the gelatin while whisking the crap out of it until it's dissolved.

Next it needs to go in an ice bath which you will have expertly prepared. I used a glass bowl filled with ice and water and a Pyrex saucepan. Pour the gelatin into the chilled vessel and allow to chill and begin to set. The more it sets the less it will "leak" into the crust and create mush.

I put about a pint of golden raspberries at the bottom of this pie and then topped it off with the thickening gelatin. Put it in the fridge for about two hours and serve with whipped cream or ice cream.

It's super light, refreshing and not overly sweet. It actually tastes like the real fruit!

Bang on, my peeps!

-HH