Smoked Almonds

I thought I'd share this post from back in April of 2010, in case you are looking for a homemade gift that is NOT sweet and sugary.  :)

If you buy whole almonds on sale, it can be a lot cheaper to make your own smoked version than to buy the expensive brand. You can even spice them up, if you desire. If you like a very salty nut, increase the salt to 1 tsp.

SMOKED ALMONDS
adapted from Homemade Smoked Almonds on Allrecipes.com

3 cups whole almonds
1 egg white
1 tsp. celery salt
2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. liquid smoke
1/2 tsp. chipotle (or regular) chili powder, optional

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line a jelly-roll pan with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, beat egg white until foamy. Whisk in celery salt, garlic powder, salt, liquid smoke, and chili powder, if desired. Stir in almonds until thoroughly coated. Spread on pan.

Roast in oven for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Cool and store in an airtight container.

Pumpkin Spice Granola

My husband thinks I'm on a granola kick.  Maybe I am.  I have made a lot of granola bars lately....  But this is my first time making good, ol' fashioned granola.

I saw a recipe for Pumpkin Spice Granola last year on The Baker Chick.  I thought it sounded good but in all the hubbub that is the holidays, I never got around to making it.  This year I'm starting the pumpkin goodness early, partly to give my readers time to try it themselves and partly because I love pumpkin and usually don't get enough of it before the holidays are over.

As usual, I wasn't content with the recipe as-is and decided to tweak it a bit.  I wanted some Rice Krispies and sliced almonds mixed in for variety.  I've also changed the cooking directions a bit, more closely following this similar recipe.  And if you want to "walk on the wild side" and try cooking your granola in a slow cooker (yes, it can be done!), try following these directions.

PUMPKIN SPICE GRANOLA
adapted from The Baker Chick

4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
2 cups crisp rice cereal
2 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice*
3/4 tsp. salt
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
1/4 cup applesauce (not chunky)
1/4 cup maple syrup or honey
1 tsp. vanilla
1/3 cup sliced or slivered almonds, optional
1/4 cup pepitas, optional
1/2 cup sweetened, dried cranberries, optional

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, combine oats and rice cereal.  In a medium bowl, whisk together pumpkin pie spice, salt, brown sugar, pumpkin, applesauce, maple syrup, and vanilla.  Pour wet ingredients into the oat mixture and stir until evenly coated.  Evenly spread the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet.

Bake for 30 minutes.  Remove pan from oven and stir the granola.  Sprinkle with almonds and pepitas, if using.  Bake for 10 minutes more or until granola is golden.  Depending on the size of your pan and the thickness of your granola layer, the center may not dry as quickly and you may need to remove the outer edges to cool on waxed paper and bake the center another few minutes until it's done.  Cool in pan or on waxed paper.  Break up granola as desired and store in an airtight container.

*If you don't have pumpkin pie spice, you can use 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, 1/2 tsp. ginger, 1/4 tsp. nutmeg, 1/8 tsp. cloves

Pumpkin Spice Almonds

So, I've made homemade Smoked Almonds and Cinnamon Sugar Almonds before for my husband who loves nuts.  When I found raw almonds on sale for $2.99 a pound at a local store, I thought I'd make him some more.  And then I wondered if they would be good with pumpkin pie spice and ... they are!  But I think the vanilla in this recipe is what sends these nuts over the top.  Even my daughter can't stop eating them and tells me they taste like pumpkin pie.

These make a great snack and would be a yummy gift for someone over the holidays.

PUMPKIN SPICE ALMONDS
slightly adapted from Cinnamon Toasted Almonds on Taste of Home

4 cups raw almonds
2 egg whites
2 Tbsp. vanilla
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice*

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  Line two rimmed baking sheets with foil and spray with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, whisk the egg whites until frothy; whisk in vanilla.  Stir in the almonds until evenly coated.  In another bowl, mix together sugars, salt, and pumpkin pie spice until thoroughly mixed.  Add spice mixture to almonds and toss to coat.

Spread almonds in a single layer on each baking sheet.  Bake for 15 minutes, then stir.  Bake 15 minutes more and then let cool.  Store in an airtight container.

*Substitute for 2 tsp. of pumpkin pie spice:
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

Homemade Granola Bars

This recipe comes from the Pioneer Woman.  Does she make anything that isn't delicious?  I've made these bars twice now and my family loves them.

The first time I baked them for the full 20 minutes stated in the recipe and they turned out crun-chy!  Very similar to the original Nature Valley granola bars.  However, these homemade ones turn out thicker, so being thick and crunchy can be more time consuming to eat.  I don't mind it so much, but I do think it's hard work for little ones with small teeth and small mouths.

The second batch I only baked for 8 minutes and they turned out delightfully chewy.  I think this batch will get eaten a lot faster.  I know I can't stop eating them!

GRANOLA BARS
slightly adapted from the Pioneer Woman's recipe

6 cups rolled oats (old-fashioned - NOT quick oats)
4 Tbsp. butter, melted
1/4 cup canola or vegetable oil
1 tsp. salt
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup molasses
1/4 cup apple juice
1 tsp. cinnamon, optional
1 Tbsp. vanilla
2 cups Rice Krispies
1 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup finely chopped almonds or pecans
1/2 cup sunflower seeds or pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
1 cup raisins, Craisins, or chopped dried fruit (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a bowl, toss the oats with the canola oil, melted butter, and salt.  Spread the mixture in a large, rimmed baking sheet lined with heavy-duty foil and toast in the oven for 15-20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes or so to make sure they don't burn.  Remove from the oven and set aside.

**Reduce the oven heat to 325 degrees.**  In a medium saucepan, combine the brown sugar, honey, molasses, apple juice, and cinnamon (if using).  Heat the mixture over medium heat, just until it starts to bubble.  Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla.

In a large bowl, toss together the toasted oats, rice cereal, wheat germ, almonds, sunflower seeds or pecans.  Pour in the sugar mixture, stirring as you pour.  Toss in raisins, if using, until evenly coated.

Spray foil-lined baking sheet (the one you used to toast the oats) with cooking spray.  Press the granola into the pan (very firmly for chewy bars - so it really sticks together).  Bake for 8 minutes for chewy bars, 20-25 minutes for crunchy bars.  Remove from the oven and let cool completely.  Remove from pan and cut into bars with a sharp knife.  Store in an airtight container.

Jell-o Popcorn

Yeah, the name sounds a little weird, but this stuff is good.  You can make it any flavor you want (I prefer cherry) and it makes a lot.  We got the recipe out of my old elementary school's fundraiser cookbook and my siblings and I inhaled the stuff.

As you will see from the ingredients, this is not health food.  And your dentist would absolutely frown upon it.  But sometimes a body needs the odd combination of sweet, sticky, crunchy, fruity bliss.  This is seriously sticky stuff.  By the next day it is sure to remove any loose fillings in your teeth.  If you are looking for something less sticky, try this recipe from Our Best Bites.

And one last note: be sure to use yellow popcorn kernels, not white.  White popcorn kernels are smaller and pop smaller and are, in my humble opinion, an absolute waste of money.  Always buy yellow.

JELL-O POPCORN

1 cup un-popped yellow popcorn kernels
1 small box Jell-o (any flavor)
1 cup sugar
1 cup light corn syrup

Pop popcorn in an air popper; remove any unpopped kernels (we're trying to rot your teeth, not break them) and place popcorn in a very large bowl.  Combine sugar and corn syrup in a small saucepan; heat to almost boiling over med-low heat, stirring frequently.  Whisk in dry Jell-o and boil for 1 minute.  Quickly pour syrup mixture over popcorn and stir to coat using a wooden spoon (and oven mitts for safety).  Let cool until warm before eating!

Soft Pretzels and Pretzel Dogs

I saw this recipe for pretzel dogs on Allrecipes.com and thought it would be a great way to use up some hotdogs in the fridge (especially since the only buns we had were freezer burned). Turns out, this is Alton Brown's recipe for soft pretzels - just with hot dogs. Mine got a little darker than expected but that's because I have a small, non-standard-sized oven and things cook a little faster. The dogs are great for potlucks and barbecues since the recipe makes a lot (Labor Day, anyone?). I like to dip them in Dijon mustard but they are good alone or with nacho cheese. You will get 18 pretzel dogs out of this recipe.

For the pretzels, obviously you leave out the hot dogs and just twist the dough into pretzel shapes. Other than that, the process is the same. You will get 8 large pretzels out of this recipe.

SOFT PRETZELS AND PRETZEL DOGS
from Alton Brown and Jan's Pretzel Dogs

1 1/2 cups warm water (110 - 115 degrees)
1 Tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. kosher salt
1 (0.25 oz) package active dry yeast
4 1/2 cups bread flour
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 large egg yolk
1 Tbsp. water
10 cups water
2/3 cup baking soda
kosher salt - to taste
18 hot dogs, optional

Combine the water, sugar, and 2 tsp. kosher salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the yeast on top.* Allow to sit for 5 minutes or until 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 4-5 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 put it in a warm place for approximately 50-55 minutes or until doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or spray with cooking spray. Set aside.

Bring the 10 cups of water and baking soda to a rolling boil in a large pot.

In the meantime:

For pretzels: turn dough onto lightly 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 into the bottom of the U in order to form the shape of a pretzel.

For pretzel dogs: turn dough onto lightly oiled work surface and roll into a 10x20-inch rectangle. Using a pizza cutter, cut the dough into 18 1-inch wide strips, then wrap each strip tightly around a hot dog, pinching the edges to seal, and leaving the ends open. About half an inch of hot dog should peek out from each end.

Place the pretzels or pretzel dogs in the boiling water, 1 by 1 (or up to 3 at a time with the dogs), for 30 seconds. Remove them from the water with a large, flat spatula and place on the prepared baking sheets. Brush each pretzel or pretzel dog with the egg yolk beaten with 1 Tbsp. water. Sprinkle with kosher salt if desired. Bake 12-14 minutes or until dark golden brown. Transfer to a cooling rack for at least 5 minutes before serving.

*The dough can be made in a bread machine: Combine the warm water, sugar, and 2 tsp. kosher salt in a bowl and sprinkle with yeast. Let stand for 5 minutes or until foamy. Place the bread flour and butter in the machine. Add the yeast mixture and select the dough cycle.

Sausage Cheese Balls

These remind me of a sausage breakfast biscuit. Some people like to dip them in maple syrup, others in barbecue sauce. Me, I like them plain. Great as an appetizer or a side dish for brunch.

SAUSAGE CHEESE BALLS
adjusted from Tablespoon.com

1 lb. bulk pork sausage (like Jimmy Dean)
1 1/2 cups Bisquick baking mix
4 cups (16 oz) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup milk
1/2 tsp. dried rosemary leaves, crushed
1/2 tsp. dried parsley

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients (easiest if you use your hands). Roll into 1-inch balls and place on lightly greased, foil-lined jelly roll pan. Bake 20-25 minutes, until golden brown.

If you wish to make these ahead of time, just cover the pan with plastic wrap after rolling the balls and freeze until ready to bake. Preheat oven, remove from freezer and let thaw for 10-15 minutes before baking.

Scones with Lemon Curd

I had a bunch of lemon curd left over from making the Luscious Lemon Cake and needed a way to use it up (besides just eating it with a spoon...*cough cough*). I found a recipe for scones with lemon curd on Simple Analogy and decided to give it a shot.

I've never had or made traditional scones before. They are similar to a biscuit, but are sweet. In all honesty I didn't much care for the scones by themselves, but once you add the lemon curd, holy moly I wished they weren't so darn filling so I could eat them all myself! I bet they'd also be great with strawberry freezer jam if you have it.

Heather also suggests adding chocolate or cinnamon chips to the scones and sprinkling the tops with cinnamon sugar just before baking for some variety. Seriously, you could add whatever you want. Just don't eat them plain.

SCONES
from Simple Analogy

2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
3 Tbsp. sugar
6 Tbsp. cold butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup + 2-3 Tbsp. milk

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In medium sized bowl, mix flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Using a pastry blender, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.* Pour in milk and mix until dough can be shaped into a ball. Press dough into a round disc (about 7-8 inches in diameter) on parchment lined cookie sheet. Cut into 8 wedges.

Pull wedges about 1-2 inches apart and bake for 14-17 minutes. Cool before serving.


*If adding chocolate or cinnamon chips, mix them in before the milk.


MARTHA STEWART'S LEMON CURD (aka CRACK)
from marthastewart.com

1 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. finely grated lemon zest
2/3 cup fresh lemon juice
8 large egg yolks
1/4 tsp. coarse salt
1 1/4 sticks unsalted butter (10 Tbsp.), cut into 1/2-inch pieces

In a medium saucepan, off heat, whisk together sugar, zest, and egg yolks; whisk in lemon juice and salt.

Add butter and place pan over medium-high heat. Cook, whisking constantly, until butter has melted, mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, and bubbles form around the edge of pan (about 5 minutes). Do not boil.

Remove pan from heat while continuing to whisk. Pour curd through a fine-mesh sieve into a glass bowl. Press plastic wrap against surface of curd and refrigerate until cool. (To store, refrigerate in an air-tight container up to 2 weeks.)

Cinnamon Sugar Almonds

I found this recipe on a blog called Not Just Decorating. It makes me wish I liked nuts because while it's baking, your house smells divine. These were ultimately more popular than the smoked almonds I also made - probably because of the sugar. They would make a great gift at the holidays, or any time for that matter!

CINNAMON SUGAR ALMONDS
from Not Just Decorating

4 cups almonds
1 egg white
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray.

Beat egg white until foamy. Stir in nuts and vanilla. Add sugars and cinnamon and toss to coat. Spread evenly on cookie sheet and bake for 1 hour, stirring occasionally (2-3 times). Allow to cool then store in an air-tight container.

Roasted Chickpeas

ROASTED CHICKPEAS

2 cans garbanzo beans (chick peas) rinsed, drained, and dried with a paper towel
2 tsp. olive oil
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. garlic powder

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a jelly roll pan with aluminum foil. In a medium bowl combine all ingredients until chickpeas are well coated. Spread evenly in pan. Roast for 30 minutes. Remove pan from oven, stir chickpeas, and return to oven and drop temperature to 375. Stir again after 15 minutes. Roast 15 minutes more (total of 1 hour) watching carefully to make sure peas do not burn; remove from oven and allow to cool completely before storing in a Ziploc or other airtight container.

Notes:

• You will most likely have a couple of exploding peas. Just be sure to pick them out of your oven once it is cool.

• The peas start to lose their crunch after the first day (especially in a humid climate), so eat fast.

• These are like corn nuts and are a great topper for salads. High in fiber and protein and not a lot of fat - excellent healthy snack.

• If you live in a humid climate I would recommend omitting the oil or only using 1 tsp.

You can use whatever seasoning you prefer. Online people have suggested cinnamon sugar, cajun seasoning, sea salt, etc.

Marinated Pretzels

MARINATED PRETZELS

1 (15 oz) bag mini pretzel twists
3/4 cup vegetable or canola oil
1 (1 oz) package dry ranch dressing mix
1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. dried dill weed

Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Place pretzels in 13x9 (or larger) baking dish. In a medium bowl, whisk oil, ranch, garlic powder and dill until well blended. Pour over pretzels. Stir to coat.

Place in oven and bake for 1 hour, stirring every fifteen minutes.

Let cool before serving or storing in an air-tight container.