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by Anne | October 26, 2011 · 8:33 am

Baked Cheesy Corn Dip

Last weekend my family and I went to a dinner party and we were asked to bring an appetizer. I knew the host was serving Green Chilli Enchilada Casserole and I wanted to bring something that would complement that entree. I came up with this Cheesy Corn Dip and everyone raved about it. I put it out on the table and within 10 minutes the plate was clean. Turns out you can’t go wrong with a hot baked cheesy dip!

Baked Cheesy Corn Dip

4 cups frozen corn, thawed
1 cup chopped red pepper
2 jalapenos seeded and chopped
3 tbsp butter
1/2 -3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup cheddar cheese plus more for sprinkling on top
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese plus more for sprinkling on top
1/2 – 1 tsp Cayenne pepper (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Melt 1 1/2 Tablespoons butter in a large skillet and saute the chopped red peppers and jalapenos over medium heat for about 5 minutes or until soft. Set aside in a large bowl.

Melt the remaining 1 1/2 Tablespoons butter to the skillet and add the thawed corn. Season generously with salt and pepper and saute for 2-3 minutes or until warmed through. Add the corn to the bowl with the peppers.

Mix the mayo in with the vegetables. Add the mozzarella and cheddar cheese. Feel free to add a little more if you would like yours to be extra cheesy! Mix it until well combined. Add Cayenne pepper if you are using.

Add the mixture to a greased pie dish or 9×9 pan and sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

Serve with tortilla chips and watch the disappear!

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by Stef | October 25, 2011 · 8:00 am

Pumpkin Bread Parfait

We are not shy at HAP about our love for all things pumpkin. Last year I purchased some pumpkin butter at a local store and loved stirring it into my little Jello vanilla pudding cups. I’ve been dreaming up this dessert ever since and just had the chance to make it for a get together with friends. It is the perfect combinations of sweet and savory flavors and smooth and crunchy textures. Don’t skip out on the candied pecans on top, they make the dish!

I made my own pumpkin bread using a recipe from my church cookbook, similar to this recipe. You can use your own favorite pumpkin bread recipe, or if you are short on time, purchase one at your local grocery store or bakery.

Pumpkin Bread Parfait

1 large box instant vanilla pudding mix
2 TBSP pumpkin butter
2 C heavy whipping cream
3 TBSP powdered sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 loaf pumpkin bread, cubed

Candied Pecans
1 egg white
1 TBSP water
1 tsp salt
1 lb shelled, unsalted pecans
2/3 C sugar
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 250. Whip egg white, salt and water until frothy. Coat pecans in mixture. In a separate bowl, mix cinnamon and sugar. Shake over pecans and mix with hands to coat. Spread on rimmed baking sheet. Bake at 250 for 1 hour, turning pecans every 15 minutes. Set aside to cool.

In a large bowl, make pudding according to packaging directions. Allow to soft set. Mix in pumpkin butter.

In a cold metal bow, whip heavy cream on high speed until light and fluffy. Slowly add powdered sugar and cinnamon.

In a parfait dish, wine or martini glass or clear, plastic punch cup, place a couple spoonfuls of pudding. Layer 2 spoonfuls of whipped cream. Sprinkle a handful of cubed pumpkin bread. Spread another layer of pudding, topped with another layer of whipped cream. Top with candied pecans.

I made each component ahead of time and brought them to our friend’s house in separate containers. This way, the pumpkin bread doesn’t get too soggy sitting in the dish. I love homemade cinnamon whipped cream, but if you are super short on time or don’t want to pull out your mixer, add a dash of cinnamon to some Cool Whip and use as your whipped layer.

The candied pecans alone are a great gift. Wrap them up in a cute tin with a homemade tag or ornament attached and you have a great Christmas gift!

Check out these other great pumpkin recipes from other bloggers on Food Network Dish’s Fall Fest!

What’s Gaby Cooking: Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars
The Cultural Dish: Pumpkin Waffles
Cooking With Elise: Pumpkin Chip Scones
And Love It Too: Creamy Pumpkin Fruit Dip
CIA Dropout: Pumpkin Panna Cotta With Gingerbread
I Am Mommy: Pumpkin Pancakes
Dishin and Dishes: Maple Pumpkin Creme Brulee
Virtually Homemade: Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins With Pumpkin Seed Streusel
Napa Farmhouse 1885: Pumpkin Pizza
Daydreamer Desserts: Pumpkin Fattigman
From My Corner of Saratoga: Baking Pie In The Pumpkin
FN Dish: The Ultimate Pumpkin Soup
Cooking Channel: Pumpkin Risotto
The Sensitive Epicure: Pumpkin Whoopie Pies With Molasses Marshmallows
Daily*Dishin: Pumpkin Praline Cheesecake
ZaikaZabardast: Pumpkin Jalebi
Mooshu Jenne: Pumpkin Nutella Bread
Big Girls Small Kitchen: Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Loaf

16 Comments

Filed under Fall, Treats

Tagged as candied pecans, cinnamon whipped cream, fall dessert, pumpkin bread parfait, pumpkin butter

by Stef | October 21, 2011 · 8:19 am

{Haute Destination} Baltimore

The fam and I recently made a trip out to the east coast to visit friends and family. We found ourselves spending a rainy day in Baltimore. Before making the 45 minute drive up from the DC area, we did a little online research to see if we could find ourselves some culinary delights. And culinary delights did we find.

Our first stop was to Chap’s Pit Beef, a little shack nestled in an industrial part of town right in front of a lovely gentleman’s club. The area felt plenty safe when we arrived at noon and people flocked. The line was out the door, in the rain, filled with people of all kinds waiting this pit barbecued beef. Tom and I both ordered the straight beef sandwich (their claim to fame). You are able to order the beef how you like it, so we chose medium rare. You are able to top your sandwich with condiments lined up on the counter. We stuck with Guy Fieri’s version from Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives with adding horseradish and onion. Ladies and gents, this beef was delicious.

In between eats, we made our way over a few miles into the city to the Baltimore Children’s Museum, Port Discovery. We were pleasantly surprised and wowed by this museum. Lincoln had an absolute blast, crawling up cargo nets from level to level of the museum and strapping on a raincoat and Crocs to play in the awesome (and educational) water room. The museum was great for Lincoln who is 20 months old, but would be great for older children as well. If traveling in Baltimore with kids, definitely worth the stop!

Our last stop for the afternoon was to a place close to my heart, a pie shop. I couldn’t make it out of Baltimore without hitting up the highly praised bakery Dangerously Delicious Pies. Accurately described by its skull and cross-bones pie logo, this shop in the adorable Camden neighborhood is filled with 6 ft plus tall men with tattoos, baking pies. The pies range from sweet to savory, with items like “White Trash” Creme Brulee Pie, Crab and Cheddar Quiche and Tomato Fennel Pie. The pie shop was rather crazy being the last couple days left from their Living Social deal, so the options were rather limited and the atmosphere was a bit chaotic. We still got our pie.

We picked up a very warm whole Baltimore Bomb pie that we shared with friends and family. The pie contained a Baltimore favorite Berger cookie (a cake-y cookie covered in fudge) which are melted down in a custard filling. I’m not a chocolate eater, so I cannot comment, but the comments from friends and family said it all. They were obsessed.

I ordered myself a slice of Coconut Chess Pie. Chess pies are a southern pie with a very sweet custard filling. This pie was sweet and delicious, especially being so warm right out of the oven.

A family function was beckoning us that evening, so we did not spend our evening dining at any other Baltimore foodie joints, so no Maryland crab for me. But these two places are definitely worth a trip if you are looking for casual and hearty delicious dining.

Stay tuned for my attempt at making a Southern chess pie sometime soon!

4 Comments

Filed under Haute Destinations

Tagged as baltimore childrens museum, baltimore maryland, chaps pit beef, dangerously delicious pies, port discovery

by kkregel | October 17, 2011 · 8:08 am

Will’s Modern Woodland Nursery

A few months ago I shared my nursery inspiration board and now that Will has arrived it’s time to share the finished room! Since outdoor activities are a certain part of Will’s future, I stuck to my original plan of incorporating woodsy elements in a way that both my husband and I would love. Neutral base colors offset by lots of bright accents around the room helped achieve the calm yet whimsical feel we were going for.

I updated an old bookcase with white paint to hold Will’s toys and many children’s books. Additional toys are stashed in a brightly colored plastic container to prevent the pooch from chewing on them. A fluffy flokati rug softens up the heavy furniture and adds cushion to the hardwood floors for playing.
My favorite part about the room are the many accent pieces that were handmade by family, friends or myself, such as these deer blankets and pillows. Using silhouettes paired with glossy white pieces, like the antler mount or owl lamp, make the outdoorsy elements feel more modern than hunting lodge.

Resources:
Birch Stencil: Cutting Edge Stencils
Wall Paint: Benjamin Moore in Bleeker Beige
Crib & Dresser: Munire
Bookcase: Vintage – I refinished it using this technique
Rocking Chair – Vintage
Flokati Rug: Overstock.com
Owl Lamp & Stump Side Table: West Elm
Deer Blanket: handmade by Flee Fly Flown
Crib Bedding: Pottery Barn Kids
Deer Pillow & Window Treatments: handmade by my mom
Bird Mobile: handmade, inspired by this Design*Sponge DIY
ABC Prints & Antler Mount: handmade by me

15 Comments

Filed under Decorate, Family

Tagged as baby boy nursery, baby mobile ideas, baby nursery ideas, forest nursery, nursery decor, woodland nursery

by kkregel | October 14, 2011 · 7:21 am

Double Double Toil and Trouble Halloween Party

We’ve been bewitching you this week with treats from our Double Double Toil and Trouble Halloween post over on Eat Wisconsin Cheese. Today we want to share a few fun decor tips that will help bring your party to life.

Playing off of the witches chant from Shakespeare’s Macbeth, you can get as creepy or as classy as you would like with your decor (we like to be just a little creep and mostly class). As much as we love pumpkins, the old black and orange Halloween party can feel a little worn. Using a black and purple color scheme and common witch items like a cauldron, broom, hat, you can make a beautiful tablescape, great for any Halloween inspired get-together.

Serve up a few deliciously cheesy treats with a dark Witches Brew to wash it down. It’s time to bring out that little dark side of yours, because at this soiree “Fair is Foul and Foul is Fair.”

Here are a few party tips:

• Serve your party treats with Witches Brew. Use a dark red wine, grape juice or other dark stout as a base for a spooky cocktail. Freeze peeled grapes to use as ice cubes.
• Take it a step further and create an eerie ambiance by using dry ice to serve smoking cocktails.

• Create a spellbook menu by printing up a menu in old font (We like Auld Magick) and lay the pages in a large book covered in paper or burlap. Burn the edges of the paper with a lighter for a scary look and feel.
• Use black beans or black/purple jelly beans in the bottom of a glass jars or vases to set out silverware.
• Dress up your table using dripping black candles in tarnished candle holders.
• Hang paper bats and faux cobwebs from a chandelier above your table.
• Put together a tasteful Halloween floral arrangement using dark purple flowers.
• Create food tags from black construction paper to look like bats, witches hats or broomsticks or simply create on plain white paper and burn the edges of the paper to give it a Halloween feel.

1 Comment

Filed under Fall, Holidays

Tagged as double double toil and trouble, halloween party ideas, halloween tablescape, witch halloween party

by kkregel | October 12, 2011 · 8:32 am

Chocolate Blackberry Witch Stockings

For our spooky Halloween dessert from our entertaining guest blog over at Eat Wisconsin Cheese blog, we made these mini chocolate brownie stacks, inspired by striped witch stockings. The whimsical presentation and perfect combination of rich chocolate, creamy mascarpone and tangy berry jam makes for a dessert that will leave guests, ahem, spellbound.

As a bonus, you can use the extra brownie bits leftover from your circle cutouts to top ice cream sundaes!

Chocolate Blackberry Witch Stockings
1 box German chocolate cake mix
½ C butter, melted
1/3 C milk
4 oz mascarpone cheese
2 pints blackberries and/or raspberries (or premade preserves*)
¼ C sugar
1 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp cornstarch
1 C chocolate chips*

Preheat oven to 350. In a medium bowl, whisk together cake mix, melted butter and milk until batter is thick but fully moistened. Press batter into a 13×9 cake pan or spread across a cookie sheet. Top with chocolate chips if you are using them. Bake for 20-23 minutes. Cool completely.

Meanwhile, add berries to a small sauce pan and smash them with a potato masher. Heat berries over medium heat and whisk in sugar, lemon juice and cornstarch. Continue cooking, whisking occasionally, for about 20-25 minutes until jam has reduced by about 1/3 and is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and cool completely in the refrigerator.

Use a small cookie or biscuit cutter (preferable 1 ½” diameter) to cut circles from the brownie. Depending on the thickness of your brownie, slice each circle in half horizontally (note: if your brownie is quite thin you can skip this step). Lay out the bottom halves and top halves separately on a cutting board. Spread a thin layer of mascarpone and a small dollop of blackberry preserves on the bottom halves. Next, carefully stack one layered bottom half on top of another and complete your stocking by topping off with a top half. Continue repeating until you have used all your slices.

*optional: Save time by substituting pre-made blackberry preserves for the homemade preserves. Chocolate chips are optional as well.

Cauldron Beer Cheese Fondue

Double, double toil and trouble
Fire burn and cauldron bubble
Easy crafts to make and be seen
Whip up some treats, it’s Halloween!

Halloween is such a fun time of the year, so why not dress up your party like you would yourself? We put together a Double Double Toil and Trouble witch-themed Halloween party for our stint as featured bloggers for the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board’s Halloween Entertaining segment. We used just a few simple store-bought and/or DIY props and paired them with a few delicious fall treats featuring Wisconsin cheeses.

We kicked off our party with a creamy Beer Cheese Fondue, served in a cauldron-like casserole dish with thin Italian breadsticks and sliced baguettes for dipping.

Cauldron Beer Cheese Fondue
3 Tbsp butter
1 C milk
2 Tbsp flour
2/3 C Oktoberfest or amber beer
1 1/2 C Smoked Gouda, shredded
1 1/2 C Sharp Cheddar, shredded
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp Worchestershire
1/4 – 1/2 tsp cayenne, to taste
salt & pepper, to taste

In a large sauce pan, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour to thicken, taking care not to burn, and then gradually whisk in milk until mixture is semi-thick and smooth. Continue whisking while adding beer. Next, gradually whisk in cheeses allowing each addition of cheese to melt before adding the next. Once cheese is melted, whisk in mustard, Worchestershire and cayenne. Add salt and pepper to taste to bring out flavors.

Serve warm with thin Italian breadsticks and slices of French baguette for dipping. Stick breadsticks into the sliced bread to create “broomsticks”.

Be sure to check back later this week for more Halloween recipes and our Halloween decor ideas!

6 Comments

Filed under Appetizers, Holidays

Tagged as beer cheese dip, beer cheese fondue, Halloween entertaining, Halloween recipes, witch party

by Stef | October 7, 2011 · 8:09 am

Cinnamon Apple Soft Pretzels

The smell of Auntie Anne’s wafting through the mall always gets me. After our recent trip to Peck & Bushel and my new crop of Honeycrisps, I was inspired to combine apples with my favorite mall treat.

If yeast intimidates you, don’t let it! Using yeast for homemade dough is really very simple. You just need a little extra time for the dough to rise (I use that time to clean my kitchen!)

Cinnamon Apple Soft Pretzels

1 package active dry yeast
1 1/2 C warm water
2 TBSP brown sugar
1 tsp salt
2 C cake flour
1 3/4 C all-purpose flour
1 large apple, peeled and finely diced (about 1 cup)
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 TBSP baking soda
2 C hot water
4 TBSP melted butter
1/2 C sugar

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Stir until fully dissolved. Add brown sugar and salt and stir. One cup at a time, add cake flour, stirring well until incorporated. Add 1/2 tsp of cinnamon. Slowly add AP flour, until soft dough forms. Knead dough with hands in bowl for 5 minutes, until smooth, making sure all flour is incorporated into the dough.

Place dough in a greased bowl, turning over to coat. Cover and allow to rise for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Punch down dough. Split into about 10-12 balls. On a floured surface, roll the dough into a 12-15 inch strip.

In a bowl, mix hot water and baking soda until dissolved. Dunk each strip into the baking soda water and dab dry with a paper towel (the baking soda will give the pretzel a golden, crispy crust!). Grab the dough by each end and twist the corners inward, crossing them over each other to form a pretzel shape. Place on a greased baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes, until golden brown.

Melt butter in microwave. Mix sugar and 1 tsp cinnamon in a bowl. Using a pastry brush, brush pretzels with butter. Using a spoon, shake cinnamon sugar mixture over the top of the pretzels. Shake to remove access topping.

Serve warm.

These pretzels are delicious right out of the oven. If cooled, I suggest microwaving them for 30 seconds before eating.

We hope you enjoyed apple week on Haute Apple Pie! What kind of apple recipes have you been dishing up this fall?

6 Comments

Filed under Cook, Treats

Tagged as apple pretzel, cinnamon apple soft pretzel, homemade soft pretzel

by Anne | October 5, 2011 · 8:46 am

Gouda and Apple Tarts

I love apple season and often find myself using apples to sweeten up my dishes. I wanted to try my hand at a savory apple dish this year and these tarts were just what my taste buds were craving. The combination of the sweet apple with the Gouda cheese was the perfect match. These easy tarts can be made in no time and use only 4 ingredients!

Gouda and Apple Tarts

1 sheet puff pastry dough, thawed
1 apple, thinly sliced ( I used golden delicious)
1 cup shredded Gouda Cheese
Chopped fresh sage

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Cut your puff pastry into evenly sized rectangles. I was able to cut mine into 12 pieces. Place on a cookie sheet and top with about 2 Tablespoons shredded Gouda and a few sliced apples.