by | February 9, 2011 · 8:41 am

Velvety Hot Fudge Sauce

One taste of this Hot Fudge and I promise you will never buy the stuff in a jar again.  It is so decadent and creamy you might just want to eat it with a spoon.  To me, it tastes like melted brownie batter which is one of my weaknesses.

This Valentine’s Day, surprise your sweetie with a special dessert.  Drizzle this hot fudge over ice cream, grilled pound cake, brownies, cheese cake…the possibilities are endless!

Hot Fudge Sauce

3 Squares (3 ounces) Semisweet Chocolate
1/4 Cup Butter
2/3 Cup Evaporated Milk
1/2 Cup Sugar
1 tsp. Vanilla

In a heavy medium saucepan melt chocolate and butter over low heat stirring constantly. Stir in Evaporated Milk and sugar. Cook and stir over medium hear until sugar is dissolved and mixture is slightly thickened and bubbly, stirring often.  Remove from heat. Add vanilla and stir until smooth.

Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.  Although I will bet it won’t last that long!

10 Comments

Filed under Cook, Treats

Tagged as , ,

by | February 7, 2011 · 8:09 am

Sew Sweet Valentines

Making valentines is one of those project that immediately brings you back to your childhood or spending time with your children. Lately I’ve been smitten by things featuring stitched details so I thought it would be fun to recreate that youthful feeling by making valentines with this charming theme. So a few weeks ago my mom and I spent an afternoon chatting and stitching away – she showing me the best ways to machine sew while I stitched along by hand.

This project takes time but if you’ve got an afternoon to chat with friends or family as you sew, you’ll hardly notice!

What You’ll Need:
package of small cards & envelopes
OR
plain cardstock cut to size for separate envelopes

a variety of colored cardstocks or scrapbooking papers
1-2 pieces of scrap paper
glue stick or rubber cement
all purpose thread
needle and/or sewing machine
embellishments of choice – ie. sequins, ribbon, twine

1. If you’ll be using cardstock, start by cutting your cardstock down to fit in the envelope. I swapped the cheap-o cards I bought for cardstock and trimmed them to 5×7 size to fit as 3 1/2×5″ cards in the envelopes using a small paper cutter.
2. Create your heart shaped tracing templates by folding a piece of scrap paper in half and cutting out hearts in various sizes. Unfold each heart and examine it. Refold and trim to adjust the shape as desired. The templates allow you to get symmetrical shapes without having folds in the “good” hearts you’ll use for your cards.


3. Next, use your templates to trace a number of “good” hearts on your colored cardstock and scrapbooking papers. Trace on the opposite side of the paper as what you will want showing on the card. Cut out hearts. You should be able to cut 2 hearts for each one you trace by stacking up paper and cutting through both to save time.
4. Glue the hearts onto the folded cards in a variety of designs (exception: sequined heart – see below).

For Machine Sewn Cards:
Use a pencil to lightly trace a word, swirl or lines on the card. Open card flat and use a needle and thread to hand-stitch over your design or a sewing machine with a zig zag stitch to slowly sew over the design. With the sewing machine, work slowly, turning the paper to achieve smooth curves. As you finish the design, pull the threads through to the inside of the card. Snip them and knot them several times to secure in place. Gently erase pencil marks.

For Hand Sewn and Sequined Cards:
For the sequined card, lightly trace a large heart template on the inside of the front of the card. Knot your sewing or embroidery thread and poke the needle from the backside of the card through the bottom point of the heart. String on a sequin. Hold the card up to the light to find your pencil outline and poke back through in a small running stitch. Repeat. Don’t worry if the stitches are imperfect…it’s part of the charm!

I recently discovered that my blog friend, Nikki (who can sew me under the table) was on the same wavelength this year. Check out her blog, Nikki, In Stitches for more handsewn valentine ideas!

7 Comments

Filed under DIY

Tagged as , , , ,

by | February 4, 2011 · 7:52 am

Rising to the Challenge: Bacon Artichoke Souffle

I recently teamed up with my friend Erin from Hot Dinner Happy Home to tackle the much-feared souffle. And today, we share our experience with you.

Erin: Wimp.  Yellow-belly.  Coward.  Fraidy-cat.

I consider myself all of the above. I refused to ride a roller coaster until I was 13, and even then it required incredibly strong peer pressure. I cried when my husband tried to coerce me down a slightly steep ski slope. And, unfortunately, this character trait has crept into my kitchen. There are things I deliberately avoid making because, well, I’m scared. I shudder when I read “yeast” in an ingredient list. And deep-frying? Oy. Dangerous.

Stef: A natural competitor lurks within. It started as a very small child. A crib couldn’t confine me, I’d crawl out of it. I read 116 books as a second grader to ensure I won the Bubble Gum Book Report Award. Anyone can walk on their feet, so I decided I would walk on my hands. While my inner daredevil may have been tamed a bit over the years, my competitive nature will never die.

I’ve been cooking for quite some time now and occasionally step out of my comfort zone. But recently, I got the urge for a challenge. So I enlisted a friend to embark on a culinary adventure.

Erin: Yes, and I was that lucky friend! Stef was willing to drag me out of complacency to try something new. Armed with room-temperature egg whites and a powerful stand mixer, we were ready to tackle the (nearly) impossible. We, Stef and Erin, regular gals on a cooking crusade, would make a souffle.

Bacon Artichoke Souffle

unsalted butter for greasing
5 TBSP grated Parmesan cheese
4 1/2 TBSP unsalted butter
3 1/2 TBSP all-purpose flour
1 1/2 C whole milk
6 large egg yolks
10 ounces frozen artichoke hearts, thawed, squeezed of excess water and finely chopped
4 ounces cooked bacon, crumbled
1/2 tsp dried dill
1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
1/4 tsp nutmeg
8 large egg whites, room temperature
1/4 tsp salt

Cook bacon according to directions. Crumble and set aside. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare the souffle dish by thoroughly greasing the bottom and sides with a stick of unsalted butter. Once coated, spoon in 3 TBSP grated Parmesan and coat the dish. Set aside.

In a large sauce pan, make a modified blonde roux by melting 4 1/2 TBSP unsalted butter and slowly whisking in flour, until fully dissolved. Continue to whisk as it bubbles, about 20 seconds. Do not allow it to brown. Slowly whisk in milk, continuing until the  mixture comes to a simmer and thickens. Remove pan from heat.

One at a time, whisk in egg yolks, creating a smooth mixture. Continually whisk to avoid making scrambled eggs in the still hot mixture. Next, stir in bacon, artichokes, dill, pepper, nutmeg and 2 TBSP Parmesan cheese. Whisk until combined. Set aside.

With an electric mixer on high-speed, making sure your bowl is fully clean and dry, add room temperature egg whites and salt. Beat mixture until whites are smooth and shiny and create stiff peaks. The mixture should increase about eightfold in volume.

Delicately fold 1/3 of the egg white mixture into the sauce pan with a rubber spatula. Next fold the sauce pan mixture back into the egg white mixture, turning over the egg whites with the sauce until combined.

Once combined, gently spoon (do not pour!) the mixture into your souffle dish. Place in oven, close the door, and immediately decrease the oven temperature to 375 degrees. Bake for 35-45 minutes. Do not disturb the souffle by opening the oven door. When complete, the top of the souffle should be browned and crusted. Take out of the oven and serve immediately, as souffles deflate once they lose steam.

Stef: Success. That souffle had nothing on us. Airy, fluffy, crispy on top and bursting with bacon-y goodness. With a kitchen victory under our belts, we indulged in our culinary delight with a glass (or two) of crisp white wine. Even the baby gobbled a healthy serving of souffle. Who knew souffle was family friendly?

Erin: In addition to being delicious, it wasn’t even that hard.  Stef, thanks for showing me that it’s worth it to step outside your comfort zone!  Now, about that packet of yeast that’s been languishing in my cupboard…

What is your biggest cooking fear or challenge? We’d love for you to share!

8 Comments

Filed under Breakfast, Cook, Main Dish

Tagged as , ,

by | February 2, 2011 · 8:20 am

Orange Scented French Toast with Nutella

I recently found out that February 5th is World Nutella day.  This is great news because I have a not so secret obsession with Nutella.  So, what did I do?  I spent all week cooking with my favorite chocolate hazelnut spread, of course!

This stuffed french toast recipe is so decadent, it could pass as dessert.  The Nutella center makes it sweet, so there is no need for syrup and the addition of fresh orange juice and orange zest in the batter creates a flavor combination that is to die for.

Orange Scented French Toast with Nutella

1 loaf brioche bread or a bread of similar consistency, day old is preferable.  You will need about 10 slices.
4 eggs
1 cup milk
zest of 1 medium orange
Juice of 1 medium orange
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 Tbsp sugar
dash of salt
Jar of Nutella
Vegetable Oil for cooking

Slice your bread into 1/2 inch thick slices.  I used a cookie cutter to cut out hearts in honor of Valentine’s Day, but feel free to leave the crust on if you prefer it that way.  Spread a layer of Nutella on the bread and cover with another slice of bread, creating a Nutella sandwich.  The amount of Nutella is up to you, the more you load on, the sweeter it will be!

Combine eggs, milk, orange juice, orange zest, vanilla, sugar and salt in a shallow bowl and whisk.  Next, Place about 1 Tbsp vegetable oil in a pan and heat to medium or medium low heat.

Dip one of your Nutella sandwiches into the batter until it is fully coated.  Be careful not to soak your bread or you might not have enough batter to get through all your french toast.

Cook in the oiled pan until golden brown on both sides and fully cooked.  Because the french toast will be thick, you might feel that the sides didn’t cook and crisp up as nice as you would like.  If this happens, just place them in the oven at 300 degrees for about 10 minutes or until nice and crispy on the outside.  This also works well for keeping the first couple warm while you finish making the rest.

Repeat dipping and cooking the french toast, adding oil to the pan each time.

Once they are complete, dust with powdered sugar and enjoy!

mmmmm, Nutella.

44 Comments

Filed under Breakfast, Cook, Treats

Tagged as , , , ,

by | January 31, 2011 · 8:15 am

Chicken & Spinach Stuffed Pasta Shells

Less time-consuming than lasagna but sexier than plain ol’ spaghetti, stuffed shells are sometimes the forgotten stepsister of pasta dinners.  What I also like about them is that they’re easy enough for a weeknight dinner but can still be impressive enough for entertaining – my favorite type of recipe!

In this recipe I used chicken and spinach but the options for fillings are endless.  Get creative with different meats and vegetables and make up combinations that include italian sausage, beef, mushrooms, artichokes or even squash.
stuffed pasta shells

Chicken & Spinach Stuffed Pasta Shells
1/2 box jumbo pasta shells
1 pkg chicken tenders or 2 chicken breasts
1 box frozen spinach, thawed and liquid drained
1 C shredded mozzarella
1/2 C grated parmesan
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 C low fat ricotta cheese (heaping)
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
salt
pepper
1 jar spaghetti sauce

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt water well and add 1/2 box of pasta shells. Reduce heat to medium and cook shells for 6-8 minutes. Shells should be al dente. Drain shells in a colander and rinse with cool water to stop further cooking. Preheat oven to 375.

Slice chicken into small chunks and transfer to a saute pan over medium heat with a drizzle of olive oil. Season chicken lightly with salt and pepper and minced garlic. Saute until meat is just cooked. Add drained spinach, taking care to squeeze out as much water as possible before placing it in the pan. Warm spinach slightly, then transfer mixture to a medium bowl. Add 1/4 C parmesan, ricotta and 1/2 C mozzarella cheese. Stir well.

Pasta Shell Filling

Place empty shells in an 9×13 baking dish. Spoon filling into each shell. Pour spaghetti sauce over filled shells and sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and parmesan. Bake for 20-25 minutes so that cheese is melted and just golden.


Stuffed Pasta Shell recipe

8 Comments

Filed under Main Dish

Tagged as , ,

by | January 28, 2011 · 8:11 am

Cranberry Orange Sunrise Muffins

I happen to be quite famous for my muffin baking. Every Monday night in the later years of college, I would bake muffins and bring them over to my friend’s house for muffins and Mario Kart.  I’ve tried a lot of recipes over the years, but this one tends to be a favorite. These beautiful burst cranberries make a festive plate for the winter months or for a Valentine’s Day breakfast in bed.

Cranberry Orange Sunrise Muffins

1/2 C unsalted butter, softened
2 C all-purpouse flour
1 C sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 large eggs
1/2 C milk or heavy cream
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 C fresh whole cranberries
zest of one orange
cooking spray

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray and coat a 12-cup muffin pan with non-stick spray. In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, salt and baking powder. Place cranberries in a small bowl. Take one tablespoon of flour mixture and coat cranberries. Set aside.

Using an electric mixer on medium speed, mix together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time until combined. Add vanilla.

With the mixer on low, slowly add the flour mixture, mixing until combined. Slowly add milk, until combined. Fold in cranberries and orange zest. Divide batter amongst muffin cups. (I use an ice cream scoop for even measurement). Sprinkle top with extra granulated sugar if desired.

Bake for 30 minutes, rotating pans halfway through, until golden brown. Allow pan to cool. Remove muffins and place on wire cooling rack.

These treats are extra scrumptious when served warm and when served on a Monday night while playing Mario Kart…

*photos courtesy of Michael G. Coates, from the latest HAP photo shoot. More to come!

GIVEAWAY WINNER!

Thanks to everyone who entered our recent giveaway! We were blown away by all the mouth-watering cheesy recipes you mentioned. Congratulations to reader, James & Katie, for winning the Wisconsin artisan cheese basket giveaway! We hope you enjoy rooting for the Packers with your cheese platter.

We have more giveaways planned for the next few months so be sure to check back for another chance to win!
The winner was chosen at random using random.org.


5 Comments

Filed under Breakfast, Treats

Tagged as , ,

by | January 27, 2011 · 8:45 am

We’ve been nominated!

Thank you to our loyal readers for submitting Haute Apple Pie for the 2011 Homies awards from Apartment Therapy – we’ve been added to the ticket! We are one of ten nominees for Best Food Blog. Voting is open through February 3rd. Click here to vote!

And don’t forget to comment for your chance to win a fabulous cheese basket. Today is the last day to enter!

3 Comments

Filed under Giveaway

by | January 26, 2011 · 8:47 am

Apricot Chicken in a slow cooker

As a working mom, I love using my slow cooker to create simple and delicious meals.  This apricot chicken recipe is one of my family favorites.  The sweet apricot sauce is so tasty and the recipe uses chicken thighs which makes it budget friendly.

Apricot Chicken
1 small jar apricot preserves (11oz)
2 teaspoons dijon mustard
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 tsp chili flakes (optional, if you like heat)
6-8 chicken thighs

Place chicken in your slow cooker.  In a separate bowl, mix the apricot preserves, mustard, soy sauce and chili flakes if you are using them.  Pour sauce over chicken.  Cover and cook on low 6-8 hours or high 4-6 hours.

Remove chicken from the crock pot and shred, removing all bones.  Serve over rice.

Quick, delicious and budget friendly.  My kind of meal.

11 Comments

Filed under Cook, Main Dish

Tagged as , , ,

by | January 25, 2011 · 8:09 am

Smoky “Wintervera” Mac ‘n Cheese

It’s a double serving of cheese this week!  Our friends at the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board have a mouth-watering project going on with their 30 Days, 30 Ways with Macaroni and Cheese blog. 30 days of Mac ‘n Cheese?!  Uh, count us in!

We’re sharing our recipe for Smoky Wintervera Mac ‘n Cheese, a savory blend of portabella mushrooms, carmelized onions, rosemary and two delicious Wisconsin cheeses.

mushroom and onion macaroni and cheese recipe

Smoky “Wintervera” Mac ‘n Cheese
1 box cavatappi noodles
6 Tbsp + 2 Tbsp butter
3 portabella mushroom caps, chopped & gills mostly removed
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1/2 C flour
2 C skim milk
1 1/2 C half and half
3 C Applewood smoked gruyere cheese, shredded (or smoked Gouda)
2 C BellaVitano cheese, shredded
1 Tbps dijon mustard
2 tsp kosher salt
2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp garlic salt
3 sprigs rosemary, chopped
1/2+ C panko bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 375. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and add cavatappi noodles and salt. Cook noodles for 8-10 minutes until al dente. Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, chop onion into mid-size strips.  Wash mushrooms and use a knife to carefully remove most of the gills.  Slice mushroom caps into mid-size chunks.  Add 2 Tbsp butter to a large sauté pan and bring to medium heat.  Add onions and cook, stirring often, for 10-12 minutes, until onions soften and become golden brown. Add mushrooms and season with 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper and garlic salt. Cook until mushrooms begin to soften, approximately 3-5 minutes.

In a small sauce pot, combine milk and half and half. Warm over low heat. Then, in a large sauce pot, melt remaining butter and gradually whisk in flour until mixture thickens. Do NOT let it burn. Slowly whisk in warm milk mixture, working in small amounts and incorporating each pour in well to the roux. Gradually repeat process, adding shredded cheese in small amounts and whisking until each amount is melted and well incorporated. Whisk in mustard, salt and pepper. Let thicken slightly over low heat for 3-4 minutes.

In a ovenproof dish, pour noodles and top with onion-mushroom mixture. Pour cheese mixture over the noodles. Top with rosemary and panko. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until bread crumbs are golden brown.

Serves 5-6.

smoky mac n cheese

Be sure to head over to 30 Days, 30 Ways with Macaroni and Cheese for oodles of other tasty mac ‘n cheese recipes.

Disclaimer: HAP was compensated by WMMB to share our recipe as a guest blog.

5 Comments

Filed under Main Dish

Tagged as , , ,

by | January 24, 2011 · 8:15 am

{Giveaway!} Wisconsin Cheese Gift Box

When the friendly folks at Wisconsin Cheese Masters offered to sponsor a reader giveaway, they didn’t have to twist our arms. They offer artisan cheeses online and deliver them to straight to your door so that even if you don’t live in Wisconsin you can enjoy its bounty.

So this week we’re excited to be giving away a gift box of Wisconsin artisan cheeses! And what a better time to send some Wisconsin cheese your way than for the Super Bowl starring our beloved Green Bay Packers (sorry, Stef)! You don’t have to be a cheesehead to win.  We just think that any Super Bowl party is better with a little Wisconsin cheese.


Wisconsin Cheese Masters also sent along this tasty recipe for Parmesan Cheese Clouds (like little parmesan cookies!) plus we’ve included links to our favorite cheese recipes below so that even if you don’t win you can still get in on the cheesehead action.

Cheese Clouds
1 C butter
2 C water
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp salt
2-2 1/2 C flour
10 oz shredded SarVecchio or aged parmesan
6 eggs
paprika

Combine butter, water, sugar and salt in a sauce pan. Cook until butter melts and whisk in 2 C flour. Reduce heat, stirring constantly for one minute. Pour into a mixing bowl and beat on low for one minute to cool. Beat in eggs one at a time. Add remaining flour until batter is thick and firm. Fold in cheese. Drop by tablespoons onto parchment lined baking sheet and dust with paprika and kosher salt. Bake for 18-20 minutes at 400 degrees.

For more Wisconsin cheese recipes and ideas check out:
Rosemary White Cheddar Mac ‘n Cheese
Stuffed Pretzel Buns
Cranberry and Toasted Pecan Cheese Ball
Goat Cheese, Apple & Pine Nut Pizza
Cheesy Baked Artichoke Dip
Chorizo Cheeseburger Pie
Wisconsin Cheese Curd Stuffed Bacon Burgers
Zucchini, Prosciutto & Goat Cheese Tartlettes
Cheese Pairing Party

Enter to Win!

To enter, just leave a comment telling us a) who you’re rooting for on Super Bowl Sunday and b) what cheesy dish you’d make for a Super Bowl party. We’ll select a winner at random on Friday.

61 Comments

Filed under Giveaway

Tagged as , , , , ,