Easy Sticky Buns

Great recipe from the "Back to Basics" cookbook.

Recipe:

Ina Garten's Easy Sticky Buns

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/3 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed

1/2 cup pecans, chopped in very large pieces

1 package (17.3 ounces/2 sheets) frozen puff pastry, defrosted

FOR THE FILLING

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

2/3 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed

3 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 cup raisins

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place a 12-cup standard muffin tin on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper.

In a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the 12 tablespoons butter and 1/3 cup brown sugar. Place 1 rounded tablespoon of the mixture in each of the 12 muffin cups. Distribute the pecans evenly among the 12 muffin cups on top of the butter and sugar mixture.

Lightly flour a wooden board or stone surface. Unfold one sheet of puff pastry with the folds going left to right. Brush the whole sheet with half of the melted butter. Leaving a 1-inch border on the puff pastry, sprinkle each sheet with 1/3 cup of the brown sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons of the cinnamon. and 1/2 cup of the raisins. Starting with the end nearest you, roll the pastry up snugly like a jelly roll around the filling, finishing the roll with the seam side down. Trim the ends of the roll about 1/2 inch and discard. Slice the roll in 6 equal pieces, each about 1 1/2 inches wides. Place each piece, spiral side up, in 6 of the muffin cups. Repeat with the second sheet of puff pastry to make 12 sticky buns.

Bake for 30 minutes, until the sticky buns are golden to dark brown on top and firm to the touch. Allow to cool for 5 minutes only, invert the buns onto the parchment paper (ease the filling and pecans out onto the buns with a spoon), and cool completely.

I only made 1/2 of the recipe and placed them in individual ramekin cups.

Into the oven.

Cool for 5 minutes and turn over.

Ready to eat.

Give this recipe a try. They were wonderful:)

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The Big Snow Is Here

This is what I woke up to this morning, and it's still snowing.

Enjoy your weekend:)

Thanksgiving Dinner

Brined Turkey with Gravy

Broccoli Casserole

Roasted Butternut Squash with Fresh Garlic

Thanksgiving Potatoes
Stuffing

Cranberry Relish

Italian Olives

Pumpkin Crescent Rolls

Pumpkin Pie

Delish:)

Turkey Brine

How easy is this.

Add contents of jar to one gallon water and bring to a boil.

Stir and let cool completely.

Here's the FRESH 12 pound turkey breast.

Put turkey in brine bag, add cooled brine, place in refrigerator until ready to cook.

Happy Thanksgiving to you all:)

Creamy Olive Spread

Creamy Olive Spread

1 8oz. Philadelphia cream cheese, softened

1 small jar green olives, chopped

2 green onions, thinly sliced

Mix all together. I served it with Pita bread rounds

Foodie Friday is presented by

"Designs by Gollum"

Visit her site for more fabulous recipes

Fall Hominy Stew

Fall Hominy Stew

(Inspired by Delightful Country Cookin')

2 pounds Italian sausage (take out of casting)

1 green pepper, chopped

1 onion, chopped

1 large butternut squash, peeled and cubed

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon oregano and cumin

8 cups low-sodium chicken broth

3 cans hominy, drained

1 cup frozen peas

salt and pepper to taste

Brown meat in a large stockpot. Add green pepper and onion and cook for about 5 minutes, or until tender. Add broth, spices, and squash, and bring to a boil; simmer for about 15 minutes, or until squash is tender when pierced. Add hominy and peas and simmer until heated through. Salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 12

Foodie Friday is presented by

"Designs by Gollum"

Visit her site for more fabulous recipes

Marie-Helene's Apple Cake

I have seen Marie-Helene's Apple Cake on a few blogs and decided to try it.

My house smelled like a French bakery:) Marie-Helene's Apple Cake

Ingredients:

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

Pinch of salt

4 large apples (if you can, choose 4 different kinds)

2 large eggs

3/4 cups sugar

3 tablespoons dark rum

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Generously butter an 8-inch springform pan and put it on a baking sheet lined with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.

Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in small bowl.

Peel the apples, cut them in half and remove the cores. Cut the apples into 1- to 2-inch chunks.

In a medium bowl, beat the eggs with a whisk until they're foamy. Pour in the sugar and whisk for a minute or so to blend. Whisk in the rum and vanilla. Whisk in half the flour and when it is incorporated, add half the melted butter, followed by the rest of the flour and the remaining butter, mixing gently after each addition so that you have a smooth, rather thick batter. Switch to a rubber spatula and fold in the apples, turning the fruit so that it's coated with batter. Scrape the mix into the pan and poke it around a little with the spatula so that it's evenish.

Slide the pan into the oven and bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until the top of the cake is golden brown and a knife inserted deep into the center comes out clean; the cake may pull away from the sides of the pan. Transfer to a cooling rack and let rest for 5 minutes.

Carefully run a blunt knife around the edges of the cake and remove the sides of the springform pan. (Open the springform slowly, and before it's fully opened, make sure there aren't any apples stuck to it.) Allow the cake to cool until it is just slightly warm or at room temperature. If you want to remove the cake from the bottom of the springform pan, wait until the cake is almost cooled, then run a long spatula between the cake and the pan, cover the top of the cake with a piece of parchment or wax paper, and invert it onto a rack. Carefully remove the bottom of the pan and turn the cake over onto a service dish.

The cake can be served warm or at room temperature, with or without a little softly whipped, barely sweetened heavy cream or a spoonful of ice cream. Marie-Helene serviced her cake with cinnamon ice cream and it was a terrific combination.

This was an amazing cake and so easy to make.

I can't wait to buy Dorie Greenspan's Around My French Table cookbook.