Chicken Pot Pie

Once again, the Pioneer Woman has convinced me to try something new. This time…it is pie crust. Just for the record, I have made pie crust before, and I was not very successful, so I gave it up.

But chicken pot pie is another thing. I love chicken pot pie. I have never made a chicken pot pie…for fear of the crust. But her pie crust recipe looked rather simple and so I tried it. The crust was easy to make and so I continued on with the chicken pot pie. I am sure the butter and heavy cream added to the wonderful taste of this pot pie. If you have this cookbook, you will find the step by step directions/pictures on page 126. I very carefully followed step number 10 which notes that the rustic looking crust is a good thing. Here is her recipe for the perfect pie crust.

Ingredients

1-½ cup Crisco (vegetable Shortening)
3 cups All-purpose Flour
1 whole Egg
5 Tablespoons Cold Water
1 Tablespoon White Vinegar
1 teaspoon Salt

Preparation Instructions
In a large bowl, with a pastry cutter, gradually work the Crisco into the flour for about 3 or 4 minutes until it resembles a coarse meal. In a small bowl, beat an egg with a fork and then pour it into the flour/shortening mixture. Add 5 tablespoons of cold water, 1 tablespoon of white vinegar and 1 teaspoon of salt. Stir together gently until all of the ingredients are incorporated.

Separate the dough into halves. Form 2 evenly sized balls of dough and place each dough into a large Ziploc bag. (If you desire a thinner crust, divide dough into thirds.) Using a rolling pin, slightly flatten each ball of dough (about ½ inch thick) to make rolling easier later. Seal the bags and place them in the freezer until you need them. (If you will be using it immediately it's still a good idea to put in the freezer for about 15 to 20 minutes to chill.)

When you are ready to use the dough to make a crust, remove from the freezer and allow to thaw for 15 minutes. On a floured surface roll the dough, starting at the center and working your way out. (Sprinkle some flour over top of the dough if it's a bit too moist.) If the dough is sticking to the countertop use a metal spatula and carefully scrape it up and flip it over and continue rolling until it's about ½ inch larger in diameter than your pie pan.

With a spatula, lift the dough carefully from the surface of the counter into the pie pan. Gently press the dough against the corner of the pan. Go around the pie pan pinching and tucking the dough to make a clean edge.

Olive Garden Lemon Cake compliments of Lauren

My sister sent me this recipe after trying it for dessert one night when they were out. It is certainly not hard to make but I had a disaster in the kitchen! Maybe it was because I was trying to bake cookies and make a cake at the same time. One of these days I will learn that multitasking is just not for me.



Here is the recipe. I have not tasted it yet, as it is for Bible Study tonight but I will report back!

Olive Garden Lemon Cream Cake
"Delicate white cake and lemon cream filling with a vanilla crumb topping."


Ingredients
1 white cake mix,prepared

8 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 cups powered sugar
1 cup heavy whipping cream, whipped to stiff peaks
3 tbsp. lemon juice

1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup powered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
4 tbsp. butter


Directions
Prepare cake as directed in a 10" round cake pan or 10" round spring form pan.
Blend cream cheese, powered sugar, and lemon juice together. In a medium bowl, whip heavy whipping cream to stiff peaks. Gently fold into cream cheese mixture and blend by hand. Chill until needed.

Mix flour and powered sugar in small bowl. Crumble butter in and dribble in vanilla extract. The crumbles should be no larger than pea size. If you have trouble crumbling mixture, chill for a few minutes. Chill until needed.

After cake is cooled, cut in half. Spread cream cheese mixture, saving 1/2 cup, on bottom half and carefully place top layer back. Spread rest of cream cheese mixture on the sides of cake. Press crumb topping into sides gently.

Chill for 3 hours. Cut into 12 pie shaped slices. Makes 12 servings.

Chai-Tea in a cupcake

Both of my girls love Chai Tea, so when I ran across this recipe in Martha's cupcake book, I knew I had to try them. Lots of wonderful spices needed to get that good Chai Tea flavor. My high altitude adjustments are in italics.

Makes 46 mini muffins (and this is true! I tried to stretch it out to make 48 and it just wouldn't go there!)

Cupcakes:

¾ cup milk plus 3 tablespoons

2 bags of black tea

1 cup all-purpose flour plus 2 tablespoons

1 cup cake flour (not self-rising) plus 2 tablespoons

1 ½ teaspoons baking powder less ¼ teaspoon

½ teaspoon coarse salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

¼ teaspoon each of ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground cardamom

Pinch each of ground cloves and ground nutmeg

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

¾ cup packed dark brown sugar less 1 tablespoon

2 large eggs, room temperature plus 1 egg

Preheat oven to 350^O. Line mini muffin tins with paper liners. Bring milk to a simmer over medium heat. Remove from heat; add tea bags, and let steep, covered, 15 minutes. Remove tea bags, squeezing the bags over the pan, and discard. Allow milk to cool completely. Whisk together both flours, baking powder, salt, pepper and spices.

With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream butter and brown sugar until pale and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping sides of bowl as needed. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of tea-infused milk, and beating until just combined after each.

Divide batter among lined cups. Bake rotating halfway through, until tops spring back when lightly touched and are pale golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Turn out onto wire racks to cool completely.

To finish, dip top of each cupcake in icing, then turn over quickly, and let set. Cupcakes are best eaten the day they are glazed. Keep at room temperature until ready to serve.

Condensed-Milk Icing:

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

½ cup plus 2 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk (7 ounces)

Pinch of coarse salt

¾ cup confectioners' sugar

With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, whisk together butter, condensed milk and salt until smooth. Whisk in confectioners' sugar ¼ cup at a time, until combined, then whisk on high speed until thick and smooth. Use immediately.

Chicken Pot Pie

Once again, the Pioneer Woman has convinced me to try something new. This time…it is pie crust. Just for the record, I have made pie crust before, and I was not very successful, so I gave it up.

But chicken pot pie is another thing. I love chicken pot pie. I have never made a chicken pot pie…for fear of the crust. But her pie crust recipe looked rather simple and so I tried it. The crust was easy to make and so I continued on with the chicken pot pie. I am sure the butter and heavy cream added to the wonderful taste of this pot pie. If you have this cookbook, you will find the step by step directions/pictures on page 126. I very carefully followed step number 10 which notes that the rustic looking crust is a good thing. Here is her recipe for the perfect pie crust.

Ingredients

1-½ cup Crisco (vegetable Shortening)
3 cups All-purpose Flour
1 whole Egg
5 Tablespoons Cold Water
1 Tablespoon White Vinegar
1 teaspoon Salt

Preparation Instructions
In a large bowl, with a pastry cutter, gradually work the Crisco into the flour for about 3 or 4 minutes until it resembles a coarse meal. In a small bowl, beat an egg with a fork and then pour it into the flour/shortening mixture. Add 5 tablespoons of cold water, 1 tablespoon of white vinegar and 1 teaspoon of salt. Stir together gently until all of the ingredients are incorporated.
Separate the dough into halves. Form 2 evenly sized balls of dough and place each dough into a large Ziploc bag. (If you desire a thinner crust, divide dough into thirds.) Using a rolling pin, slightly flatten each ball of dough (about ½ inch thick) to make rolling easier later. Seal the bags and place them in the freezer until you need them. (If you will be using it immediately it's still a good idea to put in the freezer for about 15 to 20 minutes to chill.)
When you are ready to use the dough to make a crust, remove from the freezer and allow to thaw for 15 minutes. On a floured surface roll the dough, starting at the center and working your way out. (Sprinkle some flour over top of the dough if it's a bit too moist.) If the dough is sticking to the countertop use a metal spatula and carefully scrape it up and flip it over and continue rolling until it's about ½ inch larger in diameter than your pie pan.
With a spatula, lift the dough carefully from the surface of the counter into the pie pan. Gently press the dough against the corner of the pan. Go around the pie pan pinching and tucking the dough to make a clean edge.

Family Room Redo

5 Simple Steps to a Room Redo

1. Find Inspiration – Mine was my birdhouse collection
2. Choose a color palette – I continued my warm kitchen colors into my family room
3. Budget – We included new carpet, an entertainment center and a new TV
4. Shop for Décor – This is the best part for me! It was called a couple of days at the flea market with Kellee
5. Have a work party – My room needed tall, willing friends
   

I love my new family room. It is warm and cozy and even in the cold winter, the little touches of outdoor decor makes me feel like I'm sitting on my porch.

Best White Cupcakes from Scratch!

I have multiple cookbooks that are dedicated solely to cupcakes. Is anyone surprised by that? Here is the recipe I made to take to Pastor Burhop's church a few weeks back. They turned out great and the frosting was equally as yummy.

Classic White Cupcakes -         
the notes in italics are the high altitude adjustments I made

 
 

1 3/4 cups sifted cake flour      plus 3 tablespoons (I used regular flour and did not actually sift it)

2 teaspoons baking powder      less 1/2 teaspoon

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup milk                            plus 2 tablespoons

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 3/4 cups sugar                     less 3 tablespoons

1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature

3 egg whites                             plus 1 egg white

 
 

Preheat oven to 350 and prepare the muffin pans with non stick spray and flour or paper cups.

Resift the sifted cake flour with the baking powder and salt.   Combine the milk and vanilla.   Cream the butter and sugar until fluffy. 

Alternating the flour mixture with the milk mixture, blend half of one, them the other into the butter mixture.  Mix well after each addition and repeat.  Mix until well blended.

 

In a separate bowl beat the egg whites until stiff, but not dry.  Fold them into batter.

 

Pour the batter into the muffin pans, filling at least halfway.  Bake for 15 to 20 mintues, until the cakes test done.

 

Remove  the pans and turn out the cupcakes onto a wire rack to cool. 

 

Yeild 24 cupcakes. 

 

 

Classic Buttercream Frosting

 

1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, softened

2 1/4 cups powdered sugar

liquid food coloring

2 tablespoons milk

 

Place the softened butter in a large bowl.  Gradually add the sugar by sifting a small amount over teh butter and stirring to incorporate.  Continue until all the sugar is blended in .   Beat hard with a wooden spoon or an electric mixer  until the icing is pale and fluffy. 

Beat in the milk.  Add food coloring if desired.

Irish Frosting

St. Patrick's Day is coming up...so the recipe search for "Irish Food" brought me back to Martha Stewart's Cupcake Cookbook. Her suggestion for St. Patrick's Day cupcakes is a batch of Brown Sugar Pound Cakes with Baileys Irish Cream Frosting. Here is my opinion. I don't think it matters what kind of cupcake, or sandwich or beer you plan to enjoy on St. Patrick's Day...just be sure to include this frosting. Lucky for me, butter was on sale this week! Enjoy this recipe.

Baileys Irish Cream Frosting

3 sticks of unsalted butter, room temperature

1 pound (4cups) confectioner's sugar, sifted

3 tablespoons Baileys Irish Cream liqueur

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream butter until smooth. Reduce speed to medium. Add the confectioner's sugar 1/2 cup at a time, beating well after each addition and scaping down sides of bowl as needed, about 5 minutes total; after every two additions, raise speed to high and beat 10 seconds (to aerate frosting).

2. Add Baileys and vanilla, and beat until combined and smooth. Use immediately, or refrigerate up to 5 days in an airtight container, bringing to room temperature and beat on low speed until smooth before using.