Daring Bakers Challenge – August

It’s Daring Baker’s time again!  

I was so excited for this challenge.  So excited that I literally waited until 2 days before posting day to spend my day in the kitchen.  I really was stoked for this one though, because this month’s challenge was Eclairs.  I LOVE eclairs.  I adore eclairs.  If I didn’t have any self control, I could have eaten every last one before letting some other’s try them.  I actually only ended up eating 2. Yup, just 2.  I was pretty proud of myself.  My neighbor’s and my hubby’s co-workers got the rest. Lucky ducks, huh? You’ll just have to move next door if you want a piece of the action around here!  

This month’s challenge was brought to you by Tony Tahhan and Meetak.  The recipe was for Chocolate Eclairs by Pierre Herme.  This one was a goodie for sure.  I was so excited and a little nervous, only because there were so many different elements to this fancy dessert.  4 different elements to be exact.  And I added one, so a total of 5.  I wanted to stick to the basics for this challenge.  The dough was a lovely Pate a Choux, also known as Choux Pastry or Cream Puff Dough.  It was so simple and it turned out so light and fluffy.  I loved it! The recipe for the pastry cream was a rich chocolate.  Very rich.  So rich.  I decided to make a vanilla pastry cream as well, and I was sooo glad that I did because the chocolate was way to rich for my blood. Vanilla was the perfect balance to the light, delicate pastry and the rich glaze on the top.  I drizzled a little white chocolate on the top to make it extra special.
Overall, I really liked this one.  I am definitely going to try these again.  I’m sure I’ll make them with vanilla again.  If you want to brave this one, and I definitely say you should, you can find the recipe here.  Check back next month for a fabulous new recipe that is sure to be a hit!  Have a great Sunday everyone!

Baked on August 30, 2008 | Recipe Card: Dessert, daring bakers challenge | 23 Bites 

Individual Potato Chip Crusted Chicken and Rice Casseroles

Happy Friday everyone!  This week flew by in a hurry for me.  I’ve been busy trying to make a new puppy welcome in our home.  And let me tell you, they are a lot of work!  I have 2 kids on top of that so now I feel like I don’t have a second to spare.  But I did manage to get dinner on the table so I feel good.  

Nothing sweet and fancy here today.  Just good old classic comfort food.  Well, it’s comfort food to me anyway.  My Mom made this for me growing up all the time and I still love it to this day. The creamy sauce mixed with chicken and rice is so delicious and the potato chip crusted topping adds the perfect crunch and salty bite it deserves.  Add veggies if you like, but I like it just the way it is.  I like to make these in individual ramekins, I think it makes them a little more special that way, but feel free to put into a 9 inch square baking pan.
Hope everyone has a great weekend!
Potato Chip Crusted Chicken and Rice Casserole
recipe by Stephanie
serves 4
1 1/2 cups rice (any kind will do)
3 cups water
4 chicken breasts, cubed and cooked with salt,pepper,onion powder and garlic powder
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup light mayo
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 cups regular potato chips, crushed
1. Add water and rice to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil.  Put a lid on it and reduce heat to low.  Cook for about 20 minutes.  Set aside.
2. Mix yogurt, mayo, chicken soup, lemon juice, garlic and salt and pepper until creamy and smooth.  Add chicken and rice and mix well.  Scoop into individual ramekins or a baking pan and top with crushed potato chips.  Put into a 350 degree oven and bake for about 20 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown.  

Baked on August 29, 2008 | Recipe Card: chicken, rice | 19 Bites 

Baked Apple and Cinnamon French Toast Cups


Oh my goodness.  I am still licking my fingers on this one.  Delicious.  Masterpiece.  That’s all I can say about this amazing treat.  Oh how I wish that I could take all the credit for this one.  It was inspired by Jenny at Picky Palate.  She made some bread pudding cups a while back.  I decided to call it French Toast Cups because it has all the ingredients I use in my french toast plus apples.  Yum.  My kids licked the plate clean.  And let me tell you, that does not happen very often unless it is made of all sugar.  Apples have been on my mind lately.  I have been racking my brain trying to come up with some creative recipes using them, and then I remembered Jenny’s Bread pudding recipe and I decided to do something similar but with my own spin.  The sauteed cinnamon apples were the perfect addition.  Of course topped with a sugar glaze, it is the perfect treat or breakfast or brunch or whatever you want to eat it for!  I hope you all have a lovely week and I will be back soon with some amazingly delicious recipes!

Baked Apple and Cinnamon French Toast Cups
recipe by Stephanie
inspired by Jenny
makes 6 french toast cups
4 slices whole wheat bread, cut into cubes
2 eggs
1/4 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
dash of ground nutmeg
For the apples:
1 large apple of your choice, cut into cubes
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1. In a medium skillet, saute apples with butter and cinnamon for about 5 minutes, or until soft. Set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, mix the eggs, milk, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg until well combined. Add bread cubes and mix together until all the bread is saturated.  Add the apples and mix until well distributed.
3. Using a regular size muffin tin, scoop bread evenly into 6 of the muffin cups.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes or until set and lightly golden brown.  
4. Mix 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar and 1 tablespoon milk until smooth.  Drizzle on top of french toast cups.  Enjoy!!
These would be perfect for a bridal or baby shower!  Your guests will be begging for more!!!

Baked on August 26, 2008 | Recipe Card: apples, breakfast, brunch | 23 Bites 

Zucchini Bread


I was never a fan of bread with any kind of vegetables or fruits in it.  Now that I’m older, wiser and my ‘pallet’ is matured…I absolutely can’t get enough of it.  Banana Bread, Carrot Bread, and now Zucchini Bread.  Yum.  And my kids gobble it up.  I can’t feel guilty when they are getting some good stuff and don’t even know it.  The winner for my daughter with this bread was the yummy cinnamon sugar sprinkled on the top.   I could probably sprinkle cinnamon and sugar on practically anything and she’d slurp it down no questions asked.  She is a girl after my own heart for sure.  I got this yummy recipe from my dear friend and next door neighbor Becky, who just started up her very own food blog Satisfying My Sweet Tooth.  It’s been fun swapping recipes and getting to try each other’s creations.  You can’t beat that, aren’t you all jealous? I bet you are!  I would love to be neighbor’s with every last one of you.  You all make me drool all over my keyboard each and every day.  If you are in the mood for some sweet Zucchini bread, definitely give this recipe a try, and check out Becky’s blog too, she has some yummy recipes, and I know because I’ve tasted a lot of them myself! Have a good week everyone!!!

Zucchini Bread
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup sugar
1 large or 2 medium eggs
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups shredded, unpeeled zucchini
1/4 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
1. Grease bottom and sides of a 8x4x2 inch loaf pan.  
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.  Set aside.
3. In a small bowl, combine sugar, oil, egg, zucchini and lemon peel.  Mix until well combined.
4. Add zucchini mixture to the dry ingredients and stir just until moistened.  Fold in walnuts or pecans.
5. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees.
6. Cover with aluminum foil and bake another 10 minutes or until center is cooked through.
7. Cool on wire rack for 10 minutes before removing loaf from pan to cool completely on the wire rack.
8. For added yummy-ness, brush melted butter over the top of the bread and sprinkle with a cinnamon/sugar mixture.

Baked on August 20, 2008 | Recipe Card: bread | 18 Bites 

Chocolate Chip and Pecan Cookie Bars


Happy Monday everyone! Not much going on in my life right now.  Just trying to get through the rest of the hot hot hot summer here in Utah.  My darling sister and her cute son are coming to visit on Thursday, so you most likely won’t hear from me until Monday when I will be very depressed after she leaves me to go back home to Oregon.  :(  We don’t get to see each other very often, maybe once every year or two, so I get very excited to see her and very depressed when she leaves. But I will be back to baking along after that.  I’ll have to keep myself very busy to keep my head up!  Now onto the goodies!!!

Yum Yum Yum.  That’s all I can say about these chewy, chocolaty bars of goodness.  Crispy on the outside, gooey on the inside.  It’s like eating a huge, chunky, chewy chocolate chip cookie. That is my kind of treat! I don’t make bars very often and I’m not sure why, because I really enjoyed these.  They are exactly how I like my cookies, but in a bar form.  Give them a try, you won’t be sorry!  I hope you all have a great week!
Chocolate Chip and Pecan Cookie Bars
recipe by Stephanie
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup chopped pecans
2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips
1. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, soda and salt.  Set aside.
2. Cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
3. Add eggs, one at a time until thoroughly mixed.  Add vanilla.  Mix until creamy and smooth.
4. Slowly add flour mixture a little at a time until mixed thoroughly.  
5. Stir in the pecans and chocolate chips by hand.
6. Pour batter into a greased 9 X 13 inch pan and bake at 350 degrees for about 30-35 minutes or until center is set through and top is browned.  Cut into squares and indulge!

My kids couldn’t even keep away!

Baked on August 18, 2008 | Recipe Card: bars, cookies, desserts | 24 Bites 

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