Lemon Meringue Muffins

 

Lemon Meringue Pie holds a special place in my heart.  It happens to be my family's classic go-to dessert, one that everyone loved, especially my Grandpa.  My Grandpa loved Lemon Meringue Pie with a passion. Each time he took a bite, he'd rear his head back and close his eyes, savoring every bite. He'd always chuckle, as if the Lemon Meringue Pie was so good that he couldn't help but be amused by how much he loved it.  His chuckle was contagious and before long my parents and I would be laughing right along with him.  Sometimes we'd laugh our way through the whole pie, just the four of us.

Every time I see anything resembling Lemon Meringue Pie I am reminded of my Grandpa and all the fun times we had as a family gathering at the table. Ironically, I stumbled across this recipe for Lemon Meringue Muffins the day before what would have been my Grandpa's birthday.  It seemed fitting to make these on his special day and I'm so glad I did.

 

Lemon Meringue Muffins

Adapted from Taste of Home

Makes 12

6 tablespoons butter, softened

1 cup sugar, divided 

2 eggs

1/2 cup plain yogurt (I used greek yogurt)

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon grated lemon peel

1/4 teaspoon lemon extract

1-1/3 cup all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

2 egg whites

In a large bowl, cream butter and 2/3 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the yogurt, lemon juice, peel and extract. Combine the flour, baking powder and baking soda; add to creamed mixture just until moistened.

Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups three-fourths full. Bake at 350° for 18 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, beat egg whites on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in remaining sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, on high until stiff glossy peaks form and sugar is dissolved.

Transfer meringue to a heavy-duty resealable plastic bag; cut a small hole in a corner of bag. Pipe onto muffins. Bake 5-8 minutes longer or until meringue is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the muffin comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack. Serve warm. Refrigerate leftovers.

Nutrition Facts: 1 muffin equals 188 calories, 7 g fat (4 g saturated fat), 52 mg cholesterol, 135 mg sodium, 28 g carbohydrate, trace fiber, 4 g protein.

 Notes/Results:  This is one exciting muffin!  The muffin itself is light and lemony with a very tender crumb.  The meringue topping is billowy and fluffy and makes these muffins a very special treat.  The entire family loved these muffins, but I do think a little layer of lemon curd between the muffin and the meringue would be especially nice.  As far as muffins go, these are pretty light and not so bad for you, making them a pretty good choice in the muffin department. 

Eating pie with Gramps

Dessert Wars: Nutella & Hazelnut Caramel Corn

Sweet, crunchy, nutty, and chocolatey, this is one addictive snack that will satisfy all your cravings.  Buttery caramel corn is mixed with chopped hazelnuts and coated with a chocolatey Nutella drizzle.  A big bowl of this caramel corn would be great to serve at your Super Bowl party and/or packed up as gifts for Valentine's Day!

Nutella & Hazelnut Caramel Corn

A Stirring the Pot Original

For the Caramel Corn:

12 cups plain popped popcorn 

1 cup hazelnuts (optional)

1 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup light corn syrup

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup butter (1 stick)

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Nutella Glaze/Coating:

1/3 cup Nutella, room temperature

1-2 tablespoons milk or cream (enough to make thin or pourable)

 

Place the popped popcorn into two shallow greased baking pans.  You may use roasting pans, jelly roll pans, or disposable roasting pans.  Add the hazelnuts (if using) to the popped corn.  Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.  Combine the brown sugar, corn syrup, butter and salt in a saucepan.  Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring enough to blend.  Once the mixture begins to boil, boil for 5 minutes while stirring constantly.

Remove from the heat, and stir in the baking soda and vanilla.  The mixture will be light and foamy.  Immediately pour over the popcorn in the pans, and stir to coat.  Don't worry too much at this point about getting all of the corn coated. (The caramel will become liquid-like in the oven and will be easy to mix in intervals).

Bake for 1 hour, removing the pans, and giving them each a good stir every 15 minutes (this will evenly distribute the caramel).  Line the counter top with waxed paper.  Dump the corn out onto the waxed paper and separate the pieces.  Allow to cool completely.

While the caramel corn is cooling, mix together the nutella and milk and/or cream in a small bowl until evenly mixed and smooth. When the caramel corn has completely cooled, place nutella mixture into a squeeze bottle or simply use a fork to drizzle over the caramel corn.  Place in the refrigerator for at least one hour so that the coating is allowed to firm up.

This is my entry for the new Dessert Wars, hosted by Reeni of Cinnamon Spice & Everything Nice and Christine of The Cupcake Bandits.  This month's challenge was to create a dessert using Nutella and the winner will win the fabulous gift pack you see below:

-Whisk and cupcake necklace from Moon & Star Designs

-The Smartshopper Electronic Grocery List Organizer

-Beanilla Sampler Pack of Vanilla Beans

-Lenox Personalized Musical Cupcake

-1,000 ideas for Decorating Cupcakes, Cookies & Cakes

-Endless Vanilla and Cinnamon Extract

-Unlimited Layers: A Recipe for Turning Your Passion into Profits

-$50 Gift Certificate to Theme Kitchen

-$50 Coupon Redeemable for Organic Valley Products

-$50 Coupon Redeemable for Organic Prairie Products

Cheesy Baked Farro

Farro.  Have you had it before?  I hadn't, until today.  On my travels up in Cleveland, I ran across a bag of farro and bought it with this recipe in mind.  In case you haven't heard of farro before, it is an ancient grain with a nutty flavor and firm texture.  It also happens to be one of the first cultivated grains of ancient Italy.  It is used in salads, pilafs, soups, and also in place of pasta.

 I'm always a little skeptical to introduce new foods to my picky family, so I thought this recipe was perfect. A big douse of cheese is always a good way to introduce anything, right?

Cheesy Baked Farro

Adapted from Giada at Home

4-6 servings

Vegetable oil cooking spray

Sauce

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups warm milk

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Farro

6 cups low-soldium chicken broth

2 cups farro, rinsed and drained

2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling

2 cups assorted mushroooms, cleaned and sliced

Salt and Freshly ground black pepper

3/4 cup halved cherry or grape tomatoes

2 -1/2 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1 cup grated Gruyere cheese

1/2 cup grated Fontina cheese

1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves

1/2 cup plain dried bread crumbs

Preheat the oven to 400F.  Spray a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.

For the sauce: In a 2-quart saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.  Add the flour and whisk until smooth.  Gradually add the warm milk, whisking constantly to prevent lumps.  Simmer over medium heat, whisking constantly until the sauce is smooth and thick, about 8 minutes (do not allow the mixture to boil).  Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper.

For the farro:  In an 8-quart stockpot, bring the chicken broth to a boil over medium-high heat.  Add the farro, lower the heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 25 minutes.  Drain if necessary.

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat.  Add the mushrooms and season with salt and pepper.  Cook the mushrooms, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes or until tender.  Add the tomatoes to the pan and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until tender.

In a large bowl, combine the Parmesan cheese, Gruyere cheese, Fontina cheese, and thyme.  Remove 1 /2 cup of the  mixture and set aside.  Add the cooked farro, sauce, and mushroom mixture to the cheeses.  Stir until combined.  Season with salt and pepper.  Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish and sprinkle with the 1/2 cup reserved cheese mixture.  Sprinkle the top with bread crumbs and drizzle with olive oil.  

Bake until the top is golden brown and forms a crust, 25-30 minutes.  Remove from the oven and let stand for 5 minutes before servings.

Notes/Results:  It looks very brown and unappetizing, but I promise that it is delicious.  I really loved the nutty taste of the farro combined with the nuttiness of the cheese.  In fact, the whole family enjoyed it.  This is something that I would definitely make again!

I made quite a few changes to the original recipe.  I halved the recipe, leaving out the mushrooms and using diced canned tomatoes in place of fresh cherry tomatoes.  I also subbed out extra Parmesan in place of the Gruyere (which I didn't have on hand).  Other than that, the only other change I made was to add more chicken stock to the farro so that the chicken stock didn't cook out and in addtion, I cooked the farro a little longer, until tender, about a total of 30-35 minutes.

Now cooking the recipes of Giada De Laurentiis

French Fridays with Dorie Rewind: I'm a Month Behind!

So I'm literally drowning in recipes, but that really isn't a bad thing, right?  I'm a month behind on French Fridays with Dorie, so this is actually December's monthly roundup (minus the speculoos, which I didn't make).  Surprisingly enough, my very favorite recipe of the bunch was Dorie's Spiced Butter-Glazed Carrots.  The carrots are cooked until tender and glazed in a wonderful combination of onion, ginger, garlic and cardamom seeds.  As a lover of cooked carrots, these were some of the best I've ever had.

No one else in my family likes cooked carrots (I told you I lived with a bunch of crazy folk), so I just made a half batch.  I had them as a side dish for dinner one night and then ate the rest of them for lunch one day.  Just me and a plate of carrots.  I felt virtuous, for once.

I've done an obscene amount of braising this month, but Dorie's Go-To Beef Daube really does stand out among the others. A very robust and hearty beef stew loaded with veggies and braised in red wine.  A real winner for the whole family.  Even my picky daughter asked for more!

I usually don't have a least favorite when it comes to Dorie's recipes.  However, I really didn't care for the Leek and Potato Soup.  I think the recipe was written well enough.  It was really more of a personal thing.  I'm thinking that maybe I'm not the biggest fan of leeks.  Not sure.  Either way, I jazzed mine up with some extra buttery croutons, which made the soup MUCH tastier.

And, finally, Dorie's Sweet and Spicy Cocktail Nuts.  I made the recipe two times and both times they disappeared quickly.  The first time I made them according to the recipe, with chili powder, cinnamon and a dash of cayenne.  We loved them!  The second time I made them with only cinnamon, sugar and a sprinkling of cardamom.  We loved those too!  I think it's safe to say that Dorie's Sweet and Spicy Cocktail Nuts are a winner.  I can see myself making them many times in the future (almonds and pecans are my favorite)! 

Now onto next month!  Hopefully I'll have a chance to catch up.

I hope you all have a great weekend!

Tackling Bittman: Linguine with Butter, Parmesan, and Sage

When life hands you lemons, you make lemonade.  When life gives you too many snow days, and a house full of rambunctious children, you make pasta.  Not just any pasta mind you.  Pasta with lots of butter and lots of cheese.  Pasta that will both calm and comfort you while your children run around the house with a roll of masking tape, taping each other, their toys, and everything else in sight.  Oh, the joys of parenting...............

Linguine with Butter, Parmesan, and Sage

Adapted from Mark Bittman's Kitchen Express 

Boil salted water for pasta and cook it(I used one pound), leaving it just short of done and reserving some of the cooking liquid(I reserved one cup and wish I had reserved more).  Meanwhile, melt two tablespoons butter (I used 4 tablespoons) and add a couple handfuls of fresh sage leaves (about 30 leaves) to the pan; cook until the butter browns and the leaves have shriveled.  Add the pasta to the butter and sage, along with about three-quarters of a cup of the cooking liquid; cook until the pasta is done; it's OK if the mixture remains a little soupy(it's probably best if it is soupy).  Stir in a couple of good handfuls of freshly grated Parmesan cheese and mix until it becomes creamy; season with lots of freshly ground black pepper and serve.

Notes/Results: How can you go wrong with a pasta dish like this?  Bittman compares this recipe to a lighter version of Alfredo and I have to agree.  I do wish I had reserved a little bit more of the pasta water to thin out my cheese sauce more.  If you make this recipe, my suggestion would be to reserve 2 full cups of pasta water just for that purpose.  Either way, this was a delicious and comforting recipe that helped to provide a little sunshine on my otherwise hectic and crazy day.  A few snow days are always fun, but twelve snow days......not so fun!!

This is my entry for Tackling Bittman, being hosted by my friend Heather at Girlichef this month.  Heather is also hosting a great giveaway for Mark Bittman's newest book, The Food Matters Cookbook. You still have a few more days to submit a Bittman recipe in order to win! Follow this link for the details.

Special Note:  I haven't been around to comment much lately and I do miss visiting all of you.  Things have been a little hectic with all the snow days and I've been feeling a little under the weather.  I hope to get around and see all of you soon!

Recipe #59 - Stirring the Pot: Veal Braised in Milk and Honey with Buttered Turnips

  

In effort to continue cooking my way through Tyler's Stirring the Pot, I will have two recipes from the book to share with you this week.  I've been trying to work my way through Tyler's book for two years now and one of the constant problems I have is finding all the specialty ingredients.  Take this recipe for instance, veal shoulder?  Have you ever seen it in your market?  I've searched high and low for about 2 years now and never found it.

I decided just to bite the bullet and use beef shoulder.  I'm sure veal shoulder is great, if you can find it.  Also, let's talk about turnips.  I've had them.  I like them.  I couldn't find them in my local market, so I subbed yukon gold potatoes.  So basically, instead of having Veal Braised in Milk and Honey with Buttered Turnips, we really had Beef Braised in Milk and Honey with Buttered Potatoes.  How's that for a stretch?

 I'd like to think the main point of this particular recipe is the unique use of milk and honey as a braising liquid, not necessarily the focus on whether or not you use beef or veal and/or turnips and potatoes.  I have to say that I was somewhat reluctant about braising anything in milk as I'd never done it before.  This was yet another dish that really surprised me, in a very pleasant way.  The milk and honey braising liquid turns into a rather creamy gravy with a savory and slightly sweet taste that enhances the richness of the meat.  I would definitely use this method again when braising.

Beef Braised in Milk and Honey with Buttered Potatoes

Adapted from Tyler Florence's Stirring the Pot

Serves 6-8

Extra virgin olive oil

4 pounds beef shoulder (or veal)

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 garlic cloves, peeled

1/4 bunch fresh thyme sprigs (about 4 sprigs)

4-5 dried porcini mushrooms

1/2 gallon milk

3 tablespoons honey

1 recipe Buttered Potatoes (or turnips)*recipe follows

Preheat oven to 350F.  In a large heavy pot or Dutch oven heat a 3-count of olive oil (about 3 tablespoons) over medium-high heat.  Season beef (or veal) with plenty of salt and pepper.  Add beef (or veal) to pot, cook and turn  until brown all over and a crust forms.  Add garlic, thyme, and mushrooms.  Pour in the milk and stir in the honey.  Cover and braise about 3 hours, until the beef (or veal) is fork-tender.

Remove beef (or veal) from pot and set aside.  Carefully pour small batches of the braising liquid, along with garlic and mushrooms, into a blender.  Tightly hold the lid in place with a kitchen towel and puree until slightly thickened and silky smooth.  Continue with the rest of the braising liquid, mushrooms, and garlic.  Season to taste with pepper and pour over meat.  Serve with Buttered Potatoes (or Turnips).

Buttered Potatoes (Turnips): Preheat oven to 350F.  Peel and quarter 6 medium potatoes.  Place potatoes on a roasting tray; drizzle with EVOO and season with kosher salt.  Roast for 25-30 minutes until just tender.  Toss roasted potatoes in a large bowl with 2 tablespoons unsalted butter and 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley so they are evenly coated and glossy.  Season with kosher salt. 

Notes/Results:  We really enjoyed this recipe.  I will probably still keep my eye out for a veal shoulder, just because I'm sure the veal is much more tender, and a little more sweet, than the beef.  Also, I like that this was a really quick and easy recipe that took little to no time to prepare.  

I do have some notes to share.  Braising liquid is suppose to cover the meat by 2/3rds.  You should be able to see the top half of the meat peeking out.  With this recipe, using a Dutch oven and 1/2 gallon of milk, the meat would be completely covered.  I made the mistake of using only 1/4 gallon of milk (so as not to cover the meat completely) and all the braising liquid evaporated out of the pan.  I caught my mistake in time and was able to pour the other half of the milk in the pan.   Next time I would just pour all the milk into the pan, even if it completely covered the meat.  I guess it pays to follow directions sometimes. 

One more recipe down!

Symon's Pork Chili with Potato Pancakes

I've made beef chili, turkey chili, chicken chili, and vegetarian chili.  I've never made chili with pork, until now.  Clearly I've been missing out because Michael Symon's pork chili is delicious.  This is definitely a man's chili, hearty and robust, full of flavor, and great served with Symon's potato pancakes for dunking.

Pork Chili

Adapted from Michael Symon's Live to Cook

Serves 12-14

4 teaspoons coriander seeds, toasted and ground

1 tablespoon sweet smoked paprika

1 teaspoon ground cumin

5 pounds pork cheeks or pork shoulder, cleaned, trimmed, and cubed

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 tablespoons extra virgin-olive oil

1 pound slab bacon, cut into 1/2-inch dice

1 onion, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced (I used 6)

2 jalapeno chiles seeded and very finely chopped

2 red bell peppers, cored, seeded, and finely diced

1 (12 ounce) bottle amber ale or porter

2 cups Chicken Stock

1 (28-ounce) can San Marzano tomatoes, with their juice

2 canned chipotles in adobo, seeded and minced

1 pound dried black-eyed peas (1and 2/3 cups), picked over and rinsed

1 small cinnamon stick

Shredded smoked cheddar cheese, for garnish

Fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish

Sliced scallions, white and green parts, for garnish

Creme fraiche, for garnish
Note: I added about 1 cup of black beans because I had them on hand

In a large bowl, combine the coriander, paprika, and cumin and toss with the pork cheeks(or shoulder).  Season with salt and pepper.

In a large enameled cast-iron Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium-high heat.  Add half of the pork and cook, turning as needed, until browned on all sides, about 8 minutes.  Transfer the pork to a plate.  Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil and brown the remaining pork.  Transfer to the plate.  Add the bacon to the pot and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until browned and slightly crisp, about 7 minutes.  Add the onion, garlic, jalapenos, and bell peppers and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes.

Return the pork cheeks (or shoulder) to the pot along with any accumulated juices.  Add the ale, chicken stock, tomatoes, chipotles, black-eyed peas, and cinnamon stick and bring to a boil. Cover and cook over very low heat until the meat and beans are tender, about 2-1/2 hours.

Season the chili with salt and pepper.  Spoon off the fat from the surface and discard the cinnamon stick.  Serve the chili in bowls.  Pass the smoked cheddar, cilantro, scallions, and creme fraiche at the table.

 Dad's Potato Pancakes

Adapted from Michael Symon's Live to Cook

Serves 8

4 medium russet potatoes (about 2 pounds)

1 large egg, beaten

1/4 teaspoon baking powder 

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 medium yellow onion

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter

Preheat the oven to 200F.

Peel the potatoes and keep them submerged in cold water.  In a mixing bowl, whisk together the egg, baking powder, flour, salt and pepper.  Using the large holes on a box grater, grate the onion and add it to the egg mixture.  Grate the potatoes onto a clean kitchen towel and wring as much water out of them as you can.  Add the potatoes to the egg mixture.  Toss so that the mixture is evenly combined.

Heat a medium saute pan over medium heat and melt half of the butter in it.  Using half of the potato mixture, shape 4 pancakes, each about 4 inches of diameter and about 1/2 inch thick.  Saute the pancakes in the butter until each side is golden brown and the interior is cooked through, 15-20 minutes.  Transfer them to a plate lined with paper towels and keep them warm in the oven while you shape and cook 4 more pancakes using the remaining butter and potato mixture.

Notes/Results:  The chili is delicious, satisfying, and full of flavor.  I really love how the pork broke down as it cooked and became rather shredded in the chili.  My chili ended up rather thick, which we liked, but if you like your chili on the thinner side, you could always add more stock.  The potato pancakes made for a nice accompaniment to the chili. However, I made the mistake of making my potato pancakes on the thick side and therefore they weren't real crispy.  Next time, I will be sure to make them on the thin side so they stay nice and crispy.

I am submitting this to Ashlee at Veggie by Season for this round of Symon Sundays.