It's icky outside so I want some warming delicious soup!  My Minnesota mother-in-law made this soup while we visited her in Minnesota and both my hubby and 4 year-old ate it up so I figured I'd make it today.  I was surprised by my Oregon mother-in-law with a huge bag of wild rice today so what better to do than start cooking!

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
adapted from http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Chicken-Wild-Rice-Soup-I/Detail.aspx

Ingredients:

1/4 c coconut oil 1 finely chopped onion 1/2 cup chopped celery 1/2 cup sliced carrots 1/2 pound chopped collard greens 6 cups chicken broth 2 cups cooked wild rice 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast

1/2 teaspoon pink Himalayan salt 1-2  teaspoon curry powder, depends on your tastes 1 teaspoon mustard powder 1 teaspoon dried parsley 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 3 tablespoons Champagne Vinegar Coriander Essential Oil Lemon Essential Oil

Directions

1. Melt coconut oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Sear the chicken breasts until crispy and golden brown.  Remove from pan and let rest.  Meanwhile,stir in the onion, celery and carrots, garlic and saute for 5 minutes. Add the collards and saute for 2 more minutes. Then add the wild rice and stir well. Gradually pour in the chicken broth, stirring constantly, until all has been added. Bring just to a boil, reduce heat to low and let simmer. 
2. Next, add the chicken, salt, curry powder, mustard powder, parsley, ground black pepper, almonds and champagne vinegar. Allow to heat through. Let simmer for 1 to 2 hours. Just before serving add 1-2 drops coriander doTERRA essential oil and 1-2 drops lemon doTERRA essential oil.

The soup is a hit again.  If you aren't familiar with essential oils I'd be happy to show you more.  Or you can visit my site : http://mydoterra.com/oilswithangie.

So I have a few limes...

Last night I'm planning goodies to offer for valentines day and I come across a cornmeal-lime cookie recipe in Flour by Joanne Chang.  It's midnight so I figure if I have time tomorrow I'll try them out since I believe I have everything needed to make them.  The next day I round all the ingredients up and give em a whirl.  Oh my yum! They are intense lime deliciousness!

Cornmeal-Lime Cookies

Yield: 14-16 cookies

Ingredients:

For the cookies:

• 1 cup [2 sticks] unsalted butter, at room temperature
• ¾ cup plus two tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoon finely grated lime zest [about 3 limes]
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• ½ cup medium-coarse yellow cornmeal
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt

For the glaze:

• 1 cup confectioner’s sugar
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice [1 to 1 ½ limes]
• 1 ½ teaspoons finely grated lime zest [about 1 lime]

Preparation:

Position a rack in the center of the oven. Heat the oven to 350°F.

Using a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream together the butter and granulated sugar on medium speed for about 5 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Stop the mixer a few times and use a rubber spatula to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and the paddle to release any clinging butter or sugar.

Add the lime zest and beat on medium speed for about 1 minute to release the lime flavor. Add the eggs and vanilla and continue to beat on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes, or until thoroughly combined. Scrape the blow and the paddle again to make sure the eggs are thoroughly incorporated.

In a small bowl, stir together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and slat. On low speed, slowly add the flour mixture to the butter-sugar mixture and them nix until the flour is completely incorporated and the dough is evenly mixed.

Drop the dough in scant ¼ cup balls onto a baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Flatten each ball slight with the palm of your hand.

Baker for about 24 minutes, or until the cookies are pale brown on the edge, still pale in the center, and just firm to the touch in the center. Be careful not to over bake the cookies and let the tops brown. [In Suzi’s oven, we were baked at 17 minutes!]

Let cool on the baking sheet on a wire rack for 15 to 20 minutes, then transfer to the rack itself to cool to room temperature or just a bit warmer before glazing. [If you try to glaze the cookies while they are still hot, the glaze will run off.]

To make the glaze, while the cookies are cooling, in a small bowl, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar, water, lime juice, and lime zest until smooth. You should have about ½ cup. [The glaze can be made up to 1 week ahead and stored in an airtight container at room temperature.]

Brush the cookies with a thin layer of the glaze, then allow the glaze to set for about 10 minutes before serving or storing.

The cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days,. The unbaked dough can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Source: Flour by Joanne Chang

Spinach Artichoke Pinwheels

I got a wild hair and decided  to try making my own puff pastry because I'm sick of paying $5 for two sheets of it at the store. I found this recipe on Martha Stewart's website: http://www.marthastewart.com/856577/puff-pastry. It was easier than I expected, but it is labor intensive.  After making the dough I had to make goodies to make sure it turned out alright.  So I made these Spinach-Artichoke Pinwheels.  They were super easy and turned out delicious.  Now I have to make more!  Here are the recipes:

Puff Pastry

Yield Makes approximately 2 pounds 

Ingredients

1 pound all-purpose flour, accurately weighed

1 pound (4 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup heavy cream (or 1/2 cup heavy cream mixed with 1/2 cup ice water)

Directions

1.Make the butter dough: In the bowl of a food processor or using the flat paddle of an electric mixer, mix 1/2 cup flour with the butter until very smooth. Shape the mixture into a 1-inch-thick flat square, wrap well in plastic, and chill for at least 30 minutes.

2.Make the flour dough: In a large mixing bowl, combine salt with the remaining flour, and add cream. Mix the dough well by hand or with an electric mixer; the dough will not be completely smooth, but it should not be sticky. Shape it into a 1 1/2-inch-thick flat square, wrap in plastic, and chill for at least 30 minutes.

4.Remove the dough from the refrigerator, and on a lightly floured board, roll it out into a large rectangle approximately 1/2 inch thick. Fold the dough into thirds, aligning the edges carefully and brushing off any excess flour. The object is to ensure that the butter is distributed evenly throughout so that the pastry will puff evenly when baked. Wrap the dough, and chill it for at least 30 minutes. This completes one turn.

5.Repeat this process five more times; classic puff pastry gets six turns, creating hundreds of layers of butter between layers of the flour dough (729 to be exact). Use as little flour as possible when rolling out the dough, and always brush off any excess. Remember to let the dough rest for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator between turns, or 15 minutes in the freezer. This chilling makes rolling out the dough much easier and keeps the layers of butter equally thick.

6.By the sixth and final turn, the dough should be very smooth, with no lumps of butter visible. Wrap the pastry in plastic wrap; refrigerate until ready to use (for up to 2 days), or freeze for future use.

Spinach-Artichoke Pinwheels

 

1/2 recipe puff pastry rolled out to 1/4 inch thickness

8 oz marinated artichokes drained and chopped

4 oz fresh spinach chopped and wilted or 1 frozen container chopped spinach thawed

1/4 cup garlic and herb cream cheese at room temperature

1/2 cup mozzarella or Colby jack cheese shredded

 

1. Preheat oven to 400 Degrees. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

2. Roll our puff pastry into a rectangle on a lightly floured surface

3. Spread cream cheese on puff pastry leaving 1/2 inch around the edges without any cream cheese

4. Spread chopped artichokes, spinach and shredded cheese on top of cream cheese.

5. starting on longest edge start rolling up puff pastry like a cinnamon roll.

6. With a sharp knife slice roll into 1/2 inch segments and place on lined cookie sheet about 1 inch apart.

7. Bake for 10-12 minutes until golden and cheese is melted.

1st Birthday cake

This was a fun cake to make!  Homemade fondant with chocolate cake filled with bavarian cream and white cake frosted with chocolate butter cream.  And of course the smash cupcake on top.  Here's the recipe for the fondant. http://shawntheparsonswife.blogspot.com/search?q=fondant  It's SO much better than the store bought stuff!  I wish I could have been there to see the birthday boy demolish the cake, but the pictures are adorable. I'm so happy How the cake turend out and everyone loved it.

Pumpkin Season!

I had to make something pumpkin other than the traditional pie this year so I found inspiration through coffee drinks and the ever popular Salted Caramel craze right now.  What came of this is salted caramel frosting on top of a moist pumpkin spice cupcake.  The salted caramel frosting was a bit of a challenge as I looked away from the caramel and of course it burned... I should know better when making caramel!  The second go around the heavy cream didn't want to incorporate so I turned the heat back on the creation, I was hopingwould turn to carame, at a low temp and stirred until my hand felt like it was going to fall off.  After a while of whisking the caramel and cream turned into the result I wanted, sweet caramel sauce!  And now I had to wait till it cooled to incorporate into the buttercream. Oh how it was torture to have to wait!  Finally it cooled and slowly added the caramel to the buttercream.  Oh My Goodness!  So incredibly sweet and delicious with a slight crunch from the flaked cypress salt.  I think I found a favorite for the season.  Here is the recipe:


Pumpkin Cupcakes


• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 1 teaspoon coarse salt

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1 teaspoon ground ginger

• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

• 1 cup packed light-brown sugar

• 1 cup granulated sugar

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

• 4 large eggs

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

• 1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin puree

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pans with paper liners; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice; set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the brown sugar, granulated sugar, butter beat until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time until each is incorporated. Add Vanilla. Add dry ingredients, and mix on low until smooth. Fold in pumpkin puree.

Divide batter evenly among liners, filling each about halfway. Bake until tops spring back when touched, and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes, rotating pans once if needed. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool completely.

Makes ~ 18 cupcakes.

Source: Adapted from MarthaStewart.com.

Salted Caramel Buttercream

• 1/4 cup granulated sugar

• 2 tablespoons water

• 1/4 cup heavy cream

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 lb unsalted butter at room temperature

• 1 teaspoon sea salt or Cypress Flake salt, or more if desired

• 3 cups powdered sugar, sifted

In a saucepan, stir together granulated sugar and water. Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Cook without stirring until mixture turns a deep amber color, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and slowly add in cream and vanilla, stirring until very smooth. Let caramel cool for about 20 minutes, until it is just barely warm and still pourable. Alternatively, you could use just under 1/2 cup of your favorite caramel sauce.

In a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat butter and salt together until lightened and fluffy. Reduce speed to low and add powdered sugar. Mix until thoroughly combined.



Scrape down the side of the bowl and add the caramel. Beat on medium high speed until light and airy, and completely mixed (about 2 minutes). Mixture should be ready to use without refrigeration. If your caramel was too hot when added, it will cause your icing to be runny. If this happens refrigerate for 15-20 minutes.

I've been a busy Betty testing recipes and creating goodies for graduation.  Soda Shoppe cupcakes... Cherry Soda, Root beer Float, Banana Split and Orange Creme-Cicle were all delicious cupcakes and would hit the spot for a summer BBQ!  The Graduation cake pops were an adventure with chocolate and vanilla inside.

Place your order for Valentine's Day!!!

Betty’s 

Bakery and Bistro

971-570-4277 bettysbakeryandbistro@gmail.com

Classic Flavors

Elizabeth Taylor- Classic vanilla bean cake with vanilla buttercream frosting

John Wayne- Devils food chocolate cake with chocolate buttercream

James Dean- Mocha cake topped with coffee cream cheese frosting

Marlon Brando- Lemon cake topped with tangy lemon buttercream

Audrey Hepburn- Raspberry cakes topped with white chocolate frosting

Fred Astaire- German chocolate cake topped with pecan coconut goo

Doris Day- Vanilla bean cake topped with cherry buttercream and a cherry on top

Luciell Ball- Red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting topped with a candied rose petal

Gourmet Flavors

Clint Eastwood- Carrot cupcakes stuffed with walnuts, pineapple and coconut drizzled with buttermilk glaze and topped with cinnamon cream cheese frosting

Patsy Cline- Chocolate cupcakes with vanilla bean pastry cream filling and chocolate ganache frosting

Elvis Presley- Banana cake, caramel filling, creamy peanut butter frosting

Bette Page- Chocolate cake, salted caramel filling, dark chocolate ganache frosting

Marilyn Monroe- Cinnamon twist cake with gooey caramel pecans and cream cheese frosting

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Minis $1.25-Classic/$1.50-Gourmet (No Filling) Dozen $13.00-Classic/$16.00-Gourmet (No Filling)

Classics $2.25-Classic/$2.50-Gourmet Dozen $24.00-Classic/$28.00-Gourmet

Big Daddy’s (filled) $3.25Classic/$3.50-Gourmet Dozen $35.00-Classic/$39.00-Gourmet

6'' Round or square Serves 8-10 people $25

8'' round or square serves 12-15 people $35

10'' round or square serves 18-20 people $45

12” Round or square serves 22-28 people $55

13"x9" serves 30-40 people $65

Cakes are two layers without any decorations. Decorations are extra depending on detail and intricacy