Author: jennieguido

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This recipe may be my new favorite (and as the coworkers say, my new best). It’s simple since it uses no power tools, i.e. the Kitchenaid, and just fun to whip up with a little elbow grease.

Warning: if you hate chocolate goodness that melts in your mouth like pudding, this isn’t your recipe.

Flourless Chocolate Cake (Chocolate Torte)

9 ounces butter, melted (I used Kerrygold.)

9 ounces dark chocolate, finely chopped

1 1/2 cup sugar

7 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 teaspoon almond

Melt the butter and chocolate together and whisk until smooth. Add the sugar and combine fully. Allow the mixture to cool slightly, then add the eggs one at a time mixing each in. Add the extracts. Pour into a well-greased and parchment lined springform pan. Tap out the air bubbles. Place pan on a cookie sheet to prevent any mess, and bake in a 350 degree oven for 35 to 40 minutes. Watch closely at the end. You want the center to still giggle when you take it out.

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We have concocted the perfect cocktail for your weekend activities. The best part is you can customize it as you see fit (or your tastebuds do). Since I love the blueberry lemonade at Mammy’s Cupboard, I used their recipe as a base and built this drink from there. Get the girls together and enjoy!

Blueberry Lemonade Cocktail (or Champade)

1 cup blueberry juice

1 lemonade concentrate, thawed

Water

Champagne

Vodka

Combine the juice and lemonade mixture in a pitcher and fill with water. To adjust the sweetness, add sugar to taste. Depending on your preference, top off each glass you pour with either champagne or a shot of vodka (or both) and enjoy!

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So, this went better than expected. I played with a recipe I had on hand for a cheesecake and doctored it into a key lime version for another Country Roads office lunch. It was a hit! One particular co-worker was cleaning the excess from the spatula I used to serve everyone. Good to the last drop!

Now, instead of serving with whipped cream or a sour cream topping, I sugared down fresh Ponchatoula strawberries. That really made it.

Key Lime Cheesecake

1 graham cracker crust

4 limes, juiced and zested

16-ounces cream cheese, softened

3/4 cup sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 eggs

In a stand mixer, beat together cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and eggs. Once combined, add the lime juice and zest. Once incorporated, pour filling into pie crust. Bake in a 325 degree oven for 45 minutes or until the center is set. Watch closely since the top of the pie will brown. Allow to cool completely and then refrigerate before serving.

 

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I’m back to the mixer this weekend making sugar cookies for an upcoming bachelorette trip, but I thought I’d share this simple sugar cookies recipe that doesn’t require a rolling pin or cookie cutter. They are a little sandy in texture, but fluffy and delicious! They would be fantastic with a little lemon zest.

Amish Sugar Cookies

1 cup butter softened

1 cup vegetable oil

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup powdered sugar

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cream of tartar

In a stand mixer, beat together butter, sugar, and oil. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Add in the baking soda and cream of tartar. Gradually add flour to the butter mixture, beating until just combined after each addition. Do not overmix. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Drop dough by small teaspoonfuls onto baking sheets. Bake at 375 degrees for 8-11 minutes, or until edges and bottoms are lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool.

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Lately, I think you are aware that I’ve been baking like a mad woman since my best friend, Kitchen Aid, entered my life. She is shiny and bright, always works to her best abilities, and keeps me sane. However, this recipe I whipped up a couple of weeks ago for a Country Roads staff lunch didn’t require anything more than a good old-fashioned dose of elbow grease and patience. The original recipe was found on inspiredtaste.net, and all I did differently was leave out the almond extract.

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Fresh Strawberry Pie

Chilled pie dough

5 cups strawberries, chopped

1/4 cup cornstarch

2/3 cup sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Juice of lemon

1 egg yolk

1 tablespoon cream

Whipped cream, optional topping

Roll out pie dough to fit pie dish. Gently press dough down into dish so that it lines the bottom and sides of the dish. Fold edges of dough underneath itself, creating a thicker, 1/4-inch border that rests on the lip of the dish. Then, crimp edges.

Heat oven to 425 degrees, and place a baking sheet on a middle oven rack. Pierce bottom of the crust with a fork. Line the crust with two sheets of aluminum foil.  Then, fill foil with dried rice, dried beans, or pie weights. Refrigerate 30 minutes, freeze for 10 minutes, or until firm to the touch.

Place pie crust onto preheated baking sheet and reduce oven temperature to 400 degrees. Bake 20 to 30 minutes or until the crust is golden. Make egg wash by whisking egg yolk and cream in a small bowl. Then, remove rice, beans, or weights and foil from pie crust. Brush bottom and sides of crust with egg wash. Bake until egg wash is dry and shiny, 3 to 5 minutes. Cool crust completely before filling.

Add 2 cups of strawberries to a small saucepan. Mash strawberries until chunky. Add sugar, corn starch, vanilla extract, lemon juice, and salt. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves and glaze has thickened. Cool completely. Combine remaining 3 cups of strawberries with cooled strawberry glaze. Stir until strawberries are well coated. Spoon strawberry filling into cooled pie crust. Refrigerate overnight and top with whipped cream before serving.

 

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Remember that one-pan fish dinner we made a couple of weeks ago? I revisited it with a Mexican flair for our first Lenten Friday feast last week. I modified the spice mixture and changed some of the vegetable to fit a fajita-like topping for our tacos. Also, we went light by using lettuce as our wrap versus traditional tortillas. Here’s what we ended up with:

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It was delish! The peppers and onions were perfect. And the fish topped with a dab of guacamole and the fresh lime crema sauce … YUM!

Fish Tacos with Marinated Vegetables and Lime Crema

For the marinade:

Zest and juice of 1 lemon

Zest and juice of 1 lime

1 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic

1 teaspoon coriander

2 teaspoons cumin

2 teaspoons paprika

Salt and pepper to taste

For the tacos:

8 white perch fillets, dried completely

1 pound cherry tomatoes

1/2 Vidalia onion, sliced thinly

1 red bell pepper, sliced thinly

1 yellow bell pepper, sliced thinly

1 orange bell pepper, sliced thinly

1 head bib or large leaf lettuce

For crema:

1/4 cup sour cream

3 tablespoons mayonnaise

Zest and juice of 1 lime

1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the marinade ingredients together. Add the peppers, tomatoes, and onions; and toss to coat with the sauce. With a large slotted spoon or spatula, transfer the vegetables to a large baking sheet. Keep the vegetables to one side or one half of the baking sheet and make sure they are spread out in one layer. Now, add the fish to the remaining sauce, toss to coat. Transfer the fish to the baking sheet next to the vegetables and pour any remaining sauce on top. Lightly sprinkle the fish and vegetables with a little salt. Bake in the 450 degrees heated oven for 15 minutes. Then transfer the baking sheet to the top oven rack and broil for another 3 – 5 minutes, watching carefully. The cherry tomatoes should begin to pop under the broiler. When ready, remove the tray from the oven.

To prepare the crema, combine the ingredients in a small bowl and chill until ready to serve. Build your tacos into the lettuce piece and top with crema, guacamole, or salsa.

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I think I’ve finally got the royal icing game down pat. I’ll be honest. The people that refer to themselves as cookiers are real artists. That shit is not easy. I’m not patient one bit, so this is extremely trying for me. But, it’s probably good practice for me. Oh, and other thing. Thank God for my mixer. Without that beautiful piece of machinery, none of these adventures in baking would be possible.

Now this new recipe makes one big think batch of icing. You will then need to divide and add water and coloring as needed. This is where the guesswork starts, and I’m sure there is a science to it. But that’s not something I know anything about. I’m just trying as I go along. This one came from a Pinterest post that led to a blog called noshtastic.com. There are several great tips on that blog for cookie making.

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Royal Icing

2 pounds powdered sugar

1/2 cup meringue powder

1 cup water (minus 1 tablespoon)

Add in the meringue powder and water into the mixing bowl of your stand mixer and beat together for a few minutes until frothy. Add in the powdered sugar and mix together slowly until all the liquid and powdered sugar is combined. If you have a stand mixer set it at a medium high speed and beat it together for 4 minutes with the paddle attachment, don’t forget to set a timer! Your icing should have semi-stiff peaks (see photos in post) when the icing is ready, not floppy peaks! If the icing is not quite stiff enough then watch closely and beat for one more minute and check it again.

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Ok, if you’ve been following along on Snapchat, you know that my parents and their four dogs have moved in with me while they work on putting down a new floor at home. Now, this would be completely fine (I mean, I love all dogs more than humans.), but it has been raining for 40 days and 40 nights. So, my yard is a mud pit. Every surface is covered in sheets and furniture covers. We go through at least 4 or 5 towels a day. Thank God I got a new washer and dryer last year. Also, these labs are very lovable but large. They could be in a sound sleep one second and in your face for a hug and make out the next. You have to be on guard at all times.

My main point to bring them up is that you can imagine the wet dog scent permeating throughout my house. I luckily came across a post about simmer pots early last week and how they work better at neutralizing odor than candles. Also, Joanna Gaines swears by them; and we all know if Jo loves it, I love it more. So, I gave them a try. The coffee ground and vanilla pot I first tried didn’t bring me joy. There was little to no scent, and I needed major smell fast. So, I went for a lime and rosemary concoction and added vanilla. It was delicious smelling. You need to try this as soon as possible. Fun fact, if you leave the lid on the pot for a while, the scent will be stronger if you need it quickly before guests show up.

Lime and Rosemary Simmer Pot with Vanilla

4 limes

6 sprigs rosemary

4 tablespoons pure vanilla extract

Water

Bring a heavy pot of water to a rolling boil. Drop in the rosemary (I pulled the leaves from the stems to get the oils going). Slice 3 of the limes and juice on of the limes into the pot. Stir and bring back to a boil. Add the vanilla. Stir. Turn the heat down and let simmer for several hours. Watch the water level and add more as needed.

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Have I mentioned we have an abundance of white perch in the Guido freezer? So new recipes to try are high on our list of things to find in magazines, cookbooks, cooking shows, and (of course) Pinterest. This week, I turned to Pinterest to find a fish and veggie recipe that was light and would be divine over rice. And I found it. Behold — the one sheet white perch feast dressed in a dill, oregano, and coriander olive oil dressing. The recipe called for halibut, but we deal in perch.

One-sheet White Perch with Green Beans and Cherry Tomatoes

For the sauce:

Zest and juice of 2 lemons

1 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 1/2 tablespoons freshly minced garlic

2 teaspoons dill weed

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon ground coriander

Salt and pepper to taste

For the fish:

1 pound fresh green beans

1 pound cherry tomatoes

1 large yellow onion, sliced thinly

4 – 8 white perch fillets, dried completely

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the sauce ingredients together. Add the green beans, tomatoes, and onions; and toss to coat with the sauce. With a large slotted spoon or spatula, transfer the vegetables to a large baking sheet. Keep the vegetables to one side or one half of the baking sheet and make sure they are spread out in one layer. Now, add the fish to the remaining sauce, toss to coat. Transfer the fish to the baking sheet next to the vegetables and pour any remaining sauce on top. Lightly sprinkle the fish and vegetables with a little seasoned salt. Bake in the 450 degrees heated oven for 15 minutes. Then transfer the baking sheet to the top oven rack and broil for another 3 – 5 minutes, watching carefully. The cherry tomatoes should begin to pop under the broiler. When ready, remove the tray from the oven. Serve immediately over wild rice.

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Let me start by saying that I’m no “cookier.” I simply watch a handful of decorating videos on Instagram and Facebook each day, and I finally got the courage to give it a try myself. I was geared with all of the necessary tools, my mixer was prepped and ready, and (thanks to a last minute trip to Wal-Mart) I had these neat little decorating pens to help make the decorating portion of the evening a little simpler.

Years ago when I was working on a story about Christmas cookies, my cookie-making cousin, Zelma, shared her sugar cookie and royal icing recipe with me. I can honestly say that these are some of the best sugar cookies I’ve ever tasted. They are not too sweet, not too almond-y, and the perfect bit of crunchy. When I started on the icing recipe, I did hold back on the amount of almond extract I used. I don’t tend to like too much of that flavor in cakes, cookies, or anything for that matter. So, you can go crazy with it if you’d like. It’s just not my taste.

Oh, and my first cookie to decorate was a disaster.

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They really mean it when they say flooding the cookie. Also, I think I didn’t beat the icing long enough with the mixer. After adding more coloring through the process, it finally stiffened up.

Vanilla Almond Sugar Cookies

3 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 cup sugar

2 sticks butter, softened

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream sugar and butter in mixer, then add the egg and extracts and mix thoroughly. After combined, add the baking powder and then slowly add the flour until all combined. Half the dough and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill for at least an hour. Remove the dough, roll it out, and cut out the cookies. Repeat until all of the dough is cut. Be sure to keep the dough chilled through the entire process. Placing the baking sheets in the refrigerator will help the cookies to not spread in the oven. Bake the chilled cookies for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely once they are removed before icing.

Royal Icing

8 tablespoons meringue powder

1/2 cup water

1 pound powdered sugar

Cream of tartar

1/2 teaspoon karo syrup

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Combine meringue powder and water in the mixer and beat until frothy. Slowly add the powdered sugar and mix until combined. Then, add a few shared of cream of tartar, extract, and kart syrup. Beat on medium to high for 5 minutes until the icing is thick. Add  coloring as needed.