Eat Cake For Dinner

December 2, 2011

Vanilla Bean Paste Giveaway-Winner Announced

Thanks to all of you who entered my giveaway!! I had so much fun reading all of your comments and you guys have introduced me to A LOT of new vanillas that I need to try! I can't wait.

Congratulations to Comment #16

Dorothy @ Crazy For Crust!

You are the new owner of this delicious bottle of Vanilla Bean Paste!!! I can't wait to see what you make with it.

Please contact me within 72 hours to claim your prize!

eatcakefordinner@digis.net

November 30, 2011

Cinnamon Streusel Banana Bread

Don't ask me why, but I bought a million bananas right before Thanksgiving??? I guess I thought I would make more banana cream pies than I ended up making. I don't want to waste them, so I have been on the hunt for some banana recipes and I found this recipe. I LOVE anything with streusel. All you have to do is say the word "streusel" and I am sold! Nancy said she had almost given up on streusel banana breads until she found this recipe.

I usually have a hard time with banana bread, because I only like it the day it is made, because I hate it when the top gets all sticky (I know that is most peoples fave part), but since the top of this bread is covered with streusel, I don't have to worry about it getting sticky. Today is only the 2nd day, but the streusel is still crunchy and the bread is still really moist. This bread has really good flavor and texture and was a great recipe to try. I even think it would taste great with some wheat flour too.

Cinnamon Streusel Banana Bread

adapted from: Nancy Creative

(Printable Recipe)

1 1/2 c. mashed ripe banana (about 3 large)

1 c. sugar

1/2 c. butter, melted

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 c. all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. cinnamon, opt.

3/4 chopped walnuts (I didn't add)

Streusel

2/3 c. brown sugar

1/2 c. all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. cinnamon (I added 1 tsp.)

4 Tbl. cold butter

1/2 c. chopped walnuts (I used pecans)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat together mashed banana, sugar, melted butter, eggs and vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and blend until just combined. Make the streusel: combine brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and chopped walnuts. Cut in the cold butter until resembles coarse crumbs. Grease loaf pan and spoon half the bread batter into the bottom, then sprinkle half of the streusel over the batter. Then, gently spoon on remaining batter and top with remaining streusel. It will be full to the top of the pan. Bake 60-70 minutes (mine took more like 85 minutes) or until a toothpick comes out clean. Makes 1 loaf.

Jenn's Notes: I was going to tell you to cut back on the streusel, because I thought it would be too much, but when you slice the bread a lot of the streusel falls off the top, so it ends up being perfect. When you are adding it to the batter - it will seem like tonz, but it ends up working out. I lined my loaf pan with a little parchment paper that extended over the edge of the pan, so when my bread was done I could easily lift it out of the pan by the paper handles. If you didn't do that I am not sure how you would get it out of the pan without all of the topping falling off. The batter was full to the top of my pan and I was afraid it was going to overflow, so I baked it over a cookie sheet, but it did not overflow. My loaf took way longer to bake than suggested.

November 28, 2011

America's Test Kitchen Easier Fried Chicken

I am very very IMPRESSED with this chicken!!! It is no shocker that it's from America's Test Kitchen! This chicken was soooooo incredibly moist, which is hard to get with chicken and I even used, boneless, skinless chicken. Can you believe it? Must have something to do with the brine? My first bite of this, I was honestly shocked. It was crunchy on the outside, but juicy on the inside! I was planning on dipping the chicken in either ranch or barbeque sauce, but I actually ended up just eating it plain, because it was SOOOOO good! For real - you need to make this for your family or for yourself!

Easier Fried Chicken

adapted from: America's Test Kitchen

(Printable Recipe)

Brine:

1 c. buttermilk

1 Tbl. salt

1 tsp. black pepper

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 tsp. paprika

pinch of cayenne

dash of hot sauce

3 1/2 Lbs. bone-in chicken pieces (I used boneless)

cut them to all be the same size

Flour Coating:

2 c. all-purpose flour

2 tsp. black pepper

1 tsp. salt (use less)

3/4 tsp. garlic powder

3/4 tsp. paprika

little cayenne

2 tsp. baking powder (makes crust very crispy)

1/4 c. buttermilk

Whisk together all of the brine ingredients until salt is dissolved. Add the chicken pieces and make sure each is well coated. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour or up to overnight. When ready; whisk together flour, black pepper, salt, garlic powder, paprika, cayenne and baking powder. Add buttermilk and mix with your hands to get some shaggy bits to form. Remove chicken from the brine and allow excess buttermilk to drip off and then pack on the flour coating. Heat 1 3/4 cup of vegetable oil to 375 degrees in a deep skillet or a dutch oven. Add the chicken, brown 3-5 minutes, then flip and brown 2-4 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack that has been placed over a cookie sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until cooked through (internal temperature should read 160 degrees and the dark meat 175 degrees). Remove from oven and let rest 5 minutes before eating.

Jenn's Notes: I really liked this chicken and I wish I was eating it for dinner tonight!! It was soooo moist. I used 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts that I cut in half to get 4 tenders. I kept the chicken in the brine for around 3-4 hours. The only thing I would change next time is to add less salt. It was almost too salty. The salt is needed in the brine, so I would probably add less to the flour mixture or just leave it out completely.

November 25, 2011

Vanilla Bean Paste Giveaway

**This giveaway is now CLOSED **

I kinda have a "thing" for Vanilla! I just LOVE it! I love the word "vanilla" and I love the smell and I definitely love the flavor!! If I see a new gourmet vanilla at the store - I can't resist - I have to buy it. If you ever need a gift idea for me, just buy me a bottle of some gourmet vanilla and I will love you forever! My vanilla obsession is as bad as my cookbook obsession! I won't even tell you how many different vanillas I have in my baking cupboard! We will save that for another post. So, I decided that I am going to have a Vanilla Giveaway Extravaganza. Every time I get 200 followers (up until I hit 1000) I am going to give away some type of vanilla!! So, 600 Followers, 800 Followers and 1000 Followers! That is three giveaways!! I know this might take a long time, but I won't forget to do the giveaways!

I first discovered Vanilla Bean Paste on my trip to Seattle in 2009. I went up there to see my favorite band perform and of course to do a little shopping! I went to Pike Place Market and found this fun store called Sur La Table. It was there where I first discovered Vanilla Bean Paste! I bought myself two bottles and I instantly LOVED it! It gives your treats the BEST vanilla flavor and of course it adds those fun little black speckles that vanilla beans add. I know if you try this stuff, you will love it too. So, I am giving away one, bran-new, sealed, bottle of Vanilla Bean Paste!

To enter the giveaway (3 Possible Entries)

Mandatory Entry: You must be a Follower (via GFC) of Eat Cake For Dinner! If you are already a follower, just leave me a comment and let me know!
Second Entry: Leave me a separate comment with your favorite way to use vanilla beans or vanilla extract! Is it in frosting, pudding, ice cream, flavored syrup or whipped cream, etc . . .?
Third Entry: Leave me a separate comment with the name of your favorite brand of vanilla extract! Or, your favorite type. Is it Mexican, Tahitian or Madagascar, etc . . . Or, if you don't have a favorite brand or type - just say "I use whatever"

Giveaway is only open to U.S. Residents - sorry and will close at Midnight on December 2, 2011 (next Friday) or until I hit 600 Followers (Whichever comes later)! I will announce the winner on Dec. 3rd! Good Luck!

*Note - I am providing the product for this giveaway. it is NOT sponsered by anyone, but myself!

November 23, 2011

3-Ingredient Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

These are the EASIEST pumpkin cookies EVER and they taste DELICIOUS! Last year, one of my co-workers was in charge of bringing snacks for Friday and she brought these cookies.

I had to have the recipe and I couldn't believe they only had 3-ingredients. They taste like they are made from scratch. AND there isn't any added oil or butter in them. So, they are lower-in-fat!

This recipe is an amazing one to have on hand. If you need a last minute dessert, this will be a lifesaver. On days when I feel like a snack, but don't feel like eating all of the fat that comes with a snack, I make these cookies. They are guilt-free!!!

I like to use a mini cookie scoop, so they are all the same size and I prefer them smaller, so you can just pop them in your mouth.

3-Ingredient Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

adapted from: Shaela M.

(Printable Recipe)

1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin puree

1 box spice cake mix

1 1/2 - 2 c. chocolate chips (milk or semi-sweet)

Combine the pumpkin puree and the dry cake mix and stir until combined. Stir in around 1 cup of the chocolate chips. Drop by spoonfuls (about 1 1/2 Tablespoons each) onto a greased cookie sheet. Press three or four chocolate chips onto the top of each cookie. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-11 minutes. Cool and serve. Makes around 42 cookies.

Jenn's Notes: You can add more or less chocolate chips depending on your taste. Sometimes I also add 1/2 teaspoon of both pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon.