Category: Preparation recipe step by step

SWEET CINNAMON-RAISIN QUICK BREAD

I’m not sure if I’m the only one on this, but my daughter can eat three loaves of raisin bread in three days, no problem. It was getting expensive so I found this recipe for Raisin Bread in a family cookbook and it is delicious. I hope you enjoy it as much as we have.

SWEET CINNAMON – RAISIN BREAD

INGREDIENTS

4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 cup raisins

Preheat your oven to 350 F. Coat a 9″ round cake pan with cooking spray and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the eggs. Add the buttermilk, vanilla and melted butter. Stir together until completely combined.

Add egg mixture to the dry ingredients. Add raisins. Using a rubber spatula, combine all the ingredients until it is just moistened. (Dough will be sticky)

Sprinkle a counter top or surface with flour. Turn dough out onto surface. Knead several times and form into a ball.

Place the dough into the greased cake pan and cut an “X” in the middle of the dough. Place into the oven for 1 hour 15 minutes.

Cool in pan for 10 minutes and then place on cooling rack. Place a cookie sheet under the cooling rack and coat the warm bread with Vanilla Glaze (optional).

VANILLA GLAZE

1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tbsp. melted butter
2 tbsp. milk

Combine all together with a whisk.

Slice up and enjoy!!

Sweet Potato and Sausage Quesadillas

A simple sausage and sweet potato hash makes a uniquely delicious filling for these quesadillas. Serve them with plenty of salsa, sour cream, and guacamole and get the party started!

So, how long does this March Madness thing last? This was the first time that I’ve paid even remote attention – both my undergraduate and grad school actually made it in – but I’m kind of over it now. Neither of them made it past the first round*, and it’s not like I was the biggest fan anyway. I went to at least a few games each season at UAlbany but during grad school I was too busy sitting in on tapings of Crossfire to care about things like basketball.

Anyway this year both teams made it in, so I at least tried to pay attention. But let’s face it: I was really only in it for the food. Watching sports means appetizers, finger foods and other “snacky” things are perfectly appropriate for dinner. And those are my favorite kind of dinners. It’s kind of amazing I don’t fein interest more often.

(Shawn says I should say that Albany won it’s “first four” game. I don’t even know what that means. It wasn’t on my bracket, so if you ask me, it doesn’t count.)

I saw sweet potato quesadilla in the prepared foods section of the grocery store last weekend and instantly fell in love with the idea. At first, I was just going to mix mashed sweet potato with cheese to use as the filling but I was worried that the texture might be too soft and boring. Instead, I ended up making a quick hash with diced potato, crumbled sausage, and red onion. It worked perfectly, and the quesadillas were definitely more exciting than the game that was on.

I used Jones Dairy Farm’s all natural pork sausage roll – it’s one of my favorite sausages to use in recipes. It crumbles easily, since it’s uncooked and doesn’t have a casing and the mild flavor goes well with other ingredients. The only downside is that it comes frozen, so you do have to plan ahead a little bit in order to give it time to thaw.

Sweet Potato and Sausage Quesadillas

Author: Lauren Keating

Serves: 4

Ingredients

1 roll (12 ounces) Jones Dairy Farm pork sausage (uncooked)
1 medium sweet potato, cut into a ¼” dice (about 1.5 cups)
½ cup finely diced red onion
1 small jalapeño pepper, minced
8 ounces beer or vegetable broth
1 tablespoon chili powder
3 scallions, sliced
4 10″ flour tortillas
1 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese
1 sliced jalapeño (optional)
Salsa, Sour Cream, and Guacamole, for serving

Preparation

Crumble the sausage into a large skillet set over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 8-10 minutes, or until browned and cooked through. Transfer the sausage to a plate and discard any grease that has accumulated in the bottom of the pan.
Return the pan to the stove and add the onion; cook 1 minute. Add the sweet potato and mined jalapeño; cook 3 minutes. Pour in the beer. Bring to a simmer and cook 10 minutes, or until the sweet potato is soft and the liquid has evaporated. Stir in the coked sausage, chili powder, and scallions.
Place a tortilla on a flat work surface. Scatter ⅛ of the cheese over half the tortilla. Spread ¾-cup of the sausage filling over the cheese. Add a few jalapeño slices, if desired. Top with more cheese. Fold the tortilla in half. Repeat with remaining tortillas to make 4 quesadillas.
Heat 1 tablespoon of oil on a griddle (or in a large pan) set over medium-high heat. Cook the quesadillas one at a time, for 1-2 minutes per side, or until the tortilla is golden brown and the cheese is melted.
Cut each quesadilla into 4 wedges. Serve with salsa, sour cream, and guacamole for dipping.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 395 Fat: 15.2 Carbohydrates: 48.1 Fiber: 4.1 Protein: 14.3

3.2.2310

I created this recipe for Jones Dairy Farm. Thank you for supporting the brands that keep me inspired in the kitchen.

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TWIX CARAMEL BARS

Shortbread layer
2 sticks salted butter, at room temperature
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups flour

Caramel layer
20 ounces Kraft Caramels, unwrapped of co

urse! (about 1 1/2 bags)

3 tablespoons heavy cream

Chocolate layer
18 ounces milk chocolate, melted (I used

Hershey Bars rather than chips)

Directions1) FOR THE CRUST: Preheat your oven to 300°F. Line 9″ x 13″ pan with nonstick foil

2) In a bowl, beat together the butter, sugar a

nd vanilla. Add the flour. Mix till it comes together.

3) Press it evenly into the pan. Lightly flouring your fingertips will help with any sticking.
4) Prick the crust a

ll over with a fork.

5)
Bake 35-45 mins until the crust is lightly golden brown on top and the
edges are deeper golden brown. Remove from the oven and immediately run a
knife around the edges to loosen the crust. Set it aside to cool
completely.
6) FOR THE CARAMEL LAYER: Melt the caramel and cream
over low heat in a small saucepan. Pour the caramel over the cooled
crust and set in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to chill and firm up.

Melt the chocolate slowly in the microwave and pour
evenly over the chilled caramel layer and spread to coverall of the
caramel. Return to the fridge until the chocolate is well set. Before cutting, let sit at room temp for 30-60 mins. Cut into
bars or squares. It’s best to store these bars in the refrigerator but
take out a few mins before serving to soften.