Pretzel Bites with Beer Cheese

It's late.  As usual.  I might as well just start posting late at night instead of trying to get a post done during the day. 

Anyway, excuses aside - I think I've finally done it.  I've successfully made a beer cheese that resembles a local favorite.

Andy and I grew up in southern Indiana (of course in different eras - we do have a 7 year gap between us!), but we both loved Sportstime Pizza - now under the name The New Albanian Brewery.  They, of course, have beer - great microbrews (one should definitely check them out during 'Gravity Head' where they feature high-alcohol content and special season beers).  But the main reason we frequented the place was for their beer cheese.  It's one of a kind - spicy, cheesy, and absolutely perfect with some breadsticks.

So when I told Andy last week that I was making some pretzel bites to snack on while watching a pre-season football game, he eagerly suggested I make a beer cheese to go with them.  Always up for a challenge, I accepted, and boy am I glad I did.  I think I came pretty close (dare I say, maybe even better??) to our old time favorite from The New Albanian.

So if you're looking for a great Sunday snack - football lovers and non-football lovers alike - this is it!


Ingredients:
Adapted from Sunny Side Up in San Diego's Recipe

4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 & 1/4 cups warm water
5 cups flour
1/4 cup white sugar, plus 1 teaspoon
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 & 1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons butter, melted and divided
1/2 cup baking soda
2 egg whites
Kosher salt, for topping
cooking spray


Beer Cheese:


1/2 cup cream cheese
1/2 cup Indian Pale Ale (or whatever favorite beer you might have)
1 tablespoon horseradish sauce
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 cup Velveeta, cut into small cubes (I swear I wanted to use some Chipotle Cheddar Cheese, but I'd run out, and this was all I had - but it worked out so well!)
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Freshly ground black pepper

In a measuring cup dissolve the yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar in warm water. Set aside for 10 minutes. If the mixture is foamy, you're good to go - if not, start over with new yeast.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, white and brown sugars, and salt.  Pour the water/yeast mixture and 2 tablespoons melted butter into the bowl. Knead for 6-8 minutes until the dough is smooth. Add extra water if dough is too dry, until you get your desired texture.

Lightly oil a large bowl. Shape dough into a ball. Place the dough ball in the bowl, cover with a clean towel, and allow to rise for one hour.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Spray a large baking sheet with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine 4 cups of hot water and baking soda. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg whites and remaining 2 tablespoons of melted butter.

After the dough has risen, punch down the dough and then knead with hands for one minute. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and break off small chunks of dough - Roll the chunks into 1 inch diameter balls (I got about 20-25).

Dip the pieces in the baking soda water and place on the baking sheet.  Gently drying with a paper towel if they become too wet. Brush each pretzel ball with egg whites/melted butter then sprinkle with kosher salt.

Bake for 7-8 minutes, until browned.

To make beer cheese, place cream cheese in a microwave safe bowl and heat for about 30 seconds.  Stir until smooth.  Stir in beer, horseradish sauce, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, and black pepper.  Heat for another 30 seconds in the microwave.  Stir until smooth.  Add in Velveeta.  Heat another 30 seconds, and stir until cheese is melted and smooth. 

Pretzels and beer cheese.  Success at last!  And this beer cheese was so easy to whip up, that I will definitely be finding myself making it many many times over!  Even with Velveeta - I'm not ashamed!


Have a great weekend guys!  I just have to get through one more late shift at work and I've got 2 days of relaxation ahead of me!

Cinnamon Pull-Apart Bread

The weekend just wasn't long enough, was it?  I can't believe it's already Monday!

We spent our weekend with friends - enjoying sushi... and not-so-much enjoying Cowboys & Aliens.  Seriously - worst way to spend $19. 

But this isn't a movie blog, it's a food blog.  And I thought I'd share with you the winner of the last bi-weekly poll - Cinnamon Pull-Apart Bread.

It's nothing new.  Tons of bloggers have done it.  But this last week was my first experience with it - and judging from the positive reaction of my co-workers and Andy - it won't be my last!  So here's to starting the week on a sweet note!


Ingredients:
Adapted from Zoomy Yummy's recipe 

Dough:

3 & 1/2 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
2 & 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/3 cup whole milk
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Filling:

1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg
4 tablespoons unsalted butter

In a large bowl, combine 2 cups flour, sugar, yeast, and salt.

In a small bowl, whisk the eggs.

In another small bowl, melt 4 tablespoons of butter with milk.  Add water and vanilla and stir until combined. 

Pour milk mixture into bowl with flour.  Add eggs and stir until incorporated.  Add remaining flour, in 1/2 cup increments, until a ball of dough forms.  The dough should be somewhat sticky, but capable of holding shape.

Knead dough on a floured work surface for about 10 minutes.

Grease a large bowl and place dough inside.  Cover and let rise in a warm place for about 1 hour.

Deflate dough and knead on a floured work surface for a couple of minutes.

Roll dough out to 1/4 to 1/2 inch thickness (you should get a large rectangle - about 12x20).

To make filling, melt remaining 4 tablespoons of butter.  In a separate small bowl, combine sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. 

Brush the butter onto the rectangle of dough and sprinkle cinnamon-sugar mixture over top. 

Using a pizza cutter, slice the dough into 1 to 1 & 1/2 inch strips.  Then cut across to make squares.  Stack dough in groups of 6's (I had 8 stacks). 

Grease and flour a loaf pan and place as may stacks as possible (I fit about 6 stacks).  I had 2 leftover stacks that I just put it individual ramekins.  Cover with a kitchen towel and let rest for about 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Bake bread for 30 minutes, or until golden brown (If you do individual ramekins, decrease time about 5-8 minutes).  Let bread rest for 20 minutes before digging in.

This was definitely some really good bread!  Not to mention it looks stunning!  I think there was the perfect ratio of cinnamon to sugar, and I just couldn't stop eating it.  The individual portions were gone within an hour - and it took a lot of will power not to devour the loaf pan that I was taking to work!

Hope you all have a great Monday!

Homemade Naan Bread

Happy Friday everyone!  This particular Friday is a very special one.  Not only is it April's Fools (don't worry, I'm not going to try any trickery on you guys!), but as of 8:30pm tonight, I'm officially on vacation! 

It's definitely more of a "stay"-cation, but hey, I won't have to work for a full 11 days.  So it's going to be amazing.

What will I be doing? 

SPRING CLEANING.  There's so much I want to throw out and do over, it's not even funny.  Will I get to it all done in one week?  Umm... no.  I highly doubt it.  I'll probably only get through 3, maybe 4 rooms out of the house, but hey, it's a start.

Anyway, let's get on with some naan!

Ingredients:
Adapted from Food for my Family's recipe

3/4 cup warm water
1 teaspoon active dry yeast
2 cups flour, plus more if needed
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 pinch baking powder
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 & 1/2 tablespoons sour cream
cornmeal, for dusting
unsalted butter, optional

In a small bowl, add the water and sprinkle yeast over top.  Allow to sit for about 10 minutes until foamy. 

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder.  Mix in olive oil and sour cream until mixture is crumbly.  Slowly stir in the yeast and water mixture until a ball of dough forms.  My mixture was still a tad wet, so I added maybe 1/2 to 1 cup extra flour to get a desired consistency.

Knead dough on a floured surface for a few minutes until smooth.  Place the dough ball in a clean and greased bowl.  Cover and let rise in a warm place for about 1 to 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 500F with a baking stone or an upside-down rimmed baking sheet (i don't have a baking stone, so this is the method I used). 

Flip dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for a couple minutes.  Divide dough into about 5-6 equally sized balls.  Dip each ball into flour and roll out to about 1/4 inch thickness.

Dust preheated baking stone or baking sheet with a light layer of cornmeal.  Wet hands and gently wet each piece of dough before placing them on hot baking stone or sheet (I did batches of 3).

Bake for about 5-7 minutes, or until tops are starting to brown and get bubbly.

Transfer each piece of naan to a plate and top with a pat of unsalted butter.

This was my first attempt at making naan and I must say that it couldn't have been easier!  Or more delicious!  I had a 1/2 piece of naan with each of my dinners this week, and it was the perfect accompaniment to my curried lentil soup I had the other night!  It's even great by itself!

How about you guys... have you ever made naan at home? 

Have a great weekend guys!  I'll see you next week for some goodies (and maybe some before and after pictures of the rooms I clean out!)

Donuts & Chocolate Malt Milkshakes

Remember when I said there were 3 winners for the last poll?  And I said I would post them all?  Yeah, I got a little busy with slurries of Making A Blog Video, Celebrating Andy's new job, and just life in general.  So you guys get a double feature today with the other 2 winners (the 1st one was the Samoas!).

Now some might argue that Donuts and Chocolate Milkshakes don't go together, but I beg to differ.  Most people drink milk with donuts, right?  I know we do, at least.  So why not amp up the milk and add some ice cream and have yourself a milkshake?  Sounds pretty darn compatible to me!  Hehe.  Either way, both of these recipes are winners, whether you keep them separate or share them together!

Hope you guys have a really awesome weekend!  I know we will... starting with tonight's dinner at The Village Anchor!  And don't forget to vote in the new poll... I'm in an ice cream mood!


Donuts:

Ingredients:
Adapted from My Kitchen Snippet's Recipe

1 & 1/2 cups flour
1 tablespoon sugar
pinch of salt
1 teaspoon active dry yeast
1/2 cup milk
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
2 cups vegetable oil, for frying
powdered sugar, optional

In a medium bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt, and yeast.  Combine well.

Slowly pour in the milk and mix until a sticky dough is formed.  Then incorporate softened butter into the dough.

Knead dough on a lightly floured surface for a couple of minutes until it is smooth and elastic.  Place in a clean, greased bowl and cover with a warm kitchen towel until slightly risen, about 1 hour.  My dough didn't rise that much, or well... I was a little antsy and didn't want to wait that long for it to double.  You can let it rise longer if you want, but my finished product turned out pretty delicious, so if you're impatient like me, then this is fine.

Pull off small pieces of dough and form small 1 inch round balls.  Place on parchment-lined baking sheet.  Cover with warm kitchen towel and allow to slightly rise for 1 more hour.

In a large cast iron skillet, heat 2 cups of vegetable oil under medium high heat.  You'll know when the oil is ready when you can add a small piece of dough and it sizzles.

Add dough balls in batches (I did about 5 per batch) and fry for about 1-2 minutes per side, or until donuts are golden brown on both sides.

Transfer cooked donuts to paper-towel lined bowl to cool slightly.

When all donuts are complete, take a paper bag (or you can place them in a large bowl to toss) and add donuts to bag.  Pour desired amount of powdered sugar in bag and close.  Shake until you coat the donuts all over.

I loved how the powdered sugar sort of melted on the still-warm donuts.  It was perfect.  They were very reminiscent of a funnel cake in donut form.  And we all know how much I love funnel cakes.  Next time I may try filling these babies with jelly or chocolate cream or something delicious!


Chocolate Malt Milkshakes:
Adapted from Smells Like Home's Recipe

Chocolate Malt Sauce:

1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
3 tablespoons light corn syrup
2 tablespoons chocolate malt Ovaltine
2 tbsp dark brown sugar
pinch of salt
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For milkshakes (makes 2 - perfect for when your fiance refuses to share):

1 pint chocolate ice cream
5 tablespoons chocolate malt sauce
2/3 cup milk


Whipped Cream:

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon clear vanilla

For the chocolate malt sauce, add cream, corn syrup, Ovaltine, brown sugar, salt, and 3/4 cup of chocolate chips to a small saucepan under medium heat.  Bring to a boil and stir until chocolate has melted.  Turn heat down to low and let simmer for about 5 minutes.

Remove from the heat and stir in the butter, vanilla, and remaining 1/4 cup of chocolate chips.  Let the sauce cool for about 10 minutes.

To store extra sauce, cool the sauce completely and refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days.  Reheat in a microwave or over low heat on the stovetop.

For each milkshake, I added 1/2 the ice cream, desired amount of chocolate sauce, and milk to a cocktail shaker and used my immersion blender to blend it up until smooth.

Drizzle some chocolate sauce on the inside portion of some chilled glasses (we got a little messy with this) if you want and pour blended shakes into each glass.

Quickly whip up some fresh whipped cream (or use some pre-made - I won't judge!) by whisking heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla together in a bowl until soft peaks form.  Top each shake with the cream and get ready to fully indulge in a glass of happiness.

I could see Andy's permanent smile just glow on his face as he ate this.  He loved every bite and even tried to sneak a bit of mine after he finished with his!

So yeah, lots of good treats that can prep you guys for some good times this weekend!  And I just realized a genius idea for the remaining chocolate sauce (because yes, you will have leftover chocolate sauce unless you just load your milkshakes with it!) - it would be perfect drizzled over those donuts or inside as a gluttonous filling!  See... I told you milkshakes and donuts go well together!  Don't forget to vote in the poll!

I want ice cream.  And ice cream sundae, to be exact.  So help me decide what flavor ice cream to use and I'll surprise you with a delicious sundae!!  Have a great weekend guys!

Homemade White Bread

Okay... I did it!  I've committed myself to making our own bread.  No more grocery store bread.  This wasn't on my goals list from last Thursday's post, but I've personally committed to adding this on there.  And I'm excited.  Because I actually made a fantastic loaf of bread.  And yes, I'm still excited.

Now that I got that off my chest... how was everyone's weekend?  Ours was pretty laid back, just ringing in the New Year with some good friends and some great food.  It's amazing that the older I get, the more I want peace and quiet for big days like New Year's Eve.  Now, don't get me wrong, I love a rip-roaring good party, but not as much as I did say, 3 years ago.  I just don't have it in me anymore.  My life revolves around other things now, and it just always amazes me how true that is.  I've grown up.  And it makes me sad.  But it makes me happy at the same time, because well... I'm growing up.  Does that make sense?

Oh, by the way, Pear-Caramel Ice Cream won the poll by a landslide on Friday so look forward to that sometime either this week or next. (I can't really be definite on when because I've got a few night shifts this week, so the week will be hectic - but I've got a 3 day weekend, so I'm sure there will be plenty of time then!)

Anyway, I was just so excited that I made this loaf of bread that I had to share it with you guys!

Ingredients:

Adapted from Pass the Sushi's Recipe

1/2 cup milk
3 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 & 1/2 cups lukewarm water
5 & 1/2 cups flour

In a small saucepan, heat milk, sugar, salt, and butter under low heat.  Stir until sugar is completely dissolved and butter has melted.  Take off heat and let cool slightly.

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast with warm water.  Add milk mix­ture and 4 & 1/2 cups of the flour. Mix with wooden spoon until a sticky dough starts to form.

Add remain­ing flour, 1/2 cup at a time until a ball of dough starts to form, and it is less sticky.  On a floured work surface,  knead the dough for about 2 min­utes longer, or until dough is smooth and elas­tic.

Grease a large, clean bowl with olive oil and add dough, turn­ing to grease top.  Cover bowl with plastic wrap and a slightly damp towel and let rise in warm place, free from draft, about 1 hour or until dou­bled in size.

Punch dough down and divide in half. On a lightly floured sur­face, roll each half into a rec­tan­gle approx­i­mately 9″ x 14″. A rolling pin will smooth the dough and remove any gas bub­bles.  Starting at the shorter end, roll the dough and pinch to seal the seam.  Place the dough seems sides down, in a greased bread loaf pan.  You could do this with both halves if you want, but I used my other dough half to make clover dinner rolls - just roll the dough into 36 even balls and place 3 at a time in a greased muffin tray.  Cover and let rise again for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 400 F.


Bake bread for about 25-30 minutes, or until bread is golden brown and crisp on the outside.  Remove from pans immediately after taking out of oven and let cool on a wire rack. 

We enjoyed the rolls with our turkey dinner (yes, I decided that I wanted to experience cooking a turkey this weekend, so I roasted one on a lazy Sunday afternoon - details to come!)  But this bread would definitely be great just on it's own with a pat of butter or jam.  Enjoy guys!


Have you ever made your own bread?