Brussels Sprout Gratin

I wish I could tell you that my daughter absolutely loved this recipe, but actually she didn't. My daughter would much prefer to have just a plain Brussels sprout pile on her plate. Which I like as well, but I'm always on the lookout for a new way to fix a vegetable I like. And even though she did not like this one, I, on the other hand, liked it very much. I think if I make it again I will add a little bit more cream mixture and cheese, but the flavor of this Guy Fieri recipe is fantastic. You can find the original recipe for Brussels Sprout Gratin on the Food Network website. This was the first time I've tried panko breadcrumbs, and WOW! You will be amazed and the flavor and crunch they have. Really good!

1 lb brussels sprouts, cleaned and trimmed
3/4 cups grated sharp Cheddar
1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 tsp picked fresh thyme leaves
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1 to 2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Shave the brussels sprouts horizontally into 1/8-inch slices with a sharp knife or mandoline. Add to a bowl. Add the Cheddar, flour, thyme, garlic and some salt and pepper to the bowl. Toss to combine.

 

Add the mixture to an 8- by 8-inch baking dish, packing it in. Pour over the heavy cream.

In a small bowl, combine the panko, Parmesan and oil and pour over the Brussels sprout mixture.

Bake uncovered until the Brussels sprout are tender, the sauce is bubbling and the top is golden, 25 to 30 minutes. Garnish with the parsley and serve.

Cloud Biscuits

I almost feel like a traitor sharing this recipe. I grew up a Bisquick girl. That's what my mom used to make biscuits, and that's what my daughter has grown up eating. While looking through my recipe box a while back, I saw this recipe for cloud biscuits. I have to give credit where credit is due... this recipe came from my ninth grade home economics teacher Mrs. Caffo. I guess I liked them so much that I copied the recipe and put it in my box, and then apparently promptly forgot about it. I decided to try them out (again) last weekend when I made chicken and dumplings, and oh my gosh. They were so good! So here you go... a tribute to Mrs. Caffo's home economics class.

2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp sugar
1/2 cup shortening
4 tsp baking powder
1 beaten egg
2/3 cup milk

In a large bowl combine the dry ingredients. Cut in the shortening until it resembles coarse crumbs.

Combine milk and beaten egg.

Add milk and egg mixture to flour mixture.

Stir until dough follows fork around the bowl. Do not over mix. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface, and knead about 20 strokes. The key to light fluffy biscuits is to handle the dough as little as possible.

Roll dough to 3/4 inch thickness, and cut out biscuits.

Place on ungreased sheet, and bake in 450 degree preheated oven for 10-14 minutes until golden brown.

Almond Danish Puff

I am so far behind in my blogs. My kitchen occupied most of my weekends through March and April. I sanded and restained my cabinets and painted the walls. It was a lot of work, but it was so worth the effort. I managed to cook and bake a little bit, but sitting down and typing up the blogs for what I was making just didn't seem to happen. So, now I'm trying to catch up. This little number here is absolutely worth your time. It takes a bit from beginning to eating, but the prep itself didn't take very long, and isn't very complicated. I found the recipe on Pinterest: Almond Danish Puff. 

Base

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 Tbsps water

Topping

1/2 cup butter
1 cup water
1 tsp almond extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 eggs

Creamy Almond Glaze

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 Tbsps butter, softened
1 tsp almond extract
1-2 Tbsps warm water or 1 -2 Tbsps milk
sliced almonds

Heat oven to 350ºF.

Cut 1/2 cup softened butter into 1 cup flour, using pastry blender or crisscrossing two knives, until particles are size of coarse crumbs.

Sprinkle 2 tablespoons water over mixture; mix with fork. Gather pastry into ball; divide in half or quarters. Pat each piece into a rectangle, 12x3 inches (if two) or 6x3 inches (if four), about 3 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.

Heat remaining 1/2 cup butter and 1 cup water to rolling boil in 2-quart saucepan; remove from heat. Quickly stir in almond extract and 1 cup flour. Stir vigorously over low heat about 1 minute or until mixture forms a ball; remove from heat. Add eggs; beat until smooth.

Spread half of the topping over each rectangle. This was my first attempt at making these, so here's a lesson learned: you see I did not spread the topping to the edge of the bottom pastry. You should definitely spread it to completely cover the bottom pastry!

Bake about 1 hour or until topping is crisp and brown; remove from pan to wire rack. Cool completely.

While pastry cools, make the almond glaze. Mix 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, 2-3 tbsp softened butter, 1 tsp almond extract, and 1-2 tbsp warm water or milk until smooth and spreadable. When the pastries are completely cooled, spread the glaze over them.