Pain Au Chocolat (Croissant and Dark Chocolate) Bread Pudding

I am a firm believer in enjoying life as much as possible, particularly since it is so short. Good food is essential to a happy life, and this is good food. Decadent, rich, deliciously good food. Pain au chocolat is a pastry that you can find in any boulangerie or patisserie in France. It's basically a croissant with a piece of dark chocolate in the middle. It's light, but rich because of the chocolate and it's wonderful. We've been unable to find one locally that stands up to those we ate in France.

Enter Pain Au Chocolat Bread Pudding. It isn't quite the same, but as a dessert, dare I say that it is better? Sprinkle some powdered sugar on top or add some sliced strawberries and you have my new favorite dessert with a fancy topping. This was truly a special dish, one that I will make for special occasions from now on, since, let's face it, heavy cream and croissants with dark chocolate isn't exactly body healthy. It is good for my soul though!

Pain Au Chocolat Bread Pudding 
*From The Comfort of Cooking

Nonstick cooking spray
3 large egg yokes
1 cup milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3 croissants, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, cut into small pieces

Heat oven to 375º. Coat a 2-quart baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks, milk, cream, sugar, vanilla, salt, and nutmeg. Add the croissants and chocolate and mix to combine.

Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish. 

Bake until set and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature. Serves 4.

Enjoy!

Sourdough, Apple, and Shallot Stuffing-The BEST Stuffing Ever!

Hubby and I are very particular about our stuffing. We like lots of flavor and a bit of crispiness in our bread. For us, stuffing should be a wonderful side dish that can stand up to the rest of a holiday meal and be memorable in and of itself. This stuffing took me a while to perfect, but once I did, it became our favorite part of Thanksgiving. I make this dish all the time so that we get to enjoy it more than once a year because it's too good to eat just once. You can't go wrong with apples, shallots, herbs, and the delicious taste of sourdough bread!

Sorry for the picture; I never got a final one. But it's good and beautiful, I promise!

Sourdough, Apple, and Shallot Stuffing

2 large loaves sourdough bread (we use 2 large boules)
1 stick butter
1 or 2 shallots, diced
2 or 3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and diced
4 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon thyme
2-3 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Salt, to taste

Chop the bread into 1-inch cubes and set on cookie sheets to dry overnight or toast in a 350º oven for 3-45 minutes or until slightly crispy, but not browned.

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. When it's melted, add the shallot and apple and cook until the shallot is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add 4 1/2 cups chicken broth and bring to a boil. Add in the herbs and stir to combine.

Place dried breadcrumbs in a large bowl and gently mix. Add in the broth mixture a ladleful at a time and gently toss to coat. Taste as you to adjust seasonings. Add in salt to taste. If the breadcrumbs are still a little dry once you've added all the broth mixture, add more broth and toss again.

Pour stuffing into a large baking dish and bake in a 350º oven for 20-30 minutes or until golden brown on top. Enjoy!

French Bread Baguettes

After our trip to France, Nick and I have been obsessed with finding bread that is similar to what we had while there. Every meal in France includes a basket of bread for the table. It's amazing. And impossible to replicate. I haven't given up yet, but I don't have high hopes for finding a recipe and technique that measures up to a real French baguette. I don't want to sell this recipe short, because it was very good. The flavor was great and the texture was great, but it wasn't a French baguette. It didn't have the crusty crust or the air-pocketed interior we came to expect in our bread. As a first try, it wasn't bad and I will definitely make it again, but without the hope that it will match up to the multitude of bread we consumed in France.

French Bread Baguettes

*Bread machine recipe

1 1/8 cups water, room temperature

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

3/4 teaspoon granulated sugar

3 cups bread flour

2 tablespoons wheat germ (this can be found in the cereal aisle)

1 3/4 teaspoons active dry yeast

Cornmeal for dusting

Place all ingredients, except cornmeal, in the order listed in your bread machine fitted with a paddle attachment. Select the dough program and push start, which will mix, knead, and allow the dough to rise.

When cycle is completed, remove the dough and transfer to a lightly floured surface. Punch to deflate and let rest for 10 minutes.

Divide dough into 2 equal pieces. Shape each piece of dough into a long narrow baguette and place on a baking sheet that has been dusted with cornmeal. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise 30 to 40 minutes in a warm place. While the baguettes rise, place a pan of hot water on the bottom rack of the oven and preheat to 425º.

Dust dough gently with additional flour. Using a serrated knife, make 4 diagonal slashes in each loaf, about 1/4-inch deep. Bake bread in a preheated oven 25 to 30 minutes until browned and hollow sounding when tapped. Cool on a wire rack. Allow to cool completely, slice, and enjoy!

PW's Cinnamon Rolls

Cinnamon rolls are the traditional Christmas morning breakfast in our family, but the maker of the cinnamon rolls (one of my aunts), moved out of state. We were left cinnamon roll-less, so I decided to make Pioneer Woman's cinnamon rolls. And I'm in love! I cut the recipe in half, which made 4 pans of rolls. Hubby took one to work and his fellow deputies scarfed these instead of the stereotypical donuts. In fact, one of them, a self-proclaimed cinnamon roll connoisseur, raved about these rolls and requested another pan, just for himself, for his birthday next month. I love feeding those guys-they are so easy to please! Pioneer Woman warns her readers that declarations of love have occurred when people make these rolls, so it's a good thing I'm already married!

Pioneer Woman's Cinnamon Rolls

*From Pioneer Woman

**This is the original recipe, which I cut in half.

1 quart whole milk

1 cup vegetable oil

1 cup sugar

2 packages active dry yeast

8 cups (plus 1 extra cup, separated) all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon (heaping) baking powder

1 teaspoon (scant) baking soda

1 tablespoon (heaping) salt

Plenty of melted butter (*next time I will just use softened butter because melted=mess)

2 cups sugar

Generous sprinkling of cinnamon

Maple frosting:

1 bag powdered sugar

2 teaspoons maple flavoring

1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup melted butter

1/2 cup brewed coffee

1/8 teaspoon salt

Mix the milk, vegetable oil, and sugar in a pan. Scald the mixture (heat to just before the boiling point). Turn off heat and allow to cool for 45 minutes to 1 hour. When the mixture is lukewarm to warm, but not hot, sprinkle in both packages of active dry yeast. Let this sit for a minute, then add 8 cups of flour. Stir mixture together, cover and let rise for at least an hour.

*You could also use a bread machine for this part. Just add wet ingredients, dry ingredients, and yeast in that order and use the dough setting.

After rising for at least an hour, add one more cup of flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and stir mixture together. (At this point you could cover and refrigerate the dough until you need it-overnight or a day or two. Just watch it to make sure it doesn't overflow the pan. If it starts to, just punch it back down.)

When you're ready to prepare the rolls: Sprinkle rolling surface generously with flour. Take half the dough and form a rectangle. Roll the dough thin, while maintaining a general rectangle shape. Drizzle 1/2 to 1 cup melted butter then sprinkle 1 cup of sugar and a generous sprinkling of cinnamon over the dough.

Now, starting at the opposite end, begin rolling the dough toward you in a neat line. Keep the roll relatively tight as you go. Next, pinch the seam of the roll to seam it.

Spread 1 tablespoon melted butter in a 7-inch round foil cake or pie pan. Begin cutting the rolls 3/4 to 1 inch thick and arrange in the butter pans.

Repeat this process with the other half of the dough. Let the rolls rise for 20-30 minutes, then bake at 375º for 15-18 minutes.

For the frosting, mix together all frosting ingredients and stir well until smooth. It should be thick but pourable. Taste and adjust as needed. Generously drizzle over the warm rolls. Enjoy!

*If you want to store some of the pans, cool and cover tightly with plastic wrap, then cover with foil and freeze.

Salsa Verde Chicken with Herbed Cornmeal Dumplings

Hubby and I love chicken and dumplings. It's such an easy dish in the CrockPot, which allows me to just dump in the ingredients and go. This dish is a Mexican spin on chicken and dumplings. It's warm and comforting, spicy and delicious. One of the best things about this meal: it's essentially a one pot dish. So, if you have some cooked chicken on hand and a desire for a hearty and yummy meal, try this one!

*Sorry about the picture quality. Winter means running out of natural light a lot faster!

Salsa Verde Chicken with Herbed Cornmeal Dumplings

*From Savory Sweet Life

Stew:

4 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup flour

1 can (14.5 ounces) chicken broth

1 jar (15 ounces) salsa verde

1 can evaporated milk

5-6 cups shredded cooked chicken

Dumplings:

1 cup whole milk

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup yellow cornmeal

1 tablespoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Heat butter over medium-high heat in an ovenproof skillet or 5-6 quart Dutch oven. Whisk in flour to make a paste.

In a large bowl, mix evaporated milk, broth, and salsa verde. Whisk mixture into the roux.

Whisk quickly to combine and then simmer until it reaches sauce consistency, whisking frequently. Stir in chicken and heat through, cover and keep warm.

Heat oven to 400º and adjust oven rack to lower middle position.

For the dumplings:

Heat milk and butter in a small saucepan until butter is melted and the mixture is steamy. Mix flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt, green onions, and cilantro together in a medium bowl with a fork.

Stir in milk mixture to form a smooth, firm dough.

Pinch off ping-pong-ball-sized pieces of dough and drop into the chicken mixture.

Return chicken to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cover and transfer to the oven and bake until dumplings are heated through, about 15-20 minutes.

Enjoy!

Sourdough and Cornbread Stuffing

Our Thanksgiving meal always consists of the slightly soggy and sometimes gluey standard stuffing. It tastes fine, but it is no one's favorite. I set out to change that when I found this recipe from the Pioneer Woman. I changed it a little bit to fit our tastes and came up with a delicious final result. Hello new stuffing recipe!

Sourdough and Cornbread Stuffing

*Adapted from The Pioneer Woman

1 pan of cornbread (I used an 8x8 pan of homemade cornbread)

1 loaf crusty sourdough bread

1 stick butter

1 shallot, diced

2 Granny Smith apples; peeled, cored, and diced

4 cups chicken broth

1/2 teaspoon dried basil (I used 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil)

1/2 teaspoon thyme

2-3 teaspoons fresh chopped rosemary

1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley

Salt, to taste

Chop up the cornbread and sourdough bread into 1-inch cubes. Toast in a 350 degree oven for 30-45 minutes or until slightly crispy, but not browned.

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. When it's melted, add the shallot and apple and cook until the shallot is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add 4 cups of broth and bring to a boil. Add in the herbs and stir to combine.

Place dried breadcrumbs in a large bowl and gently mix. Add in broth mixture a ladleful at a time and gently toss to coat. Taste as you go to adjust seasonings. Salt carefully! You don't want to over salt your stuffing. If the breadcrumbs are still a little dry once you've added all the broth mixture, add more broth and stir.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown on top. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Bread with Cinnamon Butter

Fall is my favorite time of the year: the brisk chilly air, the holidays and family time, the warm blankets and sweaters, and the food. From the warm, comforting nature of soups and hot chocolate to the spicy smell of baked goods filled with cinnamon and nutmeg, fall food is the best. And this pumpkin bread with cinnamon butter is no exception. It was easy to put together and it made the house smell like heaven. Spread on a little bit of this wonderful cinnamon butter and you have yourself a perfect day. The best part about this bread, besides the smell, was the cakey, moist texture. I had some for breakfast and didn't feel even a little guilty because it's full of pumpkin. Pumpkin overrules the cake guilt every time. It's bread! Pumpkin bread with cinnamon butter!

Pumpkin Bread
*From In Good Taste

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups sugar
1 cup canola oil
2 large eggs
2 cups (16 ounces) pure pumpkin purée
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts (optional-I left this out)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 9x5-inch loaf pans, line the bottoms with wax paper or parchment paper, then grease the paper. Stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.

Beat the sugar and oil together in a large bowl until blended.

Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until well blended. Then add the pumpkin.

Mix.

Add the flour mixture and stir until just blended. Don't stir too much or it will become tough.

Fold in the nuts, if using. Pour the batter into the prepared pans.

Bake for 70 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center of the loaves comes out clean. Cool in the pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes.

Remove from pans and allow to cool completely before serving. Remove wax paper before slicing. Enjoy with cinnamon butter!

Cinnamon Butter

1 stick unsalted butter, softened
4 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar

Mix all ingredients together and then beat with an electric mixer.

Store in a sealed container and refrigerate until ready to use.

Enjoy with pumpkin bread!

Chicken and Stuffing Casserole

I am a huge fan of a meal I can get on the table in a half hour or less. Not including cooking the chicken, which took about 50 minutes, this one was in the saucepan and then the stove and out in about 30 minutes. No cream of chicken soup here (although I do very much appreciate the ease and convenience of the cream of soups). This one is all homemade and the roux with the garlic and butter is delicious. The chicken mixture itself is full of yummy flavor and the stuffing on top with sage, parsley, and thyme is the perfect accompaniment. This one is a permanent file recipe. Next time I hope I have enough time to make mashed potatoes to go with it!

Chicken and Stuffing Casserole
*From Telly's Tasty Tidbits

1 pound shredded cooked chicken (3-4 chicken breasts)
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup warm chicken broth
1/2 cup warm milk
8 ounces sour cream
1-2 cups frozen vegetables of your choice, thawed
1/2 cup shredded cheese (Swiss or cheddar work well)
2 cups stale breadcrumbs (I used seasoned stuffing breadcrumbs)
2 teaspoons desired herbs, such as parsley, sage, and thyme

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare a 2-quart casserole dish with cooking spray. In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Stir in flour and cook until slightly golden brown.

Slowly whisk in warm milk and 1/2 cup of warm broth. Simmer until it reaches a light boil and begins to thicken a bit.

Stir in sour cream, chicken, vegetables, and cheese. Add mixture to prepared casserole dish.

In a separate bowl, add breadcrumbs, remaining 1/2 cup broth, and herbs.

Pour breadcrumb mixture over casserole mixture.

Bake for 20-30 minutes or until heated through and bubbly. Enjoy!

Crockpot Chicken and Dumplings

This was so easy and so, so good! I seasoned the chicken breasts with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika, but any combination of seasonings would be good, depending on your taste. This is a great recipe to play around with and it's easy to fit it into an 8-hour work day, since it can be cooked on low for 7-8 hours, especially if you used frozen chicken breasts. At the end of the day your house will smell amazing and your hubby will be grinning like crazy. This was the first meal I cooked in days because of my little bout with the flu, so I felt like it was the best thing I had ever tasted after days of soup and juice. Overall, this is a great slow cooker meal!

Crockpot Chicken and Dumplings

3 or 4 thawed or frozen chicken breasts
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon paprika
2 cans cream of chicken soup
2 tablespoons margarine or butter
1 to 2 cups frozen mixed veggies (I used a corn, pea, green bean, and carrot mix with extra corn thrown in)
1 16-oz. tube refrigerated biscuits

Place the chicken in the bottom of a slow cooker. Season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika.

Pour both cans of cream of chicken on top and add 2 tablespoons of butter. Pour in enough water to cover (about a cup and a half or so).

Add in your frozen veggies and cook on high for 4 hours.

Remove and shred the chicken with two forks. Put the shredded chicken back in the slow cooker while working with the biscuits.

Meanwhile, tear each biscuit into 6 pieces and add to the slow cooker. Stir and cook for another 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Serve alone or over rice or mashed potatoes. Enjoy!