Tag: Cloves

Election Cake

I had no clue that Election Cake used to be a thing until I saw an article recently about this lost tradition! Recipes for Election Cake are found back to the late 18th century, but apparently the tradition has fallen off in recent years.

This yeasted spiced bundt fruitcake was traditionally prepared prior to Election Day and served to hungry voters.

For years, I was the machine inspector for every general and primary election in my South Philly polling location, so any attention I can bring to voting is super important to me! I am also down for any and all food holidays so let’s bring back Election Cake!

I don’t have a ton of experience using yeast, so I looked up a recipe from NY Times Food. Because of the yeast, there are two proofing times in this recipe, so set aside 4 to 6 hours to make this cake.

Ingredients (serves 10):

  • 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 4 cups flour
  • 1 cup dark brown sugar, packed
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 2 (¼-ounce) envelopes active dry yeast
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 lemon, divided
  • 2 eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1/4 cup brandy, divided
  • ⅔ cup golden raisins
  • ½ cup dried cranberries
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground ginger
  • ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
  • 2 cups confectioners’ sugar

Continue reading Election Cake

Tomato Jam

My CSA share has been full of tomatoes lately. And as much as I love tomatoes, I’m even having trouble getting through them all! Sounds like a perfect excuse to make some Tomato Jam!

If you’ve never tasted tomato jam before, it is quite the tasty little condiment! It works so nicely with grilled meats; I love it slathered on a burger instead of using ketchup.

This Tomato Jam recipe, adapted from a Mark Bittman recipe, has a wonderful spice profile and a nice amount of citrus to deliver a not-too-sweet, flavorful condiment.

Ingredients: (makes about 1 cup; multiply as desired)

  • 1½ pounds ripe tomatoes, cored and coarsely chopped
  • 1 cup sugar
  • the juice of 1 lemon
  • 1 tablespoon ginger paste
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves

Continue reading Tomato Jam

Homemade Spiced Nuts

I hope you’ll allow me one more festive holiday recipe. Honestly, these Holiday Spiced Nuts are so tasty, they can (and should!) be enjoyed all year!

Around Thanksgiving, I was in Lancaster, PA and popped into Lancaster Central Market. While there, I stumbled upon Totally Nutz, which sells various cinnamon glazed nuts. They were so addicting, I wanted to try my own at home!

This recipe includes a bit more of the “holiday” spices than just cinnamon and includes four different types of nuts: pecans, walnuts, almonds, and cashews for a tasty sweet and spiced mixture!

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup shelled pecans
  • 1 cup shelled walnuts
  • 1 cup roasted unsalted almonds
  • 1 cup unsalted roasted cashews
  • 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
  • 3 tablespoons brown sugar, lightly packed
  • 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tablespoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Continue reading Homemade Spiced Nuts

Spiced Walnut Peach Mini Bundt Cakes or Muffins

Note: I was sent a copy of Muffins (paid link) by Cyndi Duncan and Georgie Patrick in order to write this post. Opinions are mine alone.

One of the best perks of being a food blogger is the ability to receive and review cookbooks. Not only are they a great source of inspiration for me and my cooking journey, but they also provide a little peek into other fellow passionate cooks and bakers.

This latest cookbook, Muffins (paid link) by Cyndi Duncan and Georgie Patrick, focuses on one of my favorite foods. Muffins are one of my go-to choices for food prepping for the week.

From comforting favorites to spicy surprises, Muffins cookbook includes delicious recipes for more than 70 nourishing breakfast staples, fruity bites for brunch, and savory morsels that go great with soups and salads. The cookbook also includes ingredient substitutions, helpful baking methods, and other useful kitchen tips.

 

As my husband was paging through the cookbook, their recipe for Spicy Peach and Nut Muffins caught his attention. I used that recipe as inspiration to make these Spiced Walnut Peach Mini Bundt Cakes. Mini Bundt Cakes are essentially fancy muffins anyway, don’t you think?

And, if you have no interest in my fake fancy muffins, no worries! I’ve included info below to make these as normal muffins by using a cupcake pan.

Ingredients (makes approximately 12 mini Bundt cakes or 18 cupcake-sized muffins):

Cakes/Muffins:

  • 1 (15 oz) can peaches
  • ~3/4 cup buttermilk (see directions below)
  • 3 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
  • 2 1/2 cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 2 eggs, at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Glaze:

  • 4 tablespoons reserved peach juice
  • 1 cup powdered sugar

Continue reading Spiced Walnut Peach Mini Bundt Cakes or Muffins

Maple Chai Latte Cocktail

Note: I was sent a bottle of Black Button Distilling’s Bespoke Bourbon Cream in order to write this post. Opinions are mine alone.

If you’re a fan of creamy cocktails, I have the perfect cocktail to share with you today! The team at Black Button Distilling sent me a recipe for a Maple Chai Latte Cocktail that sounded so tasty I knew I had to pass it along.

Black Button Distilling, based out of Rochester, NY, was actually Rochester’s first grain-to-glass distillery since prohibition when it was established in 2012. The cocktail is made with Black Button Distilling’s Bespoke Bourbon Cream, which combines their hand finished bourbon and local farm fresh New York State cream — it’s similar to Irish Cream but the bourbon brings a different (and delicious!) flavor profile.

This Maple Chai Latte plays up the vanilla and caramel notes in the Bourbon Cream with the addition of maple syrup, a chai simple syrup, and coffee liqueur.

You can buy chai simple syrup (paid link), but I’ve included a recipe below in case you want to make your own at home, like I did.

Ingredients (serves 2):

  • ice
  • 3 oz Bespoke Bourbon Cream
  • 4 oz coffee liqueur
  • 1 oz Chai simple syrup (recipe below)
  • 1 oz maple syrup (I used a bourbon barrel-aged maple syrup to really up the flavor!)
  • coffee beans, for garnish, if desired
  • star anise, for garnish, if desired

Chai Simple Syrup ingredients:

  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup water
  • 12 green cardamom pods
  • 12 black peppercorns
  • 12 whole cloves
  • 2 cinnamon sticks
  • 3 star anise
  • 3 tablespoons fresh ginger, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Continue reading Maple Chai Latte Cocktail

Frosted Pumpkin Brownies

For those that follow me on Instagram or Twitter, it comes as no surprise that I am a huge fan of pumpkin recipes. In fact, I have over 30 recipes that use pumpkin on this blog!

So hopefully you’ll allow me to add another one to the list: Frosted Pumpkin Brownies!

So when I had a nagging sweet tooth recently, I figured it was time to also feed my pumpkin need. This recipe for Frosted Pumpkin Brownies is comprised of a chewy, chocolatey brownie topped with a nice thick layer of pumpkin buttercream frosting, resulting in a decadent treat for the chocolate and pumpkin lovers in your life.

Ingredients:

Brownies:

Pumpkin Buttercream Frosting:

  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1/4 cup pumpkin puree
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom (note: can also just use 1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice instead of the individual spices, if preferred)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2-3 cups powdered sugar

Continue reading Frosted Pumpkin Brownies

Spiced Fig and Pear Jam

Early fall is my favorite time of year. I love that it’s still warm enough to enjoy the outdoors, the selection of produce available is awesome, and the back-to-school vibe fuels me to get things done.

It’s also an awesome time of year to can some jellies and jams, like this delicious Spiced Fig and Pear Jam!

Figs and pears are in season at the moment, two of my favorite fruits, so what better time to make (and can) this Spiced Fig and Pear Jam?

Ingredients (makes about 6 8oz cans):

  • 1 1/2 pounds Bartlett pears, peeled, deseeded, and cut into small bite sized pieces
  • 1 1/2 pounds fresh mission figs, cut into eighths
  • 3 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
  • the juice and zest of 1 navel orange

Continue reading Spiced Fig and Pear Jam

Slow Cooker Spiced Blueberry Plum Butter

This may sound silly, but I woke up a few days ago and realized that summer is nearly over, and I had not canned anything! Blueberries have been particularly lovely this year, so I wanted to make a fruit butter using them as the main ingredient. I added in some plums I had and then spiced them with some autumnal flavors to mark the impending change of seasons.

The result is this Slow Cooker Spiced Blueberry Plum Butter!

Fruit butter is a jam-like product that doesn’t use any pectin, so it spreads easier than a normal jam or jelly. Fruit butters are best made by cooking the fruit low and slow, so a slow cooker is the perfect tool to make them! Although you are using a slow cooker, this recipe does require you to stir it every now and then, so you still have to stay close by.

I adapted this recipe from Food in Jar’s recipe for Slow Cooker Blueberry Butter. There are a few tools I find super helpful when canning, so I will link to those throughout this recipe, in case you wanted to know what I use.

Ingredients (makes about 5 pints, or 10 half pint jars):

  • 6 pints blueberries
  • 8 plums, quartered, pits removed
  • 3 cups sugar
  • the juice and zest of 2 lemons
  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1 teaspoon ground cardamom

Continue reading Slow Cooker Spiced Blueberry Plum Butter

Lamb Stuffed Mediterranean Peppers

I’m not going to lie, I didn’t love stuffed peppers when I was younger. However, as I realize that there are multiple ways to make them, like these Tex-Mex Stuffed Peppers and this recipe for Lamb Stuffed Mediterranean Peppers I’m about to share, I’ve come around on how awesome they can really be!

This recipe is based off one a friend gave me years ago that I used to make Mediterranean Stuffed Mini Peppers. The recipe was so darn good, I figured it was about time I shared a main-meal version!

Ingredients:

  • 6 bell peppers, tops removed and seeded
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
  • 1 lb ground lamb
  • 1  teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon cloves
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 2 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
  • 2  tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1/2 cup golden raisins
  • 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
  • 1 cup cooked farro (substitute rice to make gluten free)
  • 1/2 cup Feta, crumbled (omit to make dairy free)

Continue reading Lamb Stuffed Mediterranean Peppers

Carrot Cake Cupcakes

Nearly a decade ago, I shared a recipe for a Bunny Carrot Cake. Although it’s super cute, I figured it was about time I shared a decidedly less creative dessert that is still perfect for Easter and spring in general: Carrot Cake Cupcakes!

These Carrot Cake Cupcakes are based off the original recipe I shared 9 years ago, but I substituted in walnuts for the raisins. They are topped with cinnamon cream cheese frosting and then sprinkled with carrot-shaped sprinkles to make them extra adorable.

Ingredients (makes approximately 30 cupcakes):

Carrot Cake Cupcakes:
  • 4 large eggs, at room temperature
  • ¼ cup vegetable oil
  • ¾ cup melted browned butter
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 tablespoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon cloves
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 4 cups loosely packed grated carrots
  • 1 cup chopped walnuts (omit for nut-free)
Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting:
  • 2 (8 oz) packages of Cream Cheese, softened
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened (1 stick)
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
  • 2 (16 oz) packages powdered sugar
  • Easter-themed sprinkles, if desired

Kitchen Tools Used:

Continue reading Carrot Cake Cupcakes

Soup Joumou (Haitian Beef and Squash Soup)

Happy New Year! There are a bunch of traditional dishes around the world to help usher in a new year. In past years, I’ve shared a Black Eyed Peas Hash, Black Eyed Peas with Collard Greens, and a bunch of recipe for what to do with the leftover champagne (assuming you have any), like this Champagne Risotto Primavera and these Honey Citrus Champagne Cupcakes.

Some traditional dishes eaten on New Year’s Day have less to do with the new year and more to do with a country’s history. So this year, I’m sharing my adaptation of an Independence Stew from Haiti. Celebrated every January 1, Haiti proclaimed independence from French colonials on New Year’s Day 1804 following a 13 year revolution. Soup Joumou, a comforting stew traditionally made with beef, pumpkin, pasta, and a bunch of veggies and spices, has become a New Year’s Day dish to commemorate Haiti’s independence.

I adapted this recipe from Epicurious, scaling it down quite a bit and swapping butternut squash for the pumpkin because I couldn’t find any pumpkin that wasn’t already pureed.

 

Ingredients:

Marinade:

  • 1/2 small onion, coarsely chopped
  • 1 bell pepper (any color), coarsely chopped
  • 1 scallion, coarsely chopped
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 1/4 cup parsley leaves
  • 1 basil leaf
  • the juice of 1 lime
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/8 teaspoon sweet paprika
  • 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper

Remaining Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup plus 1/2 tablespoon distilled white vinegar, divided
  • 1 pound stew beef cubes
  • 7 cups chicken or beef broth, divided
  • 2 beef bones
  • 1 pound butternut squash, cut into cubes
  • 2 medium russet potatoes (about 1 pound), finely chopped
  • 1 large carrot, sliced
  • 1/4 small green cabbage (about 1/2 pound), very thinly sliced
  • 1/2 small onion, sliced
  • 1 celery stalk, coarsely chopped
  • 1 leek, white and pale-green parts only, finely chopped
  • 1 small turnip, finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon habanero chile hot sauce, or to taste
  • 1 cup uncooked rigatoni
  • 3 whole cloves
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 parsley sprig (optional)
  • 1 thyme sprig (optional)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter (omit to make dairy free)

Continue reading Soup Joumou (Haitian Beef and Squash Soup)

Gingerbread Fudge

Note: I received a bottle of Nielsen-Massey’s Pure Vanilla Extract in order to write this post. All opinions are mine alone.

I have quite a few holiday cookie recipes on my blog. I even highlight a cookie recipe on my Instagram every day leading up to Christmas. But I have never tried to make fudge before. So when Nielsen-Massey contacted me about highlighting their Holiday Flavors Bundle, I was excited to find a holiday-themed Gingerbread Fudge in their recipe section!

The fudge uses Nielsen-Massey’s Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract, one of the extracts included in the Holiday Flavors Bundle. The Holiday Flavors Bundle also includes their Pure Almond Extract and their Pure Peppermint Extract, so you’re all set for your holiday baking!

Source: https://nielsenmassey.com

Ingredients:

  • 3 1/4 cups white chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar (packed)
  • 1/2 cup molasses
  • 1/3 cup evaporated milk
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract, like Nielsen-Massey’s Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract
  • sprinkles, if desired (I used red and green sprinkles)

Continue reading Gingerbread Fudge

Chewy Gingerbread Cookies

I’m hoping you’ll allow me to post one more cookie recipe this season. These Chewy Gingerbread Cookies are too good to not post!

Every year, my mom and I bake multiple cookie recipes to give to friends and family. While there are some that we bake every year, (like these Hot Cocoa Cookies), we try to make a new cookie each time. After many years of trying to make gingerbread cookies and failing at the decorating part, we decided to try making gingerbread cookies instead.

This recipe makes a wonderfully soft and chewy cookie all with the yummy flavors of gingerbread.

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 1/3 cup molasses
  • 1 egg, at room temperature
  • 2 cups flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 4 tablespoons sugar

Continue reading Chewy Gingerbread Cookies

Pressure Cooker Barbacoa Beef Tacos

Note: I was sent a Cosori Premium 6qt multicooker in order to write this post. Opinions are mine alone.

I’m not going to lie, pressure cookers have always kind of intimidated me. I was under the impression that they were difficult to use, and easy to mess up.

Well, after trying out the Cosori Premium 6qt pressure cooker over the past couple of weeks, I’m here to tell you they are actually quite easy to use!

source: cosori.com

Pressure cookers are definitely having a moment right now, but they’ve actually been around since the 1600’s in some form or another. Pressure cookers use steam pressure to help cook food faster. When cooking tough meat, pressure cookers help tenderize the meat and cook it surprisingly quickly in the process.

source: cosori.com

The Cosori Premium 6qt pressure cooker is actually a multicooker – it’s a pressure cooker, hot pot, steamer, slow cooker, food warmer, sauté pan, yogurt maker, and rice cooker – all in one! The unit has 17 smart cooking programs, but you can also adjust the cooking time, temperature, and pressure cooking levels to customize your cooking.

source: cosori.com

I couldn’t wait to test the pressure cooker out! I immediately thought of barbacoa – super tender and shredded meat (typically lamb or beef) with seasonings, so it’s time to try making Pressure Cooker Barbacoa Beef Tacos!

We eat a lot of tacos in my house, so I knew this would be a perfect test of the pressure cooker’s ability. This recipe actually uses two of the features available -” sauté/brown” and “meat/stew” pressure cooking. The Cosori premium pressure cooker is quite large (6 quarts!), so I decided to make a huge batch for future dinners. (It’s always helpful to have a full freezer for busy fall weeknights.)

Note: If you’ve been considering purchasing the Cosori Premium 6qt pressure cooker, click on this link and use code UCS9PK3K to receive 10% off! (The code is only good through October 31, 2018, so be sure to purchase before then!)

Ingredients: (makes 12 servings)

  • 6 garlic cloves
  • 1 medium onion, peeled and quartered
  • 1 chipotle in adobo, plus 3 tablespoons chipotle in adobo sauce
  • 2 tablespoons ground cumin
  • 2 tablespoons ground oregano
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground cloves
  • zest and juice of 1 lime
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 2 cups beef broth, plus a tablespoon or two, divided
  • 6 lbs boneless chuck roast, trimmed of excess fat
  • Salt and pepper, for seasoning
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 12 corn tortillas
  • 1 small white onion, finely chopped
  • Cilantro, for garnish
  • Lime wedges

Continue reading Pressure Cooker Barbacoa Beef Tacos

Hashweh (Spiced Ground Beef with Pistachios Over Rice)

Note: This post is sponsored by Moyer Beef. All opinions are mine alone.

It’s definitely still summer weather for the most part, but this past week, we’ve had a bit of a cool down in Philly. Which got me thinking about more fall inspired dishes.

Hashweh, or rice stuffing, is a wonderfully flavorful ground meat and rice dish that is perfect for fall weather (or honestly, any weather, it’s really tasty!)

The dish originates in the Middle East and is typically made with lamb or beef seasoned with spices including allspice and cinnamon, served with rice.

Most recipes also include toasted pine nuts with some also having a sweet dried fruit.

This dish is a nice comfort food option that comes together in roughly 30 minutes. The spice profile makes it really crave worthy!

Ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 1 1/2 cups white rice
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 3 cups chicken broth
  • 1 small yellow onion, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 teaspoons allspice
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
  • 2 whole cloves
  • 2 whole cardamom pods, smashed
  • 1 lb ground beef (I used Moyer Beef’s 81% lean ground beef chuck)
  • 1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
  • 1/4 cup dried cherries (or other dried fruit)
  • 1/4 cup pistachios, chopped

Continue reading Hashweh (Spiced Ground Beef with Pistachios Over Rice)

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