Reindeer Fuel Tea Latte

Note: I was sent a Holiday Tea Package from Adagio Teas in order to write this post. Opinions are mine alone.

The holidays are fast approaching, so hopefully you’re ok with me doing a Christmas-themed post. I couldn’t wait to show off this yummy recipe for a Reindeer Fuel Tea Latte, and highlight some awesome holiday offerings from Adagio Teas!

Lattes are typically made with espresso and hot steamed milk, but this uses a stronger blended tea from Adagio Teas calls Reindeer Fuel, topped with steamed froth milk.

Reindeer Fuel is a Limited Edition blend of black tea, toasted mate, cocoa nibs, peppermint and ginger that is “specially formulated to give Santa’s team the caffeine boost they need to keep dashing through the snow.” It is only available as a gift with a purchase starting today, November 15th, so if this sounds yummy to you, make sure to stock up ASAP!

There are plenty of awesome gifts for others (or yourself!) at adagio.com, including a tea Advent Calendar to help you count down the 24 days before Christmas and a 12 Days of Christmas Gift Set is intended to be enjoyed during the 12 days after Christmas.

The advent calendar includes 24 individual servings (enough tea for an 8oz cup of tea) for each day between December 1 and Christmas Day. Adagio sent me one of the calendars so if you purchase one, you can enjoy it along with me on my Instagram stories in December!

The 12 Days of Christmas Gift Set includes 12 different teas that line up with the “gifts” listed in the 12 Days of Christmas song. Each single serving of loose tea comes in its own little tin, which line up to create a fun scene. Even better, they can be hung as ornaments until ready to be brewed!

Adagio Teas have a bunch of other Christmas-themed gifts on their website, along with an impressive number of teas, teaware, and other gifts that are worth checking out too.

On to the recipe!

Ingredients (serves 1, multiply as needed):

Continue reading Reindeer Fuel Tea Latte

Maple Bacon Cupcakes

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

How is it already nearly October? Every fall, time seems to speed up and the months for the rest of the year just fly by! With so much happening in the fall, it makes sense that it feels like things are in fast forward. But it’s important to take the time to step back and do something you enjoy amid all the chaos.

Nielsen-Massey was nice enough to remind me of that, and sent me a bottle of their Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract to do what I love: bake! Recent studies have shown that creative activities, such as baking, help people feel more relaxed and happier in their everyday lives.

But in order to benefit from the mindful nature of baking, basic techniques must first be mastered. To help learn some new baking tricks, Nielsen-Massey has developed “Better Your Bake,” which delivers technique-based videos, tips and tools to help home bakers learn and master the basics of baking with the help of Nielsen-Massey products.

I was asked to show off my newest learned skill after watching some of Nielsen-Massey’s videos: how to temper chocolate. It takes some effort, but it’s easier than an initially thought!

  • Tempering chocolate is typically used for special occasions and results in a smooth, glossy chocolate coating that dries shiny and has a crisp snap
  • The process involves divvying and melting a portion of the chocolate, stirring in the reserved chocolate and heating the whole batch to the required temperature
  • Tempered chocolate is great for cake pops, fruit, candy molds and more

So, what could be better than chocolate covered bacon? This recipe, from Nielsen-Massey’s website, originally developed by Pastry Chef Jessica Ellington, is for Maple Bacon Cupcakes, topped with a maple buttercream frosting, crumbled bacon, and a half slice of chocolate dipped bacon. And yes, they are every bit as delicious as you are imagining!

Nielsen-Massey has a bunch of videos that are helpful for this recipe, so I’ve linked to them throughout the post.

Ingredients:

Maple Bacon Cupcakes

  • 8 slices of bacon, cooked and crispy
  • 8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick), room temperature
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
  • 4 eggs, yolks and whites separated
  • 1 teaspoon Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract
  • 1 ½ cups cake flour
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ cup whole milk

Chocolate-Covered Bacon

  • 1 cup bittersweet chocolate, chopped, divided
  • 9 slices of bacon, cooked and crispy

Maple Buttercream Frosting

  • ¾ cup unsalted butter (1 ½ sticks)
  • 1 ½ cups pure maple syrup
  • 1 ¼ teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1/3 cup half and half
  • ¾ teaspoon Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract
  • 3 cups powdered sugar, sifted

Continue reading Maple Bacon Cupcakes

Blackberry Gin Fizz

It’s been a little while since I shared a cocktail recipe! I’ve been meaning to make this Blackberry Gin Fizz cocktail since I saw a version of it in the June issue of Cooking Light.

A “fizz” is a cocktail that includes an acidic juice (lemon or lime usually) and carbonated water. Fizzes typically also use egg whites in the recipe to add some extra froth on top.

I absolutely love gin fizzes, they are a perfect warm-weather drink. I used the Cooking Light recipe for a Blackberry Gin Fizz as a starting point, but adapted it slightly.

Ingredients:

  • 4 cups fresh blackberries
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • the juice of 2 limes (~2 tablespoons)
  • 10 tablespoon gin, divided
  • 2 large pasteurized egg whites, divided
  • 2 tablespoons half-and-half, divided
  • 1 cup chilled club soda, divided
  • Mint sprigs, optional

Continue reading Blackberry Gin Fizz

Brandade (Whipped Salt Fish Spread)

One of my favorite parts of this blog is challenging myself to use new and different ingredients and/or new and different techniques. So when I was contacted to participate in CFE’s International Saltfish Blogger Recipe Challenge, I jumped at the chance.

So what exactly is saltfish? It is fish, typically cod, pollock, or other white fish cured with dry salt to preserve it. This method of preservation dates back centuries, as it helped preserve fish without refrigeration.

CFE International offers a number of brands of salt fish: Buena Ventura, Cristobal, BacalaRico, and Isla Brisa. For this challenge, I was sent some Isla Brisa Salted Alaska Pollock Fillets to use in a recipe. (You can find these brands of saltfish in your local Cousins, H-Mart, Jetro, Price Chopper, and Price Rite supermarkets.)

I decided to do a spin on Brandade (Whipped Salt Fish Spread), a salt fish spread popular in Mediterranean countries. It’s also known as Brandada in Spain, and Baccala Mantecato in Italy.

The spread is whipped salt fish, potatoes, olive oil, and cream with seasoning and is served with crusty bread. My version below adds in some roasted garlic, caramelized onions, and horseradish to add new layers of flavor.

Ingredients:

Roasted Garlic:

  • 6-8 peeled garlic cloves
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Caramelized Onions:

  • 1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • salt, to taste

Brandade:

  • 12 oz Isla Brisa saltfish
  • 2 medium potatoes
  • roasted garlic, recipe below
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 1/4 cups extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 cup half-and-half
  • 1 tablespoon horseradish
  • 2 tablespoons parsley, plus more for garnish
  • 2 tablespoons dill, plus more for garnish
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • sliced baguette,

 

Continue reading Brandade (Whipped Salt Fish Spread)

Spring Vegetable Penne with Lemon Cream Sauce

This time of year delivers some pret-ty great produce. All of the green veggies are in season! This recipe from Cooking Light for Spring Vegetable Penne with Lemon Cream Sauce makes the most of some spring vegetables, asparagus and peas.

The pasta recipe is a “two pot meal” so it comes together pretty quickly without giving you too make dishes afterwards!

Ingredients:

  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 Vidalia or other sweet onion, chopped
  • 1 (10-ounce) package presliced mushrooms
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 1 cup half-and-half
  • 1 cup fresh or frozen green peas
  • 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons shaved Parmesan cheese, divided
  • the zest of 1 lemon
  • the juice of 1 lemon
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 12 ounces uncooked penne
  • 1 pound (1-inch) diagonally cut asparagus

Continue reading Spring Vegetable Penne with Lemon Cream Sauce

Beer and Cheddar Soup with Grilled Polska Kielbasa

Messaging below is intended for ages 21+ and is intended to be enjoyed responsibly, in moderation. This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #OktoberOnTheFarm #CollectiveBias

I’m celebrating Oktoberfest a bit late on my blog, but the weather has just starting feeling fall-like this week! Oktoberfest is a 16-day festival held in Munich, Germany at the end of September/beginning of October that is famously known for its beer drinking and accompanying eats.

 

When I think of Oktoberfest, I immediately imagine beer, pretzels, and yummy wursts (or sausages). One of my favorite sausages (although it’s not German) is Kielbasa, especially when grilled.

 

 

Hillshire Farm® Polska Kielbasa is made with beef, pork, and turkey with a blend of natural spices to really bring the flavor. I wanted to play off of the smoky flavor as well as pay tribute to Oktoberfest with a Beer and Cheddar Soup to pair with the Grilled Polska Kielbasa. I found Hillshire Farm Polska Kielbasa in my local Walmart.

 

 

Ingredients:

  • 4 tablespoons salted butter
  • 1 leek, chopped
  • 1 large carrot, chopped
  • 1 celery stalk, chopped
  • 1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 4 cups low sodium chicken stock
  • 12 oz Oktoberfest beer
  • 1 1/2 cups half and half
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon smoked hot sauce (can also use liquid smoke)
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon dry mustard
  • 12 oz extra sharp yellow cheddar cheese, shredded
  • 1 Hillshire Farm® Polska Kielbasa
  • the juice of 1 lemon, optional
  • olive oil for drizzling, optional
  • chives, finely chopped, for garnish

Continue reading Beer and Cheddar Soup with Grilled Polska Kielbasa

Overnight Iced Coffee

This post is sponsored by Equal. All opinions are my own.

I love coffee. No,  I need coffee. And in the summer, I crave iced coffee, but don’t want to have to go to a coffee shop every time I have a hankering (that can really add up!)

 

Really solid iced coffee is made strong enough to stand up to the ice as it melts. I also prefer a really strong brew so that I can add sweetener and half and half to make the perfect iced beverage. So overnight iced coffee is a simple and awesome option, plus it’s ready for you in the morning!

 

Overnight iced coffee is cold brewed; the ground coffee “brews” in the water overnight to give a rich deep flavor, and is really easy to make. I was sent a summer beverage kit from Equal to get ready for all the delicious drinks of summer and thought this would be the perfect time to try out an overnight coffee using the kit and Equal 0-calorie sweetener!

 

 

Equal 0-Calorie Sweetener pairs wonderfully with a strong brewed iced coffee. Equal packets are concentrated (1 packet = the sweetness of 2 teaspoons sugar) while Equal Spoonful measures cup for cup. Equal is a great option to sweeten recipes without adding calories! (For more recipes using Equal, check out their recipe page.)

 

 

The summer beverage kit includes:

  • Equal® 0-calorie sweetener 115-ct boxes
  • Equal® Spoonful 4-oz. “Easy Pour” Container (226 servings)
  • Takeya Flash Chill Tea Maker
  • Republic of Tea Green tea sachets
  • Blended iced coffee packets
  • Cool Peach Iced Tea Recipe Card from The Diabetic Chef® Chef Chris Smith
  • Equal® Recipe Guide Booklet
  • Equal® iPad holder

 

 

I decided to use the Takeya Flash Chill Tea Maker to make the overnight iced coffee and sweetened my coffee with Equal Spoonful. The Tea Maker has a built in Tea Infuser which also works great to hold the coffee grounds. (Equal is also providing one reader with a kit of their own! Details after the recipe…)

 

Ingredients:

  • 10 tablespoons coarsely ground coffee
  • ~2 quarts water
  • ice cubes (or coffee ice cubes)
  • 3 tablespoons Equal Spoonful 0-calorie sweetener (or 4 Equal packets)
  • 1/4 cup creamer or half and half
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)

Continue reading Overnight Iced Coffee

Virtual Mad Men Finale Party – Steak in the Pan with Butter, Potatoes au Gratin, and a Perfect Manhattan

This Sunday is the beginning of the end of Mad Men. Sniffle. I have been a huge fan of the show for years and am sad to see it end. But that doesn’t mean I can’t still throw a little party of my own in celebration of the final premiere!

All week, bloggers have been  featuring their own spins on Mad Men-inspired recipes to gear up for the premiere this Sunday, when we will have a Virtual Mad Men Finale Party!

I adapted some recipes from The Unofficial Mad Men Cookbook: Inside the Kitchens, Bars, and Restaurants of Mad Men by Judy Gelman and Peter Zheutlin. I wanted to cheers to Mad Men in style, so I made a version of Trudy’s Rib Eye in the Pan, Individual Potatoes au Gratin, and Perfect Manhattans.

If you’re a Mad Men fan, you probably remember Trudy calling Pete at the office early into their marriage asking what he wanted for dinner. His response: “Rib eye, in the pan, with butter.” So Pete, this one’s for you! This version is a pan-seared New York Strip Steak with cognac butter. (I made New York Strip Steaks instead of Rib Eye, because that would have just been way too much meat for me.)

The steaks are paired with an adapted version of Julia Child’s Potatoes au Gratin, served in individual crocks.

And what’s a Mad Men Party without a cocktail?? I decided to make a more modernized version of a classic, called a Perfect Manhattan, which refers to using equal parts sweet and dry vermouth.

If you want to also Party Like a Mad Man, you’re in luck! I also have a copy to give away! Details after the recipes.

 

Adapted from The Unofficial Mad Men Cookbook

Ingredients:

Steak in the Pan with Butter:

  • 4 boneless New York Strip Steaks, ~1 inch thick
  • 4 teaspoons canola oil
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 4 oz cognac
  • 8 tablespoons butter

Potatoes au Gratin

  • 3 tablespoons butter, divided
  • 1 cup finely chopped onions
  • 1/2 pound raw potatoes (about 2-3 large potatoes), peeled and diced into 1/2 inch cubes
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups half and half
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
  • 1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese, crumbled (I used Valley Thunder from Valley Shepherd in Reading Terminal)

Perfect Manhattan

  • 8 oz rye whiskey (I prefer Dad’s Hat’s version that is finished in Vermouth barrels)
  • 2 oz dry vermouth
  • 2 oz sweet vermouth
  • 8 dashes bitters
  • maraschino cherries for garnish

Continue reading Virtual Mad Men Finale Party – Steak in the Pan with Butter, Potatoes au Gratin, and a Perfect Manhattan

Farfalle with Sun-Dried Tomato and Scallion Cream

Almost every Sunday night, my boyfriend and I have pasta for dinner. We typically just have spaghetti or rigatoni with meat sauce. I make the sauce in huge batches and freeze it for later use. Last weekend, I didn’t realize we had used up the last of our sauce until Sunday afternoon! So we needed a quick pasta recipe that we could use instead. (Don’t worry, I made more sauce this weekend so we are safe for the next few weeks!)

This recipe from Food and Wine uses sun-dried tomatoes to make a quick and simple no-cook sauce. The meal was done in under 30 minutes!

 

Ingredients:

  • 5 scallions, white and light-green parts only
  • 12 sun-dried tomato halves
  • 1 cup half-and-half
  • 1  box (1 pound) bow tie/farfalle pasta
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
  • 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 tablespoon fresh oregano

Continue reading Farfalle with Sun-Dried Tomato and Scallion Cream

Mashed Potatoes with Mushroom Sauce

I love mashed potatoes. I love them so much that my Aunt and Uncle usually ask me to come over the day before Thanksgiving to help peel all of the potatoes so that there are enough for me (I could probably eat  just a bowl of mashed potatoes on Thanksgiving and be happy.) I found a new method of making mashed potatoes on MyRecipes, but modified it a bit and added a mushroom sauce to make this vegetarian recipe for Mashed Potatoes with Mushroom Sauce.
Ingredients:
  • 8 medium-size red potatoes, peeled and quartered
  • 2 cups half-and-half
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
  • 2 teaspoons chopped fresh chives
  • 2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley

Mushroom Sauce:

  • 2 teaspoons butter
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 container of  sliced cremini (baby bella) mushrooms
  • 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
  • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • 1 teaspoon low-sodium soy sauce (or coconut aminos to make gluten free)
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

Continue reading Mashed Potatoes with Mushroom Sauce

Barbuzzo’s Salted Caramel Budino

Tasting Table posted an adapted recipe of Marcie Turney’s Salted Caramel Budino. If you’ve never been to Barbuzzo in Philadelphia, your taste buds are missing out on one fantastic dessert. So, if my attempt at this adapted recipe is even half as good as the original salted caramel budino, I will consider this a win.
Barbuzzo’s version is described as “dark chocolate crust, vanilla bean caramel, sea salt.” The Salted Caramel Budino version below omits the crust, but maintains the vanilla bean salted caramel poured over a maple flavored custard.
Ingredients
  • Salted Caramel:
    • ¼ cup granulated sugar
    • 1 tablespoons light corn syrup
    • 3 tablespoons water
    • ¼ cup heavy cream
    • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
    • 1 teaspoon flaky sea salt, plus more for garnish
    • ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • Pudding:
    • 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
    • ½ cup dark brown sugar, packed
    • ¼ cup water
    • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
    • 2½ cups half-and-half
    • 1 large egg plus 2 large egg yolks
    • 3 tablespoons cornstarch
    • Whipped cream, for serving

Continue reading Barbuzzo’s Salted Caramel Budino

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