Copycat Recipes - FREE DOWNLOAD

I don't usually choose chain restaurants when I go out to eat but sometimes when I don't know what to make for dinner, I will look up an Applebees or Ruby Tuesday's menu for inspiration. Its something about familiarity that gives chain restaurants their appeal and there is something fun about trying to recreate your favorite meal from a chain restaurant at home (yes I am weird like that). Well, for all you copycat mavens you can now own 27 Secret Restaurant Copycat Recipes eCookbook for FREE!!! Click on the link below and open your kitchen to some of the best that chain restaurants have to offer. Enjoy!

http://www.recipelion.com/Restaurant-Recipes/27-Secret-Restaurant-Copycat-Recipes-eCookbook#

Nutella

Let me start by saying..."I'm Baaack" and well rested after a very nice vacay in Cancun with my hubby:-) I bought back some great goodies that I will bake with later. I got two bars of chocolate, one infused with cinammon and one infused with chile. I am trying to come up with something yummy to make so that I use my limited ingredients well. I also got some mexican vanilla beans that I am using to infuse with my baking sugar.

Now I have exciting news, well at least for me. I finally found a recipe for one of my favorite ingredients, NUTELLA! If you are not familiar with Nutella it is one of THE BEST indulgences that you can keep around for a quick sweet. It is a chocolate hazelnut spread that you can spread on regular bread, crepes, over ice cream, over fruit, etc.






Well, I've been wanting to bake something with this delicious treat so I searched high and low (well, not really) but I looked for a recipe that wouldn't hide the flavor of the nutella but would compliment it. Well, Food and Wine magazine apparently shares my love of this chocolate spread and this recipe for Nutella-Swirl Pound cake met all my expectations. The Nutella taste is preserved but matches well against the simple buttery taste of the pound cake. Pair this cake with coffee ice cream and you have the perfect treat! Get your forks ready and ENJOY!

Nutella-Swirl Pound Cake
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour, plus more for dusting
4 large eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 1/4 cups sugar
One 13-ounce jar Nutella

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 325°. Lightly grease and flour a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan, tapping out any excess flour. In a glass measuring cup, lightly beat the eggs with the vanilla. In a medium bowl, whisk the 1 1/2 cups of flour with the baking powder and salt.

2. In a large bowl, using a handheld mixer, beat the butter with the sugar at medium-high speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. With the mixer at medium-low speed, gradually beat in the egg mixture until fully incorporated. Add the flour mixture in 3 batches, beating at low speed between additions until just incorporated. Continue to beat for 30 seconds longer.

3. Spread one-third of the batter in the prepared pan, then spread half of the Nutella on top. Repeat with another third of the batter and the remaining Nutella. Top with the remaining batter. Lightly swirl the Nutella into the batter with a butter knife. Do not overmix.

4. Bake the cake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Invert the cake onto a wire rack, turn it right side up and let cool completely, about 2 hours. Cut the cake into slices and serve.

*My own suggestion: After making for the first time I noticed that most of the Nutella ended up at the bottom of the cake. To avoid this, whip Nutella before layering the Nutella with the pound cake batter*
Make Ahead
The pound cake can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Foam Anyone??? - Food Trends That you Hate

I was reading an interesting discussion on Washington Post online today in which people listed over-hyped food trends. You know what I am talking about, the overdone standard American burger topped with foie gras! My biggest pet peeve is actually one of my favorite foods - the cupcake. When did cupcakes start costing $5.00...I mean really, there is only so much that you can do to a cupcake and it should NEVER cost $5.00! Oh, and the deconstructed food classics...deconstructed bacon and eggs, deconstructed deviled eggs (yes, I've seen it). So what is your biggest food trend that you are so over?

The Farmer's Market

Its Sunday and that means back to work tomorrow but before returning to work let me tell you about my wonderful weekend. I spent the entire Saturday with my 4 month old son and he was so well behaved. First stop was our local farmer's market in Phoenixville, PA (a suburb of Philly). This was my first time going to this charming farmer's market. I am used to the bigger markets of Washington D.C. but this market had all the fresh produce, meats, crafts, and baked goods that one could imagine. I don't know about you but there is something about going to the farmer's market that makes you want to go home and cook and then you get home with all these different ingredients, produce that you bought with no idea what to do with them...ok, well maybe its just me! But, the best thing that I found about this market was the vendors passion and willingness to suggest recipe or uses for their items.

Look at these cute watermelon that I found at one vendor. I am sad to report however that the sweetness that I was expecting from these melons were definitely lacking.

I also picked up some onions and green peppers which were delicious in the sausage, peppers, and onion dish that I made. For the recipe click here.

Now, the ultimate food find at this weekend's farmers market was the cinnamon roll from the bakery stand, Sweet Water Baking Co. This baking company is "a small family bakery in Kimberton, PA." They specialize in organic European-style hearth loaves. I didn't have the specialty bread loathe but that cinnamon roll made me vow to never eat another Cinnabon roll, pillsbury roll, or any other imitator. I will be working on a replica recipe but in the meantime here is a pic of the yummy goodness that had my car smelling like cinnamon sugar for an entire day!

Sidenote: Don't let the lack of icing turn you off. The cinnamon roll had the perfect amount of chew. There is a light syrup of some sort of butter, sugar, and cinnamon that tops of this roll. Just look below at the buttery syrup goodness that dripped into the box from the rolls.

My Obsession

Welcome to my blog!!!! YAY!!! This has been a long time coming and its about time I shared my passion for baking and all things food. I've always loved to eat but who doesn't; however, my love extends past the normal into the obsessive. I look up menus for fun, I collect cookbooks and read them to luxuriate over the possibilities, and the first thing I do before an out of town trip is look up the local restaurant favs to visit....yes, "I am a foodaholic."

As a foodaholic there are some things I can't like without:
(1) Martha Stewart: Say what you will about Martha but her OCD qualities make her one of the most effective people to teach cooking techniques. I have NEVER gone wrong with one of her recipes and as you will see in later posts, most of my recipe adaptations start from one of her recipes.

(2) KitchenAid Stand mixer: I don't know how I survived without my KitchenAid professional 600 stand mixer for so long. This mixer is the end all be all for all my baking needs!!

(3) Rubber spatula: What kitchen is complete without a rubber spatula. It is perfect for scraping the sides while mixing ingredients during baking but the best use is when making scrambled eggs (another tip from Martha). TRUST ME!!! The lightness of the rubber will ensure that your eggs remain light and fluffy.

(4) Cookbooks: Anyone can cook with a trusted cookbook by your side. My favs are The Joy of Cooking, Patti Labelle, Barefoot Contessa, and any Martha Stewart cookbook.

These are my basic essentials....What are yours?