White Almond Cake

White Almond Cake
Recipe From: Jessica from www.stuckonsweet.com
Serves: 8-10 

Ingredients 

Cake 
1, 15.25 ounce (432 grams) package white cake mix
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
¾ teaspoon salt
1⅓ cups water, room temperature
1 cup sour cream, room temperature
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1½ teaspoons pure almond extract
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
4 egg whites, room temperature

 Frosting 
1 cup whole milk, room temperature
5 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon pure almond extract
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1¼ cups granulated sugar
pinch of salt Instructions

Cake
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour 3 round cake pans.
2. Stir together the white cake mix, flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl until well mixed. Pour in the water, sour cream, vegetable oil, almond and vanilla extracts, and egg whites, and beat with an electric mix on low until all the ingredients are mixed and moistened but some lumps still remain.
3. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pans, and bake in the preheated oven until the top is a light golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 25 minutes-30 minutes. Allow to cool before frosting.

Frosting 
1. In a medium saucepan, whisk one cup of milk with 5 tablespoons of flour. Heat over medium until the mixture begins to sputter, whisking constantly. Continue to stir as the mixture thickens. You will know it’s done when it reaches the consistency of thick cake batter (This took only a couple of minutes for me, but it can take longer). Stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 teaspoon almond extract, and a pinch of salt, and set aside to cool completely.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, or using a hand-held mixer, beat 2 sticks of softened butter (1 cup) with 1¼ cups of granulated sugar until light, fluffy, and white in color, about 3 solid minutes of beating on medium-high speed. You want the sugar to be totally incorporated and dissolved into the butter. If it's a little gritty, don't worry. The sugar will dissolve at the frosting sets.
3. Be sure that the milk/flour mixture has completely cooled, and add it to the butter/sugar mixture. Beat all ingredients for about 1 minute on high-speed, scraping down the bowl halfway, until they are smooth and well blended. The frosting should be as light and fluffy as whipped cream.

Ultimate Dinner Rolls - no mixer needed

Ultimate Dinner Rolls

from myincrediblerecipes.com

Ingredients

1 tbsp dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water
1 tablespoon garlic powder (optional)
4 1/2 Cups Pillsbury Bread Flour
2 teaspoons of salt
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup whole Milk
5 Tablespoons butter, melted
2 eggs, beaten

Directions

1. In a medium mixing bowl, add your water, dry yeast and sugar together ONLY and allow it to sit for about 10 minutes, it will begin to appear 'foamy-ish' (trust me, its fine) then set aside.
2. in a SEPARATE Large bowl- add in only the flour, garlic powder & salt- then mix until well incorporated.
3. Next, add the milk, eggs, butter and the foamy yeast into the same large bowl and mix with a spoon until well combined and thick.
4. Cover the large bowl with a towel and let it sit in a warm area for around 2 hours so it can properly rise.
5. Once it has risen, you want to mix it a bit more to remove some of the bubbles before we start rolling the dough.
6. Butter the bottom of a large baking tray and set it aside.
7. Now, take some flour and just lightly dust where you will be rolling the dough, spread your dough even out and add a bit more flour over the top (so its not SO sticky) then start rolling your balls
NOTE you may use as much flour as needed to avoid the dough sticking to your hands too much!
8. Place the balls, one by one on the buttered baking tray, making the rolls even in size and spacing at least 2 inches apart
9. Once the rolls are all formed and on the tray, let them sit for about 45 min (so they can rise a bit more before baking)
10. Preheat your oven to 375F
11. Bake them for 7 minutes, pull them half out of the oven- brush 2 tablespoons of the melted butter on top of all the rolls evenly, return back to the oven for a remaining 8 minutes OR until browned on the tops.
12. Remove rolls from oven and use the remaining two tablespoons of melted butter to brush all of the rolls again.
13. Allow to sit a couple minutes, then serve warm.
14. ENJOY!

Best Ever Steak Marinade

Best Ever Steak Marinade
from butterwithasideofbread.com

1/2 cup soy sauce
2 TBSP olive oil
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp season salt
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder

Mix ingredients in a ziplock bag or shallow dish, add steak and let sit 3-8 hours or overnight. (longer for thicker steaks)

Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork

SLOW COOKER BBQ PULLED PORK SANDWICHES

PREP TIME: 10 MINS | COOK TIME: 8-10 HOURS

Adapted from: Melskitchencafe.com

INGREDIENTS:

3 to 4 pounds boneless pork shoulder (I’ve also used boneless pork loin – not tenderloin – but pork loin with good results)
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon smoked Paprika
2 cups water
2 cups barbecue sauce

DIRECTIONS:

Rinse the pork shoulder and pat dry. Rub spices over the pork and place in a slow cooker. Add water. Cook on low setting for 8 to 10 hours, until the pork is very tender.
Remove the pork from the slow cooker set aside 1 cup of the liquid and discard the remaining liquid. Shred the pork using a couple of forks. Place the meat back in the slow cooker along with the reserved liquid and barbecue sauce. Continue to cook for another 20-30 minutes until the pork is hot again. Serve on buns with extra barbecue sauce.

Overnight Cinnamon Rolls

Yields 8

from Altonbrown.com

FOR THE DOUGH
4 large egg yolks, room temperature
1 large whole egg, room temperature
2 ounces sugar, approximately 1/4 cup
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon cold butter for lubricating baking dish
3/4 cup buttermilk, room temperature
15 ounces all-purpose flour divided into 10 ounces, 4 ounces and 1 ounce batches
1 package rapid rise yeast, approximately 1/4 ounce
1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt

FOR THE FILLING
8 ounces light brown sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon, ground
Pinch kosher salt
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

FOR THE ICING
2 1/2 ounces cream cheese, softened
3 tablespoons milk
5 1/2 ounces confectioners' sugar

FOR THE DOUGH
1. Combine the egg yolks, whole egg, sugar, butter and buttermilk in the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk at medium speed.
2. As the mixture comes together add 10 ounces of the flour, along with the yeast and salt and continue whisking until combined.
3. Remove the whisk attachment and replace it with a dough hook. Add another 4 ounces of the remaining flour and knead on low speed for 5 minutes. At this point the dough should feel soft and moist but not sticky. If it is sticky, add a bit more flour (one ounce at a time). Knead on low for another 5 minutes or until the dough clears the sides of the bowl.
4. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface; and form dough into a smooth ball. Transfer to a large bowl that has been lightly lubed with the vegetable oil. Rotate the bowl so that the dough ball is evenly covered. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and set aside until the dough doubles in volume, about 3 hours. (Exact times will vary depending on the temperature of the room and the temperature of the ingredients.)

FOR THE FILLING
1. Combine the brown sugar, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.

TO ASSEMBLE
1. Butter a 9 by 13-inch glass baking dish with the cold butter.
2. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and gently shape into a rectangle with the long side nearest you. Then use a rolling pin to shape into 18 by 12-inch rectangle.
3. Brush the dough with the the melted butter, leaving a 1-inch border along the top edge.
4. Sprinkle the brown sugar mixture over the dough, also avoiding the top border.
5. Gently press the filling into the dough. (If you tend to have hot hands, you may want to cover the filling with a layer of plastic wrap first.)
6. Beginning with the long edge nearest you, roll the dough away from you into a tight cylinder. Firmly pinch the seam to seal and roll the cylinder seam side down. Very gently squeeze the cylinder to create even thickness.
7. Using a serrated knife, gently cut the cylinder into 2-inch rolls; yielding 8 pieces.
8. Arrange rolls cut side down in the baking dish; cover tightly with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator overnight, or up to 16 hours.

TO BAKE
1. Heat the oven to 200 degrees F.
2. When the oven has reached 200 degrees F, turn it off and place the rolls in the turned-off oven. Let the rolls rise until they look slightly puffy, about 30 minutes.
3. Without taking the rolls out of the oven, increase the oven temperature to 350 degrees F and let the rolls continue to bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 190 degrees F. Remove the rolls and let cool while you make the icing.

FOR THE ICING
1. Whisk the cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer until creamy. Add the milk and whisk until combined. Sift in the powdered sugar, and whisk until smooth. Spread over the rolls and serve immediately.

Notes
In case there are leftovers, arrange them on a plate and cover thoroughly with plastic wrap for up to 3 days. To reheat, move to a small plate (I usually use a paper plate) and microwave on high for 30 seconds. Two rolls can be reheated this way, three may require a few seconds more. Four will ... let's face it, you're not going to have that many left over and you know it.
To freeze: Individually wrap the rolls in plastic wrap and place them in a zip-top freezer-safe bag. When ready to eat, uncover and defrost on the counter for an hour. Then microwave for 30 seconds.
alton brown https://altonbrown.com/

Sheet Pan Balsamic Chicken and Veggies

SHEET PAN BALSAMIC CHICKEN AND VEGGIES

PREP TIME: 15 MINS

COOK TIME: 15 MINS

From: Melskitchencafe.com

INGREDIENTS:

2 small-medium zucchini squash, about 12 ounces, ends trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 t0 2 small-medium yellow squash, about 12 ounces, ends trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 red, orange or yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 medium red onion, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 medium head of broccoli, about 12 ounces, stem trimmed, and florets cut into 1-inch pieces or so
1 to 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons olive oil, avocado oil, or canola/vegetable oil
1 to 2 tablespoons honey (depending on how sweet you want it)
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt (I use coarse, kosher salt)
1/2 teaspoon pepper (I use coarsely ground black pepper)
1 to 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Place the chopped veggies evenly on a large sheet pan (about 11X18-inches or so). Lay the chicken strips on top of the vegetables.
In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk together the balsamic vinegar, oil, honey, basil, oregano, salt and pepper (if the honey is too thick to whisk in evenly, microwave or heat the mixture for a few seconds and then whisk together). Pour the mixture over the chicken and veggies.
Toss everything together until the chicken and vegetables are coated with the sauce. Arrange the ingredients in an even layer again making sure the chicken pieces aren’t overlapping each other.
Bake for 12-15 minutes until the vegetables are sizzling and crisp-tender and the chicken is cooked through. Add the cherry tomatoes into the mix and give a quick toss.
Serve immediately (as is, or over pasta with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese).

NOTES:


If you like more of a cooked, juicy, burst tomato texture/taste, you can add the tomatoes during the cooking time. I like the fresh pop of adding them at the end just before serving.


It kind of goes without saying that the vegetables are really adaptable here. You could sub out the vegetables in the recipe for other choices like asparagus, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, etc.


If you want to roast the vegetables longer (for more tender veggies), you can either keep the chicken breasts whole instead of cutting into strips and increase the cooking time to 20 minutes for everything (or longer, depending on how thick the chicken is) OR you can start the veggies cooking first and add the chicken strips after 5-7 minutes of cooking.

Cheesy Basil Stuffed Chicken Breasts

CHEESY BASIL STUFFED CHICKEN BREASTS

PREP TIME: 20 MINS 

COOK TIME: 25 MINS

FROM: MELSKITCHENCAFE.COM

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup minced fresh basil, divided
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
3 garlic cloves, minced
Salt and pepper
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (see note)
3 tablespoons mayonnaise, lowfat or regular
1 cup fresh bread crumbs
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved 

DIRECTIONS:

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees F. In a medium bowl, combine the shredded cheese, 2 tablespoons of the minced basil, cream, lemon juice, 2 teaspoons minced garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
Cut a pocket in chicken breasts (like in this recipe), stuff with cheese mixture and seal, using a toothpick to help close the slit, if necessary. Transfer the stuffed breasts to 13 by 9 inch baking dish and spread tops evenly with mayonnaise.
In a medium bowl, combine the bread crumbs, remaining garlic, remaining fresh basil, and one tablespoon olive oil. Sprinkle crumb mixture over chicken, pressing lightly to adhere.
Toss tomatoes with remaining tablespoon oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste. Arrange the tomatoes in the baking dish in and around the chicken. Bake until the crumbs are golden brown and the chicken is cooked through (registering 160 degrees on an instant-read thermometer) about 25 minutes. Serve immediately.

NOTES:


The chicken breasts called for in this recipe need to be on the thicker side because a pocket is cut into the thickest part of the chicken breasts (similar to this recipe) and the delicious cheese-basil filling is stuffed inside. Thinner chicken breasts won’t work well for that crucial step. (I pounded out my chicken so it was thin and folded them in half, so this is an option as well)


Make Ahead Instructions: Follow the recipe instructions with the following modifications: unless you are baking right away, don’t preheat the oven until you are ready to bake the dish. Stuff the chicken as stated in the recipe and place them in the baking dish. Combine the bread crumbs, garlic, basil and olive oil and transfer to a small resealable plastic bag or tupperware. Arrange the tomatoes that have been tossed with the oil/salt/pepper around the chicken. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate the chicken and the bread crumb topping separately for up to 10 hours. Before baking, sprinkle the bread crumbs on top of the chicken. Bake as directed, adding an additional 10 minutes, if needed since the dish was refrigerated.