good eats – RamblinRandol

Arizona’s Pecan Pie Bars

This week’s #CookieKindness box was filled with Pecan Pie Bars and went to Clarissa R. in Gilbert, Arizona. She was nominated by my sister-in-law Kelsey V. who lives in Reno, Nevada.

This week’s #CookieKindness box got stuffed with Fruit Cookies and went to a fella named Joshua S. who was nominated by his sister-in-law, Tara. Her and I actually went to band camp together. Yes, we had four summers of “this one time, at band camp.”

What’s The #CookieKindness Project?

A few months ago a friend of mine was cleaning out their bookshelves and gifted me a few cookbooks she thought I’d enjoy (and she was correct, one of them is every recipe published from the San Francisco Chronicle). Capitol Cookies Cookbook was one of them. It’s subtitle reads, “Munch your way through the USA,” and is filled with each state’s “official” state cookie recipe…

…which sparked an idea. What if I bake my way through this cookbook and send each state’s “official” cookie recipe to someone living in each state? Now, I’ve got people all over the U.S. but not in EVERY state…What if I include my social media people and make it fun for everyone?

And that’s what I did. We’ve been shipping out cookies since the beginning of June and it’s been a huge hit. Check out the #CookieKindness Facebook Group for updates, recipes, and a chance to claim the next week’s box. If you want FIRST dibs, consider joining my Good Vibe Tribe (email list) by clicking here.

How does it work?

Every Friday I send out an email to my Good Vibe Tribe with the previous week’s state recipe with tips or tricks I learned after the first bake through. Then, I ask if anyone has someone living in that week’s state and to send me their name and address. The first person who sends me information, claims the box!

The box is filled with a half-dozen cookies, a hand written note explaining why they’re receiving the best piece of mail anyone could ever get, and a hand painted affirmation card which was donated by The Little Truths Studio in Oregon.

I am not charging anyone to send the boxes. My want is to inspire random acts of kindness because 2020 has been one helluva year and I feel like we could all use some good vibes and a reminder there is more good in the world than not.

Please consider joining us on this wild ride, who knows what’s going to come of it!

*Update, after many requests I have set up a Facebook fundraiser page for those who want to contribute to the #CookieKindness project. If you don’t feel comfortable giving Facebook your information, I’ve uploaded by Venmo QR code. A $20 donation covers the cost of ingredients and shipping but of course, any amount helps.

Taste Test: Upside Down Banana Bread Cinnamon Rolls

This Friday’s Taste Test recipe is Tasty’s upside down banana bread cinnamon rolls. How could I NOT make these? *In my Chandler Bing voice. Banana bread is my freaking favorite. I could eat a whole loaf with no guilt, seriously.

You know what banana flavor is awful? Can you guess? I’ll tell you at the end, think about it 😉 Anyways, will I love the shit out of this recipe because I love banana bread so much? Scroll to see if it made the cut!

But first, a quick reminder I’m not a food blogger. There will be no flour-dusted cutting board photos in-between hefty paragraphs filled with adjectives. The word foodie sends an awful noise of nails on a chalkboard down my spine.

I only want to share the recipe and what I learned when baking or cooking it for the first time. The act of making food for others is how I show love, and it’s my fun time. Trying to make something for the first time is always exciting for me because you either nail it or you don’t.

Here we go:

THE RECIPE:

1 cup whole milk  4 tablespoons unsalted butter, 1/2 stick  ¾ oz instant yeast, 1 packet  ⅓ cup granulated sugar  ¼ teaspoon salt  3 ripe bananas, mashed   4 ½ cups all-purpose flour, divided  2 tablespoons oil

FILLING

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

¼ cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon cinnamon

CARAMEL SAUCE   ½ cup unsalted butter, 1 stick  1 cup brown sugar  1 teaspoon salt  1 teaspoon vanilla  ¼ cup honey  1 cup walnuts, chopped

In a large, microwave-proof bowl, combine the milk and melted butter. Microwave for 40 seconds, until the milk mixture reaches 110˚F (45˚C). Add the yeast, then let sit for 10 minutes.
Add the granulated sugar, salt, mashed bananas, and stir.
Add 3½ cups (435 g) of flour, ½ cup (60 g) at a time, stirring between each addition.
Transfer the dough to a floured surface and knead for 3 minutes, adding more flour ¼ cup (30 g) at a time if the dough is sticking to your hands or the surface. Form the dough into a ball.
Add the oil to clean large bowl and place the dough in the bowl. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rise for in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours, or overnight, until doubled in size.
Once the dough has risen, roll it out to a ¼-inch-thick (6-mm) rectangle about 18×12 inches (20×30 cm).
Make the filling by mixing the melted butter, granulated sugar, and cinnamon together in a small bowl.
Spread the filling evenly over the dough. Roll up the dough and slice into 15 1½-inch (4-cm) thick slices (discard the ends).
Make the caramel sauce: In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the butter, brown sugar, salt, vanilla, and honey. Keep stirring to prevent the sugar from sticking to the pan. Bring to a gentle boil, then remove the pan from the heat.
Pour the caramel sauce into a 9×12-inch (23×30-cm) baking dish and sprinkle the walnuts on top of sauce. Arrange the rolls in the dish so there are 3 rows of 5 rolls.
Cover with plastic wrap and let the rolls rise for 15 minutes, in a warm place.
Preheat the oven to 350˚F (180˚C).
Remove the plastic wrap and bake the cinnamon rolls for 40 minutes, or until light golden brown.
Let cool for 20 minutes, then invert the rolls onto a serving platter. Leftover cinnamon rolls can be stored up to 5 days in the refrigerator. Reheat in the microwave or oven.

MY FINDINGS:

I used all 4 1/2 cups of flour, the recipe calls to mix 3.5 and then add 1/4 cup as needed while kneading but it is the stickiest dough EVERRR so it took all 4.5 cups.
The yeast

WOULD I MAKE IT AGAIN?

Maybe. The verdict is still out. Everyone BUT me was in love with them. 😂

Have you tried this recipe, too? What did you think about it? Tell in the comments, belowwwwwwww.

ps: It’s yogurt. Banana flavored yogurt taste like spoiled mayonnaise. Woof, just think I barfed a little…my bad!

pss: The original recipe can be found here.

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Taste Test: Baked Alaska

This Friday’s Taste Test is the Baked Alaska which is considered a unicorn in the dessert world because you don’t see it much anymore. What makes this recipe a challenge is the damn meringue.

Molding the layers of ice cream is the best part! You feel like a sculptor of foods and it’s satisfying to know you’re creating layers of goodness. An easy cheat to making the cake bit is using a white cake box mix. And you best believe I did this cheat 😉

I made this for Christmas at my Father In Law’s house, and I failed miserably. So miserably it’s comical. Never in my life had I ever made meringue and after 15-ish minutes of hand mixing the egg whites I called it good…big mistake.

As you can guess the meringue DRIPPED down the sides as everyone watched. You can’t win them all folks. Scroll to see if it made the cut and the photo proof evidence how terrible it came out.

Here we go:

THE RECIPE:

2 quarts vanilla ice cream, softened

1 (18.25 ounce) package white cake mix

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

8 egg whites

1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 cup white sugar

Line the bottom and sides of an 8-inch round mixing bowl or deep 8-inch square container with foil. Spread ice cream in container, packing firmly. Cover and freeze 8 hours or until firm.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour an 8×8 inch pan.
Prepare cake mix with egg and almond extract. Pour into prepared pan.
Bake in preheated oven according to package instructions, until the center of cake springs back when lightly touched.
Beat egg whites with cream of tartar, salt, and sugar until stiff peaks form.
Line a baking sheet with parchment or heavy brown paper. Place cake in the center. Turn molded ice cream out onto cake. Quickly and prettily spread meringue over cake and ice cream, all the way to paper to seal. Return to freezer 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
Bake the Alaska on the lowest shelf, 8 to 10 minutes, or until meringue is lightly browned. Serve at once.

MY FINDINGS:

If using a hand mixer, whip the egg whites until you have carpal tunnel…seriously. My recommendation would be to only make meringue if you have a stand mixer because 1) easier on the wrists 2) it’s quieter, hand mixers are LOUD.

WOULD I MAKE IT AGAIN?

Yes, but not until my ego has healed. It was pretty delicious tasting, dripping meringue or not.

Have you tried this recipe, too? What did you think about it? Tell in the comments, belowwwwwwww.

pss: The original recipe can be found here.

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Taste Test: Low Carb No-Bake Peanut Butter Coconut Cookies

This week’s #TasteTest recipe is a low carb no-bake peanut butter coconut cookie. I’m not on a diet but sometimes I like to try these low carb ‘treats’ just to see if they’re as good as they look. Do you think it’ll make the cut? Scroll to find out!

Here we go:

THE RECIPE:

```
⅔ cup natural peanut butter
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2 tablespoons coconut oil
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1 teaspoon vanilla extract
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1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut flake

Place the peanut butter and coconut oil in a medium microwaveable bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds. Stir to combine. Add the vanilla and stir.
Add the unsweetened shredded coconut flakes and mix until evenly coated.
Dollop the mixture on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Each cookie should be around 1½ inches (4 cm) wide.
Freeze until solid, about 15-20 minutes. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container or bag.

56.03g total carbs 37.5g dietary fiber 18.53g net carbs/per serving 18.53g/8 cookies = 2.31g net carbs per cookie

MY FINDINGS:

It is goopy and will spread all over the place, don’t make your scoops too heaping because it WILL run all over the place, haha.
My trick would be to accidentally put sweetened coconut flakes in instead of unsweetened. Just say ‘oops’ so it counts as accidental.

WOULD I MAKE IT AGAIN?

Not a chance in Hell. I would make these with Jiffy and sweetened coconut flakes though…

Have you tried this recipe, too? What did you think about it? Tell in the comments, belowwwwwwww.

ps: The original recipe can be found here.

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Cheesy French Onion Chicken

This week’s taste test recipe is a cheesy French onion chicken recipe I found on Tasty. This recipe has minimal steps AND ingredients, it can all be done in one SINGLE pan. If I could insert an Oprah gif (the one where she’s telling everyone they get a car) I would put it right here because one pan clean ups are my FAVORITE kinds of recipes…but will it make the cut?

In the honor of full disclosure I will tell you I’ve never been a fan of French onion soup…but my Hubs loves French onion so I made it knowing if I hated it he’d probably love it and would devour the leftovers.

Here we go:

THE RECIPE:

6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs  salt, to taste  pepper, to taste  1 tablespoon garlic, minced  1 tablespoon dried parsley  1 tablespoon butter  6 large onions, thinly sliced  1 tablespoon fresh thyme  1 cup beef stock  2 cups gruyère cheese, shredded  bread, sliced and toasted, to serve

In a bowl, add the chicken thighs, salt, pepper, garlic, dried parsley, and olive oil, and toss until evenly coated.
Add the chicken to a skillet on medium-high heat. Sear until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Flip and cook the other side of the chicken, 2 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.
Preheat oven to broil.
Add the butter, sliced onions, salt, and pepper to the same pan, stirring occasionally until softened. Reduce heat to low and cook until they are deeply caramelized, about 1 hour.
Add thyme and beef broth and bring the mixture to a simmer.
Add the chicken on top of the onions, and sprinkle with Gruyère cheese.
Broil for 5 minutes, until the cheese is melted and golden brown.
Serve over bread.

MY FINDINGS:

I didn’t have the time frame to reduce the onions down for an hour, it ended up being 30-ish minutes instead which was still flipping awesome.
No parsley or thyme in my cabinet like I thought (wasn’t going back to the grocery store, again) so I found a spice blend floating around the pantry called “Pasta Sprinkle” and used it instead. It contained Mediterranean oregano, California basil, and minced garlic.
If you’re curious about how much cheese I used, it was the e.n.t.i.r.e. block for good measure 🙂 My Hubs says you can never use enough cheese, haha.

WOULD I MAKE IT AGAIN?

HELL TO THE YES, IT WAS BOMB-DIGGITY! It is easy to make and packed full of flavor. It’s going in my rotation for dinners, for sure. Fun Fact: if you ditch the bread it’s Keto and/or low carb.

Have you tried this recipe, too? What did you think about it? Tell in the comments, belowwwwwwww.