Day 24, Mission:Cornbread, 339 Recipes to Go

One of my guilty pleasures is cornbread. I could eat corn bread with any meal at any time of the day. The best part? Its one of the easiest things to make.

Yields: 12 Slices
Total Time: 1 hour
# of Pans: 1
Ingredients:
*2 Large Eggs
*2 Cups Milk
*4 Tbsp Canola Oil
*4 Tbsp Honey
*2 Cups Cornmeal
*2 tsp Baking Powder
*2 tsp Salt
*2 Cups Flour
Directions:
*Pre-heat oven to 350'
*Grease a 9x9 or8x8 baking pan
*In a small bowl combine cornmeal, baking powder, salt & flour
*In a larger bowl, mix together eggs, milk, oil & honey
*Slowly mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients

*Stir until well combined
*Pour batter into your baking dish and bake for about 45 minutes or until a toothpick stuck in the middle comes out clean

Serve warm with some butter and honey...yum!

Day 23, Mission: Tres Leches, 342 Recipes to Go

What Better to go with Chicken Tortilla Soup than tres leches. Tres Leches is a traditional mexican dessert composed of, well, three milks. This dessert is easy and very delicious!
Yields: 12 Servings
Total Time: 1 hour
# of Pans: 1
Ingredients:
* 1 1/2 Cups White Flour
*1 tsp baking powder
*1/3 Cup vegetable oil
*1 Cup sugar
*1 tsp Vanilla
*5 Eggs
*1/2 cup milk
*12oz Evaporated Milk
*14oz sweetened condensed milk
*1/2 cup heavy cream
*1 Tbsp rum or brandy
Directions:
*Pre-heat oven to 350'
*Grease a 9x13'' baking pan
*In a large bowl mix the egg whites on medium-high speed until light peaks form

*Slowly add in your sugar, then egg yolks and oil and vanilla and then milk

*Next, slowly add in your flour and baking soda. Mix until thoroughly combined
*Pour batter into your baking dish and bake on the center rack for about 30-40 minutes

*Once your cake has cooled, poke holes throughout the cake with a fork

*In a small bowl, combine evaporated milk, condensed milk, rum and cream

*Pour your milk mixture evenly over the cake.
*Place cake in fridge and allow to cool for about 15 minutes
Serve with whip cream or ice cream...que bueno!

Day 17, Mission: Divine Donuts Mini Donuts, 348 recipes to go

For the past 25 years Denver has been hosting a wonderful event called the Taste of Colorado. I got a chance to go in September of last year. First off, if you ever plan to attend...be prepared that there are thousands of people and lines get out of hand...this was maybe because Brett Michaels performed haha.I think Jason and I spent all our tickets on dessert...one of our favorites was Divine Donuts...a.k.a. mini donuts. Here is how you can make them at home :)
Yields: about 14 mini donuts
Total Time: 30 minutes
# of Pans: 1
Ingredients:
3 Cups flour
1 and 1/2 Cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 Eggs
1 Tablespoon melted butter
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1 and 1/4 Cup milk
1 Table spoon vanilla
Oil for frying
Directions:
*In a large bowl, mix together your flour, 1 cup sugar, salt, baking powder, nutmeg and cinnamon.

*In a separate bowl, beat your eggs. Add in your melted butter, 1/4 cup milk and vanilla and stir until fully mixed

*Slowly combine your wet ingredients into your flour mixture and mix well
*Once your dough is fully mixed, plop it out onto a lightly floured surface and roll out to about 1/2 inch thick 
*Use a biscuit cutter or a standard size glass to cut out about 14 circles (or as much as you can fit). Use your finger or a marker to cut smaller holes inside your now cut our donuts

*Pour your oil into a deep heavy pot (or deep fryer if you have one). Warm the oil to just below a boil.
*Gently place 2 or 3 donuts into your oil on one side and cook until one side is slightly turning brown. Flip your donut over and cook until the second side is slightly brown

*Carefully remove your donuts from the oil and cool on a paper towel.
*For the glaze: Mix together your 1 cup milk and 1/2 cup sugar into a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat until the mixture becomes thick and sauce-like
*Turn off the heat and either pour the glaze on the donuts, or pick up each donut and dip one side into your sauce pan.
It's a simple little snack or breakfast item everyone will love!
If you want chocolate glaze, follow the above steps, only add in 2 Tablespoons cocoa powder :)
If you don't like a glaze, you can simply sprinkle sugar and cinnamon over the donuts, or coat them in powdered sugar

Day 16, Mission:Pear Tart, 349 recipes to go

Another absolutely delicious fruit Colorado brings to it's residents each summer are Pears. You can't beat a fresh, Colorado grown Juicy Pear!  We also just happened to be invited to a friends house for Prime Rib (lucky me), I thought it would be nice to bring over a dessert...and I knew just the thing to bake...pear tart! I doubled the recipe because there was a lot of us, if you want just one tart, simply cut the recipe in half! I got the recipe from foodnetwork.com but modified it a little :) (the original: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/healthy-appetite-with-ellie-krieger-/rustic-pear-tart-recipe/index.html)
Yields:12 servings
Total Time: 1 hour
# of Pans:2
Ingredients:
1 Cup whole wheat flour (if you don't have whole wheat flour, just use white flour)
1 Cup flour
1/4 Cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 Tablespoons butter, cold and cut into small pieces
4 Tablespoons buttermilk **I will show you what to do if you don't have buttermilk**
6 Tablespoons ice water
6 Ripe Pears
6 Tablespoons lemon juice
3 Tablespoons cornstarch
6 Tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
3 tablespoons honey
Directions:
*In a medium sized bowl, whisk your flours, sugar and salt

*Add your butter, and using two forks or your hands, break apart the butter to form a crumble mixture

*To make buttermilk mix together 1/2 Tablespoon vinegar with just less than 1/2 cup milk (simple huh?)

Vinegar+

Milk= Buttermilk

*Stir your "buttermilk" and ice water into your flour mixture
*Mix well until you form a dough, roll your dough up into a ball and place in a plastic bag and refrigerate for about 30 minutes

*Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 425'
*Peel your pears, then core them and cut them into 1/2 inch pieces

*Throw your pears into a large bowl and mix with the cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon juice, brown sugar and cornstarch until pears are evenly coated

*After your dough has chilled, divide it into two pieces and roll out each piece to form a large circle ( about 8 or 9")

*Drape your dough onto a baking sheet or a tart pan

*Place half of your filling onto each piece of rolled out dough
*Smooth filling out to evenly spread around the dough, leave about 2" of dough on the perimeter
*Roll over the edges of the dough on top of the pears to create a crust, repeat on other tart

*Squeeze your honey over the crust of both of your tarts
*Place on the center rack of your oven and cook for 40 minutes or until the crust is golden brown

*Serve with some whip cream or ice cream!
YUUMMMMMY

Day 14, Mission: Lemon Pound Cake, 351 recipes to go

Yet another bread for my grandmas party..those ladies are going to be in heaven!
Yields: 2 loafs
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
# of Pans: 2
Ingredients:
3 Cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp salt
2/3 cup butter, softened
4 eggs
1 cup milk
3 lemons
For Glaze:
3 Tablespoons lemon juice (only if you run our of fresh lemon juice)
2 Cups powdered sugar
Directions:
*Preheat oven to 350'
*Grease two loaf pans with oil or butter

Thanks to Laura's Bread Blog

*Wash your lemons, then use a cheese grater to grate off the peel of all 3 lemons, and set aside

 *Cut your lemons in half and squeeze the juice out into a measuring cup
*In a medium sized bowl, mix together your flour, baking powder and salt
*In a large mixing bowl, combine the butter, sugar and eggs and use a mixer to cream until light yellow

*Slowly mix your flour mixture into your creamed butter mixture.

*Alternate some flour, with the addition of the milk until all the flour and all the milk is added to your butter mixture
*Stir in your lemon peel and 6 Tablespoons (1/4 cup and 2 Tablespoons) of your freshly squeezed lemon juice

*Stir the mixture until the peel and juice are completely mixed in.
*Pour the batter into your two loaf pans and allow to cook in the center rack for approximately one hour, or until a tooth pick entered into the center comes out clean

*Move your loaf to a metal rack and allow to cool for ten minutes.
*While cooling, mix in an 3 Tablespoons of lemon juice (use your fresh squeezed if you have some left) abd and your powdered sugar until you have a smooth glaze.
*Pour the glaze over your loafs, cover and allow to sit for 24 hours until you slice it
Pure lemon bliss! If you like nuts, try adding 1 cup of your favorite nuts when you mix in your peel and juice :)

Thanks to Marzipan's Blog :)

Day 12, Mission:Cranberry Orange Loaf Cake, 353 recipies to go

As I've mentioned before, I have a large sweet tooth. Luckily my Grandma asked me to make her some dessert she can serve at a party she is having this week, and how could I refuse? She wanted a Cranberry Orange loaf cake....so I accepted the assignment, and this is what I came up with:
Yields: 2 loafs
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
# of Pans: 2
Ingredients:
2 Large Oranges
4 Cups flour
2 Cups Sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups dried cranberries (fresh work too, I would add a little sugar to them so they aren't too tart)
2 eggs,  beaten
1/2 Cup melted butter
Directions:
*Preheat oven to 350'
*Grease 2 loaf pans with butter or oil
*Dice your dried cranberries until you have 2 cups
*Grate the peel from the entire orange, and keep it in a separate bowl, repeat with the second orange

*Once grated, cut the oranges in half and squeeze out all the juice into a large liquid measuring cup
*After all the juice has been squeezed out, add enough water to the measuring cup until you have 1 1/2 Cups

 

*In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, salt, grated orange peel, baking powder and baking soda

*After all the dry ingredients are mixed in, add in your diced cranberries and mix well.
*In a separate bowl, combine the beaten eggs, butter and the freshly squeezed orange juice

*Slowly pour your butter/egg/juice mixture into the flour mixture and stir until all ingredients are mixed.

*Pour your batter into your loaf pans, set in the middle rack of your oven and cook for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

*Allow at least ten minutes to cool before you enjoy this wonderful loaf!

Day 9, Mission: Pineapple Upside Down Cake, 356 recipes to go

Today we are going go be cooking a Magee/Perschbacher Family Tradition: Pineapple Upside Down Cake! Sugar, pineapple, whip cream...how could i object? So in dedication to my wonderful mother and my Magee/Perschbacher heritage I bring to you Pineapple Upside Down cake with homemade whip cream.
Yields: 8-10 Servings
Total Time: 45 minutes
# of Pans:1
Ingredients: 
1 can of Sliced Pineapple
1/4 lb butter
1 Cup Brown Sugar
4 Medium Eggs ( 5 if small)
1 Cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 pinch of salt
6-8 Tablespoons of pineapple juice ( enough to make a good cake batter)
Directions:
*Pre-heat oven to 350'
*Melt the butter in a large (10") heavy iron frying pan (any pan that can then go in the oven)

*Add in the brown sugar and mix

*Add in 6-8 pineapple slices on top of the brown sugar butter mixture and lower the heat

*Meanwhile, in a large bowl beat the eggs and then add in the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar

*Pour the batter on top of your pineapple/brown sugar/butter mix in your frying pan

*Place your frying pan on the center rack of you oven and set a timer for 25 minutes
*Cook cake for 30-40 minutes

*One cake is finished baking, you can let it stand for a few minutes and place a cake pan over the frying pan
*Quickly flip the frying pan over, so now your pineapples are facing upwards
**NOTE: I skipped this step, because i personally like my pineapples on the bottom
*Top with whip cream, and in this case candles..and wish my mom a happy birthday. I love you! Oh, and enjoy this delicious Magee family tradition