Butterscotch Blondies
Butterscotch Blondies
Makes 9 large or 16 small squares
9 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, plus more for pan
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1 cup packed light-brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup butterscotch chips
1/2 cup unsalted cashews, coarsely chopped (about 3 ounces)
1/4 cup toffee bits
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a buttered 8-inch square baking pan with foil or parchment paper, allowing a 2-inch overhang. Butter lining (excluding overhang); set pan aside.
Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside. Put butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla; mix until combined. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture, and mix, scraping down sides of bowl, until well combined. Mix in butterscotch, cashews, and toffee.
Pour batter into prepared pan; spread evenly with a rubber spatula. Bake until golden brown and a cake tester inserted into blondies (avoid center and edges) comes out with a few crumbs but is not wet, 42 to 45 minutes. Let cool slightly in pan, about 15 minutes. Lift out; let cool completely on a wire rack before cutting into squares. Blondies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days.
Orange Cashew Chicken Stir Fry
Orange Cashew Chicken Stir Fry
Recipe from Rachael Ray
Yields 4 servings
3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
3 1/4 cups chicken stock, divided
1 1/2 cups jasmine rice
Salt and black pepper
1 16-ounce bag of broccoli florets
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, 6 to 8 ounces each, cut into large bite-size pieces
1 large onion, thinly sliced
3 large garlic cloves, chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup hoisin sauce
1 5-ounce can sliced water chestnuts
1 cup roasted, unsalted cashews
1/4 cup cilantro or parsley leaves, about a handful, chopped
To a sauce pot over medium-high heat, add 1 turn of the pan of vegetable oil to a sauce pot, about 1 tablespoon. Once hot, add jasmine rice, a little salt and pepper, and stir to coat in the oil. Add 2 3/4 cups chicken stock, bring up to a bubble then place a lid on the pot and turn heat down to medium. Cook according to package directions, about 18 minutes. As the stock for the rice is coming up to a simmer, blanch the broccoli: Place a medium skillet filled with one inch of water over high heat with a tight fitting lid. Bring up to a boil, add some salt and the broccoli florets then cover and cook for 2 minutes. Drain the broccoli and reserve.
As the broccoli starts working, start the chicken: Place a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat with 2 turns of the pan of vegetable oil, about 2 tablespoons. When the oil ripples, add the chicken, spreading it out in an even layer. Let it completely brown up on one side, you will have to resist the urge to stir it for about 2-3 minutes. Give the skillet a shake, stir and continue to cook and brown the chicken for 5 minutes. Remove chicken from skillet to a plate and reserve. Return the skillet to the heat, add 1 more turn of the pan of vegetable oil, about a tablespoon. Once oil ripples, add onion, garlic, red bell pepper, red pepper flakes, ground coriander and some salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, for 2-3 minutes.
In a small bowl combine the orange juice and hoisin sauce. Add the mixture to the skillet with the veggies along with the sliced water chestnuts and the reserved chicken. Stir to combine and add in the remaining 1/2 cup of chicken stock and the blanched broccoli florets. Cook the veggies and chicken together for about 2 minutes, or until everything is nicely coated and cooked through. Add the cashews and the cilantro or parsley and remove from heat. Remove the lid from the rice pot and fluff the rice with a fork. Serve orange cashew chicken with a spoonful of rice on top of each portion.
Nut Brittle Block
Nut Brittle Block
Recipe from Martha Stewart Holiday Handmade Gifts, December 2006.
Makes one 9-by-13-inch pan
Unsalted butter, softened, for baking sheet
Vegetable oil, for spatula
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
Pinch of salt
2 1/2 cups unsalted nuts, such as dry-roasted peanuts, cashews, hazelnuts, almonds or pecans, or toasted pumpkin seeds
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
1. Brush a 9-by-13-inch rimmed baking sheet with butter, and oil an offset spatula; set aside. Put sugar, corn syrup, and salt in a medium saucepan with 1/4 cup cold water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Wash down sides of the pan with a wet pastry brush to prevent crystals from forming. Cook, swirling the pan occasionally, until the mixture registers 238° on a candy thermometer (soft-ball stage). Stir in nuts, and continue to cook, stirring often so that the nuts do not burn, until the mixture is medium amber in color, 10 to 15 minutes.
2. Carefully stir in vanilla and baking soda (the mixture will foam up).
3. Pour onto prepared baking sheet, and using oiled offset spatula, quickly spread into a 1/2-inch-thick layer. Let cool completely.
4. Break brittle into pieces if desired; store in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 month.
When giving as a gift, package this brittle block with cellophane, and include a small hammer and bow.
My Recipes 