Cheddar Bacon Ranch Bloom

I originally found this recipe on Pinterest, it led me to Steph at Plainchicken.com, and of course I knew I had to try it immediately. So I set out to buy all of the ingredients, only to find that the sourdough bread called for in the recipe, was a little more than my frugal heart would allow. I made on the spot changes and it turned out brilliant. Give it a try if you like.

1 unsliced loaf of Italian Bread
8-12 oz Colby Jack cheese, thinly sliced
3 oz jar Hormel Real Bacon Bits
Handful of shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 Tbsp Ranch dressing mix
1 tsp Parsley Flakes

Preheat oven 350°F

Using a bread knife or very sharp knife, cut bread in slices in both directions. Do Not cut all the way through. Place slices of cheese in between cuts going in both directions as well. Sprinkle bacon on bread, in between slices as well. Then place handful of shredded mozzarella on top, lining it with the slices lengthwise.

Mix butter, ranch and parsley flakes together, then pour all over bread, making sure it gets in between the slices. Foil wrap the entire loaf and place in preheated oven on a cookie sheet. Bake 15 mins. Open foil and bake for an additional 10 mins. Remove from oven and serve warm.

I do understand why the sourdough bread is favored. It stays together better when heated because of it's thicker consistency. The Italian Bread did just fine though.

It was a hit with my friends and with my husband - who of course is the judge of all things cooked by me. ;)

There you have it. Give it a try and if you make your own modifications, let me know so I can try them out too!

Snickerdoodle Bread

My girl friend Kara loves snickerdoodle cookies and so for her birthday I decided to make her a Snickerdoodle bread. I looked for recipes but just couldn't find one that I liked. Somehow, adding sour cream to bread just didn't sound right to me.

So instead I took a Pillsbury Quick Bread and made some of my own changes.

I mixed it according to the box directions, but then added 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon and a teaspoon of vanilla. I mixed it all together in my kitchen aid with a wire whisk on speed 6. Then in a ziploc sandwich bag, I combined 2 tablespoons of white sugar and 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon.

Spray the bread pan with baking spray then dust it with the cinnamon and sugar mixture. (Don't use it all - just a little). Pour half of the batter into your bread pan, then I sprinkled half of the remaining cinnamon sugar on top. Cover with remaining batter and top with all of the left over cinnamon sugar. Bake in 375F preheated oven for 45-50 mins, until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Let rest in pan for 10 minutes then remove and place on a dish.
Serve warm with ice cream or confectioner's sugar icing.

Chubby Hubby Buckeye Peanut Butter Truffles

This was a brilliantly simple recipe! As long as you follow all of the directions, you shouldn't have problem. I found the original recipe over at Six Sisters' Stuff and didn't make any changes at all.

Yield: About 18 truffles
Prep Time: 20 minutes | Chill Time: 1 hour, total

1½ cups pretzel pieces
½ cup creamy peanut butter
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
Pinch of salt
3 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 cup milk or semisweet chocolate chips
1 tablespoon vegetable shortening

1. Put the pretzel pieces into a resealable plastic bag and crush into very small bits (a rolling pin works great for this).
2. In a small bowl, combine the peanut butter, butter, brown sugar and salt. Stir until all of the ingredients are completely blended and smooth. Add the pretzel bits to the peanut butter mixture and mix thoroughly. Add the powdered sugar and mix until completely combined.
3. Line a small baking sheet with wax paper. Using a small cookie scoop, or about 2 teaspoons worth of peanut butter mixture, gently shape into a ball with your fingertips. Place the ball on the wax paper-lined cookie sheet and repeat with the remaining peanut butter mixture. Place the baking sheet into the refrigerator and chill for at least 30 minutes.
4. When ready to dip the truffles, microwave the chocolate chips and vegetable shortening together in a small bowl at 50% power in 30-second increments, stirring after each, until completely melted and smooth.
5. Working one at a time, dip one peanut butter-pretzel ball into the melted chocolate and use a fork to roll it around, ensuring that it is completely coated with chocolate. Let any extra chocolate drip off and place back on the wax paper-lined sheet. Repeat with all of the peanut butter-pretzel balls.
6. Return the baking sheet to the refrigerator and again chill for at least 30 minutes. Garnish with a drizzle of melted peanut butter and crushed pretzels, if desired. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Please, please, please follow the directions outlined in Step 4. Do not think that you know exactly what you are doing and try to melt your chocolate in a homemade double boiler. And do not try to melt your chocolate in a saucepan over heat like I did. It will not work. Your truffles will not be appealing. The melted chocolate will result in the following:

Not to mention that your truffle will also resemble what looks like little doggie droppings, like pictured above. Trust me, the microwave really does work.

TamTam
Kentucky