Today's Food History ~ Chocolate Chips, Listerine & Hershey's

TODAY IN FOOD HISTORY

Today is National Chocolate Chip Day!

1923 ~ Listerine was registered as a trademark.
1989 ~ Hershey's reduces the size of the Hershey bar to 1.55 ounces.  The price remains 40 cents.
1991 ~ The famous Paris cooking school, L'Ecole de Cordon Bleu, opens a branch in Tokyo, Japan.


Chocolate Chip Cookies Walnut Cookie Recipe

 

Note: All ingredients should be room temperature before using.

2 1/2 C All-Purpose Flour

1 C Butter - Unsalted

3/4 C Cane Sugar

3/4 C Packed Brown Sugar

1 tsp. Vanilla Extract

2 Eggs

1 tsp. Baking Soda

1/2 tsp. Salt

1 C Chopped Walnuts

2 C Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

Cream together Butter, Sugars, Vanilla, Eggs, Baking Soda and Salt.

Add Flour, one cup at a time. Stir in Walnuts. Finally, fold in the Chocolate Chips.

Line cookie sheet with Parchment Paper, and scoop cookies onto sheet using a medium ice cream scoop.  Bake for 8-12 minutes, and let cool for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack.

May 15 (05/15) is National Chocolate Chip Day!

Today's Food History, Buttermilk Biscuits & Tips

TODAY IN FOOD HISTORY

National Buttermilk Biscuit Day
National Dance like a Chicken Day

1686 Gabriel Fahrenheit was born.  Fahrenheit was a German physicist who invented the Fahrenheit temperature scale thermometer.  It was the first thermometer to use mercury instead of alcohol, which also extended the temperature range of thermometers.

1853 Gail Borden applied for a patent for condensed milk.

TODAY’S KITCHEN TIP

Chill cheese for easy grating and shredding. It'll make the job much easier. Chill hard cheeses in the freezer for 30 minutes and soft cheeses for 15 to 20 minutes, or until firm to the touch. If you want to crumble hard cheese, freeze it longer.

TODAY’S FOOD QUOTE

“Coleridge holds that a man cannot have a pure mind who refuse apple-dumplings. I am not certain but that he is right.” ~ Charles Lamb (1775-1834)

SOUTHERN BUTTERMILK BISCUIT RECIPE

Ingredients

2 cups flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons shortening

1 cup buttermilk, chilled

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Using your fingertips, rub butter and shortening into dry ingredients until mixture looks like crumbs. (The faster the better, you don't want the fats to melt.) Make a well in the center and pour in the chilled buttermilk. Stir just until the dough comes together. The dough will be very sticky.

Turn dough onto floured surface, dust top with flour and gently fold dough over on itself 5 or 6 times. Press into a 1-inch thick round. Cut out biscuits with a 2-inch cutter, being sure to push straight down through the dough. Place biscuits on baking sheet so that they just touch. Reform the scrap dough, working it as little as possible and continue cutting. (Biscuits from the second pass will not be quite as light as those from the first, but hey, that's life.)

Bake until biscuits are tall and light gold on top, 15 to 20 minutes.

Pizza Hut Cheese Bread

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups warm water (about 115°F)

2 tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup non-fat dry milk

1 tbsp yeast

3 cups flour

1/2 cup melted butter (half for the bottom of the pan and half on top of the breadsticks)

8 oz package of mozzarella cheese

Sprinkle with garlic powder, Parmesan cheese, salt & pepper (to taste)

Directions

Dissolve yeast in the warm water. Let sit for 5 minutes.

Add sugar, milk and salt.

Add enough flour to make a soupy like mixture.

Add the rest of the flour, enough to form a moderately stiff dough.

Knead the dough until smooth. (I did this in my Kitchen Aid mixer with the dough hook).

Roll the dough into the size and shape of your baking pan.

Spread half of the butter onto the bottom of the pan and then place the dough into the pan. Let rise in warm, draft-free place for 15 minutes.

Spread remaining butter on the top of the dough.

Top dough with toppings or leave it plain.

Bake at 350°F for 20-25 or until golden brown.

Cut into breadsticks and serve with marinara sauce.

Recipe via ~ Joshua Trent

Bacon Puffs

By and In Memory of Joshua Welsh

Preheat oven to 350

Directions

1 lb. Bacon, cut up into small pieces, fried and drained (I recommend saving the bacon fat for future use)

1 Brick Cream Cheese (so far you have to admit this is a perfect start)

1 Bunch Green Onions, cut into 1/8 inch pieces

1 Tbsp. Spicy mustard (you have to have the mustard, I don't even like mustard but it tastes so yummy in there)

1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 large can smack crescent rolls (you know the kind you used to have to smack on the counter to open) 

 

They tell you to use a spoon now, but I know you’re like me and will take any opportunity to smack something...especially if it can't smack back. 

 

In medium bowl soften cream cheese in microwave for about 30-40 seconds. 

 

Add mustard, green onions, Worcestershire and bacon and stir till blended. At this point you will have to start eating the bacon cream cheese mixture...Don't panic there is always about 3/4 of a cup that doesn't fit into the puffs, that part is meant just for snacking on now.

 

Cut crescent rolls into small triangles... though not so small you can't fill and fold them but small enough to look dainty... these are finger foods and not everyone has the hands of an East German Plowman.

 

Put a dollop of cream cheese mixture in the middle of each crescent piece and fold to cover cream cheese. Don't worry if it doesn't look pretty at this point the crescent rolls expand and cover any imperfections... and besides anyone who knows food knows nothing with bacon and cream cheese can be bad.

 

Bake in a 350 degree oven till golden brown, about 8 -10 minutes.

 

Serve warm, makes about 16-20 puffs which can feed about 5-6 people, or if you’re like me the recipe feeds 1 person for the duration of a whole movie while curled up on the sofa on a Saturday night.

Artichoke-Parmesan Crostini

Ingredients

8 slices (1/4 inch thick) baguette

2 tablespoons olive oil

Coarse salt and ground pepper

1 jar (6 1/2 ounces) marinated artichoke hearts, drained, rinsed, and patted dry

1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish (optional)

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make crostini: Brush baguette slices on both sides with a total of 1 tablespoon oil; season with salt and pepper. Place on a baking sheet, and bake, turning over once, until golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool.

Meanwhile, make topping: Finely chop artichokes, and combine in a bowl with Parmesan, parsley, and remaining tablespoon oil.

Dividing evenly, spoon topping onto crostini, and garnish with additional Parmesan, if desired.

Recipe via ~ Martha Stuart

Bacon Wrapped Tater Tots

Makes 4 appetizer servings

Ingredients
16 frozen tater tots
8 slices THIN bacon, cut in half sideways
2 Tbsp turbinado sugar
1 tsp season salt
¼ tsp cayenne pepper

Directions 

Mix the sugar, salt and cayenne pepper together thoroughly. 

Sprinkle about half of the rub on top of the bacon strips.

Top each half strip with 1 tot and roll up.

TIP: If you have a more fatty end, start on the leaner end so the fat will be on the outside and can render easier. 

Place seam side down on a raised rack or a tray. The raised rack works better because it lets the hot air circulate around all edges. Also, it keeps the tot from sitting in oil once the bacon fat starts to render down.

Preheat your oven or grill to 450 degrees. The grill should be set up for indirect heat so the tray or rack is not over direct heat. I used my Big Green Egg, plate setter legs up. (On a standard charcoal grill, push your hot coals to one side, an aluminum drip pan next to them and cook the tots over the drip pan.)

Cook the bacon snuggled tots until the bacon turns crispy, about 20 minutes. 

Don't be alarmed if the bacon goes “boa constrictor” on a few of your tots and squeezes the heck out of them. Those still taste great. 

Recipe via ~ Nibble Me This

No-Bake Peanut Butter Rice Krispies

Ingredients

1 cup light corn syrup

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1 1/2 cups salted peanut butter

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

4 cups Rice Krispies

Directions

Line a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with wax paper or baking parchment. Place the corn syrup and sugars in a large saucepan over medium heat and stir to combine. Bring to a boil. Remove from the heat.

Stir in the peanut butter and mix well to combine. Quickly stir in the vanilla and Rice Krispies. Spread into the lined baking pan. Cool and slice into squares.

Recipe via ~ Martha Stuart

Easy Parmesan Knots

Ingredients

1 tube (12 ounces) refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
1/4 cup canola oil
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes

Directions
Roll each biscuit into a 12-in. rope and tie into a knot; tuck ends under. Place 2 in. apart on a greased baking sheet. Bake at 400° for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.

In a large bowl, combine the remaining ingredients; brush the warm knots with the mixture. 

Makes 10 knots

Recipe via ~ Real Mom Kitchen

Pepperoni String Cheese Roll Ups

Ingredients:
1 (8 ounce) package refrigerated crescent roll dough
4 cheese sticks, halved
1 (3.5 ounce) package sliced pepperoni
optional - marinara or ranch sauce for dipping

Garlic Butter Glaze:
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasonings
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 Tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Take each triangle of crencent roll dough and place about 6 pepperoni on the bottom of the triangle. Place half of a cheese stick on top and roll up. Place seam side down on a cookie sheet and bake for 10-14 minutes or until golden brown.

While rolls are cooking, combine the melted butter, Italian seasonings, garlic powder and Parmesan cheese in a small bowl.

When rolls are done remove from the oven and brush with the garlic butter glaze. Serve with marinara or ranch for dipping.

Recipe via ~ The Girl Who Ate Everything