Banana Pound Cake

With chocolate chips, of course. Could there be anything better to have coffee or tea with early on a sunny morning?

2-1/4 c. all purpose flour
1 T baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 c. buttermilk
1/2 c. goat cheese
1-1/2 sticks (6 oz.) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 c. extra fine sugar
2 lg. eggs
2 very ripe bananas, fully mashed
3/4 c. bittersweet chocolate morsels (62% cacao)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9x5x3" loaf pan with cooking spray and line the bottom with parchment before spraying again.

Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together three times and set aside.

In another bowl, mix the buttermilk and goat cheese until well blended.

In the bowl of a standing mixer, cream the butter with the cinnamon using the paddle attachment. Then, one tablespoon at a time, add the sugar very slowly with the motor running on high. The sugar will blow around a bit, so be prepared...This takes about 8 minutes to do, so be patient. After all the sugar has been added, scrape down the sides. The mixture will be very light in color and extremely fluffy.

Now add the eggs, one at a time, and mix well after each addition. Scrape down the sides.

Starting with the flour mixture, add 1/3 and mix just until incorporated. Then add 1/3 of the buttermilk mixture, and so on, mixing each time until just mixed. Remove the bowl from the mixer and using a rubber spatula, fold in the bananas and the chocolate morsels.

Pour the batter into the loaf pan and bake on a rack positioned in the center of the oven for about 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool on a baking rack for about 15 minutes, then remove from pan to cool completely at room temperature.
Notes: This recipe is adapted from Sherry Yard's Banana Pound Cake in her Secrets of Baking.

Crab And Goat Cheese Empanadas Recipe

Ingredients
For the dough:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 pound plus 2 tablespoons butter, cut into small cubes
1/3 cup cold water
Filling:
1 tablespoon, olive oil
1 Spanish onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 habanero, minced
1 pound picked lump crabmeat
1 cup soft goats cheese
1 teaspoon chopped thyme
1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Mango Chutney, recipe follows

Directions
Dough: Combine flour, salt, and butter in food processor, run until it becomes a coarse meal. Add all the water and pulse until it forms a dough. Allow to rest for 1/2 hour.
Filling: In a saute pan on medium, heat olive oil and saute onion, garlic, and habanero. In a large mixing bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface, making a rough circle about 1/8-inch thick. With a 3-inch diameter cookie cutter, cut circles.
Place about 2 teaspoons of the filling into the center of each circle. Moisten the exposed dough with a finger dipped in water. Fold the empanada in half, press the firmly together, sealing with a fork around the edge. Bake for 15 minutes. Serve with
Mango Chutney:
2 mangoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, chopped
1/4 Spanish onion, chopped
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch, mixed with 2 tablespoons water
Combine all ingredients in a saucepan. Cook on low for 30 minutes. Add cornstarch if desired to thicken.

Banana Bread with Goat Cheese Icing

for the cake:

1/2 cup butter
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 ripe bananas
1 tablespoon rum
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Mix together the butter and sugar until very creamy and smooth (I used a food processor). Add the eggs, bananas, and rum and mix until smooth. Mix together the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Fold into the butter batter until just mixed in. Using a #12 disher, scoop the batter into 12 parchment-lined muffin cups. Bake at 350 until set, about 15 minutes. Let cool and then ice.

For the icing:

2 ounces goat cheese, softened
2 ounces butter, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
Mix together the cheese, butter, and sugar until creamy (I used a food processor). Use a 4-inch icing spatula to spread on top of the muffins.

Published by Anne June 7th, 2009 in Cakes & Sweet Breads

HICKORY-QUICK BBQ BASTE-MARINADE

When you don't have a lot of leisure time but have a craving, try the following barbeque baste recipe for pit-baste smoking. It gives a hickory-smoke flavor to almost any meat or poultry entree you desire.

1 cup cider vinegar or red wine vinegar
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice, seeded (use rinds cut up in pot)
3/4 to 1 cup (6 to 8 ounces) pure hickory liquid smoke
1 cup red cooking wine (optional)
1 tablespoon each liquid garlic and liquid onion (or chop
2 onions)
1 cup Worcestershire sauce or 1/2 cup of Teriyaki sauce
1 cup apple juice or cranberry juice
1 quart of water

Combine all ingredients with water in a 4 quart pot on medium-high heat. Stir and bring to a boil, cover and boil 5 minutes. Remove from heat and strain off lemon rinds or any cooked onions. Refrigerate if not ready to use immediately as hot marinade.
Strain and use in spray bottle for basting pit-smoked meats, especially pit grilled pork ribs, beef ribs, pork chops, pork and beef steaks, lamb chops, poultry, grilled burgers, and pork and beef roasts. The spray-basting also helps control flames in the pit-fire when not overused. For a real hickory-smoke flavor, pre-soak any amount of hickory wood chips in a cup or so of this basic marinade.

Yields 11/2 quarts

NOTE: Marinate meat in 200-degree hot marinade for 20 minutes for super-quick and tasty results.

Fruit Lamb Marinade Recipe

1 cup pineapple juice
1 cup apple juice
2 Tbsp lime juice
½ tsp allspice
½ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp cloves
¼ tsp nutmeg

Combine all ingredients in glass dish. Add lamb, cover and refrigerate overnight.
For more exciting lamb and beef recipes, click here!
http://www.superiorfarms.com/PAGES/recipes.htm

Tandoori Rub

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon ginger powder
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon coriander
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon tumeric
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon cayenne
Mix all ingredients together. Store in an airtight container.

Spicy Chili Rub

Ingredients:
1 tbs ground black pepper
2 tbs cayenne pepper
2 tbs chili powder
2 tbs ground cumin
2 tbs brown sugar
1 tbs ground oregano
4 tbs paprika
2 tbs salt
1 tbs granulated sugar
1 tbs white pepper
Mix all ingredients in small bowl.

Southern Barbecue Rub

You can buy our custom blended version of this awesome rub in our store.
Ingredients:
8 tbs salt
8 tbs sugar
8 tbs brown Sugar
8 tbs ground cumin
8 tbs chile powder
8 tbs freshly cracked black pepper
4 tbs cayenne pepper
16 tbs paprika
Simply mix together. Use liberaly.

Basic Dry Rub

Basic Dry Rub
Ingredients:
8 parts light brown sugar, tightly packed
3 parts kosher salt
1 part chili powder
1 part ground black pepper
1 part cayenne pepper
1 part jalapeno seasoning
1 part Old Bay Seasoning
1 part rubbed thyme
1 part onion powder
Simply mix together. Use liberaly

Pistachio Chèvre Log Recipe

The tangy flavor of goat cheese pairs perfectly with the sweet, nutty flavor of pistachio nuts mixed with honey. The fresh chèvre log used for this recipe does not have a rind. Instead, rolling the cheese in pistachio nuts gives its a flavorful, colorful coating. Serve with crackers.
Pistachio Chèvre Log Recipe serves 6-8 as an appetizer

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

3/4 cup raw pistachio nuts, shelled
1 Tbsp honey
Dash of cayenne pepper
8 oz fresh chèvre log
Preparation:

Put pistachio nuts, honey and cayenne pepper in a food processor. Process until nuts are finely chopped, about 30-40 seconds.

Pour the pistachio mixture onto a large plate. Gently roll the chèvre log in the nuts, coating all the sides. To add an extra coating of nuts, use your hands to pat the pistachio mixture onto the log.

Transfer the log to a serving platter. Slice the chèvre log, or serve whole.

Recipe by Jennifer Meier.

Goat Cheese and Blueberry Dessert Bars Recipe

By Jennifer Meier, About.com Guide
Soft, creamy goat cheese pairs well with fruit, so why not combine the two together in a dessert? The result is a less sweet dessert that still has plenty of richness. This Goat Cheese and Blueberry Dessert Bars Recipe is made using a sesame seed crust, however, you can also turn this recipe into a pie - just put the goat cheese and blueberry filling into a frozen pie shell.
Goat Cheese and Blueberry Dessert Bars Recipe makes one 9x11 pan of bars

Prep Time: 2 hours
Cook Time: 1 hour
Ingredients:

THE DOUGH:
1 cup sesame seeds
3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar or evaporated can juice
1/4 tsp salt
2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
THE FILLING:
24 oz. frozen blueberries or 4 cups fresh blueberries
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
2 Tbsp granulated Tapioca
1 Tbsp flour
16 oz fresh goat cheese
1 egg
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
Preparation:

FOR THE DOUGH:
Preheat oven to 350. On a cookie sheet, toast sesame seeds for 10 minutes until golden. Let the sesame seeds cool then combine in a food processor with 1 cup of flour. Blend until the sesame seeds are ground up and smooth.

In the bowl of an electric mixer with a paddle attachment, combine the flour and sesame seed mixture with 2 remaining cups of flour, sugar and salt. Add the butter in small chunks and mix until the texture is course, about 5 minutes.

In a separate bowl, whisk eggs and vanilla. Pour into dough while mixer is on a slow speed, continuing to mix until all liquid is absorbed. Using a rubber spatula, scrape the dough out of the bowl into a ball and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 3 days.

When the dough comes out of the refrigerator the consistency will be similar to cookie dough; soft and sticky. While working with the dough keep your hands covered with flour so the dough will stick to them less. Reserving about 1 cup of dough on the side, press the remaining dough evenly on the bottom of the 9x11 pan. Set aside and preheat the oven to 350.

FOR THE FILLING:
With a spoon, mix together berries, brown sugar, cinnamon, tapioca and flour.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, gently beat goat cheese with egg, milk and vanilla.

Spread the goat cheese on top of the dough, then pour the berry mixture on top. Sprinkle the reserved 1 cup of dough over the top of the bars by pulling off small chunks of dough and dropping the pieces of dough on top of the bars.

Bake for 1 hour, until dough on top is slightly browned. Let cool before serving.

Ricotta Orange Pound Cake with Strawberries

Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis, 2007

Prep Time:10 minInactive Prep Time:--Cook Time:45 min
Level:
Intermediate
Serves:
6 to 8 servings

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups cake flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, room temperature, plus more to grease the baking pan
1 1/2 cups whole milk ricotta cheese
1 1/2 cups sugar, plus 1 tablespoon
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 orange, zested
2 tablespoons Amaretto
Powdered sugar, for dusting
1 pint strawberries, hulled and quartered or 3 oranges, cut into supremes
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 by 5 by 3-inch loaf pan with butter. In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir to combine.

Using an electric mixer, cream together the butter, ricotta, and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. With the machine running, add the eggs 1 at a time. Add the vanilla, orange zest, and Amaretto until combined. Add the dry ingredients, a small amount at a time, until just incorporated. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick comes out clean and the cake is beginning to pull away from the sides of the pan, about 45 to 50 minutes. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Using a mesh sieve, dust the cooled cake with powdered sugar.

Meanwhile, place the strawberries (or orange supremes) in a small bowl with the remaining 1 tablespoon sugar. Let sit until the juices have pooled around the strawberries.

To serve, slice the cake and serve with a spoonful of strawberries and their juices over the top of the cake.

Printed from FoodNetwork.com on Sun Feb 21 2010© 2010 Scripps Networks, LLC. All Rights Reserved


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