Make Again Monday: Hard Boiled Egg and Bacon Grilled Cheese

 

I need to make hard boiled eggs more than once a year. I really like them and they have some good health benefits too. Not to mention they taste delicious in this sandwich.

To see the recipe and original post click here.

Enjoy!!!

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Tomato Grilled Cheese Sandwich

 

I have always been a fan of grilled cheese with a bowl of warm and creamy tomato soup. The combination is best. This sandwich reminds me of that delicious combination, but a bit more grown up with some basil pesto on the sandwich.

This sandwich is oh so very good. So good that I could have eaten two of them. I did not buy my normal sourdough bread for this recipe and definitely wish I had. The bread I used did not hold up very well to the grilled cheese with the tomatoes in it. Next time I will definitely use sourdough since that bread will hold up to the tomatoes better.

Tomato Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Ingredients:

• 2 slices sourdough bread
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon basil pesto
• 1 roma tomato, sliced
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

Directions:

1. Heat a skillet, over medium heat.
2. On one slice of bread spread 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise. Turn the bread slices over and spread the basil pesto on the other side of the bread. Place half of the cheese on top of the bread followed by some tomato slices and the black pepper. Place the remaining cheese on top.
3. On the other slice of bread spread one side with the remaining 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise. Place the bread slice down on top of the sandwich mayonnaise side up.
4. Place the sandwich down into the preheated skillet and cook until toasted, about 3-4 minutes. Flip the sandwich over and cook on the other side until toasted, about 3-4 minutes.

Enjoy!!!

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 1
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 798
Total Fat		49.6g
Saturated Fat		26.2g
Trans Fat		0g
Polyunsaturated Fat		4.1g
Monounsaturated Fat		2g
Cholesterol		129mg
Sodium		1557.2mg
Total Carbohydrates		51.5g
Dietary Fiber		1.1g
Sugars		1.6g
Protein		38g
Calcium		87.4%
Iron		29%
Potassium		321.6mg
Vitamin A		11.8%
Vitamin C		14.4%
*Nutritional information will vary depending on the brands you use.

*Adapted from Lord Byron's Kitchen.

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Make Again Monday: Loaded Bacon Jalapeño Deviled Eggs

 My oldest likes to say she made these all by herself, however, I made the hard boiled eggs and peeled them, she put it all together. I consider it a joint effort. Instead of cooking bacon for these, she used bacon bits because they were out for another recipe and to quote my daughter "work smarter not harder". She also decided to sprinkle some extra bacon on top "to make them look better".  Although I would have preferred our normal turkey bacon, these were absolutely delicious, better than I remembered. I love the flavor and spiciness they have from the pickled jalapeños.

To see the recipe and original post click here.

Enjoy!!!

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Chocolate Lemon Curd Cake with Lemon Swiss Meringue Buttercream

It is really hard for me to let my oldest decorate cakes. She does not want to bake the cake, but just decorate it. However, if I am going to do all the work of baking, stacking and making the buttercream, I want to decorate it as well. But I decided to let her decorate the cake since it was for her birthday. 

This cake came to be because of an idea she had. She loves lemon curd and wanted a chocolate cake with lemon curd filling. She left the frosting up to me, so of course I had to go with my favorite Swiss meringue. Since the cake filling was lemon it made sense to do a lemon buttercream.

The chocolate cake was so delicious. It was light and fluffy, nice and moist, everything a chocolate cake should be. The homemade lemon curd added a bit of sweet tangy brightness to the chocolate cake, making it a perfect combination. The buttercream was deliciously fluffy with the right amount of sweetness and a hint of lemon flavor. The lemon flavor was a bit subtle for my liking, I was hoping for a more pronounced lemon flavor. Next time I make it I might increase the lemon extract to see if it will give it a more pronounced lemon flavor without affecting the consistency of the buttercream.

Chocolate Lemon Curd Cake with Lemon Swiss Meringue Buttercream

Ingredients:

Chocolate Cake

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1 teaspoon espresso powder

Lemon Swiss Meringue Buttercream

• 8 egg whites, room temperature
• 2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 cups unsalted butter, room temperature
• zest of 2 lemons
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons pure lemon extract
• 2 teaspoons lemon extract
• yellow gel food coloring, optional

Filling

• lemon curd

Directions:

Chocolate Cake

1. Preheat the oven to 350º F. Spray three 8-inch round cake pans with cooking spray and line the bottoms with parchment paper. Set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and baking soda. 
3. Whisk in the granulated sugar and brown sugar, whisking until well combined.
4. Add in the oil, buttermilk, eggs and vanilla. Mix just until combined.
5. Add the espresso powder to the boiling water and mix until combined. Pour the mixture into the mixing bowl and mix just until everything is combined. Batter will be thin.
6. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared baking pans. 
7. Bake for 28-30 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
8. Place the cake pans on a cooling rack and allow to cool for 10-15 minutes. Run a knife between the cake and pan and remove the cakes. Place the cakes on the cooling racks and allow to cool completely.

Lemon Swiss Meringue Buttercream

1. In a clean heatproof stand mixer bowl, whisk together the egg whites and sugar.
2. In a medium pot, just big enough to fit the stand mixer bowl snugly without it touching the bottom, bring an inch or two of water to a simmer. Place the stand mixer bowl in the pot, making sure it does not touch the simmering water. Whisk constantly until the mixture is hot and the sugar is dissolved and no longer grainy, or reaches 160º F on a candy thermometer.
3. Place the bowl on the mixer, with the whisk attachment and whisk on medium-high speed until the mixture has formed stiff peaks and the bowl is no longer warm to the touch, about 5-10 minutes.
4. Remove the whisk attachment and add the paddle attachment. Add the butter in 1 tablespoon at a time mixing well after each addition. Continue to mix until the mixture is smooth. 
5. With the mixer running on low speed, add in the lemon zest, lemon juice, vanilla and lemon extract and yellow food coloring if desired. Continue to mix on low speed until everything is incorporated and frosting is smooth.

Assembly

1. Level the tops of each cake and place one on a cake stand or serving plate.
2. Add some buttercream into a piping bag fitted with a large round tip. Pipe a border of buttercream around the edge of the cake. Fill the middle with about 1/4-1/3 cup of lemon curd. Repeat with another layer of cake. Place the last cake layer on top.
3. Frost the cake with a thin layer of buttercream to seal in the crumbs. Refrigerate for 20-30 minutes. 
4. Frost the cake and decorate as desired.

Enjoy!!!

*Adapted from Live Well and Bake Often and Chelsweets.

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Homemade Lemon Curd

 

Lemon curd is not only delicious, but it can be quite versatile. The sweet and tart sauce goes with many desserts and works with many breakfast items as well. Making it homemade is not only cheaper than buying it at the store, but it tastes so much better. Plus it is easy to make.

Homemade Lemon Curd

Ingredients:

• 2 eggs
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup lemon juice, about 4-5 lemons
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cubed
• zest of 2 lemons

Directions:

1. In a medium saucepan, whisk together the eggs, egg yolk, sugar and lemon juice until well blended. 
2. Stir in the butter and lemon zest.
3. Cook over medium heat stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens and coats the back of a spoon, about 5-8 minutes.
4. For a silky smooth texture, use an immersion blender to briefly blend the sauce.
5. Pour the sauce into a jar and allow to cool to room temperature. 
6. Cover the jar and refrigerate until needed.

Enjoy!!!

Yields: 2 cups

*Adapted from Saving Dessert.

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Make Again Monday: Dill Pickle and Ham Grilled Cheese

 

I really loaded this sandwich up with pickles and ham. When making this sandwich I was stuck with adding a bit more to the sandwich than I wanted or leaving not enough left for another sandwich. So load up the sandwich it was. Which really didn't bother me since I love dill pickles.

To see the recipe and original post click here.

Enjoy!!!

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Butterscotch Custard

This custard was absolutely delicious and the butterscotch flavor was not overly strong. It was delicious with the caramel and without the caramel. 

As I was throughly enjoying this custard, I started to wonder what the difference between pudding and custard was because they tasted the same to me. So I naturally did what anyone would do these days and I googled the answer. I was informed that pudding uses cornstarch to thicken and custard uses eggs to thicken. Plus custard is usually baked in a water bath. Well, this recipe is made very similar to the way I make homemade pudding. So not really sure how this custard is different from the homemade pudding I make, but they are equally delicious.

Butterscotch Custard

Ingredients:

Butterscotch Custard

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 cups whole milk
• 3 egg yolks
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Caramel

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup heavy cream

Directions:

Butterscotch Custard

1. In a medium saucepan, over medium heat, melt the butter. Add in the brown sugar and stir until completely melted and combined with the butter. 
2. Stir in the cornstarch and stir until completely combined. Add in the heavy cream and whole milk. Bring the mixture to a slow rolling boil, stirring constantly. Continue to cook and stir until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon.
3. While the milk mixture is cooking, place the egg yolks in a small bowl. Once the milk mixture has thickened, spoon a small amount of it into the egg yolks while whisking. Continue to whisk and add another small amount of milk mixture. Whisk until completely combined. Pour the egg mixture back into the pot. Bring the mixture back to a boil and boil for 1 minute. 
4. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract.
5. Pour the mixture into another bowl or individual containers. Cover the custard with plastic wrap making sure the plastic wrap touch the top of the custard to prevent a crust from forming. Refrigerate until completely cooled.

Caramel

1. In a small saucepan, over medium heat, melt the butter and sugar, stirring constantly. Keep stirring and cooking until the mixture turns an amber color. Watch it carefully because it can burn very quickly.
2. Stir in the heavy cream and boil for 1 minute while stirring constantly.
3. Allow the mixture cool and thicken up.
4. When ready to eat, spoon some of the caramel sauce over the cooled custard.

Enjoy!!!

*Adapted from The Culinary Chase.

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