Easter Hot Cross Buns

 

Ingredients

2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm 2% milk (110° to 115°)
1 tablespoon butter, softened
1 egg
4 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 to 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons raisins
2 tablespoons dried currants
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Dash ground allspice
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon water

ICING 

1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 to 1 teaspoon 2% milk

Directions

1.  In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in milk. Stir in butter, egg, sugar and salt. Combine 3/4 cup flour, raisins, currants, cinnamon and allspice; add to the yeast mixture and mix well. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. 

 

2.  Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 4-6 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. 

 

3.  Punch dough down; shape into six 2-in. balls. Place 2 in. apart on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Using a sharp knife, cut a cross on top of each bun. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes. 

 

4.  Beat egg yolk and water; brush over buns. Bake at 375° for 13-15 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire racks. Combine icing ingredients; pipe over buns.

Yield: 6 buns

Tea Mail (Mar 24)

Cookbook Mail (Mar 24)

A slow cooker is the ideal partner in crime when it comes to tackling dishes that can be too time- and work-intensive for every day, like French onion soup or chicken cordon bleu. And in this cookbook, we’re going way beyond the expected soups and stews. Cutthroat Kitchen winner Addie Gundry offers up recipes for appetizers like BBQ Meatballs, breads like Slow Cooker Dinner Rolls, make-ahead breakfasts like Banana Pecan French Toast, and desserts like Pineapple Upside Down Cake, not to mention slow cooker twists on beloved recipes like Lasagna, Meatloaf, and Stuffed Peppers. Each recipe is paired with a finished-dish full-bleed color photo.

In Retro Recipes from the ‘50s and ‘60s, Cutthroat Kitchen star Addie Gundry serves up nostalgic recipes from the Mad Men era, like Beef Wellington and Grasshopper Pie. Post-war rationing became a distant memory, and the rise of home entertainment culture made for prettier, more complex food. With French influence from Julia Child, and elegant aspirational figures like Jacqueline Kennedy, suburban dinner parties went glam. Backyard barbecues, fondues gathering everyone around a table, and not to mention cocktail parties were booming. From 1950's casseroles and hors d'oevres to more modern, adventurous dishes, there's plenty to celebrate and embrace! Each recipe is paired with a full-color, full-bleed finished dish photo.

Chewy Apple Oatmeal Cookies

 

Ingredients 

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup chopped dried apples

Directions

1.  In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Combine the flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in oats and apples.

2.  Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls 2 in. apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand for 1 minute before removing to wire racks.

Yield: 4 dozen

Chocolate Caramel Cookies

 

Ingredients

1 cup butter (no substitutes), softened
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar, divided
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup baking cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup chopped pecans, divided
1 package (13 ounces) Rolo candies
Directions

1.  In a mixing bowl, cream butter, 1 cup sugar and brown sugar. Add eggs and vanilla; mix well. Combine flour, cocoa and baking soda; add to the creamed mixture and beat just until combined. Stir in 1/2 cup pecans.

2.  Shape dough by tablespoonfuls around each candy. In a small bowl, combine remaining pecans and sugar; dip each cookie halfway. Place with nut side up on ungreased baking sheets.

3.  Bake at 375° for 7-10 minutes or until top is slightly cracked. Cool for 3 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely. Yield: about 5 dozen.

Favorite Irish Stew

 

Ingredients

1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, divided
1-1/2 pounds lamb stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
3 medium onions, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups reduced-sodium beef broth
2 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
4 medium carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup frozen peas
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons water

Directions

1. Place 1/3 cup flour in a large resealable plastic bag. Add lamb, a few pieces at a time, and shake to coat.In a Dutch oven, brown lamb in batches in 2 tablespoons oil. Remove and set aside.

2. In the same pan, saute onions and garlic in remaining oil until tender. Add broth, stirring to loosen browned bits from pan. Add meat. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1 hour or until meat is tender.

3. Add potatoes and carrots; cover and cook for 20 minutes. Stir in peas; cook 5-10 minutes longer or until vegetables are tender. Add seasonings and Worcestershire sauce. Combine remaining flour with water until smooth. Stir into the pan. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.

Yield: 8 servings (2-1/2 quarts)

New Cookbook Releases (Mar 13)

From a perfectly golden roaster chicken surrounded with herbed potatoes to soups, salads, and casseroles that make myriad uses of the resulting leftovers, Easy Chicken Recipes by Addie Gundry is perfectly poised to answer home cooks' twin boredom with and reliance upon the old standby: a chicken dinner. This book includes easy appetizers like spicy chicken potstickers, inventive casseroles like Frontier Chicken and noodle casserole, comforting soups, backyard favorites like Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches and more quick and easy weeknight dishes for the oven, the skillet, the slow cooker, and the grill. Each recipe is paired with a gorgeous, full-color, finished-dish photo.

Cooking gets cozy with stovetop and slow cooker soups, stews, chilis, and chowders for the whole family to enjoy, in Cutthroat Kitchen star Addie Gundry's collection of homemade soup recipes.

In Addie's home, the delightful sound of a simmering pot on the stovetop signals that a hearty soup or stew is on its way. When it comes to creating a cozy atmosphere and showing off your cooking chops, there’s nothing like an easy homemade soup recipe to bring family together. This cookbook has classics like Old-Fashioned Potato Soup and Beef Stew, as well as new culinary hits like Chicken Parmesan Soup and Pulled Pork Chili. Each recipe is paired with a gorgeous full-color, full-bleed finished dish photo.

Tea Mail (Mar 10)

Loaded M and M Oreo Cookie Bars

 

Ingredients

1 large egg
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda, optional
1/4 teaspoon salt, optional
18 Oreo cookies, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup milk chocolate M and M's

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Line an 8-in. square baking pan with foil, letting ends extend up sides of pan; grease foil.

2. In a large bowl, whisk egg, brown sugar, butter and vanilla until blended. If desired, mix flour with baking soda and salt; add to brown sugar mixture. Stir in cookies.

3. Spread into prepared pan; sprinkle with M and M's.

4. Bake 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out with moist crumbs (do not overbake). Cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Lifting with foil, remove from pan. Cut into bars. Store in an airtight container.

Yield: 9 servings.

Note: For a chewier cookie bar texture, add baking soda and salt.

New Tea Book Releases (Mar 6)

For centuries, tea has held a valued place in both Eastern and Western cultures. From the ritual of a Japanese tea ceremony to the cozy informality of an English cuppa at the kitchen table, tea (whether green, black, white or herb) soothes, grounds and comforts us. It’s no surprise that so many of us switch the kettle on at the first sign of trouble - keep calm and drink tea! In fact, that’s how this book came about. After a particularly stressful week, editor Anouska Jones was sitting at home with her husband complaining about everything that had gone wrong. As he put their teapot and two mugs down on the table, her husband commented, "Cheer up! You can’t be miserable when you’ve got a bright red teapot in front of you!" The very next morning, Anouska started researching quotes about tea and before long she had a collection of memorable quotations from rock stars (Mick Jagger, Rod Stewart), Buddhist monks (Thich Nat Hahn), politicians (Abraham Lincoln, William Gladstone), actors (Audrey Hepburn, Billy Connolly), adventurers (Bear Grylls) and more. It seems tea’s appeal is truly universal! It’s hoped that the resulting book of quotes and accompanying photographs brings you the same pleasure as a perfectly brewed cup of your own particular favorite.

London and tea go together like jam and scones, and this lovely book takes a stylish look at the afternoon tea scene. London's Afternoon Teas is the hippest and most up-to-date source of information for both London residents and tourists alike. Featuring 50 of the best places to take tea in London, including classics such as Claridges and the Wolseley as well as completely unexpected venues, there's a tea here to suit all tastes and budgets. The text includes the history of the venues, their most popular recipes, interesting facts, and types of teas available, along with details of nearby attractions to help the reader make a day of it. Now in hardcover, this revised second edition has been greatly expanded with additional tea venues, more pages, and new lavish photography.

Welsh Tea Cakes

 

Ingredients

2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup cold butter (no substitutes)
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup quick-cooking oats
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 eggs
1/4 cup milk
1 cup dried currants
Additional sugar, optional

Directions

1. Place flour in a bowl; cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the sugar, oats, salt and nutmeg. Stir in the eggs and milk. Add currants.

2. On a heavily floured surface, roll out dough to 1/4-in. thickness. Cut with a floured 2-1/2-in round cookie cutter. Place 2 in. apart on greased baking sheets. Sprinkle with sugar if desired. Bake at 350° for 12-16 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool.

Yield: 3 dozen

Mar Tea Book Releases

 

6th
Happiness is a Red Teapot - Anouska Jones
London's Afternoon Teas, Revised and Expanded 2nd Edition - Susan Cohen

13th
Easy Chicken Recipes - Addie Gundry
Homemade Soup Recipe - Addie Gundry