Vanilla Bean Paste Giveaway

**This giveaway is now closed**

Sorry, I am so late posting this vanilla giveaway for my vanilla giveaway extravaganza, but better late than never, right?  Believe me, this one was worth the wait.

I decided to go with vanilla bean paste again, because it is such a great product and I think every baker needs to have this in their cupboard.  I am giving away one, brand-new, 4 oz. bottle of Nielsen Massey Pure Vanilla Bean Paste.  

I had so much fun with my last vanilla giveaway, because I learned of many new uses for vanilla bean paste and I learned of many new brands of vanilla that I am dying to try.  I can't wait to see what you guys have to say this time!  

To enter the giveaway (2 Possible Entries)

Giveaway is open to U.S. Residents ONLY

Mandatory Entry: You must be a Follower of Eat Cake For Dinner (via Facebook, GFC or Linky)!  Links to Follow are on the right hand side of my blog. If you are already a follower, just leave me a comment and let me know!

Second Entry:  Leave me a separate comment with the brand or type of your favorite vanilla extract!  Is it Mexican, Tahitian or Madagascar, etc . . .  Or, if you don't have a favorite brand or type - just say "I use whatever" (If you already told me this on the last giveaway - that's okay - just tell me again!)

*If your name doesn't link me to your blog or an e-mail address, make sure to leave me your e-mail in your comment, so I can contact you if you win.

Giveaway will close on March 10, 2012 (next Saturday night). I will announce the winner on March. 11th and winner must contact me within 72 hours or a new winner will be selected! Good Luck! 

*Note - I am providing the product for this giveaway.  It is not sponsered by anyone, but myself!*

Peanut Butter, M&M and Marshmallow Cookies

Peanut Butter = rich and creamy goodness

M&M's = chocolate (need I say more?)

Marshmallows = ooey, gooey goodness

These are some triple-threat cookies - all three of those ingredients are combined in this one amazing little cookie.  They are soft and chewy and full of peanut butter flavor.  

I really can't stop eating these. I'm talking about 5 or more cookies in each sitting!  

Peanut Butter, M&M and Marshmallow Cookies

adapted from: Sweet Treats & More
(Printable Recipe)

1/2 c. butter flavored Crisco

1/2 c. sugar

1/2 c. light brown sugar

1/2 c. creamy peanut butter

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 Tbl. milk

1 3/4 c. flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

3/4 c. M&M's

3/4 c. mini marshmallows

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a medium bowl combine flour, salt and baking soda; set aside.  In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat shortening until smooth.  Beat in the peanut butter and both sugars and beat until light and fluffy.  Add egg, vanilla and milk and beat until smooth.  Slowly add dry ingredients.  Gently stir in M&M's and marshmallows.  Place rounded tablespoons of cookie dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper.  Bake for 8-9 minutes (I baked mine 10-11 minutes).  Let cool for a few minutes before moving to a cooling rack.  

Jenn's Notes: I didn't use parchment paper and the oozing marshmallows stuck to the baking sheet, which was fine as long as I let them cool on the b. sheet before removing them.  They don't flatten a whole lot during baking, so if you want a flatter cookie, make sure to press them down a bit before baking.  These are delicious and they stay chewy for several days.  I got 34 cookies out of the full batch.  

Knorr Classic Spinach Dip with Greek Yogurt

The original version of this dip is one of my all-time favorite dips ever.  It is irresistible.  I usually only let myself eat it a few times a year, because let's face it, it's not very good for you.  Luckily I found this recipe.  I seriously think this version with Greek yogurt tastes JUST LIKE the regular version.  I promise you will not miss the sour cream.  It is so good.

I have been experimenting with plain, non-fat yogurt A LOT lately.  I have been using it in place of sour cream in things like enchiladas, banana bread, Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins, my go-to cake mix recipe, Banana Cream Pie Cupcakes, Banana Streusel Bundt Cake, Gooey (with less) butter cake, Grilled Pimento Sandwich and so on and so on.  So far, I have loved it in every single thing I have tried it in, but especially in cakes.  Just think of how many calories you can save.  Have you ever read the back of the sour cream container?  Well don't, because it might scare you.

I have tried both regular non-fat plain yogurt and Greek non-fat plain yogurt.  The regular kind is cheaper, but it seems to be a little more runnier and the Greek kind is a little thicker and seems less watery.  The regular kind has worked fine for me in cakes, but as far as this dip, I would make sure to get the Greek kind.  

Classic Spinach Dip with Greek Yogurt

adapted from: Knorr
(Printable Recipe)

1 pkg. (10 oz.) fresh spinach, washed
     dried and chopped
16 oz. non-fat plain Greek Yogurt
1 c. light Mayonnaise
1 pkg. Knorr Vegetable recipe mix
1 can (8 oz.) water chestnuts, drained
     and finely chopped, opt.
3 green onions, chopped, opt.

Combine all ingredients in medium bowl.  Chill for at least an hour.  Serve with your favorite dippers (vegetables, crackers or torn bread).  Makes 4 cups of dip.

Jenn's Notes: My favorite way to eat this is with torn pieces of French bread.  All Greek yogurt is not fat-free.  I accidentally bought one that was not, but it still had less than half the amount of fat as sour cream.  

Coconut Red Curry Sauce and Noodles

Have you guys ever watched Worst Cooks in America?  I had never watched it before, but I had seen previews that Bobby Flay was now on it and I love Bobby Flay.  So, I watched it for the first time the other night.  I was seriously Laughing Out Loud!  I couldn't decide if the people really have no clue what they are doing or if they pretend a little for the show?  Bobby was a lot nicer than Anne and seemed to get a kick out of his team a lot more than Anne did with hers.  Maybe it is because she has been on the show for all the prior seasons, so it is a little old to her and she seemed to get a little more annoyed with her team.  Bobby even joked that he wants to quit all his other jobs and just do this one full time.  

This recipe is one of the dishes they made on the show.  Bobby showed his team how to make it and then they had to re-create it.  It looked delicious and I had been dying to try curry.  I ran to the store and got all of the stuff to make this the very next day.

I had no idea what to expect, but I really liked it and it was so easy.  The red curry paste smelled almost like marinara sauce to me?  It added a light spiciness to the dish.  The coconut milk just added a light coconut flavor.  Have you ever had Hawaiian Haystacks with coconut on it?  The coconut flavor reminded me of that.  All the flavors worked perfectly together and I would make this again.  I really want to add some kind of meat to this (not tofu) and I was wondering what meat would work?  Any ideas?

Coconut Red Curry Sauce and Noodles

adapted from: Bobby Flay  
(Printable Recipe)

1 Tbl. canola oil

1/2 c. mushrooms, chopped

1 (one-inch) piece fresh ginger, grated

1/4 medium onion, finely diced

2 Tbl. red curry paste  

1 (15 oz.) can unsweetened coconut milk, stirred

1 c. napa cabbage, chiffonade

2 medium carrots, julienned

1/2 Tbl. honey

3 scallions, chopped

juice of 1/2 a fresh lime

chopped fresh cilantro

salt and black pepper

1 Lb. noodles (I used fettucini), cooked

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Cook the mushrooms, ginger and onion until soft, about 3 minutes.  Stir in the red curry paste and cook 1 minute.  Whisk in the coconut milk and then add the cabbage, carrots and cook 5 minutes more (I went 10-15 minutes, so my carrots would be softer).  Remove from the heat and stir in the honey, scallions, lime juice and cilantro.  Season with salt and pepper.  Toss over the noodles.  Serves 4.  

Jenn's Notes: This was pretty different than anything I have made before, but I'm glad I tried it, because I liked it.  I made the recipe exactly as written above.  Next time, I want to try lite coconut milk and see if it tastes as good.

Pioneer Woman's Berry Butter

This berry butter is delicious!  It is the perfect way to add a little extra love to your regular old pancakes or french toast.  It would even be great on a muffin, a slice of bread or a biscuit and so on and so on. 

You can use whatever berry you like.  If you hate the seeds, make sure to pick a berry without them.  I used blackberries and they have seeds, but it didn't bother me.  If you are going to top your pancakes with butter anyway, you might as well add some fresh flavor with some berries. 

PIONEER WOMAN'S BERRY BUTTER

adapted from: Pioneer Woman

(Printable Recipe)

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened

1/2 c. any berries (blackberries, raspberries, etc. . .)

Whip 2 sticks of butter with whisk attachment.  Switch to the paddle and add berries.  Turn on low for 5 seconds, just long enough for the berries to begin to mix in and break up (I mixed mine a little longer and that is why my butter is pink)!  Turn the butter out onto a long sheet of plastic wrap set over a piece of foil.  Fold over the plastic wrap and form butter into a cylinder.  Continue rolling up, making sure to seal it very tightly.  wrap foil around and twist edges.  Freeze for at least 30 minutes, butter should be very firm.   Remove from freezer and slice.  Serve as desired.

Jenn's Notes: I find it works best to set a few slices of berry butter on top of your pancakes, after you flip them, while they are still on the griddle.  That way it gets warm and starts to melt.  If you top your pancakes after they have come off the griddle, the butter doesn't melt as well.  I love to serve mine with the berry butter and with maple syrup.

Great Harvest Honey Whole Wheat Bread Copycat

When I was in highschool, there were a few different foods that I lived on.

Bread was one of them.  There were two different bread companies around, one of those was Great Harvest.  You could go there and get a free sample of bread, which happened to be a GIANT slice of bread.  Every single bread was delicious.  One of my favorites was the raspberry swirl (which I still need to find a copycat version for - if anyone has one - let me know)!  A free slice of bread was the perfect lunch for a highschooler, because that meant more gas money for cruising around town.  Eventually, they started charging 25 cents for a slice.

I have been eating a lot of wheat bread lately.  I had been making my go-to bread machine wheat bread, but then I found this Great Harvest copycat  recipe a few months ago.  I am not going to lie to you - I like this new recipe better!  My other recipe is still delicious and I still make it a few times a month, but this new recipe is AMAZING!  There is no oil or butter and no dough enhancers, but for some reason it stays fresh twice as long as my other recipe.  It is so tasty, super hearty, very moist and it is 100% whole wheat.  It might just be the perfect wheat bread (in my opinion)!

Serve with Coconut Oil Honey "Butter"

Great Harvest Whole Wheat Bread Copycat

adapted from: Find It Love It Share It

(Printable Recipe)

1 1/2 Tbl. instant yeast

2 c. warm water

1/3 c. honey

3 - 4 c. whole wheat flour

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1/8 - 1/2 c. any add-ins (oats, sunflower seeds, 

       ground flax seeds, etc.)

Combine yeast, water and honey in the bowl of a stand mixer; let sit for 5 minutes or until frothy and bubbly.  Add 1 1/2 cups of flour, any add-ins and salt and mix until combined.  Add remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until you get a soft dough.  The dough should barely pull away from the sides of the bowl and it will still be a little sticky.  Using the dough hook, knead for 4 minutes on low, cover and let rise until doubled.  Punch down dough (spray hands with cooking spray) and put in a greased loaf pan.  Let rise again until doubled.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.  Remove from oven.  Cool in pans for 10 minutes, then remove loaf and cool completely.   

*If you use freshly ground wheat flour, you might need to add more like 5- 5 1/2 cups of flour.

Jenn's Notes: This bread is delicious.  I think it tastes best when made in my mixer, but I have also tried it in the bread machine and it will work, but it will be a little more chewy.  I usually add 1/2 cup oats and sometimes I will add a few tablespoons of sunflower seeds.  This makes one large loaf.   

Orange - Almond Biscotti

I was walking down the aisles at Costco a few weeks ago and I wasn't even paying attention to the samples, when one of the ladies said to me, "this goes really good with hot drinks"

I looked over at her and down at the label and it was biscotti.  I have ALWAYS wondered what biscotti tasted like and I finally had a chance to find out.  I grabbed a sample and ate it as I continued walking down the aisle.  I absolutely loved it!  

I couldn't stop thinking about how good it was the entire night.  That just so happened to be the same trip when I picked up a copy of this cookbook.  I was flipping through it and said  . . . please, please have a recipe for biscotti.  

It did! And it was so easy to make!

I have already made it twice in the past few weeks and I will probably make another batch this weekend.  I am seriously hooked.  I absolutely love this version and I can't wait to try out more versions.  I didn't even dip it in anything, I loved it plain, but I do think it would be delicious dipped in milk, coffee or hot chocolate. 

I have since searched for different biscotti recipes and I have found some with butter and some without butter.  What is better?  Well, according to Cook's, the addition of a small amount of butter produces a richer, more cookie-like texture.  They wanted a crunchy, but not tooth-cracking-biscuit full of flavor and they found that the type and quantity of fat dramatically affected the taste, texture and the shelf life of the biscotti.  They also found that biscotti recipes made with whole eggs and no additional yolks got even better with time and remained very crisp.  

What they found must be true, because this stuff is amazing.  It is crunchy, but still has a cookie-like texture.  

I am forever in debt to the Costco Lady who introduced me to biscotti! Ha Ha!

 

1.  Make the dough and form it into a rectangle 

2.  Bake until it just begins to crack on top, about 35 minutes

3.  Let cool for 10 minutes and then cut into slices

4.  Lay cut side up and bake another 15 minutes

Orange-Almond Biscotti

adapted from: Cook's Illustrated

(Printable Recipe)

2 c. (10 oz.) all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

4 Tbl. unsalted butter, softened

1 c. (7 oz.) sugar

2 large eggs

3/4 c. whole almonds with skins,                             

    toasted, cooled and coarsely chopped

2 Tbl. grated orange zest

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/4 tsp. almond extract

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt together in small bowl.  Using a stand mixer fitted with paddle, beat butter and sugar together at medium high speed until light and fluffy.  Reduce speed to low and add eggs, one at a time, then add almonds, orange zest, vanilla and almond extract until combined, about 30 seconds, scraping down bowl as needed.  Stir in flour mixture until just combined.  

2.  Halve dough and turn each portion onto prepared baking sheet.  Using floured hands (I just sprayed my hands with cooking spray), quickly stretch each portion of dough into rough, 13x2-inch loaf, placing them about 3 inches apart (I just made one large loaf).  Pat each loaf to smooth it.  Bake until loaves are golden and just beginning to crack on top, about 35 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through baking. 

3.  Let loaves cool for 10 minutes; reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees.  Cut each loaf diagonally into 3/8-inch slices with serrated knife.  Lay slices cut side up about 1/2-inch apart on baking sheet and return them to the oven.  Bake until crisp and golden brown on both sides, about 15 minutes, turning over each cookie halfway through baking.  Immediately transfer biscotti from baking sheet to wire rack and let cool completely.  

*To toast almonds: Place in preheated 350 degree oven for 8-10 minutes or until very lightly toasted, stirring occasionally.  They can burn very easily, so watch closely.  

Jenn's Notes: The first time I only made a half a batch and I was wishing I had made a whole batch.  So, trust me when I say - make the entire batch or even two batches!  Cook's says this will last, stored in an air-tight container for up to a month, but both of my batches were gone within a few days! Yum.  Orange and almond are a perfect combination and do not skip the fresh orange zest - it adds so much flavor!