No Peek Beef

 2 -3 pounds of beef stew meat (cheap is okay it will be tender!!!!) (I used a roast)

1 can cream of mushroom soup (I did low sodium)

1 envelope of brown gravy mix (also low sodium)

1 packet of beefy onion dry soup mix

1 can of water

Mix all together in a 9x13 pan cover completely with tin foil….

Bake at 300* for 3 hours

NO PEAKING!!!

ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS!!!!!!

I added 15 minutes of baking at 375 because i had the time but I also didn't smell the meat enough. But I think I might have cut the cubes a bit too big.

But this is so worth it.

Baklava-Inspired Palmiers (Elephant Ears)

 makes 30

1/2 cup unsalted walnuts

1/2 cup unsalted pistachios, shelled

1/4 cup unsalted butter

1 t ground cinnamon

1/2 t ground cardamon

a pinch of salt

2 T brown sugar

10.6 puff pastry

1/2 cup honey, warmed

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Finely crush the walnuts and pistachios..with a mortar and pestle but try to finally chop the nuts.  don't use a food processor since it is nice to have some texture.  In a small bowl, add the butter, followed by the cinnamon, cardamon, salt, nuts, and brown sugar. the mixture should form a nice paste.

Next, roll out the puff pastry in an even, rectangular layer, the spread the nut mixture on top and to the sides.  Firmly roll the pastry from both of the long sides until the two rolls meet in the middle, then press them together.

Using a serated knife, slice the dough into 1/4" slices to yield about 20 pieces.

Bake the cookies for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown, and let them cool for a few minutes. While the cookeis are still warm, brush them with the honey

Let the cookies cool completely then brush again with the honey.

These keep well for up to a week, stored in an airtight container at room temp

52 weeks, 52 sweets by Vedika Luthra

Brown Butter Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies with Sea Salt

 18 cookies

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup sugar

1 egg

1 t vanilla

1 t salt

1/2 t baking soda

1-1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup unsalted pecans, chopped

3/4-1 heaping cup dark chocolate , roughly chopped

flaked sea salt for garnishing

Add the butter to a small saucepan and let it melt over medium heat, until it comes to a boil.  Swirl the pan occasionally until brown flecks begin to appear on the surface of the butter, and the liquid begins to turn an amber color.  It should give off a nutty, caramel-like aroma after about 5-8 minutes.  It is better to undercook rather than overcook the butter, since it goes from brown to burnt quickly once it reaches the right color.

Take the butter off the heat and our it into a blow, then let it cool to room temp

Add the brown sugar and granulated sugar to the butter, followed by the egg and vanilla. Once you add the egg, the mixture should thicken Next stir in the salt, baking soda, and flour and stir until wel-incorporated.  Finally fold in the nuts and chocolate chunks

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 days. Chilling the dough makes the flavors more prominent and makes it easier to shape the cookies.  In the meantime, preheat the oven to 350 and line a baking tray with parchment paper.

Roll the dough into 1-1/2 T-sized balls and place about 2" apart on the tray

Bake for 99-10 minutes or until the edges are golden and the center is just set.

If anything, I prefer under-baking the cookies b a minute rather than over-baking them.  This ensures they are chewier and softer, rather than crispier.  Sprinkle the cookies with flaky sea salt. Then let them cool for 5 minutes.  Tasfer to a plate and enjoy

To keep your cookies soft, store them in a slice of bread overnight they will soften up as they absorb the moise

52 weeks, 52 sweets by Vedika Luthra

Morning Glory Muffins

 13-15 muffins

Ingredients

2 cups all purpose flour

1-1/4 cups sugar

2 t. baking soda

2 t cinnamon

1/2 t salt

2 cups carrots, peeled and shredded (3-4 carrots)

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 cup unsalted walnuts, chopped

1/2 cup shredded coconut

1 apple, peeled, cored, grated

3 large eggs

1 cup vegetable oil

2 t vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Prepare muffin trays by lining them with paper liners.  You'll need 12-15.  Next in a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt until well-combined.  Add in the grated carrot, raisins, copped nuts, coconut, and apple, stirring to combine.  In a separate bowl mix together the eggs, oil and vanilla.

Stir the wet ingredients into the flour mixture, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl to make sure everything is combined. Do not overmix. Spoon the batter into the prepared liners, all the way to the top.

Bake the muffins for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Let the muffins cool in the tins for several minutes, then remove them and let them cool on a wire rack before enjoying.

Storing: These can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.

52 weeks, 52 sweets by Vedika Luthra

Cornish Saffron Loaf

 With my treatments and fatigue level, my main objective right now is cleaning out my inbox. haha. Found this recipe from Mom...thought I'd add it here. In case it wasn't here. Along with a bit of family history.

Cornish Saffron Loaf

Saffron breads and buns appear in Southern England.  My grandmother, Gladys Holman, used to make this my Godmother, Patsy just told me.   She said that at bedtime, tea cups and plates were set out and they'd all have tea and this type of loaf ...but they called it a cake but that it looked like a loaf.  One night when Patsy was visiting my grandparents, my grandfather Poppy, Richard Holman, would pull one of his pranks.  He went to the basement, turned off the lights at the fuse box, crept back up, grabbed Patsy's huge slice already buttered, and washed her face in it, everyone laughing all the while.

This recipe is adapted from a recipe of Wilfred J. Fance, who wrote brilliantly about British baking in the middle years of the twentieth century.

SPONGE

3  teaspoons yeast

2/thirds  cup warm tap water about 100°

1  cup +2 T  bread flour

DOUGH

1 cup whole milk

1/eighth teaspoon crumbled saffron threads

2-3/4 cup bread flour

1/third cup sugar

5 T unsalted butter, cut into 10 pieces and softened

1 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt

1-1/2  cup currants

1 cup golden raisins

1/2 cup candied orange peel, 1/4" dice or more golden raisins if you prefer

2 8x4x2 pans buttered or prayed with cooking spray

1. SPONGE  whisk the yeast into the water; wait 30 seconds, whisk again.  Stir i fliur and cover the bowl.  Let ferment until more than doubled in bulk, about an hour.

2. Meanwhile, bring the milk to a simmer in a small pan.  Off the heat, stir in the saffron.  Let cool until the sponge is ready.

3. Pass the milk through a fine-meshed strainer over the sponge and stir; set aside.

4. put the flour and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and used a rubber spatula to  combine.  Place the bowl on the mixer with dough hook and add butter.  Mix on lowest speed til the butter is absorbed by the flour about 1 minute

5. Add the sponge and saffron mixture to the bowl and mix on  low speed til there are no longer any dry bits of flour, 2 minutes.  let dough rest for 15 minutes

6. Sprinkle in the salt and mix the dough on low for a minute, then add currants and raisins and candied peel. Continue to mix til the dough is smooth and elastic and the fruit is evenly distributed, about 2 minutes longer.

7. Scrape the dough into an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap.  Let dough ferment til doubled about 60-90 minutes.

8. Scrape the dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide it in half. Form each half into a rough square, then roll each up and drop into the prepared pans, seam side down.  cover and let proof til risen about an inch over the rims of the pans.

9. About 20 minutes before the loaves are fully proffed, set a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 400°

10. Place the fully proofed loaves im teh oven and lower the temp to 375°.  bake until well risen and deep golde with an internakk temp of 200° about 45 minutes.  Check after 20 minutes and, if the tops of the loaves are coloring too quickly, reduce the tep to 350°

11. Unold the loaes and cool them on racks on their sides to prevent falking.

Yield: two 8" loaves