French Toasted BLT Sandwiches with a Fried Egg, Candied Bacon, Slow Roasted Tomatoes, & Baby Arugula Salad Tossed in Mimosa Vinaigrette

Brunch is the best. I'm convinced. Especially when I'm eating this sandwich. The title is a mouth-ful, I know. But, I had to describe every thing that is going on. I bought a beautiful loaf of brioche bread yesterday, so I cut it into thick slices and let it become stale overnight. This morning, I soaked the stale brioche in a batter of eggs, heavy cream, grated parmesan, and fresh chives. Then, I fried the battered bread in lots of butter until they were golden brown and crispy. I stacked the browned fresh toast into sandwiches with the slow roasted tomatoes, candied bacon, and a baby arugula salad tossed in a homemade mimosa vinaigrette. I loved the salad, especially the mimosa vinaigrette. It was certainly unique, but provided the sandwich with some acidity, which is obviously needed with all of the other ring ingredients. The vinaigrette is composed of fresh orange juice and zest, champagne vinegar, and a few other ingredients. Finally, I covered a few slices with a pile of shredded gruyere & parmesan cheese and broiled them until nice and bubbly (similar to a French Croque Madame sandwich), and then topped them with a fried egg. These sandwiches are amazingly decadent. I mean they are obviously not your ole' regular BLT. A hint to the wise... don't try to pick these up and eat them with your hands, you won't make it. Just get a fork and a knife and go at it. You'll get so much satisfaction when you cut into these sandwich and see all the glorious layers, and mainly that runny yolk spilling over the edge!! Enjoy :)

French Toasted BLT Sandwiches with a Fried Egg, Candied Bacon, Slow Roasted Tomatoes, & Baby Arugula Salad Tossed in Mimosa Vinaigrette

Yummy Fried Egg On the Top

For the French Toasted Brioche:

3 Eggs

¾C Heavy Cream

½t Salt & Fresh Cracked Black Pepper

¼C Fresh Chives, Minced

¼C Parmesan, Freshly Grated

Brioche Bread, Cut into Thick Slices (or Challah Bread can be substituted)

For the Candied Bacon:

8 Slices of Thick Applewood Smoked Bacon

2t Light Brown Sugar (per each slice of bacon)

For the Slow Roasted Tomatoes:

4 Barely Ripe Roma Tomatoes, Cut into ½inch Thick Slices

Fresh Rosemary Sprigs

Olive Oil

Salt & Pepper, To Taste

For the Baby Arugula Salad & Mimosa Vinaigrette:

Fresh Baby Arugula

1 Small Orange, Zested & Juiced

2T Champagne Vinegar

½t Dijon Mustard

¼t Fresh Garlic, Minced

Pinch of Crushed Red Pepper Flakes

2T Olive Oil

2T Honey

Salt & Pepper, To Taste

For the French Toasted BLT Croque Madame Sandwiches:

Prepared French Toasted Brioche Slices, Cooked & Warm

Candied Bacon Slices, Cooked

Prepared Slow Roasted Tomato Slices

Baby Arugula Tossed in Mimosa Vinaigrette

Gruyere Cheese & Fresh Parmesan Cheese, Grated

Fried Eggs, Cooked to Your Preference (I like mine with a runny yolk)

Directions:

1. The Day Before: Cut the Brioche Bread (or Challah Bread) into thick slices, and then place them on a cookie sheet and let the bread become stale overnight. The next day, retrieve your stale bread slices for the French toast.
2. For the Savory French Toasted Brioche: Make the batter for the French toast by whisking together the eggs, heavy cream, salt, pepper, and chives. Dip the slices of stale brioche into the batter, making sure they are completely coated. Soak the slices for 10-15 minutes, and then flip them over and let the other side soak for another 10-15 minutes. Melt some butter in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Once the butter sizzles, add the soaked bread slices and cook until golden brown & crispy, about 3-5 minutes on each side, flipping once. Transfer the cooked pieces of bread to a baking sheet and keep them warm in the oven until ready to serve.
3. For the Candied Bacon: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Lay the strips of bacon on a baking sheet lined with a silicone mat. Sprinkle each slice of bacon with 2t of brown sugar. Bake for 12-16 minutes. Midway, flip the bacon over and drag them through the dark, syrupy liquid that’s collected on the baking sheet. Continue to bake until it is as dark as mahogany. Remove from the oven and cool the strips on a wire rack. Set them aside until ready to assemble.
4. For the Slow Roasted Tomatoes: Preheat the oven to 225 degrees and lay the slices of tomato onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper with the fresh rosemary. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with salt & pepper. Bake for 4 hours until shriveled around the edge, but still maintaining their juice. If you have leftover tomatoes, simply cover the leftovers with olive oil and place into the refrigerator.
5. For the Arugula Salad Tossed in Mimosa Vinaigrette: Place all of the ingredients (besides the arugula) into a jar and shake vigorously for 30 seconds to 1 minute to emulsify. Set the arugula & vinaigrette aside until you are ready to toss them together and assemble the sandwich (so that arugula won’t get soggy).
6. To Assemble the Sandwiches: Preheat the oven to broil and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with Pam. Place one slice of French toasted brioche onto the pan, and then layer the bacon, slow roasted tomatoes, and another slice of French toast. Spread a thick layer of Gruyere cheese and sprinkle some Parmesan cheese on the top slice. Broil the sandwich in the oven until the cheese has melted and browned slightly. Remove the sandwich from the oven and toss the arugula in the mimosa vinaigrette. Place the tossed salad in between the layers of tomatoes and top slice of French toast. Finish the sandwich with a fried egg on top and garnish with a sprinkle of salt & pepper.
7. Enjoy immediately!

source: french toast BLT. toasty french BLT. 

Mixed Berry-Balsamic Cobbler with Homemade Goat Cheese Ice Cream

I have recently discovered a flavor combination of berries, balsamic vinegar, and goat cheese for dessert. I thought that is was really interesting, and certainly odd... but, I knew that I should try it. I ended up buying some blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, and strawberries at the grocery store, and I decided to make a mixed berry cobbler with a balsamic reduction. I wasn't quite sure how I would incorporate the goat cheese at first, but finally it hit me that I wanted to make a Goat Cheese Ice Cream to place on top of the warm cobbler. Wow, I never thought I would like it, but I loved this dessert! All of these crazy components somehow worked. The balsamic reduction syrup gave it a really nice acidity and balanced out all of the sweetness from the berries. I especially loved the homemade ice cream. It doesn't necessarily scream goat cheese, but had the signature tang that I crave. It almost tasted like a cheesecake ice cream. And that's never a bad thing. If you aren't a fan of goat cheese, then you can always substitute it with vanilla ice cream. But that's boring, so if you have an ice cream maker, definitely try this unique flavor. We placed a large scoop of the cobbler in a bowl and topped it with the ice cream, and finally finished it with a drizzle of leftover balsamic reduction!! Enjoy :)

Mixed Berry-Balsamic Cobbler with Homemade Goat Cheese Ice Cream

The ice cream is starting to melt.. this is the best part

Look at all that sticky-balsamic-fruity filling

For the Balsamic Reduction:

¾C High Quality Balsamic Vinegar

¼C Brown Sugar

For the Mixed Berry-Balsamic Cobbler:

1C Fresh Blueberries

1C Fresh Raspberries

1C Fresh Blackberries

1C Fresh Strawberries, Chopped into Bite-Sized Cubes

2T Cornstarch

2-4T Prepared Balsamic Reduction (to your taste… I used 3T)

2T Honey

1T Sugar

Pinch of Salt

1 Lemon, Juiced & Zested

For the Cobbler Topping:

1 ½C AP Flour

¾C Light Brown Sugar, Packed

1 ½ Sticks of Unsalted Butter, Softened

¼t Cinnamon

Pinch of Salt

For the Goat Cheese Ice Cream:

2C Whole Milk

1T + 1t Cornstarch

½C Goat Cheese (or about 4oz)

3T Cream Cheese (or 1 ½oz)

¼t Sea Salt

1 ¼C Heavy Cream

2/3C Sugar

¼C Light Corn Syrup    

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray a baking dish with Pam. Set it aside.

2. To Make the Balsamic Reduction: Bring the vinegar to a boil, turn down the heat and let it simmer. When it reduces halfway, add in the brown sugar. Simmer some more until the vinegar become thick & syrupy and sticks to the back of a wooden spoon, about 15-20 minutes. As it cools, it will also thicken up. Set it aside until it has thickened and the berry filling is ready.

3. For the Mixed Berry-Balsamic Filling: In a small bowl, mix together the sugar, lemon zest, and cornstarch. In a large mixing bowl, toss together all of the different berries until they are mixed evenly throughout. Sprinkle the cornstarch mixture over the berries and toss to coat. Next, drizzle in the balsamic reduction and honey over the fruit, followed by the lemon juice and toss to combine until completely coated. Pour into the prepared baking dish.

4. For the Cobbler Topping: In a mixing bowl, using a pastry blender, combine the flour, sugar, butter, cinnamon, and salt together until it forms large clumps of dough. Refrigerate them for 1-2 hours.

5. Once the cobbler topping has chilled, crumble it over the fruit filling until completely covered. Bake in the oven for 30-45 minutes. Let cool to room temperature and serve with the homemade Goat Cheese Ice Cream and an extra drizzle of Balsamic Reduction.

6. For the Goat Cheese Ice Cream: In a small bowl, mix 2 tablespoons of the milk with the cornstarch to make a slurry. Set it aside. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the goat cheese, cream cheese and salt until smooth. Set it aside. Make an ice bath by filling a large bowl with ice and water. Using a 4-quart saucepan, combine the remaining milk, the cream, sugar, and corn syrup over medium-high heat. Bring the mixture to a rolling boil, and boil for exactly 4 minutes (the mixture will rise as it boils, so keep an eye on it). Remove from the heat. Make sure your cornstarch slurry is still well mixed. Slowly drizzle the slurry into your hot milk mixture while whisking vigorously (otherwise, the slurry will form a film on the bottom of the pan). Bring the mixture back to a boil over medium-high heat, and cook, stirring vigorously, until slightly thickened, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat and gradually whisk the hot milk mixture into the cream cheese mixture until smooth. Pour the custard into a 1-gallon Ziploc freezer bag and submerge the sealed bag in the ice bath. Let stand, adding more ice as necessary, until cold, about 30 minutes to an hour. Pour the ice cream base into your ice cream maker, and process according to the manufacturer’s directions. Transfer the ice cream into a storage container and press a sheet of parchment paper directly on the surface of the ice cream and cover with an airtight lid. Freeze until firm, at least 4 hours. Once frozen, serve a scoop of the goat cheese ice cream on top of the warm mixed berry-balsamic cobbler with a drizzle of some more balsamic reduction as garnish.

source: jeni's splendid ice cream. cobbler.

Thai Chopped Salad with Crispy Brussel Sprouts, Seared Steak, & Sriracha Vinaigrette

I am a fan of good salads. I mean I it's possibly my favorite meal. People think I'm weird for that, but I mean they have everything I want in one bowl. But, I don't want just a plain salad with just lettuce. Wah, that's no good. I want a salad loaded with crap... and by crap, I mean lots of goodies and vegetables. And this salad delivers on that. It has shredded cabbage, fried brussel sprouts, edamame, red bell pepper, red onion, green onion, chopped peanuts, crispy wonton skins, cilantro, and seared steak all tossed in an amazing, spicy sriracha vinaigrette and then drizzled with a Thai peanut sauce. This salad turned out to be one of the best salads either of us had ever had. Legit. It was the perfect meal, and I think great to make for a date night or any other night for that matter. I really can't stop thinking about it. And the sriracha vinaigrette is to die for, I could literally eat it with a spoon!! Enjoy :)

Thai Chopped Salad with Crispy Brussel Sprouts, Seared Steak, & Sriracha Vinaigrette

I love all the ingredients loaded into this salad...

For the Sriracha Vinaigrette:

¼C Toasted Sesame Oil

¼C Rice Vinegar

½C Honey

2T Sriracha

2T White Sesame Seeds, Toasted

¼t Soy Sauce

For the Thai Chopped Salad:   

2C Napa Cabbage, Shredded

2C Brussel Sprouts, Quartered & Fried until Crispy

1 Red Bell Pepper, Finely Chopped

¼C Red Onion, Minced

½C Green Onion, Finely Chopped

½C Shelled Edamame Beans  

1C Fried Wonton Skins

¼C Peanuts, Finely Chopped

2-4T Fresh Cilantro, Minced

Prepared Sriracha Vinaigrette

Thai Peanut Sauce

Thinly Sliced Seared Filet Mignon, Medium Rare (or cooked to your liking)

Fresh Limes

Directions: 

1. To Make the Sriracha Vinaigrette: In a bowl whisk together all of the ingredients until thoroughly combined. Pour into a mason jar and refrigerate until ready to use. Shake it up before tossing on the salad.

2. To Make the Thai Chopped Salad: In a large mixing bowl, mix the cabbage, fried brussel sprouts, red bell pepper, red onion, green onion, Edamame, fried wonton skins, peanuts, cilantro, and thinly sliced steak together until the ingredients are evenly mixed throughout. Pour some of the Sriracha vinaigrette over the salad, and toss until it is evenly coated.

3. Spoon the salad into a large serving bowl and garnish the top of the salad with more fried wonton skins, crushed peanuts, a squeeze of fresh lime juice, and a drizzle of peanut sauce. Enjoy immediately.

Red Hot Velvet Cinnamon Rolls with Cinnamon-Cream Cheese Frosting

PLEASE REFER TO THE NEW REVAMPED VERSION OF THESE RED HOT VELVET CINNAMON ROLLS HERE!! THEY ARE PERFECTION :)

Here's an early Valentine's Day for all you lovers out there... Red Hot Velvet Cinnamon Rolls with Cinnamon-Cream Cheese Frosting!! They are a play off of one of our favorite recipes, Red Hot Velvet Whoopie Pies with Cinnamon-Cream Cheese Frosting. That combination was so delicious before, so why  not use it again? Well, this time I applied it to everyone's favorite breakfast treat, cinnamon rolls. I made the dough with classic red velvet ingredients... buttermilk, white vinegar, red food coloring, and just a little bit of cocoa powder. I let the dough rest overnight, and then I rolled them out this morning and filled them with melted butter, sugar, and lots of cinnamon. I cut them into 12 large rolls, but you could easily make smaller ones if you would like, but what's the fun in that? The cinnamon rolls are slathered in a tangy cinnamon-cream cheese frosting, which just makes them that much better. Duh. These Red Velvet Cinnamon Rolls are little bit cake-ier than the classic recipes, but still delicious! I love the bright color, it just screams "love" doesn't it? I hope you will enjoy these will someone you love because I am right now, and they are wonderful!! Enjoy :)

Red Hot Velvet Cinnamon Rolls 

Up Close

A Thick Layer of Cinnamon-Cream Cheese Frosting

Red Hot Velvet Cinnamon Rolls with Cinnamon-Cream Cheese Frosting

Ready to Eat!!

For the Cinnamon Rolls:

2C Buttermilk (minus 2T)

2T White Distilled Vinegar

½C Vegetable Oil

½C Sugar

2-3oz Red Food Coloring (or to the color of your liking)

1 Package of Active Dry Yeast (0.25oz Packets)

3 ¾C AP Flour + ½C AP Flour

¼C Unsweetened Cocoa Powder

½t Baking Powder, Heaping

½t Baking Soda, Scant

1t Salt, Heaping

For the Filling:

1-2C Butter, Melted or Completely Softened**

1C Sugar

Generous Sprinkling of Cinnamon

For the Frosting:

8oz Cream Cheese, Room Temperature

2C Confectioners’ Sugar

Cinnamon (to your liking)

1 Stick of Unsalted Butter, Room Temperature

½t Vanilla

Festive Valentine’s Day Sprinkles & Crushed Red Hot Candies, For Decoration

Directions:

1. For the Rolls: Measure out the 2C buttermilk in a large measuring cup, and then remove 2T of the buttermilk and substitute by adding in the 2T of white vinegar. Mix the buttermilk, vinegar, vegetable oil, sugar, and red food coloring in a pot. Heat the mixture until just before the boiling point. Turn off the heat and leave to cool for 45 minutes to an hour. Meanwhile, sift together the 3 ¾C AP flour with the ¼C unsweetened cocoa powder, and set it aside. When the milk mixture is warm (but not hot), sprinkle in the package of yeast. Let it sit for a minute or two, and then add in the sifted flour-cocoa powder. Stir the mixture and cover, and then let it rise for at least an hour.
2. After rising for an hour, add in ½C AP Flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir the mixture together. Refrigerate the dough overnight to help it become firm and better for presentation.
3. The next day, sprinkle a rolling surface generously with flour. Take the dough and form a rough rectangle, and then roll the dough out to about ¼-½inch thick (depending on your preference), while making sure to maintain a rough rectangular shape from before. Once rolled out, proceed to the filling step.
4. For the Filling: Smear or spread on the amount of butter you prefer over your rectangular dough, either one to two cups. I used 1C of the very soft butter (but some people prefer melted, I find that melted butter is more messy and harder to work with). Now, sprinkle 1C of sugar over the butter, followed by a generous sprinkling of cinnamon (this is up to how much cinnamon you like, we like a lot).
5. Now, starting at the opposite end, begin rolling the dough in a neat line toward you. Keep the roll relatively tight as you go. Next, pinch the seam of the roll to seal it. Spray a 13x9-baking pan with Pam, and set it aside. Then, begin cutting the rolls into approximately 10-12 thick round rolls and place them into the prepared buttered pans. Let the rolls rise for an hour.
6. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
7. Bake the cinnamon rolls for 15-20 minutes or until light golden brown.
8. To Make the Frosting: Mix together all of the ingredients and stir well until smooth. Generously drizzle over the warm rolls. 
9. Serve immediately and enjoy while they are still warm. 

PLEASE REFER TO THE NEW REVAMPED VERSION OF THESE RED HOT VELVET CINNAMON ROLLS HERE!! THEY ARE PERFECTION :)

**This is where you need to make a decision. I myself prefer to work with very, very soft butter because every time I have used melted butter, the buns turn out very messy and hard to roll, etc. But, I know that other cooks, like the Pioneer Woman and Paula Deen prefer melted. It is truly up to you. I also referred to a few recipes and many of them used up to TWO CUPS of butter for their rolls. I didn't want to use that amount (because it would get messy and I felt that it was not necessary), so I only used 1C of butter, but if you feel that you need a little more, then you can obviously do so. When it comes to cinnamon, we like a lot, but this once again comes to taste, so use your best judgement and whether or not you like a good bit of cinnamon (keep in mind that the frosting does have cinnamon as well). Another method that I have recently tried and liked is making a compound butter to spread between the rolls. I cream together the very soft butter, sugar, and cinnamon (and sometimes a little more cocoa powder for an extra chocolate-y taste) in a standing mixer until light, fluffy, and completely incorporated and gently spread/smear that compound butter on the dough. I preferred this because the sugar and cinnamon do not fall out like I have experienced in the past. So, I would urge you to give that a try because I really do think the rolls have a better presentation. I hope that this can clear up any misunderstandings regarding the recipe. Please comment below if there are any questions that need to be answered. XOXO, Juliana (9/23/12)**

source: cinnamon rolls. 

Red Hot Velvet Cinnamon Rolls with Cinnamon-Cream Cheese Frosting

Here's an early Valentine's Day for all you lovers out there... Red Hot Velvet Cinnamon Rolls with Cinnamon-Cream Cheese Frosting!! They are a play off of one of our favorite recipes, Red Hot Velvet Whoopie Pies with Cinnamon-Cream Cheese Frosting. That combination was so delicious before, so why  not use it again? Well, this time I applied it to everyone's favorite breakfast treat, cinnamon rolls. I made the dough with classic red velvet ingredients... buttermilk, white vinegar, red food coloring, and just a little bit of cocoa powder. I let the dough rest overnight, and then I rolled them out this morning and filled them with melted butter, sugar, and lots of cinnamon. I cut them into 12 large rolls, but you could easily make smaller ones if you would like, but what's the fun in that? The cinnamon rolls are slathered in a tangy cinnamon-cream cheese frosting, which just makes them that much better. Duh. These Red Velvet Cinnamon Rolls are little bit cake-ier than the classic recipes, but still delicious! I love the bright color, it just screams "love" doesn't it? I hope you will enjoy these will someone you love because I am right now, and they are wonderful!! Enjoy :)

Red Hot Velvet Cinnamon Rolls 

Up Close

A Thick Layer of Cinnamon-Cream Cheese Frosting

Red Hot Velvet Cinnamon Rolls with Cinnamon-Cream Cheese Frosting

Ready to Eat!!

For the Cinnamon Rolls:

2C Buttermilk (minus 2T)

2T White Distilled Vinegar

½C Vegetable Oil

½C Sugar

2-3oz Red Food Coloring (or to the color of your liking)

1 Package of Active Dry Yeast (0.25oz Packets)

3 ¾C AP Flour + ½C AP Flour

¼C Unsweetened Cocoa Powder

½t Baking Powder, Heaping

½t Baking Soda, Scant

1t Salt, Heaping

For the Filling:

1-2C Butter, Melted or Completely Softened**

1C Sugar

Generous Sprinkling of Cinnamon

For the Frosting:

8oz Cream Cheese, Room Temperature

2C Confectioners’ Sugar

Cinnamon (to your liking)

1 Stick of Unsalted Butter, Room Temperature

½t Vanilla

Festive Valentine’s Day Sprinkles & Crushed Red Hot Candies, For Decoration

Directions:

1. For the Rolls: Measure out the 2C buttermilk in a large measuring cup, and then remove 2T of the buttermilk and substitute by adding in the 2T of white vinegar. Mix the buttermilk, vinegar, vegetable oil, sugar, and red food coloring in a pot. Heat the mixture until just before the boiling point. Turn off the heat and leave to cool for 45 minutes to an hour. Meanwhile, sift together the 3 ¾C AP flour with the ¼C unsweetened cocoa powder, and set it aside. When the milk mixture is warm (but not hot), sprinkle in the package of yeast. Let it sit for a minute or two, and then add in the sifted flour-cocoa powder. Stir the mixture and cover, and then let it rise for at least an hour.
2. After rising for an hour, add in ½C AP Flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir the mixture together. Refrigerate the dough overnight to help it become firm and better for presentation.
3. The next day, sprinkle a rolling surface generously with flour. Take the dough and form a rough rectangle, and then roll the dough out to about ¼-½inch thick (depending on your preference), while making sure to maintain a rough rectangular shape from before. Once rolled out, proceed to the filling step.
4. For the Filling: Smear or spread on the amount of butter you prefer over your rectangular dough, either one to two cups. I used 1C of the very soft butter (but some people prefer melted, I find that melted butter is more messy and harder to work with). Now, sprinkle 1C of sugar over the butter, followed by a generous sprinkling of cinnamon (this is up to how much cinnamon you like, we like a lot).
5. Now, starting at the opposite end, begin rolling the dough in a neat line toward you. Keep the roll relatively tight as you go. Next, pinch the seam of the roll to seal it. Spray a 13x9-baking pan with Pam, and set it aside. Then, begin cutting the rolls into approximately 10-12 thick round rolls and place them into the prepared buttered pans. Let the rolls rise for an hour.
6. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
7. Bake the cinnamon rolls for 15-20 minutes or until light golden brown.
8. To Make the Frosting: Mix together all of the ingredients and stir well until smooth. Generously drizzle over the warm rolls. 
9. Serve immediately and enjoy while they are still warm. 

**This is where you need to make a decision. I myself prefer to work with very, very soft butter because every time I have used melted butter, the buns turn out very messy and hard to roll, etc. But, I know that other cooks, like the Pioneer Woman and Paula Deen prefer melted. It is truly up to you. I also referred to a few recipes and many of them used up to TWO CUPS of butter for their rolls. I didn't want to use that amount (because it would get messy and I felt that it was not necessary), so I only used 1C of butter, but if you feel that you need a little more, then you can obviously do so. When it comes to cinnamon, we like a lot, but this once again comes to taste, so use your best judgement and whether or not you like a good bit of cinnamon (keep in mind that the frosting does have cinnamon as well). Another method that I have recently tried and liked is making a compound butter to spread between the rolls. I cream together the very soft butter, sugar, and cinnamon (and sometimes a little more cocoa powder for an extra chocolate-y taste) in a standing mixer until light, fluffy, and completely incorporated and gently spread/smear that compound butter on the dough. I preferred this because the sugar and cinnamon do not fall out like I have experienced in the past. So, I would urge you to give that a try because I really do think the rolls have a better presentation. I hope that this can clear up any misunderstandings regarding the recipe. Please comment below if there are any questions that need to be answered. XOXO, Juliana (9/23/12)**

source: cinnamon rolls. 

Revamped: Gourmet Twix Bars with Brown Butter Shortbread, Salted Caramel, & Dark Chocolate

I've made homemade twix bars before, almost exactly a year ago, and I knew I could put my own spin on them to make them just a little bit fancier (and a whole lot better). I used my first recipe as the base, but made a slightly different variation. Instead of the softer shortbread, I substituted it with a crisp, brown butter shortbread. I still stand firm on the fact that brown butter makes every meal better, both savory & sweet. I liked the caramel recipe from last year, so all I added was vanilla bean and fleur de sel. But I knew that there had to be more chocolate. I put a layer of soft chocolate, and then I decided to make a go at tempering bittersweet chocolate and lightly coating the candy like a traditional Twix bar. I honestly thought that the process of tempering would be way harder, but I found an easy, instructional step-by-step here. It might sound intimidating, but I pulled it off, and now I am so glad that I have this in my repertoire for future recipes. Lastly, I sprinkled the chocolate-coated bars with some fleur de sel because that's just my thang, yo. Yeah, I don't know why I just said that, but oh well. These revamped Twix bars are great and have a deep complexity of flavors that I love. They might be too fancy shmancy for some of y'all, and I get that, so if that's the case, make the first recipe for that classic taste. But give these a try for somethin' a little different and unique!! Enjoy :)

Gourmet Twix Bars

Layers of Brown Butter Shortbread, Salted Carmel, Dark Chocolate

Coated Twix Bars in Tempered Dark Chocolate

A Sprinkle of Fleur de Sel

For the Browned Butter Shortbread Cookies:

1 ½ Sticks of Unsalted Butter

½C Dark Brown Sugar, Lightly Packed

1t Vanilla

½t Fleur de Sel

1 ½C AP Flour

Gourmet Raw Bourbon Vanilla Sugar, For Sprinkling

For the Salted Caramel Layer:

2C Sugar

¾C Light Corn Syrup

½C Water

1t Lemon Juice

1C Heavy Cream

1C Sweetened, Condensed Milk

1 Vanilla Bean, Scraped for Seeds

¼t Salt

Fleur de Sel, For Sprinkling

For the Dark Chocolate Layer:

1 ½C Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips

4T Unsalted Butter

For the Dark Chocolate Coating:

10oz 70% Bittersweet Chocolate, Coarsely Chopped

Fleur de Sel, For Sprinkling

Directions:

1. To Make the Browned Butter Shortbread Cookies: Line an 11x7-inch square pan with aluminum foil, leaving an overhang of foil on two sides so you can easily lift the shortbread out of the pan, and then lightly spray with Pam. Set the pan aside while you make the shortbread. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and continue to cook until it lightly browns and emits a nutty aroma. Remove the browned butter from heat. In a medium bowl, combine the browned butter, sugar, vanilla, and salt. Stir to combine. Add in the flour and mix until incorporated. Spread the dough evenly in the prepared pan, and then let the dough stand for at least 2 hours (do not refrigerate). After resting, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly sprinkle the surface with the vanilla sugar. Bake the shortbread for 20-30 minutes and remove them from the oven and let it cool.
2. To Make the Salted Caramel Layer:  Combine sugar, corn syrup, water, and lemon juice in a sauté pan and cook over medium-high heat until the mixture comes to a boil (do not whisk). Once this mixture begins to turn caramel brown, insert a candy thermometer and when the mixture reaches 300 degrees F, remove from heat and let it sit for 1 minute. Whisk in the heavy cream, then the condensed milk, then salt until smooth. Return the pan back to the heat, and cook until the caramel reaches 240 degrees F. Remove from heat and pour over the shortbread. Let it set at room temperature for 2 hours.
3. For the Dark Chocolate Topping & Coating: Heat the chocolate chips and butter in a bowl in the microwave in 30 second intervals until the chocolate is just melted, then whisk until incorporated. Spread this chocolate mixture over the caramel layer until an even, thick layer of chocolate covers the caramel. Cool in the refrigerator until you are ready to cut. Cut into small rectangles and prepare the chocolate coating. Melt ¾ of the chopped chocolate in a metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water. Remove the bowl from the pan and add the remaining chocolate, stirring until smooth. Cool the chocolate until a thermometer inserted at least ½inch into the chocolate registers 80 degrees. Return the water in the pan to a boil and remove it from heat. Set the bowl with cooled chocolate over the pan and reheat, stirring, until the thermometer registers 88-91 degrees as necessary. Remove the bowl from the pan. Balance one Twix bar on a fork and submerge in the melted chocolate, letting the excess drip off and scraping the back of the fork against the rim of the bowl if necessary.  Place the coated caramel-cookie stacks onto a parchment lined baking sheet to stand until the chocolate is set, about 1 hour. Sprinkle the tops with fleur de sel while the chocolate is still soft. Repeat with the remaining stacks until all of them have been coated with chocolate.
4. Wrap the finished candy bars in parchment paper and keep them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks. Bring to room temperature before enjoying.

Buffalo Bleu Cheese Fritters

Buffalo wings are the quintessential football food. And now, there are a million ways you can turn that classic finger food into many other dishes. Some of my favorite variations are Buffalo Chicken Chips, Buffalo Chicken Mac n' Cheese, World Famous Buffalo Chicken Dip, and Buffalo Chicken Bombs. I knew that for the Super Bowl, I had to have that buffalo flavor in some way. I finally decided that I wanted to take the idea of mozzarella sticks and fuse it with buffalo wings. All I did was roll creamy bleu cheese into small balls, bread them in panko, and fry them until the outside was golden brown & crispy and the center was ooey gooey. Once you fry them up, quickly and gently toss them in your favorite buffalo sauce until completely coated. I personally would serve these fritters on top of a carrot-celery slaw with a side of homemade ranch for dipping. I think this recipe would also be great with goat cheese!! Enjoy :)

Buffalo Bleu Cheese Fritters

For the Buffalo Bleu Cheese Fritters:

8oz Bleu Cheese, Rolled into Balls & Frozen

½C AP Flour

1 Egg, Beaten

¼C Buttermilk

1C Panko Breadcrumbs

Oil, For Frying

Salt, For Sprinkling

Buffalo Wing Sauce, For Coating

Homemade Ranch Dressing, For Dipping

Directions:

1. Roll your favorite bleu cheese into golf ball sized balls until nicely compacted. Place them onto a plate and freeze the cheese for roughly an hour. This will help keep the cheese from melting when you deep-fry them.
2. Preheat your oil in a deep fryer to 350 degrees.
3. Breading the Bleu Cheese: Set up a battering station. I use 3 pie tins. For the first station, I mix the flour. For the second station, I whisk together the eggs and milk. For the third station, use the Panko breadcrumbs. Now, place the balls of chilled bleu cheese into the flour mixture, then into the egg wash, and finally the panko (making sure they are completely covered). Put them on a tin foil-lined baking sheet with a cooling rack on top, and then put the pan into the refrigerator and let the balls rest for about 15-30 minutes.
4. Fry the bleu cheese balls, in small batches, in the hot oil for roughly 1-2 minutes each or until they are golden brown & crispy (make sure not to cook them too long because then the cheese will leak out). Drain the bleu cheese fritters onto a paper towel lined plate to drain the excess oil and sprinkle with salt. Once they have cooled slightly, toss the fritters gently in your favorite buffalo sauce until completely coated.
5. Serve the Buffalo Bleu Cheese Fritters on a bed of carrot-celery slaw with homemade ranch dressing for dipping.