Moravian Sugar Cake

My mom's family has a heritage from the Moravian church and we use to get Moravian sugar cakes when we would go back east to visit.  Recently my aunt's fiance was back there and he brought some sugar cakes for us which gave me the idea to make it so here is the first attempt. 

3/4 cup of milk
1 1/2 teaspoon of instant yeast
1/3 cup of sugar
1/4 cup of instant potatoe
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 1/2 sticks of butter
1 egg
2 cups of flour
1 1/2 cup of brown sugar
1 tablespoon of cinnamon

 Warm milk to about 110 not much more. Preheat oven to 200 so you have a warm place to rise the dough.

Mix yeast and warm milk.

Add egg, 4 tablespoons of the butter, potato, white sugar, salt, and flour

 Mix on a medium heat for about 2 min until smooth.

Place dough in a greased bowl and cover.  Turn off oven and place in there until it has doubled about 30-60 min depending.

 Spread out dough in a greased pan and let rise in a warm place until doubled about 30-60 min again.

While rising cut cold butter into small pieces and mix brown sugar and cinnamon.  So the butter and sugar will be separate.

When the dough is risen dimple the dough with your fingers to make holes to palce the pieces of butter.  Place a piece of butter in each hole.

Sprinkle sugar over the whole thing.  You shouldn't see the dough and then bake at 375 for 18-22 min.

Dark Chocolate PB Ice Cream

It was dark and yummy.  You can use PB or not or add mint or whatever you would like.

Start with the chocolate sauce.
1/2 cup of sugar
1/2 cup of coco powder
1/2 cup of coffee
1 1/2 oz of dark chocolate (I used 72% but anything from 50% on up is fine)

Mix sugar, coffee, and coco in a sauce pan over medium heat and bring to a boil.  Once its at a full boil boil for 30 seconds.

Finely chop chocolate and mix in.  Let rest for 5 min off heat and then set aside.

Ice Cream Base:
1 1/2 cups of milk
1 1/2 cups of cteam
3 tablespoon of corn syrup
1 1/2 oz of cream cheese
1/2 cup of sugar
1/8 teaspoon of salt
1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon of corn starch

 Wisk 2 tablespoons of milk with corn starch and set aside.

Mix in cream cheese into chocolate sauce so it can melt.

Mix sugar, corn starch, salt, milk, and cream in a sauce pan. Over medium heat bring to a full boil.  Once it comes a boil boil for four min.  Then add the corn starch slurry and return to a boil and boil for about a min and thick.

Mix chocolate into milk mixture.  Cool in fridge over night.

Churn ice cream.

Melt 3ish tablespoons of PB in the microwave for about 30 seconds or until runny but not hot.  Layer lice cream and peanut butter and then freeze for about 3-4 hour or until firm.

Ginger Peanut Noodles

Took maybe 20 min to make from beginning to end.

Sobo/undo noobles
2 tablespoons of soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon of seasam oil
3/4 cup of peanut butteer
1 tablespoon of minced garlic
1 1/2 teaspoon of minced ginger
limes

Mix soy, oil, red pepper, garlic, ginger, and pb. While doing this have some chicken grilling if you want chicken.

Place noodles in a some boiling water until warm and loose.  Reserve 1 cup of cooking water for sauce.

Whisk in liquid to sauce and then add drained noodles and diced chicken.

Top with lime juice.  It would also be good with cilantro and bean sprouts.

Lime Strawberry Sorbet

Simple and no fat involved.  All fruit and sugar.

2 cups of water
2 1/2 cups of sugar
3 pounds of strawberries
5 limes 9zest and juice)

Make a simple syrup by mixing sugar and water.  Bring to a full boil over a medium heat.  Then reduce for a simmer and simmer for five minuets.  Then refrigerate for an hour.

Now its time to turn the strawberries into puree.  Once the tops have been removed blend them using either a blender or an immersion blender. Then refrigerate for at least 30 min.

Juice and zest limes into puree and then add simple syrup.  Blend for a few seconds to be sure its thoroughly mixed.

Freeze in an ice cream freezer according to directions and then set in the freezer.(a couple hours at least best if overnight)

Cookie Dough Peanutbutter Cups

These aren't as hard as they look and there is not baking involved

There is what you need.  The first pic is for the cookie dough and the second is the pb and coating.
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
1/2 cup of brown sugar
3/4 cup of flour
1/2 cup of butter
1/8 teaspoon of salt
1 tablespoon of vanilla
2 tablespoons of cream

PB:
1 cup of peanut butter
1 tablespoon of vanilla

20oz of chocolate (I used the rest of the mini chocolate chips and some regular too)

Start by melting about half of the chocolate on a double boiler and smooth (You will use the rest for the top of the cup

Line a mini muffin pan with cupcake papers and then use a pastry brush to cover the bottom of the paper with chocolate.  Then place in the freezer for 10 min.  While it is freezing start on the cookie dough.

Place butter, brown sugar, vanilla and cream in mixer and beat until light and fluffy.  Then add in salt and flour and mix until creamy

Add in mini chocolate chips and then set aside cookie dough and start on the pb.

Cream together vanilla and pb.  Remove the chocolate from freeze and its time to start layering.

Take spoon and put a small dollop of cookie dough on each and then do the same for the pb.  I used my fingers to help smooth it out. 

Melt the remaning chocolate with any left over chocolate from earlier and drizzle over the top of the cup and cover as much of the pb as possible.  Then refrigerate for at least 30 min before eating.

Quesadilla with Homemade Tortilla

So yummy and making your own tortilla only takes a few min and well worth the extra effort.

Its a simple ingredient list:
2 12 cups of masa
12 teaspoon of salt
shredded cheese (I used a mix of cheddar and pepperjack)
shredded chicken (I had leftover but you can make it too)
Cajan spice

Mix salt and masa and add about 2 cups of warm water.  If the dough is still crumbly then add a little more until it is the consistency of play dough.

Roll dough into balls about 3 tablespoons.  If you have a tortilla press that's great if not you can roll them out with a rolling pin.  Place dough ball in a quart size freezer bag that has been slight down the sides and then flatted.

Flatted the rest and then cook in a hot cast iron pan for a min and half per side or until it has come brown stops on it.

Now on to the quesadilla

Heat a skiillet with oil and place a tortilla and sprinkle a little cheese.  The chedder and pepperjack was amazing and then add some chicken and sprinkle with cajan spice and place another tortilla on top.  Cook for about 2 min per side or until golden.

Serve warm with whatever toppings you like.