laurenebowyer

[laurenebowyer]

Bacon Mac & Cheese

There's nothing more comforting than a bowl of Mac & Cheese. This is stuff is so irresistible - you only start off with a small portion in your bowl, but before you know it you've gone back for seconds and thirds. What's even better about this Mac & Cheese is that I've thrown in some delicious hickory smoked bacon and topped it with buttery breadcrumbs for some delicious crunch. This Mac & Cheese won't last long!

Bacon Mac & Cheese - makes 6-8 servings

10-12 slices of thick cut hickory smoked bacon

1 lb. cavatappi or elbow macaroni 

1 quart (4 cups) whole milk

6 tbs. + 4 tbs. unsalted butter

1/2 cup AP flour

12 oz. Gruyere cheese (approx. 4 cups grated)

8 oz. extra-sharp Cheddar cheese (approx. 2 cups grated)

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 tsp. mustard powder

7 slices fresh white bread

2 oz. parmesan cheese (approx. 1/4 cup grated)

S & P, to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. 

Line a large sheet pan with aluminum foil. Place a wire rack or metal tray on the sheet pan. Lay out pieces of bacon on the wire rack and roast in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, depending on your oven.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water with a tablespoon of salt to a boil and add the pasta. Cook until al dente, it will continue to cook in the oven. 

As the pasta and bacon are cooking, heat the milk in a small sauce pan to just under a boil (scalding).

In a medium sauce pan, heat 6 tablespoons of butter. Once butter has melted, add 1/2 cup of flour, whisking until combined and slightly golden. Once the milk has come to temperature, add to the butter and flour mixture, whisking constantly. Add 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, the nutmeg and the mustard powder. Whisk until the mixture is slightly thick.

Off the heat, add the shredded Gruyere and cheddar cheese and whisk until melted and combined. 

Once the bacon is crisp, take them it of the oven and allow it to come to room temperature. Blot off any excess grease and cut into 1/2 inch pieces. 

Lower the temperature of your oven to 350 degrees F. 

Combine the pasta, cheese mixture and bacon into a large bowl. Toss to combine. 

Remove the crusts from the 7 slices of fresh bread. Place the slices into a food processor and pulse until they become crumbs. Combine with shredded parmesan cheese, 4 tablespoons of melted butter, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp of pepper. 

Butter a 9x13 inch casserole dish. Pour the macaroni and cheese into the casserole dish. Top with bread crumbs. 

Bake for 30 minutes and until the top is crispy. Serve immediately.

Hope you enjoy! 

[laurenebowyer]

Mason Jar Cheesecakes

I attended both a wedding shower and baby shower within a week of each other and I served this at both of them. These are such a cute dessert to serve - they're in adorable individual portions and everyone could take one at their leisure. They're so great at parties and the ladies I served them to all raved about them and appreciated the unique presentation. Hope you serve these at your next get together!

  Mason Jar Cheesecakes - makes 10 individual portions

Filling

3 8-oz. blocks of cream cheese, at room temperature 

1 14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk

2 eggs

1 tbs. vanilla bean paste (or vanilla bean extract)

1/3 cup chocolate sauce (I used stonewall kitchen)

1/3 cup strawberry jam

Graham Cracker Crust

1.5 cups graham cracker crumbs (from half of a standard 14 oz box of graham crackers)

2-4 tbs. sugar (according to your taste)

1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, melted

pinch of salt

For garnish

5 small strawberries, halved lengthwise 

1/2 cup of chocolate covered biscuits (bought at Whole Foods)

Whipped cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 

In a medium bowl, combine the unsalted butter, graham cracker crumbs, sugar and salt. Once combined, add two tablespoons to 10 - 8 oz. mason jars. With something flat, pack down the crumbs, making sure it's even on the top. Place the jars in roasting pan, or something that has high sides. Place in the preheated over for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine cream cheese and sweetened condensed milk, on medium high speed, until light and fluffy, making sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the vanilla, and eggs, one at a time - on low speed. 

After 10 minutes, pull the mason jars out of the oven. Place 1/2 cup of the filling mixture in each mason jar. In separate bowls, microwave 1/3 cup each of chocolate sauce and strawberry jam - making sure it is the same consistency as the filling. Place 1 tsp. of chocolate sauce and strawberry jam on top of the filling, swirling them around in the filling with a toothpick. 

With the cheesecakes in the roasting pan, add warm water to the roasting pan, filling halfway up the mason jars. Carefully place the roasting pan in the oven on the middle rack, making sure not to get any water into the mason jars. 

Bake for 35 minutes.

Carefully take the cheesecakes out of the oven - taking them immediately out of the water bath. Let them cool at room temperature. 

Once cooled to room temperature, place the tops on the cheesecakes and allow them to cool in the fridge for at least 4 hours. 

Top with whipped cream, a strawberry and chocolate covered biscuits. 

Hope you enjoy!

[laurenebowyer]

Chocolate Guinness Cake

Have some leftover beer sitting around? In my apartment, it doesn't last long. However, I had some Guinness sitting around after I needed some for another recipe. My boyfriend jumped at the idea of a cake made with Guinness, and he even said this cake was "restaurant quality". The cake doesn't have a beer flavor, instead the Guinness imparts its moisture and richness. 

Chocolate Stout Cake - serves 12-16 

Cake

1 1/2 cups of Guinness 

1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter

1 cup + 2 tbs. cocoa powder

3 cups AP flour

3 cups sugar

3 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

3 eggs

1 cup sour cream

Icing

2 cups heavy whipping cream

1 lb. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped (whichever your prefer)

pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter 3 8-inch round cake pans and line with parchment paper. Melt butter and Guinness in a sauce pan, over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, add cocoa powder and whisk until smooth. Bring the mixture to room temperature.

Whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt, making sure the mixture is free of clumps. 

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix eggs and sour cream on low until combined throughly. Add the chocolate mixture to the eggs and sour cream and mix on low until combined. Add the flour/sugar mixture to the bowl, in four stages, mixing on low. Make sure not to over mix.

Once completely combined, evenly distribute the batter into the three cake pans. Place the pans into the oven, baking for 30-35 minutes. 

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, heat cream and chocolate over low heat, just until the chocolate has melted. Transfer the mixture into the bowl of stand mixer. Place the bowl in the refrigerator and allow it to cool. Once cooled, fit your stand mixer with the whisk attachment and place the bowl on your mixer. Whisk on low at first and then increase to high speed, making sure the mixture is light and fluffy. 

Take the cakes out of the oven and let cool in the pans for about five minutes. Take the cakes out of the pans and place on wire racks. Allow cakes to cool completely. 

Stack the cakes, adding a third of the icing between the first and second layer, and another third between second and third layer. Top with remaining icing. 

Hope you enjoy!

[laurenebowyer]

Shrimp & Grits

A couple weeks ago I visited New Orleans, and I'm already missing the food - so good! While I was there, I bought some fresh stone ground grits. They only last about a month in the fridge or freezer - apparently that's the best way to store them!  I decided an easy meal I could make, and that didn't involve too many ingredients was delicious shrimp and grits! I whipped this meal up in less than a half an hour! So delicious and satisfying!

Shrimp & Grits - serves 3-4 people

Grits

1 cup stone ground fresh grits

3 cups water

2 tbs. butter

1/2 cup whole milk (if needed)

1/4 grated parmesan cheese

S & P, to taste

Shrimp

1 pounds of shrimp (30 count), peeled and deveined, leaving the tails on

1/4 cup of Old Bay (or other Cajun seasoning)

4 garlic cloves, chopped 

2 tbs. butter

Juice of 2 lemons

Parsley, to garnish (optional)

Start off making the grits. In a small pot, boil 3 cups of water - adding salt to the water. Once the water is boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the grits slowly, whisking constantly. Once all the grits are added, continue whisking for three minutes or so, making sure there aren't any clumps. 

After whisking for three minutes, reduce the heat to low, whisking occasionally. If the grits get too dry, add a couple tablespoons of milk. After 15-20 minutes, the grits should be cooked! Add parmesan, butter and S&P. Let the cheese and butter melt and add milk if needed! 

Peel and devein your shrimp and leave the tails for a pretty presentation! Completely cover your shrimp in Old Bay. Meanwhile, heat up the butter in a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, add your garlic to the butter. Once fragrant, add your shrimp to the skillet, making sure each one has contact with the surface of the skillet. Cook shrimp for 2 minutes and then flip them, cooking the other side for an additional 2 minutes. 

Once the shrimp are cooked, take the cast iron skillet off the heat and add the juice of two lemons. 

Spoon the grits into a bowl and add the shrimp and lemon sauce on top. Add parsley and additional parmesan to the top as a garnish! 

Hope you enjoy! 

[laurenebowyer]

A Taste of New Orleans

My boyfriend, Cody, and I decided to take a trip to New Orleans and we were in foodie paradise! We left from Auburn, Alabama and six hours later, we were in New Orleans. We didn't waste any time. We checked in and immediately wanted to immerse ourselves into NOLA food culture. We headed straight for La Petite Grocery, Justin Devillier's restaurant on Magazine Street, the executive chef who's a James Beard Award Winner and former Top Chef contestant. 

We started off at the bar and I ordered a Wry Smile - a delicious cocktail made with whiskey, bitters, lavender honey and lemon. I loved the hint of lavender with the honey and whiskey combination. It was my favorite drink on the trip! Cody had a beer called Bersalis, a Belgian Tripel.

When we sat down we were greeted with warm french bread, and of course we gobbled that down fast. For an appetizer, Cody and I started off with the Fried Gulf Oyster special with griddled rapini, ramp aoili & breadcrumbs - the oysters were perfectly crispy and still managed to be super light. Cody got Paneed Rabbit which was served with Spaetzle, Wilted Greens & Grenobloise sauce. The dish was lighted breaded rabbit and served with a lemon, caper sauce. I got Shrimp & Grits with Roasted Shiitake Mushrooms, Smoked Bacon & Thyme. I've ordered Shrimp & Grits many times since I've come to the south, and this was by far the best I've ever had!

We also got creamy Mac & Cheese and perfect French Fries.

For dessert, we got Butterscotch Pudding served with Sesame Wafers & Vanilla Cream - it was honestly one of the best desserts I've ever had. 

Needless to say, our first meal was phenomenal and it was a great start to our trip. 

The next morning, I woke up with excitement because I knew we were going to the legendary Café Du Monde for beignets and cafe au laits. 

The hype is totally true, these are the best beignets ever. Hands down. No other beignets will ever compare. They came out warm with a TON of powdered sugar. They were so light, perfectly sweet and paired so well with the amazing Cafe au Laits. I got tons of powdered sugar all over myself. 

After eating beignets we drove over to Magazine Street for some amazing shopping! There's tons of amazing boutiques with amazing clothing, gifts and antiques. A couple minutes away was an amazing farmer's market where we bought some incredibly fresh strawberries and tomatoes. 

We also met the authors of this amazing cookbook called the Cowgirl Creamery Cooks. The women of Cowgirl Creamery came all the way from San Francisco to have the people of New Orleans sample their cheese and to promote their beautiful book. The book is beautiful - filled with insight on cheese making, how to plan a cheese course and also delicious recipes featuring a variety of different cheeses. 

  After the farmer's market and some more shopping, we went to the most famous and probably most influential restaurant in New Orleans, Commander's Palace. 

The best part of going to lunch at Commander's Palace is that they serve 25¢ martinis - we tried the classic gin martini, the cosmopolitan, and the Ray's melon. We got the Commander's Turtle Soup which is a specialty, Crisp Romaine Salad, Gulf Fish and Tuscan Grilled Chicken. We ended with the most delicious Strawberry Shortcake. 

Going to Commander's Palace was such an amazing experience. The service was unbelievable. We also such a great seat, overlooking their outside courtyard. 

Cody and I somehow had enough room in our stomach to go to Sucré - an amazing pastry shop known for their French macarons. We picked some Macarons for my Mom for Mother's Day. We got a variety that included Bananas Foster and Salted Caramel. For ourselves we ordered a delicious Raspberry Cheesecake - the picture doesn't do it justice. It was delicious cheesecake with a dark chocolate crust on the bottom and  raspberry purée in the middle. It was amazing and such a work of art!

After a long nap - my stomach needed a break - we decided to go to Cochon Butcher, a short walk from our hotel. Cochon Butcher, right around the corner from its sister restaurant Cochon, is part butcher, part restaurant. As you walk in, on your left is a case full of fresh meats and a counter with guys butchering meat right next to you. You know the meat is fresh.

I ordered the Cochon Muffaletta which was amazing - I don't think I'll ever have a better Muffaletta. 

Cody ordered the Le Pig Mac - the pork version of a Big Mac, with two all pork patties and a delicious secret sauce. 

It was a long day, filled with amazing food. We went to sleep with full, satisfied bellies and were ready for the next day. 

We woke up and drove an hour out to Oak Alley Plantation. The grounds were absolutely breathtaking and the mansion itself was exquisite.  

We drove back and decided to stop for lunch at Parkway Bakery and Tavern for the best Po Boys in New Orleans.

The Shrimp Po Boys were perfection. The bread was fresh - crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. The Po Boy was stuffed with tons of beautifully fried shrimp, and although I was full after eating only half the sandwich... I could not resist eating the whole thing. 

Part of me wanted to go back there for dinner, but I knew I had to expand my horizons. After we went down Bourbon Street to get some drinks, we went for a late dinner to Domenica, a new upscale pizza restaurant - the place which locals are flocking to for pizza.

We got a delicious cheese board, and Cody and I each ordered ourselves a 12-inch pizza. I got the Wild Mushroom pizza, baked with fontina, bacon, and a yard egg in the middle. 

Cody got the Bolzano, a pizza topped with roast pork shoulder, fennel, bacon, and sweet onions. Both were delicious. 

The next morning we went to visit our amazing friend, Lydia, who has been living in New Orleans for five years now. We met up at Surrey's, known for it's fresh juices and delicious breakfasts. I started with a juice, juiced with pineapple, mangos and oranges - absolutely delicious and refreshing.

Lydia suggested the Crab Meat Omelette - it was so incredibly decadent. It was an omelette stuffed with avocado and brie, topped with rich, creamy lump crab sauce. I'm very particular about my crab, being from Maryland, and this crab was unbelievable.

This was such a great breakfast, and such an amazing end to our trip! I had such an wonderful time and I can't wait to go back soon!

[laurenebowyer]

Buttermilk Biscuits with Homemade Strawberry Jam

In my hometown of Baltimore, crab is king. Since an early age, my family taught me how to eat steamed crabs - making sure to get as much meat out as you possibly could. It's tradition. When I came down south to come to school, I came across a new food culture and expanded my horizons. As crabs are to my home state of Maryland, biscuits are to the south. Everyone has a recipe and this is mine. I had local strawberries available, so I thought biscuits would be the perfect accompaniment to fresh made jam! 

Buttermilk Biscuits - makes approx. 15 2-inch biscuits

Adapted from Alton Brown's recipe

2 cups AP flour - plus more for rolling out 

4 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. baking soda

3/4 tsp. salt

4 tbs. unsalted butter - very cold & diced into cubes

1 cup buttermilk, chilled

2 tbs. heavy cream (or melted butter)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. 

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Using a pastry blender, combine the butter and dry ingredients, until the butter is the size of small peas. 

Note: If you don't have a pastry blender, you can use two knives to cut up the butter. 

Once everything is combined, add the buttermilk to the mixture and fold in, making sure everything is incorporated. At this point, the dough should be very sticky. 

Turn out the dough onto a floured surface, and dust the top with flour. Fold over the dough onto itself as needed, up to 6 times or so. Roll out the dough with a floured rolling pin to make the dough 3/4 -inch thick. 

With a floured 2-inch cutter, cut out the biscuits, making sure too push straight down, not twisting (to make them all uniform). If there are scraps left over, only roll your dough out once more, because they won't be as light as the first time through.

Place them on a un-greased baking sheet (the biscuits already have butter in them). The biscuits can be as close together as you want, they will not expand outwards, only upward.

Brush either heavy cream or melted butter over the top of the biscuits so they can achieve that golden color!  

Bake in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown on the top! 

Homemade Strawberry Jam - makes approx. 1.5 cups 

1/2 lb. fresh strawberries, hulled

1 cups sugar

1 tsb. cup lemon juice

In a large bowl, crush up the strawberries. Place in a pot with sugar and lemon and bring to a rolling boil. Once at a rolling boil, if you have an oil/candy thermometer, bring to 220 degrees F. If not, continue to reduce the jam at a rolling boil for about five minutes or so to reduce.

If you don't want to properly can your jam (i.e. sterilize your jars), you can put your jam into a clean jar (mine was a 1 quart jar) and keep in the fridge for up to a week. If you would like to properly can your jam, you can use the method found here. 

If you didn't sterilize your jar, place the jam into the fridge and allow to cool for at least 4 hours. Serve with the delicious biscuits and a dollop of whipped cream or a pat of butter! 

Hope you enjoy! 

[laurenebowyer]

Banana Whoopie Pies with Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting

I always have a lot of bananas lying around and I usually end up making banana bread. I wanted to make something different and after making Banana Cream Pie last week, I thought whoopie pies would be fun! These little treats turned out to be so delicious! Try them out!

Banana Whoopie Pies - makes about 1 1/2 dozen

adapted from King Arthur Flour

Cake:

1 stick of unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 large eggs

2 cups AP flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 1/2 cups mashed bananas (about 3 bananas)

Icing:

2 oz. cream cheese

1/2 stick unsalted butter, softened

1 lb. powdered sugar

1-2 tbs. milk (if needed)

1 tsp. vanilla (paste or extract)

Pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 

Cream butter and both sugars in a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment on medium speed. Once light and fluffy, add eggs one at a time on low speed until mixed in. Add vanilla. 

Mix dry ingredients together in a separate bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in two additions. After combined, add the mashed bananas. 

With a cookie scoop, scoop the dough onto a sheet pan. 

Bake for 10-12 minutes, depending on your oven. 

While the cookies are baking, you can make the frosting.

Mix butter and cream cheese in a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment on high speed. Slowly add the powdered sugar, so the sugar does not spatter out of the bowl. Once everything is mixed, add the salt and vanilla. 

Once the cookies are golden, take them out of the oven and let cool. 

After the cookies have cooled, spoon or pipe the frosting onto the cookies and sandwich one on top! 

Hope you enjoy!

[laurenebowyer]

Banana Cream Pie

With my foolproof pie crust, with the recipe which you can find here, I decided to blind bake the crust. That means I baked it without filling. With the crust I made delicious banana cream pie! I layered perfectly ripe bananas, delicious vanilla custard, and luscious whipped cream. I topped it with some toasted almond slivers for some crunch and Voila!

Banana Cream Pie

1 pre-baked pie crust (pie dough recipe, here)

3 ripe bananas

5 large egg yolks

1/2 cup sugar + 2 tbs. for whipped cream

3 tablespoons cornstarch

1/4 tsp. salt

2 1/2 cups whole milk

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into cubes

2 1/2 tsp. vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract, separated

2 cups heavy whipping cream

1/4 cup slivered almonds (optional)

Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Place pie dough that's rolled out to 1/8 inch thick into a 9-inch pie shell. Line with parchment or aluminum foil and add pie weights or dry beans.

Bake pie for 15 minutes, until edges are just brown. Cool crust.

Have an ice-water bath set aside. 

In a bowl, whisk egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch and salt. 

In a medium saucepan, bring milk to just under a boil. Once the milk has been scalded, temper the egg mixture by pouring 1/2 cup of the milk into the eggs slowly. Then, whisk the egg mixture back into the milk in the saucepan and bring to a gentle boil, constantly whisking. Making sure that the mixture coats the back of a spoon, remove the saucepan from the heat. Add the butter, a cube at a time, until melted. Also add 1 1/2 tsp of vanilla (bean or paste). 

Strain the custard through a fine mesh sieve over a bowl. Place the bowl in the ice-water bath and let cool, stirring occasionally. 

Peel the bananas and cut them 1/4 inch thick. Place half of them in the bottom of the crust. Pour half of the custard over the bananas. Repeat with the remaining bananas and custard. 

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat cream on high, adding the sugar and vanilla after 30 seconds or so. Beat until soft peaks form. Pipe on top of the pie with a piping bag or spoon on top!

Let chill in the fridge for an hour or so. 

To toast the almonds, place them on a dry sheet pan in a preheated 400 degree F oven until golden, 3-5 minutes.

Once chilled, top with slivered almonds.

Hope you enjoy!

[laurenebowyer]

Foolproof Pie Crust

Pie crust can be daunting. I followed a lot of different recipes and it either turned out gummy and would never roll out, or it would be too dry and fall apart. Finally, I found an amazing recipe from Smitten Kitchen and have never turned back! 

First, cut up two sticks of unsalted butter into cubes. 

Then, add 2 1/2 cups of flour, 1 tablespoon of sugar, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Then with a pastry blender (I got mine from Williams-Sonoma), begin to break up the pieces of butter into the size of a pea. 

Once the butter is broken up, add 1/2 cup of ice cold water (not including the ice), adding more if it is too dry - I used 3/4 cup total.

Form into a ball until it comes together and it isn't sticky- but not too dry.

Cut into two pieces for a 2 single-crust pies or 1 double-crust pie. Place in the fridge for at least one hour or store in the freezer!

Foolproof Pie Crust

2 1/2 cups flour

2 sticks butter

1 tbs. sugar

1 tsp. salt

1/2 cup ice water - more if needed

Cut butter into cubes and combine it with the flour, sugar, and salt. With a pastry blender, combine the ingredients and break up the pieces of butter until they're the size of peas. 

Once everything is combined, add the ice water, starting out with a half a cup. Combine ingredients and add more water if needed.

Form into a ball that isn't sticky, but has come together into ball.

Cut into two pieces, making 2 single-crust pies or 1 double-crust pie. 

Put in fridge for at least one hour or store in the freezer!

Hope you enjoy!

[laurenebowyer]

Traditional Deviled Eggs

Easter season is upon us! You'll be having a spread on Easter Sunday filled with the food traditions in your family! If these aren't already on your table, make sure you make them! You probably have all the ingredients in your fridge and pantry already! You can easily double or triple this recipe if you have more people coming over!

Traditional Deviled Eggs

6 eggs

1 cup of mayo (less if you don't want it to be as creamy)

1/4 cup dijon mustard

3 tbs. sweet pickle relish (or to your taste)

1/2 tsp. paprika + more for garnish

Salt and Pepper to taste

Boil your eggs - use whatever method you prefer. I put my eggs in a pot with cold water and put it on the stove over medium heat. Once the water has boiled, take the pot off the heat and let the eggs sit for 15 minutes. Put the eggs in ice water and allow them to cool for 10-15 minutes. 

Peel the eggs and cut them in half, using a wet, sharp knife to make a clean cut. Removing the yolks and push them through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl. Add the mayo, dijon, relish, paprika, and S&P. If you have a piping bag, you can pipe the mixture into the yolks, but if not, you can use a zip top bag or you can spoon the filling in. Then top them with paprika and serve! 

TIP: If you do not have a deviled egg dish, cut a sliver off the bottom of the egg to make it flat.

Hope you enjoy!

[laurenebowyer]

Apple Crisp

Is there anything better, or more American for that matter, than a delicious, warm apple crisp that came right out of the oven served à la mode? I don't think so. Even better, these are in cute, individual portions. For this recipe, I use Granny Smith apples, which you can always find in a grocery store. That means you can make this recipe all year long!

Apple Crisp - makes 2 individual portions

Fruit:

1.5 lbs of apples (about 4 apples)

1/4 to 1/3 brown sugar

1/2 tsp. cinnamon 

1-2 tbs. lemon juice (1/2 lemon or so)

1/8 tsp. salt

1 tbs. cornstarch (optional)

Topping:

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup oats (not the quick cooking kind)

2 tbs. brown sugar

1/8 tsp. salt

4 tbs. cold, unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 

Peel apples, cut them into 1/2 inch chunks and combine them with brown sugar, cinnamon, lemon juice, salt and if the mixture looks too loose, you can add cornstarch.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, oats, brown sugar, salt and butter. With a pastry cutter, or your hands, combine the ingredients together, breaking up the butter into small clumps. 

Pour the apple mixture in ramekins and put the crumble topping over the apples. 

Bake the individual portions in the oven for 30 minutes. Serve warm with your favorite ice cream or gelato! 

Hope you enjoy!

[laurenebowyer]

Perfect Fried Chicken

Let me start off by saying, fried chicken is intimidating. I bought the chicken whole, so there's the task of butchering a whole chicken into 10 pieces. Then you have to deal with getting the oil to the perfect temperature. You also have to make sure chicken is cooked on the inside, and you really have no way of knowing until you bite into it. However, it is SO worth it. My roomie, Dana even said, "It's one of the best pieces of fried chicken I've ever had." That's enough for me! 

Perfect Fried Chicken

1 3 lb. whole chicken, butchered into 10 pieces (If 3 lb. isn't available, just get the lightest chicken you can)

1 pint of buttermilk

10-15 of hot sauce (whichever hot sauce you prefer)

2 cups of flour

1.5 tsp.cayenne pepper 

1 tsp. paprika

3 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. onion powder

Salt & Pepper

Once your chicken is butchered (the link on how to do that is below), place the chicken, buttermilk, hot sauce, 2 tsp. salt and 1 tsp. pepper into a bowl, making sure the chicken is fully coated. Place plastic wrap on the top bowl and have the chicken marinate in the fridge for a least four hours.  

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. Also, set aside a baking sheet with a wire rack to put the finished chicken on. 

Once you are ready to start frying the chicken, place a cast iron skillet (mine is around 8 inches in diameter) on your stove top, filling it with peanut oil about two inches up the side. Using an oil thermometer, start to heat the oil to 320 degrees F, over medium heat. 

While the oil is heating up, make the flour mixture. In a shallow dish, combine the flour, cayenne pepper, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, 1 tbs. salt, and 1 tsp. of pepper.  

Dripping off excess buttermilk, dunk the chicken pieces into flour, making sure there is a good coating on the pieces. Once the oil has heated to 320 degrees F, place the first batch chicken pieces into cast iron skillet. Place them in the skillet going AWAY from you, so oil doesn't spatter on you. I suggest frying the same kind of pieces (i.e. drumsticks, legs, thighs, breasts) together so ensure even cooking. 

Once the pieces are in the skillet, the oil's temperature will drop. Bring the temperature back up by adding heat.

Once the chicken is golden brown on one side, which will take 5-8 minutes, depending on the piece of chicken and size. Flip the chicken and get that side cooked as well. Once it's cooked, place it on the wire rack and sprinkle salt over the salt. 

Once all of the chicken is cooked and placed on the wire rack, put it in the oven to keep warm and to continue cooking. 

After some time in the oven, it should be crispy on the outside and deliciously juicy on the inside! 

Enjoy hot, at room temperature, or cold. It tastes delicious at any temperature! 

Hope you enjoy!

How to butcher a chicken

[laurenebowyer]

ML's Carrot Cake

I’ve had so many Carrot Cakes over the years, but my aunt Mary Louise’s has been the best, by far! This is definitely a recipe I will continue to pass down. This cake is so simple and easy to make! I promise this cake is going to be super satisfying! 

ML’s Carrot Cake

Cake:

1 1/2 cups of vegetable oil

2 cups sugar

4 eggs

2 cups flour

3 tsp. cinnamon

2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

3 cups of hand grated carrots

Icing:

24 oz. of cream cheese (3 blocks), at room temperature

2 sticks of butter, at room temperature

2 lbs. powdered sugar

2 tsp. vanilla extract

Pinch of salt

2 cups of chopped pecans, plus more whole pecans to decorate the top

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl mix vegetable oil and sugar. Add eggs one at a time and mix until smooth. 

In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. 

Add dry ingredients in three batches, making sure the batter is smooth. 

Add grated carrots one cup at a time.

Divide the batter evenly into three 9-inch round cake pans, which have been sprayed with cooking spray. 

Cook the cakes in the oven for 30 minutes. 

While the cakes are cooking, you can make the delicious cream cheese icing!

Combine the cream cheese and butter in a bowl of a stand mixer and using the paddle attachment, mix on medium until combined and a little fluffy. Add the powdered sugar slowly and mix on low so the sugar won’t come flying out. Once everything is combined, add the vanilla, salt and chopped pecans.

Once the cakes are cooled, layer one cake on the bottom of your plate and add a hefty amount of icing on top of that layer and smooth it into an even layer. Add another good amount of icing onto that layer and smooth out. Then place the last layer on the top and smooth the rest of the icing on the top and sides of the cake. 

Add whole pecans to the top of the cake in a circular pattern. 

Hope you enjoy! 

[laurenebowyer]

Sweet, Crunchy Granola

Just thinking about having homemade granola in my pantry makes me so excited! You can have it for breakfast with some milk or yogurt, or you can just grab a handful of it as a snack! I recently made some of this, and I realized how much better it was than the stuff I bought from the grocery store. I love these flavors together - almonds, golden raisins and dried cranberries are such a good combination. If you like another combination, you can easily substitute for any nut or dried fruit of your choice! 

Sweet, Crunchy Granola

2 1/2 cups rolled oats (not the quick cooking kind)

1/4 cup brown sugar (light or dark will do)

1/4 of pure maple syrup

1/4 vegetable oil

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup slivered almonds

1/2 cup golden raisins

1/2 cup dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. Combine oats, brown sugar, maple syrup, vegetable oil, salt, and almonds and place onto a sheet pan. Cook for an hour, stirring the granola around every 15 minutes to ensure even browning. 

Once the granola has turned to a crisp, golden brown, take the granola out of the oven and add the golden raisins and dried cranberries.

The granola should stay good for about a week or so, but I guarantee it won’t last that long! 

Hope you enjoy!

[laurenebowyer]

Make Lemonade!

While my blog will not be solely all things lemons, I thought it would be apropos to have my first post be about lemonade. I was born a yankee, but I came down to the south and am a student at Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama, and the lemonade at Toomer’s Drugs is tradition. They squeeze the lemons right in front of you and mix the sugary syrup and lemony goodness together to make the most satisfying lemonade you’ll ever have.

I decided to recreate this lemonade at home, but make it with a twist - with basil, mint and honey, ingredients I’m absolutely in love with. I also cut out half of the sugar by substituting it with stevia.

Honey-Basil Lemonade

10-15 basil leaves

10-15 mint leaves

1/2 cup of honey (up to 3/4 cup if you like it sweeter!)

1/2 cup of stevia (I use trivia - approx. 30 packets)

1 cup of lemon juice (4-6 lemons, depending on juiciness)

4 cups of water, separate

2-3 cups of ice (frozen lemonade or regular ice)

Take the basil and mint leaves and place it with the honey, stevia, and 1 cup of water in a small saucepan over medium heat until the honey and stevia have dissolved and the syrup has reduced slightly (about 10-15 minutes).

Take the syrup off the heat and let cool for 30 minutes to an hour to let the basil and mint steep. Strain out the basil and mint. Pour the lemon juice, honey, mint-basil syrup, 3 cups of water, and ice into a pitcher. If desired, add mint and basil leaves into the lemonade for added color!

If you really want to be fancy, you can freeze your lemonade into ice cubes and use that instead of regular ice - so the lemonade won’t get diluted.

Hope you enjoy!