Best bread on the planet. Truth.

This Thanksgiving my Marko and I were responsible for bringing the bread. He wanted to order it all, but, I, not unlike a superhero, swung into action and offered to bake fresh bread!!
Look, I've said it at least a thousand times, i am terrified of yeast breads. I decided to tackle my fear, and (not unlike a superhero, again), i succeeded!!! My cousin suzy sent me this recipe from a video she watched on the net from the New York Times.
This is truly, unequivocally the best, most delicious and EASIEST bread ever. It is unreal. It is super crusty and crunchy on the inside but super chewy and soft and amazing on the inside. Please please please make this. Thank me later ;)

Recipe: No-Knead Bread Adapted from Jim Lahey, Sullivan Street Bakery


Ingredients:
3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, more for dusting

¼ teaspoon instant yeast

1¼ teaspoons salt

1.5 cups water

Cornmeal or wheat bran as needed.

Directions:
1. In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add 1.5 cups water, and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.

2. Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes.

3. Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Generously coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal; put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. Cover with another cotton towel and let rise for about 2 hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.

4. At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450 degrees. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into pot, seam side up; it may look like a mess, but that is O.K. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack.

Let this cool for at least an hour or several hours. Then cut it up (so everyone is watching and can hear the crunchy crust!!!!!!!!!!), sit back and allow them to praise you for being super awesome!!!
Enjoy!!! Smooches!
gigi

Dinner biscuit (rock'n) rolls!

Sometimes I like to show off. Like, sometimes I want to make homemade bread with my homemade dinner meal.  This time I wanted a quick and easy dinner role recipe that i could throw together in no time.  I found this recipe in my Paula Deen cookbook. Awesome. These are a cross between bread and biscuit. They are quick, warm and best served with a slather of butter. More than that, i looked like a rock star because i made homemade bread. bwahahahha!  Do something extra for dinner and make a batch of these!!! I didn't need 12, so i halved the recipe and they were perfect!

http://www.pauladeen.com/index.php/recipes/view/easy_rolls/
Ingredients
Butter, for greasing muffing tins
2 cups self-rising flour
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons sugar
4 heaping tablespoons mayonnaise

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Lightly grease a 12-cup muffin tin with butter.
In a large bowl, combine flour and milk, blending with a rubber spatula. Add the sugar and mayonnaise, and stir until just combined. Spoon batter into prepared muffin tin. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown.
Serve this with your fav meal and look like the superstar that you are!
smooches
gigi

Blueberry muffins with streusel topping

What is more wonderful than blueberry muffins? Blueberry muffins with cinnamon streusel on top. Omg. For these chili fall days, there is nothing that makes you feel more loved and warm than a batch of sweet muffins. Make some for your muffin ;)

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1/3 cup milk
1 cup fresh blueberries (i only had frozen)
1/2 cup white sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup butter, cubed
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon


1.Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease muffin cups or line with muffin liners.

2.Combine 1 1/2 cups flour, 3/4 cup sugar, salt and baking powder. Place vegetable oil into a 1 cup measuring cup; add the egg and enough milk to fill the cup. Mix this with flour mixture. Fold in blueberries. Fill muffin cups right to the top, and sprinkle with crumb topping mixture.

3.To Make Crumb Topping: Mix together 1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup flour, 1/4 cup butter, and 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon. Mix with fork, and sprinkle over muffins before baking.

4.Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until done.

Serve with a big smile and a warm heart
Enjoy!
gigi

Jam filled kisses :)

I just love being fancy shmancy sometimes. I wear high heels pretty much every day. I wear super nifty suits to work on occasion and i love mascara. These cookies are the fake eyelashes of cookies. They are so super fancy, but don't require a lot of ingredients, but do require a lot of time. They are however, worth every single second. Both the eyelashes and these cookies :) Like fake eyelashes, these beautiful dolls are sure to get you some attention! The shapes remind me of puckering lips and kisses! aww! So, i guess we are still on the love theme! yayy!! Make these!!!
Jam filled crescents
(adapted from Food TV Magazine - Melissa D'Arabian)
Ingredients:

2 sticks of butter - softened
8 oz cream cheese
2 cups of flour
apricot jam
raspberry jam
(any flavor you want jam...i used apricot, cherry and sugar free raspberry)

Directions:

1.  Beat the butter and cream cheese together until creamy.
2.  Slowly add the flour - do not over mix!
3. divide the mixture into 2 balls and form them into discs.
4. wrap them in saran wrap and put them in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or until you are ready.

 Preheat your oven to 375

5. Flour a rolling surface very very well - this dough is very sticky and will stick to any surface if you don't use enough flour.

6.  Roll out 1 of the discs to about 1/8 inch thickness (i totally used a ruler...but it was pink!)

7. Cut out rounds with a 3 inch cookie cutter

8. Fill each round with about a 1/2 tsp of jam

9. lightly brush water on the edge of each round and fold each over to form a crescent

10. take a fork and make indention's so they look pretty.
11. Bake for 22 minutes and allow to cool completely (even over night)

12. When you are ready to serve them, roll them in powdered sugar.

 This is going to be a huge huge huge mess. But worth it!!!

  



When you are baking them, you'll hear some of the jam leaking out and sizzling, but don't worry! They will be perfect.

 Yum!!! Enjoy!!!
Smooches,
gigi



Apple Crisp

'Tis the for apple crisp. Warm, cinnamon-y, deliciousness, topped with vanilla ice-cream that melts and is like gooey lava love. Yeah. I love this season. This was super easy and delish. Just imagine the cool crisp fall air, the leaves falling and having a bowl of this warm goodness, whilst wearing your favorite fluffy socks. Heaven. I know.


Ingredients
Filling:
5 to 6 medium-size apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1/4-inch slices. (About 7.5 cups)
3 tbsp granulated sugar
1.5 tsp cinnamon

Topping:
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup lightly packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 stick unsalted butter, well-softened
2/3 cup finely chopped pecans (optional)
1/3 cup quick oats

Preheat the oven to 350. Generously grease an 8×8 baking pan with butter.

Place a layer of apple slices in the bottom of the pan and dust with sugar/cinnamon mixture. Continue layering apples and dusting with cinnamon/sugar until done. Toss the apple mixture until evenly coated in cinnamon sugar. The apples should be just about to the top of the pan (they will cook down).

Cut up a bunch of apples, like so:

Then make your topping,

For the topping, place the flour, brown sugar, nuts, cinnamon and oats in a large bowl and stir well with a wooden spoon. Work the butter into the mixture with your fingertips until evenly distributed. Take one full handful of the topping and toss it into the sugared apple mixture. Spread the rest of the topping evenly over the apples. (I usually end up with a dough-like topping that I just lay on top of the apples).


Bake the crisp in the dish on a baking sheet on the center oven rack until the topping is crunchy and the apples are bubbling, 55-60 minutes.
And then....mmmm

Whatever you do, DO NOT FORGET ICE CREAM. That would be illegal. It would just be wrong.
Enjoy fall everyone :)
smooches, gigi

Love biscuits.

I'm keeping this love theme going, because its super duper.  Love Biscuits. You read that right.

I have never made rolled out biscuits. I always make drop biscuits. I don't really know why. I'm kind of a wuss when it comes to dough. So weird, but whateves. I was in a mood to bake this week and i thought I'd just keep adding to things I've never made. I'm hard core like that. I'm so hard core that i used a heart shaped biscuit cutter :) hehehehe awwwww!!!!

How adorable are they??? And you get to eat them. Eat your heart out!!!!!! OMG! I totally just made that up right now!!! wowwwwwww! The talent...

Anyway, make these, keep that love theme going and make these and slather them with butter and jam :) then looooooove!!!

Ingredients:

2 cups all purpose flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shortening
1 egg
2/3 cup milk

Directions:
1. In small bowl combine flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Cut in shortening until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
2. in a separate bowl beat the egg with the milk and stir it into the dry ingredients just until moistened.
3. Turn onto a well floured surface ad knead about 20 times.
4. Roll to a 3/4 inch thickness and cut out hearts :) with a heart biscuit shaped cutter.
5. Place on a lightly greased baking sheet
6. Bake at 450 F for about 8-10 minutes until they are just golden on the top.
7. Serve them warm and with love...

Happy hearts my friends!
love, gigi!!!

Chicken and dumplings are my new bff's.

So! I had soooo much chicken left over from the ginormous chicken i made in the last post and decided to make chicken and dumplings. Why? Well, first, because i've never had them before (i know, right?!), second, because i heard it was mucho delish, and third because it is getting chilly in Detroit. Ok. fine. I'm totally lying. I made them because my Marko loves chicken and dumplings :) so i thought I'd make something i could brag about forever!! Bwhahahahaha! 
However, all bragging aside...it was soooo amazing. Like, beyond amazing. Like if amazing was earth, this meal is mars (go with it). It was super creamy, spicy, hearty and warrrm. Did I mention super duper easy? It is. Make this. Now. And!!! As a total bonus, this is my gift to all my single peeps! Because, if you don't have a significant other, and you want one - feed them this. Trust me. They will be smitten foreves. It's like a love spell. Truth.

Chicken and Dumplings
re do!

8 cups chicken broth (1 box plus 2 cans) or 2 boxes
1 lb. left over chicken – shredded
1 c. sliced carrots
1 onion, minced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 bay leaf
1 handful of chopped fresh parsley (or 1 Tbsp. dried parsley)
1/2 tsp. basil
salt and pepper (lots of pepper) to taste
2 14-oz. cans evaporated milk (fat free is fine)
Dumplings: the recipe below

Directions:
In a large pot, heat some olive oil over medium heat and add onions and garlic. Saute for a few minutes until translucent. To this add about 3-4 soup spoons of flour to make a roux, which will make your soup thick. Let this cook for a few minutes to get rid of the the raw flour flavor. Next,  and then add chicken broth, carrots, chicken, bay leaf, and basil. Bring to a boil. Cover cook for about 10 minutes and add chopped parsley. Add evaporated milk.

Add the dumplings: 
Dumplings:
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoons of salt
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons milk

Combine the flour, baking powder, 1 1/4 teaspoons salt, and milk in a medium bowl. Stir well until smooth, then let the dough rest for 5-10 minutes. Roll the dough out onto a floured surface to about a 1/2 inch thickness. Cut the dough into 1/2 inch squares and drop each square into the simmering stock. Use all of the dough.

The dumplings will first swell and then slowly shrink as they partially dissolve to thicken the stock into a white gravy. Simmer for 30-40 minutes until thick. Stir often.


This is great right away, but honestly, the leftovers are even better. I don't know why, but once the flavors have a chance to marry, its like angels singing. For realz.
Now go get yourself some lovin!!!
smooches!
gigi

Whole-y chicken!! hehehe

So, my posse and i went to Eastern Market a couple weeks ago and scored some amazing veggies for super duper cheap. For those of you who dont know what Eastern Market is, it is only the best farmers market on the planet. Truth. Anywhoo, i decided once we got home, i'd try my hand at making a chicken with vegetables. Do you think this is lame? whatevevs. I've never done it before. Everyone has a first time.
SO! moving on....i bought this really super rub spice thingy:

So, i rubbed this rubz guy all over a big chicken, along with some olive oil that i got from the grocery store and added some fingerlings and green beans.  I baked it at 375 for about 1.5 hours and came out with this:

Hey daddy...how you doin??? He was doin dammmmmmn fine. Make this. Its so easy and so good.

Ingredients:
1. awesome huge chicken
2. a pound of fingerling potatoes
3. a bunch of green beans
4. a packet of flavored rub
olive oil

Wash your chicken really well and rub it with olive oil.  Sprinkle it very liberally with spice mixture and massage it in. Stick it in a pan and add potatoes that have been sprinkled with spice as well and add the green beans.
Cover it with tin foil and bake at 375 for about 1.5 hours or until the thermometer measures 180 degrees in the thigh.

Enjoy!! Smooches!
gigi!

Quadruple chocolate chunk and macadamia nut brownie cookies.

Yes, the title is correct. It contains the word quadruple.  I love cookies. I could only eat cookies for the rest of my life and be totally ok with that.  I like taking cookies to my friends houses because it makes me feel super cool. These cookies are quadruple chocolate goodness. I'm fairly certain that these cookies will cure every ailment. Each and every bite contains a chocolatey nutty mouthful of love. I mean, they are like, beyond delooosh.  Make these. Do it.

You will need:
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
2/3 cup Butter flavored crisco
1 TBS water
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1.5 cups flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 cup white chocolate chips
1 cup chocolate chunks or chips - I used a combination of both!
1 cup coarsely chopped macadamia nuts

1. Heat oven to 375

2. Place brown sugar, shortening, water and vanilla in large bowl and beat until well blended.
3. Add eggs and beat well.
4. whisk flour, cocoa, salt and baking soda in a separate bowl
5. Add flour mixture to shortening mixture and beat at low speed just until blended.
6. Add in chocolate chips and macadamia nuts and mix by hand just until they are mixed in. Do not over mix!
7. Drop by heaping spoonfulls onto ungreased cookie sheet.
8. Bake one sheet at a time for 7-9 minutes.

Let cookies cool completely and jump around clapping your hands because you are the coolest person ever.
:-) smooches
gigi

Party Spirals

Guess who finally got invited to a party??? MEEEEEEE!! ha! See! I told you i would! Lucky for moi, i am still in the party food blogging spirit? Wanna know what i brought? Puffed pastry spirals stuffed with Parmesan, turkey and cayan pepper. mmmm mmmm mmmm!

This picture is one cookie sheet full.  I ended up with 3 cookies sheets full. Just enough for a party!

You will need:
1 box of puffed pastry
1 egg
1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese
2 tsp cayan pepper.

Preheat oven to 400° F. Beat egg and water until blended, set aside. Unfold pastry on lightly floured surface. Roll into 14x10“ rectangle;cut in half lengthwise. Brush pastry with some of the egg mixture. Sprinkle 3 tbsp. of the cheese and pepper evenly over one of the pastry pieces, cover with turkey slices. Roll up tightly to form a 14” log. Starting at one of the long sides, cut crosswise into 24 slice. Place cut side down on parchment covered baking sheet. Brush with remaining egg mixture. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake 12-14 minutes
Enjoy!!!
Smooches - Gigi

Baked spinach and artichoke dip.

Yup. I'm still in party mode. Why the heck not? I had some of my fav friends over last weekend and this dip was a hit! It is courtesy of Paula Deen, so how could it not be awesome? It is super fancy. super. fancy.  Make this. Trust me. You will be the best party thrower everrrrrrrr! And in case you are wondering, this is still considered a baked good as it comes out of the oven ;-)

Ingredients


1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach

2 (13 3/4-ounce) cans artichoke hearts

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup sour cream

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan

1 cup grated pepper jack cheese

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a casserole dish with nonstick spray.

Thaw the spinach in a microwave oven on high for 5 minutes and squeeze dry. Drain the artichoke hearts and chop them up.

Combine all the ingredients except the jack cheese in a large bowl. Stir well. Scrape into the prepared casserole dish and sprinkle the jack cheese on top. Bake for 30 minutes. Serve with bagel chips.
Enjoy!
Smooches - gigi

Fresh Strawberry Cake!

I'm still on a party theme. I like to bake stuff and feed it to people. Don't judge me.  In fact, call me when you are hungry for something sweet and then come over. And bring wine :)

Speaking of sweets,  I love this cake. It travels really well and makes people smile. I adapted this recipe from Martha Stewart (LOVE) except i tweaked it a bit. See, i love desserts and sweets. No lie. I LOVE DESSERTS AND SWEETS. But! Most recipes call for waaaaaaaay too much sugar. I don't really get down like that. Here is a gigi tip: when using fresh berries or fruit in a recipe, feel free to cut the sugar at least in half. Do this. There is no need to send people into sugar shock. This cake was perfectly moist and sweet and light with just a touch of sugar. Oh and look how pretttttttty it is!!!

go and get:

6 tablespoon(s) unsalted butter, softened, plus more for cake pan

1 1/2 cup(s) all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup sugar (Martha's recipe called for 1 1/2 cups!!! whaaaaaaaaat)

1 tablespoon sugar, for berries

1 large egg

1/2 cup milk

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 pound strawberries, hulled and halved

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 10-inch cake pan. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together into a medium bowl.

Put butter and 1/2 cup sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to medium-low; mix in egg, milk, and vanilla. (i just use a hand mixer)

Reduce speed to low; gradually mix in flour mixture. Transfer batter to buttered cake pan. Arrange strawberries on top of batter, cut sides down and as close together as possible. Sprinkle remaining 1 tablespoon sugar over berries.

Bake cake 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees. Bake until cake is golden brown and firm to the touch, about 1 hour. Let cool in pie plate on a wire rack. Cut into wedges. Cake can be stored at room temperature, loosely covered, up to 2 days.