Cranberry Honey Glazed Walnut Chicken Salad

This is not your typical chicken salad.  Inspired by a local restaurant, I came up with my own version of the best chicken salad I have ever made.  Just take a few minutes to glaze your walnuts and this salad comes together in minutes.  Serve on pita bread, in a wrap or as a simple salad on romaine leaves.

Honey Glazed Walnuts
1-1/2 cups chopped walnuts 1 Tbsp. unsalted butter 3 Tbsp. honey
Melt butter in a medium size saucepan.  Add walnuts and honey and stir until fragrant and thickened, about 3 to 4 minutes.  Spread out on parchment paper or lightly sprayed foil to cool.  

You won't be able to stop munching on these!
Chicken Salad
2 cups cooked, cubed chicken 1 tsp. Dijon Mustard 1 tsp. lemon juice 1/2 cup mayonnaise 1/2 cup dried cranberries 1/2 cup Honey Glazed Walnuts Salt and Pepper to taste
Mix all ingredients in a medium bowl and chill.

Enjoy!

Strawberry Basil Freezer Jam

If you have never tried your hand at making homemade jams or jellies, this is an easy, quick recipe to get you started.  Capture the flavor of fresh strawberries (with a hint of fresh basil) in a soft set jam that you can freeze and have all year long.  Nothing beats the taste of fresh strawberries in the middle of winter!
This jam makes a delicious, light summer breakfast on warm, buttered biscuits, whole grain toast, or you can even use it as a topping for ice cream.

3 cups crushed, fresh strawberries 3 cups sugar 1-3/4 oz. package of fruit pectin 3/4 cup water 1/4 cup chopped, fresh basil
I pulsed the strawberries slightly in the food processor to help crushed the berries.  Leave it chunky!
In a large bowl, mix the 3 cups of crushed strawberries.  Mix well to moisten the sugar.
In a small saucepan, mix the fruit pectin with 3/4 cup of water.  Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly.  Boil for one minute.  Remove from heat.  Stir pectin and water mixture into the strawberry and sugar mixture.  Stir constantly for about 3-4 minutes or until the sugar is completely dissolved.  Stir in freshly chopped basil.
After the jam sets, the chunks of strawberries float to the top.  Stir to combine and distribute the berries evenly to get a burst of fresh strawberry in every bite!

Pour mixture into freezer-safe containers with tight fitting lids.  If you are not freezing the jam, pour into jam jars.  Let mixture sit at room temperature for 4 hours before transferring into freezer or fridge.  If you freeze, allow to thaw in the refrigerator.  Jam should last 2-3 weeks in the fridge or up to one year in the freezer.
Get your labels for your jars HERE!
Photo submitted to #JerseyFreshLove

Salted Caramel Brownie Brittle with Nestle Toll House DelightFulls

Are you a brownie lover that loves those crispy bits on the edges and corners? These brownies are a crispy and crunchy wafer that gives you those edges and corners in each bit. #DelightFulls Filled Baking Morsels bring you a new and exciting way to bake! Their innovative technology provides the same great Nestle Toll House Chocolate you know and love, now filled with 4 delicious flavors. Slightly larger than a regular morsel, these morsels allow you to put a special twist on traditional recipes like a cookie or a brownie, or open up a variety of new fun recipes to try! The DelighFulls filled morsels hold their shape when they bake, and can be used whole, cut in half, or coarsely chopped for a surprising delight of flavor and color in a baked good (not to mention popping them in your mouth right out of the bag!) It's the hottest new snack!  I thought these would be perfect for these crispy brownies and I'm going to try all the flavors to change up these sweet treats.  Besides the Milk Chocolate with Caramel, they have Milk Chocolate with Peanut Butter, Dark Chocolate with Mint and Dark Chocolate with Cherry!  Any of these would be great for this Nestle Toll House Holiday Recipe I added walnuts and a sprinkling of coarse sea salt.

Ingredients
1/2 cup all-purpose flour 1/4 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. baking powder 2 large egg whites 1 cup sugar 2 Tbsp. cocoa powder 1/2 tsp. espresso powder 1/4 cup canola oil 1/2 tsp. vanilla 1 Tbsp. dry milk powder 1/3 cup Nestle Toll House Milk Chocolate Morsels with Caramel Filling 1/2 cup chopped walnuts Coarse sea salt (optional) Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.  Line a jelly roll pan or baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk together the flour, salt and baking powder and set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk egg whites until frothy. Add the sugar, cocoa powder, espresso powder, oil and vanilla and whisk until smooth. Whisk in the milk powder and flour and beat until smooth. Stir in chocolate chips. Spread the batter on the parchment paper using a spoon or spatula to spread it as thin as possible. Sprinkle with walnuts and sea salt.

Bake the brittle for 20 minutes.  Remove from the oven and cut into squares using a pizza wheel or knife. 

 Do not separate the squares.  Return the pan to the oven and bake for an additional 5 minutes.  Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan.  When the brittle is cool, break into pieces.  

For some Deliciously New Holiday DelightFull Recipes and product information visit Nestle Toll House! 

 Today’s post is sponsored by Nestle Toll House, but my love for their DelightFulls filled morsels is all my own!

Philly Fluff Cake

 We made a trip recently to a bakery that my niece was raving about!  This family-owned bakery, Natale's  specializes and is famous for this cake.  Where did it get it's name?  Philly, I assume comes from the cream cheese in the recipe.   In the bakery case, these cakes look like an Angel Food cake dusted with powdered sugar - so what's the big deal?  It's sweet, moist and buttery with a crisp brown crust and literally melts in your mouth - that's the big deal.  

10 oz. cream cheese, softened 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened 1/2 cup vegetable shortening 2 cup all-purpose flour 2 tsp. baking powder 1 tsp. salt 2 cup granulated sugar, divided 6 large eggs 1 tsp. vanilla extract Confectioner's sugar for dusting

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease and flour a 12-cup Bundt or tube pan.

     2.  In a large bowl or stand mixer, cream together the cream cheese, butter and shortening on medium-

          high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. 

I think this is where the "Fluff" comes in.

          In a smaller bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt.

          Add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture and mix on low speed until blended - it will

          be very thick.

     3.  Gradually add 1 cup of the sugar and the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Add

          the vanilla and the remaining 1 cup sugar and continue beating, scraping down the sides of the bowl 

          once or twice, until the batter is smooth.

The cake will settle while cooling - it's too pretty to turn over!

     4.  Pour batter into prepared pan.  Bake for 60 to 65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center

          comes out clean.  Cool on a wire rack to 15 minutes.  Invert the cake onto a platter and cool 

          completely.  Dust with a generous amount of confectioner's sugar.

Jalapeno Pineapple Preserves

Jalapeno Pineapple Preserves are a sweet pepper preserve with a pineapple twist, the spicy flavor provides a great taste that can be used as a glaze on meats, or for a fast appetizer with cream cheese and crackers.  The preserves just have a hint of the jalapeno with the sweet taste of the pineapple.  When served with cream cheese on a salty cracker, this appetizer will be the talk of the party! If you are using canned pineapple, you can whip this up in no time!  Great to give as a hostess gift and a quick, tasty appetizer.  It's hard to eat just one or two!

2-1/2 cups sugar 4 cups fresh pineapple or 2 - 20 oz. cans Crushed Pineapple in own juice, well drained 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice 2 jalapeno pepper, seeds and veins removed, finely minced 1 Tbsp. unsalted butter 1 pkg. fruit pectin
If using fresh pineapple, dice and pulse in food processor or blender. In a 4 qt. pot, combine the sugar, pineapple, lemon juice, jalapenos and butter Cook over high heat, stirring constantly until mixture comes to a full rolling boil. Stir in the fruit pectin; return the mixture to a full rolling boil and boil for 1 minutes.
Ladle the hot preserves into sterilized jars and top with lids to seal. Let come to room temperature and refrigerate.

Apple Fritters

It would be a mistake to judge apple fritters by their appearance. Once you bite into that crunchy crust, you'll find a moist, fluffy dough filled with pieces of Granny Smith apples and the warm spices of cinnamon and nutmeg.
Fritters are usually served covered with powdered sugar, but in the recipe  we double the apple flavor by adding apple cider to the sugary glaze.

2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1/4" pieces 2 cup all-purpose flour 1/3 cup sugar 1 Tbsp. baking powder 1 tsp. salt 1 tsp. cinnamon 1/4 tsp. nutmeg 3/4 cup apple cider 2 large eggs, beaten 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted Peanut or vegetable oil
Glaze:
2 cups confectioner's sugar 1/4 cup apple cider 1/2 tsp. cinnamon 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg in a large bowl.  Whisk cider, eggs, and melted butter in medium bowl until combined.  Stir apples into flour mixture, stir in cider mixture until incorporated.
Set wire rack on baking sheet.  Heat oil in cast-iron pan over medium-high heat to 350 degrees.  Use 1/3 cup measure to transfer 5 portions of batter to oil.  Press battler lightly with the back of a spoon to flatten.  Fry until deep golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes per side.  Let fritters cool 5 minutes.

When fritters cool, whisk sugar, cider, cinnamon and nutmeg in medium bowl until smooth.  Top each fritter with 1 heaping tablespoon glaze.  Let glaze set for 10 minutes.
~Adapted from Cook's Country

Honey Bunches Chocolate Chip Cookies

The inspiration for these cookies came from a cookbook I received from The Daily Meal call "Cook yourself Sexy" by Candice Kumai.  The recipes make smart swaps to cut calories without sacrificing flavor.  One of her recipes was Cornflake Chocolate Chip Cookies.  The cereral in our house lately has been Honey Bunches of Oats - with almonds.  I thought this would a delicious subsitution since I'll eat the cereal straight out of the box!  It's full of almonds and oat clusters plus the flakes and made these cookies amazing!

3 Tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup mashed banana

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 eggs

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

2 cups Honey Bunches of Oats, slightly crushed

2 Tbsp. sweetened coconut (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray.

Whisk together the butter, mashed banana, brown sugar, and vanilla until cream and fluffy.

Add the 2 eggs and whisk well to combine

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.

Gently sift the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, whisking to incorporate.

Lightly fold in the chocolate chips, cereal and coconut, if desired.

Using a small ice cream scoop, place the cookies on the baking sheet, leaving 1-1/2 inches between cookies.

Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.

Makes about 3-1/2 dozen.

~Adapted from Cook Yourself Sexy

Pretzel Chocolate Chip Muffins

  Into sweet and salty?  Grab one of these muffins quick! Ground and broken pretzels in the batter and a pretzel streusel on top along with chocolate chips inside the muffin.    

For the streusel combine;
1/2 cup all purpose flour 1/3 cup sugar 1/4 cup each ground and broken pretzels 1/4 tsp. cinnamon 6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
For the muffins, whisk:
1 cup all-purpose flour 1 cup ground pretzels 1/2 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips 1 Tbsp. baking powder 1/2 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon 1 cup whole milk (or buttermilk) 2/3 cup sugar 2 eggs 1/4 cup canola oil 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted 1 tsp. vanilla extract Pretzel or other coarse salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Line a 12-cup muffin pan with liners; coat with nonstick spray.

For the streusel, combine 1/2 cup flour, 1/3 cup sugar, 1/4 cup ground pretzels and 1/4 tsp. cinnamon.  Stir 6 Tbsp. butter into dry mixture, cover and chill.

For the muffins, whisk together 1 cup flour, 1 cup ground pretzels, chocolate chips, baking powder, salt and 1/4 tsp. cinnamon.  Whisk together milk and 2/3 cup sugar until sugar dissolves.  Add eggs, oil, 4 Tbsp. butter and vanilla; stir into flour mixture.  Let batter sit 2 minutes, then divide among muffin cups.

Squeeze streusel into clumps; top muffins with it and sprinkle with coarse salt.  Bake muffins until a toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean, 17-19 minutes.  Let muffins cool in pan 10 minutes.

~Adapted from Cuisine at Home

       

Reduced-Fat Icebox Key Lime Pie

Key lime pie tastes light and bright, but surprisingly the light part isn't true.   Traditional recipes can include raw egg yolks, fatty whipped cream and clock in at about 450 calories per slice.
Greek yogurt gives this pie a creamy texture and I would eat this pie over the full-fat version any day - or at least more often.

1 reduced fat graham pie crust 4 ounces 1/3 less fat cream cheese, softened 3/4 cup juice and 1 Tbsp. grated zest from 6 limes 1/4 cup sugar 1-1/4 tsp. unflavored gelatin 1 (14-ounce) can fat-free sweetened condensed milk 1/2 cup fat-free Greek yogurt 1/3 cup instant vanilla pudding mix 1 tsp. vanilla extract
Process sugar and zest in food processor until sugar turns bright green, about 30 seconds.
Combine 3 Tbsp. lime juice and gelatin in a small bowl and let sit until gelatin softens, about 5 minutes.  Microwave until mixture is bubbling around edges and gelatin dissolved, about 30 seconds.  In a stand mixer, combine sugar with lime zest, condensed milk, yogurt, vanilla pudding mix and cream cheese and blend until smooth.  With machine running, pour in gelatin mixture, remaining lime juice, and vanilla and beat until thoroughly combined.
Scrape mixture into pie shell and smooth top.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 3 hours.
Traditional Icebox Pie Calories:445 Fat 22g Saturated Fat 14g
Reduced-Fat Icebox Pie Calories 307 Fat 9g Saturated Fat 5g
~Cook's Country

"Everything" Muffins

These muffins have everything in them except the kitchen sink. AKA Morning Glory Muffins, this recipe is a throw back to the 60's, bringing together fruit and veg in an earthy muffin.

Dry Ingredients:
3/4 cup sweetened coconut 1/2 cup walnuts 2-1/4 cup flour (white or whole wheat) 3/4 cup sugar 1-1/2 tsp. baking soda 1 tsp cinnamon 1/2 tsp. baking powder 3/4 tsp. salt 1/3 cup Wheat Germ (optional) Wet Ingredients:
1 8 oz. can crushed pineapple 1 Granny Smith Apple, peeled and grated 8 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted 3 large eggs 1 tsp. vanilla 2 4 oz. jars of baby food carrots(or 1-1/2 cups grated carrots) 1 cup raisans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Toast coconut and walnuts in a medium skillet over medium heat until lightly browned and fragrant; let cool.  Process coconut and walnuts until finely ground.  Transfer to a large bowl.  Add flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, baking powder and salt.
Place pineapple and shredded apple in a strainer over a liquid measuring cup. Press fruit dry until you get 1 cup of liquid. Bring juice to a boil in the same skillet you toasted the coconut and walnuts.  Cook until reduce to 1/4 cup, about 5 minutes.
In same liquid measuring cup, melt butter.  Add reduced liquid and raisans.  Let cool.  This will also plump up the raisans.
When cool, whisk in 3 eggs and vanilla and carrots.   Stir wet mixture into dry mixture until combined. Stir in pineapple-apple mixture.
Grease a 12-cup muffin tin. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups. Bake 24-28 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in tin 10 minutes.

~Adapted from Cook's Country Sharing with: Food Friday Frenzy                        Weekend Potluck                        From the Farm                        Real Housemoms

Peach Pocket Pies

These little pies are easy to put together and can be filled with any fruit. When peaches are in season use fresh, but frozen works just as well in this recipe.

I was looking to use up the last of my lemon curd.  This recipe called for lemon zest and juice, which I replaced with lemon curd.

Lemon Curd Recipe

Combine:
1 cup fresh or frozen peeled and chopped peaches 3 Tbsp. granulated sugar 2 tsp. cornstarch 1 Tbsp. lemon curd Pinch of salt
Unroll:
1 refrigerated pie crust 1 egg, beaten Sugar for sprinkling
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine peaches, sugar, cornstarch, lemon curd and salt.
Unroll crust  and cut four circles using a 4-inch cutter. I have a gadget from Pampered Chef that is an oldy, but I still think they sell something similar. You can also just crimp with a fork.
Arrange two dough circles on prepared baking sheet.  Roll remaining dough circles to about 5 inches.
Using a slotted spoon, place 1/3 cup filling on the centers of dough circles on baking sheet.

Brush egg around edges, then top with larger dough circles and press edges together to tightly seal.  Crimp with gadget or fork.  Brush tops of pies with remaining egg and sprinkle with sugar.  Cut two or three slits in tops.
Bake pies until crusts are golden and filling bubbles, 25-30 minutes.

Let pies cool 10-15 minutes.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

This only makes two pies.  If you make your own crust, double or triple the filling recipe.
~Adapted from Cuisine At Home Sharing with Thursdays Treasures                     Real Housemoms                     A Peek into my Paradise

Fresh Lemon Mousse #Ina Fridays

For those of you who love Ina Garten's recipes, a group of us get together and re-create on of her recipes at home.  This fresh lemon mousse is a summer dessert but it's elegant enough to serve to company any time of the year.

Fresh Lemon Mousse

3 extra-large whole eggs

3 extra-large eggs, separated

1 cup plus 2 Tbsp. sugar

2 tsp. grated lemon zest

1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 3 lemons)

Kosher salt

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup lemon curd (recipe follows)

Sweetened Whipped Cream (recipe follows)

Sliced lemon, for garnish

In a large heat-proof bowl, whisk together the 3 whole eggs, 3 egg yolks, 1 cup sugar, the lemon zest, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt.  Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, for 8 to 10 minutes, or until with mixture thickens like pudding.  Take off the heat and set aside for 15 minutes.  Cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours, until completely chilled.

Lemon Curd

3 lemons

1-1/2 cups sugar

1/4 lb. unsalted butter, room temperature

4 extra-large eggs

1/2 cup lemon juice

1/8 tsp. kosher salt.

Using a carrot peeler, remove the zest of 3 lemons, being careful to avoid the white pith.  Put the zest in a food processor fitted with a steel blade.  Add the sugar and pulse until the zest is very finely minced into the sugar.

Cream the butter and beat in the sugar and lemon mixture.  Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and then add the lemon juice and salt.  Mix until combined.  The mixture will look curdled, but as soon as you begin to cook the mixture it smooths out fine.

Pour the mixture into a 2 quart saucepan and cook over low heat until thickened, (about 7-10 minutes), stirring constantly.  As soon as it begins to thicken, remove from heat, cool and refrigerate.

(Lemon Meringue Pie in a Jar)

Place egg whites and a pinch of salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.  Beat on high speed.  Add the remaining 2 Tbsp. sugar and continue to beat until the whites are stiff and shiny.  Carefully fold the beaten whites into the cold lemon mixture with a rubber spatula.  Place the cream in the same bowl of the electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (no need to clean the bowl) and beat on high speed until the cream forms stiff peaks.  Carefully fold the whipped cream into the lemon mixture.  Fold in the lemon curd and pour into a 7-inch diameter, 3-inch deep souffle dish.  Decorate with sweetened whipped cream and lemon slices.

Chill and serve cold.

Sweetened Whipped Cream

1 cup cold heavy cream

1 Tbsp. sugar

1/2 tsp. vanilla

Whip on high speed until the cream forms stiff peaks.

Spoon or pipe cream on top of mousse.

Visit all the participants who contribute to Ina Fridays!

• Anshie @ Spice Roots
• Barbara @ Moveable Feasts
• Alyce @ moretimeatthetable.com
• Chaya @ Bizzy Bakes
• Linda @ Tumbleweed Contessa
• Martha @ Simple Nourished Living
• Minnie @ The Lady 8 Home
• Mireya @ My Healthy Eating Habits
• Ria @ Ria’s Collection
• Rocky Mountain Woman @ Rocky Mountain Woman
• Veronica@ My Catholic Kitchen
• Patti @ Comfy Cuisine
• Mary@  Buck ‘n Run Ranch
Take a look at the Ina First Friday Pinboard too.

Recipe from Barefoot Contessa Free Download Lemon Curd Labels Sharing with Weekend Potluck