hot chick

nashville-style hot chicken tenders

love me tender

what's better than fried chicken? HOT fried chicken! with the hot sauce craze at its peak, these crunchy, sweet-and-spicy-on-the-outside, tender-and-juicy-on-the-inside chicken fingers are a deliciously modern variation of a classic favorite. despite your kitchen smelling like a grease pit when you're finished cooking, THESE TENDERS ARE WORTH IT.

hot chicken is a variation of fried chicken that originated in nashville, tennessee. the chicken is dipped in a mixture of buttermilk and hot sauce, double breaded, fried, and finished with a spicy-sweet sauce. hot chicken is typically served on white bread with pickle chips to cut some of the heat. 

enjoy this taste of pan-fried paradise!

ingredients:

2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts

1/2 tbsp ground black pepper

1 tbsp plus 2 tsp kosher salt

2 large eggs

1 cup buttermilk

1 tbsp tabasco

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

vegetable oil for frying (about 2 cups) `

2 tbsp cayenne pepper

1 tbsp dark brown sugar

1/2 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp paprika

optional white bread and hamburger chip pickles (for serving)

directions:

slice chicken into strips (~4 strips per breast)

toss strips in a large bowl with black pepper and 1 tbsp of salt and chill for 2-3 hours

whisk eggs, buttermilk, and tabasco in a large bowl

whisk flour and remaining salt in another large bowl

fill a medium to large frying pan with oil to measure ~2 inches and heat oil to medium-high heat (~325 degrees F)

working in batches of ~3 strips, dredge chicken in flour mixture, dip in buttermilk mixture, and dredge again in flour mixture

fry the breaded chicken, turning occasionally until breading is golden-brown and chicken feels firm*

safely remove the fried chicken from the hot oil and place strips on a few layers of paper towels to absorb excess oil

continue dredging and frying directions until all chicken strips are fried

using leftover oil from the frying pan, whisk 1/2 cup of hot oil with garlic powder, paprika, cayenne, chili powder, and brown sugar

brush this sauce over the chicken so that it is completely covered (i brushed mine over twice)

serve with bread and pickles if desired

*if unsure if chicken is completely cooked, use a meat thermometer to see that meat is at least 160 degrees F

i'm donuts for you

baked glazed donuts

from left, cinnamon sugar, chocolate with nutella glaze, and chocolate glazed

two. that's the number of inches of snow atlanta got on tuesday. two is also (arguably) the number of snow plows in metro atlanta as well as the number of atlantans that have ever driven in snow. finally, two is the number of days that these sweet rings of tender love lasted before being devoured by my friends in the midst of our little state of emergency.

Ice-75?

these baked donuts were absolutely scrumptious. AND easy to make. AND my condo didn't smell like a deep-fried nightmare (you're welcome, neighbors). making minor modifications to one batter and one glaze resulted in the three different types of donuts that i chose to make. 

the best part of waking up is...donuts in your cup

these mouthwatering beauties were rich but light, with just the right amount stretch. the buttermilk boasted an old-fashioned, country-style flavor as well as a tender yet sturdy texture. these donuts will put your self-control to the test. did i mention that my boyfriend ate two of them before dinner?...and then two more after? 

whether you eat one donut (or several) is a matter to discuss with your doctor. enjoy!

donut ingredients:
2 cups flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs

note: to make chocolate batter, add 2 tbsp cocoa powder

glaze ingredients:
3 cups confectioner's sugar
6 tbsp water or milk
1 tsp vanilla extract

note: to make nutella glaze, add 5 tbsp nutella
note: for cinnamon sugar donuts, reserve a small bowl with a mixture of 2 tbsp granulated sugar and 1 tsp ground cinnamon

directions:
preheat oven to 375 F
spray a donut pan with nonstick cooking spray
in a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt (add cocoa powder now if you want chocolate donuts)
in a separate mixing bowl, whisk together buttermilk, vegetable oil, vanilla, and eggs
using a wooden spoon, mix the wet and dry ingredients until thoroughly combined 
spoon 2-2 1/2 tbsp of batter into each well of the donut pan
bake for 11-13 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the donut comes out clean
while donuts are baking, prepare glaze by  whisking together confectioner's sugar, water or milk, and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl until thickened and combined (add nutella now if you want nutella glaze)
allow donuts to cool in the pan for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack
once the donuts are no longer hot, dip the top half of each donut into the glaze and allow glaze to set

note: if you want a cinnamon sugar donut, dip the donut into a mixture of 2 tbsp granulated sugar and 1 tsp ground cinnamon immediately after dipping the donut in glaze

pour some cinnamon sugar on me

monkey bread with candied walnuts and pecans

it's illegal in nine countries and made with bits of real monkey*. so you know it's good.

i'm not sure why it's called monkey bread. maybe because it's so easy to assemble and bake that even a monkey could do it (sorry, monkeys with internet privileges). maybe it's because whenever i serve this bread it gets torn apart and devoured by a group of uncivilized jungle animals that i endearingly call my friends. or maybe it's because of the primitive noises "people" make while they rub it on their faces eat it. 

the new york times suggested that the loaf resembles the monkey puzzle tree, a relative of the norfolk island pine. but what do they know?

the smell of this bread is absolutely to-die-for and the taste is pure euphoria. you'll find yourself picking at this sweet, sticky, delectable treat whenever nobody's looking for breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner, dessert...

do monkeys even like buttery biscuit nuggets drowned in heaven sauce brown sugar butter and crusted with cinnamon sugar and candied nuts? i hope not...more for me! enjoy, friends!

*no monkeys were harmed in the baking of this bread

ingredients:

1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 teaspoons cinnamon
3/4 cup (1.5 sticks) butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 (12-ounce) cans refrigerated biscuits (NO flaky layers)…I use pillsbury or publix original southern style
3/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts and/or pecans

directions:

preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

cut each biscuit into quarters.

mix granulated sugar and cinnamon in a gallon-size zip-lock bag.

drop all of the biscuit quarters into the cinnamon-sugar mix and shake the bag to make sure each piece is coated.

melt the butter and brown sugar in a saucepan under medium heat and stir until the two are one.

spray a bundt pan with non-stick cooking spray and sprinkle some nuts into the bottom of the pan.

drop half of the biscuit pieces into the bundt pan and then pour half of the butter-brown sugar mixture over the biscuit pieces.

sprinkle more nuts on top of the butter-brown sugar mixture and then layer on the remaining biscuits.

pour on the remaining butter-brown sugar mixture and sprinkle on the remaining nuts.

bake for 30 minutes

after removing from the oven, let sit in the pan for 10 minutes; then place a plate on top of the bundt pan and invert.