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

guinness and baileys and whiskey, oh my!

irish car bomb cupcakes

in case you were wondering what the end of a double rainbow looked like...

in the spirit of st. patrick's day, alcoholism, and kelly green belligerence,  i've created this decadent, boozy baked treat. i don't know about you, but given the options of boiled beef and cabbage or a moist, chocolate stout cupcake filled with whiskey ganache and topped with baileys cream cheese frosting, i'm all about the cupcake. 

not only are these cupcakes the perfect dessert for a st. patrick's day celebration, they are also incredibly EASY to make. you may or may not remember chasing your actual irish car bomb with several of these boozy babies, but that just means the calories don't count, right? happy st. paddy's day, friends!

chocolate stout cake ingredients:

3/4 cup cocoa powder

2 cups sugar

2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/8 tsp salt

12 oz (1 bottle) Guinness stout

1 stick softened butter

1 tbsp vanilla extract

3 eggs

3/4 cup sour cream

whiskey ganache* ingredients:

8 oz bittersweet chocolate

2/3 cup heavy cream

2 tbsp butter

4 shots irish whiskey

*you can omit the ganache from the cupcakes and still have a scrumptious guinness and bailey's-filled treat

baileys frosting ingredients:

5 tbsp heavy cream

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 tbsp vanilla extract

5 shots of baileys irish creme (any flavor)

16 oz philadelphia cream cheese, softened at room temperature

chocolate stout cake directions:

preheat oven to 350F

in a large bowl, whisk together all dry ingredients

in a second bowl, whisk together all wet ingredients

combine dry and wet ingredients and mix thoroughly until batter is smooth

fill cupcake liners with ~2 tbsp of batter each and bake for 25 minutes

while cupcakes are baking, marvel at how easy this recipe was

whiskey ganache directions:

melt chocolate until smooth using a double boiler

add heavy cream, butter, and whiskey

continue to stir until well-combined

remove from heat and refrigerate until firm

when ganache has firmed, scoop out 1/2 tbsp from the top of each cupcake and fill with ganache

*if you have leftover ganache, you can drizzle it on top of the cream cheese frosting as shown in the picture

bailey's frosting directions:

using a hand mixer, combine and beat all ingredients together at medium speed until smooth

frost the cupcakes and keep refrigerated until ready to serve

oh. my. gourd.

pumpkin spice cupcakes with cinnamon cream cheese frosting

pumpkin you up, girly-man!

it's not fall...or halloween...or thanksgiving; pumpkins aren't even in season. but that's the beauty of publix america. i'm proud to live in a country that considers justin bieber's DUI breaking news offers us canned, pure pumpkin 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. 

besides being available every day of the year, pumpkins in this country are available in all sorts of shapes, sizes, fictional holiday figures, and reality TV show personalities. my favorite of the aforementioned being honey boo boo's questionably-human older sister, also known as lauryn.

now that you are thoroughly disturbed and have most likely lost your appetite, back to the cupcakes. a blanket of rich, soft, cream cheese frosting rests on these warm, moist, pumpkin spice cakes. this treat is an absolute hit with my family and friends and can be served with or without frosting (hello, muffins!). i gave these cupcakes a healthy makeover thanks to egg whites and a blend of low-fat yogurt and canola oil...i also gave myself an excuse to eat extra cream cheese frosting. not sorry.

enjoy!

cake ingredients:

1 cup light brown sugar

2 large egg whites (~1/4 cup if your eggs come in a pour-able container like mine do. again, not sorry)

1 cup pure pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie mix)

1/4 cup canola oil

1/3 cup low-fat vanilla yogurt

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 3/4 cups flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp salt

frosting ingredients:

1/2 lb good quality cream cheese, softened (recommend philadelphia)

1 stick of butter, softened

2 cups sifted confectioner's sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp ground cinnamon

directions:

preheat oven to 350 F.

using a whisk, combine brown sugar and egg whites; add pumpkin, oil, yogurt, and vanilla extract and stir to combine in a large bowl.

in a second bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.

add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture and stir until batter is combined.

pour batter into a muffin tin with cupcake liners until about 2/3 full (~2 tbsp of batter per cupcake).

bake cupcakes for 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out clean.

while cupcakes are baking, prepare frosting by beating cream cheese, butter, and vanilla extract until smooth. add confectioner's sugar and cinnamon and continue to beat until frosting is light and fluffy.

let cupcakes cool to room temperature before frosting.

once frosted, sift some ground cinnamon on top of the cupcakes for a little extra flavor and flair.

note: if you don't have a piping bag, place frosting in a gallon-size plastic bag and cut the tip off of one of the bottom corners. voilà!

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.