Peppermint Bark Popcorn

December 18, 2014 by Mackenzie

I’m excited to be writing this post from Seattle! Woohoo! After a long day of traveling, with 2 flights, 3 mean flight attendants, 2 nice flight attendants, 1 allergic seat mate and finally 2 nice guys who put up with a sleepy, smelly puppy… we made it! She’s happy to have a yard, I’m happy to have someone else to pass the responsibilities off to and we’re both happy to be home with our momma, Tom and Spence!

Before I left, I had to proctor and grade exams for the class I’m a TA for. I knew we had a long night of grading ahead of us so I decided to bring this Peppermint Bark Popcorn as a treat to munch on all night.

I was inspired by this post from Plain Chicken and knew I had to give it a shot. I had tried making it a few times in the last week and each time was a failure! Either I didn’t let the oil get hot enough and burned the kernels before they popped or the white chocolate didn’t melt and I had clumps of chocolate in my popcorn (not complaining). But I finally figured out the trick of it and am ready to share the recipe with you! It’s really quite easy to make and is perfect for a family movie night or to wrap up as gifts for friends! Let me know what you think!

Peppermint Bark Popcorn with Homemade Popcorn

Recipe Type: Snack

Cuisine: Christmas

Author: Mackenzie

Prep time: 20 mins

Total time: 20 mins

An easy Christmas treat! I make my popcorn over the stove so I know exactly what is in it – no creepy chemicals please! Once you get the hang of it, it’s easy!

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1/3 cup popcorn kernels
2 teaspoons peppermint extract, divided
3 oz candy canes, crushed
1 cup melting white chocolate chips, (don’t use chocolate chips – they don’t always melt well. Buy the melting chocolate – it’s so worth it)

Instructions

In a large pot with a lid, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Important: wait until it is HOT. Drop a kernel or two into the oil, swish it around so it’s coated, put the lid on and wait for it to pop. Don’t add the rest of the kernels until this one has popped and the oil is hot enough. Otherwise, you’ll just burn your kernels and they will never pop (trust me on this).
When the first kernel has popped, add the rest of the kernels, swish them all around so they are coated in oil, put the lid on with a crack of air and watch them pop! When they have slowed down, turn the heat off and shake the pot to get the last ones to pop. Pour 1 teaspoon of peppermint extract over the popcorn and stir it in with a big wooden spoon.
While the popcorn is popping, remove the wrappers from the candy canes. Crush them by hand or in a food processor (so much easier). Pour half of the crushed candy canes over the popcorn and stir to mix.
Melt the chocolate according to package directions. Pour the remaining half of the candy canes into the white chocolate and stir. Pour the melted chocolate over the popcorn and mix well.
Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread the popcorn over it to allow the chocolate to harden.

Pear Butter

December 14, 2014 by Mackenzie

Oh, it’s been so nice to have free time again! I’ve been able to go to the gym most days or at least take a big walk with Calli, have been able to cook and join my friends for meals, watch The West Wing, and sleep! Two nights ago I fell asleep on the couch and fell asleep there again yesterday afternoon! But who cares, right? Yes, I should be working more on my thesis then I am, but hey – I’ve got a great start on it and am trying to spend at least two hours a day on it. That should give me a solid start come January when I really need to get cracking.

I head back to Seattle on Wednesday and am looking forward to spending time with my family and seeing old friends! I’ve only spent 11 days in Seattle since January so it will be some much needed family time before I venture off into the unknown come May!

This week the Coop had our annual Winter Potluck and I brought this Pear Butter with Brie and crackers. Oh my goodness, it was delicious! I found the recipe in the Weight Watcher’s Holiday magazine and was excited to have an opportunity to try it! The recipe itself is so easy to make – have you ever made homemade applesauce? It’s just like that. You cut the pears into small bite-sized pieces and boil it down with apple cider. I used an immersion blender to make it smooth and voila – a delicious and easy appetizer! It’s a perfect spread on crackers and cheese or toast, or even just to eat like applesauce!

Pear Butter

Recipe Type: Appetizer

Author: Mackenzie

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 15 mins

Total time: 25 mins

Serves: 12 servings

A great holiday appetizer! Quick, easy and only 1 WW point per 1/4 cup.

Ingredients

5 Comice pears, cored and chopped into bite-sized pieces
1 1/2 cups apple cider
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch of nutmeg
Serve with cheese and crackers

Instructions

In a medium/large saucepan, add the chopped pears, apple cider, and the cinnamon and nutmeg. Cook over medium-high heat to get a roiling boil. Continue to cook at medium heat until the pears are soft, 10-15 minutes.
From here, you can do a couple of things. I used an immersion blender to puree the pears while still in the saucepan. It left a few small chunks but I loved it that way and it was super easy.
Alternatively, you can remove the pears and puree them separately in a food processor. Continue to simmer the remaining liquid until it reduces to a syrup. Then pour the syrup into the food processor and blend it with the pears. This will probably get you a smoother substance but I couldn’t find the Coop’s food processor so I was left with the immersion blender.
Serve with crackers and cheese for a great appetizer!

Salted Pecan Butter

November 7, 2014 by Mackenzie

In classic Mackenzie fashion, the weeks have slipped away and its been a few weeks since my last post! I was hoping to stay more on top of things but of course… that didn’t happen. But I’m perfectly okay with that – blogging is something I do for fun and if there isn’t time for it, that means I’m busy with school or other, more fun things!

The last few weeks have been a little bit of all of both! School has been busy but exciting. I love my classes and although I am taking a heavier than usual load, this has been one of my favorite semesters. I’m deep in the midst of writing my senior honors thesis – it’s an exciting process and call me crazy, but I reward myself at the end of each week with “time” to work on my thesis. Ha! With the end of the semester rapidly approaching, it’s time to crack down and make some serious progress… fun fun! I have all 24 interviews transcribed into a 118 page document and a massive, glorious spreadsheet to start my analysis. This week I’ve been coding the data and I’ll start writing this weekend!

And what have I been up to in the kitchen? Well… I made a crockpot Chicken Tortilla Soup a few weeks ago that was delicious! And so easy! Sadly, the photos I took were just terrible and so I’ll have to make it again before I post it 🙂 But I did hit a home-run with this Salted Pecan Butter!

Libby came home from the farmer’s market last weekend with a tiny jar of pecan butter. It was nutty, creamy and absolutely amazing – so naturally, I had to recreate it. I found a recipe from Cookie and Kate and gave it my own little twist with some extra salt and a dash of cinnamon – and boy, do I have a new favorite treat! It’s a bit unfortunate that pecans are so expensive, but if you can buy them in bulk it would cut down on the price! Regardless, I’m definitely going to be making pecan butter all winter long!

Salted Pecan Butter

Recipe Type: Butter, Side, Spread

Author: Mackenzie

Prep time: 15 mins

Total time: 15 mins

Serves: 1.5 cup

A nutty spread with a hint of a salty undertone and a dash of cinnamon to sweeten it up.

Ingredients

2 cups pecans
Sea salt, to taste
Cinnamon, to taste
Maple syrup, to taste

Instructions

Toast the pecans in a medium skillet over medium heat for 4-7 minutes. Once toasted and fragrant, transfer to food processor.
Blend in a food processor until it is creamy and smooth, like peanut butter! It can take awhile, close to ten minutes, so be patient! Scrap down the sides often!
Once it is smooth and creamy, add a pinch or two of salt, a dash of cinnamon and a teaspoon or two of maple syrup. Blend and taste and adjust flavors to your liking! I added extra salt and LOVED the combination of the nutty spread with salty undertones and a sweet cinnamon finish. Pour into a small jar, seal with a lid and enjoy with toast!

Pumpkin Spice Biscotti

October 11, 2014 by Mackenzie

So… I quit my job. And it’s been GREAT! I can’t believe what I’ve been missing. I started working at Nordstrom exactly a year ago – and I loved it. The job pays well and it was a fun distraction from the stress of school. But when I started back up again this school year, I started to lose my mind. I was stretched so thin with 19.5 credits of classes, writing my thesis, working as a Teaching Assistant and working at Nordstrom. And then trying to enjoy my senior year and hang out with friends. And then I missed a whole week of class while I was in New York at the Clinton Global Initiative Annual Meeting (all my pictures are posted here! So many famous people!) I was so stressed all the time, barely slept and was sacrificing valuable job-searching time as well.

Two weeks ago I finally decided to call it quits. I was sad to leave my co-workers, worried about no longer having a paycheck (still am!), and bummed that I was losing my discount 😉 but after last weekend of freedom and looking forward to many more – I am SO glad I quit. I’ve caught up on schoolwork, worked on my thesis, am blogging, went to the grocery store… I mean, I’m finally doing life stuff! It feels so good.

So in the spirit of celebrating… I baked biscotti! I had a little leftover pumpkin after making these Pumpkin Millet Muffins last week and for some reason, pumpkin biscotti just wouldn’t leave my mind! So – I set to work last night and made these Pumpkin Spice Biscotti. Oh my goodness, they are absolutely amazing. I used some of the [amazon text=Pumpkin Spice Oil&asin=http://www.amazon.com/Lorann-Oils-Pumpkin-Emulsion-4oz/dp/B00BR25W9E] that I got from LorAnn and that you can get on Amazon (see this post about Earl Grey Tea Shortbread for another use for LorAnn Oils!) and gosh, they turned out good! I dipped them in white chocolate (that I had brought back from Madagascar!) and now have a delicious plate of treats!

Pumpkin Spice Biscotti

Recipe Type: Cookie, Dessert

Author: Mackenzie

Prep time: 20 mins

Cook time: 45 mins

Total time: 1 hour 5 mins

Serves: 16

Ingredients

1/2 cup pumpkin puree
2 tablespoons butter, room temperature
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon pumpkin spice emulsion (optional but highly recommended!)
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/8 teaspoon cloves
white chocolate for dipping

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the pumpkin, butter, eggs, vanilla, and pumpkin spice emulsion. Beat until combined.
In a separate bowl, mix the dry ingredients: flours, sugars, baking powder, salt, and spices. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir to combine.
Divide dough in two and on a floured surface, roll each half into a 9x3inch (roughly) log. Place both logs on a cookie sheet fitted with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until edges are golden brown.
Let cool for 15 minutes and drop oven temperature to 300 degrees. When logs are cool, use a serrated knife to cut them into one inch strips. Turn pieces on their side and return to baking sheet. Bake for 10-15 minutes until dry and crisp. Remove from sheet and let cool on a wire rack.
Once cool, melt white chocolate in a double boiler. Dip biscotti in melted chocolate and return to wire rack to harden.

Zucchini Sunflower Bread

April 14, 2013 by Mackenzie

I told you I was on a bread-making kick… This is the last one for now 🙂

I love the Zucchini Sunflower bread from Kayak’s coffee shop and have been determined to recreate it. I had several different recipes, all of which differed just a bit! Before we left on the golf spring break trip, I had a couple of days with no roomies – so I created my own “America’s Test Kitchen.” I made a small loaf of each of the three recipes and one came out far superior!

I remade a full-size loaf last weekend and it was just as good as I remembered it! So here you go – the best Zucchini Sunflower bread!

Zucchini Sunflower Bread
Recipe from a cut out of an unknown cookbook (c/o Gramma Mary)
Makes 1 loaf

Ingredients:
2 eggs
1/2 cup plus 1/3 cup sugar (weird I know but trust me!)
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup grated zucchini
1 tbsp grated orange rind
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup walnuts
1/4 cup sunflower seeds

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray a loaf pan with cooking spray and dust with flour.

2. Beat eggs until light and fluffy. Take out two tablespoons of beaten egg and discard (because the original recipe made two loaves and its a little hard to divide three eggs!). Add sugar and beat well. Stir in oil, vanilla, zucchini and orange.

3. Stir together the dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon). Stir into egg mixture and add the walnuts and sunflower seeds.

4. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into middle comes out clean. Cool on a rack for 20 minutes before taking out of pan.

“Once-a-week” Sweet Potato Bread

April 10, 2013 by Mackenzie

So you probably know I have an obsession with sweet potatoes. Every time I go to the store I buy 3-4 and would gladly eat them for my next three meals! I made this bread for the first time about six weeks ago and LOVED it – and now my suite requests it every week! I’ve been tinkering with the recipe to bring down the amount of butter and finally found the right balance! The best part about this bread is how moist it it – oh my gosh I want a slice right now.

Sweet Potato Bread
Makes 1-2 loaves (it depends on the size of your sweet potato. The first couple times I made it, it all fits in one loaf pan – the last time it made two loaves. You can always freeze the second loaf!)
Recipe adapted from Three Clever Sisters

Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour (do not use regular whole wheat flour – it totally changes the taste. If you don’t have whole wheat pastry flour, all AP flour is fine)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Flesh from 1 med-large sweet potato
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup skim milk

Directions:

1. Roast the sweet potato. Preheat oven to 425F, wash sweet potato, pierce it several times with a fork and place on a foil covered baking sheet in the oven for forty five minutes to one hour, or until a knife runs through it easily. Allow to cool. (You should do this step a couple hours in advance)
2. Preheat oven to 350F. Spray a loaf pan with non-stick spray and dust with flour to prevent the bread from sticking.
3. In a medium bowl, stir together the flours, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg.
4. In a separate bowl, beat the sweet potato flesh, sugar, and brown sugar with a mixer until well combined. Mix in butter and applesauce then add the eggs one at a time, mixing between each one. Beat in the vanilla.
5. On low speed, add half the flour mixture, beat it then add half the milk and beat again. Repeat with remaining flour and milk. Do not overbeat.
6. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the bread comes out clean, about an hour. Let bread cool in pan for 20 minutes then allow to cool on a rack.

Mackenzie

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