Cinnamon Chocolate Yeasted Aebleskivers

I am a BREAD lover!! A year ago, I stopped eating bread altogether because of the gluten and sugar. So when I chose this recipe, I KNEW I was going to be in trouble, because I’d want to eat it instead of giving it away as a gift. Well, that’s exactly what happened. I absolutely love these little delicacies and you can add just about anything in the filling, or just leave them plain and serve with jam.

Cinnamon Chocolate Yeasted Aebleskivers
by Debbie
Adapted from Yeasted Aebleskivers from Make Ahead Bread: 100 Recipes for Melt-in-Your-Mouth Fresh Bread Every Day by Donna Currie

1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon instant yeast (I used bread machine yeast)
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup room temperature water
1 large egg
1 cup chocolate chips
Vegetable oil, for the pan (I personally used coconut oil)
Powdered sugar for sprinkling

On Prep Day:

Combine all of the ingredients (except the chocolate chips, vegetable oil and powdered sugar) in a medium bowl and mix well, making sure everything is evenly mixed and there are no dry bits. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

On Baking Day:

Remove the bowl from the refrigerator.

Heat your aebleskiver pan on medium heat until a drop of water sizzles when it hits the pan. Pour a small amount of vegetable oil in a small bowl and use a silicone brush to very lightly oil each well of the pan.

Use a small spoon to fill each well of the aebleskiver pan with batter to about 1/3 full; the buns will rise as they cook. Sprinkle each well with a Tablespoon of chocolate chips and top with a teaspoon more of the batter. Let them cook for approximately 2-3 minutes before turning. You should see bubbles rising to the top as you would with pancakes.

Test one aebleskiver to see if it is ready to turn. Insert a skewer into an aebleskiver and try to spin it in the well. If it doesn't release easily, continue cooking until it does (test again after another minute.) Once the aebleskivers are willing to release from the wells, use the skewer to turn them over in the pan. Some of the batter might “spill” into the pan -that’s fine.

Continue cooking the aebleskivers, turning them as needed, until they are evenly browned on the outside and cooked through on the inside. You’ll have to break one open to check. You might need to lower the heat if the aebleskivers brown too quickly on the outside before they are thoroughly cooked inside.

When the first panful is cooked, remove the aebleskivers and let cool on a wire rack, brush the wells with oil as before and continue cooking in batches until all the batter is used.

Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

3 Course Meal for 2 (Slow Cooker Style)

Long are the days of a totally hectic schedule trying to get my three children to their after school activities. Now, my days are anything but quiet, and instead of my three children, I’m helping out with my 8 grandchildren!!! But usually when it’s dinner time now, it’s just my husband and I. We lead VERY active lives between our own work schedules and our fitness schedules. I quite frequently use a slow cooker to prepare things so it’s ready by the time we get home. For the Hamilton Beach Slow Cooker Challenge, I decided to use a meal I created just a few months prior to the challenge. It was perfection and I prepare this quite often.

3-Course Meal for 2 (Slow Cooker Style) 
Proscuitto Wrapped Stuffed Chicken Breasts, Roasted Garnet Red Sweet Potatoes, and Apple Crisp a la Paleo Style
by Debbie

3 medium-sized slow cooker bags
1/2 cup goat cheese
1 1/2 Tablespoon freshly chopped rosemary, divided

1 teaspoon sea salt

2 large boneless, skinless, thick chicken breasts
1 Tablespoon olive oil

3 medium-sized garnet red sweet potatoes
1 Tablespoon grass fed salted butter
1 Tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon sea salt
6 small gala apples
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 Tablespoon cinnamon
1 Tablespoon grass fed salted butter
2 cups walnuts
5 dates with the pits removed
1 teaspoon cinnamon

In a small bowl, mix the goat cheese, 1/2 Tablespoon of rosemary and sea salt and then set aside.

Make a large slit in the thickest part of each of the chicken breast.

Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet and sprinkle the remaining 1 Tablespoon of rosemary in the heated oil along with the sea salt.

When the oil is hot, sear each side of the chicken breast and remove from heat.

When the chicken is cool enough to handle, stuff each breast with the goat cheese mixture.

Wrap each piece of chicken with 1 slice of prosciutto, ending the wrap on the bottom side.

Place chicken in one of the slow cooker bags and pour the remaining olive oil from skillet inside the bag. Place bag on the bottom layer of the slow cooker. Do not seal the bag, but roll it down close to the chicken.

Cut the sweet potatoes into about 1 1/2” - 2” cubes, leaving the skin on the potatoes.

Place inside the second slow cooker bag and add butter, cinnamon and sea salt.

Shake and roll the top down to close.

Place sweet potato bag on top of the chicken bag into the slow cooker.

Slice and cube the apples, leaving the peel on.

Add apples, sea salt, cinnamon and 1 Tablespoon of butter to the third slow cooker bag. Shake to distribute the ingredients. Roll the top of the bag down to close it and place the third bag on top of the other bags.

Place lid on the slow cooker and cook at low setting for 5 hours, but no longer than 6.

Place the walnuts, dates and cinnamon in a food processor and process until it resembles a graham cracker crust consistency. This will keep in a refrigerator for a few weeks and can be used as a topping on the apples to resemble a “crisp”. I personally layer apples with topping and finish off with the nut mixture on top of the apples.

Saigon Cinnamon Ancho Chile Brownies

I am a photographer and a traveler. I am also a cook with a true love of food. Last fall, my husband and I loaded up our 5th Wheel and took off for some alone time in New Mexico. One evening while in Taos, I had a brownie that was very unique tasting. I narrowed the ingredients down to cinnamon and chile powder. I searched for a brownie recipe that would accommodate both of those ingredients. I made this recipe several times, but decided to use a few extra and different ingredients and I think I found it! We have a wonderful specialty spice shop in Oklahoma City called Savory Spice Shop. I purchased a few different ingredients and it’s exactly what the recipe needed. After baking a few batches, I got it right. I hope you enjoy this “twist” on a staple brownie.

Saigon Cinnamon Ancho Chile Brownies
by Debbie
Adapted from the Whole Foods Market Cinnamon Chile Chocolate Brownies

1 cup salted butter
5 ounces dark cocoa powder (I used a Black Onyx Cocoa Powder from Savory Spice Shop)

2 cups sugar
1 1/3 cups Bob's Red Mill Organic Unbleached White Flour

1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons ancho chile powder* (I used Ground Ancho Chiles from Savory Spice Shop)
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, plus more for dusting (I used Ground Saigon Cassia Cinnamon from Savory Spice Shop)

1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup chocolate chips
5 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla
Powdered sugar for dusting on tops of brownie

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 13” x 9” glass pan.

Place butter, cocoa powder and sugar in a medium sauce pan. Cook over medium heat and stir continuously until butter is melted and cocoa and sugar are well-blended.

Remove from heat and let cool for approximately 5 minutes.

In a large mixing bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, chile powder, cinnamon and salt. Mix well.

Add the chocolate mixture to the dry ingredients and mix well. Incorporate the chocolate chips into the mixture.

Add the eggs and vanilla. Mix well. (I actually use a hand mixer on this.)

Pour into the 13” x 9” baking pan and spread evenly.

Bake for 35 minutes. Remove from oven and cool for 30 minutes. Cut into squares and sprinkle powdered sugar and cinnamon on tops of brownies.

*I learned that chile powder is pure, ground chiles. Chili powder has other spices mixed in. Make sure you use the chile powder for this recipe.

Chili Basil Chicken

When I signed up for this challenge, I was very intrigued by the Spices & Seasons cookbook! I’ve always been a very sense-oriented person and knew this book would suit me well. The aroma that came from this dish was outstanding. The taste equally outstanding.

Chili Basil Chicken
by Debbie
Adapted from Spices & Seasons: Simple, Sustainable Indian Flavors by Rinku Bhattacharya

Prep Time: 10 minutes, plus 30 minutes to marinate. Cook time: 25 minutes. Serves 4 to 6

2 pounds boneless skinless chicken, cut into 1 1/2” pieces ( I left mine as a whole breast)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 large lime, halved and seeded
3 Tablespoons oil (I used a Persian Lime olive oil by my local oil and vinegar specialty store)
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 medium red onion, finely chopped (about 3/4 cup)
3 Tablespoons very finely chopped fresh ginger
10 green chiles, slit lengthwise (I only used 4 because they were quite large)
1/2 cup finely chopped basil leaves, plus 8 to 10 leaves for garnish
3 or 4 dried red chilies (I used 1 Tablespoon of crushed red pepper)

Rub the chicken with the salt and turmeric. Squeeze the lime juice over it and set aside to marinate for about 30 minutes.

Heat the oil in a skillet or wok. Add the cumin seeds and when they sizzle, add the onion and ginger and cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until the onions wilt and soften.

Add the seasoned chicken and cook for 12 minutes, stirring frequently, until the chicken is turning fairly brown. (Since I left the chicken breast whole, I cooked it for 8-9 minutes on each side.)

Stir in the green chilies and basil leaves and cook until the leaves are wilted. Lightly crush the red chilies and stir in and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. (I sprinkled the crushed red pepper at this point.)

Sprinkle with the whole basil leaves and serve.

Spanish Peppers

Several years ago, my best friend and I were in Dallas. We were there for me to run a qualifying half-marathon. My husband was unable to go, so she gladly went with me. The night before the race, we went to eat at a quaint Spanish restaurant. While there, we ordered an appetizer of goat cheese peppers. We loved them so much that we ordered a second. They must have been fantastic because I qualified for the race I was trying to qualify for by 2 seconds!!! However, on a sad note, I didn’t get to run that next race because I fractured my pelvis in 4 places in the Dallas race. Just goes to show what determination can do for you, though. I ran my best ever race even AFTER the fracture happened at mile 5 of 13.1 miles. Once I returned home, I decided I wanted to try to duplicate what we had eaten and this is the recipe I came up with. Even my youngest grandchildren love eating these.

Recipe Round-Up (The Spice House) Lavender Rack of Lamb

A Recipe Roundup is what happens when one of the 37 cooks thinks of a wonderful recipe weeks or months after the challenge ends. Enjoy!

Lavender Rack of Lamb
by Debbie
adapted from Lavender Racks of Lamb by Merrilyn on The Spice House website

3 Tablespoons The Spice House Lavender Flower Buds
1 Tablespoon Whole cardamom
1 teaspoon The Spice House Sel Marin de Guerande French Grey Sea Salt
2 racks of lamb, Frenched
1 Tablespoon coconut oil

Paprika Chicken with Lavender-Pumpkin Cream Sauce

Paprika Chicken with Lavender-Pumpkin Cream Sauce
by Debbie

1 teaspoon The Spice House Sel Marin de Guerande French Grey Sea Salt
1 tablespoon The Spice House Lavender Flower Buds

4 medium size chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
Pinch of salt

Black pepper

2 Tablespoons The Spice House Spanish Smoked Hot Paprika
1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 15-ounce can of pumpkin pureé

1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Preheat oven to 400°F.

In a spice grinder, add the French Grey Sea Salt and Lavender Flower Buds. Grind until both are a fine powder. Set aside.

Lavender/Almond Flour Paleo Pancakes

Lavender/Almond Flour Paleo Pancakes
by Debbie
adapted from this recipe by Paleo Plan

6 little pancakes (3 per serving)

1 cup plus 1 Tablespoon almond flour
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 Tablespoon coconut flour
1/2 cup water
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon The Spice House Lavender Flower Buds
2 eggs
coconut oil
fresh berries and pure maple syrup for serving

Sand Tarts

As a child, when Christmas rolled around, we always knew we would be making these wonderful cookies. To this day they still remain my favorite! Not sure how it came to be that we called them Sand Tarts, but that's all I've ever known them to be (others call them Mexican Wedding Cookies).  On Christmas Eve, we would set them out on a plate for Santa along with a glass of milk. He (Santa) would always leave a note saying that he was so full, he just couldn't eat the last one and he'd place it inside the empty glass of milk. I guess maybe that's why one of my photos shows the spilled over glass with SEVERAL cookies in it. My mother still makes these cookies every year.

Meet Debbie!

Hi there! My name is Debbie Malone and I always tell people that I'm from nowhere and everywhere! My father was in the United States Air Force when I was growing up, so I've lived all over the world. I was born on the Bermuda Islands and lived there the first 20 months of my life. Naturally I didn't remember a thing about it, but know that I've ALWAYS been a beach/ocean gal. To celebrate our 35th wedding anniversary, my husband and I decided to take a trip there. What an incredible trip that was. My passport has always stated my place of birth as Bermuda and what an awesome feeling it was when they checked it at Custom's and said to me "Welcome Home"!!!! My eyes teared up and I felt like I actually belonged somewhere.