~ Sweet Potato Pudding Cake ~

Ingredients:
(for Cake)
2-3 medium sweet potatoes (about 1 pound)
2 tablespoons coconut rum
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon grated nutmeg
3 large eggs
14 ounce can coconut milk
1 cup packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter, melted

(for Topping)
1/2 cup shredded coconut
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions: Cook the sweet potatoes by baking them in a 400 degree oven until tender (45 to 60 minutes). Let cool, then remove the peel and mash potato until smooth. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9” round springform pan with cooking spray. In a large mixing bowl, beat the mashed sweet potatoes and eggs until smooth and combined. Mix in the coconut milk, brown sugar, rum and butter, blending until combined. Sift in the dry ingredients and stir just until moistened. Scoop mixture into prepared pan. In a separate small bowl, stir together the coconut, brown sugar and cinnamon – sprinkle over the top of the cake batter. Bake the cake until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean, about 60 to 75 minutes. Remove from the oven and place pan on a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Gently run a thin bladed knife around the edge of the pan and slowly remove side ring – let cake cool for an hour, then place into the refrigerator until cold, about 3 hours. ~ Chef ~

~ Sweet Potato Spoon Bread ~

Ingredients:
3 large sweet potatoes
1/4 cup yellow cornmeal
2 cups milk
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup light-brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup honey
4 large eggs
1 cup heavy cream

Directions: Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Bake the sweet potatoes until soft when pierced with a knife, 40 to 45 minutes. Let cool. Peel and discard skins. Reduce heat to 350 degrees F. In a medium saucepan over medium heat combine cornmeal, milk, butter, brown sugar, spices, salt, and 1 cup water. Cook, stirring, until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Let cool. Butter a 2-quart baking dish. Working in batches if necessary, place cornmeal mixture, sweet potatoes, flour, honey, eggs, and cream in a food processor. Process until smooth; pour into dish. Bake until golden brown, about 45 minutes.  Yummy!  ~ Chef ~

~ Sweet Potato Roll ~

Ingredients:
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup mashed sweet potatoes
1 teaspoon vanilla
(Filling)
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
6 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
2/3 cup toasted coconut, optional
powdered sugar, for sprinkling

Directions:  Butter and flour a 15x10-inch jelly roll pan or spray thoroughly with baking spray with flour. Heat oven to 375° F. Lay a cotton kitchen towel out on the counter and sprinkle generously with powdered sugar. In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, soda, spices and salt; set aside. In a mixing bowl, beat eggs with sugar until thick and lemon-colored. Beat in mashed sweet potatoes and vanilla. Stir in the flour mixture until well blended. Spread the batter in the prepared pan. Bake for 11 to 14 minutes (dark pans will take less time), or until the top of the cake springs back when lightly touched with a finger. Immediately loosen the cake from the sides of the pan and turn onto the towel sprinkled with powdered sugar. Roll up the cake and towel together, starting with the narrow end. Cool the rolled cake on a rack. Beat cream cheese with the powdered sugar, butter, and vanilla until light and smooth. Stir in toasted coconut, if using. Chill for 10 to 15 minutes to firm the filling slightly. Unroll the cooled cake and spread with the cream cheese mixture. Reroll the cake and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, about 1 to 2 hours. To serve, unwrap the cake and sprinkle with more powdered sugar. This freezes well. Serves 8 to 10. ~ Chef ~

~ Buttermilk Pie ~

Ingredients: 

cooking spray

1 1/3 cups sugar

1 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup Bisquick mix

1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 large eggs

Directions:  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 9-inch pie plate with cooking spray. Combine the sugar, buttermilk, biscuit mix, melted butter, vanilla and eggs in a blender and process until smooth. Pour into prepared pie plate and bake until browned and still a little jiggly (the pie will set as it cools), 30 to 40 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before slicing into wedges. ~ Chef ~

~ Buttermilk Fantails ~

Ingredients:

1 stick + 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted, divided
2 tsp. active dry yeast 
1/4 c. warm water (105–115°F)
1 Tbsp. mild honey
3 c. all-purpose flour + more for kneading / dusting
1 1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 c. well-shaken buttermilk

Directions: Butter 12 regular muffin cups with 1 tablespoon of melted butter. Stir together the yeast, warm water and honey in a large bowl and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. (If mixture doesn't foam, start over with new yeast.) Mix the flour, salt, buttermilk and 6 tablespoons of melted butter into the yeast mixture with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until a soft dough forms. Turn out the dough onto a well-floured surface and knead, dusting surface and your hands with just enough flour to keep the dough from sticking, until dough is elastic and smooth, 6 to 8 minutes. Form dough into a ball. Put dough in an oiled large bowl and turn to coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel and let dough rise in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until doubled, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Punch down the dough (do not knead), then halve. Roll out half of the dough on a lightly floured surface with a floured rolling pin into a 12-inch square (about 1/8 inch thick; keep remaining half covered with plastic wrap). Brush dough with 1/2 tablespoon of melted butter and cut into 6 equal strips. Stack strips, buttered sides up, and cut crosswise into 6 equal pieces. Turn each piece on a side and put into a muffin cup. Make more rolls with remaining dough in same manner. Separate outer layers of each roll to fan outward. Cover rolls with a kitchen towel (not terry cloth) and let rise in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until doubled and dough fills cups, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Preheat oven to 375°F with rack in middle. Bake rolls until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Brush tops with remaining 2 tablespoons of melted butter, then transfer rolls to a rack and cool for at least 20 minutes. WHEW that's alot of work ... but nothing like homemade rolls!  ~ Chef ~

~ Buttermilk Ranch Dressing ~

Ingredients:

• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/8 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon mustard powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh chives
• 1/4 teaspoon of dry dill

Directions:

In a medium bowl, stir together the buttermilk and mayonnaise until fully mixed. Add in the other ingredients. Keeps for a week covered in the fridge. Yield: about 1 1/2 cups. ~ Chef ~

~ Banana-Blueberry Buttermilk Bread ~

Ingredients:

3/4 cup buttermilk
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1/4 cup canola oil

2 large eggs

1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 3 medium)

11/4 cups whole-wheat pastry flour

1 cup all-purpose flour

11/2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

11/4 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen

 

 

Directions:  Preheat oven to 375°F. Coat a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray. Whisk buttermilk, brown sugar, oil and eggs in a large bowl. Stir in mashed bananas. Whisk whole-wheat pastry flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, salt and nutmeg in a medium bowl. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and stir until just combined. Now fold in the blueberries. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan. Bake until the top is golden brown and a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out clean, approximately 50 to 60 minutes. Cool in the pan for at least 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack. Let cool for about 2 hours before slicing. ~ Chef ~

~ Buttermilk Peach Pie ~

Ingredients:

1 (29 oz) can yellow cling Peaches, heavy syrup, drained

2 heaping Tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 cup sugar

3 eggs

1/3 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 deep dish pie shell, unbaked

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions: Place peaches in bottom of pie shell. In mixing bowl combine all other ingredients and mix with whisk until well combined. Pour over peaches. Place pie on baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for forty minutes or until the middle doesn't jiggle when moved. Serve hot or cold. ~ Chef ~

~ Pimento Cheese Potato Skins ~

Ingredients:
6 medium russet potatoes
3 T. butter, melted 
kosher salt and pepper
8 oz. sharp cheddar cheese
2 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 roasted red bell pepper, diced into 1/4-inch pieces
4 slices of bacon, crispy and crumbled
3 T. chives, chopped

1/2 cup sour cream (optional)

Directions:  Preheat the oven to 400°. Pierce each potato a few times with the tines of a fork. Lightly brush each potato with melted butter and sprinkle lightly with salt. Bake the potatoes directly on the rack of the oven for 1 hour, or until tender. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a rack for 15 minutes. Meanwhile make the pimento cheese. In a food processor fitted with the grater attachment, process the cheddar cheese until shredded. Swap out the grater attachment for a standard food processor blade and add in the cream cheese. Pulse a few times to incorporate. Transfer the cheese mixture to a bowl and mix in the crushed red pepper flakes, diced red peppers and season to taste with salt and black pepper. Set the pimento cheese aside. Preheat the broiler. When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, use a serrated knife to slice each one in half. Lightly brush each side of the potato skin with the remaining melted butter and season lightly with salt and pepper. Crumble the pimento cheese mixture evenly over each potato and sprinkle on the bacon bits. Place the potato skins on a foil lined baking sheet and broil until the cheese is melted, bubbling and beginning to brown, about 3 minutes.  Now sprinkle with chives and sour cream, serve immediately.  ~ Chef ~

~ Pimento Chicken Salad Sandwich ~

Ingredients:

2 cups finely grated extra-sharp yellow cheddar cheese
3/4 cup Hellmann's mayonnaise
3 T. chopped pimientos
1/4 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. yellow mustard
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 cup shredded cooked chicken
salt and pepper, to taste
bread, toasted
lettuce, optional
sliced tomatoes, optional

Directions: In a medium bowl, combine the cheese, 1/2 cup mayo, pimentos, onion powder, mustard, cayenne pepper and chicken with a large spoon until well combined. Add the remaining 1/4 cup of mayonnaise as needed to get the chicken salad to the desired texture. (Usually the more finely shredded the cheese the more mayo you will need.) Now add the salt and pepper to taste. Nothing left to do now but spread it on your toasted bread, add the lettuce and tomato ... enjoy!  ~ Chef ~

~ Pimento Stuffed Chicken Breast ~

Ingredients:
1/2 c. shredded smoked Gouda cheese
2 Tbs. chopped scallion
1 Tbs. sliced pimentos, chopped
1 tsp. paprika, divided
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, trimmed and tenders removed
1/2 tsp. salt, divided
1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper, divided
1 Tbs. olive oil

Directions: Preheat oven to 400 F. Combine the Gouda, scallion, pimientos and 1/2 tsp. paprika in a small bowl. Cut a horizontal slit along the thin, long edge of each chicken breast, nearly through to the opposite side and open like a book. Sprinkle the breasts with 1/4 tsp. each salt and pepper. Divide the cheese filling among the breasts, placing it in the center of each. Close the breast over the filling, pressing the edges firmly together to seal. (You can tie them together with cooking twine if you wish.) Sprinkle the breasts with the remaining 1/2 tsp. paprika, 1/4 tsp. salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until browned on one side, about 2 minutes. Turn the chicken over and transfer the skillet to the oven. Bake until the chicken is no longer pink in the center and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 165 degrees, about 15 mins. Serve with any steamed vegetable of your choice. ~ Chef ~

~ Green Beans with Pimentos ~

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups fresh or frozen green beans
1 (4-ounce) jar diced pimentos
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon water
salt and ground black pepper

Directions:  Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the green beans and pimento then cook for an additional 2 minutes. Now add the vinegar and water, cover and steam for 3 to 5 minutes or until the green beans are still crisp but tender. Season to taste, with salt and pepper.  Enjoy!  ~ Chef ~

~ Have A Great Labor Day Weekend ! ~

~ Chef ~