Tag: cornstarch

Crispy Onion Rings

 

onion-rings

Independence day will be celebrated a little differently this year at the Melton house. Instead of the typical grilling we are planning a fish fry. Greg and Wes went deep sea fishing in Florida recently, and we have grouper, snapper, and wahoo in the freezer.

We seldom fry because I don’t like the splattering mess that it creates. However, Greg will set up the fryer outside, and we will be in business. With delicious Vidalia onions in season, I plan to cut up a few so that we can have these terrific Crispy Onion Rings too!

The coating is light, crispy, and fabulous. Savannah even said these onion rings were better than The Varsity, and I must agree! They fry up very fast and can be kept warm in a 200° F oven.

 

Crispy Onion Rings
 
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Ingredients
  • 1 quart vegetable oil, for frying
  • 2 to 3 large Vidalia onions, cut crosswise into ½-inch rings
  • 2 tsp. kosher salt, more for sprinkling
  • 3 to 4 c. club soda, chilled
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • 3 c. all-purpose flour
  • ⅓ c. cornstarch
Instructions
  1. In a large bowl, whisk the flour with the cornstarch, baking powder, and 2 tsp. kosher salt. Whisk in 3 cups club soda until the batter is smooth. Add more club soda, about 1 tbsp. at a time, until the mixture is the consistency of thin pancake batter. Let stand for 10 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, heat the vegetable oil to 380°F. Dip 8 onion rings in the batter, letting the excess drip back into the bowl. Fry the onion rings in the hot oil over high heat, turning occasionally, until golden and crispy, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a paper-towel lined baking sheet. Sprinkle lightly with salt. Repeat with the remaining onion rings and batter and serve hot or warm.

 

Strawberry Yum Yum

Strawberry Yum

 

Are you looking for the perfect Easter dessert!  Here it is!  An old recipe, tried and true, and delicious every time.  It’s simple to make, you’ll be amazed at just how quickly it comes together.  This is a dessert that pleases both adults and children.

I can remember a time when I thought Cool Whip and Dream Whip were the same thing.  They could be, but in my opinion they taste differently.  Be sure to use the Dream Whip as the recipe suggest, it can be found on the baking aisle of the grocery store.  Also, you can find strawberry glaze in the produce section of the grocery store but I think this homemade version has a better taste and is very simple to make.

 

Strawberry Yum Yum
 
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Ingredients
  • ¾ c. unsalted butter
  • 2 c. graham cracker crumbs
  • 1 c. sugar
  • 8-oz. pkg. cream cheese
  • 2 envelopes Dream Whip
  • 1 qt. fresh strawberries, washed, and sliced
  • 3 tbsp. cornstarch
  • 1 c. sugar
  • 3 tbsp. strawberry Jello
  • 1 c. warm water
Instructions
  1. Combine cornstarch, Jello, sugar, and water in a saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring with a whisk, until mixture thickens. Remove from heat and cool. When the glaze has cooled, add strawberries.
  2. Melt butter and mix with graham cracker crumbs. Sprinkle half of the crumbs in the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch dish, set aside.
  3. Cream sugar and cream cheese together.
  4. In a separate bowl beat Dream Whip as directed on package.
  5. Mix cream cheese mixture with the Dream Whip until smooth.
  6. Drop spoonfuls of cream cheese mixture on the top of crumbs. Spread carefully, careful not to disturb crumbs.
  7. Top with strawberry glaze.
  8. Add the remaining cream cheese mixture and spread carefully to cover strawberries.
  9. Sprinkle on the remaining graham cracker crumb mixture.
Notes
If preferred, you can purchase strawberry glaze in the produce section of the grocery store to mix with your berries before adding to the dish.

 

 

Biscoff Cut-Out Cookies with Royal Icing

Biscoff Cut Out Cookies

Have you jumped on the Biscoff bandwagon yet?  I became a fan of the cookies years ago, when I first ate them on a Delta flight.  I even ordered Biscoff cookies online before they were in my local stores.  However, I was a little slow to catch on to Biscoff spread.  My cousin, Cindy made a scrumptious pie at Christmas with Biscoff spread and I have been a fan since!

I have been trying recipes for cut-out cookies for years and I have thrown out many batches of them.  When I saw the title of this recipe, and realized I had all of the ingredients on hand I tried them immediately.  They were DEE-LICIOUS!!!  I am thrilled beyond belief that I finally have a cut-out cookie recipe that doesn’t taste like cardboard!

This is probably considered a medium-size cookie cutter and I was able to get 20 cookies from this recipe.  It’s incredibly easy with no refrigeration required!  You don’t even need to flour the board to roll them out!  Use parchment paper on top and bottom of the dough to prevent sticking.  Also the addition of cornstarch is genius!  These cookies are slightly crispy along the edges and slightly soft in the middle…just perfect!!  They hold up nicely when decorated.   I have added tips for the icing and decorating to the icing recipe.

 

Biscoff Cut-Out Cookies
 
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This recipe is from bakingamoment.com.
Ingredients
  • ½ c. cold unsalted butter, cubed
  • ½ c. Biscoff Spread
  • ¾ c. light brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp. kosher salt
  • 2 c. all-purpose flour
  • ¼ c. cornstarch
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper, set aside.
  2. Cream butter, Biscoff spread, and light brown sugar together using an electric mixer.
  3. Add the egg and mix until combined.
  4. Mix the salt, flour, and cornstarch in a separate bowl and all in thirds. Mix only until incorporated.
  5. Roll dough ¼-inch thick between two sheets of parchment paper. Cut out shapes and place on prepared pans.
  6. Bake at 375°F for approximately 10 minutes or until slightly browned around edges.
  7. Remove from oven. Cool on pan a few minutes then remove to a cooling rack to cool completely. Decorate cookies after they have cooled completely.

 
Royal Icing for Cookies
 
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This recipe is from thedecoratedcookie.com.
Ingredients
  • 2 tbsp. meringue powder
  • ¼ c. water
  • ½ tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1 tbsp. shortening
  • 1 tbsp. light corn syrup
  • 3½ to 4 c. sifted confectioner's sugar
Instructions
  1. Whip the meringue powder and water on high-speed of an electric mixer, fitted with a wire whisk, for several minutes, until it's fluffy and peaks form.
  2. Add vanilla extract, shortening, and corn syrup and mix to combine.
  3. Gradually add confectioner's sugar to desired consistency.
  4. Decorate cookies. Place cookies on cooling racks and allow to air dry for 24 hours.
Notes
Store at room temperature in a sealed container for up to a month.

TIPS:
Icing must be at the correct consistency. I found that I needed to thin this icing slightly. For outlining thin just slightly, remove about ¼ of the icing and set aside, then continue adding water until you reach the correct consistency for flooding. You'll want the icing that you use to outline the design to be slightly thicker than the icing you use for flooding. Since I'm new to decorating I like to use a #3 or #4 tip for decorating.

I found this tip online at sweetopia.com.: The trick to make sure icing is just right for flooding is called the "10 Second Rule". Drag a butter knife through the surface of your royal icing and count to 10. If the icing surface becomes smooth anywhere between 5 to 10 seconds, then your icing is ready to use. If it takes longer than approximately 10 seconds, the icing is too thick. Slowly add water, a teaspoon at a time. If your icing surface smooths over in less than 5 to 10 seconds, it is too runny. Mix your icing longer and slowly add in more soften confectioner's sugar to thicken.

If you are like me and don't have a steady hand, rest your elbow on something steady. Also, put your pan of cookies on top of a a few books or container to raise them up to a comfortable level for decorating.