Thursday, March 17, 2011

Bountiful Irish Bread

Did you know that our Bountiful Beer Bread makes the best Irish Bread?

The below recipe comes from a 100% Irish fellow Tastefully Simple consultant named Eileen Kosar :)  She says she's had many types of Irish bread over the years, and they don't hold a shamrock to this one you can make with much less time with our Bountiful Beer Bread.  Here's the recipe in her words...

It is super simple.   I soak the raisins like my grandmother from Ireland did to make the best bread. I also save money by purchasing the store brand of raisins.

Preheat the oven.

Use 1 ½ cups of whatever milk you have in the fridge.   Pour the milk over 1 ½ cups of raisins that you have in a bowl that will contain the milk and raisins together.   Let them soak on the counter   for one hour.

Then, place I pouch of Bountiful Beer Bread in a bowl.   Pour the raisin/milk mixture over it. Mix for 30 seconds till your wet meets your dry ingredients.   Pour into a greased loaf pan.   Pour 1 or 2 tablespoons of melted butter over the top and bake as directed on the box.   375 degrees for 55 minutes.   It should be a nice golden brown when done and a toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean!

Leave in pan for 10 minutes, and then cool on a cooling rack. Serve plain or with real butter.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!   Eileen

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Truffle Fudge Mint Brownies

 Here's a great St. Patty's Day treat for you chocolate lovers!  It was even created by my cousin (okay...so we're technically 2nd or 3rd cousins or something or other, but it's easier to just say cousin :)  Note:  It's much less messy if you bake the brownies and refrigerate a few hours or even overnight.  Enjoy!!

Truffle Fudge Mint Bars
Submitted by Nikki Miner (IA)

Ingredients
Truffle Fudge Brownie Mix
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) butter, divided
4 cups powdered sugar
4 Tbsp. milk
1 tsp. peppermint extract
Green food coloring as needed
12 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions
Prepare brownies as directed on package with eggs and 1/2 cup melted butter. Bake in greased 11 x 15 pan at 350° for 20 minutes. Cool completely. Beat together 1/2 cup softened butter, powdered sugar, milk, flavoring and food coloring. Spread over brownies. Melt remaining 1/2 cup butter and chocolate chips in microwave. Drizzle and then spread over mint layer being careful not to lift other layer. Cool completely. Makes 30-35 servings.

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Kings Cake...Tastefully Simple Style


Yesterday was a good reminder as to why I use Tastefully Simple products all the time.  And...a testament as to how someone can be a good cook, but not bake worth a lick!  I can cook.  I am NOT a baker - it's too much science of exact measurements and yes, I'll say it - patience.

In honor of Mardi Gras, I thought it would be fun to have the kids help me make a King's Cake.  So, I turned to TasteofHome.com for a made from scratch recipe for us.  Honest to goodness FOUR HOURS LATER and a kitchen in massive chaos...this was our result.

Exhibit A


The perfectionist in me took over with a 'I will not fail' mentatlity, so today Isaac and I turned instead to Tastefullysimple.com for another Mardi Gras idea.  There it was...Absolutely Almond Pound Cake made into a King's cake.  One hour later and only two dirty dishes...our successful cake looked like this...

Exhibit B


So, once again...I will be quickly flipping past ANY recipe calling for dry yeast!  Made from scratch breads and cakes...not in this house.  We'll stick with what we're good at - the items I grab from my Tastefully Simple inventory shelves.  Easy to make, little mess and tastes great!  Excited to have the other boys and Erik join us later tonight, so we can some dessert together.  Hmmm....think I know which cake will remain only as crumbs and which will be used a paper weight :)