Thursday, August 30, 2018

Fun with Friends....Appetizers for Lunch!


















This past week we had the honor of hosting a fabulous luncheon with some wonderful ladies from Tellico Village who are in a group titled "Fun and Friends".   The group came aimed with great questions and seemed to really enjoy their class on making different appetizers.   We made 5 different appetizers, CHEDDAR CHEESE SAUSAGE BALLS WITH A HONEY MUSTARD DIPPING SAUCE, BACON WRAPPED DATES STUFFED WITH ALMONDS, CARMELIZED ONION AND MUSHROOM TARLETS WITH GRUYERE CHEESE, CHICKEN SATAY WITH PEANUT SAUCE, AND GRILLED BRUSCHETTA.

here are the recipes we went over in our class:

CHEDDAR CHEESE SAUSAGE BALLS WITH A HONEY MUSTARD DIPPING SAUCE!


ingredients



  • (OR YOU CAN USE A BAKING MIX)
  • 2 Cups Cheddar cheese (or any fave cheese such as pepper jack
  •  
  • 1/2 cup chicken broth


Directions


  1. 1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt, pepper, and baking powder. Add cheddar and toss to coat. Add sausage.  With your hands, mix until well combined and roll mixture into 1-inch balls. Place balls, 1/2 inch apart, on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake until balls are golden and cooked through, 25 minutes. Serve warm.

    Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce
    1/2 cup Mayonnaise
    5 tablespoons mustard
    1 tablespoon honey 

    mix all ingredients. serve with sausage balls



    BACON WRAPPED DATES STUFFED WITH ALMONDS


    ingredients







    Directions



    Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
    Stuff each date with 1 to 2 almonds. Wrap each date with half a piece of bacon and secure with a toothpick.
    Bake, turning the dates halfway through so the bacon is evenly cooked, 15 to 18 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature. 



    CARAMELIZED ONION MUSHROOM TARTLET WITH GRUYERE CHEESE 


    Ingredients:

    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • 1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
    • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
    • 16 ounces white button mushrooms, thinly sliced
    • 1 clove garlic, chopped
    • ½ teaspoon dried thyme
    • Salt and pepper, to taste
    • ¼ cup white wine (can substitute chicken or vegetable broth)
    • 2 sheets puff pastry (thawed according to directions on package)
    • 1 cup shredded Gruyere cheese (can substitute any variety of Swiss cheese)
    • 1 egg + 1 tablespoon cream, beaten together (for the egg wash)

    Directions:

    1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
    2. Heat the olive oil in a wide, heavy-bottomed pan over medium-low heat and add the onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, until they begin to caramelize, about 20 minutes.
    3. Add the butter to the pan. Once melted, add the mushrooms and saute, stirring occasionally, until they are completely soft and all of the liquid evaporates, about 20 minutes.
    4. Add the garlic and the thyme and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
    5. Add the wine, scraping the bottom of the pan to pull up all of the browned bits, and cook until all of the liquid has evaporated. Remove from heat.
    6. Unfold the thawed sheets of puff pastry and cut 9 squares  from one sheet of  dough, placing them evenly spaced on the baking sheets.
    7. Top the squares of puff pastry with a small spoonful of the onion and mushroom mixture.  bring the corners of the dough together. Top with the shredded Gruyere cheese. Brush the edges of the dough with the egg wash.
    8. Bake until the pastry is golden brown, about 15 to 25 minutes. 

    CHICKEN SATAY WITH PEANUT DIPPING SAUCE


    PEANUTS SAUCE:


    Directions

    . Whisk together the zest, juice, ginger, garlic and salt and cover and marinate, refrigerated, for 1 to 2 hours. When ready to cook the chicken, heat a grill pan over medium heat.
    Remove the chicken from the marinade  Grill the chicken until cooked through with nice grill marks, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Let cool. Cover and refrigerate.
    For the peanut sauce: mix all ingredients



    BRUSHCHETTA

    Ingredients

    • 6 or 7 ripe plum tomatoes (about 1 1/2 lbs)
    • 2 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 teaspoons)
    • 1/2 red onion thinly sliced and diced
    • 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
    • 6-8 fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced* or chopped
    • 3/4 teaspoon sea salt, more or less to taste
    • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, more or less to taste
    • 1 baguette French bread or similar Italian bread
    • 1/4 cup  olive oil
    *To thinly slice basil leaves, stack the leaves on top of each other and roll up like a cigar. Then make thin slices from one end of the basil cigar to the other.

    Dice tomatoes, add garlic, onion olive oil salt and pepper to bowl, set aside.

    brush olive oil on bread cut into 1/4 inch slices, put on grill pan and grill.  Remove.

    Place a heaping tablespoon of tomato mixture on grilled toast.  Sprinkle basil on top  


    The Ladies all enjoyed the delicious appetizers they prepared and then made some room for dessert...a berry trifle! 

    If you're interested in booking a private cooking lesson for 15 people or more contact us at Christina@cookncrafts.com





Wednesday, August 22, 2018

MY ESSAY!


Me and my mom--I love baking with her!


So if it was ummm 20 years ago and I was entering our Essay Contest to win free baking classes at Cook n Craft Academy....ok ok maybe a bit more than 20 years....hmmm hmmmm 35 years ago---this most likely is how my essay contest would go.


WHY I WANT TO WIN FREE BAKING CLASSES TO COOK N CRAFT ACADEMY'S AFTER SCHOOL BAKING CLUB

     I love to bake.  I love to eat what I bake.  I love baking with my mom!  However, I have a problem.  My mom doesn't like me to bake by myself.   Don't get me wrong.  She's the best mom in the world, but she doesn't like when I bake because of the mess I leave in the kitchen sink...on the counter, on the table and on the floor.  I can't argue her point, because as a 12 year old I do have issues with cleaning.  So I have done the unthinkable.  I sneak around late at night with my brother Joe and we hold baking contests.  We rummage through all my parents cookbooks and pick a recipe that we know we have the ingredients to and then we both make our own version and see who's dish comes out better.  I  hold the lead on wins!  Yes we still make a mess, but by the next morning most of those dishes get mixed in with the breakfast dishes so we most often get away with it. I know it's not right, and there are pangs of guilt but if I got to attend the after school baking club I could do my baking there and get it out of my system and not disobey my mom and sneak down at night.  It would be a win win win--for me, my mom and for you!


And there you have it...the essay I most likely would have written if I was writing an essay to win free classes.  I don't know if I would have been selected but I definately would have enjoyed applying.  And I definately would have appreciated an after school baking club!

Take advantage of this contest.  You never know if you'll get selected.  And even if you don't, sign up for our classes.  I am sure you will have alot of fun, learn some new techniques and make some new friends.

Remember our deadline is looming...all entries must be received by 5 pm on August 29th.  That's next week!!!!   Let's get to it!

Submit essays 250 words or less to   Christina@CooknCrafts.com

For more information.  https://cookncraftacademy.com/enter-our-essay-contest

Thanks and Good Luck!!!!





Wednesday, August 15, 2018

BIG ANNOUNCEMENT!





Cook n Craft Academy is thrilled to announce our first ever AFTER SCHOOL BAKING CLUB!!!

It's starting September 13th and will run for 4 weeks.  It will be every Thursday at 430 to 6 pm...and you'll love making dessert you can bring home to your family!!!

Here's our 4 week schedule!


9/13       Ombre 5 layer cake
9/20       Profiteroles (cream puffs)
9/27       Maple Apple Tart
10/4       Pumpkin Bread

You can sign up individually for a class...or you can sign up for all 4 at a discounted rate.

And here's the really big news!  YOU CAN POSSIBLY JOIN OUR AFTER SCHOOL BAKING CLUB FOR FREE!    WHAT'S BETTER THAN FREE???

We are asking students to write an essay 250 words or less explaining why they want to join Cook n Craft Academy's baking club.  It might be because you love baking and really want to learn more...or it might be the complete opposite...you aren't a great baker and you want to learn!  We will be accepting essays through August 29th at 5 pm.  We will announce the winner September 4th!  send your essay to Christina@CooknCrafts.com

We encourage you to sign up and join today!!! If you are our winner you will be refunded the amount paid!

Thanks so much!  And we hope to see you baking with us!!!



Cook n Craft Academy is thrilled to announce our
AFTER SCHOOL BAKING CLUB!
Set your Calendars—every Thursday September 13th, September 20th, September 27th and October 4th!
From 430 to 6 pm
9/13       Ombre 5 layer cake
9/20       Profiteroles (cream puffs)
9/27       Maple Apple Tart
10/4       Pumpkin Bread
Classes are $25 each week or you can purchase all 4 weeks at the discount of $75
And here’s some great news…you could win all 4 weeks FREE by entering our essay contest.  Write an essay explaining in 250 words or less why you want to join Cook n Craft Academy’s After School Baking Club.  Essays must be received by 8/29 5 pm EST.  Essays can be submitted to Christina@CooknCrafts.com
Cook n Craft Academy is located at 418 Wharf Street, Loudon, TN 37774
For more information contact us at 865 394 8796


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