white chocolate-cranberry quick bread w/ lemon glaze

Quick and easy coming right up! And let me just say this was super tasty too. I know we all love our Trader Joes, but what I love more is a bargain AND something super-tasty. This bread when I first baked it was ok, just a little dry, and a little bland. They do put a lot of cranberries in the mix, thankfully. I decided to jazz it up a bit, with white chocolate chips since they, when melted have a nice buttery taste. Perfect! And then the gentle lemon glaze made it fabulous. You simply have to try this. This is the perfect last minute gift for whatever pops up. They'll never know it was from a box. Never never know I swear. My friends didn't--well they do now.

A big congrats to the winner of the giveaway. It was Valerie, lucky #99, She won the over-sized boxes of Guylian Chocolates and the amazing Nespresso machine. Congrats Val! Let us know what espresso and chocolate creations you make with it? What a fabulous machine. A very special "thank you" to Guylian Chocolates for donating these prizes.

I am working on getting another BIG PRIZE giveaway coming up soon. Only the biggest and best gifts for my fans!





white chocolate-cranberry quick bread w/ lemon glaze
print recipe

1 box of Trader Joe’s Cranberry Bread
(plus all the ingredients the box direction calls for)
½ cup – ¾ cup good quality white choco chips

Glaze
1 large lemon
3-4 TB of confectioners sugar, sifted

Cook notes: the glaze is very very mild. I only wanted a hint of lemon on there as the bread is very sweet on it’s on; so I did not use a strong glaze. Feel free to use whatever you want. The white chocolate chips make this cake very moist and almost buttery-like tasting. You could probably do this in a bundt pan, just reduce the cooking time by 5 – 10 minutes.

Mix cranberry bread according to box directions. Preheat oven according to box directions. Grease up or butter up a loaf pan, pour ¾ batter into pan, sprinkle the white chocolate chips, then pour on the remaining ¼ batter. Tap pan to get out excess air. Bake according to box directions or until cake tester comes out clean.
Let cool in pan about 10 minutes then flip onto wire rack. Prepare the glaze by mixing the lemon juice with the confectioners sugar. It’s a very mild and gentle glaze. If you want a stronger/thicker glaze then add in more confectioners sugar and/or lemon juice.

lobster-tarragon BLT

Is anyone going to read this post if I type one up? Or will you just glance on by and get right to the photos? I mean when I served this to my hubby and started talking he didn't hear a word I said. He was gone--transfixed to another foodie planet......
OK, I'll make it quick. Living on cape cod there is an abundance of scallops and lobster. One can get quite sick of it. Yes, it does happen. Thankfully lobster and scallops are a very mild but sweet protein with which the pairing possibilities are endless. Remember my lobster salad with spicy adobo-mayo? That was my favorite. I made it with you in mind: you know quick, easy, but really packs a flavor-punch. See I'm always thinking of you; I know you want to cook, your tastebuds are craving some real flavors, textures and such, but some nights you just don't want to do a lot of prepping--you want to eat now. I hear you. A lot of days I do not want to take an hour or more to prep and cook dinner, especially in the heat of the summer, which is coming soon btw. I give you this tasty lobster-tarragon on a BLT. It's so easy to prepare, has a few flavors going on here and will definitely wow your family, friends or guests. I mean it wowed you right? See, then you can do it too.

tarragon-lobster BLT
print recipe

(this recipe is enough for 3 good sized lobster rolls)

1 lb of fresh lobster meat
Couple tablespoons of lemon juice (optional)
2-3 TB Hellmans mayo (you don’t want a lot of mayo)
3 TB fresh tarragon, chopped
Salt & pepper to taste, if needed (I used pepper only)
6-9 Cooked bacon slices (about 2-3 slices per roll)
Sliced tomatoes
Fresh lettuce
3 jumbo rolls, buttered and toasted/grilled

Chop up lobster meat, sprinkle with lemon juice. Set in fridge until ready to use.
In separate bowl mix the mayo, tarragon and pepper. Mix and let it chill in fridge a bit to let the tarragon seep into the mayo (about 20 mins or longer if you can).
Get your buns buttered and grill them till nice and golden brown (I forgot this step this time). You can also toast or fry them if no grill.

When ready to serve, take the lobster chunks and mix them with the tarragon mayo, stir well. Then take toasted bun, fill with lettuce, tomato, bacon, then the lobster salad.
Serve with potato chips or fries.

chocolate dipped cherry-rum hand pies

Cherries soaked in rum are one of my favorite treats. I love to use them in homemade ice creams, use as a topping on ice cream, pour over warm pancakes, and have even thought about making them into a jam. Wouldn't that taste good? A rum-cherry jam? Maybe not kid friendly, but definitely adult friendly. The dark rum marinating fresh tart, ripe cherries...heavenly. Instead of making a cherry pie I wanted to kick it up a notch and make hand pies because I had in the back of my mind (for ages) on taking flaky hand pies and dipping them in milk chocolate. I got the idea (several times) when I would dip strawberries in chocolate. Why not cherries? Well, why not cherry hand pies? Cookies are done this way why not hand pies?

Well, I'm really glad I did, they were so tasty. The rum-soaked cherries, the flaky pie crust and the milk chocolate all paired really nice together. Plus they were super easy to make. If you're ever strapped for time you can easily make these with pre-made pie doughs.

chocolate dipped cherry-rum hand pies
print recipe

2 cups of dark cherries, chopped & pitted (don’t chop too small)
¼ cup of good quality DARK rum
(Might need a pinch or two of white sugar in the filling)

1-2 TB cornstarch, sifted
6 pre made round pie crusts or make your own pie dough
1 egg, beaten for egg wash
¼ cup of half & half and a beaten egg for brushing the tops of the hand pies

Milk or dark chocolate chips for dipping the hand pies in

Cook notes: I don’t have exact measurements here as I did not write the recipe down. The only area you have to look out for is making cooking the filling over heat; you might need 1 or 2 TB of cornstarch to thicken it. Use 1 TB and see how the filling comes along as you heat it up. If it’s too thick add a bit of water or if it’s too thin add some more cornstarch –just watch it as you cook it. I tend to like my pie fillings very thick. Make sure to use a dark rum—they taste better and don’t have that strong alcoholic flavor. I like to sift my cornstarch as it avoids any lumps in the sauce/filling. I used dark cherries; I have not used red cherries—don’t know how they would work. Please taste test the filling after it’s cooked and see if it needs a pinch or two of sugar. Some people love their pie fillings sweet, I do not. But experiment as you go along!

For the marinade:
use a cherry pitter or by hand slice the cherries in half, place in a glass or ceramic bowl and drizzle with dark rum, toss, cover, then refrigerate overnight.

For the filling:
When you are ready to use the cherries, let them come to room temp and mix with a generous tablespoon or TB and ½) of cornstarch. Mix thoroughly. Put into a small saucepan and cook until you have your desired thickness. Take off heat and set aside.

For the pie crusts:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Take your egg wash, place in a small dish and beat it well, set aside. Take your other egg wash: the half & half and egg and mix well in another dish, set aside. Use pre made pie crusts or make your own using the recipe I provided above. When you are ready, lay your pie crust on a well floured board, cut the circle in half. Take one half, place about 3-4 TB of the filling on one half, don’t spread the filling to the edges. Take your egg wash, and brush the edges of the pie crust—all edges. Then seal them up. Take the edges and fold them over about a ¼ of an inch all the way around; take a fork and crimp them down. This way you have a pie crust all the way around and it prevents any filling spillage. Now take your half & half and egg wash and brush the tops of the hand pies before baking. Also place a small slit or two on the top and middle of each hand pie to let the steam vent. Bake on parchment lined cooking sheets for about 20-30 minutes or until the tops are light golden brown.
Mine were done around the 30 minute mark.

Let them cool before dipping into melted chocolate. I also topped a couple of mine with fresh coconut right after they had been dipped in chocolate.

giveaway time!

CONTEST CLOSED! CONGRATS TO THE WINNER

Anyone in the mood for a really good giveaway?

As many of you know I don't do a lot of 3rd party giveaways unless the prize is something big and good. I LOVE to give my fans really good gifts. I'm just not into small little gifts that make you go thru hoops of posts, tweeting, and facebooking--I hate that.

The wonderful folks at Guylian Chocolates contacted me back in winter about a giveaway and I asked them to come back to me when they had something fabulous to giveaway. And just a couple days ago they contacted me again with this giveaway. It is a GOOD one. Check this out.

Guylian Gourmet Chocolate‐Espresso Tasting Experience Giveaway (Valued at $340):

• Nespresso Pixie‐‐ An eye‐catching new single‐cup machine that combines a supercompact silhouette with superb espresso‐making abilities.

• Nespresso Tasting Box‐‐ An ebony‐tinted, varnished wood tasting box with 36 capsules of a different array of coffee samples

• B. Smith 13‐Piece Espresso Set‐‐This attractive and functional espresso set will make entertaining your favorite guests extra special. It features six ultra white porcelain espresso cups and saucers with elegant shapes that are stored on the iron carry‐all stand, creating an impressive presentation.

• Guylian Artisanal Belgian Chocolate Truffles—Slowly savour our signature “ultraindulgent” luxurious chocolate truffle seashells made from 100% pure, silky smooth, dark and white Belgian Chocolate and filled with rich, decadent creamy chocolate praline truffle.

• Guylian Original Belgian Chocolate Truffles—8.8 oz., 22‐piece

• Guylian Extra Dark Belgian Chocolate Truffles‐‐8.8 oz., 22‐piece

Pretty cool right? I mean you will get all that. To be honest I'm just happy with all that chocolate-- 44 pieces of chocolate! And in case you didn't know if you put one of their chocolates into your espresso and let it melt--oh heavenly; read more below. But come on aren't those little cups to die for cute?

Did you know that Guylian Chocolates are a naturally inviting duo, pairing a fresh roasted cup of espresso or coffee and Guylian Artisanal Belgian Chocolates will create a unique gourmet experience. You certainly don't want to rush as you take a moment to appreciate all of the aromas and flavors the coffee has to offer.

Try combining a sip of coffee with a bite of chocolate. Let the flavors of the two meld together in your mouth and take a moment to fully savour the complex new flavor that emerges. Each type of coffee or espresso drink offers a different level of intensity and balance. Experiment with them to find the perfect coffee pairing. For a truly intricate taste experience, try these irresistible pairings:

- Dark Roast Indonesian, Guatemalan or Sumatran varieties

- Espresso drinks like cappuccinos, café lattes and Ristrettos

- A Hazelnut Roast will delicately enhance the flavor of the Mediterranean Hazelnuts in Guylian’s signature praliné filling.

- Make yourself an indulgent Guylian Belgian Mocha by melting a Guylian Artisanal Belgian Chocolate into your espresso drink. Top with whip cream for a super indulgent escape. Whatever your favorite coffee pairing, a Guylian Coffee Break is sure to become your secret indulgent escape! For more information, please visit www.GuylianBelgianChocolate.com.

How to win?
- make sure you're a fan of Vanilla Sugar on FB
- leave a comment here on this post, telling me how you like your coffee (easy peasy)
- one entry per person
- please have a valid email address, no anonymous comments
- drawing is done 5/23/2011
- if you want to follow me on Twitter you can - not necessary though

- Shipping to USA residents only.

bbq-blue cheese burgers w/ tomato-blue cheese slaw

Burgers. Kicked up burgers in this house are a staple. Never used to be that way though. Hubby (who is not yet a foodie I might add) used love McGross burgers. Imagine my shock when I found that out. Here he is thinking the big mac sauce is the bomb. The what? No no. Took me a few years to get him to like burgers with layers of flavors and textures. The first one I gave him he de-constructed it only to leave it de-constructed. Everything was scraped off, until he had bun and beef. What is it Linus says? "ohhh bother". So fast forward five years ahead and hubby now loves my burgers, well not all; I can't get too funky....yet. I can go a little funky as long as the basics are in there: like cheese, tomato, and a dressing. Last night was a proud moment in my foodie life. My hubby who comes home late at times, reheated his burger and put it together without me there to guide him through how to assemble it. You see when I make gourmet burgers (or gourmet anything for that matter) I store his burger separately, making sure to leave said bun and toppings on separate plate: the cold plate; while the burger and cheese: the hot plate are on another plate. This is all for the ease of heating up and proper assembly back together. What? All foodies do this right? LOL And normally I reheat all this for him when he comes home AND put it together ready for eating. But last night, he did it all himself. Knew exactly how to reheat the hot parts and pile on the cold parts. Pretty cool huh? Slowly but surely my hubby is turning into a foodie. Now if I could just get him to learn how to roll sushi we'd be happy happy.

These juicy kicked up burgers are very easy to make. Nothing more than a burger stuffed with a good, giant hunk (or 2) of aged blue cheese in the middle, fry or grill, last 5 minutes of frying or grilling (I recommend grilling) pour on the bbq sauce and let it caramelize. Put on toasted, buttered bun, then top with tomato-blue cheese slaw. Done and done. Easy right?

bbq-blue cheese burgers w/ tomato-blue cheese slaw
print recipe

1 lb. ground beef (I prefer grass fed, humanely raised, safe beef from Whole Foods Market)
8 generous Tablespoons of quality-aged blue cheese (2 TB's per burger)
barbecue sauce
toasted & buttered buns

for the slaw:
2-3 chopped tomatoes, no seeds
thousand island dressing
a couple handfuls of chopped blue cheese (or more)
broccoli or regular chopped slaw (cabbage)
salt & pepper to taste

For the slaw: mix all ingredients in a bowl. Cover and let chill in fridge till ready to use.

Get your cast iron pan, fry pan or grill ready. I highly recommend using a grill--it helps the bbq sauce to harden and caramelize.
Form 4 beef patties, split in half, place about 2 TB of the blue cheese in middle, close up good, seal edges.
On the last 5 minutes of cooking the burgers add on the bbq sauce and let it harden and caramelize on both sides.
Place on toasted bun, then top with the chilled tomato-blue cheese slaw. Should make 4 burgers.

Note: high quality blue cheese with melt right into the meat. The flavor will be there, you just won't see the ooey cheese.