MERRY CHRISTMAS, my friends

I have a bunch of recipes in the works so fear not my friends, there'll be a new pile of them soon!!

I wanted to thank everyone for their support over the last year (and before) and am excited about the plans I have for the blog in the future...

MERRY CHRISTMAS 

HAPPY WHAT IT IS THAT YOU CELEBRATE! 

MERRY HAPPY EVERYTHING! 

/Tracy
x

OH and christmas dinner is a 8 lb standing rib roast (500 for 6 min/lb then leave in CLOSED oven at least 3 hours), mashed potatoes (casserole the day before), steamed peas, gravy and maybe rolls... i can't cook on christmas, I hope to have LOOT to play with!

PRODUCT REVIEW! Kamenstein Digital Scale (no they aren't compensating me in any way)

A bunch of years ago, I bought this digital scale:

https://www.amazon.com/Kamenstein-Stainless-Digital-Kitchen-Silver/dp/B00AQMGFDI

ALSO available in red:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AQMGFG0/ref=twister_B00AQMGFC4?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

I got mine at Costco, but you can get them anywhere  I use it ALL the time, I weigh everything that I bake.  I weigh ALL the bread unless I specifically say I don't.  I weigh my mail on this thing, it's precise!! Over the years, I've bought many scales and uses all sorts of types.  THIS is my absolute favorite of all of them.

This scale is easy to use, easy to clean, easy to read! easy to adjust to zero out and to set the units of weight.  I LOVE this thing.

I am going to start writing more recipes by weight so you're all going to need one too.

NOW then, this is the punctuation on this review.  After all these years, the display was looking funky...I tried new batteries, i tried old batteries, I tried used batteries.  Ooops, oh no, my beloved scale was dying???  I called the company:

them:  Thanks for calling Kamenstein, how can I help you?
me:  HORROR, my scale is starting to do weird things with the display!
them:  OH don't worry, give me your name and address, we'll send you a new one, sorry you might have to wait up to a week.
me:  A WEEK? that's FANTASTIC!  thank you so much!  I love a lifetime guarantee.
them:  We're happy to help, let us know if you have any questions or need more help.....

THAT, ladies and gentlemen, is customer service.  So, my sad dead scale is sat here beside me, it doesn't owe me anything.  I have used and abused it for way too many years and the fact it's guaranteed for life?

Well, get online and get yourself a Kamenstein digital scale and if you feel like letting them know you saw my recommendation, that's great but I didn't write this to GET anything, I wrote it so YOU can get it!

/go get it

tracy

Quiche muffins, the big ones, the ones you want to make and eat on sunday morning. They're great hot, cold, reheated, fried! and freeze beautifully...

There's NO recipe here, it's a method.  For the large sized muffin tins, I use one egg per muffin cup and then add one egg for the pan. Regular muffin tins will only need barely one egg per muffin cup, always gage low, you can always add!

   

IN the video below, I made 8 quiche muffins so I used (ultimately) 9 eggs so that's the math for all future large cup muffin pans.

I mention in the video my favorite pan is the Bakers Pride 12 cup loose base dessert pan.  I use it for muffins, these quiches, cheesecake and any other time I want a smaller version of any original.  I will tell you they're not available for sale in the USA.  You can pay a fortune to have them imported OR you can wait and see if I can get us a deal on buying bulk, I'll report back on that one.

So, rather than  long winded drawn out version of what I cooked....  I just did a video :)
go on, go take a look

TRACYS BREAKFAST QUICHE MUFFINS

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AelyJwT8APE

/enjoy

I like a pancake, then I like to tart it up. This is my motherfood pancake, it lives somewhere between an american pancake an a british pancake (crepe) and makes me happy every single time I make it. This is one of the foods I make when I'm here alone and need to feel some happiness and love.

No, I don't think you NEED a recipe for a pancake, it's flour, egg, milk, cooked and slathered in whatever makes you happy.  I just do them a little differently when it's just me here and I want a little treat.  The days where I'm chased away from a quiet read by televisions and feel lonely for someone to just chat to about nothing in particular, this is what I make, just for me, on those types of days...  go on, we all have them, trust me, if you make this, you'll have a little smile and a new start to the day.

DRIVEBY RECIPE:  TRACY'S BACON APPLE PANCAKE 

WITH POWDERED SUGAR AND QUEBEC MAPLE SYRUP

INGREDIENTS

Bacon, cut into tiny pieces, I use 2 pieces
water
1/2 apple, peeled and chopped small

1/2 cup all purpose flour
pinch of salt
1 Tb sugar
1 egg
enough milk to take batter to 1 1/3 cup (10 oz) of batter

maple syrup
powdered sugar

METHOD AND PLAY BY PLAY PICS

Cut bacon up small and drop in a cold frying pan, add water to coat the bottom of the pan, thinly.  Turn on to medium high and cook till water evaporates and bacon crisps, drop in apples and fry around a bit, just a bit, we don't want them turned to babyfood.  Add a pat of butter and shush it around to a smooth layer in the pan.  Drizzle batter over, thinly but enough to cover, leave it, do NOT touch or shake, don't touch it!!  when it looks dry around the edge, slide a spatula under and flip it, one solid motion. you can do it!  Fry the second side a minute or so, till it's brown under there then flip back to first side. Transfer to plate and add a little powdered sugar, fold in half, dust with a little more powdered sugar and fold into quarters.  Pour a little maple syrup over and sit quietly and eat it, all of it.  :) Enjoy.  There is enough batter to make another, plain one OR you can repeat and make a second apple bacon.  Go on, make yourself one.

Make the batter and set aside.  Add bacon and water to pan and fry till crispy, add chopped apple.
     
Fry it around a bit, add a pat of butter and then pour batter over, carefully and evenly

    

Leave it, do not shush it around, just leave it, when it's brown and set, flip it

    

Oh, flip it back again when the second side is cooked, just for a second,  Transfer to a plate, sugar and flip, sugar and flip. 

    

Drizzle a little maple syrup over it...  yeah, then eat it, quietly, with no one anywhere near you 

  

THE Pressure Cooker Creamy Cheesecake, with my oh so secret topping, in a 7 inch springform pan, better than all of them :) trust me THIS is the one you want to make

I love cheesecake, I love smooth, creamy cheesecake.  I don't like that crumbly style cheesecake, if that's the sort you like, avert your eyes because this is smooth, creamy, delicious and makes you want more more more of it.

I have to admit, I usually make the mini cheesecake in a jar:
http://www.tracycooksinaustin.com/2013/01/mini-pressure-cooker-cheesecake-in-jars.html

BUT sometimes I need a whole cheesecake to present, or just to make :).  I do own a 7 inch springform pan, go get one, they're fabulous for not only cheesecake but bread pudding, other cakes, all made in my pressure cooker.  Yeah, it's pretty crazy how much deliciousness you can make in one pan. But, as usual, I digress.  This is super easy, no fuss, no drama or leaving things in open ovens or fretting over the cracks, oh hell, life is way too short for that.  This is straight forward, 15 min cook time and a few minutes of rest then a chill and there you have it, one of the best cheesecakes I have ever made and have ever had.

TRACY'S CREAMY CHEESECAKE IN THE PRESSURE COOKER

INGREDIENTS

CRUST
12 graham crackers
4 1/2 Tbsp of soft or melted butter

FILLING
2 blocks ROOM TEMPERATURE (8 oz each) cream cheese
1Tbsp vanilla
1/4 cup sugar
pinch of salt
2 eggs
drizzle of lemon juice (optional)

TOPPING
1 cup sour cream
2 tsp vanilla
2 tsp sugar

Ok, there you go.

METHOD

Combine crackers and butter in cuisinart, press into a 7 inch springform pan.
Clean bowl :) sorry but we can't have crumbs in our cheesecake
Combine 2 blocks cream cheese with sugar, lemon, vanilla, salt till smooth smooth smooooooth
Add 2 eggs and a drizzle of lemon if you're using it
Combine and leave to beat for a couple of minutes you want smooooooooooth, scrape down a few times.
Pour lovely smooth soft mixture into the lined pan.

IN pressure cooker, put about 2 cups of water and a trivet that fits in the bottom, I got mine at the dollar store, it's a warmer that you use with a tea candle, cost me a buck,  Use what you have.

Make an aluminum sleeve, purely to help lift the cake from the cooker, if you don't want to, don't.

Place cheesecake on trivet over the water, lock and load, high pressure, 15 minutes.

DING, just unplug your unit and leave it to come down naturally, about 10 minutes?  Open it and if there's a little water on top of your cheesecake just tip it and use kitchen paper to dab it up, no worries, it's just condensation from resting while the pressure came down.

While the cheesecake is still warm, put the topping on it, gently smooth it out and leave it on the counter to cool completely.

Cover and put in the fridge..  8 hours... wait for it, wait for it, trust me now.........

PLAY BY PLAY PICS.....

    

    

   

   

   

I like a little of my strawberry compote drizzled on top but ANY topping is great, fresh fruit, chocolate, caramel, anything at all

  

You're going to want to go and make this, seriously, right now.  I'd wax poetic and tell you more details of how wonderful this is but, c'mon, I have a plate and a fork and, well.............cheesecake

/enjoy