BACON EGG and CHEESE TOAST CUPS

This recipe is eye catching and tasty. It has several (easy) steps, but you can do most of them early in the day (or even the day before) and then finish it all up just before serving.

For each "nest", you will need one circle of toast, a pinch of cheese, one egg and one slice of precooked bacon. Make sure you use standard-thickness bacon because thick bacon will NOT work for this recipe.

These little beauties are quite filling and two of them make a hearty breakfast.

THE "DO AHEAD" PART:

Spray the cupcake pan generously with vegetable spray, then put a "toast circle" (un-buttered) in the very bottom of each cupcake well.

Next, pre-fry the bacon. I do mine in the oven because it comes out perfectly flat and easy to work with.  Click HERE for my post on cooking bacon in the oven.

Bake the bacon at 375 (no need to preheat the oven) for about 20 minutes, (or) if you are frying it, cook it about 2/3 done (you will want it almost "done" but still pliable). Drain the bacon but don't let it cool down too much because it tends to get stiff as it cools down. Quickly wrap the warm bacon inside each cupcake well, like this:

Add a healthy pinch of shredded cheddar (we also like Pepper Jack cheese) on top of the toast, like this:

At this point, you can put them in the fridge (covered) and finish putting them together later.

WHEN IT's TIME TO EAT:

Preheat your oven to 400 and carefully break one egg into each "nest"

Sprinkle with kosher salt and coarsely ground pepper. Put them into the preheated oven for 15-18 minutes or until the eggs are done to your liking. 

Let the cooked eggs sit in the pan for a minute or two before removing (don't worry, they stay very hot). Letting them sit in the pan makes them easy to remove.

Scoop the baked egg cups out of the pan with a spoon. If you like your eggs well done (like we do), you can pick these up and eat them out of hand, but if you like a soft set egg, you'll need a plate and fork.

ENJOY !!!

TRIPLE CHOCOLATE ZUCCHINI BREAD

IT IS ZUCCHINI SEASON !!!

Do you have a lot of zucchini this summer? If so, this is a GREAT way to use it. This treat is super chocolate-y, super moist (in fact it gets even more moist on day two), super easy to make and freezes very well.

(2) one-ounce squares of unsweetened chocolate (melted)
3 large eggs
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup white sugar
1 cup vegetable oil (I used canola)
2 cups shredded zucchini (squeezed dry, then measured)
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 + 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Things to do first:
1. Preheat your oven to 350°

2. Toss the chocolate chips into the measured flour to get them well coated, that way they won't sink to the bottom of the bread as it bakes.

3. Grease two large (9" x 5") loaf pans. I line mine with parchment and then greased the parchment (this bread tries to stick to the pan if you go light on this step, but with the parchment paper, the zucchini bread tips right out.

4. Shred the zucchini, then squeeze some of the water out of it (with your hands) before you measure it.

Directions:

In large mixing bowl (I use my stand mixer), combine eggs, sugar, oil, grated zucchini, vanilla and melted chocolate. Mix until smooth.

Next, add flour (that you've stirred the chocolate chips into), cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Mix until well combined, smooth and shiny (just takes about 30 seconds or so).

Pour batter into 2 well-greased large loaf pans and bake at 350­° for 60 to 70 minutes (my electric oven takes exactly 60 minutes) or until a toothpick inserted into tallest part of the bread comes out clean. Don't over bake.

Cool in pans (on a rack) for 15 minutes, then remove from pans. Wrap the bread in plastic wrap while they are still hot.  This keeps a lot of the moisture inside of the zucchini bread as it cools.  Don't slice the bread until it cools down completely.

If you are going to freeze them, cool completely, then double wrap them or wrap them in plastic wrap and put in a Ziploc freezer bag.

FUN TIP: If your children are picky eaters, just peel the zucchini before you shred them, that way you won't hear "Mom, what are these green specs?" They won't even know that the zucchini is in there!!

ENJOY !!

HOMEMADE VANILLA EXTRACT

The Halloween/Thanksgiving/Christmas baking season is just around the corner, so I decided to stock the pantry with baking supplies. I was shocked at the increased price of good quality vanilla; some of it is as high as $15 for just a few ounces!!

With that in mind, I decided to make my own vanilla, although I had NO CLUE how to do it. After some Internet research, I was thrilled to learn that the process was SUPER EASY and it only takes TWO ingredients (vodka and vanilla beans)!!!

I like McCormick brand spices, but their price for TWO measly vanilla beans is over $10!! This recipe takes 4 ounces of vanilla beans, so homemade vanilla extract (at that price) would be pretty expensive, so I went back to the Internet.

I discovered that the best vanilla extracts are NOT made with the same kind of vanilla beans that you bake with (Whew!! THAT was a relief.). Vanilla extract is made with Grade B vanilla extract beans (I didn't even know there was such a thing). Google it and you will find a lot of places to buy them. Just make sure they are labeled Madagascar Grade B extract vanilla beans

The 6" beans aren't very pretty to look at (they are not plump and supple AND you CAN NOT bake with them), but they make GREAT extract. When you order them, they will arrive looking like this:

Supplies
1 quart of vodka  (see note below)
4 ounces of Madagascar Grade B extract vanilla beans

This makes a LOT of vanilla, but I like to put it in pretty little bottles and tuck them into gift baskets, so a quart of extract is a good thing.

TIPS: 
Don't waste your money on expensive vodka, thinking that this will make better vanilla...it does not.  Good news!! The cheapest vodka works just as well as expensive vodka for this project!!

For the initial "brewing", you will need a jar that is a bit bigger than a quart since the vodka AND vanilla beans have to fit in it (I learned that the hard way).

Cut the grade vanilla beans into 1/2" pieces and put them into a quart of vodka..........that's it!!  Now all you have to do is shake the bottle a little (every few days) and after a month (at room temperature), it will be extract!! What could be easier?

Before using the extract (or giving it away), strain the spent vanilla bean pieces out of the extract. Personally, I enjoy seeing the tiny vanilla seeds in my baked goods, but if you don't, just run the final vanilla through a coffee filter.

Decorative bottles like this are available online for about $2.50 each, they make a pretty gift.

This extract will be good "forever", or until the very last drop. No need to refrigerate it.

The vanilla in this photo is only 2 weeks into the extract process (see how rich it looks already?)

For those of you who are concerned that homemade vanilla

is not as "strong" as commercial vanilla...never fear!!

This homemade vanilla is very potent (in a good way) and

you will LOVE baking with it!!

ENJOY!!!