Sunday, January 17, 2016

Cookbook Countdown #84

 
 
 
I've never taken part in a Bloggiesta  Weekend, but I probably should.   I have so many posts to clean up in my drafts....as you can tell by this Fall colored fudge.  Yes, I made this back in October and it has sat in my drafts ever since.
I thought I was so smart in making 2 recipes from The Pioneer Woman's newest cookbook the moment I bought it.  And I made the two easiest recipes, so what took me so long to post?
I don't know.
 
BUT here it is now....  Cookbook Number 84!
It's been a while since I've recorded a cookbook for my cookbook countdown.
I'm up to 84 and I've made the decision to clean out and get rid of some.  Since I'm well over 300 cookbooks now, it's okay, but I do feel a little guilty --I feel it's cheating to toss them before cooking.
The Handyman says it's okay.  What do you think?
 
Cookbook 84!
 
 
 The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Dinnertime is a beloved collection of all the scrumptious supper recipes that make their way through my kitchen in regular rotation, from main dish salads to satisfying soups to hearty casseroles to comfort food classics . . . and everything in between. I lay out all the different ways I tackle dinner in my house, from super-quick 16-Minute Meals to make-ahead Freezer Food to irresistible pastas and a bundle of brand-new favorites of my crew.
 
To be honest, I love Ree Drummond's cookbooks most of all.  I love her photographs and how each one is kind of a mini memoir or mini auto-biography.
Plus she makes real people food.
 
Real people food that the Handyman likes.
Altho, he would have loved this fudge plain better. I sprinkled candy corn M&M's on it.
I would have liked to add some chopped walnuts to it, but he doesn't like nuts.
(weirdo)
 
 



Quick Fudge
 
3 cups good-quality chocolate chips
1 16oz can sweetened condensed milk
cooking spray--like pam
 
 
Before  you begin, line a square 8x8 pan with foil and spray with Pam.  In a medium saucepan or double boiler, over medium heat, melt the chocolate chips.
And pour in the condensed milk.  Stir them as they melt, taking care to scrap the bottom of the pan to avoid sticking or burning.
Once you can no longer see bits of chocolate chip, remove them from the heat.
Immediately transfer to the prepared pan, pressing it into a single layer.
Cover the pan with foil or plastic and refrigerate for 2 hours.
Once it's all set, pull the edges of the foil to remove the whole thing from the pan and peel off foil.
Cut into 2-inch squares.
 
*you can add a variety of crushed candies or nuts top off the fudge.  Just sprinkle and press them lightly into the fudge.
Suggested toppings:
M&M's
crushed peppermint candies
nuts
sprinkles




And then...
there is  "The Bread"
It's so stinky unbelievably easy that I can' believe she put a recipe for it in her cookbook.
Except that then I would never have made bread this way and now I do and it's
DELICIOUS!! 



The Bread
1 loaf of French or Italian Bread
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
 
Put an oven rack on the lower level on the oven and preheat to 325F.
Slice your loaf in half lengthwise and lay them cut side up on a baking sheet.
Smear I stick of butter on each half.  Yes she said 1 stick of butter per half.
Cover every inch.
Bake for 5-10 minutes until the butter melts and the bread has a chance to warm up.
Then crank up the broiler and return the oven to the pan and let it broil until the bread is a deep golden brown and almost starts to blacken.
Immediately cut The Bread into strips
and enjoy every bite!
 
Ree says there is no variation.  That this recipe is as good as it gets,
BUT,  you can add a bit of garlic to make it garlic bread and it's good too.

 
These are 2 of the easiest recipes in the book, but they are both great and something I'd make again and again.
 
 
I am going to link up with Weekend Cooking at Beth Fish Reads!  YOU can too!
Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book (novel, nonfiction) reviews, cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, quotations, photographs. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend.
 
 






 


10 comments:

Vicki said...

I love Ree!

Margot said...

I love the Pioneer Woman too - first with her blog, then on TV and now her cookbooks. I like these two easy recipes. I just bought French bread yesterday and I'm going to try The Bread recipe first. (Will diet tomorrow.)

~~louise~~ said...

"toss the cookbooks???" Oh my word, Debbie. You wouldn't, would you??? There's always room for cookbooks:)

I have Ree's book but to be perfectly honest, I've never even opened it. I know shame on me. Marion picked it up at a yard sale for me last Summer but, I just haven't gotten to it. Perhaps I should at least open it. The Quick Fudge is calling my name:)

Enjoy Debbie, and, thanks for sharing...

bermudaonion said...

I like her cookbooks because they're filled with "real" food too. I say don't get rid of any cookbooks until you've tried them.

Susan Lindquist said...

That Ree, she always makes the best stuff! And she always makes it look so folksy and fun! As for the number of 'drafts' hanging around ... I think every blogger has a line of drafts in there files that are just waiting for the right time to make it to the page!

I hope I can put off making yours and Ree's fudge until Valentine's day, but the odds are ...

Beth F said...

Yes you can get rid of cookbooks you've never cooked from. I culled my cookbook library by half last year (I still have hundreds too many) and I haven't been sorry at all.

I like Ree's cookbooks, but I can't eat the way she does on a daily basis. I've seen that fudge recipe before and it looks sooooo easy.

Kay said...

Do you think there are people who don't like Ree's cookbooks? Once they have them or know about her wonderful food? Maybe. I'm making her chicken spaghetti (tweaked a bit for our tastes) tonight. Yum.

Stefanie said...

I was blown away by how many cookbooks you have! WOW. I think you should sell the unwanteds to a used bookstore if they're in good condition. I don't use cookbooks anymore as Pinterest is my tool. Pioneer Woman has good recipes. Oh boy do we love bread here! My mum made a terrific garlic bread recipe by Ina Garten a few times. Delicious.

Karen said...

I've seen that bread and it sounds so dang good! I'll have to give it a try :)

Katherine P said...

Wow! You have a serious amount of cookbooks! I love this book though I've only used it a couple of times. I've made the Salisbury Steak and Chicken Milanese and both were amazing. I kind of wondered about The Bread but it sounds like I definitely need to try it and now I want fudge! I need to pull this book off the shelf and try some more stuff from it!

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