Baked Chicken

The kids love drumsticks.  Lately I've been doing breasts for me & Neil & then drumsticks for them. Here's one of their favorite coatings - so simple, but tasty:

egg
bread crumbs
granulated garlic
black pepper
kosher salt
I would say the mixture ends of being 60% bread crumbs 30% garlic & then 5% each of pepper & salt. My kids are like me & love garlic....

Lightly scramble egg & dunk chicken in to coat.  Mix enough bread crumbs, garlic, salt & pepper in a bowl to accommodate the amount of chicken you are preparing.  Coat the chicken thoroughly w/the mix and bake at 350.  I flip it about half way through to keep both side crisper.  My kids go nuts for this!

Rosh Hashanah dinner pictures, in a random order because blogger is being annoying.

challah by Trader Joe's

table is set up

fig sauce

chicken ready to go in oven

souffle going in the oven

Squash cooking

Honey Cake Recipe

I used a Pampered Chef mini-bundt pan to cook the recipe in

I found this recipe by using google and honestly, I couldn't resist clicking on it. Smitten Kitchen?! What a great name!  I will be making this as our dessert this year.


Majestic and Moist Honey Cake
Adapted from Marcy Goldman’s Treasure of Jewish Holiday Baking
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup honey
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 large eggs at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup warm coffee or strong tea
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 cup rye or whiskey
1/2 cup slivered or sliced almonds (optional)
Fits in three loaf pans, two 9-inch square or round cake pans, one 9 or 10 inch tube or bundt cake pan, or one 9 by 13 inch sheet cake. I made mine in the Pampered Chef min-bundt pan, so we had 6 little cakes!
Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously grease pan(s) with non-stick cooking spray. For tube or angel food pans, line the bottom with lightly greased parchment paper, cut to fit.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves and allspice. Make a well in the center, and add oil, honey, white sugar, brown sugars, eggs, vanilla, coffee or tea, orange juice and rye or whiskey, if using. (If you measure your oil before the honey, it will be easier to get all of the honey out.)
Using a strong wire whisk or in an electric mixer on slow speed, stir together well to make a thick, well-blended batter, making sure that no ingredients are stuck to the bottom.
Spoon batter into prepared pan(s). Sprinkle top of cake(s) evenly with almonds, if using. Place cake pan(s) on two baking sheets, stacked together (this will ensure the cakes bake properly with the bottom baking faster than the cake interior and top).
Bake until cake tests done, that is, it springs back when you gently touch the cake center. For angel and tube cake pans, this will take 60 to 75 minutes, loaf cakes, about 45 to 55 minutes. For sheet style cakes, baking time is 40 to 45 minutes.
Let cake stand fifteen minutes before removing from pan.

Here is an up close version of one of them.

I didn't grease the pan enough, so they aren't the prettiest, but everyone loved them!

Rosh Hashanah is coming

And I need to get the food for it.  I've settled on a menu I found at The Kosher Channel:

Holiday Baked Chicken with Figs and Honey Orange Sauce

12 pieces cut up chicken, about 5 pounds
3/4 cup honey
1 1/2 cup dry white wine
1/4 teaspoon red pepper
12 fresh figs, quartered
1 cup orange juice
Juice of one lemon
1. Preheat oven broiler. Place chicken in a single layer in a baking pan, skin side down. Broil chicken 5 minutes, turn and broil until skin begins to blacken, about 5 minutes. Remove from oven. Set oven to bake at 325 degrees.
2. In a saucepan, heat honey, wine and pepper over high heat. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer, uncovered, 5 minutes. Add figs, orange and lemon juices and simmer, uncovered for 15 minutes until figs begin to fall apart and the sauce is thickened.
3. Pour sauce over chicken. Bake, uncovered for one hour.
Makes: 8-12 servings ~ Must make ahead
Active time: 20 minutes ~ Cooking time: 1 hour, 15 minutes

Pumpkin and Ginger Souffle

3 pounds peeled and cubed butternut squash [original recipe calls for pumpkin, but says it's ok to substitute butternut squash as well. I've changed the recipe to reflect the fact that this is what I am using.  Thanks to the Produce Box, I have a bunch on hand again.]
1 cup brown sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
3 teaspoons vanilla
½ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ cup margarine, softened or applesauce
¼ cup vegetable oil
¼ cup flour
3 eggs
1. If using fresh squash, heat a saucepan of water over medium high heat, boil squash 45 minutes to an hour until very soft. Add water as needed to keep pumpkin covered. Drain well. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Place slightly cooled, still warm squash in the work bowl of a food processor. Add sugar, baking powder, vanilla, ginger, margarine or applesauce and oil. Process until very smooth. Add flour, mix well. Add eggs one at a time, blending after each addition.
7. Pour mixture into one 9x13 inch baking dish-or two smaller casseroles, sprayed with vegetable spray.
8. Bake in preheated over for1 hour or until top is light brown and soufflé is set (does not wiggle when pan is shaken).
Makes: 12-15 servings
~ Active time: 20 minutes ~ Can make ahead
Cooking time: 2 hours ~ Can freeze

Finally, I'll make garlic mashed potatoes and a raisin challah.  Although the challah, I'll probably cheat and buy, since I'm not the best at making challah....or have the time to make  another if I mess the first one up....