Baking Madness!

I did not intend to become a baking fiend over the weekend. To many of you, baking 2 desserts in one weekend hardly qualifies one for the title "baking fiend" but to me, the non-baker, it's a lot. Friday night, I made a batch of cherry turnovers and Sunday, we had coffee cake with our supper. The boys did not gobble these desserts up the way I expected, but I heard from J that when Pie did eat a turnover, he "mmm"ed all through it. Pie frequently doesn't notice what's going into his mouth, just what's on the screen in front of him. So, I consider that high praise. Both desserts were the essence of simplicity:

Turnovers-
Cut a couple of pre-made pie shells into quarters. Plop a scant quarter-cup of pie filling slightly to one side of the center of each quarter. I do mean scant. Brush the edges with egg white and seal with a fork's tines (or, if you are lucky enough to have one, use a beautiful pie crimp like the one my blacksmith mama made for me). Brush the top with egg white, sprinkle with sugar and cut 3 slits in the top. Bake in a pre-heated 375 degree oven for 20-25 minutes. By no means let your children eat them until they have cooled down because the filling is hot!

Coffee Cake-
Unroll half a tube of whomp crescents across the bottom of an 8x8 baking dish. Mix 8 oz. cream cheese (which you have allowed to come to room temperature) with half a cup of sugar, a teaspoon of vanilla and an egg yolk until it's smooth. Spread this over the crescents. Unroll the other half of the tube on top of this filling. Brush with egg white, sprinkle with sugar and top with 3/4 cup pecan pieces. Bake half an hour or so in a preheated 350 degree oven.

Dinner Friday night was a scrumptious roast with easy whomp biscuit dumplings:
2.7 lb. boneless chuck roast
A couple-few tbsps of oil
14 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 1/2 c. water
3 minced cloves garlic
6 whole cloves
8-count package of whomp biscuits
1/4 c. burgundy
2 tsp. beef bouillon granules
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

Heat the oil in a big pot and brown the roast on all sides. Add tomatoes, water, garlic, cloves, wine, bouillon granules, salt & pepper. Cover and cook on medium heat 2 1/2 hours. Cut whomp biscuits in 4 pieces each and drop into pot. Cover tightly and cook another 15-20 minutes.

If you don't know, by the way, what whomp biscuits are, you need to read Jill Connor Browne's Sweet Potato Queens books. In fact, even if whomp biscuits makes perfect sense to you (hint: you whomp the tube on the counter to open the tube of uncooked biscuits), you still need to read her books. Go to the bookstore now. I'll wait right here. I served this roast with corn & salad.

Sunday night, I fixed a dinner I'd meant to make when it was just J and me, since I knew anything saucy with paprika and caraway seeds would be anathema to the kiddos. However, we had a big ol' package of pork chops and two hungry boys to eat them, so we switched nights and we had Hungarian pork chops inspired by a Stonyfield Farms ad. I love Stonyfield's yogurts, but I have to admit that I used Fage Greek yogurt in this and subbed in sour cream for half of it, since I didn't have enough yogurt. It was fabulous nonetheless! And the boys enjoyed their plain ol' fried pork chops. Frankly, I thought J would balk at the caraway (she despises rye bread) and paprika, too, but she loved it. I served the pork chops with egg noodles and lima beans.

1 1/2 lb. thin, boneless pork chops
2 1/2 to 3 tbsp. oil
Salt & peppered flour
3 minced shallots
2 tbsp. sweet paprika
1 1/2 tbsp. caraway seeds
1/3 c. dry white wine
2 c. chicken broth
2 tbsp. flour
1/2 c. Greek yogurt
1/2 c. sour cream

Pound the pork chops to 1/4" thickness. Heat oil in a big skillet (or two). Dredge the pork chops in the flour, then fry in oil until nicely browned. Set aside. Add shallots, paprika & caraway seeds to skillet, along with an additional tbsp. oil if it's dry. Saute on low for a minute or so. Add wine and cook until nearly evaporated. Add 1 1/2 c. chicken broth and bring to a boil. Simmer a couple minutes. Whisk together the remaining broth and 2 tbsp. flour, until it's smooth. Whisk into skillet and simmer a couple minutes. Add the pork and cook until warmed through. Put on plates. Stir yogurt and sour cream into skillet. Heat through and adjust seasonings. Serve over pork.

Right now, I have the Asian-ish chicken I meant to make Sunday simmering in the crockpot. It super-simple. Spray your crockpot throughly with cooking spray. Dice a package of skinless, boneless chicken breasts. Throw in crockpot with a couple tablespoons of soy sauce, 4 stalks of celery (also diced), a small chopped onion, a can of mushroom "stems and pieces" (drained) and a healthy half-cup of toasted sliced almonds. Mix up and cook on low 6-8 hours. I am serving it with Jasmine rice and steamed broccoli.