Creamy, smooth custard contrasted with intense, spicy flavors. Today, I bring you these lovely Chai Pots de Creme, shared by Stacey (butterbean).

I’ll not lie. The ingredient list contains a few specialty items. And the process is a bit time-consuming. But these little custards are very much worth it. So rich and full of flavor; and they can be made a day or so in advance, for those crazy days when you’re expecting visitors and have no time to make something awesome.

Here’s how to make these scrumptious little bowls of creaminess:

First, the ingredient list:  heavy cream, whole milk, chai concentrate (I used Tazo, but you can use any kind you wish), ground ginger, cinnamon stick, ground cardamom, whole cloves, crushed red pepper, egg yolks, and brown sugar. 

Preheat your oven to 325ºF. Place 1 1/2 cups cream, milk, chai concentrate, ginger…

…cinnamon stick, cardamom, cloves, and red pepper in a saucepan. 

Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. 

Remove from heat, cover, and let steep for 15 minutes. This will help to intensify the flavors.

Meanwhile, place 6 ramekins in a 13×9-inch pan.

Strain the cream mixture into a bowl. Discard the solids, or boil in a pan of water for a lovely aroma.

Separate the egg yolks from the whites. Whisk together the brown sugar and egg yolks.

Whisk in the strained cream mixture.

Divide the custard evenly among the prepared ramekins. I find it easiest to place the custard in a pitcher first.

Pour hot water into the baking dish to reach halfway up the sides of the ramekins.

Cover with aluminum foil.

Pierce the foil in several places.

Bake until softly set, about 30 minutes. Remove from pan and let cool for 1 hour. Cover with wax paper (I used plastic wrap) and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Just before serving, whip the remaining cream to soft peaks. Dollop a little (or a lot) onto each custard. Enjoy!

Notes: 

• My husband and I found that the red pepper was a little odd. You could easily leave this out if you prefer a less spicy (and by spicy, I mean hot) chai. 
• As Stacey mentioned, it was necessary for me to remove the foil and bake the custards for an additional 20 minutes or so. Everyone’s oven is different, so start with 30 minutes and work from there.

Thank you so much, butterbean, for sharing this amazing recipe with us! Visit her blog Just Stacey J. for recipes, photos, and so much more.

Printable Recipe

Chai Pots de Creme

by butterbean on February 13, 2011 in Custards/Puddings, Desserts February 13, 2011 Custards/PuddingsDesserts

See post on butterbean’s site!

4.00 Mitt(s) 1 Rating(s)

Prep Time: 20 mins

Cook Time: 45 mins

Difficulty: Easy

Servings: 6

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Sweet and spicy dessert. The flavors make the whole house smell wonderful. Easy and tasty alike.

Ingredients

• 2-½ cups Heavy Cream, Divided
• ½ cups Whole Milk
• ½ cups Chai Concentrate
• ½ teaspoons Ginger
• 1 whole Cinnamon Stick
• 1 teaspoon Cardamom
• 8 whole Cloves
• ¼ teaspoons Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
• 4 whole Egg Yolks
• ½ cups Brown Sugar

Preparation Instructions

Preheat the oven to 325°F. In a saucepan, bring 1 1/2 cups cream, the milk, chai concentrate, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and crushed red pepper to a boil; simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, cover and let steep for 15 minutes.

Place six 1/2-cup ramekins in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Strain the cream mixture into a bowl, pressing on the solids; discard the solids.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and brown sugar. Whisk in the cream mixture. Divide the custard among the ramekins; pour enough hot water into the baking dish to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Cover the dish with foil and pierce in several spots.

Bake the custards until softly set, about 30 minutes. (I had to uncover and cook mine for about another 20 minutes.) Remove from the water and let cool for 1 hour. Cover with wax paper and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Before serving, whip the remaining 1 cup cream until soft peaks form; dollop onto each custard and sprinkle with the candied ginger if desired.

 
 
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Newly-married Erica Kastner shares her wonderful recipes and amazing food photography on her blog, Cooking for Seven. She also writes about crafts and posts more of her beautiful photography in her personal blog, EricaLea.com. There really isn’t much that this amazing young lady can’t do, and we’re thrilled she does some of it here.

 
I don’t know about you, but it’s finally winter in my neck of the woods. It’s cold. I’m hungry. And I’m ready to hibernate.

I could live off soups year round, and find that nothing is more satisfying that a big bowl of stew (or two) followed by a few cookies. Maybe some bread. Maybe a salad. But the soup is where it’s at. According to my mom, my grandma made an excellent beef and barley soup. However, it was never one of the recipes she made in my lifetime. It’s been hidden in my recipe box since she passed away, and I had all but forgotten about it until I came across this Beef with Barley Soup recipe from Terri. I could hardly wait to whip up a pot; it just screamed comfort. And it’s much easier than I thought it would be. Win!

Here are your super simple ingredients: salt, pepper, thyme, carrots, olive oil barley, stew beef, season salt, diced tomatoes, beef stock, garlic, potatoes, onions and 1 bay leaf.
It should be noted that I had a difficult time finding pearl barley and had to resort to a quick cooking barley. Because of this, I reduced my simmer time a bit, and while I was afraid the barley would be a hot mess, it still came out great! More on that later.

Begin by dicing your onion. Also peel and chop your potatoes.

Next up, add your olive oil to a large stock pot and let it get nice and hot. Once hot, add your beef and DON’T TOUCH IT. Let it sear first, then once it can easily be flipped (and is not sticking to the pot), toss it.

See the caramelly brown color? That’s what you want. Gray meat is the worst. Trust me. Give it some color!

After about 5 minutes your meat should be browned, and it’s time to add your onions and garlic. Stir everything together.

Continue stirring every few minutes until the onions become caramelized. You can add a little more oil here if needed, but it wasn’t necessary for me.

Now it’ time to add everything else! Throw in the potatoes and carrots and barley …

Dump in the stock …

Then add your seasonings and bay leaf.

Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce it to a simmer and let it cook for about 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Again, I shaved a bit of time off here since I used the quick cooking barley. I let mine simmer for about 45-60 minutes.

After the 2 hours (or 45-60 minutes, in my case), add in your diced tomatoes. Give it a good stir and let it simmer for another hour. Easy!

Give it a taste and adjust your seasonings. I snuck multiple spoonfuls for about 2 hours straight.

Remove your bay leaf and serve it hot with a sprinkle of fresh parsley. I added some crusty bread with butter for dipping. Crackers would be good, too!

Dig in!

This soup actually warmed me to the core and the flavor was just incredible. It is a perfect dish for cold winter nights, and if you use the quick cooking barley, you can even make this as an easy weeknight meal. I didn’t even care that I burn every inch of my mouth.

Thanks so much Terri for the delicious recipe! Be sure to check out her blog That’s Some Good Cookin’. It’s chock full of fabulous dishes and stories.

Printable Recipe

Beef with Barley Soup

by Terri @ that's some good cookin' on October 13, 2011 in Soups, Stews October 13, 2011 SoupsStews

See post on Terri @ that's some good cookin'’s site!

4.82 Mitt(s) 17 Rating(s)

Prep Time: -

Cook Time: -

Difficulty: Easy

Servings: 8

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Take the chill off with a warm bowl of this filling soup.

Ingredients

• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1 pound Beef Cubes (for Stew)
• 1 whole Large Onion, Medium Diced
• 2 cloves Minced Garlic
• 2 whole Carrots, Smaller Ends Cut Into Rounds, Larger Ends Diced
• 2 whole Potatoes, Large Dice
• 1-½ teaspoon Seasoning Salt
• 1 teaspoon Sea Salt (or To Taste)
• Ground Black Pepper To Taste
• 6 cups Beef Stock
• 2 cups Water Or As Needed
• ½ cups Pearl Barley
• ½ teaspoons Thyme
• 1 whole Bay Leaf
• 1 can (14.5 Oz. Size) Diced Tomatoes

Preparation Instructions

Heat a large stock pot over medium high heat. Add the olive oil.

Brown the beef cubes for three minutes in the oil, then add the onions and garlic. Lower the heat to medium low and cook until the onions are cooked and just start to caramelize. Stir as needed to keep onions and garlic from burning. Lower heat if necessary; drizzle a little more olive oil if needed to keep food from sticking.

Add everything except the tomatoes to the pot and stir well. Increase the heat and bring the soup to a boil, then turn heat to low, cover pot, and simmer for two hours, stirring occasionally. Adjust heat as necessary to keep soup at a slow simmer. If the soup thickens too much, add a little more water or broth.

Taste to correct seasonings, then add tomatoes and simmer for another hour. Remove bay leaf before serving.

 
 
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Jessica Merchant is a personal trainer turned food writer and blogger. Her blog, How Sweet Eats, is where she proclaims her love for all things sweet, all things bacon, and everything else in between. She works her magic in her Pittsburgh kitchen, which she shares with her husband of 2 years.

 
Twice Baked Potatoes have always been a favorite of mine, so when I saw this recipe for Potatoes Romanoff (something I had never tried before) I knew I had to make it immediately! It takes the twice baked potato to a whole new level by shredding the baked potato and folding in lots of sharp white cheddar cheese, flavorful shallots and sour cream. Once it’s tossed together, it’s topped with a little more cheese (because really, everything is better when topped in cheese) and then baked again until the cheese is golden and the potatoes are warm.

This recipe was submitted Tasty Kitchen member Duane Puitman from Cottage in the Oaks, and thank goodness for that because I’m officially obsessed. It’s going to be making many appearances in my kitchen in the coming months, that’s for sure!

Okay, here’s what to do…

Start with 3 large russet potatoes.

Wrap each of them up in tin foil.

Stick them into a 425ºF preheated oven on the metal rack. They are going to bake for about 1 hour. Once the potatoes come out of the oven, remove the tin foil and let them cool. Once cooled, place them in a container and cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Next, using a box grater or your food processor grater attachment, grate all of the potatoes.

Chop up a few shallots.

Combine the grated potato and chopped shallots in a large bowl.

Pile on most of the white cheddar cheese. Try not to eat half of it like me because it just means you have to grate more when you’re ready for it!

Add the salt and pepper.

Followed by a big dollop of sour cream. Yum!

Mix everything together with your hands if you feel like getting a little messy, or with a spoon. Whichever you prefer!

Transfer the mixture to a baking dish and plop it on in. No need to pack down the potatoes, leave them scattered about so it give it that rustic look.

Scatter on the remaining cheddar cheese (by this step, I most certainly had to grate more cheese since I kept snacking on it) and bake it in a 350ºF oven for about 30-40 minutes until the cheese is just golden and the potatoes are hot!

Once it’s out of the oven, it’s time to dig in!

Feel free to top your serving with some chopped scallions or chives. It gives it an extra dimension and it’s just the right thing to do. This would be an excellent side dish for some steaks. Just saying.

A big thank you to Duane for such a delicious and wonderful recipe! Be sure to check out Cottage in the Oaks for more awesome ideas.

Printable Recipe

Potatoes Romanoff

by Cottage In the Oaks | Daune Pitman on August 12, 2011 in Potatoes, Sides August 12, 2011 PotatoesSides

See post on Cottage In the Oaks | Daune Pitman’s site!

4.63 Mitt(s) 16 Rating(s)

Prep Time: 15 mins

Cook Time: 30 mins

Difficulty: Easy

Servings: 6

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A great side, wonderful with steak as an alternative to baked potatoes.

Ingredients

• 3 whole Large Russet Potatoes, Unpeeled
• ¾ cups Minced Shallots
• 2-½ cups Grated White Cheddar Cheese, Divided
• 2 teaspoons Kosher Salt
• ¼ teaspoons Freshly Ground Pepper
• 1-½ cup Sour Cream

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 F.

Wrap potatoes in aluminum foil. Bake potatoes on a pan in the oven until done, about an hour. Remove foil and let potatoes cool to room temperature. Put potatoes on a plate, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight.

Grate the chilled potatoes, including skins. You can use a large box grater or a food processor. (I like the food processor!) Transfer grated potatoes to a bowl and sprinkle in the shallots, 1 3/4 cup cheese, salt, and pepper.

Use your hands to gently toss together. (I guess you could stir it too but you would miss all the fun. Go ahead, plunge those hands down in there!) Then fold in sour cream.

Transfer mixture to a 1 1/2 quart gratin dish, making sure that you don’t compress (or squash, or moosh, or squish) it! Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.

Bake at 350 F until the top is golden brown, about 30 minutes. Serves 6.

Recipe slightly adapted from williams-sonoma.com via Strip House.

 
 
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Gaby Dalkin is the young lady behind What’s Gaby Cooking, a food blog that’s bursting at the seams with incredible recipes and food photography. She’s a personal chef and professional recipe developer, and if you follow her on Twitter, you’ll soon discover her two-fold obsession: guacamole and cheese. She has small feet, a large heart, and a smile that can light up the whole building. We’re pretty stoked to have her here.

 
Pungent spices. Tangy vinegar. Sweet maple syrup. A hint of smoke. These rich flavors meld together to make the perfect BBQ sauce.

Not only is this BBQ sauce wonderfully tasty, it’s also super easy to make. Just whisk a few ingredients together, and you’re done! Plus, it’s much less expensive than the gourmet sauces you find at the grocery store. And you know exactly what goes into it—no mystery ingredients!

Planning to grill something amazing this weekend? Let me show you how to mix up a batch of Smoky BBQ Sauce before you can say butter. Well, almost…

Here’s what you’ll need: tomato paste, pure maple syrup (don’t ever use imitation), white wine vinegar, onion powder, garlic powder, sea salt, chili powder, and liquid smoke.

Scoop a 6 oz. can of tomato paste into a bowl. Make sure you choose a bigger bowl than I did…

Add 1 cup of pure maple syrup. Not that icky fake stuff. All natural maple syrup. Like what you get from maple trees.

Add 6 tablespoon of white wine vinegar …

1 1/2 tablespoons onion powder …

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder …

3/4 teaspoon sea salt …

1 teaspoon chili powder.

And 2 tablespoons of liquid smoke.

Whisk it all together until smooth. I made a mess because my bowl was too small for all the whisking action.

Taste and adjust seasonings if needed.

Use immediately, or refrigerate until ready to use. Now go get grilling!

Notes:
1. For best flavor, allow the sauce to sit at room temperature for 1 hour before using.
2. If you like your BBQ sauce more spicy, simply add more chili powder or a dash of cayenne. Customize to your taste!

Printable Recipe

Smoky BBQ Sauce

by Erica Lea on January 13, 2010 in Condiments, Homemade Ingredients, Sauces January 13, 2010 CondimentsHomemade IngredientsSauces

See post on Erica Lea’s site!

5.00 Mitt(s) 4 Rating(s)

Prep Time: 10 mins

Cook Time: -

Difficulty: Easy

Servings: 6

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A quick and easy BBQ sauce recipe.

Ingredients

• 6 ounces, weight Can Tomato Paste
• 1 cup Maple Syrup
• 6 Tablespoons White Wine Vinegar
• 1-½ Tablespoon Onion Powder
• ½ teaspoons Garlic Powder
• ¾ teaspoons Sea Salt
• 1 teaspoon Chili Powder
• 2 Tablespoons Liquid Smoke

Preparation Instructions

Whisk all ingredients together in a medium bowl. Store in the refrigerator.

_______________________________________

Newly-married Erica Kastner shares her wonderful recipes and amazing food photography on her blog, Cooking for Seven. She also writes about crafts and posts more of her beautiful photography in her personal blog, EricaLea.com. There really isn’t much that this amazing young lady can’t do, and we’re thrilled she does some of it here.

  I love recipes that expand my horizons. This Spicy Thai Coconut Shrimp Soup from Jackie Dodd, for example, is not something that I would normally make on my own. But her recipe looked to enticing that I had to give it a try. Plus there’s a grocery store near me that offers up things […]