Category: Recipes

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Gracious BBQ Baby Back Ribs

Oh, yeah…I’m getting brave now. To be honest, I always thought that making my own barbecue sauce and cooking baby backs would be something I’d never, ever do–it just sounded way too hard. But one day, I was just–you know–in a mood, and to my surprise, it was pretty dang simple. And get this–after tweaking the recipe enough to make it my own, it turned out so good that I don’t even miss my beloved Tony Roma’s anymore.

Sorry Tony, but you left town and I’ve moved on.

Now then, please keep in mind that just because I said these babies were easy–doesn’t mean that they are to be thrown together in 4 minutes and nuked in the microwave.

Perish the thought! Anything this amazing will need a bit of savoring time–so to speak. Trust me, you won’t be sorry.

Gracious BBQ Baby Back Ribs Sauce

1 cup Fancy Ketchup

1 cup Heinz Distilled White Vinegar

1/2 cup Dark Corn Syrup

5 Tbsp Brown Sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp Ground Black Pepper

1/2 tsp Garlic Powder

2 tsp Onion Flakes

pinch of Cayenne Pepper

1 Tbsp Molasses

1 tsp vanilla

Combine all ingredients–except vanilla– into a small sauce pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes or until it becomes as thick as BBQ sauce should be. Allow it to cool for about 10 minutes and stir in the vanilla. Set your lovely sauce aside–in the fridge. You could even make the sauce a few days ahead–to let all the flavors get to know each other, if you like.

Now the ribs:

1 large rack of Baby Back Pork Ribs

Gracious BBQ Baby Back Rib Sauce

To start with, make sure the membrane has been remove from the bone side of the ribs. It’s the thin, rubbery layer that makes that back side smooth. It’s pretty easy to slide a table knife under the membrane and peel it off in one piece. That will make it so that you can trim away any excess fat that was underneath it.

Once the fat is trimmed, cut the slab into 5 or 6 pieces and boil them in a large pot of water for about 30-35 minutes. Remove them from the water and set them on a nice big piece of foil. Now give both sides of each piece a good coating of your illustrious BBQ sauce, seal up the package and set them in the fridge for a few hours. At this point, I got really busy and actually left mine in there for 2 days–which you don’t have to do, of course, but the sauce was really mellow and fabulous after being allowed to grow up a bit.

Preheat your oven to 250 degrees and put the ribs in. Let them cook for 3 hours, then take them out. Coat the ribs with the remaining sauce. Turn the oven on to broil and let them cook out of the foil–for about 15-20 minutes–so that they have a lovely crispy top.

You are now about to enter BBQ Baby Back Rib Heaven.

Have a nice trip.

:}                                                                                                                                                                         564

Gracious BBQ Baby Back Ribs
 
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Ingredients
  • 1 cup Fancy Ketchup
  • 1 cup Heinz Distilled White Vinegar
  • ½ cup Dark Corn Syrup
  • 5 Tbsp Brown Sugar
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp Ground Black Pepper
  • ½ tsp Garlic Powder
  • 2 tsp Onion Flakes
  • pinch of Cayenne Pepper
  • 1 Tbsp Molasses
  • 1 tsp vanilla
Instructions
  1. Combine all ingredients–except vanilla– into a small sauce pan and bring to a boil.
  2. Reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes or until it becomes as thick as BBQ sauce should be.
  3. Allow it to cool for about 10 minutes and stir in the vanilla.
  4. Set your lovely sauce aside–in the fridge.
Notes
1 large rack of Baby Back Pork Ribs Gracious BBQ Baby Back Rib Sauce To start with, make sure the membrane has been remove from the bone side of the ribs. It’s the thin, rubbery layer that makes that back side smooth. It’s pretty easy to slide a table knife under the membrane and peel it off in one piece. That will make it so that you can trim away any excess fat that was underneath it. Once the fat is trimmed, cut the slab into 5 or 6 pieces and boil them in a large pot of water for about 30-35 minutes. Remove them from the water and set them on a nice big piece of foil. Now give both sides of each piece a good coating of your illustrious BBQ sauce, seal up the package and set them in the fridge for a few hours. At this point, I got really busy and actually left mine in there for 2 days–which you don’t have to do, of course, but the sauce was really mellow and fabulous after being allowed to grow up a bit. Preheat your oven to 250 degrees and put the ribs in. Let them cook for 3 hours, then take them out. Coat the ribs with the remaining sauce. Turn the oven on to broil and let them cook out of the foil–for about 15-20 minutes–so that they have a lovely crispy top.

 

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Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes

No, no–you’d never realize it, but there is a goofy green vegetable hidden away in this innocent looking cupcake. And the best part is that you’d never know it was in there because you’ll be too busy rolling your eyes back in your head over the incredible chocolate loveliness–that is this scrumptious cupcake. Try to remain calm…

Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes

1-1/4 cups butter
1-1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup baking cocoa
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup plain yogurt
2 cups grated zucchini
1 tub chocolate frosting

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in vanilla. Combine the flour, baking cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt; add to the creamed mixture alternately with yogurt, beating well after each addition. Add zucchini. Batter will be thick and fluffy.

Fill paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake at 350° for 18-22 minutes or until cupcakes spring back when touched in the middle. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely. Frost cupcakes.

Make them without shame.

Gobble them up with wild abandon.

After all–we must eat our vegetables, mustn’t we?

Heh, heh.

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Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes
 
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Ingredients
  • 1-1/4 cups butter
  • 1-1/2 cups sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • ¾ cup baking cocoa
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup plain yogurt
  • 2 cups grated zucchini
  • 1 tub chocolate frosting
Instructions
  1. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
  2. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
  3. Stir in vanilla.
  4. Combine the flour, baking cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt; add to the creamed mixture alternately with yogurt, beating well after each addition.
  5. Add zucchini.
  6. Fill paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full.
  7. Bake at 350° for 18-22 minutes or until cupcakes spring back when touched in the middle. Cool for 10 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely.
  8. Frost cupcakes.

 

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Peaches ‘N Cream

Don’t you just LOVE Summer?! Good thing peaches are starting to come on because I’ve been craving them like a nut. How about you? Yeah…I bet you have.

So, this amazing little thing outta just about do it–for all of us. It tastes like a soft, light, fluffy, peachy–cheese cake. Or maybe that’s exactly what it is.

That would explain it.

Crust:

2 cups Graham Cracker Crumbs

6 Tbsp butter, melted

1/4 cup sugar

Mix ingredients together and press into the bottom of a 13×19 pan. Chill.

Filling:

4- 8oz pkg. Cream Cheese

3/4 cup sugar

1 small pkg. peach jello

2-3 fresh peaches–peeled and chopped

1- 8oz Cool Whip

Beat the cream cheese, sugar and jello powder until fluffy. Add peaches and whipped topping and blend on low speed until mixed well. Spoon over graham cracker crust. Chill until firm–a few hours. Serve cold.

Bring some over to my house–we’re fresh out.

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Peaches 'N Cream
 
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Ingredients
  • Crust:
  • 2 cups Graham Cracker Crumbs
  • 6 Tbsp butter, melted
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • Mix ingredients together and press into the bottom of a 13x19 pan. Chill.
  • Filling:
  • 4- 8oz pkg. Cream Cheese
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • 1 small pkg. peach jello
  • 2-3 fresh peaches--peeled and chopped
  • 1- 8oz Cool Whip
Instructions
  1. Beat the cream cheese, sugar and jello powder until fluffy.
  2. Add peaches and whipped topping and blend on low speed until mixed well.
  3. Spoon over graham cracker crust.
  4. Chill until firm--a few hours. Serve cold.

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Red, White and Blueberry Trifle


We haven’t had trifle around here in a million years and when I saw this over at “Martha’s” I couldn’t help myself. I mean, really–all those lovely berries. Oh yeah…it was time.

Now, I’ll admit–some days the recipes from Ms. Stewart’s can be a bit more fussy than I have time, or inclination for. But this one was a surprise. It was easy enough to whip together while Baby Chomp was napping with plenty of time to spare. What I’m trying to say is–it’s well worth the trip to Costco for the ingredients.

Red, White and Blueberry Trifle

Ingredients

1/4 cup sugar

1/3 cup sugar

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/4 cup water

1 Sara Lee pound cake (12 ounces), cut into 3/4-inch-thick slices

1- 8 oz pkg. cream cheese

1 cup heavy cream

3 cups fresh blueberries

3 cups fresh raspberries

Directions

In a small saucepan, bring 1/4 cup sugar, lemon juice, and 1/4 cup water to a boil over medium heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Let cool completely, then brush over both sides of cake slices. Quarter cut each slice.

Beat cream cheese with remaining 1/3 cup sugar on high speed until fluffy. With mixer on medium speed, gradually add cream and continue beating until mixture is light and airy.

Arrange half the cake pieces in the bottom of a 2-quart serving dish. Spoon half the cream-cheese mixture over cake in dollops; spread to sides of dish. Scatter half the blueberries and raspberries on top. Repeat layering with remaining cake, cream-cheese mixture, and berries, piling berries in the center.

Cover, and refrigerate until chilled, at least 1 hour and serve to your family and all your snooty friends. They’ll love it!

Our family vote was:

Dang fine.

:}

Red, White and Blueberry Trifle
 
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Ingredients
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • ⅓ cup sugar
  • ¼ cup lemon juice
  • ¼ cup water
  • 1 Sara Lee pound cake (12 ounces), cut into ¾-inch-thick slices
  • 1- 8 oz pkg. cream cheese
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 3 cups fresh blueberries
  • 3 cups fresh raspberries
Instructions
  1. In a small saucepan, bring ¼ cup sugar, lemon juice, and ¼ cup water to a boil over medium heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Let cool completely, then brush over both sides of cake slices. Quarter cut each slice.
  2. Beat cream cheese with remaining ⅓ cup sugar on high speed until fluffy.
  3. With mixer on medium speed, gradually add cream and continue beating until mixture is light and airy.
  4. Arrange half the cake pieces in the bottom of a 2-quart serving dish.
  5. Spoon half the cream-cheese mixture over cake in dollops; spread to sides of dish.
  6. Scatter half the blueberries and raspberries on top.
  7. Repeat layering with remaining cake, cream-cheese mixture, and berries, piling berries in the center.
  8. Cover, and refrigerate until chilled, at least 1 hour and serve to your family and all your snooty friends.

 

Happy Birthday Tracy!

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Sugared Shortbread

Once upon a time–when I was a mere kid of 16, my family went to Scotland one summer–to visit long, nearly lost family nestled in the hills somewhere. It was an incredible trip that included checking out the local shopping mall where my dad promptly bought about 2 billion pounds of Scottish Shortbread all dolled up in those cute little red plaid tins. Pretty sure he figured that’s what you do in Scotland–you buy shortbread.

Well, on that very same day, we silly Americans locked our keys in the rental car which was parked in a lonely underground parking garage. Dear old Dad charged off to find help and didn’t come back for like three hours. I’m not lying–ask my sister. Anyway,  it was hot and muggy and we had nowhere to sit and nothing to drink and nothing to eat. Nothing, that is, except for Scottish Shortbread. By the time dad came back with Scotland Yard with the proper break-in-to-your-car equipment, the rest of us had completely eaten one of the two billion pounds of shortbread. Yeah, at that point, for me–the room was starting to spin but everyone else seemed to be completely unscathed. What luck.

Long story–short, it took about 10 years for me to get over the Scottish Shortbread Gluttonfest Fiasco of 1975, to where I could actually be in the same room with that little plaid tin and not feel my grip on reality slipping.

Many years and a couple of therapists later, I’m totally over it. In fact, I can actually make my very own Scottish Shortbread–and wolf it down with the best of them. It’s pretty dang good too–if I do say so myself. Might be better dipped in a melted Symphony bar, but we’ll hold that thought for another day.

Sugared Shortbread

Ingredients:

1 cup butter

1 cup powdered sugar

2 cups flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/3 cup sanding sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy–about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low and slowly add flour and salt; mix just until blended and crumbly.

Press into an 9 x 13 pan and cut it into slices.

Prick with a fork and sprinkle with sanding sugar. Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until edges start to barely brown. Cool for about 15 minutes then turn out onto counter and re-cut along the lines.

Allow to cool completely–and nibble in moderation…or dip in chocolate as previously mentioned and eat in the local parking garage.

I can not help you–you’re on your own.

Good luck.

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Sugared Shortbread
 
Print
Ingredients
  • 1 cup butter
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 cups flour
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ⅓ cup sanding sugar
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy–about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low and slowly add flour and salt; mix just until blended and crumbly. Press into an 9 x 13 pan and cut it into slices. Prick with a fork and sprinkle with sanding sugar. Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until edges start to barely brown. Cool for about 15 minutes then turn out onto counter and re-cut along the lines. Allow to cool completely.