NEW SITE

MY beloved hungree fans,
this will be the last post on this blog. FEAR NOT, I'm not going away, I'm just going bigger.
I welcome you to my new website, Stay Hungree. It has all the posts on this blog, in a more fun and easier format for your hungree pleasure. Basically, its the best distraction possible. I invite you to continue to follow, so PLEASE check out the new site! stay hungree!!
xoxo
amanda

stayhungree.com/

Peanut Butter Cup Pie

Everyone has those guilty pleasures; that one thing you know you shouldn't eat but when you see it you lose all sense of self-control and dive blindly and dazed into every bite until its gone. For me, its Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. Something about those little cups have me utterly and completely spellbound. Is it that milk chocolatey coating? Is it that lusciously smooth peanut butter inside? Or maybe its the textured ridges of the edges that make for a playful stroke against my tongue? Well, let's just go with all of it. It's perfect in every aspect. Yesterday was a bizzy day. Kelsey is making a documentary for her film class, and has decided to use moi as her muse. We spent the day in the kitchen, whipping up delights from Oreo Bomb Cupcakes, a chocolate bark, a roasted chicken, and this pie. Props to Kelsey for inspiring this pie. She's a big choco-pb fan. Well, on the topic of the film, you'll get to see that eventually. On the topic of this pie, you get to see it now.

Peanut Butter Cup Pie

1 pack of Pepperidge Farm Chocolate Chunk Cookies (all chocolate)
3 tbs melted butter
3 cups heavy cream
2 cups powdered sugar
8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup peanut butter
1 12 oz. bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips, GOOD QUALITY PLEASE

Recipe: Crush the cookies into crumbs. There are chocolate chips in them so those won't crumble but they're good for the texture so don't worry. Once crumbled, mix in the melted butter until well moistened. Pat into a greased pie pan, putting the mixture on the bottom and the sides of the pan. Put in freezer while you prepare the rest of the pie.
Whip 2 cups of the heavy cream until fluffy stiff peaks are formed. Add 1/2 cup of the powdered sugar and whip until combined. Put the whipped cream in a bowl and set aside in the fridge.
In an electric mixer beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the remaining 1 1/2 cups of powdered sugar and slowly mix until combined. Once combined add the vanilla and peanut butter and beat on high for about 2 minutes. The mixture should be extremely thick. Take 2/3 of the whipped cream you made earlier, and fold it into the peanut butter mixture. Whip it on high for 1 minute, it should still be thick but fluffier and lighter. Pour this mixture into the prepared pie crust. Put into freezer for at least 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, prepare the ganache. Put the chocolate chips in a heatproof bowl. Heat the remaining 1 cup heavy cream in a skillet on low until almost boiling, but not quite. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate chips and whisk vigorously until shiny, smooth, and totally melted. Pour this over the top of the peanut butter. Freeze for 2 hours, until totally set. Serve with the extra whipped cream.

 my slice, not yo's

 peanut butter cup times ten

 Reese's makeover

 oh HEALLLL yea

PB & Me

xoxo

hungreegirl.

Beef Bourgignon a la Julia

We all have aspirations, some larger then others. One of my ultimate? To be the next Julia Child. A bit of a reach? Yes. Possible? Well, anything is possible. For those of you unfamiliar with Julia, she's the woman who made French cooking accessible and doable to us in the US. She also had a cooking show on TV, was really tall, and liked to eat as much as I do. Watch the movie "Julie & Julia" for a little more insight. **MAD props to Meryl Streep for the film**. ANYWAYS, Julia Child is renown for her famed Bouef Bourguignon. Its basically a hearty beef stew that is totally 2D4 (to die for, duh). While home this weekend, a chilly and lazy fall day inspired me to make it the way she would. I whipped out her book "The Art of French Cooking", a recent birthday present, and scanned the recipe. One thing to note, Julia's recipes will have you using every pot and pan in your kitchen, but it's completely worth it. There are a lot of steps and components to the dish, including braising the onions for an hour and butter sauteing the mushrooms separately. Yes a bit time consuming but to be honest, it really is straightforward and makes for a fun afternoon project. Its also a project that results in one of the most delicious things consumed by my man. When I pulled this out of the oven, I knew it was a winner. The beef chunks had simmer until tender in a rich Cabernet infused sauce that was thick and velvety and absolutely luscious. The separate cooking steps of the mushrooms and onions elevate the dish by offering different textural and flavor notes. I'm not lying when I say its an ambitious meal to tackle, so make sure you have some time on your hands. But when you take that first bite, whether it be plain or with roasted/boiled potatoes like she suggests, you will find yourself sinking into sheer beef bliss. Julia is a genius, and now I feel like one too. 

Beef Bourguignon a la Julia


Ingredients
One 6-ounce piece of chunk bacon

3 pounds lean stewing beef, cut into 2-inch cubes

1 carrot, sliced

1 onion, sliced

Salt and pepper

2 tablespoons flour

3 cups red wine, young and full-bodied (like Beaujolais, Cotes du Rhone or Burgundy)

2 1/2 to 3 1/2 cups brown beef stock

1 tablespoon tomato paste

2 cloves mashed garlic

1/2 teaspoon thyme

A crumbled bay leaf

18 to 24 white onions, small

3 1/2 tablespoons butter

Herb bouquet (4 parsley sprigs, one-half bay leaf, one-quarter teaspoon thyme, tied in cheesecloth)

1 pound mushrooms, fresh and quartered

Recipe: Remove bacon rind and cut into lardons (sticks 1/4-inch thick and 1 1/2 inches long). Simmer rind and lardons for 10 minutes in 1 1/2 quarts water. Drain and dry.Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Sauté lardons in 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a flameproof casserole over moderate heat for 2 to 3 minutes to brown lightly. Remove to a side dish with a slotted spoon.

Dry beef in paper towels; it will not brown if it is damp. Heat fat in casserole until almost smoking. Add beef, a few pieces at a time, and sauté until nicely browned on all sides. Add it to the lardons.

In the same fat, brown the sliced vegetables. Pour out the excess fat.

Return the beef and bacon to the casserole and toss with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

Then sprinkle on the flour and toss again to coat the beef lightly. Set casserole uncovered in middle position of preheated oven for 4 minutes.

Toss the meat again and return to oven for 4 minutes (this browns the flour and coves the meat with a light crust).

Remove casserole and turn oven down to 325 degrees.

Stir in wine and 2 to 3 cups stock, just enough so that the meat is barely covered.

Add the tomato paste, garlic, herbs and bacon rind. Bring to a simmer on top of the stove.

Cover casserole and set in lower third of oven. Regulate heat so that liquid simmers very slowly for 3 to 4 hours. The meat is done when a fork pierces it easily.

While the beef is cooking, prepare the onions and mushrooms.

Onions:

Add onions and sauté over moderate heat for about 10 minutes, rolling them so they will brown as evenly as possible. Be careful not to break their skins. You cannot expect them to brown uniformly. Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons butter with one and one-half tablespoons of the oil until bubbling in a skillet. Add 1/2 cup of the stock, salt and pepper to taste and the herb bouquet. Cover and simmer slowly for 40 to 50 minutes until the onions are perfectly tender but hold their shape, and the liquid has evaporated. Remove herb bouquet and set onions aside.

Mushrooms:

Wipe out skillet and heat remaining oil and butter over high heat. As soon as you see butter has begun to subside, indicating it is hot enough, add mushrooms. Toss and shake pan for 4 to 5 minutes. As soon as they have begun to brown lightly, remove from heat.

When the meat is tender, pour the contents of the casserole into a sieve set over a saucepan.

Wash out the casserole and return the beef and lardons to it. Distribute the cooked onions and mushrooms on top.

Skim fat off sauce in saucepan. Simmer sauce for a minute or 2, skimming off additional fat as it rises. You should have about 2 1/2 cups of sauce thick enough to coat a spoon lightly.

If too thin, boil it down rapidly. If too thick, mix in a few tablespoons stock. Taste carefully for seasoning.

Pour sauce over meat and vegetables. Cover and simmer 2 to 3 minutes, basting the meat and vegetables with the sauce several times.

Serve in casserole, or arrange stew on a platter surrounded with potatoes, noodles or rice, and decorated with parsley

Julia is so so so so kind for giving this to us

and some roasted potatoes on the side? yes please.

done, done, and done.

I think I'm Julia's Child

xoxo

hungreegirl.

Halloween Bark

It's that time again, Halloween time. My favorite day of the year (after Thanksgiving of course). There's just something about the idea of dressing up and getting candy that is in my eyes simply perfect. I mean FREE CANDY? When I was little, I prepared for this day beginning in September of the year before. Brainstorming Halloween costumes was my go-to activity whenever I was bored. Dressed as Peace the tye-dye Beanie Baby, an American Flag, or a horse, I was also the most aggressive trick-or-treater; I pushed, I shoved, I took more then one. Anyways, I love this day now as much as I did back then. To celebrate I made a halloween treat that is honestly the easiest recipe I have ever posted. It's simple, delicious, can be adapted to your liking, and actually takes 5 minutes. Did I mention it requires ZERO baking? Rare, but nice. A bark composed of silky white chocolate, Oreos, Candy Corn (for festive-ness), and pretzels for that nice salty touch. Make this. Now.

 Halloween Bark

Ingredients
1 16 oz. bag white chocolate chips
1 tbs vegetable oil
10 Oreos, crushed
1/2 cup pretzel sticks, crushed into smaller pieces
1/2 cup candy corn

*you don't have to listen to these proportions at all. They are suggestions. DO more. Do way more if you're feeling cray*

Recipe: Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil. Spray it with non-stick spray or rub with vegetable oil, just make sure its heavily coated.
Pour the white chocolate chips into a microwavable bowl. Add the vegetable oil. Melt in microwave for 30 second intervals, removing and stirring after each one until fully melted.
Once melted, pour the white chocolate on to the foil-covered sheet and use a spoon to shape into a long rectangle, about the size of the sheet. Have your toppings ready and sprinkle them on, ensuring that they are touching white chocolate so they stick. Freeze for 10 minutes. Break into bark pieces. ENJOY.

halloween deliciousness

have a hungree halloween!

xoxo

hungreegirl.

A Brunch Production

Hungree Girl catering is officially open for business. Yes I've done events before like birthday parties and date parties, but now its official. A few days ago my friend Connor called me and asked me to cater  a brunch for his frat and their alumni. I agreed and we decided on a menu that was actually the ultimate carb fest; the perfect meal for a long day of heavy heavy drinking. At first, I was told it was for 40 people, a pretty large number to cook for considering the size of my kitchen. Well, as the event neared closer, the number grew, to somewhere around 150. Casual, right? I set to work, staying up late the night before and rising with the sun on the morning of to ensure that these hungree people would get FRESH from the oven quality stuff. I mean, how dedicated am I? Well, 10 lbs of homemade granola, 200 blueberry and pumpkin muffins, and a giant pan of french toast bread pudding later, brunch was ready to be served. While I was skeptical/extremely nervous at first, I'm so glad I was basically forced into doing this *Thank you Connor* because I love when people who read the blog get to try some of the goods. If you had some, YAY, if you didn't, stay tuned. A surprise is coming. Look below for some pix!

 got muffins?

 some very hungree boys

 my kind of table

 the cinnamon swirl french toast bread pudding

 is this real life?

 casual saturday brunching

 hungree girl loving brunch

open 4 business!

xoxo

hungreegirl.

Pumpkin Bread Pudding

The final recipe in our saga of pumpkin glory. Don't cry too much, there will surely be plenty more pumpkin recipes to come considering I have a list as long as the Nile river. Bread Pudding is a personal favorite dessert of mine. Why? 1) because its extremely versatile and can be flavored/topped/mixed with literally anything my heart desires 2) takes 10 seconds to put together 3) has a balance of textures both soft and moist while still maintaing a crispy crunchy top that I just die for. I've done my fair share of bread pudding creations. Mine have ranged from banana nutella to dark chocolate sour cherry and none of disappointed. When I hopped on this pumpkin craze, I figure I'd throw it into some bread pudding. OH am I glad I did. The pumpkin, fall spices, and white chocolate make for a pudding that's out of this atmosphere. The pumpkin also lends it's beautiful orange color to the dessert which makes it that much more beautiful. I thought about making a white chocolate sauce to pour atop each piece, but when I tried it plain I decided to refrain. It's too good to mess with.

 Pumpkin White Chocolate Bread Pudding

Ingredients
1 french baguette, crusty and preferably a little stale
2 eggs
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup milk
1 15oz. can pumpkin, about 1 1/2 cups
1/2 cup sugar
1 tbs cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips

Recipe: Cut the bread into 2 inch pieces. Arrange it into a casserole dish so the whole dish is covered. Stacking is encouraged. In a bowl, combine the eggs, cream, and milk. Whisk until eggs are well beaten. Furiously whisk in the pumpkin and sugar. Once well combined add the spices. Sprinkle your white chocolate chips on top of the bread and use your hands to distribute them throughout the chunks, leaving some on top. Pour the pumpkin mixture over the bread. Make sure you coat EVERY piece of bread with the orange liquid (nothing worse then dry spots in bread pudding). Use your hand or a wooden spoon to press down on the top of the bread to ensure that each piece gets soaked. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350. Bake bread pudding for about 40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. It should be fluffy, crusty on the top, and moist but not seeping liquid in the center. Let it rest for 10 minutes then cut yoself a piece.

 ohhhBABY

 pumpkin perfection.

 ya i'll have a piece

 i'm stuck on this pic...

 neesh so cute loves bread pudding!

 raya love pumpkin pudding too.

puddin is precious

xoxo

hungreegirl.

Pumpkin Bread/Pumpkin Muffins

The pumpkin party continues with a fall classic: pumpkin bread. It’s extremely dense and moist, taking on a cake–like quality that regular bread lacks. Flecks of typical pumpkin pie spices like ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg accompany a strong pumpkin flavor, think banana bread minus the banana and replaced with pumpkin. This bread is the absolute definition of fall. Eat it plain. Warm it up and slather some butter on it with a sprinkle of cinnamon. Turn it into French toast. If you’re like me, you can do all three. But honestly, it doesn’t matter what you do with it, because it’s just so FREAKING good. It’s also the ultimate fall present too. If you’re feeling like you want to brighten up someone’s day, double this recipe or use muffin tins instead and you will make some people VERY happy. I’m thinking about making this recipe in bulk and standing on the main stretch of campus and handing some muffins out. Talk about making friends. Maybe Romney or Obama should adopt this strategy. While the polls are close, if they were to start bribing people with these, I have a feeling they’d win some people over and totally take the lead….now that's what I call politics.

Pumpkin Bread/Muffins *recipe slightly adapted from My Baking Addiction 

Ingredients

one 15 oz. can pumpkin puree, 1 1/2 cups

4 eggs

1 cup vegetable oil

2/3 cup water

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 tbs maple syrup

2 1/2 cups sugar

3 1/2 cups flour

2 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp nutmeg

Recipe: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease your loaf pan or muffin tins. In a bowl fitted with an electric mixer, combine pumpkin, eggs, oil, water, vanilla, maple syrup and sugar. Beat until well blended. Combine the dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Gradually stir them into the pumpkin mixture until just mixed. Pour batter into prepared bans. Bake for 60-70 minutes (for loaf, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf/comes out clean. If using muffin tins, cook about 12 minutes.

 like i mean come on...

 HELLO beautiful

 okay fine i'll have a slice...or three

 and the next day its FRENCH TOAST TIME...

 oh and yes, topping it with cinnamon whipped cream is a requirement

 and yes it's so warm it may fall off

 but you can make do and scoop it back on. I have faith in you.

pumped 4 pumpkin season

xoxo

hungreegirl.

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

YO!?? Stop drooling at these pix and let me get a word in. I'mma make it short, and I'mma make it sweet *duh* but I got something to say. These are going in the category of my ultimate successes. If the show "Best Thing I Ever Made..." called me today and asked me to be on it, well, I'd make these. So, if you work for that show you might want to dial me NOW. They're pumpkin-y. They're cinnamon-y and nutmeg-y. They're gushing brown sugar goodness. They are absolutely ridiculous in the best way possible. These cinnamon rolls are the equivalent to Christmas; basically they turn an ordinary day into the best day of the year simply because of their nature. I'll give you a quick description, and then set you free to indulge in this eye candy. I'm not trying to sound like a car salesman, but these are easier then they look and you really can make these. The dough is smooth and buttery, full of pureed pumpkin and spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger that make it taste insanely cozy. The inside is sticky sweet, as the brown sugar gooeyness oozes and peeks out from every possible crevice. I think I'm in love.

 Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls *recipe by Smitten Kitchen

Ingredients
4 tbs unsalted butter
1/2 cup whole milk, warmed
2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast (a 7 gram envelope)
3 1/2 cups flour, plus extra for rolling
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ginger
2/3 cup pumpkin puree
1 large egg
oil for coating bowl

Filling
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp ground cinnamon

Glaze
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 tbs milk
2 cups powdered suar
1/2 tsp vanilla

Recipe: Make the dough. Melt the butter in a saucepan. If desired, brown it for extra flavor (keep cooking for a few minutes of medium heat after already melted and it will turn golden brown and become a nutty flavor). Remove from heat and set aside.
Combine your warmed milk with your yeast and let sit 5-7 minutes —should be a bit foamy when done.
In a large bowl combine flour, sugars, salt and spices. Add the butter, yeast-milk mixture, pumpkin, and egg. Mix until well combined using an electric mixer. Mix for about 3 minutes until it really comes together. Scrape into a well oiled large bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Set asia for 1 hour to let it rise, it should double.
While rising, line the bottom of two 9 inch round cake pans with parchment paper. Butter the paper and the sides of the pan.
Assemble the buns: Scoop the dough onto a VERY well floured surface. With a rolling pin, roll the dough in a large rectangle, about 16X11.

Melt 1/2 stick of butter and brush it evenly over the dough.

Stir together filling ingredients and sprinkle the mixture evenly over the dough.

Starting on a longer side, roll the dough into a tight spiral. Ya its messy, but it will taste delicious regardless...loook at me rolling up

 into a big log. 

 can we just eat it now?

With a sharp serrated knife, using absolutely no pressure, softly saw the log in a back and forth motion into 1 inch sections. 

 beauteous

Divide the buns into 2 prepared pans. Sprinkle with any sugar that fell of onto the counter, cover with plastic wrap and let rise another 45 minutes.

 Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 25 minutes.
While baking make the glaze.Beat the cream cheese with an electric mixer. Add the sugar and vanilla and beat. Mix in the milk until it achieves desired thickness.
Remove the buns from the oven and drizzle with glaze. Try and restrain yourself from eating 8.

 cinnamon brown sugar bubbling goodness...also my new computer background tehe

 oh baby

 glaze time.

 1 bun for me

 heart. stopping. now.

 its very flashy

 and now a peek inside...

 some for me, and some more for me

 thank you for watching a slideshow of me make-bake-demolish this

i'm BUN-dles of fun

xoxo

hungreegirl.