Mayhaw Jelly Caramel Chocolate Popcorn

Posted on by theexileskitchen by Amanda Ellison Anglin

The title says it all.

Here’s what to do:

Pop your favorite microwave popcorn. I used 3 single serve Orville Redenbacher popcorn. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and  put the popped corn in as much as a single layer as you can. Set this to the side.

Next, make the jelly caramel. I used mayhaw because that’s what I had in the pantry. Any mild jelly will do, like crabapple or apple apple. In a 2 quart, heavy bottom pot melt 1/2 stick of salted butter and a 1/2 cup of mayhaw jelly, over medium high heat. It’s going to bubble up; stir it constantly while it reduces. Turn the heat down a little bit and add 1 tablespoon of honey and a splash of vanilla.  Whisk in and continue to reduce the jelly mixture. It’s ready to drizzle over the popcorn when it coats a spoon. Carefully pour evenly over the popcorn.  Now, add 1/ 2 cup chocolate chips and, if you like, shake on some seasonal colored sprinkles.  Gently toss everything together. The warmth of the caramel will help to melt the chocolate chips and set the sprinkles. Serve in your popcorn bowl set… what? You don’t have a popcorn bowl set? No problem.  Any big bowl will do.

Mmmm,  is the right sentiment about this snack. So good for watching college football. Or make a batch and take it to Fall Fest.

Blessings from the Exile’s Kitchen. 

Apple Strawberry Crumble

Posted on by theexileskitchen by Amanda Ellison Anglin

The seasons go from summer to autumn on Monday. In the produce section yesterday, pretty USA strawberries and apples were part of my purchase. Strawberries harken the warmer months, and apples beckon the cooler. I combined the fruits for a nice fruity dessert.  Or snack. Or breakfast.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups quick oats

1/3 cup self-rising flour

3/4 cup light brown sugar

1/2 stick salted butter, melted

Big dash of cinnamon

4 medium Gala apples, peeled and cut into equal sized wedges (save the skins for another recipe) https://theexileskitchen.com/2023/01/28/crispy-apple-skins/

3/4 cup strawberries,  washed, stemmed, and thinly sliced

More salted butter, cut into pats

What to do:

Into a 9×9 casserole dish or 9 inch pie plate, pour a little of the melted butter to coat the bottom. Set to the side. Preheat oven to 350°.

In a medium-sized bowl, combine the oats, flour, brown sugar,  cinnamon, and the rest of the melted butter. This will be the crumble top.

Next, arrange your apples in the dish in a single layer. Then, top the apples with the sliced strawberries. Take a few of the pats of butter and dot evenly over the fruit.

Then, take the crumble mixture and sprinkle  over the butter and fruit, covering well. Place the rest of the butter pats evenly over the top.

Place the filled dish in the center of the oven and bake for about 35 minutes or until the top is nice and brown. 

I served this apple strawberry crumble with a few dollops of light strawberry ice cream and stuck a few crispy apple skins on top. That link is above in the ingredients list.

It’s that time of year when the calendar says autumn, but the temperature says summer. This crumble is a tasty blending of those two seasons. September and October are months of reflection and anticipation.  It’s not quite the end of the year, but close. Have we met any of the goals we set back in January? Well, you have three more months and a few days…

Seasons of change Blessings from the Exile’s Kitchen.

Food Allergies and Wanting Cookies

Posted on by theexileskitchen by Amanda Ellison Anglin

One of my grandsons has been diagnosed with different food allergies. With this in mind and wanting chocolate chip cookies today, I started messing around in the kitchen. Wanting the crunch that pecans or walnuts give a traditional chocolate chip cookie, I replaced them with a half cup crispy rice cereal. This recipe should be safe for those with allergies to nuts. In the list of ingredients, I’ve mentioned specific brands on purpose, as the labels say they  nut free or have no allergy warnings. Please note: don’t just take my word for it; you read the labels for yourself.

Small Batch Crispy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

1/2 cup melted butter

1/4 cup light brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 egg

1 cup Pioneer Baking Mix

1/2 cup Great Value rice crisps cereal

1/2 cup Nestlé Allergen Free chocolate chips

Here’s what to do:

Preheat the oven to 350° degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set to the side.

In a medium bowl, mix the first 4 ingredients well. Then, fold  the baking mix, rice cereal and chocolate chips.

Drop the cookie dough onto the prepared cookie sheet using a teaspoon. These cookies spread a little as they bake, so leave at least an inch between each.

Bake for 12 to 14 minutes until they are golden brown. Cool and enjoy.

These cookies are buttery and have a crunchy outside and a chewy inside. The recipe is a small batch, making 12 or so. Add one to your child’s lunchbox for a goody surprise or enjoy yourself with your favorite beverage.

Cookie blessings from the Exile’s Kitchen. 

Ten Years Since

Posted on by theexileskitchen by Amanda Ellison Anglin

It’s Baby Boy’s birthday today. It’s been ten years since he’s asked for a German chocolate cake.

I used a box mix for the cake layers but made the icing from scratch.

It takes a lot of bowls and steps to make this two layer cake. Of course, I taste tested along the way. I think it will pass the test.

The chocolate icing is a cross between genache and chocolate butter cream. Adding a half cup of chocolate chips when melting the butter gives it a nice sheen.
I made a dam using some of the chocolate icing to hold the coconut filling in place. 
Top layer before the crumb coat. After covering the entire cake with chocolate icing, it was placed in the fridge to firm up.
Out of the fridge and piped with a few  little shells and rosettes to hold the rest of the coconut icing.

Birthday Blessings from the Exile’s Kitchen. 

Sweet Basil Tea

Posted on by theexileskitchen by Amanda Ellison Anglin
Sweet Basil Tea

What’s your favorite summertime sip? Is it sweet tea or lemonade? A simple syrup using fresh, sweet basil can liven up these tried and true refreshers. I grow pots of fresh basil each summer; I love to cook with it.

Here’s what I do:

I pluck a few sprigs of sweet basil, rinse them and remove the stems. In a 1 quart pot, I put 1 cup of water and a 3/4 cup of white sugar. Then I stir it to dissolve the sugar.  Next, I drop in the basil leaves. Then it simmers over medium heat till it reduces and makes a syrup. I remove the basil leaves and add 2 cups of water into the basil syrup and 2 big tea bags. Then I  steep to the strength that I  prefer. I like it more medium than dark. 

Porch sipping

I pour the sweet basil tea into a pretty pitcher and keep it in the frig. It never lasts long. Serve over ice and enjoy.

Note: The basil syrup can be added to your homemade lemonade. It’s such a nice flavor combo!

Blessings from the Exile’s Kitchen. 

The Flower Cart

Posted on by theexileskitchen by Amanda Ellison Anglin

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1Eqy8UPr43/

Dark, dank living room, but no more.

Ironically,  the flower cart is the same color that made the living room so dark and dank. As an accent color it is cheerful and bright.

Three-Day Weekend: A Lot of Work

Posted on by theexileskitchen by Amanda Ellison Anglin

Memorial Day Weekend is the unofficial start of summer. The origins of Memorial Day are claimed by different states, but all began after the Civil War to honor the fallen.

I’ve spent my time off from work gardening and canning. The flower patch has been hit and miss this spring.  I’ve planted twice and have had as many volunteers come up as I’ve had those I purposely planted.

The row of Isabellina zinnias are some of the flowers planted early. They have not disappointed. Such a lovely pale yellow.

Green beans, snap beans, string beans – whatever they’re called, the one row I planted have been making this last week. Another bucket was picked on Saturday and I canned them Sunday evening.

In the pantry are three quarts and 12 pints. I like having a full larder for the year. I’ll probably have another picking of beans and a subsequent canning.

I spent a good bit of the weekend cutting grass. Coreopsis planted last year has been beautiful this spring, but it is going to seed. Resseding itself is exactly what I want it to do. 

The bike ‘lane’ is planted in cosmos and mixed zinnias and should be in full bloom in a few weeks. I did some cloud spotting while mowing.

This morning, I drove to my eldest’s. He and his wife are selling homegrown vegetables and fresh baked sour dough from their farmstand. They’ve done such a great job building it and filling it! Heron Hollow is what they named their place. https://www.facebook.com/share/p/16DTAG7Jo5/

Support your local farmstands and farmers’ markets this summer. 

Farmstand blessings from the Exile’s Kitchen. 

Spring Planting

Posted on by theexileskitchen by Amanda Ellison Anglin

George and I were gardening beasts today. We tag teamed cutting the field, being sure to dodge the coreopsis planted last summer. The drifts of coreopsis and tickseed should be in full-glory yellow bloom starting next week. I picked a faffing bouquet and included a few sprigs of red clover. Ellie Phant seems happy with it. We planted the parade of bikes in the S-swath, along with mixed zinnias and white and pink cosmos. I’m praying the predicted rain will be just the right amount and that everything will germinate and grow as planned. Yesterday, on my way back from Baton Rouge, I stopped at the garden center that Handy Hardware opened. Tomato plants, pepper plants and beautiful, blue Louisiana iris were bought. Such friendly, helpful folks at Handy Hardware. Stop by if you’re in Magnolia. Everything was planted today, including 4 pots of Alstromeria Parrot Lily, I’ve been babying since February. I’m hoping they do well in the ground and spread. It’s such a favorite of hummingbirds.

So. What have you been planting this spring? #handyhardware #Louisianairis #gardenbikes #coreopsis #MSstateflower https://www.instagram.com/reel/DIpVg8lRlsx5aOlTSUEcu6skMEX1xsP01HYRJc0/?igsh=OGZxNDkzdjB6cHI5

Spring Blessings from the Exile’s Kitchen.