Brownsugarcinnamonbaconskewers Food

BROWN SUGAR BACON

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Position racks in the top and bottom of the oven. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with foil and set cooling racks into the baking sheets.
• Using your fingers, crumble together the brown sugar, smoked paprika and several grinds of black pepper on a plate. Dredge the bacon on both sides in the brown sugar mixture, rubbing so the sugar adheres. Arrange the slices on the racks without touching.
• Bake until the bacon is crisp and caramelized, flipping the slices and rotating the baking sheets from top to bottom halfway through, about 20 minutes total. Let the slices cool on the racks, turning once or twice so they don't stick.

BACON-WRAPPED CHICKEN SKEWERS

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a broiler pan with non-stick cooking spray.
• Mix up the brown sugar, chili powder, and cayenne pepper, and pour onto a plate.
• Cut the bacon slices in half. Wrap a half slice of bacon around each piece of chicken, pulling it kind of tight. Thread the bacon-wrapped chicken onto a skewer, making sure to poke each end of the bacon so it stays on. Place three pieces of bacon-wrapped chicken on each skewer.
• Baked for 30-35 minutes, until the bacon is crisp and there's NO pink inside of the chicken (internal temperature should reach 163 degrees). Allow skewers to rest for 5 minutes before serving.

CAPRESE APPETIZER

Steps:

• Toss tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, olive oil, basil, salt, and pepper together in a bowl until well coated. Skewer one tomato and one piece of mozzarella cheese on each toothpick.

BROWN SUGAR AND CINNAMON SCONES

Steps:

• Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, brown sugar, and cinnamon. You may have a few brown sugar lumps; that's fine. Work in the butter with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, heavy cream, and vanilla.
• Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour the wet ingredients in. With a wooden spoon, stir just until a dough forms.
• Turn dough onto a floured surface and form into a disc about 1-inch tall. Cut into 8 wedges.
• Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet (a cookie sheet lined with a silpat is great, too) at 350 degrees for about 12 - 14 minutes until the scones begin to brown on the bottom.
• Remove from oven and let cool for about 5 minutes before serving.

BROWN SUGAR-CINNAMON BACON SKEWERS

Steps:

• Mix brown sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl.
• Lay strips of bacon flat and rub with half the sugar mixture.
• Turn strips over and repeat with the remaining sugar mixture.
• Wrap each piece of bacon tightly around a skewer.
• Transfer to the broiler pan (do not use a cookie sheet, it will not work).
• Bake until crisp and a lovely brown, about 20-25 minutes. No oven temp was given in the book but I'd say @350 until golden.
• Transfer bacon to a wire rack.
• These can be served warm or at room temperature. Arrange in a napkin-lined basket for a nice presentation.

BACON RANCH CHICKEN SKEWERS

Steps:

• Whisk together ranch dressing and hot chile paste in a large bowl.
• Mix in chicken pieces and toss to evenly coat. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator for 1 to 3 hours.
• Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat and lightly oil the grate.
• Remove chicken from the bag and transfer to a plate or baking sheet lined with paper towels. Pat chicken pieces dry with more paper towels.
• Thread a piece of onion about 1 1/2 inches down the skewer.
• Thread the end portion of one strip of bacon onto skewer so the rest of the strip is hanging down. Skewer on a piece of chicken; thread on the next portion of the bacon. Turn the skewer so that the long end of the bacon is again hanging down. Repeat this process of skewering and turning until the entire strip of bacon is threaded, using 4 to 5 chicken pieces.
• Thread a second piece of onion onto the end of the skewer.
• Repeat steps 5 through 7 for all twelve skewers.
• Season chicken skewers with salt and pepper as desired.
• Cook the skewers on the preheated grill, turning every 3 to 4 minutes, until nicely browned on all sides and the meat is no longer pink in the center, 12 to 16 minutes total per skewer. Serve with ranch dressing as a dipping sauce.

BROWN SUGAR AND CINNAMON SCONES

Steps:

• Work the dough quickly (don’t over-mix!) and put the dough wedges into the heated oven as soon as possible.
• The process — from mixing to pulling the finished scones out of the oven —shouldn’t take more than 15-20 minutes.
• Scones are best served warm.
• In order to keep the scones flaky it’s important to have all ingredients, work surfaces and tools clean, cold and dry.
• Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees.
• Roast nuts on a baking sheet for 7 to 10 minutes until light brown and aromatic.
• Remove nuts and cool.
• Crush in a zip-lock bag with a rolling pin.
• Add brown sugar and cinnamon to nuts, combine and place bag in freezer.
• Cut butter and shortening into 1/4” chunks on a small plate and place in freezer.
• Raise oven temp to 450 degrees, Lightly flour a work board and place in refrigerator Sift flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, salt and sugar into large bowl and place in freezer with (pastry blender) for 10 to 15 minutes.
• Measure and combine butter milk, cream and vanilla and place in refrigerator.
• Now that everything is prepared it’s time to make the scones, work as fast as possible, you need to complete the process without interruption.
• It shouldn’t take more than 15 minutes to get them into the oven from this point.
• Remove butter/shortening and flour mixture from freezer, With a pastry blender cut butter/shortening into flour mixture until mixture resembles coarse meal with a few slightly larger butter lumps.
• (This can also be done in a food processor, just be sure to refrigerate the bowl for 15 mins before starting) Add nut/brown sugar mixture to flour/butter mixture, toss lightly with a wooden spoon to combine (if using a food processor, pulse until combined) Make a well in the center and pour in cream/buttermilk/vanilla mixture.
• Working quickly, blend ingredients together with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon into a soft crumbly dough.
• (do not over-mix or scones will be tough).
• (Once again, if using the food processor pulse till just combined).
• Turn dough onto your cold, floured, work board.
• Dough will be a crumbly mess, work it gently, turning no-more than four times, and lightly press it into a rectangle (5x10x1/2” thick).
• Cut rectangle in half into two 5x5’s, then each half into two 2 ½ x 5’s forming four quarters.
• Cut each quarter diagonally and place wedges 1 inch apart on a light colored non-stick baking sheet.
• Bake until scones are lightly brown, 10 to 12 minutes.
• Place on a wire rack and serve immediately.
• Scones will keep overnight, cover them with a thin pastry cloth or kitchen towel.
• Possible Additions/Substitutions---------àm .
• Use 1 cup of raisins, dates or other dried fruit in-place of brown sugar/nuts.
• Use 1 cup of white chocolate chips, Hershey’s cinnamon chips or mini chocolate chips in place of brown sugar/nuts.
• Replace 1/2 tablespoon of vanilla with nut flavored extract.
• Use whole milk in place of butter milk and or cream.
• Use sour cream in place of butter milk.
• Drizzle icing over cooled scones.

BACON SKEWERS WITH BROWN SUGAR GLAZE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Line a lipped baking sheet with foil. (Note: It's important that you use a lipped baking sheet.) Place a metal rack on bottom of the prepared baking sheet if desired.
• In a small mixing bowl, combine the brown sugar, apple juice and cinnamon. Set aside. (The sugar will settle to become more liquid within a few minutes.)
• Take the bacon from the package and thread the bacon onto skewers. Place the bacon skewers evenly on the foiled-covered baking sheet. Use a spoon, fork or basting brush to spread a generous amount of the glaze onto both sides of the bacon skewers. (Make sure to get each side so that the whole bacon skewer is evenly covered with glaze.) Place the baking sheet in the oven.
• Bake for 20 min. or until the bacon is cooked to your liking. (Note that 20 min. should get the bacon skewers nice and crisped up.)
• Take the bacon skewers out of the oven and let cool for a few minutes.
• Serve on a platter or my favorite - in a vase as a centerpiece. Enjoy!