March 15, 2018
March Recipe of the Month: Guinness Braised Short Ribs
By MPrice
Guinness Braised Short Ribs
Serves 4 to 6 people depending on the number of ribs you make.
Ingredients
4 to 6 bone-in short ribs (about an 8 ounce piece, trimming fat if necessary)
Salt (kosher) and fresh cracked black pepper to taste
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 medium carrots, chopped
4 thyme sprigs
1 rosemary sprig
1 bottle Guinness Extra Stout (or your own favorite dark & malty Irish Beer)
1 1/2 cup beef stock (or 1 cup beef stock and ½ cup brewed coffee)
Method
1. Preheat oven to 350 F degrees.
2. Season all sides of the short rib with salt and pepper.
3. Heat a heavy, oven safe pan over high heat. Add olive oil to pan and let it heat for a moment. Sear all sides of the short rib about 1-2 minutes per side. Remove from pan and set aside.
4. Add onion and carrot, saute 3-4 minutes. Add garlic and saute 1-2 minutes more.
5. Deglaze with beer, scraping up bits from bottom of pan. Bring to boil.
6. Return short ribs to pan. Add beef stock, thyme and rosemary.
7. Cover pan and bake for 2.5 to 3 hours, until meat is tender.
8. Separate the fat from the drippings, and use the remaining drippings (thickening with a roux or by reduction if desired) as a sauce at service.
March 16, 2017
🍪 Double the Fun! 🍪
By MJamias
Cookies served with a milk "shooter" —
what could be better?!
Two is better than one!
What’s better than one chocolate chip cookie recipe? Two chocolate chip cookie recipes! Our original recipe (the first recipe below) makes a devastatingly delicious chocolate chip cookie that is at it’s best if you eat it warm right out of the oven or within about 4 hours of baking. It has been our go to recipe for decades because we make our desserts fresh the day of our events.
But we’ve had requests and occasionally need to make a cookie that will keep longer. That’s when we came up with the second recipe. You can freeze the dough and put the frozen cookies right on the cookie sheet and bake them. AND these cookies even freeze well once they’ve been baked! Simply seal them in an airtight container. Note - this freezer friendly recipe is really loaded with chocolate chips - the chocolate lovers in your family will love them!!
Enjoy! Mary
Mary Crafts-Homer
and our next episode
will be launching in
APRIL
MARCH RECIPE OF THE MONTH
Original Chocolate Chip Cookies
Makes 60 average size cookies
Ingredients
2 cups (4 sticks) Butter
2 cups + 4 T Granulated sugar
2 cups Brown sugar
3 large eggs
1T Vanilla
1/3 cup Corn syrup
3 1/3 cup All purpose flour
4 1/2 cup Cake flour
1 1/2 tsp Baking soda
3/4 tsp Salt
2 bags (11oz each) Milk chocolate chips
Method
Cream butter and sugars
Add eggs 1 at a time
Add vanilla and corn syrup
Add chocolate chips
Scoop about 2 1/2 tablespoons of dough per cookie
Bake at 325 F for 10-12 minutes until golden brown
New Chocolate Chip Cookies
makes 12 ginormous cookies
Ingredients
8 oz butter, cold (we use unsalted, but if you use salted, cut back on the salt amount)
1 cup Brown sugar
1/2 cup Sugar
2 large eggs
1 T Vanilla
1 1/2 cups Cake flour
1 1/2 cups All purpose flour
1 tsp Corn starch
3/4 tsp Baking soda
3/4 tsp Sea salt (less if you use salted butter)
2 cups Milk chocolate chips
2 cups Walnuts (optional) we usually don’t use them
Method
Cream the butter and sugar
Add eggs one at a time, add the vanilla
Add dry ingredients until 80% mixed, stir in choc chips and walnuts if using.
Portion out cookies and freeze the dough. We find it if you freeze the dough a bit before you bake them it helps them keep their shape. A half a cup of dough equals one cookie. So measure out the dough and freeze for at least 30 minutes. Yes, these are jumbo cookies!
Bake at 400 F for 12 to 15 minutes. Be sure and watch closely as every oven will vary. They should be slightly brown around the edges and still appear soft and the center.
February 28, 2017
🌽 A Recipe for Comfort Food Bliss 🌽
By MJamias
Comforting Corn Custard
This is one of our most requested recipes. It’s a corn custard, kind of like corn pudding, but even better! You won’t believe how silky smooth it is and how much corn flavor is packed into this modest serving of delicious custard. It’s updated, old-fashioned goodness! And, while your custard is in the oven, check the next episode on our YouTube channel, The Craft(s). It’s all about comfort food!
Enjoy! Mary
Mary Crafts-Homer
We often serve this sweet corn custard with a mushroom sauce, or garnish it with sliced green onion.
and the next episode
“Comfort Food”
will be launching
March 10th
FEBRUARY RECIPE OF THE MONTH
Sweet Corn Custard
Makes 10 - 4 oz. appetizer or small side dish portions
Ingredients
Pan Spray (like “Pam”)
6 Ears of fresh sweet corn (or 3 cups frozen corn, thawed)
4 Cups of heavy cream
8 Large eggs
2 Cups of grated Jack cheese
2 teaspoon of salt
½ teaspoon of ground black pepper
Method
1) Preheat oven to 325-degrees.
2) Using pan spray, generously coat the inside of 10 3-inch/4-ounce ramekins. Set aside.
3) Using a serrated knife, cut the corn kernels off the cobb – you want to get as much of the tender kernel as possible without getting the woody part of the cobb, or thaw 3 cups of the frozen corn.
4) Put corn in a saucepan, add 4 cups of heavy cream and bring to a low simmer and let it simmer for 5 minutes – you are infusing that cream with sweet corn flavor. After 5 minutes of simmering, cool down the mixture and put in a blender. Run the blender until the mixture is smooth.
5) Strain the pureed corn and cream through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl, discard any solids that are in the strainer.
6) Grate 2 cups of Jack cheese.
7) Crack 8 eggs and add to the bowl, along with your grated Jack cheese, 1 teaspoon of salt and ½ teaspoon of ground black pepper, stir well to break up the eggs, but don’t whisk in any air into the eggs – they shouldn’t be foamy.
8) Now add your heavy cream that has been infused with the corn and stir it through.
9) Fill the ramekins ¾ full of the mixture. Set the filled ramekins in a 9 X 13 pan. Put hot water from the tap in a pitcher, and gently pour the hot water around the ramekins, without letting it splash into the custard cups (this is a water bath). You should end up with the water coming up ¾ of the way up the sides of the ramekins.
10) Cover the pan and the ramekins with foil and take a knife and punch a few holes in the foil to allow the steam to escape.
11) Carefully move the water bath to your preheated oven (325 degrees) and bake the custards for 35 to 40 minutes, until they are set firm, but are still creamy inside (if they are too runny, you won’t be able to unmold them).
12) Take the custards out of the oven, and hold them in the 9 X 13 pan, still covered with the foil, staying warm in the hot water until you are ready to serve.
For Serving
You can leave the custard in the ramekins and serve that way, or, to unmold them run a small paring knife between the custard and the ramekin to help release the edges of the custard. Turn out and unmold them onto your plate or bowl. Serve forth!
January 25, 2017
A Delicious Winter Salad (and Our Valentine’s Day Pop-Up!)
By MJamias
The new year is such an exciting time! We’re looking forward to creating our February Valentine's Pop-up Restaurant, and launching our new YouTube Channel, TheCraft(s), but first, I’ll tell you about a favorite winter salad. We get so many requests for this salad this time of year we wanted to send out the recipe. It’s a light and refreshing winter salad with an incredibly delicious vinaigrette...and it features pistachio’s! Did you know that pistachio’s are grown in Southern Utah? You’ll be able to find Utah pistachio’s at almost any local grocery store. You’ll love serving it as a starter for dinner or pairing it with soup for lunch. Garnishing this salad with sliced apples or pears is a healthy way to take it up a notch.
Enjoy! Mary
Mary Crafts-Homer
Garnish this salad with apples or pears for extra deliciousness
Our next pop-up will be a night to remember
JANUARY RECIPE OF THE MONTH
Winter Salad with Poppy Seed Vinaigrette
with Roasted Pistachios, Gorgonzola & Dried Figs
Serves 10
Salad Ingredients
1 pound mix greens (farm greens)
1 cup of roasted pistachios (toasted)
1 cup of crumbled Gorgonzola cheese (4 ounces Gorgonzola, crumbled)
1 cup of dried figs (cut in quarters) We love using fresh figs when they are in season!
1 cup of poppy seed vinaigrette
Ingredients for the Poppy Seed Vinaigrette
1.5 Tbsp of mayonnaise
2 Tbsp of red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp of honey
1/4 cup of vegetable oil or olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
2 tsp of poppy seeds
Method
Combine mayo, vinegar and honey in a blender. Blend until smooth. With blender running slowly add the oil until emulsified. Remove from blender. Whisk in the poppy seeds. Adjust seasonings. (You can use an immersion blender when making a smaller amount)
Toss together the salad ingredients and drizzle with vinaigrette. Serve immediately.
January 4, 2017
Sweet Potato Pound Cake with Pecan Glaze Moat
By MJamias
This feature was originally posted in
Utah Valley Magazine Holiday Edition! Pick up a copy for more delicious recipes!
Shown here with a dried fruit confit and creme anglaise; the pecan glaze is equally delicious!
Ingredients for the cake
4 large eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup melted butter
1 TBS vanilla
1/2 cup whiskey or apple juice
1/2 cup buttermilk
________________________
2 cups sugar
3 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups sweet potato puree
METHOD FOR THE CAKEPreheat oven to 350 degrees, grease bundt pan with butter and lightly dust with with flour
1. Combine wet ingredients in a mixing bowl
2. Sift together dry ingredients in a separate bowl
3. Combine mixtures into one bowl
4. Add sweet potato puree, mix until incorporated
5. Pour batter into prepared bundt pan
6. Bake on center rack for 22 to 30 minutes, let cool and invert onto platter
FOR THE GLAZE
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup bourbon (optional) or 2 TBS vanilla
Combine ingredients in a sauce pan, bring to boil over medium heat. When it has reached a boil lower heat to keep warm. This glaze keeps for at least a week refrigerated, re-heat it before serving.
TO SERVE
Ladle glaze onto serving plate and place slice of pumpkin cake on top, garnish with whipped cream, gelato, or ice-cream.
Check out more Salt Lake City, Park City, and Utah County catering at www.culinarycrafts.com!
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Candy making can seem daunting especially if you’ve tried and failed in the past. Whether this is your first time making caramel apples or if you’re ready to try again, you’ll love Meagan Crafts-Price’s tips and tricks to making the perfect caramel apple this fall season!
Orange Roll Dough
2 C water- lukewarm
1 TBSP active dry yeast
1/2 c Orange Juice
2 oranges zested
1/2 c sugar
1/4 lbs butter- melted
1/4 lbs sour cream
2 large eggs
2.5 lbs flour
1/2 TBSP salt
Decoration
1 c coconut
food coloring
1/4 c milk
2 c powder sugar
Equipment:
Mixer with Dough Hook
10" round pan- preferably a spring form pan
cooling rack
Dough: In your mixer bowl, attach your dough hook, then add lukewarm water- 99-102 degrees- add yeast, sugar and orange zest. Let rest until bubbles appear. Meanwhile melt butter, add sour cream and Orange Juice. stir till mixed completely. Add eggs to butter mixture, then slowly pour butter mixture to your yeast mixture. Add flour and salt to mixing bowl and beat until mixture comes together and begins to pull away from the walls of your bowl.
Shaping and Baking: Remove from bowl and divide into 5 equal pieces. Cover with plastic wrap and leave to rise for an hour or till doubled in size.
Lightly flour your surface, Using a rolling pin and keeping the dough as round as possible, roll the first piece of dough to be about 12" in diameter. Spray your 10" round cake pan and place the the 12" piece of dough in the bottom of your pan. Should come ups the sides a bit.
Take the next piece of dough and using your hands roll into a snake like strand that is about 36" long. This will be very skinny. Repeat with 2 more pieces of dough.
Once you have your 3 pieces of dough all to 36" in length you are going to braid them together. Just like braiding hair. Pinch the ends together, then lay the braid into your 10" round pan around the edge of the pan. This will be your nest. Cover your 10" pan with plastic wrap and let rest for an hour or until doubled in size. Place in oven at 325 degrees for about 30-40 minutes or until golden brown on the top. 
Meanwhile, What about that last piece of dough?? take the last piece of dough and cut it into 8-10 pieces. These will be your eggs for the center of the nest. Each piece should be about 2oz. Roll them on the counter to smooth out the top and place them on a sheet pan and back at 325 for 12-16 minutes or until golden brown on top. Remove from oven and let cool. 
Assembly and decoration: take your 1 cups of coconut and add green food coloring to it- 3-10 drops depending on how dark you want it. Mix until evenly coated. 
In 3 small bowls mix 1/2c of powdered sugar and 1TBSP of milk. This should be very runny, like a glaze. Add more milk or powdered sugar to achieve this. Dye each bowl a different color- your favorite easter colors! I usually do pink, yellow and blue, using 3-5 drops of dye for each bowl.
Once your eggs have cooled, place on cooling rack and drip the colored glaze over the top and let it evenly coat the eggs. Let dry while you finish your nest.
Once your nest is out of the oven, let cool for about 10 minutes and the pop it out of its pan. Place on cake stand or serving platter. then use about 1/2c of green coconut in the bottom of the ring, then take your eggs and nestle them in to your ring. You will be able to fit about 3 in the nest at a time. Take your remaining coconut and sprinkle over the top of the whole nest to make it look really festive! 
