Chicken n' Dumplins (a slight shortcut to divinity)

**I apologize for the lack of pictures...I will update it later with more**

My oh my!  Time has just been slipping away these last two months.  Seriously; how on earth is it December already?  I know, I've been awful at keeping this up to date, but I had a small run in with the lack of desire to cook. 

Let me give you a little bit of background on this dish:  My very Southern Grandmother (we'll just call her Grandma South) has plated up Chicken n' Dumplins since, I'd assume, she got married to Southern Grandpa (may he rest in peace).  I've had this weird love-hate relationship with Chicken n' Dumplins for many years.  Something about the texture and the many variations you run across living all over the country.  Some people just weren't getting it "right". 

Last year I was standing in my kitchen looking at my brand new dutch oven and trying to figure out what I wanted it's first meal to be.  It dawned on me then: I missed my comfort food from the South and I should feel this recipe in my blood.  Well...I was half right lol.  The one thing I couldn't figure out while I was standing there the next day looking at chicken breasts (I don't do the whole chicken; I just don't have time), chicken stock, and a bunch of herbs was, "How on earth do I make the dumplins??" 

That's right, in all these years and I never learned how to make them.  I knew how I liked them, but I didn't know what on earth I was doing.  So I did what all people of my generation and younger do...I Google'd.  I took bits and pieces from blogs and recipe sites and kind of said, "To heck with it.  Flour, baking soda, salt, and corn meal is what I'm going to do."  (I just so happened to have corn meal on hand and really needed to use it.)

Thus...it began.  Last night, I made it for a second time for my Dad.  This time, I used bonless, skinless chicken thighs I had found on sale. 

Chicken:
* 6-7 bonless, skinless, chicken thighs
* 2-32oz containers of chicken broth/stock
* 2-3 sprigs of Rosemary
* Handful of fresh sage leaves
* apx. 2 garlic cloves, minced
* Salt and pepper

Dumplins:
* 2 1/2 c.  flour
* 1/2 - 3/4 c. corn meal (I use yellow, but if white floats your boat, go for it.)
* 3/4 tsp baking soda
* 3/4 tsp salt
* 3-5 Tbsp butter
*  1 c. milk (you may need less - just go 1/4 c at a time)

Chicken:

• Bring to a boil 2-32oz things of chicken stock.
• Add in a few twigs of rosemary and some sage leaves (really; any herbs you want)
• Throw in some other seasonings if you want (I tend to use a small bit of red pepper flakes, some Herbs de Provance and whatever else I feel it needs to suit my pallet at the moment)
• Add about 6-7 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (or 3-4 chicken breasts; I just happen to prefer the flavor of chicken thighs.
• Boil until they are cooked through.  Remove them from the stock and set on a plate to cool down.
• Remove the rosemary twigs and sage leaves.
• Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, shred it with your hands or two forks.  (I unfortunately forgot to take a picture of this last night, but I assume you all can figure out how to shred chicken). 

Dumplins:

• Combine flour, cornmeal, baking soda, and salt in a bowl.
• Add butter by the Tbsp and mix with your hands until the mixture starts to look like little peas.
• Add milk 1/4c at a time until it forms a stiff dough.
• Roll out onto a floured surface until the dough is about 1/8-1/4" thick.
• Cut into long ribbons and then cut across until you have rectangles measuring between 1"w x 1 1/2-2" long. 

Chicken n' Dumplins:

• Add the shredded chicken back to the pot and make sure the stock has a rolling boil.
• Add the dough for the dumplins 1/4 at a time (this allows them to plump and 'cook' without cooking into one another). 
• Once you've finished adding the dumplins (the pot should seem like it's overcrowded), make allow the contents to keep on rolling - stir occasionally so that nothing sticks to the bottom.  KEEP THE LID OFF!
• Appx 20-30 minutes later, you should have a nice, thickish stew texture with well incorporated dumplins and chicken.  Feel free to turn the heat down to low.

This is just before it hits that *perfect* texture for me

Pumpkin Pie Style Cookies with Rum and Spice Icing

Is it just me or does it seem like pumpkins are the "it" thing in today's cooking/baking world?  I find it incredibly weird that there's an "it" food like there's an "it" item in fashion.  Don't get me wrong, I love me some pumpkin (hello, Pumpkin Spice Latte from Starbucks, anyone?)  It's especially strange that it's all the rage when the two most common memories for American kids as it pertains to the great pumpkin (oh, hello, three - how dare I forget Charlie Brown!), are decorating them and as pureed goods in a can most commonly used for pie.  Either way, I won't complain - it's forced my hand to be more creative with my beloved pumpkins.  As you can tell from the two previously posted recipes, I don't tend to follow the a-typical directions for things lol.
 

So my intent on making these cookies is to send them to my children in OEF. Yes, I call them children even though the majority are somewhat older than I am.  The only part I'm bummed about is that I can't send the icing.  I'm sure this fact will generate snarky emails from at least one LTC and quite possibly some sarcastic comments whenever I call the kids.  Why can't I send the icing?  Well...butter, sugar, rum + 1 week shipping in God only knows what type of temperatures = a VERY depressing ending for some seriously delicious icing.

I see these being stupifyingly delicious with coffee...  I want coffee now...  Dammit. 

Oven: 350 degrees F, bake 10-15 minutes depending on oven.

Batter:

2 1/2 cups of AP flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
[mix the above ingredients in a separate bowl]
1/2 cup of butter, softened
2-3 tsp pumpkin butter (optional, but SO worth it)
1 1/2 cup of white sugar
1 cup of canned pumpkin puree
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract (I always add a bit more)
Pumpkin Spice, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Ground Cloves, etc. (c'mon - who actually measures out pumpkin spices?  Just do as much as makes you happy)

Beat together butters and sugar until fluffy (about 2 minutes on medium-high).  Add pumpkin puree, spices, egg, and vanilla extract and mix until combined.  Now is a good time to taste test!  Add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.



Rum Icing:

1/2 cup Softened Butter (unsalted)

2 cups Confectioners Sugar

3-4 cap fulls of Spiced Rum

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

Some Nutmeg, Cinnamon, and Ground Cloves

Mix butter and sugar together until creamy (**if it's not creamy, add more butter or add the pumpkin butter until it is).  Add rum, extract and spices.  If you want it thinner, you can either add more rum/extract or a tsp (at a time!) of milk.  If you want it thicker, add in a bit more sugar.  Taste test to adjust spices!



Peacemaker Mint and Sage Strawberry Muffins and yes...butter

Ok, so a peacemaker to me is generally a Colt - more lovingly, a Colt .45 (that'd be gun speak for those of you non-gun types).  However, I've officially dubbed these Peacemaker's thanks to what happened in my office after I brought them in.

The story (I feel like there needs to be dramatic music):  I just moved divisions at work ~2 months ago and needless to say, my new "boss" and I haven't always had the smoothest of relationships.  You know that video on the Discovery Channel of two rams locking horns on the side of a hill; locking horns on the side of a cliff?  Yeah.  Kind of like that. 

So I'm sitting at home and thinking I'd make some of my Mint and Sage infused Strawberry-Pineapple Jam that I'd promised one of my friends, but I just wasn't feelin' it; I wanted to bake something dangit (and my friend will get over it...they love me lol).  I decided, why the heck not put mint and sage in with strawberries to make a muffin?  Pft.  Rules.  Whatever.  There are no rules (well, ok, maybe a few to make things rise and all that when it comes to baking, but that just doesn't sound as assertive as "there are no rules in baking!") 

They smelled so delicious!  I had it hot right out of the oven and they were definitely awesome; different than what you'd expect...or at least what I expected: even better the next day!  I'll swear by saying they need a day for all of the flavors to marry into one.  I decided to bring them into work and lo-and-behold, one of the first people to grab one along with the butter was my "boss".  I kid you not, things have been SO much better!  Am I crazy to credit muffins with a better work life?  Maybe.  But I swear, the timeline works out!  I also have a LTC that is addicted to the butter, muahahaha!  I feel like I should have a shirt that says, "WINNER" on it.

Ok - I'm sure you're tired of reading now, so here goes. 

Same basic batter I use for the pineapple muffins, with the exception of the sugar.

Preheat Oven to 375

Sugar:
In a Food Processor, mix 2/3 cup sugar with apx. 6 sage leaves and 10 mint leaves; however much makes you happy really :)

Dry Ingredients:
'bout 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (add about 2T more)
2 teaspoons baking powder
The sugar
Combine and set aside

Wet Ingredients:
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup butter, melted (I use sweet cream butter, salted)
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Combine

Batter:
Combine and mix dry ingredients in. Then add 3/4 cup chopped strawberries and mix well.
(If you're really into sugar - throw on a crumble topping)

Strawberry Butter:

In a food processor combine 1/2 cup room temp butter and 1/4 cup powdered sugar til fluffy.  Add 1/4 cup strawberries (ROOM TEMP! lesson learned after the first time and after this pic was taken) and blend.



Holy Sauteed Pineapple Muffins (and an intro)!

Echoooo..echooo..echooo.  *ehem*  I feel as though I should be awkwardly standing in front of a conference room full of people trying to figure out how to introduce myself and post my first food blog.  First, I suppose I should go on like an Oscar's speech, "I'd like to welcome friends and family as well as potential new readers?  Here's hoping!"

Ok, now that the awkward part is out of the way; you'll get to know me through my random ramblings, odd timestamped posts (I seem to get most creative at night), semi-old school recipe styles (have a tendency not to measure exactly: It'll be ok, I promise!) and sharing personality.

I'm in the process of moving - packing up and all that other really fun stuff.  Naturally, I'm not a big fan of wasting food and I had a bag of frozen pineapple chunks in the freezer; what the heck am I going to do with pineapples outside of smoothies and yogurt?  Lying in bed and attempting to ignore the overzealous "get the hell up" meows out of Big Cat (aka: George), it occurred to me that I was hungry and wanted muffins.  BOOM!  A thought was born, and so were my Pineapple Muffins with Brown Sugar Pumpkin Spice Butter, because really, who doesn't like butter...? 

CAUTION:  The only healthy-ish items in this recipe are the muffins.  The butter is optional, do what works for your heart/lifestyle. 

Sauteed Pineapple:
 Apx. 1/2 - 2/3 cup diced pineapple chunks; I used frozen, I'm sure canned would be fine. (drain/thaw over a collander into a bowl to reserve juice)
1/4 cup or so brown sugar
'bout a Tablespoon of butter
Pumpkin Spice (Cinnamon, Ginger, Nutmeg, etc.)
Sautee til carmelized and tender - cool down

Batter:
'bout 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (add about 2T more)
a wee less than 2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
Combine and set aside

1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup butter, melted (I use sweet cream butter, salted)
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Combine and mix dry ingredients in. Then add fruit and mix well.
(If you're really into sugar - throw on a crumble topping)

Bake at 375 between 20-25 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.  Don't worry if you accidentally overcook the outsides a bit (burned is one thing, a little "warm" is another and can be saved!).  Once they've cooled, dip the lower portion in the pineapple juice for a second and set it back on a cooling rack to soak in.

Butter (super easy):
1/2 cup of butter (room temp)
'bout 1/4 cup of brown sugar
some pumpkin spice (just wing it, I didn't measure lol)
Mix well. Chill in the fridge.  Really cute in a mason jar!