Lazy days require pancakes!

Ok, there we were, deciding what was going to be for breakfast and it was almost noon. Pancakes were an interesting choice however after looking for the usual "premade" mix we found that we had none. So, the next best option was for Alex to check out one of our favorite internet sites (allrecipes.com) for more suggestions and he found some great pancakes made from scratch!

You will need:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 Tbl spoon white sugar
1 1/4 cup milk
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla (little more won't hurt either)
3 tablespoons butter (melted)

In a large bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Make a small indentation in the dry mixture and add the milk, egg, melted butter, and vanilla. Stir until pretty smooth (I never got all the lumps out and they still turned out great.

Next

Heat a lightly oiled griddle of frying pan (I used butter flavored pam for the oil) to medium high heat. Pour approximately 1/4 cup of batter onto the pan and brown both sides of the pancake.

(when the first side has bubbles its ready to be turned, I found that the pancakes burned a little quickly so keep an eye on them)

We ended up with homemade pancakes that had a little almost "crunchy" crust on the outside and a tender inside with a hint of vanilla in them! Fantastico!

HOLA!

OK shame on us!!! I know we started off strong then just sort of let it slip away... we will try and keep up with it as much as possible!! if not hey we seem to start off the year strong then sort of fade off... it gives you something to look forward to next year :) hahaha just kidding we will seriously try and do better this year!!!

Before we start this weeks dessert dish we'd like to point you over to our friends BBQ page that will leave your mouth watering!!! Andrew and Brian are two brothers that share the same enthusiasm about BBQing as we do food! This is where we get all our BBQing pointers when we need them, plus Moose is a big fan of their prime rib! Check them out:

http://www.facebook.com/LeftoverBBQ

Ok on to the subject of the week: Pumpkin-Pecan Pie Bars from Cuisine at home Dec. 2011

Moose made these for work as well as for a family gathering and never had any leftovers :) Its a pumpkin pie and pecan pie mixed up all in one heavenly piece of awesomeness!!!

For the crust, cream:

2 sticks unsalted butter,

softened (16 Tbsp.)

2/3 cup packed brown sugar

2 2/3 bups all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. table salt

For the filling:

6 eggs

3/4 cup each granulated sugar

and packed brown sugar

1 can pumpkin puree (15 oz.)

1 cup pure maple syrup

1/2 cup light corn syrup

2 Tbsp. bourbon (optional)

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. table salt

1/4 tsp. ground cloves

3 cups pecan halves

Let the fun begin...

Preheat the oven to 350°. Line a 9x13-inch baking pan with foil.

For the crust, cream butter and 2/3 cup of brown sugar with a mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.

Add flour and 1/2 tsp. salt and mix until combined but crumbly. Press dough into botom of prepared pan; bake until golden, 30 minutes.

For the filling, whisk together eggs, granulated sugar, and 3/4 cup brown sugar until combined.

Mix in pumpkin, maple syrup, corn syrup, bourbon, cinnamon, 1/2 tsp. salt, and cloves until combined, stir in pecans and pour over hot crust.

Bake bars until filling is just set, about 45 minutes. Cool bars to room temperature and remove from foil before cutting.

Some handy tips :)

•After removing from the foil, slice the bars while still upside down on the cutting board to prevent the pecans from being pushed into the filling.

•Take these bars over-the-top by serving them with a scoop of cinnamon or vanilla ice cream.

Until next week!

Moose-N-A's

Try this with your next steak!

I tried this recipe for cooking a steak and I think it turned out fantastic, give it a shot and let us know what you think.

1st you need to grab a few of your favorite steaks which will hopefully be New York strips, Rib-eyes, or Tenderloins since that what the recipe suggests. (I used my favorite, which is the Rib-eye)

The steaks need to be about 1 1/2 inch thick.

Mix:
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cornstarch

Pat the steaks dry with paper towels

Use the salt/cornstarch mixture to rub the steaks down on both sides (I used it on just one steak so you may need to make a little more mix than what is shown if you have several steaks)

Place the rubbed steaks onto a wire rack and the rack onto a rimmed baking sheet, then place everything into the freezer and freeze for a minimum of 30 minutes or maximum 1 hour (steaks should be firm and dry to the touch)

Take steaks out of freezer and season to taste with pepper (I forgot this step and it was still great)

Throw the steaks on a hot grill and grill covered until well browned and cooked to desired doneness (approx. 4 to 8 minutes per side) Watch for flare ups and avoid them obviously since you don't want your steak to burn.

Once cooked to your preference transfer the steaks to a plate and tent with foil and let rest for 5 minutes.

Now its time to chow down! You should end up with a steak cooked to your preferred doneness and it should also have a slight steak house type crust on it.

Enjoy!
Moose