Kitchen Conundrum

Kerrygold Skellig Sweet Cheddar and Apple Fritters Recipe

by

Skellig and Apple FrittersToday I was tasked with creating a recipe using Kerrygold Skellig, a creamy, sweet Cheddar cheese. So many options went through my mind- baked potato soup with cheese, cheddar muffins, cheddar scones, cheddar pancakes, scalloped potatoes and many more. But I wanted something that felt more seasonal- Fall. Crisp. Warm and inviting.

We had some apples left over from our picking expedition and I’ve had apple pies made with cheddar cheese in the past, so I thought about a pie. Kerrygold Skellig is decidedly sweet with a very nutty, brown butter flavor. It’s not too sharp and is very creamy. I love it alone  or on crackers and thought it would be a perfect match to apples. But then I began thinking bite sized and small. Donuts were my first thought, but no. Not quite. Then I thought about Fritters! And yes, that’s exactly the perfect choice! Sort of cake-like, yet fried balls and filled with apples, spices and oozing Kerrygold Skellig Cheddar Cheese.  I could eat a dozen or so of these delightful Fall inspired morsels! And the whole house smells welcoming.

Kerrygold Skellig Sweet Cheddar and Apple Fritters Recipe
 
Print
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Sweet Cheddar and Apple Fritters - Goes terrific with a cup of coffee for a breakfast treat
Author:
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • Vegetable oil for frying
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • ½ tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. cinnamon
  • ½ tsp. nutmeg
  • ¼ tsp. cloves
  • 1 egg
  • ½ cup milk
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1 tbs. butter, melted
  • 1 apple, peeled and diced
  • 1 cup Kerrygold Skellig Sweet Cheddar Cheese, shredded
Method
  1. In a large bowl mix together all the dry ingredients- flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves.
  2. In a small bowl, beat the egg, milk, vanilla extract and melted butter together. Slowly add to the dry ingredients mixing well so there are few lumps.
  3. Add the diced apple and the cheese to the batter folding both ingredients in.
  4. In a medium pot (3Qt.) add about 2" of vegetable oil over medium heat.
  5. With a large spoon, table or soup sized, drop dollops of the batter into the oil. Don't overcrowd the pot! Work in batches. You may have to flip the fritters over to cook all sides evenly. When golden brown remove with a slotted spoon to a plate prepared with paper towels to drain the oil.
  6. Once cooled a bit, you could create a glaze of powdered sugar and milk to drizzle over the tops of the fritters or just roll them in fine sugar to coat.
  7. These are great with a cup of coffee or tea. And don't keep them too close, as you may just eat them all!

 

Look for Kerrygold Skellig Sweet Cheddar in stores near you!

 

untitled-1331

Disclosure: I received Kerrygold Skellig Cheddar Cheese to create this recipe as part of a contest. I was not compensated in any way for this post but this is my entry to a contest where I can win a year’s supply of Kerrygold products and a Kitchen Kit.  Fingers crossed!
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Goat Cheese and Strawberry Tartine-French Fridays with Dorie

by

Goat Cheese and StrawberryAfter a bit of hiatus (I have been traveling and working a lot since I’ve been home!) I am back to participating in French Fridays with Dorie. We’ve actually made a few of the recipes to catch up already and will be posting those soon. But we could not be happier for the ease of this week’s recipe (Is it really a recipe?). Making this simple Goat Cheese and Strawberry Tartine was a good way to inch back into this routine.

I already had strawberries on hand as I am also making jam this weekend. We usually have a package of goat cheese and balsamic is a staple. The only thing that was missing was a baguette. Any excuse for buying a baguette is a good one, but the fact that I still have a few cans of pâté from France is an especially enticing reason.

We sliced a few pieces of the bread and grilled them dry. Then we added the goat cheese, strawberries and a dash of pepper. Finally, we drizzled a bit of balsamic over them and served them as hors d’oeuvres for late afternoon tea party.

This dish would also be a great brunch tray passer. The sweetness of the tender strawberries combined with the balsamic was balanced perfectly by the creamy, tart goat cheese and bite of the black pepper. A fabulous marriage of flavors.

This was super easy to prepare- just like many of the dishes in Dorie’s book.  You can (and should!) buy the book and cook along with us. It’s great fun! Every Friday we make a new recipe. Looking forward to next weeks! For details and to see how others are recreating the dishes from this awesome book, check out the FFWD site.

Buy the book:

greenspan

frenchfridayswithdorie16

 

 

 

Don’t forget to enter to win a set of 3 OXO Good Grips Graters! 

Bagel Recipe for the Blizzard

by

BagelsSince I am usually the first one awake in the house, even on the weekend, I often sneak out and make a run to the local bagel store.  I bring back coffee for Renee and 11 bagels for the family to wake up to. The 12th (and sometimes 13th) bagel is eaten by me on the drive home.  However, since we are likely to be snowed in this weekend, I am making bagels at home. Here is the bagel recipe I use most frequently. Now, if you are getting snowed in,  you don’t have to run out either!

 

Bagels-7151 Bagels-7148 Bagels-7154

Kitchen Conundrum’s Bagel Recipe
 
Print
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Author:
Recipe type: Bread
Serves: 6-8
Ingredients
  • 1 packet Yeast (Instant Dry Activated)
  • 1½ tablespoon Sugar
  • 1½ cup Water (Hot)
  • 3½ cups Bread Flour
  • 2 teaspoons Salt
  • Toppings (Sesame Seeds, Poppy Seeds, Pretzel Salt, Fried Onions, Fried Garlic etc.)
Method
  1. In a small bowl, using ½ cup of the hot water add the yeast and the sugar. Stir and let sit for 10 minutes until frothy.
  2. In a large bowl, combine the flour and the salt. Form a well in the middle and add the yeast mixture. Continue mixing in the flour from around the well until it is all combined while slowly adding the remaining water.
  3. Turn the dough out onto a well floured surface. Knead it for about 10 minutes until it is smooth and firm. Form the dough into a ball and place into a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
  4. After the dough has risen, punch it down and let rest for 10 minutes. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces (6 if you want larger bagels). Roll the pieces into balls, then push a hole through the center with your thumb, making it a bit wide.
  5. Place the bagels on a baking sheet and cover with a damp towel. Let the bagels rest in a warm place for another 10 minutes.
  6. While the bagels are resting, fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. At this time also preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
  7. Drop the bagels into the boiling water one at a time being sure not to crowd the pot. Once they float to the top, boil for one minute, then flip it over for another minute. Remove the bagels from the water with a slotted spoon and place on the baking sheet. At this point you can add the toppings by dipping the bagels into bowls filled with your favorite toppings. The water from the boiling acts as the adherent. Return them to the baking sheet.
  8. Bake for 18-20 minutes until nicely browned.
  9. Serve with butter, cream cheese, lox or whatever else you would like!