January 2022 -

Jan 28

How to Make Philly Cheesesteaks – Magnolia Table

We have lived in Pennsylvania for almost two years and I still haven’t been to Philadelphia to get an authentic Philly Cheesesteak! Don’t ask me how that has happened, but it has! So, when I saw this recipe in the Magnolia Table cookbook, I had to give it a shot. These weren’t hard to make at all, but did take a bit of time. The area I struggled with the most was finding the right buns at the grocery store! I mean who is making all the philly cheesesteaks out here and hogging the buns! I ended up having to use what’s called a sausage bun instead because there weren’t any other options. Very annoying, but you do what you got to do.

These philly cheesesteaks were easy to make and were extremely tasty. Definitely worth the time and money to make! This isn’t the cheapest recipe because I had to buy ribeye and that can get very expensive for just a single dinner. The rest of the ingredients aren’t expensive but that cut of meat can be, so just be aware when you go shopping. I don’t think it would be a big issue to swap for a cheaper meat if you are on a budget.

Overall Review: 5/5

I thought these philly cheesesteaks were very good and I loved how easy it was to customize it for my husbands allergies. The cheese is the last step which makes it easy to leave off and accommodate his allergy. He didn’t complain either that they didn’t taste good, even though his weren’t technically ‘cheesesteaks’. Mine had plenty of cheese and were so tasty! Completely worth the time to cook, assemble and broil them!

Let me know if you try this recipe and what you think! xoxo-Kayla

Magnolia Table Cookbook- Buy it HERE

For more recipe reviews, head to our page HERE

Philly Cheesesteaks

From Magnolia Table Volume 2

Print Recipe

Servings 6 Servings

Ingredients

2 pds Rib eye or Strip Steak
3 tbsp Olive Oil
2 tsp Fajita Seasoning
1 tbsp Unsalted Butter
1 Yellow Onion medium
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Black Pepper
1 Yellow Bell Pepper cut into 1/2 inch wide strips
1 Red Bell Pepper cut into 1/2 inch wide strips
2 Poblano Peppers (seeded) cut into 1/2 inch wide strips
6 Hoagie/Steak Rolls or whatever you can find!
Pepper Jack Cheese Slices

Instructions

Freeze thawed steak for 10 minutes to make steak easier to cut. After slice against the grain into 1/4 inch wide strips
In a large skillet, heat 1 tbsp of oil over high heat. Add half the steak and season with 1/2 tsp of fajita seasoning. Stir occasionally until browned. I found it took about 5-6 minutes total. Transfer to a plate and cover with foil (I place in microwave to help keep warm). Repeat the process for the second half of the uncooked steak. Once cooked place with your other cooked steak to keep warm.
Reduce the heat of the skillet to medium/medium-high and add butter and remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Heat until the butter starts to bubble. Add onion, salt and black pepper and cook until onion is softened and translucent. This takes about 6-7 minutes.
Add bell peppers, poblano peppers and 1 tsp of fajita seasoning and saute. Stir often until peppers and onions are carmaelized. I found this takes at minimum 20 minutes if not a bit longer.
Turn your broiler on high and have a rack a few inches from the heat. Prep a baking sheet with foil.
Add steak to the skillet and toss to combine. Heat through for about 5 minutes and then remove from heat.
Open rolls and set on the baking pan. Divide the steak and pepper mixture amont the rolls and cover with slices of cheese. These are open faced sandwiches so the cheese can melt appropriately.
Broil until cheese begins to bubble, about 3-4 minutes. Watch carefully so they don't burn. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Jan 26

Love0

How to Make Peanut Butter Brownies – Magnolia Table

By kaldridge Food No Comments

Is there anything better than chocolate and peanut butter? It’s one of my favorite dessert combinations! I decided to make these Peanut Butter Brownies when we were headed to a friends for dinner. They are very rich so a little goes a long way, but they are AMAZING. The only obstacle of note is that each layer needs to set before you can continue, so be sure to make these the night before or plan accordingly.

My failures: I definitely did NOT add enough powdered sugar to the final layer. I was in a hurry because I was running out of time before we needed to leave for dinner. Don’t rush that last layer!! It needs to be a lot thicker than I made it and it needs the full amount of time in the freezer. Because I didn’t add enough powdered sugar it wouldn’t set right. So please be aware and cautious when you make it, don’t skimp on the powdered sugar! 🙂

You also want to make sure you heat your knife before cutting the brownies. They have been in the freezer for a while so this will make it easier for you to cut. I just run the knife over warm water and then wipe off excess water before cutting. Repeat as necessary to make cleaner cut brownies.

Overall Review 4.5/5

These peanut butter brownies are amazing! They are fudgy, with the perfect balance of chocolate and peanut butter. This recipe makes plenty because they are a very rich brownie. They would be perfect for a get together, party or if you wanted to hand out treats to friends. A little goes a long way with these brownies! I do think that if you are in a time crunch and don’t want to spend the time making the homemade brownies, you could do a box brownie and still get a good taste. The homemade brownies are fr superior in my opinion, but getting that top layer correct is more important!

For more recipes from Magnolia Table Cookbook Volume 2: CLICK HERE. For more recipe reviews head to our page: HERE.

Lucy’s Peanut Butter Brownies

From Magnolia Table Cookbook Volume 2

Print Recipe

Servings 24 Brownies

Ingredients

Brownies (bottom layer)

1 cup Unsalted butter 2 sticks
1/2 cup Unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups Granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups All purpose flour
1/2 tsp Salt
4 Large Eggs

Topping (Middle Layer)

1 16 oz Jar of Creamy Peanut Butter

Frosting (Top Layer)

8 tbsp Unsalted Butter 1 stick
10 Large Marshmallows
4 cups Powdered Sugar More for thicker frosting
1/3 cup Whole Milk
1/4 cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder

Instructions

Brownies (bottom layer)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9×13 pan with cooking spray
Heat a small saucepan over low heat and add butter. Wait until butter has melted and whisk in the cocoa. Remove from heat and set aside to cool for a few minutes.
In a separate bowl, using a hand mixer, combine granulated sugar, flour and salt. Add the cooled cocoa butter mixture and mix on medium speed until well mixed. Add the eggs and vanilla slowly and mix until well combined.
Spread your brownie mixture evenly over your prepared baking pan. Bake for about 20 minutes until a toothpick inserted only comes out with a few crumbs. (if your oven runs hot, watch carefully so it doesn't over bake)
Let brownies cool completely. This can take anywhere from 30-40 minutes.

Topping (Middle Layer)

Take your peanut butter and place in microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 15 seconds to soften and make easier to spread. Stir heated peanut butter and spread on top of cooled brownies. Once this layer is on, put brownies in the freezer for 30-60 minutes.

Frosting (Top Layer)

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and marshmellows. Once melted add powdered sugar, milk and cocoa. Stir until completely smooth. I recommend using more sugar to make it a thicker frosting (but this is up to you).
Spread this mixture on top of the peanut butter layer and freeze for another 30-40 minutes.
Once completed, heat a knife under warm water, wipe off excess water and cut brownies into squares. It's up to you how many you want and how big the squares are, but it should make at least 20-24 brownies.

Jan 12

Love0

How to Make Waffles with Strawberry Butter – Magnolia Butter

By kaldridge Food No Comments

“We need to remember what’s important in life: friends, waffles, work. Or waffles, friends, work, it doesn’t matter. But work is third.” – Amy Poehler

Who doesn’t love a good homemade waffle?! I always think that homemade waffles are much lighter than out of the box or freezer. Makes the waffles easier to eat and it doesn’t feel like they sit as heavy in your stomach. These waffles with strawberry butter are one of my favorite recipes from the Magnolia Table Volume 2 cookbook. I opted to try them for dinner one night and they ended up being exactly what we wanted.

These waffles with strawberry butter are very light and airy. The waffles have a very different consistency than ones that come out of a box, they are more like a sponge cake texture than the thick batter you are used to with waffles. I will say that pairing these waffles with the strawberry butter and vanilla maple syrup makes all the difference. The strawberry butter and vanilla maple syrup aren’t too sugary as to overpower the waffle. Don’t get me wrong, there is plenty of sugar in this recipe, but it doesn’t taste like a mouthful of sugar. Which is why I do recommend taking the time to make the butter and syrup even if you have regular butter and syrup at home.

Overall Review: 4/5

The only reason I would give this recipe a 4 instead of a 5 is because folding in the egg whites just wouldn’t work. I don’t know if it’s on my end and I did something wrong or what, but I couldn’t get it to cooperate. I ended up having to use a whisk to get the egg whites to incorporate at all, which I’m pretty sure is a cooking sin! ha! But I did what I had to do to make it work and it still ended up tasting great! These are very light waffles, so I did end up eating more than normal just because they weren’t sitting so heavy in my stomach. So be aware, these waffles with strawberry butter can cause you to eat more than you planned!

The strawberry butter and the vanilla syrup recipe can be found in her cookbook which you can find here: Magnolia Table Volume 2. If you are interested in more recipe reviews, head to our page here: Recipe Reviews.

Waffles with Strawberry Butter

From Magnolia Table Volume 2 Cookbook

Print Recipe

Servings 6 Servings

Equipment

Waffle Iron

Ingredients

Cooking spray
2 cups All-Purpose Flour
2 tsp Baking Powder
3/4 tsp Salt
1/3 cup Sugar
2 Large Eggs Seperated
1/2 cup Vegetable Oil
1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
Strawberry Butter (Magnolia Table recipe)
Vanilla Maple Syrup (Magnolia Table recipe)

Instructions

Prep your waffle iron with cooking spray, and heat to medium heat.
Using a sifter combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar into a medium bowl.
Using an electric mixer and a separate bowl, mix the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Stiff peaks take about 2 minutes and the peaks should stand straight up when you life the beaters.
In a third bowl, mix the egg yolks, milk, oil and vanilla extract. Once combined add the flour and mix just until incorporated. It's important not to overmix your batter.
Once mixed, fold in your egg whites. When I folded in the egg whites I found they wouldn't combine quite right, I ended up whisking them a bit to incorporate better. I'm sure that's a cardinal sin of cooking but they just wouldn't fold into the batter for me, so just be patient if you can!
Waffles need about a 1/2 cup of batter poured into the waffle iron. Cook until the waffle is golden brown and be sure to spray cooking spray between each waffle.
Serve with the homemade Strawberry Butter and Vanilla Maple Syrup.

Jan 01

Love0

How to Make French Toast with Vanilla Maple Syrup – Magnolia Table

By kaldridge Food No Comments

I love french toast on a normal day, but on Christmas, I truly believe its a breakfast staple. This French Toast from the Magnolia Table cookbook (volume 2) is so easy to make but so tasty! I love the simple additions that take the flavor profile to the next level.

First things first, you need to start with the vanilla maple syrup. It takes 20 minutes of simmering to get the syrup completed so make sure that you start this first. It’s an extremely simple syrup to make so don’t worry about the difficulties, it’s just the timing you need to be aware of. Also, make sure to have a mason jar with you to store the syrup in as you will end up making more than you need for the french toast. I also went ahead and made the strawberry butter she mentions in the instructions. The strawberry butter is easy to make as well and adds a nice punch to your french toast. My suggestion is to start with the syrup and the strawberry butter, once those are completed, make your french toast so everything is ready to be assembled.

The only issue I had was not reading the strawberry butter instructions beforehand and whipping the butter on its own. But! It turned out nicely anyways and I’m happy with the taste. I chose to only make half the strawberry butter that it calls for and found that it was more than enough. If you opt to make the entire amount you will definitely have leftovers that you can use for toast or french toast in the following days.

Overall Review: 5/5

Overall, this recipe does have three parts to it, but the taste is amazing! You can premake the syrup and butter ahead of time and that will allow you to throw together the french toast and be good to go. I’m not going to lie and say that this is the best thing you will ever eat in your life, but it is a great french toast recipe and worthy of your time. I am interested in remaking the strawberry butter with raspberries as I think that would be a fun way to spruce up my next recipe. For more recipe reviews head to our page: Recipe Reviews.

Magnolia Table Volume 2: Order Here

French Toast with Vanilla Maple Syrup

From Magnolia Table Volume 2

Print Recipe

Ingredients

12 tbsp Unsalted Butter
2 tbsp Light brown sugar
1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
1/3 cup Heavy Cream
1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
4 Large Eggs
12 slices White Bread, brioche or challah 3/4 inch thick
1/3 cup Vanilla Maple Syrup
6 tbsp Strawberry Butter
Powdered Sugar Dusting

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. Set a wire rack on a sheet pan.
In a large skillet, heat 6 tablespoons of butter over low heat until melted
In a large bowl, mix the brown sugar and cinnamon. Take your melted butter and pour over the cinnamon sugar mix and whisk to incorporate. Add the cream and vanilla and whisk until well incorporated. Add eggs and whisk until completely smooth (a few minutes). Set aside
Heat the skillet on medium and add a tablespoon of butter to coat the pan.
Without crowding the skillet, dip the bread in the batter mixture, coating all of the bread and letting the excess drip off.
Place coated bread in the skillet and cook until golden brown (5-6 minutes total). You will need to flip halfway through. Once cooked, place on wire rack on sheet pan and place in oven to keep warm.
Repeat for all slices of bread. Don't forget to coat the pan in butter after each batch.
Once you are done, add a dollop of strawberry butter on your french toast and drizzle with the warmed vanilla maple syrup. Dust with as much powdered sugar as you like and enjoy!