Cafe Couffee

For a friend with lots of dietary restrictions, took the safe route
I’ve never made anything so beautiful?! I was stunned at how it turned out. Cake was cut from a single, ginormous watermelon and I added berries, grapes, and mint leaves using toothpicks.

Honey Pepper Chicken Mac and Cheese

Ingredients:
- 1 16 ounces box spiral noodles
- 1 25 ounces bag breaded chicken strips
- 5 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- Basil for garnish

Honey Pepper Sauce:
- 3/4 cup honey
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar
- 3 tablespoon soy sauce (low sodium)
- 1/4 cup pineapple juice
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 tablespoon vinegar
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Cheese Sauce:
- 1 stick butter
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese (freshly shredded)
- 3/4 cup colby jack cheese (freshly shredded)
- 2-3 cloves minced garlic
- Chopped fresh basil

Instructions:
Prepare the chicken by following the instructions on the package. You have the option to either bake or fry the chicken strips. Once cooked, set them aside.

Cook the noodles by boiling them according to the instructions on the package until they're al dente. Then drain them.

To make the honey pepper sauce, combine honey, brown sugar, soy sauce, pineapple juice, lemon juice, vinegar, black pepper, and cayenne pepper in a saucepan. Bring it to a boil. Let it simmer for 15 minutes until it thickens slightly. Allow it to cool down a bit after simmering.

In a pan, melt butter. Add heavy cream to create a cheese sauce. Gradually stir in parmesan, mozzarella, and colby jack cheese after each addition. Add minced garlic and season with salt and pepper according to your taste.

Combine the pasta with the cheese sauce. Mix everything well together. Stir in some bacon for added flavor.

Take your chicken strips and dip them into the honey pepper sauce so that they are thoroughly coated.

Serve: Plate up some of the pasta mixture, top it off with those flavorful honey pepper chicken strips. Finally garnish with some basil leaves, if desired, or even add more bacon for extra indulgence.

Enjoy your mouthwatering Honey Pepper Chicken Mac and Cheese!

My husband and I spent 2 years designing and creating a cake pan and this is my favorite cake I've made in it!
Mile High Cream Cheese Pound Cake with Soft Caramel

1 pound (4 sticks) butter, room temp.

2 packages (16 oz) cream cheese, room temp.

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

4 cups sugar

10 large eggs, room temp.

4 ½ cups cake flour or White Lily All Purpose Flour

Preheat oven to 300°F. Prepare Old Country Kitchenware square tube pan by brushing with pan coat (if using two piece pan, fit with a parchment paper square between the two pieces first). Beat butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer until pale, light and fluffy (about 6 minutes at medium speed). Add ½ cup flour, cream cheese, salt, and vanilla extract and beat until combined. Scrape the bottom and sides of the mixing bowl. With the mixer running at low speed, add 1 egg and beat until fully incorporated. Repeat with each egg, beating well after each addition. Add the rest of the flour in 2 additions, beating on low until it just disappears. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl and beat for another 15 seconds. Pour batter into prepared tube pan and gently shake to settle the batter. Place on middle rack of oven with a baking sheet on the rack below it to catch any drips. Bake 2 ½ hours or until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean. Let cool until the pan is comfortable enough to handle. (If using two-piece pan, place it over a metal can and press down to remove the outer piece first). Transfer the cake to a wire rack in two steps: first, turn the cake up on its side, then invert fully. Let cool completely.

Soft Caramel

2 cups sugar

1 cup (2 sticks) butter

1/2 cup water

1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk

In a saucepan over medium-low heat, stir together sugar, butter, and water. When butter is melted, stir in sweetened condensed milk. Stir and scrape the bottom occasionally until it starts boiling, then do not stir. Keep boiling, tipping or swirling the pan occasionally, until mixture reaches 235° to 240°F. If you don’t have a candy thermometer, let boil for 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Let cool, stirring occasionally, until thickened (about one hour or until it is around 125-130F), then pour over cake.

Has anyone made a "hot or spicy" jam using berries (strawberries, blueberries, cherries, or blackberries?
I have been thinking about trying a small batch of berry jam and using either a small amount of a ghost pepper or 3-4 chili peppers to bring some "spice" to the jam.

Has anyone done this in the past? Recipe to share?

Pictures are just to show what I am working with.