A brownie by any other name… Love brownies. Love their shiny, flaky top that shatters into micro-thin shards that shower onto your fingers as you eat. Love their dark, gooey center. Their “chocolate nirvana” flavor. Sometimes can’t deal with the bake, wait to cool, cutting into squares messiness and fuss of brownies. Want something I can enjoy within 5 minutes of its exit from the oven. Every time I make these cookies (which, truth be told, is quite often), I think of a former colleague, Ana, who left King Arthur last year in order to be a full-time mom to her 2-year-old twins. The test kitchen bakers loved Ana. Ana still visits occasionally, 2-year-olds in tow. And when she does, she’ll invariably nose out any chocolate, and treat us to her classic reaction: “Perfect! These cookies are basically brownies: flat, round, 2 ½” brownies. First task: Combine the chocolate and butter. Melt in the microwave till softened… …then stir till smooth. Stir the chocolate into eggs and sugar, which you’ve beaten together. Buy vs.
Spinach Crepe Spirals with Cream Cheese, Pine Nuts, Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Garlic and Lemon Zest Recently I was invited to an early Thanksgiving event and I needed to bring a dish for the buffet. I wanted to make something that could be put together the night before, because I am barely coherent in the morning and I needed to leave my house at 10AM. These Spinach Crepe Spirals are perfect, because I could make the crepes the day before, spread with filling, roll them up, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate over night. The next morning just slice and place on a serving tray, and you’re good to go. I have been making these appetizers since the 1980s and they were served on the side of an asparagus salad at one of my UCLA Culinary School banquets in 1995. I haven’t made these lately, so as I was making the crepes I decided to taste test one just spread with some butter and rolled up. Print Recipe Makes 4 dozen appetizers 1. 2. 3. 4. Note: The recipe can be made ahead to this point. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11.
Grilled Egg and Cheese Recipe Are you guys as obsessed with grilled cheese sandwiches as I am? I am a true grilled cheese lover. And adding a egg just blows all other grilled cheeses out of the water. Technically this recipe isn’t a grilled cheese at all, just a single slice of bread with cheese fused to it’s outsides, but it’s cheese and it’s grilled so I’m not going to argue technicalities. What do you call egg-in-toast? I actually love eating the little cut out of toast, so I don’t think of them as leftovers at all. How is everyone’s 2014 going so far? Grilled Egg and Cheese Recipeserves 11 tablespoon butter1/4 cup shredded cheddar (I like a fine shred as opposed to a coarse one, when it grills up it’s lacier and crispier)1 slice thick toast, a hole cut out1 eggIn a non-stick pan, over medium-low heat, melt 1/2 tablespoon of butter, swirling the pan to evenly coat. PS – Some other obsession worthy grilled cheeses: Pierogi Grilled Cheese, Classic Grilled and Crab Rangoon Grilled Cheese.
Roast Chicken There’s nothing simpler than roast chicken. And there are few things more delicious. You can use this basic recipe and change it up however you like: different herbs, different citrus fruits, different seasonings. You can even have a different attitude and see how that affects the flavor of the meat! Just kidding. The Cast of Characters: A whole chicken, butter, lemons, rosemary, and salt and pepper. And the will to make roast chicken. Throw the buttah into a bowl. Zest up at least two of the lemons… And throw the zest into the bowl with the butter. My question of the day: Where would the world be without lemon zest? I’m so glad we had this talk. Strip off a bunch of rosemary leaves… And chop them really finely. Finer than this. Don’t be like me. Throw the rosemary into the bowl, too. Add some salt and pepper (I didn’t do this. Line a rimmed baking sheet with heavy aluminum foil and plop the chicken right in the middle. In other news: Whole chickens crack me up. And I don’t want to know why.
Friday Night Bites | Bourbon Cocktail Meatballs Hubby LOVES a great cocktail meatball! If he could enjoy these little nuggets of joy everyday, I am sure he would. Recently on Pinterest, one of my social media addictions (smile), I came across this recipe and immediately pinned to make and share on my weekly series – Friday Night Bites. I essentially doubled the sauce recipe, altered a few measurements and added a bit of garlic powder. We had plans last weekend to get together with one of our neighbors for wine and appetizers. We enjoyed a mini progressive wine and appetizer get together. The Bourbon Cocktail Meatballs were the hands down favorite. Bourbon Cocktail Meatballs 1 Pound Frozen Meatballs (I used the party meatballs from Trader Joe’s) 1 Cup Ketchup 1 Cup Brown Sugar ½ Cup Bourbon Whiskey 2 Teaspoon Fresh Lemon Juice 2 Teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce ¼ Teaspoon Garlic Powder In a medium sauce pan, combine all of the ingredients except the meatballs. Place the frozen meatballs into the sauce and combine.
Skinny Mashed Potatoes Mashed potatoes are one of my favorite things to eat on Thanksgiving, but this year since I am pregnant and on a really strict low carb diet (for my diabetes) real mashed potatoes are out (bummer). I recently started researching alternatives to some of my favorite dishes because there is NO way my plate will be without a big ole pile of mash potatoes. I came across this recipe that uses cauliflower instead of potatoes. Hmmm not a big cauliflower fan so I wasn't sure. ***BEST MOCK mashed potatoes I have ever had! What you will need: 1 head of cauliflower 1 tablespoon of cream cheese1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese1/2 teaspoon of minced garlic1/2 teaspoon of salt5 or so dashes of pepperChives for garnish Directions:Wash and cut cauliflower into small pieces. These were seriously unbelievable!
Pita Bread I love foods that puff when you cook them. Give me a great souffle, a perfectly risen cake, or one of these extremely yummy little pitas, and I am a happy girl. I haven’t done a bread recipe on here in a while, and pitas have been on my to-cook list for months. So when I found myself with some leftover yeast after making a batch of soft pretzels, I figured it was as good a time as any to give these a try. What totally cracked me up about this recipe is that it demonstrated how completely uneven my oven’s temperature is. The pitas in the center were puffed and lovely, as you can see. The pitas on the left side of the oven were flat, white, and barely cooked through. That oven is going to be my failsafe excuse for any and all baking disasters from now on. Ok, I’m done. Pita Bread INGREDIENTS 2 1/4 cups flour, plus more for kneading 1 cup warm water 2 tsp active dry yeast Pinch of sugar 1 tsp salt 2 tbsp canola oil Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Makes six large pitas.
New Years Eve Party Food -- Make Bacon Pops!! (recipe tutorial) <div class="greet_block wpgb_cornered wpgb_shadowed"><div class="greet_text"><div class="greet_image"><img class="enable-pib-img-under" src=" alt="WP Greet Box icon" data-recalc-dims="1"/></div>Thanks for coming by! I try to feature a new creative tutorial every day -- and I'd love to have you follow along: <a href=" rel="nofollow"><strong>subscribe to my email updates</strong></a> or <a href=" rel="nofollow">come follow along on Facebook</a>.<div style="clear:both"></div></div></div> Portable bacon….I mean genius right?!?! What could be better? Oh I know, portable bacon with cheese. I failed to have any lollipop holders on hand….but you can use them…or long picks. Maybe put one of those fancy sparkler toothpicks on the end and be extra festive Cook six pieces of bacon until very crispy. Place on a platter and chill until ready to serve. xoxo
Food Hacks That Will Solve Hunger In A Few Minutes | UnMotivating Have you ever been so hungry, that you feel you can’t even wait a minute more to eat? Have you ever been so hungry, but have really no money to go out and get a good meal? Have you ever been so hungry, gone to the pantry closet, and haven’t been able to find a single good thing to eat? That’s when food hacks come in handy. Turn your few basic ingredients at home, into amazing meals in a matter of minutes. Check these quick and easy recipes that will take your empty belly, into holy delicious fullness! Are you ready for a good lunch, dinner, dessert, and to top it off candy that will get trashed? Via: Imgur Page 1 of 1
50 Tips for Baking Better Cakes Happy American Thanksgiving! I was sitting here planning a bunch of upcoming baking posts, when I realized that we’ve never really chatted about some of the basic steps that make for consistent baking and caking. I thought that it may be helpful to post these tips now, before we get too hot and heavy into more cake recipes. I hope that even one of these tips will help you along too. {print} Recipe Ingredients: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 1 large egg white = 37 grams, 1 large egg yolk = 20 grams. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. Mixing: 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. Baking Cakes: 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. Cooling & Frosting: 41. 42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48. 49. 50. Related posts:
Bacon Wrapped Cream Cheese Jalapeno Bites | She's Becoming DoughMessTic It isn’t often that my husband, Jon, is influenced by a food in such a way that he feels the need to recreate it. These Jalapeno Bites are an exception. He came home one day from work, raving about an appetizer his friend Adam brought in. Cream cheese filled jalapenos. I’ll be honest – I’m not a fan of spicy foods, and hot peppers have never really been my thing. That is, until I got a bite of one of these bad boys. The overall experience isn’t all that hot. I think he really hit the mark. Give it a try at your next gathering or tailgate party – you’ll have some impressed eaters! makes 24 8 ounces cream cheese, softened2 teaspoons onion powder2 teaspoons garlic powder1/2 teaspoon black pepper1 teaspoon Old BayPinch of Salt12 Jalapenos, halved & seeded24 – six inch pieces of bacon, uncooked Preheat oven to 350F. Combine cream cheese and spices in small bowl. Until next time, have a great day!