Thanksgiving is a holiday that has not traditionally been a favorite of mine.  However, that has all changed because this year we hosted our first Thanksgiving!  It took this holiday to a whole new level for me since feeding other people is just about my favorite thing to do, and we had a fantastic time.  We hosted 14 adults and a couple of babies.  It was wonderful to have so many loved ones in our home, all enjoying a delicious meal and quality time together.

Since this was my first time hosting, I was happy to have free reign over menu planning without preconceptions or expectations.  I wanted to serve mainly traditional Thanksgiving fare, but slightly more elegant variations on the old favorites.  Our complete menu was as follows:

Appetizers
Caramelized Onion Dip with Crudités
Red Pepper Pesto Crostini
Caramel Corn
Stuffed Mushrooms

Side Dishes
Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Sage Butter Crumb Topping
Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Green Bean Casserole
Sausage and Cranberry Stuffing
Butternut Squash Cheddar Bread Pudding
Blackberry Cranberry Sauce
Herb and Cheese Rolls
Honey Yeast Rolls
Garlic Herb and Honey Butters

Main Course
Roast Turkey with Cider Shallot Gravy

Dessert
Pumpkin Pie
Pecan Pie
Caramel Apple Cheesecake Pie
Cranberry Almond Caramel Tart

For me, appetizers are a very important part of Thanksgiving.  I think time spent mingling and snacking before the meal is really enjoyable.  Of course they are also very helpful in the event that your meal takes longer than expected to bake.   These red pepper pesto crostini are a favorite appetizer of mine.  They are simple, elegant, and tasty!

You know I just couldn’t resist an opportunity to include my caramel corn :)   Even better, I have a ton left over!  Not for long…

This caramelized onion dip was fantastic.  I kind of didn’t want to share it with anyone – but I did.  And of course, the stuffed mushrooms didn’t last long – everyone’s favorite!

I made these glittered votive holders to double as both table decor and place cards.  I didn’t want the meal to seem too formal though, so I left the candles out on the appetizer table.  Then when we were ready to eat, I lit all the candles and told guests to take their candle and put it where they wanted to sit.

The sweet potatoes were a huge hit.  Even though I am starting to like sweet potatoes in some forms, I wasn’t a big fan of this dish, but everyone else seemed to love it.  I had several people tell me it was their favorite side and we had almost no leftovers.

The roasted garlic mashed potatoes on the other hand, were my favorite dish of the whole meal.  I don’t think I’ll ever again be able to make mashed potatoes without adding the roasted garlic.  It put them into a whole new category of awesomeness!  (I’m sure the use of cream instead of milk didn’t hurt either ;) )

The butternut squash and cheddar bread pudding was certainly the most unexpected dish in the spread.  I think some people may have been a bit hesitant to try it, but I had several guests comment that they really liked it.  I thought the flavor of the sharp cheddar was an interesting and winning combination with the squash and kale.

I tried my hand at making a homemade, non-processed version of green bean casserole.  Overall it went over very well and people seemed to enjoy it.  I liked it, but there are a few adjustments and tweaks I would like to make before I make it again.

This blackberry cranberry sauce has been on my mind ever since I heard about it last year, and I knew I would make it for my Thanksgiving.  It was delicious as expected, and flavorful without being too sweet.   And thankfully fresh blackberries just happened to be $1 per container, so inexpensive as well!

I made these herb and cheese rolls well in advance of Thanksgiving, and just kept them in the freezer until the holiday.  They were fun and simple to make, and had great flavor from all the herbs.  I also made a double batch of my honey yeast rolls since they are my favorite.  Both varieties went over very well and we had maybe two rolls leftover.

Maybe my favorite thing about the whole meal (a tie with the garlic mashed potatoes) was the garlic herb and honey butters that I made to go with the bread.  The herb butter was truly unbelievable.  I could truly have been content eating just rolls and the herb butter all day – it was that good.  I often tell Ben that I wish I could make the delicious butters we get in fancy restaurants to go with bread, and I think this actually has those beat.  I will be making it again soon!

And now, on to the main course – the turkey!  This was my first time making a turkey and since it is the centerpiece of the Thanksgiving meal, I was fairly nervous about messing it up.  However, it was just as easy as roasting a chicken, and turned out fantastic!  We brined it overnight, and then added aromatics to the cavity before roasting.  The only difficulty I had was lifting and moving it, since ours was a 24-pounder!   It had great flavor and stayed nice and moist.  I love how beautifully it browned.  I forgot to get a photo of the gravy, but it was delicious as well.  I used mostly the pan juices from the turkey as well as a bit of chicken stock, some cider and sautéed shallots with a roux to thicken the mixture.  In the past I have skipped the gravy on my plate, but I may be a convert now.

After the meal I ended up with six people sleeping in my living room in no time, so I’d say it was a success :)  Some people were too full to even consider dessert, but of course I had saved room since it is always my favorite part.

We had a classic pumpkin pie, and though I have made it many years now, I think this was the best one yet.  I tried a new recipe for the filling and it was fantastic.  I also loved the addition of the cute little pie crust leaves on top of the pies.  Normally I try not to buy such unitasker items for my kitchen, but I’ve wanted these forever and think they were totally worth the money.  I love the festive touch they add!

I also did pecan pie, which was the original recipe that inspired the variation of the double chocolate pecan pie.  This version was great as well, though I think I personally prefer the chocolate.  Everything is better with chocolate, right?

Though not pictured again, I also made the caramel apple cheesecake pie.  I think that was the favorite dessert of the night – unsurprising to me, as it is just plain awesome.

The cranberry caramel almond tart was a nice way to round out the dessert spread.  I loved the contrast of the semi-tart berries against the sweet caramel.   Next time I think I would increase the amount of cranberries because I think they didn’t quite play the starring role I had hoped for.

I made sure to stock up on disposable containers for guests to take home leftovers because I did not want to be loaded down with the whole meal at the end of the day.  And of course, you know I couldn’t resist some Thanksgiving themed sugar cookies as favors for guests to take home.  I decorated them like maple leaves and acorns, and thought they added a nice touch at the end of the evening.

Of course I couldn’t resist a picture of me with my little turkey.  Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

(For those interested in recipes, I will probably post most of them next year, just prior to Thanksgiving.  I think most people are moving on to holiday baking endeavors for now, but these recipes will be shared eventually!)

I hope everyone had a fantastic Thanksgiving holiday filled with good food and more importantly, quality time with family and friends.  I’ll be posting about my Thanksgiving adventure soon, but in the meantime I thought I would share this review with you.  Now that the big turkey day is past, I’m guessing a lot people are a bit tired of cooking for now.  With the December holidays in the not-so-distant future, cooking regular meals may be a bit more stressful than normal with so many things going on.  This is why now seemed the perfect time to talk about this cookbook.

I was offered the opportunity to review Real Simple Best Recipes: Easy Delicious Meals, and I was immediately interested.  I do not subscribe to Real Simple magazine, but I have heard from many people that they have good recipes in their issues.  The premise of the book is simple (no pun intended) – fast, easy meals that still taste great.  Though I get a lot of pleasure out of preparing an involved, time consuming meal, that is just not practical behavior for every day and certainly not for weeknights.  That is where this book comes in very handy.

There are many features of this cookbook that I really enjoy.  Of course, the gorgeous photos are a big plus for me.  Clearly as a food blogger, food is very visual for me and I like to see what I will be making.  This book has a photo of every recipe.  Other helpful tools are listing of approximate prep time and total time for each recipe, as well as little icons to signify meals as kid-friendly, freezer-friendly, no-cook, etc.  One of my favorite features is that the nutritional information for each recipe is listed in the back of the book.  I wish all cookbooks had this!

It has a nice variety of recipes in many categories, such as appetizers, soups, salads, main courses, and dessert.  While I’m not going to say that I plan to try every recipe in the book, it does have a lot of recipes that sound appealing to me.  The only thing that seems a bit weak is the dessert section – it is too brief in my opinion.  However, this isn’t a real problem for me as I have plenty of other cookbooks that focus primarily on desserts.  And clearly, the best way to review a cookbook is to try some recipes, so I did!  I made the Parmesan pasta with chicken and rosemary and the southwestern beef chili with corn.  Both meals turned out great and were exactly as expected, fast and easy!  The pasta in particular was fantastic and seemed like something I would order in a restaurant.  I’m happy to have this book as a resource for when I need a quick meal idea, and look forward to trying more of the recipes.

Caramel apples are such a classic fall treat.  I made this particular batch for a Halloween party, but I am posting them now because I think they would look phenomenal incorporated into Thanksgiving decor.  For example, with a little name tag tied to the stick to serve as place cards, wrapped up in cellophane with some pretty ribbon as favors for guests, or arranged on a platter on a dessert table.  Whatever way you choose to use them, they will be a hit!  They may be messy to eat, but I think they are totally worth it and eating one made me feel like a little kid again.

I was surprised by how easy these were to make.  The caramel was the perfect consistency for dipping and thickly coating the apples.  My only frustration was with the air bubbles that popped up under the caramel after the apples had been dipped.  Supposedly this can be prevented by dipping and turning the apples very, very slowly – but I did that, and I still had a ton of air bubbles.  I actually think most of them were creating by stirring the caramel while it was cooking and incorporating air into the mixture.  Next time I will just cook it without stirring and I think that will help.  I drizzled mine with dark and white chocolate for visual interest, but I think they would be great plain, or with chopped nuts, or toffee bits, etc.  The possibilities are endless and I will definitely continue to play around with variations in the future.

Caramel Apples
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Ingredients:
8 tbsp. unsalted butter
2 cups packed brown sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
Pinch of salt
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
10-12 small Granny Smith apples, stems removed
Popsicle or lollipop sticks

Directions:
Melt the butter over medium heat in a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan.  Mix in the brown sugar, corn syrup and salt.  Cook the mixture, stirring occasionally, until it comes to a boil.  Stir in the condensed milk.  Cook and stir until a candy or instant-read thermometer reads 248° F (firm ball stage.)  Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla.

Insert a lollipop or popsicle stick into the top of each apple so that it is firmly in place.  Dip the apples one at a time into the caramel mixture, turning slowly to coat evenly.  Transfer to a baking sheet lined with wax paper and allow the caramel to set.  Decorate as desired, with melted chocolate, chopped nuts, or candy pieces.

Source: adapted from Real Mom Kitchen

These candies are a wonderful sweet treat that just scream fall to me.  I’ve certainly eaten maple candy many times before, but had no idea how simple it would be to make it at home.  These don’t require much work and really the most difficult or time consuming step is waiting for the heated sugar mixture to cool down to the correct temperature before mixing.  (On that note, I know from experience – don’t start making these at 8:45 pm on an evening when you need to wake up at 5:30 am the next morning.)  The maple flavor combined with the warmth of the pecans is perfect, and the smooth creamy texture of the candy is spot on.  A drizzle of dark chocolate on top might be a nice added touch, but I love them the way they are.  In case you’re heading to a Thanksgiving meal where you won’t need to contribute much, I think a little package of these candies would be a lovely hostess or host gift.

Maple Cream Candies
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Ingredients:
1 cup pure dark amber maple syrup
2 cups sugar
1 cup heavy cream
2 tbsp. light corn syrup
½ tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup toasted, coarsely chopped pecans

Directions:
Lightly oil a 9 x 9-inch baking pan.  In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the maple syrup, sugar, cream and corn syrup.  Heat the mixture over medium-high heat until it reaches 236° F on a candy or instant-read thermometer.

Remove from the heat and transfer the mixture to the metal bowl of an electric mixer.  Let stand at room temperature until it has cooled to 110 ° F.  (This takes quite a while, so go find something else to do for a bit.)

When the mixture has reached the appropriate temperature, add in the vanilla extract and beat with the paddle attachment on medium speed just until it begins to thicken and loses its gloss.  Be careful not to over-beat, which can cause a grainy texture.

Use a rubber spatula to fold in the chopped pecans.  Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking pan and spread into an even layer.  Allow to cool and set for several hours before cutting and serving.

Source: adapted from David Lebovitz via his friend Giovanna, originally from Anna Pritchard’s Complete Candy Book

It’s only been a year since I discovered that I actually do like pecan pie, and since then I have embraced this fact with open arms.  Since I’m new to this sort of dessert, I didn’t know there was a way to improve upon it, but there is – add chocolate!  The first time I ever heard of chocolate pecan pie, I was practically drooling.  It came as no shock that we were crazy about this dessert.

While I truly enjoyed the classic pecan pie I made before, I think this version is even better.  The method of cooking the filling before adding it to the partially baked pie crust helps give it a smoother texture.  Baking at a lower temperature ensures that the whole pie bakes evenly rather than ending up with over-baked edges with an under-baked center.  Using chopped pecans rather than pecan halves is definitely the way to go – they may not look as beautiful, but they are much more manageable to eat when chopped.  Chopping the nuts in your food processor may seem like a good shortcut, but that can often chop them too finely.  I prefer to do this by hand so I can control the size of the pieces, plus I have fun with my chef’s knife :)  Toasting the nuts before adding them to the filling also helps enhance the flavor of the pecans, so don’t skip that step!

I would not advise just tossing some chocolate chunks on top of your usual pecan pie recipe.  Pecan pie is incredibly sweet and rich as it is, and that can take it too far.  The wonderful people at Cook’s Illustrated have accounted for the addition of the chocolate here by reducing the quantity and sweetness of the filling.  The original recipe calls for equal parts white, semi-sweet and milk chocolate, but the white and milk chocolates just didn’t seem right to me in this context, so I replaced them with semi- and bittersweet.  I loved it this way, but you can certainly add the white if it appeals to you.  This is sure to be a hit at your Thanksgiving meal.  Enjoy!

Double Chocolate Pecan Pie
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Ingredients:
For the crust:
1¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp. sugar
¼ tsp. salt
8 tbsp. cold, unsalted butter, cut into medium cubes (about 16 pieces)
3 tbsp. ice cold water

For the filling:
3 tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces
¾ cup packed dark brown sugar
½ tsp. salt
2 large eggs
½ cup corn syrup
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup pecans, toasted and chopped into small pieces
3 oz. semi-sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
3 oz. bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

Directions:
To make the crust, combine the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.  Mix briefly to combine.  Add the cubes of butter to the bowl and mix on low speed until the texture resembles coarse cornmeal and the largest chunks of butter are not much larger than peas.  Add the water to the bowl and mix on low speed just until the dough comes together.

Form the dough into a disc, wrap tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for about 30 minutes or until chilled.

On a lightly-floured work surface, roll the pie dough out into a 12-inch round.  Transfer the round to a 9-inch pie plate by rolling the dough around the rolling pin and unrolling it over the pie pan.  Trim the edges as necessary and create a fluted pattern using a finger to make the indentations.  Freeze the dough-lined pie plate until firm and very cold, about 30 minutes.

Adjust an oven rack to lower middle position and heat the oven to 375° F.  Remove the dough-lined plate from the freezer, press a sheet of foil inside the pie shell and fill with ceramic baking beads.  Bake about 30 minutes, until the dough looks dry and light in color.  Carefully remove the foil and weights.  Continue baking the crust 5-6 minutes more, until light golden brown.

While the pie crust is baking, make the filling.  Melt the butter in a medium heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water.  Remove the bowl from the double boiler but maintain the simmering water.  Stir in the sugar and salt with a wooden spoon until the butter is absorbed.  Beat in the eggs, corn syrup and vanilla.  Return the bowl to the double boiler and heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture is shiny and hot to the touch, about 130° F on an instant-read thermometer.  Remove from the heat and stir in the pecans.

As soon as the pie shell comes out of the oven, lower the oven temperature to 275° F.  Pour the filling into the pie shell.  Scatter the chopped chocolate pieces over the filling and press into the filling with the back of a spoon.

Bake on the middle rack of the oven about 50-60 minutes, until the pie looks set but slightly soft, like gelatin, when gently pressed with the back of a spoon.  Transfer to a wire cooling rack and allow to cool for at least 4 hours.

Source: pie crust adapted from Williams Sonoma, filling from Baking Illustrated

Okay, you may be thinking the same thing as I was when I first heard of these cupcakes – ew, sweet potato cupcakes?!  Gross!  I initially saved the recipe because I knew that Ben likes sweet potatoes and I thought he might enjoy these.  Since I had never been a sweet potato fan, I figured I would be making these just for him.  But since making countless batches of sweet potato baby food, and these baked sweet potato fries, I decided to give them a chance.  After all, it’s still cake – how bad can it be?  Turns out, not bad at all.  In fact, very good!  The sweet potato flavor is definitely there, but not overwhelming, and with the usual fall spices, this reminded me very much of a pumpkin or carrot cake.

My friend Shanon came over for a fun baking day, and we whipped up these cupcakes together.  They were not at all difficult to make.  You could use the canned sweet potato puree, but I opted to make my own because I think it is more flavorful.  If you decide to do this, keep in mind that the weight of the potatoes after baking will be significantly less than before baking due to evaporation of water as steam, so you want to start out with more than 17 oz. of potatoes.  (I used two large sweet potatoes, and it was just barely enough.)  I didn’t get around to trying it this time, but I think a little sprinkle of brown sugar on top of the marshmallow frosting would also look great.  These would be a wonderful unique dessert to add to your Thanksgiving spread, or an alternative way to incorporate sweet potatoes into your meal other than the traditional forms.  Enjoy!

Sweet Potato Cupcakes with Toasted Marshmallow Frosting
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Ingredients:
For the cupcakes:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
16 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
1½ cups sugar
3 large eggs
17 oz. sweet potato puree
½ tsp. vanilla extract

For the frosting:
8 large egg whites
2 cups sugar
½ tsp. cream of tartar
2 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350° F.  Line two cupcake pans with paper liners.  In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon; stir together with a fork and set aside.  In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.  Beat in the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition.  Mix in the sweet potatoes and vanilla extract, beating just until combined.  Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients, mixing just until incorporated.

Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cupcake liners.  Bake for about 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Let cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the frosting, combine the egg whites, sugar and cream of tartar in the top of a double boiler. (Note: I just set my clean, dry mixer bowl over simmering water, to avoid dirtying two bowls.) Heat the mixture, whisking frequently, until it reaches 160° F with an instant-read thermometer. Transfer the mixture to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk starting at low speed and gradually increasing to medium-high speed until stiff, glossy peaks form. Mix in the vanilla until combined. Frost cooled cupcakes as desired. Brown with a kitchen torch and garnish with a sprinkle of brown sugar, if desired.

Source: cupcakes from Better Homes and Gardens, frosting adapted from Lovin’ From the Oven

Casseroles typically aren’t high on my list of foods I am drawn to make, or eat for that matter, but as soon as I saw this one I knew it would be an exception.  And not only that, I knew we would love it – and we really did!  This has to be one of the best new recipes I have tried in a while.  I was hoping to have the leftovers for lunch the next day, but there weren’t any.  Andrew loved it so much, I think he actually ate more than me.  I’ve already made it twice in two weeks, which I almost never do – I call that a winner!

It’s definitely quick enough for a weeknight, and can easily be adapted to suit your own tastes.  I’m sure it would be great with some black beans, corn, and/or minced jalapeños mixed in.  However, we love it so much the way it is, I doubt I’ll be making any changes.  Half of the tortilla chips are mixed in while the rest of the ingredients are cooking, to soften them and add substance.  The other half are added at the end, just before sticking the whole thing under the broiler so that they stay on the crispier side and add texture.  I just can’t say enough good things about this dinner, and I know it will be a frequent repeater in our house.

Chicken Tortilla Casserole
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Ingredients:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, butterflied into halves (4 halves total)
2 tbsp. vegetable oil, divided
1 shallot, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 tbsp. minced chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
1¾ cups chicken broth
5 cups tortilla chips, broken into large pieces
2 tomatoes, seeded and diced
4 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
2 tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:
Pat the chicken breast halves dry and season with salt and pepper.  Heat 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil in a 10-12 inch oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the chicken to the pan and cook until golden brown on both sides (chicken does not need to be fully cooked at this point.)  Transfer to a plate and set aside.

Add the remaining oil, shallot, garlic, chipotle, and ¼ teaspoon of salt.  Cook just until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Add the chicken broth, scrape the browned bits from the bottom of the pan, and bring to a simmer.

Stir in half of the tortilla chips.  Nestle the chicken into the broth and cook over medium-low heat until cooked through (reading 160° F on an instant-read thermometer), about 10 minutes.  Transfer the cooked chicken pieces to a cutting board and shred into bite-sized pieces when it is cool enough to handle.

Return the shredded chicken to the skillet with the tomatoes, ½ cup of the shredded cheddar cheese, and 1 tablespoon of the cilantro.  Stir in the other half of the tortilla chips until they are incorporated and moistened.

Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top and place the pan under the broiler until the cheese is melted and browning, about 2-3 minutes.  Top with remaining cilantro and serve, allowing the casserole to cool 5 minutes before serving.

Source: Pink Parsley, who adapted it from Cook’s Illustrated

You know how we consider certain foods to be staples or necessities? Like eggs, milk, bread, etc.? I propose that we add this caramel corn to that list. I mean, I really feel that this is the kind of thing that I need to have around my house at all times.  This is unexpected for me, because growing up I always thought caramel corn was alright, but I would prefer some cheesy cheddar or white cheddar or whatever other cheese-flavored popcorn any day.  But now, oh yes, caramel corn reigns at the top of this popcorn-lover’s list.

I made this for a Halloween party I went to, so I mixed in some candy corn and honey roasted peanuts as well.  I packaged it up in little cellophane bags tied with pretty seasonal ribbons, and it was very well received.  (Though I loved it so much, I stole a few bags to take back home with me ;) )  It can certainly be enjoyed in many other ways though.  Perhaps in little bags along with a few other treats as a post-travel snack waiting for your Thanksgiving guests when they arrive the evening before.  Set out in a large bowl during Thanksgiving day for guests to munch while you prepare your meal.  In holiday gift bags, along with your usual sugar cookies, fudge, etc.  Or like me, in a hopefully never-empty giant container in my pantry for random snack attacks.  Whatever your reason, it’s just too good and too easy not to make!

Caramel Corn
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Ingredients:
1 cup popcorn kernels, unpopped
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
½ cup light corn syrup
2 cups packed light brown sugar
1 tsp. kosher salt
½ tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:
Pop popcorn using your preferred method.  (I swear by my Whirley Pop!)  Place the popped popcorn in a very large bowl (or two large bowls).  Make sure there is enough room in your bowls for tossing the popcorn.

Preheat the oven to 250° F.  Meanwhile, to make the caramel, melt the butter in a 2-quart saucepan set over medium heat.  Once the butter is melted, mix in the corn syrup, brown sugar and salt.  Increase the heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring frequently.

Once the mixture reaches a boil, let the mixture continue to boil for 5 more minutes without stirring.  Remove the mixture from the heat, stir in the baking soda and vanilla extract.  The mixture will bubble up and become frothy.  Pour the caramel sauce over the popcorn in the bowl(s) and toss to coat thoroughly.  (I found my salad spoons very useful for this step.)

Spread the popcorn evenly onto two large baking sheets lined with parchment paper.  (It is okay if there are some clumps of caramel throughout.  It will melt and become better spread out while baking.)  Bake for 40-50 minutes, removing from the oven to toss/stir every 10 minutes.  After 40 minutes, test a cooled piece of popcorn.  If it is not completely crispy (i.e. still slightly mushy when you bite it), bake for 10 minutes more.

Remove the baking sheets to a wire rack and allow popcorn to cool completely before breaking apart for serving or packaging.

Source: adapted from Christie’s Corner

One of my favorite things about Sundays is that I usually have lots of time to spend in the kitchen, and I usually devote it to making a more time consuming dinner that wouldn’t quite work for a week night.  Coq au vin is a dish that I have had a few times before at friends’ houses, and have always enjoyed but up until now, I had never tried making it at home.  Finally I decided it was time to give it a shot, and it seemed just perfect for one of my Sunday evening endeavors.

I expected this to be good, but it definitely exceeded my expectations.  It reminded me quite a bit of the chicken with 40 cloves of garlic, with tender flavorful chicken and rich sauce.  Of course this version has the added benefit of having vegetables cooked with the chicken as well, so it is a full meal in a pot (though, in a very full pot I might add!)  Ben and Andrew both loved this as well.  The only real change I made was to halve the recipe because unlike Ina, I don’t typically feed an army so one chicken was more than enough to meet our needs.  Be sure to cut into the largest piece of chicken to check for doneness – I needed to bake mine quite a bit longer than the recipe indicated.

Coq au Vin
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Ingredients:
1 tbsp. olive oil
4 oz. bacon or pancetta, diced
1 chicken, cut into 8 serving pieces
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 oz. carrots, cut diagonally into 1-inch pieces
1 yellow onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp. Cognac or brandy
½ bottle dry red wine
1 cup chicken broth
A few fresh thyme sprigs
2 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature, divided
2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
8 oz. baby bella mushrooms, thickly sliced

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 275° F.  Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat.  Add the bacon and cook for 8-10 minutes, until lightly browned.  Remove the bacon to a plate with a slotted spoon.

Meanwhile, pat the chicken pieces dry with paper towels.  Season well with salt and pepper.  Once the bacon has been removed from the pot, add a few of the chicken pieces in a single layer, and brown for about 5 minutes, turning to brown both sides evenly.  Remove the chicken pieces to the plate with the bacon and repeat with the remaining chicken in batches until all of it is browned.  Set aside.

Add the carrots, onions, 1½ teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon of pepper to the pot.  Cook over medium heat for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are lightly browned.  Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute.  Add the Cognac, stand back and cook for a few minutes, until most of the alcohol has cooked off.  Put the bacon, chicken, and any juices on the plate back into the pot.  Add the wine, chicken broth, and thyme springs.  Bring the mixture to a boil.  Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and place in the oven for 30-40 minutes, until the chicken is just no longer pink.  Remove from the oven and place on top of the stove.

Mash the 1 tablespoon of the butter and the flour together in a small bowl, and stir the paste into the stew.  In a medium sauté pan, melt the remaining tablespoon of butter and cook the mushrooms over medium-low heat for 5-10 minutes, until browned.  Add to the stew.  Bring the stew to a simmer and cook for another 10 minutes.  Season to taste.  Serve immediately.

Source: adapted from Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics by Ina Garten

After making the ooey gooey, super yummy s’mores cake a few months ago, I’ve been very excited to try s’mores cupcakes.  Lucky for me, the month of October brought eight coworkers’ birthdays, and therefore eight cupcake flavors.  These were the last flavor of the month, but certainly not the least.  Many people deemed these their favorite cupcake so far this year!  While I’m not sure I could pick a favorite cupcake if I tried (my head would explode), these truly are fantastic.

These are incredibly fun to make.  They start out with a graham cracker crust and chopped chocolate in the bottom of the cupcake liner, then a chocolate cake batter, topped with a marshmallow frosting and toasted using a kitchen torch!  This was my first time every using a kitchen torch, being that I’m not a crème brûlée fan (gasp!)  The torch is really fun to use and produces such cool results that I’m now searching for other treats that need to be burned :)    As for the chocolate cake, once I started making it, I realized was just the Hershey’s Perfectly Chocolate Cake though this recipe supposedly came from a bakery – a bit strange, but whatever.  Though I usually find the Hershey’s recipe just mediocre, it becomes something far better when sandwiched between the graham cracker crust and marshmallow frosting.  Bring that campfire feel indoors and make these today!

And, if you like marshmallow frosting, stay tuned for another treat that uses it later this week!

I feel pretty confident in my cooking and baking skills.  While there are still tons and tons of techniques and recipes I haven’t tried, I have decent success learning new methods after researching thoroughly.  For some reason though, true pastry has slightly intimidated me for some time.  Finally I decided I just couldn’t wait any longer and it was time to give it a try – after all, I finally have counter space!  These apple turnovers were a great choice for my first try at pastry and most definitely exceeded my expectations, which were already pretty high.  I mean, I made my own puff pastry – how cool is that?!  Granted this is actually a “quick” version (I still plan to try classic puff pastry soon), but I was so pleased with how these turned out.  The pastry is flaky and buttery, and the apple filling delicious and present in every bite.  I had these every morning for breakfast until they were gone and let me tell you, that was a sad, sad morning.  Cereal cannot even begin to compare.

The method for making the apple filling is genius.  The apple is shredded and then mixed with sugar and left to sit briefly to help draw out excess liquid.  This ensures that the pastry stays flaky and doesn’t get soggy from the juices of the apple.  The shredding also helps to evenly distribute the filling throughout the turnover so that it is present in every bite.

Because I don’t want this process to seem too intimidating, this is a picture-heavy post to help guide you through, step by step.  It’s really not so bad – let’s make turnovers!

Flaky Apple Turnovers
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Ingredients:
For the puff pastry:
3 cups (15 oz.) unbleached all-purpose flour
1½ tbsp. sugar
1½ tsp. salt
1½ cups (24 tbsp.) cold unsalted butter, cut into ¼-inch cubes
½ cup plus 1 tbsp. ice water
2 tsp. lemon juice

For the filling:
4 large Granny Smith apples (about 2 lbs.)
1½ cups sugar
3 tsp. lemon juice
½ tsp. salt

For the topping:
½ cup sugar
2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Directions:
To make the puff pastry, combine the flour, sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade; pulse to combine.  Add in about a quarter of the butter cubes and process until the butter is in dime-sized pieces, about four 1-second pulses.  Add the remaining butter and process to coat the cubes with flour, about two 1-second pulses.  Transfer the mixture to a medium size mixing bowl.

Combine the ice water and lemon juice in a small bowl.  Add half of the liquid to the flour and butter mixture, and toss just until combined.  Keep adding the liquid, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough will clump together with your hand.  Turn the dough out onto a work surface.  The dough will be dry and shaggy at this point.

To fraisage the dough, brace the heel of one hand against the work surface and dragging small portions of the dough forward in short, brisk strokes.

Let’s see that one more time, shall we?

Gather the dough together into a rough mound, using a bench scraper if necessary (I just used my hands.)

Repeat the fraisage a second time.

Press the dough into an 8- by 4-inch rectangle, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Place the dough onto a lightly floured large piece of parchment paper and roll into a 15- by 10-inch rectangle.

Fold the dough lengthwise into thirds.

Starting from the narrow end, loosely roll up the dough into a coil.

Press it to form a 6- by 5-inch rectangle.

Repeat the rolling and folding process once more.  Roll the dough out into a 15- by 10-inch rectangle.  (If at any point in the rolling and folding process the dough becomes too sticky or difficult to work with, transfer it to a baking sheet or cutting board, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until it becomes workable.)

Fold lengthwise into thirds.

Starting from the narrow end, loosely roll up the dough into a coil.

Press it to form a 6- by 5-inch rectangle.  Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour.

Roll the dough into a 20- by 15-inch rectangle, about 1/8-inch thick.  Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper, trim and cut the dough into twelve 5-inch squares, and place 6 on each sheet.  (If they aren’t all perfect squares, it is okay – you can cover it up once you fold them over.)  Refrigerate the dough squares while you make the filling.

To make the filling, peel the apples and grate them on the holes of a large box grater (I used my food processor with the shredding disc.)  Combine the grated apples, sugar, lemon juice and salt in a medium bowl.  Remove one sheet of the dough squares from the refrigerator.  Working with one square at a time, place 2 tablespoons of the apple filling (squeezed of excess liquid) in the center of the dough.

Moisten two adjoining edges of the dough square with a finger dipped in the apple liquid, then fold the top portion of dough over the bottom, making sure to overlap the bottom portion by 1/8-inch.  Crimp the edges of the turnover with a fork.  Repeat with the remaining dough squares.  Return the sheet of turnovers to the fridge and repeat with the second sheet of dough squares.  Refrigerate the filled turnovers 30 minutes, or cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.

While the turnovers are chilling, preheat the oven to 375° F.  Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and stir together until mixed well.  Brush or mist the turnovers lightly with water and sprinkle evenly with the cinnamon-sugar mixture.

Bake until golden brown, 30-35 minutes, rotating the sheets front to back and top to bottom halfway through the baking time.  Using a wide metal spatula, transfer the turnovers to a wire rack to cool.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

Source: adapted from Baking Illustrated

Orange, cranberry and white chocolate seem to be three ingredients that were just made to go together.  Any time I have baked with them, the results have been delicious.  These biscotti were certainly no exception.  I mailed some to friends and family who live far away and they were very well received.  I wished I had baked some extras to keep at home because the little bit I tasted left me wanting more.  These baked up beautifully and have great texture for biscotti – on the crispy side, but not so much that you will break a tooth biting into one.  I’m sure they would be wonderful paired with coffee, tea, hot chocolate – or maybe even white hot chocolate!   I think they would also be a very nice addition to any holiday baking package.  Enjoy!

Orange White Chocolate Biscotti
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Ingredients:
3¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
1½ cups sugar
10 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
3 large eggs
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
2 tbsp. orange zest
1 cup white chocolate chips
1 cup dried cranberries

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350° F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium mixing bowl; stir together with a fork and set aside.  In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the sugar, melted butter, eggs, vanilla extract and orange zest until well combined.  With the mixer on low speed, add in the dry ingredients and mix until just incorporated.  Stir in the white chocolate chips and dried cranberries with a rubber spatula.

Divide the dough in half.  Working with one portion of dough, shape into a 12″ x 3″ log on the prepared baking sheet.  Repeat with the remaining dough so that the logs are laying parallel and spaced apart on the baking sheet.  Bake until the logs are golden brown, 30 minutes.  Remove from the oven and let cool for 25 minutes, maintaining the oven temperature in the meantime.

Carefully transfer the logs to a work surface and remove the parchment paper from the pan.  Using a serrated knife, cut the logs into ½-inch slices on the diagonal.  Lie the slices on one of their cut sides back on the baking sheet.  Return to the oven and bake for 12 minutes more.  Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.  Store in an airtight container.

Source: adapted from Smells Like Home,who adapted it from Smitten Kitchen, originally from Bon Appetit, Dec. 1999

Chicken pot pie is a food that I have only ever had as a frozen food.  I always liked them as a kid, but it has been a long time since I have had one.  Now that we’re well into the comfort food months I thought it sounded like a perfect thing to try at home.  I knew they would be good, but oh.my.gosh.  I thought this dinner was pretty unbelievable.  The filling is fantastic – creamy and thick without being too heavy, and full of lots of chicken and yummy veggies.  I think what really blew me away was the crust on top.  It was perfectly golden and flaky, and taken together all these elements combined to create a truly wonderful meal.

I like that this version uses individual serving dishes rather than making one giant pie as some recipes do.  It certainly makes for easier portioning and better presentation.  As you might imagine, these do take some time to prepare but I think they are completely worth the effort.  The use of a store-bought rotisserie chicken helps to cut down prep time significantly, so you can focus on cooking the filling and making the crust.  The recipe does make a lot of food (6-8 pies, depending on the size of dishes you use) and though you may be tempted to cut down the quantity as I was, I suggest you go ahead and make the full recipe anyway.  After all, if you are going to take the time to make these, you might as well get the most of your efforts.  The finished pies can be frozen after baking, and taste just as good as fresh.  Simply thaw in the refrigerator during the day and then reheat in the the oven at 350° F for 30-40 minutes.  If baking straight from the freezer, bake at 400˚ F for 45-60 minutes.

Chicken Pot Pies
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Ingredients:
For the filling:
3 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 large russett potato, peeled and diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 red bell pepper, diced
8 oz. button mushrooms, sliced
½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 purchased rotisserie chicken
1-2 cups frozen peas and carrots

For the sauce:
8 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 cup all-purpose flour
2½ cups chicken broth
½ cup heavy cream (optional)
Dash of hot sauce
Salt and freshly ground pepper

For the crust:
16 tbsp. cold unsalted butter
3 cups all-purpose flour
10 oz. cream cheese, chilled
1 tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
1 large egg

Directions:
To make the filling, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the onion and potato to the pan, and sauté for about 5 minutes.  Mix in the garlic, bell pepper and mushrooms, and cook for about 15 minutes more, until the potatoes are tender.  While the vegetables are cooking, remove the skin from the chicken, pull the meat off the bones and shred or chop the chicken into bite-sized pieces.  Once the vegetables are finished cooking, turn off the heat and mix in the chicken and the frozen peas and carrots.  Stir in the red pepper flakes, and season with salt and pepper to taste.

To make the sauce, melt the butter over medium heat in a large saucepan.  Add the flour and whisk until smooth.  Whisk in the chicken broth and cook over medium heat until it thickens to the consistency of a cream soup.  Mix in the cream (if using), the hot sauce and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Pour the cream sauce over the chicken and veggie mixture and stir to combine well.  Spoon the mixture into 6-8 individual oven-safe dishes (such as ramekins).

Preheat the oven to 375° F.  To make the crust, cut the butter into 16 pieces.  In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade, pulse the butter and flour until crumbly.  Add the cream cheese, salt and pepper.  Continue pulsing just until the dough forms a ball.  Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface.  Use a floured rolling pin to roll the dough out to about ¼-inch thickness.  Cut out dough rounds to be about 1½ inches larger than the diameter of your pot pie dishes.  Lay the dough rounds on top of the individual dishes.  Beat the egg with a whisk, and brush the tops of the dough rounds lightly with the beaten egg.

Place the pot pie dishes on a baking sheet for easy transfer in and out of the oven.  Place in the preheated oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown.  Serve immediately.

Source: adapted from Ezra Pound Cake, originally from The Pastry Queen by Rebecca Rather

It’s that time of year again when pumpkin spice anything sounds good to me.  Usually it’s some sort of pumpkin cupcakes, pumpkin bar or even pumpkin ice cream…but with pancakes, I can bring my addiction into breakfast time :)  These are a perfect fall breakfast and a great way to use up any half-cans of pumpkin leftover from your other baking endeavors.  Sprinkling the tops with cinnamon sugar and adding just a drizzle of syrup is all these need in the way of topping.  I bet they would also be great with some cinnamon whipped cream.  They would definitely be a big hit at a small brunch, but just keep in mind that you don’t want to spend too much time standing over the stove cooking instead of entertaining guests.

Just wait to see later this week what I did with my left over cinnamon-sugar.  Oh, it is goooood.

Pumpkin Spice Pancakes
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Ingredients:
1¼ cups all-purpose flour
2 tbsp. brown sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
¾ tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
Dash of ground ginger
Dash of ground cloves
1 cup milk
½ cup pumpkin puree
1 large egg
2 tbsp. vegetable oil or melted butter

Directions:
In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt and spices and stir with a fork to combine.  Mix together the milk, pumpkin puree, egg and oil or butter in a liquid measuring cup.  Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk together just until combine.  (The batter may still have a few lumps – that is okay.)

Preheat the oven to 200° F.  Have an oven safe plate or serving dish ready.  Heat a greased skillet or griddle over medium heat.  Once the skillet is hot, add a 1/3 cup scoop of batter to the pan.  Let cool until bubbles begin to form on the top surface.  Carefully flip with a spatula and cook the second side until golden brown, a couple minutes more.  Transfer the cooked pancake to the oven safe dish, and place in the oven to keep warm.  Repeat with the rest of the batter until it has all been cooked, regreasing the pan as needed.  Serve with cinnamon sugar, maple syrup, and/or whipped cream.

Source: adapted from Joy the Baker, originally from Martha Stewart

I can’t imagine it will take much for me to convince you of how wonderful these cupcakes are.  First of all, there’s the obvious – that ever-winning combo of chocolate and peanut butter.  The cake is a wonderfully dense chocolate cake with a thick creamy batter that bakes up beautifully.  The filling is essentially a buckeye candy without the chocolate coating.  And the frosting – ooooh, the frosting.  It is to die for.  It will now be my standard peanut butter frosting.  The peanut butter flavor is intense, and the texture is silky smooth.  These were (not surprisingly) very, very popular with the coworkers.

I do wish the peanut butter balls inside the cupcakes had been a little less dense – next time I may try adding a bit more butter or a little less powdered sugar.  I also needed to make extra filling balls because the original quantity was not enough for me to fill all the cupcakes.  I’ve indicated my changes below.  I say it’s better to end up with a few extra than not have enough.  You could even make them into buckeyes – that is, if your husband doesn’t wander in to the kitchen and polish them off ;)

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes
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Ingredients:
For the filling:
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
¾ cup creamy peanut butter
4 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ tsp. vanilla extract

For the cake:
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
1 cup sour cream
2 tbsp. milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
8 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
1½ cups sugar
2 large eggs

For the frosting:
8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
4 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
½ cup creamy peanut butter
3¼ cups confectioners’ sugar
1 cup frozen whipped topping, thawed

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350° F.  Line two cupcake pans with paper liners.

To make the filling, combine the confectioners’ sugar, peanut butter, butter and vanilla extract in a bowl.  Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until well combined.  Roll the mixture into 1-inch balls (at least 24) and set aside on a baking sheet.

To make the cake batter, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl; whisk together and set aside.  In a liquid measuring cup, stir together the sour cream, milk and vanilla extract.  In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter and sugar, and beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.  Beat in the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl as needed.  With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the dry ingredients and the sour cream mixture, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.  Mix just until incorporated.

Spoon a tablespoon or two of batter into the bottom of each cupcake liner.  Place a ball of the peanut butter filling in each cupcake well and top with the remaining batter so that all the cups are filled.  Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Allow to cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the frosting, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the cream cheese, butter and peanut butter until smooth.  Slowly mix in the confectioners’ sugar, beating until smooth and well blended.  Mix in the whipped topping until smooth and fluffy.  Frost cooled cupcakes as desired.

Source: adapted from Proceed with Caution, originally from Good Housekeeping

It seems I’ve come a long way since I started blogging.  It used to be that I was very nervous to deviate from a recipe at all.  Omitting a half teaspoon of an ingredient?  I don’t know, it seems risky.  Haha!  Now after making a meal like this, I look back and see how far I have come.  I have always loved broccoli cheddar soup and was eager to try making it at home.  I happened to see a great photo of it on another blog, so I bought all the ingredients listed.  Only after I had started prepping dinner did I realize that everything about the methods of that recipe seemed off to me.  After reading through it multiple times, I decided to just throw out the recipe and come up with my own based on the ingredients I had around.

I am pleased to report it was a definite success, and apparently all this cooking and blogging I have done has taught me a thing or two.  This soup is just what I was hoping for – a nice thick, creamy soup with equal parts broccoli and cheddar flavor.  I added a dash of cayenne to the pot at the last minute, and Ben and I both really enjoyed the hint of spiciness it provided.  The only thing I’ll change next time will be to use shredded or matchstick carrots.  I just diced them up this time around because the food processor was dirty.  You can leave the soup chunky or puree it with an immersion blender for a smoother texture.  I went for a slightly pureed version, so it was mostly smooth but still had some chunks of vegetables.  A bowl of this soup with a honey yeast roll makes for a fabulous cold weather meal!

Broccoli Cheddar Soup
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Ingredients:
6 tbsp. butter, divided
¾ cup onion, chopped
1 cup carrot, chopped or shredded
4 cups small broccoli florets
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
½ tsp. onion salt
½ tsp. garlic powder
4 tbsp. flour
2 cups milk
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
In a large stockpot or Dutch oven, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat.  Add the onion to the pan and sauté until tender, about 5-7 minutes.  Add the carrots to the pan and cook a couple minutes more.  Stir in the broccoli, chicken broth, onion salt and garlic powder.  Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer.

In a medium saucepan, melt remaining butter.  Add the flour and cook for 1-2 minutes until golden brown, whisking constantly.  Whisk in the milk and cook until the mixture thickens and bubbles, about 5 minutes.  Once the mixture has thickened, whisk in the cheese until completely melted.  Remove from the heat and add the cheese sauce to the soup pot.  Allow to simmer until warmed through and broccoli is tender.  Season with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.  If desired, puree the soup with an immersion blender for a smooth texture.

Source: Annie’s Eats original

If this recipe looks at all familiar, it’s because I have posted it on my blog once before nearly a year ago.  I finally decided to take down the old post and create a whole new one for this recipe for a couple of reasons. I make this meal often and have changed the way I prepare it a bit, so I have reflected those changes in this updated version to make this recipe more clearly written and with a better final product.  Also, the old picture was simply terrible (as many of my old photos are) and since this is truly a favorite meal, I thought it deserved a more appealing shot.

So, why do I love this dish so much?  Because it’s delicious, it’s an easy one pan meal (well, plus a pan to cook the pasta), and did I mention it’s delicious?  I mean, what’s not to love about a dish that has pasta, veggies, chicken and cheese all in one place?  Sign me up!  Herbes de Provence is a wonderful spice blend to have in your pantry, but if you don’t happen to have it and don’t want to buy it, you can easily create your own with other spices you are likely to have on hand.  Just do a Google search and you’ll find some estimates of what to mix together as a suitable sub.  I’ve done this many times, and it always works out just fine.  Enjoy!

Herb-Rubbed Grilled Chicken with Creamy Orzo
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Ingredients:
8 oz. orzo pasta, uncooked
2 chicken breasts, butterflied into halves (4 pieces total)
Salt and pepper
2 tsp. Herbes de Provence
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 shallot, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes, with juices
2 cups broccoli florets
½ cup heavy cream
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Bring a saucepan of salted water to boil.  Add the orzo and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, about 10 minutes.  Drain the pasta, reserving ½ cup of the pasta water.

Season both sides of the chicken breast halves with salt and pepper.  Sprinkle evenly with the Herbes de Provence.  Heat the olive oil in a 12- or 14-inch skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the chicken breast halves to the pan and cook about 3 minutes per side, until golden brown.  Reduce the heat to medium, add the shallot to the pan and sauté 2-3 minutes.  Add the garlic and sauté an additional minute, until fragrant.  Add the diced tomatoes with juices and the broccoli florets to the pan, scraping the bottom of the pan to remove any browned bits.  Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to simmer over medium-low.  Cover and let cook until the broccoli florets are crisp-tender, about 10 minutes.  Stir in the cooked orzo, heavy cream and Parmesan cheese.  Mix until well blended and the cheese has melted.   If necessary, add some of the reserved pasta water to smooth out the sauce.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Serve immediately.

Source: adapted from Smells Like Home, who adapted it from Food Network

Baked goods for breakfast are one thing I never seem to tire of, and I’m always looking for new variations to try.  It seems so many versions contain either fruit or some sort of chips mixed in and while I certainly enjoy those as well, I was very excited to try these because they seemed a bit out of the ordinary.  Not only that, but they are like a giant snickerdoodle cookie that I can eat for breakfast because it’s called a scone – sign me up!  They bake up with a really nice tender texture, and the cinnamon sugar topping makes them warm and comforting somehow.  One of these combined with a small plate of fresh fruit was a great way to start out the day.  Ben actually declared them, “The best scones you have ever made.”  Once I reminded him of some past favorites, he wavered – but still, they were a hit.  These would surely be a welcome addition at any holiday brunches you might host or attend (and that time is rapidly approaching – yay!)

Can’t get enough scones?  Try these other favorites:
Cranberry Scones
Cheddar Dill Scones
Chocolate Chip Scones
Pumpkin Scones
Strawberry Yogurt Scones

Snickerdoodle Scones
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Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cream of tartar
¼ tsp. salt
6 tbsp. sugar
6 tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
½ cup whole milk or heavy cream
1½ tsp. vanilla extract

For the topping:
¼ cup sugar
1½ tsp. ground cinnamon

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400° F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.  In a large mixing bowl combine the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, salt and sugar; stir together with a fork.  Add the cold butter to the flour mixture and cut the butter into the dry ingredients using a pastry cutter or two knives, until the mixture is crumbly and the largest butter pieces are the size of peas.

Combine the milk and vanilla in a measuring cup.  Pour the liquid over the dry ingredients and stir together with a fork just until the mixture forms a cohesive dough.  If necessary, knead the mixture just a few times by hand to bring the dough together.  Transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet and form a large round disc about 8-9 inches in diameter.  In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar and cinnamon for the topping.  Sprinkle generously over the top of the dough round (you will not need to use all of the topping.)  Bake for about 15-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Allow to cool on the pan, then slice into 6-8 wedges for serving.

Source: adapted from Baking Bites

Lots of people like coffee, lots of people like cupcakes – why not combine the two?  These were another birthday treat for a coworker who just happens to be a bit of a coffee addict.  I have made white chocolate mocha cupcakes before which were great, but they seemed a bit girly for this dude and I wanted a more intense coffee flavor.  The base consists of a fudgy brownie flavored with coffee liqueur and espresso powder.  The cupcakes are nicely complimented by the mocha buttercream on top, and if you can find them I think chocolate-covered espresso beans are the perfect garnish for these treats.  I really, really liked these and will definitely make them again.  Mmmm, I can smell that coffee now just thinking about them….

Need more coffee?  Try these recipes:
Coffee Ice Cream
Chocolate Espresso Semifreddo
White Chocolate Mocha Cupcakes
Espresso Chocolate Chip Shortbread

Mocha Brownie Cupcakes
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Yield: about 22 cupcakes
Ingredients:
For the cupcakes:
11 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 oz. unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
1½ cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. espresso powder
½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
3 large eggs
2 cups sugar
½ cup coffee liqueur

For the frosting:
16 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1 tbsp. instant coffee granules
2 tsp. hot coffee
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:
To make the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 350° F.  Line two cupcake pans with paper liners.  Combine the butter and chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water.  Heat until completely melted, stirring until smooth.  Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.  In the meantime combine the flour, espresso powder, baking powder and salt in a medium mixing bowl and stir together with a fork to combine.  In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the eggs and sugar and beat on medium speed until light.  Stir in the chocolate mixture and the coffee liqueur until well combined.  Mix in the dry ingredients on low speed just until combined.  Divide the batter between the cupcake liners, filling them about 2/3 full.  Bake 20-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with only a few crumbs.  Allow to cool in the pans about 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the frosting, beat the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer on medium-high speed until smooth, about 1 minute.  Mix in the confectioners’ sugar on low speed just until incorporated, then increase the speed to medium-high and beat until smooth and light, about 2 minutes.  Mix in the coffee granules, hot coffee and vanilla extract until completely incorporated.  Pipe onto the cooled cupcakes, and top with chocolate-covered espresso beans if desired.

Source: adapted from Tofu and Cupcakes, cupcakes originally from The Lady & Sons, Too!, frosting originally from 500 Cupcakes