Apparently carrot cake is a very popular dessert around Easter.  I’m not totally sure why – I guess Easter makes us think of bunnies which make us think of carrots?  Whatever the reason, it’s a lovely spring dessert.  I have been wanting to try this recipe for tropical carrot cake since long before I owned The Pastry Queen cookbook.  I hosted a low key Easter-inspired meal this weekend for the in-laws and served this as the sweet finale.  It was a big hit with everyone, and I heard several refrains of “best carrot cake ever” as we were enjoying it.

This carrot cake earns its tropical label by the addition of macadamia nuts, diced pineapple, shredded coconut, and coconut cream.  All these tasty mix-ins gave the cake multiple layers of delicious flavor and great texture.  However, it also seemed to cause the layers to sink in the center during baking and after cooling.  The combination of such a moist cake and so many mix-ins produced a cake that was not the most structurally sound, but it came together alright nonetheless.  My only gripe was with the frosting because the original recipe simply didn’t make enough to cover the cake well.  Yes, it was enough to cover it very thinly, but lots of crumbs were showing and there was none left over for detailing.  I hate when I’m forced to go back and make extra frosting, so I have altered the version below to yield enough frosting to adequately fill and cover the cake.  I threw these little fondant carrots on top for decoration and they added a cute finishing touch.  This makes a reeeeally big cake, but somehow I don’t think guests will mind taking home a leftover piece or two ;)

Tropical Carrot Cake
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Ingredients:
For the cake:
3 cups all-purpose flour
3 cups sugar
1 tbsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. ground nutmeg
4 large eggs
2 tbsp. vanilla extract
1½ cups canola or vegetable oil
½ cup cream of coconut
1½ cups peeled, shredded carrots
1½ cups diced pineapple (fresh or canned)
1½ cups sweetened flaked coconut
1 cup macadamia nuts, coarsely chopped and lightly toasted

For the frosting:
4 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, at room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar
5½ tbsp. heavy cream
5½ tbsp. cream of coconut
¾ tsp. salt

Directions:
To make the cake, preheat the oven to 350˚ F.  Line three 9-inch cake pans with parchment paper, and grease and flour the sides, tapping out the excess.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.  Whisk together to blend.  In another mixing bowl, combine the eggs, vanilla, oil, and cream of coconut.  Whisk well to combine.  Add the wet ingredients to the bowl with the dry ingredients and stir just until incorporated.  Add in the shredded carrots, diced pineapple, flaked coconut and macadamia nuts.  Fold in gently with a spatula until evenly incorporated.

Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans.  Bake for 30-35 minutes, rotating the cakes 180 degrees and from top to bottom racks (and vice versa) halfway through baking.  The cakes are finished baking when golden brown on top and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool the cakes 5-10 minutes in the pans, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the frosting, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment beat the cream cheese on medium-high speed until smooth.  Add in the powdered sugar and mix until incorporated.  Beat 1 minute more, until smooth and fluffy.  Mix in the heavy cream, cream of coconut and salt until smooth.

To assemble the cake, place one cake layer on a cake stand or platter.  Spread a layer of cream cheese frosting over the top.  Top with another cake layer, and more frosting on top of that.  Place the final cake layer on top.  Use the remaining frosting to cover the top and sides of the assembled cake, reserving up to 1 cup for detailing if desired.

Source: adapted from The Pastry Queen by Rebecca Rather

I honestly wasn’t sure I was going to like this meal.  In general I enjoy risotto, and I like most vegetables, but something about the combination of ingredients in this dish made me unsure whether we would really like it or not.  I decided to just go for it because if I know one thing, it’s that Ina almost never lets me down.  I’m so glad I trusted her this time around because I was completely wowed by this dish.  The combination of all the fresh vegetables with the lemon zest and black pepper gave this a complex flavor that was just fantastic.  And the brilliant addition of a bit of mascarpone cheese to make an ultra creamy risotto – why have I never thought of that?  I think I’ll apply that to more risottos in the future.  I think this would be the perfect addition to an Easter meal if you decide to stray from the usual ham/potatoes/green veggie spread.  If I were hosting this year, it would most definitely be on my menu.  We ate this as a main dish but it also makes an elegant side.  Also – huge progress here, even Ben the supposed pea hater liked this.  Win!

Spring Green Risotto
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Ingredients:
5 cups chicken broth or stock
1½ tbsp. olive oil
1½ tbsp. unsalted butter
2 shallots, minced
3 cups chopped leeks, white and green parts (about 2 leeks)
1½ cups Arborio rice (medium grain rice)
2/3 cup dry white wine
1 lb. asparagus (thin spears preferable), cut into 1-inch pieces and tough ends discarded
10 oz. frozen peas, thawed (or 1½ cups shelled fresh peas)
1 tbsp. freshly grated lemon zest
2 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. pepper
2 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/3 cup mascarpone cheese (cream cheese is a fine substitute)
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
3 tbsp. minced fresh chives

Directions:
In a medium saucepan, heat the chicken broth or stock over medium heat until simmering.  Reduce the heat to medium-low, keeping the stock warm.

Heat the olive oil and butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat until the butter is melted.  Add the shallots and leeks to the pan and sauté for 5-7 minutes, until tender.  Add the rice to the pan and stir to coat well with the oil and butter, cooking for about 1 minute.  Add the white wine and simmer over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until most of the wine has been absorbed.  Add the chicken stock, 2 ladles at a time, stirring almost constantly and waiting for the stock to be absorbed before adding more.

Meanwhile, blanch the asparagus in boiling salted water for 4-5 minutes, until crisp-tender. Drain and rinse immediately with cold water to stop cooking.  (If using fresh peas, blanch them in boiling water for a few minutes as well.)

When the risotto has been cooking for 15 minutes, add the asparagus and peas to the risotto.  Stir in the lemon zest, salt and pepper.  Continue cooking and adding stock, stirring almost constantly, until the rice is tender but still firm.  The entire process should take about 25-30 minutes.

When the risotto is done, remove the pan from the heat.  Mix in the lemon juice, mascarpone, Parmesan and chives.  Stir until the cheeses are melted in and the risotto is creamy.  Serve immediately with additional Parmesan, if desired.

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

So here’s the deal – I really want to give you all a week’s worth of Easter-inspired recipes.  But, the thing is, I am just not at all in the mood for the usual Easter foods.  It may be because I’m on call during the actual Easter holiday so I won’t be cooking for it, but I think it’s more an issue of the weather.  Spring has sprung (at least a little), and this has me in the mood for all kinds of fresh, light foods – ham is not one of them.  The whole typical holiday spread just isn’t inspiring me at all this year.  But who says you have to have ham on Easter?  I say make whatever you like.  And what I’ve been making and loving lately is this roast chicken.

To me this seems a more fitting centerpiece for an elegant spring meal, though really it would be great in any season.  It is light, tender, and packed full of flavor.  This recipe involves brining the chicken, which I think makes all the difference in producing a tender and moist meat.  If you’ve previously been intimidated by roasting a whole chicken, don’t be!  It’s really not complicated and the end result is impressive and delicious.  Yes, I get the heebee jeebees wrestling around with the raw chicken while prepping it, but it is totally worth it in the end.  You may notice that the exact time for roasting the chicken isn’t listed below – this is because it is so important to cook the chicken until a thermometer reads the correct temperature.  Simply basing doneness on time is not adequate and unsafe.  For me, it probably took an additional hour after lowering the oven temperature, but it will vary so be sure to check the temperature!

Garlic Rosemary Roast Chicken
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Ingredients:
For the brine:
½ cup table salt
10 cloves garlic, unpeeled
3 sprigs fresh rosemary
2 cups hot water
1½ quarts cold water

1 whole chicken (3½-4 lbs.), giblets discarded

For the garlic-rosemary paste:
2 tsp. minced fresh rosemary
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1/8 tsp. salt
¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided

For the sauce:
10 cloves garlic, unpeeled
½ tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1¾ cups low-sodium chicken broth, divided
½ cup water
¼ cup dry white wine
1 spring fresh rosemary
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:
To prepare the brine, combine the salt, garlic and rosemary in a air-tight plastic bag, sealed with excess air pressed out.  With a meat mallet or a rolling pin, pound the garlic cloves until smashed.  Transfer the mixture to a large Dutch oven, bowl or stockpot.  Stir in the hot water and let stand 10 minutes to release the flavors.  Mix in the cold water and stir to dissolve the salt.  Immerse the chicken in the brine, cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Remove the chicken from the brine and pat dry with paper towels.  With an oven rack in lower-middle position, preheat the oven to 450˚ F.  With a rack inside a roasting pan, spray the rack lightly with cooking spray.

To prepare the garlic rosemary paste, combine the rosemary, garlic, salt, pepper and 1 tablespoon of the oil in a small bowl.  Mix well.  Rub 1½ teaspoons of the paste inside the cavity of the chicken.  Gently loosen the skin over the breast and thigh on each side of the chicken.  Divide the remaining paste between the two sides of the chicken, slipping it underneath the skin.  Rubbing over the surface of the skin, distribute the paste over the breast and thigh on each side.  Tie the drumsticks together with kitchen twine.  Brush the surface of the chicken with 2 teaspoons of the olive oil.  Season with freshly ground pepper.  Place the chicken breast-side down in the roasting pan and bake for 15 minutes.

While the chicken is cooking, toss the garlic cloves with the oil for the sauce.  After the chicken has roasted for 15 minutes, toss the garlic cloves into the roasting pan and bake for 15 minutes more.

Remove the pan from the oven and lower the oven temperature to 375˚ F.  Rotate the chicken so it is breast-side up.  Brush the remaining 1 teaspoon of oil over the breast.  Add 1 cup of the chicken broth and water to the roasting pan.  Return the pan to the oven and continue roasting until the chicken is golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the breast reads 160˚ F.  Transfer the chicken to a large serving platter and cover loosely with foil.

Transfer the roasted garlic cloves to a cutting board.  Pour the liquid from the roasting pan into a liquid measuring cup; let sit a few minutes, then skim the fat off the surface.  You should have about 2/3 cup of liquid (add water if needed).  Peel the garlic and mash the cloves into a paste with a fork.  Combine the roasting liquid in a small saucepan with the mashed garlic, the remaining ¾ cup broth, wine and rosemary.  Heat over medium-high heat until simmering.  Reduce heat and continue to simmer about 8 minutes, until partly reduced.  Discard the rosemary sprig and adjust seasonings with salt and pepper to taste.  Carve the chicken and serve with the sauce.

Source: adapted from The New Best Recipe

I’ve been having a lot of fun playing cupcake fairy for my coworkers on their birthdays.  It’s always interesting to see what flavors people will choose, and I especially love it when I’m challenged to create a new variety I haven’t tried before.  My good friend and coworker Adam has been looking forward to his birthday cupcakes for months.  He also changed his mind several times about what he wanted.  Initially he was leaning toward something uber chocolatey, but after trying the Irish car bomb cupcakes he was loving the idea of a boozey cupcake too.  When I saw a recipe for Jack Daniels buttercream, I knew I had found just the thing.  I ended up making a chocolate cake, brushing it with a whiskey simple syrup, and topping with this fabulous buttercream.  The end result was just what I was hoping for - a moist chocolate cupcake with a nice kick of whiskey.

Everyone seemed to really enjoy these, although it is obvious that people have very different thresholds for the strength of whiskey.  Some thought they tasted very strong, while others (Adam) felt they could have been even stronger.  However, I doubled the amount of whiskey in the frosting and am sure that if I had added even one teaspoon more, it would have dissolved.  Personally, I thought the balance was just right for my tastebuds – strong enough that it deserved the word “whiskey” in the title, but not so strong I was looking for a chaser.  I will say that the frosting was a bit challenging to make.  Though I boiled my sugar mixture to the correct temperature by my candy thermometer, it almost completely hardened when I transferred it to the liquid measuring cup.  I thought all was lost, but decided to try to salvage it anyway.  I added the mixture to the frosting anyway, and it seemed to correct itself because the frosting was perfectly smooth and there were no hard bits of sugar anywhere.  Next time I may just avoid the hassle altogether and use the same recipe as the Bailey’s buttercream, just subbing whiskey instead.  Or maybe mix some Jack into my favorite basic Swiss meringue buttercream.  I think there are lots of options to make these, and they’ll all be delicious because apparently whiskey and chocolate is a winning combination :)

Chocolate Whiskey Cupcakes
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Yield: 24 cupcakes
Ingredients:
For the cupcakes:
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp. espresso powder
1 cup boiling water
½ cup sour cream
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1¼ cups all-purpose flour
¾ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
16 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
1¾ cups sugar
2 large eggs

For the whiskey simple syrup:
½ cup water
½ cup sugar
2 tbsp. whiskey

For the frosting:
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2 large egg yolks, at room temperature
¼ cup water
1 cup sugar
3 sticks (18 tbsp.) unsalted butter, at room temperature
Pinch of salt
3-4 tbsp. whiskey

Directions:
To make the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 350˚ F.  Line two cupcake pans with paper liners (24 total).  Combine the cocoa powder and espresso powder in a small bowl.  Add the boiling water and whisk until the mixture is smooth.  Set aside and let cool to room temperature.  Once cool, whisk in the sour cream and vanilla extract.

Combine the flour, baking soda and salt in a small bowl.  Stir together with a fork to combine; set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter and sugar.  Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 3-5 minutes.  Beat in the eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the bowl as needed.

With the mixer on low speed, mix in the dry ingredients in three additions, alternately with the cocoa-sour cream mixture, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.  Beat each addition just until incorporated.  Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cupcake liners.  Bake 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Let cool in the pan 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the simple syrup, combine the water and sugar in a small saucepan.  Heat over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is warm and the sugar has dissolved.  Remove from the heat and stir in the whiskey.  Set aside and let cool until ready to use.

To make the frosting, combine the eggs and egg yolks in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.  Whisk on high speed about 5 minutes.  In a small saucepan, combine the water and sugar.  Heat, stirring frequently, until it reaches the soft-ball stage, 234˚-239˚ F.  Immediately transfer the sugar syrup to a liquid measuring cup.  With the mixture on low speed, add the sugar mixture to the egg mixture in a slow, thin stream.  Increase the speed to medium and beat about 7 minutes, until the syrup has cooled and the bowl is just barely warm to the touch.  Add the butter 3-4 tablespoons at a time, beating well after each addition, at least 30 seconds.  Once all of the butter has been added, continue to beat on medium speed until the frosting thickens slightly, 3-5 minutes.  Blend in the salt and whiskey.

To assemble the cupcakes, brush the cooled cupcakes with the whiskey syrup.  Pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes using a pastry bag.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Source: cupcakes adapted from Baking Illustrated, frosting adapted from The Pastry Queen by Rebecca Rather

Want to know a secret?  These are healthy muffins.  Yes, they have bananas and berries, but they also have bran in them.  Wait, wait!  Don’t run in the other direction (as I almost did when I read that).  These are healthy muffins that also taste really good.  So good I ate them for breakfast daily, and sometimes as an afternoon snack as well.  And, I felt far less guilty about that second muffin than I would have if they had been a typical muffin – you know, the sort that is more of an excuse to eat cake for breakfast, though I do love those too.  Not only do they have bran, but they contain no added sugar.  I was definitely skeptical before trying them, but I was very pleased with the way they turned out.  The banana and berry flavors compliment each other nicely, and provide plenty of natural sweetness along with the honey and orange juice.  You could certainly make these using only one variety of berry but I really enjoyed the combination and would definitely make them this way again.

Banana Berry Muffins
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Yield: 10-12 muffins
Ingredients:
1¼ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup oat bran
¼ tsp. salt
2½ tbsp. nonfat dry milk powder
1 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. baking soda
1½ large bananas
1 egg white
¼ cup honey
1 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
½ cup orange juice
¾ cup fresh blueberries
¾ cup fresh raspberries

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375˚ F.  Line a muffin pan with paper liners.  In a medium bowl, combine the flour, oat bran, salt, milk powder, baking powder, and baking soda.  Stir together with a fork; set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mash together the banana and egg white until the mixture is well blended and slightly frothy.  Stir in the honey, butter and orange juice, and mix to blend.   Mix in the dry ingredients just until incorporated.  Gently fold in the fresh berries with a spatula until evenly incorporated.

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

Source: adapted from Cooking On the Side

Please, everyone – stop what you are doing and go make this.  I try not to say that about every recipe I post, even though I do feel that way about most of them – if I don’t love them, I don’t share them.  But if you like mushrooms and fresh herbs, you must try this.  This is the brilliant creation of my pal Chelle for the 30 Days, 30 Ways of Mac and Cheese we participated in earlier this year.  You may remember my contribution, the spicy mac and cheese.  This event has given me many fantastic reasons to keep eating mac and cheese weekly for quite a while (not that I even needed a reason.)  There are so many great variations and I’m planning to try several but this was a great one to start with.

With all the mac and cheese recipes I’ve been trying lately, I’ve found that I prefer to use less liquid in the cheese sauce that the recipe usually calls for.  This makes for a thicker, more gooey cheese sauce and I’m all for that!  Don’t be put off by the pound of mushrooms called for in the recipe.  It may seem like a lot and I was tempted to use less, but remember that mushrooms lose a ton of liquid when they cook.  It ended up being the perfect amount.  As for herbs, I used a combination of basil, thyme and rosemary because that was what my store had available that sounded good together.  I’m sure there are tons of other equally wonderful combos so feel free to experiment.

Mushroom Herb Mac and Cheese
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Ingredients:
1 lb. pasta shapes
6 tbsp. unsalted butter, divided
1 lb. cremini (baby bella mushrooms), roughly chopped
1 shallot, minced
2-3 cloves garlic, finely minced
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 tbsp. white wine vinegar
3 tbsp. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. fresh basil, minced
2 tsp. fresh rosemary, minced
2 tsp. fresh thyme, minced
2 cups whole milk
6 oz. (1½ cups) shredded Gruyere cheese, divided
6 oz. (1½ cups) shredded white cheddar cheese, divided
½ cup panko breadcrumbs

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400˚ F.  Grease a 9 x 13″ baking dish.  Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Cook the pasta according to the package directions, just until al dente.  Drain the pasta, return to the pot, and set aside.

Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat.  Add the chopped mushrooms and shallots to the pan and sauté until the mushrooms are tender and almost all of the liquid has evaporated from the pan, about 5-7 minutes.  Stir in the garlic and sauté about 1 minute more, just until fragrant.  Remove the pan from the heat, season the mixture with salt and pepper, and mix in the white wine vinegar.  Set aside.

In a medium saucepan, melt 3 tablespoons of the butter over medium-high heat.  Once the butter is completely melted, whisk in the flour to form a paste.  Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly, until golden.  Stir in the fresh herbs and cook for 30 seconds, just until fragrant.  Whisk in the milk and cook the mixture, stirring frequently, until the mixture simmers and begins to thicken.  Once the mixture has thickened, remove from the heat.  Whisk in the shredded Gruyere and cheddar cheeses until completely melted and smooth.

Pour the cheese sauce over the cooked pasta.  Add the mushroom and shallot mixture to the pot as well.  Toss well to thoroughly combine.  Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish.  In a small bowl combine the panko breadcrumbs with the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter, melted.  Toss with fork to coat the crumbs evenly.  Sprinkle the breadcrumbs evenly over the pasta in the baking dish.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, until browned and bubbly.  Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Source: adapted from Brown Eyed Baker for 30 Days, 30 Ways Mac and Cheese

Everyone needs a good recipe for a basic crusty bread.  It is a welcome accompaniment to almost any meal and guests are always impressed to find you made something so delicious yourself.  As with many homemade yeast breads, this one is fairly simple.  Most of the work is simply waiting for the dough to rise in its various stages.  The preferment is made the day or night before you make the bread, and this adds great flavor a bit reminiscent of sourdough.  This particular version has a nice crunchy crust but a soft, light and chewy interior.  Heavenly!  I like to serve it with a homemade garlic butter of some sort and lately I have been loving the compound herb butter I made at Thanksgiving.  This recipe makes two large loaves and even if you don’t plan on needing them immediately, I recommend making both anyway and keeping one in the freezer so you have it on hand at a moment’s notice.

Italian Bread
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Ingredients:
For the preferment:
1 cup water
1 cup bread flour
½ tsp. instant yeast

For the dough:
All of the preferment
5 cups bread flour
½ cup nonfat dry milk
1 tbsp. brown sugar or granulated sugar
1 tbsp. salt
2 tsp. instant yeast
1 tbsp. olive oil
2 cups water, at room temperature

Directions:
To make the preferment, combine the water, flour and yeast in a medium bowl.  Mix well to blend, cover with plastic wrap, and let sit at room temperature at least 4 hours and up to 16 hours.

When you are ready to make the dough, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the preferment, 4 cups of the flour, dry milk, sugar, salt, yeast, olive oil and water.  Mix on low speed until a sticky dough has formed.  Switch to the dough hook and add the remaining flour ¼ cup at a time.  Continue kneading on low speed until the flour has been incorporated (you may need to add even more than 5 cups) and you have a dough that is smooth and elastic, and no longer sticky.  The total kneading time should be about 10 minutes.

Transfer the dough to a well greased bowl, turning once to coat, and cover with plastic wrap.  Allow to rise at room temperature until approximately doubled in size, about 2 hours.  Punch down the dough, cover once more, and let rise again for 30 minutes.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface.  Knead the dough once or twice and divide into two equal portions.  Cover the two pieces of dough with a damp towel and allow to relax for 20 minutes.

Shape the two portions of dough into the desired final shape and transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicone baking mat (I used a baguette pan).  Cover again with a damp kitchen towel and let rise until approximately doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 425˚ F.  Just before placing the loaves in the oven, brush or spray them lightly with water.  Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes before rotating them.  Bake another 20-30 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 200˚ F.  Remove from the oven, transfer to a wire cooling rack and let cool at least 30 minutes before slicing and serving.

Source: adapted from Brown Eyed Baker, originally from The Fresh Loaf

Doughnuts have been on my list of baking goals for quite a long time, but for some reason I was a little intimidated by them.  I’m not sure why – it’s basically just a fried brioche dough.  I think more than anything I was overwhelmed and that with so many recipes to choose from, I would choose the wrong one and sink a bunch of time into a failure.  Finally I decided to just buckle down and do it after several requests from friends and readers for a doughnut recipe.  I didn’t even bother trying to compare the bajillion recipes I had saved, I just went with my always-reliable source, Baking Illustrated.

It probably goes without saying, but homemade doughnuts are awesome.  I knew in advance that they would be hard to resist so I contacted several friends before I even made them, to be sure they didn’t stick around our house for too long.  I actually think the doughnut holes are even more dangerous because you can just keep popping them into your mouth – irresistible, I tell you!  I couldn’t decide which topping option sounded best, so I decided to make all three included in the book.  I made a half batch of each of the toppings, so if you want to make a full batch of only one flavor, double the quantities indicated below.  Even after tasting them all, I’m not sure I can choose a favorite – it’s probably a tie between the cinnamon sugar and chocolate glazed versions.  The vanilla glaze was much thicker than what I prefer, so after dipping one doughnut I decided to thin it out more to my liking.  Now that I’ve tried them once, I am looking forward to playing around with more flavors and variations.  Though it certainly won’t be something I make often, it’s nice to be able to add it to my repertoire.

Yeasted Doughnuts
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Yield: about 15-16 doughnuts, plus doughnut holes

Ingredients:
For the dough:
3-3¼ cups all-purpose flour (15-16¼ oz.)
2¼ tsp. instant yeast
6 tbsp. sugar (2½ oz.)
½ tsp. salt
2/3 cup whole milk, at room temperature
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
6 tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces, at room temperature

For frying:
6 cups vegetable shortening

For the cinnamon-sugar coating:
½ cup sugar
1½ tsp. ground cinnamon

For the vanilla glaze:
1½ cups confectioners’ sugar
¼ cup half-and-half, plus more as needed
1/8 tsp. vanilla extract

For the chocolate glaze:
2 oz. finely chopped bittersweet chocolate
¼ cup half-and-half
1 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted

Directions:
To make the dough, in a medium bowl combine 3 cups of the flour, the yeast, sugar and salt .  Stir together with a fork and set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the milk and eggs.  Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed for 3-4 minutes or until a ball of dough forms.  With the mixer on low speed, add the softened butter a piece at a time, mixing for about 15 seconds between each addition.  Continue mixing for about 3 minutes longer, adding the remaining flour 1 tablespoon at a time if necessary, until the dough forms a ball.

Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, turning once to coat.  Cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until nearly doubled in size, 2-2½ hours.

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and roll it to a thickness of ½ inch.  Cut the dough into rounds using a 2½-3 inch biscuit or cookie cutter.  Use a smaller circle cutter to cut the hole out of the middle of each, creating the doughnut shape.  Reroll and cut the dough scraps as necessary to make use of all the dough.

Place the shaped doughnuts and doughnut holes onto a lightly floured baking sheet.  Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until slightly puffy, 30-45 minutes.

(I really hate shortening, so I was nearly gagging at this point.  Just power through.)

Meanwhile, fit a candy thermometer to the side of a large Dutch oven.  Add the shortening to the pot and gradually heat it over medium-high heat until it reaches a temperature of 375˚ F.  Place the rings and holes carefully into the hot fat 4 or 5 at a time.

Fry until golden brown, about 30-45 seconds per side (less for doughnut holes).  Remove from the hot oil with a skimmer and transfer to a paper towel-lined cooling rack.

(Keep a close eye on how brown they are getting.  I thought the frying time indicated in the original recipe was a bit too long, so I shortened it for subsequent batches.  They were more golden, and more what I was hoping for.)

Repeat with the remaining doughnuts, returning the temperature to 375˚ F between batches.  Cool the doughnuts for about 10 minutes before topping or glazing.  Serve warm or at room temperature.  (Note: I found the doughnuts to be a little dense at room temperature, but a very quick 10-second zap in the microwave made them light and fluffy again.)

To make the cinnamon-sugar doughnuts, whisk together the sugar and cinnamon in a shallow bowl or plate.  Roll the warm doughnuts in the mixture to coat, then return to the wire cooling rack.

To make the vanilla glaze, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar, half-and-half, and vanilla extract.  Add more half-and-half 1 teaspoon at a time as needed to achieve your desired consistency.  Dip both sides of each doughnut in the glaze, gently shaking off any excess.  Return to the wire cooling rack with a baking sheet set underneath to catch drips.

To make the chocolate glaze, place the chopped chocolate in a medium bowl.  Heat the half-and-half until simmering, then pour over the chocolate.  Whisk together until the chocolate is melted.  Whisk in the confectioners’ sugar until smooth.  Dip one side of each doughnut in the glaze, shaking off the excess.  Return to the wire cooling rack and top with sprinkles if desired.  Let the glaze set before serving.

Yum.

Source: adapted from Baking Illustrated

Aaahh, shrimp scampi.  One of my favorite go-to simple meals.  There are many reasons why I love it so much.  First, it tastes delicious – I think this goes without saying.  It’s a minimalist shrimp pasta dish with a lemony, garlicky light butter/olive oil sauce.  Yum!  But almost just as importantly, it is a very nice meal that can be thrown together in next to no time, with mostly ingredients I tend to have on hand.  Whenever I want a meal that requires little effort, this is where I turn.  Occasionally I add a splash of white wine to the sauce if I happen to be drinking some while making dinner.

Just a couple comments regarding the recipe.  I usually tend to omit the lemon slices but if you are a lemon enthusiast then by all means, add them!  You may want to increase the amount of butter and/or olive oil slightly if using a full pound of pasta, rather than the 12 ounces called for, just to make sure there is enough sauce to adequately coat everything.  If you were looking for a quick and tasty Friday night meal, here it is.  Enjoy!

Shrimp Scampi
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Ingredients:
3/4 lb. linguine
4 tbsp. unsalted butter
2 tbsp. olive oil
4 cloves minced garlic
1 lb. large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1½ tsp. kosher salt
¼ tsp. pepper
3-4 tbsp. chopped flat leaf parsley
Zest of ½ a lemon
¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
¼ lemon, sliced thinly into half-rounds
¼ tsp. red pepper flakes

Directions:
Bring a large pot of salted water to boil.  Cook the pasta according to the package directions.

Meanwhile, in a 12-inch skillet or sauté pan, melt the butter and olive oil together over medium heat.  Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute, just until golden and fragrant.  Add the shrimp to the pan in an even layer and season with the salt and pepper.  As soon as the down-facing side of the shrimp turns pink, flip with tongs to cook the second side evenly.  As soon as the shrimp is pink and opaque, remove the pan from the heat.  Stir in the parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice, lemon slices and red pepper flakes.

As soon as the pasta is cooked and drained, return to the pot.  Add the sauce to the pot, and toss to combine.  Serve immediately in warmed bowls.

Source: adapted from Ina Garten via Food Network

Okay, so I really like scones.  I’ve loved pretty much every kind I have ever made.  That said, I think these are the best scones ever.  This doesn’t really surprise me, considering that the recipe comes from Cook’s Illustrated.  They seem to have found the ideal method for creating a perfectly light, tender, and buttery scone.  This particular version is also bursting with fresh blueberries, which seem to take on a magical new life when baked or cooked.  I’m sure these would be great with other mix-ins as well, but personally I just can’t resist the blueberries.

Admittedly, the mixing and shaping method takes a little more effort than most scone recipes.  While I was making them I kept wondering, will it be worth this?  The answer is a resounding yes.  They are completely worth the extra time they require.  And as I mentioned last week with the oatmeal raspberry scones, you can freeze the shaped scones before baking and bake individually as needed straight from the freezer.  These would be the perfect thing to have on hand for unexpected company.

By the way, Andrew really enjoyed them as well.  He kept calling them “cookies” :)

Blueberry Scones
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Ingredients:
8 tbsp. (1 stick) unsalted butter, frozen whole
1½ cups (7½ oz.) fresh blueberries
½ cup whole milk
½ cup sour cream
2 cups (10 oz.) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the work surface
½ cup sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
2 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
2 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

Directions:
Adjust an oven rack to middle position and preheat to 425˚ F.  Grate the frozen butter on the holes of a large box grater.  (I like to use my food processor for this – fast and easy.)  Place the blueberries in the freezer until needed.

Whisk together the milk and sour cream in a medium bowl; refrigerate until needed.  Combine the flour, ½ cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and lemon zest in a medium mixing bowl.  Whisk to combine.  Add the grated butter to the flour mixture and toss with fingers until thoroughly coated.

Add the milk mixture to the dry ingredients and fold with a spatula just until combined.  Transfer the dough to a generously floured work surface.  Dust the top of the dough with flour, and knead with well floured hands, 6-8 times, just until the dough holds together in a ragged ball.  Add small amounts of flour as needed to prevent sticking.

Roll the dough into a 12-inch square.  Fold the dough into thirds like a business letter (a dough scraper really helps with these steps).  Fold the short ends of the dough into the center in thirds, to form an approximate 4-inch square.  Transfer the dough to a plate lightly dusted with flour and chill in the freezer for 5 minutes.

Return the dough to the floured work surface and roll into an approximately 12-inch square again.  Sprinkle the blueberries evenly over the surface of the dough, and gently press down so that they are slightly embedded in the dough surface.  Using a dough scraper, roll the dough up to form a tight log.  Lay the log seam side down and press the the log into a 12 by 4-inch rectangle.  Using a sharp, floured knife, cut the rectangle crosswise into 4 equal rectangles.  Cut each rectangle diagonally to form 2 triangles.  Transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet.

Brush the tops of the scones with melted butter and sprinkle lightly with sugar.  (If freezing ahead of time, flash freeze on the baking sheet for 20 minutes, then wrap individually and store in a freezer bag until needed.)  Bake until the tops and bottoms are golden brown, 18-25 minutes.  Transfer to a wire rack and let cool at least 10 minutes before serving.

Source: adapted from Entertaining from Cook’s Illustrated, Spring 2009

Most of the time when I save recipes, I do it because I know without a doubt that we will love the result.  (This is why about 98% of the recipes I have saved are desserts.)  Sometimes, though, I save things more because I think, “Hmmm…interesting…that might be good.”  This recipe was definitely a case of the latter.  In fact, I put it on our menu back in November or December but the day came when I was planning to make it and it just did not sound good to me at all.  So back into the freezer went the pork, and it has been there all this time waiting for me to change my mind.  I finally decided that I needed to either use the pork or get rid of it, so I put the recipe back on the menu and decided I would make it no matter what.  Turns out, we were blown away by this meal.

The combination of spices may seem a bit odd, but the end result is a little bit spicy but also sweet, and incredibly flavorful.  Ben even deemed this his new favorite kind of pork tenderloin.  I was very surprised by how quickly it came together.  Most pork tenderloin recipes I make require marinating of some length, but this is just a simple spice rub made from pantry ingredients, and a glaze to go on top.  I halved the amount of glaze because the original amount just seemed like overkill.  I’m glad I did because this was just the right amount.  Just be sure to spread the glaze out very evenly over the top of the tenderloins.  I had a bite or two that seemed overly sweet because of too much glaze.  All in all, this is a fantastic preparation of pork that is quick enough for a weeknight and nice enough to serve to company.

Island Spice Pork Tenderloin
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Ingredients:
For the spice rub:
2 tsp. kosher salt
½ tsp. ground black pepper
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. ground cinnamon

2 pork tenderloins (about 2-2½ lbs. total)
2 tbsp. olive oil

For the glaze:
½ cup packed dark brown sugar
1 tbsp. (2-3 cloves) finely minced garlic
1½ tsp. Tabasco sauce

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350˚ F.  Combine the salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder and cinnamon in a small bowl.  Stir together with a fork to blend.  Pat the mixture over the pork tenderloins.

Heat the olive oil in an ovenproof 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat.  Place the tenderloins in the skillet and brown on all sides, turning occasionally, about 4 minutes total.  Remove from the heat, leaving the pork in the skillet.

Stir together the brown sugar, garlic and Tabasco in a small bowl until blended.  Spread the mixture evenly over the tops of the tenderloins.

Place the skillet in the preheated oven and roast about 20 minutes, until an instant-read themometer inserted in the center of each tenderloin registers 140˚ F.  Loosely tent the skillet with foil and let stand 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Source: adapted from Pennies on a Platter, originally from The Gourmet Cookbook

You all know of my baking addiction.  It seems I find every excuse and opportunity to bake something for someone.  Unfortunately I don’t always have time to get to the store and buy ingredients, so I am limited to whatever I have on hand.  That was the case with these coconut madeleines, and I’m very glad this is what my pantry happened to produce.  I have loved making madeleines ever since the first time I tried them.  This recipe was a bit less particular than the previous versions I have tried and I was worried they wouldn’t puff up correctly.  I should know better than to second guess Ina though, they turned out perfectly.  This is the only madeleine recipe I have ever made that doesn’t call for a glaze.  I thought they were delicious even without the glaze.  However, if you really feel the need to glaze them, I think they would be great that way too.  Mixing a little bit of coconut rum with powdered sugar would do the job nicely.

Coconut Madeleines
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Yield: 18-24 madeleines
Ingredients:
1½ tbsp. melted butter, for greasing the pan(s)
3 large eggs, at room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
¾ tsp. coconut extract
8 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup cornstarch
½ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
1/3 cup sweetened shredded coconut

Directions:
Thoroughly grease a madeleine pan with the melted butter.  Coat with flour and tap off the excess.  Chill the pan in the refrigerator or freezer until ready to use.

Preheat the oven to 375˚ F.  In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the eggs, sugar, vanilla and coconut extracts on medium speed for 3-5 minutes, until light yellow and fluffy.  Add the melted butter and mix to combine.  In a small mixing bowl sift together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt.  Gently fold into the batter with a rubber spatula.  Stir in the shredded coconut.

Plop enough batter in the center of each indentation to fill it about ¾ full (approximately 2 tbsp. for a regular madeleine mold and approximately 1 ½ – 2 tsp. for a mini-madeleine mold).  Do not spread the batter.

Bake for 10-12 minutes (5-6 minutes for mini madeleines), until they spring back when pressed lightly.  Tap the madeleines out onto a wire cooling rack.  Allow to cool.  Dust with confectioners’ sugar, if desired.

Source: adapted from Barefoot in Paris by Ina Garten

I’ve mentioned before that my in-laws tend to host fabulous brunches for us nearly every time we come for a visit.  I won’t say no to that!  The food is always amazing and, bonus, it gives me the opportunity to bring something as well.  Normally I tend to lean toward something on the sweeter side (muffins, scones, etc.) but last time I decided to try this strata.  This is basically a savory bread pudding, and a tasty one at that.  With spinach, onion, Gruyere and Parmesan cheeses, this was sure to be delicious.  Needless to say, this was very well received.

It is incredibly convenient in that all the prep work is done the night before, and in the morning all you have to do is bake and serve.  I thought the overall flavors of the dish were great, but there are a couple of changes I will make next time.  First, I will double the amount of spinach.  If an ingredient makes it into the title of a recipe, you should get more than the occasional bite of it.  Plus, spinach is tastes good, and is good for us.  Also, I will omit the mustard called for in the original recipe.  I found it unnecessary, and it seemed to overpower a lot of the other flavors.  I’ve included these changes in the version below.  Enjoy!

Spinach and Cheese Strata
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Ingredients:
3 tbsp. unsalted butter
1½ cups onion, finely chopped
2 (10 oz.) packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 tsp. salt, divided
½ tsp. pepper, divided
Dash freshly grated nutmeg
8 cups cubed French or Italian bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
6 oz. coarsely grated Gruyere (about 2 cups)
2 oz. finely grated Parmesan (about 2/3 cup)
9 large eggs
2¾ cup milk

Directions:
Melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat.  Add the onions to the pan and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes.  Add ½ teaspoon of the salt, ¼ teaspoon of the pepper, and the nutmeg, and continue to cook for 1 minute more.  Stir in the spinach, remove from the heat and set aside.

Butter the inside of a 2½-3 quart baking dish.  Layer the bottom of the dish with one third of the bread cubes.  Top with one third of the spinach mixture and one third of each of the cheeses.  Repeat these layers twice more with the bread, spinach and cheese.

In a medium bowl, combine the eggs, milk, the remaining ½ teaspoon of the salt and ¼ teaspoon of the pepper.  Whisk together until blended.  Pour the mixture evenly over the bread and spinach layered in the baking dish.  Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 8 hours or up to 1 day.

Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking.  Preheat the oven to 350˚ F.  Bake uncovered until puffed, golden brown and cooked through, 45-55 minutes.  Let stand at least 5 minutes before serving.

Source: adapted from Smitten Kitchen, originally from Gourmet, February 2003

Sometimes I’ll have a recipe saved for a long time, and suddenly, inexplicably, I have to make it now.  No matter that I was perfectly content having it on the “to try” list for months, it suddenly becomes an urgent matter and I just can’t wait any longer.  That’s what happened with these scones.  I suppose the timing worked out perfectly because with the beautiful red raspberries, they were a fitting Valentine’s Day breakfast.  (By the way, I love these cute dishes my brothers bought me for my birthday!)  I wondered if the oatmeal would make the texture of the scone dense or chewy, but these were still as light, airy and buttery as I had hoped.  I do think the oatmeal provided an extra dimension of flavor, plus it is a little bit healthier than using all white flour.

Even if you don’t have an immediate need for the full batch (8-12, depending on the size), go ahead and make the dough anyway.  You can freeze the shaped scones before baking, wrap them in foil or plastic wrap and store in a freezer lock plastic bag.  When you are ready to use them, remove the foil or plastic wrap and bake them straight from the freezer.  Just add a few minutes to the original baking time, until they are warmed through.  They taste just like you made them that day!  I love having scones in the freezer – but of course, I love it so much that such a surplus never seem to last long…

Oatmeal Raspberry Scones
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Ingredients:
1 large egg
½ cup cold buttermilk
1 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/3 cups old-fashioned oats
1/3 cup sugar
1 tbsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
Pinch of nutmeg
10 tbsp. cold unsalted butter, grated on a large grater or cut into small pieces
¾ cup fresh or frozen raspberries

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400˚ F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

Combine the egg and buttermilk in a liquid measuring cup.  Stir together; set aside.

Whisk together the flour, oats, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg in a large mixing bowl.  Add the butter to the bowl and toss.  Cut the butter into the flour mixture with a pastry blender or fork until the mixture so that the mixture is crumbly.  Pour the egg and buttermilk mixture into the dry ingredients and mix with a fork just until incorporated (the mixture will be sticky).  Fold in the berries just until incorporated (be particularly gentle if using fresh berries).  Gently knead the dough 6-10 times, just until it comes together into a sticky dough.  Portion the dough out into 8-12 scones, depending on the size you prefer, and transfer to the prepared baking sheet.  (A large dough scoop is a good tool, but not necessary.)

Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.  Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Source: adapted from Joy the Baker, originally from Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan

Do you like chocolate?  If not, please exit this blog immediately.  Nah, just kidding (sort of).  However if you do like chocolate, then let me introduce you to one of the greatest desserts in the world.  I realize that is an extremist statement, but I stand by it nonetheless.  I’ve had chocolate mousse plenty of times before and it has always been fine, delicious even, but not that kind of mind-blowing good that you really want in the ultimate dessert.  My feelings about chocolate mousse started to change from like to serious love when I had it for dessert at one of my favorite restaurants, The Oceanaire.  This chocolate mousse was unlike any I had ever tried.  Smooth, thick, rich and somehow light at the same time, with a pure chocolate flavor.

I most recently had their fabulous chocolate mousse again about a month ago when we were there to celebrate my birthday.  It was just as perfect as all the times before, and this time I was inspired to find a version just as good that I could make at home.  The search didn’t take long, since I knew exactly where to look.  I read The Sweet Life in Paris by David Lebovitz several months ago and thoroughly enjoyed it.  Peppered amongst David’s hilarious and witty commentary are some of his favorite recipes, including two for chocolate mousse.  A traditional chocolate mousse uses raw eggs, and since I wanted the best chocolate mousse possible, I decided I could handle the raw eggs.  In fact, this recipe has only two main ingredients – eggs and chocolate.  It is amazing to me that such a perfect dessert comes from such simple ingredients.  Good quality chocolate is very important in this recipe (you know the saying – if you’re going to do something, do it right.)  And in case you were wondering, this version completely lived up to the restaurant variety.  Bliss, pure bliss.

Chocolate Mousse
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Ingredients:
7 oz. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
3 tbsp. water
4 large eggs, at room temperature, separated
Pinch of coarse salt

Directions:
Combine the chocolate and water in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water.  Heat until the chocolate is almost completely melted, stirring occasionally.  Remove the bowl from the heat and stir until the mixture is smooth.  Set aside and let cool to near room temperature.

In a clean, dry bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the egg whites and the salt.  Whip on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form.  They should be thick and smooth.

Stir the egg yolks into the cooled chocolate mixture.  Add one third of the whipped egg whites to the bowl with the chocolate and fold gently to lighten up the mixture.  Fold in the remaining egg whites gently with a spatula just until no visible streaks are left.

Portion the mixture into 4-6 individual serving dishes (or 2 larger serving dishes, for a romantic, share-friendly dessert).  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 3 hours.  Serve as desired with freshly whipped cream and chocolate shavings.

Source: The Sweet Life in Paris by David Lebovitz

I know, I know – spring is just around the corner and chili is probably one of the last foods on your radar right now.  The weather has warmed up marginally and we have seen the sunshine again.  However, this chicken chili is worthy of your immediate attention.  Why?  Well for starters, this is the time of year here in Indiana when the weather may seem to be warming up a bit, but there is always at least one more bitter cold spell, and often one more snow still to come.  So when that time comes, this chili will be just the thing to get you through until the spring really arrives.

More importantly, I think I like this chili even better than my old favorite.  That’s really saying something considering just how much I love that recipe.  I can’t even put my finger on exactly what it is that I prefer about this version, but I can tell you that we had this for dinner three nights in a row, as well as a lunch or two, and I was still sad when it was gone.  It wasn’t difficult to throw together, and it’s pretty darn healthy on its own.  Of course I can’t resist eating mine with Fritos…mmmm, delicious!

Chicken Chili
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Ingredients:
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Salt and pepper
4 cups chopped yellow onion (2-3 onions)
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 bell peppers (I used 1 red, 1 orange and 1 yellow)
2 tsp. chili powder
2 tsp. ground cumin
¼ tsp. red pepper flakes
½ tsp. cayenne pepper
½ tsp. dried oregano
1 chipotle chili in adobo sauce, finely diced
2 tsp. kosher salt
2 (28 oz.) cans whole peeled tomatoes in puree, not drained
2 (15 oz.) cans beans, drained and rinsed (I used 1 can black and 1 can pinto beans)

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375˚ F.  Line a baking sheet with foil.  Place the chicken breasts on the foil, and season with salt and pepper.  Fold the foil over the chicken breasts to make a “packet”.  Roast 30-40 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.  Allow to cool enough to handle, then shred or chop into bite-sized pieces.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.  Sauté the onions 10-15 minutes, or until tender and translucent.  Add the garlic to the pot and sauté just until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Mix in the chopped bell peppers, chili powder, cumin, red pepper flakes, cayenne, oregano, chipotle, and kosher salt.  Cook 5 more minutes.  Place the canned tomatoes in the bowl of a food processor.  Pulse briefly so the tomatoes are cut to large chunks.  Add the tomatoes with the puree to the pot and bring the mixture to a boil.  Reduce to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes, uncovered, stirring occasionally.

Stir in the shredded chicken and the beans, and allow to simmer for another 20 minutes.

Source: adapted from Pink Parsley Catering, originally from Barefoot Contessa Parties by Ina Garten

Salmon mousse may sound gross to some, but chances are if you enjoy smoked salmon, you will love this.   This recipe was passed on to me by my wonderful mother-in-law, and I have enjoyed this recipe for many years.  Typically we serve it in a bowl as a dip or spread for crackers.  An easy way to fancy it up is to pipe it onto crackers and garnish with fresh herbs, as I did for my girls’ night/guys’ night party.  And though I haven’t yet tried it myself, I’m sure this would be fantastic spread on a bagel.  If I were going to go that route, I might whip it on high speed in my mixer for a while, just to make it a light and airy schmear.  Which ever way you choose to enjoy, do give it a try.  It’s delish!

Salmon Mousse
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Ingredients:
8 oz. smoked salmon, flaked with a fork
8 oz. cream cheese
1 tsp. dried dill weed
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 clove garlic, finely minced

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor.  Pulse repeatedly until all the ingredients are blended and smooth.  Transfer to a serving dish, cover with plastic wrap and chill at least one hour.  (Alternatively, pipe the mixture onto crackers and garnish with fresh herbs.)

Source: passed on to me by Robin C.

So here’s the deal – the longer I blog, the more I look back at my old posts and cringe.  The pictures were bad, and so was the commentary.  But, a lot of the recipes I blogged about in the beginning are still great recipes and they deserve your attention.  This is why I have slowly started updating old posts for recipes I think are worthy of a second go-round.  French onion soup is a perfect example.  It’s a wonderfully comforting classic dish and I think everyone should have a good recipe for it, but my old post may have sent people running in the other direction.

I’ve played around with the recipe a bit since my original post, to combine aspects of two recipes into my own version of this soup.  This rendition uses the traditional caramelized onions as well as leeks for an extra dimension of flavor.  The liquid base is a mixture of chicken and beef broths enhanced with red wine.  And of course, one of the very best things about French onion soup is the baguette slices with melted Gruyere on top.  My favorite thing about this soup is how thick it is, rather than primarily broth with the occasional bite of caramelized onion.  Paired with a nice salad, this makes a lovely lunch or dinner.  It also makes great leftovers!

French Onion Soup
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Ingredients:
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
2 large red onions, thinly sliced
Pinch of sugar
2 leeks, including tender green portions, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
¾ cup low-sodium beef broth
¼ cup dry red wine
2 sprigs fresh parsley
1 sprig fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
Salt and pepper, to taste
Baguette slices, ¾-inch thick
Sliced Gruyere cheese

Directions:
Melt the butter in a Dutch oven or large stockpot over medium-high heat.  Add in the sliced red onions, reduce the heat to medium, and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions have wilted.  Mix in the sugar and leeks and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are completely caramelized and dark in color (about 15 more minutes).  Add the garlic to the pot and sauté just until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Stir in the chicken and beef broths and red wine, scraping the browned bits from the bottom of the pot.  Add the parsley, thyme and bay leaf.  Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer about 30 minutes.  Discard the herbs and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Preheat the broiler with an oven rack in the upper-middle position.  Portion the soup into oven-safe bowls or crocks placed on a baking sheet.  Top each serving with two baguette slices, and layer with thin slices of Gruyere cheese.  Place under the broiler until the cheese is browned and bubbly, 2-5 minutes.  Cool a few minutes before serving.

Serves 3-4.

Source: adapted from Williams Sonoma and The New Best Recipe

About a month ago I was looking for a snack food to take to a party.  A party where we all gathered to watch a football game that was most definitely not super (for a Colts fan, anyway).  While the game itself was quite a disappointment, these egg rolls were anything but.  This version is vegetarian with black beans, corn, spinach, and cheese.  I’m sure they would be wonderful with some cooked chicken mixed in  as well, but I like them as they are.  They were gobbled up in almost no time, and I probably should have made a double batch.  I absolutely love them, especially when paired with my beloved salsa.  I’m sure we’ll be having them frequently – you know, to help drown our sorrows until next football season.

It seems entirely fitting (even if actually coincidental) that I share this homemade taco seasoning after the poll and giveaway I posted last week asking what meals you enjoy enough to have weekly.  No formal analysis of the results was necessary to determine that the overwhelming winner was tacos.  Tacos seem by far the most popular item on many readers’ weekly menus, and this comes as no surprise.  Taco night is fun, easy, quick and healthy (well, depending on how you make them.)  And now it can be even healthier with homemade taco seasoning.  You can throw this together in minutes using ingredients you probably already have in the pantry.  The result has the same flavor as the stuff from the packet, but without all that nasty sodium.  No need to buy the packets ever again!

It was so fun reading all the responses of what foods people like enough to eat weekly.  As I said, tacos were by far the winner, followed closely by pizza.  Pasta was also a popular choice.  All favorite foods of mine, and I see why they make weekly menus!

And without further ado, the winner of the giveaway from last week was Jillian who said,  ”Anything mexican! I LOVE mexican food….usually we have tacos about once a week…or burrito casserole…
I could definitely make mexican food almost daily.”  Well said and I couldn’t agree more.  Congrats, Jillian!

Homemade Taco Seasoning
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Ingredients:
4 tbsp. chili powder
3 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. paprika
3 tbsp. ground cumin
1 tbsp. plus 2 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a bowl, and mix well to blend.  Store in an airtight container until ready to use.

To prepare taco meat, use 2 heaping tablespoons in place of a package of taco seasoning (cook approximately 1 lb. of beef or chicken, add 1 cup of water with the seasoning, and simmer until the liquid is almost completely gone.)

Source: Use Real Butter, originally from Mex Recipes

Every year I get really excited about making my own birthday cake.  And every year, I spend nearly the entire month before my birthday agonizing over what cake to choose.  There are so many options, and given the ridiculous amount of time I spend thinking about it, this is apparently a life or death decision.  First I think cheesecake – then I think a more classic cake – then I think something extravagant, or something fun that no one else will ever ask me for – and then I go back to the beginning, and the cycle starts again.  This year it got so bad that I finally decided to write all my choices on slips of paper, throw them on the floor and let Andrew pick one randomly.  Incidentally, the very first option I had considered was this cheesecake, and it was the first slip of paper he picked up (…and then he tried to eat it.)

So cheesecake it was.  But not just any cheesecake – cappuccino fudge cheesecake.  Hello, gorgeous.  The base is a chocolate cookie crumb crust with a layer of ganache on the bottom.  The filling is a rich, smooth coffee-flavored cheesecake and the topping is a thin layer of sweetened vanilla sour cream (I know, that sounds gross but it’s not – trust me.)  Garnished with more ganache and chocolate-covered espresso beans – oh yeah.  I think this cake speaks for itself, and it really shouldn’t take much convincing to get you to try it.  My whole family enjoyed it, and I had to leave most of it with them to avoid devouring it by myself.  I had a few issues making this, but I think they were entirely related to my level of exhaustion at the time I was baking it.  My next birthday is now less than 11 months away.  I suppose I should begin deliberating now…

Cappuccino Fudge Cheesecake
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Ingredients:
For the crust:
32 chocolate sandwich cookies, finely processed into crumbs
5 1/3 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted and cooled
Small pinch of salt

For the ganache:
1½ cups heavy cream
20 oz. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
¼ cup coffee flavored liqueur

For the filling:
3 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1½ tbsp. all-purpose flour
1½ tbsp. dark rum
2 tbsp. instant espresso powder
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1½ tsp. mild-flavored (light) molasses
3 large eggs

For the topping:
1½ cups sour cream
1/3 cup sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:
To make the crust, butter a 9-inch springform pan and place it on a baking sheet.  Combine the chocolate cookie crumbs, melted butter and salt in a small bowl.  Toss with a fork to moisten all of the crumbs.  Press into a thin layer covering the bottom and sides of the springform pan (at least 3 inches up the sides).

Bring the cream to a simmer in a medium saucepan.  Place the chocolate in a medium bowl.  Once the cream reaches a simmer, pour the cream over the chocolate and let stand 1-2 minutes.  Add the coffee flavored liqueur and whisk in small circles until a smooth ganache has formed.  Pour 2 cups of the ganache over the bottom of the crust.  Freeze until the ganache layer is firm, about 30 minutes.  Reserve the remaining ganache; cover and let stand at room temperature for later decorating.

Preheat the oven to 350˚ F and position a rack in the middle of the oven.  In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and sugar on medium-high speed until well blended.  Beat in the flour.  In a small bowl, combine the rum, espresso powder, vanilla and molasses, stirring until the espresso powder dissolves.  Add to the cream cheese mixture and beat until well incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.  Beat in the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl between each addition.

Pour the filling over the cold ganache in the crust.  Place the springform pan on a rimmed baking sheet.  Bake until the top is lightly browned, puffed and cracked at the edges, and the center moves only very slightly when the pan is lightly shaken, about 1 hour.  Transfer to a wire cooling rack.  Cool 15 minutes while preparing the topping (maintaining the oven temperature.)

To make the topping, whisk together the sour cream, sugar and vanilla in a small bowl.  Pour the topping over the hot cheesecake, spreading to cover the filling completely.  Bake until the topping is set, about 10-15 minutes.  Return to the cooling rack and let cool at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.  Transfer to the refrigerator and let cool at least 3 hours, until completely chilled and set.

To finish, wrap a warm towel around the outside of the springform pan to help loosen the crust from the sides.  Carefully remove the springform.  Transfer the cake to a serving platter.  Place the reserved ganache in a pastry bag fitted with a decorative tip and use to garnish the top of the cake as desired.  Garnish with chocolate-covered espresso beans as desired.  Chill until the ganache is completely firm, at least 6 hours.

Source: adapted from Smitten Kitchen, originally from Bon Appétit, February 2002

As I mentioned last week, I’ve been all about burgers lately thanks to these fabulous oven fries.  When I saw this recipe for chicken tequila burgers, I knew I would love them.  I love margaritas.  I love grilled tequila lime chicken.  Obviously, I would love this dinner – and I did.  These are easy to make and extremely flavorful.  You can taste the tequila and the lime – not too much, just the right amount.  We simply topped ours with sautéed bell pepper, onion, and lettuce.  If you really need a condiment, I think the cilantro mayo from the salmon burgers would be a nice addition, but I prefer to leave these without a sauce so the flavor of the burger itself really shines through.

The recipe calls for the use of a food processor to pulse the ingredients into a mixture that can be made into patties.  I had never done this before, instead always buying pre-ground chicken.  But with a freezer full of chicken breasts, I decided to give this method a try.  It worked very well and I didn’t have any problems at all.  If you don’t have a food processor, you could just as easily mix in the seasonings to pre-ground chicken and it would work fine.  The patties aren’t quite as sturdy as those made with ground beef, so the use of the broiler is an easy way to get them cooked and nicely browned without too much disturbance.  But really once they started cooking, they firmed up and were easy to flip.  Enjoy!

Chicken Tequila Burgers
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Ingredients:
2 cloves garlic, chopped
½-1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
2 chicken breasts (about 1 lb. total)
3-4 tbsp. cilantro
Zest of ½ a lime
1 oz. tequila
Dash of soy sauce
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
½ cup panko bread crumbs

For serving:
Burger buns
Sautéed bell pepper and onion
Lettuce

Directions:
Preheat the broiler.  Line a baking sheet with foil and brush lightly with olive oil.  Combine the garlic, jalapeno, chicken breasts, cilantro and lime zest in the bowl of a food processor.  Pulse several times until the chicken is uniformly ground.  Mix in the tequila, soy sauce, salt and pepper to taste, and panko.  Pulse a few more times until the ingredients are well blended.

Form the mixture into 4-5 patties and place them on the prepared baking sheet.  Broil the burgers for about 12-15 minutes, flipping halfway through cooking to brown both sides.  Check for doneness before serving.  Serve on buns with sautéed bell pepper and onion, and lettuce as desired.

Source: adapted from Cara’s Cravings

Who ever thought I would go to the trouble to make hamburger buns at home?  And then, who would have thought that after having found a recipe I really did like, I would continue to search for a truly perfect bun?  Not I, though Ben is probably less surprised.  But here I am, and the search is over.  Thanks to Deb at Smitten Kitchen for doing all the real work of the search, all I really had to do was enjoy the spoils.  Ben teased me for making burger buns the first time around, but I think now he understands why it is worthwhile.  These buns are truly fabulous.  It’s not easy to describe just what it is that makes them the perfect burger bun – the sturdy but light texture, the subtle sweetness, the golden crust for starters.

These really weren’t any more difficult to make than any other yeast bread or sandwich bun I’ve made before.  The only road bump was that after the second rise, I checked the shaped rolls to find that they had spread and expanded so much that they had filled the whole baking pan.  I was so frustrated and was ready to throw in the towel, but in an effort to save them, I just reshaped the rolls, topped them and popped them in the oven.  It worked out perfectly and they were delicious.  So either keep a very close eye on them during the second rise or just reshape them.  Either way, it will be fine and they will be great!

If you are looking for some ideas of what to put on these buns, here are some of our favorite burgers:
Salmon Burgers
The Perfect Hamburger
Chicken Parmesan Burgers
Stuffed Italian Burgers

Stay tuned for another great burger to put between these buns tomorrow!

Light Brioche Burger Buns
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Ingredients:
3 tbsp. warm milk
1 cup warm water
2 tsp. instant yeast
2½ tbsp. sugar
1½ tsp. salt
1 large egg
3 cups bread flour
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2½ tbsp. unsalted butter, softened

For topping:
1 large egg beaten with 1 tbsp. water, for egg wash
Sesame seeds

Directions:
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the milk, water, yeast, sugar, salt and egg.  Mix briefly to combine.  Add the flours to the bowl, and mix until incorporated.  Mix in the butter.  Switch to the dough hook and knead on low speed for about 6-8 minutes.  The dough will be somewhat tacky, but you want to avoid adding too much extra flour which will create tough buns.

Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl.  Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, 1-2 hours.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.  Using a dough scraper, divide the dough into 8 equal parts.  Gently roll each portion of dough into a ball and place on the baking sheet, 2-3 inches apart.  Cover loosely with lightly oiled plastic wrap and let rise again, 1-2 hours, until puffed up and nearly doubled.

Set a large metal pan of water on the lowest rack of the oven.  Preheat the oven to 400˚ F with a rack in the center.  Brush the tops of the buns lightly with the egg wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds.  Bake the buns about 15 minutes rotating halfway through baking, until the tops are golden brown.  Transfer to a rack to cool completely.

Source: adapted from Smitten Kitchen, originally from Comme Ça via The New York Times