I’ve been playing cupcake fairy all year long and I always love seeing what flavors my coworkers request.  I try not to influence their decisions too much since after all, it is their birthday, not mine.  I was positively thrilled when a recent birthday girl chose straight up chocolate cupcakes as her treat.  I’ve been waiting and waiting and waiting for someone to ask me to go all chocolate crazy!  (You didn’t know I liked chocolate, right? ;))  I opted for a devil’s food chocolate cupcake, filled it with dark chocolate ganache, and frosted them with a chocolate sour cream frosting.  Ooohhhh my, they were amazing.  A chocolate lover’s dream for sure.  I brought them in to work at 7:30 am and was able to resist mine until about 9:15 am.  So much for will power where these are concerned!  This frosting is most definitely the best chocolate frosting I’ve ever tried.  Smooth, fudgy and über chocolatey.  I’m already looking for any excuse to make it again.  Maybe breakfast tomorrow?

Note: This recipe makes a huge amount of cupcakes and frosting.  Certainly not a bad thing, but if you don’t need 30+ cupcakes, you should probably cut the recipe in half.

Triple Chocolate Cupcakes
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Yield: about 32 cupcakes

Ingredients:
For the cupcakes:
¾ cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
¾ cup hot water
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1¼ tsp. coarse salt
1½ cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter
2¼ cups sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
4 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream, at room temperature

For the ganache filling:
8 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 cup plus 2 tbsp. heavy cream
4 tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces, at room temperature

For the frosting:
14 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
9 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
9 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
6 tbsp. unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
Pinch of salt
1 cup plus 2 tbsp. sour cream

For the chocolate curls:
Large block of high-quality semi- or bittersweet chocolate

Directions:
To make the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 350˚ F.  Line standard cupcake pans with paper liners.  In a small bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder and hot water until smooth.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

In a medium saucepan, combine the butter and the sugar over medium heat.  Heat, stirring occasionally to combine, until the butter is melted.  Remove the mixture from the heat and transfer to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.  Beat on medium-low speed, 4-5 minutes, until the mixture is cooled.  Mix in the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed and beating well after each addition.  Mix in the vanilla and then the cocoa mixture and beat until incorporated.  With the mixer on low speed add in the dry ingredients in two batches, alternating with the sour cream, beating just until combined.

Divide the batter between the prepared cupcake liners, filling them about ¾ of the way full.  Bake 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, rotating the pans halfway through baking.  Allow the cupcakes to cool in the pan 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the ganache, place the chopped chocolate in a medium bowl.  Heat the cream in a small saucepan and bring to a boil.  Once boiling, remove from the heat and pour over the chopped chocolate.  Let stand about 1 minute.  With a whisk, gently stir the chocolate and cream together in small circles.  When the ganache has become smooth, whisk in the butter 1 piece at a time until incorporated.  Transfer the bowl to the freezer or refrigerator to chill and thicken the ganache a bit.  Whisk every 5-10 minutes to help it cool evenly.  Once the mixture is slightly thickened and no longer runny, you are ready to fill the cupcakes.

To assemble the cupcakes, cut a cone out of the center of each cupcake with a small paring knife.  Cut off the pointed end of the cone and discard (or eat) so you are left with a cap of cake to cover the filling.  Drop a spoonful of ganache into the center of each cupcake and recover the hole with the cap.

To make the frosting, melt the chocolate in a heat-proof bowl set over a pot of simmering water.  Set aside to cool until just barely warm.  In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.  Gradually mix in the confectioners’ sugar, cocoa powder and salt.  Beat in the melted and cooled chocolate and then the sour cream.  Continue beating until the mixture is smooth and well blended.  Frost cupcakes immediately.

To make the chocolate curls, warm the block of chocolate just slightly (heat in 5-second intervals in the microwave – be careful not to melt).  Use a vegetable peeler to create chocolate curls.  Top cupcakes with curls immediately.  Reheat chocolate as needed to keep it workable.

Source: cupcakes and frosting from Martha Stewart’s Cupcakes, ganache from Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan

A long time ago I shared with you all my most favorite pizza dough ever.  It completely changed my feelings about homemade pizza, and finally I preferred my own creations over carry out by far.  Recently I realized that a lot of the tips and tricks that have become second nature to me have never been shared with my readers, since the first time around I basically only shared the recipe itself.  After talking with several friends and coworkers about various techniques and methods, I thought a pizza dough tutorial might be useful.  Once you realize how easy it is to make your own dough, and just how much better it tastes than store-bought, you’ll never want to go back.  (Also, I think most store-bought pizza dough should be illegal.  Ick.)  When you can make your own delicious dough and have it in the freezer ready to go whenever you need it, it truly is every bit as convenient as any premade version.

I’ve harped on it before and I’ll do it again – measure your ingredients by weight.  This is a much more accurate way to measure flour, and will eliminate the guesswork of mixing up your dough.

If you don’t plan on using your dough immediately, freeze it.  To do this, mix up the dough as usual and let it rise as normal.  After dividing the dough into two equal portions, wrap each tightly in plastic wrap and store inside a freezer-safe bag, and transfer to the freezer immediately.  (Reuse these bags to avoid being wasteful!)  The double layer is important here.  Even after the dough is moved to the freezer, it will continue to rise a bit before the rise is completely suspended.  It always, always pops through the plastic wrap so the extra layer of protection is needed to prevent exposure.

Freeze the dough until it is ready to be used.   The day you plan to use the dough, transfer it to the refrigerator in the morning to thaw in time for dinner that evening.  (If using the dough for lunch, transfer to the refrigerator the night before.)   The dough that has been frozen tastes every bit as good as fresh, so it is incredibly convenient to have available for a quick, throw-together meal.

I’ve had many questions pertaining to the need to freeze the dough if you plan to use it the very next day.  It seems logical that you could simply refrigerate it immediately after the rise and use it the following day.  However, I have tried this and it didn’t go well.  The refrigerator is not cold enough to stop the rise quickly and the result is an over-risen, crazy puffy monster dough.  My solution?  I still use the freezer initially to completely stop the rise, and then I transfer the dough to the refrigerator until it is ready to be used.  (I think another solution would be to use less yeast in the dough initially, but I don’t feel super comfortable altering recipes and changing amounts of yeast, so this is my preferred method.)

A pizza stone is an integral part of really good homemade pizza.  Why?  The stone is preheated with the oven, producing a very hot surface for baking the pizza.  When you slide the assembled pizza onto the stone, the bottom of the crust starts baking immediately, producing the perfect crisp bottom that provides the slices structural integrity, while the top portion is still soft and chewy.

Before making the pizza, take the dough out of the refrigerator and let stand at room temperature for about 30 minutes to take off the chill. Preheat the oven and the pizza stone at 500˚ F for 30 minutes as well.  During this waiting period, I like to get all my toppings ready.

After the dough has been at room temperature for 30 minutes, it is ready for shaping.  You have two options for your shaping surface – a pizza peel or a piece of parchment paper.  Up until now I have always used parchment paper just because it is convenient and I don’t yet own a pizza peel, but I would like to cut down on my use of parchment so I think a pizza peel purchase is in my very near future.  Whichever surface you use, sprinkle it lightly with cornmeal.  Shape the dough using lightly floured hands.

If the dough springs back a lot while you are trying to shape it, let it rest for 15 minutes and try again. This allows the gluten in the dough to relax and should make shaping easier.  Sometimes my dough requires multiple resting periods for gluten relaxation, other times it shapes perfectly right off the bat.  It’s a mystery to me, but at least I know how to handle it.

Brush the outside edge of the crust lightly with olive oil.  This gives it a nice golden sheen after baking.

Top your pizza as desired.  (We’ve been reeeally loving the chicken ranch pizza lately.  Using pepper jack and cheddar cheese takes it to a new level.)

Transfer your pizza to the heated pizza stone.  If you are using the parchment method, slide a cutting board underneath the parchment for transfer (the parchment itself is not sturdy enough to transfer alone.)

Bake, and voila!  With all the endless topping combinations available (or fillings in the case of calzones), you can get rid of those carry out menus.   Oh, and don’t forget about pizza bites.  Mmmm, pizza bites.

Basic Pizza Dough
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Yield: enough dough for 2 medium pizzas or 4 calzones

Ingredients:
½ cup warm water
2¼ tsp. instant yeast
4 cups (22 oz.) bread flour, plus more for dusting
1½ tsp. salt
1¼ cup water, at room temperature
2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

Directions:
Measure the warm water into a 2-cup liquid measuring cup.  Sprinkle the yeast over the top.  In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the bread flour and salt, mixing briefly to blend.  Measure the room temperature water into the measuring cup with the yeast-water mixture.  With the mixer on low speed, pour in the yeast-water mixture as well as the olive oil.  Mix until a cohesive dough is formed.  Switch to the dough hook.  Knead on low speed until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.  Transfer to a lightly oiled bowl, turning once to coat.  Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in size, 1½-2 hours.

Press down the dough to deflate it.  Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface.  Divide the dough into two equal pieces.  Form each piece of dough into a smooth, round ball.  (If freezing the dough, wrap in plastic wrap and freeze at this point.)  Cover with a damp cloth.  Let the dough relax for at least 10 minutes but no longer than 30 minutes.

To bake, preheat the oven and pizza stone to 500˚ F for at least 30 minutes.  Transfer the dough to your shaping surface, lightly sprinkled with cornmeal.  Shape the dough with lightly floured hands.  Brush the outer edge lightly with olive oil.  Top as desired.  Bake until the crust is golden brown, and cheese is bubbling, 8-12 minutes.

Source: adapted from Baking Illustrated

Is it possible for a fruit to taste rich?  Maybe even luxurious?  That’s how mango tastes to me.  I haven’t done anything with mangoes since I was making it as baby food for Andrew.  That’s just too long!  A reader requested mango sorbet and I was happy to oblige.  Of course I didn’t have to look any further than The Perfect Scoop.  Seriously, if you don’t own this book yet, you need to.  Now.  It’s only the beginning of the lovely warm weather and there are so many wonderful frozen treats to try!

Also, thanks to everyone who entered the Earth Day giveaway last week.  I was really impressed by the eco-consciousness of my readers.  If you are looking for ways to help conserve, definitely go back and read the comments from that post.  There are tons of great suggestions!  Congratulations to the winners of the RuMe bags:
#120 – Abby: “I’m going to work from home more and drive to work less. And when I’m at work, I’m going to drink from a reusable cup.”
#192 – Dinah: “We have drastically reduced our trash by recycling and composting. (We basically have 1 bag of trash every other week now for a family of 4.) Also I bought reusable baggies for lunches so we don’t use disposable sandwich bags.”
Enjoy your bags, ladies!  I hope you love them as much as I do.

Mango Sorbet
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Ingredients:
2 large, ripe mangoes (about 2 lbs.)
2/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup water
4 tsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
1 tbsp. dark rum
Pinch of salt

Directions:
Peel and pit the mangoes.  Cut the flesh up into chunks and place them in a blender or food processor with the sugar, water, lime juice, rum and salt.  Purée the mixture until completely smooth.  Taste the mixture and adjust the lime juice and/or rum as necessary.  Chill thoroughly in the refrigerator.  Freeze in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.  Store in an airtight container in the freezer.

Source: The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz

Some people are very opposed to convenience foods such as Hamburger Helper.  While I suppose in general I have turned into such a person, I do think that those types of products have their place.  Obviously they are convenient, but they can also be a starting point for someone who knows absolutely nothing about cooking to slowly learning that they are capable of making something edible.  I certainly ate my fair share of Hamburger Helper growing up and during college and you know, it really doesn’t taste all that bad.  My culinary interests clearly have grown far beyond the boxed food realm, but every once in a while I crave the old childhood favorite.  Now that I tend to avoid most processed foods though, I opt for this homemade version instead.  With multi-grain pasta, ground turkey and homemade taco seasoning, this is a much healthier copycat that tastes better than the boxed version.  I made a few minor changes to add a bit more flavor, and I also reduced the liquid a bit to thicken the sauce.  This is a great meal that is bound to be a crowd-pleaser.

Creamy Taco Mac
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Ingredients:
1¼ lbs. ground turkey
8 oz. dry pasta shapes
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (14 oz.) can diced tomatoes, drained
4 tbsp. taco seasoning
3 oz. cream cheese
½ cup sour cream
Salt and pepper
Shredded cheddar cheese (optional)

Directions:
Bring a large pot of water to boil.  Cook pasta according to the package directions.  Drain, reserving ½ cup of pasta water.  Set aside.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet or sauté pan, cook the ground turkey over medium-high heat until no longer pink.  A few minutes before the turkey is cooked through, add the chopped onion to the skillet.  Once the turkey is cooked through, mix in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Mix in the diced tomatoes and taco seasoning and let simmer over medium heat for about 5 minutes.  Stir in the cooked pasta, cream cheese, sour cream and reserved pasta water, and continue stirring until the cream cheese is melted and the sauce is well blended.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Simmer over medium-low heat 3-5 minutes to reduce the sauce a bit.  Remove from the heat and top with shredded cheddar cheese, if desired.

Source: adapted from Delish

I have some very happy news to report – we have finally sold our old house!  Those who have been reading a while may remember that we moved into our wonderful new home back in the fall, but unfortunately it took us a bit longer to get rid of the old one.  Initially I had planned to make a celebratory meal when we moved into the new house, but paying two mortgages did not make me feel like celebrating at all.  I decided to push the meal back until we could truly celebrate both our new house and having only one house payment!  I also thought this would be a great opportunity to share the occasion with some of our closest friends who have been so supportive during the last few months when times were tough.  I’m thrilled that Foodbuzz sponsored this meal.   I always enjoy being a part of their 24, 24, 24 event.

Selling the house has felt like a huge weight has been lifted off of us, and I wanted this meal to be a truly elegant and decadent celebration.  There were several special recipes that I had mentally bookmarked months ago for this occasion, and I have been waiting and waiting for this delicious day to finally arrive.  I always have so much fun hosting these events, but this time was even more fun because my wonderful friend Shanon helped me design the menu and prepare all the food!  Our menu was as follows:

Beverages:
Champagne cocktails
Beer and wine

Appetizers:
Steamed Artichokes with Dipping Sauces
Tomato Mozzarella Basil Tarts

Salad:
Summer Strawberry Salad with Poppy Seed Viniagrette

Entrees:
Bacon-Wrapped Filet Mignon
Seafood Gratin

Sides:
Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Green Beans Parmesan
Herbed Dinner Rolls

Dessert:
Triple Chocolate Mousse Cake

With all the fresh flowers on the table and the menu we selected, my friends declared this a “very Ina Garten meal”.  I love Ina to pieces, so I thought that was a wonderful compliment.  It definitely seemed fitting since so many of my “very dear friends” were in attendance!

Champagne cocktails were a must since this was a true celebration.  I had some strawberry puree in the freezer so I added a shot of that and a shot of apple juice to the flutes, and then poured champagne over the top.  They had a cool tri-level look that isn’t really obvious from these pictures, and they tasted great.  Strawberry and champagne were just made to be together.

I’ve previously been totally intimidated by fresh artichokes, but knowing they are in season and how much my mom used to love them, I was determined to include them in the menu.  Shanon taught me how to prepare them.  We steamed them and served them with melted butter as well as a pesto mayo.  They may not be the most elegant food for eating, but that didn’t seem to deter anyone.

I have posted about these tarts as a full-size version before, but I have found that made mini-size, they make perfect appetizers.  People go nuts for them (myself included).  The basil-garlic crust really takes them to another level of awesome.

The salad – oh, the salad.  How I loved it.  I have never been much of one for fruit in my salads, though I’m apparently coming around on that.  Since lovely ripe strawberries are every where these days, I thought this would make a great starter.  This was actually inspired by a selection from Panera’s menu last year.  I never tried it but always thought it looked great, so this was my attempt to recreate it at home.  The poppy seed vinaigrette was very nicely balanced with acidity and creaminess, and the dish in general was just gorgeous with the colorful fresh fruit.

It was fun to give guests entree choices in advance of the party.  For the meat eaters, I knew bacon-wrapped filet mignon was bound to be a hit.  Since it was raining we had to move our grill to the front porch underneath the overhang (classy, right?) but it worked out fine.  Meat and more meat is always a popular choice!

Okay, this seafood gratin is unbelievably good.  This is the dish I have been most looking forward to making since we moved in October.  With lobster, shrimp and cod pieces in a tomato cream sauce and a buttery bread crumb topping, how could this be anything but wonderful?  Chicken gyros may be my favorite any-night dinner, but I think this has definitely taken the title of my favorite special occasion dinner.

I forgot a photo of the roasted garlic mashed potatoes, but hey, we’ve all seen mashed potatoes before.  Mashed potatoes + roasted garlic = delicious.  Period.

I’ve seen gorgeous green beans a lot lately when I go to the store, so I really wanted to include them in the menu.   The tomato, shallot, and Parmesan-bread crumb topping were wonderful additions and I think this is my new favorite way to make green beans.

Typically I serve some sort of bread with a compound herb butter, but this time I switched it up and made a roll with herbs already included.  These were very tasty and the individual herb leaves pressed into the tops made for an impressive presentation.  I always pipe butter into individual dishes.  It’s a nice, simple touch that takes next to no time but makes for a very elegant look.

Holy dessert.  This was a true show-stopper.  My friends were all hovering while this was being served, just dying for a slice.  I can’t blame them – it’s like dream food.  I’ve said before that I love triple chocolate anything, so triple chocolate mousse cake was bound to be heaven for me.

Andrew provided quite a bit of our entertainment for the evening, sitting at the table like a big boy and telling us lots of things in toddler babble.  He also took his pants off multiple times throughout the meal.  We’re still working on manners ;)

As an added bonus for all those readers who have begged for a party-planning tutorial, here you go.  This is how I make it happen, and take all the stress out of hosting a get together.

First, plan your menu.  Things to take into consideration:

• The general tone of your event – casual, elegant, or somewhere in between.
• What ingredients are in season – feature them!
• Keep the meal well-rounded – carb, protein, veggies, etc.  Try to choose dishes that compliment each other.
• Difficulty level and time requirements of the various dishes – you don’t want to be spending too much time in the kitchen instead of spending time with your guests.
• Plan some items that can be made at least partially made in advance so you don’t have too much going on at once.
• Any dietary restrictions, likes or dislikes of your guests.

Get all of your recipe resources together in one spot.  You need to carefully look through all the recipes in advance so there are no surprises when it’s crunch time.

Make a shopping list.  Be sure to include trips to specialty stores as well, such as the butcher shop, liquor store or florist so you remember everything you need to do.

Write out a timeline for the day of the event.  This is the most important step in planning, because it takes all the guesswork and stress out of entertaining.  You think out everything in advance so that when the actual time comes, all you have to do is what is on the list.  I usually start by writing the time guests arrive at the bottom of the sheet, and then work backwards in figuring out what needs to be done when so appetizers are ready on time, when dinner should be served, etc.  Even if you get behind and don’t stick to the timeline exactly, you’ll still have the general guideline of what to do when and it is hugely helpful.  I also like to leave some blank spaces because inevitably I think of something I forgot to add initially.

Recipes will be posted individually as future posts.  Those that will be posted include: artichokes, strawberry salad, seafood gratin, green beans Parmesan, herbed dinner rolls, and triple chocolate mousse cake.

It’s official – strawberry season has arrived.  Every time I go to the store, I am immediately confronted with the giant display of gorgeous ruby red strawberries.  At the current prices, it’s pretty much impossible to resist, not to mention how much Andrew adores “brrries”.  I find myself continually inspired by these lovely berries and I have thought of hundreds of things I’d like to do with them.  First on my list was this strawberry cheesecake.  This recipe calls for frozen strawberries but I’m fairly confident you could use fresh.  After all, it seems silly not to when they are in season!

The cheesecake filling has just the right amount of strawberry flavor and a very light, airy texture which seems fitting for such a fresh spring dessert.  The ganache topping is of course delicious because, duh, it’s ganache.  The only thing I wasn’t nuts about (haha) was the almond crust.  There are a few reasons for this – 1. I still don’t really like nuts, 2. I believe there is a leak in my springform pan (grrrr) and 3. I should have pulsed the almonds more finely but I didn’t want to wake the sleeping child.  Despite these factors, I still think I would prefer this with a classic graham cracker crust and will definitely go that route next time.  However, everyone else who ate this really enjoyed the crust so I think it’s just me, the nut-hater, that is the problem.  This was just the perfect dessert to end our first cookout of the season.

Strawberry Cheesecake
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Ingredients:
For the strawberry puree:
10 oz. frozen organic strawberries, thawed
2 tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice

For the almond crust:
2 cups whole raw almonds
3 tbsp. sugar
¼ tsp. salt
4 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature

For the cheesecake filling:
16 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1½ tsp. vanilla extract
¼ tsp. salt
12 oz. sour cream, at room temperature
2/3 cup strawberry puree

For the ganache:
4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
4½ oz. heavy cream
½ of 1 large egg, beaten

Directions:
To prepare the strawberry puree, set the thawed strawberries in a fine strainer set over a bowl to collect the excess juices.  Press down on the berries to extract as much juice as possible.  You should have about 4-6 oz. of juice.  Transfer the juice to a small sauce pan over medium-high heat and simmer to reduce to about 2 oz.  Mix in the sugar and stir to dissolve.  Blend in the lemon juice and the reserved solids.  Transfer the mixture to a blender or food processor and puree until smooth.  *(To use fresh strawberries, hull and slice the berries.  Toss the berries with the 2 tablespoons of sugar and set in the strainer placed over a bowl.  Let sit for 1-2 hours to extract the juices.  Press down on the berries to extract as much juice as possible.  Transfer the juice to a small sauce pan over medium-high heat and simmer to reduce to about 2 oz. Blend in the lemon juice and the reserved solids.  Transfer the mixture to a blender or food processor and puree until smooth.)

To prepare the almond crust, preheat the oven to 400˚F.  Place the almonds, sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor.  Pulse until the nuts are finely ground.  Add in the butter and pulse until the mixture is evenly combined.  Transfer the mixture to a 9-inch springform pan and press into a uniform layer over the bottom and 2 inches up the sides of the pan.  Bake for 15 minutes, or until deep golden brown.  Set aside to cool.

Reduce the oven temperature to 350˚ F.  To make the cheesecake filling, combine the cream cheese and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.  Beat on medium-high speed for 3 minutes, until smooth.  Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.  Blend in the vanilla and salt.  Mix in the sour cream until well incorporated.  Blend in the strawberry puree.

Wrap the outside of the springform pan tightly in a double layer of aluminum foil.  Pour the batter into the crust.  Place the springform in a larger pan with a water bath.  Bake for 55 minutes.

Remove the cheesecake from the oven but maintain the oven temperature.  To make the ganache, place the chocolate in a small bowl.  Bring the cream to a boil in a small saucepan.  Pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate and let stand 1-2 minutes.  Whisk until smooth.  Whisk in the egg.  Spread the ganache mixture over the still hot cheesecake, being careful not to pour it all in one place (the cheesecake is still delicate).  Smooth the top with an offset spatula if necessary.  Bake 12-15 minutes, until the ganache is set around the edges.

Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire cooling rack.  Cover with a large bowl inverted over the top to help cool slowly.  When it comes to room temperature, transfer to the refrigerator.  Chill at least 8 hours before unmolding from the springform (and be sure the ganache is completely set before covering with plastic wrap).   Transfer to a serving platter.  Slice with a thin knife run under hot water and wiped dry between slices.  Serve.

Source: adapted from Tartlette, originally from Jael and Dan Rattigan

Happy Earth Day, everyone!  It’s that time of year when everything is in bloom, new life is all around and outdoors is the place to be.  I couldn’t let this day pass without doing something to honor it.  I would love for everyone to take a few minutes and think about what steps you take in your daily life to help care for our planet.  I know “going green” seems all the rage lately and that’s great.  I have always been fairly environmentally conscious but no matter what your previous efforts or lack thereof may be, I think this is the perfect time to reflect and consider what you are already doing and what else you could do to help protect and conserve.

Think of it as sort of a environmentally-minded New Year’s resolution in April!  You certainly don’t have to go to great lengths to make changes, and little changes go a long way, especially when everyone makes them.  Could you drive less?  Reuse and recycle more?  Take advantage of reuseable coffee mugs, grocery bags, water bottles?  Drive a more fuel-efficient vehicle?  Buy less prepackaged food items?  Printing less recipes?!  (I know, people love that printer-friendly version but I always cook straight from the computer to avoid wasting paper.)  There are tons and tons of ways that you can help make a difference.  My own personal goal is to drastically reduce or eliminate the use of paper towels in our home.

So, on to the giveaway!  I am giving away two sets of these RuMe reusable bags.  Why?  Because I have them and I absolutely LOVE them.  I’ve had a few sets of RuMe bags for over a year now and they are literally as nice and new as the day we bought them.  They fold up small (as you can see below) and can hold up to 50 lbs. each.  They are also comfortable to carry, with nice long shoulder straps.  And it feels great to leave the grocery store without a ridiculous number of flimsy plastic bags.

To enter the giveaway, leave a comment on this post telling me a change you have already made or a change you plan to help the planet.

The Rules: One entry per person, will ship to U.S. residents only.  Commenting will close on Sunday, April 25 at 10:00 am, EST.  Two winners will be chosen at random and announced next week.  Good luck!  (By the way, even if you don’t win, I highly recommend purchasing a set of these bags for yourself.  They have lots of great colors and patterns.  I am in no way affiliated with RuMe – I just really love my shopping bags :) )

And quickly for those interested in the cupcakes, I made a blue velvet cupcake (basically just red velvet, but with blue coloring) and frosted them with cream cheese frosting.  To make the Earth toppers, I used the same technique as I did for the butterfly cupcakes with candy melts.  I think equally cute toppers could be made easily with royal icing or fondant as well, but I had leftover candy melts and I loved the finished look of these.

I make a lot of hummus.  It is a great way to use up left over pita bread, and my family always devours it when I serve it with broccoli florets.  I almost always make the basic restaurant-style hummus both because I love it and because it takes just a few minutes with ingredients I nearly always have on hand.  However, I’ve been meaning to try this variation with roasted garlic forever.  The problem is, it requires a bit of foresight – at least enough for you to roast the garlic.  Finally I buckled down and decided it was time to try this stuff already!  Just as expected, it tasted great.  The garlic flavor was very subtle – basically, this tasted like the regular hummus but with a more complex flavor.  I realized afterward that I pureed the toasted garlic slices in with the hummus instead of using them as a garnish as I was supposed to.  I’ll chalk that up to making pita and hummus at 10:30 pm on a work night, and I’m sure it would taste great whatever way you choose to garnish it.

Roasted Garlic Hummus
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Ingredients:
2 heads garlic, intact
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
3 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
¼ cup water
6 tbsp. tahini
1 (14 oz.) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 clove garlic, minced
½ tsp. salt
Pinch of cayenne pepper
1 tbsp. fresh parsley, minced

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350˚ F.  Remove the papery outer skins of the garlic heads, leaving them otherwise intact.  Chop off the top quarter of the head so that all of the cloves are exposed.  Wrap the garlic in foil and bake until very tender, about 1 hour.  Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a small skillet over medium-low heat.  Add the sliced garlic cloves and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 15 minutes.  Use a slotted spoon to transfer the garlic to a paper towel-lined plate, reserving the cooking oil.  Set aside.  Once the roasted garlic is cool enough to handle, squeeze the cloves from their skins (you should have about ¼ cup).

In a small prep bowl, combine the lemon juice and water.  In another bowl, whisk together the reserved garlic cooking oil and the tahini.  In the bowl of a food processor, process the chickpeas, the roasted garlic puree, the remaining clove of garlic, salt and cayenne until the mixture is finely ground, about 20 seconds.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl.  With the machine running, add the lemon juice-water mixture through the feed tube in a steady stream.  Scrape down the bowl and process for an additional minute.  With the machine running, add the oil-tahini mixture through the feed tube in a steady stream.  Scrape down the bowl and continue to process until the hummus is smooth and creamy.  Transfer to a serving bowl, drizzle with olive oil, top with toasted garlic slices and minced fresh parsley, if desired.

Source: adapted from Cook’s Illustrated, May/June 2008

There are so many things that once I make them at home, I can never go back to store-bought: pizza dough (more on that soon), salsa, ice cream, and definitely pita bread.  Homemade pita is so soft and flavorful it makes its store-bought counterpart seem like a circle of cardboard.  Since my favorite dinner is chicken gyros, the pita are an integral part of the meal.  Most recently I decided to try this version of wheat pita bread for comparison to my old favorite, as an attempt to get a few more whole grains into my diet.  Guess what?  These pita are every bit as good as the old version but they are a bit healthier, they have a fabulous puffy texture, and the dough was even easier to work with.  Win-win-win!  (The Office, anyone?)  It seems these will become my new go-to pita because really, why not?

Whole Wheat Pita Bread
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Ingredients:
2¼ tsp. instant yeast
1 tbsp. honey
1¼ cups warm water (105˚-115˚ F), divided
1½ cups bread flour, divided
1½ cups whole wheat flour, divided
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp. salt
Cornmeal, for sprinkling

Directions:
In the bowl of a stand mixer*, combine the yeast, honey and ½ cup of the water.  Stir gently to blend.  Whisk ¼ cup of the bread flour and ¼ cup of the whole wheat flour into the yeast mixture until smooth.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside until doubled in bulk and bubbly, about 45 minutes.

Remove the plastic wrap and return the bowl to the mixer stand, fitted with the dough hook.  Add in the remaining ¾ cup of warm water, 1¼ cups bread flour, 1¼ cups whole wheat flour, olive oil and salt.  Knead on low speed until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes.  Transfer the ball of dough to a lightly oiled bowl, turning once to coat, and let rise in a warm draft-free place, about 1 hour, until doubled in bulk.

Place an oven rack in the middle position.  Place a baking stone in the oven (if using) and preheat to 500˚ F.

Once the dough has risen, transfer to a lightly floured work surface, punch down the dough and divide into 8 equal pieces.  Form each piece into a ball.  Flatten one ball at a time into a disk, then stretch out into a 6½-7 inch circle.  Transfer the rounds to a baking sheet or other work surface lightly sprinkled with cornmeal.  Once all the rounds have been shaped, loosely cover with clean kitchen towels.  Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes, until slightly puffy.

Transfer 4 pitas, 1 at a time, onto the baking surface.  (Note: These can be baked on a baking stone or directly on the oven racks.  I use a pizza stone, but either method is fine.) Bake 2 minutes, until puffed and pale golden.  Gently flip the pitas over using tongs and bake 1 minute more.  Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool completely.  Repeat with the remaining pitas.  Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

*As always, anything mixed in a stand mixer can be mixed by hand.

Source: adapted from Confections of a Foodie Bride, originally from Gourmet, May 2003

In the last year or so I have really taken a liking to sushi.  I hadn’t tried it much before that, but the more I try it, the more I like it, love it, can’t get enough of it.  Each time I try different types of rolls, but the one I can’t live without is shrimp tempura roll.  I am dying to try making it at home but first things first, I had to figure out how to make the shrimp tempura itself.  This recipe is from an issue of Cook’s Illustrated from last summer and now I am totally regretting not trying it sooner.

We were both crazy in love with this dinner.  The batter coating the shrimp is light, crisp and delicious.  According to the people at Cook’s Illustrated, the vodka is critical to the texture of the coating so it should not be omitted or replaced with a substitute.  On the whole this was actually a pretty quick dish to throw together and I would say the most time consuming part is waiting for the oil to come to temperature.  I served this with slices of grilled pineapple and stir-fried bok choy.  A ginger-soy dipping sauce recipe is included with the shrimp, but I must say that I personally wasn’t a big fan of it.  It didn’t even taste bad per se, it was just really overpowering to the flavor of the shrimp.  This was a fantastic meal all around, and one we will surely be enjoying again and again!

Shrimp Tempura
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Ingredients:
1½ qts. vegetable oil, for frying
1-1½ lbs. jumbo/colossal shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails left on
1½ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup cornstarch
1 large egg
1 cup vodka
1 cup seltzer water
Kosher salt

For the dipping sauce (optional):
¼ cup soy sauce
3 tbsp. mirin
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. sesame oil
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
2 tsp. grated fresh ginger
1 green onion, finely chopped

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 200˚ F.  Place a wire rack over a rimmed baking sheet and set aside.  This will be used to keep the first batches of shrimp warm while the remaining shrimp are being fried.

Fit a large Dutch oven with a clip-on thermometer and fill with the vegetable oil.  Heat over high heat until the oil reaches 385˚ F.

While the oil is heating, whisk the flour and cornstarch together in a large bowl.  In another bowl combine the egg, vodka and seltzer water; whisk to blend.  Wait until the oil comes to temperature before proceeding.

Once the oil reaches 385˚ F, pour the egg-vodka mixture into the bowl with the flour mixture and whisk gently just until combined.  Add half of the shrimp to the batter and submerge completely.  Using tongs, remove shrimp from the batter one at a time, allowing excess batter to drip off.  (The temperature of the oil should now be at 400˚ F. )  Carefully place the coated shrimp into the oil.  Fry until the shrimp are light golden brown, 2-3 minutes, stirring to prevent the shrimp sticking together if necessary.  Using a skimmer or slotted spoon, transfer the shrimp to a paper towel-lined plate and sprinkle lightly with salt.  Once the excess oil has been absorbed by the towels, transfer to the wire rack and place in the oven to stay warm.

Return the oil to 400˚ F and then repeat the process with the remaining shrimp.  Serve immediately.

(To make the dipping sauce, whisk together all ingredients in a bowl.)

Source: adapted from Cook’s Illustrated, May/June 2009

Occasionally readers email me requests for recipes they would like to see on the blog.  Sometimes it is for something I’ve never even heard of, but so often it seems that they ask for something I was already planning on making myself.  That’s what happened with these orange muffins.  I had just seen them while flipping through a cookbook and thought they sounded great, and maybe the next day I had an email requesting an orange muffin recipe.  No problem, you got it!  As an aside, I do not take requests such as, “I wish you would post more vegan recipes,” etc.  Hi, I’m not vegan.  Nothing against it and if I happen to make a vegan recipe, great, but this is not a vegan blog.  There are plenty of great ones out there!

Anyway, back to the food.  On the muffin spectrum, these land more on the side of “an excuse to eat cake for breakfast”, but hey, I’m not complaining.  These muffins are just barely sweet with a bright, fresh orange flavor, a gorgeous tender crumb, and a slight tang from the sour cream.  I think sour cream is a magical ingredient in baking, similar to buttermilk.  I makes things fluffy and fabulous like these amazing scones, some truly awesome chocolate cake (soon to come), and now these muffins.  A lovely way to start out the day.

Orange Muffins
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Yield: about 2 dozen muffins

Ingredients:
For the muffins:
1 cup milk
½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
½ cup sour cream
2 large eggs
2 sticks (16 tbsp.) unsalted butter, melted
3½ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1½ tbsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
Zest of 1 orange (organic if possible)

For the glaze:
¼ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1½ cups confectioners’ sugar
1-2 tsp. orange zest (organic if possible)

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350˚ F.  Line 16 wells of a muffin pan (or pans) with paper liners.  In a medium mixing bowl, combine the milk, orange juice, sour cream, eggs and melted butter.  Whisk together to blend.  In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.  Stir to blend.  Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix just until incorporated.  Fold in the orange zest with a spatula.

Divide the batter evenly between the prepared muffin cups.  Bake about 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Let cool in the pan 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack placed over a baking sheet.

To make the glaze, combine the orange juice, confectioners’ sugar, and orange zest in a small bowl.  Whisk together until smooth, adding more juice if necessary to achieve your preferred consistency.  Drizzle the glaze over the muffins while they are still warm.  Allow the glaze to set before serving.  Store in an airtight container.

Source: The Pastry Queen by Rebecca Rather

I’m really amazed at how my tastes change with the seasons.  It’s certainly not intentional, but when the weather warms up I’m immediately in the mood for light, spring-inspired fare.  (Likewise, once fall rolls around, I’m all about chili and everything pumpkin, pumpkin, pumpkin!)  I have started to really enjoy lemon in desserts and baked goods, but I have yet to make many main dishes with lemon as the primary flavor.  The marinade and sauce provide just the right amount of lemon flavor without being overpowering or sour.  My main change was to dial down the amounts of fresh herbs because I thought they seemed a bit too much and I wanted the lemon to shine through.  I served this with baked garlic rice pilaf and roasted broccoli, and we thought the rice was the perfect compliment with its own little hint of lemon flavor.

Lemon Chicken
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Ingredients:
2 tbsp. lemon zest
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tsp. fresh thyme leaves
1 tsp. fresh rosemary leaves, finely minced
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
2-4 lbs. of bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs or drumsticks
2-3 tbsp. melted butter
Thinly sliced lemons, for garnished

Directions:
Combine the lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper in a large zipper-lock plastic bag.  Seal the bag and shake well to blend.  Place the chicken pieces in the bag with the marinade, pressing out excess air and sealing once more.  Refrigerate and let marinate for 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 425˚ F.  Remove the chicken pieces from the marinade and transfer to a baking dish, skin-side up, reserving the leftover marinade.  Brush the top of each piece of chicken with melted butter.

Bake for 50-55 minutes, until the skins are crispy and well-browned.  Halfway through baking, pour the remaining marinade over the chicken pieces in the baking dish.  Once fully baked, cover loosely with foil and let rest 10 minutes before serving.  Transfer to a serving platter, garnish with lemon slices and serve.

Source: adapted from Simply Recipes

I’m always on the look out for a tasty new appetizer.  Crostini in general are one of my very favorite options.  They are simple, delicious, and can be made with lots of different toppings or spreads.  If you are a fan of mushrooms, you will love these.  The spread is essentially a mixture of mushrooms, garlic and herbs.  I used a combination of baby bella and button mushrooms, but you can use whatever types you prefer.  I didn’t try it this time around but I think these would be fantastic spread with a thin layer of goat cheese or some other soft, spreadable cheese beneath the mushroom spread.

Mushroom Crostini
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Ingredients:
For the crostini:
24 thin slices baguette or other crusty bread
Olive oil
1-2 cloves garlic, halved

For the mushroom spread:
3-4 tbsp. olive oil, divided
1 lb. mushrooms, any combination, roughly chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp. fresh parsley, minced
2 tsp. fresh thyme leaves
½ tsp. fresh rosemary, minced
1 tsp. coarse salt
Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350˚ F.  To make the crostini, place baguette slices in a single layer on a baking sheet.  Lightly brush each slice of bread with olive oil.  Bake 15-20 minutes, until golden and crisp.  Once the bread slices have cooled enough to handle, rub each crostini with the cut side of a garlic clove.  Set aside.

To make the mushroom spread, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the chopped mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned and almost all of the liquid has evaporated, about 10 minutes.  Mix in the garlic, parsley, thyme, rosemary and salt, cooking 1-2 more minutes, until fragrant.

Transfer the mixture to a food processor with the feed tube open to vent steam.  Process until finely ground.  With the processor running, add the remaining 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil, until the mixture is smooth and spreadable.  Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.

Spread each piece of bread with a thin layer of the mushroom mixture, transfer to a platter and serve.

Source: adapted from Williams Sonoma

I’m normally super organized about making the weekly menu, writing out the shopping list, and then doing a quick inventory check before we go shopping to make sure I don’t buy items we already have.  Apparently though, my eyes are blind to oatmeal when I do my inventory check.  We end up buying it only to come home and find we already have three (or more!) containers in the pantry.  So, I put myself on an oatmeal-buying ban and am making an effort to use up all these dang oats.  That was the main inspiration behind trying these cookies, but wow, am I glad I tried them!

The cookies are perfectly chewy peanut butter cookies with a lovely golden brown color, and the filling is a simple peanut butter frosting.  The oatmeal primarily provides the chewy texture of the cookie but the actual oatmeal flavor isn’t really noticeable.  As with a lot of sandwich cookies, I think the filling helps keep the cookies soft and tender.  Apparently these are similar to the Girl Scout DoSiDo cookie or to Nutter Butters, but due to my childhood dislike for peanut butter, I never ate enough of either to know whether this is an accurate comparison.  Either way, we love these cookies.  Andrew enjoyed one during his Easter egg hunt and I think he cared more about the cookie than the eggs :)

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Sandwich Cookies
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Yield: about 18 sandwich cookies
Ingredients:
For the cookies:
¾ cup all-purpose flour
½ tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
8 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ cup creamy peanut butter
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup light brown sugar, packed
1 large egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup quick-cooking oats

For the filling:
3 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
3 tbsp. heavy cream

Directions:
To make the cookies, preheat the oven to 350˚ F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.  In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.  Stir together with a fork to blend.  In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter, peanut butter and sugars on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.  Blend in the egg and vanilla extract.  Add the dry ingredients and mix on low speed just until incorporated.  Stir in the oats until evenly blended.

Use a small cookie dough scoop to portion out the dough (about 2 teaspoons), rolling each portion into a ball, and place them on the prepared cookie sheet, a couple inches apart.  Bake about 10 minutes, rotating the sheet halfway through baking.  The cookies will be light golden brown and slightly puffed.  Let cool on the baking sheet 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cook completely.  Repeat with the remaining dough.

Once the cookies have cooled completely, pair them up by size.  To make the filling, combine the butter, peanut butter, confectioners’ sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer.  Cream together until well combined.  Mix in the heavy cream until smooth and fluffy.  Use a pastry bag fitted with a plain round tip to pipe a swirl of filling onto the flat side of one cookie of each pair.  Sandwich together with the remaining cookie and press down so that the filling reaches the edges.  (Note: This filling recipe makes *just* exactly enough to fill the cookies.  If you like a large amount of filling or just want to be sure you have enough,  you might consider increasing the amount of filling by 50%.)

Source: adapted from Savory Sweet Life, originally from Allrecipes

A great source of recipe inspiration is restaurant menus.  The better I get at cooking, the less we eat out when we could make the same thing for less money at home.  Last fall I went to a local restaurant for several work-related lunches, and after trying their eggplant parmesan panini, I could never bring myself to order anything else.  I am always a sucker for grilled sandwiches, and in fact this is the sandwich that is responsible for me liking eggplant in the first place.

To make these at home, I made my regular eggplant parmesan recipe one evening and prepared extra slices of the breaded and baked eggplant to use for the sandwiches a couple nights later.  At least for me, breading and baking the eggplant and then making it into a sandwich just seemed like too much work for one weeknight dinner but the leftover method worked just fine.  Of course you can make these in a regular skillet, but I just love the great flavor and pretty grill marks that come from my cast iron grill pan and panini press.  These were definitely a hit with our family, and Andrew ate so much that I ended up having to make extra sandwiches just so I could have dinner myself!

Eggplant Parmesan Paninis
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Yield: 2 sandwiches
Ingredients:
4 slices artisan bread, such as sourdough or Italian
Olive oil
Sliced mozzarella cheese
Breaded and baked eggplant slices
Prepared marinara sauce
Fresh basil, roughly chopped

Directions:
Heat a well-oiled grill pan/panini press over medium-high heat.  Lay out bread slices on a work surface.  Brush one side of each piece of bread lightly with olive oil.  Flip over so non-0iled side is facing up.  On two of the bread slices, layer mozzarella cheese and baked eggplant slices.  Spoon a thin layer of marinara sauce over the eggplant slices and sprinkle generously with chopped basil.  Top with the remaining bread slices, so that the oiled side is facing outward.

Cook the sandwiches on the preheated grill pan until warmed through, so that the bread is nicely browned and cheese is melted.  Serve immediately.

Source: Annie’s Eats, inspired by R Bistro

I’ve always been an ice cream lover – there is no doubt of that fact.  But chocolate ice cream never really did it for me.  Weird, considering I would probably marry chocolate if I could.  Maybe if it was a crazy decadent ice cream, like chocolate raspberry truffle or something it would pique my interest, but not just straight up chocolate ice cream.  I suppose it is understandable then why it has taken me all this time to feel like making a classic chocolate ice cream.  I know I sound like a broken record but, as usual, David Lebovitz has done it again.  Now I know what chocolate ice cream is supposed to be like.  No over-processed, unpronounceable ingredients or a faint taste of the cardboard container store-bought ice cream comes in.  Just smooth, creamy chocolate bliss.  To think I almost made a half batch – hah!  That would have been a tragedy.

It’s important to use Dutch-process cocoa powder for this recipe.  It really contributes to the richness and depth of the chocolate flavor.  If you are interested, David has written an extremely informative post about the differences between natural and Dutch-process cocoa powder on his blog, when it’s okay to substitute and how to do so, etc.  Dutch-process cocoa is not typically found in regular grocery stores (at least in my area).  I buy mine at Penzeys Spices here in town, but of course you can also order online.

Chocolate Ice Cream
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Ingredients:
2 cups heavy cream, divided
3 tbsp. Dutch-process cocoa powder
5 oz. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 cup whole milk
¾ cup sugar
Pinch of salt
5 large egg yolks
½ tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:
In a medium saucepan, combine 1 cup of the cream with the cocoa powder.  Warm over medium-high heat, whisking to dissolve the cocoa.   Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and let simmer for 30 seconds, whisking constantly.  Remove the pan from the heat, mix in the chocolate and whisk until melted and smooth.  Stir in the remaining 1 cup of cream.  Transfer this mixture to a medium-large mixing bowl.  Set a fine mesh sieve over the top.

In the same saucepan, combine the milk, sugar and salt and warm the mixture over medium-high heat.  In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the egg yolks.  When the milk mixture is warm, gradually whisk into the egg yolks, beating constantly.  Return the egg-milk mixture to the saucepan and continue heating over medium-high heat, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom of the pan with a spatula, until the mixture is slightly thickened and reads 170-175° F on an instant-read thermometer.  Remove from the heat, pour through the mesh sieve into the chocolate-cream mixture and stir to blend.  Stir in the vanilla extract.

Cover with plastic wrap and chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator.  (Alternatively to speed chilling, stir the mixture frequently over an ice bath.)  Once the mixture is well chilled, freeze in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.  Store in an airtight container and freeze until ready to serve.

Source: adapted from The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz

Remember a couple weeks ago when I made these super yummy banana berry muffins which also happen to be really healthy?  Well, these are sort of the opposite of that (except the delicious part, of course).  I like to bring in breakfast treats for my coworkers when we have to work weekends.  I think it makes being at work on Saturday just a bit more tolerable.  I always have fun deciding what to make, and it was a no-brainer that a bacon cheddar scone was going to be a huge hit.  I left one at home for Ben when he woke up and sure enough, after being at work for a few hours, I received a text from Ben stating, “Best scones ever!”  Of course the bacon cheddar combo is always a good one, and the addition of scallions and lots of black pepper rounds out the flavor nicely.  The scone itself is both tender and fluffy, but still incredibly hearty.  And if there is one positive thing about such a calorie-laden scone, it’s that it certainly kept me full until dinnertime.  I did feel the full 2 teaspoons of black pepper seemed a little much for my taste.  If you love black pepper then by all means, go for it!

Bacon Cheddar Scones
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Ingredients:
For the scones:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1-2 tsp. ground black pepper (depending on your preference)
8 tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
1½ cups grated cheddar cheese
4 green onions, thinly slices
10 slices bacon, cooked and chopped or crumbled into small pieces
1 cup buttermilk (plus up to ½ cup extra, if needed)

For the egg wash:
1 large egg
2 tbsp. water

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400˚ F.  In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour, baking powder, salt and black pepper; mix briefly to combine.  Add the cubes of butter and mix on low speed until the mixture is crumbly and the butter pieces are about the size of small peas.  (Alternatively, this can be done in a regular mixing bowl, using a pastry blender or two knives to cut the butter into the dry ingredients.)  Add in the grated cheese and mix just until incorporated.

Mix in the green onions, bacon, and 1 cup of the buttermilk into the flour-butter mixture.  Stir by hand just until all the ingredients are incorporated.  If the dough is too dry to come together, mix in the remaining buttermilk a tablespoon or two at a time until the dough can be formed into a ball.  Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and pat the dough into an 8-inch disk.  Slice the dough into 8 to 10 wedges.

In a small bowl combine the egg and water and whisk together.  Brush each wedge lightly with the egg wash.  Transfer the scones to an ungreased baking sheet.  Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Source: adapted from The Pastry Queen by Rebecca Rather

The first time I saw this recipe, I pretty much just breezed right over it.  After all, mashed potatoes are something I’ve never used a recipe for.  I make them as I go along, not measuring anything, and seasoning to taste.  They are always wonderful – why bother with a recipe?  I don’t remember what caused me to give these a second look but clearly I wasn’t paying enough attention the first time.  These aren’t just mashed potatoes.  These are ooey gooey cheesy mashed potatoes, with Gruyere for crying out loud.  In any case, I decided these would be the perfect side dish for the garlic rosemary roast chicken, and I was right.

This recipe was surprisingly easy to make with the help of the food processor.  Plus, I get such a kick out of shredding cheese and things with the food processor – it never fails to amuse me!  I normally don’t have much patience for involved side dishes but this one was pretty low maintenance, and the end result was completely worth any extra effort this required compared to my regular mashed potatoes.  I mean, mashed potatoes that can do that kind of stretching are a very good thing in my book.

Aligot (French Mashed Potatoes)
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Ingredients:
2 lbs. Yukon gold potatoes (about 4-6)
1 tsp. salt
3 tbsp. unsalted butter
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1-1½ cups whole milk
4 oz. mozzarella cheese, shredded
4 oz. Gruyere cheese, shredded
Ground black pepper

Directions:
Peel, rinse, and chop the potatoes into ½-1 inch chunks.  Place the potatoes in a large saucepan or pot, and cover with water, salting lightly.  Bring to a boil over high heat.  Reduce the heat to a simmer over medium-low and cook until the potatoes are tender and easily break apart when poked with a fork, about 15-20 minutes.  Drain the potatoes and transfer to the bowl of a food processor.  Wipe out the pan for later use.

Add the butter, garlic, and salt to the potatoes in the food processor.  Pulse until the butter is melted and incorporated into the potatoes, about 10 brief pulses.  Add 1 cup of the milk through the feed tube and continue to process until the mixture is smooth and creamy, about 20 seconds, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Return the potato mixture to the now empty saucepan and set over medium heat.  Mix in the cheeses until completely melted and incorporated, stirring frequently.  The mixture will be thick and elastic.  If the mixture is too thick or difficult to stir, add the remaining ½ cup of milk a little bit at a time until the texture is loose and creamy.  Adjust seasonings as necessary with salt and pepper.  Serve immediately.

Source: adapted from The Way the Cookie Crumbles, originally from Cook’s Illustrated

Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are about as simple as it gets, right?  Not something someone can really mess up?  Well, I thought so too, but I have come to realize that it is trickier than you might think.  You see, I have discovered that I like my PB&J just so – the ratio of filling to bread has to be just right (definitely more filling than bread), and the proportion of jelly to peanut butter is even more crucial (always err on the side of more jelly).  I realized this one day when Ben so generously offered to make me a quick sandwich for lunch when I was rushing out the door for work.  I felt a little bit crazy later while I was eating my lunch and kept thinking he had made it all wrong – is that even possible?  As it turns out, I am not the only one that feels this way.  My coworker completely agreed and we had several good laughs about it.  Apparently there is a right and wrong way to make PB&J – at least to us!

As a joke, I brought in these cookies for her the following week.  Definitely an appropriate treat, though their awesomeness is anything but a joke.  The classic flavor combo is fantastically paired here in a cookie that is not overly sweet, and easy to eat in its cute little wedge shape.  My only change to the recipe?  To double the jelly, of course!  Just as it should be.  And a little side note – even though Andrew is not quite to the age of being able to bake with me, I think these would be a perfect treat for making with kids.  With minimal ingredients you are likely to have on hand and requiring just a few minutes to mix together and assemble, the simplicity is perfect for your little helpers.  Be sure to have a glass of milk ready!

Peanut Butter and Jelly Shortbread
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Ingredients:
8 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
¼ cup creamy peanut butter
½ cup sugar
Pinch of coarse salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1¼ cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup jam (strawberry, grape, or whatever flavor you prefer)

Directions:
Lightly spray a 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray, or grease lightly with butter.  (A 9-inch round cake pan would work too.) Beat together the butter and peanut butter with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until smooth, 1-2 minutes.  Mix in the sugar and salt and beat until fluffy, about 2 minutes.  Blend in the vanilla.  Beat in the flour on low speed just until incorporated.  Reserve 1/3 cup of the dough, flatten into a disk and wrap tightly in plastic wrap.  Freeze until very firm, about 1 hour.

Meanwhile, press the remaining dough into the prepared pan, leaving ½-inch border to create a lip around the edge.  Spread the jam in an even layer over the dough, reaching to the raised edges.  Refrigerate until the dough disk is firm.

Preheat the oven to 350˚ F.  Break the frozen dough disk into small crumbles and sprinkle evenly over the layer of jam.  Bake until the edges of the dough are golden brown, about 50 minutes.  Transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool completely before cutting.  Slice into wedges and serve.

Source: adapted from Culinary Concoctions by Peabody, originally from Bon Appetit

Ever since discovering my love of Greek food last year, I have been all about feta cheese.  I like it on salads, I love it with shrimp – I just think it’s great.  When I ran across this version of mac and cheese that featured feta, I was instantly a fan.  The combination of the shrimp, lemon zest, and fresh herbs made for a unique spin on mac and cheese that sounded just perfect.  This was just as good as I was expecting, and I think the flavors make it ideal for spring.

I made  a few small changes to suit my own preferences, including reducing the amount of milk to produce a cheesier sauce and chopping up the shrimp so there was some in almost every bite.  I also decreased the amount of lemon zest because zesting two whole lemons just seemed like overkill, and I thought the lemon was still quite prominent even with my change (but in a good way, not a pucker-your-lips way).  Delish!

Shrimp, Feta and Fresh Herb Mac and Cheese
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Ingredients:
1 lb. pasta shapes
1 lb. raw shrimp (31-40 ct.), peeled and deveined, cut in half (if desired)
10 oz. feta cheese, crumbled and divided
Zest of 1 lemon, divided
½ cup Panko breadcrumbs
2 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped, divided
5 tbsp. butter, divided
4 tbsp. all-purpose flour
3 cups milk
2 tbsp. fresh dill, chopped
8 oz. Gruyere cheese, shredded (about 2 cups)
½ tsp. kosher salt
½ tsp. ground black pepper

Directions:
Bring a large pot of salted water to boil.  Cook the pasta until al dente according to the package directions.  Drain well; set aside.  Add the raw shrimp to the warm pasta and toss together.  The heat from the pasta will partially cook the shrimp.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400˚ F.  In a small bowl, combine a handful of the feta, a pinch of the lemon zest, the panko, 2 teaspoons of the parsley and 1 tablespoon of the butter, melted.  Toss with a fork to combine; set aside.

In a medium saucepan, melt the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter over medium-high heat.  Once the butter is melted, whisk in the flour  to form a paste.  Cook 1-2 minutes, whisking constantly, until light golden brown.  Whisk in the milk.  Continue to heat the mixture, stirring frequently, until it bubbles and thickens, about 5 minutes.  As soon as the sauce has thickened, remove from the heat and stir in the remaining feta, Gruyere, remaining parsley, remaining lemon zest, dill, salt and pepper.  Pour the mixture over the pasta and shrimp; toss well to coat.

Transfer the mixture to a lightly greased 2½ or 3-quart baking dish.  Sprinkle the breadcrumb-feta mixture evenly over the top.  Bake for 20-25 minutes, until lightly browned and bubbling.  Remove from the oven and let cool 5-10 minutes before serving.

Source: adapted from The Perfect Pantry via the 30 Days, 30 Ways Mac and Cheese Blog

Believe it or not, I thought I could get through the Easter holiday without decorating some sugar cookies for the occasion.  First I saw Katie’s adorable bunny cookies and they weakened my resolve.  Then I was looking through the pantry and glanced at a set of pastel sanding sugars.  I bought them a month or two ago specifically for decorating Easter cookies.  That settled it, I was making Easter cookies.  I always have a blast decorating with royal icing, and this time was no exception.  I did love it even more than usual though, because I think the sanding sugars took the cookies to a whole new level – taste, texture and appearance-wise.  To achieve the sparkly sugar look, I just sprinkled the sugar on to the still-wet icing from flooding and it worked perfectly.  Just be sure to shake off any excess before adding additional detailing, so the extra piping has a sturdy attachment point.  The bunnies (or “munnies” as Andrew calls them) are just too cute!  If you could use a royal icing tutorial, check mine out here.

I also had to share these because I have been playing with flavor variations on my favorite sugar cookie lately, and I have totally fallen in love with this version.  I actually happened upon this by accident, when I was completing a cookie order and ran out of almond extract.  I didn’t have time or energy to run to the store, so I went with what I had on hand – vanilla extract, vanilla bean, and lemon zest.  Don’t get me wrong, I still love the almond version, but this is a wonderful new spin on my old favorite cookie.  The tiny black flecks of vanilla bean are so pretty, and the lemon zest adds a lovely bright flavor.  As if I needed another reason to make sugar cookies….

For one last fun Easter dessert idea, these baby bird cupcakes are adorable and delicious!

Lemon and Vanilla Bean White Sugar Cookies
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Ingredients:
2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 large egg
2½ tsp. vanilla extract
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
Zest of half a lemon (or the zest of a whole lemon, if you love lemon)
2½ cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt

Directions:
In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and confectioners’ sugar on medium-high speed until smooth, 1-2 minutes.  Beat in the egg, vanilla extract, seeds scraped from the vanilla bean, and lemon zest until blended.  Mix in the flour and salt on low speed just until incorporated.  Form the dough into a ball and wrap tightly with plastic wrap.  Refrigerate until chilled and firm, at least 1-2 hours.

When you are ready to bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 375˚ F.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper.  Roll the dough out on a well floured work surface to about ¼-inch thickness.  Cut with cookie cutters as desired and transfer to the prepared baking sheets.  Bake 8-10 minutes, rotating the sheets halfway through baking, until fully cooked but not at all browned.  Allow to cool on the baking sheet 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.  Decorate as desired.

Every once in a while, a dessert comes along that I consider to be life-changing.  This may seem melodramatic but for a sweet tooth such as myself, dessert is very serious business.  There was the chocolate peanut butter torte, the New York cheesecake, the chocolate overdose cake, and now there are these cupcakes.  Just how good are these?  They start with a brown sugar-chocolate chip cupcake base, filled with eggless cookie dough, topped with cookie dough buttercream and decorated with a teeny tiny version of my favorite chocolate chip cookie.  So basically, heaven.  More proof of their deliciousness is that I made them twice in the same week.  Yes, you heard me right – it’s rare I make the same thing twice in one month and in a week, it is nearly unheard of.  It was no surprise at all that these were more than a hit with the coworkers.  I know I don’t even need to convince you all of how great these are.  Just taste them and see for yourself!