Banana Cake Recipe with Butterscotch and Cream Cheese Frosting We entered the convention center’s ballroom to find two women sitting on the stage. One in her 30′s-40′s, chef jacket attired with a professional’s serene gaze. The other – a bubbly, plump Southern Grandma with short cropped hair, her enthusiasm barely contained. That woman was Shirley O. Corriher and over the next 45 minutes she would become one of my heroes. It was the 2011 IACP conference in Austin, TX and Diane and I had just given a talk on food photography. At first glance she appeared to be just a cute grandma with a lot of enthusiasm, but the more I listened it became evident to me that Shirley was brilliant. Her knowledge was deep, but then she would also come up with new twists on techniques that were absolutely remarkable. Needless to say, I’ve since bought her book, Bakewise. Bakewise is filled with the scientific wisdom of a baking education, but sugared and spiced with Shirley’s uninhibited enthusiasm. Fast forward to last week. -Todd Yield: 1 - 8" Layer Cake Ingredients:
Mocha Scones Recipe I love making scones almost as much as I love eating scones. Up until I discovered my version of scone bliss at Panera a few years back, I always tuned my nose up to them thinking they were a slightly glorified biscuit. As much as I love me a good biscuit – scones are different and scones are delicious. My latest shipment from Green Mountain Coffee included a variety of K-Cup® portion packs from the The Donut House® Collection. My initial thought was to make cupcakes – go figure, right? The scones turned out beautifully – they were tender, moist and perfectly sweet. Whether you’re looking for a midday pick-me-up or a delicious accompaniment to your morning coffee, these scones are sure put a little pep in your step. NEW CODEUse the code AM0004-3568. If you enjoyed this recipe, you may like... Tagged as: Breakfast, Brunch.
Ganache Recipe Ganache is a French term referring to a smooth and velvety mixture of chocolate and cream. Its origin is a little unclear, but it is believed to have been invented around 1850. Some say it originated in Switzerland where it was used as a base for truffles. To make Ganache, hot cream (cream with a 35-40% butterfat content) is poured over chopped semi sweet or bittersweet chocolate, and the mixture is stirred until smooth. Ganache is widely used in the pastry kitchen. The taste and quality of the ganache is primarily dependent on the quality of chocolate you start with. Besides the chocolate, a Ganache contains cream, in this case heavy "whipping" cream, or double cream.
gluten-free chocolate bundt cake, adapted from Joy the Baker How can you not love someone whose name is Joy the Baker? That’s what she is Joy. Yes, her name is Joy, but I mean more than that. Joy Wilson is sunlight and goofiness, connected conversations, generosity and cookies, and a good amount of butter and sugar. I’ve been relishing her website for years. Joy’s first cookbook, Joy the Baker Cookbook: 100 Simple and Comforting Recipes , came out recently and I’ve been reveling in it as well. We’re mostly moved in now. Dear friends came over for dinner on Friday. After the tamales so comforting and good and the conversation, Tita and John were ready to push away from the table. We sat together, forks working, in silence. Didn’t I tell you? GLUTEN-FREE CHOCOLATE BUNDT CAKE , adapted from Joy the Baker Cookbook: 100 Simple and Comforting Recipes As Joy wrote about this, “Coffee, cocoa, and sour cream are the magic ingredients in the cake. Feel free to use 350 grams of any gluten-free flours that work for you here. Preparing to bake. Enjoy.
Orange Chicken Revisited Here is another recipe I'm revisiting because the original photos are HORRIBLE, and this dish is worthy of being on my blog twice. QUESTION: Whenever you are in the process of making a dish, do you think about what you are going to write about on your blog for the same dish? I do. For instance, I wanted to mention that using cornstarch in place of flour makes the chicken pieces look too white while flour browns the chicken more. So, you should combine the two when coating the chicken. Anyway, I think the fact that I made this dish again tells you how good it is. I accompanied the orange chicken and rice with cold, green teasans the ice. This piece is about to go into my mouth. . .riiiiiight. . .NOW.Orange Chickenfrom Blog Chef Chicken- 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts (cut into 1-1/2” cubes) (I used 1.25 lbs) 1/2 - 1 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 - 1 cup cornstarch1 egg (beaten) ¼ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon pepper Want a piece?
Triple Layer Fudgy Mint Oreo Brownies Triple Layer Fudgy Mint Oreo Brownies Happy Saint Patrick’s Day! A few weeks early, but who’s counting. I couldn’t resist sharing these. Now. These brownies are the best thing to come out of my kitchen thus far in 2012. I know we’re only two months into the year, but I assure you, these take the cake take the brownie. Let’s talk about what’s going on in them. To the brownie batter for the base layer, I added a dozen crumbled Cool Mint Oreo Cookies (Layer 1) I also made a green minty marshmallow mixture, comprised of Marshallow Fluff, peppermint extract, and green food coloring, and I swirled half of it through the brownie batter along with the crumbled Oreos. To say this green mixture is “pretty good” is an understatement: white chocolate chips + buttercream frosting + Marshmallow Fluff + peppermint extract = Dive In and Don’t Come Up For Air. I would like to have this stuff on hand for mental health days because a spoonful of it is guaranteed to put a smile on your face. Heaven-sent. PMS? Save
Pi Day Recipe: Chocolate Stout Pudding Pie Recipe & Review of Gesine Bullock-Prado's Pie It Forward I find that pie is a personal thing. People are either scared of baking it or embrace it. Some have family recipes they treasure, others rely on cookbooks and online recipes. Pie It Forward by Gesine Bullock-Prado is a pretty, educational, and thorough collection of pie recipes and baking tips. Now I bake a lot of pies, and I have to admit that I was struck by how much I learned after just a few minutes flipping through Pie It Forward. Delicious recipes include the Pear and Rhubarb Cardamom Custard Pie, Bruléed Maple Custard Tart, Nutella Tart, and of course the Chocolate Stout Cream Pie that I prepared at home (recipe below). The crust (and the whole pie) is quite wonderful. The filling is unique and may not be for everyone, although if you like dark chocolate, you really must try it. The cool thing about the book and about the author's mission is the idea behind Pie It Forward. • To Learn More: Pie it Forward Day (and Recipe!) Chocolate Stout Pudding Pie Make the dough:1. Assembly1.
Snickers Cheesecake Recipe TGIF, friends. Hope that you all have had a lovely week, and that a relaxing weekend lies ahead. I’m looking forward to some friend’s-birthday-celebrating, farmers-marketing, coffee-(friends)-dating, cake-baking, church-enjoying, and sleeping-inning here in my little corner of the world this weekend. OH, and the thing I’m perhaps most excited about — choir-directing. Did I mention on here that I’m leading an Easter choir at my church?! I’m kind of over the moon about it. Anyway, warm wishes coming your way for a good weekend ahead. Read more Ever since my friends and I met for a tapas happy hour at our neighborhood Spanish restaurant a few weeks ago, I’ve had sangria on my mind. So of course, when I found myself in the fruit section at the market this week trying to decide what kind of sangria to make for our weekly neighbor night, I immediately thought of sangria. …oh good grief, why had I never thought of this before? Sangria with All The Colors. The only reasonable solution, of course. ;)
Rolo Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe Ingredients Directions 1. Make This: Ultimate Chocolate Truffle Pie Recipe | Sarah's Cucina Bella Do you have a sweet tooth? My kids and I do. Seriously. This pie? But seriously, don’t take my word for it. Another fantastic pie? Ultimate Chocolate Truffle Pieserves 8 1 12 oz can fat-free evaporated milk 2 large egg yolks 1 package instant decaf coffee (enough to make an 8 oz cup – I used Starbucks Via) 9 1/2 oz dark chocolate (roughly 70%), broken into pieces 1 tbsp agave nectar 1 pre-made shortbread crust (alternatively, you could use a graham one) homemade whipped cream Add the evaporated milk, egg yolks and instant coffee to a medium saucepan. Add the chocolate to the bowl of a food processor that’s been fitted with the metal blade. Pour the chocolate mixture into the pie shell. Serve with a big dollop of homemade whipped cream. Devour. What I’m Cooking With: A medium-sized Cuisinart pan, a Kenmore full-size food processor, a wire whisk and a rubber spatula One more thing! Category: Dessert, Recipes
stuffed mushrooms with blue cheese & sun-dried tomato pesto TGIF, friends. Hope that you all have had a lovely week, and that a relaxing weekend lies ahead. I’m looking forward to some friend’s-birthday-celebrating, farmers-marketing, coffee-(friends)-dating, cake-baking, church-enjoying, and sleeping-inning here in my little corner of the world this weekend. OH, and the thing I’m perhaps most excited about — choir-directing. Did I mention on here that I’m leading an Easter choir at my church?! I’m kind of over the moon about it. Anyway, warm wishes coming your way for a good weekend ahead. Read more Ever since my friends and I met for a tapas happy hour at our neighborhood Spanish restaurant a few weeks ago, I’ve had sangria on my mind. So of course, when I found myself in the fruit section at the market this week trying to decide what kind of sangria to make for our weekly neighbor night, I immediately thought of sangria. …oh good grief, why had I never thought of this before? Sangria with All The Colors. The only reasonable solution, of course. ;)
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Peanut Butter Cups Soooooo… you know that episode of Sex and the City where Miranda has to dump dish soap on top of chocolate cake just so she will stop eating it?? Uh. Yeeeeeah. These are like… of that caliber. And that totally almost happened to me. I ate what felt like a million, then had a plate of 5-day old green bean fries from the fridge and called it lunch. I definitely recommend those. For lunch. Face? Inhale. Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Peanut Butter Cups [cookie dough adapted from cookie dough dip] makes 24 cups 2 1/2 cups milk chocolate chips 1/2 cup unsalted butter 1/3 cup packed brown sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter 3/4 cup powdered sugar 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips In a small saucepan, heat butter until melted. Line a mini muffin with with liners. Remove muffin tin and cookie dough, then place 1 teaspoon of cookie dough (I somewhat rolled mine) into the chocolate cups. Sigh.
DIY: cupcake in a jar Going to the other side of the spectrum, from a vegetable garden to loaded with all things bad for you, but tastes so good cupcakes. You won't think I am such a genius anymore once I tell you how these are done. It really is easy and makes for such a visually appealing way to dress up cupcakes, not that cupcakes need to be dressed up as the name itself is cute and enticing! I pretty much use Paula Deen's recipe, but with a few of my own tiny tweeks to the ingredients (see*) and then I pretty much follow the directions in Paula Deen'srecipe to make the batter and frosting, though I change it up a bit (time in the oven) when it comes to baking it. Ingredients: - 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour - 1 1/2 cups sugar - 1 tsp baking soda - 1 tsp salt - *2 1/4 tsp cocoa powder - *1 1/2 cup canola oil - 1 cup buttermilk, room temperature - 2 large eggs, room temperature - 2 tbsp red food coloring - 1 tsp white distilled vinegar - *2 tsp vanilla extract for the cream cheese frosting: - 2 sticks butter, softened 1.