Hot Fudge Sauce (Nana's...)

I love this recipe! The funny thing is, I think it's better the next day . . . somehow there's a sugary/chewy quality to it when it's a day old.

Need to feed a crowd? Scoop the ice cream into balls (make sure you wear rubber gloves - this is a cold proposition) and roll them in coconut, toasted coconut or chopped almonds. Freeze on a cookie sheet until ready to serve. Cover in hot fudge and heavy whipping cream flavored with a little vanilla.

No crowd? Pour it over peppermint stick ice cream. Vanilla bean? Delicious either way...

1/4 cup butter
1 1/2 square chocolate
1/4 cup cocoa
3/4 cup granulated sugar
dash salt
1/2 cup cream
1 t. vanilla

Melt together over low heat butter and chocolate. Mix sugar, cocoa and salt and add to chocolate mixture stirring until smooth. Add cream slowly and bring to boil. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.

Whoopie Pies (redux...)

I'm re-posting this recipe after my daughter suggested a modification. She was so right. Increase the baking powder to 1 teaspoon vs. the original recipe calling for 1/2 teaspoon. The end result avoids that occasional flat whoopie pie . . . they are nice and consistently round after adding that additional baking powder.

There were two bakery boxes full of these yesterday. My definition of fun.

1/2 cup butter
1 egg
1 cup sugar
2 cups flour
1 t. baking powder
1.5 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1 cup milk
1 t. vanilla
1/2 cup cocoa

Filling: 1 cup crisco, 1 cup sugar, 1.5 cups Marshamallow Fluff, 1 t. vanilla

Bake at 425 for 7-8 minutes.

P.S. There are some members of my family who beg for double cream filling...

Caramel Brownies

This recipe just won't go away . . . for good reason. I love it that the Kraft caramels come unwrapped now. That was always a "keep a boy busy" job in my house.

1 package swiss chocolate cake mix
3/4 cup melted butter
2/3 cup evaporated milk
1 14 oz. Kraft caramels
1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. Combine cake mix, melted butter and 1/3 cup evaporated milk. Layer 1/2 mixture on bottom of 9 x 13 pan and bake for 6 minutes only. Melt caramels in heavy saucepan with 1/3 cup evaporated milk. Sprinkle chocolate chips over baked layer and drizzle caramel mixture over top. Top with remaining batter. Bake 15-18 minutes. Let cool completely before cutting into squares.

Jam Thumbprints . . .

I like these. My spouse does not. They look pretty in a bakery box all wrapped up for Christmas. Thank you, Ina.

3/4 pound (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash
7 ounces sweetened flaked coconut
Raspberry and/or apricot jam

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until they are just combined and then add the vanilla. Separately, sift together the flour and salt. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture to the creamed butter and sugar. Mix until the dough starts to come together. Dump on a floured board and roll together into a flat disk. Wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes.

Roll the dough into 1 1/4-inch balls. Dip each ball into the egg wash and then roll it in coconut. Place the balls on an ungreased cookie sheet and press a light indentation into the top of each with your finger. Drop 1/4 teaspoon of jam into each indentation. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the coconut is a golden brown. Cool and serve.

Peanut Butter Bon Bons

It doesn't get any easier than this. These fall in the "family favorites" category at my house.

1 cup finely chopped nuts
2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup peanut butter
1 t. vanilla
1/4 cup butter
6 oz. chocolate chips

Combine nuts, sugar and peanut butter. Add butter and vanilla and process. Shape into 1" balls and chill. Dip in chocolate and place on wax paper to solidify.

Mexican Wedding Cookies

This recipe is from the Proud Italian Cook . . . I like her version simply because it makes so many. This is one of my favorite cookies. This version is also terrific. Perfect for a Christmas bakery box...

1 lb. unsalted butter at room temperature
4 cups of un-bleached flour
2 t. vanilla
8 t. granulated sugar (just 8)
3/4 cup of ground pecans (optional, and I prefer almonds)
Bowl of powdered sugar

Cream butter, add sugar and mix until light and fluffy. Next, add the flour and mix until all incorporated. Roll in balls and place on cookie sheet, making a thumbprint in each one. Bake at 350 for 20 min. Immediately roll in powdered sugar.

Penuche

My grandmother could really make candy. It's an art, I think. She had a repertoire full of different kinds of candy... butterscotch, fudge, coconut chocolates made with mashed potato. I was happy to find this recipe (in her own handwriting) for the fudge I like the most, penuche.

2 cups brown sugar
1 cup cream
2 T. butter
2 T. marshmallow
Nuts (optional)

Cook brown sugar and cream to soft ball stage and add butter and marshmallow.

I'm posting this recipe exactly as written. Consider yourselves lucky - this has more detail than most of her recipes.

Cinnamon Christmas Ornaments

1 cup cinnamon
1 T. ground cloves
1 T. nutmeg
2 T. white glue
3/4 cup applesauce

Roll between waxed paper and cut out with cookie cutters. Let ornaments dry overnight. Use straw to poke hole to hang ornaments.

Pan Fried Onion Dip

I'm going to re-post this one because there are holiday party needs. And this, well this dip is pretty spectacular. If you neeed to bring something to a holiday party, Ina's pan fried onion dip will make you a star. This is delicious.

2 large yellow onions
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup good mayonnaise

Cut the onions in half and then slice them into 1/8-inch thick half-rounds. (You will have about 3 cups of onions.) Heat the butter and oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the onions, cayenne, salt, and pepper and saute for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 more minutes until the onions are browned and caramelized. Allow the onions to cool.

Place the cream cheese, sour cream and mayonnaise in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat until smooth. Add the onions and mix well. Taste for seasonings. Serve at room temperature.

Holiday Hot Chocolate

4 cups whole milk
4 cups half-and-half
1 pound white chocolate, chopped
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Seeds scraped from 2 vanilla beans

In a saucepan on medium heat, heat the milk and half-and-half to just below the simmering point. Remove the pan from the heat and add the white chocolate. When the chocolate is melted, add the vanilla and vanilla bean seeds and whisk vigorously. Reheat very gently and serve.

(Adapted to omit Ina's booze)

Sugar Cookie Bars

Originally posted July, 2009

Caity (hyper-aware of my rolled cookie difficulties) recommended this recipe. It solves my problem. Yum.

1 cup butter; room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
5 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing after each egg. Add vanilla & mix well. In a separate bowl combine flour, salt & soda & stir with a whisk to combine. Add to wet mixture and mix just until combined. Spread on a greased baking sheet (use a 13 x 18 pan).

Bake at 375 degrees for 10-15 min, until light golden brown or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely and frost.

Frosting:

1/2 cup butter; room temperature
1/2 cup shortening
1 tsp vanilla
pinch of salt
4 cups powdered sugar
5 Tbsp milk
food coloring (if desired)

Combine butter and shortening until smooth and creamy. Add vanilla and salt. Add powdered sugar in 1-2 cup increments until combined, then add milk & mix until smooth and spreading consistency. Spread over cooled cookie.

The Barefoot Contessa's Roasted Turkey Roulade

Originally posted 11/27/08 and again on 11/13/09.

Not long after our Thanksgiving Day feast in 2008 my daughter referred to it as "the best day of my life". It makes me happy to think about that.

Ina's new book hit the bookstore in late October (2008) and I immediately knew what I was serving for Thanksgiving. I hate the idea of all the waste of a whole turkey, so when I saw this recipe I was in. I visited the local butcher shop and ordered the boned and butterflied turkey breasts and swallowed hard. Abandoning the traditional potato stuffing was a risk. Take a peek at the ingredients here. Best of all, each turkey breast only took two hours to roast. All that white meat... oh it was good.

3/4 cup large-diced dried figs, stems removed
3/4 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup Calvados or brandy (I used orange juice)
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups diced onions (2 onions)
1 cup (1/2-inch-diced) celery (3 stalks)
3/4 pound pork sausage, casings removed (sweet and hot mixed)
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves
3 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
3 cups Pepperidge Farm herb-seasoned stuffing mix
1 1/2 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
1 extra-large egg, beaten
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 whole (2 halves) turkey breast, boned and butterflied (5 pounds)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1. Place the dried figs and cranberries in a small saucepan and pour over the Calvados and 1/2 cup water. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, then lower the heat and simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.

2. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large (12-inch) skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and celery and saute until softened, about 5 minutes.

3. Add the sausage, crumbling it into small bits with a fork, and saute, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes, until cooked and browned.

4. Add the figs and cranberries with the liquid, the chopped rosemary, and pine nuts, and cook for 2 more minutes. Scrape up the brown bits with a wooden spoon.

5. Place the stuffing mix in a large bowl. Add the sausage mixture, chicken stock, egg 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and stir well. (The stuffing may be prepared ahead and stored in the refrigerator overnight.)

6. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Place a baking rack on a sheet pan. Lay the butterflied turkey breast skin side down on a cutting board., Sprinkle the meat with 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper.

7. Spread the stuffing in a 1/2-inch-thick layer over the meat, leaving a 1/2-inch border on all sides. Don't mound the stuffing or the turkey will be difficult to roll. (Place the leftover stuffing in a buttered gratin dish and bake for the last 45 minutes of roasting alongside the turkey.)

8. Starting at one end, roll the turkey like a jelly roll and tuck in any stuffing that tries to escape on the sides.

9. Tie the roast firmly with kitchen twine every 2 inches to make a compact cylinder.

10. Place the stuffed turkey breast seam side down on the rack on the sheet pan. Brush with the melted butter, sprinkle generously with salt and pepper, and roast for 1 3/4 to 2 hours, until a thermometer reads 150 degrees in the center. (I test in a few places.)

11. Cover the turkey with aluminum foil and allow it to rest at room temperature for 15 minutes. Carve 1/2-inch-thick slices and serve warm with the extra stuffing.

Hope your Thanksgiving was extra great this year. Mine was.

Weight Watchers' Crustless Pumpkin Pie

Originally posted 9/15/08

1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin
1 1/2 cup skim milk
1/2 cup egg substitute (or 3 egg whites)
1/2 t. salt
1 T. pumpkin pie spice
1 t. vanilla
2/3 cup granulated splenda

Combine all ingredients. Beat until smooth Pour into sprayed 9" pie plate and bake at 425 for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 and bake for another 45 minutes. Served with one serving of fat free cool whip . . . 1 slice is 1 Weight Watchers' point and it's ONE QUARTER of the pie! I have a slice of this just about every day.

Apple Cake "Tatin"

A real tatin is made with puff pastry. This is a "pseudo tatin". If you want the real thing go to Mon Ami Gabi in the Paris Hotel. Best dessert in Las Vegas. Believe it.

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus extra for greasing the dish
1 1/4 Granny Smith apples, peeled and sliced into 12 pieces
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar, divided
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1/3 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Confectioners' sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Generously butter a 9-inch glass pie dish and arrange the apples in the dish, cut side down.

Combine 1 cup of the granulated sugar and 1/3 cup water in a small saucepan and cook over high heat until it turns a warm amber color, about 360 degrees F on a candy thermometer. Swirl the pan but don't stir. Pour evenly over the apple slices.

Meanwhile, cream the 6 tablespoons of butter and the remaining 3/4 cup of granulated sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, until light and fluffy. Lower the speed and beat in the eggs 1 at a time. Add the sour cream, zest, and vanilla and mix until combined. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt and, with the mixer on low speed, add it to the butter mixture. Mix only until combined.

Pour the cake batter evenly over the apple slices and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool for 15 minutes, then invert the cake onto a flat plate. If an apple slice sticks, ease it out and replace it in the design on top of the cake. Serve warm or at room temperature, dusted with confectioners' sugar.

Pumpkin Pound Cake

I made this cake last weekend . . . with a mere 3/4 cup of pumpkin it tastes more like a spice pound cake rather than a full blown pumpkin dessert. It's delicious, especially if you serve it with a cream cheese frosting or the glaze recipe Land O' Lakes recommends.

Pound Cake Ingredients:

3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups butter, softened
6 eggs
3/4 cup canned pumpkin
3/4 cup milk

Glaze Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons butter, softened
4-6 teaspoons milk

Heat oven to 350°F. Combine flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda and salt in medium bowl. Set aside.

Combine sugar and 1 1/2 cups butter in large bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy. Continue beating, adding eggs one at a time, until well mixed. Add pumpkin; continue beating until well mixed. Reduce speed to low. Beat, gradually adding flour mixture alternately with 3/4 cup milk, until well mixed.

Spoon batter into greased and floured 12-cup Bundt® pan. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pan. Cool completely.

Combine powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons butter and enough milk for desired glazing consistency in small bowl. Glaze cooled cake OR dust with powdered sugar.

Like the bundt pan? It's perfect for a pound cake since the extra edges/ridges produce more pound cake crunch. I've also used this one for years as well as this one.

Apple Crisp

This isn't the apple crisp we all know . . . the one with a nutty oatmeal crust. This is different . . . and delicious. If you can get McIntosh apples, do it. Otherwise a Granny Smith works perfectly.

8 apples
1 cup brown sugar
1 t. cinnamon
3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup water

Pare and quarter apples and cut lengthwise into four slices. Put sliced apples in bottom of buttered dish. Add water. Combine sugar, cinnamon and flour and rub in butter to make crumbs. Spread crumbs over apples evenly and bake at 375 for 40 minutes.

If only I could drive to an apple orchard at home to get the apples ...

Molasses Crinkles

This is a recipe that belonged to my grandmother . . . I still have the scrap of paper in her handwriting. They are chewy and delicious and remind me of Autumn.

2 cups flour
1 t. baking soda, cinnamon, ginger
1/2 t. salt
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup molasses

Mix flour, soda and cinnamon, ginger and salt. Set aside. Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in egg and molasses. Stir in flour mixture just until blended. Drop by teaspoonfuls and put on greased cookie sheets 1/2" apart. Bake at 375 for 12-15 minutes or until lightly browned.

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Reposted from 11/6/08:

I received the premiere issue of The Food Network Magazine yesterday. Let me just say it's a fun magazine. Believe me, the last thing I need is another magazine subscription . . . but this one is a keeper.

They have a feature article entitled "Copy That!". This month they decided to "reverse engineer" The Cheesecake Factory's pumpkin cheesecake since the restaurant chain has its signature recipes "locked up tighter than a CIA brief". I was excited.

The pumpkin obsession is a new one for me . . . I was never a fan. That all changed when I joined Weight Watchers in 2005 - pumpkin happens to be a "free" food. Sure enough I developed a taste for it. Now I can't get enough. If you're a hater like I was, try to live a little. It's a scrumptious walk on the wild side.

12 T unsalted butter, melted
2 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
2 3/4 cups sugar
salt
2 lbs. cream cheese at room temperature
3/4 cup sour cream
1 15 oz. can pure pumpkin
6 large eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten
1 T. vanilla
2 1/2 t. ground cinnamon
1 t. ground ginger
1/4 t. ground cloves
2 cups sweetened whipped cream
1/3 cups toasted pecans, roughly chopped

Preheat oven to 325. Brush 10-inch springform pan with some of the butter. Stir in the remaining butter with the crumbs, 1/4 cup of the sugar and a pinch of the salt. Press the crumb mixture into the bottom and up the sides of the pan, packing it tightly and evenly. Bake until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool on a rack, then wrap the outside of the springform pan with foil and place in a roasting pan.

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Meanwhile beat the cream cheese with a mixer until smooth. Add the remaining 2 1/4 cups sugar and beat until just light, scraping down the sides of the bowl and beaters as needed. Beat in the sour cream, then add the pumpkin, eggs, vanilla and 1 t. salt and the spices and beat until just combined. Pour into the cooled crust.

Gently place the roasting pan in the oven (don't pull the rack out) and pour the boiling water into the roasting pan until it comes about halfway up the sides of the springform pan. Bake until the outside of the cheesecake sets but the center is still loose, about 1 hour, 45 minutes. Turn off the oven and open the door briefly to let out some heat. Leave the cheesecake in the oven for 1 more hour, then carefully remove from the roasting pan and cool on a rack. Run a knife around the edges, cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours or overnight.

Bring the cheesecake to room temperature 30 minutes before serving. Unlock and remove the springform ring. To finish, place a dollop of the whipped cream on each slice and sprinkle with the toasted pecans.

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

Originally posted 10/19/08

Tis the season. These are fantastic. The more traditional whoopie pies reside here. I like the pumpkin version...

Ingredients

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, 1 stick melted, 1/2 stick softened
1 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
1 cup canned pure pumpkin puree
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon plus 2 pinches salt
1 2/3 cups flour
4 ounces cream cheese, chilled
1 cup confectioners' sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter and brown sugar until smooth. Whisk in the eggs, pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, 1 teaspoon vanilla, the baking powder, the baking soda and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the flour.
3. Using an ice cream scoop or tablespoon, drop 12 generous mounds of batter, spaced evenly, onto each baking sheet. Bake until springy to the touch, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool completely.
4. Meanwhile, using an electric mixer, cream the softened butter with the cream cheese. Add the confectioners' sugar and the remaining 2 pinches salt and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla; mix on low speed until blended, then beat on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes.
5. Spread the flat side of 12 cakes with the cream cheese frosting. Top each with another cake.

Blondie Bars

2 sticks (8 oz) butter, melted
1 lb. light brown sugar (about 2 1/4 cups)
3 extra-large eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
2 cups chocolate chips (use milk, dark, white, whatever...)
chopped pecans (optional)

Preheat oven to 350.

Mix sugar, eggs, vanilla with a spoon. Add flour, baking powder, salt, and stir until combined. Add chocolate chips, and pecans if you like.

Bake in a 15x10x2 inch pan for 20-30 minutes or in two 9x9x2 inch pans for 25 minutes. You can also use a 13x9 inch pan and cook for 25-35 minutes. Killer.

Strawberry Tart

This is an old Williams Sonoma recipe and it's the best... I love my long and rectangular tart pans.

Tart shells:

1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup butter
1 t. almond extract
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
2.5 cups flour

Cream sugar, shortening and butter together and add egg, extract and flour. Mix and press into tart shell. Bake 10 minutes at 350

Filling:

1 cup milk
1/4 cup sugar
1.5 T. cornstarch
2 egg yolks
2 T. butter
1 t. vanilla
pinch salt

Simmer milk. In mixing bowl stir sugar, cornstarch and salt. Gradually add hot milk to sugar mixture whisking constantly. Pour back into saucepan and cook on medium heat until mixture boils and thickens, 7 to 10 minutes. Whisk in egg yolks and cook stirring until thicker, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in butter. Let cool to room temperature. Add vanilla. Makes 1.5 cups.

Fill tart pan(s) and place fresh fruit on top.

Salad Beatrice with Poppy Seed Dressing

Because I can't get enough fresh pineapple lately, here's the Salad Beatrice recipe. I understand that red onion on top of the fruit sounds odd, but try it. It's awesome. This may be the prettiest salad I've ever seen.

1 head Boston lettuce
1 pint strawberries
1 fresh pineapple
1 sliced red onion

Assemble lettuce on bottom, strawberries on one side, pineapple on the other, red onion on top. Dress with the following:

Poppy Seed Dressing:

1.5 cups sugar
2 t. dry mustard
2 t. salt
2/3 cup vinegar
3 T. onion juice
2 cups oil
3 T. poppy seeds

New York Style Crumbcake

I've been home for a few days (a hideous abscess [abscessed?] tooth, sedation dentistry, steroids and tears) catching up with Bon Appetit, Vanity Fair (read that Grace Kelly article, skip the Tiger Woods story) Cook's Illustrated and Esquire Magazine. Lots of culinary inspiration . . . maybe purse inspiration, too, if there's such a thing.

Often my spouse would travel to New York to consult with Brooklyn Union Gas. He always raved about the coffee cake he could buy there. Made in a sheet pan, tall, with lots of rich crunchy cinnamon topping . . . the cake had a crumbly texture, holes in it, with a fantastic aromatic topping. Sound good?

Bon Appetit says, "In this East Coast-style breakfast treat, a tender sour cream coffee cake is topped with a thick layer of cinnamon-scented streusel." I'm in.

Topping

* 1 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
* 1/2 cup sugar
* 1 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted, warm
* 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

Cake

* 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
* 1 1/2 cups sugar
* 2 large eggs
* 1 1/3 cups sour cream
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Topping

Mix both sugars, cinnamon, and salt in medium bowl and whisk to blend. Add warm melted butter and stir to blend. Add flour and toss with fork until moist clumps form (topping mixture will look slightly wet). Set aside.

Cake

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Butter 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat room-temperature butter in large bowl until smooth. Add sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating until well blended after each addition. Add sour cream and vanilla extract and beat just until blended. Add flour mixture in 3 additions, beating just until incorporated after each addition. Transfer cake batter to prepared baking dish; spread batter evenly with rubber spatula or offset spatula. Squeeze small handfuls of topping together to form small clumps. Drop topping clumps evenly over cake batter, covering completely (topping will be thick).

Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean and topping is deep golden brown and slightly crisp, about 1 hour. Cool cake in dish on rack at least 30 minutes. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool completely. Cover and let stand at room temperature.

Cut cake into squares and serve slightly warm or at room temperature.

White Texas Sheet Cake (for Tessa)

Ingredients

* 1 cup butter
* 1 cup water
* 2 cups all-purpose flour
* 2 cups granulated sugar
* 2 eggs
* 1/2 cup sour cream
* 1 teaspoon almond extract
* 1 teaspoon baking soda

* Frosting:

* 1/2 cup butter
* 1/4 cup milk
* 4-1/2 cups confectioners sugar
* 1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Directions

1. In a large saucepan bring butter and water to a boil.
2. Remove from heat and stir in flour, sugar, eggs, sour cream, 1 teaspoon almond extract and baking soda until smooth.
3. Pour batter into a greased jelly roll pan.
4. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes.
5. Cool for 20 minutes.
6. Combine 1/2 cup butter and milk in a saucepan then bring to a boil.
7. Remove from heat.
8. Mix in sugar and 1/2 teaspoon almond extract.
9. Spread frosting over warm cake.

Lemon Icebox Pie

Washington Post recipe . . . you'll need a 9-inch springform pan to make this pie, recipe inspired by the dessert served at Clancy's on Annunciation Street in New Orleans.

MAKE AHEAD: The baked pie needs at least 6 hours in the freezer before serving. The pie can be covered and frozen for up to 1 week. Make the chantilly cream just before serving; let the pie sit at room temperature for 10 minutes before serving.

Makes one 9-inch pie (6 to 8 servings)

For the crust

* 14 whole graham crackers
* 1/4 cup sugar
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 6 to 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and warm

For the filling

* 2 14-ounce cans sweetened condensed milk
* 1 1/4 cups strained lemon juice (from 2 zested lemons plus an additional 4 to 6 lemons)
* Zest of 2 lemons, finely grated (a scant 2 tablespoons)
* 8 large egg yolks

For the chantilly cream

* 2 cups heavy cream
* 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar

Directions:

For the crust: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Have a 9- or 10-inch springform pan and a baking sheet at hand.

Break the graham crackers into small pieces and place in the bowl of a food processor, along with the sugar and salt. Pulse 8 times, until the cracker crumbs are semi-fine (they shouldn't be powdery but not in large shards, either) and the crackers and sugar are combined. Add 6 tablespoons of the butter, and pulse in about twelve 1-second pulses until blended in. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter as needed so the mixture isn't crumbly and holds its shape when you squeeze it.

Transfer to the springform pan; push and press the crumb mixture into the bottom of the pan and two-thirds of the way up the sides (2 to 2 1/2 inches). Use the bottom of a measuring cup to press the crust into place.

For the filling: Whisk together the condensed milk and lemon juice in a medium bowl. Whisk together the zest and egg yolks in a separate medium bowl for 30 to 60 seconds, until pale, and then whisk in the lemon juice-condensed milk mixture to form a smooth filling.

Place the springform pan on the baking sheet. Pour the filling into the crust, then carefully transfer the baking sheet to the oven. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the edges are set and the center jiggles slightly, like a soft-set custard. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool for 1 hour. Loosely cover the pan with plastic wrap (be careful not to let the plastic wrap touch the top of the pie) and freeze for at least 6 hours or overnight.

For the chantilly cream: Combine the cream and vanilla extract in the large bowl of a stand mixer (fitted with a whisk attachment) or hand-held electric mixer.

Sift in the confectioners' sugar. Beat on low speed to combine, then increase the speed to medium-high and beat for about 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 minutes, until medium-stiff peaks form.

When ready to serve, wrap a warm, wet towel around the edges of the springform pan to help ease the release of the pie. Unclasp the pan and carefully remove the springform ring.

Cut the pie into slices, using a knife dipped into very hot water before each cut. Top individual portions with a dollop of the chantilly cream.

No Knead Bread

I blogged about this no knead bread recipe quite some time ago. I stumbled upon the recipe after receiving pieces of that beautiful French cookware, Le Creuset.

Again, I made the New York Times recipe for bread. The result? A beautiful rustic loaf of crispy bread.

I'm not a breadmaker. Yeast, not my thing. Check this out for the tutorial providing proof even a 4-year-old can succeed making this bread.

Chocolate Intemperance

The original recipe for Chocolate Intemperance calls for a charlotte mold. I once made the recipe in multiple loaf pans and it turned out perfectly. You really need the whipped cream to cut the chocolate in this dessert. It's killer rich.

Mix together 3 eggs, 2 T. water and 1 Duncan Hines Brownie mix and pour into cookie sheet. Bake according to directions on mix . . . cut to line charlotte mold. Round for bottom of mold, sides, and round to fit on top.

Filling: 1.5 lbs. semisweet chocolate melted with 1/2 cup water

3 eggs, separated
2 T. sugar
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup heavy cream, whipped

Beat egg whites until stiff. Mix yolks, sugar and juice and incorporate into chocolate mixture. Fold in egg whites (gently) and pour into charlotte mold. Place last cake round over chocolate filling. Place in refrigerator overnight. Unmold and glaze.

Glaze: 1/2 lb. chocolate mixed with 1/3 cup water.

Serve with whipped cream.

Jordan Marsh Blueberry Muffins

I remember the bakery box these came in and the delicious sugary crunch on top. They're terrific.

Cream together:

1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla

Mix dry ingredients:

2 cups flour
1/2 t. salt
2 t. baking powder

1/2 cup milk

Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture, alternating with the 1/2 cup MILK.

Mash 1/2 cup blueberries. Add to muffin mix. Fold in additional 2 cups blueberries.

Fill muffin tins 2/3 full and sprinkle with turbinado sugar (for an extra crunchy top). Bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes.

7 Minute Frosting (or Fluffy White Frosting)

I'm such a sucker for this recipe. It's like homemade marshmallow . . . and on a deep chocolate cake it's the only way to go, even the next day after it crystalizes a little. I don't care.

1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar or 1 tablespoon white corn syrup
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup water
2 egg whites
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Place sugar, cream of tartar or corn syrup, salt, water, and egg whites in the top of a double boiler. Beat with a handheld electric mixer for 1 minute. Place pan over boiling water, being sure that boiling water does not touch the bottom of the top pan. (If this happens, it could cause your frosting to become grainy). Beat constantly on high speed with electric mixer for 7 minutes. Beat in vanilla.

Parmesan Basket

Bravo has the best reality shows, yes? Chef Academy was a favorite . . . the first time I saw Chef Novelli make this parmesan basket I knew I'd give it a shot. They were simple to make. Fill with small bunches of tossed greens with some halved grape tomatoes and crumbled gorgonzola.

Click here to watch Chef Novelli's demonstration of how to make this parmesan basket.

Donut Muffin

Ever see The Best Thing I Ever Ate? Big fan. Yesterday one of the celebrity chefs talked about the Donut Muffin - this donut muffin. I had to make them again. They're even better than they look.

Originally posted February, 2008

One of the blogs I frequent sent me on a quest for recipes for a Donut Muffin. Thank you The Wednesday Chef. Thank you...

For the muffins:

12 oz. (24 Tbs.) unsalted butter, warmed to room temperature
1-3/4 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 lb. 11 oz. (6 cups) all-purpose flour
1 Tbs. plus 2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1-3/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
1-2/3 cups milk
1/4 cup buttermilk

For dipping:

8 oz. (16 Tbs.) unsalted butter; more as needed
2 cups sugar
2 Tbs. ground cinnamon

To make the muffins:

Put a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F. In a stand mixer or a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until just mixed in. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg. Combine the milk and buttermilk. With a wooden spoon, mix a quarter of the dry ingredients into the butter mixture. Then mix in a third of the milk mixture. Continue mixing in the remaining dry and wet ingredients alternately, ending with the dry. Mix until well combined and smooth, but don't overmix. Grease and flour a standard-size muffin tin. Scoop enough batter into each tin so that the top of the batter is even with the rim of the cup, about 1/2 cup. (A #16 ice-cream scoop gives you the perfect amount.) Bake the muffins until firm to the touch, 30 to 35 min.

To finish:

Melt the butter for the dipping mixture. Combine the sugar and cinnamon. When the muffins are just cool enough to handle, remove them from the tin, dip them into or brush them all over with the melted butter, and then roll them in the cinnamon sugar.

From Fine Cooking 42, pp. 54-55

Barefoot Contessa's Lemon Yogurt Cake

Have you made this? It's light and fluffy and delicious. Try ...

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
1 1/3 cups sugar, divided
3 extra-large eggs
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
½ cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

Glaze:

1 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8 ½ x 4 ¼ x 2 ½ - inch loaf pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper. Grease and flour the pan.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt into one bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the yogurt, 1 cup sugar, the eggs, lemon zest, and vanilla. Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. With a rubber spatula, fold the vegetable oil into the batter, making sure it’s all incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 50 minutes, or until a cake tester placed in the center of the loaf comes out clean.

Meanwhile, cook the 1/3 cup lemon juice and remaining 1/3 cup sugar in a small pan until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is clear. Set aside.

When the cake is done, allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Carefully place on a baking rack over a sheet pan. While the cake is still warm, pour the lemon sugar mixture over the cake and allow it to soak in. Cool.

For the glaze, combine the confectioners’ sugar and lemon juice and pour over the cake.

Bumbleberry Pie

I stumbled upon this recipe in Bon Appetit many years ago and it continues to be my favorite fruit pie. You can make it all winter long since all of the fruit is frozen, except for those two apples. I LOVE this pie.

2 unbaked pie crusts
2 large Baking apples, peeled, cored, chopped
1 cup Frozen, chopped rhubarb
1 cup Frozen raspberries, thawed
1 cup Frozen blackberries, thawed
1 cup Frozen strawberries, thawed
1 cup Sugar
1/3 cup All purpose flour
1 tablespoon Fresh lemon juice

Combine all ingredients in large bowl and stir to combine. Spoon mixture into pie crust. Roll out remaining dough disk on lightly floured surface to 11-inch-diameter round. Place round atop pie filling. Trim crust, leaving 1/2-inch overhang. Fold top crust edge under bottom crust edge, pressing to seal. Crimp edges. Cut slits in top crust to allow steam to escape. Place pie on baking sheet and bake 25 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350'F and bake until crust is golden and juices bubble, about 30 minutes. Transfer pie to rack and cool.

Lemon Bar from the Barefoot Contessa

This filling in these is tart and wonderful and full of lemon-ey goodness. Love these.

For the crust:

1/2 pound unsalted butter at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 cups flour
1/8 t. kosher salt

For the filling:

6 eggs
3 cups granulated sugar
2 T. grated lemon zest (4 to 6 lemons)
1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 cup flour
Confectioners sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 350.

For the crust, cream the butter and sugar until light. Combine flour with salt and add to butter until just mixed. Dump dough onto well-floured board and gather into a ball. Flatten with well-floured hands and press into 9 x 13 baking sheet, building up a 1/2 inch edge on all sides. Chill.

Bake crust for 15 to 20 minutes until very lightly browned. Let cool on wire rack. Leave oven on.

For the filling, whisk together eggs, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice and flour. Pour over crust and bake for 30 to 35 minutes until the filling is set. Let cool to room temperature. Cut into triangles and dust with confectioners sugar.

These are so good I deleted my previous 'lemon bar' post. Thank you, Ina!

Brownies

Husband's favorite since 1983.

Mix the following dry ingredients:

3/4 cup flour
1/4 t. soda
1/4 t. salt

Mix over low heat:

1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter
2 T. water

Add 6 oz. semisweet bits until blended with 1 t. vanilla.

Beat in 2 eggs

Fold in dry ingredients and spread in 9" square pan. Bake at 325 for 25 minutes.

Quiche

I had a taste of quiche yesterday . . . it was lucious. This recipe is another really ancient recipe from an old friend in Boston - I learned many things from her about cooking and baking, including that thing about never running mushrooms under water. Maybe she lost it when she saw me rinsing her mushrooms. Yep, she did.

Best thing about quiche is the versatility factor. Have some leftover bacon? Throw it in. Like spinach and mushrooms? Do it. Want broccoli and ham? That works! Most cheese variations work. Go crazy. Don't forget that tiny bit of onion on the bottom of that quiche. If you hate the onion, grate it. Just don't skip it.

7-8 eggs
1 cup mozzarella cheese
1 cup swiss cheese (or cheddar)
1 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup onion
salt and pepper
brocooli
ham

Place onions and cheese on bottom of precooked crust and pour egg mixure over top. Bake at 375 till tip of knife comes out clean and egg mixture is solidified.

Janeil's Baked Stuffed Shrimp

This was our Christmas Eve dinner. I confess I added a tiny bit of onion to the stuffing. I've been using this recipe for 20 years. I like it that much.

2 t. fresh parsley
1 sleeve Ritz crackers
1 slice white bread
1/2 stick butter
1/4 lb. scallops

Cook scallops and butter until no longer transparent. Spoon into Cuisinart and add liquid until moist. Lay shrimp split with stuffing on top. Bake at 425 for 15 minutes or until easily pierced with knife.

Apple Slab Pie

Last July I saw this recipe for Sour Cherry Slab Pie. Will you look at those pictures? I bookmarked the recipe and was determined to get around to it. Sour cherries are hard to come by in the desert. Eventually I stumbled across them at Harry & David, but alas . . . $25 was a little too steep for someone with a tendency to be crust-challenged. So apple it was. Same recipe, different fruit. It was a Christmas dessert this year and, sadly, I have no pictures. I am committed to buying the sour cherries now. Slab pie is spectacular.