Mac & Cheese to Serve a Crowd

I make this recipe often for parties because Mac & cheese is a dish that everyone loves. This version has great flavor and texture. It works well as side dish or even as a main course with a big salad. The best part is that it can be prepped ahead and then combined in a slow cooker with very little effort. Enjoy!

Mise en place

6 cups pasta, uncooked (about 1.5 lbs)

6 Tablespoons unsalted butter

16 oz Velveeta cheese, cubed

2 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard

2 cups milk (1 pint = 16 oz)

1 cup heavy cream (1/2 pint = 8 oz)

2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

  • Cook pasta in salted boiling water for 5 minutes
  • Reserve a coffee mug full of pasta water right before you drain it.
  • Drain the pasta and place in the slow cooker. You can also store it in the fridge at this point for later assembly.
  • Add the remaining ingredients to the crock pot and stir until well combined.
  • Start the crock pot on high for about 30 minutes. Then turn it to low and cook until melted through), stirring every 15 min or so.
  • Taste and adjust the seasonings to taste
  • Add a splash of the reserved pasta water if it seems a little dry

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Cloud Cookies

I’ve been making these cookies a lot lately and they are always a hit anywhere I bring them. Imagine a cupcake colliding with a cookie. The soft sugar cookie combined with the fluffy vanilla frosting make for a blissful combination. The only frustrating part is that they don’t stack well, but the flavor and texture makeup for any packing misfortunes.

Cloud Cookies
Cloud Cookies

Mise en Place:

1 box white cake mix (with pudding in the mix)

2/3 cup cake flour (you can use A.P. if that’s all you have)

2 large eggs

1/3 cup canola oil

2 T sour cream

Directions:

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees
  • In a large bowl sift together flour and cake mix
  • In a small bowl mix eggs, oil and sour cream.
  • Add egg mix to flour mix and beat until combined.
  • Chill for about an hour
  • Scoop, roll, press onto a baking sheet
  • Bake until you see the slightest hint of brown on the edge (about 10 minutes but every oven is different so you’ll have to check. You want them soft.)
  • Cool completely before frosting.

Frosting:

While the cookies bake make the frosting.

1 ½ stick unsalted butter, softened

3 c. powdered sugar

Pinch of salt

2 t. vanilla (or more)

Milk/cream to thin out (shouldn’t be necessary if butter is soft enough, sometimes I just add a bit more vanilla to adjust)

  • Whip it like crazy until nice and fluffy
  • Spread onto the cookies.
  • Add sprinkles right after you frost.

Enjoy!

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Simple Crispy Cookies

CrispyCookies

I’m a simple person and I enjoy simple things, especially simple recipes. It occurred to me that some of the best food has the fewest ingredients. Fresh whipped cream sweetened every so slightly with a bit of sugar. A summer garden tomato sliced thick with a dash of salt. A piece of fresh-baked bread with a pat of butter.

 This recipe is as simple as simple can be, and very delicious. I made these cookies several times over the holidays and have been finding excuses to make them ever since. Even if you don’t like to bake give these a try.
I found the original recipe on Food 52 and modified slightly making them even easier. White chocolate is incredibly sensitive to heat therefore proceed with caution when melting to avoid scorching the chocolate. By using a white chocolate chip  rather than plain white chocolate, the cookies setup faster and they don’t get “gooey” at room temperature. Not having to chop the chocolate is a bonus too. Don’t skimp on the brand of white chocolate chips, use the best you can find to insure great flavor.
Makes about 4 dozen cookies
2 bags (22 oz.)  Ghirardelli White Chocolate chips (or other quality brand)
1 1/2 cup salted, roasted party peanuts
3 1/4 cup Rice Crispy cereal
  • Using a double boiler gently melt the white chocolate chips
  • Remove from the heat and fold in the peanuts
  • Mix in the cereal until combined
  • Using a tablespoon drop the cookies on a lined baking sheet
  • Refrigerate or freeze until set
  • store on the counter in an airtight container
Double Boiler
Double Boiler
 
Melted White Chocolate
Melted White Chocolate

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Favorite Brownies

brownies2.jpg

As I bite into this brownie I escape into sweet chocolate bliss. The texture is fudgy yet delicate and the flavor decadent yet not overbearing. I taste each ingredient from the subtle brown sugar to the obvious fleck of kosher salt down to the creaminess of the butter. If only you could smell my kitchen right now; the scent coming from the oven is like a warm hug on a cold day.

I love a good brownie because it satisfies my wicked sweet tooth and has a texture that is a cross between a cookie and a cupcake. I have tried many recipes but most end up slapping me in the face with dense chocolate punch that sticks to the roof of my mouth and I quickly retreat from finishing the square.

This has been my go-to dessert lately and every time I serve a plate of them people go crazy. They are relatively easy to make, freeze well and along with being sturdy enough to transport they make for an all around great dessert. I also appreciate the large 9×13 inch batch size because the typical 8×8 inch batch is never enough.

I found this recipe on David Lebovitz’s website and have only modified it slightly by adding ½ tsp. instant espresso powder and omitting the Altoids. The espresso does not impart coffee flavor but rather adds depth to the chocolate flavors. Finish them by adding sprinkles or a classic dusting of powdered sugar. Enjoy!

More brownies
More brownies

Favorite Brownies – makes 24 – 32 (depending on how large you cut them)

Mise en place
12 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
8 ounces unsalted butter, cubed
1 1/4 cup A.P. flour
1 teaspoon Salt (I use Crystal’s Kosher brand in which case you’ll need 1.5 teaspoons)
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup lightly packed dark brown sugar
5 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon instant espresso powder

Coarse sea salt (such as Maldon) for sprinkling on top

  • Preheat the oven to 350F. Line the inside of a 9 by 13-inch pan with foil. Lightly coat the foil with butter.
  • In a large bowl set over a pan of simmering water, melt the chocolate and butter.
  • In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and cocoa powder.
  • Once the chocolate is melted and smooth, whisk in both sugars.
  • Remove from heat and whisk in three of the eggs completely, then whisk in the other two along with the vanilla extract.
  • Sprinkle the flour mixture top and using a spatula, gently fold in the dry ingredients until just combined. Do not over mix.
  • Scrape into the prepared pan and sprinkle with the coarse sea salt
  • Bake for 20 minutes. Rotate 180 degrees and bake another 15 minutes (total baking time is 35 minutes)

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Tasty Turkey Burgers

Whoa…Summer has been off to a crazy start! I have not had much time to cook/bake but I managed these turkey burgers and really liked the flavor and need to write it down before I forget.

Turkey Burgers
Turkey Burgers

Traditionally a burger is of course served on a bun but because I made pasta salad to go with the burger, I opted out of the starchy bun. There was so much flavor in the meat that I didn’t miss the bun, cheese or other heavy condiments at all. Just a bit of ketchup was all I needed saving me on a few calories.

Grilled Turkey Burgers
Grilled Turkey Burgers

Serves 4 people

Mise en place
2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbsp. ketchup
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/8 tsp. ground cumin
1/8 tsp. hot sauce
1 pound ground turkey breast
1/4 c. finely chopped onion
1/2 c. homemade bread crumbs (if using store-bought reduce to 1/4 c.)
4 hamburger buns and 4 slices of cheese (both optional)

  • In a large bowl whisk together the Worcestershire, ketchup, soy sauce, garlic, chili powder, cumin and hot sauce.
  • Reserve half of the sauce to brush on the burgers while grilling.
  • Add the ground turkey, onion and bread crumbs to the large bowl with remaining sauce. Using your hands mix to combine all ingredients.
  • refrigerate the meat for 5 minutes allowing the bread crumbs to absorb the moisture. This also give you time to clean up. At this point you could also wrap the meat and store over night if you’d like to make ahead.
  • Form the meat into 4 round patties and place on the grill.
  • Using a spoon drop a small amount of sauce on each burger. Be careful not to touch the raw meat and dip your spoon back in the ramekins so as not to cross contaminate the rest of the sauce. Smooth the sauce with the back of the spoon and then wash the spoon.
  • Grill for 6 minutes and flip over. Brush the other side with sauce and grill for another 6 minutes or until cooked through.
  • The last 2 minutes of cooking brown the buns and add cheese.

Enjoy!

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Vanilla Buttercreams

Butter cream wedding cake
Butter cream wedding cake

My dear friend Kim was married over Memorial Day weekend and I had the honor of making her wedding cake. My apologies for the poor picture above, I am neither a photographer nor a food stylist. The bottom tier was cocoa cake with creamy peanut butter mousse, middle tier was white velvet cake with chunky peanut butter cup mousse and the top-tier cocoa cake with raspberry mousse. Clearly Kim has fabulous taste :)

While planning the design I quickly realized I misplaced my recipe for buttercream. Although I should know it by heart I hadn’t made it in a while and needed to confirm the proportions. After I found it I realized I needed to digitize it immediately!

Traditional buttercream made with Italian meringue is laborious process however the silky, sweet and creamy texture is worth the work. Although only four ingredients this recipe requires three difficult skills, i.e. whipping egg whites, melting sugar and melting chocolate. If you are not up for the work I’ve included a simple butter cream immediately following. I prefer to flavor butter creams that I use for wedding cakes with white chocolate so as not to disrupt the beautiful ivory color with brown vanilla extract or vanilla beans. After reading this I hope you can appreciate the complexity of real butter.

Each recipe makes enough to frost and fill a 9″ layered cake.

Mise en place
8 oz. egg whites
14 oz. sugar
21 oz. unsalted butter, at room temp
4 oz. white chocolate, chopped
1/4 tsp. salt

  • Melt the white chocolate using a double boiler. Remove from heat and set aside.
  • Add the sugar to a sauce pan and add enough water to dampen the sugar. Bring to a boil and boil until the sugar reaches 240 degrees (soft ball stage).
  • place the egg whites in a large mixing bowl fitted with the whisk attachment and whisk until frothy. Slowly pour in the 240 degree sugar.
  • Whip the whites and sugar on high until stiff peaks form and the meringue has cooled completely. Add a pinch of salt.
  • Turn the mixer down to medium and slowly add the butter trying not to break the emulsion.
  • After all of the butter has been added switch to a paddle attachment and turn the mixer on low. Add the white chocolate and let the mixer run on low until the frosting is silky smooth.

Simple Buttercream
6 sticks of unsalted butter, softened
9 cups powdered sugar
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
pinch of salt
1 – 2 Tbsp. of heavy cream, room temp (optional)

  • Using the paddle attachment mix half of the powdered sugar with the butter until combined.
  • Reduce the speed and gradually add the remaining sure about 1/2 cup at a time, mixing well between each addition.
  • Add the salt and vanilla and mix on high until light and fluffy.
  • If the frosting seems too thick to spread add the heavy cream as needed.

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