Alex Guarnaschelli's Parker House Rolls

This is a recipe I've been dying to try since last Thanksgiving, finally about six months after Thanksgiving I tried it for a fancy Sunday dinner. Holy Cow they are so good I want to die! They are just delicious little salty, buttery puffs that you just want to keep eating. So, anyway, I wanted to put these on the blog for you all to try, before Thanksgiving comes around again this year. To me these would be the perfect roll for your Thanksgiving table. I don't know why I'm surprised most everything Alex Gaurnaschelli makes is full of butter and always delicious, so I didn't alter the recipe one bit it is pefect as is. One bite of these rolls will throw you right into the Holiday season.

Parker House Rolls by Alex Gaurnaschelli

1 packet active dry yeast 

1/2 cup warm water 

1/2 cup sugar 

12 T. melted butter 

2 cups whole milk at room temperature 

2 large eggs

1 T. salt 

7 1/2 to 8 cups ap flour

to start pour yeast into bowl of your stand mixer and add 1/2 cup warm water and 1 tablespoon of the sugar. Let this sit for 10 minutes or until it is foamy. Next, beat in 3/4ths of the melted butter, the rest of the sugar, milk, eggs, and salt. Now turn your mixer to low and add the flour 1 cup at a time, when you get to 7 cups add in small amounts until the dough is able to make a nice ball around the dough hook. Realize you probably won't need 8 cups, I used about 7 and 1/4 cups. Now you wait, put some of the reserved butter in the bottom of a clean bowl and place the dough on top of the butter. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a towel and let raise in a warm place for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Now comes the fun part.

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees

1. Roll your dough out onto a floured surface and pat into a 9*16 rectangle (use a ruler).

2. Cut the rectangle into 3 strips lengthwise and then crosswise into 12 strips.

3. Fold each strip in half unevenly, so the top piece overlaps the bottom, fold that overlapping piece over and place it seam side down on a parchment lined baking sheet.

4. Place the rolls on the baking sheet in rows of 9 so they are just touching each other. You will have 2 baking sheets with 2 rows of 9 rolls each. 

5. Bake for 18 minutes at 375 degrees rotating half way through. Brush with remaining melted butter and sprinkle with sea salt immediately.

You can serve these right when they come out of the oven, or rewarm them for about 8 minutes in a 350 degree oven. You can also freeze the formed rolls before they are baked. They are perfect for a busy Thanksgiving day of cooking.

Pear and Cranberry Turnovers

There's nothing like Fall to get you in the mood to bake all the things! I think it has to be one of my favorite seasons... I say that about every season, but really, Fall is up there. So, with these cold, wet days we've had lately I am in the mood for cozy, warm treats. These turnovers are just that, cozy and warm. Do you remember those cherry turnovers that came in a little box in the dairy section you could buy and they would puff up so pretty in the oven and then you would drown them in the packet of white sweet icing? Anyone?? Well anyway, my mom used to make those for me and my brother when we were little, and then one day they disappeared. So in honer of that memory, here are some turnovers that remind me lots of those, but with Fall flavors. They are so easy, with a ready made dough, so all you have to do is make the filling. Also, pears....  I always forget how delicious they are until I eat one again - they are so good! The cranberries are so pretty and add that cherry taste/feeling I remember from my childhood. All in all, these are delicious and could be making your kitchen smell like Fall in no time. 

Pear and Cranberry Turnovers

-makes 12 turnovers

• 3-4 ripe pears 
• 1/3 cup cranberries 
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar 
• 1/4 cup water 
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon 
• pinch of salt
• 1-2 tablespoons flour
• frozen puff pastry 
• 1 egg

Glaze 

• 1 cup sugar 
• 1-3 tablespoons of milk 

To start, preheat your oven to 375 degrees and peel your pears, then cut them into bite size pieces. Remember, if the pears are too big they won't fit in the turnovers. Throw the pears in a pan with the cranberries and add the water and sugar. Cook over medium high heat for about 5 minutes, then add the cinnamon and salt and cook for another 5-10 minutes. Stir often, until the pears are just softened. Lastly, stir in the flour and turn heat to high. It should take just a couple minutes before you see the juices thickening into a syrupy sauce, then turn off the heat. Let the filling cool while you unfold your pastry and prepare the dough. When you unfold the pastry it will be a rectangle shape. Cut about an inch or two off the top so the dough is a square, then cut it into 3 strips vertically and in half across so you have 6 little squares to fill. Then, spoon a tablespoon or so of filling into each one, fold diagonally and crimp with a fork. 

Set your turnovers on a baking sheet. I usually do 6 to a sheet just so they have room to puff. You will need both sheets of puff pastry to make the total twelve. Whisk your egg up with a few drops of water and brush it liberally over the tops of the turnovers. Bake them in an oven at 375 degrees for 18-20 minutes, or until golden brown.

Once they are out of the oven, wait 10 minutes before glazing - if they are too warm, the glaze won't stick. To make the glaze, just mix your sugar and milk. Add just a tablespoon of milk to start and keep adding until its just combined. You are going for a thick glaze, so don't add too much milk. Also, in my opinion, the more glaze the better, just like when I was a kid... (Now eat immediately, while they are still warm and gooey on the inside!) You will have extra filling, which is great over ice cream, pound cake, or just eaten with a spoon!

*** A note about puff pastry- you can find it in the frozen foods isle. I always use Pepperidge Farms brand. It comes with two sheets of pastry that have to be thawed overnight in the fridge, or I set it out on the counter a few hours before I make something to thaw a little faster. It's a great easy dough that is my 'go to' when I need flakey layers of puffy, buttery goodness! 

Dutch Baby with Caramel Apples

Well it's been a wild summer and this blog has definitely been a bit neglected, but I have missed it so much! Now that I'm back in school I'm hoping to start back up with regular posts and get in the kitchen a lot more. These last couple days in SLC have been a dream..70 degree weather and sunny skies, its got me in the mood for fall. So coming to you after a three month hiatus, I bring a delicious Dutch Baby! This recipe is so easy and probably something we've all made before - it's basically a German pancake, but in a skillet, so you get 360 degree crispy edges, and I just like how it looks. After researching many Dutch Baby recipes I came up with my own perfect mix that I think is just right. Enough eggs to give it puffiness, but not so many that it tastes like an omelet..not my favorite. This Dutch Baby is perfect on its own with some sugar and jam..., but i couldn't stop there... Since it's been feeling like fall, and I happened across these really pretty apples I decided to add a little caramel apple sauce...and it was the best thing I think I've ever done! Totally exceeded my expectations - so good! And don't be scared off by the word caramel - it's just brown sugar, that's it, but it is oh so good. So go make this now! For breakfast, lunch, dinner, or just because... in 20 minutes you could be eating this fluffy pillow of goodness!

Dutch Baby 

• 3/4 cup flour 
• 3/4 cup whole milk 
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla 
• 1 teaspoon salt 
• 1 Tablespoon sugar 
• 3 tablespoons butter

In a blender, crack the eggs and add all the ingredients except the butter. Mix on high for about thirty seconds until everything is smooth and there are no lumps. You don't have to do this in a blender, it just ensures there are no lumps of flour which helps the Dutch Baby rise better. Let the batter sit for 10 - 15 minutes while you preheat the oven to 425 degrees. This helps the batter meld together and the ingredients get to know each other. Put your skillet in the oven as it's preheating till it's really hot, then remove it (with a hot pad!!!) and add 3 tablespoons of butter - it will melt right away. Pour your batter in the hot buttered pan and stick it in the oven for 17-20 minutes. Serve immediately with powdered sugar, or your caramel apples.

While your Dutch Baby is puffing up, you can whip up the apple topping. It's so simple - all you need is: brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, and apples.

Apple Caramel 

• 2 medium sized apples or 1 large
• 2-3 tablespoons butter 
• 1/4 cup brown sugar (or a little more if you feel like it)
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

To start, cut your apples thinly, you want them to soften quickly.  Throw the butter in a skillet over medium heat and let it melt, then add your sliced apples. Sauté the apples in the butter for about 3 minutes before adding the sugar and cinnamon, so they can begin to soften. Keep the apples bubbling away at medium heat with the sugar until they are well coated and a thin sauce develops, about 5 minutes. Turn the heat off and let them sit until the Dutch Baby is ready.

Once the Dutch Baby is out, top it with the apples and serve immediately. If you wait to serve, it will begin to lose some of its puff, but it will still taste great. I like to serve it with fresh whipped cream, but you don't really need it - the caramel apples do just great on their own. Enjoy this for a quick fall dessert, breakfast, or snack and you won't regret it! 

Easter Lemon Bunt Cakes

Easter is just around the corner and what better way to celebrate than mini lemon bunt cakes that double as a little bird nest? I don't think there's anything more festive. These cakes are so simple I just used Ina Garten's recipe for lemon loaf cake and added on a few extras. The cakes are moist and delicious because they are soaked with lemon syrup right when they come out of the oven and then covered in a sugar glaze...my mouth is watering just thinking about it! These light happy little cakes are the perfect way to celebrate the coming of spring and a glorious Easter holiday. You can whip these up in about an hour and be ready to entertain family and friends anytime!

Ina Garten's Lemon Yogurt Cake

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup plain yogurt
• 1 1/3 cup sugar divided
• 3 eggs
• 2 teaspoons lemon zest
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• /2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/3 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice 

Glaze

• 1 cup powdered sugar 
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice 

To start, set your oven to 350 degrees and grease your mini bunt pans or muffin tins. Sift the dry ingredients into a small bowl and then in a separate bowl mix the yogurt, 1 cup sugar, eggs, lemon zest, and vanilla. Once those are all mixed, slowly add the flour mixture to the wet and mix till just combined.  Lastly, stir in the 1/2 cup of vegetable oil and you're ready to bake! Pour each cup 2/3 of the way full and bake for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. While the cakes are baking take your reserved 1/3 cup sugar and 1/3 cup of lemon juice and heat them in a saucepan on the stove over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved, then set it aside to cool. 

Once the cakes are out, poke them with toothpicks and pour a spoonful of cooled syrup over each of them. While the syrup soaks in make your glaze, simply combine the powdered sugar and lemon juice to create. Let the cakes cool before drizzling the glaze over each one.

The last step is to add the nests. put about 1/2 a cup of shredded coconut in a dry pan and toast over medium heat until it's got some color on it. Watch it carefully because it can burn, take it off the heat when it's just starting to turn brown and let it cool until it's easy to handle. 

To top the cakes, just place a little handful of coconut right in the center of the bunt, it should stick to the slightly wet glaze. Then add whatever candy egg you like, I used a chocolate covered almond, but you could use cadbury eggs, or jellybeans...anything would work! Then all you have to do is enjoy your little lemon nests, and have a happy Easter!

Springtime Salad

Spring is in the air! There is nothing better than the feeling of warming up after a long winter, which is why spring is my favorite season...although I kinda say that when every season comes along so don't hold me to that! Spring really is particularly exciting though because the garden comes back to life!!! All of the sudden you have so many fresh ingredients to work with, this salad is a celebration of everything fresh and spring. This is a variation on a salad I make all the time as it warms up. My favorite part is the micro greens they are so yummy and different than your everyday lettuce. This is the perfect salad to serve with your Easter dinner or anytime at all!

You can whip this salad up in no time it just takes a few ingredients and you're good to go!

Springtime Salad

• 1 box mixed micro greens (I've found these at Harmons)
• A few handfuls of mixed greens 
• 1/2 cup thawed frozen peas or fresh 
• 3 sliced radishes
• 1/3-1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese 

First, throw your greens in a bowl and then I like to start to layer it with all the pretty stuff. Start with thinly sliced radishes, then sprinkle your peas over the top and lastly the feta cheese. Sometimes I'll add scallions or slivered almond to finish for extra flavor but it's perfect just the way it is. For dressing you can either do a squeeze of lemon with olive oil, or any of your favorite bottled vinaigrettes, but my favorite thing to do is just a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and olive oil! Toss your salad gently and enjoy immediately!

Buttermilk Cake with Caramelized Bananas and Whipped Cream

I am so sick of this cold weather. I'm ready for spring and fresh vegetables that aren't squash. I've felt really uninspired lately in my cooking which always frustrates me, but I think its this awkward in-between of seasons that does it to me. There is nothing really in season and I'm ready to be done with winter comfort food so I feel stuck! But that is when dessert always pulls through, something sweet will never fail to brighten my day. This buttermilk cake is so good and full of comfort! it's thick and dense like a pound cake with a slight tang from the buttermilk. The sweet bananas are the perfect complement to this cake, since it's not very sweet itself, and then whipped cream...it just makes everything better. This cake is also super good spread with raspberry jam and cream for a more english take on a classic pound cake. Anyway, I hope you will bake this cake and that your winter blues will fade away with each delicious bite!

Buttermilk Cake

-serves 10-

• 2 sticks softened butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 3 room temperature eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 cups ap flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup buttermilk

To start, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and butter a 9x13 pan. Begin to cream the butter and sugar in your mixer, mix until well combined and light and fluffy. Add the eggs 1 at a time and mix until combined and then add the vanilla. Sift the dry ingredients into a separate bowl and then add them in 3 parts, alternating with the cup of buttermilk. Mix until just combined and scrape the sides down with a spatula. Pour into your pan and bake for 45 minutes to an hour, depending on your oven and the size of your pan. If you use a 9x13 it should be done at around 50 minutes, just to the point that a toothpick comes out clean.

Now for the yummiest part - the caramelized bananas!! You can just whip these up last minute, and you're ready to serve. It only takes about 5 minutes and then you have warm bananas and sugar to spoon over your cake!

Caramelized Bananas

• 6 ripe bananas
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 4 tablespoons corn syrup
• 1 cup brown sugar
• sprinkle of sea salt
• teaspoon of vanilla

Slice the bananas and throw them in a saucepan with the butter, corn syrup, and brown sugar. Warm over medium high heat, until the sugars and butter is melted and the bananas are slightly soft, about 5 minutes. Lastly, turn the heat to low and add your sea salt and vanilla. Stir and serve warm over cake or ice cream. Top your cake and bananas with fresh whipped cream and serve immediately!

Winter Tomato Soup with Giant Croutons

All my life I've been extremely annoyed with croutons. To me they were obstacles in my salad that were hard, tasteless, and couldn't be picked up with a fork. This changed one day when I had the biggest, fluffiest crouton of my life. I was at a restaurant and ordered the caesar salad, when it came out it was topped with 3 giant cubes of sourdough bread that had been toasted to a golden brown perfection on each side. It was like bread heaven, and instead of being hard little obstacles they we crispy on the outside and warm and soft on the inside...those were a crouton I was ok with. So anyway, when I was thinking of what to make on this dreary winter day, I though of those comforting croutons and knew I had to try and recreate them. Instead of salad I thought they would be nice to top a warm soup. I thought about how I could create a decent creamy tomato soup without the produce of summer and this is what I came up with. Canned crushed tomatoes, enhanced with butter, onions, and garlic, some fresh rosemary and parmesan cheese. It turned out pretty good and really hearty for a cold winters day. 

Winter Tomato Soup

-serves 4-

2 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon olive oil 

1 small yellow onion 

2 cloves garlic; minced 

1 sprig rosemary 

2 inches of parmesan cheese rind

1 1/2 cups chicken broth

28oz can crushed or pureed tomatoes 

salt and pepper

1/2 cup heavy cream 

To start, chop up your onion to a fine dice and melt the butter and olive oil in a pot over medium heat. Let the onion sweat in the butter and olive oil for about 5 minutes and then add the minced garlic and rosemary sprig. Sauté for a few minutes more and then add your tomatoes and chicken broth, as well as the cheese rind. Stir well and let come to a simmer for at least 10 minutes, remove the rosemary. At this point, if you like, you can blend the soup in a blender or with an emersion blender to make extra smooth, just remember to remove the cheese rind. If small pieces of onion don't bother you, you can serve as is. Add salt and pepper to taste and, if you used a blender, pour back in the pot until ready to serve. Right before serving, turn off the heat and stir in the half cup cream. This will give it a silky decadent texture, and you're ready to serve with parmesan cheese and a large crouton on top!

Giant Croutons

1 baguette 

2-4 tablespoons of butter

sea salt 

fresh cracked pepper 

Slice your baguette into 1 to 1 1/2 inch pieces and heat a skillet to medium high heat with a good amount of butter. Place baguette pieces in hot pan and fry till golden brown on both sides. Sprinkle the top with coarse sea salt and black pepper and serve over your soup. **If you fry them in batches, be sure to add more butter each time so they get a good golden crust!

Birthday Popovers with Raspberry Butter

One of my New Year's resolutions was to cook something new every week, whether it was a recipe i'd never tried before or one of my own creations. I'm hoping this goal will keep me out of a cooking rut, and keep creative ideas for new recipes flowing...we'll see how long this actually lasts! For this week it's my mom's birthday, and I happened to be trying out popover recipes. I've had a strange obsession with popovers since I was little and experienced them at a locally owned bistro with my mom called Zinn Bistro. It was family run, and the mom did all the cooking, and everything she made was so DELICIOUS! I can't even describe it, every bite was magic. To start your meal you would get a basket of bread, but not just any bread - it was all homemade and sometimes different depending on the day,... BUT the homemade popovers were always the very best part! They came warm with a bunch of raspberry butter, and even though that restaurant is now closed, the memory of the popovers will never leave me! Recently, I found Mimi Thorisson's recipe for Yorkshire pudding, which is basically a popover but with meat juices instead of butter or oil. I knew I had to try them because I love everything she ever makes, and when I did, they were delicious and a hit with my whole family. We couldn't get enough. I whipped up some raspberry butter and it was almost like my mom and I were back at Zinn Bistro, so it was only fitting that I made them once again to celebrate her birthday! 

From Mimi Thorisson's blog, "Manger"

Recipe for Yorkshire Pudding or Popovers

*makes 10-12*

2 cups flour

1 cup whole milk 

2 tablespoons cold water 

4 eggs 

olive oil or meat juices (for Yorkshire pudding)

This recipe is so easy and the ingredients are things you almost always have in your house, so there is never a bad time to make popovers! For best results, use a popover pan, but you can use a muffin tin - they will just be denser and more like a German pancake. A popover pan insures they are airy and light on the inside, and crispy on the outside. You can find one here! 

To make your popovers, start with mixing your flour and milk and water together. Then add each egg one at a time and mix until incorporated. That's about it, once you've mixed it well and most the lumps have gone you're ready to bake! Set your oven to 400 degrees and pour just a bit of olive oil into the bottom of each tin, then set the tin in the oven for about 5 minutes, so the oil is nice and hot. Now you can pour your batter in, fill each cup about 3/4 full and bake for 20 minutes or until the tops are nice and golden brown. Serve warm with raspberry butter!

Raspberry Butter

1 stick butter 

 1/4 cup raspberry jam or more depending on how sweet you like it 

4 tablespoons powdered sugar 

Let your butter come to room temperature and then mash it and the jam together with a fork. Mix in the powdered sugar and serve. Add less or more jam depending on how sweet you like it!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!

Pasta in a Creamy Tarragon Sauce with Peas and Roasted Chicken

The holidays are over, but we still have a lot of winter to get through, so creamy, simple pastas are just the thing to keep us cozy! This is such a yummy dish and really filling. It's full of peas and roasted chicken, and tossed in a creamy, white wine sauce. It sounds fancy, but is quick enough for any weeknight meal. I kept thinking I'd make something fresh and light for all those new years resolutions, but salads don't really comfort me on these cold, grey days, so, pasta it is!  After making this, I just had a really yummy lunch on my hands - and plenty of left overs! This recipe takes just 30 minute from start to finish, but if you want to simplify it even further you can buy a rotisserie chicken and throw that into the sauce instead of roasting your own.  Basically there is no reason you shouldn't be making this recipe as soon as possible!

Pasta with Tarragon Sauce, Peas, and Chicken

serves 6 with leftovers

1 lb fettuccine noodles 

2 boneless chicken breasts

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons flour 

1 clove garlic, minced  

1/4 cup white cooking wine

1 cup cream

1 tablespoon chopped tarragon

1/2 cup frozen peas

parmesan cheese

salt and pepper

To start, rub your two chicken breasts with olive oil and sprinkle them with salt and pepper, then put them in the oven at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes, or until they're just done. While the chicken cooks, start boiling water to cook your pasta in and start the sauce. Melt two tablespoons of butter in a large saucepan over medium high heat. Add the garlic and cook just until the garlic is fragrant. Add the cooking wine and stir into butter and cook until the alcohol smell is gone, about 2 minutes or so. Now you can add your cup of cream, stirring constantly.  Let it come to a simmering boil. Now, to thicken the sauce, add a paste of 2 tablespoons flour and 2 tablespoons soften butter that you've smashed together with a fork, so there is no dry flour. Stir it into the cream mixture and bring to a boil, it should thicken quite quickly. Lastly, add a sprinkle of salt and a good amount of pepper with your minced tarragon. Stir to combine and turn off the heat. 

note: If you find your sauce is too thick, or has sat too long, reserve some of the pasta water to spoon in and loosen it up.

While the pasta cooks, and your sauce sits, pull your chicken out of the oven and let it cool slightly before slicing into pieces. When your pasta is done according to package directions, add it directly to the sauce from the pasta water with a pair of tongs, the water left on the noodles will help to enrich the sauce. Throw your chicken into the sauce and toss with the noodles. Lastly, add your frozen peas and a few grates of parmesan cheese. The heat of the pasta will thaw the peas. Serve immediately, with extra cheese. Enjoy with a salad and crusty bread for a quick and easy dinner!

New Years Chocolate Truffles

Christmas has come and gone, and we have all probably had our fill of cookies, cakes, and sweets. But, the new year is just around the corner and you have to celebrate that with something sweet! I thought truffles were perfect, they're easy to make and a yummy small bite that's not too filling, and they look really fancy! I adapted this recipe just a bit from the cookbook Tartine it's a great book full of yummy pastry and cake recipes, all from the bakery in San Francisco. I changed mine up a bit with different topping to roll them in, so they would look like shinning gems on the new years table! I used chopped pistachios, cocoa powder, and powdered sugar! These truffles are basically like making a thick ganache and then just waiting for them to set in the fridge, so hardly any work and they look so pretty. These would be perfect to have on New Years Eve with some friends and a little bubbly cider!

CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES

makes about 20 truffles

8 ounces semi or bitter sweet chocolate 

1/3 cup heavy cream 

1 teaspoon corn syrup

2 1/2 tablespoons butter 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

powdered sugar, cocoa powder, pistachios or whatever you like

To start, heat the heavy cream and corn syrup over medium heat until it is almost boiling. While the cream is heating up, chop your chocolate into pieces, I usually use two 4oz. bars. Put your chocolate in a bowl and pour the hot cream over it along with the softened butter. Stir this mixture until the heat of the cream has melted all the chocolate and butter and it is smooth. Lastly, add your vanilla, then you need to wait for the chocolate to come to room temperature and firm up a bit. I usually just set mine in the fridge covered with plastic wrap for about 1 hour. After that 1 hour take your bowl of chocolate out and scoop little balls out with a small ice cream scoop, melon baller or just a tablespoon. Place the balls on a sheet tray, it should make 20 to 30 depending on the size of your truffle. At this point the truffle will still be pretty soft so put them back in the fridge for a couple hours or in the freezer for about half an hour until they're nice and firm. 

Once they come out of the cold they will look like the picture above and be fairly easy to handle. Dump a cup or so of chopped pistachios, powdered sugar or cocoa powder into a wide bowl or plate and then roll the truffles in the coating. You can roll the chocolate in your hands right before rolling them through the coating so the surface is warm and will stick to your toppings better. After you're done you can place them in small cupcake liners or just on a plate, and stick them back in the fridge until you are ready to serve. The truffles will last a week or two if kept in the fridge. 

I hope you have a happy new year and that these little guys make it to your celebration table!

Grandma's Mint Slush

It finally snowed, so it's really starting to feel like Christmas here in good old Salt Lake City. What better way to celebrate the snow than with some icy slush in a festive green color. This is my grandma Martha's recipe, and she's been making this for as long as I can remember.  It has been at family parties and summer barbecue's, and everything in-between. It's one of those recipes that takes you back in time to a party in the 1950s, straight from The Better Home and Gardens Cookbook. I love pouring over old recipes - nothing like vintage gelatin molds, aspic loafs, and a good old red velvet cake. Food has grown and changed a lot since those days, but this slush deserves not to be forgotten! Minty fresh, and easy to make, this is great for a party anytime of the year.  My grandma tends to make it in the summer, especially before she moved from her old house when all she had to do was grab fresh mint from the garden and she was ready to go. I decided this was a great festive drink for the holidays because of it's Christmassy color and and minty taste. This is good for a crowd because one batch makes a ton and a little goes a long way.  Its ready to sip on as a treat before dinner...my grandma always serves it with the hors d'oeuvres. 

This is a super easy recipe, but keep in mind you'll need extra time for freezing. You can either freeze overnight and let it sit out for a couple hours until you can flake it apart with a fork, or you can freeze the slush for a few hours, stirring every so often, until its slushy.

MINT SLUSH 

-serves 16-20 four ounce servings-

4 cups water 

4 cups sugar 

handful of mint leaves 

12 oz can lemonade concentrate 

3 12oz cans water 

4 tablespoons lemon juice 

2-3 drops green food coloring 

2L bottle Sprite or Ginger Ale 

To start, put your sugar and 4 cups water in a sauce pan and heat on medium high heat until sugar is dissolved. Add mint and bring to a boil.  Tturn heat off and let mint steep in sugar water for 1 hour. In a large bowl mix your cooled mint syrup with the lemonade concentrate and 3 cans water, lemon juice and green food coloring. This mixture is ready for the freezer - that's all the hard work done! I usually freeze it overnight and then just let it sit out an hour or two until I want to serve and soften it up with a fork. When its the day of your party, pull out the frozen mixture and let sit until you can begin to chunk it up, it should look something like this... 

The final step is to add your fizz!  You can use sprite, or ginger ale. I like using Sprite Zero to cut down on the sugar content. Pour your fizzy drink into the bowl with slush mixture until you reach desired consistency. Just before serving, begin to add the Sprite until desired slushy consistency - usually half the bottle is  about right, give or take. That's it then - you're ready to serve!  It goes without saying, serve immediately unless you want melted slush!

Chocolate Molten Cakes with Candy Cane Cream

It's the best time of the year, and with the first week of December here, I bring you candy canes and chocolate! To me, there is no better dessert than something chocolate, and these cakes are perfect for that craving. Rich chocolatey flavor with a molten, runny center, they just can't be beat. I found this recipe a few years ago and altered it just a bit, but I think it's the best molten cake I've ever had. The candy cane cream adds such a fun holiday element because the candy canes tint the cream a pretty pink and it tastes like peppermint! I love the combination of chocolate and peppermint and this is just the perfect amount - this cake would also be delicious with peppermint ice-cream. This is such an easy recipe, but looks really impressive when you serve them individually. They would be great to serve for Christmas dinner dessert!  

First, lets start with the candy cane cream. It can be made in 4 simple steps and then set aside while you quickly pull the cakes together, so it can be infused with candy cane flavor and pinkness.

Step 1: Whip 1 cup cream until soft peaks form.

Step 2: Stir in 3 tablespoons powdered sugar and a teaspoon vanilla.

Step 3: Crush 5-6 candy canes in a ziplock bag with a rolling pin.

Step4: fold about 3 tablespoons of candy cane crumbs into cream.

- Use extra candy cane pieces to sprinkle onto cake when you serve - 

Now, for the cakes. First, preheat your oven to 450 degrees, and butter and flour 4 ramekins.

Molten Chocolate Cakes

serves 4

1 stick butter 

6oz. bittersweet chocolate (I use Ghirardellis)

2 eggs 

2 egg yolks 

4 tablespoons sugar 

2 tablespoons flour 

To start, melt your chocolate and butter over a double boiler or in the microwave (in 20 second increments), until just melted. Set chocolate aside to cool. Beat eggs and egg yolks with sugar, until light yellow and foamy, about 2 minutes. Lastly, add cooled chocolate into egg mixture along with flour and stir until combined. Divide batter evenly between your 4 buttered ramekins and bake in a 450 degree oven for 8-10 minutes. You want the cake to still be slightly wobbly in the center, so pull them out even if you think they aren't quite done. Wait about 30 seconds and dump each cake onto a serving plate - they should come right out. Top with mounds of peppermint whipped cream and crushed candy canes, and serve immediately. You can have the batter done in advance and bake whenever you're ready to serve, so you have almost no work to do after dinner. I like to sprinkle my cakes with powdered sugar, as well as having the whipped cream, because it kinda looks like snow, which is all the more festive!

Hosting Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is the ultimate celebration of not only family and gratitude, but food. It's the time of year where you get to pull out all your favorite recipes and make copious amounts of them to eat for days on end. I love cooking for people, I feel like it's a special way to show how much I love and appreciate those I care about - Thanksgiving embodies that feeling, with a day for food and family. Although Thanksgiving is wonderful, the idea of hosting it can be a daunting task, so I've compiled a few of my favorite recipes and easy tablescapes to make your festive feast go off without a hitch!! 

First off, let's talk about all those delicious sides!  There's stuffing, green bean casserole, winter salads, rolls and of course my favorite...mashed potatoes. For some reason, I don't usually make green bean casserole - I usually replace it with these delicious Brussels Sprouts because I think they're a great easy veggie side, but I won't be offended if you stick with your green beans!

So let me just take a minute to tell you about my favorite mashed potatoes. They aren't over done, they are simple and delicious with a hint of buttermilk, and they never disappoint. You can find the recipe here for Ina Gartens wonderful Buttermilk mashed potatoes. 

Next, I feel like the salad at Thanksgiving always gets over looked, but sometimes you want a bit a fresh lettuce in-between the decadence! So there are tons of great salads out there, but this beet salad with ricotta I made the other day is fun and different to add a little color to your Thanksgiving table.

Then, there are the rolls, I have to be honest - I get kind of intimidated to make my own rolls. I want to perfect the art of all yeast dough, but I'm not there quite yet. However, I saw this recipe a little while ago and knew I wanted to try it out.  How can Parker House rolls ever be bad, right? So if you want to take a leap of faith with me, try this recipe for salty, buttery rolls from Alex Guarnaschelli. 

Next, I really don't want to mess with your stuffing - or dressing, or whatever you prefer to call it! Everyone has their own stuffing recipe that they think is just right. Whether it uses cornbread, or sourdough, or good old white bread, I don't want to ruin your tradition.  I will be making my Grandma's stuffing like we do every year. It's a simple recipe with celery, onions and sage sautéed in lots of butter, then adding in dried bread cubes, tossing to coat, and seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.  The smell alone is enough to get in the holiday spirit!

Ok, now lets talk about the table. You want to make something beautiful for all your guests to enjoy, but not exhaust yourself in the process. Here's a simple tablescape I put together with all things edible, for a beautiful harvest table.

I used a vintage bread bowl to set bunches of crisp granny smith apples in, and walnuts as place card holders. I decided to deviate from the typical harvest color scheme and repeat the green of the apples in the napkins for a fresh look. I used a simple linen throw from ikea as my table cloth because I didn't want anything to detract from the centerpiece. Simple green paper napkins pull the look together and make for easy cleanup. 

For the place cards I wrote on small plain tags from the craft store and leaned them against un-shelled walnuts. I attempted to write ON the walnuts shell, but that was not happening, so paper was definitely an easier alternative!  

For place settings I pulled out my moms wedding china, because after all, it is Thanksgiving. With that, the table is ready to go - all that's left is to get some turkey on those plates and Thanksgiving is upon us! Speaking of turkey, lets talk about that for a minute!  It's the crowning glory of the meal and always a bit intimidating. You never know if it will be dry or moist, flavorful or not. So heres a few tips that hopefully will make your turkey come out right every time.

1. BUTTER! Rub that whole turkey down with lots of butter and a good amount of salt, to get a pretty brown and flavorful skin.

2. BAG IT. I am a believer in turkey bags, it may not be the prettiest way but I think those bags help to keep all the juices in and give you a moist turkey almost every time.  The bag decreases cooking time, as well.

3. DON'T OVERCOOK! Take your turkey out of the oven a few minutes before it seems "done",and give it time to rest. Place a piece of foil over the top and let the turkey rest for a good 30 minutes or so. In this time it will continue cooking and be perfect when you're ready to cut into it!

Those are just a couple of my tips, but here is a list from food network that may help with those turkey cooking conundrums.

Ok, last but not least, you always need a special little bubbly to celebrate the season. So I whipped up a quick little "mock"tail just for the occasion. I can't exactly call this a recipe because it's just Ginger Ale and cranberry juice, but it's really pretty and you'll feel fancy drinking it! All it is, is 2 parts ginger ale to 1 part cranberry juice. You could also use white grape juice, which is delicious too.

Pour your mix into fancy glasses or have a whole bunch in a drink dispenser for everyone to help themselves. I like to garnish it with cranberries because they look so pretty bobbing in the effervescences.

I hope these tips can help you to throw a fabulous feast and that you'll get to spend more time with delicious food, and loved ones. Happy Thanksgiving!

Roasted Beet Salad with Ricotta Cheese, Arugula, and Orange Vinaigrette

I love, love, love beets. Every time I taste one it's like a little surprise because I forget just how good they are until that first bite. This salad is great for the holidays because it's fun and different  and can easily be served family style, or plated individually for a party. I love the bite of the peppery arugula with the creamy ricotta, and of course the beets - tender, yummy, and drenched in orange vinaigrette... yum! This is a salad that I make with different variations all the time, sometimes I stack cylinders of beets in-between ricotta cheese for a fancy look or I just throw cubes of beets in with an arugula salad - either way, they're always delicious. This time I was inspired by a beet salad I had at the Copper Kitchen not too long ago that had pistachio on the top. It gave such a yummy, salty bite, so I sprinkled some on of top this salad just for extra crunch.

Ingredients

-serves 4-6 people  as a side-

5-6 large beets 

olive oil 

salt and pepper 

1 cup ricotta 

2 table spoons whipping cream 

Orange Vinaigrette

1/4 cup olive oil 

1 1/2 teaspoons dijon mustard

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar 

2-3 tablespoons fresh squeezed orange juice 

salt+pepper

Start with the beets.  Cut the tops and bottoms off, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Wrap each beet in foil and set on a sheet tray.  Bake at 350 degrees for an hour, or until tender. While the beets bake, mix your cup of ricotta with whipping cream and a good amount of salt and pepper, and set aside. When the beets come out of the oven, let cool for about 30 minutes or until cool enough to handle, and use a paper towel to rub the "skin" off the beets. Cut the beets into bite size pieces and set aside while you prepare the vinaigrette.

To start the vinaigrette, mix the olive oil, dijon, salt and pepper, apple cider vinegar and orange juice. Whisk well to emulsify and pour over beets (you will have more vinaigrette than you need). Let the beets marinate in the dressing for about 15 minutes before you put the salad together.

Lastly, put it all together. Smooth your ricotta mixture over the bottom of your serving dish or plate, then add a layer of arugula. Next, place your beets on top of the arugula. Sprinkle the beets with sea salt and finely chopped pistachios. You will have more vinaigrette than needed, so take the beets out of the vinaigrette with a slotted spoon instead of pouring it all over, because it could become too soggy. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Shredded Brussel Sprouts with Dried Cranberries and Almonds

This is one of my favorite recipes to make for family. I remember when we had my grandma over for dinner and she first tasted them, she couldn't get enough and said how they were nothing like Brussels sprouts she'd ever had before. There couldn't have been a better compliment than to have the bowl of Brussels sprouts devoured long before anything else. To make it even better, this recipe is so easy, and literally takes like 10 minutes to make! The hardest part is cutting the sprouts into shreds and I think that's kind of therapeutic anyway, so all in all its the perfect quick veggie side, and a new staple at our Thanksgiving table. 

Brussels Sprouts with Cranberries and Almonds  

-serves 4 as a side-

about 1 pound brussels sprouts

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon olive oil 

1-2 teaspoons garlic salt

salt and pepper 

1/3 cup craisins or any dried cranberry 

1/4 cup slivered almonds

squeeze of lemon juice 

Start by chopping your brussels sprouts into thin slices. Over medium to high heat, heat the butter and olive oil and add your brussels sprouts with a sprinkle of salt. Sauté for about 5 minutes or until the brussels sprouts are tender, then add your dried cranberries and almonds. Keep stove on high heat and sauté for another 5 minutes, while adding a teaspoon or 2 of garlic salt to taste. I like to keep the brussels sprouts over high heat so they can get a bit of color and crisp up. So - after you've tossed the garlic salt in, and a bit of pepper, turn the heat off. Lastly, squeeze some lemon juice over the top and serve immediately. This recipe is really easy to change for your needs and can easily be doubled or tripled for however many you're feeding. Enjoy!