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< all recipes Decadent Chocolate Cake This chocolate cake is quite possibly my favorite thing in the whole world but to be honest I almost never actually make it – as the birthday cake of choice in my family, my mom is the one who has been making 5 of these a year since before I can remember – that would be a nice round 29 cakes just for yours truly (well actually she made me 3 cakes this year but who’s counting). This is my sister (left) and me with my Grandpa clearly excited about the cake. Its been around a while. Decadent Chocolate Cake Serves: 1 9" cake Ingredients 1 cup boiling water 66g/9tbl cocoa powder or 3 oz unsweetened chocolate* 8 tbls unsalted butter 1 tsp vanilla extract 2 cups granulated sugar 2 egg yolks 3 egg whites 1 tsp baking soda ½ cup dairy sour cream 2 cups less 2 tbls all-purpose flour, sifted 1 tsp baking powder Chocolate Frosting: 3 tbl unsalted butter 1¼ cups semi sweet chocolate chips ½ cup heavy cream 4 cups (1lb) confectioners sugar 2 tsp vanilla extract *the original recipe was for unsweetened baking chocolate but we recently started using cocoa powder out of necessity and there is now a big debate over which is better. the cocoa powder makes a slightly more moist richer cake but both are delicious so use what you have! Print Preparation Preheat the oven to 350° F, then grease and flour two 9” cake pans. In a large bowl, combine butter and cocoa powder or unsweetened chocolate, pour in 1 cup boiling water and whisk or, if using baking chocolate, let stand until melted. Whisk in vanilla and sugar then the egg yolks, one at a time, blending well after each. Mix baking soda and sour cream together and whisk into chocolate mixture. Sift flour and baking powder together and add to batter. With a spatula, mix until just combined. With a stand mixer or hand mixer, beat egg whites until stiff but not dry. Fold a quarter of the whites into batter, then gently add the remainder. Pour batter into the prepared pans and bake for 40 to 50 minutes (rotating halfway through) or until edges have pulled away from sides. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, unmold and cool completely on a wire rack before frosting. For the Frosting: Place all ingredients into a medium saucepan over low heat and whisk until smooth. Frost the first layer, just on the top. Place the second layer on top of the first and pour frosting over top, push over the edge to frost the sides. Previous Next hungry for more? Winter Citrus Salad with Toasted Za’atar Breadcrumbs Cacio e Pepe w/ Garlicky Greens Slow-Cooked Prime Rib Roast

< all recipes Easy Weeknight Veggies If I am having dinner by myself during the week there is nothing I love more than a plate piled high with roasted veggies. I know, it’s not normal. So I usually pair these with sautéed chicken and a tasty bread when others are joining me. With the leftovers, warm them up in the microwave, toss spinach with the dressing and add the warmed Brussels sprouts and sweet potato. I love adding warm things to spinach salad to wilt the spinach slightly. Feel free to add whatever else you have to the salad, such as toasted walnuts and dried cherries. Easy Weeknight Veggies Serves: 4 Servings Ingredients 16oz Brussels sprouts 2 sweet potatoes 2 tbl olive oil 1 tbl salt 2 tsp black pepper 2 tbl fresh thyme (or 2 tsp dried) 2-3 tsp red pepper flakes Print Preparation Preheat oven to 450˚F. Cut ends off Brussels sprouts, slice in half, and set aside in a large bowl. Cube sweet potato and add to bowl, toss with olive oil, salt, pepper, thyme, and red pepper flakes. Spread veggies out on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Roast for 15 minutes, give a quick toss and roast another 10 minutes. Dressing (optional) 2 tbl balsamic glaze 2 tsp dijon mustard 3 tbl white wine vinegar Whisk ingredients together and toss with finished veggies or let people drizzle on their plate. Previous Next hungry for more? Winter Citrus Salad with Toasted Za’atar Breadcrumbs Cacio e Pepe w/ Garlicky Greens Slow-Cooked Prime Rib Roast

< all recipes Roasted Sesame Green Bean Salad Our first few meals in Myanmar were uninspired, to say the least; the first problem being that we were the only people in the dining room…literally. The second was the completely western menu. I ended up getting some sort of fish steamed in foil and presented on the plate, in the foil, with no sauce or sides. Not exactly what we traveled over 8,000 miles to eat. You can thus imagine the awkwardness when the chef came out to see how we liked the meal, and after we gave some rave reviews she continued to stand there smiling as if waiting for more praise. Our last lunch at Inle Lake, however, was traditional Myanmar food and, not surprisingly, was spectacular. I ordered steamed spring onions that were combined with ground rice to make something similar to a tamale. We ended up just sharing everything we ordered and my favorite dish was the green bean salad with sesame seeds. I set about recreating it as soon as I got home, with a few alterations: the original was quite oily so I reduced the oil and used toasted sesame oil for an extra punch of flavor, and I went with sliced almonds instead of ground peanuts for a crunchier texture (feel free to try peanuts if you like). Roasted Sesame Green Bean Salad Serves: 4 side servings Ingredients 16oz green beans, cut into ½” segments (about the size of the edamame) 8oz edamame (i usually buy frozen) 2-3 tbl toasted sesame oil 2 tbl fish sauce ¼ cup soy sauce ¼ cup white sesame seeds ¼ cup black sesame seeds ½ cup sliced almonds, toasted salt and pepper Print Preparation Blanch the green beans – Get a pot of water boiling and prepare a bowl with plenty of ice and cold water. Add the green beans and edamame to the boiling water and cook for 2-3 minutes, strain and immediately add to the ice water. Let sit for a few minutes and then strain. Heat up a tbl or two of sesame oil in a large sauté pan. Add edamame and green beans and cook, stirring occasionally, until nicely charred (about 10 minutes). Pour in the fish sauce and soy sauce, scraping up any bits stuck to the pan, and remove from heat. Combine beans with sesame seeds and almonds - add salt and pepper if necessary. This dish can be served hot or room temperature - but is also delicious cold a few days later! Previous Next hungry for more? Winter Citrus Salad with Toasted Za’atar Breadcrumbs Cacio e Pepe w/ Garlicky Greens Slow-Cooked Prime Rib Roast

< all recipes Smokey Black Beans These beans are a great way to spice up some plain grilled chicken. Chipotles in adobo are possibly my favorite spice ingredient – chipotles are smoked jalapenos and adobo is a blend of various spices and seasonings such as paprika, oregano, garlic, salt and vinegar, originally used as a preservative. A little goes a long way here so I recommend starting slow (maybe 1/2 a chipotle or even just some of the adobo sauce), you can always add heat in later. Smokey Black Beans Serves: 4 Servings Ingredients 2 cans black beans 1 chipotle in adobo, plus a little of the sauce (depending on your spiciness threshold) 1 8oz can tomato sauce (crushed tomatoes work just as well) 2 tsp salt 1 tsp black pepper Print Preparation Heat up a sauté pan and add in everything except the black beans. Let simmer over medium heat for about 15 minutes, stirring often as tomatoes can burn easily. Pour into a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. Drain and rinse the beans, place the sauté pan over medium heat and add everything, stirring to coat the beans in the chipotle-tomato mixture. Again, keep an eye on this, stirring often for another 15 minutes. Previous Next hungry for more? Winter Citrus Salad with Toasted Za’atar Breadcrumbs Cacio e Pepe w/ Garlicky Greens Slow-Cooked Prime Rib Roast

< all recipes Chicken Tikka Masala I love Indian food but it has always intimidated me in the kitchen. So many spices! I think I am afraid of butchering the authenticity of a dish because it is so much more foreign in terms of technique and ingredients than what I cook regularly. Usually I can find some footing with a particular recipe or cuisine based on my culinary school training but Indian foods and flavors do not exactly fit within the "holy" French-based culinary canon taught this (and last) century.* *see the movie 100 Foot Journey for more on this topic...or if you just want a feel-good foodie love fest. A little over a year ago, I was watching one of my favorite nerd shows, The Mind of a Chef , and April Bloomfield was making Chicken Tikka Masala, talking about how it is the national dish of England! My first thought was "what!!? that can't be true" - well it is kiiiinda true, some prime minister, in some random speech, said it was " a true British national dish" in 2001. More importantly my second thought was "i can do this (!) - if it sucks, hey, its just british food." The fact that it was some mudblood hybrid leftover thing from colonial times somehow made it that much more accessible. Long story (not so) short, I made it, loved it, and have been more courageous ever since. And while the spice combinations do continue to occasionally stump me, they are usually still edible (sorry Chris!) and it is almost always because my chef head gets a little too big and I think that I can tweak a recipe on the first go-around (read: don't try that at home). What I am trying to say is: make this. Guess I should have led with that. Chicken Tikka Masala Serves: serves 4-6 Ingredients 2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts and/or thighs 4 tbl butter (or ghee if you have it) 1 yellow onion 2 tbl fresh ginger 3 cloves garlic ¼ cup tomato paste 2 tsp chili powder 2 tbl ground coriander 1 tbl ground cumin 1 tsp garam masala 1 tsp turmeric 1 tbl paprika 1 cup white wine (or 1/2 cup vinegar + 1/2 cup water) 1 28oz can crushed tomatoes 1 cup plain greek yogurt brown rice or naan (for serving – optional) Print Preparation Brine Chicken: combine ¼ cup fine salt with ¼ cup sugar in a large bowl, add about 8 cups of water and whisk vigorously to dissolve. cut chicken into 1” cubes, add to brine liquid and let sit in the fridge for 1 hour. Prep the rest of your ingredients: dice onion and set aside. Grate ginger and mince garlic – these can be set aside together. Measure out all of the spices (can be put in the same bowl) and set aside. Remove chicken from brine and dry thoroughly. Heat 2tbl butter in a large, wide-rimmed pot and sauté chicken – work in batches if necessary, crowding the pan causes the chicken to steam rather than sear. Remove chicken once seared and set aside. All you want is some golden brown color on the chicken, it does not have to be cooked through. Heat up another few tablespoons of butter in the same pot and sauté the onions for 5-7 minutes, season with salt. Add the garlic and ginger and continue to cook another minute, stirring often. Stir in tomato paste and spices, let cook 1 minute then deglaze with wine and scrape up any bits at the bottom. Stir in crushed tomatoes and add chicken back to the pot. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer for 15 minutes. If chicken is cooked through, remove from heat and stir in yogurt. Serve over rice, with naan, or as is. Notes *to make this in a slow cooker, use all dark meat and add everything to the pot except the yogurt. cook on low 4-6 hours. [br]add the yogurt just before serving. Previous Next hungry for more? Winter Citrus Salad with Toasted Za’atar Breadcrumbs Cacio e Pepe w/ Garlicky Greens Slow-Cooked Prime Rib Roast

< all recipes Bagna Cauda This past Christmas Chris and I gave my sister and her hubs a wine tasting class at Eataly. We strategically gave them 4 tickets, insisting they take whomever they wanted…luckily they chose us! This class ended up being quite a momentous occasion for me for two reasons. First, I had thought I was allergic to wine (after a few bad experiences in college) but decided it was about time to give it another try and I loved it! Perhaps I was never allergic or maybe it was just wine from a box that didn’t sit so well. Second, I thought I did not like anchovies but after devouring the salad paired with the first wine (actually a champagne-style wine called Contessa Rosa Alta Langa… which i highly recommend) I looked at the recipe in our handouts and sure enough the dressing had anchovy! I will admit I still find them kind of gross when whole but the beauty of Bagna Cauda is that the anchovy cooks down to nothing, leaving its intense depth of flavor (aka umami). Bagna Cauda Serves: 1-1 1/2 cups Ingredients 4 tbl unsalted butter 1 cup olive oil 6 cloves garlic, minced 6 anchovy fillets, minced 1 cup parmesan, grated 2 tsp black pepper Print Preparation Heat the butter and olive oil in a large sauté pan and add the minced garlic and anchovies. Cook until garlic becomes golden brown - garlic goes from perfectly golden to burned quite quickly so keep an eye on it. Immediately remove from the heat and stir in parmesan and pepper - It should not need salt because of the anchovies and parmesan so only add some if you have tasted it first. Serve warm drizzled over grilled vegetables or as a dip - which I like to serve over greek yogurt (like the picture) for better dip-ability. Notes If you are not into anchovies you can absolutely still make this - it might need a touch of sea salt added at the end to balance the flavors out. Previous Next hungry for more? Winter Citrus Salad with Toasted Za’atar Breadcrumbs Cacio e Pepe w/ Garlicky Greens Slow-Cooked Prime Rib Roast

< all recipes Wedding Cake Workshop Deciding to make my own wedding cake was quite simple really. I had the necessary knowledge and skills to make a delicious cake and I knew that the week leading up to the wedding would be stress free with my Mom at the helm. As cheesy as it sounds, the kitchen is really my sanctuary and there was nothing I would rather do during that week than make cake. What I did not fully account for, however, was that I would be making cake for 200 people. By myself. Thankfully for me (and my wedding guests), my best friend from culinary school, Emma (who happens to be in med school) offered to come help while she had time off to study for the boards. What could have been a complete disaster turned into an incredibly fun and rewarding week in the kitchen. The week before starting, I made sure to have all the necessary tools, pans, and specialty ingredients. Monday: I made the lemon curd filling and the white chocolate for the decorative flowers. Once the chocolate set, I started on the roses - the cones are the base and each ball will be flattened into a petal. Tuesday & Wednesday: Emma and I spent two days just baking off the cakes - 17 10" cakes total. Thursday: We split the cakes, filled them with lemon curd and did a preliminary coat of frosting. The photo above is the rental fridge filled with cakes on the back porch - thanks to my cousin Lindsay for that suggestion!! Friday: Final coat of buttercream and decorating. The tiered cake was mostly for presentation but also provided a wonderful late-night snack. I have given the cake recipe below. I have never been a plain vanilla cake fan but this one might have converted me. It is perfectly moist and tender, especially fresh out of the oven, it really doesn't need anything else. But what makes it unique is that it holds up remarkably well, staying moist and fluffy, for several days. I used a simple decorator's buttercream for the frosting but this cake would pair nicely with anything. Wedding Cake Workshop Serves: 2 8in cakes Ingredients 8 oz unsalted butter, at room temp 2 cups sugar 5 eggs 1¼ cups buttermilk 2 tsp vanilla extract 2½ cups cake flour 1 tsp kosher salt 1 tbl baking powder DECORATOR’S BUTTERCREAM Yield: 2½ quarts 1 lb unsalted butter, at room temp 8oz vegetable shortening 1½ tsp pure vanilla extract 3 lb confectioners sugar 4½ fl oz whole milk 3 tbl meringue powder 2 tsp kosher salt Print Preparation Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease 2 8in cake pans and line with parchment paper. Cream the butter with the paddle attachment of an electric mixer, on medium speed for 3 minutes. In those 3 minutes, whisk together the cake flour, salt, and baking powder and mix the vanilla into the buttermilk. Set both of these aside. With the mixer on medium speed, slowly add the sugar and beat for another 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides and return speed to medium. Add the eggs, one at a time, allowing each to fully incorporate before adding the next (about 1 minute in between each egg). Scrape down the sides. With the mixer on low, alternate the flour and buttermilk in 3-4 additions and mixing until just incorporated in between each. Pour batter into prepared cake pans. To release air pockets, lift each cake a few inches off the counter then allow it to drop (making sure it hits evenly and with a loud bang), repeat 3-4 times. Bake for 45-60 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through, the cakes are done when a toothpick inserted into the center of a cake comes out clean. Make the Buttercream: Cream shortening and butter with the paddle of an electric mixer until light and fluffy (2-3 minutes). Add vanilla and salt. With mixer on low, gradually add the sugar. Add meringue powder (The mixture will appear dry). Add milk and beat until light and slightly shiny (approximately 5 to 8 minutes). Keep the bowl covered with a damp cloth or plastic wrap. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 5-7 days or in the freezer for 3-5 months. Previous Next hungry for more? Winter Citrus Salad with Toasted Za’atar Breadcrumbs Cacio e Pepe w/ Garlicky Greens Slow-Cooked Prime Rib Roast

< all recipes Apple Cinnamon Coffee Cake Coffee cake is one of my favorite tasty treats…in theory – i am more often than not disappointed by the dry dense cake weighed down by a somewhat flavorless and stale crumb topping. This cake is so ridiculously moist and the crackly cinnamon-sugar top reminds me of the cinnamon toast my mom made growing up. yumm. Of course the apples are a delicious addition that also makes this toooootally healthy (its Christmas so I am going to stick with this theory). You can make it a day or two early so it is perfect for a Christmas morning post-present rampage breakfast! That’s my plan anyway!! MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!! Apple Cinnamon Coffee Cake Serves: 1 10" cake Ingredients 1 cup granulated sugar ½ cup brown sugar 12 oz unsalted butter (3 sticks) 3 eggs 2½ cups all purpose flour 2 tsp baking powder 1 tsp baking soda 1 tsp kosher salt 1 cup sour cream fillings and toppings: 1 apple, cored and sliced (and each slice halved) ½ cup heavy cream ½ cup sugar 1 tbl cinnamon Print Preparation Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Grease a 10in cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper. Cream the butter and sugars together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping the sides of the bowl once or twice. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. With the mixer on low alternate adding the dry ingredients and the sour cream - about ⅓ of each at a time. Mix just until combined. Mix the 1 tablespoon of cinnamon into the ½ cup sugar. Spread half of the batter in your prepared cake pan, getting it all the way to the edges. Sprinkle about 2 table of the cinnamon-sugar mixture over the batter then place a single layer of apples on top of this - pressing the gently into the batter. Spread the rest of the batter over top - if you are making this ahead of time, stop here and continue to the next step just before baking. Pour the ½ cup of heavy cream over the top of the cake then sprinkle the remaining cinnamon-sugar evenly over this. Bake at 350˚F for 45 minutes, until the center is set. Previous Next hungry for more? Winter Citrus Salad with Toasted Za’atar Breadcrumbs Cacio e Pepe w/ Garlicky Greens Slow-Cooked Prime Rib Roast

< all recipes Salted Pumpkin Creme Brulee This recipe came from my favorite website Food52. It is incredibly delicious but does require some sort of torch or lighter - the original recipe says you can do it under the broiler but I did not have success trying that (in fact I almost burnt a hole in my oven mitt). But who wouldn't want a kitchen torch to make marshmallows with at a moments notice?! I think this would be even better if served with a spicy gingersnap type cookie to use almost like a spoon. Salted Pumpkin Creme Brulee Serves: 8-12 servings Ingredients 1 15oz can pumpkin puree 2 cups heavy cream 1 cup whole milk 2 tsp vanilla extract ½ cup brown sugar ¼ cup granulated sugar 1 tsp kosher salt 1 tsp ground cinnamon ¾ tsp freshly grated nutmeg ½ tsp ground ginger 6 large egg yolks Topping: 1 tsp coarse sea salt ¼ cup granulated sugar, for topping Print Preparation Heat oven to 325˚F and get ramekins ready – place 8 ramekins in large roasting pan (this recipe makes about 48 oz, so it’ll make 8 6-oz or 12 4-oz brûlées). Place pumpkin puree into saucepan over medium heat and cook for about ten minutes. While pumpkin is caramelizing, whisk together egg yolks and granulated sugar in large bowl. Once pumpkin has caramelized, add cream, whole milk, vanilla, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger to the pumpkin. Whisk everything together until well integrated. Bring mixture to a simmer over medium heat and once you see those bubbles remove from heat. Temper eggs, slowly whisk about ¼ cup of the hot pumpkin/cream mixture into the eggs, then add the remaining pumpkin/cream mixture in a slow, steady stream, whisking continuously (to make this easier, I poured the hot pumpkin mixture into a heatproof bowl with a handle and pouring lip). Divide mixture among ramekins or crème brûlée dishes. Cover the pan with foil, leaving one corner turned up and place in oven with rack pulled out. Pour enough hot water to pans to come halfway up sides of ramekins and close the corner of foil. Bake the custards about 30 minutes, then lift off a corner of the foil to allow the steam to escape. Re-cover the pan and bake for 10 to 15 minutes longer, or until custards are just set in center.* Chill custards until cold, about 4 to 6 hours. DO AHEAD Can be made 2 to 3 days in advance. Cover and keep chilled. Remove custards from fridge an hour before serving to come to room temp. Right before serving, sprinkle a few grains of sea salt on top of each chilled custard then sprinkle 2 to 3 tsp of sugar in a thin, even layer. Use a kitchen torch to caramelize the sugar. * To test for doneness, gently tap one of the custards (with an oven mitt on!). You want the custard to giggle almost in one piece – like a wave rather than a ripple from outside in. Previous Next hungry for more? Winter Citrus Salad with Toasted Za’atar Breadcrumbs Cacio e Pepe w/ Garlicky Greens Slow-Cooked Prime Rib Roast

< all recipes Fresh Corn & Green Chile Muffins It has been a while since i've had so much trouble getting a recipe right, but this one kicked my butt. The first attempt resulted in one solid muffin top and a whole lot of batter crusted on the bottom of my oven. Not pretty. I have definitely had my fair share of collapsed cakes (see cheesecake post ), blasphemous attempts at a great grandmother's recipe, and just downright inedible dishes, but I always learn more from the failures than the successes. It is hard to appreciate the lesson learned when you are serving 15 people a cake that looks like it went through the washing machine...yeah, that happened too. But when you are cooking for people you love, they are usually very forgiving and it helps to have a certain husband who likes to keep my chef ego in check by reminding me of these fiascos on a regular basis, particularly those instances when he was able to swoop in and save the day AND make me laugh about it. Ok, I am done with my spiel. Back to the muffins. Third time was the charm here and boy were they worth the effort (although my family and doormen might be a little corned out at the moment). It is pepper season! These are New Mexican hatch chiles but you can really use whatever you like - poblanos would be great, or go for jalapeños if you like things a little more picante. The roasting and skin-removing process is a bit of a pain but trust me, it makes such a difference in the flavor. If having to do this step might keep you from making these, you can buy canned green chiles - I would use 2 of the small 4oz cans. These are so good with some eggs and avocado for brunch or alongside a big bowl of tomato soup. Or with a generous smear of butter. Fresh Corn & Green Chile Muffins Serves: 12 muffins Ingredients 4oz unsalted butter (1 stick), at room temp 1 cup granulated sugar 3 eggs 2 tbl honey 1 cup sour cream 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour ¾ cup cornmeal (I like medium or coarse ground) 2 tsp baking powder 1 tsp baking soda ½ tsp kosher salt 2 cups fresh raw corn (roughly 2 cobs) 2 green chiles (such as new mexican, poblano, or jalapeño) Print Preparation Preheat oven to 350˚F and line two 12-muffin pans with paper cups – alternating every other space (to allow muffin tops to grow freely). You can also grease the pans with melted butter using a pastry brush. Roast chiles over a burner, turning with tongs until the skin becomes completely blackened. Place in a bowl and cover for 5-10 minutes – this steams the pepper and makes the skin easier to remove. Scrape off charred skin, remove seeds, and chop into small pieces, set aside. Remove corn from cobs and set aside with chiles. Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl before mixing in the honey and sour cream. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer on low, slowly add the dry ingredients and mix just until combined. Fold in fresh corn and chiles by hand – use a big spatula here and make sure to get all the way to the bottom as you fold. Spoon batter into prepared muffin pans.* Bake for 30-40 minutes, rotating the pans after 15 minutes. *If you want them hot out of the oven in the morning, put them in the fridge at this point - leave uncovered as plastic wrap will take precious batter with it when removed. Previous Next hungry for more? Winter Citrus Salad with Toasted Za’atar Breadcrumbs Cacio e Pepe w/ Garlicky Greens Slow-Cooked Prime Rib Roast

< all recipes Funfetti Cake Remember that thing I said about trying to embrace imperfections in the kitchen? Yeah. That did not happen here. But my sprinkle-obsessive behavior paid off big time. Third time's a charm!! What I learned: artificial sprinkles are best, the more natural kind bleed into the batter (hence the weird color of the first two tries). A crumb coat is key to keeping the crumbs contained. God forbid we have rogue crumbs that end up on the outside of the cake, marring your beautiful fluffy white frosting. I decorated with nonpareils (round sprinkles) on the first cake and then these cute fondant cutouts on the second - which were quite a bit of work to color separately, roll and cut, and then dry on a curved surface so they fit the curve of the cake. Whew! I am tired just explaining all of that. I would recommend sticking with sprinkles as it gives you an idea of what is inside. Funfetti Cake Serves: 1 multi-tier 8" cake Ingredients Cake Ingredients 8 oz unsalted butter, at room temp 2 cups sugar 5 eggs 1¼ cups buttermilk 2 tsp vanilla extract 2½ cups cake flour 1 tsp kosher salt 1 tbl baking powder ⅔ cup sprinkles Icing ingredients 1 lb unsalted butter, room temperature 2 lb confectioner’s sugar pinch of salt 2 tsp vanilla extract Print Preparation Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease pans and line with parchment paper. Cream the butter with the paddle attachment of an electric mixer, on medium speed for 3 minutes. In those 3 minutes, whisk* together the cake flour, salt, and baking powder and mix the vanilla into the buttermilk. Set both of these aside. With the mixer on medium speed, slowly add the sugar and beat for another 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides and return speed to medium. Add the eggs, one at a time, allowing each to fully incorporate before adding the next (about 1 minute in between each egg). Scrape down the sides. With the mixer on low, alternate the flour and buttermilk in 3-4 additions and mixing until just incorporated. Mix in sprinkles. Pour batter into prepared cake pans. To release air pockets, lift each cake a few inches off the counter then allow it to drop (making sure it hits evenly and with a loud bang), repeat 3-4 times. Bake for 45-60 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through. The cakes are done when a toothpick inserted into the center of a cake comes out clean. Make Icing: beat butter about 2 minutes (until it coats the sides of the bowl). With mixer on lowest speed, slowly add the confectioner’s sugar, pinch of salt, and vanilla. Beat on medium-high speed for 6-8 minutes until super fluffy. Keep covered with a damp paper towel until ready to use. Crumb coat: ice cake layers with a very thin coating of icing then refrigerate the cakes for 15 minutes to let icing harden slightly. Ice cakes and decorate! Previous Next hungry for more? Winter Citrus Salad with Toasted Za’atar Breadcrumbs Cacio e Pepe w/ Garlicky Greens Slow-Cooked Prime Rib Roast

< all recipes Cinnamon Sugar Breakfast Buns A few months ago I had one of the best pastries of my life. It was a cinnamon sugar breakfast bun kind of thing but one unlike any I had ever had before. While those with goopy filling and confectioners sugar glazes are quite tasty, this one was so much more refined while also having more of a real cinnamon-sugar flavor. What I discovered was that this life-changing pastry is technically called a morning bun and is simply croissant dough rolled up with cinnamon and sugar. Sounds easy enough right? Unless you are a master of making croissant dough at home, the answer is no. It is nearly impossible to find croissant dough at the grocery store or even online except in wholesale quantities. So instead of ordering 20 pounds of dough (which seemed slightly excessive even for me), I decided to do a test with what I could find at the store. The first method would be with puff pastry, the second with pre-made croissants which in my case meant Pillsbury crescent rolls (that i unrolled into flat pieces). Puff pastry and croissant dough are both are laminated doughs, meaning they are made up of layers upon layers of butter and dough, but croissant dough has yeast which allows it to rise more and adds that chewiness we love in a great croissant. Because the Pillsbury dough contained neither butter nor yeast, it is not really croissant dough (what kind of dough it actually is, I have no idea). This may have influenced my preference for the puff pastry version but I think it made a lighter and flakier bun that was still slightly gooey at the center. I used Pepperidge Farm puff pastry but any brand will give you the same results. These will definitely be on my table Christmas morning - prepped the day before and ready to pop in the oven in the morning. Feel free to do your own test, especially if you can find real croissant dough (the ingredients should include: flour, butter, yeast, water/milk, salt). Cinnamon Sugar Breakfast Buns Serves: 8 buns Ingredients 1 sheet puff pastry, thawed in the refrigerator (about 1 hour) 4 tbl butter, melted 1 cup sugar 1 tbl cinnamon flour for rolling Print Preparation Preheat oven to 400˚F. Combine sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Prepare muffin pan by brushing with melted butter and sprinkling with cinnamon-sugar. Set aside. On a clean countertop sprinkle some flour and an even coating of the cinnamon sugar mixture, place puff pastry in the center, and sprinkle with a little more flour. Roll puff pastry out, extending each edge about 1 inch. Brush pastry with melted butter and coat evenly with cinnamon sugar. Use the rolling pin to roll the cinnamon-sugar into the dough. Roll the pastry up – if the seam does not close, brush with melted butter and press gently to close. Cut the log into 8 pieces (I usually start by cutting in half, then each half in half, etc). Place each roll on its side into the prepared muffin pan.* Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until lightly golden and the center is firm to the touch. *if baking later, cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge at this point. when ready to bake, remove plastic and proceed to next step. Previous Next hungry for more? Winter Citrus Salad with Toasted Za’atar Breadcrumbs Cacio e Pepe w/ Garlicky Greens Slow-Cooked Prime Rib Roast