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< 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?

< 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?

< all recipes Mac & Cheese This is the most decadently delicious mac and cheese recipe you will ever make. I try not to have such things become common practice in my kitchen but this is just so good it is impossible to resist. I made it last weekend and since I have been sick and stuck in bed all week, the leftovers have been life-saving. I am feeling a million times better today but apparently in my feverish, tylenol pm induced sleep last night I was discussing some spring break surprise before walking into the coat closet – I am assuming I thought it would be a nice cosy place to sleep or I was just looking for some more mac and cheese…yeah thats the more likely reason. Wishing I had some right now. Mac & Cheese Serves: 8-10 servings Ingredients 1 lb pasta (cavatappi are my fave but elbows work too!) 4 oz (1 stick) unsalted butter 1 cup flour 4 cups whole milk 8 oz comté or gruyere, grated (2 cups) 8 oz manchego, grated (2 cups) 8 oz parmesan, grated (2 cups) 8 oz mascarpone lots of black pepper 1½ cups panko bread crumbs Print Preparation Cook the pasta according to packaging instructions and grease a large casserole dish (about 13x9). Preheat the oven to 450˚F - you can put off the cooking for up to a day after getting everything into the casserole dish, so only preheat the oven 30 minutes before you are ready to cook. Make the béchamel: Warm the milk in a pot or microwave and set aside while you melt butter in a small pot over low/med heat. Once it has melted stir in the flour and let cook a minute or two, stirring constantly. Pour in the milk, still stirring and cook until the mixture has thickened enough to coat the back of your spoon. Turn off the heat. Add all but 1-2 cups of the grated cheese to the béchamel (i usually set the Parmesan aside, it is my fave for a crispy cheesy crust). Stir in the mascarpone and black pepper, then throw in the pasta and toss to coat evenly and pour into your prepared casserole dish. Combine the panko bread crumbs with the reserved cheese and add a dash of salt and pepper. Spread this mixture evenly over the top of the noodles and if you are cooking immediately, put the dish into the oven for 20-30 minutes until golden brown and bubbling at the edges. If you are putting off the cooking, place the dish into the fridge for up to 24 hours and bake when ready! Previous Next hungry for more?

< all recipes Belgian Waffles with Caramelized Apples & Maple Yogurt Ok so I know I said I am not that into Valentine’s Day but seeing as my valentine has been requesting waffles about once a week since we met, I thought making them required a special occasion. My reason for holding off so long was the simple fact that we do not own a waffle maker – and I refused to buy one because where the heck do we fit it in our tiny apartment. The struggle for kitchen cabinet space is real. But I happened to find an old one in my parents’ basement and figured it was a sign. These belgian waffles are ridiculously good – they are fluffy and light with an outer crust that actually stays crunchy long after being soaked in maple syrup. The apples were added because well, thats what I had around and I don’t consider breakfast complete without fruit, or yogurt for that matter. So feel free to mix up the toppings to suit your own weird breakfast requirements or whatever is in season. I am pretending like I didn’t lick the plate clean but we all know that happened 30sec after the photo below was taken. Belgian Waffles with Caramelized Apples & Maple Yogurt Serves: 6-8 waffles Ingredients 2 cups (240g) all-purpose flour ½ cup (105g) brown sugar 3 tsp (12g) baking powder 1 tsp (6g) baking soda ½ tsp (4g) kosher salt 1 cup (240g) buttermilk ½ cup (60g) cream 8oz (227g) unsalted butter, melted 2 egg yolks (30g) 3 egg whites (105g) for the toppings: 2 apples (I like honeycrisp) ¼ cup maple syrup 1 tsp cinnamon 8oz plain greek yogurt maple syrup (for the table) Print Preparation Make the Caramelized Apples first: Slice apples into roughly ¼ inch slices and set in a pot over low/medium heat with the maple syrup and cinnamon. Cook, stirring occasionally until tender - how tender is a matter of preference, personally I like the apples to still have a bit of crunch. Mix the juice at the bottom of the apple pot into the yogurt, adding more maple syrup if it is not sweet enough for your liking. Make the Waffle batter: Whisk the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the buttermilk, cream, melted butter, and yolks. Pour this into the dry ingredients and whisk just until combined (but still a little lumpy). Using a stand or hand-held mixer with a whisk attachment, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the whites into the rest of the batter. Let this sit 10-15 minutes while you heat up the waffle maker. Cook waffles (according to your waffle-maker instructions) until golden brown. Serve with apples and a dollop of yogurt and warm maple syrup. *freeze the cooked waffles for a tasty breakfast any time! defrost in the toaster for single servings or in a 350 oven for a crowd (about 10 minutes). Previous Next hungry for more?

< all recipes Truffle Honey Ricotta I have been making this ricotta recipe for so many years it has become a family staple. It is also my most requested recipe and because it is so easy I usually just tell people the three ingredients and let them figure it out but I thought it was time to put it down in writing and out there for people to enjoy. While Truffle & Honey Ricotta may start out as just a friday night pre-dinner dip, I always make extra and it somehow finds its way onto almost every plate of food the rest of the weekend – a dollop alongside a tomato/avocado salad, subbed in for mayo on a blt, heck just some ricotta toast. The truffle makes any situation a little classier – and I have to insist on truffle salt here, it is pricey but it will last you a lifetime and truffle oil is unreliable because many are chemically flavored. This is my most recent use for the ricotta and it was insanely tasty (and easy!). I tossed the tomatoes in some olive oil, popped them in a 450˚F oven for 20 minutes, lightly oiled some bread before grilling and voilà! a perfect little party app!! Truffle Honey Ricotta Serves: about 1 cup Ingredients 8 oz whole milk ricotta 1 tsp truffle salt (not oil!! trust me) 1-2 tsp honey ½ tsp black pepper Print Preparation Combine all of the ingredients and adjust the amounts of truffle and honey to your liking. For company serve as a dip or dollop on top of grilled bread with roasted tomatoes. For an easy dinner make ricotta toast with some arugula and a poached egg. Previous Next hungry for more?

< Back DIY Cake Bunting: Mother's Day Decorations I love this new style of cake decorating because it is so versatile. It can say whatever you want it to say (simply print out your own stencil) and while I guess it is meant for cakes, it can make almost anything just that much more special – from a cake to a terrarium. So, watch my super nerdy video, have yourself a nice little crafternoon and tell Yo Mama you love her. Here are some ideas of what to dress up with your DIY Cake Bunting: Funfetti Cake – the obvious choice for any celebration Breakfast in Bed – Oatmeal Raisin Scones , Fig & Mascarpone Scones , or Lemon & Rosemary Scones – clearly I have a thing for scones (don’t you?) A Terrarium from Adore in NYC – I can’t keep one alive to save my life but your Mom kept you alive so… Vacherin – one of my Mom’s signature desserts that once warm weather comes I get as much as I can Cake Bunting Tools: color paper – a thicker construction or craft paper is best pretty string – really anything works here, I like a natural twine with a fancy metallic swirl two skewers (or something similar) exacto knife or scissors – i like the exacto knife to get those pesky center cutouts but its not like i am creating a masterpiece so scissors would probably get the job done cutting matt or thick cardboard – apparently the cutting matts you get at art supply stores are “self healing” – I mean that is crazy! why can’t I be self healing!!? stencil printout – find a type you like that is bold and pretty – go wild! Previous Next

< all recipes Turkey Burgers with Wasabi Yogurt Sauce After Christmas Chris, along with about 20 guys on his desk at work, joined a weight-loss pool to lose 7% of their body weight. Because he still did not have any time to work out, it came down to eating…or me making him healthy food. I didn’t change my way of cooking but all of a sudden what he used to turn up his nose at as health food, became a delicious, hearty meal. I did, however, find myself in a bit of a rut having to make healthy dinners every night. I could eat soup and bread all day, every day, but after about a month of mostly soup, Chris texted me on his way home “lets try turkey burgers”… Feeling slightly offended that all my slaving over soups wasn’t enough, I responded “why don’t YOU try turkey burgers”. And he did! They were scrumptious – especially the next day halfway through a 12 mile, 3500 vertical ft, hike (if you look closely at the pic below you can see the manhattan skyline, incredible). So I had to rethink my previous disdain for non-beef burgers, the same way Chris had come around to my soups. The key is not to eat it instead of a juicy cheeseburger, but as a separate entity, delicious in its own right. This rendition came from my suggestion last week of putting wasabi into greek yogurt and having some leftover pickled onions. Since I like to add caramelized onion to the turkey meat, I sautéed the rest of the onion with some baby bok choy and soy sauce. You can also try these burgers with a spicy chipotle sauce! Turkey Burgers with Wasabi Yogurt Sauce Serves: 4-6 Burgers Ingredients 1 lb ground turkey ½ cup sautéed onion 2 tsp fresh ginger , grated 2 tsp kosher salt 2 tsp black pepper 1 egg white 5-6 hamburger buns or sourdough rolls Wasabi Yogurt Sauce: 6 oz greek yogurt 1 tsp wasabi powder 1 tsp warm water Pickled Onion: ½ red onion ½ cup white vinegar ½ tsp salt ½ tsp sugar Print Preparation Make the pickled onions: slice the red onion in half lengthwise and then slice as thinly as possible and mix with salt, sugar, and vinegar. Let sit for about an hour in the fridge, then strain. For the wasabi yogurt: In a small bowl mix the wasabi powder with warm water and let sit for a few minutes, then mix in the yogurt. For the burgers: Sauté about ½ a white onion, diced, until caramelized – set aside to cool. Combine turkey meat, caramelized onion, ginger, salt, pepper, and egg white. If you have a scale, cover it with a piece of plastic wrap (if not you are just going to eyeball the size of each burger), and have a plate ready for the formed patties. Then, get in there with your hands to mix everything together. It will be quite sticky and tough to work with but don’t get discouraged – form 4oz patties, trying not to overwork the meat. Heat 2 tbl oil in large skillet and add the burgers. Over med-high heat cook patties, covered for 5-7 minutes (until dark golden brown on bottom), flip and cook another 5-7 minutes uncovered. A thermometer should read 160˚F – they will carry-over cook those last 5˚. If you don’t have a thermometer, just cut into one to make sure there is no pink. Serve on a bun with pickled onions and a dollop of wasabi yogurt. Previous Next hungry for more?

< all recipes Vaccherin Another of my Mom's incredible recipes that is a perfect way to celebrate the summer and all the delicious berries it has to offer. Getting the stages of "peaks" down can be intimidating, but it is really just about understanding what you are looking for. Soft Peak is when the egg whites start to stiffen and will hold a peak momentarily before melting back into itself. Firm Peak is when you turn the whisk upside down and the peak holds but droops slightly. Stiff Peak is exactly as it sounds, turn the whisk over and the points should hold without drooping. *Take note of what the whites look like with the mixer running at each stage so as you do this more and more, you are able to identify the stage without having to check. Thats when you know you are a pro! Vaccherin Serves: 1 cake to serve 8 Ingredients Meringues: 6 large egg white, at room temp 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar 2 tsp vanilla Whipped Cream & Fruit: 1 1/2 cups heavy cream 2 tbl confectioner’s sugar 1 1/2 pints fresh mixed berries Red Raspberry Sauce: 1 pint raspberries 1/4 cup sugar 2 tbl fresh lemon juice Print Preparation Heat oven to 200°F and trace two 9-inch circle on two sheets of parchment, turn them over and use to line baking sheets. Place egg whites in bowl of electric mixer. beat on high until soft peaks form, about 2 minutes. With mixer on high slowly add 1/4 cup sugar. Continue adding the rest of the sugar, 1 tbl at a time, until whites are very stiff and glossy. Add 1 tsp vanilla, beat until just combined. Divide batter between traced circles and spread to edges of circle. Place in the oven and bake for 3 - 3 1/2 hours, rotating once, until firm and sound slightly hollow when tapped. Make Sauce: combine raspberries, sugar, and lemon juice in a small saucepan over low heat. cook until berries release their juice and just start to break down, about 5 minutes. use a rubber spatula to press berries through a sieve (fine mesh strainer), discard solids and refrigerate. Place on table when ready so everyone can pour the sauce over their own piece. Combine cream, remaining 1 tsp vanilla, and 2 tbl confectioner’s sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat until stiff peaks form. Place one meringue on serving plate and spread 1/2 of whipped cream on top, then half of the berries. Place second meringue on top, rest of the cream and berries. Dust with confectioner’s sugar. Previous Next hungry for more?

< all recipes Homemade Pop Tarts What better way to celebrate Valentine's Day than with these buttery little bundles of love - and since it is on a Saturday this year, a Pop Tart breakfast in bed sounds about right. I got a little excited about all of the possible fillings (as you can see below). I mean I actually bought marshmallow fluff (which was tasty but oozed out of the tarts just fyi - not to mention had me bouncing off the walls for hours). Tip: Pipe thicker fillings like fluff, peanut butter or cream cheese. If you don't have those triangular piping bags, put filling into a small ziploc bag, cut the very tip off one corner and go wild! Also, put less fluff than I did above - it is hard to squeeze out less than that but maybe do a few dots of fluff or try mini marshmallows. These are so perfect for a special breakfast because you can make the dough a few days in advance (like this weekend), roll and fill them the day before and voila!! the next morning all you have to do is preheat the oven! Homemade Pop Tarts Serves: 14-16 pop tarts Ingredients 1 1/2 cups flour 1/3 cup whole wheat flour 1 tsp salt 1 tbl sugar 8 oz butter, cold and cubed 1 egg 3 tbl milk GLAZE 1 egg (for egg wash) 2 cups confectioners sugar 3-4 tbl milk Print Preparation Make the pastry dough: combine dry ingredients. Using a mixer with paddle attachment or your hands, work cold cubed butter into flour until about the size of peas (and all the flour has been moistened). Whisk egg into milk, add to flour/butter, and mix just until everything comes together. Shape into a flattened rectangle, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (or up to 5 days). Preheat oven to 350˚F and line two baking sheets with parchment. Let dough sit at room temp for 15-20 minutes while you prepare your choice of fillings. Roll out half of the dough to about 1/8 inch. Cut 2x3in rectangles (or other desired shape) and place on prepared baking sheets. Roll out the rest of the dough and cut out matching shapes. You can reroll the scraps once if desired. Use a fork to poke holes into all of the cut out shapes. Fill half with whatever fillings you like. Brush bottom side of remaining dough with egg wash and lay on top of filled pieces. Press edges gently with a fork to seal and brush tarts with egg wash. At this point you can refrigerate the pop tarts overnight or freeze up to a month. Bake for 20-25 minutes, rotating pan halfway through, until golden brown. Make glaze: whisk together confectioners sugar and milk. Allow pop tarts to cool completely before decorating with glaze and sprinkles (optional). Previous Next hungry for more?

< all recipes Classic Tomato Sauce Pretty straight forward really. While it is easy to buy good tomato sauce, it is so easy to make that you might never buy it again! This way you can tailor it to your tastes and uses. I love the roasted garlic and basil flavor in this recipe, but if that is not for you, try something else. Classic Tomato Sauce Serves: 6-8 cups Ingredients 2 tbl oil 1 lg yellow onion, diced 1 tsp salt 1 tsp black pepper 4 cloves garlic, sliced thinly 2 tbl tomato paste ½ cup white wine 2 tsp dried thyme ¼ - ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes 1 28oz can crushed tomatoes 1 28oz can diced tomatoes 2 cups water ½ cup fresh basil 2 tsp balsamic vinegar Print Preparation Heat the oil in a large sauté pan with sides or a wide pot. Add onions and 1tsp of salt, sauté until translucent and starting to brown. Stir in the garlic, thyme, and tomato paste, and then quickly pour in the white wine so they don’t burn and scrape the bottom of the pan to get all the flavorful brown bits incorporated. Once the wine has cooked down (just a minute or two) add the two cans of tomatoes and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. This time is based on a relatively thick, chunky pasta sauce so if at 30 minutes it looks like how you would want your sauce, go with it! If you are making pizza, however, cook it longer (60mins) to make an even thicker, drier sauce. While that cooks, wash and dry the basil, put in the fridge until ready to use. When the sauce is to your liking, turn off the heat. Chop the basil and stir in, along with the balsamic vinegar. Let it sit for 10-15 minutes to settle, taste and add salt or pepper if needed. Previous Next hungry for more?

< Back Pantry Essentials Checklist A well-stocked pantry is every cook’s best friend, when you have busy work weeks that don’t allow time for grocery shopping, having these pantry essentials on hand means that a delicious and home-cooked meal can be whipped up in no time. Previous Next

< all recipes Curried Cauliflower & Quinoa Salad I eat a lot of cauliflower. I've gotten into a routine this winter of making this pretty much every week to have on hand for lunch. I actually stopped currying the cauliflower briefly because I felt like at some point I would start to turn yellow. Or smell like curry (which has happened to me before with my mom's curried chicken...um yeah that is probably an overshare). Aaaanyway. What I love about this recipe is the wintery warmth you get from the spices without the heaviness of most winter dishes - perfect for this almost spring but really still kinda freezing time of year. Curried Cauliflower & Quinoa Salad Serves: serves 4-6 as a side Ingredients 1 cauliflower, cut into bite-size florets 2 tsp mustard seed 2 tsp cumin seed 1 tsp paprika 1 tsp turmeric 1 tsp coriander 2 tsp curry powder 1 cup white wine 1/4 cup oil (safflower, grapeseed or other neutral oil) 1/2 cup golden raisins 2 cups cooked quinoa 2-3 cups arugula Dressing: 2 tbl dijon mustard 1/4 cup white wine vinegar 2 tsp paprika 1/2 cup olive oil salt and pepper Print Preparation Preheat oven to 400˚F. Toast mustard and cumin seed in a dry sauce pan until fragrant and the mustard seeds start jumping out of the pan (about 1-2 minutes). Add the rest of the spices to the pan, let toast 30 seconds (be careful not to let it smoke), whisk in the white wine and oil and remove from heat. Pour over cauliflower, tossing to coat completely, spread out on a sheet pan and cook for about 20 minutes, or until tender. Make the dressing: whisk together dijon, vinegar and paprika, slowly whisk in olive oil and season with salt and pepper. When ready to eat toss arugula and quinoa with dressing, add raisins and cauliflower. Previous Next hungry for more?