Cooking with Joey

Peanut Butter Sauce

2010-07-26T00:00:00.013-04:00

When I first made the Peanut Butter Cake, I topped it with a chocolate ganache. Kristin decided that, as much as she loved the cake, it needed to have a peanut butter glaze instead of the chocolate. I wondered if that might be too much peanut butter, but then realized that I had obviously taken leave of my senses because there's no such thing as too much peanut butter. Am I right, Kristin?
So I decided to see if I could find a really good peanut butter sauce recipe. It needed to be sweet enough to pour over a dessert, such as vanilla ice cream, but it also needed to be rich enough to act as a ganache over the Peanut Butter Cake.
Well, ladies and gents, this is the one. I tried it out when the WDHS gang came over for dinner. I had made a Warm Chocolate Pudding Cake and decided that this sauce would be the perfect topping, along with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Needless to say, it was a huge hit! As usual, Katie was an immediate fan, because basically she can never get enough peanut butter, and Brooke loved it so much, she made it for her whole family. She even took the picture! Thanx Brooke!
Give it a try. I know you'll love it!

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream (you can use half and half)
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup light corn syrup
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup creamy peanut butter
pinch kosher salt

Combine all ingredients except peanut butter in a saucepan stirring constantly until all ingredients are dissolved. Let the mixture cool completely then add the peanut butter and stir well. It will look like a hot mess, but keep stirring and it will turn out smooth.
That's all there is to it! Easy, right? Serious Yum.

Tip:
One of the key ingredients is the pinch of salt. It might not seem like a big deal, but it's that little bit of saltiness that makes it. Make sure you include it!
Serve this on anything chocolate or banana, or as a sundae topping with Reese's Pieces.
I know the recipe only calls for a cup of peanut butter, but I always just add the rest of the 12 oz jar. More is more!!!

Roz and Joe's Fruit Salad

2010-07-19T00:00:00.009-04:00

Roz and Joe are more than just dear close friends, they're part of my family. Of course this means they're included at every Quaile Family function. Roz and my Jeanie are total besties, and Joe actually gave me my first real job about a million years ago when I was just out of high school. They're always the first ones to help whenever anyone needs a hand, and they even host our huge Christmas Pollyanna party at their home. (And if you know the size of my family, you know how big of a deal that is!) They're just some of the nicest people you'll ever meet, that's all.
Roz is a fabulous cook, so I'm always talking recipes with her. This fruit salad recipe is one of the signature dishes she brings to our Easter Brunch as well as other summer parties. Recently, though, I discovered that JOE is the one who has been making the fruit salad all this time, not Roz. Joe, have you been holding out on us???
Well, regardless of who makes it, I love it, and I'm glad they allowed me to share it with you. It's very simple to make and it's SO refreshing. I know you'll love it too!
Thanx guys!!

10 seedless navel oranges
5 pink grapefruit
2- 20 oz. cans of crushed pineapples
1 - 10 oz. jar of whole cherries
6 bananas ( on the firm side)

It is important to remove as much membrane as possible from both the orange & grapefruit. Break both orange & grapefruit by hand , over large bowl to collect all juices.
Mix crushed pineapple, and cherries and their natural syrup in bowl with orange & grapefruit.
Depending on sweetness of fruit, 10X sugar may be added to increase sweetness.
Add sliced bananas just before serving, to prevent bananas from becoming over ripe.
Serves 8-10.

Tip from Joey:
My favorite way to enjoy any fruit salad is when it's well chilled. Be sure to keep it nice and cold right up until you serve it! PERFECT on a hot summer day!

Corn and Black Bean Salsa

2010-07-12T00:00:00.015-04:00

As much as I love a yummy home made salsa, I also appreciate the value of a few precious extra minutes when your guests are about to arrive. I'm not sure where my sister, Cathy, got this idea, but she's the one who gave it to me, so she's the one who gets the credit for it. Thanx Sister!
This recipe takes a page out Sandra Lee's Semi Homemade way of cooking, and it's something that Paula Deen would describe as being "stupid simple".
I won't even post it as a "recipe" because there's really nothing to it. Just take your favorite brand of salsa and add a can of corn and a can of black beans. That's all there is to it! Simple, right? Just drain each can and dump it in! Talk about your easy upgrades! You could even skip the canned corn and use leftover fresh corn. Just cut it off the cob and you're all set!
And for a simple variation, Cathy suggests adding diced peaches instead of the corn. She told me "any kind of fruit goes great with black beans in a salsa." Sounds good to me! I think I might try adding some diced mangoes next time. So the next time you'd like something more than just your ordinary salsa from a jar, give it an upgrade! Can you think of any other variations? Be creative! And if you discover any new a fabulous ideas, be sure to let me know!
Awesome.

How to Prepare Corn on the Cob

2010-07-04T00:01:00.004-04:00

Here's a quick little video that offers a few hints about corn on the cob. Whether you decide to roast it or saute it, I hope these tips come in handy. There's really nothing like fresh corn for your summer barbecue! Here's how I make Simply Sauteed Corn. Love it!
Oh, and btw, if you'd rather not roast or saute, there's absolutely nothing wrong with the tried and true method of boiling it. Here's the recipe that my family always uses: Corn on the Cob
SO good!!
Enjoy!

Simply Sauteed Corn OFF the Cob

2010-07-04T00:00:00.004-04:00

If you know anything about New Jersey, you know it's The Garden State. And one of the BEST things about living in The Garden State is being able to enjoy the fresh sweet corn on the cob that grows locally every summer. It just wouldn't be the 4th of July without it!
Ok, so, as much as I love to eat Corn on the Cob, I'm thinking maybe there are some people who find it difficult to eat it this way. So why not just saute it? Simple, right? There's really no comparison between fresh corn and canned or frozen, so lets seize the opportunity to have fresh corn while it's still in season!
Oh, and here's a little twist for you....for a little variation, try adding the garlic. I know many people don't usually add garlic to fresh corn, but seriously, give it a try!

fresh corn on the cob
butter
freshly cracked black pepper
kosher salt
pinch sugar
sliced fresh garlic, (optional)

Using a large sharp knife, slice the corn off the cob. In a large skillet, melt butter. Add the corn and seasonings. Saute until the corn is tender. That's all there is to it!

Garlic variation:
After you melt the butter over low heat, add the sliced garlic. Let it cook SLOWLY until it softens and becomes nice and mild, being careful not to burn it. Then go ahead and add the corn and saute until it's tender. The sweetness of the corn still comes through, but the garlic just adds another delicious layer!

Tip:
There are purposely no amounts listed. It's all really just a matter of preference, and it clearly depends on how many ears of corn you're cooking. Some people like a lot of butter, others like a lot of black pepper. Season it to your own taste! If you like a lot, add a lot!
For more tips about cooking with corn on the cob, be sure to watch my video How to Prepare Corn on the Cob. Great then!

Revolutionary Berry Cheese Pie

2010-06-28T00:00:00.061-04:00

Every year, at the beginning of summer, I try to come up with a yummy red, white, and blue dessert for the Fourth of July. I decided that this year's recipe should be a pie since, A) I love pie, and B) it's been a while since my last pie recipe. At first, I had thought of making just a straight up blueberry pie, but then I kept adding things and before I knew it, I had come up with this recipe. Obviously, it's all about the presentation! And you KNOW it's also all about the taste! A cheese pie, with a layer of raspberry jam, fresh berries and whipped cream? HEAVEN! Seriously, what's not to love? It's really simple to make too. Make it for your July 4th BBQ! I'm sure everyone will love it!!

1 pillsbury ready made pie crust
2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs, lightly beaten
fresh blueberries
1 cup (or more) seedless raspberry jam
whipped cream or non dairy whipped topping
fresh raspberries

Heat oven to 350°.
Unroll pie crust. Dust lightly with flour. Place crust, floured side down, in a pie plate.
Tuck edges under, then flute to make a decorative edge. Set aside.
In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla until smooth.
Add eggs. Beat on low speed until well combined.
Using a rubber spatula, fold in blueberries by hand.
Spoon into crust.
Bake for 35-40 minutes or until center is set.
Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour. Refrigerate until chilled.
In a small bowl, using a wire whisk, stir jam until smooth.
Spread jam over cheese filling.
Decorate with whipped topping and fresh berries.

Tips:
I purposely didn't put the amounts of whipped cream or blueberries or raspberries. Basically, if you like a lot, add a lot.
You don't have to follow my design, although, I must admit, it's pretty gorgeous.
Do any design you like! Maybe whipped cream stars and berry stripes?
Fabulous.

Joey's Sloppy Burritos

2010-06-21T00:00:00.006-04:00

About a million years ago, I threw this recipe together, just based on a few items that I happened to have on hand at the time. The result was so yummy and hearty that I've been making it for years. To be honest, I'm kind of surprised that I haven't posted this already.
There's really nothing to it. It's not even a recipe, really. You just make sloppy joes, make some saffron rice, and then mix the two of them together. Easy, right? Serve it up in a burrito and there you have it! Sometimes the best recipes are the simplest, don't you think? I hope you'll give it a try! Oh, and btw, be sure to read the tips after the recipe for serving ideas! Great then.

1 lb ground beef or turkey
1 small onion, chopped
2 regular cans (or one large can) Manwich Sloppy Joe sauce (or any brand)*
1 package Vigo Yellow Spanish Rice (or any other saffron rice mix)*
flour tortillas
sour cream
shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Brown the ground beef in a large pot over medium heat. Add onions and continue to saute until onions are soft. Add sloppy joe sauce. Stir until completely combined. Let it simmer over a low heat while you prepare the rice. In another pan with a tight fitting lid, prepare the rice according to the package directions. When the rice is fully cooked, add it to the pot with the beef and sauce. Mix it until it's well combined. That's all there is to it! Serve it in flour tortillas with sour cream and cheddar cheese.

*I usually don't mention specific brands, but these are the brands that I always use when I make this, so I figured they were worth mentioning.

Tips:
-Yes, the amounts are correct as listed. Usually when you're buying canned sloppy joe sauce, one regular can is all that is needed for one pound of meat. I added a second can because the rice absorbs some of the sauce.
-You can use regular leftover white rice, but the result won't be quite the same, since you'll be missing all of the saffron and seasonings in the yellow rice mix.
-Be creative! Throw in some diced jalapenos or any other favorite peppers. You could even throw in some black beans, whole kernel corn, or even some sliced ripe olives. YUM.
- I usually serve this wrapped up in a tortilla, but it also makes great nachos. Just arrange a single layer of corn tortilla chips in a baking pan, pour some of the sloppy beef and rice over them, then sprinkle cheese over all. Bake it until the cheese melts and serve it with your favorite nacho toppings. Guacamole anyone?
-Another way to serve it is just in a bowl with cheese melted over it, as you'd serve a bowl of chili, along with any of your favorite chili toppings. Love.

Joey's Chicken and Mushrooms in White Wine Cream Sauce

2010-06-14T00:00:00.004-04:00

I'm often asked how I come up with different recipes. Well, basically, I'll have an idea of what I want to do, then I'll look around online to see if there is anything close to what I want. I usually look for a recipe that has simple ingredients, is easy to prepare, and doesn't take forever to cook. Once I find that, then I'll try it exactly as it's written. Then I'll make changes to it to suit my own taste. For instance, this recipe was quite different the first time I made it. Yes, it was delicious, but it wasn't exactly what I had in mind.
The first thing I changed was the chicken. I wanted to toss the chicken with pasta, instead of leaving the breasts whole, as with the original. So I decided to cut up the chicken into small pieces which works better with the pasta. Next, I changed the heavy cream. It was way too thick and FAR too rich, so I changed it to half and half. MUCH better. So far so good, but still not what I had in mind. Next.... The original recipe called for dried tarragon. I decided I didn't want the anise flavor of the tarragon, but still wanted the freshness of chopped herbs, so I opted for flat leaf parsley. Fresh, green, perfect. Done. The next thing I wanted to change was the amount of liquid. I needed the recipe to make more sauce. Like I said, I wanted to add pasta to the dish, and pasta always absorbs so much. I didn't want to just add more wine because I figured all the other flavors would be dominated by it. The solution? I slightly reduced the amount of wine, and then added chicken broth. This gave me the right amount of sauce for the pasta, it gave me greater depth of flavor, and the wine didn't overpower the dish. Perfect!
NOW it's what I had in mind! It has a wonderful flavor, it's rich without being too heavy and it's still simple yet impressive to make. True, it's not something you'd have every night, but it's definitely something to serve for your next special occasion!
Now that you know how much thought went into it, I hope you'll give it a try!

Now if only I could come up with a name for it........hmm......any suggestions?

1 pkg boneless chicken, about 3 or 4 breasts (about 2-3 lbs)
1/2 c. plus 2 tbsp. flour
1/2 tsp. salt and pepper to taste
3 tbsp. butter (or more)
a few glugs of olive oil (or vegetable oil)
1 1/2 c. sliced Cremini mushrooms
1 1/2 c. roughly chopped onions
2 tbs chopped fresh parsley
1 c. white wine
1 c. chicken broth
1 pt half and half
1 lb. angel hair pasta

Place 5 quarts of generously salted water in a large pot and set over high heat. While you're waiting for it to come to a rapid boil, make the sauce.

In a large bowl, mix together 1/2 cup flour, salt and pepper. Set aside. Cut chicken into small bite sized pieces. Place all of the chicken into the bowl with the seasoned flour. Toss all together until the chicken is coated. Add butter and oil to a large skillet over medium high heat. Lightly brown, but don't cook the chicken all the way through. Do this in two batches, removing chicken to a bowl after each batch. Add the mushrooms and onions to the skillet, plus another tbs of butter, if desired. When the mushrooms and onions have softened and cooked down, add the parsley. Simmer a few minutes, then add the wine. Give it a good stir, scraping up any bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the chicken broth. Shake or whisk 2 tablespoons flour into the half and half. Stir into the wine/broth mixture. Add chicken back into the pan and let it simmer until the sauce has thickened and chicken is cooked through. Adjust the seasoning if needed, adding more salt and pepper to taste. Add pasta to boiling water. Let it cook for about 3 minutes. Drain well. Pour chicken and sauce over pasta and serve.

Tips:
I used Cremini mushrooms, which are baby Portobello mushrooms, but go ahead and use any kind that you like. Even better, why not use a combination of several different kinds of mushrooms? It'll only add to the flavor of the dish!
Be sure to use a wine that you would drink and never use anything labeled "cooking wine". Also, be sure to generously salt the water before you boil the pasta. It should be as salty as a broth.
I think the next time I make this, I might add a little fresh or dried thyme. I think that sounds kinda yummy, don't you? That's the beauty of cooking, you can tweak the recipe as much as you like!

Peanut Butter Cake

2010-06-07T00:00:00.005-04:00

I'm always looking for new and different cake recipes. I'm also always looking for new peanut butter recipes since my friend Katie is always asking for something peanut butter. Seriously, sometimes I think that girl needs an intervention, but I digress. Anyway, CLEARLY it was fate that I should discover this recipe.
First, let me just say that I would like to buy a vowel because....O..... MY..... GOD. Just wait until you taste this cake! It's like a Reese's Cup in the form of a cake! How delicious is that?
I LOVE the fact that it uses so much peanut butter. Did you ever see a recipe that only includes, like, maybe a 1/4 cup of the key ingredient? What's that about? If I'm gonna have a peanut butter cake, I want it to have A LOT of peanut butter in it! Don't you agree? More is more! The same is true for the ganache. I think the original recipe only had a little peanut butter in it, but it seemed to me that the chocolate was covering the peanut butter taste, so I added more. Actually, I think I just added the rest of the jar of peanut butter. (which is why it says "or more" in the ganache portion of the recipe).
I made this cake when I went to my Jeanie's house for dinner. It was a big hit! Kristin was an immediate fan, and Rick LOVED the ganache. I know I always say how delicious every recipe is, but seriously, this is one of the BEST cake recipes I've ever posted. Like, I'm not even kidding. And it's as easy to make as it is delicious. If you have any peanut butter lovers in your life, then you DEFINITELY need to give this one a try!

1 1/4 cups smooth peanut butter
3/4 cup butter, softened
2 cups brown sugar, packed
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups buttermilk

Heat oven to 325°.
Grease and flour a 12-cup Bundt cake pan.
In a large mixing bowl with electric mixer, beat peanut butter and butter with the brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder, soda, and salt in a bowl. Add about 1/3 of the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture along with half of the buttermilk. Slowly beat until well blended then add another 1/3 of the dry ingredients and the remaining buttermilk. Beat until blended then slowly beat in remaining dry ingredients. Beat until smooth and well blended. Pour into the prepared baking pan. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean and the cake bounces back when lightly tapped.
Cool in pan for 10 minutes then carefully remove from the pan and invert on a baking rack.
Glaze with Chocolate Peanut Butter Ganache.

3/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup corn syrup
12 oz semisweet chocolate chips
pinch of salt
1/4 cup (or more) creamy peanut butter

In a saucepan, combine the cream and corn syrup. Bring to a simmer, add chocolate and salt, and remove from heat. Whisk until the chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Whisk in the peanut butter until well blended.
Spoon the warm chocolate mixture over the cooled cake, letting excess drip down the sides. If you have any extra ganache, you can store it in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer. Then just warm it and use as a sauce for pound cake or ice cream.

Tips:
Be careful not to over bake your cake. If you do, it might become too dry.
In addition to the peanut butter, the key to this recipe is the salt. Don't omit it! It brings out the sweetness of the chocolate and really enhances the flavor of the peanut butter.
Be creative! You can pair this cake with all sorts of things. Try adding diced (not mashed) bananas to the batter just before you pour it into the pan, or garnish your cake with sliced bananas.
Another yummy variation would be a Peanut Butter and Jelly cake. Instead of making the ganache, just add a few drops of water to some grape jam, then glaze the cooled cake with it. Easy!!
Oh here's an idea that just hit me.... I just might have to try baking this cake in two 9" round pans and then putting marshmallow creme between the layers. A Fluffernutter cake! Fabulous.

Fresh Lemon Sorbet

2010-05-30T00:00:00.001-04:00

Now that the weather is getting warmer and summer is upon us, I think it's time for a refreshing frozen taste treat. Don't you agree?
If you've never had sorbet, it's sort of like water ice, only smoother. It's like a more gourmet version of water ice. Oh, and I must say, just for the record, sorbet is not the same as sherbet. Yes, I know some people use those two words interchangeably, but it's just not so. Even though the word "sherbet" is derived from the word "sorbet", a sherbet is usually creamy in texture because of the addition of, well yes, you guessed it, cream! So now you know. I'm really glad we cleared that up. Aren't you?
Anyway, give this a try, and serve it as a refreshing treat on a hot day. Also, a small scoop would be the perfect thing to cleanse one's palate between courses of your next elegant dinner.
Love it!

2 cups water
1 cup sugar
1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tsp freshly grated lemon zest

Bring the water and sugar to a boil in a small saucepan, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat, and place in the fridge. Once it's chilled, combine the syrup with the lemon juice and zest and pour into the bowl of an ice cream machine. Freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions. After the sorbet is made, transfer to an airtight container. Cover tightly and freeze until ready to serve.

Tip:
-For an easy variation, simply substitute orange or lime juice and zest in place of the lemon. I must say, I'm particularly fond of the orange variation. You won't believe how refreshing it is!! It's like eating a frozen orange. SO yummy!
-Before you pour the chilled mixture into your ice cream maker, give it a quick taste to see if it suits you. Everyone has a different idea of what is too sweet or too tart. Especially when using lemon or lime, you don't want it to taste like lemonade concentrate. You know, like the kind you add to a pitcher of water?
-I use a Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker. It couldn't be easier to use. You just leave the canister in the freezer until you're ready to use it. Then you just pour in the chilled ingredients and turn it on. In a matter of 30 minutes, you have sorbet! How easy is that? If you have the means, I HIGHLY recommend picking one up!

Mashed Potato Pancakes

2010-05-24T00:00:00.001-04:00

I have a question for you. Do you throw away leftovers? BE HONEST! Some people throw away leftovers because "Well, no one will eat it, so I might as well just get rid of it." Are you kidding? That's such a waste! I NEVER throw away leftovers because there's always a way to use them in another recipe and breathe new life into them. My Dad used to always say "Wrap it up, I'll put it on a sandwich later." And he always did!
My parents were brilliant in figuring ways to stretch a dollar, especially since they had 11 children to feed. I guess that's how Mom came up with this little gem of a idea.
You have a bunch of mashed potatoes leftover from dinner last night, what do you do? Fry them up and serve them with breakfast the next day! They're SO yummy and hearty. It's sort of like a different twist on hash browned potatoes.
So this isn't really a recipe as much as it's a leftover user upper. Just scoop up some leftover mashed potatoes, throw them into a hot skillet with a little oil or butter, and let them saute until they're golden on the bottom, then flip it over and do the same thing on the other side. The key is to leave them alone while you're waiting to flip them. Otherwise, they'll fall apart. If you added a lot of butter to your mashed potatoes, you probably don't even need to add very much oil or butter to the pan (if any). Just use your own judgment. You can also add things to your potatoes before you fry them up. Chopped onions or scallions, minced garlic, any fresh herbs or seasonings. Anything at all!
If you like hash browns, I know you like this too!

Oatmeal Toffee Chip Cookies

2010-05-17T00:00:00.002-04:00

My niece, Kristin, recently had a jewelry party and she invited me to stop by for a drink and a nosh. Frankly, I had no plans of buying any jewelry, (which she knew when she invited me) but a party is a party, right? The more the merrier! So, I was happy to stop by. She had a tasteful variety of hors d'oeuvres, some sweet, some savory, and ALL so delicious, especially these cookies!
They're so buttery and chewy! As soon as I took a bite, I knew I wanted the recipe. She told me she got the recipe from iVillage.com, only she made a slight change. When she made them, she used whole wheat flour instead of all purpose flour, which worked absolutely perfectly. I'm sure yours will turn out perfectly as well, regardless of which type of flour you choose. Oh! Here's an idea.... Make a double batch of dough, roll them into balls, and store them in the freezer for up to three months. Then whenever you want some home baked cookies, just bake up a tray or two! Wait, actually, I think you should bake up a batch, like, right now!
Thanx Kristin!

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 lb (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar packed
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup oatmeal, uncooked (not quick oats)
1/2 cup (about 3 oz) toffee crunch candy, such as Heath Bar or Skor

1. Position 2 oven racks in the middle and upper third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. Sift the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon together. Set aside. Put the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar in the large bowl of an electric mixer and beat on medium speed for about 1 minute, or until the mixture is smooth. Add the egg and vanilla and mix on low speed until they are blended thoroughly, about 15 seconds. Stop the mixer and scrape the bowl during this time. Decrease the speed to low and add the flour mixture and oatmeal. Stir in the crushed toffee. Using 2 tablespoons of dough for each cookie, roll the dough between the palms of your hands to form 1 1/2-inch balls. Place the cookie balls about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.

3. Bake the cookies until golden brown, 12 to 13 minutes. After 7 minutes of baking, reverse the baking sheets front to back and top to bottom to ensure even browning. Watch the cookies carefully as they near the end of their baking time.

4. Cool the cookies on the baking sheets for 5 minutes. Transfer the cookies to 2 wire racks to cool completely. Makes about sixteen 3-inch cookies.

Notes: Lining the baking sheets with parchment paper will prevent the melted toffee from sticking to the baking sheet. The bottoms of these sweet cookies can burn easily, so watch the cookies carefully at the end of their baking time. To crush the toffee, leave it in its paper wrapper and crush it with the flat side of a meat pounder. Unwrap the toffee and break up any pieces larger than 1/2 inch.

To Freeze: Place the bottoms of 2 cookies together and wrap them in plastic wrap. Put the wrapped cookies in a metal or plastic freezer container and cover tightly. Label with date and contents. Freeze up to 3 months. To serve, remove as many cookies from the freezer as needed and defrost the wrapped cookies at room temperature. Serve within 3 days.

Reuben Stromboli

2010-05-10T00:00:00.016-04:00

Usually, when you think of a stromboli, you think of pizza sauce and mozzarella or provolone cheese wrapped up and baked in a hearty dough, right? Sometimes you add pepperoni to it.....basically anything you'd put on a pizza, right? Well, how about something completely different? This recipe takes all of the components of a Reuben sandwich and rolls it all up into a fabulous stromboli. Brilliant! Now why didn't I think of that?
I recently received this recipe from my sister Cathy, who got it from her friend, Jane. As soon as I read it, I immediately knew I'd soon be making it. It's so simple! I've always loved a good Reuben sandwich, and this is a great twist. Thanx Jane! And of course, I love that she serves it with thousand island dressing. It's a must! How can you have a Reuben without it, right? Oh, and btw, a big hello to Jane's mom and her bridge ladies! Hello Ladies!

Here's the recipe in Jane's own words:

Hi....
I lost my recipe but this is what I did.

3/4 lb of corn beef
3/4 pound Swiss cheese
can of sauerkraut - drained - I used 3/4 of a can the size of soup -
believe I used entire small can before
mayo-few tablespoons
Dijon mustard - I used about 1 heaping
2 packages of pizza crust dough

I always make 2 small strombolis out of it but the recipe calls for
one big-so what ever you want to do.
I chop the meat & cheese into tiny pieces and then add everything. I
think mayo and mustard are really just to hold together.
It also calls for caraway seeds but I rarely use.
It takes a long time to bake...
I usually serve with thousand island dressing.

Jane

Note from Joey-
I made it a couple times. The first time, I chopped everything up, and then rolled it up in the pizza crust, then baked it at 350 for about 30 minutes.
It turned out great. SO delicious! But here's the thing..
I was missing the swirl design in the cross section of the cut stromboli. So, I tried it again, and this time, I just did a little spread of mayo and mustard on the dough, then I layered the pieces of corned beef, the sauerkraut, then the cheese. Now when you roll it up, bake it and slice it, you have the pretty spiral design that I missed with the first technique.
Whichever way you decide to make it, I'm sure you'll love it!
Oh, and for the dressing, choose your favorite brand, or make it fresh!
Click here for the recipe: Thousand Island Dressing

Tip:
If you'd prefer to have a milder sauerkraut flavor, either use a little less, or rinse it well, then squeeze it dry before adding it to your stromboli.

Top Secret

2010-05-03T00:00:00.002-04:00

I honestly don't know where I got this recipe. I vaguely remember getting some sort of blueberry recipe from my sister, Jeanie, about a million years ago. (a blueberry crumble, mayhaps? I can't remember). Anyway, I think this came with it, but I'm not exactly sure. The other thing that lingers in the back of my mind is a story of how someone was serving pie and didn't have any whipped topping to serve with it, so he used what he had on hand, and this was the result. None of his guests could guess what the main ingredient was, so he called it "Top Secret" (as in "secret topping"), and there you have it.
I've made this a million times and it's always a huge hit. Actually, come to think of it, I'm not even sure if this is the exact original recipe. You know how I'm always tweaking recipes. So this is how I make it now. It's absurdly simple to make and I know you'll love it. Serve it as a topping for any fruit desserts, fruit pies, fruit salads, or even as a dip in the center of a fruit tray. Sprinkle it with a little cinnamon and you'll be in heaven!
And if your guests are wondering what the topping is, tell them it's Top Secret!

1 32oz container cottage cheese
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Simply place all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and process for several minutes, until it's satiny smooth and until the sugar is dissolved. Cover or place in an airtight container (I always just store it right back in the cottage cheese container). Chill until ready to serve.

Tips:
-If you don't have a food processor, you can also use a hand blender . You can probably use a regular blender, but you might have to stop several times and use a spatula or spoon to help things along.
-Feel free to reduce the amount of sugar if you'd prefer a topping that isn't as sweet. I've used as little as 1/4 cup, and it's still delicious, but I must say, I do like it better with 1/2 cup!
-I always use 4% cottage cheese because it makes a richer and more decadent topping, but feel free to use any low fat cheese, if you so desire. I wouldn't use a nonfat cottage cheese because it never tastes as good. (not to mention, it seems to me that they always add a bunch of fillers and things that I can't pronounce. I'd rather go for the one that tastes better!)

Greek Layered Dip

2010-04-26T00:00:00.003-04:00

Whenever I'm looking for a new recipe idea, I love to turn to my family and friends. I know I'll always find something tried and true and absolutely delicious. Such is the case with this recipe, which was given to me by my sister, Cathy, who got it from my sister, Jeanie. It's SO delicious and fresh tasting and it couldn't be simpler to throw together. Just layer each ingredient and serve! Easy, right? Serve it at your next party and I PROMISE that your guests will devour it!
Thanx Cath!
And thanx Jean!!!

1 8 oz. container cream cheese w/ chives and onions
1 8 oz. container hummus
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped
3 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped (I use chopped grape tomatoes when the larger tomatoes are yucky and out of season)
1 2-1/2 oz. can sliced ripe olives, drained (and chopped, if desired)
1 4 oz. container crumbled feta cheese, (drained, if needed)
1/4 cup chopped green onions

Spread cream cheese in bottom of pie plate or quiche dish. Drop hummus by small spoonfuls evenly over cream cheese, spread evenly. Top with remaining ingredients in order given. Serve with home-made pita crisps (see recipe below) or purchased pita chips.

Pita crisps: 3 6" pita pocket breads. Split each pita bread into 2 rounds. Cut each round into 6 wedges. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Spray wedges lightly with cooking spray and sprinkle with garlic powder. Bake at 350F for 5-7 minutes or until crisp and golden brown. Cool.

Tips:
The thing that makes this dip so wonderful is the freshness from the tomatoes and the cucumbers.
Be generous with them!
If you need to make it in advance, go ahead and spread the cream cheese and hummus in the dish, then cover it and chill it until you're ready to serve. Have the other ingredients all chopped separately and ready to go, but don't assemble it until just before serving. Your final dish will be SO much fresher!

ATK's Lemon Bundt Cake

2010-04-19T00:00:00.004-04:00

Many people ask me for recipes and dessert ideas. Most of the time, it's for something chocolate, but nearly just as often, it's for something lemony. True story! It seems that EVERYONE and his brother loves the bright refreshing taste of lemon. So, whenever I read a lemon recipe that looks simple and easy, I always give it a try. I originally saw this recipe on America's Test Kitchen and decided it would be the perfect dessert to bring to Easter Dinner. Well, needless to say, everyone LOVED it and I'm sure you will too. It has a wonderfully light burst of lemony flavor and it's very simple to throw together in a snap.
Hope you like it!

Cake:
3 lemons , zest grated and saved, then juiced for 3 tablespoons juice
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon table salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup buttermilk*
3 eggs , at room temperature
1 egg yolk , at room temperature
2 1/4 sticks (18 tablespoons) unsalted butter
2 cups sugar

Note from Joey:
*To make buttermilk - measure 1 cup milk into a small microwave safe bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of vinegar or fresh lemon juice. Microwave for 30-45 seconds. The milk will immediately curdle which is exactly what you want. If you don't have a microwave, just combine the milk and vinegar and let it sit for a while. As it comes to room temperature, it will eventually curdle. The microwave just speeds up that process.

Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position; heat oven to 350 degrees.
Spray 12-cup Bundt pan with nonstick baking spray with flour (alternatively, brush pan with mixture of 1 tablespoon flour and 1 tablespoon melted butter). Mince lemon zest to fine paste (you should have about 2 tablespoons). Combine zest and lemon juice in small bowl; set aside to soften, 10 to 15 minutes.
Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in large bowl. Combine lemon juice mixture, vanilla, and buttermilk in medium bowl. In small bowl, gently whisk eggs and yolk to combine. In standing mixer fitted with flat beater, cream butter and sugar at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes; scrape down sides of bowl with rubber spatula. Reduce to medium speed and add half of eggs, mixing until incorporated, about 15 seconds. Repeat with remaining eggs; scrape down bowl again. Reduce to low speed; add about one-third of flour mixture, followed by half of buttermilk mixture, mixing until just incorporated after each addition (about 5 seconds). Repeat using half of remaining flour mixture and all of remaining buttermilk mixture. Scrape bowl and add remaining flour mixture; mix at medium-low speed until batter is thoroughly combined, about 15 seconds. Remove bowl from mixer and fold batter once or twice with rubber spatula to incorporate any remaining flour. Scrape into prepared pan.
Bake until top is golden brown and wooden skewer or toothpick inserted into center comes out with no crumbs attached, 45 to 50 minutes. Meanwhile, make the glaze.

Glaze
2 - 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon buttermilk
2 cups confectioners' sugar

While cake is baking, whisk 2 tablespoons lemon juice, buttermilk, and confectioners' sugar until smooth, adding more lemon juice gradually as needed until glaze is thick but still pourable (mixture should leave faint trail across bottom of mixing bowl when drizzled from whisk). Cool cake in pan on wire rack set over baking sheet for 10 minutes, then invert cake directly onto rack. Pour half of glaze over warm cake and let cool for 1 hour; pour remaining glaze evenly over top of cake and continue to cool to room temperature, at least 2 hours. Cut into slices and serve.

Tip:
-The key to the success of this cake is the glaze. It's all about the double shot of lemon, first when it's warm, and then again after it cools. Don't skimp!
-It seems to me that this cake would work just as well with oranges instead of lemons. Don't you think? Maybe I'll give it a try sometime! When I do, though, I'll probably add a little freshly squeezed lemon juice, just to perk up the flavor of the orange juice.
YUM!

Baked Manicotti

2010-04-12T00:00:00.000-04:00

When I asked CJ what I should cook for the Project Runway group, he said "something pasta-ey". Then I remembered this baked manicotti recipe. I saw this technique in an episode of America's Test Kitchen. It's a simple idea that sort of makes me say "Why didn't I think of that?" And have I mentioned how yummy it is? The gang LOVED it! This isn't the EXACT ATK recipe, but it's how I make it and it's basically the same idea. It might seem a little tedious, but it's really not. It only takes a few minutes and you're good to go. Even a novice cook can do this.
Try it!

1 box Barilla no-boil lasagna noodles
1 lb. ricotta cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, plus more
1 large egg
1 tbs chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 tbs chopped fresh basil
salt and pepper to taste
Joey's Marinara Sauce, or your favorite jarred sauce, or your own

Heat oven to 350F.
Fill a glass 9x13 baking dish with hot tap water. Place the dry noodles, one at a time into the water, making sure they're separated and completely submerged. Set aside for about 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a medium mixing bowl, combine ricotta, Parmesan, mozzarella, egg, salt, pepper, parsley and basil. Set aside.
When the noodles are soft and pliable, remove them from the water and place in a single layer on a clean towel on a flat surface to drain.
Discard water. Rinse and dry the baking dish. Spread the bottom of baking dish evenly with marinara sauce. Place a heaping tablespoon of the cheese mixture onto one end of each lasagna noodle. Roll each one into a tube shape and arrange in baking dish seam side down. Top evenly with more sauce. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
Cover manicotti with aluminum foil. Bake until bubbling, about 40 minutes, then remove foil. Sprinkle manicotti evenly with shredded mozzarella and more Parmesan. Place back in the oven for another 10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

Tips:
Definitely use Barilla no bake noodles because they're exactly the correct size and they only take a few minutes to soften in water.
This is a great make-ahead recipe because you can assemble the pan of manicotti a day or so in advance, then cover it and leave it in the fridge until you're ready to bake it.
The original recipe calls for only Parmesan cheese on the top, but as far as I'm concerned it screams for mozzarella cheese too.
Am I right? Who's with me?!?

Leftover Easter eggs?

2010-04-04T00:00:00.002-04:00

So, I woke up on Easter morning, just about to get cooking, and I happened to read an article about what to do with all of your leftover hard boiled eggs. Not that there's anything wrong with having Classic Egg Salad or Deviled Eggs, but maybe you'd like something more!
I loved the ideas and figured they were worth sharing, so here there are! Let me know if you have any other quick ideas, and I'll add them to the list!
Happy Easter!

Southwestern Egg Salad Sandwich: Mash chopped eggs with a potato masher or a fork along with some mayo, a little chipotle in adobo or chipotle chile powder, lime juice, salt and sliced scallions. Place on a sandwich roll along with sliced avocado.

Egg Quesadilla: Brush one side of a burrito-size flour tortilla with olive oil. Place oiled side down on a baking sheet. Scatter shredded pepper Jack cheese over the tortilla, top with sliced hard-boiled eggs, green salsa and cilantro sprigs. Top with more cheese and another tortilla. Brush top of tortilla with oil and bake until the cheese has melted and the tortilla is crisp.

Eggs in Purgatory: Make a spicy tomato sauce with onions, garlic, a little bacon (if you like), tomatoes and some cayenne. Slice hard-boiled eggs about 1/2-inch thick, place in a shallow pasta bowl and spoon sauce over.

Potato and Egg Salad: Boil Yukon gold potatoes in their jackets until tender. Drain; peel while still warm, cut into thick slices and toss with a little vinegar (I like sherry or rice vinegar, but it's really your choice). Let sit 30 minutes then toss with hard-boiled egg slices, finely chopped red onion, a little mayo, and a little mustard. If you like, jazz it up with some ham, shrimp or cooked chicken.

Eggs with Asparagus and Parmesan Cheese: Do a riff on an Italian classic that usually has poached or fried eggs atop roasted asparagus. Trim ends of asparagus, then cut them in half crosswise. Place in a bowl, toss with olive oil to coat and roast at 400 degrees until lightly browned and crisp-tender. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan and panko breadcrumbs and roast a few more minutes until cheese has melted. Top with chopped hard-boiled eggs and chives, and if you like, a drizzle of aged balsamic vinegar.
.
Quick Egg and Vegetable Hash: Cook some chopped onions, diced red pepper, and thinly sliced peeled carrots in a combo of butter and vegetable or olive oil until the onion is golden brown and caramelized. Add diced cooked potatoes and cook until the potatoes are nicely browned. Add chopped hard-boiled eggs and just a little cream or half-and-half; cook until eggs are heated through.

Not Your Usual Egg Sandwich: Use a baguette or a couple of slices of thick whole-grain country bread. Spread hot pepper jelly on both sides of the bread and top with arugula, sliced prosciutto and sliced eggs.

Warm Bacon, Spinach and Egg Salad: Cook a few slices of bacon until crisp, save the bacon fat and whisk it together with red wine vinegar, red currant jelly (or a little brown sugar) and toss while still warm with fresh spinach and sliced sautéed or grilled portobello mushroom caps, hard-boiled eggs cut in wedges and crumbled bacon. If you don't want to use bacon, omit it and make the dressing with olive oil.

Rich and Creamy Salad Dressing: Halve hard-boiled eggs and separate yolks and whites. Push yolks through a fine-meshed strainer. Whisk in olive oil, mustard, a touch of lemon juice, salt and pepper. Toss with a hearty lettuce, such as romaine, and garnish with chopped egg whites. Variation: Combine sour cream, mustard, yolks, and mayonnaise for a creamy thick dressing.

Norwegian Butter Cookies: This treat is a perfect use for egg yolks. In a mixing bowl, combine 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, 2 mashed hard-boiled egg yolks, and 1/4 cup granulated sugar. Beat until well combined. Beat in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon grated orange zest, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and, if you like, 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom. Fold in 1 cup all-purpose flour. Using a teaspoon measure, drop cookie dough mixture 1-inch apart onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes, until golden around edges and set. Cool 2 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely

Meatloaf with Eggs: Put together your favorite meatloaf mixture. Pat half of it into a loaf pan, then make a trench lengthwise down the center and place a row of hard-boiled eggs in the trench. Top with remaining meatloaf mixture, patting it down to enclose the eggs and bake.

Gratinéed Eggs: Make a white sauce by melting 3 tablespoons butter and whisking in 3 tablespoons of flour, cooking over medium-low heat until just beginning to turn golden. Whisk in 2 cups milk, a little nutmeg, salt, pepper and a pinch of cayenne. Cook until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Whisk in about a cup of shredded sharp cheddar (or more if you like). Spoon some of the mixture into an 8 x 8 baking dish that's been brushed with a little butter. Place 6 to 8 thickly sliced eggs in the dish and top with more sauce. Sprinkle with a little grated Parmesan and bake at 350 degrees until golden brown and bubbling.

Glazed Baked Ham

2010-03-29T00:01:00.000-04:00

Serving a baked ham on Easter is as traditional as serving a turkey on Thanksgiving. To a novice cook, this maybe seem like a daunting task, but there's really nothing to it. Just plan ahead, marinate it for a while, then pop it in the oven! Simple, right? It turns out great every time! Of course, I love a super sweet glaze, but you can adjust the amounts of the sweet ingredients to suit your own taste.
You can do this!

1 tbs prepared mustard
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup pineapple juice
cracked black pepper
one fully cooked ham, about 5 or 6 lbs

In a large bowl or large oven bag, combine the mustard, honey, brown sugar, pineapple juice and pepper. Place the ham in the marinade, turn to coat well, and let marinate for several hours or overnight in refrigerator. Turn frequently to keep ham coated with marinade.
Preheat the oven to 350°. Remove ham from bowl or large bag. Place the ham on a rack in a roasting pan, reserving marinade for basting. Bake the ham, basting frequently with the reserved marinade, until a meat thermometer (not touching the bone) reads about 140°, or about 10 minutes per pound.

Tips:
This recipe lends itself to any number of variations. Add or switch any of the ingredients and add your favorite flavors.
Try maple syrup instead of the honey for a maple glazed ham.
Instead of pineapple juice, try orange juice or even pomegranate juice.
To make it a little more savory, add a minced clove of garlic and about 1/2 cup dry red wine to the marinade.
For a decorative presentation, score the ham with a sharp knife in a criss cross pattern before placing it in the oven.

Easy Oreo Truffles

2010-03-29T00:00:00.001-04:00

I was recently talking to Mary Beth about the recipe for Cake Balls, and she said "Oh! They look just like Oreo Truffles!" Wait, what????? I had never heard of them, and when she told me how to make them, I thought "Why have I never heard of this????" This is another one of those "how can this not be good" recipes. I described them to Daniel and he said "There isn't enough milk in the world for that!" He cracks me up.
Well, yes, there IS enough milk in the world for this and you simply MUST try them. They're SO delicious. If I had to describe them, I'd say they taste like little pieces of Oreo fudge. Heavenly!

36 OREO chocolate sandwich cookies
1 8oz pkg PHILADELPHIA cream cheese, softened
16 oz semisweet dipping chocolate

Crush cookies to fine crumbs; place in medium bowl. Add cream cheese; mix until well blended. Roll cookie mixture into 42 balls, about 1-inch in diameter.
Dip balls in chocolate; place on wax paper-covered baking sheet. (Any leftover chocolate can be stored at room temperature for another use.)
Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour. Store leftover truffles, covered, in refrigerator.

Tips:
I found it easiest to just throw all the cookies into a food processor and then pulse them into fine crumbs. Once all the cookies were crushed, I added the cream cheese and processed the mixture again until it was thoroughly combined.

You only need about 3 cups of cookie crumbs, which is about 36 cookies. You'll have several cookies leftover from the 16oz package. You can either pour yourself a glass of milk and enjoy the extra cookies while you're rolling truffles, or you can crush them separately and then sprinkle the finished truffles with Oreo crumbs just before the chocolate sets.

To easily dip truffles:
Place truffle ball in melted chocolate and turn to coat. Lift truffle from chocolate using 2 forks (this will allow excess chocolate to run off) before placing on parchment paper.

Sausage Parmigiana

2010-03-22T00:00:00.001-04:00

Sometimes the best meals are the simplest. You don't need to spend hours in the kitchen with a million ingredients in order to come up with a fabulous dinner. This is so easy, it's barely even a recipe. It's perfect for a mid-week meal or whenever you're a little short on time. A little sauce, a few sausages, some cheese, and you're good to go. Simple, right?

Italian sausage, hot or mild (or both!)
Joey's Favorite Marinara Sauce, or your favorite jarred sauce, or your own
shredded mozzarella cheese, as much as you like

Heat oven to 350F.
Cut sausage into lengths of 3 or 4 inches. Grill or fry until browned on all sides. Pour a little marinara sauce into a shallow casserole dish. Place browned sausages in casserole. Top with a little more sauce. Place in oven for about 20 minutes or until cooked through. Top with shredded cheese. Place in oven for about 10-15 minutes longer, just until cheese is melted and bubbly. Serve on fresh bakery rolls or with a side of pasta and some Garlic Bread.

Tips:
I like to use an electric indoor grill. Since it cooks everything from the top and bottom at the same time, it's done in a fraction of the time it would take to cook in a regular skillet.
When you brown the sausage, you don't have to worry about cooking it all the way through. It'll finish cooking in the oven.
I like to leave it in the oven for a little extra time, because it makes the cheese slightly golden and brown around the edges. Love it!
Try this with meatballs too!

Joey's Baking Tips

2010-03-15T00:00:00.002-04:00

I never really thought of baking as a remarkable "skill" until I realized how many people simply don't do it. My Mom always baked, everyone in my family bakes, so I always thought this was the norm. It wasn't until a grammar school cake sale that I realized that we seemed to be the exception to the rule. Of course, I brought one of my Mom's cakes to donate to the cake sale. When I asked why my Mom's cake was priced higher than all the rest, they said it was because "This was a cake made from SCRATCH." I had never even heard that expression before, and when they explained it, I thought, "Wait, how else do you make a cake?" I also remember my Mom and my Aunt Bet would always donate cakes to bake sales and then would buy them back. I remember Aunt Bet saying "Well, why would I want to buy someone else's cake? Mine is the best one there!" Too funny.
When I became an adult, I seemed to have a growing reputation as the guy who bakes, and luckily I have a family of friends who are always willing to be my taste testers for new recipe attempts. Before I knew it, people were calling and asking me for baking advice, very much the same way I used to call my Mom for advice.
Here are a few simple baking tips that I learned from Mom and from trial and error. I hope you'll find them to be useful, and just maybe you'll be inspired to give it a try!

1. Follow the recipe.
Wait, let me say that again. FOLLOW THE RECIPE!
This was the first piece of advice my Mother ever gave me about baking.
Even if you read the recipe and you think "Well, it would be easier or faster if I did it THIS way instead..." Don't do it! Someone tested this recipe, probably several times, and this was the best version. After you gain a little experience, you can experiment with recipes, but always do it as it's written first, and save the experiments for the second or third time you try a recipe.

2. Read the entire recipe before you do anything.
There's nothing worse than getting halfway through the recipe and realizing you don't have all the ingredients, or maybe there's a specific tool that you need in order to do a specific recipe. For instance, if you wanted to try a recipe for home made ice cream, you'd want to read the whole thing to see if it's a recipe that requires an ice cream maker, or if it's one that you can just place in the freezer.

3. Measure your ingredients*.
I know I've said this before, but it's worth repeating. When you cook, you can throw in a little of this and a little of that, but it's different with baking. There's a definite science involved here. Each ingredient serves a purpose, such as binders and leaveners. In order for the cake to rise, or for the custard to set, you need to add ingredients in the correct amounts. People who say they can cook but can't bake are really just saying that they don't measure. Use dry measuring cups for dry ingredients and wet measuring cups for wet ingredients.

4. Learn about your ingredients.
Ok, I know I'm about to contradict what I just told you, but every rule has an exception, right? Yes, you need to measure everything, but there are some baking ingredients that don't have to be exact. For instance you can add shredded coconut or chopped nuts to a cake and it won't affect the interaction of the ingredients. It always helps to know which ingredients are important for the chemistry of baking (like baking soda or baking powder), and which ingredients you can add to taste. The more you learn, the more you'll know how much leeway you can take. It's pretty safe to say that anything that you add specifically for flavoring can be adjusted to taste. So go ahead and add extra orange zest, or a little extra vanilla extract, if that's what you like. It'll turn out fine!

5. Use salt.
Whenever a dessert recipe calls for the addition of salt, don't omit it. Many people think, "Well, it's a dessert, I don't want it to come out tasting salty." It's true, you don't want it to taste salty, but desserts still need salt. It makes everything taste better, and actually brings out the sweetness of the other sweet ingredients. If you're worried about your sodium intake, then just use a salt substitute.

6. Taste everything.
It might seem like common sense, but I'll say it anyway. How else can you know if it's right? If you don't taste it, then you're just guessing. Basically, if the batter tastes good, then the final product will taste good. Some people may be concerned about tasting a batter that has raw eggs in it. Frankly, I never worry about that. I remember Sara Moulton saying that only about one in 20,000 eggs might be spoiled, so it appears that the odds are in my favor. Not only that, it seems to me that I'm not really consuming that much raw egg just from one little taste.

7. Grease and flour your pans*.
You want to be sure that your cake will come out of the pan in one piece, so be sure to not only grease your pan but also flour it as well. You can also use a baking spray, which is an oil spray with added flour. You can also use parchment paper to insure that your cake will come out easily. Just spray your pan with baking spray, then cut out a piece of parchment to fit the bottom of your pan. Place the paper in the pan, then spray the paper. I recently used this method when I baked a 12" round layer cake and the layers popped right out of the pan.

8. Clean as you go.
I have to admit, I never follow this one, but it's what Mom always said to do, and it's a good habit. Mom always disagreed every time she'd hear someone say "A messy cook is a good cook." For some reason, whenever I bake something, I always wind up using every kitchen surface, every bowl, and every spatula in the house. Then of course, I'm left with a kitchen that looks like a cyclone went through it. It's usually around that time that I wish I had listened to my Mother.

9. Cook it until it's done.....
Even if a recipe says to take it out of the oven at a certain time, not all ovens are calibrated equally, so you may need to adjust your baking time. My oven is old and doesn't exactly bake at the correct temperature. It usually bakes hot, so I have to lower the temperature setting, and bake it for less time. I always check it about 3/4 of the way through baking time, just to make sure everything is going as planned. If your oven is too hot or too cool, you can adjust your time to make it turn out correctly. You can tell when a cake is done just by tapping it lightly with your finger. If the top springs back, then you know it's done. If you leave a finger print in the cake, then continue baking. You can also insert a wooden toothpick into the center of the cake. If it comes out clean, then it's done.

10. ....but don't overbake it.
Of course you don't want your cake to still be batter when you take it out of the oven, but it's just as bad to go to the other extreme. The longer you leave the cake in the oven, the dryer it will become. (And with cookies, the harder and crunchier they'll become). I always underbake cookies just a bit. Since I like a them to be soft and chewy, I always take them out of the oven just under the listed baking time.

11. Use a timer.
It may sound a little obvious, but it's still worth saying.
You've just put the cake in the oven, you look at the clock, and with the best of intentions, you say to yourself, "ok, I have to take it out at 6:00." Then you get distracted and before you know it, it's 6:30, and your kitchen now smells like burnt cake. Trust me, I've been there. Now I always use an inexpensive wind up timer and sometimes even the alarm on my cell phone, (just because it's really loud). I've used the microwave as a timer (with the heat setting at zero) but sometimes I need to use the microwave in the middle of baking. The alarm on the phone is just easier!

12. Use a baking sheet.
If you're worried that a pie or casserole will bubble up and spill over, place it on a baking sheet before putting it in the oven. If it bakes up and over, at least it won't spill all over the bottom of your oven. If you don't have a baking sheet, you can also place a sheet or two of aluminum foil on the rack below your dish. The foil will catch anything that spills, and then you can just crumple it up and toss it when you're finished baking.

13. Improvise, if you need to.
If your cake breaks into pieces when you attempt to remove it from the pan, don't worry and don't panic! You can always improvise another dessert. Make a Trifle! Make Cake Balls. You can cover a million imperfections with frosting or pudding, or pie filling, and no one will ever know the difference.

14. Don't ever apologize.
Even if a recipe doesn't turn out exactly the way you were hoping it would, chances are that your guests would never know that. All your guests can see is a fabulous home made creation sitting in front of them. Why lower anyone's expectations?

*For a video demonstration of how to properly measure your ingredients, and also how to grease and flour your baking pans, watch my Baking Tips video!

Carrot Cake Ice Cream

2010-03-07T20:55:00.000-05:00

When I first got my ice cream maker, I knew I'd eventually be trying new and different recipes. I've always loved ice cream flavors that are a little outside the box. I definitely think this one fits the bill. When I told my niece, Kelli, that I wanted to try a carrot cake ice cream, she gave me a look as if she was seeing the Holy Grail. She LOVES my carrot cake! So, of course, this is what I decided to make for Kelli's birthday. She absolutely LOVED it and I know you will too.
Happy Birthday, Kel!

2 cups whole or 2% milk
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup packed grated carrots
1/2 cup shredded coconut
5 egg yolks
1/3 cup white sugar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
tiny pinch of salt

Combine the milk, cream, carrots, and coconut in a medium saucepan. Bring mixture just to under a boil, then reduce heat to very low. Let simmer, stirring occasionally, for 25 minutes. (Do not let boil.)

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, beat the egg yolks with the sugars and spices until fluffy and lighter in color.
While beating the egg yolk mixture, pour in a little of the hot milk mixture and continue to beat. Do this a few times, adding a just a little at a time, until all of the milk mixture is added to the egg mixture. (This will temper the eggs, so that you don't wind up with scrambled eggs.) Pour everything back into the saucepan and set heat to medium-low. Cook about 8-10 minutes longer, stirring frequently with a spatula to scrape all corners of the bottom of the pot. Do not let boil. The custard should be just thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Let custard cool completely, then transfer to an airtight container and completely chill in the refrigerator. Follow your machine’s instructions for churning length. Transfer ice cream to an airtight container and freeze for 2 hours or until it reaches desired firmness. Serve with the Cream Cheese Sauce.

Cream Cheese Sauce

2010-03-07T20:50:00.001-05:00

This is the perfect sauce to serve over any kind of spiced cake, a bowl of fresh berries, or Carrot Cake Ice Cream. Yum!

1 pkg cream cheese
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

In a mixing bowl, simply combine all ingredients together until smooth. If you'd like a thinner sauce, add a drop or two more milk. Also, feel free to change the amount of sugar to adjust the sweetness.

Cake Balls

2010-03-01T00:00:00.004-05:00

I recently read about this trendy little gem of a dessert. They're balls of cake mixed with frosting and dipped in a melted chocolate. It's like having a tiny little truffle made of cake. How can this not be good? And why has it taken so long for me to find out about this?!? Wouldn't they be ideal to serve at a brunch or a party? They're the perfect solution when someone would like to have a little sweet bite, but would prefer not to have a big honkin' piece of cake. These would also be the perfect thing to make if you have eager little ones at home who might like to help in the kitchen.
Have fun!

1 baked cake
1 batch of frosting
dipping chocolate

Now, before we start, here are a few thoughts:
You can use a scratch cake recipe, or a boxed cake mix. Just follow the recipe or the directions on the box to bake the cake.
The same goes for the frosting. You can use a scratch recipe or just buy a tin of ready made frosting. If you don't feel like baking at all, you could even just buy a fully frosted cake and then throw the whole thing into a mixing bowl. Of course, you know that I prefer to make everything from scratch. Like I always say, it's better when you make it!
Since this is pretty much a Southern thing, I turned to my favorite Southern cook, Paula Deen, to see her Cake Ball making technique. She advises chilling the cake mixture and then freezing the balls before dipping. Sounds like a good idea to me!

Here are her directions:

Prepare the cake according to the recipe or the directions on the box. When cake is finished baking allow to cool for 30 minutes. Crumble the cake into a large bowl using a stand mixer or a hand mixer. Add the frosting and mix until well combined. Place the bowl in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours or overnight.
Line a baking tray with wax paper. Use a melon baller as a scooper to form balls with the cake mixture. Place on wax paper. Once you have used all of the cake mixture, place the baking tray in the freezer for 1 hour. Melt the chocolate in a glass bowl of the microwave, stirring every 5-10 seconds until smooth. At this point you can add a bit of food coloring if you are using white chocolate.
Remove the balls from the freezer. Using one toothpick, pick up the balls one at a time and dip in the chocolate. Use a second toothpick to slide the ball off the first toothpick onto the wax paper lined baking tray.

NOTE: We found that an old Easter egg dipper works as well. If the balls fall off the toothpick into the chocolate, they are not firm enough to work with and you'll need to place them back in the freezer for additional time.

Once you have covered all the balls in chocolate coating place the tray in the refrigerator until the chocolate coating is set. At this point you can drizzle other chocolate on the balls for decoration.

How simple and fun is that? Of course the cake/frosting/chocolate combinations are endless, so mix and match them as much as you want. I think carrot cake and cream cheese frosting dipped in white chocolate would be delish. A red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting dipped in milk chocolate would be heavenly. Of course, for the chocoholics of the world, you can do a dark chocolate cake with chocolate fudge frosting dipped in semisweet or dark chocolate. You could even mix in some chopped nuts and/or shredded coconut. That's sounds perfectly sinful to me! Feel free to browse through all of my posted CAKE and FROSTING recipes and choose your own combinations!