orange pound cake

This is Ina Garten's recipe for orange pound cake. I have made it in many forms: muffins, mini muffins, loaf, and bundt. I think I like it in a bundt pan the most. The glaze really makes this cake (although I skip the glaze when using the recipe for muffins). I usually serve the cake with lightly sweetened whipped cream and raspberry coulis.

Orange Pound Cake
From Barefoot Contessa

2 sticks butter, at room temperature
2 1/2 c. granulated sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1/3 c. grated orange zest (From about 6 oranges)
3 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
3/4 c. freshly squeezed orange juice, divided
3/4 c. buttermilk, at room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray Bundt pan with cooking spray.

Cream butter and 2 c. sugar in a large bowl. Mix in eggs, one at a time. Add zest. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. In another bowl, mix 1/4 c. orange juice, buttermilk, and vanilla. Add flour and buttermilk mixture alternately to the batter, beginning and ending with the four. Pour in prepared pan.

Bake until tester comes out clean, 45 minutes to 1 hour.

While the cake bakes, make syrup by combining 1/2 c. sugar and 1/2 c. orange juice in small pot until sugar dissolves.

Invert cake. Pour syrup over top of cake while it is still warm. Allow cake to cool completely.

chocolate chip marshmallow pretzel peanut cookies

These cookies were inspired by the Compost Cookie at Momofuku Milk Bar. They are chock-full of goodies.

Chocolate Chip Marshmallow Pretzel Peanut Cookies

2 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 3/4 sticks butter, room temperature
3/4 c. granulated sugar
1/4 c. packed light brown sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. vanilla
2 large eggs
2 c. semisweet chocolate chips
1 c. mini marshmallows
3/4 c. pretzels, chopped
1/2 c. peanuts, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking soda. Using an electric mixer, combine the butter with both sugars, and beat until light and fluffy. Reduce speed to low, and add vanilla and eggs. Beat until well-mixed, about 1 minute. Add flour mixture, and mix until just combined. Stir in chocolate chips, marshmallows, pretzels, and peanuts.

Drop dough by tablespoonfuls on parchment paper lined baking sheets. Bake until cookies are golden around the edges, about 10 minutes. Remove from oven and transfer to wire rack to cool.

more chocolate chip cookies

These were made following the famous Neiman Marcus Cookie recipe. I'd make these again.

Neiman Marcus Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 sticks butter, softened
2 c. light brown sugar
1/4 c. granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 tbs. vanilla
3 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 tbs. instant espresso powder
3 c. semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Cream the butter and sugars at low speed for about 15 seconds. In a mixing bowl, sift together dry ingredients, and beat into butter mixture at low speed. Stir in espresso coffee powder and chocolate chips. Beat in eggs and vanilla.

Drop 2 tablespoons batter onto greased cookie sheet, about 3 inches apart. Bake for 20 minutes, or until nicely browned around the edges.

shake shack

Shake Shack makes unbelievable burgers and frozen custards. So good.

chocolate chip cookies

The search for the ultimate chocolate chip cookie continues. These were much thinner than I'd like, but they made good ice cream sandwiches!

Chocolate Chip Cookies
From Gourmet, October 2003

3 c. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 sticks butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 1/2 c. packed light brown sugar
1 c. granulated sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 1/2 c. semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment or Silpat.

Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl. Beat together butter and sugars in a large bowl until pale and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Add eggs to butter mixture, beating with mixer until creamy, about 1 minute. Beat in vanilla. Reduce speed to low, and mix in flour mixture until just blended, then stir in chips.

Scoop tablespoonfuls of batter on prepared sheets. Bake until golden, about 8 minutes. Transfer cookies to a rack to cool.

mini quiches

I made these mini quiches to serve as hors dourves. I used a round cookie cutter to cut out pie crust. I placed the dough rounds in a mini muffin pan, and filled each pastry with my standby quiche filling.

chicken poppers

One of my little sister's guilty pleasures is chicken poppers. She flipped over these!

Chicken Poppers

Boneless chicken breast
1 c. buttermilk, well-shaken
2 tbs. Sriracha sauce
1 c. flour
Salt and pepper
Canola oil

Heat 3-4 inches of canola oil in a heavy pot.

Cut chicken breast into bite-size pieces. Place buttermilk and Sriracha in large bowl. Season flour with salt and pepper, and put in a paper bag. Drop chicken in buttermilk, and dredge in flour.

When oil is hot, carefully drop in chicken poppers. Fry until golden brown. Transfer to paper towel lined baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper.