happy birthday greg, or is it gerg?

Today is my amazing partner Greg’s 39th birthday. The photo above is the reason that I will no longer out-source the making of his birthday cake. Has something like this happened to you? I know there are entire web sites devoted to it. Describe your favorite “cake wreck” in the comments section.

cappuccino and white chocolate chip cookies

Joy the Baker, one of the very best cooking blogs, featured this recipe for Cappuccino and White Chocolate Chip Cookies last week. I didn’t waste much time in making them myself. And if I’m being honest, I think I may have found my new favorite cookie. Yes, I realize that I’ve said that before. I’m sure I will say that again. And to be frank, my favorite cookie is usually the one that I’m eating at the time.

The instant espresso powder gives these cookies a terrific flavor, it reminds me a lot of coffee flavored ice cream. But beware, don’t eat a couple of them too late at night. You just might have trouble getting to sleep from the caffeine. Someone in our house had that problem. It wasn’t the dog and it wasn’t me. I could drink three diet cokes right before bed, and fall asleep in an instant. The cookies were also a pretty big hit at work on Monday. I know I’ll be making these again very soon. I think I just might make the batter, and freeze the dough in individual cookie servings so that I can pop a few in the oven whenever the mood strikes. Which will probably be way too often.

Also, if you love that cappuccino flavor in baked goods, be sure to check out my post about Cappuccino Brownies from last summer. That’s an incredibly delicious square of chocolate goodness.

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mini ginger-almond cheesecakes – everyday food challenge

The latest edition of Everyday Food Magazine is all about “Fast Food.” Not the drive-thru type, but the kind of great tasting food you can make at home in no time. To make things even more interesting, this was the first edition of the magazine available for the iPad. And let me tell you, the editors took a great magazine and made it even better. There are lots of video tutorials, cool visual effects and all of the recipes pop off the screen. The size of the iPad makes each page a little larger than the standard magazine, which makes following a recipe in the kitchen a lot easier.

As far as fast food goes, you can’t beat a quick dessert. That’s how I became so smitten with these Mini Ginger-Almond Cheesecakes. The only baking needed was to set the ginger cookie crumb crust. The addition of whipped cream to the cream cheese made the filling a lot less dense and not so heavy. A little almond extract and the toasted almond slivers added a great flavor twist to standard cheesecake fare.

Check out the new edition of Everyday Food magazine now on news stands and at the iTunes app store.

Mini Ginger-Almond Cheesecakes - Everyday Food,  March 2011

Ingredients

• 1 and 1/2 cups gingersnap crumbs (from about 30 cookies)
• 3 tbsp granulated sugar
• 1/4 tsp coarse salt
• 5 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 1/2 tsp pure almond extract
• 3/4 cup cold heavy cream
• 2 tbsps sliced blanched almonds (optional) toasted

Instructions

• Preheat over to 375 degrees. Line 10 standard muffin cups with cupcake liners. In a food processor pulse together cookie crumbs, granulated sugar, salt and butter until combined. Divide crumb mixture among cupcake liners, firmly pressing into bottoms and up sides. Bake until crusts are browned and fragrant, 10 minutes. Let cool completely in a pan on a wire rack at room temperature.
• In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese on high until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add confectioners’ sugar and almond extract and beat until smooth. In another medium bowl, with clean beaters, beat cream on high until stiff peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir one-third the whipped cream into cream cheese mixture, then gently fold in remaining cream. Divide mixture among cooled crusts and refrigerate until set, 1 hour (or up to overnight), to serve, top with almonds if desired.

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wordless wednesday – dreams of summer

pasta salad with roasted broccoli – everyday food challenge

Something pretty amazing happens when you roast vegetables. I love roasting garlic, asparagus, potatoes and peppers. This was my first time roasting broccoli, and I’m a huge fan. The sweetness you get from the caramelization is a great flavor booster in this Pasta Salad with Roasted Broccoli from Everyday Food Magazine. Another one of the “light” editions from January/February 2006. If you are looking for a healthier pasta salad that’s not drowning in an oily dressing, this recipe is for you. A warning to friends and family. If you invite us to a cookout this spring and summer, I will be toting along this pasta salad. It’s fresh, bright and amazing. I made a few alterations to the recipe. I have quite a lot of pine nuts in the freezer, so I swapped out the walnuts for them. And instead of using jarred roasted peppers, I roasted my own. I needed some for another recipe for our Valentine’s Day dinner. Greg requested one of our favorite Everyday Food meals, Orecchiette with Sausage and Roasted Peppers.

cherry pecan meringues – everyday food challenge

Happy Valentine’s Day. I have three presents for you today. As you know, all great things come in threes. First, this is the last recipe that will star dried cherries…for a while. Second, no more pink-tinged photo backdrops for the rest of the month. You’re welcome. Finally, a simple recipe for a not-so-bad-for-you sweet treat, the Cherry Pecan Meringue. Ten minutes prep, and 2 hours in a 225 degree oven. It could not be easier. And at just 35 calories each, you can enjoy several at a time. Another great recipe from a light issue of Everyday Food Magazine.

chocolate-cherry clusters

Three ingredients, fifteen minutes prep time, an amazingly great snack: the Chocolate-Cherry Cluster.

From the January/February 2011 issue of Everyday Food Magazine.

Melt 10 ounces of bittersweet chocolate, mix in 3 cups of cornflakes that you’ve crushed slightly and half a cup of dried cherries until everything is covered in melted chocolate.  Drop by heaping tablespoons (I used a small ice cream scoop) onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Let cool until chocolate has hardened. Makes 18 clusters that won’t last long, trust me on this. These would make a delicious Valentine’s treat for that someone special. Also, if you love the combination of chocolate and cherries, you’ll flip for these. So, what’s your favorite Valentine’s sweet treat?

wordless wednesday – it’s cold outside edition

lighter beef chili – everyday food challenge

When I started my Everyday Food Challenge back in June of last year, my intention was to cook one recipe, in order, from issue #1 through the entire collection. Several problems arose. One, the crafty and smart editors create each issue to seasonally match what foods are available and at their peak. This can sometimes make it difficult to find copious amounts of basil when I come across an August issue in January. Second, and what brings us to today’s recipe for Lighter Beef Chili, I’ve jumped back on the weight loss bandwagon after tumbling off about a year ago. I’d kind of forgotten how great it felt to be a tad smaller and whole lot more energized. As a result, I’ve been immersing my self in all of the January issues of Everyday Food Magazine.  Those are the “light” editions that come out each year when we’re all making our resolutions to get back in the gym and back to healthier meals.

Don’t worry, the great thing about Everyday Food magazine is that most of the recipes are pretty healthy. It’s those  “in moderation” and “portion size” things that you need to keep an eye on. So here’s the deal, I still plan to cook at least one recipe from each of the EDF magazines I have. It’s just that I’ll probably be bouncing around and not cooking in order.

Now back to that Chili. Including this recipe, this is the second chili I’ve made with cocoa powder this year. And I’ve got to say that I’m a big fan. It adds a great depth of flavor and produces a real dark base. The chili tastes terrific. To make it lighter, you use very lean ground beef and just a tablespoon of oil.  There are a lot of beans and diced tomatoes that makes it very filling. I require toppings and mix-ins when I eat my chili. Here, I’ve gone with a little reduced fat sour cream.

What recipes are you cooking that are on the light or healthy side? And how do you control portion sizes and not go back for seconds?

snickerdoodle krispie treats with cinnamon frosting

Rice Krispie Treats, great just as they are. Even better when the recipe is tweaked just a tad. I’ve been trying to get my head around creating a rice krispie treat with a snickerdoodle-like flavor. You see, the soft and chewy snickerdoodle just might be my favorite cookie. If you’re looking for a great recipe, check out the one in Martha Stewart’s Cookie cookbook. They are cheered by most of my friends.

But back to the task at hand, the Snickerdoodle Krispie Treat. I started with the blank canvas of the traditional rice krispie treat recipe that’s right on the box. For my twist, I added a teaspoon of cinnamon and a teaspoon of pure vanilla extract. I love that you can see the little flecks of cinnamon in each treat. Alone, the treats were terrific. I decided to take them up another notch by adding a cinnamon-sugar frosting. You’re welcome to leave it off, I wouldn’t. It’s pretty tasty on its own.

Enjoy this made by mike original recipe. I’m busy trying to think up my next twist on the humble rice krispie treat. Stay tuned and please feel free to drop some suggestions in the comments section.

Snickerdoodle Krispie Treats with Cinnamon Frosting

Makes 24 with lots of delicious scraps.
For the snickerdoodle krispie treats:
3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
4 Cups of miniature marshmallows
1 Teaspoon cinnamon
1 Teaspoon pure vanilla extract
6 Cups Rice Krispies cereal

Melt butter in a large saucepan over low heat.
Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted.
Stir cinnamon and vanilla extract into marshmallow mixture.
Remove saucepan from heat.
Mix in Rice Krispie cereal until uniformly coated with marshmallow mixture.
Spread the mixture evenly in a buttered 13x9x2-inch pan.
Cut into 24 pieces with a 2-inch round cookie cutter. Save the scraps for a snack.

For the cinnamon frosting:
2 Cups powdered sugar, sifted
4 Tablespoons melted butter
2 Tablespoons milk
1/2 Teaspoon cinnamon

Add melted butter, milk and cinnamon to the powdered sugar.
Beat until smooth and creamy.
Spread about a teaspoon of frosting on each snickerdoodle krispie round.