Baker's Theory

Our Magical ‘Moon

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We returned to the un-magical (albeit snowy) Minnesota yesterday from our lovely honeymoon. The depression has set it for Jim that our vacation at the wonderful Walt Disney World is over, and he has informed me he will need lots of cakes and desserts to fill the void. I am very happy to oblige, especially after drawing inspiration from our travels and the book I read during our trip (Miss Cecily’s Recipes for Exceptional Ladies by Vicky Zimmerman–I can’t recommend it enough). 

It was a great trip and our first trip together where we got to learn more about each other’s travel styles. For example, Jim is the type to set an alarm for 5:45 a.m., eat lightly, get on the first bus to the parks, and be in constant pursuit of the next great ride. I, on the other hand, like to sleep until I wake up (whenever that is), have a delicious brunch (Mickey waffles, duh), tan by the pool with a book, then head to the parks to go shopping. We’re totally the same. 

Some of the best parts of our trip were in the most unexpected places. It seems that everyone flocks to the allure of Magic Kingdom and EPCOT, but honestly, my favorite rides were spent at Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios. Because of COVID, all of Disney’s rides and restaurants quickly reach their limited capacities, so we had no hope or expectation of getting in. But through some Mickey magic (and a lot of trial-and-error with the Disney app) we managed to get into the highly coveted Be Our Guest, Beaches & Cream Soda Shoppe, and the new Star Wars Rise of the Resistance ride. 

The Magic Kingdom

We went to Magic Kingdom on Monday and Friday because there is so much to see there, and we didn’t get to all of it by Monday. 

Some of the highlights were The Carousel of Progress, Big Thunder Mountain, Jungle Cruise, the Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse, Dumbo, beautiful mosaics in the castle, Hall of Presidents, Be Our Guest, Haunted Mansion, and It’s a Small World.

I also tried my best to dress for the occasion, donning my Ellie pin and my teacup necklace. 

Animal Kingdom

We also did mobile ordering at the Satu’li Canteen at Animal Kingdom where Jim got a deliciously grilled chicken and rice bowl, and I got a slow roasted, thinly sliced beef with noodles. Both were garnished with carrot slaw and jelly bursts. Definitely recommend eating here! 

Despite getting to Animal Kingdom very early, the line to the newest Avatar ride was already about two hours worth of a wait. So we headed to the Navi River Cruise (which was spectacular in terms of color!) and then on to one of my favorites: the Safari. We also caught an educational bird show, rode Expedition Everest, and watched primates taunt each other while we gobbled up premium ice cream bars. 

The dinosaur ride was just the right mix of fun and thrilling. It was a huge delight to see all of the animals in the Maharajah Jungle Trek: a komodo dragon, a bengal tiger, and many colorful birds. Finally, we made it onto the 3D Avatar Pandora ride and it was amazing! The smells were wonderful and the scenery was resplendent. 

EPCOT

EPCOT was…truthfully a huge let down. Before meeting Jim, I never knew there were rides at EPCOT, and so from the time the park opened at 11:00 a.m. until about 3:00 p.m., we went through Soarin’, Nemo and Friends, Spaceship Earth, Jim went on Mission: SPACE, and then we got in line for Jim’s favorite ride, Test Track. 45 minutes of waiting in line for test track, we finally got to the front and the overhead speaker announced that inclement weather was forcing them to stop the ride until further notice. We eventually abandoned the ride and it never reopened that day (but it never rained, either).  

My favorite part of EPCOT has always been the different countries of World Showcase and the great shops that offer imported products from around the world. Unfortunately, the majority (~80%) of these shops were closed.  

We did manage to get a shot of chocolate Mozart liqueur from Germany, Mickey and Minnie pasta-themed dish towels in Italy, and a glimpse at the upcoming restaurant in France called Gusteau’s after Ratatouille. 

I would not recommend visiting EPCOT during COVID. It was definitely not worth the full park ticket. 

Disney's Hollywood Studios

Disney’s Hollywood Studios gave us the best day of our trip. Again, we arrived early and only waited about 10 minutes to get onto the Tower of Terror. Things got busier quickly after that and so we pushed off Rock ‘n’ Rollercoaster until later in the afternoon. We hit up all three of the Star Wars rides, saw the Muppets in 3D (meh), and played the Toy Story Midway Mania. We also walked through a little museum and show on Walt Disney’s life which was interesting. 

Of course, we also had to have another premium Mickey ice cream bar! 

If you are headed to Disney any time soon, here are my tips:

1. Make reservations NOW for any restaurants you want to try. Pretty much everything was either booked or was only available for dinner at 8:30 p.m. You can also try to get on the Walk-up list for some restaurants, but you have to do this (A) through the Disney app and (B) immediately after the restaurant opens, and there is no guarantee you will get in. Everything is done through the app now, and you can’t just walk up to the concierge and put your name on the list. This might get better when COVID resolves, but until then bear in mind that the restaurants are operating at less than half capacity. 

2. You can also order food through mobile order pick up. It works for some restaurants and is the required process for any fast food restaurants (of which we really liked Pecos Bill’s tacos at Magic Kingdom and Satu’li Canteen at Animal Kingdom). 

3. I’d also suggest springing for a room with a view. Unfortunately, regardless of how charming you are or what happy event you are celebrating, Disney simply doesn’t throw in free perks anymore. Of course, you’ll probably spend most of your time at the parks anyway, but it’s nice to open the curtains and not look directly into the fins of an industrial-grade air conditioning unit. The lagoon view we had at the Yacht Club really added to the ambiance that we were on a special vacation. 

4. Go mini golfing at Fantasia Gardens! It costs about $15 per person which is a bit pricey for mini golf, but the 18-hole course is very whimsical and fun, and it’s based on the original Fantasia movie. 

5. Do eat Mickey waffles, do get a premium Mickey ice cream bar, and skip the Mickey pretzel (it’s a dry disappointment and you’re better off at Auntie Anne’s). 

6. Go to Wine Bar George at Disney Springs and get the macaroni and cheese bites, the meatballs, and the grilled romaine. Then go to Amorette’s (also at Disney Springs) and get a salted caramel eclair. 

7. The new Star Wars ride Rise of the Resistance at Disney’s Hollywood Studios is THE BEST RIDE YOU WILL EVER GO ON. The virtual queue opens at 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. You can bet 100 Imperial Credits that by 10:00:30 a.m. and 2:00:30 p.m. those virtual queues are completely filled. So be that person and stay glued to your phone on the Disney app until the second the clock turns to 10:00 or 2:00 and you just might get on the back-up boarding list. 

8. Get to the parks early! The parks might list that they open at 9:00 a.m. but we got into each park at least 30-45 minutes earlier than it officially opened. They do this so people can hop on the big rides that inevitably get crowded throughout the day. We stayed at a Disney resort so a bus took us directly from our hotel to the entrance of Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom, and EPCOT and Hollywood Studios were within walking distance.  

And while Jim has been lamenting our departure from Disney, (and of course, I have enjoyed the vacation thoroughly but) I am thrilled to return to the kitchen!

Having just finished Miss Cecily’s Recipes for Exceptional Ladies, I thought I would borrow a page from her cook book, Thought for Food, where the cook book is laid out in specific menus instead of a la carte recipes. For example…

Dinner for Returning from Your Honeymoon

Aim: to soften the blow of ending a lovely vacation, to nourish your body after a week of rich and indulgent eating, and to not create a mess in the kitchen when you need to spend time unpacking and lamenting the return to reality. Ultimately, it is the closure to your honeymoon and should be a celebrated occasion. Even more, if your husband’s brother is picking you up from the airport, there is plenty of this meal to share.

Now, your refrigerator is probably empty and you’ll have to hit up the market, but if you are armed with your list before you even step off the plane and you are quick, dinner will be ready in an hour. 

It certainly helps to make the potatoes before you depart for your trip and then freeze them in a vacuum sealed bag. When you return from the airport, spread the frozen potatoes out on a parchment paper-lined pan and let them sit in the oven at 275F while you’re at the store. Also leave a cast iron skillet in the oven.

Your grocery list

2-3 Fresh, wild caught salmon filets
1 bag of fresh broccoli florets (preferably not frozen)
Bacon
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
A demi baguette 
Fresh dill
2 lemons
3 large Yukon gold potatoes
Fresh garlic cloves

I am assuming you already have…

Kosher salt and sea salt
Butter*
Olive oil
Crushed red pepper flakes
Water

*Soften your butter by microwaving it for about 12 seconds

Le Menu

Broiled Salmon with Lemon, Garlic, and Dill

Roasted Potatoes

Aglio e Olio Broccoli with Bacon

Garlic Bread

THE POTATOES

Do not peel potatoes. Cube them into 1/2″ pieces and spread onto a parchment paper-lined jelly roll pan. Sprinkle generously with kosher salt, a pinch of cayenne pepper, a lot of garlic powder, and grated Parmesan cheese. Bake at 400F for one hour, stirring about half way through to get crisp edges. 

Make this before you leave for your trip and once the potatoes have cooled, transfer them to a gallon Ziplock bag, push all the air out, and leave in your freezer. 

When you return, spread the potatoes back on to a parchment paper-lined jelly roll pan and warm them at 275F while you head to the store. They should be warm enough after 30 minutes, but you can leave them in for an hour. 

THE BROCCOLI

In a medium-sized Corningware or glass Pyrex dish, dump broccoli florets in with 3-4 tbsp of water. Microwave for 3 minutes. 

Chop bacon into 1/4″ pieces and fry in a large skillet until crisp. Remove bacon and drain 90% of the grease. Lower the heat and add two cloves worth of minced garlic, sauteeing in bacon fat until slightly golden. Add 2 tbsp of butter and 1/4 tsp red chili flakes and stir for another 30 seconds. Then add in broccoli florets, setting aside the dish you used to microwave for serving later. Stir the broccoli so the garlic, chili flakes, and butter are coating the florets. Lower heat and cover loosely with aluminum foil for 3-4 minutes. When broccoli is tender, remove aluminum cover, add the bacon back in with a quick stir, and transfer back to the Corningware or Pyrex dish. Cover until ready to serve. 

THE SALMON

Mash together half a stick of softened butter with 2 tbsp of chopped dill, two cloves of minced garlic, zest of one lemon, and juice from half of the lemon. Add sea salt, about 1/4 tsp, and mix until well combined. Smear over the salmon filets (not the skin side). 

Take the pre-heated cast iron skillet out of the oven and arrange filets flat on the skillet, skin side down. Bake on HI broil for about 13 minutes on the middle rack. 


THE GARLIC BREAD

Divide the demi loaf into 6-8 pieces. Rub the non-crusted side with a smashed garlic clove. Slather with butter, sprinkle with kosher salt, and broil for 2-3 minutes. 

Bonus (but not required...)

I made a chocolate souffle out of sheer curiosity. I had read about one in my book a few days ago and was just itching to try it. I don’t recommend it for the Dinner for Returning from Your Honeymoon because it’s a lot of dishes and it’s putzy. I used the Julia Child recipe and enjoyed the texture of it a lot, but I was longing for something a bit more chocolatey… (really, nothing will fill the emptiness in my heart or stomach the way the Mickey premium ice cream bars did…)

But here is the recipe I used:

7 ounces of semi-sweet baking chocolate, chopped
1/3 cup strong coffee
Butter for the ramekins (butter these liberally and coat in sugar)
1/3 cup flour
3 tbsp butter
2 cups milk
4 egg yolks
1 tbsp vanilla extract
6 egg whites
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup sugar

Preheat the oven to 425F and make room to put something on the lowest possible rack. 

Butter your ramekins liberally and cover the butter in sugar. 

In a sauce pan melt 3 tbsp butter and add 1/3 cup flour. When a thick paste, lower heat and slowly pour in milk, whisking until thickened. Allow to cool for five minutes. 

Separate eggs and reserve four egg yolks, adding vanilla extract to them and whisking together. Whip egg whites with cream of tartar and salt until stiff peaks form. Gradually add in 1/2 cup of sugar. 

Temper the egg yolk-vanilla mixture into the milk mixture. In a glass bowl microwave chocolate with coffee, about 30 seconds, until melted. Add this to the milk mixture as well.

Finally, fold in a healthy scoop of the egg whites into the milk mixture. Be delicate to maintain the airiness. Fold in the rest of the egg whites until just combined (no streaks). 

Fill ramekins to the rim. You should have enough batter for between 6-8 ramekins. Place ramekins on a jelly roll pan and lower the oven temperature to 375F. Bake for 40 minutes. Do not open the oven until the 40 minutes are up. 

Serve immediately. 

Happy Fall, Ya’ll!

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Jim and I normally go for a walk in the morning every week day after I wake up. But it has been so chilly the last few days that it is very easy to convince me to hide under the warm covers and not trek farther than the oven (which is also warm). What can I say? I like to be cozy. 

I have been trying to branch out into the baking world more. It is very natural to me to improvise when cooking, and I rarely ever use a recipe. I would like to get to that level of comfort with baking, so lots of experimentation has been going on! 

One of my latest curiosities has been using a familiar cake recipe at different volumes or in slight variations. For one thing, a single cake recipe can bake at so many different lengths of time depending on the pan! Bundt pans, round cake pans, 9″ x 13″ pans, sheet pans, cupcakes, ramekins, and so on. I have been trying to gain an understanding of how a cake should look and feel to the touch after it’s undercooked, overcooked, and Goldilocks. 

So I have a very solid yellow cake recipe (I think this is how the foundations of my cooking knowledge were built–start with one fool-proof recipe) from the New York Times, and I thought I could tug and pull at it in various places until the recipe worked for something similar but with a different flair. This leads me to present…

Apple Cider Cake!

Ingredients

For the cake
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup concentrated apple cider*
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
3 eggs, separated
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
1 tbsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
Pinch of cardamom (optional)

For the Frosting
8 oz goat cheese log, at room temp
4 oz cream cheese, at room temp
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 tbsp cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp concentrated apple cider*
Jar of warm caramel (such as an ice cream topping)

*To make concentrated apple cider, Boil about 3/4 cup of apple cider until the volume is reduced by half. Use 1/4 cup of the concentrated apple cider for the cake and the remainder (2 tbsp) for the frosting. 

Process

For the cake
Preheat oven to 350F.

In a large bowl mix the vegetable oil, concentrated cider, and sugars until homogenous. Drop the egg yolks, vanilla extract, and buttermilk in with the sugars and combine well. 

In a separate bowl, whip the egg whites and cream of tartar until stiff peaks form. 

Drop the remaining ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom) into the bowl with the eggs, oil, buttermilk, and sugar. Do not overmix, rather, gently combine with a whisk.

Then, using a spatula, fold in the whipped egg whites into the batter. 

For cupcakes, bake for 20 minutes. For a jelly roll pan, bake 12-14 minutes.
For any other size pan, tell me what you think! 

For the Frosting
In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, combine the cheeses, powdered sugar, cream, vanilla extract, and cider together on low speed until very smooth. When the cake has cooled completely, you can frost it with a flat coating of frosting. Then drizzle warm caramel in a zig zag pattern. Drag a clean knife or toothpick perpendicular to your zig zag pattern to create a chevron design. Alternate the direction you drag the knife/toothpick to make the chevron go in both directions.

Fun fact: you should always add your flavoring (like vanilla extract) directly to the "fats" of your cake, such as the butter, oil, or eggs. You might have noticed when eating something "fatty," that the fat coats your tongue. When trying to produce a desired flavor, you can flavor the "fat" and it will taste more prominent because that flavor will stick to the fat and coat the tongue.

I think in the future, I’d like to try this recipe again with brie instead of goat cheese because apples, caramel, and brie sound heavenly. There is also the potential to garnish with candied pecans! And don’t underestimate the power of pre-made caramel sauce (I use Trader Joe’s and it’s 10/10). 

Jim really enjoyed this cake and said it reminded him of his mom’s pumpkin bars. Quite a big compliment!! I have never been huge on general fall desserts because my mind instantly thinks I’m eating a scented candle. Plus, I have a sworn allegiance to all things chocolate. But my Jimbo likes them, and I’m pretty sure anyone who mashes together a hashtag and a pumpkin spice latte would like them, and I like to ogle them because I need more excuses to make chevron-decorated cakes. (But seriously, coming from an anti-fall-dessert-eater-and-critic, it’s yummy and not candle-tasting.)

Next up in the fall food lineup are…

No-bake Granola Bars

Something about toasted oats and almonds or walnuts instantly makes me feel cozier. But! You don’t actually have to bake anything in this recipe. I just like to keep my oven running. 

All you need are quick rolled oats, some kind of sticky, dried fruit, nuts, peanut butter, maple syrup, and chocolate. 

The first time I made these, I had leftover dried black mission figs. The second time around, I used dried apricots. You can finely chop them or use a food processor to get a gummy ball of dried fruit and that is what keeps your bars together so you don’t need to bake them! 

The formula is very forgiving and you’ll find you can use almost anything in your pantry. 

I think I will try a chocolate, almond, coconut one in the near future…stay tuned for that one. 

At 250 calories (the batch makes 12 bars) this is a very filling breakfast or snack! 

 

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups old fashioned roll oats
1/2 cup dried sticky fruit, such as figs, dates, or apricots
1 cup nuts, roughly chopped 
1/2 cup dark chocolate chunks and/or cranberries or raisins
1/2 cup peanut butter (chunky or creamy are both fine)
1/2 cup maple syrup
Cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt to taste

Process

If desired, toast the oats and nuts at 350F for 10 minutes on a lined baking sheet. Allow to cool before combining. (You can do this ahead of time.)

In a microwave-safe bowl, combine peanut butter and maple syrup. Heat for 30 seconds on high, stir, and heat for an additional 30 seconds on high. Stir until the mixture is fully combined, adding any spices such as cinnamon or nutmeg, if desired. Allow to cool for 10 minutes, but stir so that it does not harden.

Finely chop or use a food processor to break open and smash the sticky fruit. Dump the sticky fruit into a bowl and add to it the oats, nuts, and chocolate chunks. Slowly pour in the peanut butter syrup and fold the mixture until homogenous. 

Press into a wax or parchment paper-lined 8″ x  8″ pan. Use the flat side of a measuring cup to press the granola into an even surface in the pan. Cover with cling wrap and place in the refrigerator for an hour. Then remove from the pan and cut into 12 bars. 

I saved the best for last. I am very happy with this recipe and know already that it’ll be a go-to it for many future brunches. My friend Maddie gave me the idea on Instagram, but when I looked for a recipe, I couldn’t find one. As a result, I took some educated guess as to what could work, and it was admittedly a bit of a shot in the dark, yet, I will very un-humbly remark that it managed to hit the bullseye. I like it because it has a bit of a “Really?” factor. It’s butter in coffee. Yeah, I see you arching your eyebrow…

Butter-Brown Sugar Coffee

Place 1 1/2 tsp brown sugar and 1/2 tbsp salted butter in a coffee mug. Add 1 oz of bourbon whiskey and fill with coffee, leaving about an inch from the top. Stir with a spoon until butter melts and sugar has dissolved. 

Scoop a liberal dollop of fresh whipped cream over it and serve. It is best when the whipped cream is stirred into the coffee, but present it unstirred (because it looks more attractive that way) and encourage the guest to stir it themselves before enjoying. 

*Quick whipped cream recipe: 1 cup of heavy whipping cream + 1 tbsp granulated sugar. Whisk by hand or with a stand mixer until stiff peaks form. 

That’s all for now, friends. Jim and I are off on our honeymoon in a couple more days and I will temporarily turn my food blog into an “OH MY GOSH WE’RE IN DISNEY WORLD!!!!!!” diary. I am hoping to draw more inspiration for our upcoming Disney trivia night while we are there. I already have an entire trivia category completed and dedicated to Disney food from the films! 

Stay warm, people. And if you are struggling with that, do what I do: turn on your oven and get baking! 

Chicken Pot Pie Soup

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This fall weather goes hand in hand with warm and cozy comfort foods! I am LOVING it! One of our favorite cold weather meals is chicken pot pie. Chicken pot pie can get pretty involved, though, and while very rewarding, sometimes you just don’t have time for all that! This soup takes the filling of chicken pot pie and thins it out a little so it’s more soup-y. Then, to substitute the crust, I put a flakey cheddar biscuit at the center of attention. Crusts can be more than just a medium for filling! 

Thinking about the balance of this dish–the salt, acid, fat, heat, and savoriness–it checks all of the boxes. Salty broth and naturally salty celery is met with a little acidic tang from sour cream in the biscuit dough. The “fat” or the cream in the soup base shakes hands with a little bit of heated cajun spice in the biscuits. Savory shredded chicken slow cooked in sweet carrots and onions finish off the culinary experience. It’s balanced, creamy, flakey, and very warm and cozy. 

This is a very quick soup to make if you have shredded chicken on hand. I can’t emphasize enough how much easier life is when you have already prepared the meat element of a dish. Think of the dishes you save by not having to constantly wash raw meat off of a cutting board or knife! If you’re looking for an easy way drop-in-the-pot-and-walk-away method of cooking chicken, I’ve got my Weeknight Chicken recipe for you here! If you don’t have time to slow cook chicken, Jane, my mother-in-law, has a very savvy trick: pick up a rotisserie chicken at Costco and pull the meat off of it. YUM! 

You can even start this chicken pot pie soup from your weeknight chicken, using the broth the chicken has cooked in as the base of the soup! 

Is that biscuit staring at me?

Is that a love song playing in the background?

Chicken Pot Pie Soup by Baker’s Theory

For the soup
3 tbsp salted butter
1/2 medium onion or leek, minced
1 large carrot, peeled and minced
1 stalk of celery, trimmed and minced 
3-4 cups water
3-4 tsp Better than Bullion chicken base
1/2 lb shredded, cooked chicken (see Weeknight Chicken or pull the meat off of a rotisserie chicken), about 2 cups
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
Salt, adjusting for your own preference

For the biscuits
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup sour cream or buttermilk
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
4 tbsp cold butter, cut into small, 1/4″ cubes
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp Old Bay Seasoning (optional)
1/4 tsp garlic powder (optional)
1/2 tsp onion powder (optional)
1/2 cup shredded cheddar (optional)
3 tbsp sour cream, milk, or buttermilk (helpful if your dough is too dry)

Serves 6

For the soup
Melt butter in a Dutch oven on medium high heat. When you can feel the heat holding your hand above the butter from about 6″ above it, drop in the onion, carrot, and celery. Stir until the vegetables are soft and the onion is translucent, about 6 minutes. Pour in 3 cups of water and 3 tsp chicken base, or alternatively use the same volume of chicken stock or broth. If you like the soup a bit thinner, add an additional cup of water and an additional tsp of chicken base. Stir so the chicken base dissolves and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add the shredded chicken and lower heat to a simmer. When the chicken is warmed, pour in the cream and give it a final stir so the cream is homogenous with the broth. Taste and adjust with salt as needed. When biscuits are ready, ladle soup into bowls, drop a biscuit in the center, and serve.

For the biscuits
Combine flour, salt, and baking powder in a large bowl. Add other dry ingredients if using to the flour mixture. Add cubes of diced butter. Coat diced butter cubes in flour mix until all of the butter is covered. Add buttermilk and sour cream, if using, and mix with hands until a firm dough forms. (Try not to let the butter soften, and if it starts, put the bowl in the refrigerator for ten minutes! Cold butter is what makes biscuits flakey because the water in butter turns into steam when it’s heated. The steam lifts the layers of dough up to give those lovely, delicious layers!) Lay dough on a floured surface and use a rolling pin to get a half inch thick layer of dough. Use a biscuit cutter to cut biscuits. (Don’t use a cup. The edges of the cutter have to be sharp or your dough will pinch closed at the bottom and won’t rise.) Place biscuits on a greased baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes at 450 F. 

Spooky Treats!

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Jim and his family are huge Disney World fans. Everything from the parks to the films is an endless source of delight for them, and now that I’m “in,” I must delight in it too! To illustrate how dedicated my new family is to Mickey Mouse, at this very moment, Jim is on the phone with his twin, Joe, deliberating on whether he should read a book about the history of Disney World while we’re there for our honeymoon, and it’s a very passionate discussion. 

Both of us share a love for trivia, too, so at the beginning of summer I put together a family game night where I created a trivia game based on Disney. Now we’re heading in to our second Disney trivia game night at the end of October and I was thinking through what sorts of goodies to serve. I finally settled on the below (yes, I got some colored pencils!) but it was not without overwhelming research! I wish I could just have a party dedicated to Halloween-themed desserts! Alas, people can’t live on sugar alone, but I thought I’d share some wicked sweet ideas if you’re as enthused about your desserts as the Flakes are about Disney. 

The Disney Trivia Menu: A Culinary Cabaret

Chocolate log cake: the recipe belongs to Ree Drummond, but I add some orange food coloring to the cream cheese filling.

Honeycrisp and Rave apples with caramel and cheddar cut into Mickey using a cookie cutter!

Monster s’mores bars: see Jimmy’s S’mores Bars and add M&Ms.

“Beef ragu!” (aka: BBQ shredded beef) with brioche buns: I will probably just use the same recipe for BBQ shredded pork! 

“Cheese souffle!” (aka: Mac & Cheese bundt): Jane is bringing this! She will coat the inside of the pan with some kind of crunchy chip to give a beautiful, golden crust to the tender, cheesy mac!

“Pie and pudding en flam–” just kidding. Veggie tray with homemade ranch dip so we can feel justified when we whimsically shove desserts and cheese in our mouths.

Halloween Dessert #1: Monster S'more Bars

These are the offspring of Monster Cookies and Jimmy’s S’more Bars. If you follow the s’more bar recipe, there is just one small change: instead of 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips, use 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips and put 3/4 cup mini M&Ms in the cookie dough.

These are so easy, marshmallow-y, chocolatey, gooey, and cookie-meets-brownie, it’s a for sure win at your Halloween gathering.  

Jimmy's S'more Bars

Halloween Dessert #2: Candy Glass

Super easy to make and customize with fun colors! You NEED a candy thermometer, though! This can make a great garnish for cupcakes (add some drops of red food coloring along the edges) or a beautiful mosaic on a cake (if you’re really dedicated). It’s also yummy on its own! 

Ingredients

3 cups white or cane sugar (cane sugar will give a golden color like I’ve shown)
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 1/2 cups water
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
Flavorings or food coloring, if desired

Procedure

Bring all ingredients to a boil while stirring until it reaches 300F using a candy thermometer. If you want to add color or flavor, add it now! Pour into an aluminum foil-lined sheet cake pan and allow to cool for an hour. Have fun (but be safe!) breaking it apart!

Halloween Dessert #3: Spooky Chocolate Log

If you follow my Instagram account, you’ll know roll cakes are tricky treats. (See what I did there?) I followed The Pioneer Woman’s recipe for a Buche de Noel, but the biggest thing you have to look out for is baking time. Under or over baking the cake will cause the cake to crack! I baked mine for about 14 minutes, but Ree had suggested 10-12 minutes. It is so dependent on your oven! The filling is a tangy cream cheese frosting with vanilla that I dyed orange with food gel. Now that I have successfully made this cake without it cracking, I want to move on to decorating the “log” with some cute meringue “mushrooms” and piped chocolate “spiders.” 

Tastes of Home

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Jim and I took a road trip to my mom’s house for a family gathering starting on Sunday. A few family and friends from out of town were there, and my mom put me in charge of the menu for nine people! Yes! I LOVE meal prepping and planning! The only thing that would be on the menu for certain were these gorgeous mesquite pork chops from a local butcher called Ream’s Meat Market in Elburn. (Highly, highly recommend Ream’s!) These were a request from my mom’s partner who would be grilling them, which was honestly a relief for me since that meant I only had to worry about appetizers, sides, and desserts. (I love the supporting roles of a meal!) I would just build an army of sidekicks around the pork chops! 

Now that it’s fall and I was dealing with pork, my first thought was apples. Apples and pork work really nicely together! I just read a chapter in my Salt Fat Acid Heat book by Samin Nostrat on how to construct a salad from just about anything, and I was feeling very inspired. Thinly sliced apples atop a bed of arugula (very fall-like produce) and crumbles of roquefort, diced figs, torn croutons, candied pecans, and bacon lightly macerated in an apple cider vinaigrette would be a great sidekick or prelude to the porkchops. According to Samin, the key to any salad is creating a balance between salt (bacon, roquefort, croutons), fat (olive oil, roquefort, pecans, bacon), acid (figs, apple cider vinegar, apples), crunch (figs, croutons, apples, arugula, bacon, pecans), and savory (bacon, roquefort) flavors. Autumnal salad, done!

Pre-dinner snacky-apps included Jim’s and my latest mid-morning craving: caramel apples with cheese. Jim helped me assemble the plate of alternating sharp yellow cheddar slices with tart green apples and alternating white monterey jack cheese with red apples, all with a yummy drizzle of caramel and a neat row of club crackers. This was so simple to make because we used the Ghirardelli ice cream caramel sauce! All we had to do was cut the cheese (ha) and apples. These went fast. 

Handy tip: If you are out of ranch dressing but want a companion for chips or pretzels, make your own. You need 1/2 cup sour cream, 1/2 tbsp lemon juice, 1/4 tsp onion salt, and 1/4 tsp parsley. This dip went especially well with Dot’s Pretzels, which, if you haven’t had yet, are highly addictive! And they’re proof that you don’t need to fuss a lot with preparing appetizers. If you don’t have sour cream, use Greek yogurt! If you don’t have lemon juice, use a splash of vinegar. If you don’t have onion salt, use garlic salt. If you don’t have parsley, who cares? It’s more decorative anyway!

To our surprise (and delight), we laid out the brownies and half-moon lemon cookies with the appetizers and people were equal opportunists in treating those desserts as pre-prandial snacks. In all fairness, brownies play nicely with red wine, and the refreshing zing! of the lemon cookies cleansed palettes between salty snacks. I think I will start adding more sweets to my appetizer planning from now on.

The roasted Brussels sprouts and cabbage were my own recipe and we borrowed the hash brown casserole recipe from Ree Drummond. 

I am pretty sure Hawaiian rolls go with anything and everything, from a softened pat of butter to mopping up the deliciousness remaining on your plate. Plus, they only take 3 minutes to warm up in the oven. Before Jane added her show-stopping popovers to our Sunday meals every week, we often had Hawaiian rolls with butter alongside dinner!

In general, I think it’s really important to think about the big picture of the meal you’re going to serve if you’re cooking for a crowd. One of the most important things is that you have to consider your oven’s capacity. (Have you ever tried baking multiple things as once? Don’t.) You can only bake one thing at a time! It’s also important to consider what is fresh and in season and what will work well with the flavors you have. I like to sketch out the menu like I envision it on the table to make sure I have all the right bowls and serving ware, too. I also make a list of everything on the menu, and then I number the list in the order I will make it, adding notes like baking times and temperatures. 

It’s all good practice for the upcoming holidays when you really want the timing down pat! I’d love to hear from you with ideas for meals and planning! 

Broasted Brussels sprouts (and/or cabbage) Recipe

Ingredients

1 lb Brussels sprouts, halved lengthwise OR half a head of cabbage, coarsely sliced
Extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
Grated Parmesan (optional)
Lemon zest and juice (optional)

Procedure

Preheat the oven to 400F and line a jelly roll pan with parchment paper. Arrange halved sprouts face-down on the parchment paper. Drizzle generously with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes until the sprouts look brown and a bit burned. It’s fine if they look burned–this provides a very nice charred flavor. Serve as is or toss with grated Parmesan cheese or lemon zest and juice.  

Note: Use the jelly roll pan because it gives the sprouts room. If you crowd Brussels sprouts in the pan, they will be mushy because the water in them will evaporate into the sprout directly on top. 

Autumnal Salad

Ingredients

2 oz Arugula
4 oz Roquefort bleu cheese, crumbled
5 oz Candied pecans
4 oz Dried black figs, destemmed and cut in half, lengthwise
2 oz Plain croutons
8 Strips bacon, fried and crumbled
1 Honeycrisp apple, sliced thin
1/2 cup Extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup Apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper, to taste

Procedure

Combine arugula, pecans, and figs in salad bowl with your hands. Make sure it is homogenous. Top with the thin slices of apple, the bleu cheese, and the bacon. Toss the croutons along the circumference of the bowl. 

In a large measuring cup, combine olive oil, vinegar, mustard, and salt and pepper. Whisk together until smooth and adjust for taste. 

Wait until you are about to serve the salad to add the dressing, or allow people to add the dressing themselves. 

Cakey and Fudgey Brownies Recipe

Grease a 13” x 9” pan and preheat the oven to 350F. You can line it with parchment paper for easy removal, too. 

In a microwaveable bowl, melt 1 stick of butter with a 4 oz semisweet or bittersweet Baker’s chocolate bar, broken into pieces. It takes about a minute, but stir it about half way through.

In a large bowl combine 2 cups sugar, 1 1/2 cups flour, 1 tsp salt, 3/4 cup cocoa powder, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 3 eggs, 1/2 cup vegetable oil, and 1/2 cup buttermilk. Whisk together and then add the chocolate butter mixture, mixing until well combined.

Pour brownie batter into the pan and spread evenly. Bake 40-45 minutes. Sprinkle 1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips on top AND/OR sprinkle a pinch of coarse sea salt on top. Allow it to cool at least 10 minutes before cutting. You can pick it up by the parchment paper if you’d rather cut the brownies out of the pan.

For clean cut edges, run your knife or spatula under hot water for a minute and then cut. Clean the knife between each cut.

 

Half Moon Lemon Cookies

For the cookie (from Alton Brown’s Sugar Cookies)

3 cups flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup softened butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tbsp milk
Powdered sugar, for rolling dough

With a stand or hand mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, then add the egg and milk. In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. On low speed add the flour to the butter mixture until combined and pulling away from the sides of the bowl. Divide the dough in half and wrap in wax paper. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375F and sprinkle your surface with powdered sugar. Roll the dough out to about a 1/4″ thick and cut into moon shapes using a circular biscuit cutter. Bake about 1″ apart for 7-9 minutes. Allow to cool in the pan for a minute before transferring to a wire rack. 

For the lemon icing

2 cups of sifted powdered sugar
Juice and zest of one lemon

Whisk together powdered sugar with lemon zest and juice until a thick icing forms. Add more sugar if icing is too thin. Spoon or brush icing onto slightly warm cookies and allow to cool completely before serving. 

Boston Cream Pie Confessions

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Hey there! Coming back to the blog with a recipe and a confession…

Jim really digs Boston cream pie. His family is all about the east coast, (I mean…I’m also all about that oxford-button-down-and-pearls-and-Hamptons-hair life…yeah, I’m #bougie) and Boston cream pie is the state dessert of Massachusetts! I can 100% get behind official and patriotic desserts. 

So we were watching Throwdown! with Bobby Flay–the show, that is; sadly, Bobby Flay was not in our living room watching Throwdown! with Bobby Flay with us–and I was all amped up by the throwdown between Bobby and Ree on Thanksgiving. Ree kicked butt and made Midwestern home cooks proud! Yeah! And Jim was already looking for another episode to watch when he came upon Boston cream pie. I leapt off the couch and took out the KitchenAid attachments before he could even start the episode. 

As a side note, Jim and I have dessert at 9:00 p.m. every night together. I started on my Boston cream pie at 8:00 p.m.

I thought I’d be smart and make a smaller cake. Smaller cake means less baking time, right? Yeah. If you reduce the recipe. 

…

If you end up not reducing the recipe and making it the same as usual, just in smaller pans, it actually makes the baking time A LOT LONGER. DUH. Same volume, smaller heat transfer area. Alex, you do this kind of food engineering for a living! I think I’ll chalk up this lapse in judgement to Ree’s pecan pie. The sugar was getting to my head via the TV. 

So, around 8:40 p.m., I finally had two cute little yellow cakes that were piping hot. At least this part was a learning moment: I lined a cooling rack with wax paper and turned out the cakes. Well, of course, because the cakes were still hot, the bottom stuck to the pan. And it happened to both cakes. Of course it did. 

So I took out a serrated knife and cut the cakes in half lengthwise, reserving the messed-up bottom for something else and letting the decent part finish cooling on the rack while I made the custard.

Well, at this point I knew I wouldn’t have time to make actual pastry cream. But I got a lucky break and had both instant French vanilla pudding and a half gallon of heavy whipping cream. Two cups of heavy cream and a little packet of instant pudding whips up in a jiff! And it is thicker than whipped cream and almost identical in texture to custard. Perfect! I will remember that trick!

The chocolate topping was easy–melt Ghirardelli dark chocolate wafers (I get the 6 oz bag at Target) with a little splash of whipping cream. 

It was finally all assembled when Jim asked if we should wait to eat it tomorrow so it could chill. Oh, I gave him quite a chilling look! I did not bust my chops for the past 55 minutes to wait until tomorrow! 

Alas, I didn’t get the cute little eight layer Boston cream pie I had envisioned, but the result was still really yummy and I have no regrets. 

After we finished up our dessert, I turned back to my pans still caked in the sticky yellow crumbs. It was time for executing the “something else” with the scraps. I scraped those golden crumbs out, tore apart the bottom cakes, and folded them in with the remaining “pastry cream” and drizzled the rest of the chocolate ganache in. I let it sit in the bowl overnight to give it the full icebox cake effect. By the next night for dessert, it was fairly scoop-able, so I drizzled a martini glass with chocolate syrup and plopped in a healthy ice cream scoop’s worth. (And a half. Okay, maybe it was two scoops?) Garnished it with a fancy Luxardo cherry (which I HIGHLY recommend!) and got a spoon… 

Lessons learned: 

If you’re going to make a smaller version of a dessert, remember to cut back the recipe.

Let your cakes cool in the pan for 10 minutes and then let them cool outside the pan for another 10 to maybe 30 minutes before gussying them up with toppings.

If you don’t remember either of the above two lessons, just pull off what I will fondly now dub Disaster Cake and grab two martini glasses: one for you and one for the cake. 

 

Boston Cream Pie Recipe by Bakers Theory

Ingredients

The cake (from the NYT)

3/4 cup softened butter
1 1/4 cup sugar
2 eggs plus 1 egg yolk
1 tbsp vanilla (yes, TABLEspoon, not TEAspoon!)
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp fine sea salt
3/4 cup whole milk

For the pastry cream

3.4 oz instant French vanilla pudding mix
1 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
3/4 cup whole milk
2 tbsp fine sifted powdered sugar (no lumps!)
For the ganache (this part is also quick!)

For the chocolate top
10 oz. bag of Ghirardelli dark chocolate melting discs

Serves 12 

Procedure

The cake
Cream the butter and sugar in a stand mixer until light and fluffy, about 4-5 minutes.
Add eggs and yolk, one at a time, mixing thoroughly between each. Add in vanilla and mix more until fully incorporated.
Turn off mixer and add flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Turn mixer on low speed and slowly drizzle in milk. Mix until smooth and thick, but do not over mix.
Bake in two greased nine inch pans at 350F for 25-35 minutes (times vary depending on your oven so check at 5 minute intervals.)
Cool the cakes on wire racks in the pan for 10 minutes. Then line the racks with wax or parchment paper and invert the pans to remove the cakes. Allow to cool completely. 

For the pastry cream (this is the part that is quick!)

Whip all ingredients together until stiff and fluffy! Store in refrigerator until ready to use.

For the chocolate top
Pour chocolate discs into a microwave safe bowl and microwave on high for 30 seconds. Take out, stir, and microwave again for another 30 seconds. Allow to cool for about 3-5 minutes. With a silicone spatula, scrape the chocolate ganache out of the bowl over the top of the cake. You can let the chocolate harden a bit by refrigerating the cake or you can eat it immediately. I prefer the latter!

Assembly: Slice cakes in half lengthwise so you have four cakes. Place a thick layer (1/2-3/4” thick) of pastry cream between each cake layer, leaving the top bare. Pour chocolate ganache on the top cake layer.

 

I’m Baaaack!

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Hi friends! I am so sorry I have been away for so long! Despite having more time to bake and cook because we’re all cooped up working from home, I have had a very busy summer! Now that at least one major thing is checked off my list (ahem, see above) I have a bit more time to make note of the treats I have been concocting! 

I’ll catch you up a bit, first, though! 

1. Jim and I got married! Wahoo! Finally! Buddies for life now! Life is good!! The wedding was at 9 AM, so my champion bride tribe awoke from their beauty rest at 4 AM to get all dolled up.  Our reception was a BRUNCH! Oh, my gosh, people. Do a brunch reception for your wedding! Who doesn’t love rosemary asiago hash browns, donuts, or mimosas?! And by 2 p.m. IT’S DONE! So easy. I can’t recommend it enough! Married life has been great so far and we couldn’t be happier. We have been pretty addicted to the Food Network every night and are big fans of Bobby Flay Throwdowns. Pretty soon we will be off on our honeymoon to the most magical place on earth: DISNEY WORLD!! And then the next stop…PUPPY. Did I mention that life is really good?

2. I have been running A LOT. When I shirked my blogging duties, it was majorly because it was so beautiful outside this summer. I was just itching to be outside instead of behind a computer! I am very (shocked and) proud to say I have run over 500 miles this summer! The cooler weather of fall will make it even easier to go for a nice run, but soon it’ll be all indoor workouts again! 

3. We bought a house! And the kitchen is YUGE. It’s big league, folks. I am so enamored. Rest assured I have been overutilizing it, and I am looking forward to showing it to you! The industrial-grade KitchenAid that Jim, Joe, and Jane got for me for my birthday is in use at least once every day. We also have dubbed our toaster Kevin (also in use almost every day). 

Those are the main highlights! It’s so good to be back so I can share my kitchen and table with you! 

Now let’s get cooking!

Chicken Parmesan 2.0

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I wanted to try my hand again at chicken parm, and I was thinking about all the tricky parts about it. Could I use a jarred sauce? Yes. But I have time today, and I like experimenting with sauce. I like when tomato sauce has a bit of sugar, and I thought caramelized onions would create an interesting sweetness. The biggest struggle I’ve had with chicken parmesan is the breading. And after having breaded fish tacos earlier this week, I thought I should try a battered then breaded chicken. It would guarantee total coverage instead of those unattractive bald spots where the crispy breading falls off! So this recipe comes from overcome struggles and victory is sweet. Jim and Joe both said it was one of the best things they’ve ever had! 

Tomato Sauce 2.0 by Baker’s Theory

Ingredients

2 tbsp butter
1 cup sliced yellow onion (about 1/3 of a large onion)
1/2 tsp sugar
Pinch of salt (like 1/8 tsp if you really feel like getting that measuring spoon dirty…)
3 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
28 oz can of peeled tomatoes (San Marzano is good!) 
1 1/2 cups salted chicken broth
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper (2-3 shakes out of the container usually works)
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp sea salt, or to taste
1/2 tbsp red wine vinegar

Serves: 6-8

Instructions

Melt butter in a large (5.5 qt+) Dutch oven on medium-low heat. When hot, drop in onions and stir occasionally to caramelize, about 20 minutes. (If you over-stir, they won’t caramelize, so find a balance where they don’t burn but they brown.) When they start to turn golden, you can add the sugar and salt. Once caramelized, add the garlic and stir until garlic turns golden as well. 

Pour the entire contents of the 28 oz can of peeled tomatoes into the pot over the onions and garlic. Smash the whole tomatoes with a wooden spoon to break them down a bit. Add the chicken broth, crushed red pepper, Italian seasoning, black pepper, and salt. Stir to combine and bring to a boil on medium heat. Then lower the heat and cover to simmer for an hour undisturbed. 

Turn off heat and allow to cool to room temperature before blending in a food processor. Add red wine vinegar and return the sauce to the pot to stir and warm up before serving. 

Battered and Breaded Chicken by Baker’s Theory

1 lb boneless chicken breasts
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup water
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 cream
1 egg
1 tbsp baking powder

2 cups panko breadcrumbs
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
Pinch of salt
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp paprika

Makes about 8 mini chicken breasts

In a medium mixing bowl combine flour, water, kosher salt, cream, egg, and baking powder, whisking until smooth.

In a shallow baking dish, combine panko breadcrumbs, parmesan, salt, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, black pepper, and paprika. Mix with your hands or a fork until homogenous. 

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 350F. 

On a cutting board, use the palm of your hand to press the chicken breasts to flatten them. Alternatively, use a mallet! Get them about 3/4″ thick. Then slice into smaller pieces until you have about 8-9 mini chicken breasts. 

Then working in an assembly line, drop the chicken breasts in the batter and then into the breading, covering completely in breading. If there are parts where the meat is still exposed, you can re-dip into the batter and then the breading a second time to get the coverage desired. Then transfer the chicken piece to the lined baking sheet. 

Once all pieces are battered and breaded and on the baking sheet, heat olive oil in a large frying pan on medium-low heat. When oil is shimmering, transfer three mini chicken breasts to sear them, about 2-3 minutes per side. Then transfer back to the baking sheet and work the next batch. 

When all pieces are seared, place in the oven and bake for 15 minutes. 

Boil salted water while the chicken bakes, and start warming up the tomato sauce. Add pasta and cook for 10 minutes or until al dente. Drain, but retain some of the water because it will help the sauce stick to the noodles. Add 1/2 stick of butter and 1/4 cup grated parmesan to the noodles and stir quickly to incorporate. 

To assemble, plate pasta, then sauce, then chicken, then sauce again, and spread mozzarella (shreds, buffalo, or any other cheese) on top. ENJOYYY.

Pizza Dough and Dinner Rolls

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Hiiii. Spring is here! Everything is so lush and green now and I am in heaven with it. Asparagus is the definitive spring vegetable, and I’ve had it on the mind since my mom told me she was making it with scalloped potatoes and ham for Easter. As fresh and springy as asparagus may be, however, it’s an awkward vegetable to eat in spears, so I cut it in thin, diagonal slices. Pan roasted with olive oil, garlic, salt, and a spritz of lemon, it’s perfect on its own.

This post is about pizza crust and rolls, but the above featured pizza is a ricotta-parmesan bechemel, pulled chicken, honey-caramelized onions, pan roasted garlicky asparagus, and a sprinkling of toasted pine nuts. It had all the NOMS. 

I made too much pizza dough and had about half the batch leftover after making a jelly roll pan of the thin crust I just described, so the rest was made into rolls! 

Buttery Garlic Pizza Crust or Rolls

Ingredients

2 tsp active dry yeast
1 tsp sugar
1 cup warm water (115 F)
1 tbsp kosher salt 
1/2 tsp garlic powder
4 tbsp softened butter
3 cups all-purpose flour

 

Serves: 2 jelly roll-sized pans of thin crust pizza (about 4-6 large square servings per pan) OR 

3-4 14″ diameter pizzas (about 1-2 servings per pizza) OR 

16 dinner rolls

Instructions

Let the yeast, sugar, and warm water sit in a bowl for five minutes, or until the yeast starts to multiply. Add the butter, salt, garlic, and flour, and knead dough (either by hand or with a stand mixer) until smooth. Allow to rise for 5-10 minutes in a warm place. 

If making thin crust pizza, divide dough into two equal parts, and store the other half for a second pizza. Roll out onto floured surface with a rolling pin until roughly the shape of your pan (I used a jelly roll pan) and carefully transfer the dough to your pan. There is no need to grease the pan. 

If making a regular sized personal pizza, divide dough into thirds or fourths and roll each section onto a floured surface into a rough circle (don’t worry–it does not have to be perfect!). Gently transfer dough to a pizza stone or cookie sheet.

Bake the crust without toppings for 7-8 minutes at 425 F. Then put on toppings and continue baking for 12-15 minutes at 425 F. Allow to cool before cutting! 

If making dinner rolls, divide dough in half, then in half again, and continue halving until you have 16 equal pieces of dough. Gently form the dough with your hands into 2″ rounded cubes and place on an aluminum foil lined cookie sheet about 2″ apart from each other. Bake at 425 F for 15 minutes. Immediately after removing from oven, slather with butter and gobble! 

 

“The Arsenal”

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Compared to me, Jim is kind of a picky eater. His favorite foods include cheeseburgers, macaroni and cheese, spaghetti and meatballs, and chicken pot pie. To his credit, he will try just about anything except sushi and sauerkraut. He just likes what he likes and does not readily depart from it! So I am always delighted when he uses the phrase “Can you put this in your arsenal?” because it’s a bit of a rare occasion in which he likes something so much that he wants me to repeat it. Today was triple crown! 

First, I don’t know much about barbecue. It wasn’t one of the flavors I grew up eating, but I have become increasingly intrigued by it because it is classic American cuisine. We didn’t have any barbecue sauce at home, and with all the COVID-19 scares diverting us from grocery stores, I figured I could improvise some. I had made pulled pork for whatever purposes I could come up with (carnitas tacos… Mexican eggs benedict… ramen…) and thought barbecue pulled pork was just what the day needed. 

Cheesy potato casserole topped with crunchy bread crumbs was a hot side dish and a creamy balance to the sweet and acidic pulled pork. And to mop up the plate were these buttery biscuits drizzled with honey. I only wish I could have made some jalapeno creamed spinach, though I doubt that would have flied with Jim. 

Anyway! I hope you enjoy! And as always, I recommend making a neutral-seasoned meat that can last over a couple of days and be flavored (not cooked) the day you want to eat it. 

Basic Pulled Pork Recipe by Baker’s Theory 

Can be made 2 days ahead!

Ingredients

1 1/2 lb boneless pork shoulder 
2 tsp fine sea salt
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp lemon or lime juice
1/4 cup water
1 cup chicken broth

Optional additional seasonings…
1/4 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp onion salt
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp instant coffee
1/2 tsp red chili flakes
1 tbsp tomato past

Serves 10

Instructions

Marinade pork with sea salt, garlic powder, vegetable oil, lemon or lime juice, and 1/4 cup of water. If using optional seasonings, add them to this marinade mix. Marinade overnight in refrigerator. Place pork and pour marinade over it into a Dutch oven. Add 1 cup chicken broth. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours. Remove pork from the liquid, discard fat pieces, and shred meat. Dose liquid back over the pork to desired juiciness. You may reserve the extra juice to make rice if desired. 

Basic Barbecue Recipe by Baker’s Theory

Ingredients

1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp Dusseldorf mustard
3 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp cocoa powder or instant coffee
1/2 tsp sea salt
Dash of red chili flakes
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp paprika

 

Serves 6-8

Instructions

In a medium-sized, heavy bottomed sauce pot, combine all ingredients with a whisk on medium-high heat until boiling. Reduce heat to medium-low, continuing to whisk for about 15 minutes. The water in the vinegar will need to evaporate so the sauce can thicken. When the sauce has the consistency of a thick syrup, you can add the shredded meat of your choice, approximately 1 1/2 – 2 lbs of shredded meat. Coat the meat in the sauce and serve a la carte or on butter toasted buns!

Buttery Biscuits with Honey by Baker’s Theory

Ingredients

1 cup self-rising flour*
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
4 tbsp softened salted butter
1/3 cup half-and-half

Honey and butter for serving

*If you don’t have self-rising flour, you can use regular all-purpose flour and add use 2 tsp baking powder instead of 1 tsp. 

Serves 4

Instructions

Stir together flour, baking powder, and salt with a hand mixer. Add in butter and half and half and mix until coarse crumbs form, about 1 minute. It’s okay if you have large chunks of butter in the dough. 

Dump dough out on to a floured surface and press into a flat disk, about 3/4″ thick. Using a biscuit cutter and pushing straight down (do not twist!), cut the biscuits out of the dough and place on a lightly greased baking pan. 

Bake at 450 deg F for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown on top, stopping halfway through to brush with butter. You can broil for 1-2 minutes to get the golden color, if desired. Serve warm with drizzled honey and butter. 

Cheesy Potato Casserole by Baker’s Theory

Ingredients

1 30 oz bag frozen shredded potatoes, thawed
1 cup half and half
2/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup shaved Parmesan cheese
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup melted butter
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp fine sea salt
1/4 paprika
1/2 tsp garlic powder

For the crunchy topping
3 tbsp panko breadcrumbs 
1 tbsp butter
1/4 tsp Italian seasoning
Pinch of salt
Olive oil for drizzling

Serves 12

Instructions

Combine potatoes, half and half, chicken broth, cheeses, and melted butter. Add pepper, sea salt, paprika, and garlic powder directly to the melted butter. Combine with a rubber spatula until well mixed. Distribute potatoes into a greased 9″ x 13″ baking pan. 

In a small frying pan, melt 1 tbsp of butter on medium-low heat and add breadcrumbs, Italian seasoning, and salt, stirring constantly until breadcrumbs are golden. Spread breadcrumbs over potatoes. Drizzle a little bit of olive oil over the breadcrumbs. 

Bake for 45 minutes at 450 F. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving.