Mint Chocolate Cupcakes

I have found the perfect chocolate cake to beat all chocolate cakes! It's delightfully textured, intensely chocolatey and stays moist, even after sitting out overnight. Where is this mythical cake recipe from? Perhaps a complicated French cookbook or a very detailed family secret recipe? NOPE! This is the good ol' back of the Hershey's cocoa box recipe - Hershey's Perfectly Chocolate Cake. And it is.

I wanted to make cupcakes for a friend's party this weekend and Alex picked a chocolate-mint combination. I scoured my cookbooks and online baking blogs to find the best recipe and ended up on the cupcake mecca - How To Eat a Cupcake. I mean, if you want to bake a cupcake, this is the best place to go, right? As soon as she said this was her favorite chocolate cupcake recipe, I was sold.

Please please make this recipe next time you need chocolate cake or cupcakes! You won't be disappointed. The batter is runny, but don't let that scare you. It was easy to mix up and they were done in about 22 minutes. I topped them with my new favorite frosting - Swiss Meringue Buttercream. Many people are intimidated by this recipe, but it's so easy to make if you follow the instructions. I used HTEAC's recipe, along with some of the instructions from Dorie's book. I used my Wilton gel colors for a faint green tint and pure peppermint extract for that perfectly minty kick.

Chocolate Cupcakes

Ingredients:

makes 30 (I halved everything and got 16 cupcakes)

2 cups sugar
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract (I used peppermint)
1 cup boiling water

Instructions:

Line muffin cups with paper baking cups. Heat oven to 350°F.

Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Fill cups 2/3 full with batter.

Bake 22 to 25 minutes for regular cupcakes, 13-18 minutes for mini-cupcakes. Cool completely on wire rack before frosting.

Swiss Meringue Buttercream (from How To Eat a Cupcake)

Ingredients:

Makes about 3 cups - enough to frost 12-16 cupcakes

3 egg whites

1 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 teaspoons peppermint extract

1/4 tsp vanilla extract (I forgot to put this in and it turned out just fine)

Instructions:

Put egg whites and sugar in a double boiler over simmering water. Whisking constantly, cook until sugar has dissolved and mixture is warm. It should look like shiny marshmallow cream and be at about 160 degrees.

Pour heated egg mixture into a clean & dry bowl of a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat egg white mixture on high speed until it forms stiff (but not dry) peaks, about 6 minutes. It's very important to mix for the whole time! The meringue needs to cool off.

Switch to the paddle attachment. With mixer on medium-low, add butter several tablespoons at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat on medium-high for about 6 minutes after all the butter has been added. The frosting might curdle or separate during this time, but have no fear - it will come back together!

Beat in extracts. Reduce speed to low; beat 2 minutes to eliminate air bubbles. Stir with a rubber spatula until smooth. Pipe onto cooled cupcakes.

Pan-seared Steak with Black Pepper and Red Wine Sauce

This is also known as Steak au Poivre, but either way...Oh. Mah. Gah.

I rarely have steak*. It can be fairly expensive and as someone who tries to eat healthy, I tend to go for more lean cuts of protein, like boneless/skinless chicken or fish. But, every once in a while, the ravenous carnivore inside me demands steak (sorry, Dad!). Alex's mom had brought us a kosher steak and we decided to sear it up for dinner last night.

This simple deliciousness was inspired by Mark Bittman's recipe in How To Cook Everything, with a few substitutions. Alex comandeered the kitchen last night, and I was happy to let him take charge. The steak was perfectly seared, with a few caramelized edges and a really rich flavor. But the sauce was the crowning glory. Oh, this sauce is AH.MA.ZING. Seriously, we pretty much licked the dishes clean last night. And it's such simple ingredients that anyone can make it.

The red wine is used to de-glaze the pan after the steak has cooked, so it picks up all the bits and pieces from the bottom and reduces to concentrate the flavor. We used a Merlot that was hanging around, getting a little lonely. The recipe then called for butter, but we couldn't mix the dairy/meat, so we used a bit of olive oil to create the velvety texture. The flavor of the merlot combined with the meat and some freshly cracked pepper was so complex and....well, words just fail me. You'll have to make it for yourself to truly understand.

Ingredients:

1 8-oz Steak (depending on how many people you're serving)

3/4 cup good red wine (something you like to drink)

Freshly cracked black pepper

Kosher salt

1-2 TBS olive oil (or butter for you non-kosher folk)

1 shallot, finely minced

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 500 and turn on your stove fan.

Heat a heavy bottom stainless steel skillet over high heat until it's screaming hot. Sprinkle with kosher salt and lay the steak on it carefully. It will smoke, but that's okay. Do not move the steak. Sprinkle with freshly cracked pepper and allow it to sear for about 4-5 minutes, each side.

Carefully place the skillet on the bottom rack in the oven and let the steak finish cooking, about 3-5 more minutes, depending on thickness. Don't overcook the steak! It will be a tragedy for all involved. Remove it from the oven and allow it to rest on a plate, tented with foil. The resting period is essential, as it gives all the juices time to redistribute themselves.

Meanwhile, carefully pour the red wine into the skillet, and scrape up all the bits stuck onto the bottom. Turn the heat down to medium and allow the wine to reduce. Stir in shallots and a bit more cracked pepper. After the sauce has reduced by half, remove from the heat and stir in olive oil or butter until it's glossy and velvety. Pour the sauce over the meat and serve immediately. Sop up every last delicious bit with bread or potatoes.

*Get it? RAREly have steak? HA!!!!

The Daring Bakers: Dobos Torta

The August 2009 Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Angela of A Spoonful of Sugar and Lorraine of Not Quite Nigella. They chose the spectacular Dobos Torte based on a recipe from Rick Rodgers' cookbook Kaffeehaus: Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Caffés of Vienna, Budapest, and Prague.

So, what is the Dobos Torta (or Torte)?

The Dobos Torta is a five-layer sponge cake, filled with a rich chocolate buttercream and topped with thin wedges of caramel. It was invented in 1885 by József C. Dobos, a Hungarian baker, and it rapidly became famous throughout Europe for both its extraordinary taste and its keeping properties. The recipe was a secret until Dobos retired in 1906 and gave the recipe to the Budapest Confectioners' and Gingerbread Makers' Chamber of Industry, providing that every member of the chamber can use it freely.

I made this cake last weekend, and it certainly was a challenge! I spent about 5 hours, start to finish, making sure that every component was right and I still ended up burning the caramel! Lesson learned: take it off the heat before it looks done! It will still come up to the perfect color on its own.

I halved the recipe and made 3 mini-Dobos. The sponge cake reminded me a little bit of Passover cake as it was slightly dry. I brushed one mini-Dobos with rum and another with espresso, which helped the cake moisture and added a great kick of flavor. The buttercream was really hard to work with in the August heat, although the flavor was nice and rich. Overall, the torta was delicious, but I don't think I'll make it again. It was a fun challenge and I only cursed a few times. Can't wait for next month's Daring Bakers challenge!

Ingredients:

Sponge cake layers
6 large eggs, separated, at room temperature
1 1/3 cups (162g) confectioner's (icing) sugar, divided
1 teaspoon (5ml) vanilla extract
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (112g) sifted cake flour (SUBSTITUTE 95g plain flour + 17g cornflour (cornstarch) sifted together)
pinch of salt

Chocolate Buttercream
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup (200g) caster sugar
4oz (110g) bakers chocolate or your favourite dark chocolate, finely chopped
2 sticks plus 2 tablespoons (250g) unsalted butter, at room temperature.

Caramel topping
1 cup (200g) caster sugar
12 tablespoons (180 ml) water
8 teaspoons (40 ml) lemon juice
1 tablespoon neutral oil (e.g. grapeseed, rice bran, sunflower)

Finishing touches
a 7” cardboard round
12 whole hazelnuts, peeled and toasted
½ cup (50g) peeled and finely chopped hazelnuts

Instructions:

Sponge Cake:
NB. The sponge layers can be prepared in advance and stored interleaved with parchment and well-wrapped in the fridge overnight.

1. Position the racks in the top and centre thirds of the oven and heat to 400F (200C).

2. Cut six pieces of parchment paper to fit the baking sheets. Using the bottom of a 9" (23cm) springform tin as a template and a dark pencil or a pen, trace a circle on each of the papers, and turn them over (the circle should be visible from the other side, so that the graphite or ink doesn't touch the cake batter.)

3. Beat the egg yolks, 2/3 cup (81g) of the confectioner's (icing) sugar, and the vanilla in a medium bowl with a mixer on high speed until the mixture is thick, pale yellow and forms a thick ribbon when the beaters are lifted a few inches above the batter, about 3 minutes. (You can do this step with a balloon whisk if you don't have a mixer.)

4. In another bowl, using clean beaters, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in the remaining 2/3 cup (81g) of confectioner's (icing)sugar until the whites form stiff, shiny peaks. Using a large rubber spatula, stir about 1/4 of the beaten whites into the egg yolk mixture, then fold in the remainder, leaving a few wisps of white visible. Combine the flour and salt. Sift half the flour over the eggs, and fold in; repeat with the remaining flour.

5. Line one of the baking sheets with a circle-marked paper. Using a small offset spatula, spread about 3/4cup of the batter in an even layer, filling in the traced circle on one baking sheet. Bake on the top rack for 5 minutes, until the cake springs back when pressed gently in the centre and the edges are lightly browned. While this cake bakes, repeat the process on the other baking sheet, placing it on the centre rack. When the first cake is done, move the second cake to the top rack. Invert the first cake onto a flat surface and carefully peel off the paper. Slide the cake layer back onto the paper and let stand until cool. Rinse the baking sheet under cold running water to cool, and dry it before lining with another parchment. Continue with the remaining papers and batter to make a total of six layers. Completely cool the layers. Using an 8" springform pan bottom or plate as a template, trim each cake layer into a neat round. (A small serrated knife is best for this task.)

Buttercream:
1. Prepare a double-boiler: quarter-fill a large saucepan with water and bring it to a boil.
Meanwhile, whisk the eggs with the sugar until pale and thickened, about five minutes. You can use a balloon whisk or electric hand mixer for this.

2. Fit bowl over the boiling water in the saucepan (water should not touch bowl) and lower the heat to a brisk simmer. Cook the egg mixture, whisking constantly, for 2-3 minutes until you see it starting to thicken a bit. Whisk in the finely chopped chocolate and cook, stirring, for a further 2-3 minutes.

3. Scrape the chocolate mixture into a medium bowl and leave to cool to room temperature. It should be quite thick and sticky in consistency.

4. When cool, beat in the soft butter, a small piece (about 2 tablespoons/30g) at a time. An electric hand mixer is great here, but it is possible to beat the butter in with a spatula if it is soft enough. You should end up with a thick, velvety chocolate buttercream. Chill while you make the caramel topping.

Caramel Topping:
1. Choose the best-looking cake layer for the caramel top. To make the caramel topping: Line a jellyroll pan with parchment paper and butter the paper. Place the reserved cake layer on the paper. Score the cake into 12 equal wedges. Lightly oil a thin, sharp knife and an offset metal spatula.

2. Stir the sugar, water and lemon juice in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over a medium heat, stirring often to dissolve the sugar. Once dissolved into a smooth syrup, turn the heat up to high and boil without stirring, swirling the pan by the handle occasionally and washing down any sugar crystals on the sides of the pan with a wet brush until the syrup has turned into an amber-coloured caramel.

3.The top layer is perhaps the hardest part of the whole cake so make sure you have a oiled, hot offset spatula ready. I also find it helps if the cake layer hasn't just been taken out of the refrigerator. I made mine ahead of time and the cake layer was cold and the toffee set very, very quickly—too quickly for me to spread it. Immediately pour all of the hot caramel over the cake layer. You will have some leftover most probably but more is better than less and you can always make nice toffee pattern using the extra to decorate. Using the offset spatula, quickly spread the caramel evenly to the edge of the cake layer. Let cool until beginning to set, about 30 seconds. Using the tip of the hot oiled knife (keep re-oiling this with a pastry brush between cutting), cut through the scored marks to divide the caramel layer into 12 equal wedges. Cool another minute or so, then use the edge of the knife to completely cut and separate the wedges using one firm slice movement (rather than rocking back and forth which may produce toffee strands). Cool completely.

Assembling the Dobos
Divide the buttercream into six equal parts.

Place a dab of chocolate buttercream on the middle of a 7 1/2” cardboard round and top with one cake layer. Spread the layer with one part of the chocolate icing. Repeat with 4 more cake layers. Spread the remaining icing on the sides of the cake.

Optional: press the finely chopped hazelnuts onto the sides of the cake.

Propping a hazelnut under each wedge so that it sits at an angle, arrange the wedges on top of the cake in a spoke pattern. If you have any leftover buttercream, you can pipe rosettes under each hazelnut or a large rosette in the centre of the cake. Refrigerate the cake under a cake dome until the icing is set, about 2 hours. Let slices come to room temperature for the best possible flavor

Peach Pie. With lots of butter.

Baby don't you cry, gonna bake a pie. Gonna bake a pie with a heart in the middle. Baby don't be blue, gonna bake for you. Gonna bake a pie with a heart in the middle*

In keeping with my "best wife ever" goal, I got up early on Tuesday morning to bake Alex a birthday pie. He chose peach, based on the abundance of ripe peaches just hanging out on the counter, and I got to work rolling, cutting and sprinkling flour on every surface available. Pie is a messy business, internet.

I used Dorie's Good For Almost Everything Pie Dough, and while it is truly luxurious and delicious, I hestitate to agree that it actually is good for everything. There is so much butter. We're talking Paula Deen amounts of butter. So much so that when the pie was actually baking, the edges of dough around the pie plate dripped and melted down, sizzling onto the baking dish. This can't be good for you.

Can you just imagine this crust dripping down the edges and dropping melted butter all over my oven?

And after it cooled, the butter seeped back into the crust, turning it translucent in some parts. It was almost too rich! I will use this crust recipe again, because it is ridiculously simple, but I'll cut back on the butter. In the world of pie crust baking, there are two different camps: butter and shortening. Both are solid fats, but while butter makes a rich and tender crust, shortening is what gives a delicious flaky texture. I've never used shortening because I just couldn't bring myself to do it, but Dorie's recipe calls for both. Feel free to experiment!

The peach pie filling was a combination of various pie recipes on the internet, so I can't credit just one source. I loved the combination of brown sugar and cinnamon with the peaches. It gave a wonderfully sweet and spicy flavor. I haven't yet mastered the art of making a pie pretty. Double crust is hard! Oh well, guess I just have to bake more pies. Tough job, but someone has to do it.

Dorie's Good for Almost Everything Pie Crust

Ingredients:
FOR A 9-INCH DOUBLE CRUST
3 cups all-purpose flour
¼ cup sugar
1 ½ tsp salt
2 1/2 sticks very cold (frozen is fine) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon-size pieces (maybe less!)
⅓ cup very cold (frozen is even better) vegetable shortening, cut into 4 pieces (I eliminated)
About ½ cup ice water

Instructions:
Put the flour, sugar and salt in a food processor fitted with a metal blade; pulse just to combine the ingredients.

Drop in the butter and shortening and pulse only until the butter and shortening are cut into the flour. Until you have some pieces the size of fat green peas and others the size of barley.

Pulsing the machine on and off, gradually add about 6 tablespoons of the water add a little water and pulse once, add some more water, pulse again and keep going that way. Then use a few long pulses to get the water into the flour. If, after a dozen or so pulses, the dough doesn’t look evenly moistened or form soft curds, pulse in as much of the remaining water as necessary, or even a few drops more, to get the dough that will stick together when pinched. Big pieces of butter are fine.

Scrape the dough out of the work bowl and onto a work surface. Divide the dough in half. Gather each half into a ball, flatten each ball into a disk and wrap each half in plastic. Refrigerate the dough for at least 1 hour before rolling.

To roll out the dough:
Have a buttered 9-inch pie plate at hand.You can roll the dough out on a floured surface or between sheets of wax paper or plastic wrap or in a rolling slipcover.

If you’re working on a counter, turn the dough over frequently and keep the counter floured. If you are rolling between paper, plastic or in a slipcover, make sure to turn the dough over often and to life the paper, plastic or cover frequently so that it doesn’t roll into the dough and form creases.

If you’ve got time, slide the rolled-out dough into the fridge for about 20 mins to rest and firm up.

Fit the dough into the pie plate and, using a pair of scissors, cut the excess dough to a 1/4- to 1/2-inch overhang. Fold the dough under itself, so that it hangs over the edge just a tad, and flute or pinch the crust to make a decorative edge. Alternatively, you can finish the crust by pressing it with the tines of a fork.


Peach Pie Filling

Ingredients:
6 cups peeled and sliced peaches (peel them easily by blanching them)
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar (I used 1/4 brown and 1/4 regular)
cinnamon to taste
2 TBS butter, cut into smaller pieces (not sure this was necessary!)

Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 425.

Combine peaches, flour and sugar in a medium bowl and toss to coat. Add cinnamon to taste. Pour the mixture into the bottom crust and dot with small pieces of butter. Cover with the top crust, and use a sharp knife to cut steam vents.

Place the pie on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes at high heat. Turn the oven down to 350 and continue baking for 30 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and the juices are bubbling. Let it cool fully before serving, or you'll end up with peach pie soup!

I know it looks like butter, but that's really topped with vanilla ice cream. I'm not that masochistic!

*From the movie, Waitress. Ben, I put that in there just for you!

Someone DEFINITELY is in the Kitchen with Brina...

Someone very unwelcome. Someone who nibbles through containers in the pantry and leaves little "presents" on the kitchen counter. Ick.

These are carb-loading mice, as Alex says, since they only went for the popcorn kernels, barley and flour in the pantry. I spent most of yesterday cleaning and scrubbing out everything they could have possibly touched, and tomorrow we have a pest control guy coming.

Look, I mean, I know people think they are cute and all, but really? Not welcome in MY kitchen. They aren't paying mortgage, they don't contribute to the food bill, they eat my baking supplies, and they think my kitchen counter is their toilet. Not so cute anymore, right?

Chickity China, The Chinese Chicken

You have a drumstick and your brain starts tickin'

Yes, I know all the lyrics to One Week by Barenaked Ladies. I memorized them when the Stunt CD came out and I was thrilled to have my ice cream flavor of choice validated by my favorite band - after all, if the totally awesome men of BNL thought vanilla is the finest of the flavors, then all was right in my teenaged world. But I digress...

This post is about Chinese Chicken. After I made the TWD Brownie Buttons with orange zest, I had a sad little naked orange looking at me. I couldn't bear to put it back in the bowl because I knew it would just get hard after a few days. So, I decided to make Orange Chicken. But, not the regular full-fat-fried-MSG-loaded-with-goopy-electric-sauce version. I went with a lighter healthier WW version.

It was good, but not outstanding. I was hoping for a sharper orange flavor, but I think I was limited because most of my zest was already in the brownies. I'll try this recipe again, but with a full orange's worth. Overall, it's a good one to try if you want Chinese food flavor without the heavy MSG'ed feeling.

Name this picture...

Ingredients:
2 tsp dark sesame oil
2 tsp orange zest, strips
1lb uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breast, four 4-oz pieces
1/8 tsp table salt, or to taste
1/8 tsp black pepper, or to taste
15 oz Sunfresh Mandarin Oranges In Light Syrup, or similar item
1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth (I used vegetable)
1 TBS low-sodium soy sauce
1 TBS orange zest, finely grated, or to taste
2 tsp cornstarch

Instructions:
Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Add orange zest strips and cook, stirring, until fragrant and slightly cooked, about 1 to 2 minutes.

Meanwhile, season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper. When the zest is finished, increase heat to medium-high; add the chicken to the skillet and cook until golden, flipping once, about 2 minutes per side.

Drain the oranges and reserve 1/4 cup of liquid. Add the oranges with reserved liquid to skillet and simmer for 2 minutes.

Whisk together broth, soy sauce, finely grated zest and cornstarch in a small bowl; add mixture to pan and simmer until sauce thickens and chicken is cooked through, about 3 minutes more.

Yields 1 piece of chicken and about 1/4 cup of sauce per serving. (5 points)

Chocolate is a girls best friend...

...especially when it's bite-sized. This week's TWD was Brownie Buttons, an adorably small bite-sized diet killer. They are dense and rich, overflowing with a buttery chocolate flavor that makes it impossible to eat just one.

I had a blast making these and thought for a full week about what I could do for new flavor twists. Now, don't get me wrong, I love chocolate. I have just come to see it as more of a blank palate for experimentation. The original recipe called for orange zest, which is a fantastic combination. But why stop there? I divided up my first batch and put a Junior Mint in half of them for that classic chocolate mint flavor.

But that wasn't enough. The full recipe only makes about 16 of these teeny tiny beauties and I needed more! So my next batch was a little more dangerous - Chipotle Chocolate Buttons. They look innocent if you don't know what's in there. The first bite is rich and decadent, and all of a sudden, the heat creeps up the back of your throat and into your mouth. It's a deliciously sweet burn.

This recipe is a keeper. It's so easy to put together and a great way to experiment with your favorite chocolate flavor combos. Check out the other TWD bakers and see what they cooked up (recipe here)!

Chipotle Chocolate Buttons

Orange Chocolate Buttons

Chocolate Peppermint Buttons

TWD Brownie Buttons coming soon...

I have them cooling on my kitchen counter, but I left my camera cord at work. I'll post pictures of them later this weekn when I'm back at the office (at a work conference now).

Check out the other Dorie Bakers here.

Brownie buttons rule!






Also, O'Doyle rules.

Salmon in Foil

Summertime, and the livin' is easy. Well, okay, at least this dish is easy! And it works well when both Alex and I get home at 9PM on a weeknight or when I want to really impress people with some fancy cooking skillz. Oh yeah, I haz dem.

This is a family recipe that I can remember my parents making in a pinch. It works well with any kind of fish, but we happen to enjoy it with salmon. The sauce can also be altered to your own tastes, but I like to keep it simple!

Ingredients:
1-1.5 lb salmon fillet
aluminum foil squares (big enough to wrap around each piece of fish)
2 TBS olive oil
2 TBS lemon juice
2-3 tsp dijon mustard
Parsley flakes

Instructions:
Pre-heat the oven to 450.
Divide the fish into 4 serving sizes (or 2 for larger portions) and lay in the center of a foil square (skin side down). Turn up the edges slightly to form a makeshift bowl, so the liquid won't run out.
Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice and mustard and pour equally over all the fish. If you run out, just make more.
Sprinkle the fish with parsley and then wrap up the foil. Fold over the long edges first and roll down, then the short edges, making sure it's well sealed.
Bake for 15-18 minutes, depending on how well done you like your fish. If you're serving this to a large group, it might be easier to remove the fish from each foil packet and then serve it.

Peekabo - where are you?

Found you! Now get in my belleh...

Blog Makeover - take a vote!

As you can see by the ever changing background of my blog, I'm trying to find a new look. I've tried playing with a few programs online, but I'm not all that great! Here are some new headers that I have come up with so far. Thoughts, oh dear readers?

Also, if you have blog/header design skills and would like to help me out, I will take any and all assistance!

You Know You Live in Maryland When...

Old Bay has permeated every aspect of your kitchen. That deep red spice is a staple in the Steiner household. We put it on everything- chicken, fish, fries, baked/mashed potatoes, eggs and now...it's on my baked goods. It was only a matter of time, to be honest!

I made Old Bay Cheddar biscuits. Now, these are not a replica of the Cheddar Bay Biscuits I hear people talk about from Red Lobster. I have never been there and don't really know what those are. I found some of the recipes online, but they all called for Bisquick. If I'm going to bake something in my snazzy red kitchen, you bet your buttered biscuits that I'm going to do it from scratch. We had a pretty busy weekend, buying a car and then sitting in it over the Bay Bridge to a party on the shore. By the time I made it home on Sunday afternoon, all I wanted was some mindless activity that made me feel happy. Bring on the baking!

I used Dorie's recipe for biscuits because I trust her implicitly. And she hasn't failed me yet! This is a really easy recipe, and is a great "base" for any type of add-ins you could think of. I imagined all sorts of sweet and savory possibilities for the next time I want to bake them (basil and sundried tomato biscuits, snickerdoodle sweet cream biscuits, molasses biscuits, rosemary and thyme biscuits....).

The dough is super-duper sticky and messy (see above!), but it was a quick process and easy clean-up. The key to successful biscuits is to make sure that the fat (butter, in this case) is cold. Ice cold. Straight from the fridge cold. And you don't want to work it too much. Dorie recommends using your fingers instead of a pastry cutter, and I agree. When you cut the butter into the flour mixture, you want it to be an uneven crumble texture - like pebbles and peas. The lumps of butter will melt and release steam in the oven, which leads to flaky layers. The less you fuss with this dough, the better.

Biscuits are best served piping hot, right from the oven, with the steam pouring out of them. Hungry yet? Have fun with this basic recipe - play around and enjoy the results!

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour (I used 1 3/4 cup all-purpose and 1/4 cup cake flour)
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
6 Tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into 12 pieces
3/4 cup cold buttermilk (can make your own by following this simple recipe)
Optional: 1 TBS old bay seasoning (if you do this, don't add the salt)
Optional: 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Whisk the flour, baking powder, soda, sugar, and salt or Old Bay together in a bowl.

Drop in the butter and, with your fingers or a pastry blender, rub it into the flour until you’ve got crumbs—some the size of flakes, some like baby peas. Remember, it should be very uneven with visible pieces of butter.

Add the buttermilk and stir; the mixture will be very sticky. Add in the cheese. Reach into the bowl and knead the dough gently 3 or 4 times.

Turn it onto a floured surface and roll or pat it into a circle about 1/2-inch thick. Use a 2-inch biscuit cutter to cut out as many biscuits as you can; gather the scraps, re-roll, and cut out more biscuits.

Transfer the biscuits to a foil-lined baking sheet and sprinkle a little bit of Old Bay and cheese on each. Bake 15 to 18 minutes or until puffed and golden. Cool 5 minutes. Watch Alex and his brother fall all over themselves trying to get to the biscuits and graciously accept praise for being the "best wife ever."

Spicy Garlic Greens

We all know that we need to eat our greens. But sometimes gooey and cheesy is much more appealing than dark and leafy (which, incidentally, makes it sound like you're about to eat a forest.) Because of that, I like to dress up my greens. Usually I use a cute little bow-tie or top hat, but in this case I went with garlic and red pepper flakes.

Alex's mom brought us a bag full of kale from her organic garden and I knew immediately what I wanted to do with it. Kale isn't something I used to try, but once we made this recipe, I was hooked. In its raw form, kale is pretty rough-looking and intimidating, but it's easily tamed if you know how to finesse it a little bit. I love this recipe because I love garlic. Raw, roasted, grilled, simmered, smeared, sauteed, baked, sliced, fried, mashed...you do it to garlic and I'll eat it. There's something addictive about the pungent and spicy taste that can change to sweet and mellow in the blink of an eye. There is a restaurant in SanFran that I hope to get to someday, called The Stinking Rose. That's my kind of place!

When you're cooking greens, always remember that they will release a lot of water and cook down to less than 1/3 of the original size. My pan started off looking like this:

And after about 5 minutes, it had cooked right down to this:

Remember that when you're thinking "There is now way this will all fit in my pan! It's too much."

Since I knew the kale would really shrink, I threw in a few big handfuls of baby spinach. This recipe can be used for any green leafy vegetable, but I find that spinach and/or kale work best. It's a great side for any protein you wish to serve, or you can whip up a big batch of this and mix it with pasta. C'mon...it's good for you!

Ingredients:

1 large bag of kale, stems removed and ripped into bite-sized pieces (or spinach)

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1-3 tsp red pepper flakes, to taste

2 tsp olive oil

Instructions:

Heat olive oil in a large non-stick skillet and add garlic. Cook until fragrant, 1 minute or so, being careful not to let it brown. You want to flavor the oil in the pan, so make sure to stir the garlic around evenly.

Add the greens and continue to cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. The greens will start to wilt almost immediately. Keep stirring until they reach your desired texture. Add in red pepper flakes and stir to combine. They add a lot of heat, so be sure you know your tolerance first!

Serve hot.