Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies

Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies

■2 ¼ cups of unbleached flour
■1 teaspoon salt
■1 teaspoon baking soda
■1 cup butter
■1 cup sugar
■1 cup packed brown sugar
■1 Tablespoon Madagascar vanilla
■2 large eggs
■2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips
■1 cup white chocolate chips
■2 cups walnuts

Mix the butter, both sugars, and the vanilla until smooth. Add the eggs, mix until blended. Combine the flour, salt, and baking powder- add to the wet mixture just until blended. Add the dark, and white chocolate chips, then the walnuts, mix well. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the edges become slightly brown. Cool slightly and enjoy!

Thai Peanut Sauce & Chicken Satay

This is a great recipe for chicken, or any white fish. It also works on salads, veggies, and rice. If you want a thicker sauce, simply add more peanut butter.

 THAI PEANUT SAUCE

■1 cup creamy peanut butter
■½ cup sesame oil
■¼ cup vegetable oil
■½ cup honey
■½ cup pineapple juice
■¼ cup coconut milk
■1 teaspoon fresh minced ginger
■1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
■1 teaspoon black and regular sesame seeds
■Salt and pepper to taste
■1 tablespoon chives

Place all the ingredients except the chives in a bowl, mix with a whisk. Top with chives or chopped peanuts.


THAI CHICKEN SATAY SKEWERS

Marinade:


1 cup plain yogurt
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into strips
20 wooden skewers, soaked in water 30 minutes
Vegetable oil, for grilling
Butter lettuce leaves
Fresh cilantro leaves
Peanut sauce, recipe above

Directions

Combine the yogurt, ginger, garlic, and curry powder in a shallow mixing bowl, stir to combine. Place the chicken strips in the yogurt marinade and gently toss until well coated. Cover and let the chicken marinate in the refrigerator for at up to 2 hours.

Thread the chicken pieces onto the soaked skewers working the skewer in and out of the meat, down the middle of the piece, so that it stays in place during grilling. Place a grill pan over medium heat and brush it with oil to prevent the meat from sticking. Grill the chicken satays for 3 to 5 minutes on each side, until nicely seared and cooked through. Serve the satays on a platter lined with lettuce leaves and cilantro; accompanied by a small bowl of peanut sauce on the side.

Perfect Sandwich Bread

How many recipes do you know where you can cut the loaf into whisper-thin (1/8”) slices, without it crumbling? Not many, I’d wager.




Perfect Sandwich Bread
based on a recipe from King Arthur's


1 1/4 to 1 1/3 cups water, depending on the time of year (more in the winter, less in the summer)
1 heaping tablespoon honey or sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
1/2 cup nonfat dry milk granules
2 tablespoons real butter
1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons salt
4 cups Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

Place the ingredients in your bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer, and program the machine for white or basic bread, or for the dough cycle. Press Start.

If you're using the dough cycle, after the cycle is complete, allow the dough to continue to rise in the machine until it has really doubled in bulk. Remove the dough, shape it into a loaf, and place it in an 9" x 5" loaf pan. Let it rise until almost doubled. Bake the bread in a preheated 350°F oven for 35 to 40 minutes. Until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center will read 195°F to 200°F.

King Arthur's Zebra Cake

Zebra Cake


1 cup granulated sugar
4 large eggs
1 cup milk (whole, 2% or 1%)
1 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All Purpose Flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons Double Dutched Dark Cocoa

Directions:

1) Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly spray a 9" x 2" round baking pan with cooking spray. Line the bottom of the pan with a circle of parchment, and spritz again. Set the pan aside.

2) In the bowl of your mixer, blend the sugar and eggs until lightened, about 2 minutes. On low speed blend in the oil, milk and vanilla until well combined and smooth

3) In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk to remove any lumps. Add the dry mixture to the wet ingredients. Combine on medium speed 1-2 minutes or until the batter is smooth and lump free. Be sure to scrape down the bowl halfway through mixing.

4) Remove 2 cups of the vanilla batter and place it in the measure you used for the liquid ingredients. Sift the cocoa over this batter, and stir well to combine. Be sure to use a sifter to avoid cocoa lumps in the batter.

5) Now for the stripes. Spoon about 3 tablespoons of vanilla batter into the center of the cake pan. Next, spoon 3 tablespoons of the chocolate batter into the center of the vanilla batter. This causes the vanilla batter to spread out. Continue to alternate batters, in bulls-eye fashion until all batter is used. You will now have thin rings of each batter on the outer edges of the pan, thicker rings towards the center.

6) Bake the cake in the center of the preheated oven for 40-45 minutes, or until the cake is lightly browned and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool the cake in the pan for 10 minutes, and then turn out onto a wire rack to finish cooling. Frost if desired.

Bacon & Peanut Butter ~ YUMMY!

Bacon & Peanut Butter Cookies
(Recipe adapted from The Gourmet Cookbook)

1 cup all-natural chunky or smooth peanut butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon baking soda
6 slices of bacon, cooked, cooled and diced

In a skillet over medium high heat, fry up bacon until cooked through and let cool on paper towels until cool enough to dice. Dice up and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Line a cookie sheet with parchment & set aside. In a mixer combine peanut butter and sugars until well combined, about 2 minutes. Add egg and baking soda and mix for another 2 minutes. Fold in cooked bacon. Roll into large walnut sized balls and create a crisscross pattern with a fork. If you’d like, roll the dough balls in granulated sugar before making the crisscross pattern. Bake for 10 minutes, until lightly browned.

Cool on a baking sheet for five minutes, and then transfer to… your mouth.

Monkey Bread

Monkey Bread
Makes 1 large Bundt pan

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons plus 1/2 cup butter, melted
2 cups milk
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 tablespoon instant yeast
4 cups flour
2 teaspoons salt
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cinnamon

Procedure:

Preheat oven to 200F. Lightly oil a large Bundt pan or other baking pan.

In a large bowl, add melted butter, milk, brown sugar, vanilla and yeast. Stir together, and then add the flour and salt. Mix with mixer until dough comes together in a shiny mass, and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.

Put the dough in a large oiled bowl, cover with a towel, and place in the preheated warm oven for 1 hour, or until doubled in size. When the dough has risen, take it out of the oven and pour the melted butter into a small bowl. Put the sugar and cinnamon into a second bowl and whisk well to combine.

Punch down the dough to knock the air out of it and then form and roll small balls in your hand or on the counter. Dip them first in the melted butter and then roll in the cinnamon sugar and layer them in the Bundt or other baking pan.

Put the pan into the oven to rise for a second time, for about 45 minutes, until the dough balls reach the top of the pan and double once again.

Remove from the oven, and increase the heat to 350F. Once hot, place the pan back into the oven and bake for 40 minutes.

Strawberry Bundt Cake

Strawberry Bundt Cake

Ingredients:

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
3 Tb. lemon juice, divided
Zest of 1 lemon
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour, divided
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
a few grinds of pepper
8 oz. plain or vanilla, greek yogurt
12 oz. fresh strawberries, diced


Procedure:
 
Preheat oven to 325*. Grease and sugar a 10 inch Bundt pan. Sift together the 2 ¼ cups of flour, baking soda and salt& pepper. Mix in the lemon zest and set aside.

Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in 1 Tb. lemon juice. Alternate beating in the flour mixture and the yogurt, mixing just until incorporated.

Toss the strawberries with the remaining ¼ cup of flour. Gently mix them into the batter.

Pour the batter into the Bundt pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

Spaghetti Carbonara with Roasted Garlic

The crown of comfort: a huge plate of spaghetti carbonara, big and bold and bursting with flavor. Comfort food at its best!

Spaghetti Carbonara with Roasted Garlic

2 eggs at room temperature

10 cloves garlic
2 ounces good olive oil, divided
8 ounces prosciutto, cut into ¼” strips
6 ounces pecorino romano cheese, grated just before adding
1 pound spaghetti noodles (not thin)

Ample water for boiling noodles


Roast the Garlic: Preheat oven to 350º. Peel 10 cloves of garlic and cut into almond-sized pieces if the cloves are large. Put a generous tablespoon of oil onto the center of an 8-inch sheet of foil, plonk the garlic on top and fold to make a sealed pouch. Bake for 12 minutes, and set aside. Do not open foil pouch for at least 5 minutes after removing from the oven.

Cook the pasta: Bring water to boil in a large pot. Add the pasta and time for 1 minute less than the cooking instructions.

Cook the prosciutto: Heat the rest of the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-low heat. When there is 5 minutes left on the pasta, add the prosciutto. When there is 2 minutes left on the pasta, add the garlic. Lower the heat if necessary. You want these ingredients hot but not sizzling.

Heat the bowls: Put 4 pasta bowls or wide soup bowls into the oven to heat for 2 or 3 minutes.

Final cooking and plating: Remove pasta when slightly undercooked, and drain in a colander.Whisk the two eggs vigorously and set aside. Bring the prosciutto and garlic back up to medium heat and toss in the pasta, primping it as you would a stir-fry. Cook for a minute or two.

Remove the bowls from the oven and set to one side. Add the noodles, dividing them and the toppings into four portions, and put some of the egg directly over each portion, stirring slightly. When the egg has set (30 seconds or less), top generously with pecorino romano cheese. Toss lightly.

This is a simple pasta preparation. What is of absolute importance is that the components and the pasta bowls are all hot when the final dish is assembled. This assures the complete melding of flavors and adequate cooking of the eggs.



Serve immediately with thick slices of foamy ciabatta bread (or Lago di Como bread) and slathers of fresh butter. If this doesn’t make you feel better after a long day, then I’m afraid there’s no hope for you! 

KENTUCKY FRIED CHICKEN

This is a second run at this clone of a seasoning mix and I think it's spot on...

KENTUCKY FRIED CHICKEN


3 cups sifted flour
1/3 cup powdered eggs
2 teaspoon garlic salt (or garlic powder)
2 teaspoons onion salt
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried rubbed sage
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried powdered rosemary
1/2 teaspoon dried powdered thyme
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper (or a little more to taste hotter)

Combine all ingredients for the seasoned flour.

Rinse chicken with water and roll in flour mixture and fry. Best if cooked in canned Crisco shortening till golden brown.

FOR EXTRA CRISPY FRIED CHICKEN:

Dip in flour mixture, then dip in beaten eggs and re-dip in flour mixture pressing the flour onto the chicken for a good thick coating.

(DON'T FORGET TO MAKE GRAVY WITH LEFT OVER DRIPPINGS FOR YOUR MASHED OR BAKED, POTATOES.)

Makes 3 1/2 cups of seasoned flour

Potica

POTICA (PAW'-TEE-TZAH)


1 1/2 teaspoons yeast
4 tablespoons milk, lukewarm
1 teaspoon white sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup butter
4 tablespoons white sugar, I used vanilla sugar from Penzy's
6 egg yolks
5 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/3 cups milk
1 cup butter, melted
2 (6 ounce) jars honey
1 to 2 cups raisins
1 1/2 pounds walnuts, chopped
ground cinnamon

Directions:

1 Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease one large baking sheet.

2 Dissolve yeast in 4 tablespoons lukewarm milk. Add 1 teaspoon sugar and 3 tablespoons flour. Stir well and set aside.

3 Cream 1 cup butter with 4 tablespoons sugar. Add egg yolks, one at a time. Add yeast mixture and mix well.

4 Add 5 cups sifted flour, salt and 1 1/3 cup milk and beat well. Beat dough for 10 minutes or until bubbles form. Cover with flour and let rise 2 hours.

5 Cut dough in half and roll out each half as thin as possible on floured board. Spread each half with melted butter, honey, raisins, walnuts and douse with cinnamon.

6 Roll up like jelly roll, place on baking sheet, allow to rise and bake for one hour.

Makes 24 servings

Spago House Salad Dressing

Spago House Salad Dressing

2 large shallots, minced (1 heaping tablespoon)

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons Zinfandel vinegar
2 tablespoons sherry wine vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup vegetable oil
Salt
Freshly ground white pepper

In a small bowl, whisk together the shallots and the mustard. Whisk in the vinegars, and then the olive and vegetable oils. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Transfer to a covered container and refrigerate until needed.

Yield: 1 1/4 cups

Peppermint Sandwich Brownie Cookies

Brownie Cookies

2 oz. (4 Tbs.) unsalted butter; more for the pan
12 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped
3 large eggs, at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup mini semt-sweet chips

Position an oven rack on the center rung. Heat the oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment (or grease and flour the pan).


In a double boiler over simmering water, melt the butter and chocolate. Stir to combine; let cool. In an electric mixer with the whisk attachment, beat the eggs and sugar on medium high to a ribbon consistency, 3 to 4 min. Take the bowl off the mixer. Add the cooled chocolate mixture and the vanilla; stir to combine. Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together. Stir the flour mixture and the chips into the batter; let the batter rest for 5 min.

Spoon the batter into a pastry bag fitted with a #4 tip (or into a heavy-duty zip-top bag with one bottom corner snipped to create a 2/3-inch diagonal opening). For each cookie, pipe 1 Tbs. batter onto the lined baking sheet. While you pipe the second tray, bake the first until the cookies are puffed and cracked and the tops barely spring back when pressed, 8 to 10 min. The cracks should be moist but not wet. Cool the cookies on a wire rack.

Peppermint Filling

1/2 stick butter (4TBS), softened
1/2 to 3/4 cup powder sugar
1/4 tsp peppermint extract or oil ( to taste you may like more)

Just stir together until you have an icing thickness.

Brioche Dough

Brioche Dough:


2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more if needed
2 1/4 cups bread flour
3 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1/2 cup cold water
6 eggs
2 3/4 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into 10 to 12 pieces

Using a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the all-purpose flour, bread flour, yeast, sugar, salt, water, and 5 of the eggs. Beat on low speed for 3 to 4 minutes, or until all the ingredients are combined. Stop the mixer, as needed, to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to make sure all the flour is incorporated into the wet ingredients. Once the dough has come together, beat on low speed for another 3 to 4 minutes. The dough will be very stiff and seem quite dry.

With the mixer on low speed, add the butter, 1 piece at a time, mixing after each addition until it disappears into the dough. Continue mixing on low speed for about 10 minutes, stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. It is important for all the butter to be thoroughly mixed into the dough. If necessary, stop the mixer occasionally and break up the dough with your hands to help mix in the butter.

Once the butter is completely incorporated, turn up the speed to medium and beat until the dough becomes sticky, soft, and somewhat shiny, another 15 minutes. It will take some time to come together. It will look shaggy and questionable at the start and then eventually it will turn smooth and silky. Turn the speed to medium-high and beat for about 1 minute. You should hear the dough make a slap-slap-slap sound as it hits the sides of the bowl. Test the dough by pulling at it; it should stretch a bit and have a little give. If it seems wet and loose and more like a batter than a dough, add a few tablespoons of flour and mix until it comes together. If it breaks off into pieces when you pull at it, continue to mix on medium speed for another 2 to 3 minutes, or until it develops more strength and stretches when you grab it. It is ready when you can gather it all together and pick it up in 1 piece.

Put the dough in a large bowl or plastic container and cover it with plastic wrap, pressing the wrap directly onto the surface of the dough. Let the dough proof (that is, grow and develop flavor) in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours or up to overnight At this point you can freeze the dough in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Dulce de Leche Topping

Dulce de Leche Topping


In a heavy 5- to 6-quart pan over medium-high heat, stir 4 cups whole milk and 1 1/4 cups sugar until sugar is dissolved and mixture is boiling. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon baking soda. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally with a flexible spatula, until mixture is golden brown and reduced to about 2 cups, about 1 1/2 hours (mine took about 2 1/2 hours on very low heat).

Pour through a fine strainer into a bowl; discard residue. (*I did not have to do this step. Mine was smooth and rich and had no residue.)

Makes 2 cups.

Snickerdoodle Bundt Cake

Snickerdoodle Bundt Cake
Yield: 10 servings
Time: 25 minutes prep + 60 minutes to bake
Recipe adapted from: My Baking Addiction

Ingredients:

2 t ground cinnamon
1 C white sugar

2 1/2 C flour
1 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1 C butter, softened
1 C sugar
1 C brown sugar
3 eggs at room temperature
2 t vanilla
1 C full-fat sour cream at room temperature

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, combine 1 C sugar and 2 t cinnamon. Mix it together well.

2. Generously grease the inside of your bundt pan with shortening, or spray heavily with Bake Kleen Cooking Spray.

3. Gently dust the entire inside of your pan with the cinnamon sugar mixture. Be sure you get inside all the little nooks. You will most likely only use about 1/3 C of the mixture. Set aside the leftovers to use in the middle of the cake.

4. In a mixing bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set the good little mixture aside for later.

5. In a Kitchen Aid mixer or using hand held beaters beat the softened butter on medium speed for 1 minute.

6. Add the white sugar and mix for 3 minutes.

7. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula and add the brown sugar. Mix for 2 minutes.

8. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing for a full minute after each one.

9. Stir in the vanilla.

10. Grab your good little dry mixture and add it alternately with the sour cream. When both sour cream and all of the dry mixture are added continue to mix for 2 minutes.

11. Spread 1/2 the batter into your pan. Pour the leftover cinnamon and sugar over the top. Spread the rest of your batter over the top.

12. Bake at 325 degrees for 55-65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.

13. Cool for 10 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Banana Pudding

Banana Pudding

Adapted from: Classic Southern Desserts

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar
1/4 cup + 1 tsp flour
3 cups whole milk
3 egg yolks
1 tsp. vanilla
6 oz. vanilla wafers (about half of a box)
3 bananas
3/4 cup whipping cream (or more if you’d like!)
1/8 cup powdered sugar
few dashes salt

Directions:

Whisk milk and egg yolks in a bowl and pour into a heavy saucepan. Add sugar, flour, and salt and whisk together until smooth. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, 20 minutes or until thickened. If it’s not getting as thick as you’d like after 20 minutes, feel free to add another teaspoon of flour. Remove from heat; stir in the vanilla.

Arrange one-third of vanilla wafers in bottom of a small serving dish. Slice 1 banana and layer over wafers. Spoon one-third of custard over bananas. Repeat until custard is gone and you have a few solid layers.

Beat whipping cream at medium speed with an electric mixer until foamy; gradually add powdered sugar to mixture, beating until soft peaks form. Spread over custard. Serve immediately or cover and chill for eight hours.

Makes: 6 servings

Naan

Naan


 1/2 cup warm water
 1 1/2 tsp yeast
 1 1/2 tsp sugar
 1 tsp salt
 1 and 1/2 cups flour
 1/3 cup butter, melted
 3 Tbsp yogurt

Pour the water into a medium bowl, and then pour the yeast and sugar over the water. Wait for the yeast and sugar to dissolve.

Stir in the flour, salt, and then the melted butter and yogurt. Mix until a sticky dough is formed.

Cover the bowl and let the dough rise 60-90 minutes

When the dough is finished rising, punch it down and then lightly knead it for a few minutes. The dough will be very sticky, so you’ll need to add flour to it as you knead. When you’ve reached a smooth consistency, divide the dough into balls and then roll them out on a floured surface. Place a few pieces at a time into a heated sauce pan coated in vegetable oil.

Fry until each side is golden brown.

Grapefruit Granita

Grapefruit Granita


makes a little less than a quart. You can store it in the freezer
 
Shopping List:
 
3 Pink Grapefruits (plus one for garnish)
Sugar
 
Dissolve 3/4 cup sugar (you could dial this back a bit) into 2 cups water.


Finely zest half a grapefruit avoiding the white pith and add zest to sugar-water mixture.

Juice 3 grapefruits (approx 2 1/2 to 3 cups juice). Keep the pulp, remove the seeds. Then add the juice/pulp to the sugar and water mixture. Stir well. Taste to make sure the flavor works for you.

Pour into a freezer safe container. Wide and shallow is better because there’s more surface area for ice crystals to form.

Stir well every hour to break up and mix in the ice crystals that form. You’ll need to do this 3-4 times until you have a nicely uniform, slushy consistency.

Cover and let freeze solid.

To serve, let defrost for a 5-10 minutes then scrape the top with a fork and scoop the fluffy ice into a small goblet or bowl. I like to serve mine in espresso cups.

For some extra grapefruit tang, garnish with some grapefruit segments. As you cut the grapefruit garnish, reserve the juice and sprinkle over top

.

Moelleux au Chocolat Lava Cake

Moelleux au Chocolat… A French classic that literally melts in your mouth!!! This dessert is usually made in individual ramekins

Chocolate Lava Cake

Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients (4 people):

6 oz. Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate (or use your favorite 70% dark chocolate bar)
6 oz. Butter (diced, room temperature)
3 Eggs
1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
1/3 cup Flour
Butter for Ramekins

How to Make It:

Preheat oven to 350°F

1. Melt chocolate on low flame in a bain-marie (double boiler). When melted, take of flame, and…

2. Stir in diced butter, until it melts.

3. In another bowl, beat eggs and sugar, until it starts to whiten.

4. Stir in melted chocolate and then the flour.

5. Butter 4 individual ramekins, and pour in chocolate batter.

6. Cook for about 10 minutes.

7. Tip ramekins upside down onto dessert plates and serve.


Tips:

You can definitely prepare your chocolate lave cake recipe ahead of time, and then bake 10 minutes before serving. I always do it this way!

In terms of buttering the ramekins: butter the bottoms first, and then butter the sides, wiping from the bottom up to the top. It helps the chocolate to rise even more.

In terms of baking time… well, it depends on how runny you want it! I like it with a super-liquid-oozing center -- so do my guests! For this, you want the top to be cooked through, but the center to be liquid. You can check with a toothpick after 10 minutes of baking.

If you don't like liquid-center chocolate desserts, just cook for a little longer, and you will have an incredibly moist chocolate cake. So, either way, you can't go wrong!


You can, if you want, serve your chocolate lava cake recipe with a Crème Anglaise (English Cream) or a Coulis aux Framboises (Raspberry Sauce). Personally, I always serve it as is (no sauce). And honestly, everyone FALLS IN LOVE with this dessert!!! How could they not?!!!

Donut Muffins

Donut Muffins

For the muffins:

12 oz. (24 Tbs.) unsalted butter, warmed to room temperature
1-3/4 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 lb. 11 oz. (6 cups) all-purpose flour
1 Tbs. plus 2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1-3/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
1-2/3 cups milk
1/4 cup buttermilk
For dipping:

8 oz. (16 Tbs.) unsalted butter; more as needed
2 cups sugar
2 Tbs. ground cinnamon

To make the muffins

Put a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F. In a stand mixer or a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until just mixed in. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg. Combine the milk and buttermilk. With a wooden spoon, mix a quarter of the dry ingredients into the butter mixture. Then mix in a third of the milk mixture. Continue mixing in the remaining dry and wet ingredients alternately, ending with the dry. Mix until well combined and smooth, but don't over mix. Grease and flour a standard-size muffin tin. Scoop enough batter into each tin so that the top of the batter is even with the rim of the cup, about 1/2 cup. (A #16 ice-cream scoop gives you the perfect amount.) Bake the muffins until firm to the touch, 30 to 35 min.

To finish

Melt the butter for the dipping mixture. Combine the sugar and cinnamon. When the muffins are just cool enough to handle, remove them from the tin, dip them into or brush them all over with the melted butter, and then roll them in the cinnamon sugar