This sounds a little weird perhaps, and there are some haters out there who can’t abide sweet with savory. But haters gonna hate, and this side dish turned out really well – I served it with roasted chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, and it added that sweet element you get from cranberry sauce without being […]
American
Chicken and Rice
I must have been too embarrassed of its humble provenance from the Campbell’s Soup Label (and website) to post this recipe yet, but I make it all the time. I’ve classed it up a bit, as I tend to do. Try to find Cream of Onion instead of Cream of Mushroom or Celery…it’s not as […]
Spam Sushi (Musubi)
I take great delight in convincing people they like foods they thought they hated. Spam is one of them. I re-examined this ingredient after a trip to the Spam Museum in Albert Lea, which led me to stumble across this recipe. It is also known as spam musubi, and it is native to Hawaii, where […]
Strawberry Shortcake
After a recent visit to North Carolina, where strawberries are already ripe, I was inspired to make this simple but wonderful dessert. Makes six. 1 pint strawberries1 c. heavy whipping cream, divided1 tsp. vanilla 1/2 c. sugar, divided3/4 c. flour1 egg3 Tbsp. cold butter2 tsp. baking powder1/2 tsp. salt Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. […]
Smoky Potato Leek Soup
Hard to believe we now have 300 posts, but no potato leek soup! This soup is almost elemental in its simplicity, and is unparalleled for winter-time comfort (and thrift). My version includes bacon and omits cream. Cream has a way of killing flavor–but you can stir in a dollop of sour cream or crème fraîche […]
Pumpkin Spice Cookies with Cinnamon Frosting
Gotta love Midwestern desserts: easy, delicious, and based on the magic of industrial food science. I combed the internet for a more ‘scratch’ version of these, but this semi-homemade version would be hard to beat. They are very soft and moist, like muffin tops. Cooooookies 1 box Betty Crocker spice cake mix1 can pumpkin puree1 […]
Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting
I don’t know what people did with pumpkins before they baked them into bars and topped them with delectable frosting, but I’m sure it was a sad era for humankind. Fortunately we have these bars! Super moist, autumnal spices, tangy-sweet, rich frosting. No better way to plump up for winter. Note: these would also be […]
Strawberry Jello-O Cupcakes with Vanilla-bean Cooked Flour Frosting
These cupcakes are completely bonkers. Moist, springy, flavorful, but not overly rich. They are based on my Apple Cupcakes recipe with a vanilla-bean version of Frances Frosting. The basic principle could be used with any flavor–and I’ve had it as a sheet cake with orange jello and mandarin oranges, which was fantastic. You can go 100% […]
Apple Cupcakes
These are based on a Texas sheet cake recipe and turn out unbelievably moist and springy, ready for whatever frosting tickles your fancy. They have the added advantage of not needing the tiresome butter-creaming step. This recipe also makes a great sheet cake, but may need a couple more minutes. Makes 12+ cupcakes. Preheat oven […]
Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
I found this recipe partly by experimentation, partly by accident. Baking while distracted, I accidentally added too much flour, which gave the cookies more body and kept them from spreading out too much. I intentionally used part shortening to further prevent spreading, and some corn syrup to keep them moist. I drizzled them with leftover […]