The buttercream makes these cookies so creamy and delicious. It, along with my tinted sugar method makes so many design possibilities that fun to make. To get a sparkly effect on your cookies, tint sugar with food coloring. I use a plastic bag to shake the sugar up with the food coloring to distribute the color quickly and uniformly. Sprinkle the tinted sugar on the cookies before you bake them. You will know that the cookies are perfectly cooked when they have lost their sheen, but are not hard yet. They will finish cooking on the pan once you take […]
Monthly Archives: February 2024
31 posts
We lived in New Orleans from 2010 to 2012. I have such happy memories of living there. The locals are welcoming and kind. It’s not hard to make a wonderful group of friends in Louisiana culture. I thoroughly enjoyed studying creole and cajun cooking while living in New Orleans. Opportunities to learn were everywhere and I found myself learning as much from a cajun mama in the grocery store (who was happy to stop and talk with me) as I did from formal classes. This is my recipe for king cake. I make it every year for my family now, […]
Like salt and vinegar chips only with the added green flavor and snap of fresh green beans. The almonds compliment this dish so well and make the overall flavor profile nutty, creamy, salty, puckery and fresh.
These nachos come together in less than thirty minutes and are a real crowd-pleaser! Set up a “nacho” buffet at your next get together. Idea: Put plenty of lettuce, some tomatoes, tortillas and refried beans on your buffet table so your guests can make salads, tacos and nachos with all the fixings.
Making hot wings couldn’t be easier with my roasting method. The seasonings are all natural and preservative-free. This meal/snack/noshing food can be ready in less than thirty minutes. Everyone in my house loves these!
I’m always encouraged by the deep healthy greens of fresh broccoli this time of year. The color is so rich, it’s almost a blue-green. It just FEELS healthy, even to look at. In the fall and winter, my focus always shifts to getting to bed early, and I’m naturally drawn to deep colors to eat like greens, purples and oranges. I feel this combination of extra sleep and nutrient rich foods has helped me fight off viruses in the past. This recipe uses one big head of broccoli, or two small heads of broccoli. I cut the florets and tender […]
Don’t be intimidated when considering this recipe. It comes together so quickly on the stove top, then is baked in the oven for a couple hours. The longest hands-on time you’ll spend on this recipe is about thirty minutes. This process works very well for me on a busy weekday. I can start the stew in the late afternoon and let it bake while I’m picking up the kids from activities.
This cake has been a ‘hit’ at my house for almost a decade. Kids love it, teens go wild over it! I personally, am not a fan, although I sure enjoy making this cake. This cake is comprised of six components: 1. The cake. The cake itself needs to be at least three layers high. We want that “wow” factor here and when you want a cake to stand out, make it tall. This cake is my Mayonnaise Chocolate Cake. 2. Whipped Chocolate Buttercream. You’ll need TWO BATCHES of this icing for this project. I used my whipped chocolate buttercream […]
This chocolate sauce is so versatile. Use it warm and you have a drizzly accent for your cookies, cakes or pastries, use it room temperature and you have an exciting “drip” for drip cakes. Use it cold out of the fridge and you have the center of a truffle. It’s so easy to whip up and only needs two ingredients!
This has been my go-to roasted potato recipe for years. These roasted potatoes come together in a snap. My family always loves these. The Worchestershire sauce adds a bit of “umami” (meaty) flavor and the other seasonings combine to make this a delicious, simple, preservative-free dish.
A light, delicious, not-too-sweet icing. It’s almost like the middle of a 3-Musketeers bar! This icing is fabulous on cupcakes, cakes, even cookies. It’s important to really whip this buttercream for a good few minutes after all the ingredients have been incorporated. I use the balloon whip attachment of my stand mixer to really pump air into the buttercream. You’ll know that the buttercream is getting fluffy when you can see it increasing in volume and lightening in color.