Dinner Rolls

November 27, 2012 by Jessica | 6 Comments

This is one of the most beautiful dishes I’ve ever made. And they were really easy! I know a lot of people are scared of yeasted breads, but this one is so impressive when served to guests, especially if you’re making a dinner party, that you should really just try.

Plus, I adapted this hand-kneading recipe to use with a mixer so there’s hardly anything you need to do. I also made it pareve, since I ate it with a meaty stew. I’m sure it would be even more amazing with some melted butter on top, though I love the flavor of a good olive oil. Or, you can dress it up with some herbed oil.

Chocolate Caramel Slice

November 1, 2012 by Jessica | 6 Comments

Even though we’re Jewish, it’s impossible to ignore all of the Halloween in the air! That means tons of candy and treats for the kids. For my kid, it’s homemade candy; so if you want to make a special homemade treat, give this recipe a try! And if you can find the correct sized tart pan, buy one for me. I’ll pay you back.

When I saw the photo of this candy/dessert in my friend Daniella’s Bon Appetit Desserts book, I KNEW I had to buy the book right away. And I did, thanks to the Amazon app on my iPhone. Then I bookmarked way too many desserts and put this one off for a little while. I’m glad I came back to it. It was actually quite easy, and I had all the ingredients in my pantry except for the sweetened condensed milk. That’s easy to find in the supermarket. Oh, golden syrup is great. If you don’t have it, you can use corn syrup, but I don’t like to use corn syrup. I find Lyle’s golden syrup in the regular supermarket, but if you can’t find it, try Amazon. Continue reading …

Strawberry Shortcakes

October 22, 2012 by Jessica | 1 Comment

Who doesn’t love strawberry shortcakes? They’re a perfect brunch food and are super easy to make. All you need is some homemade biscuits (cut however you want. the original recipe said to cut into rectangles, but I like how these look), strawberries, and whipped cream. They’re perfect for summer, but I enjoy them any time of the year. Continue reading …

Cinnamon Raisin Bread

September 28, 2012 by Jessica | 3 Comments

This is no ordinary bread. Forget the fact that it’s filled with raisins, cinnamon, and brown sugar. It’s also made with a rich, buttery “breakfast” dough. That’s right, I used the same dough for this that I used to make cinnamon buns. So you know it must be good.

Thinking of something different to make for the break-fast? Well, you can’t go wrong with this! People don’t want to eat TOO much (well, I don’t, at least) an this will be a perfect post-fast meal along with a big cup of tea. Continue reading …

Corn Souffle

August 28, 2012 by Jessica | 5 Comments

Summer means corn season! And while we love grilling corn and making corn salad, I wanted to do something a little different this time. Of course, I consulted my favorite book and found an amazing sounding corn souffle.

We’ve made souffles before, and they’re fancy without being too hard to make. So, I decided to use Richie’s all-time favorite food and make it a little bit fancier for dinner.

Blueberry Pie

August 16, 2012 by Jessica | 7 Comments

I told you I like baking pies! While I usually stick with whatever fruit has been on the counter a little too long, or my go-to recipe of peach pie with a few blueberries thrown in, there’s always something special about blueberry pie. Yes, it takes a little longer to make, since you have to cook the blueberries separately, but since there’s no cutting or chopping involved, it probably evens out.

Carrot Cake, take 2

August 6, 2012 by Jessica | 4 Comments

Carrot cake is one of the best cakes out there. It’s not because of the healthy vegetable hiding in it, either. It’s because of the cream cheese frosting. Everyone knows cream cheese frosting is the best. So even though we’ve made carrot cake before, I saw this recipe in Cook’s Illustrated and thought it would be a perfect Shavuot treat! Thin layers of cake, nuts only on the outside, and something I could bake ahead of time and freeze, how could you go wrong?

Speculoos Cookies

June 25, 2012 by Jessica | 17 Comments

My taste tester agrees: These cookies are popular with people of all ages…

But seriously, everyone loved these cookies. They were actually mad that they were so teeny and only gave them one each. Why take the time to bake all these cookies just to take them away from us and make a cookie spread, they asked? Well, the reason I even baked these cookies was so that I could make ice cream out of them. That’s right, it’s summer, and the ice cream maker is on duty!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes

June 15, 2012 by Jessica | 6 Comments

Ever since I bought a new cupcake carrier, I have been wanting to bake cupcakes every chance I get. I mean, why not, now that I have a handy way to transport them. Invited out for Shabbat dinner? Instead of making cookies or cakes, I bring cupcakes. These are a hit just because who doesn’t love chocolate chip cookie dough? Continue reading …

Almond Milk

May 17, 2012 by Jessica | Leave a comment

I’m not sure if it’s just because I have a baby who will be turning one soon or because it’s just a fad, but there’s something about nut milks that I just can’t stop hearing and reading about them wherever I go. Now, nut milk is exactly what it sounds like. A drink made out of nuts. In this case, almonds. It’s not milk in the traditional comes from a mammal who just had a baby way, but it’s a nice dairy-free alternative for baking, drinking, cooking, and definitely marinating meats that you can’t use cow’s milk for (think fried chicken). Continue reading …