My Top 10 of 2011

I hope you haven't had enough of all the blog recaps. Personally, I love reading them on other people's sites. This is the first time I've done an year-end review. I'm breaking down the Top 10 into 2 categories: Top 5 reader favorites (based on views) and Top 5 personal favorites. Here we go:

Top 5 Reader Favorites

5. Cinnamon Sugar Donut Muffins. These little gems are the easiest thing to make. They satisfy my craving for doughnut holes, without having to fire up the wok for deep frying.


4. Vegetable Enchiladas. Anytime I post an enchilada dish, it becomes a popular one. This picture is not my favorite, but the allure of enchiladas overcomes my photograph.


3. General Tso's Chicken. One of the most popular takeout dishes, made at home. The sauce totally makes the dish, and using all white meat cuts down on the fattiness of the chicken (minus the cooking in oil.)


2. Funfetti Cake. I have mixed feelings about this post. This cake is my absolute favorite to make. The post about it, however is a tribute to my father, who I lost earlier in the year. I can't look at this picture without remembering him and the struggle he had with life.


1. Strawberry Mojitos. I made these when I had an abundance of freshly-picked strawberries, and enjoyed many of them while our supply lasted. I even made virgin mojitos to have with breakfast. These go down way too easily, and I can't wait for strawberry season to start back up in a few months!

Top 5 Personal Favorites

5. Fettuccine Alfredo with Spinach and Grilled Chicken. I don't usually cook fettuccine alfredo because of the immensely high fat content, but every so often a splurge is in order. Brining the breast kept the meat moist even when reheated as leftovers.


4. Grasshopper Pie. One of my friends took a bite of this pie and said, "I dream about your food." That's how good this pie is. The crust has an extra addition of coconut to make it even more indulgent.


3. Pecan Pie Bars. These were the hit of the entire holiday season. I made them for Thanksgiving, put them in boxes to give as gifts, and made them while visiting a bunch of family. They were gobbled up everywhere.


2. Pineapple Fried Rice. Since we've had our wok, fried rice has become a staple in the house. This is my favorite version of it, because the pineapple is such a refreshing addition. This is also the first dish I successfully cooked in the wok.


1. Strawberry Margarita Cupcakes. Successfully making Swiss meringue buttercream was my culinary triumph of the year. After many successful attempts, I did enough troubleshooting to figure out how to turn a soupy mess into fluffy icing. It is now my favorite topping for cupcakes. And the strawberry-lime flavor of the cupcakes shone through as well.


Bonus: Sweet Potato Whoopie Pies. Okay, I couldn't narrow it down to just 5. So here is one more favorite from the year. I loved how these whoopie pies turned out. The toasted marshmallow filling was so much fun to make.


There they are! My blog and I have grown so much this year. Thank you for your readership. You have supported me through some tough and some triumphant times. Looking forward to what 2012 brings!

Arugula and Goat Cheese Pierogies

I hope everyone had a fantastic holiday! Did you spend time with friends and family? Did you get any cool cooking-related gifts? Did you eat too many cookies? My answer is "yes" to all those.


Every Christmas, we eat a big Polish dinner. This used to take place on Christmas Eve, but since Hubs and I are so busy on that day, we have moved the dinner to Christmas Day. I try to make a new filling each year, and this time I went with arugula and goat cheese. I've heard great things about these pierogies, and they didn't disappoint. The pepperiness from the arugula blended well with the tangy goat cheese and sweetness from the onions.



Arugula and Goat Cheese Pierogies
adapted from The Veselka Cookbook
by Tom Birchard and Natalie Danford

note: These pierogies are best eaten fresh. The arugula loses its vibrancy and some of its flavor when reheated.


1 Tbs butter
¼ c chopped onion
5 oz arugula, chopped
8 oz. goat cheese
6 oz. cream cheese, softened
Salt and pepper

Half a recipe for pierogi dough

Heat butter in a saute pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Place onions in a large bowl. Mix in the arugula, goat cheese, and cream cheese. Stir until well combined. Season with salt and pepper.

Make the pierogi dough according to the instructions. Cut out into rounds about 4” in diameter. Stuff rounds with about 2 Tbs of arugula filling. Lightly wet the edges of the rounds and pinch closed. Drop pierogies in boiling water and cook about 4-5 minutes. Drain and serve.

Candy Cane Cupcakes

Merry Christmas! Hope you all are having a fabulous holiday. We are celebrating with family, lots of food, and fun. I'm trying my hand at homemade English muffins for breakfast. We're having all the grandparents over for stuffed cabbage and pierogies later in the day. And butterscotch pie for dessert.

I made these cupcakes as a way of using up leftover candy canes. There's no candy in the cupcakes themselves, but I used up a bunch as a garnish. And I took full advantage of the "musicians love free food" rule and had Hubs bring them in one night he worked Candlelight. Everyone in the orchestra played extra well that night!

Candy Cane Cupcakes
adapted from Taste of Home
February/March 2000

note: this recipe makes 36-40 cupcakes. If you don't need that many, half the recipe to make 18-20 cupcakes.

1 c butter, softened
2 1/2 c sugar
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 ½ tsp peppermint extract
2 3/4 c all purpose flour1 c baking cocoa
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 c water

Peppermint Buttercream (recipe follows)
Candy canes for decorating


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line three 12-cup muffin pans with cupcake liners.

In a mixing bow, cream butter and sugar. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat on high speed until light and fluffy. Stir in vanilla and peppermint extract.

Combine dry ingredients; add to creamed mixture alternately with water, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Pour into cupcake liners. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 18 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.



Peppermint Buttercream

2 c sugar
8 large egg whites
¼ tsp kosher salt
4 sticks unsalted butter, “room temperature”
1 ½ tsp peppermint extract


Place sugar and egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer. Place the bowl over a pot of simmering water. Heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture reaches 160°F. Mixture will be frothy.

Remove bowl from heat and attach to the mixer. Fit the mixer with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium-high until stiff peaks form, about 10 minutes. The mixture should be room temperature. Reduce speed to medium and add the butter, 2 Tbs at a time, making sure each addition is well incorporated. If the mixture is soupy, stick the bowl in the fridge, chill for 20-30 minutes, and continue to beat until the mixture comes together. If the mixture looks curdled, just keep beating. Beat in the peppermint extract. Frost the cooled cupcakes. Garnish with candy canes

Friday Food Truck Photo, December 23rd

Homemade eggnog from Big Wheel Truck. They've been spreading the holiday cheer with this eggnog for a few weeks now, and I finally snagged a bottle last night. It puts any commercial version to shame. You can taste the love (and the cream!) in every sip. I'm glad I have visiting guests to help me drink the rest.

Vertical Christmas Tree Cake

Every year, my work holds a holiday bake-off. It takes place in conjunction with the holiday party for the Superintendent. This year I decided to make a vertical layer cake. Manda of I Am Baker has a wonderful tutorial on how to put this together. She also made a beautiful ruffle cake last year, which I freely riffed on for decorating the outside of my cake.


I did make one adjustment to the instructions. Instead of pouring the simple sugar over the cake, I put a thin layer of frosting between the layers. Because of this, the seams didn't quite meet once I reassembled the cake. No worries, it just meant that someone got an extra helping of frosting.


Unfortunately, I didn't win the bake-off. For the past few years the winning entry has been accompanied by a festive display. Maybe I should think more about the presentation of my dessert for next year. The cake got scarfed up before I could take a picture of the inside. So, I made a second cake for photography purposes. I used a different cake recipe, one that wasn't quite as sturdy as the first. But the inside looked like a (much) neater version of this:


I'm including my recipe for whipped buttercream. I use this for cakes that need a LOT of frosting. The bonus of this recipe is that the frosting doesn't need to be refrigerated, if using the version with all shortening. It can stay at room temperature all day if necessary. The cake recipe that worked really well (from the first cake) is an almond scented white cake.



Whipped Buttercream
source unknown


2 ½ c vegetable shortening (or 1 ½ c shortening, 1 c of butter)
1 lb powdered sugar
1 Tbs vanilla

½ c granulated sugar
½ tsp salt
2 Tbs meringue powder
¼ c plus 2 Tbs boiling water


Beat shortening and powdered sugar in a large bowl until fluffy. Add vanilla and beat until combined. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment (make sure the bowl is very clean), mix the granulated sugar, salt, and meringue powder. Add the boiling water and mix on high until stiff peaks form, about 8 minutes. Add the whipped mixture to the large bowl and beat both mixtures until well combined.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ah, enough of the cookies. But not to worry, there are more holiday recipes coming up. This soup is one of the dishes that got us through this busy season. I made a double batch of it at the beginning of the month, and froze it in batches. We pulled it out on the nights we didn't have time to cook. It freezes and reheats fantastically. And it is hearty enough to keep us full on those nights we have three shows of Candlelight to get through.



Chicken Tortilla Soup
adapted from An Opera Singer in the Kitchen


2 Tbs vegetable oil
1 carrot, diced
1/2 white onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 poblano pepper, seeded and diced
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 tsp taco seasoning
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
4 cups chicken broth
1-16 oz petite diced tomatoes
1-16 oz tomato sauce
2 bone-in, skinless chicken breasts
1- 15 oz can kernel corn
6 corn tortillas, cut into pieces

Chopped avocado
Shredded monterey jack cheese
Crispy tortilla strips


In a stock pot or large dutch oven, heat vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add carrots and white onion, saute until onions are softened, about 6 minutes. Add garlic, poblano pepper, black pepper, taco seasoning, chili powder, and cumin. Stir to combine and saute another 2 minutes. Add chicken broth, diced tomatoes, and tomato sauce. Turn heat up to high and bring to a boil. Carefully slide chicken breast in, meat side down, making sure it is completely submerged. Turn heat down to low, cover, and simmer for 25 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.

Remove chicken from the pot and set on a cutting board. Add corn and tortillas to the soup, and stir to combine. Cover and simmer for another 10 minutes. The tortillas will break down and thicken the soup. Meanwhile, remove chicken from the bone and shred. Discard bones. Return chicken to the soup. Adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve with cilantro and tortilla strips.

Friday Food Truck Photo, December 16th

Beef bulgogi and sides from Korean BBQ Taco Box. This is one of the most popular mobile eateries in town - so popular that they have four trucks in their fleet. I've visited them a number of times, but have had trouble photographing the food so that it looks its best. A big part of Korean food is all the side dishes. The ones with this meal are (clockwise from left): gimbap (Korean version of a maki roll), fried cheese roll, spicy chicken wing, kimchi, and a salad with ginger dressing.

Butterscotch Shortbread

Okay, last cookie post for a while. Promise. And it's a short one to boot. These cookies also were part of the boxes of goodies I gave to friends and family. Chopping the chips was a little tedious, but worth it. In hindsight, perhaps the vitamix would've helped with that. After tasting them, I thought they could use a teeny extra bit of salt, so I added that to the recipe. Because I used a smallish cutter, I got about 40 cookies from one batch. Always a good thing when making 80+ cookies at a time.



Butterscotch Shortbread
adapted from Cookies & More 2011
published by Taste of Home


1 c butter, softened
½ c powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 ¾ c all-purpose flour
½ c cornstarch
¼ tsp salt
½ c butterscotch chips, finely chopped
½ c toffee bits
Kosher salt for sprinkling


Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silpat liner. Preheat oven to 350F.

In a large bowl, cream the butter and powdered sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch, and salt. Gradually add dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix well. Fold in butterscotch chips and toffee bits. Cover and chill for 1 hour.

Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface to ¼” thickness. Cut into desired shapes, and place on prepared baking sheets. Sprinkle a few salt crystals onto each cookie. Bake until lightly browned, about 10-12 minutes. Cool on wire racks.

Lemon Almond Springerle

I am proud to announce that I was a part of the inaugural Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap. One of 625 participants. Each of us made and sent a dozen cookies to 3 people. In turn we received a dozen cookies from 3 other people. Participants hailed from multiple countries. That means there were about 22,500 cookies zipping around the world in the past few weeks.

For my part, I made lemon almond springerele. I got some new molds, and was eager to see how they worked. They were a lot finickier (is that a real word?) than the previous molds I had used. But the end result was totally worth the slight hassle. I also really wanted the lemon flavor to come through, so I tweaked the recipe a bit.

Swapped cookies: peanut butter toffee pretzel cookies from Emily of Life On Food, snickerdoodles from Chung-Ah of Damn Delicious, sunflower butter chocolate chip cookies from Michele the Food Librarian, cookeys from Michele.



The best part of the swap was getting to know new bloggers. Oh, and the excitement of opening a box of cookies! I got two boxes in one day, and the third came a few days later. My favorites were the peanut butter toffee pretzel cookies because I'm a sucker for anything with peanut butter. Thank you Chung-Ah, Emily, and Michele for all the wonderful cookies! And a HUGE "Thanks!" to Lindsay of Love and Olive Oil and Julie of The Little Kitchen for the huge task of organizing the swap. Can't wait for next year!



Lemon Almond Springerle
adapted from House On The Hill

note: This recipe makes a ton of cookies. I recommend making a half batch to start with.

1/2 tsp baker’s ammonia (Hartshorn)
2 Tbs milk
6 large eggs, room temperature
6 c powdered sugar
1/2 c unsalted butter, softened
1/2 tsp salt
1 ½ tsp of almond extract
1 tsp lemon oil
grated zest of 2 lemons
2 lb. box cake flour, sifted, plus more as needed


Dissolve baker’s ammonia in milk and let sit for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, beat eggs till thick and lemon-colored (10-20 minutes). Slowly beat in the powdered sugar, then the softened butter. Add the hartshorn and milk, salt, almond extract and lemon oil, and lemon zest. Gradually beat in as much flour as you can with the mixer, then stir in the remainder of the 2 lbs. of flour to make a stiff dough. Turn onto a well-floured surface and roll out to a ½ ” thickness. If the dough keeps sticking to the rolling pin, knead a little more flour into it.

Dust molds with some flour, making sure to get in all the crevices. Press molds into dough to imprint and cut out cookies. Repeat with remaining dough. Place cookies on a baking sheet lined with a single layer of parchment (DO NOT USE SILPAT MAT.) Let cookies dry for at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours.

Bake on cookie sheets at 250° till barely golden on the bottom, about 10-15 minutes or more, depending on size and thickness of cookie.

Store in airtight containers or in zipper bags in the freezer. They keep for weeks, and improve with age. Yield 3 to 12 dozen.

Friday Food Truck Photo, December 9th

Fried mac and cheese bites with sriracha mayo from Treehouse Truck. This was my first time trying fried mac, and wow! Holy richness. Definitely not for lightweights. I recommend sharing with a few friends.

Pecan Pie Bars

There is a monster living in our house....a pecan pie-loving monster. He only comes out when I make these bars. He looks a lot like my husband, but if any of these bars are within sight the monster takes over. He devours every last pecan crumb, and then disappears.


I made these pecan pie bars for Thanksgiving, and they were an instant hit. They are so easy to make! I prepped the ingredients while the turkey cooked, then baked them while we ate dinner. By the time we were ready for dessert, they had cooled. I really liked having small bites for dessert after eating such a heavy meal...people were more likely to sample all the desserts instead of having just one slice of pie. Normally I cut them into slightly larger squares, but this particular batch was being divided up for my cookie gift boxes.



Pecan Pie Bars
adapted from 100 Best Cookies 2011
published by Better Homes & Gardens


1 ¼ c all-purpose flour
½ c powdered sugar
¼ tsp salt
½ c unsalted butter
2 large eggs, slightly beaten
1 c chopped pecans
½ c packed light brown sugar
½ c light corn syrup
2 Tbs butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla


Preheat oven to 350F. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, powdered sugar, and salt. With a pastry blender, cut the butter into the mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs. Pat the mixture into an ungreased 9x9-inch baking pan. Bake for 20 minutes, or until light brown.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, stir together the eggs, pecans, brown sugar, corn syrup. Add the 2 Tbs melted butter and vanilla and stir to combine. Spread the mixture evenly over the baked crust. Return pan to the oven and bake another 25 minutes, until filling is set. Cool in pan on a wire rack. Cut into bars. Makes 16-20 bars, depending on size.

Friday Food Truck Photo, December 2nd

Lobster roll from Monsta Lobsta. This was the 4 oz. sandwich. They also serve one with 8 oz. of lobster. The smaller sandwich was still ample amount of meat. The meat was perfectly seasoned with just a bit of herbs and spices, and a splash of lemon.

Fettuccine Alfredo With Spinach and Grilled Chicken

I don’t usually post twice in one day, but I wanted to publish this right away...

I’m pretty sure Annie doesn’t know who I am. I am one of the many thousands (and thousands) of fans of her blog, Annies Eats. Every time I read a new post, I am amazed by this woman who is a doctor, wife, mother, cook, baker, cookie decorator, and all around awesome person.


On Thanksgiving of last week, Annie lost her father. Instead of sharing what I’m sure would’ve been a splendid feast, she grieved. Reading her post suddenly brought me back to 9 months ago, when I lost my father. You never expect it to happen to your loved ones. I gave my husband and son an extra hug today.


My heart goes out to Annie and her family. I wish I could give her a hug. I wish I could give her some baked goods. I wish I could give her a platter of this fettuccine alfredo. Instead, all I can do is dedicate this post to her, and let her know that she is in my thoughts.



Fettuccine Alfredo with Spinach and Grilled Chicken
adapted from the recipe by Bravo!

note: This recipe is based on the Pasta Woozie dish from the Bravo! restaurant chain. I added the mushrooms, but feel free to omit them if you wish. This dish uses a lot of pots and pans, but it is well worth the effort.


Grilled Chicken:
2 c water
2 Tbs kosher salt
1 ½ lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
½ tsp ground black pepper
2 Tbs vegetable oil

Alfredo Sauce:
6 Tbs butter
16 oz. heavy whipping cream
salt to taste
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
½ C grated Parmesan cheese
½ C grated Romano cheese
1 egg yolk

Pasta:
1 lb fettuccine
4 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
8 oz. mushrooms, sliced
1 Tbs garlic, finely chopped
4 oz. Parmesan cheese, grated
Salt and pepper to taste
4 oz. fresh spinach leaves


Prepare the chicken: Create a brine by dissolving the salt in the water in a gallon-sized bag with a zipper top. Place chicken inside, and chill for 30 minutes. Remove chicken and discard liquid. Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Sprinkle both sides of the chicken with the oregano, basil, and black pepper. Heat a grill to medium-high and brush grate with vegetable oil. Grill chicken until cooked through, about 6-8 minutes on each side. Set chicken on a plate to rest. (Alternately, you could saute the chicken in a skillet if you don’t want to fire up the grill.)

While the chicken is brining, prepare the alfredo sauce. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add heavy cream, stirring constantly. Stir in salt, nutmeg, grated Parmesan cheese, and grated Romano cheese. Stir constantly until melted. Mix in egg yolk. Reduce heat to low and simmer until ready to use, stirring every few minutes.

Also while the chicken is brining, heat a large pot of water to boiling. Cook fettuccine to al dente. Drain and set aside. In a large saute pan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and garlic and cook until softened, about 4 minutes. Slice chicken into strips. Add chicken, ¾ of the alfredo sauce, and Parmesan cheese to the pan. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the spinach and let wilt a little. Add the fettuccine. Stir to combine, and cook a few minutes to heat through. Garnish with remaining alfredo sauce and more grate Parmesan cheese, if desired. (I reserve the extra sauce for the leftovers.)

Belgian Beef Stew

When we went to Belgium this past summer, the weather was in the midst of changing from spring to summer. When we arrived, the weather was dank, overcast, and in the 50's. While we were there, a heat wave hit Europe. Suddenly it was sunny and in the mid-90's. We got to enjoy the best of both seasons: we ate hearty stews and soups when the weather was cool, and enjoyed all the wonderful street food while the weather was warm. (I'm including gratuitous photo of the Grand Place in Brussels.)


Now that the weather here has cooled off, I look forward making all my favorite cold weather food. One addition to the list is this Belgian beef stew. We ate it for our first dinner in Belgium. My sister-in-law made it for us, and after 13 hours of traveling with a cranky toddler, this stew was heaven. I was lucky to find some good Belgian beers at World Market, and they tasted great in and with the stew.


Belgian Beef Stew
adapted from Dutch & Belgian Food and Cooking
by Janny de Moor and Suzanne Vandyck


2 lbs beef stew meat, cubed
3 Tbs all-purpose flour
2 Tbs butter
2 Tbs vegetable oil
1 large onion, diced
6 oz. mushrooms, quartered
3 garlic cloves, minced
12 oz dark Belgian Beer (I used the Westmalle)
1 bouquet garni (fresh thyme and parsley sprigs tied together with kitchen twine)
2 bay leaves
2 Tbs red wine vinegar
2 Tbs light brown sugar, packed
2 slices rustic brown bread
3 Tbs dijon mustard
2 Tbs chopped fresh parsley
Salt and pepper

Season the beef with salt and pepper, then coat them in flour. In a large dutch oven over medium high heat, melt the butter. Add the vegetable oil. Add the beef in batches and brown on all sides. Remove beef to a plate and repeat with remaining batches. Add the onion and mushrooms to the dutch oven and cook until softened, 6-8 minutes. Add the garlic and saute a few minutes more. Return the beef to the dutch oven and stir well to combine.

Pour the beer into the dutch oven and heat to just about boiling. Add the bouquet garni, bay leaves, vinegar, and brown sugar. Cover the pot, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 2 hours, or until the meat has become tender.

Spread the mustard onto the bread in a thick layer. Place it on top of the stew, mustard side down. Replace the lid and simmer the stew for another 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. If the bread doesn’t fall apart its own, then break it up into small chunks with your stirring spoon. Remove the bouquet garni and bay leaves. Stir in the parsley. Season with salt and pepper to taste.