A quick lesson in cooking: Test your eggs before you use them! Drop egg in a glass or bowl full of water. If it… * Sinks to the bottom and stays there, it is about three to six days old. * Sinks, but floats at an angle, it’s more than a week old. * Sinks,…
dessert
Playing in the Kitchen: Chocolate Pixies
Sometimes you are just in the mood for a good Chocolate Cookie … put you polished off that box of Thin Mints yesterday … and ate the last few Oreos the day before. Oh No! What do you do?! Well, these Chocolate Pixies are a perfect save! They are very easy to make; you don’t…
Playing in the Kitchen: Lemon Cake Pie
Golden brown on top. Then a spongy cakey layer. Then a gooey lemony layer. And crust too.This pie is definitely a family favorite, and the recipe has been passed down for several generations (on my mom’s side). Here is the original recipe, as written in my Grandma’s Cookbook: Line a pie pan with crust. Take…
Playing in the Kitchen: Birthday Cake! (One Bowl Chocolate Cake)
My birthday cake masterpiece is another success from the Martha Stewart’s Baking Handbook. Sure, you can make a chocolate cake from a boxed mix, but this recipe made a FABULOUS cake with ingredients you already have one hand. And it does not include what is usually the most pricey baking ingredient, butter. My birthday cake…
Playing in the Kitchen: Apple-Spice Layer Cake
The recipe for this delicious Apple-Spice Layer Cake comes from the pages of Martha Stewart’s Baking Handbook, one of my new favorite additions to my cookbook collection. This is one of the few cookbooks where I genuinely want to try every recipe, and it is full of helpful techniques that even a novice baker can handle….
Playing in the Kitchen: Chocolate Turtle Cake
I very much enjoy baking… namely cakes and cookies. One great thing about college (or working in an office) was the ample amount of people willing to accept free food! A great way to test new recipes… even the ones that turned out not-so-hot would be devoured in minutes when left alone in the break…
Playing in the Kitchen: Pink Cupcakes (Magnolia Bakery Vanilla Cupcakes)
In honor of Valentines Day, here are some lovely pink cupcakes! They are the Magnolia Bakery Vanilla Cupcakes, with canned White (not vanilla) icing, Wilton Pink Sugar Sprinkles and Wilton Pink Color Mist. These vanilla cupcakes are some of the best around, though I cannot take credit. The Magnolia Bakery is famous for their…
Playing in the kitchen: Raspberry Summer Sensation
I really want to try this dessert.. Raspberry Summer Sensation …sadly, it requires freezer space which is in short supply for me at the moment. I also don’t have 12 people to serve just yet, but what a yummy idea! It is also low fat and is so easy, even the a novice chef could…