Vanilla Cupcakes

Ingredients for cupcakes:
1 1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons (5.84 ounces) flour
1 1/8 teaspoons baking powder
heaping 1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 pound (1 stick) butter, at room temperature
1 cup (7 ounces) sugar
2 eggs

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Ingredients for frosting:
1/4 pound (1 stick) butter, at room temperature
5 cups (1 1/4 pounds) powdered sugar, sifted and divided
1/4 cup milk
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparing the cupcakes:
Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line standard muffin cups with paper liners.

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour with the bakning powder and salt. In a small bowl or measuring cup, stir together the milk and vanilla extract. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, or in a large bowl using a hand mixer, cream the butter. Gradually add in the sugar, beating until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.

Beat in the eggs, 1 at a time, until fully incorporated. Beat in the flour and milk mixtures, alternating one-third of each at a time, until each mixture is fully incorporated and the batter is smooth.

Fill each muffin cup three-fourths full of batter. Bake the cupcakes until puffed, set and lightly golden, and a toothpick inserted comes out clean, about 18 to 20 minutes.

Cool the cupcakes before frosting.

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Preparing the frosting:
In the bowl of a stand mixer, or in a large bowl using a hand mixer, beat the butter with one-half of the powdered sugar until combined. Beat in the milk and vanilla, scraping down the sides of the bowl, and beating until smooth.

With the mixer set to low speed, gently beat in the remaining sugar until combined. Increase the speed and continue to beat until the frosting is light and fluffy.

Makes about 2 1/2 cups

Frost each cupcake with 2 tablespoons of frosting.

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Creamed Spinach

Ingredients for spinach base:
1/2 pound smoked bacon, finely chopped
1 bunch (about 10 small) green onions, finely chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
1 T chopped garlic
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 T butter

1/4 cup plus 2 T flour
1 1/2 cups milk
3/4 cup half and half
2 pounds spinach, cleaned and chopped

Preparing the spinach base:
In a large skillet, cook the chopped bacon over medium-high heat until browned and crisp, stirring frequently, about 15 minutes.

To the pan, stir in the green onion, onion, chopped garlic, salt and pepper and simmer, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from heat.

Stir in the butter, then puree the mixture in a blender.

[The base can be made ahead of time to this point and covered and refrigerated. Reheat before using.]

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Preparing the creamed spinach:
Heat the spinach base in a large skillet over medium heat until warm. Gradually whisk in the flour until fully incorporated. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes to cook out the flour taste, stirring frequently.

While the base is heating, scald the milk in a medium saucepan. Remove from heat but keep warm on the stove.

When the flour is cooked, whisk in the hot milk and half and half, mixing thoroughly. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture is thickened to a cream sauce consistency, about 5 minutes.

Stir in the spinach, a little at a time, until all is added. Continue to cook until the creamed spinach begins to bubble, about 10 minutes.

Remove from heat and serve immediately.

Makes about 4 1/2 cups creamed spinach

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Coffee Creme Brulee

Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups heavy cream
1/2 vanilla bean, split
1/2 cup plus 1 1/2 T sugar, plus extra for bruleeing
5 egg yolks
1/4 cup coffee syrup (reduced from 2 cups brewed coffee, preferably Kona)

Preparing the creme brulee:
Heat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large saucepan, heat the cream and vanilla bean over medium-high heat until the cream almost comes to a boil.

While the cream is heating, in a large bowl, whisk together the sugar and egg yolks until blended.

Slowly whisk the hot cream into the eggs to temper, until all of the cream is incorporated. Discard the vanilla bean.

Stir the coffee syrup into the custard, then strain, removing any lumps.

Divide the custard among 6 (5-ounce) ramekins and place the ramekins into a large baking dish. Fill the dish with boiling water to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins.

Gently place the baking dish in the oven. Loosely cover the top with a sheet of foil and bake until the custards are set (they will form a skin and jiggle slightly when tapped), about 25 minutes. Remove from heat and cool slightly.

When the ramekins are cool enough to handle, place the custards in the refrigerator to chill completely. The custards will keep for 2 to 3 days, refrigerated.

Place a little sugar on top of each custard and brulee with a torch before serving.

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Old-Fashioned Sour Cream Coffeecake

Ingredients for topping:
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 T cocoa
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted and cooled

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Ingredients for the cake:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 cup plus 1 1/2 T sugar
2 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups (6.4 ounces) flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

Preparing the topping:
In a large bowl, stir together the brown sugar, cocoa, cinnamon, chocolate chips, pecans and butter. Set aside.

* * * * * * *

Preparing the cake:
Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, or in a large bowl using a hand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 to 5 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until incorporated, then beat in the sour cream and vanilla.

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda and salt.

Gently fold the dry ingredients into the butter and egg mixture to form a batter. The batter will be lumpy; simply continue folding until no large lumps remain.

Spoon one-half of the batter into a greased 9-inch-square baking pan, then layer with half of the topping. Layer with the remaining batter, then the remaining topping. Bake until the coffee cake is puffed and golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Cool slightly before serving.

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Rice Pudding With Caramel Sauce And Almond Brittle

Ingredients for the rice pudding:
1/2 cup Arborio rice
2 cups water
salt
1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick, preferably Mexican (canela)
1 quart half and half, more if needed
1/2 to 1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/3 cup condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups heavy cream, whipped

* * * * * * * *

Ingredients for the caramel sauce:
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1 orange peel
1 cup heavy cream
2 T unsalted butter
salt

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Ingredients for the almond brittle:
butter, for greasing the sheet pan
1/4 cup whole almonds
3 T olive oil
fleur de sel
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon baking soda (optional, this will make for a lighter and more airy brittle)

Preparing the rice pudding:
Rinse the Arborio rice several times until the water runs clear. This is very important, so that rice will be evenly overcooked and there will be no al dente grains.

In a heavy saucepan, bring the 2 cups water, a pinch of salt and the cinnamon stick to a simmer over high heat. Add the rice and simmer until it has absorbed the water, about 10 minutes.

Stir in the half and half and bring the mixture to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to a very gentle simmer and cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally (be sure to stir the bottom of the pan to prevent the rice from sticking; if it burns, you will need to start over). Depending on how quickly the rice absorbs the liquid, you may need to add a little more water or half and half as needed.

Stir in the cream, brown sugar, condensed milk and vanilla extract. Continue to simmer gently, stirring frequently, until the rice is very thick and creamy (it should have no "bite" whatsoever), about 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from heat.

While the mixture is still very hot, adjust the consistency as needed with additional cream (it should be rather thin, as it will thicken dramatically as it cools; it will be easier to finish the rice for service if it is not too thick). Taste the rice and adjust the flavor with more salt and/or sugar as desired.

Transfer the rice to a medium bowl and cover with plastic wrap pressed flat against the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate the rice until chilled.

* * * * * * *

Preparing the caramel sauce:
In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar and water. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the mixture caramelizes to a light golden brown. (Do not stir the sugar once it begins to bubble, and brush the sides of the pan with water to keep the sugar from crystallizing — if it crystallizes, you will need to start over.)

While the sugar is cooking, combine the orange peel and cream in a small saucepan over high heat. Scald the cream, then remove from heat.

When the sugar has caramelized, add the butter and stir slowly with a wooden spoon, being careful not to seize the caramel. Slowly add in the hot cream, being careful of the hot steam.

Season the caramel with a pinch of salt, and reserve in a warm place. This makes a scant 1 cup caramel.

* * * * * * * *

Preparing the almond brittle:
Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a rimmed sheet pan and set it aside.

Toss the almonds with the olive oil and a sprinkling of fleur de sel. Place the almonds on a baking sheet (not the buttered pan) and toast until golden and aromatic, about 4 to 6 minutes. Set aside in a warm place.

While the almonds are toasting, in a small heavy-bottom saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the sugar and water and cook until the mixture begins to boil. (Use a small brush dipped in cold water to brush down sugar crystals that cling to sides of pan.)

Boil the sugar without stirring until a candy thermometer inserted reads 310 degrees (hard-crack stage); the sugar should be golden. Remove from heat and stir in the warm toasted almonds and baking soda, if using.

Immediately pour the mixture onto the buttered sheet pan, spreading it into an even layer with a metal spatula. Sprinkle over a pinch of fleur de sel, then set the mixture aside until hardened, about 30 minutes.

Break the brittle, crushing it to desired consistency.

* * * * * * *

Assembling the rice pudding:
rice pudding, chilled
2 cups heavy cream, whipped, more or less as desired
warm caramel
crushed almond brittle

Spoon the chilled rice pudding base into a large bowl and fold in whipped cream until the mixture has achieved a sufficiently fluffy and light consistency (this makes a generous 6 cups pudding).

Spoon the pudding into bowls and garnish with the warm caramel and crushed almond brittle. Serve immediately.

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Whole Wheat Pancakes

Ingredients:
1 cup (4.25 ounces) all purpose flour
1 cup (4.5 ounces) whole wheat flour
2 T cornmeal
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 T baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup egg whites (about 4 egg whites)
3 T honey
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/4 cups buttermilk
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted


Preparing the pancakes:
In a large bowl, sift together the all purpose flour, wheat flour, cornmeal, salt, cinnamon, baking powder and baking soda.

In a blender, purée the egg whites, honey, vanilla, buttermilk and melted butter until thoroughly combined, about 30 seconds.

Gently whisk the dry and liquid ingredients together to form a batter. This makes about 5 cups batter.

Heat a griddle or large skillet over medium-low heat. Grease the surface, then ladle half-cups of the batter to form each pancake. Cook until puffed and golden brown, about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes on each side. Serve with whipped butter and hot maple syrup.

Makes 8 to 10 pancakes

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Maryland Crab Cakes

Ingredients:
2 eggs
1 cup mayonnaise
3/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 1/4 teaspoons Old Bay Seasoning, divided
3/4 teaspoon fresh chopped tarragon
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 T finely chopped celery
1/4 pound (scant 2 cups) crustless cubed white bread (about 1/4 loaf), cut into small cubes
1 pound jumbo lump crab meat, drained of any liquid
2 T butter, at room temperature

* * * * * * *

Ingredients for mustard mayonnaise:
1/2 cup of mayonnaise
a small amount of dry mustard
Dijon mustard
Worcestershire sauce
salt
thinned with a little cream

Preparing the crab cakes:
Heat the oven to 400 degrees F.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, mayonnaise, mustard, three-fourths teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning, tarragon, onion and celery to make a dressing.

In a large mixing bowl, toss the bread with half of the dressing, mixing until the dressing is absorbed by the bread and the cubes are slightly broken up. Add additional dressing if the cubes are too dry.

Gently mix in the crab, being careful not to break up the lump pieces. The mixture should hold its shape when formed into a ball with your hand. If it is too dry, add additional dressing until the mixture comes together. You might not use all of the dressing.

Divide the mixture and form into 8 crab cakes. Place the cakes on a greased cookie sheet or sheet pan.

In a small bowl, stir the butter together with the remaining one-half teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning. Top each cake with a small dollop of the seasoned butter.

Bake the cakes until golden brown, about 10 to 12 minutes. Serve warm with mustard mayonnaise or tartar sauce.

Makes 8 crab cakes

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Lamb Ragu Over Pappardelle

Ingredients:
6 lamb shanks (about 3 pounds), untrimmed
salt
2 carrots, plus 2 cups finely cubed carrots (5 to 6 carrots, cut into 1/4-inch cubes), divided
2 large onions, plus 2 cups finely diced onion (about 2 onions, cut into 1/4-inch pieces), divided
3 stalks celery, plus 2 cups finely cubed celery (4 to 5 stalks, cut into 1/4-inch cubes), divided
olive oil
1 1/2 cups red wine
1 sprig fresh rosemary
3 sprigs thyme
2 sprigs marjoram
1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick
5 juniper berries
about 2 quarts chicken broth, more or less as needed
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
freshly ground pepper
1 pound pappardelle pasta
8 ounces fresh ricotta, preferably sheep's milk
parmesan cheese

Preparing the lamb ragu:
Place the lamb shanks on a rack over a rimmed baking sheet. Season each shank with one-eighth teaspoon salt. Place the shanks, uncovered, in the refrigerator and chill overnight.

Coarsely chop the 2 whole carrots along with the 2 whole onions and the 3 stalks celery.

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large, heavy roasting pan over high heat until almost smoking. Add the shanks and brown them on all sides to a nice golden brown. When they're done, remove the shanks to a plate or baking sheet.

To the hot pan, add the coarsely chopped carrots, onions and celery, and scrape the bottom of the pan to lift any flavorings left over from the shanks. Stir in the wine, rosemary, thyme, marjoram, cinnamon stick and juniper berries. Cook over medium heat, simmering, until the liquid reduces by half, about 5 minutes.

Return the shanks to the pan, and pour in just enough chicken broth to cover the shanks. Cover the pan with enough foil to form a tight seal, then with the pan's lid.

Place the pan in the oven and cook until the meat pulls easily from the bone, about 3 to 4 hours.

Gently remove the shanks from the pan, and strain the liquid in the pan into a large measuring cup, discarding the vegetables and solids. Set the strained liquid aside.

Cool the shanks slightly, then pull the meat from the bone, shredding the meat into large pieces. Discard the tendons, and separate the meat from the fat, saving each separately. Coarsely chop the fat.

In a large sauté pan, heat the butter along with 1 tablespoon olive oil and the lamb fat over medium-high heat. Cook slowly until the fat is a deep brown, and be careful as the fat will "pop" in the pan.

Stir in the finely cubed carrots, onions and celery, then add the shredded meat. Add enough of the strained liquid to cover the meat and vegetables, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Very gently simmer the meat and vegetables for 1 hour, stirring occasionally and taking care not to break the meat into smaller pieces. This makes about 8 cups ragù.

When the ragù is almost done, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pappardelle until it is just al dente, about 8 to 10 minutes or according to the package directions.

Strain the pasta, saving a little of the cooking liquid to stir with the ricotta. Toss the pasta with just enough ragù to dress it lightly.

Press the ricotta through a fine strainer into a medium bowl, then stir in a couple of tablespoons of the pasta liquid to give the cheese a lighter consistency, adding more liquid if desired.

To serve the ragu, spoon a little of the ricotta on each plate. Spoon over the pappardelle and ragù, and top with parmesan cheese.

Serves 12 to 16

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L.A. City Schools' Coffee Cake, New Recipe

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups flour
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon nutmeg
3/4 cup oil
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 egg
1 cup buttermilk

Preparing the coffee cake:
Combine flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, salt, nutmeg and oil. Remove 1/2 cup of mixture from bowl, add 1 teaspoon cinnamon and set aside for topping. Combine remaining 1 teaspoon cinnamon, baking soda, egg and buttermilk and blend well. Add to flour mixture. Do not over-mix. Spoon batter into greased 13x9-inch baking pan. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup reserved topping. Bake at 375 degrees F for 30 to 40 minutes.

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Chocolate Sandwich Cookies

Ingredients for the cookies
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (2 ¼ sticks) butter
2 1/4 cups (1 pound) sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 3/4 cups plus 1 T (12 ounces) flour
1/2 cup plus 2 T (2.4 ounces) cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

* * * * * * *

Ingredients for the filling:
1 1/4 cups (21/2 sticks) butter
6 cups powdered sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 T plus 3/4 teaspoon water
1 1/4 teaspoon salt

Preparing the cookies:
In the bowl of a stand mixer, or in a large bowl using an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, until fully incorporated. Beat in the vanilla.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt.

Beat in the dry ingredients, a spoonful at a time, until incorporated to form the cookie dough. Scrape the bowl partway through to make sure the ingredients are fully mixed. Cover and refrigerate the dough until chilled.

Heat the oven to 375 degrees F. Scoop the dough into tablespoon-sized pieces, and place on parchment-lined baking sheets. Flatten each cookie slightly, and bake each sheet until the cookies are set, 10 to 12 minutes.

Remove and cool before filling.

* * * * * * *

Preparing the filling:
In the bowl of a stand mixer, or in a medium bowl using an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla, water and salt. Scoop 1 generous tablespoon of filling onto one cookie, then top with a second, pressing together until the filling comes to the edge.

Makes about 30 cookie sandwiches

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