Author: M.

Buttered Peas and Carrots

Posted on by M.

Here is another recipe for those days when we don’t need help cooking, we just needed to remember that carrots and peas exist and that putting them in a pan with some butter is an acceptable decision.

Melt:

3 T. Salted Butter

2 t. Garlic Salt / Lawry’s Salt / Anything with Salt in it

Add and Saute until tender:

6 Carrots, sliced into rounds

Add and simmer until plump and tasty:

1 Small Bag Frozen Peas

1/4 c. Water

Today has been…a day. The fact that I managed to make a meal at all is a miracle. Some days are like that. If today is yours, remember, hold onto the memories. Even on days like today, there is at least one moment that was sweet. Like the first time your child laughed hysterically at the word ‘uh-oh’.

We’re in this together. Have some peas and carrots and don’t be afraid of the butter. Just for today.

Ultimate Death-by-Chocolate Crinkle Cookie Recipe

Posted on by M.

This recipe for Chocolate Crinkle Cookies is my go to.

When I need to bring something decadent but relatively simple to a gathering, this is the recipe that comes to mind.

I’ve been making these cookies for years. Along the way, I’ve learned more about the science of baking and tweaked the recipe accordingly. The fact is, crinkle cookies are a weakness of mine, as evidenced by my decades long love of Ginger Crinkles.

chocolate crinkle cookies

Death-by-Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

Yield: 24 servings
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Cooling Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 47 minutes
No Ratings

Ingredients

  • 4 oz. Unsweetened Chocolate Baking Bar (if you don’t have this, substitute Unsweetened Chocolate*)
  • 1/4 c. (1/2 a stick) Salted Butter
  • 1 c. All Purpose Flour
  • 1/2 c. Cocoa Powder
  • 1 t. Baking Powder
  • 1/4 t. Baking Soda
  • 3/8 t. Salt
  • 1 1/2 c. Brown Sugar
  • 3 Eggs
  • 4 t. Instant Espresso Powder, optional
  • 1 T. Vanilla Extract
  • —
  • 1/3 c. granulated sugar
  • 1/3 c. powdered sugar

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 325*.
  2. Melt chocolate and butter together.
  3. Add dry ingredients to a large bowl and whisk to combine.
  4. Combine brown sugar, eggs, espresso and vanilla and mix well.
  5. Add melted chocolate mixture to egg Mixture and whisk to combine.
  6. Gradually mix in dry ingredients, stirring just until combined and there are no streaks of flour.
  7. Let dough rest 5-10 minutes or refrigerate until ready to use.
  8. If refrigerated, be sure dough reaches room temperature before forming and baking.
  9. Prepare 1 bowl each of granulated sugar and powdered sugar respectively.
  10. Roll dough into 2″ balls and roll first in granulated sugar, then powdered sugar.
  11. Place on parchment lined or lightly greased cookie sheet.
  12. Bake 10-12 minutes on middle rack, turning once.
  13. Remove from oven and allow to cool on sheet.
  14. Cookies should look soft and doughy in middle; they may even seem raw.
  15. The latent heat will cook them, don’t worry! This is how they end up chewy and melt-in-your-mouth instead of being hockey pucks.

Notes

  • Latent heat is powerful. Don't be afraid to pull 'raw' cookies from the oven!
  • Espresso powder is completely optional. The flavor kicks things up a notch, but these are delicious regardless.
  • *Recipe for Unsweetened Chocolate is coming soon.
  • The espresso powder gives it a nice kick - I have a self grinding coffee maker and the part you have to clean out once in a while where the fine coffee dust accumulates? I use that stuff as my 'espresso powder'.
  • You can easily substitute salted butter, just reduce the salt in the recipe to 3/8t.
  • I do recommend having at least 2 baking sheets so that you can be prepping one while the other bakes and then bake the second while the first one cools. It's a marathon, but this recipe is well worth the effort, I promise you!

© A Kitchen of Herbs
Category: Dessert

Truth be told, if you bring these cookies to a holiday gathering, no one will question the lack of festive decor or colorful references to the season. They will be too busy consuming these decandent bites of chocolatey goodness to think about whether or not they align with the seasonal requirements. Chocolate always wins, folks. It always wins.

All Time Best Quick Banana Bread

Posted on by M.

If I had to choose only one best banana bread recipe, this would be it.

I’ve been making it since I was…well, its been a few decades. This recipe is hands down the best banana bread recipe I’ve ever tasted. As the name implies, it was borrowed from a dear lady whom I consider family. Many people have asked me for this recipe over the years and is now their family favorite.

I’m very particular about my banana bread, as you might be able to tell by now. Nuts, for instance, are banished from my loaves. While some folks might appreciate the added texture of some crunch, I’m not a fan.

The delicate crumb of this bread is legendary, as is the beautiful crust on the outside that is just crisp enough to add texture without being too much. The amount of sugar is key to this bread, since it is one of the reasons it retains so much moisture and has such a wonderful cake-like mouthfeel.

Freshly baked loaf of banana bread

Aunt Robin's Banana Bread

Yield: 1 Loaf
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
5.0 Stars (1 Review)

Ingredients

  • ½ c. | 115 g. | 4 oz. shortening ((or softened, unsalted butter))
  • ¾ c. | 150 g. | 5.29 oz. granulated sugar
  • 3 large bananas (peeled and smashed)
  • 1 c. | 146 g. | 5.15 oz. all purpose flour
  • 1/2 c. | 60 g. | 2.12 oz. whole wheat flour
  • 1 t. | 6 g. | .2 oz. baking soda
  • ½ t. | 3 g. | .1 oz salt
  • 1 each | 51.5 g. | 1.83 oz egg
  • 2 t. vanilla extract, optional

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350*.
  2. Cream shortening and sugar together until light and fluffy.
  3. Add mashed bananas and mix until well combined.
  4. Add salt, baking soda and vanilla and mix well.
  5. Mix in the flour gradually.
  6. Add in the eggs and mix until there are no streaks.
  7. Grease or pan spray a loaf pan. You may line it with parchment or flour it as well if you have concerns about it sticking.
  8. Spread batter evenly into pan.
  9. Bake 30-40 minutes on middle rack, turning once.
  10. When toothpick or knife comes out clean, you are done!
© M.
Cuisine: American / Category: Breakfast

Today, I share it with all of you as well!

Personally, I consider this recipe to be the best quick bread on the planet. Am I too excited about banana bread? Maybe. Probably not.

What, you’re still here?

I do have some other delicious snackable Recipes around if you’d like to peruse some more options.

Thanks for stopping in and be sure to let me know what you think once you’ve tasted heavenly banana bread.

Lemon Cheesecake Squares

Posted on by M.

I love Lemon Cheesecake, but hate making it. Also, my mixer is currently making banshee noises and threatening to burn down the place, so today I thought I would try out my new food processor and turn my decadent recipe into an every day treat.

dessert square with crust, cheesecake and curd layers

Lemon Cheesecake Squares

Yield: 1 8x8 Square Pan
No Ratings

Ingredients

Crust

  • 2 pkgs. (about 2 c.) graham crackers
  • 1/2 c. butter, salted
  • 3 T. granulated sugar

Cheesecake

  • 1 1/2 pkgs. (12 oz. total) cream cheese
  • 1/2 c. granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 T. all purpose flour
  • 1/2 c. sour cream
  • 1 1/2 T. lemon juice
  • 2 eggs
  • Zest of 1 lemon

Lemon Curd

  • 6 T. lemon juice
  • 2/3 c. granulated sugar
  • 5 T. butter, salted
  • 3 eggs
  • Zest of 1 lemon

Instructions

Preparation

  1. Set cream cheese on counter and allow to come to room temperature.
  2. Preheat oven to 325*.
  3. Zest and juice 2 lemons.
  4. Melt the 1/2 c. butter for the crust.

Crust Layer

  1. In food processor, pulverize graham crackers to fine crumbs.
  2. Add melted butter and sugar.
  3. Pulse to combine.
  4. Spray or line 8x8 pan with parchment.
  5. Press crumb mixture into the pan.
  6. Bake for 10 minutes.
  7. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Cheesecake Layer

  1. Lower oven heat to 300*.
  2. In mixer with paddle attachment or in food processor, mix cream cheese until smooth.
  3. Add sugar, flour and sour cream and mix on low until smooth.
  4. Add the zest and lemon juice and mix to combine.
  5. Add eggs, one at a time and mix on low until smooth.
  6. Pour cheesecake mixture onto crumb crust and smooth out into corners.
  7. Bake 35-45 minutes.
  8. It should be set but still have a slight jiggle in the center.
  9. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Curd Layer

  1. Combine zest, lemon juice, sugar, butter and eggs in saucepan over low heat or in a double boiler.
  2. Stir often with whisk until mixture begins to thicken.
  3. When curd has reached 160*F, remove from heat.
  4. Cool 5 minutes.
  5. Pour over cheesecake and refrigerate until firm.

Notes

  • The eggs in the curd used to be 6 yolks. I hate wasting egg whites, so you’re welcome. I’ve fixed it for both of us. It turned out perfect, don’t worry. 😉 If you like yours richer and don't mind using the egg whites elsewhere, be my guest!
  • For beautiful slices, run your knife under hot water before slicing.

© A Kitchen of Herbs
Category: Dessert

This is the easiest ‘cheesecake’ I’ve ever made to date, and believe me, I’ve made many. You will be happy to note that food processors are just as, if not better than a mixer for creaming the cheese. I dumped, pulsed, baked and ate within an hour.

I might never make a regular cheesecake again, because let me tell you…I did this in an hour with frequent interruptions from an 8 month old child who is currently in the stage of climbing on top of everything. If you know how to baby proof the walls (from being scaled by a Spiderman wannabe), please drop me a line.

Ribeye Steaks

Posted on by M.

These days, I usually purchase these as a full rib roast and my partner cuts them into steaks. One of these days I will find the time to upload the ‘how-to’ video on how he does that so that you too can eat like a king for half price.

Ribeye steaks can be a bit fatty, which is part of their charm. It is nearly impossible to ruin one. Along with the directions below, I’m sure that you will be serving it up like a pro.

Think ahead for best results!

Marinate (for 24 – 48 hours):

2 Ribeye Steaks

2 T. Montreal Steak Seasoning

2 T. Dale’s Seasoning (This is one time I absolutely recommend seeing if you can use this.)

6 Cloves Garlic, diced

An easy way to do this is to put all the seasonings in a ziploc, add the steaks, shake and refrigerate.

Melt in large skillet on medium high (towards the high side):

1/4 c. Salted Butter (you can use 2 T. Oil, but I HIGHLY recommend the butter.)

When butter is sizzling, add steaks.

If the butter is smoking, your pan is too hot. START OVER. It’s not worth ruining your dinner with burnt butter. If it is just a light brown, you are ok. Someday I will add a link here to Clarified Butter, in which case you won’t have to worry about it burning.

Hopefully you get a nice sear on the steaks, in which case you should turn them when they have a nice brown crust. Otherwise, cook about 2 minutes per side.

Remove from pan and set to the side to rest for 5 – 10 minutes. Believe it or not, this matters.

When you get done eating one of these steaks, I swear upon all that is holy you will never again crave any other steak…especially not expensive ones.

We almost always serve these with a side of Mushrooms & Onions in Sauce* which are cooked in the drippings, Mashed Potatoes and Broccoli* or Green Beans.

* Recipes coming soon!

The Best Crinkle Top Fudge Brownies

Posted on by M.

I’ve been making these crinkle top fudge brownies forever.

Personally, I don’t think I’ve ever heard of a brownie recipe that used more than one bowl anyway or which was very complicated. I do know, however, that I’ve eaten many terrible brownies. Believe it or not, every brownie is not created equal.

I’ve been making this recipe since I was 10 and I can assure you, this is the least terrible brownie you will ever eat. You might even say it’s the best.

shiny crinkle top fudge brownies on a white background

Crinkle Top Fudge Brownies

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
No Ratings

Ingredients

  • 1/2 c. Salted Butter
  • 1/4 c. Oil
  • 1/4 c. Cocoa
  • 2 c. sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 T. Vanilla
  • ¾ t. Salt
  • 1 ½ c. flour

Instructions

    1. In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt together butter and oil.
    2. Whisk in cocoa until smooth.
    3. Add sugar and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until sugar begins to dissolve slightly.
    4. Remove from heat and beat in eggs.
    5. Add vanilla and salt and mix well.
    6. Stir in flour and mix just until combined and there are no flour streaks.
    7. Pour into greased and floured or parchment lined 9x13 pan.
    8. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
    9. Cut into squares and serve!

Notes

  • Any oil can be used in this recipe aside from, perhaps, sesame. I don't recommend it.

© A Kitchen of Herbs
Category: Dessert

Mom’s Crunchy Granola

Posted on by M.

This is a no-frills, no-stir recipe that is still my favorite version of granola.

Preheat oven to 350*.

In large bowl, combine:

8 c. Quick Oats

1 c. All Purpose Flour

1 1/2 c. Brown Sugar

1 1/2 t. Salt

1 c. Chopped Peanuts (I think these make all the difference, but they are optional)

Add and mix well:

1 1/2 c. Oil

1/2 c. Water

1 T. Vanilla Extract

Spread evenly on baking sheet, no more than 1/2 inch thick and bake until golden brown. Do not stir.

Remove from oven and let cool on pan for 5 – 10 minutes. Break into chunks and store in airtight container.

Pancakes: Why We Love Them

Posted on by M.
Brown cooked pancake in skillet

I’ve often pondered the humor behind many of our now traditional meals and wondered if the cooks who originally had the culinary mishap would be laughing at us now. Today, the answer to why we love pancakes is multi-layered.

Pancakes can be fluffy or chewy, depending on your taste. They can be smothered in syrup or stuffed with cream cheese. Add toppings or mix them into the batter. The truth is, at some point in history, somebody’s meal didn’t turn out as planned, they turned it into a new dish and we have all been hooked ever since.

Around the world, every culture has a flat bread that is culturally centric to their cuisine.

wood holiday sunglasses vacation

Being American, I have naturally borrowed everyone else’s cuisines and now through ‘fair use’ of those recipes have declared my cultural flat breads to be a hodge-podge of the rest of the world’s foods.

Growing up, we ate a lot of oatmeal. I believe I’ve mentioned this before. Someday I’ll share our method of turning old boiled oatmeal into fried slabs of syrup drenched crispiness.

However, on Saturdays, the breakfast menu miraculously changed and pancakes were the rule. There were some weeks in my childhood where the weekend pancake ritual was the only thing keeping me going. Pancakes matter.

Over the years, the family recipe has evolved quite a bit. When I was going through cooking school, this favorite recipe was subjected to experimentation based on new things I had learned about chemistry and cookery.

At one point I decided to add more sugar and yesterday I made the executive decision to increase the butter by 2 T. I am tired of measuring butter and why shouldn’t I be able to just toss the whole stick in? I should be able to and I did. The result was actually an even more delicious pancake, so I’m keeping it.

This recipe has morphed into my own personal reflection of what a perfect pancake looks and tastes like. As you can tell, I’ve spent considerable time obsessing over pancake batter in real life and now I’ve also spent a good hour typing about it here.

If you don’t love pancakes yet, you will soon.

pancakes with strawberry blueberries and maple syrup

For those of you who can’t fathom the idea of pancakes without a side of bacon, I suggest you start a batch of Bakin’ Bacon before you start on these now famously chatted-up pancakes.

Happy Saturday Pancake Day!

No Timer Boiled Eggs

Posted on by M.

Boiled eggs are easy to make, right? It IS possible to overcook them, though, and it’s a pet peeve of mine. Apparently old age or motherhood is leeching brain cells from me, because I can’t remember to set a timer, set the timer as soon as they boil or remember to rescue them after it goes off. This recipe is for you, moms. I got ya.

Place in saucepan:

1 Egg (or 14, I don’t care and neither does the recipe)

Fill pan with water until it just covers the egg.

Bring pan to boil over high heat.

Turn off burner (yay for electric bills!), cover pan with lid and go rescue the baby from the dog food bowl.

Make dinner, take a walk, watch a movie or drive to Virginia and back.

When the water is cool to the touch, your egg is perfectly cooked.

You’re welcome. I’ll be here all week.

One thing I can’t help you with is peeling them beautifully, but here are a few apparent hacks. I’ve peeled hundreds of eggs in my life and none of these work for me.

  • Add salt to the water (I’ve done this all my life because I was taught to, but I forgot one time and it does nothing.)
  • Add oil to the water (My partner has always done this, I just found it made the eggs slippery.)
  • Immerse eggs in an icebath or very cold water before peeling. (I find it makes it worse.)
  • Peel eggs while hot (I used to do this and it worked for about a year and then stopped.)
  • Use old eggs (This is about the only one that seems legitimate. The older and grumpier the eggs, the easier they seem to peel. So I guess if it’s about aesthetics and not our internal organ health..)

Sauce

Posted on by M.

If you hate making gravy, this is for you. Anytime I roast, fry or saute anything, I have the drippings in the pan at the end. I realized if I just put the pan on the stove top, add 3 ingredients and boil it for a minute, I had a sauce. A gravy. I do this with everything now.

Heat pan of drippings on medium high.

Add:

2 c. Water (or use broth and omit the boullion)

2 T. Cornstarch

1 Boullion Cube or 1 t. Broth Base

Bring to a boil and cook until thickened, about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.

If you are making breakfast and need gravy for biscuits, use 2 T. Bacon Grease or the drippings from breakfast meats.

For vegetarians, you can saute Onions or other vegetables and use the drippings.