Changing Up Spring Sweets

 This is the season for baking holiday treats and sweets. Yet it's usually the same thing, from kugel for Passover to Easter themed cakes , cupcakes and cookies . What about changing ot up a bit? Put in a new recipe that the family will love.

Passover begins on April 5th this year and ends on April 13th. The usual desserts are ones made with out flour namely kugel. Yet it's time to break out of that classic mold. Why not serve a refreshing fruit salad or fruit cups instead. Make it colorful with pineapple chunks, kiwi slices and strawberries,Add blueberruies ,s liced grapes and tangerine slices for more sweetness. Now zing it up with a honey lime dressing. Another dessert not necessarily associated with Passover are chocolate covered strawberries. Dip these ruby gems in dark chocolate for a different kind of ending . Give them a dusting of kosher sprinkles to make them even fancier.The days are getting warmer so think about fruit sorbets.Create an easy three ingredient one by using fruit, honey or agave syrup and a squueze of lemon juice.It's pureeing the fruit and mixing with the sweetener and juice. Pour this into ice cube trays and then freeze. Take the frozen cubes and placed into a food frocessor. They're transformed into a cool creamy dessert. Think a a strawberry or blueberry sorbet for a refreshing end. You can also make a chocolate one too using both Dutch processed chocolate and cocoa powder.

As for Easter, yes those bunny cakes and cupcakes are cute but they can be a little boring. Why not end the Sunday meal with homemade ice cream spiked with chocolate eggs or the fun multicolored robin's egg malted milk eggs. You can make a vanilla or choclate ice cream loaf to be sliced and served with whipped cream.. It can even be served in multicolored cones for the little ones. Brownies may be known as an after school snack but they can be topped with a thin layer of icing and a Peep for a colorful end to your Easter dinner. You can use a box mix or try a scratch recipe.Another unusual idea are cake bites baked to look like small Easter eggs. You can use molds (which can be bought on Amazon) to create the shapes and then decorate them in pretty colors.Both kids and adults will love meringues. These are airy puffs of sweetness which can be made with vegan or non vegan ingredients. The non vegan is made with aquafaba or chickpea brine and tastes the same as the regular ones made with egg whites. Dye them pink with all natural beet root which gives them a candy pink color. Of course coffee flavored ones are great for the adults.

Change up your Spring treats with new and exciting recipes .Break away from the classics.Serve fun sweets for Passover and Easter

It's Just You And The Kitchen

 This is the time of year when the nest empties out. The kids have either gone back to college or flown the nest in their first post graduate apartment. That means  the kitchen is yours again. It's time to have fun.

Many couples may feel that loneliness yet it's also a time to celebrate and discover. Remember the time when it was just you two, newly together. You had fun. You cooked for each other. If yo want to splurge and have lobster for dinner you did. if you wanted a candleight supper with champagne you arranged it. Now you can do it again. Treat youselves to a lush seafood dinner. Think shrimp kabobs on the grill or steaming crab legs. If you're into beef then then a juicy and buttery filet mignon on the barbecue. Serve with Hasselback potatoes which are those fancy sliced potatoes. with the kids away you can also put out all those stinky cheeses you loved and they hated. Imagine a charcuterie board full of Limburger and Camembert wedges. Now you can even experiment with Pont l"Eveque which smells like a mix fo barnyard and bacon and Robiola , an cheese with a strongly unique aroma.Kinds are also picky when it comes to unusual foods like escargot  or smails. Yet if you loved them when you first had your kitchen then get them again.

Having the kids around meant seeing homemade treats get gobbled up in seconds. Now with just two you can easily bake and have a batch of cookies or even a cake last for a week. Again, like with savory food, indulge youselves now. Bake a scratch chocolate cake with homemade fudge frosting. If a whole cake is rtoo much then think of a mini cake. It's easy to get the pan for it. You can also make all those 'icky" desserts thant the kids turned upt heir noses at . Try your hand at a pear galette or aquafaba meringues. Another plus about havinmg the kitchen to yourself is less clean up. There's not the big crowd anymore .There are no friends staying for dinner or coming over for snacks and games. You can leave  dinner dishes in the sink overnight and don't have to go crazy mopping the floor. (because those muddy feet are dirtying up their dorm rooms or apartment)There will be night when you'll be cooking for one or ordering in. Forgo the plates . Use them when the kids come or friends come over. Use the aurfryer and microwave more too.

It's just you and your kitchen, Enjoy this alone time. Celebrate it. Have fun cooking old recipes again and just baking for two.

Back With Meringue

 Foodie Pantry is back open thanks to a reprieve on the gallbladder. With it comes the magic of meringue.It's the elegant topper on citrus pies or  delicate puffs of goodness. Best of all it's not complicated to make as people think it is.

Melissa Clark wrote about it in her Good Appetite column in yesterday's New York Times Food section. Many home bakers shy away from making this classic. Meringue can be tricky to make and bake. When it comes out good it's phenomenal, When it comes out bad, it can be drippy , weepy or just gooey. Meringue is one of the oldest recipes having first been made in the 16th Century. Making it was real chore with bakers of the time using everything from birch branches to knives to bundles of  straw.It only improved with the invention of the wire whisk in the 19th Century. The basic make up of it is just foam. Shake or agitate any liquid and bubbles will appear However the specific proteins in the whites and its' vegan counterpart aquafaba (chickpea water) allow them to turn into a billowing mousse. when beaten these proteins uncoil, trapping in tiny bubbles.The proteins thin out the more they're beaten and they become more and more aerated with each whip. Add sugar or heat or both will help stabilize them by firming up the proteins as their structure remains intact.

There are three different types of meringue. The simplest is commonly called French meringue,It made solely from egg whites and sugar.It's the lightest and most voluminious of the three. It's also the least stable and can break down. It's used to boost sponge cake and macarons and gives those crunchy meringue kisses. The second is Swiss meringue, where the egg whites and sugar are heated in a double boiler until the sugar melts, then beaten until buoyant and creamy.It's the coating on baked Alaska and added to buttercreams for richness. The densest, smoothest and most stable is Italian meringue.It's also the most challenging to work with. The sugar is heated to 240 degrees Farenheit and it's then carefully beaten into a bowl of whites.It's kind of like making candy and it can be used interchangeably with the Swiss version. Ms. Clark gives a wide array of different recipes. You could try her extra lemony meringue pie, made with  sharply bright Meyer lemons or the chocolate meringue raspberry tart. This is a fruit tart  with a meringue zinged up with cocoa powder and frozen dried raspberries. There is also a blood orange pie with a butterscotch meringue made with brown sugar to create that butterscotch flavor.

Whipping up a meringue for any of these recipes is a nice touch. It does practice to make the perfect one. Once mastered the end result is  amazing.

A Tray Of Pretty Cookies

 It's holiday time and that means a tray of cookies. Why not make them eye catching and pretty. They can be delicious and exquisite, perfect for any Instagram or Pinterest picture. There are many different types to choose from.

One of the most popular and often made is a simple sugar cookie jazzed up with royal icing. The icing by itself is pretty bland but how you use it can be creative and lovely. One of the prettiest is creating simple straight piping on snowflake cookies. You can dye the icing a light powder blue and then pipe white icing using a round cake decorating tip number 2 (buy Wilton's for the best result). You can also first ice the cookie with royal icing and then use silver dragees and silver sanding sugar. Keep in mind that the dragees do have silver and really aren't meant to eat.One way of making snowflake cookies pop is just placing one dragee in the center and let the icing be the star. You can also color royal icing with either bought or homemade natural icing . Keep in mind that if you use natural colorants like spinach or onion, you will wind up with some of their taste. Again start off with a simple royal icing base which is usually powdered meringue or egg whites mixed with vanilla extract and confectioner's sugar. You can use aquafaba or chickpea water for a vegan version. 

Homemade Linzer tortes are beautiful gems on any cookie platter. These Austrian classics have a cookie base of almond flour and confectioner's sugar. This is what gives the base its' tenderness. The jam filling can be any kind of jam from apricot to raspberry. Use raspberry for a Christmas cookie platter. The middle of the top cookie is cut out to reveal the glistening jewel like jam. You could easily do an intricate snowflake or snowman cut out using a smaller cookie cutter or hand drawn template. Dust the cookies with a fine coating of confectioners sugar or for more prettiness use silver or gold sanding sugars.Oatmeal lace cookies are another exquisite addition to the holiday platter. This incredibly complex looking snap is just a simple mix of butter, dark brown sugar, flour, salt, and eggs with a dash of vanilla. The batter is very thin which produces a delicate candy like texture. They can be dipped in dark chocolate and then become florentines. Stained glass cookies are pretty too and the idea can be carried over to make stained glass windows for gingerbread houses and gingerbread churches. Use any brightly colored hard candy and then smash them in a plastic bag. Make an outline whether a circle or a star and fill the inside with the candy, The cookie is typical butter cookie which makes for a solid frame. 

These are the prettiest cookies to bake for a holiday treat platter. Bake them to impress , but also bake them to admire their beauty. They are true gems

Yet Another Pumpkin Mousse

 Every year there has to be a pumpkin flavored dessert for Thanksgiving. This year is another vegan pumpkin mousse.It's a different spin on the traditional pie,.

I found the recipe on Delish Knowledge, a blog started by dietitian Alexandra Caspero. I scanned over several  vegan dessert recipes in the past week and saw this. It had me at aquafaba, chickpea bean water that can be whipped into a yummy meringue. This looked good. However I didn't realize just how labor intensive it was.

First of all I decided to double the recipe, knowing there may be one extra visitor on Friday. I had to use half a cup of maple syrup, 1 and 1/3 cups Libby's pureed pumpkin , two teaspoons of pumpkin spice and two teaspoons of vanilla extract.

It was the just mashing everything together. Then came the cream, made with solidified coconut cream.

This took about twenty minutes to half an hour to get the same consistency as regular whipping cream. I used my stand mixer which is pretty powerful., After it was the cream was relegated to the fridge. Then it was onto the third leg of the recipe.

It's mixing one cup and a third of the chickpea water along with half a cup of powdered sugar and half a teaspoon of cream of tartar. This produced a very stiff and perfect meringue as always. The pumpkin mix was added. Unfortunately I made the mistake of adding all the coconut cream instead of a small amount. It lost its' pudding like texture and became soupy.

I'm hoping a night in the fridge will set it, especially with the properties of the coconut cream. The flavor's not bad, sort of a marriage of maple, pumpkin and coconut, the last unexpected. Will  I make this again. Yes, but without the coconut cream. I feel it sort of ruined the texture. Hours later , it's still a big soupy disaster.

This vegan pumpkin mousse is a different alternative to pie. It's tasty and hopefully will set into a kind of pudding mousse hybrid. It'll be a nice dessert after a full Thanksgiving meal.

Beans A Good Pantry Staple Part Two

Beans are now an important part of our pantries as we stock up in unprecedented numbers. It's a great source of protein and they're flavorful. Yesterday we covered Melissa Clark's bean guide that was in yesterday's New York Times Food section. Today there's ways of cooking the traditional way or the easier method of using a crockpot or pressure cooker

This is a great keeper article because Ms. Clark offers how to soak and spice them.  They can be a quick soak or an overnight if you have the time - which now you do.  Spicing them is fun. If you like fiery  add chili powder for a quick chili. Want a taste that's more like pasta e fagiole? Then add some garlic and onions along with cooked celery. Beans can be cooked in a variety of different ways. The easiest is on the stove top. This is putting your beans in two inches of water and simmering over a low flame. Give them a gentle stir every now and then and remember that DON'T boil them. This can cause their skins to burst , creating either mushy or unevenly cooked beans. Dried beans will either  cook quickly for ones such as red lentils which only take fifteen minutes or a slow cook of three to four hours. This is for chickpeas and lima beans. If you're preparing them, then allow for time, such as starting in the early afternoon. Remember to save the water or aquafaba from the chickpeas. These are the vegan sub in for egg whites and you can create everything from vegan mayo to meringues and marshmallows with it.

The other methods are easy. One is using your slow cooker, Again as with the stove top method cover your beans with two inches of water or broth and salt to taste (although go easy on the salt if you're using broth, because it's already heavily salted) Set the setting on low and cook on low for about six hours. Ms Clark warns about kidney beans that need to be extra cooked ten minutes over a stove top before cooking in a crockpot.It makes them more digestable. Your pressure cooker also works well for cooking beans.Place soaked or unsoaked ones in again, about two inches of water. Add salt and any aromatics such as garlic or celery and some neutral oil such as peanut, canola or safflower . This last is to prevent any foaming  from clogging the vent. Remember to make sure you do not fill the pressure cooker to the brim. Only go halfway. Fill to the halfway mark instead. Cook at high pressure for anywhere between five to ten minutes for small beans such as black eyed peas, lentils and split peas. Chickpeas will take up to thirty five to forty minutes longer.. You'll know they're done by their tenderness.Store the beans in their liquid for five days. Do not freeze them because they can go mushy.

This is the time for pantry stocking. Have a few bags of beans on the ready for all sorts of dishes. They 're tasty and delicious as well as healthy and nutritious for you.

Sweets For Your Honey

Valentine's Day means sweets - and lots of them. You can easily buy a pretty box of mixed chocolates or you can make and bake different treats for your love. Anything homemade will be appreciated - and loved. It's also from the heart which is special and from your kitchen which makes them even more special.

Of course many go for baked delights.  A fancily frosted two layer devil's food cake is always welcome, especially after a home cooked dinner. Think of frosting it with homemade raspberry or cherry frosting for extra dazzle. (Two Sisters Crafting has the best frosting recipes for these flavors). If you're baking for your guy, stout cupcakes with Bailey's Irish cream. For those guys who love to bake, think dainty little cupcakes, dusted with sanding sugar for sparkle. If you're ambitious you can give French macarons a try. They  can be a bit labor intensive because almonds have to be ground for flour and the recipe requires egg whites. A better version would be made with aquafaba, chickpea brine that has the same consistency and proteins as egg whites. Fill with a rich chocolate ganache, an easy make that has heavy whipping cream cooked with semisweet chocolate pieces. Of course a Valentine's Day cake doesn't have to be chocolate. There's no rule saying you can't make an airy angel food and serving it with a light whipped cream and sliced strawberries. You can also make a lovely lemon cake with a homemade vanilla icing. Decorate with candied lemon peels. A crostini filled with fruit is another nice treat, especially if it's served with chilled Prosecco.

Candy is always welcome and there are so many recipes you can make. One of the easiest is haystacks. These are mounds of chocolate and toasted coconut blended together. Some recipes also add almonds, peanuts and rolled oats. The purist recipe is the best although you can make it with white dark, or milk chocolate. You could also mix the chocolates too for a colorful spin.A variation would be nut clusters made with any of the chocolates and nuts added. You can try just one kind like peanuts or almonds or a mix that includes cashews and walnuts. Chocolate dipped fruit is always welcomed. Ganache can be used or just plain chocolate chips.Remember to add coconut oil so the chocolate will have a glossy finish when dry. Most would go for strawberries but chocolate covered blueberries and pineapple are also good.A different spin is caramel. Homemade caramel is surprisingly simple to make.You'll need butter, Karo syrup (or any corn syrup) evaporated milk and vanilla extract. This is all cooked down into creamy squares of deliciousness. For added decadence dip the squares in bitter chocolate for a really lovely rich flavor.

Create something sweet for your honey this Valentine's Day. He or she will appreciate the work and love that went into it. A home made sweet is really the sweetest gift of all.

Your Decorating Dictionary

This is the season that screams for all sorts of fun, icings , frostings and decorations . Yet do you know what goes with what and what kind of candy decoration works? It pays to be knowledgeable about what you're putting on those baked treats. It makes not only for a tastier treat but also for a prettier one too.

Before you rev up the mixer for frosting, know the differences between icing and frosting. Icing is thinner and glossier , usually reserved for some cakes, breads and buns like hot cross ones.It is perfect for topping sugar or lemon cookies. It's usually made of any kind of milk , confectioner's sugar and corn syrup. An extract, whether vanilla, almond or fruit such as lemon or orange is added for flavor. It's easy to tint. A thicker, maybe more manageable version is royal icing, used primarily in England but gaining popularity here. This is usually made with egg whites, confectioners sugar, and vanilla, however a healthier and safer version is made with aquafaba or the bean water from chickpeas. It's just three ingredients - that and confectioners sugar and some kind of flavoring. You can tint it the same as the regular royal icing. Frosting is heavier thanks to the addition of some kind of  butter, margarine, or shortening. This is perfect for cakes and cupcakes and can be tinted in any color and piped to look like ruffles and rosettes. Both icings can be frozen if you make too much or are planning a second batch of treats. There are also glazes. These are for reserved for Bundt cakes and sweet yeast breads and rolls. A basic ones has butter, confectioners sugar and enough milk to thin it out for an almost watery consistency. It can be flavored like icing , but most home bakers usually add in vanilla or lemon/ orange.

Now the extras. There's so many - what comes first? For the best and simplest designs just tint or dye the icings and frostings. You can use the old fashioned liquid food coloring however the best results come from gel food coloring. It has a glycerin or corn syrup base which makes it thicker and won't ruin the consistency of the frosting or icing. Of course there has to be red and green sprinkles which can be baked into cookies or sprinkled on cakes cupcakes and even buns. A prettier effect is sanding sugar , especially the silver which sparkles like snow in the moonlight.  What is sanding sugar? It's dried out sugar syrup and then the leftover granules are screened and colored. You could create it at home using the British turbinado sugar and gel food coloring. You could try it in red and green to be sprinkled over icing or frosting. Another elegant decoration is a sprinkling of silver dragees, These can be pretty on butter cookies but also on iced snowflake sugar cookies. Serious home bakers usually apply them with tweezers but you can use your fingers. You can also buy gold and pearl dragees too. Chopped nuts are a classic decoration. There's such a big choice from walnut chips which look sweet on brownies or slivered almonds that go well on butter or lemon ones. Candy also works. Mini candy canes are always fun on cupcakes and crushed ones can grace anything from brownies to fudge to cookies.

Holiday treat decorating is always fun. Just know what you're using for the prettiest and tastiest cakes, cookies, breads and brownies. It makes it easier to ice and frost , sprinkling, painting,  and glazing,

Can You Handle Vegan Cooking

Next week is Thanksgiving and with that the stress of catering to everyone's dietary needs. One of the most flummoxing  - at first - is cooking vegetarian or vegan for those herbivores in your life. It can be a bit of a shock - especially when you try to recreate meaty main courses.

To begin with know the difference between veganism and vegetarianism. Vegans eschew all meats and their dairy byproducts. That means all meats and fish are taboo but also cow's milk, butter any and all kinds of cheeses. That also means no eggs either which can ruin your making any holiday cake or custard along with sweet breads. Vegetarians are a bit more lenient.There are the lacto kind that do allow themselves milk, cheese and yogurt. Some also include butter too. The ovo-vegetarians will not reject any eggs or foods that have them.  The most common type are the lacto-vegetarians which allow both dairy and eggs - and that makes cooking and baking for them a bit easier. There's also the pescatarian whose diet only allows fish and the pollotarian who can eat any fowl. The flexitarian swings back and forth with his or her beliefs. They many only eat meat on special occasions such as holidays.These are not considered real vegetarians like the hard core ones. They also will not make Thanksgiving, Christmas or New Year's a headache for you. The others will, which means special care when shopping and cooking. Luckily you can find substitutes that will facilitate cooking and baking.

One of the most eye opening is the main course. Tofurky will not have the rich gamy taste of a real turkey and neither will the gravy have the same flavor as the its' real counterpart.. How do you make it palatable.?There is a recipe online that suggests marinating it in vegan beer (Budweiser can be used). Another - and maybe better idea is using the Gardein brand. It and its' accompanying gravy tastes the most like turkey and gravy. The only downside is that there are only four slices and two gravy packets per package. It's fine for two vegans but forget a group. Then there's cooking it which is extra work if you're also making a turkey. Best bet is get out the air fryer which nicely cooks and even crisps the slices. Another headache is cooking for pescatarians. What could work for them? Salmon or halibut with a sheet pan of  veggies. A hearty bouillabaisse with crusty baguettes could also be made. This is a very labor intensive. Not only does the stew have to be made but the accompanying rouille which is the sauce added to every bowl. One of the hardest aspects of vegan meals is baking. Imagine not adding milk, butter and eggs, essential for every cake and cookie recipe. Nut and soy milks do come in handy - as do vegan butters. You can sub in coconut oil for as well and it also works well in creating a faux buttercream. Applesauce also works too , just don't get the chunky kind. There are also egg substitutes as well as aquafaba for creating meringues and Pavlovas. Just bake tester ones first to see if everything gels. It's a lot of work but worth it. If not, just serve fruit.


Can you handle vegan cooking and baking? It's different and will put your tried a true recipes on their heads. Going meatless is noble. Cooking and baking without animal products is daunting. Be sure you're ready for it.

Bake Or Buy? A Guest's Dilemma

It's a general rule that dinner guests should bring some kind of thank you for inviting me gift. The easiest  ideas are either wine or flowers. Yet what happens when the host requests a dessert. Do you go all out and create a confection or do you make a quick trip to the local bakery?

There are a lot of reasons not to bake. One is that it saves a lot of time. Baking and icing any cake or cupcake takes a lot of time. Using  cake mix and canned frosting saves some time but not really all that much. Plus canned icing is not as good as homemade buttercream. Then there's rearranging the fridge to accommodate  the treat. Nothing sweet can be left out - not when there are ants scurrying about.Another possible dilemma is taste. What you may think of as delicious may not be what other guests think delicious.You go through all the work of mixing, pouring, and baking then spend another hour or two creating elaborate swirls or flowers   all to have it ignored.Weather also plays a part in it. Who wants to bake in a hot kitchen on a hot summer's day? The room still will be a bit too warm despite air conditioning. Also rain could ruin a dessert. Forget making meringues. They don't become those crunchy light confections on a steamy, humid day. Think more a giant pool of very chewy salt water taffy. That's not something you want to bring to a dinner party.

Yet, you may feel guilty buying that tray of store brownies or cheesecake bites.You could bake something light and dependable such as an angel food cake. Use aquafaba or chickpea water for a delicate , vegan treat. You can bring macerated strawberries or even blackberries to top it. They're easy to make  - just let the fruit  sit in the sugar for about twenty minutes and then serve. Add a splash of Grand Marnier or brandy for an extra kick.Another easy bring over is the famed chocolate wafer cake. This American classic consists of just taking chocolate wafers and forming them into a log using either Cool Whip or homemade whipped cream. If you decide on the last you could sub in a drop or two of peppermint extract for a refreshing chocolate mint log. It can also be served with sliced strawberries or raspberries too. One good aspect is that you can make it early in the morning , and pop it into the fridge until it's time to leave. Another ice box cake to bring is one that involves layering graham crackers and pudding, then topping it off with frosting.

Should you bake or buy? It's up to you. If you have the time, then try your hand at an easy recipe. If not - head to your local bakery. There's no guilt or shame in treating your host to a perfectly baked and decorated dessert.

Two Simple Summer Salads

Now that's it's June, it's time to start think simple but delicious. That comes in the form of salads. I created two spins on the classic cole slaw while the other is a take on three bean salad. They're easy and a delicious addition to any picnic or even indoor lunch or dinner.

Oriental Cole Slaw

One pound red cabbage slaw (you can use regular slaw but it won't have the zingy color )
1/2 cup olive oil
2-3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 clove garlic minced
2 heaping tablespoons freshly grated ginger
Scallions - optional.

Wash the cabbage and put into a big bowl -preferably metal( this keeps the salad chilled longer when brought it outside).Finely mince garlic . Grate about two heaping tablespoons of fresh ginger with a microhasp  (most grocery and gourmet stores sell them). Add the garlic and ginger  to the olive oil and soy sauce.. Stir until well blended and pour over the cabbage. Toss until the slaw is well coated. You can toss in fresh chopped scallions for bite and color.
This is a great salad with burgers or ribs.

Three Bean Salad Revised

1 15.5. can kidney beans
1 15.5 oz. can chickpeas
1 15.5 oz. cannallini beans
1 1/2 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons onion powder.

Place beans in a chilled metal bowl.

Remember to reserve the chickpea and cannallini aquafaba or bean water for meringues.

Add the olive oil and vinegar. Sprinkle onion powder over the beans and mix. You can season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper if you want. Chill until serving.

Again this is great with burgers or even better with barbecued chicken.

These are two of my favorite salads, both to make and to eat. Enjoy them. They're a great addition to any barbecue or picnic.

The Cookie Baker's Must Have LIst

It is holiday baking time, Most home bakers have an idea of what snap or crisp they're going to make. Now it's time to make sure  the arsenal is well stocked. Print out the list below and circle or highlight what you need.

Cookie cutters - do you have enough for what you want? You can get by with one circle and one star cutter. If you want more variety then head to Target and buy the Wilton eighteen piece set. They have everything from a mitten to reindeer to Santa 's hat. You can also buy a Wilton three piece set that has a star, stocking and candy cane cutouts.
Ice cream scoop - use this for perfectly shaped and evenly distributed drop cookies.
Cooking spray - to use on the ice cream scoop. Dough just slides out without it sticking to fingers and rings. Prefrably use  butter flavored one. This can also be used in place of butter or margarine to grease cookie sheets
Appropriate flours - yes you may need the regular kind but also have a package of  gluten free flour for those family and friends with celiac disease.
Sweeteners - have plenty of white and brown sugar for doughs and confectioners sugar for icings..If you're going the alternative route, then make sure you have enough honey and maple syrup
Flavorings - make sure you have  vanilla extract or vanilla beans and pods, along with peppermint, rose water ,almond, coffee and cocoa extracts
Baking chocolate and unsweetened cocoa - for both cookies and icing.
Cream cheese bricks - for icing and some cookie recipes.
Eggs you'll always need them
 Unsweetened apple sauce  - an egg sub in for vegan cookies
Aquafaba  bean water from chickpeas. An egg white substitute that can be used for making meringues and royal icing.
Nuts - use for flour, texture or decoration. Have packs of slivered almonds, crushed walnuts and pecans.
Peanut butter- for peanut butter cookies and for sandwich cookie fillings
Chocolate chips for cookies and decorations
Sprinkles,  red hots,  dragees and sanding sugars - for decoration
Decorative tins and Saran wrap  - for wrapping them as gifts.

Once you have all these it's time to BAKE!!!!🍪🍪🍪🍪 Get that cookie factory in gear and create tasty memories!!!

Aquafaba Meringues Finally

What do you do with left over chickpea water? Turn it into meringue and fake marshmallow fluff!  I had some left over from my chickpea stew the other night and that created the itch to literally whip up meringues. This time , they turned out picture perfect.

I used the recipe from It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken blog and I think it was one of the best. Before you do anything line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. You can attach it with a dab of meringue. I didn/t I laid a jar of salt on it to flatten the paper.

It starts with a cup of aquafaba. Mine came from Stop and Shop chickpeas.

Then add in 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract ,.I used my favorite Nelsen-Massey.

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

Then 3/4 cup of granulated sugar.

It was mixing the first three ingredients, using first a stand mixer than a hand held one with a balloon whisk. The recipe said beat for six minutes, adding a spoonful of sugar  until everything is completely  mixed. It took me fifteen minutes to get the meringue into stiff peaks. Then it's dropping them by teaspoon on the parchment. This recipe makes a lot of meringue. I had to use two cookie sheets I baked on on the oven's center rack and the extra on the top most for two hours in a 200 F.  degree oven.

Imagine my surprise when they came out perfect!.  I turned off the oven and then let them dry out in a cooling oven. 

Their shapes were perfect, so different from that gooey mess I made last summer (the weather could have something to do with it).

The baked ones had a slight chickpea flavor which I'm going to amend next time. I may add cocoa or coffee flavoring. The texture was perfect airy and crunchy.

I had a lot of batter left over.  You have to bake it  more or less in one shot. However I had a whole tub left over. Tasting it reminded me of marshmallow fluff . What does that pair with? Frozen dessert! I scooped a big glob on Reveri Chocolate Forest and YUM!

This is my new favorite topping. It's even better than whipped. cream.

This was a fun experiment with exciting and unexpected results. I will definitely vary the recipe to try different flavors.like coffee and cocoa. maybe even peppermint.

Try this recipe for vegan Christmas cookies, It's a truly an interesting  bake!

When Life Gives You Aquafaba

Aquafaba is one of the newest darlings on the food scene. It is the siren for foodies like myself and I was over eager to bake aquafaba meringues.How hard could it be? It seemed everyone who ever made the little puffs of sweetness had success. I knew I would too.

I was wrong.

I started with the right ingredients.

Bean water from Rienzi chickpeas.

Sugar

Salt  and cream of tartar

Flavoring - peppermint

Even chocolate chips.Everything was whipped up, in first my standing mixer

I thought it was going well, although the liquid refused to get thick with stiff peaks.I then tried a balloon whisk on my hand mixer. Nothing happened.I added the peppermint extract and chocolate chips.Bad, bad ,bad idea. The fluff turned to liquid right quick.

I had to pour it on this.

covered in parchment paper.

It came out like this

A giant flat crisp. Yes,I was gutted.I wanted , cute puffy meringue kisses. What I got instead was a layer of gook.,Being thrifty.I decided to bake it as required, in a 250 degree F oven for an hour and a half. Surprisingly, the meringue pizza came out OK, with one side,perfectly crispy while the other was gooey and chewy..

What did I do with this mess? Put Eton in front of it and came up with a spin on the classic English dessert. I broke off pieces of meringue and layered it with whipped cream. Chocolate chips were tossed over it all for more flavor. It went from a disaster to a delicious and fun dessert.

I think my chickpeas and myself are better suited to this.

A tasty grab anything salad(More on that tomorrow)

Dainty Bites

With shower and outdoor tea season  in full swing , it's time to think about dainty bites, those sweet little two bite cakes that are perfect with tea or punch. Surprisingly, they're just as easy to make as they are to eat.

Petit fours are the classic dainty bites.Many home bakers are put off ,one by their small size, and two, French name, One of the simplest recipes, from All Recipes just requires a sponge cake base. It's basically two of everything, from egg yolks to cups of flour to two teaspoons of baking powder.If this is too daunting , then use a cake mix. The frosting can be a buttercream or melted white chocolate similar to  the little cakes that Swiss Colony sells. The last is more elaborate because it needs corn syrup for gloss and body  Fillings are usually some kind of jam , lemon curd or orange marmalade. Remember the cake does have to be sliced so that there's three layers. Some home bakers shave off the cake's top layer for a more even surface. Another idea is soaking the layers. This is simply using a pastry brush to brush liqueur over them to give a boozy zing. That's up to you. Some more experienced bakers do tiny buttercream roses on top. If you're not that adept, then use real violet buds or any kind of sprinkle . Candy confetti will do just fine. Clear a place in the fridge to set the icing and keep the petit fours cool.If you're serving them outside, try to set the table in a shady spot so the icing doesn't melt and slide off.

Fairy cakes are primarily a British treat, being the star of many a child's party. Yet they can be a lovely accompaniment to the petit fours.They're a smaller version of a cupcake (think mini cupcake)usually made up of a sponge cake with an icing. The famed baker and Great British Baking Show judge, Mary Berry, has several excellent recipes for them. There is one that 's a basic sponge cake with a simple confectioner's sugar icing. A chocolate one  has the taste of a brownie and is topped with a sculpted swirl of dark cocoa buttercream icing. There are even   plain ones, sans, icing , flavored with only chopped apples or jam. These would be the perfect foil for those fancier frosted bites. because of their simplicity.Of course the most popular dainty bites are macarons. These, too, can be daunting for home bakers.The recipe is pretty simple though and you can make a vegan one using aquafaba or bean water, the liquid that chickpeas  come packed in. The consistency is similar to egg white and makes a very good and delicate treat. They do require a lower temp oven to bake than macarons made with egg white.. Macarons can be dyed in a variety of pretty colors and flavored with everything from lavender to chocolate to fruits, They also make cute favors for guest to bring home.

Dainty bites are the perfect sweets for an outdoor tea or brunch. They have the right amount of flavor without being overpowering. Serve them with iced teas or tea punches for the perfect Spring Sunday gathering.

When Holidays Collide

Many families now have two or even three religions being practiced in their households. This year, Easter and Passover are almost simultaneous , with Orthodox Easter occurring a week later. With all these come some sort of dietary restriction, Can a home chef cope with all of these? Surprisingly yes.It does take some thoughtful planning but it can be done.

The first night of Passover happens on the Christian Good Friday. This is normally a time to eschew any meat except fish. What happens when the two religions are observed? Serve fish. The most commonly made one is gefilte fish , a kind of croquette. You can use salmon, or red snapper for a more flavorful mix. Gefilte fish can also be baked into a loaf bound together with four eggs and matzoh meal. Celery and onions give it a nice Spring freshness. Another idea is the whole filet itself for a more substantial meal. Think of combining salmon with both lemon and orange juice, spiked with garlic and dill. It can also be cooked in a garlic and coriander sauce. What happens when some of the family observe Greek or Russian Orthodoxy? Their's is a strict Lenten diet. Unlike Catholics and Protestants, they can't even have fish with spines  along with other meats.Only vegetables are allowed and they can only be boiled, not sauteed or fried. Oil, butter, and even margarine are forbidden. Boiled vegetables such as the meatier sweet potatoes or potatoes are allowed. These can be mashed and combined with other veggies to create a substantial mash.

Easter is also the time of bread and cakes. So many holiday breakfasts start off with a slice of egg bread.Unfortnately this can be awkward for some in a household that don't celebrate the day.Mmatzoh brei can be made. This is a variation of French toast with the cracker being first soaked in water then in egg. Serve it with maple syrup or honey. Matzoh can also be turned into a fun, crispy snack with the addition of kosher for Passover margarine, chocolate and brown sugar. Named Matzo Crack because it's highly addictive and tasty, it's even perfect for an Easter party.One dessert that transcends the two holidays are macarons. These can even be made with aquafaba - bean water from chickpeas  - to satisfy Greek Orthodox Holy Week laws. Dye them (using Kosher for Passover dyes) in delicate Easter egg colors such as pale pink , robin's egg blue and lavender. These can even be dusted with cocoa powder or sanding sugar to look more festive.

A multifaith household can be problematic during the holidays. Yet there are ways to deal with this . It's just being creative and thoughtful, keeping in mind ancient traditions and dietary laws.

Chickpeas From Savory To Sweet

Chickpeas are quickly becoming a kitchen staple. They can be used in any lunch or dinner recipe and now they also an ingredient in breakfasts and desserts. These creamy little peas are becoming the powerhouses of the culinary scene and with good reason.

This amazing little pea , also know as the garbanzo bean has been around for 7,500 years.We modern cooks weren't the first to popularize it. Ancient Roman, Greek, and Egyptian chefs  also cooked with it and centuries later the Spanish brought it to the New World. It also made its way to Spain via North Africa and India, thanks to the trade routes. Chickpeas are the backbone in Indian vegetarian cooking, allowing it to be the much needed protein. The beans are divided into two kinds , desi and kabuli. The first is a small dark ball while the kabuli is the smooth creamy white one we use. Surprisingly you can start off your day off with a chickpea scramble. It's mixing chickpeas with turmeric (to give it that scrambled egg look) along with white onion and garlic.If this is too strong in the AM, just omit the onion and garlic and sub in spinach and mushrooms. A nice brunch idea is a savory muffin ,using a can of them drained with  a package of spinach. The best thing about the recipe is no flour is used,perfect for those with gluten and wheat allergies. The peas and spinach are pulsed in a food processor with nutritional yeast and Parmasian cheese, Eggs are added for binding and then the mixture is poured into a greased muffin pan. The muffins are baked the same as regular muffins  - for about twenty-five minutes.


Of course chickpeas have been used in lunches and dinners since the Neolithic Era. Hummus is a classic lunch as well as party dish and anyone can make it. What is good about the recipe is that you can add anything you want to i, from spinach to red peppers. The basic recipe is mashing the peas with lemon juice and olive oil. The traditional one calls for tahini sauce but this can be omitted. Minced garlic is added for bite. some home chefs even add sun dried tomatoes for color and to amp up the taste.Now the age old dip is entering the dessert realm.Because of its' mild taste companies and home chefs are pairing  the pea with chocolate and sweet spices. Sweet hummus dip has a stronger, texture than the regular, in a way resembling cookie dough.Use unsweetened cocoa  when making it and palm sugar.Of course the chickpea water, aquafaba has hit the baking world in a big way. Bakers are whipping in into vegan meringues  with excellent results. It can also top both Key Lime and lemon meringue pies too for a healthier spin. Chickpeas , though, shine their best in stews and soups. A hearty chickpea stew is loaded with protein and flavor. Add tomatoes along with bell peppers and onions for one that is tasty and filling. Or try it with cauliflower, spiked with curry for a different spin.Minestrone soup can benefit greatly from the addition of a can of chickpeas.A cup of them can go a long way in adding flavor to a pot.

Use this amazing little powerhouse any way you'd like, Start the day with it or make a refreshing lemon hummus for a healthy lunch, Have it for dinner or even dessert.The chickpea is versatile.

Yikes! There's No Food!

What happens when you thought you had ingredients and you don't? Improvise . Combine this with tat. Add a pinch of what you have and voila - a new  and tasty dish. Necessity is the mother of invention. So is a fridge and pantry full of canned and dry goods.

Every kitchen should have beans.These can be the base for a main dish when there are no other major ingredients such as meat.  These are full of protein and can be mashed into burgers along with veggies and spices to create a satisfying dinner.Don't worry if there are no buns. Toast works perfectly.Beans with tomato sauce and paste make an excellent pasta sauce.Thnik about any kind of bean in a salad too.Also if you've planned on making meringue, remember that chickpea water is the base for aquafaba,It can be whipped up to make elegant macarons or the crown for lemon meringue or Key lime pie. Remember too, that another source of protein, the egg,can be versatile and made into a variety of easy dishes. Combine them with broth to make a type of stratticella or panpiest, especially if you add breadcrumbs. Don't have those  - take stale bread and pop into your food processor. Pulse and you'll have enough for breading too.

Canned food, that kitchen classic , is always welcome.Always buy two or three of one product. You'll never know when you 'll need them.A favorite is Swanson's Chicken Ala King. This has been around sine the Fifties and it makes for a quick and tasty meal.Serve it on toast or even toasted English muffins. It can even be served on top of plain white rice or egg noodles to stretch it out. Tuna too, can prove to be versatile. Use it as the main ingredient for a delicious salad Nicoise or  layer it with  tomatoes on any kind of bread for a Provencale vibe.You forgot to buy meat for your tomato sauce. No problem .Use tuna to give it body.Canned or packaged soup can not only be used for soup, but also for a quick sauce or  flavornig, not only for sour cream but also for Greek yogurt .Keep tins of other seafood too, such as anchovies, sardines and salmon. Another canned must have is chili. It can be good on it's own but also over nachos and hot dogs. Have several cans of the beef, turkey and veggie for those just in case moments.

Don't fret if you don;t have any ingredients for dinner. Improvise with what you have. Be creative. You'll be surprised at what you can make.

Those Macgyver Kitchen Moments

We all have them, those times when we forgot a vital ingredient or wound up short with measuring.It's going to be even rougher for us East Coasters, thanks to the monster blizzard that will be crippling the entire Eastern Seaboard. We won't be able to get to the store, not a good thing,especiallyy if there's you've forgotten something from your grocery list.

This is where Macgyver thinking kicks in.Remember Macgyver? That Eighties TV action hero that could turn a twig into a Swiss Army knife. He's currently enjoying a reboot on CBS and this new millennial inventor still probably can turn a can of beans into a full meal and a weapon of mass destruction. Do the same when you're faced with shortages.If you've run out of eggs for baking,then turn to fruit. Applesauce and bananas make excellent sub ins for them Use a 1/4 cup of either unsweetened applesauce or mashed banana. Aquafaba or bean water can also be used because it has similar proteins and enzyme to egg whites.That can of beans Macgyver could turn into a weapon can also actually be used as meat if you forgot to get burgers or there was a run on them. You can use a variety of different beans.Black beans have an earthy flavor, while kidney beans impart a more milder one. Chickpeas can be made into burgers too,giving off a Middle Eastern vibe.They can also be made into falafel for something a little out of the ordinary.

What happens when the kids want pizza and you have no or little flour in the house? Head to the crisper and get out the cauliflower. This is a true Macgyver moment. It's taking the veggie's florets and shredding them in a food processor. You will need some kind of binder such as egg and processed cheese to bind it. The principle can be applied to making cauliflower bread too which can be used for breakfast and sandwiches too. Cauliflower can even be turned into breadsticks too, perfect if you're having spaghetti.Out of macaroni for baked mac? No sweat. Spaghetti can stand in ,creating a dish the whole family might enjoy.It's layering the pasta and cheese with a creamy roux  and then topping with pats of butter and paprika for color. Penne can also be used along with angel hair pasta too. If the kids are clamoring for ice cream, despite the freezing temps, don;t despair.Freeze banana slices over night  and then mash them in a food processor for a creamy, tasty banana flavored treat. Yogurt can also be turned into a frozen treat. It can be poured into an ice cream maker along with one teaspoon of  vanilla flavoring. It could also just be frozen too,for thirty to forty minutes.


Don't worry if you run out of ingredients or have forgotten to buy them. Go Macgyver and sub in whatever.It's amazing what you can do wit what's in your kitchen,

Serving Your King ::Father's Day Meals

Funny how dads are not treated as greatly on Father's Day as mothers are on Mother's Day. There's no fancy breakfasts in bed or elegant lunches out. However it's time to treat the king of the castle with respect and good food.

Yes, it's OK to make breakfast in bed  - or out on the deck - for the man of the day. Pancakes are always a good start but jazz them up with beer. Sub in the cup of milk with beer for a different kind of breakfast. Serve with eggs and caramelized bacon. This last is easy to make. Dip bacon strips in an equal mix of brown sugar and cinnamon and then arrange on a baking sheet. Bake eight minutes , and turn once.If hes' not a griddle cake fan, then think waffles, in particular bourbon waffles. This are grown up Eggos,  thanks to quarter cup of the liquor added to the batter. Serve with pecans and warmed maple syrup. Another fun idea dad may like is a breakfast hero. Toast a hero roll in the oven or on the grill, and fill with a layer of cheesy scrambled eggs or his favorite omelet. Layer on sausage patties, Taylor ham and Canadian bacon. Throw in some tomato slices and guacamole if he's into them.Do dads do brunch? Of course - just tailor it to their tastes. Yes, real men do each quiche but turn it Paleo  by adding beef cubes or steak tips and some cheddar.For some fire, toss in a few tablespoons of  chopped jalapenos. What about the drink? Save the mimosas for the moms and splash some vodka into the orange juice for an eye opening screwdriver.

What about lunch?Since the day is going to be a beautiful one think picnic,whether at the beach, park or mountains. Health conscious dads may want a whole wheat sandwich, stuffed with vegan cold cuts. Tofurkey has an excellent array of them from soy baloney to soy ham,They also have soy cheese that tastes like the real thing.It would be a good time to try out the aquafaba based mayo. This is a simple mix of the liquid from a can of chickpeas, blended with vegetable oil and apple cider vinegar along with dry mustard and lemon juice. It can also be used to make a healthy coleslaw too, along with good for you whole wheat macaroni salads. If dad is a meat eater, then think of turkey or London broil sandwiches, with fresh sliced tomatoes and onions. Instead of chips, sub in olives from the salty Greek kalamatas to the mellow black ones. What about the king's dinner? How about a meal that combines the big guy's two favorite things, the grill and chili, Grilled chili involves grilling beef cubes and green peppers over a fire and then adding them later to the rest of the recipe.The recipe can be made with chicken too.Homemade pizza is also a great way of celebrating any dad. especially when it's homemade and loaded with his favorite  toppings. End the day with chocolate stout cupcakes and a cigar!.

Treat the dads out there with respect and fun dishes. Make their special day  just that special, with good meals and fun treats. They're the best gifts of all.