Growing up, we didn’t have a set tradition of baking specific cookies for Santa. We usually left Santa whatever cookies we had baked last because at Christmas the cookie jar was never left empty. Rarely did we bake sugar cookies though, because most of my family, myself included, did not have the patience to chill, cut, and ice sugar cookies. While this recipe for sugar cookies does require an hour of chilling, it is otherwise relatively quick to bake. The dough is easy to mix and cut, and topping with colored sugar significantly cut down the time from measuring to eating. Enjoy! xoxo
Mix room temperature butter and sugar until just combined. Add in room temperature egg, vanilla, and almond extract, beating well. Scrape the sides of the bowl and add salt and flour, beating well for about 1 minute. Form dough into a flat disk, wrap it in plastic and refrigerate for at least one hour.
On a floured surface, roll out dough to 1/4 inch thickness and carefully cut out shapes. Tip, dip your cookie cutter in flour between cutting out cookies to prevent the dough from sticking to the cutter. Sprinkle cookies with colored sugar, or leave plain to ice after. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the edges are just golden brown. Transfer cookies to a wire rack and allow them to cool completely before frosting.
Easily one of my favorite restaurants in Dallas is il Bracco, and one of my favorite dishes on their menu is the Spicy Gemelli. Since we started planning our dates nights specifically around this coveted Spicy Gemelli, Alex insisted I learn how to make something similar at home. This recipe is surprisingly simple and is a relatively quick dinner. There is nothing better than a night out enjoying authentic Italian food, but this Spicy Gemelli recipe is a close second. Enjoy! xoxo
In a saucepan over medium heat, warm oil, and cook shallot and garlic, stirring often, until fragrant. Add crushed red pepper, and tomato paste, occasionally stirring until the paste starts to carmelize for about 3-5 minutes. Add vodka and cook, stirring constantly, until the liquid is evaporated. Add cream, stir until well blended and remove from heat.
Meanwhile, cook Gemelli in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente. Drain and toss with sauce. Top with chopped basil and serve warm.
Not only do I love August for the long hot summer days, but it is also peak hatch chile season! I am usually one of the first people in line for Hatchfest at Central Market and will spend the rest of the month adding hatch chiles to every dish I make. Creating a Hatch Chile Breakfast Casserole was as easy as swapping potatoes for tortillas and adding hatch chiles to my classic recipe. I used fresh chiles this time, but I am headed back to Central Market for some roasted chiles to throw in next time. Enjoy! xoxo
2-4 Hatch Chiles, seeded and diced (roasted or fresh)
10oz can of no salt Rotel
8 large eggs
2 cups of low-fat milk
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons paprika
9-12 Flour Tortillas
1 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese
In a large skillet, cook the sausage until browned. Add onion, hatch chiles, and Rotel to sausage and cook until vegetables are tender. Whisk together the eggs, milk, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika in a separate large bowl.
Line a large casserole dish with flour tortillas and top with half of the sausage and vegetable mixture. Pour a third of the egg mixture over the sausage and tortillas, then top with another layer of flour tortillas the second half of the sausage mixture, and another third of the egg mixture. Finish with another layer of flour tortillas and the remaining egg mixture, and top with Monterey Jack cheese.
Cover with foil and bake at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes. Remove the foil and let the cheese brown for another 10 minutes. Serve warm.
Looking for more breakfast recipes? Check out my posts here:
Growing up in Dallas, my favorite childhood memory was going to Neiman Marcus with my Grandmother and her sister, to enjoy popovers, strawberry butter, and warm broth. For years I have tried to recreate the famous popovers I enjoy so much, but have had plenty of batches that never “popped”. I seem to have the best results when my milk is warm, eggs are at room temperature, the batter rests an hour and the oven is piping hot. It might seem like a tedious process, but I promise the results are well worth it! To create strawberry butter I mix softened butter and a little no sugar added strawberry jam in a food processor. I have tried using fresh strawberries and frozen strawberries but the best results are when the butter is mixed with jam. My next popover adventure will be figuring out how the Polo Bar created caramelized onion and gruyere popovers. Enjoy! xoxo
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Warm milk in the microwave for 2 minutes. Sift flour, salt, and baking powder in a large bowl.
Beat eggs with an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment on medium speed for about 3 minutes. Eggs should be foamy and pale in color. Turn down the mixer to low and add warm milk. Gradually add the dry mixture and beat on medium speed for about 2 minutes. Let batter rest for 1 hour at room temperature.
Spray Teflon-lined popover pan with nonstick spray. Fill the popover cups just slightly below the top with batter, place the popover pan on top of a cookie sheet, and transfer to the oven. After 15 minutes of baking at 450 degrees, turn the oven temperature to 375 degrees and bake for another 30 to 35 minutes. Popovers should be a deep golden brown color on the outside and airy on the inside. Serve popovers hot with strawberry butter.
A few weeks ago I made chicken verde enchiladas and a friend pointed out that I have never shared my recipe. To be honest, I had never shared this recipe because, well, I kind of make it up every time. I finally took the time to write it out as I went but this recipe is very easy to modify. I have swapped poblano chile for hatch chile, corn tortillas for flour tortillas, and cotija cheese for Monterey jack cheese, all substitutions still make amazing chicken verde enchiladas. Enjoy! xoxo
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 poblano chile, seeded and chopped
8-10 medium tomatillos, husks removed, rinsed
12oz green chiles, chopped
½ cup cilantro leaves, chopped
1 tablespoon lime juice
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 rotisserie chicken, skin removed, meat shredded
1 cup red onion, chopped
2 tablespoons Mexican seasoning
Corn tortillas
1 cup Cotija cheese, finely grated
Preheat oven to 425°. Drizzle olive oil over poblano chile, and tomatillos on a rimmed baking sheet and roast until vegetables are soft and browned for about 20 minutes. Transfer to a food processor and add green chilies, cilantro, lime juice, and purée until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste.
In a medium bowl, mix chicken, red onion, and Mexican seasoning (I use Morton & Bassett Mexican Blend Seasoning). Spread 1/2 cup green sauce across the bottom of a 13×9″ baking dish. Warm corn tortillas, so they do not crack when rolled.
Working one at a time, fill the center of each corn tortilla with the chicken mixture and fold one side over filling, then continue to roll the enchilada onto itself. Place tightly seam side down in the prepared baking dish as you go. Top with remaining green sauce and Cotija cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and let the top brown for about 5-10 minutes.
I have a huge sweet tooth, so when I see a new cake recipe online, I am eager to test it out for myself! This blood orange olive oil cake was no exception and after a few iterations, it is a new favorite. This cake is the perfect balance of sweet and tart, but adding fresh whipped cream will make this cake more sweet than tart. If blood oranges are not in season, you can substitute for tangerines instead. Enjoy! xoxo
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Coat the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan with Bakers Joy. Line the bottom of the pan with a round of parchment paper and smooth it to eliminate air bubbles.
Slice oranges as thinly as possible, positioned on its side, shaving off rounds that are no thicker than 1⁄8 inch. The thinner the slices, the softer the pith will become while baking keeping the cake from being too bitter. Reserve the ends of the oranges for squeezing juice. Arrange the orange slices in an overlapping pattern across the bottom of the pan and set aside.
Squeeze the reserved ends of the blood oranges into a medium bowl until you have 2 tablespoons of juice. Add 1⁄3 cup of the sugar to the bowl with the juice and whisk until you have a smooth slurry. Pour the slurry on top of the arraigned oranges.
In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt to combine and eliminate any lumps. In a small bowl, stir together the Grand Marnier, orange zest, and vanilla extract and set aside. In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the eggs and the remaining 1 cup sugar starting on low to break up the eggs and gradually increasing to high, until the mixture is very light, thick, and pale, and it falls off the whisk back into the bowl in a slowly dissolving ribbon, about 5 minutes.
With the mixer still on high speed, gradually stream in the oil and beat until fully incorporated and the mixture is even thicker, it will be slightly reduced in volume. (Adding too much oil too soon will overwhelm the eggs and cause the mixture to break.)
Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the Grand Marnier mixture in 2 additions, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.
Gently pour the batter over the blood orange slices, making sure not to disturb them, and smooth the top. Transfer the cake to the oven and immediately reduce the temperature to 350°F. Bake until the top is golden brown, and the center is firm to the touch, 35 to 45 minutes.
Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let the cake cool for 15 minutes. Remove the outer ring, invert the cake onto a wire rack and remove the circular base, and carefully peel away the parchment. For the best flavor and texture, wrap the cake in plastic and let it sit at room temperature for at least a day before serving.
