Brown Butter Brownie in a Skillet

Start to finish: 50 minutes
Impresses: 8

Ingredients
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, plus more for greasing skillet
8 ounces good-quality dark (or semisweet) chocolate, coarsely chopped
3 large eggs
1½ cups granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
¾ cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup finely ground almond flour
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
¼ teaspoon salt 

Method
Heat oven to 350 F. Lightly grease a 10- to 12-inch cast-iron skillet with butter. Set aside.

To brown the butter, place 2 sticks butter in a medium saucepan and melt over medium-low heat. Stir occasionally as it melts. Once melted, increase the heat slightly and continue stirring as the butter begins to foam and makes a sizzling sound. Stay near the pan and continue to stir often. After about 5 minutes, the crackling noise will stop, and bits of brown butter will begin to form and fall to the bottom of the pan. The butter will have a rich, amber color. Remove butter from heat and pour into a medium-sized bowl. 

Immediately add the chopped chocolate, and stir until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Set aside to cool slightly.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, mix together the eggs and granulated sugar on medium-high speed until thick and pale in color, about 3 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and slowly add the cooled chocolate and butter mixture, mixing until just combined. Add the vanilla extract, and mix until incorporated. 

Remove the bowl from the mixer and add the flours, cocoa powder and salt. Use a spatula or wooden spoon to fold in the dry ingredients. Do not over mix. 

Pour the batter into the prepared skillet and bake 30-35 minutes, or until the edges are set and the top is firm. Do not over bake, as the cast-iron skillet will retain heat and continue to cook the brownies once removed from the oven. Cool the skillet slightly before slicing into wedges. Serve warm.

Milk-Braised Chicken

Start to finish: 1 hour 45 minutes
Impresses: 4

Ingredients
1 whole chicken
Kosher salt
Pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, diced
8 cloves of garlic, smashed
1-inch fresh ginger, peeled and smashed
6 fresh sage leaves
2 sprigs fresh thyme
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
1 lemon, sliced
12-ounce can evaporated milk

Method
Heat oven to 375 F. Pat the chicken completely dry, and season generously with kosher salt and pepper.

Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Melt the butter with the olive oil. Sear the chicken for 3-4 minutes on each side. Add in the rest of the ingredients and cover tightly.

Roast covered for 1 hour. Then, uncover and roast for another 30 minutes. Baste with the pan sauce every 20 minutes or so during roasting.

Remove chicken from oven and allow it to rest for 15 minutes before carving. Serve with the pan sauce.

Creamy Baby Portobello Green Bean Casserole

Start to finish: 1 hour
Impresses: 12

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
8 ounces baby portabello mushrooms, cleaned and thinly sliced
2 pounds green beans, cleaned with stalk ends trimmed
3 tablespoons salted butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups heavy cream
½ small white onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups French’s® crispy fried onions
Kosher salt and pepper, to taste 

Method

Heat oven to 350 F. Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Add mushrooms and stir to coat. Sprinkle with kosher salt and stir. Allow mushrooms to release their natural moisture, and cook until browned, about 5 minutes. While mushrooms cook, blanch green beans. To do this, bring a large pot of heavily salted water to just simmering. Working in batches, place handfuls of green beans in the pot, and cook for 30 seconds. Using a large, slotted spoon, remove the beans to a large bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process. Repeat this process until all beans are blanched. Remove from ice water, and place beans in a 9-by-13-inch casserole dish and set aside.

Once mushrooms are browned, remove from pan and set aside. Melt butter in the same pan over medium heat and whisk in the flour to create a roux. Cook for a few minutes, whisking constantly, until roux is golden brown. Slowly whisk in heavy cream to create a smooth sauce. Stir in onion and garlic, and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cook sauce, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Never bring the sauce to a boil, or it will curdle and separate. Stir mushrooms into sauce. Pour sauce over green beans and add 1 cup fried onions. Stir everything together until all beans are coated in sauce and in an even layer in the pan. Bake in preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, or until beans are tender. Top with remaining fried onions and cook for 5 additional minutes.

Make-ahead instructions: Prepare casserole through mixing the mushroom cream sauce with the beans. Allow to cool before covering the dish with plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight. When ready to bake, remove the plastic wrap, add fried onions and bake as directed.

Roasted Acorn Squash Soup

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Start to finish: 50 minutes
Impresses: 4

Ingredients

3 large acorn squash
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 shallot, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
3 cups vegetable stock
6-8 fresh sage leaves
1 sprig fresh thyme
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground cayenne
pepper
12-ounce can evaporated milk

Method

Heat oven to 400 F, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Slice the acorn squash in half and remove the seeds. Drizzle the squash lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 30-40 minutes, or until the flesh is soft. Remove from oven and set aside.

In a large stock pot over medium heat, lightly saute diced shallot and garlic in olive oil for 3-5 minutes, or until fragrant and lightly browned. Add the vegetable stock, herbs and spices. Scoop the roasted squash out of the skin and add to the pot. Then, bring to a simmer.

Add the evaporated milk and simmer for 5 minutes. Use an immersion blender to blend the soup until smooth and creamy.

Almond Snowball Cookies

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Start to finish: 1 hour
Impresses: 24 cookies

Ingredients

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1½ cups powdered sugar, divided
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
4½ cups almond flour
¼ teaspoon salt

Method

Heat oven to 350 F, and line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together butter, ½ cup powdered sugar, vanilla extract and almond extract until well combined. With your mixer on low, add in almond flour and salt until fully combined. Use a cookie scoop to portion out cookie dough and roll into balls. Place on prepared baking sheets about 1 inch apart. 

Bake 15 minutes, or until cookies are set and bottoms are just starting to brown. Let rest on the cookie sheet for 3–5 minutes, or until cool enough to handle. Place remaining 1 cup of powdered sugar in a shallow dish, and roll warm cookies into the powdered sugar before resting on a baking rack. Let cookies cool completely before rolling again in powdered sugar. Store cookies in an airtight container.

Eggnog Cheesecake with Whipped Cream

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Start to finish: 2 hours 20 minutes | Inactive: 12 hours
Impresses: 12

Ingredients

For the cheesecake:
32 gingersnap cookies
32 speculoos cookies (such as Biscoff®)
4 tablespoons flour
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 pounds cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1 cup sugar
4 eggs, room temperature
½ cup sour cream, room temperature
½ cup eggnog, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

For the boozy whipped cream:
1½ cups heavy cream
¼ cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon each of spiced rum, brandy and bourbon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon salt

Method

For the cheesecake: 

Heat oven to 350 F. In the bowl of a food processor, blend the cookies together until finely ground. Pulse in 2 tablespoons flour to combine. While the processor is running, stream in melted butter until mixture resembles wet sand. Press into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan.

Bake in preheated oven for 7 minutes, or until crust is lightly golden brown. Remove from oven to cool, and reduce oven temperature to 325 F. Place a 9-by-13-inch baking pan on the bottom rack of the oven and fill with warm water (this will help keep the cheesecake moist while it cooks and prevents cracks).

In the bowl of a stand mixer, whip the cream cheese until completely smooth and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add sugar and beat for another 3 minutes, scraping the bowl as necessary to ensure there are no lumps. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until just combined before adding the next. Again, scrape the bowl to ensure there are no lumps. Stir in the sour cream, eggnog, vanilla extract, 2 tablespoons flour and nutmeg. Pour batter into pre-baked crust, and bake in preheated oven for 60 minutes, or until edges are lightly browned and the center just slightly jiggles. Turn off oven and use the handle of a wooden spoon to prop open the oven door just a crack. Allow the cheesecake to cool like this for 1 hour. Remove from oven to cooling rack and cool to room temperature. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.

For the boozy whipped cream: 

Place all ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whip the cream until soft peaks form. Spread over cheesecake and dust with freshly grated nutmeg to serve.

Homemade Eggnog

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Start to finish: Active: 20 minutes | Inactive: 2 weeks
Impresses: A crowd

Ingredients

12 large egg yolks
2/3 cup sugar
1½ cups half and half
1½ cups whole milk
3 cups heavy cream
1 cup spiced rum
1 cup brandy
1 cup bourbon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Method

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the egg yolks and sugar together until thick and pale yellow. The mixture should run off the whisk in a thick ribbon before falling back into the bowl. While the eggs mix, stir together the dairy, booze and vanilla extract in a large pitcher. With the mixer on low, slowly pour in liquid and mix until just combined. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure there’s no egg mixture sitting at the bottom. Stir in nutmeg before pouring into 6 pint-sized jars. Close jars tightly and let sit in fridge for at least 2 weeks before gifting or serving. Shake well and top with a sprinkle of nutmeg, if desired, before serving.

Notes: Stick cute labels to the jars and tie a festive ribbon around the lid for a homemade gift. 

Chocolate Cinnamon Roll Cookies

Start to finish: 35 minutes | Makes: 8 cookies

INGREDIENTS

1 tube cinnamon rolls
2 ounces semisweet baking chocolate bar, chopped
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup powdered sugar
¼ cup boiling water

METHOD

Heat oven to 350 F, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Unwrap tube of cinnamon rolls and individually flatten each roll between the palms of your hands to make a disc. Place on prepared pan 2 inches apart and bake 14 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.In a microwave-safe bowl, combine chocolate and butter, and microwave at 15-second intervals, stirring until smooth. With a whisk, add in powdered sugar and boiling water. Whisk until completely smooth and drizzle-able. If needed, add more boiling water. Once cookies are cooled completely, drizzle with chocolate sauce.

Creamy Chestnut Soup

Start to finish: 1 hour | Impresses: 4

INGREDIENTS

2 strips thick-cut bacon
2 carrots, diced
2 ribs of celery, diced
½ onion (white or yellow), diced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
3 cups low-sodium vegetable stock
1 cup roasted chestnuts (about 20 chestnuts), pre-roasted and chopped
½ butternut squash, cut into 1-inch cubes (or about 2 cups cubed)
½ cup half and half
1 tablespoon fresh tarragon Chives (for garnish)
½ cup crème fraîche (for garnish)

METHOD

Heat oven to 400 F, and spread butternut squash in a single layer. Roast 20-25 minutes, or until the edges begin to brown. Cook bacon until crispy. Remove bacon and set aside to cool, then carefully transfer bacon drippings to a Dutch oven or large cooking pot. Add diced carrots, celery and onion, and cook until aromatic and translucent, about 10 minutes.
Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more, then pour in the low-sodium stock. Stir to combine and bring to a simmer. Add chestnuts and butternut squash; then simmer, covered, for 10-15 minutes. Uncover and remove from heat. Slowly stir in half and half and tarragon. Then, work in batches to blend to a smooth consistency. Or, use an immersion blender.
Crumble the cooked bacon. To serve, garnish each bowl with bacon bits, chopped chives and a drizzle of crème fraîche

Maple-Pecan Sweet Potato Casserole

INGREDIENTS

For the whipped sweet potatoes:
3 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
4 tablespoons salted butter, room temperature
¾ teaspoons kosher salt
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons half and half
1 large egg
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cups mini marshmallows

For the brown sugar pecans:
2 tablespoons salted butter
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 cup chopped pecan pieces

METHOD

Heat oven to 350 F. Place sweet potatoes in a large pot, and cover with cool water with a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook until fork tender, about 15 minutes."
While potatoes boil, prepare the brown sugar pecans. Melt butter over medium heat in a saucepan. Stir in the brown sugar until smooth. Add the pecans and stir to coat. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, or until pecans are fully coated in sauce and smell toasty. Remove from heat to cool.
When potatoes are tender, drain completely, and then place in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Begin to whip potatoes on medium-low speed to release some steam. While the potatoes are mixing, add the butter, salt, maple syrup, half and half, egg and cinnamon. Whip mixture on medium speed until light, fluffy and smooth. Spread into a 9-by-13-inch baking pan and top with brown sugar pecans and mini marshmallows. Cover with foil and bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes before removing foil and baking for another 10-15 minutes, or until marshmallows are deeply golden brown.
Make-ahead instructions: Spread sweet potato mixture into the pan; then cover with plastic wrap and aluminum foil and refrigerate overnight. When ready to bake, heat oven to 350 F. Top sweet potatoes with the pecans and mini marshmallows, and cover the pan with aluminum foil before baking as directed

Bacon, Cheddar & Jalapeno Scalloped Potatoes

Start to finish: 2 hours | Impresses: 12

INGREDIENTS

1 pound bacon, cut into small pieces
3 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed clean
5 tablespoons flour
4½ cups whole milk
Kosher salt and pepper, to taste
1 small white onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 jalapeño, seeded and diced
16 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
Fresh chives, for garnish

METHOD

Heat oven to 350 F. Spray a 9-by-13-inch casserole dish with cooking spray and set aside. Using a mandoline, or a very sharp kitchen knife, thinly slice the potatoes into discs that are no thicker than ¼ inch. Place in a glass bowl, cover with a damp paper towel and set aside.
In large Dutch oven, cook bacon over medium-high heat until crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Reduce heat to medium. Remove all but 5 tablespoons bacon fat from the pot (this can be done by pouring all of the drippings into an aluminum foil-lined bowl and then measuring 5 tablespoons of fat back into the pot). Whisk flour into the reserved bacon fat and cook, stirring constantly, until roux is lightly golden brown, about 3 minutes. Slowly pour in milk, still whisking constantly to ensure mixture is smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Continue cooking sauce, stirring regularly, until it is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon, about 7-10 minutes. Stir in onion, garlic and jalapeño, and cook for a few minutes more before removing from heat.
To assemble the scalloped potatoes: Place 1/3 of the potatoes in a thin layer on the bottom of a prepared baking dish and sprinkle lightly with salt. Cover salted potatoes with half the sauce, followed by 1/3 of the shredded cheddar cheese and 1/3 of the reserved bacon pieces.
Repeat process with another 1/3 of the potatoes, salt, the remainder of the sauce, another 1/3 of the shredded cheddar cheese and another 1/3 of the reserved bacon pieces. Finish with a final layer of potatoes, sprinkle of salt and a final layer of cheddar cheese.
Spray a piece of aluminum foil with baking spray and cover the baking dish. Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes before removing foil and baking another 40-50 minutes, or until potatoes are just set, are fork tender and the top is a deep, golden brown. Sprinkle with remaining bacon pieces and fresh chives before serving, if desired.

Make-ahead instructions: Cook potatoes as directed above, removing from oven after 75 minutes. Cool casserole completely. Cover with aluminum foil and place in refrigerator. To reheat casserole, heat oven to 350 F. Bake covered casserole in preheated oven and cook for 25-30 minutes, or until warmed through. Remove foil and bake for another 5 minutes, or until the top layer of cheese is melted and bubbly.