No-Bake Lemon Curd Cheesecake Bars

Start to finish: 7 minutes
Impresses: 2

Ingredients
For the lemon curd:
Zest of 1 lemon
2/3 cup lemon juice (about 1½ lemons)
¼ cup granulated sugar
3 egg yolks
2 ⅓ tablespoons unsalted butter

For the crust:
2 sleeves graham crackers
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
⅓ cup unsalted butter, melted

For the cheesecake filling:
⅓ cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons powdered gelatin
1 1/3 cup heavy cream, cold
16 ounces cream cheese, cold
3/4 cup granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla

Method
For the lemon curd:
In a small, heat-proof bowl, add all ingredients. Place the bowl over a pot of simmering water. Whisk the mixture constantly until butter melts and everything is fully combined. After a few minutes, the mixture will thicken slightly. The curd is ready when it coats the back of a spoon and leaves a clear line when you run your finger through it, or when it reaches 150 F. Strain the curd through a mesh sieve, then refrigerate until ready to use.

For the crust:
Line a 9-by-9-inch pan with parchment paper. Set aside. In a food processor, pulse graham crackers until they reach a flour-like consistency. Add graham cracker crumbs to a large bowl and mix in sugar and melted butter. Press the crust in an even layer into the prepared pan. Place in the refrigerator until ready to use.

For the cheesecake filling:
Pour ½ cup heavy cream in a measuring cup and heat in the microwave for about 30 seconds. Stir in powdered gelatin and set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the remaining 1⅓ cup heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Be careful not to over-whip. Transfer the whipped cream to a separate bowl and set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk cream cheese, sugar, salt and vanilla until fully combined. Pour heavy cream and gelatin mixture in the cream cheese mixture and mix on medium speed until smooth. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold whipped cream into cream cheese mixture in several batches. Spread the cheesecake filling on top of the crust into an even layer. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, or overnight.

To assemble:
When ready to serve, place cheesecake on a serving tray and top with lemon curd. Garnish with roasted lemon slices, if desired. Cut into bars to serve and enjoy!

Milk and Lavender Honey Cocktail

Start to finish: 7 minutes
Impresses: 2

Ingredients
For the cocktail:
2 ounces spiced rum
2 ounces lavender honey syrup
1 egg white
2 ounces heavy cream
ice for cocktail shaker and serving

For the lavender honey syrup:
¼ cup water
¼ cup honey
½ tablespoon dried lavender

Method
Heat water and honey in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Allow honey to fully dissolve and add culinary lavender. Bring to a gentle simmer, then remove from heat and allow to cool.

Strain syrup through a fine mesh strainer to remove lavender. Store chilled in a mason jar or other airtight container until needed.

To craft your cocktail, add ice to a cocktail shaker. Pour in spiced rum, lavender honey syrup and egg white. Add heavy cream last.

Cover and shake vigorously for at least 30 seconds.

Pour over ice into two lowball glasses or small tumblers. Garnish with additional lavender if desired and serve immediately.

Notes:
Culinary lavender can be sourced from local culinary centers, or spice/tea shops or ordered online.

Follow food safety practices when handling raw eggs. Use fresh, unbroken eggs, and carefully wash and dry your hands before separating egg whites. Avoid cross-contamination by disposing of shells immediately and washing hands again after separating egg whites.

Blackberry Cheesecake

Start to finish: Active: 2 hours | Inactive: 6 hours
Impresses: 16

Ingredients
For the crust:
12 whole graham cracker rectangles
5 tablespoons unsalted butter

For the blackberry sauce:
8 ounces fresh or frozen blackberries
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
Freshly squeezed juice of 1 lemon

For the cheesecake filling:
4 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup heavy whipping cream
4 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 large eggs, room temperature

For the garnish:
Fresh whipped cream
  Blackberries

Method
For the crust:
Heat oven to 350 F. Butter a 9-inch springform pan and line the bottom with parchment paper. Butter the paper and side of the pan. Set aside.

Using a food processor, pulse graham crackers into crumbs. In a small bowl, mix graham cracker crumbs and melted butter. Press the mixture onto the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake 10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Reduce oven heat to 300 F.

For the blackberry sauce:
In a medium saucepan, mix blackberries, sugar and lemon juice. Cook uncovered, over medium heat 20–25 minutes. Press blackberries through a mesh strainer into a small bowl; discard seeds. Set aside.

For the cheesecake filling:
In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar with a rubber spatula until smooth. Add heavy whipping cream, and mix until combined. Add cornstarch and flour, and stir until combined. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition, until combined and smooth. Add prepared blackberry sauce and mix well.

Transfer the cheesecake filling into the slightly cooled cheesecake base. Wrap aluminum foil securely around the pan. Place the springform pan in a larger pan, and add 1 inch hot water to the larger pan. Bake 60–65 minutes, or until the center is just set and the top appears dull. Turn off the oven, leave the door open just a little (place a wooden spoon between the door to create the optimal spacing for airflow) and leave the cake to rest in the oven for 45 minutes. Otherwise, the cheesecake can crack with the sudden heat change.

Once cooled to room temperature, chill the cheesecake in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, or preferably overnight. When ready to serve, garnish with whipped cream and blackberries.

Mascarpone and Lemon-Stuffed French Toast

Start to finish: 15 minutes
Impresses: 1

Ingredients
For the French toast: 
2 tablespoons mascarpone cheese
1 tablespoon lemon curd
2 slices brioche bread
1 egg
2 tablespoons half and half
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ cup cornflakes, crushed

For the topping:  
¼ cup heavy whipping cream, very cold
1 tablespoon maple syrup
½ teaspoon lemon zest
Fresh raspberries, optional

Method
For the French toast: 
In a small bowl, combine the mascarpone cheese and lemon curd. Spread the mixture onto 1 slice of brioche bread and top with the other piece to make a sandwich.

In a shallow dish, whisk together egg, half and half and ground cinnamon. In another shallow dish, pour in crushed cornflakes. Dip brioche bread in egg mixture and then in crushed cornflakes to coat.

Heat air fryer to 400 F. Once preheated, spritz the air fryer with cooking spray and place the coated French toast on the cooking rack. (If you are making more than 1 serving, make sure to lay in an even layer without touching.)

Air fry for 6 minutes before flipping and air frying a remaining 3–4 minutes, or until golden brown.

Remove and top as desired. Enjoy immediately.

For the topping:
In a metal bowl, beat together heavy whipping cream, maple syrup and lemon zest until soft peaks form.

Use as a topping on finished French toast, along with fresh raspberries, if using.

Notes: You can easily multiply the recipe based on how many servings you need. Keep the cooked French toast on a baking sheet topped with a cooling rack in a 250 F oven until ready to serve.

Cauliflower Chowder

Start to finish: 45 minutes
Impresses: 4

Ingredients
4 slices thick-cut bacon, sliced into strips
2 tablespoons butter, divided
½ yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
1 teaspoon fresh sage, minced
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
3 cups chicken bone broth (or chicken stock), divided
1 cup heavy cream
½ cup white cheddar, shredded
2 green onions, sliced
Toasted baguette, for serving

Method
Heat a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Once hot, add bacon strips and cook until crisp, about 8–10 minutes. Remove bacon from pan and let drain on a paper-towel lined plate. Leave bacon drippings in the pan.

Add 1 tablespoon butter and diced onion. Saute until translucent, about 5–7 minutes. Add minced garlic and stir to combine. Add in remaining 1 tablespoon butter, cauliflower, sage, salt and pepper, and stir to combine. Saute 3–4 minutes or until cauliflower starts to brown slightly.

Pour in 2½ cups bone broth and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until cauliflower is tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and carefully ladle half of the cauliflower mixture into a blender. Top with remaining ½ cup bone broth. Cover the blender top with a clean kitchen towel and blend until smooth.

Pour mixture back into pot and return to heat. While stirring, slowly pour in heavy cream. Add white cheddar and mix until melted. Serve topped with bacon, green onions and a slice of toasted baguette.

Espresso-Mocha Icebox Cake

Start to finish: 1 hour 30 minutes | Inactive: 12 hours 30 minutes
Impresses: 12-16

Ingredients
For the chocolate coffee custard:
1¼ cups half & half
1/3 cup sugar
3 egg yolks
1½ tablespoons cornstarch
½ teaspoon kosher salt
4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons powdered sugar

For the vanilla
whipped cream:
1½ cups heavy cream
¼ cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the icebox cake:
1 package chocolate graham crackers
1½ cups heavy cream
¼ cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 ounces brewed espresso, cooled

Method
For the chocolate coffee custard: 
Pour half & half into a medium saucepan and set over medium-low heat. In a glass bowl, whisk together sugar, egg yolks, cornstarch and salt until thick and pale yellow, about 2 minutes. When half & half is steaming, pour a thin stream into the sugar and egg yolk mixture while whisking constantly to temper the eggs. Whisk until smooth before pouring mixture back into saucepan. Stir in the chopped chocolate and espresso powder.

Cook custard, gently stirring constantly, until thick enough to hold the outline of a figure 8 made with a spoon. Remove from heat and whisk in butter and vanilla extract. Pour into a clean glass bowl, cover with plastic wrap and set aside until cooled to room temperature. When custard is room temperature, whip heavy cream and powdered sugar to medium peaks. Gently fold whipped cream into the custard and set aside.

For the vanilla whipped cream:

Whip heavy cream, powdered sugar and vanilla extract to stiff peaks and set aside.

For the icebox cake:
Line a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with plastic wrap on all sides, making sure to leave an overhang on the long sides of the pan to wrap the top of the cake.

Place a layer of graham crackers in the bottom of the pan, breaking or cutting the crackers to make them fit in an even layer. Top with a layer of chocolate custard, about 1½ cups, followed by a layer of vanilla whipped cream. Repeat the process of layering crackers, custard and vanilla whipped cream 1 more time. Top with a final layer of custard and then a final layer of cookies. Cover and refrigerate for at least 12 hours.

When ready to serve, whip the remaining heavy cream, powdered sugar, vanilla extract and cooled espresso until thick. Unwrap the cake and invert the pan on a serving platter.

Remove the pan and plastic wrap from the cake and, cover with the espresso whipped cream. Garnish with chopped chocolate to serve, if desired.  

Creamy White Chicken Chili

Start to finish: 30 minutes
Impresses: 6

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil 
½ white onion, diced
1 poblano pepper, de-seeded and diced
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 can diced tomatoes with green chiles
1–3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, de-seeded and roughly diced
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
2 tablespoons cornstarch 
8 ounces heavy cream
24 ounces chicken stock
1 14-ounce can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
La Vaquita® Queso Fresco cheese, for serving
Sliced jalapeños, for serving
Tortilla strips, for serving
Sliced avocados, for serving
Cilantro, for serving
Fresh lime wedges, for serving

Method
Heat a large cast-iron Dutch oven over medium heat. Add oil, followed by onion and poblano pepper. Stir to coat and cook until vegetables begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Add garlic, cooking until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add diced tomatoes with green chiles and chipotle peppers. Stir in kosher salt and seasonings. Add the chicken and cornstarch, stirring to be sure the cornstarch is incorporated. Stir in heavy cream and chicken stock. Bring chili to a simmer and cook until thickened, about 10–15 minutes. Finally, stir in beans and heat through. Serve with crumbled La Vaquita Queso Fresco, sliced jalapeños, tortilla strips, avocados, cilantro and a squeeze of fresh lime, if desired.

Smoked Cheesy Grits with Sausage and Peppers

Start to finish: 35 minutes
Impresses: 4

Ingredients
For the sausage and peppers:
2 bell peppers, any color
1 red onion
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
1-pound fully cooked andouille sausage links

For the grits:
2 cups water
2 cups whole milk
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup instant grits
1 tablespoon salted butter
¼—½ cup heavy cream
¾ cup smoked cheddar, freshly shredded
¾ cup smoked Gouda freshly shredded

Method
For the sausage and peppers: 
Heat oven to 400 F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Core and slice bell peppers into 1-inch-wide strips and place on prepared baking sheet. Peel onion and cut in half. Slice into strips and place on prepared baking sheet. Drizzle olive oil over vegetables and season with salt and pepper. Toss to combine. Slice sausage into discs and place in an even layer on same baking sheet. Bake undisturbed 25–30 minutes, or until peppers and onions start to brown. Serve atop smoked cheesy grits.

For the grits:
In a large pot, bring water, milk and salt to a boil, keeping a close eye so it doesn’t boil over. Stir in grits and cook to package instructions. Once cooked, stir in butter, ¼ cup heavy cream, cheddar and Gouda. Stir to combine until cheese is fully melted. If too thick, stir in additional ¼ cup heavy cream. Serve immediately topped with roasted sausage and peppers.

Peanut Butter and Roasted Banana Pudding

Start to finish: Active: 1 hour | Inactive: 4 hours
Impresses: 8

Ingredients
6 bananas, ripe or unripe
2 tablespoons salted butter, melted
¼ cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups whole milk
1 small box instant vanilla pudding
2 cups heavy cream
1 8-ounce block cream cheese, softened
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
2 tablespoons peanut butter 
1 package peanut butter sandwich cookies

Method
Heat oven to 350 F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Peel and slice bananas and place on prepared baking sheet. Toss with melted butter, brown sugar and cinnamon until fully coated. Bake 30 minutes, or until bananas have started to caramelize. Remove from oven and let cool completely.

While bananas cool, pour 2 cups cold whole milk into a medium-sized bowl. Whisk in instant pudding until thickened. Refrigerate 5 minutes.

Pour heavy cream into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until soft peaks form. Scoop whipped cream into another bowl and set aside. 

Replace the whisk attachment with the paddle attachment and beat together cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk, peanut butter and 2/3 of roasted bananas on medium speed until smooth. Slowly beat in prepared pudding. Using a spatula, fold in whipped cream.

Layer peanut butter sandwich cookies in the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Spread half of the pudding mixture onto sandwich cookies. Top with another layer of sandwich cookies followed by remaining pudding mixture. Crush remaining sandwich cookies into crumbles in a zip-top bag. Top final pudding layer with remaining slices of bananas and crumbled sandwich cookies. Refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving. 

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.

Chocolate Jack-o'-Lantern Sandwich Cookies

Start to finish: Active: 3 hours | Inactive: 2 hours–overnight
Makes: 4-6 servings

Ingredients
For the chocolate cookies:
2 cups (240 grams) all-purpose flour
½ cup (42 grams) dutch-process cocoa powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
⅔ cup (150 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
⅔ cup (132 grams) granulated sugar
2 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3-4 tablespoons water

For the buttercream:
1 cup (227 grams) unsalted butter
1 cup (113 grams) powdered sugar
2–3 tablespoons heavy cream
Orange food gel

Method
For the chocolate cookies: 
In a small bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar on medium-high speed 2–3 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add in egg yolks and vanilla extract, and mix until fully combined. Add in the dry ingredients, and mix until just combined. If the dough is a little dry, add 1 tablespoon of water at a time until it’s wet enough to stick together.

Shape the dough into 2 disks, wrap tightly with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out cookie dough to ¼-inch thick. With a jack-o’-lantern cookie cutter, cut out the cookie dough (half with a face and half plain). Place cut-out dough in the freezer for 10 minutes. Repeat until all the dough is cut out, chilling the scraps before rolling out again.

While the cut-out dough is chilling in the freezer, heat oven to 350 F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Place the cut-out dough on prepared baking sheets, and bake the cookies for about 12 minutes. Allow cookies to cool completely on the baking sheet. 

For the buttercream:
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat butter until smooth. Add in powdered sugar a little at a time, mixing between each addition. Once all the powdered sugar is added, continue mixing until completely smooth. Add 2–3 tablespoons of heavy cream to reach the desired spreadable consistency. Transfer half the buttercream to another bowl, and stir in 2–3 drops of orange food gel. 

To assemble: 
Pair the cookies up. Spread either white or orange buttercream on the bottom cookie and sandwich with the top cookie.

Chocolate Pots de Creme with Ghost Meringues

View fullsize

Start to finish: Active: 3 hours | Inactive: 2 hours–overnight
Makes: 4-6 servings

Ingredients
For the chocolate pots de crème:
1 cup (227 grams) chocolate milk
1 cup (227 grams) heavy cream
10 ounces bittersweet chocolate
2 egg yolks

For the ghost meringues:
2 (70 grams) egg whites
½ cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
Black sugar pearls (for the eyes)

Method
For the chocolate pots de crème:
In a medium saucepan, whisk chocolate milk and heavy cream, and bring to a simmer. Chop chocolate into chunks and place in a large bowl. Pour hot chocolate milk/heavy cream mixture over chocolate and let sit for 1–2 minutes. Gently stir the mixture until the chocolate is fully melted and everything is fully combined. Allow to cool for about 10 minutes.

Quickly whisk egg yolks into chocolate mixture until fully combined. Pour chocolate into 4–6 cups and chill for at least 2 hours or overnight.

For the ghost meringues:
Heat oven to 200 F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a small bowl, whisk the egg whites and sugar. Place the bowl over a small saucepan with simmering water. Whisk frequently until the mixture reaches 160 F on a candy thermometer.

Immediately remove the bowl and use an electric mixer to whisk the meringue to stiff peaks. Transfer meringue to a piping bag fitted with a medium round piping tip.

On the prepared baking sheet, pipe the meringue upward to create ghosts. Add 2 black sugar pearls for the eyes.

Bake the meringues for 1 hour; and then turn off oven and leave for 1 hour. Remove from oven to cool completely. 

Notes: If you can’t find black sugar pearls for the ghost eyes, try this hack: Poke mini chocolate chips backward into the meringue for eyes.

Witch's Hat Chocolate Milkshake

View fullsize

Start to finish: 30 minutes
Impresses: 2

Ingredients
For the chocolate milkshake: 
1  pint vanilla ice cream 
¼ cup chocolate milk 
3 tablespoons chocolate syrup 

For the whipped cream: 
¼ cup heavy cream, cold 
1 tablespoon granulated sugar 

For the witch’s hat: 
3 ounces chocolate 
1 ice cream sugar cone 
1 round stroopwafel or thin cookie
Black sanding sugar
Purple ribbon 

Method
For the chocolate milkshake: 
In a blender, combine ice cream, chocolate milk and chocolate syrup until smooth. Drizzle chocolate syrup on the inside of a milkshake glass, and then pour the chocolate milkshake into the glass. Top with homemade whipped cream and the witch’s hat and enjoy! 

For the whipped cream: 
In a medium bowl with an eclectic mixer, whisk the heavy cream and sugar until soft peaks form. 

For the witch’s hat: 
In a shallow bowl, add chocolate and heat in the microwave in 20 second intervals until fully melted. Cut the tip of the sugar cone off and dip in the chocolate. Place back on the cone at an angle. Freeze for a few minutes until set. 

Dip the bottom of the sugar cone in the chocolate and place in the center of the round stroopwafel or thin cookie. Freeze for a few minutes until set. 

Spread an even layer of chocolate on the hat and immediately sprinkle black sanding sugar all over. Freeze again for a few minutes until set. 

Tie purple ribbon around the hat and place on top of your chocolate milkshake. 

Creamy Mushroom and Wild Rice Soup

Start to finish: 1 hour 30 minutes
Impresses: 8

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 pound baby portabello mushrooms, sliced
1 pound white button mushrooms, sliced
8 ounces oyster mushrooms, chopped
4½ teaspoons kosher salt, divided
2 tablespoons salted butter
1 large white onion, diced
4 celery stalks, ends trimmed, diced
3 medium carrots, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1½ cups wild rice blend
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
4 cups beef stock, divided
2 cups heavy cream
Freshly shredded Parmesan cheese, for serving 

Method
In a large Dutch oven or soup pot with a lid, heat 2 teaspoons of the olive oil over medium heat.

Add sliced portabello mushrooms and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Stir to coat and cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms have released their natural moisture, it has evaporated and mushrooms are browned. Remove mushrooms from pot and set aside. Repeat the browning process with another 2 teaspoons of olive oil, button mushrooms and 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Remove from pot and set aside. Finish with 1 teaspoon olive oil, oyster mushrooms and 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Remove from pot and set aside.

Add the final teaspoon of oil to the pot, along with the salted butter. Add onion, celery, carrot, and 1½ teaspoons kosher salt, stirring to coat. Cook stirring occasionally, until vegetables have begun to soften, about 5 minutes. If necessary, add a splash of stock to deglaze the pot and get the browned bits off the bottom. Stir in garlic, cooking until fragrant, about 1 minute more.

Add wild rice. Then, stir in bay leaf, fresh thyme, balsamic vinegar and Worcestershire sauce. Stir in 3 cups beef stock and bring mixture to a boil. Cover and simmer 40 minutes, or until rice is tender and has absorbed most of the liquid. Stir in remaining stock, heavy cream and reserved mushrooms. Top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese to serve.

For a thinner soup, add an additional 1 cup beef stock after rice has cooked.

Classic Caramel Apple

View fullsize

Start to finish: Active: 1 hour | Inactive: 2 hours 30 minutes
Makes: 12 pieces

Ingredients
For the caramel:
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1¾ cups heavy cream
½ cup light corn syrup
1 cup brown sugar
4 tablespoons salted butter (half stick)
1 teaspoon kosher salt

For the classic caramel apples:
8 small Granny Smith apples
Small wooden dowels
Crushed salted nuts, optional 

Method
For the caramel:
Combine all caramel ingredients in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon. Once the butter has melted, let cook without stirring until the sauce bubbles and a candy thermometer reads 240 F, about 15 minutes. Remove caramel from heat and allow to rest at room temperature for 10 minutes. Stir and then coat as instructed below.

If you are making the caramel in advance, place it in a slow cooker on the lowest setting. Stir every 10 minutes until ready to use.

For the classic caramel apples:
Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Rinse and dry apples completely. Set on prepared baking sheet. Remove the apple stem and insert a small wooden dowel/stick into the apple, about two-thirds of the way.

Once caramel is warmed, dip the apple into the caramel by holding the dowel. Lift the apple and swirl gently by turning your wrist away from you to allow excess caramel to drip off. Roll into nuts, if using.

Set back on prepared pan and let rest 1 hour, until set. Enjoy immediately or store loosely covered in the refrigerator. 

Grilled Beer Cheese Dip

Start to finish: 20 minutes
Impresses: A crowd

Ingredients
8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
6 ounces fontina cheese, shredded
4 ounces Gruyere, shredded
1½ teaspoons cornstarch
4 tablespoons salted butter
½ white onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
12 ounces beer, a lager preferred, such as an Oktoberfest or Pilsner
¾ cup heavy cream
Kosher salt, to taste
Paprika, for serving
Green onions, sliced, for serving
Soft pretzels, for serving

Method
Place a 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat on the grill. Allow the pan to heat 5–7 minutes. While the pan heats, toss the cheddar, fontina and Gruyere with the cornstarch and set aside.

When the pan is hot, add the butter and onion. Stir to coat, cooking the onions for 3 minutes, or until softened. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the flour and stir to combine, cooking for another minute.

Add the cream cheese and stir vigorously until melted and smooth; mixture will be thick. Whisk in the beer until smooth and well-combined. Add the cheeses and heavy cream. Move pan to indirect heat, and stir until dip is smooth. Taste and add kosher salt as needed.

Remove pan from heat and sprinkle with paprika and sliced green onions to serve.

Notes: Heat the pre-made soft pretzels on the grill. Brush the pretzels with melted butter, sprinkle with salt and place over direct high heat for 2–3 minutes, or until warmed through.

Blueberry Ricotta Pancakes with Lemon Whipped Cream

Start to finish: 25 minutes
Impresses: 4

Ingredients
For the pancakes:
1½ cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup whole milk
¾ cup whole milk ricotta
¼ cup honey
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
Salted butter, for cooking

For the whipped cream:
2 cups heavy whipping cream
¼ cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons lemon zest

Method
For the pancakes: 
Heat oven to 250 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Heat a nonstick pan or griddle over medium heat. 

In the pitcher of a high-speed blender, add flour, baking powder and salt. Pulse a few times to combine. 

Add milk, ricotta, honey, eggs, vanilla extract and lemon juice. Blend 10–15 seconds, or until smooth. Stir in blueberries with a long-handled spoon. 

Once pan or griddle is heated, melt butter and use a ¼ measuring cup to pour out pancakes. Cook until the top begins to bubble, then flip. Cook another minute and transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. 

Keep cooked pancakes warm in the oven until ready to serve.

For the whipped cream: 
In a medium-sized metal bowl, beat heavy cream just until soft peaks start to form. Once thickened, beat in the powdered sugar, lemon juice and lemon zest until soft peaks form on the beater. When ready to serve, top pancakes with a generous dollop of whipped cream.

Lemon-Rhubarb Icebox Cake

Start to finish: Active: 1 hour 15 minutes
Impresses: 4-6

Ingredients
For the rhubarb jam:
3 cups chopped rhubarb
1½ cups granulated sugar
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon kosher salt

For the lemon curd:
1 cup lemon juice
½ cup granulated sugar
1 egg
4 egg yolks
Pinch of kosher salt

For the lemon custard:
1¼ cups half & half
1/3 cup sugar
3 egg yolks
1½ tablespoons cornstarch
½ teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons lemon zest
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon lemon extract
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons powdered sugar

For the icebox cake:
1 package lemon shortbread cookies
1½ cups heavy cream
¼ cup powdered sugar
¼ teaspoon lemon extract
1 teaspoon lemon zest

Method
For the rhubarb jam:
Combine all ingredients for the jam in a large pot. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until reduced and thick, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.

For the lemon curd:
Whisk together lemon juice, sugar, egg, egg yolks and salt in a shallow saucepan until smooth. Set over medium-low heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Be sure curd does not scorch to the bottom of the pan or boil too vigorously. The curd is done when it coats the back of a spoon and holds a line when streaked with a finger. Remove curd from heat and pour through a fine mesh sieve into a glass bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, and set aside until cooled to room temperature.

For the lemon custard:
Pour half & half into a medium saucepan and set over medium-low heat. In a glass bowl, whisk together sugar, egg yolks, cornstarch and salt until thick and pale yellow, about 2 minutes. When half & half is steaming, pour a thin stream into the sugar and egg yolk mixture while whisking constantly to temper the eggs. Whisk until smooth before pouring mixture back into saucepan.

Cook custard, gently stirring constantly, until thick enough to hold the outline of a figure 8 made with a spoon. Remove from heat and whisk in lemon zest, butter, vanilla extract and lemon extract. Pour into a clean glass bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Set aside until cooled to room temperature.

When custard is room temperature, whip heavy cream and powdered sugar to medium peaks. Gently fold whipped cream into the custard and set aside.

For the icebox cake: 
Line a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with plastic wrap on all sides, making sure to leave an overhang on the long sides of the pan to wrap the top of the cake.

Place a layer of shortbread cookies in the bottom of the pan, breaking or cutting the cookies to make them fit in an even layer. Top with a layer of lemon custard, about 1½ cups, followed by ¼ cup lemon curd and ¼ cup rhubarb jam. Repeat the process of layering the cookies, custard, curd and jam 2 more times. Top with a final layer of custard and then a final layer of cookies. Wrap plastic wrap over the top of loaf, and refrigerate for at least 12 hours.

When ready to serve, whip the remaining heavy cream, powdered sugar, lemon extract and lemon zest until thick. Unwrap the cake and invert the pan on a serving platter.

Remove the pan and plastic wrap from the cake, and cover with the lemon whipped cream. Garnish with more zest and crumbled shortbread cookies to serve. 

Grilled Mac and Cheese

Start to finish: Active: 30 minutes
Impresses: 8 as a side, 4 as an entree

Ingredients
16 ounces dry pasta, such as elbow or cavatappi
1 cup heavy cream
2 cups half & half, divided
1 cup water
4 tablespoons salted butter, cut into cubes
4 ounces medium cheddar cheese, cut into cubes
4 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, cut into cubes
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon ground mustard
3 ounces Gruyere, shredded
Freshly ground black pepper, for serving 

Method
Spray a large, shallow Dutch oven with baking spray. Pour the pasta into the pot along with the heavy cream, 1 cup of the half & half and water. Scatter butter, cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese over the pasta. Sprinkle with kosher salt, garlic powder, onion powder and ground mustard.

Cover and place the pot over low direct heat and high indirect heat (if your grill has a thermometer, it should be measuring around 500 F) and close the lid of the grill. Cook the pasta for 20 minutes before removing the lid and stirring to combine. At this point, the noodles should be fully cooked and the sauce should be creamy.

Remove pot from heat, and add the remaining half & half and Gruyere. Mix until smooth, and serve immediately with a generous sprinkle of coarse black pepper. 

Salted Caramel Popcorn Milkshake

Start to finish: Active: 30 minutes
Impresses: 2

Ingredients
For the salted caramel popcorn:
1 cup granulated sugar
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
⅓ cup heavy cream
½ teaspoon kosher salt
8 cups plain popped popcorn (about ¼ cup of kernels)

For the milkshakes:
3 cups (about 6 scoops) vanilla ice cream
1 cup whole milk
2 tablespoons salted caramel (recipe included)

Method
For the salted caramel popcorn:  
In a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat, add sugar and stir every 1–2 minutes, until it begins to melt. (The sugar will start to clump before melting). Once the sugar is completely melted and a golden color, immediately remove from heat and stir in the butter until combined. (It will bubble a lot.) Add in the heavy cream and salt, and mix until fully combined and smooth. Pour the salted caramel into a glass jar to cool. (It can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 month. If you make the salted caramel the night before, store it in the refrigerator, but then let it sit at room temperature until it reaches a pourable consistency.)

Heat oven to 275 F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the popcorn in an even layer on the baking sheet and drizzle with about ⅓ cup of salted caramel (more or less as desired) and stir to coat. Bake 15–20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, or until the caramel has begun to form a shell on the outside of the popcorn. Remove from the oven and let cool.

For the milkshakes: 
In a blender, combine ice cream, milk and salted caramel, and blend until smooth and creamy. Drizzle leftover salted caramel inside your milkshake glasses. Pour milkshake into glasses and top with salted caramel popcorn.