Dessert / Principal Chef

Biscuits with the Boss

If you haven’t yet seen Ted Lasso on Apple TV, you’re missing out. One of the gazillion fun parts of the show is Ted’s “Biscuits with the Boss” start to his day. He loves it, but the Boss (Rebecca) only puts up with it because the biscuits are so damn good. It’s a secret recipe, but this online guess that I found is pretty darn good!

My thanks to those who found this recipe. It’s “just” a shortbread recipe, but I like there’s a sort of sleuthing New York TImes authenticity about it. You can see some of the story here.

Ingredients

2 cups White Flour (All Purpose is fine)

1 cup Cold Butter (2 Sticks)

½ cup White Granulated Sugar

1 tsp Salt (The recipe recommends fine crystal. I use Kosher Salt, as I love the bigger bites of salt in bites)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Take a small casserole dish (I used a 10″ x 8″) and butter it up. Then take parchment paper (this is essential!) and press it into the pan, leaving an inch or two above the rim of the pan.

You want that oven ready, as the cold butter is key.
Mix together all dry ingredients in a mixing bowl.
Add the cold butter chopped into relatively small pieces.

Using the paddle attachment, mix until the pieces of butter are mixed in, but stop before it becomes a thick batter. I made that mistake the first time and they were still tasty, but stopping when it’s crumbly makes them WAY better.

Add the crumbly mixture to your prepared pan.

With a spatula, press down those crumblies until it’s nice and flat. Take a fork and puncture it throughout. Then, pre-cut the dough into the pieces your biscuits to be. The lines fade away with baking, but I can still find them, and I do think it makes the final cut easier.

Cook about 35-40 minutes until they are a light brown on top. If you’re using a bigger pan, the biscuits will be a little thinner, so less time. And if you’re using a smaller pan . . . (I think you can figure that out)

I may invest in some pink boxes like Ted eventually, but for now, it’s serve and eat! Best served enthusiastically while watching a Ted Lasso episode!

Belgian Waffles

Waffles for breakfast! Chicken and waffles for dinner! Invest a few bucks in a waffle iron and you are ready!

Ingredients

2 cups All Purpose Flour

2 tbsp Sugar, Granulated

2 tbsp Baking Powder

1.50 tsp Kosher Salt (1 tsp regular salt)

2 Eggs, Beaten

1.50 cups Milk, Warmed

6 tbsp Butter, Melted

1 tsp Vanilla

Directions

Mix dry ingredients together.

Add milk and eggs and stir in.

Add Melted Butter and Vanilla

Stir together and let it sit for 5 minutes. The consistency should be like of a thick batter, but still thin enough to pour without clumping. It should slowly ooze to fill in the bottom of the waffle iron. If you need a spoon to spread it, it’s too thick. If it quickly fills, it’s too thin. Add milk as needed.

Follow your waffle iron’s directions. Use as little batter as you can while still filling the bottom. When it comes out, if the batter is right, it will be crispy on the outside and a little airy in the inside.

There’s so much butter, I don’t add more, but I get if if you want it. Add syrup, pecans, fruit or whatever floats your waffle!

Dawson’s Favorite Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

It’s a great day for all of us when Jill makes these amazing muffins for Dawson. There are two uses for old bananas in our house. Most of them get peeled and put in the freezer to use in a smoothie. But some of them, the lucky ones, live to a ripe old age, and get privilege, nay, the honor, of being the start of Dawson’s favorite Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins. Old bananas, we salute you!

Ingredients

3 Ripe Bananas

⅓ cup Butter, Melted

1 tsp Baking Soda

¼ tsp Salt

½ cup White Granulated Sugar

1 Egg, Beaten

1.50 cups All Purpose Flour

½ cup Chocolate Chips (More does’t hurt – make it a rounded 1/2 cup!)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 (I prefer 325 convection), and spray muffin pan with oil.

Melt butter in Microwave. Let it cool for a minute or two.

Add bananas to the buttery goodness.

Mash until smooth.

Mix in baking powder, vanilla, beaten egg, and salt.

Stir in sugar and flour.

Stir in chocolate chips.

Using a spoon, get enough batter to make them 2/3 to 3/4 full (12 muffin cups sort of evenly), and scrape into muffin pan with small spatula.

They are ready to go into the oven!

Bake for 20 minutes at 350 (or 325 Convection), take out when it looks perfect and a butter knife comes out clean!

Jilly’s Chocolate Chip Scones

One of our favorite days happens when Jill makes scones (she pronounces them with a short O sound from her year in Australia. She’s not alone in that pronunciation.) She uses this recipe from an old Williams Sonoma Chocolate cookbook, and it is a crowd pleaser!

Ingredients

2 All purpose white flour

1 tbsp Baking Powder

0.50 tsp Salt

0.25 cup Sugar (White Granulated)

3 tbsp Sugar (White Granulated) (For topping)

0.75 cup Chocolate Chips (Your favorite type – Hard to beat Nestle’s Semi-Sweet, though the Ghiradelli chips are pretty awesome.))

1.25 Heavy Cream

3 tbsp Butter (I prefer salted, but I think salt is underrated in recipes)

Directions

Preheat oven to 425. Mix flour, baking powder, salt, and 1/4 sugar in a large bowl.

Add chocolate chips.

Pour in cream and mix with a fork until it all holds together. It will be sticky. That’s OK!

Place dough on cutting board dusted with flour. Sprinkle with flour and knead 10 times.

Gently shape into a 9-inch circle. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with extra 2-3 Tbsp sugar. (Optional – I like adding a few sprinkles of course Kosher salt (or other excellent substantive salt), but that’s not for everybody. But it should be!)

Cut into 12 wedges. (If 12 wedges just seems like too much to eat, reduce to 8!)

Place separated wedges onto ungreased baking sheet, leaving at least 1″ between wedges.

Bake at 425 degrees for 15-17 minutes, or until tops are perfectly golden brown. Serve them warm if you can!

Not That Bad for You Banana Cream Pie

That pie shaped empty space that’s been in my life so long? It’s all good now.

When I was in my mid-forties, I remember telling Jill that I missed the days when I could eat anything and my weight just remained constant. I told her, “I was living the good life and I didn’t even know it.” Well, those days are long gone, but, to quote Joel Goodson’s dad in Risky Business, “Every once in awhile you just got to say, ‘what the heck’ and take some chances.” It’s a pretty sad testament to my risk taking at this point in life that banana cream pie is up there. But there you have it. I just have repeat my Stuart Smalley mantra, “I’m good enough, I’m smart enough, and doggone it people like me.”

Ingredients

Filling Ingredients

3 cups Whole Milk

3 Eggs Yolks

¾ cup Sugar, White Granulated

⅓ cup Flour, White

¼ tsp Salt

1.50 tsp Vanilla Extract

2 tbsp Butter

4 Bananas: 3-4 Large Bananas; 4-5 Small Bananas

Whipped Cream Topping

1 cup Whipping Cream

1 tbsp Granulated Sugar

1 tsp Vanilla

Graham Cracker Crust

1.25 cups Graham Cracker Crumbs

¼ cup Granulated Sugar

5 tbsp Melted Butter

Directions

Making the Crust

Mix Graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter in a bowl with a spoon. Placed buttered crumbs in a nice pie plate. (This pie deserves a nice pan!) Note: At some point, I’m going to try smushing a banana into this mixture. I’ll keep you posted!

With your fingers, press down the crust and do your best to make an even crust that pushes up the sides of the pie plate. Bake the crust at 375 for 7-8 minutes. Do not overbrown!

Making The Filling

Pour 3 cups whole milk into sauce pan and scald. Stir to make sure it does not brown. Turn off heat.

Mix sugar, salt, and flour together. Slowly whisk into milk. Turn heat back on. Cook for five minutes, stirring regularly. The mixture will thicken and start to turn pudding-y. But you’re not done yet! Cover for two minutes over low heat, stirring occasionally.

Beat the egg yolks. Take a few large spoonfuls of the warm milk mixture, and whisk into the eggs. Whisk constantly to keep the eggs from cooking. Pour egg mixture into milk, whisking continuously. Mix in vanilla and butter as well. Cook for one more minute. Then turn off the heat and let it sit. Nice work!

You are ready to spoon this into the pie once it cools down to luke-warmish and not scalding hot. 120 degrees is just fine.

Whipping the Cream and Assembling the pie

Slice bananas thinly – 1/4″ slices. I like a more banana-y pie, but go with your preference. Lay the 2/3 of the sliced bananas at the bottom of the pie.

Spoon 1/2 of the pudding mixture over the bananas, spread the remaining bananas over that mixture, then spoon in the rest of the pudding. Chill. (Both you and the pie!)

Using a Kitchen Aid Mixer or whatever you have, whip whipping cream, slowly adding sugar and vanilla, until solid peaks form. (Note: My next time I make this, I’m using the leftover egg whites to make a merengue. I’ll keep you posted)

Spoon whipping cream over pie filling and smooth out evenly. If you just use half the whipping cream, it does a nice job and saves you a whole lot of calorie guilt. Or . . . Go for it and use it all! Chill for at least two hours.

Cut beautiful slices and serve, immediately achieving hero status!

Skillet Apple Blackberry Pie

I adapted this recipe from the amazing chefs at Cooks Illustrated. It’s fun to use when you have fruit, and you ALWAys have apples and frozen blackberries. It’s super tasty, it’s easy, and it’s one more chance to showcase your cast iron skillet.

Ingredients

Fruit

6 Granny Smith Apples, peeled and cut into 1/2″ thick slices

15 Blackberries, or dried cherries, or something to mix well with the apples

Apple Cider Mixture

½ cup Apple Cider

⅓ cup Maple Syrup or Honey

¼ tsp Cinnamon

2 tsp Cornstarch

2 tsp Granulated Sugar

1 Egg White

Crust

1 Pie Crust (Pillsbury or homemade)

3 tbsp Butter

Directions

Melt butter in cast iron skillet. Throw in apples and start to sauté. Don’t over-stir.

Mix Cider, Honey or Syrup, Cinnamon, and Corn Starch together. Set aside.

As apples get close to ready, add blackberries or other fruit.

After 7-8 minutes, when apples have softened, turn off heat and gently stir in in cider mixture.

Lay crust over apples. Brush with egg white. Sprinkle sugar over the top. Sprinkle a little extra cinnamon if you like it as much as I do.

Bake in a 500 degree oven for 20 minutes. Let cool for at least 15 minutes, and serve with ice cream! Show off that cast iron piece or art before you start serving. You deserve the artistic credit!

Karen’s Canadian Christmas Wreath Cookies

You can’t get much more Christmas traditional than my friend Karen. Do what she does and make her Christmas wreath cookies! These cookies are easy to make and the walnuts make them spectacular! So bring a little Canada into your Christmas, or anytime of the year!

Ingredients

1 Stick Butter (1/2 Cup), Softened

1 Egg, Separated

0.25 tsp Almond Extract

0.25 tsp Vanilla Extract

0.33 cup Granulated Sugar

0.50 tsp Salt

1 cup Flour

0.75 cup Walnuts, chopped

0.50 cup Raspberry Jam

Directions

Beat butter until creamy.

Add vanilla extract, almond extract, sugar, and egg yolk. Beat together until smooth.

Mix salt into flour, stir flour/salt mix into butter mix.

Using a kitchen teaspoon, measure and form into balls. Dip into egg white and roll in chopped walnuts.

Place on cookie sheet and press centre. (Karen’s spelling)

Bake at 300 degrees for 25 minutes. Remove and add cold jam while cookies are still warm.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

It’s not often that a dad gets to be a hero. But every time I get two sticks of salted butter out of the refrigerator and ceremoniously lay (or for more effect, slap) them out to soften, there is an audible cheer in the house. They’re that good. And it’s just the old (not the updated!) version of the Quaker Oats recipe, with a few ever so slight changes.

So here’s the thing. If you buy a cardboard cannister of Quaker Oats, you still find the recipe for their “Vanishing Oatmeal Cookies” on the underside of the lid. But don’t be fooled. It’s the updated version, with way less butter. As the drive-in movie review columnist Joe Bob Briggs says, “Communist Alert!” As any chef, more butter is better. So let’s stick with the old recipe, get rid of those pesky raisins, and add some chocolate chips. Here’s my recipe.

Ingredients

3 cups Quaker Oats (Old Fashioned are the best)

1.50 cups White Flour

¾ tsp Kosher Salt

1 tsp Baking Soda

1 tsp Cinnamon

1 cup Butter (Two Sticks), Softened

1 cup Brown Sugar

½ cup White Granulated Sugar

2 Eggs

1 tsp Vanilla

1 cup Chocolate Chips, Semisweet

Directions

Mix Dry Ingredients (First Five) in a bowl.

In a mixer, mix butter and sugar. Beat until smooth. Mix in eggs and vanilla.

Mix wet and dry ingredients in one bowl.

Add chocolate chips and mix in.

Bake for 10 minutes in 325 degree convection oven, or 350 degrees regular oven. Removed when browned.

Cool on rack, then serve while they are still warm.

If you want to save dough, wrap in wax paper, then place in plastic bag. Thaw for at least 30 minutes before cooking.

Jilly’s Mini Pumpkin Pies

Once the Halloween Tree goes up, it’s time for Jilly’s Mini Pumpkin Pies! My wife Jill is an inventor. She has invented so many things over her life, the smartphone for example. She was way ahead of Steve Jobs. In 2003, long before the first iPhone in 2007, when she was holding her Treo 300 Palm Pilot in one hand, and her cell phone in the other, she knew they should be merged as one. We don’t make a lot of money off of her inventions, but we enjoy it when someone else finally figures it out.

These mini-pumpkin pies may be one of her greatest inventions. A friend of ours published the recipe in a cookbook, but did not give Jill credit. She’s OK with that, but come on! I bet we make five or six batches of this every fall. They’re a great dessert, breakfast, snack, or whatever you want them to be.

And here’s how I eat them. I peel away the muffin liner, hold the mini-pie in my hand, put whipped cream on top of that, and eat it in three bites. Let us know what style works best for you!

Oh! And that picture below? That’s Jill getting the honor of putting the witch on top of the old Halloween Tree! Wait. You don’t all do that? Our holiday tree comes out in October and becomes a Halloween Tree, then a Thanksgiving Tree, then a Christmas Tree. And if I had it my way, it would stay up the whole year long, arborally celebrating the different holidays. Alas, like many things in my home, I don’t get it my way, and I live with nine, sad, holiday treeless months. But I can’t wait for October!

Ingredients

1 14.5 oz Can Pumpkin – We Like Libby’s

1 Can, Sweetened Condensed Milk

2 tsp Pumpkin Pie SpiceWe think McCormick's is the best brand for this

2 Eggs

28 Ginger SnapsThe Nabisco Ginger Snaps are perfect.

Whipped CreamI usually like homemade, but the spray can works so well here.

Directions

Mix pumpkin, sweetened condensed milk, pumpkin pie spice, and eggs in a mixer or with a spoon.

(Note: If you want to make a big pie, just pour this into a pie crust and bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes, then 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes, until a knife/toothpick comes out cleanly.)

Put a Gingersnap in the bottom of 28 foil cupcake cups arranged on 8.5 x 13 casserole dishes. Put 1/4 cup mix in each cupcake cup.

Bake at 425 for 15 minutes, then at 350 for 20 minutes.

Let cool. Then serve with whipped cream!

Gramma Sue’s Rice Pudding

Every time my son Ryan (born in 1990!) goes to Gramma Sue’s house, or whenever she visits us, the first order of business for her is to make Rice Pudding for Ryan. Now Dawson is in on it too. It’s a great tradition, and a fantastic dessert. Also, it’s a superb breakfast reheated. Serve it whipped cream and you’ll be pretty darn happy.

Ingredients

1.75 cups Water

2 cups Whole Milk

½ cup Converted RiceI am going to try this recipe with some jasmine rice, as I don't have converted rice around the house.

2 Eggs, beaten

½ tsp Salt

⅓ cup Sugar

¼ cup Raisins (more or less, to taste)

1 tsp Vanilla

Cinnamon

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

On the stove, bring water to boil; stir in rice and salt. Cover and simmer 30 minutes until water is absorbed.

Add milk and boil gently, stirring occasionally, until mixture thickens slightly, about 5 minutes.

Combine eggs, sugar and vanilla in bowl. Gradually stir into rice mixture; mix well.

Pour into a greased 1-1/2 qt. (3 qt., if doubled) casserole. Stir in raisins and sprinkle with cinnamon.

Bake uncovered, for 45 to 50 minutes. Test for doneness by inserting a knife – if it comes out clean, you are done!

Chocolate Pecan Pie

This is one of my all time favorites, combining southern pecan pie and chocolate. How bad can that be? It is really, really rich, and I like it best served a little warm with some whipped cream.

Ingredients

2 tbsp Butter

3 oz Unsweetened Chocolate

2 tbsp Flour

½ tsp Salt

3 Eggs

1 tsp Vanilla

¾ cup Sugar (White)

2 cups Pecan Halves

1 cup Dark Karo Syrup

Directions

Prepare the crust. To make it easy on yourself, you can use refrigerated crusts, which are a distant but still good second. To make a great homemade crust, use Martha Stewart’s awesome recipe .

Spray cooking spray in a pyrex measuring cup or microwave safe bowl. Microwave chocolate squares for 3 minutes or until they are melted. Watch the microwave carefully. Don’t let it keep going after it melts.

Add butter to melted chocolate. It can melt by itself or you can microwave it another 15 seconds.

In separate large bowl, mix sugar, salt, and flour. Stir in eggs and Karo syrup. Add Chocolate/Butter Mixture. Add Vanilla and Pecans and mix together.

Pour into pie shell. Bake at 350 for 60-70 minutes, until it slightly browned on top and a knife comes out clean.