London Fog Cookies

Okay I know these look a little different. But trust me, if you've ever had a London Fog a.k.a. Newfoundland Fog (From kicking horse cafe) a.k.a Earl Grey Tea Latte (from Starbucks), You will LOVE these. I know because I love London Fogs and these taste just like one so I'm pretty excited about it :)

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
8 earl grey tea bags
1 cup butter
3/4 sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp vanilla

STIR flour with baking powder, baking soda, tea and salt. Set aside.
BEAT butter with sugar in a large bowl using an electric mixer on medium high, until fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Gradually beat in flour mixture, just until combined.
DIVIDE dough in half, then roll each portion into a 2" wide log. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill until firm, 1 1/2 hours.

POSITION racks in top and bottom third of oven. Preheat to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.

SLICE cookies into 1/4" rounds and arrange 1" apart on cookie sheets. Bake for about 11 minutes. Switching cookie sheets around halfway through. Let cookies cool

WHISK 1/2 cup icing sugar, 1 Tbsp of milk and 1/8 tsp of vanilla together. Brush a thin layer of icing on each cookie.

Salted Orange Toffee Slices

These are so good. I think they're a little more sophisticated then your standard holiday cookie. So, you know feel free to eat a handful with a glass of milk if you want to or make them for a fancy party!

³⁄4 cup unsalted butter at room temperature  
¹⁄2 cup sugar  
¹⁄2 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 tsp finely grated orange zest
1 egg at room temperature
2 cups all purpose flour  
¹⁄2 tsp baking soda  
¹⁄2 cup crunchy toffee bits such as Skor bits
fine sea salt for sprinkling


BEAT the butter, sugar, brown sugar and orange zest together until smooth. Add the egg and beat until combined.
SIFT in the flour and baking soda and stir until blended, then stir in the toffee bits.
SHAPE the dough into two logs about 9 inches long and 2 inches across and wrap in plastic wrap. Once wrapped, gently flatten the dough on 4 sides, to create a square shape. Chill the dough for at least 2 hours before baking.
PREHEAT the oven to 350°F and line 3 baking trays with parchment paper.
SLICE the logs into cookies that are ¹⁄4 inch wide and place them onto the prepared trays, leaving 2 inches between each cookie (these do spread as they bake). Sprinkle the top of each cookie with a little bit of sea salt.
BAKE the cookies for about 13 minutes, until they have browned just lightly on the bottom. Cool the cookies on the tray and then store in an airtight container.

makes about 4 dozen cookies

Deviled Chicken Drumsticks

These are so frickin' delicious you have no idea! But you will once you make them. Which you want to, I know. They're super juicy and crunchy with a kick.

12 chicken drumsticks (2 1/2 to 3 pounds total)
1/2 cup Dijon mustard
3/4 cup panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
3/4 cup grated Parmesan Cheese (NOT POWDERED!)
3/4 teaspoon cayenne
salt and pepper
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

PREHEAT oven to 450°F with rack in upper third.

PAT chicken dry, then toss with mustard until evenly coated.

STIR together panko, cheese, cayenne, and 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Drizzle with butter and toss.

DREDGE each drumstick in crumb mixture to coat, then arrange, without crowding, in a buttered large 4-sided sheet pan. Roast until chicken is browned and cooked through, about 30 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature. 

If you want them really hot try substituting hot chili oil instead of the butter.

Sweet and Sour Chicken Thighs with Carrots

This one surprised me. The cinnamon in this just is amazing. Probably one of my favorite dishes to make and eat. Give it a try and I'm sure you will agree. A little bit sweet, sour and savory. A perfect combination and another recipe from my favorite magazine that has many spilled drops of sauce and such on it. Sometimes the pages stick together but seriously never getting rid of it. ever. too good. 

What you need:

8 small chicken thighs with skin and bone (2 1/2 to 2 3/4 lb total), trimmed of excess fat
2 teaspoons salt
1 1/4 teaspoons paprika
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, halved lengthwise, then cut lengthwise into1/4-inch-wide strips
1 lb carrots (6 medium), cut diagonally into 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons mild honey
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh cilantro

PAT chicken dry. Stir together 1 1/2 teaspoons salt with paprika, cinnamon, and pepper and rub onto chicken.

HEAT oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then brown chicken in 2 batches, turning over once, about 10 minutes per batch. Transfer chicken as browned to a plate.

DISCARD all but 3 tablespoons fat from skillet, then add onion and carrots. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened and beginning to brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, 1 minute.

RETURN chicken, skin sides up, to skillet, nestling it into vegetables. Stir together water, lemon juice, and honey until blended and add to skillet, then cook over moderately low heat, covered, until chicken is cooked through and carrots are tender, 25 to 30 minutes. If necessary, skim fat from sauce, then add salt to taste.
SERVE on its own or with rice.

Boston Cream Pie

Not actually a pie, but a cake inspired from my favorite doughnut!! I made this for my moms birthday cake and everyone loved it. I scoured for hours for the best yellow cake recipe and I think I really got the best one. I could of eaten the whole thing my self. Vanilla pastry cream filling and a dark chocolate ganache for the top.....Need I say more??? Please don't cheat and use a cake mix if you decide to try this one it is NOT going to be near as good and you will be missing out on the real deal. Betty Crocker has nothing on this!

For the cake: (Yellow Cake)
4 cups + 2 Tbsp of flour (cake flour is best)
2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup unsalted butter (room temp)
2 cups sugar
2 tsp vanilla
4 lg eggs
2 cups buttermilk

PREHEAT oven to 350 degrees F. and grease 2 x 9" cake pans.
SIFT together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
IN large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium until light and fluffy, then beat in vanilla. Add eggs one a time beating well after each additon. At low speed beat in buttermilk just until combined (will look curdled)
ADD flour mixture in 3 batches, mixing until each addition is just incorporated.
SPREAD batter evenly in cake pans and tap on counter to remove air bubbles.
Bake 35-40 minutes.

Vanilla Pastry Cream (filling)
1/2 Tbsp butter
1 cup whole milk
1 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup + 3 Tbsp of sugar
2 Tbsp cornstarch
3 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
big pinch of salt

COMBINE eggs, sugar and cornstarch and whisk until ribbons form. Set aside.
ADD cream, milk and butter to a medium saucepan and bring to boil.
TURN heat to low and pour in egg mixture and whisk for one minute. Turn off heat and strain through a fine mesh strainer.
ADD vanilla and salt and cover plastic wrap directly on surface of pastry cream. Chill overnight.

Chocolate Ganache (Topping)
4 oz high quality dark chocolate, roughly chopped
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 tsp butter

HEAT up cream and butter until hot and pour over chocolate in a bowl and whisk until very smooth and glossy. Pour over cake!

Upside Down Apple Cornmeal Cakes

What you need

3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon pieces, plus additional for greasing
3 Gala apples
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
3/4 cup whole milk

PUT oven rack in upper third of oven and preheat oven to 425°F. Butter muffin cups. Peel and core apples, then cut into 1/3-inch dice.

HEAT 2 tablespoons butter in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat until foam subsides, then cook apples, brown sugar, and lemon juice, stirring occasionally, until liquid is reduced to a glaze and apples are tender, 5 to 6 minutes.

STIR in pecans and divide apple mixture among muffin cups.

PULSE together flour, cornmeal, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt in a food processor until combined. Add remaining 4 tablespoons butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal with some small (roughly pea-size) butter lumps.

WHISK together egg and milk in a large bowl. Add flour mixture and whisk until just combined.

DIVIDE batter among muffin cups and bake until golden and a wooden pick or skewer inserted into center of a cake comes out clean, 15 to 20 minutes.

RUN a paring knife around edge of each cake to loosen. Invert rack over muffin cups, then invert cakes onto rack. Serve warm with a dollop of whipped cream.