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65 Inspiring Kitchen Island Ideas — Apartment Therapy
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Monthly Archives: December 2016
10 Classic Cookie Recipes — Recipes from The Kitchn
(Image credit: Lauren Volo)
Every holiday season comes with a new cookie to add to the cookie plate. But between the fanfare and novelty, there are the timeless treats we turn to again and again, year after year. Every holiday need a little tradition — both new and old, and the same goes for nostalgia. So this year, as you start your cookie baking, consider the classics. From chewy chocolate chip to buttery spritz cookies to nutty Mexican wedding cookies, these are the 10 classic cookie recipes that deserve a spot on your cookie plate.
9 Tips for Hosting a Cozy “Crappy Dinner Party” — Apartment Therapy
A Guide to Using Extracts and Oils in Your Holiday Baking — Baking Tips from The Kitchn
The Better-than-Annie’s Mac and Cheese Mix to Give for the Holidays — Bite-Sized Gifts
The comfort that comes from a big bowl of macaroni and cheese can’t be beat. So forget granola and chocolate bark and give the gift of mac and cheese this holiday season. But don’t simply wrap up a box of Annie’s and call it a day — it’s the holidays, after all. This DIY kit is not only more festive, but it also cooks up to be a way better version of the usual boxed mixes.
5 Ways to Make a Mason Jar Feel Gift-Worthy — Bite-Sized Gifts
If you haven’t already noticed, Mason jars continue to be everywhere, whether they’re used as a water glass or to transport your lunch salad. They also make for a rustic, practical, and affordable vessel for food gifts. Load them with granola, or pancake mix and consider that long list of gifts you need for family and friends taken care of. But while it’s really what’s on the inside that counts, it’s the holidays, so spend a few extra minutes dressing up the outside as well. Here are five easy ways to make your Mason jar food gifts feel extra-festive this time of year.
Powdered Cheddar Cheese Is Going to Change How You Make Mac and Cheese — Tips from The Kitchn
When it comes to making an ultra-creamy pot of mac and cheese from scratch, the easiest solution lies not in the fridge, but in your pantry. Instead of stocking the fridge with blocks of cheddar and its ilk, consider adding powdered cheddar cheese to the pantry. It cooks into the same rich, cheesy sauce you expect, with the satisfying nostalgia of the boxed stuff of your youth (and none of the worry about what’s exactly in the box). Plus, having your own stash of powdered cheese means you can amp up the cheese factor or mellow it out to your liking.
homemade irish cream
Look, we all have to draw the line somewhere. I have over the years insisted that making some things from scratch were just crazy, best left to others, and one by one come around and worse, as if I’d forgotten my repudiation of five minutes earlier like some sort of toddler, extolled the virtues of doing so. Cases in point: Graham crackers, marshmallows, bagels, dulce de leche, pop tarts, rainbow cookies, goldfish crackers, apple strudel, fully from-scratch hot fudge sundae cakes and Russian honey cakes but if you were to suggest I should make my own yogurt, croissants or sushi, despite the fact that I would be delighted if you made any of these things, doubly so if you brought some to me right now, I would probably rather unpack the last box from our last move (two-plus years ago), not even jokingly labeled “Unfiled Files.” Look, we all have to draw the line somewhere. I mean, what’s next if I cross these lines? Milling my own flours? Smoking my own pork belly? Making our own Bailey’s-style Irish cream?
Well, actually: yes. And here I go again: But it was so easy! You could and totally should do this at home! I had heard over the years that you could make this at home easily but — and I think this is the fulcrum on which we balance our yup/nope choices to cook things that amply exist outside our kitchens — I wasn’t unhappy with what I could buy (Bailey’s) so why would I bother? Irish cream has always been a favorite cold-weather indulgence, in or outside coffee. I’ve even made french toast with it. We always have a bottle around. But in the last couple years, I’ve found it almost too sweet to drink and I guess you could say we were on a break.
5 Important Tips for the Paleo Baker — Baking Tips from The Kitchn
Despite the restrictions that come with a Paleo diet, you can still enjoy baked goods. The key to cooking up successful sweets is knowing how to make the right ingredients work for you. Here are five important tips all Paleo bakers need to know.
How To Brown Butter — Cooking Lessons from The Kitchn
Imagine making butter taste better without adding anything to it. Imagine butter cooked slowly over low heat, its milk solids caramelizing, giving it a nutty sweetness. You get all this from brown butter.
Browning butter is a rather simple kitchen task, but it produces stunning results. So grab a few sticks of butter and a small saucepan and let’s upgrade our beloved butter to fragrant, nutty brown butter ready to be used in a batch of fast and fancy sugar cookies, the sauce for pasta, or an elegant dip and spread for your roasted vegetables.