Compliments of Martha Stewart

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, plus more for pan
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pan
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 cups packed light-brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
2 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup chopped walnuts (about 4 ounces)
1 cup toffee bits

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking pan. Line bottom of pan with parchment paper; butter and flour parchment paper.

2. In a saucepan over medium heat, cook the butter until it turns golden brown; remove from heat, and let cool. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.

3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine browned butter and both sugars; stir with a wooden spoon until combined. Attach bowl to mixer; add eggs. Using the paddle attachment, beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add vanilla, and beat to combine. Add flour mixture, walnuts, and toffee bits. Mix until thoroughly combined, and pour into prepared pan.

4. Bake until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes (do not overbake). Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before turning out of pan onto a cutting board. Peel off parchment paper; cut blondies into 3-inch squares. Blondies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days.

Recipe from Bonnie Moore, L’Academie de Cuisine

Ingredients:

For the topping-

1/2 medium pineapple, peeled, quartered lengthwise and cored

3/4 stick unsalted butter

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

For batter-

1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 teasppon vanilla

1 tablespoon dark rum

1/2 cup unsweetened pineapple juice

1. Preheat over to 350

2. Cut pineapple crosswise into 3/8 inch thick slices. Melt the butter in a 10-inch cast iron skillet. Add brown sugar and simmer over moderate heat, stirring unti; the sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat. Let cool for a few mintues. Arrange pineapple on top of sugar micture in concentric circles, filling in the spaces.

3. Sift together flour. baking powder and salt. Beat butter in a large bowl with electric mixer until light and fluffy, then gradually beat in sugar. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla and rum. Add half of flour mixture and beat on low speed until well blended. Beat in pineapple juice, then add remaining flour mixture, beating until just blended.

4. Spoon batter over pineapple topping and spread evenly. Bake cake in middle of oven until golden and a tester comes out clean- about 45 minutes. Let cake stand in skillet for 5 minutes. Invert a plate over skillet and invert cake onto palte.

5. Serve warm and enjoy!

Recipe from Bonnie Moore, L’Academie de Cuisine

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon hot sauce

1 teaspoon dried thyme

Salt and pepper

4 pieces each of chicken breasts, thighs, legs (all bone-in)

3 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 tablespoon salt

1 tablespoon dry mustard

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Oil for frying

1. In a small bowl- combine the buttermilk, hot sauce, thyme, salt and pepper. Add the chicken and turn to coat evenly in the marinade. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.

2. Fill a large pot halfway with oil and heat it over high heat. Adjust the heat to maintain the temp at 350.

3. Sift the flour, baking powder, salt, dry mustard, black and cayenne peppers onto a cookie sheet.

4. Add the chicken to the flour mixture and turn to coat evenly.

5. Shake off excess flour and carefully slip chicken into oil. Fry on each side for 7-8 minutes until deep golden brown and fully cooked. Transfer chicken onto rack. Serve warm,

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

4 ounces (1/4 pound) macaroni

1 tablespoon Olive Oil

2 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 tablespoon minced shallots

3 cups heavy cream

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Salt and pepper to taste

1 cup freshly grated AGED Gouda cheese

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

**you can use any aged cheese but it needs to be the harder, grateable version

1. Cook the macaroni in boiling water for about 4 minutes or until the pasta is half-cooked. Drain the pasta and put in small bowl. Add some olive oil to pasta and toss so it won’t stick together.

2. In a medium saucepan over medium heat- melt the butter. Add the shallots, garlic and sweat for 5 minutes- stirring occasionally- being careful not to brown them. Add the cream, bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to simmer. Cook until the cream has reduced by one-quarter and it coats the back of a spoon.

3. Whisk in the grated cheese and cook for a minute or until the cheese is melted and the mixture is smooth. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.

4. Add the partially cooked macaroni. Simmer and stir until the mixture thickens and the pasta is cooked.

Recipe from Bonnie Moore, L’Academie de Cuisine

Ingredients:

1 cup all puurpose flour

1 tablespoon Kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

3 eggs

2 cups Panko flakes

1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning

3 large green tomatoes, cored and cut into12 x 1/4 inch slices (**note- we could only find small green tomatoes and they worked too!)

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, salt and pepper. In a second bowl, beat the eggs ith 2 tablespoons water. In a third bowl, combine the flakes, Cajun seasoning and add some additional salt.

2. Dredge each tomato slice the the flour, then the egg, then the flakes. Place on a large plate or cookie sheet.

3. In a large skillet, heat half the oil on high heat until almost smoking. Lower the heat to medium, carefully put slices into pan. Fry for 2 minutes on each side and golden brown. Remove from pan and drain on paper towel. Repeat until all slices completed.

4. Top with Remoulade and enjoy!

Remoulade Recipe:

1 large egg yolk

4 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1 cup vegetable or canola oil

Juice of 1/2 lemon or to taste

1 tablespoon finely chopped shallots

1 tablespoon finely chopped cornichon (mini french pickles)

1 to 2 tablespoons ketchup

salt and cayenne pepper

1. To make the homemade mayonnaise, whisk the egg yolk and Dijon mustard together in a stainless steel bowl. Very slowly whisk in the oil.

2. To make it into the Remoulade- whisk in the remaining ingredients.

Recipe from Bonnie Moore, L’Academie de Cuisine

Ingredients:

1 head Iceberg lettuce

1 cup Blue Cheese Dressing (recipe below)

1/2 cup crumbled Blue Cheese

4 strips cooked bacon, chopped

12 grape tomatoes, halved

1. Cut the lettuce in half and then cut each half into 3 wedges. Remove the core.

2. Place each wedge on a palte and drizzle with dressing. Garnish with remaining cheese, bacon and tomatoes.

For the dressing:

1 large egg yolk

4 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1 cup vegetable or canola oil

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Hot Sauce, to taste

Salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese

Buttermilk

1. To make the homemade mayonnaise, whisk the egg yolk and Dijon mustard together in a stainless steel bowl. Very slowly whisk in the oil.

2. Stir in the lemon juice, hot sauce, blue cheese, salt and pepper. Adjust to the desired consistency with buttermilk.

Recipe from Bonnie Moore, L’Academie de Cuisine

Ingredients:

4 ounces puff pastry

12 mini hot dogs

1/2 grates sharp cheddar or gouda cheese

1 egg, well beaten with a pinch of salt

Ketchup or mustard for dipping

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Roll out puff pastry and cut into 12 x 3 inch squares.

3. Place a hot dog and a spoonful of cheese in the center of each dough square. Roll the dough around the hto dog and seal the dough with egg. Place seam-side down on a parchment lined baking sheet.

4. Bake until a golden brown, about 20 to 25 minutes. You might have to turn your oven down to 350 to make sure the pastry is baked.

5. Serve with dipping sauces.

Ingredients

Ingredients:
2 cups canned chick-peas or cooked chickpeas
3 tablespoons tahini
4 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup warm water
1 extra large head of garlic
1 lemon, juice of
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Preheat oven to 375°F Cut off the very top of the garlic clove (about 1/4″) so that the tops of most of the cloves are exposed slightly. Coat with a little olive oil and wrap securely in tin foil. Roast garlic in oven for 1 hour. Remove and allow cool.

Using your fingers, squeeze the soft, roasted garlic out of each clove into food processor (this is easily done when the garlic has cooled completely). Set aside 3 garlic cloves for later use. Rinse and drain chickpeas. Add them, and all other ingredients except olive oil and the 3 roasted garlic cloves you set aside, to the food processor and blend until completely smooth.

Scrape ingredients off sides of food processor to make sure it blends evenly. Finally add a tablespoon of olive oil at a time until you have reached the desired consistency. Add it very slowly, allowing the mixture to combine fully before adding more liquid. For a tasty garnish, mince the 3 roasted garlic cloves you set aside and toss in a tiny bit of olive oil and place on top of hummus.

Serve at room temperature with pita, crackers, or veggies. Also you can add it as a condiment to a wrap! Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to a week.

Lemonade Cupcakes

Ingredients:

1 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
Pinch salt
1/2 c. granulated sugar
1/4 c. vegetable oil
2 egg whites
1/3 c. thawed frozen Lemonade Concentrate
1/4 c. buttermilk
yellow food coloring

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line muffin pan with liners. In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, oil, egg whites and lemonade concentrate. Alternately whisk in flour mixture and buttermilk, making three additions of flour mixture and two of buttermilk, beating until just smooth.
3. Add just enough food coloring to turn the batter a light shade of yellow.
4. Scoop batter into liners (fill about three-fourths full). Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until tops of cupcakes spring back when lightly touched. Let cool in pan on rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and let cool completely on rack. Top cooled cupcakes with frosting (see below).

Lemonade Buttercream:
3 c. + 3 Tbsp. confectioner’s sugar
1 stick unsalted butter at room temperature
1/8 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. lemonade concentrate
yellow food coloring

1. Add the butter, confectioner’s sugar, salt, lemon juice, and a few drops of food coloring to the stand mixer and mix on low using the paddle attachment until combined.
2. Turn the speed to med-high until the buttercream is fluffy and uniformly yellow. Pipe or spread onto cooled cupcakes. If you have fruit around, top with strawberry, raspberry or blueberry!