Mistletoe Martini

 Pitcher:

12 oz. vodka

12 oz. cranberry juice (not cocktail)

4 oz. St. Germaine elderflower liqueur

4 oz simple syrup or agave syrup

Garnish individual rocks glasses with ice and with frozen cranberries and sprigs of mint

Mix in pitcher for individual pours.

Agave Old Fashioned

 

Ingredients:

• 2 oz double aged bourbon

• 0.5 oz agave syrup

• 1 dash Angostura bitters

• 1 orange slice

• 1 Luxardo cherry

• Ice

Directions:

1. Muddle the orange slice and Luxardo cherry in a glass.

2. Add the bourbon, agave syrup, and bitters.

3. Fill the glass with ice and stir well.

4. Garnish with an orange slice and a cherry.

Enjoy your Agave Old Fashioned! 🍸

Does this sound like what you were looking for?

scale up 8 times please

Of course! Here is the Agave Old Fashioned recipe scaled up 8 times:

Agave Old Fashioned (for 8 servings)

Ingredients:

• 16 oz double aged bourbon

• 4 oz agave syrup (or 2 oz. each agave and orange liqueur)

• 8 dashes Angostura bitters (or mix wih orange bitters)

• 8 orange slices

• 8 Luxardo cherries - if you are feeling rich. These were $20 at state store)

• Ice (for serving)

Directions:

1. Muddle the 8 orange slices and 8 Luxardo cherries in a large pitcher.

2. Add the bourbon, agave syrup, and bitters to the pitcher.

3. Fill the pitcher with ice and stir well.

4. Serve in individual glasses, garnishing each with an orange slice and a cherry.

Enjoy sharing this delightful cocktail with your friends! 

Tuna Noodle Casserole

 

Tuna Noodle Casserole made from scratch, without using canned soup. This version features a creamy béchamel sauce and is perfect for a comforting meal.

Ingredients

For the Casserole

• 12 oz egg noodles
• 2 ( or 3) cans (10 oz total) tuna in oil or water, drained
• 1 bag frozen peas (optional)
• 2 jars pimientos
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

For the Béchamel Sauce

• ¼ cup unsalted butter
• 1 cup diced yellow onion
• 1 cup diced celery
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• ½ teaspoon coriander
• ½ teaspoon white pepper
• ½ teaspoon dry mustard

Optional Toppings

• ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
• 2 tablespoons melted butter (for breadcrumbs)

Instructions

Step 1: Cook the Noodles

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
2. Add the egg noodles and cook until al dente, about 1 minute less than package instructions. Drain and set aside.

Step 2: Make the Béchamel Sauce

1. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium-high heat.
2. Add the diced onion and celery; sauté until soft and translucent, about 3-4 minutes.
3. Stir in the flour and cook for about 2 minutes until it smells toasted.
4. Gradually whisk in the chicken broth and milk, along with garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Continue cooking while whisking until the sauce thickens, about 4-5 minutes.

Step 3: Combine All Ingredients

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooked noodles, drained tuna, frozen peas, and shredded cheese.
2. Pour the béchamel sauce over the mixture and stir until everything is well combined.

Step 4: Bake the Casserole

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
2. Transfer the mixture to a greased 9x13-inch casserole dish.
3. If using, mix panko breadcrumbs with melted butter and sprinkle over the top.
4. Bake for about 25 minutes or until bubbly and golden on top.

 

Drop Biscuits

 

Drop Biscuits from Erin Jeanne McDowell

INGREDIENTS

360 g / 3 cups all purpose flour

39 g / 3 tablespoons brown sugar

15 g / 1 tablespoon baking powder

3 g / ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt

113 g / 8 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into ½ inch / 1 cm cubes

226 g / 1 cup buttermilk

56 g / 1 large egg

egg wash, as needed for finishing (see Note)

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F / 190°C with the racks in the upper and lower thirds. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt to combine. Add the butter, breaking up the cubes as you add them to the bowl. Pulse until the butter is almost fully blended into the flour; the mixture should resemble a coarse meal.

3. In a liquid measuring cup, whisk the buttermilk and egg to combine. Add to the food processor and pulse until a sticky dough forms.

4. Using a heaping ¼ cup / #16 scoop (see Note), scoop the batter onto the prepared baking sheets, staggering the rows and leaving at least 2 inch / 5 cm between the biscuits. If desired, egg-wash the biscuits.

5. Bake until the biscuits start to show some browning, 25-28 minutes. When you gently press a biscuit in the center, it should spring back slightly.

6. Cool for at least 10 minutes before serving warm, or cool completely and serve at room temperature.

Texas Sheet Cake - America's Test Kitchen

 Tastes better than Aunt June's!

Cake:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour = ~240 grams

• 2 cups sugar = ~400 grams

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda = ~2.5 grams

• 1/2 teaspoon salt = ~3 grams

• 2 large eggs plus 2 yolks = ~135 grams

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract = ~8 grams

• 1/4 cup sour cream = ~60 grams

• 8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped = ~226 grams

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter = ~56 grams

• 3/4 cup vegetable oil = ~180 grams

• 3/4 cup water = ~180 grams

• 1/2 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder = ~50 grams

Chocolate Icing:

• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter = ~113 grams

• 1/2 cup heavy cream = ~120 grams

• 1/2 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder = ~50 grams

• 1 tablespoon light corn syrup = ~20 grams

• 3 cups confectioners' sugar = ~360 grams

• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract = ~12 grams

• 1 cup toasted pecans, chopped = ~100 grams

INSTRUCTIONS

1. For the cake: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 18- by 13-inch rimmed baking sheet. Combine flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in large bowl. Whisk eggs and yolks, vanilla, and sour cream in another bowl until smooth.

2. Heat chocolate, butter, oil, water, and cocoa in large saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until smooth, 3 to 5 minutes. Whisk chocolate mixture into flour mixture until incorporated. Whisk egg mixture into batter, then pour into prepared baking pan. Bake until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer to wire rack.

3. For the icing: About 5 minutes before cake is done, heat butter, cream, cocoa, and corn syrup in large saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until smooth. Off heat, whisk in confectioners’ sugar and vanilla. Spread warm icing evenly over hot cake and sprinkle with pecans. Let cake cool to room temperature on wire rack, about 1 hour, then refrigerate until icing is set, about 1 hour longer. (Cake can be wrapped in plastic and refrigerated for up to 2 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.) Cut into 3-inch squares. Serve.

Instant Mashed Potato Gnocchi Al Forno | America's Test Kitchen

 Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees.Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees.Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees.

Instant Mashed Potato Gnocchi Al Forno

SERVES Serves 4

TIME1¾ hours

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

Gnocchi are both delicious and fun, and they can actually be easy to make—with a little help from a convenience product. We simply combined instant mashed potato flakes, all-purpose flour, salt, water, and a whole egg and stirred until the mixture formed a ball. After a 3-minute rest for the potato flakes and flour to fully hydrate and the dough to relax, we kneaded the dough and gave it another quick rest. Then we divided the dough into six even pieces and rolled each piece into a ¾-inch-thick log before cutting it into ¾-inch dumplings. We shaped the dumplings, added them to salted boiling water, and cooked them for about 1½ minutes. Then we tossed them with a simple tomato-basil sauce; dolloped them with ricotta cheese; covered them with whole-milk mozzarella; and broiled everything until the top was melted, gooey, and beginning to have some browned spots. These gnocchi also keep wonderfully in the freezer, extending their shelf life and making a future dinner even quicker if you make a batch to eat now and one to freeze. With this recipe and technique in hand, you'll be making gnocchi regularly at home instead of waiting for a night out.

INGREDIENTS

Gnocchi

2 cups (4 ounces) plain instant mashed potato flakes

1 cup (5 ounces) all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons table salt, plus salt for cooking gnocchi

1½ cups water

1 large egg

Sauce

2 tablespoons

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce

1 teaspoon sugar

¼ teaspoon pepper

¼ teaspoon

½ cup fresh basil leaves, torn into ½-inch pieces

½ cup

1 ½ cups shredded

*

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

For this recipe we used Idahoan Original Mashed Potatoes. Do not use flavored instant mashed potato flakes. It is important to knead the dough to the texture of Play-Doh in step 2, or it will be too tender and difficult to roll into ropes. In step 3, be sure to very lightly dust the counter with flour before rolling the dough into ropes to keep them from sticking. A good-quality jarred marinara, such as Rao's, can be substituted for the canned tomato sauce. Be sure to use a broiler-safe skillet.

1

INSTRUCTIONS

FOR GNOCCHI: Whisk potato flakes, flour, and salt together in large bowl. Whisk water and egg together in separate bowl. Add water mixture to potato flake mixture and stir with wooden spoon until fully combined and mixture forms dough ball. Let sit for 3 minutes for potato flakes and flour to hydrate.

2

Turn out dough onto lightly floured counter and knead until dough has texture of Play-Doh and springs back halfway when poked with your finger, about 3 minutes. Lightly dust dough with flour and let rest on counter for 5 minutes.

3

Divide dough into 6 equal pieces. On very lightly floured counter, roll 1 piece into ¾-inch-thick rope. Lightly dust rope with flour. Using floured bench scraper, cut rope crosswise into ¾-inch pieces; transfer gnocchi to lightly floured rimmed baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough pieces.

4

Press gnocchi, cut side down, on tines of fork, then roll downward to create grooves. If dough sticks, dust your thumb and fork with flour. Return gnocchi to sheet.

5

FOR THE SAUCE: Adjust oven rack to 8 inches from broiler element and heat broiler. Combine oil and garlic in 12-inch broiler-safe skillet. Cook over medium heat until garlic is fragrant and just beginning to turn golden, about 2 minutes. Carefully stir in tomato sauce, sugar, pepper, and oregano. Bring to simmer, then remove from heat. Stir in basil. Cover to keep warm.

6

Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon salt to boiling water. Add half of gnocchi, then stir gently to keep from sticking. Simmer until just cooked through and gnocchi float to top, about 1½ minutes. Using spider skimmer or slotted spoon, transfer gnocchi to skillet with sauce. Return water to boil and repeat with remaining gnocchi.

7

Toss gnocchi and sauce together in skillet. Dollop ricotta evenly over top. Sprinkle mozzarella over ricotta. Broil until cheese is evenly browned, about 3 minutes. Let sit for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with Parmesan and serve.

8

TO MAKE AHEAD: At end of step 4, gnocchi can be frozen on sheet. Once frozen, transfer to airtight container or zipper lock bag and keep frozen for up to 1 month. Cook from frozen and increase cooking time to 3 minutes.

Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe (ATK)

 Dry ingredients:

2 cups all purpose flour (250 g)

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

 

Wet ingredients:

1.5 cups brown sugar (275 g)

1 cup creamy peanut butter (250 g) (I used Jif)

2 Tbs honey (45 g)

1 tsp vanilla extract

4 Tbs melted butter (53 g)

2 eggs

 

1/2 cup roasted peanuts (chopped) (60 grams)

 

Whisk together dry ingredients.

Whisk together wet ingredients.

Add chopped peanuts to wet ingredients.

Add dry to wet ingredients.

Fold until just combined.

Scoop and roll into ball. (24 cookies, about 45 grams each)

Flatten to 2 inch diameter.

 

Bake at 350°F for 10-12 minutes (rotate halfway)

For bar cookies:

Strongly consider adding:

1 cup dark chocolate chips/chunks

Then:

Line 13 x 9 pan with Parchment paper. (cut corners at 45 degree angles, then slip into place.)

Press into pan with wet fingers.

Bake 18 - 22 minutes. (Rotate pan at 10 minutes or so.)

You can test with toothpick, should come out with just a few crumbs or none.

(I used all clad pan, so your time may vary.)

Total 3800 cal; 160 per cookie.

Adapted from

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NVe41gu3fpw