Millionaire's Shortbread via ATK YouTube

Makes one 9×13-inch pan · Three layers: shortbread, caramel, chocolate

Equipment: 9×13-inch pan, aluminum foil, fork, metal spatula, saucepan, whisk, candy thermometer, microwave-safe bowl, serrated knife

Original video here.

 

1. Shortbread Base

Ingredients

•         2½ cups all-purpose flour (355 g)

•         ½ cup granulated sugar (100 g)

•         ¾ teaspoon salt (4 g)

•         16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted (227 g)

Instructions

1.       Heat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9×13-inch pan with foil.

2.       In a bowl, combine the flour, sugar, and salt.

3.       Stir in the melted butter until the mixture forms a dough.

4.       Press the dough evenly into the lined pan.

5.       Prick the surface all over with a fork to keep it from bubbling.

6.       Bake 25–30 minutes, until light golden brown.

7.       While still warm, press the crust down firmly with a metal spatula so it holds together. Let cool.

 

2. Caramel Filling

Ingredients

•         1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk (397 g)

•         1 cup (7 oz) packed brown sugar (200 g)

•         ½ cup corn syrup (165 g)

•         8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces (113 g)

•         ½ teaspoon salt (3 g)

•         ½ cup heavy cream (115 g)

Instructions

1.       Whisk all the ingredients together in a saucepan over medium heat.

2.       Cook, stirring occasionally, until the caramel reaches 236–239°F on a candy thermometer (about 16–20 minutes).

3.       Pour over the cooled shortbread base and spread evenly.

4.       Let cool completely, at least 1½ hours.

 

3. Chocolate Topping

Ingredients

•         6 oz bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped (170 g)

•         2 oz bittersweet chocolate, finely grated (57 g)

Instructions

1.       Microwave the 6 oz (170 g) chopped chocolate at 50% power, stirring every 15 seconds, until just melted.

2.       Stir in the 2 oz (57 g) grated chocolate until smooth (this tempers the chocolate so it sets with a clean snap).

3.       Spread a thin, even layer over the set caramel.

4.       Refrigerate 10 minutes to set.

5.       Lift out of the pan using the foil and slice with a serrated knife.

Chimichurri Sauce Recipe from The Forked Spoon

 Chimichurri Sauce Recipe from The Forked Spoon

Ingredients 

• ▢1 cup parsley, flat-leaf parsley
• ▢8 cloves garlic, minced
• ▢2 small shallot, finely minced, optional
• ▢2 teaspoon dried oregano  Fresh oregano
• ▢1 small red chile, seeded and diced (or 2 tsp red pepper flakes)
• ▢6 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• ▢2 teaspoon salt (maybe 1 tsp and taste)
• ▢1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• ▢1 ⅓ cup Extra-virgin olive oil

Instructions 

• Food processor option:
• Add parsley, garlic, shallot, oregano, vinegar, chile, salt, and pepper to a small food processor and pulse just until chopped (do not blend into a paste). Transfer to a bowl and stir in the olive oil by hand.
• I added enough oil and pureed enough to make this suitable for a squeeze bottle.
• Rest: Let the chimichurri sit for 15 minutes at room temperature so the flavors meld.
• Serve: Stir again and serve as a sauce, dip, or marinade.

Indian Spiced Beef & Peas (Keema Matar)

Based on Milk Street Tuesday Night Cookbook

Start to Finish: 40 minutes Servings: 4

Ingredients

14.5 oz can whole peeled tomatoes (or crushed) 2 tbsp tomato paste 3 tbsp ghee or other neutral oil 1 large red onion, finely chopped (or some more) 4 medium garlic cloves, finely grated 4 tsp fresh ginger, finely grated (or some more) 3 tbsp garam masala Kosher salt and ground black pepper 1 lb 90% lean ground beef 2 cups frozen peas (or a 10 oz. or 16 oz. bag of frozen peas) 1/4 cup plain whole‑milk yogurt, plus more to serve 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

Notes Use 16 oz (2 cups) tomatoes if measuring from a carton Use about 1 tsp salt Break up the beef before adding peas

Instructions

1. In a medium bowl, crush the tomatoes into small pieces. Stir in 1/2 cup water and the tomato paste; set aside.

2. In a 12‑inch skillet over medium‑high, heat the oil until shimmering. Reserve 1/4 cup of the onion, then add the rest to the skillet. Cook, stirring, until softened and beginning to brown, about 6 minutes.

3. Add the garlic and ginger and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute.

4. Reduce heat to low. Add the garam masala and 1/2 tsp black pepper; cook, stirring constantly, for about 30 seconds.

5. Stir in the tomato mixture. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook, stirring and scraping up any spices, until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.

6. Break the ground beef into 1–2 inch pieces and add on top of the tomato mixture. Do not stir. Sprinkle with 1 tsp salt, cover, reduce to medium‑low, and cook until the beef is no longer pink on the exterior, about 6 minutes.

7. Break up the beef before adding peas. Then stir in the peas and cook uncovered, breaking up the beef, until the meat is fully cooked and no longer pink, about 4 minutes.

8. Remove from the heat, cover, and let stand for 5 minutes. Let cool slightly, then stir in the yogurt (to avoid curdling).

9. Serve topped with the chopped cilantro, the reserved onion, and extra yogurt.

10. Great with naan and basic cooked basmati rice.

*NOT* THE TOM CRUISE COCONUT CAKE — 9 INCH, SINGLE BOX CAKE MIX, GHEE VERSION

This is NOT the Tom Cruise pound cake version. This is a more traditional style coconut cake.

 Ingredients (Volume + Grams)

White cake mix — 1 box (380 g)
Coconut pudding mix — 1 box (90 g)
Buttermilk — 1 cup (240 g)
Coconut milk — 1/2 cup (120 g)
Melted ghee — 1/2 cup (110 g)
Melted white chocolate — 1/2 cup (90 g) (already too sweet - skip next time)
Eggs — 3 large (150 g)
Coconut extract — 1 tsp (4 g)  Optional - we have not found a coconut extract we like yet, so, skipping it until we do!)
Sweetened shredded coconut, finely chopped — 1/2 cup (40 g) (Same, use unsweetened next time.)

Batter Weight
Total batter: 1,225 g about 1150 g
Per 9-inch pan: 612 g about 575 g

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line two 9-inch pans.
2. Combine cake mix and pudding mix.
3. Add buttermilk, coconut milk, melted ghee, melted white chocolate, eggs, and coconut extract.
4. Mix until smooth.
5. Fold in chopped sweetened coconut.
6. Weigh 612 g batter into each pan.
7. Bake 25–35 minutes; start checking at 25.
8. Doneness: center springs back, toothpick clean, edges slightly pull away.
9. Cool completely before frosting. 

Cream Cheese Frosting (Perfect for 9‑inch, 2‑layer cake)

Ingredients (Volume + Grams)

Cream cheese, softened — 8 oz

Unsalted butter, softened — 1/2 cup, 1 stick

Powdered sugar — 3 - 4 cups

Vanilla extract — 1 tsp → 4 g

Salt — pinch → <1 g

Instructions

1. Beat cream cheese and butter together until completely smooth and fluffy.
2. Add powdered sugar gradually, mixing on low until incorporated.
3. Add vanilla and salt.
4. Whip on medium‑high for 1–2 minutes until light and creamy.
5. Frost cooled cakes.
6. Press sweetened toasted coconut onto the sides and top.

 Toasted Coconut

2 cups coconut spread into sheet pan. 

Bake at 300 for 10 - 2- minutes. 

Watch closely, it will burn quickly.

Hobnobs (Copycat)– U.S. Version

 A crisp, oaty biscuit in the British tradition — adapted for U.S. ingredients with King Arthur White Whole Wheat flour and golden syrup.

INGREDIENTS

DRY INGREDIENTS

200 g — Whole wheat flour (KA White Whole Wheat)

200 g — Old fashioned rolled oats (To get closer to the package version, pulse these a few times in the food processor for smaller bits.)

100 g — Granulated sugar

100 g — Light brown sugar

6 g — Baking soda

4 g — Kosher salt

WET INGREDIENTS

200 g — Unsalted butter, melted

80 g — Golden syrup (see notes)

OPTIONAL: 10–20 g — Milk

 METHOD

 

1. Combine all dry ingredients in a large bowl and whisk to blend.
2. In a small saucepan or microwave-safe bowl, melt butter with golden syrup until smooth. Let cool slightly.
3. Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until just beginning to come together.
4. OPTIONAL (see note below) : Add 5 g of milk and mix until a cohesive dough forms. If the dough appears dry or crumbly, add up to 5 g more milk. Do not overmix.

5.    Portion the dough into 28–30 g balls (about 32 total).

6. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and flatten each ball lightly with your palm or the bottom of a glass.
7. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 12–14 minutes, until golden at the edges. (A little longer makes a crisper cookie, so your call!)
8. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. They will crisp as they cool.

For Milk or Dark Chocolate Hobnobs: Melt chocolate or "Couveture" candy making chocolate in top of double boiler and spoon on the hobnobs. Spooning on them bottom side (flat side) up is recommended. then spread with knife and let cool.

BAKER'S NOTES

 

●     King Arthur White Whole Wheat is closest US substitute to UK “wholemeal” flour. You can use regular old AP flour, however.

●        If you don’t have the Golden Syrup, you can use Light corn syrup + a little honey or molasses
Use the same weight as the golden syrup. For your recipe: 80 g total.
A good mix would be 70 g light corn syrup + 10 g honey.

●     You can add milk incrementally if dough too dry. I did not need any, though the dough was crumbly. Start with 5 g, then assess dough consistency before adding more.

●     Do not overmix once the wet and dry ingredients are combined.

●     Cookies will feel soft when they come out of the oven — they crisp significantly as they cool.

●     For uniform results, use a kitchen scale for all measurements.

●     Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

QUICK REFERENCE

  

Yield — 32 cookies

Portion weight — 28–30 g per cookie

Oven temperature — 350°F / 175°C

Bake time — 12–14 minutes

Flour — KA White Whole Wheat

Saag Paneer 2026

I somehow deleted this! Here is the recreation thanks to Perplexity. I'll add notes as I make it again.

Saag Paneer — A rich spinach-and-paneer curry with warm spices, yogurt, cream, and a bright finish. Serves 4–6.

Ingredients

Paneer and spinach

• 2 lb frozen spinach

• 12 oz paneer, cut into cubes

• 4 to 6 tbsp ghee or neutral oil, divided

• 1/2 tsp turmeric, for the paneer

• 1/2 tsp Kashmiri chili powder or cayenne, for the paneer

• Pinch of salt, for the paneer

Spinach base

• 2 medium onions, finely diced

• 6 to 8 garlic cloves, minced

• 1.5 to 2 inch piece fresh ginger, minced

• 2 to 3 fresh jalapeños, seeded and minced

• 1 to 2 tsp whole cumin seeds

• 1/2 tsp black mustard seeds

• 1 medium tomato, chopped, or 1/2 cup canned tomato

• 2 tsp ground coriander

• 1 tsp ground cumin

• 1/4 tsp ground fenugreek

• 1/2 to 1 tsp garam masala

• 1/4 to 1/2 tsp turmeric

• 1/2 to 1 tsp Kashmiri chili powder or cayenne

• 1/2 tsp kosher salt, or to taste

• 1/4 to 1/2 cup water or stock

• 1/2 cup plain yogurt

• 1/4 cup heavy cream

• 1 to 2 tsp crushed kasuri methi, optional

• 1 to 2 tbsp butter or ghee, to finish

• 1/2 lemon

Method

1. Thaw the spinach completely, then squeeze it very dry in a sieve or clean towel. This is important so the curry stays thick and not watery.

2. Toss the paneer cubes with the turmeric, chili powder, and a pinch of salt. Heat 1 to 2 tbsp ghee or oil in a skillet and lightly brown the paneer on most sides. Remove and set aside.

3. Heat the remaining ghee or oil in a wide pan over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and mustard seeds and let them sizzle.

4. Add the onions and cook until soft and golden, about 8 to 10 minutes.

5. Stir in the garlic, ginger, and jalapeños. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes until fragrant.

6. Add the tomato and cook until it softens and the oil begins to separate, about 5 to 8 minutes.

7. Stir in the coriander, ground cumin, ground fenugreek, turmeric, chili powder, and salt. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes.

8. Add the spinach and cook, stirring, until heated through and thickened. If needed, add a small splash of water or stock to loosen it slightly.

9. Lower the heat. Stir a spoonful of the hot spinach mixture into the yogurt to temper it, then add the yogurt and cream to the pan.

10. Add the garam masala and kasuri methi, if using. Simmer gently for 2 to 3 minutes.

11. Fold in the paneer and simmer gently for 3 to 5 minutes, just until the paneer is heated through.

12. Finish with butter or ghee and a squeeze of lemon. Taste and adjust salt before serving.

Notes

• Frozen spinach works especially well here because it gives the curry a deep, concentrated green flavor.

• If you want a smoother curry, you can blend part of the spinach base before adding the paneer.

• This version was the one that turned out especially well for you, with the spinach component getting the strongest praise.

Would you like me to also make a combined version with both the paneer recipe and the chicken adaptation side by side?

All purpose Pizza Dough recipe plus Turkish flatbread with filling

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkQ06t23gao

Dough Formula

900 g Bread Flour

100 g whole wheat flour

15 g salt

5 g instant yeast

650 g water (65% hydration)

After mixing and folding the dough, you can bulk‑ferment it:

• Either at room temperature for a few hours

• Or in the refrigerator overnight for more flavor

1.      Mix dough

2.      Bulk ferment until doubled (room temp or overnight cold)

3.      Divide into dough balls

4.      Cold‑proof the dough balls overnight

5.      Use them the next day for all five pizza styles

Pizza Styles

Neapolitan Pizza

·         Dough ball: 250 g

·         Pan: None (hand‑stretched)

·         Notes: High heat 700–750°F, light sauce, fresh mozzarella, basil.

Detroit Style Pizza

·         Dough ball: 550–600 g

·         Pan: Blue‑steel Detroit pan

·         Notes: Cheese before sauce, brick + cheddar blend, caramelized cheese edge.

South Shore Bar Pizza

·         Dough ball: 200 g

·         Pan: 10‑inch round pan

·         Notes: Toppings to the edge, thin crisp crust, cheddar + mozzarella.

New York Style Pizza

·         Dough ball: 300 g

·         Pan: None (large hand‑stretch)

·         Notes: Low‑moisture mozzarella, crisp yet foldable slice.

Lahmacun (Turkish Pizza)

·         Dough ball: 150 g

·         Pan: None (rolled thin)

·         Notes: Spiced lamb mixture, baked hot, served rolled with herbs and lemon.

Key Notes:

• Spiced lamb mixture pressed directly into dough

• Bake at 600–650°F

• Serve rolled with herbs, onions, lemon

Turkish Filling (from the video)

• Red pepper

• Onion

• Garlic

• Fresh parsley

• Tomato paste

• Turkish spice mix

• Salt

• Ground lamb (blended in last)

Technique:

• Blend vegetables + paste + spices first

• Add lamb and blend again until smooth

• Spread thinly and press into dough