We love Chuck’s Donuts in Redwood City. We promised Chuck’s Donuts as payment for any friends who helped us move…it worked, lots of friends showed. I’ve gotta give Chuck and his donuts a little shout out today. Plus the pictures are just too scrumptious not to share.

Open 24 hours? Hello, Donut Heaven! Fine, I’ve never actually gone at 4 am…but I COULD.

Seriously, these donuts are very photogenic. I was just going to snap a quick shot and say, “Chuck’s is the best.” But I couldn’t settle on  one shot. Just look at that fluffy, greasy, sugary goodness!

You want a bite. I know you do.

Time to close the box. My heart and my thighs have stopped speaking to me. I need a carrot.

The first recipe I made from my new cookbook was a success! The whole family loved this pasta with peas and ricotta last night. Looks yummy, doesn’t it? It was fast and only used one pan, which makes the recipe even better in my book!

Want to make it yourself? Well, I’ll share the recipe with you at the end of this post…but first you need to enter today’s giveaway! TWO lucky readers will each win a copy of Everyday Food: Fresh Flavor Fast. Big thanks to Everyday Food for a very fab cookbook giveaway!

Please add a comment to this post by Midnight PT, Wednesday March 17 to enter! Two random winners will be announced March 18. To enter, share your favorite Everyday Food recipe with us (links welcome!) in the comments section…or just comment about anything! (One entry per person and the prize needs to be shipped to a U.S. address.)

Good luck with the giveaway! Time for the recipe!

(more…)

People, I went grocery shopping today. Which means we will be eating food again. Which means I might actually start writing about food again. Food is back! Will wonders never cease?

I’m giddy with excitement. Look what arrived on my doorstep today…

I am SO excited about this new cookbook from Everyday Food. Every recipe I’ve ever tried of theirs has been great. When they offered me a review copy, of course I took them up on it. And guess what…you just might get your own chance at a free copy, if you’re good. (Okay, you are going to get a chance at a free copy, just not quite yet…stay tuned!)

And moving on with the randomness…I am not a fan of canned refried beans. Ever since living with a Mexican roommate in college (shout out to beautiful Estela!), I’ve gotten quite picky about my beans. But I’ve gotta say, these Rosarita Vegetarian Refried Beans are great. We’ve had them a few times over the last few months and I always think, I need to do a post about these. So here we are.

Last but definitely not least, did you see the Handsome Men’s Club skit on Jimmy Kimmel Live Sunday night? I laughed so much it was embarrassing. I love Jimmy…and this is just one small reason why. Enjoy!

This has been a bad winter for clementines/cuties/mandarins (whatever you want to call ‘em!) for the Maynard family. Bag after bag have been dry and yucky. Until now. We are on bag #2 this week and they are so juicy and sweet. And I’m so happy! It’s the little things, right?

No more excuses…our apartment is almost totally in order and it’s time to start cooking again. I sure hope I can get back in the groove!

MONDAY:
- Kitchen Sink Quesadillas

TUESDAY:
- Paninis

WEDNESDAY:
- Chicken & Broccoli Penne

THURSDAY:
- Leftovers

FRIDAY:
- Eat out

SATURDAY:
- Aaron & Lindsay’s Chicken Tortilla Soup Extravaganza

SUNDAY:
- Asian Spinach Salad

People, why didn’t anyone tell me I was crazy? Last week I had two Wednesdays on our menu. Wow, moving must have made me more tired than I thought! Well, this week there are only 7 days instead of 8, so planning your menu should be a cinch! Can’t wait to see your menus!

The kitchen is unpacked. {A sigh of relief from the starving Maynard children.} Seriously, what a chore! But it’s done done done. We actually ate dinner as a family around the table last night…granted, dinner was a frozen veggie lasagna, but it’s a step in the right direction!

Today’s post is all about small kitchen spaces. I know I’m not the only one out there with a small kitchen, and mine isn’t even that bad (anyone from Manhattan out there?).

I have to say, now that I have a smaller kitchen space, I’m more organized than I’ve ever been! Without the luxury of space, I’ve really had to think about what I need and use regularly, and the best way to organize and store it. I’m especially proud of this cupboard. Who needs drawers? Not me!

In addition to buying a few organizing bins as well as uniform tupperware that fit inside one another neatly, we also purchased doors for a small bookcase we have and stuck that against the wall near the kitchen table to serve as a mini pantry. After everything was unpacked and put away, I actually had space left over! In fact, my KitchenAid is going to take a permanent spot on the counter. Yea!

Today it’s all about small kitchens and organizing our kitchen wares. Even with the large kitchen I had before, I certainly wasn’t organizing it as well as I could have been. We could all do with a few good tips! So, bring it on, folks…give us your best advice for organizing kitchen ’stuff’ and/or tips for working in a tiny kitchen. Can’t wait to hear your great ideas!

Today we have a very fun post from a very fun guest blogger, Maria Lichty of the food blog Two Peas and Their Pod. She is going to tell us all about homemade yogurt, something I’ve yet to make and am now super excited about trying!

Like our last guest, Maria has been commenting and posting menus on This Week for Dinner for years (and she’s another of my blogging friends I have actually met in person!). Maria is a sweetie and writes about her cooking adventures with her husband, Josh (hence TWO peas). They have a great food blog (hello oodles of amazing vegetarian recipes) and you can read more about Maria and Josh in a recent interview on The Pioneer Woman’s Tasty Kitchen website. Without further ado, I present Maria!

First of all, I am thrilled to be a guest blogger for TWFD. I have been following Jane’s blog for quite some time now. I love her recipes, photos, stories, sense of humor, ok – I just love everything about Jane. She is the best, but you all know that.

Today I am going to share a recipe that will change your life for the better – homemade yogurt. I love yogurt. I enjoy it for breakfast, a healthy snack, or even dessert. I usually eat one a day. Greek yogurt is my favorite – I love Fage brand. Unfortunately, it is not cheap. A single, 6-oz. serving is usually $2.00 or more. Not so friendly on the pocketbook if you eat one every day. I tried to cut back on my yogurt intake because it was so expensive, but depression soon set in. Not really, but I missed it! I decided it was time to start making my own yogurt at home.

I really wasn’t sure how, so I did some research and consulted with my Twitter friends. I purchased a yogurt maker and set up my “yogurt lab.” I was amazed at how easy it was to make. Basically, you heat up some milk, cool it down, whisk in a 6-oz. yogurt with the milk, and then let it “sleep” in the yogurt machine for 12 hours. How simple is that?

Instead of paying $2 every day for yogurt, I just purchase one Greek yogurt to use as my starter and then I have a week’s worth of yogurt. Making our own yogurt has saved us a lot of money. Yes, we had to buy the yogurt maker, but it has already paid for itself…and then some.

I always start my yogurt at night so it is ready when I wake up in the morning. It really is that simple. And it tastes just as good, maybe even a little better, because homemade recipes always come with extra love!

Here is my basic recipe:

Homemade Yogurt
- 42 ounces fresh milk, we use skim
- 6 oz. plain yogurt, we use fat free Fage for our starter (use your favorite brand)

1. Pour milk into a high-sided saucepan. Place a candy thermometer on the side of the pan. Heat the milk until it reaches-180 degrees. The milk will start to climb the side of the pan.

2. Remove pan from heat and allow the milk to cool to lukewarm-110 degrees. To speed up the process you can place the pan in an ice bath. Sometimes I do this and sometimes I am just lazy and let it cool on its own. Both ways work.

3. When the yogurt is cool, put the yogurt starter in a large bowl. Stir in some of the milk. Whisk well. Make sure the yogurt is dissolved. Add the rest of the milk and whisk until smooth.

4. Pour the mixture into the jars of the yogurt maker. Follow the yogurt maker’s instructions. We usually do ours so it rests overnight. It takes 10-12 hours. We usually let it rest for 12 hours because we like our yogurt thicker.

5. When the yogurt is done resting, chill it in the fridge with the lids on the jars. The yogurt will stay good for 10 days.

Notes:

• I purchased my yogurt maker at Williams Sonoma. I really like the individual jars, but you can buy a yogurt maker that makes one large batch too. Find a machine that is right for you. Make sure you read the instructions before getting started.
• Make sure you choose a yogurt starter that has live active cultures.
• Use the freshest milk and yogurt you can find.
• I use fat free Greek yogurt because that is the yogurt I like. You can use a yogurt with fat. It just depends on your preference.
• I use fat free milk and yogurt and the finished product is thick enough for me.
• You can use your homemade yogurt as the starter, but only once.
• If you want really thick yogurt you can strain it with a cheese cloth or coffee filters.
• You can make flavored yogurt by adding honey, fruit, or jam, but we prefer plain. I usually add fresh fruit and sometimes a drizzle of agave nectar to my plain yogurt.

So what are you waiting for? If you are a yogurt fanatic like me, start making your own. It is so easy, a lot cheaper, and it’s good for you!

For an extra special treat, try a yogurt parfait with fresh fruit and homemade granola. Double Yum!

Thanks again Jane for letting me do a guest post. Come visit Two Peas and Their Pod anytime – our kitchen is always open!

Time to announce the lucky random winner of this beautiful apron from Puking Pastilles…

Natalee Maynes, who said, “I like the infant carseat recovering. Juliette’s carseat could use a makeover.”

I think Juliette will be mighty pleased with her new carseat cover…and Natalee will look stunning in her new apron, I’m sure! Congratulations, Natalee!

For the rest of you…the Puking Pastilles patterns are only $3.99 and, as you all saw, they are super cute. Time to get sewing! You can read the Puking Pastilles blog here and view the sewing tutorials here!

Thanks again to Puking Pastilles for a super fun giveaway!

THIS is why I haven’t shared any decent food with you lately.

Why can’t this kitchen unpack itself, already?

Thankfully my cookie sheets fit perfectly into my new tiny oven. Phew! I can feed my cookie addiction without interruption! The oven isn’t the only small thing about the kitchen…the entire kitchen is pretty mini. There’s only one drawer about 5 inches wide. Yes, ONE DRAWER. But I’ve started organizing and I think this small kitchen will work out just fine. If Mark, David and Deb can do it, so can I.

Tomorrow I’ll have another wonderful guest post from another wonderful guest blogger. You’ll love it.

Back to the boxes.

I can’t find my camera cord…so no picture today. Bummer. I even have some great shots of my messy, tiny kitchen and itsy-bitsy oven so you could all feel bad for me. It’s a happy day, though…my cookie sheets just barely fit in the oven. Yippee!

We have had such an amazing show of support from friends this past week – not living near any family, we really needed it. If you were one of the people who fed us, packed and/or moved our stuff, or took care of our daughters…THANK YOU from the bottom of our hearts!

MONDAY:
- Eat at friends’ home

TUESDAY:
- Paninis

WEDNESDAY:
- Pancakes

WEDNESDAY:
- Spaghetti

THURSDAY:
- Leftovers (um, yeah, I realize we may not have leftovers from the previous meals…whatever)

FRIDAY:
- Eat out

SATURDAY:
- I think a soup of some sort…that’s about all my brain can handle right now.

SUNDAY:
- Something GOOD. A real home cooked meal. Any suggestions?

Time to post your menu for the week! I think by next week I’ll be back in cooking business, so I’ll certainly use your menus for inspiration!

Today we have a very special treat! Allow me to introduce you to Katie Goodman, a food blogger who’s blog goodLife {eats} is full of great recipes and writing, and beautiful photography. She’s done oodles of food writing (including for Paula Deen!) and I’m so excited to have her writing for This Week for Dinner today! She also regularly comments and posts weekly menus here on my blog, which automatically earns you 100 points in my book {wink wink}. I’m so happy to have Katie as a friend and I hope you enjoy her post.

Hi everyone! I am Katie from goodLife {eats}. I have been a fan of This Week for Dinner since I read Jane’s guest posts on Design Mom way back. I was so excited to find a blog devoted to helping with meal plans and have been hooked since then. Last year I was able to meet Jane at BlogHer Food, and was so thrilled to make such a sweet, new friend. Thank you, Jane, for having me here to guest post!

This recipe for Coconut Chicken Curry Soup is one of our favorite soup recipes. It is so simple, yet it is so full of flavor. I always try to keep my pantry stocked with coconut milk. I like to use “lite” coconut milk, because it has less fat and calories, but you can’t really tell any difference in the taste. When bell peppers are on sale, you can buy extra and flash freeze them for later.

All in all, I think it is a great recipe to have up your sleeve for a busy night, because it doesn’t really take much time to prepare. If you are really pressed for time, which I’m sure we all are sometimes, you can add the chicken (uncooked), broth, coconut milk, jalapeno and curry powder to the crock pot for a few hours on low. When the chicken is cooked through, just take it out to shred it and put it back in. Then add the lime juice, sautéed onion, bell pepper, green onion, and cilantro and let it cook for a few minutes (until the peppers are tender crisp). You definitely won’t be sorry you spent some of your valuable time on this recipe!

Coconut Chicken Curry Soup

• olive oil
• 1/2 of a medium yellow onion, sliced thin
• 2 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 14 ounces unsweetened coconut milk
• 1 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
• 1 jalapeño, seeded, minced
• 3 chicken breasts, cut into bite sized chunks
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 1 small red bell pepper, sliced thin
• 1/2 cup chopped green onion
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus extra for garnish
• 1/2 cup shredded coconut
• 2 cups freshly cooked jasmine rice

Heat the olive oil in a medium sized soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the chicken to the oil, season lightly with salt and pepper. Sauté until cooked through and golden. Remove chicken and set aside. Sauté the onion, adding more oil if necessary, until tender.

Return the chicken to the pot with the onions. Add chicken broth, coconut milk, curry powder and jalapeno. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Add bell pepper, green onion, and cilantro and simmer an additional 3 minutes. Stir in lime juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Spoon rice into 4 bowls and top with a ladle or two of soup. Garnish with additional cilantro and a sprinkling of shredded coconut. Serve.

It’s rainy and cold here in the Bay Area. I have a sneaking suspicion it’s a lot colder elsewhere, too. So how about some smoky, warm, cozy corn chowder?

This recipe is from my friend Adrianne’s mom. (Adrianne just had a baby! Welcome to the world, Baby Claire!) Adrianne is an excellent cook – every recipe or cooking advice she’s given me has always been spot on. This recipe is no exception. It’s a fairly straightforward crock pot recipe. The bacon gives it a nice salty and smoky flavor. And, despite the fact it contains half & half AND cheese, the soup is not too thick, but instead has a great consistency.

I have a few other corn chowder recipes posted at this link from a Call for Recipes I did ages ago, in case you feel like shopping around for more corny recipes.

Corn Chowder
From Adrianne Campbell’s Mom
2 small onions, chopped
4 slices of bacon
2 celery stalks,chopped
2 potatoes, chopped (Jane note: I leave the skins on, but you can peel them if you like)
4 cups corn (frozen or canned)
4 cups chicken broth
*****************************
1 Bay leaf
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 T. butter
2 T. flour
1 1/2 cups cream or half n’ half
1 cup grated cheddar cheese

Cook onions, bacon & celery, put in slow cooker. Add potatoes, corn, broth, bay leaf, salt & pepper. Cook on low for 8-10 hours. Take bay leaf out and throw away. On the stove top, melt butter, add the flour so it makes a paste. Cook until light brown. Slowly add the cream to the paste, heat until it thickens. DO NOT BOIL! Move it from the heat, add the cheese and mix until melted. Add this mixture to the slow cooker mixture. Stir well and serve.

This giveaway is now closed. Thank you!

I have a fun giveaway for you today…this totally hip and adorable apron from Puking Pastilles, custom made to fit YOU! Seriously, how cool is this apron? I especially love how good it looks on my blog…too bad my blog doesn’t need an apron.

The winner’s apron will be made by Georgia, the talent behind the Puking Pastilles Etsy shop. I love supporting talented moms who start wonderful businesses…Georgia’s company is no exception. If you like to sew, check out their patterns (which are currently on sale…but not for long!). If you don’t sew, then hop on over and check out their “Learn to Sew” series on YouTube!

Lucky for you non-sewers out there, the giveaway involves no sewing whatsoever. The apron will arrive ready to throw on so you can cook in style!

To enter the giveaway, visit the Puking Pastilles Etsy shop, pick out your favorite sewing pattern and leave a comment on this post telling us which one it is! My favorite is definitely the reusable grocery bag – super cute and roomy. Please leave your comment before Midnight PT, Monday, March 1, 2010. (Prize can be shipped only to a U.S. address. Thank you!) The randomly-selected winner will be announced on Tuesday, March 2.

Good luck to everyone! And big thanks to Puking Pastilles for a perfectly lovely prize!

This is my life for the next week.

Which is why my menu is pretty much absent of any real cooking. We move on Saturday (staying in the same town, for the curious minds out there). I have a LOT of packing to get done before then…plus our regular day-to-day life to attend to. But it will be FUN FUN FUN! (How’s that for a positive affirmation?)

MONDAY:
- Pancakes

TUESDAY:
- Sandwiches

WEDNESDAY:
- Spaghetti

THURSDAY:
- Leftovers (um, yeah, I realize we may not have leftovers from the previous meals…whatever)

FRIDAY:
- Eat out

SATURDAY:
- Eat out

SUNDAY:
- I have no idea. I’m hoping our new place has a Jetsons-type kitchen that does the cooking.

PLEASE share your menus! You need to inspire one another! My boring, busy life is encroaching on my weekly menus…hopefully in a week or two we’ll be back to normal! As always, thank you for sharing your menus every week. I love seeing them!

I know. It’s Friday. The last think you want is homework. But I’m giving it to you anyway…but it’s fun homework, I promise!

I have a few cups of macadamia nuts in the cupboard begging to be used. So, bring it on! Give us your best and most favorite recipes using macadamia nuts, savory or sweet! The only thing I have to offer is the recipe from last week for Chunky Blonde Blondies. Which, by the way, are very good, but I’m wanting more macadamia options!

Not only are macadamia nuts tasty, but very good for you…read more about them here. So that means we can go macadamia nut crazy! Enveloping them in chocolate and butter doesn’t affect their health factor, right?

Can’t wait to see what recipes you have…these Call for Recipes posts always generate such great stuff. Thanks, everyone!

I recently picked up a bag of Bob’s Red Mill Oat Bran Hot Cereal. Our girls love hot cereal so I thought we’d give it a try. On the back was a recipe for oat bran muffins.  I love bran muffins, so I had to make the recipe. (I’ve yet to cook hot cereal with our bag of oat bran!)

I made quite a few adaptations to the recipe – it was far too healthy. Our muffins came out light and fluffy, with just the right amount of sweetness.  I used a mini muffin tin and was popping muffins like candy. (Side note: Cate, my 5-year-old, gave me the muffin tin for Christmas and I LOVE it. What a smart little girl. Mini muffins are my new fave.)

Oat Bran Muffins
From Jane Maynard (adapted from the back of the Bob’s Red Mill package)

• 3/4 cup pastry flour (the Bob’s Red Mill recipe calls for whole wheat pastry flour, but I didn’t have that on hand. If anyone tries the recipe with another flour – all-purpose, whole wheat, etc – please comment and let us know how it goes!)
• 3/4 cup Bob’s Red Mill oat bran cereal
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/3 cup banana (1 medium) mashed
• 1/2 cup yogurt
• 1 egg
• 2 Tbsp. butter, melted
• 1/2 tsp vanilla

Mix dry ingredients. Mix liquid ingredients in separate bowl. Combine the two mixtures and stir until moistened. Lightly grease or line muffin tin with paper cups. Fill 2/3 full. Bake at 400 for 18-20 minutes. Makes 10-12 muffins. (If you use mini muffin tins like I did, bake at 350 degrees for 18-20 minutes. Makes 24 mini muffins.)

Don’t miss my post on Make & Takes today! Cate and I had a lot of fun stenciling our brownies with powdered sugar!

Time to announce the winner of the Scharffen Berger giveaway!

Lisa, who said, “These look delicious! Who doesn’t like chocolate… especially on Valentines Day!!”

Congratulations, Lisa! Lucky Lisa will receive a copy of the cookbook Essence of Chocolate: Recipes for Baking and Cooking with Fine Chocolate, in addition to a Scharffen Berger 9.7-oz 99% Cacao Unsweetened Baking Bar and a 70% Cacao Bittersweet Baking Bar. Have fun, Lisa! If you didn’t win, you can buy the book here! Scharffen Berger chocolate can be purchased at specialty stores like Whole Foods or on the Scharffen Berger website.

I have another giveaway around the corner, so stay tuned!

Also, the recipe for these beautiful truffles can be found on the original giveaway post!

Big thanks to Scharffen Berger for a perfectly Valentinesy giveaway!

I haven’t mentioned my Eat Less Meat Challenge lately, so thought it was time for a quick update…along with a recipe! The challenge is going very well! We’ve definitely been eating less meat overall and we are not feeling deprived one bit. I think knowing we can still eat meat occasionally really makes the whole challenge realistic for us, and we still feel like we’re making a difference. I’m so happy that I set this resolution and, for those of you who have joined along in the challenge, I hope you’re having an equally positive experience!

Last week I made Creamy Potato Leek soup, adapted from an Emeril Lagasse recipe. Our whole family enjoyed the soup, especially our 2 year old! The soup has a nice creamy texture without having to use cream. It’s a nice mild soup yet still full of flavor. I love leeks and pretty much love any soup that has them in the recipe. Without further ado…

Creamy Potato Leek Soup
Adapted from an Emeril Lagasse recipe
– 3 tablespoons butter
- 2 leeks, cleaned and chopped, white and green parts
- 2 minced garlic cloves (I used my garlic press)
- 6 cups vegetable broth
- Appx 1 1/2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and quartered
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley

Melt the butter over medium-low heat in a large pot. Add leeks, cook while stirring until tender, 3-5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add vegetable broth and potatoes. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat until potatoes are tender, ~30 minutes.

Blend soup in batches in a blender until smooth. Return to pot and add salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley. Makes 4-6 servings.

Happy Valentine’s Day! Cate sends her love. So does Anna.

We are moving in two weeks (just across town, but a pain nonetheless). I have started packing. The house is a mess. On top of moving I have training for a new job, my regular job, my food photo job…oh, and being the best mom and wife ever. When it rains it pours, huh? Bottom line…we are going with EASY, effortless food. I don’t even care if it’s good!

MONDAY:
- Spaghetti

TUESDAY:
- Hot Dogs…and salad, to make it healthy

WEDNESDAY:
- Oriental Chicken Salad

THURSDAY:
- Leftovers

FRIDAY:
- Pancakes

SATURDAY:
- Eat out

SUNDAY:
- Barbecue with our neighbors

Seriously, the next few weeks we REALLY need your menus to inspire one another, since my menus will be less than exciting. Bring it on! Share your menus!

Once Valentine’s Day is over, I’ll let you eat dinner again.  But I’m going to force you to have a little more chocolate today. Sorry. I know it’s torture.

For our Super Bowl shindig last week, my friend Rachel made cupcakes in addition to the homemade oreos I shared with you yesterday. I love these cupcakes. We all kept debating back and forth about which we liked better – cupcakes, oreos, cupcakes, oreos. It was a close race, but these chocolate-packed cups of heaven won.

The cupcake recipe is from The Pioneer Woman. As always, she provides beautiful step-by-step photos. Everything about these cupcakes is great. The actual cake part in and of itself is fantastic. The Hershey kiss hiding inside…oo la la! And the ganache icing…to die for.

A few quick notes.

• Rachel said the recipe made a TON of ganache, enough for a double batch of cupcakes.
• The cupcakes are really heavenly served warm. Since Rachel had made them the day before, when we were ready to indulge, we put the cupcakes in a 250-degree oven for 7 minutes. They came out PERFECTLY.

Life by Chocolate Cupcakes
From Ree Drummond, The Pioneer Woman (and one of my favorite people)
Cupcakes
- 2 cups Sugar
- 2 cups All-purpose Flour
- ¼ teaspoons Salt
- ½ cups Buttermilk (if you don’t have buttermilk on hand, put 1/2 TBSP of lemon juice or vinegar in your 1/2 cup, fill the rest with milk and let it sit for 5 minutes)
- 2 whole Eggs
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla
- 1 Cup Butter
- 4 Tablespoons (heaping) Cocoa Powder
- 1 cup Water, Boiling
- 18 whole Hershey’s Kisses, Unwrapped

Ganache
- 8 ounces, weight Bittersweet Chocolate
- 1 cup Heavy Cream
- 6 Tablespoons Corn Syrup
- 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 18 muffin cups with baking spray.
2. To make the cake batter, combine flour, sugar, and salt. Set aside.
3. In a separate container, combine buttermilk, eggs, baking soda, and vanilla. Stir to combine and set aside.
4. In a saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add cocoa powder and stir to combine. Add boiling water, allow to bubble for a few seconds, then turn off heat.
5. Pour chocolate mixture over flour mixture. Stir a few times to cool the chocolate. Pour buttermilk mixture over the top and stir to combine.
6. Pour 1/4 cup cake batter into each muffin cup. Lightly set one kiss in the middle of each cupcake; do not press down.
7. Bake for 20 minutes. Allow to cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then remove cupcakes and allow to cool on a baking rack.
8. To make the ganache, heat cream and corn syrup over medium heat. Chop chocolate and add to a bowl. Add vanilla to cream mixture, then pour cream mixture over the top of the chopped chocolate. Whisk together until melted, smooth, and glossy.
9. Dunk cupcakes in ganache. Allow to cool and set before serving.
10. Additional step from Jane: To reheat cupcakes, place in a 250-degree oven for 7 minutes.

Thanks again to my friend Rachel for spoiling my family with such delicious desserts! And thanks to Ree for a wonderful cupcake recipe! And Happy Valentine’s Day to all!