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“Death by Leprechaun” Chocolate Cupcakes with Irish Cream Buttercream
This is the chocolate cake and icing of my dreams. My dear friend, who thought she’d be able to save some cupcake for her mother These decadent dark chocolate cupcakes are filled with a dollop of Chocolate-Irish Cream truffle and topped with Irish Cream Buttercream icing. They are rich, indulgent, and absolutely deserving of their name – “Death by Leprechaun.” The hunt for the perfect chocolate cake Last year, I happened upon a chocolate cake recipe by Smitten Kitchen and was immediately, well, smitten. The only problem was that it made SO MUCH CAKE (two 10-inch round cake pans). I rarely make cakes that large – I bet most of…
Spicy Mustard and Apricot BBQ Sauce
This variation of South Carolina-style mustard BBQ sauce packs a punch with extra heat from spicy mustard and the sweet tang of diced apricots. It marries perfectly with roasted or pulled pork, but don’t hesitate to baste this over some…
Blood Orange Manhattan Marmalade
For me, making marmalade is a form of meditation…a slow, deliberate and, at times, rhythmic affair absolutely worthy of an afternoon spent in the kitchen. Over the last few years, I’ve waffled between my favorite bourbon cocktail – the Manhattan…
Turkey, Cheese & Brown Rice Casserole
When I was little, our whole family just referred to this as “my casserole,” because it was my absolute favorite thing to eat for dinner. As kids, my brother and I each had our own signature dish that we requested…
Citrusy, Crunchy and Clean Sweet Potato Salad
This sweet potato salad is one of my absolute favorite dishes to make every year after the wonderful (but indulgent) holiday season has passed. I’m admittedly a sucker for anything with citrus and ginger, but when January rolls around, my…
Pot Roast with Nut Brown Ale and Mushroom Gravy
“This might be my favorite thing you’ve ever made.” -My brother, who has eaten A LOT of my food over the years. I grew up in a small town dominated by barbecue restaurants – indeed, if you know anything about…
Italian Sausage & Maple-Butternut Squash Lasagna with Fried Sage and Brown Butter Bechamel
Several years ago, I discovered a butternut squash lasagna recipe from Giada de Laurentis that quickly became a staple at my Thanksgiving dinners. The combination of butternut puree, noodles, and a basil bechamel was such a fun savory addition to…
Peach Caprese Salad
I’m lucky to live less than 2 miles from the State Farmers Market, and every time our North Carolina summers turn up the heat to stiffling, I know a cool, sweet reward will start to appear just down that road…
Kohlrabi Fritters with Kohlrabi Greens Slaw
“Kohl-whatta?” That was my response to my brother a few years ago when he asked what he should do with all the kohlrabi his mother-in-law had brought from her farm. While I had cooked many things and felt pretty well-versed…
Vegan Broccoli Waldorf Salad
When the weather heats up and summer approaches, I find myself craving food that is fresh, cold, healthy, and doesn’t require me to turn on the oven or stove. Where I live in Raleigh, we have a great raw, vegan…
Strawberry-Rhubarb Ginger Snap & Coconut Crisp
My grandmother lived in a small house on the first farm just outside of “downtown” Hooper, Nebraska. By downtown, I mean there was a two-block length main street with a smattering of mom-and-pop stores, a small grocer, and two restaurants.…
With great whisk comes great reward
