Category: Third Party Material

Sourdough Bagels

Sourdough bagel

Sourdough Bagel

  • Author: Maurizio Leo
  • Prep Time: 24 hours
  • Total Time: 24 hours
  • Yield: 12 bagels

Description

My recipe for flavorful and chewy sourdough bagels with a thin and slightly crispy crust. Delicious topped with an everything bagel mix, coarse sea salt, oats, seeds, or anything else you can dream up!

Ingredients

Levain

  • 116g high protein flour
  • 58g water
  • 23g sourdough starter, ripe

Main Dough

    • 848g high protein flour
    • 472g water
    • 29g sugar, caster
    • 29g barley malt syrup
    • 18g salt
    • 7g diastatic malt
    • 197g levain

Instructions

  1. Levain (the night before mixing, 9:30 p.m.)
    Mix all the Levain ingredients in a container and leave it at a warm temperature for 12 hours.
  2. Mix (9:30 a.m.)
    Add a splash of the mixing water, sugar, barley malt syrup, diastatic malt powder, and salt to a small bowl and mix together. To your stand mixer’s mixing bowl, add the malt syrup slurry, flour, water, and ripe levain. Mix on low speed for approximately 5 minutes until the dough strengthens and begins to smooth. Transfer your dough to a bulk fermentation container and cover.
  3. Bulk Fermentation (9:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m.)
    Give this dough a single fold after 1 hour and 30 minutes into bulk fermentation.
  4. Divide and Shape (12:45 p.m.)
    Use a half baking sheet (so it fits into your refrigerator) to hold the 12 pieces of shaped dough. Spread a thin layer of cornmeal on the half sheet to prevent sticking. Divide the dough into twelve 125g pieces. First, degas the piece by tamping down a bit with your hand. Then, form the piece into a rough rectangle and cinch down from the top, so the dough ends up in a little tube. Roll the tube out to a 12″ long tube. Wrap the dough around the backside of your hand and pinch it together in the front. Roll a few times on the counter to seal. Transfer to the cornmeal-dusted baking sheet. Repeat for remaining dough pieces.
  5. Proof (1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.)
    Cover the baking sheet with a large, reusable plastic bag and seal shut. Let the dough proof at room temperature, around 72-74°F (22-23°C), for 2 hours. The dough should puff up slightly after this time but not excessively. If the dough still feels very dense to the touch, give it another 15-30 minutes and check again. After 2 hours, place the covered baking sheet into the fridge overnight at around 39°F (4°C).
  6. Boil and Top (9:30 a.m., Day Three)
    Oven prep: Before you begin boiling your bagel dough, preheat your oven to 475°F (245°C) with convection or 500°F (260°C) without convection. Place one rack at the bottom third of the oven. Place a baking stone or baking steel on the rack to preheat. Place a roasting pan on the bottom filled with lava rocks to prepare to steam. I also fill a cup of ice and place it next to my oven (I will pour this over the lava rocks to steam the oven).
    Boiling equipment prep: Fill a wide pot with water and bring to a low boil. Next to your stovetop, place a half baking sheet with a cooling rack inside, this will hold the wet bagels for a minute and allow them to drain. Next, line a full baking sheet with parchment paper — this will hold the dough as it bakes. Finally, grab any toppings you’d like (poppy, oat, everything bagel mix, sesame, etc.) and place them in bowls on your work surface.
    Boil: Once the water is at a low boil, boil the proofed sourdough bagel dough straight from the fridge, about 40 seconds per side. Using a spider strainer, transfer each piece to the cooling rack inside the baking sheet to drain while you boil the rest of the dough. Then, transfer the boiled bagels to the full baking sheet and top, if desired.
  7. Bake (9:45 a.m.)
    Slide the pan with all the bagel dough into the oven and pour the cup of ice over the roasting pan with lava rocks. Quickly close the oven.
    Bake at 475°F (245°C) convection (500°F (260°C) without convection) for 10 minutes with steam. After 10 minutes, vent the oven and remove the steaming pan, rotate the baking sheet 180°, and bake for 5 minutes longer. After this 5 minutes, turn the oven down to 450°F (235°C) and bake for 5 minutes longer for a total of 20 minutes. Remove the sheet when the bagels are nicely colored. Let cool 15-20 minutes on a wire rack.

Notes

  • These are wonderful topped with an Everything Bagel mix, rolled oats, sesame seed mixture, or any other topping you’d like.

Find it online: https://www.theperfectloaf.com/sourdough-bagel/

Seriously Fudgy Homemade Brownies

homemade brownies.

Seriously Fudgy Homemade Brownies

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star
4.9 from 141 reviews
  • Author: Sally McKenney
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Total Time: 3 hours
  • Yield: 16 brownies
  • Category: Baking, Bars, Brownies, Dessert
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American

Description

This recipe has been *slightly updated* since my team and I originally published it in 2016. These seriously fudgy homemade brownies are thick, dense, and intensely chocolatey thanks to cocoa powder, melted baking chocolate, and chocolate chips. With shiny crackly tops and melt-in-your-mouth centers, this is our go-to brownie recipe.

Ingredients

    • 3/4 cup (12 Tbsp; 170g) unsalted butter, sliced into 12 Tbsp-size pieces
  • 4-ounce (113g) semi-sweet chocolate bar, coarsely chopped and divided*
  • 1 and 2/3 cups (333g) granulated sugar
  • 3 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1 cup (84g) unsweetened natural or Dutch-process cocoa powder*
  • 1 cup (125g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup (180g) semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions

    1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and line a 9-inch square metal baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two opposite sides to lift out the finished brownies (makes cutting easier!). Set aside.
    1. In a small microwave-safe bowl or liquid measuring cup, combine the butter and half (2oz/56g) of the chopped chocolate. Melt in 30-second increments, stirring after each, until completely melted and smooth. Set aside to slightly cool while you continue.
    2. In a large bowl with a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, combine the sugar and eggs. Beat on medium-high speed until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is pale and ribbon-y, about 3 minutes.
    3. Pour the warm melted butter/chocolate into the bowl with the sugar/eggs, add the vanilla, and beat or whisk to combine.
    4. With a fine-mesh sieve, sift the cocoa powder, flour, and salt into the batter, then whisk or beat on low speed to incorporate. Fold in the remaining 2 ounces/57g chopped chocolate and the chocolate chips. The batter will be very thick. Spread it evenly into the prepared pan. (A small offset spatula can help here.)
  1. Bake for 28–30 minutes, then test the brownies with a toothpick. Insert the toothpick into the center of the pan. If it comes out coated with wet batter, the brownies are not done. If there are only a few moist crumbs, the brownies are done. Keep checking every 2 minutes until you have moist crumbs. Brownies typically take 30–32 minutes in my oven. Err on the side of under-baking, as the brownies will continue to set as they cool.
  2. Remove from the oven and place on a cooling rack to cool completely in the pan. When cool, lift the brownies out by gripping the parchment overhangs and transfer to a cutting board. Use a sharp knife to cut into squares.
  3. Cover and store leftover brownies at room temperature for up to 1 week.

Notes

    1. Make-Ahead & Freezing Instructions: Brownies freeze well up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator then bring to room temperature before serving.
    2. Special Tools (affiliate links): 9-inch Square Baking Pan | Glass Mixing Bowls | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Fine Mesh Sieve | Whisk | Wooden Spoon or Silicone Spatula | Cooling Rack
  1. Chocolate: Baking chocolate is typically sold in 4-ounce (113g) bars. Half will be melted with the butter, and half will be chopped up and folded into the batter with the chocolate chips. I suggest Ghirardelli, Baker’s, or Lindt brands; in either semi-sweet (56% cacao) or bittersweet (60% cacao).
  2. Cocoa Powder: You can use either natural or Dutch-process cocoa powder in this recipe. I prefer Dutch-process (such as this brand) for a smoother chocolate flavor.
  3. Recipe Update in 2026: My team and I made a couple slight updates to this recipe based on reader feedback. To make it the way it was originally written, increase the sugar to 2 cups (400g) and increase the chocolate chips to 1.5 cups (270g). Proceed with steps 1 and 2 in the recipe above. Skip step 3. Then, whisk the 2 cups (400g) sugar into the melted butter and chocolate mixture. Whisk in the eggs and vanilla, followed by the remaining ingredients. Spread into a lined 9×13-inch pan and bake for 30-32 minutes.

Find it online: https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/seriously-fudgy-homemade-brownies/

Mini Quiche

mini quiches

Mini Quiche (Any Flavor!)


5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star
4.9 from 50 reviews
Author: Sally McKenney

Prep Time: 2 hours, 30 minutes (includes pie dough chilling)

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 3 hours

Yield: 48-50 mini quiches

Category: Breakfast

Method: Baking

Cuisine: American

Description

This is a perfect base recipe for mini quiches where you can add your favorite add-ins and flavors. Bake in my super flaky homemade pie crust. Review video tutorial above and read recipe notes below before beginning.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup heavy cream or heavy whipping cream*
  • 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper
  • 3/4 cup add-ins (see recipe note)
  • 1/2 cup shredded or crumbled cheese (see recipe note)

Instructions

    1. Pie crust: I like to make sure my pie dough is prepared before I begin mini quiche. Make pie dough the night before because it needs to chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before using.
    2. Prep the egg filling: In a large bowl with a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment—or simply using a whisk and mixing bowl—beat/whisk the eggs, whole milk, heavy cream, salt, and pepper together (on high speed if using a mixer) until completely combined, about 1 minute. Cover and refrigerate egg filling until step 6.
    1. Preheat oven to 375°F (191°C). Grease two 24-count mini muffin pans. (Nonstick spray is best.) If you only have 1 mini muffin pan, bake these in batches. Roll out first pie dough, fill, and bake then roll out the 2nd pie dough, fill, and bake.
    2. Shape the mini crusts: Working with 1 chilled pie dough at a time, place the dough onto a floured work surface. Roll into a large 12-inch circle. Use your warm hands to mold any cracking edges back together as you see me doing in the video tutorial above. From the circle, cut rounds using a 2.5 inch cookie cutter. (Sometimes I use my 1/3 cup measuring cup, which is 2.5 inches in diameter.) You’ll have to re-roll the dough scraps a few times. Work quickly, as the dough becomes much more delicate the longer it’s at room temperature. You’ll get about 24 rounds per pie crust. Repeat with 2nd chilled pie dough for a total of about 48.
    3. Place the dough rounds into greased 24-count mini muffin pan(s). Press the dough flat into the bottom of the crevice and up the sides.
    4. Evenly pour cold egg filling into each unbaked crust. Top evenly with add-ins, then sprinkle each with cheese.
  2. Bake mini quiches until the center is just about set and edges are lightly browned, about 25-28 minutes. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before removing from the pan. If greased well, the mini quiches pop right out using a spoon to scoop them up. Serve warm or at room temperature
  3. Mini quiches make great leftovers! Cover tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Notes

    1. Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: The pie dough can be prepared ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. To freeze, cool baked mini quiches completely, then layer between sheets of parchment paper in a large freezer-friendly container. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator or on the counter, then bake at 300°F (149°C) for 15 minutes or until warmed.
    2. Special Tools (affiliate links): Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) or Glass Mixing Bowl & Whisk | 24-count Mini Muffin Pan | 2.5-inch Cookie Cutter
    1. If using a 12-count standard muffin pan: Cut the pie dough into 3.5 inch circles. Other assembly instructions are the same for a 12-count muffin pan. Bake for about 27-30 minutes until the centers are set and edges are lightly browned. Yields about 16.
    2. Pie Crust & Crustless Option: Both linked pie crust recipes make 2 crusts. You need 2 crusts for this recipe. You can use store-bought pie crust if desired. Make sure it is thawed. For crustless quiches, spray your mini muffin pan or regular size muffin pan with nonstick spray and pour the filling directly into the greased pan. Top with add-ins, then cheese. Bake mini quiches for 16-19 minutes and regular size (in a 12-count pan) for 20-23 minutes.
    3. Whole Milk & Heavy Cream: Use this combination for best taste. If desired, use 1 cup of half-and-half instead. In a pinch, using all milk (whole milk, lower fat milk, or unflavored nondairy milk) works just fine.
    4. Add-Ins: You need about 3/4 cup add-ins including vegetables and meat/seafood. Most quiche add-ins should be pre-cooked and can still be warm when adding on top of each quiche. See blog post for my favorite add-ins. No need to pre-cook or sauté add-ins like mushrooms or bell peppers unless you want to.
  1. Cheese: Some favorites include feta cheese, goat cheese, white cheddar cheese, Swiss cheese, and gruyere.

Find it online: https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/mini-quiche-recipe/

Sally’s Favorite Banana Bread Recipe

My Favorite Banana Bread

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.8 from 1713 reviews
  • Author: Sally McKenney
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 65 minutes
  • Total Time: 3 hours
  • Yield: 1 loaf

With its super-moist and buttery texture, banana and brown sugar flavors, soft crumb, and 1,000+ reviews, this is a delicious AND undeniably popular banana bread recipe. You need 4 large ripe bananas. This recipe is also in my cookbook, Sally’s Baking 101.

Ingredients

    • 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
    • 1 teaspoon baking soda
    • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
  • 3/4 cup (150g) packed light or dark brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 1/3 cup (80g) plain Greek yogurt or full-fat sour cream, at room temperature
  • 1 and 1/2 cups (345g) mashed bananas (about 3–4 ripe bananas)
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • optional: 3/4 cup (90g) chopped pecans or walnuts, or 1 cup (180g) semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions

    1. Adjust the oven rack to the lower third position and preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Lowering the oven rack prevents the top of your bread from browning too much, too soon. Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan with nonstick spray. Set aside.
    1. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon together. Set aside.
    2. In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and brown sugar together on medium-high speed until light and creamy, about 3 minutes. (Here’s a helpful tutorial if you need guidance on how to cream butter and sugar.) With the mixer running on medium speed, add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in the yogurt, vanilla, and mashed bananas until combined.
    3. Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and beat on low speed just until combined. Do not over-mix. Fold in the nuts/chocolate chips, if using. The batter should be thick.
  1. Pour and spread the batter into the prepared baking pan. Bake for 60–65 minutes, making sure to loosely cover the pan with aluminum foil halfway through, to prevent the top from getting too brown. The bread is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean with only a few small moist crumbs. Cool the bread in the pan set on a cooling rack for 1 hour. Remove the bread from the pan and cool it directly on the rack until ready to slice and serve.
  2. Store wrapped tightly at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Notes

    1. Special Tools (affiliate links): 9×5-inch Loaf Pan | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk | Silicone Spatula | Cooling Rack
    2. Update in 2025: With enough reader feedback stating the bread can often be too moist and dense, and therefore not bake properly, my team and I retested the bread multiple times over the past 2 years; we slightly reduced the amount of mashed bananas from 2 cups to 1 and 1/2 cups.
    3. Butter: If needed, you can use salted butter in this recipe with no other changes needed. I’ve also successfully reduced the butter down to 6 Tablespoons (85g) with no issue (just as tasty).
    1. Brown Sugar: This is not an overly sweet quick bread. If you want a sweeter banana bread, increase to 1 cup (200g) brown sugar. Feel free to replace some or all of the brown sugar with regular white granulated sugar.
    2. Cream Cheese Frosting: This banana bread also tastes fantastic with cream cheese frosting on top! To make it, beat 4 ounces (112g) of softened cream cheese and 1/4 cup (60g) of softened unsalted butter together on medium speed until smooth. Beat in 1 cup (120g) of confectioners sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt until combined. Spread on cooled loaf.
    3. Banana Bread Muffins: Use this banana bread recipe to make 15 banana bread muffins. Spoon the batter into a lined or greased muffin pan (fill each to the top with batter) and bake for 5 minutes at 425°F (218°C); then, keeping the muffins in the oven, reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (177°C). Bake for an additional 16–17 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. The total bake time for the banana bread muffins is about 21–23 minutes. The initial burst of hot air helps those muffins rise nice and tall! Or try my quick & easy banana muffins.
  1. Brown Sugar: Feel free to substitute the same amount of regular white granulated sugar or coconut sugar. I do not recommend any liquid sweeteners.
  2. No Sour Cream or Yogurt? Feel free to use 1/3 cup mashed banana (in addition to what is called for in the recipe), unsweetened applesauce, or even canned pumpkin puree.
  3. Frozen Bananas: You can use frozen bananas here. Thaw the frozen bananas. Drain off any excess liquid, mash, then use as instructed in the recipe. See How to Freeze & Thaw Bananas for Baking. Try not to mash too much or else you’ll be left with banana-y liquid; some chunks are great.
  4. Chocolate Chips: I love this bread with chocolate chips, too. Feel free to add 1 cup of your favorite chocolate chips. No need to leave out the nuts if you add the chocolate chips. Chocolate chips and nuts are both optional.
  5. Can I Turn This Into Banana Bundt Cake? There isn’t enough batter. I recommend using my extremely similar, scaled-up recipe for chocolate marble banana Bundt cake instead. You can leave out the chocolate swirl in that recipe.

Find it online: https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/best-banana-bread-recipe/

Easy Cinnamon Rolls From Scratch

Easy Cinnamon Rolls (from scratch)

4.7 from 945 reviews
  • Author: Sally McKenney
  • Prep Time: 1 hour, 40 minutes
  • Cook Time: 25 minutes
  • Total Time: 2 hours, 5 minutes
  • Yield: 10-12 rolls

These easy cinnamon rolls are perfect for yeast beginners because they only require 1 rise. You have a few options for toppings. The recipe below includes a simple cream cheese icing, but we also love these with the coffee icing or vanilla icing that’s included in the recipe Notes below.

Ingredients

Dough

  • 2 and 3/4 cups (344g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled), plus more as needed
  • 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup (180ml) whole milk
  • 3 Tablespoons (43g) unsalted butter
  • 2 and 1/4 teaspoons Platinum Yeast from Red Star or any instant yeast (1 standard packet)
  • 1 large egg, at room temperature

Filling

  • 3 Tablespoons (43g) unsalted butter, extra softened
  • 1/3 cup (67g) packed light or dark brown sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon

Cream Cheese Icing

  • 4 ounces (113g) full-fat block cream cheese, softened to room temperature
  • 2 Tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
  • 2/3 cup (80g) confectioners’ sugar
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

 

Instructions

    1. Make the dough: Whisk the flour, sugar, and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside.
    2. Combine the milk and butter together in a heatproof bowl. Microwave or use the stove and heat until the butter has melted and the mixture is warm to the touch (about 110°F/43°C, no higher). Whisk in the yeast until it has dissolved. Pour mixture into the dry ingredients, add the egg, and stir with a sturdy rubber spatula or wooden spoon OR use a stand mixer with a paddle attachment on medium speed. Mix until a soft dough forms.
    1. Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface. Using floured hands, knead the dough for 3-5 minutes. You should have a smooth ball of dough. If the dough is super soft or sticky, you can add a little more flour. Place in a lightly greased bowl (I use non-stick spray), cover loosely, and let the dough rest for about 10 minutes as you get the filling ingredients ready.
    2. Fill the rolls: After 10 minutes, roll the dough out in a 14×8-inch (36×20-cm) rectangle. Spread the softened butter on top. Mix together the cinnamon and brown sugar. Sprinkle it all over the dough. Roll up the dough to make a 14-inch log. Cut into 10–12 even rolls and arrange in a lightly greased 9- or 10-inch round cake pan, pie dish, or square baking pan.
    3. Rise: Cover the pan with aluminum foil, plastic wrap, or a clean kitchen towel. Allow the rolls to rise in a relatively warm environment for 60–90 minutes or until double in size. (For a tiny reduction in rise time, see my answer to Where Should Dough Rise? in my Baking with Yeast Guide.)
  1. Bake the rolls: After the rolls have doubled in size, preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Bake for 24–27 minutes, or until lightly browned. If you notice the tops are getting too brown too quickly, loosely tent the pan with aluminum foil and continue baking. If you want to be precise about their doneness, their internal temperature taken with an instant read thermometer should be around 195–200°F (91–93°C) when done. Remove pan from the oven and place pan on a wire rack as you make the icing. (You can also make the icing as the rolls bake.)
  2. Make the icing: In a medium bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the cream cheese on high speed until smooth and creamy. Add the butter and beat until smooth and combined, then beat in the confectioners’ sugar and vanilla until combined. Using a knife or icing spatula, spread the icing over the warm rolls and serve immediately.
  3. Cover leftover frosted or unfrosted rolls tightly and store at room temperature for a day or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Notes

    1. Make Ahead Instructions: This dough can be made the night before through step 4. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest in the refrigerator overnight. The next morning, remove from the refrigerator and allow to rise in a warm environment, about 1 hour. Continue with step 6.
    1. Make Ahead Instructions – Freezing: You can freeze the rolls for up to 3 months, and I recommend a few different methods. The first method is to freeze them after shaping, before they rise (before step 5). Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then let rise for 1.5–2 hours at room temperature before baking. The second method is to par-bake the risen rolls for 10 minutes, let cool completely, then cover and freeze. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking. Finish baking at 375°F (190°C) for around 15 minutes. You can also freeze fully baked rolls. See How to Freeze Cinnamon Rolls for more details about all of these methods.
    2. Special Tools (affiliate links): Electric Stand Mixer or Glass Mixing Bowl with Silicone Spatula/Wooden Spoon | Rolling Pin | 9- inch Round Cake Pan, 9-inch Pie Dish, or 9-inch Square Baking Pan | Instant Read Thermometer | Cooling Rack | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) for icing | Icing Spatula
    3. Yeast: I highly recommend instant yeast. If you only have active dry yeast, you can use that instead. Active dry and instant yeast can be used interchangeably in recipes (1:1). Active dry yeast has a moderate rate of rising and instant dry yeast has a faster rate of rising; active dry yeast will take longer to raise the dough.
    4. Milk: This recipe used to call for 1/2 cup (120ml) milk and 1/4 cup (60ml) water. The rolls taste much richer using all milk, and that is what I recommend. Whole milk or even buttermilk are ideal for this dough. If needed, you can substitute 3/4 cup (180ml) lower-fat or nondairy milk.
  1. Coffee Icing (or Vanilla Icing): Whisk 1 cup (120g) confectioners’ sugar, 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, and 2–3 Tablespoons (30–45ml) strong brewed coffee together until smooth. Or swap milk for coffee for regular vanilla icing. Drizzle over warm rolls.
  2. Reference my Baking with Yeast Guide for answers to common yeast FAQs.

Find it online: https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/easy-cinnamon-rolls-from-scratch/

Quick & Easy Banana Muffins

Quick & Easy Banana Muffins

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.9 from 2088 reviews
  • Author: Sally McKenney
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 10-12 muffins

These banana muffins are soft, buttery, and spiced with cinnamon. They’re wonderful plain, but taste fantastic with 1 cup chopped walnuts or chocolate chips. You need 3 ripe bananas and a handful of basic kitchen ingredients.

Ingredients

    • 1 and 1/2 cups (188g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
    • 1 teaspoon baking powder
    • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 and 1/2 cups (345g) mashed bananas (about 4 medium or 3 large ripe bananas)
  • 6 Tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter, melted (or melted coconut oil)
  • 2/3 cup (135g) packed light or dark brown sugar (or coconut sugar)*
  • 1 large egg, at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2 Tablespoons (30ml) milk*
  • optional: 1 cup chopped walnuts, pecans, or chocolate chips

 

Instructions

    1. Preheat oven to 425°F (218°C). Spray a 12-count muffin pan with nonstick spray or use cupcake liners.
  1. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg together in a medium bowl. Set aside. In a large bowl or in the bowl of your stand mixer, mash the bananas. On medium speed, beat or whisk in the melted butter, brown sugar, egg, vanilla extract, and milk. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, then beat or whisk until combined. If adding nuts or chocolate chips, fold them in now. Batter will be thick.
  2. Spoon the batter into liners, filling them all the way to the top. Bake for 5 minutes at 425°F, then, keeping the muffins in the oven, reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (177°C). Bake for an additional 16–18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. The total time these muffins take in the oven is about 21–23 minutes, give or take. (For mini muffins, bake 12–14 total minutes at 350°F (177°C).) Allow the muffins to cool for 5 minutes in the muffin pan, then transfer to a wire cooling rack to continue cooling.
  3. Muffins stay fresh covered at room temperature for a few days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Notes

    1. Make Ahead Instructions: For longer storage, freeze muffins for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then bring to room temperature or warm up in the microwave if desired.
    1. Special Tools (affiliate links): 12-count Muffin Pan | Muffin Liners | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk | Cooling Rack
    2. Why the initial high temperature? The hot burst of air will spring up the top of the muffin quickly, then the inside of the muffin can bake for the remainder of the time. This helps the muffins rise nice and tall.
    3. Whole Wheat Flour: Feel free to substitute whole wheat flour for all-purpose flour or use a mix of both as long as you use 1 and 1/2 cups total. If using all whole wheat flour, add another Tablespoon (15ml) of milk.
    4. Frozen Bananas: You can use frozen bananas here. Thaw the frozen bananas. Drain off any excess liquid, mash, then use as instructed in the recipe. See How to Freeze & Thaw Bananas for Baking.
  1. Sugar: You can use 2/3 cup of packed brown sugar or coconut sugar. Or a mixture of these to yield 2/3 cup. If using 2/3 cup coconut sugar, the muffins won’t be as sweet. I find they taste best with 2/3 cup brown sugar or 1/3 cup of each. 2/3 cup of honey or pure maple syrup works too, though the muffins will taste a little more moist in the centers. I’m unsure about sugar substitutes, but let me know if you try any.
  2. Milk: Use your favorite variety of dairy or nondairy milk.
  3. Banana Bread: Here’s my favorite banana bread recipe. 🙂

Find it online: https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/banana-muffins/

Easy Homemade Soft Pretzels

Easy Homemade Soft Pretzels

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.8 from 809 reviews
  • Author: Sally McKenney
  • Prep Time: 25 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 40 minutes
  • Yield: 12 pretzels

Description

This is one of the easiest ways to prepare homemade soft pretzels for beginners, and the results are extra delicious! The dough is a family recipe and only needs to rest for 10 to 30 minutes before shaping. The quick baking soda boil gives the pretzels their traditional flavor, and I do not recommend skipping it. This recipe is also in my New York Times best-selling cookbook, Sally’s Baking 101.

Ingredients

  • 2 and 1/4 teaspoons (7g) instant or active dry yeast (1 standard packet)
  • 1 Tablespoon brown sugar or granulated sugar
  • 1 and 1/2 cups (360ml) warm water (around 100°F/38°C)
  • 1 Tablespoon (14g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3 and 3/4–4 cups (469–500g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled), plus more as needed
  • coarse salt, for topping

Baking Soda Bath (See Recipe Note)

  • 1/2 cup (120g) baking soda
  • 9 cups (2.13L) water

 

Instructions

    1. Whisk the yeast and sugar into warm water. Cover and allow to sit for 1 minute.
    2. Whisk in the melted butter and salt. Add 3 cups (375g) of flour. Mix with a wooden spoon (or dough hook attachment if using a stand mixer) until combined. Add 3/4 cup (94g) more flour until the dough is slightly tacky and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. If it is still sticky, add up to 1/4 cup more (31g) flour, 1 Tablespoon at a time, as needed. Poke the dough with your finger—if it bounces back, it is ready to knead.
    1. Knead the dough: Keep the dough in the mixer and beat for an additional 3 to 5 full minutes, or knead by hand on a lightly floured surface for 3 to 5 minutes. (If you’re new to bread-baking, my How to Knead Dough video tutorial can help here.) If the dough becomes too sticky during the kneading process, sprinkle 1 teaspoon of flour at a time on the dough or on the work surface/in the bowl to make a soft, slightly tacky dough. Do not add more flour than you need because you do not want a dry dough. After kneading, the dough should still feel a little soft. Poke it with your finger—if it slowly bounces back, your dough is ready to rise. You can also do a “windowpane test” to see if your dough has been kneaded long enough: tear off a small (roughly golfball-size) piece of dough and gently stretch it out until it’s thin enough for light to pass through it. Hold it up to a window or light. Does light pass through the stretched dough without the dough tearing first? If so, your dough has been kneaded long enough and is ready to rise. If not, keep kneading until it passes the windowpane test.
    2. Shape the kneaded dough into a ball. Cover lightly with a towel and allow to rest for 10 to 30 minutes. (Meanwhile, I like to get the water + baking soda boiling as instructed in step 8.)
    3. Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Silicone baking mats are highly recommended over parchment paper. If using parchment paper, lightly spray with nonstick spray or grease with butter. Set aside.
    4. With a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut dough into 75g sections, which is about 1/3 cup of dough each.
    5. Roll the dough into a 20–22-inch rope. Form a circle with the dough by bringing the 2 ends together at the top of the circle. Twist the ends together. Bring the twisted ends back down towards yourself and press them down to form a pretzel shape.
  1. Bring baking soda and 9 cups of water to a boil in a large pot. Drop 1–2 pretzels into the boiling water for 20–30 seconds. Any longer than that and your pretzels will have a metallic taste. Using a slotted spatula, lift the pretzel out of the water and allow as much of the excess water to drip off. Place pretzel onto prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining pretzels. If desired, cover the boiled, unbaked pretzels with lightly oiled plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 24 hours before baking (step 9).
  2. Sprinkle the tops of the pretzels with coarse salt. Bake for 12–15 minutes or until dark golden brown.
  3. Remove from the oven and, if desired, serve warm with spicy nacho cheese sauce.
  4. Cover and store leftover pretzels at room temperature for up to 3 days. See Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions in recipe Notes below for more storage info. To reheat, microwave for a few seconds, or bake at 350°F (177°C) for 5 minutes.
►

Notes

    1. Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: If planning to freeze fully baked pretzels, do not top them with coarse salt before baking. Cool completely, then freeze in an airtight freezer-safe container or zip-top bag for up to 3 months. To reheat, brush frozen pretzels (no need to thaw) with water and sprinkle with coarse salt, then bake at 350°F (177°C) for 20 minutes or until warmed through, or microwave frozen pretzels until warm. The prepared pretzel dough can be covered and refrigerated for up to one day or frozen in an airtight container for 2–3 months. Thaw frozen dough in the refrigerator overnight. Refrigerated dough can be shaped into pretzels while still cold, but allow some extra time, about 1 hour, for the pretzels to puff up at room temperature before continuing with the baking soda bath and baking. You can also freeze the boiled, unbaked pretzels and here’s how: after boiling the pretzels in step 8, place them on a lightly greased parchment paper- or silicone baking mat-lined baking sheet. Freeze the pretzels for about 1 hour, then transfer them to an airtight freezer-safe container or zip-top bag (squeeze out as much air as possible from the bag before sealing) and freeze for up to 3 months. To bake, brush frozen pretzels (no need to thaw) with water and sprinkle with coarse salt, then bake at 400°F (204°C) for 15–20 minutes or until dark golden brown.
    2. Special Tools (affiliate links): Electric Stand Mixer or Glass Mixing Bowl | Wooden Spoon | Baking Sheets | Silicone Baking Mats or Parchment Paper | Pizza Cutter | Large Pot (such as a Dutch oven)
    3. Baking Soda Bath (Step 8): The baking soda bath is strongly recommended because it helps create that chewy texture and distinctive pretzel flavor. If skipping, brush the shaped and unbaked pretzels with a mixture of 1 beaten egg + 1 Tablespoon of dairy or nondairy milk. This is known as an egg wash. Sprinkle the brushed pretzels with salt. The egg wash will help the salt stick. If you don’t have an egg, simply brush with 2 Tablespoons of dairy or nondairy milk.
  1. Cinnamon Sugar Pretzels: Skip the coarse salt topping (and skip the egg wash, see note above, if you aren’t doing the baking soda bath step). Bake as directed in step 9. Meanwhile, melt 4 Tablespoons (56g) of unsalted or salted butter. Brush the baked and warm pretzels with melted butter, then dip the tops into a mix of cinnamon and sugar. I usually use 3/4 cup (150g) of granulated sugar and 1 and 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon. Cinnamon-sugar pretzels taste best the day they’re made because the melted butter topping causes them to become soggy after a few hours.
  2. Reference my Baking with Yeast Guide for answers to common yeast FAQs.

Soft & Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Description

Soft and chewy with that trademark homemade flavor, these are the best soft and chewy oatmeal raisin cookies. Your family will love these easy oatmeal raisin cookies!

Ingredients

    • 1 cup (16 Tbsp; 226g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
    • 1 cup (200g) packed light or dark brown sugar
    • 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
    • 2 large eggs*
    • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
    • 1 Tablespoon (15ml) unsulphured or dark molasses (do not use blackstrap; I prefer Grandma’s brand)
    • 1 and 2/3 cups (209g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
    • 1 teaspoon baking soda
    • 1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
    • 1/2 teaspoon salt
    • 3 cups (255g) old-fashioned whole rolled oats*
    • 1 cup (140g) raisins (see Note below)
  • optional: 1/2 cup (64g) chopped toasted walnuts

Instructions

    1. Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream the softened butter and both sugars together on medium speed until smooth, about 3 minutes. (Here’s a helpful tutorial if you need guidance on how to cream butter and sugar.) Add the eggs and mix on high until combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Add the vanilla and molasses and mix on high until combined. Set aside.
  1. In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt together. Add to the wet ingredients and mix on low until combined. Beat in the oats, raisins, and walnuts (if using) on low speed. Dough will be thick, yet very sticky. Chill the dough for 30-60 minutes in the refrigerator (do the full hour if you’re afraid of the cookies spreading too much). If chilling for longer (up to 2 days), allow to sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before rolling and baking.
  2. Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
  3. Roll balls of dough (about 2 tablespoons of dough per cookie) and place 2 inches apart on the baking sheets. I recommend using a cookie scoop since the dough can be sticky. Bake for 12-14 minutes until lightly browned on the sides. The centers will look very soft and under-baked. Remove from the oven and let cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. The cookies will continue to “set” on the baking sheet during this time.

Notes

  1. Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: Cookies stay fresh covered at room temperature for up to 1 week. Baked cookies freeze well—up to three months. Unbaked cookie dough balls freeze well—up to three months. Bake frozen cookie dough balls for an extra minute, no need to thaw. Here’s how to freeze cookie dough.
  2. Special Tools (affiliate links): Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Baking Sheets | Silicone Baking Mats or Parchment Paper | Cookie Scoop | Cooling Rack
  3. Oats: For these oatmeal raisin cookies, I use old-fashioned whole oats. They provide the ultimate hearty, chewy, thick texture we love!
  4. Eggs: Room temperature eggs preferred. Good rule of thumb: always use room temperature eggs when using room temperature butter.
  5. Raisins: Soak your raisins in warm water for 10 minutes before using (blot very well to dry them) – this makes them nice and plump for your cookies.
  6. Adapted from Loaded Oatmeal Cookies & Oatmeal Creme Pies. Recipe originally published on Sally’s Baking Addiction in 2014.

No Refrigeration Needed

19 Items Professional Chefs Never Refrigerate

1. Ketchup

Ketchup is something I’m always surprised to see in the fridge. Who wants cold ketchup on their hot fries or burger? Its acidity level is high enough to prevent microbial growth, and its sugar content is also a preservative. Just keep it out of direct sunlight, and it should be fine.

2. Potatoes

Many fruits and vegetables benefit from being stored in the fridge, but spuds are an exception. In refrigeration, they convert some of their starches to sugars (a natural antifreeze), which messes with their flavor and texture. They need a couple of weeks after coming out of refrigeration before the sugars revert to starches, which drove me crazy when I was preparing hand-cut fries at my restaurants. Chilled potatoes brown too quickly, making the fries darker than desired.

3. Mayonnaise

This one may surprise you if you grew up on stories of people getting sick at picnics from foods containing mayonnaise, but it’s true. Store-bought mayonnaise is acidic enough to keep safely at room temperature. Don’t believe me? According to Hellmann’s (aka Best Foods), the top-selling mayonnaise company in the U.S., its product can be stored at room temperature for up to a month after opening, or two months in the refrigerator.

The problem is actually the foods you mix with the mayo. I buy mine in the big jar and use it to refill a squeeze bottle. I only ever reach into the jar with scrupulously clean utensils, so food never comes in contact with it.
Related:

Important note: This only applies to commercial mayonnaise. Your homemade mayonnaise is extremely perishable and requires proper refrigeration.

4. Mustard

Mustard, like ketchup, is a condiment with more than enough acidity to keep it food safe. This applies to plain old yellow “ballpark” mustard, the hot English style, Dijon mustard, or grainy deli-style mustard … whatever you’ve got, in other words.

5. Soy Sauce

I always have a bottle of soy sauce sitting on a shelf near my kitchen work area, and it never goes into the fridge. Its high salt content keeps it food safe, and I use it frequently enough that it never goes bad. (Soy sauce adds a great umami kick to anything you cook.) The same goes for my bottle of Worcestershire sauce that sits beside it.

6. Tomatoes

There are a lot of fruits that only ripen properly at room temperature, and tomatoes are one of them. (We eat them as a vegetable, but they’re technically fruit.) If you refrigerate tomatoes before they’re adequately ripened, their flavor is stunted and their texture suffers. You can refrigerate them once they’re fully ripe to prolong their freshness, but they’ll taste better if you let them come to room temperature before you eat them.

7. Hot Sauce

Hot sauce is another food that’s acidic enough to store sans refrigeration. It’ll last for months at room temperature, and its flavors will remain full and bold. After about six months, though, the hot sauce will finally begin to lose its potency. If you only bring out that bottle of Tabasco a couple of times a year for bloody marys, it’s probably best to refrigerate it.

8. Avocados

Scroll up a few lines to the section about tomatoes — that applies to avocados as well. They simply won’t ripen in the refrigerator, full stop. So leave them on the counter until they’re ripe, and then use them quickly. If you have more than you’ll use in a day or so, at that point, it’s OK to refrigerate the rest to keep them from progressing to the “eww, ick” stage.
Related:

9. Fresh Basil

Most fresh herbs will keep for a long time when stored in the fridge, but basil is an exception. Simply put it in a glass of water and place it on the countertop. (Trust me on this — I grow basil in my garden every year.) That’s why good supermarkets leave the herb out, often near the tomatoes, rather than put it in a refrigerated case.

10. Stone Fruit

Stone fruits, such as peaches, plums, and nectarines, fall into the same camp as avocados and tomatoes because they’ll never fully ripen if you pop them in the fridge. Instead, they’ll develop a mealy texture, which is not what you want at all. As with tomatoes and avocados, though, if you’ve cut into one and won’t finish it, it’s OK to refrigerate the remainder to prevent it from spoiling.

11. Nuts

I’ve personally gone both ways on this, because keeping nuts refrigerated does stop their natural oils from going rancid. Cooler temperatures mess with their flavor and texture, though, so I’ve gone back to buying only what I’ll use in a reasonable time frame and storing them in my pantry. An exception is the pine nuts I use to make pesto, which I buy in bulk and keep vacuum-sealed in my freezer between summers.

12. Chocolate

If you spring for some really good chocolate for baking or an occasional treat, you may be tempted to keep it in the fridge. Don’t do that. The cocoa butter in chocolate misbehaves at cold temperatures, giving it a disappointingly crumbly texture and powdery surface over time. The latter issue is known as “bloom,” and it’s just the cocoa butter coming to the surface, so don’t throw away your chocolate if you see it. It’s perfectly fine to eat and will melt away if you bake with it.

13. Coffee

Like chocolate, its frequent partner, coffee tastes best when not frozen or refrigerated. The chill dampens the volatile oils that give coffee its robust flavor, and going in and out of the fridge can cause condensation on the beans or ground coffee (especially in humid climates like mine). Condensation can lead to spoilage, which is pretty ironic in this context.

14. Apples

I live in apple-growing country, and my grandkids and I eat a lot of apples. OK, they eat the first few bites of a lot of apples, but the point remains the same. Apples are a naturally long-keeping fruit, and refrigeration can mute their flavors. Don’t do it unless the apples are cut up or getting past their prime.

15. Nutella and Peanut Butter

These spreads are also beloved by my grandkids, and both are perfectly fine (better, even) when they aren’t refrigerated. Mainstream peanut butter brands are packed with preservatives and will last months without issue. Natural peanut butter only needs refrigeration if you don’t eat it often. Chocolate and hazelnut Nutella, and its competitors, develop a weird texture if they’re refrigerated.

16. Honey

It would never occur to me to refrigerate honey, so I was quite surprised to learn that some people do. Sugar is a preservative, and honey is mostly sugar. It will last for centuries when sealed to keep out moisture, so relax and leave it in the pantry. Refrigeration also makes honey crystallize faster, making it a pain to get out of the bottle.

17. Cucumbers

For a lot of people I know, cukes go right from the shopping bag to the crisper drawer. That’s a bad idea because the cold, dry air of the refrigerator will make the cucumbers deteriorate pretty quickly. I’ve regularly kept my homegrown cukes on the counter for a couple of weeks without problems

18. Citrus Fruits

Citrus fruits are exceptionally versatile, making them a staple in many kitchens. Oranges, lemons, limes, and grapefruit all keep really well at room temperature, and refrigeration tends to suck the moisture out of them pretty quickly. Leave the fruits out, perhaps in a hanging basket or concrete bowl, and only refrigerate them after they’re cut.

19. Fresh Peppers

We’ll finish with fresh peppers, another fruit masquerading as a vegetable. Like many others on this list, they will continue to ripen if you leave them on the counter, and that’s when their flavor and texture are best. This is true for both sweet and hot peppers. I refrigerate mine after I cut into them, or if I’m looking to preserve hot peppers’ “green” flavor and don’t want them to ripen and sweeten.

Substitutions to Lower Carbs

1. Cauliflower Rice Instead of White Rice

Cauliflower rice has 7 grams of carbs per 1/2 cup serving, compared to white rice with 22 grams. Additionally, cauliflower rice adds 3 grams of fiber to your meal, which can help keep you full for longer. Cauliflower makes for a great alternative to rice that is packed with nutrients and vitamins and saves you some carbs and calories. You can buy prechopped cauliflower rice frozen or fresh, or make your own at home with a food processor

2. Zucchini Noodles (Zoodles) or Spaghetti Squash for Pasta.

Spiralize zucchini or use spaghetti squash to create noodle alternatives for your favorite pasta dishes.

3. Portobello Mushrooms or Lettuce for Burger Buns.   

Use large, grilled portobello mushroom caps or crisp lettuce leaves in place of high-carb buns to hold your burger patty.

4. Veggie Slices or Nuts/Seeds for Chips.   

Snack on sliced carrots, bell peppers, or kale chips instead of potato chips. For added crunch in salads, use nuts and seeds as a substitute for croutons.

5. Cauliflower for Mashed Potatoes.   

Boiled and mashed cauliflower is a creamy, low-carb alternative to traditional mashed potatoes.

6. Lettuce Leaves for Tortillas/Wraps.  

Use large lettuce leaves to wrap fillings for tacos, burritos, or sandwiches, reducing the carb count significantly.

7. Kelp Noodles for Pasta or in Salads.   

These noodles made from seaweed have very few net carbs and are a great, versatile substitute for pasta in stir-fries and salads.

8. Eggs for a Low-Carb Breakfast.   

Eggs are a perfect low-carb, high-protein breakfast choice to replace sugary cereals, providing sustained fullness.

9. Chia Breakfast Pudding for Sweetened Oatmeal.   

Oatmeal is a super-healthy breakfast food, but it’s always nice to have other options.

Per 1-cup serving, chia seed pudding contains 30 grams of carbohydrate compared with sweetened oatmeal’s 49 grams, many of which are from added sugar. Though chia seeds don’t have the whole grains of oatmeal, they pack a variety of their own unique health benefits. Chia seeds are high in omega-3 fatty acids, which help protect your heart, and antioxidants that prevent inflammation and chronic disease. To top it all off, one serving of this pudding boasts 10 grams of fiber, which is 40% of your recommended daily intake.

10.  Sichuan Chicken Lettuce Wraps. 

Lettuce Wrap for Bread.  There’s a reason lettuce wraps are popular. You keep all the delicious filling, but get to cut out 12 grams of carbs.

A large lettuce leaf has only 1 gram of carbs and 5 calories and is a great option for people trying to cut calories in general. Lettuce has a high water content, so it’s a light, fresh alternative to bread to help keep you hydrated.

11. Zucchini Noodles for Linguine.

Zucchini noodles have 4 grams of carbs per cup, compared to traditional linguine with 35 grams. This is another tasty substitute for regular pasta for those who are gluten-free or counting carbs. Added bonus: zucchini noodles are quick to make from scratch and cook in just a few minutes. You can also find them pre-spiralized in the fresh produce section or freezer section of your store.

12. Flavored Seltzer for Soda.

It is probably not news to anyone that soda contains a lot of sugar and calories without much nutrition. The 41 grams of carbs found in a typical 12-ounce can of soda come from added sugar, and provide almost double the recommended daily limit for added sugar. Comparatively, seltzer has zero grams of carbs per 12-ounce can and zero calories as well. If you’re used to the sweetness of soda, try adding a splash of juice to your seltzer for more flavor. You can still get your bubbly fix in a low-carb way.

Substitute pure, distilled spirits for beer.

13.  Vegetarian Spaghetti Squash Lasagna

Spaghetti squash lasagna has around 34 grams of carbs per serving (one quarter of a squash), which is substantially less than the 45 grams of carbs in classic lasagna. Spaghetti squash is fun to eat straight out of the skin, and the strands truly do resemble pasta noodles. This cheesy recipe is delicious twist on a classic.
Yogurt with Blueberries

14. Plain Yogurt with Fruit for Flavored Yogurt

At 13 grams of carbs per cup, plain yogurt with fruit added on top has just one-third the carbs of traditional fruit-flavored yogurt (47 grams per cup). Fruit gives you sweetness without the added sugar of fruit-flavored products. Additionally, fruit adds between 2 and 4 grams of fiber per 1/2 cup to help keep your stomach satisfied and your gut healthy.

15.  Cauliflower Pizza Crust

This recipe for cauliflower pizza crust has 7 grams of carbs and 2 grams of fiber per slice compared to the 24 grams of carbs and zero grams of fiber in wheat crust. It also provides 75% of the Daily Value of vitamin C. Next time you’re having a pizza night, give this veggie-loaded alternative a try. If you buy your cauliflower pizza crust, just know that nutrition varies from brand to brand.

16.  Spinach-Strawberry Salad with Feta & Walnuts – Sliced Nuts for Croutons

Nuts are a great, low-carb way to add crunch to a salad without adding croutons (which have about 7 grams of carbs per 1/4-cup serving). Most nuts have 1 to 2 grams of carbs per tablespoon (note the smaller serving size), saving you 5 grams per serving compared with croutons. Additionally, nuts are loaded with protein and healthy fat to give a nutritional boost to your salad. Toast nuts and add spices; you won’t even notice that the croutons are gone.

17.  Baked Parmesan Zucchini Fries for Potato Fries

These delicious, cheesy zucchini fries have 18 grams of carbohydrates (per cup) while their potato counterparts have about 24 grams for the same-size serving. When the garden is overflowing with zucchini, it can be easy to get into a creative rut. If you are getting bored with zucchini noodles, try this crispy low-carb snack. These fries are coated in a bit of cornstarch and Parmesan to get a crispy coating.
lemon-pepper cucumbers

18.  Cucumber Slices for Crackers: Saves 14 Grams of Carbs

Need a vehicle for dips, sauces or cheese, but looking to cut carbs? Look no further. A 1/2-cup serving of sliced cucumber has less than 2 grams carbs, which is a fraction of the carb content of traditional crackers (16 grams per 1/2 cup ). Many processed crackers are high in sodium too, whereas cucumbers are naturally low in sodium and high in potassium, which helps keep your blood pressure in check. Add a creamy dip or some cheese for a satisfying low-carb snack.
Cauliflower Mac & Cheese

19.  Cauliflower Mac & Cheese for Mac & Cheese

OK, OK. Technically, this cauliflower “mac” doesn’t have any macaroni. But it does have all the saucy, cheesy goodness of mac and cheese with only 12 grams of carbohydrate per serving—compared to around 60 grams in a serving of traditional mac and cheese. As an added bonus, the cauliflower brings 87% of your Daily Value of vitamin C, which gives your immune system a boost.

20.  Chickpea Flour for White Flour

If you follow a gluten-free diet, you may already be familiar with the idea of alternative flours. There are numerous non-wheat types and flavors, from chickpea flour to coconut flour to almond flour. Luckily, along with being gluten-free and high in protein, chickpea flour has only 27 grams of carbohydrates per 1/2 cup, compared to 48 grams per 1/2 cup of white flour. You can’t use it as a direct substitute for white flour, but try it out in socca and other recipes that call for chickpea flour.

21.  Creamy Mashed Cauliflower for Mashed Potato

Even with 32 grams of carbs per serving, it can be hard to think of something delicious that could replace mashed potatoes. With only 10 grams of carbs per serving, this mashed cauliflower gets creamy and makes a pretty delicious potato substitute. It also has fewer calories and more protein and fiber than traditional mashed potatoes.

ALTERNATELY you can use oven-roasted celery root

22.  Cauliflower Buns for Wheat Buns

These cauliflower buns contain only 8 grams of carbs compared to wheat buns with 26 grams of carbs. Like other cauliflower starch replacements, they are packed full of nutrition: this recipe, made with cheese, has 107% your Daily Value of vitamin C and 24% of your DV of calcium. Additionally, they can be made in less than an hour and stored in the freezer.

ALTERNATELY you can use low-carb, high-fiber crispbreads.

23.   For candy, substitute 70% or higher cacao dark chocolate.

Dove Chocolates are quick and easy, and are limited in size alredy.

Bottom Line

To be clear, carbs are not inherently bad for your health—and our bodies (and brains especially) need carbs to function. However, if you are trying to cut out refined-grain foods, we have several ideas for low-carb swaps. Adding vegetables, nuts and legumes to your diet helps boost nutrients and fiber, which can help you lose weight, prevent chronic disease and feel fantastic.

 

 

Glazed Chicken Wings

original recipe

Sweet Chili and Orange Marmalade Glazed Chicken Wings

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds chicken wing pieces, drumettes and flats
  • ½ cup orange marmalade
  • ¼ cup sweet chili sauce

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

  2. Set a wire rack inside a large foil-lined rimmed baking sheet; arrange chicken wings on top.

  3. Bake in the preheated oven until wings are no longer pink at the bone and the skin is crispy, 45 to 50 minutes.

  4. Mix orange marmalade and chili sauce in a large bowl until thoroughly combined. Add cooked wings to marmalade-chili sauce and toss until well coated. Plate wings and pour extra sauce on top.

Butterscotch Pudding Blondies

ORIGINAL RECIPE FROM FOOD NETWORK

  • 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for the baking dish
  • 1 1/2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
  • 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • One 3.4-ounce package butterscotch instant pudding mix
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 3/4 cup roasted salted cashews, coarsely chopped
  • 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
  • Flaky salt

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish with aluminum foil, leaving a 2-inch overhang. Grease the foil with butter.
  2. Put the brown sugar in a large bowl. Melt the butter in a small skillet or in the microwave in a glass measuring cup. Stir the butter into the sugar until smooth. Cool to room temperature.
  3. Meanwhile, in another medium bowl, whisk the flour, pudding mix, baking soda and kosher salt together.
  4. Beat the eggs and vanilla into the sugar mixture. Stir in the flour mixture a bit at a time and mix until a smooth, thick batter forms. Fold in the cashews and chocolate chips.
  5. Spoon the batter into the prepared dish and spread evenly. Bake until the blondies are light brown around the edges and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 20 to 25 minutes.
  6. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with flaky salt. Let cool in pan slightly, about 15 minutes. Using the overhanging aluminum foil, lift the blondies out of the pan and transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. Remove the foil and cut into 18 blondies.

Easy Pickled Okra

Source Recipe:   Eat Simple Food
 
You may have heard that when you cook okra, it turns slimy.  Well, that’s true.  Here are two recipes though, that make okra pretty easy to prepare and tasty.
 
      • Trim okra stem to 1/4 inch
      • ¾ lb okra
      • 2 fresno red chili peppers, sliced – use red peppers if you can’t find them or skip
      • 2 small garlic cloves, peeled
      • 4 dill sprigs or 1 ½ tsp dried dill
      • 1 ½ tsp mustard seeds
      • ½ tsp crushed red pepper (for heat)
      • 1 cup apple cider vinegar
      • 1 cup water
      • 2 Tbsp salt
      • 1 quart size jar – equipment

Instructions

    1. Add garlic, dill, mustard seeds, and crushed red pepper to two pint sized jars.
    2. Small okra is better.  Not more than three inches, anyway.
      Plump – no wrinkles
    3. Trim okra stems to ¼”. Add cleaned whole okra to jar vertically, alternating stem ends up and down.
    4. Pack okra in tightly, packing dill along the sides
    5. Bring a small pot with vinegar, water, and salt to a rolling boil and stir.
    6. Pour mixture into clean canning jar(s) (careful it’s hot!), leaving ~ ¼″ air at top.  
    7. Cover with cleaned canning jar lid.
    8. Let sit at room temperature ~ 1 hour to cool down, and then place in refrigerator.  
    9. Wait at least a couple days before eating, but probably will need about a week to soak up all the pickling liquid.  Good for ~3 weeks in the refrigerator.  Happy eating!  Beckie

 

 

 

Beyond the Grave Chicken Salad

by Mary Kay Andrews

Did y’all hear about the Coca-Cola heiress who got kicked out of the Junior League for making chicken salad with dark meat? It’s an urban legend in Atlanta, but every Southern woman worth her salt has a tried and true recipe for chicken salad. My personal favorite used to be served in the dearly departed tea room at Maas Bros. Department Store in St. Petersburg, Florida. I’ve tasted some great versions over the years, but none greater than the one I sampled at the wake of a friend’s father in Dalton, Georgia. It inspired the recipe for Beyond the Grave Chicken Salad in Little Bitty Lies.

Beyond the Grave Chicken Salad Recipe

5 lbs. chicken breasts
2 quarts water
parsley sprigs
1 large onion, quartered
1 tsp seasoned salt
2 chicken bullion cubes

In large pot, bring water and seasoning to boil, add chicken, lower heat and simmer 40 min. Remove from heat, cool. Shred chicken and refrigerate.

Dressing:

1/2 C bottled Italian salad dressing
1 C Duke’s mayonnaise
1 TBL white vinegar
1-1/2 tsp celery seed
2 TBL sugar
1/8 tsp. salt
dash paprika

Blend well together.

For salad:

Toss shredded chicken with one cup of dressing and let stand at least one hour to marinate.

Combine remaining dressing with:
1/2 C sour cream
1 TBL honey

Add to chicken and mix well. May add canned water chestnuts, blanched almonds or chopped pecans.

Soft Sourdough Pretzel

Find it online: https://www.theperfectloaf.com/seriously-soft-sourdough-pretzel/

  • Author: Maurizio Leo
  • Prep Time: 18 hours
  • Cook Time: 25 minutes
  • Total Time: 18 hours 25 minutes
  • Yield: 12 pretzels
  • Category: Sourdough, Pretzel
  • Cuisine: German

Description

Chewy and soft, these sourdough pretzels are the real deal. Equally delicious with mustard, cheese, and beer, they have that unmistakable pretzel flavor and deep color.

Ingredients

 

Levain

  • 10g ripe sourdough starter, 100% hydration
  • 51g all-purpose flour
  • 51g whole wheat flour
  • 102g water

Main dough

  • 635g high-protein flour (“bread” flour)
  • 120g all-purpose flour
  • 369g water
  • 17g fine sea salt
  • 60g unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
  • 3g diastatic malt powder

Lye bath

  • 940g cool water
  • 38g food-grade lye

Topping

  • coarse pretzel salt

Instructions

  1. Levain (9:00 p.m.)
    In a small bowl or jar, mix the Levain ingredients. Cover the jar and keep it at a warm temperature for 12 hours.
  2. Mix (9:00 a.m., next day)
    Add the flour, water, salt, softened butter, diastatic malt powder, and levain to the bowl of a mixer fitted with a dough hook. Mix on speed 1 for 2 to 3 minutes until all of the ingredients are incorporated. Let the dough rest for 5 minutes. Continue to mix on speed 2 for 4-6 additional minutes until the dough becomes smooth and cohesive—an improved mix.
  3. Bulk fermentation (9:15 a.m. to 12:45 p.m.)
    Give the dough one set of stretch and folds after the first hour of bulk fermentation. Return the dough to the bulk container and let rest until time to divide.
  4. Divide and preshape (12:45 p.m.)
    Because the dough is low hydration, keep it covered at all times. Divide the dough into twelve 115 gram rectangular pieces. Preshape each rectangle into a tapered cigar shape. Let the pieces rest 15 minutes covered with plastic.
  5. Shape (1:00 p.m.)
    Line two half-sheet pans with parchment paper. Starting with the piece preshaped first, place the cigar in front of you so the tips are at your sides. Begin with your hands slightly overlapping in the middle, press down and roll the dough back and forth away from and then toward your body. As you are rolling, start to move your hands outward to encourage the tube to spread out and become increasingly thin as you move from the center out to the tips. You want to keep an exaggerated bulge in the very center of this rope, this will be the part you later score to open in the oven. Grab the two tips and arrange the dough so it loops away from you. Take one tip and fold it over the other side . Switch your hands so your right hand is holding the new right tip and your left is holding the new left tip. Fold the same side over the other as previously. Grab the two tips and fold them up over the knot in the middle and place each tip on its corresponding side inside the loop. It looks nice to have a little overlap with each tip — gently press it down into the side to seal.
  6. Proof (1:15 p.m. to 1:45 p.m.)
    Let the dough proof on the counter at room temperature for 30 minutes, uncovered. Then, transfer the uncovered baking sheets holding your pretzels to the fridge for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
  7. Lye bath (2:45 p.m.)
    Place two racks in your oven, one at the bottom and one in the top third. Preheat your oven to 450°F (230°C) convection (475°F (245°C) without convection). While wearing long latex or rubber gloves, add 940g cool water  to a stainless steel bowl. To the water, add 38g food-grade lye while mixing with a stainless steel whisk or large spoon. The mixture will initially be cloudy, keep stirring until all the powder/pellets are dissolved. With gloves, pick up one shaped pretzel and transfer it to the lye bath and let sit for 15-20 seconds. Transfer to the cooling rack on top of the parchment paper inside a baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough pieces. Once all the pretzel have been dipped, carefully flush the remaining lye solution down the toilet.
  8. Bake (3:00 p.m.)
    Score each pretzel with the razor blade and sprinkle on pretzel salt. Bake at 450°F (230°C) for 10 minutes. Rotate the pans back to front and top to bottom, turn the oven down to 425°C (220°C) and bake for 8-12 minutes longer until a deep brown color. Remove from the oven and let cool. Enjoy warm from the oven.

Notes

  • For the lye bath, you will need a stainless steel bowl, stainless steel cooling rack, and pair of rubber gloves.

 

Jalapeño Popper Pinwheels

Jalapeño Popper Pinwheels are bite sized, creamy, delicious snacks or appetizers that are filled with cheese, bacon and jalapeños and rolled up in a tortilla!
 
 
Author Brandie @ The Country Cook
 

Ingredients

  • 8 ounce block cream cheese, softened to room temperature
  • 1/3 cup sour cream
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
  • 6 slices bacon, cooked crispy and crumbled
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped jalapeno, seeds and membrane removed
  • 2 green onions, thinly sliced (green part only)
  • 5 (8-inch) flour tortillas
  • ranch dressing, for dipping (optional)

Instructions

  • In a big bowl, use an electric mixer to blend the cream cheese and sour cream until it’s smooth.
  • Add in the cheese, bacon, jalapenos, and green onions to the bowl. Stir everything together until it’s well mixed.
  • Place a tortilla on a clean surface. Take about one-fifth of the mixture and spread it evenly on the tortilla, leaving a half-inch border around the edges.
  • Roll up the tortilla tightly, making a long log shape. Repeat this with the rest of the tortillas and filling.
  • Wrap each log tightly in plastic wrap, folding the ends of the plastic under. Put them in the fridge for at least 4 hours, but overnight is even better.
  • Take the logs out of the plastic wrap. Slice them into half-inch pieces and serve. Enjoy!

Triple Citrus Tart

You can use the below recipe from Johanne Killeen & George Germon, owners of Al Forno, in Providence, Rhode Island, or you can use my recipe for Pastry Dough.  Here is another recipe.   If you want REALLY easy, just use Puff Pastry.

    • 1 tsp orange zest – minced
    • 1 TBL orange juice – cold
    • 1 TBL ice water
      • It is better to have your dough too moist, rather than too dry
        You can always add a bit more flour, but not liquid
    • Approx 1 C AP flour
    • 2 TBL confectioner sugar
    • 1/4 tsp salt
    • 1 sticks cold butter in pieces
      • Pulse in food processor about six times
    • With motor running, add liquid all at once
    • Stop only to scrape down sides
      • You want dough to just hold together
      • Pour onto aluminum foil
      • Press together into a disk
      • Refrigerate immediately for about 2 hours
    • Keeping your hands and your dough floured start rolling it out
    • Flatten it to just under 1/8 inch
    • Replenish floured surface as necessary
    • Transfer onto a baking sheet
      • Add first layer to the tart
    • If using lemons, blanch them about 10 seconds in boiling water, then rinse them and dry them to remove the waxy coat and any pesticides
    • Slice on mandolin as thinly as you can possibly slice them
    • Layer over entire tart surface, slightly overlapping
    • Sprinkle with super-fine sugar – You can also create your own with your food processory
    • Fold over the crust sides
    • Refrigerate for about 90 minutes
      • Preheat oven to 450 before putting into the oven
      • Bake 15 minutes

Prepare your lime curd

    • Two whole eggs plus two egg yolks
    • 1/2 C sugar
    • 3/4 C fresh lime juice
    • 1/2 C heavy cream
    • Heat over a double boiler until it thickens – Keep no hotter than 190º

Whip your egg whites

    • 4 egg whites
      • Start to whip to froth on high
    • 1/2 C super-fine sugar – 1 spoonful at a time
    • Scrape down sides, then continue to soft peaks

Combine

    • After your tart has cooled, add a layer of curd
    • Put on your meringue over top of curd
      • Use a fork to pull out the peaks
    • Put into preheated oven until meringue darkens
    • Let cool just a bit, and then plate
    • Sprinkle with confectioner sugar

 

Egg Noodle Chicken

Adapted from Food Networks  “The Kitchen”

  • 1-2 pounds chicken breast pieces into heavy bottom roast pan
  • Add 1 can golden mushroom soup
  • 8 oz cream cheese
  • 1 pkg Italian dressing
  • Toss to mix
  • Cover and cook on lowest setting on your stovetop (alt use Slow Cooker) for 4 hours
      • –
  • Cook 1 C egg noodles and set aside
      • –
  • 1 pound mixed mushrooms in pan with 2 TBL butter and 2 TBL EVOO
  • 1 clove garlic
  • Deglaze with 1 C chicken broth
  • Put mushrooms in with chicken 1 hour before serving
  • Add cooked egg noodles when ready to serve and mix in
  • Top with Grated Parm and Parsley

 

HTML Snippets Powered By : XYZScripts.com