5 Fun Recipes to Start the New Year!
The new year brings many new opportunities and enables us to try new things! Let’s start out this new year with 5 delicious treats that will make everyone ask for more! All of these recipes are from the food network.
Molten Chocolate Cake with Crushed Candy Canes!
By: Anne Burrel
Ingredients:
- 1 1/4 sticks unsalted butter
- Granulated sugar, for the ramekins
- 1/2 (6-ounce) bag semisweet chocolate chips
- 3 eggs
- 3 egg yolks
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, plus a little more for dusting
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 candy canes, smashed to bits
Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F
- Melt 1/4 a stick of butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Paint the inside of 6 ramekins or aluminum souffle cups with butter. Coat the inside of each ramekin with granulated sugar. Reserve
- Put the remaining stick of butter and chocolate chips in a large mixing bowl. Set the bowl on a saucepan filled with about 1-inch of boiling water. Be sure that the bowl is not touching the water. Gently stir the butter and the chocolate together until melted and the mixture is smooth. Turn off the heat and reserve
- Combine the eggs, yolks, sugar and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer. (This can also be done with a hand beater.) Beat the egg mixture until it doubles in size, and gets very thick and very pale
- Gently whisk the melted chocolate and butter into the egg mixture. Remove the bowl from the mixer and gently stir in the flour. Pour the batter into the prepared ramekins. Arrange the ramekins on a baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 14 to 15 minutes. Remove the cakes from the oven and let rest for 3 to 4 minutes
- Remove the cakes from the ramekins, and arrange them on individual serving plates. Dust with powdered sugar and garnish with crushed candy cane
Classic Lemon Bars!
By: The Food Network Magazine
Ingredients:
For the crust:
- Vegetable oil, for greasing
- 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, diced
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar, plus more for garnish
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
For the filling:
- 4 large eggs, plus 2 egg yolks
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
- 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
- 1 cup fresh lemon juice (from about 8 lemons)
Steps:
- Make the crust: Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9-by-13-inch pan with vegetable oil and line with foil, leaving a 2-inch overhang on all sides; grease the foil with oil. Pulse the butter, flour, both sugars and the salt in a food processor until the dough comes together, about 1 minute. Press evenly into the bottom and about 1/2 inch up the sides of the prepared pan, making sure there are no cracks. Bake until the crust is golden, about 25 minutes
- Meanwhile, make the filling: Whisk the whole eggs and yolks, sugar and flour in a bowl until smooth. Whisk in the lemon zest and juice. Remove the crust from the oven and reduce the temperature to 300 degrees F. Pour the filling over the warm crust and return to the oven. Bake until the filling is just set, 30 to 35 minutes
- Let the bars cool in the pan on a rack, then refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours. Lift out of the pan using the foil and slice. Dust with confectioners’ sugar before serving
Salted Caramel Brownies!
By: Ina Garten
Ingredients:
- 1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter
- 8 ounces plus 6 ounces Hershey’s semi sweet chocolate chips
- 3 extra-large eggs
- 3 ounces unsweetened chocolate
- 1 1/2 tablespoons instant coffee granules, such as Nescafe
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, divided
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 5 to 6 ounces good caramel sauce, such as Fran’s
- 2 to 3 teaspoons flaked sea salt, such as Maldon
Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a 9 x 12 x 1 1/2-inch baking pan
- Melt the butter, 8 ounces of the chocolate chips, and the unsweetened chocolate together in a medium bowl set over simmering water. Allow to cool for 15 minutes. In a large bowl, stir (do not beat) together the eggs, coffee, vanilla, and sugar. Stir the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture and allow to cool to room temperature (see note below)
- In a medium bowl, sift together 1/2 cup of the flour, the baking powder, and salt and add to the chocolate mixture. Toss the remaining 6 ounces of chocolate chips and the remaining 2 tablespoons of flour in a medium bowl and add them to the chocolate mixture. Spread evenly in the prepared pan
- Bake for 35 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Don’t overbake!
- As soon as the brownies are out of the oven, place the jar of caramel sauce without the lid in a microwave and heat just until it’s pourable. Stir until smooth. Drizzle the caramel evenly over the hot brownies and sprinkle with the sea salt. Cool completely and cut into 12 bars
- Recipe from Barefoot Contessa Foolproof: Recipes You Can Trust. Copyright (c) 2012 by Ina Garten. By Arrangement with Clarkson Potter, a division of Random House, Inc. for Food Network Magazine
Cooks Note:
You’ll want to find true caramel sauce rather than dulce de leche, which has a lot of milk or cream added. Fran’s can be ordered at franschocolates.com. It is very important to allow the batter to cool before adding the chocolate chips, or the chips will melt and ruin the brownies. Buy the book here.
White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake Bars!
By: Samantha Seneviratne
Ingredients:
Crust:
- 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Cheesecake:
- 1 pound cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1/3 cup sugar
- Pinch kosher salt
- 7 ounces good-quality white chocolate, melted and cooled slightly
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup raspberry jam, seeds strained out
Steps:
- For the crust: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on 2 sides
- Add the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and salt to the prepared baking pan and toss with a fork to combine. Add the butter and toss until evenly moistened. Spread the crumb mixture out and pat down to an even layer
- Bake until the crust is toasted and fragrant, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool completely. Lower the oven temperature to 300 degrees F
- For the cheesecake: In a large bowl using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese, sugar and salt until fluffy and smooth, 3 to 4 minutes. Beat in the white chocolate until well combined. Beat in the eggs one at a time, just until combined; do not overmix once you’ve added the eggs. Transfer the cream cheese mixture to the cooled crust and spread out to an even layer
- Drop the raspberry jam in dollops all over the top of the cheesecake. Then, using a toothpick, swirl the jam and the cheesecake batter decoratively
- Bake until the cheesecake is set about 2 inches around the edges but is still a bit jiggly in the center, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool for about an hour, then wrap with plastic and refrigerate until completely cold, at least 6 hours
- Use the parchment handles to lift the cheesecake onto a cutting board and cut into pieces to serve
Vanilla Panna Cotta!
By: Michael Symon
Ingredients:
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 vanilla bean
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin (about 1/2 packet)
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup whole-milk Greek yogurt
- Sliced strawberries and fresh mint, for garnish (optional)
Steps:
- Place the cream in a saucepan. Halve the vanilla bean lengthwise; scrape out the seeds with a knife, then add the seeds and pod to the saucepan. Add the sugar and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. Discard the vanilla pod
- Sprinkle the gelatin over the milk in a bowl and let stand until the gelatin softens, about 5 minutes. Stir the gelatin mixture into the hot cream mixture until dissolved, then stir in the yogurt. Divide among six to eight 4-ounce ramekins, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until set, at least 6 hours or overnight
- Dip each ramekin three-quarters of the way in warm water and invert onto a plate. Garnish each panna cotta with strawberries and mint, if desired
Enjoy!
By: Sorina Yeghian ‘26, Food and Wellness Editor
