Once Upon A Chef

Chocoholic Muffins

 
The men in my life all have one thing in common: a strong, deep-seated penchant for chocolate. Growing up, my dad lived on a steady diet of Nestle Crunch bars and Oreo cookies. These days, I live with chocolate lovers of a more discriminating sort (no offense, dad:)) – my husband and son, who know that a little begging and praise is all it takes to get me in the kitchen, covered in cocoa powder. These tender muffins with a double hit of chocolate are one of their favorites...and just as true chocoholics would, they eat them for breakfast. 

Crispy Ginger Cookies

This is my all-time favorite ginger cookie, and believe me, I've tasted my fair share.  Over the past month, I've tried at least eight different recipes, all of which yielded cookies that were either too hard, too soft or overpoweringly spicy. This one is perfect. It's got just the right balance of spices -- think ginger, cinnamon, cloves, allspice and black pepper -- and a wonderfully, buttery crisp texture.

Secret Ingredient Chocolate Chip Cookies

In the food world, there are few things as elusive or sought after as the perfect chocolate chip cookie. This recipe from my friend Carrie has my vote. When she first sent it to me, I thought “Geez, she sure threw the whole kitchen sink in there.” But Carrie is a great baker so I tried them…and I don't think I've ever had a better chocolate chip cookie.

Pumpkin Bread

I ordered Halloween costumes for my kids today (Batman, Batgirl, and – I couldn’t resist - Batdog!), so it seems like the perfect time to share this fantastic Pumpkin Bread recipe with you. It’s an old family recipe that's been passed down through the generations; my mom's been baking it since I was a little girl. I’ve made it a hundred times as a grown-up, but the smell of it baking in the oven brings me back to my mother's kitchen every time.

Supernatural Brownies

 

If you've been searching for the perfect brownie recipe, look no further. I promise you, this is it!  These aptly named squares of chocolate indulgence are from Nick Malgieri's Chocolate cookbook, an excellent resource for all things chocolate.  Typically brownie lovers fall into two camps: the "fudgy" and the "cakey."  I dare say these brownies - moist and fudgy in the center, and cakey and crisp on the surface - will appeal to all.

Soft Pretzels

 

Rainy day? Looking for something fun to do with the kids indoors? May I recommend a little old-fashioned pretzel baking?