Red Velvet Cake

Makes one 9-inch layer cake
2 1/2 cups White Lily self-rising flour (For each cup of flour, add 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder and a 1/2 teaspoon salt)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup whole buttermilk
2 1/2 tablespoons red food coloring
Cheese Frosting
Vegetable-oil cooking spray

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray three 9-by-2-inch round cake pans with cooking spray, and line with wax paper. Set aside. In a medium bowl, sift together flour and baking soda. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine sugar, vegetable oil, eggs, vinegar, and vanilla. With an electric mixer, beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Gradually add flour mixture, and mix on low speed just until flour has been incorporated. Slowly add buttermilk. Add food coloring, and beat to combine.

Divide batter among pans; each pan will be about half full. Tap pans on counter to remove bubbles. Bake until a cake tester inserted into the middle comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Remove the pans to a rack to cool for 5 minutes. Invert pans onto wire racks sprayed with vegetable oil to cool cake completely, or quick-chill in the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes.

To assemble, place one layer, top side down, on a cake stand. Using an offset spatula, spread with 1/4 inch of frosting. Repeat with remaining layers. To frost the top and sides of the cake, work from the center toward and over the edge, making sure to evenly coat. Store in an airtight container for up to one week.

Healthy Carrot Cake

If you have a hard time finding whole wheat pastry flour, feel free to substitute unbleached all-purpose flour.

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
3/4 cup finely chopped walnuts
4 ounces unsalted butter, heated until just melted
1/2 cup dried dates, seeded and finely chopped into a paste
3 ripe bananas (1 1/4 cups), mashed well
1 1/2 cups grated carrots (about 3 medium)
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt (2% or lowfat is ok)
2 eggs, lightly whisked

6 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
3 tablespoons agave nectar or maple syrup (or to taste)

Preheat oven to 350F. Butter a 9x5x3 / 8-cup loaf pan (or 8x8 cake pan) and line it with parchment paper.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Stir in the walnuts and set aside.

Stir the dates into the melted butter, breaking up the dates a bit.

In a separate bowl combine the bananas and carrots. Stir in the date-butter mixture, breaking up any date clumps as you go. Whisk in the yogurt and the eggs. Add the flour mixture and stir until everything just comes together. Spoon into the prepared pan. Bake for about 50 - 60 minutes or until a toothpick tests clean in the center of the cake - it'll be less if you are using a standard cake pan. Remove from oven and let cool.

While the cake is baking whip together the cream cheese and agave nectar. Taste. If you like your frosting sweeter adjust to your liking. When the cake has completely cooled frost the top of the cake with an offset spatula.

Makes one carrot cake.

Banana Split Brownies

Makes about 24
6 ounces best-quality bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2 ounces best-quality unsweetened chocolate, chopped
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs
3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
Pinch of salt
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 large egg yolk
Vegetable-oil cooking spray
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup mashed very ripe banana (1 medium banana)
Directions
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with vegetable-oil spray.

Bring a saucepan of water to a boil; remove from heat. Place both chocolates in a heat-proof bowl; set over saucepan. Stir occasionally until completely melted.

Meanwhile, combine butter and granulated sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; beat on medium-low speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add 3 eggs; beat to combine. Scrape sides of bowl; add chocolate, 3/4 cup flour, and salt. Mix until just combined, 15 to 20 seconds, scraping sides of bowl once.

In a food processor, process cream cheese until smooth and creamy, 25 to 30 seconds.

Scrape down sides of bowl using a rubber spatula; add egg yolk, confectioners' sugar, vanilla, remaining tablespoon flour, and remaining egg. Process until smooth, about 1 minute. Transfer to a bowl; fold in mashed banana using a rubber spatula.

Spread chocolate batter into prepared pan. Using a rubber spatula, make three trenches in batter, and fill with cream-cheese batter. To marble the top, run the tip of a knife back and forth across the two batters.

Bake until set, about 40 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes before cutting.

Peppery Cheese Crackers

Makes 60 crackers
1 cup bread flour
1 cup instant polenta
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup grated Mimolette cheese
2 1/2 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
3/4 cup buttermilk
All-purpose flour, for work surface

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or nonstick baking mats; set aside.

Place bread flour, polenta, salt, baking soda, paprika, pepper, and cheese in the bowl of a food processor; pulse to combine. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. With the machine running, add buttermilk. Continue processing until dough just forms a ball. Transfer dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead for a few seconds. Wrap dough in plastic and let rest at room temperature for 15 minutes.

Cut dough into quarters. Using 1 piece at a time, roll out dough 1/16 inch thick on a lightly floured work surface. With a dry pastry brush, sweep off the excess flour. Keep remaining pieces covered with plastic wrap.

Using a 1 3/4-inch fluted round cookie cutter or a small fluted pastry wheel, cut out crackers and place on prepared baking sheet at least 1/2 inch apart. Roll out a second piece of dough 1/16 inch thick and repeat cutting process; place on second prepared baking sheet. Transfer baking sheets to oven and bake until crackers are golden brown and crisp, 15 to 18 minutes, rotating once halfway through baking.

Transfer crackers immediately to a wire cooling rack; let cool completely. Repeat process with remaining dough.

Glazed Lemon Cookies

Makes 24
2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest, plus 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Lemon Glaze

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and lemon zest. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg, vanilla, and lemon juice and beat until combined. With mixer on low, beat in flour mixture.

Drop dough by heaping tablespoons, 1 inch apart, onto two baking sheets. Bake until edges are golden, 15 to 20 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Let cool 2 minutes on sheets, then transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Spread cookies with Lemon Glaze and let set, about 1 hour.

Lemon Glaze
2 cups confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

Directions
In a medium bowl, whisk together 2 cups confectioners' sugar, 2 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest, and 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice until smooth.

Fresh Pea Salad

Fresh Pea Salad Recipe
If you end up with a dressing that is too spicy for your tastes, tame it with a dollop (or two) of plain yogurt. If you know you are sensitive to spiciness you can always remove the seeds and veins in future versions. If you like a bit more kick, add more serrano chile a small piece at a time.

1 cup fresh mint leaves
2 dried dates, pitted
1/2 of a small serrano chile, stem removed
a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and zest from that lemon
1 1/2 cups fresh peas
1 small head of romaine lettuce, cut into shreds
1/2 cup toasted pumpkin seeds
fine grain sea salt

To make the mint-date dressing, puree the mint, dates, chiles and lemon juice and zest using a food processor or hand blender. Blend until uniform in texture. Thin it out by adding a tablespoon of water at a time until it is a consistency that you can drizzle (the photo up above is before I added 2-3 tablespoons of water to thin it out). Taste and adjust for lemon and spiciness.

When you go to cook the peas, the key is not overcooking them. Fill a big bowl with ice water and set aside. Add some salt (as you would pasta water) and the peas. Bring six cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan. You are just going to boil the peas for a very short time. Don't leave the stove. Somewhere between ten and twenty seconds.You want them just barely tender, so they still pop in your - mouth. Quickly drain and dunk the peas in the bowl of ice water.

Just before serving gently toss the peas, lettuce, and pumpkin seeds with about half of the dressing and a couple pinches of salt. Taste and add more dressing if you like. Finish with a pinch or two of your favorite finishing salt.

Serves 2 - 4.

Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies

Makes 30
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 1/2 cups smooth peanut butter
1 large egg
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup granulated sugar

Directions

In a bowl, whisk together baking soda, salt, and 2 cups flour; set aside. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter, brown sugar, and 1 cup peanut butter until light and fluffy; beat in egg. With mixer on low, gradually add flour mixture, beating just until combined (do not overmix).

Form dough into two 8-inch-long rectangular logs. Wrap each log in waxed or parchment paper; freeze until firm, about 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. With a sharp knife, slice dough inch thick; place on two baking sheets, 1 inch apart. Bake until cookies are puffed, 12 to 15 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Transfer to wire racks; let cool.

Make filling: In a saucepan, whisk milk and 2 tablespoons flour over medium until thickened, 2 minutes; let cool. In a bowl, using mixer, beat together 1/2 cup peanut butter and granulated sugar; beat in cooled milk mixture. Spread smooth sides of half the cookies with 1 tablespoon filling; sandwich with remaining cookies. (To store, keep in an airtight container, up to 5 days.)