Valentines Day Red Velvet Whoopie Pies

Image via: Sweet Little Details

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Valentines Cake Directions:

For the Cookies:

1 ounce semisweet chocolate, chopped

1/2 ounce milk chocolate, chopped

12 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1/2 cup sour cream

2 large eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon red food coloring

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

For the Filling:

8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted

1 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise and seeds scraped

Image via: Pinterest

Valentine Dessert Directions:

Make the cookies:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Combine the semisweet and milk chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave at 50 percent power until melted, about 2 minutes. Whisk until smooth.

Whisk the melted butter, sour cream, eggs, vinegar, vanilla and food coloring in a bowl until combined. In another bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in four equal batches, whisking each batch completely before adding the next. Stir in the melted chocolate.

Scoop heaping tablespoons full of batter onto the prepared baking sheets and smooth the tops with a damp finger. Bake until the cookies spring back when lightly pressed, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to racks to cool completely.

Image via: Yummly

 Make the filling:

Beat the cream cheese and butter with a mixer until smooth. Beat in the confectioners’ sugar and vanilla seeds. Sandwich a heaping tablespoonful of filling between 2 cookies; repeat with the remaining cookies and filling. Refrigerate 30 minutes before serving.

Image via: Annies eats

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, experiment making these red velvet cookies in different shades of red. Line paper printed with heart shaped template to help in making heart shaped red velvet whoopie pies. Remember to pull out the template sheet before putting the whoopie pies in the oven.

For more dessert recipes on Stagetecture, click here.

Round Up Ideas: Comfort Food Recipes We Love

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Turkey Pot Pie

For a hearty meal, make this Turkey Pot Pie Recipe, a comforting dish containing cubed turkey, veggies and gravy, wrapped in a buttery pastry dough. With it’s delicious filling and golden brown crust, it will warm you down to your toes. And yes, you can make it ahead and freeze it for later.

Cheesy Onion Casserole

Cheesy onion casserole is so scrumptious that the left overs will be fought for. If you are fond of onions then this recipe will surely tickle your taste buds- more so if you are a cheese lover. With only a few ingredients and 30 minutes of cooking time, this dish can be easily prepared between other complicated dishes.

Spaghetti Squash and Meatballs Recipe

This comfort food recipe is an interesting variation of the classic dish where in the tender strands of spaghetti squash deliciously replace the traditional pasta. This dish will positively lighten up your day with its perfect texture and enjoyable taste of squash and meatballs. Do consider this recipe for your next comfort food cravings.

Guinness Beef Stew

Beef, beer, and bacon add deep, complex flavors to this stew that is at its best when served with fluffy biscuits or a big loaf of crusty bread. You can sure tweak the recipe to your own liking to ensure that you end up using the leftovers if any. We guarantee, one bowl of this delicious Guinness beef stew will leave you feeling cozy inside and out.

If you are craving a hearty meal and little taste of home, try one of these comforting classics tonight. But make sure to whip up a little extra as we can assure that your family will asking for more. Also, do let us know which ones did you try?

For more our favorite round up recipes on Stagetecture, click here.

Comfort Food: Turkey Potpie Recipe

Image via: Betty Crocker

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Total time: Preparation 40 minutes + Baking 40 minutes +Standing

Yields: 12 servings

Ingredients

2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into one inch pieces

3 medium carrots cut into once inch slices

1 medium chopped onion

1 diced celery rib

2 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

6 tablespoon all-purpose flour

3 cups chicken broth

4 cups cubed cooked turkey

2/3 cup peas, frozen

½ cup + 1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream, divided

1 tablespoon fresh parsley, minced

1 teaspoon garlic salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

15 ounces (1 package) refrigerated pie pastry

1 egg

Image via: Pop Sugar

Procedure

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a Dutch oven, sauté, carrots, potatoes, celery, and onion in butter and oil until tender. Stir in flour until blended. Slowly add broth. Bring to a boil, cool and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in peas, turkey, ½ cup cream, parsley, pepper, and garlic salt.
• Spoon into 2 ungreased 9 inch pie plates. Roll out pastry to fit the top of each pie. Place over filling. Trim, seal, and flute the edges. Cut slits in pastry or cut out a decorative center. In a small bowl, whisk egg and remaining cream. Brush over pastry.
• Bake for 40-45 minutes or until golden brown. Let it stand for 8-10 minutes before cutting.

Freeze option: You can cover and freeze unbaked potpies for up-to 3 months. To use, remove from the freezer 30 minutes before baking. Place pie on a baking sheet and cover edge loosely with foil. Bake for 30 minutes in a preheated (425 degrees) oven. Reduce oven setting to 350 degrees, remove foil. Bake for 55-60 minutes longer or until golden brown. A thermometer inserted in the center should read 165 degrees.

Comfort foods are staples for those craving for a hearty meal and a taste of home. Try this turkey potpies recipe and let us know how it was. And yes, you can tweak the ingredients to your own liking.

Winter Dessert: Tangy Apple and Rhubarb Crumble

Image via: Williams-Sonoma

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Total time: 20 minutes preparation + 20 minutes cooking

Yields: 6 servings

Ingredients

500g rhubarb, trimmed and washed, cut into small pieces

4 medium sized apples, peeled, cored, and cut into small pieces

¼ cup (60 ml) water

½ cup (100g) caster sugar

250 g ginger nut biscuits, coarsely broken

¼ cup (60 g) crystallized ginger, finely chopped

50 g melted butter

Vanilla ice cream to serve

Procedure

Image via: Taste

1. Preheat oven to 180 degree Celsius. In a large saucepan, mix rhubarb, apple pieces, and water over medium heat. Bring to simmer. Reduce heat to low and cook stirring occasionally for 8-10 minutes or until rhubarb softens.
2. Add caster sugar to the pan and stir until completely dissolved. Pour the mixture into 1.5L capacity ovenproof dish.
3. In a medium bowl, mix ginger nut biscuits, crystallized ginger, butter, and brown sugar.
4. Evenly sprinkle the biscuit mixture over rhubarb. Bake in a pre-heated oven for 10-12 minutes or until the crumble is crisp and the rhubarb mixture starts bubbling. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

While this winter dessert recipe is perfect for self indulgence, you can fearlessly try this on friends and family for gatherings or present them as an affordable favor. After all, who can resist a warm, scrumptious dessert when it’s cold and dark outside? Remember to let us know how it was?

Winter Comfort Food: Braised Short Ribs

Image via: Fine Cooking

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Ingredients:

¼ cup of flour

½ tsp. of allspice

½ pound of parsnips (cut into small pieces)

2 tbsp. of oil (extra-virgin)

1 tbsp. of sugar

1 tbsp. of salt

1 tbsp. of rosemary (finely chopped)

1 small onion (chopped)

1 can of chopped tomatoes (or 20 ounces)

1½ tsp. of pepper (freshly ground)

1½ cups of red wine

2 slices of bacon (chopped)

3 cloves of garlic (finely chopped)

6 bone-in short ribs (approximately three ½ pounds)

Directions:

• Heat oven to 325ᵒ. Put a tablespoon of oil in a large Dutch oven and heat over medium heat.
• In a bowl, mix the pepper, salt, and flour. Dip the meat in the flour mixture then cook in the oven till brown. Cook in batches then transfer to a plate.
• Put the second tablespoon of oil in a pan and add the onion, garlic, and bacon and cook with the same heat until the onion becomes soft.
• Add the rosemary and allspice and cook for 5 minutes. Add the sugar, wine, tomatoes, and short ribs and cook for 10 minutes. Put a little water to prevent the meat from sticking.
• After the meat boils, cover and transfer it to the oven. Cook for 2 hours. Put the parsnips and continue cooking until the ribs become very tender (for about 1 hour).
• Remove the short ribs from the sauce. Put them in a pan and cook over medium heat until their outer cover thickens (approximately 15 minutes)
• Return the meat to the sauce and serve.

Image via: Ramen Bar SF

When it comes to comfort food, people have different preferences. Some prefer delectable desserts while others prefer meats. However, there are some comfort foods which are appealing to all. This is one of them. Braised short ribs are delicious and will make you forget about your stressful day at work or your unfinished projects. These recipe would be amazing in a crockpot or slow cooker too!

What is your favorite winter comfort food?

Sunday Dinner: Chicken Cheese Lasagna Recipe

Image Via: Tasty Kitchen Blog

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Ingredients

9 lasagna sheets

1 medium onion, chopped fine

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 stick butter

1/2 cup all purpose flour

2 cups chicken broth

1-1/2 cup milk

4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1-1/4 cup parmesan cheese

2 cups ricotta cheese

1 tbsp fresh chopped parsley

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp dry basil

1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

2 cups cooked chicken, cut into bite size pieces

3 cups baby spinach, thawed, drained and chopped

Directions

Image Via: Exquisite Girl

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Heat a large deep pan and boil water in it. Add a lot of salt to make the water really salty. Dip the lasagna sheets in the boiling water and cook them for about 8 to 10 minutes.
3. Once done, remove the sheets from boiling water and rinse with cold water.
4. In a separate pan, melt butter. Add to it onions and garlic. Cook them until they are soft and give out a nice cooked smell.
5. Now stir in flour and salt and cook until the mixture becomes bubbly.
6. Now fold in chicken broth and milk and boil for a minute.
7. Add 2 cups mozzarella cheese and 1/2 cup parmesan cheese to the above mix. Stir continuously till the cheese melts and the mixture turns into a good saucy consistency.
8. Stir in basil, oregano and ground pepper. Bring down from heat.
9. Pour 1/3 of the sauce in a baking dish(9”X13”)
10. Place three lasagna strips over the sauce to cover the base. On the top of lasagna strips spread chicken and ricotta cheese evenly. You could even premix chicken and ricotta cheese for a better spreading consistency.
11. Now top it up with 3 more lasagna strips, 1/4 of the remaining sauce mix, spinach and the remaining mozzarella cheese and 1/2 cup parmesan cheese.
12. Place 3 more lasagna strips on it and pour all of the remaining sauce on the top. Garnish with 1/4 cup parmesan cheese & parsley and put away to bake for about 40 minutes at 350°F.
13.  Let the lasagna cool off for a bit and then serve hot.

This Sunday Dinner Recipe is a perfect winter meal. The warm lasagna served fresh and hot does so much to bring down the winter chill. If you want some more flavors in this lasagna recipe, try adding thinly sliced mushrooms along with the spinach. They taste amazing too! This lasagna goes well with fresh homemade garlic bread too. You might want to give it a try. I would love to hear what you have to say about this recipe. Please pour in your feedback.

Click here for more Lasagna Recipes!

Winter Soup: Chicken and Broccoli Soup

Image via: The Housewife in Training Files

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Ingredients:

3 1/2 cups whole (or low fat milk)

½ cup half and half

2 cans chicken broth

1 envelope ranch salad dressing mix

2 ½ cups fresh broccoli florets

½ pound process cheese, cubed or ½ pound shredded cheddar cheese

2 cups cooked rice

2 cups cooked chicken, cubed

Image via: My Recipes

Directions

1. Mix together the milk, broth and the dressing mix and bring to a boil using a Dutch oven.
2. Add the broccoli florets and cook for about 3 to 5 minutes without a lid.
3. When the broccoli florets are tender, add the cheese and stir the soup until the cheese has melted.
4. Add the cooked chicken and rice to the soup. Stir occasionally and let the soup boil for 3 more minutes, so the tastes blend together.

This easy recipe is perfect to warm you up on a cold evening. If you want, you can add a little crisp bacon to add flavor, or put in an extra pinch of black pepper. The addition of mushrooms could give an earthier kick to this tasty soup and a little fresh squeezed lemon juice can give this soup a nice twist also. Substitute the cooked rice with cooked pasta or noodles if you don’t have rice at hand. Serve hot with some crunchy croutons or a nice slice of your favorite bread to complete this simple but delicious soup.

For more winter recipes on Stagetecture.

Comfort Food: Tuna Melt with Horseradish Recipe

Image via: Food Network

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Ingredients

• ¼ cup of finely chopped celery
• 1 tbsp of horseradish (prepared)
• 1 tbsp of mustard (whole-grain)
• 2 tbsp of fresh parsley (chopped)
• 2 tsp of apple cider vinegar
• 2 scallions (finely chopped)
• 2 cans of white tuna (6-ounce cans)
• 2 tomatoes sliced into 8 pieces
• 4 large slices of bread (slightly toasted)
• 6 tbsp of mayonnaise
• 8 slices of cheese (havarti cheese)
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground pepper
• Dill pickles (optional)

Procedure

1. Place a rack in the oven. Preheat the oven to 475ᵒ F. Mix the tuna, scallions, celery, vinegar, parsley and 4 tablespoons of mayonnaise in a large bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste.
2. Mix the mustard, horseradish, and the remaining mayonnaise in a bowl. Spread the mixture on the bread slices and put the slices on a baking sheet. Heap the tuna mixture on top and spread it evenly. Place a slice of cheese on top and tear it to ensure it covers the tuna mixture.
3. Add salt to the tomato slices and place two on top of each sandwich. Put a slice of cheese on top of the tomatoes. Bake the bread until the cheese melts (approximately 5-7 minutes).Serve with dill pickles.

Image via: Alexandra’s Savory Kitchen

Nothing feels as good as eating comfort food as you enjoy the company of family and friends. You can also enjoy delectable food as you snuggle up to the fireplace on cold and dreary winter nights. If you are looking for a new recipe to add to your list of comfort foods, try tuna melt with horseradish. The best thing about it is that you can use the bread of your choice. You can buy the havarti cheese pre-sliced as it may be hard to slice since it is very soft. Add the dill pickles and your family will think you ordered takeout.

What is your favorite comfort food recipe?

Comfort Food: Guinness Beef Stew

Image Via: Cooking Light

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Prep Time: 45 minutes

Cook Time: 2 ½ hours

Serves: 8

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 pounds beef chuck or stew meat

2 medium onions, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

4 ounces tomato paste

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

12 ounces Guinness, divided

3 cups beef stock

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

3 dashes Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon fresh thyme

½ teaspoon fresh rosemary

1 ½ cups red potatoes, quartered

2 large carrots, chopped

3 celery stocks, chopped

1 cup frozen peas

Image Via: Society South

Preparation:

1. Heat the oil in a dutch oven over medium-high. Meanwhile, prepare your meat by cutting into bite-sized chunks and removing any overbearing excess fat. Thoroughly dry the meat and season it well with salt and pepper.
2. Working in batches, place a single layer of meat in the pan. Develop a sear on the meat by allowing the pieces to brown, for about four minutes per side, turning when necessary.
3. After all the meat has been browned, remove it from the pan and reduce the heat to medium. Add in the onions and garlic, stirring occasionally, until softened. Then, add in the tomato paste and flour, stirring until the flour totally incorporated.
4. Pour ¾ of the Guinness into the pot and use a wooden spoon to deglaze the pan by scraping all the brown bits off the bottom.
5.  When the brown bits are well incorporated, add in the beef stock, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, thyme, and rosemary. Bring the mixture to a boil and allow it to cook for about 3 minutes until slightly thickened.
6. Reduce the heat to a simmer and let it cook for about an hour and a half so the meat can become tender
7. Stir in the potatoes, carrots, and celery. Adjust seasonings to taste and allow everything to simmer for an additional hour, mixing occasionally, until the potatoes can be easily pierced with a fork.
8. Right before serving, stir in the remaining Guinness and frozen peas until the peas are just thawed.

Serve this up in heaping bowls. While the beef stew is a hearty meal all on its own, it really sings when paired with fluffy biscuits or a big loaf of crusty bread.  It’s definitely stick-to-your ribs comfort food. You may even want to consider adjusting the recipe to ensure that you end up with leftovers since the flavors deepen as it sits. No matter how much you make, be sure to keep this post close by because we guarantee that your family will be asking for it again and again.

Are you ready for autumn? What’s your favorite fall recipe? Tell us in the comments!

Take a look at Stagetecture’s archives for more fall inspiration.

On a snowy winter day, few things offer a better escape from the cold that cooking up comfort food. And, one of the greatest comfort foods is a huge bowl of piping hot soup. This classic take on a New England Clam Chowder recipe is rich and creamy in the best possible way. It can be whipped up in minutes and will warm your family inside and out.

Classic New England Clam Chowder

Image Via: Life As A Strawberry

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Ingredients:

4 strips bacon

1 tablespoon minced garlic

2 teaspoon dried thyme

1 large onion

1 large carrot

4 celery stalks

4 medium russet potatoes

2 (6.5 oz) cans of chopped clams in clam juice

½ cup heavy cream

½ cup white wine

Image Via: Feral Kitchen

Preparation:

1. Prep your ingredients: Chop the bacon into small bits. Mince the garlic. Finely dice the onion, carrot, and celery. Peel the potatoes and chop them into bite-sized pieces. Separate the clams from their juices and set both aside.
2. Set a large stockpot over medium high heat. Cook the bacon until it becomes crispy. Take the bits out and set them on a paper towel to drain.
3. Remove all but a tablespoon of the bacon fat from the pot. Sauté the carrots and celery in the fat until they start to become tender. Then, add in the onions, garlic and thyme.
4. Once the garlic is fragrant and the onions are translucent, add the wine, reserved clam juice, and potatoes to the pot. Bring the soup to simmer, season everything with salt and pepper, and allow the potatoes to cook for 10-15 minutes or until they are fork tender.
5.  Reduce the heat to low. Stir in the clams and heavy cream, stir to combine, and let everything heat through. If the soup is too thin, add in a tablespoon of flour at a time until your desired consistency is reached.
6. Adjust seasonings to taste and serve warm.

This New England Clam Chowder recipe will serve 4-6, depending on serving size. It should be served with lots of buttery crackers for dipping. Or, consider serving it in bread bowls for an extra decedent twist. This is comfort food at its finest, so don’t be afraid to go all out. Let us know how you enjoy this Winter Favorite: Classic New England Clam Chowder Recipe!

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