Typically, I don’t add food coloring to my icings unless a customer (or my daughter) requests it, but for this icing I make an exception. Just a drop or two of green food coloring makes the icing a nice shade of pale green and hints at the mint flavoring. It looks so festive atop a chocolate cupcake or mini cupcake, garnished with green sparkling sugar, that it is a natural choice for St. Patrick’s Day or other springtime celebrations. The cream cheese subdues the mint essence a little, creating a softer, rather than spicy, mint flavor. Whereas the Peppermint variation on the Swiss buttercream (page 156) is more of a seasonal option, this mint icing is popular all year long.
Turn humble onions into this thrifty yet luxe pasta dinner.
Caramelized onions, melty Gruyère, and a deeply savory broth deliver the kind of comfort that doesn’t need improving.
This classic 15-minute sauce is your secret weapon for homemade mac and cheese, chowder, lasagna, and more.
Crispy tots topped with savory-sweet sauce, mayonnaise, furikake, scallion, and katsuobushi.
Round out these autumn greens with tart pomegranate seeds, crunchy pepitas, and a shower of Parmesan.
Tender, juicy chicken skewers are possible in the oven—especially when roasted alongside spiced chickpeas and finished with fresh tomatoes and salty feta.
An extra-silky filling (no water bath needed!) and a smooth sour cream topping make this the ultimate cheesecake.
You’ll want to put this creamy (but dairy-free) green sauce on everything and it’s particularly sublime under crispy-skinned salmon.