“I just love to look at cookbooks, it’s almost like they’re comic books for me. I can’t look at them before bed; it gets me too excited.” Katie Lee
“Everything Chocolate” by America’s Test Kitchen is a chocolate lover’s dream. Recipes for cakes, cookies, puddings, frozen treats, candy and sauces are waiting inside. Chocolate for breakfast? Yes, with 20 selections, you may choose to start your morning with a slice of Chocolate Zucchini Cake, Chocolate Granola or pair your morning coffee with a flaky Chocolate Croissant. Sprinkled throughout this book are recipes with nuts. White Chocolate-Macadamia Nut Cake is a taste of the tropics with a mango filling sandwiched between layers of white chocolate cake and chopped macadamia nuts embellish the outer white chocolate buttercream frosting. Frozen Snickers Ice Cream Cake is an easy no-bake peanut butter and chocolate extravaganza that only requires four simple ingredients. The hard part is waiting six hours for it to set up. More desserts of note are Chocolate Pavlova with Berries and Whipped Cream. It begins with a light and airy chocolate meringue base. Next is a layer of whipped cream which acts as a pillow for a mound of ripe berries, drizzled with melted chocolate. Followed by, Double Chocolate Dessert Waffles, Triple Chocolate Mousse Cake and Chocolate Avocado Pudding for a lower sugar, nondairy treat.
In her latest book, “Magnolia Table, Volume 2,” Joanna Gaines and her team have developed a new batch of recipes to feed and nourish the people you love. As a welcome surprise, you can now recreate Blueberry Sweet Rolls with Lemon Glaze, Pecan Pancakes with Maple Butter, Prize Pig and more which are served at Magnolia Press, Silos Baking Co. and Magnolia Table in Waco, TX. Quick and simple warm weather options abound like Street Tacos made with chicken, steak and pulled pork. A side of Cilantro Lime Rice and salsa would complement this meal. Grilled Bruschetta Chicken retains all the flavor without the bread and features ripe plum tomatoes, fresh basil leaves and the tang of crumbled feta cheese. Two easy and delicious sheet pan dinners may tempt you to turn on your oven. Honey Garlic Chicken with pineapple and Cajun Shrimp with corn and roasted potatoes are baked in under an hour. It wouldn’t be a Magnolia cookbook unless dessert was included and Joanna has given us a gracious plenty to end a scrumptious meal. Peach Cobbler can be created using fresh or frozen fruit which receives a sprinkling of cinnamon before baking and afterwards served with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream. Strawberry Pie has a pale pink cool and creamy filling poured into a graham cracker crust then popped into the freezer to chill. Another no-bake treat is Jo’s Peanut Butter Balls that are dipped into melted chocolate bark. Also in the lineup are Tres Leches Cake, Baklava, Crème Brulee and a fudgy Flourless Chocolate Cake.
Thanksgiving’s star may be the roasted turkey. However, it’s the mashed potatoes, dressing and green bean casserole that we anticipate eating at our annual feast. In honor of the humble side dish, America’s Test Kitchen has gathered and tested over 1,000 recipes for our year-round enjoyment in, “The Side Dish Bible.” Right now with hot weather upon us, grilling outdoors and fresh salads help to keep us cool. Summertime is when sweet corn is at its peak and the recipe for Husk Grilled Corn gives it an irresistible smoky flavor. As an alternative to boiling potatoes on the stove, try one of the grilled potato salads such as German-Style Grilled Potato Salad. Fresh fruits and vegetables are in abundance and these salads will have you and your family eating them more often. Caesar Green Bean Salad is a twist on a classic with all the flavor and no lettuce. Other veggie-friendly choices are Sugar Snap Pea Salad and Zucchini Noodle Salad. Salads that feature fruit include Spinach and Strawberry, Peach Caprese and Watermelon-Tomato. When cooler weather returns and with it, our desire for baked comfort foods, this book is ready with tempting dishes like Twice-Baked Potatoes with Bacon, Cheddar and Scallions, Creamy Corn and Tomato Pasta Bake, plus Ultimate Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits.These titles and many more are available through our Books-to-Go program. For more information, please visit our website at www.akspl.org or call us at 909-798-7565.