Fettuccine Alfredo with Chicken Piccata and Garlic Bread

 

Fettuccine Alfredo 

1 package fettuccine pasta
3/4 pint of heavy cream

salt and pepper to taste

1 tbsp butter

1/2 cup grated romano cheese

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 clove of garlic (optional)

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente.

Drain and run cold water over it to stop cooking.

In a large saucepan, melt butter until golden brown with a sweet, nutty smell.

Add garlic until fragrant. Add heavy cream, salt and pepper, and allow to come to slight boil.

Add the cheese, and when melted, add in the pasta. 

Chicken Piccata

2-3 chicken breasts

1 tbsp butter

2 tbsp olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

1-2 tbsp garlic

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp capers

2 lemons

Slice chicken breasts in half so that they're thin, and season

with salt and pepper.

Add 1 tbsp of butter and 2 tbsp olive oil to large saucepan.

Once butter is melted, add the seasoned chicken breasts. 

Cook 6 minutes on each side or until completely done.

Take chicken out onto a plate.

In the same saucepan, add olive oil, and garlic until fragrant. 

Add capers and lemon juice.

Add chicken back in, and allow to sit in the saucepan on low heat.

Garlic Bread

4 garlic cloves

2 tbsp olive oil

1 bunch of parsley

1 cup parmesan

goat cheese, feta, or mozzarella

1 baguette

Chop garlic and parsley, and add into a bowl with olive oil.

Slice baguette in half, and spread the mixture onto the baguette.

Sprinkle parmesan cheese and another cheese of your choice on top.

Bake at 400F for 15 minutes or until crispy.

Korean BBQ Tacos

Ingredients

Short ribs

Flour tortillas

Onions

Green Onions

Chili Powder

Soy Sauce

Mirin

Canola oil

Sesame oil

Rice vinegar

Orange juice

Lime juice

Jalapeno

Sesame seeds

Sugar

Marinade for Short Ribs:

1 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup sesame oil

1/2 cup mirin

4 tbsp canola oil

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup garlic

4 chopped green onions

1/2 an onion

2 tbsp sesame seeds

Blend all ingredients together, pour over short ribs, and

allow to marinate.

Salsa Roja:

1 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup sesame oil

1 cup canola oil

2 cups rice vinegar

8 garlic cloves

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup chili powder

2 green onions

Ginger

Handful of sesame seeds

Blend all ingredients together and set aside

Salsa Verde:

Add oil into a pan on low/medium heat and add 2 cups of garlic.

In another pan, char 1/2 onion and jalapeno.

Once charred, add the garlic, onion, and jalapeno to a blender with 5oz 

of orange juice, 5oz of lime juice, salt, pepper, bunch of cilantro and blend

Cilantro Salad

Mine one bunch of cilantro and 1/2 onion. Add to a bowl with

juice of 1 lime, mix, and set aside.

Add oil into a pan, heat to medium heat, and add the marinated short rib. 

The meat should sizzle when added to the pan. Allow the meat to develop a nice

char without burning it.

Once the meat is charred, set aside, and heat your tortillas.

Assemble the tacos and enjoy!

*Note: to make these into breakfast or brunch tacos, 

add scrambled egg and tater tots.

Oatmeal Maple Scones

 Ingredients

1 1/2 cups flour

1 3/4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup pecans

1/2 cup golden raisins

1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter (cut into 8-10 pieces)

1/3 cup cold heavy cream

1/2 cup maple syrup

1 cold egg

Maple Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar

3 tablespoons maple syrup

1-2 tablespoons water

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.

Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or a handheld mixer), mix together the flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt, pecans, and raisins on low speed for 10-15 seconds or until combined. Scatter the butter over the top ad beat on low speed for about 30 seconds, or until the butter is somewhat broken down and grape-size pieces are visible. 

In a small bowl, whisk together the cream, maple syrup, and egg until thoroughly mixed. On low speed, pour the cream mixture into the flour-butter mixture and beat for 20 to 30 seconds, or just until the dough comes together. It will be fairly wet.

Using a 1/3-cup measuring cup, drop mounded scoops of dough onto a baking sheet, forming 8 scones and spacing them 2-3 inches apart. Bake for 25 minutes and top with glaze.

Middle Eastern Salad

Ingredients

10 scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced
1 pound ripe tomatoes, seeded, cored, and 1/2-inch-diced
1 hothouse cucumber, halved lengthwise, seeded, and 1/2-inch-diced
1 can or jar (12 to 16 ounces) chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/3 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
1/3 cup julienned fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (4 lemons)
1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup good olive oil
8 ounces good feta cheese, 1/2-inch-diced
Toasted pita bread, for serving

1. Place the scallions, tomatoes, cucumber, chickpeas, parsley, mint, and basil in a large salad bowl and toss to combine. 
2. In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the lemon juice, garlic, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Slowly whisk in the olive oil to make an emulsion. Pour the dressing over the salad, tossing gently to coat all the vegetables. Add the feta, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and toss gently. Serve the salad with the toasted pita bread.

Kolac od Pekmeza "Bosnian Brownies"

Ingredients

2 eggs

1 cup sugar

1 cup milk

1 cup vegetable oil

1 cup plum or apple jam "pekmez"

1 cup flour

1 cup semolina

1 tsp baking powder "prasak za pecivo"

Chocolate (melted)

Instructions

Mix the eggs with the sugar.

Add the milk, oil, and jam.

Add in the semolina and flour.

Add the mixture into a buttered pan

Bake at 350 degrees for 12- 15 minutes.

Protein Balls

Ingredients:

1 cup dates

3/4 cup ground almonds

1 tbsp peanut butter (or almond butter)

1 tbsp coconut oil

1/2 cup shredded coconut

Instructions:

Add the dates, almonds, peanut butter, and coconut oil into 

a blender and blend until shredded and combined.

Make into balls and roll in the shredded coconut.

Refrigerate and enjoy!

Lemon Ricotta Cookies

Ingredients:

Cookies:

2 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 stick unsalted butter, softened

2 cups sugar

2 eggs

1 (15 oz.) container whole milk ricotta cheese

3 tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 lemon, zested

Glaze:

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

3 tbsp lemon juice

1 lemon, zested

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the butter and the sugar. Using an electric mixer beat the 

butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating until incorporated. 

Add the ricotta cheese, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla extract.

Beat to combine. Stir in the dry ingredients. 

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Spoon the dough (about 2 tbsp for each cookie) onto the baking sheets.

This is easier if you use an ice cream scoop.

Bake for 15-18 minutes, until slightly golden at the edges.

Remove from the oven and let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 20 minutes.

For the glaze, combine the powdered sugar, lemon juice, 

and lemon zest in a small bowl and stir until smooth.

Spoon about 1/2-1 tsp onto each cookie and use the back of the spoon

to gently spread.
Let the glaze harden for about 2 hours.  

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ingredients:

1 tsp olive oil

1 cup chopped onion

2 garlic cloves

2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast

1 cup frozen or canned whole-kernel corn

1/4 cup dry white wine

1 chopped seeded jalapeno pepper

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1/2 tsp chili powder

2 (14 oz) cans no-salt-added chicken broth

1 (14 oz) can diced peeled tomatoes

1 (10 oz) can condensed reduced-fat, reduced-sodium tomato soup

1 1/4 cups unsalted baked tortilla chips

Sour cream

Avocado

Heat the oil in a pot over medium-high heat.

Add onion, garlic, and jalapeno, and saute for 2 minutes.

Stir in the chicken and the next 9 ingredients (chicken through tomato soup).

Bring to a boil.

Reduce heat, and simmer for 1 hour

Ladle soup into bowls, and top with tortilla chips, sour cream, and avocado

Neapolitan Holiday Cookies

Ingredients:

Cooking spray

8 oz. almond paste

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter

1 cup sugar

4 large eggs, separated

2 cups flour

20 drops red food coloring

12 drops green food coloring

1/4 cup seedless raspberry jam

1/4 cup apricot preserves

6 oz. dark chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350° F. 

Coat 3 quarter-sheet pans (9 in x 13 in x 2 in) with cooking spray. 

Line each pan with parchment paper, and coat the paper with cooking spray as well.

Place the almond paste in the bowl of a stand mixer. Break it up into small

pieces with a fork. Fit the mixer with the paddle attachment and add the butter

and sugar to the bowl. Beat the mixture on high speed until light and fluffy, about 7 minutes.

Reduce the speed to medium, add the egg yolks, and beat until incorporated.

Turn the mixer off and stir in the flour with a wooden spoon until

well combined. Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl.

Clean the mixer thoroughly, and fit the mixer with the whisk attachment.

Beat the egg whites on high speed until stiff peaks form.

Fold the egg whites into the batter until thoroughly blended. 

Transfer 1 1/2 cups of the batter to a medium bowl, then transfer 

another 1 1/2 cups of the batter to a second medium bowl.
Add the red food coloring to one of the bowls, and stir until the batter 

is tinted throughout. Add the green food coloring to the second bowl, and stir

until the batter is tinted throughout. Scrape each of the three batters into one of the 

prepared pans, using the spatula to spread the batter to the edges. 

Bake, rotating and switching the positions of the pan halfway through, until the 

edges are golden, 12 to 14 minutes. Let cool in the pans for about 5 minutes,

then invert onto cooling racks and allow to cool completely.

To assemble, place the green layer on a large cutting board or a large inverted baking sheet

lined with wax paper. Spread the raspberry jam evenly over the top. 

Place the yellow layer on top and spread with the apricot preserves. 

Top with the red layer. Cover with plastic wrap, and place a 

heavy cutting board on top to weigh it down.

Refrigerate overnight. 

Place the chocolate chips in a microwaveable bowl and melt in the microwave 

on low power about 2 minutes. Spread the chocolate on top of the 

cooled cake, and let dry slightly.

Trim the rim of the cake with a serrated knife to make clean edges.
Cut the cake crosswise into twelve 1-inch-wide strips, then cut

lengthwise into 1 1/4-inch strips.

The cookies will keep covered, up to 1 week.

Pistachio Stars

Ingredients:

8 oz. unsalted raw shelled pistachios

1/4 cup powdered sugar, plus more for rolling

1/4 teaspoon orange zest

2 large egg whites

1 teaspoon corn starch

Pinch of salt

3/4 cup granulated sugar

To make the pistachio flour, add the pistachios, orange zest, and powdered

sugar into a food processor until very finely ground. Set aside.

Combine the egg whites and salt in a mixing bowl.

Mix with an electric mixer until the egg whites become foamy.

Slowly add the granulated sugar and beat on high, until stiff peaks form.

Add in the corn starch and mix until combined.

Set aside one-quarter of the meringue mixture.

Fold the remaining meringue into the pistachio flour until a thick paste forms.

Preheat the oven to 300°

Sift a generous amount of powdered sugar onto some parchment paper. 

Add the paste onto the parchment paper, and top with more powdered sugar.

Add another piece of parchment paper on top, and roll out until 1/4 inch thick.

Dip a star cookie cutter in some powdered sugar and stamp out stars.

Add them onto a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet.

Bake for 15-20 minutes. 

The cookies should be soft and chewy.

*This recipe can also be made with almond flour.

Chicken Pesto Pasta

Ingredients:

1 lb farfalle pasta

2-3 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded

Cherry tomatoes

Kalamata olives

Spinach

Pesto

Goat or feta cheese

Red pepper flakes

Basil for garnish

Begin by baking the chicken breasts in the oven at 375° for about 45 minutes.

While the chicken breasts bake, cook the pasta. Add a few pinches

of salt once the water is boiling to flavor your pasta. 

In the meantime, chop up the tomatoes and olives into bite-sized pieces. 

You can use how every many tomatoes and olives you would like in this recipe.

Wash about two handfuls of spinach.

Once the chicken has finished cooking, shred it by using two forks, and set aside.

Heat up some olive oil in a large pan, and add in the red pepper flakes, tomatoes, olives, 

spinach, and shredded chicken until warm and the spinach has wilted.

Add the cooked pasta into the pan along with two spoonfuls of pesto, and 

mix well until combined. 

Add the goat or feta cheese on top of the pasta, and garnish with some basil.

Enjoy!

Homemade Soft Pretzels

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups warm water

1 tablespoon sugar

2 teaspoons salt

1 package active dry yeast

4 cups flour

4 tablespoons butter, melted

Vegetable oil, for pan

10 cups water

2/3 cup baking soda

1 large egg yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon water

Pretzel salt

Combine the water, sugar, and salt in a bowl, and sprinkle the yeast on top.

Allow to sit for 5 minutes or until the mixture begins to foam.

Add the flour and butter and mix until combined. 

Knead the dough until it's smooth and begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl.

Remove the dough from the bowl, clean the bowl, and oil it well with vegetable oil.

Return the dough to the bowl, and cover with plastic wrap.

Let the dough sit in a warm place for ~1 hour, or until it has doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 450° F.

Line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper, and 

lightly brush them with vegetable oil.

Bring 10 cups of water and baking soda to a rolling boil in a saucepan.

In the meantime, turn the dough out onto a slightly oiled work surface, and

divide into 8 equal pieces.

Roll out each piece of dough into a 24-inch rope.

Make a U-shape with the rope, cross the ends over each other two times, and 

fold them back onto the curved portion of the dough to make the pretzel shape.

Place onto the parchment-lined sheet pan.

Place the pretzels into the boiling water, one by one, for 30 seconds.

Remove them from the water using a large flat spatula.

Return them to the sheet pan, brush the top of each pretzel with the

egg yolk and water mixture, and sprinkle with pretzel salt.

Bake until dark golden brown in color, ~12 to 14 minutes.

Allow to cool for 5 minutes, and enjoy!

Goveda Corba (Bosnian Beef Stew)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds cubed beef

5 garlic cloves

1 onion

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon cumin

2 cups beef broth

2 cups water

1 cup tomato sauce

4-5 potatoes

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1/4 cup heavy cream

3 tablespoons chopped dill

Preheat a large sauce pan over medium-high heat, and add a drizzle of olive oil.

Once the oil is hot, add the cubed beef.

Season the beef with a few pinches of salt and brown the meat.

Add in the minced garlic and diced onion. Saute until onion is soft and translucent.

Then, add the seasonings: salt, black pepper, paprika, and cumin,

Cook the mixture for a few more minutes, then pour in the tomato sauce, beef broth, and water.

Bring the liquids to a simmer, close the pan with a tight-fitting lid, reduce the

heat to low, and simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until the beef is tender.

Once the beef has reached the desired level of tenderness, remove it into a 

small bowl with a slotted spoon. Add the cubed potatoes.

Cover the pan with a lid and cook covered for 25 minutes or 

until the potatoes are tender.

Meanwhile, prepare the cornstarch slurry.

Combine the cornstarch and heavy cream until smooth. 

Once the potatoes are cooked, add the slurry into the sauce, and return the beef to the mixture.

Stir and cook for a few more minutes until the sauce thickens.

Serve with chopped dill and a dollop of sour cream.

Pavlova

For the Meringue:

4 egg whites

Pinch of salt

1 1/4 cups superfine sugar

2 teaspoons cornstarch

1 teaspoon white-wine vinegar

A few drops of vanilla extract

For the Topping:

1 pound strawberries, hulled and halved or quartered

1/2 teaspoon high-quality vanilla extract

1 teaspoon high-quality balsamic vinegar

2 teaspoons superfine sugar

2 cups heavy cream

Preparation:

To prepare meringue, heat oven to 350°.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and draw a circle on the

paper using an 8 or 9 inch cake pan as a guide.

Flip the parchment paper over so the pencil marking is face down (this ensures

that the pencil won't transfer to the meringue).

In bowl of an electric mixer, combine egg whites and salt. 

Begin beating at low speed, slowly increasing to high. 

Continue until satiny peaks begin to form; gradually beat in sugar 

a tablespoon at a time until meringue is stiff and shiny.

Sprinkle in cornstarch, white-wine vinegar and vanilla, and fold gently. 

Mound onto parchment within circle, and shape into a disk, flattening

top and smoothing sides. 

Place in oven, and immediately reduce heat to 300°. 

Bake 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Turn off heat, and allow meringue to cool completely in oven.

To prepare topping, in a mixing bowl, combine strawberries, vanilla, 

balsamic vinegar, and sugar. 

Cover with plastic wrap. 

Let sit at room temperature at least 15 minutes and up to 2 hours.

To serve, carefully peel off parchment and place meringue on a platter or cake stand. 

Gently crack the top with the back of a soup spoon to make a shallow nest

for the whipped cream and berries.

Whip cream until it is thick enough to hold peaks, and spoon it evenly 

over meringue. 

Cover cream with strawberries, allowing a small amount of their liquid 

to dribble onto cream.

Serve immediately and enjoy!

Grah (Bosnian Bean Stew)

Ingredients

• 3 cups dried beans
• 4 cups water
• 1 medium onion
• 1 medium carrot
• 1 green bell pepper
• 1 cup smoked beef (cubed)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp vegeta (Bosnian all-purpose seasoning)
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 bay leaf (optional)
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 tbsp oil
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tbsp flour
• 1 tsp paprika

Soak the beans overnight to reduce the cooking time, rinse, and place in large cooking pot with water until boiling. If you didn't soak the beans, place them in a cooking pot, add water, and let them boil for several minutes. 

Once the beans have come to a boil, finely chop the onion, carrot, and bell pepper. Add these to the beans, and reduce the temperature to medium. Cover the pot slightly and allow the stew to cook for about an hour. Add water every few minutes to ensure that the water level is kept constant.

After an hour, add all the spices and cubed meat to the beans. Cook for another hour. You will know that the grah is finished cooking once the beans are soft and creamy. 

Next, add the tomato paste and allow this to incorporate into the stew.

To make the roux, mince garlic cloves and add them to a small oiled frying pan. Cook the garlic until fragrant. At this stage, it is very easy to burn the garlic so make sure to keep an eye on it and stir constantly. Add the flour and begin mixing until all the crumbs disappear. Finally, add the paprika and mix well. Add the roux to the stew, and allow to cook for an additional 5 minutes. 

Cinnamon Rolls

Ingredients

• Dough
• 1/4 oz package yeast
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 1/2 cup scalded milk
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup butter, melted
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 egg
• 3 1/2 to 4 cups flour
• Filling
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 tbsp ground cinnamon
• 3/4 cup raisins, walnuts, or pecans, optional
• Glaze
• 4 oz cream cheese
• 4 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water and set aside.

In a large bowl mix the milk, sugar, melted butter, salt, and egg. Add 2 cups of flour and mix until smooth. Add the yeast mixture. Mix in remaining flour until the dough is easy to handle. Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for 5 to 10 minutes. Place the dough in a well-greased bowl, cover, and let it rise until it has doubled in size, usually 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Once the dough has doubled in size, punch it down and roll out on a floured surface into a 15 by 9-inch rectangle. Spread butter all over the dough. Mix the sugar and cinnamon, and sprinkle over the buttered dough. Also, sprinkle with walnuts, pecans, or raisins if desired. Beginning at the 15-inch side, roll up the dough and pinch the edge together to seal. Cut the dough into 12 to 15 slices.

Coat the bottom of the baking pan with butter and sprinkle with the remaining cinnamon sugar mixture. Place the cinnamon roll slices close together in the pan and let them rise until the dough has doubled, about 45 minutes. Bake for about 30 minutes or until nicely browned.

Meanwhile, mix the butter, cream cheese, vanilla extract, and powdered sugar in a small bowl. Spread over the slightly cooled rolls.

Browned Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

     These chocolate chip cookie bars are so rich and gooey. The browned butter gives them an extra unexpected flavor, and the chocolate chips melt in your mouth. I highly recommend this recipe if you want to try a new spin on chocolate chip cookies.

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup butter
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups flour
• 2 tsp corn starch
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 7 oz chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Add the butter to a small saucepan and melt over medium heat. Whisk the butter continuously until it starts to develop a nutty smell and turn light brown. Remove from heat immediately and set aside to cool. Make sure not to burn the butter.

Beat the butter and sugars together until well combined. Add in the egg and vanilla extract.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, corn starch, baking soda, and salt. Add to the butter mixture until well combined. The dough may become a little difficult to mix with with a mixer, and I recommend using your hands to lightly knead it at this stage. Finally, incorporate the chocolate chips.

Line a 9x13 baking dish with parchment paper, and press the dough into the pan. 

Bake for 15 minutes for gooey bars. Bake a few minutes longer for firmer bars.

Allow to cool for about 30 minutes before cutting.

Baumkuchen

     This weekend I decided to make a unique cake that I hadn't tried before. It's called baumkuchen, also known as a German tree cake. It was very fun to bake and, most importantly, tasted delicious!

Ingredients:

• Cake Batter:
• 4 whole eggs
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup milk
• 2 tbsp dark rum
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup brown butter
• 1/2 cup flour
• Chocolate Glaze:
• 1 cup dark chocolate
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 tbsp dark rum
• 1/2 envelope gelatin
• 1/2 cup water

     Begin by placing the butter in a pot and heating over medium-high heat. Continuously stir the butter until it develops a brown color and begins smelling nutty. Remove from heat and set aside.

     Whisk the eggs in a medium stainless steel whisking bowl, adding in the vanilla extract, milk, run, and sugar. Place this over a pot with boiling water, making sure that the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Continuously whisk over the boiling water for about 5-8 minutes. 

     Next, whisk the cake batter with a mixer for about 10-15 minutes until it has tripled in size. Add in the brown butter and flour, and fold into the mixture. 

     Butter a cake pan and place piece of parchment paper on the bottom, and butter the top of that. Place the cake pan in another cake pan so that the bottom of the cake doesn't burn. Add one cup of the cake batter and place in the oven over broil for about 1-2 minutes until lightly brown. Repeat this process until you run out of cake batter.

     Flip the cake onto a wire rack and let cool. Make the chocolate glaze by warming up heavy cream and adding it to the dark chocolate until it melts. Add in the dark run and gelatin with warm water to create a nice, shiny glaze. Pour over the cake, and place in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.

Hurmasice

     Hurmasice are my favorite Bosnian dessert. My mom used to make them growing up, but I never really appreciated them until I got older. Bosnian desserts are usually very sweet, but don't have very potent flavors that are usually seen in American desserts. They are basically cookies that are soaked in a sugar water mixture, which gives them a sweet, moist texture. These cookies are so easy to make, require simple ingredients, and the optional addition of coconut flakes makes them absolutely delicious.

     Ingredients:

• 2 cups sugar
• 2 cups water
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp vanilla sugar (whole packet) or 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup coconut flakes (optional)

     I like to start by making the simple sugar water mixture first. Add 2 cups water with 2 cups of sugar to a small pot and place on medium high heat. Bring the mixture to a boil and stir occasionally. Remove from heat once the sugar has melted, about 10-15 minutes, and allow to cool. 

     In a large bowl, beat the eggs with 1/2 cup of sugar. Add the vegetable oil and packet of vanilla sugar or vanilla extract. Mix in the baking powder and flour, adding half a cup at a time. Lastly, mix in 1/2 cup of coconut flakes.

     Form rectangular shaped cookies, and place side by side in a baking dish. Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes until the cookies are light golden brown. Pour the sugar water mixture over the hurmasice and allow to soak in. Once half of the sugar water has soaked into the hurmasice, sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of coconut flakes over the cookies.