Designer Recipes™

One of the reasons why I love kitchens so much is what comes out of them…delicious food! So, we've decided to set aside this spot on our site for special recipes (and design tips that go with them!) from our good friends, the kitchen designers. I think you'll be happily surprised at how great these designers are in the kitchen, even after the remodeling or building project is completed.
     To get us started, here are a couple of "secret" recipes that I've picked up from friends over the years. They are very simple variations of "back of the box" recipes we all know and love. But, in each case, the friend who shared the recipe was truly giving me a family treasure! I hope you like these recipes as much as my family does.
      By the way, if you have a recipe and related design tip to share, I'd love to hear from you. Just go to the Contact Joan page of this web site.

1. Brownies

We start with the "Baker's One Bowl Brownies" recipe on the back of the Baker's Unsweetened Baking Chocolate Squares box and adjust it this way:

• First, double the chocolate.

• Then, double the whole recipe (including the already-doubled chocolate portion), so that the brownies are thicker in the pan.

• Using the same size baking pan you would use for the smaller recipe, cook only until the batter is still moist enough to stick to the toothpick when you test it. I like the brownies seriously undercooked; but you may want to let them bake more so that they're less gooey.

• Cool and enjoy the moist texture and rich, chocolate taste.

2. Toll House Cookies

I still love the back of the bag recipe on the bag of Toll House Morsels; with a couple of tiny changes:

• Reduce the white sugar by ½ cup and increase the amount of brown sugar by the same amount.

• Add ¼ cup more flour to the batter.

• Make the cookies in large 3-4 inch mounds.

• Cook slowly.

• Take out of the oven when they are slightly undercooked. (Notice a pattern here?)

• Cool, then try to eat just one (this step requires tremendous will-power).

Cookie Design Tip:
I like to keep a supply of paper doilies in the kitchen. Just a simple white doily on an everyday dinner plate turns dessert into a party. If you keep your cookies or brownies under a glass cover, this little decorative touch adds a bit of festivity to your kitchen décor and tells everyone how much you care! Silver and gold doilies are two more ways to add some sparkle, and because they are neutral, they match almost any room.