The end of a year calls for reflection-- reflection on tasty things you have eaten. At the moment, I am thinking of all the pigging out I did at family gatherings over Christmas. Ravioli stuffed with large chunks of fresh lobster and topped with a cream sauce. An especially perfect medium rare filet mignon topped with mushrooms. Stone-ground grits that I actually liked the taste of sans cheese. But I digress from the point of this post, which would be foods I actually blogged about this year.
I thought long and hard about what posts you, my blog-reading friends, told me you liked and about what I had made multiple times during the year. And so, I bring you the first annual Best of 2009 Maple Macaroni awards. I played with fancier foods in some posts, but it seems that the best recipes are new twists on the basics.
Best Crowd-Pleasing Dessert
Gooey Butter Cookies
Best and Most Versitile Snack
Black Bean Hummus
Best Cookie
Oatmeal Toffee Cookies
Most Innovative/Easiest and Most Simple Meal
Tortilla Pizzas
Most Decadent Finger Food
Chunky Chocolate Brownies
What were your favorite new recipes from 2009? Please comment and let me know, be it from this blog or wherever else.
Dear Madoline,
ReplyDeleteI wanted to let you know about some cupcake experimentation Josiah and I had fun with last night. The theme (in my head) was "a celebration of fruit", so we made chocolate orange cupcakes and apple cupcakes to share with a small gathering of board-game players we invited over. The apple cupcake recipe came from Martha Stewart, and we made a vanilla frosting to top it off, instead of the maple buttercream with fondant leaves that she suggests (although does not provide a complete recipe for). We modified the chocolate orange cupcake recipe (Josiah's inspiration from a chocolate shop he visited in Pamplona) to increase the orange zest (we wanted some real orange flavor!). The original recipe is vegan, but after trying it, we have decided we will add the egg back in next time to prevent the delicate little cupcakes from collapsing upon removal from the oven. I have filed away both recipes with our modifications noted, and I would love to share them with you if you ever want to celebrate fruit in cupcake form!
Major props, Lindsey and Josiah. Those sound delectable. I am especially impressed considering that I am 95% sure you used whole wheat flour. You'll have to send me your recipes, or better yet photos if you took them.
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