As with most of life, we’ve pressed pause on the production of my cooking show that is set to launch alongside Magnolia Network… sooo, the kids and I took matters into our own hands and have been practicing by making our own. It’s been so fun to get creative with the kids in the kitchen and, of course, get to eat the yummy food out of my new cookbook.
We’ve combined a few of our home videos, as well as a sneak peek of my actual cooking show into a one-hour special to air on Food Network in hopes that it gets you excited for what’s to come. And, although this “cooking show” looks and feels far from how the real one will, I’m realizing that the heart behind it is still the same: I want to share recipes with you that I love; but, even more than sharing recipes, I hope it reminds you of what a gift it is to spend time in the kitchen, being creative and making good food for people you love.
We’ve included the recipes from the special on recipe cards below for you to download and print below.
Chocolate Chip Cookies
prep: 15 minutes
cook: under 30 minutes
cool: 1 hour
ingredients
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 heaping teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon sea salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 ½ cups semisweet chocolate chips (see Tip)
instructions
1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
3. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a large bowl with a handheld electric mixer), beat the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the eggs and beat until blended. Add the vanilla and beat until blended.
4. Turn the mixer off and add the flour mixture to the bowl. Mix on medium just until the flour is mixed in, then turn the mixer to high speed for a few seconds to pull the dough together; it will be chunky.
5. Add the chocolate chips and beat on high for about 5 seconds to thoroughly and quickly mix in the chips.
6. Drop by large spoonfuls on the lined baking sheet; don’t flatten them. Bake until lightly browned on top, 10 to 11 minutes. Cool on the pan on a rack for 1 minute, then transfer the cookies to the rack to cool completely. Repeat with the remaining dough.
7. Store the cookies in a tightly covered container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Makes about 40 cookies
TIP: Depending on what you’re in the mood for, you can add ½ cup more or less chocolate than what is called for.
Dessert Crêpes
prep: 15 minutes, plus 20 minutes chilling
cook: 15 minutes
cool: none
ingredients
crêpes
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 large eggs
¾ cup whole milk
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
½ teaspoon kosher salt
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
filling suggestions
Macerated strawberries
Lemon curd
Sliced bananas and ground cinnamon
Whipped cream with fresh berries
Nutella
garnish
¼ cup powdered sugar, sifted, for dusting
instructions
1. To make the crêpes: In a blender, combine the flour, eggs, milk, ½ cup water, the sugar, vanilla, salt, and butter and pulse to combine for about 1 minute. Let the batter sit in the fridge to rest for at least 20 minutes or overnight.
2. Heat a dry nonstick medium skillet over medium heat for about 3 minutes. Pour about ¼ cup of the batter into the center of the pan and tilt in a circle to thin it out. Cook for 20 to 30 seconds, carefully flip the crêpe using a spatula, and cook for another 10 seconds. Remove the crêpe and lay it on a plate. Repeat to make more crêpes, working quickly but gently, to avoid tearing. Stack the crêpes on the plate to keep them warm.
3. Fill the crêpes with your filling of choice and roll up carefully. Dust with powdered sugar and serve.
Makes 10 to 12 servings
French Silk Pie
prep: 20 minutes, plus at least 4 hours chilling
cook: 10 minutes
cool: 20 minutes (for the chocolate cookie crust)
ingredients
⅔ cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
⅓ cup (⅔ stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
⅔ cup heavy cream
¼ cup powdered sugar
1 prebaked 9-inch pie crust or tart shell (as shown) or Chocolate Cookie Crust (see below)
Whipped cream and shaved dark chocolate (optional), for garnish
chocolate cookie crust (optional)
5 ounces chocolate wafers
¼ cup sugar
4 tablespoons (½ stick) butter, melted
instructions
1. In a small saucepan, whisk together the granulated sugar and eggs until well blended. Cook over low heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture reaches 160°F and coats the back of a metal spoon. Remove from the heat. Add the chocolate and vanilla and stir until smooth. Set aside to cool for approximately 5 minutes.
2. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Add the cooled chocolate mixture and beat on high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
3. In another large bowl, beat the cream on medium-high speed until it begins to thicken, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the powdered sugar and beat on low speed, then gradually return to medium-high until stiff peaks form. Fold in the chocolate mixture.
4. Pour into the prebaked pie crust or tart shell. Refrigerate until well chilled, at least 4 hours or up to overnight.
5. Garnish with whipped cream and shaved chocolate, if desired.
6. Store, covered, in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 days.
Makes one 9-inch pie or tart
chocolate cookie crust
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Pulse the wafers on low in a food processor until they are the consistency of sand. Add the sugar and melted butter and mix well.
3. Press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie pan. Bake 8 minutes.
4. Let cool 20 minutes before filling.
Gaines Family Chili
prep: 5 minutes
cook: about 45 minutes
cool: none
ingredients
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 large white onion, finely chopped
2 pounds ground beef (80% lean)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Two 10-ounce cans mild diced tomatoes and green chiles, such as Ro*tel, undrained
Two 26-ounce cans Southwestern-style beans, preferably Ranch Style brand, undrained
One 10.25-ounce bag Fritos
2 cups grated sharp Cheddar cheese (about 8 ounces)
Jalapeño Cornbread (see recipe here)Opens in new tab
instructions
1. In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat until hot. Add the onion and sauté until translucent and tender, about 8 minutes.
2. Add the beef and a couple of pinches each of salt and pepper and cook, stirring often to break up the meat, until it loses its pink color, 6 to 7 minutes.
3. Stir in the tomatoes and beans with their juice. Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
4. Ladle the chili into bowls. Serve topped with Fritos and grated Cheddar and accompanied by cornbread.
5. Store leftovers in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Makes 6 to 8 servings
Spinach Tortellini Soup
prep: 15 minutes
cook: 20 minutes
cool: none
ingredients
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
½ medium onion, cut into medium dice
1 tablespoon minced garlic
6 cups (1 ½ quarts) chicken broth
One 14.5-ounce can diced fire-roasted tomatoes
½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
One 9-ounce package cheese tortellini
One 14.5-ounce can cannellini beans, rinsed well and drained
6 cups baby spinach
2 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Juice of ½ lemon
1 cup shaved Parmesan cheese (about 4 ounces)
1 loaf French bread, for serving
instructions
1. In a large soup pot, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté, stirring constantly, until the onion is soft and tender, 3 to 4 minutes.
2. Add the broth, tomatoes, and Italian seasoning and bring to a rolling boil. Add the tortellini and beans and cook until the tortellini are cooked through, about 2 minutes.
3. Reduce the heat to medium and add the spinach, parsley, basil, and salt and pepper to taste and stir until the spinach is just wilted, 1 to 2 minutes. Squeeze the lemon juice over the soup.
4. Ladle into bowls, sprinkle with the Parmesan, and serve immediately with torn bread for dipping.
5. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months. Let the soup thaw before reheating.
Makes 6 servings
Zucchini Bread
prep: 15 minutes
cook: 50 minutes
cool: 30 minutes
ingredients
Cooking spray
1 ¼ cups vegetable oil
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon kosher salt
3 cups thickly shredded zucchini (about 2 medium)
1 cup crushed walnuts (about 3 ½ ounces)
instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9 x 9-inch baking pan lightly with cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the vegetable oil, sugar, eggs, and vanilla until smooth.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the flour mixture to the egg/sugar mixture and mix until just combined.
4. Wrap the zucchini in a clean kitchen towel and squeeze out any excess liquid. Fold the zucchini and walnuts into the batter.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread it evenly. Bake until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Cool on a wire rack until completely cool, about 30 minutes.
6. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Makes about 9 servings
TIP: Eat warm with a pat of butter.
