Zucchini Muffins

Making just 12 standard size muffins, this recipe is scaled especially perfect for harvesting zucchini early. These one-bowl muffins are as delicious as zucchini bread but cook much quicker, making them perfect for summer breakfast.

Zucchini Muffins

• Spritz the 12 cups of a muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray, set aside.

To a medium mixing bowl, add:

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/16 tsp cloves

Sift together. Add all of the following to the dry ingredients before mixing:

8 oz zucchini, finely shredded

1/2 cup yogurt (plain recommended)

3 Tbsp oil

2 Tbsp milk

1 tsp vanilla

Fold all of the ingredients together. Initially it will appear too dry. Keep folding. The movement of the ingredients will cause the zucchini to release sufficient liquid to incorporate everything.

Set aside, resting batter ~5 minutes. Then stir in:

1/4 cup miniature chocolate chips

Divide batter between 12 standard muffin cups (it will seem very liquidy, don’t let that worry you). Bake at 350 F for 25 to 30 minutes. Serve warm with butter.

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Brenda’s tips:

• Serving size: 12 standard muffins

• These muffins work best if muffin/cupcake liners are NOT used

• This recipe can be doubled

• Substitute 1/4 cup sour cream + 1/2 cup milk for the yogurt if needed

• Brenda is a strong proponent of delicious flavor, recommending that zucchini squash is harvested when it’s about 8” long and the diameter is equivalent to a quarter

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Window to B’s kitchen . . .

Berry Sheet Cake

This sheet cake is glorious with any berry! Nestled in smooth, slightly tangy creamy topping, fresh berries bring an unmistakeable hint of happiness to this delicate white cake.

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Berry Sheet Cake

Step 1: the cake

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Prepare vanilla cake batter, recommended to use:

• Best Sour Cream Cake recipe

• Or Best Sour Cream Cake for High Elevations

• Or, if you’re in a rush, a white cake mix

Pour the batter into a greased 15”x10” sheetpan. Bake at 350F for 18-23 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Step 2: topping

To the bowl of a stand mixer, add:

2 (8 oz) packages cream cheese, softened

2 Tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp vanilla

Mix together on low for 1 min, scrape sides, add:

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Continue to mix on low speed until smooth. Pour in:

2 cups heavy whipping cream

Mix on low speed until incorporated, then increase speed to medium-high and whip until thickened. Spread evenly over cooled cake.

Score the topping into ~2” squares, place:

2-3 fresh berries

Within each of the ~2” spaces so that when the cake is cut the berries will remain intact.

Slice & serve.

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Brenda tips:

• Serving size: 24 - 35 slices

• For a fluffier, creamier topping, double the heavy whipping cream

• If needed, substitute 1 (8 oz) package cool whip for the heavy whipping cream

Peanut Butter Cookies

These Peanut Butter Cookies are the best. Crisp and chewy, but never crumbly, they’re easy and quick to make. This recipe is based on a recipe shared by Two Peas & Their Pod.

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Peanut Butter Cookies

To a small mixing bowl, add:

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

Sift together, set aside.

To the bowl of a stand mixer, add:

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

Cream together for 2-3 minutes, until mixture lightens in color.

Add:

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

Mix until smooth, then add:

Dry ingredients

Fold in until fully incorporated.

Scoop onto greased baking sheet. Using a fork, press to create a classic criss-cross design while simultaneously flattening the cookie to ~3/4” thick.

Bake at 350F for ~10 minutes, adding 5 minutes for extra-large cookies.

Transfer to cooling rack. Serve warm or cooled.

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Brenda’s tips:

• Serving size: Makes 12, 4” cookies or 24, 2” cookies

• This recipe can be made stirring by hand or using a electric hand mixer

• For higher elevations (~6K ft) recommended to add ~2 Tbsp flour

• Creamy or crunchy peanut butter work equally well

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Window to B’s kitchen . . .

Brenda's Best Chocolate Cake for High Elevation

This is the best chocolate cake, adjusted to bake perfectly at ~6000 feet (high elevation). For the recipe at sea level, look here.

Ashley introduced Brenda to the original recipe when Brenda was looking for the perfect chocolate cake to celebrate her 30th birthday. This recipe makes a stunning 3-tier cake when frosted with Chocolate Pudding Frosting.

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Brenda’s Best Chocolate Cake for High Elevation

Prepare three, 8” round cake pans

• Alternate pan options noted in Brenda’s tips below

Preheat oven to 350F.

In a small bowl combine:

1 1/8 cups buttermilk

1/2 cup oil

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

Whisk together, set aside.

To the bowl of a stand mixer, add:

2 1/4 cups flour

1 3/4 cups sugar

3/4 cup cocoa

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

Adjust speed to “stir” to sift together.

Keep mixer on “stir” while pouring in the liquid ingredients from above.

Stop mixer and scrape down sides, then continue to mix on low until well combined.

Slowly pour in:

3/4 cup heavy cream

“Stir” until just combined.

Divide equally among prepared cake pan(s).

Bake at 350F for 35-50 minutes, until inserted toothpick comes out clean.

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Brenda’s tips:

• Serving size: one cake, or 24 cupcakes

• The following pan(s) can be used for this recipe:

  • One - 13” x 9” = bake for 30-45 minutes

  • Two - 9” round = bake for 35-50 minutes

  • Two - 8” or 9” square = bake for 30-45 minutes

  • One - 10” round = bake for 40-55 minutes

• This recipe is written for ~6000, high elevation

  • For sea level, use this version

  • OR adjust following Brenda’s How To: Cakes at Different Elevations infographic

• Frost with Brenda’s favorite, Chocolate Pudding Frosting

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Window to B’s kitchen . . .

Best Sweet Corn Bread

A few years ago, prior to meeting John, I was able to spend a few months traveling around to visit all of my siblings (it takes months to see all 12). During one of those visits, my sister in law Monica made this cornbread with dinner. It is insanely delicious. She kindly shares this recipe with us!

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Best Sweet Corn Bread

Place a 9” round cast iron skillet in the oven, setting oven temp to 400F

In a mixing bowl, cream together:

1/3 cup sugar

3 Tbsp butter

2 Tbsp shortening

Then whisk in:

1 egg

Stir in:

1/3 cup cornmeal

Pour on top:

2/3 cup flour

Stir into the flour (don’t mix flour into wet ingredients yet):

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

Add:

1/2 cup milk

Now stir everything together, folding until smooth.

Carefully remove cast iron skillet from oven, adding:

1 Tbsp butter

Swirl to grease bottom of skillet as butter melts.

Pour in corn batter.

Return filled skillet to oven. Bake for 15-20 minutes at 400F.

Serve hot with honey butter.

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Brenda’s tips:

• Serving size: 4-8 servings

• Recipe can be used for a 9” round pan or an 8” square pan.

• No cast iron? Use a glass or metal pan.

• For High Elevation (~6K ft), add additional 2 Tbsp flour & 1 Tbsp milk

• A perfect side dish for:

  • Chili or Texas Chili

  • Skillet Enchiladas

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Window to B’s kitchen . . .

HOW TO: Cook & Peel Boiled Eggs

Below is one of various possible processes to make boiled eggs. Two factors need to be considered prior to making boiled eggs:

1. Do you want soft or hard boiled eggs? Stating the obvious, soft are less cooked than hard, so soft take less time.

2. Elevation. Elevation impacts cooking time. Lower elevations cook faster than higher elevations.

Once you identify how long to cook for perfection, WRITE IT DOWN. Then you can repeat it on an infinite loop.

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One foolproof way to boil eggs

1. Add eggs to a large pot

2. Add enough water to cover eggs

3. Place pot over “high” heat

4. Start timer immediately

5. Bring to boil & reduce heat* to “med/low,” cover pot with a lid

6. When timer rings, remove pot from heat

7. Either:

   1. Transfer eggs immediately to cold water (soft boiled eggs)

   2. Set timer and let eggs rest in hot water (hard boiled eggs

      1. When timer rings, pour off hot water

      2. Add cold water until eggs are covered

The best way to peel boiled eggs

This peeling method works on both soft and hard boiled eggs

1. Once cool enough to handle, pick up a boiled egg

2. Using the back of a spoon, tap all over egg, shattering shell completely

3. Using fingers, remove some of the shell from bottom of egg (enough to slip a spoon through)

4. Dip spoon into cold water

5. Slip spoon between shell and egg

6. Rotate egg to remove shattered shell completely

7. Rinse clean

   • ALWAYS rinse with clear water to ensure shells are truly gone

8. Repeat with remaining eggs

Serve hot.

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Brenda’s tips:

• * Many recipes recommend shutting off heat to finish the eggs, but Brenda suggests keeping the heat on med/low. The primary reason for this is that water boils at a higher temperature at sea level that progressively decreases as elevation increases. Since the water boils ~10F lower where Brenda lives, the initial boil doesn’t retain quite enough heat to finish the boiled eggs.

• At 6100 ft, these are the times recommended:

  • Starting eggs in cold water, set timer immediately after placing pot on high heat:

    • Soft boil: 10 min with heat on, transfer immediately to cold water

    • Hard boil: 10 min boiling + 5 min resting in hot water

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Window to B’s kitchen…

The best way to peel a boiled egg

Soft boiled eggs

Best Sour Cream Cake for High Elevations

This recipe was written for an elevation of ~6k above sea level.

This Brenda recipe was inspired by a Williams Sonoma recipe.

Baking at sea level? Use Brenda’s Best Sour Cream Cake recipe.

Remember, when baking cakes or cake-like goods, reference Brenda’s Elevation infographic.

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Best Sour Cream Cake at High Altitude

In the bowl of a stand mixer, sift together:

2 5/8 cup flour

1 1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

Set to low speed until combined. 

In a small bowl, combine:

3/4 cup oil

1 cup sour cream

2 eggs

1/2 cup milk

1 Tbsp vanilla

Stir well and then pour into flour mixture.

Turn mixer to low speed until ingredients are combined. Stop mixer and scrape bowl sides. Mix on medium speed for 30 seconds. 

Divide between 

• 24 cupcakes, bake at 360F for 20-22 minutes

• OR

• Two 9" rounds, bake at 360F for 25-28 minutes

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Brenda’s tips:

• Serving size: 24 cupcakes or two-9” rounds or one 13”x9”

• This recipe has been adjusted to work well at ~6K ft above sea level.

• This recipe makes a great basic white cake with a tender crumb, particularly perfect because it can be put together in mere minutes. 

• Frost with:

  • Ma's Fudge Frosting

  • Cream Cheese Frosting

  • Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

  • Chocolate Pudding Frosting

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Window to B’s kitchen…

HOW TO: Bake Cakes & Cake-like Goods at Different Elevations

Have you ever made a cake, put it in to bake - anticipating golden perfection - but upon opening the oven…

• you find a total disaster?

• the center a deep crater?

• the sides bubbled over with the bottom seemingly dropped out?

You, my friend, are baking at a higher altitude than the recipe was written for. At higher elevations the air pressure is lower than at sea level, disrupting the precious balance needed for baking. A few simple adjustments to the recipes measurements and you’ll once again produce heavenly results. 

A word of caution . . . some recipes work at any elevation, so try it before you adjust it. If the recipe doesn't work, start small. I recommend making adjustments one at a time to identify the sweet spot where your recipe creates the most perfect baked good. I also recommend to ALWAYS note what you’ve changed so you'll be able to repeat supreme results.

What makes me qualified to talk about altitude adjustments?

• I grew up at 2600

• Moved to 4800 for college

• Worked at 0 for 10 yrs

• Life today is at 6100

I’ve experienced major successes and failures that can be chalked up to altitude.  For baking recipes, it's all about perfect proportions and knowing what a negative result actually means.

In general, if something is perfect at sea level then it will **almost** certainly need adjustments.

Chelsea and I developed this infographic to help with high altitude adjustments and it applies particularly to the cake & cake-like segment of baking.

Why will the adjustments make a difference?

• Leavening: The lower atmospheric pressure at high altitudes is more rapidly overcome, consequently baking powder and baking soda both work more efficiently, allowing for smaller amounts to produce adequate leavening. The gradual leavening resulting from the reduction of these agents will bring the recipe back to perfection.

• Heat/Time: Higher heat helps the baked good to set up more quickly to help offset faster evaporation and the efficiency of leavening, and, inversely, the baking time must be shortened to compensate for the temperature increase. 

• Flour: Many recipes rely on flour for structural integrity, an increase is often required to balance out the impact of elevation and the other adjustments to maintain requisite form. Flour adjustments are the easiest to over-do. Measure each incremental change and note it so that you know exactly when the perfect structure is reached and can readily replicate refined results.

• Liquid: Evaporation speeds up as the atmospheric pressure decreases + that increase of oven temp above . . . an increase in liquid (including milk, eggs, oil, etc. as appropriate) is critical to maintaining the desired succulent texture.

• Sugar: Also impacted by evaporation speed, sugar becomes more concentrated resulting in a weakened structure. I personally leaves this adjustment as a last-ditch effort. I feel that an adjustment to sugar has too much potential for a negative impact to flavor. Keep sugar changes as minimal as possible - baked goods need to be sweet.

Interested in learning more?

Here are a few of my favorite altitude resources . . . 

• Colorado State University’s Food Preparation Guide

• King Arthur Flour’s High-Altitude Baking Guide

• Wheat Montana Farm & Bakery’s High Altitude Baking Guide

• ThermoBlog’s “High Altitude and Its Effect on Cooking”

Pie Crusts

Brenda is known for her pies. Every Thanksgiving she lived in NYC she would host a pie party. She’d cook at least 8 different pies, and if my memory serves me right, each year she’d add more and more pies. She’d even send out a survey before each pie party asking for requests. Don’t believe me? When we first started this blog a friend commented,

“If you need testimonials, Brenda’s pies Thanksgiving 2014 changed my life.”

She claims growing up in a large family (she’s one of 13 kids), she grew accustomed to making lots of pies. She wanted to keep the tradition alive and the pie parties commenced.

All this pie making has lead to several pie discoveries for Brenda. The most important: generally, people will only notice crust that is too thick or undercooked. So the most important factor in determining which pie crust to make is elevation.

Keep in mind, Brenda will share all of her pie fillings soon, but for now, she’s sharing 5 … YES FIVE … pie crust recipes to get you started.

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Brenda’s tips:

I know my tips usually follow the recipe, however, there are a couple of very important things you must know before you start. 

• Serving Size: each of these recipes make 1 bottom and 1 top crust for a 10” pie (or about 2 bottom crusts for a 9” or about 3 for an 8”)

• Each of these recipes were written to be made by hand.

• Do not over mix! Pies should have flaky, crisp, yet tender crusts. To create, the flour’s gluten should remain dormant which means don’t mix the dough any more than necessary once liquid is added. The fat does need to be cut into the flour, but all that mixing should happen before the water is added. 

• Baking: many pie recipes recommend baking at 425F then reducing to 350F. Don’t do it. This results in pies that are beautiful on the outside and disappointing on the inside. Simply bake the entire time at 350F. Trust me.

  • Filled & baked generally need 60-70 minutes. No need to cover with tinfoil to prevent blackening the edges. Before baking, lightly brush the top with heavy cream (or milk) and dust with sugar for a beautiful, deliciously crinkly top.

  • Shell only: use a fork to pierce the sides & bottom of crust, then bake for 10 minutes. Cool, fill and serve.

 How to: Roll Out Pie Crust (being published Thursday!)

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1. Fast & Easy Pie Crust

* Great almost anywhere, except high elevation

In a mixing bowl, cut together with a fork:

3 cups flour

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 cup oil

Make a well, add:

1 Tbsp increments cold water, up to 6 Tbsp 

Fold the water in, mixing as little as possible, until a shaggy dough forms. Lightly press into a ball.

No need to chill, simply divide, and roll out in circles to fit pie plate & top. 

2. Buttery Pie Crust

* Great almost anywhere, except high elevation

In a mixing bowl, cut together with a fork:

3 cups flour

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup cold butter, cut into 1/4” slices

Make a well, add:

1 Tbsp increments cold water, up to 6 Tbsp

Fold the water in, mixing as little as possible, until a shaggy dough forms. Lightly press into a ball.

Chill 30 minutes (up to three days), divide, and roll out in circles to fit pie plate & top.

3. Pie Crust for High Elevation 

In a mixing bowl, sift together:

3 cups flour

2 Tbsp powdered sugar

1/2 tsp salt

Then add:

2/3 cup oil

Cut together with a fork, set aside.

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together:

1 egg

1 Tbsp white vinegar 

3 Tbsp water

Fold the liquid into the flour mixture, until shaggy dough forms. Turn out on floured surface. Fold in half, press together firmly. Repeat three times. Lightly press into a ball. Dough may be more sticky than traditional pie crust. 

Chill (or don’t), divide, and roll out in circles to fit pie plate & top.

4. Shortbread Pie Crust

* Great for any elevation, enough to make a bottom crust

Cream together:

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup sugar

Stir in:

1/4 tsp vanilla 

Cut in:

1 cup flour

Mixture will be crumbly. Press lightly into a 10” round pie plate. Pre-bake 10 min at 350F, then fill and finish baking (50-60 minutes).

5. Graham Cracker Crust

*Great for any elevation, enough to make a bottom crust

In a mixing bowl, stir together:

1/4 cup butter, melted

1 pkg graham crackers, crushed

3 Tbsp sugar

Mixture will be crumbly. Press firmly into a 9” or 10” round. Bake 350F for 8-10 minutes.  Note: one package contains 9 crackers.

Brenda Cookies

Meet the pinnacle of all Brenda Food:

THE BRENDA COOKIE.

Taking America’s Test Kitchen and New York Time’s Best Chocolate Chip Cookie recipes and making her own version, the Brenda Cookie was born. After 2 years of perfecting the recipe, she shared it with the world.

These cookies have brought so much JOY to thousands of people from coast to coast. Like, when I heard Marie Kondo talk about items that “spark joy” I thought of these cookies.

The smell. The taste. The layers of chocolate. The gooey centers. The crunchy edges. Mama mia!

Read the full Brenda Cookie Story, or make a half-batch!

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The Brenda Cookie

Cream together, mixing for approximately 5 minutes:

1 cup (9 oz) brown sugar

1 cup (8 oz) sugar

1 1/4 cup (10 oz) butter, softened 

Then add, stirring until smooth:

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla 

Sift dry ingredients together and fold into the above mixture:

3 1/2 cups (17 oz) flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp coarse salt

Just before the dry ingredients are fully incorporated, add:

1 pkg (10 oz) Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Chips

Do not overmix!

Portion by scooping equal sized dough balls onto a greased 13x9. Cover and refrigerate 24-72 hours.

Bake at 370F for 8-10 minutes, adding 5 minutes for extra-large cookies. 

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Brenda’s Tips:

• Serving Size: Brenda’s 1/2 cup cookie scoop makes 18 or 19 balls of dough per batch

• Brenda uses a stand mixer to make the cookies. She starts the butter and sugar creaming and then measures out all the other ingredients while waiting for the sugars and butter to whip. 

• Resting the dough allows the flavors to fully meld and the textures to develop. This cookie has a chewy bite with just the right combination of intense dark chocolate and caramelized butter. It will taste good immediately, but if you can be patient it will be even better.

• Brenda seldom recommends a brand, but you’ll notice that Ghirardeli 60% Cacao are listed. These chips will create the flat layers of intense chocolate that indicates a true Brenda Cookie.

• At high elevations, add more flour. At the farm (2600 ft), Brenda uses 17.5 oz of flour and at home (6200 ft) Brenda uses 18.5 oz

• Let the cookies rest 3-6 hours before serving or packaging. A properly prepared Brenda Cookie will stay soft internally without being stored in an airtight container.

• Don’t want to make a full batch? Here’s the half-batch recipe.

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Window to B’s Kitchen…

Creaming butter + sugar:

Incorporating flour:

Mixing in the chocolate chips:

Scooping the dough: