CORN DOGS

MAKES: 8 CORN DOGS

ACTIVE TIME:15 MIN
START TO FINISH: 45 MIN

INGREDIENTS:
8 hot dogs
1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour, divided
About 8 cups vegetable oil, divided
1 1/2 cups cornmeal
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon cayenne 2 large eggs
1 1/4 cups well-shaken buttermilk

EQUIPMENT: a grill pan; 8 wooden ice-pop sticks; a deep-fat thermometer

Oil grill pan, then grill hot dogs over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until lightly charred on all
sides, about 5 minutes total. Transfer to a plate and cool slightly, then insert a wooden stick into each
hot dog. Put 3 Tbsp flour on another plate and roll hot dogs in flour to coat, shaking off excess. Heat 3
inches oil to 350°F in a deep 3-qt heavy pot over medium-high heat.

Meanwhile, whisk together cornmeal, remaining 1/2 cup flour, 2 Tbsp vegetable oil, baking powder,
sugar, baking soda, cayenne, and 3/4 tsp salt in a medium bowl. Add eggs 1 at a time, whisking well after
each addition. Whisk in buttermilk.

Transfer some of batter to a tall glass, filling it almost to the top.

Working in batches of 2 or 3, dip hot dogs, 1 at a time, into glass of batter to coat (add more batter to
glass if necessary), then fry, turning occasionally, until batter is cooked through and golden-brown all
over, about 3 minutes. Transfer corn dogs to paper towels to drain. Return oil to 350°F and refill glass
with batter between batches.

Commerce Kitchen Fried Chicken

Ingredients:
2 cups flour

2 tablespoons salt

2 tablespoons pepper

4 tablespoons paprika

1 teaspoon garlic salt

1 tablespoon dry mustard

1 tablespoon French thyme, ground

1 tablespoon dried sweet basil, ground

1 teaspoon oregano, ground

1 tablespoon Jamaica ginger, ground (regular ground ginger will work too)

2 cups buttermilk

2 2 ½- 3 lb. chickens, cut into 8 pieces each

Vegetable oil for frying (canola and peanut oil work too)

Directions:

Mix dry ingredients in large bowl. Set aside.

Put chicken and buttermilk in two large plastic Ziploc bags or a flat dish and marinate in the
refrigerator for at least two hours, turning every 30 minutes. This tenderizes the meat as well as
removes any blood.

When ready to cook, remove chicken pieces from buttermilk, shake off excess liquid. Toss with
dry ingredients. The chicken should be lightly covered, but it's okay if there are a few missed
spots. You can also shake chicken with the dry ingredients in a large Ziploc bag.

Fill a large, heavy bottomed skillet or deep pot with enough oil to cover halfway up the largest
piece of chicken. Heat oil to 325-350 degrees. If you don't have a cooking thermometer, wait for
small bubbles to form.

Adjust heat so the oil bubbles are steady but not too rapid. Working in two or more batches,
place the coated chicken in the hot oil. After about eight minutes, the chicken will be golden
brown underneath. Turn over once and cook for an additional eight minutes or until nicely
browned on both sides. The cooking process will agitate the pieces slightly, so you don't need to
shift them around in the pan.
After frying, place chicken on a metal sheet tray covered in a paper towel and transfer to 200-
degree oven to keep warm until serving. The chicken will stay moist for up to an hour.

Chocolate-Gingerbread Cookies
INGREDIENTS
Cookies
3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 tablespoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup solid vegetable shortening
1/2 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
1/2 cup molasses
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled

Icing
1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar
1 large egg white
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour with the cocoa powder, ground ginger, ground cinnamon,
ground cloves, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In the bowl of a standing electric mixer
fitted with the paddle, beat the softened butter with the shortening at medium speed until
the mixture is smooth, about 30 seconds. Add the brown sugar and beat until fluffy, about 2
minutes.
2. Add the egg to the cookie batter and beat until incorporated. Beat in the molasses and then
the melted bittersweet chocolate. Add the flour mixture in 3 batches, beating between
additions. Divide the dough into 3 equal parts. Shape each part into a disk, then wrap each
one in plastic wrap and refrigerate the cookie dough until chilled, about 2 hours.
3. Preheat the oven to 350°. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. On a lightly
floured work surface, roll out 1 disk of dough 1/4 inch thick. Using 4- to 5-inch cookie cutters,
cut the dough into shapes and transfer to the prepared baking sheets. Reroll the dough scraps
and cut out more cookies.
4. Bake the cookies for about 7 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through baking until the
tops are dry. Let the cookies cool on the pans for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool
completely. Repeat the process with the remaining dough.
5. In a medium bowl, combine the confectioners' sugar with the egg white and lemon juice
and whisk until the icing is completely smooth.
6. Scrape the Mascarpone Filling into a piping bag fitted with a medium tip. Turn half of the
gingerbread cookies flat side up and pipe a thin layer of filling over the cookies. Top with the
remaining cookies, flat side down.
7. Scrape the icing into a piping bag fitted with a very small tip. Decorate the cookies as
desired. Let stand until the icing dries, about 30 minutes.

Make Ahead The chocolate-gingerbread cookies can be kept in an airtight container for up to
5 days.

Stovetop Chicken Parmesan

2 8-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed

3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, divided
1/2 cup coarse dry breadcrumbs, preferably whole-wheat (see Tip)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 28-ounce can no-salt-added crushed tomatoes
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil or parsley

1. Cut each chicken breast in half on the diagonal to make 4 roughly equal portions.
Place between pieces of plastic wrap and pound with the smooth side of a meat mallet
or a heavy saucepan to an even 1/4-inch thickness. Sprinkle the chicken with 1/4
teaspoon each salt and pepper. Combine breadcrumbs and 1 tablespoon oil in a small
bowl; set aside.
2. Position rack in upper third of oven; preheat broiler to high.
3. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large, ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add half
the chicken and cook until golden, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate. Reduce
the heat to medium and repeat with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and chicken.
Transfer the chicken to the plate.
4. Add onion and garlic to the pan and cook, stirring, until beginning to soften, 2 to 3
minutes. Remove the pan from the heat. Pour in crushed tomatoes; add Italian
seasoning and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Return the
pan to medium heat and cook, stirring, until the onions are tender, 2 to 3 minutes.
Return the chicken and any accumulated juices to the pan. Turn to coat with the
sauce.
5. Sprinkle about 1/4 cup of cheese over each piece of chicken, then top with the
reserved breadcrumb mixture. Broil until the cheese is melted, about 1 minute.
(Watch carefully to prevent burning.) Serve the chicken with the sauce, sprinkled
with basil (or parsley).

Per serving: 386 calories; 19 g fat (5 g sat, 10 g mono); 78 mg cholesterol; 20 g

carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 34 g protein; 4 g fiber; 708 mg sodium; 660 mg
potassium.
Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (37% daily value), Calcium (30% dv), Iron & Potassium
(19% dv).
 Tip: To make coarse dry breadcrumbs, spread crumbs on a baking sheet and bake at
250°F until dry, 10 to 15 minutes. One slice of bread makes about 1/2 cup fresh
breadcrumbs or about 1/3 cup dry breadcrumbs. For store-bought coarse dry
breadcrumbs we like Ian's brand, labeled Panko breadcrumbs. Find them at well-
stocked supermarkets.

Ultimate Twice-Baked Potatoes

INGREDIENTS
4 russet potatoes (about 2½ lb.), scrubbed
1 cup grated aged cheddar cheese
1 cup grated Gruyère cheese
½ cup sour cream
4 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
2 tbsp. finely chopped chives
1 tbsp. finely chopped parsley
¼ tsp. Tabasco hot sauce
¼ tsp. Worcestershire sauce
8 slices cooked bacon, cut into ¼" strips
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
¼ tsp. paprika

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Heat oven to 450°. Put potatoes on a baking sheet and bake, turning occasionally, until tender, about
1 hour. Transfer to a rack and let cool slightly.

2. Halve potatoes lengthwise and scoop out insides with a spoon into a medium bowl, leaving ¼" of the
outer layer of flesh and skin behind; transfer empty potato halves to a baking sheet. Combine scooped
potato insides, ½ cup each cheddar and Gruyère, and sour cream, butter, chives, parsley, Tabasco,
Worcestershire, and bacon and season with salt and pepper. Spoon mixture into potato halves and
sprinkle with remaining cheese and paprika.

3. Bake until cheese is browned and bubbly, about 10 minutes.

 Glazed Donuts

MAKES ABOUT 1½ DOZEN

INGREDIENTS
2¼-oz. packages active dry yeast
½ cup sugar
1½ cups milk, scalded and cooled
1 tsp. kosher salt
2 eggs
6 tbsp. vegetable shortening, plus more for greasing
5 cups (1 lb. 6½ oz.) all-purpose flour, sifted, plus more for dusting
Canola oil, for frying
10 tbsp. unsalted butter
⅓ cup evaporated milk
2 ½ tsp. vanilla extract
2 ½ cups confectioners' sugar

1. Combine yeast, 1 tbsp. sugar, and 6 tbsp. water heated to 115° in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted
with a paddle attachment; let sit until foamy, about 10 minutes. Add remaining sugar, plus milk, salt,
eggs, and shortening; mix until combined. With the motor running, slowly add flour; beat until
dough is smooth. Transfer to a lightly greased bowl and cover loosely with plastic wrap; set in a
warm place until doubled in size, about 1½ hours.

2. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface; roll dough into a 13" round about ½" thick. Using floured
3½" and 1½" ring cutters, cut out donuts and holes; gather and reuse scraps. Place on greased
parchment paper-lined baking sheets, at least 3" apart, and cover loosely with plastic wrap; set in a
warm place until doubled in size, about 45 minutes.

3. Heat 2" oil in a 6-qt. saucepan until a deep-fry thermometer reads 325°. Using scissors, cut the
donuts out of the parchment paper, leaving about 1" of paper around the sides of each donut (the
paper makes it easier to transfer them to frying oil). Working in batches, place donuts in oil, paper
side up, using tongs to peel off and discard paper. Cook, flipping once until puffed and golden, about
3-4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a baking sheet with a wire rack; let cool completely.

4. Melt butter in a 1-qt. saucepan over medium-low heat. Using a small ladle, skim and discard white
film from surface. Slowly pour liquid from pan into a bowl, leaving sediment behind; let cool 1
minute. Add evaporated milk, vanilla, ¼ cup water, and sugar; whisk until smooth. Dip donuts in
glaze, coating completely; return to wire rack until glaze is set.

5. To avoid oily donuts, remember: Fat attracts fat. The less you use in your dough, the lighter the
donut will be after frying. Also go light on flour when rolling out dough, and use a brush to remove
any excess; loose flour particles attract and absorb oil.