This article was written by our summer intern, 17 year old, AS.
And the winner of the yooou! IG poll was BROWNIES. Here’s the promised recipe!
Yummy Fudgy Brownies
Ready in 45 minutes. Serves 16 people.
Ingredients
10 tbsp unsalted butter
1 ¼ cup granulated sugar
¾ cup + 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
¼ tsp salt
2 cold eggs
½ cup all-purpose flour
⅔ cup chocolate chips
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 325 and prepare the bottom of an 8 inch square pan with parchment paper.
Melt the butter and while it is still hot whisk in sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla, and salt. Don’t worry if the batter looks gritty.
Set aside the mixture to cool until the mixture is warm, not hot. Add the cold eggs one at a time, stirring vigorously between each.
When the batter looks thick and well blended, stir in the flour with a spoon or spatula, mix until the batter is very thick and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
Stir in chocolate chips and bake for 20-30 minutes. The middle should look slightly unbaked
Let the brownies cool so they can firm up the cut and enjoy!
You definitely want to check out other recipes from AS!! Click here, here, and here. DM us a photo on Instagram if you make one of these. We want to know what you think!!
This article was written for yooou! by our summer intern 17 year old, AS.
Blueberry Lemon Loaf
Ready in 1 ½ hours. Serves 8 people.
Ingredients
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup salted butter
2 eggs
1 tbsp lemon zest
2 tbsp lemon juice
½ tsp salt
1 ½ cups all purpose flour (plus 1-2 tbsp)
1 tsp baking powder
½ cup whole milk
1 cup blueberries
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 350°
In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
In a separate small bowl, mix blueberries with 1-2 tbsp of flour until the blueberries are completely coated. Set aside.
In a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3-4 mins.
Beat in eggs, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Gradually add the dry mixture in. Slowly add in the milk, once batter comes together scrape down the sides of the bowl. Fold in the blueberries.
Pour the batter into a greased, or parchment lined pan. Bake for 55-65 minutes. The top of the loaf should be cracked, raised, golden brown in color, and firm to the touch.
Let cool, slice, and enjoy!!
Tips
Make sure to coat the blueberries in flour to prevent them from sinking in the batter while baking.
Lining the pan with parchment paper allows for easier cleanup and removal from the pan.
To get more yooou! recipes from other contributors, click here or here. There are a lot more amazing goodies!
This article was written by our summer intern, 17-year-old, AS.
Growing up I was always in the kitchen with my family.
My great grandmother taught me that food is the best way to connect with someone, like during Thanksgiving when the whole family was sitting around the table eating the food that she made.
Right before she died she wanted her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren (me) to be able to have those recipes that we all loved, so she sat down and wrote down everything she could remember. She has recipes for everything from Christmas hams and dinner potatoes to brownies and pies.
Now, each grandchild has one of her recipe books, including my house. The great thing about her recipe book is that she organized it by person. She collected many photos and made sure she wrote down everyone’s favorite recipes and included a few pictures of them as well.
During Covid I really dove into baking, every time my parents went to the store I begged them to get me the ingredients to make some of my great grandmother’s recipes or just recipes I discovered online.
The more recipes I tried the more I realized that I needed to write them down, so I added them to the blank pages in my great grandmother’s recipe book. My plan is to fill that book with everything that I love to eat and one day pass it down to my children and they will do the same.
They will never have to wonder how I made their favorite chocolate chip cookies or mac-n-cheese because it will be in the recipe book!
This is a repost of one of our most popular posts last year. Happy reading…and baking!
This article was written for yooou! by 16-year-old, CC.
This weekend is the perfect time to do some holiday baking! Here are some of my favorite recipes.
Candy Cane Snowball Cookies
Ingredients
2 cups butter, softened
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup chopped pecans
8 ounces white candy coating, melted
1/3 to 1/2 cup crushed peppermint candies
Directions
Cream butter and confectioners’ sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Beat in vanilla. Gradually beat in flour. Stir in pecans. Refrigerate, covered, until firm enough to shape, 3-4 hours.
Preheat oven to 350°. Shape dough into 1-in. balls. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets.
Bake until lightly browned, about 15 minutes. Remove from pans to wire racks; cool completely.
Dip tops of cookies into candy coating, allowing excess to drip off; dip into crushed candies. Let stand until set.
Vanilla-Butter Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
1-1/2 cups butter, softened
1-1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
Frosting:
1-1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
3 tablespoons butter, softened
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 to 2 tablespoons whole milk
Optional: Food coloring, sprinkles and colored sugar
Directions
Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Beat in eggs and vanilla. In another bowl, whisk flour, salt, baking soda and cream of tartar. Gradually beat into creamed mixture. Refrigerate, covered, for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350°. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to 1/4-in. thickness. Cut with floured 2-1/2-in. cookie cutters. Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets; chill in refrigerator for 15 minutes. Bake 10-12 minutes. Cool on wire racks.
For frosting, beat confectioners’ sugar, butter, vanilla and enough milk to reach desired consistency. If desired, add a few drops of food coloring. Cut a small hole in the tip of a pastry bag or in a corner of a food-safe plastic bag; transfer frosting to bag. Pipe decorations. Sprinkle with colored sugar or decorate with sugar pearls.
Peppermint Bark
Ingredients
12oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped
12oz. white chocolate, chopped
1/2tsp. peppermint extract
8 candy canes, crushed
Directions
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Fill the bottom of a large pot with 3” water and bring to simmer over medium heat. Reduce heat to low, then place a large heatproof bowl on top. Add semi-sweet chocolate and stir occasionally until chocolate has melted. Stir in extract. Pour into prepared baking sheet and spread into an even layer with an offset spatula. Refrigerate until set, about 20 minutes.
Over the same pot of barely simmering water, place another large heatproof bowl. Add white chocolate and stir until melted. Pour over set semi-sweet chocolate then top immediately with candy canes. Refrigerate until set, about 20 minutes.
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
Fine salt
1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
One 12-ounce bag semisweet chocolate chips
Directions
Position 2 racks in the center of the oven, and preheat to 375 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.
Whisk together the flour, baking soda and 1 teaspoon salt in a large bowl.
Beat the butter and both sugars on medium-high speed in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or in a large bowl if using a handheld mixer) until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add the eggs, one at time, beating after each addition to incorporate. Beat in the vanilla. Scrape down the side of the bowl as needed. Reduce the speed to medium, add the flour mixture and beat until just incorporated. Stir in the chocolate chips.
For SW’s amazing gluten free holiday snacks, click here. And to read about CJ’s successful cake baking business, click here.
Reposted from December 2020 (because these are delicious).
This article is written for yooou! by 16-year-old, SW.
It sure is difficult being gluten-free during the holidays. When I was diagnosed with Celiac’s Disease ten years ago, there were not many gluten free holiday foods available. So my mom and I have learned to make our own Christmas snacks throughout the years.
A baking trick up my sleeve is to use Cup-4-Cup brand flour as a substitute in your favorite cookie recipe – it will taste just as yummy, I promise!
As for cakes, using the King Arthur brand of pre-made mixes could help immensely. Your Christmas desserts are ready to go with just the replacement of flour!
Now onto the snacks…
A new favorite of mine is the Rolo-pretzel Bites.
They are made by placing a Rolo candy on top of a pretzel (I prefer Glutino brand pretzels) and placing it in the oven at 350 degrees for about 3-4 minutes. After that, place a red or green M&M on top of the candied confection and press it down a bit and you’re good to go! It will taste delicious!
Another all-time favorite snack is Chex Mix.
It’s just like the regular snack but replaced the pretzels are replaced with their gluten-free alternative and with Corn and Rice Chex. Then you add Nature Path’s Whole O’s (or another gluten free Cheerio-type cereal) and pecans, toss with melted butter mixed with seasoning salt, and bake in the oven for an hour on 200.
I have been eating so much Chex Mix lately – I can confirm it is absolutely scrumptious!
Hope you all have a very Merry Christmas and enjoy these gluten free treats!
To listen to some holiday music while baking, click here.
For last minute stocking stuffer ideas from Amazon, go to our Instagram Stories, under “we love”.
We love iced tea! It is a great change of pace when hydrating yourself during these hot summer months. There are many different types of teas but 2 of the most common are black tea and green tea.
These popular teas are loaded with antioxidants which have many health benefits such as improved brain function and cell damage prevention.
This means that iced tea is healthier than a soft drink and tastier than water!
There are so many delicious ways that you can jazz up your tea. Try some of these super easy combinations. What are your favorites?
Brew 2 tea bags in 3 cups of water then add:
ICED STRAWBERRY MINT GREEN TEA
3 strawberries, sliced and 6-8 fresh mint leaves
LEMON BASIL ICED GREEN TEA
1/2 lemon, sliced and 4-6 fresh basil leaves
ICED PEACH GINGER GREEN TEA
1/2 peach, sliced and 4-6 pieces of ginger, sliced
EASY TEAMONADE (also known as an Arnold Palmer). This one generally uses black tea, but you can do it with green tea as well.
1c of your favorite lemonade
Let the flavors combine, pour over ice and enjoy!
A couple tips to consider when making tea refreshing, healthy and delicious:
Don’t add sugar – these tasty teas don’t NEED a sweetener but if you must, try a natural product like Stevia or honey
Use fresh ingredients for the best flavor
Try using a cold brew technique instead of using boiling water
This article was written for yooou! by The Kitchen Twins.
This salad is heavenly, filling, and so tasty you will DEFINITELY be going back to make more! We think right now is a great time to be cooking your own meals and learning what goes into your food! The Kale Peanut Salad is perfect for that because all of the ingredients are whole and good for you. Plus, there are nutrients loaded into it! It does not take long to make and it is great as a dinner side or for lunch! We might even be eating it for breakfast it’s that good…
Serves 1 What You’ll Need
For the salad:
2 cups finely chopped kale
2/3 cup cooked brown rice
1/3 cup strawberries
1/4 an avocado
1/4 cup lightly chopped, roasted peanuts
2 teaspoons sesame seeds
For the dressing:
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon peanut butter
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 teaspoon sweetener (like blue agave syrup, honey, or maple syrup)
1/4 teaspoon salt
a few cranks of pepper
To Make
In a bowl, toss the kale with the brown rice. Wash and slice the strawberries up – we think smaller slices are better because you get plenty of flavor while getting it in more bites. Then slice up the avocado and layer that on top. You can be like us and set up your bowl all pretty! Add the peanuts and sesame seeds as well. For the dressing, combine all ingredients in a jar and shake them up. You may have to do this for a minute or two because the peanut butter will have to be well combined, but it is worth it and a little extra workout! Pour it over the salad, mix, and enjoy!
Click here for more recipes from The Kitchen Twins.
This post was written for yooou! by 15 year old, WC.
Airy, Sweet, and visually stunning, Pavlovas are one of my favorite things to make. Not to mention, the fun process of whipping up meringue and plating them with colorful fruits and creams.
I’ve always been using recipes from Sally’s Baking Addiction for many things, so here I am linking the three recipes I used from her!
*note*: In this blog I am making a big pavlova cake, however the recipe can be adjusted for small personal pavlovas as well
Pavlovas are tricky to make and get right. In this blog I’ll be sharing tips and adjustments I follow to make my signature pavlova!
First thing you’ll want to do is make the meringue base. This base takes a while to bake so you can make all your other components while it’s baking and drying!
Usually when I make my pavlovas I like to use a silicone baking mat since it peels off the easiest when you’re trying to remove the base from the baking tray later. However any nonstick sheet works!
Follow the recipe instructions for whipping up the meringue. I highly recommend pulsing your sugar in the food processor a few times because it makes the meringue smoother and reduces the chance of pockets and cracks. When the meringue is ready it should feel like a firm marshmallow cloud. The meringue should have a smooth feel in your mouth and stand up on the whisk.
Next, when you spoon the meringue onto your baking tray, I recommend dumping it into a huge lump in the middle of the tray and spreading it out with a soup spoon. The back of the soup spoon can be used to make the decorative swirls and peaks on the pavlova.
Make sure to form the “well” in the middle with “walls” on the side. The well is where your cream, lemon curd, and other delicious components will go! Make sure the bottom of the well isn’t so thin it’s see through. The pavlova looking good in this stage is very important since unlike pastries, meringue doesn’t spread and what it looks like now will be what it looks like later.
Follow the baking instructions. Once it’s done baking, if the pavlova isn’t browning harshly or “burnt-looking” , turn the oven off but keep the pavlova in there so it’ll dry in an arid environment. I recommend not opening the oven at all during the baking process if possible so the meringue can settle.
Now onto the fillings!
Although the whipped cream recipe asks for sugar, when I make my pavlova I like to add no sugar to the whipped cream. The meringue itself is very sweet and the whipped cream should be a relief to the sweetness, not add to it.
Pavlovas are traditionally piled high with fresh fruits and are SO PRETTY.
For fruits, I generally recommend berries and other soft fruits such as kiwis and peaches and cherries. I generally don’t recommend “crunchy” fruits like apples and pears. However, if you prefer other fruits you can adjust it to your liking!
For the lemon curd, I generally reduce the sugar by a half as well to reduce the overall sweetness of the pavlova. This lemon curd is perfect to make since it adds a tangy taste to the pavlova and also uses up the leftover egg yolks. For the lemon curd, I recommend removing it from heat the moment it starts thickening, so you don’t overcook it. The curd will become more solid as it cools down and you don’t want lemon jello.
And now the best part!
To assemble the pavlova, move your meringue onto the plate or stand you plan to serve it on. Spoon on the whipped cream first and then the lemon curd afterwards. I sometimes like to mix the curds and cream a little bit so it looks like a “pot of gold”. Place your berries on top and it’s ready to serve! Enjoy!
Note: Sometimes I like to put the pavlova in the fridge for an hour after assembling so the flavors “marinate”
This article is written for yooou! by our summer intern 17 year old, AS.
Once my junior year came to a close, I knew I wanted to find a way to keep senior year memories.
At first I wanted to create a scrapbook but my mom had the great idea for a Senior Year Box.
So my mom and I went to TJ Maxx and found the cutest box with a ribbon on it, something big enough to hold photos, invitations, and possibly even shirts.
Our plan is to put everything I collect over my senior year into that box so that years later down the road I will always remember my senior year of high school.
The great thing about the box is that there is no hassle, unlike a scrapbook, all you have to do is open it and throw whatever you want inside.
A way to make this even more memorable and personalized is to run to your nearest craft store and pick up a wooden box.
Then you can paint and customize your senior box in any way you want!
This could also be made into a fun group activity with your friends!
So if you’re approaching your senior year and want to hold on to memories give this a try!
This is AS’s last post as our summer intern. To read her other posts, click here, here, here and here, here and here! And check out her Tik Tok’s by clicking here.
