Fresh Lemon Sorbet

Nothing screams TEXAS SUMMER like a fresh sorbet. I was 10 or so when I first discovered my parent’s ice cream maker and ever since then, sorbets have been my go-to chilly treat. It’s easy to make and always super refreshing. Plus, it’s perfect for all my vegan, non-dairy, and gluten-free friends out there!

This recipe was inspired by a fantastic lemon sorbet I had on my families first trip to New York City. We were out for lunch in Greenwich Village and stumbled across these adorable lemons filled to the brim with sorbet in a freezer stuffed in the corner of Faicco’s Pork Store. All four of us got one each and within minutes of finishing the first round we were walking back to Faicco’s to buy a second.

This recipe is best if you have a citrus juicer and an ice cream machine, but fear not! Look out for the #FoodieTips along the way for shortcuts and tricks.

Here’s what you’ll need…

  • 1 3/4 cups of water
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 2 cups lemon juice (8-10 large lemons)
  • 2 tablespoons lemon zest (about the zest from 2 lemons)

Let’s get started…

Combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Boil until the sugar completely dissolves, about 1 minute after pot begins to boil. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

While cooling, juice and zest your lemons. If you want to use the lemons as serving containers, you’ll want to cut the lemons in half and juice out the insides using a citrus juicer. If you don’t have one on hand, use whatever tool you have! Serving in lemons is not a requirement – but is very cute.

Once sugar water mixture (AKA simple syrup) is cooled, stir in the lemon juice and lemon zest.

#FoodieTip: If you’re using an ice cream machine, for best results, cool your sorbet base for 2-3 hours. This will help attain that italian ice-like texture we’re looking for in the final product.

Pour cooled sorbet base into ice cream maker and churn according to manufactures instructions. Typically around 20 minutes.

#FoodieTip: Don’t have an ice cream maker? Simply pour into a freezer safe container, like a metal bread pan, and freeze for 4 hours until firm. This will create a more icy texture and eliminate some of the silkiness that comes from churning with the machine, but at the end of the day you’ve still got lemon sorbet!

Once sorbet has frozen into an italian-ice like texture, transfer to a storage container or your juiced lemon halves, and freeze until ready to serve.

#FoodieTip: If your sorbet is still loose and not in a more frozen state after 25-30 minutes of churning, your base or ice cream bowl may not have been chilled long enough. If you’d prefer a thicker texture, you can pour your base into a container to cool in fridge, re-freeze your ice cream bowl, and try again in 24 hours.

Savory Cornmeal Waffles & Southern Fried Chicken

Chicken and waffles is a staple breakfast dish across the south. So if you’re looking to take your morning to the next level, this homemade meal is just for you. It may seem like too much to take on your own, so grab a friend to divide and conquer!

Here’s what you’ll need…

For the brine:

  • 2 chicken breasts boneless, skinless
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • 2 tablespoons hot sauce

For frying the chicken:

  • 1 1/4 cups flour
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or any complimentary flavor)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • Canola or peanut oil for frying

For the waffles:

  • 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
  • 1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups buttermilk
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/3 cup syrup
  • 4 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
  • 3/4 cup scallions, sliced (roughly 1 bunch)
  • 1 tablespoon minced chives

Lets get started…

Place a large piece of plastic wrap on the counter and place one chicken breast at a time in the center of the plastic wrap and fold half the plastic over the top of the chicken. Use flat side of a meat mallet to pound the chicken to an even 1/2″ thickness. Set aside.

#FoodieTip: If you don’t have a meat mallet use a rolling pin, the bottom of a pan, or your sturdiest cookbook.

In a zip lock baggie, combine the buttermilk and hot sauce. Season the flattened chicken breasts with salt and pepper and add them to the brine. Seal the bag and let chicken marinate for at least 4 hours or overnight.

#FoodieTip: Once marinated, remove the chicken from the refrigerator 30 minutes before you start to fry so that the chicken isn’t too cold when you put it in the fryer – which would soak up the grease instead of frying in it.

Now set up two shallow bowls for bredging. In one bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, paprika, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper. Add the buttermilk to the other bowl.

Slice the chicken breasts into 1″ wide strips.

In a medium heavy bottom skillet or frying pan, heat about 1″ canola or peanut oil over medium to medium high heat, until its between 350-375.

#FoodieTip: If you don’t have a thermometer, you can dip the handle of a wooden spoon or a wooden chopstick into the heated oil. If the oil starts to bubble steadily around the stick, then the temperature is ready. If it bubbles too vigorously, then the oil is too hot, and vice versa.

Working in batches, dip chicken strips in buttermilk, then into flour mixture, back into the buttermilk, and finally into the flour mixture again. Tap off any excess flour and gently place chicken into the hot oil. Avoid crowding the pan so only cook 3-4 strips at a time.

Turning occasionally, fry 6-8 minutes until the chicken is crispy and a deep golden brown.

Transfer cooked chicken to a baking sheet lined with paper towels to drain then place in the oven at 250 to keep chicken warm.

To make the waffles, in a large bowl combine flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk together and set aside.

In a smaller bowl, add buttermilk, eggs, butter and syrup. Whisk thoroughly to combine. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir until just mixed. Stir in the cheddar cheese, sliced scallions and chives.

Preheat the waffle iron and lightly coat with cooking spray if necessary. Scoop batter onto the center of the waffle iron. Close the lid and bake about 5-7 minutes until browned and crisp. Place waffles on a baking sheet and keep warm in the oven while you continue cooking the rest of the batter.

To serve, stack waffles on a plate topped by 2-3 strips of chicken, syrup, shredded cheese and chives and dive into the royal breakfast you deserve.

Brown Butter and Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies

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Here’s what you’ll need…

  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 cup light brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs (room temperature)
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 1.4-oz toffee bars, chopped into 1/4-inch pieces
  • 1.5 cups chocolate wafers (dark chocolate or 72% cacao)
  • Flaky sea salt (fleur de sel)

Let’s begin…

In a medium saucepan, cook butter over medium heat, swirling pan often, until it foams and browns. Continue stirring for 5-8 minutes. Scrape all the particles into a bowl or stand mixer and let cool slightly.

#FoodieTip Be sure to not overcook your butter. Once it’s at an amber-like color take off heat and pour into the bowl. This will allow it to continue to brown but not burn.

While the butter is cooling, whisk flour, baking soda, and kosher salt in a medium bowl and set aside.

Add granulated sugar, brown sugar, and honey to browned butter. Using an electric mixer on medium, beat for about 1 minute to incorporate. Then, add vanilla and eggs. Increase mixer speed to medium-high and beat for 1 minute until mixture lightens and begins to thicken. Reduce the mixture speed to low, add the flour mixture and beat just to combine.

#FoodieTip To avoid a mess, be sure to slowly incorporate the dry ingredients. A great method is to add the flour mixture and pulse your mixture a few times. This will make sure your dry ingredients don’t go flying all over the kitchen.

With a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, mix in chopped toffee pieces and chocolate wafers. Let the dough sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes to set the brown butter and allow the flour to hydrate.

Preheat your oven to 375. Using a 1.5-oz scoop, portion out 9 balls of dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. You can also roll ping pong-sized balls with your hands if you don’t have a scoop on hand. Space each ball 3” apart and be sure not to flatten since the cookies will spread quite a bit as they bake.

Bake cookies until edges are golden brown and firm, 9-11 minutes. Let cool on baking sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

#FoodieTip The center of the cookies will still be soft immediately after you take them out of the oven, but don’t let that scare you. By leaving them on the baking sheet for an additional 10 minutes, the residual heat will continue to cook the cookie without burning the edges.

Repeat with remaining dough and a freshly parchment-lined baking sheet. Finally, take a second to be proud of the master chef you’ve just become and enjoy!