This month, we asked three Sauce staffers to share their go-to potluck dishes. Here, their secret recipes that blow away the competition.
“My cranberry-orange couscous with orange blossom water.” – Greg Rannells, contributing photographer Israeli Couscous with Cranberries and Orange Blossom Water Courtesy of Greg Rannells 6 to 8 servings
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups Israeli couscous
1½ cups water
Half a bunch green onions, thinly sliced on the bias
½ cup pine nuts
2 Tbsp. honey
1 tsp. turmeric
½ cup fresh-squeezed orange juice
2 Tbsp. pomegranate molasses
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. cider vinegar
1½ cup dried cranberries
½ tsp. orange blossom water
• Warm the olive oil in medium saucepan over medium high. Add couscous and lightly toast 2 to 3 minutes, making sure all the grains are fully coated with oil, 2 to 3 minutes ensuring all grains are fully coated with oil. Add the water and bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, remove from heat and cover. Let sit about 10 minutes, until the couscous absorbs all the water. Fluff with a fork to break up the grains.
• Pour the cooked couscous into a large serving bowl and toss with pine nuts, honey, turmeric and green onions. Set aside.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together the orange juice, pomegranate molasses, salt, cider vinegar and cranberries. Let cranberries plump in the vinaigrette 10 minutes, then pour over the couscous salad and toss. Refrigerate until cold. Before serving, sprinkle with orange blossom water.
“I make a mean cornbread pudding. No one can resist its power.” – Maggie Pearson, contributing writer Cornbread Pudding Courtesy of Maggie Pearson 8 to 10 servings
1 16-oz. can whole kernel corn, drained
1 16-oz. can cream-style corn
1 cup sour cream
¼ cup sugar
3 eggs, beaten
¾ cup butter, melted
1 package Jiffy or Martha White cornbread mix
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9-by-12-inch baking dish.
• Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl and pour the batter into the baking dish. Bake 30 minutes until set and lightly browned on top.
“My award-winning sweet-and-salty cake.” – Meera Nagarajan, art director Baked’s Sweet and Salty Cake Originally appeared on Martha Stewart 1 8-inch 3-layer cake
1¼ cups hot water
¾ cup cocoa powder
2/3 cup sour cream
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp.salt
¾ cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened, plus more for pans
½ cup vegetable shortening
1½ cups granulated sugar
1 cup dark brown sugar
3 large eggs
1 Tbsp. pure vanilla
½ cup Caramel with Salt (recipe follows)
Whipped Caramel Ganache Icing (recipe follows)
Fleur de sel, for garnish
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Butter 3 8-by-2-inch round cake pans. Line each pan with a parchment paper round, butter parchment paper and flour; set aside.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the hot water, cocoa and sour cream; set aside to cool, about 10 minutes.
• In another large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and shortening together until smooth and it appears to create strings inside the bowl, about 7 minutes. Add the granulated and brown sugars and continue beating until light and fluffy, about 7 minutes. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and beat until well incorporated. Add the vanilla, scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula, and mix again for 30 seconds. Add the flour mixture alternating with the cocoa mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture.
• Divide the batter evenly among the 3 prepared pans. Bake until the cake is just firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, 18 to 24 minutes. Let cool completely.
• Using a serrated knife, trim the tops of the cakes to make level. Place 4 strips of parchment paper around perimeter of a serving plate or lazy Susan. Place the first layer on the cake plate. Using about ¼ cup of the caramel, spread a thin layer on the cake, allowing some of the caramel to soak into the cake. Follow the caramel layer with a layer of about 1 cup of the ganache icing. Place the second layer on top and repeat process with another layer of caramel followed by a layer of ganache icing. Place the remaining layer on top of the second layer bottom side up. Spread the entire cake with remaining ganache icing. Sprinkle with fleur de sel.
Baked’s Caramel with Salt Originally appeared on Martha Stewart Enough for 2 to 3 8-inch 3-layer cake
¼ cup water
1 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. light corn syrup
½ cup heavy cream
1 tsp. fleur de sel
¼ cup sour cream
• Combine the water, sugar and corn syrup in a medium saucepan; stir to combine. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cook until the mixture reaches 350 degrees on a candy thermometer, about 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in another small saucepan, mix together the cream and salt. Bring the cream to a boil and cook until the salt has dissolved, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
• When the caramel mixture has reached 350 degrees, remove from heat and allow to cool 1 minute. Carefully add the hot cream to the caramel; stir to combine. Whisk in the sour cream. Cool and store in an airtight container, refrigerated, up to 3 days.
Baked’s Whipped Caramel Ganache Icing Originally appeared on Martha Stewart Enough for 1 8-inch 3-layer cake
¼ cup water
1 lb. dark chocolate, chopped
1 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. light corn syrup
1½ cups heavy cream
1 lb. (4 sticks) butter, cut into tablespoon-sized pieces, softened but still cool
• Combine the water, sugar and corn syrup in a medium saucepan; stir to combine. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cook until the mixture reaches 350 degrees on a candy thermometer, about 10 minutes.
• In another small saucepan add the cream and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and set aside.
• When the caramel mixture has reached 350 degrees, remove from heat and allow to rest 1 minute. Add the hot cream to the caramel; stir to combine. Let cool 5 minutes. Place the chocolate in the bowl of an electric mixer and pour the caramel sauce over chocolate. Let sit 1 minute before stirring from the center until the chocolate is melted.
• Attach bowl to electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix on low until the bowl feels cool to the touch. Add the butter and increase speed to medium-high until the mixture is well combined, thickened, and slightly whipped, about 2 minutes.
This article appears in November 2014.