Marinated-artichoke spread

Herbs, fresh, mixed, chopped	1/2 cup
Tomatoes, sun-dried, drained, chopped	1/2 cup
Artichokes, marinated, drained, chopped	6 ounce jar
Cream cheese, room temperature	8 ounces
Salt & pepper

1. Mix together herbs, tomatoes, and artichokes, and then stir in cream cheese.
2. Serve on crackers or bread.

tips, tricks & techniques

2010's best cookbooks: real-life labors of love by NPR.

Blueberry streusel muffins

Flour, baking/cake	1 ½ cups
Baking powder	2 teaspoons
Salt	½ teaspoon
Butter, softened	6 tablespoons
Sugar, light brown	½ cup
Egg	1
Vanilla	1 teaspoon
Milk	½ cup
Blueberries, fresh or frozen, rinsed and drained	1 ½ cups
Lemon zest	1 tablespoon
Sugar, brown	2 tablespoons
Cinnamon	¼ teaspoon
Walnuts, chopped	¼ cup

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt on to a sheet of wax paper.
3. In a large bowl, cream 4 tablespoons of butter with sugar until it’s fluffy; beat in egg and vanilla.
4. Stir in flour mixture, alternately with milk; fold in blueberries and lemon zest.
5. Place paper baking cups into a 12-cup muffin pan; spoon batter into cups, filling each about 2/3 full.
6. For topping, in a small saucepan, melt butter; remove from heat, and stir in brown sugar, cinnamon, and walnuts; sprinkle evenly over muffin batter.
7. Bake 20 minutes, or until top springs back when lightly pressed with fingertips.
8. Remove muffins from pan, and cool on a wire rack.

Recipe from Cooks.com.

Pumpkin roll

Powdered sugar	¼ cup
Flour, all-purpose	¾ cup
Baking powder	½ teaspoon
Baking soda	½ teaspoon
Cinnamon, ground	½ teaspoon
Cloves, ground	½ teaspoon
Salt	¼ teaspoon
Eggs	3
Sugar	½ cup
Pumpkin puree	2/3 cup
Walnuts, chopped (optional)	1 cup
Cream cheese, softened	8 ounces
Powdered sugar, shifted	1 cup
Butter, softened	6 tablespoons
Vanilla extract	1 teaspoon
Powdered sugar	Garnish

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Grease a 15x10-inch jelly-roll pan; line with wax paper; grease and flour the paper.
3. Sprinkle a thin, cotton kitchen towel with powdered sugar.
4. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt in a small bowl.
5. Beat eggs and sugar in a large mixer bowl until thick.
6. Beat in pumpkin, and then stir in flour mixture.
7. Spread evenly into prepared pan; sprinkle with nuts
8. Bake 13 to 15 minutes, or until the top of the cake springs back when touched.
9. Immediately loosen and turn cake onto the prepared towel, and carefully peel off paper.
10. Roll up cake and towel together, starting with the narrow end; cool on a wire rack.
11. Beat cream cheese, 1 cup of sugar, butter, and vanilla in a small bowl until smooth.
12. Carefully unroll cake; remove towel.
13. Spread cream cheese mixture over cake; reroll.
14. Wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 1 hour.
15. Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving, if desired.

Recipe from VeryBestBaking.com.

Caramelized Brussels sprouts with pancetta

Brussels sprouts	3 pounds
Olive oil, extra virgin	6 tablespoons
Shallots, thinly sliced	6 (1 ½ cups)
Pancetta, thinly sliced, cut into ¼-inch dice	2 ounces
Sea salt
Tomatoes, sun-dried, oil-packed, drained & chopped	¼ cup

1. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook Brussels sprouts until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes; drain and pat dry; cut the sprouts in half lengthwise.
2. In a large, deep skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of oil.
3. Add shallots, and cook over moderately low heat, stirring, until lightly browned, 10 minutes; scrape into a bowl.
4. Add remaining ¼ cup oil.
5. Add sprouts, cut side facing down, and pancetta.
6. Season with salt, and cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, until the sprouts are browned and tender, about 10 minutes.
7. Add the sun-dried tomatoes and shallots, and cook, stirring, until warm, 5 minutes.
8. Season with salt, transfer to a bowl; serve immediately.

Recipe from Food & Wine, December 2010.