Engagement foods?

[trillionaire]

So, we''ve all heard of engagement chicken, and I''ve heard of an engagement pasta... but I was thinking, there HAVE to be some amazing recipes that you ladies have that will knock the socks off of these guys!?!

So let''s have ''em! What is the BEST dish that you make, that everyone begs for?

FI loves my Cinnamon Rolls, because I would never make them for him, only in large group contexts (with my family or his)... even though he BEGS for them! Little does he know, I''m making it for breakfast tomorrow

I swear, it tastes just like Cinnabon!

Adding a little Rum to the frosting is AMAZING!

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/sandra-lee/cinnamon-rolls-recipe/index.html

be careful with oven temps and cooking times, I''ve had a few mishaps that way, because if they carmalize, they will get hard. You just want them to brown lightly

GaH! i''m excited for Breakfast!

 

[misskitty]

I have a knock-your-socks-off chocolate cake recipe that was given to me by a pastry chef who worked at the Four Seasons. It is really really incredible, although the first time I made it, I thought it was going to be a complete failure because the batter was such a different texture from boxed cake mix! I''ve made this cake both with and without the included frosting recipe, and it''s delicious every time (it also freezes very well).

I posted it in the Small Talk thread, but since that gets super huge and then changes every month, I''ll repost it here:


Ingredients

Cake:
1 cup water
1/2 cup cocoa (''Dutched'' or Alkalized gets a better rise)
1 cup buttermilk (or kefir)
3/4 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Frosting:
1/2 lb butter (2 sticks)
4 oz unsweetened chocolate
2 oz bittersweet chocolate
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 lb confectioner''s sugar
8 oz (regular) sour cream
1 pinch of salt
--------

Cake:

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2) Boil water, add cocoa. Stir until smooth and thick, about 1 minute. Allow to cool. It will strongly resemble chocolate pudding.
3) Combine buttermilk, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla extract.
4) Mix together flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda in large bowl. Add buttermilk mixture and mix together (using a paddle attachment) at medium speed for 7 minutes. Why 7 minutes? Your cocoa is still hot. Also, because that''s what my friend told me to do, and I''m afraid to change this step. Add COOLED cocoa mixture, and mix for additional 4 minutes. Don''t forget to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
5) Pour into prepared (sprayed/parchment-lined/buttered and floured) cake pan and bake in center of the oven for 30-40 minutes. 8'' round pans work perfectly. Make the icing while the cakes bake. Check doneness with toothpick. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.


Frosting:

1) Melt butter and chocolates together in a double boiler (or microwave). Keep warm.
2) Alternate adding sour cream and confectioner''s sugar into the icing, mixing thoroughly and scraping down after each addition. The key here is to mix, but NOT overmix. The key is to just combine the sour cream and the chocolate mixture without adding too much air, which will make the icing hard to spread without visible air bubbles. Icing should be very dark, not light. If it becomes a light brown, let it sit, then stir it a bit by hand to get some of the air out.
3) Add vanilla and salt. Allow to cool completely before using.


Cool the cakes completely on parchment paper before frosting. If you slice off the rounded tops so the layers stack neatly, you''ll probably notice an uneven crumb/some tunneling. My friend says that she''s never had this one come out with an even crumb, but the flavor is so good that she''s willing to let that go.

 

[gwendolyn]

It''s not a recipe, but my guy loves loves LOVES a Sunday roast--roast chicken, stuffing, gravy, roasted/mashed potatoes, veggies--the works. When I cook this for him, he is like putty in my hands.

 

[simplefears]

I just made engagement chicken tonight, he and our cats both loved it. My boyfriend is taking me to San Francisco in 2 weeks for my birthday, I'm pretty sure he's going to propose then! I had to make the chicken to be sure

My signature recipe is for spinach artichoke dip. Soooo good! It's modified version of this recipe

8oz softened cream cheese
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup grated parmesan
1/4 cup grated romano
garlic salt to taste

Mix all that together then gently mix in:

1/4 cup chopped spinach, drained (I use frozen... thawed of course)
1 can of artichoke hearts, drained ( I usually buy quartered, but I chop them up more anyway)
a handful of mozzarella

Put in a greased baking dish and add a layer of mozzarella on top.

Bake for 25 minutes at 350

It's easy to make and clean up is nice too since everything is a 1/4 cup.

 

[trillionaire]

Date: 8/1/2009 10:25:09 AM
Author: misskitty
I have a knock-your-socks-off chocolate cake recipe that was given to me by a pastry chef who worked at the Four Seasons. It is really really incredible, although the first time I made it, I thought it was going to be a complete failure because the batter was such a different texture from boxed cake mix! I''ve made this cake both with and without the included frosting recipe, and it''s delicious every time (it also freezes very well).

That sounds AMAZING!!! I''ll have to try it. Bon Appetit or Epicurious has an amazing flourless chocolate cake recipe... Le Bete Noir, that is INCREDIBLE! Everytime I make it, rave reviews, but it is soooooo decadent, you have to make it to share, and only consume in small portions! YUM!

I also made 2 batches of Cinnamon rolls this weekend, FI was eating them by the plate full!

I''m going to make one last batch tonight and send them to work with him tomorrow, for his boss and co-workers. His manager knew I was in town, so he left him off work on Sunday so that we could spend time together to celebrate our engagement!

Yeah, that deserves scrumptious cinnamon rolls in my book!!!

If only I knew how to make something delicious AND healthy...

 

[suchende]

I don''t have a ring, but after I made him shepard''s pie, I swear his attitude about our future changed.

I cooked up some ground turkey, added cooked peas, carrots and sweet corn with gravy, then ladled it into ramekins, topped it with mashed potatoes with extra butter and broiled it in the oven until the potatoes turned a little golden.