I don’t know about you, but whenever I have company coming, and decide to bake at the last minute, I’m inevitably out of one or more of the ingredients I need to make whatever it is I want to make. With 18″ of snow on the ground and a 2WD pickup, there was no way I was going out for eggs or white sugar today, so here’s the recipe for the no-egg company cake that is cooling on my dining room table as I type.

In the absence of eggs, the reaction of baking soda and vinegar provides the leavening needed for a light, fluffy cake. This recipe can be used as a base for any number of mix-ins – add chocolate chips for a chocolate chip cookie cake, cocoa or melted baking chocolate for a simple chocolate cake, cinnamon, nutmeg, and raisins for a spice cake, or galangal, pepper, coconut, and ginger for an eastern flavor.

No-Egg Company Cake

Ingredients:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups dark brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 cup half and half
• 1 cup whole milk
• 3/4 cup melted butter
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350° F; lightly grease a 13×9″ pan. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda. Set aside. In a separate bowl, stir together remaining ingredients. Add wet ingredients to dry, stirring until just combined. Pour into pan and bake for 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Set aside to cool.

Quick Chocolate Spice Frosting

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup softened butter
• pinch salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 5 cups confectioner’s sugar
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup strong brewed coffee, cooled
• 2 tablespoons whole milk

Mix together butter, salt, cinnamon, sugar, and cocoa until ingredients are well-combined and butter is evenly distributed. Slowly add coffee and milk, adding more milk if needed to achieve desired consistency. Spread on cooled cake.

Mer and I travel to spend time with family on the holidays, so its difficult to have traditions of our own. Our Yule/Christmas tradition (which sometimes happens on Yule, but almost never on Christmas) involves a screening of A Solstice Carol and anything we want for dinner. In past years, this has included cereal (I’m a huge fan of Marshmallow Mateys, and in fact prefer them to their brand-name counterpart), donuts, and bagels with lox and capers. This year, we were inspired by our local winter farmer’s market. The sweet potato came from Two Gander Farm in Oley, PA, the cheese was Alpine from Birchrun Hills, and the fresh eggs were from Turning Roots.

Holiday Quiche

Ingredients:

• Two unbaked pie crusts (pre-bought or use your favorite recipe)
• One large (2/3 lb) sweet potato
• 6 ounces prosciutto
• 6 ounces nutty cheese (Emmentaler or a strong Swiss will do nicely)
• 6 whole eggs
• 1 cup whole milk
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350° F. Place pie pans on a cookie sheet and line with pie crusts.

Peel the potato and grate it using the largest hole of a box grater. Sprinkle grated potato in the bottom of the pie shells, dividing evenly. Grate the cheese and sprinkle on top of the potato. Slice the prosciutto finely and add to pies. Beat eggs well and add milk, salt, and pepper. Carefully and slowly pour egg mixture into pies, pressing ingredients as needed to eliminate bubbles.

Bake for 45 minutes, or until quiche is just firm to the touch. Serve hot with a dollop of sour cream or crème fraiche.

If you’re looking for a quick, easy, and bite-sized appetizer recipe, look no further. These mini-tarts are deliciously simple to make and eat – if you’re in a real hurry, use store-bought pie crust dough and leftover baked chicken to speed things up.

Miniature Chicken Tarts

Ingredients:

• 2 pie crusts (use your favorite recipe or a pre-bought crust)
• 1 boneless skinless chicken breast, poached and cooled
• 8 oz. whole fresh mushrooms, cleaned
• 2 teaspoons butter
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 4 oz. shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Line mini-muffin cups with pie crust. Dock the bases of the cups with a fork and blind-bake. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken, mushrooms, and garlic, and sauté until chicken is lightly browned and all liquid from mushrooms has evaporated. Season. Deglaze pan with vinegar; continue to cook until pan is almost dry. Cool slightly.

Pulse cooled mixture in food processor with milk until a smooth, fluffy paste has formed. Spoon into prepared crusts and top with Parmesan cheese. Bake 15-20 minutes, or until lightly browned.

Makes 48 tarts.

If you’re looking for an easy side dish that’s sure to please, look no further than these creamy, tasty ‘taters. The secret is starting with baked potatoes and, of course, using delicious (read: high-fat) ingredients: no chicken stock substitutions here.

Roasted Garlic and Parmesan Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients:

• 1 head of garlic, whole
• 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1.5 lbs. russet potatoes, washed
• 1.5 lbs. waxy red-skinned potatoes, washed
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 3/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
• 3 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
• salt and pepper to taste, plus extra salt for garlic and potatoes

Preheat your oven (a toaster oven works great for this) to 400 degrees. Slice the top off the head of garlic so that the ends of the cloves are exposed. Cut a strip of heavy-duty tin foil large enough to tightly enclose the garlic. Set the garlic on the foil, drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil, and sprinkle with salt. Wad the foil around the garlic, sealing tightly, and bake for 20-25 minutes or until garlic feels soft and smells slightly sweet. Remove and let sit, without opening, for 45 minutes.

Prick your potatoes with a fork and place in a large bowl. Add remaining olive oil and a heavy pinch of salt, and toss until coated. Bake potatoes in the oven (directly on the rack, in a preheated 350 degree oven for 1 hour or until tender) or in the microwave (4-8 minutes per potato, depending on size). Set aside to cool slightly.

Carefully use your hands to break them apart into a large bowl. Open garlic package and carefully squeeze roasted garlic pulp into the potatoes. Begin mashing, adding cream and butter as you go. Mash only until combined – potatoes will be lumpy (if you prefer smooth potatoes, use all russets and no reds.) Fold in salt, pepper, and cheese.

Serves 4-6.

This recipe can be partially or fully prepared in advance. For the freshest dish, roast the garlic and potatoes the day before, and combine just before serving. Otherwise, make the entire recipe as listed, transfer to baking pan, and set aside. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes to heat through before serving.

Hungry for something different? How about some roasted asparagus, “corn thang“, balsamic green beans, or potato and mushroom gratin?

This delightful twist on a classic treat is easy (and inexpensive) to make, but is a definite crowd-pleaser.

Root Beer Float Parfait

Ingredients for root beer gelatin:

• 1 1/2 cups root beer
• 1/4 ounce unflavored powdered gelatin

Ingredients for vanilla panna cotta:

• 1 1/2 cups half and half
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 vanilla bean*, split and scraped
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 ounce unflavored powdered gelatin

Ingredients for root beer water ice:

• 3/4 cup root beer
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

For gelatin:
Pour 1/2 cup root beer into a large, wide bowl. Sprinkle gelatin over liquid and allow to bloom for 5 minutes. While gelatin blooms, heat remaining 1 cup root beer to just shy of the boiling point. Whisk into gelatin mixture. Divide equally between 6 decorative glasses and chill for 35-45 minutes, or until set but still slightly liquid.

For panna cotta:
While gelatin layer sets, prepare panna cotta. Heat 1 cup half and half, 1/2 cup cream, and vanilla bean (seeds and pod) to a simmer. Remove from heat and allow to steep for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, bloom gelatin over remaining 1/2 cup half and half. Strain vanilla infusion and whisk into gelatin. Pour into glasses over root beer gelatin and chill 4 hours or overnight.

For root beer water ice:
Combine root beer and vanilla. Pour into a shallow, freezer-safe container. Freeze for 3-4 hours, stirring with a fork every 15 minutes to create a smooth but crystalline texture.

To serve:
Gently mound water ice on top of panna cotta. Garnish with cocktail cherries, if desired, and serve immediately.

Makes 6 parfaits.

*We buy our vanilla beans in bulk, from reputable sellers (on eBay of all places). Good vanilla beans are incredibly pungent and sticky, while beans from your local grocer can be stale and dry.