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    How to Steam Broccoli Perfectly Every Time

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    Delicious basic steamed broccoli recipe! How to steam broccoli so that it stays vibrant green. The easiest way to cook this wonderful vegetable.

    Photography Credit: Elise Bauer

    Featured in 12 Easy Recipes for New Cooks

    Steamed broccoli is the best cure for over-indulgence I know. It’s cleansing, healthful, high in vitamin C, protein (45% of the calories in broccoli are from protein), and fiber.
    How to steam broccoli so that it comes out perfectly every time?
    Video! How to Steam Broccoli

    Tips for Steaming Perfect Broccoli
    The most important thing to know about steaming broccoli is that cooking the broccoli any more than seven minutes tops risks overcooking it. After seven minutes the broccoli will turn olive green, instead of that beautiful vibrant green color we want.
    So, to make sure the broccoli is perfectly cooked, here are a couple tips:
    TIP 1: Get the steaming water hot and steamy first, before adding the broccoli to the steamer basket. A quick way to get the water hot is to use a tea kettle.
    TIP 2: Set your timer for only five to six minutes. Smaller florets of young fresh broccoli may only need five minutes to cook, larger florets of more mature broccoli made need six. I recommend starting with five and then testing the broccoli with a fork to see if it is cooked through.

    How to Serve Broccoli
    As for serving the broccoli, the easiest way to dress broccoli is to dot it with dabs of butter. My favorite way to eat broccoli is to toss it with lots of freshly ground black pepper, and sprinkle it with a little seasoned rice vinegar. (Black pepper, by the way, is one of those perfect pairings with broccoli.)
    My parents love their broccoli served with a little mayonnaise on the side, which is surprisingly good. You can also do olive oil and lemon zest (pictured above), olive oil and balsamic vinegar, etc. Good with toasted slivered almonds or toasted sesame seeds too.

    From the editors of Simply Recipes

    Why Use a Steamer Basket
    Best Toppings for Steamed Broccoli
    Want to take your side dish to the next level? Try topping or tossing the broccoli with any of these:
    Top with finely grated Parmesan, Pecorino, asiago, or any other hard cheese
    Top with warm alfredo sauce
    More Easy Vegetables to Serve on the Side

    Updated January 4, 2021 : We added a new video and spiffed up this post to help you make the best broccoli ever. Enjoy!

    How to Steam Broccoli Perfectly Every Time

    Ingredients
    1 bunch of broccoli
    Many options here:
    Olive oil, butter, or mayonnaise (use olive oil if cooking vegan)
    Freshly ground black pepper
    Lemon zest or juice, balsamic vinegar, seasoned rice vinegar
    Toasted almonds, toasted sesame seeds

    Method

    1 Prep the broccoli crowns and stems: Cut the crowns away from the large stems of the broccoli. Break the crown up into bite-sized florets. Rinse the broccoli florets thoroughly.
    Peel and discard the thick outer skin of the stems. Slice the stems or cut them into quarters lengthwise.
    2 Bring steamer water to a boil: Place 3/4 to 1 inch of water in a saucepan with a steamer and bring to a boil. (Note that is you don’t have a steamer, you can simply put the broccoli directly into an inch of boiling water.)
    3 Add broccoli, steam 5 to 6 min: Add the broccoli to the steamer and cover; reduce heat to medium and let cook for 5-6 minutes. The broccoli is done when you can pierce it with a fork. As soon as it is pierce-able, remove from heat, place in serving dish.
    Note that green vegetables like broccoli will turn from vibrant green to drab olive green at about the 7 minute mark of cooking. So, watch the time, and don’t let the broccoli overcook!
    4 Dress with your favorite topping: Dress to taste with butter, olive oil, mayonnaise, lemon zest or juice, seasoned rice vinegar, balsamic vinegar, ground black pepper, toasted almonds, or sesame seeds.

    Hello! All photos and content are copyright protected. Please do not use our photos without prior written permission. Thank you!

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    Elise Bauer
    Elise Bauer is the founder of Simply Recipes. Elise launched Simply Recipes in 2003 as a way to keep track of her family’s recipes, and along the way grew it into one of the most popular cooking websites in the world. Elise is dedicated to helping home cooks be successful in the kitchen. Elise is a graduate of Stanford University, and lives in Sacramento, California.
    More from Elise LEGGI TUTTO

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    • in Recipes

      How to Cook Instant Pot Rice

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      Rice in the pressure cooker? Yes, it works! This is the most reliable, foolproof way to make fluffy rice that we know.

      Ever since I got my Instant Pot a few years ago, I’ve stopped making rice any other way! It’s such a simple, basic method, and you never have to worry about it getting gummy or a pot boiling over on the stove.
      Every time I make rice, I achieve the same results: separate grains, with a pleasing, chewy texture. Pressure cooking does give rice a slightly different texture than stovetop cooking, and I have actually grown to prefer it prepared this way. Give it a try and see what you think!
      VIDEO! How to Make Rice in the Instant Pot

      How Much Water for Instant Pot Rice
      You can cook any kind of rice in your pressure cooker, long or short grain, brown or white. (It even makes a killer risotto.) No matter what kind of rice I’m cooking, I use the same 1:1 ratio of rice to water or broth.
      This is probably less water than you’re used to using for cooking stovetop rice, and that’s because there’s very little evaporation when you’re using the pressure cooker. This ratio produces fairly firm, separate grains—you can add a little more water, maybe about 1/4 cup extra, if you like softer rice.

      Best Cooking Time for Instant Pot Rice
      The amount of water (or other liquid—you can also use stock) will remain the same. Different kinds of rice, however, take different amounts of time to cook under pressure. Wild rice and brown rice will require more time than white rice, for instance. Any variety can be cooked at either high or low pressure; it comes out a little fluffier at low pressure, and a little chewier at high pressure.
      Although you can cook any variety of rice on the automatic “rice” setting, brown rice works better on either a manual setting, or a setting that’s specifically designed for whole grains, such as the “Multigrain” setting on the Instant Pot.
      Here are my preferred cooking times for rice in the pressure cooker:
      Brown rice: 20 minutes on high pressure for firm rice, or 22 minutes for softer grains
      White rice: 15 minutes on low pressure for firm rice, or 17 minutes for softer grains
      Want Fluffy Rice? Rinse Well
      I don’t always remember or have time to do this step, but it helps when I do: Rinse the rice in a wire mesh colander under cold water for 30 seconds or so, or until the water runs mostly clear.
      Rinsing makes the rice fluffy, and seems to make more of a difference with white rice varieties verses brown; the latter is protected by its hull and doesn’t tend to have a lot of extra starch clinging to the outside of the grains.

      Just add water. Or Broth. Or Garlic. Or Butter.
      Just like on the stove, you can cook rice in the pressure cooker with broth or water, use as much salt as you like, and add extra seasonings, a pat of butter, or a little olive oil for extra flavor.
      What I Do: I sometimes sauté a little garlic in olive oil before adding my rice and broth, which turns a basic pot of grains into a flavorful side dish! You can also use seasonings such as turmeric and coriander for some Indian-inspired basmati rice, or chili powder for rice to tuck into burritos.
      Use a Natural Pressure Release
      No matter what kind of rice you’re cooking, it’s a good idea to let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes before opening the pot. This allows the moisture to distribute evenly throughout the grains, and helps it unstick from the bottom of the pot, too.
      You *can* open the pot with a quick pressure release if you like, but it really does benefit from a little resting time!

      Minimum (and Maximum) Amounts of Rice
      One last rule of thumb to keep in mind is that you’ll need to cook at least 1 1/2 cups of rice in a 6-quart pressure cooker to get nice, even results. This is because the bottom of the pot isn’t perfectly flat, but slightly concave. If you use less rice, the grains in the middle of the pot will not cook as evenly, since they won’t be submerged in the water as much as the rice on the sides of the pot.
      On the flip side, don’t overfill your pressure cooker with too much rice, either! It should be half full or less when you’re cooking any grains, beans, pastas, or other foods that can tend to foam up. I find that I get the best results when I cook between 1 1/2 and 3 cups of rice at a time.
      TIP! By the way, you can always make extra rice and freeze the extra. Here’s how to do that.
      Those are my best tips for cooking rice! Of course, you can also just follow the basic recipe below. Either way, enjoy!
      More Instant Pot Pantry Staples

      Updated December 31, 2020 : We added a video to help you make the best Instant Pot rice ever! Enjoy! LEGGI TUTTO

    • in Recipes

      Chicken Tortilla Soup

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      This is truly the best chicken tortilla soup! This classic Mexican soup is made a tomato based soup topped with crispy fried tortillas soup, avocado, Jack cheese, cilantro, and lime.

      Photography Credit: Sally Vargas

      Tortilla soup encompasses all the things I love best in Mexican cooking.
      Do you like salsa? Avocado? Cilantro? Fresh hot tortilla chips? Tortilla soup is like a soup version of my favorite enchilada, with chicken, and tortilla chips. And avocado.
      Video! How to Make Chicken Tortilla Soup

      Don’t Skip Frying the Tortillas
      The essential step that distinguishes tortilla soup from other Mexican soups is that you fry strips of corn tortillas in oil first, and then use the tortilla cooking oil to build the soup.
      Tortillas chips aren’t merely a garnish for this soup. By using the tortilla frying oil as a base for the soup you infuse the whole soup with the warm flavor of toasted corn tortillas!

      Best Tortillas for Chicken Tortilla Soup
      The best tortillas to use for tortilla soup are stale yellow corn tortillas. Yellow corn tortillas are sturdier than white corn tortillas and have a richer flavor when cooked. Homemade is best, of course, but store-bought tortillas will also work for this recipe.
      The tortillas should be a little stale, or dry; they’ll fry up more easily that way. My guess is that tortilla soup was first invented as a way to use leftover tortillas.
      Since I don’t usually have dry tortillas sitting around, I put my fresh-from-the-fridge corn tortillas in a 200°F oven for 10 to 15 minutes. That’s just enough heat to dry them sufficiently so they fry easily.
      More Mexican soups to try

      From the editors of Simply Recipes

      Time-Saving Short Cut for Chicken Tortilla Soup
      If you don’t have leftover chicken already in the fridge for this recipe, pick up a rotisserie chicken on your way home from work. (Save the bones to make homemade chicken stock!)
      You can also quickly poach a few chicken breasts or thighs for this recipe.
      How to Store Chicken Tortilla Soup
      Store the fried tortilla chips separately in an airtight container at room temperature. The soup itself can be kept refrigerated for up to five days, or frozen for up to three months.
      More Great Mexican Soups & Stews

      Updated December 27, 2020 : We added a video showing you how to make chicken tortilla soup. No changes to the original recipe. Enjoy!

      Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe

      This recipe is easily doubled.
      This recipe is adapted from one we found years ago on the website of Muir Glen, makers of organic canned tomatoes. Muir Glen makes a particularly good “fire-roasted” canned tomato, which is well suited to Mexican dishes.

      Ingredients
      6 (6-inch) corn tortillas, preferably a little old and dried out
      1/4 cup corn oil, peanut oil, or extra virgin olive oil
      1/2 cup chopped onion
      2 cloves garlic, minced
      1 medium Anaheim, poblano or jalapeño chile, seeded, veins removed, chopped (Depending on the hotness and flavor desired. You can also mix chiles – 1 Anaheim and a half jalapeño.)
      4 cups chicken broth or homemade chicken stock
      1 can (14.5 oz) crushed tomatoes (preferably fire-roasted)
      1/2 teaspoon coarse salt (kosher or sea salt)
      1 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken
      1 ripe avocado
      1/2 cup (2 oz) shredded Monterey Jack cheese (or mild cheddar)
      Chopped fresh cilantro
      1 lime, cut into wedges

      Method

      1 Fry the tortilla strips: If you are starting with somewhat old, dried out tortillas, great. If not and you are starting with relatively fresh tortillas, put them on a baking sheet and put them in the oven at 200°F for 10 to 15 minutes to dry them out a bit. It is best to start with tortillas that don’t have a lot of moisture in them.
      Cut the tortillas in half, and then cut the halves into 1/4-inch wide strips.
      Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a 3-quart pot. Working in three batches, fry the tortilla strips in the oil, until lightly browned and crisp. Remove the tortilla strips from the pan and let drain on a paper-towel-lined plate.

      2 Sauté the vegetables: Add the chopped onions to the pan, cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the chopped chile and cook for 2-3 minutes more, until the onions and chiles have softened. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds more.
      3 Simmer the soup: Add the broth, tomatoes, and salt. Increase the heat to high, heat until the soup begins to boil, then reduce the heat to a low simmer, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the shredded chicken and cook until heated through.

      4 Serve with tortilla strips and garnishes: To serve, pit, peel, and cut the avocado into 1-inch pieces. Divide half of the tortilla strips among 4 individual serving bowls; ladle in soup. Top with avocado and cheese; garnish with remaining tortilla strips and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges.

      Hello! All photos and content are copyright protected. Please do not use our photos without prior written permission. Thank you!

      Products We Love

      Cuisinart 3-QT Stainless Steel Saucepan with Glass Lid

      $99.90 on Amazon
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      This post may contain links to Amazon or other partners; your purchases via these links can benefit Simply Recipes. Read more about our affiliate linking policy.

      Elise Bauer
      Elise Bauer is the founder of Simply Recipes. Elise launched Simply Recipes in 2003 as a way to keep track of her family’s recipes, and along the way grew it into one of the most popular cooking websites in the world. Elise is dedicated to helping home cooks be successful in the kitchen. Elise is a graduate of Stanford University, and lives in Sacramento, California.
      More from Elise LEGGI TUTTO

    • in Recipes

      Prime Rib

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      1 Salt roast and let sit at room temp:  Remove the beef roast from the refrigerator 3 hours before you start to cook it. Sprinkle it with salt all over and let it sit, loosely wrapped in the butcher paper. Roasts should be brought close to room temperature before they go into the oven, to ensure more even cooking.
      2 Tie roast with kitchen string: If your butcher hasn’t already done so, cut the bones away from the roast and tie them back on to the roast with kitchen string. This will make it much easier to carve the roast, while still allowing you to stand the roast on the rib bones while cooking.
      3 Preheat oven, season roast: Preheat your oven to 500°F (or the highest temp your oven reaches less than 500°F). Pat the roast dry with paper towels (pre-salting should have made the roast release some moisture), and sprinkle the roast all over with salt and pepper.

      4 Place the roast fat side up and rib bones down in a roasting pan. Insert a meat thermometer (oven proof) into the thickest part of the roast, making sure that the thermometer isn’t touching a bone.
      5 Brown roast at high temperature: Brown the roast at a 500°F temperature in the oven for 15 minutes.
      6 Lower oven temp to finish roasting: Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F. To figure out the total cooking time, allow about 11-12 minutes per pound for rare and 13-15 minutes per pound for medium rare.
      The actual cooking time will depend on the shape of the roast, how chilled your roast still is when it goes into the oven, and your particular oven. A flatter roast will cook more quickly than a thicker one. A chilled roast will take more time than one closer to room temp.
      There are so many variables involved that affect cooking time, this is why you should use a meat thermometer. A prime rib roast is too expensive to “wing it”. Error on the rare side, you can always put the roast back in the oven to cook it more if it is too rare for your taste.
      Roast in oven until thermometer registers 115°F for rare or 120°-130°F for medium. (The internal temperature of the roast will continue to rise after you take the roast out of the oven.)
      Check the temperature of the roast using a meat thermometer an hour before you expect the roast to be done. For example, with a 10 pound roast, you would expect 2 hours of total cooking time for rare (15 minutes at 500° and 1 3/4 hours at 325°). In this case, check after 1 hour 15 minutes of total cooking time, or 1 hour after you lowered the oven temp to 325°. (A benefit of using a remote thermometer is that you don’t have to keep checking the roast, you’ll be able to see exactly what the temperature is by looking at the thermometer outside of the oven.)
      If the roast is cooking too quickly at this point, lower the oven temperature to 200°F.
      7 Let the roast rest: Once the roast has reached the temperature you want, remove it from the oven and place it on a carving board. Cover it with foil and let it rest for 15 to 30 minutes before carving. The internal temperature of the roast will continue to rise while the roast is resting.
      8 Cut away strings, remove bones, slice roast: Cut away the strings that were used to hold the roast to the rack of rib bones. Remove the bones (you can save them to make stock for soup if you want.)

      Then, using a sharp carving knife, slice meat across the grain for serving, making the slices about 1/2-inch to 3/4-inch thick.

      9 Make the gravy
      To make the gravy, remove the roast from the pan.  Remove excess fat, leaving 1/4 cup of fat plus the browned drippings and meat juices in the roasting pan.
      Place the roasting pan on the stove top on medium high heat. Use a metal spatula to scrape up drippings that might be sticking to the pan.
      When the fat is bubbly, sprinkle 1/4 cup of flour over the fat and drippings in the pan.
      Stir with a wire whisk to incorporate the flour into the fat. Let the flour brown (more flavor that way and you don’t have the taste of raw flour in your gravy.)
      Slowly add 3 to 4 cups of  water, milk, stock, or beer to the gravy. Continue to cook slowly and whisk constantly, breaking up any flour lumps.
      The gravy will simmer and thicken, resulting in about 2 cups of gravy. (If you want less gravy, start with less fat and flour, and add less liquid.)
      Season the gravy with salt and pepper and herbs to taste. (See also How to Make Gravy.) LEGGI TUTTO

    • in Recipes

      Easy Buttermilk Waffles

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      Here’s a Classic Buttermilk Waffle Recipe! These waffles are light and crispy on the outside, tender in the middle. No mixer required. Make a batch ahead and freeze for easy breakfasts!

      Featured in 12 Recipes to Use Up Buttermilk and 16 Recipes Kids Can Make for Mother’s Day

      Waffles are a serious business in my breakfast-loving household, and I recently set my sights on the mother of all maple-drenched ambitions: The Classic Buttermilk Waffle. This is such a simple and timeless breakfast that I figured it would be easy-peasy to come up with a good waffle recipe.
      VIDEO! How to Make Buttermilk Waffles

      What is “Classic” Buttermilk Waffle Recipe?
      Do a little digging for buttermilk waffle recipes and you can find all sorts of “classic” recipes that use everything from cornstarch to coconut flour. I’m sure those recipes are great, but I wanted to make real buttermilk waffles. The kind my grandma would have made, with 100% buttermilk and no surprising add-ins or zany substitutions. Just the basics for this waffle recipe, please and thank you.
      Two bags of flour, a few dozen eggs, and several cartons of buttermilk later, and I think I’ve got an easy waffle recipe winner! Crispy on the outside, soft in the middle, and a rich buttery flavor, these buttermilk waffles just beg for jam and syrup.

      Easy Waffle Recipe? Depends on Method
      This is an easy waffle recipe. But even with just buttermilk, flour, eggs, and melted butter as the main ingredients, there are a surprising number of ways to put these buttermilk waffles together. Seems as if there are a half dozen ways of how to make waffles. Who knew? How hard or how easy your waffle recipe is, depends largely on whether you beat eggs, separate eggs, and so forth.
      After much deliberation, I decided to try the following waffle recipe tests:
      One-Bowl Method: Mix the dry ingredients, make a well in the center for the liquids, then stir everything together. Why? So easy you can make them while still half-asleep.
      Two-Bowl Method: Mix the dry ingredients in one bowl and the liquid ingredients in another, then stir the wet into the dry. Why? This way, the liquid ingredients get thoroughly mixed before going into the dry, giving you a more uniform consistency throughout. This is also the method used by the majority of buttermilk waffle recipes that I found.
      Separate the Eggs: Same as the two-bowl method, but separate the yolks and whites. The yolks get mixed with the liquids, and then the liquids go into the dry ingredients. Finally, the unbeaten egg white is folded into the batter. Why? I first discovered this unusual method in a pancake recipe on The Kitchn. It turned out to be a brilliant trick and less fussy than beating egg whites, so I thought I’d give it a try here.
      Beat the Egg Whites: Same as above, except beat the egg whites in a mixer until they hold soft peaks before folding them into the batter. Why? Many a waffle recipe swear up and down that this makes loftier, lighter, fluffier waffles or pancakes.
      And the Winner is…
      The results were really surprising. All the buttermilk waffles emerged from the waffle iron with a nicely golden crust and tender interior – no complaints there. The only problem was that the batches were also nearly identical.
      I had expected to see some significant differences between the buttermilk waffles, and I had particularly high hopes for the waffles made with beaten egg whites. But truthfully, I had a hard time telling the batches apart. Take a look for yourself!

      Left to right: one-bowl, two-bowl, separated eggs, beaten egg white

      How to Make The Best Waffles: My Conclusion
      If you want to get nit-picky about it, the one-bowl method made perfectly fine waffles, but they had an ever-so-slightly denser and less even texture than the other methods. Both egg white versions, beaten and unbeaten, had an ever-so-slightly lighter texture, but personally, I didn’t feel like it was worth the effort. If I’m going to pull out the mixer and fuss with egg whites, I’d better be getting some extra-super-duper-lofty waffles for my trouble.
      For me, I’m sticking with the two-bowl method for my buttermilk waffle recipe. This is the Goldilocks option: the perfect compromise of ease versus effort. You end up using two bowls, but the results are worth the extra clean-up.

      Love Crispy Waffles?!
      I did have one lingering problem with my buttermilk waffles: the crispy factor. Straight out of the waffle iron, the waffles had a golden, lightly crispy exterior that I loved, but this quickly faded as the waffles cooled.
      The solution is to toast the waffles in the oven for a few minutes — something I discovered while trying to keep a batch warm before serving. This cooks off some extra moisture, giving you a crunchy outer shell that stays crisp even once the waffles cool. Five to ten minutes at 250°F will do the trick; much longer and they start to get tough and dry.
      If you want extra-extra crispy waffles, replace half of the buttermilk with whole or 2% milk. I tried this swap in one final test batch, and even though it breaks my 100% buttermilk rule, by golly it makes some crispy waffles.

      How to Serve Waffles to a Crowd
      The oven trick also neatly solves the problem of serving your whole family at once. Transfer each batch of waffles to the oven as they’re ready, let them get crispy, and then serve. You can even make these buttermilk waffles a day or two ahead and crisp them in the oven (or a toaster!) just before serving.
      Storing & Freezing Waffles
      Waffles are a great make-ahead breakfast!
      Refrigerator waffles: Store prepared waffles in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
      Frozen waffles: Freeze waffles in a ziptop freezer bag with all the air pressed out for up to a month. (For longer storage, wrap stacks of waffles in aluminum foil to prevent freezer burn and then place in freezer bags)
      Reheating instructions: Refrigerated or frozen, reheat waffles individually in the toaster. Frozen waffles will likely need a few extra minutes to become toasty.
      More Classic Breakfast Ideas!

      Updated December 23, 2020 : We added a video to this post to help you make the best waffles ever. Enjoy!

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      This post may contain links to Amazon or other partners; your purchases via these links can benefit Simply Recipes. Read more about our affiliate linking policy. LEGGI TUTTO

    • in Recipes

      Easy Panna Cotta

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      Panna cotta is such an easy and elegant make-ahead dessert for any special occasion, from Christmas dinner to the Fourth of July! Serve with a quick fruit sauce and summer berries. Continue reading “Easy Panna Cotta” » LEGGI TUTTO

    • in Recipes

      Classic Shortbread Cookies

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      Take your cookie plate to a new level with these buttery, crisp, and utterly delicious classic shortbread cookies! Easy to share, but we won’t blame you for keeping them all to yourself.

      Shortbread is a celebration of simplicity—a combination of butter, sugar, and flour that adds up to so much more.
      Shortbread was one of the first baking projects I ever tackled—at a friend’s house in 4th grade under the intense supervision of her mother. I don’t remember much about the cookies but I do remember thinking they were pretty basic. I mean where were the chocolate chips?
      Video! How to Make Shortbread Cookies

      What is Shortbread?
      The “short” part of shortbread refers to the lack of gluten development in this cookie. Liquid activates gluten, but because there’s no liquid in the recipe (and a lot of fat), the gluten doesn’t have a chance to develop into long strands of protein that, in turn, give other baked goods their chewy texture.
      Since the gluten is kept “short,” we get a tender, crumbly cookie that melts in the mouth.

      The Best Butter for Shortbread
      A note on butter—you can make delicious shortbread using whatever butter you normally buy, but if you enjoy the flavor of butter, I would suggest using a premium European-style butter. My personal favorite is Kerrygold.
      European butters tend to be denser (aka more fat, less water) than the usual supermarket butter, and make a richly colored and flavored shortbread. I’ve tested this recipe using both types with excellent results!
      My only note for European-style butter is to either be sure to find unsalted butter or reduce the salt in the recipe if using salted butter.

      Don’t Overwork the Dough!
      Even though we’re using a short dough, it’s possible to overwork the dough, causing the cookies to become tough. The best way to avoid a tough cookie is to not handle the dough too much.
      A food processor makes quick work of combining the ingredients and prevents me from overworking the dough.
      When I make cutout cookies, I try to cut as many cookies as I can the first time, so I only regather the scraps and reroll the dough once.
      Swaps & Substitutions for Shortbread
      Shortbread’s simplicity lends it to endless adaptations:
      You can pretty much shape it any way. Roll it into a log and slice, roll out and either cut into a grid or stamp out with cookie cutters, press it into a round cake pan and score into wedges before baking, or if you’re fancy and have cookie molds you can press the dough into those for an intricate design.
      You can also flavor shortbread with all sorts of ingredients, from tea leaves, matcha, dried fruit powders, nuts, and chocolate.
      I personally love a nutty shortbread—walnut is my favorite! I love the slight bitterness of the walnuts with the sweet, buttery shortbread. Whenever I add nuts or even chocolate, I grind (or grate) it fairly small. In the case of a nutty shortbread, I aim for the flavor to be a part of the dough, as opposed to a mix-in. I also find large chunks disrupt the shape of cut-outs.

      How to Store Shortbread Cookies
      Shortbread is a great cookie-jar cookie, in that it keeps well at room temperature for several days. I live in the desert, so I keep them in a container to prevent them from drying out—however, when I lived in Michigan and Oregon, the humidity was the enemy. There, I found that storing cookies in a lidded container with a silica gel packet (I just save these from other food packages) keeps the humidity at bay.
      These cookies also freeze well, and I freeze them in a freezer bag that I have pressed as much air out of as possible. They will keep for a month or more, but honestly, we never have them around that long.
      Love a Good Cookie? Give These A try!

      Updated December 22, 2020 : We added a video to help you make the best shortbread cookies ever! No changes to the original recipe. Enjoy! LEGGI TUTTO

    • in Recipes

      Classic Stuffed Mushrooms

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      These classic stuffed mushrooms are loaded with shallots, garlic, walnuts, breadcrumbs, and chopped mushroom stems. Sprinkle with Parmesan, pop them in the oven, and you’ve got a great appetizer for the holidays.

      Photography Credit: Sally Vargas

      A good stuffed mushroom recipe should be in every home cook’s collection. They’re easy to make, they’re great for parties, and the variations are endless!
      Video! How to Make Stuffed Mushrooms

      The Best Mushrooms for Stuffing
      Simple regular button mushrooms or the brown creminis are perfect for stuffing. Look for mushrooms with dry caps and gills (the feathery part underneath). Avoid mushrooms that seem slimy or have sunken brown spots.
      To prep for stuffing, scrub the mushrooms well, then just snap out the stems. They’ll come out easily; no need to use a knife.
      Ingredients for stuffed mushrooms
      This stuffed mushroom recipe is a classic. It is what you usually think of when you think of stuffed mushrooms—walnuts, herbs, garlic, chopped mushroom stems, breadcrumbs, and grated Parmesan.
      There is a reason everyone loves this combination. These stuffed mushrooms are hard to stop eating!

      The Best Way to Make Stuffed Mushrooms
      To make these stuffed mushrooms, first separate the stems from the mushroom caps, and chop them. Cook the chopped mushroom stems in butter with some shallots, garlic, and walnuts. Process with herbs and breadcrumbs and stuff the mushroom caps with that mixture.
      Sprinkle with Parmesan and bake until the cheese starts to brown and the mushroom caps release some of their water.
      Make Ahead Tips for Stuffed Mushrooms
      You can prepare the filling and stuff the mushrooms (without baking them) for up to 24 hours ahead. Just cover and refrigerate them, and then cook them right before serving. Once cooked, stuffed mushrooms do not hold up well for long periods.

      Suggestions and Substitutions for Stuffed Mushrooms
      Looking for more stuffed mushroom ideas? We’ve received many suggestions for variations on this recipe from readers over the years. Here are a few favorites:
      Sausage, cream cheese, chopped stems, Parmesan and garlic powder
      Duck or goose pâté (fois gras) topped with a small piece of bacon
      Cream cheese, spinach, and bacon
      Creamy chicken and white wine with a touch of garlic and tarragon
      Crab meat, cream cheese, and shredded Parmesan
      Onion, green pepper, pepperoni, garlic, the mushroom stems, parsley, oregano, a few Ritz Crackers
      Do you have a favorite stuffed mushroom recipe? If so, please tell us about it in the comments.
      More Ways to Love Mushrooms

      Updated December 21, 2020 : We added a new video to help you make the best stuffed mushrooms ever. Enjoy!

      Classic Stuffed Mushrooms Recipe

      The recipe can easily be scaled up—doubled or tripled.
      You can use either cremini or regular button mushrooms. Scrub the mushrooms well first, then just snap out the stems. They’ll come out easily, no need to use a knife.
      For parties, make the stuffing and have the mushrooms cleaned and stems removed ahead of time. But don’t cook them until you want to serve: Once cooked, stuffed mushrooms do not hold up well for long periods. Bake some, serve and repeat.

      Ingredients
      18 to 24 button or cremini mushrooms, scrubbed clean, stems separated from the caps, stems finely chopped
      1 tablespoon butter
      2 small shallots, minced, about 2 tablespoons
      1 large garlic clove, minced
      2 tablespoons chopped walnuts
      Salt
      2 tablespoons chopped parsley
      1 teaspoon Herbes de Provence or dried thyme
      2 tablespoons breadcrumbs
      2 tablespoons sherry or chicken stock
      2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
      2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

      Method

      1 Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
      2 Make filling: Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a small frying pan over medium-high heat. Sauté the chopped mushroom stems and the shallots for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring often. Add the garlic and walnuts and sprinkle with salt. Stir well and sauté 2 more minutes.
      Turn off the heat and add the parsley, herbes de Provence and breadcrumbs. Pour the sherry into a food processor, then the rest of the stuffing. Pulse several times to get a fine mixture, almost a paste.

      3 Stuff mushroom caps: Toss the mushroom caps with olive oil. Fill each mushroom with the stuffing, and place on a baking sheet. Sprinkle grated parmesan cheese over each mushroom.

      4 Bake: Bake for 10 to 20 minutes at 375°F (190°C), or until the cheese browns a little and a little water starts to pool at the base of each mushroom. Allow to cool for 5 minutes or so before serving.

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      Elise Bauer
      Elise Bauer is the founder of Simply Recipes. Elise launched Simply Recipes in 2003 as a way to keep track of her family’s recipes, and along the way grew it into one of the most popular cooking websites in the world. Elise is dedicated to helping home cooks be successful in the kitchen. Elise is a graduate of Stanford University, and lives in Sacramento, California.
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