Let the Grilling Begin!

Gregg Hollander — Mon, 14 May 2012 21:38:19 +0000

The countdown to summer has begun, and iCookbook will be ready for sun and fun whenever you are. We’ve refreshing our in-app store with 3 new recipe collections to help elevate your cooking this summer. The following recipe for Grilled T-Bone Steaks with BBQ Rub is from one of these new collections, Barbecue Basics, a new assembly of 35 recipes for just the kind of simple, to-the-point grilling and barbecuing that’s perfect for lazy summer days whether you’re barbecuing in the backyard or grilling out while on vacation.

Stay tuned to see more recipes from our brand-new collections including Light Smoothies Vol. II and 30-Minute Main Dishes! To be notified when new recipes are posted you can “Like” us on Facebook and now you can follow us on Pinterest!

Grilled T-Bone Steaks with BBQ Rub

Rating: 51

Total Time: 25 minutes

Yield: Makes 4 servings

Calories per serving: 275

Fat per serving: 11g

2 to 4 well-trimmed beef T-Bone or Porterhouse steaks, cut 1 inch thick (about 2 to 4 pounds)

2 tablespoons chili powder

2 tablespoons packed brown sugar

1 tablespoon ground cumin

2 teaspoons minced garlic

2 teaspoons cider vinegar

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper

Combine rub ingredients; press evenly onto beef steaks.

Place steak on grid over medium, ash-covered coals. Grill, covered 14 to 16 minutes (over medium heat on preheated gas grill, covered, 15 to 19 minutes) for medium rare (145°F) to medium (160°F) doneness, turning occasionally. Season with salt, as desired.

The iCookbook team frequently posts a Featured Free Recipe here to share some of the great recipes you’ll find in the iCookbook app. Got any special requests? Hit “Contact Us” and let us know!

FREE recipes for Mother’s Day

Gregg Hollander — Thu, 10 May 2012 16:38:23 +0000

Don’t forget to download your May FREE Recipe Collection. This month we’re featuring brunch recipes, like this one for Cinnamon Breakfast Bread Pudding, that would be great to serve at brunch this Sunday. Best of all, it practically cooks itself in a slow cooker so you can tend to other things. Download the free recipe collection containing this and 14 other fantastic brunch recipes from the iCookbook store today!

Cinnamon Breakfast Bread Pudding

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 4 hours

Yield: Makes 6 servings

Vegetable cooking spray

1 loaf (16 ounces) PEPPERIDGE FARM® Raisin Cinnamon Swirl Bread, cut into cubes

4 eggs

3-1/2 cups milk

1 cup plus 1 tablespoon packed brown sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Maple-flavored syrup

Slow Cooker Directions

Spray the inside of a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker with the cooking spray. Place the bread cubes into the cooker.

Beat the eggs, milk 1 cup of the brown sugar, vanilla and 1/2 teaspoon of the cinnamon with a fork in a large bowl. Pour into the cooker. Stir and press bread cubes into the milk mixture to coat. Sprinkle with the remaining brown sugar and cinnamon.

Cover and cook on LOW for 4 to 5 hours* or until set. Serve warm with maple syrup. *Or on HIGH for 2 to 3 hours

The iCookbook team frequently posts a Featured Free Recipe here to share some of the great recipes you’ll find in the iCookbook app. Got any special requests? Hit “Contact Us” and let us know!

Drinks on iCookbook, everyone!

Gregg Hollander — Fri, 04 May 2012 21:53:23 +0000

Tomorrow is both Cinco de Mayo and the 138th running of the Kentucky Derby, so iCookbook is offering up this incredibly fun (and incredibly easy!) Mango-Lime Virgin Margarita! The basic recipes is so simple, and since it makes two servings it’s perfect for sharing. You’ll have no problem whipping up enough to share with all your guests no matter what you’re celebrating this weekend.

Mango-Lime Virgin Margarita

Rating: 51

Total Time: 5 minutes

Yield: Makes 2 servings

Lime slices

Coarse salt

1 large ripe mango, cubed (1-1/4 to 1-1/2 cups)

1 cup ice

1/2 cup fresh lime juice

1/3 cup water

1/4 cup sugar

3 tablespoons orange juice

Additional lime slices

Rub rim of margarita glasses with lime slices; dip in salt.

Combine mango, ice, lime juice, water, sugar and orange juice in blender; blend until smooth. Pour mixture into prepared glasses. Garnish with lime slices.

The iCookbook team frequently posts a Featured Free Recipe here to share some of the great recipes you’ll find in the iCookbook app. Got any special requests? Hit “Contact Us” and let us know!

Start planning for Cinco de Mayo

Gregg Hollander — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 18:14:04 +0000

It’s never to early to start planning for a party, so we thought we could share this recipe for Classic Salsa from the Mexican Party Foods collection on sale now in the iCookbook store. Whether you’re planning a Cinco de Mayo fiesta or just looking for an simple but delicious extra for your family’s next taco night, this is the recipe for you!

Classic Salsa

Rating: 51

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

Yield: 2-1/2 cups (about 20 servings)

Serving Size: 2 tablespoons

Calories per serving: 8

Fat per serving: 0

4 medium tomatoes

1 small onion, finely chopped

2 to 3 jalapeño peppers or serrano peppers,* seeded and minced

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 small clove garlic, minced

2 tablespoons lime juice

1/8 teaspoon salt (optional)

1/8 teaspoon black pepper (optional)

Cut tomatoes in half; remove seeds. Coarsely chop tomatoes.

Combine tomatoes, onion, jalapeño peppers, cilantro, garlic and lime juice in medium bowl. Add salt and black pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour or up to 3 days for flavors to blend.

*Jalapeño and serrano peppers can sting and irritate the skin, so wear rubber gloves when handling peppers and do not touch your eyes.

The iCookbook team frequently posts a Featured Free Recipe here to share some of the great recipes you’ll find in the iCookbook app. Got any special requests? Hit “Contact Us” and let us know!

We’re featured again in Apple’s App Store!

Gregg Hollander — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 21:19:27 +0000

We don’t mean to brag (much), but Apple is showcasing the App Store Essentials Cooking apps and iCookbook is proud to be featured among them!

The iCookbook team wants to thank all our fans for their support. Help us spread the word and share the news about iCookbook with family and friends today!

iCookbook™ in today's App Store Essentials Cooking feature.

Earth Day

Gregg Hollander — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 16:00:41 +0000

Don’t forget Earth Day is this Sunday, April 22. We think these cute, globe-inspired cake pops from iCookbook’s Cake Pops and Mini Treats special collection are the perfect treat to share and eat this weekend! Get a total 35 recipes for fun bite-size treats in this $2.99 collection on-sale now in the iCookbook Store.

Earth Day

Rating: 51

Yield: Makes 24 servings

These cake pops are the perfect treat to make for Earth Day!

1/2 baked and cooled 13x9-inch cake*

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons frosting

1 package (14 to 16 ounces) blue candy coating

1/2 package (14 to 16 ounces) green candy coating

24 lollipop sticks

Foam block

*Prepare a cake from a mix according to package directions or use your favorite recipe. Cake must be cooled completely.

Line large baking sheet with waxed paper. Use hands to crumble cake into large bowl. (You should end up with fine crumbs and no large cake pieces remaining.)

Add frosting to cake crumbs; mix with hands until well blended. Shape mixture into 1-1/2-inch balls (about 2 tablespoons cake mixture per ball); place on prepared baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate at least 1 hour or freeze 10 minutes to firm.

When cake balls are firm, place candy coatings in separate deep microwavable bowls. Melt according to package directions. Dip one lollipop stick about 1/2 inch into melted blue coating; insert stick into cake ball (no more than halfway through). Return cake pop to baking sheet in refrigerator to set. Repeat with remaining cake balls and sticks.

Working with one cake pop at a time, hold stick and dip cake ball into melted blue coating to cover completely, letting excess coating drip off. Rotate stick gently and/or tap stick on edge of bowl, if necessary, to remove excess coating.

Immediately drizzle cake pop with melted green coating using fork or spoon, turning pop constantly while drizzling. (For green swirls to set smoothly in blue coating, pop must be turned or shaken while drizzling, and drizzling must be done while blue coating is still wet.) Place cake pop in foam block to set.

The iCookbook team frequently posts a Featured Free Recipe here to share some of the great recipes you’ll find in the iCookbook app. Got any special requests? Hit “Contact Us” and let us know!

Fun for Friday the 13th

Gregg Hollander — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 10:00:47 +0000

To honor Friday the 13th and all the superstitions that come along with it, try out our Black Cat Cupcakes from iCookbook’s Halloween 2011 collection. Share this spooky treat with your loved ones, and remember that 13 is just a number, and our previously released iCookbook collections can still be found and purchased from the Paid tab in the iCookbook store!

Black Cat Cupcakes

Yield: Makes 24 servings

Serving Size: 1 cupcake

Celebrate Halloween or Friday the 13th with these fun, easy-to-make cupcakes

1 package (about 18 ounces) cake mix, any flavor, plus ingredients to prepare mix

1 container (16 ounces) chocolate fudge frosting

White decorating icing

Graham crackers

Black string licorice

Assorted candies

Preheat oven to 350°. Line 24 standard (2-1/2-inch) muffin cups with paper baking cups.

Prepare cake mix according to package directions. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling two-thirds full.

Bake 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted into centers comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes. Remove to wire racks; cool completely.

Frost cupcakes. Pipe two mounds in center of each cupcake for cheeks. Pipe mouths using white decorating icing. Cut graham crackers into small triangles; press into cupcakes for ears. Decorate cat faces with licorice and assorted candies.

The iCookbook team frequently posts a Featured Free Recipe here to share some of the great recipes you’ll find in the iCookbook app. Got any special requests? Hit “Contact Us” and let us know!

APRIL FOOL’S DAY

Gregg Hollander — Sun, 01 Apr 2012 18:30:18 +0000

It’s April Fool’s Day! Do you have your pranks planned? Have some fun with foodand surprise your family with an unexpected treat at snack time. These Banana Caterpillars are easy-to-make and silly enough to stay in the spirit of April Fool’s Day. And, you’ll feel good about feeding your kids a wholesome snack that will tide them over until dinnertime. Find the complete recipe, and more fun foods to feed your family, in the After School Snacks recipe collection on-sale now in the iCookbook store.

Banana Caterpillars

Rating: 51

Yield: Makes 2 servings

2 medium bananas

1/4 cup peanut butter

1/4 cup flaked coconut

4 raisins

6 thin pretzel sticks

Cut each banana crosswise into 10 slices. Assemble caterpillar by spreading slices with peanut butter and pressing pieces together.

Sprinkle half of coconut over each caterpillar; press lightly to coat. Use additional peanut butter to press raisins for eyes.

Break pretzel sticks into small pieces; press between banana slices to create legs and antennae.

The iCookbook team frequently posts a Featured Free Recipe here to share some of the great recipes you’ll find in the iCookbook app. Got any special requests? Hit “Contact Us” and let us know!

Sweet Finish

Gregg Hollander — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 18:00:03 +0000

As the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament enters its final weekend, we thought we’d share this recipe for Peanut Butter Fudge Whoopies. They’re a sweet finish for any spring celebration and a fun way to cap off a party to watch the big game. Find the complete recipe and more gameday treats in the Tourney Time Munchies recipe collections on-sale now in the iCookbook store.

Peanut Butter Fudge Whoopies

Rating: 51

Yield: Makes 14 servings

1-1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup creamy peanut butter, divided

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, softened

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup milk

16 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

1-1/2 cups whipping cream

1/2 cup chopped peanuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350(o)F. Line three cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Combine flour, baking powder and baking soda in medium bowl. Beat 1/2 cup peanut butter, butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar in large bowl with electric mixer at medium-high speed until creamy. Add egg and vanilla; beat at medium speed 2 minutes. Add flour mixture and milk; beat at low speed just until combined. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes. Spoon tablespoonfuls of batter 2 inches apart onto prepared cookie sheets.

Bake 14 minutes or until light brown around edges. Cool 5 minutes on cookie sheets; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

For filling, place chocolate and remaining 1/2 cup peanut butter in large bowl of electric mixer. Heat cream to a simmer in microwave or in small saucepan over low heat. Pour over chocolate and peanut butter. Let stand 2 minutes; stir until well blended. Refrigerate 30 minutes or until firm. Beat at medium-high speed until thick and creamy.

Spread or pipe filling onto bottoms of half of cookies; top with remaining cookies. Roll edges in chopped peanuts, if desired.

The iCookbook team frequently posts a Featured Free Recipe here to share some of the great recipes you’ll find in the iCookbook app. Got any special requests? Hit “Contact Us” and let us know!

Who’s Ready for the Next Round?

Gregg Hollander — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 22:09:39 +0000

The quarterfinal round of the NCAA Men’s Basketball tournament gets under way tonight. We thought we’d share this quick and easy recipe for Punched Pizza Rounds tonight as the final 16 teams are looking to punch their tickets to the semifinals. This recipe comes from our Tourney Time Munchies collection on-sale now in the iCookbook store.

Punched Pizza Rounds

1 container (12 ounces) refrigerated flaky buttermilk biscuits (10 biscuits)

80 mini pepperoni slices or 20 small pepperoni slices

8 to 10 pickled jalapeño pepper slices, chopped (optional)

1 tablespoon dried basil, crushed

1/2 cup pizza sauce

1-1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese

Shredded Parmesan cheese (optional)

Preheat oven to 400(o)F. Spray 20 standard (2-1/2-inch) nonstick muffin cups with nonstick cooking spray.

Split each biscuit in half, creating 20 rounds. Place in prepared muffin cups. Press 4 mini pepperoni slices into center of each round. Sprinkle evenly with jalapeños, if desired, and basil. Spread pizza sauce evenly into rounds. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.

Bake 8 to 9 minutes or until bottom of pizzas are golden brown. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, if desired. Let stand 1 to 2 minutes before removing from muffin cups. Serve warm.

The iCookbook team frequently posts a Featured Free Recipe here to share some of the great recipes you’ll find in the iCookbook app. Got any special requests? Hit “Contact Us” and let us know!