Get Oprah's Mouth-Watering Recipes

May 1, 2008 — -- Talk show giant Oprah Winfrey has commissioned a new cookbook based on the recipes featured in her popular magazine.

"O, The Oprah Magazine Cookbook" has simple recipes from culinary superstars that are easy enough for any home cook to whip up. The book gathers 175 of the magazine's best recipes from more than 60 chefs and writers. It also includes sample menus and suggestions for pairing wine with food.

Check out some of the recipes featured in the book below.

Chef: Art Smith

*Note: In the recipe below, it should have read 2 1/2 cups of sugar, not flour. We regret the error.

Thin layers of buttery white cake sandwiched between ribbons of fudge: it's love at first bite.

Cake

Butter, flour, and waxed paper, for coating the pans

3 sticks unsalted butter, softened

2 ½ cups sugar

6 eggs

4 ½ cups all-purpose flour, sifted 3 times

1 ½ tsp. baking powder

Pinch of salt

3 cups milk

1 ½ tsp. vanilla extract

Icing

3 cups sugar

½ cup high-quality cocoa powder

2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into cubes

One (12-ounce) can evaporated milk

1 Tbsp. vanilla extract

Pecan halves for garnish (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 375°. Butter four 9-inch cake pans and line the bottoms with waxed paper, then butter the paper. Flour the pans.

2. Using a mixer, cream the softened butter and sugar. When the mixture is light and fluffy, add the eggs one at a time. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula to make sure the mixture is well blended.

3. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. To the butter and egg mixture, gradually add the flour mixture and milk, alternating between them. Continue to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Once the flour and milk are incorporated, add the vanilla extract.

4. Add 1 cup of batter to each prepared pan and bake 10 to 12 minutes, or until light brown. Remove the layers from the pans and cool on a wire rack, placing the paper side down. Wash the pans. Butter and flour the pans again for the next batch of cakes. Repeat the process until 12 layers are baked.

5. When all the layers have cooled, make the icing. Combine the sugar, cocoa, butter and evaporated milk in a large saucepan. Bring to a rolling boil, then reduce heat and cool 2 minutes until the icing is thin but spreadable. (This icing becomes thicker as it cools.) Add the vanilla extract.

6. Remove the waxed paper from each layer. Place one layer of cake on a wire rack and spread with icing. (For easier cleanup, assemble the cake over an edged sheet pan to collect runoff icing.) Add the next layer and ice it. Continue adding and icing layers, then pour remaining icing over the top. Icing that drips down can be used to cover the sides. Garnish pecan halves, if desired.

Makes 20 servings.

Chefs: Melissa Kelly and Price Kushner

This homespun dish is a variation on the traditional American classic.

¼ cup dark brown sugar, packed

½ cup all-purpose flour

1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon

4 Tbsp. butter, cold

1. To prepare crumble: Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and break apart with fingers. Refrigerate.

2. To prepare batter: In a medium-sized bowl, cream butter and sugar, then mix in egg. Sift together dry ingredients to the creamed butter; mix, then add buttermilk; mix, then add remaining dry ingredients; mix just to combine. Refrigerate batter 30 minutes.

3. To prepare filling: Combine all ingredients in a bowl; stir.

4. Grease eight 6-ounce ramekins or soufflé dishes (or one large Pryex pie pan). Add ¼ cup batter to each mold, smoothing mixture with a plastic spatula. Add ½ cup blueberries, then top each with ¼ cup crumble. Bake at 350° for 30 to 35 minutes, until top is browned and filling just starts to bubble. Remove from oven and allow to cool 20 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Makes 8 servings.

Chef: Rori Trovato

These are like chicken fingers for adults.

1. Using a meat mallet or rolling pin, pound chicken breasts between 2 pieces of waxed paper or plastic wrap until they are ¼ inch thick.

2. Combine flour, 1 tsp. salt, and pepper on a large plate. Put eggs on a separate plate. On a third plate, combine bread crumbs, zest from 1 lemon (2 tsp.), 1 tsp. salt, cheese, pine nuts, and basil. Sprinkle chicken with remaining ½ tsp. salt. Coat both sides in flour, then eggs (allowing excess to drip off), then bread crumb mixture, pressing mixture in slightly.

3. In a large skillet over a medium flame, heat 1 Tbsp. butter and 1 Tbsp. olive oil. When pan is hot, add 1 to 2 chicken breasts; cook 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until golden and cooked through. Remove and keep warm on a plate tented with foil. Add more butter and oil to skillet with each batch. Cut remaining unpeeled lemon into large wedges. Squeeze 2 wedges over chicken before serving and place remaining wedges on platter with chicken.
Makes 4 servings.

Created by Peggy Knickerbocker

The delicate crunch of this dish makes eating your vegetables a pleasure.

1 ½ pounds fava beans, in shell

1 pound English peas, in shell

¾ pound yellow wax beans, trimmed

1 pound asparagus

4 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

¼ cup dry white wine or water

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

½ cup mint chiffonade (see step 7)

Makes 4 to 6 servings.