If you're looking for something sweet...

This week I had the honor of baking cupcakes for a surprise baby shower for two of my old coworkers who are both expecting girls.  I was in the chocolate mood and was looking for something new to try.  I stumbled upon a recipe that promised to be the best moist chocolate cupcake recipe ever.  Well that is a pretty big promise to make so I decided to put it to the test along with my standby vanilla buttercream recipe courtesy of Magnolia Bakery.  After several hours in the kitchen of baking and decorating, and a few small samples of the sugar cookies and cupcakes, the jury was out, this new recipe was now on the top of  my list of Chocolate Cupcake recipes.  I just hope everyone else agrees!  I chose to use vanilla buttercream but I think next time I'll opt for something chocolate, maybe a rich chocolate frosting with chocolate chips mixed in, making it a triple chocolate threat.  I recommend serving these with a large glass of milk.

 

 

Chocolate Cupcakes with Vanilla Butter Cream Frosting and Sugar Cookies

Best Moist Chocolate Cupcakes
Courtesy of The Sugar Bar

Recipe yields 24 regular cupcakes

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup butter
• 1 cup soft dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 3 eggs
• 2 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup cocoa powder
• 2 tbs coffee granules
• 1 1/2 cup milk (I used whole)
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Beat butter till soft, smooth, creamy and pale, about 3 minutes. Add sugar and beat another minute or two until creamy. Beat in eggs one at a time.
3. Whisk flour, baking soda, salt, cocoa and coffee granules together. Mix the vanilla and milk together in a glass liquid measuring cup.  Add a third of the dry ingredients into batter, mix well. Add half of the liquid, beat well. Alternate till you end with the dry ingredients.
4. Line muffin tray with liners. Fill cups 2/3 full.
5. Reduce oven heat to 350 degrees and bake 25-30min. (Mine were done after 23 minutes)
6. Let cool completely before icing.

Vanilla Buttercream Icing
Courtesy of Magnolia Bakery

Makes enough for one 2-layer 9-inch cake or 2 dozen cupcakes

Ingredients:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 6-8 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 1/2 cup milk (I used whole milk this time but I've used 2% as well as skim in the past.)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Place the butter in a large mixing bowl. Add 4 cups of the sugar then the milk and vanilla. On the medium speed of an electric mixer, beat until smooth and creamy, about 3-5 minutes.
2. Gradually add the remaining sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition (about 2 minutes), until the icing is thick enough to be of a good spreading consistency. You may not need to add all of the sugar. (I used 6 1/2 cups)
3. If desired, add a few drops of gel food coloring and mix thoroughly. (Use and store the icing at room temperature because icing will set if chilled.) Icing can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

***Since this was a baby shower I needed to make them extra special so I tinted a 1/3 of the frosting pink, another 1/3 purple, and kept the last of it white.  After icing them I topped them with a few sprinkles of Luster Pearls I found at Williams-Sonoma.  To top it all off I made "engraved" sugar cookies with my new favorite cookie gadget from Williams-Sonoma  and decorated them with pink and purple icing and more Luster Pearls. 

***Bonus Recipe***

I hosted a game night a couple weekends ago at my house and made a few foods to snack on.  Among the snacks was a recipe I found on the Chex Website.  I did not want to go with the traditional savory mix so I chose a sweet recipe.  It was definitely a big hit and I can't wait for another game night so I can make it again.  This recipe makes a lot so you'll want to share with friends and family because if you don't you may just end up eating it all yourself.  Enjoy!

Chex® Honey Nut Cherry Crunch 

Makes 28 servings (1/2 cup each)

Ingredients:

• 4 1/2 cups Honey Nut Chex® cereal
• 4 1/2 cups Rice Chex® cereal
• 2 cups whole cashews
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup butter or margarine
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup dried cherries (I substituted craisins)
• 1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds

Directions:

1. In a large microwavable bowl, mix cereal and cashews.
2. In 2-cup microwavable measuring cup, microwave brown sugar, butter and honey and salt uncovered on High about 1 1/2 minutes, stirring after 1 minute, until mixture comes to a boil. Stir butter mixture. Pour over cereal mixture; stir until evenly coated.
3. Microwave uncovered on High 4 minutes, stirring every minute. Stir in cherries and sesame seeds. Microwave an additional 3 minutes, stirring every minute. Spread on waxed paper or foil to cool. Store in airtight container.

Nutrional Information:
1 Serving: Calories 160 (Calories from Fat 60); Total Fat 6g (Saturated Fat 2g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 190mg; Total Carbohydrate 22g (Dietary Fiber 1g, Sugars 11g); Protein 2g % Daily Value*: Vitamin A 6%; Vitamin C 0%; Calcium 4%; Iron 25% 

Keeping the Chill Off

Lately the weather here in North Carolina has felt more like the cold Northeast than the mild weather of the Carolinas.  With this chilly weather in the air I've been on a serious soup kick.  Cream based, broth based, you name it I've made it.  Paired with whole grain bread or a scoop of brown rice stirred in and you have yourself a satisfying winter meal to help keep the chill off.  Some of my recent concoctions include Mom's Zucchini Soup; Campbell's Tomato soup with shell pasta; Navy Bean and Spinach Soup; and Kale and White Bean Soup.  The last two are from one of my new favorite vegan cookbooks, "Skinny B****" by Kim Barnouin. (I like to keep this blog kid friendly so I left the expletive out.☺)

I am only going to cover two of the soups in this blog but with the weather not getting any warmer I'm sure I'll be making several more batches of soup and blogging about them.  A lot of these soups serve 6-8 so I like to freeze half and leave the rest as leftovers for lunch and dinner.  First off, is my mom's Zucchini Soup, which I think can persuade even the non-zucchini lovers into eating a whole bowl.

Zucchini  Soup
Recipe from the kitchen of Mom

Ingredients:

• 3 lbs zucchini
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/8 tsp white pepper
• 2 (10 oz) cans chicken broth (I substituted low sodium vegetable broth)
• ½ cup water
• 1 ½ cups half & half (I used fat free half & half)

Directions:

1. Cut ends off zucchini, cut into 1” pieces, and place into a 6 quart saucepan.
2. Add salt, spices, water, and broth.  Bring to a boil then cover and cook over medium heat until tender, about 10 minutes.
3. Working in batches pour 1/3 of mixture at a time in blender.  Blend until smooth then pour back into saucepan.  (I have an immersion blender so I was able to blend the soup right in the saucepan.)
4. Stir in the half & half and heat on low until warm.  Sprinkle with freshly chopped chives and serve with warm, crusty bread.

Notes: If using a blender let the soup cool slightly before blending because if the soup is too hot the top can blow right off the blender and your kitchen as well as you will be covered in zucchini soup.  This is a great soup to freeze but do so without the cream and add it when you’re ready to eat the soup.

Zucchini Soup with Chives and Whole Wheat Bread

Just over a year ago, I stopped eating meat.  I still eat seafood but only 2-3 times a week and I try to limit my dairy/egg consumption and choose almond milk over skim milk in most cases.  I was already a healthy eater and loved turning not so healthy recipes, healthy with just a few changes to the ingredients and/or preparation.  For me, going semi-vegetarian/vegan was just another way for me to improve my overall health.  I've read a lot about what a vegan diet can do for you as well as the environment and I wanted to be a part of that.  I know a vegan/vegetarian diet is not for everyone and there are some of you that just can't give up the grilled steak or roasted chicken.  However, I strongly encourage that everyone take at least one day off a week and go meat free, maybe even dairy and egg free too.  Your body and the earth will thank you for it. :)

Kale and White Bean Soup
From Kim Barnouin's Cookbook, "Skinny B****"

Makes 6 Servings

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp grapeseed oil
• 1/2 onion, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, chopped
• 1 cup (130g) peeled and chopped carrots
• 1 celery stalk, chopped
• 1/2 cup (75g) peeled and cubed potatoes
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 6 cups water
• 2 tbsp white miso paste
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 cups (135g) chopped kale, with hard spine removed (I love kale so I added extra.)
• 1 - 14oz can white beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/4 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh basil
• Pinch of pepper

Directions:

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.  Add the onion and saute until golden brown, about 4 minutes.
2. Add the garlic, carrots, celery, potatoes, and tomato paste, and saute until the ingredients are well combined.
3. Add the water, white miso, cumin, coriander, and salt and bring to a boil.  Lower the heat and simmer 30 minutes.
4. Add the kale, white beans, and thyme and simmer another 30 minutes.  Garnish with basil and pepper before serving.

Cal: 150 / Fat: 5g / Sat Fat: 0g / Col: 0 mg / Carb: 21g / Fib: 5g / Pro: 5g

Christmas 2010

Happy New Year!  I apologize for my month long absence from blogging.  As soon as December arrived, life got a little busier than usual and my blogging fell by the wayside.  I didn't even have a chance to read any of the many blogs I like to follow.  Now it's mid January and I feel like things are finally calming down.  Even though I wasn't blogging I did do a lot of cooking and baking.  Unfortunately I did not take as many pictures as I would have liked so you'll have to use your imagination.  Here are just a few of the meals I enjoyed as well as prepared while home in New York.

We didn't start our Christmas until the 26th so on the 25th my mom, Tom, and I steamed a few dozen clams and three 1 1/4 lb lobsters.  That was it, no salad before the meal, no side of vegetables, just a plate filled with delicious seafood.  Growing up my mom loved having lobsters and clams for her birthday even as young as 10 years old.  Luckily she carried that tradition on with me and we started celebrating my birthdays with clams and lobsters.  I'm a little nontraditional in the sense that I don't like to dip mine in melted butter.  I prefer the distinctive taste they offer on their own.  By the end of the meal I had enjoyed my fair share and was ready for a nap.  We still had our Christmas dinner the next night...how was I going to eat anymore food?!

The next morning we woke before the sun was even up, I believe it was 5:30am.  With two little ones running around, my nephew Ethan 2 1/2 and my niece Addison 14 months, I knew it wouldn't be a day to sleep in.  We started our morning off as we have since I was a little girl, with my mom's homemade Cherry Coffee Cake and a large cup of coffee.  My grandmother was the one that started this tradition many moons ago and my mom and my aunt continue to this day to make this coffee cake for their Christmas mornings.  I have to say I've never had this recipe during any other time of the year.  As much as I love it and usually go back for seconds and sometimes thirds it just wouldn't seem right to have it on any other day.  Despite our very early start I think the coffee cake helped keep me going through hours and I mean hours of opening gifts.  My mom has always had one rule at Christmas, we open our gifts one at a time.  This way she can see what everyone's received and the expressions on their faces.  It did not work too well with my neice and nephew this year but maybe in a few years when their old enough to sit still for more than 30 seconds.  Nevertheless it was a great Christmas morning.

Cherry Coffee Cake
Recipe from Mom's Kitchen

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 3 tsp baking powder
• Pinch of salt
• 2 sticks butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup milk (we use fat free milk)
• 3 eggs, beaten slightly
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 can cherry pie filling
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts (we use walnuts)

Directions: 

1. Mix the flour, baking powder, salt, and butter with a fork or pastry blender like you would if you were making pie.  (You'll want to have pea size pieces of butter).  Save rounded 1/2 cup for topping.
2. Take the remaining mixture and add the milk, eggs, and vanilla.
3. Pour into a greased pan 14x9x2. Spread the cherry pie filling on top. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup topping and 1/2 cup chopped nuts.
4. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.
5. I recommend eating this warm with a large cup of coffee.

After a busy morning and afternoon playing with new toys and some of us taking naps it was time for our Christmas dinner.  Another tradition at my mom's is having Prime Rib for dinner.  However, I don't eat meat anymore so my entree of choice was salmon, which I pan seared with just a little bit of EVOO and salt & pepper.  I was also put in charge of preparing the sides and dessert.  I went through my long list of recipes and came up with Roasted Cauliflower with Fresh Herbs and Parmesan, Wild Rice Stuffing, Sauteed Carrots with Sage, and last but not least the traditional Mashed Potatoes.  With all of the rich and decadent foods I had been eating and would continue to do so I thought I should at least make these healthy so I pulled all of these recipes, except the Mashed Potatoes, from Cooking Light.  All of the recipes were fairly easy, nothing too complex, and the end results were delicious!

To top off this healthy meal I decided to go with something decadent, extra sweet, and chocolaty.  With that in mind I reached for my Dorie Greenspan cookbook, Baking: From My Home To Yours, and picked out a recipe I knew everyone would love.  Gooey Chocolate Cakes, known to some as Chocolate Lava Cakes.  They were just what we needed to top off a great meal.  My only complaint and it was my fault for not being more careful with an oven I'm not used to, I baked them just a couple minutes too long so they were not as gooey as I would have liked but they were still very tasty!  Top them off with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream like we did and you have yourself a decadent, extra sweet, and chocolaty dessert!

Gooey Chocolate Cakes
Makes 6 servings

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (I used Hershey's dark unsweetened cocoa powder)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 5 ounces bittersweet chocolate, 4 ounces coarsely chopped, 1 ounce very finely chopped (I needed to find a chocolate free of any nut products due to my sister's allergy to tree nuts so I went with Baker's Bittersweet Chocolate)
• 1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
• 6 tablespoons sugar

Directions:

1. Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Spray 6 cups of a regular-size muffin pan, preferably a disposable aluminum foil pan, dust the insides with flour and tap out the excess. Put the muffin pan on a baking sheet.
2. Sift the flour, cocoa and salt together.
3. Set a heat proof bowl over a saucepan of gently simmering water, put the coarsely chopped chocolate and the butter in the bowl and stir occasionally over the simmering water just until they are melted – you don’t want them to get so hot that the butter separates. Remove the bowl from the pan of water.
4. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and yolk until homogenous. Add the sugar and whisk until well blended, about 2 minutes. Add the dry ingredients and, still using the whisk, stir (don’t beat) them into the eggs. Little by little, and using a light hand, stir in the melted chocolate and butter. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups and sprinkle the finely chopped chocolate over the batter.
5. Bake the cakes for 13 minutes. (I would suggest 10 minutes depending on your oven.) Transfer them, still on the baking sheet, to a rack to cool for 3 minutes. (There is no way to test that these cakes are properly baked, because the inside remains liquid.)
6. Line a cutting board with a silicone baking mat or parchment or wax paper, and, after the 3-minute rest, unmold the cakes onto the board. Use a wide metal spatula to lift the cakes onto dessert plates and serve immediately.

Gooey Chocolate Cakes

Fresh out of the oven and patiently waiting 3 minutes for them to cool

Up close and personal with the decadent cakes

The next day was our second Christmas at my dad's house.  Being part of a divorced family at the holiday's can seem difficult to some and I would be lying if I said it wasn't a little hard but it's pretty much all I've ever known and oddly enough something I've learned to love.  Of course, it's not the ideal situation and not every memory is a happy one but since when has everything in life been ideal or everything been perfect.  As a family I think we've all grown to appreciate what we have, though it may not be traditional, it's what I love about both my families.  Now enough about me and more about the food. :)

Traditions seem to be the theme of the blog so I'll continue on with a tradition my dad started, preparing made to order omelets for everyone on our Christmas morning. This year I was his designated Sous Chef and helped prepare some of his best omelets yet.  Before we got started, the ingredients were chopped and divvied up into bowls.  This year's ingredients included green peppers, jalapenos, onions, Canadian bacon, mushrooms, olives, and cheese.  My job was to saute the ingredients in my omelet pan and mix the eggs for each portion.  Once the ingredients were sauteed I passed them onto my dad who poured the eggs over top and had the difficult job of cooking the omelet and flipping it oh so carefully so that it turned out looking like an omelet and not a veggie scramble, which I am known to do.  While he worked that pan I started on another pan of sauteing the next lucky customer's omelet. This process went on for a total of 9 omelets.  To finish off our omelets we had a choice of dad's leftover homemade guacamole and homemade salsa canned just a few months ago.  We ended our Christmas with a big meal of delicious lasagna, one vegetarian version and one for the meat lovers and a night filled with copious amounts of wine and games galore.  I will not get into the details but it was certainly a night to remember!

Overall this Christmas was filled with a lot of good food, fun, and quality family time and it was sad to see it end.  However I was glad to get away from the frigid temperatures and head back to the more mild weather of North Carolina.  My Christmases may not be traditional and they may just be a little crazy but I certainly look forward to them every year.  Here's wishing everyone a very happy 2011 and many more happy years to come!