margarita cupcakes

Cinco de Mayo is just around the corner! I'm thinking some carne asada is in order. My grandma has a killer recipe to go with her flour tortillas! I attempt to replicate them but you know how it is, never quite the same as grandma's :)

And for dessert, this wonderful treat sounds perfect! My lovely friend, Julia, and I made these margarita cupcakes last year and oh were they so very delicious! I could've eaten the frosting all on it's own.  We like to make minis when baking - doesn't feel like we're consuming as many calories ;)

Margarita Cupcakes

from Brown Eyed Baker

Makes 12 cupcakes (we made just over 2 dozen mini cupcakes)

For the Cupcakes:
1½ cups all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs, at room temperature
Zest and juice of 1½ limes
2 tablespoons tequila*
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup buttermilk

To Brush the Cupcakes:
1 to 2 tablespoons tequila*

For the Tequila-Lime Frosting:
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
2¾ cups powdered sugar
1 tablespoon lime juice
2 tablespoons tequila*
Pinch of coarse salt

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line a standard muffin tin with paper liners; set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.

3. In an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat the butter and sugar together until pale, light, and fluffy (about 5 minutes).

4. Reduce the mixer speed to medium and add the eggs one at at time, mixing thoroughly after each addition.

5. Scrape the sides of the bowl and add the lime zest, lime juice, vanilla extract and tequila. Mix until combined. (The mixture may start to look curdled at this point, but don’t worry, it will all come back together, power on!).

6. Reduce the mixer speed low. Add the dry ingredients in three batches, alternating with the buttermilk in two batches. Mix only until just incorporated, using a rubber spatula to give it one last mix by hand.

7. Divide the batter between the muffin cups. Bake for approximately 25 minutes or until just slightly golden and a skewer shows only moist crumbs attached, rotating the pan at the halfway point.

8. Allow cupcakes to cool for 5 to 10 minutes, and then remove to a cooling rack. Brush the tops of the cupcakes with the 1 to 2 tablespoons of tequila. Set the cupcakes aside to cool completely before frosting them.

9. To make the frosting, whip the butter on medium-high speed of an electric mixer using the whisk attachment for 5 minutes. Reduce the speed to medium-low, and gradually add the powdered sugar, mixing and scraping the sides of the bowl until all is incorporated. Give it a mix on medium speed for about 30 seconds. Add the lime juice, tequila and salt mix on medium-high speed until incorporated and fluffy. If the frosting appears a bit too soft, add some additional sugar, one spoonful at a time until desired consistency is reached. Frost cupcakes and garnish, if desired, with lime zest, an additional sprinkling of salt and a lime wedge.

* If you would prefer to not use liquor in these cupcakes, you can absolutely omit it from both the cupcakes and the frosting with no problem. If you do omit it, I would add 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract to the frosting.

Chicken and Broccoli Noodle Casserole

My hubby always teases he will only eat broccoli if it's slathered in cheese. Well his wish was granted when I stumbled upon this recipe from skinnytaste.com. Have you ever been to this website? It's one of my favorites to go to when planning our weekly menu. You just can't beat a delicious meal loaded with flavor, and the fact that it's healthy too? Count me in!

Chicken and Broccoli Noodle CasseroleSkinnytaste.com
Serves 6

Ingredients:

• 6 oz Ronzoni Smart taste noodles (or no-yolk)
• 2 tsp oil
• 4 cloves garlic, sliced thin
• 12 oz fresh broccoli florets, chopped
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 medium shallot, minced
• 3 tbsp all purpose flour
• 1-3/4 cups fat free chicken broth
• 1 cup 1% milk
• 12 oz cooked shredded chicken breast
• 4 oz shredded reduced fat sharp cheddar (Sargento)
• cooking spray
• 3 tbsp shredded parmesan cheese
• 2 tbsp seasoned breadcrumbs (whole wheat)

Directions:

Cook noodles in salted water until al dente, or slightly undercooked by 2 minutes. Set aside.

Heat oil in a large skillet. Add garlic and cook on medium heat until golden, about 1 minute. Add the broccoli and a little salt, sauté and cover the broccoli for about 3 minutes on medium heat until the broccoli begins to soften. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 375°. Lightly spray a 9 x 12 casserole dish with cooking spray.

In a large pot, heat butter over medium-low heat, when melted add the shallot and cook until soft, 2-3 minutes. Add the flour and a pinch of salt and stir well, cooking an additional 2-3 minutes on medium-low heat.

Slowly whisk in the chicken broth until well combined over medium heat; whisk well for 30 seconds, then add the milk and bring to a boil. Simmer on medium heat, mixing occasionally until it thickens (about 6-7 minutes). Remove from heat and add reduced fat sharp cheddar and 1 tablespoon of the parmesan cheese; mix well until the cheese melts.
Add the shredded chicken, noodles and broccoli to the sauce and mix well until evenly coated.

Pour into a casserole dish and top with parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs. Spray a little more cooking spray on top and bake for about 20 - 25 minutes. Place the casserole under the broiler a few minutes to get the crumbs crisp and golden (careful not to burn).

Calories: 313 
Fat: 9.9 g 
Protein: 27.2 g 
Carb: 31.2 g 
Fiber: 4.4 g 
Sugar: 2.6 g
Sodium: 256.7 mg (without salt)

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes

Friday night, my friend came over and we watched 13 Going On 30 while baking up these chocolate chip cookie dough cupcakes. We did get made fun of because we were baking on a Friday night, but we didn't care because these were really tasty!  Make sure to have plenty of butter on hand!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes
from Kevin and Amanda

For the cookie dough:
2 sticks softened butter
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
4 tbsp milk
1 tbsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup mini chocolate chips

For the cupcakes:
3 sticks softened butter
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar, packed
4 large eggs
2 2/3 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup milk
2 tsp. vanilla extract

For the frosting:
3 sticks softened butter
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:

To make the cookie dough, combine the butter and sugars in a mixing bowl and cream on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 mins. Beat in milk and vanilla until incorporated and smooth. Beat in the flour and salt until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips. Using a 1.5 tbsp scoop, shape the dough into balls or tubes. Freeze on a parchment lined baking sheet overnight.

To make the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 350° F.  Line two cupcake pans with paper liners (24 total).  In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter and brown sugar.  Beat together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.  Mix in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.  Stir together to blend.  Add the dry ingredients to the mixer bowl on low speed, alternating with the milk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients, mixing each addition just until incorporated.  Blend in the vanilla.
Using a 3 tbsp scoop, fill the prepared cupcake liners 2/3 full with the cupcake batter. Place a frozen cookie dough ball on the top center of each cupcake.

Bake at 350 for 16-18 mins.

To make the frosting, combine the butter and brown sugar in a mixing bowl and cream on medium-high speed until light and fluffy.  Beat in the powdered sugar until smooth.  Beat in the salt, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth and combined.

Frost the cupcakes and sprinkle with mini chocolate chips!

Makes 24 cupcakes (we got 30!)

Tiramisu!

I am co-hosting a bridal shower this weekend and the bride has requested tiramisu! I've made this recipe a few times and it never fails to please. Enjoy!


weheartit.com


Tiramisu
from  Mother's Best by Lisa Schroeder

Follow the directions exactly, use the thickest mascarpone you can find, and make sure you keep everything cold and in the refrigerator until mixing together, or it will be runny and won’t hold up on the plate.

6 shots of espresso (about 3/4 c; Love Note 1)
1/3 c brandy
1/4 c Kahlua or other coffee liqueur
4 large eggs, separated (Love Notes 2 and 3)
2/3 C granulated sugar, divided
1 lb mascarpone (two 8-oz tubs)
1 cup heavy cream
40 savoiardi ladyfingers (about two 7-oz boxes; Love Note 4)
Unsweetened cocoa powder and shaved chocolate, for garnish (optional)

1. In a small bowl, combine the espresso, brandy, and Kahlúa. Set aside.


2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the egg yolks and 1/3 cup of the sugar. Whisk at high speed until very fluffy, pale yellow and stiff, at least 7 minutes.

3. Stop the mixer, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the mascarpone. Continue whipping until very stiff, another 2 minutes. (If the mixture starts to look curdled, stop mixing. If you continue to beat, you’ll end up with butter.) Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and place in the refrigerator while completing the remaining steps.

4. Wipe out the bowl of the electric mixer and add the cream. Whisk at medium speed until frothy. Increase the speed to medium-high and sprinkle in half of the remaining sugar (you don’t have to be precise). Continue whipping until the cream holds stiff peaks. Fold the whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture and return the bowl it to the refrigerator.

5. Thoroughly wash and dry the electric mixer bowl and whisk attachment and add the egg whites. Beat the egg whites at medium speed until frothy. Increase the speed to high (don’t scrape the bowl or you could deflate the whites) and sprinkle in the remaining sugar. Continue beating until the whites hold stiff peaks.

6. Gently fold one-third of the egg whites into the mascarpone mixture (folding in a small amount of the whites at first lightens the mixture and makes it easier to fold in the remaining whites without overmixing, which would deflate the whites). Fold in the remaining whites and return the mixture to the refrigerator.

7. One at a time, dip the ladyfingers briefly (make sure they’re submerged) into the espresso mixture and place side by side in a 9x13x2-inch baking dish until the bottom of the pan is covered. (Make sure you dip for only a second – you don’t want the ladyfingers to be soaked to the center or your tiramisu will end up mushy.) Depending on how you arrange the ladyfingers, you should get 19 to 20 in the dish; you may have to trim a little off the ends of the ones in the corners.

8. Spread half the mascarpone mixture (about 4 cups) over the lady fingers.

9. Repeat another layer of dipped ladyfingers, followed by the remaining mascarpone mixture.

10. Cover with plastic wrap and wrap the dish in the refrigerator to chill overnight before cutting.

11. Cut the tiramisu into thirds lengthwise and crosswise to make 9 portions. Use an offset spatula to lift each portion onto a serving plate, sprinkle with cocoa powder and top with shaved chocolate, if desired (Love Note 5), and serve.


 
LOVE NOTES

1. If you don’t have an espresso machine, I highly recommend stopping at the nearest café to pick up the shots rather than using instant espresso. The flavor is far superior.

2. Separating eggs require care and caution. If just a drop of yolks gets in the whites, they won’t whip up. That’s because the yolk has fat, and just a little fat, oil or soap (even residue on plastic containers) can keep the whites from whipping. To ensure the whites stay pristine, crack an egg into a small bowl, scoop out the yolk with your (clean fingers, and place it in a separate bowl. Then dump the egg white into its own bowl. Repeat with the remaining eggs. This way if a yolk breaks during cracking, you’ll only have to toss out one egg, not the whole batch. By the way, whites whip best when they are at room temperature.


3. This dish is made with uncooked eggs. Although the risk is very low (about 0.005 percent according too the American Egg Board), substitute pasteurized eggs if you’d prefer.


4. The best ladyfingers for this recipe are very dry and crisp. They’re often called savoiardi and are imported from Italy. If you can’t find these and your supermarket only has soft, cakelike ladyfingers, you will need to let them dry out in the oven first. Moist ladyfingers will soak up too much liquid and the tiramisu will be mushy. To dry them out, arrange them on a baking sheet and place in a 250F oven for about 20 minutes, until brittle, flipping each one over halfway through.

pumpkin roll

My friend had a ton of frozen pumpkin puree from Thanksgiving she wanted to get rid of so we had a marathon baking session and busted out FOUR pumpkin rolls! I always avoided making any type of jelly roll; they seemed so difficult. Not at all! The hardest part is while rolling, worrying about whether the cake would break. We made a game of it, cheering "go! go! go!" while the other was carefully rolling.  But really it doesn't matter, broken or not it all still tastes the same in the end - delicious!

Pumpkin Roll
from Eat Live Run

3 eggs, room temp
1 c sugar
2/3 c pumpkin
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1.5 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

for cream cheese frosting:
8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
4 T soft butter
1 c powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350. Beat the eggs and sugar together with a Kitchen Aid on maximum high speed for about ten minutes. When done, the mixture will be very thick and very, very pale. Add the lemon juice, vanilla and pumpkin and stir gently.

In another bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt and pumpkin pie spice. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet and mix just until combined.

Pour the cake batter onto a sheet tray (or jelly roll tray) that has been greased and lined with wax paper. Spread out the batter evenly and bake for fifteen minutes, or until golden.

Let cool on the pan for about ten minutes and start your frosting.

Whip the cream cheese and butter together on medium speed for three minutes or until creamy looking. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla and whip on high for another six to eight minutes. Set aside.

After you have cooled the cake for a few minutes, turn over the sheet pan and gently peel off the wax paper. Spoon the frosting on top of the cake and spread out. Starting at the far edge, roll up the cake. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for about an hour before serving.

**this cake freezes beautifully, making it super easy to just cut off a frozen slice whenever you have the urge. Just be sure to wrap it completely in plastic wrap and then again in tin foil.

Italian Baked Chicken and Pastina

This was a really simple meal that came together quickly. I really liked it because it didn't have too much tomato (too much tomato, especially in a sauce, tends to give me bad heartburn), it had a nice crusty top, and the parsley made it taste so fresh. 

photo by food network

Italian Baked Chicken and Pastina

from Giada de Laurentiis

1 cup pastina pasta (or any small pasta)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup cubed chicken breast (1-inch cubes)

1/2 cup diced onion (about 1/2 a small onion)

1 clove garlic, minced

1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice

1 cup shredded mozzarella

1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup bread crumbs

1/4 cup grated parmesan

1 tablespoon butter, plus more for buttering the baking dish

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until just tender, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Drain pasta into a large mixing bowl.

Meanwhile, put the olive oil in a medium saute pan over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook for 3 minutes. Add the onions and garlic, stirring to combine, and cook until the onions are soft and the chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes more. Put the chicken mixture into the bowl with the cooked pasta. Add the canned tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, parsley, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine. 

Place the mixture in a buttered 8 by 8 by 2-inch baking dish (I used a casserole dish). In a small bowl mix together the bread crumbs and the Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle over the top of the pasta mixture. Dot the top with small bits of butter. Bake until the top is golden brown, about 30 minutes.

Day 21 – a recipe

day 21 - a recipe. I haven't been doing much baking lately. I've either had my nose in a book or we've been out of town/had company over for the weekend. I mentioned the boys went hunting last weekend and I cooked venison for the first time ever. I have to admit the idea of it was a little hard for me to swallow (how punny :) but the recipe was really good.

Be sure to check out more of the recipes I've shared on this little bloggy over the past couple of years :)

photo from taste of home

Three Bean Taco Chili

from Simple & Delicious Magazine

• 2 pounds ground beef ( I used one lb of venison, about half of an Italian Sausage)
• 2 cups water (I omitted)
• 1 can (16 ounces) refried beans (I accidently used pinto for these)
• 1 can (16 ounces) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can (16 ounces) chili beans, undrained
• 1 can (15-1/4 ounces) whole kernel corn, drained
• 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) stewed tomatoes
• 1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
• 1 cup chunky salsa (I thought it read 1 cup, so that's all I used)
• 1 envelope taco seasoning (I just put in about 1 palmful of cumin, some sprinkling of chili powder, garlic salt and oregano)
• 1 can (2-1/4 ounces) sliced ripe olives, drained (I omitted)
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese

1. In a Dutch oven, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in the water, beans, corn, tomatoes, tomato sauce, salsa, taco seasoning and olives.

2. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Garnish with cheese. Yield: 9 servings.

Day 20 – a hobby of yours

day 20 - a hobby of yours. Last year we had so many tomatoes I didn't know what to do with them. So I started exploring in the canning world, my first recipe being canned salsa, and I have been hooked ever since! I even participated in a fun jam exhange earlier this summer.  Here are the recipes I sent to Leslie, my jam exchange partner. (Left one is tayberry jam, the right one is strawberry jam). 

picture from spilling buckets

Tayberry Jam

from Hitchhiking to Heaven

3 pounds tayberries
1 ¼ pounds sugar (2 ½ to 2 ¾ cups)
3 tablespoons lemon juice

1. Sterilize your jars and put 5 teaspoons on a plate in the freezer, to test your jam for doneness later.

2. Set aside approximately 1/3 of the berries.

3. Combine the rest of the ingredients (remaining berries, sugar, and lemon juice) in your jam pan.

4. Bring the mixture to boil.

5. After the mixture thickens a bit, add the remaining berries. I added mine at about 10 minutes, which was about halfway through the cooking process. This late addition of the berries helps your jam to have a nice texture in the end.

6. Boil the jam until it sets, using a large, shallow, stainless-steel spoon to skim the stiff foam off the top as it cooks. I started testing my jam for doneness at about 15 minutes and considered the jam finished at around 20 minutes. (Keep in mind that lots of factors can affect your cooking time; it may be very different for you, so be sure to watch the mixture and test it.)

To test your jam for doneness: Remove the pan from the heat. Use one of your frozen spoons to scoop up a little bit of jam -- not a whole spoonful. Return the spoon to the freezer and wait 3 minutes. Retrieve the spoon and hold it vertically. If the mixture runs very slowly or not at all, it’s done. Alternately, give the mixture a little push with your finger. If you see creases or wrinkles, it’s done.

7. Take care of any final skimming and ladle the hot jam into your sterilized jars. I processed mine for 5 minutes in a hot-water bath, which is appropriate for fruit at my elevation. Yields about 5 half-pint jars.

Simple Strawberry Jam

from The Pioneer Woman

5 cups hulled mashed strawberries
7 cups sugar
4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 49g package powdered fruit pectin

1. Place 8 or 9 8-ounce mason jars in a large hot water bath canner (or pot). Cover with water and bring to a simmer.
2. Simmer center lids in separate saucepan full of water.
3. Place mashed strawberries and lemon juice in a separate pot. Stir in pectin until dissolved. Bring strawberries to a strong boil.
4. Add sugar (measure beforehand so you can add it all at once), then return mixture to a full (violent) boil that can’t be stirred down. Boil hard for 1 minute 15 seconds.
5. Skim foam off the top.
6. Remove one jar at a time from the simmering water. Pour water back into the pot. Using a wide-mouth funnel, fill each jar with jam, being careful to keep the liquid/fruit ratio consistent. Fill jars so that they have 1/4-inch of space at the top.
7. Run a knife down the side of the jar to get rid of air bubbles.
8. Wipe rim of jar with a wet cloth to remove any residue or stickiness.
9. Remove center lid from simmering water and position it on top.
10. Put screw bands on jars, but do not overtighten!
11. Repeat with all jars, then place jars on canning rack and lower into the water.
12. Place lid on canner, then bring water to a full boil. Boil hard for 10 to 12 minutes.
13. Turn off heat and allow jars to remain in hot water for an addition five minutes.
14. Remove jars from water using a jar lifter, and allow them to sit undisturbed for 24 hours.
15. After 24 hours, remove screw bands and check the seal of the jars. Center lids should have no give whatsoever. If any seals are compromised, store those jars in the fridge.



apple pie

I need to catch up on weekend posts, but first things first, I made this apple pie on Thursday for our Aunt and Uncle who had a very short visit. I used this crust I already had in the freezer, which I loved because the recipe makes 2 double crusts, freezes easily and is really flaky.  I watched this video a while back with tips on how to make the pie dough.  I loved the spices in the pie filling too!

Apple Pie
Recipe from Sugar Plum

2 1/2 lbs. Honey Crisp apples, peeled, cored, very thinly sliced
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (optional)
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon clove
2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, for dotting pie

Cream, for brushing
Turbinado sugar, for sprinkling

1 double crust pie dough, or see Sugar Plum's site for her pie dough recipe

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

In a large mixing bowl, stir together apples, lemon juice, brown sugar, 1/4 cup flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and clove until well combined.

Remove pie dough rounds from refrigerator, and allow to warm up a bit before you start rolling. Roll out one of your pie dough rounds, thinly, on a floured surface, and fit into a 9-inch pie plate; pour 1/2 of the apples into pie plate, and dot with remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Cover with remaining apples.
Roll out the second pie dough round and slice it into wide strips, using a pizza cutter. Weave strips into a lattice, covering pie. Trim away the excess dough, and make the crust look all pretty. Brush cream evenly over lattice-top, and sprinkle with turbinado sugar.

Bake pie for 1 hour and 10-20 minutes, or until crust is golden brown, and apples are bubbly. Do NOT underbake - you want the apples tender. If your crust starts to brown too quickly, cover with foil.

Cool pie on a wire rack, to room temperature (or still a little warm!), before slicing.

Yield: 8-10 slices

Strawberry Ice Cream

My sister-in-law knows I love ice cream and recipe books, so for Christmas 2007, she thoughtfully gifted me the Ben and Jerry's Homemade Ice Cream & Dessert Book! So many wonderful recipes in this little treasure include everything from their famous Cherry Garcia to Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough to Kiwi Sorbet. We had bought some strawberries at the farmer's market this weekend and I decided to give the strawberry ice cream a try, and believe me it did not dissapoint! Thanks Aubrey!


Strawberry Ice Cream
from Ben & Jerry's Homemade Ice Cream & Dessert Book
makes 1 generous quart

1 pint fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
1/3 cup sugar
Juice of 1/2 lemon
*Sweet Cream Base (see below)

1. Combine the strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice in a mixing bowl. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour.

2. Prepare the Sweet Cream Base. Mash the strawberries to a puree and stir into the cream base.

3. Transfer the mixture to an ice cream maker and freeze following the manufacturer's instructions.

Note: For a chunkier ice cream, drain the juice from the strawberries and whisk it into the cream base just before transferring it to the ice cream maker. After the ice cream stiffens (about 2 minutes before it's done), add the mashed strawberries, then continue freezing until the ice cream is ready.

*Sweet Cream Base
(I chose the 1st of 3 options)
2 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar
2 cups heavy or whipping cream
1 cup milk

Whisk the eggs in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes. Whisk in the sugar, a little at a time, then continue whisking until completely blended, about 1 minute more. Pour in the cream and milk and whisk to blend. Makes 1 quart.

Shrimp & Avocado Salad

Here is one yummy salad I made for us a few weeks back. So light and refreshing - and I had to seriously refrain myself from licking my plate because the vinaigrette was so tasty!


Shrimp & Avocado Salad
from Simple and Delicious Magazine, May 2010

1 lb. uncooked large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 small garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
2 tsp. olive oil
5 cups hearts of romaine salad mix
1 cup fresh or frozen corn, thawed
1 cup froze peas, thawed
1/2 cup chopped sweet red pepper
1 medium ripe avocado, peeled and thinly sliced

cilantro vinaigrette:
7 tbsp. olive oil
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
1/4 cup lime juice
1-1/2 tsp. sugar
1 small garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

In a large skillet, cook the shrimp, garlic, chili powder, salt and cumin in oil over medium heat for 3-4 minutes or until shrimp turn pink; set aside.

In a large bowl, combine romaine, corn, peas, and red pepper; divide among four serving plates. Top each with shrimp & avocado. In a small bowl, whisk the vinaigrette ingredients and drizzle over salads.

green monster

I had my first green monster today and all I can say is oh my gosh it was delicious!!! What is a green monster you might ask? Read more about the movement here. Angela's other site, Oh She Glows, is awesome too if you are interested in healthy recipes and fitness tips. Anyway, I found this recipe on she-fit.com and had all the ingredients on hand so I decided to give it a shot. Wow, you can't even taste the spinach! It was very filling and I can't wait to have another one tomorrow!!

Also, my husband saw it he kept saying, "GROSS!!" so I convinced him to have a drink so he at least had the backup to say it was gross. It wasn't his favorite but he did say had I put it in a solid colored cup where he could not see the green smoothie, he would've liked it! And that's coming from one picky eater!

Recipe from she-fit.com via Green Monster Movement

2 cups of spinach

1 cup of almond milk

1 frozen banana

6 cubes of ice

a dash of stevia to taste (I used raw sugar)

lemon blueberry scones

I got this recipe from one of my favorite blogs, gimme some oven, and have been wanting to try it for some time now. This was the first time I'd ever used whole wheat flour, and I was very pleased that I couldn't really taste the difference. My only advice is if you're looking for a sweet scone, be sure to add the glaze :) I didn't have buttermilk on hand so I used the old make your own trick!

Healthy lemon blueberry scones
from gimme some oven

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 Tbsp. sugar (optional)

1 Tbsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1 Tbsp. lemon zest

1/4 cup butter, chilled and cut into pieces

1/4 cup olive or canola oil

3/4 cup milk or buttermilk

1 cup fresh or frozen berries (don’t thaw them)

2 Tbsp. lemon juice

1 cup powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 400°F. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray.

Put the flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and lemon zest in the bowl of a food processor or into a medium mixing bowl and pulse or stir until well blended. Add the butter and oil and pulse or stir with a wire whisk or fork until crumbly. If you’re using a food processor, transfer the mixture to a medium bowl.

Add the milk and berries and stir gently just until the dough is combined.

Pat the dough into a circle that is about 1” thick and 8”-9” in diameter on the cookie sheet. (If they are sweet and you want a brown, crunchy top, brush them with a little milk and sprinkle with sugar.) Cut the circle into 8 wedges with a knife or pastry cutter and separate them on the sheet so that they are at least an inch apart.

Bake for about 20 minutes, until golden. Remove from oven.

If you would like to add glaze, stir together lemon juice and powdered sugar in a small bowl until well-blended. (Feel free to add more/less powdered sugar to make the glaze your desired consistency.) Brush or drizzle glaze on top of cooled scones (or if you’re impatient like me, brush while they’re warm), and serve.

Ali’s Tip:

If you end up opting to pass on the glaze, feel free to add in an extra teaspoon or two of lemon peel to the scones to give them an extra kick of lemon. You could also sprinkle a bit of raw (turbinado) sugar on top of the scones before baking to give them a little extra flavor if you’re going glaze-less. :)

cherry macarons

Our aunt is coming to visit this weekend so I thought I'd bake up a batch of festive macarons for her to send back to our uncle for the upcoming holiday. Which makes me wonder - what are your thoughts on Valentine's Day? Do you and yours go all out with dinner, gifts, flowers the whole shabang? Do you think it's just a commercialized holiday? Do you fall somewhere in between? Did you forget this weekend is Valentine's??

My husband and I like to get each other little gifts, usually setting a limit of $25, and either make a nice dinner together, or head out to one of our favorite restaurants. Since our aunt will be here this weekend with her granddaughters, we will likely stay in and do some cooking and baking, which I'm very excited for :)

And to you I wish, a Happy Valentine's Day!

Festive Cranberry & Pistachio Macarons with White Chocolate Vanilla Cream

via Cherrapeno (be sure to check out the link, she has quanities for just one egg white!)

Amounts for 4 egg whites

125g ground almonds

225g icing sugar

110g egg whites brought to room temperature

30g granulated sugar

Pinch of salt

3 teaspoons of dried sweetened cranberries that have been minced or chopped finely

Couple of drops of red food coloring

Handful of pistachio nuts, finely chopped (I omitted this time :)

White Chocolate Vanilla Cream

150ml double cream, whipped until stiff

150g white chocolate, melted and cooled slightly

½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste

Mix the ground almonds and icing sugar together in a bowl and put to one side.

In a large clean, dry bowl, whip the egg white with a pinch of salt until it becomes foamy and stiff. Gradually add the granulated sugar, whisking well after each addition, until the mixture is stiff and shiny.

Gently fold in the almond mixture and the minced dried cranberries using a large spoon or spatula, until incorporated. The mixture should be shiny and firm, but with a bit of 'flow' to it. Don't over-mix it or it will be too runny.

Fill a piping bag with a 1cm round tip and pipe the mixture onto Silpat or baking parchment. Tap the sheets gently to remove air bubbles and sprinkle a few chopped pistachio nuts onto half of the macarons. Let dry at room temperature for about an hour or so before baking.

Bake in a preheated oven, 160º/325F for about 15 to 20 minutes, depending on their size.

Remove from the oven and leave to go cold. Peel off the Silpat or baking parchment.

Whip the cream until stiff and gently fold in the melted chocolate and vanilla bean paste. Pipe or spoon onto half the macarons and top with the other half before serving.

Shrimp Pasta

This was a delicious, fun, quick, and easy recipe to make on a weeknight. I used whole wheat pasta I had on hand. I think I might modify this sometime as a shrimp scampi by omitting the tomatoes and adding more garlic and tons of lemons. Also, this could easily feed a crowd. Like today, the unofficial holiday, Super Bowl Sunday.

PS - The Pioneer Woman rules.

Shrimp Pasta
Recipe from The Pioneer Woman

1/2 cups olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 whole 14.5 oz cans diced or whole tomatoes
1/2 cups white wine
2 lbs jumbo or large shrimp, peeled and deveined
salt & pepper to taste
fresh parlsey, minced
1 lb linguine, uncooked
red pepper flakes, to taste

Cook pasta for 1/2 the recommended cooking time. Pasta should still be very firm.

In a large skillet or pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and saute for a minute. Dump in the tomatoes and wine. Stir the mixture together, season with salt and pepper, and allow to cook for ten minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare a large parcel of heavy duty aluminum foil. It should be large enough to hold the entire pasta dish.

Throw the shrimp on the top of the pasta sauce. Throw the drained pasta over the top, then pour the whole dish onto the foil. Tightly wrap the foil into a parcel.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and keep warm until serving.

Open the foil parcel right before serving. Drizzle a tiny bit of olive oil over the top. Squeeze on lemon juice, if desired.

french onion soup

Please excuse my brief hiatus. I have been very busy in the kitchen continuing to bake my little macarons! Be still my heart. There have been over-cooked ones, under-cooked ones, beautiful ones and very dry ones. This has been a fun little adventure, although my husband is getting tired of being the guinea pig and really wants me to go back to baking his favorite cookies!

Here is a yummy french onion soup recipe I made the other night after a long night of baking. I don't really have a lot of experience with onion soup - I've only had it one other time at a restaurant. But this recipe was cheesy and definitely fulfilling! I used mozerella instead of gruyere and I also omitted the parmesan rind because I didn't have it on hand. FYI - we bought those cute little soup bowls at World Market!

French Onion Soup

recipe from Food Network

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 large yellow or Spanish onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 large red onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup port wine
6 cups reduced-sodium beef broth
1 (2-inch) piece Parmesan rind
Reserved bread from bread bowls or 4 slices sourdough baguette, about 1-inch thick and lightly toasted
8 slices Gruyere cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and preheat broiler.

Melt butter and oil together in a large stock pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onions and sugar and cook 10 minutes, until onions are tender and golden brown. Add thyme, bay leaves, salt, and black pepper and stir to coat. Cook 1 minute, until fragrant. Add port and simmer until liquid is absorbed. Add broth and Parmesan rind and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to low, partially cover and simmer 20 minutes.

Remove bay leaves and Parmesan rind and ladle soup into oven-proof bowls. Place bowls on a baking sheet. Place reserved bread rounds or a sourdough round into each bowl and top bread with Gruyere cheese. Broil 2 to 3 minutes, until cheese is golden and bubbly.

we finally meet

A few weeks ago, I was looking through our local guide for all the hotspots in town and saw a feature of the 12 best local cookies - and that's where it was that I saw it. #11 - Best Macaron at a downtown French Cafe I'd never heard of. For days, I fantasized about picking up a dozen cookies for myself. Finally on Friday, hubby and I put on our nicest cowboy boots and headed down for my first taste of a Parisian macaron.


I was so excited.


When we got there I quickly scanned all of the display cases - eclairs, tarts, maple bars, crossaints....but no macarons. I asked the waitress about them and she told me they were usually gone within hours of shipment and they can never predict when to expect them.


My heart sank.


It wasn't a failed mission though. Our breakfast was DE-LI-CIOUS. And I was even more determined to have a taste of that little crisp cookie.


I picked up a few of the remaining ingredients I didn't have and got to work in the kitchen. I had prepared myself with lots of research beforehand, with My Tartlette, MacTweets, Canelle et Vanille, etc.


I ended up making these Candy Cane and Eggnog Macarons. I took a peek in the oven and started jumping up with thrill "I'VE GOT FEET!! I'VE GOT FEET!!" Btw, yes my husband already knows I'm crazy :)

Once they were piped and ready to be devoured, I remembered this tutorial on how to eat a macaron.



Oh my.


They were just as I'd read - a thin, crisp layer on the outside and a cake-like, almost chewy texture inside. I could've eaten 5 more right there. But I thought I'd share with hubby, since he did indulge me in my journey earlier that morning. He wanted to put the hole thing in his mouth, but I had to remind him, they were meant to be savoured. Two words came out of his mouth "Deliciousness. Heaven."


The rest of the evening, I thought of many other macaron variations I could make. Strawberry and vanilla. Chocolate and Kahlua. Vanilla and Orange. The possibilities are endless. And so my little macaron obsession begins...

guinness bread with molasses

I'm a bad girl. My husband found my gym membership card a few weeks ago (which, btw was my excuse for not going) and I still haven't made it to a single one of my favorite classes. Oh well, maybe tomorrow! I have been trying to make a conscientious effort to be more active, and have been doing so with Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred and the Wii Fit Plus (which are totally kicking my butt!!). So, it's the second week of the new year and decade - are you keeping up with your resolutions? Or have you let them slip (I'll admit, I am having a hard time with the sweet tooth :).

Speaking of sweet tooth, for Christmas gifts this year we sent out care packages to our family and friends with homemade goods. Since I knew SIL loves dark beer, I tried to find a recipe she might enjoy - and when I saw Guinness Bread with Molasses on Simply Recipes, it instantly made me think of her! Of course, I had to bake a test bread before sending one to her and though hubs didn't care for it (he's not a fan of beer) I thought it was very moist and pretty tasty (especially with butter or jam). Hope she and her Mister enjoyed it!!

Guinness Bread with Molasses
from Simply Recipes

This is fantastic eaten fresh, and nearly as good the next day toasted with some more butter. Do not use stale beer for this recipe, you want the carbonation.


* 3 cups self-rising flour*
* 1/2 cup white sugar
* 1/3 cup molasses
* A pinch of salt (roughly 1/8 teaspoon)
* 12 ounces of Guinness beer
* Butter for greasing the pan and painting the top, about 3 tablespoons

* If you don't have self-rising flour, you can substitute using a ratio of 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder, plus 1/8 teaspoon of salt, for every cup of self-rising flour. Have made both ways though and got better results from the self-rising flour.
Method

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan well with butter.

2 Pour the flour, salt and sugar into a large bowl and whisk to combine.

3. Slowly pour the Guinness into the flour mixture. (The “pub cans” are larger than 12 ounces, but they have better carbonation, so I pour most of it out and leave a swig to drink. This has never failed me, but if you are a stickler, use a 12-ounce bottle of Guinness instead.) Start stirring the beer into the dry ingredients, and when you are about halfway done, add the molasses. Mix well, just to combine. Don’t work the heck out of the batter – because that’s what it’ll look like – but you don’t want lumps, either.

4. Pour into the loaf pan to no more than 2/3 full. Pop into the oven immediately and bake for 50 minutes. Since ovens can vary, check the bread after 40 minutes and see if a toothpick inserted into the deepest part of the loaf comes out clean. If it does, you’re done.

5. Let the loaf cool a bit, maybe 5 minutes, and then turn it out onto a rack. Paint it with lots of soft butter, which will melt as you go.

Conchas (or in this case, Conchitas!)

Pan Dulce is a wonderful sweet bread often served with a morning cup of coffee. It was always a treat when I was able to go to the panederia (bakery) with my mom or Welita first thing in the morning for some fresh, warm pan dulce. One of my favorites has always been the conchas, which translates to shells, due to the the shape of the bread and its topping. I was so excited when I saw a recipe on Joy the Baker for conchas that I had to make them for my family on Christmas morning (which they were absolutely thrilled about!). These are not hard to make at all, but a little time consuming since you have to let the dough rise twice. The topping is absolutely spot on! I made 24 mini conchas and since they freeze really well, I packed some away and also enjoyed them on New Year's morning!

Conchas

Recipe by Joy the Baker

DOUGH

1 tablespoon dry yeast

1 tablespoon sugar

1/4 cup water

3 2/3 cups white bread flour

1 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup sugar

2 tablespoons shortening

5 large eggs, beaten

TOPPING

1/4 cup unsalted butter

1/4 cup shortening

1 cup powdered sugar

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon cocoa

1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

For Dough: In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast and 1 tablespoon sugar in warm water. Let stand 6-8 minutes. In a large mixing bowl, combine 3 cups bread flour, salt, sugar and shortening and blend thoroughly. Add yeast mixture and 2 eggs. Mix completely. Add remaining eggs and mix. Add remaining bread flour and mix until the dough forms a loose, soft, and elastic dough. It should be a little sticky but firm enough to shape easily with buttered hands.

Butter the work surface into a 4×6-inch rectangle, 1 1/2 inches thick. Cut into 16 medium or 24 small squares.

Cover lightly with plastic wrap for 1 to 1 1/2 hours and let dough rise. Shape each dough square into a dome-shaped circle. On a lightly greased cookie sheet, place rolls 2 inches apart.

For Topping: In a food processor using a metal blade, add the butter, shortening, powdered sugar, 1 cup flour and vanilla. You can also use a stand mixer for this process. Process until smooth, then divide into 2 equal parts. Leave one part plain and shape into a log. You can use a bit of pink or yellow dye to color this potion of the dough before shaping into a log, wrapping in wax paper, and chilling. Add cocoa and cinnamon to the other half of dough and wrap in wax paper. Chill the 3 logs until ready to use.

Cut off 2 tablespoons of topping from the log and flatten with palms into a circle. Place topping circle on top of dough circle. It should completely cover dough. Use a sharp knife to cut a crisscross or shell design on top. Let rolls rise again in a warm place for about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F Bake for 12- 15 minutes, until lightly browned.

resolutions

January 2, 2010. Twenty ten. Two Thousand Ten. It sounds so unrealistic and futuristic. With the start of every year, naturally it feels like a mark in the line for a fresh start. I haven't made a resolution in years but since it is the beginning of a new decade, I want to start it off by being a better habit-keeper; better about telling my husband I love him everyday, better about exercising, better about walking our dogs, better about eating healthy, better about reading the Bible, better about calling my long-distance friends, etc.

Do you have a resolution? Or do you think resolutions are silly?

None of this, of course, has to do with this recipe but it was so good I had to share it! The orange zest and cranberries compliment each other so well; yum, yum, yum!!

Cranberry Orange Shortbread
recipe from Honey & Jam

2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest
1/2 cup chopped dried cranberries
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt

Beat butter with a mixer on medium speed until creamy and smooth, about 2 minutes. Gradually add the powdered sugar, beating until smooth. Add vanilla, almond extract, orange zest and dried cranberries and beat until combined. Reduce speed to low.

Mix flour, baking powder and salt. Gradually add flour mixture to butter beating at a low speed until blended.

Form dough into 2 logs, each about 1 1/2 inches in diameter; wrap in parchment, and refrigerate 1 hour (or up to 3 days).

Preheat oven to 350.

If frozen, let the logs stand at room temp for 10 minutes. Remove parchment. Slice logs into 1/4-inch-thick rounds, and space about 1 inch apart on baking sheets lined with parchment. Bake until pale golden, about 12 minutes. Let cool.

Cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 1 week.