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Monday, June 20, 2011
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Peach cupcakes with brown sugar frosting
Phew, I have been busy! I made these like two weeks ago, but just haven't had the time or the energy to blog...needless to say, I have a lot of catching up to do!
These cupcakes were pretty good. They are definitely different than your regular cupcake, which I like. Since summer is here, I wanted to try more fruity, refreshing flavors. The actual cake could be used as a muffin too, if you don't feel like frosting all of them!
Ingredients:
These cupcakes were pretty good. They are definitely different than your regular cupcake, which I like. Since summer is here, I wanted to try more fruity, refreshing flavors. The actual cake could be used as a muffin too, if you don't feel like frosting all of them!
Ingredients:
- 3 cups cake flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- pinch of nutmeg
- 3/4 cup room temperature unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs,beaten
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cup sour cream or buttermilk
- 4 large peaches, chopped
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake for about 20 minutes.
- Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg
- in a separate bowl cream butter and sugar, until fluffy
- add eggs one at a time
- add vanilla
- mix in sour cream or buttermilk
- add the dry ingredients
- fold in the peaches
Frosting Ingredients:
- 1 1/4 cup lt brown sugar
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 2- 8 oz packages of cream cheese
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- whisk brown sugar, cornstarch and powdered sugar
- in separate bowl beat cream cheese and butter until fluffy
- add the cornstarch mixture and vanilla to cream cheese, beat until smooth
- chill for 30 minutes
Friday, June 3, 2011
Old Fashion Coconut Cream Pie
I LOVE COCONUT CREAM PIE. Seriously, I do.
I am a super huge fan of any old fashion cream style pies actually. What makes it even better, is I find that pies are incredibly easy to make. They are (for the most part), way less time consuming than cupcakes, mostly because I get all OCD about decorated my cupcakes.
But anyway, this pie is so so so so so so GOOD. It doesn't even have eggs in it either???? I can't wait to make it again, everyone that tried it was in love :)
(the meringue was higher and more amazing the night before, when I made it. But after being in the fridge over night it flattened a little bit. And yes, there is a slice missing...I couldn't wait)
Ingredients:
- 3 cups divided milk
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 6 TBL cornstarch
- 1 cup sweetened flaked coconut (I like it super coco-nutty, I use closer to 2 cups)
- 3 TBL butter
- 1/2 TBL vanilla extract
- 1/2 TBL coconut extract
- 1, 9 inch baked pie shell
- meringue recipe
- extra coconut for garnish
Notes:
- You can use just 1 TBL of vanilla extract if you do not have coconut.
- I used Wilton's meringue powder...it is hassle free, and chances of messing it up are very slim ;)
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In saucepan combine 2 cups of milk, sugar and salt
- Bring to a boil over medium heat
- Meanwhile, combine 1 cup of milk and cornstarch in a bowl, mix well, then add to saucepan
- Stir mixture occasionally until mixture thickens
- Once thick, add coconut, butter, vanilla extract and coconut extract
- Cook until mixture is thick again
- Pour into pie shell, I like to put it in the fridge while I work on my meringue
- Once meringue is made, pour onto the pie, add coconut
- Bake until coconut is toasted and brown and meringue is light brown around the edges
I am a super huge fan of any old fashion cream style pies actually. What makes it even better, is I find that pies are incredibly easy to make. They are (for the most part), way less time consuming than cupcakes, mostly because I get all OCD about decorated my cupcakes.
But anyway, this pie is so so so so so so GOOD. It doesn't even have eggs in it either???? I can't wait to make it again, everyone that tried it was in love :)
(the meringue was higher and more amazing the night before, when I made it. But after being in the fridge over night it flattened a little bit. And yes, there is a slice missing...I couldn't wait)
Ingredients:
- 3 cups divided milk
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 6 TBL cornstarch
- 1 cup sweetened flaked coconut (I like it super coco-nutty, I use closer to 2 cups)
- 3 TBL butter
- 1/2 TBL vanilla extract
- 1/2 TBL coconut extract
- 1, 9 inch baked pie shell
- meringue recipe
- extra coconut for garnish
Notes:
- You can use just 1 TBL of vanilla extract if you do not have coconut.
- I used Wilton's meringue powder...it is hassle free, and chances of messing it up are very slim ;)
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In saucepan combine 2 cups of milk, sugar and salt
- Bring to a boil over medium heat
- Meanwhile, combine 1 cup of milk and cornstarch in a bowl, mix well, then add to saucepan
- Stir mixture occasionally until mixture thickens
- Once thick, add coconut, butter, vanilla extract and coconut extract
- Cook until mixture is thick again
- Pour into pie shell, I like to put it in the fridge while I work on my meringue
- Once meringue is made, pour onto the pie, add coconut
- Bake until coconut is toasted and brown and meringue is light brown around the edges
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Banana Split Cupcakes
Seriously. These might have beaten the PB&J. Pat seems to be stuck deciding which one is better, and so far he has ALWAYS gone with PB&J as being far superior to any cupcake/treat. I am actually just going
to link to the site I found them on for the recipe, because it was such an amazing recipe that I didn't tweak it and make it my own( I even decorated them almost the same because they were perfect!). Normally if I don't already have the recipe for something, I google a few recipes, and kind of merge them into what I think would be the best tasting to me. I didn't do that with this one. And I have to warn ya'll, this recipe IS NOT EASY. If you are a new baker, beware. It is not easy, and it is a longggg one. I actually made the cakes and the custard filling the night before, then in the morning hollowed the cakes out, filled em', iced and dipped em. The custard in the middle is spectacular.
There are a few notes I can add about this recipe that may help if this the original seems too scary.
1. You can use your standard american buttercream frosting instead of the "classic" on that blog. I am 100% certain it would be just as delicious and way easier for you too.
2. If the chocolate dip is intimidating (I understand!), you can just use chocolate wafer melts. It will be just as delicious and not scary. PLUS, if you have never made this sort of thing, and go through the entire process with the cakes, and the custard, etc, and mess up on the chocolate dip that would totally suck!3. DON'T cheat on the custard. Just don't even think about it.
Recipe:
BANANA SPLIT HEAVEN
So there are some tips for those of you that are either afraid of this recipe, or just don't have the time or patience to make these, because you really do need to make them, they are AMAZING.
(And if you have the time and patience or just want to brag about how you slaved for 2 days making them, then don't change the recipe one bit! I didn't and I have no regrets! ha)
Banana was so stoked!
Monday, May 23, 2011
Our new favorite salad.
We like salad in this house. A lot. I am always searching for delicious new salads to try. This one is a keeper, we have seriously eaten this salad almost everyday this week and if I weren't going away for a few days, I am pretty confident we would be eating it EVERY day of this week. It's THAT good. Try it, if you have good taste you'll love it too ;)
Ingredients:
- Mixed greens
- 3-4 pears (I used d'Anjou the first three nights, ran out and then just used Bartlett)
- 5 oz Gorgonzola cheese
- Walnuts (toasted are better, but un-toasted are just as good)
- 2 avocados
- dried cranberries
Vinaigrette:
- 3 TBL red wine vinegar
- 1 TBL Dijon mustard (I used a lil' more)
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (I use a little less)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- I will add that on umm, the third night in a row that we ate this salad, I was feeling a little zany and I added Morning Star "chicken" to it and, yep, still amazing.
And as far as the directions, I'm pretty sure you don't need me to tell you how to throw a salad together!
Ingredients:
- Mixed greens
- 3-4 pears (I used d'Anjou the first three nights, ran out and then just used Bartlett)
- 5 oz Gorgonzola cheese
- Walnuts (toasted are better, but un-toasted are just as good)
- 2 avocados
- dried cranberries
Vinaigrette:
- 3 TBL red wine vinegar
- 1 TBL Dijon mustard (I used a lil' more)
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (I use a little less)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- I will add that on umm, the third night in a row that we ate this salad, I was feeling a little zany and I added Morning Star "chicken" to it and, yep, still amazing.
And as far as the directions, I'm pretty sure you don't need me to tell you how to throw a salad together!
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Peanut Butter and Jelly Cupcakes
Well apparently I have outdone myself. These seem to unanimously be the best cupcake ever. (says the guys Pat works with). I mean they are pretty badass. I have made the ones in the Martha Stewart cupcake book before and they were good, but not THIS good! I found a few different recipes online and merged them together to make what I believe is the best version. I highly recommend making these, you can't go wrong. I mean, who doesn't like PB&J??? You would have to be INSANE!
It's like the delicious sandwich you grew up with, without the soggy bread!
For the cake:
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
- 3 LG eggs
- 1 TBL vanilla
- 3 cups flour
- 1 TBL baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup milk
- whatever jelly/jam you prefer ( I used strawberry)
- Preheat over to 350 degrees
- Cream butter, peanut butter and brown sugar
- Add eggs, 1 at a time
- mix dry ingredients separately
- Add dry ingredients and alternate with milk
- Beat for a few minutes and bake! (about 19-21 minutes)
- After baking, let cool completely
- Once cool, hollow out inside of cake, fill with jelly, and replace the top of the cake
- Makes 24 cupcakes.
For the icing:
- 1/3 cup vegetable shortening
- 1/3 cup butter
- 3/4 cup peanut butter
- 4 cups confectioners sugar
- 4-8 TBL milk
- I add 1-3 first, then add all confectioners sugar.
- Add milk as needed, I used about 7.
I also doubled the icing and I had a ton left..I didn't think just this recipe would be enough, but doubling is too much...you could either just make this recipe, and pipe sparingly or double it and use the left over for another treat you wanna make!!
Enjoy!
Fun times.
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