tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90856561478570131392023-11-15T11:19:19.960-05:00Cupcake LoveErinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00844967151300709580noreply@blogger.comBlogger32125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9085656147857013139.post-86423412649939717432009-05-19T11:55:00.001-04:002009-05-19T11:56:48.743-04:00Summertime!<span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Hello, blogging world! Yes, I'm still here -- I've graduated from college and I'm still attempting to unwind and recover from the past month. I have plenty of updates looming and they will be coming soon. </span>Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00844967151300709580noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9085656147857013139.post-89109969694350021882009-03-16T17:21:00.005-04:002009-03-19T10:57:46.539-04:00My first attempt at bagels!<span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;">I'm a big fan of good breakfast food, but I'm not talking cereal and toast. Give me pancakes, bacon, fruit & yogurt, hashbrowns, omelets - any of those make for a very happy breakfast but, unfortunately, aren't suited for a quick breakfast. When I need something quick, filling, and satisfying I go for bagels. I struggle to resist a fresh toasted bagel at work every morning and the temptation of stopping at Tim Horton's for a bagel is always there. That's what drove me toward my first Spring Break culinary undertaking - homemade bagels.</span> <div><div><div><div><br /><div><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 448px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 336px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2009/cooking%20baking/bagel6.jpg" border="0" /></span><br /><div><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">My mom was incredibly skeptical and my dad laughed at me [as usual], but I felt like they had every right to react in those ways. I'm not very experienced when it comes to working with yeast and who decides to make bagels at home? Well let me say this - I showed them! I'm definitely impressed with my finished product. Sure, they weren't as fluffy as your typical bagel, but they were delicious and had a great texture & flavor! While a bit time consuming, they weren't really that difficult to make either and I will definitely do it again. Mom and Dad enjoyed them simply toasted with butter and jelly [it always has to be Knott's at our house - my dad is a serious addict] but I used mine to make a delicious fried egg sandwich with a little cheese. </span></span></div><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><div></span><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;">Bagels!</span></strong></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><em>recipe found at </em></span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><em>Pennies on a Platter</em></span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><em> </em></span></div><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><em><br /><div></em></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">1 tbsp active dry yeast<br />1 tbsp sugar<br />1 3/4 cups water, warm (100-110F)<br />4-5 cups bread flour (not all purpose)<br />1 tbsp salt<br />1 egg, for egg wash </span></div><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /><div>Optional Seasonings:<br />Poppy Seeds<br />Onion Powder<br />Caraway<br />Sesame Seeds<br />Kosher Salt </div><br /><div>In a large bowl [or the bowl of a stand mixer, which I prefer] combine yeast, sugar and water. Let stand for 5 minutes, then stir in the flour and salt. Mix dough thoroughly until it comes together in a large ball, pulling away from the sides of the bowl. Add an additional tablespoon of flour or water, if needed. I think I should have added a little more flour at this point but I was afraid of adding too much, which made my dough sticky. </div><br /><div></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 448px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 336px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2009/cooking%20baking/bagel2.jpg" border="0" /></span></div><div><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></span> </div><div><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">If kneading by hand, turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until very smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. If using a stand mixer [like I did], knead the dough with the dough hook until elastic, about 8 minutes on a low speed. Place dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.<br /></div></div><div><div></div><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 448px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 336px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2009/cooking%20baking/bagel3.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div>When dough has risen, turn the dough out onto a very lightly floured surface and divide into 8 equal pieces (first quarters, then halves). Shape each piece into a tight ball, pinching the corners together at the bottom of the dough. When all the balls are shaped, let the dough rest for 30 minutes covered with a clean dish towel.<br /><br /><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 448px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 336px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2009/cooking%20baking/bagel4.jpg" border="0" /><br />Once dough balls have rested, use your fingers to poke a hole through the center of each dough ball. Stretch out the dough into a ring with your fingers and be sure to make the hole a little larger than you want the finished bagel to have, as it will shrink slightly while the bagel is expanding during the baking process. Let bagels rest for about 10 minutes. </div><br /><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 448px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 336px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2009/cooking%20baking/bagel5.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div>Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a gentle boil and preheat the oven to 400F. I used a deep dish skillet because it’s wider and the bagels need quite a bit of space. Line a baking sheet with paper towels and another baking sheet with parchment paper sprinkled with cornmeal (if you have it - I didn‘t and everything worked out fine without). </div><br /><div>Working two to four bagels at a time (depending on what you can fit into your pot or skillet), drop the bagels carefully into the boiling water. Boil for 2 minutes on each side. Using a slotted spoon or strainer, transfer bagels to the paper towels to drain for a moment, then place on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat process with remaining bagels.<br /><br />Brush boiled bagels with lightly beaten egg (a pastry brush is a good tool for this) and sprinkle with seasonings. Bake for 24 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool completely on a wire rack. Slice and toast to serve.</div><div> </div><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 448px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 336px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2009/cooking%20baking/bagel7.jpg" border="0" /></span></div></div></div></div></div><br /><p><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">I have some more updates coming soon, I promise. I'm in my last 7 weeks or so of college, so I don't have a lot of spare time for blogging. When I do get the time, expect to see bread, cupcakes, and soup!</span></p>Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00844967151300709580noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9085656147857013139.post-56167976411993052092009-01-15T17:19:00.004-05:002009-01-15T17:37:56.263-05:00Chicken Paprikas<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">It's time for a change. I've been posting sweet recipe after sweet recipe and I guess I now feel the need to showcase my cooking chops.<br /><br />Chicken Paprikas is so much more than a meal to me. It is full of memories and makes me feel at home. My gram makes the <span style="font-style: italic;">best</span> chicken paprikas I have ever tasted and, one day, I will get the recipe. I have so many memories of the entire family getting together at Gram's to eat heaping plates of this chicken, served over her homemade spaetzel, and visit with one another. Unfortunately, we've all gotten busier and this tradition has fallen to the wayside but it is one that I have never forgotten.<br /></span></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">One day I was hit with an undeniable craving for this comforting, hearty meal and was quickly on a mission to make some for dinner. Bryce gladly offered up his kitchen, knowing he'd benefit from my </span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">kitchen excursion. I turned to allrecipes.com and sifted through each recipe until I found one that I felt would be a keeper. Boy, was I right. While it wasn't quite Gram's [maybe my memory is a bit biased...], it was exactly what I wanted - rich, creamy, flavorful, and comforting. I served our meal over noodles but I would definitely recommend using spaetzel if possible.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Chicken Paprikas</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">adapted from allrecipes.com - Chicken Paprikas II<br /></span></span></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">2 tablespoons olive oil<br />1 large onion, diced</span></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">3 cloves garlic, diced</span></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">3/4 teaspoon salt<br />1 teaspoon hot sauce<br />3 heaping tablespoons paprika<br />2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes<br />1 cup reduced sodium chicken broth<br />1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes<br />2 tablespoons flour</span></span><br />1 <span style="font-family: verdana;font-size:85%;" >8 ounce container sour cream</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, salt, hot sauce, and </span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">paprika. Stir together and saute until the onions are <a href="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2009/cooking%20baking/paprikas1.jpg">translucent</a>. Add the chicken and cover with the broth [add some water if chicken is not completely covered]. Stir together and <a href="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2009/cooking%20baking/paprikas2.jpg">cook</a> over medium heat for 30 minutes.<br />Stir in tomatoes [if desired - I left them out], reserving the liquid. Stir about half of the liquid from the tomatoes with flour and sour cream in a medium bowl and mix until well blended. Slowly add mixture to the chicken, stirring constantly. Cook until thickened. Serve over noodles, rice, or spaetzel.<br /><br />The dish is simple and delicious, and I highly recommend it!</span></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2009/cooking%20baking/paprikas3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 512px; height: 343px;" src="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2009/cooking%20baking/paprikas3.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2009/cooking%20baking/paprikas4.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 512px; height: 343px;" src="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2009/cooking%20baking/paprikas4.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2009/cooking%20baking/paprikas5.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 512px; height: 343px;" src="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2009/cooking%20baking/paprikas5.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00844967151300709580noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9085656147857013139.post-10733599880355547182009-01-07T13:19:00.006-05:002009-01-07T13:43:09.732-05:00Paula Deen's Cookie Dough Truffles<span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">When my mom told me about this recipe, I thought it would be love at first bite. I'm a cookie dough fanatic and dipping cookie dough in chocolate? Divine! Weeellll...they're okay. They're soft and sweet, but, believe it or not, a little too sweet for me. Now don't get me wrong - I've eaten my fair share of the truffles but I'd rather spend my calories on other cookies. Also, these require a lot of work. I'll stick with kifli if I want a labor intensive cookie.</span><br /><div><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;">Cookie Dough Truffles</span></strong><br /></div><div><em><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;">from the kitchen of Paula Deen</span></em></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;">1/2 cup butter, softened</span><br /></div><div><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;">3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar</span><br /></div><div><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;">1 tsp vanilla extract</span><br /></div><div><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;">2 cups all-purpose flour</span><br /></div><div><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;">1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk</span><br /></div><div><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;">1/2 cup semisweet mini chocolate chips</span><br /></div><div><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;">1 1/2 pounds chocolate bark candy coating, melted</span><br /></div><div><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;">In a large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar with an electic mixer at medium speed until <a href="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2009/cooking%20baking/cdtruffle2.jpg">creamy</a>. Add vanilla and mix. Gradually beat in <a href="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2009/cooking%20baking/cdtruffle3.jpg">flour</a>, then add in the milk. Add in the <a href="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2009/cooking%20baking/cdtruffle4.jpg">chocolate morsels</a>, mixing well. At this point, I put the dough in the freezer for a few hours because the dough is INCREDIBLY sticky.</span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;">Remove the dough from the freezer and shape into 1-inch balls. I coated my hands in <a href="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2009/cooking%20baking/cdtruffle5.jpg">flour</a> before doing so and re-coated between cookie dough balls. Place the balls on waxed paper and freeze for at least 2 hours.</span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;">Melt the chocolate in a double boiler, or in a glass bowl set over a pot of gently simmering water. Using two forks, dip the cookie balls into the chocolate to cover. Place on waxed paper and chill, at least one hour, to set. </span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;">Like I said, these were pretty labor intensive and while I liked trying a new recipe I don't think I would make these again. I also saw another blogger's take on the truffles and she recommened using salted butter, which I think may help cut back on the sweetness.</span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"></span></div><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 416px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 312px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2009/cooking%20baking/cdtruffle6.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Again, no pictures of the finished product. Mine didn't look that great and I'm sure I was up to my elbows in other baking at the moment. Just imagine those, but dipped in dark chocolate [which I think provided a nice, bitter contrast to the sweet dough] and kind of lumpy.</span></div>Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00844967151300709580noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9085656147857013139.post-86044914323325310032009-01-04T19:09:00.003-05:002009-01-04T19:52:14.704-05:00M&M Cookies<span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">These cookies are a Christmas cookie staple in my family's house. Growing up, I always preferred the Tollhouse chocolate chip cookies but these have recently won my heart. They are buttery and soft, and the M&Ms provide a nice, chocolatey crunch. Bryce and I often argue over whose mom makes the best M&M cookies and I will stand by these time and time again. There's something special and different about these cookies which may come from the use of all brown sugar rather than granulated sugar.</span><br /><br /><div><div><div><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"><strong>Chocolate Chipper Champs </strong>[I have no idea why they are called by that name...]</span><br /><em><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;">from the kitchen of my Aunt Colleen</span></em></div><div><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"></span> </div><div><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;">3/4 cup softened butter or margarine</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;">1 1/3 cups packed brown sugar</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;">1 teaspoon vanilla</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;">2 eggs</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;">2 1/4 cups flour</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;">1 teaspoon baking soda</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;">1/2 teaspoon salt</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;">1 cup M&M plain candies, plus some to place on top</span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;">Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Mix brown sugar, butter, vanilla, and eggs in a large bowl until well-blended. Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl, then stir into the butter and sugar mixture. Stir in the M&M candies by hand, then drop by rounded tablespoonfuls about 3 inches apart onto a lightly greased cookie sheet. Press 3 to 5 more M&Ms onto each cookie if desired [do it - this makes the cookies look nicer and gives a little extra chocolate]. Bake until light brown, about 10 to 12 minutes. Cool slightly then remove to a wire rack to cool completely. </span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;">One suggestion - use an ice cream scoop/cookie dough scoop if you have one. This makes things so much easier.</span><br /></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;">I don't have any pictures of the finished product, but I think the cookie dough pictures look good enough.</span></div><br /><br /><div></div><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 512px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 343px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2009/cooking%20baking/mm1.jpg" border="0" /><br /><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 512px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 343px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2009/cooking%20baking/mm3.jpg" border="0" /><br /><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 512px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 343px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2009/cooking%20baking/mm4.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div></div></div></div>Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00844967151300709580noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9085656147857013139.post-26885789165889099332008-12-21T22:06:00.006-05:002008-12-21T22:34:08.734-05:00Christmas Cut-Out Cookies<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">I survived my second-to-last semester of college! I busted my ass this semester and hopefully it'll pay off, but now it's time for me to relax and enjoy myself...which means lots of baking! My mom and I already have a lengthy holiday baking list that includes kifli and apple pie. I was itching to bake since arriving home on Thursday, so I wasted no time and dove into some cut-out cookies.<br />I have so</span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"> many memories of making sugar cookies with my mom when I was younger and I really have missed making them. I can't remember the last time we made some cut-outs and I knew I had to bring them back this year. As much as I enjoy a traditional sugar cookie, I wanted something different. I turned to my cookie book simply titled <span style="font-style: italic;">Cookies</span>, which I purchased this summer but hadn't yet used. The recipe I selected was a sugar heart cut-out recipe, but different slightly from most sugar cookie recipes I've seen. I opted to add cinnamon to my cookies in order to add a little </span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">something extra and it was a great addition. The cinnamon adds a very faint flavor in the backgr</span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">ou</span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">nd and compliments these mild cookies quite well. The texture of the cookies is incredibly light and soft, which <span style="font-family:verdana;">i</span></span><span style="font-family:verdana;">s exactly what I was looking for. I definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a go-to sugar cookie recipe!</span></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sugar Cookies</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">adapted from Cookies</span><br /><br />3 cups all-purpose flour<br />1/2 teaspoon baking powder<br />1/2 teaspoon salt</span></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">1 cup butter, softened<br />1 cup sugar</span></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">1 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract [I used my vanilla bean paste]</span></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">1/4 cup half-and-half</span></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">1 large egg + 1 large egg yolk<br />1/2 teaspoon cinnamon [that's an estimate - I eyeballed it]<br /><br />Mix the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl. Beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium until creamy. Add the vanilla and half-and-half; beat to combine. Add the egg and egg yolk, beating until just blended. Mix in the dry ingredients gradually, scraping down the bowl after each addition.<br />Divide the dough in half. Press into disks, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least one hour </span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">(overnight would be preferable). </span></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Roll out on</span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">e</span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"> of the disks on a lightly floured surface to 1/4 inch thick. Cut out the cookies and transfer to the </span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">prepared cookie sheets, placing them 2 inches apart. Repeat with the remaining dough. Bake until just golden, about 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer to racks and let cool completely before frosting.<br /><br />I wanted to find the perfect icing recipe, so I turned to allrecipes.com and found an awesome glaze. This glaze tends to set up between cookies, so make sure you stir it between uses. It dries hard enough for stacking cookies and stays vibrant and shiny after drying. I don't recommend using wax paper between the layers [only stack after completely dried!], as it tends to take away some of the color. Also, do not refrigerate after icing - this leads to condensation and it will ruin the icing.</span></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sugar Cookie Glaze</span></span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">adapted from allrecipes.com</span><br /></span></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">2 1/2 cups powdered sugar [add more if you'd like a thicker glaze]<br />2 tbsp light corn syrup<br />4 tbsp water<br />a splash of vanilla or almond extract will give the icing a little more "oomph" and I recommend that<br />food coloring of your liking<br /></span></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Mix 'em all up and go to town! I dipped a lot of mine, but if you make yours thick enough you can spread the icing. I also tried to do some piping but that was just a giant mess. You may be more successful with that than I was ;p</span></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/christmas%20baking/1220cookies4.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 448px; height: 336px;" src="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/christmas%20baking/1220cookies4.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/christmas%20baking/1220cookies5.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 448px; height: 336px;" src="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/christmas%20baking/1220cookies5.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/christmas%20baking/1220cookies7.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 448px; height: 336px;" src="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/christmas%20baking/1220cookies7.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/christmas%20baking/1220cookies8.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 448px; height: 336px;" src="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/christmas%20baking/1220cookies8.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/christmas%20baking/1220cookies11.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 448px; height: 336px;" src="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/christmas%20baking/1220cookies11.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></span>Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00844967151300709580noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9085656147857013139.post-14411036204326188352008-12-20T23:04:00.004-05:002008-12-20T23:08:17.154-05:00Coming soon...<span style="font-family: verdana;font-size:85%;" >Christmas cookies! I already made my first batch, sugar cookies! Here's a teaser, but I'll post a full write-up and better photos tomorrow.</span><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/cookieteaser.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 418px; height: 311px;" src="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/cookieteaser.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></span></div>Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00844967151300709580noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9085656147857013139.post-55452447866072236532008-11-15T18:16:00.002-05:002008-11-15T18:18:42.874-05:00Apologies [again]<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Do I still have any readers? Did I ever have any readers? Well, if you're still there so am I! School is a nightmare right now. I may have a chance to do some blogging once I turn in my first term paper this coming Monday, but chances are that won't happen. I have Thanksgiving break quicly approaching which should involve my first pie from scratch and my stuffing! Now, just because the word "break" appears in that sentence doesn't mean I'll have free time. I have exams to study for and another paper to write during that time, so if I'm being honest here...I may not have the chance to blog again until the middle of December. So, thank you if anyone is still out there checking up on this and I'll eventually have more fun recipes to post.<br /></span></span>Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00844967151300709580noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9085656147857013139.post-86167761941386943332008-10-23T12:43:00.005-04:002008-10-23T13:16:35.400-04:00Baking for Breast Cancer Awareness<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">It's been a little over a month since I last posted and I apologize. School and work and interning and traveling have kept me incredibly busy. On top of having very little time, I'm having some computer issues which make it difficult for me to upload pictures and stay online for long periods of time. Anyway, let's move on...</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/blogawareevent.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 299px;" src="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/blogawareevent.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">I saw this blogging event on <a href="http://foodgawker.com/">Foodgawker</a> and immediately knew that I had to participate. <a href="http://cilantroandlime.blogspot.com/">Cilantro and Lime</a> is hosting <a href="http://cilantroandlime.blogspot.com/2008/10/baking-for-breast-cancer-awareness.html">this event</a> in order to raise awareness of breast cancer. Breast cancer is, worldwide, the second most common type of cancer and ranks fifth in cancer deaths. One very interesting fact concerning breast cancer is that it affects both men and women [well, maybe this is common knowledge but I didn't really expect it to be].</span><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br />The reason I was so adamant about participating in this event is my experiences with cancer. My mom has spent quite a few years working in the billing office of a cancer center and, because of that, I have been able to spend my past 4 summers and winters helping around the office. So, for a number of years, I've been exposed to cancer in that sense. More directly, cancer has affected both sides of my family. My Uncle Wayne [my mom's oldest brother] was diagnosed with throat cancer about...4 or 5 years ago. This came as a huge blow to the family. How could thi</span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">s </span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">happen to Uncle Wayne? He doesn't drink, he doesn't smoke...he doesn't deserve this. My uncle sought treatment at the cancer center mom and I work at and, thank God, has been clear of cancer for a good 3 years or so. He goes back every year for a follow-up and so far, so good.</span><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Sadly, our other family encounter with cancer does not have such a happy ending. Later during that same year that my Uncle Wayne was diagnosed, my Aunt Connie [my dad's oldest sister] was diagnosed with breast cancer. Again, we were all shocked. Two family members in the same year? Unbelievable. Aunt Connie was initially treated at the same cancer center and th</span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">en went to receive treatments elsewhere. I never heard much else about how she was doing, mainly due to poor family relationships with that side of the family, and I guess I just assumed she was recovering. </span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">It wasn't until this past summer that things really went downhill, and fast. We got news that Au</span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">nt Connie was struggling and the treatments weren't working. To make a very long story somewhat shorter, she was eventually placed in hospice care. My dad spent every day over there and for at least a month I hardly saw my father. I was so amazed by his dedication and his willingness to do whatever Aunt Connie wanted. The cancer had spread to at least her bones and her lungs, and she soon could hardly speak. My Uncle Chad flew in from Florida and spent at least a month here, and all her brothers and sisters and her 5 children did all they could to make her comfortable. On August 9th, I returned home from a trip to Myrtle Beach and B</span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">ryce accompanied me [a friend of mine was getting married that day]. Around 2 in the morning on August 10th, I heard the phone ring and shortly after, my dad was up and in the kitchen. He knew this was going to be his last time with her and he spent that night at the hospice center. She passed away around 4:00 AM an</span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">d her pain was finally gone.<br /></span><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">I apologize if that was too long or too personal, but that's my story and that's why I'm doing this. I wanted to bake something fun, something different. After some brainstorming with Bryce and <a href="http://emmassweets.blogspot.com/">Amy</a>, I came up with cupcakes with pink frosting bras. I picked a recipe from our family Best of Cooking Light cookbook and frosted them with my favorite frosting recipe, tinted pink with my Wilton gels.<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/1015cakes1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 311px; height: 232px;" src="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/1015cakes1.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">I'm slightly pressed for time, so I'll post a link to the recipe. The only changes I made were I omitted the breadcrumbs and I baked the recipe as cupcakes, so I checked on them after about 10 minutes and used my judgment past that point.<br /></span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><a href="http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=665477">Brown Sugar Pound Cake</a><br /><br /><b style="font-family: verdana;">Frosting</b><br /></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" >1 cup milk</span><span style="font-family:verdana;"> </span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" >5 tablespoons flour</span><span style="font-family:verdana;"> </span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" >1 cup sugar<br />1 cup butter<br />1 teaspoon vanilla</span><br /></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" > <span style="font-size:85%;">In a saucepan, combine the milk and flour. Cook over low heat, stirring <span style="font-style: italic;">constantly</span> until mixture thickens. Now, I wasn't sure how thick this meant, but you'll know. It gets really, really thick. Set aside to cool completely. Cream together butter, sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy, then stir in cooled milk mixture. Beat until icing reaches a nice spreading consistency.<br /></span><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-family:verdana;">These cupcakes had a great texture: dense and moist. They were the perfect sweetness and I think the frosting complemented the cake nicely. I would definitely like to make this recipe again but perhaps in a loaf pan and with a glaze rather than frosting.</span><br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/1015cakes2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 334px; height: 250px;" src="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/1015cakes2.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/1015cakes6.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 333px; height: 248px;" src="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/1015cakes6.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" ><br /></span></span>Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00844967151300709580noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9085656147857013139.post-68445519466536893392008-09-16T12:55:00.005-04:002008-09-16T13:02:49.565-04:00Granola Bars<span style="font-family: verdana;font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" >Yes, I am still alive and baking.<span style=""> </span>Sadly, school has started and my senior of college has not been kind so far.<span style=""> </span>My days are jam-packed between classes, interning at an elementary school, and working two part-time jobs.<span style=""> </span>I still find time to bake, using my friend Amy’s kitchen and my boyfriend’s kitchen, but I’m not quite finding the time to post.<span style=""> </span>Honestly, I shouldn’t be posting this right now.<span style=""> </span>I have to read a book for class tomorrow and haven’t quite opened it…<span style=""> </span>Oh well, I survived my first At</span><span style="font-family: verdana;font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" >ypical Child Psychology exam [yikes!] and am rewarding myself with the revival of my blog!</span> <p style="font-family: verdana;font-family:verdana;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;"><o:p> </o:p>I’m an avid reader of the blog <a href="http://cathlincooks.blogspot.com/">Cathlin Cooks</a> and I especially love how she usually tries to put a healthy twist on all of her cooking and baking.<span style=""> </span>I’m always up for trying something new and when I saw these granola bars, I knew that would be my new recipe to tackle.<span style=""> </span>The only problem was…I don’t own a kitchen scale.<span style=""> </span>I know, right?<span style=""> </span>How dare I?!<span style=""> </span>Well, Cathlin was kind enough to make these bars again and measure out the weighed ingredients, providing me with a recipe I could handle.<span style=""> </span>Thank you so much, Cathlin!<span style=""> </span>I really appreciated it and these granola bars were delicious!</span></p><p style="font-family: verdana;font-family:verdana;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">Granola Bars</span></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" ><br />from Cathlin Cooks</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span></p> <p style="font-family: verdana;font-family:verdana;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;"><o:p></o:p>2 1/3 cups rolled oats<br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;">1/3 cup flour<br />½ cup vegetable oil<br />¾ cup honey<br />¼ cup brown sugar<br />2-3 tablespoons peanut butter<br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;">1 cup shredded, unsweetened coconut<br />1 1/3 cups assorted nuts and seeds<br />1 1/3 cups assorted dried fruit, cut up to the size of sunflower seeds</span></p> <span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><p style="font-family: verdana;font-family:verdana;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;"><o:p></o:p>Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking pan with parchment paper.<br />Roughly chop nuts and fruit into pieces about the size of a sunflower seed.<span style=""> </span>Place in a bowl with oats, coconut, and flour, and stir together until combined.<br />Slightly heat honey in a pot on the stove, then add sugar, peanut butter, and oil, and whisk together</span><span style="font-size:85%;"> thoroughly.<span style=""> </span>Pour wet into a well in the dry mixture and combine.<span style=""> </span>If it doesn’t stick together well add more honey.<span style=""> </span><br />Dump into the prepared pan.<span style=""> </span>Wet hands with cold water and using a spoon and hands, pack mixture flat into the pan.<span style=""> </span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />Bake for 25 to 35 minutes.<span style=""> </span>During baking, use spoon or spatula to press down mixture every 10 or 15 minutes.<span style=""> </span>Allow to cool for 15 to 20 minutes after baking and then remove from pan.<span style=""> </span>Using a sharp knife, cut into bars and store in an airtight container for up to two weeks.</span></p><p style="font-family: verdana;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/granolabars1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/granolabars1.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></span></p> <span style="font-family: verdana;font-size:85%;" >For my bars, I used some toasted, sliced almonds and dried apricots, peaches, </span><span style="font-family: verdana;font-size:85%;" >and cherries.<span style=""> </span>Yum!<span style=""> </span>The flavors work together so well and the bars were just the right texture for me, nice and chewy!<span style=""> </span>It’s also nice to have a simple, easy to make recipe when I’m relying on a very ill-equipped kitchen.<span style=""> </span>Now, don’t get me wrong…I very much appreciate having Bryce’s kitchen at my disposal.<span style=""> </span>It’s just hard to use a pot as a mixing bowl and a metal serving spoon as my mixer when I have been spoiled with a Kitchen Aid mixer and an assortment of tools.<span style=""> </span>Anyway, I definitely recommend this recipe and I will hopefully make it in the near future!</span><p face="verdana" class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/granolabars3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/granolabars3.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></p><p face="verdana" class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00844967151300709580noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9085656147857013139.post-30853166360129857902008-09-01T21:39:00.004-04:002008-09-01T22:28:40.735-04:00Vanilla Peach Cupcakes<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">As I stated in an <a href="http://erindoescupcakes.blogspot.com/2008/08/cherry-berry-oatmeal-bars.html">earlier entry</a>, I love summer fruit. And while blackberries and cherries are great, peaches are my absolute favorite. During high school, some of my best summer days were spent with a good friend of mine on her family's fruit farm. We'd spend hours outside picking blueberries and raspberries, only to come inside and dive into a pile of ripe, sweet peaches. The Schmitkon's family farm grows, hands down, THE BEST peaches I have ever tasted in my life. The peaches are always incredibly sweet, juicy, and, at times, GIGANTIC! This summer, I had originally planned to make a pie with my box of peaches. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to pick up the peaches until the end of my summer and didn't have the time to make a pie. Instead I opted to make my go-to vanilla cupcakes with a little summer twist -- fresh peaches tossed into the batter!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Vanilla Peach Cupcakes</span></span></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-style: italic;">adapted from Billy's Vanilla Vanilla cupcake recipe</span></span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">1 3/4 cups cake flour [NOT the self-rising type]</span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/822cupcake1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/822cupcake1.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour<br />2 cups sugar<br />1 tablespoon baking powder<br />3/4 teaspoon salt<br />1 cup [2 sticks] unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes<br />4 large eggs<br />1 cup whole milk [I used 2%]</span></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract [or vanilla bean paste!]<br />2 medium peaches, skin removed, finely chopped<br /></span></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit and line cupcake pans with paper liners; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine flours, sugar, baking powder, and salt; mix on low speed until combined. Add butter, mixing until <span style="font-style: italic;">just</span> coated with flour.<br />In a large measuring cup, whisk together eggs, milk, and vanilla. With mixer on medium speed, add wet ingredients in 3 parts, scraping down sides of bowl before each addition. Beat until ingredients are incorporated but do not overbeat. Gently fold in peaches.<br />Divide batter evenly among liners, filling about two-thirds full. Bake, rotating pan halfway through, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (about 17 to 20 minutes). Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">For the frosting, I turned to my favorite frosting which came from a <a href="http://erindoescupcakes.blogspot.com/2008/07/fourth-of-july-cupcakes.html">red velvet</a> recipe. I added orange Wilton gel dye to make the frosting a fun, summery color to compliment my summery cupcakes! Some flower-shaped sprinkles added a nice finishing touch.<br /><br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/822cupcake2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/822cupcake2.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">I brought most of the cupcakes down to OWU with me and shared with my friends. These treats received rave reviews from everyone, especially those at the cookout I stopped by on my second night back.<br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/822cupcake4.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/822cupcake4.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></span>Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00844967151300709580noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9085656147857013139.post-61378818355868518242008-08-24T16:22:00.004-04:002008-08-24T16:55:04.739-04:00Three Cheese Macaroni and Cheese<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">If you know me, it is likely you know how much I love cheese. I love to have my pizza piled high with extra cheese and any sort of grilled sandwich with ooey-gooey cheese on it is a winner in my book. There are times I have to control myself at the grocery store and resist the temptation to buy a bag of cubed cheese. So, as you could guess from all of this, I loooove macaroni and cheese. Unfortunately, that usually doesn't fit in with the whole idea of "healthy eating", which is what I've made an effort to do this summer.</span></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">As I was browsing our latest issue of <span style="font-style: italic;">Cooking Light</span>, my eyes fell upon a recipe for three cheese mac and cheese. Oh my gosh. Words cannot effectively explain my excitement. Not only would this be a healthier version of one of my favorite foods, but I had been itching to make so</span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">me mac and cheese [<span style="font-style: italic;">not</span> from a box] all summer. My sister was the test subject for the recipe and she loved it! Jenna can be a little picky about her food, so I wasn't sure how she'd feel about a macaroni and cheese with</span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"> onion and "fancy" cheese. Considering that she ate about a third of it in one sitting, I think it's safe to say it was a hit with her. My dad finished off the leftovers the following night and approved of the recipe as well.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Three Cheese Macaroni and Cheese</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">from Cooking Light magazine</span></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/820macandcheese2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/820macandcheese2.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">1 teaspoon olive oil</span></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">1 cup finely chopped onion [about 1 medium onion]<br />2 tablespoons flour<br />1 garlic clove, minced<br />1 1/2 cups low-fat 1% milk<br />1 bay leaf<br />1/2 cup [2 ounces] Gruyere cheese [the original recipe calls for</span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"> Gorgonzola but I wasn't feeling that]<br />3/4 cup [3 ounces] grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, divided<br />1/4 teaspoon salt<br />2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni [I used a different tube pasta]</span></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">cooking spray<br />2/3 cup [about 2.5 ounces] shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese<br />2/3 cup panko [Japanese breadcrumbs]<br />freshly ground black pepper<br /></span></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion to pan; <a href="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/820macandcheese1.jpg">cook 8 minutes or until tender</a>, stirring occasionally. Add flour and garlic; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in milk and bay leaf; bring to a boil. Cook 2 minutes or until thick, stirring constantly with a whisk. Add Gruyere, 1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, and salt; stir until cheeses melt. Discard bay leaf.</span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Preheat oven to 375°.</span> </span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Cook pasta in boiling water 5 minutes or until almost tender; drain well. Add pasta to cheese mixture, stirring well. Place about 1/2 of pasta mixture into an 8-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle evenly with mozzarella. Top evenly with remaining pasta mixture. Combine remaining 1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano and panko; sprinkle evenly over pasta mixture. Spray lightly with cooking spray; sprinkle with black pepper. Bake at 375° for 35 minutes or until heated.<br /><br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/820macandcheese3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/820macandcheese3.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/820macandcheese4.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/820macandcheese4.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/820macandcheese5.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/820macandcheese5.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00844967151300709580noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9085656147857013139.post-2268853079180501112008-08-20T18:52:00.003-04:002008-08-20T19:43:20.814-04:00Blackberry Pound Cake<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">As I mentioned in an earlier entry, I was fortunate enough to receive some delicious, fresh <a href="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/812poundcake1.jpg">blackberries</a> from a coworker at Decidedly Different. While I had some ideas, I decided to browse our newest cookbook -- <span style="font-style: italic;">The Best of Cooking Light</span>. I found so many delicious berry recipes in the dessert section and I wasn't quite sure which one to use. I was leaning toward trying a blackberry angel food cake, but that called for 12 egg whites and I didn't quite feel like using all of our eggs. The recipe I finally decided on is originally for a blueberry pound cake and I simply subbed in blackberries for the blueberries. I could not be happier with the outcome. This recipe yields a moist and flavorful cake that's perfect for the summer.</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Blackberry Pound Cake</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">taken from The Best of Cooking Light</span></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/812poundcake6.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/812poundcake6.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">2 cups granulated sugar<br />1/2 cup light butter, softened [I used regular unsalted butter]<br />1/2 cup [4 ounces] 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened<br />3 large eggs</span></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">1 large egg white<br />3 cups all-purpose flour, divided<br />2 cups fresh or frozen blackberries</span></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">1 teaspoon baking powder</span></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">1/2 teaspoon baking soda<br />1/2 teaspoon salt<br />1 [8-ounce] carton lemon low-fat yogurt<br />2 teaspoons vanilla extract<br />cooking spray<br />1/2 cup powdered sugar</span></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">4 teaspoons lemon juice<br /></span></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.</span></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Beat sugar, butter, and cream cheese at medium speed until <a href="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/812poundcake2.jpg">well blended</a> [about 5 minutes]. Add eggs and egg white, one at a time, beating well after each addition.<br />Measure out your flour, and then take 2 tablespoons of flour from the 3 cups and combine with blackberries in a small bowl, tossing well.<br /><br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/812poundcake3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/812poundcake3.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br />Combine remaining flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture alternately with yogurt, beginning and ending with flour mixture.<br />Fold in <a href="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/812poundcake4.jpg">blackberries and vanilla</a>; pour cake bater into 10-inch tube pan coated with cooking spray. Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted into the cente</span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">r comes out clean.<br /></span></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">The last part is the part I strayed from. We, somehow, do not own a tube pan or a bundt pan or anything or the sort. Well, shoot. So what did I do? I busted out my new mini fluted cake pans and muffin pans and made some mini cakes! I believe these baked for 35-40 minutes but I could be very, very wrong. Do not take my word for it. Keep an eye on your cakes if you decide to use a different pan to make sure they don't overcook.<br /></span></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/812poundcake5.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/812poundcake5.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Cool your cake in the pan for 10 to 15 minutes and then remove. Combine powdered sugar and lemon juice, and drizzle over the warm cake.<br /><br /><br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/812poundcake9.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/812poundcake9.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00844967151300709580noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9085656147857013139.post-44279363596041860532008-08-13T21:58:00.003-04:002008-08-13T22:42:19.515-04:00Cherry Berry Oatmeal Bars<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">I keep trying to find a way to start this entry and I'm failing miserably, so we'll start this way -- I love me some berries and cherries. Summer fruit is my favorite. Cherries, strawberries, blackberries...I want 'em all. Imagine my delight to find a recipe in Cooking Light this summer for Cherry Berry Jam. All the recipe calls for is cherries, berries, lemon juice, and sugar. I decided to give it a whirl and it turned out pretty well. I should have let the jam simmer for a little while longer, but I'm ridiculously impatient and that resulted in a pretty thin jam that I now refer to as a spread. After using the deliciousness for the topping on our breakfast toast for two weeks straight we <span style="font-style: italic;">still</span> had a ton of the jam left over. I turned to <a href="http://community.livejournal.com/bakebakebake">BakeBakeBake</a> for some help and found this recipe.<br /><br /></span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Cherry Berry Oatmeal Bars</span></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/722oatmeal5.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/722oatmeal5.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">1 cup whole wheat flour [all-purpose would work, also, but I had to</span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"> use up my wheat flour]<br />1 cup rolled oats</span></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">1/4 cup brown sugar<br />pinch of salt<br />1/4 teaspoon baking soda<br />4-5 tablespoons of butter<br /></span></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><br />Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and grease a 9x9 inch baking pan. Combine flour, oats, sugar, salt, and baking soda. Cut in the cold butter until a <a href="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/722oatmeal1.jpg">crumbly mixture</a> is formed. Press 2/3 of the mixture into the bottom of the pan. Spread as much jam as you would like over the bottom layer, but be sure to leave a <a href="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/722oatmeal3.jpg">1/4 inch edge</a> so the jam doesn't bubble over the topping. Sprinkle the remaining mixture over the jam and press lightly into jam. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack.</span></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br />These were good. Not phenomenal, but definitely not bad. They were very tasty warm but I actually preferred them a day or more later. The bars took on a chewier texture and held together much better than on the first day. I would be more enthusiastic about these bars but I much prefer cakes and brownies than something like this. <span style="font-style: italic;">But</span> if you have some extra jam or jelly or whatever to use up I would recommend these oatmeal bars. They make a nice, light alternative to heavier and more decadent desserts...and they're healthier!<br /><br /><br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/722oatmeal7.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/722oatmeal7.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></span>Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00844967151300709580noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9085656147857013139.post-18952373174680514582008-08-11T23:44:00.003-04:002008-08-11T23:58:07.633-04:00Quite the dilema...<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">One of my amazing women I work with at a small, local coffee shop has a blackberry bush in her backyard. Apparently, she is up to her neck in blackberries and is trying to get rid of some. She brought a bowl of the berries into work today and told me that she knew I would love to bake with the berries and I could return the bowl when finished. It's as if she read my mind! Before she finished her sentence, I had already begun thinking of all sorts of goodies to bake. Once I got home, I thumbed through our new Cooking Light cookbook to find a potential muffin or cake recipe. A couple caught my eye, so now I have to make the big decision: which will I bake tomorrow?<br /><br />...Okay I made that sound more epic and trying than it really is. I'm basically deciding between a blackberry pound cake in cupcake or mini cake form or a blackberry lemon muffin. Considering I recently [well, a few weeks ago] made blueberry muffins, I may try the cake, but I wanted some opinions first. So, let me know what you think! Which should be my next baking adventure? Also, your own recipe suggestions are welcome! I'm always open to new ideas.<br /><br />Coming soon: oatmeal bars with homemade fruit spread!<br /></span></span>Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00844967151300709580noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9085656147857013139.post-28516552544106416672008-08-10T18:51:00.001-04:002008-08-10T18:52:53.110-04:00<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I'm still here, for any of you who still read or lurk or what have you. I've been very busy the past few weeks with work and vacation. I'll hopefully be posting again soon.<br /></span></span>Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00844967151300709580noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9085656147857013139.post-34237413899409566642008-07-26T23:37:00.004-04:002008-07-27T00:46:09.184-04:00Bryce's Favorite Brownies<span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;">My boyfriend loves to eat. And when Bryce really loves something, he can eat ungodly amounts of it. I have seen this boy put away an entire pizza by himself, no problem. One of his favorite places to go out for dinner is Quaker Steak and Lube <span style="font-style: italic;">but</span> only on a Tuesday night when he can gorge himself on all you can eat wings. Oh, and he's a 6 foot 5 [though he'll insist he's 6 foot 4 because, well, that's how tall Superman is] gangly boy and weighs about as much as I do. I don't think I need to say this, but I will anyway -- I'm jealous.<br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/trackmeet8.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/trackmeet8.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;">He's going to kill me for posting that, haha. I'd have to starve myself to be anywhere near that thin. Damn metabolism... Anyway, as I was saying, Bryce tends to eat disgustingly huge quantities of food when he really loves something. These brownies are one of those dear loves of his. I promise you that this boy could finish off the entire tray of brownies in two or three days. Unfortunately for him, my dad would fight him for these brownies.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Bryce's Favorite Double Chocolate Brownies</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">found at <a href="http://www.recipezaar.com/87925">recipezaar.com</a></span></span></span><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;">2/3 cup butter</span></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;">1 1/2 cups sugar</span></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;">1/4 cup water<br />4 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided [honestly, I use 2 cups plus whatever I feel like adding]<br />2 teaspoons vanilla<br />4 eggs<br />1 1/2 cups flour<br />1/2 teaspoon baking soda<br />1/2 teaspoon salt<br /><br />Preheat your oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit and grease a 13x9 inch baking pan.</span></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;">In a heavy saucepan, bring butter, sugar, and water to a boil, stirring constantly until butt</span></span><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;">er is</span></span><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;"> melted and sugar is completely dissolved [this should take about 3 or 4 minutes]. Remove from the heat and stir in 2 cups of the chocolate chips, with a wooden spoon, until melted completely. Cool slightly and then beat in the vanilla. I used my amazing vanilla bean paste, but vanilla extract works just as well.<br /><br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/716brownies2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/716brownies2.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/716brownies3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/716brownies3.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">In a mixing bowl, whisk the eggs. Once the <a href="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/716brownies1.jpg">chocolate mixture</a> has cooled, gradually add the mixture to the eggs, beating with a wooden spoon until completely mixed.<br />Mix together flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to the egg/chocolate mixture and mix well to combine. Stir in the remaining chocolate chips. I like to use the itty-bitty mini chocolate chips, but regular ones or chocolate chunks would work, as well.<br /><br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/716brownies6.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/716brownies6.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Spread your batter into the prepared baking pan and bake for 35 to 40 minutes. DO NOT OVERBAKE! I usually go by eye on this, but you could do the little toothpick test for good measure. Let the brownies cool on a rack [in the pan, of course] and then cut into squares and promptly devour.<br /><br />Now this time around, I used some of my new bakeware that I purchased at some kitchen outlets in Pennsylvania. I also used my mini cupcake tins and make, well, mini cupcake brownie things.<br /><br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/716brownies9.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/716brownies9.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;">While it was fun to use my new pans and the cupcake-shaped-brownies were cute, everyone preferred the brownies baked in the 9x13 pan. When baked in the pan, the brownies are so much more dense and chewy which is how I prefer my brownies. Bryce agreed and also prefers the bar brownies because he can help himself to larger pieces of the dessert. Typical. Well I'm sure he'll be glad to know that I plan on making another batch of these decadent brownies before I head down to meet up with his family before we all leave for vacation.<br /><br /><br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/716brownies8.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/716brownies8.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00844967151300709580noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9085656147857013139.post-24756772617830473312008-07-22T15:26:00.004-04:002008-07-22T15:52:01.877-04:00Hot Chocolate S'mores Cookies<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">I have so much blogging to do, it is absolutely ridiculous. Well...I guess it only seems that way. Anyway, about a little over a week ago I read about a cookie contest that was being held by our local library. I got ridiculously excited and knew I had to enter something in the contest. There was one small problem...entries were due the following day by 4:00. I, of course, wouldn't let that get in my way and hurried over to my laptop to find a quick, tasty, yet creative recipe. After searching through pages of bookmarked recipes I finally decided on a cookie I had made this past winter: the hot chocolate cookie. This cookie uses hot cocoa mix in place of cocoa powder, which gives them a distinct taste. I also wanted to find a way to make them less like a Christmas cookie and more like something that could be seem as "summery". Hmmm...chocolate...marshmallow...I know! Add some graham crackers! I crushed up some grahams and added the crumbs on top of the marshmallow and turned these into Hot Chocolate S'mores cookies.</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Hot Chocolate S'mores Cookies<br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;">adapted from Land O Lakes, found at novice-baker.blogspot.com</span></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;font-size:85%;" > 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/710cookies1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/710cookies1.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;font-size:85%;" >1 cup instant hot chocolate mix [any flavor works, but dark chocolate has been my favorite]<br />1 teaspoon baking soda<br />1/2 teaspoon salt<br />12 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened<br />1/2 cup granulated sugar<br />2 large eggs<br />1/4 cup milk</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;font-size:85%;" >1 teaspoon vanilla</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;font-size:85%;" >about 24 marshmallows, cut in half crosswise<br />about 3 full graham cracker rectangles [I hope that makes sense]<br /><br />Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.<br />In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa mix, baking soda, and salt.<br />In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until creamy. Add the eggs one at a time and mix until well combined after each. Mix in milk and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients and mix just until combined.</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;font-size:85%;" >Using a teaspoon or a teaspoon cookie scoop, drop the dough onto parchment lined baking she</span><span style="font-family: verdana;font-size:85%;" >ets. Bake until the cookies are set [when touched lightly, and indentation remains and the cookie does not spring back], about 7 or 8 minutes. Remove and carefully place a marshmallow, cut side down, in the center of each cookie. I ended up cutting both ends of the marshmallows and then cutting down the middle, which provided me with a sticky surface for my graham cracker crumbs. If using the cracker crumbs, sprinkle on top of the marshmallow halves after placing them on cookies. Place back in the oven and keep baking until marshmallow begins to look puffy [about 1 to 2 minutes]. Remove from oven and let cookies sit on the cookie sheet for 1 minute before removing to cooling racks.<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/710cookies2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/710cookies2.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">The cookies turned out great. Not quite...s'moresy, but very tasty. They have a very soft, cakey texture and are even better when they're eaten warm. Mmmm, gooey marshmallow. So how did they do at the cookie contest? Everyone got ridiculously excited when I brought them in, some declaring that I should already get first place. Talk about an ego boost, haha. I came back the next morning to check things out. I was a little disappointed...I didn't place in the top three. BUUUUT, I did walk away with a ribbon for the best decorated cookie. I had a lot of fun doing this and it was a fun first baking contest. Plus, all the money raised in the subsequent bake sale went to a foundation to help end childhood hunger.<br /><br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/710cookies3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/710cookies3.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">What's up next? My boyfriend's favorite double chocolate brownies!</span></span>Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00844967151300709580noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9085656147857013139.post-7211163218996828562008-07-12T13:30:00.003-04:002008-07-12T13:53:13.406-04:00Pina Colada Muffins<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">I believe I first saw this recipe at <a href="http://community.livejournal.com/bakebakebake">BakeBakeBake</a>. It sounded like such a delicious muffin and knew I would have to try it. Lo and behold, a couple days later our counter top was littered with some overripe bananas! Perfect! I made these muffins Monday evening and I found it incredibly funny that I woke up that morning to find a version of these muffins posted on <a href="http://cathlincooks.blogspot.com/">Cathlin Cooks</a>. I loooove her blog. She always has great recipes and pictures, and makes an effort to healthy-fy [I love making up my own words, don't I?] her baking.<br />I changed up this recipe to fit my own preferences, but the original can be found <a href="http://thecrepesofwrath.wordpress.com/2008/07/03/banana-pina-colada-muffins/%22">here</a>.<br /></span></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pina Colada Muffins<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></span>1/2 cup applesauce</span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/77muffins5.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/77muffins5.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">1/2 cup packed brown sugar</span></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract</span></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">3/4 teaspoons rum<br />3 ripe bananas, mashed<br />1/4 cup honey</span></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">2 large eggs<br />2 cups whole wheat flour<br />3/4 teaspoons baking soda</span></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">3/4 teaspoons baking powder<br />1/2 teaspoon cinnamon<br />1/4 teaspoon nutmeg</span></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">1/2 teaspoon salt</span></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">1/2 cup diced fresh pineapple<br />shredded coconut [mine was sweetened]<br /><br />Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare muffin tins.<br />In a large bowl, beat together the applesauce, brown sugar, vanilla, and rum. In a separate bowl, combine mashed bananas, eggs, and honey. Add to the sugar mixture. Beat until thoroughly</span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"> combined.<br /><br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/77muffins2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/77muffins2.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Stir into banana mixture, then add the pineapple.<br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/77muffins4.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/77muffins4.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Spoon the batter into muffin cups and top each muffin with coconut [yum!].<br /><br /><br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/77muffins6.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/77muffins6.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Bake muffins for about 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserte</span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">d into the middle comes out clean. Remove from the oven, and cool in tins for a few minutes before removing to racks to cool completely.<br /><br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/77muffins7.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/77muffins7.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">These muffins are delicious! Absolutely delicious! They are so, so moist and flavorful. The whole wheat flour provides a different, heartier texture that I really do enjoy in this muffin. You can't even tell applesauce was used in place of the butter and I think it helps provide additional moisture to the muffin. If I could change anything about the recipe, I would perhaps add more pineapple and DEFINITELY add more coconut. I find it a little funny that I want to pile these up with coconut when maybe a year or so ago I would have screamed at the thought of coconut being in my food. Ahh, how things change.</span></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></span></span></span>Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00844967151300709580noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9085656147857013139.post-38243912915600346812008-07-01T11:51:00.003-04:002008-07-01T12:31:41.278-04:00Fourth of July cupcakes<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">I have been dying to bake lately. Seriously, <span style="font-style: italic;">aching</span> to bake. It's sad and makes me think that I have a problem, but I make myself feel better by telling myself that baking is a passion of mine and it's okay to feel those urges. Right? Right. And now I sound like I'm talking about a million other things that are definitely <span style="font-style: italic;">not</span> baking. Anyway, these urges led to me begging my mom to let me bake something. We're all about to go away for a few days to celebrate the Fourth of July, so the parents really didn't want me baking a ton and then having to worry about eating it all, which is not good for our little weight loss plan, or taking them along with us. After much discussion [or a few minutes of me begging and pleading and being generally pathetic] it was agreed that I could bake a half batch of cupcakes. I was elated, which is very sad. Now, a month or so ago I found some cupcake liners with red, white and blue stars on them, along with sprinkles in said colors. This led to my obviously brilliant idea: make red velvet cupcakes for the Fourth! Now...if I could just find a good recipe to use...</span></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><a href="http://www.allrecipes.com/">Allrecipes.com</a> is fabulous. I used it to find a great scone recipe for Mother's Day and it didn't fail me this time around, either. I picked <a href="http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Red-Velvet-Cake-I/Detail.aspx">this</a> recipe, followed the alterations suggested in the first comment, and then made some of my own. I also cut the recipe in half because of previously said circumstances. Boo.</span></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Red Velvet Cupcakes</span></span></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-style: italic;">based on a recipe from allrecipes.com</span></span></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span>4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder</span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/630cupcake9.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/630cupcake9.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">2 ounces red food coloring</span></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">1 cup buttermilk<br />1 teaspoon salt<br />1 teaspoon vanilla</span></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">1/2 cup oil<br />1/2 cup applesauce<br />2 cups sugar</span></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">2 eggs<br />2 1/2 cups flour<br />1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda</span></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">1 teaspoon white vinegar</span></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br />Okay, let's make these suckers. Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit and prepare your cupcakes pans. Make a paste of cocoa powder and food coloring, and set aside. I ran into some problems here. I had hardly any liquid red food coloring and had to bust out my Wilton frosting gel. Well...I didn't make much of a paste. More so a clumped up mess of cocoa powder and gel stuff. I figured, oh w</span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">ell, we'll see how this goes later, and moved on. Oh, I also tossed my vanilla in there in hopes of it helping with the "paste". No dice.</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Combine buttermilk, salt, and vanilla [or just buttermilk and salt if you already put vanilla somewhere else...]. Set aside. In a large bowl, combine oil, applesauce and sugar and mix until well combined. Beat in eggs one at a time, then stir in cocoa mixture. Mine left some lumps behind but I was able to work some of them out. Then I got frustrated and gave up on that. Beat in buttermilk mixture alternately with flour, mixing <span style="font-style: italic;">just until incorporated</span>. Stir together baking soda and vinegar, then gently fold into the cake batter. I guess you don't really need the vinegar since there is buttermilk in the mixture, but I did it anyway.</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Pour into pans and bake for 25 minutes or so. Make sure they're done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean bladdy bladdy blah. Allow to cool completely before frosting.<br /></span></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/630cupcake5.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/630cupcake5.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Well, they look okay. I can see a few little lumps in there, but nothing too scary. The texture is okay. I'd prefer something...cakey-er? But it's good! It's really good and I'm just being a complainer. The flavor is pretty mild and delicious. I couldn't pick up much of a cocoa flavor but I don't know if you're actually supposed to considering I've never had red velvet. Sad, I know. Anyway, the <span style="font-style: italic;">real</span> star of this post is the frosting. I want to bathe in this frosting. I want to put this frosting on <span style="font-style: italic;">everything</span>.<br /></span></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">1 cup milk</span></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">5 tablespoons flour</span></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">1 cup sugar<br />1 cup butter<br />1 teaspoon vanilla<br /></span></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">In a saucepan, combine the milk and flour. Cook over low heat, stirring <span style="font-style: italic;">constantly</span> until mixture thickens. Now, I wasn't sure how thick this meant, but you'll know. It gets really, really thick. Set aside to cool completely. Cream together butter, sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy, then stir in cooled milk mixture. Beat until icing reaches a nice spreading consistency.</span></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br />Now, lately I've been thinking about how I need to find the perfect frosting and I had a very specific taste in mind. I must have had it a long time ago, because I can't place where or when I tasted it, but I knew what I was looking for. This frosting is it. It's perfect and I can't really think of how to describe it other than that. It's smooth, silky, and sweet, but not too sweet. I know I failed miserably at that, but you really have to try it for yourself. I'm in love with it.<br /></span></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">So how did rest of the family feel? Well, let's see a sort of "before and after" showing how many cupcakes I had last night and how many I had this morning.</span></span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Before...</span></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;"><br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/630cupcake4.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/630cupcake4.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">After...<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/630cupcake9.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/630cupcake9.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;font-size:85%;" >Well I don't think we need to worry about them going bad! Dad at two last night and I'm assuming he took another this morning. Now, it takes a lot to get an enthusiastic reaction out of my dad when it comes to food. These did it. He wouldn't stop raving about how it's the best cake he's ever had and the best frosting because of the consistency and how it wasn't too sweet. My sister ate two last night and her eyes were about bulging out of her head while doing so. <span style="font-style: italic;">I</span> almost gave up all self-control and ate two last night. So yeah, I recommend these to anyone and everyone. They will not disappoint, especially the frosting.</span><br /></div><span style="font-family: verdana;font-size:85%;" ><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/630cupcake8.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/630cupcake8.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/630cupcake6.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/630cupcake6.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;" ><br /></span></div>Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00844967151300709580noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9085656147857013139.post-51930803219196212462008-06-21T12:19:00.002-04:002008-06-21T12:22:01.192-04:00Oops!<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">I just realized that I had never posted the recipe for the s'mores cupcakes and marshmallow frosting. Oops! Well, the recipe and baking instructions can be found <a href="http://and-this-little-piggy.blogspot.com/2008/04/gimme-smore.html">here</a>.</span><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><br /></span></span>Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00844967151300709580noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9085656147857013139.post-51901252705534183912008-06-21T00:23:00.004-04:002008-06-21T00:47:55.056-04:00Banana Chocolate Chip Cupcakes<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Just yesterday I returned from a visit with my boyfriend. When we're not in school we don't really get to see each other all that often because of the distance [about a two hour drive]. I love taking a little something special down to his family when I visit and I usually go with brownies. This time I was feeling daring [that's <span style="font-style: italic;">definitely</span> not the word to use here, but it sounds more exciting] and decided I would go with some cupcakes instead. We had some over-ripe bananas hanging out in the refrigerator so I figured I'd use those up and make some banana chocolate chip cupcakes. Again, I turned to my new cupcake book for the recipe.<br /></span></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Banana Chocolate Chip Cupcakes</span></span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">adapted from 100 Best Cupcake Recipes</span><br /></span></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">2 cups plus 4 tablespoons cake flour [eliminate the extra tablespoons if using regular flour]</span></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">1 1/2 cups sugar</span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/bcc1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/bcc1.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">2 tablespoons packed brown sugar</span></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">2 teaspoons baking powder<br />1/2 teaspoon salt<br />1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon<br />1/4 teaspoon ground allspice<br />1/2 cup vegetable oil</span></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">2 eggs</span></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">1/4 cup milk [I used buttermilk]<br />1 teaspoon vanilla</span></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">2 medium mashed bananas [about 1 cup]<br />chocolate chips [I didn't measure these out, but rather tossed them in to my liking]<br /><br />Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line muffin cups with baking cups.<br />Combine flour, sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and allspice in a large bowl. Add oil, eggs, milk and vanilla. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes or until well blended. Beat in bananas until well blended. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling three-fourths full.<br />Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted into centers comes out clean. Cool cupcakes in pans on wire racks 10 minutes. Remove from pans and cool completely on wire racks.</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">I seriously wish you could smell the aroma these cupcakes gave off while they baked. The cinnamon and the allspice were so fragrant and I couldn't wait to try one of these...so I didn't! I called my sister over to help me taste-test the cupcakes [we had to make sure they were good enough to send down to Bryce's family] and she was more than happy to oblige.<br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/bcc5.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/bcc5.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">I <span style="font-style: italic;">loved</span> the texture of these. They were incredibly moist from the banana and oil and the spices complimented the banana quite well. The chocolate chips I used were a little dark and I think milk chocolate chips would have been a better match for this cake.<br />So now...frosting...We were running a little low on stick butter and I take full responsibility for this because of my obsessive baking since returning home from school. So due to that and the fact that I didn't want to wait for butter to soften, I decided to go with a frosting that didn't require butter. I ended up choosing the marshmallow frosting I used on the <a href="http://erindoescupcakes.blogspot.com/2008/05/smores-cupcakes.html">s'more cupcakes</a> because I figured that would go pretty well with banana and chocolate. Well...it was okay. I would have preferred a chocolate frosting or even a peanut butter frosting [which Bryce's mom would have avoided]. But even though I wasn't completely impressed with the combination, everyone else seemed to really</span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"> enjoy them. Also, the piping on these cupcakes was awesome. I was so proud of myself afterwards. It made me want to go out and buy more tips to try!<br /><br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/bcc2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/bcc2.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/bcc3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/bcc3.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/bcc4.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/bcc4.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><br /><br /></span></span>Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00844967151300709580noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9085656147857013139.post-53513241749409887822008-06-16T00:02:00.003-04:002008-06-16T00:30:41.220-04:00Oreo cupcakes<span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Again, I've gotten a little behind in my posting and I apologize to the whopping two readers I may have. This summer has proved to be quite hectic between working two jobs and taking care of a new kitten. But, of course, I have still managed to find plenty of time to bake! As I mentioned before, I picked up a new cupcake cookbook at Barnes and Noble titled <span style="font-style: italic;">100 Best Cupcake Recipes</span>. The book is full of delicious looking recipes and I was having a difficult time decidin</span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">g which I would try first until a higher power [or my parents] intervened. I spotted a brand new package of Oreo cookies on our kitchen counter and knew, right away, that I <span style="font-style: italic;">had</span> to make some cookies and cream cupcakes! Again, I went ahead and made mini ones so my mom could enjoy without overindulging and reversing all of her healthy eating. I guess it's partially for myself as well because all of this baking and a lack of physical activity hasn't been very kind to my waistline.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Cookies & Cream Cupcakes<br /></span>2 1/4 cups + 4 tablespoons cake flour [<span style="font-style: italic;">eliminate the tablespoons if using AP flour</span>]<br />1 tablespoon baking powder</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">1/2 teaspoon salt</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/cookiesandcream1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/cookiesandcream1.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">1 2/3 cups sugar<br />1 cup milk<br />1/2 cup [1 stick] butter, softened<br />2 teaspoons vanilla<br />3 egg whites<br />1 cup crushed Oreos [about 10 cookies]</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br />Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease your muffin cups or line with paper baking cups.<br />Sift flour, baking powder and salt into a large bowl; stir in sugar. Add</span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"> milk, butter and vanilla; beat with electric mixer at low speed for 30 seconds. Bead at medium speed for 2 more minutes. Add egg whites and beat for 2 minutes. Stir in 1 cup of crushed cookies and then spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling 2/3 full.<br />Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted into centers comes out clean. Cool cupcakes </span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">in pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes and then remove from pans. Cool completely on wire racks.</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br />I foolishly overfilled some of my muffin cups and these resulted in some very flat-topped cupcakes. Thankfully, I didn't do this for all of them so some of the cupcakes did form perfect muffin tops. Also, the baking time differs when making the mini cupcakes. All of my times varied due to trial and error, but I would suggest baking them for 6 minutes and keeping on eye on them from there. I do believe 8 minutes worked well but better to check sooner rather than later.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">As for the frosting, I don't really have much of a recipe. I decided to wing it and threw a stick of butter into a bowl, beat it until it was light and fluffy, and then started adding powdered sugar. I kept adding the sugar until it reached a good piping consistency and then i stirred in extra cookie</span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"> crumbs. The frosting was a bit sweeter than what I usually prefer, but I reminded me of the frosting I had on my cookies and cream cupcake back at <a href="http://www.pinkmooncupcakes.com/">Pink Moon Cupcake Bakery</a>. I ended up needing another half-batch of the frosting to finish up my cupcakes and that batch turned out a little s</span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">weeter than the previous.<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/cookiesandcream3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/cookiesandcream3.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;">All in all, I thought the cupcakes were great. They were very light with a very mild...well, Oreo flavor, I guess. The frosting added a nice sweetness to the cupcakes without being too sweet. I really doubted the family and coworkers would finish off this batch, which yielded way more cupcakes than I expected, but the sweets are nearly gone! I'm sure this is due to my sister sneaking <span style="font-style: italic;">at least</span> 2 a day, but that's okay.</span></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />I do have another batch of baking to post, but I'll be leaving tomorrow morning</span></span><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;"> to go stay with my boyfriend for a few days. I'll do my best to post them as soon as possible!<br /><br /><br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/cookiesandcream4.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/cookiesandcream4.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/cookiesandcream2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/cookiesandcream2.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><br /></span></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span>Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00844967151300709580noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9085656147857013139.post-41178783976163874782008-06-02T23:18:00.003-04:002008-06-02T23:53:18.473-04:00Mini mango cupcakes with pineapple cream cheese frosting<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">The super-tiny font was getting to me, so I'm going to try something different this time around. So much for cohesion!<br />Anyway, I found the original recipe for these cupcakes over at <a href="http://coconutlime.blogspot.com/2008/03/mango-chile-cupcakes.html">Coconut & Lime</a> a short while ago and</span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/531cupcakes2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/531cupcakes2.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"> I've been aching to try them since. I'm a sucker for anything mango and these sounded like a really</span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"> nice, light summer cupcake. I made some alterations to the recipe for personal tastes and other such reasons. My mom doesn't care for spicy things, so the chile was omitted. Also, I liked the idea of</span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"> using pineapple with the mango, though I'm sure key lime would be really tasty. Finally, I went</span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"> with the mini size to, again, make them more appealing to mom. She</span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"> participates in a weight-loss "competition" of sorts at work and so</span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"> I felt that mini cupcakes would be more approachable during this time</span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">.<br /></span></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Mango Cupcakes with Pineapple Cream Cheese Frosting<br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;">adapted from Coconut & Lime</span></span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">1 cup plus 2 tablespoons cake flour [only use 1 cup if using AP flour]<br />3/4 cup sugar<br />6 tablespoons butter, at room temperature</span></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">3/4 cup milk, at room temperature<br />1/4 cup mango nectar, at room temperature<br />2 teaspoons baking powder</span></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">1/2 teaspoon salt<br />1 egg, at room temperature<br /><br /></span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"> <span style="font-family:verdana;">Preheat oven to 350. Line or grease and flour the mini cupcake pan. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Add the egg, mix thoroughly. Add flour, baking powder, and salt to the butter mixture. Add the milk and mango nectar to the rest of the batter and beat until well combined. Fill each well 2/3 of the way full. Bake about 10-12 minutes or until a toothpick inserted the center of</span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"> a cupcake comes out mostly clean. Cool briefly in the pan, then remove cupcakes to wire racks to cool completely before frosting.<br /><br /></span></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/531cupcakes1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/531cupcakes1.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">4 oz cream cheese, at room temperature<br />1 1/2 to 2 cups powdered sugar<br />1 to 2 tablespoons pineapple juice<br />optional food coloring<br /><br />In a large bowl, beat together all ingredients until well combined. Spread on cupcakes.<br /><br /></span></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/531cupcakes7.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/531cupcakes7.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">I was worried that the cupcakes would stick to the pans, but a liberal spray of some Baker's Joy prevented that from happening and the little cakes popped right out after cooling. I also used more powdered sugar in the frosting so I could try some more piping. That probably wasn't the best idea and I made a pretty big mess while piping.<br />We all found the mango flavor to be very subtle. Maybe...too subtle? I could barely pick up on it and some people couldn't at all. In the future, I may try cutting down on the milk some and using more nectar, or perhaps adding fresh mango to the mix. As for the frosting...delicious! It's not too sweet and the pineapple juice provides a nice tang and some freshness to the cupcake. I would definitely try making these again, but with some changes to the cake and possibly a different frosting.<br /></span></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/531cupcakes3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/531cupcakes3.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/531cupcakes4.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/531cupcakes4.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><br /></span></span></span>Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00844967151300709580noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9085656147857013139.post-37138682962541854612008-05-28T17:13:00.004-04:002008-05-28T17:31:16.908-04:00S'mores [cupcakes]!<span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Oh my gosh, I have been so unbelievably busy. Since my last update, I've started back at both of my summer jobs, acquired a new kitten [Lucy!], and had my wonderful boyfriend, Bryce, up to visit for 4 days. As promised, oh so long ago, I have more baking to share! After making the peanut butter banana bars we realized those alone were not enough to take to my sister's function. I've been aching to try a new recipe and this was the perfect opportunity.<br /><br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/517baking7.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/517baking7.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">I used my little Rocket blender to crush up the graham crackers, which worked so much better than my usual rolling pin and plastic bag method. And while the "crust" added a nice visual touch to the cupcakes, I don't feel like they added very much flavor-wise. Now, this could be due to the age of the graham crackers because I have no idea how long those have been in our pantry. The cake was a light and beautiful dark chocolate that was perfectly chocolatey and not too sweet.<br /><br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/517baking3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/517baking3.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><br />The most exciting part of making this dessert was the frosting. I've never made a frosting like this before and I was worried it wouldn't turn out right. It took quite a while, but everything worked out just right and I ended up with some amazing marshmallowy frosting to pipe on the tops of my cupcakes. I'm still getting the hang of piping but practice makes perfect, right? These cupcakes were a huge hit. My dad ate two in one sitting and even eyed up a third before being scolded by mom. I would most definitely make these again and I don't think anyone would object to that.<br /><br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/517baking4.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/517baking4.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/517baking5.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/517baking5.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/517baking6.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/x_blackout/2008/517baking6.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Since baking these, I've also baked up a batch of amazing chocolate brownies [which I do believe are Bryce's personal favorites] and another batch of the pb banana bars, which my sister devoured. I did change up the recipe a little bit, using some brown sugar in place of white sugar and adding a little more peanut butter. They had a different, moister texture and a more prominent peanut butter flavor which is a winner in my book.<br />I also picked up a new cupcake cookbook at Barnes and Noble and I'm sure I'll be baking something out of there very soon.<br /></span></span>Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00844967151300709580noreply@blogger.com2