Annual Cookies Trays

Blink, and a month passes by. Or at least that is my excuse. Last I knew it was Thanksgiving, and boom - now it's nearly Christmas. That old adage that time flies when you get old is 100% true. Hell, I would say they padded it a bit because I think time is vanishing. I have more things to do than I have fingers and toes to count and keep track of them all!

In an effort to try and be timely, I made my Holiday Cookie Trays a little early this year. And then forgot to post about them before my vacation (whoops). Bad Panda. Maybe I will get on board with being timely next year...or maybe I shouldn't hold my breath.

Now I could have listed out each and every recipe, like I usually do, but time is of the essence these days and I opted for the link-friendly approach. A few of these recipes are repeats from prior years' holiday trays and a few are newbies. I encourage any and all feedback on how folks liked the selected cookies for 2013, as this will help the cookie boxes improve in years to come. This year's line-up:

• Crispy Crunchy White Chocolate Balls
• Lady Grey Tea Cookies (made with Lady Gray Tea instead)
• Popcorn Cookies
• Piggy Print Cookies (bacon chocolate chip)
• Chocolate Almond Cherry Crisps
• Basil Lime Cookies 
• Chocolate Dipped Pretzel Rods

By and large, the Piggy Print cookies are a favorite of my taste-testers. As are the popcorn cookies and basil lime cookies. The crisps, balls, and rods are time-saving, easy recipes (good space fillers), but need to ensure they stay in airtight containers or else they will get stale (same for the popcorn cookies). Next year's ideas - homemade extracts and/or syrups, maybe the return of a brittle (?), and as always - more cookies.

Happy holidays and enjoy!

Mishmash Pot Pie

Have you ever had one of those mornings where you wake up, stumble into the kitchen to make yourself a cup of coffee, only to open the fridge and realize you've likely lost the Lindbergh baby in the recesses of it somewhere? Leftovers galore! Tupperware container upon tupperware container, piled several high. Yeah, I have those often. Welcome to my life. And to combat those pesky leftovers, I often try to repurpose as many things as I can into another dish. This week - mishmash pot pie.

Finger licking goodness here! Earlier in the week I'd found some pre-made pie crusts on sale at the local grocery store and in combination with my insane amount of various leftovers and aging vegetables, I made myself some comfort food. This time around, I made it vegetarian (as I have been toying with going back on the veg-wagon thanks to the way the USDA is going to start 'harvesting' poultry). I had some frozen veggies to use up (lima beans, peas, corn) along with some soon-to-expire potatoes, carrots, and other fresh vegetables. The sky's the limit here! My rule of thumb is to use what is expiring first and build from that.

So far, I haven't found a way to screw up this recipe. It has plenty of room for oopsies and odd flavor combos. Definitely a keep for a lazy Sunday. Enjoy!

Mishmash Pot Pie

• 2 defrosted pie crusts
• Various leftovers - veggies, chicken, etc. 
• Gravy or flavored butter or chicken stock
• 1-2 tbsp cornstarch or flour
• Salt and pepper, herbs to your liking 

Pre-heat the oven to 375 F. Take one of the pie crusts and lay it out in a pie pan if it didn't come in one. Make sure to gently press it down around the base of the pan, and pinch over the rim of the pie pan (make little thumbprint indentations for a crust design).

Saute the veggies in a little oil or butter, starting with the ones that take longer: onion, garlic, mushrooms, thicker stalked veggies. Saute until just al dente. White wine and/or chicken stock usually adds some good flavor!

Depending upon how much moisture has accumulated while sauteing, mix in a little bit of cornstarch or flour. I recommend mixing it into a tiny bit of liquid first and then into the frying pan. If you have any gravy on hand, use that (mmmm, good). Feel free to add herbs, salt and pepper, or other flavorings as you like.

Once the veggies are ready, gently pour them into the prepared pie pan. Spread everything out so the layer is even, and lay the other pie crust over the top. Trim off the excess and gently press the crusts together to form a seam. Make sure to slice a few slits in the top so the pie can breathe as it bakes.

Bake the pot pie for 25-30 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. Let the pot pie cool and then serve.

More Biscuits, Please

One thing I am most certain of in this world...is that there aren't enough biscuits. Seriously. When was the last time you had a homemade, flaky, delicious little biscuit? For me, it was this morning. And hot damn, is my life better because of it. Yes, I am a firm believer in that we need more biscuits in our lives. They go with everything, have a wide range of flavor options, and are pretty hard to screw up. That's winning in my book! Therefore, I took it upon myself to test out yet another biscuit recipe and see just truthful the claim that biscuits taste better with buttermilk.

This one I borrowed from Joy of Baking (awesome in all things baking). Mainly because I was out of buttermilk, and biscuits had been specifically requested as a component of this morning's meal. I have to admit - the buttermilk makes a big difference. While these were amazing in their own right, a little denser, with just a hit of crispy to the edges, my usual buttermilk biscuits are just a wee bit better (I believe because they are flakier). One tweak I made this time, again because I was limited by what was in the cupboards, was the use of Kerry Irish Butter in place of plain ol' fashioned butter. A little bit of Irish seemed to make it tastier to me!

And in other news, I've been up and around more (the knee injury seems to nearly be behind me) and taking in the beautiful colors of fall. Outside of a few special places, the Western North Carolina fall season is one of the loveliest I've had the pleasure of experiencing. Just check out these trees?!?!

It's like Bob Ross has been hanging out in the local woods, painting a little color into the forest to perk folks up a bit. Mind-blowingly beautiful! Definitely more inspiration to make transportable food so I can make like John Muir or Henry Thoreau and contemplate my navel in the backcountry. Enjoy the season!

Good Ol' Biscuits
Borrowed From: Joy of Baking

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon granulated white sugar (optional)
• 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten

Topping:

• 1 large egg, lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon milk

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large mixing bowl, sift or whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Cut the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs (use pastry blender, two knives, or fingertips). Add the milk and slightly beaten egg and stir until just combined. (The texture should be sticky, moist and lumpy.)

Place mixture on a lightly floured surface. Knead the dough gently until it comes together and is a smooth dough.

Roll out dough to about a 1/2 inch thickness. Cut out biscuits with a lightly floured round cookie cutter. Place on prepared baking sheet and brush the tops with the beaten egg and milk mixture and bake for about 10 -15 minutes or until the tops are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center of the biscuit comes out clean. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack. Serve warm with butter.

Makes about 10 - 2 1/2 inch biscuits.

Basil Lime Cookies

I don't know about you, but every so often I need a pick me up. A heart warming, happy feeling, good time pick me up. The kind that leaves you smiling and dreamy eyed, recalling good moments of your life. Sometimes this pick me up comes in the form of a sunny day, a snuggle session with Bert the Cat, or even an impromptu car ride through the woods. And occasionally I turn to a new recipe to brighten my spirits. Most recently I turned to these lovely babies - Basil Lime Cookies. Now before you starting judging how odd a cookie would taste with basil AND lime in the ingredients list, I implore you to take a bite out of one of these. You can thank me later. I made a batch of these for my new dentist's office and hot damn, did they love me for it. That's winning in my book!

Mmmmm, cookies that defy the laws of nature. My favorite! The most common remark from taste testers: surprisingly refreshing, and highly addictive. Score! Cookies that leave you wanting more, again I consider this a success. It's an easy recipe, with simple ingredients, and may even make an appearance on the 2013 cookie tray spread (wow, the holiday season is creeping up fast!).

And in other news, my photography side project is slowly taking shape. Feel free to swing by the blog and/or the facebook page to check out what's been in my viewfinder of late. Happy baking!!

Basil Lime Cookies
Borrowed from: Big Fat Baker

• 1 stick unsalted butter at room temperature
• 3/4 cup plus 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 tsp almond extract
• Zest of 1 lime
• 3 tbsp very finely chopped fresh basil leaves (I used a wee bit more here)
• 1 3/4 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt

Directions:

Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and line the cookie sheets with a silicone mat or parchment paper.

In a stand mixer (or hand-held mixer) cream together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy.

Mix in the egg, vanilla, zest, and basil. Mix together until fully combined.

In a separate bowl sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Then mix into the butter mixture until combined.

Roll 1 tbsp of dough to make a little sphere. Repeat with remaining dough. Place about 1 inch apart on the cookie sheets.

Bake 8 to 12 minutes, depending on the size of your cookies/oven. Allow to cool on a cooling rack for a few minutes then watch how fast they disappear! 

Chocolate & Peanut Butter Swirl Bundt Cake

Oh yes, I'm bringing the bundt cake back. Honestly I have a hard time finding things wrong with bundt cakes. For starters, the cake pan does most of the work. And if it looks or tastes bad, you can smother it with a glaze or frosting. Bundt cakes always seem to feed more and go farther than others. Mixing chocolate and peanut butter seemed the right approach to me, and hence this beautiful gem was born (borrowed).

A fairly straight forward recipe here, nothing much to it. And I bet most of you have the ingredients in your cupboards this very moment. As with most things I bake, I ate my small share (i.e. tax) and quickly gifted the rest away before I engaged in too much crumby behavior. 

Just in case you haven't been by his website page yet, Burt the Cat is doing great and getting into his pesky kitty phase. He's becoming quite the ham! Feel free to swing by and check out his plans to slowly take over the world (and drive me insane). 

Enjoy the baking, everyone! 

Chocolate & Peanut Butter Swirl Bundt Cake
Borrowed From: Hungry Couple

• 2 Cups all purpose flour, divided
• 2 Teaspoons baking powder, divided
• 1 Teaspoon baking soda, divided
• 1/4 Cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 Cups sugar
• 3 Eggs 
• 2 Sticks unsalted butter
• 3/4 Cup water
• 1 Teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 Teaspoon salt
• 1/2 Cup peanut butter

In a large bowl, cream together the sugar and eggs.  Add the butter and continue beating.  Add the water, vanilla and salt.  Divide the mixture evenly into two bowls.

Add the peanut butter to one bowl, beat until smooth and fold in the first bowl of flour, baking powder and baking soda.To the second bowl, fold in the flour mixture with the cocoa powder.

Butter and flour a 12 cup bundt pan.  Add half the peanut butter batter to the pan, followed by half the chocolate batter, followed by the second half of the peanut butter batter and topped off with the final half of the chocolate batter.  Using a butter knife, gently swirl the batters together but do not over mix.  

Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 50 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.  Allow to cool very well before removing from the pan.  Makes approximately 10 servings.

Spiced Summer Squash Bread

The end of summer is upon us. Can you feel the crispness in the morning air? See the leaves starting to change colors? Or maybe noticed Starbucks has pumpkin flavored everything again in season? However you notice it, its happening. And fast! For us gardeners, that means it's time to use up summer fruit and vegetables before the frosts start in a few weeks.

A few weeks ago I noticed a plethora of summer squash in the garden, and hopped to it. Realizing I hadn't made any breakfast breads in a spell, I opted to try my hand with a squash bread (which is fairly similar to a zucchini bread). And what an easy recipe! I think the most tedious part is shredding the squash, although if you have a food processor you can save some time here. But all in all this is an easy recipe, and a hit with the taste testers. Happy fall, y'all!

Spiced Summer Squash Bread

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 2 eggs, room temp. 
• 3/4 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil (or replace it with applesauce for a healthier version)
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups yellow summer squash, shredded
• Chopped walnuts, for topping (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350 F degrees. Butter and flour a loaf pan.

Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a bowl and set aside.

In a separate bowl, beat together eggs, sugar, oil, and vanilla. Next gently stir in the yellow squash (watch out, it may splash out of your mixer at this point). Then mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and combine until mixed.

Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan, sprinkle with chopped walnuts, and bake for 45-50 minutes or until a test stick comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for 15 mins, then carefully remove the loaf from the pan and continue to let cool. Slice and serve!

Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting

I can't believe I am saying this but I feel like I have made too many cakes over the last few months...go ahead and gasp in unison with me. The baker claiming she has made too made cakes. No, hell has not frozen over. Yet...

I never used to bake many cakes, instead I typically received my fair share of savory and healthy requests, breads, quiches, and whatnot. But since I've been living out east, I average at least one cake per month (many times more). My most recent addition to the baking cupboard - a new version of Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting.

I have previously conquered carrot cake muffins and carrot cake squares with great success, but found myself hesitant to repeat myself once I received another birthday baking request. Instead I opted for some online research and decided to see how I would do with modifying a cupcake recipe into a cake recipe (so far so good!).  The original recipe made more cupcakes than I had expected, so I was delightfully surprised when I was able to make a two-layer cake AND a dozen cupcakes from the same batter recipe. Score! Everyone who had a piece was raving about it. Bonus points for using garden fresh carrots!

And for those of you who haven't had their Bert fix for the month yet...here you go. He's pretty much telling me to put down the oven mits and love on him some. Or feed him. It's about the same in Bert-landia. Enjoy!

Carrot Cake (plus cupcakes!) with Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting
Adapted from: Baked In

• 1 pound of carrots
• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp (or a pinch) allspice
• Pinch of ground clove
• ¼ tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 3 large eggs
• ½ cup milk plus 1 tsp vinegar (or you can use buttermilk)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ¼ tsp maple flavor
• 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 2/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1/3 cup applesauce
• ½ tsp lemon juice
• ½ cup chopped pecans
• ¼ cup raisins

Frosting

• 1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, room temperature
• 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
• ⅛ cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• ¼ tsp maple flavoring
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• 3-4 cups powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line one muffin pan with paper liners and set aside. Also prepare two 9" cake pans (butter, parchment, butter, flour is the best method). 

Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, clove, and pumpkin pie spice in a medium bowl and set aside.

Peel the carrots, and finely grate them (food processor all the way for this!). Place the grated carrots in a large bowl.

Add the eggs, milk with vinegar, vanilla, maple flavoring, sugar, oil and lemon juice with the carrots and whisk until thoroughly combined.

Gently stir the flour mixture into the carrot mixture until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.

Next mix in the pecans and raisins. Again, be cautious not to overmix. 

Scoop batter evenly into prepared liners, filling each ⅔ full. Evenly separate the remaining batter between the two 9" bake pans. Bake for 20-22 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. If baking all the pans together at once, make sure to rotate out positions in the oven and racks so as not to burn/undercook/etc. Cool for five minutes in pans, then remove to racks to cool completely.

In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat cream cheese on medium speed until fluffy, about two minutes. Add the butter and beat until well-incorporated and fluffy, another two minutes. Beat in the brown sugar, vanilla, maple flavoring, and cinnamon. Add the powdered sugar a few tablespoons at a time until desired consistency is reached (3-4 cups total). Beat for an additional two minutes. Pipe or spread onto cupcakes (if spreading rather than piping, you can halve the frosting recipe).

Decorate as you see fit! Making candied carrot curls is a really stellar way to go. 

Cinnamon Rolls & Bert

If you are in any of my circles, you will likely know who Bert is by now. Just in case, this is Bert. Also goes by Bertie, Meow Meow, and some 7 year old gibberish name I am unable to pronounce. I could go on and on about the various reasons he is awesome, but I will let pictures do most of the talking for me.

His ability to go with the flow is amazing for a 10 week old kitten. Whether it be a pair of rough hands poking and prodding him, the two cattle dogs nosing him around like a soccer ball, or the abyss that is the staircase...he goes with the flow. Mellow fellow. Super chill. We love him. 

The day before we picked up Bert, in celebration of an upcoming feline addition to the household and end of class term for folks, I baked up a batch of cinnamon rolls. Let's just say I have another weakness to add to the nutella list. I can only make these for special occasions and then immediately leave the premises to ensure there are rolls remaining for others to eat. I'm learning that a lady can have many forms of kryptonite in this life. 

I blame the frosting for my weakness, which is nothing more than buttery goodness drizzled over hot cinnamon buns. As far as cinnamon rolls go, this recipe I found over at Sally's Baking Addiction is super easy. I made my dough and formed the rolls in the pan the night before, then brought the pan back to room temp, letting the rolls rise again, before I attempted any baking. The wee taste testers loved them and I plan to explore some nuttier version in the near future. Now, it's time to do some eating. Happy almost summer! 

Cinnamon Rolls
Borrowed from: Sally's Baking Addiction

Rolls

• 2 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 tbsp granulated sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 package Red Star Platinum Yeast (1 packet = 2 1/4 tsp)
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup milk (cow's milk - I used skim)
• 2 1/2 tsbp unsalted butter
• 1 large egg

Filling

• 3 tbsp unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 1 1/2 tbsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar

Coffee Glaze

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp milk or cream 

Make the dough: Set aside 1/2 cup of flour. In a large bowl, toss the remaining flour, sugar, salt, and yeast together until evenly dispersed. Set aside.

Heat the water, milk, and butter together in the microwave until the butter is melted and the mixture is hot to touch. About 125F-130F degrees. Stir the butter mixture into the flour mixture. Add the egg and only enough of the reserved flour to make a soft dough. I used nearly all of it, but you may not need to. Dough will be ready when it gently pulls away from the side of the bowl and has an elastic consistency.

On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough for about 5-6 minutes. Place in a lightly greased bowl (I used non-stick spray) and let rest for about 10 minutes.

Make the filling: After 10 minutes, roll the dough out in a 14x8 inch rectangle. Spread the softened butter on top. Mix together the cinnamon and sugar and sprinkle it all over the dough. Add more cinnamon/sugar if desired. Roll up the dough tightly. Cut into 11 even pieces and place in a lightly greased 9-inch round pan. I used a pie dish, lightly sprayed with nonstick spray. Loosely cover the rolls with aluminum foil and allow to rise in a warm, draft-free place for 60-90 minutes. Here is what I do: heat the oven to 200F degrees. Turn oven off. Place rolls inside oven and allow to rise.

After the rolls have doubled in size, preheat the oven to 375F. Bake for 25-30 minutes until lightly browned. I covered the rolls with aluminum foil after 15 minutes to avoid heavy browning.

Make the glaze: Right before serving, top your cinnamon rolls with glaze. Mix the powdered sugar and milk or cream together until smooth and drizzle over rolls. To thicken the glaze, add more powdered sugar and then add salt to cut the sweetness, if desired.

Yellow Butter Birthday Cake with Buttercream Frosting

I have a confession to make. I have food guilt. Of various sorts. This may sound funny to you, but I am being sincere here. I. Have. Food. Guilt. What does this mean exactly? Well, it means that when I make a delicious meal or bake a creative cake or indulge in something smothered in nutella (a substance I have to limit in my house due to my addictive personality) I experience a period of guilt directly related to the food I just made/baked/consumed. I suppose it is a form of an eating disorder, if one could be related to second generation Irish-Catholic guilt, however it is one I readily and wholeheartedly indulge in on a regular basis. Such as indulging by enjoying this yellow butter birthday cake I recently made.

You likely guessed it; another birthday. I seem to have an affinity for surrounding myself with people who have a birthday within the second quarter of the calendar year. For this week's lucky birthday boy, a helpful bird chirped that he had a long standing hankering for yellow butter birthday cake and homemade buttercream frosting. Being the baker I am, I obliged and surprised the fellow with this buttery goodness.

So yeah, the food guilt thing. Strange, right? That a baker have food guilt. And the funny part is my guilt isn't just associated with consuming too much or overeating, it also has to do with having the guilt of enjoying amazing cuisine when others fight for morsels of food. The guilt is multi-layered, and maybe its presence is merely to remind me to be grateful (which is good if so), but at least it isn't debilitating. I equate my baking to ongoing therapy which is slowly helping me accept my humanness. Or that is the train of thought I often find my brain heading in when standing over the mixer, pouring batter ingredients into a glass bowl. Baking (like running) is a very zen endeavor and meditation when done in the right frame of mind. And with that...namaste from a baker's heart!

Yellow Butter Birthday Cake 
Adapted from:

• 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pans
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
• 1 1/2 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 4 large eggs, yolks separated and slightly mixed
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter (or Pam) two 9-by-2-inch round cake pans; line the bottoms with parchment paper. Butter (or Pam) parchment, and dust with flour, tapping out excess; set aside. Into a medium bowl, sift together flours, baking powder, and salt; set aside. I did mine a second time for good measure. 

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. 

In a separate bowl, using a handmixer beat the separated egg whites until frothy. Set aside. 

Into the butter mixture beat in the egg yolks, one at a time, then beat in vanilla. Next, gently mix in the whipped egg whites. 

With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture in three parts, alternating with the milk and beginning and ending with the flour; beat until combined after each addition.

Divide batter between the prepared pans, and smooth with an offset spatula. Bake, rotating the pans halfway through, until cakes are golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer pans to a wire rack to cool 20 minutes. Invert cakes onto the rack; peel off the parchment. Reinvert cakes and let them cool completely, top sides up.

Buttercream Frosting
Borrowed from: My Baking Addiction

• 4 sticks unsalted butter, softened
• pinch of fine grain sea salt
• 1 tablespoon clear vanilla extract
• 2 pounds confectioners’ sugar, sifted
• 4-6 tablespoons heavy cream or milk

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter until fluffy add in salt. Slowly add in confectioners' sugar, and continue creaming until well blended.

Add salt, vanilla, and 3 tablespoons of heavy cream or milk. Blend on low speed until moistened. Add an additional 1 to 3 tablespoons of heavy cream or milk until you reach the desired consistency. Beat at high speed until frosting is smooth and fluffy.

This recipe will make enough frosting to generously frost 24 cupcakes or one 9 inch layer cake.

You can easily adjust the consistency of this recipe by simply adding in more heavy cream or milk.

If you are a fan of shortening in your buttercream. simply omit one stick of butter and replace with 1/2 cup shortening.

Clear vanilla extract is used in this recipe to keep the frosting nice and white. If you don’t mind a slight color change, feel free to use pure vanilla extract, but decrease the amount to 2 teaspoons.

Covered and refrigerated frosting can be stored for up to three days. Simply bring it to room temperature and beat with an electric mixer until smooth. You may need to add a couple of teaspoons of heavy cream or milk to revive the consistency.

If you choose to dye your frosting, go easy with the dye. Remember, you can always add more color, but you can’t remove it.

Hungarian Mushroom Soup

There is a relationship that exists between food and its patron, or at least I believe that. The acts of preparing a dish, presenting it for consumption, and finally experiencing its intricate flavor index leave a lasting impact upon the eater. Memories are formed, scents are recalled, colors observed, tastes relished. Humans have spent many years developing traditions and holidays because of their relationships with food. The foodie in me loves food not only for its flavors, but also because of the experiences it provides me. An example of such an experience is how I feel after eating Hungarian mushroom soup: instant pick me up. 

Complete side note here, but another example of a relationship I have with food would be my admiration of incorporating beautiful flowers into delicious cocktails. I recently discovered the Peppered Orchid from the local Frankie Bones. Me and my love of vegetation in my cocktails...

Any time I am feeling glum, tired from travel, or maybe just a bit sicky pants I often turn to Hungarian mushroom soup for some encouragement. After a warm bowl or two, I feel like someone has wrapped me in a handmade quilt at my grandmother's house. Add some homemade bread to it and I feel like I can take on the world. Seriously, they should give this stuff out instead of prescriptions at the doctor's office. 

 

Next time you are under the weather or playing nurse maid or maybe just need to use up some mushrooms, give this recipe a try and see how you feel on the other side. Plenty of room to make it dairy-free or low-fat, change up the herbs, and even consider replacing the sour cream with Greek yogurt. Enjoy!

Hugarian Mushroom Soup
Adapted from: Closet Cooking

• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 lbs mushrooms, sliced (I used half white and half portobello) 
• 1/4 cup flour 
• 1 tbsp paprika
• 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• 2 tsp dried dill
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp Braggs 
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 splash lemon juice
• 1 tbsp fresh purple sage, chopped (optional)

If using portobello mushrooms, de-stem and remove the cap's skin before chopping. Melt the butter in a large sauce pan over medium heat, add the onions and mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms have released their liquids and it has evaporated, about 10-15 minutes.

Mix in the flour and paprika and let it cook for 2-3 minutes.

Add the broth, sage, soy sauce, Braggs, and bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Season with salt, pepper mix in the sour cream, lemon juice and fresh herbs (dill, sage, oregano all taste amazing) and remove from heat.

Almond Joy Cupcakes

Another birthday, another round of baking. At least I am a consistent gift giver when it comes to friends and family. Spreading joy and sugar comas wherever I go. Go me! Just call me the cupcake birthday fairy godmother (or whatnot). 

Everyone, I'd like for you all to meet the Almond Joy Cupcake. A gift for a special lady in my life, in honor of her annual renewal. Now before you go off on how much you aren't into coconut desserts, I implore you to give these a try. They are a bit on the sweet side, but damn delicious and definitely worth the steps to make a dozen or two. The coconut comes from the frosting, which is a hybrid of cream cheese and butter cream with shredded coconut tossed in towards the end. This is the kind of frosting that is dangerous to have around, on hand, in the fridge...excuse me for a sec, I must put thoughts of the frosting out of my mind before I relapse again into a spoon crazed fit. 

The cupcake portion itself tastes somewhere along the lines of chocolate angel food cake - very light and fluffy. I might use the chocolate cupcake base recipe to make a few new recipes down the road (like a maybe a Kahlúa cupcake or Mexican chocolate cake). And since these cupcakes are somewhat filled with frosting, an added bonus of this recipe is having tiny little cake bites after carving out the cupcake centers. A creative baker would find use for these, or if you are like me would eat them all fairly quickly. 

Next time around I think I might dip each frosted cupcake into the chocolate ganache and then sprinkle the toasted coconut and sliced almonds while it is still setting. And it is definitely worth it to use toasted coconut and toasted sliced almonds as a topping (just buy a bag of both at the store and use your stove top to lightly toast). I also wouldn't mind test running a boozy version of these lovely treats and adding them to my boozy cupcakes by the dozen box (a work in progress). For now, I'm happy giving these away as birthday surprises...enjoy! 

Almond Joy Cupcakes 
Borrowed from: Beantown Baker

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 sticks (12 tbsp) unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup lightly packed brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Toasted shredded coconut
• Toasted sliced almonds

Preheat oven 350 F. Prepare cupcake pan with liners.

Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt in medium bowl. In another medium bowl with an electric mixer on high, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Next, beat in the melted chocolate. Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk in batches, beginning and ending with the flour mixture and beating until blended. Stir in vanilla.

Fill the cupcake liners about 1/2 to 2/3 full. Bake until golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 15-18 minutes. Place on a rack and let to cool completely before frosting.

Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting

• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 4 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon coconut extract
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut

Beat the cream cheese and butter in a mixer bowl until light and fluffy. Gradually add the confectioners’ sugar, one cup at a time, alternating with heavy cream. Beat in the salt, coconut flavoring, and vanilla extract.

Continue beating until mixture is smooth and spreadable. Add additional confectioners’ sugar if necessary to thicken the frosting, or more cream to thin. Gently fold in the shredded coconut.

Chocolate Ganache

• 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate
• 3/4 cup bittersweet chocolate
• 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream

In saucepan bring whipping cream to boil over high heat. Pour hot whipping cream over chocolate and stir until chocolate melted. Add more cream if the ganache is too thick to spread.

To Assemble 

Remove center of cupcake using the cone method. Set the cake cone aside – feel free to eat it! Pipe frosting into hole and continue on top of cupcake. Drizzle ganache over frosting. Sprinkle with toasted coconut and toasted sliced almonds. 

Bake Beignet Bites with Blueberry Dipping Sauce

Oh Saturdays, how I love thee. I could count the ways, but let's be honest - you all get why I love Saturdays. Mellow mornings, sleeping in, happy dog runs, a reason to make stellar breakfasts for the family. We have a theme around here for Saturday mornings; it involves me and some sort of tasty breakfast of the kids' choosing. Previous weekends have led to pancakes, waffles with homemade whipped cream, crepes, sourdough french toast. This week's breakfast project: baked beignet bites.

My first introduction to beignets started in New Orleans, as it should. Sitting at Cafe du Monde across from Jackson Square, people watching while I managed to cover myself in powdered sugar goodness and eat delicious deep fried pillows of dough. So good!

With someone in the family having to monitor his cholesterol these days, I opted to skip the deep frying portion of the traditional recipe and go with baking the beignets instead. Yes, I know it isn't the traditional method of making these and therefore maybe not as good. I will be the first to admit that. However, they still turned out to be very yummy and a favorite of the household. The blueberry dipping sauce was a late addition and well worth it (lots of room to make any sort of fruit flavored dipping sauce). So until I make my way back to NOLA, these little babies will be keeping me company and covered in powdered sugar. Enjoy!

Baked Beignet Bites with Blueberry Dipping Sauce
Borrowed from: Pick Fresh Foods

• 1 (1/4-ounce) envelope active dry yeast
• 3 tablespoons warm water (100° to 110°)
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• Powdered sugar

In a large bowl combine yeast and 3 tablespoons warm water; let mixture stand 5 minutes.

Heat milk in a small saucepan over medium heat (do not boil). Once small bubbles begin to form on sides of pan, stir in sugar, butter, and salt. Stir until butter is melted. Remove from heat and cool.

To yeast add milk, egg and 2 cups of flour. Stir with wooden spoon. Dough will be very sticky. Gradually stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough.

Turn dough out onto a floured surface; knead 8 to 10 minutes or until dough is smooth.

Place in a greased bowl, turning to dough to coat. Cover and let rise in a warm place 1 hour or until doubled in size. 

Punch dough down and turn it out onto a floured surface. Roll dough into a large rectangle about 1/4 in thickness; cut strips to form 2-inch squares. Place on a floured surface; cover and let rise in a warm place, free from drafts, 30 minutes or until doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 400 F. Coat baking tray with cooking spray. Place dough 2 inches apart on to tray. Bake 7-10 minutes. Sprinkle with powdered sugar while still warm.

Blueberry Dipping Sauce

• 1/2 cup Fresh Blueberries
• 3-4 tbsp Blueberry Preserves/Jam
• 1/4 cup White Sugar
• 1-2 tbsp Cornstarch 
• 2 tbsp Lemon Juice

In a saucepan, mix together all of the ingredients. Bring to a very gentle bubbly boil then reduce heat to a simmer and leave on the stove for 10-15 minutes or until the sauce begins to thicken. Add more sugar and/or lemon juice to meet personal taste preferences. Remove from the stove and let cool before serving.

Über Dark Chocolate Muffins

Things have been rough all over this week, wouldn't you say? While spring has started off on a lovely foot from a botany perspective, the events of the world seem to be stuck in a cold, dark winter. When life gets like this, I usually try to go to a happy place (physically, metaphysically, whatever works) and not dwell on the negative. This is one of my happy places; pretty sweet, huh?

And of course I have these two rascals to help me stay grounded (and a little soggy). They sure do love their fetch and swim sessions in the woods. Maybe more than I do.

In an effort to keep things lighthearted, I'm going to keep this short. Muffins, they rock. Especially when chocolate is involved. These ones border on devil's food cake in density and flavor, thanks to the addition of the vinegar and intensity of the chocolate. Super yummy, happy feedback from my wonderful gang of eaters. My suggestion is to go make a batch, pack a sweet little picnic, and find some nature to share a lunch with. Stay positive!

Über Dark Chocolate Muffins
Adapted from: Favorite Chocolate Muffins

• ⅔ cup dutch-processed cocoa (hershey's special dark worked for me)
• 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
• 1¼ cups light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/4 cup cold coffee
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
• ½ cup butter, melted
• 1 cup chopped chocolate (a 3.53 oz. bar of 85% dark chocolate)
• 1/4 cup white chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a standard muffin pan with paper muffin cups.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the cocoa, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, coffee, vanilla and vinegar. Add in the melted butter. Add the dry ingredients, stirring until everything is well-combined. Stir in the chopped chocolate and white chocolate chips. Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin tin, about ¾ full.

Bake the muffins for 18-20 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Remove the muffins from the oven and allow muffins to cool. Store in an airtight container for up to a few days (fresh is always best!). 

Intensely Dark Chocolate Brownies

Recently, I found myself asking the question - what does one do with several bars of intensely rich dark chocolate? Most of the time, my answer would be to eat them. In this particular instance, the chocolate was so dark (85%!!) that even my dark-loving chocolate nature couldn't partake in them in their current state. The notion of making a dark chocolate sauce rolled around my brain for a bit, followed by a dark chocolate bundt cake, or maybe making homemade dark chocolate chips. In the end, I settled up some comfort food - good old fashioned homemade brownies. 

Brownies hold a special spot in my baking heart. Besides chocolate chip cookies, brownies were one of the first (non-Armenian) baked goods I learned how to make as a child. Being a one or two pan dish, they are uber kid-friendly and typically successful no matter how far astray one goes from the recipe. While this recipe may be a little labor intensive for wee bakers, with a little supervision kids would make a great addition to the baking magic these little sweets have to offer (make sure to let them like the bowl clean at the end, that's the best part). 

This recipe is a hybrid of recipes, with no one particular source. As I was making it, I realized how bitter and strong the brownie batter was, and added the white chocolate chips on top as a last minute sweetener. As an afterthought, adding some kind of candied nuts to the brownie batter would also likely yield amazing results. Don't be surprised if there is a revamp of this recipe down the road (boozy brownies sounds good, right??). Happy Friday and Easter, everyone! 

Intensely Dark Chocolate Brownies

• 7 ounces unsweetened intensely dark chocolate, coarsely chopped (I used 85%)
• 3/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp almond extract
• 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3/4 to 1 cup white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9” square by 2” deep baking pan; set aside. I used an 8” by 8” square glass baking pan to make gooier ones and did just fine. In a medium saucepan, combine chocolate, butter, and the water; cook and stir over low heat until chocolate is melted. Make sure not to burn the chocolate sauce. Transfer to a large bowl.

Add granulated sugar and brown sugar to chocolate mixture; beat with an electric mixer on low to medium speed until combined. Add eggs, almond and vanilla extracts; beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add flour, salt, and cinnamon. Beat on low speed until combined. Spread batter in prepared pan. Sprinkle white chocolate chips over the top of the battered pan.

Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Depending upon whether a glass or dark pan is used, cooking times may vary so check on the brownies ever 10 minutes or so. Cool in pan on a wire rack. Cut into bars. Sprinkle with cocoa powder and/or powdered sugar. Makes 20 to 25 brownies. They taste even better the second day!