When my daughter was little she liked to go to Rinaldo’s, an Italian restaurant in Marblehead on the top level of Village Plaza. Classic red sauce Italian with the red and white checked tablecloths, a garlic cheese spread and packaged crackers on the table as soon as you sat down, and standard dishes like chicken, veal, or eggplant parmigiana. And, spaghetti with butter for children. Allison especially liked their fried mozzarella sticks; when she was sick they were often the only thing she wanted to eat…
I made this recipe on Palm Sunday for dinner, serving it over whole wheat pasta. I tossed a cup of frozen peas into the Crock Pot about 10 minutes before I added the cheese to make this a one- pot meal. Fed the two of us, with leftovers for lunch or dinner during the week. It was quick and easy and used ingredients I had on hand. A great addition to my selection of easy recipes for Holy Week, or any other busy time of year.
Slow Cooker: Chicken Parmesan over Whole Wheat Pasta
Makes 4 servings.
Medium Crock Pot
2 tsp olive oil
4 skinless chicken breasts (or thighs), about 3 oz each
½ of a 26 oz jar of your favorite tomato sauce
1 cup frozen peas (optional)
½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
whole wheat pasta for 4 servings
1. Heat the oil in frying pan over medium high heat. Add the chicken and saute’, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 10 minutes.
2. Combine chicken and tomato sauce in the Crock Pot. Cover and cook on low until chicken is cooked through and a meat thermometer registers 175 degrees, 6 to 8 hours.
3. If using frozen peas, add 25 minutes before you plan to eat.
4. Heat water for pasta, following package directions.
5. Combine the cheeses in a small bowl and sprinkle them over the chicken. Don’t stir. Cook until the cheese is melted, about 15 minutes.
6. Put pasta on plate and top with chicken parmesan.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Slow Cooker Recipe: Pork and Apricot with Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Here’s the second offering of easy, make ahead meals for Holy Week. I first made this dish the Christmas Bill and I spent with our daughter in New York. Her work schedule precluded traveling for Christmas so we loaded up the Prius with gifts and goodies for holiday meals, including Christmas table clothes and napkins.
Our Christmas breakfast included our traditional Danish, quiche, and French toast (watch for these recipes in December). For dinner I chose this recipe, preparing the ingredients on Christmas Eve afternoon, refrigerating the Crockpot insert overnight, and then cooking it on Christmas Day. Our plan was to eat dinner around 6:00 pm. Great plan except: I put the insert into the Crockpot, turned it on, and, as I discovered a few hours later, neglected to plug in the Crockpot. On to Plan B: putting everything in a roasting pan in the oven and eating dinner later than originally planned.
I’ve since made this many times (in the Crock Pot). It is great for dinner with lots of leftovers for lunch during the week.
Pork and Apricot with Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Makes 8 servings
Prep: 35 minutes
Cook: 7 to 9 hours on low; 3 ½ to 4 ½ hours on high
Ingredients
2 ½ lb sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 ½” chunks
3 ½ to 4 lb boneless pork shoulder roast
1 tsp dried tarragon, crushed
1 ½ tsp fennel seed, crushed (if I don’t have this on hand, I omit it)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 ½ tsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbsp cooking oil (I use olive oil)
1 14-oz can chicken broth (or equivalent homemade)
¾ apricot nectar (I use apple juice, or if I don’t have any, I omit this and add equivalent in water)
½ cup dried apricots
4 tsp cornstarch
1. Place sweet potatoes in the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker.
2. Trim fat from pork roast.
3. Combine the tarragon, fennel seed, garlic, salt, and pepper in small bowl; rub onto pork roast.
4. In a very large skillet, brown roast on all sides in hot oil. Drain off fat. Place meat on top of sweet potatoes in cooker.
5. Pour broth and ½ cup of the apricot nectar over all.
6. Cover and cook for on low-heat setting for 7 to 9 hours or on high heat setting for 3 ½ to 4 ½ hours, adding the dried apricots for the last 30 minutes of cooking.
7. With a slotted spoon, transfer pork and apricots to serving platter. Transfer sweet potatoes to a large bowl; mash with a potato masher.
8. Strain cooking liquid into a glass-measuring cup. Skim fat from liquid; discard fat. Reserve 2 cups liquid (if necessary add chicken broth to equal 2 cups).
9. In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining ¼ cup apricot nectar and the cornstarch. In a medium saucepan, combine cooking liquid and the cornstarch mixture. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly; cook 2 minutes longer. *
10. Serve with pork and mashed sweet potatoes.
*Omit this step if you are too tired or too busy. The pork, apricots, and sweet potatoes taste fine without it.
Our Christmas breakfast included our traditional Danish, quiche, and French toast (watch for these recipes in December). For dinner I chose this recipe, preparing the ingredients on Christmas Eve afternoon, refrigerating the Crockpot insert overnight, and then cooking it on Christmas Day. Our plan was to eat dinner around 6:00 pm. Great plan except: I put the insert into the Crockpot, turned it on, and, as I discovered a few hours later, neglected to plug in the Crockpot. On to Plan B: putting everything in a roasting pan in the oven and eating dinner later than originally planned.
I’ve since made this many times (in the Crock Pot). It is great for dinner with lots of leftovers for lunch during the week.
Pork and Apricot with Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Makes 8 servings
Prep: 35 minutes
Cook: 7 to 9 hours on low; 3 ½ to 4 ½ hours on high
Ingredients
2 ½ lb sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 ½” chunks
3 ½ to 4 lb boneless pork shoulder roast
1 tsp dried tarragon, crushed
1 ½ tsp fennel seed, crushed (if I don’t have this on hand, I omit it)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 ½ tsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbsp cooking oil (I use olive oil)
1 14-oz can chicken broth (or equivalent homemade)
¾ apricot nectar (I use apple juice, or if I don’t have any, I omit this and add equivalent in water)
½ cup dried apricots
4 tsp cornstarch
1. Place sweet potatoes in the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker.
2. Trim fat from pork roast.
3. Combine the tarragon, fennel seed, garlic, salt, and pepper in small bowl; rub onto pork roast.
4. In a very large skillet, brown roast on all sides in hot oil. Drain off fat. Place meat on top of sweet potatoes in cooker.
5. Pour broth and ½ cup of the apricot nectar over all.
6. Cover and cook for on low-heat setting for 7 to 9 hours or on high heat setting for 3 ½ to 4 ½ hours, adding the dried apricots for the last 30 minutes of cooking.
7. With a slotted spoon, transfer pork and apricots to serving platter. Transfer sweet potatoes to a large bowl; mash with a potato masher.
8. Strain cooking liquid into a glass-measuring cup. Skim fat from liquid; discard fat. Reserve 2 cups liquid (if necessary add chicken broth to equal 2 cups).
9. In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining ¼ cup apricot nectar and the cornstarch. In a medium saucepan, combine cooking liquid and the cornstarch mixture. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly; cook 2 minutes longer. *
10. Serve with pork and mashed sweet potatoes.
*Omit this step if you are too tired or too busy. The pork, apricots, and sweet potatoes taste fine without it.
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Soup Week Continues: Vegetable Stock
Let's start with the basics: Nancy’s Vegetable Stock
I’ve made soup for a long time. I have memories of my mother and grandmother making soup, using chicken carcasses, ham bones, or vegetable peelings and scraps to make a rich stock. For me, making stock is a way to transform things that are easily thrown away into something rich and flavorful.
I don’t ever remember following a recipe: I use what I have on hand, or collect over a period of days or weeks, and use them to make a rich, flavor-filled broth with little bits of stuff that makes a great base for vegetables, beans, pasta, rice, or whatever else you want to add to your soup.
Vegetable Stock
1. Collect clean peelings, ends, and other pieces of vegetables that you usually discard or compost in a covered container in the freezer. I use peelings from potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, parsnips, onions, and garlic; the pieces you cut off from celery, leeks, and scallions; the end bits from onions, carrots, parsnips, and garlic. Basically any part of a vegetable that I might use in a soup or a salad gets saved in the freezer until I have approximately 2 cups of ‘stuff’ for my stock.
2. During the good weather when I compost most of my fruit and vegetable waste, I may not have a stash of vegetable peelings in the freezer. If I want to make a soup with summer vegetables, I’ll prepare all the vegetables I plan to use in my soup, store them in the refrigerator for a day and use the peelings, ends, and other bits to make stock.
3. Fill a big pot with water and add the vegetables. Bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce the heat to simmer and cook for an hour or so. The liquid will be a light amber color.
3. I use a combination of a ladle and a slotted spoon to transfer the stock to one bowl (or another pot) and the vegetable matter to a second bowl. This takes a bit of time and, as I get close to the bottom of the pot, I pour the last bit of liquid through a fine mesh sieve (or colander) into the bowl holding the rest of the stock.
4. If I am freezing the stock for future use, I measure out either 1 or 2 cups at a time and place in a Tupperware or RubberMade container, or a freezer bag, marking the quantity on the container.
For those of you who prefer to work with specific ingredient lists and measures, I am sharing this recipe for Vegetable Stock that I found in my collection – reading the ingredient list (Turkish bay leaves? Purified water?) I imagine I found this recipe on a gourmet magazine or website…. And I will bet money (something I rarely do) that I have never made this recipe…
Vegetable Stock
20 Cups
This is an excellent vegetable stock - freeze what you don't use for next time.
Ingredients:
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 leeks, white and light green parts only, well washed and chopped
4 medium onions, chopped
6 large carrots, peeled and chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 small bunch parsley stems
2 teaspoons dried whole marjoram
1/2 teaspoon dried whole thyme
3 Turkish bay leaves or 1/2 California bay leaf
1 1/2 gallons cold purified water
Instructions:
Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large pot. Add the vegetables and stir-fry to brown lightly. Add the marjoram, thyme, bay leaves, and cold water. Bring the pot to a boil, reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for one hour.
Strain the stock through a fine sieve or a cheesecloth-lined colander.
Press or squeeze the vegetables to extract their liquid. Discard the vegetables.
I’ve made soup for a long time. I have memories of my mother and grandmother making soup, using chicken carcasses, ham bones, or vegetable peelings and scraps to make a rich stock. For me, making stock is a way to transform things that are easily thrown away into something rich and flavorful.
I don’t ever remember following a recipe: I use what I have on hand, or collect over a period of days or weeks, and use them to make a rich, flavor-filled broth with little bits of stuff that makes a great base for vegetables, beans, pasta, rice, or whatever else you want to add to your soup.
Vegetable Stock
1. Collect clean peelings, ends, and other pieces of vegetables that you usually discard or compost in a covered container in the freezer. I use peelings from potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, parsnips, onions, and garlic; the pieces you cut off from celery, leeks, and scallions; the end bits from onions, carrots, parsnips, and garlic. Basically any part of a vegetable that I might use in a soup or a salad gets saved in the freezer until I have approximately 2 cups of ‘stuff’ for my stock.
2. During the good weather when I compost most of my fruit and vegetable waste, I may not have a stash of vegetable peelings in the freezer. If I want to make a soup with summer vegetables, I’ll prepare all the vegetables I plan to use in my soup, store them in the refrigerator for a day and use the peelings, ends, and other bits to make stock.
3. Fill a big pot with water and add the vegetables. Bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce the heat to simmer and cook for an hour or so. The liquid will be a light amber color.
3. I use a combination of a ladle and a slotted spoon to transfer the stock to one bowl (or another pot) and the vegetable matter to a second bowl. This takes a bit of time and, as I get close to the bottom of the pot, I pour the last bit of liquid through a fine mesh sieve (or colander) into the bowl holding the rest of the stock.
4. If I am freezing the stock for future use, I measure out either 1 or 2 cups at a time and place in a Tupperware or RubberMade container, or a freezer bag, marking the quantity on the container.
For those of you who prefer to work with specific ingredient lists and measures, I am sharing this recipe for Vegetable Stock that I found in my collection – reading the ingredient list (Turkish bay leaves? Purified water?) I imagine I found this recipe on a gourmet magazine or website…. And I will bet money (something I rarely do) that I have never made this recipe…
Vegetable Stock
20 Cups
This is an excellent vegetable stock - freeze what you don't use for next time.
Ingredients:
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 leeks, white and light green parts only, well washed and chopped
4 medium onions, chopped
6 large carrots, peeled and chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 small bunch parsley stems
2 teaspoons dried whole marjoram
1/2 teaspoon dried whole thyme
3 Turkish bay leaves or 1/2 California bay leaf
1 1/2 gallons cold purified water
Instructions:
Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large pot. Add the vegetables and stir-fry to brown lightly. Add the marjoram, thyme, bay leaves, and cold water. Bring the pot to a boil, reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for one hour.
Strain the stock through a fine sieve or a cheesecloth-lined colander.
Press or squeeze the vegetables to extract their liquid. Discard the vegetables.
Monday, March 1, 2010
It's Soup Week: Rustic Chicken Stew
Rustic Chicken Stew: make it in your crock pot.
With so many of my friends and co-workers reporting that they are sick, I’m declaring this week ‘Soup Week.’ Chicken soup is a universal remedy for many ailments; unless you live with someone willing to make you homemade soup or make a run to the nearest deli, often your only option is canned soup.
This week’s soup recipes are simple to make. On Sundays I often make soup, keeping half of it to eat during the week and freezing the other half as individual portions. This habit ‘saves’ me from eating peanut butter and crackers on those nights when I arrive home from work hungry and don’t feel like cooking. It also lets me share my homemade soup with sick friends, new mothers, or others who may not be up for cooking, yet want to eat healthy. Enjoy!
Makes 8 servings
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
3 medium onions, quartered
2 carrots, cut into 1-inch thick slices
2 potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 cans (14 ounces each) fat free chicken broth
1 tsp celery seed
1 tsp dried thyme leaves (or powder)
½ tsp black pepper
Optional:
1 cup frozen corn
1 cup frozen peas
Any other root vegetables such as turnip, parsnip
1 14-ounce can white beans
8 ounces mushrooms, halved
1. Combine the chicken, onions, carrots, potatoes, and broth in the crock pot (if using other fresh vegetables, add at this time).
2. Stir in the celery seed, thyme, pepper, mushrooms, and corn.
3. Cover and cook on low until the chicken is done and the vegetables are tender, 7 to 9 hours or on high, 4 to 6 hours.
4. Stir in the peas and cook until they are done, 15 to 30 minutes.
With so many of my friends and co-workers reporting that they are sick, I’m declaring this week ‘Soup Week.’ Chicken soup is a universal remedy for many ailments; unless you live with someone willing to make you homemade soup or make a run to the nearest deli, often your only option is canned soup.
This week’s soup recipes are simple to make. On Sundays I often make soup, keeping half of it to eat during the week and freezing the other half as individual portions. This habit ‘saves’ me from eating peanut butter and crackers on those nights when I arrive home from work hungry and don’t feel like cooking. It also lets me share my homemade soup with sick friends, new mothers, or others who may not be up for cooking, yet want to eat healthy. Enjoy!
Makes 8 servings
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
3 medium onions, quartered
2 carrots, cut into 1-inch thick slices
2 potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 cans (14 ounces each) fat free chicken broth
1 tsp celery seed
1 tsp dried thyme leaves (or powder)
½ tsp black pepper
Optional:
1 cup frozen corn
1 cup frozen peas
Any other root vegetables such as turnip, parsnip
1 14-ounce can white beans
8 ounces mushrooms, halved
1. Combine the chicken, onions, carrots, potatoes, and broth in the crock pot (if using other fresh vegetables, add at this time).
2. Stir in the celery seed, thyme, pepper, mushrooms, and corn.
3. Cover and cook on low until the chicken is done and the vegetables are tender, 7 to 9 hours or on high, 4 to 6 hours.
4. Stir in the peas and cook until they are done, 15 to 30 minutes.
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Cupcake Week Continues: Deep Chocolate Cupcakes
Final entry for cupcake week!
My family celebrates birthdays. Everyone gets a birthday party: even the adults. When you were a child, you had two parties: the ‘kid’ party for your friends on a Saturday and the family party, usually on the Sunday closest to your birthday.
My mother bakes so we always had a homemade cake. I remember being envious of my friends who had a cake from the grocery store or the bakery. As an adult, I went through a period where I only served Merrill’s cakes (their bakery was in Newburyport, Mass. – anyone else remember their yummy chocolate, lemon, and carrot cakes??). When we moved from Beverly, Mass. to South Dartmouth, I bought half a dozen cakes for my freezer.
When Allison was born I started baking cakes again, serving them at both her kids and family birthday parties. It was then I discovered that some of her friends had never had a homemade birthday cake… how times change.
I now often make birthday cakes or cupcakes for my friends. I enjoy the act of baking (the frosting part, not so much). And, when you give the cake away it isn’t sitting in your house, calling out for you to eat it!
Deep Dark Chocolate Cake or Cupcakes
From the Hershey’s cocoa box
1 ¾” cup flour
2 cups sugar
¾ cup Hershey’s cocoa
1 ½ tsp baking soda
1 ½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
½ cup vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup boiling water
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
1. Combine dry ingredients.
2. Add remaining ingredients except boiling water.
3. Beat at medium speed for 2 minutes.
4. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin).
5. Pour into 2 greased and floured 9” or 3, 8” layer pans, or 1, 13” x 9” pan.
6. Bake at 350 degrees, 30-35 minutes for layers, 35-40 minutes for pan
7. If making cupcakes, spoon ¼ cup batter into cupcake tins.
8. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.
9. Remove from oven, cool 10 minutes on wire rack.
10. Remove from pan, let cool completely before frosting.
One Bowl Buttercream Frosting
6 Tbsp butter
Hershey’s Cocoa – 1/3 cup for light flavor
½ cup for medium flavor
¾ cup for dark flavor
2 2/3 cups unsifted confectioners’ sugar
1/3 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
1. Cream butter in small mixer bowl.
2. Add cocoa and confectioners’ sugar alternately with milk; beat to spreading consistency (additional tablespoon milk may be needed).
3. Blend in vanilla.
4. Makes about 2 cups frosting.
My family celebrates birthdays. Everyone gets a birthday party: even the adults. When you were a child, you had two parties: the ‘kid’ party for your friends on a Saturday and the family party, usually on the Sunday closest to your birthday.
My mother bakes so we always had a homemade cake. I remember being envious of my friends who had a cake from the grocery store or the bakery. As an adult, I went through a period where I only served Merrill’s cakes (their bakery was in Newburyport, Mass. – anyone else remember their yummy chocolate, lemon, and carrot cakes??). When we moved from Beverly, Mass. to South Dartmouth, I bought half a dozen cakes for my freezer.
When Allison was born I started baking cakes again, serving them at both her kids and family birthday parties. It was then I discovered that some of her friends had never had a homemade birthday cake… how times change.
I now often make birthday cakes or cupcakes for my friends. I enjoy the act of baking (the frosting part, not so much). And, when you give the cake away it isn’t sitting in your house, calling out for you to eat it!
Deep Dark Chocolate Cake or Cupcakes
From the Hershey’s cocoa box
1 ¾” cup flour
2 cups sugar
¾ cup Hershey’s cocoa
1 ½ tsp baking soda
1 ½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
½ cup vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup boiling water
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
1. Combine dry ingredients.
2. Add remaining ingredients except boiling water.
3. Beat at medium speed for 2 minutes.
4. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin).
5. Pour into 2 greased and floured 9” or 3, 8” layer pans, or 1, 13” x 9” pan.
6. Bake at 350 degrees, 30-35 minutes for layers, 35-40 minutes for pan
7. If making cupcakes, spoon ¼ cup batter into cupcake tins.
8. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.
9. Remove from oven, cool 10 minutes on wire rack.
10. Remove from pan, let cool completely before frosting.
One Bowl Buttercream Frosting
6 Tbsp butter
Hershey’s Cocoa – 1/3 cup for light flavor
½ cup for medium flavor
¾ cup for dark flavor
2 2/3 cups unsifted confectioners’ sugar
1/3 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
1. Cream butter in small mixer bowl.
2. Add cocoa and confectioners’ sugar alternately with milk; beat to spreading consistency (additional tablespoon milk may be needed).
3. Blend in vanilla.
4. Makes about 2 cups frosting.
Monday, February 22, 2010
Queen Cake Cupcakes
Cupcake week continues....
I discovered this recipe in my grandmother’s recipe box after offering to bake a birthday cake for a close friend. The request was for a yellow cake; at the time my repertoire did not include a favorite yellow cake recipe. Finding this recipe was a happy accident; it is now one of my favorites.
The first time I baked this cake brought back memories of birthday parties at my grandmother’s house. Lots of kids from the neighborhood sitting around the table for the ‘kid’ party, and aunts, uncles, and cousins for the family party. A favorite tradition was baking foil wrapped coins in the cake. This lasted for a time, until family members started fighting for pieces with dimes instead of nickels or pennies….
I made this recipe as cupcakes this past weekend. Bill and I were going to a birthday party and he has given up chocolate for Lent. It makes a great cupcake; nice texture and good with or without frosting.
Makes approximately 20 cupcakes.
½ cup shortening (I use butter)
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs unbeaten
2 cups flour
2 ½ tsp baking powder
¾ cup milk
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin tins with paper liners.
2. Cream butter, sugar, salt, and vanilla in mixer.
3. Add eggs, beat until well mixed in.
4. Add flour, baking powder, and milk; mix well.
5. Fill muffin cups with scant ¼ cup batter.
6. Bake for 20-25 minutes until a wooden pick inserted in the center of cupcakes comes out clean.
7. Cool in pan on wire rack for 5-10 minutes, then remove from pan and cool completely.
8. Frost with favorite frosting.
I discovered this recipe in my grandmother’s recipe box after offering to bake a birthday cake for a close friend. The request was for a yellow cake; at the time my repertoire did not include a favorite yellow cake recipe. Finding this recipe was a happy accident; it is now one of my favorites.
The first time I baked this cake brought back memories of birthday parties at my grandmother’s house. Lots of kids from the neighborhood sitting around the table for the ‘kid’ party, and aunts, uncles, and cousins for the family party. A favorite tradition was baking foil wrapped coins in the cake. This lasted for a time, until family members started fighting for pieces with dimes instead of nickels or pennies….
I made this recipe as cupcakes this past weekend. Bill and I were going to a birthday party and he has given up chocolate for Lent. It makes a great cupcake; nice texture and good with or without frosting.
Makes approximately 20 cupcakes.
½ cup shortening (I use butter)
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs unbeaten
2 cups flour
2 ½ tsp baking powder
¾ cup milk
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin tins with paper liners.
2. Cream butter, sugar, salt, and vanilla in mixer.
3. Add eggs, beat until well mixed in.
4. Add flour, baking powder, and milk; mix well.
5. Fill muffin cups with scant ¼ cup batter.
6. Bake for 20-25 minutes until a wooden pick inserted in the center of cupcakes comes out clean.
7. Cool in pan on wire rack for 5-10 minutes, then remove from pan and cool completely.
8. Frost with favorite frosting.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Red Velvet Cupcakes
February brings Valentine’s Day and birthdays, and often Mardi Gras. This past Valentine’s Day Bill and I had the honor of watching the Pass Christian, Mississippi Mardi Gras parade with family and our new friend Sandra, whose home was on the parade route. It was also Sandra’s birthday, and one of her friends sent the most delicious Red Velvet Cake with cream cheese frosting.
Last night, Bill and I celebrated the birthdays of three friends who are more like family to me. To honor their special days I made red velvet cupcakes and Queen cake cupcakes. Check this blog later in the week for the Queen cake recipe.
Makes: 24
Active: 40 minutes/Total: 2 ½ hr includes cooling
Batter
1 ½ sticks (3/4 cup) butter, softened
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk or sour milk*
2 Tbsp (1 oz) liquid red food coloring
2 tsp white vinegar
2 ½ cups flour (not self-rising)
* to make sour milk, add 1 Tbsp lemon juice or vinegar in a 1 cup measuring cup; fill with milk and stir. Let set 5 minutes before using.
Frosting
2 8 oz bricks cream cheese, softened
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, softened
1 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
Garnish: colored sugar or heart or flower shaped decors
Cupcakes
1. Heat oven to 350 F.
2. Place 24 regular size (2 ½” diameter) muffin cups in cupcake pans.
3. In large bowl with mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, and vanilla 2 minutes until creamy.
4. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time.
5. Stir buttermilk, food coloring, and vinegar in a 2 cup measure until well blended.
6. With mixer on low speed, beat in flour in 3 additions, alternating with milk mixture in 2 additions, beating until just blended.
7. Spoon a scant ¼ cup batter in each cup.
8. Bake 20-25 minutes until a wood pick in the center of cupcakes comes out clean.
9. Cool in pan on wire rack for 5-10 minutes, then remove from pan to rack.
10. Cool completely.
Frosting**
1. Beat cream cheese and butter in a medium bowl with mixer on medium speed until smooth and creamy.
2. On low speed, add confectioners’ sugar and vanilla. Increase speed to high and beat until smooth and fluffy.
3. Frost cupcakes and sprinkle with decorations.
4. Refrigerate until serving
** Short on time? Use your favorite store bought frosting.
Last night, Bill and I celebrated the birthdays of three friends who are more like family to me. To honor their special days I made red velvet cupcakes and Queen cake cupcakes. Check this blog later in the week for the Queen cake recipe.
Makes: 24
Active: 40 minutes/Total: 2 ½ hr includes cooling
Batter
1 ½ sticks (3/4 cup) butter, softened
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk or sour milk*
2 Tbsp (1 oz) liquid red food coloring
2 tsp white vinegar
2 ½ cups flour (not self-rising)
* to make sour milk, add 1 Tbsp lemon juice or vinegar in a 1 cup measuring cup; fill with milk and stir. Let set 5 minutes before using.
Frosting
2 8 oz bricks cream cheese, softened
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, softened
1 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
Garnish: colored sugar or heart or flower shaped decors
Cupcakes
1. Heat oven to 350 F.
2. Place 24 regular size (2 ½” diameter) muffin cups in cupcake pans.
3. In large bowl with mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, and vanilla 2 minutes until creamy.
4. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time.
5. Stir buttermilk, food coloring, and vinegar in a 2 cup measure until well blended.
6. With mixer on low speed, beat in flour in 3 additions, alternating with milk mixture in 2 additions, beating until just blended.
7. Spoon a scant ¼ cup batter in each cup.
8. Bake 20-25 minutes until a wood pick in the center of cupcakes comes out clean.
9. Cool in pan on wire rack for 5-10 minutes, then remove from pan to rack.
10. Cool completely.
Frosting**
1. Beat cream cheese and butter in a medium bowl with mixer on medium speed until smooth and creamy.
2. On low speed, add confectioners’ sugar and vanilla. Increase speed to high and beat until smooth and fluffy.
3. Frost cupcakes and sprinkle with decorations.
4. Refrigerate until serving
** Short on time? Use your favorite store bought frosting.
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