Red Velvet Cupcakes with Creamy Vanilla Icing May 8, 2008

Ingredients
3 1/2 C. Flour
3/4 C. Butter (Softened)
2 1/2 C. Sugar
3 Eggs (Room Temp)
6 T. Red Food Coloring
3 T. Unsweetened Cocoa
1 1/2 t. Vanilla Extract
1 1/2 t. Salt
1 1/2 C. Buttermilk
1 1/2 t. Cider Vinegar
1 1/2 . Baking Soda

Icing:
6 T. Flour
2 C. Milk
2 C. Butter (Softened)
2 C. Sugar
2 t. Vanilla Extract

Method
1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease and lightly flour cake pans.
2. Cream the butter and sugar until very light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. In a small bowl, whisk together red food coloring, cocoa and vanilla. Add to the batter and beat well.
3. Stir the salt into the buttermilk, then add to the batter in 3 parts, alternating with flour. In a small bowl, stir together vinegar with baking soda. Add to batter and mix well.
4. Bake for 30-40 minutes. Let layers cool in pans for 1 hour. Remove from pans and cool completely on wire rack.
5. For Icing–in medium size saucepan, whisk flour into milk until smooth. Place over medium heat and, stirring constantly, cook until the mixture becomes very thick and begins to bubble, 10-15 minutes. Cover with waxed paper placed directly on the surface and cool to room temp, about 30 minutes. In a large bowl, beat the butter for 3 minutes, until smooth and creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating constantly for 3 minutes until fluffy. Add the vanilla and beat well. Add the cooled milk mixture and continue beating on medium high for 5 minutes until very smooth and noticeably whiter in color. Cover and refrigerate for 15 minutes (no less and no longer–set a timer!). Use immediately.

Notes: We make these for Easter! They’re delicious!

Berry Baked French Toast March 16, 2008

Ingredients
8 oz. Loaf of Bread (Sliced)
4 Eggs (Beaten)
2 C. Skim Milk
1/4 C. Sugar
1 T. Vanilla
2/3 C. Flour
1/3 C. Brown Sugar
1/2 t. Cinnamon
3 T. Butter
1 C. Frozen Blueberries
1 C. Frozen Strawberries
Whipped Cream

Method
1. Grease rectangular baking dish and arrange bread.
2. Mix eggs, milk, granulated sugar and vanilla. Pour over bread. Press into bread with back of spoon. Cover and chill overnight.
3. Combine flour, brown sugar, butter and cinnamon. Cover and chill overnight.
4. Before baking, top bread with berries and butter mix. Bake, uncovered at 350 degrees 25-30 minutes. Top with whipped cream.

Notes: This is excellent for a brunch or holiday morning meal because it’s all made the night before. It’s very tasty and also freezes really well.

Cinnamon Pumpkin Seed Brittle March 15, 2008

Ingredients
1/4 C. Butter (cut into chunks)
1 t. Baking Soda
1 T. Vanilla Extract
1 1/2 t. Cinnamon
1/2 t. Salt
2 1/2 C. Sugar
1/3 C. Light Corn Syrup
1 1/2 C. Toasted Pumpkin Seeds

Method
1. Lightly butter 10×15 baking pan. In small bowl, stir baking soda and vanilla to dissolve. In another bowl, stir together cinnamon and salt.
2. In a saucepan over medium-low heat, stir together sugar, 1/2 C. water, corn syrup and 1/4 C. butter until butter is melted and sugar dissolved. Increase heat to medium and boil, stirring occasionally until it turns a deep amber.
3. Remove sugar mixture from heat and carefully stir in vanilla and cinnamon mixtures. Immediately stir in pumpkin seeds and pour into pan, using spoon to smooth out and evenly fill pan. Let cool at room temperature 30-40 minutes. Gently twist pan to release brittle, then break into chunks.

Notes: This would be a great “after carving the Halloween pumpkins” dessert treat. It could also be given as a Halloween gift for a party if left in pan, tied with a ribbon and presented with a cute, new hammer.

Crab Dip March 2, 2008

Ingredients
8 oz. Cream Cheese (Softened)
1 T. Milk
1/2 C. Mayonnaise
1 1/2 t. Horseradish
8 oz. Crabmeat (Use Double If You’re Feeling Wacky)
2 T. Onion (Chopped)
2 Cloves Garlic (Minced)
Seasoning Salt (To Taste)

Method
1. Mix all ingredients together in a bowl, spread into a casserole di and bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes

Notes: A recipe from my friend Kim, Excellent!

Butter Crunch Toffee March 2, 2008

Ingredients
1 C. Slivered Almonds
2 Sticks Butter
1 C. Sugar
3 T. Water
1 T. Corn Syrup
1/4 t. Salt
6 oz. Chocolate (Finely Chopped)

Method
1. Sprinkle half the almonds in the baking pan.
2. Melt butter in saucepan. Add sugar, water, corn syrup and salt. Cook, stirring over medium-high heat until mixture boils. Reduce heat to medium and boil until reaches soft ball stage. Remove from heat and pour candy over almonds in pan.
3. Let stand 5 minutes. Sprinkle with choolate. Let stand until chocolate softens, about 2 minutes. Spread chocolate evenly over candy. Sprinkle with remaining almonds.

Notes: This makes a great Christmas gift!

Cranberry-Apple Relish February 27, 2008

Ingredients
1.5 C. Granny Smith Apple (Peeled and Chopped)
1 C. Brown Sugar
1/2 C. White Grape Juice
1 t. Ginger
1 t. Cinnamon
1-12 oz. package Fresh Cranberries

Method
1. Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until thick (about 15 minutes). Cool completely.

Notes: This cranberry sauce is amazing and I have never been a fan of homemade cranberry sauce (it’s usually too tart for my taste). Lumps freak me out, so I blended this with an immersion blender. This also keeps well in the fridge and can be made up to 3 days before serving.

Apple Cider Brine for Turkey February 27, 2008

Ingredients
8 C. Apple Cider
2/3 C. Kosher Salt
2/3 C. Sugar
1 C. Onion (Chopped)
1 C. Carrots (Chopped)
2 Bay Leaves
1 t. Black Peppercorns
4 C. Cold Water

Method
1. Combine the cider, salt, sugar, onion, carrots, bay leaves and peppercorns in a large stockpot. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally (or until sugar and salt dissolve).
2. Remove from the heat, add the cold water and cool to room temperature.
3. Wash the turkey inside and out and remove the giblets and neck.
4. Place the turkey in a very large pot and cover with the brine, making sure the cavities are filled as well. Cover the pot and refrigerate for 12-24 hours.
5. Before roasting, remove turkey from brine and rinse with cold water, then pat dry with paper towels.

Notes: This makes a wonderfully juicy Thanksgiving turkey!

Deep Dish Apple Pie with Streusel Topping December 4, 2007

Ingredients
1/4 C. Brown Sugar
1/4 C. White Sugar
1/2 t. Ground Cinnamon
1/8 t. Ground Nutmeg
Pinch Salt
5-6 Apples (I like to mix varieties..)
1 T. Lemon Juice
1 Deep Dish Pie Shell (Marie Callendar makes a good one in the frozen food section)
2 T. Unsalted Butter (cut into bits)

Topping:
1 Stick Butter (8 T.)
1/2 C. Brown Sugar
1/2 C. Walnuts (Chopped)
1 T. Lemon Juice
1/2 t. Ground Cinnamon
1/2 C. Flour

Method
1. Peel and core apples. You can buy a nifty device in the grocery store gadget aisle that cores and slices in one step–it’s about $1 and totally worth it!.
2. Toss together sugars, spices and salt. Toss the apples with the lemon juice, then this mixture.
3. Add the apples to the pie shell and top with butter pats.
4. Cream together the butter and brown sugar for the topping. Add the walnuts, lemon juice, spices and flour. Put topping over top of apples.
5. Bake at 375 for 45-60 minutes or until center of pie is bubbly and streusal mixture is browned.

Note: I have had great luck making these pies, then wrapping tightly in plastic wrap and a couple layers of foil before baking, then freezing. I then bake the frozen pie for 60 minutes at 375. I do this advance prep for Holidays–take the kiddos apple picking in the fall and have great pies for Thanksgiving. I also made a bunch of these pies for my wedding because my husband hates cake and loves apple pie. With the help of one of my bridesmaids, we set up an assembly line and catered the dessert portion of the wedding in under an hour! We baked the pies the day before and it worked great.

Sex and the City Cupcakes January 2, 2007

Ingredients
6 T. Unsalted Butter (Cold)
1 C. + 2 T. Sugar
2 Eggs
1 t. Vanilla
2 C. Flour
2 t. Baking Powder
1/2 t. Salt
2/3 C. Buttermilk (If you don’t have buttermilk, and who does really, add 2/3 t. vinegar to 2/3 C. skim milk)

Method
1. Beat butter and sugar together. Add eggs and vanilla. Sift flour, baking powder and salt into another bowl. Add slowly, with buttermilk, to wet mix.
2. Fill paper lined tins 3/4 full. Bake at 350 degrees 20-25 minutes. Cool 5 minutes then remove from pans. Cool completely before frosting.

The cupcakes are SOOOOOOOO good!! We live at altitude (8,700 feet) and I’ve crashed and burned everytime I’ve tried to make cupcakes in the past, but these turned out perfect and tasty. You’re supposed to eat them within 4 hours of baking, but I stored them in a ceramic corning ware dish with a plastic lid and they tasted fresh for 3 days. I believe this recipe is a knockoff of the yummy cupcakes people waited in line for in NYC on Sex and the City. I’d wait in line for these. We made them for Christmas, and they will be a new family tradition. Bryan, who hates all cake and cupcakes, thought these were amazing. They’d be great for birthdays too.

Holiday Crunch Granola December 13, 2006

Ingredients
3 C. Rolled Oats
1/2 C. Whole Almonds
1/2 C. Pecan Halves
1/2 t. Ground Cinnamon
1/4 t. Nutmeg
1/2 C. Brown Sugar
1/2 C. Honey
1 C. Dried Fruit
1/2 C. Water
1/3 C. Oil
2 t. Vanilla

Method
1. Combine oats, nuts and spices. Mix well.
2. In another bowl combine brown sugar, honey, water, oil and vanilla. Add to oat mixture, stirring to coat well. Spread in greased pan.
3. Bake at 300 degrees for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Cool completely and stir in dried fruit. Store in airtight container.

Makes a great gift!