Red Velvet Cupcakes
February 8, 2012 · 4 comments
It’s known far and wide around the interwebs that anything red velvet is humungously popular around Valentine’s day and strangely enough after almost 5 years of blogging, I’ve yet to post a red velvet cake recipe. So after quite a few reader requests in the past couple of weeks for a great red velvet scratch cake recipe, I decided it was about time to share. And believe me, it wasn’t like you guys had to twist my arm! I scoured a few recipes on Pinterest and my favorite blogs and decided on this one since it’s made with both buttermilk and vinegar to boost the tang that is so beloved in red velvet cake. Topped with a swirled dollop of silky cream cheese frosting, these red velvet cupcakes are an outstanding way to say “I Love You” to the hunnies in your life. And yes, if you’re thinking about making a layer cake instead of cupcakes, Annie says that it’s a great recipe for that too – just grease three 8-inch pans, divide the batter, and bake for 25-30 minutes at 350 degrees F.
source: adapted from Saveur via Annie’s Eats; frosting via Confections of a Foodie Bride
- 2 1/2 cups cake flour
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp cocoa powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 tbsp (1 oz) red liquid food coloring
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp white distilled vinegar
For the frosting:
- 8 oz cream cheese, slightly softened
- 5 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 cups confectioner’s sugar, sifted
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350°. Line muffin tins with paper cupcake liners.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, cocoa, and salt. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the eggs, oil, buttermilk, food coloring, vanilla, and vinegar until combined. Slowly add the dry ingredients and beat on medium-low until smooth, 1-2 minutes; the batter will be liquidy. Pour the batter into a glass measuring cup or small pitcher and divide batter evenly between pans by pouring the batter into paper liners; fill liners about 2/3 full. Bake cupcakes for 18-20 minutes, rotating pans halfway through, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cupcakes comes out clean. Allow cupcakes cool in pans for 10 minutes then transfer them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.
- To make the frosting, beat the cream cheese and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium-high for 2-3 minutes. Beat in the vanilla. On low speed, gradually beat in the confectioner’s sugar until incorporated; increase the speed to medium and beat frosting until smooth. If frosting is soft, chill for 30 minutes before frosting cupcakes.
Recipe yields about 24 cupcakes and frosting for 24 cupcakes; if you like a lot of frosting, increase the frosting recipe by 50%.
{ 4 comments }
Spinach Lasagna
February 6, 2012 · 7 comments
There’s something intrinsic about lasagna that makes it such a wonderful winter meal. It’s more than likely that oodles of cheesiness has something to do with how a great lasagna can warm the soul on cold winter nights, very much like how soup has the same effect, but I think that the right recipe can do so much more. The right recipe creates memories. It evokes memories of crowded Sunday dinners at the grandparents’, of a hearty meal after a day of sledding or ice skating, of a full buffet table at a christening or anniversary party. This spinach lasagna recipe is that type of recipe.
Made with a creamy béchamel sauce, three types of cheese, fresh spinach, and no-boil noodles that you’ll soften with hot water before using, this lasagna is a bit hit around here. It’s a fun recipe to make with a helper since there are a few steps, but the effort is well-worth the end result. Layer after layer goes in the baking dish and after 20 minutes of baking and a few minutes under the broiler to brown-up the cheesy top layer, you’ve got truly the best spinach lasagna ever. We’ve made this recipe a handful of times in the past year and always get the same reaction from whomever we serve it to: more please! This is definitely a recipe we keep in our book of favorites and don’t hesitate to serve time and time again.
source: The New Best Recipe, by the editors of Cook’s Illustrated
For the Spinach:
- 1 tbsp table salt
- 20 oz fresh spinach (two 10-oz bags), rinsed
For the Béchamel:
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter
- 5 large shallots, minced (about 1 cup)
- 4 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed through garlic press (generous 1 tablespoon)
- 1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
- 3 1/2 cups milk
- 2 bay leaves
- 3/4 tsp fresh grated nutmeg or 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp table salt
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 oz grated Parmesan cheese (about 1/2 cup)
For the Cheeses and Pasta:
- 8 oz whole milk or 1% cottage cheese
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 tsp table salt
- 12 no-boil lasagna noodles from 1 box
- 2 oz grated Parmesan cheese (about 1 cup)
- 8 oz Italian fontina cheese, shredded (about 2 cups)
Instructions:
- To prepare the spinach: Fill large bowl with ice water. Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large Dutch oven or stockpot over high heat; add salt and spinach, stirring until spinach is just wilted, about 5 seconds. Using skimmer or fine-mesh strainer, transfer spinach to ice water and let stand until completely cool, about 1 minute, then drain spinach and transfer to clean kitchen towel. Wrap towel tightly around spinach to form ball and wring until dry. Chop spinach medium and set aside.
- To make the béchamel: Melt 5 tbsp butter until foaming in medium saucepan over medium heat; add shallots and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, for about 1 1/2 minutes. Do not brown. Gradually whisk in milk. Bring mixture to boil over medium-high heat, whisk in bay leaves, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Reduce heat to low and simmer 10 minutes, whisking occasionally. Whisk in Parmesan and discard bay leaves. Transfer sauce to bowl, press plastic wrap directly against surface, and set aside.
- To prepare the cheeses and pasta: Blend cottage cheese, egg, and salt in food processor or blender until very smooth, about 30 seconds. Transfer to bowl and set aside. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Place noodles in 13- by 9-inch broiler-safe baking dish and cover with hot tap water; let soak 5 minutes, agitating noodles occasionally to prevent sticking. Remove noodles from water and place in single layer on kitchen towel. Wipe baking dish dry and grease with remaining 1 tbsp butter.
- To assemble: Use rubber spatula to distribute 1/2 cup béchamel in bottom of baking dish; position 3 noodles on top of sauce. Stir spinach into remaining béchamel in bowl, mixing well to break up clumps of spinach (you should have about 4 cups spinach/béchamel mixture). Spread 1 cup spinach mixture evenly over noodles, sprinkle evenly with Parmesan, and top with 3 more noodles. Spread 1 cup spinach mixture evenly over noodles, sprinkle evenly with 1 cup fontina, and top with 3 more noodles. Spread 1 cup spinach mixture evenly over noodles, followed by cottage cheese mixture. Finish with 3 noodles, remaining cup spinach mixture, and remaining cup of fontina. Lightly spray large sheet foil with cooking spray and cover the lasagna. Bake until bubbling, about 20 minutes, then remove the foil. Remove the pan and adjust oven rack to uppermost position (about 6 inches from heating element) and heat broiler. Broil lasagna until cheese is spotty brown, 4 to 6 minutes. Cool 10 minutes, then cut into pieces and serve.
{ 7 comments }
Chocolate Chip Toffee Bars
February 3, 2012 · 8 comments
Anyone will tell you that the process of creating your own baking recipes is a difficult one. There’s this “science” to baking that we bakers know about and live by…how just the right amount of yeast, baking powder, or egg whites will make sandwich bread, fluffy biscuits, or a soufflé rise perfectly…how flour packed into the measuring cup is actually a different amount than flour fluffed into the cup…even how soft the butter is affects how the water and fat molecules in butter react in a recipe. The science of baking is often the reason so many of us home bakers leave the recipe creation and testing up to the pros – let them figure out the nuances and tell us how to overcome them. I’m totally fine with that!
So when I came across the idea for these chocolate chip toffee bars, a) I knew I would need extra time at the gym this week, and b) I knew the America’s Test Kitchen/Cook’s Illustrated Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe was the only recipe that I would want for these bars. It is by far my go-t0, most beloved chocolate chip cookie recipe and if I were to combine toffee (uh yes please!) with any chocolate chip recipe, there was no question which one it would be. And when I tell you that the toffee bits melt into the cookie dough and that the two blend into a rich caramel-milk chocolate cookie bar, I’m not lying. I swear, this cookie bar was heaven. Soft centers with a little crunch on top and the occasional nibble of a toffee bit that survived the oven temperature. Seriously, go make these now and don’t let anyone fool you into thinking that the ATK/CI recipe is anything but perfection (both for cookies and bars like this one). And, I can’t stress this enough – when you’re looking for a fabulous recipe, be sure you know who really created it – it makes all the difference in the world to have a truly credible recipe to work with.
source: inspired by Not Without Salt, cookie bar base recipe from The New Best Recipe by the editors of Cook’s Illustrated
- 2 cups plus 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp table salt
- 12 tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled until warm
- 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups milk or semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 3/4 cup Heath toffee bits
Instructions:
- Adjust the top rack of the oven to the center of the oven. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line an 8×8-inch baking pan with aluminum foil so that the edges of the foil overhang two sides of the pan; grease the foil with butter or cooking spray.
- Whisk the first three ingredients in a medium bowl and set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl, mix the butter and sugars together until thoroughly combined. Beat in the egg, yolk, and vanilla until just combined. Add in the dry ingredients and beat at low speed until the mixture is just combined – do not overbeat. Stir in the chocolate chips.
- Spread half of the dough out in the bottom of the baking pan with slightly damp fingers to prevent sticking. Sprinkle the toffee bits over the dough. Crumble the remaining dough over the toffee bits – don’t worry about filling in all the gaps; the dough will bake together.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean from the bars when tested for doneness. I used a dark pan which took 34 minutes – remember that baking times will differ with different pans. Allow the pan to cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes before carefully removing the bars in the foil from the pan. Allow the bars to cool completely before slicing.
{ 8 comments }
Soft Pretzel Bites with Cheese Sauce
January 31, 2012 · 15 comments
I am a complete sucker for mall pretzels. And it’s a darn good thing that you’ll only find me at the mall once or twice a year because more trips would like equal more pretzels. And as much as I love them, I’ve only made them once before, admittedly to great success but since Kyle isn’t a huge fan (crazy boy), I haven’t made them again. But in all the years since I first made them, there’s been one recipe I’ve been saving and I finally decided to bust it out just in time to share it with you while you’re all getting crazy planning your Super Bowl (or maybe anti-Super Bowl?) party menus. For the record, we’ll both be watching movies this Sunday, as is our annual tradition, while the rest of the nation is either watching the Super Bowl or waiting for the commercials (rarely both).
So this recipe isn’t any big secret; in fact, it’s probably the most widely adored one out there but if you haven’t made it yet, you need to get.on.it. Like now! And don’t be intimidated by making homemade soft pretzels either because this recipe is practically fool-proof. I not only halved the recipe (something that isn’t always recommended with yeast recipes), but I also refrigerated the dough overnight after the rise (something that is usually done to yeast dough before the rise, if at all). I let the dough come back to room temperature for about 2 hours before using it and the pretzel bites turned out like a dream. Seriously awesome soft pretzels. And dipped in the homemade cheese sauce (no processed ingredients with this recipe!), I was floating through mall pretzel heaven. Josie made this recipe back in October and suggested brushing the pretzels both before and after baking them and I couldn’t agree more – buttery soft pretzels might just be the perfect snack food!
Homemade Soft Pretzel Bites with Cheese Sauce
source: pretzels adapted from Alton Brown; cheese sauce is a Smells Like Home original
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups warm (110 to 115 degrees F) water
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 2 1/4 tsp instant yeast
- 22 ounces all-purpose flour, approximately 4 1/2 cups
- 2 ounces unsalted butter, melted
- Vegetable oil
- 10 cups water
- 2/3 cup baking soda
- 2 tbsp butter, melted
- Pretzel or Kosher salt
Instructions:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together the water, yeast, sugar, and yeast on low speed for 10 seconds. Switch to the dough hook and add the flour and butter. Mix on low speed until well combined. Change to medium speed and knead until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the side of the bowl, approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the dough from the bowl and transfer it to a well-oiled bowl. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and set it in a warm place for approximately 50 to 55 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size.
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Bring the 10 cups of water and the baking soda to a rolling boil in an wide 8-quart saucepan or roasting pan.
- In the meantime, turn the dough out onto a slightly oiled work surface and divide into 8 equal pieces. Roll out each piece of dough into a 24-inch rope. Slice each rope into 1-inch pieces. Place a lightly damp towel over the pretzel pieces to prevent them from drying out while you roll and cut the other pieces.
- Using a slotted spoon lower a handful of the pretzel pieces into the boiling water and boil them for 30 seconds, flipping them around in the water with the spoon a couple of times. Remove the pretzel pieces from the water using the spoon, drain as best you can, and place them on the baking sheets. Brush the top of each pretzel with the melted butter and sprinkle with the pretzel/Kosher salt. Bake until dark golden brown in color, approximately 10 – 12 minutes. Brush with remaining melted butter before serving. Serve warm.
For the cheese sauce:
Ingredients:
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 cup milk
- 8 oz extra sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (not package pre-shredded cheese – shred your own)
- Kosher salt
Instructions:
- In a small saucepan set over medium heat, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour and cook for 30 seconds, whisking constantly.
- Slowly whisk in the milk until no lumps of flour remain. Stirring constantly, bring the milk to a simmer over medium-low heat until it thickens, about 3-5 minutes. Remove the pan from the stove and stir in the shredded cheese until all of the cheese has melted. Add a pinch of salt, if needed. Serve warm. Leftovers can be reheated in the microwave on medium power at 30 second intervals.
{ 15 comments }
Restaurant Style Spinach and Artichoke Dip
January 30, 2012
If there’s one recipe that I’ve been meaning to share with you guys over the past 3 years, it’s this one. And for the most part, it’s because as many bloggers know, the problem with blogging certain recipes is that sometimes the dish needs to be served hot, before there’s any time to snap a [...]
Spicy Bean Burritos
January 25, 2012
For the past couple of months, we’ve been eating more vegetarian meals each week than I ever expected to see on my menus. And coincidentally, in the spirit of saving money on groceries when the new house budget is our first priority, these vegetarian meals oftentimes come in comparatively less expensive than non-veggie meals. I [...]
Jalapeño Popper Grilled Cheese
January 23, 2012
It snowed for the first time this winter over the weekend. And actually, the puny 6 inches that fell to the ground didn’t amount to much, considering the 15 inches we got socked with in October. Needless to say snow makes me crave grilled cheese. This probably goes back to my childhood where grilled cheese [...]
Baked Panko Chicken Fingers
January 19, 2012
Since it’s January and I’m still in the early stages of my be-healthy goal this year, I’d like to introduce you all to this recipe. It looks super fattening doesn’t it? Au contraire! These baked panko chicken fingers are first dipped in beaten egg whites, lightly coated in toasted panko breadcrumbs (go for whole wheat [...]
Homemade Peppermint Patties
January 16, 2012
When I set out to create my holiday treat packages last year, I knew I wanted to make treats I’d never made before but that had been on my to-make list for a while. Like marshmallows. And hot chocolate. And these peppermint patties. And let me tell you, these little minty treats probably made me [...]
Giant Double Chocolate Cookies
January 11, 2012
When I set out to make a new cookie, it’s never an easy task. SO many recipes touted as “the best”, so little time. And so few calories to sacrifice. But I’ve had my eye on these giant double chocolate cookies for almost exactly a year now and I finally gave in. It was time [...]
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