Cupcakes!

My husbands birthday is coming up in a couple short weeks, and for his birthday I wanted to send him something special, something homemade, but wasn't entirely sure what would survive the journey over there. Originally I had debated making him pies in a mason jar, as I saw the idea on pinterest, but after talking to him realized that they have pies available where they eat dinner, so I brainstormed some more. I finally found these amazing recipes for adult cupcakes and decided that it would be a great birthday treat if I could bake some in mason jars! While I was at it, I wanted to try this champagne cupcake recipe that I had seen on pinterest as well that I thought looked good. At first glance, each of these recipes used a box mix, and there's always a stubborn part of me that says as good as box mixes are, scratch has to be better. So my original plan was to try both the scratch and box versions of these cupcakes, but time got away from me, and after doing the scratch and box versions of the champagne cupcakes and finding I enjoyed the box versions better, decided to settle on the box version for the second. Feel free to try them both out yourself and make your decision though! I gave my neighbors a bit of each and they enjoyed the scratch version better, so maybe it's just me. Either way, here they all are for your experiments and enjoyment :)

Pink Champagne Cupcakes (from scratch)

 (The cupcakes side by side, cut open so you can see how similar they are. At the top is the box mix, bottom is the ones from scratch.)

• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup butter
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 3/4 cup champagne
• 6 egg whites

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line cupcake tins with liners.
In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until very light and fluffy. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together, and then blend into creamed mixture alternately with champagne. In a large clean bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold 1/3 of the whites into batter to lighten it, then fold in remaining egg whites. Pour into cupcake liners. Bake at 350 degrees F for about 18 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. I can't remember the exact time, as I just did the same amount of time as the box called for on the box mix.



Pink Champagne Cupcakes (from box)

• 1 box white cake mix
• 3 egg whites
• 1 1/4 cup pink champagne
• 1/3 cup oil
• 3 or 4 drops red food coloring

Mix together and bake according to the directions on the box.

Salted Buttercream Frosting

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 3 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

In a bowl combine butter, sugar and salt. Beat till blended. Add the milk and vanilla and beat for an additional 3 to 5 minutes or until smooth and creamy. If you don't have a wide enough tip on your icing bag, just use none at all and you'll get the look like mine do, and if you don't have an icing bag feel free to use a zip lock bag with one corner snipped out :)

Bailey's Chocolate Caramel Cupcakes

(Tip: Don't frost and decorate them while in the cupcake pan still. Makes for a mess! Ooops)

• 1 Duncan Hines Moist Deluxe Dark Chocolate Fudge Cake Mix
• 3 Large Eggs
• 1/2 cup melted butter (butter not margarine)
• 2/3 cup milk
• 1/3 cup Bailey's Irish Cream
• 10 ounces Bitterweet Chocolate, finely chopped
• 3.5 ounces caramels (about 10-12 candies unwrapped)
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 cup shortening
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 8 cups Powdered Sugar
• 1/3-1/2 cup Bailey's Irish Cream
• 1/4-1/3 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
• Caramel Syrup

For the Bailey's Chocolate Fudge Cupcakes:
Preheat oven to 350. Using a large mixing bowl, add cake mix, eggs, butter, Bailey's and milk and mix on low until combined. Then mix on high for 2 minutes. Pour batter into paper lined cupcake pans. Bake for 20 min. Cool completely.

For the Chocolate Ganache:
Place chopped chocolate in medium bowl and set aside. Using a medium sauce pan, heat whipping cream and caramels over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the caramels have melted completely.
Pour caramel cream over chocolate and stir until melted.
For Bailey's Buttercream:
In large mixing bowl, cream shortening and vanilla for 2-4 minutes. Add in powder sugar, one cup at a time
Combine Bailey's with cream in measuring cup and slowing add to sugar mixture, using more cream for a creamy consistency, use less milk for a stiff consistency.
To Assemble:
Using a sharp knife, cut out a cone shaped section of the cupcake and set it aside setting next to each   cupcake. Fill Cupcake holes with ganache, and place cake back over hole. Top cupcakes with buttercream.
Garnish with remaining ganache and caramel syrup. (just remember there is uncooked out alcohol in these!)

(Mason jar cupcakes! Accidentally put in too much batter, so not enough room for all of the frosting but I think he'll still like them :) )

Enjoy!

Tardy!

I wondered how long it would take.. I have been very good in getting a post up every Sunday, even through vacations, and yet this would be the week I forget. In my defense, I was gone almost all weekend on a marriage retreat and I started a new job last week so things have just been a bit crazy around my house. I will try to not let it happen again!

This week I did sushi! I've sorta done it before with my in laws once, and a few months ago my mother in law sent me a bunch of stuff for it, including pickled ginger, wasabi, and the nori wrappers. I'd been wanting to try them for a while, and finally had an excuse for it! One of the things I very much so didn't want to do was work with raw fish, I know there are proper ways to do it, but it just makes me so nervous! So I went with a few of the simpler ones, a spicy tuna roll, philadelphia roll, and a california roll. If you're trying this for the first time, or have kids you're worried about liking everything, try the tuna roll and go from there. All in all it turned out very well and I started to get the knack of rolling them! Don't worry if they aren't too pretty at first, it takes a while to get the hang of it :)

Sushi Rice

• 3 cups uncooked short grain rice (not minute!)
• 3 cups water
• ½ cup rice vinegar
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt

Wash the rice and rinse thoroughly. Place rice and water in a rice cooker and set until cooked. Alternately, place rice and water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce to a simmer, and cook covered until done, 35 to 45 minutes.
Meanwhile, mix together the rice vinegar, sugar and salt in a small saucepan; cook over medium heat until sugar has dissolved. Allow to cool. Put the cooked rice into a large mixing bowl; pour the vinegar sauce over the hot rice and mix. Allow to cool slightly before using in sushi recipes.



Spicy Tuna Roll

• 1 cup of cooked Sushi Rice
• 1 (6 oz) can solid white tuna in water, drained
• 1 Tbsp mayonnaise
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp wasabi paste
• 4 sheets nori
• ½ c. cucumber, julienned
• 1 carrot, julienned
• 1 avocado, peeled, pitted and diced

In small bowl combine tuna, mayonnaise, chili powder and wasabi paste. Break up tuna into small flakes and make sure all ingredients are combined.
Cover a bamboo sushi mat with plastic wrap and lay a sheet of nori, rough side up, on wrap. Firmly pat a thick, even layer of rice over nori. Place 1 Tbsp of cucumber, carrot and avocado in a line along the bottom edge of the sheet, and spread a line of tuna mixture alongside the vegetables.
Pick up edge of nori up , fold the bottom of the nori up , enclosing the filling and tightly roll the sushi into a thick cylinder. Once the sushi is rolled, wrap in the mat and gently squeeze to seal. Cut each roll into 6 pieces and refrigerate 2 hours or until ready to serve. Repeat until all ingredients are used. If you don't have the mat, don't worry, I just rolled mine up on a cutting board. It's a bit messier but it works :)



California Roll

(a good example of how to put everything together so it rolls up nicely)

• 1 cup sushi rice
• 8 nori seaweed sheets
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
• ½ cup imitation crab meat, finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 avocado, peeled, thinly sliced lengthwise
• ½ cucumber, peeled, cut into long, thin matchsticks

Combine the crab meat and mayonnaise in a bowl, and then put together the roll the same way as the tuna roll was done, sprinkling the rice with the sesame seeds before adding the rest of the ingredients.

Philadelphia Roll

(Forgot to get pictures of this one, sorry!)

• 8-ounce block cold cream cheese, cut into long, thin sticks
• 1 cup cooked sushi rice
• 4 ounces smoked salmon, thinly sliced
• 2 nori seaweed sheets
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced

Roll together the same way as the other rolls and Enjoy!

Mac & Cheese and Chicken Satay

I wanted to do some fun twists on some kid friendly ideas this week that might interest kids and adults, so I ran through a bunch of recipes and decided to try a few of the more interesting ones. I invited my neighbors over, who have two children, one young and one teenager to be able to try it out and let me know what they thought. The dishes I decided to do were my Pepperjack Mac and Cheese with bacon, Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce, and Banana S'mores. Everything turned out pretty awesomely, and of course with the mac and cheese you can always substitute whatever cheeses you'd like. Turned out the kids didn't like banana's though, so I didn't get an opinion on the S'mores, but all of us adults sure liked them! The biggest hit, that I was a bit surprised at, was the peanut sauce, everyone really seemed to like it, and the chicken itself turned out very moist and flavorful.

Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce

(I forgot to try to get a picture until they were almost all gone! But here's the last one, it was quickly eaten after this picture)

• 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast halves
• 2 T sesame oil
• 1/2 t paprika
• 1 t salt
• 1/2 t pepper
• 12 bamboo skewers, soaked in water for at least 10 minutes
• 1/2 t sesame oil
• 2 t grated ginger root (peeled first)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/3 cup peanut butter
• 2 T brown sugar
• 2 T lime juice
• 2 T soy sauce
• 1/2 cup light coconut milk

Cut each chicken breast into strips about 1/2 inch wide and put into a large resealable freezer bag. Combine the next 4 ingredients in a small cup and pour over the chicken. Seal the bag, toss until coated and let stand in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 hours, turning occasionally. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove the chicken and discard any remaining mixture. Thread the chicken accordion-style onto the skewers and arrange on a baking sheet lined with foil. Bake for about 15 minutes, turning at halftime until no longer pink.

Heat the sesame oil in a small saucepan on medium heat. Add the ginger root and garlic. Heat and stir for about a minute until fragrant, be careful as these can burn quickly. Add the next 5 ingredients, heat and stir for about 5 minutes until the peanut butter is melted. Add the coconut milk, heat and stir about a minute until bubbling. Cool to room temperature and serve with skewers.

(not the best picture of the sauce, but it was so tasty!)

Pepperjack Mac and Cheese with Bacon

• 6 strips of bacon, cooked and diced
• 4 oz grated pepperjack
• 8 oz grated white cheddar 
• 1 T olive oil, or reserved bacon grease
• 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
• About 1/2 cup of flour
• 2 T butter
• 1 box of rigate pasta (or any other noodle), cooked
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 T italian seasoning
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 3 cups of heavy cream
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs
• Optional: Vegetables such as peas, broccoli, etc.

Heat oil or grease in a large oven safe pot, and cook onions with seasoning and garlic for a few minutes or until soft. Add broth and cream and bring to a slow boil. In a small saucepan, melt the butter and add the flour until it forms a thick paste, it may take more flour than I listed. Let cook for a minute or two on low heat, stirring frequently to ensure it doesn't burn. Add one cup of the reserved cream and broth liquid to the sauce pan, whisking continuously until it is a smooth mixture, and then add that back to the large pot, stirring well. Let boil for about 10 minutes or until the whole mixture is thickened, and then add the cheese. Let cook until the cheese is melted, and add to the pasta along with the bacon and any vegetables you might wish to add (I used peas). Top with bread crumbs and transfer to an oven heated to a broil until it is golden brown on top. Enjoy!

Banana S'mores

• Bananas
• Chocolate chips
• Mini Marshmallows
• Optional: Nuts

I don't have exact measurements for this, it depends how much chocolate or marshmallows you would like, and feel free to experiment and let me know if you happen upon any awesome ideas! Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Slice the bananas in half lengthwise, and lay in sheets of tin foil. Sprinkle the chocolate chips and marshmallows in between the two banana halves and close the foil around it tightly. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until everything is warm and melted. Enjoy!

Baja and Key Limes

With summer slowly winding down I wanted to get some more of the fresh fun summer flavors in, and lately I had been craving some key lime pie, and needed to bring a dessert to an FRG meeting, so I made that, but in bars to make it easier to eat. Sadly it seems not many people in our unit are very adventurous when it comes to food and they barely touched it! Luckily I went to my friends house the next night and it was quickly eaten! To keep along the same lines with the lime and fresh flavors I did fish tacos, something I've never personally eaten before but always wanted to, it was on me and my husbands "Food bucket list" so I thought I would test it out and see if it was worth redoing when he gets home. It most definitely is! I loved them a lot, tacos are so fun cause you can do so many different things with them, and these are a really nice change of pace from the traditional ones.

Baja Fish Tacos

• vegetable oil, for frying
• 1/4 red cabbage, thinly sliced (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• Juice of one line, plus wedges for serving
• 2 T honey
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• salt to taste
• 12 corn tortillas
• 3/4 cup flour
• 1/2 t chili powder
• pepper to taste
• 1 1/4 pounds boneless skinless halibut fillets (I couldn't find halibut so I used cod) cut into 2x1/2 inch pieces
• 1 avocado (if you're like me and have never bought an avocado before, don't get one too squishy!)
• 1/2 cup fresh salsa (recipe below)

Heat about 3 inches vegetable oil in a medium pot over medium-low heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 375 degrees F. Meanwhile, toss the cabbage, cilantro, lime juice, honey and mayonnaise in a bowl. Season the slaw with salt. Warm the tortillas in a skillet over medium-low heat or wrap in a damp paper towel and microwave 25 seconds. Mix the flour, chili powder, and salt and pepper to taste in a shallow bowl. Dredge the fish in the flour mixture, then fry in batches until golden and just cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain. Season with salt.

Halve, pit and slice the avocado. A few more tips for those who haven't worked with one before: to make pitting easier, smack the pit with the blade to wedge it in there, twist and pull and the pit should easily come out. Fill the tortillas with the fish, avocado, slaw and salsa. Serve with lime wedges.

Fresh Salsa

• 3 large ripe tomatoes, diced, or 1 14-ounce can of diced tomatoes with juice
• 1 small onion, finely diced
• 1 small green pepper, seeded and minced
• 1 4-ounce can of chopped green chiles with juice
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 2 T red wine vinegar
• 1 T olive oil
• Various optional ingredients: avocado, black beans, mango, red onion, pineapple, limes

Combine all ingredients, and any extra ingredients you may want to add, in a large glass bowl. Stir well with a spoon. Cover with plastic wrap and chill until serving time.

Key Lime Pie 

(Love how the bright green of the lime zest looks on top!)

• 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 4 T butter, melted
• 2 14-ounce cans sweetened condensed milk
• 1 cup key lime (or regular lime) juice
• 2 whole large eggs
• 1 cup sour cream
• 4 T powdered sugar
• 1 T lime zest

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. In a bowl, mix the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and butter with your hands. Press the mixture firmly into a 9-inch pie pan, and bake until brown, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature before filling.

Lower the oven temperature to 325 degrees F. In a separate bowl, combine the condensed milk, lime juice, and eggs. Whisk until well blended and place the filling in the cooled pie shell. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes and allow to chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours. Once chilled, combine the sour cream and powdered sugar and spread over the top of the pie using a spatula. Sprinkle the lime zest as a garnish on top of the sour cream and serve chilled. You can do this in bars, the recipe will stretch it just won't be as thick, simply use a 9x13 dish instead of a the pie pan.