Orange Cupcakes and Winter Days

I, like so many others, miss summer already. I am constantly thinking about when it will return and wondering what I will do until that happens. The cold chill in the air has made me crave something citrus. While tooling around yesterday after work I decided to whip up some Orange cupcakes with cream cheese icing and I am glad I did. I also made a batch of chocolate chip cookies which make for a great snack staple.

Orange Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Icing.

1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup granulated white sugar
3 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 tablespoon orange juice
Zest of 1 orange
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350 and place cupcake liners in pan. Mix together orange zest and sugar with electric mixer in a bowl until fragrant. Add butter and mix until well incorporated and fluffy. Add in the eggs one at a time and mix thoroughly. Beat in vanilla and orange juice. Add in baking powder and salt and mix well. Add in flour in small amounts and mix until incorporated. Add in milk and mix well. Spoon/scoop batter into each liner until they are half full. Bake for 18-20 mins and toothpick comes out clean.

Cream Cheese Frosting
8 oz package of cream cheese at room temperature
1 tsp orange juice
1 tablespoon shortening
2 tablespoons butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cup confectioners sugar; add more until desired consistancy is reached.

combine cream cheese, butter, and shortening and mix until fluffy and well incorporated. Blend in orange juice. Add confectioners sugar a little at a time until desired consistancy is reached.

Whole Wheat Waffles with Mango Butter

Mango Butter

½ cup mango, peeled, pitted and diced

½ lb butter, softened

¼ cup brown sugar

Pinch of salt (about 1/8 tsp)

Using a blender or a food processor, beat the butter, sugar and salt until light, about 1 min. Add mango and beat until combined, Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Will keep for about a week. Freeze for up to 2 months.

Whole Wheat Waffles

1 ½ cups whole wheat flour

2 tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

2 tlbs brown sugar

1 lg egg

1 ½ cups of milk

1/3 cup vegetable/ canola oil

Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and brown sugar. Add milk and oil and combine. Add egg and mix well.

Cook the waffles as directed in the instructions that came with your waffle iron.

Baking and Such

This past weekend I bottled two batches of beer (roughly 4 cases), made two batches of pesto pizza dough, some cherry chewy oatmeal mess, a cinnamon twist and random breakfastes.

Some things I have learned.

When bottling beer make sure that you move all small open containers of beer out of your way. Beer will end up all over the kitchen. I messed up this task twice in one batch of beer. Plus side I had not cleaned the kitchen yet. Minus, dog now likes beer.

When making pesto pizza dough make a double batch. No since in having to go through all that mixing and waiting twice.

When making a Cardamon Cinnamon Twist if you don't have Cardamon (and who does) it's ok, just add some All Spice to the dough. It will taste just fine. And also if you do not have a pan big enough to support this long dough tube you have to roll up, just curve it. It will still taste just fine.

When making a cookie recipe for the first time and trying to expirement on the make up make sure to take into account the amount of moisture you add when adding fresh fruit. If you do not it will turn your Oatmeal Crisps into Oatmeal Mushies. This is not a bad thing, still tastes good, but looks like a pile of crap.

Lots of Love,
Your ever so entertaining Bor3d Baker

Coconut - Vanilla Cake with Coconut Buttercream Icing

Coconut Cake

1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cup flour, sifted (or cake flour)
1/2 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs
1 teaspoon Kahlua
1 tsp coconut flavoring
1 3/2 tsp baking powder

Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour pan/s. Cream sugar, butter, and eggs until smooth. Add Kahula, coconut flavoring and mix well, add flour small amount at a time until well incorporated. Add baking powder and mix well. (important to mix well)

Pour into baking pan/s and bake for until toothpick comes out clean or 30 mins.

Place aside and cool completely before frosting.

Coconut Buttercream

1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1 tsp coconut flavoring
2 tablespoons coconut milk
4 cups sifted powdered sugar (aprox. 1 lb)

Cream butter, shortening, and flavoring until smooth. Slowly add powdered sugar until incorporated and looks like cornmeal. Add coconut milk and blend until smooth and medium peaks form. Chill for 30 min before frosting.

Carmel Strawberry Upside-Down Cake

Carmel Strawberries:

• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
• 2 tsp of cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 container of ripe strawberries (about 1 lb)

Cake:

• 3 cups cake flower, plus more for pan
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 2 ¼ cups sugar
• 5 lg eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 ¼ cups of whole buttermilk

Whipped Cream Frosting:

• 3 cups of whipping cream
• ½ cup of sugar
• ½ tsp vanilla

Directions: Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9 inch pan, line bottom with parchment paper and brush paper with butter.

Carmel Peaches: Combine the sugar, corn syrup, cinnamon in a medium saucepan. Stir over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Increase the heat to high and cook without stirring until the mixture become an amber caramel, about 5 mins. Pour the carmel into the prepared pan and set aside to cool.

Remove green from strawberries and half. Arrange the strawberries into concentric circles in the pan. Set aside while you make the cake batter.

Cake: In a large bowl, beat 1 cup butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add the sugar, beating until fluffy. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla and set aside.

In a small bowl, add the 3 cups of flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir to combine. Add the flour mixture into the egg mixture alternately with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture.

Pour mixture over strawberries and syrup in pan. Place in middle of oven for 40 mins or until toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean.

Frosting: Whip whipping cream, while whipping add vanilla and sugar slowly. Whip until stiff peaks.

To assemble cake: carefully arrange 1 cake layer, strawberry side up, on a cake plate. Carefully stack the remaining cake layer, strawberry side up, over the first layer. Frost the cake with whipped cream frosting.

Pumpkin Bread

1 can of pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
1 2/3 cups sugar (can substitute Splenda or alternate sweetener)
2/3 cup vegetable or 1 1/3 cup apple sauce
2 tsp vanilla
4 large eggs
1 1/2 cups of all purpose white flour
1 1/2 cups of whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup coarsely chopped nuts

topping 1/8 cup of halved nuts and 2 tablespoons dry oatmeal

Pre-heat oven to 350. Position oven rack to low position. The pans will need to be placed in the center of the oven. Grease or spray oil on the bottom of 2 loaf pans.
Mix all dry ingredients thoroughly. Add in oil (or apple sauce) vanilla and eggs and mix completely. Add in pumpkin and nuts and fold until completely incorporated.
Pour into loaf pans and sprinkle topping if desired.
Bake loaves 50 to 60 mins or until tooth pick placed in the middle comes out clean. Cool 10 mins before loosening sides of bread and removing from pans. Cool completely before slicing. Wrap tightly and store at room temperature for up to 4 days or refrigerate and store up to 10 days.

May be frozen for up to 2 months.

Healthed Up Rice Crispies

Everyone is a health nut these days, so this pretty much makes it the norm. I have been searching for low sugar treats that still feel like dessert. Rice Crispies are one of my all time favorite treats and they are loaded with sugar...not a lot of fat, but definitely sugar. Here is what I have come up with.


Healthed Up Rice Crispies:
Adapted from Alton Browns recipe (www.foodnetwork.com)

6 cups of Envirokids Koala Crisps or Kashi puffed rice cereal
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup nuts (any kind)
7 oz small marshmallows
3 tbs flax seed oil
2 tbs honey

in a double broiler (pot of boiling water with a metal bowl on top) melt the marshmallows with the flax seed oil and honey until smooth. Mix cereal with nuts and cranberries in a bowl. Grease or line a 9" baking pan. Pour the marshmallow mixture over the cereal and stir. Grease hands and pour mixture into baking dish. Press mix into dish until smooth. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours until set.

Designing Dinner Parties

Dinner parties havee been a common appearance over the past few years at my home. I have tried repeatedly to come up with new and exciting menus for each one. This weekend we are having yet another dinner. Here is what I have come up with.

Pork Souvlaki with Squash and Apples and Rosemary Mashed Potatoes

Pork Souvlaki: (adapted from foodnetwork.com)
Serves 6-8
2 shallots, minced
2 cloves of garlic
1 tsp rosemary
1 tsp oregano
1 Jalapeno pepper seeded and minced or 1 Serrano pepper
1 tsp lemon zest
1 lemon juiced
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 lbs pork tenderloin, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2 to 2 inch chunks

Prepare at least 3 hours ahead. Combine shallots, garlic, oregano, rosemary, jalapeno, lemon zest and juice, and olive oil in a large resealable plastic bag. Add the pork and turn to coat. Marinate in refrigerator for 3 hours or overnight.

Soak 12-16 wooden skewers for 20 mins in water.

remove pork from marinade and thread pieces on to each skewer making sure there is room to hold the skewer at the ends. (about 3 pieces per skewer)

Grill 3-5 mins on each side until cooked through.

Rosemary Potatoes

8 regular russet potatoes peeled and sliced into chunks
1 yellow onion diced
1 clove garlic minced
2 tsp rosemary
1 tbs butter
1/2 cup of milk (more if needed)
1 tsp olive oil

boil potatoes until fork tender. While boiling potatoes. Saute onions and garlic in olive oil until just toasted, about 3 to 5 mins. Mash potatoes with butter and milk. Add toasted onions and garlic, rosemary, and mix well.

Squash and Apples (adapted from foodnetwork.com)
1 clove garlic minced
1 small butternut squash pealed and sliced into 1 inch cubes
2 apples, pealed and sliced in to 1/2 inch pieces.
1 med red onion cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 tsp rosemary
1 tbs brown spicy mustard or dijon mustard
salt and pepper to taste

preheat oven to 425. Mix rosemary, mustard, salt and pepper, and garlic in a bowl and toss apples, onions, and squash with the mixture. Create a foil packed in a baking dish and place apples and squash mixture in the dish and cover with foil. Poke holes in the foil to let the steam escape. Bake for 30 to 35 mins.

Lemon Garlic Roasted Chicken Breast

• 4 medium chicken breasts with skin and bone in
• 3 medium sized lemons
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 3 tbs olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Debone the chicken breast but leave the skin on. Wash and dry. Rub the breasts with one table spoon of olive oil, garlic and salt and pepper to taste. Preheat oven to 400. Place iron skillet on stove and heat to med to high heat. Add tbs olive oil and drizzle the chicken with the juice of two lemons. Place chicken breast skin side down and cook until just browned (3 to 4 min). Turn chicken and brown for 2 min. Drizzle chicken with juice from the last lemon and place the lemons halfs in the pan. Finish in the oven (15 to 20 mins). Let chicken rest in pan for 5 min.

Sage Green Beans

Adapted from “Epicurious” November 2010

• 2 lbs green beans, trimmed
• 1 tbs olive oil
• ½ cup chopped fresh sage
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ cup toasted Almonds, chopped

Heat large skillet over medium heat. Add oil and cook sage until it begins to blacken (approx. 3 min). Add garlic and cook until golden (approx. 2 min). Add beans and salt: toss to coat. Carefully add 1 cup water. Steam until beans are fork-tender and most of the water has evaporated (4 to 5 min). Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle Almonds and serve.

To toast Almonds:

Place almonds in a small skillet over med heat and toast for 2 min.

Spanikopita

I thought I had posted this before, but it seems as if it is one I have forgotten.

Spankopita

1 package of Puff Pastry dough thawed and cut in to 2x2 squares. (makes about 22, if you like larger it works)
1 10oz package of frozen chopped spinach (thawed and drained)
1 4oz container of Feta Cheese crumbled
1 egg
1 tbs chopped parsley
1 tbs chopped basil
2 cloves garlic
1 whole yellow onion
1 tbs olive oil
2 oz of Romano or Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Dice onion and mince garlic. In a small skillet heat olive oil and saute onion and garlic together until golden brown. Allow to cool. In a bowl mix spinach, feta, parsley, basil, and Romano/Parmesan cheese. Add in onion and garlic mixture. Mix well. Beat egg and toss with spinach filling. Add salt and pepper to taste and toss.

Place a small spoon full of the mixture in each pastry square. Fold and pinch sides together making small spinach filled pockets until all dough is used.

Place on a greased baking sheet and bake at 350 for 25 min or until golden brown.