Even though it feels like Spring outside lately, I've been on a major soup kick the past few weeks. I think what I love most about soup is that you can work once to make the recipe and enjoy it for weeks to come! This recipe made a few extra servings than the 4 (or 3 1/2!) we usually need so I froze the leftover in individual containers for a quick, yummy lunch during the week. I'm not a huge fan of green onions and chives, so I didn't use them but you can definitely add them to pump up the flavor! Baked Potato Soup Makes approximately 6 servings Ingredients: 4-5 russet potatoes 4 tbsp unsalted butter 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, divided 6 cups 2% milk 2 tsp kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper, to taste 3/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese 1/3-1/2 cup sour cream For the topping: Sour cream Shredded cheddar cheese Crumbled bacon pieces Preheat oven to 400. Prick the potatoes with a fork. Place the potatoes on a baking sheet and bake for 1 hour. Remove from oven and let sit until cool enough to handle. Scoop the insides of the potatoes into a food processor, discarding the peels. Pulse until the pieces are broken into small chunks.
In a large stockpot or Dutch oven, melt the butter. Add 1/4 cup of flour to the pot and whisk into the butter. Cook, whisking constantly, until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the milk and the rest of the flour. Cook until thick and bubbling, about 6-8 minutes. Mix in the potato chunks. Add the salt, pepper and cheddar cheese. Stir until cheese is melted. Remove from heat and stir in the sour cream. Serve immediately. Garnish with sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese and bacon pieces.
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Strawberries and champagne. Is there a more perfect combination of flavors that say love and romance? I don't think so! I was so excited when my friend asked me to bake up a batch of these yummy, romantic cupcakes to present to his wife on Valentine's Day. Would I be able to do it? Yes! What an honor! This recipe is another one from The Cupcake Diaries by the sisters from Georgetown Cupcake. I got this book as a Christmas gift from my mother-in-law and I was really excited to make this recipe for our New Year's Eve celebration. I followed the recipe and made these in mini-form. Though they were ok, I wasn't completely happy with them. This time around I made these in the standard cupcake pan and tweaked the frosting just a bit - I kept the ingredients exactly the same but added them in the same order/technique that I usually do. One thing I found a bit odd about the cupcake recipe directions is that it called for room temperature eggs and milk, but not butter. I did as directed and used cold butter and this batch came out amazing! I was so proud to present these to my friends! They were a hit all-around and a perfect little treat on Valentine's Day! Strawberry Champagne Cupcakes with Champagne Buttercream Makes 20-24 cupcakes For the cupcakes 1/2 cup fresh strawberries, diced 1/2 cup good champagne 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour ** 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 8 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 3/4 cups sugar 2 large eggs, at room temperature 2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 1/4 cups whole milk, at room temperature Preheat the oven to 350. Line 2 standard cupcake pans with liners. Set aside. Soak the strawberries in the champagne. Set aside. In a medium bowl sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. Place the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Cream the butter for about 1 minute. Add the sugar and beat on medium speed until well incorporated. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing slowing after each addition. Add the vanilla extract to the milk in a liquid measuring cup. Reduce the mixer speed to low, then gradually add one third of the flour mixture, followed by one third of the milk mixture, beating until well incorporated. Add another third of the flour mixture, followed by another third of the milk mixture. Stop to scrape down the bowl, as needed. Add the remaining flour mixture followed by the remaining milk mixture and mix until just combined. Drain the strawberries of the excess champagne and gently fold the strawberries into the batter, just until incorporated. Scoop the batter into the liners, filling about 2/3 full. Bake for 18-22 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow cupcakes to cool in pans for about 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. ** These cupcakes can be made Gluten Free by using 2 1/2 cups high-quality Gluten Free Flour Mix. I use Gluuteny Basic Flour Mix from Gluuteny. For the Champagne Buttercream
16 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature (I prefer European butter, such as Plugra) 4 cups confectioner's sugar, sifted 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 teaspoon whole milk 1/8 teaspoon salt (I use kosher) 1/2 cup good champagne Place the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Cream the butter for about 1 minute. Add 2 cups of confectioner's sugar and mix on low until well combined. Add vanilla, milk, salt and champagne, mixing for about 30 seconds. Add the remaining 2 cups of confectioner's sugar and mix until just incorporated. Increase mixer speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, about 5-7 minutes. Transfer frosting to a large pastry bag fitted with a large tip. Swirl frosting onto cupcake and enjoy! Source: Slightly adapted from The Cupcake Diaries This is your new blog post. Click here and start typing, or drag in elements from the top bar. Anyone who knows me knows I kind of have a thing for cupcakes. I'm not sure when my obsession began, but I do have a memory of Mrs. Kessler, my kindergarten teacher, tearing the bottom off of a cupcake and sandwiching it on top. That was her favorite way to eat them. For some strange reason I sit here 32 years later and actually remember that! As for why I'm obsessed with cupcakes? Well, they're CUPCAKES, of course!! What's not to love!! Sweet little treats made just for you! Though my love for cupcakes has been lifelong, it's only been in the past few years that I've really started honing my baking skills and learning how to bake delicious, unique cupcakes. To that end, I was fortunate enough this past week to bake some yummy cupcake treats for two special occasions (I'll share the second one a little later this week!) These Vanilla Raspberry Cupcakes with Chocolate Buttercream were to celebrate a friend's little boy's 4th birthday party. My friend came up with the flavor combination and I'm really happy with the results! I used a basic vanilla cupcake recipe from The Cupcake Diaries, by the sisters at Georgetown Cupcake. I filled them with a raspberry jam from Annie's Eats and topped them with my favorite chocolate buttercream, slightly adapted from Williams-Sonoma Family Meals. I'm not a huge chocolate frosting person, but I could eat this stuff by the gallon! Its creamy and sweet, but not too sweet..it's just heavenly! Ok, full disclaimer here: I suck at photography. Well, maybe I'm not that bad but hubby got a new fancy, schmancy camera a few months ago and I attempted to use it to take pictures of my cupcakes all frosted and ready to go. Little did I know I forgot to use the flash! So, the first picture you see above is doctored up a bit with the help of my photo editor! Vanilla Cupcakes with Raspberry Filling and Chocolate Buttercream Makes 22-24 cupcakes For the cupcakes 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour ** 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature 1 3/4 cups sugar 2 eggs, at room temperature 2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 1/4 cups whole milk, at room temperature Preheat oven to 350. Line a standard cupcake pan with liners. Set aside. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together butter and sugar for 3-5 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing slowly after each addition. Add the vanilla to the milk in a liquid measuring cup. Add one third of the dry ingredients followed by one third of the milk, mixing thoroughly after each addition. Repeat. Stop to scrape down the bowl as necessary. Add the last third of the dry ingredients followed by the last third of the milk, mixing slowly until well incorporated. Scoop the batter into the cupcake liners filling them about 2/3 full. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of a cupcake comes out clean. Allow the cupcakes to cool in the pans for about 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled completely make a hole in the center of the cupcake for the raspberry filling. You can cut a hole with a small paring knife, but my favorite way to do this is with an apple corer. Make sure not to go the whole way through the cupcake. You can replace the 'cap' back on the cupcake if you want. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't. Your cupcakes are now ready to fill! ** These cupcakes can be made Gluten Free by using 2 1/2 cups high-quality Gluten Free Flour Mix. I use Gluuteny Basic Flour Mix from Gluuteny. For the Raspberry Filling 8 oz frozen raspberries, thawed 3 tbsp granulated sugar 1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch 1/2 tsp lemon juice Drain the thawed raspberries, reserving the liquid in a liquid measuring cup. Add enough water to equal 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons. In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the liquid, sugar, cornstarch and lemon juice. Mix well. Heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture boils and thickens. Remove from the heat and allow to cool completely. Stir the raspberries into the cooled mixture. (Depending on the texture you want you can smash the berries or leave them whole. You can also strain through a mesh sieve to remove the seeds if desired.) Transfer to the refrigerator to chill. It will thicken as it chills. ** I like to make the filling the night before so it's ready when I am. When the cupcakes are ready to fill remove the 'cap' of the cupcake. Using a small spoon, fill each cupcake with some raspberry filling. Replace the 'cap' if desired. For the Chocolate Buttercream 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature (I prefer European butter) 4 cups confectioner's sugar, sifted 1 tsp kosher salt 1/4 cup whole milk 2 tsp pure vanilla extract 1/2 cup cocoa powder 3-4 tsp very hot water In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter for 1-2 minutes. Add the salt to the confectioner's sugar. On low speed, gradually add 1/2 of the powdered sugar mixture to the butter. Slowly add the milk and vanilla extract. Add the remaining confectioner's sugar and beat until combined. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Turn the mixer on medium-high speed and beat until fluffy, 3-4 minutes. Sift the cocoa powder over the frosting and beat on low speed until just combined. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until fluffy, 3-4 minutes. Gradually add the hot water (to activate the cocoa flavor) being careful not to add so much that the frosting becomes too wet. Continue beating the frosting for an additional 1-2 minutes. Transfer frosting to a large pastry bag fitted with a large tip. Swirl frosting onto cupcake and enjoy! Sources:
Cupcakes: Very slightly adapted from The Cupcake Diaries Raspberry Filling: Annie's Eats Chocolate Buttercream: Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Family Meals What a weekend! I don't know why, but I made myself a kitchen to-do list that was simply insane! I had 14 different recipes on my list and I managed to accomplish 12 of them between Friday night and Saturday night! I was tired but it felt good to cook up some wholesome meals for the weekend and to have leftovers for lunches all week. We are challenging ourselves not to eat at any restaurants during February. What better way to do this than to stock the house with yummy things we love to eat! Some of this weekend's creations included bread, rolls, taquitos, pizza, enchiladas and chocolate chip pancakes - all from Annie's Eats. If you haven't checked her site out yet, you really should! Some of the recipes I'll be sharing here over the next few posts will be Meatballs and Marinara Sauce (which we made into yummy Meatball Sandwiches), Heart Shaped Sugar Cookies, and Baked Potato Soup. I hope you give some of these recipes a try and let me know your thoughts! The recipe for the meatballs is my mom's tried-and-true recipe. I made 13 meatballs from the batch, but you could easily make them smaller and make 18-20. The marinara sauce is a relatively new recipe for me. I'd been making the same recipe for years and was really sick of it. This new recipe is quickly becoming a family favorite! Meatballs and Marinara Sauce Makes 18-20 Meatballs Ingredients: For the Marinara Sauce 6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes 2 x 28 ounces cans whole-peeled tomatoes - I prefer San Marzano 1 cup water 1/4 cup fresh basil, torn 1/2 tsp kosher salt Combine olive oil, garlic cloves and red pepper flakes in a large saucepan and cook over medium-low heat until the garlic is golden, about 5-6 minutes. Add tomatoes to pan and crush with your hands or a wooden spoon. Rinse tomato can with 1 cup of water and add to saucepan. Add basil and season with salt. Increase heat to medium and simmer, partially covered, until thick, about 1-2 hours, stirring occasionally. For the Meatballs 1 lb ground beef (I used 80% ground chuck) 1/2 lb ground veal 1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 tsp kosher salt 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes 1/2 tsp black pepper 1/2 tsp cumin 1 cup plain, dried breadcrumbs 2 eggs 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (I like Parmigiano Reggiano) Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Mix together with your hands, being mindful not to over-mix. Form into 18-20 meatballs. Add meatballs to the simmering sauce. Cook, stirring occasionally, until meatballs are cooked through and sauce is thickened, 1-2 hours. The finished product with some provolone and a fresh baked roll! Source:
Marinara Sauce: Slightly adapted from Food Network Magazine, March 2010 Meatballs: Mimi's original :) Peanut Butter and Jelly. An American classic. Though I didn't eat a ton of PB&J sandwiches growing up there is something incredibly delicious about this super simple combination. When I saw these cupcakes on Annie's Eats the other day I knew I had to make them, and soon! We spent most of this past weekend celebrating our youngest daughter finally being diaper-free and being medically cleared from a swallowing disorder she'd been dealing with for 2+ years. I decided these cupcakes would be the perfect treat to finish off our weekend of kiddo celebrating, which included playtime at the Y, Mac & Cheese at Cheesecake Factory and (gulp) dinner at Chuck E Cheese. Funny story about the butter in this recipe. Though I almost always use unsalted European butter in all my frosting, I was out of it and didn't feel like making a special trip to the store. I used the generic brand in the fridge. Only once I had the butter in my mixer did I realize it was SALTED butter! Oh the horror! To compensate for the salted butter I omitted the salt from the original recipe. What a delicious mistake!! I will always make this recipe with salted butter! Hubby and I thought these were the best cupcakes I've ever made. Our 6-year-old non-peanut-butter-loving daughter ate some frosting and all the jelly off one cupcake and never went back for more (Seriously...whose kid is this???) But our 3-year-old loved them as much as we did! I'll be making these cupcakes again soon and when I do I'll be making a Gluten Free version for my father-in-law. I've made a few versions of GF cupcakes in the past and they've come out very well. All you need to do is sub out the all purpose flour for a high-quality Gluten Free Flour Mix. I use Gluuteny Basic Flour Mix from Gluuteny. Peanut Butter and Jelly Cupcakes Makes about 24 Cupcakes Ingredients: For the cupcakes: 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour ** 3/4 tsp baking powder 1/4 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp salt 12 tbsp (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature 1 1/3 cups sugar 2/3 cup creamy peanut butter 3 large eggs 1/2 cup sour cream 1 tsp vanilla extract 1/4 cup buttermilk For the filling and topping: Any type of jam or jelly you like. I used strawberry and raspberry For the frosting: 2 sticks salted butter, at room temperature 2/3 cup creamy peanut butter 3 cups confectioner's sugar, sifted 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract 2 tbsp heavy cream Directions: Preheat the over to 350 F. Line the cupcake pans with paper liners. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a fine-mesh strainer placed over a bowl. Sift the mixture into the bowl and whisk to blend. Set flour mixture aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter and sugar. Beat on medium-high until light and fluffy. Blend in the peanut butter. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, stopping to scrape down the mixer bowl if necessary. Blend in the sour cream. Turn the mixer to low speed and mix half of the dry ingredients just until incorporated. Mix in the buttermilk and vanilla extract, then add the remaining dry ingredients just until combined. Fill the cupcake liners approximately 2/3 full. Bake 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of a cupcake comes out clean. Let the pans cool on a wire rack for a few minutes before removing cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely. To fill the cupcakes, use the cone method by taking a small paring knife to hollow out a v-shaped hole in the cupcake. Add a small amount of the jam or jelly of your choice. Cut the tip off the v-shaped cake piece and place the 'lid' back on top of the cupcake until ready to frost. To make the frosting, combine the butter and peanut butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until smooth. Mix in the sifted confectioner's sugar. With the mixer on low speed, add the vanilla and heavy cream just until incorporated. Increase the mixer speed to medium-high and whip until light and fluffy, about 4-5 minutes. Transfer the frosting to a pastry bag fitted with a large frosting tip and swirl on in a circular motion. Using the tip of a small spatula or the back of a spoon make a small indentation on top of the frosting. Add a dollop of the same jam/jelly you used for the filling. ** If making these Gluten Free, use 1 3/4 cups high-quality Gluten Free Flour Mix _
Source: Cupcakes: Annie's Eats, originally adapted from Martha Stewart's Cupcakes Frosting: Adapted from Annie's Eats |
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