Chocolate Crincke Cookies

I found this recipe on Stephanie Nielson's food blog and lets just say I had a hunch they would be tasty.
For anyone in doubt, let me just say this: these are brownies in a cookie's body.

Do this and you will be one happy(ier) human being:

Chocolate Crinckie Cookie Recipe - makes 4doz.
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup cocoa powder
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
powdered sugar

1. In a large bowl combine sugar and oil.  Add cocoa.  Blend well.  Beat in eggs and vanilla.
2. In a medium bowl combine flour, baking powder and salt.  Add to cocoa mixture, blending well.
3. Cover and chill for at least 6 hours.  (I only chilled for 2 and they turned out okay ...)
4. Heat oven to 350F.
5. Shape dough into one inch balls.  Roll in powdered sugar.  Place 2 inches apart on parchment lined cookie sheet.  Bake for 12 to 14mins.
6. Cool on wire rack and enjoy!

p.s. My hand mixer bit the dust just as I finished mixing this batter (I place no blame on the dough).   Though I dream of one day having a beautiful KitchenAid Stand Mixer, I picked up a new KitchenAid Hand Mixer and am excited for the fact it comes with more attachments than my previous one had ... lets just say Dough Hooks and Soup Puree attachment.  Ohhhh yeah.

Yellow Buttermilk Cupcakes

Yellow Buttermilk Cupcakes:

Recipe from Martha Stewart's Cupcakes - makes 36:
3 cups cake four (not self-rising)
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
2 1/4 tsp baking powder
2 1/2 tsp coarse salt
1 cup plus 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
2 1/4 cup sugar
5 large whole eggs PLUS 3 egg yolks, room temperature
2 cups buttermilk, room temperature
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
Fluffy Vanilla Frosting

1. Preheat oven to 350F.  Line standard muffin tins with paper liners.  Sift together both flours, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
2. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy.  Reduce speed to medium.  Add whole eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.  Add yolks, and beat until thoroughly combined.  Reduce speed to low.  Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of buttermilk, and beating until combined after each.  Beat in vanilla.
3. Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three-quarters full.  Bake, about 20mins.  Transfer tins to wire racks to cool 10 minutes; turn out cupcakes onto racks and let cool completely.  Cupcakes can be stored overnight at room temp, or frozen up to 2 months, in airtight containers.

4. To finish, frost cupcakes.  Refrigerate up to 3 days in airtight containers.  Bring to room temp and if desired, decorate with sprinkles before serving.

Streusel Cupcakes

Well ... I seem to have taken on a new addiction ... baking Martha Stewart cupcakes.
This is for good reason: I am an awful baker.  Just awful.  No matter how hard I try, my end product NEVER looks like it does in the picture or the way it looks when I've had it at someone else's house.  But somehow ... some magical twist of fate allows me to follow Martha's recipes and end up with a dessert that is edible.  Some recipes I've had to attempt a few times, I admit.  But it's worth all that effort to get the unbelievably yummy taste that is intended when Martha included her recipe in her book.
The latest creation is the Streusel Cupcake - goes perfectly with that mid-morning coffee.  I warn you, however, if you try this recipe ... the floor will look like Cookie Monster has been there as soon as you bite into these succulent morsels.  They are CRUMBLY.

With glaze:

Streusel Cupcake recipe - makes 24
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup plus 2Tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature (I never seem to have butter at room temp, or read the recipe well enough in advance to prep it ... so I just popped the butter in the microwave for 30sec ... this seemed to do the trick)
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups sour cream
Streusel Topping (recipe follows)
Milk Glaze (recipe follows)

1. Preheat oven to 350F.  Line standard muffin tins with paper liners.  Whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
2. With an electric mixer on med-high speed, cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.  Stir in vanilla by hand.  Add flour mixture and sour cream; stir until just combined.
3. Divide batter evenly among lined cups.  Sprinkle half the topping over cupcakes, gently pressing it into the batter.  Sprinkle evenly with remaining topping.  Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until golden brown and a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 20mins (again - I NEVER rotate or stick a cake tester in ... I just blindly trust Martha's timing and it seems to work ...).
Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely before removing cupcakes.
4. To finish, place cupcakes on a wire rack set over a baking sheet; drizzle evenly with milk glaze.  Glazed cupcakes can be stored up to 3 days at room temp in airtight containers.

Streusel topping:
(makes enough for 24 cupcakes)
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup packed dark-brown sugar
2 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp coarse salt
1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temp.

Whisk together flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt; cut in the butter using a pastry blender, your fingertips, or two table knives until combined but still crumbly.  Refrigerate 30mins before using. (uhh ... or just for the time it takes to plop the ingredients of part one into cupcake tins).

Milk glaze:
(makes enough for 24 cupcakes)
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
3 Tbsp milk

Whisk together ingredients until smooth.  Use immediately.

... The smell of these beauties baking is sell-your-home worthy!

Garden Full of Goodness Lasagna

The woman who introduced me to this lasagna said: "Besides me, there are all men in my family. Men who love to eat meat. This is the only vegetarian dish that I don't have to persuade them to eat. They love it."
Who can argue with an introduction to a dish like that?? Not me. I tried it and it has become a staple in my home. Especially during those weeks where you don't feel like cooking EVERY SINGLE NIGHT. Make one dish and it lasts a few days ... it serves 8 afterall!! :)

This recipe is courtesy of Paula Deen from the Food Network
Ingredients
2 cups thinly sliced zucchini
2 cups thinly sliced yellow squash
1 cup thinly sliced carrot
1 cup thinly sliced fresh mushrooms
1 medium onion, diced
1/2 green bell pepper, diced
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1 (14 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
1/2 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
1/4 cup sliced fresh basil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
3/4 cups small cottage cheese
1 large egg, lightly beaten
8 oven-ready, "no cook," lasagna noodles
12 slices provolone cheese, thinly sliced
2 cups shredded mozzarella
Directions
Combine zucchini, squash, carrot, mushrooms, onion and peppers with water to cover. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Drain well, and reserve.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, basil, garlic, salt, and pepper in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes.

In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, cottage cheese, and eggs. Stir together.

Spread 1/3 of the sauce evenly over bottom of a 13 by 9 by 2-inch baking dish. Place 4 uncooked lasagna noodles on top of sauce. Do not overlap noodles. Spread 1/2 of cream cheese mixture over noodles. Cover cheese mixture with 1/2 the vegetable mixture, more sauce, and top evenly with 6 slices provolone cheese and 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers with 4 noodles, rest of the cream cheese mixture, vegetables, sauce, and remaining cheeses. Place in oven for 35 minutes or until lasagna is hot and bubbling

Let lasagna stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Enjoy!

p.s. I have adapted this recipe to our personal tastes ... meaning I've left out the yellow squash and end up using a full tub of cottage cheese. This is one packed dish!

Cookies and Cream Cheesecakes

Cookies and Cream Cheesecakes, a la Martha Stewart:


MAKES 30
42 cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies (Who are we kidding, do any other cookies hold a match to OREO cookies??), 30 left whole and 12 coarsely chopped
2lbs cream cheese, room temperature (Equivalent: 4 Philadelphia Cream Cheese pkgs)
1 cup sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
4 large eggs, room temp, lightly beaten
1 cup sour cream
pinch of salt

1. Preheat oven to 275F. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Place 1 whole cookie in the bottom of each lined cup.
2. With an electric mixer on med-high speed, beat cream cheese until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Gradually add sugar, and beat until combined. Beat in vanilla.
3. Drizzle in eggs, a bit at a time, beating to combine and scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Beat in sour cream and salt. Stir in chopped cookies by hand.
4. Divide batter evenly among cookie-filled cups, filling each almost to the top. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until filling is set, about 22mins. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely. Refrigerate (in tins) at least 4 hours (or up to overnight). Remove from tins just before serving.

This was my contribution to Easter Sunday dinner at my parents, who claim they do not like cheesecake. Either this recipe has converted them, or they were acting like loving parents and PRETENDED that they loved them. Either way, these are substantial little desserts that are packaged in single-serving sizes. I will definitely makes these again.

One Bowl Chocolate Cupcakes with Fluffy Vanilla Icing

From Martha Stewart's Cupcake Book (Thanks Laura!!), here are the One-Bowl Chocolate Cupcakes with Fluffy Vanilla Icing:


Cupcake Recipe - Books says it makes 18, I usually get 21:
1 1/2cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
2 large eggs
3/4 cup buttermilk
3 Tbsp vegetable oil (I just used olive oil...)
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup warm water

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. With an electric mixer on medium speed, whisk together flour, cocoa, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Reduce speed to low. Add eggs, buttermilk, oil, extract, and water; beat until smooth and combined, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.
2. Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each about two-thirds full. Bake, rotating tins halfway (I NEVER ROTATE - why is this important???), until a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean (I just rely on Martha's recommended time - I have a hunch that her opinion is trust-worthy!), about 20 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool 10minutes; turn out cupcakes onto racks and let cool completely. Cupcakes can be stored overnight at room temperature, or frozen up to 2 months in airtight containers (good to know!).
3. To finish, fill a pastry bag fitted with a medium French star tip with icing. Pipe whatever design you choose ... Martha does a starburst pattern, but I am trying to get the hang of using the pastry bag and am starting simply. PLUS I really want my cupcakes to look like FLIRT cupcakes ... one day.

Fluffy Vanilla Frosting - makes about 4 cups
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, room temperature
4 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted (I don't sift ...)
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1. With an electric mixer, beat butter on medium-high speed until pale and creamy, about 2mins.
2. Reduce speed to medium. Add the confectioners' sugar, 1/2cup at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down sides of bowl as needed; after every two additions, raise speed to high and beat 10seconds to aerate frosting, then return to medium. This process should take about 5mins. Frosting will be very pale and fluffy!
3. Add vanilla, and beat until frosting is smooth. If not using immediately, frosting can be refrigerated up to 10 days in an airtight container. Before using, bring to room temperature, and beat on low speed until smooth again, about 5 mins.

YUM.

Asparagus and Zucchini Crudi, and Fregola Salad with Fresh Citrus and Red Onion

Since receiving Giada's Kitchen for my birthday, it's lovely being able to have another cookbook to work my way through (only Vegetarian sections at this point). For dinner, I chose two salads:

Asparagus and Zucchini Crudi:

Fregola Salad with Fresh Citrus and Red Onion:



Asparagus and Zucchini Crudi Recipe - Serves 4 to 6:
2 medium zucchini, trimmed
1 bunch of asparagus, trimmed
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 oz. Pecorino Romano cheese

1. Using a vegetable peeler, shave the zucchini into long thin strips. Thinly slice the asparagus on a diagonal. Put the sliced vegetables in a serving bowl and toss together to combine.
2. In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Mix well, then drizzle over the veggies. Toss to coat. Use the vegetable peeler to shave the Romano over the salad and serve immediately.
Note - this was surprisingly tasty. I was slightly cynical that the raw asparagus would taste okay, but I think I actually prefer it now over steamed. It's nice to have that "crunch".

Fregola Salad with Fresh Citrus and Red Onion - 4 to 6 servings:
I could not find "Fregola" pasta ANYWHERE!!! And I looked everywhere ... except the Italian centre (which I'm sure is there and I should have gone there first). So I substituted Fregola with Orzo ... a pasta that is just as small and looks like rice.

Orange Oil
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 orange, zested

Salad
8 cups low-sodium chicken broth (I used 4 cups vegetable broth)
1 lb. fregola pasta (or orzo)
1 orange
1 pink grapefruit
1 small red onion, thinly sliced (soak in cold water before tossing into salad)
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1/2 Tbsp fennel seeds, lightly toasted (I skipped this one)
1 tsp course salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

To Make the Orange Oil:
Combine the olive oil and the orange zest in a small bowl and set aside.

To Make the Salad:
1. IN a large saucepan bring the chicken (or Vegetable) broth to a boil over high heat. Add the past and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain the pasta and dump it onto a large baking sheet. Spread it out into a single layer and let cool for 10mins.

2. Using a small knife, cut all the peel and pith off the orange and grapefruit. Holding the fruit over a large bowl, cut between the membranes to release the segments into the bowl and catch the juices. Add the onion, mint, basil, fennel seeds (or not), salt, pepper, and cooled fregola (or orzo) pasta.

3. Add the reserved orange oil to the pasta. Toss all the ingredients together and serve.