Shaved Radish and Celery with Garlic Chives, Pine Nuts, and Anchovy-Caper Dressing

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I am fortunate to live in an area that promotes farm to table eating and locally sourced food.  I have two farmer’s markets in close proximity to me and I do my best to swing by each weekend.  This is truly the best way to venture out and try produce I’ve never bought, or even heard of for that matter.  I remember first buying a watermelon radish years ago, and almost falling over when I cut into it and witnessed the brilliant fuschia interior.

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You just don’t get those moments when you’re staying in your comfort zone.

Now, I do realize that not everyone lives so close to a farmer’s market so I wanted to share a simple Spring salad made of local ingredients to me but not so esoteric that you won’t be able to find them at your favorite market.  Here I’ve adopted one of my favorite vegetable cutting techniques, shaving on a mandolin.  Mandolins are not so scary once you get comfortable with it, and are willing to forsake the last inch of produce to keep your fingers intact!  They really produce beautiful shapes with great texture.  They are also cheap, and can be found all over the place, so get one if you don’t already have one.

Since I love salads that DON’T include greens (no offense to the Cruciferous vegetable family.  I love you, just not everyday), this is a favorite combination of mine when the weather starts to get balmy.  The crisp, slightly sweet radish is offset by the oniony chives and pungent anchovies and capers.  The pine nuts are buttery, the parmesan is just that hit of rich salt you need, and the fresh lemon brightens it all up.  One important thing in keeping the salad crisp and lovely:  Dress the vegetables as close to serving as possible.

Here’s to spring, healthful living, and the farms that work to provide us with these gorgeous treats.  From my market to yours, enjoy.

 

Shaved Radish and Celery with Garlic Chives, Pine Nuts, and Anchovy-Caper Dressing

SERVES 4

 

1 large bunch radishes, trimmed, scrubbed, and shaved on a mandoline

3 large stalks celery, shaved on a mandoline

1 teaspoon anchovy paste, OR 1 anchovy filet, finely minced

1/2 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon coarsely chopped capers

¼ cup pine nuts, toasted

¼ cup parmesan, freshly grated

1 Tablespoon garlic chives OR standard chives, minced

Sea salt and cracked pepper

 

In a jar, combine anchovy paste or filet, lemon juice, olive oil, capers, parmesan, and a pinch of salt and pepper.  Shake vigourosly.

In a large bowl, combine radishes and celery.  Toss to combine.  Add pine nuts and parmesan, tossing again.

Add the dressing and chives to the salad and fold until well blended. Adjust lemon juice and salt to taste. Serve within 30 minutes.

 

*My Two Cents:  Toasted walnuts or almonds would be a nice swap for the pine nuts here.

If you don’t care for anchovy, simply replace it with a teaspoon of Dijon mustard.  It won’t have quite the same punch, but it’ll be close.

 

 

Photo credit:  organic authority.com

Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting and Candied Ginger

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I think I read once that Cancers tend to like carrot cake best.  I’m pretty sure I read that.  If I didn’t, that’s a strange thing to make up.

It kinda makes sense, if you think about it.  Being a July baby myself, I have done my fair share of reading up on the traits and characteristics to see what obviously applies and what takes some digging to relate to.  We are warm, emotional, and have a love for homemaking and family.  We are comforting, morally grounded, and nurturing.  Allegedly we can also border on dramatic, needy, and overly sensitive, but those are clearly the traits I have trouble relating to.

Hey, you pipe down back there.

Carrot cake is all of those good things.  It is familiar and welcoming, making you feel more relaxed and joyful with the first bite. Carrot cake is all of these things, at least, when it is done right.  I have had too many versions that are as dense as a fruitcake and just as crowded with dried fruit. Too many are insufficiently spiced and even dry.  Carrot cake should not be dry, it has all of those fresh carrot pieces letting off moisture and giving you extra insurance that this will not happen.

There are a lot of very good recipes out there, but this one is near perfect.  It has a tender crumb and fluffy texture due to the hand grated carrots (it’s worth it, I promise).  It has just the right amount of spice and sweetness.  I’ve left the raisins out, but feel free to throw some in if you prefer yours that way.  In my book, raisins are what turn carrot cake into a carrot muffin, so I don’t use them unless I’m baking for breakfast.

Top this perfect cake with maple cream cheese frosting and some spicy sweet candied ginger and it is the perfect soul-warming cupcake.

Ya know, some might even call it overly sensitive.  I call it “Practicing a high degree of insight and emotional intelligence.”  I call it “Passionate and hungry for human connection and understanding.”  I call it “Don’t call us overly sensitive just because we FEEL.”

Are we still talking about cupcakes?

 

 

Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting and Candied Ginger

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

MAKES 24 CUPCAKES

 

Carrot Cake Cupcakes:

2 cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon ground ginger

2 cups sugar

1 ¼ cups canola oil

4 large eggs

3 cups peeled and grated carrots

1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line 24 cupcake molds with papers, spray with cooking spray.

Whisk flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger in medium bowl to blend.  Whisk sugar and oil in large bowl until well blended.  Whisk in eggs 1 at a time.  Add flour mixture and stir until blended.  Stir in carrots and walnuts.  Divide batter among cupcake molds, filling ¾ of each.

Bake cupcakes 14-18 minutes, or until a tester inserted into the center of one comes out clean.  Let cool in pans for five minutes or so, then transfer cupcakes to a cooking rack.  Let cool completely before icing them.

 

Maple Cream Cheese Frosting:

Two (8 oz.) packages light cream cheese

1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature

2 cups confectioners’ sugar

¼ cup pure maple syrup

Candied ginger, chopped, for garnishing

 

In a stand mixer, beat all the ingredients on medium until fluffy.  Chill the frosting for 20 minutes, until it has set up enough to spread smoothly.

To decorate as I have, scoop frosting into a pastry bag (or large Ziploc if that’s what you have) with a decorative tip.

Frost cupcakes, then sprinkle with chopped candied ginger.

A Couple of Things You Might Have Missed

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Hi all,

I wanted to give you a quick shout out, as it came to my attention that some of you have missed my last two posts.  Now that is something I don’t like to hear.

lips2My blog has gotten a little cosmetic procedure and since transferring web hosts, some of you lovely followers were not transferred over yet.  We are all good now, but want to be sure you check out my last two recipes here:

http://www.mylittletableny.com/

Thanks for making this journey so much fun, and I look forward to a bright future of blogging together.

Much love, 

K

 

image source:  Pinterest

Butterscotch Pots de Creme with Salted Caramel, Creme Fraiche, and Black Salt

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I don’t know that I’ve ever been more excited to share a recipe with you.  This dessert includes everything that I love/am mildly obsessed with.  (My father has suggested I lose the “obsessed” reference in my vocabulary because it makes me sound a little crazy, but recipes like this leave me short of any other words.)  I have taken a fantastic base recipe for a perfect pot of cream, and added some of my favorite flavors to gild the lily.

  • Deep butterscotch flavor running through cool, silken cream.
  • Warm salted caramel to produce that contrast we all love
  • Tangy, rich crème fraiche to perk up the dessert’s sweetness
  • Fine salt for taste and fabulous color

 

I love to serve pots de crème, panna cotta, and pudding when entertaining because you can make them ahead and simply finish when dinner is done and everyone’s ready for something sweet.  You can bake these in ramekins of course, but I encourage you to think outside the box.  Are those vintage tea cups or favorite turquoise cappuccino cups ovenproof?  If so, cook and serve in those for an unexpected and whimsical aesthetic.

Remember, no one eats dessert because they’re hungry, so serve them something they will be left thinking about for days.  And how enjoyable is that moment you sprinkle the last custard with salt, and walk over to the table in anticipation?  This is not a comfort food hand-me-down from grandma, this is an artistic and modern delight.

I dare you not to become obsessed.

 

Butterscotch Pots de Crème with Salted Caramel, Crème Fraiche, and Black Salt

Adapted from MJ Adams/Gourmet 2003

SERVES 6

 

For Pots de Crème:

1 ½ cups heavy cream

6 Talespoons dark brown sugar

2 Tablespoons light brown sugar

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

6 Tablespoons water

4 large egg yolks

½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

 

For Serving:

1 cup crème fraiche (greek yogurt can be substituted)

1 cup prepared salted caramel (I love Happy Goat brand, but you can find this at many specialty markets), warmed

Hawaiian black salt, Fleur de Sel, or Pink Himalayan salt:  for finishing

 

With oven rack in middle position, preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Bring cream, light brown sugar, and kosher salt just to a simmer in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved.

Bring water and dark brown sugar to a boil in a 2-quart heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved.  Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and bubbly, about 5 minutes.

Remove from heat and carefully add cream mixture (mixture may bubble up and steam), whisking until combined.

Whisk together yolks and vanilla in a large bowl, then add hot cream mixture in a stream, whisking.  Pour custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a 1-quart glass measure.  Skim off any foam with spoon.

Divide custard among ramekins or cups.  Arrange ramekins in a small roasting pan and bake in a hot water bath, uncovered, until custards are set around edges but still tremble in center, 45-55 minutes.  Do not be concerned if they look loose, they will set up as they chill in the refrigerator.

Transfer ramekins or cups to a rack with tongs and cool to warm or room temperature.  Refrigerate for 4 hours, or up to 1 day.

Serve each Pots de Crème with a dollop of crème fraiche, a generous drizzle of warm caramel, and a sprinkling of fine salt.

 

**My Two Cents:  If you don’t have crème fraiche for topping, you can substitute sour cream or greek yogurt.

 

Other delicious garnishes would be chopped candied nuts, small diced apples sautéed in brandy and brown sugar, or some finely grated pink peppercorn.

5 Ingredient Fudgy Nutella Cookies with Sea Salt

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If I buy a jar of nutella, I will finish a jar of nutella.  I will finish it spoonful by spoonful, walking past the kitchen, reading a book, in my pajamas, while I’m ironing….

We could be in a commercial filled with snapshots of my day, with this song playing in the background.

It’s kind of a problem, so I try not to keep in the house on a consistent basis.

However, these cookies are the greatest reason to buy nutella.  They are one of my absolute favorites, but because everyone with taste buds loves them, I always pack some up and give them to friends.

Who wouldn't like this care package?

Who wouldn’t like this care package?

No one will ever guess that there are 5 ingredients in these cookies.  I am still in disbelief, myself.

However, it’s true.  Nutella swoops right in and provides enough chocolate, sugar, and milk to eliminate the need for a laundry list of ingredients.  Since they contain no leaving agents (baking soda or powder) and very little flour they are dense, flat and fudgy.  If you’re looking for a cakey cookie, this one’s not for you.

When I served these to a professional chef friend of mine, he loved them so much he gobbled up four of them on the spot.  He said to me “Did you make a mousse for the base?”  I wryly said… “Uh huh.”

I finally folded and told him the secret ingredient. He was shocked.

Bonus?  The 1 cup of nutella needed here leaves you with too much to throw out and not enough for a second batch.  Believe it or not, the recipe for the remaining nutella is even easier than the cookies:

 

Prepare yourself by changing out of clothes and into pajamas and cozy socks.  Walk into the kitchen, turning on the dimmest light to keep a low profile.  Take one spoonful of nutella from jar and eat.  Wash spoon and return to drawer immediately to destroy the evidence.

 

5 Ingredient Fudgy Nutella Cookies with Sea Salt

Adapted From Ambitious Kitchen

MAKES 14-16 COOKIES

 

½ cup flour (you can also use a gluten free flour blend here with good results)

2 Tablespoons dark brown sugar

1 egg

1 cup nutella

Fleur de sel, or other flaky salt for sprinkling

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine all ingredients but salt in a large bowl with electric mixer until well combined.  Cover bowl with ample plastic wrap, pressing the wrap against the surface of the dough to ensure no air gets in.

Place dough in refrigerator for 1 hour.

Remove from refrigerator and, using an ice cream scoop or tablespoon to ensure even portioning, roll dough into 1 ½-2 inch balls.

Place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet, leaving at least 2 inches between them.

Bake for 10-14 minutes, depending on size of cookies.  Remove from oven, let set up for a few minutes, then sprinkle with salt.

Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.

Serve.

*My Two Cents:  If you don’t have fleur de sel, you can grind sea salt over the tops of the cookies.  The key is to make sure the grain isn’t super coarse, we’d like to keep everyone’s teeth intact.

*  I have made these with a gluten free flour blend with very good results.  With such little flour, you can’t even tell the difference!

 

Lemon Chicken Pot with Green Olives, Pomegranate, and Mint

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Colorful and comforting supper in, after a cold day out in NYC

Colorful and comforting supper in, after a cold day out in NYC

Last weekend my girlfriend Kate came in from Connecticut to get her city fix.  Since I knew we’d be out and about soaking up the busy streets of NYC, I planned to make us a casual dinner in on Saturday evening.  When you live here, sometimes the best part of city living is closing the door on it for a bit.

Kate and me wandering in the East Village

Kate and me wandering in the East Village

Bone-in chicken breasts take the leading role in this quick, healthy, and super flavorful main course.  Since white meat chicken has very little fat, it dries out easily (cue in the straw-like meat you find when you’ve left this lean poultry exposed to heat even a minute too long), and benefits enormously from having the breast bone left intact.  We all know that meat on the bone is more flavorful and tender than when it is taken off, so I cook them with bone 9 times out of ten.

Here I’ve added serious flavor with briny olives, sweet onions, smoky spices, and a fresh herb salad.  You’ll notice that the lemon rind is left on, and this is purposeful.  The skin hosts the most highly concentrated flavor of the lemon, and when sliced thinly and cooked like this, it melds with the lemon’s flesh in a most appealing way.  The clean flavor of the mint and juice from the pomegranate wake up the roasted chicken and vegetables and is such a great addition.  To top it off, it’s kind of gorgeous.

Serve this on top of fluffy quinoa or couscous to soak up the flavorful pan juices.

Done and done.

 

Lemon Chicken Pot with Green Olives, Smoked Paprika, and Pomegranate

Serves 2

2 large bone-in chicken breasts

1/3 cup all-purpose flour seasoned with 1 T each salt and fresh pepper

2 Tablespoons vegetable oil

1 large Vidalia onion, peeled, and sliced ¼ inch thick

1 whole lemon, cut into paper-thin slices

1 medium fennel bulb, sliced ¼ inch thick

8 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed

1/3 cup green olives, cut in half lengthwise

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

½ teaspoon cinnamon

½ cup dry white wine

1 small bunch fresh mint, coarsely chopped

1/3 cup pomegranate seeds

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

Pat chicken dry with paper towels.  Liberally season chicken pieces with salt and freshly cracked pepper on all sides, then dredge in the flour.  Heat oil in a large, heavy, oven safe pot over medium-high heat until very hot.  Place both chicken breasts skin side down into oil and cook for 6-8 minutes until skin is crisp and brown, swirling fat around the pot as the chicken cooks.  Turn chicken and cook for two minutes on second side and remove to a place.

Add the onion, fennel, olives, smoked paprika, lemon slices, and cinnamon to the pot and cook until soft, about 8 minutes.  Add the wine, bring to a boil, and place chicken breasts back into the pot.  Nestle the chicken snugly in the bed of vegetables, but leave most of the top chicken skin exposed.  Place pot in oven and cook for 25 minutes.

When finished, spoon some of the vegetable/olive/onion mixture onto each plate, top with the chicken breasts, and finished with the chopped mint and pomegranate seeds.

Serve.

 

**My Two Cents:  If you prefer dark meat, it’s an easy swap.  The chicken may need a few more minutes to cook through, but it’s comparable with this method.

**  If you can’t find pomegranates near you, simply omit them, or add dried cherries into the pot for the last 5 minutes of cooking

**  Cilantro is one herb that would be great in place of the mint

Rosemary Biscotti

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Biscotti is something that can go in a thousand different directions.  It can be chocolate biscotti, vanilla, traditional anise, almond, or flecked with herbs.  It can be studded with chunks of chocolate, pistachios, walnuts, hazelnuts, and dried fruit.  It can be dipped and drizzled with melted chocolate, white or dark, or sprinkled with coarse sanding sugar.  This type of versatility is what makes biscotti one of my go-to cookies year round.  Simply add pistachios and dried cranberries for Christmas, sour cherries and dark chocolate for Valentine’s Day, or dried blueberries, cranberries, and white chocolate for the Fourth of July.  The possibilities go on and on, and while many are not traditional, they are all delicious if you’re using a great basic biscotti recipe.

That is what this is.  This biscotti is as crunchy as you’d hope for, but with a slightly tender interior.  No losing teeth on my watch.

The traditional version uses anise extract and ½ cup slivered almonds in the dough, and is fantastic, but this rosemary version is the one that my friends love the most.

You may be unfamiliar with the use of herbs in sweet baking recipes, but do not be put off.  The rosemary pairs beautifully with the vanilla and offers a gentle, woodsy backdrop to the cookie’s sweetness.

Serve these with some great quality vanilla bean gelato or lemon sorbet when entertaining, or enjoy as an afternoon nibble with a steaming cup of dark coffee or black tea.  Dunking is highly suggested.

 

Rosemary Biscotti

Adapted from Rocco DiSpirito’s traditional biscotti

Makes 35-45 biscotti

 

3 eggs

½ cup vegetable oil

1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup granulated sugar

3 ½ cups all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon kosher salt

1 Tablespoon baking powder

2 Tablespoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped

 

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper (you can also use tin foil, and spray with baking spray).  In a medium bowl, beat together the oil, eggs, sugar, and vanilla extract until well blended.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

Stir the dry ingredients into the egg mixture until incorporated.  Do not over-stir, just fold in until you have a smooth, heavy dough.  Lastly, fold in the rosemary.

Divide dough into two equal portions, and form each piece into a log almost as long as your cookies sheet.  Press down a bit, so each log is about 1 inch high.

Bake for about 30 minutes, until lightly browned.  Remove from baking sheet to cool on a wire rack.  When the logs are cool enough to handle, slice each 1 on a diagonal into ½ inch slices. (Note:  Use a serrated knife to keep the cookies from crumbling while you cut). Place the slices cut side up back onto the baking sheet, working in batches if needed.  Bake for an additional 5 minutes on each side.

Cool on a wire rack, and serve.

Crispy Pan Fried Shrimp with Soy, Citrus, and Orange Blossom Honey

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Some of my fellow culinary school grads have less than stellar opinions about wildly successful, high-end chain restaurants.  These would include all the hometown favorites:  Cheesecake Factory, Outback Steakhouse, PF Chang’s.  Are the salads sometimes uninspired?  Sure.  Can the single-digit steak special make you raise an eyebrow?  Yes.  Are the commercials unrealistic and annoying?  No doubt.

But these restaurants have one thing down to a science:  They know how to make people happy.  Period.

There’s a reason why they’re so successful, the food is dependable and comfortable (the positive connotation to “uninspired”).  They can afford to charge reasonable prices because of the reach of their resources and nightly volumes they pump out.  And while the commercials can be like a bad disco song you can’t get out of your head, they can afford to be on television.  That’s more than most fine establishments can say.

So where is this diatribe going?  Somewhere, I promise.

When I lived in South Florida, I loved a weeknight dinner at PF Chang’s.  It was never short on flavor, always high on satisfaction.  This dish is my recreation of the Orange Peel Shrimp that I so often ordered there.

Cornstarch is the secret to a crispy, crunchy exterior, and it plays dual roles as a sauce thickener in a flash.  The spicy ginger, bright citrus, salty soy, and sweet honey and marmalade come together to make a delicious glaze that coats the shrimp and grabs a hold of its jutting, fried edges.  Bonus?  This comes together in less than 20 minutes.

This one’s for you, PF Chang’s, Cheesecake Factory, and Outback.  You make people deliriously happy, and last time I checked that’s what cooking is all about.

Crispy Pan Fried Shrimp with Citrus, Soy, and Honey

SERVES 4

Canola oil, for frying

2 pounds large wild shrimp, peeled, deveined, patted dry

1 clove garlic, grated

1 inch piece fresh ginger, grated

¼ cup white onion, minced

½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon orange zest

1 teaspoon lemon zest

2 Tablespoons orange marmalade

1 teaspoon orange blossom honey  (feel free to use whatever kind of honey you have)

½ cup soy sauce

2 Tablespoons fresh orange juice

1 teaspoon cornstarch

Heat 1 teaspoon canola oil in a small skillet over medium heat.  When hot, add garlic, ginger, onion, zests, and red pepper flakes.  Saute for 2 minutes.  Meanwhile, whisk orange juice and ½ of the cornstarch in a small bowl.  Set aside.

Add honey, soy sauce, and marmalade to pan.  Cook for 1 minute more.

Add cornstarch slurry to pan and whisk for 1 minute to combine and thicken.  Set aside.

Toss the shrimp with the remaining ½ teaspoon cornstarch and a pinch of salt.  In a separate pan, heat 1 Tablespoon canola oil over medium heat until very hot.  Fry shrimp in batches, taking care not to overcrowd the pan, until they’ve started to curl, crisp up, and take on an orange hue.  Flip the shrimp halfway into this 2-3 minute cooking time.  Drain shrimp on paper towel and repeat with remaining shrimp.

Toss hot shrimp with reserved sauce and serve over jasmine or brown rice, or Chinese long beans pictured here.  Garnish with extra citrus zest, or sesame seeds.

Serve.

Perfect Red Velvet Cupcakes with Spiced Cream Cheese Frosting

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Valentine’s Day is upon us, it’s true, and this is just the cupcake to serve to all of the people in your life that you want to extend a little extra love to.  I like Valentine’s Day, but I’ve asked myself recently if the thing I love most about this holiday is that it gives me an excuse to use a gratuitous amount of fuschia, baby pink, crimson red and magenta.  Maybe… but these colors happen to go great with glitter and sprinkles and girly, gushy accessories… so what better time of year to make red velvet cupcakes than now?

To be frank, I haven’t always joined the red velvet rallies, I mean the cult-like following practically has a mascot.  While the striking red crumb is visually appealing, the taste is often something I find to be muddled.  My theory was:  tone down the cocoa powder and you’ll get a cleaner taste.

I was right, I love that.

This is a superb recipe for a tender red velvet crumb, so I didn’t want to mess with it too much.  I did decrease the cocoa a bit, and I added some cayenne along with the cinnamon to the frosting to give it a slight spice. What resulted was the most deliciously moist and pleasantly sweet red velvet cupcake I had ever put in my mouth.  The cinnamon adds nice spice to the traditional frosting, turning the volume up further.

This is one darn good cupcake, and allows you to enjoy this popular flavor with the rest of the population, even if you’re an agnostic like me.

 

 

Perfect Red Velvet Cupcakes with Spiced Cream Cheese Frosting

Adapted from The Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook

makes one dozen cupcakes, double recipe to make 2 9-inch layer cakes

 

4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

3/4 cup sugar

1 egg

2 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

2  Tablespoons red food coloring

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk

1 cup plus 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons distilled white vinegar

 

Place a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fit with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about three minutes.  Turn mixer to high and add  the egg.  Scrape down the bowl and beat until well incorporated.

In a separate bowl mix together cocoa, vanilla and red food coloring to make a thick paste.  Add to the batter, mixing thoroughly until completely combined.  You may need to stop the mixer to scrape the bottom of the bowl, making sure that all the batter gets color.

Turn mixer to low and slowly add half of the buttermilk.  Add half of the flour and salt and mix until combined.  Scrape the bowl and repeat the process with the remaining milk and flour.  Beat on high until smooth.

Turn mixer to low and add baking soda and white vinegar.  Turn to high and beat a few more minutes.

Spoon batter into a paper lined cupcake baking pan and bake at 325 F for 20-25 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center cupcake comes out clean.

Let rest in the pan for 10 minutes, then place them on a cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.  I like to garnish mine with red or pink sprinkles… might as well be TOTALLY girly.

 

Spiced Cream Cheese Frosting

adapted from Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook

double recipe to frost a 2 layer 9-inch cake

2 1/3 cups powdered sugar, sifted

3 Tablespoons butter, room temperature

4 ounces cream cheese, cold (I used room temperature)

scant 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

SMALL pinch of cayenne pepper

 

Beat the powdered sugar, cayenne, cinnamon, and butter together in the bowl of a stand mixer fit with a paddle attachment.  Mix on medium-slow speed until it comes together and is well mixed.

Add the cream cheese all at once and beat on medium to medium-high until incorporated.

Turn the mixer to medium-high and beat for 5 minutes, or until the frosting becomes light and fluffy.

Do not over-beat as the frosting can quickly become runny.

Cream Cheese Fudge Brownies

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I am a foregone conclusion.

When a friend’s birthday arrives, there is little question as to what I will show up with.  Some people do the flower thing, some go the gift card route.  While I’ve been known to venture outside the culinary arena on many an occasion, there is always a lovingly wrapped package of home-baked treats not far behind.

My good friend Julie (as in, friends since 7th grade and know every embarrassing thing about each other) has been on the receiving end of my baking obsession as of late.  She recently had the most precious baby boy, and since I can’t exactly help out with the sleepless nights and breast pumping, I do the next best thing.  I feed her.IMG_1113

Julie’s birthday was last week and since she has an evenly divided love for cheesecake and chocolate, cream cheese brownies were just the thing. This is a slightly more elegant version of a deep, fudge brownie and follows the same principles for the base layer:  Reduced flour and no leavening agent to ensure it is dense and rich. The whipped, sweetened cream cheese custard adds a soft tang that compliments the brownie layer perfectly.  On top of the incredible flavor, they are beautiful to look at.  (The swirl is a cinch, read on to see how so).

And so I arrived to Julie’s door with my brownies, setting them conveniently on the coffee table since she rarely has a free hand these days.   I will be back next week with another treat, and the next and the next.

I do love baking for her, but she also has pictures of us with bangs, hoop earrings, and glittery blue eyeshadow.

I know enough to keep her on my good side.

 

Cream Cheese Fudge Brownies

Adapted from the Joy of Baking

Makes about 16 2-inch brownies

 

 

Brownie Layer:

1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces

4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

1 1/4 cups granulated white sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 large eggs

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Cream Cheese Layer:

8 ounces (227 grams) full fat cream cheese, at room temperature

1/3 cup (65 grams) granulated white sugar

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 large egg

 

Preheat oven to 325 degrees and place the rack in the center of the oven. Have ready a 9-inch square baking pan that has been lined with aluminum foil.

In a heatproof bowl, placed over a saucepan of simmering water, melt the butter and chocolate. Remove from heat and stir or whisk in the sugar and vanilla extract. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the flour and salt and stir vigorously until the batter is smooth and glossy (about one minute). Remove 1/2 cup (of the brownie batter and set it aside. Spread the remainder of the brownie batter evenly onto the bottom of the prepared pan.IMG_2771

Then, in the bowl of your food processor (or with a hand mixer), process the cream cheese just until smooth. Add the sugar, vanilla, and egg and process just until creamy and smooth (do not over process). Spread the cream cheese filling evenly over the brownie layer. Spoon 16 small dollops (4 rows with 4 dollops of brownie batter in each row) of the reserved brownie batter evenly on top of the cream cheese filling. Run a knife or wooden skewer back and forth through the two batters until you have a marble effect.

Bake in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes or until the brownies are set and the cream cheese is just beginning to brown. (A toothpick inserted into the brownie comes out with just a few moist crumbs.) Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool completely. Then cover and refrigerate the brownies until they are firm enough to cut into squares (several hours or even overnight). Once chilled, remove the brownies from the pan by lifting with the ends of the foil and transfer to a cutting board. With a sharp knife, cut into 16 squares. It is a good idea to have a damp cloth nearby to wipe your knife between cuts. These brownies can be stored in the refrigerator for several days. Serve cold or at room temperature.IMG_2782