Earl Grey Cupcakes

I LOVE earl grey tea, so when I saw this recipe I knew I had to try it.  I wasn't quite sure how they would turn out, but I LOVED them!!  If anything they could use a little more earl grey taste, but that is up to you.  What I do want to try next time is instead of a vanilla buttercream on top, do a lavender buttercream.  Not a strong and overwhelming lavender but just enough to hint at the flavor and add a new dimension.  I actually just got some fresh lavender from my mom's garden, so I can't wait to try these cupcakes again :)

Recipe from Cupcakes from the Primrose Bakery by Martha Swift and Lisa Thomas

   

For the vanilla buttercream, I am still figuring out the perfect combination.  Usually I use a recipe along the lines of this...

For 12 cupcakes...

1 cup of butter

3 1/2 cups of confectioner's sugar

1 tsp of milk

1 tsp of vanilla

1/8 tsp of salt

1. Cream butter, sugar and salt until fully blended.

2. Add milk and vanilla and beat for 3-5 more minutes until smooth and creamy

While this recipe is pretty good, I usually add some more milk and a little less butter and really just experiment with it every time I use it to get the taste and consistency that I want. One day soon though I will perfect the recipe....soon.  And also if you have lavender (dried) I would mince some up and put about 1/2 teaspoon in at a time when you add the milk and vanilla until you get the taste that you like.

Blueberry Cupcakes with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

Went Blueberry picking this past week and I wanted to try out making a blueberry cupcake!  For the most part they turned out well.  Blueberries all sunk to the bottom despite the coating in flour (but to be fair they were wet and all the flour got mushy, so I'm willing to try again with dry blueberries this time) The cake wasn't my ideal consistency but nobody else seemed to have any problem with it and loved it, so I think it was just my personal preference.  The frosting was very sweet.  I only added 8 out of the 9 cups of sugar recommended, and next time I will only do 7 at most.  Also a tad more lemon :)

LEMON BLUEBERRY CUPCAKES (FROM THE CAKE BLOG http://thecakeblog.com/2013/05/lemon-blueberry-cupcakes.html )

a recipe by Carrie Sellman
{makes 24 cupcakes}

3 cups cake flour (I might add a couple more tablespoons of flour next time.  Also if you have no cake flour here is how you make some...http://joythebaker.com/2009/09/how-to-make-cake-flour/)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
zest of 1 lemon
1 1/2 cups whole milk (Might use a little less)
1 cup blueberries

1. Preheat oven to 350.  Line two muffin tins with cupcake wrappers.
2. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soad and salt. Set aside.
3. Gently toss blueberries with a light coating of flour.  Set aside.
4. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter and sugar on medium-high using the paddle attachment.  Beat until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
5. With the mixer on low, add eggs one at a time.  Mixing well after each egg.
6. Add one third of your dry ingredients and mix on low, just until combined.
7. Add one half of your milk.  Mix gently.
8. Add in remaining ingredients, alternating dry, wet, dry.  Do not over mix.
9. Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full with batter.  Top each cupcake with 3 to 4 blueberries.
10. Bake 17-19 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

For the Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

16 oz cream cheese, softened
4 oz unsalted butter, room temperature
2 lbs confectioners sugar (about 9 cups)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 lemon, zest and juice

1. Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the butter and cream cheese until smooth.
2. Add vanilla, lemon zest and juice and mix until combined.
3. Gradually add confectioners sugar until completely combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Mix again.

*This is how Jordan enjoys his desserts...just as a reason to have whipped cream (real, of course)*

Strawberry Crisp

Very good.  Jordan especially liked it, and after a drizzle of chocolate sauce, so did I!  

Only two things is that I would add less cornstarch (maybe 1/2 tablespoon of cornstarch) and less butter (6 tablespoons or 5).

Strawberry Crisp

(Recipe from http://bakinandeggs.com/2011/04/22/strawberry-crisp/)

Ingredients:

FOR THE BERRIES

3 cups strawberries, hulled and sliced

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

FOR THE TOPPING

1 cup oats

3/4 cup all purpose flour

1 stick butter, chilled and cut into small pieces

1 cup brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 cup pecans, chopped

Directions:

Butter an 8 x 8 baking dish or small oval baker. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. 

Mix together strawberries, sugar, lemon juice and cornstarch. Set aside.

Whisk together flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt in medium bowl. Add butter and mix in with your fingertips until mixture sticks together in clumps. Stir in oats and nuts.

Place strawberry mixture in prepared baking dish and crumble topping over. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until topping is browned and strawberries are bubbly.

Yield: 6-8 servings

Strawberry Jam

LOVE THIS!

Super easy too.  Thinking of investing in tools to can in the very near future (next couple of weekends) so that I can start canning without worrying so much about getting someone sick!

I added a little extra lemon which I liked.

All you do is core and slice 4 cups of strawberries (about two pints) and blend it (food processor, immersion blender, or blender) into whatever consistency you want it (chunky or smooth) put it in a pot and add  1/2 cup of sugar and lemon juice from one lemon.  Cook over medium high, stirring, until jam is thickened, 9-10 minutes.  

Chocolate Chip, Pecan Oatmeal Cookies

I made mini cookies and they turned out really well! Not too sweet (for me at least, which isn't saying much) and crispy!! I really liked these.  I combined a recipe to have both pecans and chocolate chips in it, but really you can do whatever you want.  Add more nuts, add some peanut butter chips, add dark chocolate chunks or nothing at all. You're choice.  Also thinking about adding some flax or other things to make it a little healthier.  

I will be making this again, was a hit both at home and at work.

RECIPE (from Cooks Illustrated):

MAKES 16 TO 20 LARGE COOKIES

If you prefer a less sweet cookie, you can reduce the white sugar by one-quarter cup, but you will lose some crispness. Do not overbake these cookies. The edges should be brown but the rest of the cookie should still be very light in color. Parchment makes for easy cookie removal and cleanup, but it’s not a necessity. If you don’t use parchment, let the cookies cool directly on the baking sheet for two minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.

INGREDIENTS

• 2sticks unsalted butter (1/2 pound), softened but still firm
• 1cup light brown sugar
• 1cup granulated sugar
• 2eggs
• 1 1/3cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/2teaspoon table salt
• 1/2teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
• 3cups rolled oats
• 1/4cup ground almonds
• 1cup chopped walnuts (or chocolate chips, or pecans or both)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. 1. Adjust oven racks to low and middle positions; heat oven to 350 degrees. In bowl of electric mixer or by hand, beat butter until creamy. Add sugars; beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in eggs one at a time.
2. 2. Mix flour, salt, baking powder, and nutmeg together, then stir them into butter-sugar mixture with wooden spoon or large rubber spatula. Stir in oats and nuts.
3. 3. Form dough into sixteen to twenty 2-inch balls, placing each dough round onto one of two parchment paper–covered, large cookie sheets. Bake until cookie edges turn golden brown, 22 to 25 minutes. (Halfway during baking, turn cookie sheets from front to back and also switch them from top to bottom.) Slide cookies on parchment onto cooling rack. Let cool at least 30 minutes before serving.

Cheesecake

Happy Birthday Jake!  You know it is Jake's birthday because it is the ONLY time I have ever, and ever really will make a cheesecake.  I don't really like the taste of cheesecakes and this is my only second time attempting one because of this.  First time was about 3 years ago and I had completely failed...it was a soup, but a tasty soup.  Jake said he wanted another cheesecake soup this year.  This time I went to the other side of the spectrum and over baked it a little (not too bad though).  It was odd because I followed the recipe that told me to cook it for 1 1/2 hours, so I set my timer for an hour at which I took my first temp. which was already at 160ºF, 10ºF over what I was looking for.  Saying that, I would start checking at 40 minutes if it looks ready.  I think it really depends on the oven.  I also only had 2 1/2 hours to make and 2 hours to cool the cake, which if you know cheesecake, is not nearly enough time.  Still turned out pretty well considering all of the above.  I made a fresh raspberry sauce for the top. (pint of raspberries, some sugar -- to taste, lemon juice and zest, and a little cornstarch --> boiled and mashed together and then simmered for about 10 minutes and strained to get all the seeds out).  

Also the recipe for the filling made a TON of filling.  I couldn't even use it all.  I will downsize that next time.

Next time I will:

1. Have more time (cool it for much longer)

2. Make a little thicker of a crust

3. Cook in a warm water bath (carefully)

4. Check temperature earlier in the baking process

5. For SURE make the raspberry sauce again (my favorite part)

INGREDIENTS

• Graham Cracker Crust  
• 1cup graham cracker crumbs (4 ounces, 8 whole crackers, broken into rough pieces and processed in food processor until uniformly fine)
• 1tablespoon granulated sugar
• 5tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus additional 1 tablespoon melted butter for greasing pan
• Cheesecake Filling  
• 2 1/2pounds cream cheese, cut into rough 1-inch chunks and left to stand at room temperature for 30 to 45 minutes
• 1/8teaspoon table salt
• 1 1/2cups granulated sugar (10 1/2 ounces)
• 1/3cup sour cream (2 1/2 ounces)
• 2teaspoons lemon juice from 1 lemon
• 2teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2large egg yolks
• 6large eggs

INSTRUCTIONS

1. 1. For the crust: Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Combine graham cracker crumbs and sugar in medium bowl; add 5 tablespoons melted butter and toss with fork until evenly moistened. Brush bottom and sides of 9-inch springform pan with most of remaining melted butter, making sure to leave enough to brush pan in step 3. Empty crumbs into springform pan and press evenly into pan bottom. Bake until fragrant and beginning to brown around edges, about 13 minutes. Cool on wire rack while making filling.
2. 2. For the cheesecake filling: Increase oven temperature to 500 degrees. In standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat cream cheese at medium-low speed to break up and soften slightly, about 1 minute. Scrape beater and bottom and sides of bowl well with rubber spatula; add salt and about half of sugar and beat at medium-low speed until combined, about 1 minute. Scrape bowl; beat in remaining sugar until combined, about 1 minute. Scrape bowl; add sour cream, lemon juice, and vanilla, and beat at low speed until combined, about 1 minute. Scrape bowl; add yolks and beat at medium-low speed until thoroughly combined, about 1 minute. Scrape bowl; add whole eggs two at a time, beating until thoroughly combined, about 1 minute, and scraping bowl between additions.
3. 3. Brush sides of springform pan with remaining melted butter. Set springform pan on rimmed baking sheet (to catch any spills if springform pan leaks). Pour filling into cooled crust and bake 10 minutes; without opening oven door, reduce oven temperature to 200 degrees and continue to bake until instant-read thermometer inserted into center of cheesecake registers about 150 degrees, about 11/2 hours. Transfer cake to wire rack and cool 5 minutes; run paring knife between cake and side of springform pan. Cool until barely warm, 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold, at least 3 hours. (Cake can be refrigerated up to 4 days.)
4. 4. To unmold cheesecake, remove sides of pan. Slide thin metal spatula between crust and pan bottom to loosen, then slide cake onto serving plate. Let cheesecake stand at room temperature about 30 minutes, then cut into wedges and serve.

Chocolate Whoopie Pies

These were very fun to make and fun to eat as well :P 

The recipe from Short and Sweet by Dan Lepard came with a recipe for a chocolate icing, which I made and thought tasted nasty so I made a chocolate buttercream for the top (a recipe from cooks illustrated that I ALWAYS use and is always delicious). 

For next time I would probably just make a buttercream (chocolate, chocolate orange, strawberry, lemon, or any other that sounds good at the time) and just fill the center (a thicker layer) with that and forget about putting frosting on the top.  

Also a tip my mom gave me, as transporting was a little tricky because they are round and tend to roll around.  Put a dab of frosting on the plate then place the whoopie pie on top and put in the fridge until ready to transport and they will not roll all around.  Worked well!!

CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM (Cooks Illustrated)

INGREDIENTS

• 10tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1cups confectioners' sugar
• Pinch table salt
• 4ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled
• 1/2teaspoon vanilla extract

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In standing mixer fitted with whisk attachment, beat butter at medium-high speed until smooth, about 20 seconds. Add confectioners' sugar and salt; beat at medium-low speed until most of the sugar is moistened, about 45 seconds. Scrape down bowl and beat at medium speed until mixture is fully combined, about 15 seconds; scrape bowl, add vanilla and beat at medium speed until incorporated, about 10 seconds, then reduce speed to low and gradually beat in chocolate. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes, scraping down bowl once or twice.