Fudgy Chocolate Cupcakes

These super moist chocolate cupcakes were the byproduct of a series of happy accidents...

Chocolate Cupcakes 

1 3/4 cups flour

1 1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup cocoa

2 eggs

1 cup milk

1 cup hot coffee

Fudgy Chocolate Frosting

1/3 cup Ghiradelli chocolate

3 cups confectioners sugar

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1/2 cup milk

Honey Honey Suga Suga

The madeline, a petite french cake, originated in the Lorraine region of northeastern France.  I love french pastry.  Madelines, macarons, the secret to such delights is more alchemy than chemistry.           

     

Deceptively simple in texture and shape, it took me a while to get these right.  The key ingredient: honey.  Don't scoff.  I certainly did, initially at least.  

Honey as an ingredient evokes those infamous Upson daiquiris from Auntie Mame, a vile concoction only a passel of babbity, bourgeois, bigots would consider imbibing.  

In this case however, honey enhances the citrus in the cake and imbues it with a sublime sticky sweetness.  I'm in love!  

Madelines
(recipe from Rachel Khoo's "Little Paris Kitchen")

3/4 cup  sugar

3 whole eggs

1  1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

zest of 1/2 lemon

4 teaspoons honey

4 tablespoons whole milk

confectioners sugar for dusting

1/2 cup (1 stick) plus 5 tablespoons soft unsalted butter

Whisk the butter, sugar and eggs until pale and fluffy.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour and baking powder. Fold the flour into the butter mixture, then add the honey, lemon zest and milk.

Whisk until smooth.

Add the batter to your tin and drop a ripe raspberry in the center

Bake for 5 minutes at 375′ then turn the oven off for 1 minute, turn the oven back on at 325′ and cook an additional 5 minutes.

Cheese-atarian

I've been subsisting almost exclusively on veggies....ok veggies and carbs smothered in cheese. This must stop! Seriously!

Lunch today was sautéed kale, black beans and mac and cheese. That's not too bad.  But it seems like every time i see a nice wholesome veggie i feel an uncontrollable urge to drape cheese over it. Good cheese...we're talking Gruyere béchamels here.  It's a strange and delicious compulsion.  I shall reform. I must.  Bridesmaid bootcamp starts tomorrow!

Baked Mac & Cheese
1 egg
2 cups milk

2 tbsp butter

1/4 cup cheddar

4 tbsp breadcrumbs

1 box elbow macaroni
1 cup shredded gruyere & swiss


Cook pasta and set aside.  Bring milk to a simmer.  Add butter and gruyere.  Whisk gently until well blended.  Whisk in egg until mixture is smooth.

Add white sauce and pasta to a medium baking dish.  Stir until pasta is completely covered with sauce.  Top with cheddar  and breadcrumbs.  Bake for about 20 minutes.

ps: it's rather gratifying to know my food pics look way better than Martha Stewart's.  i still love you Martha!

Roasted Acorn Squash

Many of my friends are Pioneer Woman enthusiasts so it is with some embarrassment that I confess I have never made a Rhee Drummond recipe before today.  But oh what a recipe!

Dreyer Farms has been offering local seasonal produce in Cranford since 1904.  I recently received a generous array of Dreyer's goodies and I've enjoyed preparing and consuming them all week.

I confess I felt very veggie ignorant going through my Dreyer's box.  I had to use google to identify two of the squash varieties therein.  Once I figured out that the pumpkin-esque green squash was acorn squash the next challenge was how to prepare it...enter inspired pioneer woman recipe. This dish was not only fresh, seasonal and local, it was also extraordinarily delicious.

bon appetit!
dani

• 1 Acorn Squash
• a pinch of Kosher Salt 
• 2 tsp of butter
• 2 tsp Brown Sugar
• 3 tsp Pure Maple Syrup

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Halve each squash, then scrape out the seeds. Place the halves, flesh side up, on a baking sheet and sprinkle each half with salt.

Add butter to the center of each squash followed by brown sugar. Drizzle squash with maple syrup.

Pour 1/2 water in the bottom of the baking pan.

Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 30-45 minutes, or until squash is golden brown.

In the last 5 minutes of baking, turn on the broiler and allow tops to get a little more brown and the butter/sugar mixture to bubble.

Croissant French Toast

My latest experiment was inspired by the cronut craze.  Fried croissants anyone?  It sounds absolutely mad but day old croissants turn sublime when served up french toast style 

1 egg

1/4 cup milk

1 tsp saigon cinnamon

1 tsp butter

2 croissants 

Whisk egg, milk & cinnamon together. Dredge croissants in egg mixture.  

Melt butter in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat.  Pan fry croissants. 

Serve warm with berries, syrup, fresh whip creme and a light dusting of powdered sugar.

Danibucks

The title of this post is admittedly a bad pun but not one intended to indicate that our authoress has money; she does not.

No the title in question was simply meant to convey my glee at economically satisfying a Starbucks craving at home.  I made pumpkin scones this morning and a pumpkin latte with fresh whipped cream!  yumm...





Pumpkin Scones

2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup of butter
1/2 cup of cream
1 egg
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup walnuts


Combine butter, sugar, egg, cream, pumpkin and cinnamon until smooth.  Add flour, baking powder and nuts.  Knead into a smooth dough.  Shape scones on a cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes at 400 degrees.

Pesto Crusted Tilapia with Insalata Caprese

1 cup packed fresh basil leaves
1 clove garlic
1/8 cup pine nuts
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
6 cherry tomatoes
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/8 cup parmesan shavings
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Combine the basil, garlic, and pine nuts in a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. Add half the oil and process until fully incorporated and smooth. Season with salt and pepper. 

Add all the remaining oil and pulse until smooth. Transfer the pesto to a large serving bowl and mix in the cheese. 

Coat tilapia filets with a generous even layer of pesto.  Bake at 500 degrees Fareneheit for about 15 minutes until fish appears opaque and flaky with a lightly browned coating on top.  Freeze leftover pesto.  

Toss tomatoes with balsamic and use to garnish fish along with parmesan shavings. Bon Appetit.  

Crave VS Save

Fashion Tangent -  We're veering away from our normal format into "Cupcakes and Cashmere" territory.  I was so taken with this clutch that I had to search out an affordable facsimile Emily Schuman style. 

  behold...The Givenchy Antigona Clutch

I'm not gonna....but I really want to.  

The price is very...gasp, shudder, walk away inducing. 

   

affordable alternative: BCBG Croc Embossed Clutch

Found a more moderately priced option at Neiman Marcus of all places. 

 Hmmm now I just have to hunt down the perfect shade of burgundy lipstick.

While I'm on the topic of Emily Schuman, I must say I'm just dying to try her Rosemary Butter Cookies!  

I love desserts with herbal flavors.  My Lemon & Rosemary Olive Oil Cake, with its subtle traces of star anise, is one of my all time favorite sweets.  

I'll soon be adding Schuman's cookies to my dessert repertoire.  They'd be perfect for Saturday's picnic although I may opt to prepare more populous fare.

xx

dani

Frosting Rugelach

Do not be misled by my title.  You don't frost Rugelach, you egg wash it.  A flaky Jewish strudel composed of yummy fillings and a cream cheese dough, Rugelach is my favorite pastry!  You see a girl simply cannot be born and raised in Brooklyn without acquiring a measure of affection for Jewish food.  Potato latkes, lox and bagels, matzo; your average Brooklyn girl loves it all.

The other day I found myself craving Rugelach and reluctant to pay $10.00/lb for it at my local bakery.  I had no cream cheese in my fridge and Rugelach requires either cream cheese or sour cream.  I was dismayed until inspiration struck.

I think most bakers eventually come down with cupcake fatigue.  The dainty delectables are such a fixture at parties and showers, the average baker frosts thousands in a lifetime.

Last week I went to a friends annual pig roast and brought what else, cupcakes. After the first dozen I found I'd tired of forming frosting spirals atop the petite treats.  So I wound up with a bowl of surplus frosting in my fridge.

Normally excess frosting just goes to waste. However the ingredients in frosting are the same components that make Rugelach so irresistible;  cream cheese, sugar and vanilla. Combining 1 1/2 cups of frosting with 2 cups all-purpose flour I kneaded the mixture into a smooth dough. I rolled the dough on a floured surface and topped it with crushed pecans & melted chocolate.

Traditional rugelach is cut into triangles.  I used strips which I then rolled up into the crescent shaped delights i was craving.

I cook. I do not craft.

As I type these words my mother is probably embroidering handkerchiefs and professing her love of "handwork."  Alas, I am not my mother.

Crafting requires patience and manual dexterity, virtues i possess in very small measure.  Sure I've re-upholstered chairs and watercolored invitations, with varying degrees of success, but I am mostly a fan of insta-projects.  As in 1, 2, 3 done with minimal time or effort invested.  My latest fast craft:  Chalkboard Jars!

My Crate & Barrel chalkboard canisters were the first things I purchased for my new kitchen.  I love anything that injects character and storage into a space.

It occurred to me the other day that while i had a place to stow my sugar, flour, coffee and rice there was one neglected staple in my cabinet, popcorn.  You see at my house dinner often looks like this:

All you need is a lidded glass jar, chalkboard paint, tape, scissors and a medium bristle brush.

Tape off the area you intend to paint.  Cover with a smooth coat of chalkboard paint.  Allow the paint to dry for one hour and apply another coat.  Let dry over night.  Oila.  Storage with a handy writing surface!

xx

dani

Southwestern Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

My ideal meal is more fueling than filling; a mix of lean protein and antioxidant rich seasonal veggies.

Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

1 red pepper, halved

1 cup quinoa

1/4 cup black beans

1/8 cup sweet corn

2 tbsp diced red onion

1/8 cup diced tomatoes

1/8 cup white cheddar

Combine ingredients.  Stuff peppers and bake for 15 mins at 350 degrees.

What's for Dinner?

For many of us the answer to that question is determined by whatever ingredients you have on hand. It's noon and i'm chomping on arugula sans dressing.  Friends call what i usually consume "not even a salad really,  more of a vegetable medley" and I'm cool with that.  Drowning greens in mayonnaise does not a salad make.

Back to dinner..."What's for dinner?" I asked myself and nothing came to mind.  There's nothing in my fridge, as per usual.  I mean there's like 6 varieties of cheese, organic zucchini, red pepper....zucchini, red pepper...GREEN CURRY!  One of my favorite things in life.  I have basil too.  Nothing like having the right array of almost nothing to make something truly divine.

Thai Green Curry

1/2 cup white cooking wine
1 cup coconut milk
2 chicken breasts
1 zucchini
1/2 a red pepper
1 tsp minced ginger
1tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp canola oil
1/8 cup green curry powder
1 tbsp flour

Sautee ginger and garlic in oil until garlic is lightly browned.  Cut chicken into strips and pan fry over medium heat until cooked through, about 6 mins.

Add coconut milk, cooking wine, vegetables and green curry powder.  Sift flour into pan stirring slowly to avoid clumps.  Simmer over medium heat until thickened.

Quinoa Risotto with Portabella Mushrooms

I really need to stop sabotaging perfectly healthy food with things like cream and cheese and chicken stock.  Next time I promise i'll do normal vegan quinoa.  For an even heartier dish add chicken sausage.

Quinoa Risotto with Portabella Mushrooms

4 tbsp olive oil
2 portabella mushrooms, cleaned & sliced thin
3 cups quinoa
4 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
1/3 cup white wine
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 shallot diced
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp thyme
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese

Saute mushrooms, garlic and shallots until browned.  Add quinoa and stir about 3 minutes until lightly toasted.

Bring broth and water to a simmer over medium heat.  Transfer liquid 1/2 cup at a time to quinoa mixture.  Allow quinoa to fully absorb liquid before adding more.

Continue adding liquid for about 20 minutes until quinoa is tender and fluffy.  Stir in cheese and cream.  Cover and let stand for about 2 minutes on low heat.

enjoy!

xx

dani

Saffron and Sea Bass

"Don't crowd the mushrooms, they won't brown." The string of pearls adorning Julia Child's neck never overshadowed the far more precious pearls of wisdom the legend dispensed on her iconic television show.

I am a bit of a fungi enthusiast.  Shitake, portabella, crimini...i love them all.  Mushrooms are one of the few staples my nearly barren refrigerator is never without and nicely browned mushrooms are a key component of today's dish.

Food funds were really limited this week, as evidenced by my emergence from Whole Foods grasping a solitary shallot and a slender vial of saffron.  And yet this evening's dinner was surprisingly elegant for a meal dictated by the limited contents of my fridge.

Friends caught me a large black sea bass on a recent deep sea fishing expedition off the coast of Hyannis.  I prefer black sea bass to the chilean variety.  Chilean sea bass is really just a euphemism for tooth fish (behold...scary isn't it?)

enjoy!

xx


Pan Seared Sea Bass with Saffron Sauce

1 tbsp shallots, finely chopped
1 tsp garlic
1 large crimini mushroom, sliced thin
a pinch of saffron
a pinch of salt
1/3 tsp tomato powder
1/3 tsp dried parsely
1/3 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 cup white wine
1/4 cup half and half
1 tbsp olive oil
2 medium sea bass filets

Brown mushrooms in olive oil over medium heat.  Add shallots and garlic.  Add liquid when shallots are caramelized.  Add saffron and whisk until the sauce takes on a vivid color.  Add spices and simmer.

Cook sea bass filets in olive oil pan searing over medium heat for 2-3 minutes on each side.  Serve with saffron sauce over wilted spinach.  

Red Velvet Cupcakes

My sister bakes the moistest most delectable red velvet cake on the planet.  I am not a cake lover but it is arguably the perfect cake and has the fan base to prove it.  

When someone in my circle perfects a dish I rarely attempt to duplicate it.  Why toil in vain for a poor imitation?  However, the results of this recent experiment were so gratifying that I may alter my view of replicas.  These cupcakes are the diminutive cousins to the perfect cake.

Red Velvet Cupcakes 

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups canola oil
1 cup buttermilk
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons red food coloring (1 ounce)
1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup crushed pecans

Cream Cheese Frosting

8oz softened cream cheese
2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
1 cup unsalted butter 
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil and flour two cupcake tins.  

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda and cocoa powder. In another large bowl, whisk together the oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vinegar and vanilla.

Combine the dry and wet batter ingredients until smooth.  Combine frosting ingredients and refrigerate while cake is baking.  

Divide the cake batter evenly.  Bake for approximately 20 minutes.  Transfer cupcakes to a wire rack to cool.  Frost and garnish with crushed pecans.

xx
dani

Peanut Butter & Salted Caramel Ice Cream Sandwiches

A generous scoop of salted caramel gelato wedged between two chewy peanut butter cookies- nom, nom.

"You do know that cellulite is one of the main ingredients in corn chowder."

It's a scathing line.  No one casts a dart quite like the inimitable Stanley Tucci as Nigel in The Devil Wears Prada.  When I first saw that movie I'm sure I resolved never to eat corn chowder again.  


Alas, it is an unseasonably cold and rainy day in May and corn chowder is an inexpensive and simple dish which seems to fit the bill.  

Roasted peppers, grilled shrimp, avocado and bacon elevate the Tex-Mex classic to the realm of the sublime. Enjoy! 

xx
dani

Roasted Corn Chowder (serves 4)

2 ears of fresh corn
5 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp diced red onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2  a red bell pepper, roasted
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons tequila
2 tbsp cilantro, minced
1/2 lime
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 jalapeño 
4 tbsp jack cheese
crisp bacon, crumbled
4 tsp sour cream
1/2 avocado, diced

Remove corn kernels from cob.  Roast corn and peppers in a 450 degree oven until peppers are blackened.  Remove peppers from oven and dice. Sautee onion and garlic in a medium pan until browned.  

Add chicken broth to a large stock pot.  Whisk in cream, flour & tequila.  Add onion, roasted peppers.  Squeeze in lime juice and simmer.  

Garnish with bacon, avocado, jack cheese, sour cream and tequila lime shrimp.  Chives and tortilla strips are an optional addition. 

Brooklyn Crumb Cake

Pastryland abounds with demure and dainty treats. Topped with ungainly globs of butter and brown sugar, crumb cake is anything but dainty.  That's part of its charm.

There are numerous recipes for NY style crumb cake on the internet.  I decided to make my rendition an homage to my borough of origin. This buttery treat is awesome served warm and will stay fresh for several days if properly stored.  Enjoy!
xxdani



Brooklyn Crumb Cake


Crumb topping

3 1/2 cups cake flour
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup packed dark-brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Coarse salt
2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, melted


Cake batter

2 tablespoons canola oil
6 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
3/4 cup milk
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Drizzle

1cup dark chocolate chips
1 tbsp butter

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Lightly brush a 9-by-12 inch baking pan with canola oil, dust with flour, and tap to remove excess. Set aside. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In a second bowl, whisk together egg, milk, remaining oil, and vanilla. Using a rubber spatula, fold dry ingredients into egg mixture.

Spread batter evenly into prepared pan, and set aside. In a medium bowl, combine remaining 3 1/2 cups flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Pour melted butter over flour mixture, and toss with a rubber spatula until large crumbs form. Sprinkle crumbs over batter.

Transfer pan to oven, and bake 35 to 40 minutes until a tester comes out clean.

Heat chocolate and butter over medium heat stirring until smooth.  Snip a hole in the end of a plastic bag.  Transfer chocolate mixture to bag and drizzle over cake.  

CrockPot Curried Lentils

There's something kind of summery about this stew.  Perhaps it's all the aromatic spices...or the fact that the crockpot, unlike the oven, doesn't seem to impact my apartment's climate at all.   A cool yogurt raita serves as a pleasant contrast to this earthy dish. ~enjoy 

CrockPot Curried Lentils 

16 oz dried lentils red lentils

2 cups diced tomatoes

1 tablespoon onion powder

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

2 cups chicken broth
3 cups water 
1 cup chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 tablespoon tikka masala spice

1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 green onions, finely chopped
1/4 cup white cooking wine  

Instructions: 

Combine all ingredients in the pot of a slow cooker. Cook on high for 4 hours hours.  Serve warm with naan (indian flatbread) or over rice. 

Bread Making With Stella

This past Friday, a dear friend initiated me in the art and science of baking bread.  Did you know that kneading "evenly distributes and activates the gluten so the bread will rise"? I told you there was science...

I'm thankful that after reading the first few chapters of William Davis' book I can still enjoy a generous slice of warm bread!

The recipe below is taken from "Beard on Bread," a tiny tome that's bursting with wheaty goodness.

Italian Feather Bread
(*Recipe makes two 12-inch baguettes.)

2 Packages active dry yeast
1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
1 Cup warm water
1/3 Cup butter
3/4 Cup hot water
2 Teaspoons salt
6 Cups all-purpose flour
cornmeal
1 egg while (or 1 Tablespoon butter)


Directions

In a large bowl, mix the dry yeast, sugar and warm water. Set aside to proof.

Meanwhile, cut the butter into small pieces and melt them in the hot water. Set aside to cool to lukewarm. Then, add the salt, and pour into the large bowl. Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon.

Add the flour, 1 cup at a time, until the dough almost comes away from the sides of the bowl. The dough will look rather soft and sticky.

Knead for 4 minutes on a lightly floured board.

Let the dough rest approximately 5 minutes. Divide it in two.

Roll each half into a 12x8-inch rectangle. Starting from the wide end, roll up (like a cinnamon roll) quite tightly. Pinch the seams as you roll.

Butter a baking sheet well and sprinkle with cornmeal. Place the loaves on the sheet and allow them to rise in a warm place for about an hour.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Brush loaves with a lightly beaten egg white.

Bake until golden brown, about 35 minutes.

While we're on the subject of bread, isn't this tote super cute?

 An ideal carryall for farmer's market runs.   

Organic Heavy Cream

Organic...Heavy.   The two words seem at odds.  It's a study in contrasts with organic evoking lightness, positivity and wholesome goodness and heavy seeming almost ominous; as if to say "buyer beware."

Heavy cream can elevate a sauce to unparalleled heights of luscious goodness,  imbue a scone with flaky perfection and oh what marvelous things it does to chocolate.  And yet it is one of those substances that causes a flurry of fear and judging by its presence alone.  You put that in my food?  You expect me to eat that?  Friends react to heavy cream as if they spotted arsenic in the kitchen, accusing me of conspiring against their health.

Perhaps that's why organic heavy cream is so hard to find.  The health conscious have a paranoid fear of cream and the name organic heavy cream sounds like an oxymoron...

This weekend I purchased all the ingredients to make Organic Creme Brûlée.  It began with a pod of fragrant Madagascar Vanilla from Savory Spice Shop.  Located in Downtown Westfield, NJ, Savory Spice Shop offers an aromatic array of spices from around the world.  It's one of my favorite stores.

While organic vanilla beans, eggs and sugar were all easy to come by, alas organic heavy cream proved elusive.  I was forced to content myself with semi-organic creme brûlée.  It just doesn't have the same ring to it...the taste however, was marvelous despite the dairy's humble origins.

Creme Brûlée

Ingredients

1 quart heavy cream

1 vanilla bean, split and scraped

1 cup sugar

6 egg yolks

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Add the cream, vanilla bean and pulp to a medium saucepan and bring the mixture to a boil. 

Remove pan from the stove, cover and allow to sit for 15 minutes. 

Whisk together 1/2 cup sugar and the egg yolks until well blended.  Add cream gradually, stirring continually. 

Pour the liquid into 6 (7 to 8-ounce) ramekins. Place the ramekins in a large roasting pan.

Fill the pan with water until it reaches halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake until the custard sets, approximately 40 to 45 minutes. 

Remove the ramekins from the roasting pan and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Remove the creme brulee from the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes prior to browning the sugar on top. 

Top each custard dish with a thin even layer of sugar.  Preheat your broiler about 5 minutes. 

Line the pan with ice to stabilize the custard's temperature.  

Broil the sugar until brown, about 5 minutes.  Serve immediately.