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.