100th Post! And a Whopper of a recipe!

It's very exciting that this is my 100th post! This blog has been so much fun for me. It enables me to share with others what I love-food! I am not the most creative writer nor am I the best food photographer, but I have been very dedicated to posting only the recipes I think are exceptional so I hope you guys have enjoyed them. Now I couldn't post just any recipe for my 100th post. I knew I had to make something special: Introducing the Jumbo Malted Chocolate Chip Cupcakes. If you are a fan of malt you will love these! I have been wanting to make these for a while. I am a HUGE malt fan, anything with malt I am all for it. This recipe called for regular malted milk powder, however my grocery store only had chocolate malt powder. I was a little disappointed but after I made them and took my first bite, any disappointment I had immediately disappeared! I think what makes these cupcakes really special is the buttercream. I think if you make this you will find yourself liking the bowl clean as I did. This recipe recommends you make the jumbo sized cupcakes which i didn't have a pan for so I just made them in regular cupcake tins and it worked out great. Hope you enjoy this lovely recipe!

Jumbo Malted Chocolate Chip Cupcakes
from Shelly Kaldunski's book "cupcakes"

1 2/3 c. flour
2/3 c. malted milk powder
1/2 c. granulated sugar
1/4 c. packed brown sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 c. whole milk
6 T. unsalted butter, melted
2 large eggs room temp
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 oz semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

Position rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350. Line a 6-cup jumbo muffin pan with jumbo liners.

in a bowl, whisk together the flour, malted milk powder, granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt. In a small bowl whisk together the mlk, melted butter, eggs, and vanilla. Add teh milk mixture to the flour mixture. Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat until just combined; scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed, Stir in teh chopped chocolate.

Divide the batter evenly among the prerared muffin cups, filling each about one half full. Bake until lightly golden and a tooth pick inserted in teh center of a cupcake comes otu clean, 25-28 min. Let the cupcakes cool in the pan on a wire rack for 5 min. Transfer teh cupcakes to the wire rack and let cool completely, about 1 hour.

Frost cupcakes with buttercream. Top with chopped chocolate malt balls.

Buttercream
3 large egg whites at room temp
3/4 cup sugar
pinch of salt
1 cup unsalted butter, cut into 16 pieces at room temp
1 tsp vanilla

In a large, clean heatproof bowl, combine the egg whites and sugar. Set the bowl over simmer water in a saucepan (but not touching) and heat the mixture, whisking constantly, utnil the sugar has completely idssolved and the mixture is very warm to the touch (about 160 f on an instant-read thermometer), about 2 minutes. Remove the bowl from the saucepan. Using an electric mixer on high speed, beat the egg whites mixture until it is fluffy, cooled to room temp, and holds stiff peaks, about 6 minutes.

With the mixture on medium-low speed, add the salt and the butter, a few pieces at a time, beating well aftert each additions, If the frosting appears to separate or is very liquid afer all the butter is added, continue to beat on high speed until it is smooth and creamy, 3-5 minutes more. Add the flavoring and beat until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Use right away.

Chocolate Malt Buttercream: Make buttercream as above, add: 2 T. unsweetened cocoa powder whisked into 4 oz semisweet chocolate, meltede and slightly cooled; and 1/4 cup malted milk powder whisked into 1/4 cup milk until dissolved

Happy birthday with a big coconut cake, monte cristo sandwitches, and salad de maison

So last week was such a busy week for me and I am finally able to take a breather and share with you what I have been up to! First off, it was my moms birthday on Thursday! The big 50! And I know she wouldn't mind me sharing her age because she looks fabulous for 50. For her birthday cake I wanted to make something extra special. She loves coconut as much as I do so I thought a coconut cake would be very appropriate. But it couldn't be just any coconut cake it had to be extra fabulous. I found Ina Garten's coconut cake recipe and decided to give it a go. I also found a yummy lemon curd recipe on the joy of baking site and thought that would be amazing as a filling. The cake turned out delicious! Such a moist cake with a perfect coconut flavor. I find I am never unhappy with Ina's recipes and this wasn't an exception. Mom said, "It could be in a restaurant," and dad said "This is the best cake I have ever had!" It truly was a delicious cake. The lemon curd filling paired beautifully with the cream cheese frosting which was to die for by the way! I will be making this cake again soon, maybe next time I will make them into cupcakes with a lemon curd filling...mmmmm....

Happy Birthday Mom!
So lucky to have a mom like you! Love ya!

For my mom's birthday dinner we made monte cristo sandwiches with salad de maison. Some may think having sandwiches for a birthday isn't special enough, but let me tell you, I would prefer these sandwiches over a steak dinner. So delicious and unique. Definitely suitable for a special occasion. And as for the salad...amazing. My family has been making this salad for a while and there hasn't been a salad that has come close to how amazing this one is. It could be the 3 whole garlic cloves in the dressing that makes it so tasty. I am definitely a garlic fan and tend to overdose on it. It is a common comment from my husband at the dinner table when he says "I see you put some extra garlic in" , I guess it's the Greek in me which makes me always want to add more to recipes, but with this dressing 3 cloves or garlic is just right. I hope you have a chance to try all of these fun recipes!

Whenever I take pictures at my moms house people
always comment on how beautiful my kitchen is...although
I would love to pretend that my mom's kitchen is mine I wont:)

Coconut Cake

ingredients:
nocoupons

• 3/4 pound (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for greasing the pans
• 2 cups sugar
• 5 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure almond extract
• 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the pans
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup milk
• 4 ounces sweetened shredded coconut

For the frosting:

nocoupons

• 1 pound cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract
• 1 pound confectioners' sugar, sifted
• 6 ounces sweetened shredded coconut

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 2 (9-inch) round cake pans, then line them parchment paper. Grease them again and dust lightly with flour.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium-high speed for 3 to 5 minutes, until light yellow and fluffy. Crack the eggs into a small bowl. With the mixer on medium speed, add the eggs 1 at a time, scraping down the bowl once during mixing. Add the vanilla and almond extracts and mix well. The mixture might look curdled; don't be concerned.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the dry ingredients and the milk to the batter in 3 parts, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Mix until just combined. Fold in the 4 ounces of coconut with a rubber spatula.

Pour the batter evenly into the 2 pans and smooth the top with a knife. Bake in the center of the oven for 45 to 55 minutes, until the tops are browned and a cake tester comes out clean. Cool on a baking rack for 30 minutes, then turn the cakes out onto a baking rack to finish cooling.

For the frosting, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the cream cheese, butter, vanilla and almond extract on low speed. Add the confectioners' sugar and mix until just smooth (don't whip!).(Ok so this is the one time I deviated fromIna's recipe, I did whip it and it was delicious, smooth and creamy!)

To assemble, place 1 layer on a flat serving plate, top side down, and spread with frosting. Place the second layer on top, top side up, and frost the top and sides. To decorate the cake, sprinkle the top with coconut and lightly press more coconut onto the sides. Serve at room temperature.

Lemon Curd:

3 large eggs

1/3 cup (80 ml) fresh lemon juice (2-3 lemons) (do not use the bottled lemon juice)

1 tablespoon (4 grams) finely shredded lemon zest

3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated white sugar

4 tablespoons (56 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature and cut into small pieces

Lemon Curd: In a stainless steel bowl placed over a saucepan of simmering water, whisk together the eggs, sugar, and lemon juice until blended. Cook, stirring constantly (to prevent it from curdling), until the mixture becomes thick (like sour cream or a hollandaise sauce) (160 degrees F or 71 degrees C). This will take approximately 10 minutes. Remove from heat and immediately pour through a fine strainer to remove any lumps. Cut the butter into small pieces and whisk into the mixture until the butter has melted. Add the lemon zest and let cool. The lemon curd will continue to thicken as it cools. Cover immediately (so a skin doesn't form) and refrigerate until cold. The lemon curd can be made several days (up to a week) in advance.

Salad De Maison

Yield: 10 servings

Salad:
2 cups Romaine lettuce, torn in pieces (I use a whole head to romaine)
2 cups cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1 cup Swiss cheese, grated (I cut mine into cubes)
2/3 cup almonds, slivered
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1 cup croutons
1/4 cup bacon (or bacon bits), to taste

Dressing:
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup canola oil
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Directions

Lightly toast almonds. Cut up bacon in 2-inch pieces and cook until crisp (or use bacon bits). Toss lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, almonds, Parmesan cheese, crou-tons and bacon together and set aside. Prepare dressing by blending lemon juice, salt, canola oil, garlic and pepper together at high speed in a blender or food processor. Pour over salad, toss and serve immediately.

Monte Cristo Sandwich

This longtime favorite is on the menu at the Blue Bayou Restaurant

1 egg

1 3/4 cups plus 2 T water

1 3/4 c. all-purpose flour

1/4 t. salt

1 t. baking powder

8 slices egg bread (challah works well), sliced 1/2 inch thick

2/3 pound ham, cut into 4 slices

2/3 pound turkey, cut into 4 slices

1/4 pound Swiss cheese, cut into 4 slices

3 cups canola oil

Confectioners' sugar

Blackberry preserves

1. Line a cookie sheet with paper towels; set aside

2. Whisk the egg and water together in a mixing bowl. Add flour, salt, and baking powder and whisk thoroughly, scraping side of bowl. Continue to whisk for 20 minutes, until smooth.

3. On one slice of bread arrange a slice each of ham, turkey, and cheese, covering the bread evenly. Place another slice of bread on top and slice sandwich in half diagonally.

4. Heat oil to between 365 degrees F. and 375 degrees F. in a 10 inch pan. Do not let the oil reach a higher temperature than this; if the oil starts to smoke, turn the heat down. Dip half of the sandwich into the batter, allowing excess to drain, and very carefully place into the oil. Repeat with the other sandwich half. Cook 3 minutes on each side. Place the cooked sandwich on the prepared cookie sheet in a warm oven until ready to serve. Repeat for other three sandwiches. Cook the sandwiches one at a time, and allow the oil to reach the desired temperature in between each batch.

5. Sprinkle sandwiches with confectioners' sugar and serve with blackberry preserves on the side.

Hi Hat Cupcakes!

I am always looking for new ways to make cupcakes and always looking for the latest and greatest recipe. Well I have to say that this new cupcake is probably the best one I have made yet! The idea was inspired by Cassie from How to Eat a Cupcake. I was looking at her blog and as soon as I saw her Hi Hat cupcakes I knew I had to make them! Right that second I went into my kitchen and got to work. I had some leftover almond swiss meringue buttercream in the fridge and thought I would pair that with a devils food cupcake-and I am so glad I did! The flavors were wonderful! I love anything almond flavored and when it's paired with chocolate it's even better. I gave one to my dad and he said that these were "special" cupcakes because he thought they were so good. And I had to agree, usually I am hesitant to say that what I made was amazing but I had no humility this time. These were amazing!! I am actually contemplating making them right now after talking about them. I hope you have a change to give these a try! If you want better instructions and pictures for dipping the cupcakes visit Cassie's blog here.

Don't you just want to dive right in!?!

Devils Food Cupcakes:
1 cup flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 packed brown sugar
4 T. butter at room temp
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup buttermilk

Preheat over to 350.

Sift flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt into bowl. In another bowl, with an electric mixer on medium igh speed, beat the sugar, brown sugar, and butter until light and fluffy, 2-3 min. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until combined. Add the flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the water and buttermilk, beating on low speed until just combined; srape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat on medium high speed just until no traces of flour remaing, about 30 seconds.

Divide batter evenly among muffin cups. Bake 18-20 minutes.

Almond SMBC
3 large egg whites at room temp
3/4 cup sugar
pinch of salt
1 cup unsalted butter, cut into 16 pieces at room temp
1 tsp almond flavoring

In a large, clean heatproof bowl, combine the egg whites and sugar. Set the bowl over simmer water in a saucepan (but not touching) and heat the mixture, whisking constantly, utnil the sugar has completely idssolved and the mixture is very warm to the touch (about 160 f on an instant-read thermometer), about 2 minutes. Remove the bowl from the saucepan. Using an electric mixer on high speed, beat the egg whites mixture until it is fluffy, cooled to room temp, and holds stiff peaks, about 6 minutes.

With the mixture on medium-low speed, add the salt and the butter, a few pieces at a time, beating well aftert each additions, If the frosting appears to separate or is very liquid afer all the butter is added, continue to beat on high speed until it is smooth and creamy, 3-5 minutes more. Add the flavoring and beat until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Use right away.

Chocolate Coating
2 cups (12 oz) semi-sweet chocolate chips
3 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil

Put the chocolate and oil in a heatproof bowl or the top of a double boiler and place it over a pot of barely simmering water. Stir until the chocolate is just melted. Scrape it into a bowl and cool slightly, about 15 minutes.

Mini heart cakes with the best red velvet recipe!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Valentines day! Again, sorry for not posting sooner about my Valentines but again life is busy! A few days before Valentines day I went to my mom's to do a fun activity with the two kids she she teaches from her home. I saw these darling conversation heart cakes on Martha and couldn't resist! I knew I just had to make them and I thought they would be such a fun activity for kids. Let me first start by saying that the red velvet cake recipe used to make these little cakes is by far the best red velvet recipe I have found. The taste is delicious and as for the buttercream...o my gosh! So good!!! The cinnamon was perfect in it! If you want to make these and don't think that cinnamon would be good in the frosting just trust it because it was truly wonderful. I will definitely make these little cakes again and will try many different shapes. I am excited to try this recipe out as cupcakes also. If you choose to make mini cakes it is very important to crumb coat because this cake is so moist. Hope you have a change to try this recipe out because you wont be dissappointed!

Here is the beautiful colored batter ready to bake

Now ready to frost!

Ally and Aaron working hard on their mini heart cakes,
and doing a great job!

My mom with her students and their final product. Aren't
those cakes cute?!

Now my mom and I had to take a whack at it and
make some of our own. We crumb coated these
which made them look really smooth.

Red Velvet Cake

Makes six 4-inch heart-shaped cakes

• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 2 tablespoons red food coloring
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons vegetable shortening, at room temperature
• 1 2/3 cups sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 cup melted dark chocolate, for decorating
• Speckled Cinnamon Frosting

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees with rack in the center of the oven. Butter an 18-by-13-inch rimmed baking sheet, line with parchment paper, butter parchment, and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together cocoa powder, food coloring, and 1/4 cup boiling water. Set aside to cool.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and shortening on high speed until smooth. Add sugar and continue beating until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
4. Stir buttermilk and vanilla into cocoa mixture. Into another medium bowl, sift together flour and salt. With the mixer on low, add flour mixture alternating with cocoa mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat until incorporated.
5. In a small bowl, mix together vinegar and baking soda until baking soda dissolves; mixture will fizz. Add to batter and mix until just combined.
6. Pour batter into prepared baking sheet, smoothing the top. Bake until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, 20 to 30 minutes, rotating pan after 10 minutes.
7. Cook cake completely on a wire rack. Using a 4-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut out 12 hearts.
8. Place 4 strips of parchment paper around perimeter of a serving plate or lazy susan. Place 1 layer on the cake plate. Spread a thin layer of frosting on the cake; top with another heart, bottom side up. Cover entire cake with a thin layer of frosting and transfer to refrigerator for 10 minutes. Repeat process with remaining ingredients.
9. Remove cakes from the refrigerator and cover each cake with a generous layer of frosting, smoothing as you go around to create a flat surface.
10. Place chocolate in a pastry bag fitted with a small plain round tip; decorate as desired.

Speckled Cinnamon Buttercream
Ingredients

Makes enough for six 4-inch cakes

• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened but still cool, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• Food coloring, in desired color

Directions

1. Whisk together sugar and flour in medium heavy-bottomed saucepan. Add milk and cream and place over medium heat, whisking occasionally until mixture comes to a boil and has thickened, about 20 minutes.
2. Transfer mixture to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on high speed until cool. Reduce speed to low and add butter; mix until well incorporated. Increase speed to medium-high and mix until frosting is light and fluffy. Add vanilla and cinnamon and continue mixing until combined. Add a couple drops of food coloring while continuing to mix, until desired color is reached. If frosting is too soft, chill slightly and then re-mix to proper consistency. If frosting becomes too firm, place bowl over a pot of simmering water and re-mix to proper consistency.

It's a girl cupcakes!

My sister in Law Kori had a baby shower last saturday and of course I jumped at the chance to make baby shower cupcakes! Kori is having a girl in Februrary. I couldn't be more excited! So I wanted these cupcakes to be cute and special. However, I did have come complications with some of them but in turn learned a very good lesson which I will share with you so none of you have to make the same mistake I did.

First of all, Kori has celiacs disease so I had to make some gluten free cupcakes, and for the non gluten free-I hate to say it I got so busy that I used a cake mix. But they were good! I have never really tasted anything gluten free that I have thought it could pass as non gluten free but I have to say differently about these cuppies. They were delish! Especially with the frosting which I will get to right now...

Ahh the frosting, I think I have found the best vanilla frosting recipe ever! I tweaked it a little but let me tell ya, I got so many compliments with it and because the frosting was so dang good I ended up eating five, yes five cupcakes! I know- what a horrible way to start out the new year right? The taste was so yummy it kind of out weighed the guilt. However, for the first batch I frosted the non gluten free cupcakes with I used a mixture of cream and milk instead of just milk. I noticed that the frosting began to separate as I used it and it was very difficult to pipe with and once I did pipe a cute flower it just fell apapart! So I will NEVER use cream in my frosting unless someone lets me in on a secret I do not know but for me it was so much easier to use the frosting without the cream. So here is the frosting recipe, and for all of you gluten free people I will work on getting that cupcake recipe which my mom has. If any of you think you have a better vanilla frosting recipe than this let me know! I am always looking for the best of the best!

Magnolia's Vanilla buttercream frosting

Makes enough for one 2-layer 9-inch cake or 2 dozen cupcakes*

**My additions in red

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

• 6 to 8 cups confectioners’ sugar

• 1/2 cup milk

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

• pinch of salt
• insides of 2 vanilla beans
  

Place the butter in a large mixing bowl. Add 4 cups of the sugar and then the milk and vanilla and vanilla bean. On the medium speed of an electric mixer, beat until smooth and creamy, about 3-5 minutes. Add pinch of salt. Gradually add the remaining sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition (about 2 minutes), until the icing is thick enough to be of good spreading consistency. You may not need to add all of the sugar. If desired, add a few drops of food coloring and mix thoroughly. (Use and store the icing at room temperature because icing will set if chilled.) Icing can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

These are the gluten free cupcakes, my piping looked

so much better on these because the frosting was so

much easier to work with.

Here is the frosting with the cream in it. You can see that
my piping just fell apart. I was so sad they didn't look
as cute as they could have!

More with the cream in the frosting.
The petals on these cuppies aren't defined like the ones on the
gluten free cupcakes with the frosting made with just milk.

My sis in law Kori anxiously waiting to dive into her gluten free cupcake!

And I just had to add this. This is the quilt my mom made for the
baby. Isn't it just so cute?!