College..The Good Life

College...is there any better time in life?  Well I guess many could argue yes, but come on.  Being able to live in a place for 4 years (for some lucky people it might take longer) where you live with your best friends, go to class at 10:00 a.m., tailgates starting at 6:00 a.m., and be able to figure out what you think and feel about events in the world past & present.  I can not believe that I have not mentioned this before in my blog, but I am a proud Alum of the University of Iowa!!!  I loved college, mainly because it truly made me the person that I am today.  ( and that person is really good at flippy cup!)

 
This last weekend I was lucky enough to watch my younger cousin walk across the stage and receive his diploma from The University of Norte Dame!  I am proud that he graduated, but I am really happy that he also gained a feeling of being a more well rounded person because of his time in South Bend.  My cousin has excepted a job with Target and will be moving to Minneapolis, MN where the headquarters are located.  I am thrilled for him, being that it is a great job and city, but will miss him a ton. 

 
In order to celebrate this wonderful occasion I made the desserts for the graduation party.  I made a chocolate and Swiss buttercream cake.  I covered it in fondant and made a ND topper.  Then in order to celebrate the new job, I made red velvet Target cupcakes with cream cheese frosting.
Go Irish!!!

Wedding Shower Cupcakes

One of my closest friends had her wedding shower this past weekend.  I was super excited when I was asked to make the desserts for their shower.  I was asked to make cupcakes.  My friend and her fiance are both school teachers, hence the rustic classroom theme.  I didn't want to make simple chocolate and vanilla cupcakes.  My friends are anything but simple.  :)  My friend loves Champagne, therefore I knew I wanted to include it somehow in the dessert.  I looked through many cookbooks and finally decided on making two different flavor cupcakes but decorating them the same.

Vanilla Champagne Cupcakes with Raspberry Curd and Champagne Frosting

makes 17 cupcakes

 Cake:
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 3/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup champagne

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

In the bowl of the electric mixer with paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add eggs one at a time beating well after each addition.  Add vanilla and mix.  Whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt, set aside.  In another bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup champagne and 1/2 cup sour cream ( mixture will fizz a little).  Add the flour and champagne mixture alternately, beginning and ending with the flour.  The batter will be thick!

Fill cupcakes using a 1/4 measuring cup and bake for 15-20 minutes.  Set aside to cool.

Curd:
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 pint raspberries
5 large eggs yolks, beaten with a fork
3/4 cup granulated sugar
a pinch of sea salt
3 tsp. fresh lemon juice

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat; add in the raspberries, egg yolks, sugar, and salt.  Cook, mashing the berries and stirring frequently at first and then constantly at the end, until thickened, around 10 minutes.

Pour the mixture through a coarse strainer set over a bowl, pressing hard on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible.  Cool to room temperature; the curd will continue to thicken as it cools.  Stir in lemon juice, to taste.  Refrigerate, cover with plastic wrap, place the plastic wrap directly on the curd.  Cool for 1-2 hours.

adopted from food.com

Champagne Frosting
1 cup plus 1 Tbsp. champagne
2 sticks of butter, room temperature
2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

Place 1 cup of champagne in a small saucepan.  Simmer over medium-high heat until reduced by half.  Transfer to bowl and cool.

In a the bowl of the mixer, with whisk attachment, cream butter and powdered sugar together.  Once the frosting is thick and fluffy, pour in the reduced champagne, plus 1 Tbsp. champagne from the bottle and mix well.

With a small knife carve a cone shaped wedge out of the top of each cupcake.  Slice off the very top part to put back over the filling.  Spoon a tablespoon of curd into each cupcake.

Pipe the frosting on top of the cupcakes.

adopted from Sprinkle Bakes.com

Chocolate and Caramel Cupcakes with Caramel Frosting
makes 12 cupcakes

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup ( 1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup sour cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line muffin pan with paper liners.

In a bowl, sift together the cocoa powder, flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.  In the mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in vanilla.  With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture in two batches, alternating with sour cream and beginning and ending with flour.

Pour batter into liner, filling each 3/4 full.  Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Caramel:
 1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup water
1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/2 vanilla bean

Mix the water and sugar in a saucepan.  Cook over low heat until the sugar dissolves.  Increase the heat and boil until the sugar turns a medium brown, about 5 to 7 minutes.  In the mean time heat the cream and vanilla to a simmer.  Stand back to avoid splattering and add the cream to the sugar when it reached medium brown in color.  Stir and simmer on low heat until well combined, smooth and thick.  Pour into a bowl and let cool with plastic wrap. 

Crave out center of cupcakes, same as the vanilla cupcakes.  Using the same frosting recipe, but replacing the champagne for 1/2 cup of caramel.

Homemade Pretzel Buns

This past weekend was wonderful!  Not only was it one of my favorite days of the year, St. Patrick's day, but the weather was amazing.  Sunny and 75-80 degrees all weekend!!  It was a gorgeous day to sit outside and have a few cold drinks with friends.  Being that it is only March, the weather got me excited for summer.  I love to grill in the summer and Sunday night  I decided to grill some andouille sausage with caramelized onions.  However just a normal bun would not work for the first grill of the year.  Therefore I made homemade pretzel buns!!  The salty and sweet taste that the pretzel bun adds to any meal is worth the time to make them at home.



 Preztel Hot Dog Buns

    serves 8

1 cup milk

1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

2 Tablespoons honey

1 packet active dry yeast

2 Tablespoons unsalted butter

2 small cloves of garlic, chopped

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup bread flour

1/2 cup baking soda

Sea Salt for garnishing

In a small saucepan, heat the milk, 1/2 cup water, sugar and honey to 105-110 degrees F.  Add to the bowl of your mixer.  Sprinkle the yeast over the water mixture, do not stir, and wait 10-15 minutes until it is bubbly and the yeast blooms. 

In a seperate saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and garlic for 2-3 minutes.  Combine the all-purpose flour and the bread flour in a bowl together.

Add the flour mixture to the mixing bowl with the blooming yeast, and then add in the melted butter and garlic mixture.  Mix on medium speed until the dough had come together and is smooth and elastic in texture and pulling away from the sides of the bowl.  ( around 5-7 minutes)

Line 2 baking sheets with silicone mats.  Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured cutting board and form into a ball.  Cut into 8 pieces.  Using your hands, roll each piece into a ball and place onto the prepared baking sheet.  Cover with a dish cloth and let them rest in a warm place ( next to the oven is alway a good place) for 12-15 minutes.  ( They should double in size)

Once rested, lightly dust your work space again and roll the balls into 7-inch logs.  Place onto the other prepared baking sheet, cover, place back in the warm spot and let rest for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.  Place one oven rack high and one low. 

In a large pot, bring 8 cups of water to a boil, and then add the baking soda.  Be careful as the water will bubble!  In batches, place the dough in the water and cook for 30 seconds on each side.  This is what will give your buns the night chewy texture and crust.

Using a slotted spoon, remove the logs and place nto the prepared baking sheets.  Sprinkle with sea salt as they come out of the water.  Then cut 3 diagonal slits on the top of the bread, not too deep!

Bake for 10 -13 minutes, rotating between the top and bottom racks of the oven halfway through the cooking time.

recipe adapted from foodnetwork.com

 

Inside-Out Carrot Cake Cookies

Carrot Cake is something that I have grown to like as I have gotten older.  The thought of eating carrots in a cake grossed me out when I was a kid.  As I got older and saw it at parties I just assumed that I did not like it and passed on it.  Finally one day I decided to try and it, and sweet success.  The cinnamon, nutmeg, and sweetness of the carrots was so moist ( sorry for using that word) and wonderful.  By far the best part is the cream cheese frosting.    Making  this cake into small cookies is the best way to individually enjoy this wonderful dessert.  The cookies are just the right size and combination of sweet and savory.  I did leave the walnuts out of my recipe because I don't enjoy them in this cake, however feel free to add them to your cookies. ( use 1 cup of your favorite nut for this recipe)


Inside-Out Carrot Cake Cookies

1 1/8 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick ( 1/2 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup coarsely grated carrots ( 2 medium carrots)
1/2 cup raisins
8 oz. cream cheese
1/4 cup honey

Pre-heat oven to 375, butter ( or spray) 2 baking sheets.  Whisk together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt in a bowl.

Beat together butter, sugar, egg, and vanilla in a bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until pale yellow in color and fluffy.  Mix in carrots and raisins at low speed, then add flour mixture and beat just until combined.

Drop about 1 1/2 tablespoons of the batter per cookie 2 inches apart on baking sheet, and bake.  Turn the baking sheet half way thought the bake time to make sure you get even coloring on the cookies.  Bake for 12-16 minutes, cookies should be light brown and springy to the touch.  Cool the cookies on the baking sheets for 1 minute and than transfer to a cooling rack.

While cookies are baking, blend cream cheese and honey in mixer until smooth.

Sandwich flat side of cookies together with a generous tablespoon of cream cheese frosting in between.


recipe adapted from epicurious.com

Jalapeno Popper Grilled Cheese

Jalapeno Popper Grilled Cheese, do I have to say anything more to make you want to rush out and make this?  I love the idea of grilled cheese sandwiches, however every time I have them I feel that something is missing.  Once I thought about adding different ingredients to a grilled cheese I got excited!.  I enjoy Jalapeno Poppers, with the crunch of the breading, the hot melted cheese and the slow heat from the jalapeno.  These flavors were a perfect match for a grilled cheese sandwich.

I could not imagine biting into a grilled cheese sandwich with all of the melted gooey cheese and hitting a raw jalapeno pepper.  I thought the best way to have all the flavors at the same temperature and texture was to roast the peppers, also it would add a smokey taste to the sandwich.  This sandwich turned out wonderful!  The buttery bread was perfectly crisp and it held up to the melted cheese, and the spicy jalapeno peppers.  I am not the biggest fan of cream cheese, however it was the winning ingredient in this sandwich.  This is one of the creamiest and cheesiest grilled cheese sandwiches I have ever had!  I served this with a cold beer and a huge bowl of cool and creamy guacamole.


Jalapeno Popper Grilled Cheese
    makes one sandwich

2 Jalapeno peppers
2 slices of bread ( I used sour dough)
1 tablespoon butter, room temperature
2 tablespoons cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded


Cut the pepper in half and scrape out the seeds.  Place the peppers on a baking sheet with the cut side facing down.  Place the baking sheet on the top shelf in the oven and broil until the outer layer of the skin has blackened, about 8-14 minutes.  Place the peppers in a zip-lock bag, seal and let them cool for around 15 minutes.  Remove the skin from the peppers.  The skins should easily "pinch" off.

Butter the outside of each slice of bread and spread cream cheese on the inside.  Sprinkle half of the cheese on the cream cheese side, top with the jalapenos, place the remaining cheese and finally the other side of bread.  Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat,  Add the sandwich and grill until golden brown and the cheese has melted, about 2-4 minutes per side.

adopted from closetcooking.com

Oreo Cheesecake

Oreos....they are a staple in my house.  You could always find them in the refrigerator when I was growing up and now I keep them in my own apartment.  Yes, I said refrigerator, they are the best cold.  My husband asked me a few weeks ago to make an Oreo cheesecake.  He loves cheesecakes and I adore Oreos, therefore I thought it was a wonderful idea.

 This recipe is easy to follow, remember to always place your cream cheese in the mixer first and let it beat for at least 20 minutes.  You can get the rest of your ingredients together while it is creaming.  It is very important to make sure that the cream cheese is light and fluffy.  If there is not enough volume to the cream cheese, your cheesecake will be dense.  Also I know that you will want to dive right into this cheesecake, but wait the 24 hours.  Cheesecakes are best when they sit for a long amount of time to have a stronger and creamy taste.

Oreo Cheesecake

Crust:
1 1/2 cups Oreo Cookies Crumbs ( it was 24 Oreo cookies, finely chopped)
2 tablespoons melted butter

Filling:
1 1/2 pounds cream cheese ( three 8 ounce packages)
1 cup sugar
5 large eggs
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/4 cup all purpose flour
8 ounce sour cream
5 Oreo cookies ( chopped for batter)
10 chopped Oreo cookies for the top of the Cheesecake

Crust:
   Spray the spring pan with cooking spray on the bottom and the sides of the pan.  Mix melted butter with Oreo crumbs and press into a 9" spring pan.  Cover the bottom and go up the sides a little bit.  Set aside.

Filling:
Make sure that all your ingredients are at room temperature, this will make sure that they all blend together.  Beat the cream cheese until light and fluffy.  Add the sugar slowly mix till combined.  Add one egg at a time and continue to beat until blended.  Add the vanilla, salt, and flour to the cream cheese mixture and beat until smooth.  Add the sour cream and beat well.  Turn off the mixer and stir in the chopped Oreo cookies with a spoon.

Pour cream cheese into the spring pan and place the chopped Oreo cookies on to the top of the cream mixture.  Place the pan in the pre heated oven at 325 on the middle rack.  Bake for 45 minutes, the sides of the cheesecake should be firm with the middle still wobbly.   When the time is up turn off the oven and prop opened the door.  Leave in the oven for one hour.  This allows the cheesecake to cool evenly.  Take out of the oven and let cool enough to place in the refrigerator for 24 hours.

adopted from copykat.com

Mini Boston Cream Pie

Today is my Uncle's birthday! He is the one that when I told him I was going to culinary school, he looked at me and said " You do know that people in that field are passionate,  creative, work like dogs, and are totally nuts". I smiled and said " Yeah I know", he than smiled back and said " you will fit right in, kid". In honor of his birthday I made his favorite dessert.....Boston Cream Pie.  However being that I am a little nuts, I wanted to make the traditional cake a little different.  Since I love all things mini (  I'm even, a proud owner of a Mini cooper) I thought I would make individual pies.  Boston Cream Pies are a yellow cake with pastry cream in the middle topped with ganache glaze.  The recipe below can also be used to make one 8" inch round cake following the same ingredients and directions.


Vanilla Cake
 adapted from Martha Stewart Cupcakes

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup whole milk
3 ounces ( 6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room tempature
3 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray standard muffin tin.  Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl.  Warm milk and butter in a saucepan over low heat.

Beat eggs and sugar with a mixer on high speed until thick, around 5 minutes.  Mix in dry ingredients.

Bring milk and butter to a boil.  With mixer on low speed, add milk mixture to batter, and beat until smooth.  Add vanilla.  Divide batter among muffin cups, and fill halfway.  Bake cupcakes until light brown, about 15 minutes depending on your oven.  Let cool in pan for 10 minutes and then tranfer to cooling rack. 

Vanilla Cream

2 large eggs yolks
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons plus 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
pinch of salt
1 cup whole milk
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Whisk yolks until smooth.  Mix sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a saucepan over medium heat.  Add milk in a slow, and steady stream.  Cook, stirring, until mixturebegins to bubble and thicken, about 5 minutes.

Pour 1/3 of milk mixture into yolks, whisking constantly.  Pour mixture back into saucepan, and cook over medium heat, whisking the whole time, until thick.  Stir in vanilla.  Pour into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap.  Place plastic wrap directcly on the surface.  Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to 2 days.

Ganache

2/3 cup heavy cream
6 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 tablespoon light corn syrup

Place chopped chocolate in a bowl and add the corn syrup.  Bring cream to a boil in a small saucepan.  Remove from the heat and add to the chocoalte and corn syrup.  Let stand for 5 minutes, so not stir.  After waiting 5 mintures, whisk until smooth.  Let cool, and use immediately.


Assembly

Using a serrated knife, cut each muffin in half horizontally. Pipe or spread cream onto the muffin.  Sandwich with the top. 

Spoon ganache glaze over the top of the muffin.