Earl Grey Shortbread

The holidays are a stressful time, and when I get stressed, I bake. I'm also on a special diet because of some tummy trouble that landed me in the hospital for the last few days, so I decided to make something pretty simple.

Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar (or powdered sugar for a more satiny cookie)
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
3 tbsp loose tea leaves
2 cups flour
Instructions:
Cream butter, sugar, and salt
Add vanilla and tea leaves
Gradually add flour until dough comes together
Shape into a log 2-3 inches across (I like to shape mine into squares)
Chill from 30 min to overnight
Slice abt 1/4 inch thick
Bake at 375 for 9-12 min until edges are browned

Jasmine Raspberry Cupcakes with Honey Frosting

Jasmine Raspberry Cupcakes with Honey Frosting
Originally uploaded by kel h

I made these cupcakes for my friend Julia's Birthday party last night: (I got the idea from The Cupcake Project)

Jasmine Rasberry Cupcakes with Honey Frosting

Cupcakes
2 cups sugar
1 cup butter, softened
3 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups cake flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup milk
5 jasmine teabags
2 tbsp raspberry vinegar

Preheat oven to 350.

Beat sugar and butter at medium speed with a heavy-duty electric stand mixer until creamy and fluffy, about 5 minutes.

Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until yellow disappears after each addition. Beat in vanilla.

In a saucepan scald milk and steep teabags in milk. The longer you steep the better. I did 15 minutes, but it could have been longer

Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl; add to sugar mixture alternately with milk and vinegar, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat a medium-low speed just until blended after each addition. (batter will be thick)

Honey Frosting
cream 2 sticks butter at 2/3 c honey. Add 4-5 cups powdered sugar. Add 1-2 tbsp milk depending on consistency you desire.

Green Tea Sparklilng Sake Cupcakes with Sparkling Sake Frosting

I missed the deadline for Iron Cupcake this month, but I still made the cupcake, so here you go:



Ingredients
* 2/3 cup butter
* 1 cups sugar
* 1/2 cup sweet matcha powder (Got it at whole foods)
* 2 3/4 cups flour
* 3 teaspoons baking powder
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 3/4 cup sparkling Sake (from trader joes)
* 6 egg whites

Directions

1.Preheat the oven to 350. Insert liners into a medium cupcake pan.
2.In a large bowl cream together the butter, matcha powder and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes.
3.In a separate medium bowl sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.
4.Blend the dry ingredients into the creamed mixture alternatively with sake.
5.In a large clean bowl beat the egg whites on high speed until stiff peaks form. Fold one-third of the whites into the batter until blended, then fold in the remaining egg whites until well blended.
6.Fill the cupcake liners three-quarters full with batter. Bake for about 20 minutes.

Frosting

Cream 3/4 c shorting, 1 1/2 stick butter in a mixer. Add powdered sugar and 1/2 cup sparkling sake til the right consistency.