Persimmon Cupcakes with Honey Cinnamon Frosting
(inspired by a trip to the new H Mart in Burlington)
Persimmon Puree
peel and finely dice 1 persimmon. In a saucepan add 1/3c sugar and 1tbsp water and cook persimmon for 10 min until soft. Force through sieve. It should create a jelly like substance
1 c flour
2/3 c sugar
2/3c unsalted butter (softened at room temp)
1 tsp baking powder
2 eggs (lightly beaten)
¾ cup persimmon puree from above
1 finely diced persimmon (skin on – the skin lets the fruit hold its shape and adds colour and texture)
Preheat oven to 350. Place flour, sugar and baking powder in mixing bowl. Beat on low speed for a few seconds to mix (I used an electric hand beater). Add butter and half the egg and beat on low speed until well combined. Increase speed to high and beat for about 30 seconds (I wanted the texture to be a little dense, so I didn’t beat it for too long). Add the rest of the egg and beat until incorporated (about 10-20 seconds). Gently fold in the puree, then the chopped persimmon. Don’t worry if the puree is not mixed in completely.
Spoon into cupcake cases and bake for about 12 minutes or until golden.
Cool, then ice
Makes 12 small cupcakes.
Honey-Cinnamon Frosting
1 1/4 cup confectioners sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 1/2 tablespoons honey
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon milk (plus more if needed)
1. In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the confectioners' sugar, unsalted butter, honey, ground cinnamon, and milk until completely smooth. Taste and adjust amount of cinnamon and honey if needed, and add in more milk a teaspoon or two at a time if needed to thin it. If you plan to pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes, I highly recommend doubling the recipe.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Red Lentil and rice soup that is not terribly soupy
its one of those "use everything in the pantry" kind of weeks, and i have a ton of red lentils, so I tried to make red lentil soup. Except i accidentally added waaaay too much rice and it became red lentil and rice....stuff. Still tasty, not so soupy
1 c. red lentils
1 med. onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic minced
1/4 c. rice (I accidentally added 1 c which is why it looks less like soup and more like rice with lentils and onions)
1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes
6 c. veggie broth
1 bay leaf
1 cup crushed tomatoes (or a small can if you want more tomatoey goodness)
2 tbsp. olive oil
heat olive oil in bottom of stock pot and cook chopped onion and garlic along with bay leaf until onions soften. Add veggie broth, lentils, rice, tomatoes and pepper flakes and bring to boil, then reduce heat to simmer. Simmer until rice and lentils become soft (start checking after half an hour or so).
1 c. red lentils
1 med. onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic minced
1/4 c. rice (I accidentally added 1 c which is why it looks less like soup and more like rice with lentils and onions)
1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes
6 c. veggie broth
1 bay leaf
1 cup crushed tomatoes (or a small can if you want more tomatoey goodness)
2 tbsp. olive oil
heat olive oil in bottom of stock pot and cook chopped onion and garlic along with bay leaf until onions soften. Add veggie broth, lentils, rice, tomatoes and pepper flakes and bring to boil, then reduce heat to simmer. Simmer until rice and lentils become soft (start checking after half an hour or so).
Saturday, October 17, 2009
two cupcakes and some meat
I've got two different parties to go to, so I am making two different types of cupcakes today, and some beer braised brisket sandwiches
so, here are the recipes
Beer Braised Brisket
Ingredients
1 (31/2- to 4-lb) boneless beef brisket, trimmed of excess fat
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 pound onions, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced lengthwise (6 cups)
1 Turkish or 1/2 California bay leaf
1 (12-ounce) bottle beer (not dark)
1 dried-porcini bouillon cube (less than 1/2 ounce) or 1 beef bouillon cube, crumbled
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Pat brisket dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a 6- to 8-quart wide heavy pot over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then brown meat well on all sides, about 10 minutes total. Transfer with tongs to a platter.
Cook onions with bay leaf in fat remaining in pot over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer half of onions to a bowl. Arrange brisket over onions in pot, then top with remaining onions. Add beer, bouillon cube, and vinegar (liquid should come about halfway up sides of meat) and bring to a boil.
Cover pot and braise in middle of oven until meat is very tender, 3 to 3 1/2 hours. Cool in sauce, uncovered, 30 minutes.
Transfer brisket to a clean cutting board. Skim off any fat from sauce, then season with salt and pepper. Slice meat across the grain and serve with sauce.
Tres Leches Cake (aka Tesla Cheesecake)
Ingredients
For the cake:
* Vegetable oil
* 6 3/4 ounces cake flour, plus extra for pan
* 1 teaspoon baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
* 4 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature
* 8 ounces sugar
* 5 whole eggs
* 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
For the glaze:
* 1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk
* 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
* 1 cup half-and-half
For the topping:
* 2 cups heavy cream
* 8 ounces sugar
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the cake:
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil and flour a 13 by 9-inch metal pan and set aside.
Whisk together the cake flour, baking powder and salt in a medium mixing bowl and set aside.
Place the butter into the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the paddle attachment, beat on medium speed until fluffy, approximately 1 minute. Decrease the speed to low and with the mixer still running, gradually add the sugar over 1 minute. Stop to scrape down the sides of the bowl, if necessary. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and mix to thoroughly combine. Add the vanilla extract and mix to combine. Add the flour mixture to the batter in 3 batches and mix just until combined. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and spread evenly. This will appear to be a very small amount of batter. Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until the cake is lightly golden and reaches an internal temperature of 200 degrees F.
Remove the cake pan to a cooling rack and allow to cool for 30 minutes. Poke the top of the cake all over with a skewer or fork. Allow the cake to cool completely and then prepare the glaze.
For the glaze:
Whisk together the evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk and the half-and-half in a 1-quart measuring cup. Once combined, pour the glaze over the cake. Refrigerate the cake overnight.
Topping:
Place the heavy cream, sugar and vanilla into the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the whisk attachment, whisk together on low until stiff peaks are formed. Change to medium speed and whisk until thick. Spread the topping over the cake and allow to chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
I turned it into cupcakes (makes about a dozen, don't overfill the liners. You are better off using foil liners because it gets messy pouring the glaze in paper ones. Also I cheat and used canned whipped cream for the topping
Highball Cupcakes (aka gingerale cupcakes with whiskey buttercream)
Ginger Ale Cupcakes
Ingredients
* 4 ½ cups All Purpose Flour
* 2 cups sugar
* 2 tablespoons baking powder
* ½ teaspoon salt
* 2 ¼ sticks unsalted butter
* 1 cup milk
* 1 ½ cup Ginger ale
* 3 tablespoons freshly grated ginger
* ¼ cup finely chopped candied ginger
* 2 tablespoons vanilla
* ½ cup sour cream
* 6 egg whites
Directions
Start by beating butter on high with the paddle attachment of your electric mixer. Once it turns to a pale color add the sugar and cream for 3 minutes. Add salt, baking powder, fresh ginger, and sour cream. Put ginger ale, milk, and vanilla into a separate bowl. Slowly add flour in parts of 4 alternating with liquid mixture. Once complete stir in chopped candied ginger. Beat egg whites until they have a stiff peak and fold into mixture.
Bake at 350F for approximately 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Whiskey Buttercream
1/4 cup unsalted, softened
1 tsp whiskey
1/2 tsp. vanilla
3/4 cup powdered sugar, sifted
Cream together butter, whiskey and vanilla. Add 1/2 the powdered sugar and mix until no lumps remain. Add remaining sugar and mix until smooth. You are probably gonna want to make two batches of the frosting at least
so, here are the recipes
Beer Braised Brisket
Ingredients
1 (31/2- to 4-lb) boneless beef brisket, trimmed of excess fat
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 pound onions, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced lengthwise (6 cups)
1 Turkish or 1/2 California bay leaf
1 (12-ounce) bottle beer (not dark)
1 dried-porcini bouillon cube (less than 1/2 ounce) or 1 beef bouillon cube, crumbled
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Pat brisket dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a 6- to 8-quart wide heavy pot over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then brown meat well on all sides, about 10 minutes total. Transfer with tongs to a platter.
Cook onions with bay leaf in fat remaining in pot over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer half of onions to a bowl. Arrange brisket over onions in pot, then top with remaining onions. Add beer, bouillon cube, and vinegar (liquid should come about halfway up sides of meat) and bring to a boil.
Cover pot and braise in middle of oven until meat is very tender, 3 to 3 1/2 hours. Cool in sauce, uncovered, 30 minutes.
Transfer brisket to a clean cutting board. Skim off any fat from sauce, then season with salt and pepper. Slice meat across the grain and serve with sauce.
Tres Leches Cake (aka Tesla Cheesecake)
Ingredients
For the cake:
* Vegetable oil
* 6 3/4 ounces cake flour, plus extra for pan
* 1 teaspoon baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
* 4 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature
* 8 ounces sugar
* 5 whole eggs
* 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
For the glaze:
* 1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk
* 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
* 1 cup half-and-half
For the topping:
* 2 cups heavy cream
* 8 ounces sugar
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the cake:
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil and flour a 13 by 9-inch metal pan and set aside.
Whisk together the cake flour, baking powder and salt in a medium mixing bowl and set aside.
Place the butter into the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the paddle attachment, beat on medium speed until fluffy, approximately 1 minute. Decrease the speed to low and with the mixer still running, gradually add the sugar over 1 minute. Stop to scrape down the sides of the bowl, if necessary. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and mix to thoroughly combine. Add the vanilla extract and mix to combine. Add the flour mixture to the batter in 3 batches and mix just until combined. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and spread evenly. This will appear to be a very small amount of batter. Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until the cake is lightly golden and reaches an internal temperature of 200 degrees F.
Remove the cake pan to a cooling rack and allow to cool for 30 minutes. Poke the top of the cake all over with a skewer or fork. Allow the cake to cool completely and then prepare the glaze.
For the glaze:
Whisk together the evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk and the half-and-half in a 1-quart measuring cup. Once combined, pour the glaze over the cake. Refrigerate the cake overnight.
Topping:
Place the heavy cream, sugar and vanilla into the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the whisk attachment, whisk together on low until stiff peaks are formed. Change to medium speed and whisk until thick. Spread the topping over the cake and allow to chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
I turned it into cupcakes (makes about a dozen, don't overfill the liners. You are better off using foil liners because it gets messy pouring the glaze in paper ones. Also I cheat and used canned whipped cream for the topping
Highball Cupcakes (aka gingerale cupcakes with whiskey buttercream)
Ginger Ale Cupcakes
Ingredients
* 4 ½ cups All Purpose Flour
* 2 cups sugar
* 2 tablespoons baking powder
* ½ teaspoon salt
* 2 ¼ sticks unsalted butter
* 1 cup milk
* 1 ½ cup Ginger ale
* 3 tablespoons freshly grated ginger
* ¼ cup finely chopped candied ginger
* 2 tablespoons vanilla
* ½ cup sour cream
* 6 egg whites
Directions
Start by beating butter on high with the paddle attachment of your electric mixer. Once it turns to a pale color add the sugar and cream for 3 minutes. Add salt, baking powder, fresh ginger, and sour cream. Put ginger ale, milk, and vanilla into a separate bowl. Slowly add flour in parts of 4 alternating with liquid mixture. Once complete stir in chopped candied ginger. Beat egg whites until they have a stiff peak and fold into mixture.
Bake at 350F for approximately 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Whiskey Buttercream
1/4 cup unsalted, softened
1 tsp whiskey
1/2 tsp. vanilla
3/4 cup powdered sugar, sifted
Cream together butter, whiskey and vanilla. Add 1/2 the powdered sugar and mix until no lumps remain. Add remaining sugar and mix until smooth. You are probably gonna want to make two batches of the frosting at least
Friday, October 16, 2009
Monday, September 28, 2009
Fluffanutter Cupcakes
Made in honor of "What the Fluff" , which celebrates the invention of Marshmallow Fluff in Somerville, MA
Fluffanutter Cupcakes
1 3/4 c. all purpose flour
3/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. shortening
3/4 tsp. vanilla extract
2 lg. eggs
1 c. milk
1/2 c. peanut butter
1 tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c peanut butter chips
At least 2 hours before serving: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 24 (2 1/2") muffin pan cups. Measure all ingredients into large bowl. Mix at low speed until well blended. Increase speed to high heat 2 minutes. Spoon batter into cups. Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center of cupcake comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes. Remove from pans and cool completely. Frost when cool, chocolate frosting goes good on these. Makes 2 dozen cupcakes (well, almost)
Marshmallow Fluff Frosting
Ingredients
1/2 lb. of butter (no substitutes)
1 jars marshmallow creme
1 bag confectioners sugar (I used about half)
1 tsp. vanilla
Directions
Beat butter until creamy.
Add marshmallow fluff and incorporate into butter.
Slowly add confectioner's sugar and vanilla.
Continue beating until light and fluffy.
Fluffanutter Cupcakes
1 3/4 c. all purpose flour
3/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. shortening
3/4 tsp. vanilla extract
2 lg. eggs
1 c. milk
1/2 c. peanut butter
1 tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c peanut butter chips
At least 2 hours before serving: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 24 (2 1/2") muffin pan cups. Measure all ingredients into large bowl. Mix at low speed until well blended. Increase speed to high heat 2 minutes. Spoon batter into cups. Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center of cupcake comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes. Remove from pans and cool completely. Frost when cool, chocolate frosting goes good on these. Makes 2 dozen cupcakes (well, almost)
Marshmallow Fluff Frosting
Ingredients
1/2 lb. of butter (no substitutes)
1 jars marshmallow creme
1 bag confectioners sugar (I used about half)
1 tsp. vanilla
Directions
Beat butter until creamy.
Add marshmallow fluff and incorporate into butter.
Slowly add confectioner's sugar and vanilla.
Continue beating until light and fluffy.
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Hamburger Cupcakes
Take 1 vanilla cupcake, cut in half horizontally
make a circle of red frosting on the bottom
place a disk of brownie on top of the red frosting ring (either a brownie bite cut in half or make a bunch of small brownies or chocolate cakes by filling the bottom of a cupcake pan)
spread some yellow frosting on top of the brownie "patty" and some on the bottom of the top "bun"
Dye some coconut green (put in a sandwich bag and add some drops of green food coloring and smush around)
sprinkle the "lettuce" on top of the patty, then put the bun on top
I spread a thin layer of honey on the top of the cupcake to help stick the sesame seeds to the top
make a circle of red frosting on the bottom
place a disk of brownie on top of the red frosting ring (either a brownie bite cut in half or make a bunch of small brownies or chocolate cakes by filling the bottom of a cupcake pan)
spread some yellow frosting on top of the brownie "patty" and some on the bottom of the top "bun"
Dye some coconut green (put in a sandwich bag and add some drops of green food coloring and smush around)
sprinkle the "lettuce" on top of the patty, then put the bun on top
I spread a thin layer of honey on the top of the cupcake to help stick the sesame seeds to the top
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
My new obsession.....sorbet!
I got an ice cream maker, and I've been all about making sorbet. It's super easy.
I just made straberry-basil sorbet, starting with Jamie Oliver's recipe
2/3 cup (160 ml) water
2/3 cup (135 grams) granulated white sugar
5 cups or 2 pounds (1 kg) fresh or frozen unsweetened strawberries
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2/3 cup (135 grams) granulated white sugar
5 cups or 2 pounds (1 kg) fresh or frozen unsweetened strawberries
2 tablespoons lemon juice
You make a simple syrup out of the water and sugar over the stove. I added a bunch of basil when cooking it down. You puree the strawberries, add the lemon juice, then throw it all in the ice cream maker.
I also made a blackberry mint sorbet. Swap out the strawberries for blackberries, add mint to the simple syrup instead of basil, and follow the rest of the instructions.
I tried making a honey ice cream, but I need to get better at making the custard base.
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