Pumpkin Crunch

After a very long work day, I decided to bake pumpkin crunch because I needed something to take to work, and it's pretty easy. It's just time consuming. Everyone's been asking if this recipe is from Pinterest, but I've actually had this recipe for years. My mom sent to me when I first started cooking, and I like to make this every once in awhile. The butter and yellow cake mix is quite delicious.

 

Pumpkin Crunch

Prepare 9"x13" pan by lightly greasing then line with wax paper. Preheat oven to 350.

Pumpkin Mixture

3 large eggs, beaten

1 large can evaporated milk

1 lb. can of pumpkin

1 C sugar

1 t cinnamon

1/4 to 1/2 t ground ginger

1/4 t nutmeg

Combine all pumpkin mixture ingredients in a large bowl. Mix well and pour into prepared pan.

Crunch

1 box cake mix (yellow, white or lemon) *I use yellow*

1 C nuts (almond, walnut, pecan or macadamia)

2 blocks butter, melted

Gently spoon dry cake mix onto pumpkin mixture. Sprinkle nuts evenly. Spoon on melted butter. *You want the melted butter everywhere*

Bake for 50 minutes. When done, put on rack to cool for two hours, turn upside down onto serving tray.

*I like it and serve it like this, but you can also add a cream cheese topping, which is below.*

Topping

1 8-oz. carton cream cheese, softened

3/4 C powdered sugar

1 small container cool whip

Mix softened cream cheese with powdered sugar and cool whip until blended.

The Cupcake Project

Last week I had to apologize to a friend for my last minute RSVP change; from +1 to just 1 because the B had to go out of town for work at the last minute. My friend "suggested" I bring red velvet cupcakes in place of the B. I took the "suggestion" as a "request" and since the occasion was an engagement party, I went an extra mile.

 The extra mile involved packaging the cupcakes individually and making little "J²" flags.

I figured out how to individually package the cupcakes thanks to Pinterest and this blog.

And, I turned to a co-worker for help with the flags.  She has graphic design experience and helped me out.

The plastic cups are of the 9-ounce, clear plastic variety, and the bags came from Jo-Ann. Packaging was quite easy...as long as you don't overfill your cupcake cups (something I tend to do), and you don't frost your entire cupcake.

Dark Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting (again)

These are some rich cupcakes.  They are a bit much for me, so I don't usually eat them; I just bake them for others.  Although, now that I think about it, I bet they go really well with a strong cup of black coffee. 


The cupcake recipe makes two dozen cupcakes, while the frosting makes about three cups.  I always forget that it's not quite enough frosting to do just one batch!  Or maybe I'm just heavy-handed with the frosting?  I can't help it,  it's good stuff!

Enjoy the recipe, it's an easy one, and I think the frosting is the best part!

Dark Chocolate Cupcakes 
from America's Test Kitchen

16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 16 pieces
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup sour cream

•  Microwave the butter, chocolate, and cocoa powder together, whisking often, until melted and smooth, about one to three minutes.  Let cool until just warm to the touch.
• Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees.  Line two muffin pans with cupcake liners.  Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl.
• Whisk the eggs and vanilla together in a large bowl.  Slowly whisk the sugar until combined.  Whisk in the chocolate mixture.
• Sift 1/3 of the flour mixture over the batter, then whisk.  Whisk in the sour cream.  Sift the remaining flour mixture over the batter and whisk completely.  The batter will be thick!
• fill the cupcake liners about 2/3 full.  Bake about 18 to 22 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with a few crumbs attached.  Rotate the pans halfway through baking.
• Let the cupcakes cool in the pans for five minutes.  Remove from the pans and let cool completely before frosting.

Peanut Butter Frosting
from America's Test Kitchen

2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar
1 cup creamy peanut butter (do not use old-fashioned or natural peanut butter)

Stir the cream, vanilla, and salt together until the salt dissolves.  Beat the butter with an electric mixer on medium-high until smooth, about 30 to 60 seconds.  Reduce the speed to medium-low, slowly add the confectioner's sugar and beat until smooth, about two to five minutes.  Beat in the cream mixture.  Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until the mixture is light and fluffy, about four to eight minutes.  Beat one cup creamy peanut butter and sugar mixture.

To Finish Cupcakes
Frost cupcakes.  Cut Reese's Peanut Butter Cups Miniatures in half and top frosted cupcakes.

Artichoke Bites

These yummy things are supposed to be an appetizer I think, but we have been eating them for breakfast. Did I mention they are super easy to make?

I do have some modifications on this one (mainly because I am lazy about fresh herbs). The recipe calls for one slice of whole wheat bread, but since someone is trying to minimize the carbs, I leave them out, and it still tastes good. However, I have made these before with the whole wheat bread, and as a lover of all-things-carbs, I would probably rather include them. I also use dried parsley because I never have the fresh stuff on hand, but I have a Costco-size container of the former. Finally, instead of chopped garlic, I used the pre-minced stuff. Yes, I am lazy!!!

Artichoke Bites
adapted from Food Network Kitchens

Ingredients
1 slice whole wheat bread, crusts removed
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1 (6-ounce) jar oil-marinated artichoke hearts, drained, rinsed, and chopped
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan (about 1 1/4 ounce)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
3 large eggs

Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly butter or spray a 6-cup nonstick muffin tin.

Toast the bread slice until crisp. Cool and cut the toast into small pieces into a medium-size bowl and add the oregano, artichoke hearts, cheese, and parsley.

Heat the oil in a small skillet over medium heat, add the onion, garlic, salt, and red pepper flakes, and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir into the artichoke mixture.

Lightly beat the eggs in a small bowl until foamy, stir into the artichoke mixture; spoon a 1/4 cup of the mixture into each of the muffin cups. Cook until lightly puffed, golden, and just set in the center, about 17 to 20 minutes. Let cool on a rack for about 5 minutes, then remove the artichoke bites from the pan and serve warm.

Red Velvet Cupcakes for Valentine's Day

Oh my goodness, it is practically March, and this is my first post for the year! Honestly, I have not been doing a whole lot of baking or crafting lately. Shocking, I know. I won't get into the details, and instead will share the yummy red velvet cupcake recipe I found for Valentine's Day.

This is the second red velvet recipe I have tried. The first came from Martha Stewart's Cupcakes book. While it was decent and makes a more rust-colored cupcake, it was not nearly as good at the one I found on the Grin and Bake it Blog...and of course it's an ATK recipe! The frosting came from allrecipes.com.

I got some very nice reviews after this batch (I got two dozen out of this). Hope you do too!

By the way, the photos are by Ms. P. Thank you, Ms. P. for making my cupcakes look so pretty.



Red Velvet Cupcakes
from the Grin and Bake It Blog

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
Pinch salt
1 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons natural, unsweetened cocoa powder
2-4 tablespoons liquid red food coloring*
1 1/2 cups sugar

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position, and preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together. Whisk the buttermilk, vinegar, vanilla, and eggs together. Mix the cocoa and food coloring to make a paste*.

With an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar on medium-high until light and fluffy, about three minutes. Scrape down the bowl as necessary. Add 1/2 of the flour mixture and beat on low until combined, about 30 seconds.

Add 1/2 the buttermilk mixture and beat on low until combined, about 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Repeat, ending with the buttermilk mixture. Add the cocoa powder-food coloring mixture, and mix on medium until completely incorporated, about 30 seconds. Using a rubber spatula, give the batter a final stir.

Divide the batter evenly into cupcake pans. Bake about 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the centers come out clean, about 20 minutes. Remove the oven, and cool completely before frosting.

*Instead of regular food coloring, I used Wilton's red food coloring gel. You need only about 1/2 teaspoon to get a dark red color. I also tried to mix it with the cocoa powder, but the gel is quite thick, and you can just add it in when you are using the hand-mixer.


Cream Cheese Frosting
from allrecipes.com
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a medium bowl, cream together the cream cheese and butter until creamy. Mix in the vanilla, then gradually stir in the confectioners' sugar. Store in the refrigerator after use.

The Last Round of Cupcakes in 2011

I baked way too many cupcakes during the month of December and am totally over it for a little while. The last batches are pictured below. Sorry, no recipes today because it is New Year's Eve and we are in the midst of cooking and cleaning! Peace out 2011, and see you all in 2012.


Red velvet with cream cheese frosting.



Mini dark chocolate cupcakes filled with salted caramel and topped with a dark chocolate frosting.



Dark chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter frosting.

Banana Cupcakes and Honey Cupcakes

When I made the dark chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter frosting, the peanut butter frosting was well-received and a couple of people asked me what other cupcakes might go well with the frosting. I thought about it, and finally settled on a honey cupcake and a banana cupcake. Full disclosure, I love peanut butter toast with honey, and I usually only like bananas with peanut butter.

Today was someone's birthday at work, and since I signed up to make cupcakes, this was the perfect time to experiment. This person at work also happens to be one of the people who really enjoyed the peanut butter frosting.

The honey cupcake recipe came from the Half Baked - The Cake Blog, and the banana cupcake is from Martha Stewart's Cupcakes book. I used the ATK peanut butter frosting recipe. However, since I was worried about the banana cupcakes with the peanut butter recipe, I also made Martha's honey and cinnamon frosting.

They turned out pretty good, and everyone at worked really liked them. Phew! It was quite a long afternoon in the kitchen, and I was very worried about how they would be received.


Roasted Banana Cupcakes With Honey and Cinnamon Frosting
From Martha Stewart's Cupcakes
Makes 16 cupcakes

Ingredients
3 ripe bananas, plus 1 to 2 more for garnish
2 cups cake flour, sifted
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
3 large eggs, separated
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line muffin tins with paper liners. Place 3 whole, unpeeled banans on a baking sheet and roast 15 minutes (the peels get dark). Sift together cake flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Remove bananas from oven and let cools before peeling. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees.

With an electric mixture on medium-high, cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add eggs yolks, one at a time, beating until each incorporated. Add roasted bananas, and beat to combine. Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of sour cream, and beating until just combined after each. Beat in vanilla.

In another mixing bowl, with electric mixer on medium, whisk egg whites to soft peaks. Fold one-third whites into batter to lighten, and gently fold in remaining egg whites in two batches.

Divide batter evenly among lined cups. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool.

Honey-Cinnamon Frosting
2 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar, sifted
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 tablespoons honey
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

With electric mixer on medium, beat all ingredients until smooth. Use immediately, or refrigerate up to five days in airtight container.



Honey Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting
From Lauren Kapeluck on the Half Baked - The Cake Blog
Makes 12 cupcakes

Ingredients
1 stick of unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin tins with

Combine flour, baking powder, and salt.

Combine buttermilk, honey, and vanilla.

Cream butter and sugar together with an electric mixer.

Add eggs, one at a time, and beat well.

Add wet and dry ingredients, starting and ending with dry ingredients.

Bake 18 to 20 minutes. Let cupcakes cool for five minutes before removing from tins and placing them on a wire rack to cool.

Peanut Butter Frosting
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 sticks, unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar
1 cup creamy butter (not old-fashioned or natural)

Stir the cream, vanilla, and salt together until the salt dissolves. Beat the butter with an electric mixer on medium-high until smooth, about 30 to 60 seconds. Reduce the speed to medium-low, slowly add the confectioner's sugar, and beat until smooth, two to five minutes. Beat in the cream mixture. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, about four to eight minutes. Beat one cup creamy peanut butter.

Dark Chocolate Cupcake with Peanut Butter Frosting

This was my first attempt to bake cupcakes from scratch. The recipes for the dark chocolate cupcakes and the peanut butter frosting are from America's Test Kitchen, and of course the cupcakes needed one cup of Dutch Processed Cocoa Powder. I figured I should not try and substitute this time. Thus began a ridiculous search for the stuff.

If you live in Southern California like I do, I would like to save you some time in your search for Dutch Processed Cocoa Powder. Go to Gelson's, the only grocery store I found that carried it. It was not to be found at Williams-Sonoma (where I had a disappointing retail experience), Sur la Table, or any regular grocery store. I have been told that it can be found at Penzeys, but that was too far for me on this particular night.

This is a very chocolatey cupcake, and I especially liked the frosting. Hopefully my guinea pigs enjoyed them!

Rosemary Bread Rolls

Peeta Melark never has to worry about competition from me as a bread baker. Yesterday I posted about my jalapeno cheese "rolls" and so you know those were not my best looking work. I wanted to try and make actual rolls, so I decided to make ATK's rustic bread recipe, and added fresh rosemary.

These bread rolls were a lot better looking, and were pretty tasty. I think they would have been better served warm, but I took them to work for a birthday potluck. Turns out, they go really well with olive oil and vinegar.

Rosemary Bread Rolls
adapted from America's Test Kitchen's Rustic White Bread

2 cups bread flour*
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 envelope (2 1/4 teaspoons) rapid-rise yeast
2 teaspoons salt
1 3/4 cups water, warm
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary

Pulse the bread flour, 2 cups of all-purpose flour, yeast, and salt in a food processor to combine. While the processor is running, add the water and honey and process until a rough ball forms, about 30 to 40 seconds. Let the dough rest for 15 minutes, then process for 30 more seconds. Turn the dough out onto a clean counter and knead by hand to form a smooth, round ball, about five minutes, adding the remaining 1/4 cup of flour as needed to prevent sticking. Add the rosemary, little by little, during this time. Transfer to a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise until nearly doubled in size and springs back slowly when indented with a finger, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Pinch the dough down, and pinch off small portions (about 1/3 cup), roll into balls. Arrange on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover loosely with a lightly oiled piece of plastic wrap and let rise again until touching, about 45 to 60 minutes.

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray the rolls with water before putting in the oven; spray again every minute for the first 3 minutes. Bake until rolls are brown and cooked through, about 40 minutes.

*I used unbleached bread flour because I had it on-hand.

German Chocolate Brownies

A former co-worker and friend visited last week, and she loves food, so I made her my guinea pig for German Chocolate Brownies. Big surprise, it's another ATK recipe. Basically, you make brownies, and right when they come out of the oven, you sprinkle 6 ounces of butterscotch chips over them and let them soften. Then you smooth the chips evenly over the top of the brownies, and sprinkle half a cup of toasted coconut. The steps are the same as the fudge brownies I posted yesterday, but the chocolate-butter mixture consists of 8 tablespoons of unsalted butter and 3 ounces of unsweetened chocolate. You bake the brownies for 22 to 27 minutes at 350 degrees.

This is a very sweet brownie recipe, but something a little bit different. I have to try to toast the coconut more evenly next time, but I was concerned that it would burn, hence the uneven color.

Now, about that song challenge...

Day 09 - a Song That You Can Dance to
Admittedly, I'm a pretty pathetic dancer as I am too self-conscious, but one that always makes me feel like dancing is Beyonce's Single Ladies. I blame it on Glee.

Superfudgebrownie

London is burning and equities are sinking. There's a lot of fear and panic out there, but I have to tell you about these "ultimate fudgy brownies" from America's Test Kitchen. This brownie recipe uses two types of chocolate, in addition to cocoa powder, so if you are one of those chocolate-loving people, I think you will like it. I made it for a couple of friends, and I think they liked it...I'm not a chocolate expert in any way whatsoever, so I couldn't tell you if this is good or not.

The one thing is that you have to use Dutch-processed cocoa powder. This is hard stuff to find unless you want to pay $15 at Williams-Sonoma. I went to five different stores before I gave up and used a "substitute." Actually, I added 1/8 teaspoon of baking soda to natural cocoa powder. Of course, the next day I found the $15 can from Williams-Sonoma.

Superfudgebrownie
adapted from America's Test Kitchen

5 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
3 tablespoons Dutch-processed cocoa powder (or 3 T natural, cococa powder + 1/8 t baking soda)
1 1/4 cups sugar
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup all-purpose flour

1. Put the oven rack in the middle position and heat the oven to 350.

2. Melt the chocolates, butter, and cocoa in the microwave, stirring often, 1 to 3 minutes. Let the mixture cool a little.

3. Whisk the sugar, eggs, vanilla, and salt together until combined. Whisk in the melted chocolate mixture until smooth. Stir in the flour until no streaks remain.

4. Scrape the batter into an 8x8 pan and smooth. Bake about 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with just a few crumbs.

5. Let cool completely on a wire rack, about two hours.

*The cookbook recommends that you line the pan with foil so that you can easily lift the baked brownie out. Basically, you fold foil to fit into the pan so that you have some left over on both sides. Then you fold another piece of foil to fit into the pan so that there is left over foil on the other sides. Lightly coat with vegetable oil spray.

I haven't forgotten about the song thing!

Day 08 - a Song That You Know All the Words to
This Land is Your Land

Granola and Another Song

It has been about six months, and I am finally reunited swith my cooking stuff! The first thing I made was granola. This granola is not good for you. At all. But it is tasty, so who can help themselves? If you like sweet granola, I recommend that you be heavy handed with the honey and coconut.

Granola

1 cup quick cooking oats
1/2 cup shredded, sweetened coconut
1/2 cup slivered almonds
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons good honey

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and toss to combine. Place on a sheet pan and bake for about 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Shake the pan every so often. Let the granola cool, and stir once.

Now for the song. Oops, I am only on Day 06.

Day 06 - a Song That Reminds You of Somewhere
Home in the Islands by The Brothers Cazimero

Happy Birthday Dad!

Happy birthday to my Dad! Hope you get to eat that yummy, yummy lemon crunch cake from Diamond Head Market & Grill.

Near Focaccia Disaster

I would have taken a picture of the focaccia I made tonight, but I'm too irritated with the results. Three hours of kitchen time on a work night, and I seriously thought about tossing the bread and pan in the trash.

The recipe came from the America's Test Kitchen cookbook, and it involved using a russet potato and making the dough from scratch. The dough was quite sticky and a little difficult to work with, but everything smelled right while it was in the oven. Then I pulled it out of the oven after 20 minutes of baking time.

It was stuck to the pan.

Well, not all of it was stuck, but certainly the sides and edges were. The middle part was fine, and so I realize that either I should use a smaller baking pan or take it out earlier.

Turns out that it tasted good, so a complete and total disaster was averted.

Happy Birthday

Today is Seth's birthday! Two or three years ago I decided to start making him breakfast on his birthday (I am not a morning person, so breakfast in this house is an every-man-for-himself kind of meal). So far he has had muffins and pancakes, but I decided to make something a little more involved this year because we were not going to be having birthday dinner together. This year's birthday breakfast was sticky buns.

And what a baking adventure it was. First, I had to warm buttermilk in order to get the dough to properly, and this required the use of an instant-read thermometer. This happens to be a cooking tool I do not have. Nor have I ever warmed buttermilk on the stove. It was a little weird because the buttermilk started to separate and I had no idea if things were going right. Still, I plodded along.

Then I realized the dough had to rise for two to two and one-half hours. It was already after 9:30 p.m.

Before I knew it, the clock was closing in on 1:00 a.m. I have never rolled dough before, and it was a little difficult. I also used too much flour on the counter, so it was tough to pinch the rolled dough closed.

I woke up at 6:00 a.m. to take the unbaked dough out of the fridge and let it rise. Unfortunately, I did not follow my instinct and warm the oven at 200 degrees for 10 minutes so that the dough could properly rise. Let's just say I waited for an hour before finally realizing that I should have used the warm oven technique.

In the end, they came out pretty tasty, but the pecan topping was a little hard to eat after the buns cooled down. Frustrating time in the kitchen, but good practice. And I learned my lesson. Complicated birthday baking should only be done on the weekends. Otherwise it's muffins or pancakes for birthday breakfast!