Magnolia Vanilla Buttercream

dessert

From http://www.recipelink.com/cookbooks/2005/0743246616_4.html

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
  • 6 to 8 cups confectioners’ sugar
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preparation:

Place the butter in a large mixing bowl. Add 4 cups of the sugar and then the milk and vanilla. On the medium speed of an electric mixer, beat until smooth and creamy, about 3-5 minutes. 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.

Makes enough for 24 cupcakes or a two layer cake.

Billy’s Vanilla Vanilla Cupcakes

dessert

From http://nataliecakes.wordpress.com/2007/06/21/billys-vanilla-vanilla-cupcakes/

Ingredients

  • 1 3/4 cups cake flour, not self-rising
  • 1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 2 tablespoons baking powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 325°. Line cupcake pans with paper liners; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine flours, sugar, baking powder, and salt; mix on low speed until combined. Add butter, mixing until just coated with flour.
2. In a large glass measuring cup, whisk together eggs, milk, and vanilla. With mixer on medium speed, add wet ingredients in 3 parts, scraping down sides of bowl before each addition; beat until ingredients are incorporated but do not overbeat.
3. Divide batter evenly among liners, filling about two-thirds full.
4. Bake, rotating pan halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 17 to 20 minutes.
5. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat process with remaining batter.

Martha Washington’s Great Cake

dessert

From Mount Vernon

Martha Washington’s Great Cake recipes results in the type of cake traditionally served for Twelfth Night (January 6, the last day of Christmas or Epiphany), which was the Washington’s wedding anniversary (they were married January 6, 1759). The original recipe was copied down by Martha Parke Custis, the second of Mrs. Washington’s four grandchildren.

Original Recipe:

“Take 40 eggs divide the white from the yolks & beat them to a froth then work 4 pounds of butter to a cream & put the whites of the eggs to it a Spoon full at a time till it is well work’d then put 4 pounds of sugar finely powdered to it in the same manners then put it in the Youlks[sic] of eggs & 5 pounds of flower [sic] & 5 pounds of fruit. 2 hours will bake it add to it half an ounce of mace & nutmeg half a pint of wine and some frensh [sic] brandy.”

Modern Adaptation:

Ingredients:

  • 10 eggs
  • 1 lb butter
  • 1 lb sugar
  • 1 1/4 pds (20 oz) flour
  • 1 1/4 pds (20 oz) assorted fruit & nuts
  • 2 1/2 tsp ground mace
  • 2 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 2 oz wine
  • 2 oz French brandy

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Separate egg whites from yolks and set yolks aside. Beat egg whites to a “soft peak.” Cream the butter. Slowly add the beaten egg whites, one spoonful at a time, to the butter. Slowly add the sugar, one spoonful at a time, to the egg whites and butter. Add egg yolks. Add flour, slowly. Add fruit. The following items are suggested based on what would have been available to Mrs. Washington, either fresh or dried. (Note: nuts would have been considered fruit)

  • 5 oz of pear (peeled, cored, and diced)
  • 3 1/2 oz of raisins
  • 9 1/2 oz of apple (peeled, cored, and diced)
  • 2 oz of sliced almonds

Add ground mace and nutmeg, wine, and brandy. Lightly grease and flour a 10-inch spring-form cake pan. Pour batter into pan and bake about 75 minutes. Allow cake to cool after baking.

Modern Adaptation of an 18th-Century Icing:

Beat 3 egg whites and 2 tbsp powdered sugar. Repeat additions of sugar until you have used 1 1/2 cups of powdered sugar. Add 1 tsp lemon peel grated and 2 tbsp orange-flower water. Beat until the icing is stiff enough to stay parted when a knife cuts through it. Smooth it onto the cake. Let it dry and harden in 200 degree oven for one hour. (Note: icing will be brittle when cut with a knife.)

Chocolate-Covered Bacon

dessert

From Whole Foods

Ingredients:

  • 6-8 slices thick-cut bacon
  • 12 oz. semisweet chocolate chops
  • 4 oz white chocolate, melted (optional for garnish)

Preparation:

1. Place the bacon on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake in the oven, until bacon is cooked to your liking.

2. Let bacon cool on parchment paper for 5 minutes, then transfer to a plate lined with paper towels.

3. Meanwhile, set up a double boiler. Heat a large saucepan filled with water over high heat until boiling. Reduce heat to a simmer.

4. Set a heat-proof bowl over the simmer water. Add the chocolate chips and stir with a fork until smooth and completely melted.

5. Cover another baking sheet with parchment paper.

6. Using tongs, carefully dip the bacon into the melted chocolate, turning to coat all sides in chocolate. Transfer to the clean sheet of waiting parchment paper. Repeat with remaining slices of bacon.

7. Drizzle with the white chocolate, if desired. Refrigerate until chocolate is hard.

WWII Oatmeal Molasses Cookies

dessert

From: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/WWII-Oatmeal-Molasses-Cookies/Detail.aspx

INGREDIENTS

* 2 cups all-purpose flour
* 2 cups oatmeal
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1 teaspoon baking powder
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 cup sugar
* 3/4 cup shortening
* 2 eggs, beaten
* 5 tablespoons light molasses
* 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
* 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
* 1/2 cup raisins (optional)

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DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, oatmeal, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
3. In another large bowl, beat the sugar with the shortening until smooth and creamy; mix in beaten eggs, molasses, and vanilla. Gradually mix in the dry ingredients. Stir in walnuts and raisins. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets.
4. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until slightly browned. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Mac & Cheese Cupcakes

bread, dessert

Muffins:

  • 1/3 cup shortening, plus some for pan
  • 1 tbsp salted butter
  • 1 cup corn kernels
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 2 tsp. baking powder
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 1 cup yellow corn meal
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 large egg, beaten

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease muffin cups.

In a medium-size skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add corn and cook occasionally, until corn is softened and some kernels are golden brown (about 5 mins). Remove from heat and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Stir in corn meal. Using pastry blender or fork, cut in shortening until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add milk, egg, and corn, stirring until just combined.

Fill muffin cups 2/3 full with batter. Bake 16-18 mins. Remove from pan and cool completely before frosting.

Cliffs Notes Version: Use a boxed corn muffin mix and add sauteed corn to it.

Frosting:

  • 1 box mac and cheese
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 8 oz cream cheese

Prepare pasta as directed on box. In a small saucepan over low heat, combine cheese powder, butter and milk. Stir until well blended. Remove from heat. In a small bowl, combine a few tablespoons of cheese mixture with 1/2 cup of the cooked and drained pasta.

In a medium bowl, beat together the remaining cheese mixture and cream cheese using an electric mixer until smooth.

Spread a dollop of cheese over each cooled muffin. Top with a few pieces of coated macaroni. Serve promptly.

Roast Paprika Chicken wif Sweet Onion

easy, main courses, winter

Ingredients

* 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
* 1 1/2 tablespoons paprika
* 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
* 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
* 1 whole chicken (about 3 1/2 pounds), cut into serving pieces
* 1 sweet onion, cut into 1/2-inch wedges

Preparation

Preheat oven to 500°F with rack in upper third.

Mix oil with spices, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl, then add chicken and onion, tossing to coat. Arrange chicken, skin side up, and onion in a 3-quart shallow baking dish.

Bake until chicken is just cooked through and skin is golden, about 30 minutes. Skim any fat from pan juices in dish.

Fish Amok

fish, main courses

Ingredients:

  • 1 pot of Amok powder
  • 500 gm fish
  • 600 gm coconut milk
  • 25g sugar
  • 2g sat
  • 1 egg
  • 30g fish/soy sauce
  • 20g garlic
  • 40g red garlic

Preparation:
In a bowl, stir the Amok Powder, sugar, salt, fish sauce, egg, and garlics, mixing thoroughly. Then add coconut milk and mix.

Put fish meat in mixture and let sit for 15 mins. Steam in a pot for 30 mins. Serve hot with rice.

Serves 4-6

Sausages With French Green Lentils

main courses

Sausage with lentils: A feast from France’s heartland

The Au P’tit Bistro is a smoke-filled, bare-bones cafe in the French village of Saint-Martin-Valmeroux, said David McAninch in Saveur. Here, in the mountainous Auvergne region, the food seems almost like “a pure, distilled culinary embodiment of Frenchness.” Dishes are prepared simply, the way they always have been, and every meal expresses the notion that it’s “downright righteous to eat and drink richly every day.”

Sausages with French green lentils is a classic regional specialty, usually prepared with saucisse d’Auvergne, a type of fresh pork sausage that’s hard to find in the United States. Sweet Italian sausages are a fine substitute. Simmering them in wine deepens their flavor and helps keep them moist.
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Short Ribs Braciole

main courses, taste unknown, winter

A ‘stick-to-your-ribs’ dish, Italian-style

Chef Andrew Carmellini confesses that, even after he became a professional chef, he never knew what braciole referred to. Then one day, while he was working at New York’s Café Boulud, a cook made it for a “family” meal, using his grandmother’s recipe—rolled-up flank steak with provolone cheese, prosciutto, and hard-boiled eggs, braised in tomato sauce.

Later, while traveling in Italy, Carmellini searched for braciole dishes and found only one—a version made with horse meat that was displayed in a butcher’s window in Puglia. In his new cookbook, Urban Italian (Bloomsbury), the chef-proprietor of New York’s A Voce admits that his version may be less than authentic. “But this dish is great in the depths of winter: real stick-to-your-ribs stuff, if you’ll excuse the pun.”
Continue reading Short Ribs Braciole →