Cupcake Fun

A few weeks ago a friend gave me Hello, Cupcake! by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson. I was thrilled. I had my eye on this book for months. So, I was ready and eager to create something fun and surprising with cupcakes posthaste. My daughter's birthday was on the horizon and seeing she loves pasta the spaghetti and meatballs cupcakes were the perfect choice.

The materials lists, instructions and photos for each cupcake in the book were very well written and easy to understand. The book has about 50 cupcake designs. They are divided into 6 chapters, such as animals and holidays. In addition, there is one chapter on technique and one chapter with recipes.

I do, however, have one sticking point and that is the suggestion to use ziplock bags for pastry bags. I have tried this in the past and they are just not strong enough, or I have a firm grip on these bags, which results in breakage. Breakage is not a good thing with colored frosting. I would stay with traditional reusable pastry bags or disposable ones. It is worth the extra costs.

All in all I love this book and the designs. It is fun and imaginative. After you try a few cupcake designs you may never look at Ferrero Rocher chocolate or caramel sauce the same way again.

Hello, Cupcake! by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson, paperback $15.95, 2008.

April Food Holidays

I just could not decide on a subject for April. There are so many things to try and taste. So, I finally decided to make it a weekend celebration - April 24 thru 26 is packed with food holidays.



April 24th is National Pigs in a Blanket Day

April 25th is National Zucchini Bread

April 26th is National Pretzel Day


I will develop and test recipes for the above holidays in the days ahead. I will post them soon.


Fast forward a few days. . . Here they are. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.


Pigs in a Blanket

I have to admit, I have never made Pigs in a Blanket. Of course, I have heard of them and even tasted them, but never made, until now. They are fairly simple, just make sure you allow ample room between each hot dog, and you will have perfectly cooked pigs in a blanket. Other popular variations of meat wrapped in dough are devils on horsebacks, wiener winks and kilted sausages.

1 refrigerated crescent dough
2 tablespoons mustard
4 slices of American cheese
1 package of 8 hot dogs

Preheat oven to 350. Open and roll out 8 crescent dough pieces. Flatten and stretch a little. Spread mustard on each piece of dough. Cut each slice of cheese in half diagonally and place over mustard. Place each hot dog on the bottom part of each dough and roll tightly. Press to seal. Place on cookie sheet. Leave at least 2 inches between each hot dog to insure proper cooking.
Bake for about 10 minutes or until golden.

Yield: 8


Zucchini Bread

What can I say about zucchini bread, love it or leave it, it is always moist, plentiful during the summer and, if you add enough extras, delicious.

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/2 tablespoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1 (8oz.) crushed pineapple
1/4 cup walnuts, chopped

Preheat oven to 350. Combine flour through salt in a large mixing bowl and set aside. Mix zucchini through walnuts in a medium bowl and stir until combine. Carefully add wet ingredients to dry. Stir until smooth. Pour into a greased loaf pan and bake for 50 to 60 minutes. Cool and remove from pan.

Yield: 1 loaf


Soft Pretzels

Most people associate pretzels with Germany but Italy may be the birthplace of the endearing pretzel. According to Bryan Bunch and Alexander Hellemans book The History of Science and Technology, in 610 A.D. an Italian monk baked strips of dough, which were folded to resemble arms crossing, as a reward to children who learn their prayers. They were called pretiola, in means little rewards in Italian.

1 (1/4 oz) package of dry yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 cup warm water
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
kosher salt

Preheat oven to 475. Put yeast, sugar, salt, butter and water in a medium mixing bowl. Stir until smooth. Let set for 5 minutes. Add flour. Knead dough on a floured surface until smooth. Place in a clean bowl and cover and let rise for 1 hour. After dough has risen, punch down and knead for 1 or 2 minutes. Divide into 12 pieces. Roll each piece into 12 inch long rolls and shape into pretzel. Place each pretzel onto cookie sheet. Dab a little water over each pretzel and sprinkle with salt. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown.

Yield: 12 pretzels

What's in a Club?

Recently, while sharing brunch with my niece and her mother, I was challenged with a food question. “What exactly is in a club sandwich?” My first response was bacon. Another thought that circulated was three slices of bread. So, being a personal chef, I had to probe farther.

My searching lead me first to the legendary birthplace of the club sandwich, which was The Saratoga Club-House in New York in 1894. It was made with toast, butter, mayonnaise, bacon, chicken and tomato. The first recipe published was in Good Housekeeping Everyday Cookbook by Isabel Gordon Curtis in 1903. The recipe calls for 2 toasted slices of bread, turkey or chicken, bacon, lettuce, tomato and mayo. And at the St. Louis World Fair in 1904, three restaurants featured club sandwiches.

As with many recipes, items are added and omitted to satisfy the taste of the region. Some clubs add sprouts, avocado and mustard. And both single and double layers can be found on menus across the land. My personal survey of recipes on the web and cookbooks lead me to one common theme – toast. Now, I am not saying any sandwich made with toast equates to a club but it does seem to be the one item that is constant with the club sandwich. And that leaves plenty of creativity to the chef, which is the joy of all chefs and sandwich connoisseurs.

Skinny-Dipping

Anyone care for a good dip? No, not the pool, it is February. I'm talking hearty creamy dips. But, if we are not careful, dips can be unforgiving when they are made with mayo, sour cream or cream cheese and accompanied by chips. There are scores of dips that are full of flavor and healthy too. I like to call them skinny dips.

Hummus, for example, is a super dip. It is an excellent source of protein, low in fat, high in fiber and an excellent source of folic acid. This popular food can trace its roots to the Middle East. It is made with chickpeas, tahini (sesame paste), oil, garlic and lemon juice. Others ingredients can be added to this classic recipe to enhance its flavor dimension.

Another great base for healthy dips are black beans. They too are high in fiber, low in fat and an excellent source of protein. Of course, these dips are only as healthy as their dippers. So, choose veggies to complete your skinny-dipping pleasure.


Classic Hummus
Smooth taste with just the right amount of lemon

1 15.5 oz can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons tahini
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 tablespoon lemon juice
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon salt

Place chickpeas in a food processor and process until smooth. Slowly and remaining ingredients and process until smooth.

Yield: 1 cup
tahini can be found in the International section in most supermarkets. It can be omitted if you cannot find it.


Black Bean Dip
Bold flavor combination

2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can of diced tomatoes
1 cup plain no-fat yogurt
2 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon salt

Place beans in a food processor and process until smooth. Add the remaining ingredients and process until smooth.

Yield: 2 cups

Cakes Cooked the Slow Way

If you were one of the lucky recipients of a slow cooker this holiday don’t walk but run to your pantry and cook a cake in this wondrous appliance.

Yes, I said cake. I am still forever thankful each time I slow cook meats and stews to tender perfection in one of my (now 3) slow cookers. But cake? So, I searched and came up with a gooey chocolate cake worth the almost 3 hours from start to finish. The slow cooking process produces a rich chocolate sauce beneath a brownie like cake. I think I have said enough. Dust off your slow cookers.






Slow Cooker Chocolate Mocha Cake
Deep rich chocolate cake with a gooey sauce

5 quart slow cooker and 1 1/2 quart souffle dish

1 cup flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
¾ cup sugar
¼ cup cocoa powder
½ cup milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
¼ cup vegetable oil
¾ cup brown sugar
¼ cup cocoa powder
1 cup hot coffee


Spray souffle dish with cooking spray and set aside. Combine the first 8 ingredients. Pour and spread batter evenly into souffle dish. Place dish in slow cooker pot on high setting. Mix cocoas and brown sugar and sprinkle over cake batter. Pour coffee over cake batter. Cover and cook for 2 1/2 hours. Let cool in cooker for 20 minutes. Carefully remove souffle dish. Serve warm with or without ice cream.

Whimsy Dessert

Holiday desserts seem to take center stage every year. I love to make and give show-stopping desserts but they can stop you in your tracks if your holiday list is long and winding.

Fear not because a trifle is just the thing. The word trifle comes from the French term ‘trufle’ which means something whimsical and of little consequence. Trifles are easy and the whimsy can be your inner creative foodie running amok. The basic ingredients are cake, fruit and cream. Have fun and put flavors together to create your own whimsical showpiece dessert this holiday.


Black Forest Trifle
layers of chocolate, cherries and whipped topping

This recipe is for a 5 inch trifle bowl.

2 boxes Brownie mix
1/4 cup cherry liqueur, if desired
2 21 oz. Cherry pie filling
2 8oz. frozen whipped topping, thawed

(you may have some brownies and whipped topping left over)

Prepare brownie mixes according to box. Cool and cut into bite size squares. Brush brownies with liqueur. Place half of the brownies at the bottom of a trifle bowl or large round clear bowl. Spread one can of pie filling over brownies. Spread 1 contain of whipped topping over pie filling. Place remaining brownies on whipped topping. Spread remaining pie filling and finish with whipped topping. Garnish with chocolate shavings.

Peanut Butter aka Nut Meal

Creamy, chunky, natural and chocolate are a few choices for peanut butter lovers. In the beginning, terms like peanut porridge, nut meal and nut butter where used to describe this very versatile and nutritious food we have come to know as peanut butter.

Peanut butter has come a long way. So, in honor of National Peanut Butter Lover’s Month I thought it would be nice to look back at peanut butter's humble beginnings. Here are a few notable dates and people linked to peanut butter aka nut meal.

1890 – George A. Bayle Jr. processed and packaged ground peanut paste as a nutritious protein substitute for people without teeth.

1895 – The Kellogg brothers’ patient the “Process of preparing nut meal”.

1899 – Almeeta Lambert published the first nut cookbook “The Complete Guide to Nut Cookery”.

1903 – Dr. George Washington Carver began peanut research. He developed more than 300 uses for peanuts.

1904 – C H Sumner introduced peanut butter to the world at the Universal Exposition in St. Louis.

1908 – Krema Products Co. began selling peanut butter. They are still in operation today in Columbus, OH.

1958 Jif is introduced and now operates the world’s largest peanut butter plant. They churn out 250,000 jars a day.

Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies
This peanut butter swirl looks and tastes wonderful with any brownie mix.

1 box brownie mix
1 8oz. cream cheese (softened)
½ cup confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
½ cup creamy peanut butter
2 tablespoons melted butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 9 x 9 pan with cooking spray and line with parchment paper. The parchment paper makes for an easy removal. Spray again over paper.

Prepare brownie mix according to package. Pour into prepared pan. In a small bowl mix cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, egg, peanut butter and melted butter until smooth. Drop dollops of peanut butter mixture onto the brownie batter. With the tip of a knife cut and twist peanut butter mixture through brownie mix until you create a swirled effect.

Bake for 30-35 minutes. Cool in pan for 20 minutes and gentle lift brownies out of their pan and cut into squares.

Yield: 9 large squares or 16 small squares