Mini Orange Creamsicle Tarts

When I mentioned on Monday that I had a second orange treat to share this week, I hadn't planned to wait until Friday to get this post up, but that's what wound up happening.  These mini orange creamsicle tarts were worth the wait though, I promise!  If you loved orange creamsicles as a kid, think of these tarts as the grown-up version of that dessert.  The tarts are fun, they're nostaligic and most importantly, they're insanely delicious.  As you glance down the ingredient list you'll see that the filling contains both freshly squeezed orange juice and orange cream soda.  Don't fear the orange cream soda - I didn't like it as a kid and I took a swig before making this recipe to confirm I still don't like it, but I'm certain that the unique combination of the soda and the fresh orange juice is one of the big reasons the filling really does taste just like eating a creamsicle.  There's enough fresh orange and lemon zest and juice to give the filling great citrus flavor and keep it from becoming overly sweet despite the presence of the soda.  It's basically a really rich and luscious orange curd; I've never had to work so hard (even with my favorite lemon curd) to restrain myself from sneaking one spoonful after another from the fridge :)



I prefer minis over full-size tarts, but you could make this recipe in a 9-inch tart pan if you wanted.  The filling sets up perfectly so it's easy to cut beautiful slices of the tart.  This recipe is simple, but there are multiple components and quite a few of them require rest/refrigeration periods so you'll want to read through the entire recipe and plan accordingly before you get started.  Also, a note of warning - this is one of those dirties every bowl in your kitchen recipes.  I recommend grabbing someone to help with the dishes, then sharing a tart afterward!   

Mini Orange Creamsicle Tarts
adapted just slightly from Baked Explorations by Matt Lewis & Renato Poliafito

Filling
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 1/4 teaspoons gelatin
2 tablespoons lemon zest
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 1 large lemon)
3 tablespoons orange zest
1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (about 3 large oranges)
1 cup orange cream soda
3 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
3/4 cup sugar

Orange Tart Dough
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons orange zest
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Orange Whipped Cream
1 cup very cold heavy cream
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons orange cream soda

To make the filling:  Put the butter in a large heatproof bowl and set aside.  Add the lemon juice to a wide bowl.  Sprinkle the gelatin evenly over the juice and set aside. 

Combine the orange juice and orange cream soda in a medium saucepan.  Bring to a boil and cook until reduced by half so you have 1 cup of liquid left.

Whisk the lemon zest, orange zest, eggs and yolks, and sugar together in a medium bowl.  Add to the saucepan with the orange juice/soda mixture and cook over medium-low, stirring constantly, until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon (it will reach about 180 F on a thermometer).  Take the pan off of the heat and add the gelatin mixture, whisking to combine.  Set a fine mesh strainer over the bowl containing the butter, and strain the curd into that bowl.  Whisk vigorously to melt and incorporate the butter, and increase the volume of the mixture slightly.  Press a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the curd and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

To make the tart dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, rub the orange zest and sugar together with your fingertips until moist and fragrant.  Add the butter and salt to the mixer and beat on medium until light and fluffy.  Beat in the egg.  Add the flour and mix just until the dough comes together.  Shape the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Divide the dough into 4 or 5 equal pieces, and one at a time, roll them into circles just slightly larger than the size of your tart pans.  I was using 4.5-inch pans so I rolled mine to about 5.5 inches.  Gently ease the dough into the tart pans, taking care not to stretch or pull it.  Press into the edges and up the sides then trim off the excess.  Repeat for each tart pan.  Place the tarts in the freezer for about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375 F.  Line each of the tart pans with a small piece of aluminum foil and fill about 3/4-full with pie weights or rice.  Bake for about 7-8 minutes, or until the edges look dry, then remove the pie weights and foil and bake for another 4 minutes, or until the bottom of the shell looks dry.  Remove the tart pans to a wire rack to cool.

To assemble the tart: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the filling on high for about 5 minutes.  Fill the tart shells with the curd then transfer them to the refrigerator for about an hour to set.

To make the orange whipped cream: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the cream briefly, until soft peaks form.  Sprinkle the sugar and orange cream soda into the bowl and continue beating until stiff peaks form.  Lift the tarts out of the pan by pressing up on the bottom.  Top the mini tarts with the the whipped cream and serve.

Triple Threat Chocolate Cookies

Today Shane and I are celebrating four years of marriage - yay!  We were reminiscing last night about the day, remembering all the little details that made it so much fun.  Among my favorites?  The cakes, of course!  (I shared them last year if you're curious.)  As our anniversary approached, I racked my brain trying to decide what kind of cake I should make to celebrate this year.  Originally I thought I'd use my 6-inch cake pans to make us a mini layer cake, but in the end decided it would probably still be too much food for two of us.  Instead, I turned to Plan B - cookies.  Shane loves cookies, and I already had a few recipes in mind that I'd been wanting to make for him, so it was an easy decision.     



As I've mentioned a few times, Shane's absolute favorite cookies are the chocolate crinkles.  I've tried a ton of chocolate cookie recipes over the years trying to find one that can compete with the crinkles, and took this opportunity to test another.  These triple threat chocolate cookies from The Pastry Queen cookbook looked like a worthy contender - they're packed with chocolate (8 oz of bittersweet, 3 oz of unsweetened & a whole bunch of chocolate chips) and contain only a small amount of flour.  As a result, they're really dense and rich with tons of chocolate flavor.  They almost reminded me of fudge, and while I found them too rich (I almost always do with chocolate cookies), Shane was a big fan.  They didn't overtake the crinkles, but I'm beginning to think it may simply be impossible for any cookie to do so.



I also baked Shane the Oreo stuffed chocolate chip cookies that have been making the rounds in the blog world over the past few months.  If you haven't seen them, the idea is simple - take homemade chocolate chip cookie dough and use it to completely enclose an Oreo cookie then bake.  It takes quite a bit of cookie dough to cover the Oreo, so these cookies are huge!  I found a package of unopened holiday Oreos in the pantry (no worries, the best by date is late April...) so that accounts for the red filling in my Oreos, if you were wondering.  We enjoyed these mostly for the novelty factor.  That's not to say they weren't tasty, we just didn't think they were decidedly better than the sum of their parts.  Shane is going to take some of them to work, so I'll be curious to hear how they go over there.  If you want to give them a try, you can find the recipe here.



We don't always exchange gifts for our anniversary but we decided to do them this year.  A few weeks ago Shane mentioned to me that the traditional gift for the 4th anniversary is an appliance (to be clear, even though we always check what the "traditional" gift is, we rarely pay much attention).  Shane saw an opening here though - since I love being in the kitchen so much, appliance is actually a pretty cool category.  I was beyond thrilled to open my gift last night (yes, we cheated & opened a day early) and find this beauty, which I've been lusting over for many, many months :)



Triple Threat Chocolate Cookies
from The Pastry Queen by Rebecca Rather

1 cup chopped pecans (I omitted)
1 cup chopped walnuts (I omitted)
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
8 oz bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
3 oz unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
3 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Spread the nuts in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and toast for 7-9 minutes, or until golden and fragrant.  Cool completely.

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Add the butter, bittersweet chocolate and unsweetened chocolate to a small saucepan and set over low heat. Cook, stirring often, until completely melted and smooth. Remove the pan from the heat to cool.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and sugar together until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the vanilla and chocolate mixture; whisk vigorously until the dough is thick and glossy, about 2 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the flour, baking powder and salt, mixing only until just incorporated. The batter will be quite thick. Finally, stir in the cooled nuts and chocolate chips. Set the dough aside and let rest for 20 minutes.

Use a small cookie scoop to drop the dough onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches of space between the cookies. With barely wet fingertips. flatten the mounds slightly. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the tops of the cookies crack and look glossy. Transfer the baking sheets to wire racks, and let the cookies cool for 5-10 minutes before removing them to the racks to cool completely.

Makes about 4 dozen

Swiss Chard, Sweet Potato & Feta Tart

I wouldn't be terribly surprised if you guys were under the impression that I never eat vegetables.  I know I don't blog about them very often, but it's not because I'm not cooking them.  It's just that most of the time the things I'm eating aren't very blog worthy.  Roasting is my go-to preparation for veggies; I'll roast just about anything - asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, squash, parsnips, beets, etc.  I love the simplicity, and the way the vegetables caramelize in the oven.  I just don't feel compelled to blog about them when there are so many other things to share!  So, rest assured, I don't exist purely on chocolate and cake, even if it seems that way sometimes :)          



Brace yourselves, though, because today is all about vegetables.  I came across this tart as I was flipping through a recent issue of Fine Cooking, and the combination of sweet potatoes, chard, red onions and feta sounded too good to pass up.  The onions are caramelized and glazed with balsamic vinegar, the sweet potatoes are simply roasted, and the chard is cooked just until wilted then also glazed with balsamic vinegar.  The filling is bright and fresh, just a touch sweet and complemented perfectly by the slightly salty feta.  It's hearty too - one slice of this tart was a really satisfying lunch for me.     



I spread the preparation of the tart out over the course of an afternoon to make it less overwhelming because there are quite a few steps.  I also baked the tart crust using the teff flour suggested by the recipe.  I'd never used it before, but I found a bag at Whole Foods and figured I'd give it a try.  I loved the nutty flavor and darker color it imparted to the crust so I'm glad did!  That said, if you didn't want to buy the teff flour, I don't see any reason you couldn't just substitute whole wheat flour in its place.  I will caution that I had a bit of trouble rolling out the crust - there was definitely a lot of patching involved.  I may try pressing it into the pan next time instead of rolling. 



As written, this recipe makes an 11-inch tart, but I halved it and used an 8-inch pan.  Aside from that change, I made the recipe exactly as written so I'm just going to link to it on Fine Cooking's site here.

Maple Syrup Breakfast Scones with Cappuccino Glaze

When I buy a cookbook and flip through it for the first time, it's almost a guarantee that I will flag any recipes utilizing maple syrup.  I absolutely love that stuff.  The only thing that stops me from baking with it more often is its relatively high cost.  Needless to say, I've got a long list of maple-inspired recipes to try, and getting through them will take some time.  The oatmeal maple scones from Joanne Chang's Flour have been sitting atop the list for a few months now, and after they received rave reviews from my friend Di the other day, I was all set to finally make them.

Before I got a chance, though, I came upon a similar recipe in another cookbook and I as read through the intro the authors mentioned that their recipe was inspired by and based upon Joanne Chang's oatmeal maple scones recipe.  I suppose I could have baked both recipes and done a side-by-side comparison, but since I already had it on good word that the Flour scones were delicious, I decided to make only the adapted recipe this time.  Not that I'm forgetting about the original...I'll get to those eventually too!



I'll just cut to the chase - I loved these scones!  They're sweetened only with maple syrup and while they have nice maple flavor, they're not overly sweet so you won't feel like you're eating dessert for breakfast.  Diced cream cheese is added to the scone dough, and the pieces remain visible even after baking, giving the scones little pockets of creamy richness.  Even though I'm not a coffee drinker, I enjoyed the cappuccino glaze too.  Often I find scone dough overly dry and crumbly, which makes it a big pain to shape and cut the scones, but that wasn't a problem here.  The unbaked scone wedges are fairly small, and though they rise nicely in the oven, they're probably still smaller than most of the scones I've baked in the past.  Which of course means it's completely justifiable to have 2 for breakfast :)

Maple Syrup Breakfast Scones with Cappuccino Glaze
from The Sweeter Side of Amy's Bread by Amy Scherber & Toy Kim Dupree

1 3/4 cups (260 g) all-purpose flour
1 1/8 cups (100 g) old-fashioned oats
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) plus 1 tablespoon (130 g) very cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 cup very cold cream cheese (130 g), cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2/3 cup (75 g) pecans, coarsely chopped (I omitted)
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon milk (I used 1%)
1 large egg (plus 1 egg for eggwash)

Glaze
1/2 teaspoon instant coffee
1/2 teaspoon water
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of kosher salt
1 tablespoon half and half
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted

Preheat oven to 400 F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Add the flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda and salt to the bowl of your food processor.  Pulse a few times to combine.  Add the diced butter and process until the mixture looks like coarse meal, about 10-15 seconds.  Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and add the diced cream cheese and pecans (if using), mixing to distribute them evenly.

In a measuring cup, use a fork to beat the maple syrup, milk and the egg until combined.  Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients.  Use a fork to mix the wet and dry together until the dough starts to come together - don't overmix.  Flour your hands and gather the dough then divide it into 2 equal pieces.  On a lightly floured work surface, gently shape each half of the dough into a disk that is about 1 1/4 inches tall - you don't want to compress the dough too much.  Cut each disk into 6 wedges (they will be small) and transfer them to the prepared baking sheet.  Whisk the second egg plus 1 teaspoon of water in a small bowl.  Brush the egg wash generously on the tops of the scones.

Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until golden brown and firm on top.  Transfer the scones to a wire rack to cool.

Meanwhile, make the glaze.  Combine the instant coffee, water, vanilla and salt in a small bowl.  Stir to dissolve the coffee.  Whisk in the half and half and the the confectioners' sugar until the glaze is completely smooth.  Drizzle the glaze over the cooled scones.

Makes 12 small scones

Chocolate Glazed Mini Orange Bundt Cakes

I have been more than a little obsessed with citrus the past few months.  It started with lemons - I bought a giant bag of them and couldn't stop baking.  When I wasn't baking with them, I was burning my favorite lemon zest candle so the house was filled with the aroma anyway.  In the past few weeks I've moved on to oranges.  We're sort of in that weird in-between phase here in the Northeast with respect to produce.  The calendar tells me it's spring but it'll be a few more weeks until I can find my favorite spring produce in the stores or at farmer's markets.  I am dying to get my hands on some gorgeous asparagus - it's one of my favorite veggies, but its season is oh so short!  Until then, I'm all about oranges.  I went a little crazy flagging recipes so this is the first of two I'm planning to share this week.    



I had every intention of making this recipe as written, really I did, but my baking mojo just wasn't with me.  It probably didn't help that I was diverting at least 50% of my attention to the March Madness games either :)  The cake is supposed to be studded with chocolate chunks, but I forgot to add them and didn't realize until I'd already spooned the batter into the pan.  At that point I just said "to heck with it," figuring I'd get the same flavor profile as long as I added the glaze.  I didn't even notice I'd made a more egregious error until I was typing up the recipe for this post.  Two eggs?  Hmmm, that can't be right, I know I only used one.  After double checking the recipe, I confirmed I'd only used half the eggs called for - ooops!  I guess it's a testament to the forgiving nature of this cake that it still turned out well for me.

I've never been much for the chocolate/orange combination, but these little bundts made me a believer.  The cake is packed with orange flavor, thanks to the combination of orange zest and freshly squeezed orange juice in the batter as well as an orange sugar syrup spooned over the warm cakes after baking.  I thought the chocolate glaze added just the rich touch of richness without overwhelming the orange.  One more thing - I used my mini bundt pan, which has 6 1-cup wells, to make this recipe but you could also use one 6-cup bundt pan.  Alternatively, double the recipe and bake it in a standard 12-cup bundt. 

Mini Orange Bundt Cakes
cake and syrup adapted from Barefoot Contessa Parties!  (via Smitten Kitchen)

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour plus 1 tablespoon
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons buttermilk, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons orange zest (about 2 oranges)
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup semisweet chocolate chunks

Syrup
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice

Ganache
from Martha Stewart

3 oz bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons rum (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray the wells of a mini bundt pan with cooking spray with flour.

In a large bowl, whisk together 1 1/2 cups flour, the baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk the orange juice, buttermilk and vanilla together in a measuring cup.

Add the sugar and orange zest to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Rub them together with your fingertips until moist and fragrant. Add the butter to the bowl, and cream with the sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.

Add the flour and buttermilk mixtures alternately in thirds, beginning and ending with the flour. Toss the chocolate chunks with the remaining tablespoon of flour and fold into the batter. Divide the batter evenly among the wells of your mini bundt pan. Bake for 20-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove the pan to a wire rack and let cool for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, to make the syrup, combine the orange juice and sugar in a small saucepan and heat over medium-low heat until the sugar dissolves. Turn the mini bundts out of the pan onto a wire rack and spoon the syrup over the warm cakes. Let the cakes cool completely.

To make the ganache: Put the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Add the heavy cream to a small saucepan and heat over medium-low until simmering. Pour over the chocolate and let stand for 2 minutes. Add the butter and rum (if using), and whisk gently until smooth. Pour glaze over cooled cakes.

Makes 6 mini bundts

Homemade Sandwich Thins

With the exception of an occasional grilled cheese or peanut butter & jelly, I've never been a sandwich person.  It's mostly that none of the traditional sandwich options hold much appeal for me - I don't like deli meats, nor am I a fan of the "salads" (tuna, chicken, egg, etc.).  But, as I mentioned last week, I do love a burger in the summer, which is, I guess, technically a sandwich.  Shane likes his burgers on store-bought hamburger rolls; preferably buttered and grilled until golden brown.  That works for me too, but last year I was looking for a slightly healthier option.  I came across sandwich thins in the store, tried them, and fell in love.  It was the perfect compromise between the hearty white rolls I'd been eating and no roll at all (which, for the record, was never really an option).  It had never occurred to me that I might be able to make sandwich thins at home until I saw them on a few of my favorite blogs.  With grill season approaching, I decided to finally try the recipe and stash the homemade thins in my freezer so I'd be all set when the time came to grill my first burger.   



When it comes to flavor, these sandwich thins were spot on.  The texture was perfect too - sturdy, but still tender and chewy.  Mine puffed just a bit more than I'd have liked, but that was probably my fault.  I didn't make the thins as large as the recipe instructed, next time I will.  On the plus side, because they were a little thicker, they were easy to slice in half.  Not bad for a first attempt, by the end of the summer I'll be an expert :)

The recipe does call for a few ingredients you may not have in your pantry - vital wheat gluten and wheat bran.  If you didn't have the wheat gluten, you could try using additional all-purpose flour instead.  I had the wheat gluten, but (on Bridget's recommendation) substituted more whole wheat flour for the wheat bran. 

Homemade Sandwich Thins
as adapted from Food.com and Confections of a Foodie Bride by The Way the Cookie Crumbles

1 large egg
1 1/4 cups warm water (about 100 F)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups whole wheat flour (I used white whole wheat)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup wheat bran
2 tablespoons vital wheat gluten
2 teaspoons instant yeast
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
rolled oats (for sprinkling on top of the sandwich thins)

Crack the egg into a 2-cup measuring cup and beat lightly with a whisk.  Whisk in the water and olive oil.  Add the whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, wheat bran, wheat gluten, yeast, sugar and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook.  Mix briefly just to combine.  With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the bowl.  Once completely incorporated, continue kneading on low speed until the dough is soft and elastic, about 7-8 minutes.  If the dough is too sticky, add a small amount of flour; if it is too dry, add a little water.

Spray a large bowl with cooking spray.  Add the dough to the bowl, turning to coat.  Cover with plastic wrap, and let the dough rise until doubled, about 1 1/2 hours.

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.  Divide the dough into 16 equal portions.  I weighed the ball of dough first and then used the scale to verify each portion was approximately the same size, but you could definitely just eyeball it.  Roll each portion into a ball, then flatten it into a circle between your palms.  Transfer to the baking sheet and, using your fingertips, press the circle into a thin round, about 5-inches in diameter.  Brush the dough with water and sprinkle each thin with rolled oats.  Cover each baking sheet with plastic wrap and let the thins rise just slightly while the oven preheats, about 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Use a wooden skewer to poke 9 holes in each thin.  Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until puffed and dry on top.  Cool completely before slicing.

Makes 16

Hi-Hat Cupcakes

A few years ago when I started learning to bake, I bought a book devoted entirely to cupcakes; it was one of the first cookbooks I ever owned.  I flipped through that book countless times, flagging recipes I hoped to be brave enough to try someday.  At the top of that list were these hi-hat cupcakes.  They consist of three components: chocolate cupcakes topped with marshmallow frosting and then dipped in melted chocolate, which forms a shiny shell when it sets.  Alongside the recipe there was a photo that showed what the inside of the hi-hat cupcake would look like, and it totally drew me in.



So, why has it taken me over 3 years to finally make them?  I was scared!  I'd made a mental list of all the things that might go wrong - the frosting would fall off when I flipped the cupcake upside down, the frosting would melt when dipped in the chocolate, the chocolate would drip down the sides of the cupcake wrappers leaving a huge mess...  In short, I was worried my cupcakes wouldn't turn out as well as the ones in the book.  If you know me, you know I'm a total perfectionist, and while rationally I know all anyone cares about in the end is how things taste, I really, really like the things I bake to look nice too.  It's the type A control freak in me :)





In the end, these hi-hat cupcakes weren't nearly as terrifying as I made them out to be.  That's not to say it was all smooth sailing.  A few of my cupcakes turned out like this:



Yikes!  After a bit of trial and error I discovered that the temperature of the chocolate was critical in achieving success with the dipping.  If the chocolate is too hot, the marshmallow melts.  I had the opposite problem though; I let the chocolate sit at room temperature for too long and it began to thicken.  This thicker chocolate was so heavy it pulled the marshmallow frosting right off my cupcake when I dipped it.  I rescued the frosting and stuck it back on the cupcakes so they were still edible but definitely not the look I was going for.  I'd recommend erring on the side of chocolate that you think might be too warm when you dip your first cupcake.  If the marshmallow doesn't hold its shape you can always let the chocolate sit and cool for another minute or two.  Once I found the right temperature/consistency for my chocolate, I dipped a few cupcakes and then reheated the chocolate briefly in the microwave and dipped several more, repeating until all of the cupcakes were coated.



These cupcakes have a wow factor, and that's what I love most about them.  Shane was standing in the kitchen watching me dip them and was so impressed with the cupcakes that turned out well.  (He told me when I described what I was making to him the night before he didn't think it could be done.)  This was my first time making this chocolate cupcake recipe, and it was a good one.  The sour cream makes the cupcakes more tangy than ones I've made in the past.  In combination with the marshmallow frosting and chocolate shell, these chocolate cupcakes are undoubtedly a rich dessert - a good one to share between two people!  They're also a nice weekend project if you're looking for one :)

{Note: There are tutorials here and here if you want step by step photos.}

Chocolate Sour Cream Cupcakes
from Cupcakes! by Elinor Klivans

3 oz unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup room temperature water

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a muffin pan with paper liners.

Put the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and heat in 30-second bursts at 50% power, stirring in between, until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth. Set aside to cool slightly.

In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. With the mixer on low, add the melted chocolate and beat to combine. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating to incorporate each completely before adding the next. Mix in the vanilla and beat until the batter is creamy and the color has lightened a bit, about 1 minute. Add the sour cream and mix until the white streaks disappear. Finally, with the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and water, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, and beating just until combined.

Divide the batter evenly among the prepared liners, filling each with about 1/3 cup of batter (the wells will be quite full, and the cupcakes will bake with tops that rise slightly over the edges of the pan). Bake for 20-22 minutes, or until the cupcakes spring back when lightly touched and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove the muffin pan to a wire rack and let cool for 5 minutes before removing the cupcakes from the pan to the rack to cool completely.

Makes 12 cupcakes

Marshmallow Topping
from King Arthur Flour

3/4 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup meringue powder

{Note: You could also make the marshmallow frosting with egg whites if you don't have meringue powder.  Here's a recipe.}  

Bring the water to a boil in a small saucepan.  Once boiling, remove the pan from the heat and add the sugar, stirring to dissolve the sugar completely.  Let cool to room temperature.  Add the meringue powder to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.  Add the cooled sugar water and beat the mixture on medium to medium-high speed until stiff peaks form, about 10-15 minutes.

Fit a piping bag with a large plain round tip.  Pipe the marshmallow onto the cooled cupcakes in a tall, swirl pattern.  You want the frosting to look almost like a soft serve cone of ice cream would.  If it takes a few tries to get it right, don't worry - you can scrape the frosting off the cupcake easily and try again.  Once all the cupcakes have been frosted, put them in the freezer for a few hours.



Chocolate Coating
from Cupcakes! by Elinor Klivans

2 cups (12 oz) semisweet chocolate chips
3 tablespoons canola oil

Combine the chocolate chips and oil in a microwave safe bowl. Heat in 30-second bursts on 50% power, stirring in between, until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth.   Let the chocolate cool slightly before you start dipping the cupcakes.

Transfer the chocolate to a tall cup with an opening wide enough for the cupcakes.  Holding each cupcake by its bottom, turn it upside down and dip it into the chocolate - you want to cover all of the marshmallow frosting but not the cupcake itself.  Lift the cupcake out of the chocolate, but continue to hold it upside down over the cup of chocolate to allow the excess to drip off.  Turn right side up and transfer to a platter.  Once all of the cupcakes have been dipped, move them to the refrigerator to allow the chocolate to fully set.

Store the cupcakes in the refrigerator, but let them sit out at room temperature for 10-15 minutes before serving.

Orange Chicken

Remember back when you were in middle school or high school and hanging out at the mall with your friends was THE thing to do?  It's funny to me now that I enjoyed it so much, as these days the mall is pretty much the last place I want to be, especially on a weekend when it's almost a guarantee that there will be a ton of kids milling around.  I think that means I'm officially old :)  One thing I loved about the mall back then, and, if I'm honest, still enjoy now, was the Chinese food restaurants in the food court.  In particular, there was one stall that had the best orange chicken - it was pretty much the only thing I ever ordered when I ate in the food court.  It's been years since I've had that orange chicken (I'm not even sure that Chinese food stall is still there) but when we try a new place for Chinese take-out, orange chicken is generally the first dish I'll scan for on the menu.  If I can't find it, my back-up is usually General Tso's chicken.  We discovered a great recipe for a homemade version of General Tso's chicken a few years ago so recently when I found myself craving orange chicken, I decided why not attempt it at home?



There's a version of this recipe floating around on a few blogs I read but in those recipes the chicken is fried on the stove top, and as I've mentioned many times, I just don't like frying unless absolutely necessary.  Luckily when I went back to the original source, Cook's Illustrated, I discovered they also had a baked version.  To be fair, it's not exactly a health conscious alternative - a baking sheet is preheated and coated with oil in a really hot oven and the chicken is essentially fried on that baking sheet.  Still, it's less messy than frying on the stove top, and doesn't leave my house smelling like a fast food restaurant, so I consider it a good alternative.  The sauce is great; it's thick with loads of orange flavor and sweetness that is balanced by the heat of the cayenne pepper.  I definitely recommend serving the chicken over rice to soak up all that saucy goodness.  I'm thrilled we now have a second delicious dish we can make at home when a craving for Chinese food strikes, because while I absolutely love the General Tso's chicken, variety is a very good thing in my book!

Orange Chicken
adapted from Cook's Illustrated

For the Marinade and Sauce
1 1/2 pounds chicken tenderloins, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
3/4 cup low-sodium chicken stock
3/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (about 2 large oranges)
1 1/2 teaspoons grated zest
6 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
3 medium garlic cloves, minced (about 1 tablespoon)
1 piece fresh ginger (about 1 inch), grated (1 tablespoon)
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon cornstarch, plus 2 teaspoons
2 tablespoons cold water 

For Coating and Frying
3 large egg whites
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup canola oil

In a large saucepan combine the chicken stock, orange juice, orange zest, vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, ginger and cayenne pepper.  Whisk to dissolve the sugar completely.  Transfer 3/4 cup of the mixture to a gallon-sized resealable plastic bag.  Add the chicken to the bag then seal and refrigerate for 30-60 minutes, but not longer.

Heat the remaining sauce in the pan over medium-high heat until it comes to a boil.  Meanwhile, combine the cornstarch and water in a small bowl, mixing to dissolve the cornstarch.  Once the sauce reaches a boil, whisk in the cornstarch mixture.  Simmer the sauce until thick and translucent, about 1 minute.  Remove from the heat and set aside while you make the chicken.

Preheat oven to 500 F.  Grab two pie plates.  Put the egg whites in one of them, and beat with a fork until they're frothy and broken up.  Combine the cornstarch and flour in the second pie plate.  Remove the chicken from the refrigerator and drain in a colander to remove the marinade.  Pat the chicken dry with paper towels.  Add the chicken to the egg whites, turning to coat on all sides.  Drain again to remove the excess egg whites.  Finally, place the chicken in the cornstarch/flour mixture and toss to coat.  Shake off the excess and place the chicken on a plate.  Repeat with all of the chicken pieces.

Place a rimmed baking sheet in the preheated oven for 5 minutes.  Remove the sheet, add the oil and return to the oven until the oil just starts smoking, about 5 more minutes.  Remove the baking sheet and add the chicken pieces in a single layer.  Cook for 7 minutes, or until brown on the bottom.  Use tongs to flip each piece of chicken over and cook on the other side until browned and cooked through, about 3-5 minutes.  Transfer the chicken to a paper towel-lined plate to drain excess oil.

Reheat the sauce if necessary, and add the chicken, stirring to coat.

Strawberry Shortcake Cookies

For whatever reason, I can never seem to keep up with the strawberries in my fridge.  There always seems to be a container of them just barely holding on, and time and again I find myself scrambling to figure out what to do with them before they go bad.  Of course I simply eat plenty of them plain (or macerated in just a little bit of sugar), but I crave variety so I like to incorporate them into baked goods as well.  The only problem is that strawberries can be tricky to bake with due to their high water content so I don't see nearly as many recipes for strawberry treats as I do, say, blueberries.



As strawberries start to come into season around here it's only a matter of time before I find myself bringing home giant containers of them, so I'm trying to get ahead by building up a stash of go-to recipes that will save me in those moments.  I bookmarked these strawberry shortcake cookies last year but just finally got around to trying them recently.  They're easy to pull together, and quite tasty, but after making them, I'm not sure they should be called cookies.  Their texture is definitely more reminiscent of little tiny scones - tender and fluffy inside with a golden exterior.  Not terribly surprising given the method for making the dough is pretty similar to most scone recipes, and again, not a bad thing because they were very good.  These "cookies" are best the day they're made and the recipe yields about 3 dozen, so if you aren't feeding a crowd, you may want to scale back.  I quartered the recipe and wound up with 10 cookies, which is definitely a more manageable number when you're keeping these all for yourself!



Strawberry Shortcake Cookies
adapted just slightly from Martha Stewart (originally seen on Pink Parsley Catering)

12 oz strawberries, hulled and cut into 1/4-inch dice (2 cups)
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon lemon zest
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
2/3 cup heavy cream
coarse sugar, for topping the cookies

Preheat oven to 375 F.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a small bowl, stir together the strawberries, lemon juice and 2 tablespoons of the sugar then set aside.  In a large bowl, combine the lemon zest and remaining 7 tablespoons of sugar.  Rub the zest into the sugar with your fingertips until moist and fragrant.  Add the flour, baking powder, and salt to the zest/sugar mixture and whisk to combine.  Use a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the flour mixture until you have coarse crumbs.  Add the cream to the bowl and stir until the dough starts to come together.  Finally, gently stir in the strawberry mixture.

Use a small cookie scoop (about 1 1/2 tablespoons) to portion the dough onto the prepared baking sheets spacing the cookies about 1 1/2 - 2 inches apart.  Sprinkle with the coarse sugar.  Bake for about 25 minutes, or until the cookies are golden brown.  Transfer the pans to wire racks and let the cookies cool.  The cookies are best the day they're made, but can be kept in an airtight container for 1 day.

Makes about 3 dozen cookies

Oven Fries

It's around this time of year when Shane and I really start looking forward to grilling for the first time.  There were a few days last week that were probably warm enough to justify it, but we already had other (not grill friendly) meals planned.  I'm holding out hope we'll be out there at least once by the first week of April.  In the meantime, I've been bookmarking tons of new recipes to try.  As excited as I am about making those meals, the go-to grill option here has always been burgers, and I don't imagine that'll change anytime soon. 



When I think burgers, I think fries.  They're like peanut butter and jelly - they belong together!  In past years, we've rarely eaten french fries because we didn't have a good recipe for baked fries, and frying just isn't practical for a whole host of reasons.  I was determined to change that this summer and began a quest for the perfect baked fries.  There were more than a few failed attempts along the way including way too many soggy fries - ick!  Finally, I came across this recipe from America's Test Kitchen and hit the jackpot.  These baked fries are just what I was looking for - golden and crisp on the outside and soft inside.  The recipe's easy too, with just one extra step you may not have seen in other recipes - soaking the wedges in hot water before baking them.  We devoured these fries in record time and I can't wait to enjoy them again with the first grilled burgers of the season :) 

Oven Fries
from America's Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook

3 russet potatoes, scrubbed
1/4 cup plus 1 teaspoon canola oil
kosher salt and black pepper

Preheat oven to 475 F with a rack in the lowest position.

To cut the potatoes into wedges:  Cut the potatoes in half lengthwise and then cut each of those halves in half lengthwise so you end up with each potato quartered.  Slice each quarter into 2 or 3 wedges (lengthwise again), depending on how thick you want your fries.

Add all of the wedges to a large bowl and cover with hot water.  Set aside for 10 minutes.  Meanwhile, grab a large rimmed baking sheet and coat it with 1/4 cup of the canola oil.  Tilt the pan to ensure the oil is spread in an even layer.  Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper over the oil evenly.

Drain the potatoes and spread them over a dishtowel or layer of paper towels.  Dry them thoroughly.  Dry the bowl the potatoes were soaking in, and then add the wedges back to the bowl.  Toss them with the remaining teaspoon of canola oil.  Transfer the wedges to the prepared baking sheet and spread them in a single layer.  Cover the pan with foil.

Bake for 5 minutes, then remove the foil and continue baking for 15-20 minutes, or until the bottoms of the potatoes are golden brown.  Remove the pan from the oven and flip each of the wedges over.  Return to the oven and bake for 7-10 minutes longer, or until golden and crisp.  Drain the fries on a paper towel-lined plate then season with salt and pepper to taste.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Shortbread Wedges

Yesterday may have been the first day of spring, but I think someone forgot to tell Mother Nature as our forecast this week calls for snow.  Needless to say, I'm really starting to yearn for lighter meals and all of that wonderful fresh spring produce, but while the threat of waking up to the white stuff and temps in the 30's exists, comfort food is still very much a part of the plan over here.  One of my quintessential comfort food choices is a peanut butter and jelly sandwich - it's a childhood favorite and you can't beat the simplicity.  That said, I can't remember the last time I had a PB&J; we don't keep bread in the house very often so it's rarely an option.  I suppose when a PB&J craving struck recently I could have baked a loaf of bread to make sandwiches, but instead, I went looking for a dessert option that would fit the bill.  You're not surprised, are you? :)



While I certainly acknowledge that it's easier to grab two pieces of bread and slather them with peanut butter and jelly, these shortbread wedges are worth the extra effort, and truthfully, they're about as simple as dessert gets.  All you need are a couple of pantry staples, and a few minutes to mix the dough (there is an hour of chill time so plan ahead accordingly).  Straight from the oven I thought the wedges looked a little like another comfort food favorite - pizza - with their crisp shortbread edge and jam and crumble topping.  You can use your favorite jam or jelly for the recipe - I went with raspberry, and I thought it paired perfectly with the crisp peanut butter shortbread, which is just slightly sweet.  My craving was definitely satisfied!
     


Peanut Butter and Jelly Shortbread Wedges
adapted from Bon Appetit (originally seen on Annie's Eats)

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter 
1/2 cup sugar
pinch of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup jam or jelly (I used raspberry)

Spray a 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray and set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and peanut butter on medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes.  Mix in the sugar and salt and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.  Blend in the vanilla and then add the flour and beat on low speed until it is just incorporated.

Remove 1/3 cup of the dough from the mixer bowl.  Form a disk with the dough and wrap in plastic wrap.  Freeze until firm, about 1 hour.  Transfer the remaining dough to the prepared springform pan.  Press into an even layer on the bottom of the pan.  Use an offset spatula to spread the jam over the dough, leaving about a 1/2-inch border around the outside edge.  Pop the springform pan into the fridge to chill while the disk is in the freezer.  Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 F. 


When the disk is firm, remove it from the freezer and break it into small pieces.  Distribute them over the jam and shortbread crust.  Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until the shortbread is golden brown.  Remove the pan to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing the shortbread.

Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Chocolate Banana Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Buttercream

Can I take a minute to tell you guys how much this time of year excites me as a total sports nut?  The past few days have been a blur of March Madness games from noon til midnight around here.  The plan for this weekend looks to be more of the same.  We're heading toward playoff time for pro hockey and basketball, and it looks like both my Bruins and Celtics will be making post-season appearances.  Spring training has been in full swing for several weeks, and though I have a hard time getting amped up until the season actually starts, the Red Sox have the potential for a really exciting year.  Poor Shane.  Contrary to popular stereotypes, he could pretty much care less about any of these things, so he's just stuck dealing with this crazed fan.  And now I've gone and bored you guys too - but hopefully these cupcakes will make up for it :)    



One thing that Shane and I can both agree on though is the need for game day snacks.  Sometime within the past few weeks I discovered a really great new-to-me blog, Love & Olive Oil, and bookmarked about 10 recipes within my first 15 minutes on the site.  These chocolate banana cupcakes were on the top of the list and definitely game day appropriate.  Though I didn't realize it until after I'd baked them, the cupcakes (not the frosting) are vegan - the first vegan cupcakes I've ever made!  Coconut milk is used in the recipe, though once the cupcakes are baked you'd never guess there was coconut milk in them.  There was a chocolate banana frosting recipe over on Love & Olive Oil but I couldn't pass up the opportunity to go with a peanut butter buttercream instead because, I mean, chocolate, banana and peanut butter in one treat?  Heavenly.               



Chocolate Banana Cupcakes
adapted just slightly from Love & Olive Oil

1/2 cup coconut milk (I used lite)
1/2 cup ripe banana, mashed (about 1 banana)
1/3 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

To make the cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350 F.  Line a muffin tin with paper liners.

In a medium bowl, whisk the mashed banana, coconut milk, sugar, oil and vanilla until well combined. The mixture won't be completely smooth due to the banana, but whisk vigorously to get out as many of the large lumps as possible.  In a second medium bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt together. ( If your cocoa is lumpy like mine you may want to sift instead of whisking - I can never get the lumps out with just a whisk.)  Add the dry ingredients to the bowl with the wet ingredients and gently whisk (or fold with a rubber spatula) just until combined.

Distribute the batter evenly among the liners, filling each about 1/2 - 2/3 full.  Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until the cupcakes spring back when lightly touched and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Remove the muffin pan to a wire rack.  Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 5 minutes then transfer them to the wire rack to cool completely.

Makes 12 cupcakes

Peanut Butter Buttercream
from Cook's Illustrated

8 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter (not natural)
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
pinch table salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon heavy cream

In a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat butter and peanut butter at medium-high speed until smooth.  Add the confectioners' sugar and salt to the bowl and beat at low speed just until the sugar is moistened.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat the mixture until fully combined.  Finally, mix in the vanilla and heavy cream  and beat to incorporate.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl again then beat on medium speed until the frosting is light and fluffy.

Pipe the frosting onto the cooled cupcakes and garnish with banana slices.

Makes about 1 1/2 cups (enough to frost 10-12 cupcakes)

Golden Cheesy Bread

Gooey cheese and warm bread - I'm not sure I need to say much else about this recipe :)  If you've ever had monkey bread, this is essentially its savory counterpart - melted butter and cheese are layered between pieces of yeast dough and baked until golden and delicious.  Just like monkey bread, you don't cut the bread into slices so much as grab bite-sized pieces from the loaf, which makes it really fun to eat.  As if our corned beef and cabbage dinner last night wasn't decadent enough, I decided to add this cheesy bread to the mix.  It actually wound up being more of an appetizer since I pulled it from the oven about an hour before the corned beef finished cooking.  We stood around the island in the kitchen pulling pieces off one after another - it was completely irresistible!     



As bread making goes, it doesn't get much easier than this recipe.  You don't have to shape loaves or rolls - you simply divide the dough into pieces and toss them into the pan with the cheese.   I adapted the recipe from King Arthur Flour's site just slightly to make it work with the ingredients I already had in the house.  Instead of the pizza dough flavoring they used, I went with garlic powder and oregano but you could use whatever flavorings for the dough you happened to have on hand.  My loaf was made with a combination of all-purpose and white whole wheat flour, which practically allows me to claim it as health food, right?  The whole wheat cancels out all the cheesy pockets of goodness throughout the bread :)  It's definitely comfort food, and perfect for the lingering cold nights we're experiencing here in New England.

Golden Cheesy Bread
adapted from King Arthur Flour

1 cup lukewarm water
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 cup dry (powdered) milk
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon onion powder
2 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast

Filling/Topping
1 1/3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
2 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the water, butter, all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, sugar, dry milk, garlic powder, oregano, salt, onion powder and yeast.  Mix until the ingredients come together and form a rough dough.  Switch to the dough hook and knead on low speed for about 7 minutes, or until the dough is soft and smooth.  The dough will be tacky, that's fine.

Spray a large bowl with cooking spray.  Add the dough to the bowl, turning to coat, then cover with plastic wrap.  Let the dough rise for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until very puffy (it may not be quite doubled in size).

Remove the dough from the bowl to a lightly greased work surface and press gently to deflate.  Now, you want to divide the dough into about 64 small pieces of roughly the same size.  Don't worry too much about making them perfect!  I think the easiest way to do this is to grab a sharp knife or bench scraper and divide the dough ball in half.  Then, working with one half at a time, divide each piece in half over and over until you have 32 pieces.  You don't have to roll the final pieces into balls - whatever rough shape they have is fine.



Spray a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray.  Line the bottom with parchment paper and spray the parchment with cooking spray too.

Put 16 pieces of dough into the bottom of the prepared pan. 



Distribute 1/3 cup of the shredded cheese over the dough pieces then brush with some of the melted butter.



Now repeat: put 16 more pieces of dough on top of the first layer you created.



Then distribute another 1/3 cup of shredded cheese, and brush with some more of the melted butter.



I think you get the point - you want to repeat two more times so you use all of the dough.  When you finish the final layer, brush the dough with the butter, but don't sprinkle with the final 1/3 cup of cheese.  We're going to save that for later.

Cover the pan with plastic wrap, and let the bread rise for about 30 to 60 minutes, or until it's just barely risen above the rim of the pan.  Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 F.

Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the loaf is golden and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center registers between 190 and 200 F.  If the top of the bread is browning too quickly, you can tent with aluminum foil.

Remove the bread from the oven, and run a knife along the edges of the pan to loosen it.  Let rest for 2 minutes, then turn the bread out of the pan onto a rimmed baking sheet.  With the bread right side up, distribute the last 1/3 cup of cheese over the top.  Return to the oven for about 2 minutes, or until the cheese starts to melt.  Remove from the oven and serve warm.

Creamy Baked Chicken Taquitos

Happy St Patrick's Day!  Are you doing anything special to celebrate?  Nothing too exciting over here - we'll be eating our corned beef and cabbage for dinner, but otherwise, it's business as usual.  I have a few bottles of Guinness in the fridge for Shane but since he's running his first race of the season (a half-marathon in New Bedford) on Sunday, I doubt he'll take me up on that offer.  I'm not much of a Guinness fan myself, but maybe I'll whip up one of those homemade shamrock shakes I've seen floating around the blog world this week.  I tried a shamrock shake from McDonald's for the first time this year and didn't love it as much as I'd hoped; maybe I'll have better luck with a homemade version :)  



But anyway, today I'm actually not sharing a St Patrick's Day recipe.  Instead, we're going with a Mexican theme.  Shane and I are both big fans of Mexican food but I don't know that we've ever had authentic taquitos.  When I saw this recipe on Josie's blog a few weeks ago, I bookmarked it immediately and was so excited to finally try it.  I roasted a chicken earlier this week and used the leftovers for the filling in the taquitos but I think shredded pork would be equally delicious.  I love that this recipe can be made in advance and frozen, and the next time I make the taquitos I'm definitely planning to prep extra and do that.  There's no question there will be a next time as Shane and I both loved this recipe.  It's flavorful and fun, a definite change of pace for us.  Whatever you do, don't skip the salt sprinkled on the taquitos before they're baked.  Those bites were the very best!  



Creamy Baked Chicken Taquitos
adapted from Pink Parsley Catering, originally from Our Best Bites

3 oz cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup salsa verde
juice of 1/2 lime
1 teaspoon chile powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
pinch cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
3 tablespoons chopped scallions
2 cups cooked and shredded chicken
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
8-12 (6-inch) corn tortillas

Preheat oven to 425 F.  Spray a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, stir together the cream cheese, salsa, lime juice, chile powder, cumin, cayenne pepper, onion powder, garlic, parsley, scallions, and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt.  Add the chicken and cheeses and stir until evenly distributed.  Season the mixture to taste with salt and pepper.

Place 2 tortillas at a time on a microwave safe plate and cover with a damp paper towel.  Microwave for 25 seconds, or until the tortillas are soft and pliable.  Spoon 2-3 tablespoons of the filling onto the lower third of each tortilla, and roll tightly.  Place seam side-down on the prepared baking sheet.  Repeat with the remaining tortillas and filling.

Spray the taquitos with cooking spray and sprinkle with kosher salt.  Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the tortillas are crisp and golden.  (I loved them served with sour cream!)

Mint Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

During the summer months we stop by our local ice cream shop pretty regularly, and 98% of the time I end up ordering mint chocolate chip ice cream topped with chocolate sprinkles.  It's my go-to; I just love the chocolate-mint combination.  When cold weather sets in we don't stop eating ice cream altogether, but it is a less frequent occurrence, and instead of going out I make most of the ice cream myself.  I haven't found a homemade mint chocolate chip ice cream I love (if you have one, I'd be psyched if you'd leave a comment telling me about it!) so I almost never make it and consequently don't get to satisfy the craving as often as I'd like.  So, it's probably not a shocker that I kept coming back to chocolate and mint desserts when I was searching for St Patty's Day recipes.



My starting point was a recipe I found in my Whoopie Pies book for mint buttercream.  I briefly considered going in the whoopie pie direction, but decided I'd rather have a chocolate cupcake with the buttercream mounded on top.  I made Martha Stewart's one bowl chocolate cupcakes, which are one of my favorites.  The recipe is super simple and the cupcakes always turn out moist and chocolate-y.  I added green gel food coloring to the frosting just to make them more festive, but you could certainly leave it white if that's more your style.  The buttercream is fairly sweet but not as buttery as others I've made and I liked the flavor quite a bit - it's minty, but not overpowering.  The texture was perfect for piping too.  My chocolate-mint craving was definitely satisfied :)



Two quick notes: I wanted to add chocolate chips to the cupcakes to really make them mint chocolate chip, but the batter for this particular recipe is too thin, and the chips just sank to the bottom (even when tossed with a little flour beforehand).  I'll try again eventually using a different recipe.  Also, I halved the cupcake recipe below and the full frosting recipe yielded the perfect amount to top my 9 cupcakes.  If you like as much frosting as I do on your cupcakes and you make the full recipe for 18 cupcakes, you will probably need to double the frosting recipe.        

Mint Chocolate Chip Cupcakes
Cupcakes from Martha Stewart; Frosting adapted from Whoopie Pies by Sarah Billingsly & Amy Treadwell

Chocolate Cupcakes
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
3/4 cup buttermilk
3 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup warm water

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Line muffin pans with paper liners.

In a large bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt together.  Add the eggs, buttermilk, oil, vanilla extract and water and whisk until the mixture is smooth and all of the ingredients are evenly distributed. 

Distribute the batter evenly among the prepared pans, filling each well about 2/3 full.  Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the cupcakes spring back when lightly touched and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Remove the pans to wire racks and let the cupcakes cool for 5-10 minutes, then remove them from the pans and cool completely on the wire racks.

Mint Buttercream
2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 tablespoons heavy cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon mint extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
green gel food coloring (optional)
semisweet chocolate chips 

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the confectioners' sugar and butter (first on low and then increasing the speed to medium) until evenly distributed and crumbly, about 1-2 minutes.  Add the cream, extracts, and salt and beat on high speed until light, fluffy and smooth, about 3 minutes.  If you want green buttercream, beat in a little bit of food coloring at a time until you achieve your desired color.

When the cupcakes are completely cool, frost as desired.  Garnish with chocolate chips.

Makes 18 cupcakes