Bavarian Cream Cupcakes

We've been having unusually warm weather, which I absolutely love.  Unfortunately, the weeds in my landscape seem to love it just as much as I do, since they have sprouted like it's nobody's business.  My plan was to spend the day pulling those unwelcome weeds before the dreaded little yellow flower turns to seed.  Mother nature did not cooperate with my plans since it has been raining all through the night and most of today.  I'm afraid the weeds are probably loving all this rain and will be double in size by the time I get a chance to pull them.

The rain however, will not deter me into unproductiveness as I've decided to use the time to clean, clean, clean and work on some Bavarian Pudding cupcakes in between all of my cleaning.  Must be the onset of spring that is generating all my spring cleaning energy.

This cupcake turned out to be just like a little ray of sunshine in an otherwise dreary day.

Bavarian Cream Cupcakes
Yield 18-20 cupcakes

Ingredients


For the Golden Cake
1 cup cake Flour
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
Pinch of Salt
4 Eggs at room temperature
3/4 cup Sugar
1/3 cup Buttermilk
1/4 cup Vegetable or Canola Oil
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

For the Chocolate Glaze
4 ounces semisweet Chocolate, finely chopped (or you can use semisweet chocolate chips)
1/3 cup Heavy Cream
1 tablespoon Light Corn Syrup

For the Filling
I took a short cut here and used already prepared Bavarian cream filling from my local cake supply store.  You can use homemade though, and I am sure it would be even more delicious!  I had purchased the filling the other day while at the supply store and thought I would give it a try.  It's actually quite good, and the one used by local bakeries, so for now I'm sticking with it.

Directions


1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.  Place cupcake liners in cupcake pans.

3.  Sift together flour, baking powder and salt three times; set aside.

4.  In a the bowl of a heavy duty mixer, add eggs and sugar.  Beat on high until light and fluffy, 8 minutes.

5.  In another bowl, mix buttermilk, oil and vanilla.

6.  Gently fold flour mixture into egg mixture.

7.  Gently fold in milk mixture.

Note:  The batter is watery.


8.  Fill cupcake lines two-thirds full.

9.  Bake for 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

10.  Remove from oven and let cool completely on a wire rack.

Meanwhile, prepare the glaze.

1.  Place finely chopped chocolate (or chips) in a small bowl.  Set aside.

2.  Boil cream and corn syrup then pour over chocolate and let sit for a few minutes.  After the chocolate has melted, whisk till smooth.  Set aside to cool.  You can also cover with plastic wrap and set in the refrigerator to speed cooling process.

Assembly


1.  I used Wilton's tip #230 for filling the cupcakes with the Bavarian cream.  You can also cut a hole in the top of the cupcake, add about 1-2 tablespoons of the filling, then reattach the tops.

2.  Dip filled cupcakes in chocolate glaze, allowing excess to drip back into bowl.  (Or use and offset spatula to frost the cupcake.)

These cupcakes remind me of the yummy, pudding-filled donuts my hubby reaches for at church.  I am sure he is going to love these!

Enjoy!

French Dip Sandwiches

On days when I just want to make something quick, I run to the deli for some tasty roast beef and I make French Dip sandwiches.  These are satisfying sandwiches that are good for lunch or dinner.  Taking mere minutes to make, they are great any night of the week.

French Dip Sandwiches

4 servings

Ingredients

1 lb. thinly sliced good quality Roast Beef from the Deli (I prefer Dietz & Watson or Boars Head brand)

4 slices Provolone, Mozzarella OR Swiss cheese

1 - 10.5 oz. can Beef Consommé

1/2 cup Water

1 teaspoon dried Thyme

1/2 teaspoon dried Rosemary

French baguette or other crusty type bread (soft bread will not hold up and get mushy)

For Topping

6-8 small Portabella Mushrooms, sliced

4 slices of a sweet Onion

small Garlic clove, minced

1 tablespoon Butter

1 teaspoon Olive Oil

Note:  I load my sandwich with the mushroom topping but leave my son's sandwich plain.  How much topping you add (if any) is solely based on individual preference.

Directions

1.  In a saucepan, on medium heat, add beef consommé, water, thyme, and rosemary.  Reduce heat to low and keep at a low simmer.

2.  Meanwhile, heat butter and olive oil in a frying pan, then add onions and mushrooms.  Sauté for 3-5 minutes or until onion has softened and started to caramelize.  Add the garlic and sauté for another minute.  Turn off heat.

3.  Drop 1/4 of the meat in the broth and gently stir until the beef has heated through and almost all of the pink has gone.  This only takes about 20 seconds!

4.  Cut bread into serving size lengths, about 4 inches long and then down the middle.  Add a slice of cheese, the warmed meat and add mushroom topping.

5.  Repeat steps 3 and 4 until all sandwiches are made.

6.  Serve with remaining broth in ramekins for dipping.

Enjoy!

I like to serve my French Dip sandwiches with a side of sweet potato fries....oh, so yummy!

Ricotta Cheese Pound Cake

After sharing with my very good friend Giselle Rossello that I was wanting to make a pound cake, she graciously shared her favorite Epicurious recipe ~ Cream Cheese Pound Cake.  Knowing what an excellent baker Giselle is, I was excited to try out the recipe.

The original recipe calls for cream cheese, but when I got home, it turned out I didn't have any.  Not wanting to make a run to the store, I started a search through my refrigerator for a comparable substitute. I found I had some ricotta cheese.  The result is a deliciously moist cake with a lovely crunchy top.  The glaze takes this delicious pound cake over the top!  Yum!

I've since made this pound cake with lemon, orange and a mixture of lemon/orange/lime zests and juice.  My son really loves the lemon, while my favorite is the orange.  We both agree is it fabulous.

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Note:  The cake starts out in a cold oven and then is baked slowly (takes a good 2 hours of baking!), gradually increasing the temperature.

Ricotta Cheese Pound Cake


Ingredients


2 sticks unsalted Butter, room temperature
8 oz. Ricotta cheese, room temperature
3 cups Sugar
1 teaspoon Salt
6 large Eggs, room temperature
4 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
3 cups sifted all-purpose Flour
Zest of 1 Lemon

Glaze
1-2 tablespoons fresh Lemon juice
1/2 cup Confectioner's Sugar

Directions

1.  Butter and flour a long loaf pan, (12 x 4-1/2 x 3-1/8"), or a 12-cup Bundt pan.

2.  Using an electric mixer, beat butter and ricotta cheese in large bowl until fluffy, about 4 minutes.

3.  Add sugar and salt and beat for 10 minutes, occasionally scraping down sides of bowl.

4.  Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until well blended after each addition.

5.  Beat in vanilla.

6.  At low speed, beat in flour until batter is smooth, being careful not to over-beat.

7.  Pour batter into prepared pan, smoothing the top with the back of a spoon.

8.  Place pan in a cold oven.  Set temperature to 200 degrees F; bake for 20 minutes.

9.  Increase temperature to 250 degrees F; bake for an additional 20 minutes.

10.  Increase temperature to 275 degrees F; bake for 10 minutes.

11.  Increase temperature to 300 degrees F; bake for an additional hour for the Bundt pan, or 1.25 hours in the long loaf pan, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

12.  Cool cake in pan on a rack for 15 minutes.

13.  Prepare glaze:  Mix confectioner's sugar, lemon zest and enough of the lemon juice to achieve a drizzling consistency.

14.  Remove cake from pan and pour glaze over the top.  Wrap and store at room temperature.

Variations:
Use Orange zest and orange juice in place of the lemon zest/juice.
Use a combination of lemon and orange zest and juice.

Enjoy!

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Blueberry Crumb Cake

I made this cake yesterday and it is already gone!  The first thing out of my son's mouth was, "This cake is so delicious, you should put it on your blog."

The cake is light and packed with blueberry flavor.

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Blueberry Crumb Cake


Ingredients


For the streusel topping:
2 tablespoons granulated Sugar
2-1/2 tablespoons light Brown Sugar, lightly packed
1/2 teaspoon ground Cinnamon
Dash of Nutmeg
4 tablespoons unsalted Butter, melted
1/2 cup plus 2-1/2 tablespoons all-purpose Flour

For the cake:
1 cups fresh Blueberries
1 teaspoon granulated Sugar
Plus:
2-1/2 cups all-purpose Flour
2-1/2 teaspoons Baking Powder
1 teaspoon Salt
2 large Eggs
1-1/8 cup granulated Sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted Butter, melted and cooled slightly
4 tablespoons Canola Oil
1-1/2 teaspoon Vanilla
Zest from a medium size Lemon
1 cup Buttermilk
1 cup fresh Blueberries

Directions


1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.  Spray a 10 inch springform pan with non-stick cooking spray.  Set aside.

3.  In a small saucepan, cook 1 cup fresh blueberries with 1 teaspoon of sugar for 6 minutes, or until reduced to 1/4 cup.  Using the back of a fork, smash some of the blueberries.  (You can substitute 1/4 blueberry jam.)  Set aside to cool.

4.  Mix ingredients for the streusel and set aside.

5.  Make the cake batter.  Beat eggs and sugar until light and creamy.

6.  Add melted butter, oil, vanilla, and lemon zest.  Mix well.

7.  In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt.

8.  Add flour mixture to egg mixture in 3 additions alternating with the buttermilk, mixing just until combined.

8.  Fold in last cup of fresh blueberries.

9.  Pour batter into prepared springform pan.

10.  Pour cooled blueberry jam over batter and spread gently.
Note:  Adding this blueberry jam adds a burst of delicious blueberry flavor.

11.  Pour streusel evenly on top.

12.  Bake for 1 hour to 1.25 hours or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Remove outer ring and allow to cool.

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Serve as is or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Enjoy!

Pizza! Pizza!

One of my absolute favorite things to make has to be pizza.  It is my go-to dish when I'm not sure what to make for dinner.  I think pizza to be such a versatile dish ~ you can have thin crust, thick crust, deep dish, with red sauce, white sauce, no sauce, and on and on and on.... The choice of toppings are only limited by my own imagination.

Pizza is also great any time of day!  I was recently at a restaurant that served Breakfast Pizza complete with eggs and bacon on top.  My son said it was delicious!

Tonight's pizza will have sausage, Portabella mushrooms, red bell peppers and mozzarella cheese.

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Pizza


For the Crust:
1 package Active Dry Yeast (Fast-Rising is fine as well)
1 cup warm tap water (110 to 115 degrees)
1/2 teaspoon Sugar
1 teaspoon Salt
3 cups Flour
2 tablespoons Olive Oil

Directions for Crust


1.  In a bowl, pour the warm water and sprinkle in the yeast and sugar.  Stir gently with a fork, then set aside for 5 minutes.


Note:  After 5 minutes, the yeast should have activated, and it should have created a foam on top.  If the yeast did not rise, discard and start over.  

2.  In the bowl of a stand mixer (fitted with the paddle attachment), combine yeast, salt, flour and olive oil.  Mix on slow until dough comes away from the sides of the bowl.

3.  Change to the dough hook attachment and knead on low for 5 minutes.

4.  Lightly oil a bowl, roll the ball of dough around the bowl to coat it.  Seal with plastic wrap and set aside.


Directions for homemade Sauce


Note:  Other options for sauce: store bought pizza sauce, spaghetti sauce, barbecue sauce, or sliced tomatoes. 


Ingredients

1 -14.5 ounce can diced Tomatoes
1 teaspoon Oregano or Basil (or 1/2 tsp. of each)
1-2 Garlic cloves, peeled, crushed and minced
Salt and Pepper to taste

1.  In a heavy sauce pan, on medium heat, bring to a bubble, stirring to mix all the ingredients.

2.  Turn the heat to low, and simmer.  Using a fork, crush the tomatoes.  Cook for 15-20 minutes.

Note:  If you prefer a smooth sauce, use an immersion blender and puree, or put sauce in a blender and puree to desired consistency.


Prepare Pizza Toppings


Cook any meats (3-4 slices of Bacon or 1/2 lb. of Sausage) and cut up all vegetables (mushrooms, red bell pepper).  Shred 2-3 cups of mozzarella cheese.  


For a "Make Your Own Pizza Party", place all the prepared ingredients in bowls so guests can easily choose their desired toppings.

The dough should have risen nicely by now.  This dough recipe will yield one large 15-18 inch pizza or 4 individual-sized pizzas.

1.  Preheat oven to 500 degrees.

2.  Press and roll dough into desired size.

3.  Add sauce, meats and veggies, then top with cheese.  Lightly drizzle with olive oil.

Note:  Using a pizza stone set in the lowest rack in the oven, will yield a nice crispy crust.

4.  Bake for 15 minutes or until the crust is golden and the top is bubbly.

Enjoy!

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Photo(s) of the week ~ Feb. 24, 2012

My son does not like to have his photo taken.  That's quite unfortunate for someone like me who loves to take pictures.  Thankfully, he agreed to assist me on a project for a photography class I was taking.  My project was to "think outside the box" and photograph something I had not done before.

Here are a couple of photos from my Shadow collection.

Robert Redford Delight

Many years ago I worked with a woman (Mary S.), that would bake for everyone's birthday.  Mary was so thoughtful and would even ask each person what they wanted her to bake.  Everyone always asked for what she called her Robert Redford Cake.  I've made a few minor adjustments to this recipe and renamed it Robert Redford Delight.  No matter what it's called, everyone always seems to be in agreement that this dessert is quite delightful.

I recently made this for my church's annual bake-off and I won First Place in Adult Desserts!  Woohoo! Maybe I should rename it my Prize Winning Robert Redford Delight....

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Robert Redford Delight


Ingredients


Crust:
1 stick of Butter
1 cup of walnuts (finely chopped)
1 cup of flour

1st Layer:
1- 8 oz. bar of Philadelphia Light Cream Cheese
3/4 cup of Sugar
1/2 of a large 12 oz. container of Cool Whip (using 6 oz. here and 6 oz. on top layer)

2nd Layer:
1 small box Instant Chocolate Pudding
1 small box Instant Vanilla Pudding
3 cups whole Milk

Topping:
1/2 of a large 12 oz. container of Cool Whip
2 large Heath bars, freeze then chop up (or Heath bar bits)

Directions


1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.  Cream butter and flour together, then add finely chopped nuts.  Spread on the bottom of a 13x9 inch glass dish.  Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until edges are lightly browned and center is done.  Remove from oven and let cool.

3.  Beat cream cheese and sugar until well mixed, then add 6 oz. of Cool Whip.  Mix well.  Spread over cooled crust.

4.  Add puddings and milk in a bowl and mix well.  Allow to set, then spread over cream cheese layer.

5.  Add the remaining 6 oz. of Cool Whip and spread evenly over pudding layer.

6.  Chop frozen Heath bars into small pieces, then sprinkle over the top of the last layer.

7.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.  (This will allow the layers to set and will make cutting easier.)

Enjoy!