Lemon Drop Cupcakes with Fresh Lemon Curd and Buttercream Frosting

I love my sister. While she is picky with most foods (fruits, vegetables, meats, etc...), she is never picky when it comes to her sweets. I've been wanting to try out a lemon cupcake but didn't seem to have the time to do it.

Enter her birthday. She let me pick whatever treat I wanted to make. What a good sister.

I usually do not like most things lemony because they usually taste fake or too sour. This strikes a good balance of sweet and tart.


Lemon Cupcakes

1 stick butter, softened
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 t salt
1 1/2 t baking powder
1 1/2 t baking soda
2 cups all purpose flour
juice and zest of one lemon
 3/4 c water

Place paper liners in muffin pans. Yields about 18 cupcakes, or 36 mini cupcakes.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

In a large mixing bowl, combine softened butter and sugar, creaming together until smooth with a hand mixer or stand mixer. Once smooth, add eggs and beat well. Add vanilla, salt, baking soda and powder. Mix until well incorporated. Add ONE cup of the flour and mix well.  Add the zest and lemon juice. Add ALL the water and mix again. Add last cup of flour and mix. Using a one ounce ice cream scooper, scoop batter into the paper liners. Bake at 325 degrees F for 20-25 minutes, or until baked through. You can test doneness by lightly pressing your finger in the middle of the cupcake. If you see a fingerprint, they are not done. if it bounces back, they are done. BUT BE CAREFUL. Obviously they are hot.

Remove from oven when done, and using the handle of a wooden spoon, poke a hole in the middle of each cupcake. This is where the lemon curd will go. Let cool.

Lemon Curd

1 stick butter
4 Lemons, zest and juice
1 3/4 c sugar
4 eggs

In a stand mixer, cream together butter, zest and sugar until smooth. Add the juice of the lemons and the eggs one at a time, mixing on low. Transfer mixture into a large sauce pan and cook over low heat for about 10-15 minutes, stirring often. DO NOT LET THIS BOIL. While it is cooking, it may look curdled, but just keep stirring and let it cook and come back together. When it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, it's done. Remove from heat and cool in fridge completely before using it.


Buttercream Frosting

3 c powdered sugar
2 sticks butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla
1 TBSP milk

In a large mixing bowl, on low speed, mix together sugar and butter until creamed. Add vanilla and milk and mix on low until smooth. You may need to add more milk if frosting is too thick. Spoon into a frosting bag with a 1MM tip.


Assembly

After the curd and cupcakes are completely cooled, spoon about 1 tsp of curd into each cupcake and then another 1 tsp of curd on TOP of the cupcake. Pipe the buttercream onto the curd-topped cupcake into any design you would like. Garnish with lemon zest if desired.

Orange Rolls

While making orange rolls today, I couldn't help but think of my mom and smile through the tears, thinking of her. She LOVED orange rolls. She made them often and was hesitant to share because she loved them so much.

I hope you try them and maybe, just maybe,  share with someone.

Orange Rolls

Dough:
1 cup warm milk (between 105-115 degrees F)
1/3 cup melted butter (no margarine, that is of the devil)
1 T quick acting yeast
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 t salt
4 1/2 cups all purpose flour


Preheat oven to 400 F. In a stand mixer, (I use my Kitchen Aid) with the bread hook attachment, add the warm milk, melted butter, yeast and sugar. Set on low speed and let mix for 2 minutes. Turn mixer off and let yeast activate for 10 minutes. You might see bubbling, which is good. Very good. If your milk was too hot, you'll kill the yeast and have to start over. Good rule of thumb is to have the milk the same temp as bath water. Too hot for your fingers, too hot for yeast. After yeast has bloomed, add the eggs one at a time and let mix. Sprinkle in salt and half the flour. Let the bread work for about 2 minutes and then add the rest of the flour. Let mix for a good 5 minutes. Keeping the dough in your bowl, place dough, covered with a clean kitchen towel, in a warm area of your kitchen. I place my dough on the stove while the oven is preheating. Let the dough rise for at least an hour but up to 3 hours.

Filling:

1 stick butter
1 cup sugar
zest and juice of one large orange

In a small sauce pan over medium heat, melt the butter completely. Add the juice and zest of orange and sugar. Whisk together til sugar is completely dissolved and cook til bubbling. Set aside until assembly.

Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar
zest and juice of one large orange

Whisk all ingredients together until smooth and slightly runny. If your orange didn't give enough juice to make the glaze runny, you can add a touch of milk. Too thin? Add a bit more powdered sugar.

Assembly:

Once your dough has risen for at least an hour, pour it out onto a floured flat counter. Roll dough into a 16X12 inch rectangle. Spread the orange sugar filling all over the dough, using the back of a spoon to spread it to the edges of the dough. Roll the dough into a jelly roll. Cut dough into rolls about 3/4 inch thick and place in a greased 9X13 pan. Place rolls back in a warm area and let rise again for at least 30 minutes. Bake at 400 degrees for 15-18 minutes, or until golden brown on the edges. Remove from oven and spoon the glaze over each roll while still hot. Let cool slightly before eating.

Cheese-Stuffed Meatball Sliders with Homemade Marinara

Is there anything better than something stuffed with cheese? In my opinion, NO. Meatballs are pretty versatile and can be used in several dishes; lasagna, pasta, sliders, subs, pizza, as an appetizer by itself. So, when I make meatballs, I make a bigger batch, some to serve for dinner, and some to freeze for a later dinner.

Cheese-Stuffed Meatball Sliders

2 lbs 85/15 ground beef, thawed
2 eggs
3/4 c Italian bread crumbs
1/2 c grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 c milk
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 medium onion, diced small
1 T Kosher salt
1/2 T ground black pepper
1 tsp garlic powder

1/4 lb Muenster cheese, cut into 1/4 inch chunks, at least 24 pieces


In a large mixing bowl, mix together all ingredients with your hands (except the Muenster cheese).
Mix until all ingredients are mixed into ground beef. Roll into golf-ball sized meatballs. With your finger, poke a hole into the ball and stuff with a piece of Muenster cheese. Roll again to close the ball so the cheese does not show.

Heat a large skillet on med-high heat with 1 T vegetable oil. In batches, making sure not to crowd your pan, brown the meatballs on each side. They will NOT cook through. The rest of the cooking time will be in the sauce. Make sure you get a nice brown crust on each side of the meatball.

Yields about 24 meatballs

Marinara Sauce


1 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes
1 8 oz can of tomato sauce
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 medium onion, diced
2 tsp Kosher salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp Crushed Red Pepper
5 basil leaves minced
1 TBSP honey
olive oil

In a large saucepan, (large enough to hold sauce and all meatballs), heat up 1 TBSP Olive Oil over medium heat. Add garlic and onions and sweat them for about 2-3 minutes, careful not to burn the garlic. Add the crushed tomatoes, sauce, seasonings and honey. Stir all together. Turn heat to low and allow to simmer.

When all meatballs are browned, add them to the marinara sauce and allow them to cook through over low heat for about 20-30 minutes.

Serve on a small, soft roll, or sub roll. Can top with extra cheese if you would like it.

Spring Risotto

With Spring in the air, I am giddy with the possibilities of new Spring Veggies. The 60 degree weather we've been having is teasing me, I know it. But, this is a great recipe to use all the fresh vegetables hitting stores and farm stands soon.
 
Risotto always seemed intimidating to me, but once I tried it, I realized it was not only easy, but versatile. In the fall, take out the peas and asparagus and add roasted butternut squash. Or love mushrooms? Saute your favorite varieties and add those at the very end.

Disclaimer: Risotto usually uses white wine in the recipe, but since I don't partake, I created a recipe sans any alcohol. If you do happen to like wine, after you add the Arborio rice, add 1 cup of dry white wine.


Spring Risotto

2 T olive oil

1 shallot, diced

2 cups arborio rice

6-8 cups chicken broth or stock

1 bunch asparagus

1 cup frozen or fresh peas

1/2 c grated Parmesan

1 1/2 t salt (I prefer Kosher)

1/2 t pepper

In a large sauce pan, heat the chicken broth to just simmering. In a large saute pan, heat olive oil and saute shallots till translucent (about 5 minutes). Add arborio rice to saute pan and stir to cover rice with the oil/onion mixture. Once coated, add two ladles-full of broth at a time, stirring continuously. Add salt and pepper. Once all the broth has been absorbed, add another two ladles-full. While rice is cooking, cut the woody ends off the asparagus and throw away. Cut the remaining asparagus into three sections. It will need to be blanched briefly, and instead of dirtying another pan, I cook it for 3 minutes in the simmering broth. Continue adding two ladles-full of broth as soon as the previous broth is absorbed until all the broth is gone. Check doneness of risotto after 6 cups of broth are used, but may have to use up to 8 cups. Risotto is done when al dente, like pasta.  When you add the last of the broth, add your frozen peas, Parmesan and asparagus. The heat from the risotto will cook the peas immediately. Serve hot. Serves 6-8. You can half the recipe for 4-6 people.

Raised Yeast Waffles

I grew up in a home where everything was made from scratch, grown in the garden, and canned by my mom. I didn't even know what an Eggo waffle was until I was in college. And when I tried one, I was very disappointed. Poor Eggo didn't stand a chance against homemade waffles.

This is my mom's recipe and I haven't done one thing to the recipe. Why mess with perfection?


Raised Yeast Waffles (yields 12, 8 inch circle waffles)

1 c warm milk (Around 105 degrees F)
1 1/2 c warm water (same temp)
2 T sugar
1 T dry fast acting yeast
1/4 c vegetable oil
1 t salt
1 egg
3 c all purpose flour


 Preheat waffle iron. Mine has settings of 1-5 and I set it to 3 which gives the waffle a nice brown crust, If you like darker waffles, set it to a higher temp. As all waffles irons are different, follow the instructions on yours.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together milk, water, sugar and yeast. Let set for about 10 minutes to let the yeast activate. After ten minutes, whisk in the oil, salt, egg and half of the flour. Whisk until no more lumps. Add the rest of the flour and whisk until smooth.

Let the dough rise in a warm area for another 10 minutes. It will almost double in volume so be sure you've used a large enough mixing bowl.

My waffle iron makes 8 inch circles, so I use 1/3 c of batter for each waffle. Pour into an UNGREASED waffle iron and cook until done, about 3 minutes.

Serve with maple syrup, whipped cream and fruit, Nutella and fruit, or whatever toppings you like.

TIP: You can make them ahead of time and freeze them. When ready to eat, toast them in your bread toaster. I do this for easy breakfasts when we're in a hurry.

Honey Chipotle Taquitos

I LOVE sweet and spicy food. May be my favorite food combination. And this recipe fits the bill.

My family loves taquitos and I seem to make these quite often. They are quite easy to make, as the crockpot does most of the work. Try them today.

Honey Chipotle Taquitos

2 lb bone-in pork roast
7 oz can of chipotles in adobo
4 oz can of diced, roasted green chilies
3 TBSP honey
1 TBSP Kosher salt
1/2 TBSP ground black pepper
1/4 c water
1/2 c sour cream
20 corn tortillas
vegetable oil
2 c shredded cheddar cheese

In a crock pot, place the roast, and turn the heat to HIGH. Dice two chipotles and 2 TBSP of adobo sauce and smear onto the roast. Pour roasted chilies, honey, salt and water into the crock pot. Cook roast for 4-6 hours. The longer you let the roast cook, the more tender it will be. After at least 4 hours, take the roast out and shred it with two forks. Add the sour cream to the cooking liquid in the crock pot and stir until incorporated. Add the shredded pork back into the crockpot and turn it to LOW.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

In a non-stick skillet, heat up 1 tsp of oil over medium heat. Soften the corn tortillas for 20-30 seconds a side, or until pliable.

Once your tortillas are softened, fill the center of each one with about 2 TBSP of pork, and sprinkle with about 1 TBSP of cheese. Don't overfill or you will split the taquitos when you roll them.

Roll the taquitos and place them seam side down onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the edges of the tortilla are slightly browned.

Serve with salsa, sour cream or guacamole.

TIP: If you don't own a crockpot, bake the roast in a large, oven safe pan, covered in foil, at 350 degrees F for the same amount of time.

Pecan Sticky Buns

While cinnamon rolls may be from the Gods, pecan sticky buns may be from Hades because they are addictive and sinful. Sinfully good that is.

This is a pretty straight-forward recipe, using the same dough recipe that is used for my cinnamon rolls. If you're feeling ambitious, double the recipe and make both at the same time. Oh, ya. My kind of idea. And when you do, call me, I'll be there. And I wonder why my pants don't fit anymore...

Pecan Sticky Buns yields 15-18 rolls


Dough:

1 cup warm milk (between 105-115 degrees F)
1/3 cup melted butter (no margarine, that is of the devil)
1 T quick acting yeast
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 t salt
4 1/2 cups all purpose flour


Preheat oven to 400 F. In a stand mixer, (I use my Kitchen Aid) with the bread hook attachment, add the warm milk, melted butter, yeast and sugar. Set on low speed and let mix for 2 minutes. Turn mixer off and let yeast activate for 10 minutes. You might see bubbling, which is good. Very good. If your milk was too hot, you'll kill the yeast and have to start over. Good rule of thumb is to have the milk the same temp as bath water. Too hot for your fingers, too hot for yeast. After yeast has bloomed, add the eggs one at a time and let mix. Sprinkle in salt and half the flour. Let the bread work for about 2 minutes and then add the rest of the flour. Let mix for a good 5 minutes. Keeping the dough in your bowl, place dough, covered with a clean kitchen towel, in a warm area of your kitchen. I place my dough on the stove while the oven is preheating. Let the dough rise for at least an hour but up to 3 hours.


Filling:

1 cup brown sugar
2 1/2 T ground cinnamon, the best you can find
1 cup roasted pecans, chopped
1/3 c melted butter
Pour 2 cups of whole pecans onto a baking sheet and roast in the  400 degree oven for 5-8 minutes, or until toasted. You will use 1 cup of pecans for the filling and the other cup for the caramel topping. Chop one cup of the pecans until finely chopped. Stir together the brown sugar and cinnamon. Set all ingredients aside for assembly.

Caramel Sauce:

1 stick butter
1 c brown sugar
1/4 tsp Kosher salt
1/4 c heavy cream
1 cup toasted whole pecans

Butter a 9X13 casserole dish and set aside. In a medium sauce pan, melt the butter. Add the brown sugar and cook till sugar is completely dissolved and smooth, about 5-7 minutes. Take off heat and add the salt and heavy cream. Stir till cream is completely incorporated. Pour caramel sauce into the prepared 9X13 pan, spreading it evenly over the bottom. Sprinkle the caramel with the whole pecans and set aside.

Assembly:

Once your dough has risen for at least an hour, pour it out onto a floured flat counter. Roll dough into a 16X12 inch rectangle. Spread the melted butter into the dough. Sprinkle the cinnamon brown sugar all over the dough, using your hand to smear it evenly to all the edges of the dough. Sprinkle the dough with the chopped pecans.  Roll the dough into a jelly roll. Cut dough into rolls about 3/4 inch thick. Place in the caramel sauce,  12 rolls per pan. Place rolls back in a warm area and let rise again for at least 30 minutes. Bake at 400 degrees for 15-18 minutes, or until golden brown on the edges. Remove from oven and immediately turn the rolls out onto a cookie sheet, being careful of the hot caramel sauce. Scoop any pecans and caramel out of the 9X13 pan and spread onto the rolls. Ready to eat.

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cupcakes with Grasshopper Frosting

I've been on a baking kick lately, selling treats to raise funds for the National MS Society, to help find a cure. I've been posting pics on Facebook and Instagram of the treats and people have been asking for the recipes. So here is yet another cupcake recipe.

Just like it's vanilla counterpart, this is a basic recipe that you can add to to make a unique flavor.
At the end of the recipe, I will add additions that you might want to try and also a basic cream cheese frosting that you can also add to.

This recipe is also based on one found in Family Circle, but again, I made some subtle changes to work for me.


Chocolate Cupcakes yield 15-18 cupcakes

1 stick butter, softened
1 c sugar
2 eggs
1/2 c sour cream
1 t vanilla
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 c unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 c all purpose flour
2/3 c water

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line muffin tins with paper liners. In a stand mixer, or a mixing bowl with a hand mixer, cream together softened butter and sugar until smooth, about 3 minutes. Add eggs and beat together. Add sour cream, vanilla, baking powder and soda, and salt and mix until well incorporated. Add the cocoa powder and mix on low speed til totally mixed. Add 3/4 of the flour and mix well. Add ALL the water and mix. Add the last 3/4 c of the flour and mix well. Using a one ounce ice cream scoop, divide the batter into the liners. Bake at 325 degrees F for 20-25, or until done. Let cool completely before frosting.

Tip: I add about 1 cup of mini, semi-sweet chocolate chips into the batter before baking to add extra boost of chocolate and moistness.


Basic Cream Cheese Frosting: enough for 18-24 cupcakes

1 stick butter, softened
6 oz of cream cheese, softened
1 TBSP vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
2-3 c powdered sugar

In a large mixing bowl, cream together softened butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add vanilla and salt and mix well. Add 1 1/2 c powdered sugar and mix on low until well incorporated. Add up to another 1 1/2 c of powdered sugar, to the desired thickness of frosting is made. Use can use an offset spatula to frost cupcakes, or spoon into a piping bag with a 1 MM tip to pipe onto cupcakes.



For variations of cupcakes, you can be as creative as you want:

Nutella Cupcakes:

Add one entire jar of Nutella to the batter at the same time you add the sour cream.
For the frosting, add 1/2 jar of Nutella into the cream cheese and butter mixture and beat. Top with a strawberry.

 

 

 

Salted Caramel Cupcakes:

When you have filled the cupcake liners with batter, poke a chocolate covered caramel into the middle. ie: Milk Duds
For the frosting, add 2/3 c of prepared caramel sauce and add 1 1/2 t of Kosher salt right after you cream together the butter and cream cheese. This frosting will NOT get thick, it's more of a glaze. Top with a chocolate covered caramel after frosting.

 

Grasshopper:

Unwrap 28 pieces of Andes Mint Candies and melt in microwave in 20 second increments until completely melted. Add to the frosting right after you cream together cream cheese and butter. Garnish with a mint chocolate cookie or more Andes Candies.

Peanut Butter Cupcakes

Melt 1/2 cup of creamy PB in the microwave for 30 seconds or until soft and pourable. Add to the frosting base after you cream together cream cheese and butter. Beat for about 5 minutes. It will look crumbly. Add the salt, vanilla, and powdered sugar. Still may be crumbly. Add about 2 TBSP of milk and it will come together. Garnish with chocolate chips or PB chocolate candies.

Triple Chocolate Cupcakes:

Add 1/2 c unsweetened cocoa powder to mixture after you've cream together cream cheese and butter. Garnish with chocolate chips.

Go crazy and make cupcakes! Tell me your thoughts and ideas for cupcakes. Soon I will be featuring Key Lime Cupcakes!

Chicken Tikka Masala

Being half Indian people expect me just know how to bust out some Indian cuisine like that or know all the customs. But, we didn't grow up like that. My mom was a white woman, a farmer's daughter from Utah, who happened to marry an Indian. She loved the Indian culture and tried to teach us what she could. But, we grew up like most Americans. Eating regular American food. When my mom did attempt Indian cooking, she Americanized it so much for our tastes, that it was Indian food in name only. She was an amazing cook and baker, but Indian food was not her forte, probably because we wouldn't eat it if she had made it correctly.

As I have gotten older and my tastes have changed and matured,  I have longed to know how to make authentic Indian cuisine and cooking. It's hard, people. Usually there's like 10-15 spices per dish. Whenever I go out to dinner at an Indian restaurant, I always order the same thing. Chicken Tikka Masala. So good. So creamy. So spicy. So expensive.

So, I decided to jump in and try to make it at home. And what I've come up with tastes very close to my favorite Indian restaurant.  I have taken inspiration from cookbooks I found after my mom past away, The Pioneer Woman, and Aarti Paarti on the Food Network. I took little things from each and made this my own.

(And to boost confidence in this recipe, my Indian dad thinks it's authentic tasting. Ya, baby.)

Chicken Tikka Masala

6 ounce carton of plain Greek yogurt
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
salt and pepper
2 T butter
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 inch piece of fresh garlic, grated
2 T garam masala (spice mixture recipe at end of recipe)
juice of one lemon
1 Serrano chile pepper
1 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes
1 8 oz  can of tomato sauce
1 c heavy cream
1 T honey


Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Cut chicken breasts into bite size chunks. In a bowl, rub the chicken with the Greek yogurt and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place chicken on a baking rack that is set on a cookie sheet. Bake chicken for about 20 minutes, or until cooked through. While the chicken is baking, melt the better in a very large sauté pan over medium heat.  Add the minced garlic, diced onion and grated ginger. TIP: If you don't have a micro-plane or a zester, use the small side of your cheese grater to grate the ginger.  Sprinkle with salt to release the juices and sweat them for about 5 minutes. Add the garam masala seasonings and cook the spices for another 1-2 minutes. Squeeze in the fresh lemon juice and stir the spice mixture, careful not to burn them. Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, cream, honey and stir well. To add extra heat, poke several holes into the Serrano pepper and add to the sauce. If you want MORE heat, dice the Serrano pepper and add it in. I find just poking holes in it makes it a nice medium heat. Cook the sauce for about 10 more minutes to let the flavors marry. When chicken is done baking, add it to the sauce and stir to coat the chicken. Serve over basmati rice. Can be garnished with fresh cilantro.



Garam Masala:

You can buy the mix at some grocery stores but I have not found it lately, so I resorted to making my own mixture. It makes quite a bit, so I store it in a plastic container.

1 T ground cinnamon
1 T ground coriander
1 T ground black pepper
1/2 T ground cayenne
1 T ground ginger
1 T ground cardamom
1 T ground nutmeg
1 t ground cloves
1 T ground fennel seed

Vanilla Cupcakes with Raspberry Cream Frosting

Cupcakes are so fun and easy to make. I love making different flavor combinations. And with just a plain vanilla recipe, you can dress it up or down anyway you like. The combinations are limitless.

And while I cannot take full credit for this recipe, as I based it on one I found in Family Circle Magazine, it has served me well.

I have made slight variations based on my baking this recipe. I don't think sifting dry ingredients is necessary and I've also changed amounts of certain ingredients and added others.

Vanilla Cupcakes

1 stick butter, softened
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 t salt
1 1/2 t baking powder
1 1/2 t baking soda
2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 c water

Place paper liners in muffin pans. Yields about 18 cupcakes, or 36 mini cupcakes.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

In a large mixing bowl, combine softened butter and sugar, creaming together until smooth with a hand mixer or stand mixer. Once smooth, add eggs and beat well. Add vanilla, salt, baking soda and powder. Mix until well incorporated. Add ONE cup of the flour and mix well. Add ALL the water and mix again. Add last cup of flour and mix. Using a one ounce ice cream scooper, scoop batter into the paper liners. Bake at 325 degrees F for 20-25 minutes, or until baked through. You can test doneness by lightly pressing your finger in the middle of the cupcake. If you see a fingerprint, they are not done. if it bounces back, they are done. BUT BE CAREFUL. Obviously they are hot.

Remove from oven when done, allow to cool completely before frosting.


Raspberry Cream Frosting

1 1/2 c heavy whipping cream
1/2 c powdered sugar
1 1/2 t vanilla
1 cup fresh raspberries, mashed

In a large mixing bowl, using whisk attachment on your stand mixer, or using a hand mixer, beat heavy cream and powdered sugar, on low speed for the first minute, and turning speed to high, until stiff peaks form. Add vanilla and beat for another 30 seconds until well incorporated. In a separate bowl, mash fresh raspberries. Fold the raspberries gently into the whipped cream , trying not to deflate the cream's airiness. You can either pipe the frosting onto the cooled cupcakes, or if you are not brave enough, just use a butter knife and frost the top. Garnish the top with a fresh raspberry and dust with powdered sugar.

THESE CUPCAKES MUST BE KEPT IN FRIDGE AND COVERED. Whipped cream must be kept cold so keep these in the fridge please.

Fettucine with Roasted Grape Tomatoes and Basil

The other night, I was craving pasta, but something simple and fresh. I looked to see what I had around the house and threw all this together. It was ah-mazing. I may or may not have gotten up around midnight and eaten some more straight from the fridge.

Fettucine with Roasted Grape Tomatoes and Basil

1 pound fettucine
1 pint grape tomatoes (or cherry tomatoes)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup heavy cream (or half and half to lighten it up)
1/2 c Parmesan cheese
5-6 leaves of fresh basil, torn
Olive oil
salt and pepper

In a large pasta pot, bring 10 cups of water to a boil. Salt water liberally once it comes to a boil (about 1/4 c salt). Place fettucine in boiling water to cook for about 12 minutes. Read your pasta's instructions for exact cooking times. While pasta is cooking, place grape tomatoes on a cookie sheet. Sprinkle with olive oil and salt and pepper. Use hands to make sure every tomato is seasoned. Place in a 400 degree oven and roast to tomatoes burst, about 8-10 minutes. In a large sauté pan, add 2 T olive oil and the minced garlic. Saute over medium heat for about 2-3 minutes. Add cream and let simmer til thickened slightly, about 5 minutes. When pasta is done, drain and place pasta into the cream sauce. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, roasted tomatoes, fresh basil and toss. Taste to check for seasoning. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

Cinnamon Rolls

Ahh, the cinnamon roll. Is there anything better? Buttery dough, spicy cinnamon and sweet brown sugar with a cream cheese frosting. I gain 5 pounds just thinking of them. Now, if you've ever eaten a "mall cinnamon roll", and you know to which I refer, then you will love this recipe. In all honesty, it may be BETTER than those found while browsing at American Eagle. It does take some time to make, but all good things come to those who wait. Doing so patiently is up to you.

Cinnamon Rolls (yields between 15-18 rolls, depending on size)

Dough:

1 cup warm milk (between 105-115 degrees F)
1/3 cup melted butter (no margarine, that is of the devil)
1 T quick acting yeast
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 t salt
4 1/2 cups all purpose flour


Preheat oven to 400 F. In a stand mixer, (I use my Kitchen Aid) with the bread hook attachment, add the warm milk, melted butter, yeast and sugar. Set on low speed and let mix for 2 minutes. Turn mixer off and let yeast activate for 10 minutes. You might see bubbling, which is good. Very good. If your milk was too hot, you'll kill the yeast and have to start over. Good rule of thumb is to have the milk the same temp as bath water. Too hot for your fingers, too hot for yeast. After yeast has bloomed, add the eggs one at a time and let mix. Sprinkle in salt and half the flour. Let the bread work for about 2 minutes and then add the rest of the flour. Let mix for a good 5 minutes. Keeping the dough in your bowl, place dough, covered with a clean kitchen towel, in a warm area of your kitchen. I place my dough on the stove while the oven is preheating. Let the dough rise for at least an hour but up to 3 hours.

While dough is rising, you can make the filling and the frosting.

Filling:

1 cup brown sugar
2 1/2 T ground cinnamon, the best you can find
1/3 c melted butter

In a bowl, mix together brown sugar and cinnamon thoroughly. DO NOT add butter to it. The butter will go on the dough before the cinnamon mixture. Set aside till ready to use.

Frosting:

3 ounces softened cream cheese
1/4 cup softened butter (this is half a stick of butter)
1 1/2 c powdered sugar
1/2 t vanilla (no imitation vanilla)
1/8 t Kosher salt

In a large mixing bowl, cream together cream cheese and butter, til there are no lumps. If it is NOT room temp, it will be lumpy and will not cream together easily. Once creamed together, add powdered sugar, vanilla and salt. MIX ON LOWEST SPEED or you and your kitchen will be covered in sugar. Mix until all powdered sugar is well incorporated. Set aside till ready to use.

Making the rolls:

Once your dough has risen for at least an hour, pour it out onto a floured flat counter. Roll dough into a 16X12 inch rectangle. Spread the melted butter into the dough. Sprinkle the cinnamon brown sugar all over the dough, using your hand to smear it evenly to all the edges of the dough. Roll the dough into a jelly roll. Cut dough into rolls about 3/4 inch thick. Place in a buttered 9X13 inch pan, 12 rolls per pan. Place rolls back in a warm area and let rise again for at least 30 minutes. Bake at 400 degrees for 15-18 minutes, or until golden brown on the edges. Remove from oven and immediately frost with the cream cheese frosting.

They may take awhile, but they are well worth it. Let me know your thoughts!

Welcome to the Life and Love of ALL Things Food Related

 I am a home cook, wife, and mother to four crazy boys, doing mental health checks hourly to see if I am indeed still sane. I love to cook but sometimes don't get to do it as often as I like, or even get to cook the ideas I have in my head because of the pickiness of the  aforementioned nutcase boys I mother. Launching a cooking and baking blog was not something that was ever on my radar, but some friends asked me to start one. Always a people pleaser, who am I to argue? So here we go, off to The Kitch with T Mitch.

PS If you have any suggestions for recipes or having anything specific you want to know or see, please leave a message in the comments. Thanks!