Bourbon Gingersnap Ham (Alton Brown's City Ham)

Easter Ham!  They're plastered all over the grocery ads and commercials right now, but you weren't quite sure what you'd do with one this year.  Right?  How about something a little different, but a lot delicious?  And easy, to boot?

Enter Alton Brown's "City Ham."  This recipe has been floating around in my head for - I kid you not - at least 7 years.  And I finally just got around to making it!  I'm not sure why on earth I stalled in making it; it's awesome stuff.  Bo even declared it the best ham he's ever had.  And I have to say, I loved that it was easy to make and didn't involve any guesswork.  But that's what's wonderful about Alton Brown's recipes; they are science-y and detailed and easy to follow.

Halloween Idea: Silly Spider Cupcakes

Hello from Syracuse!  Yep, I'm travelling again.  But, this should be my last trip for October, and then..... we move into our new house!  I'm so, so, so excited that I can't even hardly talk about it for fear I'll jinx it all.  We have 22 more days until we get our keys, because we close on our house on HALLOWEEN!  How fun is that?!

Homemade Candy Corn

And without further adieu, I present to you... Homemade Candy Corn!!

This stuff is so fun!  I was prepared for the recipe to take up most of my day, but it actually came together in a couple of hours.  This would be a fantastic recipe to make with kids, because it uses all their amazing playdough snake-rolling skills :)  And if you have a kid-safe plastic knife, they could even do the cutting steps too.

Friday Fun: Foodie Holiday Calendar

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Huge thanks to The Kitchn for posting this link!  I was lamenting to Bo (well, he was lamenting, actually) that I'd missed National Cheesecake Day - July 30.  And I'd missed National Ice Cream Sandwich Day - August 2.  And apparently, my birthday is National Cherry Pie Day?!  Odd, considering that cherries don't come in season until the heat of summer!  Anyway, I've always wanted to know what food holidays were coming up, so that I could do something to celebrate.

Strawberry Lime Granitas

Yum, yum, yum, yum, YUM!  This little recipe is just way too easy and delicious to skip!

It's a bit like an amazing strawberry-lime slushy popsicle you eat with a spoon.  And with only 3 ingredients, and no need for an ice cream maker, it's seriously your new favorite thing.  You can mix this up with other fruits (watermelon, anyone?!) and citrus; just follow the same basic steps.

Apricot Glazed Carrots

I have to admit - the idea of a glaze on cooked carrots didn't immediately appeal to me.  But I kept bumping into recipes and commenters who raved about how much their kids loved the recipes.  So I figured, if kids love it, it can't be too far out there in the Fancy Food Galaxy, right?

Guinness Molasses Bread with Cinnamon Honey Butter

I'm so excited for this St. Patrick's Day recipe!  Last year's Irish Soda Bread was yummy, but this recipe for Guinness Molasses Bread knocks its socks off with simplicity and speed.  I mean, look down there - only six ingredients!  No eggs, no fat, and all you do is stir, pour, and bake.

Vanilla Pound Cake Cupcakes with Raspberry Filling and Cream Cheese Frosting

Ok, I'm about to share some of my favorite recipes with you here.  Favorite.

Favorite.

Favorite.

This little cupcake was dreamt up when a friend and I were testing recipes for her wedding.  And these babies made their debut at her wedding reception.  They're that good.

You start with a Pound Cake Cupcake.  We chose a pound cake recipe because my issue with standard cupcake recipes is that they end up a little on the dry side, and don't even think about trying to eat them the next day - you'll need 4 glasses of water to get them down.  Not so with pound cake.  It maintains its moisture over a couple of days, and the flavor is just so buttery and delicious.  Another thing that makes my heart flutter is the easy measurements for the recipe.  It's a cinch to 1/2 or 1/3, or even 2/3 the recipe!  When I made these last weekend, I made 2/3 the cupcake recipe below to end up with 2 dozen cupcakes.

The Raspberry Filling is perfectly raspberry-punched without being overly sweet.  I choose to leave a few of the seeds in (rather than strain them all out) so that the filling doesn't look imitation.  I like it to look a little jammy and definitely homemade.

And, that Cream Cheese Frosting is a hybrid of a standard buttercream frosting and a full-on cream cheese frosting, like you'd expect on a carrot cake.  It adds a little bit of tart to contrast with the sweetness from the cupcake and filling, but it isn't so tangy that it overpowers the rest of your cupcake.

I'm seriously so excited to share these recipes with you.  They're so pretty and just perfect for Valentine's Day.  They're a bit over the top, but definitely have that homemade, homestyle flavor that I think is essential for baking up treats to share.  I hope you love them just as much as I do!

Sugar Rush!!!!!

         

Vanilla Pound Cake Cupcakes

1 1/2 c. (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
3 c. (603g) sugar
6 eggs
3 c. (336g) cake flour
1 c. milk (2% or whole)
2 tsp. vanilla extract

Cream butter and sugar together, until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Beat in one cup of the flour, then 1/2 cup of the milk. Continue alternating (flour-milk-flour), ending with the last cup of flour. Beat on medium-high for two minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Fill cupcake liners 1/2 full. Place on middle rack of cold oven and set temperature to 275 degrees. Set timer for one hour, and bake until cupcakes pass the toothpick test. Makes 36 cupcakes. (Half recipe yields ~19 cupcakes, third recipe yields ~12 cupcakes.)

Raspberry Filling for Cakes and Cupcakes

12oz. package of frozen raspberries
2/3 c. water
3/4 c. sugar
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 Tbsp. cornstarch, dissolved in 1/4 c. water

In a saucepan, combine the raspberries, water, sugar, and lemon juice. Bring to a boil and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the raspberries have broken down. Remove the mixture from the heat and strain with a fine mesh sieve. Return the strained mixture to the heat. Whisk the cornstarch slurry into the raspberry mixture. Bring the mixture back to a boil and simmer 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and cool completely. Will thicken like a jelly as it cools. Makes about 1 ½ cups and fills 48 cupcakes.

Cream Cheese Frosting

2, 8oz. packages cream cheese, softened
1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
6 c. sifted powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract

In a large mixer bowl and using the whisk attachment, cream together the cream cheese and butter until light and creamy. Mix in the vanilla, then gradually beat in the powdered sugar until smooth, scraping the bowl often.  Will generously frost 24 cupcakes.

         

 To fill cupcakes:

I've used those cupcake filling tools, but my favorite tool is an apple corer.
They work better, and you probably already have one on hand.

Place end of apple corer over the center of the cupcake and twist downward, to about 2/3 of the way down the cupcake.  Twist back upward and push the cake plug out of the corer.  Optional:  Snack on all the cupcake centers until you feel woozy from the sugar overload. (Just me?)

Pour your room temperature raspberry filling into a disposable pastry bag or large ziploc.

(You can store the filling for about a week in the fridge, so it can be made ahead.)

Fill cupcake centers just until level with their tops.

Frost, and then take a bite and swoon from the amazing creation you just put together.

Creme Brulee

Wooooeeeeee, this week has been a doozy.  These long, stressful work days have been taking their toll, and I keep daydreaming about that amazing Creme Brulee I made on Saturday.  You know - the recipe I only got five bites of because of my body's ridiculousness with dairy.  Le sigh.

But, now it's time to shift our focus to Valentine's Day treats!  February is my favorite month for treats (hint), and one of my favorite traditions is making Creme Brulee for Bo.  I made it for the first time for our first Valentine's Day together, because it's his favorite dessert.  But, I love it because anything that reminds me of "Amelie" is worth squealing about :)

I'll be honest - the first time I made Creme Brulee, I was freaked out about it.  But really, you just whisk a few ingredients and bake it in ramekins set in a water bath.  After they're chilled, bust out your trusty kitchen torch and give it a crunchy topping.  Done!

Tap Tap on the Sugar Top,

         

Crème Brûlée
adapted from Elegantly Easy Creme Brulee

8 egg yolks
1/3 c. sugar
2 c. heavy cream
1 tsp. vanilla bean paste or extract
1/4 c. sugar (for the caramelized tops)

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  In a large bowl, whisk together egg yolks and 1/3 c. sugar until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is thick and pale yellow.  Add cream and vanilla, and continue to whisk until well blended.  Strain into a large bowl, skimming off any foam or bubbles.

Place a paper towel into a large baking dish and arrange 6 ramekins in it spaced evenly apart.  Divide egg custard mixture among the ramekins.  Place baking dish on middle rack of oven, and fill the dish with warm water, until the level reaches halfway up the sides of the ramekins.

Bake until custards are set around the edges, but still loose in the center, about 40-50 minutes.  (Longer baking time may be necessary for larger or deeper ramekins.)  Remove baking dish from the oven and leave ramekins in the water bath until cooled.  Remove from water bath and chill for at least 2 hours, or up to 2 days.

When ready to serve, sprinkle about 2 teaspoons of sugar over each custard.  Use a kitchen torch to melt sugar, or place under a broiler until the sugar melts.  Re-chill custards for a few minutes before serving.  Makes 6 individual custards.

         

Ingredient Lineup:

When you first mix the sugar into the egg yolks, it's a dark yellow color.

After whisking, the mixture will turn pale in color and become thicker.

Pour the custard mixture through a fine mesh sieve to strain.

Place a paper towel into a large baking dish and arrange ramekins evenly spaced.

Pour custard mixture into ramekins to half full.

Place the baking dish onto the middle rack of your oven and pour in warm water so that it reaches halfway up the sides of the ramekins.

Divide sugar among the 6 ramekins and use a kitchen torch to melt the sugar.

A Peppermint Pause for the Holidays

Good Morning!

I just wanted to stop in to say that I'm going to disappear on you for a bit over the next couple of weeks.

You see, I'm always fighting an internal battle of being "in the moment," and during times when my task lists are a million miles long, I especially struggle with enjoying the here and now.  So this year, I'm vowing to let things fall off my gargantuan to-do list.  I'm allowing myself to be ok with doing less.  I'm embracing my inner slacker.  And, as a result, I'm really going to soak in the spirit of Christmas, and that alone makes my heart beat a little faster.

I had a handful of recipes I wanted to post this week, but I let my weekend get jammed with holiday crafting and baking and shopping and sitting with piping hot coffee.  And, honestly, all I can say is, "ahhhhh..."  I'm feeling much more centered already.  And after tomorrow night, my task list will be empty.  Which means that I can fill my evenings with Christmas movies and board games and a baking session or two.  Ahhhhhh...

I hope your holidays are magical and peaceful and filled with things that bring you contentment!

Happiness, Laughter, Love, and Vitality,



p.s.  I've put together a collection of past holiday recipes for easy reference.  Just look up to the new tab above or click this link!  CHRISTMAS COOKIES & CANDIES

Caramel Nut Pops

I've been lucky enough to have my parents visiting for a week, so of course I demanded that my mom jump into the kitchen with me to make Christmas candies :)  How could I pass up the chance to soak up some of her wisdom and snap a few photos to share?

These little pops are a twist on a candy my mom has made since before I was born.  She makes this candy in a log roll shape, but we thought it would be cute on a stick.  Because sticks and ribbons make everything cute, am I right?  Right.  Plus, making them in individual portions makes it easier to share as gifts.

Later this week, I'll be posting our adventures making marshmallows from scratch (totally messy, totally fun)!

Candy Land,

Caramel Nut Roll Pops

1/2 lb. (230g) Kraft Caramels, 28-30 caramels
1/4 c. evaporated milk
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
2 c. sifted powdered sugar *
36 regular marshmallows
1 1/2 c. chopped peanuts or pecans

lollipop sticks
white melting chocolate or white chocolate chips

In a double boiler over a medium boil, melt the butter with the evaporated milk.  Add caramels and melt until smooth, stirring often.  Stir in powdered sugar and stir until smooth.  Remove from heat and dip marshmallows into caramel and then roll in chopped nuts.  Allow to cool and set on parchment or wax paper.  Melt white chocolate in the microwave at 50% power, stirring every 30 seconds.  Dip end of sticks into melted chocolate and poke into marshmallows.  Allow chocolate to cool and harden before handling.  Store in an airtight container or wrap in individual bags with ribbon.

* Note: Sift the powdered sugar before measuring.

         

         

Ingredient Lineup:

In a double boiler, melt butter with evaporated milk.

Add the caramels:

 And melt, stirring often, until smooth.

Add sifted powdered sugar:

The powdered sugar will be lumpy at first:

But keep stirring until smooth:

Hold each marshmallow by the edges, and dip into the caramel.

Stir caramel often so that it doesn't become too thick to easily dip the marshmallows.

Roll the dipped edge in chopped pecans or peanuts.

Allow to cool on parchment or wax paper.

Dip the ends of sticks into melted white chocolate

and poke into each marshmallow.

Once cooled, bag and tie off with ribbon.