Peanut Butter and Julie

Pumpkin Spice Graveyard Cake with Shortbread Headstones

I have two favorite Halloween-themed movies, both of which I look forward to watching every year--and their plots could not be further from each other on the Halloween spectrum.  One of the movies, It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!, has been (and, I'm a little embarrassed to say, still is) part of my gearing up for October 31 ritual for as long as I can remember.  Even though I have seen this classic cartoon so many times that I can recite the lines with Lucy, Linus, and Pig-Pen, watching poor Charlie Brown cut too many holes in his ghost costume, so that he resembles swiss cheese, never grows old.

The second movie, in my opinion, is by far the scariest movie that has ever been produced.  The music alone is enough to send chills up my spine, and even though I know the plot inside-out, to this day I cannot watch the entire feature without diving into the couch pillows to cover my eyes.  Does the expressionless white mask of Michael Myers ring a bell?  The movie that I am referring to is John Carpenter's Halloween, the horror flick that set the precedent for every teen slasher since 1978.  My dad and I started watching this film together on Halloween, once I was too old to trick-or-treat (but apparently not too old to have post-movie nightmares.)  The plus side of watching this movie, at least for me, is that I love a good scare every so often.  The negative side?  Very few "scary movies" live up to their genre, as I am always comparing them to Halloween. 

Another thing that I love about Halloween is that it allows for so much fun and creativity in the kitchen.  Pumpkins, bats, spider-webs, witch hats, and ghosts all serve as inspiration for brightly decorated sugar cookies and cupcakes.  Titles like "ghoul-osh" or "witch's brew chicken stew" add character to ordinary recipes.  I look at this graveyard cake as a happy medium between the whimsical and cartoony (is that a word?) nature of the Charlie Brown special and the bone-chilling spookiness of Halloween.  A "great pumpkin" cake topped with a rich chocolate glaze serves as the graveyard in which espresso-flavored shortbread headstones reside.  Cookies and cake in one dessert?  Definitely a treat!  Here are some extra tips for this spooky sweet Halloween treat:

• The shortbread dough can be wrapped in plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 1 week.  Let soften slightly before rolling out.  If the dough has become too soft after you shape the tombstones, then refrigerate the baking sheet for 20 minutes prior to baking.  This will firm up the dough and help the tombstones to retain their shapes.
• Instead of using chocolate to decorate the tombstones, feel free to use decorating tubes (found in the baking aisle) of various colors.  If you do not have a piping bad and tips, you can also place the chocolate in a zip-top bag and snip off a small corner to simulate a piping bag.
• Cutting out a piece of cardboard to unmold the cake on makes it easier to move the cake once iced and decorated.  Size the cardboard slightly smaller than the cake itself, and wrap it in foil.  You can also unmold the cake directly onto a serving platter. 
• Instead of adding chocolate chips to the cake batter, try adding golden or black raisins, cranberries, currants, or chopped nuts.
• If you don't have all of the dried spices called for in the ingredients, you can substitute pumpkin pie spice, which is usually a combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice (and occasionally ginger and cloves.)

Pumpkin Spice Graveyard Cake with Shortbread Headstones

Serves 12-16

Ingredients:

For the shortbread headstones

2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon espresso powder

1 cup butter, softened

2/3 cup confectioner's sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

For the cake

3 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground allspice

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 cup light brown sugar, packed

1 cup canola or safflower oil

4 large eggs

1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Zest from 1 orange

3/4 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips

3/4 cup sweetened flaked coconut

For the glaze

2/3 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons honey

10 ounces finely chopped semisweet chocolate

For the shortbread dough:  Whisk together the flour, salt, and espresso powder in a medium bowl.  In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes.  Beat in the vanilla.  Beat in the flour mixture.  Transfer the dough to plastic wrap, flatten into a disk, and wrap.  Refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour. 

Prepare the cake:  Preheat the oven to 350F degrees.  Spray a 9X13X2 inch baking pan with non-stick baking spray. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, salt, and nutmeg; set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the sugars with the oil until well combined.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.  Add the pumpkin, vanilla, and orange peel, beating until well combined.  Add the flour mixture and beat until incorporated.  Mix in the chocolate chips and the coconut. 

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.  Bake until a toothpic k inserted into the center emerges clean, 40-50 minutes.  Cool the cake completely in the pan on a wire rack.

Bake the shortbread:  Preheat the oven to 275F degrees.  On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the shortbread dough to 1/8-inch thick.  Using a paring knife, cut out "tombstone" shapes, consisting of a flat bottom, slanted sided, and a rounded top.  Cut out 12 tombstones and transfer them to a parchment-lined baking sheet.  Bake the cookies until set but not browned, about 25 minutes.  Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.

Prepare the chocolate glaze:  Stir together the cream and the honey in a small saucepan; bring just to a boil.  Remove the saucepan from the heat, add the chocolate, and stir until smooth.

Set the cake, top-side up, on a wire rack over a baking sheet lined with foil.  Pour the warm chocolate glaze over the cake.  Using a small offset spatula or knife, gently smooth the glaze over the top of the cake, letting it drip down the sides.  Let stand at room temperature or refrigerate until set.

Decorate the tombstones:  Melt the 3 ounces of chocolate in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring constantly.  Let the chocolate stand until cool but not stiff.  Transfer to a pastry bag fitted with a very small round tip.  Pipe designs and "RIP" on cookies.  Top the cake with some of the tombstones and serve the remaining cookies on the side. 

Marshmallow Skeleton Bones with Wicked Hot Cocoa

I'm in a bit of a hurry today, as I have been summoned to beautiful downtown Las Vegas (the area where they film most of those gritty C.S.I. episodes) to attend jury duty.  Somehow, I have managed to avoid being selected up until now, but I knew that eventually my luck would run out.  On the plus side, I'll be able to spend my time, in what I'm certain will be a beautifully appointed and luxurious waiting area, working my way through at least a few of the magazines that I have stacked upon my nightstand.  Maybe I'll even get a jumpstart on my Thanksgiving menu. 

I'm sorry that I'm going to be spending the majority of today indoors, as this is the first day of the year that has started to really feel like fall.  In terms of Las Vegas, this means that the highs are only in the 70s, and there are a few gusts of wind.  Brrrrrrrr!!!  As far as the weather, this is my favorite time of year.  The blazing heat has vanished, and it becomes cool enough at night to open the windows and feel the fresh air on your cheeks as you snuggle under the covers.  It's ideal for enjoying a steaming mug of hot spiced cocoa topped with a fluffy homemade marshmallow, out on the patio before bed. 

The first time that I made homemade marshmallows, I was surprised by how simple the process was.  It's really just a matter of following directions very carefully and preparing your workspace.  The sense of accomplishment more than makes up for any sticky mess that is created, and the ooey-gooey deliciousness is ten times better than the store-bought variety.  In the spirit of Halloween, I thought that it would be fun to shape the marshmallows like skeleton bones to serve with some "wicked" spicy hot cocoa.  This recipe for cocoa (so called because it is made from cocoa powder, as opposed to hot chocolate, which is made from melted chocolate) is inspired by the chili infused drink featured in the movie Chocolat.  Adding a spicy kick to the cocoa adds a nice contrast to the sweet, rich chocolate and milk combination, and the melting marshmallows will also help to "mellow" out the spice.  Here are a few extra tips for making these devilish drinks and menacing marshmallows:

• The marshmallow bones will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.
• If you prefer your hot chocolate to be extra frothy, then pulse it with an immersion blender or in a regular blender a few times before pouring it into mugs.  Be sure to strain the spices first!
• If you don't have a pastry bag and a round tip for piping the marshmallows, then simply fill a large zip-top bag with the marshmallow meringue, cut off a corner, and you have a perfect substitute.  Be sure to hold the top of the bag with one fist and guide the bottom with the other.  This way, the marshmallow will not seep out the top of the bag.
• Star anise, cardamom pods, cloves, and cinnamon sticks can all usually be found in the spice section of your grocery store.  Ethnic food stores, such as Asian markets, tend to sell them at a much lower price than traditional grocers.  You can also substitute ground spices.  I recommend 1/2 teaspoon cardamom, 1/4 teaspoon cloves, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, and 1/8 teaspoon anise.  Feel free to adjust these amounts to your taste.
• Instead of using vanilla to flavor the marshmallows, try using peppermint, almond, or coconut extract.

Marshmallow Skeleton Bones with Wicked Hot Cocoa

Makes about 20 bones and 6 cups hot chocolate

For the marshmallow bones

Ingredients:

3/4 cup cold water, divided

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons light corn syrup

Confectioner's sugar for dusting

Line 2 baking sheets with waxed paper or parchment paper sprayed with nonstick spray.  Combine 1/2 cup of the cold water and the vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.  Sprinkle the gelatin over the top and let stand until softened, about 5 minutes.

In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, remaining 1/4 cup cold water, and the corn syrup.  Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring often.  Continue to cook the mixture, washing down the sides of the saucepan with a wet pastry brush, until the mixture registers between 234 and 240F degrees on a candy thermometer.  Remove from the heat.

On high speed, whisk the gelatin mixture for 30 seconds.  With the machine running, carefully pour the hot sugar mixture down the side of the bowl in a slow, steady stream.  Whisk the mixture until very fluffy and almost stiff, about 8 to 10 minutes.  Transfer the mixture to a large pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch round tip. 

To form the bone shapes, pipe in a continuous motion, first a small figure-8, then a straight line, then another small figure-8.  Repeat until the mixture is used up.  Let the bones stand, uncovered, for 10-12 hours in a cool and dry place.

Sift confectioner's sugar over the bones, turning to coat, and shake off the excess.

For the Wicked Hot Chocolate

Ingredients:

6 cups whole or lowfat milk

3/4 cup dark brown sugar

15 whole cardamom pods, crushed

12 whole cloves

2 cinnamon sticks, broken in half

2 whole star anise

3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Bring the first eight ingredients (through the crushed red pepper) to a simmer in a large saucepan, stirring until the sugar dissolves.  Remove the saucepan from the heat, cover, and let steep for 20  minutes.  Add the cocoa powder and vanilla.  Return the mixture to a simmer, whisking until blended.  Strain the hot chocolate into a large heatproof measuring cup or pitcher; discard spices.  Divide the hot chocolate among mugs and serve with the skeleton bone marshmallows.  BOO!

Brandied Pumpkin Creme Brulee

The very first time that I was served creme brulee, it was described to me as "fancy pudding for grown-ups."  I had always liked pudding, probably because my family ate it fairly often for dessert when I was growing up.  My mom would make the "cook and serve" version, which needed time to cool and formed a rubbery skin on top, for my brother and I to enjoy during our 1 hour of allotted post-dinner T.V. time.  In my lunch-box, she would pack pudding cups, the sort that came in the aluminum tins with the pull-tabs (in all honesty, these were occasionally bartered for classmates' TastyCakes or Gummy Bears.)  We were also big fans of the Jello Pudding Pops and Swiss Miss Pudding Bars during the summer.  Come to think of it, what ever happened to those?  They were fantastic and sooo much better than your everyday, run-of-the-mill fudge-bar.

Anyhow, back to the brulee.  When I heard this comparison to pudding, I thought: "Hey!  Pudding is pretty darn good, so even though I am always wary of food described as grown-up, I'll give it a try."  From the moment that my spoon broke through that crackly, caramelized, glassy shell, and then plunged into a much creamier than pudding, vanilla bean-speckled custard, I had a hunch that what I was about to taste would be significantly better than the lunch-box, shelf-stable treat of my childhood.  Suddenly, grown-up food, grown-up desserts anyhow, seemed like a pretty good idea. 

Creme brulee is one of those desserts that is hard to resist, and even harder to stop digging into, should someone order one for the table "to share."  Something about the contrast of the crisp, slightly burned caramel top and the smooth-as-silk center makes this dessert worthy of a spot on virtually every dessert menu across America.  Some stick to plain, but lovely, vanilla bean, while others venture into chocolate, pistachio, and Grand Marnier varietals.  This version, a seasonally-appropriate pumpkin flavor, was inspired, believe it or not, by a limited edition pudding flavor, which I saw in the baking aisle last week!  A splash (or two) of Brandy provides that extra grown-up touch!  Here are my tips for perfecting pumpkin creme brulee:

• If you do not own a kitchen torch, don't feel like you need to run out and purchase one to make creme brulee!  An alternative method is to place the sugared custards about 4 inches under a preheated broiler, watching carefully, until the sugar has melted.  You will achieve better results with a kitchen torch, but this method still works.
• If you do want to purchase a kitchen torch, instead of heading to the overpriced kitchen supply store, head to the hardware store instead.  Hardware stores sell small blow torches that can serve as kitchen torches--at a lower cost.
• When baking the custards in the water bath, if you are using shallow cups, then only fill the water to about the halfway point on the cups.  You do not want simmering water to spill over the edges and land on the custards.
• The baked custards can be covered and chilled for up to 3 days.
• Feel free to replace the Brandy with rum, Cognac, or even Grand Marnier.

Brandied Pumpkin Creme Brulee

Serves 8

Ingredients:

3 cups whipping cream

6 egg yolks

2/3 cup sugar, plus more for brulee topping

1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons canned pumpkin

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 tablespoons Brandy

Preheat the oven to 325F degrees.  Place 8 (6-ounce) ramekins or custard cups in a roasting pan.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, heat the cream to just under a simmer; remove from the heat.

Combine the remaining ingredients in a large mixing bowl, whisking until smooth.  Gradually whisk in the hot cream.  Strain the mixture through a mesh strainer into a pitcher.

Divide the custard evenly among the ramekins.  Fill the pan with hot water to a depth of 1-inch.  Cover the pan with aluminum foil, crimping around the edges of the pan.  Bake for 45-50 minutes or until the custard is barely set and jiggles when shaken.  Remove the ramekins from the water bath, let cool, and chill 3 hours.

Remove the ramekins from the refrigerator.  Sprinkle the surface of each custard evenly with a few teaspoons of sugar.  Caramelize the sugar with a kitchen blowtorch, moving hte flame quickly across the custard.  Let cool for 2-3 minutes before serving. 

Cranberry-Walnut Buttermilk Biscuits

One of the nice perks of publishing a blog is having the chance to "meet" all of the people who stop by to read my posts.  Sometimes one of my little rambling stories (you know, the ones that seem to have absolutely nothing in common with that day's recipe) strikes a chord with a reader, inspiring them to leave a nice comment.  Other times, I'll receive questions about the recipe itself, or I'll even get an occasional, and hopefully positive, report from someone who has just served it to their family.   

Although I know very little about many of these people, other than their name, email, or occasional blog link, it's amazing how a few kind words from them can really make my day.  When I started this blog, I figured that my dad, my mom, and possibly her bridge group would read it, so it's encouraging to know that my scope has expanded.  Just the other day, I received a nice long email from a guy who had somehow stumbled upon my recipe for Creamed Onions au Gratin, which was posted way back in November.  I had assumed that this recipe was lost somewhere in the blogosphere, never to be heard from again, so his comments about planning to use my recipe for his Thanksgiving dinner were a welcome surprise.....

.....but they were also a little bit stressful.  I immediately thought: "Thanksgiving?  People are already planning their Thanksgiving menus?  I haven't even received all of my November magazine issues with glistening juicy turkeys on the covers yet!  I had better get a move on, pronto."  I checked my calendar and, sure enough, Thanksgiving is a mere 50 days away.  Since I am making the whole shebang from scratch this year, I figured that it is time to start planning.  These biscuits were an easy recipe for kicking off the kitchen marathon (my appliances get quite a workout over the next few months.)  I usually like to have a few bread options for Thanksgiving--rolls, cornbread, or biscuits.  These biscuits are both sweet and savory, they can be prepared well in advance, and they are also useful for making mini-turkey sandwiches with leftovers.  With all of these benefits, they may just make the cut!  Here are my extra tips for these festive, flaky buttermilk biscuits:

• The unbaked, pre-stamped biscuits can be frozen for up to one month.  Space them apart on a baking sheet and freeze, then transfer the frozen biscuits to zip-top bags.  Bake the biscuits straight from the freezer, adding a few minutes to the cooking time. 
• If you would like to add an extra layer of flavor to the biscuits, then sprinkle some flake salt on top, after brushing with the melted butter, before baking.
• As opposed to using a pastry blender or two knives, the butter can be cut into the flour mixture by pulsing a food processor.  Be certain to not over-mix, or the biscuits will not be as flaky.  Small pieces of butter that are left in the biscuit dough create "pockets" when they are baked, which accounts for the flaky layers.
• If you do not have buttermilk, then mix 1 teaspoon vinegar with 1 scant cup milk and let rest at room temperature for a few minutes.  This will have the same effect as buttermilk.

Cranberry-Walnut Buttermilk Biscuits

Makes about 15 biscuits

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

12 tablespoons butter, divided

1 large shallot, minced

1/2 cup coarsely chopped dried cranberries

1/2 cup coarsely chopped toasted walnuts

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 cup chilled buttermilk

Preheat the oven to 425F degrees and position a rack in the lower third of the oven.  In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Cut 10 tablespoons of the chilled butter into 1/2-inch cubes.  Add the cubes to the flour mixture and use a pastry blender or two knives to cut the butter into the flour until it is the size of peas.

Stir in the shallot, cranberries, walnuts, and pepper.  Add the buttermilk and mix just until the dough is moistened.  Lightly dust a work surface with flour.  Turn the dough out onto the surface and knead 2 or 3 times, just until it comes together.  Pat the dough into a 1/2-inch thick disk.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Using a round 2 1/4-inch cutter, stamp out biscuit rounds as closely together as possible.  Gather the scraps and knead 2 or 3 times, flatten the dough, and stamp out more biscuit rounds.

Transfer the biscuits to the prepared baking sheet.  Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and brush the tops of the biscuits with the melted butter.  Bake the biscuits for 20 minutes, or until golden brown.  Let the biscuits cool slightly before serving.

Bittersweet Chocolate and Pumpkin Swirl Brownies

Yesterday, I was inspired to try a very Martha-like project, making pumpkin puree from fresh pumpkins.  Unfortunately, my results were not exactly of the smooth and uniformly orange persuasion, and they will never be invited to grace the pages of Martha Stewart Living magazine.  Although I am a huge advocate of preparing recipes from scratch, I need to draw the line somewhere.  When input does not equal output, it might be wiser to follow the Semi Home-made with Sandra Lee route, and use ingredients from a can.

I've always been a fan of 100 percent pure canned pumpkin, a consistent product that never lets me down and provides the same results every time.  When I saw that big stack of sugar pumpkins at the front of the grocery store, I should have just kept walking, straight to my reliable friend in the baking aisle.  I think that he fact that it was the end of September and still a blazing 99 degrees outside had made me want to take on a project that felt like autumn.  Next time, I'll just put on a Halloween costume or throw some leaves in the yard. 

I really don't think that making pumpkin puree from scratch is difficult, but I probably shouldn't have used pumpkins that came from who-knows-where, and that had been baking in the sun all day.  Perhaps I'll attempt this again, when I have more faith in my produce selection.  The hardest part of the process involves cutting your 2 to 3 pound sugar (a.k.a. pie) pumpkins in half, something that requires a really sharp, heavy knife.  Once the pumpkins are split, the seeds are removed, and they are roasted face-down at 350F until the flesh is tender.  Scrape out the insides and puree.  Fresh pumpkin puree can have varying levels of water, so it is better to use for soups or pies as opposed to cakes and muffins, where the wet to dry ratio is critical.

After I had tossed my pathetic pumpkin halves into the garbage, I opened up a can of good ol' pumpkin puree and proceeded with making one of my favorite decadent fall desserts, Bittersweet Chocolate and Pumpkin Swirl Brownies.  This is a recipe that just screams  Halloween (get it?), with its alternating swirled layers of rich dark chocolate and lightly spiced pumpkin.  More "cakey" than "fudgy", these treats are nice and tall, and they look great on a party platter or bake sale table.   Here are my extra tips for these spiced & swirled brownies:

• Don't be concerned about the addition of cayenne pepper to the batter.  The added spiciness is barely noticeable;  it is more of an accent, and it goes well with the other flavors.
• As an alternative to buttering the foil, which can be a bit messy, I like to use Pam for Baking.  This is one of my favorite products and one of the few that I don't substitute with a generic version.  The addition of flour in the spray creates the same effect as buttering and flouring baking pans, but it is easier, and it works really well.
• Instead of sprinkling pecans on top of the brownies, you can use chopped hazelnuts, almonds, walnuts, or a combination of a few different kinds of nuts. 
• An easier method of melting the chocolate and butter is to heat them over medium-low directly in a saucepan (no double-boiler or bowl set over water), stirring often.  As long as you keep an eye on the mixture, it won't burn and it will melt smoothly. 

Bittersweet Chocolate and Pumpkin Swirl Brownies

Makes 16 brownies

Ingredients:

8 tablespoons butter, plus more for the pan

6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 large eggs

1 3/4 cups sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla

1 1/4 cups pumpkin puree

1/4 cup canola or safflower oil

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Preheat the oven to 350F degrees.  Line a 9-inch square baking dish with foil so that it hangs over the edges by 1-inch.  Butter the foil.

Melt the butter and chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over simmering water, stirring occasionally until smooth. 

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cayenne, and salt; set aside.  In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the eggs, sugar, and vanilla on medium speed until very light and fluffy, 4-5 minutes.  Beat in the flour mixture until well combined.

Divide the batter between two medium bowls.  Stir the chocolate mixture into one bowl.  In the other bowl, stir in the pumpkin, oil, cinnamon, and nutmeg.  Transfer half of the chocolate batter to the prepared pan.  Top with half of the pumpkin batter.  Repeat to make one more chocolate layer and one more pumpkin layer. 

Using a small knife or spatula, gently swirl the two batters to create a marbled effect.  Sprinkle the surface evenly with the chopped nuts.

Bake the brownies until set, 40-45 minutes.  Let cool completely, then cut into 16 squares. 

Happy Birthday to Me (and Julia)

I was always destined to be a cook.  I mean, what other explanation is there for my birthday falling on the same day as the birthday of culinary maven, and part-time spy, Julia Child?  No offense to Ben Affleck, Ethel Barrymore, and Napoleon, some of the other famous folks who share my big day.  You're all great and accomplished in your individual fields, but I have no aspirations to be an actress, dictator, or director/tabloid regular, so I'm going to go ahead and toast to Julia.  You understand.

Since it's my birthday today, I decided to bake myself some cupcakes.  Don't feel sorry for me.  You need to remember that I enjoy baking, so the process of creating a new recipe is fun for me.  Growing up, my mom always made us our birthday cakes (except for the one year that I insisted on a Carvel ice cream cake), so I'm not a big fan of store-bought or bakery-made cake anyhow.  As far as I'm concerned, bringing me a cake would be like bringing Mrs. Fields a box of Chips Ahoy! chocolate chip cookies.  Chances are, Eric will eat one cupcake, I'll take a bite, and the rest will go to the neighbors anyway, and it's much easier to bring them cupcakes than 9/10 of a birthday cake.

One of my favorite flavor combinations is vanilla and orange.  Whenever the ice cream truck would drive through the neighborhood where I grew up, I would almost always opt for the Creamsicle.  There is something so light and refreshing about the tart citrus, mellowed out by the smooth vanilla.  Creating a moist vanilla cupcake is no easy task.  The majority of the recipes that I have tried err a little on the dry side.  After much trial and error, I found a combination that yields a moist and light cupcake (using both butter and oil is the trick.)  Add some orange flavor to both the cupcake batter and to my go-to easy vanilla buttercream and voila!  You've got yourself a batch of Creamsicle Cupcakes.  Here are my extra tips for these sure-to-vanish vanilla-orange cupcakes:

• One great product that I have found is called Fiori di Sicilia, which is sold through the King Arthur Catalogue.  It is a very concentrated extract, which gives baked goods a very distinct vanilla-orange "bakeshop" flavor.  Just a small amount added to sugar cookies, vanilla batters, and certain muffins makes a huge difference.  I add about 1/4 teaspoon to this batter.
• If you don't have orange extract for the buttercream, you can add more orange zest or a tablespoon of orange juice (adjust the amount of whipping cream accordingly.)
• I added 4 drops of red and 6 drops of yellow food coloring in order to give the buttercream that creamsicle hue.
• Chocolate and orange make a great flavor combination.  Add some miniature semisweet chocolate chips or some chopped bittersweet chocolate to the cupcake batter to take these cupcakes to the next level!

Creamsicle Cupcakes with Easy Buttercream Frosting

Makes 12

1 1/4 cups flour

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup sugar

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Zest of one large orange

1/4 cup butter, melted

1/3 cup canola or safflower oil

1/2 cup whole milk, room temperature

For the frosting

3 cup confectioners' sugar

1 cup butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon orange extract (or to your liking)

2-3 tablespoons whipping cream

Preheat the oven to 350F degrees.  Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper or foil liners.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt.

In the bow of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the sugar with the eggs and vanilla a medium speed until smooth and thickened, 3 minutes.  Add the orange zest, butter and the oil and beat until incorporated, scraping the sides of hte bowl as necessary.  Add the dry ingredients and milk in 3 alternating batches, beating between additions.  Divide the batter evenly among the muffin tins, filling them just over halfway full.

Bake the cupcakes for 18-20 minutes or until they spring back when lightly touched and a toothpick inserted into the center emerges clean.  Let the cupcakes cook slightly in the tin and then transfer them to a wire rack to cook completely.

Prepare the buttercream:  In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the sugar and the butter until well combined.  Add the vanilla and orange extracts and mix on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.  Add enough whipping cream to reach your desired consistency, beating on medium speed for about 1 minute longer.  Decorate the cooled cupcakes using a piping bag fitted with a large star tip or with a small offset spatula.

Red Velvet Valentine Cupcakes

Over the past five years, thanks in part to the popularity of places like Magnolia Bakery in New York and the original Sprinkles in L.A., cupcakes have become the hottest trend in the dessert world.  At last count, responding to a demand which created lines that wrapped around the corner, Sprinkles had opened four more locations, with at least a dozen more "coming soon." Williams-Sonoma, knowing a goldmine when they see one, has even commissioned Sprinkles to do a branded cupcake mix to sell in their retail stores and catalogs.  Las Vegas, where I live, already has a large handful of Magnolia knock-offs, and even the small town where my parents live has a store dedicated to selling six to eight flavors of the small sweet treats.

I have never been a huge fan of these all-cupcakes-all-the-time establishments for three reasons.  First of all, I am amazed that people will pay upwards of $3.75 each for these small desserts (and they are small), a price that is certain to go up as food costs continue to rise.  Since when did cupcakes get so expensive?  I remember when I was little (which wasn't that long ago), I used to get delicious homemade, hand-decorated cupcakes from the Italian bakery for something like seventy-five cents each.  C'mon, prices haven't gone up that much.  But then again, I wasn't paying for the trendiness premium and cute expensive packaging.....

Second, maybe being a baker has made me extra picky, but I have yet to find a cupcake at one of these places that rivals the ones that are made at home.  They are either much too dry, dense and crumbly or they taste like they have been made from a mass-produced mix.  The frosting is often much too greasy or sugary, and there is never enough (I love my frosting.)  Cupcakes are supposed to be moist and light, and if they aren't going to be eaten right away, then they need to be stored properly, which is hard to do in a display case.  To be fair, I'm sure there are some really great cupcake bakeries out there that I haven't tried.  I should make it my mission to keep "sampling" until I find them.........

Third, next to chocolate chip cookies, cupcakes are some of the fastest, easiest, and most fun desserts to make at home.  I think that they were probably one of the first things that I learned how to make on my own as a child.  These red velvet cupcakes would be the perfect Valentine's Day gift from the heart, not to mention a great, inexpensive project to do with your kids.  In the time that it would take you to drive to the bakery and pick out a dozen, you could practically finish baking and decorating a batch at home, well, almost.  Here are some tips for velvety crimson cupcakes:

• As an alternative to cupcakes, this recipe makes enough batter  to fill two 9-inch cake pans for a layer cake.
• The decorated cupcakes will keep for 2-3 days, tightly covered at room temperature.
• The white chocolate buttercream will keep for up to one week, refrigerated and tightly covered.  Bring to room temperature and beat for 2 minutes at medium speed (to make fluffy) prior to icing the cupcakes. 
• If you would like for the color of the cupcakes to be even redder, then increase the amount of food coloring used by one to three tablespoons.
• Sometimes cocoa powder can clump together.  If this is the case with your cocoa powder, then it would be better to sift the flour, cocoa, and salt together as opposed to simply whisking to combine.  Whisking will probably not get rid of the lumps.
• If you would prefer to make plain vanilla buttercream, please refer to my post for Moist Chocolate Christmas Cupcakes (scroll about halfway down for the buttercream recipe).
• If you don't have cake flour, for each cup you can substitute 7/8 cup flour (same as 1 cup minus 2 tablespoons) plus 2 tablespoons cornstarch, mixed well.

Red Velvet Valentine Cupcakes

Makes 24

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups cake flour

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 1/4 cups vegetable or canola oil

2 large eggs

1/4 cup red food coloring

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup buttermilk

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons white vinegar

White Chocolate Buttercream (recipe follows)

Berries, sprinkles, and candies for decorating (optional)

Preheat your oven to 350F degrees.  Line two 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake liners and set aside.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the cake flour, cocoa powder, and salt; set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the sugar and the oil, and beat on medium speed until well combined.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Add the food coloring and vanilla, and beat until well combined.  Add the flour mixture, alternating with the buttermilk and scraping the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.

In a small bowl, mix the baking soda and the vinegar until well combined.  Add to the batter, and beat until combined.  Fill the cupcake liners slightly more than half full with the batter.  Bake the cupcakes, one tin at a time, until they spring back when lightly touched and a cake tester inserted into the center emerges clean, about 18 minutes.  Let cool completely on a wire rack.  Decorate cupcakes with white chocolate buttercream, sprinkles, candies, and fresh berries, if desired.

White Chocolate Buttercream

Enough to frost 24 cupcakes

Ingredients:

1 pound butter, softened

1/2 cup whole milk, lukewarm

12 ounces white chocolate, melted and cooled to warm

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

4 cups sifted confectioner's sugar

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy, about 3 minutes.  Carefully add the milk, and beat on medium-low speed until smooth.   Add the melted chocolate, increase the speed to medium, and beat well, about 2 minutes.   Add the vanilla and beat until well combined.  Gradually add the sugar and beat on medium low speed until combined.  Increase the speed to medium and beat until buttercream is fluffy and reaches desired consistency.

Heart-Shaped Pancakes

This year, there will be about 1 billion Valentine's Day cards sent to loved ones throughout the world.  About 85% of these cards will be sent by women.  With each passing year, it seems like finding the perfect card for Valentine's Day, or any holiday for that matter, has become an increasingly difficult task.  At the end of my grocery trip, I often find myself stuck in the greeting card aisle for 20-30 minutes, my shopping cart practically abandoned, as I read through card after card, trying to find something remotely relevant, genuinely funny, or somewhat meaningful.  Nine out of ten times, all I have to show for my time spent searching is a card for a holiday that occurs in eight months and a half-gallon of melting frozen yogurt.

Fanny Fern famously said "The way to a man's heart is through his stomach."  Recognizing this, rather then spend 20 minutes looking for the perfect Valentine's Day card, wouldn't it make more sense to dedicate this time to whipping something  up in the kitchen that says "I love you", thus combining the greeting with the eating?  Let's face it, although the card will be appreciated, the surprise breakfast of delicious heart-shaped pancakes will stay with your Valentine, via their happy stomach, all day long (or at least until lunch).

Many times, recipes like this will require that you use a special mold or form to shape the pancakes.  I find that the heart shapes look just as nice when piped by hand, leaving you with fewer utensils to clean up.  It also allows you to make hearts in all shapes and sizes, for your Valentines of all ages and appetites!  Here are a few tips for pancakes that will win their hearts:   

• You can substitute whole wheat flour for the buckwheat flour if you don't have on hand, or you can use regular flour for the entire amount (1 1/4 cups).  Buckwheat flour can usually be found in the organic or health foods section of the grocery store, but occasionally it can be found in the bulk bins. 
• Instead of serving the pancakes with maple syrup, you could serve them with powdered sugar, whipped cream, or fruit puree.
• For extra-sweet pancakes, replace the blueberries and bananas with chocolate chips.  Drop several chocolate chips onto the heart shape after piping it onto the griddle.
• If you don't have a piping bag and tips for making the heart shape, simply fill a large zip top bag with the pancake batter and then snip off a corner to make an approximately 1/4 inch diameter opening.

Heart-Shaped Pancakes

Serves 4

Ingredients:

3/4 cup flour

1/4 cup buckwheat flour

1/4 cup whole wheat flour

2 tablespoons cornmeal

2 tablespoons sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

2 eggs

2 tablespoons melted butter, plus additional for brushing griddle

1 1/2 cups whole milk

1 cup fresh blueberries (optional)

1 thinly sliced banana (optional)

Pure maple syrup for serving

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, buckwheat flour, whole wheat flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.  In a separate bowl, beat the eggs with one cup of milk and the melted butter.  Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture, adding the additional 1/2 cup of milk if the mixture is too thick.

Preheat the oven to 200F degrees.  Heat a griddle over medium high heat and brush with some melted butter.  Fill a pastry bag fitted with a 1/4 inch plain round tip with batter and twist the end of the bag to secure.  Working in batches, pipe heart shapes on the griddle, filling in the center by drawing a large "V" inside the border.  If desired, drop blueberries and/or banana slices on top of the batter. 

When pancakes have bubbles on top and are slightly dry around the edges, about 2 minutes, flip them over.  Cook until the pancakes are browned on the bottom and cooked through, 1-2 minutes longer.  Repeat with the remaining batter, adding more butter to the griddle for each batch, keeping finished pancakes on a heat-proof plate in the oven until ready to serve.  Serve with warmed maple syrup and berries.

"Be My Valentine" Cookies

When I was a little girl, one of my favorite days of the school year was Valentine's Day.  The reason for this wasn't because I had more boys than I could count bringing me flowers and candy (we're talking elementary school here--boys for the most part were still "yucky").  On the morning of Valentine's Day, we would all arrive to class with the empty shoeboxes that we were instructed to bring from home.  Inevitably, one student would always forget to bring one and burst into tears, sending the teacher all over the lower school looking for a suitable replacement.  Once everyone had their shoebox, we were instructed to cut a small rectangular opening in the top, which usually took me twice as long because of those malfunctioning "lefty" scissors that I had to use.  Next, we would don our smocks (a.k.a. dad's old shirt), and using paint, glue, markers, and construction paper, would proceed with making our Valentine's Day card mailboxes, which, thanks to the rule that every child must bring a card for each classmate, would be filled to capacity by the afternoon. 

At the end of the day, we would have our Valentine's Party, with punch, cupcakes, candy, and, my personal favorite, heart-shaped sugar cookies.  We would sit down at our desks with our stuffed pink and red shoe boxes and our treats, and then we were allowed to read our "mail."  Most of the cards were pretty similar, cut outs of Strawberry Shortcake, Star Wars, or Rainbow Bright with a classmate's name scrawled on the back.  Some cards, identifiable by their tell-tale bumpy envelope, merited a second glance because this meant that they had a few pieces of candy taped to them.  I was one of the few students whose mother suggested make my own cards, so the class usually got something involving a doily, stickers, and glitter.   Looking back, because even at that age I was more interested in baking than art, it would have been much easier for me if I had just baked up a batch of these cookies and personalized one for each classmate.  No, they probably wouldn't have fit through the slits in the shoe boxes, but I don't think my teacher would have minded, so long as I brought one for her too.

This is a chocolate version of the more traditional vanilla sugar cookie.  A combination of cocoa powder and melted chocolate makes that flavor nice and rich.  Here are a few tips for making the sweetest heart cookies:

• The cookie dough can be made up to 2 days in advance.  Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and keep chilled.
• Decorated cookies will keep for up to 4 days.  Store at room temperature between sheets of waxed paper in airtight containers.
• If you want to make vanilla sugar cookies instead of, or in addition to, the chocolate ones,  use the recipe that I used for Super Bowl Football Cookies.  You will also find the recipe for Royal Icing in this post.
• If you don't have a heart-shaped cookie cutter, then either cut out a heart-shaped piece of paper and trace around it, or make the heart shapes freehand with a sharp knife.  They don't all need to be the same shape, size, or perfectly symmetrical.
• Cold dough is much easier to work with.  If the dough becomes too warm as you are cutting out the cookies, place the dough, waxed paper and all, in the freezer for 5 minutes.
• To make "sandwich hearts" using 2 cookies and jam, cut out 2 hearts of equal size and then cut  the center out of one of the hearts to make a heart shaped "window."  After the cookies have baked and cooled, spread the flat bottom side of the windowless heart lightly with jam.  Cover it with the heart with the window; jam will adhere the hearts.  Fill the window with more jam.
• For directions regarding how to decorate using royal icing, refer again to the "Tips" section of the Super Bowl Football Cookies post.  Instead of using red and blue colors, use a combination of red, pink, and white.  Be creative and decorate the cookies any way that you prefer.  The photos that I have included are simply meant to serve as guides or sources of inspiration! 

"Be My Valentine" Cookies

Makes 20-25 cookies

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups flour

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped

2 sticks (1 cup) butter, softened

1 1/3 cups sugar

1 large egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Royal Icing (optional, this recipe can be found in the Super Bowl Football Cookies post)

Sprinkles (optional)

Raspberry jam (optional)

Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon together into a medium bowl.  In a small saucepan, melt the chocolate over medium-low heat, and stir until smooth; set aside.  In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter at medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes.  Slowly add the sugar and beat until the mixture is pale and fluffy, 2 minutes.  Add the egg and beat until well blended.  Reduce the speed to low and beat in the vanilla and chocolate.  Add the flour mixture and beat on low speed until well blended.  Gather the dough into a ball and divide in half.  Form each half into a ball and flatten into a disk.  Wrap the disks separately in plastic and chill until firm, at least 2 hours.

Let the dough stand at room temperature for 20 minutes prior to rolling out.  Preheat the oven to 350F degrees.  Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Working with 1 disk at a time, roll out the dough between 2 sheets of waxed paper to slightly less  than 1/4 inch thickness.  Using heart shaped cookie cutters, cut out cookies of various sizes.  Use an offset spatula to peel away the excess dough and transfer the cookies to the parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing them 1 inch apart.  Gather the scraps, roll out the dough, and cut out more cookies, repeating until all of the dough is used.  If not icing the cookies, decorate with sprinkles or other toppings, if desired.

Bake cookies, 1 sheet at a time, until they are firm on top and slightly darker around the edges, 9-11 minutes.  Cool the cookies completely on a rack and them decorate with royal icing if desired.

Cookies for Santa: Snickerdoodles

I think that it is pretty safe to say that everybody loves Snickerdoodles.  How can you not love a cookie with a name that fun to say??  I think that our fondness for these crackly cinnamon-sugar treats can partially be attributed to the fact that they hand the recipe out to all grandmothers as a part of their initiation.  They are so old-fashioned that they have become fashionable again!   

Snickerdoodles are probably German in origin, and some say that the name is taken from the German word "schneckennudeln," which translates as "crinkly noodles."  Others say that it is just a nonsense word that was invented in America.  Either way, these cookies are crisp on the outside, chewy on the inside, full of cinnamon flavor, and, when partnered with a cold glass of milk for dunking, they always made the perfect after-school snack. 

Because these cookies are so simple to make and the ingredients are ones that most people always have in supply, these would be great to make for a last minute holiday cookie exchange or to leave out as a snack for Santa.  I'm sure his grandmother made them too.  Here are some tips for the Snickerdoodles:

• The balls of dough can be frozen in a resealable plastic bag for up to two weeks.  Thaw them at room temperature for 15 minutes and then roll them in the cinnamon sugar and bake.  You may need to increase the baking time by a few minutes.
• The baked cookies can be stored at room temperature, in an airtight container between sheets of waxed paper, for up to one week.
• If you like a flatter cookie, flatten the balls of dough with the bottom of a drinking glass after placing them on the cookie sheets.
• If you don't have parchment paper, then simply place the balls of dough on an ungreased cookie sheet.

Snickerdoodles

Makes 24 cookies

Ingredients:

Topping

3 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Cookie Dough

3 1/2 cups flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 cup butter, softened

2 cups sugar

2 large eggs

1 tablespoon light corn syrup

2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

In a small bowl, stir together the sugar and cinnamon and set it aside.

Stir together the dry ingredients.  In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter.  Add the sugar and continue to mix until fluffy, about 4 minutes.  Add the eggs, one at a time, then add the corn syrup and vanilla, and mix thoroughly.  Add the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until blended.  Chill dough for one hour.

Preheat the oven to 375F degrees.  Roll dough into balls about the size of a golf ball, and then roll them in the cinnamon sugar to coat.  Place the balls on baking sheets lined with parchment paper and space them about 2 1/2 inches apart.  Bake for 10-12 minutes, until puffed and the surface is slightly cracked.  Let cool on the pan for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack.