Mini Muffin Donuts

Posted on May 11, 2013 by tcavanagh

After a month long hiatus to enjoy being a mom to my second beautiful baby boy I’m ready to start blogging again! Although, now recipes come with calculated Weight Watchers points – woohoo! Haha, no seriously, they do. I’ve gotta change things up around here… either that or I need to invest in some tiny place settings to keep my portions under control. In an effort to actually be able to eat one of these things, I made them mini – so they’re sort of like munchkins. But feel free to make them into full fledged muffins! Happy Mother’s Day!

INGREDIENTS

DONUTS

1 1/3 cups flour (if doubling, use 2 3/4 cup flour)
1/2 cup sugar
1/8 cup cornstarch
1/2 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 cup buttermilk (don’t have buttermilk? Just add 1/2 tbsp white vinegar to 1/2 cup regular milk – let it sit for a few mins, then use)
4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 large egg plus 1/2 large yolk

Recipe yields 6 muffins or 15 mini muffins

GLAZE

3 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1 cup confectioner’s sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp water

HOW TO MAKE IT

DONUTS

Preheat oven to 400F and spray a muffin or mini muffin pan with vegetable oil spray
In a bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, sugar, cornstarch, baking powder, salt and nutmeg
In a separate bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients: buttermilk, melted butter, eggs and yolk
Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir with a rubber spatula until everything is just combined
Scoop batter evenly into the muffin tin (I like to use an ice cream scooper – small or large depending on the muffin tin – to get even sizes)
Bake until the donuts are lightly browned and a toothpick inserted comes out clean – 19-22 minutes for regular muffins and 8-11 minutes for mini muffins
Let the donuts cool in the pan for 5 minutes

GLAZE

Whisk together the ingredients
Once the donuts have cooled completely coat them in the glaze and place them on a wire rack to “drip dry”

Recipe adapted from Cook’s Country

Each mini muffin = 4 Points Plus

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Funfetti Cupcakes

Posted on March 26, 2013 by tcavanagh

This homemade version of funfetti cupcakes is unreal. The cake is super light and fluffy, you can customize the color of your sprinkles and the frosting is amazing. You should find an excuse to make these ASAP – I know I’m currently searching for an excuse to make them again already.

INGREDIENTS

CUPCAKES

5 large egg whites, at room temperature
1 cup whole milk, at room temperature
2 1/4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3 cups cake flour, sifted
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature and cut into cubes
Approximately 1/3 – 1/2 cup sprinkles of your choice

VANILLA FROSTING

1 1/2 cups plus 2 tbsp (3 sticks plus 2 tbsp) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
Pinch of salt
2 tbsp heavy cream
1 tbsp vanilla extract (I like to use clear imitation vanilla extract to get really white looking frosting)

HOW TO MAKE IT

CUPCAKES

Preheat oven to 350°F, fill 2 cupcake trays with cupcake liners
In a medium bowl or measuring cup, combine and stir the egg whites, 1/4 cup of milk, and the vanilla – set aside
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the dry ingredients together on low speed for 30 seconds
Add the butter and remaining milk, and mix on low speed until just moistened. Increase to medium speed and mix for 1-1/2 minutes. Scrape the sides of the bowl and begin to add the egg mixture in 3 separate batches; beat on medium speed for 20 seconds after each addition
Using an ice cream scooper to get cupcakes of equal size, fill the cupcake liners about 2/3 full (these will rise)
Bake 18-20 minutes (rotating the pans halfway through) or until a cake tester comes clean when inserted into the center – be careful to not over-bake
Once the cupcakes are completely cool, frost them with the vanilla frosting

VANILLA FROSTING

Place the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment
Whip on medium-high speed until smooth, about 1 minute
Add the confectioners’ sugar to the bowl and mix on medium-low speed just until incorporated
Add in the salt and continue to beat on medium-high speed until smooth, about 1-2 minutes
Mix in the heavy cream and vanilla on low speed just until incorporated
Increase the mixer speed and whip on high speed until light and fluffy, scraping down the bowl as needed, about 4-5 minutes

*Cupcake recipe adapted from Sweetapolita and frosting recipe adapted from Annie’s Eats

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Dump Truck Cake

Posted on March 18, 2013 by tcavanagh

Today is Charlie’s 2nd birthday and yesterday we celebrated with family, friends and a dump truck cake! Charlie’s obsessed with trucks and this was the perfect vehicle for his cake (no pun intended). The 4 layer cake was a delicious combination of a tasty classic chocolate cake and whipped vanilla buttercream frosting (best recipe I’ve made yet). Unfortunately, I couldn’t get too many pictures before the whole thing was gone – but I managed to get a before and after… I guess this is just a good excuse to make another one.

INGREDIENTS

CHOCOLATE CAKE

2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1/4 tsp salt
4 heaping tbsp dutch process cocoa (I use Hershey’s Special Dark)
2 sticks salted butter
1 cup boiling water
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 large eggs, beaten
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla

VANILLA FROSTING

1 1/2 cups plus 2 tbsp (3 sticks plus 2 tbsp) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
Pinch of salt
2 tbsp heavy cream
1 tbsp vanilla extract (I like to use clear imitation vanilla extract to get really white looking frosting)

1-2 tbsp dutch process cocoa to make exterior frosting chocolate

HOW TO MAKE IT

CHOCOLATE CAKE

In a mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt
In a saucepan, melt butter – add cocoa and stir together
Add boiling water, allow mixture to boil for 30 seconds, then turn off heat
Pour over flour mixture, and stir lightly to cool
In a measuring cup, pour the buttermilk and add beaten eggs, baking soda, and vanilla
Stir buttermilk mixture into butter/chocolate mixture
Divide the batter evenly into 4 separate bowls
Pour one bowl of batter into a greased and parchment paper lined loaf pan (you’ll want to make sure your loaf pan fits pretty perfectly into the back of your dump truck) and bake at 350°F for 20-25 minutes (I ended up baking for 25 minutes, but you should test it after 20)

Depending on the truck that you use, you might need to use a different size baking pan – my truck just happened to perfectly fit a loaf pan

Repeat this process with the remaining 3 bowls of batter until you have your 4 layers, let them cool completely

VANILLA FROSTING

Place the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment
Whip on medium-high speed until smooth, about 1 minute
Add the confectioners’ sugar to the bowl and mix on medium-low speed just until incorporated
Add in the salt and continue to beat on medium-high speed until smooth, about 1-2 minutes
Mix in the heavy cream and vanilla on low speed just until incorporated
Increase the mixer speed and whip on high speed until light and fluffy, scraping down the bowl as needed, about 4-5 minutes

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER…

Before you start assembling your cake, make sure the layers are completely cooled
Place the first layer flat side up (bottom up) on a piece of cake board cut to size (or the right size if you planned ahead)
Apply the desired amount of your first layer of frosting liberally and as evenly as possible

I used one batch of frosting for the inside and to coat the outside – so keep in mind that you need to have about a cup of frosting to cover the exterior. If you use too much on the inside, just whip up another batch of frosting!

Add on the next layer, also flat side up, and top with frosting – continue the same with the 3rd layer and finally top it with the last layer of cake right side up so your “mound of dirt” has a rounded top
With the remaining frosting, add in the cocoa powder 1 tbsp at a time until you have the desired color and taste that you’re looking for
Frost the outside of the cake with the chocolate frosting and then top that with crushed Oreos
Insert the cake into the back of the dump truck and voila! You’ve got dump truck cake – enjoy!

*Chocolate cake adapted from The Pioneer Woman and Vanilla Frosting adapted from Annie’s Eats

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Strawberry Biscotti

Posted on February 26, 2013 by tcavanagh

This biscotti reminds me of strawberry scones but without all of the butter and cream. Definitely adding this to my repertoire – super tasty and kind of guilt-free!

Strawberry Biscotti

Author: Deliciously Declassified

Recipe type: Dessert

Cuisine: Italian

Serves: 15

Ingredients

2 cups flour
1½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
½ cup granulated sugar
2 tbsp strawberry jam
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ cup chopped dried strawberries
½ cup white chocolate chips

Instructions

Beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy
Add in the eggs and vanilla and mix until well combined
In a separate bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder and salt
While the mixer is on low, slowly add in the dry ingredients
Once everything is just combined, fold in the the chocolate chips
Form the dough into an approximate 3″x16″ log on a parchment paper lined baking sheet
Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes or until it’s a light golden color
Remove the biscotti log from the oven and allow to cool for 30 minutes
Reduce the oven temp t o 325°F
Slice the biscotti into slices of desired thickness (I got about 15 pieces out of my log) and then lay the slices cut side down on the parchment lined baking sheet
Bake for an additional 15 minutes — again, this is going to yield a soft texture biscotti, not a hard one. If you want harder, crunchier biscotti, I wouldn’t reduce the oven temp and instead bake it again at 350°F for 8-10 minutes and then turn them over and bake the other side for an additional 8-10 minutes as well until both sides are pale golden

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Classic Baked Mac ‘n Cheese

Posted on February 12, 2013 by tcavanagh

This mac ‘n cheese recipe is really flavorful but definitely one that’s kid friendly. I was trying out recipes for Charlie’s upcoming birthday party and this one definitely took the cake (no pun intended). It’s really creamy, has good crunch on top and is not the least bit bland. Plus, you could add chopped ham to it and totally make it a complete kids (or adult) meal in and of itself.

INGREDIENTS

1 lb. elbow macaroni
4 tbsp salted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups whole milk
1 1/2 tsp dry mustard
1 egg, beaten
1 lb. cheddar cheese, grated (I used 1/2 lb. white cheddar and 1/2 lb. yellow cheddar – you could use any cheese combination you want)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
Dashes of cayenne pepper and paprika
Crushed up Ritz crackers, for topping

HOW TO MAKE IT

Cook macaroni according to package directions until slightly firm (no more than 5 minutes, it will continue to cook in the oven) – strain and set aside
In a large pot, melt the butter over medium-low heat
Whisk in the flour and cook the mixture for five minutes, whisking constantly and being careful not to burn
Add the milk to the pot, stir in the dry mustard, and whisk until smooth
Cook the mixture for five minutes until very thick – reduce the heat to low
Add the beaten egg to a small bowl. Take 1/4 cup of the warm sauce and slowly pour it into the beaten egg, whisking constantly to avoid scrambling the egg. Whisk until smooth. Pour the tempered egg mixture back into the sauce, whisking constantly. Stir until smooth
Mix in the grated cheese and stir until completely melted
Add in salt and other seasonings

Taste and adjust seasonings accordingly – this is important, especially if it needs more salt!

Add the drained, cooked macaroni to the pot and mix well
Pour the mixture into a baking dish, top with crushed Ritz crackers, and bake at 350°F for 20-25 minutes or until golden and bubbly on top

*Recipe adapted from The Pioneer Woman

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Red Velvet Cupcakes

Posted on February 6, 2013 by tcavanagh

These cupcakes are the perfect Valentine’s Day treat. They’re festive, delicious and individually portioned for guilt-control. I topped these with two different frostings – a classic cream cheese frosting and a flour based whipped vanilla frosting (the same one I used for the Devil Dog Cupcakes). Both were delicious, it’s just a matter of preference. If you like cream cheese frosting, by all means, go for that one. You don’t have to make these for a Valentine… it’s totally acceptable to make them for yourself just because.

INGREDIENTS

CUPCAKES

2 1/2 cups cake flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tsp salt
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk
2 tbsp (1 oz.) liquid red food coloring (I used the gel food coloring and kept adding until the color was just right)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp distilled white vinegar

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

10 oz. cream cheese, chilled
6 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 1/4 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
4 tsp clear vanilla extract

WHIPPED VANILLA FROSTING

HOW TO MAKE IT

CUPCAKES

Line cupcake pans with paper liners
In a medium bowl, combine the cake flour, sugar, baking soda, cocoa powder and salt; whisk to blend
In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the eggs, vegetable oil, buttermilk, food coloring, vanilla and vinegar – beat on medium speed until well blended
Slowly add in the dry ingredients on low speed and beat until smooth, about 2 minutes
Divide the batter evenly between the prepared liners (I use an ice cream scooper to make sure they’re all the same size)
Bake at 350°F, rotating the pans halfway through baking, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 18 minutes
Let cool in the pans 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Combine the cream cheese and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer
Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes
Add in the confectioners’ sugar and mix on low speed just until incorporated
Increase the speed to medium-high and beat 2-3 minutes more
Blend in the vanilla

WHIPPED VANILLA FROSTING

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Summery Linguine

Posted on January 31, 2013 by tcavanagh

It’s official. My Winter “depression” has officially set in (despite the fact that it’s gorgeous and 55°F today). I’m done with being stuck indoors while 7 1/2 months pregnant with an Energizer Bunny-like toddler. So, I made a very summery dinner this week that really put me in the mood for warm weather and a glass of a cold, crisp white wine. April can’t get here soon enough! Make this for dinner and I’m sure it will put you in a good mood, too.

INGREDIENTS

THE STAPLES

1 lb. thin linguine, cooked al dente
1 lb. thin cut chicken breasts, sliced into 1 inch chunks (you could totally also substitute shrimp for the chicken)
2 cups cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup powdered Parmesan (you could also use Pecorino Romano or a combination of the two)
1/4 cup fresh parsley, for topping

THE MARINADE

2 tsp fresh thyme, finely chopped
2 tsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped

You don’t have to use fresh herbs, but it helps make the dish seem even more Summery – if using dried herbs, halve the amount

Zest of 1 lemon
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp course salt
1/2 tsp fresh cracked black pepper

An additional 2 tbsp olive oil to saute the chicken with later
1/3 cup white wine (a good one you’d drink)

THE SAUCE

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
2 tbsp olive oil
4 large garlic cloves, pressed
2 tbsp flour
2 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 tbsp fresh basil, chopped

HOW TO MAKE IT

First thing you need to do is marinate the chicken – toss all of the ingredients into a bowl with the chopped, raw chicken and let it sit for at least an hour up to overnight
Saute the marinated chicken with the 2 tbsp olive oil and white wine until it’s cooked – about 5 minutes, set aside
Now, it’s time to make the sauce. Heat up a large saute pan over medium heat and then add the butter and olive oil
Saute the garlic until it’s fragrant, be careful not to burn it
Add in the flour and cook for a minute, stirring frequently
Add the chicken stock and simmer until it has thickened and then add in the chopped fresh basil
Season with salt and pepper
Add the sauteed chicken and all of those juices into the sauce – keep it simmering for a few more minutes so the flavors can all combine
At this point, I’d make the pasta so the sauce can sit over low heat and the flavors can meld while it boils – I’d also add in the tomatoes now (I cut small slits into the surface of the tomatoes to release some juice and to avoid exploding tomatoes later on)
Once the pasta is finished, strain and add it into the saute pan with the chicken, tomatoes and sauce – cook the two together for a few minutes over low heat so the pasta can absorb some of the sauce
Add in the powdered Parmesan and fresh parsley and toss to combine – enjoy!*Recipe adapted from Goddess of Scrumptiousness

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Samoa Blondies

Posted on January 22, 2013 by tcavanagh

Since it’s Girl Scout Cookie season, I figured I’d give these a try. These blondies are really, really good. The browned butter gives these a rich flavor and the coconut and chocolate are just an awesome combination.

INGREDIENTS

10 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated white sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups sweetened flaked coconut
1 1/4 cups M&M’s
A few extra M&M’s

HOW TO MAKE IT

Preheat oven to 350°F
Spray 8×8″ (or similar size) pan with nonstick spray and then line the bottom with parchment paper
Heat butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until it browns and begins to smell nutty (watch it closely so it doesn’t burn – I had to make two batches because my first one burned!)

Here are some tips on how to brown butter

Let the butter cool for a few minutes, until just barely warm
In a large mixing bowl, combine the browned butter and sugars
With a wooden spoon, stir in egg, vanilla and salt
Stir in flour, coconut and M&M’s until batter is blended
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula and sprinkle a few additional M&M’s on top
Bake 25 to 30 minutes (25 minutes will yield under baked, gooey blondies and 30 minutes will be fully cooked – I baked mine for 27 minutes and they were perfect)
Let the blondies cool before turning them out onto a cutting board and slicing into squares (chilling them will make that process even easier)

*Recipe adapted from Recipe Girl

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Soft Frosted Sugar Cookie Cutouts

Posted on January 15, 2013 by tcavanagh

Sure, it might be little early for Valentine’s Day themed posts, but it’s better than Easter, right? The thing is, cookies just look so much better when they’re colorful, fun shapes and topped with sprinkles. These cookies are basically the homemade equivalent to the kind you can find in your grocery store – soft sugar cookie topped with a frosting that’s not too rich. Perfect kid food.

INGREDIENTS

COOKIE

2 1/2 cups cake flour, plus more for dusting work surface
2 tsp cornstarch
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup salted butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup all vegetable shortening (unflavored), at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg white
2 tsp vanilla extract

VANILLA FROSTING

6 tbsp salted butter, at room temperature
3 cups powdered sugar
3/4 tsp vanilla extract
3 1/2 tbsp half-and-half (you could also use milk)

HOW TO MAKE IT

COOKIE

Sift flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt into a large bowl
In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, on medium speed, whip together butter, shortening and sugar until very pale and fluffy, about 4 minutes, scrapping down the sides of the bowl as needed
Add in egg and mix until combine, then add egg white, vanilla and almond extract and mix until combine
With mixer running, slowly add in dry ingredients and mix just until combine
Shape dough into a ball and transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate 1 1/2 – 2 hours
Preheat oven to 375°F during the last 10 minutes of refrigeration
Remove dough from refrigerator and sprinkle a clean work surface and top of dough lightly with cake flour
Evenly roll dough out to 1/3-inch thickness (or up to 1/2-inch for thicker cookies, you just wont get as many)
Cut into desired shapes (I used a medium heart cookie cutter and got 24 cookies)
Transfer parchment paper lined baking sheets
Bake in preheated oven 8 – 10 minutes (cookies should NOT brown, they should remain a pale color)
Remove from oven and allow to cool on baking sheet several minutes before transferring to wire rack to cool
Cool completely then frost with Vanilla Frosting and add sprinkles if desired (immediately after frosting each cookie so the sprinkles will stick before the frosting sets)
Store in an airtight container at room temperature

VANILLA FROSTING

Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl and, using an electric mixer, whip mixture on low speed until everything combines, then increase mixer to medium-high speed and whip until frosting is pale, smooth and fluffy

*Recipe adapted from Cooking Classy

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Chocolate Chip Biscotti

Posted on December 21, 2012 by tcavanagh

I woke up the other morning totally craving chocolate chip biscotti from this local bakery that is sadly no longer in business. I wanted a softer type biscotti that was straight up chocolate chip – no anise, no nuts… just chocolate chip. So, I looked around at various recipes and methods, tried some out and ended up combining a few to get this one. It’s not too crunchy but it’s perfect for coffee dunking, and it’s a fantastically justifiable cookie breakfast.

INGREDIENTS

2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

A large pinch of vanilla sugar, if you have it on hand

1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 large eggs
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

HOW TO MAKE IT

Beat together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy
Add in the eggs and vanilla and mix until well combined
In a separate bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder and salt
While the mixer is on low, slowly add in the dry ingredients
Once everything is just combined, fold in the the chocolate chips
Form the dough into an approximate 3″x16″ log on a parchment paper lined baking sheet
Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes or until it’s a light golden color
Remove the biscotti log from the oven and allow to cool for 30 minutes

Reduce the oven temp t o 325°F

Slice the biscotti into slices of desired thickness (I got about 15 pieces out of my log) and then lay the slices cut side down on the parchment lined baking sheet
Bake for an additional 10 minutes — again, this is going to yield a soft texture biscotti, not a hard one. If you want harder, crunchier biscotti, I wouldn’t reduce the oven temp and instead bake it again at 350°F for 8-10 minutes and then turn them over and bake the other side for an additional 8-10 minutes as well until both sides are pale golden

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