Cherry Coke Float Cupcakes

How could I finish off my Memorial Day weekend without baking?

I couldn't.

In celebration of my birthday that I'm skipping over tomorrow, I made some cupcakes. Some cherry coke float cupcakes. I scoured my recipes and had a good list of 5 or so  cupcakes to choose from. All were boozy cupcakes, and right as I was narrowing it down I realized - I can't buy booze today. So back to the major list or recipes I went.

I settled on these because they sounded delicious and looked easy, and I wanted something I could whip up quick. Quick they were, but when I went to frost them, I realized a mistake I had made. They are supposed to be frosted with fresh homemade whipped cream, which would have been beyond awesome.

Did I get two things of cream today at the store when I went shopping? No. I didn't. I got one, and poured the whole thing into my clam chowder. Gah!

Good thing I can whip up a standard buttercream in a matter of minutes. But if you make these, go with the whipped cream!

 I skipped making the glaze, and added in some cherry juice to the cake batter. I should've added more though. I only filled half of the cupcakes because Dan doesn't like cherries, hence my decision to add some juice into the cake batter to add the cherry flavor in without the use of the filling.

Cherry Coke Float Cupcakes
adapted from The Brown Eyed Baker

makes 12 cupcakes

For the Cupcakes:
1½ cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
¾ cup granulated sugar
½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 egg
½ cup buttermilk
¾ cup Coke (don’t use diet)
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
3 tablespoons  maraschino cherry juice
1 (21-ounce) can cherry pie filling

For the Glaze:
¾ cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons Coke

For the Icing:
1 cup heavy whipped cream
4 tablespoons powdered sugar
Maraschino Cherries, for garnish

1. To make the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a standard muffin pan with paper liners; set aside.
2. Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl and set aside.
3. In a mixing bowl, combine the sugar and butter and beat on medium-high until light and creamy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and beating for an additional minute. In a large mixing cup or small bowl, combine the buttermilk, Coke and vanilla extract. (Make sure you wait for the foam to go down when measuring the Coke and don’t worry if your mixture looks curdled when you add the buttermilk.)
4. Beginning with the flour mixture, add in 4 parts to the butter mixture, alternating with the Coke mixture. Beat each addition just until incorporated. Give the final mixture a good mix with a rubber spatula to make sure it is thoroughly combined. Add in the maraschino cherry juice and mix once more.
5. Divide the batter evenly between the muffins tins. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until the tops spring back when touched lightly and a toothpick inserted in the center cupcake comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes in the pan and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
6. Once cooled, use a paring knife to cut out a cone shape in the middle of each cupcake. Add a spoonful of cherry mixture (2 to 3 cherries) to the well.
7. Glaze: In a small bowl whisk together the powdered sugar and coke. Let sit 5 to 10 minutes to thicken. It should drip off of a soon very slowly. Using a small offset spatula, drizzle a little of the glaze onto the middle of each cupcake and then gently spread it over the top.
8. For the whipped cream: Beat the heavy whipping cream in a chilled bowl with whisk attachment (or hand mixer), beginning on low speed. Once the cream gets frothy begin adding the powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, increasing speed as the cream comes together until you reach medium-high speed. Whip the cream until it holds stiff peaks (if you dip a spoon in it, the whipped cream should stay on the spoon when you turn it upside down). Pipe the whipped cream onto cupcakes as desired and top with maraschino cherries for garnish.

Clam Chowder

It's been a very very busy few weeks. I just spent my memorial day weekend up in Errol, NH at my family's camp, with Dan, my cousin Jimmy and his girlfriend Jen. It was fabulous. Four hours away from home with no cell phone service, cable, computers, etc. Just sitting around fires, grilling, and watching out for moose on the roads. We did see some on the drive up. We also a bunny and a moth the size of the moon.

No joke.

We named is mothadactyl.

Anyways, we came home yesterday afternoon to continue our weekend by eating lobsters and steamers with some family to celebrate an upcoming birthday that I'm going to pretend isn't happening. We had a good amount of steamers left over, so my family asked me to make clam chowder with it.

Dan loves his chowder very thick, and I attempted to make it quite thick, but it's not as thick as the canned kind that's full of preservatives and whatnot. I searched a few recipes and tried to find ones that stated they were thicker, and reading about the battles and arguments over "New England" clam chowder, and how traditional NE clam chowder is not thick, and is practically milk and clams. I'm from New England, and I like a thick chowder. That's my stance.

I also used the clam bellies that were not going into the chowder and attempted to make fried clams. It reminded me of how much I hate frying things on my stove top, as my kitchen gets all smoky and everyone thinks I'm burning my house down. Because the bellies did sit overnight, they were kind of mushy and didn't hold well with the frying. It was basically a nice fried outside and mushy clam mess in the middle....oh well, I tried. I am leaving the directions of the original blog I got the recipe from on how to steam your clams, in case you are going that route. You can also use cans of minced clams.

Clam Chowder
adapted from here

12 large chowder clams (or two dozen small clams) (I used leftover steamer clams)
1/2 lb. thick cut bacon, chopped
 1 yellow onion, diced (I used a quarter of a large onion)
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  3medium potatoes, peeled cut into 1″ cubes
3 bay leaves
1 cup clam juice (I only added this because I used leftover steamers and didn't have the clam juice from steaming them)
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
salt and pepper
pinch or so of parsley
splash of Madiera or sherry (optional) ( I did not use)
** instant mashed potatoes

1. First pick over your clams, discarding any with chipped or cracked shells. Next, clean your clams — get a useful how-to here.
2. In a large steaming pot, add 1 1/2 cups water, and then the steaming bucket with the cleaned clams. Steam clams for 5 – 10 minutes, until they have just opened. For those that don’t open, remove open clams and steam for a bit longer. Any clams that do not open should be discarded.
Shuck clams with a knife — open them over a bowl and save any juice that comes out. Mince the clams.
3. In large pot cook the bacon over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Remove bacon to a bowl.
4. Add the onion to the bacon drippings and cook until it softens, about four minutes. Add the flour, stir, and cook for another minute. Add the potatoes, bay,  clam juice salt, and pepper  Cover and simmer over medium-low heat 20 or more minutes, until the potatoes are tender.
5. Stir in the milk, cream, parsley, minced clams, and Madeira, if using. Warm over low heat, stirring frequently.
6. If you would like to thicken your chowder, add in instant mashed potatoes, about a heaping tablespoon at a time, until you get your desired thickness.
7. Serve in a bow topped with bacon and some oyster crackers or crusty bread on the side!


** If you want to thicken up your chowder, you can add in some instant mashed potatoes towards the end of cooking. I added in about 4 heaping tablespoon of them to help thicken it up, and actually should've added more. Instant mashed potatoes are a great thickener for chowders!

Steamers

Clam necks

Clam bellies

MMMM BACON

Chowdah!

Failed fried clam bellies

BONUS CAMP PICS

Bug zapper inside the first nights to get rid of the massive mosquito and moth population

Can you tell this is a hunters camp?

The boys and dogs swimming

All tuckered out

Grilled Corn on the Cob

I absolutely love grilled foods. When it comes to doing the actual grilling, however, I feel less than confident. I guess it plays into my hangups on cooking meat. I always fear it will be undercooked, or overcooked and dry. A lot of times when I prepare meats for grilling, I make Dan cook them. I'm not entirely sure why, since he likes he beef almost bleeding, but make him double check my meat and poultry all the time.

Today, my mum agreed to buy the ingredients if I would cook dinner. Seemed like a fair trade off, so I told her to get me a pork tenderloin, some shrimp, and some ears of corn. I've been staring at all of the marinades and sauces I have jarred up in my cabinets for about two weeks, telling myself that I need to use them. Today was the day.

This meal doesn't really flow flavor-wise, but I wanted to try a couple different marinades. For the pork, I used Stonewall Kitchen's Roasted Apple Grill Sauce. I figured with a sauce that was thick and definitely packed a lot of apple flavor, pork was the way to go. For the shrimp, I only basted one skewer with Pampered Chef's Raspberry Habanero Sauce. Not everyone (meaning Dad and Dan) would like the raspberry sauce, so I limited it to the one skewer.

What really got me on the grilling track, however, was wanting to make grilled corn on the cob. I've read so many recipes on how to do it, and I decided to just go with a basic, plain one. I figured people could put butter or salt on it as they pleased. Now, out of the 20 or so recipes I checked out, they were divided in half. Half said to husk the corn fully and put them right on the grill, and some said to either leave them in a layer of husk or wrap them in foil. I decided to try a method of keeping them in the husk. Most said to brush the husks with olive oil and place them on the grill, turning every few minutes, until the husks are nice and charred, about 15-20 minutes. Only one recipe I saw said to soak to corn in the husks in water for about 20 minutes before grilling. I should have gone with that one.

The husks catch on fire on the grill. After 8 minutes or so I decided to take them off the grill, remove the husks, and just put them right on the grill. I left them on the grill, turning every now and then for another 10 minutes or so. I like my corn cut off the cob, so I cut it off and mixed it with butter and some chipotle seasoning.

If you grill corn on the cob, I'd go with soaking the husks or just right on the grill. You can brush them with oil, or if you wrap them in foil, you rub them with butter and seasonings and make them however you like.

Before catching on fire...

After abandoning the husks, all nice and grilled

Chipotle Ranch Deviled Eggs

For the longest time, I would watch my family devour deviled eggs, thinking they were disgusting and gross, but secretly wishing I could bring myself to try one. I don't like mayonnaise, and until about 3 years ago, I wouldn't eat anything that contained mayo, whether you could taste the mayo or not. Then, I had three separate times when I was eating various dips and was told they contained mayo. I decided that maybe mayo mixed in with things wasn't so bad. I told myself the next time I saw deviled eggs, I would try them.

Traditional deviled eggs are just the hard boiled eggs whites, filled with a mix of the yolk, mayo and paprika. I love deviled eggs, even traditional ones, but when I make them, I never make them in the traditional fashion. I prefer them with more flavor. I've made deviled eggs with creamy Italian dressing or ranch dressing substituting the mayo, or I make Mexican deviled eggs where I do half mayo half salsa mixed with the yolks.

This time, I decided on ranch instead of mayo with some chipotle spice rub mixed in. I was very temped to do half them with ranch and buffalo wing sauce...maybe next time.

I also always find that there is barely enough filling to fill the eggs up nice and full. Next time, I may make extra eggs and use the yolks for the filling.


Chipotle Ranch Deviled Eggs

1 dozen eggs
1/3 cup ranch dressing
1/2 tbsp. chipotle spice rub

1. To hard boil eggs, place eggs in a large saucepan and cover with about 1 inch of water. Heat to a boil. Let boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and cover. Let sit for 10 minutes. Run the eggs under cold running water until the cool. You can also submerge them in a bowl of cold water and ice.
2. Once cooled, peel the eggs and cut each egg in half lengthwise.
3. Scoop out the yolks and place in a bowl
4. Mix the ranch dressing and chipotle rub with the egg yolks, being sure the yolks are mashed. You can also run this in a food processor for a creamier filling.
5. Spoon or pipe the filling into the eggs. Sprinkle with more chipotle rub and serve.

Tortellini Skewers

We had a family BBQ this past weekend. This is a food I make for BBQs and parties all the time. There have even been times when I've showed up with something else and people have said to me, "I wish you brought the tortellini things". It always makes me happy when people love the simplest foods. There is nothing homemade about these, it's all pre-made items pushed onto a skewer. Yet they get a lot of compliments, as if I had made them from scratch. I enjoy when I get that reaction, because sometimes I feel like if I don't make something from scratch that people won't be as impressed.

You could put anything with the tortellinis on a skewer. Most people ask me to put grape tomatoes, but I don't like them, so I don't. But you could put a little tomato, mozzarella ball, and some spinach on it, all drizzled with some balsamic vinegar reduction, and it would be fantastic. Different kinds of cheese, different olives, veggies....whatever you desire. I make mine the same almost every time.

All you need are these things:

Large package of refrigerated tortellinis (such as Buitoni)
Italian dressing
Pepperoni slices
1 Can black olives
1 package string cheese or cheese sticks, cubed
Party Skewers

(These made about 55 skewers)

Make the tortellini according to the package. Drain and rinse under cold water. Place in a bowl and mix with 1/2 cup Italian dressing, being sure all are coated.

On each skewer, you want 2 tortellinis, 1 slice pepperoni, folded into quarters, 1 black olive, and 1 cube of cheese.

Baked Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

Remember in my last post, when I said that I had 3 days of meals planned, and I hoped nothing ruined them? Well, today, I almost ditched my cooking plans. Today was not a good work day. I had a long meeting, and then had a meeting this afternoon with my assistant cheerleading coach (that one was fine though, and fun!).

As a side note, as I am typing this, the spell/grammar check underlined the word cheerleading....apparently that is not a recognized word...seriously?!?

Anyways, by the time I got home, I wanted nothing more than to collapse onto my couch and watch the Big Bang Theory and sulk, or soak in a hot tub (but I don't have one), or come home to my own Christian Grey who could whisk me off on his own private helicopter (but that's made up).  Anyone who understands the Christian Grey reference is probably thinking, "That's what you'd want if you had your own Mr. Grey?!", and to that I say..."yep". For those of you who have no idea who Christian Grey is, he's one of the main characters in the book Fifty Shades of Grey. If you have no idea what that is then you need to get out more....

ANYWAYS, I opted for my couch and the Big Bang Theory, minus the sulking, but plus some cooking. After all, I knew if I skipped cooking a meal tonight that the ingredients may go to waste (I'm so bad at using everything I buy!), so I powered through and made dinner. I'm glad I did, because it was super delicious. I intended to bake the potatoes in the oven, but with the long day, I baked them in the microwave, took about 10 minutes opposed to the 45 in the oven.

Baked Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
adapted from Pinch of Yum

2 sweet potatoes
1 tbsp. butter
1 small shallot, minced
2 big handfuls of fresh baby spinach
1/2 cup sour cream
2 oz. cream cheese (I used 2 of the little individual cream cheese containers, see pic below)
1/2 can chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
salt and pepper
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
olive oil (optional if crisping the potato skins)

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Pierce the potatoes with a fork all over and bake for 30-45 minutes until tender. Let cool 5-10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, in a medium skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Saute the shallots for about 2 minutes until translucent and fragrant.
4. Add in the spinach and cook for about 3 minutes until spinach is wilted. Remove from heat.
5. Cut the potatoes in half lengthwise. Spoon out the insides, leaving a thin layer along the skin so the potato can sit on it's own. Drizzle with olive oil and bake for 5 minutes to crisp the potatoes a bit if desired.
6. Mash the insides and mix with the sour cream and cream cheese. Add the spinach and shallots, chickpeas, and salt and pepper to taste. Spoon the mix into the potato skins.
7. Sprinkle each potato with about a 1/4 cup of mozzarella cheese. Bake for 5-10 minutes until cheese is melted and everything is heated through.

These can made super healthy if you portion out the sour cream, cream cheese and mozzarella, and use low-fat/fat free versions. I used a pretty decent amount of each, so they were not as healthy as the original recipe intends them to be, but they were so so so goooood.

Homemade Pizza Rolls

Today is Mother's Day, so let me start by saying Happy Mother's Day! to all you mamas out there.

My mom wanted some hanging plants for her front porch and lamp post. Dan's mom also wanted a hanging plant, so Dan and I set out this morning to gather our mother's day gifts (I know, so last minute!). We started with breakfast at a place my grandmother loves so I could grab her a gift certificate. They finally added Eggs Benedict to their menu! It wasn't the greatest eggs benedict I've ever had (I am still on the hunt for that), but it was good enough that I finished all of it.We then grabbed the flowers and cards and headed to Dan's parents, where his dad served us some strawberry shortcake. It was a pretty solid morning if I do say so myself.

After mother's day gift giving, I looked up some recipes I've been wanting to make, since I need to get back to cooking. Dan and I have been sustaining on frozen foods for the past week and a half due to super busy schedules. I'm just hoping that since I have 3 days of meals planned that nothing ruins it...

Speaking of frozen foods, one of the foods we keep in the freezer usually are pizza rolls. You know, as in Totino's pizza rolls. I ate them as a kid every now and then, and my brother pretty much survived off of them (and chicken nuggets), and I still love them as an adult. They're a guilty pleasure, because they're so bad for you. When I came across a recipe on a healthier way to make them, I was all over it.

These actually came out really good. The filling gives the frozen variety a run for it's money, though I would add more pepperoni than I did. Actually, if you're going to use pepperoni, use a thicker cut pepperoni, I used the regular slices, which were too thin. The wonton crusts are crunchy on the edges and thin in the middle, which is very different than the frozen variety, but it tasted nice and fresh, the way something baked should taste. This filling would be great to substitute in the Homemade Pizza Pockets I've made before.

I mean, who would say no to these? Actually, Dan would because they have minced peppers and onions in them....oh well, more for me!

Homemade Pizza Rolls
Adapted from Back to the Roots

olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 green bell pepper, minced
1 small onion, minced
2 cups pizza or marinara sauce (I used pizza)
1 cup shredded mozzarella (I used part-skim)
1/3 package of sliced pepperoni, minced (even better, use thick-cut pepperoni)
1 package wonton wrappers
cooking spray

1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the garlic, pepper and onions. Saute for about 6 minutes or until they have softened.
3. Pour in the pizza sauce, cheese and pepperoni. Stir for about 2 minutes until the cheese is melted and everything is heated through.
4. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Lay out a wonton wrapper. Place a tablespoon of pizza filling in the center of the wonton. Wet your fingers with water and moisten the edges of the wrapper. Fold in half and seal all edges (this will get messy!).
5. Spray the tops of the wontons with cooking spray and bake for 12-15 minutes, until golden brown and crisp.
6. Repeat with another batch. This makes about 38 pizza rolls.

MMM....veggies and garlic

It's ok to spoon-feed yourself some of this...I did...

Wontons

Fill and fold..

Ready to bake!

Hot out of the oven!

In case you missed it before...

Before I go, I'd like to add in a gripe. I was all pumped up about the new Foil/Parchment paper, one side foil one side parchment, but it's a super hassle to work with. The foil is supposed to make it pliable and easy to fold and shape to your pans, but it doesn't. You have to cut it down to fit your pan perfectly. It also curls up when it bakes...you can see evidence of that in my second-to-last picture. I used regular foil on my second batch and it was much easier.