The Genius of Traditions

It has become a Christmas Eve tradition in my family to create a buffet of our favorite snacky-type junk foods. Among the spread, we have spinach dip with pumpernickel bread as a dipper, pigs in a blanket made with little cocktail sausages, a homemade dip for tortilla chips that has been a staple in mom’s repertoire for as long as I can remember, and various incredible desserts.

Recently, my family was celebrating my little sister’s birthday with a combination birthday/farewell dinner (since she was heading out of town for a few weeks.) It was my sister’s brilliant brainstorm that we recreate our buffet mid-year, in order to celebrate her birthday. I wholeheartedly approved the idea, since it meant I wouldn't have to wait another six months to consume some of my favorite foods. As a replacement to the typical chocolate or vanilla birthday cake, my mom made one of my personal favorite things: Chocolate Peanut Butter cupcakes.

In my opinion, there are certain things in life that can bring pleasure simply by existing. For me, the combination of chocolate and peanut butter comprises the first choice among my guilty pleasures. Whether it’s eating a peanut butter cup, or creating a dessert based on these tiny confections, my love runs deep and it runs true.  So naturally, when I discovered this recipe several years ago, it quickly became one of my favorite desserts. If you have a favorite chocolate cake recipe, feel free to use it. The cake recipe included with these cupcakes, while tasty, isn’t necessarily my first choice. On one hand, I like this cake because it’s not too sweet, which balances the sweetness of the frosting nicely. On the other hand, they tend to be a little crumbly.

Regardless of what type of cake you make, they will be incredible, especially for all you peanut butter lovers. Enjoy!

Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting

Makes 14-16

Ingredients

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter at room temperature
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
2 eggs at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk, shaken, at room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream, at room temperature
2 tablespoon brewed coffee
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup confectioner's sugar
1 cup creamy peanut butter (I use Peter Pan or Skippy)
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup heavy cream

Preheat the oven to 350 and line muffin tins with paper liners. 

Fit your electric mixer with paddle attachment. In the bowl, cream together the butter and two kinds of sugar on high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Lower speed to medium and add eggs one at a time. Add the vanilla and mix well. 


In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, sour cream, and coffee. In another bowl, sift the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. With the mixture on low speed, add the buttermilk and flour mixtures alternately, starting with the buttermilk, and ending with the flour. Mix until just blended. Scrape the sides and bottom of bowl with a rubber spatula to be sure everything is incorporated. 


Fill the liners with the batter. One rounded standard ice cream scoop is a good way to measure. Bake on the center rack for 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes and remove from pans to cool completely.


To make the frosting, mix the confectioner's sugar, peanut butter, butter, vanilla, and salt with an electric mixer on medium-low speed. Scrape down the bowl as you mix. Add the cream and beat on high until light and smooth. Frost cupcakes. 


Recipe adapted from Barefoot Contessa at Home. 

Why is it that a mom's cooking always tastes better?

I consider myself to be a very proficient cook. I'm excellent at following a recipe and it's rare that I make something I'm totally dissatisfied with. That being said, my food simply can't compete with mom's. I don't know what it is. Don't get me wrong...my food is still tasty. But sometimes it just seems like it's missing a tiny something special. Maybe I don't enjoy my food as much when I actually make it. Maybe using a gas stove adds something extra. I honestly think my mom is just magical. 


Since I believe that to be the case, she's going to take you through this recipe. And I hope yours turns out to be as delicious as hers. Anytime I'm home I snag a handful to munch on and this morning I had it as a cereal. Delicious! On a side note, I did make this the other day and it came out pretty well. Two things I want to add to her dialog: 1) I don't recommend using a roasted nut. I did this since it was what I had on hand, and it added a tad too much salt. Or at least if you do use an already salted nut, leave out some of the other salt. 2) When you take it out of the oven, it will be nicely golden, but it won't be crispy right away. As it cools, it becomes more crunchy. So don't panic and overcook it. You can always toss it back in after it has cooled some to brown up the bottom. 


That's all from me. Here is my mother's first post!


Here is a recipe for homemade granola that I have tried a few times. I have done it with different nuts: sliced almonds, walnuts, and pecans, or a combination. Whatever you have on hand will do fine. I have substituted the dried cranberries with dried tropical fruit or dried mixed berries, which included raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries. All were great!


I keep mine in a big glass jar on the kitchen counter. It's good as a snack or a topping on yogurt, as well as a cereal with milk. ENJOY!

Homemade Granola


Ingredients


2 cups old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup dried cranberries (or other fruit)
1 cup sliced almonds (or other nuts)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 stick unsalted butter
1/4 cup lightly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
1 tsp pure vanilla extract


Preheat the oven to 325. Line a 9-inch square baking sheet with foil. Allow the foil to extend over the sides. Spray with nonstick cooking spray.


Combine the oats, cranberries, almonds, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl. 


Combine the butter, sugar, and honey in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir until butter melts and the mixture begins to boil. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla.


Pour the butter mixture over the oat mixture, stirring until well coated. Pour into prepared baking sheet and press down evenly using a rubber spatula. 


Bake until top is golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Using the foil, lift out of pan and transfer to a rack to cool. Once cooled, place on a work surface. Crumble into pieces. Store in an airtight container. 

Recipe adapted from Food Network

The Start of Something Good...

I hope. I've had an interesting time trying to create this blog. I believe myself to be fairly technology savvy. I've taken a lot of computer courses, and being my age, I spend the majority of my time logged onto some sort of electronic device. All things considered, it has taken me a ridiculous amount of time to get this thing up and running. Probably because I'm a mild perfectionist and I want to make sure it resembles a blog I would want to read. My mom will be participating in most of the other postings, but unfortunately, she wasn't around when I made these. Since I live away from home now, we'll have to figure out a way to coordinate pictures and such. So stay tuned for her posts! 


For the first post, I made David Lebovitz's Lemon-Glazed Madeleines. I got a madeleine pan for Christmas and have yet to use it. I've been searching for my inaugural recipe and I stumbled across this one and thought it sounded delightful. The end result was absolutely delicious and it is definitely something I'll make again. You'll need to read his post for all of the details, but essentially, there is a baking powder or no baking powder dilemma going on. Since he called for it in his recipe, I included it. Next time I make them, I might leave it out though. They were extremely puffy and sort of sat awkwardly on a plate. Though texture-wise, the madeleines were beautifully fluffy on the inside. 

Also, I edited the glaze recipe. First off, it only made enough to coat half of the madeleines, and secondly, it was too thin and ended up being absorbed sort of like a sugar syrup by my first batch. 


That being said, I love them. They are buttery and fluffy and the lemon juice in the glaze helps cut the sweetness. The result is a slightly tart yet perfectly sweet treat. I ate three while I was waiting for the glaze to dry :) 


My biggest helpful hint for successfully making this recipe is to butter and flour the pan, even if it is nonstick. I actually used one of each type of pan and ironically, my madeleines stuck more to the nonstick pan. Also, if you use nonstick, be sure to turn your oven down 15 or so degrees. Otherwise, you'll end up with cakes that are burned on the bottom and undercooked on top. The coating on these pans gets hotter in the oven than uncoated metals. And be sure to apply this rule to other types of nonstick pans as well, especially cookie sheets! I'm personally a fan of uncoated pans, but mom prefers the nonstick variety. Both work equally well but whichever type you prefer, always remember to alter the temperature appropriately.


My last piece of advice is to clean up the kitchen as you go. For all of my 22 years, I still haven't learned to follow this suggestion. Every time I cook, I end up with a pile of dishes in the sink and it takes away from the experience. For this recipe, I recommend tidying while the batter is chilling. I, however, did not. So if you'll excuse me, I have some cleaning to do!

Lemon-Glazed Madeleines
Makes 24


Ingredients:
3 large eggs, at room temperature
2/3 cup (130g) granulated sugar

rounded 1/8 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cup (175g) flour
1 teaspoon baking powder (optional)
zest of one small lemon
9 tablespoons (120g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temperature, plus additional melted butter for preparing the molds

1 1/2 cup (150g) powdered sugar
2 tablespoon freshly-squeezed lemon juice
2-3 tablespoons water

Brush the madeleine molds with melted butter. Sprinkle with flour and shake to coat evenly. Tap off any excess and put in the fridge or freezer. 

In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, whip the eggs, granulated sugar, and salt. (I used the whisk attachment) Whip for about 5 minutes until thickened and frothy. 

Combine the flour and baking powder if using. Spoon into a sifter and sift into the bowl with the egg and sugar mixture, folding it in as you sift. 

Mix the lemon zest with the cooled butter. Fold into the rest, a few spoonfuls at a time. Once the last of the butter is just folded in, cover and refrigerate for at least an hour, up to 12.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees (around 405 is using nonstick). Spoon batter into each of the indentations, estimating about 3/4 full. Do not spread the batter. Bake 8-9 minutes until they are just set when you poke them. 

While they are baking, mix the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and water in a small bowl. Once the madeleines are done, flip them out onto a cooling rack. I had a little trouble with this part, so I just ran a knife gently around the edges. Once they have cooled some (mine were barely warm), dip them in the glaze and place back on cooling rack, scallop side up. 

Glazed madeleines are best left uncovered, or loosely wrapped. They can be kept in a covered container up to three days. David does not recommend freezing them because the glaze will melt. 

Recipe adapted from David Lebovitz.