Vanilla-Peppermint Cupcakes

Like many people these days, I have a love of cupcakes.  Individually portioned cakey, frostingy goodness...what's not to love?  Every year I decorate our tree with candy canes and usually end up throwing them away at the end of the holidays.  Wasteful, I know.  So this year, I decided to try something different and used the candy canes to MAKE food with...genius, I know.  The first round of candy canes were crushed so that I could coat my Peppermint Truffles in festive peppermint goodness :).

This second recipe that I tried comes from a bakery called Sprinkles.  Yes, I bet you've heard of them before because they basically invented the whole cupcake craze as we know it today.  But, at $3.25 each or $36/dozen it'd be an expensive (and gut busting) habit to have.  So imagine my suprise when I found a recipe to their famous Vanilla-Peppermint Cupcakes on Oprah's website!

After doing some reasearch, I realized the importance of using room temperature baking goods when the recipe specifies.  I always thought it was just to make life more difficult but really it's because room temperature butter creams easier and room temperature eggs fluff up more, resulting in a light and airy cake.  While frosting these puppies, I learned just how delicate they really are!  Definitely following  baking instructions to a T from now on!  By the way, I also might halve the frosting recipe next time as even when I felt like I was frosting each cupcake with a lot, I  still had tons leftover!  For now, I'll leave the recipe as it was originally written...it's for the frosting lovers (like my husband!) out there!

So take a look at my finished product below and for those that were my taste testing guinea pigs, leavea comment.  Think I can sell my cupcakes?  I'll take cash, check, or credit card - thanks!

Vanilla-Peppermint Cupcakes
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Yields: 1 Dozen

Ingredients

For the Cupcake

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour , sifted
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. coarse salt
• 1/2 cup whole milk , room temperature
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 1 tsp. peppermint extract
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter , room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 large egg , room temperature
• 2 large egg whites , room temperature

For the Frosting

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter , firm but not cold
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 3 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar , sifted
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp. peppermint extract
• 1/2 tsp. milk

Directions

To make cupcakes:

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners; set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.
3. In a small bowl, mix together milk and extracts; set aside.
4. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter on medium-high speed, until light and fluffy. Gradually add sugar and continue to beat until well combined and fluffy. Reduce the mixer speed to medium and slowly add egg and egg whites until just blended.
5. With the mixer on low, slowly add half the flour mixture; mix until just blended. Add the milk mixture; mix until just blended. Slowly add remaining flour mixture, scraping down sides of the bowl with a spatula, as necessary, until just blended.
6. Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups. Transfer muffin tin to oven and bake until tops are just dry to the touch, 22 to 25 minutes. Transfer muffin tin to a wire rack and let cupcakes cool completely in tin before icing.

To make frosting:

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater, beat the butter and salt on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
2. Reduce the speed to low, gradually add the confectioners' sugar and beat until incorporated. Add the extracts and milk and beat until smooth and creamy. Do not overmix or the frosting will incorporate too much air; it should be creamy and dense, like ice cream. Add additional milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, if frosting does not have a spreadable consistency.

To frost:

1. Scoop a generous amount of frosting on top of a cooled cupcake (used a heaping tablespoon...apparently this wasn't generous enough!). Hold the cupcake in one hand and with the other hand use a small offset spatula to smooth the frosting over the entire top of the cupcake. To achieve the Sprinkles look, use the length of the spatula to create large swirls around the circumference of the cupcake. Or for a more homespun and rustic quality, use the tip of the spatula to create small ridges and waves in the frosting.
2. Be careful to handle the cupcake with care and not grip it too tightly, which can crush the delicate cake. In general, the less the cupcake is handled, the better. An experienced Sprinkles froster can frost a cupcake with only a few turns of the spatula!
3. Top with crushed candy canes!

Source: Candace Nelson, owner of Sprinkles Cupcakes; as seen on Oprah

Chicken Tikka Masala and Naan

I <3 Indian Food...and over the years I've converted Chris, too!  Our favorite Indian Restaurant ever is Ambar India in Clifton.  My cousins Jim and Kat say that it's the best they've had too...it pleases even foodie New Yorkers!  I think that Ambar and Wok Inn Express (my Aunt's restaurant in St. Benard) are the 2 things we miss most about living in Clifton.  While this wasn't quite Ambar, I thought it was quite good!  It took way more effort than I'd like and so I'd rather drive 25 mins to go to Ambar or order from another Indian restaurant in a fix but it was the pride in knowing that I COULD make Indian food that made it worth it to me.

Chris' favorite Indian dish is Chicken Makhani (Indian Butter Chicken).  Sometimes, restaurants don't serve that dish and they suggest Chicken Tikka Masala instead.  The two seem to be very similar except that Chicken Makhani is sweeter and at Ambar has nuts and raisins (not sure if this is universal?).  So, I took the liberty to modify this recipe to make it closer to Makhani vs.Tikka Masala...call it a hybrid if you will.  That's the beauty of cooking is sometimes you just find yourself inspired to give a recipe your own touch :).

As a side note, I was so excited that this recipe used ground cardamom.  After having invested in this interesting spice to make Finn Nisu Bread (or Misua as my in-laws know it as), it's just been sitting in my spice cabinet waiting to be used again.  Regarding the Garam Masala...it's apparently a very common sweet/savory spice that's used in Indian food.  Since I didn't want to invest in yet ANOTHER spice not knowing if I'd ever use it again, I decided to Google for substitutes.  I also considered knocking on our neighbor's door to see if I could "borrow a tsp of spice" (they're both Indian on either side...and it's like borrowing a cup of sugar lol!).

Now, it may not be the prettiest  looking food but I assure you it was tasty.  (Yeah, just ignore the bite taken out of my naan...Chris suggested I take a photo for my blog AFTER I started eating!  I'm surprised  more wasn't gone as the aroma during cooking was devine!).  Since our grill is covered for the winter, I made the naan on an open George Foreman and then kept it warm in the oven since I could only make 2 at a time.  Thank goodness I halved the naan recipe...but even then there was so much excess!  At least I don't have to ration it like at Ambar where each piece of  plain naan is like $2.50.  There was plenty to go around and this naan had GARLIC (an upcharge at Ambar)!  Nothing like sopping up the curry sauce with some fresh naan...mmm!

Chicken Tikka Masala
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Marinade

• 1 cup plain yogurt
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons ground cardamom
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger (omitted)
• 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into large cubes

Sauce

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 jalapeño chili, minced (used 2 oz canned diced jalepenos; adjust heat to your preferences)
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon garam masala (Googled for a substitute and used 1/4 tsp ground cumin + 1/4 tsp ground coriander + 1/6 tsp ground pepper + 1/6 tsp ground cardamom + 1/6 tsp all spice)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
• 1 1/2 cups half-and-half
• 1/4 cup peanuts
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro

Directions

1. Combine everything on the marinade list, including the chicken. Marinate in a plastic Ziploc gallon bag in the fridge for at least 2 hours (overnight is better.)
2. If you have a gas grill or grill pan, grill the chicken until slightly undercooked. If you have a charcoal grill, thread the chicken onto skewers first. (Or, use a skillet like I did...)
3. Set the lightly grilled chicken aside on a plate. Melt the butter in a large deep skillet over medium heat then add the flour. Add the garlic and jalapeño, and stir for a minute. Stir in the seasonings, sugar, and salt. Add the tomato sauce, and stir for one minute. Add the half-and-half, peanuts, and raisins, and simmer until the sauce thickens.
4. Add the chicken to the sauce (remove it from the skewers if you did this) and let simmer for a couple of minutes. Serve with basmati rice and naan.

Source: modified from What's for Dinner, as seen on A Taste of Home Cooking

Naan
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Prep Time: 30 Min
Cook Time: 7 Min
Ready In: 3 Hrs
Yields: 14 Pieces

Ingredients

• 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
• 1 cup warm water
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 4 1/2 cups bread flour
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic (optional)
• 1/4 cup butter, melted

Directions

1. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. Let stand about 10 minutes, until frothy. Stir in milk, egg, salt, and enough flour to make a soft dough. Knead for 6 to 8 minutes on a lightly floured surface, or until smooth. Place dough in a well oiled bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and set aside in a warm place (used warm oven) to rise. Let it rise 1 hour, until the dough has doubled in volume.
2. Punch down dough, and knead in garlic. Pinch off small handfuls of dough about the size of a golf ball. Roll into balls, and place on a tray. Cover with a towel, and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
3. During the second rising, preheat grill to high heat.
4. At grill side, roll one ball of dough out into a thin circle. Lightly oil grill. Place dough on grill, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until puffy and lightly browned. Brush uncooked side with butter, and turn over. Brush cooked side with butter, and cook until browned, another 2 to 4 minutes. Remove from grill, and continue the process until all the naan has been prepared.  Store cooked naan in a warm oven while cooking the rest, if desired.

Source: All Recipes

Assorted Truffles

Oh.my.god.  These are DELICIOUS!  Rich and melt-in-your-mouth...look and taste like the pros made them...and probably a bazillion calories (so good thing you can only eat a little before the richness is too much!).  But here's the kicker...truffles are actually really EASY to make!  I was pleasantly surprised :).  I'm pretty sure that these and cakeballs will be staple desserts year round.  The beauty of it is that the possibilities are endless and can be changed to match the season.  I considered doing egg nog truffles (substitute the heavy cream with egg nog and spike it with rum) and strawberry (add strawberry preserves) but those got the axe because I don't like egg nog and strawberry felt to Spring for me.  Perhaps Strawberry for Valentine's Day ;).

What follows is a picture of my finished truffles and rough estimates of the flavorings and toppings that I added to create each. 

Family - Be prepared for these delicious morsels to rock your world on Christmas Day.  PS:  Stephen I took special care to make sure that the flavors stayed separated during the making process and there was minimal chance of nut contamination!

Assorted Truffles
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Ingredients

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 12 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 1/4 cup sugar

For the Chocolate: cocoa powder for topping

For the Peppermint Crunch: 1/2 tsp peppermint extract for ganache; 1/2 cup crushed peppermint candy canes for topping

For the French Vanilla Coffee: 1 1/2 tsp powdered Folgers French Vanilla Cappucino mix OR 3/4 tsp instant coffee + 1/2 tsp vanilla extract for ganache; powdered sugar for topping

For the Peanut Butter Chocolate: 1 Tbsp peanut butter for ganache; 1/2 cup crushed peanuts for topping

Directions

1. Bring the cream and sugar to a boil over low heat, pour over the chocolate and stir until smooth.
2. Separated mine into different bowls; one for each flavor.
3. Add respective flavoring to ganache and then cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours (or overnight)
4. Use melon ball scoop or spoon to scoop out some ganache.  Roll (using fingertips) into walnut size balls.  (You don't want to handle  the ganache too much because it will melt and make your hands a mess.  It's okay at this point to be a bit misshapen because you can reshape it after it's rolled in the topping.)
5. Optional: If desired, freeze balls at this point and then prepare chocolate coating in double broiler.  To coat, dip ball in chocolate using a fork.  Sprinkle desired topping over tuffle and then place on a wax paper lined cookie sheet and put in fridge to set.
6. Roll in desired topping and chill until ready to serve.

Source: A Christine's Kitchen Chronicles Original inspired by Sing For Your Supper