Gluten-Free Creamsicle Cupcakes

With summer fast approaching, memories of orange creamsicles come flooding back to me. They were, by far, my favorite summer treat. That and banana popsicles!

I wanted to make a gluten-free cupcake that would do justice to the classic creamsicle ice cream indulgence. After much research, I settled on a source recipe from The Allergen-Free Baker's Handbook for Orange Chiffon Cake. Then I adapted it quite severely to go from a cake to these fluffy, orange, cream filled delights you see here today.

The chiffon batter does tend to settle after baking so you will have a flat cupcake top. Perfect for what you need to do next and that is cut out the top with a melon baller, fill with creamy vanilla buttercream and then place the cutout cupcake piece back on top.

For the frosting, I took the vanilla buttercream filler frosting and jazzed it up with orange food coloring, orange extract and then piped it all with my Wilton 1M tip. The crowning glory: a little orange gummy candy and an orange candy stick which I simply cut in half as one large one is simply overkill for these beauties.

To begin, you will want to have 1 orange handy and some orange juice (pulp free). I added the scrapings of 1 vanilla bean to the batter plus one in the icing so I highly recommend you have these on hand as well. The vanilla bean enhances the entire cupcake from top to bottom giving it that vanilla flavor so well loved in the creamsicle treat.

This is my staple go-to book for gluten-free baking . I couldn't live without it. As with the Chocolate Cupcake recipe also posted here on Lemon Drop, the original Orange Chiffon one in her book is both vegan and gluten-free. My focus was simply to retain its gluten-free qualities. Therefore, I did used eggs rather than egg replacer.

Basic Gluten-Free Baking Mix
used throughout the book:

• 4 cups superfine brown rice flour (preferably from Authentic Foods)
• 1 1/3 cups potato starch (NOT potato flour)
  
• 2/3 cup tapioca flour or tapioca starch

You will need 3 cups of this baking mix blend for this cupcake recipe.

NOW LET'S GET STARTED!

RECIPE:

WHAT YOU NEED

CUPCAKES
2 cups fine granulated sugar
1 egg
1 cup orange juice (pulp free)
zest of one medium orange
scrapings of 1 vanilla bean
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 tablespoons canola oil (Crisco oil is great)
3 cups gluten-free flour mix (see above)
3/4 teaspoon xanthum gum
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
orange food coloring gel or liquid food coloring

FILLING/FROSTING
2 1/2 cups unsalted butter at room temperature
6 cups icing sugar, sifted
scraping of one 1 vanilla bean
3/4 cup whipping cream

FROSTING EXTRAS:
1 1/2 teaspoons orange extract
orange food coloring gel
orange gummy candies
orange candy sticks, cut in half

MAKE IT

LINE muffin pans (2) with 16 liners.
PREHEAT oven to 350F

IN LARGE BOWL, with electric mixer, blend together sugar and egg for 1 minute, MED speed
ADD orange juice, zest, vanilla bean scraping, liquid vanilla and oil
BEAT MED speed 1 minute
IN MEDIUM BOWL, whisk together remaining cupcake ingredients
SLOWLY ADD to wet ingredients in 3 batches, mixing slightly after each addition.
BLEND together at MED speed for 1 minute
ADD food coloring and blend into batter on LOW speed just until you have the color you want.
WITH ice cream or cookie scoop, fill liners 3/4 full
BAKE 15-18 minutes testing with a toothpick in center; if it comes out clean then they are done!
LET COOL in pan for 5 minutes
REMOVE and let cupcakes cool on rack completely for 1/2 hr

IN LARGE BOWL, with electric mixer, cream butter for 1 minute MED speed
SLOWLY add icing sugar and continue mixing for 4-5 minutes MED speed
ADD vanilla bean and whipping cream. When adding whipping cream, add only a little at a time until you reach your desired consistency

WITH MELON BALLER, scoop out a circle from each cupcake, approximately 1 inch deep. Set cut out tops aside.
WITH teaspoon, fill cut out areas with 1 teaspoon of white frosting.
COVER with cupcake cutouts
WITH remaining icing, add orange extract. Start adding food coloring: A little goes a long way so start adding a little bit at a time and mix after each addition until desired color is reached.

FILL piping bag with orange frosting and pipe onto cupcakes. I used a Wilton 1M tip for the swirls on top.

TOP with candy and orange stick.

ENJOY !!!

Also Seen Here:

Sugar Cookies - plain and simple

Sugar cookies are a wonderful light tasting treat. They pair well with tea, coffee and for the kids, a big glass of milk. Ice them or leave them plain. The choice is yours. Play with fun cookie cutter shapes. There are hundreds of possibilities out there for you to explore!

These sugar cookies, once cut and baked, will last for several weeks when stored in an air tight container.

I usually ice my cookies with royal icing but I loved the simplicity of these flower cutouts. I used a dusting of icing sugar on my work surface as well as on top of the cookies before rolling out. It makes rolling 100% easier as it reduces sticking which tends to be the most difficult challenge when dealing with this type of dough because YES, it will stick to waxed paper too. What I really love though is how the icing sugar creates a shiny glaze on the baked cookies. Perfect for cookies that will be eaten as-is, fresh out of the oven.

I added the scraping of one vanilla bean to the dough. I love the flavor it adds and also the small specks of vanilla really enhance the appearance.

Making these cookies does take awhile because of the chilling phase required before baking so be prepared for playing a little bit of the waiting game.

Also, do not OVERMIX! I cannot emphasize this enough. You do not need to cream together the butter and sugar as you would a cake because the longer you cream, the more tiny bubbles are created. Its these bubbles which give cakes height. The opposite of what you want. You want a thin and crispy cookie!

Lastly, when rolling the dough do not go back and forth with the rolling pin. You can easily overwork the dough resulting in one tough cookie. To roll, simply place your rolling pin in the middle of the dough and roll outwards: forward motions from center outward and backward motions from center inward. Rotate the dough when needed to roll out the sides, again starting from the center at all times.





LET'S GET STARTED
* source recipe adapted from Sweetopia

RECIPE:

WHAT YOU NEED

1 1/4 cups unsalted butter at room temperature
1 cup fine granulated sugar
1 large egg at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
scrapings from one vanilla bean
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
icing sugar for rolling

MAKE IT

IN LARGE BOWL, cream together butter and sugar on MED speed for no more than 1 minute.
ADD egg and mix only until combined
ADD vanilla bean and vanilla extract, mixing until blended
SIFT in flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt
MIX on low speed until the dough starts to form together; no longer than 45 seconds
PLACE piece of waxed paper on work surface
DUST it with icing sugar
PAT out dough into a disc and place on waxed paper
SPRINKLE lightly with icing sugar
PLACE another piece of waxed paper on top of dough
ROLL out dough between the waxed paper to 1/4" thickness
PLACE cookie dough, still in waxed paper, onto a cookie sheet and let sit in refrigerator for 1-2 hrs

PREHEAT OVEN 350F
LINE 2 cookie sheets with waxed paper
TAKE COOKIE dough out of fridge and place back, still in waxed paper, onto work surface
REMOVE TOP LAYER of waxed paper
DIP cookie cutter edges lightly into icing sugar
CUT out desired shapes and with a hard edged spatula, lift and place on cookie sheets
BAKE 8 -10 minutes or until edges start to turn golden brown
ALLOW to cool on baking sheet 5 minutes then gently remove with spatula and place on cooling rack.
ALLOW to cool completely (approx. 30 minutes)

Leave plain or ice with royal icing.
A great base cookie - a blank canvas - ready for decorating!

Vanilla Custard Powder Cake

An incredibly simple cake to make and a glorious sweet treat that will win over even picky eaters!

So many things to love: it is egg-less, it can be made all in one bowl, and it has the most amazing vanilla flavor thanks to the addition of vanilla custard powder.

This cake is crunchy and flaky on the outside while the inside is rich, dense and moist. I find it has better depth of flavor and a nicer consistency if it rests for a few hours before slicing.

It is especially nice topped with berries and a dollop of whipped cream. It is wonderful for dessert and very welcome at afternoon tea.

I had never made a cake with custard powder before and I am so happy I decided to experiment yesterday. I was lucky enough to find vanilla custard powder but if you only have plain on hand, then simply add pure vanilla extract as shown in the recipe.

Fresh out of the tin, the vanilla custard powder is light pink in color. Initially I was worried this would result in a pink cake but it didn't. Instead the cake was a lovely golden yellow inside and out.

This custard cake is now a family favorite and will be served in our home many, many times in the future.

For the source recipe, please visit My Diverse Kitchen.

If you love vanilla and a recipe that comes together in a flash then this cake will be your new best friend!

My custard powder of choice:

Fresh out of the oven - a golden crust.
It actually reminds me of a sweet scone.

Enjoy !

Rustic Gluten-Free Lemon Donuts

These aren't all smooth and pretty. They have their fair share of lumps and bumps. Hey, so do I and you don't love me any less, do you?
No, you don't. You will feel the same way about these donuts too - guaranteed!

Their external rustic appearance conceals a fluffy, moist and lemony interior. You will never guess these are gluten-free.

These sweet treats also need no deep-frying. They are baked in the oven for just 8 minutes and emerge golden brown and ready to eat! Gobble them up as-is, dusted with icing sugar or topped with a simple vanilla glaze.

LET'S GET STARTED !

Topped with a vanilla glaze

RECIPE:

WHAT YOU NEED

DONUTS

1 1/4 cup gluten-free flour. Please see this Gluten-Free Snickerdoodle recipe for an excellent blend. Do NOT use self-rising gluten-free flour in this recipe
1/2 cup fine granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 large egg
1/3 cup full fat Greek-style yogurt
1/3 cup PLUS 1/4 cup buttermilk (1%)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil ( I use Becel. Safflower and grapeseed oil are also excellent choices)
Zest of one lemon
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

GLAZE

1 cup of icing sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 teaspoons cream (you may need 3 if you feel it is too thick)

MAKE IT

PREHEAT oven to 400F
SPRAY donut pan with cooking spray. I use a Wilton pan that makes 6 regular sized donuts
IN LARGE BOWL, whisk together first 6 ingredients
IN MEDIUM BOWL, whisk together remaining Donut ingredients
FOLD wet ingredients into dry ingredients and blend until combined
FILL donut molds. I find 3 teaspoons per mold works well.
LEVEL down tops of donuts with a wet icing spatula or butter knife
BAKE 8 - 10 minutes until golden brown around edges and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean
IMMEDIATELY turn out donuts onto a cooling rack, turn right-side up and allow to cool completely

MAKE GLAZE by combining all glaze ingredients in a bowl and whisking until smooth
LINE a cookie sheet with waxed paper
PLACE donuts on cooling rack over cookie sheet
DIP donuts, face-side down, into glaze and turn right-side up.
PLACE on rack and allow glaze to harden slightly (15 min)

INDULGE !!!

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Vanilla Cherry Scones

Another lazy Sunday morning and my mind was starting to whirl with baking ideas. I love scones and biscuits of any kind - savory or sweet. I recently made bacon, cheddar and chive scones and can say I am still swooning over those lovelies. But today I wanted something sweet to enjoy with a nice, strong cup of coffee.

Last week I had purchased some delicious cherry jam, not the smooth kind but a thick and lumpy variety filled with chunks of cherries. I figured it would work as a great sandwich filling in some sweet scones.

The basic scone recipe can be found in the Pastry Queen's cookbook for her Peach Jam Scones. I halved the dough recipe and still ended up with 8 dense and sweet scones.

Don't go overboard on the jam layer though or the scones will slide apart during the baking process. I learned this the hard way. The nice thing though is if they do just continue to bake and when they are done, take them out and gently nudge the tops back onto the bottom layer of the scone. As the jam filling cools it will act like a glorious sugar glue and hold the scone together perfectly.

I used round scalloped cutters but feel free to use whatever cutter you have. These are also very nice as bite size scones too.

LET'S BEGIN

I recommend not adding as much jam as this because,
as mentioned above, the tops will start to slide during baking.
If you are like me and want a good dose of jam,
then just slide the tops back on during the cooling phase.

RECIPE:

WHAT YOU NEED

3 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
3/4 unsalted butter, cold and grated
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 to 1 3/4 cups buttermilk
1/4 cup cherry jam - thick variety works best.
1/4 cup heavy cream
Turbinado or vanilla sugar for sprinkling

MAKE IT

PREHEAT OVEN to 425F
LINE a standard cookie sheet with parchment paper
IN LARGE BOWL, whisk together first 4 ingredients
ADD grated butter and blend with your hands til slightly combined.
ADD vanilla extract to the buttermilk and stir to combine.
ADD buttermilk/ vanilla wet ingredients to the dry ingredients mixing in with your hands til you can form a shaggy ball of dough.
DO NOT OVER-MIX
ON FLOUR DUSTED WORK SURFACE, pat out dough into 1 1/2 inch thick rectangle
SPREAD THIN LAYER of jam over dough
FOLD dough in half
PRESS down dough slightly
WITH BISCUIT CUTTER, cut out scones and place on cookie sheet
BRUSH heavy cream over tops and sprinkle with sugar
BAKE 12 minutes for small scones and up to 18 minutes for large ones. The tops should turn a nice golden brown but check after 10 minutes until done to avoid over-baking
SERVE warm or at room temperature

ENJOY !

Vanilla Sugar

Anyone can make vanilla sugar. It is as easy as 1-2-3. It is lovely to have a jar of vanilla infused sugar handy whenever your heart (and tummy) desires.

Sprinkle it on cereal, add it in your tea or coffee. Especially great when added to cookies, muffins, cupcakes, pancakes and waffles.

My personal fave: rolling sugar cookies in it right before they are pressed down into discs. A wonderful way to add extra flavor.

Now let's get started !

To make your own vanilla sugar
just follow these simple steps:

• Choose a container that will allow you easy access to the sugar. I purchased my diner-style sugar dispenser from Bulk Barn here in Canada. I know Walmart carries them too.
• Fill the container nearly to the brim with fine granulated sugar
• Pour the sugar out and into a clean bowl
• Take 1-2 vanilla beans ( based on how much you like vanilla because 2 beans means very, very vanilla sugar) and score them down the middle with a paring knife
• Scrape out the seeds and whisk them into the sugar
• Cut the bean into 1/4" pieces and add to the sugar giving it a quick stir
  
• Pour everything back into the jar and seal tightly
• Allow to sit for at least a week so the vanilla can fully infuse the sugar

ENJOY !

Double Vanilla Sour Cream Cake

I started making Dorie Greenspan's French Yogurt Cake but became sidetracked due to lack of ingredients, a main one being yogurt. But then I saw a new container of full-fat sour cream in the fridge and thought, why not !

I also love vanilla and had recently picked up some gorgeous Madagascar beans. There is nothing like seeing the flecks of vanilla bean in a cake to really make one feel all earthy and warm. So in went the scrapings of one vanilla bean and 2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract.

The end result is a moist, rich and beautifully infused vanilla cake.
This will be perfect for dessert topped with macerated strawberries and whipped cream.

LET'S BEGIN

RECIPE:

WHAT YOU NEED

8 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch loaf pan

1 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
1/2 cup ground almonds - remove any lumps
2 teaspoons baking powder
pinch of salt
1 cup superfine sugar
1/2 cup full-fat sour cream
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 vanilla bean, scraped
1/2 cup flavorless oil (ie canola or safflower. I used Becel)

MAKE IT

PREHEAT oven to 350F
GREASE a 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch loaf pan
IN LARGE BOWL whisk together first for 5 ingredients
ADD remaining ingredients and whisk until smooth - do not over-whisk to ensure a light cake
POUR batter into prepared pan and smooth the top

PLACE loaf pan on a cookie sheet
BAKE for 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean
ALLOW to cool in pan 5 minutes
ALLOW to cool completely on cooling rack

ENJOY !!!!

Donut Muffins with Vanilla Cinnamon Glaze

These lovely little muffins are a wonderful way to start off the morning. With the taste of an old-fashioned glazed doughnut without the deep frying.

This recipe caught my eye on the King Arthur Flour site. It isn't a new idea and has been "revamped" by many. The traditional way to top these is by dipping them in melted butter then in a cinnamon/sugar mix.

The original recipe can be found here at the King Arthur site. For a bit of a change and added moisture, try adding 1/4 cup of full-fat sour cream to the wet ingredients.

I thought a glaze would work better than the recommended butter and cinnamon sugar topping, at least where my kids are concerned. Besides, I prefer the floor as clean as I can keep it. A glaze just makes sense!

For the glaze, simply combine the following ingredients in a medium sized bowl:

• 1 cup of icing sugar sifted together with 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons cream (you may need 3 if you feel it is too thick)
• 3 tablespoons melted unsalted butter.

Blend together with a fork. Spread onto muffin tops while still warm. I just put a dollop in the center of each muffin and let it ooze down the sides. The glaze will dry and form a smooth topping as it cools.

ENJOY !

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Featured at Ekat's Kitchen's Friday Potluck

St. Paddy's Day Cupcakes

What better way to celebrate St. Patrick's Day than with a beautiful batch of vanilla cupcakes topped with sweet green icing. Or switch it up and make green cupcakes with white icing.

These cupcakes are from two dozen I made for my son's Grade 5 class to celebrate this special occasion. We are a week early given their upcoming March Break. But really, is it every too early to have a cupcake?! I think NOT.

You can decorate these in so many ways! Chocolate gold coins, edible shamrock toppers, even cute decoration Leprechaun hats come to mind. I used little silver candy balls, finishing sugars and St. Paddy's Day themed hors d'oeuvres picks. HAVE FUN !

Topped with vanilla buttercream

and colored finishing sugar

And this is what happens when your daughter finds them when she arrives home from school !

RECIPE:

For the cupcake recipe, I have come to love Chef Ricardo Larivee's cupcake recipe that he uses to make his butterscotch cupcakes though I do alter it somewhat. It is moist and delicious!

WHAT YOU NEED:

CUPCAKES (altered source recipe)

1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, sifted
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 pinch salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 eggs at room temperature
1/2 cup milk at room temperature
1/2 cup full-fat sour cream at room temperature
2 teaspoons green food coloring if you want green cupcakes

ICING

This is a standard, creamy and just plain delicious buttercream icing that I use all the time.

1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
2 cups icing sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons light cream (5% is fine)
1 teaspoon green food coloring

MAKE IT

CUPCAKES

PREHEAT oven to 350F
FILL 12 cupcake tins with paper liners. This batter does make more than 12. I can usually get 17 cupcakes in total.

IN SMALL BOWL, SIFT together first 3 ingredients and set aside
IN LARGE BOWL, beat butter with electric hand-mixer still light and fluffy (2-3 min, MED speed)
ADD sugar and mix 1 min MED speed
ADD eggs , one a time, mixing after each to thoroughly combine
ADD vanilla and sour cream, blend til combined
ADD food coloring if you want a green cupcake, mix blend til well combined
SLOWLY add 1/2 flour mixture to batter, mix til just combined
ADD milk to batter, mix til just combined
ADD rest of flour mixture and mix til just combined
FILL tins 1/2 full
BAKE 22 minutes
LET cool in tin 5 min then remove cupcakes and let cool 1/2 hr on cooling rack before icing

ICING

WITH electric hand mixer, blend butter 1-2 minutes MED speed
ADD icing sugar and blend 2-3 minutes until fully combined
ADD vanilla extract and cream, blend 1-2 minutes
FOR green icing , add food coloring and blend until uniform in color

FILL PIPING BAG and pipe away. I use a Wilton 1M Swirl tip for the green iced cupcakes and a Wilton 6B tip for the white iced cupcakes.

IMPORTANT: DON'T MISS MY SPRING GIVEAWAY! You could be the lucky winner!

ENJOY !

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Recipe Featured at
Sweet for Saturday # 8

Welcome, Pancake Tuesday !

Today, March 8th, is Pancake Day ( also known as Shrove Tuesday), the last day before the period that Christians refer to as Lent. And what is the tradition, you ask? The tradition is to EAT PANCAKES !

Why pancakes? Because Lent is a time of abstinence and therefore Shrove Tuesday is looked upon as your last chance to dive in, indulge and enjoy all those foods you are not permitted to eat during Lent. Pancakes are one of those indulgences as they contain fat, butter and eggs; none of which are allowed during Lent.

My daughter attends a Catholic school and today they are celebrating Pancake Tuesday with a pancake lunch. If you knew my daughter personally you would know that she likes to go all out on festive occasions, today being no different. What that means is pancakes for all 3 meals. This morning though was a cheat. She had EGGOs as I slept in a bit and Dad was in charge of breakfast. Lunch is being handled by the school and you guessed it - Pancakes are on the cafeteria menu.

So this leaves me handling dinner. Lucky for me I have all the ingredients I need. I have strawberries, pure maple syrup, whipping cream and all the must-haves to make my fave pancake recipe: Ina Garten's Sour Cream pancakes.

I have tried alot of pancake recipes and none compare to Ina's version. These are thick, light and rise up like clouds. It is the addition of sour cream that makes these "da bomb". If you haven't tried them yet, then you MUST and today is a great day for you to do so !

The recipe was originally featured in the Barefoot Contessa Family Style cookbook. I have this book and I cherish it. When the pages are dog-eared and stuck together with butter, there is flour caking up in the creases, the cover is a bit torn... well you know it is very well used and dearly loved.

I top the pancakes with macerated strawberries, maple syrup and a dollop of vanilla-infused whipped cream for the crowning glory. For side dish choices I like ham, bacon, sausage - all 3 work very well.

So go ahead and indulge tonight with a pancake dinner. You deserve it!

RECIPE as posted on the Food Network

Banana Sour Cream Pancakes*

*Feel free to omit the bananas if you want to - I do. The only other alteration I do is add 1/4 tsp of cinnamon to the batter.

Ingredients nocoupons

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon milk
• 2 extra-large eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• Unsalted butter
• 2 ripe bananas, diced, plus extra for serving
• Pure maple syrup

Directions

Sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the sour cream, milk, eggs, vanilla, and lemon zest. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ones, mixing only until combined.

Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat until it bubbles. Ladle the pancake batter into the pan to make 3 or 4 pancakes. Distribute a rounded tablespoon of bananas on each pancake. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until bubbles appear on top and the underside is nicely browned. Flip the pancakes and then cook for another minute until browned. Wipe out the pan with a paper towel, add more butter to the pan, and continue cooking pancakes until all the batter is used. Serve with sliced bananas, butter and maple syrup.

Photo courtesy of © Olga Nayashkova | Dreamstime.com

Vanilla Sour Cream Cupcakes with Fudge Icing

These lovely little jewels are dense and moist thanks to egg yolks and sour cream. Top them off with a chocolate fudge icing and you are in business !

This recipe is one of my faves; simple yet effective !!! I found it years ago in a fantastic baking cookbook.

The icing is just a buttercream base with added melted semi-sweet and unsweetened chocolate. You cannot go wrong with buttercream !

A vanilla buttercream icing would work just as well. And for Easter, think about tinting it a pastel shade of green, yellow, pink or blue !

The Secret (to a superb yellow cupcake) Lies Within.

For those not lucky enough to own this little gem,
I will repost the recipe here with a few alterations.

Cook's Illustrated Magazine - Baking Illustrated. America's Test Kitchen.

LET'S GO !!

RECIPE:

WHAT YOU NEED

FOR THE CUPCAKES:

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup fine white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature. Cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 large egg at room temperature
2 large egg yolks at room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract (love Madagascar vanilla in these!)
1/2 cup full fat sour cream at room temperature


FOR THE ICING:

2 ounces of dark baking chocolate
2 ounces semi-sweet chocolate (you can go with baking chocolate or even chocolate chips)
2/3 cup unsalted butter @ room temperature
1 1/3 cups sifted icing sugar
1 teaspoons pure vanilla extract


MAKE IT

PREHEAT oven to 350F
GREASE 12 muffin cups or LINE with paper liners (I am always a fan of liners!)
IN A LARGE BOWL, whisk together first four ingredients
WITH ELECTRIC HAND-MIXER, add all other ingredients and blend until combined
DIVIDE batter evenly among muffin cups
BAKE for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean
ALLOW to cool in muffin tin 5 minutes
REMOVE cupcakes and allow to cool 1/2 hr on a cooling rack before icing

Ready to be iced

MAKE THE ICING:

CHOP chocolate into small pieces
IN A SMALL MICROWAVE SAFE BOWL, combine dark and semisweet chocolate
MICROWAVE 30 seconds at 50% power
STIR and microwave again 30 seconds at 50% power
STIR and if melted then great ! If not, back in it goes
ONCE MELTED, allow to cool to room temperature
IN SEPARATE LARGE BOWL, whip butter with electric hand-mixer until light and fluffy (2-3 minutes at medium speed)
SIFT in icing sugar and mix until blended (1 minute at medium speed should do it!).
ADD vanilla extract and mix til combined.
ADD cooled chocolate mixture and blend until well combined.

ICE the cupcakes: I used a 1M Swirl Wilton piping tip.

My little assembly line

The Desired Result

Creamy Rice Pudding with Raisins

Ahhhh, another great comfort food. I remember this as being my ultimate favorite when I was a wee one. It was inexpensive and easy to make; my mom's two favorite things !!!

This is a creamy pudding rather than the baked kind. I have never been fond of the latter. A few simple ingredients and you will be greeted by a thick, creamy custard-like pudding with a hint of cinnamon. The raisins are so plump you will want to ensure you snag at least 3-4 with each bite!

Here We Go !!

RECIPE:

WHAT YOU NEED

2 1/2 cups full fat milk. Don't go with anything less than full fat milk !

1/3 cup arborio rice

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup fine white sugar

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon PURE vanilla extract

1/4 cup raisins

MAKE IT

COMBINE milk, rice and salt in a saucepan and heat on high until boiling
REDUCE to low/med heat and simmer 25 minutes stirring occasionally to prevent rice from sticking to bottom of pot
REMOVE from heat
ADD sugar and cinnamon, stir until combined
RETURN to stovetop and simmer for 10-15 minutes until thickened, stirring continously
REMOVE from heat, stir in vanilla and raisins

DIVIDE pudding into individual serving dishes (you may be able to get 4 servings out of this. We tend to like larger portions though!). Top with plastic wrap (make sure to press the wrap down so it adheres to top of pudding to prevent a pudding film from developing)

SET serving dishes in fridge to cool until you are ready to DIG IN ! Usually 2 hrs will suffice.

NOTE: I much prefer my pudding at room temperature for that top-notch creamy factor. I leave it out to rest for 1 hr before eating. If you like yours cold just know in advance that it will not be as creamy !

Photo by dreambigphotos featured at Fotolia.com

Ahhh, the smell of baking french toast.....

Who doesn't love a lazy Sunday morning? coffee brewing, the smell of vanilla permeating the house, the crackle of frying bacon. Sunday morning faves around here range from homemade cinnamon buns to french toast. Today I would like to share the ultimate french toast recipe with you and encourage you try it out soon (sooner if you can !!).

LET'S GET STARTED !

RECIPE:

WHAT YOU NEED

1 Italian or French bread (always go with a crusty crust loaf so it will stand up to soak time)

1 pkg (250 g) cream cheese, softened (easiest is to leave out at room temperature for 1/2 hr)

3 x-large eggs or 4 large eggs

1 cup milk (I have used full fat, buttermilk and 2 %... but my personal fave is 3/4 cup 2/% and 1/4 cup 10% cream)

1/4 cup maple syrup ( go with the real deal)

cinnamon 1 tsp

vanilla 1 tsp (PURE vanilla, no artificial vanilla PLEASE !)

MAKE IT

Cut bread into 15 thick slices ( or approx. 1" thick slices).

BEAT cream cheese with an electric hand mixer until smooth. Add eggs, milk, maple syrup, vanilla and cinnamon.

DIP bread slices in mixture and place in large casserole dish. Pour remaining liquid over bread ensuring the liquid gets under bread as well as on top of the slices so all areas will get soaked as it rests. Cover with wrap and let stand 1 hour or overnight in refrigerator.

PREHEAT oven to 425°F and grease 2 baking sheets (greasing well is a MUST or they will stick!)

PLACE slices of soaked bread on the baking sheets and bake for 20 minutes, turning once, or until golden brown. Serve immediately with maple syrup, fresh fruit and a dollop of whipped cream.

But above all else: ENJOY !!!!

Photo by MarkHryciw