Living the Strawberry Muffin Dream

Strawberry Cream Muffins

When I was younger I started baking, well by that I mean I would made chocolate chip cookie dough and eat most of it and then make some cookies with the leftover dough. Not the healthiest thing but eating cookie dough is like a right of passage or something. I’d help mum out when she would make peanut butter cookies too, Auntie Eileen’s recipe of course using a specific brand of peanut butter – OK I do that because I really like my Kraft peanut butter.

Anyways…as I got older I started to venture out and expand my baking skills beyond chocolate chip cookies. So I made other types of cookies, and slowly but surely I began to get the hang of different baking techniques and understanding how to substitute ingredients or invent my own things.

These were originally intended to be Raspberry muffins per the recipe in my Taste of Home Cookbook. However, the night I decided to make these my raspberries had gone moldy, the store was fresh out of raspberries when I went to go get more, so I opted for another one of my favorite berries: strawberries. And it worked out marvelously!

Grab your muffin tray and some cupcake/muffin liners we’re getting started!

When it comes to baking, I’ve found the easiest way to not get yourself in a flustered mess (yes it’s happened before and will most certainly happen again…as I have flashbacks to the time I dropped an almost full bag of flour on the floor and engulfed myself in a white cloud…oops.

That means get your ¼ cup of butter out of the fridge, finely chop up 1 cup of fresh strawberries, and do the same with 1 cup of white chocolate chips.

Toss your cup of chopped strawberries in ¼ cup of sugar and set aside. Then grab a large bowl and cream your butter and ½ a cup of sugar. I use my hand mixer as it’s much easier to get the right consistency but if you really want to…use a mixing spoon and some good old-fashioned muscle.

Beat in an egg and ½ teaspoon each of vanilla and almond extract. Use the actual extracts none of that imitation crap. As with all baking, do not over mix!! Set this bowl aside and get to mixing together your dry ingredients in a separate bowl (2 ¼ cups of flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt).

Add your dry ingredients into the butter/egg/extract mix, alternating with 1 cup of half-and-half cream. Mix JUST until moistened. Then you’ll stir (by hand) in the white chips and strawberries.

Pre-heat your oven to 375 degrees F. Line your muffin tray, or if your feeling daring grease the muffin tray and take your chances of the muffins coming out cleanly. Fill the muffin cups three-fourths full, make sure they’re even so the muffins bake evenly. Before you bake the muffins take 2 tablespoons of granulated white sugar and 2 tablespoons of brown sugar; mix them together and sprinkle on top of the batter.

Bake for about 25 minutes, test them out around the 22-minute mark – cooks times vary depending on your oven, altitude, etc. You may need to bake the muffins up to 30 minutes. You want a toothpick to come out clean, but you also don’t want to dry out the muffins.

Best served warm and eat them within a few days. They’re great for breakfast, snack, dessert with coffee or tea.

Simple Straight Forward Recipe:

1 cup fresh strawberries – finely chopped

¾ cup, plus 2 tablespoons, sugar – divided

¼ cup butter (unsalted), softened

1 egg

½ teaspoon almond extract

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour (I use closer to 2 ½ cups due to my location)

1 tablespoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup half-and-half cream

1 cup finely chopped white chocolate chips

2 tablespoons brown sugar

-In a small bowl toss the strawberries in ¼ cup of sugar, set aside

-In a large bowl cream the butter and ½ cup sugar until light and fluffy

-Beat in the egg and extracts

-In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt

-Alternate mixing the dry ingredients and the half-and-half cream into the butter/sugar mix; careful not to over mix, end with the dry ingredients

-Stir in chocolate chips and strawberries

-Line muffin tray (or grease it), fill muffin cups three-fourths full

-Combine remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar with 2 tablespoons of brown sugar, sprinkle over the batter

-Bake at 375F for 25-30 minutes; checking around 22 minutes

-When toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean muffins are ready

-Serve warm and eat within a few days

Most importantly...enjoy!!

'Til Next Time! :)

Pass the Rum, I'm Making Cupcakes!

2 Words...





Mojito
Cupcakes

A few weeks ago, I was in a baking mood and scrolling through Pinterest and came across this little gem. While I cannot take credit for coming up with this recipe, which came from www.browneyedbaker.com back in 2012, I give her major props! These cupcakes are delicious. I made a few minor adjustments, mainly adding a bit more rum and vanilla, and some extra lime to the frosting to hit my taste preferences. Let’s face it, I was daydreaming about my upcoming wedding in the Caribbean, where the ship has a Mojito bar, these cupcakes seemed like the perfect thing to bake that day.

And come on, Kendra’s in a baking mood how is she NOT going to bake some sort of alcoholic cupcake? It’s kind of my thing according to co-workers. When I bring in baked goods the question is often asked, “is this a work-safe cupcake? Or an after-work cupcake?” Honestly, it makes me laugh and I find great satisfaction knowing that my co-workers know me so well that they need to ask.

Let’s get started then, shall we? Trust me on this one, muddle the mint and get the lime zest prepped before you start, pre-measure out your ingredients it will make everything run a lot smoother. To muddle the mint if you don’t have the exact tools, mortar and pestle, you can use the back side of a spoon. All muddling is, is crushing the mint leave to release the flavors.

Heat ½ cup of buttermilk and about ½ cup of the muddled mint leaves over medium heat in a small saucepan. Just as the buttermilk starts to steam (NOT SIMMER) cover and remove it from the heat. Let that steep for at least 15 minutes, I let it steep for about 30 and it came out fantastically!

While the buttermilk/mint mixture is steeping, combine your dry ingredients. Flour, baking powder, and salt go into a medium sized bowl then set aside.

Cream ½ cup of unsalted butter and 1 cup of white sugar together until it’s light and fluffy. I use an electric hand mixer, takes a few minutes to get the right consistency, patience is key when baking. I learned that the hard way…add 2 eggs into the mix, beating well after each addition, but not over-mixing. Remember, baking is a very precise science and can easily be…well screwed up. Once the eggs are added in, mix in your lime zest, lime juice, vanilla extract, and of course your rum.

I may have taken a swig or two out of the bottle at this point. Hey, I like rum and haven’t had it in a while. There was a time, before I was 21 and could drink legally, that I drank so much Bacardi and Diet Coke that drinking regular diet coke tasted weird. I know, that’s probably not a good thing, but at least it meant I wasn’t drinking a ton of soda?

Anyways…grab your buttermilk/mint mixture. It probably looks gross, separated, and curdled. That is OK though. Take a small bowl and a fine mesh sieve/strainer and drain the mint infused milk into the bowl. Use a spoon to squeeze as much liquid through the sieve as possible. Burst the little curdled milk bubbles to do so and squish the hell out of the mint leaves too. Stir the milk in the bowl a bit to smooth it out and it should all come back together. Discard the mint leaves and any leftover buttermilk…stuff. It should look like this.

Combine everything together, alternating adding the dry ingredients and mint buttermilk to the butter/egg/sugar mix, ending with the mixing in the last of the dry ingredients by hand. Don’t over mix!!

Separate the batter evening into lined muffin cups and bake at 325 degrees F for about 25 minutes, until the cupcakes are golden-brown and a toothpick/cake tester comes out clean.

In your small saucepan, combined 2-3 tablespoons of your rum and 2 mint sprigs over a medium heat. Heat the rum just enough so it starts to steam, much like you did with the buttermilk. Once it starts to steam, remove it from the heat and cover. Do this while your cupcakes are baking, then let the cupcakes cool for about 5 minutes. The brush the tops of the cupcakes with the mint infused rum. I like to poke the cupcakes a few times with a toothpick or cake tester to help the rum soak in more, without drowning the cupcakes into a mushy mess. Let the cupcakes cool completely before frosting.

It’s a standard buttercream frosting, mix it up to your desired consistency, pipe, frost, decorate your cupcakes however you wish and enjoy!

Ironically, my decision to bake these cupcakes was perfect timing, the very next day my best friend calls me…her dogs grabbed the cupcakes she was baking for her husband’s birthday off the counter. Kendra to the rescue!

Simple Straight Forward Recipe

Cupcake:

½ Cup buttermilk

½ Cup mint leaves, muddled/bruised

1 ½ Cups flour

1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

½ Cup unsalted butter, softened

1 Cup sugar

2 eggs

Zest and juice of 1 ½ limes

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

4 Tablespoons good white rum (divided)

2 sprigs of Fresh Mint

Frosting:

1 Cup Unsalted butter, softened

4-5 Cups powdered sugar

2 tablespoons lime juice

3-4 tablespoons white rum

-Combine the buttermilk and ½ cup muddled mint leaves in a small saucepan over a medium heat. Warm JUST until the buttermilk starts to steam, do not simmer. Remove the buttermilk and mint from the heat, cover, and let steep for at least 15 minutes, 30 is better.

-Once the buttermilk and mint have set for your desired time, strain the milk into a bowl using a fine mesh sieve. The buttermilk will have separated a bit, and will look clump, but it’s perfectly OK. Press any of the solid milk bubbles through the sieve getting as much liquid as possible out. Stir it a bit to smooth out and set aside.

-Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F

-Grab a medium bowl and combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside

-Use an electric mixer on a medium-high speed, beat the butter and sugar together until it is light and fluffy, be patient it can take a few minutes

-Using the electric mixer, slow the speed down and add the eggs in one at a time, mix in the lime zest, juice, 2 Tablespoons of Rum, and the vanilla extract.

-Alternate adding in the dry ingredients and the buttermilk/mint into the egg mixture. Ending with the dry ingredients – add the last bit in and mix briefly by hand.

-Divide the batter evenly into lined muffin cups, bake for about 25 minutes, until golden brown.

-While you’re baking the cupcakes, combine the remaining 2 tablespoons (possibly 3 if you’re feeling daring) of rum and the 2 mint sprigs in a small saucepan, again just until the rum starts to steam. Cover and let steep until the cupcakes are done.

-Allow the cupcakes to cool for about 5 minutes, then brush the tops with the rum. Let the cupcakes completely cool before frosting.

-For the frosting, beat 1 Cup of softened butter and slowly add in the powdered sugar. Add the lime juice and rum, mixing on a medium speed until you get your desired consistency and taste. Add additional powdered sugar to help get the right consistency.

-Frost the cupcakes and feel free to garnish with additional mint or lime wedges!

Best Company a Grilled Cheese Could Ask For

Tomato Basil Soup

Growing up, I hated tomatoes in any shape or form – with the exception of ketchup. Actually, growing up, I pretty much lived off of peanut butter sandwiches and chicken fingers. Clearly my tastes have expanded since.

I was nursing a slight hangover from the holidays when I made this the other night, something about tomato soup and grilled cheese sounded amazing, but when does that not sound amazing? Anyway, we managed to make it to the grocery store so I could whip up this deliciousness. Here’s where we begin.

Don’t those veggies look fantastic? I love fresh produce and one day I really do plan to test out my green thumb capabilities, so I don’t have to brave the grocery store all the time. But until then, I’m glad the store is less than a mile from my house. Easiest way to go about this is prepping and chopping everything before you turn the stove on so you can easily add in the ingredients when needed.

Once everything is prepped and ready to go, grab your soup pot and throw that baby on a medium heat. Melt the butter and sauté the onion, carrots, and garlic for about 5 minutes. Just until the carrots start to soften, then pour in the vegetable broth and let it simmer for about 15 minutes or so, maybe up to 20.

Now you’re going to add in the tomatoes. Side note, when I chop them up I take out a lot of the seeds. Something still irks me about the slimy insides of tomatoes. Ask anyone, I’ll eat tomatoes when they’re diced up, but if there is a big old slice of tomato on my burger? Yeah that sucker is coming off. It’s gone so far that my dad will slice up Roma tomatoes and specifically save the end pieces with no seeds for me to eat in my salad.

Let the tomatoes simmer in the broth for about 15 minutes, you need them tender enough to be able to blend up easily.

To blend the soup I strongly suggest using an immersion blender, these things are incredibly useful in the kitchen and I used my a TON when I make soups and my pasta sauces. It gives the soup a creamy texture without having to add in a lot of dairy (which is perfect for people trying to cut back on excess fats or who can’t have dairy). If you don’t have an immersion blender a regular blender works just fine, but it is a bit messier and a bigger appliance to clean afterwards.

Is your soup smooth now? Excellent, pour in the half cup of milk and the tomato paste, you can whisk it in or use your handy blender. Then add in your fresh herbs and additional seasoning. Start off with a little and add more until you reach your taste preference.

And that’s pretty much it, let the soup simmer on a low heat for at least another 20 minutes. Really you want to give it 30-40 minutes, taste it after 20 and see if you need to adjust the seasoning. I usually use this time to make some grilled cheese sandwiches to go along, because those two are peas in a pod.

Simple Straight Forward Recipe:

7 tomatoes (medium sized, I like the on-the-vine tomatoes they last longer and taste different to me), roughly chopped

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, crushed

2-3 medium sized carrots, peeled and chopped

2 ½ tablespoons butter

3 ½ cups vegetable broth

½ cup milk

6 oz tomato paste

½ cup fresh basil, roughly chopped

½ cup fresh parsley, roughly chopped

Salt, pepper, garlic salt

-In a large soup pot sauté onion, carrots, and garlic in the butter for about 5 minutes over medium heat

-Pour in the vegetable broth, simmer for 15-20 minutes

-Add in the chopped tomatoes, simmer an additional 15 minutes

-Once veggies are softened, use an immersion blender to mix (or transfer to a blender to mix) until the soup is smooth and all large chunks are gone

-Add in the milk and the tomato paste, stir/mix

-Blend in the fresh herbs along with salt, pepper, and garlic salt to taste

*Optional stir in a bit of parmesan cheese

-Let simmer for at least 20 more minutes, up to 40 minutes if you can last that long

-Top with more Parmesan Cheese if desired and additional fresh basil; goes great with grilled cheese!