Vanilla Rice Pudding

After making Sticky Toffee Rice Pudding I knew I had to try the original rice pudding recipe that I adapted. I'm glad I did because I found the best substitue for Cozy Shack rice pudding that I could hope for. This is perfect for a plain vanilla lover.

I used jasmine rice for this. It gives the pudding a much different quality than the Japanese rice I used for the sticky toffee version. The jasmine rice version is much lighter and much less sticky of a pudding.

I'm sure I'll be standing over my kitchen sink at twelve at night eating a big bowl of this. :)

Vanilla Rice Pudding

4 cups whole milk
7 tbs granulated sugar
pinch salt
1/2 cup rice such as jasmine or japanese (but any kind will do)
1 tbs pure vanilla extract (good quality)
2 egg yolks

In a thick bottomed pot over medium heat stir together the milk, sugar, salt, and rice. Heat to boiling, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to keep the mixture at a simmer, stirring frequently, for 20-25 minutes or until rice is tender. Remove from heat.

In a medium bowl whisk the egg yolks together. Whisk in one cup of the hot rice mixture, 1/4 cup at a time, until the egg yolks are tempered. Pour the tempered yolks/rice mixture back into the pot and mix until combined. Heat over medium heat until boiling. Remove from heat and transfer to a different bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and set in an ice bath to cool before moving to the fridge. Eat chilled.

This recipe makes 6 servings at 250 calories each (in case you were wondering).

Adapted from Fine Cooking magazine

Sticky Toffee Rice Pudding

I originally intended to use Thai sticky rice for this recipe. My bubble was popped when I couldn't find Thai sticky rice anywhere. I am currently buying some online and I am going to be giddy when it comes in. I ended up using Japanese sushi rice which also has a sticky texture, but any rice will do.

Originally this was a project to find sticky rice for my boyfriend who had it from a friend at work. I thought the idea was brilliant since I'm always one to try new things. Of course this coincided with my Fine Cooking magazine's article on the perfect rice pudding and voila: sticky rice pudding. Of course the sour cream caramel sauce I've been waiting to post would be a perfect pairing but, then again, so would toffee. Toffee sticky rice pudding...rearranged: sticky toffee rice pudding. I had to use a couple resources to come up with the final product: Epicurious, Wikipedia, Nigella Lawson's Feast cookbook, and of course my Fine Dining magazine. But in the end it produced a truly yummy product.



Sticky toffee pudding is a classic British dessert consisting of a sponge cake soaked in toffee sauce and dates and served with vanilla ice cream. It is totally yummy. Rice pudding is usually made with rice, cream, sugar, and vanilla. Combining the two is more like vanilla brown sugar rice pudding with toffee sauce and dates swirled in. I hope you make this sticky toffee rice pudding because...I love you. :) This is one of those recipes you make in your undies and pjs at 11 at night. Don't be picky about ingredients here, the point is to be able to make this without running to the grocery store for special ingredients. It will make itself delicious no matter what you do. If you want to use plain vanilla rice pudding with toffee sauce that would be good too. Just substitute 7 tbl white sugar for the dark brown and omit the dates and toffee sauce using 2/3 cup milk instead.

Sticky Toffee Rice Pudding

makes 6 servings

1 cup dried, pitted dates (or prunes, raisins, currants)
2 cups boiling water
4 cups whole milk (skim/1% milk mixed with half and half or cream is just as good)
1/2 cup white rice such as Japanese or sticky rice (or whatever you have on hand)
3 tbs dark brown sugar, packed
1 tbl pure vanilla extract
2 large egg yolks
2/3 cup toffee sauce, plus more for serving (recipe follows)
whipped cream and toffee chips, for serving

Simmer the dates in the boiling water for about five minutes. Remove from the heat and let sit another five minutes. Drain the soaked dates, squeezing out any excess liquid, chop finely, and set aside.

In a large saucepan mix together the milk, rice, brown sugar, and vanilla and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat and simmer for about 20-25 minutes or until the rice is tender, stirring frequently but gently. Remove from the heat.

In a medium bowl whisk the egg yolks until smooth. Whisk in about one cup of the hot rice mixture 1/4 cup at a time until the egg yolks are tempered, you should not see any scrambled bits here. Pour the egg mixture back into the pan and mix until combined. Add the dates and 2/3 cup toffee sauce and mix until combined. Put the pan back over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture reaches a boil. Remove from the heat. If at any time the mixture seems too loose, do not worry. It will thicken to the perfect consistency in the fridge.

After removing from the heat transfer the pudding to a seperate bowl and cover immediatly with plastic wrap to prevent skin from forming. Chill in an ice bath before moving to the fridge (a larger bowl filled with ice works fine for this). Top with chilled toffee sauce, whipped cream, and toffee chips.

Toffee Sauce

3/4 cup plus 1 tbl dark brown sugar, packed
2 tbl corn syrup, preferrably dark
3/4 stick or 6 tbl salted butter
2/3 cup heavy cream

In a saucepan combine the sugar, syrup, and butter on medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture reaches a boil. Let bubble away for a few minutes before adding the cream. Cook for another 2-3 minutes or until the sauce is thick, sticky, and glossy. Transfer to a seperate bowl and cover immediatly with plastic wrap. Chill.

Rice pudding adapted from Fine Cooking magazine, Toffee sauce adapted from Nigella Lawson's Feast

Peanut Butter and Snickers Muffins

These are the easiest muffins ever and a new staple. One bowl and a wooden spoon. Love it! This is the kind of recipe that I love Nigella Lawson for. Totally unpretentious but so yummy.

I love to bake intricate cakes and pastries, but a recipe like this is the only kind that stays on my personal repertoire from year to year (unless it's a holiday in which case involved baking is a must for me).

The ingredients really do speak for themselves here. Use whatever peanut butter you have, although chunky works best. Add more sugar for a sweeter muffin. And in a pinch I'm sure you could substitute just about any candy bar to make this a whole new experience.

Peanut Butter and Snickers Muffins

1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
6 tbl granulated sugar
1 1/2 tbl baking powder
pinch salt
6 tbl peanut butter
4 tbl (half a stick) salted butter, melted
1 large egg, beaten
3/4 cup milk
3 1/2 regular size (2.07 oz) Snickers bars, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a 12 cup muffin pan with liners.

Stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Cut in the peanut butter until the mixture resembles course crumbs, I use my hands here. Stir together the egg, melted butter, and milk. Pour into the dry ingredients and mix until combined. Fold in the Snickers bar pieces. Dollop batter into muffin cups and bake for 12-15 minutes or until firm to the touch.

The usual suspects...

Recipe adapted from Nigella Lawson's How to Be a Domestic Goddess

Sweet Biscuits

Holy yummy! These are the best biscuits I have ever had. They are flaky, tender, and sweet. Most importantly, they taste amazing. The second best thing about these biscuits is that they are sooo easy to make. They don't require any special equipment, they can be made in one bowl, and cleanup is wicked fast! Can you tell, I am in love with these biscuits?

95% of the things I bake are based on personal cravings. The craving for these started with Schwann's frozen breakfast sandwiches (meat removed, obvi!). I've always had a thing for the McGriddles from McDonald's ever since I first tried them. For those who don't know, they are a breakfast sandwich in between two maple pancakes. The sweet and salty thing is what I go for. The first thing I thought when I bit into the Schwann's breakfast sandwich was that it was the best breakfast sandwich I'd ever eaten. Seriously. And I'm not even ashamed. I realized the thing that did it was the sweetness of the biscuit. It balanced perfectly with the salty egg and cheese and gave the breakfast sandwich a whole new depth of flavor.

These are going down in history as my all time favorite go-to biscuit recipe. I haven't made a breakfast sandwich or strawberry shortcake yet because I was so excited to share these. But trust me, there will be a whole lot of biscuit-including desserts and recipes being made at my house from now on. The pushy Schwann's lady who sells me my indulgent frozen food is going to be totally bummed.

Sweet Biscuits

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbl baking power
1/2 cup powdered sugar
4 tbl salted butter, ice cold and cut into cubes
3/4 cup cold half and half

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and place a rack in the lowest position. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Prepare a cutting board with about 1/4 cup flour for kneading and have a 2 1/2 inch diameter round biscuit cutter ready, I use the top of a juice glass for this.

In a large bowl whisk together all of the dry ingredients. Cut in the cold butter until the pieces are no bigger than small peas, I do this using a tool then switch to my hands for the last 15 sec to make sure the butter is cut in; the main thing is to do this quickly to avoid the butter softening. Next, stir in the half and half just until the mixture comes together, it will be very wet.

Pour out the mixture onto the prepared cutting board/surface. Knead the dough with the flour on the cutting board about 10 times, do not overknead. Flatten the dough to 1 inch thick, cut out rund biscuits, and place on pepared baking sheet 1/2 inch apart. Bake in a HOT preheated oven about 15 minutes or until the bottoms are brown. Enjoy warm or save and use for breakfast sandwiches, strawberry shortcake, etc.

Adapted from cooks.com

Blueberry Pancake Cupcakes

Today is a good day. I have been in my kitchen baking up delicious cupcakes. I came up with these cupcakes after getting the amazing "blueberry pancakes" shot a week ago. This shot tasted exactly like a blueberry pancake. It consisted of butterscotch schnaps, blueberry vodka, and blueberry puree. Yum.

These cupcakes taste almost exactly like a blueberry pancake. Think a very light, fluffy, moist blueberry flavored cupcake that is not too sweet with a buttery maple-flavored frosting. It's such a good idea I can't believe I've never seen it before. I tweaked a recipe I had previously come up with and swapped out strawberry for blueberry puree, doubled the leavening agents, and cut the sugar in half. They came out perfect! If I had it to do over I would probably add some blueberry liquer to the cake to up the blueberry flavor and swap the maple buttercream for a butterscotch one...

Blueberry Pancake Cupcakes

1 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
4 tbs room temp salted butter
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 medium-large egg
1/2 cup blueberry puree
1/3 cup milk

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a 12 cup cupcake pan with 10 liners. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and baking soda in a bowl.

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment cream together the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until fluffy. Turn the mixer to low and add in the egg, beating until combined, about one minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add in the blueberry puree on medium-low speed until combined, about 30 seconds.

Turn the mixer to low speed and add in half of the dry ingredients. Beat until combined. Add the milk and beat until combined. Add the rest of the dry ingredients and beat until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix for another 30 seconds. Divide the batter among the 10 cupcake liners, about 2/3 of the way full. Bake for about 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Maple Buttercream

4 tbl salted butter at room temp
1 cup powdered sugar
3 tbl pure maple syrup

In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment cream the butter on medium-high speed until fluffy. Add the powdered sugar with the mixer on low speed and begin to beat. Slowly add in the maple syrup until the frosting comes together. Turn the mixer to high speed and beat until light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes.



New York Style Cheesecake Cupcakes



So this is a really great cheesecake recipe for lazy people (like me). It takes minimal effort, even less than that to bake cupcakes. It makes exactly 12 cupcake-sized cheesecakes that can be topped with anything, but taste better plain if you ask me. I had to cut Martha Stewart's recpie by 2/3 to get this amount. It turned out to be perfect for 12 cupcakes. Don't you love how things like that just work out? Lovely.

On another note, I think my bout with bronchitis has fully resolved itself, leaving me free to go back into the kitchen to bake my little heart out. Yay!



New York Style Cheesecake Cupcakes

12 vanilla wafers (optional)

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3 tbl all-purpose flour

2 pckg (16 ounces) cream cheese at room temp

1/3 cup sour cream at room temp

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 large eggs

Line a 12 cup muffin pan with liners and place a wafer in the bottom of each if you prefer crust (I go crustless). Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Whisk together the flour and sugar in a large bowl.

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the cream cheese on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Turn the mixer to low and slowly add the flour and sugar mixture, beating each addition until there are no lumps. Scrape down the bowl and beat in the sour cream and vanilla on medium speed. Turn the mixer to low and add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the bowl and beat on medium speed for another minute.

Pour the mixture into the prepared muffin pan filling each cup 3/4 of the way full, and bake for about 25-30 minutes. Let the cheesecakes cool for 30 minutes before transferring to the fridge to set for at least 2 hours.

Adapted from Martha Stewart



Spicy Lime Corn on the Cob with Mayonnaise and Parmesan

Let me start off by saying that I have had bronchitis for the past two weeks. It's been a little hard to bake let alone convince healthy people to eat my cooking. So now that I am a little bit better...

I first saw this recipe on PBS on a show about farmers. It was so intriuging to me that I knew I had to make it; I'd never seen anything like it before. I then proceeded to forget all about it until I was watching Top Chef Masters re-runs and one of the contestants made a version of this for the quickfire challenge. I was so sold on it I made it right away.

After looking on the internet for a while and coming across a few different versions I decided to go with my own method. Basically this needs 5 components-grilled corn, mayonnaise, parmesan cheese, cayenne pepper, and lime. Sooo freaking yummy!! Mixing the lime juice and zest into the mayonnaise makes this easier to eat than if you squeezed the lime juice on top. It also thins out the mayo a bit (less calories ha!!). I developed my own weird little method of grilling the corn. I first steam it as usual, cooking it a bit under what I normally would. I then heat up a cast iron skillet to burning hot and char it on all sides to get that grilled flavor. Obviously a grill would be the premier method here. It was raining. Bottom line: try this next time you grill (or whatever) corn!!!!

Spicy Lime Corn on the Cob with Mayonnaise and Parmesan

3 grilled (or any way really) corn on the cob
3 tbl mayonnaise
zest and juice from 1 lime
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
cayenne pepper to taste
coarse sea salt
lime wedges to serve

Grill the corn cobs any way you like (see above for me rainy day method). In a small bowl mix together the mayonnaise, lime zest, and juice. Lightly brush the corn cobs with mayonnaise mixture and sprinkle/roll in parmesan cheese, cayenne pepper, and salt to taste. Serve with lime wedges.

Yummy!!

Mustardy Garlic Roast Potatoes

These are the best potatoes ever!! I am a huge potato fan. I love potatoes every way. Chock it up to my Irish heritage. Or the fact that potatoes are just delicious. I tend to let the chopped potatoes soak for 10 minutes to get some of the starch off. This makes them crispier.

These are so crispy on the outside yet so creamy on the inside. My boyfriend has been known to make this recipe with mustard powder and two entire bulbs of garlic. That's the other thing about this recipe. Whole roasted garlic cloves. Insane. I prefer whole grain mustard to mustard powder although it is an entirely suitable substitute. The little mustard seeds burst in your mouth and provide a really satisfying texture.



This is probably my most used go-to recipe of all time. It is one of the only meals my boyfriend and I agree upon since he really loves his beef (yuck). Over the years we've adapted this recipe together (awwww). This is the version I've been making at the moment. It started off as just potatoes, massive amounts of onions, and olive oil. It has since gained a whole lot of awesomeness.

Mustardy Garlic Roast Potatoes

3/4 pound baby yukon golds
3/4 pound baby red potatoes
1 bulb garlic
3 small onions, 1 large onion, or 1/2 jumbo onion
3 sprigs thyme
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (more or less depending on your taste)
1 tsp kosher salt
ground black pepper
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup whole grain mustard

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Slice the potatoes into equal bite size pieces. Soak in water for 10-15 minutes while you chop the garlic and onion. Prepare the garlic by slicing the top off of the entire bulb and removing the cloves. Place all but 3 or 4 medium cloves in a roasting pan. Mince the remaining 3 or 4 cloves and add to the pan. Chop the onions to about the same size as the potatoes and add to the pan. Remove the potatoes from the water and pat dry. Add to the roasting pan. 

Remove the thyme leaves from the sprig, chop coarsely, and add to the pan. Add the cayenne pepper, salt, black pepper, and mix with your hands to combine. Drizzle with the olive oil and mix well. Add the mustard and mix again to coat, spreading the mixture out evenly. Bake for about 30 minutes or until a fork inserted in a potato slides back out easily.

Magic Cakes

These are yummy little petit fours type cakes - bigger, grapefruit flavored, and perfect for mother's day or a kid's birthday. I would be thrilled if someone spent the time to make these for me! But, as usual, I made them! And I love love love them. They are so pretty. I got the recipe from a book called "Wacky Cakes and Cooky Cookies". It's a pretty unusual book, which is what I love about it.



The original recipe called for a layer of marzipan on top. I could not find marzipan at my grocery store, couldn't figure out how to make it, and in the end was just too lazy to try my idea of almond extract flavored fondant (which I make w/marshmallows and an extremely sturdy stand-mixer). It was no loss on my part, these still taste wonderful and the almond flavor would have overshadowed the grapefruit too much. The "fondant icing" the recipe called for was also out of my realm of expertise. I do not like to buy store bought fondant...I know, I know...I'm such a snob! I don't think homemade fondant would "melt" as directed unless I made it in a more traditional way, sans marshmallows. I've never done this and today was not the day to start (although it's on my checklist now).



So...this is basically a long way of saying that I found a really great alternative recipe on AllRecipes.com that worked out just as perfectly. I added some grapefruit juice instead of lemon juice since I also altered the original Lemon Victoria Sponge to be a Grapefruit Victoria Sponge. It was really another happy accident since the only citrus fruit I had on hand was grapefruit. I'm not the type to run to the store for special ingredients...I'm more of a MacGyver in the kitchen. Unfortunately I was sick and out of a camera for the weekend. Thus, I was able to take a few pictures of the first cakes. I then made the rest and they sat for a couple days before I could photograph them. Hence the shiny and not so shiny pics. It's all good. Just make sure you serve these when they're fresh as the frosting will harden and loose its sheen.




Grapefruit Victoria Sponge

1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
14 tbl (1 3/4 sticks) salted butter at room temp
zest of 1 grapefruit
pinch salt
1 cup sugar
4 medium or 3 jumbo eggs

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 18"x11"x1" baking sheet by buttering the bottom and sides, lining the bottom with parchment paper, buttering the parchment paper, and dusting the entire thing with flour (tap out the excess). Sift together the flour, baking powder, and baking soda in a bowl. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, grapefruit zest, and salt together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the sugar and continue beating until light and fluffy, another 3 minutes.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl and blend for another 30 seconds. In a medium bowl beat the eggs together. With the stand mixer on low speed, slowly add in the egg mixture one tablespoon at a time, beating until each tablespoon is incorporated.
Using a large metal spoon or rubber scraper, fold in the flour mixture in three batches until incorporated. Pour into the prepared baking sheet and smooth the top with an offset spatula. Bake for 20-25 minutes (do not worry if the cake browns, this is normal).  Remove from the oven and cool in the baking sheet for 30 minutes before dropping the cake out onto a wire rack.

Making Magic Cakes

2 tbl lemon juice
1 tbl raspberry jam
3 tbl apricot preserves
fondant icing in different colors (recipe follows)
royal icing in different colors (recipe at bottom of link page)

Brush the top of the cooled sponge cake with lemon juice (this will compensate for the sweetness of the frosting by giving the cake a tart bite). Next, microwave the jam and preserves together until liquidy, about 30 seconds. Strain the mixture. Brush the top of the sponge cake with all of the raspberry-apricot mixture. Slice the sponge cake, using a ruler, into 35 mini cakes. Refrigerate for an hour before going on to the next step. Make the fondant icing while the cakes cool.

When the cakes are done cooling, replace onto a wire rack fitted with a tray underneath. Pour icing over cakes to cover. Let cool and harden for at least 1 hour before decorating with royal icing.

Fondant Icing

2 cups granulated sugar
2 cups water
juice of 1/2 grapefruit
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
2 cups powdered sugar, as needed
various food coloring and shimmer dust
In a large saucepan whisk together the granulated sugar, water, and cream of tartar over medium-high heat until dissolved. Continue stirring until the mixture reaches 220 to 234 degrees on a candy thermometer. Remove from the heat and add grapefruit juice and powdered sugar 1/4 cup at a time until the mixture reaches a good consistency for pouring. Keep in mind that the mixture will also thicken as it cools. Divide into bowls and color as desired.

Cake recipe adapted from Wacky Cakes and Cooky Cookies, Fondat Frosting adapted from AllRecipes.com

Bunuelos

I'm having a lovely dinner with my daughter tonight consisting of frozen peas, frozen stuffed oysters, and homemade buneulos. Can you tell where my priorities lie? I often end dinners with remarks like this. As in, did you like the frozen carrots and frozen pizza...how about a slice of homemade carrot cake with homemade jam and cream cheese frosting? I have not always been this way.

There was a time when I was all about the savory. Like, mashed potatoes, popcorn, and beef jerky (gasp, I was not a vegetarian straight out of the womb). My 16th birthday with my family was at a mexican restaraunt and my mom bought me cookbooks. I got Rachel Ray's first 30 Minute Meals book, Paula Deen's "The Lady and Sons" book, and this Mexican cookbook. This recipe is straight from that book. It's still awesome 6 years later.

These look like mini-doughnuts. They're fried and contain anise and an insane amount of melted butter. They are bready and delectable.

P.S. Happy cinco de mayo.

Bunuelos

Makes 12 bunuelos. *Serve with coffee or hot chocolate and dipping sauce if desired (just melt a few tbl brown sugar, a tsp cinnamon, and a cup cream until syrupy).

2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tbl plus 1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1/2 cup milk
1/4 tsp anise extract
4 tbl salted butter, melted
oil for deep frying (canola or vegetable)
2 tsp cinnamon

Combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and 2 tbl sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until combined. In a one cup measuring cup measure out the milk and add the egg and anise extract. Mix with a fork to combine.

With the mixer on low speed, add the milk mixture to the flour mixture until combined. Keeping the mixer on low speed add the butter and mix until a cohesive mass forms. Switch to the bread hook.

Knead with the bread hook on medium speed for five minutes. Alternatively, knead with your hands on a floured surface for 10 minutes, whichever you prefer.

Drop the dough onto a lightly floured surface, form into a ball, and cut into 12 even pieces. Roll each piece into a ball and shape into a doughnut using the back of a wooden spoon or your fingers.
In a large pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat until it reached 375 degrees. While the oil is heating, prepare the cinnamon sugar mixture by combining the remaining 1/2 cup sugar and 2 tsp cinnamon in a large bowl. Also, prepare a baking sheet with three layers of paper towels to drop the bunuelos onto after frying.

 

Once the oil reaches temperature, drop the bunuelos in. Fry for 1-2 minutes on each side or until medium-deep golden brown. Take out and let dry on the prepared baking sheet. While still warm, cover in the cinnamon sugar mixture. Enjoy warm with dipping sauce if desired.

Recipe adapted from Classic Mexican Kitchen by Jane Milton

Malted Vanilla Cupcakes with Whipped Caramel Ganache Frosting

Being a nursing student is hard. There's a lot of deadlines involved (which I'm no good at), a fair amount of studying (which I'm also no good at), and a great deal of worrying about things like money, time not spent, and relationships put on back burners. Basically, life would be better if it only consisted of concerts, baking for loved ones, playing guitar, going on dates...rainbows, lollipops...and unicorns.

On another note, spring has arrived. And with it comes my fear of our eight legged friends otherwise known as spiders. I think I feel one crawling up my back at this very instant. Turning to look would be a lot easier if a crowd surfer hadn't been violently thrown at me last night. What's that you ask? Oh, yes. I had the lovely opportunity to go see my fav band evs, Avenged Sevenfold. I know. You totally though I was into Britney Spear or Miranda Lambert. What is a girl like me with nursing school and a blog doing at concerts on Tuesday nights? Taking a much needed vacation from school and motherhood. Did I mention that I also had the pleasure of attending a comedy tour at the casino on Saturday night? And I bought my first $13 chocolate martini. Can you say toasted? That thing had me at the first sip. There were blow up dolls involved by the end of the night. 'Nuff said.

It might sound silly, but I am much too conservative to get involved in anything too crazy (I only took a picture with that blow up doll, what did you think?). I have family members who like to drink every night, relinquish resposibility, and act half their age. Me? I just like to bake. Like these cupcakes. These are my heroine. I need cupcakes...and all baked goods. And you. If you are reading. These cupcakes are awesome. Pretty soon I will post the recipe for the caramel with sour cream that I got from the same cookbook. I want to live in it. I can't wait for you to try it.

Malted Vanilla Cupcakes

Note: These cupcakes are very light and soft. Be sure to cool them completely before removing or they will crumble.

Makes 18 cupcakes

1 cup cake flour
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup malted milk powder
4 tbl salted butter at room temp
1/4 cup shortening
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup ice cold water
2 egg whites

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Fit a cupcake pan or two with 18 paper liners.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, and malted milk powder. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted wih the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and shortening on medium-high speed until creamy, about 3 minutes. Add the sugar and vanilla extract and beat until fluffy, another 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and turn the mixer to low. Add in the dry ingredients, alternating with the ice water, in three seperate additions, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined.

In a seperate bowl, whisk the egg whites until firm peaks form. Fold into the cupcake batter until combined. Scoop into the cupcake pan filling each cup about 2/3 of the way full. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let cool completely.

Whipped Caramel Ganache Frosting

8 ounces milk chocolate chips
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tbl corn syrup
2 tbl water
4 tbl salted butter
toffee bits (optional)

Put the chocolate chips in the bowl of a stand mixer and set aside. Warm the heavy cream in the microwave until scalding, about 1 minute.

In a small saucepan heat the sugar, corn syrup, and water over medium-high heat until the sugar is dissoved and the mixture is bubbling and a medium brown color (350 degrees on a candy thermometer), about 5 minutes. Slowly mix in the heavy cream, stirring constantly. Pour over the chocolate chips and let stand for 2 minutes. Gently mix using a wooden spoon until the chocolate and caramel are combined. Set the stand mixer on medium speed and whip until cool. Add the butter in 1/2 inch pieces and whip until fluffy. Frost cupcakes and sprinkle with toffee bits if desired.

Cake and frosting adapted from Baked: New Frontiers in Baking

Smokey Pepper Jack Biscuits

Here is another recipe from my Baked arsenal. If you haven't noticed by now or you don't read this blog, I am obsessed with this cookbook. I think this is the 10th recipe that I have made from it which is quite a lot for me. Every recipe in the book just strikes my fancy. I messed with this recipe a little bit. I cut down the butter slightly for starters. I used pepper jack cheese instead of sharp cheddar and a teaspoon of smoked paprika instead of a tablespoon of chipotle powder. These variations were purely based on the ingredients I had on hand. But they came out wonderful none the less. They're smokey, tangy, salty, and slightly spicy from the cheese. I cut one in half later in the day, toasted it, and put a fried egg and shredded romano cheese inside. It was a really yummy sandwich. These would be great for breakfast or with tomato soup for lunch or dinner. Try em!

Smokey Pepper Jack Biscuits

Makes 12 large biscuits

2 1/3 cups all purpose flour

1 tbl baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 tsp smoked paprika

1 tbl sugar

1 tsp cream of tartar

6 tbl salted butter, chilled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces

2 cups shredded pepper jack cheese

1 1/4 cup buttermilk

1 egg

kosher salt for topping

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, smoked paprika, sugar, and cream of tartar. Using your hands work in the butter until it resembles course sand. Add the cheese and combine.

In another bowl whisk together the buttermilk and egg. Add to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Drop batter in 1/4 cup rounds onto prepared baking sheets. Sprinkle with kosher salt and bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Adapted from Baked: New Frontiers in Baking