Dark Chocolate Truffle Topped Butter Babycakes -say it five times fast!

Yeah, the soups have been delicious. Warm, and filling. And healthy.


But after snow day #4, and early dismissal day and 2 hour delay day...well, we needed a little chocolate.


So instead of being a chaste chocolate chaser, I became a decadent dilettante and made these.


White Cupcakes with Truffle Cream Topping

by Michael Recchiuti and Fran Gage (Recipe is totally theirs. No messin' with perfection!)

from Chocolate Obsession
(Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 2005)

Makes 12 cupcakes - Best served the day they are made. Listen, this recipe only makes twelve. Invite friends over, put on a Top Chef marathon, pour some Baileys over ice and ENJOY YOUR SNOW DAY!!!

Ingredients

For the cupcakes

1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup crème fraîche, at room temperature
2 extra large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, preferably Madagascar Bourbon
6 tablespoons unsalted butter with 82% butterfat, at room temperature
3/4 cup granulated cane sugar

For the topping
8 ounces 65% chocolate, coarsely chopped
2/3 cup heavy whipping cream
2/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons powdered cane sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter with 82% butterfat, very soft (75°F or 24°C)
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract, preferably Madagascar Bourbon

Directions

Make the cupcakes

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C). Line 12 standard muffin cups (2 1/2 inches top diameter and 1 1/4 inches deep) with paper liners.

2. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together into a medium bowl.

3. Combine the crème fraîche, eggs, and vanilla extract in a medium bowl and whisk by hand until well mixed.

4. Put the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed until the butter is creamy. Add the granulated sugar and beat until fluffy and pale.

5. Switch the mixer to low speed. Add the dry ingredients in 3 additions, alternating with the wet ingredients in 2 additions.

6. Using a tablespoon, divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups, filling them about two-thirds full.

7. Bake on the middle shelf of the oven until the cupcakes are puffed, lightly browned, slightly cracked on top, and a skewer inserted into the center of one comes out clean, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool completely in the pan on a rack.

8. When cool, remove the cupcakes, still in their paper liners, from the muffin cups.

Make the topping

1. Put the chocolate in a medium bowl.

2. Put the cream and powdered sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook at a simmer for 1 minute and remove from the heat.

3. Pour the hot cream mixture over the chocolate. Whisk the mixture by hand until the chocolate melts. Whisk in the butter, and then the vanilla extract.

4. Pour into a bowl, cover with plastic wrap so that the wrap is touching the surface, and refrigerate until it is 70°F (21°C). This will probably take 30 to 40 minutes, but check after 20 minutes.

5. When the cream is at the correct temperature, put it into the bowl of the stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment. Beat on high speed until the mixture is lighter in color and less dense.

6. Put the topping into a pastry bag fitted with a 3/8-inch star tip. Pipe a swirl on the top center of each cupcake, distributing the topping evenly among them.

7. Store in a cool place until serving.

Another Snow Day, Another Soup-portunity!

Snow Day #3. We are a coastal community so there are no actual "snow days" built into our school schedule. I don't have the heart to tell the twins that for each fun snow day we have, they add a school day onto the end of the year.

BTW, here is what the "snow day" looks like:

Yes. That would be a blue sky. And the sun. Granted, there was a dusting until 10am, but what about, I don't know, maybe a delay???

But...really?! A SNOW day??

But, it IS cold. And cold = soup in my book.

Turkey Rice Soup
Serves 8 heartily, plus leftovers for yet ANOTHER snow day!

10 cups chicken stock -  (not broth)

2 cups shredded, roasted turkey - (I roast a turkey breast for dinner the night before and then chop up the leftovers. You can always use the roasted ones from the deli department, but make sure to discard the skin. Roasted chicken can always be substituted, but do not use canned chicken, or chopped cold cut meat.

(Oh yeah, and Nana says make your own stock using the bones and freeze it for the next soup you make.)

2 cups leftover rice ( I like using brown rice - yes, the healthy new me!!! Nah, really it is because it tastes better with Chinese food and it holds its integrity instead of getting mushy.)

1 cup diced carrots

1 cup diced celery

1 cup diced onions

1/2 cup white wine

Fresh thyme (5 sprigs), or 1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 Bay Leaf

3 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1 1/2 Tablespoons Frank's Red Hot - yup, my secret ingredient. Trust me, no one will know! It doesn't make it spicy, it just "brightens" the soup. Try it!

Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste

Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven. Sweat carrots, celery and onions (known as a mirepoix) until soft, about 10-12 minutes on medium-low, stirring often to prevent color on the vegetables. Deglaze with white wine. Add stock and herbs and simmer for 40 minutes. This helps to "meld" the mirepoix flavors with the stock. Add the chopped turkey and simmer another 20 minutes. Remove the thyme (if using fresh sprigs). Add rice, salt, pepper and Frank's Red Hot, and heat through another 5 minutes.

Serve with oyster crackers.

I cheat on my husband...

... late at night, with electrical appliances. After trawling the internet.


Get your mind out of the gutters, folks! We trawl for RECIPES!!! :)


Here is my new boyfriend:

He is a gleaming specimen, shiny and strong. With a motor that rumbles my countertops.


Yesterday, we had a veritable orgy - making homemade salsa together, and chicken meatballs, too. We found a recipe for a free form Italian tart. He purred "Crossstttaaatttaaa" as he blended the ingredients. It came out beautifully. He can roll my dough any day, baby!


Man Mountain does not mind one bit about my affair. He actually encourages it. He gets to witness my unbridled joy and doesn't have to lift a finger. Unless he wants a sample of salsa.

Homemade Salsa
Slightly adapted. Original courtesy of Mr. INS Agent

4 fresh tomatoes, ripe Italian plum tomatoes are perfect!
1 15 oz. can peeled whole tomatoes 
1 onion - (I prefer a large Bermuda onion)
1 green pepper, seeded 
1/2 bunch scallions, white and light green parts only
1/2 bunch cilantro, rinsed, no stems
2 jalapeños, seeded 
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
Dash hot sauce (I prefer Tabasco. And quite a few dashes).
2 Tbsp. lime juice

1 shot tequila - optional

2 garlic cloves - optional

Blend all in food processor until desired consistency.

You can also add two avocados and make this:

Not quite guacamole, but yummy none-the-less.

French Onion Soup

Snow day in Connecticut

I often dream about living in France. Preferably Paris. I dream about the markets, the boulangeries, the pastries. I dream about decorating my imaginary apartment and about the fabric stores I would spend hours in. I even dream right on down to the antique pewter drawer pulls I would have in my bathroom!

And I usually dream the most when it is blustery and frigid here in Connecticut.

But something crazy happened to me today. As I looked outside at the pristine blanket of snow that covered my backyard, I realized that I would miss New England winters. Even if only because the snow provides a great view outside my window when I am cooking. I mean, if I lived in Paris, I am not sure I would want to cook that much. Of course I would have a La Cornue stove (in Provence blue, natch) for the little festive gatherings I would have (hey, it's my dream...) But with all the bistros and cafes and patisseries in Paris, well, why would I cook when someone else, preferably a native Frenchman, could do it better?

But here in blustery and frigid Connecticut, I feel like cooking. Cooking something delicious. And warm. And... maybe French?

So instead of dreaming about living in France today, I made French Onion Soup!

French Onion Soup with Two Cheese Topping...

French Onion Soup

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

4 Tablespoons Butter

4 - 5 large Vidalia or Bermuda onions, thinly sliced

1 Tablespoon raw sugar crystals

1 Tablespoon soy sauce

Liberal sprinkling of kosher salt

1 cup Dry Vermouth (or another dry white wine)

3 Tablespoons Cognac

5 springs fresh thyme

4 cups Chicken Stock - not broth - (I prefer Kitchen Essentials)*

4 Cups Beef Stock - not broth -  (again, Kitchen Essentials)*

*Note - If you can find Kitchen Essentials Veal Stock, you have hit the food lottery! Stock up on it (no pun intended), and use 8 cups of the Veal Stock in place of the Beef and Chicken Stock. 

To top off:

Day old French Baguette, sliced

Gruyere Cheese

Fresh Mozzerella Cheese (optional)

Melt butter and olive oil in large dutch oven or stock pot.

Add onions, kosher salt and raw sugar.

Sweat onions on medium-low heat, stirring often, until they are completely soft. This can take up to 45 minutes. I know, I know. Totally a snow day recipe!

Add soy sauce, dry vermouth, cognac and sweat onions for another 15 minutes.

Add chicken stock and fresh thyme. Simmer on low for 1 hour. 

Remove thyme sprigs. 

Ladle soup into oven-proof bowls. Add bread slices and layer cheese on top of bread slices. Place under broiler for 2 - 5 minutes.

Man Mountain likes his "just melted" (see photo). I like mine bubbly and really browned. No photo of that since it found its way into my mouth too quickly!

New Year, New Design!

I've made a few changes for 2011.

I have not become a vegan, but I do like packing mini-veggie bags.

I've been doing 5 lb. weights every morning to the voices of Robin and George on GMA, instead of pressing snooze...(let's see how long this lasts...)

I've switched from my daily coffee to strong Irish breakfast tea, (something about similar caffeine levels, but added antioxidants...)

I still need a little chocolate every day, but I've been making it the dark kind, (healthier, right?)

And I've changed the site design from puce swirls to blue birds.

Let me know what you think!

Food Heaven

Sometimes I think about becoming a vegetarian. Living a holistic life. I would probably sleep better. And I think I would wake up refreshed, having filled my body with fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains and beans. I could take up yoga and meditate too, and drink Dr. Oz "Green Juice" to start my day off in a healthy, mindful way.

But then I realize I would have to give up this:

And this is food heaven.

By the way, the love of soft cheese and salty piggy runs in the family...

A bite of Fromage D'Affinois followed by a Prosciutto di Parma chaser!

Please excuse the blurry photo. Little Bitefuls was shoving the prosciutto in her mouth so quickly that I couldn't get a steady shot. That's my girl!

New Year Resolutions

I received a MacBook from Santa this Christmas. 


Santa must want me to stop whining that it's too lonely downstairs at night to sit alone at the computer and blog. And stop complaining that when I want to blog, the twins are usurping the computer - ("Homework is more important than BLOGGING, Mom!"). Or stop insisting that I absolutely, positively NEED to bounce my ideas on chicken fricasse off of someone who really KNOWS and UNDERSTANDS my passion for cooking. 


Or someone who can at least NOD and SMILE when I am going on and on about the beauty of gorgonzola dolce. 


Apparently, I can only be inspired to write when there is a warm body next to me to talk to. Or talk at, depending on who you ask.


Not the body who occupies the space from 8pm - 9pm these days, requesting the Wonder Pets instead of a book (where did I go wrong parenting this child?!), but the big one who flips back and forth between English League Soccer and guy flicks on TNT. 


So he bought me a MacBook. 


Hmmm...he must really like it when I talk at him...


Now I can blog whilst under a down comforter.


Truly, no more excuses.


And since I have no more excuses,  I thought I would make a few resolutions.


Resolution #1


Blog 3 times a week. Or at least once a week.


Which in turn leads to...


Resolution #2


To make food that would be interesting to blog about 3 times a week. 


Resolution #3


To continue on my quest for tiny, packable, salad dressing containers so that my children can eat freshly sliced veggies, packed in cute, little resealable "snack saks" every day. (Michelle Obama would be proud!)


Resolution #4


To make more soup. Soup like this:

Pasta Fagioli

(Ramen doesn't count.) 


P.S. Ramen, like udon, is not in my dictionary. However, it is in the common japanese-american vernacular, so it counts in Scrabble. Hear that, "Santa"?


Resolution #5


To NOT make spaghetti with meat sauce more than once a week.


Resolution #6


To help my children fully understand the complex flavor and subtle nuance that is frozen creamed spinach. Help them God, for they do not know the joy that each spoonful brings. 


And to add more fresh green spinach to things. Like soups.


Resolution #7


To not have every hot breakfast include Mary Kitchen Corned Beef Hash. 


Not every. Just most.


Resolution #8


To only buy apple juice made in the good ol' US of A. I am not a jingoist, but come ON Juicy Juice! Why do you have to import your apples from China? Isn't that what Washington State is for?


Resolution #9


To feed my family healthy, nutritious meals with whole grains and vegetables (especially green ones) that taste really good.


And completely get rid of red meat and sugar. And white flour. And 10 lbs. 

Mwaaaaahaha! No chocolate for YOU!

Just kidding about the red meat and sugar. And the white flour.


But not the 10 lbs. 


Resolution #10


See Resolution #1.


Happy New Year!


Quick and Easy Pasta Fagioli

Ingredients

• 4 sprigs fresh thyme, finely chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup diced carrots
• 1 cup diced celery
• 1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
• 6 cups  chicken broth
• 2 (14.5-ounce) cans great northern white beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 cups baby pasta shells, cooked to al dente, in a separate container
• Freshly ground black pepper and kosher salt, to taste
• Pinch red pepper flakes, optional

Directions

Heat olive oil  in a heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot and celery and saute until they are tender, about 8 minutes. Add the broth, beans, and tomato sauce. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat, then decrease the heat to medium, add the bay leaf, and simmer until the vegetables and beans are very tender, about 10 minutes. Add the thyme and cook 5 minutes more. Season the soup with ground black pepper, kosher salt and red pepper flakes. Add cooked pasta shells and cook until pasta is warmed through, approximately 2 minutes on simmer.

Ladle the soup into bowls.