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Red Velvet Cupcakes

Cupcakes

2 1/2 C flour

1/2 C cocoa

1/2 tsp fine sea salt

2 sticks butter, softened for 15 minutes

2 C sugar

4 lrg eggs

1 C reduced-fat sour cream

3/4 C low-fat milk

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 1-oz bottle red food coloring

1 tsp white vinegar

1 tsp baking soda

Frosting

1 8 oz block cream cheese, softened for 15 minutes

1 stick butter, softened for 15 minutes

2 C powdered sugar

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.   Line two cupcake tins with paper liners.  Whisk flour, cocoa, salt, and set aside.  Beat butter 2 minutes until light and fluffy.  Add sugar and beat for 3 minutes more.  Add eggs one at at time, mixing after each one.  Add sour cream, milk, vanilla, food coloring.  Pour the vinegar into a 1/4 C measuring cup.  Add baking soda and stir.  It will bubble and fizz.  Add to batter and mix for just  a few seconds.  At low speed add the flour mixture and scrape down bowl.  Spoon into prepared pans, filling each liner until two thirds full.  Bake for 20-22 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.  Transfer to a rack to cool completely.

For frosting:

Beat cream cheese, butter, sugar, vanilla until light and fluffy in mixer, about five minutes.  Spread on completely cooled cupcakes.

YUM!

Yucca Con Mojo

Yucca Con Mojo
From the Food Network- Aaron Sanchez

INGREDIENTS

• 2 large cassavas or yucca, peeled and cut into 1-inch by 3-inch wedges
• 1 red onion, halved and sliced thinly into half moons
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1/2 bunch Itlian parlsey
• 1/2 bunch cilantro
• 2 limes, juiced
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

DIRECTIONS

In a pot of boiling water, cook the yucca until tender, but not falling apart and losing its shape, about 10 minutes. Remove the yucca from the water, and dunk into an ice bath to stop the cooking process (shocking) and set aside.

Meanwhile, make the mojo. In a blender, place half of the red onion, garlic, parsley, cilantro, and lime juice. Start to puree and slowly drizzle in the olive oil. When well pureed, season with salt and pepper and set aside. Julienne the remaining half of the onion.

Heat 2 inches of oil in a deep cast iron skillet to 375 degrees F. Begin frying the partially cooked yucca until golden brown, about 5 minutes.

When uniform in color, remove the yucca from the oil and place in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Pour the mojo over the yucca, and garnish with the other half of the red onion.

Cookie Crunch Recipe

Cookie Crunch Brownies

from Kosher by Design Entertains

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, broken up

1 ½ cups sugar

¾ cup (12 tablespoons) butter or margarine

1 cup all-purpose flour

¼ cup Dutch processed cocoa, sifted

2 teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

4 large eggs, at room temperature

2 teaspoons instant coffee granules or espresso powder

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

15 Oreo cookies or parve chocolate sandwich cookies, broken into chunks

4-5 extra Oreo or parve chocolate sandwich cookies, broken in half for garnish

Directions:

1. Arrange a rack in the middle of your oven and preheat to 350 degrees.  Spray an 11 x 7 by 1 ½ inch brownie pan with nonstick cooking spray.  Place the tablespoon of flour into the pan.  Shake it all around and tap it over a sink or garbage can to discard excess.
2. In a heatproof medium bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water, heat the chocolate, sugar, and butter or margarine.  Whisk until melted and smooth.  Remove bowl from heat and set aside to cool to room temperature, about 15-20 minutes.
3. In a small bowl, mix the flour, sifted cocoa, baking powder, and salt.
4. In a medium bowl, with a mixer at medium speed, beat the eggs, coffee granules, and vanilla until foamy.  If your stand mixer has a whisk attachment, it will work well here.
5. Blend the cooked chocolate mixture into the egg mixture.
6. Sprinkle all but four tablespoons of the flour/cocoa mixture into the chocolate mixture.  Place the 15 broken Oreos into the remaining flour/cocoa mixture, stirring gently to combine; try not to crush the cookies.  Pour batter into prepared pan.  Place the extra broken cookies on top of the batter for garnish.
7. Bake 35 minutes; do not overbake.  Allow to cool.  Refrigerate, tightly wrapped, until cold.  Cut into squares.  Store tightly wrapped in refrigerator.  Serve chilled.

Yield: 15-18 brownies.

 **We made them in cupcake liners and cupcake pans instead (as seen in the picture).   They're good!

Sour Cream Coffee Cake

Ingredients:

 1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 cups sour cream
3 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp baking soda

Topping:

3 tbsp. cinnamon
4 tbsp. sugar
1 package chocolate chips

Directions:

 

Preheat oven to 375. Combine all ingredients and mix. Pour half the
batter into a 9•13 pan and pour half the topping on.pour the rest of
the batter on top and coat with the topping. Cook in the oven for
50-60 minutes. Enjoy!

Recipe to make two Chocolate Caramel Layer Cakes

A. Cake
12 eggs, separated
12 tbsp sugar
1/2 tbsp baking soda
1/2 lb fresh roasted ground walnuts
2 tbsp flour
Bake on 2 cookie sheets lined with parchment paper at 350 for 20 minutes.
Invert cakes on fresh parchment paper, peel off paper, and divide each sheet into three long layers.

B. Brittle Cream
1 cup sugar
2 tbsp water
Cook until caramalized
Add 1/2 lb fresh toasted chopped almonds
Pour on parchment paper and cool

Mix 1 8 oz container cream cheese
1 stick butter or margarine
add brittled almonds

C. Chocolate Cream
1/2 lb good quality swiss chocolate (I use Noblesse)
1 tsp coffee
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup water
Dissolve over fire or in microwave

Beat one lb butter or margarine and 4 eggs
Add warm chocolate and mix well
Let solidify at room temperature to consistency of chocolate cream

D. Caramel Cream
1 box powdered sugar
8 tbsp oil
8 tbsp water
2 tbsp coffee dissolved in hot water
mix and refrigerate 1/2 hour

E. Assembly
1. Cake
2. Chocolate Cream
3. Brittle Cream
4. Cake
5. Chocolate Cream
6. Brittle Cream
7. Cake
8. Chocolate Cream
9. Caramel
10. Whip cream garnish around sides

Easy, Yummy Churro Recipe

Churros

Ingredients

1 cup water

2 1/2 tbsp white sugar

1/2 tsp salt

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 quarts oil for frying

1/2 cup white sugar, or to taste
1 tsp ground cinnamon

Directions:  In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine water, 2 1/2 tbsp sugar, salt, and 2 tbsp vegetable oil.  Bring to a boil and remove from heat.  Stir in flour until mixture forms a ball.  Heat oil for frying in a deep-fryer or deep skillet.  Pipe strips of dough into hot oil using a pastry bag.  Fry until golden; drain on paper towels and coat in cinnamon-sugar mixture. 

So easy and delicious!

One of our Most Favorite Recipes!

Bloody Mary Marinated London Broil
(adapted from Kosher by Design Short on Time)

Ingredients

1 large shoulder London broil, about 3 pounds
1 cup tomato juice
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 tablespoon prepared white horseradish
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
2 dashes hot sauce, such as Tabasco or Frank's Red Hot
1/2 teaspoon celery salt
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
olive oil

Place the meat in a glass bowl.  In a medium bowl mix all the marinade ingredients and pour over meat to marinate at least an hour or as long as overnight.  Pour some oil in a heavy pot and preheat.  Sear the meat on high heat for about 10 minutes per side - be careful not to overcook - it's best pink inside.  Allow the meat to rest a few minutes and thinly slice on the diagonal.

Yum!

Easiest Plum Torte Recipe

Seasonal prune plums started appearing in local markets a short time ago.  They're great for baking...split, pit, and bake them in this quick and easy dessert.  I mix the five ingredients in a food processor and then bake in a 9-inch round foil pan.  The trick is do it quick and get it into the oven right when mixed.  After the cake cools cut the foil pan away and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

I used my mom's recipe!

Recipe

1. Cream together 1 stick of margarine and 1 cup of sugar. 
2. Add 1 cup of flour, 1 tsp of baking powder, and a pinch of salt and mix. 
3. Add 2 eggs. 
4. Pour batter into a 9 inch pan and place 24 halves of plums skin side up on top of the batter. 
5. Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. 
6. Bake at 350 for 1 hour.  Cool.

Yingst Farm

 

About an hour away from our area in Little Rock is Yingst's Farm.

The owners are super friendly.  Fun wheelbarrows to push around while you pick.  Wear closed shoes because there are prickly things on the ground that are unpleasant touching your feet! 

Their peach crop froze in the frost this year so it's Red Delicious Apples, Golden Delicious Apples, and Bartlett Pears only now.  The green apples are the best!

Yingst Farm
35340 80th Street East
Littlerock, CA 92543-3054
(661) 944-2425

Egg Challahs

I baked round Challahs for Rosh Hashanah last night. I love Mrs. Heller "the Challah lady" from NY's recipe.

The recipe is:

4 Tbsp Dry Rapid Rise Yeast

6 lb bread flour (a 5 lb bag + 4 C)

6 C warm water

1 - 1.5 C sugar (depending on how sweet you like it)

3 eggs

1/2 C oil

3 Tbsp Kosher salt

1. Put yeast, sugar, 6-8 C flour in bowl

2. Add all warm water and mix until fine puree

3. Add eggs, oil, a little more flour, and salt and mix

4. Add the rest of the flour and mix for 10 minutes

5. Let is rest, pour 2-3 Tbsps oil on top

6. Remove from mixer to large bowl or bag and let dough rise 1 hour

7. Braid and let it rise another hour

8. Cover with egg wash and bake at 350 (half hour to hour depending on size)

When I was in Bais Yakov, Mrs. Tzirel Landau was teaching how to braid Challah for Rosh Hashanah. I still have her flyer (above, from 20 years ago)! I don't make the bumps in the middle of each strand but I do follow her technique. Quick and easy!