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Military Monday.

White balsamic tart with fresh berry topping courtesy of Bon Appétit

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In case you haven’t been keeping up for the past 34 weeks, here at Cupcake Rehab every Monday is Military Monday. My dear friend Yoyo got me started on it when she asked me to participate with her in May of ‘09 and I haven’t skipped one yet. To see all the previous 33 MM posts, view the archives.

Each week I feature a patriotic red, white & blue themed dessert or other patriotic image, and I list names of members of our Armed Forces who were killed in one of the two wars we are currently involved in. I ask that not just on Military Monday, but every day, you remember our soldiers and all that they sacrifice every day, as well as the sacrifices of their families.

Lance M. Chase, 32, Army Staff Sergeant, Jan 23, 2006 Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Matthew D. Hunter, 31, Army Sergeant, Jan 23, 2006 Valley Grove, West Virginia
Peter D. Wagler, 18, Army Private 1st Class, Jan 23, 2006 Partridge, Kansas
Lewis T. D. Calapini, 21, Marine Private, Jan 23, 2006 Waipahu, Hawaii
Joshua A. Scott, 24, Marine Lance Corporal, Jan 23, 2006 Tunnel Hill, Georgia
Sean H. Miles, 28, Marine Sergeant, Jan 24, 2006 Midlothian, Virginia
Jerry M. “Michael” Durbin Jr., 26, Army Staff Sergeant, Jan 25, 2006 Spring, Texas
Joshua Allen Johnson, 24, Army National Guard Sergeant, Jan 25, 2006 Richford, Vermont
Hugo R. Lopez Lopez, 20, Marine Lance Corporal, Jan 27, 2006 La Habra, California
David L. Herrera, 26, Army Sergeant, Jan 28, 2006 Oceanside, California
Brian J. Schoff, 22, Army Private 1st Class, Jan 28, 2006 Manchester, Tennessee
Felipe C. Barbosa, 21, Marine Corporal, Jan 28, 2006 High Point, North Carolina
Garrison C. Avery, 23, Army 1st Lieutenant, Feb 01, 2006 Lincoln, Nebraska
Marlon A. Bustamante, 25, Army Specialist, Feb 01, 2006 Corona, New York
Anthony Chad Owens, 21, Army Specialist, Feb 01, 2006 Dillon/Conway, South Carolina
Caesar S. Viglienzone, 21, Army Private 1st Class, Feb 01, 2006 Santa Rosa, California
Sean T. Cardelli, 20, Marine Private 1st Class, Feb 01, 2006 Downers Grove, Illinois
Simon T. Cox Jr., 30, Army 1st Lieutenant, Feb 02, 2006 Mesquite, Texas
Walter B. Howard II, 35, Army Corporal, Feb 02, 2006 Rochester, Michigan
Scott A. Messer, 26, Army Private 1st Class, Feb 02, 2006 Ashland, Kentucky
Lance S. Cornett, 33, Army Sergeant 1st Class, Feb 03, 2006 London, Kentucky
Jesse M. Zamora, 22, Army Corporal, Feb 03, 2006 Las Cruces, New Mexico
Roberto L. Martinez Salazar, 21, Army Specialist, Feb 04, 2006 Long Beach, California
Jeremiah J. Boehmer, 22, Army Sergeant, Feb 05, 2006 Parkston, South Dakota
William S. Hayes III, 23, Army Specialist, Feb 05, 2006 St. Tammany, Louisiana
Sergio A. Mercedes Saez, 23, Army Specialist, Feb 05, 2006 New York, New York
Christopher R. Morningstar, 27, Army Staff Sergeant, Feb 05, 2006 San Antonio, Texas
Patrick W. Herried, 29, Army Specialist, Feb 06, 2006 Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Orville Gerena, 21, Marine Corporal, Feb 06, 2006 Virginia Beach, Virginia
David S. Parr, 22, Marine Lance Corporal, Feb 06, 2006 Benson, North Carolina
Brandon S. Schuck, 21, Marine Corporal, Feb 06, 2006 Safford, Arizona
Jacob D. “Jake” Spann, 21, Marine Private 1st Class, Feb 06, 2006 Columbus/Westerville, Ohio
Allen D. Kokesh Jr., 21, Army National Guard Sergeant, Feb 07, 2006 Yankton, South Dakota
Steven L. Phillips, 27, Marine Lance Corporal, Feb 07, 2006 Chesapeake, Virginia
Javier Chavez Jr., 19, Marine Private 1st Class, Feb 09, 2006 Cutler, California
Ross A. Smith, 21, Marine Corporal, Feb 09, 2006 Wyoming, Michigan
Felipe J. Garcia Villareal, 26, Army Specialist, Feb 12, 2006 Burke, Virginia
Andrew J. Kemple, 23, Army Corporal, Feb 12, 2006 Cambridge, Minnesota
Nicholas Wilson, 25, Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class, Feb 12, 2006 Newark Valley, New York
Matthew Ron Barnes, 20, Marine Lance Corporal, Feb 14, 2006 West Monroe, Louisiana
Michael S. Probst, 26, Marine Lance Corporal, Feb 14, 2006 Irvine, California
Rusty L. Washam, 21, Marine Corporal, Feb 14, 2006 Huntsville, Tennessee
Anthony R. Garcia, 48, Army Captain, Feb 17, 2006 Fort Worth, Texas
Amos C. Edwards Jr., 41, Army National Guard Sergeant 1st Class, Feb 17, 2006 Savannah, Georgia
Charles E. Matheny IV, 23, Army Sergeant, Feb 18, 2006 Stanwood, Washington
Matthew D. Conley, 21, Marine Corporal, Feb 18, 2006 Killen, Alabama
Jessie Davila, 29, Army National Guard Sergeant, Feb 20, 2006 Greensburg, Kansas
Daniel J. Kuhlmeier, 30, Dept. of the Air Force Civilian, Feb 20, 2006 Omaha, Nebraska
Jay T. Collado, 31, Marine Staff Sergeant, Feb 20, 2006 Columbia, South Carolina
Almar L. Fitzgerald, 23, Marine 2nd Lieutenant, Feb 21, 2006 Lexington, South Carolina

Comments (0) · Tagged: · Posted 08 February 2010

Happy pupiversary pupcakes.

What a mug…

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Saturday (January 30th) was Indy’s first anniversary with us. Exactly a year ago on that day, we went and adopted him from North Shore Animal League.  He was a little 5 month old, squiggly, squirmy ball of cuteness. He is now 3 times the size he was back then (he was 35 pounds, you do the math!), but he’s still a squiggly, squirmy ball of cuteness. Just a bigger and stronger one. We went on to find out he was not a German Shepherd mix as they told us at North Shore, but a  mix of Labrador Retriever, Staffordshire Bull Terrier and English Coonhound. Which explains a lot, really- the powerful chewing, the tendency to carry things in his mouth, the “tracking” he does on walks… yeah, he’s definitely a mix of those three. He’s totally a genius. He’s got his own blog now, did you know that?

The past year has been a total learning experience for both me & Jay- I never had a puppy, when I was a little girl and got my dog Casey he was a year old and fully housetrained and came with a whole set of tricks already. And Jay never had his own dog at all. So we went through housetraining, teaching him tricks (sit, lay down, paw, high five, play dead, and so on), and the other training that comes with having a puppy: not to chew shoes/bags/etc, no begging at the dinner table (which to be honest, Indy never did to begin with), getting them to alert you when they need to be taken out, and all the other things, both banal & exciting.

We learned a lot of things too. That not every dog needs a crate, that no crate can contain certain dogs (at the mere size of 35 pounds Indy demolished not one, but two crates made for dogs more than twice his size), some toys that claim to be indestructible are certainly not, some food isn’t as good as others, and the list goes on. Indy has a very sensitive stomach & digestive system, so most of the treats that other dogs get to have lots of don’t agree with him, like Jumbones, or Pup-peroni, or Snausages. He can really only eat Milkbones, or biscuits, or all natural treats. We only let him eat treats made in the U.S.A. and most of it is 100% natural so there are no additives or by-products. His dry food has to be high quality (Solid Gold, Blue Buffalo, EVO, Innova, etc) and he can only tolerate Halo wet food (we just use it as a “gravy”- one tablespoon mixed with his dry food). The non-dog owners or people who dislike or don’t have pets may think this is slightly insane; but we don’t. For many reasons, not the least of which because he may as well be considered my son, but the one reason you’ll relate to the best is this- what would you prefer, a 95 pound dog you feed garbage to with diarrhea who whines, barks and cries incessantly and tries to chew your fingers off out of frustration because he’s uncomfortable and has to constantly go out (the result of which is quite messy)… or a happy, comfortable, healthy 95 pound dog who contently enjoys his organic food & homemade treats? Thought so. Now tell me I’m crazy.

So anyway I like making him treats, because I know what goes into them, and I know he’ll be able to eat them, enjoy them, and not suffer later.  I can tailor them to his likes (many things) or dislikes (very few things) or things I know he can tolerate. The first thing I ever made for him were these pupcakes. He was crazy about them, and he especially loved the frosting, so I added a similar frosting on these. If you wanna do the same go here to get the frosting recipe. I also topped these with peanut butter chips, because he loves peanut butter.

While these were in the oven, I gave Arwyn catnip & a good brushing, because she can’t stand it when the dog gets more attention when clearly cats are superior animals.

BANANA, HONEY & CINNAMON PUPCAKES

First you get:

  • 2 ¾ cups of water
  • 1 large egg
  • 3 tbsp honey
  • 2 med bananas (mashed)
  • 3 ½ cups whole wheat flour
  • ¼ cup dry milk powder (*I used ¼ cup fat free milk)
  • ¼ tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tbsp baking powder

Then you:

  1. Preheat oven to 350.
  2. Spray muffin pans with Pam to keep the cakes from sticking.
  3. Mix water, egg, honey, and mashed banana together. (I add the milk here too).
  4. Combine flour, dry milk powder, cinnamon and baking powder to the wet mixture.
  5. Mixture should have a cake batter consistency.
  6. Bake at 350 for approximately 30 minutes.
  7. Pupcakes are done when they turn a golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Indy adored them, I’m sure your pup will too. I have quite a few dog treat recipes, to see more of them go to the dog biscuit category. Actually, humans might enjoy these cakes as well. They certainly smell fantastic, and this time there’s no random ingredient like cheese to make them a bit off-putting. A tip from me to you: feed them to your dog on tile floor or wood, otherwise you’ll be cleaning cream cheese & honey frosting off your carpet. Indy has a thing where he will not eat anything off the tile, and he won’t eat anything but his food out of his bowl… so I speak from experience.

Look at that face… haha..

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And remember, if your dog is a senior, or has any kind of health issues or food intolerance, please ask a veterinarian first before making them any homemade treats. And do your research before feeding anything to your dog. Grapes, garlic and onion are all included in a list of foods that can make your dog seriously ill.

And thanks to Brianne for coming up with “pupiversary.” Why didn’t I think of that!?

Comments (5) · Tagged: · Posted 04 February 2010

Do something good.

I just wanted to make a quick post and let everyone know that 100% of the purchases made today at Yoyo’s TOPSTITCH webstore will go to the Adelphi NY Statewide Breast Cancer Hotline & Support Program in my mom’s name. As you may or may not know, my mom is an almost 4 year survivor and has worked with the Adelphi program for that entire time, including speaking at their Celebration of Survivorship in 2008. I’ve mentioned TOPSTITCH before, I’m a huge fan of Yoyo’s work. She’s immensely talented, and a wonderful friend to me. She even has her own category over here at Cupcake Rehab. She has a blog as well, and she gives sewing tips and shows off her work and works-in-progress.

She has tons of stuff up for sale in the webstore, and they’d be great as Valentine’s Day gifts or just little “I’m thinking of you” gifts. Or hell, maybe you should just buy something and treat yourself! If you’re a cupcake lover like myself, you can get these coasters or this zippered pouch. But there are a zillion other super cute items, like this little heart patterned tissue holder, this cherry printed zippered pouch or maybe even a houndstooth credit card holder! Or buy an apron for the cook/baker in your life. Disney fan? Here’s Mickey! Like skulls? Check this out. And the best part? Mention me or this site when you order, and you’ll get a special surprise!

I really appreciate Yoyo doing this. Last month she donated to the Villalobos Rescue Center in Los Angeles, and each month during this year, on the 2nd of the month, she’ll be donating to a different charity. The Adelphi program has had a rough time of it lately, so they need all the help they can get. Gov. Paterson has threatened to cut off their funding (yet again), which would most likely force them to close. We can’t let this happen, not only does the Adelphi program provide the hotline and support groups, they also have free classes for survivors- i.e. art classes, cooking classes, etc. They’re also the ONLY bilingual hotline & support program for breast cancer patients in the area. So please make a purchase here, and know that every penny of your purchase (and everyone else’s today) will go to an amazing cause. To find out more about the Adelphi program, click here. For the full list of charities Yoyo is contributing to, go here. She’s also accepting suggestions, so if you know of a small local charity that needs the funds, please let Yoyo know!

And don’t just shop at TOPSTITCH today, shop there everyday.

Comments (0) · Tagged: · Posted 02 February 2010

Military Monday.

Gorgeous lemon almond cake with berries courtesy of Vegan Homemade

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Military Monday is a weekly tribute to our men & women in uniform. My friend Yoyo over at Topstitch asked me if I would participate in it with her, and of course I said yes. This my 33rd week now and I’ve never missed one yet.

If you’re interested in viewing the archives, then click here.

Jason Lee Bishop, 31, Army Sergeant 1st Class, Jan 01, 2006 Williamstown, Kentucky
Christopher J. Vanderhorn, 37, Army Staff Sergeant, Jan 01, 2006 Pierce, Washington
William F. Hecker III, 37, Army Major, Jan 05, 2006 St. Louis, Missouri
Jason Lopezreyes, 29, Army Sergeant, Jan 05, 2006 Hatillo, Puerto Rico
Robbie M. Mariano, 21, Army Private, Jan 05, 2006 Stockton, California
Johnny J. Peralez Jr., 25, Army Sergeant, Jan 05, 2006 Kingsville, Texas
Christopher P. Petty, 33, Army Captain, Jan 05, 2006 Vienna, Virginia
Ryan D. Walker, 25, Army Specialist, Jan 05, 2006 Stayton, Oregon
Stephen J. White, 39, Army Sergeant 1st Class, Jan 05, 2006 Talladega, Alabama
Michael E. McLaughlin, 44, Army National Guard Lieutenant Colonel, Jan 05, 2006 Mercer, Pennsylvania
Adam Leigh Cann, 23, Marine Sergeant, Jan 05, 2006 Davie, Florida
Albert Pasquale Gettings, 27, Marine Corporal, Jan 05, 2006 New Castle, Pennsylvania
Ryan S. McCurdy, 20, Marine Lance Corporal, Jan 05, 2006 Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Radhames Camilomatos, 24, Army Sergeant, Jan 07, 2006 Carolina, Puerto Rico
Joseph D. deMoors, 36, Army 1st Lieutenant, Jan 07, 2006 Jefferson, Alabama
Douglas A. LaBouff, 36, Army Major, Jan 07, 2006 La Puente, California
Michael R. Martinez, 43, Army Major, Jan 07, 2006 Kansas City/Columbia, Missouri
Clinton R. Upchurch, 31, Army Specialist, Jan 07, 2006 Garden City, Kansas
Jaime L. Campbell, 25, Army National Guard 1st Lieutenant, Jan 07, 2006 Ephrata, Washington
Michael I. Edwards, 26, Army National Guard Specialist, Jan 07, 2006 Fairbanks, Alaska
Jacob E. Melson, 22, Army National Guard Specialist, Jan 07, 2006 Wasilla, Alaska
Chester W. Troxel, 45, Army National Guard Chief Warrant Officer 4, Jan 07, 2006 Anchorage, Alaska
Stuart M. Anderson, 44, Army Reserve Major, Jan 07, 2006 Peosta, Iowa
Nathan R. Field, 23, Army Reserve Sergeant, Jan 07, 2006 Lehigh, Iowa
Robert T. Johnson, 20, Army Reserve Specialist, Jan 07, 2006 Erwin, North Carolina
Darren D. Braswell, 36, Dept. of Defense Civilian, Jan 07, 2006 Riverdale, Georgia
Kyle W. Brown, 22, Marine Lance Corporal, Jan 07, 2006 Newport News, Virginia
Jeriad P. Jacobs, 19, Marine Lance Corporal, Jan 07, 2006 Clayton, North Carolina
Jason T. Little, 20, Marine Lance Corporal, Jan 07, 2006 Climax, Michigan
Brett L. Lundstrom, 22, Marine Corporal, Jan 07, 2006 Stafford, Virginia
Raul Mercado, 21, Marine Lance Corporal, Jan 07, 2006 Monrovia, California
Michael Joseph McMullen, 25, Army National Guard Staff Sergeant, Jan 10, 2006 Salisbury, Maryland
Mitchell K. Carver Jr., 31, Army Chief Warrant Officer 3, Jan 13, 2006 Charlotte, North Carolina
Kyle E. Jackson, 28, Army Chief Warrant Officer 2, Jan 13, 2006 Sarasota, Florida
Jonathan Kyle Price, 19, Marine Lance Corporal, Jan 13, 2006 Woodlawn, Illinois
Michael Anthony Jordan, 35, Navy Petty Officer 1st Class, Jan 13, 2006 Augusta, Georgia
Justin J. Watts, 20, Marine Corporal, Jan 14, 2006 Crownsville, Maryland
Kasper Allen Dudkiewicz, 22, Army Private 1st Class, Jan 15, 2006 Chalan Pago/Mangilao, Guam
Dustin L. Kendall, 21, Army Corporal, Jan 15, 2006 Conway, Arkansas
Ruel M. Garcia, 34, Army Chief Warrant Officer 2, Jan 16, 2006 Wahiawa, Hawaii
Rex C. Kenyon, 34, Army Chief Warrant Officer 3, Jan 16, 2006 El Segundo, California
Adam R. Shepherd, 21, Army Private 1st Class, Jan 17, 2006 Somerville, Ohio
Dennis J. Flanagan, 22, Army Sergeant, Jan 20, 2006 Inverness, Florida
Matthew C. Frantz, 23, Army Specialist, Jan 20, 2006 Lafayette, Indiana
Rickey Scott, 30, Army Staff Sergeant, Jan 20, 2006 Columbus, Georgia
Clifton J. Yazzie, 23, Army Sergeant, Jan 20, 2006 Fruitland, New Mexico
Carlos Arrelano Pandura, 22, Marine Corporal, Jan 20, 2006 Los Angeles/Rosemead, California
Brandon Christopher Dewey, 20, Marine Lance Corporal, Jan 20, 2006 Tracy/San Joaquin, California
Brian McElroy, 28, Air Force Staff Sergeant, Jan 22, 2006 San Antonio, Texas
Jason L. Norton, 32, Air Force Technical Sergeant, Jan 22, 2006 Miami, Oklahoma

Comments (2) · Tagged: · Posted 01 February 2010

Shepherd’s pie for the alky’s.

Everyone is familiar with Shepherd’s Pie. If you’re Irish, then you definitely know Shepherd’s Pie. It’s classic pub food. The original name is “Cottage Pie.”

Cottage pie refers to an English meat pie made with beef mince and with a crust made from mashed potato. A variation on this dish using Lamb mince is known as Shepherd’s pie. The term cottage pie is known to have been in use in 1791,[1][2] when potato was being introduced as an edible crop affordable for the poor (cf. “cottage” meaning a modest dwelling for rural workers). In early cookery books, the dish was a means of using leftover roasted meat of any kind, and the pie dish was lined with mashed potato as well as having a mashed potato crust on top.[3][4]

The term “shepherd’s pie” did not appear until the 1870s,[2] and since then it has been used synonymously with “cottage pie”, regardless of whether the principal ingredient was beef or mutton.[2][3][4][5][6][7][8] There is now a popular tendency for “shepherd’s pie” to be used when the meat is mutton or lamb,[9][10] and not cattle,[11][12] with the suggested origin being that shepherds are concerned with sheep, however this may be an example of folk etymology.

Therefore, the recipe I’m presenting to you here today is really a cottage pie. Although nobody would know what the hell that was if I called it that. So anyway, basically what a Shepherd’s Pie/Cottage Pie is is a “casserole” of sorts, made of meat, vegetables, and topped with a mashed potato “crust.” It can be made lousy, I’m sure, like a sort of mystery meat pie (which reminds me of Sweeney Todd, with Helena Bonham Carter as Mrs. Lovett with her meatpies… *cringe*) but it can also be made in a super flavorful, delicious and not-mush-like way. And would I make it any other way than that?

There’s been a lot of talk about Shepherd’s Pie lately, Brianne made it a few weeks ago, and recently Jay’s mom was talking about it as well. It gave me a hankering for it,  I haven’t eaten any red meat (or cooked any) in a long time, so I thought this was a good way to reintroduce myself to it. I had a really awesome recipe for Shepherd’s Pie with Guinness that I found somewhere on the web years ago, and of course I couldn’t find it, so I did a Google. And luckily I did, because I couldn’t find that recipe again, but I found the Hungry Housewife’s version instead and it was fantabulous. Seriously. I added a few things and made some changes, and have some recommendations but it’s essentially her recipe.

It would be awesome if you made this, served Guinness stout with it, and then made Guinness cupcakes for dessert. A whole night’s meal made with Guinness! Perfect for St. Patrick’s Day. And remember, you can use any kind of ground meat for this: turkey, lamb, a mixture, etc.

THE DRUNKEN SHEPHERD’S MEAT & POTATO PIE (SHEPHERD’S PIE WITH GUINNESS)

Get thee the following materials:

  • 1 ½ pounds organic ground beef 80/20
  • 1 (1lb) bag frozen mixed vegetables, thawed
  • 2 packets of dry Brown Gravy Mix
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 medium onion
  • olive oil
  • 2 bottles Guinness (or other dark stout- just NOT a chocolate stout or cream stout)
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 2 cups sharp Irish cheddar cheese (i.e. Dubliner)
  • 3 pounds baking potatoes
  • ¼- ½ cup milk
  • 1 stick butter
  • salt and pepper to taste

Then ye do as follows:

  1. Preheat oven to 375.
  2. Peel the potatoes, then boil them in salted water until fork tender, about 40-45 minutes. Drain completely and place back in pot so all of the water evaporates. In a medium mixing bowl add butter and potatoes. Mash until smooth, while adding the milk for a medium consistency. Add salt and pepper.
  3. Cook and drain ground beef. Place drained beef back in skillet and add Worcestershire sauce and 1 bottle of Guinness*. Cook until beer has almost cooked out.
  4. Add tomato paste to meat. In a medium sauce pan, prepare the brown gravy according to package directions, however, use beer for half the liquid called for (1 cup water, 1 cup beer)**. Pour gravy into meat mixture. And cook all together until you get a nice thick gravy.
  5. Rough chop the onion. In medium skillet with olive oil,*** sauté onion until soft and translucent. Add mixed vegetables to the onion and cook until warm throughout.
  6. In a 2 quart baking dish, add meat as bottom layer, the add vegetables, and then add the mashed potatoes. Top with shredded cheddar cheese. Bake at 375 for about 20 minutes or until cheese gets nice and bubbly.
*I used Guinness in cans. It doesn’t really matter, the bottles have a little bit more in them, that’s all. We’re talking the difference of an ounce or two.
**I used Knorr, and it called for 1 ½ cups water per pouch, so I used 1 ½ cups of each. However, the gravy was a bit much so next time I’d do either 1 straight cup each or maybe even less.
***I used the same skillet I used to cook the beef, so the flavors absorbed into the veggies too. I also suggest not cooking the vegetables too much, or else they’ll be mushy in the pie. I left mine somewhat cold, just barely heated (I circled them a few times in the skillet with the onions), and they were nice and crisp in the pie.

I used over a pound of the mixed vegetables. I bought a 2 lb bag and just kinda eyeballed it, and it turned out to be more than half the bag. But that’s up to you.  You could buy fresh veggies if you really wanted. And If you can, I recommend using an Irish cheddar, like Dubliner or another Irish cheese, and shredding it yourself.  If you can’t, then it’s quite alright to stick with a regular sharp cheddar. And organic beef is my preference, if I’m going to eat red meat, but again… that’s totally up to you. Nobody’s going to shoot you if you buy the ground beef that’s on sale this week instead. Also, if you don’t have the time to mash your own potatoes, I suggest using 2 bags of Ore-Ida’s Steam & Mash in the classic cut russet flavor. It’s the closest thing to homemade mashed potatoes you can buy. Box mixes just really don’t cut it.

The Guinness flavor in this is amazing. It really comes through perfectly. If you’re a Guinness fan, I highly endorse you making this dish.

Comments (6) · Tagged: , · Posted 29 January 2010

Delicious little football-hating peanut butter cupcakes.

Let me just say this now and get it over with: I hate football. I’m going to get some shit for this, but really, I don’t give a flying pigskin. I despise it with every fiber of my being. I’ve never liked any sports much; let alone organized games in gym class (yes, I often refused to play, no, I rarely changed into my gym clothes and no, I do not give a shit about the Presidential Physical Fitness test they give you in 6th grade). But football has always been the most hated of all. Baseball, I can get into, but not enough to watch it on TV. I like to go to games, but I don’t know much about it and don’t claim to. I’m a Met fan since birth, and that’s basically an inherited title. Don’t ask me who plays on the team, or what the stats are… because I don’t really care if it’s Donald Duck and Daffy, I’ll still root for ‘em and then forget if they even won a day later. Hockey is cool only because guys lose teeth and beat each other up during the games. Soccer I don’t get much either. Basketball? Well, I can’t say much bad about it, but am I interested in it? No, no more than I’m interested in accounting. But football… football is the bane of my existence. I hate how Sundays and Mondays are filled with it all winter, I hate the Superbowl, I hate the fans… I hate it all. I hate baseball fans too, don’t get me wrong- I live in New York, home of some of the most obnoxious baseball fans this side of Boston (yes, you’re obnoxious too, Bostonites).

These cupcakes have nothing to do with football.

..

But by far football fans are the worst. Anyway, if you’re like me, and you agree that football does indeed suck, then you’ll appreciate this. Okay now back to our regularly scheduled programming…

Luckily, Jay is a baseball guy- so he really isn’t all that interested. My dad, however, is a football guy (Giants), and my mother always roots for the Jets. I really wish every team would just spontaneously combust upon entering the field. But I had these really cute little football themed liners and I was going to make cupcakes so… I used them.  They are pretty cute, actually, with the little footballs and helmets. I can’t remember why I bought them- I’m thinking perhaps for my dad’s birthday one year, but oh well.  Since all I heard the past few days was football this, and football that, why not use them? The cupcakes themselves really have nothing to do with football, but I guess if you’re one of those people who likes to watch it and invite people over, these would be a cute little dessert to serve. They can easily be made as mini-cupcakes too. But I only have one mini-cupcake pan so it can be a pain in the tush to make those around here. The recipe can also be halved with good results.

I’ve made a few peanut butter chocolate cupcakes before, like these, or these, and these too… but this recipe is different. This isn’t a chocolate cupcake with peanut butter frosting, oh no, siree. It’s a peanut butter cupcake with peanut chips and chocolate buttercream, topped with MORE peanut chips. The cool thing though is that there’s no peanut butter in them! Just peanut butter extract. I got my extract from Watkins (click here for a direct link to buy the PB extract), but there are probably other places you can buy it.

I still hate football. But if football tasted like these cupcakes, I might love it just a little bit.

PEANUT BUTTER CUPCAKES

Ingredients:

  • 2 ½ cups flour
  • 2 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 3 large eggs, room temperature
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • ½ cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 tablespoon peanut butter extract
  • ¾ cup whole milk
  • 5 ounces peanut chips (i.e. Reese’s) for filling, then another 5 ounces for topping

Directions:

  1. Position rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350° F. Line 24 muffin tins with paper liners. Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl.
  2. In another bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer), beat the eggs and both sugars until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Gradually beat in the butter and peanut butter extract. With the mixer on low speed, add half of the flour mixture, then add the milk, then finish with the flour mixture.
  3. Fold in the peanut chips, but do not overmix. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin tins, filling each roughly halfway. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, about 20-22 minutes. Let cool in pans for 10 minutes, then transfer to racks to cool completely.

The frosting is a regular ol’ chocolate buttercream. You could go all out and do a peanut butter frosting too, if you’re a big PB lover. Or make PB&J cupcakes by making them, filling them with a jam after they’re cooled, then frost them with peanut butter frosting.

Be very very very careful of overbeating these! For real. They will get really tough and muffin-y. And please save your breath, or I should say your finger-energy, and don’t bother commenting about the virtues of the sport. It sucks, I’ll never like it, and I’m entitled. Happy cupcaking!

Comments (4) · Tagged: · Posted 27 January 2010

Military Monday.

Pretty little mini-cheesecakes from the Hungry Cook

…

This week I went back to my original theme for the Military Monday posts, a red, white & blue dessert or food item. If you have any that you’d like me to feature, then please e·mail me at cupcake.rehab@gmail.com and send me a photo or two, tell me someone to whom I should give credit and a URL to link back to if possible! All foods and desserts are welcome.

Now back to the sobering reality of Military Monday. I attended this past weekend a fundraiser for the Wounded Warriors Project, a tribute to James McNaughton, the first NYPD officer to be killed in Iraq. The Wounded Warriors is a great organization and they deserve every penny they raise, so please think about donating. Every week I list a set of names of soldiers who have had their lives taken from them in one of the two wars we’re in. I think it’s a dose of reality we all need to take. We need to take better care of our soldiers; better medical care, better psychological care, etc. They do too much for us for us to “forget” about them, before, after or during their time of need.

So thank you…

Spencer C. Akers, 35, Army National Guard Sergeant, Dec 08, 2005 Traverse City, Michigan
Milton Rivera-Vargas, 55, Army National Guard Staff Sergeant, Dec 08, 2005 Boqueron, Puerto Rico
Adrian N. Orosco, 26, Army Sergeant, Dec 09, 2005 Corcoran, California
Julia V. Atkins, 22, Army Sergeant, Dec 10, 2005 Bossier City, Louisiana
Kenith Casica, 32, Army Sergeant, Dec 10, 2005 Virginia Beach, Virginia
Clarence L. Floyd Jr., 28, Army Sergeant, Dec 10, 2005 Manhattan, New York
Travis L. Nelson, 41, Army Staff Sergeant, Dec 10, 2005 Anniston, Alabama
James S. “Shawn” Moudy, 37, Army Sergeant 1st Class, Dec 11, 2005 Newark, Delaware
Keith A. Bennett, 32, Army National Guard Staff Sergeant, Dec 11, 2005 Holtwood, Pennsylvania
Jared William Kubasak, 25, Army Corporal, Dec 12, 2005 Rocky Mount, Virginia
Curtis A. Mitchell, 28, Army Staff Sergeant, Dec 12, 2005 Malta, Ohio
Lex S. Nelson, 21, Army Specialist, Dec 12, 2005 Salt Lake City, Utah
Brian C. Karim, 22, Army Sergeant, Dec 13, 2005 Talcott, West Virginia
James C. Kesinger, 32, Army Specialist, Dec 13, 2005 Pharr, Texas
Peter J. Navarro, 20, Army Specialist, Dec 13, 2005 Wildwood, Missouri
Michael S. Zyla, 32, Army Staff Sergeant, Dec 13, 2005 Elgin, Oregon
Kenneth B. Pospisil, 35, Marine Staff Sergeant, Dec 14, 2005 Andover, Minnesota
Michael B. Presley, 21, Marine Corporal, Dec 14, 2005 Batesville, Mississippi
Timothy R. Boyce, 29, Army Sergeant, Dec 15, 2005 North Salt Lake, Utah
Joseph Alan Lucas, 23, Army Specialist, Dec 15, 2005 Augusta, Georgia
Adam R. Fales, 21, Marine Corporal, Dec 16, 2005 Cullman, Alabama
Samuel Tapia, 20, Marine Lance Corporal, Dec 18, 2005 San Benito, Texas
Johnnie V. Mason, 32, Army Staff Sergeant, Dec 19, 2005 Rio Vista, Texas
Michael J. Cleary, 24, Army 1st Lieutenant, Dec 20, 2005 Dallas, Pennsylvania
Richard Jr. DeGracia Naputi, 24, Army Specialist, Dec 20, 2005 Talofofo, Guam
Benjamin T. Britt, 24, Army 1st Lieutenant, Dec 22, 2005 Wheeler, Texas
William Lopez-Feliciano, 33, Army Specialist, Dec 22, 2005 Quebradillas, Puerto Rico
Regina C. Reali, 25, Army Reserve Sergeant, Dec 23, 2005 Fresno, California
Cheyenne C. Willey, 36, Army Reserve Sergeant, Dec 23, 2005 Fremont, California
Joseph J. Andres Jr., 34, Army Master Sergeant, Dec 24, 2005 Seven Hills, Ohio
Myla L. Maravillosa, 24, Army Reserve Sergeant, Dec 24, 2005 Wahiawa, Hawaii
Anthony O. Cardinal, 20, Army Corporal, Dec 25, 2005 Muskegon, Michigan
Sergio Gudino, 22, Army Specialist, Dec 25, 2005 Pomona, California
Dominic R. Coles, 25, Army Sergeant, Dec 26, 2005 Jesup, Georgia
Richard Matthew “Matt” Salter, 44, Army Chief Warrant Officer, Dec 26, 2005 Cypress, Texas
Isaias E. Santos, 28, Army Chief Warrant Officer, Dec 26, 2005 Ancon, Panama
Dane O. Carver, 20, Army National Guard Specialist, Dec 26, 2005 Freeport, Michigan
Joshua M. Morberg, 20, Army Private, Dec 27, 2005 Sparks, Nevada
Lance S. Sage, 26, Army Specialist, Dec 27, 2005 Hempstead, New York
Aaron M. Forbes, 24, Army Corporal, Dec 28, 2005 Oak Island, North Carolina
George Anthony “Tony” Lutz II, 25, Army Private 1st Class, Dec 29, 2005 Virginia Beach, Virginia
Prince K. Teewia, 27, Army Specialist, Dec 29, 2005 Durham, North Carolina
Shawn Christopher Dostie, 32, Army Sergeant 1st Class, Dec 30, 2005 Granite City, Illinois
Jonathan R. Pfender, 22, Army Private, Dec 30, 2005 Evansville, Indiana
Ayman A. Taha, 31, Army Staff Sergeant, Dec 30, 2005 Vienna, Virginia
Marcelino Ronald Corniel, 23, Army National Guard Sergeant, Dec 31, 2005 La Puente, California


Comments (0) · Tagged: · Posted 25 January 2010

Homemade sauce from mia cucina.

I’ve posted this recipe previously over at my other site, Cooking the Books, but I thought maybe you Cupcake Rehab readers who don’t know about/don’t read CTB might be interested in this recipe. It’s one of the best and simplest sauce recipes I’ve ever tasted/experienced. Now, I don’t come from an Italian family, so I don’t have a family recipe. I have an uncle by marriage who’s Italian, but I don’t know his family’s sauce recipe, if he even does. So this is the closest I come to having an official sauce recipe, and since it’s so easy to expand on it, you can tweak it to suit you or the particular dish you’re making.

The original recipe is Marcella Hazan’s, and it was then tweaked by Guilia Melucci in her book I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti, and then tweaked again by myself. For the original recipe, go here. This is my version of a Simple Sauce.

SALSA SEMPLICE (SIMPLE SAUCE)

Ingredienti:

  • 2 (28-ounce) cans whole tomatoes
  • 3 tablespoons fresh finely chopped basil (or use dried basil, just less of it)
  • ½ cup (1 stick) butter
  • 1 medium onion, peeled and cut in half
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • ¼ cup red wine
  • 2 teaspoons salt

Indicazioni:

  1. Put all ingredients in a large saucepan over medium heat, bring to a simmer, then lower heat and cook for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  2. Remove onion before tossing sauce with the pasta, saucing your pizza or using in your baked pasta dish.

This sauce is fantastic on simple pasta dishes, on ravioli, or on pizza (my favorite). I make a big batch and then use it over the course of a week- one night pasta, one night pizza, etc. It doubles and triples easily, so by all means, go nuts! I love basil so I add a bunch, if you’re not a fan then by all means take it out. The original recipe didn’t call for it. Also, you can use those cans of tomatoes that already are seasoned with basil, I’ve done it and it comes out fantastic. The red wine can also be taken out and it still tastes perfect.

To be honest, it’s even great at room temperature, spread on a piece of big fat olive oil ciabatta with a thick slice of mozzarella di bufala on top. Yum. But here it is with some ravioli… let the drooling commence!

Comments (4) · Tagged: · Posted 22 January 2010

Military Monday.

Poster promoting Victory Gardens during World War I, courtesy of the National Archives

…

A few weeks ago I was perusing the internet and stumbled upon these cool vintage posters from the National Archives, depicting ways to ration food during WWI. Usually I post pictures of “patriotic” (read: red, white & blue) food/baked goods , but since these involve food & war I thought they’d be just as appropriate.

Christopher M. Alcozer, 21, Army Private, Nov 19, 2005 Villa Park/DeKalb, Illinois
Jonathan F. Blair, 21, Army Corporal, Nov 19, 2005 Fort Wayne, Indiana
Dominic Joseph Hinton, 24, Army Specialist, Nov 19, 2005 Jacksonville, Texas
Michael J. Idanan, 21, Army Sergeant, Nov 19, 2005 Chula Vista, California
Edward Karolasz, 25, Army Staff Sergeant, Nov 19, 2005 Powder Springs, New Jersey
Anthony R. C. Yost, 39, Army Master Sergeant, Nov 19, 2005 Millington/Flint, Michigan
Dennis W. Zilinski, 23, Army 1st Lieutenant, Nov 19, 2005 Freehold, New Jersey
Miguel Terrazas, 20, Marine Lance Corporal, Nov 19, 2005 El Paso, Texas
Tyler J. Troyer, 21, Marine Lance Corporal, Nov 19, 2005 Tangent, Oregon
Dominic J. Sacco, 32, Army Sergeant, Nov 20, 2005 Albany, New York
John Wilson “J.W.” Dearing, 21, Army National Guard Private 1st Class, Nov 21, 2005 Hazel Park, Michigan
Denis J. Gallardo, 22, Army Sergeant, Nov 22, 2005 St. Petersburg, Florida
Aram J. Bass, 25, Army Staff Sergeant, Nov 23, 2005 Niagara Falls, New York
Allen J. Knop, 22, Army Specialist, Nov 23, 2005 Willowick, Ohio
William B. Meeuwsen, 24, Army Sergeant, Nov 23, 2005 Kingwood, Texas
Ryan D. Christensen, 22, Army Private 1st Class, Nov 24, 2005 Spring Lake Heights, New Jersey
Marc A. Delgado, 21, Army Private 1st Class, Nov 24, 2005 Lithia, Florida
Eric P. Pearrow, 40, Army Sergeant 1st Class, Nov 24, 2005 Peoria, Illinois
Steven C. Reynolds, 32, Army Staff Sergeant, Nov 24, 2005 Jordan, New York
Javier A. Villanueva, 25, Army Specialist, Nov 24, 2005 Temple, Texas
Gregory L. Tull, 20, Army National Guard Sergeant, Nov 25, 2005 Pocahontas, Iowa
Brett E. Angus, 40, Marine Master Sergeant, Nov 26, 2005 St. Paul, Minnesota
Donald J. Hasse, 28, Army Sergeant, Nov 29, 2005 Wichita Falls, Texas
Jerry W. Mills Jr., 23, Army Sergeant, Nov 29, 2005 Arkansas City, Kansas
Grzegorz Jakoniuk, 25, Army Sergeant, Nov 30, 2005 Schiller Park, Illinois
William D. Richardson, 30, Marine Staff Sergeant, Nov 30, 2005 Houston, Texas
Joshua D. Snyder, 20, Marine Corporal, Nov 30, 2005 Hampstead, Maryland
William G. Taylor, 26, Marine Corporal, Nov 30, 2005 Macon, Georgia
Brent A. Adams, 40, Army National Guard Sergeant 1st Class, Dec 01, 2005 West View, Pennsylvania
Daniel J. Clay, 27, Marine Staff Sergeant, Dec 01, 2005 Pensacola, Florida
John M. Holmason, 20, Marine Lance Corporal, Dec 01, 2005 Suprise, Arizona
David A. Huhn, 24, Marine Lance Corporal, Dec 01, 2005 Portland, Michigan
Adam Wade Kaiser, 19, Marine Lance Corporal, Dec 01, 2005 Naperville, Illinois
Robert Alexander Martinez, 20, Marine Lance Corporal, Dec 01, 2005 Splendora, Texas
Anthony T. McElveen, 20, Marine Corporal, Dec 01, 2005 Little Falls, Minnesota
Scott T. Modeen, 24, Marine Lance Corporal, Dec 01, 2005 Hennepin, Minnesota
Andrew G. Patten, 19, Marine Lance Corporal, Dec 01, 2005 Byron, Illinois
Andy A. Stevens, 29, Marine Sergeant, Dec 01, 2005 Tomah, Wisconsin
Craig N. Watson, 21, Marine Lance Corporal, Dec 01, 2005 Union City, Michigan
Philip Allan Dodson Jr., 42, Army National Guard Sergeant, Dec 02, 2005 Forsyth, Georgia
Marcus S. Futrell, 20, Army National Guard Sergeant, Dec 02, 2005 Macon, Georgia
Philip L. Travis, 41, Army National Guard Staff Sergeant, Dec 02, 2005 Snellville, Georgia
Jimmy Lee Shelton, 21, Army Corporal, Dec 03, 2005 Lehigh Acres, Florida
Daniel M. Cuka, 27, Army National Guard Staff Sergeant, Dec 04, 2005 Yankton, South Dakota
Richard L. Schild, 40, Army National Guard Sergeant 1st Class, Dec 04, 2005 Tabor, South Dakota
Thomas C. Siekert, 20, Army Private 1st Class, Dec 06, 2005 Lovelock, Nevada
Brian A. Wright, 19, Army National Guard Specialist, Dec 06, 2005 Keensburg, Illinois
Michael C. Taylor, 23, Army Sergeant, Dec 07, 2005 Hockley, Texas
Joseph P. Bier, 22, Marine Corporal, Dec 07, 2005 Centralia, Washington
Kevin J. Smith, 28, Army 1st Lieutenant, Dec 08, 2005 Brandon, Florida

Comments (0) · Tagged: · Posted 18 January 2010

Frau Marilla’s Alpenblume Weiße Schokolade Kleine Kuchen!

White chocolate is my favorite kind of chocolate. Good white chocolate, that is. Bad white chocolate can taste chalky or plastic,  or worse yet, oily, because it’s made from inexpensive solid or hydrogenated vegetable and animal fats, and is usually white instead of the characteristic cream color of “real” white chocolate. Some people don’t consider it to be chocolate at all, even though it does indeed contain cocoa butter. White chocolate does not contain cocoa solids or theobromine like regular milk or dark chocolate. It’s amazing when combined with almonds or macadamia nuts. Maybe you knew that, or some of that… but I bet you didn’t know the origins of white chocolate…

White chocolate first appeared in Switzerland in the 1930s. It was invented by Nestlé in order to utilize excess cocoa butter. It was first popularly distributed in the USA in 1948 with the introduction of Nestlé’s Alpine White Chocolate bar, which contained white chocolate and almonds.[2]

So this delectable little treat was sort of a mistake, or a way to “recycle” extra materials. Okay so maybe you knew that too, smarty pants. But  I’ll make another bet : that you don’t know what the title of this post means! Which brings me to exactly that: Frau Marilla’s Alpenblume Weiße Schokolade Kleine Kuchen! And it’s okay, I forgive you if you don’t know what the hell that means, and I’m also going to tell you, so don’t feel bad or like you’re missing out.

This post is about White Chocolate Almond cupcakes. Since white chocolate was invented in Switzerland and the main language there is German I found it only right that I rename these cupcakes something more exciting, in German.  “Alpenblume” means “Alpine”, and that’s a reference to the Alpine White Chocolate bar mentioned above that had much the same components of these cupcakes. “Weiße Schokolade” is white chocolate. And that brings me to “Kleine Kuchen” which means “small cakes.” “Frau” means “Ms.” so the entire name is Ms. Marilla’s Alpine White Chocolate Cupcakes! Ta-da! Now you speak German. Take that, Rosetta Stone.

I’ve been longing for white chocolate cupcakes in some form since I went to Mystic, CT in the fall and ate an amazing white chocolate cupcake at the Bleu Squid (which I did a little review of here). I’ve also been wanting to make almond cupcakes again, so what better way to satisfy both my cravings by making white chocolate almond cupcakes? This recipe makes about 24 cupcakes, and the frosting is plenty.

WHITE CHOCOLATE ALMOND CUPCAKES

First you get:

  • ¾ cup butter
  • 1 ½ cups sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 ½ teaspoons almond extract
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 2 ½ cups flour
  • 1 ¼ cups milk
  • ½ cup white chocolate chips, or white chocolate chunks (small)

Then you:

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
  2. Cream butter at medium speed until smooth. Add sugar and beat until well mixed.
  3. Add two eggs, beat until smooth.
  4. Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl and whisk to “quick sift” them.
  5. Add extracts to butter/sugar/egg mixture. Mix well.
  6. Then add flour mixture and beat until nice and smooth.
  7. Fill cupcake liners about ¾ full, and sprinkle some white chocolate chips on the tops of each. Bake until cakes are golden brown, about 20-15 minutes.

WHITE CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM

Get some:

  • 2 sticks (½ pound) unsalted butter, softened
  • 12 ounces white chocolate, melted and cooled slightly
  • 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Then:

  1. In a large bowl, using a handheld electric mixer, beat the butter at medium speed until creamy.
  2. Beat in the melted white chocolate. Add the confectioners’ sugar and vanilla and beat at low speed, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl, until light and fluffy.

For all you copycats: the liners can be found here at my friend Lyns’ site, Sweet Cuppin Cakes Bakery & Cupcakery Supplies. I halved the cupcake recipe and got exactly 12 cupcakes. I made about ¾ the amount of frosting, and I omitted the vanilla extract. I topped them with sliced almonds and voila! Donesky.

One note of caution: white chocolate frosting is notoriously unstable. You will have to add either shortening or more sugar to keep it stiff. Don’t say I didn’t warn you when your frosting is in puddles on top of your cakes.

Just a reminder for all my new readers in 2010: if you’re not already, become a fan of Cupcake Rehab on Facebook and follow me on Twitter (@cupcakerehab)!

Comments (5) · Tagged: , · Posted 15 January 2010