Homemade Cracker Jacks

I think my favorite thing about Cracker Jacks as a child was the prize. I know the prizes were lame, to say the least. I found this recipe on Brown Eyed Baker and thought this would be a good treat for our vacation.

Homemade Cracker Jacks
10 cups of freshly popped popcorn
1 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup light corn syrup
6 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. water
1/8 tsp. salt
2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 cup lightly salted peanuts

Preheat oven to 250°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper, and set aside. Pop the popcorn. Coat a large mixing bowl with nonstick cooking spray, and then transfer the popcorn to the bowl.

In a small saucepan, whisk together the brown sugar, corn syrup, butter, salt and water, and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Continue to simmer, stirring often, until the mixture reaches 250°F on a candy thermometer, about 3 to 5 minutes. Turn off the heat, and whisk in the vanilla and baking soda. Immediately pour the hot mixture over the popcorn. Use a rubber spatula to gently fold the caramel into the popcorn until all the popcorn is coated. Gently stir in the peanuts, and transfer the mixture to the prepared baking sheet, spreading it out.

Bake for 1 hour, stirring every 20 minutes. Remove from the oven, and cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes. Gently break up the popcorn. Serve immediately, or store in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Makes 10 cups cracker jacks.

Crunchy Chickpeas

My husband loves salty (and crunchy) snacks whereas sweets are my weakness. What? You already discovered that about me? Huh, wonder how ...

Anyways, with our impending vacation, I cam across this recipe in my latest Cooking Light magazine and thought they sounded like my husband's idea of a snack ... as long as he doesn't think they're healthy beans.

Crunchy Chickpeas
2 (15 1/2 oz.) cans chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
2 Tbsp. canola oil
1 tsp. cumin
3/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp. onion powder
1 garlic clove, minced

Preheat oven to 300°F. Wrap chickpeas in a towel, and lightly roll to loosen skins. Discard the skins. Combine chickpeas and the remaining ingredients. Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake for 1 hour and 40 minutes, stirring every 20 minutes. Cool, and store in an airtight container. Makes 8 servings.

Creamsicle Jelly

I think we need to eat more peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in our house ... or mix jelly or jam into plain yogurt ... or something to increase our jelly/jam consumption. I've made quite a few interesting (and yes, delicious) jams and jellies that need to be eaten.

This is another one that intrigued me and stuck in my head. So, when we had an abundance of orange juice, I made this recipe from Food in Jars. Here's my variation because I didn't have the 2 whole vanilla beans listed in the original recipe. (Note my festive tablecloth--super easy to make!)

Creamsicle Jelly
4 cups orange juice
3 cups vanilla sugar
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
3 Tbsp. powdered pectin

Combine orange juice, sugars and vanilla in a large pot (this one is a foamer). Bring to a boil over high heat, and cook with the intention of reducing the volume by approximately half. Aim to cook this at least 30 minutes.

Use a thermometer to track the temperature, so you know when you’re getting to 220 degrees (the set point of jams and jellies). When it has reached 220 degrees and is able to maintain that temperature even after a good stir, add the pectin. Cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes, and remove from heat.

Strain to remove the vanilla beans from the pot, and pour jam into prepared jars. Wipe rims, apply lids and screw on bands. Process in a boiling water canner for 10 minutes. Makes 2 pints.

Orange-Rosemary Cupcakes

As we get closer to our vacation, the goal is to empty our fridge as much as possible. That last lonely orange sacrificed its zest for this recipe, and my husband now has a naked orange in his lunch. (Yes, I know he peels the orange anyways.) I snipped the rosemary from our garden, and that's the story of these cupcakes from Betty Crocker Big Book of Cupcakes.

My husband said he didn't really taste the rosemary, but I definitely picked out the flavor. Perhaps that's because I ate the bottom of my cupcake first, so it wasn't covered up by the delicious orange frosting. This is an orange cupcake with just a hint of rosemary.

Orange-Rosemary Cupcakes
Cupcakes
2 1/3 cups flour
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/4 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. rosemary, finely minced
2 tsp. orange zest
2/3 cup milk
Orange Buttercream Frosting
1/3 cup butter
1/4 cup orange juice
2 tsp. orange zest
4 cups powdered sugar
2 to 3 Tbsp. heavy cream

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line pans with 24 cupcake liners. In medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt.

In a large bowl, beat butter 30 seconds on medium speed. Gradually add sugar, about 1/4 cup at a time, beating until well blended. Beat an additional 2 minutes after all sugar is added. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Beat in vanilla, orange zest and rosemary.

Alternately beat in flour mixture and milk on low, starting and ending with the flour mixture.

Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full, and bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 5 minutes in the pans and then completely on wire racks.

To make frosting, beat butter until creamy. Then beat in orange juice and zest. Gradually stir in powdered sugar. Beat in cream, one tablespoon at a time, until desired consistency is reached. Spread frosting on cupcakes. Makes 24 cupcakes.

Snickers Coffee Cake with Salted Caramel Glaze

Coffee cake is a delicious (albeit unhealthy) breakfast as long as it isn't too dry. This coffee cake from Baker's Royale isn't dry. It's moist. It's decadent. It's smothered in salted caramel glaze and topped with crunchy yet chewy Snickers streusel. It is the best coffee cake I've eaten, period. It's the food that you keep eating even though you're full because it's just that good.

And the leftovers are going with my husband to work to get the sultry temptress out of our house. (It's picture does not do it justice ... trust me ... awesome ...)

Snickers Coffee Cake with Salted Caramel Glaze
Snickers Streusel
1 1/4 cups plus 1/4 cup flour
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 Tbsp. cinnamon
2 cups chopped Snickers ( about 4 regular size candy bars)
1 1/2 cup pecans, toasted and chopped
1/2 cup toffee
6 Tbsp. butter, chilled
Coffee cake
2 sticks butter, softened
2 cup sugar
4 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream
1 cup milk
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. saltSalted Caramel Glaze
1 cup sugar
6 Tbsp. water
4 Tbsp. butter
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 tsp. salt
2 cups powdered sugar
5 Tbsp. milk

To make the streusel, preheat oven 350°F, and cover baking sheet with nonstick spray. Place 1 cup of flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, Snickers, pecans and toffee in a bowl, and toss to combine. Using a pastry cutter or fork, cut butter into mixture until it streusel mixture resembles small peas. Sprinkle streusel mixture out onto the baking sheet. Bake for 5 to 7 minutes, and remove from the oven. The mixture will most likely appear melted into one large mass. Sprinkle 2 to 3 Tbsp. of flour on top, and working with a bench scraper, scrape, fold and chop mixture on top of itself into little pea-size pieces. Set aside to cool. Reserve 1 cup of mixture, and set aside for cake filling. If mixture is too clumpy, then return pan to oven and bake for another 5 to 7 minutes and re-scrape the mixture with additional flour.

To make coffee cake, place sugar and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer on medium speed, and cream ingredients until light and fluffy. Add eggs in one at a time, and mix until combined. Add vanilla extract, and mix until combined. Add in sour cream, and mix until combined.

Place milk in a sauce pan, and heat until small bubbles appear along the edge of the pan. Set aside Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Using a wooden spoon or sturdy spatula, add the dry mixture and milk into the wet mixture in three addition, starting with dry mixture and ending with the milk.

Grease and flour a 10-inch Bundt or angel food cake pan. Pour 1/3 of batter into prepared pan, and sprinkle reserved Snickers Streusel on top. Pour remaining batter over streusel. Bake at 350°F for about 50 minutes or until inserted cake tester is clean of crumbs when removed.

To make salted caramel glaze, place sugar and water into a saucepan over medium low heat, and stir until sugar has dissolved. Dissolve any crystals forming on the side with a wet pastry brush. Once sugar has dissolved increase heat to high. At this point do not stir the mixture directly. Now and then, using the handle, give the pot a swirl to keep the mixture moving. The mixture will start to bubble after a minute or so. After 3 to 4 minutes the mixture will turn from a light amber to medium amber and then finally to a dark reddish brown color. Once the mixture starts to smoke, add the butter, heavy cream and salt. The mixture will bubble wildly. Whisk to combine (bubbles will subside upon cooling). Remove from heat, and add powder sugar, stirring to combine. Add milk, and stir to combine.

Pour salted caramel glaze on cooled cake, and quickly sprinkle Snickers Streusel on top and press into glaze lightly. Devour with reckless abandon!

Sour Cherry Jam

Our freezer tends to be home to some forgotten treasurers. Ever had that happen? We had two bags of cherries in the freezer from a trip to Door County, so I decided to convert them into ready-to-eat deliciousness. One bag became a cherry cobbler of sorts. The other became jam.

Sour Cherry Jam
2 cups sour cherries, pitted
1 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. amaretto
1 tsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. lemon zest

Puree cherries until they are coarsely liquefied. Combine cherries and remaining ingredients in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring often, until mixture thickens to jam consistency. (You can tell because you can draw a line through the mixture with your spatula, and the line holds a few moments.)

Ladle into prepared jars, and process 10 minutes in a hot water bath. Makes 1 pint of jam.

Peanut Butter Granola Bars

I'm on a granola bar kick. They're so easy to make and even easier to grab for a breakfast. I'm trying to figure out which versions will make the cut for our upcoming vacation.

These from How Sweet It Is are peanut buttery and nutty. My only complaint is they're crumbling a bit as I try to cut them, so I put them in the fridge to try to firm them up a bit more.

Peanut Butter Granola Bars
4 cups rolled oats
2 Tbsp. chia seeds
1/2 cup unsalted peanuts, chopped
3/4 cup peanut butter, melted
1/2 cup golden syrup

Preheat over to 350°F. In a large bowl, combine oats, chia seeds and peanuts. Add golden syrup, and mix to combine. Add melted peanut butter, and mix until moistened. This works as a perfect, simple granola bar, but you can also throw in any add-ins at this time. Fold them into the dough. If dough is still too dry (this can depend on your ingredients) add more peanut butter or syrup 1 tablespoon at a time until moistened.

Press dough in a greased (non-stick spray) 9 x 13 baking dish. Bake for 25 minutes.

Homemade Yogurt

My son eats plain yogurt the same way most people devour sweetened yogurt. So, I decided to try making my own yogurt after being inspired by Food in Jars. It's a simple process that doesn't require any special equipment.

You can use whatever type of milk (whole, 2 percent, 1 percent or skim) you prefer as well as any brand of yogurt that has active live cultures. I used full fat since mine is for an 8-month-old.

Homemade Yogurt
8 cups milk
3-4 Tbsp. plain yogurt

Heat milk to 190ºF to 200ºF, making sure milk does not boil in the process. Cool milk to 120ºF. Whisk in yogurt. Pour into clean canning jars, dividing evenly among jars. Cover with clean lids.

Place jars in a cooler filled with hot water, about 120ºF. Jars should be covered with water but not floating. Let the yogurt stand in the cooler at least 6 hours until desired flavor develops. The longer you let your yogurt stand after 6 or 7 hours, the more tart the flavor will be.

Makes approximately 2 quarts (8 cups of yogurt).

Homemade Vanilla Extract

I was excited to purchase vanilla beans to experiment with, especially when I found a recipe on Your Cup Of Cake to make this super simple vanilla extract.

Homemade Vanilla Extract
1 cup vodka
3 vanilla beans

Place vodka in a bottle with a tight light. Split the vanilla beans lengthwise, and place them in the bottle. Seal the bottle, and place in a dark, cool place for two months. Shake the bottle periodically (when you're checking impatiently to see whether it's been two months yet).

Chicken Nuggets

My son devours chicken nuggets. He's not a year old yet. The challenge for us will be to continue to give him an array of yummy foods to try rather than slipping into the "Well, I know he'll eat chicken nuggets," trap. The other challenge is to provide him healthy chicken nuggets.

What better way to try homemade chicken nuggets than with a Cooking Light recipe?

Chicken Nuggets
4 (6 oz.) boneless skinless chicken breast halves, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/3 cup low-fat buttermilk
1/3 cup dill pickle juice
1 1/2 cups panko
1/4 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. water
1 large egg, lightly beaten

Combine chicken, buttermilk and pickle juice in a bag. Marinate in the refrigerator 1 hour, turning occasionally. Place panko in a large skillet, and cook over medium heat until toasted, about 3 minutes, stirring frequently.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Remove chicken from marinade, and discard marinade. Sprinkle chicken evenly with salt. Combine water and egg in a shallow dish. Dip half the chicken in the egg mixture, and then place with panko in a bag. Shake until chicken is coated. Repeat with remaining half of the chicken.

Place chicken in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake 12 minutes or until cooked through. Makes 8 servings (about 6 nuggets per serving). 

Tequila-Glazed Grilled Chicken Thighs

This Cooking Light recipe is delicious. I think it would work well with chicken breasts, which my husband would prefer over thighs. It's sweet with a bit of spiciness and full of tequila flavor. It would have had a bit of heat if I would have added the crushed red pepper to the glaze, but my tongue is too much of a sissy for that.

Tequila-Glazed Chicken Thighs
1 1/2 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. chipotle chili powder
6 bone-in chicken thighs, skinned
3/4 cup pineapple juice
1/3 cup tequila
1/4 cup honey
2 tsp. cornstarch
2 tsp. water
2 tsp. lime zest
3 Tbsp. fresh lime juice

Preheat grill to medium-high heat using multiple burners. After preheating, turn off half the grill to use that side for indirect heat.

Combine the first four spices together in a small bowl, and rub evenly over chicken. In a small saucepan, bring the pineapple juice, tequila and honey to a boil. Cook until reduced to about 3/4 cup, which should be about 10 minutes. Combine the cornstarch and water together in a small bowl, and stir well. Add cornstarch to juice  mixture, whisking constantly until the mixture returns to a boil. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, and stir in zest and lime juice.

Grill chicken thighs for 5 minutes on each side on the direct heat portion of the grill. Then move them to indirect heat for another 10 minutes or until cooked through. While cooking on the indirect heat, baste occasionally with the pineapple tequila glaze.

Broccoli Quiche

Normally we have no trouble keeping up with our broccoli, but this year it seems like it got a bit away from us when we went out of town for a couple days. This quiche recipe from The Old Farmer's Almanac Garden-Fresh Cookbook is a wonderful way to put your broccoli to good use. It's perfect for breakfast, brunch, lunch, lupper or supper.

Broccoli Quiche
1 1/4 cups chopped broccoli (I used more like 2 to 2 1/2 cups because that's what I had)
3 eggs
3/4 cup milk
1/8 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 1/2 cups shredded cheese (I used Romano and Colby)
1 cup ham, torn or cut into bite-sized pieces
1 unbaked 9-inch pie crust
Paprika (I used Penzy's Arizona Dreaming seasoning)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Bring a pot of water to a boil, and cook the broccoli 5 minutes. Drain the broccoli, and place it in an ice bath to stop cooking. Drain again.

In a bowl, beat the eggs, milk, salt and pepper. Stir in the broccoli, cheese and ham.

Pour the egg mixture into the prepared pie crust, gently pressing the filling ingredients down using a fork or spoon. Sprinkle with paprika or seasoning.

Bake 50 to 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting and serving. Serves 6.

Brown Sugar Peach Jam

This tiny batch of jam (1 pint) was an experiment inspired by the Urban Farm Challenge. The month of August focuses on small batches of jam based on your tastes, rather than a recipe. The idea is to encourage your confidence with canning. 

Although I've made plenty of jam, I've never found a recipe that uses brown sugar. Brown sugar isn't the typical sweetener, but my research (after the fact, of course) indicates it can be used.

I discovered also that making a small batch of jam requires much less time than a larger batch as it cooks quite quickly. 

I'm not certain I'll be able to do all the stages of the August challenge because of our impending vacation, but we'll see what happens. If nothing else, I have cute little jars of peachy jam.

Brown Sugar Peach Jam

1 lb. peach slices

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. orange zest

Dash nutmeg

Dash allspice

Roughly puree the peaches, and place in a stainless steel frying pan. Add brown sugar and remaining ingredients. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring often. Once you can draw a line through the jam that holds for a bit, your jam is jammed. 

Place jam into prepared jars, and can 10 minutes in a hot water bath. Or just place the jam in the fridge for current consumption. Makes 1 pint.

Honey Lemon Lavender Jelly

I imagine this would be delicious mixed into plain yogurt for a light, lemony treat. I based my recipe from Canning with Kids, which is appropriate for me except I'm in the singular form of that phrase. This makes a small batch, perfect for a few gifts and a few to keep.

Honey Lemon Lavender Jelly
2 cups honey
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, strained
2 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup fresh lavender flowers
3 oz. liquid pectin

Using a non-reactive pot, bring the water to a boil, add the lavender and cover with a lid. Lower heat, and let simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, and steep for 30 minutes to overnight.

Strain and measure 1/2 cup of the lavender brew, and place in your preserving pot. Add honey, sugar, lemon juice and lemon zest to your preserving pot. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Stir in pectin, and continue to stire frequently until it reaches a full rolling boil that cannot be stirred down. Boil hard for exactly one minute (boiling longer risks breaking the gel).

Remove from heat and stir. Pour the jelly into hot, sterilized jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace.Wipe the rims, and seal the jar. Process in a hot water bath for five minutes. Makes 2 pints.

Mint Jelly ... er Syrup

My attempt at mint jelly is more like mint syrup. Eh, all the better for mixing into drinks like mojitos or mugs of tea, right?

Mint Jelly
4 cups water
2 cups packed mint leaves
1 package powdered pectin
5 cups sugar

Combine water and mint in large saucepan. Bring to a boil, remove from heat, cover and let stand 10 minutes. Strain out mint leaves, reserving water. Combine 2 2/3 cups of water with the pectin. Return to a rolling boil, and add sugar. Bring to a rolling boil for one minute, stirring constantly. 

Remove from heat. Skim foam. Pack jelly into hot sterilized jars leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Boil in a hot water bath 15 minutes.

Pina Colada Cupcakes

Give me two pina colada cupcakes ... one for each hand. Now, that's how the country song should go, right?

These cupcakes from The Big Book of Cupcakes are tropical, fresh and fruity. There's no actual booze, so they are kid friendly as well. The only issue I had, which I'm sure is because I used fresh pineapple and attempted to adjust the milk accordingly, was my cupcakes were a bit crumbly and fell out of the liners. They weren't overly dry, however, so I just flipped them into cups. They're drink cupcakes after all.

Pina Colada Cupcakes
Cupcakes
2 1/3 cups flour
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp. coconut extract
1 tsp. rum extract
8 oz. crushed pineapple with juice
1/4 cup milk
Frosting
2 egg whites
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup corn syrup
2 Tbsp. water
1/2 tsp. coconut extract
1/2 tsp. rum extract
Garnish
1 cup shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 24 cupcake tins.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl, beat butter 30 seconds. Gradually incorporate sugar, about 1/4 cup at a time, while beating on medium speed. Beat 2 additional minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Beat in extracts and pineapple, reserving juice.

Alternately, beginning and ending with flour, add flour mixture and milk and pineapple juice. Divide batter evenly among cupcake liners. Bake 20 to 25 minutes. Cool in pans 5 minutes, and then cool completely on wire racks.

To prepare frosting, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. In a small saucepan, stir well to combine sugar, corn syrup and water. Cover, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Remove cover, and cook to 242°F without stirring (use a candy thermometer). Pour hot syrup carefully into egg whites in a thin stream while beating on medium speed. Add extracts, and beat until stiff peaks form, about 3 minutes.

Dollop frosting on cupcakes, and garnish with coconut. Makes 24 cupcakes.

Chocolate Swirl Biscuits

What's a lazy weekend morning without some sort of delicious breakfast? Granted, most of our weekends are jam packed with activities, but we still treasure a delicious breakfast with our whole family home.

Well, my husband is gone to a breakfast interview ... on a Saturday morning. I'm not going to let that stop me from a delicious breakfast, so I'm baking up these biscuits from Bakerella.

Chocolate Swirl Biscuits
Biscuits
2 cups flour
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
4 Tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
3/4 cup whole milk
Filling
3 Tbsp. butter, softened
2 Tbsp. sugar
4 oz. dark chocolate, finely chopped

Preheat oven to 400°F, and line baking sheet with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, sugar, baking powder and salt until blended. Using fingers or a pastry blender, work butter into the dry ingredients until crumbly. Add milk and stir with a fork until a loose, sticky dough forms.

Turn dough out on a floured work surface. Flour your hands, and form dough into a ball. Then gently knead it 8 to 10 times. Flour surface and hands more as necessary and use a floured rolling pin to roll the dough into a 13 x 11-inch rectangle.

For the filling, spread softened butter over surface of dough. Sprinkle with sugar, and cover with chopped chocolate. Roll the dough up in a jelly roll fashion, and cut the roll into 10 to 12 equal sections. Place cut sections on parchment covered baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake for about 18 minutes or until biscuits are golden and puffed. Makes 10 to 12 biscuits, best served warm.

Lemon-Blueberry Cupcakes

After visiting my parents this weekend, I left with blueberries, cherries, peaches and a pineapple. I love that no matter how old I am, my parents will always feel the need to send me home with food. I know the blueberries were for AJ, but I can't resist making these Lemon-Blueberry Cupcakes to use some of the lemons in our fridge.

Lemon-Blueberry Cupcakes
Cupcakes
2 1/3 cups flour
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/4 cups sugar
3 eggs
2 Tbsp. lemon zest
1 tsp. vanilla
2/3 cup milk
1 Tbsp. flour
1 cup blueberries
Frosting
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 tsp. lemon zest
1/2 tsp. coarse salt
1 1/4 tsp. vanilla
1 Tbsp. milk
Garnish
1 cup blueberries
24 lemon peel strips
24 mint leaves (optional)


Preheat oven to 375ºF. Line 28 cupcake tins with wrappers.

In a medium bowl, beat butter 30 seconds. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. Gradually add sugar to butter, about 1/4 cup at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat 2 minutes after all sugar is added. Beat in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in lemon zest and vanilla.

On low speed, alternately add flour and milk, starting and ending with flour. Beat until just blended.  Divide batter evenly among cupcake liners, filling to about 1/2 full. Toss blueberries in 1 Tbsp. flour to coat, and then sprinkle blueberries over the batter.

Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in pans 5 minutes, and then cool completely on wire racks.

To make frosting, beat all ingredients together 4 minutes or until smooth, adding more milk gradually as needed. Frost cupcakes, and garnish with berries, lemon strips and mint. Makes 24 cupcakes.

Espresso Cupcakes

I hate coffee. Plain and simple. I don't think it smells good. It tastes icky. And it ruins anything that remotely tastes like it.

So, I didn't eat these cupcakes from the Betty Crocker Big Book of Cupcakes. But my co-workers did.

Espresso Cupcakes
Cupcakes
2 cups flour
1 Tbsp. instant espresso granules or powder
1 1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1 cup hot water
2/3 cup unsweetened baking cocoa
3/4 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
Filling
8 oz. mascarpone cheese
2 tsp. milk
2 tsp. instant espresso powder or granules
1 cup powdered sugar
Frosting
4 oz. semisweet baking chocolate
6 Tbsp. butter, softened
3 Tbsp. milk
1 tsp. instant espresso powder or granules
1/2 tsp. vanilla
Dash salt
3 cups powdered sugar
Garnish
24 chocolate-covered coffee or espresso beans

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Place paper baking cups in each of 24 regular-size cupcake tins.

In medium bowl, combine flour, espresso powder, baking soda, salt and baking powder. In a small bowl, combine water and cocoa.

In a large bowl, beat shortening on electric mixer on medium speed 30 seconds. Gradually add sugar, about 1/4 cup at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. On low speed, alternately add flour and cocoa, starting and ending with flour. Beat just until blended.

Divide batter evenly among cupcake tins, filling each 2/3 full. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in tins 5 minutes, and then remove cupcakes to cool completely on wire racks.

To make filling, beat all ingredients together until smooth. Using a bismark tip, pipe filling evenly into cooled cupcakes.

To make frosting, melt chocolate and then let cool to room temperature. Beat together butter, milk, espresso powder, vanilla and salt on low speed until well blended. Beat in powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating until smooth. Beat in melted chocolate. Pipe frosting onto cupcakes, and top with espresso beans. Makes 24 cupcakes that need to be kept chilled until eaten. 

Orange Cupcakes with Salted Caramel Buttercream

This recipe from Cupcake Project/Paula Dean totes the cupcakes as being Creamsicle Cupcakes. My husband and I didn't get that, so I changed the name as to not overpromise and underdeliver. These are still a flavorful orange cupcake topped with a delicious frosting that I could eat by the spoonful. (I'm speaking from experience here.) This is one of my new favorite frostings, and I'm thinking some of the other recipes I have flagged with salted caramel need to move higher on my list of projects.

Orange Cupcakes with Salted Caramel Buttercream
Cupcakes
2/3 cup sugar
Zest of 2 oranges
2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
3/4 cup butter, room temperature
2 large eggs
2/3 cup sour cream
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2/3 cup pure orange juice
Salted Caramel
3 Tbsp. butter
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup pure orange juice
1/4 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. heavy whipping cream
Frosting
1 cup butter, room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
Zest of 1 orange
1/2 cup salted caramel (from above), room temperature

To make cupcakes, 30 minutes before baking, mix sugar and orange zest in a small bowl to infuse the orange flavor into the sugar.

Preheat oven to 350°F. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and baking soda. In a medium-sized bowl, cream butter and the sugar/orange zest mixture until light and fluffy. Mix eggs, sour cream and vanilla into butter/sugar mixture until fully combined.

Alternately mix the flour mixture and orange juice into the wet ingredients, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full. Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

To make the salted caramel, melt butter in a small saucepan on medium heat. Add brown sugar, and stir continuously until just boiling. Add orange juice and salt, and stir well. Stir in heavy whipping cream until just combined. Remove from heat, and cool to room temperature.

To make the frosting, beat butter on high speed with an electric mixer for three minutes until light and fluffy. Mix in powdered sugar a little bit at a time. Mix in salt, orange zest and salted caramel. Spread or pipe on cooled cupcakes.

Drizzle any extra salted caramel over the frosting immediately prior to serving. Makes 18 cupcakes.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Sandwiches

I know I've been slacking in terms of pictured posts lately, but these cookies from Two Peas & Their Pod were so delicious we ate them in one sitting.

OK, that sounds worse than it really was. I actually dropped off all but 6 of these delicious decadencies (yup, just made up that word) for our church's shelter feed. I wanted to remove temptation from our house. But I left those 6 for dinner with our friend. And, yes, we each ate two of these ... nevermind that means 4 cookies each.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Sandwiches

Cookies
3/4 cup butter, room temperature
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
Cookie Dough
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

In a large mixing bowl, beat together butter and sugars until no lumps remain. Beat in eggs and vanilla extract, scraping the sides of the bowl to make sure all of the ingredients are incorporated. Add flour, baking soda, salt, and mix until smooth. Stir in mini chocolate chips. Cover, and refrigerate dough for at least 1 hour or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Roll chilled dough into smooth, tablespoon-size balls, about 1 inch in diameter. Flatten balls slightly into 3/4-inch disks. Place disks about 2 inches apart on parchment- or Silpat-lined baking sheets. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes, or until cookie edges are slightly golden brown. Let cookies cool on baking sheet for about 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack, and cool completely.

To prepare the cookie dough filling, beat together butter and brown sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Mix in flour, powdered sugar, and salt on low speed until incorporated. Slowly add milk and vanilla extract and beat until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Stir in mini chocolate chips.

To assemble, sandwich 1 heaping tablespoon of filling between two cookies. Press cookies lightly until filling spreads to the edges. Repeat with remaining cookies. Makes about 20-24 sandwiches.

(Sandwiches can be stored refrigerated in an airtight container, for up to 3 days. Let them sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.)

Peanut Butter Pretzel Granola Bars

These granola bars from Two Peas & Their Pod are easy to make and even easier to eat. I know I said the Nonesuch Granola Bars were my favorite homemade granola bars, but then these came along. I'm not sure they top the Nonesuch ones, but they're very close. (For my husband, they surpassed the Nonesuch bars.)

And we ate them all before we took any pictures. Guess that means we'll have to make them again. Oh, darn.

(Give me time, though, to post a picture because I have two other variations of granola bars to try first ... patience is a virtue my friends.)

Peanut Butter Pretzel Granola Bars

2 Tbsp. butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups quick oats
1/2 cup crispy rice cereal
3/4 cup chopped pretzels
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips

Cut out an 8 x 8-inch square of parchment paper. Place the parchment paper in the bottom of an 8 x 8-inch baking pan. In a large sauce pan, add butter, brown sugar, honey and peanut butter. Heat over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until the mixture starts to bubble. Once bubbling, cook for 2 minutes while stirring. Remove from heat, and stir in the vanilla extract.

Stir in the oats, crispy cereal, and pretzels until well coated. Pour into the prepared pan. Press the mixture evenly into the pan. Sprinkle the mini chocolate chips over the top, and gently press into the granola bars with your hands.

Place the bars in the refrigerator, and let cool for at least 30 minutes before cutting. Cut into 10 bars. Store the bars in the refrigerator to maintain freshness longer. Makes 10 bars.

Soy and Cola-Braised Pork Shoulder

So I had this post nicely drafted, waiting for me to add a picture. Once I realized we ate the entire deliciousness without photographing any, I clicked to go ahead and publish this post. And then it disappeared into neverland.

It's never fun to retype something, so here's the short sweet dish on this dish. It's easy. It's delicious. We will make it again. (Oh, and it's one of the reasons I bought a Dutch oven.) Here's my rendition of this Cooking Light recipe.

Soy and Cola-Braised Pork Shoulder
1 Tbsp. dark sesame oil
3 1/2 lb. pork shoulder, trimmed
1/2 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. minced fresh ginger
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups cola
1/2 cup teriyaki marinade
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
Chives, to garnish

Preheat oven to 300°F. Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan. Sprinkle pork evenly with salt. Add pork to pan, and saute 8 minutes, turning to brown each side. Remove the pork. Add the ginger and garlic, and saute 1 minute stirring constantly. Stir in the remaining ingredients except the chives. Bring to a boil. Return the pork to the pan, cover and bake for 1 hour 50 minutes.

Remove pork from the pan, and let stand 10 minutes. While pork is standing, skim fat from cooking liquid. Bring cooking liquid to a boil, and cook 15 minutes or until reduced to 2 cups, stirring occasionally. Shred pork, and toss with cooking liquid. Serve with green onions on either rolls or in tortillas with matchstick carrots and cucumbers. Makes 10 servings.

Key Lime Cream Cake

As much as I love chocolate (and peanut butter), key lime manages to be one of my favorite flavors after a trip to Key West. For my Grandpa's 90th birthday party, I decided to bake this key lime concoction from Bakerella. It was a huge hit with my family, but my husband kept me in check. He said that it was good but not necessarily as awesome as my family said ... he doesn't want me to get American Idol Syndrome, where everyone tells me I rock and I end up thinking I'm way more talented than I really am. Nice of him, huh?

 This is a dense cake with all the cream cheese frosting, but it's oh so delicious. Best part is that I have another key lime cake flagged that I think will be even better. Maybe then my husband will think I'm it's awesome.

Update: This recipe makes much more frosting than you'll need ... and even more whipped cream. Adjust accordingly or have fun using the extras!

Key Lime Cream Cake
Cake
2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
3 eggs
2/3 cup oil
2/3 cup key lime juice
3/4 cup sour cream
Frosting
1 cup butter, softened
16 oz. cream cheese, softened
32 oz. powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 cup key lime juice
Green food coloring (optional for color)
Whipped Cream
16 oz. heavy whipping cream
3 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
Graham Cracker Crumbles
6 graham crackers
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
4 Tbsp. butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 8-inch cake pans. Line bottoms of pans with parchment paper. Sift flour, sugar, powder, soda and salt into mixer. Add eggs, oil and lime juice. Beat until smooth. Add sour cream and beat until smooth. Pour in prepared pans, and bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool on wire racks for 10 minutes, and then remove cakes from pans to cool completely.

While cakes are baking, make the graham cracker crumbles. Preheat over to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with a Silpat or parchment paper. Break graham crackers into quarters, and pulse in a food processor until reduced to fine crumbs. Add brown sugar. With processor running, pour in melted butter. Pulse until mixture resembles wet sand.

Dump mixture onto prepared pan, and press mixture firmly to form a flat crust. Bake 6 minutes. Remove from oven, and crumble into pieces with a fork. Return to oven, and bake 2 more minutes. Cool completely. These can be made ahead and stored in an air-tight zip top bag until needed.

To make frosting, beat butter and cream cheese until smooth. Beat in vanilla. Mix in key lime juice. You can add more confectioners sugar to make it thicker. Add a small amount of green food color if you’d like the frosting tinted.

To make whipped cream, chill metal bowl and beaters in freezer for about 20 minutes. When ready to whip, add ingredients to the bowl and beat until stiff peaks form.

To prepare cake, divide cake into four layers, and frost. Pipe top with whipped cream and add graham cracker crumbles to the side of the cake if desired. Refrigerate. Makes 16 servings ... give or take.

Homemade Flour Tortillas

I had planned to run to the store today to grab tortillas for enchiladas, but then I remembered I had not one, but two, tortilla recipes bookmarked. I made this version from Make and Takes because they looked a bit quicker than the other I had bookmarked. Although they take more time than opening a package of tortillas, they are flexible enough to make with a baby in the house (meaning the timing doesn't need to be exact).

Homemade Flour Tortillas
1 1/2 cups white flour
1 1/2 cups wheat flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
3 Tbsp. shortening
1 1/4 cups hot water

Combine the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Add the shortening, and cut in using a pastry cutter. Add the hot water, and mix the dough. If needed, add small amounts of water or flour as needed to form a firm yet soft dough.

On a floured surface, knead the dough until it's smooth. Divide the dough into 16 to 20 balls, depending on how large you want your tortillas. Place the balls back in the ball, and cover them with a towel for 15 minutes.

Working with one piece of dough at a time on a floured surface, roll each ball as flat as possible. You want the tortillas to be very thin. (Perfect circles are overrated.)

Heat a large griddle to medium heat, and place rolled dough onto the griddle. Cook until you see it bubble, and then flip and cook another minute or so. Place cooked tortillas on a plate covered with a towel. This allows them to stay warm and soft while you continue cooking the tortillas. Use the tortillas while warm or reheat slightly in the microwave to soften them. Makes 16 to 20 tortillas.

Key Lime Pice Cream

I have a bit of heavy cream in my fridge that needs to be utilized. The problem is, after my insanely delicious Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream, I'm almost afraid to make a different type of ice cream that won't be nearly as delicious.

However, my mind wandered to Key Lime Pice Cream. Given how delicious the Lemon Curd Ice Cream was and how wonderful Key Lime Pie is, I figured I couldn't go wrong with this ice cream. I worked in the graham cracker crust component borrowing from The Craving Chronicles.

My husband said this is easily his favorite ice cream I've made. He also said it wasn't his fault if someone broke in the house and stole it overnight. Or if he suddenly started to sleepwalk and smelled like Key Lime Pice Cream when he returned to bed.

Key Lime Pice Cream
Ice Cream Base
1 cup skim milk
A pinch of salt
3/4 cup sugar
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
2 cups heavy cream
5 large egg yolks
1 tsp. vanilla
1 batch of lime curd (follow the lemon curd recipe but sub in limes (key limes to be authentic))
Graham Cracker Crumbles
6 graham crackers
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
4 Tbsp. butter, melted

Heat the milk, salt and sugar in a saucepan until tiny bubbles form along the edges of the pan. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into the milk with a paring knife, and then add the bean pod to the milk. Cover, remove from heat and infuse for one hour.

To make the ice cream, set up an ice bath by placing a 2-quart  bowl in a larger bowl partially filled with ice and water. Set a strainer over the top of the smaller bowl, and pour the cream into the bowl.

In a separate bowl, stir together the egg yolks. Rewarm the milk, then gradually pour some of the milk into the yolks, whisking constantly as you pour. Scrape the warmed yolks and milk back into the saucepan.

Cook over low heat, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom with a heat-resistant spatula, until the custard thickens enough to coat the spatula. This should take about 10 to 15 minutes.

Strain the custard into the heavy cream. Stir over the ice until cool, add the vanilla extract, then refrigerate to chill thoroughly, preferably overnight.

While ice cream custard is chilling, make the graham cracker crumbles. Preheat over to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with a Silpat or parchment paper. Break graham crackers into quarters, and pulse in a food processor until reduced to fine crumbs. Add brown sugar. With processor running, pour in melted butter. Pulse until mixture resembles wet sand.

Dump mixture onto prepared pan, and press mixture firmly to form a flat crust. Bake 6 minutes. Remove from oven, and crumble into pieces with a fork. Return to oven, and bake 2 more minutes. Cool completely. These can be made ahead and stored in an air-tight zip top bag until needed.

Freeze the custard in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Add the lime curd during the last 3 to 5 minutes of churning. Stir in graham cracker crumbles after churning is complete. Makes about 1 quart of summery deliciousness.

Berry Kale Salad

Prior to this summer, I've never eaten kale that I recall. That didn't stop me from impulsively buying a 4-pack of kale plants for our garden. I learned that kale grows quickly in our garden and is much hardier than our lettuce and spinach that seem to either wilt in the heat or seed immediately (or so it seems). That left me with the question of what on earth to do with my kale.

I modified How Sweet It Is's kale salad recipe and came up with this delicious concoction.

Berry Kale Salad
Salad
1 head of curly kale, leaves removed from stem and torn
1 cup fresh tart cherries, pitted and sliced
1 cup sliced fresh strawberries
2/3 cup chopped toasted almonds
Fresh Strawberry Vinaigrette
3/4 cup sliced fresh strawberries
3 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1 tsp. honey
1 pinch salt
1 pinch pepper
1 pinch cinnamon

First, prepare the vinaigrette by blending all ingredients together until smooth. Place kale in a large bowl, and add about 1/4 cup of the strawberry vinaigrette. Massage and rub dressing into kale with your hands, and then let the kale sit for 5 to 10 minutes.

Add cherries and berries, then add a few more tablespoons of dressing and toss. Finish by topping with chopped almonds. Makes 4 servings (or 2 meals).

Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream

I've made more ice cream this year than probably the rest of my life combined, but I had yet to make chocolate ice cream. Perhaps vanilla ice cream sounded a bit easier than chocolate, but if you know me, you know chocolate is an essential in my life. So, when I hit upon Brown Eyed Baker's recipes for Chocolate Fudge Swirl Peanut Butter Ice Cream and Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream, I knew I had to combine the two into the most insanely delicious chocolate peanut butter heaven.

I'm tempted to make all the rest of my heavy cream into this ice cream and eat it by the bowlful, but I'll try to show some restraint. This is every bit as decadent and wonderful as any purchased chocolate peanut butter ice cream I've consumed ... and trust me, I've consumed more than my fair share.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream
Ice Cream
2 cups heavy cream
3 Tbsp. unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
5 oz. bittersweet semisweet chocolate
1 cup whole milk
3/4 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
5 large egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Peanut Butter Patties (see recipe below)
Peanut Butter Swirl
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup light brown sugar
2 Tbsp. light corn syrup
Peanut Butter Patties
6 Tbsp. creamy peanut butter
2 Tbsp. powdered sugar

Warm 1 cup of the cream with the cocoa powder in a medium saucepan, whisking to thoroughly blend the cocoa. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer at a very low boil for 30 seconds, whisking constantly. Remove from the heat and add the chopped chocolate, stirring until smooth. Then stir in the remaining 1 cup cream. Pour the mixture into a large bowl, scraping the saucepan as thoroughly as possible, and set a mesh strainer on top of the bowl.

Warm the milk, sugar, and salt in the same saucepan. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolk. Slowly pour the warm milk into the egg yolks, whisking constantly, then scrape the warmed egg yolks back into the saucepan.

Stir the mixture constantly over the medium heat with a heatproof spatula, scraping the bottom as you stir, until the mixture thickens and coats the spatula (170°F on an instant-read thermometer). Pour the custard through the strainer and stir it into the chocolate mixture until smooth, then stir in the vanilla. Stir until cool over an ice bath.

While the custard cools, make the peanut butter swirl. Combine the peanut butter, whipping cream, corn syrup, and the brown sugar in a small saucepan saucepan. Heat over low heat, stirring, until smooth and sugar is dissolved. Transfer to an airtight container.

Chill both the custard and the peanut butter swirl thoroughly, at least 8 hours.

To make the peanut butter patties, mix together the peanut butter and powdered sugar in a small bowl. Line a dinner plate with plastic wrap. Pinch off small pieces of the peanut butter mixture, about 1/2 teaspoon each, and drop them onto the dinner plate. Once you’ve used all of the mixture, freeze the patties.

Freeze the custard mixture in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. (If the cold mixture is too thick to pour into your machine, whisk it vigorously to thin it out.) During the last two minutes, add in the peanut butter patties. When packing the ice cream into its container, alternate layers of the ice cream and peanut butter swirl, ending with the ice cream.

Cinnamon Sugar Kale Chips

When I looked at the plethora of kale in our garden, the only thing that came to mind was kale chips. Since I had no shortage of kale, I decided to try a couple varieties of chips. I recalled a kale recipe from Cupcake Project, so I tried that version for a sweeter snack.

These chips are sweet with a hint of healthy green. I think they're pretty tasty, and they're a fairly healthy snack. I'm thinking I need to pick more kale to make another couple batches. I was pleasantly surprised by how well they lasted ... although best fresh, they were still good after a week.

Cinnamon Sugar Kale Chips
1 lb. kale
2 tsp. vegetable oil
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. sugar

Preheat the oven to 300°F. Wash and dry the kale. Remove the leaves from the stalk, and cut or rip kale into snack-sized pieces. Mix the kale with the oil, cinnamon and sugar.

Spread the kale on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Bake for about 15 minutes or until crispy.

Lavender Cupcakes with Honey Cream Cheese Frosting

Our lavender plant is taking over the front of our house. I know I trimmed it back last fall, but that thing is growing like a monster. I've cut quite a bit of lavender and have yet to make a dent in that plant.

I wanted to actually do something with the lavender this year, so I decided to try incorporating it into cupcakes. A word of warning, though, that lavender is one of those things that you should consult with your doctor with before consumption if you are pregnant or nursing. Once you get the green light, bake these for a uniquely delicious treat. (These cupcakes were quite popular with my coworkers, despite being a new flavor for many of them.) I adapted the recipe slightly from Jessie's Kitchen Chronicles.

Lavender Cupcakes with Honey Cream Cheese Frosting  
Cupcakes
1/2 cup of butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. red and 1/2 tsp. blue food coloring
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 cup fresh lavender buds
2/3 cup cold milk
Frosting
1/2 cup  unsalted butter, softened
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
4 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 Tbsp. honey
2 Tbsp. fresh lavender buds

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line cupcake tins with 12 cupcake liners. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the softened butter and sugar together. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each egg. Stir in the vanilla and food coloring.

In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder and salt. Stir the lavender into the flour mixture.

Alternately add the flour and milk to the butter mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture.

Scoop batter evenly into lined muffin tins. Bake for 18 to 24 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Let cupcakes cool in the tins for 5 minutes, and then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

To prepare the frosting, beat the butter and cream cheese together. Add the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, mixing on low, until the frosting is smooth and creamy. Beat in the vanilla extract and honey. Stir in the lavender. Frost cupcakes as desired. (Note, this recipe makes a lot of frosting, so half the recipe unless you like a thick layer of frosting.) Makes 12 cupcakes.

Lavender Scones

With a plethora of lavender this year (I swear that plant never needs water!), I decided to try baking with lavender for the first time. As a note, lavender is something that shouldn't be consumed while pregnant or nursing unless you've consulted with your doctor.

These scones came from The Old Farmer's Almanac Garden-Fresh Cookbook. They're light, not overly sweet, just a touch on the dry side and carry more orange than lavender flavor.

Lavender Scones
2 cups flour
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
2 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. orange zest
2 tsp. fresh lavender
1/2 cup butter
1 egg, slightly beaten
2/3 cup buttermilk

Preheat the oven to 400°F. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, zest and lavender. Cut in the butter until the mixture resembles cornmeal. Stir in the egg and buttermilk with a fork.

Turn the dough onto a floured surface, and briefly knead gently. Divide the dough in half, and pat each portion into a 3/4-inch thick round. Cut each round into 6 wedges, and place the wedges 1 inch apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake 20 minutes or until golden. Serve warm or at room temperature. Makes 12 scones.

Savory Kale Chips

My husband has come a long way in his willingness to taste new foods. Still, he was a bit skeptical when I shoved a kale chip into his mouth while saying, "Try this." However, after the cautious face while trying to decipher if I was poisoning him, he grabbed for a chip. And then another. And then another.

These salty kale chips were a hit with both my husband, my 9-month old son and me. My husband's only complaint was the fact he tasted them long after he ate them since they seemed to flavor his burps for the afternoon.

Savory Kale Chips
1 lb. kale
2 tsp. vegetable oil
1/2 tsp. salt (adjust as desired)

Preheat the oven to 300°F. Wash and dry the kale. Remove the leaves from the stalk, and cut or rip kale into snack-sized pieces. Mix the kale with the oil and salt.

Spread the kale on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Bake for about 15 minutes or until crispy.

Key Lime Pie Cupcakes

Since our trip to Florida in 2010, my husband and I have become fans of key lime pie. I've made Key Lime Pie Cupcakes is the past, but I haven't made them yet for my co-workers. Those cupcakes were moist but rather dense. I decided to try a different take on the cupcakes, basing my cupcakes on an Old Fashioned Graham Cracker Cake recipe I found online. After much deliberation of whether to top with fresh whipped cream to follow the traditional sense of the pie, I opted for Bakerella's cream cheese frosting. I was quite pleased with that decision.

These cupcakes received rave reviews, including the compliment of one of the best cupcakes someone has ever eaten. They are much improved over my previous (yet delicious) Key Lime Cupcakes.

Key Lime Pie Cupcakes
Cupcakes
3 c. graham cracker crumbs (one normal size box)
1 tbsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
3 eggs, separated
1 1/2 c. milk
3/4 c. shortening
1 1/2 c. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Filling
1 cup lime curd
Cream Cheese Key Lime Frosting
1/2 cup butter
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
16 oz. powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 Tbsp. key lime juice

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line 27 cupcake tins, and set aside.

Combine graham cracker crumbs with baking powder and salt. Put egg yolks, milk, shortening, sugar and vanilla into blender container, cover and process until smooth. Add to cracker crumbs, and mix well.

Beat egg whites with mixer until stiff. Fold into cracker mixture. Fill cupcake tins 3/4 full, and bake 17 to 20 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes in the pans, and then finish cooling on a wire rack.

Using a Bismark tip and piping bag, fill the cupcakes with lime curd.

To make frosting, beat together butter and cream cheese until smooth. Beat in remaining ingredients, adding more or less powdered sugar to reach desired consistency.

Pipe frosting onto cupcakes. Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator to keep fresh. Makes 27 cupcakes.

Candied Bacon Ice Cream

I'm not sure it's possible to top the Key Lime Pice Cream, but I can't let that stop me from making any other type of ice cream for the rest of my life. So, I found a unique recipe from David Lebovitz for Candied Bacon Ice Cream that I modified to use the last of my heavy cream.

Candied Bacon Ice Cream
Custard
3 Tbsp. salted butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/4 cups milk
5 large egg yolks
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
2 tsp. dark rum or whiskey
1/4 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
Candied Bacon
5 strips bacon
2 1/2 Tbsp. brown sugar

To make the ice cream custard, melt the butter in a heavy, medium-size saucepan. Stir in the brown sugar and milk.

In a separate bowl, stir together the egg yolks. Then gradually add some of the warm brown sugar mixture to them, whisking the yolks constantly as you pour. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan. Cook over low to moderate heat, constantly stirring and scraping the bottom with a heatproof spatula, until the custard thickens enough to coat the spatula.

Pour the heavy cream into a bowl set in an ice bath, and set a mesh strainer over the top.Strain the custard into the cream, stirring over the ice bath, until cool. Add liquor, vanilla and cinnamon. Refrigerate the mixture overnight.

To candy the bacon, preheat the oven to 400°F. Lay the strips of bacon on a baking sheet lined with a silicone mat or aluminum foil, shiny side down. Sprinkle 1/2 Tbsp. brown sugar evenly over each strip of bacon, depending on length. Bake for 12 to 16 minutes. Midway during baking, flip the bacon strips over and drag them through the dark, syrupy liquid that’s collected on the baking sheet. Continue to bake until as dark as mahogany. Remove from oven, and cool the strips on a wire rack. Once crisp and cool, chop into little pieces, about the size of grains of rice. Bacon bits can be stored in an airtight container and chilled for a day or so, or stored in the freezer a few weeks ahead.

Once thoroughly chilled, freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Add the bacon bits during the last moment of churning, or stir them in when you remove the ice cream from the machine.Makes about 3/4 quart of deliciousness.

Homemade Maraschino Cherries

Whenever my husband makes me a tequila sunrise, he has to add the maraschino cherries for the "love" in my drink. So, when I saw how easy the recipe for homemade maraschino cherries was from Cupcake Project (and realized I actually had star anise in my cupboard). These are much prettier than the storebought cherries and don't include oodles of red dye.

Homemade Maraschino Cherries
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup pomegranate juice
1 cup sugar
3 1/2 fluid oz. lemon juice (juice from about 3 lemons)
Pinch of salt
1 whole piece star anise
Peel from one large orange
1 pound pitted cherries (any kind will do, but I used Bing cherries)

In a medium-sized saucepan over medium-high heat, add everything except the cherries. Bring to a boil.

Reduce the heat and simmer until the sugar has dissolved, stirring periodically. Add the cherries Simmer on low heat for 10 minutes or until the syrup has a bit of a cherry flavor.

Remove the pan from the heat, and transfer the entire contents to a bowl (so it doesn't continue cooking). Let cool to room temperature. Transfer to an air-tight container and refrigerate.

Layered Mexican-Style Casserole

I can't give credit for the original recipe that I modified here because it's one I copied down from somewhere several years ago. I was trying to finagle all my cookbooks into my bookshelf when I came across this recipe. I remembered I had a can of hominy in the cupboard (that I probably bought to make this recipe) and decided to make this for dinner.

Since it's a slow cooker meal, it's extremely easy to put together and requires minimal hands-on time. It reminds me of our Mexican lasagna recipe in terms of flavor and texture, but it's a vegetarian meal. That means it's perfectly fine to get your protein in the form of bacon ice cream. What? Black beans have protein? Oh, then I got extra protein today.

Bonus: Our 10-month old loves this!

Layered Mexican-Style Casserole
28 oz. hominy, drained
15 oz. black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup salsa
28 oz. diced tomatoes with basil
2 garlic cloves
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. cumin
3 large (or up to 6 small) flour tortillas
2 cups shredded cheese
1/4 cup black olives, sliced
2 Tbsp. chives, chopped

Create foil handles, and place in a crock pot sprayed with nonstick spray. Stir together all ingredients except tortillas, cheese, olives and chives. Layer tortillas, vegetable mix and cheese. Repeat layers, reserving the last cheese layer. Cook on low 6 to 8 hours. Top with cheese and olives. Let stand 5 minutes to melt cheese. Garnish with chives. Serves 6.

Chocolate-Sour Cream Cupcakes

These cupcakes from the Betty Crocker Big Book of Cupcakes are pure chocolate. Rich chocolate cupcake. Rich chocolate frosting. Yum.

Chocolate-Sour Cream Cupcakes
2 cups flour
2/3 cup unsweetened baking cocoa
1 1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking powder
3/4 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup water

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 24 cupcake tins, and set aside. In a medium bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt and baking powder.

Cream shortening for 30 seconds. Add sugar, 1/4 cup at a time. Beat 2 minutes longer after all sugar is added. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Beat in sour cream and vanilla.

Alternately add flour mixture and water, beginning and ending with flour. Divide batter evenly among tins.

Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes, and then remove from tins to cool completely on wire racks.

To make frosting, beat frosting ingredients together until smooth and spreadable. If necessary, stir in additional milk 1 tsp. at a time. Frost cupcakes as desired. Makes 24 cupcakes.

Nonesuch Granola Bars

I've made a couple varieties of granola bars this year, but I haven't found the perfect recipe that yields a chewy, delicious bar that holds its shape. Then I found a recipe on Ezra Pound Cake. I didn't follow the recipe exactly, but I'm so glad I made the modifications. I'm sure the original recipe is delicious, but I think I've found my go-to granola bar. I changed it up enough that I feel justified in renaming my varietal.

It should come as no shock that I love chocolate and all things chocolate. With that said, it should be shocking that I haven't eaten Nutella as an adult. I recall trying a chocolate hazelnut spread while studying abroad in Spain, and it couldn't hold a candle to my love of peanut butter. However, I recently purchased a couple jars that I purposely waited to open. I figured when I opened the jars, they'd disappear rapidly. For the record, now that I've opened my first jar, Nutella is awesome. The first thing I did with my jar of Nutella was swap it for the peanut butter in the original recipe. Then I licked the spoon and knew I made the right decision.

Rich. Chewy. Chocolate. A hint of salt. All bound together into a delicious granola bar.

Nonesuch Granola Bars
1 2/3 cups quick rolled oats
1/3 cup oat flour
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 cup roasted almonds
1/2 cup salted sunflower seeds
3/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup chocolate chips
4 Tbsp. butter
1/3 cup Nutella
1/3 cup honey
1 Tbsp. vanilla
1 Tbsp. water

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease an 8×8 or 9×9-inch pan, and line it with parchment paper. In a large bowl, combine the quick rolled oats, oat flour, cinnamon, almonds, deeds, cranberries and chocolate chips. Set aside.

In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Stir in the Nutella, honey, vanilla and water. Heat just until combined. (Do not boil.)

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry, and mix well. Transfer to the prepared pan, and press down firmly using wet fingers.

Bake the bars for 30 to 35 minutes, until they’re brown around the edges. (The center firms as it cools.) Cool the bars in the pan for 20 to 30 minutes, andthen place in the refrigerator for a few minutes to finish cooling.

Once the bars are cool, you can lift the bars out and slice with a serrated knife. Or use the serrated knife to slice the bars in the pan. They can be wrapped and stored for up to a week, not that mine will last that long. Makes 12 granola bars, smaller if you desire for young children.

Chili-Corn Chip Pie

How have I never heard of Fritos Chili Pie? According to Cooking Light, this is a favorite fair food. Perhaps it's because in Wisconsin, we just eat deep-fried cheese.

We tried this Cooking Light recipe last night, and my husband wanted to eat the entire dish, even though there were only two of us and four servings. Here's the recipe with my tweaks.

Chili-Corn Chip Pie
1 lb. ground beef
1 1/4 cups chopped onion
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp. salt
1 cup beef broth
1/3 cup water
14 oz. tomatoes and green chiles, undrained
4 oz. lightly salted corn chips
1/3 cup shredded cheese
1/2 cup green onions, sliced

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef, and brown beef. Drain grease, and then add onion to the pan. Saute 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic, and cook 1 minute stirring constantly. Stir in beef, cumin, chili powder, cayenne and salt. Add broth, water and tomatoes. Bring to a boil, and reduce heat to simmer 15 minutes or until slightly thick, stirring occasionally.

To serve, place 1 oz. of chips into each of 4 bowls. Divide beef evenly into bowls, and top with cheese and green onions. Serves 4.