Chocolate Graham Cracker Cupcakes with Toasted Marshmallow

by 👩‍🍳 Cooking With a Southern Vibe in Music City USA 👩‍🍳, May 16, 2009

cupcAKE

Ingredients

Makes 2 dozen

  • 2 1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon cocoa powder (not Dutch-processed)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1 cup boiling water
  • 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (from about 20 squares)
  • 1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
  • 9 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
  • Marshmallow Frosting

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 standard muffin tins with cupcake liners; set aside.
  2. Sift 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together into the bowl of an electric mixer. Using the paddle attachment, mix ingredients together on low speed.
  3. In a large bowl, mix together eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla. Add to flour mixture and beat on medium speed for 30 seconds. Scrape down sides of bowl and continue mixing on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add boiling water and stir to combine; set cake batter aside.
  4. Place graham cracker crumbs, remaining 1/4 cup sugar, and melted butter in a large bowl; stir until well combined.
  5. Place 1 tablespoon graham cracker mixture into the bottom of each prepared muffin cup. Use the bottom of a small glass to pack crumbs into the bottom of each cupcake liner. Reserve remaining graham cracker mixture for topping.
  6. Place 2 teaspoons chocolate in each muffin cup. Transfer muffin tins to oven and bake until the edges of the graham cracker mixture is golden, about 5 minutes. Remove from oven and fill each muffin cup three-quarters full with cake batter. Sprinkle each with remaining chocolate and graham cracker mixture. Return to oven and bake, rotating pans halfway through baking, until tops are firm and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer muffin tins to a wire rack and let cupcakes cool in pan for 10 minutes. Remove cupcakes from pan and let cool completely.
  7. Transfer frosting to a large pastry bag fitted with a large plain round or French tip (such as Ateco #867 or Ateco #809). Pipe frosting in a spiral motion on each cupcake. Transfer cupcakes to a baking sheet. Using a kitchen torch, lightly brown the frosting, taking care not to burn the cupcake liners. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container, up to 2 days.

Source:  Martha Stewart Living

Root Beer Baked Beans from Southern Living

by 👩‍🍳 Cooking With a Southern Vibe in Music City USA 👩‍🍳, May 12, 2009

Root Beer Baked Beans Recipe

 

Yield

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 3  bacon slices
  • 1  small onion, diced
  • 2  (16-ounce) cans pork and beans
  • 1/2  cup  root beer (not diet)
  • 1/4  cup  hickory-smoked barbecue sauce
  • 1/2  teaspoon  dry mustard
  • 1/8  teaspoon  hot sauce

Preparation

Cook bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crisp; remove and drain on paper towels, reserving 2 tablespoons drippings in skillet. Crumble bacon.

Sauté diced onion in hot bacon drippings in skillet over high heat 5 minutes or until tender. Stir together onion, crumbled bacon, beans, and remaining ingredients in a lightly greased 1-quart baking dish.

Bake beans, uncovered, at 400° for 55 minutes or until sauce is thickened.

Southern Living, OCTOBER 2004

Almost Olive Garden Salad and Dressing..

by 👩‍🍳 Cooking With a Southern Vibe in Music City USA 👩‍🍳, May 03, 2009

Almost-Famous Garden Salad

We all love Olive Garden Salad, it’s a total girl thing.  My Food Network Magazine duplicated their recipe.  This salad dressing differs from other ones I’ve seen online that tried to copy them.  This is a must try, ladies.  I would make it tonight but I don’t have white wine vinegar.  If you make this, let me know what you think.  I’m really excited about the possibility of making this at home and having it taste like Olive Garden.  Hot Damn, wouldn’t that be something?

~ jan

Ingredients

For the dressing:
  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons Miracle Whip
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
For the salad:
  • 1 10-ounce bag American salad blend
  • 1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
  • 4 small pickled peppers, such as pepperoncini
  • 1 small vine-ripened tomato, quartered
  • 2 tablespoons sliced black olives
  • 1/2 cup large croutons
  • 1 tablespoon grated

Directions

Combine all the dressing ingredients and 1 to 2 tablespoons water in a blender or food processor; puree until smooth.

Place the salad blend in a large bowl and top with the remaining salad ingredients. Drizzle with the dressing.

Almost Olive Garden Breadsticks

by 👩‍🍳 Cooking With a Southern Vibe in Music City USA 👩‍🍳, May 03, 2009
Almost-Famous Breadsticks

This recipe is from my Food Network Magazine, they duplicated Olive Garden’s Breadsticks….

Ingredients

For the Dough:
  • 1 package active dry yeast
  • 4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour,plus more for dusting
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter,softened
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 tablespoon fine salt
For the Topping:
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter,melted
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • Pinch of dried oregano

Directions

Make the dough: Place 1/4 cup warm water in the bowl of a mixer; sprinkle in the yeast and set aside until foamy, about 5 minutes. Add the flour, butter, sugar, fine salt and 1 1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons warm water; mix with the paddle attachment until a slightly sticky dough forms, 5 minutes.

Knead the dough by hand on a floured surface until very smooth and soft, 3 minutes. Roll into a 2-foot-long log; cut into 16 1 1/2-inch-long pieces. Knead each piece slightly and shape into a 7-inch-long breadstick; arrange 2 inches apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover with a cloth; let rise in a warm spot until almost doubled, about 45 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Make the topping: Brush the breadsticks with 1 1/2 tablespoons of the butter and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt. Bake until lightly golden, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, combine the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt with the garlic powder and oregano. Brush the warm breadsticks with the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons melted butter and sprinkle with the flavored salt.

Yield – 16 Breadsticks

Wowza, are these cute or what????

by 👩‍🍳 Cooking With a Southern Vibe in Music City USA 👩‍🍳, May 01, 2009

2009_05_01-Spatulas.jpg

You can snag them at ChefTools, they’re a little pricey, but oh are they special!

Find them here.

Source: the kitchn

Must Have Margaritas

by 👩‍🍳 Cooking With a Southern Vibe in Music City USA 👩‍🍳, April 24, 2009

Must-Have Margaritas

Whether you like them straight up, on the rocks, or fresh from the blender, we've got a margarita recipe for you.

Lots of different lavors to choose from, you can access them here…

Source: myrecipes.com

Pavlova with Lemon Creme, Berries and Grapes

by 👩‍🍳 Cooking With a Southern Vibe in Music City USA 👩‍🍳, April 19, 2009

apav

For the meringue...
1 cup superfine granulated sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
3 large eggs at room temperature 30 minutes
3 tablespoons cold water
1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
For the filling...
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 stick unsalted butter
3 large egg yolks, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
1 cup heavy cream
2 cups mixed berries
2 cups grapes
Preheat oven to 300ºF and position a rack in the center.
To prepare the lemon cream, stir sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a saucepan. Add the lemon juice and butter, bringing the mixture to a simmer over medium high heat. Continue to whisk at a simmer, about 1 minute. Whisk about 1/4 of the mixture into the beaten egg yolks, then transfer the egg yolk mixture back into the saucepan. Over low heat, continue to cook, but make sure not to boil, whisking constantly until the lemon curd is thick, about 2 minutes. Scrape into a shallow bowl, stir in the lemon zest, and place a piece of parchment over the surface. Refrigerate for about 1-1/2 hours.
To prepare the meringue, line a baking sheet with parchment and trace a circle about 7" in diameter in the center. Turn the parchment over.
Whisk superfine sugar and cornstarch together in a small bowl. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat whites with a pinch of salt at medium speed until soft peaks form. Add the water and beat until whites hold soft peaks once again.
On medium-high, beat in sugar mixture 1 Tbsp at a time. After all sugar has been added, beat 1 minute longer. Add vinegar, then beat at high speed until glossy and stiff peaks form, about 5 minutes (longer if using hand-held mixer). The meringue will be extremely thick.
Spread meringue carefully to cover the circle on the parchment, creating a cavity in the center (for the filling). Bake until meringue is pale golden and has a crust, about 45 minutes. Avoid opening the oven door! Turn oven off and prop door open slightly with a wooden spoon. Cool meringue in oven 1 hour. The exterior will be dry and possibly cracked, the inside more like the consistency of marshmallow.
To assemble the pavlova, beat the heavy cream just as it holds stiff peaks, then 1/4 cup at a time, whisk cream into the lemon curd. Check consistency each time before adding more cream. It should be able to mound. Spoon lemon cream into cooled meringue and mound fruit in the center. Serve with extra whipped cream if desired.

© Jan CAN Cook · THEME BY WATDESIGNEXPRESS