Share a Spoon - Mock Hostess Cupcakes

 

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I truly love cupcakes.  They are just so cute, and yummy, and perfect.  They are just the right size.   The ratio of sweet frosting to moist cake is just right! Yes, a cupcake is just the perfect sized sweet treat.
Now, ordinarily I am not that big of a fan of chocolate cake.  It's just o.k.  You know, unless you're talking about the Chocolate Hazelnut Cake at The Capital Grille or something equally as decadent.  However, most of the time I would prefer something like carrot, white, lemon, etc.
Save for one of my favorite Hostess treats.  I love the Hostess Cupcakes.  You know the ones.  The chocolate cupcake.  The creamy white filling.  The chocolate ganache topping with white squiggles.  When they are fresh, they are fabulous.  Since I can't always find them, or refuse to pay as much as they want for them, I decided I would figure out how to make my own version at home.

Google Images.

Mock Hostess Cupcakes

1 ¼ cup flour

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

¾ cup unsweetened cocoa

2 extra large eggs

1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup milk

1 ½ cup sugar

1 cup softened butter

1 teaspoon kosher salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large bowl sift together flour, cocoa, cayenne, salt and baking powder.

Cream together sugar and butter.  Add eggs one at a time and mix well.  Add milk and vanilla.  Slowly stir in flour mixture.  Stir until well incorporated but don't over mix.

Line regular sized cupcake tins with papers.  Fill 2/3 of the way full.

Bake 17 minutes.

Remove from cupcake tins and allow to cool completely.

Creme Filling

1 jar Marshmallow fluff 7oz.

2 teaspoons hot water

Pinch of salt

1/3 cup confectioner’s sugar

½ cup shortening

3 tablespoons heavy cream

Whip shortening and hot water.  Mix in marshmallow fluff, sugar and cream.

In a piping bag, or zip top bag, fitted with a round decorating tip, add the creme filling.  

Insert tip into the center of the cooled cupcakes about half way down.  Squeeze gently until the top of the cupcake puffs up just a bit.  Be careful not to over fill the cupcake.

Ganache

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1 bag milk chocolate chips (I use Hershey's)

1 Tablespoon butter

In a small sauce pan over medium low heat warm the cream and butter until butter is melted.  Stir in chocolate chips until chocolate is smooth and shiny.  Remove from heat.

Allow ganache to cool to room temp.  Dip cupcakes.  Allow excess chocolate to drip down off.  Flip and leave ganache to set.

Decorate tops with melted white chocolate or vanilla frosting.

I add the cayenne pepper to these cupcakes to give the chocolate a little punch.  Kick up the flavor a bit.  You can omit if you like.  

These are a fun treat and the kids seem to LOVE them.

Share a Spoon - Quick Pork Fried Rice

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I know, it's been too long since I posted here.  I've neglected this blog, and Share a Spoon over here.  I haven't gotten any recipes from followers lately, and with the holidays and baking.....yeah I'll stop with the excuses. Anylazy, this week's theme is quick and easy.  I have a healthier version of a take out favorite for you this week, and....it's super simple!
I love Chinese food.  LOVE IT!  However, we tend to only indulge every so often.  All the fat and sodium.  Yikes!  However, my sister turned me on to this and it definitely sates the craving and doesn't break the calorie, sodium and fat gram bank.

Quick Pork Fried Rice
3 slices bacon1 medium onion1 bag Birdseye Steamfresh Rice w/veggiesLow sodium Soy Sauce1 eggolive oil

Chop the bacon slices and render them over medium heat in a large skillet.Remove the crispy bacon and drain on a paper towel.
Cook the rice in the microwave according to the directions on the bag.
Discard the bacon drippings and add two tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet.  Saute the chopped onion with a bit of kosher salt until softened.  (4-5 minutes).
Add the steamed rice to the skillet.  Add the egg.  Stir well.  The egg with scramble and cook through quickly.  Toss the bacon in the pan and stir well.  Add soy sauce according to your taste and allow to warm through.
Garnish with some chopped scallions.
Done!
It's so good!  You could substitute turkey bacon, but I am a fan of the pork.  I serve it with this recipe, I Shared previously over at LIB!

Share a Spoon - Sausage Stuffing

Marnie is Sharing her family favorite must have this week!


This is a tradition in our family and if I deviate from this stuffing my family will boycott the table.

Sausage Stuffing for Turkey (or Chicken)

6-8 cups fine bread crumbs (white or brown – whatever your family preference)

4-6 stalks celery

1 med-large onion

1 lb pork sausage or pork sausage links de-cased (or mild Italian sausages de-cased)

 1-2 TBSP poultry seasoning (or to taste)

½ TBSP garlic powder

salt/pepper (to taste)

warm water

The amount of bread crumb is going to depend on how big a bird you have so you will have to eyeball it a bit.  For a 16-18 lb bird it is about 6-8 cups so that’s what I including the instructions for. 

Place breadcrumbs in a large bowl.

Rinse celery stalks and whiz them up in a food processor until finely chopped and empty into bowl with bread crumbs.  Skin onion and rough chop, whiz the onion up in the food processor until finely chopped as well and add it to the large bowl. 

Add sausage meat and while doing so try and break up the clumps a bit.  Add salt, pepper, poultry season and garlic powder.  Now it’s time to get messy, get your hands in the bowl and mix ingredients together well.  Add warm water in small amounts until the stuffing begins to hold together a little in a ball.  It should be moist and hold together if you squish it together. 

Rinse the cavity of your bird well and dry with paper towel.  Stuff the cavity and pack the stuffing in firmly.  The fat in the sausage meat helps keep the bird moist.  Roast according to guidelines for a stuffed gobbler.  For food safety sake, be sure to remove all stuffing once the turkey is cooked.  Enjoy!


As always Marnie, Thanks for Sharing with us!

Share a Spoon - Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce

Maurnie had two wonderful submissions this week!  Here is the second:

Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce

1 med butternut squash (1 ½ pounds)

1 TBSP olive oil

½ tsp dried rubbed sage

salt and pepper

5 garlic cloves, peel on

1 cup half-and-half

Pasta (such as cheese ravioli or any short pasta like penne)

Preheat oven to 375.  Using a large, sharp knife, trim ends; halve squash crosswise to separate bulb from neck.  Peel with vegetable peeler.  Cut both pieces in half lengthwise.   With a spoon, scoop out seeds; discard.

Cut squash into 2-inch chucks; transfer to a small rimmed baking sheet.  Toss with oil and sage; season generously with salt and pepper.  Scatter garlic around squash.  Roast until squash is very ender, about 40 minutes, tossing once halfway through.  Remove and discard skin from garlic.

Transfer squash and garlic to a food processor; puree.  With motor running, and add half-and-half through the feed tube; process until smooth.  Add 1 to 2 cups water; continue to process until smooth, adding water to thin if necessary.  Season again generously with salt.  (At this stage the sauce can be frozen for use later.)

Cook pasta according to directions.  Reserve 1 cup pasta water; drain pasta and return to put.  Pour sauce over pasta; toss to coat.  Add some pasta water to thin sauce if necessary.  Serve.

I serve this topped with grated parmesan cheese, toasted, chopped walnuts and some finely chopped fresh sage.

So leave Maurnie some love folks!

Share a Spoon - Stuffed Tex-Mex Yellow Squash

Maurnie is Sharing her favorites again this week.  She emailed two recipes this week.  She stated and I quote:

"Good morning!

I lurve squash so much, it is once of my favorite things about fall/winter cooking.  I have included two recipes for this week’s theme. 

The last recipe(s) for the Roasted Fall Vegetables I thought you might enjoy – since you’re a busy mum in a busy household this one is terrific when you have the time to plan menus in advance.  Can’t wait to see and try all the submissions this week!"

Stuffed Tex-Mex Yellow Squash

4 yellow squash (8oz each approx.)

salt and pepper

2 TBSP olive oil

1 red bell pepper, ribs and seeds removed and diced fine

2 scallions, thinly sliced

1 garlic clove

2 TBSP tomato paste

1 tsp chili powder (or to taste)

¼ tsp cumin

½ ground beef

1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed

¼ cup plus 2 TBSP grated parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400 with rack set in top third.  Half each squash lengthwise; slice a sliver from the rounded part so each half sits flat.  Leaving a ¼ inch border, scoop out halves with a small spoon; finely chop flesh (so you can hide it for the non-squash lovers), and reserve.  Place squash halves, skin side down, in a shallow baking dish.  Season with salt and pepper, and set aside.

In large skillet, heat oil over med-high.  Add reserved chopped squash, bell pepper, about ¾ of the chopped scallion, and garlic; season with salt and pepper.  Cook stirring occasionally, until bell pepper begins to soften, 3 to 4 minutes.  Add tomato paste, cumin and chili powder; cook, stirring, until fragrant, 1 minute.  Remove mixture from pan.  Add beef; cook until no longer pink, breaking up meant with a spoon, 2 to 3 minutes.  Add mixture back to meat and warm through.  Remove from heat.  Stir in corn and ¼ cup parmesan; season with salt and pepper.

Dividing evenly, spoon mixture into squash halves.  Sprinkle with remaining parmesan.  Cover with aluminum foil, and bake until squash is tender, 30-35 minutes.  Uncover and bake until top is browned, 7 to 10 minutes more.  Garnish with remaining scallions.

YUMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!  I can't wait to give this recipe a try!  I will post the next recipe in another post.

Share a Spoon - Garlic-Roasted Chicken

Once again, Maurnie is Sharing in the kitchen with us!  YEAH!


Here is her chicken submission for the week.


Also, I will be here tomorrow to give you a spin on one of the cookie recipes from last week.  I was inspired by one of the submissions and made some really amazing Lemon Cream cookies!!

Garlic-Roasted Chicken

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 skin-on, boneless chicken breasts (about 11/2 pounds)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2-4 heads garlic (to your taste really)
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme or rosemary or tarragon – use your savory fave.
• 4 slices sourdough bread, grilled or toasted ( I have also used a French baguette cut into many slices)
• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Heat the olive oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and cook, skin-side down, until browned, about 5 minutes.

Separate the heads of garlic into cloves but do not peel. Flip the chicken; add the garlic and rosemary to the skillet and transfer to the oven. Roast until the chicken is cooked through but still moist, 15 to 20 more minutes.

Place the bread on a platter and top slices with a chicken breast. Add the vinegar to the skillet and scrape up any browned bits with a wooden spoon. Add 3 tablespoons water (or chicken broth) and simmer until the sauce thickens slightly, about 2 minutes. Pour the sauce and garlic over the chicken and bread.  When you serve squish the now roasted garlic out onto the toasted bread that has all the yummy pan juices on it and enjoy a pseudo garlic bread along with the chicken.

Thanks for SHARING as always Maurnie!

Share a Spoon - Turtle Cookies

Share a Spoon

COOKIES

Maurnie is back this week with a vengeance.  She missed the last couple of weeks but sent me recipes today for soup, bars, and TURTLE COOKIES!

I am going to post the soup recipe and the bars tomorrow, and today I am all about these cookies!  I mean...SERIOUSLY?  Chocolate, caramel and PECANS!

OH YEAH!

Turtle Cookies

Picture courtesy of Google Images

For Cookies:

2 1/2 cups pecan halves
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup salted butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
48 round milk chocolate-covered caramels, unwrapped (Rolo brand candies work)

For Chocolate Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar
Water
1 ounce unsweetened chocolate, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:


Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, soak pecan halves in water while making dough; drain well.

In a medium bowl, beat butter for 30 seconds with an electric mixer on medium-high setting until fluffy.

Beat in sugar, vanilla extract, and egg with an electric mixer set on medium speed until light and fluffy.

Beat in flour and cocoa powder until dough firms.

On an un-greased cookie sheet, for each cookie, place 5 pecans in a flower pattern. (You’re giving your turtles legs and a head!)

Shape dough by rounded teaspoonfuls into 1-inch balls. Place ball on top of each group of 5 pecans, pressing lightly into pecans with the palm of your hand. 

Bake 7-10 minutes or until set. Immediately press 1 caramel candy gently on top of each cookie. Let cookie set for 3 minutes before transferring to a cooling surface.


For chocolate glaze:


Beat powdered sugar with 1 tablespoon water, melted chocolate and vanilla until smooth.  If necessary, stir in more water, 1 teaspoon at a time, until glaze is of desired consistency. Dip tops of cooled cookies into glaze.


Makes 48 cookies.

THANKS MAURNIE!  Remember, I can always post recipes here if you would like to submit them please email me @ adrienzgirl@gmail.com

Share a Spoon - Basic Beer Cheese Bread

I really couldn't choose between a sweet and a savory bread from Maurnie.  I mean really.  Bread is bread is bread.  I love it all.

So here is the second entry for the day.

Basic Beer-Cheese Bread

 1 TBSP olive oil

½   cup finely chopped onion (I use yellow)

¼   tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 garlic clove, minced

3 cups all-purpose flour

3 TBSP sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese (I have also used sharp cheddar and gruyere)

1 12 oz bottle lager-style beer (such as Bud)

2 TBSP melted butter, divided

Cooking spray

           

Preheat oven to 375

                    

Heat olive oil over medium heat.  Add onion and sauté until browned slightly.  Stir in pepper and garlic, cook for 1 minute.

                    

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in bowl.  Stirring with whisk make a well in the center of dry mixture.  Add onion mixture, cheese and beer for dry mixture, stirring until just moist.

                  

 Spoon batter into a 9x5-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray.  

Drizzle 1 TBSP butter over batter.  Bake at 375 for 35 mins.  Drizzle remaining 1 TBSP butter over batter and bake an additional 20-25 minus until a deep golden brown and a test inserted into center comes out clean. 

                   

Cool 5 minutes in pan before removing.

Again, special thanks to Maurnie Braund for sharing not one, but two recipes for my favorite thing in the world!  I am seriously gonna hop the border and head on up to Canada to eat at her table.

Kidding.  I have a passport!  No need to HOP the border.  Geez people calm down!

 

Share a Spoon - Land of Nod Cinnamon Buns

So Maurnie submitted two recipes this week for Share a Spoon and said I could pick which one I wanted to use.  Um...I pick both!

I will make them separate posts so that they are easily printable.

So...BREAD.

Here we go!

Cinnamon buns are bread…right?  *Even* if one is not actually making the bread?  This is a do-ahead recipe so make before you head to bed and you’ll be enjoying cinnamon buns with your morning coffee.

Land-of-Nod Cinnamon Buns

20     Frozen buns or rolls (plain, white pre-made bread rolls.  The kind you take and bake at home)

1    cup lightly packed brown sugar

¼   cup dry vanilla instant pudding mix

2         TBSP cinnamon

¾   cup raisins or nuts (optional)

½   cup butte

Mix brown sugar, pudding mix, cinnamon and raisins/nuts in a bowl.

Grease an angel food cake pan

Place rolls in pan (only 20).

Pour sugar mixture evenly over frozen buns.

Melt butter and drizzle over buns

Cover with damp, clean cloth in a warm, draft free location over night.  

The buns will thaw and rise over night.

                   

 In the morning preheat oven to 350 and bake for 25 minutes until browned nicely. 

Remove from oven and cool slightly.  Invert them on serving platter and voila! pull apart cinnamon buns.

This sounds EASY and amazing.  What's better than that?

NOTHING!

Thanks for Sharing this recipe Maurnie!

Share a Spoon - Twisted Shepherd's Pie

This is a savoury one and a slight variation on an old favorite. It’s like stuffed peppers meet shepherd’s pie.

Shepherd’s Pie…with a Twist.

Ingredients:

8-10 large green/red/orange or yellow peppers (whichever you prefer)

Potato Topping

* 6 medium Yukon gold potatoes, scrubbed

* Coarse salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

* 1/4 cup half and half cream (60 ml)

* 1 tablespoon butter (15 ml)

* Salt and pepper

Meat Filling

* 1 tablespoon butter (15 ml)

* 1 pound ground beef (or you can use just 2 pounds of ground beef and omit the pork)

* 1 pound ground pork

* 2 small onions, finely chopped

* 2 cloves garlic, chopped

* 2 stalks celery, finely diced

* 2 carrots, finely diced

* 2 teaspoons fresh chopped thyme (10 ml)

* 1 teaspoon dried oregano (5 ml)

* 1 cup beef stock (250 ml)

* 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (15 ml)

* 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard (15 ml)

* Coarse salt and freshly cracked black pepper

Directions

Potato Topping

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

2. Put potatoes into a roasting pan and bake for about 50 minutes to 1 hour, until easily pierced with a fork. Remove from oven, peel and put into a large bowl. Mash potatoes and add butter, cream, and salt and pepper. Stir with wooden spoon until blended. Adjust seasoning.

Meat Filling

1. Put butter into a large deep skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté until softened. Add garlic and continue to sauté for 3 minutes.

2. Add meat, breaking it apart and stirring until it’s browned.

3. Add the celery, carrots, thyme, oregano and season with salt and pepper.

4. Continue to cook over high heat until carrots begin to soften.

5. Add stock into pan and then add the Worcestershire and Dijon. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low.

6. Season the mixture with salt and pepper and simmer covered, until meat is tender and moisture is absorbed, about 20 minutes. (you can add additional stock if it seems to by drying out too much)

Prepare Peppers

1. Cut top off peppers and remove all membraine and seeds from inside

2. Divide meat amongst the peppers and spread mashed potatoes over the top

3. Bake until top is golden and filling is bubbling, between 20 and 30 mintues depending on the size of peppers you have.

OR if you don’t want to use peppers you can just make it the good old fashioned way and:

1. Put meat mixture into a rectangular baking dish (about 7 ½-inches x 11 ½-inches and at least 3-inches deep). Spread the mashed potatoes over top and bake until top is golden and meat filling is bubbling, about 25 to 30 minutes

This recipe was submitted by Maurnie Braund.