Birthday: Round One

Tuesday was Sugarbear's 7th birthday.  Since it fell on a weekday, we just had a small family celebration that night.  He got to choose where we went for dinner (In-N-Out Burger) and I whipped up some simple cupcakes for dessert.  The recipe I used is for "Yellow Cupcakes with Simple Chocolate Frosting" from Baking Illustrated.  The cupcakes were tender and buttery.  The frosting was simply a whipped ganache- intensely chocolatey.  Make sure to use a chocolate that you enjoy eating, because its flavor will dominate.

Yellow Cupcakes with Simple Chocolate Frosting

1.  For the frosting, bring 1 cup heavy cream to a simmer in a small saucepan. Put 8 ounces chopped semi-sweet chocolate into a medium bowl and pour the hot cream over it.  Cover the bowl and let it sit for 5 minutes.  Whisk the mixture until smooth, then cover and refrigerate until cool and slightly firm, 45 minutes to 1 hour.  Don't let it chill too much longer than 1 hour or it may separate. 

2.  Once the chocolate mixture is chilled,  whip it with an electric mixer on medium speed until it's fluffy and mousse-like and forms medium-stiff peaks, about 2 minutes.  Set aside.

3.  For the cupcakes, heat the oven to 350 degrees and line a muffin tin with paper wrappers.  Whisk

1 1/2 cups (7 1/2 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour, 1 cup (7 ounces) sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt in the bowl of a standing mixer.  Add 1 stick (1/2 cup) softened, unsalted butter, 1/2 cup sour cream, 1 large egg, 2 large egg yolks and 1 1/2 teapoons vanilla to the dry ingredients and beat until smooth and satiny, about 30 seconds.  Scrape down the bowl with a spatula and stir by hand until smooth and no flour pockets remain.

4.  Use a 1/4 cup (2 ounces) scoop to divide the batter into 12 tins.  Bake until the cupcake tops are pale gold and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 20-24 minutes.  Cool the cupcakes on a wire rack until they are room temperature, about 45 minutes.

5.  Spread 2-3 generous tablespoons of frosting onto each cupcake and serve.

Beanies

One of my favorite things to knit is a nice, basic beanie.  They are quick to knit and are infinitely customizable.  They make a perfect gift for the men on your list.  Add a cute, little pom-pom on top for your favorite lady.  The black and white striped beanie, above, was knit for my son's karate Sensei, and was inspired by his black belt.

This grey, maroon and cream beanie was knit for hubby.

This beanie was also knit for hubby, and was made to match his favorite bike.

Uncle D enjoys his beanie.

My friend Dave models his birthday beanie.

Here is the pattern I use for a basic beanie.  It fits an average 24" head.  You can make it a bit smaller or bigger by adjusting your needle size.

Basic Beanie

(adapted from Better homes and Gardens: Knitting Fun for Everyone)

Supplies:

Worsted-weight yarn (I've used Wool-Ease (197 yds) and Plymouth Encore (200 yds) to make my various beanies.  One skein is enough to make one hat with some left over.)

16" circular needles- Size 7 or 8

DPNs- Size to match your circular needles

Stitch marker

Yarn needle

Gauge:

18stitches/24 rows= 4 inches in stockinette

Instructions:

Cast 84 stitches onto your circular needles.  Place your marker and join for working in the round.

Rounds 1 through 4:  Work in k1, p1 ribbing.

Rounds 5 through 38:  Knit.

Round 39:  *K2tog, k4; repeat from *- 70 stitches.

Round 40:  Knit.

Round 41:  *K2tog, k3; repeat from *- 56 stitches.

Round 42:  Knit.

Round 43:  *K2tog, k2; repeat from *- 42 stitches.

Round 44:  Knit.

Round 45:  *K2tog, k1; repeat from *- 28 stitches.

Round 46:  Knit.

Round 47:  *K2tog; repeat from *- 14 stitches.

Round 48:  *K2tog; repeat from *- 7 stitches.

Cut yarn. Use your yarn needle to run the yarn tail through the remaining 7 stitches and fasten off.  Weave in ends. 

You can add in any color-work you choose to make your own one-of-a-kind beanie.  It also looks nice in one gorgeous solid color.

Chicken Pomodoro

One of my favorite magazines to pour over for yummy recipes is Cook's Country.  I recently  received the February/March 2010 issue in my mailbox.  One of the first recipes to catch my eye was one for Chicken Pomodoro (recipe card section).  It has all the flavors that my family loves:  tomatoes, fresh basil, garlic.  I decided to try it out.

All I can say is, "Wow"!  Even though the sauce has some cream in it, it was nice and light and fresh tasting.  Hubby deemed it a keeper after the first bite.  This is definitely one I will make for friends and family quite often.

Chicken Pomodoro

Pat 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts dry with paper towels.  Season with salt and pepper.  Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Cook chicken until golden on each side.  Transfer to a plate.  (I lightly pounded my chicken breasts first.   I find that it keeps them more tender.)

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in the same skillet and cook 1 finely chopped onion until softened.  Add 4 minced garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, and 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes and cook for 30 seconds.  Stir in 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, 1/3 cup heavy cream and 1/4 teaspoon salt.  Bring to a boil, then add cooked chicken and its juices back into the skillet.  Simmer, covered, until chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes.

Transfer chicken to a platter and tent with foil.  Simmer the sauce, uncovered, for about 5 minutes until slightly thickened.  Remove from heat and add 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil and salt and pepper to taste.  Serve over cooked pasta (rigatoni is nice).

Pasta e Fagioli

My family's favorite soup is Pasta e Fagioli. If you've ever eaten at an Olive Garden restaurant, you may be familiar with it. My favorite version is from the America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook (my kitchen Bible). I posted the recipe on my old blog and you can find it here.

Downtime

My computer is ill. I hope that it gets better soon. So, for now, Merry Christmas and to all a good night.

Matzo Brittle

I found this recipe in Nick Jr Family magazine two years ago and it has been a Chanukah favorite of mine ever since. I also make it for Passover. It's really easy but you probably don't want to make it with kids because of the hot, bubbling sugar action going on. They'll be happy to help you eat it up, though!

Matzo Brittle

4 sheets matzo (plain or lightly salted)

2 sticks (1/2 pound) unsalted butter

1 cup light brown sugar

2 cups (12 ounce bag) semi-sweet chocolate chips (I like Ghirardelli or Trader Joes)

1 cup slivered almonds, toasted (Trader Joe's sells 'em already toasted)

1. Heat oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Spread matzo in a single layer on foil, covering entire sheet. It's OK to break matzo to fit.

2. Melt butter and brown sugar in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring frequently, just until it boils. (Watch carefully to prevent burning.) Pour over matzo and spread evenly to cover. Bake 5 minutes.

3. Remove from oven and sprinkle chocolate chips on top. Return to oven until chips are soft, 3 to 5 minutes.

4. Remove from oven and use a spatula to spread chocolate over entire surface. Sprinkle with nuts. Let cool about 15 minutes.

5. Place baking sheet in freezer and chill 1 hour. Break sheets into random pieces approximately 2 inches long. Freeze in resealable bags up to 2 weeks. Serve at room temperature.

You don't have to be Jewish to enjoy this. It's equal-opportunity tastiness!

Chocolate Nut Cookies

Two or three years ago, I found these nut-shaped cookie molds in the King Arthur Flour Baker's Catalogue. After purchasing them impulsively, I promptly placed them in the back of my baking-gadgets drawer and forgot about them. When the most recent catalog came in the mail, it had a recipe for Chocolate Nut Cookies, which uses these molds. I knew these cookies would be perfect for Thanksgiving, so I dug out my set and got to work.


Oh, I'm so glad I made these! They are time-consuming, but not difficult. They taste like brownie edges with a nice fudgy surprise in the middle. I think that making these will become a new Thanksgiving tradition.

The link to the recipe is above. Here are some of my tips that I compiled as I tried these out:

1. I used the weight measurements given in the recipe. If you don't have a kitchen scale and will measure your flour with cups, note that KAF tests their recipes with the spoon in/level off method (as opposed to the dip-and-sweep method).

2. Err on the side of smaller rather than larger when chopping the pecans. Large pieces will mar the definition of the mold shape. I toasted my pecans prior to chopping them.

3. Use a level measuring teaspoon of dough to fill each mold. The finished cookies will have a small indentation in the middle which is perfect for holding a nice amount of the ganache filling.

4. Give them away as soon as possible to avoid damage to your diet.