Miss You Cupcakes

Nothing says "We'll Miss You" like Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese frosting! Yesterday at work we said good-bye to two coworkers, one was just moving to a different position on our department and the other is moving to Utah.

Pretzel Day!

Happy National Pretzel Day!!

As a HUGE fan of soft pretzels there is no way I could pass up celebrating this day. So of course I tried my hand at making real soft pretzels....ummmm. It actually wasn't as hard as I thought, however I did still manage to set off our fire alarms (in my defense there VERY sensitive and nothing was even burning or smoking!). I found out our fire alarms still work and the dogs still hate them. At least we know we're safe right?! I made the dough fairly quickly then left it to rest for an hour while I made dinner and was able to finish up making the pretzels after dinner.
Soft Pretzels
Source: Food Network, Bobby Flay

• 1 1/2 cups warm water
• 2 Tbsp light brown sugar
• 1 pkg active dry yeast
• 3 oz unsalted butter, melted
• 2 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 4 1/2 to 5 cups all-purpose flour
• Vegetable oil
• 3 quarts water
• 3/4 cup baking soda
• 1 egg, beaten with 1/2 Tbsp cold water
• coarse sea salt

Combine the water, sugar, yeast and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix the dough hook until combined. Let stand for 5 minutes.

Add the salt and flour and mix on low speed until combined. Increase the speed to medium and continue kneading until the dough is smooth and begins to pull away from the side of the bowl, about 3 to 4 minutes. If the dough appears too wet, add additional flour, 1 tablespoon at a time. Remove the dough from the bowl, place on a flat surface and knead into a ball with your hands.

Oil a bowl with vegetable oil, add the dough and turn to coat with the oil. Cover with a clean towel or plastic wrap and place in a warm spot until the dough doubles in size, about 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper and spray liberally with vegetable spray. Bring the water to a boil in a small roasting pan over high heat and add the baking soda, slowly.

Remove the dough from the bowl and place on a flat surface. Divide the dough into 8-10 equal pieces, about 4 to 4.5 ounces each.

Roll each piece into a long rope measuring 22 inches and shape: take the right side and cross over to the left. Cross right to left again and flip up.

Boil the pretzels in the water solution, 2 at a time for 30 seconds, splashing the tops with the warmed water using a spoon. Remove with a large flat slotted spatula or a spider.

Place 4-5 pretzels on each baking sheet, brush the tops with the egg wash and season liberally with salt. Place into the oven and bake for 15-18 minutes until golden brown. Remove to a baking rake and let rest 5 minutes before eating.

Can't wait to eat these with some cheese sauce!!!

Ruffles

This is my recreation of a Martha Stewart Ruffle Tower cake. I saw it and know I had to try it out, it's just so cute and girly! It's of course not nearly as good or neat but I need to get practicing more :) I baked a a white cake in 3 - 6 inch rounds to make three layers and then made a Raspberry buttercream that is really delicious! I starting to perfect those buttercream recipes!!

Start with a crumb coated cake, just lightly coat the cake with a thin layer of buttercream to keep of those crumbs on the inside then place it in the refrigerator for a few minutes to firm up. Once firm decorate as desired and there are no crumbs to ruin your beautiful decorating job!

Then add ruffles!! I used #104 tip, because that's all I have. Martha uses a #103 tip (I talk like we're best friends) but you can also use a #102.

My sections aren't very straight, but hey it's good practice :)

Look at those ruffles!

Just in case you missed them, here's a close up!

Chicken Pot Pie Soup

The taste of chicken pot pie, in a soup!
Chicken pot pie is the ultimate comfort food and this creamy, chunky soup is loaded with chicken and veggies in every bite. You can modify this with the vegetables you like to suit your taste. You can serve in hollowed out bread bowls or serve it with cut-out baked pie crust.
This recipe requires cooked chicken breasts. If you have raw chicken, poach 3 breasts in water for 15 minutes, then remove and dice into bite-sized pieces. This soup is filling!

Skinny Chicken Pot Pie Soup

Source: skinnytaste.com

• 1/4 cup flour (to make gluten-free use 2 Tbsp cornstarch instead)
• 2 cups water
• 4 cups fat free milk
• 1 large celery stalk, chopped
• 1/2 medium onion, chopped
• 8 oz sliced mushrooms
• 2 chicken bouillons
• fresh ground pepper
• pinch of thyme
• 10 oz frozen classic mixed vegetables (peas, carrots green beans, corn)
• 2 potatoes, peeled and cubed small
• 16 oz cooked chicken breast, diced small
• salt

Directions:

1. Create a slurry by combining 1/2 cup of the cold water with flour in a medium bowl and whisk until well blended. Set aside.
2. Pour remaining water and milk into a large pot and slowly bring to a boil. Add celery, onion, mushrooms, chicken bullion, thyme, fresh pepper, frozen vegetables, potatoes and return to a boil. Partially cover and simmer on low until vegetables are soft, about 20 minutes. Add chicken and slowly whisk in slurry, stirring well as you add. Cook another 2-3 minutes, until soup thickens, adjust salt and pepper to taste and serve.

The BEST part...

Servings: 9, serves 1 cup; Calories: 169.2; Fat: 1.2 g; Protein: 18.5 g; Carb: 21.2 g; Fiber: 2.3 g

Peppermint Patties

Just like a York Peppermint Patty!

These were actually easier to make then I thought they would be and really didn't take that long either, maybe an hour and that's with the freezer time. The dough comes together really fast then you just have to make into balls , flatten and put in the freezer. As soon as I filled on baking sheet I put into the freezer and started to fill another sheet. I filled three. Then while they are in the freezer I brought the water for the double broiler to a simmer and melted the chocolate, then took out each baking sheet one at time to coat. It was an easy and fast process. The recipe says it makes 32, but I got at least 50!! The only thing I did wrong is I used mint extract as I couldn't find peppermint at the store but they were still really good and I know even better if the correct extract is used :)

Peppermint Patties

• 1 can of condensed milk


• 5 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted


• 1 Tbsp peppermint extract


• 3 cups semisweet chocolate chips


• 3 Tbsp shortening

Directions:

Add condensed milk , 2 cups pf powdered sugar, and peppermint extract to a large mixing bowl. Mix on medium speed using the paddle attachment until all the ingredients are well incorporated. Add more powdered sugar a half cup at a time, until the dough is pliable like firm modeling clay.

Roll 3/4" balls of dough between palms of the hands. Press each ball down slowly and set the flattened disk on a flat cutting board or plate (or baking sheet covered with parchment paper). Transfer peppermint disks to the freezer for no longer than 30 minutes. While the dough is chilling, temper the chocolate coating.

You can do this two ways in the microwave or on the stove. For the microwave, place chocolate chips in a microwavable bowl and melt chocolate in 30 second increments, making sure to stir after each time until chocolate is smooth. For the stove (which I prefer), place chocolate chips in a glass bowl and place over pan with simmering water careful that the water does NOT touch the bottom of the bowl, stir occasionally until chocolate is melted. Stir in shortening to thin the chocolate.

Remove patties from the freezer. Place a patty on the tongs of a fork and dip in the chocolate until completely covered. Allow excess chocolate to drip off the patty before setting each one on top of wax or parchment paper. Allow the chocolate coated peppermint patties to completely set up. This can be done quicker by placing the patties in the refrigerator. The peppermint patties are ready when they are dry to the touch. Enjoy!

Chicken Piccata

This may seriously be the best dinner I've ever made! Actually it may be the BEST Chicken Piccata I've ever had in my life!

I've had awesome chicken piccata at Johnny's Italian Steakhouse, and not so good piccata at a few other places that shall remain nameless. So I thought I would try my hand at making it at home for a dinner guest. I found this chicken piccata recipe from Allrecipes.com (it has over 700 reviews!), I followed a few of the suggestions from other reviews and added a few of my own. This recipe is with all my adaptions from the previous recipe. I doubled the amounts for the sauce as I served it with Angel hair pasta. The result, OUTSTANDING!

Chicken Piccata

Adapted from Allrecipes.com

• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts


• 1 egg


• 2 Tbsp milk


• 4 Tbsp lemon juice


• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour


• 1/4 tsp garlic powder


• 1/4 tsp paprika


• 1 stick butter


• 1 chicken bouillon


• 1 cup chicken stock, boiling


• 1/2 cup white wine


• 1 Tbsp cornstarch dissolved in water


• 2 Tbsp capers

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, beat egg together with 2 Tbsp lemon juice and milk. Set aside.


2. Place chicken breasts in a plastic bag and close tight. Take a canned good and pound chicken until even thickness about 1/2 inch thick. Half each breast into a medallion or strip. In a shallow bowl or dish mix together the flour, garlic powder, paprika and lemon zest if desired. Lightly floured chicken in flour mixture, then dipped chicken in egg mixture, and back in flour mixture. Place floured chicken on plate and place in refrigerator for about 20 minutes to keep chicken keep its coating.


3. In a large skillet, melt 4 Tbsp butter with a little olive oil and brown the coated chicken on both sides. Place on a baking sheet and place in oven preheated to 250 degrees to keep warm while you prepare sauce.


4. Dissolve the bouillon in the boiling chicken stock, then add to skillet. Add remaining butter, lemon juice, white wine and lemon zest. Cover and let simmer for 20 minutes. Mix cornstarch with water to dissolve then add to sauce to thicken it. Add capers once ready to serve.

Serves with Angel hair pasta, Cesar salad and red wine.

ENJOY!!