Season Of Sweets

 

I love a Nestle Drumstick ice cream cone!  They bring me right back to my summer days as a kid.  Buying them from the snack shack on the beach or from the ice cream man that cruised the neighborhood.  Well, lately it has felt like summer around here.  No warning,  just scorching heat–wam bam for a few days!   That’s all I needed for an excuse to grab a box of Drumsticks at the market and while savoring that ooey gooey caramel center–I just knew this combo would make a fun cupcake.

 

 

Caramel Drumstick Cupcakes
1 recipe for cupcakes
1 recipe for buttercream
caramel flavored syrup
semi-sweet chocolate chips
shortening
chopped peanuts

Once cupcakes are baked and cooled,  scoop out a small hole in the center of the cupcake.  After filling with caramel syrup, top with “plug” of cake.  Frost with buttercream and place in the refrigerator.   When the buttercream has chilled firm,  covered with melted chocolate (add 1 tablespoon of shortening to 1 cup of melted chocolate chips).  Sprinkle with peanuts and set aside until chocolate has set.

 

Cupcakes:
1 white cake mix
4 egg whites
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix all ingredients with a mixer about 2 minutes.  Spoon batter in lined cupcake pan.  Bake about 20 minutes.  Cool on wired rack.  Makes 24 cupcakes.

 

Buttercream:
3 cups powdered sugar
1 cup butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
1-2 tablespoons milk or cream

With a mixer on low speed, mix together sugar and butter.  Increase speed to medium and beat for 3 minutes.  Add vanilla and milk/cream and beat for 1 minute.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When Mother’s Day rolls around, I like to think of all the women who have shared the journey of motherhood with me. For as much as I liked to say I could do this job myself, I can’t.  I am a blessed women by those who have touched my life!  So to celebrate this special day and remember a special lady, I’m making Grandma’s Cottage Cheese Pancakes.   I can still picture Grandma around her old stove, with her well seasoned pan, frying up batches of pancakes.  Of course the kids didn’t know Grandma was putting “cottage cheese” in the batter but they were all at the table before the pancakes were on the plate!  They knew what was coming!  Grandma always served these with jam and that’s how we do it!  Enjoy and Happy Mother’s Day!

Grandma’s Cottage Cheese Pancakes
3 eggs, separated
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup flour
1 cup cottage cheese

In a bowl, add egg yolks and remaining ingredients;  mix well.  Whip the egg whites until light and fluffy.  Fold the egg whites into cottage cheese mixture just until combined.  On a hot greased pan, drop 1/4 cup of batter.  Cook over medium-low heat until golden about 2 minutes  (bubbles on surface should pop first).  Flip over and cook the other side.
Makes 7 pancakes.

 

 

 

 

Here I go again…another graham cracker recipe!  I can’t help it.  They are a favorite of mine as you can tell by an earlier post of homemade graham crackers.  If you’ve never heard or tried Marcy Goldman’s Caramel Matzoh Crunch you are really missing awesomeness!!  I have yet to meet a person who doesn’t love it.  It is one of my favorite go-to recipes for potlucks or gift-giving.  I have often wondered what it would be like if it were made with graham crackers.  Well now I know—more awesomeness!!  Enjoy!

 

Chocolate Caramel Graham Crunch

graham crackers
1 cup unsalted butter
1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Toppings of choice:  coconut, toffee pieces, nuts, etc.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cover a cookie sheet with foil, then line with parchment paper. Line bottom of pan evenly with graham crackers, cutting extra pieces to fit any spaces on the cookie sheet as evenly as possible.  Combine butter and brown sugar in a saucepan.  Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil.  Continue to cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and pour over graham crackers.  Place in hot oven and immediately reduce heat to 350 F. Bake for 15 minutes, checking every few minutes to make sure mixture is not burning, rotating pan if necessary.  Remove from the oven and sprinkle graham crackers immediately with chocolate chips. Let stand 5 minutes then spread melted chocolate over graham crackers.  Cool slightly, then sprinkle topping over chocolate. Chill in refrigerator until set.   Break into pieces and store in an airtight container.

Recipe adapted from Marcy Goldman

 

 

 

 

Just like Julie over at Mommie Cooks, I too had churros on my wish list of things to make.  When I came across her “chocolate” churros, I knew that was the recipe I wanted to try.  But with Cinco de Mayo this weekend, I decided to spice it up a bit!  I happen to love the warmth of the cayenne which makes me go for those chocolate bars with chili in them. By adding the cayenne in the sugar mixture at the end, it can be easily adapted for the sissies in your life…..I mean for those who don’t prefer the hot stuff

 Spicy Chocolate Churros
1 cup flour
2 tablespoons cocoa
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 cup water
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Oil for frying

In a small bowl, mix together flour, cocoa, 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon and set aside.  In a saucepan, add the water, brown sugar, salt and bring to a rolling boil.  Remove from the heat and stir in the flour mixture.  Stir until a dough ball forms.  Next add in the eggs and vanilla, using an electric mixer, if desired.  Prepare a pastry bag with a large star tip (Wilton 1M) and fill with dough.  Fill a large pot with 1″ of cooking oil.  Once the oil is good and hot, pipe churros into oil.
Cook for about a minute on each side, then drain on paper towel.  Mix together the sugar, remaining teaspoon of cinnamon and cayenne.  Coat the cooled churros in the sugar mixture and enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Mommie Cooks

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just when I thought kumquats couldn’t get any better, I came across candied kumquats.  I just love the glassy look they get after simmering in a bath of simple syrup. They have an addicting sweet taste with the punch of tartness that makes them a great topping for buttercream cupcakes.  Add a puree of kumquats to buttercream for an added boost of flavor!

 

Cupcakes
1 white cake mix
4 egg whites
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients with a mixer about 2 minutes.  Spoon batter in lined cupcake pan. Bake about 20 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking.  Cool on wired rack.  Makes 24 cupcakes.

 

Kumquat Buttercream
1 stick unsalted butter
1/2 cup shortening
1 tablespoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
4 tablespoons milk or heavy cream
1/4 cup kumquat puree*

With an electric mixer, blend butter and shortening until smooth.  Add vanilla and salt.  Alternately, add powdered sugar and milk, fully incorporating after each addition.  Stir in kumquat puree.  Makes about 3 cups.

*To make puree:  Cut kumquats in half.  Remove seeds and pith.  Puree kumquats in a blender adding water, a tablespoon at a time to make a smooth consistency.

 

Candied Kumquats
sliced kumquats, seed removed
1 cup water
1 cup sugar

In a saucepan, stir together water and sugar.  Over a low heat, simmer until sugar dissolves.  Float kumquat slices on top and simmer for 25 minutes until translucent.  Be careful not to crowd the kumquats or let mixture boil which would make them stick to each other.  Remove from sugar syrup with a fork, tapping off excess before placing on parchment to cool.  Once cooled, store in a single layer between parchment and covered until ready to serve.