It's a Knock Out

This past week I had been given an assignment. No, not Trig homework or a dreaded research paper on the anatomy and comparison of Eastern Grey Kangaroos and Siberian Huskies (True story), but my homework was to bake cupcakes. Specifically chocolate and/or carrot. So hard right? Let me just say, baking cupcakes gives a whole new sound and liking to the word "homework". This is what I really call being out of high school. (For now at least)

My sister will be serving cupcakes at her outdoor wedding in beautiful Crested Butte, Colorado, the kind stated above, and she needed someone who was willing to dig, delve, and discover some of the best wedding worthy chocolate and carrot cupcake recipes out there. I was flattered to be put on this job since she knows I like to bake, but I am sure she also took into thought that testing out a few recipes here and there would entail lots and lots of cupcake throw downs. This also meant that my poor dad , brother, and brother-in-law would also be on the job, making sure these tiny cakes don’t go wasted. That was not hard, not too hard at all. SO simple, a 24 batch was made and there are now to be EXACT four cupcakes left. Were going on day two here. You get the picture.

I went online to browse some carrot cake recipes and I stumbled across a Carrot Cake by the now beloved Alton Brown. Some times weird, unusual, and annoying, but he really knows is Carrot Cake. These cupcakes were rated at a five star, which gave me the assurance that they would be somewhat Wedding Worthy. And yes, in my belief they truly were. So, I threw on my recently created apron (Scrapes from Grandma’s shed I might add–what better way to use them!) and got to work on my “dreadful” assignment.

I have never been a die hard fan for carrot cake, but these were close to perfection. The fresh nutmeg (In my opinion, the most important ingredient here besides maybe the carrots:) gives these cakes a refreshing nutty flavor. The added yogurt makes these delicate's so moist and silky, but the walnuts lend texture and crunch. And what could be better than to top these with a buttery cream cheese frosting-Need I say more? There are so many outlandish things going on here, from nutty to spicy to moist and crunchy, these sure are a knock out.





Carrot Cake Cupcakes
From Alton Brown’s Carrot Cake.

Cupcake liners
2 1/2 cups, all-purpose flour
6 medium carrots, medium grate
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/3 cups white sugar
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
3 large eggs
6 ounces plain yogurt
6 ounces vegetable oil
Cream Cheese Frosting, recipe follows
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Line two cupcake pans with liners.
Put the carrots into a large mixing bowl and set aside.
Put the flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt in the bowl of a food processor and process for 5 seconds. Add this mixture to the carrots and toss until they are well-coated with the flour.
In the bowl of the food processor combine the sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and yogurt.
With the processor still running drizzle in the vegetable oil. Pour this mixture into the carrot mixture and stir until just combined. Pour the batter into prepared cupcake pans 3/4 + full.
Bake until knife inserted comes out clean and the tops are lightly browned, Anout 20 to 25 minutes.
Remove the pan(s) from the oven and allow cake to cool 15 minutes in the pan. After 15 minutes remove cupcakes from pans. Frost with cream cheese frosting after cake has cooled completely.

Cream Cheese Frosting:
8 ounces cream cheese
2 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
9 ounces powdered sugar, sifted, approximately 2 cups
In the bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attachment, combine the cream cheese and butter on medium just until blended. Add the vanilla and beat until combined. With the speed on low, add the powdered sugar in 4 batches and beat until smooth between each addition.
Place the frosting in the refrigerator for 5 to 10 minutes before using.
Yield: approximately 2 cups

Makes standard cupcakes

Alterations. I added 1 1/4 cup walnuts to give these cakelets a bit more texture (pecans would be good too) With that being said, I added 8 ounces of yogurt instead of six for added moisture. I also decided to use 2 teaspoons of maple syrup instead of vanilla in the frosting. This gave the frosting a unique flavor. Quite delicious! Raisins may be added if your a raisin fan, but I left them out.

Another note: Fresh nutmeg is the star in the show. Be sure to find a nub of this stuff before you get onto any cupcake adventures.

Never Enough Chocolate

I’ve been kind of going cookie crazy lately trying out a few new recipes here and there. There is something comforting about chocolate chip cookies. It’s almost like going back to the basics of baking. Every baker should have some sort of chocolate chip cookie recipe on hand. Can you imagine a baker without a slick recipe for this stuff around? I’ve got boxes and boxes of recipes around. Loose, grubby, hard-to-read recipes on newspaper clippings and 3 x 5 cards lurk the basement back-room, the bedroom dressers; some even peek out under the bed. I would be glad to celebrate each evening baking a new treat from a new recipe I found in the house stash, but I am kind of hesitant on some of them. Many are from great aunt’s and long past relatives I don’t know and others are given from church-goers I don’t reckon of. All sound certainly delish, but something pulls me back, my conscious nags at my shoulder saying there is a better option for tonight’s sugar dish. So what would that be? What could possibly be better than Sharon Locey’s rhubarb bars or Grandma’s peanut brittle? Well, the same chocolate chip cookie recipe that I have made countless times for several years jumps into my mind as THE very dessert to make. I hate to say that nothing else has out shined this tender little treat.

A few years ago, my sister Laura claimed her Cookie Dough fame and told me that she had created her own recipe for chocolate chip cookies. I thought to myself, heck, how would YOU make up your own cookie dough concoction? She assured me she did everything right, and she made the best cookie recipe I would ever lay my senses upon. I don’t know why I would have trusted her for she was not an avid baker, but I decided to give it a go. I hate to say it, but she was right. Whether she came up with the recipe herself or not, it sure is good. To this day, I have this recipe scribbled down on a little note sheet of paper in Laura’s handwriting. This is by far the most used cookie recipe in the Schouweiler household. Unlike some things in life, it never seemed to let us down. These cookies are so tender and delicate, lending a smooth and creamy chocolaty taste. I could take a chocolate bath with the amount of brown bite-fulls that are in these cookies. They are baked to perfection; just underdone in the center with a nice caramelized rim.


Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 ¼ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips ( Good quality preferably)
2 sticks butter, at room temperature
¾ cup granulated sugar
¾ cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp pure vanilla extract

In a bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. Stir with a whisk until well mixed. Set aside. (Helpful hint: Stir the flour, baking soda, and salt mixture well to ensure that the baking soda is distributed evenly. Baking soda distributed evenly ensures that your cookies rise and expand the same.)

In a stand mixer combine the butter and sugars. Using the paddle, mix until the mixture is smooth and fluffy (four to five minutes). Add 1 egg at a time and mix to incorporate. Add the vanilla and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Mix a few seconds longer. Gently mix dry ingredients into the batter being sure not to over mix. Fold in chocolate chips. Cover with plastic wrap and put in refrigerator for 1-2 hours. You can even make these several days ahead and chill the batter.
When ready, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Roll dough with your hands into balls. (About 2 tablespoons each)
Bake cookies for about 12 minutes or until golden brown around the edges and slightly soft and “undercooked” in the center. Remove pan from oven. The centers will continue to cook even when out of the oven. Let cool for a few minutes and transfer to a cookie sheet or paper bag that has been cut flat.

Cookie craziness has put me in the position to try yet another cookie recipe. I’m not making large amount of sweets here to share with the neighbors or take to a pot-luck, but they do go mighty fast with two boys around the house. This is all the more reason to make another batch. These cookies, here me, aren’t trying to replace Laura’s, but they are a bit different, and they are sure good to have around. These are oatmeal cookies-slightly different in taste and a 9 yard run in texture. I was a bit confused when I read the recipe because I have never encountered a mix of flour and sugar before adding the butter? I was crossed at the idea of deviating away of my go-to cookie. My mom assured me these are very unique-flat oatmeal cakelets that are crispy on the outside but smooth and soft on the inside. It’s all that a Chips Ahoy wishes to be. So I took her word and these cookies came into kitchen light.

Crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside . These sure are delish—so scrumptious, they were gone in one day. I think I’ll keep these guys around.


Oatmeal Cookies

1 C. Flour
½ C. Sugar + additional sugar for rolling
½ C. brown sugar
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
½ cup butter
1 egg
½ tsp vanilla
¾ cup oats
¼ c. walnuts or ½ cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Whisk together first 6 ingredients. With a stand mixer, mix in butter, egg, and vanilla until incorporated. Form batter into small balls and roll in sugar.
Bake 10-12 minutes or until edges are brown and centers are soft.

Note: I was told to use quick oats with this recipe and they turned out great. Although, when I make them again I want to use rolled oats to see the difference. Just a bit of an experiment that’s all. Also, I used chocolate chips because my family can never get enough chocolate.

Missed You

I have fallen in love with my bike. Through dirt and mud to pavement and roads, it has been with me. Granted, I have only had it for one year now, but it has been a heck of a year. This bike, who has no name at this point, has pleased me beyond belief. If I am having a bad day. I go bike. If I feel tired, believe it or not, I go bike. When I am bored, well, you guessed it, I hit the trails. So, you get the picture here. Through good times and bad, biking never lets me down. I've never been much into the Zen of yoga. Such exercise frightens me. I don't know how it is done. Tree pose, maybe. But gravity has sadly defeated my efforts of lifting my body off of the floor while my palms spread wide, hold me upward. For now, its just not going to happen. While on a bike, my behind sits happily centered on a bike chair, my hands gracefully reach the handle ,and my toes glide easily onto the pedals with a slight bend in the knee. All positions of which my body has been accustomed too. My joints are intact and my body is saying YES! IT'S TIME TO RIDE! I'm not putting down yoga, I guess I am just slamming myself for the incapability of this art. So anyhow, its been a long two weeks without my bike. My two weeks have been filled with not enough time in the kitchen, at the dinner table, in my bath tub, and in bed. Instead high school filled with final exams, research papers, and graduation prep has occupied my mind. Its sad that the very things I dislike are the very subjects that were granted the most attention. But, I am graduated now, so there is more time to spend doing what I love to do. Shouldn’t life always be that way?

Today being a free day, I got to ride my nameless friend. I don't know if I should name it? It's a custom to name your car, so why not your other (or only..) prize possession. Should it be a boy or a girl? I don't know. Rumor is most cars are named after a she. Why is that? Maybe I should give the male gender a chance. I need some suggestions for names. I'll ask around.

It was a good ride today. Very, very hot. I wound my way around Otter Lake and back, just enough to be drenched in mud and sweat. Yes I traversed across a few mud holes and ponds on the way, just to get a few bugs and bites.
My ride was wonderful, just what I needed to end the day. I even got to take a dip in the pool. It was bliss.

Hunger quickly grew and my mother had fired up the grill. It was a beautiful evening with sun and clear skys, so there is not one excuse for cooking inside. You may be thinking we sat down to have some burgers or maybe even a few slabs of grilled chicken ,but I wouldn't settle for that, not after what was on our dinner special. Yes, we indulged in none other than grilled Brat Pizzas. %^*&%@##$#WHAT! That’s a mouth full. Yes, it was truly delicious. Mound full’s of bratwurst over a Greek pita, olive tapenade, garlic, and tomato sauce, smothered in mozzarella cheese, and carmelized onions. It was my mother who was in charge of this grill creation. Since, Italian sausage wasn't remnant in the house, what better substitution than bratwursts? The brat's gave it a nice salty/greasy sensation. Not always the healthy way to go, brat's not being my favorite, but every once in awhile your belly needs the Great Brat Awakening. Brat pieces were mounded atop the crusty pitas. The pitas caramelized to perfection around the edges, and the top was smothered with golden hughed mozzarella. These little pitas were absolutely stunning and even more than that, truly delish! So I encourage all who have some brat's on hand, especially those of you from Wisconsin, to try this easy dinner mouthfuls. Italian sausage no more, wer'e having a brat party!

To counteract the grease feast, I decided to take on a salad. A few mixed greens and green onions did the trick. Toss that with some cumin clove gouda,toasted almonds, and candied walnuts, and you've got yourself a treat. What better way to use the cheese in the back corner of your fridge than toss it in a salad, especially those with unique flavors.



Grilled Brat Pizzas

2 Greek pitas sliced in half
Olive Oil
Tomatoes sauce (3/4 cup or so)
2 to 3 giant bratwurst cooked and chopped.
1 onion sliced
4 tablespoons Olive tapenade
1-2 cloves garlic chopped
About 2 cups of mozzarella cheese

Heat bratwursts in a sauce pan with water or beer(which is the best option) until cooked through. When cool, chop bratwurst into small pieces. In a frying pan, saute onions in a bit of olive oil, on low heat until soft and carmelized.

Fire the grill on high. Slice 2 Greek pitas in half. Drizzle them with a bit of olive oil. Smother in tomatoes sauce (just enough to coat the pitas.) Top each pita slice with 1 tablespoon. olive tapenade, garlic, and onion. Lather the pitas with chopped bratwurst following mozzarella cheese. With a spatula, transfer pitas onto the grill, and turn the grill to medium.

Grill until outer crust is golden and mozzarella cheese is nicely melted.

Serves Four




Walnut Salad

8 or so cups of mixed greens
1/3 cup green onions chopped
1 cup Walnuts (or pecans..)
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil or butter
1 cup walnuts (Enough for leftovers)
1/4 cup toasted sliced almonds
1/2 cup Cumin Clove gouda shredde6
salt


In a saucepan heat the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and sugar until sugar has disolved. Mix in walnuts and coat with sauce. Transfer to parchment lined cookie sheet and cool in freezer until the sugar has hardened. (10 minutes or so..) Heat frying pan on high. Toast almonds with a pinch of salt until just golden. Be sure not to leave the stove; these burn quickly!

Toss the greens,onion,cheese, and nuts. Serve with favorite dressing.

Note: I usually make my own salad dressing, but I fell in love with Salad Girl's Pomegrante Pear dressing. Fruity and sweet, and healthy too; a perfect compliment to fresh greens. I would love to try their other dressings as well! They all look very unique and delicious. You can take a look here. Regarding the cheese, a blue cheese or parmesan will do. I just so happened to have Marieke Gouda's Cumin Clove in the fridge. A very exotic combination; the cumin lends spice to the age old cheese while the clove gives it a nutty, bold flavor. My mom and I found this first generation cheese farm near Chippewa Falls, WI. Marieke and her children happily greeted us on their Dutch farm with dozens of samples that took me to cheese heaven. If you wish, check these out here. Or if your in that area, stop by and she may just give you a cheese tour.

Another note...You will have leftover walnuts for future use. You do not by all means have to use both almonds and walnuts. I was just feeling real nutty;)