Vanilla cupcakes

These cupcakes did turn out perfectly moist and delicious!  Frosted with the vanilla buttercream that we just posted, they're pretty amazing.  We didn't have any sour cream so we substituted plain Greek yogurt instead and it worked great. 

 YIELD: 14 CUPCAKES

BEST EVER MOIST VANILLA CUPCAKES

Forget the box mix, these easy, from-scratch Moist Vanilla Cupcakes really are the best ever. The recipe turns out amazing every time, and the sweet white cupcakes are perfect for everything from birthdays to baby showers, and weekends to weddings!

prep time20 MINUTES

 

cook time20 MINUTES

 

total time40 MINUTES

Ingredients

•  1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
•  1/4 cup cornstarch
•  1 teaspoon baking powder
•  1/4 teaspoon baking soda
•  1/4 teaspoon salt
•  1/2 cup salted butter, at room temperature
•  1 cup granulated sugar
•  3 egg whites, at room temperature
•  3 teaspoons vanilla extract (or vanilla bean paste)
•  1/2 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
•  1/2 cup sour cream, OR greek yogurt, at room temperature
•  1/2 cup whole milk, at room temperature

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line muffin pans with cupcake liners. Whisk the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl.
2. Beat the butter on high speed in a stand mixer or using a handheld mixer for 1 minute until creamy and light. Add sugar and beat another 2 minutes. Scrape sides and bottom of the bowl.
3. Add eggs and vanilla, beating on medium-high speed until combined. Beat in sour cream.
4. Add the dry ingredients, mixing on low speed just until combined, then scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl.
5. With the mixer running on low speed, add the milk, stirring just until combined. Do not overmix.
6. Fill each cupcake liner about 2/3 full with batter, then bake for 19-22 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean.
7. Cool completely before frosting.

• Vanilla bean paste is wonderful in these cupcakes because it adds little brown flecks of vanilla throughout the cupcakes. But it tastes the same in my opinion and most bakers won't have it in their cupboards so I typically just use real vanilla extract instead. Use an equal amount of vanilla bean paste as you would vanilla extract if you choose to use it.
• Recipe from https://houseofnasheats.com/vanilla-cupcake-recipe/

This frosting is delicious!  She recommended adding 1/8 tsp each of coconut extract and almond extract.  We didn't have almond, which is o.k. because I don't like sugar cookies or buttercream with almond extract but we did add the coconut extract and it's SO good.  

 YIELD: 12-16 SERVINGS

VANILLA BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting is creamy, sweet, and fluffy. It's so easy to make and super useful to have in your back pocket to use with your favorite cake and cupcake recipes. It's also great on sandwiched between cookies or even humble graham crackers for a simple, quick treat!

prep time10 MINUTES

 

total time10 MINUTES

•  1 cup salted butter, softened
•  2 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature (optional - don't use if doing intricate piping or decorating as it softens the frosting just a bit more than normal)
•  4-5 cups powdered sugar
•  2 teaspoons vanilla extract
•  3-4 tablespoons heavy cream
•  Pinch of salt, to taste
•  1/8 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
•  1/8 teaspoon coconut extract (optional)

1. Beat butter (and cream cheese, if using) on medium speed for 2-3 minutes until creamy and smooth.
2. Add powdered sugar, vanilla, cream, and salt (and almond and coconut extracts if using). Beat for another 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy.
3. Use a wooden spoon or spatula to stir the frosting by hand for a few minutes to get rid of air bubbles before using to frosting cakes, cupcakes, or cookies.

• Vanilla Bean Buttercream: You can substitute 2 teaspoons of vanilla bean paste for the vanilla extract in the recipe to have beautiful specks of vanilla bean in the finished frosting.
• Storage and Freezing: If making the frosting in advance, it can be stored in the fridge for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw completely and let it come to room temperature, then beat again so it's a nice, light consistency.
• Coconut & Almond Extract Notes: If you find that you really love the coconut and almond flavor, I have gone as far as 1/2 teaspoon of each in this frosting and it tastes wonderful. Some people feel like that is too strong though and it definitely takes it past the vanilla buttercream flavor, but it's such a great variation to really add something different and unusual to your desserts.
• This recipe makes enough for 12-16 cupcakes or a 9x13-inch cake. For larger cakes like a 2- or 3-layer cake, you will want to make 1.5x or even double the batch, especially if you want enough frosting to pipe borders or other decorations.
• Recipe from https://houseofnasheats.com/vanilla-buttercream-frosting/

Homemade Puff Pastry

I was surprised at how easy it is to make puff  pastry but I'll happily make my own from now on.  This worked really well for the Irish Cottage Pie that I made and I have some left over so I guess I should probably make a dessert tonight.  :) 

10 Minute Homemade Puff Pastry

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cup very cold butter (salted) (262 grams)
• 1/2 cup very cold water (118 grams)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt**
• 2 cups all-purpose flour (260 grams)

• Using a food processor fitted with the metal blade, add flour and salt to the bowl, then add 3/4 cup (170 grams) cold butter cut in cubes and pulse until butter is absorbed (about 10 to 12 one second pulses), then add the remaining cold butter (cubed) and pulse two or three times (no more) to combine, add the cold water and pulse four or five times just until the dough comes together to form a ball (really important not to over process).
• On a lightly floured surface place dough and knead lightly approximately 10 times. With a lightly floured rolling- pin (lightly flour the dough so it doesn't stick) roll into a rectangle approximately 12 x 18 inches (30 x 45 centimeters).
• Fold the dough in half and then half again and one last time, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 1 - 2 hours

Recipe from https://anitalianinmykitchen.com/puff-pastry/

Easy Irish Cottage Pie

For St.  Patty's Day yesterday, we made this for dinner.  I made my own puff pastry dough because I didn't want to spend $6 on a box of it at the store and it was really easy and turned out yummy.  I used ground turkey instead of beef, which was great.  And I used a can of mushrooms, drained, because I forgot to buy fresh mushrooms.  The canned ones worked great.  

EASY IRISH COTTAGE PIE

This Irish Cottage Pie recipe is an easy and tasty comfort food meal everyone loves. This family favorite is made with ground beef (mince) and vegetables baked in a delicious gravy filling topped with pastry and baked until perfectly golden brown. 

 YIELD: 6 SERVINGS

PREP TIME20 minutes

COOK TIME25 minutes

TOTAL TIME45 minutes

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and thaw one sheet of puff pastry.
INGREDIENTS

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 lb lean ground beef
  
  
• One package of mushrooms, sliced
• 1 cup finely chopped onion
• 2 carrots, diced small
• 3 tbsp flour
• 1/2 cup beef stock
  
  
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves (or 1/2 tsp dried)
• 1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
• 1 egg, lightly whisked
  
  INSTRUCTIONS

1. Place the olive oil in a 12-inch skillet set over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the onion and carrots; saute just until they begin to soften, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the ground beef and mushrooms; cook until browned, about 3 minutes.
2. Sprinkle the meat with the flour and toss to coat, continue cooking for another minute, stirring constantly. Then add the tomato paste, stock, Worcestershire, mustard, salt, pepper, and thyme; stir to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes or until the sauce is thickened slightly.
3. Meanwhile, roll out the thawed puff pastry until it fits the size of your baking dish. I like to trace my baking dish on the sheet of puff pastry so that it fits perfectly cutting it out using a sharp knife or pastry cutter.
4. When the beef filling is cooked, transfer it to the baking dish. Top with the puff pastry, making sure it that it comes to the edges. The pastry will shrink slightly when baked. Whisk the egg slightly and brush over the pastry.
5. Place the cottage pie on a parchment-lined sheet pan and bake in the oven for 25 minutes or until the puff pastry is nicely browned. Let cool slightly before serving.

Recipe slightly altered, originally from: https://www.31daily.com/irish-cottage-pie-recipe/

Lemon Thumbprint Cookies

 

Lemon thumbprint cookies

*Make Lemon Curd ahead!

·        1 cup (16 tablespoons) butter, at room temperature

·        3/4 cup white granulated sugar

·        1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract

·        3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

·        1 tablespoon cornstarch

·        1/4 teaspoon salt

·        2 cups + 2 tablespoons white all-purpose flour

·        1/2 cup prepared lemon curd 

·        1/2 cup white granulated sugar, for rolling the cookies in

Glaze

·        1 cup powdered sugar

·        3-4 tablespoons heavy whipping cream (or 2 tablespoons whole milk)

·        1 drop pure almond extract 

Lemon Curd (MAKE AHEAD)

• COOKIES: In a large bowl, add the room-temperature butter and sugar. Beat at medium speed until smooth and creamy, scraping the sides as needed. Add the almond, vanilla extract, cornstarch, and salt and mix until combined. Add flour to the bowl. Beat together at low speed, scraping bowl as needed, until all ingredients are combined. Do not over-mix the dough.
• CHILL COOKIES: Shape the cookies into small balls -- the size of 1 tablespoon (using a tablespoon measuring spoon to form and measure balls) and then roll the cookie dough balls in the 1/2 cup granulated sugar until generously coated. Next, gently indent the center of each cookie dough ball with your finger. Place these cookies 2 inches apart on a Silpat or parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour (or freeze for 30 minutes). Remove from the fridge and add completely chilled and thickened lemon curd to fill (but not over fill) the centers of all the cookies. Return the cookies to the fridge for 10 more minutes.
• BAKE: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes or until very lightly browned and the tops are no longer glossy (slightly under bake for soft and delicious shortbread cookies).
• COOL COOKIES: Remove cookies to a cooling rack and allow them to cool completely. Meanwhile, prepare the glaze by whisking all the ingredients together in a bowl until smooth. (Add heavy whipping cream or milk until you've reached your desired consistency; I like the glaze on the thicker side, but you may want to add a bit more cream or milk).
• GLAZE: Drizzle the glaze over the cookies (either drizzle with a spoon or transfer the glaze to a plastic bag and cut off the tip to pipe). Allow the glaze to set. Cookies are best enjoyed within 3-4 days; store in an airtight container at room temperature.

FOR THE LEMON CURD

·        1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar

·        1 tablespoon (9 g) grated lemon zest one large lemon

·        1/2 cup lemon juice (about 3 lemons)

·        3 large eggs

·        4 egg yolks

·        4 tablespoons (56.5 g) cold unsalted butter cut into small pieces

·        Whisk the sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice in a medium saucepan. Whisk in the whole eggs and yolks in a small bowl and then whisk them into the lemon mixture. Cook the mixture over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until it's thick like pudding, about 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter, a few pieces at a time until incorporated. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a small bowl, pushing it through with a rubber spatula. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until completely set, at least 4 hours and up to 5 days.

https://www.chelseasmessyapron.com/lemon-curd-cookies/