Carrot Cake Muffins TWO ways

This is a great carrot cake recipe I have been making for more than 20 years. Back in the day when I was a buyer, one of our vendors sent me a cookbook to place in our stores . . . don't remember if I ever bought this particular one, I think I did, but I found this recipe and loved it! The book is Bobwhite Quail & Buttermilk Biscuits.
When the kids were little I would make it for Easter. I have a bunny head shaped muffin pan that was perfect and we would ice and decorate. Recently, I baked them as regular muffins but still wanted that cream cheese flavor without icing them and turning them into more of a cupcake. This is what I came up with. . . a cream cheese filling adapted from another recipe and it worked beautifully. I have included all of the icing variations offered in the book. I have never tried the Glaze, but now that I have taken a closer look, I may have to try it soon!
I also love that this batter can be mixed so easily by hand.



INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 C Salad Oil, I use Canola or Vegetable oil
2 C Sugar
2 C Cake flour, I use all purpose
2 tsp. Baking Powder
3 C Grated Carrots
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1 tsp. Cinnamon
1 tsp. Salt
4 Eggs
1 C Chopped Pecans, optional

PREPARATION:
Grease and flour 3, 9 inch round cake pans, or line muffin pans with paper liners, or grease and flour a shaped pan, your call.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Combine oil and sugar in a large bowl, mix well. Sift together the dry ingredients. Sift half of the dry ingredients into the sugar/oil mixture. (I don't double sift as it describes in the recipe, I sift once then follow the remaining directions.) Sift remaining dry ingredients alternating with the eggs one at a time. Add carrots and mix well. Stir in pecans. Pour batter into the prepared pans. If baking muffins, fill cups 3/4 full, bake plain or add a teaspoon full of the cream cheese mixture. I did half and half.
Cake: Bake for 25 minutes, rotating if necessary and test with a toothpick. Muffins: bake approximately 15 minutes, I always rotate half way through baking and test a couple of minutes prior to test for doneness. Every oven bakes differently, so get to know yours and adjust temperatures and cooking times accordingly.

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:
1 Stick Butter, softened
8 oz. Cream Cheese, softened
1 C Finely Chopped Pecans
1 box Confectioners Sugar
1 tsp. Vanilla, I also like almond extract for a change
I don't put nuts in both the cake and the frosting, I think it is a little overkill.

PREP: Combine butter, cream cheese, sugar and vanilla. Add nuts and spread on the cake.

CARROT CAKE GLAZE:
1 C Sugar
1/2 C Buttermilk
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1 T. Light Corn Syrup
Dash of salt

PREP: Place all ingredients in a saucepan and cook until thickened, about 2 or 3 minutes. That is all the recipe says, I am guessing you just pour or spread it over the cake layers??? I will have to try this.

CREAM CHEESE FILLING:
5 1/2 oz. Cream Cheese, room temperature
1 egg, room temperature
1/3 C powdered sugar

PREP: Mix cream cheese and egg until combined well. Mix in the powdered sugar. Scoop a full teaspoon into the center of each muffin and bake.

Gingerbread Caramels (Martha Stewart's)

THANKS MARTHA!!!
What a great discovery. This caramel recipe is so easy and the perfect holiday gift! Martha Stewart does it again. One slight change, since I made them with a friend, who happens to not enjoy nutmeg, we left that out. Didn't really notice any great difference, they still had an amazing gingerbread flavor. The best part is you can cut them however big or small you like. We had a ridiculous yield from a double batch. Everyone I gave them to couldn't thank me enough. These will become a staple in my holiday baking.

I also drizzled some with chocolate and of course you could dip the entire caramel as well. The best part is these tiny squares of buttery goodness can be kept for one month. The perfect do-ahead treat! Take full advantage of that. **These need to sit over night prior to cutting and they do take a while to wrap, so give yourself plenty of time, they are not a last minute job.
I have included Martha's directions almost word for word, along with some of the things I have found helpful.



INGREDIENTS:
4 C heavy cream
2 C light corn syrup
4 C sugar
6 oz. unsalted butter, 12 T. cut into small pieces
1 1/2 C unsulfered molasses
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp ginger
3/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground clove
Pam, cooking spray

PREPARATION:
Prepare your pan, spray a half sheet pan with cooking spray and line with two pieces of parchment paper, allowing it to overhand the sides and ends of the pan. Spray parchment with cooking spray and set aside.

In a large pot (I use a heavy copper pot, it is the best conductor of heat) over high heat, bring cream, corn syrup, sugar, butter, and molasses to a boil, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Continue to cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until mixture reaches 248 degrees (firm-ball stage) on a candy thermometer, about 20 minutes. (Martha says 20 minutes, but it usually takes longer)

I SAY: Have your spices mixed and ready to go, it is a good idea to put them through a fine sieve, and sprinkle evenly over the surface of the caramel. If you just drop them in, they tend to clump. MARTHA SAYS: Remove from heat, and stir in vanilla, salt, and spices. Immediately pour onto prepared sheet, without scraping pot. (I scrape the pot, just not the bottom) It is great to do this with a friend, the extra pair of hands are such a blessing. Let stand, uncovered, 24 hours at room temperature (do not move pan).

I SAY: If you use a large plastic cutting board, you do not need to coat it with additional cooking spray. I don't worry about the exact size in inches. I begin by cutting the piece of caramel in half, then again in half and again, until I have each original half cut into quarters. It is much easier to manage the smaller pieces and just eyeball it. I do not like the waxed paper wrappers. You can find cellophane on line in packages of 1,000. You will be surprised how quickly you will go through the wrappers. MARTHA SAYS: Generously coat a large cutting board with cooking spray. Lifting it by the parchment overhang, invert caramel onto the cutting board; use a sharp knife to loosen parchment, and remove. Cut into 1-by-1 1/4-inch pieces. Wrap each in cellophane or waxed paper. Caramels can be stored up to 1 month in airtight containers.

Acorn Squash

A Fall Favorite! I grew up with this squash growing in the garden and my mom preparing it by roasting it in the oven using butter, salt and pepper. She would halve the squash, scoop out the seeds, fill the center with butter, salt and pepper and bake in the oven until tender. This version is a little more flavorful and cooks a little quicker. I love coming back to these childhood staples and creating something just a little bit different. I have added a new twist to "Mom's acorn squash", by cutting them differently and adjusting the seasoning.


INGREDIENTS:
1 Acorn Squash
Salt & Pepper
2 T Butter, melted
2 T Olive Oil
1 tsp Cayenne Pepper
1/4 C Brown Sugar

PREPARATION:
Slice the squash in half length wise and remove seeds. Continue to slice the squash into rings that are about 1/2 inch thick. Cut those rings in half if desired. Line a jelly roll pan(half sheet, 9X15X 1/2inch pan) with foil. Place squash in pan and drizzle with olive oil and butter. Season with salt and pepper, cayenne and sprinkle with brown sugar. Flip squash pieces half way through cooking. Roast in 350 degree oven for 35-45 minutes until tender.

Sweet & Savory Asian Short Ribs

Nothing says fall, like comfort food and short ribs are one of my favorite dishes to cook and eat. I wanted to get away from the standard tomato and red wine base. After researching various recipes, I decided to go with ingredients that suggest an Asian flavor. Loosely based on a recipe from Country Living, this is what I came up with and boy was it a hit! Once again, to my surprise, Beep shared that he may like this version better than the original. I also loved the cut of the ribs I used for this recipe, I had never seen them this way. The ribs were cut across the bone, so they were about 1 inch thick and three bones in length, rather than one bone that is usually 4 inches in length. I found them at my local Sams Club and they seemed to have less fat and more meat when sliced this way.
Next time, I plan to have a few additional ingredients on hand to add to the final dish, water chestnuts, baby bok choy and pea pods would make for a more well rounded meal.

INGREDIENTS:
3 1/2 - 4 pounds short ribs
2 tsp. granulated garlic
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. adobo seasoning
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
Use these measurements as a ratio, sometimes you may need to prepare additional seasonings to coat all the meat.
1/2 yellow onion, finely diced
1/2 C red wine, I use my standard cooking red, 12 Gauge Cabernet
1/2 C soy sauce
1 C stock, beef if you have it, but chicken will work too
2 C water
6 oz. apricot jam
4-5 large carrots, peeled and cut into 2-3 inch sections
cooked rice, I have found a new favorite brand: Della, a two pound bag found at Central Market for around $5.
Siracha chili sauce
baby bok choy, quartered
1 can sliced water chestnuts
pea pods

PREPARATION:
Season the short ribs and brown in a large skillet in batches until well caramelized on all sides, place in a roasting pan as you brown each rib.


In the skillet, after all ribs are browned, saute the diced onion until translucent, just a couple of minutes. Deglaze the pan adding the wine and stock, lightly scraping all browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Reduce heat to simmer and add the soy, water and jam, stirring until all ingredients are incorporated.
Meanwhile prepare the carrots and add them to the roasting pan. Pour the onions and sauce mixture over the meat and carrots in the roasting pan, cover and roast in the oven for 2 hours. Depending on the size of your ribs, cooking time may vary,the meat should be tender and falling off the bone. I like to prepare this part of the dish ahead, even the day before in some instances.
Remove the meat and carrots from the pan and set aside. Pour the sauce into a separate container and "degrease" the sauce.(if you prepare the day before, the grease will collect and solidify on top and can be easily removed.) If not, skim grease from the top with a spoon, to get the last remnants, use the heel from a loaf of bread, placed flat on the top of the sauce and discard the bread.
Depending on serving time, either refrigerate and follow heating instructions or proceed with these instructions.


Prepare 2 Cups of uncooked rice, following cooking instructions. I use basmati rice.
Meanwhile, in a deep skillet over medium to medium low heat, begin heating the sauce, allowing it to reduce slightly. Taste the sauce and adjust any seasonings, you can add more jam at this point if you would like your sauce to be a little sweeter or pepper flakes for more heat. Add the ribs and carrots to the pan. I pull some of the remaining fat off the ribs, if there is an excessive amount. If any of the rib bones fall off at this point simply discard them. Next time, I will add the water chestnuts, bok choy and pea pods at this point and allow them to simmer and cook through.
To serve, spoon rice into bowls, top with meat, veggies and sauce. I think this makes for a perfect bowl, but Beep likes to top his with Siracha sauce for some extra heat. He also enjoyed the entire mixture stuffed in tortillas, believe it or not!

Profiteroles/Gougeres

Fresh from the oven: profiteroles, can be eaten just as they are or stuffed with just about any filling you can imagine. They also freeze wonderfully and re-crisp easily in the oven. I prefer to re-crisp them even when serving the same day.

Tiny ham stuffed gougeres make a fantastic appetizer.




INGREDIENTS:
1 Cup finely grated Swiss or Gruyere cheese
1 C water
5 T butter
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper
1 C AP flour
5 Large eggs
Special tools: a 40, 70 or 100 cookie scoop
I like to use a 40 scoop if filling or use 100 to serve all by themselves. I almost always double the recipe for a party . . . you will get 24 sandwich size from a single batch. I bake more and fill with a variety of fillings.

PREPARATION:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees and grate the cheese. In a medium sauce pan heat the water, butter, salt, and pepper over medium high heat and bring to a boil. When butter is completely melted, remove from the heat and add all the flour to this mixture in a stand up mixer bowl. If you don't have a stand up mixer, you can mix right in the pan with a wooden spoon, but be ready for a workout!
Beat on medium high with your paddle attachment until the dough leaves the side of the pan. The texture should somewhat resemble mashed potatoes.
Add the cheese and beat until incorporated. Beat in 4 of the eggs, ONE AT A TIME, until each is absorbed by the dough. Continue to beat until the dough is shiny, smooth and when pinched between finger and thumb, it will stretch.
Scoop onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Beat the last egg with 1/2 T. water and brush the tops of the uncooked puffs.
Bake in the upper third of the oven for about 20 minutes an golden brown. You can tap them to test doneness, they should sound hollow. Remove from the oven and serve or store air tight or freeze in baggies to re-crisp and serve later.

To Re-Crisp: Preheat oven to 350 degrees, place on a parchment lined baking sheet, heat 3-5 minutes if room temperature or 5-8 if frozen. Check for crispness often during reheating as ovens may vary.

Slice 3/4 of the way through with a serrated knife and fill with you favorite sandwich pairings. Here are a few I enjoy: ham with spicy mustard aioli, roast beef with sundried tomato aioli, chicken salad, curried chicken salad, turkey with lemon arugula mayonnaise. You can also switch the cheese to 1 1/2 C Parmesan and play with the seasonings as well, adding curry powder, garlic powder and nutmeg. NOT ALL AT THE SAME TIME THOUGH!

Chicken & Rice Soup

The cool weather has finally reached Texas, that means soup time! I was very ambitious and made two this week: an old favorite, Pasta Fagioli and a new concoction, this one. Loosely based on a favorite from trips to Mexico, this is my very "gringo" version of Pazole. Beep had purchased two rotisserie chickens before leaving town and after a couple of days I noticed an untouched chicken staring back at me every time I opened the refrigerator. What to do with that lonely chicken??? It has dropped below 70 degrees, so, "make soup," I thought to myself. The chicken had a neighbor named cilantro, that was left over from some salsa that had been made a few days prior, and I still have jalapenos growning in the back yard, "Make it Mexican soup!" So I did.
Beep LOVED it, I was shocked at just how much he loved it, he barely touched one of his all time favorites, the Pasta Fagioli.


STOCK INGREDIENTS:
1 Rotisserie Chicken
1 Clove garlic
1 Stalk celery
1/4 Yellow onion
1 Handful cilantro leaves and stems
Large pinch Saffron threads

PREPARATION:
6-8 Cups water, enough to cover the chicken
Place all ingredients in a pot and simmer at least 30 minutes. Remove chicken from pot and pull off meat, discarding skin, fat and bones. Set pulled chicken aside. Strain broth into a large glass bowl through a fine sieve, set aside.

SOUP INGREDIENTS:
2 T Olive oil
1/4 Cup diced celery
1/4 Cup diced yellow onion
1 tsp. Salt & Pepper
1/2 tsp. adobo seasoning
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
1 Roasted jalapeno, seeded and minced (Roast over an open flame or in the oven until the skin bubbles and is blackened.)
1 15oz Can Hominy
8 oz. Chicken broth plus reserved broth from above
1 Large red tomato, seeded and diced
Cilantro and Avocado for garnish
1 Cup cooked white rice, I used Basmati rice

PREPARATION:
In the same stock pot, over medium heat, add olive oil and saute celery and onion until caramelized. Season with salt, pepper, adobo, and cumin. Add the jalapeno and saute a minute or two. Pour reserved broth and 8 oz. of broth into the pot. Add the chicken and cooked rice to the pot, simmer 5 minutes. Adjust seasoning, adding more salt and pepper if necessary. Turn off heat and allow to cool. Meanwhile, slice and seed one large tomato. Dice the "meat" of the tomato and add to the soup. Serve with cilantro garnish and slices of fresh avocado or refrigerate and garnish prior to serving. In Cancun, they garnish with sliced radish as well, but I didn't have any on hand.

Crab & Corn Chowder

Summer hasn't quite faded away here in Dallas, but I couldn't resist making this soup as the first one of the season! I had a ton of extra fresh ears of corn thanks to a generous neighbor and I think I found the perfect use for that corn!

Saute your veggies long enough to get some good carmalization, it really brings out the sweetness in the soup.
A wonderful use for the sweet corn that comes with the end of the summer. This is a terrific soup to kick off the transition into Fall. I found a recipe from Emeril Lagasse on-line and made a few changes. He called it a Bisque, but I consider it a chowder, I think of a bisque as being smooth. The roux creates the perfect consistancy. I also used a greater amount of corn. My version is displayed below.

INGREDIENTS:
1 T Olive oil
1 T Butter
1/2 C minced yellow onion
1 Small shallot, minced about 1/4 C
2 Cloves garlic, minced
1/2 C minced celery, 2 ribs
6 ears of fresh corn, cut from the cob
1 tsp. Salt & Pepper
1/2 tsp. Adobo all purpose seasoning
1/2 tsp. Cayenne pepper
1 tsp. Old Bay seasoning
32 oz. Chicken stock
3 Bay leaves
2 C Whole milk
1 3/4 C Heavy cream
3 T blonde roux, see below
1 Pound Jumbo lump crab, picked over to remove any shell
1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
Additional Salt & Pepper if needed, I did



3 T Blond Roux: 3 T butter & 3 T flour, heat butter in a small skillet and melt over medium heat. Add flour and stir occasionally until golden and flour is incorporated, you want to loose that raw flour taste.


PREPARATION:
Cut all your veggies and have ingredients measured and ready to go and this soup will come together very quickly. In a large stock pot over medium heat, add the butter and olive oil. Add the onion, shallot, garlic, corn and celery to the pot. Season with S & P, cayenne and Adobo. Saute all the vegetables about 10 minutes until they begin to get some color, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, in a small saute pan, melt the 3 T butter and add the flour and cook over medium low heat approximately 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and set aside until needed later.
Once the vegetables have taken on a slightly golden color, add the stock and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, and allow to simmer 10 minutes. While the soup is simmering, pick through the crab to remove any shell and set aside. After 10 minutes, of simmering, add the cream and milk, return to a heavy simmer and whisk in roux a little at a time until the soup thickens. I used all the roux and it reached the perfect consistency. Add the crab and the worcestershire. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. I did add a little more S & P. Remove Bay leaves prior to serving.
Makes approximately 2 1/2 Quarts.

This was all that was left after a night of football, not a very glamorous shot, and not a garnish in sight, but I was lucky to get a shot of the finished product at all.

Lucia

Lucia is well worth the wait! It isn't easy to get a table at this South Dallas spot, but if you can swing a reservation, I won't divulge all my secrets on just how, you will not be sorry! The simple flavors and attention to detail are spectacular, to say the least. Small plates offer a taste of everything, and believe me, you will want to taste it all. There were four of us, and we each ordered an appetizer, a pasta course and a main dish, each were shared and sampled by all at the table. Thank heaven we were eating with friends! It would be TOO difficult to choose just one.


We started off with a platter of the house made salamis, the Lardo which just melted in your mouth is something to dream about!
Salumi misti – a tasting of house-made cured meats 14/23
Rabbit and pistachio pâté, fennel/orange salame, porchetta, soppressata,
Duck salame cotto, lardo and chicken liver crostini, Fritto misto of baby squid



Crostini with chicken liver and black mission figs, pork belly with greens and soft egg

The Pasta Course
Rabbit tortelloni en brodo,Spaghetti with zucchini, rock shrimp, chili and mint
, bay scallops and Atlantic smelt with a green almond aioli


The Dinner Course
Pork Shank

Lamb


Quail

Deep Ellum Art Show 2011

Here are a few pictures of the Spring Art Show we catered at the Continental Gin in Deep Ellum.
Pita strips and veggies with peppercorn dip and spring pea humus, Gruyere profiteroles with shaved ham and mustard aioli, Caprese tartlets and lemon bars.

Home Slice

White Clam Pizza: OUR FAVORITE!


The logo says it all . . . Home Slice is the QUEEN of pies. There is nothing like it, you have to know it to enjoy it. I don't know what else to say, if you go one place in Austin to eat, GO HERE!


I am not sure what we enjoy more . . . the food or the T-Shirts, they are both fabulous and we can't get enough of either one. Clever, silly and cute, the shirts, not the food always spur conversation.


Start with the garlic knots, especially if you have to wait, most likely unless you visit on a very OFF hour. Chewy and served with a side of pure tomato sauce, they are a great preview of what is to come.


Pizza by the slice is amazing, Bo loves the calzone, but Beep and I can't resist the white clam pizza, WOW! If you had told an Indiana farm girl that she would be one day eating clam pizza, I would have said, "NO WAY," but I must admit it is a mouthful of happiness.

Smarties: The perfect way to end the meal.