Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Hummingbird Cupcakes



I watched Cupcake Wars and they made hummingbird cupcakes. They looked delicious and pretty easy to make. Apparently hummingbird cake is pretty popular in the south. Traditionally hummingbird cake has pecans in it, but I'm allergic so I used sliced almonds.

I need to work on my icing skills.

ingredients
1C sliced almonds
4 bananas chopped into pieces
1C chopped pineapple
2 3/4 C all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp salt
3 eggs
1 3/4 C sugar
3/4 C vegetable oil
2 8oz pkgs of cream cheese, room temp
12 tbs butter, room temp
1 tbs lemon zest
1 tsp vanilla extract
2C confectioner's sugar

directions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Line muffin tins or grease cupcake cups (I have silicone cupcake cups that I use instead of wasting cupcake liners).
  3. Combine almonds, bananas, and pineapples in a bowl with 1/2 C of flour. Make sure all pieces are coated.
  4. In separate bowl, combine 2 1/4C flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt.
  5. Beat eggs and sugar in mixer until thick and creamy.
  6. Add oil to the egg mixture.
  7. Gradually add flour mixture to egg/sugar/oil mixture.
  8. Fold in banana mixture.
  9. Put batter into cupcake cups.
  10. Bake cupcakes about 28 minutes, until golden brown.
  11. Let cupcakes completely cool.
  12. Beat cream cheese and butter in mixer until fluffy
  13. Gradually add lemon zest and powdered sugar.
  14. Beat until smooth.
  15. Refrigerate ~20 minutes.
  16. Frost cupcakes.
  17. Enjoy!

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Cinnabon Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Glaze



I made these for work, they were a huge hit! I love me some Cinnabon so I will keep trying to recreate the wonderful cinnamony taste forever.

ingredients
Cake
3C All-Purpose Flour
1.5 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1.5 tsp cinnamon
1C butter, room temperature
2C sugar
4 eggs, room temperature
1C milk, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract

Frosting
8oz cream cheese
1/4C butter, room temperature
2 tbs caramel sauce
2C powdered sugar

Caramel Chocolate Syrup
4tbs caramel sauce
1tsp cocoa powder
1 tsp cinnamon

directions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a cupcake tray with liners (or grease a muffin tray).
  2. In large bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.
  3. In separate bowl, beat butter until creamy. Add sugar and cream with butter until white and fluffy (I used my mixer and took about 7 minutes). Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each egg.
  4. Turn mixer speed to low and add flour mixture and milk a little bit at a time.
  5. Divide batter amongst cupcake liners. Bake about 22 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
  6. Remove from oven and cool.
  7. (This can be done while cupcakes are cooling or while they are baking). Combine cream cheese and butter with paddle attachment until smooth and creamy. Add caramel sauce. Turn speed to low and add powdered sugar a little bit at a time.
  8. Beat on high speed until mixture is smooth (~3 minutes).
  9. Mix all caramel chocolate sauce ingredients together and stir until well combined and smooth.
  10. Frost cupcakes.
  11. Drizzle with caramel chocolate syrup.
  12. Enjoy!

Chicken Parmigiana

My boyfriend actually made this recipe, off of a "healthier version" recipe from People magazine.

ingredients
4 thin, boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Olive Oil spray
Salt & Pepper
2 C marinara sauce
1 C drained canned whole plum tomatoes, chopped
1 C chopped fresh basil leaves
1 C mozzarella (they suggested reduced-fat cheese but I don't like the way reduced-fat cheese melts)
6 tbs grated Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese
1/2 C bread crumbs (they suggested whole wheat, though I used regular seasoned bread crumbs)

directions
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with olive oil spray.
  2. Heat pan on medium-high heat, spray chicken with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill chicken ~1.5 min per side until cooked through.
  3. Spread half of the marinara sauce over bottom of baking dish. Put chicken on top of marinara sauce. Spread the rest of the sauce over the chicken and top with chopped tomatoes. Sprinkle with half of the basil and all of the cheese and breadcrumbs.
  4. Bake chicken for 10-12 minutes until cheese melts. Sprinkle remaining basil on top.
  5. Enjoy!

Pardon my absence..

Grad school took over my life for the last few months.
I am taking a summer class, but I will hopefully have more time to keep up with recipe posting :)

Stay with me!