raspberry lemonade cupcakes

On Monday I had the opportunity to bake alongside a professional baker. A real, owns-her-own-shop, specializes-in-sweets, baker. Tara, of Sweethaus in Charlottesville, invited me to be a guest baker in her kitchen this week. She likes to bring in members of the community on occasion, to share a favorite recipe of theirs with the patrons of her business.  I jumped at the opportunity, as owning a bakery has been 2nd on my list of coolest-jobs-ever for quite some time. The first is photography. :)

I had such fun hanging out with Tara for the day, learning her story and methods. Her sweets have a very hand-made quality to them, simple yet elegant, never sacrificing taste for appearance. I am so grateful to have met her, and especially excited that her shop is walking distance from my office.  I see many, many cupcakes in my future...

If you live in Charlottesville stop by Sweethaus to taste the special this weekend, Raspberry Lemonade Cupcakes. They will be available Thursday-Sunday.  And say hi to Tara, she's a doll.

I chose this recipe to share because, as you may already know, I LOVE lemon. And raspberries are pretty special too. This would make for a great Valentine's Day treat on Tuesday, in case you're looking for something sweet for your sweetie.

The lemon cupcake is based off a chiffon cake recipe, so the crumb is very light and spongey. And the frosting, raspberry cream cheese, is divine. Enough said. :)

Rasberry Lemonade Cupcakes

Cupcake Ingredients

• 5 eggs, separated
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1-1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1-1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1-1/4 cups sugar, divided
• 2-1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3 tbsp lemon zest
• 1/2 fresh lemon, seeds discarded

Method

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 350º. Line 1 standard muffin tin with 12 liners, and another with 6 liners.
2. In a small bowl, combine the egg yolks, butter, milk and vanilla.  Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, 1 cup of sugar, baking powder and salt to blend.  Add 3 tbsp of lemon zest and blend with your fingers to separate clumps. Add the egg yolk mixture and stir until well combined.  Set aside.
4. In a clean dry bowl, using clean dry beaters, beat the egg whites on medium-high speed until they hold soft peaks.  Lower the mixer speed to medium and gradually add the remaining 1/4 cup sugar, beating the whites until they hold stiff peaks.  Stir about one-third of the egg whites into the batter to lighten.  Gently fold the remaining whites into the batter, in two batches, to blend thoroughly.
5. Transfer the batter to the prepared pans, filling each muffin cup 3/4 of the way full.  Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted near the center of a cupcake comes out clean.
6. Set the pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes to cool.  Gently squeeze the lemon over the cupcakes to sprinkle a bit of the juice on each one. Remove the cupcakes from the pans and allow them to cool completely on wire racks.

Frosting Ingredients

• 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
• 16oz cream cheese, cold
• 1/4 cup raspberry puree
• 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp lemon zest
• 3-4 cups confectioner’s sugar

Method

1. Beat the butter and cream cheese in the bowl of an electric mixer until well incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the raspberry puree, lemon zest, and lemon juice and beat again. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.  With the mixer on medium speed, slowly add the powdered sugar and beat until the frosting is fluffy and lighter in color, tasting after 3 cups to see if you need more.
2. Garnish with fresh raspberries or candied lemon peel.

pasta with portobello mushrooms, caramelized onions, + chèvre

Goodness, I am not doing so well in the beauty department with the recipes I've shared in 2012. But again, this one is worth trying even with the overall brownness of the dish. It is relatively quick and involves inexpensive ingredients that we typically have every day. With little flecks of green parsley it is even more tasty and just a tad prettier but, as you can see, parsley wasn't in my fridge when I prepared this meal (for the 3rd time in a month, I'll add) and it was still really wonderful. Maybe not 'share with company' delicious, but perfect for a weeknight with family, or with friends who are family.

Virginia is in a weird, in-between phase of weather right now. One day we'll have sleet and snow dust and misty skies, the next sunshine and fluffy clouds and crocuses peaking from beneath fallen leaves. Mother Nature can't decide if she should buckle down and get serious about Winter or skip on ahead to Spring. I'll take either, but the back and forth is really throwing me off. I waver between wanting a thick + meaty stew for dinner or a light salad with citrus. Grocery shopping is nearly impossible since the chances of my craving what I actually buy are slim, given that the weather is bound to drastically change 2 days later. I am falling back on old staples; meals that have proven themselves worthy no matter the time of year. Like this one, which I'll either fill my bowl to the brim with (cold, Winter day) or pair equally with a fresh salad (warm, Spring day). Either way it's a winner, and sure to stay in our rotation year-round.

Ziti with Portobello Mushrooms, Caramelized Onions, + Chevre

from Food + Wine

4 servings

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp butter, divided
• 4 tbsp olive oil, divided
• 3 large onions, chopped
• 1 tsp salt, divided
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1 lb portobello mushrooms, stems removed, caps halved and then cut into 1/4-inch slices
• 3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• 1/4 tsp fresh-ground black pepper
• 3/4 lb ziti (we use brown rice pasta in our house...just as silky as semolina, but whole grain)
• 3 oz soft goat cheese, crumbled
• 3 tbsp grated parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

Method

1. In a large sauté pan, melt 1 tbsp of the butter with 2 tbsp of the oil over moderate heat. Add the onions, 1/2 tsp of the salt, and the sugar and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are well browned, about 20 minutes (I let them go for closer to 30). Remove from the pan.
2. In the same pan, melt the remaining 1 tbsp butter with 1 tbsp of the oil over moderate heat. Add the mushrooms and 1/4 tsp of the salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and brown, about 8 minutes. Add the reserved onions, the parsley, the remaining 1/4 tsp salt, and the pepper.
3. In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the ziti until just done. Reserve 3/4 cup of the pasta water and drain. Toss the ziti and 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water with the mushroom mixture, the remaining 1 tbsp oil, the goat cheese, and the Parmesan. If the pasta seems dry, add more of the reserved pasta water. Serve with additional Parmesan.

galatoire's!

You guys...while in New Orleans, I had one of the best culinary experiences of my life. Read all about it here!!!

My five days in NOLA left me so inspired. Unfortunately it has been a busy week since getting back, but I hope to have some new recipes ready for you soon. Until then, welcome to Galatoire's!

heading to NOLA!

Tomorrow Brian and I are heading to New Orleans with friends! Second only to Charlottesville, NOLA is our favorite city and we are so excited to be heading back for a few days. In the spirit of the trip, I thought I'd share this Red Beans + Rice with Andouille Sausage from a couple of years ago.

Be ready for some NOLA-inspired recipes when we get back! :)

curried cauliflower + chickpea stew

I know what you're thinking...this isn't a very exciting way to kick off 2012. A mash-up of cauliflower, tomatoes + chickpeas served over rice...what's the big deal? The deal is, I have consumed this dish forty-two times in the last week, or close to it, and am still not tired of it. This mildly spicy recipe is fast, healthy, cheap, and makes a TON of leftovers. I've wanted to share it with you for, oh, nearly 3 years now, but have never been able to get a decent photograph to share. Finally, I've accomplished a task that has been on my list for far to long. And THAT, my friends, is an excellent way to kick off the new year.

We usually have the canned ingredients in our pantry, and pick up a cauliflower every few weeks when I know we're going to have some busy nights on the calendar. At this time of year when we're all working towards goals of healthy habits and more quality time with our families, recipes like this one are so valuable. The stew isn't too spicy, but if you're not a fan of heat I would use regular canned tomatoes rather than those laced with green chiles. We like to serve the stew over brown rice.

Curried Cauliflower + Chickpea Stew

from Bon Appetit May 2009

serves 4-6

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2-½ cups chopped onions
• 5 tsp curry powder
• 6 cups small cauliflower florets (from 1 medium head)
• (2) 14-oz cans garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained
• (2) 14-oz cans diced tomatoes with green chiles
• (1) 14-oz can unsweetened, light coconut milk
• ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro (I rarely have this and so usually leave it out)

Method

1. Heat oil in a large (really, large!) skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the onions and sauté until golden brown, about 8 minutes.  
2. Add curry powder and stir for 20 seconds.  
3. Add cauliflower and garbanzo beans and stir for 1 minute.
4. Add diced tomatoes, then the coconut milk, and bring the entire mixture to a boil.
5. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and boil gently until cauliflower is tender and liquid thickens slightly, stirring occasionally, about 16 minutes.
6. Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Stir in cilantro and serve.