Margarita Cupcakes Happy Cinco de Mayo! The one day a year when we can stuff ourselves full of chips, salsa, guacamole and margaritas. It’s a little bit of a foodie nirvana. Of course there is historical significance to the day, which I shared in my homemade restaurant style salsa post. Tequila and lime? They say you should only cook with wine that is good enough to drink, and I hold the same belief when it comes to liquor and baking, so I decided that these cupcakes called for Patrón Silver tequila. I did some web surfing to see what I could find in the way of margarita cupcakes, and unfortunately came across a ton of recipes that used a box cake mix. Except for two things: there wasn’t any tequila actually in the cupcakes, and the frosting was a Swiss meringue buttercream (I don’t like fussy, complicated frostings – butter, sugar and added flavors do me just fine). Yet they look so innocent, don’t they? They are definitely not innocent. What are your eating and drinking plans for Cinco de Mayo??
Don’t Forget Delicious! » Blog Archive » Fastest Cinnamon Rolls Heat the oven to 400°F. Grease the sides and bottom of a 8 or 9″ baking pan with cooking spray. Combine the ricotta cheese, buttermilk, sugar, melted butter, and vanilla in food processor and process until smooth, about 10 seconds. Add the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda and pulse in short bursts just until the dough clumps together (don’t overprocess). The dough will be soft and moist. Dump the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead it with floured hands 4 or 5 times until smooth (it really only takes 4-5 times). Brush the dough with the melted butter, leaving a 1/2-inch border unbuttered around the edges. Starting at a long edge, roll up the dough jelly-roll style. With a sharp knife, cut the roll into equal pieces (I got 8). Bake until golden brown and firm to the touch, 20 to 28 minutes. In a small bowl, mix the softened mascarpone cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla to make a smooth glaze.
Cookies ?N Cream Oreo Fudge Brownies Hellooooo, good lookin’! What a way to start the week! :) Last weekend as we were exploring Blue Ridge, GA, we stopped by this charming little bakery. They had all kinds of delicious looking homemade brownies. Oreo brownies, peanut butter brownies, raspberry cream cheese brownies… *groans* Kevin totally had his eye on the Oreo brownies. We didn’t get any there (we were too busy sampling the fried Oreos) so I promised to make them as soon as we got home. I used this recipe from Picky Palate for Ice Cream Sundae Brownies. Cookies and cream ice cream, chocolate chips, and hot fudge… It all gets added to the brownie mix! This thick batter is perfect for layering.. nothing is going to sink to the bottom here! Oh, baby. Come to mama. Layering the Oreos whole is totally the way to go! All these babies need is a big, huge scoop of vanilla ice cream. I think I’ll get on that. ;) Cookies ‘N Cream Oreo Fudge Brownies Make for: DessertTags: chocolate
Hasselback Potatoes These Hasselback potatoes looks beautiful, don't' they? Here, I also added several cloves of garlic to these Swedish version of baked potatoes to enhance the flavor. It turned out great, they were very delicious, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.. Updated: November 26th 2013 This is an updated post with a new video guide on How To Slice Hasselback Potatoes Hasselback Potatoes (Printable Recipe) Ingredients 6 Medium Size Potatoes 2 - 3 Cloves Garlic, thinly sliced 2 Tbsp Olive Oil 30 g Butter Maldon Sea Salt Freshly Ground Black Pepper Method Preheat the oven to 220˚C (425˚F). Arrange the potatoes in a baking tray and insert the garlic in between the slits. Bake the potatoes for about 40 minutes or until the potatoes turn crispy and the flesh is soft.
Nutella Cupcakes Recipe Today is World Nutella Day, so you knew there was no way I’d forgo posting something that utilizes this delicious Chocolate Hazlenut spread. As I have stated once or twice, I love Nutella and I’m pretty certain you could smear the stuff on a piece of cardboard and I’d be completely content! Taking a simple chocolate cupcake recipe and filling the middle with that awesome Nutella lusciousness, definitely quenches that hazelnut craving that I get more frequently than I’d like to admit. Top off with Nutella buttercream, and these are truly irresistible to those Nutella fanatics that I know are plentiful! This post is not your typical MBA post; meaning it’s not a complete recipe. The Method: -I made one of my favorite chocolate cupcake recipes according to the recipe directions (you’ll see my fave in an upcoming fundamentals post). A Few Notes: -New to making buttercream frosting? Looking for more Nutella Deliciousness? If you enjoyed this recipe, you may like...
Chewy No-Bake Nutter Butter Bars I usually don’t post a new recipe on Saturday, but had to share this variation of the chewy cookie bars! You know I wasn’t stopping with just Oreos right? Lol! Same exact recipe, just used a package of Nutter Butters instead of Oreos and…..yah they were equally delish! Also, before you go, I did a little face lift around here at Picky Palate. Here’s your 3 ingredient check list Peanut buttery delicious! Place cookies into food processor until ground. Here you have it Pour your cookies into puffed up marhsmallows that have been cooked in the microwave with the butter. Give a good mix. Mmmmm. Let set up for 10-15 minutes (for a short cut put in the freezer for 5 minutes) Cut into bars and serve! Chewy No-Bake Nutter Butter Bars One 1 pound package of Nutter Butters 5 cups Large Marshmallows 4 tablespoons butter 1. Makes 9-16 bars Other recipes you may enjoy...
Unfettered F-U-N . . . Rainbow Jelly Shooter! Rainbow Jelly Shooter Its been a whirlwind at the test kitchen. The book is progressing (crossing fingers that it is going to press in early December!), we have been working on a little something (three little somethings, actually) for Saveur.com, and about a million more actions items cropping up here and there, many of which have not received appropriate attention and are currently housed in a bin marked "anxiety provoking". One of the highlights of our week was a lovely chat with Erin over at Tablespoon.com, who mentioned that they were hosting a Double Rainbow Week, which sounded like such fun! So, when the weekend rolled around, rather than trolling cocktail books for jelly shot inspiration, we decided it was high time for a bit of unfettered f-u-n . . . I love the "rainbow" gelatin technique - borrowed from the popular recipe for kids' finger gelatin. Cheers, Michelle Rainbow Jelly Shooter Suggested pan: 9" x 13" cake pan, or molds Yield: about 45 jelly shots Red Layer Yellow Layer
Miss Make: Blue Moon Cupcakes Ah, the collision of two wonderful things. This recipe really doesn't need very much explaining. They're cupcakes that look and taste like little Blue Moons. The cake has that faint citrus and wheat taste, and the frosting is light and airy and barely there, just like the foam on top of a beer. These would be a great crowd pleaser to bring to a Labor Day barbeque. I used a little food coloring in the cake batter because I really wanted that golden orange color of Blue Moon. NOTE: I know some of you might not be too into the idea of making icing out of egg whites. Blue Moon Cupcakes 3/4 c unsalted butter, softened 1 3/4 c sugar 2 1/2 c flour 2 1/2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp salt 3 eggs, room temperature 1 tsp vanilla 2 drops red food coloring 10 drops yellow food coloring 1/2 tsp orange zest 1 c Blue Moon beer 1/4 c milk Frothy White Frosting [recipe follows] small orange slices, for garnish Directions: 1. Frothy White Frosting 2 egg whites, room temperature 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 tbsp orange juice
Frozen Butterbeer for the Deathly Hallows Premiere ? Cook Like a Champion There’s something you might not know about me. I’m a huge fan of the Harry Potter books and movies. I wasn’t always, but once I watched one movie, I was hooked. I was devastated when I found out Eric and I were moving away from Orlando before Wizarding World of Harry Potter opened at Universal’s Islands of Adventure. Butterbeer, for those who don’t know, is a favorite drink of young witches and wizards. Looking for more Harry Potter recipes to celebrate the premiere of Deathly Hallows this week? Frozen Butterbeer for the Deathly Hallows Premiere Ingredients For the butterbeer: 1½ cups cream soda 6 tablespoons butterscotch schnapps 2 cups ice For the foamy topping: 6 tablespoons heavy cream 1 tablespoon butterscotch schnapps Directions Combine cream soda, schnapps and ice in a blender. In a small bowl, combine heavy cream and schnapps. Source Cook Like a Champion original
Grasshopper Brownie Bars | Love and Olive Oil - StumbleUpon For the brownie base: 3/4 cups flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon dark unsweetened cocoa powder (like Valrhona) 5 ounces good quality dark chocolate (60 to 72%), coarsely chopped 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, cut into 1 inch cubes 3/4 cups sugar 1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar 3 large eggs, at room temperature 1 teaspoons vanilla extract For the buttercream: 3/4 cups sugar 2 tablespoons flour 3/4 cup milk 2 tablespoons heavy cream 1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) butter, softened but still cool, cut into small cubes 3 tablespoons creme de menthe 1 teaspoon peppermint extract For the chocolate glaze: 6 ounces good-quality dark chocolate (60 to 72%), coarsely chopped 1 teaspoon light corn syrup 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened, cut into cubes To make the brownie base: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Butter the sides and bottom of a glass or light-colored metal 9-by-13-inch pan. Configure a large size double boiler. Sprinkle the flour/cocoa/salt mix over the chocolate.
Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes Recipe As I mentioned on Friday, I have been doing some experimentation with the beer and chocolate combination. The Guinness-chocolate ice cream that I made totally kicked butt, so I couldn’t wait to see how I liked beer and chocolate in my cake. The answer? I like it, a whole heck of a lot. This was my first time doing Guinness-chocolate cakes, and I was totally optimistic that I would love it, and I was definitely right. These cupcakes are fashioned after the popular drink that consists of a shot of Baileys Irish Cream and Irish whiskey dropped into a pint of Guinness. These cupcakes consist of a Guinness-chocolate cake base, which has a wonderful depth of flavor and is also supremely moist. While you can’t really taste the beer in the cupcakes (it serves as more of a flavor enhancer for the chocolate), you can definitely taste the alcohol in the filling and the frosting. I think I need to start converting more drinks into baked goods, this was too much fun (and way delicious!).