Sweet Mini-muffins

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Ingredients:
4 tablespoons butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
2 cups all purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup milk
About 1/2 cup butter, melted
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon mixed with 1/2 cup sugar

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375°
Grease 3 mini-muffin pans (1 1/2 inch cups)
Beat together butter and sugar until well blended, then beat in egg.  Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg.  Stir dry ingredients alternately with milk into the butter mixture and mix until blended.  Spoon about 1 rounded teaspoon batter into each mini-muffin cup.  Bake for 20 minutes, or until golden.  Remove from pans.  While still hot, dip each muffin entirely into melted butter (I stick them onto the end of a fork), then roll in cinnamon-sugar mixture.  Serve warm or cold.
To freeze: cool muffins thoroughly, set them on a cookie sheet with a little space in between and place in freezer.  When thoroughly frozen you can  put them into a plastic freezer bag.  Remove as many as you need, but do not thaw in the plastic bag.
Makes 3 dozen

Bacon Cheddar Scones

Fortunately, I never promised that the recipes here would be healthy - just tested and delicious!  My family (at least the males) are bacon eaters, so when I see a new recipe with bacon I have to try it.  This recipe was tested by my bacon aficionados and found to be excellent!
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Bacon and Cheddar Scones

 Ingredients

• 3 cups flour, plus more for work surface
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon cracked black pepper
• 1/2 cup cold butter
• 1 1/2 cups grated sharp Cheddar cheese
• 4 green onions, thinly sliced
• 10 slices bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
• 1 1/4 cups buttermilk
• 1 large egg, for egg wash
• 1 tablespoon coarse sea salt or kosher salt

 Preheat oven to 425.

Mix flour, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. With a large grater, grate the butter into the flour. Mix the butter into the flour with your hands until well incorporated. Add the cheese, green onion and crumbled bacon. Mix until evenly distributed. Add the buttermilk and mix with a wooden spoon until the mixture forms a stiff dough.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. With a rolling pin, roll the dough into a rectangle a 1/2-inch thick. Cut wedges of dough out to preferred scone size and arrange on a half sheet tray lined with parchment paper.

In a small bowl, beat the egg and brush each scone with the egg wash. Sprinkle with a little coarse sea salt and bake until nicely browned, about 14 to 16 minutes. Remove from the oven and arrange on a serving platter.

Serves 6  

Parmesan Thyme Crackers

These crackers are like a delicious savory shortbread - perfect with a glass of wine before dinner, or served with luncheon salads.  They can be made ahead of time and frozen for up to 6 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge before slicing and baking. They also last for several days after they are baked if you keep them in an airtight container.

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1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 ounces (about 1 cup) freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 1/4 cup all purpose flour

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter for 1 minute.  with the mixer on low speed, add the Parmesan, thyme, salt and pepper and combine.  With the mixer still on low, add the flour and combine until the mixture is in large crumbles, about 1 minute.  If the dough is too dry, add 1 teaspoon water.
Dump the dough onto a floured board, press it into a ball and roll into a 9-inch log.  Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 4 days.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Cut the log into 3/8-inch rounds with a sharp knife and place them on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper.  Bake for 22 minutes, until very lightly browned.  Rotate the pan once during baking.  Cool and serve at room temperaure (if they are too warm they taste kind of gummy - they crisp up and have the texture of shorbread once they are cool).

Makes 24

Cappuccino Heath Cupcakes

These cupcakes are very dense and moist - almost sticky.  After two tries, they still aren't exactly what I wanted for this recipe, but they are delicious.  I'll keep working on that perfect cake and keep you posted; in the meantime, let me know what you think of these!

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1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar (I used light brown)
1/2 cup white sugar
2 Tablespoons espresso powder
2 large eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup milk


Preheat oven to 350. Line muffin tin with 12-18 cupcake liners.
In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.


In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine butter, sugars and espresso powder and beat on medium-high speed for 2-3 minutes until mixture is light and fluffy.  Add eggs, one at a time and mix well.  Add the flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the milk and beating on low speed until just combined; scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, filling about 2/3 full.  These cupcakes don't rise into a big top, they tend to spread out over the muffin tin, so don't fill too full. 
Bake for 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into a cupcake comes out clean.  Allow cupcakes to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.  If the cupcakes spill out over the muffin tin, take a knife and gently push them away from the tin before letting them cool.


For the frosting:
This makes enough to frost 12 cupcakes lightly.  Double the recipe if you like to pipe your frosting on.


1 recipe Perfect Cupcake Frosting
1 1/2 teaspoons espresso powder dissolved in 1 1/2 teaspoons hot water (cool to room temp)
1/2 cup (or more) of Hershey's Heath bits (try not to eat the rest, now that they're opened!)
cocoa powder
Omit the vanilla in the frosting recipe and substitute the espresso mixture.
I piped the frosting on with a large (1M) tip.
Sprinkle with Heath bits and dust lightly with cocoa powder

Salmon "Bulogi" with Bok choy and Mushrooms

This is a tasty way to prepare salmon that is also a little different. We decided to cook the salmon on the barbeque instead of baking it, and the whole family enjoyed this recipe.
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• 2 large garlic cloves, peeled, divided
• 1/3 cup chopped green onions
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine or dry Sherry
• 1 3/4-inch cube peeled fresh ginger
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
• 3/4 teaspoon chili-garlic sauce*
• 4 6-ounce center-cut skinless salmon fillets
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large bok choy, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-wide strips (about 7 cups)
• 4 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms, stemmed, caps sliced (we substituted crimini mushrooms)

Blend 1 garlic clove and next 7 ingredients in mini processor. Arrange salmon in 11x7x2-inch glass baking dish. Spoon marinade over. Let marinate 5 minutes.

Preheat oven to 500°F. Arrange fish, with some marinade still clinging, on rimmed baking sheet. Transfer any marinade in dish to small saucepan. Roast fish until just opaque in center, about 8 minutes. Bring marinade in saucepan to boil; set aside and reserve for glaze.

Meanwhile, heat oil in large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add bok choy and mushrooms; using garlic press, press in 1 garlic clove. Stir-fry until mushrooms are tender and bok choy is wilted, about 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Divide vegetables among plates. Top with salmon. Brush fish with glaze.

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Salmon-Bulgogi-with-Bok-Choy-and-Mushrooms-242481#ixzz1QREFkH2d

Marinated Steak on a bed of Arugula

We brought this over to some friends that just had a baby. Dinner was ready quickly and had few dishes. We used flank steak for the meat and marinated it over night.
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For the steak:
1 flank steak, 1.75 to 2 pounds
1/2 cup red wine
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
4 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, coarsely chopped

1.  Combine the wine, olive oil, soy sauce, mustard, garlic and rosemary in a large bowl or shallow baking dish big enough to take the whole steak in one piece.
2. Rinse the steak and pat it dry with a paper towel. Place the steak in the marinade so that it is well coated and set aside. If you're  marinating for less than an hour, you can leave it at room temperature, letting the meat lose its chill. If you're marinating for longer, cover the steak and return to the refrigerator, taking it out about 30 minutes before you're ready to cook.
3. When ready to cook, remove the steak from the marinade and shake off any excess liquid. Salt and pepper the steak on both sides.
4. If you're broiling the steak, set your oven rack about 4 inches below your broiler and pre-heat. Place the meat on a broiling pan or on a rack set inside a sheet pan. Broil for 4 minutes a side for medium rare. Add another 30 to 45 seconds per side for medium, and the same amount of time more for well done. Remember that the meat is not thick and will cook quickly.
5. If you're pan-grilling in a cast iron pan, preheat the pan on high until it is very hot. Cook the steak for three to four minutes per side, reversing the steak half-way through each side's cooking to produce cross-hatched grill marks on the meat.
6. Remove from the heat and before slicing, let the steak rest for five to ten minutes to allow the juices to settle.
7. Slice in half-inch thick slices on the bias, cutting against the grain. This will add tenderness to the meat.

The pieces of sliced steak can be served while still warm or at room temperature. Serve the steak in individual servings with the salad on the side or else drape the slices of steak over a platter of the arugula and let everyone help themselves.

Arugula Salad With Lemon Vinaigrette
1 bag or box of pre-washed arugula or baby arugula, or 2 bunches of arugula (wash carefully to remove any sand, dry completely and tear the leaves into bite-sized pieces) to produce about 4 generous cups
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. Place the arugula in a salad bowl.
2. In a small bowl combine the lemon juice and red wine vinegar with the mustard and the salt and pepper. Stir with a fork until the salt dissolves and the mustard combines completely,
3. Add the olive oil and continue to whisk with the fork until everything is emulsified.
4. Taste for salt and pepper.
5. Pour over the arugula and toss. Serve immediately.

*Recipe from http://www.thecitycook.com/index.html

Madison Park Pork Medallions

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I made this recipe for the family on Sunday (they're great guinea pigs) and there wasn't a bite left, so I'm pretty sure they liked it! I think it was good enough for a company dinner. The marinating time is 2 hours so be sure to plan ahead.

Serves 4

1     2-pound pork tenderloin
1/3  cup red wine (I used a good cabernet)
1/3  cup chicken stock
2     tablespoons Dijon mustard with mustard seed (Grey Poupon makes one called Harvest Coarse Ground)
1     tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
2     cloves garlic, minced
1     teaspoon cumin
2     teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/4  teaspoon salt
1/4  teaspoon pepper
1/8  teaspoon red pepper flakes
4     tablespoons cold butter
2     tablespoons chopped fresh chives

Cut pork into 8 equal slices and place in a bowl (if you use 2 1-pound tenderloins, cut into 6 thicker slices)
In a small bowl, mix together remaining ingredients except butter and chives.  Pour marinade over meat, cover and marinate in refrigerator 2 hours.
Remove pork slices from marinade (save the marinade) and allow to sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes.

Preheat oven to broil or preheat your outdoor grill (I used the grill)

Pour the marinade into a small saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat.  Reduce heat and boil marinade until reduced by half (there will be some foamy stuff on the top - you can either skim it off or stir it back in).
Turn heat to low and swirl in butter a little at a time.  Do not allow sauce to boil after butter has been added.
Add chives.

Broil or barbecue pork slices 3 minutes per side (5 minutes or more you're using thicker slices) or until internal temperature reaches 150 - 160 degrees.  Remove to serving platter and spoon sauce over pork, or serve sauce on the side. 

Recipe adapted from "Simply Classic"  Junior League of Seattle Cookbook
 

Perfect Cupcake Frosting and Filling

I found this recipe over a year ago at ourbestbites.com  and it's become one of my favorite frostings.  It's not too heavy or sweet - it's velvety smooth and light.  I originally used it for Salted Caramel Cupcakes, but I've found that the Salted Caramel Frosting is also delicious on dark chocolate cupcakes.


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3 T Flour
1/2 cup milk (whole milk is best, but I've used non-fat when it’s all I have and it’s actually fine)
1/2 cup real butter
1/2 cup sugar (that’s granulated sugar, not powdered sugar)
1 tsp. vanilla extract, or other flavor if you wish.

Whisk together the flour and the milk. Heat in a small sauce pan on medium heat.
Whisk continuously until it starts to thicken. Let it cook, while stirring, until  it starts to look like pudding.  It should still be liquidy, but you should be able to see the bottom of the pan while you stir. 
Put the mixture into a strainer and stir it around to push the mixture through and get the lumps out.  Let it cool completely to room temp or chill it in the fridge.  It needs to be cooled completely or it will melt the butter and you'll have runny frosting.

In an electric stand mixer, with the whisk attachment (not the paddle) beat the butter and sugar for a few minutes until it's well combined and fluffy.  While still beating, add the thickened milk mixture and the vanilla.  Beat on the highest speed you can without spraying it all over the place for 7 - 10 minutes. That seems like a long time but that's how long it takes for it to go from looking like a goopy mess, to something smooth and fluffly.

This makes enough to frost 12 cupcakes with a decorater tip or 24 cupcakes if you put it on lightly.  I always double the recipe - it's so good, you can pile it on and it doesn't overwhelm the cupcake!

For Salted Caramel Frosting use 1/2 cup (or more) of caramel sauce, or try this Buttermilk Syrup recipe - it's scrumptious!  Fold the caramel sauce or buttermilk syrup (room temperature) gently into the frosting; you want ribbons of caramel running through the frosting.  Pipe or dollop it onto your cupcakes and drizzle more caramel on top.  Sprinkle with a very scant sprinkling of kosher or sea salt.
 Helpful Notes:
1. Use real butter, and a good name-brand. Cheap butter does weird things.
2. If you beat for the 6-8 minutes and the mixture still looks strange, beat longer and at a higher speed if you can. It should come together, but it takes a little patience!
3. Store at room temperature. Frosting may separate in the fridge, but you can store it overnight if left at room temp and in a well sealed container.
4. Add extracts to your hearts content; lemon is wonderful! Food coloring is also okay.
5. The white sugar can be exchanged for brown. 
6. Do not try to make other substitutions or additions. Sour cream, cream cheese, fruit purees all do disastrous things.

Salted Caramel Cupcakes

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1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar (no subs, it has to be DARK brown)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350.  Line muffin tins with 18 - 24 cupcake liners.
In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine sugars and butter and beat on medium-high speed for 2-3 minutes.  Add eggs and vanilla and beat until combined.  Add flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the milk and beating on low speed until just combined; scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, filling about 2/3 full.  Bake 20-22  minutes or until toothpick inserted into a cupcake comes out clean.  Try, try, TRY not to overbake.  Allow cupcakes to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack and allow to cool completely.

Frost with Perfect Cupcake Frosting mixed with caramel sauce or Buttermilk Syrup.

Buttermilk Syrup

Stir 1/2 cup or more of this delicious syrup into Perfect Cupcake Frosting, drizzle (or pour) it over ice cream or use it for any recipe that calls for caramel sauce.  It's scrumptious!



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3/4 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup real butter
2 T. corn syrup
1 t. baking soda
1 t. vanilla

Combine buttermilk, sugar, butter, corn syrup and baking soda in a large pot (use at least a 3 1/2 qt. saucepan or it will boil all over your stove). 
Bring the ingredients to a boil over medium heat.  Reduce heat to low but make sure the mixture continues to bubble.  Cook, stirring frequently, for 8 - 9 minutes. Be sure to keep an eye on it so it doesn't boil over!

When it's done it should be a luscious golden-brown color.  Remove from heat and add vanilla.
There will be foam on top; it tastes fine but it's not very pretty.  You can skim it off the top, or just stir it in.
Let cool to room temperature.

Firehouse Pasta

This is a recipe that came from Mel.  One day while on bedrest with Caleb (December 2007), I was on the phone with her while she was fixing this for dinner.  Shortly after, she sent me a photo copy of the recipe out of a local newspaper (or possibly a magazine?).  I set it aside and then it was lost.  It resurfaced recently and I was going to fix it tonight, but then no one was going to be home to eat.  I'm posting it here so that (a) I don't lose it again and (b) everyone can enjoy Mel's beloved Firehouse Pasta!

I don't know where this recipe comes from but the article says, "This pasta dish is as good for dinner as it is for a potluck.  That could be because it is from a NY firefighter who prepares it for the crew in White Plains.  Serve with bread and a fruit salad."

AKA: Savory sausage and spinach penne

Serves: 6-8
Prep time: 25 minutes

8 ounces penne pasta
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound sweet sausage, removed from casing
1 pound fresh spinach, small leaves or larger ones torn
1 cup crushed tomatoes
½ cup chicken broth
½ cup dry white wine
¾ cup oil-packed sundried tomatoes or ¼ cup dried sundried tomatoes, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil or 1 teaspoon dried basil
2 teaspoons Tabasco pepper sauce
salt and pepper to taste
Parmesan cheese to taste

In a medium saucepan, cook pasta and set aside.  In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add oil and garlic.  Saute until garlic is lightly browned.  Add crumbled sausage meat, saute for 4 minutes, then push to sides of pan.

Add spinach, saute until tender, about 3 minutes.  Add crushed tomatoes, chicken broth, white wine, sundried tomatoes, basil, Tabasco and let cook 5 minutes.  Remove from heat, add cooked pasta and toss lightly. Salt and pepper to taste.  Sprinkle with Parmesan and serve warm.