Butterbeer Cupcakes

A recipe replicated from The Pastry Affair

Butterbeer Cupcakes
2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup dark brown sugar, packed
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon butter flavoring
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup cream soda

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a cupcake tin with baking cups.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour (sifted), baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla extract and butter flavoring.

Fold in 1/3 of the flour mixture, then the buttermilk, 1/3 of the flour mixture, cream soda, and then the remaining flour. Folding in these ingredients will prevent over-mixing and will result in a fluffier, less dense cupcake. 

Fill cupcake liners 3/4 of the way full and bake for 15-18 minutes, or until the cupcakes are golden and spring back when touched. Cool completely before frosting.

Butterscotch Ganache
11 ounces (1 package) butterscotch chips
1 cup heavy cream

In a small saucepan on medium heat, melt the butterscotch chips into the heavy cream, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature before using.

Butterscotch Buttercream
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup butterscotch ganache (recipe above)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon butter flavoring
Pinch of salt
3-3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
Splash of heavy cream (as needed)

In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter until light and fluffy. Mix in the butterscotch ganache, vanilla, butter flavoring, and salt. Beat in the powdered sugar for 2-3 minutes, starting with 3 cups and adding more only if necessary. Add the cream a tablespoon at a time until desired consistency is achieved (I only needed 1 tablespoon).

To Assemble
Pour butterscotch ganache into a plastic squeeze bottle. Stab the tip of the bottle into cupcake and fill each cupcake with butterscotch ganache until it starts to overflow.

Fill a pastry bag with butterscotch buttercream and pipe onto the top of each cupcake. 

Drizzle on the butterscotch ganache. 

Chicken Noodle Soup

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon butter
1/2-1 cup chopped onion
1/2-1 cup chopped celery
1 cup sliced carrots
4 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth
1 (14.5 ounce) can vegetable broth
1/2-1 pound chicken breast cut into bite size piece, NOT COOKED
1/2 bag of medium spiral egg noodles
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste
In a large pot melt butter and add onion, celery, and carrots and cook for  8 minutes. Add garlic and continue to cook for 2 more minutes. Add broth, and chicken and seasoning and allow to cook thoroughly about 10-15 minutes. Add noodles, feel free to add more if you like more but remember if you add more you will have less broth because it is going to soak it up. Let cook for about 15-20 minutes and it will be ready to serve.  

Beer Soaked Fries

Ingredients:
4-6 Medium size potatoes cut into normal fry size not to thick not to small
1-2 12oz beers, I used Samuel Adams Summer Ale
3 tbsp Olive Oil
3 cloves Garlic Minced
Salt and Pepper to taste
Feel free to throw in some garlic salt or powder or lawery's seansoning salt.

Preheat Oven to 425 degrees
Cut up potatoes into french fry size.

 Pour beer onto fries and let soak for 20 minutes turning every 10 minutes

 Toss potatoes with oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Lay out evenly on baking sheet and pop in the oven.

 After 15-20 minutes take out of oven and flip then stick in for another 15-20 minutes until cooked thoroughly. Serve with a burger or whatever you like!

Mini Vension Meatball Sandwiches

1 1/2 pounds ground venison or sirloin
1 large egg, beaten
1 cup (3 handfuls), Italian bread crumbs
1 medium onion, chopped fine
4 cloves garlic, crushed and minced
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons (several drops) Worcestershire sauce,
1/4 cup (a couple of handfuls) flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped
1/4 cup (a couple of handfuls) grated Parmigiano or Romano
Coarse salt and black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Place ground meat in a large mixing bowl and punch a well into the center of meat. Fill well with the egg, bread crumbs, onion, garlic, red pepper flakes, Worcestershire, parsley, cheese, and a little salt and pepper. Mix up meatball ingredients until well combined, yet not over-mixed. Roll into balls and bake for 12 minutes.

While baking in a food processor chop diced tomatoes then pour all the ingredients pictured below into a large sauce pan make sure it is large enough to later add all the meatballs to. Bring sauce to a gentle simmer and let simmer until meatballs are done cooking

Add meatballs to sauce and let cook for 5 minutes.

Add meatballs to bun I used little buns that fit three meatballs.

Add cheese and broil until cheese has melted.

Enjoy!!!!

Grilled Chicken Fajita Burrito

Ingredients
(make 4 burritos)

4 Whole Wheat and/or Low Carb Tortilla wrap (I used taco size because that is what I had, but if you want a larger burrito choose the burrito size!)
4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Tenderloins
1 Green Pepper (sliced)
1 package of sliced mushrooms
1/4 cup of teriyaki sauce
Marinade of your choice for chicken
2 tbsp of olive oil
Lettuce
Salsa

Begin by sauteing green peppers in olive oil and half of the teriyaki sauce.

Add mushrooms and remaining teriyaki sauce when green peppers have started softening.

Meanwhile grill marinated chicken tenderloins.

Microwave tortilla shell to soften and warm. Then chop one tenderloin and add 2 tbsp of cooked veggies. Add toppings as desired.

Since my shell was small I served my burrito with an additional piece of chicken topped with veggies. Enjoy!

A Harry Potter Farewell Feast

Over the past few weeks I have been watching all of the Harry Potter movies to prepare for the release of part II of the Deathly Hallows. Paige and Ashley came over this morning and we made French Toast and enjoyed some special Harry Potter treats! I'm not really going to post recipes just share some pictures :)

Deathly Hallows Sugar Cookies

Paige doing some transfiguration on her dragonfruit...

The collective cookie creation

French Toast a'cookin

Casting spells on the food

Floating bacon

Dragonfruit is so pretttyyy

Some stacked french toast

A mound of bacon

Paige introduced Ashley and I to pure maple syrup, pretty sure my life will never be the same...

A meal fit for a wizzzzardddd