Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes

Somebody in my house turned 26 recently and a party was in order.  We invited our friends over for drinks and snacks before heading out to the bars in Uptown.  I knew that cupcakes or cake were a must.  However, I also wanted something that wasn't too messy or too fussy so people could easy grab and eat while chatting.  I settled on these ice cream cone cupcakes which are my friend Kelly's specialty.  They were quite the hit!  I was surprised by the number of people at the party who had never had these before.  


Here is the recipe I used.  It can also be found on the side of many cake cone boxes.


Ingredients:
1 box of funfetti cake mix (or your mix of choice)
1 box of cake cones
Frosting of your choice (either the store bought or recipe below)


Directions:
- Follow the recipe on the cake mix box
- Place 12 cake cones in a muffin tin
- Fill each cone 3/4 full with cake mix
- Bake at 350 for 18-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean
- Immediately take baked cupcakes out of the muffin tin and place them on a cooling rack. This prevents   the cones from getting soggy
- Repeat the filling/baking process until all your cake mix has been used


Frosting
- Once cupcakes are completely cool it is time to frost them
- If you bought store bought just spread it on ;)

Or

Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:
1/2 cup of butter (1 stick), room temperature
1 package of Philly cream cheese (low fat is fine), room temperature
2 - 3 cups of powdered sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

-With an electric mixer, mix the butter and cream cheese together, about 3 minutes on medium speed until very smooth. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure even mixing.

- Add the vanilla extract and mix. Slowly add the powdered sugar. Keep adding until you get to desired sweetness and thickness.

- Either spread on with a blunt knife or spatula, or spoon into a piping bag to decorate your cupcake

Place cones in muffin tin cups and fill 3/4 full

Bake at 350 for 18-25 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean

Once cupcakes are completely cool, frost, decorate, and place animal print candle in the center.    Now, sing happy birthday and celebrate!

Food for our Fathers

Sunday is Father's Day.  I have a nice little day planned with my Dad.  We are going to start with a hike through a Minnesota state park, have a picnic lunch, then drinks out on the deck, grill out for dinner and have Blueberry Pie (his favorite) for dessert.  It should be a great day!

 Here are some recipes I have been combing through in preparation for the festivities:

• Balsamic Baked Potatoes
• Crostini with Fig, Prosciutto and Goat Cheese
• Baked Onion Rings
• Baked Fries with Garlic Aioli
• Buttermilk Blueberry Cake
• Blackberry Pie Bars

I'll let you know what I end up choosing.  Happy Father's Day everyone!

Summer Smoothie

I start each day with a smoothie for breakfast.  I used to make a Green Monster Smoothie (recipe found here.)  However, after a few months of that I got a little tired so I decided to make my own.  This new recipe combines frozen berries, rhubarb (which we still have in abundance), spinach/kale, protein powder, and some orange juice.   I think this makes for a very balanced and healthy start to my day.

My smoothies always look something like this...

Here is the recipe I use but feel free to experiment with what you have on hand.  It is a smoothie after all.

1/2 frozen berries
1/4 cup rhubarb (frozen)
1/2 banana (frozen)
handful of spinach/kale
1/3 cup orange cup
1/3 cup or more of water to make it blend smoothly
1/2 scoop protein powder (I use vanilla)
you can also add in some flaxseed (my mom adds this to smoothies for the heart healthy benefits)

Blend until smooth and enjoy!

Some Many Recipes, So Little Time

I may have a food blog addiction.  I am currently following over 20 different food bloggers on a daily basis.  Logging into my Google Reader and getting the daily rundown is now part of my routine.  I follow bloggers that write about everything from clean eating (Gracious Pantry) to baking (Brown Eyed Bakers) to vegan (Engine 2 Diet) to breads (Wild Yeast) and a little bit of everything in between.   When I see a recipe I want to try I will copy the URL into an email and then email it to myself.   Recently, I discovered that I had a large number of recipe emails.  So, here is a list of Summer recipes you should give a try:

Smitten Kitchen: Tzatziki Potato Salad: a new twist on a summer classic.

Mississippi Kitchen: Layers of Love Torte: a calorie BOMB but I sent this to my brother because it looked like something he would devour and still stay incredibly skinny (I hate him for this).

Annie's Eats: Mexican Lasagna: a little odd to mix mexican and italian but I sent this to my friend CT.  It totally looked like something she would enjoy.

Brown Eyed Baker: Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars: I will make these.  Yum!

Let me know if you give any of these a try.  I'd love to hear how the recipe turns out for you.

Cookbook Shopping Spree

I recently went on a bit of an Amazon.com shopping spree for some new cookbooks.  I only bought three new books but they are three thick, intense books full of some really great recipes and even better insight.

Here is what I bought:

The Bread Baker's Apprentice by Peter Reinhart
This is a textbook on how to make unbelievable bread.  I first came to know Peter Reinhart's recipes when I made his Blueberry Bagels from scratch.  The bagels were so good I nearly shed a tear.  Reinhart's book is filled with beautiful images, easy to understand instructions and great insight into the science and chemistry of baking.

How to Cook Everything- The Basics by Mark Bittman
Mark Bittman is one of my all time favorite food writers.  I follow his column in the New York Times and have made countless recipes he has recommended.  What I really like about Bittman is that he always has a good story behind the food he is cooking.  Also, Bittman's push for a more responsible food philosophy is something I respect.  This cookbook on the basics is just that: basic.  However, it covers a wide variety of food, techniques and preparations and is something no kitchen should be without.

The Complete America's Test Kitchen Cookbook
America's Test Kitchen is one of my favorite shows on television. (Thank you PBS!).  Their scientific approach to recipes and food is fascinating to me.  Additionally, since every recipe is tried, tried, and tried again in the test kitchen before printed in this book you are almost guaranteed a foolproof recipe.  The book also includes the Test Kitchen taste tests and product recommendations to ensure you buy the best of everything from chocolate chips to stockpots.

I strongly recommend all three of these books.  If you have any additional recommendations for me, please send them my way!

Red Velvet Cake

March 29th is a special day in our family (yes, this post is really delayed!).  It is my Dad AND my brother's birthday.  This year my Dad requested a red velvet cake to celebrate.  After searching the web for a good recipe, I settled on a Southern style recipe with some modifications.  I also learned that red velvet cake is basically chocolate cake with a TON of red food coloring thrown in!

Ingredients

vegetable oil, for the pans

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cocoa powder

1 1/2 cups vegetable oil

1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature

2 large eggs, at room temperature

2 tablespoons red food coloring ( 1oz)

1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cream cheese frosting

1 lb cream cheese, softened

4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar

1 cup unsalted butter, softened ( 1 cup)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1.     Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil and flour 3 (9 by 1 1/2-inch round) cake pans.

2.   In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder. In another large bowl, whisk together the oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla.

3.   Using a standing mixer, mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined and a smooth batter is formed.

4.  Divide the cake batter evenly among the prepared cake pans. Place the pans in the oven evenly spaced apart. Bake, rotating the pans halfway through the cooking, until the cake pulls away from the side of the pans, and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean, about 30 minutes.

5.  Remove the cakes from the oven and run a knife around the edges to loosen them from the sides of the pans. One at a time, invert the cakes onto a plate and then re-invert them onto a cooling rack, rounded-sides up. Let cool completely.

6. Cream Cheese Frosting: In a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or with a hand-held electric mixer in a large bowl, mix the cream cheese, sugar, and butter on low speed until incorporated. Increase the speed to high, and mix until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. (Occasionally turn the mixer off, and scrape the down the sides of the bowl with a rubber 

7. Frost the cake. Place 1 layer, rounded-side down, in the middle of a rotating cake stand. Using a palette knife or offset spatula spread some of the cream cheese frosting over the top of the cake. (Spread enough frosting to make a 1/4 to 1/2-inch layer.) Carefully set another layer on top, rounded-side down, and repeat. Cover the entire cake with the remaining frosting. 

8. Enjoy with the Birthday Boys!