chai tea cupcakes with honey cinnamon frosting
Sunday, August 15, 2010
10:16 PM- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 oz butter, softened
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 egg
- 1 cup flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp cloves
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
- pinch of salt
- 1 or 2 chai tea bags
- preheat oven to 350 degrees. place liners into cupcake pan.
- heat up milk on stove, remove from stove. place tea bags into milk, cover and steep for 5-10 minutes.
- cream sugar and butter together. mix in egg and vanilla. mix in milk.
- sift flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, nutmeg, cloves and salt together. mix dry and wet ingredients together.
- divide batter into cupcake liners. bake for 15-18 minutes or until a tester inserted comes out clean.
- allow to cool before frosting with your favorite buttercream frosting. sprinkle with cinnamon.
honey cinnamon cream cheese frosting
- 1/2 cup butter
- 4 oz cream cheese
- 1 tsp of ground cinnamon
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 – 2 tbsp milk
- 2 cups icing [powdered] sugar
- cream butter until light and fluffy.
- add the cream cheese and beat for another 2 minutes.
- add the honey and cinnamon and gradually add the icing sugar while mixer is running.
- add the milk and more icing sugar until you get the desired consistency.
1 Comments:
This looks amaaaazing. I can't wait to try this recipe out. Thank you! :D
By 
Huma, at
August 15, 2010 at 10:23 PM
beef stroganoff pitas
Saturday, August 14, 2010 7:33 PMthe bf and i had both gotten tired of the standard grilled steak, no matter how we seasoned it. i thought about cutting the steaks into thin strips (strip into strips, yes, i know, har har) and making it into a beef stroganoff, but even that seemed too ordinary. i was bored.
still, i didn't have any fresh ideas, so i began mincing garlic and slicing mushrooms and onions in preparation for the stroganoff. as those were cooking, i rummaged in the refrigerator to see what i could do to make this dish a little different. then it hit me--pitas!
i continued cooking the beef stroganoff as though i was actually going to put it on pasta, but meanwhile, i was cutting up raw red onions and warming pita bread. i attempted to sautee spinach, but it didn't go well, so i just used raw spinach. add a dash of lemon and voila! this is what i ended up with:
oh, i forgot to mention--on a whim, i had thrown in some white wine in the stroganoff, too.
steak ended up being a LITTLE more cooked than i'd normally like, since the steaks were so thin, but still tasted good. and made great leftovers, even after the stroganoff sauce was gone. i'll be doing this again.
Labels: adventures in cooking
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homemade dijon
Saturday, February 6, 2010 9:57 PMimagine our dismay, then, when we opened the refrigerator to discover that we had no dijon mustard! (and we were both not in the mood to deal with a trip to the grocery store.) neither one of us particularly cared for using regular mustard and, in our search for a dijon substitute, we discovered this. we looked at each other, checked our fridge and shelves to make sure we had all the requisite ingredients, and thought, why not?
turned out quite well, though perhaps not as thick as we would have liked. one tablespoon was used in the bbq sauce and the rest is still in a jar in the fridge, being used as needed. scratch "make my own mustard" off the cooking bucket list.
Labels: adventures in cooking
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chai creme brulee - recipe to try
Tuesday, August 18, 2009 11:48 PMingredients:
1 cup darjeeling tea leaves
12 extra large egg yolks, beaten
1 cup brown sugar
4 cups heavy cream
1 tbsp. chai spice powder
1 cup light brown sugar
chai spice powder:
1 tsp. cardamom
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 tsp. black pepper corns
1/4 tsp. whole cloves
Steep 1 cup Darjeeling tea leaves in 4 cups boiling water for 7 minutes. Strain tea leaves and reduce to 3/4 cup. Grind spice to powder.
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. In a large heat-proof mixing bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar. Place the cream in a heavy bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Warm just until bubbles form around the edge. Remove from heat and, whisking constantly, pour into the egg and sugar mixture. Add the spice powder and the reduced tea liquid. Continue whisking until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is well combined. Pour the mixture through a very fine sieve into 6 creme brulee dishes, filling them only half full.
Place the dishes into a shallow baking dish large to hold them without crowding. Place the dish on the middle rack oven. Working quickly to preserve the heat, finish filling the dishes with the custard mixture, making sure that it comes right to the top of each dish. Then carefully fill the baking dish with very hot tap water so it comes halfway up the sides of the filled dishes. Bake for about 25 minutes, or until the custard is set in the center. Remove the custards to a wire rack to cool. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or until ready to use.
When ready to serve, preheat the broiler. Pass the brown sugar through a fine sieve to eliminate all lumps. Generously sprinkle the top of each chilled custard with an equal portion of the brown sugar, taking care to cover all of the custard, so that it gives an even finish. Place the chilled creme brulee dishes under the preheated broiler and broil for about 2 minutes, or until the tops are crackling brown. Remove from the broiler and serve immediately.
Labels: recipes to try
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spanish chicken and rice - easily turned into paella
Thursday, July 9, 2009 12:43 AM1 tbsp. olive oil
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 2 1/2-inch pieces
kosher salt and pepper
1 medium onion, sliced
1 green bell pepper, sliced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 cup dry white wine (such as sauvignon blanc)
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes, including liquid
1 cup long-grain white rice
1 cup frozen peas
1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
1/4 cup pimiento-stuffed spanish olives, chopped (optional)
in a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. pat the chicken dry with paper towels. season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and cook until golden brown, 2 minutes per side.
add the onion and bell pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 5 minutes. add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. add the wine, tomatoes and their liquid, rice, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and bring to a boil. reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes.
stir in the peas and cook, covered, until heated through, about 2 minutes. spoon the chicken and rice onto individual plates and sprinkle with the parsley. serve with the olives, if desired.
QUICK TIP TO TURN THIS INTO PAELLA
turn this dish into paella by adding 1/4 teaspoon saffron to the rice. five minutes before the rice is done, stir in 3/4 pound shrimp.
my uncle, who made paella with this recipe, recommended buying saffron rice, as it's cheaper than buying the actual saffron spice.
nutritional information
servings per recipe 4
amount per serving
calories 442
calories from fat 10%
fat 5g
sat fat 0g
cholesterol 66mg
sodium 574mg
carbohydrate 53g
fiber 8g
sugar 11g
protein 34g
Labels: recipes to try
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grilled scallops with honeydew-avocado salsa
12:39 AMfinely grated lime zest
2 tbsp. fresh lime juice
1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 1/2 lbs. honeydew melon, rind removed and melon cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 hass avocado, cut into 1/4-inch dice
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 lbs. large sea scallops
light a grill. in a large bowl, combine the lime zest and juice with the 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the diced honeydew melon and avocado. season the salsa with salt and black pepper.
drizzle the scallops with olive oil and season with salt and black pepper. grill over moderately high heat, turning once, until nicely charred and just cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes per side. transfer the scallops to plates, spoon the salsa alongside, and serve.
putting this recipe here so i don't lose it later . . . definitely one i want to try when i have more time (aka after july 30).
Labels: recipes to try
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balsamic bbq garlic burgers w/ bacon
Monday, July 6, 2009 9:03 PMingredients
1 lb. ground beef (use meat with higher fat content--it'll bind better)
1 egg
four cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 lb. mushrooms, chopped
3-4 strips of bacon
cheese
burger fixings (lettuce, tomato, onions--whatever you want)
balsamic bbq sauce (recipe courtesy of giada de laurentiis, food network)
preheat the grill. in a large mixing bowl, mix beef with two cloves of minced garlic, then crack the egg into the mixture and mix it all together. (the egg helps to bind the patties and keeps them from falling apart on the grill.) separate the meat into four 1/4-pound patties, molding them into a rough "burger" shape. brush the balsamic bbq sauce on the patties using a pastry brush, then put the patties on the grill.
how long you leave the burgers on the grill is up to you. it depends on a few things--how hot the grill is, how you like your burgers cooked, etc. however, keep in mind that if you choose to grill your bacon (which we did), you want to keep the heat relatively low because of bacon grease. (also remember that, if you grill bacon, be careful about flipping over the bacon--bacon grease will cause flames to shoot up. we learned this through experience. alternatively, you can pan fry your bacon.)
the mushrooms and remaining garlic can be sauteed with olive oil either before the burgers are grilling or while it's going on. very simple--olive oil in the pan, throw in the sliced mushrooms and minced garlic, and sautee over medium heat for a few minutes. these will go on top of the burger patties.
while the burgers are grilling, continue periodically brushing on the balsamic bbq sauce. if you're grilling the bacon, you can also occasionally brush some of the sauce on the bacon, which is what we did on a whim. once the patties are cooked to your liking, put some of the mushrooms and garlic on the burgers. we also added cheddar cheese on top of the mushrooms and garlic and let it all melt on top. once that was done, we toasted hamburger buns, put some bbq sauce on the buns, and placed the patties on the buns. once the bacon was cooked, that went on top of the cheese, with any burger fixings.
the burgers ended up being more like sliders, but they were absolutely delicious. i'll definitely be trying this again.
Labels: recipes
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lobster blt
Thursday, June 25, 2009 10:09 AM1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tbsp. fresh lime juice
1 small shallot, minced
1 small garlic clove, mashed
2 tbsp. snipped chives
1 tbsp. finely chopped tarragon
1 tsp. sweet paprika
1/2 tsp. celery seeds
2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 cups coarsely chopped cooked lobster meat (about 1 pound), from two 1 1/4-pound lobsters
6 oz. sliced bacon
2 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
4 brioche rolls, split
1 tomato, thickly sliced
In a medium bowl, whisk the mayonnaise with the lime juice, shallot, garlic, chives, tarragon, paprika, celery seeds and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and fold in the chopped cooked lobster meat. Refrigerate until chilled.
In a skillet, cook the bacon over moderately high heat until crisp, about 7 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain.
Preheat a grill pan. Spread the butter on the cut sides of the rolls. Grill the rolls cut sides down over moderate heat until toasted, about 3 minutes. Transfer the rolls to plates. Mound the lobster salad on the grilled rolls. Top with the crisp bacon and tomato slices and serve.
The recipe can be prepared through Step 1 and refrigerated, covered, for up to 8 hours.
Labels: recipes to try
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herbed chicken pasta
Sunday, June 21, 2009 6:56 PMthis is one of my favorite recipes to make because it's quick, easy, and delicious. i like to spice it up a little by adding some white wine to the sauce (tonight, i accidentally corkscrewed a screw-top bottle of awakena sauvignon blanc . . . oops) and adding some seafood--shrimp, sometimes some calamari and prawns. didn't have any seafood tonight, but i'm sure it'll be fine regardless. i also added some fresh basil at the end (with the tomatoes) and, instead of linguine, i used farfalle. either way, yummy!
Labels: recipes
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summertime soup? why not?
Monday, June 15, 2009 8:37 PMusually, when i make soup, i just throw a bunch of ingredients together. i'm really at measuring--i tend to just eyeball it and i have no clue as to how much of each ingredient i put in. this has occasionally backfired, like the time i put in too much salt/soy sauce/sesame seed oil and it ended being way too salty. but i learned from that mistake and this soup turned out better.
general ingredients (no measurements, sorry):
oxtail
beef for stew
chicken broth/water
salt and pepper
garlic
potatoes
lemon juice
ginger
green onions
spinach
sesame seed oil
soy sauce
teriyaki sauce
udon noodles
yummy! the only problem is that, as usual, i made too much and i'll be eating soup for the rest of the week, which is unfortunate because it's supposed to heat up, according to weather.com. oops. oh, well.
Labels: recipes
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salad dressing recipes i want to try
Tuesday, June 9, 2009 10:40 PMbasil vinaigrette recipe
recommended with heirloom tomato salad, pasta salad, panzanella salad, and grilled fish, chicken, or lamb
1 small garlic clove
1 cup packed basil leaves, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tbsp. champagne vinegar
pinch of crushed red pepper
salt and freshly ground pepper
in a food processor, pulse the garlic until chopped. add the basil and pulse until finely chopped. add the oil, vinegar, and crushed red pepper and process until smooth. aeason with salt and pepper.
sherry shallot vinaigrette
recommended with cucumber salad, sliced tomatoes, pasta salad, steak salad, steamed asparagus, or green beans
1 large shallot, thinly sliced
1 1/2 tbsp. sherry vinegar
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
in a small bowl, toss the shallot with the vinegar and season with salt and pepper. let stand for 15 minutes, then whisk in the oil.
ginger vinaigrette
recommended with cabbage slaw, chinese chicken salad, mixed green salad, grilled eggplant or tuna, and summer rolls
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1 1/2 tbsp. sugar
1 tbsp. finely grated fresh ginger
1/4 cup vegetable oil
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
in a small bowl, mix the rice vinegar with the sugar and grated ginger until the sugar is dissolved. whisk in the vegetable oil and season the vinaigrette with salt and pepper.
honey-lemon dressing
recommended with watercress salad, carrot salad, fennel salad, mixed green salad, and citrus salad
1 tbsp. plus 2 tsp.fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
1 tbsp. honey
1/2 tsp. chopped thyme
1/4 cup(s) extra-virgin olive oil
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
in a small bowl, whisk the lemon juice with the lemon zest, honey, and thyme. whisk in the olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
source
Labels: recipes, recipes to try
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review - 71 st. peter (san jose, ca)
7:13 PMas you can see from the link, the DAT menu consisted of:
first course:
trio of bruschette (traditional, fresh mozzarella with olive, and portabello mushroom)
second course:
lemon rock shrimp risotto (also had some scallops)
third course:
bacon-wrapped top sirloin w/ seared day boat sea scallops
fourth course:
chocolate creme brulee
i paired my meal with a glass of 2005 bridlewood viognier. meanwhile, my friend had this:
first course:
chilled seafood gazpacho (it had avocado mousse and cilantro oil, i remember that much)
second course:
grilled quail
main course:
chilean sea bass
dessert:
rasberry walnut torte w/ raspberry zagbalione
we also had sorbet in between the second course and the main course, to "cleanse our palates." the tasting menu says passionfruit, but i'm pretty sure it was more like applesauce with cinnamon. i'm normally not a big fan of applesauce, but somehow it was tolerable in sorbet form--possibly because the "apple" taste wasn't quite as strong, so it allowed the cinnamon flavor to come through better, as well as i liked the texture of the sorbet compared to regular applesauce.
overall, i must say that, for the price ($50, including tip, for each of us), the food was better than i expected. i ordered my steak medium-rare and it wound up being just this side of rare, which was a pleasant surprise. the bacon complimented the steak nicely and the scallops were delicious. however, i will say that the star of the night was the lemon rock shrimp risotto--so delicious! it was creamy and had just the right flavor of shrimp and scallops, even when you were eating just the risotto. absolutely wonderful. the bruschette was also good, though a little awkward to eat because they piled on the toppings to the point where every time i took a bite, i was spilling toppings. no complaints about the creme brulee, either, seeing as how i've been craving creme brulee for the past few days. the wine wasn't quite as flavorful as i would have liked, but it was decent.
as to my friend's food, i'd never had gazpacho before, so it was interesting to try it. as you probably know, gazpacho is generally served cold, so it almost doesn't seem like soup so much as . . sauce? i'm not quite sure what the equivalent would be. but the flavor was good, a little more tart than i expected, and overall quite refreshing. i'd also never had quail, but it's really no surprise that it tastes like chicken (no, really)--just much smaller. (these were what dick cheney was hunting when he shot his friend? really??) the sea bass was cooked perfectly and i must note that the only other time i've had chilean sea bass, it had been sitting in a sauce of blood oranges, so that all i could taste was the blood orange flavor. this time, the sea bass sat on a much better salsa-type mixture, which was also quite tasty, and it allowed me to appreciate the flavor and texture of the fish. finally, the walnut torte and zagbalione were good (though maybe not as good as the creme brulee)--the zagbalione was nice and fluffy, while the torte seemed to be soaked in some sort of liquid that allowed it to retain its moistness, which was very nice.
add the good food at a good price to excellent service and outdoor seating on a quiet, warm night, and i have to say that i would definitely do this again.
Labels: restaurant review
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kitchen essentials
Saturday, June 6, 2009 10:23 PM- garlic
- onions
- italian seasoning
- lemon juice
- soy sauce
- teriyaki sauce
- wine/beer
- worcestershire suace
- potatoes
- cheese (usually mozzarella or cheddar, along with the usual parmesan-in-a-bottle)
- chicken broth
- beef broth
- canned diced tomatoes
- balsamic vinaigarette
Labels: lists
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aspragus with bacon, red onion, and balsamic vinaigrette
Thursday, May 28, 2009 12:53 PMi recently tried this recipe and absolutely adored it. a couple of things i would point out, however:
- be careful not to overcook the asparagus. we didn't use "thin" asparagus (or at least i didn't think we did), but we broiled it in the oven for about 10 minutes and they came out too soft. this may also be due to the fact that we only had one bunch of asparagus?
- i loved the balsamic vinaigrette aspect of this recipe and one regret i had was being too conservative with pouring it over the asparagus. if you like balsamic vinaigrette, go nuts!
- same goes with the bacon. i think i used three strips of bacon, instead of six--mistake. i love bacon, especially extra crispy, which i think is the perfect way to make it for this recipe. next time, even though i only used one bunch of asparagus, i might go with four or five strips of bacon. (i noticed that one comment on the recipe said to forego the bacon--BLASPHEMY.)
otherwise, a tasty and quick way to cook up some asparagus as a great side dish. (we had it with steak.) i also think i'll be using this general vinaigrette recipe for my salads.
Labels: recipe review
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Simple Beef Short Ribs recipe
Sunday, May 17, 2009 9:06 PMi made these last wednesday, along with some grilled yellow potatoes and mushrooms. the ribs themselves didn't come out as tender as i'd hoped (though i didn't keep them in quite as long as the recipe called for), but the sauce was really good, especially poured over the grilled veggies. this was my first time making ribs and i think i need to figure out the best way to make tender, fall-off-the-bones ribs. any tips?
Labels: ribs
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