Coconut Cupcakes

It's finally my turn! Each month, two different Barefoot Blogger members get to choose which recipe the group makes. I decided to choose a cupcake recipe, and with Ina Garten - this is the only one to choose! She is famous for these cupcakes mounded with coconut, and I've never made them. Mainly because I don't like coconut - at all. But, even I liked these cupcakes (I'll admit that I took most of the coconut off of the top). They were moist and the frosting was creamy and not too sweet.

Ingredients

3/4 pound (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
5 extra-large eggs at room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons pure almond extract
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup buttermilk
14 ounces sweetened, shredded coconut

For the frosting:

1 pound cream cheese at room temperature
3/4 pound (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract

1 1/2 pounds confectioners' sugar, sifted

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, add the eggs, 1 at a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition. Add the vanilla and almond extracts and mix well.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In 3 parts, alternately add the dry ingredients and the buttermilk to the batter, beginning and ending with the dry. Mix until just combined. Fold in 7 ounces of coconut.

Line a muffin pan with paper liners. Fill each liner to the top with batter. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, until the tops are brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Remove to a baking rack and cool completely.

Meanwhile, make the frosting. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, on low speed, cream together the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla and almond extracts. Add the confectioners' sugar and mix until smooth.

Frost the cupcakes and sprinkle with the remaining coconut.

Ina Garten, The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook

Raspberry Truffle Cupcakes

Phillip & I got invited to a pheasant fry tonight. I haven't made a new cupcake creation in a while, so I thought that this would be the perfect occasion for a new recipe. I wanted something chocolaty to appeal to the masses, and I thought these Raspberry Truffle Cupcakes looked like a good mix of chocolate and fruit.

I used my favorite chocolate mix for the base, filled it with raspberry jam, and topped it with my basic buttercream spiked with raspberry jam. The real treat of these is the chocolate filled raspberries on top... mmm!

Raspberry Truffles

2 pints of fresh raspberries
5 oz. semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
1/4 cup raspberry jam
1/3 cup heavy cream

Place the chocolate and jam in heatproof bowl. Bring the cream to boil in a small saucepan. Remove from heat and pour cream over the chocolate and jam. Let stand for 3 minutes, whisk together until combined. If any lumps remain, microwave for a few seconds and stir. Let the ganache cool a bit until it thickens slightly. Using a pastry bag, pipe into the center of clean raspberries and refrigerate until set (about 15 minutes). Place on top of frosted cupcakes.

Inspired by: Annie's Eats

Shrimp Bisque

This Barefoor Bloggers choice was from Jennifer at Our Blessed Home. My brother (and roomie) AJ loves seafood soups, so I was really excited to make this for him last week. This wasn't the most rich and creamy bisque that I've ever had (and I tend to prefer creamy soups), as Phillip said, "It was fine, it was shrimpy - it just didn't knock my socks off." I will definitely try to make a shrimp bisque again, but I probably won't use this recipe again.

For some reason, I can't copy the recipe into the blog today. For now, I'll just provide a link - and I'll fix it later. Here's Ina's version of Shrimp Bisque.

Indonesian Ginger Chicken

Another Barefoot Bloggers post! I know, that seems like all I post these days. I've been super busy with my last semester of school and Phillip & I are building a new house, but I make sure to make time for this blog group every two weeks. Todd of A Cooking Dad made this choice, and it was great. The best thing was that it only took five ingredients, so it was budget friendly as well.

Ingredients

1 cup honey
3/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup minced garlic (8 to 12 cloves)
1/2 cup peeled and grated fresh ginger root
2 (3 1/2 pound) chickens, quartered, with backs removed

Directions

Cook the honey, soy sauce, garlic, and ginger root in a small saucepan over low heat until the honey is melted. Arrange the chicken in 1 layer in a shallow baking pan, skin side down, and pour on the sauce. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil. Marinate overnight in the refrigerator.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the baking pan in the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover the pan, turn the chicken skin side up, and raise the temperature to 375 degrees F. Continue baking for 30 minutes or until the juices run clear when you cut between a leg and thigh and the sauce is a rich, dark brown.

Source: Ina Garten

Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms

Merry Christmas!! Thanks this week go to Michelle of Welcome To The Club for this great appetizer. I made these for Phillip's family Christmas, and they were a big hit.

Ingredients

• 16 extra-large white mushrooms
• 5 tablespoons good olive oil, divided
• 2 1/2 tablespoons Marsala wine or medium sherry
• 3/4 pound sweet Italian sausage, removed from the casings
• 6 scallions, white and green parts, minced
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 2/3 cup panko crumbs
• 5 ounces mascarpone cheese, preferably from Italy
• 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 2 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Remove the stems from the mushrooms and chop them finely. Set aside. Place the mushroom caps in a shallow bowl and toss with 3 tablespoons of the olive oil and Marsala. Set aside.

Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage, crumbling it with the back of a wooden spoon. Cook the sausage for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until it's completely browned. Add the chopped mushroom stems and cook for 3 more minutes. Stir in the scallions and garlic and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the panko crumbs, stirring to combine evenly with all the other ingredients. Finally, swirl in the mascarpone and continue cooking until the mascarpone has melted and made the sausage mixture creamy. Off the heat, stir in the Parmesan, parsley, and season with salt and pepper, to taste, Cool slightly.

Fill each mushroom generously with the sausage mixture. Arrange the mushrooms in a baking dish large enough to hold all the mushrooms in a snug single layer. Bake until the stuffing for 50 minutes, until the stuffing is browned and crusty.

Source: Ina Garten

Croissant Bread Pudding

Yum, what a great holiday dessert! Thanks this week go to Peggy of Pantry Revisited for choosing this festive treat. Growing up, bread pudding was my dad's favorite dessert, but I wasn't a fan. Well, I guess tastes do change as we mature, because I could have eaten the whole pan of this. The custard was luscious, and the plump raisins were the perfect treat in each bite.

I think I'm going to make this again next week when I head back home for Christmas!

Ingredients

3 extra-large whole eggs
8 extra-large egg yolks
5 cups half-and-half
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
6 croissants, preferably stale, sliced horizontally
1 cup raisins

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the whole eggs, egg yolks, half-and-half, sugar, and vanilla. Set the custard mixture aside. Slice the croissants in half horizontally. In a 10 by 15 by 2 1/2-inch oval baking dish, distribute the bottoms of the sliced croissants, then add the raisins, then the tops of the croissants (brown side up), being sure the raisins are between the layers of croissants or they will burn while baking. Pour the custard over the croissants and allow to soak for 10 minutes, pressing down gently.

Place the pan in a larger one filled with 1-inch of hot water. Cover the larger pan with aluminum foil, tenting the foil so it doesn't touch the pudding. Cut a few holes in the foil to allow steam to escape. Bake for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake for 40 to 45 more minutes or until the pudding puffs up and the custard is set. Remove from the oven and cool slightly. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Source: Ina Garten, The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook

Creme Brulee

Thanks to Suzie from Munch & Nibble for forcing me to make my favorite restaurant dessert. Whenever I go out and get to choose dessert, I choose creme brulee. The mix of sweet and creamy finishes off a meal with just the right note. So why hadn't I made it before? I have no idea! This was a great recipe that would be perfect for entertaining, because you can make the custard ahead of time and just torch it after dinner.

Ingredients

1 extra-large egg
4 extra-large egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar, plus 1 tablespoon for each serving
3 cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon orange liqueur (recommended: Grand Marnier)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the egg, egg yolks, and 1/2 cup of the sugar together on low speed until just combined. Meanwhile, scald the cream in a small saucepan until it's very hot to the touch but not boiled. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the cream to the eggs. Add the vanilla and orange liqueur and pour into 6 to 8-ounce ramekins until almost full.

Place the ramekins in a baking pan and carefully pour boiling water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the custards are set when gently shaken. Remove the custards from the water bath, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate until firm.

To serve, spread 1 tablespoon of sugar evenly on the top of each ramekin and heat with a kitchen blowtorch until the sugar caramelizes evenly. Allow to sit at room temperature for a minute until the caramelized sugar hardens.

Source: Ina Garten, Barefoot in Paris