recipes Archives - Page 40 of 62 - Feathers in Our Nest

Death by Chocolate Cupcakes

April 7, 2011 by Aliesha

My mom actually made these amazing cupcakes for her brunch. (I made the chocolate garnishes, but she did everything else.) Aren’t they fantastic? She sent me the recipe to post, so I hope you enjoy it!

Death by Chocolate Cupcakes

Cupcakes

1 Duncan Hines devil’s food cake mix, prepared as directed for cupcakes

Quintessential Chocolate Ganache

(taken directly from Death by Chocolate Cakes by Marcel Desaulniers, co-owner of the Trellis restaurant in Williamsburg)

12 ounces semisweet baking chocolate, coarsely chopped

4 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate, coarsely chopped

2 cups heavy cream

2 Tbsp. granulated sugar

Directions:

Place both chocolates in large bowl.

Heat cream and sugar in small saucepan over medium to medium-high heat. When hot, stir to dissolve sugar. Bring to a boil; pour the boiling cream over the chocolate. Set aside for 5 minutes. Stir with a whisk until smooth.

Pour into a baking sheet with sides, spreading it evenly. Set aside at room temperature till needed.

Whipped Cream Chocolate Frosting
(taken directly from Southern Living 1989 Annual Recipes, bought for my mom by her mother-in-law, my Granny B.)

1 1/2 cups whipping cream

3 Tbsp. cocoa

1/4 cup (or more) of confectioner’s sugar (sweeten to taste)

1 tsp. vanilla extract (use real vanilla!)

Combine all ingredients in a medium-size bowl and beat until firm peaks form. (I like to use a metal bowl that has been in the freezer for 10 minutes along with my metal beaters.)

Yield: 3 cups of YUMMY chocolate whipped cream frosting or filling!!

Lacy (or whatever shape you desire) Chocolate Garnishes

1/2 cup semisweet morsels

Place morsels in microwave and heat, stirring every minute or so. Spoon melted chocolate into a bag fitted with a small tip (no. 2). (Or, you can use a baggie with the corner cut off – a very small cut!) Pipe melted chocolate onto waxed paper into the shape you want. Chill until chocolate is firm. Carefully peel garnishes from wax paper and use on cake or cupcakes.

Recipe yields 24 cupcakes

Enjoy!

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Lemon Cupcakes with Lemon Filling

April 5, 2011 by Aliesha

I made these cupcakes for my mom’s birthday brunch, and they were quite a hit! Hope you enjoy the recipe (for a special occasion, of course!) as well!

Lemon Cupcakes (with Lemon Filling and Lemon Buttercream Frosting)

Lemon Cupcakes
1 box lemon cake mix
1 cup sour cream
3/4 cup water
3/4 cup oil
4 eggs
1 small box lemon pudding mix (instant)

Lemon Filling (the only part of this recipe that is low-fat!)
3/4 cup sugar
3 Tbsp. cornstarch
1/4 tsp. salt
2/3 cup water
1 Tbsp. butter
1 tsp. grated lemon peel
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 drops yellow food coloring, if desired

Lemon Buttercream Frosting
6 cups powdered sugar
2/3 cup butter, softened
2 to 4 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. grated lemon peel

To make the cupcakes
Combine lemon cake mix and lemon pudding mix. In the bowl of a mixer, combine all wet ingredients and mix well. Add dry ingredients and beat for 2 minutes. Fill lined muffin tins 2/3 full with batter. Bake in a preheated oven (350 degrees) for 25-30 minutes until toothpick comes out clean. When cupcakes are cool, hollow out a small hole in the middle of each cupcake using a knife.

To make the filling
In a saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Gradually add the water and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until it thickens and comes to a boil. Boil, while stirring, for one minute, then remove from heat. Add butter and lemon peel and stir until butter is melted. Stir in lemon juice and food coloring. Chill filling (covered with a layer of plastic wrap to prevent a hard skin from forming) in the fridge for at least two hours. When ready to assemble the cupcakes, use a small teaspoon to spoon the filling into the holes you created in the cupcakes.

To make the frosting
Combine powdered sugar and butter in a mixing bowl using an electric mixer on low. Beat in just enough lemon juice to make it smooth and spreadable. Add the grated lemon peel and beat until combined. If too runny, add more powdered sugar; if too dry, add more lemon juice. Frost each cupcake using a decorating bag and frosting tip (I used Wilton tip 4B for these, but I also like 1M).

Yields 24 cupcakes

Store cupcakes in fridge until ready to be served, and refrigerate any leftovers.

Enjoy!

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Spaghetti

March 22, 2011 by Aliesha

Here’s a simple recipe for you today: spaghetti! Tad has always loved his mom’s spaghetti (and let’s be honest – who doesn’t think their mom’s spaghetti is the best?!), so when we were first married she gave her recipe to me. I basically follow her recipe, but I’ve tweaked it a little bit. Also, I highly recommend using good-quality spices for this recipe (i.e. from Penzeys!). You will notice a difference when you use really good herbs! (And I love to make this with fresh herbs in the summer.)

Spaghetti

1 yellow onion, minced
5 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 lb. lean ground beef or ground turkey (I have also made this without meat plenty of times)
2 large cans tomato sauce
1 can diced tomatoes (Italian style or plain), not drained
1 Tbsp. basil
1 Tbsp. oregano
1 Tbsp. marjoram
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
a shake of crushed red pepper flakes
1 bay leaf

Saute onions and garlic in olive oil over medium heat until slightly tender. Add ground beef and cook until meat is no longer pink. Drain. Return to stovetop and add tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, basil, oregano, marjoram, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and the bay leaf. Simmer on low for at least 3-4 hours (the longer the better!). Remove the bay leaf at the end of the cooking time. Serve over pasta.