Day Late, Dollar Short? Move over cupcakes

Is anyone really a true-original artist anymore? This topic has been brought up many times in my colorful and creative household. Do cooks and bakers really create revolutionary, history making delectables anymore? I say who cares. Taking that beloved recipe from grandma and changing it up a wee bit doesn't make make you a genius but it sure as hell makes you feel like one for a bit when it comes out right.

The cupcake has been brought back to life over and over again. Sex and the City, and our favorite 4 singles, literally put Magnolia Bakery on the map. Before you knew it, cupcake shops were popping up all over the city. Then, again to reinvent the scene, came the cupcake trucks, the mini cupcake gals, and of course, the cupcake reality shows. Seemed like everyone who was into baking was suddenly a cupcake genius.

Don't get me wrong, I can not pass a good cupcake ever.. 

A few years ago, there was a bit of an uprising in the food nation. After everyone got on the band wagon for reinventing the cupcake, there was an uproar for something new. Something to distract us from the yet another cupcake shop.

But, somewhere tucked in the madness of reinventing something that has been around since 1796, according to Wikipedia, there was a bit of a calling for something a bit different. I bring you the Whoopie Pie.

According to the book "Whoopie Pies" by Sarah Billingsley and Amy Treadwell, whoopie pies hail from the Northeast region. They are a mix between cake and cookie. I like to call them an inside out cupcake. Soft pillowy cake, shaped like a cookie with the most amazing fluffy frosting in between. No wrappers, no nonsense.. I dare you to eat just one. 

If you remember, I had a post last November about pumpkin whoopie pies, with Maple Frosting. Do NOT MISS THOSE for the fall..

But this time I went for the classic. Chocolate with Marshmallow Cream Filling...

Sadly, I don't think that the push to overthrow the cupcake kings with whoopie pies has actually caught on, and I may have missed the bandwagon all together, but in our house, these are staying on the menu :)

Classic Chocolate Whoopie Pies with Marshmallow Cream
**Tip- these are best eaten same day. You can store in an air tight container for up to one week, or you can freeze up to a month. If they last that long.

Cake Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
• 1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon coffee 
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter- at room temperature
• 4 tablespoons vegetable shortening
• 1 (packed) cup dark brown sugar
• *I actually used Splenda dark brown sugar and it came out perfect. Just use 1/2 cup instead. (bonus!)
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cup milk

Filling Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups marshmallow Fluff
• 1 1/4 cups vegetable shortening
• 1 cup confectioners sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Method

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 375 degrees. 

Line two baking sheets wit h parchment paper.

Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. In another bowl beat together the butter, shortening, and brown sugar. Beat until fluffy- 3 mins.

Add the egg and vanilla for another 2 mins.

Add half of the flour mixture and half of the milk to the batter and beat on low until just incorporated. Scrape down sides of the bowl. Add the remaining flour mixture and milk and beat until completely smooth.

Using a tablespoon, drop batter on to baking sheets. Space them about 2 inches apart. 

Bake about 10 mins or until pies spring bake with pressed gently.

Remove and let cool completely .

Makes about 48 two inch cakes for 24 pies.

Filling:

Add all ingredients to bowl and mix together.

Scoop mixture into empty Gallon Freezer back. Snip one corner off bag and pipe the frosting onto 1/2 of pie. Sandwich to make complete pie.

Alternatively: you can spread the frosting with a butter knife or offset spatula. I just like having one less dish to wash at this point..

Enjoy

Real Cheap, Real Simple, Real Homemade- Holidays on a Budget!

* to view more images from this shoot check our our Shop

A bit of a confession here, but it's relevant to today's posting. Last Holiday Season for us, like many was pretty stressful. We have a ton of people in our lives that we love dearly, but the idea of having to buy presents for everyone was pretty scary. So I decided to take those words of "it's the thought that counts" a little more to heart. I thought real hard about what personal gifts Rick and I could create on a limited budget and limited free time.  Well, I do cooking and baking really well.. Then it hit me, Cookies! and lots of them. They are cheap, they are easy to make (ahead of time) and everybody likes sweets.  

So, that's just what I did. I baked my little heart out. And then I did the other thing I do well, package. I found inexpensive boxes, and really pretty ribbon and decorated those yummy morsels in a Holiday package to delight anyone.

So you better believe I am doing it again this year. But this time, I am going to share my ideas and recipes with all of you.

For the next six weeks I will share with you one cookie recipe per week. The idea here is that you premix your cookie dough and freeze it until you are ready to bake. You can safely store most cookie doughs in a freezer for well up to two months. Then, the week before you want to present the cookies, you can start baking the off and storing them in an air tight container. When you are ready give your gifts, package them up with a pretty bow and.. Ta Da....

For those who celebrate Hanukkah, it falls a bit earlier this year (first week of Dec.) you will only be able to get through 4 of the 6 weeks. Sorry, I started this later then I thought.

I will also help you prep for the packaging with ideas and places to buy.

So, for week 1  I present:

Cranberry Pistachio Icebox Cookies

adapted from Epicurious.com

(shortbread style cookie)

Makes 3 Dozen Cookies

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon finely grated fresh orange zest
1/2 cup shelled pistachios (2 1/4 oz; not dyed red)
1/3 cup dried cranberries (1 1/4 oz)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup decorative sugar (preferably coarse)

• Special equipment: parchment paper

Directions

Make dough:
Stir together flour, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl.

Beat together butter, granulated sugar, and zest in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture in 3 batches, mixing until dough just comes together in clumps, then mix in pistachios and cranberries. Gather and press dough together, then divide into 2 equal pieces. Using a sheet of plastic wrap or wax paper as an aid, form each piece of dough into a log about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Square off long sides of each log to form a bar, then freeze.

Up to one week before presenting.

Slice and bake cookies:
Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.

Brush egg over all 4 long sides of bars (but not ends). Sprinkle decorative sugar on a separate sheet of parchment or wax paper and press bars into sugar, coating well.

Cut each bar crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices, rotating bar after cutting each slice to help keep square shape. (If dough gets too soft to slice, freeze bars briefly until firm.) Arrange cookies about 1/2 inch apart on lined baking sheets.

Bake cookies, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until edges are pale golden, 15 to 18 minutes total. Transfer cookies from parchment to racks using a slotted spatula and cool completely.

Enjoy!

Work Friendly Breakfast: Egg Sandwich- Don't over pay again!

Here's something I bet you didn't know: In a pinch you can cook a pretty decent batch of scrambled eggs in the microwave! Not only is it fast, and work friendly you can save about $2.00 every morning and make it yourself rather then buying it from the guy with the cart. Yes, yes, I know we should all be encouraging the economy, but I would rather save my $2.00 at the cart and use it to spend on the movies, or a new pair of shoes.

Here's what you need at work:

Paper cup or microwave safe mug or bowl. I prefer the cups so I don't have to clean a dish..(apparently this post is neither environmental or economy boosting friendly).

Ingredients:

• 
  
  1-2 eggs
• 
  
  salt and pepper (optional)
• 
  
  2 slices of toast, kaiser roll, wrap or croissant.
• 
  
  splash of milk
• 
  
  Add favorite fixings: Tomato, cheese, bacon, etc.

Prep: 5 mins

• 
  
  Crack eggs into cup
• 
  
  add pinch of salt and pepper
• 
  
  Add milk
• 
  
  Stir with fork
• 
  
  Cook in microwave in 45 seconds. If egg is still watery, cook for an additional 10 seconds.
• 
  
  Sandwich on your favorite bread with favorite fixings.

**Prep tip: short on time in the office? you could crack egg into small sealed storage container and bring to work to cook, it will stay safe to eat for the trip into the office. You could also toast bread ahead of time and wrap in tin foil.

Enjoy!

Don't tell my Aunt (Jemima) that I found someone new.

I love found new recipes in a pinch. While I will admit, my last few postings have revolved around breakfast meals, it's too good not to share. And hey, don't the experts say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day.

My day's during the week are pretty fast and furious. I am often up and out the door in about 30 mins, barely having enough time to fix my own food basket for the day let alone get food in the munchkins bellies. I rely on my husband and mother in law to help ;which they thankfully do).

So I have been on a mission to find wholesome (not jacked up with preservatives) breakfasts that are fast and well frankly no thinking required for my husband.  One of my favorites is pancakes. Once I got this recipe, I decided to never go back. It's fast, easy, and all ingredients I can pronounce. Best part, I make up a huge batch on a Sunday morning and then freeze the one's we don't finish. These babies will last in a freezer safe baggie for well over 2 months at least. We have never been able to really make it past that point before finishing them.

These pancakes have all the ingredients you probably already have in the cupboard and it costs pennies on the dollar. You tell me which sounds better?

Aunt Jemima's Ingredients

ENRICHED BLEACHED FLOUR (BLEACHED WHEAT FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMIN MONONITRATE, RIBOFLAVIN, FOLIC ACID), SUGAR, LEAVENING (SODIUM BICARBONATE, SODIUM ALUMINUM PHOSPHATE, MONOCALCIUM PHOSPHATE), SALT, CALCIUM CARBONATE (A SOURCE OF CALCIUM).

Or our recipe:

Makes about 18 small pancakes

Prep Time: 5 mins

Total Time: 10 mins

Heat pankcake griddle to 350 degrees or use hot frying pan with 1 tablespoon butter or vegetable oil.

Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• 1 3/4 cup milk
• 3 tablespoons melted butter (4 if using pan) *use 3 in recipe and 1 for pan
• 2 cups flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)

1. Beat egg until fluffy.

2. Add milk and melted margarine.

3. Add dry ingredients and mix well.

4. Heat a heavy griddle or fry pan which is greased with a little butter on a paper towel. Or heat pancake griddle and skip greasing..

5. The pan/griddle is hot enough when a drop of water breaks into several smaller balls which 'dance' around the pan.

6. Pour a small amount of batter onto pan/griddle. I like to use a pyrex measuring cup or other pourable cup.

7. Flip over when you see the surface of pancakes start to bubble and break.

Result..

See for yourself