Author: chanie

Gingerbread Cupcakes with
Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting

If you follow me on Facebook or Instagram, you’ve probably already drooled over these gorgeous gingerbread cupcakes. I made them during the fast of Tisha B’av, so I wasn’t about to photograph them, but I did talk about them, a LOT. The next day, I had just 3 cupcakes left, so I decided to do what any foodie/blogger would – share! It was hard not to gobble down the last of them before getting a good shot, they’re just THAT good.

Besides being incredibly moist, these gingerbread cupcakes are chock-full of warm autumn spices. I didn’t think my kids would go for the flavors of ginger and nutmeg, but I was SO wrong – they could not get enough. Not only that, my little cream-cheese-haters were licking the frosting off their fingers! I think I’m going to start whipping up sweet cream cheese concoctions and call them “frosting sandwiches.” It will make lunch a whole lot easier for me!

Gingerbread Cupcakes with Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting
adapted from The Collegiate Baker

2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
1/3 cup molasses
1 cup hot water

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg to a bowl and whisk to combine. In a separate bowl, mix the  oil, sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla. Add eggs and mix to incorporate. Add the molasses and stir to combine. Add half of the dry ingredients and half of the hot water to the wet mixture and mix until incorporated. Repeat with the second half of the dry ingredients and hot water.

Fill cupcake pans about 2/3 full and bake for approximately 18 minutes, until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting

1 8oz. container whipped cream cheese
4 tbsp softened butter
1 cup confectionars sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp vanilla

Method:

Add the cream cheese and butter to a bowl and mix with a spoon to combine. Add the brown sugar cinnamon and vanilla and mix until incorporated. Add the confectioners sugar 1/3 of a cup at a time, stirring until thickened.

1 year ago: chicken lollipops 
2 years ago: cherry yogurt popsicles 

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Melon Carpaccio

The term carpaccio is usually used to refer to thinly sliced cuts of meat or fish that are served as an appetizer. In recent years, however, chef’s have reinvented the idea of carpaccio, preparing  dishes of thinly sliced veggies or fruit, like zucchini and melon, carpaccio-style. The trick to making a carpaccio is to keep the ingredients thin and uniform by shaving them down with a mandolin or vegetable peeler. Ever since slicing my palm on a mandolin last year, I have a hard time using it without cringing, so peelers are a welcome substitute in this case!

When working with melon, you don’t want your fruit to be too ripe, otherwise the thin shavings won’t hold up after plating. They’ll let out too much juice and turn to mush. Use just-ripened fruit that’s cold (warm melon will be harder to peel) and shave it over a bowl to catch the juices. If using a mandolin or peeler doesn’t work for you, you can also slice it thinly with a knife.

What I love most about this melon appetizer, is the combination of sweet melon with spicy jalapeno and tart lime.  It celebrates the best of summer produce –  melon, tomatoes & basil – at their prime. This unconventional melon salad is not only a party on your palate, it looks beautiful on your plate too.

Melon Carpaccio

1/2 green melon (canary or honeydew)
1/2 orange melon (cantaloupe or orange flesh honeydew)
1 handful yellow grape tomatoes
1 handful red grape tomatoes
1/2 jalapeno, seeded and finely minced
1/3 cup tomato juice
juice of 1 lime
1 tsp lime zest
5 basil leaves, chiffonade
pinch of salt
additional basil, for garnish

Method:

Over a bowl (to catch the drippings), thinly slice melon using a mandoline, peeler or knife (see above for tips). Add the remaining ingredients and mix gently to combine. Serve in glasses and garnish with fresh basil.

 

1 year ago: cherries in red wine syrup
2 years ago: fried fish sandwich

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Orange Creamsicle Pops

Some of the favorite memories of my youth involve the summers spent in Himmel’s bungalow colony in upstate New York. The caretakers lived directly across the road, in what I remember to be a shack equally as dilapidated as our bungalow. Not that I cared much. When I happened upon their space, I was there for only one thing – the small ice cream freezer in the corner. I had my eye on a particular prize – the orange creamsicles. The creamy ice pops were a summer treat, fresh with the taste of orange and sweet with milky goodness.

I have wanted to replicate those pops in forever, and with my new-found obsession with creamy coconut milk, I was pretty sure I could make a decent nondairy version. Considering how my daughter devoured them, I think I did a good job. They’re a bit icier than the original, but the taste brings back such great memories!

What are some of your favorite summer food memories? Share them with me in the comments below!

Orange Creamsicle Pops

2 cups coconut milk
6 oz. orange juice concentrate, thawed
2 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp vanilla extract

Method:

Add all ingredients to a bowl and mix to combine. Pour into popsicle molds and freeze until solid.

1 year ago: strawberry limonana
2 years ago: quick & easy fish

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Summer Rolls with Spicy Dipping Sauce

I couldn’t imagine  going through summer without posting the ultimate light and healthy dish – summer rolls. To be honest, I have no idea why they are called “summer” rolls. I think it’s because they are lighter than their wonton cousins, but I could be wrong.

Unlike classic eggrolls, which are usually fried and heavy, summer rolls are made with rice paper rounds and don’t require any cooking. If you’ve never worked with rice paper before. don’t be intimidated, it’s really super easy.

The great thing about summer rolls is that they can be filled with anything – fruit, veggies, or your protein of choice. Fish and tofu work wonderfully in these rice paper roll-ups, but grilled chicken and veggies are my faves. I once watched Giada de Laurentiis make a fruity version on the Food Network. She filled the rounds with pad Thai noodles, strawberries, mango and almonds and prepared a honey-mint dipping sauce to go on the side. She served them after a yoga lesson as the perfect post-workout treat.

For me, making a dish like this doesn’t really require a recipe. I look into my fridge and put together whatever scraps I can find. In this case, I had leftover marinated chicken breasts, so I threw them on my grill pan for a quick sear. I found some nappa cabbage, shredded carrots, scallions and edamame, and put them all together for a fabulous combo. Feel free to do the same (grab whatever you can find in your fridge) or follow my recipe below.

Oh, and the dipping sauce? Let me just say this — it’s awesome.

Rice Paper Rolls

6 rice paper wrappers
2 pieces grilled chicken, sliced
1/4 head nappa cabbage, thinly sliced
1 carrot, shredded
1 cup edamame
2 scallions, ends trimmed, thinly sliced lengthwise

Method:

Prepare all your fillings on a tray, so they are ready to go once your rice paper has softened. Fill a shallow bowl with warm water and slide the rice paper wrappers inside for 10-15 seconds, until soft and pliable. Remove gently from the water and place on a cutting board. Place filling in the center of the wrapper, and roll the bottom portion of the rice paper around the filling. Fold the sides over, and continue rolling to form rolls. Cut summer rolls in half and serve with dipping sauce

Dipping Sauce

2 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp honey
Zest of 1/2 lime
Juice of 1 lime
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp sriracha
salt, to taste

Method:

Add all ingredients to a bowl and whisk to combine. Serve with summer rolls.

1 year ago: roasted beet salsa
2 years ago: gefilte fish patties in tomato sauce

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Butterfly Candy Craft

It’s funny how parents have to go from simple pink party bags to more elaborate birthday themes as their kids grow. I, for one, have a little pre-tween approaching a 2-digit birthday in just a couple of years, and the easy cupcake and party bag birthday just doesn’t cut it anymore. This year, I managed to convince her to turn her party bag into a fun craft, and when she saw the adorable outcome, I didn’t have to say it twice. We used two types of candy (candy corn & individually-wrapped chews), which I actually weighed for 24 of her classmates. I prepared the supplies in little DIY baggies, and did a quick demonstration for the big-eyed 7 year olds. Paired with some ices, it was the perfect goodie bag that doubled as a fun craft. I’m sure your kids will enjoy it too!

The best part about this adorable butterfly craft is that it’s easily customizable. If you’re not a fan of cavity-laden candies, feel free to fill them with fresh fruit, crackers, cereal, or nuts. You can also decorate the butterflies to your liking, choosing from different types of card stock and decorations. Whatever you decide, your students, campers, or kids will be thrilled to create this fun and creative edible craft.

What you’ll need:

snack size Ziploc bags (6 1/2″ x 3 1/4″)
candy, cereal, crackers, fruit or nuts
pipe cleaners
clothes pins
card stock
sequins, gems or other decorative accents
glue

How to:

1. Fill the Ziploc bag halfway with candy.
2. Seal the bag, pressing out all the extra air as you go.
3. Push the candy to one side of the bag, and place a pipe cleaner in the center.
4. Loop the pipe cleaner around the bag and twist tightly to secure.
5. Open the empty side of the bag and fill with a second type of candy. Close securely.
6. Twist ends of the pipe cleaner around your finger to create swirls.
7. Place a clothes pin over the center of the bag, covering the twisted pipe cleaner.
8. Place glue along the length of the clothes pin and cover with card stock.
9. Decorate the card stock as desired.

NOTE: If you are only using one type of candy, you can fill the bag up all the way and just twist the pipe cleaner around the middle.

Related Posts:
rainbow cupcakes
candy sushi
ice cream clowns

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