Recipe Arsenal | 20something cupcakes

Archives For Recipe Arsenal

clam sauce with bacon + linguine.

June 19, 2012 — 7 Comments

Who is it that you cook for on a regular basis?

World's Best {Bacon} Clam Sauce

Your husband … your girlfriend … your parents … your dog … yourself …

Well, this question might not be applicable if you cook for yourself. Hang with me for a minute. If you’re cooking for yourself, I get that there are pluses and negatives. A negative might be that you have too many leftovers, or that you get lonely on occasion. The big positive I see is that you get to cook for you. Your own taste buds, your own texture preferences, your own everything.

The reason I ask is that, many of you know by now that Daniel is the person I cook for everyday. When you’re in a situation like this, you tend to get stuck making their favorite things all the time. Or at least, if you’re a crazy person like me and don’t repeat dishes very often because there are always 658523 new dishes you need to try at any given moment, you get stuck repeating their favorite things more often than anything else. Now, this is only if you really love this person … though if you don’t, why are you cooking for them in the first place?

I say “get stuck” with a smile, because in truth, nothing makes me happier than cooking one of Daniel’s favorite dishes for him. I also say it with just.the.slightest sigh when speaking about clam sauce, because it’s one of his favorite dishes that I’ve never really gotten into.

Until now, that is.

In Main Dishes, Recipe Arsenal bacon, clams, pasta, seafood

the perfect {spicy} bloody mary.

November 30, 2011 — 1 Comment

Today, we’re bringing sexy back.

C’mon…you know a bloody mary is totally hot. Hot as in spicy. Sexy = hot = spicy. Are we on the same page? Good.

Today, I’m bringing sexy back in the form of the perfect bloody mary. This is not a new recipe to these parts, but because I make these *so* often, I felt compelled to take a shiny new picture and share it with you and remind you how awesome they are.

So you can make them. Like, this weekend. Or today. I surely wouldn’t judge you for imbibing on this fine Wednesday morning.

I love a good bloody mary for so many reasons. Most importantly, it’s usually the sign of a great weekend. This goes for both the “hell yeah, the weekend is here!” bloody mary and the “I had too much fun this weekend” hair of the dog bloody mary. I equally love that it’s considered totally normal to enjoy one (who are we kidding – several) before noon. In fact, having a bloody mary at any other time of day just seems downright wrong.

In Cocktails, Recipe Arsenal, Weekend Brunch celery, olives, spicy, tomato juice, vodka

{lattice-topped} blueberry pie.

September 2, 2011 — 6 Comments

So, yeah. Lattice-topped pies are pretty awesome.

Awesome to look at, awesome to eat – and surprisingly easy to make.

I’ll admit it: Something about the idea of a lattice-topped pie intimidated me. I’m not sure what it was. Perhaps it’s the fact the pie dough can be rather finnicky at times, depending on…who knows what. Some days my go-to crust is perfect – and other days, I can’t help but wonder why it’s my go-to crust.

In Recipe Arsenal, Sweets + Treats blueberries, dough + crust making, pies + tarts, summer recipes

the perfect burger.

August 30, 2011 — 5 Comments

Here’s the thing: I’m really into meat.

Red meat, to be specific. Perhaps I should have considered naming this site “20something meat-cakes.” God knows I eat more red meat than I do cupcakes.

A burger is a meat-cake, isn’t it? Maybe I’ve gone about this all wrong…

All jokes aside, there isn’t much I love more than a good burger. Ordering burgers out is a hit-or-miss situation, and that’s why I’ve recently become a happier person. Because, yes – I’ve discovered how to make a perfect burger, THE perfect burger, at home. No more ordering a burger and wondering if they’ll overcook it, or worse, not season it enough. No, no, no – now, it’s up to me.

In Main Dishes, Recipe Arsenal bacon, burgers, cheese, ground beef, sandwiches

deviled eggs with butter + truffle salt.

August 18, 2011 — 1 Comment

Deviled eggs are really nothing new or special. Unless you’re adding butter and a sprinkle of truffle salt, that is.

That’s right – these deviled eggs are sexy.

I love the combination of truffle and eggs. I’ve been known to drizzle a bit of oil in my scrambled eggs, I’ll admit. It’s the perfect way to make a simple, everyday breakfast into something decadent.

The same goes for deviled eggs. I honestly pity the person who doesn’t like deviled eggs – that’s how much I love them. When I’m around them, I can’t ever seem to stop popping them into my mouth. They’re a summery-picnic staple, and the addition of butter and a gentle dusting of truffle salt takes them to another level.

In Recipe Arsenal, Starters butter, deviled eggs, eggs, picnic, truffle salt

oven-roasted tomato confit.

June 25, 2011 — 2 Comments

I should probably let you in on this fact before I begin: I don’t like ketchup.

I know, I know. How can one not like ketchup? Probably comparable to how I feel about people who don’t like cheese. Or chocolate. Or garlic.

{I have one friend who doesn’t like any of them! Can you believe that? Well, she is lactose-intolerant, but she chooses not to like chocolate or garlic – which just baffles me}

And people who love ketchup, well – let’s just say there are definitely ketchup enthusiasts out there. People who will put ketchup on anything. I have another friend who used to put ketchup on her pizza. Doritos, even. See? A-N-Y-T-H-I-N-G.

If you’re wondering what I eat on my fries, it’s mayo. I’m sickly into mayo – especially homemade. Ketchup is just too sweet and overpowering for me. It has that artificial taste that I just can’t deal with. Maybe one day I will try homemade ketchup.

For now, I’m all about the slow-roasted tomato confit. I love tomatoes. And you’ve heard it before: Roasting tomatoes makes something magical happen. Well, slow-roasting doubles that magic. The flavor that comes out of these tomatoes is just incredible. They are so dramatically sweet, and the essence of the thyme runs throughout. I like to leave the thyme leaves on the stems – you can remove them when the tomatoes are finished cooking, and the flavor is still there.

The method is also totally foolproof – depending on how much time you have, you can turn the temperature down to 200 degrees and so, and let them go for 5 or 6 hours. Or, alternatively, if you’re short on time, you can up the temperature and roast them for an hour or so. You can’t screw these up. They’re just too perfect.

Enjoy them on burgers. Enjoy them on sandwiches. Enjoy them thrown in with a bowl of pasta, or perhaps tossed into an antipasto. Enjoy them in salads, on pizza or crostini…

Just enjoy them.

Oven-Roasted Tomato Confit

2 pounds plum tomatoes – peeled, halved lengthwise, and seeded
Extra-virgin olive oil
Handful fresh thyme
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment, and arrange the tomatoes cut side up. Drizzle with oil and scatter thyme throughout. Season with salt and pepper.

Roast for 2 – 3 hours, until the tomatoes have softened and partially dried out. To serve, place tomatoes in a dish and pour the oil from the pan over the tomatoes.

MAKE-AHEAD: The confit can be made in advance – it will keep in the fridge for about a week. Bring to room temperature before serving.

In Fabulously Simple, Recipe Arsenal confit, everything's better roasted, homemade condiments, ketchup, tomatoes

carrot cupcakes + white chocolate-cream cheese frosting.

April 23, 2011 — 5 Comments

Carrot cake, I’ve learned, is a love-it-or-hate-it type of dessert.

Personally, I can’t understand what there is to hate about carrot cake. I suppose it has something to do with the idea of vegetables sneaking into one’s dessert.

I can think of someone who would never be appalled to find carrots in cake form: that’s right, the Easter bunny! Listen – I know I don’t have kids yet, but Easter is still one of my favorite holidays, and I absolutely love the idea of making a carrot cake for the Easter bunny. It’s like baking cookies for Santa. It’s fun. It’s festive. And kids or no kids, it’s sure to put you in the holiday spirit.

I don’t like any raisins or nuts or canned pineapple in my carrot cake – I prefer it to be pure and simple. I went with Deb’s recipe on Smitten Kitchen after going back and forth with Alton Brown’s recipe, as I was worried that Alton’s would come out too dense for cupcakes. I may try it in the future for a layer cake.

One of the common themes or suggestions I discovered while reading various recipes is that the more finer the grate you get on the carrots, the lighter the cake batter is going to be. Now, the easiest way to grate carrots is using the food processor, but it also produces a pretty thick grate. Using a box grater is better, and using a Microplane zester is ideal. I won’t lie to you – it’s also a big pain in the booty. Deb’s recipe calls for three cups, and I had one 16-ounce bag of carrots. By the time I peeled them, and grated them down to the heads and tossed those (careful because you don’t want to grate your fingers as I often do!), I had about three cups. Listen – the way I see it, just tighten that core, and get a mini-workout in as you grate. It’s a good arm workout. You may even break a sweat.

As for the frosting, cream cheese is the obvious choice for carrot cake or cupcakes. Here, we just kicked it up a notch by adding my latest favorite secret ingredient: white chocolate. It adds another level of richness and sweetness that you just can’t get from powdered sugar alone.

If you love carrot cake, you must try this recipe. And if you think you don’t like carrot cake, I triple-dog-dare you to try this recipe. These cupcakes are so moist, so perfect – you won’t even believe vegetables are capable of producing such lushness.

Carrot Cake Cupcakes

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground ginger
2 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups canola oil
4 large eggs
1 pound carrots, peeled and finely grated using a Microplane (about 3 cups)

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Line 24 cupcake molds with papers, or butter and flour them.

Whisk flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger in medium bowl to blend. Whisk sugar and oil in large bowl until well blended. Whisk in eggs 1 at a time. Add flour mixture and stir until blended. Stir in carrots. Divide batter among cupcake molds, filling each about 3/4 full.

Bake cupcakes 18-20 minutes, rotating pans halfway through, or until a tester inserted into the center of one comes out clean. Let cool in pans for five minutes or so, then transfer cakes to a cooling rack. Let cool completely before icing them.

Makes 24 cupcakes.

White Chocolate Cream-Cheese Frosting

Two (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
2 1/4 cups confectioners’ sugar, plus more if needed
3 1/2 ounces (1 bar) white chocolate, melted and cooled

Beat all ingredients in stand mixer on medium speed until combined and fluffy. Taste for sweetness, adding more sugar if necessary. Chill the frosting for about 10 – 20 minutes until it has set up enough to spread or pipe properly.

In Recipe Arsenal, Sweets + Treats carrots, cream cheese frosting, cupcakes, easter, i love holidays, smitten kitchen obsessed

the baked brownie.

April 8, 2011 — 4 Comments

Don’t be mad at me.

I know it was just last week that I gave you a three-layer brownie/espresso mascarpone/whipped cream/toffee masterpiece.

It was sinful, yes.

But – I realized something important as I posted on that outrageous torte: I’ve yet to share a brownie recipe with you. No layered brownie cakes, no crazy peanut-butter filled concoctions, but just a good, plain ol’ brownie recipe. Everyone needs a classic brownie recipe, right?

These brownies are from the popular Baked cookbook, a trendy and unique collection of recipes by two guys who left their careers in advertising to open their very own dream bakery in Brooklyn.

{I can relate to that}

Many of the recipes are famous because they have some kind of a funky twist, like chocolate cakes using Ovaltine or malt powder. These brownies in particular have made their way well across the blogosphere – that’s for sure – but I felt compelled to share them with you nonetheless. Because like I said, we all need a classic brownie recipe, and if I can share this with just one or two people who didn’t have one, I’m a happy girl.

The key to these brownies is that there are no leavening agents {read: baking soda or powder} in the batter. The purpose here was to create a brownie that was dense, fudgey, and rich – not cake-like. That’s the kind of brownie I’m into, and so these were my perfect match. They even have that perfect, crackly top that I tend to lust after.

And they’re also one of Oprah’s favorite things, if that happens to tickle your fancy.

The Baked Brownie

From Baked: New Frontiers in Baking

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons dark unsweetened cocoa powder
11 ounces dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
5 eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the sides and bottom of a 9×13-inch glass or light-colored baking pan. Line the pan with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, salt, and cocoa powder together.

Put the chocolate, butter and instant espresso powder in a large bowl and set it over a saucepan of simmering water, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate and butter are completely melted and smooth. Turn off the heat, but keep the bowl over the water and add the sugars. Whisk until completely combined, then remove the bowl from the pan. The mixture should be room temperature.

Add 3 eggs to the chocolate mixture and whisk until combined. Add the remaining eggs and whisk until combined. Add the vanilla and stir until combined. Do not overbeat the batter at this stage or your brownies will be cakey.

Sprinkle the flour mixture over the chocolate mixture. Using a rubber spatula (not a whisk), fold the flour mixture into the chocolate until just a bit of the flour mixture is visible.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake in the center of the oven for 30 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the brownies comes out with a few moist crumbs sticking to it. Let the brownies cool completely, then lift them out of the pan using the parchment paper. Cut into squares and serve.

Store at room temperature in an airtight container or wrap with plastic wrap for up to 3 days.

In Recipe Arsenal, Sweets + Treats american classics, baked, bars + brownies, chocolate, sinful

wedge salad with warm bacon + blue cheese dressing.

March 23, 2011 — 2 Comments

Do you ever find that you have go-to dishes you always order when dining out, yet you rarely make them at home?

For me, such was the deal with the wedge salad. I have ordered this steakhouse favorite on countless occasions, but this was the first time I’d ever made it at home.

And that’s a shame – because it’s so easy! I love that you can also lighten it up a bit by using light mayo and buttermilk, and trust me – it’s still just as delicious. It’s no secret that we love red wine + steak night at our casa, and I think I’ve found the perfect starter/side dish for when we’re craving something lighter than mac and cheese or potatoes.

{Stay tuned for the ridiculous rib-eye we paired this with!}

Wedge Salad with Warm Bacon + Blue Cheese Dressing

Adapted from Bon Appétit

1/2 pound thick-cut bacon, cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces
1 large head of iceberg lettuce, cut into 6 wedges, each with some core attached
1/2 red onion, very thinly sliced

For dressing:

1 cup mayonnaise {I use light}
1 good squeeze fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1 cup crumbled blue cheese
1/2 cup buttermilk, or more

First, make dressing. Mix first 4 ingredients in medium bowl. Add blue cheese and stir until well blended. Add buttermilk and thin with more if necessary to desired consistency. Do this ahead of time, if possible, so the flavors have time to meld together.

Cook bacon in large skillet over medium heat until golden brown and beginning to crisp. Arrange lettuce on plates. Spoon dressing over. Using slotted spoon, transfer warm bacon from skillet onto salads, dividing equally. Garnish with red onion.

In Recipe Arsenal, Salad Bar, Starters bacon, blue cheese, wedge salad

go-to marinara.

March 4, 2011 — 1 Comment

When a great marinara is this simple to make, why would you ever bother with the jarred stuff again?

I have an aversion to such things, as many of you know by now. Sometimes, short cuts make sense. But for me, if I’m going to the trouble to make a delicious pizza from scratch, then you better believe I’m making my own marinara.

I keep canned San Marzano tomatoes on hand at all times. You should never buy crushed or diced canned tomatoes, because those have added preservatives to help them keep their shape. And those added preservatives change the way the tomatoes taste and cook. Instead, you want to buy the whole tomatoes, and then crush them with your hands.

San Marzano tomatoes are a bit more expensive than the regular ones, but well worth it. They’re sweeter and have better flavor. I also like the Muir Glen Organic brand of peeled whole tomatoes, which are usually cheaper.

It’s important to taste the sauce as you go, adding more sugar or salt if necessary. You can never predict how naturally sweet your tomatoes will be – some will be more bitter, and will need more sugar. Keep adding little by little until the taste is right. You can also add a bit of crushed red pepper if you like a kick to your sauce.

Classic Marinara Sauce

Adapted from Food & Wine

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, peeled and lightly smashed
1 tablespoon tomato paste
One 28-ounce can whole peeled Italian tomatoes with their juices, crushed by hand
Generous pinch of sugar
Fresh basil leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

In a large saucepan, heat the oil. Add the garlic and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the canned tomatoes with their juices. Stir in the sugar and basil, season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Simmer the sauce over low heat, stirring occasionally, until it thickens and is reduced to about 2 1/2 cups, about 30 minutes. Season again with salt and pepper. Discard the basil sprigs and garlic.

Makes about 2 1/2 cups.

The sauce can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.

In Fabulously Simple, Recipe Arsenal basics, marinara, pizza sauce