Miniature | 20something cupcakes

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{mini} eggnog pound cakes.

December 17, 2011 — 5 Comments

Is it normal to eat pound cake for breakfast?

Seriously…I’m confused about pound cake’s purpose in life. Is it supposed to be eaten as dessert? All this coming from a person who eats cupcakes for breakfast.

Hi. Clearly, I don’t follow the rules.

But at least I know what the rules are supposed to be for cupcakes…pound cake, I’m not so sure. Pound cake doesn’t seem like something I want to eat for dessert. It doesn’t seem rich enough. Right – because a cake that gets its name from being comprised of one pound of butter, one pound of sugar, and one pound of eggs isn’t rich.

Let me backtrack here. Pound cake is rich…fine. I’ll give you that. But something about it just screams breakfast to me. Is that wrong? I don’t think so. These pound cakes are especially nice for breakfast because they taste like eggnog. And they’re dripping in a rummy-nog glaze. Rum for breakfast? I’m in.

In Sweets + Treats baked goods + pastries, cakes, christmas recipes, eggnog, miniature, pound cake

pumpkin spice {baked} donut holes.

October 14, 2011 — 7 Comments

Call them mini muffins, call them donut holes…

Call them whatever. I call them delicious. Way delicious.

These little-mini-pumpky-babies are so moist, and so packed with spicy pumpkin flavor. For me, this is fall – all wrapped up into one little…donut hole….or mini-muffin. Whatever.

In Obsessed, Weekend Brunch baked goods + pastries, donuts, fall recipes, miniature, muffins, pumpkin

pulled pork sliders with blue cheese slaw.

August 23, 2011 — 2 Comments

F0r a long time, I was searching for this recipe.

I couldn’t quite find what I wanted, so I pieced together a few different ideas and came up with my own. I knew I wanted to make my pork in the slow cooker, so I found this recipe via Good Housekeeping and used it as a guide for timing. Even though, there’s not much to that, other than leave it on low and let it cook all day – or in my case, overnight.

Next was the barbecue sauce. I’d seen Alex Guarnaschelli make barbecued chicken on one of my favorite shows, Alex’s Day Off. Love her. Her barbecue sauce had intrigued me, so I sort of manipulated that recipe into my own. I love how it turned out – the flavors were very bright and sharp. I think the slow cooker causes them to mellow a bit, so it worked out perfectly.

In Main Dishes BBQ, blue cheese, coleslaw, ina garten, miniature, picnic, sliders, slow cooker

bacon-wrapped sliders.

June 23, 2011 — 1 Comment

This idea for cooking sliders in the oven offers a rare instance in which I am not depressed that I don’t own a grill.

That’s right, because I live in a high-rise condo that doesn’t allow grilling.

And as sad as that is – this story isn’t a sad one. Because I made my sliders for a party in my oven. I didn’t miss having a grill. Not for one, hot second.

Sliders in the oven is a brilliant concept. So easy, and so perfect for entertaining – just pop ‘em in, and you’re good to go. My oven sure has been good to me lately with all of this make-ahead business.

My only (tiny) complaint about this method of cooking sliders is that if you’re wrapping them in bacon like I did, the bacon doesn’t have time to crisp up as much as I’d like it to, before you have to take the burgers out. No one else minded – probably because I’m super-picky about my bacon being crispy, which is a little crazy when you think about it.

I mean, who’s picky about bacon?

Bacon-Wrapped Sliders

Adapted from The Pioneer Woman

4 pounds ground sirloin
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
16 slices applewood-smoked bacon (not thick-sliced)
16 slices deli-sliced cheese {I offered Boar’s Head sharp cheddar and American}
16 slider rolls or halved dinner rolls

For serving:

Garlic aioli {combine 1 cup mayo, juice of 1 lemon, 2 teaspoons minced garlic, kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste}
Whole grain mustard
Oven-roasted tomato confit
Whole dill pickles from the deli, sliced

To make burgers, combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl. Combine very gently, using a fork if you prefer. You don’t want to overwork the meat or it will be tough.

Form into 16 slider-sized balls. Cut slices of bacon in half lengthwise.

Wrap one half slice of bacon around a patty of meat. Wrap another half slice around the patty, so that they form an “X” around the burger. Repeat with remaining bacon slices and patties. Place on a baking pan with a drip tray, lightly pressing each patty to flatten slightly. Refrigerate until ready to cook.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Bake for 20 – 25 minutes, adding slices of cheese during last few minutes of cooking.

Remove from oven and serve with rolls and accompaniments.

In Fabulously Simple, Main Dishes bacon, burgers, miniature, sliders

mini mac ‘n cheese bites.

June 21, 2011 — 4 Comments

Do you have a favorite food?

Something you think you could die for, or at least at the mere thought of never being able to enjoy it again?

For me, it’s mac and cheese. Truly. I love it with every ounce of my soul.

I’ve never met a cheese I didn’t like, and the same is true for when it’s found swimming in macaroni. Yes, I love all cheese – and most importantly, I love all melted cheese. Who doesn’t? I pity the person who is lactose-intolerant. Grilled cheese, yes – it’s pure comfort, too. Pizza? Of course. But – what is it about macaroni and cheese that makes it so special?

I’m not sure, really. It may have something to do with the fact that the entire base of the dish is a conglomeration of melted cheese – a little roux of butter, flour, and milk, add some other binders like egg and maybe some breadcrumbs, and voila – melted cheese, made bigger and better. Served over pasta, cheese is always the star of the show – whereas with grilled cheese the bread is of supreme importance, and with pizza, well, there are just too many other crucial components involved with truly good pizza.

And what about the fact the mac and cheese is so easily individualized? There are countless types and varieties out there, all begging to be made at a stressful moment’s notice. This recipe is a great one, because you can tweak it any way you like. I think it’s great as stated below, if you’re looking for a solid, classic mac and cheese dish. But why not try blue cheese if that’s what you love? I used the smoked paprika as recommended, but you could also try garlic or onion powder, crushed red pepper or cayenne for a spicy spin, or even cumin, if you’re going for a Mexican-ish vibe.

I’m not alone in my love for mac and cheese, and that’s why I’m obsessed with serving it in these mini bite-sized portions. They’re perfect for entertaining – and guaranteed to be adored.

{And if you don’t have a mini muffin tin, I strongly suggest investing in one. I’m already dreaming up what I can use it for next…}

Mini Mac ‘n Cheese Bites

Adapted from Food & Wine

1/2 pound elbow macaroni
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for brushing
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 cup milk
4 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded (1 packed cup)
4 ounces deli-sliced American cheese, chopped
1 large egg yolk
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika

Preheat the oven to 425°. In a large saucepan of boiling salted water, cook the macaroni until al dente, about 5 minutes. Drain, shaking off the excess water. Brush four 12-cup, nonstick mini muffin tins with butter. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of the Parmigiano; tap out the excess.

In a large saucepan, melt the 1 1/2 tablespoons of butter. Whisk in the flour over moderate heat for 2 minutes. Whisk in the milk and cook, whisking, until boiling, about 5 minutes. Add the cheddar and American cheeses and whisk until melted. Off the heat, whisk in the egg yolk and paprika. Fold in the macaroni.

Spoon slightly rounded tablespoons of the macaroni into the prepared muffin cups, packing them gently. Sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons of Parmigiano on top. Bake the mini macs in the upper and middle thirds of the oven for about 10 minutes, until golden and sizzling. Let cool for 5 minutes. Using a small spoon, carefully loosen the mini macs, transfer to a platter and serve.

MAKE AHEAD: After you’ve filled the cups with the mac mixture, you can refrigerate overnight and bake the next day.

In Dinner Party Worthy, Starters comfort food, mac and cheese, make-ahead, miniature, pasta

{make-ahead} mini grilled cheese sandwiches.

June 14, 2011 — 5 Comments

Grilled cheese just exudes comfort.

When I first began planning this dinner party menu, I realized that comfort food and childhood go hand in hand. Can you think of a dish you loved as a kid that you wouldn’t consider comfort food?

Whether you want to play up on the comfort or the kid-again angle, everyone loves grilled cheese. Sometimes, especially after a long day, I’ll ask Daniel to make me a grilled cheese sandwich if I don’t feel like cooking. Grilled cheese is totally one of those things that always tastes better when someone else makes it for you, isn’t it? He makes his with mayo, and even though I’m a butter girl through and through, I’m definitely into his version – because he made it. I’m a firm believer that when someone makes you a grilled cheese, it’s from the heart.

I knew I wanted grilled cheese on my menu, but I also knew I wasn’t about to be cooking up made-to-order sandwiches – or made-to-order anything, for that matter.

Enter my new boss. His name is Howard, and he’s great. Even though we now work in food – and rather obsessively, at that – he also owned a catering company for many years in his past life.

Howard suggested that I butter and toast my bread before my guests arrive. That way, I could throw some cheese on and simply bake the sandwiches in the oven and serve grilled cheese to my guests the way it’s meant to be served: gooey and warm, with freshly-melted cheese oozing from its sides.

Brilliant.

Make-Ahead Mini Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

16 slices sourdough bread, ends removed
1 1/2 pounds assorted cheeses {I went with smoked Gouda, Fontina, and sharp Cheddar}
1/4 pound (1 stick) salted butter, at room temperature

Prior to serving, heat griddle or skillet over medium heat. Spread about 1/2 tablespoon of butter on one side of each slice of bread (I didn’t find it necessary to butter both sides, though you certainly can if you want to). Toast the bread on each side until golden brown. Set toasts aside.

When ready to eat, preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Assemble sandwiches with the buttered sides facing outward (I kept the cheeses separate – you can mix and match if you’d like) and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 5 – 10 minutes, or until cheese is nicely melted.

Remove from oven and cut each sandwich into 4 squares. Serve using toothpicks, if desired.

Makes 32 mini sandwiches.

In Fabulously Simple, Starters childhood classics, grilled cheese, make-ahead, miniature, sandwiches