Tooty Fruity Sangria Cupcakes

One can only wander through airport bookstores for so long without buying something.  And let's be serious, for me that 'so long' is not really long at all.  While traveling to Hermosa Beach, CA for a work trip, I stumbled upon a Kitson shop with all kinds of odds and ends, thus scoring the amazing cookbook Intoxicated Cupcakes: 41 Tipsy Treats by Kate Legere.  This cookbook is dynamite.  I want to try every single one of the recipes!

Tooty Fruity Sangria Cupcakes
adapted from Tooty-Fruity Sangria Cupcakes in Intoxicated Cupcakes

Cupcakes:
1 16.5oz box yellow or white cake mix
2 3.4oz boxes instant vanilla pudding mix
3/4 cup canola oil
3/4 cup sangria/red wine
4 large eggs
1 Tbs red food coloring (if desired)
1 cup canned fruit cocktail, drained (I used the 100 calorie version)

Icing:
8oz (2 sticks) salted butter (at room temperature)
2/3 cup chunky orange marmalade
3 cups confectioners' sugar
1 Tbs heavy whipping cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp orange extract
2 tsp sangria/red wine used for cupcakes

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line cupcake baking tins with cupcake liners.

In a large bowl, mix all cupcake ingredients together until well combined.  Fill the cupcake liners 2/3 full with batter.  Bake for 19-23 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out clean.  Let cool in cupcake tin for at least 5 minutes and transfer to wire cooling rack.  Let cupcakes cool completely before icing.

For the icing, cream the butter and sugar together.  Add marmalade and mix until well combined.  Gradually add in the confectioners' sugar and then the remaining ingredients, mixing until everything is well incorporated.  Ice the cooled cupcakes.  I used a bag and tip to ice mine, and the frosting didn't hold as well as I expected.  If this is how you plan on icing your cupcakes, I would recommend placing the icing in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to set before icing.

I chose these as my dessert to take along to a summer barbeque and they were a hit!  The cupcake is moist and delicious while the icing wonderfully compliments the cake.  You could probably even argue that the icing steals the show because it is also just that good.  Seriously.  Make these & enjoy them with a glass of your favorite sangria!  Cheers! 

Brew Review: Hunter's Brewing

Always on a search to try new breweries and wineries, we checked another off our list.  Hunter's Brewing is a relatively new nanobrewery in Chesterton, open Thursdays through Saturdays (and occasionally now on Sundays too!)  There are high top tables, a couple couches, and the bar to sit and enjoy beer.  They have prepackaged snacks and lately The Rolling Stonebaker wood-fired pizza food truck has been there on Thursdays.

Of course you know I tried a flight, which was 8 beers, just over $11.  It seems that Hunter's doesn't offer any light summer beers yet, so they were all relatively heavy.  The Khao Hom Mali, a jasmine rice cream ale, was probably the one I liked most.  It's definitely creamy and the jasmine gives it quite an interesting taste.  Mild Child, the English brown ale, was also good.  Even though I do love a good flavored stout, the others were a bit too heavy for me.  Of course that doesn't mean we won't be back to try more.  The owners were extremely nice and they participate in all of the local brew fests so we will see them soon at Beers Across the Wabash!

Eggplant Pizza

In a quest to be healthy but still fulfill our everlasting love for pizza, Carl and I experimented with a recent recipe we found on Pinterest (of course): Eggplant Pizza.  I can't get over how good it was!

Eggplant Pizza
(adapted from this recipe)

2 medium to large sized eggplants
Olive oil
1 jar tomato sauce (whichever flavor you love best)
1 bag Italian blend shredded cheese
Baby tomatoes
1 package fresh mushrooms
Sliced prosciutto
Basil leaves (chopped)
Sea salt, pepper, & grated Parmesan cheese to taste

Slice the eggplants into 2cm thick slices.  Brush each side with olive oil and place on grill.  Grill over a medium heat until the eggplant slightly begins to char, but is still firm.  Be careful not to overcook.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and place grilled slices onto a baking sheet.  Spread the sauce onto the eggplants and layer toppings as you please.  My personal favorite was sauce, prosciutto, mushrooms, freshly chopped basil, cheese, and a few tomato toppers.  Bake for about 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and begins to bubble.  Top with sea salt and pepper.  Ta-da, satisfy your pizza craving!!

 

Caramel Apple Cookies

During the prime time holiday season last October through December I was always seeing recipes involving cookies stuffed with caramels.  I'm not all about taking the time to roll out dough and actually wrap it around candy, so I usually adapt those recipes into something a bit quicker.  Unfortunately I was never able to find chip sized caramel pieces.  Add the grand opening of the new Meijer in town and welcome in bags of premium caramel bits for baking!  Woohoo!  Can't you just feel my excitement through the computer screen?!?!  I snagged a couple bags a few weekends ago and below is the first recipe I've tried.

Caramel Apple Cookies
(adapted from this  recipe)

1 cup butter - softened
1 cup Domino light (sugar & stevia blend)
1/2 tsp salt
1 box (7.4oz) Alpine Spiced Apple Cider Original Drink Mix - all 10 packets (can be found near the hot chocolate mixes)
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking powder
3 cups all purpose flour
1 bag (11oz) + 1/3 cup Kraft Premium Caramel Bits

Preheat oven to 350 degrees & line baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a mixing bowl, combine softened butter, sugar, salt, and cider mix.  Mix until light and fluffly.  Add in both eggs, vanilla extract, baking soda, cinnamon, and baking powder, mixing until well incorporated.  Gradually add in the 3 cups of flour, blending well.  Finally add in the caramel bits until just combined.

Drop dough in tablespoon sized balls onto the lined baking sheet.  Bake 12-14 minutes until the cookie bottoms barely begin to brown.  Let cool on baking for several minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.  Makes over five dozen cookies.

These cookies are fabulous: more taste than a sugar cookie but not as heavy as a chocolatey cookie.  I will definitely be baking these again during the cozy fall season!

Crown Brewing Company

As you know, Carl and I are steadily working our way all around the local breweries.  Fortunately, I don't think we will ever run out of places to try since there are so many in the Chicago, Northwest Indiana, and Southwestern Michigan areas. 

Crown Brewing Company hosted the beer festival I blogged about here, so I'd known for awhile that I wanted to head out to Crown Point and try a whole flight full of their beers.  My gut feeling did not lie.  Crown Brewing is definitely one of my favorites around! 

My flight consisted of Crown Blue, Crown Brown, Weizenhammer Weiss, Industrial Porter, Raspberry Creme Java Porter, and Plead the 5th Anniversary Imperial Red Ale.  Crown Blue was a very light blueberry that is definitely a summer beer.  I also really enjoyed the Crown Brown because unlike other brews that boast a nutty, caramel flavor, I could actually taste both flavors impeccably well.  The industrial porter was very smooth, much smoother in fact than my normal stout picks.  And my absolute favorite was the wonderfully delicious Raspberry Creme Java Porter.  It is so good.  You can smell the hint of raspberry the second your glass is raised and it has an incredibly smooth finish for a porter.  I added to our growing growler collection (SunKing, Figure 8, etc.) and landed one of these to go.  I can't like 'em all, so naturally I was not a fan of the red ale; it really came off as more of an IPA taste to me.  With that said, I can't believe I thoroughly enjoyed five out of the six beers I sampled, so we will definitely be returning to Crown Brewing.

As a side note, they are in the same building as Carriage Court Pizza, so you can enjoy some carbs to soak up the good beer.  I recommend the margherita pizza, but skip the beer cheese appetizer (not the best we've had.)

Overall, I definitely recommend trying this place; I'm ranking it right up there with my Three Floyds review.  Enjoy & let me know which beer is your fav!

S'mores Graham Krispies

Say hello to the chocolately goodness of the S'mores Graham Krispie.  While I've tried several variations of several s'mores cookie recipes and been left disappointed and unsatisfied, this recipe certainly takes the cake.  It's a fabulous and true-to-taste combination that will definitely give you the s'more taste you're looking for!

S'mores Graham Krispies

4 tbs butter
1 bag (10oz) mini marshmallows
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
6 cups Golden Grahams cereal
1 1/4 cups mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Melt butter over low heat.  Add in marshmallows and continue to melt.  Once marshmallows are melted, stir in vanilla extract and remove once fully combined.  Pour over cereal, begin mixing, add in 1 cup of the chocolate chips and continue to mix until evenly coated.  Using a spatula, press into a greased 13x9 cake pan.  Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup of chocolate chips over the top and press into the mixture.  Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before cutting and serving.  Enjoy that campfire taste!

Baked & Crispy Coconut Chicken

We've been trying to stay healthy lately since it's swim suit season, of course.  In order to do this, we make ourselves sit down on Sundays and plan dinner for the week.  Otherwise it's way too easy to grab a bite out!  This week we tried several new recipes and this coconut chicken is by far one of my favorite dinners that Carl has ever cooked up!!

Baked & Crispy Coconut Chicken
(originally found here)

12 thin sliced chicken tenders (ours came as a 6 pack which we cut in half)
2 eggs
1/2 cup flour
1 cup sweetened coconut flakes
1 cup panko bread crumbs
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
3/4 tsp table salt
3/4 tsp curry powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with foil and spray lightly with nonstick cooking spray.

Chop the coconut the flakes until they are roughly a similar size to the bread crumbs.  Combine with bread crumbs and all of the spices.  Mix well to make sure all the ingredients have blended together.  Place the flour in a separate dish, and in another dish crack both eggs and beat lightly.

One chicken tender at a time, dredge in flour, dip in egg, and coat in coconut/bread crumb mixture.  Press the mixture into the chicken and make sure it is well coated.  Place the tenders on your baking sheet and lightly drizzle with olive oil.  Bake for 20 minutes or until the juices run clear.  Make sure not to overcook!  The coconut/bread crumb mixture will be lightly crisped and golden.

Sweet & Spicy Apricot Dipping Sauce
1/2 cup sugar free apricot preserve
1 tbs rice wine vinegar
3/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

Mix all ingredients together until they are well incorporated and use as a yummy dipping sauce for the chicken!

Like I mentioned above, this has been one of our favorite recipe finds yet so enjoy and let me know what you think!!