Blood Orange Margaritas

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There aren’t too many good things I can say for this time of the year. We’re still got a few more weeks of winter left, and cabin fever set in 2 months ago. One thing that always brightens  my spirits is the abundance of gorgeous citrus fruits. Even out here on the Eastern Shore, in my local mega-mart, I have been able to find prized citrus varieties like meyer lemons and blood oranges. Now, that not may seem like a big deal to most of you “city slickers”, but when I find specialty items like this in the store it’s all I can do to contain my excitement. I usually buy several bags to enjoy for the next couple weeks, then what I don’t use – I’ll juice and freeze for use throughout the year.

Another thing that brightens my spirits this time of year (well, ALL times of year, actually) is booze! While I’ve been enjoying lots of great home brew, courtesy of the Mister, I’ve been enjoying the occasional margarita here and there too. It’s so much fun to play with the flavor profiles of margaritas, with whatever fruits are in season. When I saw a blood orange margarita pop up on Shawnda’s site (the Queen of flavored margs!), it was love at first sight. Blood oranges are more orange-y than their Navel cousin, so I knew the flavor had to be divine. And, the color. That deep, dark red is just to die for!

The first night I made them, I made them for just myself, and they went down far too easy. Needless to say, pictures were not captured. I was too busy shaking my tailfeather to old school tunes upstairs (yea, alone!). Sigh, I *really* need a night out! I’ve made them several times since then for company, and they’re always very well received. A great change of pace from the standard margarita. Blood oranges are already gone from my local store, but I’m already looking forward to next year when I’ll be able to make these again. If you can track down a bag, do yourself a favor and make these margaritas this weekend!

Blood Orange Margaritas

3 oz tequila
2 oz Triple Sec
2 oz fresh-squeezed lime juice
4 oz fresh-squeezed blood orange juice (~3-4 oranges)
1 oz agave nectar
kosher salt on plate, for rim
Blood orange slices, for garnish

Run slice of orange around rim of glass. Dip the rim of two small glasses into the salt, fill with ice, and set aside.

Mix tequila, Triple Sec, lime, and orange juices well. Taste for sweetness and add agave if desired.

Pour into glasses. Garnish with slices of orange.

Source:  adapted from Confections of a Foodie Bride

Strawberry Cupcakes

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Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve probably heard of this neat little site called Pinterest. It’s a great resource for everything; recipes, DIY ideas, housekeeping, sewing, gardening…pretty much anything under the sun. When I came across this pin for strawberry cupcakes, it was love at first site. I think it was the color of the cake and frosting that lured me, a gorgeous punchy pink color. I knew I had to make them.

Because of the addition of lots of fresh strawberry puree, the strawberry flavor really shines through. The cake was super moist, and a tad denser than most cupcake recipes I’ve tried. I changed a couple of things from the original recipe. First, I reduced the eggs to 3-since that’s what I had on hand (these boys have been putting away some eggs lately!). And second, because I’m lazy, I just added the eggs all at one time, and skipped beating the egg whites and folding in at the end. I suspect that they wouldn’t have been as dense if I had taken that extra step. But, hey, they were still delicious. And, one less dish, right? Make these to add a pop of color to a dreary winters day!

Strawberry Cupcakes

For the cake:
1 cup butter
2  1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon red food coloring
1 & 1/4 cups pureed strawberries
3 cups cake flour, sifted
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
pinch Salt
1 cup buttermilk

For the frosting:
8 ounces cream cheese, room temp
1/2 cup butter, room temp
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon red food coloring
1 lb. powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pans with liners and set aside. In a large bowl, beat butter with sugar for 3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, then the vanilla, food coloring and strawberries, beat for another 3 minutes.

Sift dry ingredients and add to butter/egg mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix until combined.

Fill cupcake tins 2/3 of the way up. Bake for 18 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into cake comes out clean. Let sit for 5 minutes before removing to a cooling rack to cool completely.

For the frosting, beat cream cheese and butter until light and creamy, about 3 minutes. Add liquids and blend. Slowly add powdered sugar while mixing on low. At this point you may need to add more powdered sugar. You are trying to achieve a medium stiff consistency. Whip for several minutes. Frost cupcakes as desired.

Source: adapted from Apron of Grace

Raspberry Cheesecake

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I’d made a couple of cheesecakes before, but none had turned out exceptionally. Either I got a giant crack in the top, or my “water-tight” aluminum foil seal malfunctioned, and the water bath leaked into the spring-form pan when baking. They were mostly edible, but nothing to write home about. I got some new spring-form pans for Christmas, so I knew I wanted to make a cheesecake first thing. A cheesecake can be expensive to make, as many recipes call for close to a metric ton of cream cheese.  I came across Ty Flo’s recipe, which only used 2 blocks. It also incorporated sour cream, which I had a giant tub of. It was rated 5  stars with a ton of reviews, so figured it was a good place to start.

It turned out perfect! The texture was thick and creamy, just what a cheesecake should be. For the topping I used Ina’s raspberry topping. In a previous baking venture I’d tried her recipe, which resulted in aforementioned crack. But, the topping – the topping was to die for. It’s such a simple concept; melting down strawberry jelly, then mixing in fresh raspberries. The sugar in the jelly just slightly macerates the berries. Turning them into sweet, juicy, little glistening gems. Perched on top of a decadent cheesecake. Sheer perfection. If you are leery of baking a cheesecake at home, please try this recipe. It won’t disappoint!

Raspberry Cheesecake

Crust:
2 cups finely ground graham crackers (about 30 squares)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 stick unsalted butter, melted

Filling:
1 pound cream cheese, 2 (8-ounce) blocks, softened
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 pint sour cream (about 2 cups)
1 lemon, zested
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Topping:
1 pint fresh raspberries
1/2 cup strawberry jelly (NOT jam or preserves)

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

In a mixing bowl, combine the ingredients with a fork until evenly moistened. Lightly coat the bottom and sides of an 8-inch springform pan with non-stick cooking spray.

Pour the crumbs into the pan and, using the bottom of a measuring cup or the smooth bottom of a glass, press the crumbs down into the base and 1-inch up the sides. Refrigerate for 5 minutes.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese on low speed for 1 minute until smooth and free of any lumps. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and continue to beat slowly until combined. Gradually add sugar and beat until creamy, for 1 to 2 minutes.

Add the sour cream, lemon zest, and vanilla. Periodically scrape down the sides of the bowl and the beaters. The batter should be well-mixed but not overbeaten. Pour the filling into the crust-lined pan and smooth the top with a spatula.

Set the cheesecake pan on a large piece of aluminum foil and fold up the sides around it. Place the cake pan in a large roasting pan. Pour boiling water into the roasting pan until the water is about halfway up the sides of the cheesecake pan; the foil will keep the water from seeping into the cheesecake. Bake for 1 hour. The cheesecake should still jiggle (it will firm up after chilling), so be careful not to overcook. Let cool in pan for 30 minutes. Chill in the refrigerator, loosely covered, for at least 4 hours. Loosen the cheesecake from the sides of the pan by running a thin metal spatula around the inside rim. Un-mold and transfer to a cake plate.

To make the topping, melt the jelly in a small pan over low heat. In a bowl, toss the raspberries and the warm jelly gently until well mixed. Arrange the berries on top of the cheesecake. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Slice the cheesecake with a thin, non-serrated knife that has been dipped in hot water. Wipe dry after each cut.

Source: Cheesecake adapted from Tyler Florence, raspberry topping from Ina Garten’s Family Style.

Cherry Kolaches

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I love pastries of all kinds, and when I came across this recipe for cherry kolaches back in the summertime I knew I had to make them. I kept putting it off, weather was too hot to be baking, etc. One setback led to the other, and by the time I got around to actually making them I couldn’t find the magazine they were in. Finally found it in a stack upstairs yesterday, and made them. They were great!

My only experience with kolaches previous to this had been of the savory variety. When visiting my mother-in-law while she was living in Texas (they’re a favorite there), we got them for breakfast one day. A every-so-slightly sweet dough, filled with a meat of some kind, eggs, and cheese. Yum!

These are definitely much different. The yeasted dough is still slightly sweet, topped with a cherry topping, then baked. After cooling, a glaze is added to the top of the pastry. I wish I had waited a little longer to drizzle the glaze onto the kolaches. They were still warm, and the glaze got a bit runny. But, it was still delicious! They’d probably also be great with powdered sugar on top instead.

Cherry Kolaches

1 package (1/4 oz) active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water (110 to 115 degrees)
3/4 cup warm 2% milk (110 to 115 degrees)
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup shortening
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 eggs
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 can (21 oz) cherry pie filling
3 tablespoons butter, melted

Glaze:
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 vanilla bean pod, split and seeds scraped out (or 1 tsp vanilla extract)
1 tablespoon butter, melted
4 tablespoons 2% milk

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the milk, sugar, shortening, salt, nutmeg, eggs, and 2 cups flour; beat until smooth. Add enough flour to form a soft dough. Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.

Punch dough down. Divide in half; shape each half into 12 balls. Place 3 inches apart on greased baking sheets. Flatten each ball to a 3-inch circle. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 30 minutes.

Make a depression in the center of each roll; add a rounded tablespoon of filling. Bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pans to wire racks. Combine glaze ingredients; drizzle over rolls.

Source: slightly adapted from Taste of Home, April/May 2011